Capes and Japes

Today we talk about Namor McKenzie, who we recently found out has a canon last name, since he's best known simply as Namor or the Sub-Mariner. He's Atlantean royalty, sometimes a hero, sometimes a villain, but always a dick. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Marvel Comics (1939) #1 - Marvel Mystery Comics (1939) #3 - Sub-Mariner Comics (1941) - Invaders (1977) - Invaders (2019) - Avengers/...

Today we talk about Adam Warlock, who has a LOT going on, including being created in a lab, healing cocoons, the soul stone, and splitting himself into three people. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Fantastic Four (1961) #66 - Thor (1966) #165 - Incredible Hulk Annual (1976) #6 - Marvel Premiere (1972) #1 - (Power of) Warlock (1972) - Strange Tales (1951) #178 - Avengers Annual (1967) #7...

Today we talk about Heather Douglas--Moondragon--who honed her telepathic abilities, made Namor fight Iron Man, fought Thanos, trained Hellcat, conquered a planet, killed her dad, and ran away with Rick Jones's wife, all while wearing very drastic outfits. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Iron Man (1968) #54 - Daredevil (1964) #105 - Defenders (1972) #138 - Captain Marvel (1968) #31 - Ave...

Today we talk about Dr. Stephen Strange, who is a surgeon whose hubris messed up his hands and in his quest to be able to be a surgeon again he learned magic and became the new Sorcerer Supreme. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Strange Tales (1951) #110 - Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange - Doctor Strange (1968) - variant cover for Doctor Strange (2018) #18 (the ouija board one) - Marvel...

Today we talk about Jack Ryder, who moonlights as The Creeper, who despite looking and sounding like a derivative of the Joker, is a good guy! Today's mentioned & relevant media: - The Creeper by Steve Ditko - Street Smarts - John Mulaney - The Brave and the Bold (1955) #80 - Detective Comics (1937) #447 (the one with the lions) - Detective Comics (1937) #418 - Secret Origins (1986) #18 - Ecli...

Today we talk about Peacemaker, a guy (well, several guys) who loves peace so much he's willing to fight and/or kill for it. We mostly discuss Christopher Smith, but there are a couple other guys who show up. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - HBO Peacemaker - Peacemaker (1987) - Peacemaker is never without weapons - Checkmate (1987) #15 (& Janus Directive reading order ) - Vigilante (1...

Today we talk about Ralph and Sue Dibny, an extremely married couple who solve mysteries together, and also Ralph Dibny is the Elongated Man, and nothing bad happens to them as long as you stop reading comics before 2004. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - The Flash (1959) #112 - Could One-Punch Man beat Superman? Whatever is funnier - The Flash (1959) #119 - Showcase Presents: Elongated Ma...

Today we talk about Klarion the Witch Boy, a terrible magic teen who, along with his cat familiar Teekl, is a nuisance to Etrigan the Demon, Young Justice, and pretty much everyone he comes across. He's pretty lonely, actually. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - The Demon (1972) - Young Justice: Sins of Youth (2000) - Young Justice (1998) #20 - Seven Soldiers (2005) - Countdown (2007) #33 -...

Today we talk about Etrigan the Demon, who is, unsurprisingly, a demon. He's just a chaotic guy who got intrinsically linked with a human man named Jason Blood who can now summon him with a fun spooky poem. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - The Demon (1972) - The Demon (1990) - "you cannot kill me in a way that matters" - Klarion the Witch Boy appearance - Blood of the Demon (2005) - Black...

Today we talk about Betty Brant, a woman who has been a love interest, a secretary, and a reporter, and her husband Ned Leeds who has been a reporter and Hobgoblin, and the absolute buckwild stuff that comics has done with them. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #4 - The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #18 - The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #238 - Spider-Man Versus Wol...

Today we talk about Silvija Sablinova, best known as Silver Sable, who is a mercenary who leads Wild Pack, sometimes helps Spider-Man, and once faked her death to hunt her enemies from the shadows. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #265 - Silver Sable & the Wild Pack (1992) - The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #279 - Web of Spider-Man (1985) #50 - The Amazi...

Today we talk about Mary Jane Watson, who has arguably been one of the most important characters in Spider-Man for several decades as Peter Parker's sometimes-girlfriend, sometimes-wife, sometimes-deal-with-the-deviled-ex-wife. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Mary Jane's first "appearance" in The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #25 - The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #42 - The Amazing Spider-Man (...

Today we talk about Flint Marko, or William Baker, but mostly Sandman, seeing as he's a man made of sand. Some times he fights Spider-Man, and sometimes he helps Spider-Man, and sometimes he just turns into a pile of sand on the beach. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #4 - Sandman 1981 cartoon - The Sandman is Coming - Fantastic Four (1961) #36 - Incredible H...

