Capes and Japes

Today we talk about Samuel Guthrie, the New Mutant known as Cannonball, who is nigh indestructible when he's blastin', and has been on many X-teams and the Avengers, died a couple of times, came back, and became a Wife Guy. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Marvel Graphic Novel (1982) #4 - New Mutants (1983) - X-Force (1991) - Uncanny X-Men (1963) #323 - X-Men (1991) #48 - New X-Men (2001)...

Today we talk about Warlock, a techno-organic alien who is technically a mutant because he doesn't want to kill his dad and he loves his friends. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - New Mutants (1983) #18 - New Mutants Special Edition (1985) #1 / X-Men Annual (1970) #9 - X-Factor (1986) #62 - Uncanny X-Men (1963) #313 - Excalibur (1988) #77 - Nova (2007) #11 - Annihilation: Conquest (2007) #...

Today we talk about Doug Ramsey, also known as Cypher, a character who went from doubting the usefulness of his powerset to being the literal voice of the sentient island that the vast majority of mutants live on. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - New Mutants (1983) #13 - Uncanny X-Men (1963) #313 - New Mutants (2009) #6 - X-Force (2008) #27 - All-New X-Factor (2014) - Hunt for Wolverine:...

Today we talk about Xi'an Coy Manh, sometimes written as Shan, and known in X-Men circles as Karma. She's telepathically controlled people (including Spider-Man), been telepathically controlled, joined, quit, and joined the New Mutants, and pretty recently she got to kiss a cute girl. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Marvel Team-Up (1972) #100 - The New Mutants Marvel Graphic Novel (1982)...

Today we talk about Rahne Sinclair, also known as Wolfsbane because her mutant powers make her have all the powers of a werewolf with none of the full moon conditions. She's full of Catholic Guilt and Queer Subtext but she's only one of those canonically (so far)!! Today's mentioned & relevant media: - The New Mutants Marvel Graphic Novel (1982) - New Mutants (1983) - X-Factor (1986) #72 - Exc...

Today we talk about Dani Moonstar, who is also known as Mirage in X-Men circles, who was in the New Mutants for a long time until she bonded with a flying horse and became a Valkyrie for a while. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - The New Mutants Marvel Graphic Novel (1982) - New Mutants (1983) - X-Force (1991) - New Mutants: Truth or Death (1997) - New Mutants (2003) - New X-Men (2004) - N...

Today we talk about Jade Nguyen, best known as Cheshire. She's a morally grey assassin who poisons people by scratching them and honestly we love her for it. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - The New Teen Titans (1980) Annual #2 - Showcase '95 #8 (Arsenal story starts on page 20) - The New Teen Titans (1984) - Action Comics (1938) #618 - Deathstroke (1991) #19 - Birds of Prey: The Ravens (...

Today we talk about Bonnie King and her daughter Cissie King-Jones, who have both been forced to take up archery by their mothers and held the moniker Arrowette, though Green Arrow made Bonnie give up superheroics. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - hairpin arrow - Impulse (1995) #28 - Young Justice (1998) - Young Justice Secret Files (1998) #1 - Teen Titans (2003) #7 - Wonder Girl (2007) -...

Today we talk about the second Speedy, Mia Dearden, who became Green Arrow's sidekick by being saved and then looking at Oliver Queen like "you're Green Arrow, let me be your sidekick" which is a very good way to become a teen sidekick. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Green Arrow (2011) - Teen Titans (2003) #21 - Green Arrow and Black Canary (2007) - Justice League: Cry for Justice (2009...

Today we talk about Connor Hawke, the second Green Arrow and Oliver Queen's son, who grew up with his mother and then at a monastery before being thrust into the superhero shenanigans of his dad. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Green Arrow (1994) #0 - Zero Hour reading order - Robin (1993) #25 - JLA (1996) - Green Langern (1990) #96 - Green Lantern (1990) #110 - Green Arrow (2001) - Batg...

Today we talk about Patrick O'Brian, who typically goes by Eel, best known as Plastic Man, and how he got his cool stretchy powers through the power of comedy (and also a vat of chemicals). Today's mentioned & relevant media: - The Plastic Man archives - Plastic Man (1988) - JLA (1997) - The Kingdom (1999) - Plastic Man (2004) - Blackest Night (2009) - Justice League (2011) #25 - Dark Days: Th...

Today we talk about Eric Cross Brooks who is absolutely best known by Blade, the Vampire Slayer, the Daywalker, and for a little bit... Ronin? Today's mentioned & relevant media: - Tomb of Dracula (1972) #10 - Doctor Strange (1974) #59 - Nightstalkers (1992) - Blade the Vampire Hunter (1994) #1 - Blade (1998) - Blade: Sins of the Father (1998) #1 - Blade 1998 movie trailer - Blade: Vampire Hun...

Today we talk about Michael Morbius, the Living Vampire, who (like many others) experimented on himself and (unlike many others) accidentally turned himself into a vampire. Today's mentioned & relevant media: - The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #101 - Marvel Team-Up (1972) #3 - Vampire Tales (1973) - Adventure into Fear (1970) #20 - Rise of the Midnight Suns (1992) - Peter Parker, the Spectacular...

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 (...