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Updated by Thaddeus Howze on Feb 21, 2021
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The World According to Superheroes

A series of essays on how the heroic genre sublimates our inner cultural anxieties and is transformative in how it reveals our world to us.

With all the cosmic events that are happening in the MCU, why are stories like Daredevil's even important?

All Stories Matter

Daredevil's stories matter for the same reasons your story matters. President Obama gets more press in a day than most of us will get in a lifetime. Does that mean our lives matter less, to us?

How does the Infinity Gauntlet work? - Quora

Very well, thank you. The Infinity Gauntlet is a hack for the Marvel Universe. The Gauntlet itself doesn't do anything. It's the gems doing the heavy lifting...

If I love the Marvel Cinematic Universe (movies and TV), should I read the comics?

The answer to that question falls into a deterministic probability with two answers:

YES, but...If you love it, you should marry it. (It costs as much.)

Who would win in an all-out brawl: the Marvel Universe or the DC Universe?

The Greatest Battle That (N)ever Was!

My standard disclaimer: Comparing characters from different universe in ridiculous battles to see who is more powerful is both unfulfilling and juvenile. Neither company would allow theirs to be defeated (unless it enriched their bottom line in some fashion.) But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun, just the same.

How did Sebastian Stan get his metal arm on during the filming of Captain America: The Winter Soldier? - Quora

Movie Magic!

Like most amazing things you see in movies today, the Winter Soldier's awesome cybernetic limb is a mixture of digital photography, visual effects and, on a good day, well-designed physical props.

Why did DC and Marvel change the ethnicity of their characters?

To Reflect the Real World

I normally stay out of this particular conversation because it makes people uncomfortable. Mostly me. But today I am going to go with the idea this is a troll seeking to provoke controversy and I am going to lay the smackdown on this idea once and for all, political correctness, be damned.

What is the significance of Ta-Nehisi Coastes authoring a new Black Panther (Marvel) series?

Significance? While comics are waking to diversity in their ranks, there's a long way to go.

Would it be fair to say the character of The Shadow had a powerful influence on Bill Finger's Batman?

Only if you can remember this Batman... Stop gasping, you young whipper-snappers. Look at that heroic chin. Gaze upon the cruel snarl of a man bent on gett...

Was John Carter the inspiration for the creation of Superman? - Quora

Not THE inspiration, but AN inspiration.

Siegel and Shuster made several versions of Superman until they got it right.

The Destruction of the Universe and the Comic/SF Genre

I have a problem with comic universes and science fiction storylines that offer the destruction of their universes by a single threat, no matter how powerful that threat may be. It may make for compelling storytelling in theory, but when you look at the science behind it, its just lazy storytelling.

The Walking Dead: No More

Not one more minute will I devote to watching Black men portrayed as weak, spineless and ineffective. It's not true, no matter how many times Hollywood chooses to portray it as such. My relationship with this show is over.

Black Men and Agency in the Walking Dead

The Walking Dead fails because its Black Men lack "agency" - the power to choose their fates during the narrative flow of the story. The failing of this article isn't its attempt to use numbers to move the argument past just racial issues.

Welcome Back, Frank Castle.

The Punisher may be back but a lot of people don't think this is a good idea. Marvel revealed their plans to release a new Punisher series ( Marvel Launches The Punisher With Becky Cloonan And Steve Dillon). The Marvel Universe may have ended and been reborn, but Frank Castle isn't going to let that stop his mission.

Who is Luke Cage and how powerful is he?

In my opinion: Not nearly powerful enough.

Given the changes in so many of Marvel's heroes from that era, Luke Cage has remained pretty much the same from his origin. Unfortunately.

Where are the powerful black superheroes?

The question was posed “Where are the ‘Omega Class’ superhumans of color in the comic genre? Where is the black Superman? Why isn’t there one?”

Why are superheroes commonly depicted defying the laws of physics?

Because responsible physics makes for dull mythology

Legend sticks in the mind, long after the science has faded.

How do DC superheroes compare to Marvel superheroes?

The Difference Ain't What It Used to Be

The discussion of the difference between the philosophy of DC's comic creations and Marvel's isn't nearly as wide as it once was. The main difference was in the early approaches to the characters and their perspectives.

Is it possible to build the S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier from "The Avengers: Age of Ultron" with our current resources?

SHIELD's Helicarrier: Now with added Handwavium!

It isn't possible to build anything like the SHIELD Helicarrier with modern technology because whatever the SHIELD helicarrier uses for power is far more efficient than ANY technology we use for power today by an order of magnitude.

PREVIEW: DC's GODS and MONSTERS

An Elseworld with Bite

Bruce Timm of Batman: The Animated Series, Superman, The Animated Series, Justice League and Jutice League Unlimited fame gives us an alternative perspective on DC's Holy Trinity of Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman. Instead of the familiar faces we know and love, we have three new versions of the characters who feel familiar but are very different from the three core heroes of the normal DC Universe.

Why hasn't Wolverine developed a secondary mutation to stop his claws from hurting him every time they're unsheathed?

It's just a scratch, bub!

The mechanics behind Marvel's Homo Sapien Superior and "Secondary mutation" has barely been explored.

How much money would it take to be Batman? - Quora

Batman? Insert Billions Here.

Is it possible to be Batman? Okay, better question, who could afford the technology to be Batman?

Who would win in a fight between Superman and the Flash?

It'd be over in a blur of motion.

Is it possible to create a truly original, unique comic character? - Quora

Nigh-Impossible!

(in the bombastic comic parlance)

So you want to create a superhero that is completely unique. You want something that has never been seen before and doesn't overlap any other hero already in existence or has already been in existence, right? Excuse me a moment.

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ho, ho, hee, hee, ha, ha, ha... Okay, I'm back. All will be explained. I promise.

Is Drax the Destroyer a Human? - Quora

Depends On Where You Ask

Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is not the same character that appears in the canon Marvel Comics Universe. Visually and thematically they share similarities, but the overall character design is quite different. Neither Universe has revealed to date the actual meanings of the tattoos that adorn their bodies.

How smart is Superman? - Quora

As generally written? As smart as a loaf of bread.

His intellectual capacity varies widely depending on who's writing him. But that's not his fault. He's afflicted with Plot Induced Stupidity at least once an issue. When you've got a guy who can bounce bullets off his chest, lift an ocean liner, out-calculate a computer, and be faster than a beam of light on a good day, he has to mess up before you can start your story.