Earth X, Universe X, and Paradise X Revisited - Part 1

When I was a kid (a long long time ago) dinosaurs were easy to name and remember.  The reason?  There were only a couple they knew of; Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Pterodactyl, and a few others.  Now, there are dozens, if not hundreds that they can name, classify and put in Jurassic Park.

Comic books were no different.  You had Action Comics, Superman, Batman, Strange Tales, and a maybe a dozen or so more.  Now there are hundreds and hundreds.

The thing that never changed, though, was the backstory.  Superman was still from Krypton.  Spider-Man was still bitten by a radioactive spider.  Batman's parents were still shot and killed in an alleyway.  Frankly, it was rare that you ever revisited a backstory let alone change it.

Now things change almost weekly.

DC is having yet another rebirth hot on the heels of its Convergence event.

Marvel is talking changes again hot on the heels of their Secret Wars.

But what about a FUTURE story instead of one redefining the past?

This is the classic series that defined them all....Earth X.

If you don't remember, Earth X and it's sequels Universe X and Paradise X, sought to tell the story of a dystopian future of the Marvel Universe.  What made this so different from the rebirths and backstories of today?  It was done as a story told from one being to another and it was done in exquisite detail with no stone unturned or question unanswered.

As a matter of fact it may be the only time such a detailed story was told in such a manner.

For those of you still in the womb when these were released you should know that it was told in 3 parts; Earth X, Universe X, and Paradise X.

Earth X was done in 1997 and involved multiple storylines...none of which will be spoilers if you wish to continue reading.  In the story, Earth X is one of a number of planets that is implanted with something called a Celestial egg.  As with any story of this magnitude one expects the presence of a Watcher and, not to disappoint, Uatu is recruited.  This is where things go astray.  During certain Earth changing events Uatu is blinded and needs to recruit a new Watcher to take his place.  He calls on X-51 (Machine Man) and brings him to the moon to be his eyes.

What does X-51 witness?  Changes that redefined the Marvel Universe in a drastic manner.  (Spoiler alert!)

-Captain America kills the Red Skull and quits the Avengers
-Namor kills Johnny Storm
-The Absorbing Man absorbs Ultron
-Norman Osborn is elected President
-Thor is changed into a woman

And the list goes on and on.  It ends with Galactus consuming the Celestial egg after killing the Celestials and X-51 realizing Uatu's true purpose (to watch over the Celestial egg because one of the other Watchers killed an embryo).  In response he destroys Uatu's ears and decides to destroy all the Celestial eggs.

Here endeth Earth X and the scene is set for Universe X.  Look for my next blog!

Sell it all! Two weeks ago, if possible.

It hurts me to say this, but:

If you own a comic book store or you are looking to get any type of return on your comic book “investments”,  sell now.

The industry as we know it will be unrecognizable 5 years from now and not in a good way.

The readers of this blog aren’t dumb, you know that sales of any consumer goods have their peaks and valleys.

Look at Apple.  20 years ago you couldn’t give their stock away.  The computers were priced very high and they were known as computers graphic designers used, not corporations.  If you held on to your Apple stock, however, you are probably doing well on the investment.

Comic books are also hitting their peak right now.  The movies are coming out, the cartoons are all over the place, DC has all but cornered the market on animated motion pictures, and product licensing is running rampant.

But don’t let it fool you, it’s already hit it’s peak....you’re now looking at the downside of the comic industry as we know it.

Why?  It’s simple, really.  The bean counters are running the show at the Big 2 and all they are interested in is the almighty dollar.  The problem is no one appears to understand that it’s an industry that survives on originality and collectibility.  Neither of which the Big 2 have sustained.  Let’s look at some examples:

-The Fantastic Four franchise, the literal first family of comic books has been made a joke of in both comic books and the movies.  Has anyone ever looked forward to a Fantastic Four movie once the first one proved to be just this side of mediocre?  Does anyone even care if there is ever another Fantastic Four movie?  How many more times will Marvel license out to a company that could care less what they do to the brand in production?

-The #1 of virtually any series anymore is rarely a #1.  With DC and Marvel “resetting” their respective universes they are releasing a whole new series of #1 comics....again.  How many more #1 X-People and Justice League of Whatever can there be?  How many different uniforms, haircuts and power-sets can Superman have?  How many times are we going to clone Peter Parker and reinvent the story behind Spider-Man?  How many more of Batman’s family members can the Joker kill?  It’s getting to be a joke (pun intended).

-It’s a matter of supply and demand.  Many collectors will know exactly what Silver and Bronze Age comics to buy.  The first appearance of Wolverine, Hulk, Thor...any of the classic characters really, is valuable for one reason:  there just aren’t that many out there and even fewer that are in great condition!  If there were still 5 million copies of the #1 Spider-Man, and they were all in Near Mint condition, it just wouldn’t have the same value.  Today, the market is flooded with #1s and places like eBay make them easy to come by if you miss them in a store.  Why do you think variants were introduced?  Fewer of the variants makes them more valuable.  But, trust me, the well is running dry.  The desire to sell as many as possible makes current and future value remarkably bad.

