"You were too young to remember" (Comics and sliding time)

[JoeZhang]

We've talked before about sliding timescales (yes they make no sense, let's take that as a given) and it occurred to me that are at the stage where some characters like the Teen Titans are now too young to remember events like 9/11, others like Peter Parker and Hal Jordan would have been in their early teens when it happened.

Now superhero origins get revamped and tweaked every few years (The Punisher is now a Gulf War 2 vet or near-enough), so to put a slightly different spin on - in the near future, when they are revamping characters yet again, what contemporary events do you think might make it into a character's origin?

For example, will Tony Stark be inventing drones for the conflict in Syria ?

 

[dahj]

On the DC side of things they can always just refer to "trouble in Qurac" and then whenever you read it you can apply it to whichever is the most recent real-life conflict in the Middle East.

The fact that you can do that is very depressing...

 

[Guy Gardener]

Frank might be Immortal.

In Born, during Nam, he cedes his souls to some godlike entity for war or death.

In Thunderbolts (2 years ago?) recently, they were dealing with some Angel/heaven/Hell Bullshit, and Frank is in the know and can sense stuff and... Whatever deal that he made with this god of War (Ares?) in the Jungles of Vietnam, had to have been made void after the Punisher died and went to Jesus-Heaven and became an Avenging Angel.

And even then, if Frank's still been an angel the whole time since Garth Ennis Took over, because I don't think it was ever explained how he wasn't an Angel any more, so that means that he has religious super powers that he chooses not to use, but it also means that he's as young or old as he wants to be and is probably not ageing.

Frank still went to Viet Nam.

Although, I remember at one point they untethered the Punisher from war, and said that was an off duty cop when his family was killed and that all his skills came from being in S.W.A.T.

 

[JoeZhang]

Frank might be Immortal.

Aren't they all?

MAX Punisher of course actually died and didn't come back...

Although, I remember at one point they untethered the Punisher from war, and said that was an off duty cop when his family was killed and that all his skills came from being in S.W.A.T.

Are you confusing that with the film?

 

[Guy Gardener]

There was a film?



I was thinking of Ultimate Punisher.

Not "our" Frank but pretty close.

http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Frank_Castle_(Earth-1610)

 

[M.A.C.O.]

Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, and Nick Fury are all too young to have have served in WWII. Wolverine, Steve Rogers and Bucky were there too, but Logan's healing factor and Steve and Bucky being frozen for decades makes their participation still possible.

Kitty Pryde is far too young to have seen ROTJedi in theaters.

Tony Stark was injured in Vietnam, but later changed to China and later changed to Afghanistan.

Exactly how old is Peter Parker? Decades have seemingly past in the MU, several children have been born (Franklin and Valeria Richards, Rachel + Nathan + Hope Summers) Peter has been married (later unmarried), and Aunt May seems to get younger as the years past. ¿¿¿Time loop???

The JSA members can still exist in WWII, but don't fold them into present day Earth 1; like DC did after COIE. They'd all be old as dirt now, and couldn't keep up with the JLA and TT.

 

[JoeZhang]

Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, and Nick Fury are all too young to have have served in WWII.

Reed and Ben were swapped out for newer wars, Fury has the infinite formula. However we know all that, sliding time makes no sense. Which is why the question was what contemporary events would best fit updates?

Kitty Pride isn't really tied to any specific event anyway so her origin doesn't need it any particular fix.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Kitty Pryde is far too young to have seen ROTJedi in theaters.
.

Well, it has been re-released several times...

 

[Guy Gardener]

Sliding time was explained in The Worst X-Man Ever.

There is a seemingly teenage girl in the X-Men with god like beyonder level reality manipulating super powers who keeps all the super heroes young and sane, never wondering why their memories don't make complete sense, who got blocked. The Worst X-Man Ever is the story of how she got unblocked.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-review/x-men-worst-x-man-ever-1-marvel-comics

 

[JoeZhang]

Sliding time was explained in The Worst X-Man Ever.

There is a seemingly teenage girl in the X-Men with god like beyonder level reality manipulating super powers who keeps all the super heroes young and sane, never wondering why their memories don't make complete sense, who got blocked. The Worst X-Man Ever is the story of how she got unblocked.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-review/x-men-worst-x-man-ever-1-marvel-comics

That was a great series.

 

[Guy Gardener]

The author, Max Bemis is some kinda celebrity in the music industry.

Speaking of stunting that worked out well.

CM Punk The WWE wrestler writing Drax, is doing a fairly bang up job.

 

[Sto-Vo-Kory]

We've talked before about sliding timescales (yes they make no sense, let's take that as a given) and it occurred to me that are at the stage where some characters like the Teen Titans are now too young to remember events like 9/11, others like Peter Parker and Hal Jordan would have been in their early teens when it happened.

Now superhero origins get revamped and tweaked every few years (The Punisher is now a Gulf War 2 vet or near-enough), so to put a slightly different spin on - in the near future, when they are revamping characters yet again, what contemporary events do you think might make it into a character's origin?

