favorite superhero

[thoth II]

I can't believe it but our fall orientation meeting devoted 30 min. with 50-70 year old faculty debating who was their favorite superhero. They probably got the idea from a forum. At first I didn't play along, because of course that is for 10 year olds, but really, it was interesting.

I remembered Batman, play by Adam West and Burt Ward, robin, in 1966 on my first color TV. I remember all the comic fun, with cartoon captions and noises. Remember childish robin and his "Gosh, Batman?" Young people probably don't remember that.

That would probably be my favorite one.

Who do BAUT people think is the best superhero?

[darkhunter]

Spawn, although I couldn't get any of the comics past issue 27 because of being overseas....

He didn't know who or what he was to start with, had limits to his powers, and didn't knew the full extent of his powers or the limit (at least to start with, at least to number 27).

[Trebuchet]

MacGyver.

[HenrikOlsen]

Doug Ramsey

[Paul Beardsley]

PacMan

[marsbug]

Daredevil. Honourable mention to Phillip J. Fry.

[pzkpfw]

I've always liked the super heroes who don't have super hero powers; the ones who take part, help the team, brave the danger, even though they don't have the same "advantages".

e.g.
Buffy... Xander.
Avatar (the real one)... Saka
Heroes... Ando (before he got powers of his own)

They give us mere mortals something to aspire to.

For this reason, among the "conventional" list of superheroes I "like" Batman. He's got some cool gadgets and learned how to fight, but he doesn't have actual super powers.

Gosh I found the last Superman movie boring. Get away from Kryptonite, use immense strength to throw evil base into space. Yawn. Same plan next time? If I could spell "nuances" I'd suggest maybe there were some I missed.

Among super heroes then, they are way more interesting if they are flawed in some way (as noted by darkhunter) or limited in some way (in a way more interesting than kryptonite weakness. May as well give Superman an allergy to Peanuts.).

Watching the first X-Men movie, I got the sense that for all his regeneration, it hurt Wolverine to extend his adamantine claws - he didn't enjoy doing that. For me, it added a dimension to the character - it wasn't just about sending out the claws and ripping into stuff.

On the other hand, I get bored with endless navel gazing. There was one of the Spawn series on T.V. that got really tiresome after a while. I hated the Thomas Covenant books for the same reason.

/disjointed ramble over

[LotusExcelle]

I'd go with either The Maxx or....
Dream.

[kleindoofy]

... Young people probably don't remember that. ...

A radio station in Boston ran re-runs of the old "Shadow" broadcasts years ago.

Fascinating stuff.

[marsbug]

I've always liked the super heroes who don't have super hero powers; the ones who take part, help the team, brave the danger, even though they don't have the same "advantages".

e.g.
Buffy... Xander.
Avatar (the real one)... Saka
Heroes... Ando (before he got powers of his own)

They give us mere mortals something to aspire to.

For this reason, among the "conventional" list of superheroes I "like" Batman. He's got some cool gadgets and learned how to fight, but he doesn't have actual super powers.

Gosh I found the last Superman movie boring. Get away from Kryptonite, use immense strength to throw evil base into space. Yawn. Same plan next time? If I could spell "nuances" I'd suggest maybe there were some I missed.

Among super heroes then, they are way more interesting if they are flawed in some way (as noted by darkhunter) or limited in some way (in a way more interesting than kryptonite weakness. May as well give Superman an allergy to Peanuts.).

Watching the first X-Men movie, I got the sense that for all his regeneration, it hurt Wolverine to extend his adamantine claws - he didn't enjoy doing that. For me, it added a dimension to the character - it wasn't just about sending out the claws and ripping into stuff.

On the other hand, I get bored with endless navel gazing. There was one of the Spawn series on T.V. that got really tiresome after a while. I hated the Thomas Covenant books for the same reason.

/disjointed ramble over

I think that line of thought can be taken a step further: Superheroes whos abilities are only super under certain circumstances, and in day to day life are almost a disabilty. Cyclops from x-men, or Fry, whose brain lacks a vital brainwave making him immune to the vil floating brainspawn. The dowside is that day to day his brain barely functions!

I think a lot of superheroes find their powers out of something potentially debiliating: Eg Iron man, whose powers came about as the indirect result of a potentially lethal illness. Maybe that says something about a certain kind of superhero writing?

And if you dislike the Thomas Covenant books you'll really hate Frank Herberts Dune

[pzkpfw]

(

And if you dislike the Thomas Covenant books you'll really hate Frank Herberts Dune

Only read first Dune book (managed 6 of T.C.). Very dissapointed. A lot of the interesting (to me) setup was thrown away. And I hate prophecy as a plot device. "The writings say a hero will emerge". Then a hero emerges. etc. Yawn.
)

[thoth II]

thanks all,

BAUT members, keep these coming, even if only just the name of superhero, I am having fun reading this list. Kleindoofy, did you ever see the Batman series with Adam West, I am assuming you are young? Anyway, that one should be checked out, it is so fun.

[kleindoofy]

... Kleindoofy, did you ever see the Batman series with Adam West, I am assuming you are young? ...

Define "young."

I saw the Batman series with Adam West on its first run on TV. I also saw the movie. At the time I was too young to recognize the irony.

[KaiYeves]

Kitty Pryde of the X-Men!

[novaderrik]

I'd go with either The Maxx or....
Dream.

The Maxx.. i have that series on VHS and really should watch it again sometime. that was a freaky show..

but my favorite modern superhero is Brock Samson. he has no real super powers beyond being just plain bad to the bone.

[Van Rijn]

For this reason, among the "conventional" list of superheroes I "like" Batman. He's got some cool gadgets and learned how to fight, but he doesn't have actual super powers.

