Legality of super heroes

[Find_Friends]

@Blue_Blistering_Barnacle

In “The Dark Knight Returns”, Commissioner Gordon retires and his replacement makes it a priority to arrest the vigilante, Batman (who has himself come out of retirement). When he is spotted with a new " ‘Boy’ Wonder", the new commissioner instructs her assistant to add Child Endangerment to ‘the list’.

I find it hard to believe I missed that when reading the miniseries, so I suppose I must have forgotten it. Quite a time lag from the Golden Age, though.

@Lorne_Armstrong

I always wondered how Clark Kent could get a TB test being that they’re required for many jobs. Obviously, the needle wouldn’t pierce his skin. Also, what if he got a job that required fingerprints? Wouldn’t that out him as Superman?

There was a story titled, “Clark Kent, Bad Boy!” reprinted as a “Hall of Fame classic” in the back of Adventure Comics.

“Bad boy” was apparently the predecessor to “Juvenile Delinquent”. I recall a college friend simultaneously amused and puzzled by the term.

Clark Kent had a reputation as a model student (with the possible exception of taking too many bathroom breaks and spending too much time in there… and I don’t mean for that…). But suddenly he was acting up, pulling prank after prank and violating any rule he could think of. Even Lana Lang spoke darkly at him: “What a Bad Boy you’ve become, Clark!”

The school principal has a far less calm reaction to the shenanigans, and decided that he had to expel Clark from school for the multiple offenses.

The climax of the story came when the principal opened a case of vaccines in the presence of the Superkid. There were exactly enough of the tightly rationed vaccines to cover every student. Only one problem: One of the little tubes had been cracked open, and therefore empty.

Clark Kent had been in charge of pickup.

The principal added nothing and nothing, and seemed to get four, just as he was expected to.

“Hmm. Brave Clark…” He decided that Clark felt responsible for accidental breakage and was willing to get himself expelled so that no other student would be at risk.

Of course, that was not the real explanation for the changed behavior. In a thought-panel young Supie reflected over what would have happened if they tried to inject him. (This was no doubt before he had the idea of using his own super-hard fingernails.)

Either the count turned out to be one over the student population or Kal-El procured another vial. Or else he claimed to have one. “Don’t worry about Clark,” he says as he flies off…

He will administer the shot personally.

Uh huh…

[dougie_monty]

@Elendil_s_Heir

Speaking of which: htt ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y8iRvQdSGA

Many years ago, * Mad * published a “Comic Opera,” with scores of well- known comic-strip characters in a musical. In a song set to the tune of “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” Dick Tracy sings:
Just look at that fellow, Clark Kent!
Just look at that fellow, Clark Kent!
His specs don’t disguise him
And yet no one spies him
As being that Superman gent!

[Horatio_Hellpop]

Within the Marvel universe, the characters all have very different relationships with law enforcement. The Punisher is likely to get arrested on sight. The Fantastic Four aren’t really crime fighters so much as explorers, and they maintain a lot of licenses for stuff like the Pogo Plane (a rocket that takes off and lands from the middle of Manhattan) and the Negative Zone portal. They’ve been banned form the city limits several times, but keep getting invited back. The X-Men aren’t exactly crime fighters either and frequently operate from hidden bases (Weapon X, Siege Perilous, Muir Island, etc), but their main school operates with the full knowledge of SHIELD and New York State; they’re kind of grateful to have a place to send mutant teenagers. The Avengers are de facto government agents via S.H.I.E.L.D. At one point, the Avengers chairman was just short of being a cabinet-level position. Doom, Namor and the Inhumans have diplomatic immunity. Spider-Man has run the gamut from wanted vigilante to Avenger to S.H.I.E.L.D. contractor.

Bob Ingersoll wrote a column for many years about legal principles that might apply to comic book superheroes, for the Comics Buyer’s Guide, called “The Law Is a Ass.” He may still write it, I haven’t seen a copy of the paper in maybe 20 years though.

[Urbanredneck]

The Netflix series about Daredevil is a continuity of the Avengers where they had the big battle and now the issue is for the contracts to rebuild the city.

[Urbanredneck]

On Superman’s medical issues, I believe their is a certain doctor who specializes in treating Superman and even has some kryptonite in case he needs to temporarily get thru Supermans invulnerability when he needs to do an operation or otherwise cut into his skin.

[Atamasama]

@Urbanredneck

The Netflix series about Daredevil is a continuity of the Avengers where they had the big battle and now the issue is for the contracts to rebuild the city.

I love the fact that in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, something as big as an alien invasion that destroys much of Manhattan is a big thing that everyone talks about for years and has long-term consequences. Like 9-11 did in real life. In many comic books and related TV shows something like that is practically forgotten shortly after.

[Urbanredneck]

@Atamasama

I love the fact that in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, something as big as an alien invasion that destroys much of Manhattan is a big thing that everyone talks about for years and has long-term consequences. Like 9-11 did in real life. In many comic books and related TV shows something like that is practically forgotten shortly after.

I wonder, when they rebuild those areas, and assuming their will be another superhero fight in the future, what special adaptations would be made?

For example, I would want every building to have some sort of safe room/bomb shelter area or such that would work just like a tornado shelter but even better and provide a safe area when the building has the Hulk smashing into it.

Or even better, have an underground bunker system so to quickly move people underground to relative safety?

[Jim_s_Son]

On the 1960s tv series “Batman” there are plenty of times when Commissioner Gordon or a member of Chief O’Hara outstanding police force will tell a concerned citizen that the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder are duly deputized law enforcement agents. There is even one time Batman takes Gordon to the Bat Cave (after sedating him with Bat-Gas) to make sure his questioning of a gang member is proper.

[The_Other_Waldo_Pepper]

@Urbanredneck

On Superman’s medical issues, I believe their is a certain doctor who specializes in treating Superman and even has some kryptonite in case he needs to temporarily get thru Supermans invulnerability when he needs to do an operation or otherwise cut into his skin.

Hey, if you can’t trust Doctor Holurt, then who can you trust?

[Haldurson]

If you haven’t read George R.R. Martin’s “Wild Cards” series, I strongly recommend at least the first few books in it. It’s an alternate history where after WWII, some aliens unleash a virus on the world as an experiment, and it gives some people superpowers (some of those superpowers are not exactly enviable, like the woman who can turn herself into a puddle of water).

One of the main characters of the series is an alien named Dr. Tachyon who can read minds and mind-control people. He arrives in a space ship to try to warn U.S. leaders about the virus (obviously, he fails, or there wouldn’t be a series). Eventually, he comes under scrutiny during the HUAC hearings, and is exiled… to France.

There’ve been several attempts to create a Wildcards movie, or a Wildcards TV series, but so far no-go (Melinda Snodgrass, had actually turned over a script to SyFy films, but nothing came of it).