CBC's Fresh Question #22. What Character do identify with or...........

[Emerald Archer]

Welcome Back True Believers.

For the last few nights I've been screening some of the old Marvel Animated Series from the 1960's. Each half hour tape is introduced by Stan the Man in his usual bombastic style. I came to realize something as I was watching Stan Lee in action. He really is perhaps the last living symbol of that era of comics that I love so well, the Silver Age. The Recent Passing of Julius Schwartz, and the long ago passings of Jack "The King" Kirby, Gardner Fox, and Gil Kane have left a pretty big hole in the silver age ranks.

So to Stan, a big shout out of EXCELSIOR!!!! I hope the years are treating you kindly, and I hope to have to deal with your bombastic ego for decades to come.

And none of the proceeding has anything to do with this weeks question, at least not in a direct sense.

Our last fireside chat was transcribed by the gnomes here at Toonzone and was posted right next to the Marshmellons. (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=108706)

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CBC's Fresh Question #22. What Character do you identify with or would you want to be?

I was talking to a good friend of mine last night, a nationally known psychoanalyst and we got onto the topic of Comics Book. He's a collector and loves to talk about his favorite heroes. He and I got into the discussion of a theory of mine that he finds interesting, but he doesn't necessarily endorse.

So here it is. I think that the Characters we are drawn to in comics have some real connection to us as individuals. Out favorite Heroes, or Villains, speak to us because we find parts of ourselves in them.

Is it the whole concept of Duel Identity? Thats part of it. As Billy Joel says, we all have a face that we hide away from strangers. We all have secret identities. But it's more than that. We find our hopes, dreams, wishes, codified in the characters we cherish. That's why when some new artist or writer comes along and messes with something we like, we can get down right angry at them! I think the whole Green Lantern: Rebirth (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=109511) thread is a prime example of this.

So who are the people in the comics that you relate to? I'll show you mine.


http://www.dcdirect.net/images/GL-Ethan2.jpg

Yes, this is the First Artwork from the new Green Lantern: Rebirth Comic!

From the first time I read Green Lantern, I wanted to be Hal Jordan. Why? Well a few reasons. Jordan's power came not from the fact that he was an alien, or that he was a superb athlete with a Shelockian mind. No. His was the power of Super Science. The Ring, The Battery. The Corp. Hal was the "everyman". Well almost. In the last few years part of the mythos has been neglected. See, Hal was also suppose to be fearless. Most people don't remember that part. But I could be Hal. All I needed was a ring. Well, that, and Will Power. I have to admit that I was sorely lacking in that department as well. Perhaps you can relate. By the time I was 25 I weighed in at 350lbs. I knew I was never going to be Supes, or Bats, but I could be a GL. A portly one for sure, but all I needed was will power:) Later in life, at the age of 38 I had a major life changing experience, and suddenly I had will power in droves! I can report to you today that I weigh in at 189lbs. Give me the Ring!!!


http://www.dcdirect.net/images/Ironman.jpg

My Second wish was to don the Gold and Crimson Armor!

If I couldn't be GL, well than could be Ironman! After all, Tony Stark didn't need Abin Sur to drop by and give him the armor. Tony created it. Ironman was a product of Human Super Science. The armor was a product of computers and technology and the drive and desire of one man, Anthony Stark. I refrained in my paragraph on GL to talk about the current state of affairs with that hero, since I think most of you are pretty well aware of my stance on that:) But for the first time here at Toonzone I can reveal my Ironman position.

I think that the comics had lost a lot of the romance of the old days. The world knows Stark is Ironman and that's where a lot of the problems start. I can't imagine that a hero would survive long when every two bit villain knows who he is. If they don't go after him, they WILL go after his family and friends. What Stark has done is endanger everyone he cares about and is suppose to protect. If you want you can also substitute the following names for Tony Stark and Ironman. Matt Murdock/Daredevil - Steve Rodgers/Captain America. In other words, once the world knows who the man behind the mask is, then the people who mean something to that "man" have just become targets. Just ask Wally West.

The whole Tony Stark goes to Washington story line has been pretty tired as well. I miss the old Ironman, I miss the old Armor, and I miss the fun.

I have always thought that GL and Ironman were equivalents. They were basically the same fundamental character. In other words, Ironman is the Marvel version of GL and visa versa.

