Golden Age Vision (Aarkus)

[strathcona]

Of course that later got retconned so they could bring back the golden age Torch. Vision is NOT Jim Hammond.

Of course THAT got retconned later so they could stick with Vision's origin AND have the original Human Torch at the same time. Vision is not Jim Hammond, but his body IS the same as Hammond's.

[Anthony W]

If this was after Captain America had joined, maybe he didn't want the Avengers to continue poaching WW2 era heroes like Cap and Namor, and ending up seeming too much like 'Invaders 2.0?'

In any event, the original Vision is interesting to me, because his powers are so delightfully golden age. Just a grab-bag of random things with little or no theme. Gas control, freeze people in ice, create illusions, strong and bulletproof, mind control, dimensional travel. He's got an interesting mix, although the gas / smoke manipulation is the most interesting to me.

He strikes me as a supernatural creature which is a fun contrast to the other Vision which is a product of science. So I'm okay with the mind control and illusion powers and super strength. As for the the smoke gas/powers. It's not gas or smoke it's miasma https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miasma_theory. Miasma theory is untrue...in the real world. In the Marvel Universe magic is real so that is miasma.

[shooshoomanjoe]

Yeah, maybe he just decided they should have a new android character, since they couldn't bring back the old one.

He probably never expected that Thomas (and Neal Adams and Steve Englehart) would end up revealing that the android with the name of an old Golden Age character had the same body as the old Golden Age android.

I guess Thomas brought back both the Golden Age Torch and Vision in one character.

[MajorHoy]

I guess Thomas brought back both the Golden Age Torch and Vision in one character.

Actually, the original Human Torch had been brought back before then.

Fantastic Four Annual #4 (November 1966)

[JudicatorPrime]

He strikes me as a supernatural creature which is a fun contrast to the other Vision which is a product of science. So I'm okay with the mind control and illusion powers and super strength. As for the the smoke gas/powers. It's not gas or smoke it's miasma https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miasma_theory. Miasma theory is untrue...in the real world. In the Marvel Universe magic is real so that is miasma.

Interesting. I always thought that the OV was just basically the living triple point of the 3 states of water and his powers reflected same, but if we're going for a more mystical subtext, miasma or even aether might be worth exploring.

liquid = powers of the mind, which can be metaphorically interpreted as "fluid"
gas = smoke-based powers
solid = strength, durability and cryokinetic powers

[Anthony W]

Interesting. I always thought that the OV was just basically the living triple point of the 3 states of water and his powers reflected same, but if we're going for a more mystical subtext, miasma or even aether might be worth exploring.

liquid = powers of the mind, which can be metaphorically interpreted as "fluid"
gas = smoke-based powers
solid = strength, durability and cryokinetic powers

Also the physical appearances between the two Visions should be very close but while Android Vision has a hopeful future look with a green and yellow color scheme with a perfect red jewel on his head Supernatural Vision should have a purple and black color scheme with a dark spiked shape blue gem on his head.

They should look like family, which is funny because they have nothing in common. Y'know, like Spider-Man and SpiderWoman.

[JudicatorPrime]

Also the physical appearances between the two Visions should be very close but while Android Vision has a hopeful future look with a green and yellow color scheme with a perfect red jewel on his head Supernatural Vision should have a purple and black color scheme with a dark spiked shape blue gem on his head.

They should look like family, which is funny because they have nothing in common. Y'know, like Spider-Man and SpiderWoman.

At least back in the day, green was the typical telltale signs of supernatural phenomenon, which explain the original Vision's coloration. I do like the notion of the two representing sides of the same coin, albeit with one being scientific in nature and origin, while the other is mystical. It's also a nice touch for one to be able to melt you with his solar gem or eye beams, while the other's powers have a freezing effect.

Another random thought here:

Wouldn't surprise me if there was an alternate Earth where the original Vision is the only Vision...and he went on to join the Avengers. And yes, he even married his Earth's version of the Scarlet Witch.

[Gaastra]

Screenrants take on golden age vision.

https://screenrant.com/vision-origin...ter-marvel-dc/

Kind of surprised marvel has not used him more. maybe in gotg?

[MajorHoy]

Screenrants take on golden age vision.

https://screenrant.com/vision-origin...ter-marvel-dc/

Kind of surprised marvel has not used him more. maybe in gotg?

Marvel has tons of heroes waiting to be used, many of them better known than the original Vision.
The fact that there's a better-known character later introduced with the same name doesn't help his case.

[Gaastra]

Well, I mean you could say that about any legacy hero. Why did they bring back ww2 torch in wca when we have one in fantastic four. Why did they bring back spider-woman 1. We have jessica. Why bring back blaze or keith. We have a new ghost rider. Why use scott or hal as green lantern for dc when we had klye or the first two flashes when we had wally. We had tim so why use nightwing. Why use hank. We have a new ant-man.

We have miles why do we need peter?

Any character if wrote well can be great. Who cares if another hero took the name. We have about 4 thors running around right now anyways. Also, about him not known. No one knew who blade was also. It just takes one good story to break out a hero.

[MajorHoy]

Well, I mean you could say that about any legacy hero. Why did they bring back ww2 torch in wca when we have one in fantastic four. Why did they bring back spider-woman 1. We have jessica. Why bring back blaze or keith. We have a new ghost rider. Why use scott or hal as green lantern for dc when we had klye or the first two flashes when we had wally. We had tim so why use nightwing. Why use hank. We have a new ant-man.

We have miles why do we need peter?

Any character if wrote well can be great. Who cares if another hero took the name. We have about 4 thors running around right now anyways. Also, about him not known. No one knew who blade was also. It just takes one good story to break out a hero.

Yes, if somebody cared enough about the character, and they could get editorial approval to do it, the original Vision could be brought back in a Marvel comic book.

Unfortunately, I doubt it would happen. And of many examples you've given in your response, how many of them were Golden Age characters that had a very limited number of appearances? Many of your examples are no older than Silver/Bronze Age characters, and characters a writer or artist may have read stories about when they were younger probably have a better chance of being brought back now that they themselves are working in comic books. I don't remember Aarkus even showing up that often in reprints from Marvel back in the 1970s.

[Gaastra]

True. DC likes to use the ww2 heroes more than marvel and marvel likes to use them as side or supporting characters. Torch in wca. Spitfire and union jack in 90s sub-mariner. Miss america and whizzer in avengers and vision and scarlet witch. Blonde phantom in she-hulk. Thin man, spitfire and blazing skull in new invaders. Blazing skull in defenders. Patriot and a few others in captain america.

Cap and sub-mariner seem to be used the most of course.

[MajorHoy]

First appearance:
Marvel Mystery Comics #13 (November 1940):

A few more pages from that story:


to be continued . . .

[JudicatorPrime]

A few more pages from that story:


to be continued . . .

Still hoping to find out someday that Mose the Manservant was inadvertently irradiated with the energies of that "Dimension Smasher" and later gained powers himself. But alas, the superhero business was not for one such as him, so he remained in relative obscurity. But the power never left him. It was handed down from generation to generation used only sparingly and always in secret.