Revamp a Hero....

[Michael Watkins]

Maybe. Wouldn't be that messy, though, as Hobie has had imposters misusing the Prowler identity in the past and we could just chalk up Aaron Davis as another one of those imposters. In fact, I think it's kind of a wasted opportunity on Marvel's part that Hobie and Aaron didn't have an encounter in the past.

Hobie and, to some extent, Rob Farrell are kind of all over the place; portrayal-wise. they are rife for revamping (although they did get my attention with some of the recent Hobie stuff). all of the impostors sort of hurt Rob's image, imo. ironically, I kind of hate it when that happens to a character. with hindsight being 20/20, I might have preferred Ultimate Hobie Brown being Miles' estranged father or something.

[Michael Watkins]

Quick bullet points for a FANTASTIC FOUR REVAMP (all credit due to some of the great revamps by other posters in this thread)

. Victor von Doom – dirt poor living in the Balkans with an eastern European father (may be a question of parentage) and a mother of roma ancestry – relatively unmatched intellect but a little too busy surviving to get a formal education (but eager for knowledge) – I’d make him less focused on his mother – her fate would only be known to him after he creates a means of interfacing w/ other dimensions – Mephisto, amused at the arrogance of a human breaching his realm, would show him an image of his mother being tortured in Hell – but the veracity of the image would be uncomfirmed for years – Victor’s primary goal would be obtaining power so that he can remake the world; seeing his own struggles as evidence of a flaw in reality – only later would he discover that his mother descends from a long line of sorcery practicioners – a lot of their family’s trouble would be due to Cynthia abusing the dark arts – and, again, Werner’s a nice guy but he might not be the real father – Doom, deciding that science isn’t the end all, would have sought out training from the monks that crafted his armor (he adds the tech of course).

. Reed Richards – not dirt poor and from a seemingly nurturing environment – grows up being routinely tested by his father Nathaniel; everything’s a “teachable moment” – the nature of Nathaniel’s routine absences are hidden from Reed but they concern his destiny – keeping all of the university material (i.e. meeting and failing to befriend von doom, boarding at the Storm house, etc) – I’d change how he meets Ben (see below) – well known as a America’s smartest man prior to the accident – he’d have periods of extreme scientific focus but wouldn’t be stereotypically on-the-spectrum about it. Harbors a lot of guilt about Ben’s condition.

. Sue Storm – only change is that she had been on the path of becoming a doctor but plans were halted by the death of her parents; having to partially raise Johnny. She has a lot of practical training as a medic; which would be evident in her role in the early days of the team. Initially seeming to be the weakest of the team, she puts a lot of effort into learning self-defense (becomes one of the most formidable hand-to-hand combatants on the team outside of Ben).

. Johnny Storm – no change. But I’d play up his gearhead skillset. He’d no a surprising amount about engines and, if he hadn’t gotten powers, would likely be working on them; in some capacity.

. Bentley Wittman – originally a scientist turned elon musk-level inventor, investor, and businessman. Completely overshadowed by Reed Richards and Tony Stark. He first dons the Wizard identity as a “hero.” But his acts of heroism are staged; criminally so. The Four reveal the man behind the curtain; so-to-speak. His business empire folds like a house of cards. That narcissistic injury leads to Bentley declaring himself (all in his head) the archnemesis of the Four. But he’s unable to see himself as the villain of the story, of course. He recruits his Frightful Four to pillage other worlds of weaponry (and whatever else he can find); to be used to restore his powerbase, on Earth.
If it were up to me, I’d go with the N-Zone origin for their powers; as oppose to the rocket ship (it just feels dated to me). But it’s not a deal breaker.

[Huntsman Spider]

Hmm, you could merge the N-Zone and rocket ship origins, in the sense that "folding space" is used as a shortcut to reach more distant parts of the galaxy, but the rocket ship is necessary to shield the people inside from being torn apart by space being folded. It works, for the most part, but instead of their bodies being torn apart by space being folded when the ship's shield turns out to not be fully adequate, it's their very DNA that gets scrambled, leading to mutations that manifest as varying superhuman abilities, albeit with one of them being the most visibly altered and unable to revert back (or camouflage, as their mutated states become their new defaults).

