Most underrated marvel superheros

[JudicatorPrime]

"No business"?

It's not like the "superhero community" in the MU has ever had any hard-and-fast rules about "who's allowed to recycle a previously-used heroic alias, and who isn't!"

When Johnny Storm started calling himself "The Human Torch," he'd never met Jim Hammond; he'd just read some old comic books about his illustrious predecessor! Johnny didn't feel any need to fill out any paperwork in triplicate, "formally applying for permission to use the name," and then submit it to a committee and wait six months to hear back from them. His logic seems to have been: "It's a perfectly good heroic alias; nobody else has used it in years; it reflects the nifty new powers I just acquired; so why not grab it for myself?"

Jim Hammond himself, when he came back onstage as a "regular presence" in the MU in the late 1980s, seems to have accepted the situation calmly instead of screaming: "You had no right to grab my alias without my permission!"

Likewise, when Danny Ketch became the new "Ghost Rider" in 1990, he'd never met Johnny Blaze (although he did later). Danny's solo title lasted about 8 years.

Warren Worthington III never apologized to the Golden Age Angel for swiping his alias; the synthezoid known as The Vision never apologized to the Golden Age Vision; Natasha Romanoff never apologized to Claire Voyant (the Golden Age Black Widow); Peter Parker never apologized for the fact that long before he became "Spider-Man," there had been a mad scientist called "Spiderman" who died fighting Madeline Joyce (Marvel's Golden Age Miss America) . . .

So why should Monica feel guilty about reviving a heroic alias which nobody else had used lately?

Awesome post.

That Carol thinks that she has come along to right some perceived wrong echoes the sense of entitlement that we find wherever the mindset of elitist/majority/oppressor class privilege exists. Like Genis, they are behaving as if they had somehow been victimized by Monica, who actually took the name and kept the spirit, honor and distinction of the name intact. As a HUGE Captain Mar-vell fan back in the day, I did not originally support Monica -- or anyone else, for that matter -- using the name, Captain Marvel. But once Captain America gave it to her, it should have been hers to keep for as long as she wanted it.

It all goes back to the right to define who we are in this world. Self determination is one of the most integral pillars of a free society. At some point it would be great to see intelligent and powerful characters like Monica Rambeau and Adam Brashear stand up and fight for their rights. Right now, they both come across as easily bullied and all-too accommodating: 21st century AA hero stereotypes in the making. That can't happen. It's not a good look, or a good message.

[JudicatorPrime]

Meggan Braddock.

*sigh*

Agreed. But how do we separate her from Captain Britain? She would do well in the States.

[TheObsessor]

Black Knight. If I were to write a Marvel comic it would an Avengers team consisting of B-listers with him as the leader....he's been associated with them long enough.

[Lorendiac]

Awesome post.

That Carol thinks that she has come along to right some perceived wrong echoes the sense of entitlement that we find wherever the mindset of elitist/majority/oppressor class privilege exists. Like Genis, they are behaving as if they had somehow been victimized by Monica, who actually took the name and kept the spirit, honor and distinction of the name intact. As a HUGE Captain Mar-vell fan back in the day, I did not originally support Monica -- or anyone else, for that matter -- using the name, Captain Marvel. But once Captain America gave it to her, it should have been hers to keep for as long as she wanted it.

It all goes back to the right to define who we are in this world. Self determination is one of the most integral pillars of a free society. At some point it would be great to see intelligent and powerful characters like Monica Rambeau and Adam Brashear stand up and fight for their rights. Right now, they both come across as easily bullied and all-too accommodating: 21st century AA hero stereotypes in the making. That can't happen. It's not a good look, or a good message.

I'm glad you liked my last post!

Frankly, I've paid virtually zero attention to any of the comic books of recent years about "various heirs and successors to the Captain Marvel who was Mar-Vell of the Kree." I know that such heirs and successors have appeared onstage, but that's about it. So I have not seen exactly whatever it was that Carol Danvers actually said about the perceived impropriety of Monica having once taken it upon herself to recycle the heroic alias of "Captain Marvel" at the beginning of her own superhero career.

That being the case, I'm not qualified to say whether or not Carol made a complete fool of herself in saying whatever she said. I would need to read the whole story and see the exact words, in context, before I could decide how I felt about it.

But I was prompted to defend Monica because I felt there was a ridiculous double standard starting to shape up. If Monica is considered to have done something very rude when she recycled "Captain Marvel" without being an old friend/relative/protegee of the "original user" . . . then the same rule should be applied to condemn every other Marvel hero who ever did essentially the same thing!

