The Hated 8

[Korath]

you know... New 52 Lobo still makes me scratch my hair, if only because I do'nt see what good old Lobo had which couldn't work 100% fine with the New 52 initiative. Like, why would they do that ?

I don't like him (I don't hate him either mind) and I'm pretty sure you can salvage something out of him, especially now that the Lobo family is growing (Lobo, Crush, hopefully Slobo someday will return).

As for a reviled character (and it kills me to write it) : gotham-Girl. My god was this one butchered to infinity by her own creator, in so many ways!

[ducklord]

I'll throw another log onto the fire:

General Glory
A number of characters nominated for consideration thus far fall under the category of "signs that a beloved title was about to jump the proverbial shark." Danny Chase, for example. When General Glory went from being a comic-within-a-comic jab at Captain America to a full-fledged DCU character Who Kept Showing Up, he became both an annoyance and a sign that the Bwah-ha-ha Justice League was rounding the corner from "inspired mix of comedy and drama" to "parody of its once-brilliant self." What say y'all?

[joebleau]

Scarlet Skier.


Ok not really a hero ( unless you count Justice League Antartica) but in same categories as Gnort

[ducklord]

you know... New 52 Lobo still makes me scratch my hair, if only because I don't see what good old Lobo had which couldn't work 100% fine with the New 52 initiative. Like, why would they do that ?

I don't like him (I don't hate him either mind) and I'm pretty sure you can salvage something out of him, especially now that the Lobo family is growing (Lobo, Crush, hopefully Slobo someday will return).

As for a reviled character (and it kills me to write it) : gotham-Girl. My god was this one butchered to infinity by her own creator, in so many ways!

While I'm not the huge Lobo fan (he's a character that really works best in small doses), emo Lobo always just seemed like the result of a game of Truth or Dare that got out of hand. And while there were many fans like you that were indifferent, it was amusing to see the immediate and steady outpouring of hostility that got poured onto the schlub. Rarely has a bad idea been so swiftly rejected. His return as a nemesis for the extended Lobo family could be a hoot.

As for Gotham Girl, I gotta admit that she's a blind spot for me. My impression of her is that she's an interesting idea (what happens when an optimistic super-powered character gets dropped into Gotham?) but that she went sideways/unusable fairly quickly. How is she considered by fandom now?

[Korath]

While I'm not the huge Lobo fan (he's a character that really works best in small doses), emo Lobo always just seemed like the result of a game of Truth or Dare that got out of hand. And while there were many fans like you that were indifferent, it was amusing to see the immediate and steady outpouring of hostility that got poured onto the schlub. Rarely has a bad idea been so swiftly rejected. His return as a nemesis for the extended Lobo family could be a hoot.

As for Gotham Girl, I gotta admit that she's a blind spot for me. My impression of her is that she's an interesting idea (what happens when an optimistic super-powered character gets dropped into Gotham?) but that she went sideways/unusable fairly quickly. How is she considered by fandom now?

I'd say she isn't considered by many and I loathe her character now. That's actually a good question, is she met with total indifference or truly hated nowadays. It's hard to gauge really.

[DrNewGod]

Y'know, you guys have got me kind of wishing a Kurt Busiek would look at one of these lists, and say "challenge accepted." I'd love to see what a top talent could do with such a crew without radically altering the characterizations.

[DrNewGod]

I'll throw another log onto the fire:

General Glory
A number of characters nominated for consideration thus far fall under the category of "signs that a beloved title was about to jump the proverbial shark." Danny Chase, for example. When General Glory went from being a comic-within-a-comic jab at Captain America to a full-fledged DCU character Who Kept Showing Up, he became both an annoyance and a sign that the Bwah-ha-ha Justice League was rounding the corner from "inspired mix of comedy and drama" to "parody of its once-brilliant self." What say y'all?

Seems like a worthy candidate. One could say the same of Maxima. I'm a fan, but - understandably - she seems to draw a lot of scorn.

[j9ac9k]

I know that G'nort is an intentionally lame character, but do people really "hate" him?

Perhaps this one is a bit colored by my own annoyance at the character. He should have been a one-and-done gag, (his family had influence, so the Guardians made him a GL, but to a lifeless sector since he's such a boob) but it always annoyed me when he was placed in any other story and treated as though there was a legitimate reason for him to be in the Corps. I know I'm not the only one who feels similarly but yes, he certainly has fans.

Sparkle Twilight Lobo
Since a) it's been established that he's a separate character from "classic" Lobo, and b) EVERYONE hated that guy, I'll allow it.

He definitely crossed my mind, but I didn't use him because from the little bit I read of him, I didn't think he was a hero.

I'll throw another log onto the fire:
General Glory

Since you asked, in my mind he was always just a parody character, so I could never take him seriously enough to "hate" him.

[ducklord]

Perhaps this one is a bit colored by my own annoyance at the character. He should have been a one-and-done gag, (his family had influence, so the Guardians made him a GL, but to a lifeless sector since he's such a boob) but it always annoyed me when he was placed in any other story and treated as though there was a legitimate reason for him to be in the Corps. I know I'm not the only one who feels similarly but yes, he certainly has fans.


He definitely crossed my mind, but I didn't use him because from the little bit I read of him, I didn't think he was a hero.


Since you asked, in my mind he was always just a parody character, so I could never take him seriously enough to "hate" him.

Lobos in general kind of inhabit a grey area in the DCU, I'll give you that.

In the case of General Glory, he was fine as a parody character. Then he stepped out of his comic, and became a full-fledged Justice League member. To me, he always felt like "the joke's over, man, why are you still here?" But that might be *my* annoyance speaking.

G'Nort, like all good comic relief characters is best used sparingly, which I think he has been. He's a goofball given a ring by phony Guardians, who was later made a real GL because the Guardians had a rare moment of whimsy. If we can have 23 different Earthmen in the Corps, we can have one lovable quasi-competent screw-up. The only thing that bugs me about G'Nort is when writers try to make him angry, grim, or otherwise not-silly. That is NOT the point of G'Nort, dumbass writers!

[J. D. Guy]

you know... New 52 Lobo still makes me scratch my hair, if only because I do'nt see what good old Lobo had which couldn't work 100% fine with the New 52 initiative. Like, why would they do that ?

I don't like him (I don't hate him either mind) and I'm pretty sure you can salvage something out of him, especially now that the Lobo family is growing (Lobo, Crush, hopefully Slobo someday will return).

As for a reviled character (and it kills me to write it) : gotham-Girl. My god was this one butchered to infinity by her own creator, in so many ways!

Gotham Girl had such potential in her little niche. Gotham, too, I'd argue.

[Kaijudo]

What about the one guy from the pre-Morrison Doom Patrol? Karma?

Wayne_Hawkins.jpg

He has luck powers and is also a COLOSSAL a-hole. Plus, he was punk rock nearly a decade too late.

[ducklord]

What about the one guy from the pre-Morrison Doom Patrol? Karma?

Wayne_Hawkins.jpg

He has luck powers and is also a COLOSSAL a-hole. Plus, he was punk rock nearly a decade too late.

Those non-original, non-Morrison Doom Patrol characters are a squirrelly bunch, aren't they?

But yeah, Karma's probably the most unloved of the lot. Just a terribly off-putting dillhole of a character. He gets full nomination marks.

Are there any Outsiders that come to mind?

[Riv86672]

As much as I might agree with some of the bad directions on this list (Ric Grayson), I think I'm going to have to draw the line at including "poorly considered character arcs," 'cause a) how are we going to make a team book out of those, and b) we'll be here all day

Aside from those:

Brown Bomber
Ye gods. A character that (justifiably) never saw the light of day, the horribly racist proto-Black Lightning that never actually existed in the DCU, but only showed up once in a "time is all messed up" JLA story? Sure, I'm game. It'd be a challenge and a half to rehabilitate that misfire.

Fate
Already on the board.

AJ Curry
That poor bastich.

"We're gonna make a NEW Aquaman, and give him a heroic quest, and connect him to the Arthurian saga."
"Well, I didn't ask for that, but I guess -"
"And his name is ALSO Arthur Curry!"
"Ah, so this is a reboot, then."
"No, the old-school Aquaman is is still lurking in the background."
"So why is his name Arthur-"
"Also, the old Aquaman is a sea monster now."
"Yeah, I already hate this."

In short, I think he's one for the list.

Sparkle Twilight Lobo
Since a) it's been established that he's a separate character from "classic" Lobo, and b) EVERYONE hated that guy, I'll allow it.

Thank you, and good night!

[SJNeal]

I'll throw another log onto the fire:

General Glory
A number of characters nominated for consideration thus far fall under the category of "signs that a beloved title was about to jump the proverbial shark." Danny Chase, for example. When General Glory went from being a comic-within-a-comic jab at Captain America to a full-fledged DCU character Who Kept Showing Up, he became both an annoyance and a sign that the Bwah-ha-ha Justice League was rounding the corner from "inspired mix of comedy and drama" to "parody of its once-brilliant self." What say y'all?

We have a winner!

[Riv86672]

What about the one guy from the pre-Morrison Doom Patrol? Karma?

Wayne_Hawkins.jpg

He has luck powers and is also a COLOSSAL a-hole. Plus, he was punk rock nearly a decade too late.

I always liked this character. And yeah, him being an ******* was a big part of his appeal!

His power wasn’t technically luck though. It was psionic in nature and disrupted ppl’s motor reflexes. I remember he was always worried when the DP went into battle, as he could still get hit by shrapnel or rubble etc. and robots wouldn’t be affected by his power. Man I miss Karma!