Is It Weird Now That Marvel Has More Legacy Characters Than DC?

[Carabas]

Steve is not dead, just old.

Which he always was. He just looks his age now.

Actually, he still looks at least 20 years younger than his actual age.

Anyway, he'll be right as rain in a year or so.

[Kusanagi]

I have another general question also, was there this same backlash and pushback when Bucky became cap for a while?

Or was it much less because people were sure it was temporary?

I don't recall this much backlash with Bucky, there certainly was a backlash but I don't believe it was as sustained or went on as long. Though I could wrong as I wasn't as active then.

As for people being sure it was temporary, there was just as much evidence that Bucky was the permanent Cap as there is that Falcon is the permanent Cap, i.e. None.

[Midnight_v]

Steve is not dead, just old.

As far as I know he isn't going by the name Cap anymore but he's still active in the MU.

Ah my mistake. Old is not = Retired. I ...guess? Deadpool and the avengers huh. *mind blown*

[Frontier]

So, are we defining a legacy hero as someone taking up the identity of another hero who died? Or just taking up the identity and mantle in general? Because, even with Steve, Odinson, and Bruce still active in their own way, I'd say Sam, Jane, and Amadeus are still legacy characters in that they're taking their old identities.

Miles is also legacy for his Peter Parker, if not for the 616 Peter Parker.

As far as DC they still, even after the reboot, has the Robin legacy relatively intact, with all the Robins (Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian) still alive and active. And that legacy is one of the oldest legacy identities in comics.

[tg1982]

I don't recall this much backlash with Bucky, there certainly was a backlash but I don't believe it was as sustained or went on as long. Though I could wrong as I wasn't as active then.

I wasn't that active either, but Bucky as Cap was written by an Eisner winning writer, with good (or great, IMO.) stories. Sam as Cap, so far, has been written as a fascist douche in AXIS, yes I know he was inverted, but that was really his first major exposure as Captain America, and in his solo his first arc (IMO) made him incompetent, he got saved by Ian, by Misty, and by Ian again. I'm taking a bit of a hiatus until after Secret Wars, so I haven't been reading currently, so hopefully they're starting show him as competent and decent.

As for people being sure it was temporary, there was just as much evidence that Bucky was the permanent Cap as there is that Falcon is the permanent Cap, i.e. None.

Yep.

[tg1982]

So, are we defining a legacy hero as someone taking up the identity of another hero who died? Or just taking up the identity and mantle in general? Because, even with Steve, Odinson, and Bruce still active in their own way, I'd say Sam, Jane, and Amadeus are still legacy characters in that they're taking their old identities.

For me, at least, I define a legacy character as any character that has been assumed by two or more people. Captain America is perhaps the obvious legacy character, being one since the 50s. Ms. Marvel is now a legacy character, Captain Marvel, Thor, and now Hulk are all legacy characters.

[marvelousmetalmouse]

I love how many legacy characters there are now. Legacy characters and "new starts" are what got me in the door. Part of the benefit of these legacy characters is that it implies history, change, growth. The universe they live in feels real because it doesn't stay still. Plus, it's not continuity and history that drives away new readers; it's incestuous and constantly ret conning history that drives away readers. Revolving doors of death, secret betrayals, "the real history", it drove me nuts. When you don't let the universe move forward and grow, all you have left to play with is screwing with the past.

So yeah, let Sam be Cap so Steve can have new stories or, god forbid, an actually ending. Let Amadeus be Hulk so Bruce can go retire and have fun in his workshop. Let Robbie take over as Ghost Rider, Johnny hates it anyway.

[Marvel/DC Fan]

I wasn't that active either, but Bucky as Cap was written by an Eisner winning writer, with good (or great, IMO.) stories. Sam as Cap, so far, has been written as a fascist douche in AXIS, yes I know he was inverted, but that was really his first major exposure as Captain America, and in his solo his first arc (IMO) made him incompetent, he got saved by Ian, by Misty, and by Ian again. I'm taking a bit of a hiatus until after Secret Wars, so I haven't been reading currently, so hopefully they're starting show him as competent and decent.

Yep.

I agree that Sam as Cap was poorly written. I think he came off as a total d-bag when he was named successor and I quit the series when it became All New Captain America. However now that he is the hands of what I feel are better writers, I am interested in seeing where it goes.

[dragonmp93]

It depends on how you look at it. I'd absolutely call Kamala a legacy. Carol didn't die or anything but Kamala is still using the name, Carol's old costume emblem, and they made a point of having the two meet (and presumably Carol is going to give Kamala her blessing).

The scenario is different because Carol simply moved on to another name instead of dying or retiring, but I'd say Kamala still counts. Miles is another unorthodox one since he isn't replacing 616 Peter but he's still a legacy, if only in his home dimension.

Actually that is the interesting thing just how many of the current gen Marvel legacies are non traditional in that regard. The only one I can think of who is actually stepping in for a dead or retired hero is Wolverine.

Well, Captain Mar-vell is dead..........................

Steve is not dead, just old.

And kind-of insane.

[Moriarty]

it is kinda weird. what i loved about DC was the JSA and all the different legacy characters. most of those are gone now. just look at the roster for All New All Different Avengers. Iron Man and Vision are the only non-legacy characters (one could argue Vision kinda sorta is).

[MyriVerse]

If by "weird" you mean sad, then yeah.

But I hate legacy characters with a passion.

[dzub]

For me, at least, I define a legacy character as any character that has been assumed by two or more people. Captain America is perhaps the obvious legacy character, being one since the 50s. Ms. Marvel is now a legacy character, Captain Marvel, Thor, and now Hulk are all legacy characters.

what about Ka-Zar, Jim Hammond & Namor who's been around forever but have'nt really had any successors?

[Vegeta]

Legacy characters were one of the reasons I never got into reading DC, if the current Flash dies there is 2 or 3 others waiting in the wings to take his spot on the Justice League, right? So why should I really care? He's an expendable hero, not a unique snowflake. Same with the hundreds of Green Lanterns out there. Hal Jordan doesn't seem have any greater fortitude of willpower or whatever that makes him "the only human possible to bear this great responsibility" given to him by the GL Corps and those big head blue guys.

[ijacksparrow]

Yes. Hopefully not for long.

[ijacksparrow]

Legacy characters were one of the reasons I never got into reading DC, if the current Flash dies there is 2 or 3 others waiting in the wings to take his spot on the Justice League, right? So why should I really care? He's an expendable hero, not a unique snowflake. Same with the hundreds of Green Lanterns out there. Hal Jordan doesn't seem have any greater fortitude of willpower or whatever that makes him "the only human possible to bear this great responsibility" given to him by the GL Corps and those big head blue guys.

Same reason as mine. After a brief stint with DC heroes in my childhood, the only DC hero that I really care is Batman. And John Byrne's Superman, not whatever is happening with Supes now.