This is what the initial lineup of the post-Detroit, "bwah-hah-hah" version of the Avengers would be…
Captain America
Silver Surfer
Mockingbird
Dr. Strange
Spider-man
Guardsman
Quasar
Starfox
Pulsar/Captain Marvel
joined later by:
Longshot
Wonder Man
Firebird
Showing posts with label Avengers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Avengers. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
One character gave the english speaking world an exclamation; the other gave nerds continuity porn
Captain Marvel- Quasar/Marvel Man
The other day, while looking around for info on the second character named above, I happened upon a message board posting where some nerd was talking about how much he liked Quasar, a “cosmic” hero that kicked around without much notice until he starred in what I gather was a highly wonky series penned by Mark Gruenwald and which ran from the late ‘80s to the mid ‘90s (this was the time I was not reading funnee books) .
In the Image era to which the series yielded, said the poster, every character grimaces while he blows villains heads off. Whereas Quasar is a noble young man who tries to do the right thing. To which another poster, evincing the cheap scorn some nerds on the internet indulge in so as to create a geek pecking order, sneered “every character, no matter how lame, is someone’s favorite.”
Apparently, Gruenwald saw Quasar as an “everyman” character who would explore the cosmic byways of the MU in a different, more wide-eyed manner than, say, the Silver Surfer. I liked Gruenwald’s Captain America and enjoy superhero wonkiness, so I’d like to check the series out one day.
So of course, a character known only to earnest goofballs will be paired with a hero who frequently outsold the Superman books in the 1940s and early ‘50s; provoked a lawsuit from DC Comics against the character’s publisher Fawcett Publications over a reasonable similarity to Superman; ceased publication and saw its copyright languish so that other publishers could use the name; gave Gomer Pyle his favorite exclamation; and was finally purchased by DC and fully integrated into its fictional diaspora. Most importantly, Captain Marvel is probably better known than any DC character save Superman, Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman.
The fanciful mythos common to the Big Red Cheeses probably doesn’t work past the 1940s: talking tigers and worms are best left in the past. But Captain Marvel worked well for about 25 years as a wish-fulfillment of many kids who read comic books before (and to a lesser extent after) the Stan and Jack revolution. Now he’s taken the wizard Shazam’s place as a mystical vizier, or somesuch other dumb shit.
Commonalities:
It’s the sense that both are essentially decent young fellows charged with great powers by ancient beings.
Differences:
Ostensibly, Quasar’s abilities to create energy constructs with his quantum bands, not to mention his relative youth and his cosmic bailiwick, would line up with Kyle Rayner. And Roy Thomas linked Rick Jones to Mar-Vell as an explicit nod to his namesake.
Alternate histories:
CM: Billy Batson is a rookie operative at a government agency who acquires an artifact once used by a that grants him immense strength, stamina and control of mystical thunderbolts. After a few years as the novice hero Captain Marvel, he travels into space and discovers that the artifact is a remnant of a offshoot civilization of “New Gods,” and that he has been chosen by the alien wizard Shazam to succeed the deceased Hawkman as a guardian of the “rock of eternity.” While he joins the Justice League for a short time, Captain Marvel spends most of his time opposing menaces throughout the cosmos; he apparently has been revived in a quasi-spectral state after he was thought to have been killed by an extraterrestrial antagonist.
QU: Teenager Wendell Vaughn encounters Eon, an omniscient creature who grants him various “quantum” abilities, which he henceforth accesses by transforming into adult form. Using the name Marvel Man and then Quasar, Vaughn is one of the few superhumans who can credibly challenge the Mighty Thor. During stints with the Avengers and the Liberty Legion, many colleagues, unaware that he’s truly an adolescent, note his naive demeanor. After a cosmic conflagration, Quasar has taken the place of the slain Eon as a universal guardian granted with “cosmic awareness.”
The other day, while looking around for info on the second character named above, I happened upon a message board posting where some nerd was talking about how much he liked Quasar, a “cosmic” hero that kicked around without much notice until he starred in what I gather was a highly wonky series penned by Mark Gruenwald and which ran from the late ‘80s to the mid ‘90s (this was the time I was not reading funnee books) .
In the Image era to which the series yielded, said the poster, every character grimaces while he blows villains heads off. Whereas Quasar is a noble young man who tries to do the right thing. To which another poster, evincing the cheap scorn some nerds on the internet indulge in so as to create a geek pecking order, sneered “every character, no matter how lame, is someone’s favorite.”
Apparently, Gruenwald saw Quasar as an “everyman” character who would explore the cosmic byways of the MU in a different, more wide-eyed manner than, say, the Silver Surfer. I liked Gruenwald’s Captain America and enjoy superhero wonkiness, so I’d like to check the series out one day.
So of course, a character known only to earnest goofballs will be paired with a hero who frequently outsold the Superman books in the 1940s and early ‘50s; provoked a lawsuit from DC Comics against the character’s publisher Fawcett Publications over a reasonable similarity to Superman; ceased publication and saw its copyright languish so that other publishers could use the name; gave Gomer Pyle his favorite exclamation; and was finally purchased by DC and fully integrated into its fictional diaspora. Most importantly, Captain Marvel is probably better known than any DC character save Superman, Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman.
The fanciful mythos common to the Big Red Cheeses probably doesn’t work past the 1940s: talking tigers and worms are best left in the past. But Captain Marvel worked well for about 25 years as a wish-fulfillment of many kids who read comic books before (and to a lesser extent after) the Stan and Jack revolution. Now he’s taken the wizard Shazam’s place as a mystical vizier, or somesuch other dumb shit.
Commonalities:
It’s the sense that both are essentially decent young fellows charged with great powers by ancient beings.
Differences:
Ostensibly, Quasar’s abilities to create energy constructs with his quantum bands, not to mention his relative youth and his cosmic bailiwick, would line up with Kyle Rayner. And Roy Thomas linked Rick Jones to Mar-Vell as an explicit nod to his namesake.
Alternate histories:
CM: Billy Batson is a rookie operative at a government agency who acquires an artifact once used by a that grants him immense strength, stamina and control of mystical thunderbolts. After a few years as the novice hero Captain Marvel, he travels into space and discovers that the artifact is a remnant of a offshoot civilization of “New Gods,” and that he has been chosen by the alien wizard Shazam to succeed the deceased Hawkman as a guardian of the “rock of eternity.” While he joins the Justice League for a short time, Captain Marvel spends most of his time opposing menaces throughout the cosmos; he apparently has been revived in a quasi-spectral state after he was thought to have been killed by an extraterrestrial antagonist.
QU: Teenager Wendell Vaughn encounters Eon, an omniscient creature who grants him various “quantum” abilities, which he henceforth accesses by transforming into adult form. Using the name Marvel Man and then Quasar, Vaughn is one of the few superhumans who can credibly challenge the Mighty Thor. During stints with the Avengers and the Liberty Legion, many colleagues, unaware that he’s truly an adolescent, note his naive demeanor. After a cosmic conflagration, Quasar has taken the place of the slain Eon as a universal guardian granted with “cosmic awareness.”
Saturday, November 15, 2008
One's an absolute creep… the other? Dunno
Green Lantern/Warrior (Guy Gardner)- Guardsman (Michael O’Brien)
I cannot tell how Guy Gardner was initially characterized when he first appeared in the Green Lantern books in the late ‘60s and 1970s. But Keith Giffen and J.M DeMatteis decided that he would come forth as the DCU’s biggest, non-villainous asshole when they took over the Justice League franchise in 1987. And that has been the way Gardner’s been played since, often humorously, which suits me fine.
