The A To Zs Of I Love Comics

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[Thread format: should be bleedin obvious - first poster does A, next one does B, then C and so on until Z and back to A again. Celebrate, recommend, criticise, comment, etc etc.]

A is for Amanda Waller - who was left out of the ILC Characters Poll (ask your dad) how exactly?? I'm not sure anyone but John Ostrander could write her WELL, but the stereotype is easy to get and it's hard to think of any other post-Crisis non-powered type who's become so thoroughly irreplacable in DC. At her best when giving the hairdryer treatment to villains on one page and presidents on the next.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 10 October 2005 22:15 (twenty years ago)

B is for Big Numbers--the greatest unfinished comic book of all time, thanks to Bill Sienkiewicz giving up on the sheer amount of detail he was supposed to draw, followed by Al Columbia freaking out and destroying the artwork for #3 and 4, and the subsequent collapse of Tundra (and what happened to Mad Love, anyway?). The legendary giant psychotic sheet of paper that tracked what happened to all the characters is something I've always wanted to see. I actually bought a photocopy of the script to the never-published #3 from a CBLDF auction a couple of years ago, and a few pages' worth of art have appeared here and there...

― Douglas (Douglas), Monday, 10 October 2005 22:33 (twenty years ago)

C is for Cheeky, Leo Baxendale's anarchic 70s IPC comic: messy and uproarious, the Marxist creator of the Bash Street Kids broke the fourth and several other walls as his demented toddler hero rampaged across the page. Or that's the myth as I heard it - by the time I encountered him, Cheeky was well confined to the pages of his - entirely classic but less freewheeling - stablemate Whizzer and Chips. Does anyone know if Cheeky actually was all that?

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 10 October 2005 22:37 (twenty years ago)

D is for Deadenders. Slightly Sci-fi mod revival five years before The Originals, by Ed Brubaker when he was just an ex-indie writer, and Warren Pleece when he was still drawing people with chins for days. Smart, cute, cool, shot in the head by issue 16.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 10 October 2005 22:59 (twenty years ago)

E is for England, which seems to produce writers who enjoy Ideas that are weirder, more science-like, more self-aware and far-out dude, more gonzo, political and anarchic than the American funnies.

Alternately:

E is for "E is for Extinction", an arc of New X-Men.

― Leeeeeeeeee (Leee), Monday, 10 October 2005 23:28 (twenty years ago)

F is for Fanboygraphics, the snooty comix nerd's probable favorite publisher.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 01:58 (twenty years ago)

G is for Green Arrow's Finger, more righteous and accusatory than any boxing-glove mounted dart.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 02:02 (twenty years ago)

H is for Helm, a talking helmet, one of Rogue Trooper's 'biochip buddies', and surely the most useless character ever to appear as a 'hero' in a comic. What could he do? Nothing. Did he have useful advice to give? No. A desperate attempt to give him some spotlight time resulted in "Hats Off To Helm", two episodes in 2000AD that would make a dog laugh. However the comic wouldn't have been the same without him - the Bez of 2000AD.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 07:55 (twenty years ago)

I is for Indie Guilt, the corner of my living room piled high with copies of Optic Nerve, Hate, Eightball, Love & Rockets and a whole mess of other titles approved by Grouchy Groth and his followers.

― robster (robster), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 08:09 (twenty years ago)

J is for Johns (Geoff): How we love to mock his lame arc climaxes and continuity fanwankery ("tonight I shall poignantly link Red Bee's son -in-law to Power girl's bosom" etc). How we fear his increased stranglehold on the DCU.

― Mark C (Markco), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 08:45 (twenty years ago)

K is for Kamandi Boy of the future, though it was future that seemed to be full of dinosaurs and secret guns and wotnot. Goeff Johns is probably aching to find some way to link this to DC continuity in some way or other,though he may just get Grant Morrison to reinvent it for him. And of course Kamandi was just another great idea from the boxy head drawing pen of K is also for King Kirby

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 09:18 (twenty years ago)

M's going to be interesting...

xpost Pete stop being greedy.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 09:21 (twenty years ago)

Well the idea is to go back to the beginning after Z!

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 09:23 (twenty years ago)

L is for Lois Lane I Am Curious (Black). NUFF SAID, TRUE BELIEVERS!

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 09:26 (twenty years ago)

M is for Maggie, the comics character you can fancy without being a saddo (OK, not really).

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 09:29 (twenty years ago)

N is for Never Finished The status of many of the polls on I Love Comics.

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 09:34 (twenty years ago)

O is for -over, as in cross-over - the bane of any comic-fan's existence.

― bucky wunderlick (bucky), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 10:05 (twenty years ago)

Bane?? Bane?? We love them really.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 10:06 (twenty years ago)

P is for Po faced Absurdity An excellent description of the tone of many silver age DC Comics (see Black Lois Lane, Superman being a dick and making Lois and Jimmy suffer, etc etc)

― Mark C (Markco), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 10:08 (twenty years ago)

Oh right, I was thinking Morrison vs Moore vs Millar vs Milligan vs Miller. But Maggie wins :)

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 10:10 (twenty years ago)

O is for Ordway, Jerry We couldn't think of much he'd done of note the last time he came up here either.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 10:32 (twenty years ago)

Q is for Quislet one of those "weird" alien characters of the Legion Of Superheroes who never quite becomes a fan favorite and is sweeped aside in the next revamp (due to the unstable nature of the 31st century there's one every five years)

― Amadeo (Amadeo G.), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 12:11 (twenty years ago)

(sorry for the two Os, brainfart)

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 12:16 (twenty years ago)

R is for Rogue Trooper Probably the lamest of the big 2000AD strips.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 12:26 (twenty years ago)

S is for Sim, Dave. Ludicrously talented nutjob who wrote and drew a 6000 page story about a grumpy Aardvark and believes he is the only person in the history of the world who has discovered the true interpertation of the Torah. It's something to do with not liking women and gays, apparently.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 12:32 (twenty years ago)

T is for TINY FOOTPRINTS!!! Especially when found in a brain

― Mark C (Markco), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 12:50 (twenty years ago)

U is for Uatu The Watcher, the all-knowing cosmic busybody neighbor of the Marvel Universe. Sworn to an oath of non-interference (as are all Watchers - it's in their by-laws), Uatu finds many ways in which to sorta not adhere to that oath. But, hey, if it wasn't for him, Earth would be a tasty morsel stuck between THE TEETH OF GALACTUS, so keep on keeping on, you mondo-sized chromedome you.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 12:55 (twenty years ago)

V is for V for VendettaOne of Alan Moore's better works, featuring a song that was adapted later on by David J and will be turned into a movie by the Wachowski's, who I fear just Don't Get It.

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 12:58 (twenty years ago)

V is for Verily. Forsooth, all beings of great power in the Marvel universe doth speaketh thusly.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 12:59 (twenty years ago)

Sorry, two Vs, my fault.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 12:59 (twenty years ago)

W is for Watchmen One of Alan Moore's better better works, inspiring a song by Pop Will Eat Itself and will not be turned into a movie by the Paramount, who just didn't get it.

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:00 (twenty years ago)

There should be no hyphen in Wachowskis. I should not post before coffee.

