My Five Favorite Age of Apocalypse Characters

I don’t remember how I first heard about what would become the Age of Apocalypse, but I remember being devastated.

I was a 13-year-old X-Men devotee in 1995, a time when the Internet was just having its formative yawns and certainly nothing like message boards or news sites for comics existed (that I knew of). We got the latest on what was going on with our books monthly via Wizard or Previews (if we wanted advance notification at all; a lot of times you just picked up your books off the shelf when they got there with no idea what to expect).

Whether it was the lead news story in Wizard (I distinctly remember the Adam Kubert art from Wolverine #75 of Jubilee waving goodbye) or some other way I can’t fathom, I learned there were rumors the entire X-Men line of comics (which at the time included Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, X-Factor, Excalibur, Wolverine, Cable, Generation X and my beloved X-Force as well as X-Men Unlimited) would be discontinued. No explanation beyond that, just rumblings being heard that soon the X-Men were going bye bye.

Today, after having worked at Wizard for a few years myself (with a few guys who were there in 1995), I can pretty safely say they were in on what’s to come and were playing the game perfectly as far as generating buzz. Today the pragmatist in me would also realize there was no way Marvel would jettison a franchise making as much as the X-Men because it would be bad business. As barely a teenager, my reaction was merely panic with a hint of confusion that Generation X was getting cancelled after like three issues.

A few weeks later, I called the Mighty Marvel Hotline (or whatever the 900 number Marvel had back in the day was called) and got the full down low that the X-Men would be embarking on a new epic called the Age of Apocalypse, with ever book being replaced by a new one (Astonishing X-Men, Amazing X-Men, Factor X, X-Calibre, Weapon X, X-Man, Generation Next and Gambit & The Externals to correspond with my earlier list). Again, bare minimum details, as the plot was being held tight and there was no indication on duration. I was intrigued, but also still pretty terrified I was losing my X-Men.

Of course we only ended up “losing” the X-Men for a few months and got an all-time classic story—maybe the best alternate reality story ever—out of it in Age of Apocalypse, the epic tale of what would have happened had Charles Xavier been killed before founding the X-Men, in particular Apocalypse taking over North America and Magneto forming his own X-Men as the planet’s last hope.

What I liked best about Age of Apocalypse and what made it such a great What If? was that it was very much a butterfly effect story rather than one with a wholesale and easy change. It wasn’t just “everybody is a vampire” (though there have been good yarns in that vein as well), it was “if Professor X is dead, it affects Magneto like this, which affects Quicksilver like this, which affects Storm like this…” and on down the line until the writers and artist pulling the strings got to explore an entire universe of familiar characters and what they would become under different circumstances, all tracing back to one tipped domino. There was a meticulous logic amidst the big crazy action and 90’s art of AoA that I really dug.

Nearly 20 years later, we’re two issues into an Age of Apocalypse ongoing series, something I certainly never expected to see but thus far love. The story has progressed cataclysmically since 1995, with the bulk of the characters spotlighted in the original saga dead, others transformed into villains or civilians, and new players introduced to keep things moving. Writer David Lapham makes it feel like two decades have indeed passed in this world; we didn’t get to see them, but little by little we’re learning. Roberto De La Torre and Lee Loughridge are the perfect complement on art because their style is so gritty and distinct that you would never mistake this for the Marvel Universe you know.

Like the original AoA, it’s a story not about a character or even a team, but an entire world; it’s ambitious and it’s impressive.

Though the bulk of them are dead or missing in the current book, I decided to get amped by re-examining my five favorite Age of Apocalypse characters and what makes them so.

5. HAVOK
Alex Summers’ jealousy of his older brother, Cyclops, has vacillated between gag and non-defining character trait in the traditional X-Men mythos, but in the Age of Apocalypse, it has exploded into being all that drives him in a crazy family soap opera that gives Dynasty a run for its money. Everything bubbling beneath the surface of Marvel Universe Havok erupts over into a truly loathsome villain who would mow down anything and anybody to take his brother out of the picture. Both men are adopted sons of Sinister, but while that upbringing has taken a toll on Scott, he still has a core of good waiting to be mined; not the case with Havok, who knows only hate, loathing and rage. His anger doesn’t even seem to have a focus at the degree it has progressed to; he just wants to hurt people, particularly his brother. Did Professor X have that much of a calming influence on Alex? Is this what he becomes without the love of Polaris or friendship of the other X-Men? I enjoyed trying to unravel all this, but more just liked watching Havok be a heel.

4. GAMBIT
Remy Lebeau in the Age of Apocalypse is Gambit dialed up to 11. He seemed on his way to becoming the guy we’re familiar with as an X-Man with Magneto’s friendship and Rogue’s love, but when the two of them hooked up, it sent him down the path of the ne’er-do-well he was heading on in our would without the X-Men. When we meet up with the guy, he’s running a thieves crew that includes his girlfriend Lila Cheney, Sunspot, Strong Guy and Jubilee and has the capacity to pull off intergalactic heists. Still, what I dig about AoA Gambit most is that despite the slimy exterior, when Magneto comes to him for a favor, he gives him hell about it, but still agrees to do it because it’s the right thing. More than that, I enjoy that in this darkest time, Remy Lebeau has become motivated by love more than ever, be it his unrequited feelings for Rogue or the ones for Lila he gets the opportunity to prove at the expense of reality itself (oops). In the Age of Apocalypse, where everything has gone to crap, Gambit reacts by becoming even more of a romantic.

