Ecocomics! (Or: where did they get those wonderful toys?)
If you thought comics weren’t dismal enough nowadays, just wait until they meet up with the Dismal Science. Lo, we shall combine comics and economics and there shall be Ecocomics:
In the Marvel Universe, Canada is responsible for creating some of the
most deadly super-soldiers in history. Wolverine, Sabretooth, Deadpool,
Kane, and Agent Zero were all deadly assassins who were empowered by
Canada’s Weapon X program. This secret division of the Canadian
government went to great expense to create nearly unstoppable weapons
(and in almost all cases, allow them to escape shortly thereafter).
This gives rise to a single question: WHY?What threat was Canada so afraid of that the government felt the need to constantly produce human death machines?
“Holy Crap, Quebec is getting uppity again, let’s coat another mutant in adamantium!”
Or:
It has occurred to me that building repairs must make up something like
90% of the economy in comic book universes. This must be true to combat
the rampant destruction in the comic book world. Nearly ever major
title from DC comics showcases this constant and overwhelming
destruction. Superman frequently levels Metropolis while “protecting”
its citizens. Riots happen in Gotham City roughly every five minutes. A
FRICKIN DARK GOD POSSESSED EVERY LIVING SOUL ON THE PLANET AND
DESTROYED TONS OF BUILDINGS WHILE BURNING EVERY BOOK EVER WRITTEN!
I can’t wait to see the psych workup on Richie Rich. (Hat tip: Amy Goldschlager.)
I particularly love the bit about construction. I myself wrote a Powerpuff Girls Choose Your Own Adventure book in which Blossom tries to raise money to rebuild Townsville. There's also a great post in there about how all the money in comics must be soaked in crazy fluid–which would explain all the mad millionaires.
Not to mention the thousands of people constantly worrying about their jobs while working for meglomaniacs like Osbourne, Luthor, and their ilk.
The construction unions are truly the most powerful forces in the DC and Marvel universes.
I didn't pick it up, but wasn't there a comic (DC, I think) a half dozen or so years ago about the clean-up crews after the big dustups?
Marvel has had 4 limited series for Damage Control over the last 20 years. They have interacted with a lot of the big players, including Reed Richards, Tony Stark, Nick Fury, Doctor Doom… MarvelHercules has worked for the firm on occasion. They are also in the Ulitmate Universe.Recently I was reading a trade collection of a DC title (read several this year, dunno which one) and I thought there was a conversation between 2 people, with a lady who was working as a boss for a company that would be the DC equivalent of Damage Control talking to Clark Kent. I could very well be wrong about that, however.
In fact, Damage Control turned out to be behind the destruction of the town in Pennsylvania that resulted in the Superhuman Registration Act and the ensuing "Civil War" storyline. (The CEO was concerned over declines in Damage Control stock, so he gave a mutant-power-enhancing hormone to Nitro; when Nitro exploded during the attempt by the New Warriors to arrest him, he destroyed an entire city.) I imagine that if this ever became public knowledge (I dropped out of comic reading for a while, due to economic factors), it would put the company in rather bad odor with the general populace…