Flashback Friday: Livewire

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

This week: Livewire!

These days, comic book adapters realize that Marvel and DC have thousands of characters and one of them will probably fit whatever story they want to tell. That wasn't always the case. Until the mid-00s (and possibly later), tv shows based on comics mainly used original characters, and the DC Animated Universe was no different. That brings us to Livewire.

Like Roxy Rocket, Livewire's first appearance wasn't really on tv. She debuted in Superman Adventures #5 (January 1997) in a story that has her attacking men because they've run the world for so long. What's interesting to me is that the issue is written as if everyone already knows Livewire, which makes me wonder if her premiere episode was originally planned for season one and then pushed back.

Either way, Livewire first appeared in Superman: The Animated Series in an episode of the same name (1997).  In the episode, Leslie Willis is a shock jock who was struck by lightning during an outside concert. The lightning gave her electric powers and changed her appearance, and she blamed Superman for it. So she became Livewire to get revenge. She became a recurring antagonist, also appearing in The New Batman Adventures, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited.

She first began appearing in the main DC Universe in Action Comics #835 (January 2006). Her backstory is mostly the same as her animated counterpart, except that she was born with her electric powers. The lightning strike only enhanced them and changed her appearance. She continued to appear and even reformed by 2011, just in time for the New 52.

In the New 52, Livewire made her first appearance in Justice League #30 (May 2014) during Forever Evil as a member of the Secret Society of Super-Villains. In Batgirl #42 (July 2015), she receives a new origin - now she was a vlogger who was electrocuted during a prank where she tried to make the lights of Metropolis spell out a dirty word.

And if comics to tv to comics weren't enough, she also made it back to tv - twice, actually. The first was in Smallville ("Injustice", May 2009), although you'd be forgiven for not realizing it's the same character...

...and the second was in Supergirl ("Livewire", November 2015), where she has once again become a recurring character.

Lois Lane's Violet Eyes

Usually canon immigrants are big things like characters and events. But sometimes they're details so tiny, most people don't even realize they're there. This is an example of the latter. 

In Superman: The Animated Series (1996), Lois Lane had violet eyes to match her suit.

This had never been the case in comics before. When Lois debuted in Action Comics #1 (1938), eyes weren't given that level of definition at all...

...and once they were, she was depicted with blue eyes. 

After the animated series, however, she started appearing with violet eyes in the comics. In cases like this it's hard to determine the absolute first time it happened, but here's a smattering of examples released over fifteen years or so (the final one being a variant cover for Superman #13, July 2019).

I also can't guarantee her eyes are ALWAYS violet. Coloring is a tricky beast and there are often inconsistencies even when the colors of an object are set in stone.

Flashback Friday: Mystique's Movie Design

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

This week: Mystique's movie design!

It can't be understated how big the first X-Men movie was in 2000. Avengers: Endgame becoming the top-grossing movie of all time can be traced directly back to the success of this movie. It was certainly the most important Marvel adaptation at the time, and Marvel - generally not one to have major canon immigrants at the time - bent over backwards to make the comics better reflect the movies.

As I'm sure you know, X-Men was much different from the comics of the time. The team was smaller and wore black leather. Xavier's was an actual school. The Brotherhood was made of some of the team's biggest villains (and Toad), and nearly all of them had a less human appearance than normal. The changes go on and on. Mystique in particular was naked with small spikes all over her skin. The rationale for her nakedness was that, if she morphed clothes, she'd be naked regardless (although let's be honest: they just wanted Rebecca Romijn to be naked); the textured skin was never explained.

But that's not how Mystique appeared in the comics. From her first appearance in Ms. Marvel #18 (April 1978), she's had more or less the same iconic look.

In 2001, Marvel started publishing a miniseries called X-Men Forever, ostensibly to build on the success of Avengers Forever. Like that series, this one would travel through the X-Men's history, but that's where the similarities end. While Avengers Forever's ultimate goal was to explain away some continuity bugs, the goal of X-Men Forever was simply to make the X-Men more like the comics. And that is how, in issue 6 (April 2001), Mystique came to look like this:

To say the change didn't last would be putting it lightly. It might as well have not happened at all. Her next published appearance that wasn't a flashback or morphed was a year later in Uncanny X-Men #404 (April 2002). She looks normal.

In fact, the only other appearance I can find of Mystique's movie form is in X-Treme X-Men #32 (October 2003), when a mutant named Revenant make Rogue think she's turning into Mystique.

And that's not even really Mystique. But that's for the best, because it's not a great design. I think the movies have realized that too, because over time, her skin has gotten smoother and smoother and she's started wearing clothes even when unmorphed.

The Maybe File: Smallville High's Coach Walt

Smallville arguably used more original characters than any other comic book adaptation. Especially early on, when we get characters like Coach Walt Arnold in "Hothead" (September 2001). Arnold is a football coach with a temper who gets anger-related fire powers after he uses meteor rocks - Kryptonite, for anyone who hasn't seen the show - in his sauna.

In Action Comics #791 (May 2002), a Coach Walt Andrews writes Clark to ask him to come to his Smallville class reunion.

I know. The name's not the same. But let's look at the evidence. Smallville debuts in September 2001 and becomes an instant success. Then Action Comics #791 comes out right in time for the Smallville season finale and features an extensive flashback to Superman's high school days, the essential premise of the show. The story definitely introduces the Smallville Crows to canon and possibly Granville. It's also the first appearance in comics of a Coach Walt A., and Smallville just so happens to have also introduced a Coach Walt A.