The Guardsman? Don’t remember a goddamn thing other than he worked closely with Tony Stark after antagonizing him, wore an armor similar to Iron Man's and had red hair. All of which will do the trick for me.
Commonalities:
Both are alternates and antagonists for the main character in their respective franchises, with identical M.O.s.
Differences:
I don’t remember anything about whether the Guardsman was a jerk or not.
Alternate histories:
GG/GL: Policeman Guy Gardner is distressed when his insane brother perishes in battle with Green Lantern (Hal Jordan); he incorrectly believes that Jordan killed the elder Gardner. He appropriates the same power ring his brother used and attacks Jordan. But Gardner reconciles with Jordan, and the latter hires the former to provide security at Ferris Aircraft. Gardner masters the alternate power ring, and eventually becomes head of security at S.T.A.R. Labs.
GU/MO: Michael O’Brien is an aggressive young man who, while practicing social work, is nearly picked by the Watchers to become their representative on Earth. Instead, the Watchers select Tony Stark, and O’Brien becomes their alternate representative, despite his resentment towards Stark and virtually everyone he encounters. When Stark is displaced, O’Brien becomes the Guardsman, the only individual on Earth to wear the Nova Corps armor, and joins the Avengers. His sociopathic behavior increases, and he is disliked by most of his teammates intensely. The Guardsman has continued his association with the Nova Corps since Stark’s return.
I cannot tell how Guy Gardner was initially characterized when he first appeared in the Green Lantern books in the late ‘60s and 1970s. But Keith Giffen and J.M DeMatteis decided that he would come forth as the DCU’s biggest, non-villainous asshole when they took over the Justice League franchise in 1987. And that has been the way Gardner’s been played since, often humorously, which suits me fine.
The Guardsman? Don’t remember a goddamn thing other than he worked closely with Tony Stark after antagonizing him, wore an armor similar to Iron Man's and had red hair. All of which will do the trick for me.
Commonalities:
Both are alternates and antagonists for the main character in their respective franchises, with identical M.O.s.
Differences:
I don’t remember anything about whether the Guardsman was a jerk or not.
Alternate histories:
GG/GL: Policeman Guy Gardner is distressed when his insane brother perishes in battle with Green Lantern (Hal Jordan); he incorrectly believes that Jordan killed the elder Gardner. He appropriates the same power ring his brother used and attacks Jordan. But Gardner reconciles with Jordan, and the latter hires the former to provide security at Ferris Aircraft. Gardner masters the alternate power ring, and eventually becomes head of security at S.T.A.R. Labs.
GU/MO: Michael O’Brien is an aggressive young man who, while practicing social work, is nearly picked by the Watchers to become their representative on Earth. Instead, the Watchers select Tony Stark, and O’Brien becomes their alternate representative, despite his resentment towards Stark and virtually everyone he encounters. When Stark is displaced, O’Brien becomes the Guardsman, the only individual on Earth to wear the Nova Corps armor, and joins the Avengers. His sociopathic behavior increases, and he is disliked by most of his teammates intensely. The Guardsman has continued his association with the Nova Corps since Stark’s return.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Women in Refrigerators, Part II
Batgirl/Oracle - Hellcat
Imagine if Betty Cooper, Archie Andrew’s heartthrob, was re-imagined as a full-fledged super heroine. That’s what befell Patsy Walker, a character published continuously in various teen romance titles by Timely/Marvel from 1944 to 1967, which is more than we can say for Captain America, the Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch.
Walker was said to have becomes disenchanted with her marriage to longtime boyfriend Robert Buzz Baxter: she became Hellcat, and of course Baxter goes nuts and is eventually transformed into the super villain Mad Dog. It’s as if Jughead turned into the Punisher. Hellcat was an appealing character in the Defenders in the 1970s and ‘80s, but unsurprisingly was shown to have lost her mind after marrying the Son of Satan and then to have been consigned to eternal damnation. Which of course didn’t last —she’s running around the land of the living again.
Barbara Gordon is a much more substantial character. She was created in the DCU to line up the with the Yvonne Craig character Batgirl in the 1960s Batman tv program: she is therefore known to a greater amount of non-fanboys than, say, Black Canary. Gordon was a fixture of the DCU in the 1970s and early ‘80s.
But in the 1980s, perhaps Batgirl was increasingly viewed as a relic. So Alan Moore’s Killing Joke story depicted Gordon being shot in the stomach by the Joker, so as to break the spirit of her father, Commissioner Gordon. The story was not intended as canon, but her brutal incapacitation stuck, and it remains the most vivid example of the Women in Refrigerators syndrome: the debate regarding this turn of events rages on to this day.
But writers Kim Yale and John Ostrander resolved to have Gordon turn lemons into lemonade; she has since become Oracle, the DCU’s premiere information broker. I suppose that’s a good outcome, but the tendency among comic book writers to mutilate female characters remains troubling.
Commonalities:
Redhead teenage characters turned crimefighters turned survivors of horrific calamities.
Differences:
Walker is not a super-genius, and has bounced back from a dreadful setback. Gordon has not, but is shown to have risen above ghastly circumstances to a preeminent position in her respective diaspora.
Alternate histories:
BG/OR: Barbara Gordon becomes dissatisfied with her conventional marriage; she encounters the Elongated Man, and dons a quasi-mystically uniform that enhances her already impressive athleticism. Taking the codename Batgirl, Gordon assists the Justice League on a number of missions before joining the Outsiders for a extended term. She marries noted demonspawn John Constantine, Hellblazer, and is eventually driven insane and is subsequently trapped in “Hell.” Gordon has recently returned to the realm of the living and has taken up the guise of Batgirl again.
HC: Patsy Walker is inspired by Captain America to hone her mental and physical abilities to peak conditions: she assumes the codename Hellcat, and assists the Captain and many other superhuman operatives. But Walker was crippled via an encounter with the Green Goblin, and has since become the preeminent information broker in the superhuman community. She also coordinates the Daughters of the Dragon network.
Imagine if Betty Cooper, Archie Andrew’s heartthrob, was re-imagined as a full-fledged super heroine. That’s what befell Patsy Walker, a character published continuously in various teen romance titles by Timely/Marvel from 1944 to 1967, which is more than we can say for Captain America, the Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch.
Walker was said to have becomes disenchanted with her marriage to longtime boyfriend Robert Buzz Baxter: she became Hellcat, and of course Baxter goes nuts and is eventually transformed into the super villain Mad Dog. It’s as if Jughead turned into the Punisher. Hellcat was an appealing character in the Defenders in the 1970s and ‘80s, but unsurprisingly was shown to have lost her mind after marrying the Son of Satan and then to have been consigned to eternal damnation. Which of course didn’t last —she’s running around the land of the living again.
Barbara Gordon is a much more substantial character. She was created in the DCU to line up the with the Yvonne Craig character Batgirl in the 1960s Batman tv program: she is therefore known to a greater amount of non-fanboys than, say, Black Canary. Gordon was a fixture of the DCU in the 1970s and early ‘80s.
But in the 1980s, perhaps Batgirl was increasingly viewed as a relic. So Alan Moore’s Killing Joke story depicted Gordon being shot in the stomach by the Joker, so as to break the spirit of her father, Commissioner Gordon. The story was not intended as canon, but her brutal incapacitation stuck, and it remains the most vivid example of the Women in Refrigerators syndrome: the debate regarding this turn of events rages on to this day.
