Blue Marvel Appreciation 2019

[MoneySpider]

1. I've always pictured Dennis Haysbert as being Blue Marvel in the MCU.

2. I've got no problems with Blue Marvel having a little grey hair at the temples, especially since that's the way he was designed by his creator Kevin Grevioux. I figure Kevin wanted him to look that way for a reason.

3. If they do introduce Blue Marvel into the MCU at any point, they could easily have him get his powers in the modern era (especially since people have been saying that his "forgotten hero" origin was taken by Carol Danvers in the MCU). It's not like they have to go the exact same route in the movies as they went in the comics (like for instance when Black Panther's father was NOT killed by Klaue in the MCU, but by someone else at that UN meeting).

[ed2962]

Wow, the age discussion certainly fired up the gallery. I like it! Time for a new topic.

How do you think the world would view Adam now if President Kennedy had never issued Executive Order #BM349?

Some people in the community would love him while outside of the community he'd still get the side eye. At least during the 60's-70's. By the time we get to the modern age he'd be respected by most people across the board.

[JudicatorPrime]

From what little I know of him (I honestly only read respect threads and The Ultimates), I'd say he'd probably praised as the first black superhero. Though I could see a lot of people turning against him for having all that power and knowledge and not using it to help fight for equal rights of his people. You know since comic characters don't tackle real world issues. That's how I figure it would go down.

Definitely pick up Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel (often abbreviated as ALOTBM here) when you get a chance. The story mentions how Whites feared Adam and didn't want his help. They attacked him after he saved the lives of several kids. Blacks were no better. They rioted because Adam didn't use his powers to overthrow the oppressive elements of the government. Grevioux did his best to present a credible no-win scenario for Adam as it relates to the US. I have my issues with ALOTBM, but it's still the best series if you want to get a feel for what Adam was going through at the time.

[Hypestyle]

Definitely pick up Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel (often abbreviated as ALOTBM here) when you get a chance. The story mentions how Whites feared Adam and didn't want his help. They attacked him after he saved the lives of several kids. Blacks were no better. They rioted because Adam didn't use his powers to overthrow the oppressive elements of the government. Grevioux did his best to present a credible no-win scenario for Adam as it relates to the US. I have my issues with ALOTBM, but it's still the best series if you want to get a feel for what Adam was going through at the time.

I still have something of a problem with that angle, lol.. I can see any number of white pundits and officials of the time characterizing any social unrest post-unmasking that way, and maybe some N.O.I. partisans circa 1962 might have called for open war on whites, but... Then again this is Marvel Earth where people in general are just more reactionary on principle...

[JudicatorPrime]

I still have something of a problem with that angle, lol.. I can see any number of white pundits and officials of the time characterizing any social unrest post-unmasking that way, and maybe some N.O.I. partisans circa 1962 might have called for open war on whites, but... Then again this is Marvel Earth where people in general are just more reactionary on principle...

That was all Grevioux's doing. He was trying to set a stage where Blue Marvel was hated by both sides. I actually laughed when I read it, because I knew that Grevioux was in full straw man mode at that point; I couldn't take him seriously. I'll see if I can find the panel in ALOTBM where that scene occurred and post it. No one would have rioted because Blue Marvel didn't deliver civil rights on a platter. But they might have vigorously protested had they found out about the President's Order to indefinitely sideline Adam. But of course, they didn't know about that. And Grevioux established that the riots started well before Kennedy even decided on the Executive Order.

Like I said, on the whole I like ALOTBM, but there's quite a bit of it that I reject as implausible. The answer to, "What would happen if Superman was Black in America during the Civil Rights Era?" is "Superman expatriates to Canada...or England...or Wakanda...or the Blue Area of the Moon." Adam was young, single, no attachments of any kind at the time, and blessed with a power to change people's lives on a global scale for the better. No one said it had to be American lives only. But that was the box that Grevioux wanted Adam in, that he needs all of us to be in, if we're to buy his narrative. But the logic just doesn't work. It doesn't take enhanced, ultra-intelligent thought processes to know that leaving the US was the best solution. "Free your mind, and the rest will follow." But maybe this is just Grevioux's way of saying that Adam was still a victim of slave mentality? I certainly hope not, but you never know...

[JudicatorPrime]

Time to renew an old request: I would like to see Marvel introduce an alternate Earth version of Blue Marvel. One who left America for Wakanda after the American President asked him to retire. In an era of nuclear powers competing for hegemony, surely T'Chaka would see the advantage of adding someone like Brashear to his arsenal. However, as an émigré, Adam Brashear sets aside his American name and is called simply Makóma, after the mythical legend. (If you're not familiar with the myths of Zimbabwe, do look it up.) He keeps Blue Marvel as his nom de guerre, and is forbidden by international treaty never to enter the US, but otherwise, Adam, er, Makóma enjoys his life and standing as the world's greatest hero.

[dkrook]

Wow, the age discussion certainly fired up the gallery. I like it! Time for a new topic.

How do you think the world would view Adam now if President Kennedy had never issued Executive Order #BM349?

