Longshot Appreciation 2018

[Ricochet Rita]

Once upon a time, once upon a place... A boy with no name, no past, no future --only present. Like a blank paper, people reflected their hopes, fears, desires and prejudices over him, so he was called saviour, fool, slave, alien, star, rebel, clown, messiah, freak, hero, mutant, slut... His existence was a never-ending loop of rise, fall and oblivion with only one thing for sure: he was lucky --was he?

Nickname:

Longshot

Real Name: Unknown

First Appearance: Longshot #1 (September, 1985)

Creators: Ann Nocenti & Arthur Adams

Height: 6'2''

Weight: 80 lbs.

Hair: Blond

Eyes: Blue

Powers, Characteristics & Abilities:

Longshot was created through genetic engineering, so he was never "born". He has only three fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand. He also has leather-like skin, hollow bones, pointed fangs and two hearts. Longshot's left eye glows brightly when he uses his superhuman powers.

He was genetically engineered and augmented by magical means to have certain abilities. He is superhumanly acrobatic (speed, agility, dexterity, flexibility, reflexes/reactions, coordination and balance) and has advanced healing abilities. The mystical augmentation gave him the ability to affect probability fields through psionic means in order to give himself "good luck" in his activities. This allows incredibly unlikely events to happen in Longshot's favor, even when Longshot does not consciously will it to do so. This luck, however, is fickle, and can backfire if he overuses it, creating an equal and opposite "bad luck" effect elsewhere, that can affect others or even Longshot himself.

Longshot can read "psychic imprints" that people leave on objects that they have handled, and thereby learn the thoughts that an individual had while handling the object (or his/her future), a phenomenon known as psychometry. He can also telepathically "read" the recent memories of a person by making physical contact with him or her.

Longshot carries cleaver-like blades, stored in a bandoleer, which he hurls with inhuman accuracy or in some cases, completely dependent upon his luck powers. He is also shown as proficient in other types of bladed weaponry.

http://marvel.wikia.com/Longshot_(Mojoverse)

[Ricochet Rita]

The Pure Heart Terrorist (Part I)

Listen, I've got a theory about Longshot and I'd like to summarize it here. I call it "The Pure Heart Terrorist", and I hope it will not seem too academicist nor confusing due to my poor English :P .

I believe there is a fictional stock character, an stereotype typical from The West (although it could be found too in eastern figures as the "sacred fool"), who is defined by its very raw traits: full-kindness in a not-trained-at-all spirit. It spans from the "nobel savage" of the Age of Enlightenment and Rousseau to the dumb-and-sincere (but finally winner) brother in many tales of Grimm. They are born without original sin, and therefore without science...and they are always males (when they're females, this stereotype changes significantly to a more mystical and wiser figure, e.g.: Momo).

But I think that in USA this stock character has been developed to his extreme, probably because of the more closeness to naivety and optimism of this young and enterprising country (and I hope I'm not offending anyone). There are plenty of examples in fiction of this "honest man", this "John Doe" if you wish: Edward Scissorhands, Forrest Gump, Harpo, the keatonian Sam of 'Benny & Joon', Midnight Cowboy...and Longshot.

All of them are characterized more by their ingenuosness than by their innocence, but they turn out to be deadly: they're embarrasing as children because of their inconvenient questions and actions, always on the right track to truth, which finally make the fragile surface of civilization blow to pieces. That's what's great about them, and why I call them "terrorists" in some way (or anarchists, if you wish).

To be continued...
(For more info, you could read the brief essay by Julio Cortázar "How to reach Lezama Lima")

[skyjumpermike]

Anyone know where Longshot will pop up in Secret Wars?

[Rogue Star]

Crud, I knew I should have uploaded a particularly funny frame from Uncanny X-Men of Longshot, Rogue, and Dazzler celebrating a battle won just in case I felt like sharing. I decided against it last night and what do you know, this perfect opportunity to share it pops up. I'll have to do it when I get home now. Lol

[skyjumpermike]

Crud, I knew I should have uploaded a particularly funny frame from Uncanny X-Men of Longshot, Rogue, and Dazzler celebrating a battle won just in case I felt like sharing. I decided against it last night and what do you know, this perfect opportunity to share it pops up. I'll have to do it when I get home now. Lol

that would be great

[Rogue Star]

Correction: It was Psylocke, not Dazzler. My memory was fail.

Anyway, I thought this was a pretty funny panel. xD

[Ricochet Rita]

LOL, it's funny to see Longshot acting like a cocky rooster, it's so inappropiate in comparison with his usual unaware mood!

Anyway, I rather like Ultimate version: a liar and a murderer! That's really an upside-down Longshot! And the beard fits him great !



Now that you've resurrected this thread (thanks, people!), it's time to go on.

[Ricochet Rita]

[Extracts from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fool_(Tarot_card)]

The Fool or The Jester is one of the 78 cards in a Tarot deck; one of the 22 Trump cards that make up the Major Arcana. The Fool is unnumbered; sometimes represented as 0 [...] The Fool is titled Le Mat in the Tarot of Marseilles, and Il Matto in most Italian language tarot decks. These archaic words mean "the madman" or "the beggar" [...] In the earliest Tarot decks, the Fool is usually depicted as a beggar or a vagabond. [...] The Tarot of Marseilles and related decks similarly depict a bearded person wearing what may be a jester's hat; he always carries a bundle of his belongings on a stick slung over his back. He appears to be getting chased away by an animal, either a dog or a cat. [...] In the Rider-Waite Tarot deck and other esoteric decks made for cartomancy, the Fool is shown as a young man, walking unknowingly toward the brink of a precipice.

[...]

The Fool is the spirit in search of experience. He represents the mystical cleverness bereft of reason within us, the childlike ability to tune into the inner workings of the world. The sun shining behind him represents the divine nature of the Fool's wisdom and exuberance, holy madness or 'crazy wisdom'. On his back are all the possessions he might need. In his hand there is a flower, showing his appreciation of beauty. He is frequently accompanied by a dog, sometimes seen as his animal desires, sometimes as the call of the "real world", nipping at his heels and distracting him. He is seemingly oblivious that he is walking toward a precipice, apparently about to step off. One of the keys to the card is the paradigm of the precipice, Zero and the sometimes represented oblivious Fool's near-step into the oblivion (The Void) of the jaws of a crocodile, for example, are all mutually informing polysemy within evocations of the iconography of The Fool. The staff is the offset and complement to the void and this in many traditions represents wisdom and renunciation, e.g. 'danda' (Sanskrit) of a Sanyassin [...]. The Fool is both the beginning and the end, neither and otherwise, betwixt and between, liminal.

The number 0 is a perfect significator for the Fool, as it can become anything when he reaches his destination [...] Zero is nothing, a lack of hard substance, and as such it may reflect a non-issue or lack of cohesiveness for the subject at hand.

[Darth Phoenix]

I would guess Inferno but Secret Wars may treat him like Mr Sinister.

image.jpg

[Ricochet Rita]

I would guess Inferno but Secret Wars may treat him like Mr Sinister.

Quite probably :/ . Not even PAD in X-Factor was able to make the most of him (although it was funny sometimes)... I think no writer knew how to handle Longshot after Nocenti's foundation, except for CC, who turned him into a slightly different character but in a pretty coherent way. The others made him swing between a mushy idiot and a conceited liberator.

Too bad that Mojoworld is not in Secret Wars. I mean real Mojoworld, that acid, insane, deranged dimension.

[Ricochet Rita]

From the All New Draw Me An X-Jam II: Rule 63 : my female Longshot (sorry for the awfully pale colors and rough inking: my tools are terrible).



http://community.comicbookresources....=1#post1090109

Since she's got already a 'rude girl' haircut, I gave her proper clothes. LONGSHOT GOES SKA!!!

Why, why Long Shot bus' me bet.
Why, why Long Shot bus' me bet.

'Im gallop 'im gallop 'im gallop but he couldn' bus' de tape.
'Im gallop 'im gallop 'im gallop but he couldn' bus' de tape.

[a0040pc]

Issue Information
Title- Longshot (Volume 1) #1
Release Date- September 1985
Writer- Ann Nocenti
Artist- Art Adams

Major Notes
First appearance of Longshot and Spiral

Brief Summary

A Man Without A Past

A young man in another dimension is running away from some hunters. The stranger has no memories and he can’t believe that all of the hunter’s shots are missing him. He finds himself in the middle of what is called a spitfire and he tries to reason with the hunters but he has no luck. Suddenly a portal appears before him and with little choice he jumps right through it but the hunters go in behind him.

In Upstate New York an electrical storm causes a car to lose control and head towards an elderly woman who is standing in the road. The stranger suddenly drops out from the portal and grabs the old woman. The car swerves into a wall and knocks a gargoyle above it, the gargoyale itself is holding money and it falls to the ground much to the surprise of the normal people.

With the crisis over everyone gathers around the stranger to congratulate him on his actions. They ask his name but the stranger can’t remember it, a nearby policeman thinks that he is on drugs and goes to arrest him but the stranger flees. He is surprised to see the sun in the sky and when he looks up at it he is blinded for a moment. He even wonders to a window and he is surprised to see is reflection. He is then approached by a man who states that he is a friend, he introduces himself as Eliot and sees a kindred spirit in him. Eliot thinks the stranger is some kind of superhero and tells him that if he needs him to head to his survivalist pad on the hill. They have to split up quickly though as the police and the crowd almost catch up to them.

The stranger is able to get lose them and he thinks that eventually someone will tell him who he is. He sees two manikins in a shop window and he tries to ask them a question. He is annoyed when they don’t answer back and he wonders into the shop so that he can actually talk to them. A clerk who works there is confused with what is happening and when the stranger asks why the manikins aren’t talking to him she reveals that they are fake. After the clerk takes the jacket off the manikin the stranger sees that the manikin is fake and he even tries to jacket on himself, He goes to walk out but the clerk demands money for the jacket, since he doesn’t understand money he simply walks away as the clerk calls the police.

By night time the stranger is standing on a hill and he is wondering exactly what has happened to him. A sound startles him and he throws some knives towards a tree where an alien looking hairy creature is standing. The creature claims to be a friend and the stranger apologises and even thinks that it looks familiar. He realises that he isn’t home and he makes his way to Eliot’s place while the creature scarpers off.

Eliot’s pad is bobby trapped and is designed to withstand a nuclear holocaust. He believes that the creature that was with the stranger was a stray dog and as they go inside he explains about the capabilities and the food inside the bunker. He believes that the world is on the verge of nuclear war and he is prepared. The stranger spots a story in the paper about a missing baby and he wishes to find it, at first Eliot is against this but he sees a mob on the way to the bunker and he believes that they think he stole the baby. He decides to go with the
stranger’s idea and he suits up and sneaks through the back. He knows the mother is named Hester and they make her way to her home.

Hester herself is sitting in the corner of the room where her baby daughter was taken and her dog was killed. The ones responsible didn’t look human and she is startled by the appearance of the stranger and Eliot. They claim to be there to help and Hester explains what happened and even gives the stranger a doll which the kidnappers left behind. The stranger uses his powers to see the doll’s past and present and he sees that those responsible are the same hunters from before. He feels especially sorry for Hester and he explains that the hunters will use the baby as a gateway so that they can get home. He can follow the trail but before he leaves he takes an iron as a weapon. Eliot believes that the culprits are merely hippies. They don’t realise that they are being watched by police.

They make their way through the woods and the trail leads to an old Indian Burial Ground where an ill fated man decided to build a windmill. There is said to be a lot of weirdness around that area but suddenly the group see that they’re being followed by law enforcement. Eliot sets a trap however which catches the entire squad in a giant net and allows for them to escape.

The group eventually reach the windmill and they see the hunters at the top performing some kind of ritual. To Eliot and Hester they can’t believe what they’re seeing and the stranger is somewhat confused as well but it is because of his lack of memories. They are spotted by a few of the hunters who attack the stranger but when he goes to defend himself he sees that they can fade out meaning that he can’t touch them. The hunters on the top of the windmill ready to sacrifice the baby and the stranger is surprised to see that the hunters actually know him. He is almost able to strike one of the hunters but is fended off with a powerful energy burst. Unfortunately it causes the windmill to catch on fire.

The Stranger is forced back to Eliot and Hester. Eliot somewhat scolds him for trying attack and talk to the hunters rather than grabbing the baby and the stranger realises what he has been doing wrong. He and the others begin to climb a hill right next to the windmill but Eliot notices that his equipment is shorting out. As they make their way up Eliot and Hester try to figure out exactly what the hunters are. The stranger tells them to meet him on the top as he continues his way up, Eliot is not happy with the stranger’s recklessness but Hester as faith in him.

When the stranger reaches the top he sees everything that is happening and he knows that the hunters are close. He uses a self made grapple hook to windmill but it is kicked off by one of the hunters. He throws again after the hunters believe that he is dead and he is able to grapple an ideal spot. The hunters are continuing the ritual which is being performed by a six armed woman named Spiral. The stranger ties the rope to a nearby rock and starts to walk towards the windmill on the rope. The rope begins to slip but he is saved by the creature from earlier although it seems to be reluctant in saving him.

The stranger is able to make his way onto the windmill and just as the ritual is about to be completed he throws the iron at Spiral and the lead Hunter which causes them to fade out. It gives him the time he needs to grab the baby and he goes to flee as he is attacked. The rope that he uses is cut and he falls but he is able to keep a hold and scales the hillside. When he reaches the top he gives Hester her baby and she is overcome with joy.

The hunters begin to fade away but the police approach thinking that the stranger is the baby kidnapper. Eliot and Hester still don’t know his name, he tells them to call him whatever they like so Hester calls him Longshot. He leaves after giving them a little advice and they wonder if they will ever see him again. Eliot does give him a little advice stating that money will help him through the world.

As Longshot makes his way down he meets up with the creature who approves of the name Longshot. Longshot suspects that the creature knows something about him and decides to keep his eye on him as they walk away.

[a0040pc]

My Thoughts

Sorry that this issue came a little later then it should but unfortunately it came out a little earlier than I thought. This is the first issue of Longshot and although at this stage the series has nothing to do with the X-Men he will be a character who is most remembered for being a member of the X-Men. In fact he will become the second non-mutant member of the team (the original being Mimic back in the 60’s).

The first thing to mention is that this is the first appearance of Longshot who is not entirely human himself. From first glance he looks normal but he is missing a digit from each of his hands and he actually weighs much less than a normal person. His primary superpower is that he has superhuman luck although as we saw he also has the ability to see people’s past and future. He is a relatively risk free character and he isn’t the only X-Man who suffers from amnesia. He is all round a fun character that is fondly remembered over the years although he hasn’t had many solo stories.

The issue also introduces Spiral who is another character who is well remembered for her connections to the X-Men but this time for different reasons. The most striking thing about her is that she has six arms and is extremely skilled at hand to hand combat. She also has teleportation abilities although I believe that they can cross dimensions. She did appear in my last post which made me realise that I had missed this out but we will learn more about her over time like who she originally was and who she works for.

This issue is written by Ann Nocenti who I think might have written a couple of side stuff to do with the X-Men. The artist is the very famous Art Adams who has at this point not drawn any X-Men comics but will do soon in the upcoming New Mutants Special Edition. He is famed for creating popular characters but also the art itself that he creates is just purely fun to see.

The overall story was pretty fun as we saw Longshot forget who he was and try and learn it all over again. He might not be a classical superhero but he did definitely save those that were in need and gave little concern for his own safety. He almost had a child like wonder to everything and it did get humorous as he got confused with several things such as manikins and the concept of money. There is another guy walking around with the same problem although he is infinitely more powerful.

We did get some good supporting characters such as Hester and Eliot. Hester herself has gone through something very traumatic but has seemingly come through it with her head held up high as she has her baby daughter back. She is also the one who had the most faith in Longshot which just shows that she didn’t lose her faith in humanity. Eliot seems to be one of these doomsday preppers that you sometimes see on TV. Most of the time they are shone in a bad light so to speak and it was actually good to see one that was heroic and actually willing to help. I doubt either of these characters will ever appear again and hopefully they’ll be having normal, happy lives.

The creature that was in this issue although looking small and friendly seems to have some kind of ulterior motive as he was not too willing to save Longshot and most likely is planning something against him. We don’t have his name quite yet but I suspect that we’ll find out sooner rather than later.
In conclusion I’m giving the issue a 7 out of 10. It was a fun issue and I hope that it will have great stories further on.

Next Issue
Longshot (Volume 1) #2

[Ricochet Rita]

Great! I'm so happy you've come to read the mini and share it here, a0040pc! ASAP I will post my thoughts and I will retrieve comments from the old CBR threads which I still keep --and if we're lucky, some people will be driven to do so and this appreciation thread will be revitalized .

[a0040pc]

Ok that's cool, I'm going to go through the entire series. First time I read it I really enjoyed it and I even bought the Longshot Marvel Legends figure.