3. SABRETOOTH
One of the big early shockers of Age of Apocalypse is that Sabretooth is a good guy. Again, though, it’s not as simple as just that because there is an explanation: Sabes started out as a Horseman of Apocalypse but couldn’t hack it so he got kicked to the curb and Magneto saved his life. The gist is that Victor Creed is still a homicidal jerk at his base, but the combination of there being a dude bigger and badder than him coupled with a good man actually believing in him is enough to bring him over to the side of angels (I tend to think it was more the former than the latter, since Professor X and others tried to give him a shot in the normal continuity; Sabretooth just needed to really get his ass kicked to scare him straight). Seeing him in the traditional Wolverine role as buddy to Wild Child, mentor to Blink, etc. was interesting and emphasized that this was a harsher world because here freaking Sabretooth was the gruff wise man/wacky uncle of the X-Men. The character obviously caught some love because he transitioned over into Exiles for years and even now is one of the few surviving original cast members in the AoA ongoing.

2. QUICKSILVER
With his father as the world’s top good guy and an actual positive role model, Pietro Maximoff turns out pretty ok in the Age of Apocalypse, one of the few characters who seem much better off with Charles Xavier out of the picture. All of Quicksilver’s untapped leadership potential gets realized as he’s not desperate to either gain the approval of or rebel against his dad, but rather just enjoys working with him and believes in his vision of a better world. In the Marvel Universe, it often seems like Pietro is just meandering from one vendetta to the next with the occasional ill-fated romance or family blow-up to break up the journey, but in the Age of Apocalypse he’s laser-focused on being a hero, not to mention darn good at it. The arrogance and impatience can still be glimpsed in his weaker moments, but he shuts it down for the greater good. He’s also got a sweet romance with Storm, something you’d never ever predict in normal continuity, but that works here with two good-hearted, driven workaholics who have found their match. After years of reading about angsty Quicksilver, it was cool to see him as one of the few bright spots in this gloomy story.

1. BLINK
I think it’s fair to say no Age of Apocalypse character has gotten more mileage than Blink. A Joe Madureira-redesigned version of the teenage teleporter who only made a handful of appearances in the mainstream reality before perishing against the Phalanx, Clarice Ferguson quickly emerged as a breakout AoA star. Partly this can be attributed to her being fairly new and thus captivating to an audience seeking just that, but I also think a lot had to do with taking the traditional X-Men trope of the spunky young girl who serves as unofficial team mascot ala Kitty Pryde or Jubilee and turning it on its ear. Held up against an old warhorse like Magneto or even a concerned mother hen like Rogue, not to mention the more aggressive versions of folks like Iceman, Storm or Banshee, Blink was indeed a bit more bubbly and optimistic, but she was still a teenager growing up essentially in hell, forced to learn survival when she should have been enjoying her best years. That Blink is fun enough that we can relate to her and maybe would want to have her as a buddy yet lethal enough to keep all her limbs and cut down Apocalypse’s goons with precision and confidence is a winning combo. Blink ended up anchoring Exiles for nearly 100 issues and proved so popular that the all-but-forgotten Marvel Universe version has even made a recent comeback.

My Five Favorite Subway Sandwiches

“I think I’m going to Subway.”

“You’re going to take the Subway?”

“No, I’m going to the Subway sandwich emporium.”

A conversation between Ben Morse and Rickey Purdin on Monday, November 7, 2011. Ben ended up going to Qdoba after all.

When last we left my saga with the Subway sandwich chain (Eat Fresh), the relationship was anything but healthy. I went on at length ruminating about the pangs of loss I felt from a childhood filled with bread cut from the top that gave way to an adult life consumed by rolls sliced in the traditional fashion. I had forsaken Subway, preferring to find my heroes (double meaning) across the counters of non-chain delis and the like.

But things change.

Primarily, I remained working in New York City on a regular basis where I realized that there are more Subways than there are trashcans, foot long sandwiches cost five dollars, and most delis charge like $30 for a pickle.

Also, I am told Subway is relatively healthy (by everybody except Dave Paggi and Ryan Penagos, who are food snobs).

So my love affair with Subway resumed, and I must say, while the passionate romance of my younger years may have subsided, a sensible and mutually beneficial adult relationship has taken its place.

To celebrate this renewed union, my five favorite Subways subs of yesteryear and today(year).

HONORABLE MENTION: Old School Steak & Cheese
The only sub that could lure occasionally me away from the Meatball when I was a kid (keep reading) was the Steak & Cheese. However, I remember the halcyon days where the steak was practically shredded as opposed to the cubes or uniformly sliced strips they use now; a sad loss.

Cold Cut Combo
The Cold Cut Combo is where I go once in a blue moon when I really want to let my hair down and go wild. That turkey-based bologna is the key brother; I don’t think it’s on any other sandwich and it’s probably illegal in some countries. Don’t order a Cold Cut Combo unless you’re ready for an experience.

Subway Club
In the summer of 2004, I helped work pre-camp at my beloved Camp Frank A. Day up in East Brookfield, Massachusetts, which basically meant I spent my days mowing grass, repairing cabins, setting up docks and doing other manly tasks, then found myself more or less alone in a spooky cabin in the middle of the woods as soon as the sun went down. It was a 20 minute drive to civilization and the nearest non-mess hall food, so when I grabbed dinner, I needed to make it count. Enter the Subway Club, a mountainous concoction containing turkey, roast beef and ham that when supplemented with veggies and mayo could keep your belly full and your mind keen (I also got one of the local girls who worked the counter to give me her Subway visor). I haven’t had a Club in years, but it got me through some tough nights in the (relative) wilderness.

Meatball Marinara
A sentimental favorite, the Meatball sub from Subway (we didn’t use fancy terms like “Marinara” back in the 90’s) was a staple of my childhood. After basketball games on Saturday mornings (I was terrible at basketball and gave it up the minute I was old enough to wrestle, but my dad, bless him, held out hope during those early years), my father would take me by either Burger King or Subway to combat the physical fitness I had just taken part in, and if it was the latter, I always got a Meatball sandwich. It doesn’t rank higher at the moment because my two favorite components of the sub were the top cut bread which I’m complained about being gone already and coating it in American cheese that would melt right on. Time and lactose intolerance have robbed me of these simple pleasures, but I’ll still fire up a cheese-less Marinara now and again for old time’s sake.