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:02 (twenty years ago)

W is for Wolverine - still stunningly popular with 'the fans' despite his appearing in pretty much every Marvel comic ever. That enduring popularity is as interesting a topic for discussion as most of the things he's actually appeared in. "A man is no man if he hasn't got a beast inside", as the Inspiral Carpets once unmemorably sang, capturing the heart of the Wolvappeal, perhaps.

xpost blast

X is for X-Men, the most popular of whom is Wolverine then.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:02 (twenty years ago)

Y is for Yellow Kid , the first comic strip.

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:06 (twenty years ago)

Z is for ZCult which only some of us have managed to work out.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:15 (twenty years ago)

A is for googling Acid Archie, with ILC no. 1&2 results.

― Chuck_Tatum (Chuck_Tatum), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:35 (twenty years ago)

B is for Black Lightning He guest stars in everything, all the time!

― Mark C (Markco), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:38 (twenty years ago)

C is for Charlie's War Seminal British WWII strip which ran for at least four times the length of the actual World War II and may well be the finest war strip ever written.

(May well be = probably isn't).

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:41 (twenty years ago)

D is for Darkseid, he's like the Hitler of Space.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:43 (twenty years ago)

B is for Buddy Bradley, not-so-secret identification figure for snooty comix nerds.

For some reason he appears to be swedish or finnish or something here...

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:44 (twenty years ago)

man, totally crossposted.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:45 (twenty years ago)

E is for The Eternals, one of Kirby's gifts to Marvel during his 70s tenure at the House of Ideas; recently used by Chuck Austen as an excuse to MAKE MINE MARVELOUS SUPERCOMICSEX (with a kink); soon to be REBORN under the guiding influence of comic superstar-at-large Neil Gaiman, who will hopefully keep the Unimind's sword sheathed.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:49 (twenty years ago)

And, of course, F is for FING FANG FOOM!!!!!

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:52 (twenty years ago)

Furthermore, F is for Frank, not so secret identification figure for snooty comix nerds.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:53 (twenty years ago)

G is for Giant sized Man Thing snigger, etc

― Mark C (Markco), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:53 (twenty years ago)

H is for Henry Pym. Jesus, decide on a fucking gimmick already, why don'cha?

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:54 (twenty years ago)

I'm sorry. I got greedy with the Fs.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:55 (twenty years ago)

I'll live.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:56 (twenty years ago)

Sorry, I guess that should be

I is for I'll Live

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:58 (twenty years ago)

J is for Judge Dredd

http://www.internet.ad/ezquerra/Imatges/Judge_Dredd/FightingBack.jpg

Everyone's favourite fascist bullyboy.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:02 (twenty years ago)

K is for Killraven - Who does not kill ravens. The Weights & Measures man will be on his case soon:
Superheroes/Supervillain vs the Department Of Weights & Measures

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:06 (twenty years ago)

L is for LADIES like Lana Lang, Lois Lane, Lori Lemaris and, um, Lex Luthor.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:07 (twenty years ago)

(ERGO, the reason Lex and Supes fight is because they are in love but cannot, by the Authority of the Comics Code, express such love)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:08 (twenty years ago)

M is for Massimo Bellardinelli, who held down a lengthy comics career despite being absolutely, completely unable to draw either i) convincing movement or ii) people.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:11 (twenty years ago)

N is for Namor Officially the least pathetic aquatic fish boy superhero

― Mark C (Markco), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:13 (twenty years ago)

O is for omnipotence, a quality which such a startling number of Silver Age characters possess that it is rendered somewhat everyday. "Reed! He might be the most powerful menace we've ever faced!"
"Ho-hum. Give me ten minutes in the lab."

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:17 (twenty years ago)

P is for Psycho Pirate stupid clown looking supervillain whose Brane contains the secret of the Multiverse! Gasp! (note: not an actual pirate)

― Mark C (Markco), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:36 (twenty years ago)

Q is for Quarterly, a format DC toyed with in the early 90s, which allowed them to publish all kinds of rubbish JLA and Green Lantern stories.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:43 (twenty years ago)

R is for Rob Liefield Oh god, where to start? The way the characters randomly float in space? their weird mutant ankles and feet? Wizzened monkey faces and teeth that go "Grrr!!" Ludicrous spherical bosoms? Outfits that show every tiny detail of a characters anatomy apart from the groin. The fact that he was once mega hot!!! V depressing but fun to mock.

― Mark C (Markco), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:47 (twenty years ago)

S is for suspension of disbelief, of maturity, of logic, of anatomy (see R, above), all of which (and more!) are necessary to enjoy superhero comics.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:50 (twenty years ago)

T is for Tasmanian Devil also for Token National Hero, like what the Tasmanian Devil is. Always a bit embarassing, never last more than 10 issues in a team book (unless it's the X-Men), at some point the big two should just admit that only Americans seem to make good superheroes.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:52 (twenty years ago)

T is for Tintin. So seminal in Europe that Herge's creation is not even thought of as comics, though it clearly is. Tintin In Teh Congo notwithstanding, it is all rather good stuff. Captain Haddock and Professor Calculus are much better than Tintin himself though, and his ginger quiff.

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:53 (twenty years ago)

U is for Underground Comix, or comics without any FITES in. We're all far too infantile to give them much time round here.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:54 (twenty years ago)

His ginger quiff? I thought Tintin was a boy reporter...

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:55 (twenty years ago)

U is for Ultimate, Marvel's boring-ification of all their prime characters in the name of "simplification." They've forgotten that their audience thrives on convolution and self-contradiction. Makes one wistful for the days of 2099.

― adam (adam), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:57 (twenty years ago)

COMING FROM DC IN 2007...we've had the Pulitzer Prize winning Identity Crisis and Infinite Crisis, which directly led to Jim Lee's MacArthur Grant Award, so what can we come up with next? INTERNATIONAL CRISIS! Cobbled together from some unpublished Ramon Fradon Superfriends panels, with bridging artwork by Rob Liefeld and Bill Sienkiewicz, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS examines the cost of being a hero in a country nobody cares about.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:57 (twenty years ago)

There is not one Ultimate title that isn't better than its ordinary version, except for Daredevil probably.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)

V is for Varient Covers No-one on ILC ever falls for this cheap marketing stunt.

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 15:16 (twenty years ago)

regarding wolverine upthread, why *is* he so popular?

― dave k, Tuesday, 11 October 2005 15:18 (twenty years ago)

that deserves its own thread, maybe?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 15:22 (twenty years ago)

W is for Wasteland, the completely insane comic written by Del Close (the father of modern improv comedy and the guy who came up with the concept and name of "Meow Mix,' among other things) and John Ostrander--partly autobiographical, partly horror--and drawn by a rotating crew including David Lloyd and some people I can't remember, plus William Messner-Loebs, who drew the "Dead Detective" stories (about a P.I. who sits there in his office with a bullet hole in his head while hard-boiled detective stories unfold around him) that are some kind of peak of '80s insanity.

― Douglas (Douglas), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

X is for X A letter which Marvel will tack onto any random title to try and sell any old tat

― Mark C (Markco), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 15:31 (twenty years ago)

X is for XYZ Comics, because late 60s Crumb can't get too much love.

― William Paper Scissors (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 15:31 (twenty years ago)

Is that what Wasteland was about? I had wondered...

― Stone Monkey (Stone Monkey), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 15:32 (twenty years ago)

There is not one Ultimate title that isn't better than its ordinary version, except for Daredevil probably.

