Top 10 Best Dressed Comic Book Characters

I have often wondered how exactly a super hero character gets their outfit.  They often come out of nowhere just....dressed.  No nod to the tailor.  No credit given to the designer.  Nothing.  Oh, sure, you have your heroes like Iron Man who creates his own look and Spider-Man who designed his outfit initially and then had a symbiote design it for him.  But who designed Black Canary’s outfit or was it just that she only had fishnet stocking lying around along with a gymnastics outfit and she went with it?

There are some characters, though, that went to a designer.  They got decked out and really put things together to come up with a stylish look.  For men it’s a design that makes them look almost dapper and for women it’s one that doesn’t rely strictly on tight outfits and cleavage.

Here’s The Comic Whisperer’s Top 10 Best Dressed Comic Book Characters.  They are listed in no particular order.  They all look snappy.

10.)  Emma Frost:  Don’t get me wrong, I have seen some downright “Playboy-esque” drawings of Emma Frost, but I have also her drawn tastefully.  The all white look gives a VERY deceiving pure look, but I think it’s the cape that really pulls it together.  The suit allows her to run and be somewhat flexible, yet it’s airy and light for those times when it’s just too hot to fight bad guys.

9.)  Sebastian Shaw:  Another vaunted member of the Hellfire Club?  Yep, the Black King himself.  Sebastian always looks dapper, as do the other members of the Hellfire Club, with an outfit that commands respect.  As it turns out the white dangly thingy that hangs from his neck is also a great napkin for when Taco Bell forgets to put one in the bag.

8.)  The Phantom Stranger:  I’m not sure who dressed the Phantom Stranger but they did a bang-up job.  Where does one get an outfit in, well, wherever the Phantom Stranger goes?  The thing that sets him apart is that he is one of the few who wears such a stylish hat that matches the cape and outfit.  He also has the confidence to wear the white gloves and dookie rope necklace.  I think this leads to the age old question, “Does the Phantom Stranger suffer from hat head?”

7.)  The Joker:  Say what you will about his insanity and his need to kill any Robin that Batman can come up with, the guy can dress.  Check out the purple and green and red and how they tie together.  Stepping it up with a bowtie the Joker knows how to impress the ladies...or at least Harley Quinn.  My question was always, “Is he white all over?”.  Maybe he’s even hiding a tattoo.  If you really want to make a fortune you should look into being his cosmetics and hair dye salesperson.

6.)  Wonder Woman:  Say what you will about her outfit being revealing or tight but my focus is on the color combination and overall design.  The eagle, the blue with white stars, the yellow lasso, the red top, it’s all perfectly matched.  The boots are just high enough to guard against prickers and resist burrs, and yet they don’t cover the knees reducing flexibility.  She wears a beautiful tiara that pulls the outfit together and keeps her hair at a modest, yet playful, length.  When all the superheroes go to the pool after a hot day crimefighting all Diana needs to do is shed a couple of things and she’s ready for a swim!

5.)  Nick Fury:  Sporting all black, Nick Fury brings style to SHIELD.  Not only does he wear it well, but the black body-length leather jacket really give it that badass feel.  Not only does it give the look of a “cape” like a real superhero, but he could wear almost any accessory because anything goes with black.  The eyepatch adds a nice touch almost like a tiara that was too large and fell down his face crooked.  If he went to a formal affair I would suggest switching to a red eyepatch and adding a red cummerbund.

4.)  Zatanna:  Again, although I had seen many very revealing pictures of Zatanna, she is an extremely well dressed hero.  The fact that she is a stage performer probably accounts for the whole “tuxedo-esque” look.  Sporting the Black Canary fishnet stockings I would imagine this leaves her very flexible should a well placed kick be needed.  Also, if she should ever need to go to a formal occasion after banishing some demon to a nether realm all she needs to do is slip on black pants and she’s good to go.  My guess is that she doesn’t need a tailor, she just says the words, “ecin kool em ekaM”.  Wish I could do that.

3.)  Professor X:  9 times out of 10 Professor X is dressed very smart with a full suit and tie and sometimes even a vest that matches.  Even when he’s not wearing a suit he is still business casual.  I’m not sure how he does it every day.  Does someone dress him or does he do the old “Mental Dressing” trick when no one is looking.  One thing I can tell you is that men cannot pick their own ties so I’m thinking Moira did it for him.