-The lack of creativity is maddening.  I know people who have stopped reading Marvel comics because of the blatant money grabbing involved with Secret Wars.  Seriously, how many different comic storylines can one series have?  I also know people who have stopped reading DC because of the lackluster ending to Convergence.  I know I’ve mentioned this in other blogs, but changing a character’s sex or race or religion does not count as creativity.  So, what do you have to look forward to as a Marvel fan?  Will Iron Man design his 1,916th armor?  Maybe one that has a Coke machine built-in for mid-fight refreshment?  If you’re a DC fan are you anticipating yet another Justice League, maybe Justice League Geriatric for the older heroes?  I will give credit where credit is due, Telos, Secret Six and New Suicide Squad by DC are fantastic, so kudos to DC for at least trying to make something different (yes, I know that Suicide Squad and Secret Six have been out many times before, but there are differences with the new ones and they are outstanding).  And, seriously, if I read another interview with “creators” who say they are doing something “new”, I ’m going to scream.

-Last is product licensing.  What product can you buy today that doesn’t have some sort of comic book hero twist?  Build-a-Bear has a superhero line of teddy bears.  You can get toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, bubble bath, and any other type of hygiene products with some superhero or another.  Listen, I’m not complaining.  I love superheroes all over my house, but talk about diluting your brand!  My son even has Avengers Cereal in our pantry.  Do you know there are a number of sports stars that limit the number of autographs they give out or jerseys sold?  It keeps them valuable.  It keeps people looking for them and paying good money for them.  

Please don’t get me wrong, I have been a collector for 45 years and still look for Superman stuff to put around the house, but if you are looking to make money on your comic book stuff....sell it...like right now.

But I digress...

So, who will win in the end?  Company’s like Image.  Company’s that come out with new creations often and allow their creators to keep the rights to their creations.  It wouldn’t surprise me to see Image become the top comic company in the next 5 - 10 years.  Although The Walking Dead has been commercialized, it hasn’t been overdone.

Would I like to see an Autumnlands:  Tooth and Claw movie?  Absolutely!  Do I want the characters on a band-aid, not so much.

Place your bets on the future of the “heir apparent” Image Comics.  It’s where my money is.

Disclaimer:  I do not work for, nor do I own any part of Image Comics.  This is my opinion only and does not, but should, represent the opinion of a majority of the planet.

Follow The Comic Whisperer on Social Media!

Facebook:                 The Comic Whisperer

Pinterest:                  The Comic Whisperer

Twitter:                     @comic_whisperer

Website:                    www.comicwhisperer.com

When Michael Tried to Buy Marvel

Some of you may not know this but Marvel was courted by numerous buyers in the past, the oddest of which was Michael Jackson.  Yes, THE Michael Jackson.  And when I say “oddest” I don’t mean he was odd as a person, I meant the reason he wanted to buy Marvel was odd.

As most of you know (and if you don’t I’m stunned) Michael Jackson was a phenom for most of his life.  He started performing in his early childhood and was considered “The King of Pop” until the day he passed.

As you also know, Michael was famous for making interesting purchases and attempting to make interesting purchases.  For instance, you know that he had his own amusement park at his home and that he purchased the copyrights to The Beatles’ music catalogue.  You are also probably aware of the rumors of him offering to buy the “Elephant Man’s” bones.  What you may not know is that Michael wanted to buy Marvel as well, but for reasons that go a little beyond the ordinary.  Here’s what happened:

Although Michael was known for his popularity in the 80’s, he was also hugely popular in the 90’s.  During that time Batman was reigning in the cinemas and Marvel was struggling to make ends meet.  Frankly, Marvel was doing just about everything wrong.  In order to try for a few wins Marvel was trying to get the Spider-Man and X-Men movie projects underway.

For the Spider-Man movie, Marvel was talking to James Cameron.  Who they weren’t talking to was Michael Jackson, who desperately wanted to be cast as Spider-Man.  Yes, THE Michael Jackson wanted to be Spider-Man.  Can you picture that?  If not, here’s some help:

(Author’s note:  these pictures are NOT my handiwork...thankfully.)

As Michael knew this was NOT going to happen without him having some clout at Marvel, he decided to try to buy it.  After all, Marvel was facing bankruptcy at the time anyway, so why wouldn’t they consider him a potential suitor?  

As a quick aside, Michael’s rationale may not have been on target here.  You see, the owner of the company doesn’t get to make casting decisions, the Director and the studio get to do that.  Licensing the property to the studio does not a Casting Director make.  Perhaps he would buy Marvel and make himself the Director?  Who knows.

But I digress.

Michael decided to pursue the purchase and started to build a relationship with Stan Lee Media.

If you’re not familiar with Stan Lee Media’s origin, here’s a review.  Stan Lee Media was born out of an effort between Stan Lee and a business partner to buy Marvel outright.  This came from the fact that a new CEO has screwed Stan out of everything he negotiated with Marvel over the years.  This included a life-time salary in exchange for Lee not pursuing legal claims of ownership of the characters he created.  This is why Stan Lee Media (who Stan Lee no longer has any affiliation with) seems to think they can make legal claims to Stan’s characters.  They argue that Stan’s contract with Marvel was terminated, along with the stipulation that he couldn’t sew them for ownership.  I won’t go into any further detail because I either don’t know it or it’s too much extra content for this article (you decide).

