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Legacies are heavy burdens to bear. Whether it be in the real world or the comic world, every character carries a flag, meant to be picked up by a successor once it has been dropped. As long as the flag- our legacy- carries on, we can never really be gone.
Comic Books, however, don’t seem to offer the same oppurtunity to take up the legacy to their sidekick characters.
Every sidekick superhero dreams of one day picking up the legacy of their mentor. Robin dreams of becoming Batman, Aqualad longs to be Aquaman, and Kid Flash dreams of becoming the Scarlet Speedster. I’d like to focus on the latter.
The Flash is one of my favorite heroes. To date, four men have carried the name: Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, Wally West and Bart Allen. Every hero ran the race and passed the baton on to the next runner…sort of.
The original Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick, originally existed on an alternate earth, with the rest of the JSA heroes. He made his way to Earth-1 and lived as a mentor to the current Flashes.
The Silver-age Flash, Barry Allen, died saving the world in the Crisis on Infinite Earths (See Comic Book Deaths). After his sacrifice, the current Kid Flash, Wally West took up the mantle. Now, in 2008, West remains the Flash. It’s a perfect example of passing on a legacy and natural progression in a work of fiction.
Or is it?
West himself had a sidekick, his own kid Flash, Bart Allen. Bart was the grandson of Barry Allen (the original Flash) from the 31st century. West disappeared for a time during Infinite Crisis (2005) and Bart took up the mantle. It was assumed that Bart would continue on as the Flash until his own sidekick one day began to run the race.
This wasn’t the case. In a move to boost sales, Bart was killed off shortly after his run as the Flash began. It was determined he simply wasn’t as popular as Wally and couldn’t carry the book. Bart was dead, and Wally returned.
This move disappointed me, as the previous actions taken by DC to move the Flash’s story seemed progressive. After Bart’s death, I’ve had to just come to the conclusion that once sidekicks are written as sidekicks, they will forever remain in that mold. It doesn’t matter if they fill the role for a time, the original hero nearly always returns. Batman could be no one other than Bruce Wayne; Green Arrow will always be Oliver Queen; and Superman certainly will never be replaced by the recently introduced Christopher Kent or a cloned Conner Kent.
On the one hand, this bothers me because the policy is a direct result of the desire for higher sales. No one would read Superman is he was anyone other than Clark Kent, because the two names are so synonymous.
In another sense, however, this policy allows for true immortality. The hero and the name become so ingrained that both ultimately represent the mission and represent the heroes we all know, love and desire to be.
I may never see Conner Hawke permanently take up the role of Green Arrow, and Tim Drake will never take up the cowl for good in any mainstream timeline, but perhaps there really is a place for everything and everything in its place.
Now I look forward to seeing how long Bucky will last as Captain America….
Are sidekicks genuine heroes with interesting stories to tell? Or just mildly entertaining co-stars that can be removed on a whim and no one would miss them?
Comic book sidekicks have been playing second-fiddle to superheroes on adventures for years now. Normally, they’re an emulation of a smaller-scale of the titular hero; a mini-me with tights and a cape, if you will. But, of course, we all know what a sidekick is. I walking around campus today and got to wondering just what purpose they serve.
Many of a sidekick’s characteristics can be used to balance the hero. Many early readers felt that Batman was too dark and intense. As a result, Robin was added to the Bat family. His bright colors and sense of humor added an entire new dimension to Batman’s stories that weren’t available without Robin’s contribution. It also made Batman look darker, tougher and more masculine in comparison.As one of the first sidekicks. Robin has definitely taken his fair share of hard knocks in the stories. Here is a few negative aspects of being a sidekick inherent to all those who tag their name after the “And” on the cover:
At least a foot shorter than the hero. I can relate to this since I normally look up to about everyone.
Flashy, unimaginative costume. Robin’s was based on a spring bird for crying out loud…not quite as threatening as the vampire bat!
Corny, humorless dialogue to make the reader groan. See below on Batman and Robin for more on this….
Mainly serving as a plot device to make the hero look stronger and more capable by being unable to accomplish feats their mentor can.
A plot device to motivate the hero to perform great acts. Batman would always become really inspired or a better fighter if he sees his Robin is injured. Of course, after it happens every week, you think the effect might lessen a bit.
Just another character to rescue. I’d be embarrassed if I’d been kidnapped as many times as Robin. You think eventually he might see it coming….