2.)  Iron Man:  With armor for just about every occasion Iron Man is styling all the time.  This is a twofer as Tony Stark is also smiling and styling in every panel.  I’ve wondered how he cleans the inside of his armor after a sweaty battle or what happens if he vomits in his helmet after a high speed plunge.  Is there an “Armor Dry Cleaner” at Stark Industries?  I also have to ask how long his money will last.  Sure he’s rich, but 30 suits of armor, Jarvis constantly running, the huge tower,  Pepper’s constant shopping and his own bar bill has to put a dent in those billions.  I’ll never know.  I wonder if he has a missing son who looks like me?

1.)  Doctor Doom:  Could there be any doubt he’d make the list?  The Monarch of Latveria really knows how to dress.  I can’t help but think that Latveria has one heck of a tailor shop unless he just has the Doombots make stuff for him.  The silver of his armor and the maple leaf green cape with hood really go well together.  He really pulls off the large brown leather belt (which is strictly to hold his gun holster because it sure doesn’t hold his iron knickers up) with the enormous buckle.  It gives him a swashbuckler feel (no play on words intended) By the time you throw in the gold of the cape clip you have a Tryant dressed to the nines.  Who else wears a hood quite so majestically?   The only question I have is does he have a little trapdoor in the back for when he has to go potty?

Well, that ends the list.  Sure there are characters that probably could have made the list that didn’t.  It’s no surprise, however, that despite all of Hank Pym’s different outfits he still didn’t make the list.  He needs Janet to do his shopping for him.  However, seeing her outfits, she may need a persona shopper of her own.  Perhaps we will address the worst dressed characters in the future, I think that would be fun.

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The 10 Villains I Want To See Done PROPERLY In The Movies

I’m sure there are a couple of you like me out there.  You know, the type of person who wants to see the villain win once in awhile.  The kind of person who appreciates the super heroes, and wants the good guys to win in real life, but in the movies would like to see them get slapped around a little.  The kind of person who would like to see Thanos or Dr. Doom or Lex Luthor as the last one standing.

But, I want to see them done properly.

I don’t want something sloppily done like villains in the Ghost Rider movie (or even Ghost Rider for that matter).  That was a mockery.  I’m talking super special effects, holy cow that guy looks real, I’m not going to sleep very well tonight, type of villain.  A villain that is a strong representation of the comic book character.

Let me say, however, that there will be some characters that have been done in movies who I do not mention.  Characters like the Joker (who has been changed and rehashed ad-nauseum) who I feel was incredibly done by Heath Ledger.  So, I may not mention some obvious, and devious, villains.

I make no attempt to even out DC and Marvel villains (and the one other choice mentioned) nor are they mentioned in order of preference or importance.  It is just a list of villains and I love them all.

Without further delay, here’s the list:

1.)  Dr. Doom:  I know, I know, you’re going to say that he was in the most recent Fantastic Four movie.  But, again, I said that I want a “strong” representation of the comic book character.  It kills me that with all the special effects we have, and the multitude of years he’s been represented in comic books, that he is STILL not done well in movies.  Is this really him?  Ummmm, no.  He wears a metal outfit, people, not some Freddy Krueger type of get-up. 

2.)  Galactus:  Come on, tell me that you wouldn’t want to see a full size Galactus in the movies devouring a planet.  Oh yes you would.  How awesome would that be to see that on a huge screen with surround sound.  I get goose bumps just thinking about it.

3.)  Darkseid:  I don’t think anyone would argue that Darkseid is just a different version of Thanos (which I’ll discuss shortly).  Properly done those omega rays would be incredible as they exploded on Superman’s chest (or went through it, depending on the writers).  I have seen some incredible cosplay of Darkseid over the years and in the movies he could be just plain fantastic.

4.)  Thanos:  Let’s get it out of the way now, you can easily argue that he has been seen briefly in movies and that he looks good.  I would then give you a hearty slap.  The Thanos we have seen, every so briefly, in the movies looks like a muppet.  Granted, this may not be the Thanos that we see in upcoming films, I’ll give you that.  I would add that THAT BETTER NOT BE THE THANOS WE SEE IN UPCOMING FILMS!  With all the CGI potential out there there is no reason to make him look like a muppet.  Anyway, he has destroyed the universe, commanded the infinity gems, asked Death to be his girlfriend, and defeated anyone who came near him.  What hasn’t he done?