But writers Kim Yale and John Ostrander resolved to have Gordon turn lemons into lemonade; she has since become Oracle, the DCU’s premiere information broker. I suppose that’s a good outcome, but the tendency among comic book writers to mutilate female characters remains troubling.
Commonalities:
Redhead teenage characters turned crimefighters turned survivors of horrific calamities.
Differences:
Walker is not a super-genius, and has bounced back from a dreadful setback. Gordon has not, but is shown to have risen above ghastly circumstances to a preeminent position in her respective diaspora.
Alternate histories:
BG/OR: Barbara Gordon becomes dissatisfied with her conventional marriage; she encounters the Elongated Man, and dons a quasi-mystically uniform that enhances her already impressive athleticism. Taking the codename Batgirl, Gordon assists the Justice League on a number of missions before joining the Outsiders for a extended term. She marries noted demonspawn John Constantine, Hellblazer, and is eventually driven insane and is subsequently trapped in “Hell.” Gordon has recently returned to the realm of the living and has taken up the guise of Batgirl again.
HC: Patsy Walker is inspired by Captain America to hone her mental and physical abilities to peak conditions: she assumes the codename Hellcat, and assists the Captain and many other superhuman operatives. But Walker was crippled via an encounter with the Green Goblin, and has since become the preeminent information broker in the superhuman community. She also coordinates the Daughters of the Dragon network.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Gaudy dudes, went out with a bang
Firestorm - Jack of Hearts
While I think I bought the 1984 mini-series devoted to the character, I recollect virtually nothing regarding how Jack of Hearts was characterized in the 1980s. But I can say that the character’s costume is so complicated and intricate that it’s notorious as the one many comic book artists least enjoy drawing.
But I collected the second volume of Firestorm in the 1980s: I remember that Pat Broderick’s art was pretty, and that the series focused on Ronnie Raymond’s Spider-man-esque teenage exploits, and very little else. Now I see that in the late 80s the character was used to make heavy-handed comments on the arms race, and then was made to be a fire elemental, followed by somesuch other cosmic claptrap.
Commonalities:
Young dudes with very striking costumes who have recently died via spectacular explosions.
Differences:
Firestorm’s matter transmuting powers are much, much more substantial, and is a composite of two humans. Whereas Jack of Hearts was shown to be half-alien somewhere along the line.
Alternate histories:
FS: A young Ronnie Raymond is exposed to a nuclear substance created by his father that imbues him with matter-transmuting powers and alters his appearance: his eyes become opaque and his hair takes a form similar to fire. Taking the codename Firestorm, he apprentices with the likes of Green Lantern, and later discovers that he is half-alien. After spending some time spacefaring, Firestorm returns to Earth and joins the Justice League, only to commit suicide via explosion shortly afterwards.
JH: A teenage Jack Hart and a scientist are exposed to a “zero-fluid” that fuses them into one being that can expel concussive force beams; the left half of the body takes on a purplish hue. Taking the codename Jack of Hearts, the being works as a novice superhuman operative before joining the Justice League. After an extended period as a quasi-mystical figure and as a space-farer, the Jack of Hearts persona becomes wholly composed and controlled by Hart. He is killed in combat, but the mantle of Jack of Hearts has been passed to another individual.
While I think I bought the 1984 mini-series devoted to the character, I recollect virtually nothing regarding how Jack of Hearts was characterized in the 1980s. But I can say that the character’s costume is so complicated and intricate that it’s notorious as the one many comic book artists least enjoy drawing.
But I collected the second volume of Firestorm in the 1980s: I remember that Pat Broderick’s art was pretty, and that the series focused on Ronnie Raymond’s Spider-man-esque teenage exploits, and very little else. Now I see that in the late 80s the character was used to make heavy-handed comments on the arms race, and then was made to be a fire elemental, followed by somesuch other cosmic claptrap.
Commonalities:
Young dudes with very striking costumes who have recently died via spectacular explosions.
Differences:
Firestorm’s matter transmuting powers are much, much more substantial, and is a composite of two humans. Whereas Jack of Hearts was shown to be half-alien somewhere along the line.
Alternate histories:
FS: A young Ronnie Raymond is exposed to a nuclear substance created by his father that imbues him with matter-transmuting powers and alters his appearance: his eyes become opaque and his hair takes a form similar to fire. Taking the codename Firestorm, he apprentices with the likes of Green Lantern, and later discovers that he is half-alien. After spending some time spacefaring, Firestorm returns to Earth and joins the Justice League, only to commit suicide via explosion shortly afterwards.
JH: A teenage Jack Hart and a scientist are exposed to a “zero-fluid” that fuses them into one being that can expel concussive force beams; the left half of the body takes on a purplish hue. Taking the codename Jack of Hearts, the being works as a novice superhuman operative before joining the Justice League. After an extended period as a quasi-mystical figure and as a space-farer, the Jack of Hearts persona becomes wholly composed and controlled by Hart. He is killed in combat, but the mantle of Jack of Hearts has been passed to another individual.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
The Avengers Unlimited
Here's how the lineup from 2001-2004 season of the Bruce Timm's Justice League program —in my view the best superhero tv program ever made— would look with the shoe on the other foot.
Thor
Captain America
Thundra
Iron Man (James Rhodes)
Iceman
Silver Surfer
Ms. Marvel (Una, a Kree warrior on Earth)
assisted in some episodes by Sub-Mariner, Ghost Rider, Sandman, the Eternals, Dr. Strange
Thor
Captain America
Thundra
Iron Man (James Rhodes)
Iceman
Silver Surfer
Ms. Marvel (Una, a Kree warrior on Earth)
assisted in some episodes by Sub-Mariner, Ghost Rider, Sandman, the Eternals, Dr. Strange
The Justice League: United They Stand
I saw the Avengers: United They Stand animated program only a few times, and about five years after its exceedingly brief run on the Fox Network in 1999-2000. The show is not very good: not only does it suffer tremendously in comparison to Bruce Timm's nearly contemporaneous Justice League/ Justice League Unlimited program, but will likely be further erased from existence by the time Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes cartoon hits the air in 2011, not to mention the big time Hollywood iteration due around that time.
Anyway, this is how the Kounterparted lineup from the 1999-2000 show would look: kinda puny, huh?
Atom
Insect Queen
Green Arrow
Captain Atom
Zatanna
Vixen
Black Lightning
Red Tornado
-assisted on a few episodes by Batman, Green Lantern and Aquaman.
Anyway, this is how the Kounterparted lineup from the 1999-2000 show would look: kinda puny, huh?
Atom
Insect Queen
Green Arrow
Captain Atom
Zatanna
Vixen
Black Lightning
Red Tornado
-assisted on a few episodes by Batman, Green Lantern and Aquaman.
Time wounds these heels only temporarily
Vandal Savage - Kang/Immortus/Pharaoh Rama-Tut /Scarlet Centurion
The second bad guy cited shows the lengths to which Marvel writers in the 70s loved to link characters that had been conceived separately. Kang, Pharaoh Rama-Tut, Immortus and the Scarlet Centurion were initially separate characters, but the likes of Steve Engelhart resolved to make each one entity. This resulted in a thicket of impenetrable ret-cons.
Vandal Savage’s history is relatively streamlined: a caveman becomes immortal and is an implacable antagonist throughout human history. Easy, peasy!