When the original Tim Burton Batman movie was about to be released (1988), a decision was made by DC to take Batman back to his roots as a solo character, as portrayed in the film. At the time, the identity of Robin had been taken up by Jason Todd in the comics, the second Robin. Todd was a young man Bruce Wayne found on the streets and took in to learn the crime fighting business. He found that Todd was more reckless, temperamental and prone to violence than his predecessor; Todd became unpopular among comic fans. As an unpopular character, many felt it was time to give him the boot.
Todd became the part of a major marketing ploy in 1998, where readers of the Batman comics could call a 1-900 number and vote on whether or not he survived an encounter with the joker. This stunt attracted massive media attention, with many observers outside of the comic book community believing they were planning to kill the original Robin. Man! I know if I was a sidekick in a comic book, I would feel slighted for having my fate decided by a phone survey. Fans voted to kill off Todd, and Batman became a solo hero once again. Todd was beaten to death by a crowbar and left in a building rigged with explosives. So much for letting the character go peacefully….
Robin would return around 1991 with Tim Drake, my personal favorite Robin, taking on the mask and cape. Robin has had a successful solo series for years now, and his new adventures as the leader of the Teen Titans show no signs of slowing THIS sidekick down.
At one time, Robin and every other sidekick has displayed some of these traits of a negative sidekick. It would seem that they aren’t mean to be taken seriously as real heroes and just can’t cut it on their own.
WRONG!
The sidekick offers the chance to observe the journey of the hero over many years. In the case of the original Robin, Dick Grayson, he began as a wild, untamed orphan who just wanted to fight crime. Over the years, readers got to know him simply as Batman’s sidekick until he began to take on his own identity. Now, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, a popular superhero in his own right who still appears with Batman from time to time, but protects his own city with his own monthly title.
The journey of Dick Grayson is an example of a classic coming-of-age tale. But observing it over a course of many years in a monthly magazine makes us feel like we are able to grow up with the characters. It is true that some characters will never age, but those who do offer us a chance to watch their story unfold as we grow with them. Tim Drake, the current Robin, has already grown in his role. A glimpse of the future showed him as a new Batman, taking his journey full circle.
Next time, I’ll continue my thoughts on sidekicks. Till then, feel free to comment with your own!
J. Michael Straczynski: “There’s a lot that I don’t agree with (about One Day More), and I made this very clear to everybody within shouting distance at Marvel, especially Joe Quesada… there was a point where I made the decision, and told Joe, that I was going to take my name off the last two issues of the OMD arc…..” (Image and quote: Marvel.com)
Well, Mike, we couldn’t agree with you more.
After my last post concerning the recent Spider-Man story arc, One Day More, I decided to go back and explore some of the upcoming ramifications of the Spidey-verse, and what we know now. First off, Mary Jane and Peter Parker are no longer married, no longer friends and have no memory of their past together. That’s a given. Harry Osborn, old friend and foe was also brought back from the dead.
But what else will this loose thread unravel in the Marvel Universe as a whole?
*****(OMD Spoiler Alert!)*****
Now that the arc has ended, and we move on to Peter’s brand new day. Here are my thoughts and concerns, but primarily QUESTIONS on how this arc has changed not only Spider-Man, but the entire Marvel Universe.
Peter Parker’s identity as Spider-Man is secret once more. (What happens to Civil War events?)
During the events of Marvel’s Civil War, Parker made a move that caused the entire comic community to collectively slap their forehead; he revealed his identity. As of One Day More, however, no one remembers it. This may sound good on the surface, but Spider-Man’s unmasking was the event that escalated the Civil War and led many heroes to register and many to fight. If Spider-Man never unmasked, could the War have continued as usual? How will this effect Peter’s relationship with Iron Man? (Like, does this mean Tony never gave him that Iron Spidey suit? Because that would be great if that could be erased from the reader’s mind, as well….)
Peter’s webbing is no longer organic
The very last page of the final issue of One Day More shows a small glimpse into Peter’s sleeve. Back on his wrists are his trademark web shooters. Meaning, he lost his internal webbing he gained during the Avengers Disassembled storyline when he was swallowed by the Queen Spider…or something like that. Many comic fans were outraged when the traditional webshooters were replaced in lieu of the organic webbing, for the sake of being like the Spider-Man films. I am not opposed to the webbings return; however, Spidey also gained other abilities due to his time with the Queen Spider. What happened to those? And speaking of new abilities….
What does this mean for Spider-Man: The Other?
Spider-Man: The Other, is a storyline where Peter faces his most powerful foe, Morlun, and actually dies in combat. Due to the nature of his powers, however, he is resurrected by shedding his skin and being reborn in a caccoon more powerful than before. He has increased strength, agility, night-vision, his ability to adhere to a surface expands to any part of his body, and more! With the timeline so drastically altered, does Spidey still have these abilities? Did SM:TO even happen now?