5.)  Deathstroke the Terminator:  If you watch the show “Arrow” that has been running for a couple of years now, you have seen their version of Deathstroke.  It’s terrible.  Why doesn’t the comic book industry have a lobbying group that protests misrepresentations like this?  Deathstroke is and incredible villain, that could be played by someone in a costume, that has yet to be in a movie.  I haven’t checked upcoming films to see if he’s in any of them, but I doubt he is.  His obvious counterpart, Deadpool, is in a movie (played by the former Green Lantern, Ryan Reynolds, which I hold a particular loathing for).  You’ve had to put it together, right?  Slade Wilson and Wade Wilson?    The same person with a different look and, well, facial scarring.  Anyway, put Deathstoke in a movie and we’ll call it even.  And DON’T let them pull the crap they did in “Arrow”.

6.)  Brainiac:  How is it that they made so many Superman movies and never had Brainiac in any of them?  But let me clarify, I’m talking the huge skull-like spaceship Brainiac, not the human with a couple of electrodes on his head and green skin Brainiac.  Again, this would be a CGI thing, not some model strung up with fishing line, and it has potential.  Let’s bring him on!

7.)  Venom:  Please, tell me you haven’t thought of this one yourself during all of those Spider-Man makes and remakes.  You could even start where Spider-Man got the symbiotic outfit and then, as the movie builds, have it evolve into Venom.  Get rid of this “Electro” nonsense and the Green Goblin.  Let’s face it, Norman Osborn has become a bigger villain than the Green Goblin at this point and it’s gotten old and tired.  So, let’s make a change for the better and go with MY choice...Venom!

8.)  The Anti-Monitor:  Oh, yeah, the big guy.  The one who killed Supergirl and gave the entire DC Universe a run for it’s money.  Any comic fan worth his salt has read Crisis on Infinite Earths and can tell the story.  Bring on the Anti-Monitor!  ‘Nuff Said.

9.)  Grendel:  Books could be written about the arguments you could make with this character.  First, Grendel is not DC or Marvel.  In fact, you may not even know Grendel.  If you don’t, get some of the books you won’t regret it.  Second, for those of you who do know Grendel, which version should be used?  The male?  The female?  The young?  The old?  The Villain who fought Batman and The Shadow?  The “hero” who tried to escort a child safely across dangerous lands?  Who cares....just put Grendel in a movie and make him/her/it look awesome!  Grendel is, perhaps, my favorite comic character of all time.  I have the books, statues, etc.  A big thanks to Matt Wagner who made Grendel possible.

10.)  Reverse Flash/Professor Zoom:  No matter what you call him the Reverse Flash has caused a multitude of problems for the Flash over the years.  Killing people, screwing up the time stream, etc., etc.  He is a character that has been, unsurprisingly, absent from any DC movies.  This, of course, is for the obvious reason that the Flash has been absent as well.  Frankly, if the movie would be anything like the TV show, don’t bother.  I would prefer to see it done right.  Professor Zoom, or whatever you call yourself, you have my vote!

I’m sure you have your own list and I would welcome you to share it.  You may even disagree with my votes and I would welcome you to share it.  You may even think I’m dead wrong about some characters who have been represented in movies and I would welcome you to share it.  No matter what your vote I think you’ll agree that there needs to be more villains and less rehashing of the same old thing.

Answers to The World’s Hardest Comic Book Quiz

OK, dig out your answers and compare them to what I have below.  I have added an explanation to each answer to give a little history.  I promise, you will stump your friends with at least one of these questions.  If you get 100% on this quiz you’re writing this blog from now on.

1.)  In Loki’s first appearance in Journey into Mystery #85 he couldn’t use his powers when:

     a.)  He didn’t have his helmet on
     b.)  He didn’t have his scepter
     c.)  When he was soaking wet
     d.)  During the night

As odd as it may seem, In his first Modern Age appearance (Journey Into Mystery #85) Loki couldn’t use magic when soaking wet.  That is no longer an issue apparently.

2.)  Wonder Woman’s bracelets were made of Amazonium, but in the 70’s TV Series they were named something different.   What was it?

     a.)  Vibranium
     b.)  Feminum
     c.)  Adamantium
     d.)  Indestructinum

“Amazonium”, the metal from which Wonder Woman’s bracelets are made, was renamed “Feminum” in the 70’s tv series.  I couldn’t locate a reason for this change.