Commonalities
Immortal warlords!
Differences:
Kang originates in the distant future, and a couple of his incarnations have been shown to be benevolent. Whereas Savage is pretty much a nasty son of a bitch.
Alternate histories:
VS: A man from a distant future timeline discovers time travel technology and travels back into the planet Earth’s antiquity. Assuming various identities —Vandal Savage, Epoch, the Lord of Time— he attempts to subjugate not only humanity but all life in the universe. while some of his personas from diverging timelines have been benevolent. Savage has been opposed by the Justice League on numerous occasions.
KA: A early man living in the Paleolithic Age is bathed in the radiation of a meteorite, and is thus rendered immortal. Throughout the ages, the man assumes a number of identities —Pharoah Rama-Tut, Kang, the Scarlet Centurion, Immortus— and rules a number of civilizations in antiquity, as well as assisting various tyrants. In the modern age, Kang has opposed by the Liberty Legion and the Avengers.
The second bad guy cited shows the lengths to which Marvel writers in the 70s loved to link characters that had been conceived separately. Kang, Pharaoh Rama-Tut, Immortus and the Scarlet Centurion were initially separate characters, but the likes of Steve Engelhart resolved to make each one entity. This resulted in a thicket of impenetrable ret-cons.
Vandal Savage’s history is relatively streamlined: a caveman becomes immortal and is an implacable antagonist throughout human history. Easy, peasy!
Commonalities
Immortal warlords!
Differences:
Kang originates in the distant future, and a couple of his incarnations have been shown to be benevolent. Whereas Savage is pretty much a nasty son of a bitch.
Alternate histories:
VS: A man from a distant future timeline discovers time travel technology and travels back into the planet Earth’s antiquity. Assuming various identities —Vandal Savage, Epoch, the Lord of Time— he attempts to subjugate not only humanity but all life in the universe. while some of his personas from diverging timelines have been benevolent. Savage has been opposed by the Justice League on numerous occasions.
KA: A early man living in the Paleolithic Age is bathed in the radiation of a meteorite, and is thus rendered immortal. Throughout the ages, the man assumes a number of identities —Pharoah Rama-Tut, Kang, the Scarlet Centurion, Immortus— and rules a number of civilizations in antiquity, as well as assisting various tyrants. In the modern age, Kang has opposed by the Liberty Legion and the Avengers.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
And I think it's gonna be a long long time, til touch down brings me round again to find, I'm not the man they think I am at home
Adam Strange- Peter Quill, Star Lord
Peter Quill? A Marvel sci-fi character created in the 1970s by Steve Englehart, a writer I like a lot, and one I only dimly remember from my collecting days. Quill has been revived in the Annihilation series , a huge space opera running concurrent to Secret Invasion and Civil War and so on.
But Adam Strange is emblematic of the science fiction books that DC focused on immediately prior to the super-hero revival in the late ‘50s: the character was clearly modeled on Edgar Rice Burrough’s John Carter of Mars and was introduced in the wake of the “new look” Flash. Strange has since been used in the 1960s onwards as an occasional ally of the Justice League and was reimagined by Alan Moore as an, ahem, stud to the sterile race native to the planet Rann —can’t tell if that bit is in continuity these days.
Commonalities:
Both are essentially earthlings who find their destiny offworld.
Differences:
As far as I can tell, Quill begins as an antisocial asshole and becomes noble once he embraces his destiny, whereas Strange is your typical upstanding citizen common to Silver Age DC.
Alternate histories:
AS: A troubled young man, Adam Strange trains to be an astronaut, but is passed over for a mission. After stowing away on a spaceship, he learns that he is half-alien; his earthling mother had an encounter with a humanoid from the planet Rann. He then accepts his heritage and then travels through the cosmos combatting various antagonists. In the aftermath of a massive interstellar conflagration, Strange has recently formed a modern day iteration of the Legion of Super Heroes.
PQ: Peter Quill is an earthling explorer who is transferred via teleportation to the planet Spartax, where he meets and falls in love with a native female humanoid. He is spirited from one planet to the other for a number of years, but Quill eventually remains on Spartax as its champion, often defending its populace against longtime antagonists the Kree and working with the Avengers from time to time.
Peter Quill? A Marvel sci-fi character created in the 1970s by Steve Englehart, a writer I like a lot, and one I only dimly remember from my collecting days. Quill has been revived in the Annihilation series , a huge space opera running concurrent to Secret Invasion and Civil War and so on.
But Adam Strange is emblematic of the science fiction books that DC focused on immediately prior to the super-hero revival in the late ‘50s: the character was clearly modeled on Edgar Rice Burrough’s John Carter of Mars and was introduced in the wake of the “new look” Flash. Strange has since been used in the 1960s onwards as an occasional ally of the Justice League and was reimagined by Alan Moore as an, ahem, stud to the sterile race native to the planet Rann —can’t tell if that bit is in continuity these days.
Commonalities:
Both are essentially earthlings who find their destiny offworld.
Differences:
As far as I can tell, Quill begins as an antisocial asshole and becomes noble once he embraces his destiny, whereas Strange is your typical upstanding citizen common to Silver Age DC.
Alternate histories:
AS: A troubled young man, Adam Strange trains to be an astronaut, but is passed over for a mission. After stowing away on a spaceship, he learns that he is half-alien; his earthling mother had an encounter with a humanoid from the planet Rann. He then accepts his heritage and then travels through the cosmos combatting various antagonists. In the aftermath of a massive interstellar conflagration, Strange has recently formed a modern day iteration of the Legion of Super Heroes.
PQ: Peter Quill is an earthling explorer who is transferred via teleportation to the planet Spartax, where he meets and falls in love with a native female humanoid. He is spirited from one planet to the other for a number of years, but Quill eventually remains on Spartax as its champion, often defending its populace against longtime antagonists the Kree and working with the Avengers from time to time.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Just in time for All Hallow's Eve
Phantom Stranger- Modred the Mystic
One of the premiere mystical characters of the DCU is hereby paired with a relatively obscure sorcerous anti-hero.
Commonalities:
Powerful, immortal sorcerers, given to many mysterious, ponderous pronouncements. Both are haunted—cursed, even— by tragic events long long ago.
Differences:
Modred has a clearly defined origin and vacillates between heroism and villainy, whereas the Stranger is unambiguously a force for good, but has ambiguous origins.
Alternate histories:
PS: The being known as the Phantom Stranger was born in 6th Century England and became an accomplished sorcerer before surrendering his soul to a demon. He entered into suspended animation at that time and was revived in the current day, where he struggles to reclaim his soul. Thus he alternates between aiding the superhuman community and falling under the nefarious influence of the above-mentioned demon.
MM: The being known as Modred the Mystic is believed to have been born on Earth many centuries ago, but no definitive origin has ever been confirmed. What is clear is that Modred possesses vast mystical abilities and that he acts as a consultant to the superhuman community.
One of the premiere mystical characters of the DCU is hereby paired with a relatively obscure sorcerous anti-hero.
Commonalities:
Powerful, immortal sorcerers, given to many mysterious, ponderous pronouncements. Both are haunted—cursed, even— by tragic events long long ago.
Differences:
Modred has a clearly defined origin and vacillates between heroism and villainy, whereas the Stranger is unambiguously a force for good, but has ambiguous origins.