Spider-Man the Avenger
After the fairly recent story Avengers: Breakout, Spidey joins an re-formed Avengers team, briefly, before the Civil War breaks out. He was, of course, married to MJ at the time and she and Aunt May lived along with him in Starks Tower where May developed a relationship with Jarvis, the butler. Now that the timeline has changed, perhaps Peter was never an Avenger. If so, the Civil War may have never broken out and Captain America might still be alive. The possibilities are infinite! Also, what does this OMD storyline mean for the current New Avengers comic group that contains Spider-Man. Will he go on being a part of it and everyone else “forgets” his identity?
This change puts a large question mark on practically every Spider-Man storyline since Harry died and Peter and MJ were hitched. I wonder if the Clone Saga is still completely intact, though even before OMD, it was mentioned rarely- if ever. I also wonder if Aunt May has gone back to being oblivious to Peter’s identity, but since Mephisto’s spell erased the memory of his identity from the world, I imagine that includes her as well.
Looks like the last decade or so is shot, and Spider-Man is back to square one. Whether or not this is negative or positive, I’ll let you decide. Personally, I can’t wait to hear the retcons!
I do have faith in Marvel to tie up some loose ends within Spider-Man’s continuity. But that doesn’t change the fact that this life-altering event in Peter’s life touches the lives of nearly every other character in the Marvel universe. I don’t see how that can be completely addressed and fixed, and I believe it will lead only to a slew of continuity errors we can gripe about on message boards…or blog about!
Who will be the next Superman we see on the silver screen?
Hollywood is a very diverse place. Why, you have stars such as Michael Keaton, Tobey McGuire, Chris O’Donnell, Nicholas Cage, Christopher Reeves, Brandon Routh, Adam West, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Gardner, Tom Welling, Robert Downey Jr., and many more. What, you may ask, do theses names have in common? (Duh, what site are you on?)
They are all super- or at least, pretend to be.
Superheroes appear in all mediums and in many different forms. Even the comics that print them from month to month are inconsistent in how they depict their facial features, body builds or ever personalities. Whoever the hero may be, he is rarely depicted by the same person twice.
Personally, I find this to be a positive thing. It means that a hero is bigger than the actor who plays him- and his ideals and mission are more important than the name behind the mask. I thought about this when I read about an upcoming Justice League of America movie that is now in pre-production (www.superherohype.com). Apparently, they’ve decided to use an actor other than Brandon Routh, who recently portrayed the Man of Steel in 2006′s Superman Returns. At first, I found myself a bit surprised by this decision. I’m not a huge fan of Routh, and personally I found his performance to be a bit wooden and unfeeling in Superman Returns. However, I was still surprised that they would go with a different actor with Routh so recently having donned the blue tights.
To further examine this question, I decided to look a bit further back at actors who played Superman. We all know, of course, Christopher Reeve will forever be remembered as the definitive Man of Steel, but when he was hired he was an unknown actor. Routh, himself, was also unknown. Other actors like Christian Bale and Tobey Mcguire had little fame before they donned their tights and went out and saved the world.
Other movies with blockbuster names playing the leads *cough*Batman and Robin*cough* don’t seem to fare as well. After taking all of this into account, I decided that maybe it’s alright to have different actors constantly playing different heroes. It’s not as damaging to continuity or as out of place as changing Darren on Bewitched without saying anything, because heroes represent the best in all of us and what we dream of being. When we watch our favorites, we’re not seeing an actor; we see ourselves on the screen swooping in to save the day.
Iron Man is going to hit theaters this May! He may have some serious competition at the box office from The Dark Knight, but I have high hopes for this flick.
Iron Man never was the most popular of the superheroes. As a longtime member of the Avengers, he’s fought alongside EVERY major hero in the Marvel universe. With superhero movies as hot as they are right now, it was no surprise that Iron Man would receive his own film.
According to the trailer, industrialist Tony Stark is the world’s top weapons designer. With Stark Enterprises at his command, he is surely one of the richest heroes in fiction. In the film, he is captured by terrorists and taken to Afghanistan (in lieu of Vietnam, as it was in the comics) where they force him to build a weapon. And he does…
He becomes Iron Man.
I feel this film may work for a few reasons:
Visually stunning!The effects don’t only look great, but believable!
Evolution of the armor. As the trailer reveals, Tony’s armor goes through many stages before it takes the familiar red and yellow form we all know and love.
