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For me, it's Jenny Sparks, of the Authority; the Spirit of the Twentieth Century, D.O.A 2000 A.D.
Believe it or not, though I, like most Spider-Man fans, otherwise hated the Clone Saga, I did like Ben Reilly. For those who don't know, Ben Reilly was supposed to be the real Peter Parker, who had wandered the country for years believing he was a clone. If I understand it right, the idea was to allow the "real" clone, married to Mary Jane, to walk off with her into the sunset, and go forward with the "real" Peter, now called Ben Reilly.
The short period where the main story followed Ben - a loner with a crap job and bad luck - was the closest to the old Spider-Man stories Marvel ever again came. Of course, after fan outcry, it was revealed that the DNA test was a mistake (excuse me, but Reed Richards does not make dumb mistakes), and Ben was rather unceremoniously killed off.
Now, I never had a problem with Peter and Mary Jane, but the Ben route, if they had stuck with it, would have been a much better solution to getting the old Peter back, than the disastrous travesty that eventually was carried out on the franchise.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Heh, I liked Ben too.
Hmm, I've always been torn on Eric Masterson (Thunderstrike) He (and apparently Kevin) are the only defined left handed superheroes I know of (I was so happy Eric's Heroclix got that right), but I liked Eric more for his 'hoo-boy' approach to things, even when he was Thor.
That said, his death was one of the better done ones in comics, and I don't want it cheesily undone.
Hmm, Would the entire DC universe count as a character I miss? Secret Six, gone. 80's Titans, gone. Wally, Donna (and maybe Scandal and Joey) gone.
@MM:
As long as I can miss Marvel Canon, killed by Marvel Comics, themselves... crappy 'Ultimates' lines... rewriting stories to match those horrible movies... 2ndary mutations, waitwhat?!
>sigh<
Sure, go ahead and count the DC universe as a character.
Now I'm depressed. ;/
Secondary mutations are, and always will be, stupid. stupid. The 80s titans, while amazing, had their time in the sun, dc has been attempting to catch lightning in a bottle ever since with varying degrees of 'success'. I miss my 80s x men (though they also has their time in the sun), x corp (hey, it was a good idea with lots of potential!), milestone comics (dark ethnic superheroes done right, though they could have used more white characters[although I do understand the impetus], Dakota should be its own city in the dc universe), Ryan choi as the atom, blood pack (dc fans are cruel to new characters), marvels new universe (was not a fan of the update)... The list goes on and on.
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You guys are making me feel sad. :(
I miss my 70's/80's X-Men backissues too. I remember reading them in the 90's and generally enjoying them much more than what was coming out for them at the time.
I gave up on Marvel and DC entirely several years ago because it just felt like nothing good ever seemed to have a chance of lasting. Having most of your favorite characters be B/C-listers didn't help either.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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80's Titans may have come and gone but (from what I've read) they never existed in the Nu52.
Characters can evolve (ducking the whole "Secondary mutation" thing*) And I'm all for that. Roy evolved from sidekick to Arsenal to Red Arrow (then devolved, but we'll leave that be) Gar briefly grew up, Dick and Tim have changed, the last issue of Titans showed how much Rose had changed** etc etc.
Dani Moonstar is an example of 'change I like' Dani's a kick aft character even w/o powers. (I think she should have more gadgets though***) The Decimation crap actually gave her character a new direction. It's also funny reading NM CLassic compilations how X'ian's the lesbian and not Dani/Rahne.
Anyway I'll add the Hellions to the list of characters I miss. I liked the 'anti-New Mutants' and would have loved to see how they'd integrate into Utopia.
*
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Old Marrow. Seriously. She was angry due to being in constant pain... until Gambit transmogrified her with the help of some kind of unknown apparatus, with no instruction manual... and made her pretty and nice. EWWWWWW.
Xorn. According to the storyline, he was Magneto all the time, but if you read the story about his perspective, it's clear this was a retrofit.
Yeah, I liked Ben Reilly too.
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Liked old Marrow.
Probably in the minority, but I liked tentacle-Callisto too.
And Generation X...
I really enjoyed Outsiders and Exiles when Winnick started both. I'm sure neither team looks anything like they did when I stopped reading.(gave up Outsiders because of DC's Crisis nonsense, Exiles because Chuck Austen happened). The former really made me a fan of Roy Harper and Grace Choi. Apparently from the talk here, things have gone downhill with Roy...
Oh yeah, old Betsy Braddock Psylocke too. I REALLY liked the oz-men period... *sighs*
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Tangent Alert!