[Michael Watkins]

Hmm, you could merge the N-Zone and rocket ship origins, in the sense that "folding space" is used as a shortcut to reach more distant parts of the galaxy, but the rocket ship is necessary to shield the people inside from being torn apart by space being folded.

that's a decent compromise. maybe some strange aperture appears in space. Reed needs to construct the rocket and cosmic shielding to investigate. it still feels weird to have the others be part of that, though; since it sounds like a mission where you'd only take professionals.

[Huntsman Spider]

that's a decent compromise. maybe some strange aperture appears in space. Reed needs to construct the rocket and cosmic shielding to investigate. it still feels weird to have the others be part of that, though; since it sounds like a mission where you'd only take professionals.

True, but the whole thing was started as a rogue operation that Reed's superiors didn't authorize. In that light, Reed could probably take whoever he wanted, and at least Ben's background as a pilot and Johnny's mechanical skills with vehicles would make them valuable assets even if they weren't formally hired by Reed or his superiors. As for Sue, I'd borrow Crimz's ideas for her and have her onboard as a medical observer to monitor their physical health and ensure that they can actually survive going into that aperture and coming back out.

[Michael Watkins]

True, but the whole thing was started as a rogue operation that Reed's superiors didn't authorize. In that light, Reed could probably take whoever he wanted, and at least Ben's background as a pilot and Johnny's mechanical skills with vehicles would make them valuable assets even if they weren't formally hired by Reed or his superiors. As for Sue, I'd borrow Crimz's ideas for her and have her onboard as a medical observer to monitor their physical health and ensure that they can actually survive going into that aperture and coming back out.

right. it's sort of dependent on Sue and Johnny getting intellect/skill promotions. and I'm not against that. it's just the one aspect of the original story that bothered me. it takes a lot of training to become an astronaut. there's more to account for than someone's mechanical skill. Reed took a huge risk. I wish that it had been more of a commercial enterprise; like Reed was selling his rocket ship as civilian proof/so safe that anyone could view space this way. I think this might have been the approach of the Tim Story film. I'm kind of trying to block the movie out.

[Huntsman Spider]

right. it's sort of dependent on Sue and Johnny getting intellect/skill promotions. and I'm not against that. it's just the one aspect of the original story that bothered me. it takes a lot of training to become an astronaut. there's more to account for than someone's mechanical skill. Reed took a huge risk. I wish that it had been more of a commercial enterprise; like Reed was selling his rocket ship as civilian proof/so safe that anyone could view space this way. I think this might have been the approach of the Tim Story film. I'm kind of trying to block the movie out.

If the Tim Story film is what I think it was, all four of them technically had official roles on the ship or space station. Ben was the pilot, Johnny was the copilot, and Sue was the official supervisor on behalf of Victor Von Doom, who was apparently funding the whole thing. And yeah, considering the advent of corporate-funded space exploration, we could easily have Reed's project be reframed in that light.

[Michael Watkins]

If the Tim Story film is what I think it was, all four of them technically had official roles on the ship or space station. Ben was the pilot, Johnny was the copilot, and Sue was the official supervisor on behalf of Victor Von Doom, who was apparently funding the whole thing. And yeah, considering the advent of corporate-funded space exploration, we could easily have Reed's project be reframed in that light.

I was talking about the commercial space travel aspect of it; not their individual qualifications.

[Michael Watkins]

QUICK HIT REVAMPS

RICK JONES - just establish him as computer savvy from jump - instead of having him wander onto the military site, he has some serious distrust of the government and is maybe protesting (or trying to expose) the weapons testing of that particular facility. I could see him being the guy who kind of helps Banner go fugitive and relates to Banner's reluctance to trust the military with his creations. that runaway musician thing worked for the era in which Rick Jones first appeared. but I kind of need him to be "more." he can still be an audiophile and lyricist. but I think it should be second to his cyber warfare activist role.

NIGHT NURSE(S) - I'd have the organization be almost as old as costumed heroism; originally just medical professionals aiding the Invaders and the other colorful characters appearing in the golden age. but, in the present, it would be a network of those willing to aid the superhuman community; clandestinely. Jane Foster wouldn't be a member. but Linda carter, Donald Blake (he's not the counterpart of Thor in my revamp), Georgia Jenkins, Cecilia Reyes, Cristine Palmer, and Claire Temple would be among their ranks.

JARVIS - I prefer the cinematic universe take on it; that the modern day J.A.R.V.I.S is an artificial intelligence program named after a real person; with ties to the Starks (to honor him).

