Vigil Posted December 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics Alpha Flight is another group that been completely abused and maligned, for sure. I'm talking the original team in the late 70' s here. I remeber being completely outraged after reading issue 12 where John Byrne, Canadian ex-patriot killed off the symbol of Canada, Guardian, for really no reason at all. I was enraged. Would that do that Captain America, or even Captain Britain (wait, maybe they did to Captain Britain). I hated what Byrne did with the team and what's been done since. In their first group appearance they wer shown to be every bit the equal of the Avengers and then they just turned into crippled, neurotic, psychotic messes with Byrne. Infuriates me to this day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just A Guy Name Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics E-Man and Nova If you know WHO I mean, you know WHAT I mean... :-D Yeah. Didn't like the idea of Nova with powers too much, but I sure miss E-Man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigil Posted December 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics LOL. I apologize for the header. I thought it was all caps until I saw it afterwards. So much for internet jargon. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just A Guy Name Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics Blue Beetle. He should be the Reed Richards of DC but instead he's often designated as "fat guy." ..And what about the Dan Garrett Blue Beetle? (the archaeologist/Charlton version.. not the original, but the one I remember, and liked, best). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigil Posted December 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics But, if there were a charcter named Iyo, what kind of charcter would he or she be and would cause him or her to be underrated? It's fascinating. Persoanlly, I would think Iyo would be a manga/anime style character with spikey hair and a motorcylce. maybe he could transform into other mecha-types too. The catch would be that they'd be practically useless. Maybe he could do convection ovens and turnhis hands into egg beaters and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phydaux Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics In their first group appearance they wer shown to be every bit the equal of the Avengers and then they just turned into crippled' date=' neurotic, psychotic messes with Byrne.[/quote'] Doesn't Byrne do that to ALL the characters he writes? Hell, I remember a parody about a hospital unit that helped comic book characters with hopelessly screwed up continuity. It was called "The Byrne Ward." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigil Posted December 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics I thought Byrne treated the FF quite reverentially,actuallly. It may have been his best work. But Alpha Flight he honestly seemed to hate. Maybe he felt they were Clarememont's charcters and so wanted to punish them in his stead or something equally neurotic. All I really know is that he took great characters (who haven't been great since) and savaged them. Another one I'd put on this list (number 3 anfetr Wonder Man and Mon-El) is the Martian Manhunter. Here's a guy that represents the most baroque excess of the silver age and who should, by rights, be able to walk all over the rest of the League put together and he comes across as half punching bag, half klutz. He sems to be constantly crippled or underpowered or maybe he's just restrained so the Superman gets to do everything. Plus he seems to forget half of his abilities on a regular, ongoing, bais. Just look at all of the different write ups for him in DC Heroes. His abilities seems to change every month. Instead of using all of his baroque glory, writers seems to try to limit or contain him and it seems to be mostly in service to DC's editorial policy that no one can eclipse Superman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenAge Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics How about the Creeper? It seems to me that he's become the king of cameo appearances. Are the folks at DC just trying to keep his copy write current? I'm also a big fan of Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters. I'd like to see them get some face time as well. Can anyone out there give me a definitive list of U.S.'s powers? Okay, maybe we fans could, but its obvious that very few comic book writers know what he's capable of. And now, I give you my most under rated character... Captain Marvel! Here's a guy that could be MUCH more than he is. I was very disappointed when they let him go from the JSA. Thank goodness there are some positive changes for Cap coming in 2005! Heck, I’ll throw out another… Captain Comet; the man born 100,000 years before his time! This guy is the first mutant of any kind in any universe. Stories involving him could be awesome, spanning the gulf between 4-color superhero comics and sci-fi pulp stories. I would LOVE to see him back in action. To date (since the 50s) his greatest achievement in comics was being the first hero to die at the gulag riots in Kingdom Come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigil Posted December 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics Oooh, yeah. Captain Comet's a great choice. I first encountered him in SSOSV and thought he was a