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scans_daily2011-05-12 09:32 pm
icon_uk) wrote in scans_daily2011-05-12 09:32 pm
An old s_d 1.0 repost... vageuly... VERY vaguely, Flashpoint inspired
The preview for Flashpoint introduces us to a new iteration of the Marvel Family; six kids, each with one power of Shazam in their mortal form.
That reminded me, sort of, of this story, where Captain Marvel has to deal with a team of villains who share a similar sort of concept.
Well, he IS a 12 year old in an adults body...
From Shazam! The World's Mightiest Mortal #31 in 1977 I bring you
Okay, quick continuity recap. Pre-Crisis, Shazam's adventures happened on Earth-S, a world where the Marvel Family are the world's most famous heroes, and the likes of Black Adam,, Dr Sivana and his family, and Mr Mind are the only real supervillains. (As opposed to these days when they have been desperately diluted by being mixed in with the rest of the superpowered beings, but never mind). The events of this series take place after most of the major cast have been trapped in a bubble of Suspendium for decades, and only recently been released. So Billy WAS active as Captain Marvel in the 1940's but spent most of the time between then and the 1970's in suspended animation. Billy resolves to set out and discover more about their new world on a road trip with Uncle Dudley (This sort of tied in with the 1970's live action Shazam show, except that Uncle Dudley was replaced by "Mentor", they couldn't afford the Rock of Eternity sets, and so the "Elders" who empowered Cap would talk to Billy via the Eterniphone, a sort of 3D television, and impart important lessons in morality blah blah blah)
We open as young Billy Batson and Uncle Dudley, the dubious looking middle aged fellow who hangs around with him a lot, meets up with his old friend Jack Weston, the former hero known as Minute Man (No "The Specials" jokes please, he's not a shrinker, he's one of those terribly American patriotic heroes you chaps seem to have so many of). Jack has retired and is now a restauranteur (He spent so long on KP in his army days because he was sneaking out on missions for Uncle Sam, he felt it was the best use of the skills he'd picked up). He wasn't trapped in the Suspendium so has grown up and moved on with his life.
In the middle of the meal gatecrashers show up...
So we have Virago, a woman hating strongwoman... Dauntless, who can sap courage...
Oh, and yes Billy, six weirdly dressed women have just burst in to tob the joint, and you think anyone is paying attention to a 12 year old kid? Some ego you got there kiddo.
The rest of the Squad display their specialities...
So that's Gibraltar, Celeritas, Sibyl and Dynamoll (I have to say, I LOVE those names! :) )
Billy says his magic word (You know the one!) and so....
Okay, let's just take a moment to appreciate a couple of things here;
1) The Rainbow squad is not only multi-ethnic, but an assortment of body types, and personalities... stereotypes perhaps, but personalities.
2) Virago isn't even TRYING for subtext is she?
3) An effective strategy there!
4) Styling striped bloomers you got there ladies!
Following a pre-arranged plan, Dynamoll follows Cap and resolves to wipe him out with her energy aura...
Oops! I love Cap not even NOTICING atomic blasts aimed at him.
Meanwhile back at the restaurant Jack, being the good little ex-hero that he is, tries to stop the the Squad, but is flattened by Virago as they make their getaway. Uncle Dudley ponders where they got such powers (Earth-S not being awash with metahumans)
So we have the Rainbow Squad, given their powers by Mr Wonderful (I kid you not, that's his name) thanks to a device built by an alien called Handyman. This is how you can tell you're reading comics kids!
Dynamoll reports that Captain Marvel even shrugged off her atomic blast, but this does not make their boss happy.
I have to say, I like his approach to dealing with heroes! )
Yes Virago, we get the message!
Meanwhile, Dudley has been talking with Jack about how Cap reacted to the Squad. Jack points out that at his core, Cap is still Billy in some ways, a 12 year old kid with very confused emotions about girls and bullying and how a man is supposed to behave. They decide to use the Eterniphone to contact the Eldes.
A quick holographic message from Achilles, who tells him the story of Patroclus (Achilles best friend, who took Ulysses place in battle and was slain by Hector thus showing Achilles that some fights should ALWAYS be fought and brought him back to the rest of the Trojan war. Considering what a waste that whole damn war was, that's NOT the BEST argument there Achy, but what the hell) Realising that Captain Marvel needs a friend to show him the right thing to do in a situation like this, Jack resolves to renew his crimefighting career, and switches into his costume.
