Character Spotlight: Copperhead

In case anyone's not aware, I often find inspiration for new posts from TVTropes's Canon Immigrant and RetCanon pages. (But I'm pretty sure a lot of the entries for comics on those pages come from this blog, so it evens out.) And for years now, one of the entries on those lists was a female Copperhead. But I looked and looked and never found any evidence of a female Copperhead appearing in comics.

Until now.

But first, let's go over the Copperhead legacy. The first - and, most would argue, "main" - Copperhead debuted in The Brave and the Bold #78 (April 1968). John Doe was a master contortionist and super-assassin who strangled his victims to death, but he later got snake powers when he sold his soul to Neron during Underworld Unleashed. He was killed by Manhunter in 2004.

The second Copperhead was Nathan Prince, who debuted in Teen Titans #56 (February 2008) as a member of the Terror Titans. Considering the New 52 happened only a couple years later, Nathan didn't have much time to shine.

The New 52 introduced us to Sameer Park in Justice League #18 (March 2013). Unlike the previous two, this Copperhead is actually a human/snake hybrid. He was killed during Forever Evil (2013).

Another Copperhead who looks almost exactly the same as Sameer appears in Batgirl and the Birds of Prey issues #2-4 (September-November 2016). And a Copperhead with a still inhuman but less snake-like appearance showed up in Batman issues #14 and #19 (January and March 2017. Whether these are meant to be the same Copperhead, and whether either or both of these are meant to be Sameer Park, remains to be seen. Wikipedia calls this version "Nora Park", but I have no idea where it's getting that information. This version or versions doesn't even appear to be a woman.

But you know who is a woman? The Copperhead who appeared in Batman: Arkham Origins (October 2013). She's a boss fight in the game and she seems to have all the same abilities as the original Copperhead. There also seems to be some evidence that points to "Copperhead" being a role in drug cartels rather than a specific person. Regardless, I've used an image of her action figure because all the screenshots I could find of her in the game are really dark and don't give a good impression of her.

Three years later, a female Copperhead with a very similar appearance premiered in All-Star Batman #2 (September 2016). Why yes, that IS the same month as the mysterious Copperhead above. It's almost like comic book companies are terrible at getting their facts coordinated these days. But I digress. She is formally a mercenary like previous Copperheads, but is currently a crime boss in Gotham.

After all this time, I'm glad I can finally cross her off the list!

Flashback Friday: HERBIE

Each Friday, I take one of the entries from my old Super Posts and expand it into its own featured article.

This week: H.E.R.B.I.E.!

Back in the 60s, Marvel was kind of a big deal. So it made sense that they would start branching out into toys, tv shows, and movies. They made several cartoon versions of their comics, one of which was Fantastic Four (1967). But there was a problem. Marvel had licensed Human Torch to Universal to get a solo cartoon that never happened, which means that when it came time to make Fantastic Four, they couldn't use him. You can't have a team called "Fantastic Four" with only three characters, so they introduced HERBIE, a robot created by Reed Richards.

HERBIE makes his first appearance in the comics in Fantastic Four #209 (June 1979), which even explains that the Human Torch didn't appear in the cartoon because he wasn't in town to sign the contract. If you're not aware, a strange quirk of the Marvel Universe is that Marvel Comics exists within it and publishes comics about the heroes, to varying degrees of accuracy. This mainly shows up in Fantastic Four, because they have public identities and license their likenesses for merchandising, and She-Hulk, because she frequently breaks the fourth wall. So it stands to reason that, if the comics exist, the comics adaptations can exist as well.

He sacrificed himself a few issues later because he was possessed by Doctor Sun, but you can't keep a good robot down. He has continued to appear in comics in a variety of roles, usually either performing security functions in the Baxter Building or being a companion for Franklin Richards.

Probably the most notable later appearance is in 1998 when Reed Richards becomes HERBIE! See, in What If...? #105 (December 1997) and the MC2 Universe that that issue spawned, it's about twenty years in the future and the marvel heroes have mostly been replaced by the next generation. In this world, the Fantastic Four is now the Fantastic Five, comprising an adult Franklin Richards, The Thing, the Human Torch, Lyja the Skrull, and Reed Richards...who's now just a brain in a HERBIE body.