3.)  In the Marvel Universe, Loki’s real father is ________, but in Norse Mythology that is actually Loki’s _________ name.

     a.)  Odin, brother’s
     b.)  Laufey, mother’s
     c.)  Zeus, son’s
     d.)  Odin, father’s

In the Marvel Universe Laufey is Loki’s father.  In Norse mythology Laufey is actually Loki’s mother’s name, while his father’s name is Farbauti.

4.)  Captain America set aside his original shield for his current discus shaped shield.  Who gave him the discus shaped shield?

     a.)  Tony Stark
     b.)  Tony Stark’s Dad
     c.)  Nick Fury
     d.)  Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Yes, given to him by the president and it was lighter than Caps old shield, bulletproof, and disc shaped so it’s easy to “hurl”.  The President goes on to say, “I’m told that the metal in the shield has some incredible properties.  If only the metallurgical accident which produced it could be duplicated..."

5.)  Batman once peed himself and admitted it (yes, it’s true).  He said that there was a large explosion with a sudden impact and he:

     a.)  had a bladder spasm
     b.)  peed himself
     c.)  secreted hydrogen dioxide
     d.)  found he had excessive moisture in his pants

Batman says, “And when I felt the size of the explosion and the sudden blast of searing heat...well...I had a...bladder spasm.”  To which another person says to him, “No!  You’re saying you wet your pants?”  Look for yourself in Batman: Year One.

6.)  Who was the first flying hero?

     a.)  Superman
     b.)  Namor the Sub-Mariner
     c.)  Captain Marvel
     d.)  Wonder Woman

Since Superman started flying only after the animated series (1943) and apparently Captain Marvel started in the fifth issue of Whiz Comics (1940), the first hero to fly was actually Namor, who was described in his first appearance on Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 (1939) as “An ultra-man [who] flies in the air”.

7.)  Cyclops, from the X-Men, can light a fire with the beams that come from his eyes.

     a.)  True
     b.)  False

Cyclops’ optic blasts are not lasers -they only have concussive force- and they don’t generate any heat.
Sometimes writers don’t know about that, forget, or joke about it.  There are several panels in comics that show Cyclops lighting birthday candles or starting a fire.  In another panel, Corsair, Cyclops’ father, asks him to start a fire and Cyclops replies, “My eyes don’t give off that heat, Dad.”  Whatever “that heat” means.  Oddly enough, his laser blasts come from another dimension to which his eyes are a portal.  He is also immune to his own power which is why he doesn’t lose his eyelids.

Source (and Uncanny X-Men #391/#502)

8.)  In The Amazing Spider-Man #3, Doc Ock calls Spider-Man another name, what does he call him?

     a.)  Super-Spider
     b.)  Super-Man
     c.)  Spider-Web
     d.)  The Spider

The conversation went like this:

Spider-man (thought bubble):  My web! He snapped it!  Nobody has ever done that before!
Dock Ock:  And now, Super-Man, I grow bored with this game!  My time is too valuable!

Did you ever notice how everything they say, or think, is exclamatory?  They’re very excitable.

9.)  In the 2007 crossover “New Avengers Transformers” Iron Man comes up with an interesting way to fight the Transformers.  What does he do?

     a.)  He sprays them with a “Rusting Agent” which rusts them instantly
     b.)  He uses huge magnets to hold them until he can dismantle them
     c.)  He finds their inventor and asks him how to stop them
     d.)  He puts on his “Anti-Transformers” armor

There is nothing more to this than Tony’s ingenuity.  Yes, he created “Anti-Transformers” armor.

10.)  It’s a fact that “Kryptonite” was introduced on the Superman radio show, not in comic books.  In comic books it was first called “K-Metal” in an unpublished story in 1940, introduced by co-creator Jerry Siegel.  Why was kryptonite introduced into the radio show initially?

     a.)  Because Superman was too strong and he needed something to weaken him
     b.)  It was suggested by the creators of Superman as an alternate to “K-Metal”
     c.)  It was a slip of the tongue by the voice personality and they kept it in
     d.)  It was a plot device that allowed other characters to take the lead so the voice personality
           could take a vacation

Contrary to popular belief “Kryptonite” made its debut in the Superman radio drama, not in the comic books.  It was added as a plot device to allow Bud Collyer, Superman’s voice on radio, to be able to take some time off while other characters took over as the main characters for awhile.  The idea, however, did come from the unpublished comic by Jerry Siegel in 1940 called “The K-Metal from Krypton”.