Again, I digress.

Michael went to Stan hoping that Stan could throw his weight around and secure him, and his production company Kingdom Entertainment, the rights to produce a Spider-Man movie.  In fact, Michael secured a promise from Lee that if Michael purchased Marvel, Lee would help him run it.  In a further effort to get the ball rolling, Jackson hired a financial firm to help with the negotiations.

The problem was that Toy Biz CEO Ike Perlmutter (Toy Biz being the company that owned Marvel at the time) and Lee were not on the best of terms.  So, the fact that Lee was going to help run the company for potential owner Jackson, did not sit well with Ike.  To try to kibosh the deal Ike did what any vindictive owner would do, he raised the price to $1 billion (WAY more than Marvel was worth at the time).

Jackson decided to walk away.  The rest is history...Toy Biz sold to Disney for $4 billion (about 30% more than what the company was valued at at the time of the sale).

To add to the whole weird scenario it should be noted that Spider-Man wasn’t the only character for which Michael had lobbied.  He also wanted to play Professor X in the X-Men movie (eventually played by Patrick Stewart).  

(Author’s other note...this picture isn’t my handiwork either...thankfully.)

He also wanted to be “Agent M” in Men in Black 2.  As a consolation prize, Michael got a cameo  as himself in the MIB2.  Not quite what he had hoped for, but at least it was something.

15 Facts You May Not Know About Comics

There’s nothing like learning things you don’t know about comics in general.  It seems like the odd facts are endless.

Here’s 15 facts you may not know:

-Joe Dimaggio, the famous baseball player, loved comic books but was too embarrassed to buy them. He thought it would ruin his image.  So, he would send teammates down to the local newsstand or drug store to pick up comics for him.


-Elvis Presley also loved reading comic books.  It’s rumored that the black hair and curl he let hang down on his forehead were inspired by his favorite character, Captain Marvel, Jr.

-Michael Jackson wanted to play Spider-Man in a movie so badly that he tried to buy Marvel Comics in the 1990’s.


-In Archie Comics, Jughead has a real name, Forsythe Pendleton Jones II.  His sister is named Forsythia “Jellybean” Jones.


-The Joker once served as the Iranian Ambassador for the United Nations.


-Superman once had his mind controlled by a villain named Sleez, who tricked him into recording a sex tape.

-In the 1970’s Captain America witnessed Richard Nixon committing suicide after the Watergate scandal.


-As part of his secret identity, Clark Kent compresses his spine while in disguise so he’ll appear shorter than Superman.


-When the original comic code was created it prohibited judges and law enforcement agents from being portrayed negatively.

-Batman actually had 8 different Batcaves.  One was located directly under Arkham Asylum.


-There are over 20 different types of Kryptonite, including pink.


-In the 1940’s there was a hero who fought the Nazi’s called Red Bee.  He used trained bees.  His favorite bee was named Michael and lived in Red Bee’s belt buckle.

-Iron Man used to use roller skates that were built into his armor.

-In an alternate reality Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive sheep and became the hero Sheep-Boy.

-The actor Nicolas Cage (real name Nicolas Coppola) took the last name “Cage” from the Marvel character Luke Cage.


Look for more odd facts in upcoming blogs from The Comic Whisperer!

Follow The Comic Whisperer on Social Media!

Facebook:            The Comic Whisperer
Twitter:                @comic_whisperer
Instagram:            The Comic Whisperer
Website:               www.comicwhisperer.com

Marvel...Have You Lost Your Creativity or Is Diversity Ruining Marvel?

Sorry I haven’t written in awhile but I should be back on course now.  I’d like to address all of the MASSIVE changes in the Marvel Universe and why they are just a BAD idea.

If you are a reader of Secret Wars, or actually even if you aren’t, you had to have noticed the massive number of changes that are taking place with the characters.  Let’s give an ever so brief, but not all inclusive, listing:

Thor:  Formerly the incredibly massive male is now the not so surprising Jane Foster...female.

Wolverine:  Formerly the smarmy massive male soon to be revealed in a new series as....female.

Captain America:  Formerly the boy scout Steve Rogers is now a combination of Captain America, Falcon and a Tri-Athlete and....female.  Or is Captain America being played by The Falcon?  Will someone make up their mind please?

Hawkeye:  The cocky, but not surprisingly single, Green Arrow knockoff is going to have a sidekick....female.

Captain Marvel:  The former green and white Kree warrior, then the blond warrior with a star on his chest continues to be the blond haired bombshell in a skimpy leotard and....female.

Ms. Marvel:  Are there two of them now?  The former sex starved blond now the teenage brunette who reminds you it’s "Ms. Marvel", not "Miss Marvel",  has seemingly changed faces and age, or maybe not.

Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur:  Is now in a new upcoming comic as Moon GIRL and Devil Dinosaur.  So now we’re making sex changes retroactive to the beginning of time?

Before I go any further let me make myself clear....I AM NOT AGAINST FEMALE SUPER-HEROES OR, FOR THAT MATTER, FEMALES AT ALL!  I’ve been happily married to one for almost 30 years and she’s the love of my life.  She’s actually MY hero.