Black Forest Ham
My favorite option at the moment off the $5 Foot Long menu. As I have already mentioned several times already, I am lactose intolerant, meaning I need to find sandwiches that can give me that hit of flavor even when devoid of cheese, mustard or mayo (I think I can actually have the latter two, but I don’t, because I’m paranoid). Ham is nice and salty with a kick if done right (and Subway does everything right), so you don’t need to rely on dressing for flavor. Throw some lettuce, cucumbers, pickles and black olives on for added value and nutrition or whatever, toast the bun and singe the meat a bit, and you’ve got an ideal lunch for your hungry comic book web site editor on the go.

Roast Beef
For years, I struggled with the fact that I love to eat hamburgers and would gladly have them for lunch, but for the most part they are too heavy/filling for me to go back to work after having, and thus I relegated them to dinners and special occasions. Imagine my joy at experiencing the revelation about 20 years after most do that a roast beef sandwich is essentially a hamburger you can eat without resulting fullness-induced lethargy! The Subway near the Marvel offices slings a mean Roast Beef foot long, and you can further simulate the burger experience by topping it with lettuce, pickles and ketchup (I don’t like tomatoes on my burgers/roast beef sandwiches, that’s what the ketchup is for) and making sure the bun is nice and toasted. I also get black olives because I love black olives. This is my current go-to when I’ve got enough to splurge outside the $5 menu (during October, it was Anytober, where all foot longs were $5, including the Roast Beef—it was glorious) and thus at the moment it tops the list.

My Five Favorite New Gods

It’s already been revealed that the first major villain of the new Justice League series by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee will be none other than Darkseid, marking his first appearance since being ostensibly killed by Batman back during Final Crisis in 2009. Whether or not this heralds a full-on return for the New Gods in the near future remains to be seen, but I must say, the idea of a reconstituted Fourth (Fifth?) World as part of the re-imagined DC Universe—and perhaps in conjunction with Grant Morrison’s Multiversity project—does intrigue and excite me.

When I was a kid, the New God and their mythology were a curiosity to me. I believe my first exposure to the characters was during Panic in the Sky, where Orion and Lightray were among the heroes going up against Brainiac. That story was among the first big DC ones I read, so a lot of the players in it were unknown quantities to me, from Deathstroke to Agent Liberty to even Captain Marvel, but even amongst that crowd, I could tell that the denizens of New Genesis were a step removed from what little I knew of this universe at large, from their unique visual designs to the hints that they were only a small part of a huge tapestry of story.

I was immersed into the Fourth World piece by piece throughout the 90’s and into the next decade, be it Knockout’s origins in Superboy, Orion and Big Barda joining the JLA, Darkseid in the Great Darkness Saga and reading old stuff like the JLA/JSA crossover with the New Gods or Lashina as Duchess in Suicide Squad. Every story was a piece of a larger puzzle I couldn’t quite see the edges of. I had just stopped collecting around when John Byrne and Walt Simonson did their series and the Genesis crossover, so I missed that info dump; I did pick up Cosmic Odyssey at some point in college, but saw it more as a cool story with great art, not a guidebook to the sprawling world Jack Kirby had created.

When the Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Omnibus series came out, I decided by hook or by crook to acquire every volume and finally get to know these this characters and this epic I’d been dancing around for decades in full. I was not let down as Kirby’s stories—pardon this—crackle with all the energy and enthusiasm I’d always heard they did, with the frankly often insane stories measuring up to art the page barely contains. The man truly created a modern day mythology as close to being on par with the ancient Greek tales I read as a kid as I could imagine. The colorful characters, interconnected tree of relationships, bizarre technology and even the purple prose speak to a boundless source—did it again—of creative excellence.

Perhaps nothing featuring the New Gods has ever even come close to those original ahead of their time tales, but of the dozens of featured and background players who make up the Fourth World, here are the ones who have most captured my attention over the years.

Honorable Mention: KANTO
He’s an absurd looking fop who is also the greatest assassin on a nightmare planet with an incredible array of weapons; I didn’t make a secret of it, but I wanted to see Smallville’s take on Kanto so bad.

5. THE FOREVER PEOPLE
Super hippies! Everybody knows I’m generally a fan of teen heroes as a rule, but I applaud that the Fourth World doesn’t just have the boilerplate young good guys, but beatniks who have stayed true to that attitude for going on 30 years or so now. It’s such a great mix of kooky personalities too, with the expected true blue hero in Mark Moonrider and pretty girl in Beautiful Dreamer, but then a mellower big dude than usual with Big Bear, a brain with an edge with Vykin and then Serifan, who is a cowboy. They also predate the Planeteers, who stole their Infinity-Man gimmick with Captain Planet.

4. GRANNY GOODNESS
A scary old lady who runs Apokolips’ torture camps and who can be played for laughs or taken deathly serious. Even though the visual and the demeanor of Granny Goodness are ridiculous, everybody outside of Darkseid himself is still terrified of her. She’s an inspired bit of eccentricity from Kirby, who took the archetype that made the least sense in the given role and then dialed it to eleven. She was a ridiculous caricature voiced by Ed Asner on Justice League and an eerie old crone on Smallville and both interpretations had equal validity—versatility.

3. BIG BARDA
At first glance, Big Barda is such a weird study in contrasts. Her name, her attire and her ferocity as a warrior paint her as one type of character; her physical beauty beneath all that armor—I love that moment in the original Mister Miracle series where she takes off her headdress and Oberon is blown away—as well as her deep feelings for and heartfelt romance with Scott Free paint a different picture. I dig that Barda is a beyond strong female character who kicks major ass and can still have a tender side without sacrificing any of the things that make her so. In a lot of ways, I like Barda better than Wonder Woman as she is a similar figure who possesses a confidence in where she stands and what she fights for I feel Diana has struggled to maintain from era to era. Barda was—and could be again—a fantastic member of the Justice League as she had the respect of everybody, male and female, but the affection of only those who took the time to get to know her, and she was fine with whatever because, again, she knows where she stands, and that’s what counts.

