Blue Marvel - Adam Brashear Appreciation 2021

[JudicatorPrime]

So I'm reading Cantwell's Dr. Doom right now and I was surprised by how easily Sable tackled and body slammed Adam. Was he depowered or was I underestimating Sable?

I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't read the entire series, but the answer is no, at that point in the series Adam had not been depowered. Suffice to say, the entire series is not a high point for Adam -- due to the writing. Adam's power levels and intellect fall well short of expectations, imho.

After you've read the series, feel free to check out the 2020 appreciation thread where we discussed Adam's portrayal in the series at length. There were also discussions in one of the Dr. Doom threads on the series as well, which might be worth reading to get the take from VVD's fans.

Edit: By "one of the Dr. Doom threads", I meant the various threads that covered each issue of the Dr. Doom series last year.

[JudicatorPrime]

The more I think about it, the more I hope that some writer comes along and establishes that it wasn't the real Adam Brashear in the Doom series. It was a soulless replica created by Mephisto or Grandmaster.

[Bookem Danno]

Namedrop in BCA1
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[JudicatorPrime]

Namedrop in BCA1
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Nice.

Also noting the subtle insinuation that the Sentry is next level in her view. Too funny.

[The_Last_Czarnian]

Nice.

Also noting the subtle insinuation that the Sentry is next level in her view. Too funny.

He should be, but for the dump that Cates took on him in KiB. I'll leave it there because this is a Brashear thread.

[Tofali]

I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't read the entire series, but the answer is no, at that point in the series Adam had not been depowered. Suffice to say, the entire series is not a high point for Adam -- due to the writing. Adam's power levels and intellect fall well short of expectations, imho.

After you've read the series, feel free to check out the 2020 appreciation thread where we discussed Adam's portrayal in the series at length. There were also discussions in one of the Dr. Doom threads on the series as well, which might be worth reading to get the take from VVD's fans.

Edit: By "one of the Dr. Doom threads", I meant the various threads that covered each issue of the Dr. Doom series last year.

Ah thanks for the update regarding the depowering and I’ll definitely checkout last year’s closed thread to read how ppl reacted to it.

[JudicatorPrime]

He should be, but for the dump that Cates took on him in KiB. I'll leave it there because this is a Brashear thread.

Well, I think we can both safely agree that Adam will never be written like Sentry. Despite Grevioux wanting Adam to be on the same level and equal to characters like Sentry, Thor, etc., what we've seen from every writer since is a not so thinly veiled pushback to the Grevioux design.

And not to launch a versus battle thread or anything like that, but don't forget that Sentry is weak to Negative Energy. Even some Cosmic Cubes can be destroyed with Antimatter Energy. What does Adam have in abundance? Antimatter and/or Negative Energy. Well, unless you count Cantwell's interpretation of "nigh-infinite."

Adam shouldn't necessarily be above Sentry. But absolutely no one should think of him as clearly below Sentry, either...least of all, a second rate Cat Woman. But Marvel writers have done their job and done it well.

[JudicatorPrime]

Ah thanks for the update regarding the depowering and I’ll definitely checkout last year’s closed thread to read how ppl reacted to it.

No problem! If I get a chance I'll try to locate some of the Doom series appreciation threads for you. This site's search function is robust, but you may end up with pages of results all the same.

[The_Last_Czarnian]

Well, I think we can both safely agree that Adam will never be written like Sentry. Despite Grevioux wanting Adam to be on the same level and equal to characters like Sentry, Thor, etc., what we've seen from every writer since is a not so thinly veiled pushback to the Grevioux design.

And not to launch a versus battle thread or anything like that, but don't forget that Sentry is weak to Negative Energy. Even some Cosmic Cubes can be destroyed with Antimatter Energy. What does Adam have in abundance? Antimatter and/or Negative Energy. Well, unless you count Cantwell's interpretation of "nigh-infinite."

Adam shouldn't necessarily be above Sentry. But absolutely no one should think of him as clearly below Sentry, either...least of all, a second rate Cat Woman. But Marvel writers have done their job and done it well.

Nah I hear you. Most Marvel writers also forget that the Void increases in power in the N-Zone. This was explained in Sentry vol. 2

I am definitely not for putting characters above other characters, but it is supremely frustrating when characters are seemingly deliberately mis-written. Adam in the Doom series was a glaring example of this.

[Tendrin]

Nah I hear you. Most Marvel writers also forget that the Void increases in power in the N-Zone. This was explained in Sentry vol. 2

I am definitely not for putting characters above other characters, but it is supremely frustrating when characters are seemingly deliberately mis-written. Adam in the Doom series was a glaring example of this.

If ever there was a character who really needed a reset to factory default, it's the Sentry. :P

[JudicatorPrime]

If ever there was a character who really needed a reset to factory default, it's the Sentry. :P

Off topic: Has Sentry ever appeared in any story arcs involving opioid abuse?

[JudicatorPrime]

Ah thanks for the update regarding the depowering and I’ll definitely checkout last year’s closed thread to read how ppl reacted to it.

Here are a few of the threads that I referenced. If memory serves, there are review/reaction threads to all 10 of the Doctor Doom series issues.

https://community.cbr.com/showthread...highlight=Doom

https://community.cbr.com/showthread...highlight=Doom

https://community.cbr.com/showthread...highlight=Doom

https://community.cbr.com/showthread...highlight=Doom

https://community.cbr.com/showthread...highlight=Doom

[Tofali]

Wow! Thank you so much for compiling all of this for me JudicatorPrime

[Tendrin]

Off topic: Has Sentry ever appeared in any story arcs involving opioid abuse?

He has not to the best of my knowledge. While the character is very much about addiction (and the Void represents addiction and metal illness) the closest they got to touching on any real drugs aside from alcohol was the Void telling Bob that the Sentry's original power up to Bob being a kid looking for a high to self medicate his mental illness, followed by Bendis making him a criminal meth addict, the latter of which was deeply sigh-inducing. One thing that's frustrating about when writer's have the Void reveal the 'truth' about Bob is that the Void is supposed to be the voice of his unchecked mental illness, and the biggest lie depression ever tells you is that you're the worst version of yourself that you could be.

[JudicatorPrime]

He has not to the best of my knowledge. While the character is very much about addiction (and the Void represents addiction and metal illness) the closest they got to touching on any real drugs aside from alcohol was the Void telling Bob that the Sentry's original power up to Bob being a kid looking for a high to self medicate his mental illness, followed by Bendis making him a criminal meth addict, the latter of which was deeply sigh-inducing. One thing that's frustrating about when writer's have the Void reveal the 'truth' about Bob is that the Void is supposed to be the voice of his unchecked mental illness, and the biggest lie depression ever tells you is that you're the worst version of yourself that you could be.

This is very true.

I think writers are sleeping on great stories. I don't want Bob's story to center on drug abuse, just as I don't want Adam's story to be framed by racism or his decision to comply with the Presidential order. But there's a very compelling story arc there somewhere that ought to be explored. Sure, I want the big moments, overpowered feats and the cosmic stuff galore, but it's the constant internal struggles which connect them to the common man that really moves readers, imho.