It's corny as hell, but I LOVE that outfit.I actually think I had a similar shirt in the 1980's (though in monochrome), but then... it WAS the 1980's.
Meanwhile Dynamoll has found Cap, still wandering around trying to work out how he can clobber girls and still call himself a hero. It's an odd thing for a hero to be emo over, but if you consider his unique situation, it would be a problem.
And thus Billy proves yet again why he's the only juvenile hero to be tied up and gagged more often than any TWO Robins.
I adore this deathtrap... so classic it's up there with the Perils of Penelope Pitstop meets Monty Python!
Forget Captain Marvel, I want to know where they got that chair from, it seems able to withstand a five ton weight being dropped on it without a problem! Ikea eat your heart out!
OKAY Virago, we GET it! Oy....
I approve of Minuteman recognising the Squad's weakness, they only have ONE power each,,, Conversely, I approve of Sybil spotting this and suggesting ganging up on them.
Yup, so Virago has the strength, but without the invulnerability, she has a problem too,
I don't think you CAN reflect lightning with a mirror, but with magic auras anything is possible
Oh, and recycling bondage material! That's environmentally friendly at least!
Cap punches out Mr Wonderful, who rather than crumple, self destructs because....
This was, IIRC, Mr Minds first appearance in the modern continuity. They explained that he'd been tried and found guilty of 186, 744 charges of murder! (Good grief, The Joker? Hah! An amateur!) and executed by electric chair... presumably a really, REALLY, small one. But it turns out his species is immune to electric shock, and after waking from the brief death-like coma it put him in, was able to mentally control the taxidermist hired to prepare him for museum display, and substitute a fake.
Mr Mind takes advantage of the cheerfully patriotically garbed heroes return to consicouness to jump out of Caps hand and dive into the floorboards, threatening to meet Marvel again in Detroit, where Billy's countrywide tour was taking him anyway.
So the story ends happily enough, with the Rainbow Squad (Who would never be seen again) being jailed, Mr Mind on the run, Billy not being squished and Minuteman returning to active duty!
That reminded me, sort of, of this story, where Captain Marvel has to deal with a team of villains who share a similar sort of concept.
Well, he IS a 12 year old in an adults body...
From Shazam! The World's Mightiest Mortal #31 in 1977 I bring you
Okay, quick continuity recap. Pre-Crisis, Shazam's adventures happened on Earth-S, a world where the Marvel Family are the world's most famous heroes, and the likes of Black Adam,, Dr Sivana and his family, and Mr Mind are the only real supervillains. (As opposed to these days when they have been desperately diluted by being mixed in with the rest of the superpowered beings, but never mind). The events of this series take place after most of the major cast have been trapped in a bubble of Suspendium for decades, and only recently been released. So Billy WAS active as Captain Marvel in the 1940's but spent most of the time between then and the 1970's in suspended animation. Billy resolves to set out and discover more about their new world on a road trip with Uncle Dudley (This sort of tied in with the 1970's live action Shazam show, except that Uncle Dudley was replaced by "Mentor", they couldn't afford the Rock of Eternity sets, and so the "Elders" who empowered Cap would talk to Billy via the Eterniphone, a sort of 3D television, and impart important lessons in morality blah blah blah)
We open as young Billy Batson and Uncle Dudley, the dubious looking middle aged fellow who hangs around with him a lot, meets up with his old friend Jack Weston, the former hero known as Minute Man (No "The Specials" jokes please, he's not a shrinker, he's one of those terribly American patriotic heroes you chaps seem to have so many of). Jack has retired and is now a restauranteur (He spent so long on KP in his army days because he was sneaking out on missions for Uncle Sam, he felt it was the best use of the skills he'd picked up). He wasn't trapped in the Suspendium so has grown up and moved on with his life.
In the middle of the meal gatecrashers show up...
So we have Virago, a woman hating strongwoman... Dauntless, who can sap courage...
