Shamrock vs. Arnim Zola

[starwolf_oakley]

I planned to post this for St. Patrick's Day. Whoops. It is from MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #24, and an early story by Scott Lobdell. Shamrock, aka Molly Fitzgerald, vs. Arnim Zola. Shamrock doesn't wear green tights in the story, which *might* be for the best.



Molly returns home after the death of her brother. Her father, mad about the death and his daughter being a peace-loving teacher, drugs her tea and brings her to Arnim Zola.



This was the first time I'd ever seen Arnim Zola. It was pretty trippy. Still is, although he's less "Max Headroom" in movie stories. (Hey, the guy transferred the Red Skull's mind into a cloned body of Steve Rogers! Dude has skills.)

Zola wants to transfer Molly's "good luck" powers to her father. But first he has to see how they work. And then...



Molly is a conduit for spirits of the innocent victims of war? Sounds like something from a Ghost Rider comic.



So, *Arnim Zola* is giving Molly a morality lecture?

"Yes, I created the Hate-Monger, gave the Red Skull a new body, and other evil things, but at least I'm not full of crap!"



It can be hard to equate "With great power comes great responsibility" to "Must punch bad guys in the face."

Molly's father is rather angry about all this, and tries to kill her. Since Molly can't really control her powers, the gun explodes in his hand, killing him.

Comments

[tammy_moore]

I would like to posit that Molly's lack of grief isn't because she's busy, but because her Dad was a bit of a budgiefart, you know?

Also, conduit for the countless innocent victims of war is a bit of a complex explanation for probability based powers. Although I suppose it might make people more sympathetic over the fact she burnt down a local castle.

[shanejayell]

Well, 'burn down' might be a bit much if it's actually a castle. Might damage it a lot, admittedly...

[icon_uk]

It burning is highly improbable, therefore.....

[shanejayell]

Well, yes and no. The walls in castles were stone, but often had wooden roofs. Also internal structures were at times made with wood. So bits of it could burn... dunno if that matches the comic though.

*lol*

[biod]

The stone burnt down and the wood was immaculately perserved

[freezer]

Didn't Shamrock pretty much give up being a costumed hero because her powers were so essentially random she couldn't depend on them? I seem to recall something like that.

[shanejayell]

I THINK she is still active, but it has been awhile. She was in Alpha Flight Vol 1 at one point, and I think got a mention in Civil War.

[shanejayell]

Whoops. According to Wikipedia she appears in Girl Comics and HAS retired.

(And got overweight, apparently. Why must a heroine, if she retires, lose her good shape? *sigh*)

[icon_uk]

Or why not continue as a hero AND lose her good shape, just for a bit of variety in physical shape.

[shanejayell]

The only realistic looking females are in indie books. And not even so much in them, now...

[shadowpsykie]

well, there is big bertha isn't there? or is that not realistic either?

[shanejayell]

Isn't her superpower going from Big to supermodel? I think.

[shadowpsykie]

i believe it's the opposite. going from Supermodel thing to Big. her real form is supermodel i think and her superhero form is Big

[shanejayell]

Either way, not a realistic body type.

I think the last sorta 'real' looking woman I saw in a comic was in Love and Rockets. *lol*

Mod Note

[salinea]

I appreciate you're talking about the uniformity of body types in female characters in comics and that the one almost always showcased is one that is rare in the real world; but there is a gap between saying that and implying that women of a certain body type aren't real. This last comment lies a bit too close to some forms of body shaming and policing, be more careful of this in the future.

Re: Mod Note

[shanejayell]

That is why I said sorta and put 'real' in quotes. I was talking about drawn characters and not real people.

Warning taken, I'll try to phrase it differently next time.

[halloweenjack]

In the GLA miniseries several years back, Dan Slott established that, wherever she gets the extra mass from, she gets rid of it by vomiting it up. Yep, bulimia as a superpower (sort of).

[shanejayell]

Well ick.

[bewareofgeek]

Last time I saw her in a comic (Excalibur, I think) she'd chucked it all and become a hairdresser.

[shadowpsykie]

.... did she? or did she go from hairdresser to writer? she is a red head....

[shanejayell]

Oooh! *lol*

Took me a minute to get that.

[shadowpsykie]

:D teehee :D i am glad someone got it, and quicker than i thought, you get a "no prize" OR a free internet! :D

[pyrotwilight]

I'll take a wonderous no prize as well. XP