HERBIE's latest appearance is in the pages of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, where it was revealed Reed first built to HERBIE to monitor for Galactus. No one can say for sure why a small robot from a 50-year-old one-season cartoon has managed to have the staying power that it has, but I think it's safe to say that cuteness goes a long way!

Character Spotlight: Dante Cruz

When I was researching my post for Red Widow, I discovered that she's not the only character from Black Widow: Forever Red that has appeared in comics! I love it when that happens.

First, some backstory: Black Widow: Forever Red is a 2015 young adult novel by Margaret Stohl about Black Widow investigating the possible resurgence of the Red Room, the Russian spy program that trained her. Along the way, she teams up with Red Widow, a teenager she saved years ago and who grew up in SHIELD custody but is now on her own.

During her time on the streets, Red Widow meets a boy named Alex Manor, who has a friend named Dante Cruz. Alex lived with Dante and they were on the fencing team together, and considering that Alex is really Black Widow's brother, Dante's family was considered (but not chosen, as far as I know) for surveillance on him.

In Mighty Captain Marvel #5 (May 2018), Captain Marvel meets the first three members of her Alpha Cadets program. Dante Cruz is one of them. Each cadet was recommended by one of Captain Marvel's colleagues, and it should be no surprise to you that Dante was vouched for by Black Widow.

If you're wondering why a minor character from a YA novel made it into the comics and so quickly, it's because Margaret Stohl also wrote Mighty Captain Marvel (at least this arc of it). Sometimes the easiest way to get your original characters into the comics is to take them there yourself!

Flashback Friday: Whitey Murphy

Each Friday, I take one of the entries from my old Super Posts and expand it into its own featured article.

This week: “Whitey” Murphy!

It’s hard to believe now, but there was a time when Captain Marvel was the most popular superhero in the world. Even more popular than Superman. But it’s true! And all you need to look at to realize that is a list of comic book film adaptations, because you’ll see that first in the list is The Adventures of Captain Marvel. (Though, to be fair, Superman was already on the radio by this time.)

The Adventures of Captain Marvel is a 12-part Republic serial released in March 1941. Like many adaptations of the time - and still today, who are we kidding - it played fast and loose with the established mythology. Billy Batson is still a young reporter (though not a kid; more like a teen or young adult) and he still gets the power to turn into Captain Marvel from the wizard Shazam, but everything else is original.

One of those original elements is “Whitey” Murphy, a companion of Billy’s and fellow member of the Malcolm Expedition.

Whitey made his first comics appearance in Whiz Comics #22 (July 1941) in the story “Captain Marvel and the Temple of Itsalotahui”, a sequel to The Adventures of Captain Marvel. Strangely, it seems as though the expedition was real, but they also made a movie during it. So how much of the movie actually happened in this world? I’m not entirely sure.

Whitey became a recurring character in the comics, such as this bit in Captain Marvel Adventures #12 (March 1942) when he gets a promotion in the Army.

Eventually, Fawcett Comics folded and their superhero characters were licensed and then bought outright by DC Comics.So in Shazam! #15 (October 1974), he makes his DC debut...or so the DC Wiki claims. The only character I could find who might be Whitey is this guy...

...and not only is he never named, he doesn't even have white hair. Shazam! #26 (October 1976) is a more concrete first appearance.

He continued to make a few more sporadic appearances, with his last being in 1981. But is this really the last we've seen of him? With the new Shazam! movie coming out later this year, there's no telling what kind of bump Shazam will get, nor can we know which of his supporting characters will come along for the ride. We may see Whitey again sooner than you think!

Character Spotlight: Red Widow

Red Widow, aka Ava Orlova, is a character created for the novel Black Widow: Forever Red (2015) by Margaret Stohl. We first meet her, however, in the aptly named "Red Widow: First Strike", a backup story in Mockingbird: SHIELD 50th Anniversary #1 (September 2015). This story introduces us to Ava and gives us her backstory: Black Widow saved her from the Russian mob in the Ukraine, and she was brought to the US and raised in Brooklyn under SHIELD custody. She eventually ran away and lived on the streets, where she met a girl named Oksana; when Oksana went missing, Ava created the persona Red Widow to save her. She has a complicated relationship with Black Widow, simultaneously being disappointed in her and inspired by her. The story's main point to compare and contrast the two characters.

