Blue Marvel Appreciation

[Cosmic Emerald 23]

So no one is going to answer? lol.

But anyways Blue Marvel has the potential to be Marvel's John Stewart if they bother try using him more.

I agree, he could be very big like Marvel's John Stewart Green Lantern. All he needs is a good writer and artist to go on a run or two with him (like Priest's Black Panther run), and then cash in with a good movie in the MCU. Blue's my favorite Marvel character (probably because he's like John Stewart GL mixed with Superman, my 2 faves from DC lol), and I think he could be VERY big if they do that, like probably bigger than Black Panther. I want the writer(s) to really show off how powerful he is and go all out balls to the wall with his feats, cuz he's one of the few POWERFUL black hero Marvel's got, so they better make it count and maybe it'll open the door for more of them.

[JudicatorPrime]

I have a question. Addressing Ultimates season 2 issue 1. Does he permanently have cosmic awareness did that machine permanently expand his consciousness or was it just a one time thing?

The device that Adam built is housed in his Kadesh base, so he can use it whenever he likes. It enhances his already superhuman senses to the point that he's able to see reality the way that Monica sees it. In short, the device gives him a glimmer of what it's like to be cosmically aware. Whether future writers will want to build on that remains to be seen. Ditto with the Omega Force implications of Monica and Adam merging.

Lastly, it's worth mentioning that all of Galactus' heralds have some degree of Cosmic Awareness. Maybe the Ultimates didn't receive the Power Cosmic from Galan, but he still considered them HIS heralds. It's possible that all of them are permanently cosmically aware to varying degrees.

[Golden Guardian of Good]

I agree, he could be very big like Marvel's John Stewart Green Lantern. All he needs is a good writer and artist to go on a run or two with him (like Priest's Black Panther run), and then cash in with a good movie in the MCU. Blue's my favorite Marvel character (probably because he's like John Stewart GL mixed with Superman, my 2 faves from DC lol), and I think he could be VERY big if they do that, like probably bigger than Black Panther. I want the writer(s) to really show off how powerful he is and go all out balls to the wall with his feats, cuz he's one of the few POWERFUL black hero Marvel's got, so they better make it count and maybe it'll open the door for more of them.

Matter fact... Now that I think of it Blue Marvel can potentially be a much better character than Stewart. Because DC for some reason has been writing Stewart as this bland marine character. Blue Marvel really needs a Black writer who likes him(and before anyone disagrees with him needing a Black writer I can explain). I know we sound like a broken record but Al Ewing dropped the ball on Blue Marvel. The only positives were the relationship with Monica(which i really LIKED) and introducing his children. Other than that..? Its like Ewing neutered the character as a Black man. He wrote him more and more as an old, retired man that just watches the younger superheros and gives them advise. That's how I saw him in the Ultimates and even Mighty Avengers. Blue Marvel NEEDS to be written like a DANGEROUS Black man(see Denzel Washington) like he was in his mini and not like Morgan Freeman(and I like Morgan Freeman) in films if you catch my drift...

[Golden Guardian of Good]

The device that Adam built is housed in his Kadesh base, so he can use it whenever he likes. It enhances his already superhuman senses to the point that he's able to see reality the way that Monica sees it. In short, the device gives him a glimmer of what it's like to be cosmically aware. Whether future writers will want to build on that remains to be seen. Ditto with the Omega Force implications of Monica and Adam merging.

Lastly, it's worth mentioning that all of Galactus' heralds have some degree of Cosmic Awareness. Maybe the Ultimates didn't receive the Power Cosmic from Galan, but he still considered them HIS heralds. It's possible that all of them are permanently cosmically aware to varying degrees.

Ah I see and thanks! Hopefully writers expand on it because I found it cool.

[ed2962]

Matter fact... Now that I think of it Blue Marvel can potentially be a much better character than Stewart. Because DC for some reason has been writing Stewart as this bland marine character. Blue Marvel really needs a Black writer who likes him(and before anyone disagrees with him needing a Black writer I can explain). I know we sound like a broken record but Al Ewing dropped the ball on Blue Marvel. The only positives were the relationship with Monica(which i really LIKED) and introducing his children. Other than that..? Its like Ewing neutered the character as a Black man. He wrote him more and more as an old, retired man that just watches the younger superheros and gives them advise. That's how I saw him in the Ultimates and even Mighty Avengers. Blue Marvel NEEDS to be written like a DANGEROUS Black man(see Denzel Washington) like he was in his mini and not like Morgan Freeman(and I like Morgan Freeman) in films if you catch my drift...

I don't think that's terrible thing. He is an old man. He's drawn to look like he's in his 40's, but he's got to be like 70. We should have bad ass dangerous black superheroes, but I don't think BM has to fit that role. I actually don't mind him being black Reed Richards, it actually distinguishes him from the other multiple Superman archetypes that Marvel has floating around.

