Been watching this one work it's way around the blogsphere. After K-Punk and Loki failed to pass it my way (even though they must've known it was my kinda thang) it was left to Psychbloke to remember who his mates are.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why? (Assume you also get baseline superhero enhancements like moderately increased strength, endurance and agility.)
The ability to travel back down my own timeline and undo every stupid mistake and bad decision I ever made, for obvious reasons.
Which, if any, 'existing' superhero(es) do you fancy, and why?
As I intimated in the book meme a while back, super-chics in skin-tight costumes are always welcome in my sick, twisted little psyche. And if they get involved in some arcane bondage situation (like the Scarlet Witch, below) then even better!! To this day I still judge a good female figure by the proportions laid-down by John Buscema in "How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way".
Which, if any, 'existing' superhero(es) do you hate?
Superman, of course. Too powerful, too straight-laced...a right boring old fucker. Frank Miller knew that too. One of my favourite comic scenes ever was the final section of "The Dark Knight Returns", where the Batman kicks the living shit out of him: "We could've changed the world...now look at us...I've become a political liability and you...you're a joke. I want you to remember, Clark..in all the years to come...in your most private moments...I want you to remember my hand at your throat...I want you to remember the one man who beat you...". Amen to that, Bats.
Is there an 'existing' superhero with whom you identify/whom you would like to be?
When I was very young I wanted to be Captain America. I must've had a thing for heroes wrapped in a flag, cos in '77 I changed my mind and decided I liked the new Captain Britain more. He was english for a start, which was a bit of a novelty then (the only other patriotic Brit that Marvel came up with before that was WWII hero Union Jack). Although Cap's early adventures were pretty average affairs, by the early '80s his destiny was in the hands of Alan Moore and Alan Davis, two of the finest talents to emerge from Marvel UK's nascent talent pool. As my own tastes were starting mature, it seemed that Captain Britain was maturing with them and I continued to avidly follow his adventures for several years. Not only did the storylines have more depth than most of the big American ones running at the time, but the characterisation of Cap and his supporting characters was also way ahead in terms of creating believable personalities that you really could identify with. The Captain himself was one of the most 'human' superhumans I'd ever had the pleasure of getting to know. Having had greatness thrust upon him unexpectedly, it was clear that he still wasn't mentally prepared for the job in hand. He would often become exasperated, depressed, surly, unforgiving, self-obsessed and sulky if things didn't seem to be going his way. During one particularly low period he took to sitting on rooftops drinking brandy and even briefly quit the hero's life to live a blissful existence with his mutant girlfriend Meggan on a remote lighthouse. He was basically the sort of person who just wanted a quiet life and a regular shag. He wanted to be a 'good guy', but had 'motivation issues'. I can identify with that.
What would your superhero name be? (No prefab porn-name formulas here, you have to make up the name you think you'd be proud to mask under.)
Now you've got me stumped. Nothing springs to mind. I just ain't feeling very 'super' right now. Sorry.
Pass it on. Three people please, and why they're the wind beneath your wings.
None of the people I nominated for the book meme, obviously. Useless buggers! So let's try...
11v - Not sure if he's actually into superpersons, but I reckon he's game for a laugh.
Rob Loveecstacycrime - cos I reckon he must have a few super-skeletons rattling in his closet.
Kid Kameleon - cos he's an American and therefore must know his Marvels from his DCs. Plus he's, like, really cool.
A characteristically thoughtful post Mr Gutta.
ReplyDeleteThe politics of memes eh? Do we pass onto our mates, or to people we don't know, or people we haven't passed memes onto before? The bloggiquette (As Effay would put it) just ain't laid down. Maybe an open invite for all fellow idiots on all memes?
Agree with you re. Superman and considered him myself. Interesting how the TV shows have had to scale down the powers and up the romance angle to make him work. In the comics, he only works if a tinge of existential doubt is added to his powers and the only one in the DCU with the nuts to add that to the mix is Batman.
Also, I like the original Captain Britain costume best, didn't you?
Hrrm..maybe. But the stories and art were loads better in the second incarnation.
ReplyDeleteHaha. Useless bugger indeed. I actually got caught up on the desert island book thing. But I was planning to do mine this week, honest ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm off on my hols any day now, but if I get a chance to do it I will, though I might need a little help! Cheers, 11V
ReplyDeletehey, my friend Sebastian Irrgang is posting some of my marker drawings: i have given him some abstract stuff depicting me as Captain America and Captain Britain and the full series featuring me as the Vulture: do you remember? that grim bald crook with green wings and stuff. however, the blog is cool, just check it.
ReplyDeleteoh geez, i been memed...havent read a comic for about twenty years, but ill give it a go :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was like 13 I created a character for a superhero saga: he was a Nebraska-based mutant supposed to join the X-Men, at last: his nickname was Hobo, because driven out of his village and then living like a bum: using powers he had killed his brother, a Vietnam veteran went crazy who had raped the mongoloid girl of the village: sinister crazy shit, I know.
ReplyDeleteSorry GB! I just checked back in after a long absense from the blog. Gotta check out all the other stuff posted above, but since you call me out by name, have to say that I never followed comics when I was a kid and I wouldn't have much to say. However, I'm gonna pass the buck on to someone who's a veritable powerhouse on the subject and would have awesome stuff to say. BWilder. I'll get him to maybe post a link here if he chooses to do it.
ReplyDelete