[Alpha Male]

that could be really cool. sounds more like something Pym (as Wasp) would do, though. my version of Jan is a lot more action-hero-y. she'd be formidable w/o powers. my version of Pym is a kind of a pacifist, in the sense that he'd rather approach problems using science/his mind than slugging it out (although still being well practiced in the martial art Wing Chun). his mechanical "ant" helpers would be quite versatile and have a lot of the features that you listed. sometimes, he'd just use them to surround/protect innocent bystanders or disable weaponry. this facet of Pym's personality is important to me because it one of the things that make him stand out from the other Pym particle users. he approaches everything like a brain teaser. and his rogues gallery would include a lot of characters who specialize in complex/multi-leveled master plans. A.I.M would continually attempt to recruit him as Scientist Supreme or kill him (considering him to be a real threat to their mad science).

I like it! It reminds of a fanfic I wrote years ago that featured Scott Lang Ant Man. In the fanfic I equipped Lang with robotic ants that were actually surveillance cameras and listening devices. He also had robotic ants that would serve as a commlink. Now I would add some bugs that can eat metal or wires. He needs termites.

[Michael Watkins]

I like it! It reminds of a fanfic I wrote years ago that featured Scott Lang Ant Man. In the fanfic I equipped Lang with robotic ants that were actually surveillance cameras and listening devices. He also had robotic ants that would serve as a commlink. Now I would add some bugs that can eat metal or wires. He needs termites.

where's that fanfic? I feel as if I read it, at some point. and, yeah, Pym would have all sorts of mechanical insects (grasshoppers, hornets, tank-like dung beetles); all built for a specific purpose. and Scott would inherit these. but I'd want them to maintain the difference in their respective skills. Scott has sufficient mechanical skill at doing routine repairs on the mech-bugs. but he wouldn't be the type to develop an A.I. or something. Pym would loan him a mechanical ant to practice on. I feel like Scott, skillwise, would be a lot like Fixer/Norbert Ebersol. he's not an inventor or even a scientist. but he's a decent engineer and can intuit some complex creations.

[Michael Watkins]

do any of you have opinions on a Bucky Barnes revamp? which take on the character do you prefer; original, winter soldier retelling, or the cinematic version? i can't decide other than to say that i don't like the original story. kid sidekicks are weird enough. to know that he had some training and was sort of planted there as Cap's aide by the military makes slightly more sense. then again, the movie story was far more tragic. they were equals/brothers in that version. it was very understandable why he'd be kind of in shock when he first meets the Winter Soldier. the comic book introduction of Winter Soldier didn't affect me much. i was had a stronger reaction to Jack Munroe being killed. plus, the Red Skull/Lukin stuff was a bit overly complicated. it generated some good stories, though.

[Michael Watkins]

CAPTAIN MARVEL



. I'd keep her motivations for entering the air force and experiences as an intelligence operative

. I'd probably skip the columnist stuff but there's nothing wrong with there being a feminist bent to the character

. I'd like to connect the origins of her powers to the kree-skrull war somehow (maybe she's been appearing as the pilot of the quinjet or something; in an Avengers title)

. there needs to be more of a separation between she and Mar-Vell. i realize that there's no way to do this and satisfy, both, Carol and Marv fans. but it's that connection that is truly keeping her from ascending. for better or worse, it's an asterisk on her career (*wearing hand-me-down identity of male hero) - but how to do it?

. maybe she takes a side during the Kree-Skrull War and, as a regular human, does enough brave stuff to get the attention of the Kree. maybe they choose her as an Earth ambassador after her exposure to the psyche-magnetron. but she kind of tells them to shove it and just does her own thing. as an aspect of her powers, she kind of has the collective history of the kree pumped into her head. it's there that she recalls the heroic actions of one of their own, Mar-Vell. and it informs her decision on a superhero name. i don't have the perfect answer. i just think Carol has a lot of potential. and i think having a man give her an identity sort of flies in the face of her original motivation. she wanted to prove that she could cut it in a "man's world." there's something to be said for Mar-Vell sticking around Earth seeking out someone worthy to empower. but him being active as Captain Marvel on Earth cuts Carol off at the knees.

. keep the Project Pegasus security chief stuff but have her operate as PP's security chief AS Captain Marvel; no dual identity. she'd have the research facility/prison as her base of operations. and she'd drag a lot of her adversaries kicking and screaming back to that base.