[Hypestyle]

Does blue marvel have a good presence in the Contest of Champions?

I'd like to see a new solo ongoing series for him, with lots of adventure and problem solving.

[JudicatorPrime]

I don't think that's terrible thing. He is an old man. He's drawn to look like he's in his 40's, but he's got to be like 70. We should have bad ass dangerous black superheroes, but I don't think BM has to fit that role. I actually don't mind him being black Reed Richards, it actually distinguishes him from the other multiple Superman archetypes that Marvel has floating around.

You're only as old as you feel. In Adam's case, age is probably more of a factor for fans than it would be for Adam. He doesn't feel the affects of ageing physically or mentally. How could he, when he's practically a godlike being? His physical and mental scores shame most cosmic powered Eternals, Externals and Asgardians. The optics are that of a man in his 40s, but I imagine Adam doesn't spend a great deal of time looking in the mirror. He's still discovering what he can and cannot do; what his powers allow him to do. And more importantly, how those powers may have triggered other latent human evolutionary scale abilities that other vastly accelerated humans like Eternals, Sentry, the Futurist and the High Evolutionary have. He may have circled the sun 80+ times, but he's still a young man in the game, if you ask me.

The problem with Adam is that I don't think his personality answers the hypothetical question, "What if Superman was a Black person born in 1930s oppressive America only to come into an incredible blessing of power during the Civil Rights era?" Well, it answers it if Kanye is right about slavery being a choice. It answers it if people truly believe that Ghandi never got mad, or Martin Luther King, Jr., never once wished that he had the power and means to do more than just march and boycott, and deploy all of the tools of nonviolent protest in an effort to expunge racism. Most of the people that I knew from Adam's generation are long gone. But I can assure you, the person that Adam is portrayed to be -- a Black Reed Richards -- is not what we would see, if any of them had been given Adam's level of power. Not even close. To the extent that he could be a Black Reed Richards, he'd be a very dangerous Black Reed Richards. In some regards, with respect to his sensibilities and protection triggers, he'd be more Doom than Doom; more Magneto than Magneto.

But there's a reason why Anti-Man was created to be the symbolic representation of justifiable "black rage", albeit in the form of a White man. (Because in this country White men are always elevated, if not extolled, for their violence, no matter which side of the moral spectrum they occupy.) I would love to read a story of Adam and Conner meeting up to talk right after news broke of Martin's assassination. And I'd love to see a story of the two coming together again after the death of Philando Castile. And finally, one last tête-à-tête now with allusions to perhaps the most racist presidency this country has seen in decades. Too political? Perhaps. But a great writer can easily veil such things metaphorically as Blue is combatting the likes of Thanos, Maestro, the Dreaming Celestial, Red Skull, Hydra, etc., etc.

[roni190]

I have to say when I first heard Marvel was debuting Blue Marvel I rolled my eyes and thought "Great another Superman/Sentry rip-off hero retconned into the MU continuity", but reading U2 really got me interested in the character. I've managed to track down most of his appearances and really hope Marvel continues to use him somewhere. Adam had the potential to be a major player in the Marvel universe and deserves more exposure.

[Golden Guardian of Good]

I don't think that's terrible thing. He is an old man. He's drawn to look like he's in his 40's, but he's got to be like 70. We should have bad ass dangerous black superheroes, but I don't think BM has to fit that role. I actually don't mind him being black Reed Richards, it actually distinguishes him from the other multiple Superman archetypes that Marvel has floating around.

In Ultimates and Mighty Avengers he looked a bit older like in his 50s imo. In his mini he looked like he was in his 40s. And you can be a Black Reed Richards and still be a dangerous Black man. And I don't see Blue Marvel as a Superman archetype. That statement is used too loosely imo.

[JudicatorPrime]

In Ultimates and Mighty Avengers he looked a bit older like in his 50s imo. In his mini he looked like he was in his 40s. And you can be a Black Reed Richards and still be a dangerous Black man. And I don't see Blue Marvel as a Superman archetype. That statement is used too loosely imo.

I think Marvel artists need to either google images of 40 year old Black men, or go actually meet a bunch of 40 year old Black men. Maybe then they'll realize that not one of them looks like Reed Richards. Most still look like they're in their 30s.

And I totally agree with you on the Superman perception. I applaud Ewing for driving the biggest wedge between that perception and actual character presentation. He's not just a flying brick and only a birther would see him as alien. He also uses his brains and his energy projection powers so much now that you have to remind yourself that he's one of the strongest beings in the MU.

[ed2962]

You're only as old as you feel. In Adam's case, age is probably more of a factor for fans than it would be for Adam. He doesn't feel the affects of ageing physically or mentally. How could he, when he's practically a godlike being? His physical and mental scores shame most cosmic powered Eternals, Externals and Asgardians. The optics are that of a man in his 40s, but I imagine Adam doesn't spend a great deal of time looking in the mirror. He's still discovering what he can and cannot do; what his powers allow him to do. And more importantly, how those powers may have triggered other latent human evolutionary scale abilities that other vastly accelerated humans like Eternals, Sentry, the Futurist and the High Evolutionary have. He may have circled the sun 80+ times, but he's still a young man in the game, if you ask me.

