The General SuperHeroes Thread

Community Introductions & Off Topic
1

Howdy

Now, if this has already been done very sorry.

Okay, this thread is going to be discussing superheroes in every possible way. Powers, lifestyles, your fave(s), appearences (comics, films, cartoons) their transition from paper to screen etc.

So I will start and I choose Spider-Man to talk about, since he is my fave. Why? I hear you ask, well I love his troubled, teenaged, can’t do everything lifestyle. He is not favoured by most NewYork, the Press hate him and so do some of the Police. Peter has trouble with getting and keeping dates, frequently late the girl usuley leaves and thats the end of that. Peter always talks about his powers being a gift and a curse and it is his fault his Uncle Ben died, so that is always going to haunt him. He occasionally tries to give up his responsibilities but he knows that he can’t and he aint the most attractive or super of the superhero list. Sure he is far stronger than a human, has spider like reflexes/agility, has got web shooters and can cling to walls…am I missing something…oh yeah, his pre-cognitive Spider-Sense. BUT all these work together in tandam to allow him to defeat far stronger villians…Rhino…Venom…Carnage…ah but wait Spider-Man also uses something else to defeat enemies…his intellect. Peter is very smart, a natural scientist (this helping to create his spider web) he can out match most enemies purely through his intellect espeicailly Rhino. I also love the fact that Spider-Man is really cocky. Often making fun of villians in the middle of a fight to put them of. As for a love life…well Gwen Stacey and Mary Jane Watson spring to mind although Gwen dies and M.J has dumped and gone back with Peter a few times…also he doesn’t really want a relatioship with M.J as he knows the danger she will be in. Felicia Hardy was also of great interest to Peter and she became the Black Cat.

Now for appearences. Well obviously he started life out in comics in 1962 (I think). Growng to massive success because of the huge number of kids who could relate to him Spider-Man became one of the best loved Superheroes.

He has appeared in a few cartoons. 1967’s Spider-Man toon was very shallow in my opinion, more focusing on the action rather than lives and the repeated stock animation got a little tiring (I thought He-Man used a lot).

Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends I haven’t seen I cannot comment.

1994’s Spider-Man cartoon was and still is amazing. My favourite cartoon ever and some of the best voice acting as well courtesy of Christopher Daniel-Barnes (The Brady Bunch). The animation was really nice, the stories focused on Peter’s turbulent life and everything went wrong at the worst possible times. Due to restrictions though cut downs happened so know one died but they left Peter perhaps worse ways. This cartoon is amazing and I cannot believe that the 1967 is out on DVD but this isn’t yet. (I know about the story specific DVD’s but I want Seasoned sets). 65 epsiodes spread across five seasons with 3 out of the 5 being chapter specific such as season 2 being called The Neogenic Nightmare and all 13 eps focusing on Peter’s mutation.

The Spider-Man films I actually like. I think number 2 is far better than one, beter villian and storyline. The CGI is not the greatest and unfortunatley Spider-Man has few if any wise cracks. He needs to spurt them out ALL the time not just once a film

Right then, your turn guys, pick a fave superhero and detail them if every way you can think of. Lets all learn something from each other. I know I will learn things as Spidey is the only one I can really talk about.

Chris M

2

My all-time favorite superhero is Kyle Rayner’s GREEN LANTERN

Green Lantern is my all-time favorite hero. PRE-CRISIS GREEN LANTERN #172 through #200 is possibly my all-time favorite run of comics. I DO like Hal Jordan, though. I did NOT like the direction GL ran in when Gerard Jones was writing the book. Jones was also responsible for wrecking the original GL: Alan Scott. Originally, Alan was the sole agent serving an ancient power called the GREEN FLAME OF LIFE. The Flame was a magical power. Hal was the wielder of a ring whose nature was science. Thanks to Jones, Alan’s power became a GLC (GL Corps) battery that had been modified to be vulnerable to wood. It was possessed by a fallen GL’s spirit.

Once the GLC had been destroyed (Hal was under the influence of an evil presence called Parallax), Kyle Rayner was just another graphic designer until Ganthet, the last Guardian of the Universe/co-creator of the GLC, gave Kyle the last functional GL ring in the universe. In the beginning I did NOT like Kyle. I thought he was just another arrogant punk. Then he lost his girlfriend, Alexandra DeWitt to Major Force. He could’ve thrown the ring away, but Alan Scott informed Kyle of what he had, and asked him, “Are you going to throw it all away…or do you accept, with pride, the great power you’ve just been given?” Kyle put his grief behind him and went on as GL.

I’d always liked the idea of an artist being a GL and creating all these weird things to fight evil. If it’d’ve been me, you’d’ve had green energy Darth Vaders; green energy General Lees for car chases. Where Alan and Hal were both larger than life and intimidating, Kyle was NOT. He really felt like an average Joe who was just given great power.

