# 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:** 32
**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:** [March 3, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/621 "2003-03-03T14:11:48Z")
They did publish Wolverine’s background in a 6 issue mini series entitled “Origin”, which aside from having very nice cover art, was poo. Some of the things you found out in that series were: He was born and raised in Alberta. So he always was a Canuck. His real name is James Howlett. Logan was the name of his family’s hired hand. His claws are a mutation, he had them pop during his first mutant “episode”. (Why the hell the guys who gave him the adamatium didn’t notice them when the cut him open, I don’t know.) A traumatic experiance with his first mutation caused him to go into shock and caused amnesia. A later traumatic experiance caused him to flee into the Yukon wilderness, and live like a beast. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/622 "2003-03-03T15:32:28Z")
Magneto is dead and will be for some time as long as Marvel wants to keep Morrison happy. Although Savage killed Resurrection Man, it was believed permanently, in the 83d century, the DC One Million 80-Page Giant showed that Mitch somehow survived. Shadowcat is currently starring in the Claremont-penned miniseries Mekanix. I don’t know more about it than that. If you’re familiar with both the early-80’s Marvel Micronauts series and the current Devil’s Due/Image series, you’ll note that some but not all of the characters are the same. For instance, Baron Karza is owned by the toy company and so was part of the license, while the Marvel character Bug was created for the comic and is owned by Marvel. (This is the same reason you shouldn’t expect to see Circuit Breaker show up in the current Transformers series.) –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/623 "2003-03-03T16:26:10Z")
OK, I’ll bite, how did Magneto die? And was he a good guy or bad guy at the time? ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/624 "2003-03-03T16:53:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Starbury \* > \*\*I’m almost positive that the second guy you described _is_ Ressurection man. (Vandal Savage eventually killed him in the D.C. 1 Million “event” and was then himself killed by The Martian Manhunter – all in the future though) \*\* No, Immortal Man died in the Crisis. The jewel that was essential for his rebirth was destroyed by the anti-matter effect. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Starbury \* > \*\*A bit of background: in the 1 Million series, Savage comes up with this plan to kill Superman (Superman basically is able to keep himself from aging by living inside the Sun) using a bullet made of kryptonite. He also uses the Red Rockets (Russian super heros in Iron Man-like power suits) to blow up the city of Montevideo. > > Basically, J’onn (J’ohn? however you spell it), Green Lantern and Huntress come up with a convoluted plan to defeat Vandal Savage and the main bad guy from One Million (it was an artificial sun, I forget what its called). > > Anyway, J’onn takes the Green Lantern’s ring at some point in the near future, goes to Mars and hides there until the year 1 million. He’s not exactly alive, he becomes kind of like a ghost…I realize I’m doing a bad job of explaining this.\*\* Superman didn’t stop aging because of living in the sun. He was just staying there for a few thousand years relaxing and meditating. He was already tens of thousands of years old before he went in. And J’onn was not a ghost. He became one with the planet Mars. This actually follows from an issue of his short lived series. Lok ---
**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:** [March 3, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/625 "2003-03-03T21:20:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gonzoron \* > \*\*OK, I’ll bite, how did Magneto die? \*\* I don’t remember. It was gibberish. Really. I think he was assassinated. Or something. > [@](#): > > \*\* And was he a good guy or bad guy at the time? \*\* Yes. A clone (but not REALLY a clone, 'cause Marvel don’t use that word no more) named Joseph was a good guy and running around. So was Magneto. Fenris ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/626 "2003-03-03T21:36:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lok \* > \*\*No, Immortal Man died in the Crisis. The jewel that was essential for his rebirth was destroyed by the anti-matter effect. > > Lok \*\* Well, I’m 'fraid not. While the jewel WAS destroyed, the Immortal Man did return as a girl and that aspect of the story culminated with Flash #50. Ressurection Man did gain the abilities of the Immortal Man. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/627 "2003-03-03T21:56:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fenris \* > > * * * > > I don’t remember. It was gibberish. Really. I think he was assassinated. Or something. > > Yes. > > A clone (but not REALLY a clone, 'cause Marvel don’t use that word no more) named Joseph was a good guy and running around. So was Magneto. > > Fenris \*\* Actually, more recently he was killed (again) while on the island of Genosha which I believe the UN granted him control of. Professor X’s evil twin sister found a cousin of Sentinel creator Trask and enticed him to take control of a hidden Sentinel factory. Since the Sentinels detcted Trask DNA, they did what he told them to do. X’s sis had him command them to destroy Genosha, which they did a damn good job of. Magneto was in the top floor of some building, reading, when he looked up and saw a Sentinel flying right into him (shades of 9/11). The Sentinels then made short work of the rest of the country and Maggie is presumed dead (riiiiiight) ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/628 "2003-03-04T00:14:22Z")
Also Doc, Resurrection Man in DC 1,000,000 hadn’t learned how to change powers without dying, he wore a device that injected him with a neurotoxin that would kill him quickly. He could then change to a power he’d already consciously chosen. He still had to die to make the change, though. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2003, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/629 "2003-03-04T04:04:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by photopat \* > \*\*Also Doc, Resurrection Man in DC 1,000,000 hadn’t learned how to change powers without dying, he wore a device that injected him with a neurotoxin that would kill him quickly. He could then change to a power he’d already consciously chosen. He still had to die to make the change, though. \*\* I sit corrected. I have only 1 issue, a collection of stories set in the one mil universe. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/630 "2003-03-04T04:17:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mockingbird \* > \*\*Well, I’m 'fraid not. > > While the jewel WAS destroyed, the Immortal Man did return as a girl and that aspect of the story culminated with Flash #50. > > Ressurection Man did gain the abilities of the Immortal Man. \*\* And looking around, he was around in the last couple of issues of **Resurrection Man** where he apparently gave his all to save the earth, leaving Mitch to carry on his vendetta against Vandal Savage. What powers of the Immortal Man are you talking about? He only had one power besides returning from the dead (Sounds like a good one to me.😃 But Mitch already has it.) and that was pyrokinetic bolts from his hands. Lok ---
