Hard Reboots: The Inferior 5

[ducklord]

Like many of y'all, I often think about the possibilities of dusting off old and (mostly) forgotten DC characters, giving them a fresh coat of paint/raison d'etre, and releasing them back into the DCU. Over the years, DC's done wonders with their existing characters and teams, cobbling up with inventive ways to make them work for modern sensibilities.

But there are some that are... tough.

Exhibit A: The Inferior 5.

Original created as a broad, silly, parody of super-hero comics (mostly Marvel comics), the I5's membership consisted of 5 reluctant super-heroes:
1. Merryman, a 98-pound weakling in a purple jester outfit modeled after Woody Allen.
2. The Blimp, a rotund flying hero who mostly hovered.
3. White Feather, an ace archer whose aim was messed up constantly because he was afraid of everything.
4. Awkwardman, a clumsy strong man in a blue bull outfit (bull in a china shop), who needed to come into contact with water every hour or so, 'cause he's part Atlantean.
5. Dumb Bunny, a not very bright Amazon (please don't throw tomatoes).

In their pre-Crisis adventures, the I5 would come into conflict with various thinly-veiled parodies of Marvel characters (among others), make some lame jokes, and succeed despite their general incompetence. They were only vaguely attached to the DCU proper at the time, although they did appear alongside dozens of other heroes in Showcase #100, and made a cameo appearance in CoIE #12.

One thing that set the original I5 apart was the fact that all of them were, nominally, genuine second generation super-heroes, the children of ersatz versions of Uncle Sam, Miss America, the Flash, Green Arrow, Superman, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman. In some ways, they were kind of an early (albeit silly) version of Infinity Inc.

After the Crisis, during the period when DC was very much in a "everything has to make sense" mode, the Inferior 5 showed up as full-fledged citizens of the DCU. Bunny was retconned into being the half-sister of Angel O'Day (of Angel and the Ape fame), and their origins as children of never-before-seen heroes were never really discussed. They continued to pop up here and there, notably in an issue of the Brave and Bold in which it's implied that Bunny is a lot smarter than she lets on.

In the New 52, Keith Giffen tried to do something with the Inferior 5 name. Unfortunately, and I say this as someone who adores Keith Giffen, it was so incomprehensible that it got cancelled mid-stride. I honestly have no idea what the actual F was going on in that series.

So here the Inferior 5 sits, languishing, waiting for someone to do something cool with the idea. But I'll be the first to admit, it's a Hard Reboot (roll credits). In order to pull it off, I think it needs a few things:
A. The group needs to Always Be Mocking super-hero comics. Not the comics of the 60's, but todays books. That's hard.
B. The group needs to have a good (if silly) reason for existing. Their original origin (super-hero parents push them into the job) is, in 2021, dumb.
C. Each member of the group needs solid (if silly) origins.
D. It's 2021, so a little bit of diversity might be nice.
E. Dumb Bunny really, really, can't be calling herself Dumb Bunny anymore. Even if she's a secret genius and she's taken the name ironically, I don't know how to make that joke fly.

So, does anyone have some ideas?

[RobinGA]

I found this a fascinating post.

But it is hard to see in today's comics something like the Inferior 5 returning.
Satire is a hard thing to make work well, while at the same time having affection for characters.

I loved Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew, but they aren't returning either.
I mean other than occasional guest stars or cameos.

[Jim Kelly]

I would prefer to leave certain groups and characters in the time period they best belong--with them having existed in the past on one Earth or existing on different Earths. Maybe there should be an Earth just for all the 1960s stories.

I think the Doom Patrol best belongs in the 1960s, but the T.V. series does a nice job of keeping that in continuity while still being in the present day.

Comedy is not something that can be done by fiat. The original Inferior Five came from the distinct genius of E. Nelson Bridwell (aided and abetted by Joe Orlando and Mike Sekowsky). It's like how no one can seem to get a handle on Plastic Man, because the character came from Jack Cole's mind. Or how no one else could ever do Ambush Bug because Keith Giffen made the character his own. And 'Mazing Man is inseparable from Bob Rozakis and Stephen DeStefano.