2. DARKSEID
How can you not love Darkseid? To start, he looks like an utter bad ass despite the fact he basically wears a skirt. More than that, he is very much a bad guy, but not so much a villain, as his motivation goes far beyond greed, conquest or even simply wanting to do wrong—though all those things play a role—and goes into a unique realm of not wanting, but needing fill the void existence has left him with power, domination and knowledge. I think deep down Darkseid knows nothing he does and no achievement he notches will truly satisfy him, but he loves the quest perhaps more than he could ever love the goal. Darkseid has endured more than any other Fourth World character because he has a weight to him that carries with him wherever he goes. He seems to be that rare character that cannot be tainted by a bad story or weak concept; Darkseid still seems like the ultimate threat every time he shows up no matter how he was previously dispatched. Heck, when Darkseid showed up in Young Justice surrounded by parody there was still a tangible element of danger. He’s the embodiment of evil and you’re damn sure you never want to see him win, but you can’t help but be transfixed by whatever he’s up to.

1. MISTER MIRACLE
Scott Free has a great look; he’s the epitome Jack Kirby’s knack for taking a design that should by all accounts be too busy, but pulls together disparate elements and colors to work in unexpected harmony. He’s got the totally unique and neat “super power” of being the greatest escape artist anywhere and his adventures are more akin to puzzles than slugfests, which makes for a nice change of pace. He’s set apart even more by being one of those happily married super heroes who demonstrates a guy can be in a healthy, committed relationship and still also pull off the role of charming swashbuckler. Above and beyond all that, though, what I love most about Mister Miracle is that he is the embodiment of taking whatever life throws at you and making the best of it to the extreme. The Pact that sits at the core of the Fourth World concept in which Highfather exchanged his son—Scott—with Darkseid’s son—Orion—utterly screwed this guy over, forcing the boy who should have been the heir apparent to paradise to basically reside in hell for doing nothing wrong and knowing his suffering maintained peace between two worlds. Rather than wallow in this miserable situation, Scott Free trains to escape it, and once he does, goes on to not only become a hero, but forgive the father who abandoned him and champion the world once lost to him. Mister Miracle’s story is one of escaping despair and the prison of terrible circumstances to embrace freedom in every way, not just enjoying it but continuing to forever fight for it; great character all around.

5 Avengers Who Could Be Great Justice Leaguers

I don’t have to essentially repeat my intro from the other day in reverse, do I? If you haven’t already, go back and read my post on Justice Leaguers who would make great Avengers—or at least the first couple paragraphs—and then come back here.

Done? Ok, let’s rock…

IRON MAN
Yep, right out the gate with a big one, I think Tony Stark and his armored alter ego would be a tremendous asset to the Justice League of America. Iron Man is definitely your classic “feet of clay” Marvel hero rather than your idealized DC type, but if you look at his history, he’s all about rising to both the occasion and the people around him. Tony started out as military contractor, but upon experiencing the horror of war vowed to be better regardless of the personal and financial hits he would take. He may have fought a Civil War against Captain America, but he also has incredible respect for Steve Rogers and has been working overtime to be a hero worthy of standing alongside Cap since he thawed him out of the ice. Being an Avenger has always brought out the best in Iron Man and I believe being part of the Justice League would do the same. Tony Stark is both ultra-competitive and extremely—figuratively—goodhearted. He’d not only want to be on the same level as Superman, he’d want to prove he can be even better; he’d not only need to earn Batman’s respect, he’d have to beat him at being the best billionaire altruist and hero—I bet they’d actually go from a grudging respect to being good friends! He may almost irritatingly competitive, but it comes from a good place, and I believe Iron Man would utilize all his considerable resources to take both himself and the Justice League to untold levels of greatness.

HELLCAT
Nobody ever thought teen model Patsy Walker could make it as a super hero, but she did—she became an Avenger! Ever since, Hellcat has been bucking the odds, whether that means earning her place on a team where Namor was arguably the weakest member, making a marriage with the son of the devil work—temporarily—or coming back from the freaking dead. Bottom line: If you tell Patsy Walker she can’t do something, she will do it. If Patsy lived in the DC Universe, she would march right up to the Hall of Justice or build her own spaceship to fly to the moon and you better believe she would join the Justice League. Hellcat’s just the right amount of sugar and spice to make things interesting for DC’s pantheon of champions. She’s a sweetheart who would probably be a great gal pal to Wonder Woman and Zatanna, make Superman smile and get Batman to loosen up; she’s also as fierce as her namesake and would tell Green Arrow where to stick it, let Plastic Man know to shut it and get Batman to loosen up. Hellcat would be a neat variation on Black Canary—who she’d make a great foil for/confidante to—as an underestimated little lady with the spunk and skills to hang with the big guns.

MONICA RAMBEAU
If there’s one Avenger who doesn’t understand intimidation, it’s Monica Rambeau. She named herself Captain Marvel despite the moniker previously belonging to a legendary universal champion who died surrounded by the great heroes ever and didn’t flinch in trying to live up to it. She joined an Avengers team that included Captain America and Thor and did not just earn her spot but was chosen to be their leader before she’d even really completed her rookie season. Whether as Photon or just herself, she’ll fly into any situation with poise, confidence and skill to ensure the resolution that guarantees the safety of those around her. She has incredible powers that allow her to travel across galaxies in an eye blink or put down the toughest bad guys. There is no quality Monica Rambeau possessed that does not make her an ideal candidate for the Justice League. Picture her and The Flash as two light-fast streaks racing into battle. Imagine what she could do matching energy abilities with Green Lantern. Just think what a master strategist like Batman could do if he knew he had this kind of resource at his disposal. They’d be lucky to have her.