But, c’mon Marvel, really?  Have you truly run out of creative energy so much so that now you have to split the Marvel Universe down the middle and make half male and half female?  Why?  Why would you not create new heroes so that you aren’t just conceding that you need more females in your comics?  As a woman I’d be insulted.

I can picture the phone call that led up to this massive overhaul:

“Hello, Marvel Comics customer service, how may I make your day super?

Yes, hello ma’am, I’d be happy to discuss our character universe.

Um, yes ma’am, you’re right we have an unusually large male population and few females.  

Um...yes ma’am, we should have more females.  

Yes, ma’am, I know your angry.  

How about we do this, ma'am; we will convert 30% of the Marvel Universe to female to up the count?  

No, ma’am, you won’t be getting any unique characters of your own.  

No...we’re just going to convert males to females.

I realize that’s a cheap and unoriginal way to up the female count but it’s the best we can do.

Yes, ma’am, I agree, originality and creativity appears to have died here at Marvel.

Is there anything else I can do for you other than offering you a consolation prize?

Yes ma’am, I realize I haven’t really done anything for you.

OK, look for those changes soon.  Thanks for calling Marvel.”

Seriously, Marvel, you let Spider-Man develop in character and added a Spider-Woman with her own background.  That was great!

You introduced Spider-Gwen despite having a Spider-Man and Spider-Woman.  That was...well...great!

You then introduced Silk despite having Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, and Spider-Gwen.  Um...OK.

During all of that you introduced the Superior Spider-Man, Miles Morales as Spider-Man, the Scarlet Spider, clones aplenty, Spider Island and the Spider-verse.  That’s alot of spiders.

See?  It’s not just about women getting recycled superheroes in the Marvel Universe, it’s also about beating your main bread maker, Spider-Man, to death with dozens of reproductions.  It’s very Batman-esque.

Granted, you have had success with a number of those titles and are still having some success (despite some of them also now being in the bargain box).  But where do you go from here?  What future have you left for yourselves?  Instead of making gradual changes you are making sweeping, nonsensical changes, during your reboot.  Is Marvel now being run by DC executives?

My suggestion is to start to create some unique female super-heroes.  Heroes that haven’t been done before.  The same goes for African-American heroes, Hispanic heroes, etc.  Are they so low on your list that you can’t at least come up with an original thought for them?  Making The Falcon Captain America, Miles Morales Spider-Man,  Thor a female and bringing back Black Panther does not count as diversity, people.

Where is the creativity?

How about someone who is a master of any type of gun, bomb, etc.?   If they can touch it they can work it or defuse it.  But they can’t do anything if they can’t touch it.

How about a person who can find a way into or out of anything.  They can also find the weak spot in any type of structure or item.  Consider them a combination of Houdini and Karnak.

How about someone who can change the atomic weight or density of anything they touch?  Not themselves, just anything they touch.

What about someone who has an Aquaman type of ability on land in that they can summon and command earth’s creatures.  They can summon Ravens from 10 miles away, or ants that are under their feet.

We haven’t seen Crusher Creel in awhile, what about a superhero version of Crusher Creel with some small adaptations.  Perhaps their weakness is that their strength fluctuates based on their size.  Large is strong, small is weak?

My point is that if you want to balance out the diversity of the Marvel Universe why not do it the right way?  A female Wolverine, a female Thor, Moon Girl, hundreds of cloned spiders...none of it makes sense.  Wolverine will ALWAYS be associated with Logan, Thor will ALWAYS be associated with the massive male with golden hair, Devil Dinosaur will ALWAYS be associated with a Moon BOY.  You won’t change that association, it’s not the way psychology works...stop trying

Get creative Marvel, don’t insult people by “giving” them a character.


You can follow The Comic Whisperer on Social Media!

Facebook:  The Comic Whisperer
Twitter: @comic-whisperer
Website:  www.comicwhisperer.com
Instagram:  The Comic Whisperer

What Would Happen If All The Villains Struck At Once Due To a Technical Glitch?

When the Fear Itself series came out there was a parody comic that came out as well called “Shame Itself”.  If you haven’t read it, do so, it’s worth the time.  As a spin on “Shame Itself” I offer my story.

Before I begin, however, let’s look at what typically happens in your typical comic book.

The heroes from any given universe finish up with one disaster, mend the city, have time for a meeting, and are then informed of another disaster taking place.

Luckily, villains seem to be on a schedule and don’t strike at the same time.  It seems that while Dr. Doom is attacking, the Red Skull is busy hatching a plan that won’t be ready to go until Dr. Doom has been defeated.  Of course, at that point Galactus is on the other side of the galaxy and will make his way toward Earth only to arrive after the Red Skull has been defeated.  The same thing happens in the DC Universe as well as others.

But what if the villains, due to a technical glitch, all struck on the same day?  More importantly, let’s say that the villains from DC don’t wait until the villains from Marvel are done attacking?  Everyone’s protecting the same Earth, right?  So, shouldn’t villains and heroes cross over during attacks?

Let’s start with a typical day where we find Electro fighting Spider-Man for some random reason:

Electro:  Spider-Man, your time has come!  I have finally found a way to defeat you!

Spider-Man:  Electro, what could you possibly want this time?  Haven’t I beaten you enough?

Electro:  I must own all of the frozen toothpaste in the world!  You can’t stop me!

Spider-Man:  Wait...frozen what?  Why would you..... (he stops and looks up surprised)

Electro:  What are you looking at?

Spider-Man:  Is that Doomsday?  I thought he was DC.  What’s he doing here?

Electro:  I’m not really sure.  There’s got to be a copyright or trademark infringement here somewhere.  Someone call Stan Lee!

Doomsday:  Electro?  Spider-Man?  I thought this was....(he looks around in surprise)...Metropolis.

Spider-Man:  Nope.  Wrong town.  Wrong comic, even.  (looking up again, amazed, he sees the Hulk coming out of the sky)

Hulk:  Hulk smash!!

Spider-Man:  Now wait just one minute....

Electro:  Hmmm....do I fight Spider-Man or do I try to get rid of the other villains?  Are you guys looking to corner the frozen toothpaste market?  That’s all I really wanted.

Doomsday:  The frozen what?  No, you can have that.  I’m here to destroy Metropolis.

Spider-Man:  Again, I think you’re in the wrong place.

Hulk:  Hulk smash!!

Spider-Man:  Is this a Groot type of thing?  “Hulk smash” means something different each time?  Never mind.

Green Lantern:  I heard there were problems in this Sector!  Wow.  What’s everyone doing here?

Electro:  I was just leaving.

Spider-Man:  Well, that’s one gone.

Doomsday:  I really just want to get on with destroying the city.

Hulk:  Hulk smash!

Batman:  (winded from running) I came as soon as I heard!

Green Lantern:  I’m anxious to hear what you heard about this.

Spider-Man:  Shouldn’t all of you be in another comic?

Batman:  I heard that the Outlook calendar on the Villain network was having issues.

Red Skull:  (stepping out of the shadows) There are no issues!  I specifically had conquering the Earth set for 2:00 pm today!

Galactus:  (appearing in the sky)  That can’t be right, I had devouring the Earth set for 2:00 pm today.

Flash:  (showing up in a blur) I came as soon as I heard!

Spider-Man:  What...is this being Tweeted?  What is everyone hearing?

Flash:  I got the text that Outlook is having issues.

Spider-Man:  Why aren’t I getting these (shaking his iPod and looking at it quizzically)

Flash:  Do you have it on airplane mode?

Spider-Man:  Darnit!  Why do I always do that?  OK, I’m on the same page now.

Reed Richards:  (walking up calmly) I don’t mean to interrupt, but I’m working on the fix right now.  It should be OK shortly.

Doomsday:  Listen, times a’wastin here.  I have another planet I’m supposed to destroy in 2 hours.

Red Skull:  Let’s do this the right way and take a vote.  Which villain would you heroes like to fight right now?

Green Lantern:  I’m not fussy, but I think Galactus would be the toughest to beat.  I vote Red Skull.

Hulk:  Hulk smash!

Flash:  I agree with Green Lantern, I vote for the Red Skull.

Batman:  Doomsday, is there any way you could go destroy the planet now and then come back after we beat the Red Skull?

Doomsday:  But I was already at this end of the universe.

Galactus:  Reed, where are the rest of the Fantastic Four?

Reed Richards:  They are at their regular jobs.  How do you think we pay for all of this stuff?

Galactus:  I just don’t feel right devouring the Earth without all of you here.  No offense to you Justice Leaguers.

Batman/Flash/Green Lantern:  None taken.

Reed Richards:  They should all be available tomorrow for the whole day.

Galactus:  Do you heroes think you can take out the Red Skull by midnight tonight?  Then we can all go home and get a good night’s sleep and fight tomorrow.

Thanos:  (just showing up and looking around at everyone sitting and talking)  What gives here?

Starro:  (also just arriving on the scene and giving a heavy sigh)  Don’t tell me, the Outlook issue?

(everyone nods their heads)

Starro:  I knew I should have sent a herald ahead.

Doomsday:  Listen, I just called the planet I’m supposed to destroy and they’re not doing anything right now, so I’ll just do that and come back.

Green Lantern:  Is anyone protecting them right now?

Doomsday:  No, so it shouldn’t take long.  I can come back the day after tomorrow.

Red Skull:  So, then I’ll attack now, Galactus will come back tomorrow and Doomsday will be the day after?

Thanos:  Great.  Push me off until next week.

Starro:  You?  I travelled 200 light years to get here.  Do you know how much gas that takes?  I’m calling the Outlook help desk right now and giving them a piece of my mind.

Thanos:  Then that should definitely take until next week.

Hulk:  Hulk smash!

Spider-Man:  I don’t do weekends anymore so Thanos and Starro will have to wait until Monday.  By the way, did Electro leave?

(incoming text:  Budapest Frozen Toothpaste Factory raided.  Everything taken.)

Spider-Man:  Never mind.

Reed Richards:  OK, everything seems to be working with the calendar now.  Is everyone set with their schedule?