Green Lantern, along with He-Man; Shazam; The Greatest American Hero and others, fit into my all-time favorite superhero concept: THE CHOSEN ONE, somebody who is born worthy of their great power (I know, Kyle was just given his power, but he earned his ring). I just love the idea of somebody that society spits on, thinks is nothing…but higher powers think, and know, otherwise, that this worthless person can make a difference.

THE GREEN LANTERN POWER I love because the ring’s strength is determined by the strength of its bearer’s will power. Like muscles, will power can grow stronger. That suggests, to me, that a Green Lantern, with sufficient willpower, could overpower a super strong being…like in Superman, He-Man, and the Hulk’s category.

I recall an instant where Mumm-Ra was struggling with Lion-O, telling him that it was “the strength of wills” that won. Imagine him saying that to a GL! In fact, in a GREEN LANTERN/MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE story I conceived, Teela becomes Eternia’s GL…but she wields the magical power of the GREEN FLAME OF LIFE. Teela winds up being framed and, as GL, must clear herself. She even has He-Man after her! When she first received her power, the Flame told her that “Power shall be yours, if you have faith in yourself. Lose that faith, and lose your power.” Throughout the story, Teela/GL’s power weakens and she narrowly escapes He-Man. She’s crushed spiritually until the ring reminds her of self-confidence. Faith renewed, she goes back into action and collides with He-Man again. He almost has her when she finds the heart and courage…and her ring is more than enough to overpower He-Man!

…

I was so frightened
I almost ran away
I didn’t know that I could do
Anything I needed to
And then a bolt of lightning
Hit me on my head
Then I began to see
I just needed to believe in me

Now I, I believe in me
And I, I believe in something more
Than you can understand
Yes, I believe in me

They said I didn’t stand a chance
i wouldn’t win no way
But I’ve got news for you
There’s nothing I can’t do
Ain’t no pretending
Ain’t no make believe
But I’ve got to be the one
I gotta do what must be done

Chorus
I believe in me
Yes, I believe in me - yeah

I don’t need no money
I don’t need no fame…No
I just need to believe in me
And I know most definitely
Don’t need to get wasted
It only holds me down
I just need a will of my own
And the balls to stand alone

Chorus

Well do you really
Yes, I believe in me
Do you do you
Yes, I believe in me
I wanna rock 'n roll
Yes, I believe in me!

Gene Simmons
I

3

Chris here…

My all-time favourite superhero is Captain America! :slight_smile:

For those who don’t know, Cap was basically the product of America’s entry into World War 2 - his alter ego, a young kid named Steve Rogers, wanted to serve his country but was too frail to join the military, and so instead volunteered for a project, known as the Super Soldier project, that would transform him into a peak condition human fighting machine. The experiment worked, and Steve Rogers became Captain America! :slight_smile:

Shortly before the end of World War 2, Cap and his sidekick Bucky Barnes tried to stop a runaway drone plane, which blew up, killing Bucky but hurling Cap into cold, icy waters that reacted with the Super Solider Serum in his veins and put him into a state of suspended animation for 20 years. He was awoken when discovered floating in the sea by an early incarnation of the famous super-team the Avengers, comprising Iron Man, Giant Man, the Wasp and the Mighty Thor. The rest is history! :slight_smile:

I’ve got to confess, I haven’t read a Captain America comic dated past 1994, but I have every issue of Captain America that was published between mid-1977 to early 1993, plus a large number of earlier issues (including one from 1970) and a handful of later ones. My very first American-published superhero comic was Cap #390 from 1991, and from the first few pages I was hooked forever on both Captain America specifically and Marvel comics in general. Captain America was my window into the incredible Marvel Universe! :slight_smile:

IMO, the very best run of Captain America comics was the short run of issues created by writer Roger Stern and artist John Byrne, #'s 246 - 255 (at least if I remember rightly). Those issues just crackled with a special something, and the creative team’s love for Cap was so evident. After that, J.M. DeMatteis also wrote some truly wonderful Cap stories, gripping, exciting tales usually illustrated by the superb artist Mike Zeck. Those issues really dealt with what made Captain America such a great superhero - the man behind the mask, Steve Rogers, and what makes him tick, his beliefs and why he holds the beliefs that he does. :slight_smile:

A special treat for Cap fans began in the late 1980s when one of the most knowledgable Marvelites ever, Marvel editor Mark Gruenwald, started writing for Cap. Gruenwald’s knowledge of all things Marvel was alledged to be unending, and his passion for Cap ensured that Captain America was one of the most consistently good comics ever published by Marvel. Sadly, I’ve heard that Mark passed away a few years ago. :frowning:

Why do I love Captain America? Simply because he is a superhero to truly look up to, like He-Man or Superman - he’s an inspirational hero, and an exceptional human being (at least, for a fictional character! ;)). The most fun is seeing Cap pitched against a character like Wolverine, who in personality terms is the total opposite of Cap and everything he stands for. I love many superheroes (nearly all Marvel), but for me Captain America is top of the pile! :slight_smile:

Take care… :slight_smile: