Blue Marvel Appreciation 2022

[JudicatorPrime]

Spent this past weekend reading my friend's collection of comics. He's a big fan of Martian Manhunter.

I just really don't understand why Marvel writers (and some fans) are so afraid of Adam being demonstrably as powerful and powerfully versatile as Martian Manhunter. MM has several powers and he's considered to be top 3 in just about every area, whether we're talking strength, psionics, or whatever. Not merely "in the discussion" with a dozen or so others, but in the most elite of the most elite.

Seriously, Marvel needs to stop playing around and consistently show Blue Marvel in that same light. It can only help the character.

[Tofali]

At this point If any fan of Adam wants a story that centred on him or get consistent appearances then y’all need to wait for his debut in the MCU

[Aarkus]

for my part, the debut of this character made me wish The Sentry had never existed. he has one of the best costume designs of the 00's and 10's, for my money, and it was great to finally see a black, Superman-level character who was something other than a literally black version of Superman (no shade on Calvin Ellis or Val Zod, I just prefer completely new characters over new versions of existing characters). He's got some appearances coming up in Defenders and Thunderbolts, if I'm not mistaken... and a pretty cool Legends figure in the pipeline...

I'm holding out hope that he will be a surprise addition to "The Marvels"... that being said, if such a thing is in the works, they are REALLY keeping it under wraps. wait and see, I guess.

[dkrook]

At this point If any fan of Adam wants a story that centred on him or get consistent appearances then y’all need to wait for his debut in the MCU

Yes, I think that really is something in the works. It may be a faint hope, but I got a feeling that MCU is going to show up the comic and introduce Adam.

[JudicatorPrime]

for my part, the debut of this character made me wish The Sentry had never existed. he has one of the best costume designs of the 00's and 10's, for my money, and it was great to finally see a black, Superman-level character who was something other than a literally black version of Superman (no shade on Calvin Ellis or Val Zod, I just prefer completely new characters over new versions of existing characters). He's got some appearances coming up in Defenders and Thunderbolts, if I'm not mistaken... and a pretty cool Legends figure in the pipeline...

I'm holding out hope that he will be a surprise addition to "The Marvels"... that being said, if such a thing is in the works, they are REALLY keeping it under wraps. wait and see, I guess.

The fact that Sentry is often mentioned in every Blue Marvel appreciation thread tells you everything that's wrong with how Marvel handles BM. The treatment is really night and day.

First and foremost, they actually promoted the Sentry. It was practically a gala event. Adam? He was sent around to the rear of the building to enter through the servant's entrance. Barely anyone even knew that Adam existed until after he first showed up in Ultimates. Even now there are readers whose first intro to BM will be in the Defenders book in 2022, not his mini series from 2008. Marvel royally screwed the pooch with BM's launch.

It also didn't help matters that the Sentry appeared in the main Avengers team, while Blue Marvel has still yet to have a lengthy adventure with the likes of Captain America, Spider-Man (not SpOck, but the real Peter Parker), the Hulk, Thor, Silver Surfer, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, Dr. Strange, or the X-Men. Cameos don't count. (Anyone want to tell me what's the likely shelf-life of an unknown character that doesn't appear in any of the main titles?) Further, Blue Marvel hasn't played a substantive role in any of the major events. (Nope, Civil Wars II does not count.) Even his appearance in the Dr. Doom series wasn't promoted. Blue Marvel didn't appear on ANY of the covers of that series. I've never seen that repeatedly happen to any other character. Ever.

I'm actually surprised that some still have faith that Blue Marvel will be introduced in the MCU and that will change his fortunes. Usually characters who spend most of their time with other random and/or peripheral characters don't turn up in major motion pictures in a meaningful way. But I guess if they can throw away money at Morbius, anything is possible.

Realistically, the best that we can hope for is that Blue Marvel gets to shine in the Defenders series. He's still getting tangential treatment (e.g., teaming up with Loki, but never Thor), but it's better than crickets, I guess.

