Snake Gandhi Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 I'm sure everyones at some point read goofy *** things in comics that just made you roll your eyes and say "oh come on." This post is not about those times. This is about the times when you've read goofy *** things in comics and went, 'okay, I can live go with that." For me, I can think of two off the top of my head. The first is Squirrel Girl. A young woman who has the mutant power to talk to squirrels. Said young lady has also managed to humilate Dr Doom to the point of retreat, and single-handidly beaten folks like Terrax and Thanos. Its never explained how, she just does. Now, as mind-boggling as that is, I can't help but think its neat, and love it every time Doreen shows up. The second is Karate Kid, member of the legion of Superheroes. Especially back in the old days, when his solution for everything... was to use his Super Karate. Superboy was invulnerable to everything, but Val's Super Karate could hurt him. Dalaximites moved faster than light, but Val's Super Karate could intercept and throw them into the next star system. Val's Super Karate could slow his fall by kicking the building he was falling out of. Val's Super Karate could find the weakness in a perfect force field. Val's Super Karate could stop an earthquake machine by kicking the ground, creating seismic waves that cancelled out the earthquake, causing the feedback to blow up the earthquake machine. And through all that crazy stuff, I was sitting there going "yep, Super Karate could do that." So, what crazy stuff to you folks actually like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Negative Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. To be completely honest, I like it that almost every single female hero and villain is a hottie. I know that this is not realistic. I know that this is not rational. I don't particularly care. If I'm going to read comics that I KNOW are going to eventually disappoint me by resurrecting dead characters, contradicting themselves, and having stuuuuupid story lines, at least I can count on the eye candy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. Spidersense: How does it work, how does it NOT work? How does it sometimes tell Pete someone else is in danger? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. To be completely honest' date=' I like it that almost every single female hero and villain is a hottie. I know that this is not realistic. I know that this is not rational. I don't particularly care. If I'm going to read comics that I KNOW are going to eventually disappoint me by resurrecting dead characters, contradicting themselves, and having stuuuuupid story lines, at least I can count on the eye candy.[/quote'] Heck even dead women are (often) hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. Secret ID's. There are those who say this requires major suspention of disbelief. To them I ask, who was Zodiac? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Serpent Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. I like the fact that Arcade can regularly get multi-million dollar setups trashed, never manage to actually kill a hero, yet still remain in business. Dang, that guy must have one heck of a "fast talk investors" roll or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. I love the Earthcentric view of the universe/multiverse in most comic book settings. Maybe Earth is near a nexus of wormholes, maybe our planet is unusually strong in mystical energy, or maybe we just HAPPEN to be the perfect out post between two warring empires... doesn't matter, alien, mystical, extradimensional and/or all the above. Earth has some importance specifically set up. And somehow, despite being the pearl in the galaxy's oyster, Earth's heroes win instead of more realistically just being washed over by millions if not billions of high tech/high magic soldiers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. To be completely honest' date=' I like it that almost every single female hero and villain is a hottie. I know that this is not realistic. I know that this is not rational. I don't particularly care. If I'm going to read comics that I KNOW are going to eventually disappoint me by resurrecting dead characters, contradicting themselves, and having stuuuuupid story lines, at least I can count on the eye candy.[/quote'] I used to feel a bit guilty about that, then someone pointed out that every superhero guy looks pretty good too, or at least physically fit. Then I noticed there's not one ugly dude on my female friend's romance novel covers. No guilt any more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckg Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. Unstable molecules, or as Champs genre book puts it, "Near-Magical Costume Material". Because even if they're all hotties, I still appreciate it when they can keep their clothes on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. Unstable molecules, or as Champs genre book puts it, "Near-Magical Costume Material". Because even if they're all hotties, I still appreciate it when they can keep their clothes on. Right. Not all Eye Candy need be Tarts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithcurtis Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. Fighting in spandex. Wearing trunks over tights. Wearing masks. Mutants=hated, other supers=OK Occasional breaches of continuity Heroes must fight when they meet Keith "But I'm pretty easy-going" Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. All sentences end in exclamation marks! Except for questions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. All superpowers. They make no sense, and that's OK. EDIT: And superpets. In the right context and used well, I like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Serpent Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. I like the fact that by putting on a mask, even one that does not cover your mouth, no one will recognize your voice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haven Walkur Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. I agree with Snake Gandhi about Karate Kid -- no, the Super Karate makes no sense, and yes, I love it anyway! But I also love Matter-Eater Lad and Chameleon Boy and Duo Damsel, so obviously I rarely stop to think about those sorts of questions with any of the Legionnaires. As a faithful Legion fan, I'll still admit that a lot of the classic Legionnaires had powers that