@kgb725: them having a bigger appeal needs to be proven because as of now Marvel have released movies for Spiderman, Blade, X men, Avengers & X men and much more. DC have exposed what Batman, Superman, Green Lantern. When DCCU is fleshed like Marvel you'll see that DC has an appeal like marvel just a different one, a more adult one.
@fuzzylittlerodent: I was focusing on America since Superman is an American, but you do make a good point, feeling like an outcast, an alien is another way to look at Superman.
@superadam: There is so much wrong in your post I wouldn't even know where to begin. I take it you don't read Marvel. Being bit by a radioactive spider, exposed to gamma rays, cosmic rays, being frozen and brought back to modern times or being a Norse God is considered ridiculous? But an alien from Krypton with super powers, a Amazon with superpowers, a man who gets an alien ring granting him to power of will to use his imagination, speed force etc aren't ridiculous to the modern audience? Please stop spouting nonsense. Pretty sure the millions of people lapping up every marvel film would disagree with you. Fail thread...
I just did a quick Google search and, yeah, you're right. I think I prefer Superman without any citizenship, though. He should be a symbol for the world, not just "the American way". It also re-enforces the feeling of him not really belonging anywhere.
@muyjingo: Really? You do realize the origin of Flash was a result of him inhaling chemical fumes right? Also what about Captain Atom? Beast Boy? Deathstroke?...Etc All of them ''pseudo-science''.
@muyjingo: Really? You do realize the origin of Flash was a result of him inhaling chemical fumes right? Also what about Captain Atom? Beast Boy? Deathstroke?...Etc All of them ''pseudo-science''.
Flash got his powers from tapping into the speed force, a force that exists in his universe, but not in ours. The chemicals were just a catalyst. The rest of the characters you mentioned while indeed having been based on pseudo science, are based on pseudo science that is still plausible, at least the concept is. Spidey, Hulk and the mutants? Not so much.
@muyjingo: There is nothing plausible about being bitten by a crazy mutant monkey(beast boy), there is nothing plausible about being blown up by a nuclear bomb and gaining powers from it (captain atom) . Also I'm talking about the original flash jay garrick who had no speed force.
@heatblaze123: Captain Atom got his powers from alien metal, the nuke was just the catalyst. Jay is outdated, that's why we have Barry and Wally. I don't know about Beast Boy, but even so there can be exceptions to the general rule.
@muyjingo: There is nothing plausible about being bitten by a crazy mutant monkey(beast boy), there is nothing plausible about being blown up by a nuclear bomb and gaining powers from it (captain atom) . Also I'm talking about the original flash jay garrick who had no speed force.
Beast Boy's origin in pre-52 was that he got sick, so his father used a machine that gave him animal DNA. I don't know if he has an origin in the new 52.
An obscure origin story from Earth-2 Atom is hardly on the level of Spider-Man's origin story that everyone knows.
Jay Garrick's origins have been retconned in the new 52 to be magic.
All your examples are like the most obscure examples imaginable.
I see what you are saying about the radiation. Many of the early Marvel heroes were, in fact, Cold War science fiction nightmares. Though I don't think it outdates them. They are all still easily believable when you stop and realize we are talking about superheroes. Its like saying the same thing about the Flash. We all know that if chemicals spill on you various things could happen though gaining super speed isn't one of them. Though I do kinda get where you are coming from.
Spider-man being bullied isn't outdated at all. There is still tons of bullying going on. Spidey is a good hero representing how to overcome the bullies.
Captain America is interesting because his modern tales are about him being displaced in time. Thor is ridiculous. Reading a DC could offend someone going in with that view if you are Christian and read the Spectre or Phantom Stranger. If you worship the Greek gods the same thing could be said with the Wonder Woman comics.
I do think some DC characters are timeless. However I do think a large part of the DC universe was outdated which I always thought was the charm of DC. That's why I fell in love with DC. I liked how you could have characters that felt old timey like the Justice Society and characters that no matter what happens will march with the times with the Justice League.
II. Alien and Magic are still "unprovable?" So, foreign science aka Alien Science is unproable but human science is... but... Magic... Magic is unprovable?
III. An Island of Amazons is "timeless" but a kid being bullied in school isn't? Kids still get bullied these days. Parker gets bullied for being awkward not for being smart.
IV. Really? "These concepts of a superhuman, god-like being have always existed and likely will always exist" and that's a good thing for Superman and Wonder Woman but not Thor? Really? (+)
@muyjingo: Not the original Captain Atom, too bad Jay still applies. Also Clayface (matt hagen) protoplasm exposure. Plastic Man, Static shock, firestorm, and dr manhattan.
Log in to comment