[mugiwara]

I'm so jealous of Sentry fans. There is no reason it couldn't have been Blue Marvel here, but Marvel only care about Sentry.
sentry.jpg

[Customizer]

*pops in*

*remembers why i don't support Marvel or DC consistently*

*exits*

[Golden_Guardian]

Yeah, be careful what you wish for, BM fans. Due to the size of the dump that Marvel shat upon the Sentry, from pretty much Bendis' stewardship and especially in KiB (though I do retain some love for the kitsch madness of Age of The Sentry), I sincerely wish that the "gala event" of his introduction was also his only appearance.

[Harsh Lesson]

I'm so jealous of Sentry fans. There is no reason it couldn't have been Blue Marvel here, but Marvel only care about Sentry.
sentry.jpg

What's to be jealous of? Genuinely curious.

[JudicatorPrime]

Yeah, be careful what you wish for, BM fans. Due to the size of the dump that Marvel shat upon the Sentry, from pretty much Bendis' stewardship and especially in KiB (though I do retain some love for the kitsch madness of Age of The Sentry), I sincerely wish that the "gala event" of his introduction was also his only appearance.

I have consistently called for Marvel to break away from its ridiculous treatment of OP heroes. There is clearly a place for them, as Marvel itself has shown whenever it elevates low level heroes into roles made for OP heroes.

Further, no one wants BM to be the next (add OP character name here). That's kind of the point. Adam brings an entirely unique perspective and attributes, and he could very easily fill a seriously underserved void in terms of the market fanbase and Marvel lore. His history all but requires editors and writers not to treat Adam in the same vein as someone that inherited their gift through genetic inheritance, social privilege, mantle sharing, or even a cosmic crack pipe.

Adam could really be something special, if only they'd hire a team that cared and gave them an entire cosmos to soar. And his presence wouldn't affect any of the other stalwarts. The multiverse has room and opportunity for all of them to shine.

[Agent Z]

Spent this past weekend reading my friend's collection of comics. He's a big fan of Martian Manhunter.

I just really don't understand why Marvel writers (and some fans) are so afraid of Adam being demonstrably as powerful and powerfully versatile as Martian Manhunter. MM has several powers and he's considered to be top 3 in just about every area, whether we're talking strength, psionics, or whatever. Not merely "in the discussion" with a dozen or so others, but in the most elite of the most elite.

Seriously, Marvel needs to stop playing around and consistently show Blue Marvel in that same light. It can only help the character.

Adam and J'Onn are in similar boats when it comes to how their respective companies deal with them. Both Marvel and DC have near identical issues with how to handle high power levels in a shared universe outside of a select few characters.

Adam might be better off in a standalone continuity or another company where writers don't have to worry about stepping on someone else's toes.

[mace11]

He's got some appearances coming up in Defenders and Thunderbolts, if I'm not mistaken... and a pretty cool Legends figure in the pipeline...

Yeah, i think he will show up in Thunderbolts.

[mace11]

Part 1
The House of Idea's True Version of Superman is Finally Becoming A Marvel Legend

The Blue Marvel, the closest hero to Superman in terms of power and morality, is set to become a Marvel Legends action figure this fall.

When one thinks of Marvel's versions of Superman, it doesn't tend to lead to warm or affirming places. The best of them, Gladiator, is strong and loyal. However, he's also arrogant. In fact, his abilities depend on him staying overly confident. Likewise, every version of Hyperion tends to be flawed; it's just a matter of whether that flaw ends up being the "you're kind of a jerk," "you're so dedicated to being a hero you don't mind becoming fascist along the way," or, simply, “you’re a murderous monster” varietal. And then there's The Sentry, a hero so dangerous that the entire universe had to forget him -- multiple times -- lest one aspect of his personality destroy everyone.


They might all have Superman's power levels, but they can't come within a football field of touching his morality or humanity. However, there is one who does. And it turns out he's older than any of the others.



Adam Brashear was born in Chicago in the 1930s. Despite being a black man in a pre-Civil Rights era United States, Brashear managed to pursue academic success. A child prodigy, he attended Cornell University. There he played football and graduated with high honors on his way to acquiring two more degrees, PhDs in theoretical physics and electrical engineering.

