Capes and Japes

Today we talk about Black Manta, whose quest to kill Aquaman is his main character trait, and in trying to determine why that is, he has gotten some truly weird backstories, until they came upon a very normal one. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Aquaman (1962) #35 - Aquaman (1991) #6 - Aquaman (2002) #8 - Black Manta (2021) #1 - Superboy (1993) #20 - Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis (2006) #52...

Today we talk about Nathaniel Richards, probably best known as Kang the Conqueror, Iron Lad, or Immortus, though through time travel (his whole Thing) and alternate universe versions, he's been a lot of different guys. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Avengers (1963) #8 - Fantastic Four (1961) #19 - Avengers Annual (1967) #2 - Avengers (1963) #10 - Giant-Size Avengers (1974) #3 - Young Av...

Today we talk about The Eternals, who are a group of people who were experimented on by Celestials and now they have powers. Some of them are on Uranus, some on Titan, and some on Earth. The ones on Earth do some superhero team stuff sometimes! Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Eternals (1976) - Thor Annual (1966) #7 - The Eternals (1985) - The New Eternals: Apocalypse Now (2000) - The Ete...

Today we talk about the various Heralds of Galactus, because he's had so many more than just the Silver Surfer! Some of them get fired, some of them die, some of them quit, and some of them turn into androids. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Fantastic Four (1961) #120 - Thor (1966) #305 - Thor (1966) #225 - Silver Surfer (1987) #81 - Thanos (2003) #11 - Fantastic Four (1961) #211 - Fanta...

Today we talk about Norrid Radd, best known as the Silver Surfer, a sad space man from a flawed utopian planet who became the herald of Galactus to save his planet, betrayed him with the Fantastic Four, and still kicks it around the universe. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Fantastic Four (1961) #48 - Silver Surfer (1968) - Sub-Mariner (1968) #34 - Silver Surfer (1987) - Skaar: Son of Hu...

Today we talk about Mephisto, who is basically the devil except the devil also exists in Marvel canon. He tempts people with their greatest desire and then either makes a deal with a Dire Price or gives you unforeseen negative consequences! Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - Faust - Silver Surfer (1968) #3 - Ghost Rider (1973) #68 - Fantastic Four (1961) #277 - West Coast Avengers...

Today we talk about Shang-Chi, a character who was originally conceived as the son of racist caricature villain Fu Manchu (which has since been ret-conned). He is very good at martial arts and fighting his evil half-siblings! Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - An interesting post about Shang-Chi, Fu Manchu, and what marvel could do about it - Special Marvel Edition (1971) #15 - Mas...

Today we talk about several people who have gone by Atom. One of them is short but doesn't get small, one of them was on the Suicide Squad, one of them can split into a bunch of little guys, and one of them was secretly a triple agent. Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - All-Star Comics archives - The Last Days of the Justice Society of America (1986) - Justice Society of America (1...

Today we talk about Ryan Choi, another prominent Atom who got tricked by a future version of an ex-girlfriend into becoming the Atom, realized he was good at it, and continued to fight crime and get very small once the plot was revealed. Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - Identity Crisis (2004) , tie-ins &reading order - DCU: Brave New World (2006) #1 - The All-New Atom (20...

Today we talk about Ray Palmer, the second Atom but the first one who could get very small. He is a scientist, a superhero, and a man who can apparently call you on the phone then travel through the phone lines! Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - The Atom archive editions - All Star Comics archive editions - Sword of the Atom (1983) - Power of the Atom (1988) - Zero Hour: Crisis in...

Today we talk about Shiera Hall, Shayera Hol, and Kendra Saunders, three women who have either been Hawkgirl or Hawkwoman, and all share the same soul... kinda.... Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - Justice League (2001 cartoon) - All-Star Comics (1941) #5 - Silver Age Hawkman archive collection - Justice League of America (1960) #146 - Hawkworld (1989) - Hawkworld (1989b) - JSA: S...

Today we talk about Carter Hall and Katar Hol, both of them are Hawkman, and sometimes they're the same person. The Hawkman backstory is full of things such as: reincarnation, aliens, a hawk god, and questionable story choices by the DC creative team. Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - Excerpt from Flash Comics (1940) #1 - All-Star Comics (1941) - Silver Age Hawkman archive collect...

Today we talk about Jamie Madrox, a guy who can create and absorb duplicates of himself, has a pathological need for attention, and is a certified Nasty Boy (the henchman group, to be clear.) Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - Giant-Size Fantastic Four (1974) #4 - X-Factor (2005) - Fallen Angels (1987) - X-Factor (1986) #71 - Madrox (2004) - Multiple Man (2018) - X-Corp (2021) - Ne...

