Busted Out Of Mothballs: Yesterdays Heroes, Today

TBH,i don't think so.

 

Just talking longevity here. Nancy Drew dates back to 1930, which means she's been around way longer than James Bond, Indiana Jones, the Ghostbusters, Rocky, Rambo, Star Trek, Star Wars, X-Files, Jurassic Park, etc. Heck, she's older than Batman or Superman, both of whom debuted a mere eighty years ago.

Zorro, on the other hand, debuted in 1919, so he predates Nancy by more than a decade.

It's actually Zorro's centennial this year.

 

The Scarlet Pimpernel has him beat by a few years. He was the original masked hero, I believe.

 

The Scarlet Pimpernel introduced many of the standard superhero tropes, but he wasn't actually a masked hero. He was a master of disguise, but he didn't have a trademark costume or mask.

But, yes, the Pimpernel is very much part of the chain of evolution that led to modern superheroes. Zorro is pretty shamelessly the Pimpernel in Old California, although Zorro added the mask, the secret headquarters, etc. The other difference is that the Pimpernel defended the aristocrats from the howling mob, while Zorro was a champion of the poor, oppressed peasants. (One wonders if the Pimpernel has faded into obscurity, at least as far as Hollywood is concerned, because he was basically a defender of the 1%.)

In particular, the Pimpernel seems to have introduced the whole Clark-Lois-Superman triangle bit, which comics have milked ever since:

"Oh, Percy, if only you could be as brave and dashing as the Scarlet Pimpernel!"

If only she knew . . .

 

Tarzan first appeared in in print in 1912.

Holmes first appeared in print in 1887.

Meanwhile, the Scarlet Pimpernel first appeared as a stageplay in 1903, before being novelized in 1905 by the same author, who converted her play into a novel.

 

True enough.

I always figured it was the name.

 

Speaking of 1930, when the hell are we gonna get a new Shadow movie/TV show/etc? Sheesh.

He did have one ("Come with me if you wanna live"), but everyone else has already run it into the ground for him.

 

I've thought about this in relation to reboots/continuations of shows like Quantum Leap. I think that one would be cool to see a modern show that is a continuation of the series with a new cast but allow for links to the older show, like how the Arrowverse The Flash references the 90s The Flash. So the new character could interact with Sam's character at some point and though he's older and been at it for a lot longer he's still the same guy. I would have it that he's been able to stabilise every so often and able to spend time with his wife but some side effect always eventually draws him back into leaping. I think this would be a good way to give him a bittersweet storyline rather than never seeing home or his wife again. He absolutely would get a happy ending during the show though,
One show I thought would be a good reboot done as an anthology is The Phantom, episodes set in different times during the many centuries he's been around, but I just realised they could bring back Billy Zane as a modern Phantom's great-grandfather, being the whole dead guy hallucination similar to what happened with Billy Zane's dad in the 1996 film.
And I'm pretty stoked to see Sarah Connor back in Dark Fate, though maybe it's just because Linda Hamilton looks awesome. I'd love to see her as some new character in some new IP, like sheriff or military officer or something, but with the same look.

 

This is where I brag about writing a Pimpernel/Phantom crossover a few years back. That was fun.

The Phantom also fits into the fossil record here, since he debuted in 1936, predating Superman and Batman by a few years.

 

Apropos of nothing we have a guy at work we call “ghost who walks”.

 

^^ That's how I feel most days-- especially the Tuesday after a four-day weekend.

A few years ago there was a Shadow-Meets-Doc Savage movie in development. That could have been nice[/QUOTE]

That does sound fun. Is it available still?

 

Thanks for asking. It was collected in an omnibus volume a few years ago, although Amazon lists it as currently out of stock.

https://www.amazon.com/Phantom-Gene...tom+Generations&qid=1571153983&s=books&sr=1-1

You might also be able to find the original comic-book issue: THE PHANTOM: GENERATIONS, issue #12.

 

The Doc Savage Dwayne Johnson movie seems to have stalled due to rights issues. Maybe it will see the light of day one day. He was attached to the live action Jonny Quest move years ago and that stalled out too. I was really looking forward to that one.

 

As popular as the idea of Dwayne Johnson as Doc Savage is, I think it's a terrible idea. I'm all for diversity and color-blind casting when it makes sense, but it doesn't make sense with Doc Savage. The character is repeatedly described as a tall, tan nordic type, something that Dwayne Johnson in no way resembles beyond being tall. It would be much the same as when they cast Jason Momoa as Conan. It doesn't work because the actor doesn't fit the character's physical type. Another example of it not working like it's supposed to is Tom Cruise as the 6'9" Jack Reacher.

And the idea of Dwayne Johnson as Jonny Quest gives me the willies.

 

So, Superma...err John Carter of Mars:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Princess_of_Mars
and Tarzan appeared about the same time from the same author. Interesting.

 

Well, he was going to be Race Bannon.

 

"Look at it this way, in a hundred years who's gonna care?"

 

I'll give you tall and tan, but Nordic? Has that word ever been used to describe Doc in the books?

 

Well, I'll just stick it in my Shopping Cart with everything else. Thanks.