Gritty realism.This has worked for Batman, Superman and Spider-Man. When the plot is taken seriously and a “believable” story is written, the film normally goes well.
Fun! Hey, who wouldn’t want to be Iron Man?
Black Sabbath’s Iron Man song in the trailer.I can’t help but headbang whenever I hear it!
Of course, I’m normally an optimist about ANY Superhero film, because I can find redeeming qualities in just about anything. I remember I couldn’t wait to see DAREDEVIL! Remember Daredevil? I WANTED to see that! Here’s what could pull the plug on Iron Man:
Lack of a recognizable villain.Face it, none of Iron Man’s rogue gallery even comes close to equalling the level of fame of say…the Joker? Doctor Octopus? Lex Luthor? Other heroes get those villains. Iron Man gets…The Mandarin? The Iron Monger? I don’t think anyone outside of a comic book store or mom’s basement has ever heard of these dastardly villains.
Summer Schedule. Big movies are due out this summer! Iron Man just might be overshadowed in all the hype.
Mediocre Plot. Ghost Rider, Daredevil, Fantastic Four and many other Superhero films seem to suffer from the whole “It’s a bad guy, let’s stop him and get the girl” syndrome. The film has to do something to stand out. Personally, I believe it will be the showcase of Iron Man and his abilities.
Iron Man Comics Counterpart. In the comic books, right now, Tony Stark is a dick. More on this later, but that might affect a few comic fans.
Well heroes, whether or not Iron Man is a success, I urge you all to go see the movie in May and take a friend! After all, with every superhero flick that is a success, it means we get more for years to come!
And remember, it could be worse! At least there are no iron nipples on the suit….
This blog will be the start of a series of blogs where I will write about my favorite and LEAST favorite comic book movies. Through analyzing, perhaps together we can find the key to making a successful comic book movie! Let’s start with the good:
Batman Begins (2005)
After a rocky previous installment, Batman returned to the screen after a nearly ten year absence from fighting crime in Gotham City. Everything was reimainged in this film from the Dark Knight’s origin, suit and right down to the military-style Bat-mobile that reminded longtime comic fans of the Bat-tank presented in The Dark Knight Returns. After viewing this film, my cousin told me that the most notable aspect of it was the fact that it was a BELIEVABLE superhero film; he actually bought that under those circumstances a man could become Batman. The film is widely regarded as the greatest Batman film and allowed for an upcoming sequel this summer! (The Dark Knight)
So just what worked?
Lesser known actor donning the cape and cowl. (Christian Bale’s performance was spectacular)
The dark tone necessary for a serious Batman movie, minus the camp of previous works. (No shouts of “holy rusted metal Batman”, this time.)
Villains that were not only terrifying, but iconic, in the Scarecrow and Ra’s Alghul.
A complex, interwoven plot that actually involved some thought. Believe it or not, some complaints I heard about the movie was that it was actually too complex.
Kick-butt technology and gadgets for the Bat. I especially loved the Bat-shuriken.
Fantastic supporting cast. (Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman etc.)
PLOT, PLOT, and more PLOT!
Batman and Robin (1997)
Sigh…need I say more? I’m ashamed to admit that I DID view this movie…in theaters…full ticket price…oh the horror. Batman and Robin represent everything WRONG with the franchise and with human being’ ability to think and create. The uninteresting storyline, over the top effects, severe campiness of the project and misuse of characters make for not only a bad superhero movie, but a waste of 125 minutes you will never get back in your life.
What didn’t work?
Misuse of characters- Bane, one of Batman’s greatest enemies who nearly ended his career in the comics- was depicted as a bumbling henchmen whose presence in the film served no real purpose.
Casting- Talk about quality over quantity. I groaned when I heard George Clooney was set to play Batman. He didn’t have the inner conflict or darkness necessary to play the role. Arnold was also a poor choice as Freeze, as the director wanted an actor who looked as if he was “carved out of a glacier”. The alternate choice was, however…Hulk Hogan.
Visuals- A batmobile that drives up the walls; a Gotham that looks like a painting made by someone on crack (with a skyscraper sized statue of a man I don’t quite understand); fuzzy gorillas dancing with Poison Ivy; ice skates inexplicably protruding from Batman and Robin’s feet; and a bat suit with nipples. I think that sums it up.
Plot. Ivy and Freeze come together with the most dastardly scheme ever! Freeze is so pissed off that his wife is sick, that he decides to freeze the whole city through the use of satellites. (This guy became a doctor?) Once the world is frozen, it shall be repopulated with Ivy’s mutant plant thingies. Brilliant! Except for the fact that the plants can’t be grown if the Earth is a frozen wasteland. Oops….