Nonsense. The Ultimates >>> regular Avengers but Ultimate Spiderman is some emo crap. Ultimate X-Men is about as good as any other X-book these days (Astonishing being the exception).

― adam (adam), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 15:48 (twenty years ago)

Y is for Youngblood, mega-selling and ridiculous. Written on autopilot, drawn by the easiest target in the business.

― adam (adam), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 15:50 (twenty years ago)

Z is for Zzzax, who was the last entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. I think he was a Hulk baddie.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 15:53 (twenty years ago)

Ultimate Spiderman is some emo crap.

Hello, welcome to the world of Spider-Man in toto, where with GREAT POWER comes LOTS OF DEAD BODIES. Would you like a hanky?

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 15:53 (twenty years ago)

B is for Vision Man, I feel sorry for the Vision, bought back to life by an evil robot, and then his wife goes nuts, and the She-Hulk rips him to pieces.

― jel -- (jel), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 15:57 (twenty years ago)

That's some liberal approach to the alphabet you've got there.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 15:58 (twenty years ago)

Wow, I blame QWERTY. Damn, this would never happen to Mr Fantastic :(

― jel -- (jel), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 16:05 (twenty years ago)

A is for ABSORBING MAN who I vividly remember demonstrating his power by absorbing some silken curtains. And then a bit of glass. This kind of thing was always his downfall as I remember - if he'd stuck to concrete, steel, adamantium etc he'd have been fine. (CF Secret Wars where Wolverine slices right through him and he totally fails to become adamantium despite his only shtick being "Har har if you attack me with a thing I become that thing and your attack fails.")

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 16:37 (twenty years ago)

B is for Basil Wolverton.

― William Paper Scissors (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 16:39 (twenty years ago)

C is for Carl Barks, the ducks ultimate artist.

http://home.planet.nl/~duckburg/Afbeeldingen/Barks71-76/018.jpg

― Amadeo (Amadeo G.), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 17:47 (twenty years ago)

D is for Diaspora, the secret island Wonder Woman comes from.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 17:49 (twenty years ago)

E is for Ed The Happy Clown, which no force on earth could get me to read again.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 17:55 (twenty years ago)

F is for Fourth World, a Kirbystravaganza which both Martin and I love unreasonably, and has been cited by more than one source as a stealth influence on Star Wars.

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 18:20 (twenty years ago)

(fourth world + (green lantern corps x fantastic four) = star wars)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 18:23 (twenty years ago)

G is for GALACTUS, motherfuckers.

ihttp://home.earthlink.net/~copaceticgallery/Galactus.jpeg

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 18:28 (twenty years ago)

Fantastic Four ÷ Death of a Saleman = Flash Gordon serials

― William Paper Scissors (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 18:30 (twenty years ago)

Where's that Big G page from, Joe? That's all kinds of awesome.

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 18:37 (twenty years ago)

Matt, my love for the Fourth World is entirely reasonable! Also, it's a completely fucking in your face obvious and unmistakeable 'influence' (i.e. copying source) for Star Wars.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 18:46 (twenty years ago)

Matt - don't know I'm afraid, I just found it on google images. It's great, isn't it?

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 18:58 (twenty years ago)

Although some very minimal research tells me it's Thor no. 167.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 18:59 (twenty years ago)

That is great. He looks like he just stole Godzilla's lunch money and gave the big lizardy fuck a swirlie just to really rub it in.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 19:19 (twenty years ago)

I believe my love of teh comics is coming back to me this week.

― William Paper Scissors (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 19:33 (twenty years ago)

Just in time for the Infinite Crisis to CRUSH that love! (or not)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 19:35 (twenty years ago)

H is for Howard the Duck.

Trapped in a world he never made, which of course gave him license to viciously smear it, and the hairless apes who inhabited and ruled it. Steve Gerber's place in the comics HoF is assured, at least for me.

― William Paper Scissors (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 20:02 (twenty years ago)

I is for Infinity, a much abused word, referring variously to Crises, Wars, Gauntlets, Crusades, and Geoff Johns' exclusivity contract.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 20:50 (twenty years ago)

J is for JPG FILE, many of which are regularly strung together and given out freely on the web, a tactic which is killing comics or at least forcing them to evolve into goodness/cheapness or die in a hail of free shit.

J is also for JUGGERNAUT. Nothing can stop him UNTIL SOMETHING INVARIABLY DOES.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 20:59 (twenty years ago)

J is also for JUGGERNAUT. Nothing can stop him UNTIL SOMETHING INVARIABLY DOES.

filesharing, perhaps?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 21:03 (twenty years ago)

I didn't mean inevitable cancellation as a result of yousendit. I meant Dazzler or someone.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 21:08 (twenty years ago)

K is for Kazuo Koike, my favourite Japanese comic writer, author of Lone Wolf & Cub, Samurai Executioner, Crying Freeman and the new thing I bought yesterday, Lady Snowblood or Lady Bloodsnow (it's in another room).

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 21:22 (twenty years ago)

L is for Lady - Death, Rawhide, and many other mid-90s heroines. In case the name didn't tip you off as to their gender, they also helpfully had tits the size of small moons.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 21:29 (twenty years ago)

M is for MAD, the classic 23 issue comic book run written and edited by the great Harvey Kurtzman, featuring such legends as "Superduperman!" "Starchie!" "Melvin of the Apes!" "Mickey Rodent!" etc etc etc.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 21:57 (twenty years ago)

N is for Nullifier, Ultimate which is far too much power to be allowed to fall into the hands of the human. Also, it makes Galactus fold like a two-dollar beach chair.

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 00:49 (twenty years ago)

O is for O.M.A.C.!(One Man Army Corps), at one point one of Jack Kirby's creations for DC, the ultimate soldier in a dystopian future. Nowadays, he's not one, but 1.3 million, they're not men (well, underneath they are), but some nanomachines implanted in their bloodstream by BATMAN!.
Thankfully they are an army, and some corps.

― Amadeo (Amadeo G.), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 02:28 (twenty years ago)

P is for Preacher massively big in the nineties, no-one really likes it now.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 09:03 (twenty years ago)

Q is for Question, The Doomed to a life of (surprisingly good) miniseries with no ongoing title in sight, following his failure to get the job as Rorshach in Watchmen. Is in the JLA animated series, for some inexplicable reason. Voiced by Jeffery Combs, even more inexplicably.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 09:52 (twenty years ago)

R is for Runaways Everyone seems to enjoy this comic but it only ever comes out in mini-series. Perhaps they should have a guest appearance from WOLVERINE instead of Cloak and Dagger etc! Anyway, it is about a teen team whose parents were all supervillains. It is funny and well written and has exciting plot twists a go go.