cooler, more tragic version of Super man. I think there's a lot of parallels between him and the Martian Manhunter and it would be way cool to have both of them in the League. I thought he was well handled in SSOSV except for constantly getting one punched by Grodd and Blockbuster. It seems Comet put all of his points into TK and such and none into PD or CON. Bad thinking there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics I'm also a big fan of Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters. I'd like to see them get some face time as well. **koff**Suyperman/Batman15**koff** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casualplayer Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics I think Captain Comet got killed in LEGION (whatever year.) I loved Martian Manhunter's series, but it was too thoughtful to last. Ostrander is too much for the average reader. People have mentioned Ted Kord/Blue Beetle and Dan Garrett/Blue Beetle. Ted knows about a hundred people who could retrieve the Scarab from where it was buried in a rockslide when Dan was killed. I have no idea why they haven't recovered it and bestowed it on someone, preferably Ted. Superman class powers, Ted's personality, that would be some good reading. Power Girl should have her own book but Geoff Johns has made her into a whiny, needy tabula rasa. One black mark on an otherwise distinguished writing career. Maybe she's back on the diet soft drinks? You do know that she was originally supposed to be in Formerly Known as JLA, right? Johns had priority claim and also made her unsuitable for use anyway. Mary Marvel was "closest equivalent powerhouse." I sure wouldn't mind seeing some more Miracleman and family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyendasky80 Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics It's been retrieved and it went very badly for Ted. Can't remember the details to save my life, but if you look around I'm sure you can find them. I believe he may even have it in his possession, but can't use it. In Kingdom Come, it was rumored his power armor was powered by the scarab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics People have mentioned Ted Kord/Blue Beetle and Dan Garrett/Blue Beetle. Ted knows about a hundred people who could retrieve the Scarab from where it was buried in a rockslide when Dan was killed. I have no idea why they haven't recovered it and bestowed it on someone, preferably Ted. Superman class powers, Ted's personality, that would be some good reading. Power Girl should have her own book but Geoff Johns has made her into a whiny, needy tabula rasa. One black mark on an otherwise distinguished writing career. Maybe she's back on the diet soft drinks? You do know that she was originally supposed to be in Formerly Known as JLA, right? Johns had priority claim and also made her unsuitable for use anyway. Mary Marvel was "closest equivalent powerhouse." The scarab came back in the series BB had back in the 80s. It turned out to "really" be a nasty alien critter, which had turned Dan Garrett into a zombie after his "death". An unfortunate retcon, but an OK story. I reread the series over the weekend, for the first time since it came out. It actually wasn't too bad. The only real problems with it were the obligatory crossovers with Legends and Millenium, which caused awkward jumps in the plotline, but that was a problem for all DCs titles from that period. In fact, this series was good enough that I was initially resistent to the inept version of the character that showed up in Justice League. And I'm appalled by what seems to have happened to the character since.... As for Power Girl: she was, of course, originally a very strong "take no BS" character. Yet another character who has lost her way in the hands of hacks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyendasky80 Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics Mary neatly filled the role of Captain Marvel as "character portrayed one hundred times more naive and simple (bordline dense) than anyone else who ever worked with the character has portrayed him/her." In Giffen's defense, he admits that he never could strike the balance between the wisdom of Solomon and the thought process of a fourteen year old from the forties so out of respect for the character he stopped using him. Yet he goes and does it again with Mary. Really, I have more respect for people who depart from a character's established personality in the name of progress than those who do it for a laugh and say it was an accident. I'm beginning to realise what a love/hate relationship I have for Giffen. You know, I'm not sure, but it seems to me that Guy Gardner's personality was established by Giffen as well. He started life out as your basic cookie cutter GL, so sometimes the comedic approach gives you gold. I heard he went nuts before JLI, but I'm not sure if it was the particular brand of nuts Giffen gave him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just A Guy Name Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics Hmm.. temporal distortions seem to be occurring more frequently. Could it be due to Dr. Who's renewed presence? