MARTHA THOMASES: The Age Of Origins
Superhero comics have been re-booted and re-vamped and up-dated and back-dated for so long that we hardly notice anymore. However, there are some story elements that are fixed in the past, and maybe not in a good way.
For example …
• When Superman was first created, it was entirely believable that the rocket ship that brought him to Earth from Krypton could land in Kansas without anyone seeing it. Even through the 1970s or so, when the rocket should have landed in the 1950s, one could accept that premise. Now, however, the rocket would have crashed in the 1990s, when all sorts of satellites would have been tracking it. Even if it wasn’t identifiably a rocket, but assumed to be a meteor, scientists would have warned about the effects of impact. Cable news networks would have been all over it for the disaster porn.
• Did Peter Parker need a permission slip from Aunt May and Uncle Ben before going on a school trip to a facility with radioactive specimens? Did anyone consider a lawsuit?
• Barbara Gordon has been a librarian and a United States Congressional representative. Additionally, she was disabled by an attack from a criminal who was negligently allowed to escape from prison. She must have a great government pension plan. When she regains her ability to walk (apparently) in the upcoming series, are there Tea Party zealots demonstrating against her?
• Is Tony Stark the Koch Brothers of the Marvel Universe? And if not, why not?
• Both the DC Universe and the Marvel Universe contain countries ruled by people with super-powers. Are diplomatic postings to these countries considered to be good jobs or bad jobs? What are the Senate approval hearings like for those?
• Similarly, when the United Nations has that week when all the world leaders attend sessions, do these super-hero leaders provide their own security?
• Are there web sites like gofugyourself for superhero costumes? And, if so, do they similarly suggest that super-heroines consider pants somewhat more frequently? Or are they more like this?
• Are there reality competition shows for super-heroes, like, say, “X-Factor?”
• Does J. Jonah Jameson know Bill O’Reilly? Because I would totally like to see that.
Dominoed Daredoll Martha Thomases doesn’t really want to think about the current political climate transposed to places where people punch out walls.
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Regarding the curious political comparisons:
What is meant by the remark about tea party “zealots” protesting Gordon’s pension I can’t even guess.
Is the intended suggestion that the brilliant businessman Stark would use his honestly-gained wealth and influence to openly oppose crony capitalism and runaway government waste that destroys the economy and undermines businesses large and small? That would be a worthy Iron Man.
How about Lex Luthor owning much of the media, which don’t report on his funding dozens of organizations engaged in disinformation and vote fraud, destroying major banks for his own vast gain, controlling markets to manipulate national elections, working toward his own evil form of world-conquest? That would be a real super-villain!
Great column, Martha!!!!