HEY, MARVEL!! What about.....?

[Philip Portelli]

With all the new titles and crossovers that Marvel has been and will be putting out, there are definitely some characters falling through the cracks of the ever-changing Marvel Universe. Some are long time heroes and some were major stars a few years ago yet they have seldom seen recently, if at all.

(Of course, I don't read EVERY Marvel comic anymore so I would welcome corrections.)

So, HEY MARVEL!! What about...

• HERCULES--when the Prince of Power took over the Hulk's numbering as Incredible Hercules, he finally became a big time player in the MU. He was revamped several times since as the God of Heroes with a couple of titles. But now he's not even included in Avengers World or Secret Avengers. How the mighty have fallen...
• HENRY PYM--yes he was in Avengers A.I. but that didn't last long. He's a founding Avenger who's not even the star of Ant-Man: The Movie!! Talk about no respect!
• AGENTS OF ATLAS--at one point, they were everywhere! Several series and a couple of solo minis including my personal favorite, Gorilla Man. Then they all just vanished! I guess the Guardians of the Galaxy took over the "Eccentric, Edgy, Non-Avengers-Team" slot!
• ADAM WARLOCK---speaking about the Guardians, Warlock's girl-friend Gamora is a movie star and Golden Boy is a no-show! Poor HIM! Is Marvel waiting for Jim Starlin to resurrect him again?
• KA-ZAR--Laugh if you want to but the Lord of the Savage Land had two very good series to his credit and ties to the X-Men. But since Frank Cho would rather draw an inflatable Shanna, Marvel's "Oldest" character has been ignored.
• BLACK PANTHER---I know that he's in New Avengers but what happened to his star turn? Where he was the most dangerous man in the MU? Where he was married to Storm? When the Avengers were a bit afraid of him? Where is the King?
• QUASAR---Y'know, the Cosmic Crusader IS Marvel's Guardian of the Galaxy! He was the vanguard of newer Avengers getting their own titles and he explored the MU and beyond. I think Marvel needs a character who can delve into the unexplained mysteries that are left behind from all these crossovers and epic events.
• MARVEL'S MONSTERS--Halloween's coming and where is Dracula? Werewolf By Night? The Frankenstein Monster? They starred in Legion of Monsters but that was more of a showcase for the evolving Elsa Bloodstone. They can't be lumped together all the time, at least without Abbott and Costello showing up!
• THE ORIGINAL THUNDERBOLTS---Atlas, Mach-One, Techno and especially Songbird looked like that they were leaving their criminal pasts behind and about to become major super-heroes but were left behind after each passing Thunderbolts revamp. So much for second chances!

I make no denials that I enjoyed all these characters at various times and wouldn't mind them returning to prominence.

Do any of you have favorites that Marvel has been ignoring? All comments are welcome!

Until Marvel announces The All-New, Superior It the Living Colossus!

[Captain Comics]

I may be in the minority, but I think the mixing of the Union Jack and Destroyer back stories complicated both to the extent that it destroyed them both. I would very much like a reboot that separated the two characters completely.  Maybe they could be cousins or something, but that would be the maximum complication I could take.

Sabra showed up "recently" somewhere, but I don't remember where. I think it had to do with SWORD but wouldn't swear to it. I can't recall the other character, because when I try to remember his last appearance, I keep thinking of Sinbad in Fables/Fairest.

That whole "king" thing that CK was talking about is exactly spot on. The Panther had no real purpose or necessity in the MU when taken out of the role established by Lee/Kirby, and all his Daredevil and solo adventures in New York were utter rubbish and could have been done by anybody in tights (including, to an extent, his Avengers appearances). But what Priest did was make him unique, make him important and make him impossible to ignore. And I really liked that. Sorry that Hudlin un-did that, but that means we can un-do Hudlin, right?

[Rich Steeves]

Wendell Elvis Vaughn is one of my top 5 favorite Marvel characters of all time. I was furious when he was killed (well, most recently. He died a few times in his own series). I hope he's back. If so, I think he has the potential to be a great character, if handled correctly

[Philip Portelli]

I think that Quasar is more dynamic than Star-Lord and should be in the forefront of the MU. The last that I can recall was that they were characterizing him as the "Junior Avenger" which is a shame.