11.)  Jamie Madrox, also known as Multiple Man, creates duplicates of himself that can live their own lives.  It’s interesting to note:

     a.)  that Jamie didn’t originally have this power until he died and was brought back to life
     b.)  that he got the power after falling into a vat of radioactive liquid that was being churned
     c.)  that one duplicate body started a family and became a Preacher
     d.)  that Jamie was asked to become part of the X-Men but turned it down

Bizarre but true, that is until Jamie reabsorbed said Preacher and his family was left to fend for themselves.

12.)  While the current Green Lantern Corp is weak against the color yellow, the first Green Lantern, Alan Scott, was weak against:

     a.)  the color yellow also
     b.)  other Green Lanterns so they couldn’t fight
     c.)  against himself, so he couldn’t use his powers to fly
     d.)  wood

While the modern age Green Lanterns can’t use their powers against yellow stuff, Alan Scott could not use his powers on wood.  Wikipedia states that "power ultimately corrupted the early Green Lantern, the one that predated Alan Scott, as he attempted to rule over mankind, which forced the Guardians to cause his ring to manifest a weakness to wood, the material from which most Earth weapons of the time were fashioned. This allowed the Chinese peasants to ultimately defeat their corrupted "champion". His ring and lantern were burned and it was during this process that the “intelligence” inhabiting the ring and the lantern, and linking them to the Guardians, was damaged. Over time, when it had occasion to manifest itself, this "intelligence" became known as the mystical 'Starheart' of fable."

13.)  What was Jack Kirby’s real name?

     a.)  Jacob Kurtzberg
     b.)  Jack Kirby
     c.)  Jacob Krigstein
     d.)  Jake Kurgsburg

He changed his name soon after he was married.

14.)  Arkham Asylum, the famous institution from the Batman comics, is names after:

     a.)  Arkham Sanitarium in Arkham, MA
     b.)  The actual Arkham Asylum that used to be in New York City
     c.)  It’s not named after anything, it was created by the writers of Batman
     d.)  It was named after Noah’s Ark because it held so many different “animals”

Arkham Asylum is a reference to Arkham Sanitarium in Arkham, MA.  Don’t see an Arkham in MA?  You won’t.  It’s fictional.  It’s taken from H.P. Lovecraft’s story “The Thing on the Doorstep”.

15.)  Which of these statements is false:

     a.)  Before Action Comics #1, Siegel and Schuster published a short story called “Reign of the
           Super-Man" where the Superman was a telepath trying to take over the world.
     b.)  In Age of Apocalypse, Magneto and Rogue are romantically involved.  In this reality, Rogue
           absorbs Polaris’ magnetic powers so that touching Magneto won’t put him into a coma
     c.)  Because of the time they spent together the Venom symbiote no longer triggers Spider-Man’s
           spider-sense.
     d.)  Nightcrawler is Mystique’s son, but she was the father thanks to her shapeshifting 
           capabilities.  Destiny is his mother.

a.)  It’s true!  Still wondering where the Superman idea came from?  Sadly, this evil Superman thing has 
      no relation to the Superdickery covers.  Look it up.
b.)  No strange explanation here.  It’s just how the story went.  This is certainly better than when they
       first got together and Rogue’s touch caused rather unfortunate reactions in Magneto.
c.)  Although it does trigger the spidey sense of spider-man’s clones created before Peter got the 
      symbiote.
d.)  Believe it or not, this storyline was considered. The idea was dropped due to the Comics Code 
      Authority’s limitations about gay or bisexual characters.

16.)  Which doctor did Squirrel Girl beat-up with the help of her Squirrels?

     a.)  Dr. Doom
     b.)  Dr. Strange
     c.)  Dr. Octopus
     d.)  Dr. Light

Squirrel Girl is a mutant with squirrel-like looks whose ability is to communicate with squirrels and also behave like one.  In Marvel Super-Heroes Volume 2 #8, where she made her first appearance, she managed to defeat Dr. Doom with the help of her squirrels (all the other Doombots laughed at him I would guess).  In the process she saved Iron-Man, who she was trying to impress.  That must have done the trick!

17.)  In his first stories, Bruce Banner didn’t turn into the Hulk when enraged.  It was actually triggered by:

     a.)  Being physically threatened
     b.)  Being struck
     c.)  When he concentrated on becoming the Hulk
     d.)  Sundown

Oddly true.  Prior to being enraged caused the transformation the change was triggered by the sun setting.

