Favourite DC Comics Character (and Why)

The villains have to have off days or the heroes would never win.

MajorHoy wrote:

Silogramsam wrote:

let's see if this works

That one did . . . maybe the other one will work tomorrow. (It is Friday evening, y'know . . . the other thread may have headed out to the pub for a nip or two.)

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tony ingram wrote: . . . I now want to know why Mallah has bothered chaining up a bloke in a wheelchair...

Maybe he stopped at the pub first for two or three banana daiquiris?

Mallah always struck me more as a Creme de menthe man.

Real men drink whisky. I guess a gorilla can't handle a man's drink.

Lucy McGough wrote:I guess a gorilla can't handle a man's drink.

Well, those paws do look quite clumsy...

They're not paws, they're hands. They've got fingers and everything.

Paws for thought before you post on primate anatomy

Lucy McGough wrote:They're not paws, they're hands. They've got fingers and everything.

Paws for thought before you post on primate anatomy

Maybe they're mutated paws and not technically classified as "hands" yet?

No. They're hands.

Lucy McGough wrote:No. They're hands.

You have the x-rays to prove it?  

I'm a woman. That means I'm always right

Lucy McGough wrote:I'm a woman. That means I'm always right

Yeah, right . . .   

I'm the only woman on here. Gotta be a BIT bolshy.

Lucy McGough wrote:I'm the only woman on here. Gotta be a BIT bolshy.

I didn't realize you were a Bolshevik.

Actually, I'm a small-c conservative.

Lucy McGough wrote:Actually, I'm a small-c conservative.

At least you don't get those annoying Tea Party weirdos over there.


(Oh, and she didn't get elected.)

I have never understood American politics.

It's a lot more amusing than ours, though. Imagine if the Home Secretary had to release a video saying she wasn't a witch, or Ed Miliband released one vehemently denying that he was a warlock who had sold his soul to Baal. That'd be hilarious

Morden was the guy who later became Mr Nobody, wasn't he?

Love the idea that (a) Vaguely-described 'training methods' and electric shocks can give a gorilla an IQ of 178, and (b) Nobody'll notice you're a gorilla as long as you keep your hat on.

sort of like Ben Grimm wearing a mask.

"I can feel myself oozing an' puffing out beneath the mask". Cheers, Ben. I was hungry until you started that sentence.

The mind boggles...

Lucy McGough wrote: The mind boggles...

Are Boggles related to Wiggles?

Ye gods. This is, surely, the twilight of American culture. China, your time is now.

Lucy McGough wrote:Ye gods. This is, surely, the twilight of American culture. China, your time is now.

The Wiggles are Australian, not American.
(Couldn't you tell?)   

All you colonials sound the same to me.

Lucy McGough wrote:Love the idea that (a) Vaguely-described 'training methods' and electric shocks can give a gorilla an IQ of 178, and (b) Nobody'll notice you're a gorilla as long as you keep your hat on.

In my experience, most gorillas are smarter than most people.

Lucy McGough wrote:All you colonials sound the same to me.

I can assure you that, even though the Major and I have never met, we will not sound the same.

karatattoo wrote:

Lucy McGough wrote:All you colonials sound the same to me.

I can assure you that, even though the Major and I have never met, we will not sound the same.

Since you have never met, how can you know this? You could be identical for all you know!

karatattoo wrote:I my experience, most gorillas are smarter than most people.

Well, I wouldn't be surprised if a gorilla were smarter than me.

Lucy McGough wrote:

karatattoo wrote:I my experience, most gorillas are smarter than most people.

Well, I wouldn't be surprised if a gorilla were smarter than me.

Obviously. Gorilla Grodd is smarter than everybody.

What, even you?

Lucy McGough wrote:What, even you?

Probably. But I'm better looking.

tony ingram wrote:Probably. But I'm better looking.

Are you sure?

A female gorilla might disagree.

karatattoo wrote:

tony ingram wrote:Probably. But I'm better looking.

Are you sure?

A female gorilla might disagree.

I assure you, I have been pursued by more than my fair share of what I'm convinced were female gorillas, albeit sometimes cunningly shaven ones. God, the Portsmouth club scene was terrifying in the late eighties...

tony ingram wrote:

karatattoo wrote:

tony ingram wrote:Probably. But I'm better looking.

Are you sure?

A female gorilla might disagree.

I assure you, I have been pursued by more than my fair share of what I'm convinced were female gorillas, albeit sometimes cunningly shaven ones. God, the Portsmouth club scene was terrifying in the late eighties...

You sure they were females?   

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:

karatattoo wrote:

tony ingram wrote:Probably. But I'm better looking.

Are you sure?

A female gorilla might disagree.

