# Ask the comic guy.. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 9, 2003, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415 "2003-01-09T01:53:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 25
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/481 "2003-02-15T06:12:18Z")
How 'bout “noisesome”? Or “Muck-encrusted mockery of a man…” 😛 Anyway, I’ve never read one of the original Heap stories (Eclipse comics brought it back in the early '80s after Moore’s Swampy took off), but the panels I’ve seen have always shown his plane crashing and bursting into flames in the swamp, so flames (and if you include the gas, chemicals) might be involved. **Peyote** : We actually _saw_ The Heap as such in approx, Swampy #47. He’s the member of the Parliment that’s holding a little model WWI airplane. And I’m pretty sure the “Fungus elemental” thing was post-Veitch…it was also post those dreadful Nancy “Let’s make unsubtle political statements instead of telling a story” Collins issues: there was a period where _every_thing was an elemental. Captain Atom was a “Quantum elemental” :rolleyes:. Brother Power was a “rag elemental” (or a “doll elemental” :rolleyes: ) There was a bad-guy rock elemental, IIRC that was also involved. It was pretty much crap, IMO. Fenris ---
**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/482 "2003-02-15T15:47:21Z")
Well I suppose Grundy always was a fun guy… Don’t hit me. So basically once the circus performer look was used everyone started copying it? Gah, tights do not make for intimidation unless one’s opponent is seriousy homophobic. ---
**Author:** ![ResIpsaLoquitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@ResIpsaLoquitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ResIpsaLoquitor)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/483 "2003-02-15T20:30:22Z")
> [@](#): > > So basically once the circus performer look was used everyone started copying it? Gah, tights do not make for intimidation unless one’s opponent is seriousy homophobic. …AND the hero needs to be in shape, lest every buldge of flab be seriously enhanced. I remember a JLA Annual that had the Blue Beetle coming out of retirement after 10 years (during which he’d been eating pizza and drinking beer nonstop). The sight was NOT pretty, although the crooks he tried to capture got a good laugh. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/484 "2003-02-17T04:51:29Z")
Fenris: > [@](#): > > Brother Power was a “rag elemental” (or a “doll elemental” :rolleyes ) Roll your eyes if you wish, but didn’t Neil Gaiman actually write that story? Chaim Mattis Keller ---
**Author:** ![New\_Improved\_Scott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f17d59/32.png) [@New\_Improved\_Scott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Improved_Scott)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/485 "2003-02-17T12:11:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DrFidelius \* > \*\*Oops. > > Batman: In Darkest Knight > > Wherein the brooding Bruce Wayne is summoned by Abin Sur rather than being startled by a bat. > > Cool. \*\* The story for this title was infact an “Elseworlds” book, and while the book itself wasn’t half bad, the costume design was absolutely horrible. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/486 "2003-02-17T12:11:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cmkeller \* > \*\*Roll your eyes if you wish, but didn’t Neil Gaiman actually write that story? > \*\* Yup. It was his first work for DC, IIRC. But even a genius like Gaiman can produce a stinker now and again. (A “doll elemental”? C’mon.) ---
**Author:** ![New\_Improved\_Scott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f17d59/32.png) [@New\_Improved\_Scott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Improved_Scott)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/487 "2003-02-17T12:17:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sock Munkey \* > \*\*I always wondered how Batman would act if he were given super powers of some kind. Was this ever done? \*\* Aside from the aformentioned Elseworlds book, Bats has had superpowers in continuity, and more recently. A JLA one-shot, entitled “Foreign Bodies” had many members of the JLA switch minds into each others bodies. IE Aquaman into Wonder Woman’s body, Flash into Steel’s. Batman was tossed into Superman’s bod, and had the oppertunity to “be” Superman. I’m paraphrasing, but when Oracle radioed to check in on him, his response was akin to “I’ve put out a fire, captured the Riddler, realigned the Moon to it’s proper orbit, stopped Mr. Freeze from crashing an iceberg into Gotham harbour, and apart from the psychological discomfort arising from not wearing a mask, I’m fine.” Killer material. ---
**Author:** ![New\_Improved\_Scott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f17d59/32.png) [@New\_Improved\_Scott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Improved_Scott)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/488 "2003-02-17T12:24:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by shy guy \* > \*\*I have some Frank Miller Daredevil issue where he’s laying in a cheap motel and decribing all the horrible things he can hear around him and can’t shut out. Good stuff. \*\* There’s also an ish of Uncanny X-Men, 208 or 209, where Phoenix II (Rachel) is in a horrible amount of pain after Wolverine guts her, and she can’t concentrate enough to block out the thoughts of the people in the neighbor hood. It drives her a little nuts. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/489 "2003-02-17T16:11:37Z")
Fenris: Thanks for pointing out that the Heap was a member of the Parliament of Trees. I had forgotten about that miniature plane until I read your post. Also, the fungus elemental is post-Veitch. I recently re-read all my Veitch Swamp Things and there was no such mention. Dr.Fidelius: You need to play D&D more often. Then you can have all kinds of discussions about swamp monsters and shambling mounds. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/490 "2003-02-17T16:28:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Peyote Coyote \* > \*\*Dr.Fidelius: You need to play D&D more often. Then you can have all kinds of discussions about swamp monsters and shambling mounds. \*\* True enough, but nobody’s got more shambling than Lovecraft! Which reminds me- Mike Mignola has done a lot of great Lovecraft-esque work(The Doom That Came To Gotham, many HellBoy stories) has he ever done an official adaptation? Or any originally Mythos work? If not, why hasn’t Arkham House given him permission to do so? Given Mignola’s obvious love of HPL, I can’t imagine anything else would prevent him ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/491 "2003-02-17T18:32:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fenris \* > \*\* > **Peyote** : We actually _saw_ The Heap as such in approx, Swampy #47. He’s the member of the Parliment that’s holding a little model WWI airplane. \*\* Don’t forget, the parliament had been “arranging” accidents for centuries, in order to make sure Swamp Thing did in fact form. The earliest members remembered him from the time travel series when he founded the parliament, but they didn’t remember exactly what his name was. So, over a number of centuries they arranged for different people with names that sounded similar to “Alec Holland” to become plant elementals. I believe the parliamentary holding the model plane was an earlier one whose name was something like Alex Holdman. Just as The Green Man who’s appearing in the Johanna Constantine mini was named Alf Oldman or some such. > [@](#): > > \*\*Brother Power was a “rag elemental” (or a “doll elemental” :rolleyes: ) There was a bad-guy rock elemental, IIRC that was also involved. It was pretty much crap, IMO. > > Fenris \*\* Okay, I liked it myself. The explanation was that Brother Power was a failed plant elemental who instead formed a bond with trash. Granted, that’s pretty much like the old Legion tryout character who could attract dirt to himself but nothing else (if he could control dirt, didn’t that mean he had geomancer powers? He should have been able to form huge balls of dirt and hurl them like cannonballs. See, it’s all in how one uses ones’ power.), but I still enjoyed the story. I especially liked the barroom scene with Abbie’s friend (whose name I can’t recall right now, Clarence?) and the CIA agent, who had been a hippy before turning ultra-conservative. Some good character work there. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/492 "2003-02-18T05:30:02Z")
A coupla (Well, a “few”) questions… 1. Was/is there another version of the current “Spider-Girl,” Peter Parker and Mary Jane’s daughter in the MC2 universe? I keep finding references to a future “Mayday” parker traveling back in time to help save her infant self, but I can’t narrow it down further than that. 2. We’ve all heard of superheroes being called “vigilantes” by their critics…my question is, are there any superheroes that openly belong to a preexisting police or military organization? 3. A vow to thee, Opal. 4. Are there many other notable “non combative” superheroes? Like Oracle or the late Cypher? I don’t imagine so, but I thought I’d ask. Ranchoth ---
**Author:** ![Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/493 "2003-02-18T07:03:23Z")
**Ranchoth** ’s #2: For various values of “superhero” you could consider Nick Fury, and his entire orginization as a government funded, and sanctioned group. (Fury himself counts, as he recieved a watered down version of the super-soldier formula, didn’t he?) Captain America was an enlisted serviceman in WWII, after volunteering for the super-soldier formula tests. There was a replacement Cap for a while, who later established himself as the USAgent (I think… that name might belong to someone else) and for a good chunk of his run in the comics was a “special operative” for the US government, of some type. Weren’t the Avengers sponsored or at least administrated by some branch of the US gov/armed services for quite a while? Possibly even the UN? [sub]Hawkman and Hawkgirl were cops on their home planet, but that’s not what you meant, was it?