Thursday, September 13, 2012

Favorite Superhero - or Do You Like To Breathe?



When I am asked the question, (innocently), "Who is your favorite Superhero?" 
I panic. I freeze with the fear of a 1000 blazing suns!
My eyes start to twitch and I feel a full system shutdown heading my way.  
I am not one to brag, but I have knowledge.
I know DC characters from Marvel characters.
I can name all the Thundercats, Voltron, Masters of the Universe, Transformers,TMNT and a good portion of GI Joe characters plus villains, not to mention a smattering of other swashbucklers.  So, the task of actually knowing a character and having the data to back it up should be easy. 
Alas, my brain goes to jelly. 

I have come to a couple of conclusions of why this physical comic meltdown seems to occur. Let me make it clear that all my conclusions could fit in a fanny pack and have not aided my dilemma. However, the train wreck in me says keep going...

My first conclusion is this, simply: When the word superhero is typed into google a plethora of hits come up. One exciting tidbit is: The Ultimate List of Superheroes and Villains by Comic Vine. There are literally thousands of superheroes and wonders of the universe listed on this fantastic page. 
Donald Duck is #5.
I do not know if I really need to expand on this much more, expect to say I do admire sassy attitude.

Another conclusion: picking favorites is so overrated.
If I was asked which do you like more, breathing or the use of your brain?  And then told to hurry and pick one! AAAAA...seriously?!?  There is just too much involved. 
There are times I would love to flip the off button for the ole' noggin, but I was never good at holding my breath for very long. 
And if I picked just one does that mean I am judged for still liking the other. 
"Nope sorry - You like breathing so today you have a LOBOTOMY scheduled!"
I guess in comparison, when I finally do come out with an answer and say, "ummm my favorite is well, oh gee, OK - I enjoy Daredevil"
Then I trot off to the comic book store and see said asker, and they see me buying a heaven forbid - Spiderman, Thor, Superman, Wolverine...it is pure confusion, head scratching, stammering - you get the drift. Can't a girl just love the universe? 

Now, getting to the nitty gritty of it all for me, why is it "Who is your favorite Superhero?", not "Who is your favorite Super Villain?" 
Dark Helmet in "Spaceballs" said it best, 

"Evil will always triumph because good is dumb.

The way I look at it - villains are cool. 
Without our neighborhood villains there would be no need for Superheroes. 
As Vic the Publicist so eloquently states from "Mystery Men":


"VIC THE PUBLICIST: 
I think right now we should focus on the positive. Tonight was good.
CAPTAIN AMAZING
Yeah - you think so? 'Cause I was worried it was, um, I don't know... PATHETIC! "Amazing triumphs at a nursing home"? That's great copy, Vic.


VIC THE PUBLICIST: 
Look, I'm a publicist, not a magician. You want big news, you have to have big fights. A superhero needs a super villain. And thanks to you, we've got none left."


To sum it up, I have my favorites on certain days. I have the characters that make me laugh - ALWAYS.
Then there is the good ole' fashion dose of nostalgia and I will never be able to shake those tried and true characters from my bones.
(Note to self - have it written in my will to have He-Man and Lion-O buried with me.)
I have my femme-fatal side that rages true and strong and I consider that a class or category of its own! Then I have my all time favorite villains.
So I guess the question for ME is not, "Who is your favorite Superhero?" but rather "Who is your favorite comic character TODAY?!?"



1 comment:

  1. I really like the quote "which one do you like more, breathing or the use of your brain."

    This was a great post, it was fun, funny, and freeing (dang that was a lot of "f's"). Thanks for helping me to laugh and have a good time reading this. But I do have an answer to the best comic book character of all time... Whatever Robert Akins draws, since he makes them awesome ;-) Have a great one.

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