Dialogue/Lines. Campy lines that may seem funny to a four-year old are found all throughout this movie. “Holy rusted metal Batman!”, “This is why Superman works alone…”, Batman’s credit card in his utility belt with an expiration date of “forever”….that’s how long I felt like I was in this movie.
Overcast, and I don’t mean the weather. Val Kilmer initially backed out of the project because he felt Batman was playing second fiddle to the villains. Kilmer never made a better decision in his life. The addition of Ivy, Freeze and Bane-in-name-only was crowded enough; however, adding in Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl was enough to make me throw my hands up and say, “Whatever!” Batman may have a wealth of characters, but you don’t have to use them all in one film.
I think that might scratch the surface of just what went well and what went SO wrong with these two films. Feel free to add your own thoughts as well and give me some suggestions for movies to right about next time.
A funny YouTube video illustrating the many comic book deaths and their entertaining explanations!
A comic book retcon (retroactive continuity) involves a purposeful change in established events or facts within the larger scope of the work. The retcon could happen a mere issue later or even years later! Some are well-received and others laughable, but most longtime fans of a work normally feel cheated when they come across one. After all, following a hero’s story for years and then having the rug completely pulled out from under you is a major let down.
So, now that you know just what a retcon is, let’s discuss some of my favorites!
Aunt May
Good ole’ Aunt May! Who couldn’t love this old lady? She took in an orphaned Peter Parker and raised him. Even after losing her husband, she continued to be the best caretaker she could be. Of course, having Spider-Man as a nephew wouldn’t allow May to lead a very easy life! I believe her record number of kidnappings and murder attempts might even rival that of Lois Lane! Aunt May was never on the healthy side, but a stroke in the Aug. 94 issue of Web of Spider-Man #115 left her in the hospital for a year real-time! I own the issue Amazing Spider-Man #400, where May finally dies in peace, surrounded by family. She can’t speak but has thoughts of Peter and Mary Jane having children and raising a family. She even makes peace with the fact that he’s Spider-Man! Yes, it would seem that the character’s tumultuous life has finally come to a peaceful end! That is, until….
RETCON!
In the November 1998 issue of Spider-Man Vol.1 #97, the “real” Aunt May is discovered as a prisoner of Norman Osborn (another retcon resurrection). Turns out, the Aunt May we all shed tears over was a “genetic duplicate” actress that had been placed there by Norman Osborn and died in her place. This is true despite a previous Spider-Man work called The Osborn Journals where Norman recalls the “duplicate” death and wishes he had been behind it….
Either way, Aunt May lives again!
DC’s Multiverse
DC comics has the longest and richest history of any fictional universe around. With such long-running stories, it’s natural that many elements contradict one another; don’t add up or just don’t make any sense! For instance, in early stories, Superman never flew but only jumped great distances. Batman, Wonder Woman, Aqua Man and other characters that had been “active” since the 1940s remained young still in the 80′s.
With so many contradictions, DC made the ultimate RETCON by taking a sledgehammer and fracturing their own universe; thus, the Multiverse was born….
DC established that these heroes all lived on a variety of “alternate earths”. The Multiverse of worlds in the DC universe allowed for the concurrent existence of the SAME heroes with different stories and histories. The Superman, Batman, the Justice Society of America and the rest of the Golden Age heroes inhabited Earth-Two, while the then-modern heroes story’s took place on Earth-one. Any story that took place outside those earths were dubbed “Elseworlds”, where anything could go! Quite a headache for those who didn’t have a deep knowledge of the DC universe.
Hal Jordan- Green Lantern
Hal Jordan is the Green Lantern of the Silver Age and arguably the most well-recognized of all those to carry the ring. In the 1994 storyline Emerald Twilight Hal Jordan, so grieved by the loss of his home city, became a villain called Parallax and caused untold death and destruction. For over a decade, his final legacy was that of a killer. Nearly all Green Lantern fans were outraged by the out of character actions of their favorite hero. Fan sites dedicated to his return sprouted up and remained online and active for years.
With Green Lantern sales falling, DC saw the need to bring Hal back in 2005 by, you guessed it, RETCON!
The 2005 Green Lantern story Rebirthrevealed that Hal had not acted of his own free will when he turned to the dark side of the lantern. His mind was actually under control the WHOLE time by an evil galactic entity known as Parallax. His evil actions were wiped away by the old argument “the devil made me do it”, and Hal was reinstated as Green Lantern.