Oh, and yes Billy, six weirdly dressed women have just burst in to tob the joint, and you think anyone is paying attention to a 12 year old kid? Some ego you got there kiddo.
The rest of the Squad display their specialities...
So that's Gibraltar, Celeritas, Sibyl and Dynamoll (I have to say, I LOVE those names! :) )
Billy says his magic word (You know the one!) and so....
Okay, let's just take a moment to appreciate a couple of things here;
1) The Rainbow squad is not only multi-ethnic, but an assortment of body types, and personalities... stereotypes perhaps, but personalities.
2) Virago isn't even TRYING for subtext is she?
3) An effective strategy there!
4) Styling striped bloomers you got there ladies!
Following a pre-arranged plan, Dynamoll follows Cap and resolves to wipe him out with her energy aura...
Oops! I love Cap not even NOTICING atomic blasts aimed at him.
Meanwhile back at the restaurant Jack, being the good little ex-hero that he is, tries to stop the the Squad, but is flattened by Virago as they make their getaway. Uncle Dudley ponders where they got such powers (Earth-S not being awash with metahumans)
So we have the Rainbow Squad, given their powers by Mr Wonderful (I kid you not, that's his name) thanks to a device built by an alien called Handyman. This is how you can tell you're reading comics kids!
Dynamoll reports that Captain Marvel even shrugged off her atomic blast, but this does not make their boss happy.
I have to say, I like his approach to dealing with heroes! )
Yes Virago, we get the message!
Meanwhile, Dudley has been talking with Jack about how Cap reacted to the Squad. Jack points out that at his core, Cap is still Billy in some ways, a 12 year old kid with very confused emotions about girls and bullying and how a man is supposed to behave. They decide to use the Eterniphone to contact the Eldes.
A quick holographic message from Achilles, who tells him the story of Patroclus (Achilles best friend, who took Ulysses place in battle and was slain by Hector thus showing Achilles that some fights should ALWAYS be fought and brought him back to the rest of the Trojan war. Considering what a waste that whole damn war was, that's NOT the BEST argument there Achy, but what the hell) Realising that Captain Marvel needs a friend to show him the right thing to do in a situation like this, Jack resolves to renew his crimefighting career, and switches into his costume.
It's corny as hell, but I LOVE that outfit.I actually think I had a similar shirt in the 1980's (though in monochrome), but then... it WAS the 1980's.
Meanwhile Dynamoll has found Cap, still wandering around trying to work out how he can clobber girls and still call himself a hero. It's an odd thing for a hero to be emo over, but if you consider his unique situation, it would be a problem.
And thus Billy proves yet again why he's the only juvenile hero to be tied up and gagged more often than any TWO Robins.
I adore this deathtrap... so classic it's up there with the Perils of Penelope Pitstop meets Monty Python!
Forget Captain Marvel, I want to know where they got that chair from, it seems able to withstand a five ton weight being dropped on it without a problem! Ikea eat your heart out!
OKAY Virago, we GET it! Oy....
I approve of Minuteman recognising the Squad's weakness, they only have ONE power each,,, Conversely, I approve of Sybil spotting this and suggesting ganging up on them.
Yup, so Virago has the strength, but without the invulnerability, she has a problem too,
I don't think you CAN reflect lightning with a mirror, but with magic auras anything is possible
Oh, and recycling bondage material! That's environmentally friendly at least!
Cap punches out Mr Wonderful, who rather than crumple, self destructs because....
This was, IIRC, Mr Minds first appearance in the modern continuity. They explained that he'd been tried and found guilty of 186, 744 charges of murder! (Good grief, The Joker? Hah! An amateur!) and executed by electric chair... presumably a really, REALLY, small one. But it turns out his species is immune to electric shock, and after waking from the brief death-like coma it put him in, was able to mentally control the taxidermist hired to prepare him for museum display, and substitute a fake.
Mr Mind takes advantage of the cheerfully patriotically garbed heroes return to consicouness to jump out of Caps hand and dive into the floorboards, threatening to meet Marvel again in Detroit, where Billy's countrywide tour was taking him anyway.
So the story ends happily enough, with the Rainbow Squad (Who would never be seen again) being jailed, Mr Mind on the run, Billy not being squished and Minuteman returning to active duty!