― Mark C (Markco), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 10:35 (twenty years ago)

S is for Spidey, the oft-used and rather endearingly silly nickname of Peter Parker's insectoid alter-ego.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 10:39 (twenty years ago)

T is for Trolls: Thor fought them a lot, so far the ILC Mods haven't had to emulate him. I can't really think what a troll would say, to be honest. "You're all sad nerds". YUP! "Geoff Johns is great!" LOL.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 10:45 (twenty years ago)

T is for TALBOT, BRIAN, precursor to the UK explosion of writing/art talent, who inspired immense numbers of people with his Luther Arkwright books, which brought Nic Roeg cinematic techniques to comics. Also did THE TALE OF ONE BAD RAT and the upcoming ALICE IN SUNDERLAND.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 10:46 (twenty years ago)

U is for Ultra Humanite old school JSA villain who sounds cool - sometimes he is a BRANE! sometimes the Brane is transplanted into a Gorilla! - but is not so cool in the execution

― Mark C (Markco), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 11:06 (twenty years ago)

U is also for UpcomingHow Alice In Sunderland has been referred to for several years now. See also any issues past #1 of any book Kevin Smith writes for Marvel.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 11:18 (twenty years ago)

V Is For Vagina of Van Dyne Playground of Ant-Man, Hank Pym.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 11:39 (twenty years ago)

W is for Wanda, my sister. You're legally not allowed to leave the 'my sister' part off.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 12:08 (twenty years ago)

Unless its being said by the Vision. Who says "Wanda, My Wife - Ow, who just ripped me in two for no good reason."

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 12:09 (twenty years ago)

X is for Xavier, Professor Charles, a jerk.

― Flyboy (Flyboy), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 12:18 (twenty years ago)

Y is for Youth aka little kiddies, the presumed and traditional market segment for whom superhero funnybooks are intended. A fact that causes some to wonder why Ant-Man is inside the Wasps cocksocket (presumably with Minor Threat on his i-pod and moshing against her g-spot) and when Wonder Woman started knocking people's heads in.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 12:44 (twenty years ago)

PS - I would like to apologize for the word "cocksocket."

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 12:45 (twenty years ago)

Don't do it on my account. I just learned a new word, and that makes today a good day.

― William Paper Scissors (Rock Hardy), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 12:49 (twenty years ago)

Z is for Zoids, an early draft of Grant Morrison's Invisibles except with robot dinosaurs (i.e. much better).

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 12:50 (twenty years ago)

Z is for Zatanna ralupop lacigam retcarahc htiw ydnah tolp ecived srewop dna ykcaw lleps gnitsac kcithcs

― Mark C (Markco), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 12:51 (twenty years ago)

We'll start regretting this Z greed in a few go-rounds.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 12:54 (twenty years ago)

A is for Arsenal Not the London football team but the current name of teen sidekick who TOOK DRUGS. Unsurprisingly because
a) His kid sidekick name was SPEEDY
b) He was on the wrong end of ONE TOO MANY GREEN ARROW FINGERS.

That said, his role as "drug taking" plot device as a child has been usurped by his role as "superhero what had a kid with a supervillain" He still has bare 0.3 of a dimension when it comes to character.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 12:57 (twenty years ago)

B is for Black Canary who held the sick bowl while Arsenal was going cold turkey. Cheesecake-y heroine who was promoted to 2nd most senior DC super lady after Crisis messed up Wonder Woman's continuity. All this despite the fact that she spent half her super-career gazing lovingly at Green Arrow, darning his boxing glove arrows and being called "Pretty Bird". Is now quite cool in Birds of Prey.

― Mark C (Markco), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 13:15 (twenty years ago)

C is for Charlie Brown. CHARLIE MOTHERFUCKING BROWN MOTHERFUCKERS! Zig-zag shirt posse represent! Very possibly the most beloved character in the medium, although we'll never find out if the poll results don't start moving.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 13:18 (twenty years ago)

D is for DOCTORS. Comic book PHDs include Doom, Fate, Strange, Druid, Destiny, Manhattan and many many more.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 13:21 (twenty years ago)

3 updates last night!! Blimey some people.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 13:23 (twenty years ago)

I still love you, Tom.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 13:33 (twenty years ago)

D is for Daredevil A blind lawyer - do you see (he doesn't) with hyper-senses but initially lousy fashion sense (Daredevil Yellow!). Played badly in a film by Ben Affleck, full of angst and often barely in or drawn in his own comics.

His girlfriends have tremendously bad luck and nearly always end up dead.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 13:56 (twenty years ago)

E is for Elektra Ex-Girlfriend of Daredevil. Died. See!

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 13:56 (twenty years ago)

F is for Foggy Nelson - special male friend of Daredevil! Still alive! (I think)

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 14:04 (twenty years ago)

(Ultra-Humanite--mentioned upthread has been wonderfully used on the Justice League cartoon--perhaps a thread where we try to figure out why certain characters work so much better on the cartoon than they have in comics...ever?)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 14:06 (twenty years ago)

G is for Gay, comics aren't afraid to reflect the diversity of the modern day world, so there are many gay comics characters such as Northstar and her from Gotham Pd and ... ummm.... ummm

― Mark C (Markco), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 14:09 (twenty years ago)

there was a great episode of the JL cartoon in which Ultra-Humanite used the money from a caper to fund some kind of opera on PBS. The last scene is of him watching it blissfully in prison while Luthor bangs on the walls of the next-door cell.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 14:12 (twenty years ago)

Bollox, I missed G again.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 14:12 (twenty years ago)

H is for Houses in particular the respective Houses of Mystery and Secrets, which were notable for rarely actually featuring andy houses in them at all, let alone secretive of mysterious ones.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 14:17 (twenty years ago)

Gotham Central has TWO gays (well, three if you count Renee's girlfriend!) (well, four, I guess, since Maggie's partner is at least alluded to)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 14:20 (twenty years ago)

I is for The Incredibles The Fantastic Four movie that the real Fantastic Four movie utterly failed to live up to. If only they'd cast Daniel Dumile as the villain, they might really have had something...

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 14:22 (twenty years ago)

J is for Justice League Team supposedly made up of DC's "big hitters" - like Aquaman ahem. Currently all acting like dicks and not talking to each other, should probably change name to Petulant League.

― Mark C (Markco), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

K is for Kids, who comic books aren't just for anymore. Wham! Pow! and so forth.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 15:27 (twenty years ago)

L is for Lord, Maxwell who is sometimes an robot, sometimes a telepathic pal with deep pockets, sometimes a guy in a too-small golf-shirt who wants Superman to call him "papa". Mostly, though, he's dead.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 15:30 (twenty years ago)

M is for "Mein Freund", a phrase that liberally studded Nightcrawler's dialogue during the Claremont years just to make entirely sure we knew he was German. See also "Tovarish".

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 15:33 (twenty years ago)

N is for Neep-Nose, a character even Geoff Johns has forgotten, though on ILC his flame burns bright (occasionally).

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 15:36 (twenty years ago)

O is for Obelix an enormously fat and strong french dude with a tiny dog and striped pants a la Everett True. Last seen sitting in the stands of a roman colosseum in "Top Ten."

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 15:40 (twenty years ago)

P is for PETER PORKER THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER HAM a terrifyingly bad running gag turned into a long-running comic series. Times were obviously healthier then.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 16:14 (twenty years ago)

(How do you do that bold thing? My posts look unsightly)

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 16:18 (twenty years ago)

use html

the bold tag is simply the letter b between two sharp brackets. to stop the boldness, use a /b between two sharp brackets.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 16:19 (twenty years ago)

Like this? Just testing it out.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 16:22 (twenty years ago)

Cool.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 16:22 (twenty years ago)

Q is for Quisp, a cereal-box creation who undoubtedly tangled with Twinkie the Kid at some point.