In truth, if there was a modern day Inferior Five it shouldn't be beholden to the original team. Just let another creative genius use the name, but do something completely different with it.

[ducklord]

I would prefer to leave certain groups and characters in the time period they best belong--with them having existed in the past on one Earth or existing on different Earths. Maybe there should be an Earth just for all the 1960s stories.

I think the Doom Patrol best belongs in the 1960s, but the T.V. series does a nice job of keeping that in continuity while still being in the present day.

Comedy is not something that can be done by fiat. The original Inferior Five came from the distinct genius of E. Nelson Bridwell (aided and abetted by Joe Orlando and Mike Sekowsky). It's like how no one can seem to get a handle on Plastic Man, because the character came from Jack Cole's mind. Or how no one else could ever do Ambush Bug because Keith Giffen made the character his own. And 'Mazing Man is inseparable from Bob Rozakis and Stephen DeStefano.

In truth, if there was a modern day Inferior Five it shouldn't be beholden to the original team. Just let another creative genius use the name, but do something completely different with it.

I'm actually completely wishy-washy about the question of whether there's actually a "need" to drag the I5 kicking and screaming into the 21st century as a parody vehicle either, frankly. I mean, do you really need a "Laugh-In 2021," either? And it's not like the I5 was particularly a stroke of genius in the first place - even though it came along later, one could argue that Not Brand Ecch was funnier and more impactful.

But it is an interesting creative exercise to contemplate - Has the time passed for goofy and mostly-incompetent super-heroes, or is that what we're gonna get with One-Star Squadron (which I'm totes gonna buy)? What are the tropes that are ripe for parody in modern comics, and how could a revitalized I5 be used to draw out those parodies? Or am I just being silly?

A final aside - I think the Morrison's Doom Patrol (as well as Giffen's) did an admirable job of showing that the DP, when done well, is a pretty timeless concept. "Freaks with issues," will always work.

And a final footnote - Am I the only one utterly befuddled by how time passes in the Doom Patrol television show?

[scary harpy]

Am I the only one who read/remembers the Bat-Mite mini-series?

He 'updated' the I5.

Merryman ------- Merrimac
Awkwardman --- Tripper
Blimp ------------ Zeppelin
Bunny ----------- Rabbit
White Feather -- White Feather

Merrimac gained superstrength;
Tripper gained ability to make foes clumsy;
Zeppelin gained fire-jet gadgets and faster flight;
Rabbit gained superspeed;
White Feather gained courage.

They also became angry and violent.

Rabbit realized this and convinced Bat-Mite that this isn't who they are.

[scary harpy]

and let's not forget the Superior 5, a team of villains...

Superior_Five_01.jpg

[Jim Kelly]

And it's not like the I5 was particularly a stroke of genius in the first place - even though it came along later, one could argue that Not Brand Ecch was funnier and more impactful.

Bridwell's INFERIOR FIVE was an acquired taste for me. I didn't buy the book at the time--although I saw lots of ads for it in the comics I was reading. It's only many years later, when I got the full run and read them all, that I found the genius in them. It's very much E. Nelson Bridwell--if you love the man, you love the comic, because his character shines through. The issues I like best are the ones with Mike Sekowsky art.

Nelson was at MAD magazine before he came to National Periodicals, so I think he knew his stuff when it came to the funny. In INFERIOR FIVE, he's really paying homage to all the things he's sending up--and you have to have his encyclopaedic knowledge to get all the jokes. It's a very different kind of humour from NOT BRAND ECHH, which is just mean. Bridwell's humour comes from a place of love. If he's cutting down anyone, it's the people he worked with at National (and himself), not the fictional characters in all media that he knew so well.

[scary harpy]

...
So here the Inferior 5 sits, languishing, waiting for someone to do something cool with the idea. But I'll be the first to admit, it's a Hard Reboot (roll credits). In order to pull it off, I think it needs a few things:
A. The group needs to Always Be Mocking super-hero comics. Not the comics of the 60's, but todays books. That's hard.
B. The group needs to have a good (if silly) reason for existing. Their original origin (super-hero parents push them into the job) is, in 2021, dumb.
C. Each member of the group needs solid (if silly) origins.
D. It's 2021, so a little bit of diversity might be nice.
E. Dumb Bunny really, really, can't be calling herself Dumb Bunny anymore. Even if she's a secret genius and she's taken the name ironically, I don't know how to make that joke fly.