One of the storyline conflicts I enjoy reading is when things happen to charactes that challenge their worldview. Woverine was interesting when he was finding out (and the readers were) and reacting to his past. The Right Red Hand storyline has put some lasting changes in his character (and helped motivate the Schism storyline). Steve tring to save James when he found out he was alive was a driving plot point. An abandoned thread in Alpha Flight was the staunch Catholic Jean Marie persona dealing with Jean Paul coming out. Lil dealing with the possibility of cancer (and her powers preventing treatment) was another. Heck even in the New Mutants Bobby dealing with his family's ethical past (and the Hellfire club) and the Amara/Selene connections were character motivators.
For me, the Rahne/Dani possiblity was how does a devout Protestant like Rahne who doesn't have issues, she has subscriptions deal with these feelings? Does she deny them, putting up walls between herself and Dani (and maybe the other female characters)? Does she swing the entirely different way, chasing and flirting with men? And is there a resolution? Does she give in and admit her attraction for Dani, or does she keep denying it?
X'ian could have had the same conflicts, but I wasn't reading the books at the time of her return, and my understanding was that it was "Hi guys! I'm a lesbian!" glossing over any conflict she might have had as a Vietnamese Catholic coming to grips with it.
Another New Mutant plot point was Doug being blessed with suck. "I can create illusions!" "I can create Volcanos!" "I'm super strong!" "Um, I can speak French." His trying to 'keep up' led to his death.
From a 'comic book' based point of conflict would be the child of mutant haters developing powers, or a devout Christian becoming Sorcerer Supreme.
Eventually these conflicts have to reach an ending, but it still makes for good storytelling.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Tangent Alert!
For me, the Rahne/Dani possiblity was how does a devout Protestant like Rahne who doesn't have issues, she has subscriptions deal with these feelings? Does she deny them, putting up walls between herself and Dani (and maybe the other female characters)? Does she swing the entirely different way, chasing and flirting with men? And is there a resolution? Does she give in and admit her attraction for Dani, or does she keep denying it?It would have been an interesting character arc. OTOH, I hate the assumption that any pair of close friends must be a couple or potential couple. Some people really are just good friends. Without romantic interest.
And poor Rahne's subscriptions (I'm stealing that phrase) mean she has enough problems with any sexual attraction, much less homosexuality.
My partner taught me that one, "I don't have issues, I have subscriptions."
I agree with the 'why is every friendship assumed' bit. There are quite vocal 'Tim and Connor' shippers because of their close friendship and that while Tim's dated he's still a virgin. (all preboot of course)
Amusingly, nuSuperboy-as-gay-or-curious would make more sense as this clone isn't Kon-el. (Plus Teen Titans apparently has a flamboyantly gay 'Bunker' character)
OTOH, I could see it run in a different way with Rahne. "I've never been close to anyone like I am with Dani, I must be romantically in love with her." But she isn't she just never felt close to anyone.
those kind of stories are great to have, especially intermingled with aliens, monsters, and demons :-)
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Diamond Lil dead? That's awful.
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Diamond Lil dead? That's awful.
Yeah, killed in Necrosha.
Let's recap.
PEr Wiki, Lil's powers are: "Lillian Crawley is a mutant whose powers grant her a homeostatic bio-aura, which ontinually perpetuates an impenetrable field around all parts of her body (even those that are removed, like a strand of hair) rendering them impervious to all forms of physical and energy attacks;
Mortis' powers: "Lois London generates a disruptive field of unknown energy that affects the molecular properties of any matter she comes in physical contact with."
So the woman who can't be touched was killed by the woman whos powers require her to... touch you.
For some reason, Marvel really seems to hate the Flight.
2000ADs
Nemesis the Warlock - A fire-breathing demonic alien, fights against the fanatical Torquemada, Grand Master of the Terran Empire in Earth's distant future, and his attempts to exterminate all alien life.
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Strontium Dog - Johnny Alpha, a mutant bounty hunter with an array of imaginative gadgets and weapons.
are the two I miss the most.
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Didn't Nemesis become one with Chaos or something like that? Did he actually die? I've got most of his books, but not the final issues. I remember him having to kill his own son.
The character death I'd say that's bugging me most right now is Echo who recently died in Moon Knight #9. I've liked her since she showed up in Daredevil (she got shafted throughout most of her run with the Avengers) and thought she was really starting to shine in the new Moon Knight series. Then Count Nefaria drills a hole through her heart with his eye lasers and *poof* no more Echo. Sucks.
I think the character I miss most though might be Pirate, the bunny rabbit from We3, who valiantly blew himself up fighting a giant cyborg pit bull.