were rather on the ridiculous side...but the classic Legion of Superheroes comics were so engaging, so heroic, so enjoyable that you didn't notice, and even if you did, you didn't mind. And I've never minded. I also don't mind (in fact, I love) the comicbook contention that mutations are almost always beneficial, resulting in superpowers and the ability to use them without killing yourself. (For example, Quicksilver doesn't end up friction-burning his face off when he runs at super-speeds, Shadowcat doesn't have to worry about phasing right through the Earth -- or even out of her costume -- and Storm doesn't end up with her hurricane winds driving bits of grit into her eyes at hundreds of miles an hour.) I love costumes and spandex and secret identities, and I don't mind the fact that no-one ever sees through the Clark Kent glasses or the Green Arrow micro-domino mask. I don't mind physically impossible heroes and villains at all, if they make sense within the story. I know comics aren't "really real" reality, and I can swallow all sorts of ridiculous things as long as they're still within the "really comicbook" reality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Mhoram Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. Val's Super Karate could slow his fall by kicking the building he was falling out of. Val's Super Karate could find the weakness in a perfect force field. Val's Super Karate could stop an earthquake machine by kicking the ground, creating seismic waves that cancelled out the earthquake, causing the feedback to blow up the earthquake machine. And through all that crazy stuff, I was sitting there going "yep, Super Karate could do that." Wow. Someone else actually read the Karate Kid solo comic series?!?! Gotta love the seisimic kick he used against Major Disaster. That guy has been the model of all my Champions Martial Artists since I started playing the game - no sneaky ninja types here I love the classic tropes - flimsy secret IDs, don't kill the bad guy, honor, tradition, patriotism. Part of why I read comics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Mhoram Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. Mutants=hated, other supers=OK Keith "But I'm pretty easy-going" Curtis Of your list that is the only one I'm tired of. Mutants being hated for going on 40 years now. It's gotten old for me. *shrug* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. Of your list that is the only one I'm tired of. Mutants being hated for going on 40 years now. It's gotten old for me. *shrug* Gotta admit, that one's kinda gotten old for me, too ... especially since, as far as I can tell, the Champions Universe doesn't have the Mutant Paranoia factor going, yet everybody I've ever seen play a mutant in a standard CU game assumes that they do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sketchpad Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. I like the fact that by putting on a mask' date=' even one that does not cover your mouth, no one will recognize your voice.[/quote'] In contrast to SS, I like the fact that, with the simple use of a pair of eye-glasses and the slicking back of your hair, you can conceal your identity from the public. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trained Chicken Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. Secret ID's. There are those who say this requires major suspention of disbelief. To them I ask, who was Zodiac? The whole thing where a superhero is a perfectly upstanding citizen who selflessly devotes himself to others, while maintaining a pathological dark secret, even lying about his very essence to those he loves the most- without cracking under the strain. It brings to mind the whole thing where science is rubber, and morality is ironclad. Spider-Man is able to jury-rig a science fair project based on sillly string into a crime-fighting device in a few hours (in old continuity), but he makes one regrettable, but forgiveable mistake, and he dedicates his life to fighting crime and lying to the world about it. Dr. Doom goes Mr. Wizard in college, gets his face scratched, and then sheathes himself from head to toe in iron and decides to take over the world. Richards gives him a friendly warning about it, and Doom dedicates his life to killing Richards. Iron Man... well, never mind. But you get the point. Science is rubber, morality is ironclad. It's rediculous, but lovely in a way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. Fluctuating power levels. Spidey can engage in HTH combat with the Hulk and get out alive, but the Kingpin beats him up a few issues later. We all have god days and bad days, and the comics ask us to accept a pretty wide variance between the two for most Supers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. Here's one that bothers me sometimes, but that I use anyway: Violent masked men can be trusted. In the real world, when a bunch of masked private citizens decide to meet out justice, it starts with cross burnings and leads quickly to lynchings and worse. In comics, the angry young men in masks are sober, and can be trusted to only attack bad people. They never decide that (fill in popular target group here) are the real threat to their communities. In most games, I try not to think about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristopher Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. Most of these are things that keep me from getting deep into comics. Except that for some reason, the thing that OddHat listed doen't strike me as all that unreal. Sure, he's right about how it most often happens in real life, but it doesn't strike me as corhball or impossible the way it happens in comics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. Most of these are things that keep me from getting deep into comics. Except that for some reason, the thing that OddHat listed doen't strike me as all that unreal. Sure, he's right about how it most often happens in real life, but it doesn't strike me as corhball or impossible the way it happens in comics. Yup. Vigilates and militia men have a strong appeal. One strong man (or a small group) stepping forward to solve problems is what heroic fiction is all about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBikle Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Re: Ridiculous things in comics that you don't mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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