The Final Episode of Roseanne
Sure, it didn’t happen in a comic, but that doesn’t stop the final episode of Roseanne from being one of my favorite retcons! This episode established that the entire series up until a certain point was a fictional story Rosie had been writing.
Dan had died of his heart attack in the previous season; they never won the lottery, thus becoming wealthy; Darlene and Becky married the OPPOSITE brothers; and Jackie turned out to be a lesbian, rather than her mother. Every single aspect of the show I watched for years was changed by this one episode! Now THAT is a RETCON!
Magneto/Xorn
Like I’ve stated in previous posts, the X-Men have such a high body count with NO one staying in the grave. I imagine they’ve stopped paying for funerals and I doubt any insurance company would ever cover them. One of the most outlandish retcons I’ve ever come across, was a resurection of Magneto.
After the Eve of Destruction Storyline, Magneto was believed dead. Mutant activists began to regard him as a martyr and hero, and his final words were the inspiration for many. Shortly thereafter, a new mutant named Xorn joined the X-Men. He wore a mask because he claimed he had a “star for a brain”. He displays many incredible powers.
With me so far? Good…here comes the RETCON!
Xorn later removes his helmet and reveals himself to be none other than (bum bum bum) MAGNETO! Apparently, Xorn was just a guise he created. He then persisted to do something villainy and destroyed much of New York. (How original!) His plot was stopped by Wolverine decapitating him. That should keep him in the grave! Right?! Please?
This retcon wouldn’t be too hard to believe, if it wasn’t for the fact that later on, the X-Men met Xorn! Except, he wasn’t Magneto. And the “Magneto” that destroyed the city and lost his head was actually…Xorn’s brother? The REAL Magneto was at large.
Apparently, the previous Xorn came under the influence of an “unknown entity” that persuaded him to pretend to be his brother pretending to be Magneto….
Can’t wait to hear the retcon for that!
This list is by no means an attempt to attack storylines or fanwank them, just single out some of my favorite examples! Whether it’s good or bad is for you to decide or maybe you would like to tell me some of your favorite retcons. Go right ahead!
I decided to make a brief list of my favorite comic book deaths of all time. These aren’t limited to just comics, as I’ve included some movies and other mediums. So, enjoy the list! (In no particular order)
1. Barry Allen: the Silver-Age Flash.
Barry Allen, like a true hero, sacrificed himself to save the world by destroying the Anti-Monitor’s WMD during Crisis on Infinite Earths #8 (1985). I’ve always been a fan of every incarnation of the Scarlet Speedster, no matter who’s wearing the suit. What I like about Barry’s death is not only the heroic nature of it, but the fact that he literally RAN himself to death in order to accomplish it! What a way to go!
2. Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men 3: The Last Stand.
Patrick Stewart always was the perfect choice to play Professor X, and despite the high body count of dead X-Men, his death came as a surprise to me in the film! Xavier’s battle of the minds with the Phoenix was thrilling, but the most satisfying part of his death was that he died while still trying to be a teacher. I also enjoyed how, in typical X-Men fashion, we received a glimpse of his possible return, right after the credits. Nobody stays in the grave too long in the X mansion!
3. Harry Osborn- The Green Goblin (Spectacular Spider-Man #200, 1993)
Not to be confused with his movie counterpart! Harry’s death in Spider-Man 3 was noble in that he sacrificed himself to save Peter; however, his death in the comics illustrated a true sacrifice for a friend. Harry and Peter always represented the opposite side of a coin: rich and poor, loved and ignored and…well, crazy and sane. Harry Osborn was one of the earlier instances of drugs appearing in comics and his levels of insanity were driven beyond the breaking point by the Goblin formula. His anger was directed towards the one person who might have understood him, his best friend Peter Parker. In some ways, Harry was also Peter’s worst enemy, with attacks coming not only physically, but psychologically. Harry died from poisoning by his own Goblin formula, but before his death he used all of his strength to pull Peter from an exploding building. With his greatest enemy again his best friend, Harry died. There were plans to resurrect him as the author of the clone saga; however, editors nixed the idea as it would be damaging to his memory and his final sacrifice to return as an enemy. As of 2008, plans for his return are underway…stay tuned.
4. Death of Superman
(Superman #75, 1993) I don’t know if there’s anything else to add. Superman is the most famous comic book death simply because no one ever imagined someone THAT powerful would die. He has literally moved worlds and survived nuclear holocausts. What could ever kill him? I remember his death gaining attention from all forms of media, and even Jay Leno wore a black armband on his show as a sign of mourning. Probably the most widespread fictional death. The Man of Steel was never intended to remain in the grave, and one of the most thrilling aspects of the storyline was waiting to see how he would return.