Didn't Nemesis become one with Chaos or something like that? Did he actually die? I've got most of his books, but not the final issues. I remember him having to kill his own son.
The character death I'd say that's bugging me most right now is Echo who recently died in Moon Knight #9. I've liked her since she showed up in Daredevil (she got shafted throughout most of her run with the Avengers) and thought she was really starting to shine in the new Moon Knight series. Then Count Nefaria drills a hole through her heart with his eye lasers and *poof* no more Echo. Sucks.
I think the character I miss most though might be Pirate, the bunny rabbit from We3, who valiantly blew himself up fighting a giant cyborg pit bull.
Him and Torquemada are dead all though they have come back as ghosts-ish.
** spoiler omitted **
:<<
Also:
::::(
I am one of those nutters that liked Vriska. She was nasty, but I enjoyed the character.
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Pirate, the bunny rabbit from We3, who valiantly blew himself up fighting a giant cyborg pit bull.
Pirate's one I miss too. That one kinda got me all choked up.
Other than that, I think most of the comic characters I've missed have all come back from the dead. Even the ones I really ENJOYED missing (Colossus and Barry Allen)
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Pre-Zero Hour, it would be Blok of The Legion of Super Heroes. I think because he was a new team member right around the time when I first started reading the series, and he was one of those "Gentle Giant" type of heroes. His death at the hands of Roxxas was particularly brutal, and the announcement of his death (dismembered rocky body delivered to the other heroes) made it even worse.
Augh. New Mutants. Stupid of me not to mention that one.
I truly loved Cypher, and I'm glad he got his day in Age of Apocalypse. I prefer a communication field as opposed to the current "I can read ANY language, even BODY language!!!", but I can't deny that's cool. I was always dismayed when I read the comic book write in columns and discovered that there were always people calling for his death because they thought his power was weak- it's that kind of ugliness that ruins comics.
In terms of sexuality in New Mutants, I always thought Rahne being gay would have been WAAAAAAY too obvious- not that I like her as a biker/punk or obsessed with Havok, but whatever. I didn't mind Xian being gay and coming out the way she did. Not everyone comes out of the closet with regret and shame, or jubilation or fanfare- some just say "Hey, I'm gay. Whatevs." Not many, but some.
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I really miss Jean Grey.
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Richards makes TONS of dumb mistakes. Exiling the Hulk was his most recent screwup. In fact Reed Richards Is Useless is a trope of it's own.(excuse me, but Reed Richards does not make dumb mistakes),
Exiling the Hulk was actually a great idea. The Hulk had a family and a kingdom and Earth was free of the guy. Everything was roses. Then that bugman SOB went and exploded half a planet because he didn't want his new god to settle down and Hulk blamed the Earth heroes.
Reed is useless because he doesn't share his tech, or if he does, it doesn't seem to do anything to help Earths tech level to upgrade. Between him and Stark we should have colonies on Mars years ago.Back on topic. I miss Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown. I don't know if they have already been brought back to the new DC universe, and if they have... please don't tell me. I fear whatever they do to them will only bring me more pain and rage.
The three basic Marvel fallacies:
1) People do not age. At all. Spider-man was a schoolboy in 1963... which would make him what age now?
2) Technology level in society does not change. At all. Despite the existence of super-power geniuses like Iron man and Reed Richards, nothing happens. Oh sure, there is always the latest "look I put together a magificent gizmo that could make everyone's life better" McGuffin, but it never spreads.
3) That which has sunk may rise again. People who were not killed in the prehistory or first plotline of someone's introduction (Uncle Ben, Thunderbird), always come back. It does not matter how much effort was put into killing the character off (Colossus, Jean Grey times many).
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Augh. New Mutants. Stupid of me not to mention that one.
I truly loved Cypher, and I'm glad he got his day in Age of Apocalypse. I prefer a communication field as opposed to the current "I can read ANY language, even BODY language!!!", but I can't deny that's cool. I was always dismayed when I read the comic book write in columns and discovered that there were always people calling for his death because they thought his power was weak- it's that kind of ugliness that ruins comics.
In terms of sexuality in New Mutants, I always thought Rahne being gay would have been WAAAAAAY too obvious- not that I like her as a biker/punk or obsessed with Havok, but whatever. I didn't mind Xian being gay and coming out the way she did. Not everyone comes out of the closet with regret and shame, or jubilation or fanfare- some just say "Hey, I'm gay. Whatevs." Not many, but some.
People that disliked Doug Ramsey were painfully unaware of his true superpower: BALLS OF STEEL.
I've always hated reading "_____ sucks, kill him/her off." letters in thsoe columns too. These days it feels like the folks that wrote those letters are the ones writing the comics...
