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.
Showing posts with label Steel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steel. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Slice and dice
Katana- Colleen Wing
So obvious that ain’t no comment necessary.
Commonalities:
Ladies! Swords! From the same country!
Differences:
Only that Tatsu is full blooded Japanese, and Wing’s pop was an American white fella.
Alternate histories:
KA: Tatsu Yamauchi is raised in Japan and grows up learning the ways of the samurai. She emigrates to America and partners with policewoman Karen Beecher; the two establish a private investigation firm and often ally with the superhuman operatives Steel and Thunderbolt.
CW: Colleen Wing is raised in Japan; she avenges her husband‘s murder by his brother and then trains in the ways of the samurai. She leaves Japan, encounters Captain America and joins his newly constituted Defenders with the Falcon, Sandman and two other operatives, with whom Wing has served sporadically.
So obvious that ain’t no comment necessary.
Commonalities:
Ladies! Swords! From the same country!
Differences:
Only that Tatsu is full blooded Japanese, and Wing’s pop was an American white fella.
Alternate histories:
KA: Tatsu Yamauchi is raised in Japan and grows up learning the ways of the samurai. She emigrates to America and partners with policewoman Karen Beecher; the two establish a private investigation firm and often ally with the superhuman operatives Steel and Thunderbolt.
CW: Colleen Wing is raised in Japan; she avenges her husband‘s murder by his brother and then trains in the ways of the samurai. She leaves Japan, encounters Captain America and joins his newly constituted Defenders with the Falcon, Sandman and two other operatives, with whom Wing has served sporadically.
Friday, June 13, 2008
HIIIII-YAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
Thunderbolt (Peter Cannon)- Iron Fist
Only comments here are that the Peter Cannon character was originally a Charlton creation, and was only used by DC for a decade or so once rights reverted to its creator, Peter Morisi, and that Iron Fist was Marvel’s second most noteworthy martial arts after Shang Chi.
Commonalities:
I am only vaguely familiar with the Peter Cannon character, and have boned up via innuhnet research. But these two—both American guys trained in exotic mystical locations— seem to line up right up.
Differences:
Only that Iron Fist was conceived to capitalize on the kung-fu craze of the early ‘70s, whereas Thunderbolt’s provenance is based on prevailing “American guy learns ancient martial arts discipline— template common in funny books for many years by the 1960s.
Alternate histories:
TH: As a child, Peter Cannon loses his parents while on an expedition to a Tibetan monastery. He is raised therein, and eventually masters the martial arts disciplines unique to the location. Cannon returns to America and combats criminal antagonists as under the name Thunderbolt. He joins forces with the operative Steel, and the two have recently joined the non-sanctioned version of the Justice League.
IF: An American missionary couple lose their lives; their son, Daniel Rand, is raised in the hidden realm of K’un-L’un. After he masters the martial arts disciplines unique to the location, he returns to America in adulthood and combats criminal antagonists under the name Iron Fist.
Only comments here are that the Peter Cannon character was originally a Charlton creation, and was only used by DC for a decade or so once rights reverted to its creator, Peter Morisi, and that Iron Fist was Marvel’s second most noteworthy martial arts after Shang Chi.
Commonalities:
I am only vaguely familiar with the Peter Cannon character, and have boned up via innuhnet research. But these two—both American guys trained in exotic mystical locations— seem to line up right up.
Differences:
Only that Iron Fist was conceived to capitalize on the kung-fu craze of the early ‘70s, whereas Thunderbolt’s provenance is based on prevailing “American guy learns ancient martial arts discipline— template common in funny books for many years by the 1960s.
Alternate histories:
TH: As a child, Peter Cannon loses his parents while on an expedition to a Tibetan monastery. He is raised therein, and eventually masters the martial arts disciplines unique to the location. Cannon returns to America and combats criminal antagonists as under the name Thunderbolt. He joins forces with the operative Steel, and the two have recently joined the non-sanctioned version of the Justice League.