QUASAR
Wendell Vaughn is tagged as a guy with tremendous potential to be a great Avenger, but his sticking point has always been that with his other duties as Protector of the Universe and need to mainly stay in outer space for cosmic adventures, he hasn’t really been able to commit as much time to the team as they’d like. The nice thing about the Justice League is they don’t really mind if you miss a meeting or ten, just so long as you deliver when it counts. Any Green Lantern who has ever been in the League can’t be there all the time because they’ve got a whole sector to patrol, but they make it work. Batman comes and goes as he pleases, but the void gets filled. The Justice League has enough powerhouses that they can afford to be without Quasar one mission and then appreciate his presence the next. Speaking of power, as a member of the recently former Annihilators, Wendell has demonstrated that just as how I described Tony Stark earlier he’s a guy who plays up to the people he’s surrounded by, so being around other super-charged heroes would only raise his game. Quasar’s also just such a nice, even-keeled guy that he’d probably fit in better with the generally harmonious League than the oft-bickering Avengers.

JACK OF HEARTS
Jonathan Hart never really got much of a chance to find his true potential as an Avenger or a hero because his powers were so unstable he had to spend most of his time locked in an isolated room and then when he got out he exploded a lot—right up until his death. The combined brainpower of Hank Pym and Tony Stark couldn’t find a solution to Jack of Hearts’ condition, but for some reason I feel like the DC Universe could. The Justice League is a melting pot of such varied cultures as Kryptonian, Thanagarian and Martian, not to mention the New Gods of New Genesis, all of which have technology even further beyond our imagination than Iron Man’s armor. A city like Metropolis where the future is now doesn’t really exist in the Marvel Universe; the Guardians of the Galaxy don’t visit the present nearly as often as the Legion of Super-Heroes. Bottom line, while the Avengers certainly live in a world where anything is possible, I think the one that surrounds the Justice League is even a bit more far out, and my gut tells me they’d find a way to “cure” Jack of Hearts, who would be so grateful he’d be one of the most committed members their team had ever known.

5 Justice Leaguers Who Could Be Great Avengers

I believe I’ve said it before—been doing this a few years now, folks, hard not to repeat myself—but I do believe and also appreciate that the respective DC and Marvel Universes have distinctive DNAs. This is a good thing. It doesn’t make one better than the other, it just makes them different, and for fans and creators alike, this is a good thing. It also doesn’t mean anything is mutually exclusive, be it a style of storytelling or a type of character or whatever, but certainly I do believe if you’ve been around, you can tell when a comic hits perfectly on what makes either world singularly special.

Anyway, I’m getting into a whole other story—and really not one I have the patience or coherence to write, so just corner me at a con some time and buy Rickey a drink—but I do have a point.

One series that not only illustrated what gives Marvel and DC their respective shines via their apex representatives was a personal favorite of mine: JLA/Avengers by the brilliant Kurt Busiek and George Perez. The story was all about how while each Universe is awesome in its own way, the characters most ingrained in one can’t really cope with how the other does business (the examples Busiek chose to focus on were Superman feeling the Marvel heroes didn’t do enough to make their world a paradise while Captain America was uncomfortable with the level of idolization the DC champions achieved).

But it’s not a hard and fast thing. Indeed, I think some characters who have had distinguished and entertaining careers in the Justice League would perhaps thrive even further or at least show another side as Avengers.

And yes, the flipside also applies, but please, let me milk two posts out of this.

So I thought to myself about who would be the best candidates to make the World’s Greatest--Earth’s Mightiest jump, but before we get to my final five, here are a few who didn’t quite make the cut and why…

Green Lantern (Hal Jordan): He’s certainly got the swagger, but I don’t think the Avengers would be able to put up with his long absences quite as well as the League has in the past (they’ve parted ways with folks all the way up the ladder to Thor because they couldn’t put in the time).

Red Tornado: The Avengers already have The Vision.

Blue Beetle: Honestly, no good reason, he was just number six and I wanted to stick to an even five.

Guy Gardner: I think if anybody could straighten him out it would be Captain America, who possesses far more patience than Batman, but more likely he’d just quit after two issues like The Hulk.

The Flash (Wally West): Too obvious an answer from me, but also, he’s the ultimate team player and would likely work well with any group, so it’s not an interesting selection.

THE MARTIAN MANHUNTER
J’onn J’onzz is a cornerstone of just about every incarnation of the Justice League; it’s inarguable and he’s proven himself time and again. But despite how many aliens, robots, etc. may have joined the League’s ranks over the year, it’s very much a team designed to showcase the epitome of humanity—or at least folks who look human—and while beloved, The Martian Manhunter has always been something of an adopted outsider who must work to fit in. The Avengers, on the other hand, are considerably rougher around the edges, not unlike the Justice League International team on which many would say J’onn most thrived. Rather than struggling to prove himself the equal of Batman or Wonder Woman, MM would probably dig being the calming influence to wild cards from Quicksilver to Wolverine just as he was to Guy, Booster, Beetle and friends. Indeed I could see J’onn as being the glue that holds the Avengers’ menagerie of mutants, mystics and monsters together and becoming recognize as one of the Marvel Universe’s most potent and powerful heroes as he does it, no longer needing to tone down his considerable skill set just so Superman doesn’t feel insecure (c’mon, you totally know he does). On a team where former criminals and guys with bad complexions tend to be the norm rather than the exception, The Manhunter From Mars would find the home he’s long sought.

