Creators' Pet: Characters that TPTB like too much

[QuinnFillory]

Ever see characters that are just ok for the most part, but the movie, tv show and/or book they're in seems to love them so much that they just take it over? This is not new and it happens a lot.It also comes at the expense of other characters that need development. Here are some pages that explain what I mean: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.p...racterShilling, https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.p...eatorsFavorite, and https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CreatorsPet.

Some more examples include Rachel from Glee, and Betty Cooper from Riverdale

[Kirby101]

Urkel would be a top contender. I also have a problem with villains that never go away on Superhero shows, like Tobias on BL or Alice on Batwoman.

[PCN24454]

Urkel would be a top contender. I also have a problem with villains that never go away on Superhero shows, like Tobias on BL or Alice on Batwoman.

Oh god I hate that. Reverse Flash is another example. He's just not allowed to lose.

I also feel like Power Rangers is guilty of it with their villains. Almost none of the Zordon Era main antagonists were defeated by the Rangers, and spoilers:

Venjix and Sledge were shown to survive their seasons.

end of spoilers

[PCN24454]

Thanos, Doctor Doom and Kingpin also count as this.

Trunks is a heroic example of this.

[DrNewGod]

I have occasionally felt that Marvel has done this with Magneto, and DC with Darkseid.

Even tho Claremont wasn't Maggy's creator, I think it still fits because Claremont so thoroughly remade the character. I'll grant you, Claremont did some really magnificent work on turning a mustache-twirling cliche into a compelling character that you could buy as the hero of his own internal story. Then, he got popular and it got out of hand.

As for Darkseid, well, to be fair, I don't know if he really fits the role of creator's pet. Kirby had a dirt-nap planned for him from issue 1. However, seems like ever since the 1990s Timm-verse toons that DC has forgotten that they have several other equally compelling villains in old rock-face's power category, like Brainiac and Mongul.

[foxley]

I think you'd really struggle to find anyone who is a fan of Danny Chase whose first name isn't Marv and whose surname isn't Wolfman.

[foxley]

As for Darkseid, well, to be fair, I don't know if he really fits the role of creator's pet. Kirby had a dirt-nap planned for him from issue 1. However, seems like ever since the 1990s Timm-verse toons that DC has forgotten that they have several other equally compelling villains in old rock-face's power category, like Brainiac and Mongul.

But Mongul is just Starlin creating yet another carbon copy of Thanos, and Thanos was just Starlin's ripoff of Darkseid in the first place.

[godisawesome]

I have a couple:

New 52 Teen Titans - Harvest - He basically became Scott Lobdell’s one-stop shopping order for whatever over-blown, pulled-out-of-his-ass misery that he inflicted on the book and its fans. Worst of all was when Didio wanted Superboy removed so Jon Kent could take the identity, so they interrupted a story arc from Pfeiffer just to have Lobdell bring in Harvest to declare Superboy a murder and disappear with him.

Star Wars - Ben. *******. Solo - Notice I didn’t say Kylo Ren; that persona was useful for at least one film as a bad guy, and honestly got just as screwed over as everyone else by the concept of Ben Solo, who LFL sacrificed every bit of goodwill and developed character they had in the ST to try and worship. Finn got demoted and denigrated for daring to be successful and not Adam Driver, Rey got pimped out and stripped of her characterization from TFA to pretend Ben Solo was someone people would care about, and the OT3 characters had all their legacy invested in this Neo-Nazi School Shooting Patricide who was never that deep to begin with.

People blame Rey’s power level for screwing her over. Being prostitution to Kylo Ren/Ben Solo starting in TLJ did a hell of a lot more damage than her power level.

[Adam Allen]

What about The Hood? Man, for a while there in the early 2000s, it really seemed like he was some kind of big deal, didn't it? I mean, I never got it, but at the time, seemed like you had at least a Kingpin-level archvillain who was going to be around for a while, if not Norman Osborn, Doom, or Loki level. Just seemed like he just completely dominated the criminal underworld for a minute there, and was a hugely big deal as a villain.

But if you weren't reading comics back then, right now you're probably wondering, "Who?" Because apparently the people whose darling he was not, just dropped him like a hot potato.

[skyvolt2000]

What about The Hood? Man, for a while there in the early 2000s, it really seemed like he was some kind of big deal, didn't it? I mean, I never got it, but at the time, seemed like you had at least a Kingpin-level archvillain who was going to be around for a while, if not Norman Osborn, Doom, or Loki level. Just seemed like he just completely dominated the criminal underworld for a minute there, and was a hugely big deal as a villain.

But if you weren't reading comics back then, right now you're probably wondering, "Who?" Because apparently the people whose darling he was not, just dropped him like a hot potato.

Marvel Legends just gave him is own action figure.

Now let that sink in when we are still waiting on Moon Girl-who has a show coming and SCREAM toy cash cow.

Let alone Marvel Legend versions of Wandavision, New Warriors (getting close though) and Young Avengers.

Urkel would be a top contender.

Urkel saved that show that went 9 years.

Alexis on Dynasty says hi.

Heather Locklear on Melrose Place says hi.

And we see you Batman....

And you too Storm in Black Panther.

[GozertheGozarian]

X-Men writers love to do this. Wolverine and Phoenix come to mind.

[Adam Allen]

Marvel Legends just gave him is own action figure.

Now let that sink in when we are still waiting on Moon Girl-who has a show coming and SCREAM toy cash cow.

Let alone Marvel Legend versions of Wandavision, New Warriors (getting close though) and Young Avengers.



Urkel saved that show that went 9 years.

Alexis on Dynasty says hi.

Heather Locklear on Melrose Place says hi.

And we see you Batman....

And you too Storm in Black Panther.

I guess I stand corrected about the Hood being totally forgotten, but seemed like you couldn't get away from him, years back. I never saw the appeal, but apparently somebody at Marvel loved him. Somebody still does, I guess?

[Adam Allen]

X-Men writers love to do this. Wolverine and Phoenix come to mind.

Eh, we should distinguish creators' pet versus people using the known cash cow (Wolverine) or rehashing a popular story for the zillionth time (Phoenix).

[CSTowle]

What about The Hood? Man, for a while there in the early 2000s, it really seemed like he was some kind of big deal, didn't it? I mean, I never got it, but at the time, seemed like you had at least a Kingpin-level archvillain who was going to be around for a while, if not Norman Osborn, Doom, or Loki level. Just seemed like he just completely dominated the criminal underworld for a minute there, and was a hugely big deal as a villain.

But if you weren't reading comics back then, right now you're probably wondering, "Who?" Because apparently the people whose darling he was not, just dropped him like a hot potato.

I think Bendis wanted to put his stamp on a villain, just didn't work out. In fairness, his original mini-series by Brian K. Vaughan (of "Y the Last Man" and "Saga" fame) and Kyle Hotz was actually pretty good, IMO.

https://www.amazon.com/Hood-Blood-St.../dp/0785110585

[achilles]

Harley Quinn.