5. Chewbacca’s death on Sernpidal.
(New Jedi Order: Vector Prime, 1999) O.k., so it didn’t happen in a comic book. Well, many of the events were covered in the comic book special Star Wars: Chewbacca. And, unlike a typical comic book death, Chewbacca won’t likely be appearing postmortem. I wanted to include this death just because it was of such a famous character and its repercussions were vast in the real world and the Star Wars universe. In universe, Han Solo went into a state of depression, blamed his son and nearly completely abandoned his family forever! In the real world, author R.A. Salvatore received death threats for his killing of the beloved character. His death proved that no Star Wars character is safe anymore, and that Chewbacca is one BAMW (Bas-ass mother wookiee). After all, it took dropping an entire moon on the big walking carpet to take him down. Luckily, we can still enjoy Chewie in any story that takes place before his event!
6. Jean Grey (The Phoenix).
I imagine that when many of you read the title of this post, Jean Grey immediately came to mind. Please excuse me if I don’t list every death and resurrection, but I want to finish this blog in time to watch the Sugar Bowl today. Jean Grey holds a personal place in my heart, as she was the one who taught me the meaning of the word retcon. Retcon: taking an existing fact or incident and later saying it was something else entirely. Jean Grey used just about every trick in the book. Clones, mysterious explosions, missing bodies, you name it! Her first death involved her becoming the Dark Phoenix and destroying an entire solar system with her vast power. Writers originally intended to allow her to survive on as Jean grey; however, Marvel Editor Jim Shooter felt there should be consequences for her actions. Hence, Jean sacrificed her life for her friends rather than become the Phoenix again. This act seemed incredibly noble, until it turned out THAT Jean was a clone. After that…my head just starts to spin.
7. Green Arrow- Oliver Queen (Green Arrow Vol.2 #100-101)
Green Arrow, despite being wealthy, is my poor man’s Batman. But in a good way! The Emerald Archer has always been a champion of the people; the hero for the little guy. He might accompany the Justice League on those Omega level missions every now and then, but he feels mostly at home when it comes to fighting the common thugs that threaten the streets of his beloved home Star City. Arrow met his death saving Metropolis from a terrorist’s bomb (Guess Supes was on vacation that week….) another instance of him fighting for the common man. Ollie’s death was very satisfying in that his legacy was able to continue with his recently-discovered son, Connor Hawke (who happens to have one of the coolest names in the DC Universe). Connor proved to be an interesting character and great Green Arrow. Of course, Ollie couldn’t stay in the grave for long, and his supernatural resurrection seemed a bit out of the ordinary for the everyman character. Regardless, I’m thankful he returned in order to be the luckiest man in the DC world by marrying Black Canary. Yow….
8. Conner Kent- Superboy (Infinite Criss, 2005)
The Boy of Steel. When Superman died, he was born; a new hope for Metropolis. Of course, the early Superboy was more concerned with trademarking his image and gaining fame as a hero. His journey took him from a showboating newcomer to a true successor to Superman’s Kryptonian legacy. At the time of his death, Conner felt like a failure due to a recent incident involving mind-control and some epic battle…blah blah. At the time he felt most hopeless, he met a twisted version of what he could be- Superboy Prime- from another world. Like every other name on this list, Superboy dies saving the entire universe from some galactic threat. (any less epic deaths out there?) What makes his stand out from the rest would be the impact it had on his friends-particularly Wonder Girl. It has made for some great stories later in the Teen Titans series which I continue to subscribe to. Do I think S-boy will stay in the grave forever?
By Rao, no!
So there you have it! My spectacular eight deaths! Of course, this barely scratches the surface of the comic book deaths so maybe there will be another list in the future! Feel free to comment with your own favorite deaths.
(All photos come from Marvel.com, DC.com and Starwars.com)
It shouldn’t be a secret anymore that Captain America, Steve Rogers, has died.
This happened back in the March 07 issue 25 of the Captain America comic. Following the events of the Marvel Civil War, Cap surrendered to the government and faced trial. Before he could have his day in court, however, he found himself the victim of an assassin’s bullet.
I had the death spoiled to me before I even picked up the issue. Not from another comic fan, but by Yahoo news! It was a headline! As much as I thought it was going to be another farce, Captain America died.
Cap fills the same role in Marvel that Superman effectively fills in D.C.- the leader of the pack. His death left a large void in the Marvel universe that makes me ask the question: “Should classic heroes be killed off in such a fashion?”