VIXEN
Despite the fact that Vixen has a strong power set, a fierce personality and some natural leadership skills, she’s never quite broken through to the Justice League’s A-list and a lot of that has to come down to timing. For better or for worse, she’ll always be seen as having cut her teeth in the Detroit Era League, and while there’s really no shame in that—hey, J’onn and Aquaman did time on that team—it seems to leave this lingering “not ready for prime time” feel. On the Avengers, that generally doesn’t seem to be a problem. Cap’s Kooky Quartet of him, Hawkeye, Quicksilver and The Scarlet Witch was basically the Detroit League two decades early, and they all went on to be legendary Avengers. Heck, looking at today’s roster, did anybody but a young Brian Michael Bendis really ever believe Spider-Woman and Luke Cage would achieve the legitimacy they have? While the best of the best tend to shine on the Justice League, the Avengers are more about second chances and extending a hand to could-be contenders, and that sounds like Vixen all over. She’s got the ferocity of Wolverine, the fashion sense of The Wasp and the track record to date of Tigra—the girl was born to be one of Earth’s Mightiest!

BOOSTER GOLD
We’ve seen in 52 and his solo series how great a hero Booster Gold can truly be, but the Justice League has only ever really tolerated him and his antics, not embraced him and tried to make him feel welcome. The Avengers have dealt with far worse members than an opportunistic scam-seeker and kept them around long enough for them to do some good (Quicksilver again, Moondragon, Swordsman, Doctor Druid, USAgent, Sersi, Hank freaking Pym—and I could go on). With some mentors like Captain America, Hawkeye and The Wasp who actually give him a chance and show some patience with him, Booster could really live up to his potential and feel supported while doing so rather than having to be the greatest hero you’ve never heard of (though that does remain a pretty cool angle). He’d also be a pretty natural protégé for Iron Man, who could show him both the right way to manage money as well as the potential pratfalls of wealth—there are honestly few more conscientious millionaires in comics than Tony “Won’t take defense contracts” Stark”—and probably hit it off with Spider-Man as well.

POWER GIRL
She’s led the Justice Society and has enough power—pun unintended, but there aren’t many other ways to put it—to mop the floor with just about anybody, but strangely Power Girl has never really had a seat at the big table as far as the Justice League is concerned. It could be that Superman and Wonder Woman more or less already fill the slots she’d comfortably fit into. It could also be that PG is a bit brash and headstrong for the League’s oft rigid chain of command. Over on the Avengers, they’re not only always eager to load up on heavy hitters—it wasn’t too long ago they had The Sentry, Ms. Marvel, Wonder Man and Ares all on one roster with Iron Man to boot—but spunk helps more than hurts. Hawkeye spent years mouthing off to his elders then ended up getting handed his own West Coast branch and becoming one of the team’s most celebrated chairmen. If Power Girl doesn’t fit in straight away, I’m pretty sure her combo of battle savvy, proven intelligence and willingness to stand up for what she believes in would earn the respect of her teammates real quickly. Honestly, I don’t just think PG would be a great addition to the Avengers, I could see her leading the darn team.

MAJOR DISASTER
I can’t think of many former villains who have managed to turn their careers around as members of the Justice League; frankly, the standards the DC Universe, heroes and citizens alike, demand from their standard bearers makes it a tough road to hoe. Across the street, some of the most trusted and respected Avengers started off as bad guys: Hawkeye, Quicksilver, The Scarlet Witch, Swordsman, The Vision, The Black Widow, Wonder Man, Namor and Ares are just some of the folks who started on the wrong side of the tracks and ended up proving themselves worthy of being counted among Earth’s Mightiest. Major Disaster made a solid go at reformation, but whether it was the pressure or Batman shooting him dirty looks, he high tailed it to the black ops squad at the first opportunity and never got another shot at redemption before biting it in Infinite Crisis. With a burning need to turn his life around—his soul belonged to Neron, remember—and cool abilities like being able to create localized earthquakes, Disaster could have been a solid Avenger—or at least a decent Thunderbolt.

Five Comics Characters Who Could be President

It’s Presidents Day! That may mean very little to those of you outside the United States—and frankly very little to many of you inside the United States—but it’s the day we honor those who have served in our nation’s highest office, situated generally either on George Washington’s birthday or between that and Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. More importantly, I get the day off from work.

Both fictional and legit presidents of the U.S. have a long stories history in comics. Bill Clinton endorsed the (ultimately genocidal) Cyborg Superman while Barack Obama had a Marvel Team-Up with Spider-Man. Captain America famously declined to run for office, while known super villain Lex Luthor got elected in a story my friend TJ swears to me makes total sense.

But what comic book characters would in fact be most qualified and best-suited to run this country? Given my extremely limited knowledge and understanding of politics, I am a terrible person to make this determination, so here are my top five plus honorable mentions.

HONORABLE MENTION: BATMAN
On the plus side, there’s no problem he can’t solve with sufficient prep time. On the downside, he’s a sociopath who lives in a cave.

HONORABLE MENTION: HARDCASE
No real reason other than that as an actor turned super hero, he could basically be Ronald Reagan with invulnerable skin.

5. THE INVISIBLE WOMAN
The spiritual mother of the Marvel Universe could totally be America’s mom as well. She’s already demonstrated her diplomatic skills during Jonathan Hickman’s run writing Fantastic Four, and it’s a safe bet the U.S. could count on Wakanda and particularly Atlantis—though likely not Latveria—for support at those UN meetings. Having the smartest man in the world as first husband doesn’t hurt either.

4. KARATE KID
Of all the people elected leader of the Legion of Super-Heroes over the centuries, Karate Kid is the only one from Earth, and thus under our current rules, the only one who could be President (actually, Invisible Kid may have had a term as well, but I’m still going with Val). If he can manage a team of hormonal intergalactic teenagers with super powers, surely KK can handle guiding this great nation. He’s got statesmanship experience as Princess Projectra’s consort and his zen calm will be a big help; and when it’s not enough, hello, super karate.

3. CANNONBALL
Sam Guthrie is the perfect melting pot of belief systems and influences needed to boldly lead America. He’s got his Kentucky upbringing amongst a huge family with blue collar working class values. He’s got the pacifist teachings of Professor Charles Xavier to bring to bear when serving as a diplomat. He’s got the more militaristic stance of Magneto to keep in mind in matters of defense. And he’s got the pro-active guidance of Cable to serve him as a world leader. Beneath that, he retains his good ol’ boy charm and loves his country—he’s Jimmy Carter with a blast field.