So, does anyone have some ideas?

Hard Reboot, I agree.

There is a reason they've been sitting on shelf in limbo: these old jokes became tired in 1960s...they wouldn't be tolerated today! (Let's laugh at them: the weakling, the obese, the klutz, the coward, the dumb blonde.)

Another problem: the team is 4 Caucasian men and a token female.

(I notice the I5 membership mirrors the original Teen Tians: Robin/Merryman; Kid Flash/Blimp; Aqualad/Awkwardman; Wonder Girl/Bunny; Speedy/White Feather.)



Where to begin?

Maybe Inferior Five isn't what they call themselves...it is what others call them. In a world of superhero teams, someone has to be in last place. Merryman, Awkwardman, Blimp, Dumb Bunny and White Feather is what jerks call our heroes.

As for their actual aliases, I am inspired the the Bat-Mite upgrade.

Merrimac
Tripster
Rabbit
Zeppelin
White Fletching

These names may not be that great...but DC owns them.

I hope this gets the ball rolling...

[Jim Kelly]

I think it would just be better to make up new members that correspond to whatever is in vogue at the moment--rather than trying to reinvent the original cast. It occurs to me that YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE was the natural descendent of INFERIOR FIVE. But again, that was an original concept tied to its creators--and I gather the rights issues are why we never got any more Y.H.I.L.

[j9ac9k]

There's always going to be a certain appeal about a bunch of losers banning together. (as Scary Harpy suggests, don't make them the butt of the joke) It can be done, and there'd be some changes, etc and as with anything else, it would have to be about the execution.

[Riv86672]

There's always going to be a certain appeal about a bunch of losers banning together. (as Scary Harpy suggests, don't make them the butt of the joke) It can be done, and there'd be some changes, etc and as with anything else, it would have to be about the execution.

Your post reminds me of the movie Mystery Men. Seeing them trip over themselves and still succeed was a fun ride.

[j9ac9k]

Your post reminds me of the movie Mystery Men. Seeing them trip over themselves and still succeed was a fun ride.

Damn you! Now I have that stupid Smash Mouth song in my head....

[Riv86672]

Damn you! Now I have that stupid Smash Mouth song in my head....

That’s one of my favorite songs.

[scary harpy]

I think it would just be better to make up new members that correspond to whatever is in vogue at the moment--rather than trying to reinvent the original cast. It occurs to me that YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE was the natural descendent of INFERIOR FIVE. But again, that was an original concept tied to its creators--and I gather the rights issues are why we never got any more Y.H.I.L.

I'm usually against creating new characters for two reasons:

1: DC has 10,000 characters sitting on a shelf in Limbo. (Take them off the shelf, dust them off and use them!)

2: Most new characters will end up sitting on a shelf in Limbo.

[Dreaded Porcupine]

Hard Reboot, I agree.

There is a reason they've been sitting on shelf in limbo: these old jokes became tired in 1960s...they wouldn't be tolerated today! (Let's laugh at them: the weakling, the obese, the klutz, the coward, the dumb blonde.)

Another problem: the team is 4 Caucasian men and a token female.

(I notice the I5 membership mirrors the original Teen Tians: Robin/Merryman; Kid Flash/Blimp; Aqualad/Awkwardman; Wonder Girl/Bunny; Speedy/White Feather.)



Where to begin?

Maybe Inferior Five isn't what they call themselves...it is what others call them. In a world of superhero teams, someone has to be in last place. Merryman, Awkwardman, Blimp, Dumb Bunny and White Feather is what jerks call our heroes.

As for their actual aliases, I am inspired the the Bat-Mite upgrade.

Merrimac
Tripster
Rabbit
Zeppelin
White Fletching

These names may not be that great...but DC owns them.

I hope this gets the ball rolling...

This right here would work. I’m all for it. Combine this with the Superior 5 but make them heroes with a serious hack story. I never knew they were in Bat-Mite. I’ll have to research this. I love quirky characters.