What character, hero or villain, has the outright dumbest origin? For instance, Chemo came about because a world renowned chemist tossed failed chemical experiments into a clear plastic figure of a man because it amused him to do so. Any chemist worth his while knows you don't just mix chemicals willy-nilly--heck, a 10 year old with a chemistry set could tell you that.
I'd also have to name Bouncing Boy. How does one mistake a scientific formula for a bottle of soda? And why was he slacking at the circus before making that delivery anyway?
Replies
Hmm... Maybe Captain Marvel? Not the one you're thinking of (whichever one you're thinking of), but this one:
I don't even know what his origin is, but it's just got to be stupid.
As I recall, that particular Captain Marvel was a robot/android with an origin similar to that of Superman's, but I'm not sure as I've never read any of his exploits, only seen a handful of scans.
Good thing he brought a piece of string along to pull the trigger.
Since he's come up in the Avengers discussion, how about the Golden Age Whizzer? A transfusion of mongoose blood (because he was bitten by a cobra) gave him super-speed. That's it.
That's a good one. Even his wife didn't buy it! I don't have it with me again today, but didn't she say something like, "Honey, you know I'm never going to believe that story about the mongoose blood!"? I was telling my wife about our discussion of Giant-Size Avengers #1 yesterday, and when I told he about Bob frank she said, "Gee, I can't believe a character called 'The Whizzer' didn't last into the '50s."
I think the Black Condor's origin - raised by birds - beats all others for dopiness if taken at face value; but I suspect it was a tongue-in-cheek parody of Tarzan's.
You beat me to it on Black Condor, Luke -- the idea that birds can teach a person to fly is insane!
"Ain’t I ya pal? Why would I lie to ya? Ya gotta believe it will work, like Dumbo… now flap ya arms up and down, fast as they’ll go… bend the elbows just a bit more… that’s right… remember, ya’ve gotta believe, keep saying it under ya breath, “I believe, I believe, I believe”… that's right.... now step up to the edge… Of course I won’t desert ya, ain’t I in ya will? I’ll follow ya all the way down… Up! I mean up! Hahaha. Hahahaha. Hahahahahahahaha!"
The origin of Ultra the Multi-Alien is also pretty awful. I think it makes him seem a worse character. His design, particularly his face, isn't bad, although more suited to younger readers.(1) I saw the cover of Mystery in Space in #103 as a kid in the Simon and Shuster Mysteries in Space collection, and wanted to read the story.
(1) In the course of the Silver Age US comics shifted to a more realistic, more serious approach that older readers could buy into. Some ideas work for young readers but not older ones.
As noted over here:
ClarkKent_DC said:
-
1
-
2
-
3
of 3 Next