― bucky wunderlick (bucky), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 16:23 (twenty years ago)

R is for Rom Spaceknight. Nuff said.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 16:25 (twenty years ago)

S is for Scream, Robot, Scream! Your Life Will Be ONE LONG SCREAM -- Now You Are -- THE MESS!! ++THRILL POWER 10000% WARNING++

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 16:41 (twenty years ago)

T is for Team Books, which were the best thing about superhero comics in the 80s: X-Men, New Teen Titans, Legion of Superheroes, etc., were consistently the top sellers. Until DC got greedy and made New Teen Titans and LOSH Baxter-paper, "NEW FORMAT", Direct Sales only comics. This move signalled the end of comics as "mainstream" entertainment.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 16:48 (twenty years ago)

U is for Ut!

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 16:57 (twenty years ago)

V is for Vertigo, a DC "mature" imprint that features h0ot3rz, swears, guts, and ugly art. Its titles sometimes have the stink of literary repute.

― Leeeeeeeeee (Leee), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 17:15 (twenty years ago)

W is for Who's Who, the, um, "Definitive Directory to the DC Universe" or some such, which was really great, except that they ran it DURING the Crisis on Extravagant Earths, so that, y'know, sometimes a month after an entry would come out, it wouldn't be valid anymore.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 17:20 (twenty years ago)

X is for X-Statix/X-Force (Milligan/Allred era), the late, lamented series that was POMO but with heart, at the same time sometimes! Ginchy powers, poppy art, cynicism that was actually funny. Cancelled in order regale the triumphant return of the Liefeld.

― Leeeeeeeeee (Leee), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 17:48 (twenty years ago)

Y is for Your Newsagent with whome you should place a regular order using the special coupon provided in your favourite comic. Yes, chop your valuable comic up with scissors.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 17:53 (twenty years ago)

Z is for Zachary Z. Zzizz, last person in the Mega City One videophone book...

― DV (dirtyvicar), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 18:59 (twenty years ago)

Unlike Aaron A. Aardvark who was the first in the book, and thus the first up against the wall when Judge Cal decided to execute all the citizens, in alphabetical order.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 19:00 (twenty years ago)

Dammit DV, I was just adding Aaron A. Aardvark.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 19:01 (twenty years ago)

B is for 'bamf' , the X-men's second most famous sound effect.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 19:17 (twenty years ago)

WTF??? Where can I read about the Judges executing everyone in the phonebook? I AM EXPERIENCING SERIOUS UK ENVY THiS WEEk.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 19:20 (twenty years ago)

Mmm, I think it is called either "Judge Caligula" or "The Day The Law Died".

in fact, here it is: http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/1840237767.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Bagsies the next F!

― DV (dirtyvicar), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 19:28 (twenty years ago)

C is for CRISIS be it Infinite or Otherwise.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 20:16 (twenty years ago)

D is for DOOM!, mostly associated with the Dr. of same name, other times generic, menacing our heroes.

― Amadeo (Amadeo G.), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 22:38 (twenty years ago)

E is for Epic, Marvel's old imprint for sci-fi, fantasy, and otherwise non-superhero/out-of-continuity stuff. All I can remember now is Dreadstar and Alien Legion. Maybe Conan? Hell, I dunno.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 23:13 (twenty years ago)

Creator owned was the main gimmick, I just remembered. So, def. not Conan.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 23:15 (twenty years ago)

E is for Electro, not to be confused with Elektra. Wearer of the silliest costume in a rogue's gallery particulary well-blessed with silly costumes.

http://www.keystar-r-s.com/reviews/pics/comics/marvel/Electro.jpg

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 23:17 (twenty years ago)

F is for Forge. Whose super-power was that he could invent things. Super-McGyver, basically. Seems lame, but its actually kinda cool. In a lame way.

― David N (David N.), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 23:17 (twenty years ago)

Not as bad as Cypher. His superpower was that he could speak French.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 23:19 (twenty years ago)

G is For Godzilla Man, does anyone remember the late seventies, possibly early 80s Marvel version of Godzilla, with S.H.I.E.L.D. hunting him down (the guy in charge of ops had a creen Kirby suit, a derby, and a waxed moustache as I recall) and a mech named Red Ronin driven by a teenage japanese kid defending him?

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 23:23 (twenty years ago)

creen=green, btw.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 23:23 (twenty years ago)

H is for Hitler's Brane which is found in the skull of many villains. Also for Hate Monger who was Hitler in the flesh, only presumably his brane was elsewhere.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 23:26 (twenty years ago)

Here we go! Herb Trimpe-ariffic!

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 23:32 (twenty years ago)

i always thought forge was kinda cool!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 13 October 2005 03:15 (twenty years ago)

And I would kinda like to have Cypher's superpower, personally (it was actually a little better than just speaking French).

― Chris F. (servoret), Thursday, 13 October 2005 06:39 (twenty years ago)

I is for Izzy Maggie's droll goth cousin (?) in Love and Rockets. She had a Dramatic Backstory in Mexico and later came down with teh AIDS, but I liked her best in the more observational stories, when she would just hang around on the sidelines making dry comments and rolling her eyes at the Maggy/Hopey shenanigans.

― Mark C (Markco), Thursday, 13 October 2005 09:07 (twenty years ago)

J is for J. Jonah Jameson: one of Stan Lee's finest, funniest creations, attempts to humanise the old monster notwithstanding (Ditko obviously should get co-credit but JJJ seems to have more of Stan in him, somehow). His finest moment is surely the issue where he allows a spider-slayer robot WITH HIS FACE ON to rampage around the Bugle office.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 13 October 2005 09:27 (twenty years ago)

K is for Karate Kid The only LOSH Legionnaire to be played by Hilary Swank!

― Mark C (Markco), Thursday, 13 October 2005 09:31 (twenty years ago)

Humanising of JJJ probably began with all those 'relevant' stories where he took various firm, tough stands on racism before comedy switcheroo of the "I hate unreasing bigots Robbie, now let us crush Spiderman like the bug he is" variety. Cue Robbie rolling eyes.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Thursday, 13 October 2005 10:20 (twenty years ago)

L is for L.E.G.I.O.N. One of the bits of the DC universe/continuity that I have never, ever understood.

L is also for the League Of Assasins which isn't really a league at all, more a cup competition.

― Pete (Pete), Thursday, 13 October 2005 10:36 (twenty years ago)

M is for MODOK, special fetish for most of us comic readers. He should be made the main star of a big event. House of MODOK!

― iodine (iodine), Thursday, 13 October 2005 10:54 (twenty years ago)

"What do you run on, Rockette Morton?"
"I run on beans... I run on laser beans."

― William Paper Scissors (Rock Hardy), Thursday, 13 October 2005 11:25 (twenty years ago)

N is for Nimrod

http://img305.imageshack.us/img305/9250/nimcbrownwb0zn.jpg

― Flyboy (Flyboy), Thursday, 13 October 2005 12:11 (twenty years ago)

N is for Nimrod

http://img305.imageshack.us/img305/9250/nimcbrownwb0zn.jpg

― Flyboy (Flyboy), Thursday, 13 October 2005 12:17 (twenty years ago)

Gah!

― Flyboy (Flyboy), Thursday, 13 October 2005 12:17 (twenty years ago)

O is for Orlok who was some evil Sov Bloc Judge who infected the water supply of Mega City One with something that made loads of Block Wars start out.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Thursday, 13 October 2005 13:49 (twenty years ago)

P is for Please let me drown before the GIANT SCORPIANS get to me!