Black Widow: Forever Red then forces the two characters to team up, their individual stories intertwining as the investigate the possible resurgence of the Red Room, the Russian spy training program that Black Widow (and possibly Red Widow) went through as children. There's some debate over where this story takes place. Margaret Stohl originally said the MCU, but later said it's "comics canon, but follows the continuity of the MCU"...whatever that means. I have decided to treat this series as its own thing which takes inspiration from both universes but isn't a part of either.

The following year, Red Widow got another appearance in "Red Widow: The Last O.P.U.S.", a backup story in Ms. Marvel #12 (October 2016), which leads into the sequel novel, Black Widow: Red Vengeance (2016).

Two years later, Marvel used Avengers #700 (November 2018) to establish several counterparts/competitors to the Avengers around the world, including the Black Panther's Agents of Wakanda, Namor's Defenders of the Deep, and Thunderbolt Ross's Squadron Supreme of America. The one important for this entry is Russia's Winter Guard, a pre-existing team that was re-established in this issue. And as part of that re-establishment, they get a new team member: Red Widow!

Not much is known about this version of the character yet, except that she's from the Eastern Bloc and was trained by the Red Room. Is she Ava Orlova? Is she someone new? Either way, I don't believe it's a coincidence.

Flashback Friday: Billy Numerous (and Everywhere Man?)

Each Friday, I take one of the entries from my old Super Posts and expand it into its own featured article.

This week: Billy Numerous!

I figured since this week's main post was about Teen Titans, the Flashback Friday should be too! And I think this is a good way to go about it in general, so I'll try to keep it up. Won't make any promises; some weeks will be easier to do that with than others. But it'll always be on my mind. Anyway, let's get to it.

Billy Numerous first appeared on Teen Titans as a background character in the season 3 premiere, "Deception" (August 2004); his first full appearance was season 4's "Overdrive"(June 2005).  He's a student at the HIVE Academy - and therefore a villain - who can multiply himself...or divide himself, depending on how you look at it. Based on his costume, he clearly thinks of it as division.

He first appeared in comics in Catwoman #78 (April 2008) as a thug for a villain called The Thief that Catwoman had a personal vendetta against. He appeared again over the next two issues and then was never seen again. (Note: this image is from issue 80.)

...if only it were that simple. See, even when I first included Billy in the Teen Titans Super Post, I was unsure if he really counted. See, there's another duplicating character who wears red and white that he could just as easily be: Everywhere Man.

Everywhere Man debuted in The Batman episode of the same name (November 2006). Bruce Wayne's friend John Marlowe invented a duplicator called the Quantex and used it on himself, then his duplicate stole his identity and created more copies of himself to become an art thief. As you can see, Everywhere Man's outfit looks a bit closer to the comics character than Billy Numerous does.

But then, once I was able to look at the actual comics themselves, a new wrinkle appeared. Two of this three appearances do name him, and they don't call him Billy Numerous or Everywhere Man. They call him Repro.

So now I have a choice to make: is he Billy Numerous or Everywhere Man? Is he both, or is he somehow neither and it's just a coincidence that there are THREE duplicators dressed in red and white running around various versions of the DC Universe? This is what I've decided: I was right all along and he is, in fact, a combination of the two characters. And since he's a combination, the writer gave him a new name to not unduely favor one character over the other. His outfit is also a mixture of the two characters, with the mask of Billy Numerous and the stripe of Everywhere Man.

If you have information that refutes this, please let me know. Until then, no one can tell me otherwise (including the writer, who I asked years ago)!

Character Spotlight: Joystick(?)