Galactus:  I’m set.  Does the Marriott have any rooms available for tonight?  I’ll just stay over.

Doomsday:  OK everyone, I’m on my way.  I have a planet to enslave.

Red Skull:  I hear that....

Spider-Man:  I’m glad this is settled.  My spider-sense has given me a migraine.

Batman:  Alfred, book Galactus and I a room at the downtown Marriott.  King size bed for Galactus.

Red Skull:  Is it OK if we start now?  I have thousands of troops waiting to attack and we haven’t even had lunch yet.

Spider-Man:  That’s fine.  Green Lantern, Flash, can you stay with Batman and I and try to wrap this up by midnight?

Green Lantern:  I’m good, I can hang around.

Flash:  I have to run home and set my DVR to record Walking Dead.  OK, I’m back.

Spider-Man:  Hulk, can you go smash another town and we’ll just come clean it up later?  If you do it far enough away from here we have plausible deniability.

Hulk:  Hulk smash!  (he jumps over the horizon)

Starro:  I’m on vacation next week so I’ll attack the week after if that’s OK.

Thanos:  Cool!  Where are you going?

Starro:  It’s a stay-cation.  I have a bunch of chores to do for the wife.

Thanos:  I know the feeling.  Between conquering civilizations and scheming I have no time to cut the lawn.

Batman:  I can recommend a lawn guy.  Starro, we’ll see you in two weeks and Thanos in three.  Can you both send us a meeting planner?

Starro/Thanos:  Sure thing.

Red Skull:  Are we good to go?  Great!   ALL MINIONS ATTACK!

Outside the realm of reality?  Not in our high tech world.  I often wonder if team-ups weren’t just the result of two villains, or heroes, showing up at the same time and just figuring “what the heck” and working together.  All I know is that I’m glad that the artists and writers have the attack schedules firmly in their heads or else we might see something like this in the not so distant future.

Follow the Comic Whisperer on Social Media:

Facebook:  The Comic Whisperer

Twitter:  @comic_whisperer

Instagram:  The Comic Whisperer

Blog:  comicwhisperer.blogspot.com

Website:  www.comicwhisperer.com

The Top 10 Superhero Deaths

I wrote a blog yesterday about 10 deaths in comicdom that made quite an impact.  Today I will remain on the topic of death (don’t ask me why) but shift to strictly superheroes that died.  This wasn’t easy as many have died over the years, but I think we can all agree that some just stunned us and left a hole in our hearts.  I won’t repeat the Flash or Jean Grey as they are from the other list, but they do deserve to be here.  So, let’s get started.

Here is The Comic Whisperer’s Top 10 Superhero Deaths:

10.)  Nightcrawler:  This one hits close to home because Nightcrawler was always the witty, winsome, swashbuckling hero.  He wasn’t hard edged or gritty but he did get the job done.  Believe it or not Nightcrawler was gone for more than 3 years before his triumphant return.  The mystery of his true mother and father still remains...

9.)  Captain Marvel:  There may have been many Captain Marvel’s but only one died of cancer.  When Jim Starling put together The Death of Captain Marvel, with it’s classic cover, he did a stellar job.  The most touching part to me was all of the heroes getting together for his passing.  Carol Danvers, our current Captain Marvel, has added a pleasant twist to the character.

8.)  Ted Kord/Blue Beetle:  I don’t mind telling you that this one came out of nowhere to me.  I thought he would take a beating from Maxwell Lord then it would be done.  Then, the panels I will never forget from the Countdown to Infinite Crisis, that showed him being killed.  It’s interesting to note that Ted Kord was not very popular on his own as Blue Beetle, but if you paired him with Booster Gold you had a great combination.  Funny, light-hearted, and neither of them being powerful in their own rights, they were heroes because of their suits.  Who can forget Booster Gold wearing logos to make money?  To see the Blue Beetle taken down like this was a blatant reminder that he was human underneath that mask.

7.)  Hal Jordan/Green Lantern:  The Parallax storyline is one of the best in the history of Green Lantern lore.  It sent ripples through the DC Universe that are still seen today.  The short version is that Hal Jordan went crazy before dying and became Parallax.  He killed the Guardians, the Green Lantern Corps, etc. etc.  He was a bad guy all around.  He then goes on a quest for redemption and winds up giving his life in the process.  If you haven’t read it, do so.  

6.)  Kara/Supergirl:  As deaths go this one was not only expected, but necessary.  Part of Superman’s charm and uniqueness was the fact that he was the only survivor of Krypton and that he was a “lonely alien”.  Supergirl’s presence took all of that away.  Not only that but DC never really capitalized on Supergirl that much.  She was in and out of comics but never really caught on.  Her death signaled the end of an era and the return of Superman to the status of “lonely alien”.  Please understand, her death was well written and traumatic, but it was also the streamlining of the Superman Family.

5.)  Jason Todd and Damian Wayne/Robin:  Yep, just like the last “Death List” I am cheating by putting two in one, but they are both Robin, right?  As a comic book reader I am not sure I have ever seen comic books that made me look away for just a second.  Just a heartbeat.  These panels were the ones responsible.  What you may NOT know is why the two Robin’s died.  Jason Todd’s death was a result of a DC Poll that was taken that drew gobs of attention, and criticism, from the public.  Damian’s death, however, was well planned out by Grant Morrison who put together the best Batman run of all time.  Feel free to look away...just for a second...during the death of Damian.