. in case you're wondering, yes i am taking away the title from Monica Rambeau. and i know that pisses Monica fans off just as much as Mar-Vell fans. it's not my fault that Monica has nothing to do with the Kree. i think she's doing just fine as Spectrum. I'd just give her that name; upfront. it's less messy if the Captain Marvel name stays a kree property. and i think Monica would have done a little better w/o the competition. there wouldn't be a "Why didn't Marvel stick with Monica as Captain Marvel" thread, for instance.

. back to Carol, no Marcus Immortus rape - kind of hard to exclude the Rogue stuff (although i can think of a few ways), so i'll keep it for now - and she'd already know Wolverine from her spy days

. the excessive drinking would have been situational/post traumatic stress related - I'd probably tone down some of the stuff that happened during that Fall of Warbird period where she nearly killed a jetliner full of people; drunken fights with Iron Man are alright, though

. she'd be one of the go-to Avengers for battle strategy but be a lot less likely to pursue negotiation than some of the other chairpeople; a character weakness.

. she'd have a bit of an insecurity streak around Captain America (because he's a military icon) and Stark (because he's the type to try to undermine her command)

. being more trusted by SHIELD, she'd be Stark's second in command during Civil War (with Reed and Skrull-Pym being there solely for the science portion of their action plan).

. I'd set up some past history with James Rhodes; nothing serious and rarely sober.

. I'd put her as one of the older Avengers but appear to be in her prime because of the kree's alteration of her physiology

. Mystique should definitely stick around as a recurring foe - otherwise, MODOK, Deathbird, Doomsday Man, Superia, various Project Pegasus guests, Moonstone, Yon-Rogg, Captain Atlas, Doc Minerva, & The Lunatic Legion are all part of her rogues gallery.

[Huntsman Spider]

That all sounds pretty good, and is a nice streamlining of Carol Danvers's history and backstory. Aside from that, I'd say, as in Ultimate Marvel, his name is spelled "Mahr Vehl" and "Marvel" is a rough translation to Earth's English language that Carol adopts as her superhero name to honor Mahr Vehl's self-sacrifice to save Earth from the Kree's attempted takeover. He does have some lost children who may or may not show up to challenge Carol for the "right" to bear the name Marvel, though they will inevitably come away (perhaps begrudgingly) respecting her, if not necessarily willing to get along with her. It ends up being a kind of "tsundere" thing where they don't want to admit that they particularly like or care for or are impressed by her, but they give away their real feelings through their actions, lots of "I'm just passing through" and "don't be mistaken, I'm not doing this for you." (Platonic "tsundere," mind you; I'm not angling for romance between her and any of Mahr Vehl's children, though I'll cop to thinking that Carol/Phyla could be interesting.) I wouldn't entirely discard her involvement in the news media, though I'd have her more as someone who writes the occasional editorial offering her unique perspective on matters as a career military woman-turned-superhero.

[Michael Watkins]

That all sounds pretty good, and is a nice streamlining of Carol Danvers's history and backstory. Aside from that, I'd say, as in Ultimate Marvel, his name is spelled "Mahr Vehl" and "Marvel" is a rough translation to Earth's English language that Carol adopts as her superhero name to honor Mahr Vehl's self-sacrifice to save Earth from the Kree's attempted takeover.

sure. in my head, the kree language would be kind of hard for earthlings to understand. phonetically, it would sound close enough to "marvel" for Carol to pick up on it. but the Ultimate Universe stuff works just fine.

He does have some lost children who may or may not show up to challenge Carol for the "right" to bear the name Marvel, though they will inevitably come away (perhaps begrudgingly) respecting her, if not necessarily willing to get along with her.

that will probably be necessary. Genis was very popular in the day. I didn't want to deprive anyone of that. but Carol really really needs the Captain Marvel title, if she's going to be a leading female (at this point).

It ends up being a kind of "tsundere" thing where they don't want to admit that they particularly like or care for or are impressed by her, but they give away their real feelings through their actions, lots of "I'm just passing through" and "don't be mistaken, I'm not doing this for you." (Platonic "tsundere," mind you; I'm not angling for romance between her and any of Mahr Vehl's children, though I'll cop to thinking that Carol/Phyla could be interesting.) I wouldn't entirely discard her involvement in the news media, though I'd have her more as someone who writes the occasional editorial offering her unique perspective on matters as a career military woman-turned-superhero.

I really like that part of it. I think it'd help her visibility a lot if her connection to the armed forces were consistently highlighted. it would differentiate her from some of the other prominent characters.