# Shining Knight is the best \[Open Spoiler Within\] character of all time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 4, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015 "2005-09-04T05:52:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/21 "2005-09-04T16:00:09Z")
For those of you confused, I edited the thread title to warn of an open spoiler. ---
**Author:** ![Kyle\_Rayner1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58f4c7/32.png) [@Kyle\_Rayner1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyle_Rayner1)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/22 "2005-09-04T18:59:49Z")
Hey **DocCathode** , I love it when women dress like that but they shouldn’t dress like that if they’re a superhero. Would you want women cops or soldiers having the choice to dress like Powergirl or Supergirl? In public, hell yeah, but not when they’re doing a job like protecting the public. Like I said, Ystin is a breath of fresh air because she looks like she takes her job seriously unlike the other two. She actually dresses up for fight instead of dressing up for the mall. Tell me those Ian Chruchill Supergirl covers wouldn’t (if girls liked comics) make a bad impression on girls. A cover like that could do serious damage if a girl was easily impressionable or was a mental defective in some way. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/23 "2005-09-04T19:10:20Z")
**Kyle Rayner 1:** I don’t get it, man. Why are _oppressing_ women’s ta-tas, man? I don’t understand the mindset of a narrow-minded person like you who wants to keep them locked up, out of sight, _constricted_, man. Set 'em free! ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/24 "2005-09-04T19:13:25Z")
> [@Kyle Rayner1](#): > > Hey **DocCathode** , I love it when women dress like that but they shouldn’t dress like that if they’re a superhero. Would you want women cops or soldiers having the choice to dress like Powergirl or Supergirl? In public, hell yeah, but not when they’re doing a job like protecting the public. Same to you, buddy. Evertime I see you, you are wearing what looks like a skintight latex suit. Not very professional at all. You keep on saying it is more flexable than leather or pants, and it allows you to roof jump. However, you can fly! Why do you need to jump from roof to roof. And why does it need to so _shiny_? . . . . . . . . . No, wait, that’s Kyle \*\*Radner \*\*, the current Green Lantern. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/25 "2005-09-04T20:29:28Z")
As a former superhero comic reader, I have no real input on the serious minded debate about the role of titties in crime-fighting. However, I have a question about the revelation: Are you really telling me that the ORIGINAL Silent Knight (Sir Justin, from the All-Star Squadron, Gold Age, etc. etc.) was revealed to be, all along, a WOMAN? Please lord tell me we are talking about a different character. A NEW Shining Knight! ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/26 "2005-09-04T20:43:20Z")
> [@middleman](#): > > As a former superhero comic reader, I have no real input on the serious minded debate about the role of titties in crime-fighting. However, I have a question about the revelation: > > Are you really telling me that the ORIGINAL Silent Knight (Sir Justin, from the All-Star Squadron, Gold Age, etc. etc.) was revealed to be, all along, a WOMAN? > > Please lord tell me we are talking about a different character. A NEW Shining Knight! It’s a new character with a nearly identical origin (hence the “Ystin”, as the name is rendered in the ancient language of Avalon, to avoid confusion). Apparently, there have been many Camelots, many King Arthurs throughout mythology and history. This one is from an ancient lost age about ten thousand years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/27 "2005-09-04T22:59:35Z")
> [@Menocchio](#): > > It may very well be that “she’s” not just masquerading as a man, but is actually transgendered. I think if Morrison had intended that, there’d be no ‘maybe’ about it by the final issue. If he intends to continue using her in the future he may, in fact, intend that she’s TG, but unless and until that reveal comes, I think it’s more likely that she’s female, if not feminine. > [@](#): > > Like I said, Ystin is a breath of fresh air because she looks like she takes her job seriously unlike the other two. She actually dresses up for fight instead of dressing up for the mall. Ystin doesn’t look like she takes her job seriously any more than Peeg, Supergirl, or even Huntress or Starfire (two examples of revealing costumes I don’t like - both are ugly, and I’ve seen Starfire’s referred to as armour more than once, despite not covering anything vital, which is something that ticks me off). She wears armour because she’s a knight. She wears armour that covers everything, because that’s how