[Rich Steeves]

Yeah. Marvel could position him as Green Lantern, but with that steady midwestern vibe I love so much.

[Martin Gray]

Blimey, I still haven't read my Hercules trades, but I do think he should be front and centre of some Avengers team, rather than no-hopers such as Gateway's relative and Captain Universe. I shall assume he's alive and well and working with a decent Defenders team.

Henry Pym, yes indeed, he's been around a fair bit. I do miss seeing him and Jan together though.

Agents of Atlas were a great bunch, I'm sure they'll show up before long.

Adam Warlock is a character I never connected with, even in his glory days. A great visual, but irritating character.

Ka-Zar, I could stand to see. I was never a fan of the character until Bruce Jones and Brent Anderson changed his personality. I still snicker at 'I got hit by a Buth'. It's a rotten shame the series isn't available on Maevel Unlimited.

The Priest Panther stuff was pretty decent, but the stupid Storm and worse Illuminati business has rather ruined him for me.

Bring back Quasar for his costume design, if nothing else.

Marvel's Monsters should at least get the odd Hallowe'en special.

The original Thunderbolts are my most-missed on this list, Kurt Busiek did some fine work on that book. It's a special shame that after seeing a future in which Songbird is a major Avenger, she's still - so far as I know - on the outside looking in.

Might I add Nighthawk? A mainstay of the Defenders for years, he seems to have been written out of continuity. I really liked that fella

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

I liked the first several issues of Mark Waid and Andy Kubert's run on Ka-Zar, but that's about it. This was the first I had read of him. When did this come out, 1996? '97? I liked the way they had him in New York City, out of his element. I even bought the first two trades of the run at my LCS last year during a big sale.

[Philip Portelli]

I forgot about NIGHTHAWK who really was an integral part of the MU for a decade. From C-list villain to B-list hero, Kyle Richmond was always more interesting than his pedestrian alter ego. He had so much tragedy in his life that he was the hero you didn't want to be!

Unfortunately with two Angels and a winged Captain (Falcon) America, there doesn't seem to be a need for another flying hero.

[Lee Houston, Junior]

Afraid I can't answer any of Phillip's inquiries right now, because the only Marvel title I'm currently reading (heavy personal emphasis on the R word) is The Silver Surfer. I'm thoroughly enjoying Dan Slott's "Doctor Who" approach to the series, but you think Dawn would of at least had the foresight to pack a toothbrush with her.

However, there are two Marvel characters I would like to add to his list, if I may. Alphabetically:

01. HOWARD THE DUCK. No one (in my humble opinion) seems capable or willing to handle the friendly fowl since Steve Gerber's run(s) and Bill Mantlo's early tales. This was a fun character and I feel he could be again if done properly.

02. TIGRA. The character seemed to be going places in the late 1970s/early 80s when I first discovered the Marvel Universe, but it's rare when she gets more than a supporting character or cameo appearance today. I've always felt that there was a lot of untapped potential and unexplored territory that has gone wasted in untold adventures.

Thoughts?

[Philip Portelli]

Apparently Tigra has developed a reputation for being:

1) overly "friendly"

2) easily beatable

3) somewhat unstable and

4) an unworthy Avenger

And Disney doesn't like Howard and Marvel's not thrilled with him either. (Probably because they know that they don't have the real Duck anymore!)

[Randy Jackson]

As far as I'm concerned, Howard died with Steve Gerber. R.I.P. Mr. the Duck.

[Mark S. Ogilvie]

I think Tigra never really recovered from what Bendis did to her, despite some heavy lifting done by other writers. Howard I'm not certain of, there is a place I'm sure for a world weary cynical duck who still has a moral center (writing that now I'm almost thinking of Lenny Brisco from Law and Order), but I can't see anybody at marvel who's good enough to write that sort of story.

[ClarkKent_DC]

I don't think it's impossible for another creator to handle a character after the original creator has left the series (or died). If that was the case, we wouldn't be reading stories today featuring Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Robin, the Flash, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, the New Gods, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Silver Surfer, Captain America, The Black Panther, the Rocketeer, the Phantom, Dick Tracy, etc., etc., and so forth. 

Someone can do Howard the Duck and do it right; we just haven't found him or her yet.