Originally Posted by
DigiCom
Sadly, that mindset is endemic in comics these days. The idea of building on what went before is almost anathema to modern writers. They'd much rather throw everything away so they can introduce their Cool Idea™, and damn the consequences.
On topic example: The Panther God.
Initially, there wasn't one, at least not as an active force. And that was fine.
Then someone (Gillis, I think) decided to introduce a spiritual component to the Panther powers, and we meet the Panther God. And that was fine because it didn't contradict what went before.
Priest decided the Panther God(dess) was Bast, of the Heliopolitan pantheon. Some minor hiccups over gender aside, it's fine, because it really didn't contradict earlier depictions, and added to the story.
And then we have Coates, wonderful genius that he is, deciding that not only is Bast NOT an Egyptian deity, but a member of the Orishas. But not the existing Orishas, but some sort of new Orishas that look like sci-fi aliens. And not actually a deity, but an ancient Wakandan empowered by fate in a battle against the Originators.
Did it fit what went before? No, not really.
Did it add anything of import to the character? No, not really.
Does it actually matter to the story? No, not really.
But it's Cool™. That's all that matters to him... making his stamp on the character, come Duat or akhet.