normal, knightly armour’s designed - because that’s what makes it effective. Putting Peeg or Supergirl in full armour would have about the same effect on them as putting them in a burlap sack. They can take more punishment than the armour would, and then some. They have no need for it, so why should they wear it? Because **you** think they’d look more ‘serious’? They’d look like idiots. Now, the fact that she’s wearing armour that really IS armour is a point in her favour, designwise over, say, Starfire, or whatever other ‘chainmail bikini/plate thong’ character who claims to be wearing armour, but really isn’t. But, that’s a very different matter than characters who aren’t wearing armour, and make no claim to be. You claimed Peeg and Supergirl are ‘slutty’. Now you’re just saying it’s ‘not dressed for a fight’, which is certainly an improvement. Still…how is what they’re wearing any worse for that than, say, Superman or Wildcat? Hell, Wildcat is a type who **could** use some armour. Their costumes are every bit as impractical, and, while their skin is all covered, it’s covered by skin-tight tights that don’t leave much more question as to how they’re built. The lot of them are dressed for Superheroics - part of the genre’s style is ridiculously impractical costumes. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/28 "2005-09-04T23:17:01Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > Same to you, buddy. Evertime I see you, you are wearing what looks like a skintight latex suit. Not very professional at all. You keep on saying it is more flexable than leather or pants, and it allows you to roof jump. However, you can fly! Why do you need to jump from roof to roof. And why does it need to so _shiny_? > . . . . . . . . . > > No, wait, that’s Kyle \*\*Radner > \*\*, the current Green Lantern. :smack: Psst. The guy you’re thinking of _is_ Kyle Rayner. There’s 3604 current GLs (in theory) as the Corps are back (3605 if you count Alan). The skintight suit is classic Lantern (though Kyle put his own twists on it). What can I say? The Guadarians are pervs. > [@Tengu](#): > > I’ve seen Starfire’s referred to as armour more than once, despite not covering anything vital, which is something that ticks me off. Tameranians have lungs in their chests and hearts in their pubic areas. Duh. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/29 "2005-09-04T23:20:28Z")
> [@Wolfian](#): > > Psst. The guy you’re thinking of _is_ Kyle Rayner. There’s 3604 current GLs (in theory) as the Corps are back (3605 if you count Alan). The skintight suit is classic Lantern (though Kyle put his own twists on it). What can I say? The Guadarians are pervs. D’oh! I searched for the name the way I thought it was spelled, and the sites I came across did not contradict me. Too bad that simply means misspelings is widespread. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/30 "2005-09-04T23:54:47Z")
> [@Wolfian](#): > > Tameranians have lungs in their chests and hearts in their pubic areas. Duh. 😛 I think most Humanoid species keep their lungs in their chests. 😉 But wait…those aren’t mammaries? Man, how long can that girl hold her breath? 😃 ---
**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:** [September 5, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/31 "2005-09-05T00:46:07Z")
> [@Kyle Rayner1](#): > > Hey **DocCathode** , I love it when women dress like that but they shouldn’t dress like that if they’re a superhero. If they are invulnerable or nigh invulnerable what does it matter what they wear? You could empty an AK-47 in Supergirl’s face or set off a live grenade in Powergirl’s mouth. > [@](#): > > Would you want women cops or soldiers having the choice to dress like Powergirl or Supergirl? In public, hell yeah, but not when they’re doing a job like protecting the public. If they are invulnerable, why not? And why haven’t you complained about super_heroes_ who show skin? Namor, prince of Atlantis, has been representing and defending his people in a speedo for decades now. (Namor is nigh invulnerable, but since you complained about two women who are invulnerable, I don’t see why that should stop you.) Hawkman spent how many decades running around wearing suspenders but no shirt? He’s not remotely invulnerable. Black Condor- Speedos and a cape. Specter-(the Jim Corrigan version) He’s got all that power, but seems to lack the power to cover his skin. Hooded cape, gloves, speedos, slippers. Iron Fist- A truly plunging neckline. Beast- Speedos. I understand he wants maximum flexibility. But, he’s a publicly known mutant with a PhD. He can’t call up Reed Richards and have him whip something up? > [@](#): > > Like I said, Ystin is a breath of fresh air because she looks like she takes her job seriously unlike the other two. She actually dresses up for fight instead of dressing up for the mall. She isn’t invulnerable. More, she’s a knight. Knights wear armor. Should non-invulnerable heroes and heroines wear armor? Absolutely. Most do. The average costume only looks like spandex but is actually lined with armor made from a composite kevlar/unobtanium fabric. > [@](#): > > Tell me those Ian Chruchill Supergirl covers wouldn’t (if girls liked comics) Wow, another blanket statement about girls. > [@](#): > > make a bad impression on girls. A cover like that could do serious damage if a girl was easily impressionable or was a mental defective in some way. “mental defective”? Didn’t that phrase become obsolete sometime in the fifties? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/32 "2005-09-05T01:28:06Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > “mental defective”? Didn’t that phrase become obsolete sometime in the fifties? Dr Wertham! Please pick up a call on Line 2! ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/33 "2005-09-05T01:37:28Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > \or set off a live grenade in Powergirl’s mouth. : Bites tongue. Wanders off to write fan fiction. : ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/34 "2005-09-05T02:38:37Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Iron Fist- A truly plunging neckline. Same for almost every other male character in the 70s. Truely those were dark times. Of course, he has nothing on [1970s Cosmic Boy](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/Nekogami/Comics%20Random/Costumes/PoorCos.jpg). (Who had probably the most ugly costume of all time as well as showing more skin than…just about anyone this side of Phantom Lady.) ---
**Author:** ![Kyle\_Rayner1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58f4c7/32.png) [@Kyle\_Rayner1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyle_Rayner1)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/35 "2005-09-05T05:40:58Z")
You’re right the guys shouldn’t be dressing like gay porn stars (nothing wrong with that) either. The girls if they read comics would probably copy off Supergirl’s model of dress than a boy going to scholl dressed up like Namor. I don’t think they would dress up like Iron Fist, either besides on Halloween. Huh? **DocCathode**? Saying most girls don’t like comics is a “blanket statement”? Most of them don’t like comics from my personal experience and from a lot of people’s. Where am I wrong? Oh and I don’t care if a girl dresses up like Supergirl in high school (minus cape) that would be hot actually (I’m 18 not a pervert). I’m more talking about girls of younger ages like 7-13 maybe 14 mateers how mature the girl is. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/36 "2005-09-05T06:09:35Z")
> [@Kyle Rayner1](#): > > Huh? **DocCathode**? Saying most girls don’t like comics is a “blanket statement”? Most of them don’t like comics from my personal experience and from a lot of people’s. Where am I wrong? You’re wrong. So very wrong. Ever heard of manga? ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/37 "2005-09-05T06:20:10Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > You’re wrong. So very wrong. Ever heard of manga? Yeah but where are they staying away from in droves? And could it be because it’s rare for a female superhero NOT to dress up like a cheap stripper? I’m not saying women are going to be influenced by female superhero costumes (now THAT’s just silly, Kyle!) but I do think that if a girl actually braves a comic book shop (something I’m loath to do so more power to them :)) and they see a comic book with the new Super-girl on the front they’re faily likely to roll their eyes and go to the next one and leave the heads of Marvel/DC scratching their heads even more, wondering how to get more female readers. My superhero name is Syntax, master of the run-on sentence! ---
**Author:** ![Kyle\_Rayner1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58f4c7/32.png) [@Kyle\_Rayner1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyle_Rayner1)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/38 "2005-09-05T06:56:57Z")
I meant little girls could be influenced. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/39 "2005-09-05T07:42:14Z")
> [@Kyle Rayner1](#): > > I meant little girls could be influenced. Little girls aren’t reading superhero comics though. First you worry about readership, then you worry about influence! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kyle\_Rayner1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58f4c7/32.png) [@Kyle\_Rayner1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyle_Rayner1)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015/40 "2005-09-05T07:43:28Z")
Good point. You’re the first one to get me to admit I misspoke check out my Pit thread for proof. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shining-knight-is-the-best-open-spoiler-within-character-of-all-time/320015.md?page=3)