On the Rahne and X'ian thing, I actually like keeping both ways open. The idea with Rahne would work for me, it might be "easy" but it just seems to click. Plus it might actually give her a shot at being happy. For about five or so days. After the RAHNE ANGST. Or in between it. On the flipside of that, there's certainly nothing wrong with Rahne and Dani having an extremely close non-romantic friendship.* Just wish Marvel would remember they have one more often...
But X'ian being gay worked great too for the reasons you mentioned too. Sometimes it is a huge "coming to terms" deal that demands a focus on the drama that comes out of it, both the good and the bad. And sometimes it should just be. Funny thing, Dani seemed to make a bigger deal of X'ian's sexuality than she herself ever did, what with that aggressive attempt to hook her up with the coffee shop lady.
Oh yeah...characters we miss
Genis-Vell. And the rest of the cast of his series. Rick, Marlo, Lorraine, Moondragon, Phyla, everybody. Peter David's Captain Marvel was fun. I don't know what's going on with the characters now, except that Genis got killed off. I'd hope he can come back, but mainly I'd only want him and that whole crew back together if the fun could be revived along with him.
Also, 80's Punk Storm. Powered or unpowered, as long as the attitude and look is intact.
*I'm not sure if Claremont really did insert subtext into every female/female character relationship or if it's just something we all said he did and we saw what we were sure was there. There did seem to be a lot of it though.**
**But not as much as his bondage fetish subtext.***
***Or rather, text.
Add me to the list of people who miss the entire DCU.
Before the entire DCU was retconned, I missed Big Barda. (Does/did she ever exist now?)
As usual mikaze, we agree. And a big + 1 on the loss of guardians of the galaxy. It was a great book.
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Add me to the list of people who miss the entire DCU.
Before the entire DCU was retconned, I missed Big Barda. (Does/did she ever exist now?)
Not sure, but the latest Relaunch actually worked for me at least. The previous two legion runs totally changed the LSH history, and I miss the original timeline and character histories. The Infinite crisis relaunch brought back many characters that didn't get converted to post-zero hour versions and the "threeboot" version was even worse as far as histoy is concerned. Paul Levitz coming back is HUGE plus...now if only we could get Keith Giffen back...
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I miss the Hellfire Club and the Hellions. (tho i dunno if they are back/etc). Leland was a cool fellow. reminded me of Hiram from wildcards. Died in a fight with Nimrod. I know the Hellions disbanded, but i recall several of them kicking the bucket also. They were a nice rival group for the classic New Mutants.
Weren't the Hellions all executed and absorbed en masse by Shinobi, the wannabe new Black king? I remember that as one of the more revolting scenes in Marvel history...
Thats about what my memory is telling me, yeah. I was less then thrilled by that event. The Hellions were solidly rival-quality and not pure 100% evil like a lot of other badguys out there.
I'll go with Wasp (Jan). Though I really miss all the pre-Bendis Avengers, to be honest...
Hellions forever! The new group got shafted by their hipster writers not long before they started pushing up daisies alongside a lot of other kids at xaviers. I really liked tag's power, and his death exemplified the disgusting "I don't understand his power, please kill him off!" bs of yesteryear.
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Along the lines of Wasp let me add Cassie Lang and Yellowjacket (Rita DeMara). (It looks like we have Scott back, so we've traded one Lang for another)
I'm thinking about getting the EMH comic, just because I've grown to love the cartoon Wasp. "I found bigger stingers." Indeed.
I wasn't in comics duing the "new-new X-men" But I always thought Wither got the "Reed Richards is useless" trope in spades. At least in her time with Xavier, Rogue's lack of control made sense.* Just slap a power limiter on that boy.
*Rogue spoilers
Agreed about Rita. Killed in the godawful Crossing, I thought they were going to bring her back with AF during the Dead Avengers mini. Oh well.
And, yes, cartoon version of Wasp is awesome. I think I'd be very happy if Yost takes over from Bendis. He seems to actually understand and like the Avengers characters.
Add me to the Hellfire Club, my favorite X-enemies. They had longevity as each (except Leyland maybe?) went on to plague (Pierce/Mutant Massacre) or join (Emma) the X-folks at various points seperately.
Luckily I still have my straight runs of Uncanny (118-362), New Mutants (all), X-Factor (1st series-all) etc. I think I might start reading them again.
Getting into the X-Books now seems daunting. There are like a bazillion characters in umpteen books.
Also, Im thinking of selling my entire collection of comics (about 4000 books or so) if anyone is in the market in NYC. Hit me up in a PM here.
Johnny Alpha and Dread . I think I just found my wall paper