On the other hand! If, as seems to be the case, no one is saying scathing things about all those other heroes (such as Johnny Storm) on that basis, then they shouldn't single out Monica for nasty remarks about her choice of alias, either!

Aside from my wanting "the same basic rules to apply to everyone, equally," there's also my general feeling that superheroes tend to be rugged individualists who go their own way instead of slavishly obeying tons of arbitrary little nitpicking rules dreamed up by someone else. That being the case, I think any expectation that they will avoid recycling old aliases of other superheroes, except with permission from the family or whatever, is automatically doomed to failure! So why waste time worrying about it?

[Quasar's Bands]

So many. In recent years marvel has really devoted itself to promoting a small group of characters and basically derivatives of these characters leaving a large legion of it's diverse universe seriously underated and underappreciated.

Quasar

Peace

Yes. Quasar is loved but undervalued and underused.

[Michael Watkins]

Scott Lang embarrassed Doctor Doom on his own turf without the advantage of surprise and w/o suffering any consequences. it's basically he, Shroud, Squirrel Girl, and the Sentry. I want to count the Invisible Woman. but I have no idea what will happen next, in that book.

[Chris0013]

U.S. Agent and Battlestar.

[Sectal]

Scarlet spider Kaine

Next wave

New warriors

[Immortal Hulk]

Sasquatch
Namor
Black Knight
Monica Rambeau
Black Bolt
NightCrawler
Moon Knight

[Immortal Hulk]

* double post *

[Electricmastro]

The fiery and athletic Russian neurosurgeon known as Starlight. Was a great addition to the Defenders.

[JudicatorPrime]

The fiery and athletic Russian neurosurgeon known as Starlight. Was a great addition to the Defenders.

I remember her as Red Guardian. It's interesting how yet again Marvel allowed a backstory where a man (the character known as the Presence) basically abducted and brainwashed her into becoming his mate, only to have Tania go to him willingly once the brainwashing was supposedly undone. Lots of sick minds at Marvel back then. I will however give them credit for kind of predicting Chernobyl. In the Defenders stories, the "Forbidden Zone" was the result of a massive nuclear incident. Starlight and Presence (who caused it) helped defeat the creature at the heart of it. The story does draw some eerie parallels to Chernobyl and the nearby villages which to this day still suffer some degree of radioactivity.

I agree that Starlight would be a great addition to a team. But like Radioactive Man, being in her vicinity for too long is lethal to unshielded humans. She continuously emits moderate levels of radiation, which increases when she uses her powers. I don't know if they ever fixed that. Ironically, the creature that they defeated in the Forbidden Zone was capable of absorbing radiation. Perhaps there's a solution there to be had? I think you just gave me an idea for a Blue Marvel story.

[JackDaw]

In a way Ben Grimm.

I certainly get fed up of him being typecast as “plucky loser”.

[Electricmastro]

I remember her as Red Guardian. It's interesting how yet again Marvel allowed a backstory where a man (the character known as the Presence) basically abducted and brainwashed her into becoming his mate, only to have Tania go to him willingly once the brainwashing was supposedly undone. Lots of sick minds at Marvel back then. I will however give them credit for kind of predicting Chernobyl. In the Defenders stories, the "Forbidden Zone" was the result of a massive nuclear incident. Starlight and Presence (who caused it) helped defeat the creature at the heart of it. The story does draw some eerie parallels to Chernobyl and the nearby villages which to this day still suffer some degree of radioactivity.

I agree that Starlight would be a great addition to a team. But like Radioactive Man, being in her vicinity for too long is lethal to unshielded humans. She continuously emits moderate levels of radiation, which increases when she uses her powers. I don't know if they ever fixed that. Ironically, the creature that they defeated in the Forbidden Zone was capable of absorbing radiation. Perhaps there's a solution there to be had? I think you just gave me an idea for a Blue Marvel story.

Yeah, while she definitely could have been written better, the idea of a kickass Russian neurosurgeon lady that has a cool design, may have to deal with loneliness while figuring out how to deal with her radiation, and has to figure out where her priorities as a hero lay interests me quite a bit. I recall that she was last seen getting sucked into a vortex in Darkstar and the Winter Guard, though then again, that could always be followed up in a way that she survived. I think there’s still potential for there to be done with the character, so I’d be up for having her back.

[CRaymond]

Meggan Braddock.

*sigh*

Immediately thought of Meggan / Tapestry / Gloriana.

I don’t think she’s a character many find easy to write. She’s largely a comedic foil, and doesn’t have her own ambitions. ESFP.

I’m not sure how I’d start a new chapter with her in a spotlight.