# Pick your modern day League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 5, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036 "2013-09-05T00:09:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Musky\_Moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/1 "2013-09-05T00:09:35Z")
Title says it all. A few ground rules: The character must have been introduced in literature. It’s ok if said character has been represented in other media, but it’s origin must be from a book. Comics do not count. The character must have been introduced sometime from the mid-nineties to today. The characters origins must also be set in contemporary times. So no medieval fantasy figures magically transported to 2013. There’s no cap on the amount of members but I think 10 or less is a reasonable number to shoot for. My team: Harry Dresden (Dresden Files) Lisbeth Salander (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) Robert Langdon (DaVinci Code) Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the blah blah blah) Agent Pendergast (Relic, Cabinet of Curiosities) Door (Neverwhere) Ted Braughtigan (Hearts in Atlantis) Feel free to quibble with my choices if I mistakenly chose something not first introduced in literature. Also, feel free to add a villain or two. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/2 "2013-09-05T00:13:44Z")
Well, does Langdon die early, as a sign of earnest sincerity? God, I hope so. Lector is a great choice. How about Raylan Givens and Harry Potter? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/3 "2013-09-05T00:34:26Z")
Lecter is definitely older than the mid-1990’s. ---
**Author:** ![Musky\_Moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/4 "2013-09-05T00:43:52Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Lecter is definitely older than the mid-1990’s. You’re right. Ill switch out Lecter for Dexter Morgan ---
**Author:** ![Musky\_Moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/5 "2013-09-05T00:45:42Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Well, does Langdon die early, as a sign of earnest sincerity? > > God, I hope so. > > Lector is a great choice. How about Raylan Givens and Harry Potter? Bad as the books are, I think having a quick minded symbologist on the team could come in handy. I debated Potter, but I thought there was a better magical Harry available. ---
**Author:** ![Musky\_Moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/6 "2013-09-05T00:47:44Z")
I already see a problem With my list in that there isn’t a proper combat specialist. Though Pendergast can hold his own, I think there should be a proper spy/martial artist in the group. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/7 "2013-09-05T00:50:32Z")
> [@Musky\_Moon](#): > > Bad as the books are, I think having a quick minded symbologist on the team could come in handy. > I debated Potter, but I thought there was a better magical Harry available. I hear you, but seriously: fuck Dan Brown. (Sorry; was that harsh?). I stand by Raylan as the resident badass. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/8 "2013-09-05T00:52:47Z")
> [@Musky\_Moon](#): > > I already see a problem > With my list in that there isn’t a proper combat specialist. Though Pendergast can hold his own, I think there should be a proper spy/martial artist in the group. James Stark aka [Sandman Slim](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Kadrey#Sandman_Slim_series) would work. ---
**Author:** ![Musky\_Moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/9 "2013-09-05T01:05:28Z")
Raylan is quite the bad ass and would make an excellent suggestion to someone’s list, but not working for me. Sandman Slim might work, especially in the tough guy role, but I’m gonna steer away from him too because I’ve already got the supernatural angle covered. Thanks for the suggestions guys. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/10 "2013-09-05T01:06:07Z")
[Repairman Jack](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repairman_Jack) is an obvious choice. (Technically he first appeared in 1984. But his first real appearance was in 1998.) ---
**Author:** ![Musky\_Moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/11 "2013-09-05T01:06:34Z")
Alright, I’m going to add Roland the Gunslinger to my team to round it out. Mine’s done. Anyone else have a list? ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/12 "2013-09-05T01:27:44Z")
Atticus Sullivan and his dog Oberon (The Iron Druid) Harper Connelly (Charlaine Harris’ “Grave” series) Myfanwy Thomas (Rook) Stealth (Peter Cline’s “Ex” series) Jack Reacher Griffin O’Connor (Jumper series) I’d also throw in Jake Sullivan (no relation) but the Grim Noir stories, while recent, are set in the 1930s. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/13 "2013-09-05T01:34:11Z")
Jack Reacher Door from Neverwhere (or the Hunter?) Hermoine from Harry Potter Harry Dresden Atticus O’Sullivan from the Iron Druid books ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/14 "2013-09-05T01:35:29Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > Atticus Sullivan and his dog Oberon (The Iron Druid) > Harper Connelly (Charlaine Harris’ “Grave” series) > Myfanwy Thomas (Rook) > Stealth (Peter Cline’s “Ex” series) > Jack Reacher > Griffin O’Connor (Jumper series) > > I’d also throw in Jake Sullivan (no relation) but the Grim Noir stories, while recent, are set in the 1930s. Beat me to some of these while I was looking up ideas! ---
**Author:** ![Musky\_Moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/15 "2013-09-05T01:38:40Z")
Never read the Iron Druid series. Worth a look? ---
**Author:** ![Ad\_Astra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Ad\_Astra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ad_Astra)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/16 "2013-09-05T02:38:45Z")
> [@Musky\_Moon](#): > > Never read the Iron Druid series. Worth a look? I’m a fan of it. It’s certainly not literature for the ages, but it’s quite entertaining. If you’ve a non-scholarly interest in mythology, I think you’ll like it. Some of the ways Hearne works gods, goddesses, and other members of panthea/mythoi (are those the correct pluralizations?) are unusual, but always entertaining. He definitely concentrates on the Celtic side of the house, which I enjoyed because you don’t see a lot of them in the media. They’re all around 300-350 pages and fairly quick reads, as well as being the kind of book that doesn’t require a huge amount of effort to get through. If you can get a copy of the first book “Hounded,” you should be able to gauge your interest in the series, as the themes/motifs are similar, though the largest plot arc of the books doesn’t really kick off until the 2nd or 3rd one in. ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/17 "2013-09-05T02:39:27Z")
Another vote for Jack Reacher. Yet another for Harry Dresden. Tough not being able to pick film/TV heroes… hm. Katniss Everdeen [Ding Chavez](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domingo_Chavez) Severus Snape …gah, wish I read more recent books. REALLY wish I could put Walter Bishop in there… ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/18 "2013-09-05T02:54:47Z")
> [@Musky\_Moon](#): > > Never read the Iron Druid series. Worth a look? Very much so. ---
**Author:** ![Musky\_Moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/19 "2013-09-05T03:41:24Z")
The problem with opening it up to movie/tv/comics is that it’s too easy for your team to be obscenely overpowered. Plus, it keeps in the tradition of Moore’s original graphic novel. Unless I’m mistaken, all characters in the original were just literary characters. One could argue that we should evolve as the entertainment mediums diversify. I prefer our lists to be literary. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-your-modern-day-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/668036/20 "2013-09-05T04:20:58Z")
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