The problem with Adam is that I don't think his personality answers the hypothetical question, "What if Superman was a Black person born in 1930s oppressive America only to come into an incredible blessing of power during the Civil Rights era?" Well, it answers it if Kanye is right about slavery being a choice. It answers it if people truly believe that Ghandi never got mad, or Martin Luther King, Jr., never once wished that he had the power and means to do more than just march and boycott, and deploy all of the tools of nonviolent protest in an effort to expunge racism. Most of the people that I knew from Adam's generation are long gone. But I can assure you, the person that Adam is portrayed to be -- a Black Reed Richards -- is not what we would see, if any of them had been given Adam's level of power. Not even close. To the extent that he could be a Black Reed Richards, he'd be a very dangerous Black Reed Richards. In some regards, with respect to his sensibilities and protection triggers, he'd be more Doom than Doom; more Magneto than Magneto.

But there's a reason why Anti-Man was created to be the symbolic representation of justifiable "black rage", albeit in the form of a White man. (Because in this country White men are always elevated, if not extolled, for their violence, no matter which side of the moral spectrum they occupy.) I would love to read a story of Adam and Conner meeting up to talk right after news broke of Martin's assassination. And I'd love to see a story of the two coming together again after the death of Philando Castile. And finally, one last tête-à-tête now with allusions to perhaps the most racist presidency this country has seen in decades. Too political? Perhaps. But a great writer can easily veil such things metaphorically as Blue is combatting the likes of Thanos, Maestro, the Dreaming Celestial, Red Skull, Hydra, etc., etc.

I really think the writers should exploit BM's age more. He's seen generations come and go and seen the country/world change several times. He's got adult kids. He would have a different perspective than guys like Tony Stark, Richards or even Capt America. There's so much you can do storywise with a mature person of Adam's age that you can't with other adult superheroes ( or even gods).

[ed2962]

In Ultimates and Mighty Avengers he looked a bit older like in his 50s imo. In his mini he looked like he was in his 40s. And you can be a Black Reed Richards and still be a dangerous Black man. And I don't see Blue Marvel as a Superman archetype. That statement is used too loosely imo.

I don't want to him to be Morgan Freeman, but having other heroes look up to him in a fatherly way I think adds a layer to him.

[Cosmic Emerald 23]

I agree, I DO NOT want him to be the "docile old negro" who just happened to be granted immense power that he's not allowed to show off. A person from his generation with his power level should be one bad mutha, but not like blaxploitation luke cage though, but like denzel washington.

[JudicatorPrime]

I really think the writers should exploit BM's age more. He's seen generations come and go and seen the country/world change several times. He's got adult kids. He would have a different perspective than guys like Tony Stark, Richards or even Capt America. There's so much you can do storywise with a mature person of Adam's age that you can't with other adult superheroes ( or even gods).

I read this and think of Charles Xavier. For all of the years that I used to read the X-Men, I never once cared to see him join the team on any combat missions. I suspect that you'd have to be careful with Adam for similar reasons. On the one hand you could definitely create some award winning stories based on their experiences. But fans, for the most part, might be turned off by the generational difference. No one wants to follow a walking museum, no matter how powerful.

And speaking of Charles Xavier, I wonder if he and Adam have ever met? And if not, why not?

[Cosmic Emerald 23]

Matter fact... Now that I think of it Blue Marvel can potentially be a much better character than Stewart. Because DC for some reason has been writing Stewart as this bland marine character. Blue Marvel really needs a Black writer who likes him(and before anyone disagrees with him needing a Black writer I can explain). I know we sound like a broken record but Al Ewing dropped the ball on Blue Marvel. The only positives were the relationship with Monica(which i really LIKED) and introducing his children. Other than that..? Its like Ewing neutered the character as a Black man. He wrote him more and more as an old, retired man that just watches the younger superheros and gives them advise. That's how I saw him in the Ultimates and even Mighty Avengers. Blue Marvel NEEDS to be written like a DANGEROUS Black man(see Denzel Washington) like he was in his mini and not like Morgan Freeman(and I like Morgan Freeman) in films if you catch my drift...

Nah, I don't think he'd be on Stewart's level. Imo green lantern will always be more iconoc. DC is seemingly turning it around with him in rebirth rn. He's got his spot on the jl back with a top writer in his corner. Hopefully blue marvel can get the same exposure over at marvel. The only writer I trust with him is his creator: Kevin Grevioux. He gave us the intellectual adam as well as the badass dangerous adam, as well as gave him top tier feats for his debut.