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics I'm going to take a different tack, and mention a comic villain that I feel was never used to his full potential: Brother Blood, enemy of the New Teen Titans (Wolfman/Perez era). In many ways this character could have become the DC Universe version of Dr. Doom: although not a scientific genius, he was every bit as subtle and epic a schemer and manipulator as Doom - but much more patient, willing to accept short-term defeats if they advanced his long-term goals. His preferred method of conquest was groundbreaking for comics of that era, and potentially more effective and long lasting than brute force: induce others to worship him and serve him willingly. Last I saw of him he was living a pastoral life as an amnesiac. If that's still true there's no reason not to bring him back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyendasky80 Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics Now he's a whiny teenager. Johns strikes again. I don't see why people still like this guy, he's totally out of good ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics Now he's a whiny teenager. Which "he"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_CCHKK Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics Which "he"? Brother Blood (in the current Teen Titans book, a few issues back) - Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics Brother Blood (in the current Teen Titans book, a few issues back) - Bill You must be speaking of some other Brother Blood, one who isn't the creepy character that Johns is writing. He's certainly not a whiner by any means, though admittedly rather mother obsessed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyendasky80 Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics You must be speaking of some other Brother Blood' date=' one who isn't the creepy character that Johns is writing. He's certainly not a whiner by any means, though admittedly rather mother obsessed.[/quote'] I am not. He whined constantly and he was about as creepy as a five year old with a really runny nose that insists on pawing you after he gets done rubbing snot all over his hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics I am not. He whined constantly and he was about as creepy as a five year old with a really runny nose that insists on pawing you after he gets done rubbing snot all over his hands. He didn't whine at all and if you don't find a kid who latches onto a mother figure for the sole purpose of killing her creepy then you must be really creepy. Then there was the whole blood drinking thing. Granted he's not the original Brother Blood but he's an interesting take on the character, in my opinion. Geoff Johns indeed strikes again, with a good story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyendasky80 Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics He didn't whine at all and if you don't find a kid who latches onto a mother figure for the sole purpose of killing her creepy then you must be really creepy. Then there was the whole blood drinking thing. Granted he's not the original Brother Blood but he's an interesting take on the character' date=' in my opinion. Geoff Johns indeed strikes again, with a good story.[/quote'] Hey buddy. Why don't you take two steps back from Johns heiny and not turn this into some personal vendetta, okay? I think he's slipped, you're obviously madly in love with the man and who am I to judge the two of you? So I say live and let live! You enjoy Johns and I'll enjoy saying he's out of good ideas. Because he is. Out of good ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Posted December 7, 2004 Report Share Posted December 7, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics Hey buddy. Why don't you take two steps back from Johns heiny and not turn this into some personal vendetta, okay? I think he's slipped, you're obviously madly in love with the man and who am I to judge the two of you? So I say live and let live! You enjoy Johns and I'll enjoy saying he's out of good ideas. Because he is. Out of good ideas. The only one making this into a personal vendetta apparently. I state my opinion and you claim I'm having a homosexual lust for the man, very mature indeed. And if you call writing good stories being out of good ideas, then I feel sorry for you. That's all I have to say about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_CCHKK Posted December 7, 2004 Report Share Posted December 7, 2004 Re: Iyo: The Most Underrated Or Underused Character In Comics You must be speaking of some other Brother Blood' date=' one who isn't the creepy character that Johns is writing. He's certainly not a whiner by any means, though admittedly rather mother obsessed.[/quote'] Not me, man. I was just answering the question of who the "he" being referred to was. I've been very much enjoying the current Teen Titans run, but I think part of that is the fact that I didn't read the title before about a year ago, so I have no idea if any continuity/back story is getting messed up. This thread has been interesting to me, but I don't have much to contribute to it, due to the fact that I took a 15 year hiatus from reading comics. Back in the 80s, I read Marvel comics pretty much exclusively. When I started back about a year or so ago, I was annoyed by the multitude of X-titles, and started reading DC (plus Astro City). So I can't comment on the current state of old Marvel characters, and I don't know who's missing in the new DC. And, frankly, I'm just fine with that - Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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