The Most "Creature of Their Time" Character DC Ever Did Was...?

[Güicho]

In many ways I think Hal (Green Lantern) Jordan is a creature of the 1960s. Test pilots still have some sheen to them, but nothing like cachet they held during The Space Race era. It wasn't too long after the moon landing that - as NASA seemed to lose it's luster - that Jordan's story and adventures seemed to wander off course, unable to find a direction that really worked.

That's mostly a complete failure, shortsightedness and shortcoming of some fans, and surprisingly several creators, who constantly seem to miss the point of the character "type" and setting.
Jordan (and Ferris) easily translates to modern sensibilities, and setting, and they'll always be relevant today, and well into the future.
Especially in a science fiction setting, which the DCU provides in abundance.

Other characters they have no problem updating with the times (both real and the fantastic), Batman's "gear". Barry Alan's job with more modern forensics, DNA, to the science of particle acceleration, etc. , Iron-Man's weapons, tech. and designs are constantly updated, etc... Yet somehow some think "Test Pilot" and their brains get frozen in the past? Instead of looking to the future? And this is a franchise that embraces forward thinking sci-fi. It's like these creators (and some fans) can't move their brains forward and connect the two:

Ferris Aero/Space should already be at the cutting-edge in design and creation of the next generation "ships" (if they can be called that) that will one day push the boundaries of FTL Speed, superluminal travel through deep Space/Time/Dimension, looking to the future. And humans will want to be there and explore this frontier themselves.
It is in this context; cutting edge of technology and ongoing (spirit), that both Carol Ferris and Hal Jordan exist.

There is always that dreamer who will design, engineer and build to take to the next level, and another who will always step up to be the first to pilot one of those ships.
In reality and in fiction (which again the DCU provides in abundance), it's characters like Carol Ferris and Hal Jordan, who won't stop pushing and exploring at the edge of what fear conquering will can achieve.

Other franchises have no problem embracing that








The constant Human drive; willpower and endurance is always tested, pushed to it's limits. We need to know, it's our natural instinct to push the boundaries over the next horizon. Despite machines taking over some jobs, We will always want to know what we as humans are capable of, to what extremes physically, and mentally we can push ourselves.
And characters like Ferris and Jordan will lead the way. It's never over.
You will always need those who willfully instinctively step forward to the task, where others draw the line. That same will is what powers and fuels the ring that recognized Jordan (it's at the core of the concept and franchise).
And that still translates to today.

This character "type" is never obsolete.
And Ferris and Jordan's "job" is only in its infancy.

It's the readers and surprisingly some creators who for some reason are stuck in the past.

Edit: (LOL ^ speech)

[caj]

Mad Mod

[SilverWarriorWolf]

Mad Mod

I think the show translated him best by making him a geriatric obsessed with his youth.

[j9ac9k]

Break Dance much?

[iron chimp]

Mad Mod

Haha great cover. Looks more a psych head than a mod tho

[Güicho]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8dJuasFluc

Break Dance much?

Yeah 80's Vibe (down to the 80's name) was clearly based on Adolfo Gutierrez Quiñones aka Shabba-Doo.
And although these looks and style had been played out for a while, the movie Breakin' brought main stream, and that's likely where creators Conway & Patton came on him, Vibe appeared the same year jsut a few months right after Breakin'. LOL!
Talk about putting a date "stamp" on a character: LOL!




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-WG0gdg2QA






They have since found a way to reinvent the character and powers though.

[DGraysonWorldsGreatestSpy]

Bruce Wayne taking in a Ward who wanted to train and learn is something that really only works in the 1,940’s due to the children of that age & a playboy billionaire who in the early stories was engaged to Julie Madison. Now he is a billionaire bachelor, Dick also had relatives and in the 1,940’s that is a better opportunity that a poor family would agree to because it’s closer to Victorian Ages. It would make more sense for Charles Grayson to take robin in because no one would approve a single bachelor adopting a child as simply acting as a big brother is more logical.

[Güicho]

Dick also had relatives ... It would make more sense for Charles Grayson to take robin in because no one would approve a single bachelor adopting a child as simply acting as a big brother is more logical.