**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:** [March 4, 2003, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/631 "2003-03-04T06:41:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Carnage \* > \*\*Actually, more recently he was killed (again) while on the island of Genosha which I believe the UN granted him control of. Professor X’s evil twin sister found a cousin of Sentinel creator Trask and enticed him to take control of a hidden Sentinel factory. Since the Sentinels detcted Trask DNA, they did what he told them to do. X’s sis had him command them to destroy Genosha, which they did a damn good job of. Magneto was in the top floor of some building, reading, when he looked up and saw a Sentinel flying right into him (shades of 9/11). The Sentinels then made short work of the rest of the country and Maggie is presumed dead (riiiiiight) \*\* It is important to note that Magneto was still recovering from a horrible gut wound when the Sentinels attacked Genosha. (Wolverine speared him a few months earlier, during a raid on Genosha to free a captured Xavier) ---
**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:** [March 4, 2003, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/632 "2003-03-04T08:53:50Z")
I heard that Marvel trademarked the term “super hero” is this true? If so, why? What’s the current lineup of who is most powerful in the Marvel and DC universes? ---
**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:** [March 4, 2003, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/633 "2003-03-04T09:22:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sock Munkey \* > **I heard that Marvel trademarked the term “super hero” is this true? If so, why?** It is in fast a joint trademark that Marvel holds with DC Comics. The actual trade mark is “Super Heroes”, note the capitolisation. \*\* > [@](#): > > What’s the current lineup of who is most powerful in the Marvel and DC universes? \*\* This is a pretty subjective question, but here’s my opinions… Marvel - Hulk, Thor, She-Hulk, Silver Surfer, Juggernaut usually top the list. DC - Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Green Lantern, Amazo, the Shaggy Man, and Doomsday would be my tops here. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/634 "2003-03-04T15:57:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lok \* > **And J’onn was not a ghost. He became one with the planet Mars. This actually follows from an issue of his short lived series.** Technically, I believe that Martian Manhunter #1,000,000, the DC One Million tie-in issue, was the first issue of J’onn’s series. (Maybe the second.) That was an excellent title, by the way – I’d recommend it to anyone hunting the back issue bins. It ran 38 issues (0-36 & #1M) plus two annuals, the first of which is tied tightly to the monthly and the second of which is not, but still kinda cool. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/635 "2003-03-04T16:24:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by New & Improved Scott \* > \*\* > This is a pretty subjective question, but here’s my opinions… > > Marvel - Hulk, Thor, She-Hulk, Silver Surfer, Juggernaut usually top the list. > DC - Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Green Lantern, Amazo, the Shaggy Man, and Doomsday would be my tops here. \*\* Pretty sure Shulkie doesn’t rank nearly as high as her cousin. Thing is definitely stronger and a heavier hitter than she. If the question is strength, I’d say that list is pretty good (if not incomplete.) If we’re talking about POWER, though, and not including cosmic entities like Eternity, Living Tribunal, Death, etc, then I put my money on Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/636 "2003-03-04T19:29:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cliffy \* > \*\*Technically, I believe that Martian Manhunter #1,000,000, the DC One Million tie-in issue, was the first issue of J’onn’s series. (Maybe the second.) > > That was an excellent title, by the way – I’d recommend it to anyone hunting the back issue bins. It ran 38 issues (0-36 & #1M) plus two annuals, the first of which is tied tightly to the monthly and the second of which is not, but still kinda cool. > \*\* I don’t think it was the first issue, but it might have been the second. It was definitely right in that area. I agree about the quality, I was really disappointed by its cancellation. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Carnage \* > **If the question is strength, I’d say that list is pretty good (if not incomplete.) If we’re talking about POWER, though, and not including cosmic entities like Eternity, Living Tribunal, Death, etc, then I put my money on Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet.** Come on. It would be my 3 year old grandnephew if he had the Infinity Gauntlet.😛 Lok ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/637 "2003-03-04T19:51:09Z")
I think they were all in Marvel books, anyway: Whatever happened to… …Godzilla? Is SHIELD still keeping tabs on the big guy? …Shogun Warriors? …Devil Dinosaur? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/638 "2003-03-04T20:25:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lok \* > \*\* > Come on. It would be my 3 year old grandnephew if he had the Infinity Gauntlet.😛 > > \*\* Sure but hopefully your grandnephew wouldn’t get it in his head to wipe out half the population of the universe just to impress his little girlfriend. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2003, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/639 "2003-03-04T21:28:38Z")
> [@](#): > > …Devil Dinosaur? Last I recall, he, at least, was integrated into the modern-day Marvel Universe as a member of a mutant team called the “Fallen Angels.” Apparently he’s not from the Marvel Universe’s distant past, but from its present in an alternate dimension. What’s happened to him since then - I think that that miniseries was in 1989 or so - I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Minor\_Irritant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Minor\_Irritant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minor_Irritant)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/640 "2003-03-04T23:28:55Z")
Devil Dinosaur and his anthropoid ally, Moon Boy, appeared in a Spider-Man annual a few years back, in which they were first hypnotized by the Ringmaster (of the Circus of Crime…hey, I didn’t write it!), freed by Spidey, and relocated to the Savage Land. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415.md?page=31) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415.md?page=33)