Alternate histories:
PS: The being known as the Phantom Stranger was born in 6th Century England and became an accomplished sorcerer before surrendering his soul to a demon. He entered into suspended animation at that time and was revived in the current day, where he struggles to reclaim his soul. Thus he alternates between aiding the superhuman community and falling under the nefarious influence of the above-mentioned demon.
MM: The being known as Modred the Mystic is believed to have been born on Earth many centuries ago, but no definitive origin has ever been confirmed. What is clear is that Modred possesses vast mystical abilities and that he acts as a consultant to the superhuman community.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Super heroes with mullets! It was the '80s, of course
Booster Gold- Longshot
Are both these characters “high concept” creations specific to the 1980s? I know that Booster Gold is a probably heavy handed comment on, ahem, yuppies. But Longshot had something to do with “the medium is the message,” right? Anyone? Did both represent comic book creators trying a bit too hard?
Commonalities:
See above. And did both not have mullets at one point?
Differences:
Longshot’s abilities have something to altering probabilities: i.e. he has very very good luck. Booster Gold just used a lot of gimmicks culled from future technology.
Alternate histories:
BG: A humanoid from a future dystopia travels to 20th Century Earth, where he is dubbed Booster Gold and works in the film industry. He returns to his time and liberates his fellow humanoids from the yoke of their oppressors, and then returns to the current time and joins the Teen Titans. Booster Gold meets and eventually marries the human heroine Looker and travels back and forth between his time and the present often.
LS: A humanoid from another dimension observes the heroic community on Earth, and travels there to make his name as the hero Longshot. He openly courts publicity and attempts to make money off of his exploits, which troubles other heroes. Longshot joins the Avengers, where he befriends Spider-Man in particular, and the two embark on a number of extra-heroic schemes that inevitably backfire, as well as joining a number of Avenger expansion teams. Longshot fails to prevent Spider-Man’s murder, and has since traveled from one dimension and timeline to the next, exploring alternate histories.
Are both these characters “high concept” creations specific to the 1980s? I know that Booster Gold is a probably heavy handed comment on, ahem, yuppies. But Longshot had something to do with “the medium is the message,” right? Anyone? Did both represent comic book creators trying a bit too hard?
Commonalities:
See above. And did both not have mullets at one point?
Differences:
Longshot’s abilities have something to altering probabilities: i.e. he has very very good luck. Booster Gold just used a lot of gimmicks culled from future technology.
Alternate histories:
BG: A humanoid from a future dystopia travels to 20th Century Earth, where he is dubbed Booster Gold and works in the film industry. He returns to his time and liberates his fellow humanoids from the yoke of their oppressors, and then returns to the current time and joins the Teen Titans. Booster Gold meets and eventually marries the human heroine Looker and travels back and forth between his time and the present often.
LS: A humanoid from another dimension observes the heroic community on Earth, and travels there to make his name as the hero Longshot. He openly courts publicity and attempts to make money off of his exploits, which troubles other heroes. Longshot joins the Avengers, where he befriends Spider-Man in particular, and the two embark on a number of extra-heroic schemes that inevitably backfire, as well as joining a number of Avenger expansion teams. Longshot fails to prevent Spider-Man’s murder, and has since traveled from one dimension and timeline to the next, exploring alternate histories.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
These latinas are, please excuse the dreadful cliche, "hot"
Fire - Firebird
In which prominent Latina super heroines with fire-based powers are paired with one another. And apparently brazilians can, despite not being recognized as such by the U.S. Census, be classified informally as “latino.”
Commonalities:
Both characters bear Latin American roots and have fire-based abilities…
Differences:
…but Fire physically becomes flame, whereas Firebird manipulates said element. And Fire is a tempestuous Brazilian hedonist (a stereotype, natch), whereas Firebird is a very religious Mexican American.
Alternate histories:
FI: Beatriz da Costa is a young Brazilian-American woman who encounters and is altered by a radioactive meteor in a desert in the Southwest: she is thus imbued with the ability to transform herself into a being of pure flame. She assumes the codename Green Flame and then simply Fire and soon joins a West Coast expansion of the Justice League. Fire has served therein occasionally while working as a social worker.
FB: Bonita Juarez is a young Mexican model who finds herself as an agent of that country’s secret service; she encounters and is altered by a pyroplasmic explosion that grants her pyrokinetic abilities. Taking the codename Firebird, Juarez joins an international organization of super-heroes and later an global iteration of the Avengers. Firebird has since worked as an agent of the international intelligence agency SHIELD and with the Daughters of the Dragon.
In which prominent Latina super heroines with fire-based powers are paired with one another. And apparently brazilians can, despite not being recognized as such by the U.S. Census, be classified informally as “latino.”
Commonalities:
Both characters bear Latin American roots and have fire-based abilities…
Differences:
…but Fire physically becomes flame, whereas Firebird manipulates said element. And Fire is a tempestuous Brazilian hedonist (a stereotype, natch), whereas Firebird is a very religious Mexican American.
Alternate histories:
FI: Beatriz da Costa is a young Brazilian-American woman who encounters and is altered by a radioactive meteor in a desert in the Southwest: she is thus imbued with the ability to transform herself into a being of pure flame. She assumes the codename Green Flame and then simply Fire and soon joins a West Coast expansion of the Justice League. Fire has served therein occasionally while working as a social worker.
FB: Bonita Juarez is a young Mexican model who finds herself as an agent of that country’s secret service; she encounters and is altered by a pyroplasmic explosion that grants her pyrokinetic abilities. Taking the codename Firebird, Juarez joins an international organization of super-heroes and later an global iteration of the Avengers. Firebird has since worked as an agent of the international intelligence agency SHIELD and with the Daughters of the Dragon.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
The Avengers Detroit
The Avengers, 1984-1985
Sub-Mariner
Silver Surfer
Scarlet Witch
Beast
Torpedo
Tigra
Living Lightning
Shadowcat
—Sub-Mariner left and was replaced by Captain America
As if the Justice League Detroit wasn’t poorly conceived in the first place, an Avengers iteration feels more like the Defenders, don’t it?
Sub-Mariner
Silver Surfer
Scarlet Witch
Beast
Torpedo
Tigra
Living Lightning
Shadowcat
—Sub-Mariner left and was replaced by Captain America
As if the Justice League Detroit wasn’t poorly conceived in the first place, an Avengers iteration feels more like the Defenders, don’t it?
Two third-stringers and one major mutie
Here, three quick and dirty pairings, banged out so that I can detail the Kounterpart-ed version of the infamously ill-conceived Justice League Detroit.
Only the first Marvel character cited could be described as a major player: I may expound upon Kitty Pryde at another time.
Gypsy- Kitty Pryde
GY: Cindy Reynolds joins the Teen Titans shortly after she discovers her illusion-casting abilities; as Gypsy, she has been affiliated with the team since.
KP: Kitty Pryde runs away from home shortly after discovering her ability to “phase” through solid objects. She encounters and quickly joins a short lived version of the Avengers as “Sprite.” She has since worked with the Silver Surfer, Thundra and the Daughters of the Dragon.
Steel - Torpedo
ST: Hank Heywood discovers a quasi-cybernetic battle suit and, using the codename Steel, becomes a part-time crimefighter. He dies in action.
TO: Brock Jones’ body is imbued with a supercharged mechanisms by his quite insane industrialist grandfather. Reluctantly, he takes the codename Torpedo and joins a short-lived lineup of the Avengers; he dies in action.