Who the heck is Charles Grayson? When was that retconed in?
I though his only family was his parents (killed) and being born in the traveling circus, there wasn't really records.
Also they couldn't register or go through any authorities, or even the police cause the town was in the pockets of Mob boss Tony Zucco, who just had his parents killed, and Dick knowing what they had done, if he surfaced they would also kill him too.
Hence Batman keeps him from the authorities. And adopts him in secret to protect him.

As for all the other derivative Robins, I have no idea how they explain those? The last one is his real kid, or a clone?

[CaptCleghorn]

Someone on another thread mentioned The Sea Devils as an obscure DC property that they like. Got me thinking about how TSDs were really creatures of their time, Challengers of the Unknown knockoffs that came along during an early 1960s fascination with scuba-diving.

I don't know if you could ever make them really fly (or swim) again in today's world.

What are some others DCs done that are just hopelessly products of their time?

The Sea Devils were basically Cave Carson's crew or Rip Hunter's crew underwater. Best to send the four of them into space and give them some super powers.

[Lee Stone]

Yeah 80's Vibe (down to the 80's name) was clearly based on Adolfo Gutierrez Quiñones aka Shabba-Doo.
And although these looks and style had been played out for a while, the movie Breakin' brought main stream, and that's likely where creators Conway & Patton came on him, Vibe appeared the same year jsut a few months right after Breakin'. LOL!
Talk about putting a date "stamp" on a character: LOL!




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-WG0gdg2QA






They have since found a way to reinvent the character and powers though.

Too bad we didn't get a DC/Marvel crossover with Vibe & Dazzler!

[DrNewGod]

The Sea Devils were basically Cave Carson's crew or Rip Hunter's crew underwater. Best to send the four of them into space and give them some super powers.

That sounds oddly familiar somehow ...

[Jim Kelly]

The Sea Devils started out as a practical team of divers, but as their series went on they became like the Fantastic Four underwater. They dealt with many oddball villains and strange creatures.

As bad as Vibe was in the Detroit League (he can laugh about it now--see the latest FLASH episode where he references Ozone from BREAKIN'), the greater sin was whatever Vixen had on her head, which was a drastic change from the hair she had before. It's that that made me run screaming from the comic.

Chuck Grayson was a scientist who transplanted Robert Crane's brain into the body of the original Robotman. But he doesn't seem to have cared what happened to his young cousin, Dick. John and Mary were circus folk so maybe Chuck was embarassed by the connection.

Dick's uncle and aunt, George and Clara, gained guardianship from Bruce, but they were just grifters doing it for the money. Later Harriet Cooper showed up at the mansion and got herself some comfy digs--where was she all those years? The courts must have seen the benefit of letting a rich tycoon take care of the boy, rather than a pack of moochers and lay-abouts.

[iron chimp]

Apropos of nothing but the recent cave carson series was top draw in my opinion and well worth a look for those who enjoy some pulpy science hero adventure nonsense. Great work by art team too who made it look retro and modern at same time and some truly off the wall back ups with sea devils wonder twins etc by Tom Scioli.

[married guy]

How can we forget all the awesome new heroes introduced in the 1993 Bloodlines annuals?

Gunfire!
Ballistic!
Geist!
Anima!
Loose Cannon!
Razorsharp!
Hook!
Nightblade!

(Actually, to be fair I REALLY loved both Hitman and Argus.)

Some of those names don't get any more 90's!

[Lee Stone]

How can we forget all the awesome new heroes introduced in the 1993 Bloodlines annuals?

Gunfire!
Ballistic!
Geist!
Anima!
Loose Cannon!
Razorsharp!
Hook!
Nightblade!

(Actually, to be fair I REALLY loved both Hitman and Argus.)

Some of those names don't get any more 90's!

I'm pretty sure it was a pretty transparent attempt (by both them and Marvel that year -see their 1993 Annuals for the rest) to claim as many trademarked names as possible because Image was making new characters and was seen as a threat. This was when Image was looking to be another DCU or MU, before the shift to indie style comics.
Probably why they almost all had a '90s Image sounding name.