Today we talk about Jean-Paul Beaubier, a Canadian mutant with pointy ears who can go really fast, fly, and make bright lights. He's also gay and has a very buckwild coming out issue from 1992. Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - Uncanny X-Men (1963) #120 - Alpha Flight (1983) - Alpha Flight (1983) #106 - Northstar (1994) ( blog post with excerpts ) - Uncanny X-Men (1963) #414 - Unc...

Today we talk about Julio Esteban Richter, also known as Rictor, who is a mutant with earthquake powers who's been on X-Factor, X-Force, New Mutants, and Excalibur. Today, also, Briar makes a LOT of Richter scale jokes, fully forgetting until after recording the actual spelling, RIP. Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - X-Factor (1986) #17 - X-Terminators (1988) - New Mutants (1983)...

Today we talk about Shatterstar, also infrequently known as Gaveedra-Seven and Benjamin Russell (that one time that he mind-melded with a man in a coma), an alien mutant who is a gladiator, a fashion disaster, and his own dad. Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - New Mutants (1983) #99 - X-Factor (2005) - X-Factor (2005) #45 - Rictor saying he and Shatterstar broke up - Shatterstar (...

Today we talk about David Alleyne, a mutant called Prodigy who can telepathically gain knowledge and skills from other people. He joined the New Mutants, lost his powers, became disillusioned with the X-Men, joined the Young Avengers, and went to interdimensional college. Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - New Mutants (2003) #4 - New X-Men (2004) - X-Men: Legacy Annual (2009) #1 -...

Today we talk about Daken, Wolverine's evil bisexual son. He was adopted, named Akihiro, meanly called Daken, became evil, tried to kill Wolverine, became Wolverine, and now he's just kind of around? Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - Wolverine Origins (2006) #10 - Dark Avengers (2009) - The photo Briar sent to Olivia mid-episode - Dark Reign: The List - Punisher (2009) #1 - Dark W...

Today we kick off Pride month with Midnighter and Apollo, the night/day-opposites-attract superhero couple who adopted the literal spirit of the 21st century as their daughter, got divorced, got back together, and kinda did it all over again after being rebooted! Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - StormWatch (1993) vol 2 - The Authority omnibus - Midnighter: I know all your moves;...

Today we talk about Bane, a man who grew up in a prison, studied hard, was experimented on, and then decided when he got out of prison that he was going to go to Gotham and destroy Batman. Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - Batman: Knightfall (1993) - Batman: Legacy vol 2 - Batman: No Man's Land (1999) - Batman: Gotham Knights (2000) #33 - JSA: Classified (2005) #17 - Secret Six (2...

Today we talk about Talia al Ghul, an assassin who really epitomizes gatekeep, gaslight, girlboss. She's run the League of Assassins, raised a deadly child, ran LexCorp into the ground (on purpose), and killed and/or tried to kill just so so many people. Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - Detective Comics (1937) #411 - Batman (1940) #232 - Batman: Son of the Demon (1987) - Batman:...

Today we talk about Ra's al Ghul, a man who has decided to use his immortality for crime, a very brief stint of trying to save the environment, fighting Batman, and also trying to get Batman to marry his daughter. Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - Batman (1940) #232 - Batman: Birth of the Demon (1992) - Batman: Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul (2007) - Batman: Death and the Maidens (2...

Today we talk about Illyana Rasputina, Colossus's often-kidnapped younger sister who also is a member of the New Mutants by the name of Magik, can teleport, do magic, and also aged up a decade after forging a cool sword and becoming the ruler of Limbo. Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - Giant-Size X-Men (1975) #1 - Uncanny X-Men (1963) #145 - Uncanny X-Men (1963) #160 - Magik (1983...

Today we talk about Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin, an X-men best known as Colossus, who is a big strong guy who can turn into metal which makes him bigger and stronger. We also like him best when he's just a big nice guy trying his best. Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - Giant Size X-Men (1975) #1 - Uncanny X-Men (1963) #115 - Uncanny X-Men (1963) #284 - Uncanny X-Men (1963) #303 -...

Today we talk about Hank McCoy, a founding member of the X-Men known as Beast. He's gone from a pretty normal guy who was really smart and agile to a blue furry man who sometimes goes back in time to bring his teenage self and teammates to the future. Media specifically mentioned in today's episode: - X-Men (1963) - Amazing Adventures (1970) #11 - Avengers (1963) #137 - Defenders (1972) #104 - X-F...