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Thursday, 13 October 2005 13:55 (twenty years ago)

O is for Overstreet. The best part of loving comics is grading them and selling them and getting rich from wise investing. Hahahahahaha! Sorry, couldn't keep a straight face there.

Christ, I've been held up by Poxy Fule a while.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Thursday, 13 October 2005 13:55 (twenty years ago)

Austin, you don't know how close that is to My Worldview, Age 15!

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:00 (twenty years ago)

Q is for Quite Good. Most mainstream comics achieve this level of mild satisfaction nowadays, making sustained criticism of them more difficult.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:04 (twenty years ago)

R is for Red Tornado. Is he
a) An Air Elemental
b) A robotic mentor for kids and father of one somehow
c) an old woman with a saucepan on her head?

― Pete (Pete), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:11 (twenty years ago)

S is for Sentinel Giant mutant hunting/killing robots who frequently bother the X-Men. I never understood why they were pink though.

― Mark C (Markco), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:17 (twenty years ago)

T is for Toilet Paper which is what comix were printed on back in the good old days. The brits call it "bogroll." But what it actually is is newsprint. It has a high acid content and goes yellow and brittle pretty quickly. A lot of why comix are so much more expensive now than in the ood old days is better paper.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:34 (twenty years ago)

U is for Universes of which you can perm between
DC
Marvel
Image
Wildstorm
Captain Carrot & The Zoo Crews
etc etc.

― Pete (Pete), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:37 (twenty years ago)

U is for Ubermensch, the Neitzschean ideal man which was a precursor of the superhero. Useful to know if you're planning on writing an undergraduate essay on comics, not so much if you're not.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:45 (twenty years ago)

There was actually a villian in Roy Thomas' post-Crisis WWII series Young All-Stars called Ubermensch! He was German!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:49 (twenty years ago)

V is for Vicki Vale, probably the most famous lady in Batman's life, and definitely the best known outside comics. Within comics, I don't know if she's even in continuity, as the current Batman only fancies mentalists or robotists.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:53 (twenty years ago)

(dude, Catwoman is more famous than Vicki Vale.)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:56 (twenty years ago)

but she's NO LADY!

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:56 (twenty years ago)

W is for What The?!, early 90s Marvel 'comedy' title. And for What If?, which was often funnier.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:57 (twenty years ago)

(ok you win)

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:57 (twenty years ago)

X is for Xanadu some kinda Olivia Newton John movie that was turned into a comic which you can see if you dig through ILC archives.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:02 (twenty years ago)

Y is for Y: He's the last man don't you know?

― Pete (Pete), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:04 (twenty years ago)

And with an extra Y chromosome! Do you see?

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:05 (twenty years ago)

Y is for Yetis, a blog entry I am meant to be writing and also a monster in Tintin In Tibet. As Harry Thompson says in his excellent book on Tintin, when we eventually discover the Yeti, chances are it will look exactly like Herge drew it. (Herge's Yeti is a gentle and timid soul, also known as the MIGOU.)

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:06 (twenty years ago)

Z is for Zod A Superman baddy from Krypton who was trapped in the Phantom Zone. woo spooky. Memorably played by Terence Stamp in Superman II

― Mark C (Markco), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:08 (twenty years ago)

Z is for Zod, whom you will kneel before.

XPOST!!!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:08 (twenty years ago)

Get out of my mind, Huk!

― Mark C (Markco), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:10 (twenty years ago)

A is for Aaaeeeeeii!!, the sweet song of a dying Nort.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:10 (twenty years ago)

B is for Badger, who, it just now occurs to me, was probably a Wolverine parody to start with.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:12 (twenty years ago)

C is for Changeling, formerly Beast Boy, then Beast Boy again. Because in the 80s, "Beast Boy" sounded too lame, but in the 00s, "Changeling" sounds lamer.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:14 (twenty years ago)

D is for Devil Dinosaur. Man! What more do you need to know? DEVIL DINOSAUR!

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:17 (twenty years ago)

"Is he a devil or is he a dinosaur?" is something I need to know. I can't tell you why.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:22 (twenty years ago)

Sexist Andrew! Everyone knows the real devil dinosaur was female!

(Okay, everyone who was reading 2000AD 25 years ago. DV to thread!)

― Ray (Ray), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:24 (twenty years ago)

Wait wait wait, so Y is alive because he has an extra Y chromosome? I don't read the book any longer, but saw that upthread and was curious.

Because if that's the case, there should be a lot more of them running around. Like most of the prison population, for one, which is statistically imbalanced towards XYYs.

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:43 (twenty years ago)

E is for Everyone who became superheroes at the climax of World War III, and Grant Morrison's run on JLA.

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:44 (twenty years ago)

I though Yorick was still kicking because of monkey poo.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 13 October 2005 16:03 (twenty years ago)

Sorry, I meant that he has just one y chromeosome. I apologise for any confusion.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Thursday, 13 October 2005 16:11 (twenty years ago)

F is for Finder, Carla Speed McNeil's awesomely imaginative SF comic whose cult plugs it at every opportunity.

― Douglas (Douglas), Thursday, 13 October 2005 16:18 (twenty years ago)

G is for Gamma Radiation, which turns you green but is completely non-carcinogenic.

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Thursday, 13 October 2005 16:20 (twenty years ago)

H is for Kevin Huigenza, beloved indie comic it-guy (if you talk to the right people). Check it out!

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 13 October 2005 17:03 (twenty years ago)

I is for Icons Of Heroism like what all the DC Heroes are which is why they lick each other's arses all day except when they HATE each other.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Thursday, 13 October 2005 21:49 (twenty years ago)

J is for Jessica Abel, crafter of Artbabe(fantastic) and La Perdida (not so much the fantastic) and other indie-type things.

― bucky wunderlick (bucky), Friday, 14 October 2005 00:35 (twenty years ago)

K is for Korvac who made the Avengers go all cosmic.

K is also for Kraven and Ka-Zar, neither of whom is Tarzan...

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Friday, 14 October 2005 03:15 (twenty years ago)

L is for Les Bandes Desinees, aka comics from France where comics are Proper Litterature and still mostly fun. Big 'sigh if only we could emulate their amazing culture' place for comic readers in the UK. I understand that for the US it's Japan.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Friday, 14 October 2005 06:14 (twenty years ago)

M is for Magneto, who was right.

http://www.queergranny.com/images/307magneto.jpg

At various times he has also been wrong, dead, dead wrong, and X***.

― Flyboy (Flyboy), Friday, 14 October 2005 07:54 (twenty years ago)

N is for Nads

― j blount (papa la bas), Friday, 14 October 2005 08:14 (twenty years ago)

You have murdered ILC.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 14 October 2005 08:41 (twenty years ago)

O is for OMG a statement made when observing the latest twist that will mean NOTHING IS EVER THE SAME!!

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Friday, 14 October 2005 08:45 (twenty years ago)

P is for Phoenix She's dead! She's alive! She's a clone! the clone is dead! The original is alive! etc

― Mark C (Markco), Friday, 14 October 2005 08:48 (twenty years ago)

Q is for Quips: Spider-Man makes these while he fights the bad guys. Other heroes do too occasionally. (Except Batman, who has surgically altered his mouth so that it can Never Smile). At some point it was revealed that Spider-Man does this because it relieves the incredible angst and stress of crimefighting. And there we all were thinking it was just because it was funny.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 14 October 2005 08:50 (twenty years ago)

R is for Rico Dredd who was Dredd's clone brother! They were the same person but Rico became evil and was sentenced to twenty years on an airless moon where they surgically altered him into a freak so he could breathe. He came back for vengeance, but he was too used to low gravity and the higher gravity of Earth made him slow on the draw! Even though he was ALWAYS BETTER THAN JOE!!