4.)  Peter Parker/Amazing/Ultimate Spider-Man:  Two Spider-Mans, Spider-Men, you know what I mean, in two different universes dying made huge ripples throughout comicdom.  Dan Slott killed off Spider-Man at the end of 2012.  Things got so bad for Dan that he started receiving death threats.  It was in 2011 that Brian Michael Bendis killed off the Ultimate universe Peter Parker, apparently for good, and replaced him with Miles Morales.  No matter which Peter Parker you were a fan of the ending came as a shock.

3.)  Logan/Wolverine:  It would be hard to argue that there has never been a character more dominating than Wolverine when it comes to popularity.  He doesn’t mind killing, he heals from just about anything, he has adamantium laced bones,  and he has that arrogant, cocky attitude.  He’s the total package.  His death in 2014, however, was no surprise.  Dying was the only thing he hadn’t done yet and you could be sure that, in one way or another, he'd be back.  This is a Joe Quesada variant of a Death of Wolverine cover.

2.)  Steve Rogers/Captain America:  There were two things that made Captain America’s death significant.  First, he was Captain America.  His death made headlines around the country.  My death won’t make headlines around my block.  The second thing is that Captain America died fighting for the rights of his fellow heroes.  He died for what he thought was right.  He died like we thought Captain America would die, in the name of a cause he believed in.  Since then he has returned and he is an old man having had his super serum negated.  I will say, on a personal note, that the new Captain America is TERRIBLE and has made the Marvel Universe tilt, just a little bit, in the wrong direction.  Captain America is a character who should remain just as he is...Captain America.

1.)  Clark Kent/Superman:  Superman is the consummate superhero.  He is the superhero who stands up for superheroes.  He makes a Boy Scout look dishonest.  He was the hero every hero is compared to.  “Yea, he’s tough, but he’s no Superman” or as my doctor puts it, “You have a Superman Complex, you think you have to do everything for everyone”.  He has a point, but I digress.  This gambit by DC Comics in the 90’s was the ultimate gamble.  If it didn’t pay off they had very little else that they could do to sell comics.  Superman’s reincarnation was both expected and popular with the comic reading public.  Besides that Doomsday was an awesome villain.  In the end it wasn’t the best written comic but it may be the most collected.  When I am with comic novices, or part time collectors, the question always comes up, “Do you have the one where Superman dies?”  Yes...yes I do...and I’ve got the armband as well.  Enjoy this pictorial tribute to my favorite, the Man of Steel.

Thanks for taking this journey with me.  Heroes dying always leaves me asking two questions:  What was the reason for their death and when will they be back?  

Superman’s back, that means all is well.

Character Deaths That Made Quite An Impact

Whether a death makes an impact in the comic universe is questionable.  In this day and age you have characters that are dying and being reborn right and left.  Some have died multiple times.  Some are alive in this universe and not in another.  It gets very difficult to stay on top of it even for the most avid of fans.

All that being said, there are deaths that do make an impact.  The impact could be on one character, many characters, or on an entire universe of characters.  The deaths listed below are ones that are milestones in comic history.  They range from the bizarre to the shocking.  I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed researching it.

Here is The Comic Whisperer’s List of Character Deaths That Made Quite An Impact (next to each death I have a picture of the ne’er do well who did the heinous crime):

10.)  Alexandra DeWitt:  Who remembers Alexandra?  Anyone?  Anyone at all?  That’s correct!  She was Kyle Rayner’s girlfriend during the time when Hal Jordan was Parallax.  Remember, when Hal Jordan killed off the Green Lantern Corps Kyle Rayner was assigned as earth’s protector.  Despite some rocky roads it appeared that Kyle and Alexandra were finally on their way to having a good life together.  Then, one day, Major Force came looking for Kyle and found Alexandra instead.  He, very rudely, killed her and stuffed her in their refrigerator.  Unlike many of the characters who die Alexandra has not returned as of this writing.

9.)  Sue Dibney:  If you read “Identity Crisis” by Brad Meltzer you will find that Ralph and Sue are very happy and thriving on the fact that Sue if pregnant. During the story, however, she was given a fatal brain aneurism by The Atom’s ex-wife Jean Loring.  Now, as if things weren’t bad enough for poor Sue, she was eulogized by having it revealed that she was once raped by Dr. Light in the JLA satellite (I actually had to read that part twice because it just didn’t seem real).  The only other time we see Sue is with her then deceased husband Ralph as ghosts supposedly enjoying their bizarre afterlife.  Ralph never made it back into the New 52 and Sue hasn’t been resurrected as of this writing.

8.)  Lori Grimes:  Remember, we’re talking all comic books.  Lori is part of the now legendary Walking Dead comic series, or at least she was.  The reason this makes the list is that she is the wife of the main character, Rick, and her gruesome death.  I actually found her frightfully annoying in the TV show, but that’s just me.  The scene is that the Grimes are in their stronghold and the Governor, from another town, overruns their prison/home with Lori being killed in the action.  What made it so dreadful is how she died.  Rick, Lori and Carl (their son) were running for cover.  Lori had a baby in her arms (their daughter Judy) and Lori took a shotgun blast to the back killing her instantly.  Everyone else, including Judy, survived.  Her death warranted a full page to show the gory details.  The governor, eyepatch and all, is also pictured below.