I think that is a good question now, if he and the world survived I believe there is a chance he would he considered a great hero. Now the dark side to this is that the country was in a very bad place in so many ways race wise that I think there would be more than enough hate, and/or paranoia that different factions within the country would have been trying to eliminate him or have this guy removed from earth out of fear he will avenge wrongs done to black people . I even think that would make an edgy but awesome what if story if Adam finally gets fed up and snaps. Then he commences to "set the US right"

[dkrook]

Time to renew an old request: I would like to see Marvel introduce an alternate Earth version of Blue Marvel. One who left America for Wakanda after the American President asked him to retire. In an era of nuclear powers competing for hegemony, surely T'Chaka would see the advantage of adding someone like Brashear to his arsenal. However, as an émigré, Adam Brashear sets aside his American name and is called simply Makóma, after the mythical legend. (If you're not familiar with the myths of Zimbabwe, do look it up.) He keeps Blue Marvel as his nom de guerre, and is forbidden by international treaty never to enter the US, but otherwise, Adam, er, Makóma enjoys his life and standing as the world's greatest hero.

That's fire, but let's split the difference and say Adam goes to Wakanda and instead goes into Marcus Garvey mode and convinces the nation to help him push Africa into the future by unification and technology to become a true global empire that evolves to be the protector of the planet. Hell maybe Adam then uses his power to start an earthborn and grown Nova corps- like peacekeeping force.

[kilderkin]

Was great to see Adam in an avengers book again

[The Cool Thatguy]

That was all Grevioux's doing. He was trying to set a stage where Blue Marvel was hated by both sides. I actually laughed when I read it, because I knew that Grevioux was in full straw man mode at that point; I couldn't take him seriously. I'll see if I can find the panel in ALOTBM where that scene occurred and post it. No one would have rioted because Blue Marvel didn't deliver civil rights on a platter. But they might have vigorously protested had they found out about the President's Order to indefinitely sideline Adam. But of course, they didn't know about that. And Grevioux established that the riots started well before Kennedy even decided on the Executive Order.

Like I said, on the whole I like ALOTBM, but there's quite a bit of it that I reject as implausible. The answer to, "What would happen if Superman was Black in America during the Civil Rights Era?" is "Superman expatriates to Canada...or England...or Wakanda...or the Blue Area of the Moon." Adam was young, single, no attachments of any kind at the time, and blessed with a power to change people's lives on a global scale for the better. No one said it had to be American lives only. But that was the box that Grevioux wanted Adam in, that he needs all of us to be in, if we're to buy his narrative. But the logic just doesn't work. It doesn't take enhanced, ultra-intelligent thought processes to know that leaving the US was the best solution. "Free your mind, and the rest will follow." But maybe this is just Grevioux's way of saying that Adam was still a victim of slave mentality? I certainly hope not, but you never know...

Because an unknown element wandering around during the Cold War wouldn't have made things worse?

[JudicatorPrime]

Because an unknown element wandering around during the Cold War wouldn't have made things worse?

Worse. For. Whom?

[XPac]

I still have something of a problem with that angle, lol.. I can see any number of white pundits and officials of the time characterizing any social unrest post-unmasking that way, and maybe some N.O.I. partisans circa 1962 might have called for open war on whites, but... Then again this is Marvel Earth where people in general are just more reactionary on principle...

It's sort of similar to MCU Killmonger being angry with Wakanda for not helping more. I think it's believalbe that minority portion of the community had that sort of extremist militant attitude, and would resent Wakanda (if they knew about Wakanda at the time which they probably didn't) and Blue Marvel for not doing more. I don't think that comes anywhere close to representing the majoirty of people... but minority groups like that tend to have the loudest voice.

Plus, like you said this is marvel... the public has to me more reactionary for the purposes of storytelling. We see that in the X books all the time. Though maybe people in the real world would be more reactionary if they had to deal with the stuff the people in the marvel world had to deal with. Who knows.

[JudicatorPrime]

Was great to see Adam in an avengers book again

True. With Voyager's Avengers squad facing someone as powerful as Nyx, I'm hoping that he doesn't stay on the sidelines for all of it. I have a feeling things are going to get much, much worse. I'm dying to see him interact with Hulk, Hawkeye, Vision and Scarlet Witch before one of them takes a dirt nap.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Worse. For. Whom?

The people with their fingers on the button?

In real life, this globe was nearly destroyed several times. So yeah...

[JudicatorPrime]

The people with their fingers on the button?

In real life, this globe was nearly destroyed several times. So yeah...

Well, if the US let Adam leave, they no doubt would have kept a close eye on where he went. If he left for Russia, China, Cuba or another hostile rival country, that would have been tantamount to a second Cuban Missile Crisis which might have led to WW3. That said, Adam was a retired Marine. While he might expatriate to an ally like England, or a neutral country like Wakanda, he'd never leave for Russia or China in a bazillion years.

In any event, if the situation went south, it would have been the US government's fault. Instead of treating Adam like an asset, they treated him like a liability. If they were smart, they would have recalled Adam back into the US military under Stop-Loss, so that he had to serve the country on specific missions. That effectively retires him from public life AND prevents him from leaving the country. We had a draft at the time after all, and needed all of the able bodied folks that we could get. But that didn't suit ALOTBM's narrative, either, so it wasn't a consideration. Like I said, there are a number of ways to alter the telling, but it would require Grevioux to envision a US government that was as much the villain as the sociopolitical environment of the 1960s.