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/494 "2003-02-18T11:43:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > \*\*A coupla (Well, a “few”) questions… > > 1. Was/is there another version of the current “Spider-Girl,” Peter Parker and Mary Jane’s daughter in the MC2 universe? I keep finding references to a future “Mayday” parker traveling back in time to help save her infant self, but I can’t narrow it down further than that. \*\* #1: MC2? I think there’s only the one Spider-Girl. She’s supposedly from an alternate future where the ending of the Clone Saga was different and Byrne never touched the book. (She’s actually from an alternate present, but let that go…) Anyway, as far as anyone knows, the “real” Mayday Parker is still murdered, killed by John Byrne being terrified by anything that moves Spider-Man beyond the status quo in 1974, so no. Spider-Girl hasn’t saved her parallel infant self. The “future” Mayday _did_ travel back in time, but she met Spider-Man circa 1964 or so. \*\* > [@](#): > > 1. We’ve all heard of superheroes being called “vigilantes” by their critics…my question is, are there any superheroes that openly belong to a preexisting police or military organization? \*\* Batman, who in various incarnations, was a de-facto member of the Gotham police. Captain America was a military captain and still has close ties to the military. Captain Atom (stupid '80s revival version) was a member of the military. Superman, Earth-1 was given police powers by the U.N. and was free to go anywhere in the world (Even Krushev ok’d it!) There’s others, but that’s a start. \*\* > [@](#): > > 1. Are there many other notable “non combative” superheroes? Like Oracle or the late Cypher? I don’t imagine so, but I thought I’d ask. \*\* Off the top of my head, Braniac 5 from the Legion of Super-Heroes is the first that comes to mind. His power? He’s real smart. REAL smart. Fenris Ranchoth \*\* [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![New\_Improved\_Scott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f17d59/32.png) [@New\_Improved\_Scott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Improved_Scott)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/495 "2003-02-18T12:06:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > \*\*A coupla (Well, a “few”) questions… > 2. We’ve all heard of superheroes being called “vigilantes” by their critics…my question is, are there any superheroes that openly belong to a preexisting police or military organization? > > Ranchoth \*\* Some I could think of is the Savage Dragon, by Erik Larson under the Image banner. He’s a member of the Chicago Police dept. Oh, and before the got all hunted, Frank Castle (Punnisher) and Bruce Banner (Hulk) both were involved in the Army. Spawn and Chapel, again from Image, were part of a CIA hit squad. Grifter from the WildC.A.T.S. (Again with Image) was part of the Army too. And everyone forgot Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandoes. Nick Fury went on to be the head of the SHEILD organization. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/496 "2003-02-18T17:32:17Z")
Fenris: > [@](#): > > But even a genius like Gaiman can produce a stinker now and again. Of course, but you seemed to be blaming Nancy Colins for it. Also, I’m pretty sure Neil’s first published DC work was a Poison Ivy origin story in Secret Origins # 36, not the Brother Power one. photopat: > [@](#): > > Granted, that’s pretty much like the old Legion tryout character who could attract dirt to himself but nothing else His name, for the record, was “The Mess”. Ranchoth: > [@](#): > > 1. We’ve all heard of superheroes being called “vigilantes” by their critics…my question is, are there any superheroes that openly belong to a preexisting police or military organization? In the most recent Starman series, Starman had an official arrangement with the Opal City Police Department, though I don’t think he could be said to have been a member of it. The Legion of Super-Heroes were officially deputized as part of the Science Police. And Jim Corrigan, the Spectre, was a detective with the NYPD. Dan Richards, one of the Golden Age Manhunters, Jim Harper, the Guardian and Charles Lane, the Jester were also police officers in their “private lives” although their super-heroic personas did not publicly serve the department. But, on the subject of the Guardian, the current Guarduan (a clone of the original) is head of security at the Cadmus Project, which is government-run. Fenris: > [@](#): > > Off the top of my head, Braniac 5 from the Legion of Super-Heroes is the first that comes to mind. His power? He’s real smart. REAL smart. While that is his power, I think that his use of the force-shield belt in action excludes him from the non-combative category. Chaim Mattis Keller ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/497 "2003-02-18T18:27:04Z")
(Until very recently, possibly) Dick Grayson’s a member of the Bludhaven PD, but not openly connected to his Nightwing Persona. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/498 "2003-02-18T20:19:31Z")
2.) The Avengers definitely had a government connection at one point as Henry Gyrich forced the team to kick off Hawkeye and replace him with The Falcon so the team could compliy with the appropriate equal employment requirements. This happened in the 190’s or thereabouts of the original series. 4.) I would nominate the dude in the wheelchair who sent out the original Doom Patrol to various nasty tasks. Baron Winters is another possibility, although I guess he might not qualify for a superhero. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/499 "2003-02-18T21:18:12Z")
John Jones (J’onn J’onzz) was a detective with the Denver Police Department, albeit not as the Martian Manhunter. Barry (The Flash) Allen was a forensic scientist with the Central City P.D. ---
**Author:** ![Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aslan_of_Narnia)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/500 "2003-02-18T21:53:39Z")
If cyclops were to continious shoot his optic beams how long would it last? Does it have a limit? What would happen when he reaches the limit? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415.md?page=24) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415.md?page=26)