Vibe - Living Lightning
VI: Paco Ramone joins the West Coast expansion Justice League shortly after an accident creates the ability to emanate powerful vibratory shockwaves, taking the codename Vibe. He has worked with other superhuman operatives off and on since.
LL: Miguel Santos discovers his ability to to transform his body into electrical plasma, i.e. Living Lightning, shortly before he joins a short-lived version of the Avengers. He dies in the line of duty.
Only the first Marvel character cited could be described as a major player: I may expound upon Kitty Pryde at another time.
Gypsy- Kitty Pryde
GY: Cindy Reynolds joins the Teen Titans shortly after she discovers her illusion-casting abilities; as Gypsy, she has been affiliated with the team since.
KP: Kitty Pryde runs away from home shortly after discovering her ability to “phase” through solid objects. She encounters and quickly joins a short lived version of the Avengers as “Sprite.” She has since worked with the Silver Surfer, Thundra and the Daughters of the Dragon.
Steel - Torpedo
ST: Hank Heywood discovers a quasi-cybernetic battle suit and, using the codename Steel, becomes a part-time crimefighter. He dies in action.
TO: Brock Jones’ body is imbued with a supercharged mechanisms by his quite insane industrialist grandfather. Reluctantly, he takes the codename Torpedo and joins a short-lived lineup of the Avengers; he dies in action.
Vibe - Living Lightning
VI: Paco Ramone joins the West Coast expansion Justice League shortly after an accident creates the ability to emanate powerful vibratory shockwaves, taking the codename Vibe. He has worked with other superhuman operatives off and on since.
LL: Miguel Santos discovers his ability to to transform his body into electrical plasma, i.e. Living Lightning, shortly before he joins a short-lived version of the Avengers. He dies in the line of duty.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Ladies and germs, the jewish batmen!!!
Ragman- Moon Knight
The title of this post says everything I wish to say about either character.
Commonalities:
Did you hear me? I said jewish Batmen!!!! Yet both have a mystical orientation distinct from Batman.
Differences:
The Moon Knight’s strength waxes and wanes with the moon, while the Ragman’s uniform is imbued with the essence of various corrupted souls, or somesuch other weird shit that I can’t quite determine using my computer.
Alternate histories:
RM: Mercenary Rory Regan is nearly beaten to death by a vengeful and corrupt former client; he is about to die when a Golem, the mystical protector of the jews of Prague, appears to him in a vision and offers to revive him if he acts as his agent on Earth. Regan accepts, and takes the guise of the Ragman (as well as two other aliases). While he was briefly affiliated with the Justice League, the Ragman is seen as mentally unstable by the metahuman community, due to his multiple personality disorder.
MK: Marc Spector witnesses the death of his father at the hands of thugs; he soon discovers a suit made by his father which is mystically imbued with the essence of the Egyptian deity Khonshu. As the Moon Knight, Spector defends his community, and eventually joins an organization composed of other mystically-oriented operatives.
The title of this post says everything I wish to say about either character.
Commonalities:
Did you hear me? I said jewish Batmen!!!! Yet both have a mystical orientation distinct from Batman.
Differences:
The Moon Knight’s strength waxes and wanes with the moon, while the Ragman’s uniform is imbued with the essence of various corrupted souls, or somesuch other weird shit that I can’t quite determine using my computer.
Alternate histories:
RM: Mercenary Rory Regan is nearly beaten to death by a vengeful and corrupt former client; he is about to die when a Golem, the mystical protector of the jews of Prague, appears to him in a vision and offers to revive him if he acts as his agent on Earth. Regan accepts, and takes the guise of the Ragman (as well as two other aliases). While he was briefly affiliated with the Justice League, the Ragman is seen as mentally unstable by the metahuman community, due to his multiple personality disorder.
MK: Marc Spector witnesses the death of his father at the hands of thugs; he soon discovers a suit made by his father which is mystically imbued with the essence of the Egyptian deity Khonshu. As the Moon Knight, Spector defends his community, and eventually joins an organization composed of other mystically-oriented operatives.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Eventually, sisters will do it for themselves
Huntress- Spider-Woman
Sometimes, DC and Marvel introduce female characters that are wholly and somewhat cynically based on marquee male heroes. And sometimes, female characters of that sort can gain a measure of self-defined dignity…
The Huntress character was initially conceived to as Batman’s daughter —namely, the Batman from Earth 2, who had debuted in 1939, married Catwoman and sired Helena Wayne.
But along came the Crisis, and the Huntress was reconceived as a Italian-American Mafia Princess evidently possessed by rather a lot of Catholic guilt. Helena Bertinelli would now exculpate the sins of her family by combatting the criminal element a la certain Dark Knight. I’m only slightly familiar with this version, but I like the way she was portrayed in Grant Morrison’s JLA.
As for Spider-Woman: the Jessica Drew character was created to secure a copyright for Marvel and to launch an animated program in the late 1970s. She has been depowered a number of times to see the Spider-Woman name go to other characters, which suggests that she was not beloved of the Marvel PTB of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
But Brian Bendis, a writer who dominates the Marvel line and who writes sub-Mamet style dialogue that I don’t much like, has restored the Drew character (as well as Ms Marvel) to prominence. Strong women in the MU: how novel!
Commonalities:
Both characters’ histories have been ret-conned significantly, but the status quo for both currently is that both grew among and then rebelled against criminal organizations.
Differences:
Huntress is a female iteration of Batman and thus has no powers, whereas Spider-Woman is a female iteration of Spider-Man and has almost identical abilities.
Alternate histories:
HU: Helena Bertinelli is born in Europe but is orphaned at a very young age, is adopted by members of the terrorist organization KOBRA and is trained in various deadly martial arts disciplines. She becomes disaffected with the organization in her early ‘20s, moves to the United States and assumes the heroic guise of the Huntress. She is periodically debilitated, but has recently joined the Justice League— said membership, however, is said to have been assumed by an impostor.
SW: Jessica Drew is born into a family that’s deeply immersed in the criminal underground. After her parents are killed by rival gangsters, Drew resolves to destroy organized crime and trains herself to her physical pinnacle. Taking the codename Spider-Woman, Drew enters the orbit of an often disapproving Captain America and eventually joins the Avengers. But while Spider-Woman resigns from that organization in disgrace, she has has since worked with the Defenders and with a group of female operatives.
Sometimes, DC and Marvel introduce female characters that are wholly and somewhat cynically based on marquee male heroes. And sometimes, female characters of that sort can gain a measure of self-defined dignity…
The Huntress character was initially conceived to as Batman’s daughter —namely, the Batman from Earth 2, who had debuted in 1939, married Catwoman and sired Helena Wayne.
But along came the Crisis, and the Huntress was reconceived as a Italian-American Mafia Princess evidently possessed by rather a lot of Catholic guilt. Helena Bertinelli would now exculpate the sins of her family by combatting the criminal element a la certain Dark Knight. I’m only slightly familiar with this version, but I like the way she was portrayed in Grant Morrison’s JLA.
As for Spider-Woman: the Jessica Drew character was created to secure a copyright for Marvel and to launch an animated program in the late 1970s. She has been depowered a number of times to see the Spider-Woman name go to other characters, which suggests that she was not beloved of the Marvel PTB of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
But Brian Bendis, a writer who dominates the Marvel line and who writes sub-Mamet style dialogue that I don’t much like, has restored the Drew character (as well as Ms Marvel) to prominence. Strong women in the MU: how novel!
Commonalities:
Both characters’ histories have been ret-conned significantly, but the status quo for both currently is that both grew among and then rebelled against criminal organizations.