Today we talk about a man who has been called many things over the eons--Morpheus, Dream, The Sandman. He's an incredibly powerful entity but also kind of just a guy who looks kinda goth. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Golden Age Sandman - The Sandman by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon (1940's-1970's) - The Sandman (1989) - Sandman reading order - Tis the Season to be Freezin' (2021) - The Bat...

Today we talk about Lucas Carr, introduced and best known as Snapper, a cool teen who became an honorary member of the Justice League, betrayed them, got kidnapped into space, got superpowers, joined a superhero team, lost his powers, joined an evil organization.... Today's mentioned & relevant media: - The Brave and the Bold (1955) #28 - Justice League of America (1960) #77 - Justice League o...

Today we mostly talk about Dan Richards and Mark Shaw in this roundup of the rest of the Manhunters (NOT the robots, though some of them were recruited by the robots) who are not Kate Spencer, Paul Kirk, or a version of Paul Kirk. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - All-Star Squadron (1981) #31 - Millennium (1988) reading order - Manhunter (2004) #7 - 1st Issue Special (1975) #5 - Manhunter...

Today we talk about Paul Kirk, and also Paul Kirk, and Paul Kirk, and Paul Kirk.... there's a lot of this guy, and only partly because of all his clones, but he's been known through his many incarnations as Manhunter. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - All-Star Squadron (1981) #31 - Manhunter Detective Comics backups (1973) - Millennium (1988) reading order - The Human Target (2021) #2 - Sp...

Today we talk about Kate Spencer, one of many vigilantes to call themselves Manhunter. She's been a lawyer, a vigilante, a member of the Birds of Prey, and a lawyer for superheroes, all while raising her son. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Manhunter (2004) - Birds of Prey (1999) #100 - Batman: Streets of Gotham (2009) - Justice Society of America (2007) #47 - Green Arrow (2016) #33 - Th...

Today we talk about Quentin Quire, whose X-Men codename is Kid Omega, but everyone just calls him Quentin. He's an extremely powerful telepath, telekinetic, and disaster. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - New X-Men (2001) #134 - X-Men: Phoenix - Endsong (2005) - Nation X (2009) #2 - X-Men: Schism (2011) #1 - Wolverine and the X-Men (2011) - Wolverine and the X-Men (2014) - Generation X (20...

Today we talk about Joshua Foley, also known as Elixir, who went from hating mutants to discovering he was one, and from a natural healer to a guy who can kill and resurrect a man repeatedly in the name of revenge. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - New Mutants (2003) - New X-Men (2004) - X-Force (2008) - Uncanny X-Men (2016) #2 - Uncanny X-Men Annual (2016) #1 - House of X/Powers of X (201...

Today we talk about the Stepford Cuckoos, a group of psychically linked sisters, also known as The Five-In-One or The Three-In-One depending on if Sophie and Esme are alive or not! Today's mentioned & relevant media: - The Stepford Wives - The Midwich Cuckoos - New X-Men (2001) #118 - New X-Men (2004) - X-Men: Phoenix - Endsong (2005) - X-Men: Phoenix - Warsong (2006) - Nation X (2009) #4 - Ch...

Today we talk about the X-Men, which is a bit of a daunting task because you could have an entire podcast dedicated to talking about the X-Men because there's so much that happens, but! Here is an overview, if you will. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - X-Men/Uncanny X-Men (1963) - Giant-Size X-Men (1975) #1 - Dark Phoenix Saga (1980) event - Days of Future Past (1981) event - God Loves, M...

Today we talk about Floyd Lawton—best known as Deadshot—a Batman villain and Suicide Squad member who is extremely good at two things: 1) shooting guns, and 2) lying to his therapist. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Batman (1940) #59 - Detective Comics (1937) #474 - Detective Comics (1937) #518 - Crisis on Infinite Earths (1986) reading order - Legends (1986) - Suicide Squad (1987) - Ide...

Today we talk about Brainiac, a villain who was once just a guy who shrunk and stole cities, and through comics evolution became a sapient supercomputer who also sometimes shrinks and steals cities. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Holy Musical B@man "You ever hear of Mr. Mxyzptlk?" - Showcase Presents: Superman - Crisis on Infinite Earths (1986) reading order - Adventures of Superman (19...

Today we talk about Max Lord, a businessman who pulled together the Justice League International, got mind-control powers, died, came back, and was apparently evil all along? Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Justice League International (1987) - Invasion! reading order - Formerly Known as the Justice League (2003) - JLA Classified (2004): I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League - Coun...