This argument is a real double-edged sword. On the one hand, killing classic heroes leaves writers in a hard position, after all, if their money-maker is dead, who do they have to write about? I don’t think that The Adventures of the Winter Soldier would sell as well as a Captain America book. Faceless heroes don’t seem to be flying off the shelves, hence the reason they normally fill the supporting roles in more popular comic book.
So, let’s say writers take that argument to heart and decide never to kill a classic character again. The Star Wars novel series faced this problem. George Lucas placed a restriction on writers, that there could be no deaths of the main characters from the trilogy. This led to about a decade of interesting stories, but no real dangers to the characters. This rule was relaxed in 1999 with the death of Chewbacca, which led to a fan outcry.
If we remove any chance of real danger to the characters, stories are boring. But if we kill them off, who do we have to read about?
Comic books have long had an answer to this problem: the comic book death, i.e. “I was dead…but I got better!” One of the most popular deaths in comic history had to be the death of Superman. Readers watched his battle, saw him die and kept reading because they wanted to see just HOW he would come back. Comic book deaths hold such an appeal because readers are allowed to see what leads to the death, and then what inspires the resurrection.
In Captain America’s case, it appears that a resurrection is on the way, in a sense. Prior to his death, Cap left a note for Tony Stark stating that the legacy of Captain America must continue, even without Steve Rogers. Steve Rogers is the original Captain America and, though a few men have carried the shield over the years, he is the super soldier primarily associated with the name. Some might argue that no one else can carry it on, after all, who else could be Superman than Clark Kent? Or Batman than Bruce Wayne? Or even Spider-man than Peter Parker? (if anyone says Ben Reiley I’ll throw you off the Brooklyn Bridge).
I find Captain America, however, to be a different matter. The idea of American freedom came primarily from checks and balances and the secession of power. When our country was founded, George Washington could have remained President for as long as he wanted, legally and socially, there was nothing stopping him. He chose to pass on the mantle of the presidency, because he felt it was time to move on. In the same way, the legacy of Captain America can be passed on. In that sense, it might not only be possible for a new Captain America to “take office”, it may be necessary as a representation of American ideals.
I don’t know who will be the new flag man, but my money’s on Bucky. The new costume design by Alex Ross can be seen below. The added addition of the gun intrigues me, perhaps this new cap takes a more brutal method than his predecessor. Originally, Captain America by Stan Lee carried a gun, but it was rendered obsolete when he started hurling his shield.
American culture has always been thoroughly fascinated with high-powered couples. Whether it is Brad and Angelina adding to their kid collection or Britney Spears searching the trailer park for her next baby-daddy, we crave this desire to remain in-the-know regarding Hollywood power couples. Power marriages in the comic world are no exception.
And what couple has more power than America’s sweethearts: Spider-man and Mary Jane Parker?
Spidey is one of those mass media characters that trandscends all mediums. Whether it be television, books, or movies he’s there! As the ultimate loner, the webslinger never took up a sidekick, joined a super group (Well, except for that stint in the New Avengers, but work with me here….) or took on any partners aside from a certain black cat and, hey, who could blame him. No. Spidey’s companion through all mediums has been his one constant source of love, support and trials: Mary Jane Watson.
If you’ve picked up a comic lately, you’ll know that the Parker romance has been brought to an end. Due to the mystical meddling of Mephisto (say that five times fast!), Mary Jane has dropped the Parker last name with no memory of their wonderful marriage, save for one tortured piece of her and Peter’s souls…which I don’t quite understand.
(Marvel.com)
Granted, most power marriages are doomed to fail. This seems to happen on a daily basis on Hollywood, minus the whole mystical demon thing. I suppose editors at Marvel felt that their stories were too bogged down by years of spidey adventures and wanted to simplify things a bit; return Spider-man to his roots as a young single guy and solo hero. Afer all, simplicity has been the appeal of the Ultimate Marvel titles.
That being said, this is nothing short of a bonehead move.
Spider-man and Mary Jane aren’t some short-lived Hollywood couple. They represent an ideal-perfect love. Ever since Spider-man lost Gwen Stacy that faithful day on the bridge, MJ has stuck to him stronger than any web-fluid (organic or otherwise). I realize that the Marvel editors have the best intentions for their stories and DO care about the characters; however, Mary Jane has become such an integral part to the Spider-man mythology that downlpaying their relationship (even temporarily) makes me worry that I might not recognize the Spider-man I’m left with.
Mary-Jane Watson and Peter Parker simply belong together, and I hope this seperation proves to be both short and temporary. After all, Peter proves that even a regular, nerdy guy can land a supermodel!
(Picture from hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=408462)