For example, will Tony Stark be inventing drones for the conflict in Syria ?

Great question, JoeZhang.

I can see Reed, Ben, Sue, and Johnny hijacking a corporate space shuttle, instead of a government rocket.

We've seen the Ultimate Spider-Man get bitten by a genetically-modified spider instead of a "radioactive" arachnid, so that should hold up for a few more years.

Magneto's ties to the Holocaust are really aging him. Not too long from now, they could retcon him as a child in Bosnia.

The melting glaciers in the Arctic could free Captain America from his icy tomb.

 

[kirk55555]

The melting glaciers in the Arctic could free Captain America from his icy tomb.

I don't think Cap's return really needs an update. His unfreezing in the comics wasn't connected to a specific time or historical event. It was Namor raging against surface dwellers that lead to Cap getting found and unfrozen, and that's kind of timeless.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Exactly how old is Peter Parker? Decades have seemingly past in the MU, several children have been born (Franklin and Valeria Richards, Rachel + Nathan + Hope Summers) Peter has been married (later unmarried), and Aunt May seems to get younger as the years past. ¿¿¿Time loop???

Every character slides differently.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Magneto was regressed to a 4 year old in the 1970s, and then brought back to his prime to kick ass.

Most of the X-Men were consumed by Brood assimilation circa X-Men #160, then their space whale made clone meat replacement bodies to house their moved consciousnesses... 15 years later, the Siege Perilous "changed" invigorated all of the X-Men who walked through it surely?

Sliding time is interesting with the original X-Men, who time travelled to the present and have been stuck here for nearly 4 years our time, since the writers aren't quite sure how to display these kids' future shock schism as being from the 1960s or 2000s.

This.

What If Vol. 1 #44.

4 stories dealing with the ramifications of cap being woken up in four different decades.

 

[Sto-Vo-Kory]

I don't think Cap's return really needs an update. His unfreezing in the comics wasn't connected to a specific time or historical event. It was Namor raging against surface dwellers that lead to Cap getting found and unfrozen, and that's kind of timeless.

True, but his frozen body is connected to a location that is slowly vanishing, namely the glaciers that are presently receding in the Arctic.

 

[kirk55555]

True, but his frozen body is connected to a location that is slowly vanishing, namely the glaciers that are presently receding in the Arctic.

Yeah, but its not like they're going to disappear enough, and receding ice is a lot lamer way of Cap getting found then Namor. Probably more likely, but not really better and definitely not more interesting.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Now superhero origins get revamped and tweaked every few years (The Punisher is now a Gulf War 2 vet or near-enough), so to put a slightly different spin on - in the near future, when they are revamping characters yet again, what contemporary events do you think might make it into a character's origin?

Most heroes aren't tied to specific events. Those tied to war can always be tied to what ever the current/recent war was.

Logan and Captain America have outs tied into their back stories.

Iron Man, the Punisher, Xavier, Reed and Ben's backstories can be moved to the Middle East.
Being older, Xavier, Reed and Ben would probably be vets of the Gulf War. In the original continuity they were WWI vets and their origins took place in the early 60s, some 15 years after their service.

Stark's origin should take place early in the Iraq War. Though no doubt Stark Industries would have been supplying weapons since the start. Castle probably served around the same time.

Making Reed and co involved with civilian space flight sounds like a good fit. Not sure if it should be Reed's own company or someone he works for. Not seeing Reed as Richard Branson type. I can see him butting heads with suits trying to hold him back though.

Hulk's tied to atomic testing, something that hasn't been done in the West for a while. So I'm not sure where Banner would get his dose of Gamma radiation. Maybe a switch in disciplines to Nuclear Medicine.

On the DC side I would cut the JSA loose from the 40s and WWII. Make them the previous generation of heroes, currently in their 40s and 50s, who retired but became semi active when the new generation arose. Or place them on an Earth 2 that is currently in the 40s and keep them in their prime. ( which means losing Power Girl)

 

[Guy Gardener]

Reed and Sue are missing.

(Some of you read new books, some of you gave up years ago. Sorry.)

Secret Wars happened between when every one in the world blinked at the same time.

No Reed and Sue when everyone opened their eyes.

John was an Avenger until he quit because of Deadpool being a super villain holding Avengers status, and now he's a secret consort to Medusa, Queen of the Inhumans.

Boom chikky wow-wow!

Ben is in space with the Guardians of the Galaxy, who's like up now includes Starlord's WIFE Kitty Pryde, and Agent Venom.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Reed and Sue are missing.

(Some of you read new books, some of you gave up years ago. Sorry.)

Secret Wars happened between when every one in the world blinked at the same time.

No Reed and Sue when everyone opened their eyes.

John was an Avenger until he quit because of Deadpool being a super villain holding Avengers status, and now he's a secret consort to Medusa, Queen of the Inhumans.

Boom chikky wow-wow!

Ben is in space with the Guardians of the Galaxy, who's like up now includes Starlord's WIFE Kitty Pryde, and Agent Venom.

I don't think this thread is about the current state of the FF.