Differences:
Huntress is a female iteration of Batman and thus has no powers, whereas Spider-Woman is a female iteration of Spider-Man and has almost identical abilities.
Alternate histories:
HU: Helena Bertinelli is born in Europe but is orphaned at a very young age, is adopted by members of the terrorist organization KOBRA and is trained in various deadly martial arts disciplines. She becomes disaffected with the organization in her early ‘20s, moves to the United States and assumes the heroic guise of the Huntress. She is periodically debilitated, but has recently joined the Justice League— said membership, however, is said to have been assumed by an impostor.
SW: Jessica Drew is born into a family that’s deeply immersed in the criminal underground. After her parents are killed by rival gangsters, Drew resolves to destroy organized crime and trains herself to her physical pinnacle. Taking the codename Spider-Woman, Drew enters the orbit of an often disapproving Captain America and eventually joins the Avengers. But while Spider-Woman resigns from that organization in disgrace, she has has since worked with the Defenders and with a group of female operatives.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The escapist and the pussyhound
Mr. Miracle-Starfox
The first character cited is key to Jack Kirby’s Fourth World. The second was conceived by writer/artist Jim Starlin as a part of his supporting cast for his mucho cosmic run on Captain Marvel: it was only later that the folks of Titan were judiciously decided to be a subset of the Eternals. I don’t know what Starlin has made of his Titanians being folded into Kirby’s rejiggered-for-Marvel New God/Eternals mythos, but since he’s fooled with Fourth World concepts for DC, I suspect he wouldn’t mind.
I’m much more familiar with the Starfox character, via ‘80s Avengers stories that showed him to be a super-hedonist, than I am with Mr. Miracle. But I don’t see big problems here…
Commonalities:
Both oppose nigh-unto-omnipotent opponents, and have a more keen interest in the affairs of humans than their most of their kin.
Differences:
Again, Starfox, Thanos and other Titianians were ret-conned into being Eternals. And Mr. Miracle is an escape artist nonpareil, as opposed to a guy that can subtly suggest that women open their legs for him. I know which ability I would prefer…
Alternate histories:
MM: Scott Free is raised by his father Himon alongside his brother, Uxas, in an outpost in Earth’s solar system populated by their fellow “New Gods.” While his brother becomes obsessed with an "anti-life equation" and becomes Darkseid, Free is a —wait for it— free spirit: he’s moved to take existence with greater purpose when his brother threatens the universe. He allies with Hawkman and the Justice League to oppose Darkseid, and eventually joins that organization, using the codename Mr. Miracle. He has since traveled the universe and sporadically returns to active heroic service.
SF: Eros is the son of Zuras, the leader of the Eternals, a godlike race that resides in the extradimensional realm of Olympia. As an infant, Eros is traded to Thanos, the leader of the Deviants of Lemuria, in order to broker a truce between the two races that has been waged for centuries. Growing up amongst Deviants, he and fellow Eternal Thena are influenced by Alars to rebel against Thanos: the two escape to Earth, where their efforts to defeat Thanos nullify the truce mentioned above. Using the codemname Starfox, he marries Thena, joins the Avengers and commutes between Olympia and Earth. Both have apparently been killed in a massacre of all Eternals.
The first character cited is key to Jack Kirby’s Fourth World. The second was conceived by writer/artist Jim Starlin as a part of his supporting cast for his mucho cosmic run on Captain Marvel: it was only later that the folks of Titan were judiciously decided to be a subset of the Eternals. I don’t know what Starlin has made of his Titanians being folded into Kirby’s rejiggered-for-Marvel New God/Eternals mythos, but since he’s fooled with Fourth World concepts for DC, I suspect he wouldn’t mind.
I’m much more familiar with the Starfox character, via ‘80s Avengers stories that showed him to be a super-hedonist, than I am with Mr. Miracle. But I don’t see big problems here…
Commonalities:
Both oppose nigh-unto-omnipotent opponents, and have a more keen interest in the affairs of humans than their most of their kin.
Differences:
Again, Starfox, Thanos and other Titianians were ret-conned into being Eternals. And Mr. Miracle is an escape artist nonpareil, as opposed to a guy that can subtly suggest that women open their legs for him. I know which ability I would prefer…
Alternate histories:
MM: Scott Free is raised by his father Himon alongside his brother, Uxas, in an outpost in Earth’s solar system populated by their fellow “New Gods.” While his brother becomes obsessed with an "anti-life equation" and becomes Darkseid, Free is a —wait for it— free spirit: he’s moved to take existence with greater purpose when his brother threatens the universe. He allies with Hawkman and the Justice League to oppose Darkseid, and eventually joins that organization, using the codename Mr. Miracle. He has since traveled the universe and sporadically returns to active heroic service.
SF: Eros is the son of Zuras, the leader of the Eternals, a godlike race that resides in the extradimensional realm of Olympia. As an infant, Eros is traded to Thanos, the leader of the Deviants of Lemuria, in order to broker a truce between the two races that has been waged for centuries. Growing up amongst Deviants, he and fellow Eternal Thena are influenced by Alars to rebel against Thanos: the two escape to Earth, where their efforts to defeat Thanos nullify the truce mentioned above. Using the codemname Starfox, he marries Thena, joins the Avengers and commutes between Olympia and Earth. Both have apparently been killed in a massacre of all Eternals.
Monday, August 18, 2008
The few… the proud… the unpairable!
The following are two characters, both from the MU, that currently elude equivalents in the DCU.
Quicksilver
One of the Flashes, right? Uh-uh! Based on my tendency here to base pairing on who characters are rather than what they do, Pietro Maximoff does not line up with nice midwestern guy archetype. While he's an Avenger of some note, he’s arrogant eurotrash who, rather like Magneto, who was revealed to be his father, doesn’t think much homo sapiens. His sister, Scarlet Witch, is an exotic “witch” character that can more easily be paired with an American sorceress like Zatanna, who in any case doesn’t have a prick brother.
Occasionally, I think Geo-Force, a headstrong European from “Markovia” might do. But Brion Markov is a noble guy, as well as a nobleman. So as yet, Quicksilver is unpairable.
Black Panther
T’challa is a historic character: the first black —and african— super-hero, the ruler of a technologically advanced and yet stereotypically “tribal” nation of Wakanda and an Avenger.
But there is no “African king” character in the DCU. The closest would be Solivar, the king of Gorilla City, a super-advanced hidden kingdom in Africa, populated by super-intelligent apes. Am I gonna put a black character with an ape, no matter how smart? Hells no!
Then there is the Bronze Tiger, a super-athlete like T’Challa. But he’s not African royalty. Then there’s Impala, a South African speedster…who is marginal. Then there’s Freedom Beast, an African rendition of Animal Man…who is also marginal.
Sigh…
Quicksilver
One of the Flashes, right? Uh-uh! Based on my tendency here to base pairing on who characters are rather than what they do, Pietro Maximoff does not line up with nice midwestern guy archetype. While he's an Avenger of some note, he’s arrogant eurotrash who, rather like Magneto, who was revealed to be his father, doesn’t think much homo sapiens. His sister, Scarlet Witch, is an exotic “witch” character that can more easily be paired with an American sorceress like Zatanna, who in any case doesn’t have a prick brother.
Occasionally, I think Geo-Force, a headstrong European from “Markovia” might do. But Brion Markov is a noble guy, as well as a nobleman. So as yet, Quicksilver is unpairable.