18.)  Natalia Romanov a.k.a Natasha Romanov, Black Widow, has kept her young looks due to a variation of the Super Soldier Serum.  How old is she actually?

     a.)  30
     b.)  50
     c.)  70
     d.)  90

This one speaks for itself.  ‘Nuff Said.

19.)  Batman is known for having a huge penny in his bat cave.  How did he get it?

     a.)  It was given to him by Two-Face
     b.)  He got it from “The Penny Plunderer” a villain he fought in the 40’s
     c.)  He had it made for him to remind him that there are two sides to every story
     d.)  It was a novelty made for Wayne Enterprises that was discarded during remodeling

Long thought to be a gift from Two-Face, it was actually owned by The Penny Plunderer, apparently a “penny-themed” villain.  I can’t even imagine who came up with this idea or what the villain looked like.

20.)  The original Hulk was gray, but later changed to green due to printing problems.  Why was the original color gray?

     a.)  The original drawings were black and white and the original gray coloring just stuck
     b.)  They wanted him to resemble the color of stone to symbolize strength
     c.)  They wanted a neutral color so as not to suggest a particular ethnic group
     d.)  He was supposed to be green all along, but at the time of the printing deadline they didn’t
           have enough green ink to satisfy the volume of comics to be produced.

It was Stan Lee who suggested that the original color be gray.  It was only changed after a printing problem caused him to go green.  I can’t see any ethnic group being offended by green, unless the “Kermits” have an issue with it.

So ends the World’s Hardest Comic Book Quiz.  How did you do?  Get a 100%?  Liar!  Admit your plans of a perfect score were foiled by me!!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and I expect you to name and drinks you win after me.

I would like to pay tribute to the website from which I pulled all of this information, Comicfacts.com.  So, no, I didn’t scour the web, I scoured this site.  Wikipedia filled in on the whole “Alan Scott” and “Wood” thing.

I would highly recommend you go there and see all of the other things you probably didn’t know about comic books.

The World’s Hardest Comic Book Quiz

OK, maybe not the WORLD’s hardest comic book quiz.  I’m sure there’s one that’s more difficult lying around somewhere.  But until you find that one, this one will have to do.

I have been searching the internet for odd comic book facts to put together one of the hardest comic book quizzes possible.  One that, I admit, I’m not sure I could pass.

The idea is to give you some interesting facts to use to baffle your comic reading colleagues.  But I want to baffle YOU first.

Take the quiz and be honest, tell me how you did:

1.)  In Loki’s first appearance in Journey into Mystery #85 he couldn’t use his powers when:

     a.)  He didn’t have his helmet on
     b.)  He didn’t have his scepter
     c.)  When he was soaking wet
     d.)  During the night

2.)  Wonder Woman’s bracelets were made of Amazonium, but in the 70’s TV Series they were named something different.   What was it?

     a.)  Vibranium
     b.)  Feminum
     c.)  Adamantium
     d.)  Indestructinum

3.)  In the Marvel Universe, Loki’s real father is ________, but in Norse Mythology that is actually Loki’s _________ name.

     a.)  Odin, brother’s
     b.)  Laufey, mother’s
     c.)  Zeus, son’s
     d.)  Odin, father’s

4.)  Captain America set aside his original shield for his current discus shaped shield.  Who gave him the discus shaped shield?

     a.)  Tony Stark
     b.)  Tony Stark’s Dad
     c.)  Nick Fury
     d.)  Franklin Delano Roosevelt

5.)  Batman once peed himself and admitted it (yes, it’s true).  He said that there was a large explosion with a sudden impact and he:

     a.)  had a bladder spasm
     b.)  peed himself
     c.)  secreted hydrogen dioxide
     d.)  found he had excessive moisture in his pants

6.)  Who was the first flying hero?

     a.)  Superman
     b.)  Namor the Sub-Mariner
     c.)  Captain Marvel
     d.)  Wonder Woman

7.)  Cyclops, from the X-Men, can light a fire with the beams that come from his eyes.

     a.)  True
     b.)  False

8.)  In The Amazing Spider-Man #3, Doc Ock calls Spider-Man another name, what does he call him?

     a.)  Super Spider
     b.)  Super Man
     c.)  Spider Web
     d.)  The Spider

9.)  In the 2007 crossover “New Avengers Transformers” Iron Man comes up with an interesting way to fight the Transformers.  What does he do?

     a.)  He sprays them with a “Rusting Agent” which rusts them instantly
     b.)  He uses huge magnets to hold them until he can dismantle them
     c.)  He finds their inventor and asks him how to stop them
     d.)  He puts on his “Anti-Transformers” armor