I also have to say that while I know I'll never get a functioning power ring, or a suitcase that conceals this wondrous armor, I did end up working in the IT field and in many ways I think the love of Science that Hal and Tony taught me got me here. Well, them and Montgomery Scott. But that's for another Board:)

SO there you have it, the two heroes I always wanted to be. Except, sometimes the world gets downright twilightzonish. Remember the Amalgam Age of Comics? Well....... I guess I'm not alone in loving those two characters!


http://www.dcdirect.net/images/Iron%20Lantern.jpg

So my friends, who do you feel a kinship to? And Why?

[Eddie G.]

I'd have to say as cliche as it might be, I'm really Peter Parker in many ways. I'm involved in Journalism, am kind of a loser geek, have a messed up personal life despite the fact I am technically a genius, and our relationships with girls are similar.

I also am very close with Batman and Superman and consider them my moral guides. I'm an Agnostic so reallly Batman and Superman are the closest thing to a religion I have.

[Thanos]

I've never actually wished to be a particular hero, but rather to have a particular hero's abilities. I always wanted to be a hero that could walk into a room full a hundred villains and make them all shudder in consternation. I would love to possess such sheer power, that I could easily stop the most dire situations. One such character's abilities I often daydream about having is Thanos (or really anyone that matchs his power lever such as Superman). His amazing durability, powerful blasts, and intelligence make for a very well respected foe. I would never want to have his early nihilistic personality or even his newer personality, but I would love to have his power and to be given as much respect as others give him.

[David the Joker]

I relate most to Peter Parker. I have trouble getting with girls, I'm average good looks, and have to face normal everyday problems. However, when I'm on stage acting in a scene or doing Open Mic Night at college, I feel like I'm Spider-Man. I feel that Spider-Man is a way Peter can express himself, aside that not many know. When he's Spider-Man he couragous, says witty lines, and never gives up. I feel when I'm on stage expressing myself and my comical ability that I'm truly myself. And yes, as I'm typing this I'm wearing a Spider-Man t-shirt.

I relate to a degree to Batman (Bruce Wayne), not in many ways as Spider-Man, but just a few. I feel Batman is relatable because he has no special powers and has to rely on his mind, something that real everyday people must do. I feel the same way in my everyday life when dealing with people. Also, I love how Batman "never gives up" as he told Dr. Destiny is the Justice League episode "Only a Dream". That struck a cord with me, making it proven that I will never give up on what I believe in or my dreams for the future.

My other relatable character is a villian the Joker. Sure, I am not insane like the Clown Prince, but my comedy is very similar. I love doing jokes and impersonations and I enjoy how Joker is very secure in his own body not caring what others think of him. I feel that I could become Joker one day if I let the world drive me off the deep end. I feel Joker is my evil self (or in a sense my inner child), and I love the duelism with Batman. I will always love Joker because of how similar and yet different he is from me.

There you have the 3 characters I relate to the most. Spider-Man, Batman, the Joker, they maybe the most popular characters in the Marvel/DC Universes, but to me they mean much more.

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

If I'm going to answer literally, I'd probably say I identify most strongly with either Microchip from the 80's Punisher comics (is he still around), or with Khalid Tefibi in Stormwatch: Team Achilles. The latter, especially, since he's a computer geek who's slightly out of shape and not as smart as he thinks he is with an attitude problem, an almost pathological need to subvert authority, and a really big mouth that gets him in trouble waaaaay too often.

If I'm answering figuratively, I'm going to go with J'onn J'onzz after thinking about it a bit. I have a motley assortment of like-minded friends on- and off-line, even if I end up saying or doing things that make them look at me like I'm from Mars. Also, I can't say I have much of a powerful motivation other than a vague need to do good caused by watching too much TV in my formative years :).

-- Ed/Ace

[randomguy]

The whole Tony Stark goes to Washington story line has been pretty tired as well. I miss the old Ironman, I miss the old Armor, and I miss the fun It's interesting that you should say that, because the "The Best Defense" arc (or, as I like to call it, "Mr. Stark Goes To Washington") is the first Iron Man story that I've enjoyed in a long time. Different strokes, I suppose. I couldn't care less about Captain America losing his identity, don't know what to feel about Iron Man, and will deeply miss Matt Murdock as a secret identity. But that's not on-topic.


Microchip from the 80's Punisher comics (is he still around), Yup. Though presumed dead for a while, Microchip was recently discovered to be alive in issue #1 of the Punisher's new MAX series. He's now working for the CIA, trying to persuade Castle to kill for the government.