Black Panther
T’challa is a historic character: the first black —and african— super-hero, the ruler of a technologically advanced and yet stereotypically “tribal” nation of Wakanda and an Avenger.
But there is no “African king” character in the DCU. The closest would be Solivar, the king of Gorilla City, a super-advanced hidden kingdom in Africa, populated by super-intelligent apes. Am I gonna put a black character with an ape, no matter how smart? Hells no!
Then there is the Bronze Tiger, a super-athlete like T’Challa. But he’s not African royalty. Then there’s Impala, a South African speedster…who is marginal. Then there’s Freedom Beast, an African rendition of Animal Man…who is also marginal.
Sigh…
Thursday, August 14, 2008
A good guy paired with a bad guy? Huh?
Metamorpho- Sandman
At first glance, this pairing appears to be based on what the characters do and not who they are. But Metamorpho and Sandman not only have similar abilities, but are rough around the edges dudes who have played both “good guy” and “bad guy” side of the street.
Commonalities:
Both are shapeshifters, due to their bodies being composed of sand/various elements found in the human body, are superhumanly strong, have dissipated and been reassembled into separate, seemingly unique personas several times and, like I said above, are rough and tumble fellas.
Differences:
Chiefly, the Sandman was conceived as a thug, but was reformed in the 1980s and ‘90s. Metamorpho has been shown to be easily hypnotized and thus has often been a pawn of various super-villains.
Alternate histories:
ME: Low level hood Rex Mason is exposed to radiation and is thus transformed into a being that can shapeshift into the various elements found in the human body. Using the codename Metamorpho, he opposes the Blue Beetle and other superhuman operatives. But after tiring of criminal activity, he is befriended by Robotman and eventually reforms, joining the Justice League. Metamorpho’s body has dissipated and reassembled in both benign and villainous orientations.
SM: Adventurer William Baker is exposed to the energies of a mystical artifact and is thus transformed into a being composed of sand like particles. Taking the codename Sandman, he works largely alone and declines an offer to join the Avengers. He eventually joins Captain America’s Defenders and the Avengers, but is easily controlled by super villains. Sandman’s body was thought to be destroyed, although he has recently reassembled himself and has since worked with the Defenders again.
At first glance, this pairing appears to be based on what the characters do and not who they are. But Metamorpho and Sandman not only have similar abilities, but are rough around the edges dudes who have played both “good guy” and “bad guy” side of the street.
Commonalities:
Both are shapeshifters, due to their bodies being composed of sand/various elements found in the human body, are superhumanly strong, have dissipated and been reassembled into separate, seemingly unique personas several times and, like I said above, are rough and tumble fellas.
Differences:
Chiefly, the Sandman was conceived as a thug, but was reformed in the 1980s and ‘90s. Metamorpho has been shown to be easily hypnotized and thus has often been a pawn of various super-villains.
Alternate histories:
ME: Low level hood Rex Mason is exposed to radiation and is thus transformed into a being that can shapeshift into the various elements found in the human body. Using the codename Metamorpho, he opposes the Blue Beetle and other superhuman operatives. But after tiring of criminal activity, he is befriended by Robotman and eventually reforms, joining the Justice League. Metamorpho’s body has dissipated and reassembled in both benign and villainous orientations.
SM: Adventurer William Baker is exposed to the energies of a mystical artifact and is thus transformed into a being composed of sand like particles. Taking the codename Sandman, he works largely alone and declines an offer to join the Avengers. He eventually joins Captain America’s Defenders and the Avengers, but is easily controlled by super villains. Sandman’s body was thought to be destroyed, although he has recently reassembled himself and has since worked with the Defenders again.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Zeus' demi-god son, and a character inspired by Sean Connery's most obscure role
Vartox- Hercules
In the Marvel diaspora, Hercules has been a perpetual presence; he’s been written consistently as a likable blowhard. The character has taken over the Incredible Hulk’s book; It’s now the Incredible Hercules!
Even though the DCU has an Olympian pantheon with Hercules, Zeus et al, I’ve chosen to pair the MU’s Hercules with a character from the Superman stable, a guy who parallels Kal-El the way Herc does Thor and one so obscure I can’t believe that I remember him …
VARTOX!!!!!!!
Apparently, writer Cary Bates and artist Curt Swan created Vartox after they saw Zardoz, an LSD-etched, pre-Logan’s Run film from 1974 which found Sean Connery running around a post apocalyptic dystopia… in trunks! Dig this fucked up trailer, in which Connery seem to be completely bemused (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbGVIdA3dx0).
ZARDOZ!!!!!
So this b-list Superman character seems to be the most enduring exponent of this way fucked up film that I can’t wait to see. I reckon DC shoulda got the King to do something with Vartox.
Commonalities:
More or less, both serve as equivalents to marquee characters, namely Superman and Thor…
Differences:
But Herc has been a major player in the MU for forty years; Vartox is a marginal ‘70s character that has been revived to little effect in recent years.
Alternate histories:
VA: Vartox is a half-human but most physically powerful member of the royal family that rules the planet Valeron; like the Kryptonians they resemble and have consorted with over the ages, Valerions are tremendously powerful. He comes to Earth in recent years and meets and battles Kal-El, whom he knows from years ago. Something of a braggart and drunkard but lion-hearted and convivial, Vartox eventually joins the Justice League, allies often with Superman and commutes from Valeron to Earth.
HE: Hercules, native of the extradimensional realm Olympus, comes to Earth after his wife on another planet dies, and befriends the Mighty Thor. He meets and then romances Janet Van Dyne, and departs and returns to Earth from time to time.
In the Marvel diaspora, Hercules has been a perpetual presence; he’s been written consistently as a likable blowhard. The character has taken over the Incredible Hulk’s book; It’s now the Incredible Hercules!
Even though the DCU has an Olympian pantheon with Hercules, Zeus et al, I’ve chosen to pair the MU’s Hercules with a character from the Superman stable, a guy who parallels Kal-El the way Herc does Thor and one so obscure I can’t believe that I remember him …
VARTOX!!!!!!!
Apparently, writer Cary Bates and artist Curt Swan created Vartox after they saw Zardoz, an LSD-etched, pre-Logan’s Run film from 1974 which found Sean Connery running around a post apocalyptic dystopia… in trunks! Dig this fucked up trailer, in which Connery seem to be completely bemused (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbGVIdA3dx0).
ZARDOZ!!!!!
So this b-list Superman character seems to be the most enduring exponent of this way fucked up film that I can’t wait to see. I reckon DC shoulda got the King to do something with Vartox.
Commonalities:
More or less, both serve as equivalents to marquee characters, namely Superman and Thor…
Differences:
But Herc has been a major player in the MU for forty years; Vartox is a marginal ‘70s character that has been revived to little effect in recent years.
Alternate histories:
VA: Vartox is a half-human but most physically powerful member of the royal family that rules the planet Valeron; like the Kryptonians they resemble and have consorted with over the ages, Valerions are tremendously powerful. He comes to Earth in recent years and meets and battles Kal-El, whom he knows from years ago. Something of a braggart and drunkard but lion-hearted and convivial, Vartox eventually joins the Justice League, allies often with Superman and commutes from Valeron to Earth.
HE: Hercules, native of the extradimensional realm Olympus, comes to Earth after his wife on another planet dies, and befriends the Mighty Thor. He meets and then romances Janet Van Dyne, and departs and returns to Earth from time to time.
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