10.)  It’s a fact that “Kryptonite” was introduced on the Superman radio show, not in comic books.  In comic books it was first called “K-Metal” in an unpublished story in 1940, introduced by co-creator Jerry Siegel.  Why was kryptonite introduced into the radio show initially?

     a.)  Because Superman was too strong and he needed something to weaken him
     b.)  It was suggested by the creators of Superman as an alternate to “K-Metal”
     c.)  It was a slip of the tongue by the voice personality and they kept it in
     d.)  It was a plot device that allowed other characters to take the lead so the voice
           personality could take a vacation

11.)  Jamie Madrox, also known as Multiple Man, creates duplicates of himself that can live their own lives.  It’s interesting to note:

     a.)  that Jamie didn’t originally have this power until he died and was brought back
           to life
     b.)  that he got the power after falling into a vat of radioactive liquid that was being
           churned
     c.)  that one duplicate body started a family and became a preacher
     d.)  that Jamie was asked to become part of the X-Men but turned it down

12.)  While the current Green Lantern Corp is weak against the color yellow, the first Green Lantern, Alan Scott, was weak against:

     a.)  the color yellow also
     b.)  other Green Lanterns so they couldn’t fight
     c.)  against himself, so he couldn’t use his powers to fly
     d.)  wood

13.)  What was Jack Kirby’s real name?

     a.)  Jacob Kurtzberg
     b.)  Jack Kirby
     c.)  Jacob Krigstein
     d.)  Jake Kurgsburg

14.)  Arkham Asylum, the famous institution from the Batman comics, is names after:

     a.)  Arkham Sanitarium in Arkham, MA
     b.)  The actual Arkham Asylum that used to be in New York City
     c.)  It’s not named after anything, it was created by the writers of Batman
     d.)  It was named after Noah’s Ark because it held so many different “animals”

15.)  Which of these statements is false:

     a.)  Before Action Comics #1, Siegel and Schuster published a short story called “Reign
           of the Super-Man" where the Superman was a telepath trying to take over the world.
     b.)  In Age of Apocalypse, Magneto and Rogue are romantically involved.  In this reality,
           Rogue absorbs Polaris’ magnetic powers so that touching Magneto won’t put him into
           a coma
     c.)  Because of the time they spent together the Venom symbiote no longer triggers
           Spider-Man’s spider-sense.
     d.)  Nightcrawler is Mystique’s son, but she was the father thanks to her shapeshifting
           capabilities. Destiny is his mother.

16.)  Which doctor did Squirrel Girl beat-up with the help of her Squirrels?

     a.)  Dr. Doom
     b.)  Dr. Strange
     c.)  Dr. Octopus
     d.)  Dr. Light

17.)  In his first stories, Bruce Banner didn’t turn into the Hulk when enraged.  It was actually triggered by:

     a.)  Being physically threatened
     b.)  Being struck
     c.)  When he concentrated on becoming the Hulk
     d.)  Sundown

18.)  Natalia Romanov a.k.a Natasha Romanov, Black Widow, has kept her young looks due to a variation of the Super Soldier Serum.  How old is she actually?

     a.)  30
     b.)  50
     c.)  70
     d.)  90

19.)  Batman is known for having a huge penny in his bat cave.  How did he get it?

     a.)  It was given to him by Two-Face
     b.)  He got it from “The Penny Plunderer” a villain he fought in the 40’s
     c.)  He had it made for him to remind him that there are two sides to every story
     d.)  It was a novelty made for Wayne Enterprises that was discarded during remodeling

20.)  The original Hulk was gray, but later changed to green due to printing problems.  Why was the original color gray?

     a.)  The original drawings were black and white and the original gray coloring just stuck
     b.)  They wanted him to resemble the color of stone to symbolize strength
     c.)  They wanted a neutral color so as not to suggest a particular ethnic group
     d.)  He was supposed to be green all along, but at the time of the printing deadline they
           didn’t have enough green ink to satisfy the volume of comics to be produced.


I hope you wrote down your answers.  If you didn’t, go back and do it now because the answers are not in this blog, they will be included in the next one with explanations to go with each.

If you stuck to the initial instructions and didn’t look any of these up, give yourself a pat on the back. You are a person of honor and valor.  If you did look them up, then you really need to brush up on your “instruction following skills”.

Look for the answers tomorrow at 5 p.m. EST!