IF: An American missionary couple lose their lives; their son, Daniel Rand, is raised in the hidden realm of K’un-L’un. After he masters the martial arts disciplines unique to the location, he returns to America in adulthood and combats criminal antagonists under the name Iron Fist.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
How African American heroes are made, circa 1972 and 1993
Steel (John Henry Irons) - Power Man (Luke Cage)
When Marvel resolved to introduce an african-american super hero in 1972, the result was completely and clumsily premised on the “blaxploitation” trend in cinema at the time. So Luke Cage, later to be known as Power Man, was written by Archie Goodwin and subsequent scribes spouting jive talk along the lines of “Sweet Christmas!!!” an exclamation I‘ve never encountered outside of comic books. Ahh, the unceasing wonders that result when white nerds in the ‘70s presume to craft realistic dialogue for black characters!
Nonetheless, Cage became less stereotyped as the 1970s progressed, and he has since been Marvel’s premiere african-american character: he’s been mucho prominent in recent years.
In my very limited understanding, DC’s Steel reflects a more nuanced treatment of how to present an african american character. Introduced in the 1993 Fall of Superman arc, John Henry Irons is an inventor who isn’t known to complain about “the man.” Why can’t a black guy be a middle class smart guy, like other super-heroes? Why indeed.
Commonalities:
Both strong doods! In the 52 series, Irons’ skin becomes briefly metallic, which is most Cage-esque.
Differences:
Irons is an inventor who dons an armor to do his stuff, whereas Cage is an ex-con and has been played as a Sam Jackson-style tough guy recently.
Alternate histories:
ST: John Henry Irons is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and is sentenced to a term in prison. He volunteers for a experiment where he is to don a prototype armor; Irons escapes and makes his way back to his hometown, where adopts the code name Steel and works as a extranormal operative for hire. He briefly replaces Robotman in the Doom Patrol and takes on a partner (to be named later); the two work together for many years. Steel now leads the dissident Justice League.
PM: Scientist Carl Lucas takes a job as a construction worker and is saved from plunging to his death by Thor, who inspires him to take up adventuring. Taking the names Luke Cage and Power Man, he devises a method in which he gains superhuman strength and durability. During the time that Thor appears to have died, Power Man takes up his slack, and eventually joins the Avengers.
When Marvel resolved to introduce an african-american super hero in 1972, the result was completely and clumsily premised on the “blaxploitation” trend in cinema at the time. So Luke Cage, later to be known as Power Man, was written by Archie Goodwin and subsequent scribes spouting jive talk along the lines of “Sweet Christmas!!!” an exclamation I‘ve never encountered outside of comic books. Ahh, the unceasing wonders that result when white nerds in the ‘70s presume to craft realistic dialogue for black characters!
Nonetheless, Cage became less stereotyped as the 1970s progressed, and he has since been Marvel’s premiere african-american character: he’s been mucho prominent in recent years.
In my very limited understanding, DC’s Steel reflects a more nuanced treatment of how to present an african american character. Introduced in the 1993 Fall of Superman arc, John Henry Irons is an inventor who isn’t known to complain about “the man.” Why can’t a black guy be a middle class smart guy, like other super-heroes? Why indeed.
Commonalities:
Both strong doods! In the 52 series, Irons’ skin becomes briefly metallic, which is most Cage-esque.
Differences:
Irons is an inventor who dons an armor to do his stuff, whereas Cage is an ex-con and has been played as a Sam Jackson-style tough guy recently.
Alternate histories:
ST: John Henry Irons is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and is sentenced to a term in prison. He volunteers for a experiment where he is to don a prototype armor; Irons escapes and makes his way back to his hometown, where adopts the code name Steel and works as a extranormal operative for hire. He briefly replaces Robotman in the Doom Patrol and takes on a partner (to be named later); the two work together for many years. Steel now leads the dissident Justice League.
PM: Scientist Carl Lucas takes a job as a construction worker and is saved from plunging to his death by Thor, who inspires him to take up adventuring. Taking the names Luke Cage and Power Man, he devises a method in which he gains superhuman strength and durability. During the time that Thor appears to have died, Power Man takes up his slack, and eventually joins the Avengers.
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