# 8-Man: Did one 60's superhero get his power from … smoking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [March 25, 2015, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-man-did-one-60s-superhero-get-his-power-from-smoking/715941 "2015-03-25T15:07:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![qazwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5fc32e/32.png) [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-man-did-one-60s-superhero-get-his-power-from-smoking/715941/1 "2015-03-25T15:07:57Z")
[Column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1386/did-one-60s-superhero-get-his-power-from-smoking) I remember the Mighty-Mouse [snorting cocaine](http://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/26/nyregion/mighty-mouse-flying-high-on-flowers.html) controversy, the [Bert and Ernie are gay](http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Are_Ernie_and_Bert_gay%3F) controversy. It’s surprising that certain groups scrutinize these cartoons for all sorts of hidden meanings that they missed a super hero who smokes a mysterious cigarette to gain super powers possibilities. After all, this was the era which parent groups were convinced that Puff the Magic Dragon was a drug song. Of course, this was the era where you could buy candy cigarettes. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-man-did-one-60s-superhero-get-his-power-from-smoking/715941/2 "2015-03-25T15:27:36Z")
Aw, man, now I want to see Squirrel Girl join the Avengers. At least have her show up at Tony Stark’s place so she can play off of Pepper Potts. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-man-did-one-60s-superhero-get-his-power-from-smoking/715941/3 "2015-03-25T17:42:35Z")
This thread would not be complete without a mention of Snowflame, a supervillain for whom cocaine is both his origin story and his religion. ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2015, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-man-did-one-60s-superhero-get-his-power-from-smoking/715941/4 "2015-03-26T00:07:00Z")
Don’t forget Mr. Terrific (the TV one) and his Power Pill. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2015, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-man-did-one-60s-superhero-get-his-power-from-smoking/715941/5 "2015-03-26T03:45:07Z")
Atomic Mouse and his U-235 Pill. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2015, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-man-did-one-60s-superhero-get-his-power-from-smoking/715941/6 "2015-03-26T16:22:21Z")
Underdog took a pill, too. A red pill he kept in his ring. ---
**Author:** ![qazwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5fc32e/32.png) [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-man-did-one-60s-superhero-get-his-power-from-smoking/715941/7 "2015-03-31T16:23:30Z")
If we’re covering pills and such. What about Super Chicken’s Super Sauce which was drunk out of a martini glass. I never knew the actual powers the Super Sauce gave Super Chicken, but after consuming it, he did dress up in a funny costume. A habit similar to people drinking too much \*super sauce \*on St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-man-did-one-60s-superhero-get-his-power-from-smoking/715941/8 "2015-03-31T19:47:46Z")
> [@qazwart](#): > > After all, this was the era which parent groups were convinced that Puff the Magic Dragon was a drug song. Peter Yarrow has always insisted that _Puff the Magic Dragon_ isn’t a drug song, and I take him at his word, but seriously: Characters called “Puff” and “Jackie Paper”? And Puff takes you to a magical land? Is it really that hard to believe that people would think this is drug song?