It's interesting how he's been portrayed, especially in some of the team shows. In some cases, he's shown as almost useless, and given weak adversaries just so he has something to do while the others go off to save the world. Then there are other times where they make it a point that his greatest strength is his ability to think through a problem, and he's the one to save the world, while the strong types are backup or useless.

I do like the ones where using your brain is the most important "superpower."

[PatRKelley]

The Maxx.. i have that series on VHS and really should watch it again sometime. that was a freaky show..

but my favorite modern superhero is Brock Samson. he has no real super powers beyond being just plain bad to the bone.

Should have figured, with Henry Killinger as your icon ; )

Me? Sewer Urchin from the Tick: animated series. Aboveground, a slow, poorly-adjusted semi-autistic individual: in the sewers, a god!

That's more the fascination for me: circumstantial heroes, meaning just about anyone has the capacity given the right set of circumstances, but unique to them.

[Donnie B.]

I saw the Batman series with Adam West on its first run on TV. I also saw the movie. At the time I was too young to recognize the irony.

Ditto. Frankly, any grown-up who thinks the TV Batman is a serious superhero portrayal has completely missed the point.

Among "no super powers" superheroes, I'd nominate Kato from the Green Hornet TV series. The first exposure of most Americans to martial arts, brought to life by a truly outstanding martial artist. He made the title character look a bit silly by comparison.

I'm not sure if he really qualifies as a superhero, but I'd like to mention Howard the Duck. Awful, awful movie. Great, great comics. Howard was the Dr. House of alien visitors.

[thoth II]

kleindoofy, if you actually saw Batman with Adam west, I am glad you saw that. I myself would define young as under 50 or so . I doubt too many people under 50 remember the adam west series. I've actually heard elderly referring to 60-62 year olds as "young", but I myself always thought that was stretching the definition .

Do you remember, all those villains who were great actors, like Frank Gershwyn , the Penguin guy, I forget his name, catwoman eartha kitt, joker cesar romero, etc. ?? And those great cartoon captions ??

[tnjrp]

Batman for me, tho not because of Adam West and Burt Ward even if I did avidly watch them as a kid

Honourable mentions go to the entire team in Mystery Men (the movie).

I too tend to like "masked adventurers/crime fighters/vigilantes", that is heroes who have no inherent superpowers. Being very angry or shoveling better than anybody don't really count

[NickW]

Bond. James Bond.

[DonM435]

...

Do you remember, all those villains who were great actors, like Frank Gershwyn

...

I thought that Gershwyn was a composer. Shows how much I know!

[kleindoofy]

kleindoofy, if you actually saw Batman with Adam west, I am glad you saw that. ...

If?

I told you above that I did.

I'm happy you're glad. You're so easy to please.

... I myself would define young as under 50 or so. ...

Then I am "or so."

... Do you remember, all those villains who were great actors ... And those great cartoon captions ??

Errr, uhhmm, y-y-yes. Very vividly.

I wasn't aware than those were things one could possibly ever forget.

I you are mistaking my actual identity with that of the lovely young classical violinist in my avatar, please note that on the internet things are not always as they may appear. Or are you a pyramid?

[Trebuchet]

kleindoofy, if you actually saw Batman with Adam west, I am glad you saw that. I myself would define young as under 50 or so . I doubt too many people under 50 remember the adam west series. I've actually heard elderly referring to 60-62 year olds as "young", but I myself always thought that was stretching the definition .

Do you remember, all those villains who were great actors, like Frank Gershwyn ,

Gorshin!

the Penguin guy, I forget his name,

Burgess Meredith

catwoman eartha kitt, joker cesar romero, etc. ?? And those great cartoon captions ??

Eartha Kitt actually got canned from the show after speaking out about Vietnam at the White House. LBJ was not pleased.

How about Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy? Played by Adam West and Burt Ward, no less.

Adam West also portrays himself on Family Guy, as Mayor West.

[kleindoofy]

Thank you, citizen.

[Canis Lupus]

Captain Scarlet and Kimba.

[novaderrik]

after seeing last night's episode of the Venture Brothers, i'd like to change my favorite superhero to #21... yeah, he talks to his dead friend, but he has changed from a plumpy idiot that was lucky to never get killed to a true bad to the bone henchman that is a leader in his own right. Brock just doesn't really get to do anything any more since he quit the O.S.I. and joined S.P.H.I.N.X..

[thoth II]

kleindoofy:

"I you are mistaking my actual identity with that of the lovely young classical violinist in my avatar, please note that on the internet things are not always as they may appear. Or are you a pyramid?"

get it. Memory varies a lot by individual, you have a good memory. I am actually a prof. but I just like the concepts of simpler society's (at least technologically simpler) such as in Egypt where all the technology went into , not practical things, but just an abstract concept of the afterlife. I am getting more and more philosophical because I am finding that the simplest things, like nature herself, like the sun, are the most satisfying, and less interested in all the technology.

[HenrikOlsen]

get it. I am actually a prof. but I just like the concepts of simpler society's (at least technologically simpler) such as in Egypt where all the technology went into , not practical things, but just an abstract concept of the afterlife.

On the other hand, their mathematics went into the most mundane, surveying to redraw the boundaries of farms after inundation season and predicting seasons from astronomical observations so the harvest would work, so it was definitely a culture where they knew that not everything was about the afterlife.

[thoth II]

Henrik,

you are so correct. But I think, don't you, that the ratio of practical technology/ abstract philosophies, has grown a lot at least in the "western countries" or more properly the decendents of Greco-Roman/"barbarian" societies over time. There, of course, are certain "aboriginal " populations who are still very traditional in their cultures.