7.)  Phoenix:  You knew she would be on this list didn’t you?  Yes, the infamous Phoenix from the X-Men.  Let’s set the scene, shall we?  In the final issue of “The Dark Phoenix Saga” the X-Men fought the Imperial Guard on the Blue Area of the moon (yes, our moon).  This was to prevent them from executing Phoenix who they thought was a danger to the universe.  Even though Professor X had installed some “circuit breakers” in Jean’s head to prevent her from becoming Dark Phoenix, everyone knew the writing was on the wall.  Professor X and the X-Men tried to stop Jean and Colossus had the opportunity to deliver a death blow...but couldn’t.  He did crack her in the jaw and that shook her up, but she ran and Cyclops followed.  Freezing Scott with her powers she took her own life with the help of a Kree laser cannon so she couldn’t be a danger to anyone.  This was a stunning moment for most who read this saga.  Jean did return 5 years later but the death will always be remembered.

6.)  Arthur Curry Jr.:  This one was a game changer as it was the death of a child.  Was a taboo broken here?  I don’t know, but it sure shook people up.  It wasn’t just the fact that a child died but it was also the way he died.  The short version is that Black Manta took the baby and put him in a device that eventually suffocated him.  Mera did her best to save him through extraordinary means, but she was too late.  Arthur Curry Jr’s death pointed out the fact that no one is safe, regardless of age.

 5.)  Barry Allen:  When he arrived it was the start of the Silver Age and when he died it was the start of the post-Crisis DCU.  Coming on the heels of the death of Supergirl, Barry Allen’s death was both graphic and shocking.  Barry’s death ushered in the age of Wally West as the Flash.  Until his recent return Barry Allen’s death stuck for almost 20 years.  This death of such an important character was truly a milestone in comic history.

4.)  Bucky Barnes:  Bucky is not the first sidekick to take a dirt nap, but he certainly stayed dead the longest out of almost any character.  If you remember, Bucky went down in flames during World War II.  We didn’t actually see it happen except in a flashback, but you know the story.   Captain America always made sure we didn’t forget about Bucky as he talked about him constantly.  Now, however, after many many moons Bucky is back as one of the coolest characters in the DC Universe, The Winter Soldier.  He looks cool, sounds cool, and has quite an impressive skill set.  Who else can catch Caps shield at full speed?  It’s apparent that Bucky is here to stay.  I hope so because he’s become, easily, one of my favorites.

3.)  Jor-El and Lara:  There is no mystery here as to who they were or how they died.  Nor is there a mystery as to their offspring.  The thing that gets them in this list is that they were created with the specific purpose of dying.  Where Arthur Curry Jr. lost his life, Jor-El and Lara gave their lives so their son could live.  In their all to brief existence they have made an impact that has lasted for the life of Superman comics.

2.)  Uncle Ben/Gwen Stacy:  This one is a twofer.  Let’s start with Uncle Ben.  His death wasn’t caused by an enemy,  it wasn’t self sacrifice, and it wasn’t designed to protect anyone, it was a death due to the inaction of a character.  This death also proved to be a lasting foundation of strength for this character and a reminder that with great power comes great responsibility.  Without Uncle Ben’s death the entire framework of Spider-Man’s psyche would be different.  It’s also ironic how Gwen Stacy died as a result of Spider-Man’s actions.  One death due to actions taken and another due to actions not taken and both critical in the life of Spider-Man.

1.)  Thomas and Martha Wayne:  Who else could it be?  75+ years ago the Dark Knight was born due to the death of his parents.  It touched on the fear of suddenly losing your parents, suddenly being alone, having a hatred for guns, and the overwhelming need to protect people without killing the bad guy.  This death, like Uncle Ben’s, served as an inspiration to fight crime, but in a different way.  This is what makes it such a defining moment.  A moment we are reminded of time and again throughout the Batman series.

Before we finish this up for the day let’s do a recap of the different deaths:

4 instances of bad guys killing a loved one:  Alexandra Dewitt, Sue Dibney, Arthur Curry Jr. and Lori Grimes.

4 instances of characters taking their own lives for altruistic reasons:  Jean Grey (Phoenix), Jor-El and Lara, and Barry Allen with Jean and Barry coming back to life.

1 instance of accidental death only to return as an entirely different persona:  Bucky Barnes and his return as the Winter Soldier.

2 instances of death caused by the same character, one due to action one due to inaction:  Uncle Ben and Gwen Stacy who didn’t come back but served as the foundation for a belief system

2 instances of death due to a street robbery:  Thomas and Martha Wayne whose death created one of the most popular DC characters.

No matter how you look at the death of a character there is no doubt that it can be shocking.  This list represents events that defined a character, defined an era or even became a pop-culture milestone.  Death has, no doubt, become part of the comic universe the only question is will we see those people again?