I don't really relate to any of the superheroes, because I see them as figures so iconic and so far removed from reality that I can't possibly feel that kind of connection with them.

That being said, as a kid (less so today), I often found myself relating to Beast, of the X-Men. Beast is a genius, a genuine hero, and a deeply likeable guy. But he's also a misfit, a freak even among other mutants (because of his appearance), and has always seemed slightly disconnected from everyone else. He didn't have any real superpowers. I mean, he was agile, but in the same universe that contains the Vision, that doesn't mean a hell of a lot. That's why I always loved him as an Avenger. He wasn't A-list, and he was an abnormality, but he was allowed to take a place alongside the greatest heroes in the Marvel Universe.

In a sense, I still relate to Jim Gordon, probably the most sympathetic hero in the entire DC Universe. Jim Gordon is an old-school hero, a man's man. Dedicated to standing up for his principles, even at the cost of everything else, Jim doesn't back down. Arguably, he stands higher than even the mythic, caped figures that surround him. He's the kind of guy you don't see as much in this day and age, with old-fashioned, old-world ethics, and a reliable sense of honor. I always saw him as a catalyst of strength and stability, a symbol of what it meant to be your own man in a world of compromise. I was sad when he retired, but thankfully, the Bat-books have continued to use him regularly.

When I first read The New Teen Titans as a kid, I definitely related to them, and I imagine most kids would. They constantly felt overshadowed by their mentors, but they were determined to strike out and do their own things. I think that's something all adolescents feel.

[Mattashell]

#1: Daredevil - The first character I related to was Daredevil. It was simple, he had my first name, and my father's occupation. Clearly these were attractive to me, but I also loved that he could scale and swing like Spidey but without the spidey powers, that red devil-suit, the Swiss Army billy club, and especially that he did what he did in spite of a handicap. Being blind made him so cool, radar-sense seemed was cooler than vision, and the way all of his hieghtened senses aided him was a thrill. Now that I'm older, I probably can relate to DD better than ever. My relationships have been few and disastrous (although not as tragic as Matt's), I'm bitter, and I don't really get along with anyone. I've pushed all my friends away, and I've become about as much of a loner as Matt ever was.

#2: The Silver Surfer - When I got a little older I came to identify with a character as different from Daredevil as you can get, the Silver Surfer. I guess the arrogant side of me identifies with the surfer. The self important side that pines constantly for lost love, that see's life as a lonesome quest through cold and empty, yet serenely beautiful setting, that views myself higher than those foolish humans that polute thier Earth and make wars against thier brothers. Yes, it's so easy to feel rightious while reading a comic book. Also, I just can't even begin to imagine how great it must feel to cruise through space on that board. In the end, when he's not bonded to the service of Galactus or trapped in the atmosphere on Earth, the Surfer knows the ultimate in freedom, and I envy that greatly.

#3: The Maxx - I'll be the first to admit, that I wouldn't have heard of The Maxx, if it weren't for the television series. I wasn't really looking at comics much during that dark period in my life, but the TV show got me to seeking out the comics, and I'm sure was a factor in my eventual return to the hobby. But what drew me to the series and the comic was Maxx himself, and its easy to see that's bcause I identified with him. This all went down during a time when my life was very hectic and raging out of control, and let's just go ahead and say a had a few demons that I've since shaken. The chaos and confusion of Maxx's perspective, and the constantly shifting realities were enough for me to know someone out there understood what I was going through. Even Maxx's pathetic attitude toward Julie reflected my own self during that time. Sarah, on the otherhand, was a character I totally understood, being someone I would have identified with greatly had I read the book 5-10 years earlier.

#4: Matthew - Wait a second, that's me! What am I doing here, saying that I identify with myself, that should go without saying. And even though I'm really talking about the dream-raven who plays part time sidekick to Morphious in The Sandman, I am still talking about myself, all be it after I'm dead. When I read The Sandman, I couldn't believe that it featured a character that not only had my name, but seemed like an absolutely acurate portrayal of me. I'm told that he also appears in Swamp Thing, but I've never read any of that. I hope to though, the little Raven-me is an insentive I can't pass up.

[MJC]

I'd have to say Peter Parker, for reasons already listed.

[Nick K.]

I'm like Peter Parker as well, though, I havent been bitten by a spider and have found myself feeling like spider man! :)