About five years ago he was cloned into the All New Rico Dredd, who's not turned evil yet although he has got a surgically altered face now after some bullet surgery.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Friday, 14 October 2005 08:57 (twenty years ago)

S is for Shadowcat One of many stupid superhero names that Kitty Pryde adopted for a while. God just pick one and stick to it! (see also Hank Pym and Carol Danvers)

― Mark C (Markco), Friday, 14 October 2005 09:10 (twenty years ago)

T is for Tank Girl, Jamie Hewlett's bad girl who sleeps with kangaroos, big in the nineties, forgotten now. Hewlett's now a part of Gorillaz.

― Amadeo (Amadeo G.), Friday, 14 October 2005 16:37 (twenty years ago)

U is for Uruguay, which was briefly the home base of the Martian Manhunter.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 14 October 2005 16:43 (twenty years ago)

He moved there because the rest of the JLA kept txting him "U R GAY!!!" and he misunderstood.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 14 October 2005 16:48 (twenty years ago)

True story.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 14 October 2005 16:54 (twenty years ago)

V is for Veronica , the Bettie Page of Archie Comics

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Friday, 14 October 2005 16:59 (twenty years ago)

Does that make Betty the Veronica Lake of Archie Comics?

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 14 October 2005 17:06 (twenty years ago)

W is for "Wulf! Nooooooo!!! I'm coming for you, Max Bubba!

― chap who would dare to kill all the threads (chap), Friday, 14 October 2005 17:09 (twenty years ago)

X is for Xero, the editorially-brutalised Priest cyber-hitman comic which many remember with great fondness, at least those bits that weren't castrated by editorial indifference and casual racism.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Friday, 14 October 2005 17:29 (twenty years ago)

Y is for Your Mother who threw all your comics away. Didn't she know that one day they'd be worth a billion dollars on eBay?

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Saturday, 15 October 2005 20:45 (twenty years ago)

Z is for Zuvembi — they looked like zombies, shambled like zombies, killed like zombies and probably smelled like zombies, but that slight name change was all the Comics Code Authority needed to give these cannon fodder license to exist. From Black Panther lore and Brother Voodoo's brief run in Strange Tales.

― William Paper Scissors (Rock Hardy), Saturday, 15 October 2005 22:07 (twenty years ago)

A is for ABC Comics, entirely Alan Moore-penned, back to pulpy basics imprint of Wildstorm of astsoundingly consistent high quality. Unfortuneately this ended abruptly when Moore decided to 'retire', ie got involved in another of the byzantine legal disputes that seem to follow him around like vultures.

― chap who would dare to violate the least amount of laws of physics (chap), Sunday, 16 October 2005 00:23 (twenty years ago)

entirely except for Rick Veitch, Steve Moore, Peter Hogan, Leah Moore and JH Williams. And probably more that I can't think of. Oh, there's the DiFillipo thing now. And it wasn't 'abrupt', he stayed on for years more than he originally planned to.

― kit brash (kit brash), Sunday, 16 October 2005 00:47 (twenty years ago)

That told me.

― chap who would dare to violate the least amount of laws of physics (chap), Sunday, 16 October 2005 00:51 (twenty years ago)

yeah, sorry for coming off overly snotty! but y'know, the whole idea initially was that he'd hand off the writing to other people by the end of the first year (and there were plenty of invitations made to other writers on Tom Strong, at least, in that time period) (it's just that everyone said no and it took three or four more years before Wildstorm started getting Michael Moorcock and Ed Brubaker and Joe Casey and so on to take over...)

― kit brash (kit brash), Sunday, 16 October 2005 05:09 (twenty years ago)

B is for BILLY THE FISH half man half fish goalkeeper of Fulchester United.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Sunday, 16 October 2005 12:34 (twenty years ago)

I didn't know that, Kit. I think I've just been making stuff up. Doesn't help that I was drunk when I posted that.

― chap who would dare to violate the least amount of laws of physics (chap), Sunday, 16 October 2005 14:07 (twenty years ago)

C is for Caspar the Friendly Ghost. I'm sure I've read some of his stories when I was a little kid, same as the Little Lulu and Richie Rich and so forth from Keystone. I just can't remember anything about any of it (well, except for Richie Rich.)

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Sunday, 16 October 2005 14:52 (twenty years ago)

C is for the Comics Code Authority, which is perhaps indirectly responsible for the superhero genre being the dominant force in comics after it banned all those nasty and corrupting EC horror comics in the 50s. Does it even exist any more?

― chap who would dare to violate the least amount of laws of physics (chap), Sunday, 16 October 2005 15:09 (twenty years ago)

D is for Doombots, a brilliant invention that enabled writers to consign any Dr Doom story they felt wasn't up to standard to the dustbin of continuity. Doom is more likely than not to be a robot any time he appears now.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Sunday, 16 October 2005 15:18 (twenty years ago)

E is for Elongated Man, who i hope hasn't yet appeared in this thread and i'm too lazy to check. originally he seemed to be a more serious plastic man analogue, then he became a detective, then he joined JLI and became a Giffen-ized joke... until he was used to nice effect in Starman. oh, and they killed his wife recently in some sort of cross-company hoo-ha.

― bucky wunderlick (bucky), Monday, 17 October 2005 01:28 (twenty years ago)

F is for Fairchild beloved and iconic character of the 90s, completely forgotten in the Y2K decade. Proof of this is the fact that this is only the third time she gets a mention on ILC, and it quite probably be the last one.

― iodine (iodine), Monday, 17 October 2005 01:56 (twenty years ago)

G is for Green Arrow 2 aka Connor Hawke Green Arrow's son who was brought up by shaolin monks (that's an original concept for a martial arts character Chuck Dixon, you steaming great hack) and is now kind of pointless now that the original Green Arrow is back. rumoured tot be gay by fans on account of (a) his haircut, (b) he never has girfrinds and (c) because he totally is!!!!

― Mark C (Markco), Monday, 17 October 2005 07:40 (twenty years ago)

Elongated Man was just about as silly when he and Sue were driving around solving mysteries on their holidays than when they joined JLI.

― kit brash (kit brash), Monday, 17 October 2005 08:39 (twenty years ago)

H is for Hero For Hire a comic which completely misunderstood the concept of heroism.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 17 October 2005 12:16 (twenty years ago)

Gosh, I don't think it did at all. Cage came from a tough background and would have liked to turn his new tough skin into cash, but it seems to me he generally did the right/heroic thing whether even when he knew he wasn't going to get paid for it. But I didn't read every issue, so I may have missed something.

― William Paper Scissors (Rock Hardy), Monday, 17 October 2005 12:28 (twenty years ago)

You missed the issue where Luke roughed up Misty Knight's granny after she only gave him $5 for Christmas.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 17 October 2005 12:33 (twenty years ago)

Luke Cage = Johnny Alpha, as least in the first Essential. I seem to remember that he gets teh agonies of conscience whenever he takes money and goes around giving all his hard-earned cash to the homeless, then listening to his white buddy say things like "Hey wow Luke you must have loads of readies after this caper!" and Cage sort of looks wistful as the camera pans across to some homeless dude crushed by a giant bag of money.