He came back from the Korean War a hero, with two Silver Stars to his name. But, more importantly, he met the man who became his best friend, Connor Sims. The two joined Project: Perseus, a top-secret endeavor to harvest antimatter to create an endless power source. Instead, the experiment went awry, affecting both Brashear and Sims. Sims seemingly dissolved only to come back as a twisted and cruel version of himself, the villainous Anti-Man. Brashear, on the other hand, became a living antimatter reactor. He used those powers as the hero The Blue Marvel.

To find the closest incarnation of Superman that Blue Marvel matches, think the Kal-El of Superman and the Authority. While that interpretation of Superman came after Blue Marvel debuted, they mirror each other well. They're both aging heroes today, a bit grey at the temples but still intelligent and powerful despite being somewhere in their tenth decade of existence. Both were friends with President John F. Kennedy. Both stopped actively being a superhero because of Kennedy. In Superman's case, it was the President's assassination. In Blue Marvel's, it was Kennedy asking him to step down because the U.S. was not ready to accept their greatest hero was a black man.



In the years after his exile, he'd make occasional appearances only to disappear again after the crisis was averted. These brief appearances included the destruction of an alien armada, a team-up with Blade and some other heroes of the 70s, and the defeat of an interdimensional being known as the Infinaut.

When Brashear finally returned to being a hero, to defeat his former best friend one last time, he decided not to recede to the shadows. While America still has tremendous and devastating issues with racism, the country had nonetheless changed enough that the hero no longer felt an obligation to maintain his hiatus.

Since his return, he's joined the Avengers and the Ultimates, helped prevent World War III, talked with the Watcher on the ocean floor, and tangled with the likes of Doctor Doom and Galactus. Through it all, the Blue Marvel repeatedly chose the more difficult but less violent path, trying to save villains from themselves as much as defeat them.

Continue to next post.

[mace11]

Part 2
The House of Idea's True Version of Superman is Finally Becoming A Marvel Legend

This modern-day Blue Marvel resembles another Grant Morrison-penned version of the Man of Steel, All-Star Superman. As with All-Star, the modern Blue Marvel is a person of supercharged goodness whose superpowers may not formally include super-optimism and super-inspiration but certainly do in practice. For Blue Marvel, the mission isn't just about defeating evil, it's promoting goodness.

What's especially interesting is that Brashear's doing it in the middle of the main Marvel Universe. He did it through crossovers, across multiple titles, and despite cancellations. All-Star Superman is an unquestionable work of art, but Morrison built that universe as one distinctive from DC's in-continuity tales. They needed the space to tell that complete story without fear of interruption. On the other hand, Blue Marvel was created in this mold while ducking and dodging the challenges of a modern, cohesive universe.

For his latest accomplishment, Brashear is about to be immortalized in six inches of powerful plastic. That's right, the hero most worthy of the title "Marvel's Superman" is about to become an action figure in the Marvel Legends line.



Coming this October, this version of the figure is dressed in Brashear's modern "adventurer" costume, featuring his distinct tri-color look -- blue, dark blue, and white -- with practical boots and a utility vest. For fans of more theatrical looks, it is perhaps a disappointment not to see Blue Marvel in his more Superman-esque look with a full cape and more typical superhero boots. However, all can agree that it's great he ditched the mask designed to conceal his race as much as his identity.

There are characters in Marvel Comics who were created longer ago than Blue Marvel who don't have action figures. There are characters in Marvel Comics who are far more well-known and don't have action figures. However, casting the Blue Marvel in plastic feels right and well-earned. There's never a bad time to put a visual representation of all the good superheroes can still do on shop hooks everywhere. There's never a bad time to link comics to a hero who thinks justice comes from more than who can punch hardest.

The House of Idea's True Version of Superman is Finally Becoming A Marvel Legend
https://www.cbr.com/blue-marvel-best...action-figure/

[JudicatorPrime]

Random thoughts on a Friday evening:

1. Beta Ray Bill and Blue Marvel should have been teammates by now. If not in Mighty Avengers or Ultimates, then in the upcoming Defenders Beyond.

2. The original Vision, Aarkus, should be one of Adam's oldest allies and friends. As an immortal "Destroyer of Evil", you'd think they would have shared an untold adventure or two. Plus, as the precursor for characters like Martian Manhunter, it wouldn't hurt for Aarkus to have more modern era adventures.