2. LOIS LANE
Despite growing up with a military whackjob father, Lois Lane seems to have emerged with a pretty healthy balance of liberal and conservative values that have served her well in her role as the DC Universe’s top investigative reporter. She’s been around the world and is no doubt familiar with all the foreign policy one would need to be up on as President and from all accounts has endeared herself to a number of prominent heads of state and business along the way—well, the legit ones, not the crooked one her exposes have brought down. She can be charming but doesn’t take crap from anybody and also has a spit-curled demigod sharing the first bedroom with her if anything really goes wrong.

1. WAR MACHINE
James Rhodes is an experienced and decorated military man, but also somebody who has done his tour in the private sector as the one-time head of Stark Industries. He’s had a taste of wealth and runs in the social circle of his best buddy Tony Stark, but also maintains strong ties to the middle and lower class via his upbringing. He’s worked with the government before as leader of the Sentinel Squad and at Camp Hammond, but also shown he’s willing to question authority during his Worldwatch days and recent actions during Norman Osborn’s reign in power. Rhodey’s got intelligence, integrity, the right connections—hello campaign contributions—and the right skill set to be an awesome President at least in the Marvel Universe. Could he sweep the stuff he did his 90’s solo series under the rug and not be the victim of a smear campaign on his way to the top? If Osborn can do it, I’d say yes.

Five Favorite (Non-Flash) Speedsters

Since I spent some time last week waxing on how awesome super speed would be, it only seems right I now list off my favorite practitioners of said ability in comics, right?

To make things a bit more interesting though, I’m taking my obvious number one, Wally West, out of the—pun intended—running. To make things even more interesting, I’ll also remove anybody called The Flash (or Kid Flash) just because. And finally, I’ll endeavor to make this a list where it’s more about how the characters relate to and reflect the ability of super speed than their overall coolness, but of course the lines will inevitably blur.

Dig? Cool.

Honorable Mention: MEANSTREAK
No real discernibly cool personality, but I always just thought he had a rad codename.

Honorable Mention: JOHNNY QUICK
I like Johnny, but I haven’t read enough of All-Star Squadron to really know him as anything else but the dude from The Golden Age, and one story alone—even a really good one—doesn’t get you on the list.

5. XS
Combine your typical overexcited and oft-insecure teenage girl with the hyper kinetic nature of a person with super speed and you get XS, a bundle of fun from the 30th century. I always got a kick out of how Jenni would be incredibly enthusiastic over everything to the point where she spoke fast than her teammates could hear and then immediately flipped to extreme embarrassment once she realized just what she had done. Very endearing character and I hope she gets some play in Legion soon, as every team can use a good speedster.

4. MAKKARI
The Eternals’ Makkari combines my love of speedsters with my love of mythology in one gaudily-but-awesomely-costumed package. Mak’s the most inquisitive and adventurous of the Eternal bunch as befits an immortal god-type who can run really fast. Rather than cool his heels in Olympia with the rest of the gang, he made frequent incursions into the mortal world, be it to teach Plato philosophy or serve among the Marvel heroes of the Golden Age. Besides just the fact that he’s fast, I’m a fan of Makkari since he’s always on the move, jumping from one thing to the next with a natural curiosity that matches his ability to physically accelerate—he’s the James Franco of the Eternals.

3. JESSE QUICK
They don’t really play it up at all these days, but the era where Jesse Quick was not just a super hero but also a high-powered business executive always seemed an appropriate and interesting use of a speedster character to me. Of course whether they used their powers or not somebody with super speed like Jesse would be ideal in the corporate world where deadlines and innovation are key and of course she’d be a workaholic able to create more hours in a busy day because those are her powers and the environment she likely grew up in given her parents creeping into her personality. Her status as a headstrong female character who in my mind was assertive but certainly not the b-word also made Jesse Quick a favorite of mine during her Flash and even Titans stints.

2. MAX MERCURY
This is the flipside of my number one, but there is of course the aspect of super speed that allows you to live each moment as if it stretches a lifetime, so the idea of a “zen master of speed” such as Max Mercury both appeals and makes a lot of sense to me. After you pass the just running fast period of being a speedster, you’re going to get bored, and while frustration is one response, it’s cool that at least one guy took the road less traveled and spent the extra time his power affords him learning as much about it as he could. It’s neat the way Max has a better intuitive understanding of stuff like the Speed Force and also how he counters pretty much every other person with a similar ability set by having also learned near infinite patience and becoming the ideal mentor figure (though Impulse forced that “near” qualifier pretty well). There’s also a lot of untapped potential in Max Mercury as far as his crazy origins and not-fully-explored traipses through time, so an appearance by him is always welcome.

1. QUICKSILVER
In the years since Pietro Maximoff was introduced and then fully fleshed out and then further fleshed out as a character, there have been other speedsters who do the “I’m a total dick because I’m perpetually frustrated by how slow the rest of the world is” routine, but none as well, and of course inarguably none who innovated it. Quicksilver is a great character because cool powers aside, you really do have to find a reason to root for him; sure he loves his family and does generally save lives, but he’s also a former terrorist with a superiority complex who tends to lose his mind every so often. Probably no writer did him a great service than Peter David in X-Factor when he established the idea that Pietro isn’t a tool for no reason at all, he’s really just annoyed for the rest of us to figure out how to work an ATM machine. Kurt Busiek also had the great bit in JLA/Avengers where Quicksilver finally meets somebody faster than him in The Flash and rather than embrace him immediately becomes jealous, insecure and obsessed with winning a race. Quicksilver isn’t the most likable character and never will be, but he’s wonderfully layered and, more than that, probably a pretty realistic depiction of how most folks would handle super speed once the initial buzz wears off.

My Five Favorite Martian Manhunter Artists

I said it a couple months back, but The Martian Manhunter may be the most underrated character in comics.

