What the continuity nazis have wrought

[CaptainCanada]

Both of those spun out of Thomas and Englehart's decision in the early 70s to explain Lee's Cap stories in the late 40s and early 50s, which Lee himself had just ignored; with 50s Cap there was an actual interesting story behind it.

Thomas' explanation for the 40s Cap stories (that two other guys secretly assumed the mantle to avoid bad PR when the war was nearly ending) had an interesting effect on the mythos, as it created a kind of schism; it's usually written as Lee originally wrote in in Avengers #4, when everybody was clearly aware that Steve had vanished in 1944, and other times (generally when they're explicitly involved as a story element) the Thomas retcon is used.

Regarding continuity, a lot of this stuff wouldn't be included in a streamlined telling, but in the broad universe of the comics it adds purely more stories; I remember Dan Slott writing in one of his She-Hulk comics about how all this history is valuable.

[ClayinCA]

Bad Bishop wrote:

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Hawkman fans, you go first.

The sad thing about Hawkman was, Geoff Johns did such a great job of reconciling the mess that Hawkman continuity had become, and he did it by way of telling an interesting story in its own right. Now the Hawkman Special has come along and thoroughly muddied things up again. Mind you, I liked Katar Hol. But I gotta think there'd be better ways to bring him back...

Okay, Hawk-rant over.

[Nerys Myk]

A beaker full of death wrote:

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Just a way of talking. I was reading the article re the red skull and the absolute absurdity of it overwhelmed me. I couldn't even bear to dig into the part about Spiderman's parents. I'll happily live in ignorance on that count.

I've seen worse at DC and Marvel.
A second Cap and Skull never seemed absurd to me. (though adding two more Caps between Rogers and "Rogers" was a stretch) RoyThomas is a odd bird who wants everything to count at any cost, but will retcon at the drop of a hot.

[Gojirob]

I once heard a joke about Thomas which went to the effect : "Obscure Golden Age character The Golden Mean committed suicide today, after reportedly hearing Roy Thomas say 'Who the hell is The Golden Mean?' "

[Silvercrest]

Yeah, well, that's the definition of "obscure": If Roy Thomas doesn't remember you.

[Thespeckledkiwi]

I am still confused as hell as to what the hell Hal Jordan's history is...

[Nerys Myk]

He got a ring and became a Green Lantern

[Thespeckledkiwi]

Nerys Myk wrote:

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He got a ring and became a Green Lantern

Didn't he die or become Parallex, died, saw some ghost dude...came back...?

[Ben Sisko3]

TheBolianChef wrote:

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Didn't he die or become Parallex, died, saw some ghost dude...came back...?

It's not that complex. He became Parallax. He died valiantly. He became The Spectre. He's human and sane again. The end.

[A beaker full of death]

Ben Sisko3 wrote:

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It's not that complex. He became Parallax. He died valiantly. He became The Spectre. He's human and sane again. The end.

As it turned out, didn't Parallax basically possess him?

[Broccoli]

^ Yes.

[Thespeckledkiwi]

Ben Sisko3 wrote:

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It's not that complex. He became Parallax. He died valiantly. He became The Spectre. He's human and sane again. The end.

Aren't they re-doing his continuity though recently?

[CaptainCanada]

No; Johns is writing a new story about his origin, but it's the basic elements, just told in a modern style.

[Thespeckledkiwi]

CaptainCanada wrote:

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No; Johns is writing a new story about his origin, but it's the basic elements, just told in a modern style.

Ah okay...Are they changing Sur's story?

[Ben Sisko3]

A beaker full of death wrote:

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As it turned out, didn't Parallax basically possess him?

What? I have no idea what you're talking about. None whatsoever. Where would you ever get an idea like that? Surely, you must be pulling my leg.

Besides, everyone knows the only evil yellow monster in comics that's ever worked was the Devil Hulk. I miss that guy.