Teen Titans was more successful than anyone could've ever predicted, and its legacy is still being felt today. It led to the relaunch of the Teen Titans comics series, which has been published ever since. It was followed by the New Teen Titans shorts on DC Nation, which led to Teen Titans Go!, which led to Teen Titans Go! to the Movies, the first theatrically-released animated movie from DC since Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (when I talk about success, that's the level I'm talking about: Batman The Animated Series successful). And it also left its mark on DC continuity in numerous ways that I've covered before.

The interesting to me is that mark is usually simply a change in design. Although the show introduced a number of characters - Red X, Punk Rocket, Kyd Wykkyd, and Brushogun, to name just a few - those characters don't often make the jump to comics. The only ones I can think of are Cinderblock and Mas y Menos. But now we can add Control Freak to that list...or so I thought when I wrote this back in October. It turns out to be much more complicated than that. But first I should probably tell you a little bit about who he is.

Control Freak first appeared in the season 2 episode "Fear Itself" (February 2004). He is essentially The Simpsons's Comic Book Guy if he were a supervillain, and has reality warping powers thanks to his special remote control. He would go on to have major roles in five more episodes, and cameoed in several more. He considers himself to be the Titans' archnemesis, although that's clearly not the case.

It took 15 years (almost to the day), but he finally made his comics debut in Teen Titans Annual #1 (January 2019)...or did he? I’ll explain. Usually my posts are written months in advance, and this one is no exception. And when I wrote it, I was basing it on the following solicitation:

Control Freak is clearly mentioned. It also mentions Joy Stick, a character from Teen Titans Go! #41 (March 2007). The story of this issue is that several daughters of supervillains show up to attack Steel City. The first is Joy Stick, the daughter of Control Freak, as seen below. Of course, but the end of the issue, we learn that all these "daughters" are actually Kitten, the daughter of Killer Moth, trying to get his attention.

So...despite what the solicitation says, the actual issues contains sort of a combination of the two characters: a male named Joystick (no space) who can control people, but seemingly not reality itself like Control Freak can.

Normally I’m not sure I’d even count a character like this, but I’m willing to this time because the solicitation makes the intention clear.

Flashback Friday: The Falcon's Animated Costume

Each Friday, I take one of the entries from my old Super Posts and expand it into its own featured article.

This week: The Falcon's animated costume!

The 90s were a bit of a golden age for animated series based on comic books. But that doesn't mean they were all good. For every Batman: The Animated Series, you had a Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and for every Spider-Man: The Animated Series, you had a Spider-Man Unlimited. And near the bottom of pretty much everyone's list is Avengers: United They Stand.

Avengers: United They Stand aired on Fox Kids in 1999. Even I could tell as a kid that it wasn't up to snuff. The animation was cheap, the stories weren't memorable, and it was the definition of "toyetic" (focusing design and story on how many toys you can make out of it), giving the Avengers entirely unnecessary battle armor to wear.

Another potential knock against it is that it didn't include "The Big Three": Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. Iron Man is somewhat understandable because he had a show earlier in the decade so there may have been rights issues, but Cap and Thor? If anything was keeping them from the show, I'm not sure what it was, and considering they both guest-star near the end of the season, the creators probably just didn't want to use them. Now that's not necessarily a problem for me; I'm a huge fan of giving lesser-known characters the spotlight and letting them become well known characters. Heck, the MCU is built on that idea. But you have to have the stories to back it up, and this show didn't.

What does all this have to do with the Falcon? Well, even without taking the battle armor into account, nearly all of the Avengers got new designs. This is his classic comics appearance, although he's had several outfits along the same lines:

And this is how he looked on the show. Similar, but noticeably different. The Falcon appeared with this design in the first episode of the show, "Avengers Assemble, Part 1" (October 1999).

The costume made its debut in Captain America #25 (November 1999, a month after the debut of the show) and stuck around until at least Captain America #34 (August 2000). As the show's last new episode aired in February 2000, I can't imagine it lasted for much longer than that. Notice it's not exactly the same - all the blue parts are now red.

This outfit is the only one from the show - that I know of - to transfer to the comics, and I'm glad it did. I think it looks great, and it shows that, even though that art style itself wasn't that great, it doesn't means the actual designs weren't either.