When I was a kid, I barely knew who J’onn J’onzz was. Most of my childhood comic book fandom came long after the original Big Seven era of the Justice League, just following Justice League International and prior to Grant Morrison coming in, so J’onn was more or less a non-factor; just that dude who pretended to be Bloodwynd and then led the Justice League Task Force.

However, as I grew up and became a more sophisticated comics fan, I came to appreciate The Martian Manhunter to the point where he’s become among my favorite characters. He occupies a unique place in the DC Universe a living hub for so many facets, he’s incredibly versatile as far as the potential to transcend genres, he’s got a rad power set and his whole warrior poet persona is just plain cool.

There’s a great Martian Manhunter ongoing or anthology book out there just waiting to happen, and I give Geoff Johns and Pete Tomasi credit and appreciation for getting the ball rolling with detective story/sci-fi mash-up they’ve been weaving in Brightest Day.

That said, as much potential as J’onn has, it can all be scuttled by the wrong artistic portrayal. The Martian Manhunter has a unique design to say the least, one that gives artists a lot of room to play and create either something incredible or something laughable. I mean, those criss cross suspenders alone can be a pitfall waiting to happen for even the most seasoned of pros.

So here are five guys who have made J’onn J’onzz look good—and two more for good measure and honorable mention.

BRYAN HITCH
He only spent a few issues really on JLA before making his way over to The Ultimates, but during his short tenure, I’d say Bryan Hitch perfectly captured the raw power as well as the defining tragedy of The Martian Manhunter.

TOM MANDRAKE
I’m pretty sure nobody has quite the tenure on J’onn J’onzz that Tom Mandrake does, having drawn his one and only ongoing series for nearly three years. I can’t say Mandrake’s take was necessarily my personal favorite, but he did lend the character a regal majesty and in many ways defined his modern look.

5. SAL VELLUTO
The 90’s were a crazy time where pretty much every iconic super hero got at least one iconic makeover, be it a mullet or a leather jacket; Martian Manhunter more or less kept his traditional costume, interestingly enough—I mean the guy does wear a red harness and blue pirate boots—instead hitting the gym a bit or the dealer behind the gym a lot and putting muscles on top of his muscles on top of his muscles. That said, Justice League Task Force artist Sal Velluto made the roided up Last Son of Mars look pretty damn awesome, accentuating his buff bod with a focus on facial “acting” that could range from goofy to intense.

4. HOWARD PORTER
As the initial artist on Grant Morrison’s JLA, Howard Porter was tasked with restoring the Justice League to a glory they hadn’t experienced in some time, which he did admirably by tapping into what made each character a legend in the first place, brought it to the visual forefront, and put a coat of polish on to bring them into a new era. When it came to The Martian Manhunter, Porter took the tested approach of using J’onn’s musculature to show he was a bad ass super hero, while conveying emotion through his face, be it that furrowed beetle brow or seemingly endless ruby eyes. Howard Porter proved that classic costumes and looks don’t necessarily need to be reinvented to make them great, just treated with reverence and enthusiasm.

3. DARWYN COOKE
In his classic DC: The New Frontier series, Darwyn Cooke brought The Martian Manhunter to the forefront of his tale of the DC Universe breaking into the Silver Age, paralleling his arrival and emergence on Earth with the birth of a new age of heroes. Cooke took great pains to not only give J’onn the depth needed to take the lead in such an epic, but he did so in every step of his evolution, from bizarre alien invader to frightened captive and finally to virtuous champion for justice with a stop as hardboiled detective along the way. As I’ve said, what makes J’onn such a great character is how many varied sides he has to him and how many worlds he walks in; Darwyn Cooke took incredible care and added such delicate craftsmanship to each facet of the Martian Manhunter that he demonstrated not just one phenomenal portrayal, but several. It’s not easy to make the squinting, grinning J’onn J’onzz of the Silver Age look as cool as he does in New Frontier, but Cooke more than pulled it off.

2. KEVIN MAGUIRE
People tend to forget, but The Martian Manhunter spent years as a cipher and unsung hero really until the birth of Justice League International, and while Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis deserve tremendous credit for infusing him with personality, Kevin Maguire should get perhaps just as much for helping that newfound character shine through. Like I mentioned with Howard Porter above, Maguire felt no need to make any drastic—or really any—changes to J’onn’s costume, he just accentuated the strong points that made it stand out to begin with, and then played to his own biggest strength, that being his status as perhaps the best comics artist ever when it comes to faces and expressions. Maguire had a lot of fun playing Jonn’s oversized cranium for laughs, conveying sadness in his eyes or putting a grimace on his mug that let you know this was one pissed off Martian. He may have been an eight-foot-tall green dude in a weird unitard, but Kevin Maguire’s Martian Manhunter also felt look he could be the guy next door (in some bizarre universe).

1. DOUG MAHNKE
I’m a little disappointed that the only piece by Doug Mahnke I could find on the entire freakin’ Internet has J’onn not in his classic costume or even normal form, but on the other hand, I think it backs my case that the current Green Lantern artist can at least lay solid claim to being the best Martian Manhunter artist of them all. Just look at those eyes: Mahnke packs a soul into J’onn J’onzz’ eyes, making him incredibly distant and otherworldly, eerily compassionate and unquestionably mysterious just with those two little orbs. Mahnke uses caricature just as effectively as detail to bring his characters to life, and from his JLA run on, he has adopted the Manhunter From Mars as one of his signature darlings; it makes perfect sense, as J’onn possesses that quirkiness Mahnke loves to twist around and create beautiful art from, but also a powerful and pure design he pays homage and respect to each time he draws him. Mahnke drew one of the very best Martian Manhunter stories in Joe Kelly’s underrated “Trial By Fire,” he was the perfect choice to lay him to temporary rest during Final Crisis, and any time he gets his pen on the character it’s a haunting and memorable visual treat.