I assure you, I have been pursued by more than my fair share of what I'm convinced were female gorillas, albeit sometimes cunningly shaven ones. God, the Portsmouth club scene was terrifying in the late eighties...

You sure they were females?   

In most cases, at least 90% sure.

All you colonials sound the same to me. wrote:

which is one reason why the sun now sets on the "British Empire"

back to the thread
I also liked the Crimson stories that I've read (mostly as part of a larger SSOV story)

"Whatever Happened to the Crimson Avenger" in DC Comics Presents #38 is still my all-time favourite single DC story. It's only about eight pages long, but it's pretty much perfect storytelling and has a genuinely moving ending.

"Whatever Happened to the Crimson Avenger" in DC Comics Presents #38 is still my all-time favourite single DC story. It's only about eight pages long, but it's pretty much perfect storytelling and has a genuinely moving ending. wrote:

I am also fond of that story. In fact, when I bought it back in the day, I bought the issue for that story, not the Superman/Flash lead story. Years later, in a JSA annual or special, that story was referred to heavily when Perry asked Clark to look into what was Lee Travis avenging as the Crimson Avenger.

They really don't write comics like that anymore. The art of the short story has been pretty much lost.

I do think that of al of the "Whatever Happened To..." stories in that title then, the Crimson story was definitely the best one - and had the most lasting impression until the Nu universe came along. The list of characters:
The Golden Age Hourman (issue #25)
Sargon the Sorcerer (issue #26)
Congorilla (issue #27)
The Western Johnny Thunder and Madame .44 (issue #28)
The Golden Age Dr. Mid-Nite (issue #29)
The Golden Age Atom (issue #30)
The Golden Age Robotman (issue #31)
Mark Merlin and Prince Ra-Man (issue #32)
Star Hawkins (issue #33)
Rex the Wonder Dog (issue #35)
Rip Hunter (issue #37)
The Crimson Avenger (issue #38)
Richard Dragon (issue #39)
The Golden Age Air-Wave (issue #40)
The Golden Age Sandman (issue #42)
Sandy the Golden Boy (issue #47)
The Black Pirate (issue #48)

Besides the Crimon, the others that were fun, for me, and had some impact, were Robotman (where Richard Crane's brain was placed into Chuck Grayson's body when Chuck died), and Air Wave which established him on Earth 1, gave him a wife and a son (both of whom were Air Wave at one time or the other).

The Robotman one was the other stand-out one for me. I liked most of them though, although the Atom one was very silly as I recall.

Interestingly, the Rex story allowed, in a way, Shadowpact and aspects of Final Crisis(?) to happen. Rex, the Wonder Dog (and his handler, Danny Dennis) went to Oscaloosa County, Florida. Rex encountered Detective Chimp and the two find the legendary Fountain of Youth. The water from the fountain gave the extraordinary animals renewed youth and vitality. Rex held a place in DCs pantheon of mystical powered characters occurred when first he was called as one of Earth's most powerful magical characters to aid The Spectre in saving the Universe. Soon after he is one of the many agents tasked by the Phantom Stranger to monitor a mystical bubble that contained the town of Riverrock, Wyoming and the newly formed Shadowpact - vowing to stay until Detective Chimp was freed, and doing so for a year as a result. The Shadowpact free themselves through other means. He later deliberately allows himself to be influenced by The Huntsman's Hellhound Pack to infiltrate them but became trapped with the pack, and spent a considerable amount of time using his intelligence to become their leader, although he eventually aided Shadowpact to beat The Huntsman and returned to Earth with them. His brother, Billy, affectionately known as 'Pooch', became the mascot of Gunner and Sarge of 'Losers' during World War II.

What company other than DC could take a character like Rex (and Det. Chimp for that matter) and make him significant years later in their main universe? This is an examply of why I like DC more than Marvel (or other companies) - the rich history and the willingness to use it. I only wish that DC would do more of this and more often.

But...Marvel also have a rich history, and they use it all the time. Look at Agents of Atlas, which basically revolved around a handful of characters not really seen since the 1950s, or the way that elements from the most obscure stories can tie in to others years later, like Steve Gerber using a trio of unconnected stories from an old reprint comic (Weird Wonder Tales) to create a villain team (the Headmen).

tony ingram wrote:But...Marvel also have a rich history, and they use it all the time. Look at Agents of Atlas, which basically revolved around a handful of characters not really seen since the 1950s, or the way that elements from the most obscure stories can tie in to others years later, like Steve Gerber using a trio of unconnected stories from an old reprint comic (Weird Wonder Tales) to create a villain team (the Headmen).

And who knew Agents of Atlas would result from . . .

(written by Don Glut with the concept credited to Roy Thomas )

What If? was one series where Marvel certainly demonstrated their ability to mine their own history for ideas!

I don't read Marvel anymore. Haven't for years except for the occasion try again.