Robotman- Thing
These two were initially discussed in January, but merit further alternate history-style exposition.
Alternate histories:
RM: Cliff Steele grows up poor in a major metropolitan city: he enters college, where he befriends Steve Dayton and becomes a football star. Steele then embarks on a career driving experimental automobiles: it is around this time that he, Dayton, Rita Farr and Larry Trainor are struck by certain cosmic energy, and resolve to operate as the Doom Patrol. Steele is transformed into a super-strong robotic creature, and consents to be referred to as Robotman, although he frequently despairs that he is less than human. Robotman is a mainstay of the Doom Patrol, although he is one of the best liked operatives in the superhuman community and works with others very often.
TH: Ben Grimm is a test pilot whose body is all but destroyed after his plane crashes. His body is then mutated into a monstrous, super-strong rock-like form by Charles Xavier in order to save his life. While Grimm accepts the codename the Thing, and becomes a charter member of the Fantastic Four, he frequently despairs that he is less than human. When the Fantastic Four are allegedly killed after volunteering to sacrifice their lives to save innocents, the Thing enters suspended animation; upon revival, he leads newer iterations of the Fantastic Four.
Showing posts with label Robotman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robotman. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
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.
Friday, January 18, 2008
A first family and some "freaks"
Fantastic Four- Doom Patrol
Give or take Spider-Man, the FF pretty much is Marvel, for reasons anyone likely to read these words understand. Whereas the Doom Patrol was DC’s response to Marvel: here were “freakish” characters who squabbled and were misunderstood by the general populace.
Should anyone be moved to comment here (or, ahem, ever), I would imagine that the FF's similarities to the Jack Kirby-created Challengers of the Unknown would be brought up. I would also imagine that Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol would be mentioned as well, but I have never read any of the trades. But essentially, I think the two teams have more in common than not.
Mr. Fantastic- Mento
Commonalities:
Both are real smart guys, and Steve Dayton’s telekinesis and Reed Richard’s elasticity achieve similar ends. Both are married respectively to the two women cited below.
Differences:
“World’s Fifth Richest Man” Dayton was only an occasional member of the DP, and was often portrayed as an arrogant dilettante, whereas Richards is merely absent-minded and pedantic. Dayton also went nuts and became the Crimelord apparently, and has only recently been redeemed in Geoff Johns’ Teen Titans. Richards has only recently been written as misguided vis-a-vis Civil War.
Invisible Woman- Elasti Girl
Commonalities:
Both are the mother figures of their teams; you could say that Rita Farr becoming very small achieves the same purpose as Susan Richards becoming invisible, and Farr’s becoming a giant achieves the same purpose as Richards’ forcefields (you could say that the better matchup, ability-wise, would be Reed = Rita, Sue = Steve, but gender distinctions will remain enforced here).
Differences:
Being that Farr was the only death that stuck from DP’s 1968’s series finale (for four decades), I don’t believe she developed much past the one-dimension characterization common to female characters in both Marvel and DC universes (I could be wrong about this). After a good 20 years as a fourth wheel, in 1981 Susan was rendered more or less the strongest female character Marvel’s got—for which we can thank the ever-controversial John Byrne.
Thing- Robotman
Commonalities:
One of the most perfect matchups: Ben Grimm and Cliff Steele are tough guys with hearts ‘a gold who are trapped in monstrous forms they no likey…
Differences:
Only that Grimm can change to human form back from time: Steele cannot.
Human Torch- Negative Man
Commonalities:
The similarity of a flaming dude and a dude who can send a radioactive shadow hurtling around seems pretty on point to me.
Differences:
I’m not sure how Larry Trainor was characterized in the 1960s, other than the fact that he was unhappy at the prospect of spending his life swaddled in bandages. Seems a far cry from the happy go lucky Johnny Storm. Trainor is not related to Farr, but, as we will see going forward, family ties are so numerous in both universes that it would be counterproductive to let them dictate every equivalent.
You’ll notice I did not include Niles Caulder: he’ll be included another time in a post regarding another team matchup…
Alternate histories:
FF: Three individuals are separately altered by cosmic rays, and are brought together by a gentleman to be named later to combat evil. They are joined by Reed Richards and another younger person (also to be named later), but are soon slaughtered—although, by the providence of ret-con, they eventually are resurrected.
DP: Four good friends are mutually beset by trauma, and band together to combat evil. The group are regarded as the beacons of a new heroic age (a few members are occasionally substituted for by individuals—again, to be named later).
Give or take Spider-Man, the FF pretty much is Marvel, for reasons anyone likely to read these words understand. Whereas the Doom Patrol was DC’s response to Marvel: here were “freakish” characters who squabbled and were misunderstood by the general populace.
Should anyone be moved to comment here (or, ahem, ever), I would imagine that the FF's similarities to the Jack Kirby-created Challengers of the Unknown would be brought up. I would also imagine that Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol would be mentioned as well, but I have never read any of the trades. But essentially, I think the two teams have more in common than not.
Mr. Fantastic- Mento
Commonalities:
Both are real smart guys, and Steve Dayton’s telekinesis and Reed Richard’s elasticity achieve similar ends. Both are married respectively to the two women cited below.
Differences:
“World’s Fifth Richest Man” Dayton was only an occasional member of the DP, and was often portrayed as an arrogant dilettante, whereas Richards is merely absent-minded and pedantic. Dayton also went nuts and became the Crimelord apparently, and has only recently been redeemed in Geoff Johns’ Teen Titans. Richards has only recently been written as misguided vis-a-vis Civil War.
Invisible Woman- Elasti Girl
Commonalities:
Both are the mother figures of their teams; you could say that Rita Farr becoming very small achieves the same purpose as Susan Richards becoming invisible, and Farr’s becoming a giant achieves the same purpose as Richards’ forcefields (you could say that the better matchup, ability-wise, would be Reed = Rita, Sue = Steve, but gender distinctions will remain enforced here).
Differences:
Being that Farr was the only death that stuck from DP’s 1968’s series finale (for four decades), I don’t believe she developed much past the one-dimension characterization common to female characters in both Marvel and DC universes (I could be wrong about this). After a good 20 years as a fourth wheel, in 1981 Susan was rendered more or less the strongest female character Marvel’s got—for which we can thank the ever-controversial John Byrne.
Thing- Robotman
Commonalities:
One of the most perfect matchups: Ben Grimm and Cliff Steele are tough guys with hearts ‘a gold who are trapped in monstrous forms they no likey…
Differences:
Only that Grimm can change to human form back from time: Steele cannot.
Human Torch- Negative Man
Commonalities:
The similarity of a flaming dude and a dude who can send a radioactive shadow hurtling around seems pretty on point to me.
Differences:
I’m not sure how Larry Trainor was characterized in the 1960s, other than the fact that he was unhappy at the prospect of spending his life swaddled in bandages. Seems a far cry from the happy go lucky Johnny Storm. Trainor is not related to Farr, but, as we will see going forward, family ties are so numerous in both universes that it would be counterproductive to let them dictate every equivalent.
You’ll notice I did not include Niles Caulder: he’ll be included another time in a post regarding another team matchup…
Alternate histories:
FF: Three individuals are separately altered by cosmic rays, and are brought together by a gentleman to be named later to combat evil. They are joined by Reed Richards and another younger person (also to be named later), but are soon slaughtered—although, by the providence of ret-con, they eventually are resurrected.
DP: Four good friends are mutually beset by trauma, and band together to combat evil. The group are regarded as the beacons of a new heroic age (a few members are occasionally substituted for by individuals—again, to be named later).
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