In fact, the only time I can remember Cage taking the cash with a smile is when he flew all the way to latveria and took it from Doom for some business involving robots, after which he totally lectured Doom for being a bad credit risk.

Still, a better title might have been LUKE CAGE, SUPER PRIVATE EYE.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Monday, 17 October 2005 16:27 (twenty years ago)

TOP DICK IN BED-STUY

― William Paper Scissors (Rock Hardy), Monday, 17 October 2005 16:42 (twenty years ago)

I is for I Was Wrong About Luke Cage.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 17 October 2005 16:43 (twenty years ago)

J is for Joker who likes to kill Robins and used to be the Batman sweeps-week equivalent. Hasn't actually done much of note lately, as far as I can tell. After what he did to Jason Todd (or DID HE?) and Barbara Gordon (BUT WILL SHE?), how much further could they push him?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 17 October 2005 16:53 (twenty years ago)

Lest we forget, we left him in the tender loving hands of OMG JASON TODD eating crow(bar).

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 17 October 2005 17:03 (twenty years ago)

He was actually last seen healthy and haranguing Black Mask in the War Crimes bonerfest.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 17 October 2005 17:10 (twenty years ago)

Oh, darn - I missed the bonerfest. Now I am out of the loop 4EVAH.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 17 October 2005 17:15 (twenty years ago)

I'm going to revive the Red Hood thread to further discuss this...

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 17 October 2005 17:19 (twenty years ago)

K is for Kree: I re-read the first appearance of the Kree (i.e. the Sentry, and then "FROM THE DEADLY LIPS OF RONAN") last night and it was brilliant, Stan Lee loved that "oh primitive backwater" trope and the Kree came across as genuinely powerful and mysterious, and then they ended up kind of boring, and what are they up to now anyway?

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 17 October 2005 17:30 (twenty years ago)

I want to say Busiek did some Kree-ing during his Avengers run (either in a related mini, or in the series proper), but I can't recall.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 17 October 2005 17:43 (twenty years ago)

L is for LUDATITS, a now legendary character by Maastro van Liefeld. Only a select few can claim to having seen the Ludatits, and therefore they are cool forever.

― Leeeeeeeeee (Leee), Monday, 17 October 2005 17:49 (twenty years ago)

You don't know how long I've been waiting to post that.

― Leeeeeeeeee (Leee), Monday, 17 October 2005 17:50 (twenty years ago)

M is for MONGROL, deranged ABC Warrior robot in love with Lara Byrne.

http://www.dreamnation.fsnet.co.uk/mong2.jpg

― DV (dirtyvicar), Monday, 17 October 2005 20:26 (twenty years ago)

I fucking LOVE the Black Hole Mission. Bisley's finest work by miles.

― chap who would dare to violate the least amount of laws of physics (chap), Monday, 17 October 2005 22:35 (twenty years ago)

N is for Northstar for he too is a homosexual!

― Mark C (Markco), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 14:10 (twenty years ago)

O is for Obelix who fell into a cauldron of magic potion when he was a baby and so can't have any more.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 16:37 (twenty years ago)

I think that's the first time we've doubled on a letter. Well, you got closer to the essence of the character than I did.

P is for Parademon. Who is dead. That's all I know.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 19:52 (twenty years ago)

Q is for Qurac a fictional despotic Middle Eastern country in the DCU Universe that caused a lot of problems in the 80s/90s. Not heard from so much lately.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 20:00 (twenty years ago)

NOOOOOO i mean O is for Overkill, The Computer That Attempted To Enslave Humanity before Terminator was the gleam in a writer's eye.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 22:16 (twenty years ago)

R is for Rupert the Bear whose naughty naked Nutwood nobbing in the Schoolkids issue of Oz got its perpetrators jailed

http://www.26pigs.com/pippin/rupert.JPG

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 22:27 (twenty years ago)

that's old-skool rupert not nobbing, with a mouse called ferdie i think

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 22:28 (twenty years ago)

S is for Sid's Snake about a boy called Sid who had a highly trained Snake which assumed various tubular shapes to produce hilarity week after week. Sid was also leader of the Whizz-Kids, appearing as he did in Whizzer And Chips, the only comic which was also a full-scale civil war, the Whizz-Kids and Chip-Ites conducting terrible vengeance against each other within its pages. To buy a copy WAS TO CHOOSE YOUR SIDE. Oddly the Chief Chip-Ite also began with an S but I'm sure his turn will come in the fullness of time.

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 22:34 (twenty years ago)

T is for Tiger Tim who flourished in the 40s and my mum liked when small :(

http://www.lambiek.net/artists/baker_julius_s/baker_js_tigertim.gif

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 22:37 (twenty years ago)

U is for Unus the Untouchable, the X-Men villain with the best code name ever.

http://www.marveldirectory.com/pics/picsu/unus.gif

― Chris F. (servoret), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 04:12 (twenty years ago)

V is for Virmin Vunderbar. No chance I'll improve on Leonard's explantion so go check it out.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 04:58 (twenty years ago)

his explanAtion is pretty good, too.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 04:59 (twenty years ago)

W is for, "Who cares? It's a girl!" A failed ILC meme. Also a summation of American comics culture, as conveyed by the lovely folks at Formally Known as the Justice League.

I can't tell you how long I've waited for W to come my way, too.

― Leeeeeeeeee (Leee), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 05:37 (twenty years ago)

X is for Xorn and Xorneto, which rhymes with http://www.unilever.com.pl/images/produkty/ALGIDA_CORNETTO2.jpg

― Chuck_Tatum (Chuck_Tatum), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 06:58 (twenty years ago)

Y is for Yagneto? Not sure I get this meme. So Y is also for Yellowjacket the slightly more confident (for which read wife beatery) of Hank Pym's alter egos.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 09:08 (twenty years ago)

http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/z/zorgblub.jpg

― Chuck_Tatum (Chuck_Tatum), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 09:16 (twenty years ago)

A is for... Abelard Snazz, the Man With The Double Decker Brain.

http://pc59te.dte.uma.es/cdb/series/2000ad/bitmaps/snazz.jpg

He was a genius, but kind of stupid with it.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Sunday, 30 October 2005 13:22 (twenty years ago)

B is for Basset, Fred Basset. Which for some reason, I thought was the height of humour (as opposed to humor) at age 7.

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/uc/20051029/ltmfba051030.gif

― bucky wunderlick (bucky), Sunday, 30 October 2005 14:47 (twenty years ago)

alex graham died in 1991!

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Sunday, 30 October 2005 16:02 (twenty years ago)

It's no wonder his strip is so lame, then - how many great strips have ever been produced by a dead person?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 30 October 2005 16:08 (twenty years ago)

I can't actually identify a joke in that strip.

― chap who would dare to spy on his best mate's ex (chap), Sunday, 30 October 2005 16:15 (twenty years ago)

Conceptual humor! I loves it!

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Sunday, 30 October 2005 17:42 (twenty years ago)

C is for Collector, The who made a handy plot device for getting superheroes to FITE against all logic - and also satirised the collector culture prevalent in comics! (I'm not sure how much satirising he actually did, mind. I've a feeling it ate into his making-heroes-fite time.)

― Vic Fluro (Vic Fluro), Sunday, 30 October 2005 18:13 (twenty years ago)

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