I’m a HUGE fan of The Question, and I was glad to see the writers took an interest in him and featured him throughout JLU. Between his pivotal role regarding the season’s overarching plot and the Gail Simone-written episode “Double Date,” I thought it was the best portrayal of the character yet. The Question has always been crusading journalist Vic Sage (real name Charles Victor Szasz), and he keeps a gas in his belt buckle that adheres the “faceless” mask to his face and changes the color of his hair and clothes. Keep in mind he’s been written several different ways over the years:
1967: Steve Ditko (co-creator of Spider-Man) created the Question as a back-up feature in Charlton Comics’ Blue Beetle #1. Ditko was a rabid objectivist, and the Question (like another Ditko hero, Mr. A), often spouted Ayn Randian philosophy and had no qualms about killing villains or standing by and doing nothing while they died.
1985: The Charlton characters were bought by DC Comics, so Question, Blue Beetle, and Captain Atom, among others, were introduced to the DC Universe.
1987: Denny O’Neil wrote a 36-issue Question series aimed at “mature readers” (a precursor of DC’s Vertigo imprint). His version of the character was more of a Zen philosopher and an introspective detective. He also became a martial artist who studied under Richard Dragon and Lady Shiva.
Late '90s: Greg Rucka used the Question in the Batman/Huntress: Cry For Blood miniseries, establishing the sexual tension between Question and Huntress that Simone drew from in the “Double Date” episode. Question also took Huntress under his wing, and he and Richard Dragon helped train her in martial arts and calm some of the rage that was making her a less effective crimefighter.
2005: Rick Veitch wrote a controversial Question miniseries that brought him to Metropolis, where it was revealed he went to journalism school with Lois Lane and had an unrequited crush on her. He also went around killing criminals in Superman’s city, earning him a stern lecture from the Man of Steel. The biggest change was Veitch wrote him as an “urban shaman,” who was able to communicate with the city of Metropolis itself, to learn its secrets and decode its mysteries. It was hinted at that the gas he used to mask his identity has hallucinogenic properties that affected his mind, and the comic had several psychedelic interludes.
2006: The Question is one of the featured characters in 52, a 52-issue weekly series by several rotating writers (including Greg Rucka, who had experience with his character). He is up to something with Renee Montoya, the lesbian detective who has appeared in Batman: The Animated Series and the Batman and Gotham Central comics.
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