Pitch a DC License.

[DrNewGod]

With all the talk about AT&T maybe doing drastic stuff to DC, it sets one to wondering what might become of this very rich portfolio of characters? One idea floated around various threads is that DC might become a licensor of its IP, but a competing thought is that DC would continue to self-produce some of its assets, especially, anything involving the word "Bat." Likely, I'd assume DC would hang onto its biggest 7 (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Green Arrow), and their closely-related characters and situations, but anything else might be fair game.

So lets say you're a small publisher, like a Valiant, and DC put out a RFP for licensees. You can't touch their Big 7, not even as flashbacks, but you are allowed to acknowledge those characters exist in your licensed titles, as long as your references are kind of vague. What would you propose?

For myself, I think of two: Mister Terrific and (the character originally known as) Captain Marvel.

Mr. Terrific has long struck me as The Man of Tomorrow For Our Times. We are so about the human intersection with technology these days, he seems ideal for it. Give Mr. T a sort of Jonny Quest Meet's Iron Man vibe; have him continually exploring mysterious phenomena around the globe, or defending his discoveries from thieves and saboteurs. Build a new Terrifics around him, something more akin to Doc Savage's Fab Five than the trio from the late
Terrifics title.

As for Cap, I might want to make a play for the kids market. Quit trying to make The World's Mightiest Mortal grow up; embrace his simple fun. Put Cap and his extended family in their own world, with its more naive view of the world, and roll from there. I might want to change the name to Captain Thunder, but that's negotiable. One change I would make is to downplay the deities as individual characters, treat them more like a mental framework The Wizard gave Billy to shape the power bequeathed him into Cap's specific abilities. For another (and as an additional reason for Billy to not stay Cap very long), I'd characterize the Power of Zeus not only as the ability to summon lightning, but the inability prevent storms from mounting (when Billy transforms, storm clouds automatically begin gathering, growing more intense, especially the more Cap exerts his abilities).

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I'd put the new age of heroes characters over at Valiant.

Those are very new characters with not a lot of connections with the existing DCU. So not referring to the big 7 isn't a problem. The main issue is Valiant would rather buy them out wholesale than rent them. There's no guarantee they would turn a sale for Valiant but Valiant has most of their classic characters already active. Its not like they have that deep a bench to exhaust.

Charlton heroes over at Dynamite. Dynamite has a lot of retro characters so they would find a home.

I guess Liefield would come in and swoop up the Wildstorm characters.

[Kaijudo]

I could see a lot of the magical/horror-driven characters (Swamp Thing, the Demon, Enchantress, Blue Devil, I Vampire, Ragman, Nightshade) going to Dark Horse and being incorporated into the Hellboy universe.

[Riv86672]

I’d like to see what Archie Comics would do w. Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld.

[DrNewGod]

I’d like to see what Archie Comics would do w. Power Pack.

That's Marvel. Still, good one.

As an alternative, I'd offer them The Marvel (currently, SHAZAM) family. You're probably right about what they could do with that kind of property.

[Riv86672]

That's Marvel. Still, good one.

As an alternative, I'd offer them The Marvel (currently, SHAZAM) family. You're probably right about what they could do with that kind of property.

Sorry, DrNewGod. My mind wandered.
I was actually thinking Amethyst, then started imagining other characters falling under the Archie umbrella...and I goofed.
Will edit!

Shazam seems like such a great fit for Archie, I’m surprised no ones ever tried a crossover at least!