Everyone needs some time off now and then. Sometimes the job is too much; you need a vacation, are too stressed out or just happen to be dead for a while (lets face it, who hasn’t been briefly dead?). The folk in the Marvel Universe are no different... but when you’re a super hero you can’t just disappear without having a good friend, colleague or usurper to pick up the slack while you’re away. Let’s look at three of my favourite replacement heroes in the 616.
Bucky
Barnes
There used to be a phrase used when
referring to death in the Marvel Universe. Are they dead or “Bucky dead”. While
most characters died and came back several times in their lives, Bucky was the
constant. Cap’s teenage sidekick remained dead for decades. Of course, then
along came Ed Brubaker.
In one of the best stories in decades he brought Bucky back
as the tortured villain The Winter Soldier. Over time he became a hero once
more and, eventually Cap’s friend and brother again. This arc, of course, has inspired the next Captain America film.
His redemption was capped off (heh) after
Steve’s death in the Super Hero Civil War when he stepped up and took the
mantle as Captain America (in a shiny new suit!). A few eyebrows were raised
with the new Cap packing heat, but hey, he’s a soldier, dammit! Bucky was now a true hero and Avenger, even retaining the title after Rogers returned from the grave. Sadly his time as a russian hitman caught up with him and in true comic fashion, he faked his death and handed the shield back to Steve. His time with
the shield was only a few years, but what a few years it was.
Ben
Reilly
The Clone Saga was one of the most
controversial and long-winded story arcs in all of comic history. As a result
the whole era of 90’s Spider-Man is mostly reviled by the comic geek community.
Now, myself, I grew up on this stuff. The Clone Saga is my bread and butter.
It’s what was happening when I went from a kid casually buying the odd book at
the newsagent to a passionate fan buying a stack of books every month. Hell, I
named my son Reilly after him
When the Spidey of the 90’s had become a
problem for Marvel. He was dark, grittier and worst of all, married. The higher
ups wanted a younger, single and fun web slinger. Enter Ben Reilly, the amazing
Spider-Clone. Taken from a throwaway arc many years earlier Ben resurfaced when
Aunt May had been gravely ill (when isn’t she?).
Must to Pete’s chagrin Ben stuck around and
eventually took his own heroic identity as the blue hoodie wearing Scarlet
Spider. After some animosity the two became close like brothers. All the while,
the question of who was the real Pete and who was the clone? was dangled above
their heads by the villainous Jackal.
Eventually Pete retired to settle down and
have a kid with MJ and Ben took over as Spidey, complete with spiffy new duds
having been revealed as the original. Of course, the fans went ape and Marvel
quickly backtracked and undid it all as soon as they could. Pete was back, the
baby disappeared (in a plot line that still dangles) and poor Ben caught the
wrong end of a Goblin Glider and dissolved into a pile of goo. He still has a
cult following that yearns for his rebirth year after year. Sadly the Marvel
bigwigs aren’t fans so goo he shall remain…
War
Machine
Perhaps the most well known of all Marvel’s
replacement heroes is the man who would become War Machine. Unlike in the
films, James Rhodes actually was Iron Man for some time in the books.
While Tony was, well, drunk off his ass for
several months, Rhodey took the role as his own. After Tony finished
12-stepping he got the boot. He again donned the armour when Tony faked his
death. Great guy, that Tony. Somehow throughout all this Rhodey remained Tony’s
fill in and friend and was rewarded with his own suit, War Machine when Tony
came back to steal the glory.
Jim was always a more serious, no nonsense
and far more well armed Iron Man than Stark ever was. John Stewart to his Hal
Jordan, if you will. He remains the back up Iron Man, event recently during
Matt Fraction’s recent Invincible Iron Man series. Good old, dependable Rhodey.
Always there when Tony Stark needs to go on a bender.
This is awesome.
ReplyDeleteAll good choices. Love that you named your son Reilly!
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