If there was ONE character that you could take back to their roots...

[DrNewGod]

When you've been publishing comics for 75 years, stuff has to change.

The Spectre was a dead guy that became an angel. Swamp Thing was an accident that became an Elemental Force. Superman was a Man Of Tomorrow that became a Man Of Steel.

Still, change isn't always good. Is there a character that changed from their roots that you would want to return to the source, either in powers or backstory?

For me: Captain Atom. I'd like to see his mass-shifting abilities restored, along with the idea that the more of his power he uses, the weaker he becomes (ala Ditko), and the vague quantum stuff jettisoned.

[caj]

Katar Hol - none of this reincarnation nonsense. He goes back to being a policeman from Thanagar who travels to Earth and becomes the hero Hawkman.

And yes, I know you said ONE, but he brings his wife Shayera with him.

[Pohzee]

Batman got Robin pretty early on in his history, but he wasn't always Professor X. I'd like to take him back to that.

I'd also appreciate more crime solving and crime fighting than terrorist fighting in the general sense. It seems like so few stories these days have villains inspired by greed and instead generally want control or mayhem.

But I think that last point extends beyond Batman to most of DC's villains these days.

[lemonpeace]

I say we take Black Lightning back to his roots. I'm talking waaaaaaaay back. That's right, it's time to bring in the BLACK BOMBER "It's C.P. time!"

/s

[superduperman]

Superman. The GA stories were some of the best IMO because he wasn't fighting the alien of the month, he was fighting corrupt politicians and gangsters. They also didn't focus on Krypton all that much. It was mentioned in his origin and not really brought up again for something like ten years. There was also a focus on Clark Kent as an investigative journalist. Today it's mostly just a disguise he wears when he's not being Superman.

[Sacred Knight]

Superman. The GA stories were some of the best IMO because he wasn't fighting the alien of the month, he was fighting corrupt politicians and gangsters. They also didn't focus on Krypton all that much. It was mentioned in his origin and not really brought up again for something like ten years. There was also a focus on Clark Kent as an investigative journalist. Today it's mostly just a disguise he wears when he's not being Superman.

This. I'm also a proponent that his evolution into a husband and father is an overall negative change. Its only helped in the long process of watering down his personality and mission statement.

[Lee Stone]

Hands down...

Batman.

Take him back to being a realistic 'can get hurt', 'not perfect' Year One Batman. Even with a Robin. Just ONE Robin.
And maybe a Batgirl or Batwoman.
With his Dick Tracy-styled villains.
More organized crime and everyday criminals and less psychos. Maybe some loony, but not everyone has to have been an understudy for Hannibal.
Just because there's an Arkham doesn't mean all the villains belong there.

[Güicho]

Absolutely pulp era Batman and especially (since the op specified just ONE) Robin.

I know this isn't a popular opinion here, yet the truth is Robin to Nightwing was a step down, the most interesting thing about Grayson will always be that he was Robin.
Grayson's Robin identity will always have the most cachet; particularly Grayson's take (going back to the Golden age where he's the young ,devilmaycare, daredevil, solo taking on Zucco (his parents killers) and the mob, somersaulting, slingshoting and kicking mobsters (even the Joker) off city skyscrapers to their death! So much that Batman has to intervene to save them, from Robin.
That's his greatest most defining story arc. Who he is.
This will always be the definitive version, who Batman recognized in himself, had to real in, and take under his wing (and Oath), so he wouldn't become what took his parents.



DC has forever since been trying to retrieve that, with all these crap "new" derivative re-imaginings of the character, so they can have the young version back, and new readers can tell themselves look how edgy and "kick-ass" Robin is now, with mostly (creepy clones) trying to imitate the original. LOL!

With an inherent ongoing sliding-time-scale being the lifeblood of comics characters and why they've lasted so long, (despite some fans here pretending aging them is the way to go) One of the worst moves DC did was aging this character to Nightwing, when the only update he needed was a costume, adding green/black leggings cape and full boots.
Which Neal Addam's pretty much came up with for Grayson anyway, and every "new" incarnation has shamelessly with out credit been appropriating since. : )
Other than founding the Titans which he can still do. Most his extraneous supposed "character development" people cling to like it defined him, has been garbage.
Eliminate all the derivative clones, (if you want tell story beats where they stood in for Robin while he was unavailable, yet eventually took their own IDs that works great too) Truth is Grayson despite some delusion here, will never replace Bruce Wayne as Batman, and you or any writer will never come up with something more interesting than his role as the original Robin. He needs to take back and own his most important and significant role (that everyone from Todd, Timm, Carrie, Hit-Girl to Damian want to be), the one he defined.

Also his visual and thematic nod was both to the Bird and Robin Hood.

[9th.]

I say we take Black Lightning back to his roots. I'm talking waaaaaaaay back. That's right, it's time to bring in the BLACK BOMBER "It's C.P. time!"

/s

That's got to be the most embarrassing story in comics

[Buried Alien]

Barry Allen (the Flash). No dying in CRISIS. No dead mother. No FLASHPOINT. Comic-loving, always-late CSI with a nerdy love for comic books gets the ride of his life when a bolt of lightning endows him with superspeed.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Falcon16]

That's got to be the most embarrassing story in comics

How about Black Vulcan? "Great Lightning!"

[lemonpeace]

That's got to be the most embarrassing story in comics

That it is. Some characters' "roots" aren't all that glamorous nor should they be returned to even if they could.

[iron chimp]

I say we take Black Lightning back to his roots. I'm talking waaaaaaaay back. That's right, it's time to bring in the BLACK BOMBER "It's C.P. time!"

/s

Had to Google this. Now that is a proper comic book concept - that could be genuinely funny and cutting if done properly / or a complete car crash. Either way it's a win though.

[SixSpeedSamurai]

Swamp Thing.

[Jon-El]

Katar Hol - none of this reincarnation nonsense. He goes back to being a policeman from Thanagar who travels to Earth and becomes the hero Hawkman.

And yes, I know you said ONE, but he brings his wife Shayera with him.

I’m really behind when it comes to the character but the version of Hawkman that’s just a policeman from Thangar is my absolute favorite. I tried to follow a discussion about the character the other day and realized I was clueless about his current story.