Is it meant to be the same character? If it is, did they change the name by accident or is it for legal reasons? I don't know the answers to these questions. I can't say for sure Coach Walt is a canon immigrant, but here's what I can say: if he is meant to be one, he's certainly not the one to have changed the most during the journey.

Flashback Friday: Granville, Kansas

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

This week: Granville, Kansas!

Granville first appeared in Smallville as a neighboring city of Smallville.  In the episode "Accelerate" (May 2003), Clark tracks the father of a childhood friend of Lana's to the city. Granville continued to be mentioned or appear once a season until season 8. This is a good name because it plays off the size angle - Small vs Grand - but it's also a reference to Smallville's production. The show (and most genre television) was filmed in Vancouver, which was originally known as Granville.

It appeared in a similar capacity in Superman/Batman #13 (August 2004). It has appeared a few times since then, but details on the internet are scarce so I can't find another mention. I know I've seen it, though, and recently. If you have a lead, let me know!

For the sake of full disclosure, I should point out that Action Comics #791 (May 2002) mentions a "Grandville". This is possibly a case of parallel thinking, or - since the issue is a flashback to Clark's high school days published at the tail end of Smallville season one - possibly a use of information from the Smallville writers' room that hadn't made its way on screen yet. Either way, the spelling of the town's name is a canon immigrant even if the town itself might not be.

One final note: Granville was also seen on a map in Batman: The Brave and the Bold's "Aquaman's Outrageous Adventure!" (January 2010).

Smallville Crows

Minor details are often canon immigrants, but that can be tricky for me to prove because it's hard to say for sure I'm right without reading through every possible appearance. So I do my best to support my case; if you can evidence that proves me wrong, let me know!

Today we'll be talking about Smallville High's mascot. It seems like, for most of history, Smallville's mascot was whatever the creators wanted it to be at the time. In Superboy #121 (April 1965), it was the Tigers.

While they were the Smallville Giants in Adventures of Superman #474 (November 1990).

And Smallville had them as the Crows ("Pilot", 2001).

In Action Comics #791 (May 2002), which I should point out was published at the end of Smallville season one, the team is also called the Crows.

Superman/Batman Secret Files & Origins (September 2003) continues this trend during a story about Lex's time in high school...another thing Smallville re-established.

I can't find any evidence of the Smallville High team name after these appearances, so I have no idea if it's still the Crows or not. But, for a time at least, it was.

Flashback Friday: Mas y Menos

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

This week: Mas y Menos!

Mas y Menos first appeared in the Teen Titans cartoon, beginning with the episode "Titans East, Part 1" (January 2005). They're speedsters who can only use their powers when they're touching, though this extends to touching something the other is also touching.

They first appear in comics in Teen Titans Go! #20 (June 2005), although this is a tie-in series to the show. They appeared in several issues of this series.

They debuted in the mainstream in Teen Titans #38 (July 2006), which established them as Titans during the 52/One Year Later gap year. This appearance would set the stage for all future appearances; they seem to only exist to cameo.

They appear on a screen in Teen Titans #66 (December 2008)...

Final Crisis #1 (April 2009) shows them in action for the first time, but only for two panels with no dialogue...

They're in Teen Titans #100 (August 2011), but only in a pinup after the main story...

And Multiversity: The Just #1 (October 2014) has them in a group shot at a pool party.

Not the most illustrious career, but at least they still exist in the post-Rebirth DC Universe (even if, right now, it's only on Earth-16).

Character Spotlight: Hubert and Reba

Hubert and Reba are Jon Arbuckle's elderly neighbors in the Garfield comic strip. They debuted in Garfield's first television special, Here Comes Garfield, which aired on October 25, 1982. They play a major role in the plot, as Hubert calls the pound on Garfield and Odie for messing with his dog, Honey Bun. Garfield escapes but Odie is captured, leading to Garfield having to try to get Odie back.

Hubert first appeared in the comic strip on November 7, 1982. Reba is mentioned but doesn't appear.

Reba first appears on November 11, 1982, in a non-speaking role.

To my knowledge, Honey Bun has never appeared.

Flashback Friday: Inspector Henderson

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

This week: Inspector Henderson!

Inspector Henderson first appeared in the The Adventures of Superman radio show during the 1940s, although I can't find a specific first episode. I can confirm, however, that he appeared by 1945, as he is included in the 15-part episode, "The Atom Man", which has been published in book form.  His role was mainly to provide exposition for the story.

The radio show was very popular and had great influence on the comics, but Henderson wasn't one of them...yet. He did, however, appear in The Adventures of Superman tv show, as a way to keep Superman off-screen as long as possible (thanks to a limited budget).

His next appearance was also not in comics. It was in Filmation's "New Adventures of Superman" series. I can't confirm, but internet chatter leads me to believe he played a minor role in the episode, "Rain of Iron" (1968).

He finally made his first comics appearance in Action Comics #440 (August 1974) and became a minor recurring character until the New 52. He played a bigger part, however, in Black Lightning, which also took place in Metropolis.

He continued to be part of the Post-Crisis universe and made his first appearance there in Adventures of Superman #424 (November 1986).

Despite having a minor role in the comics nowadays, he has been a favorite of Superman adaptations, also appearing in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Superman: The Animated Series, and Smallville. Most recently, he is a major supporting character in the CW's Black Lightning.

I should also probably note that Supergirl introduced an Inspector Mike Henderson in 2009, after Bill Henderson had been promoted to commissioner, but I don't know if that's coincidence.