What If It was your job to save the hobby... New Readers!

[comicinvestor-migration]

Heck, almost the entire DC Golden and Silver Age Universe was comprised of "Imaginary Tales" in the basic sense. Check out the Superman and Superboy stories and they make absolutely no sense from a continuity point of view.

 

Then came Fantastic Four #1, which started the whole continuity thing off.

[BronzeBruce13]

Not bad... a little DK2 twist. All the aging heroes needing to compensate for loss of power join the "over the hill..here's your armor club" and can once again kick . They would still have value like a seasoned athlete near the end of his career... loss of power and speed, but compensating and succeeding with savvy, know how, instinct, experience and guts. It could work (humouous concept or not) if the armor was uniquely different for each hero... designed to only enhance the power that was lost and maybe give one additional feature that they have to learn to use.

 

Example 1: a power boost for Luke to replace lost ability AND give him Vision's phasing feature with his armor... or Doc Oc like mechanical appendages. That would make it all new.

 

Example 2: Iron Fist gets armor that protects him and increases his speed (maybe 1/4 of quicksilver's) AND sports a Power Pulse that is magnified even more when he calls upon his own degraded "Iron Fist" chi (or whatever the hell that was).

 

Lets start a -script?

[BronzeBruce13]

I agree there is some negatives associated with the concept too. There is always the "cop out" option story going the other way. Some stories were seemingly made to appease the fans who were pissed a hero died (like 27 and 35, Phoenix and Elektra ). Those stories were made to cash in on the grieving I imagine, and ease the backlash and "loss". I liked 27 more.

 

I also agree it's confusing to not have the "real fantasy universe" and the "fantasy- fantasy universe" clearly divided. Colussus is dead in Xmen, but alive in Ultimate X-men?..what does a new reader make of that? Do instances like that desensitize a reader into not feeling the full blow of a major event like a death or well scripted turn of events, etc. They know nothing is necessarily permanent and there could likely be an Ultimate version that brings them back or changes the history... so big deal he/she died. That side effect is a negative, but I still would rather have the stories (good ones) heard than not.

 

 

 

 

[comicinvestor-migration]

I think that the "Aging Heroes in Armor" angle has promise, but there are probably a zillion better ways to work it.

 

Maybe Stark is siphoning their power off to support himself, and you could take a "Running Man" riff and have someone discover that the heroes believed killed in battle are instead sealed in "The Tomb" wasting away, life energy almost spent, and begging for death.

 

Insert monster battle scene here.

 

Maybe toss Mystique in disguise (later discovered to be the one leading the revolt) and end it with a Western-isque scene where a weakened, last-man-standing Tony Stark slowly emerges from the carnage. A soft clapping sound starts, building steadily to a crescendo, and Stark slowly looks up and finds the canyon walls filled with all manner of ready-to-rumble super villains.

[hogations]

"Were the Imaginary Stories alternate endings to events that happened in the DC universe... or out-of-the-blue stories where DC did not want the real universe to go?"

 

More the latter. Sometimes DC likes to throw their characters in a time spiral (i.e Superman in King Arthur's time, Batman vs. Jack the Ripper) which make for some interesting stories. There are some great Elseworlds books out there - if you haven't had the chance, pick up 'The Golden Age' trade paperback. I guarantee you won't regret it!

[Kevin Boyd]

The Golden Age was a great read, it's Marvel title would be "What if... they saved Hitler's Brain?"

 

My all-time favourite DC What If story is still "What if.. the Joker killed Lois Lane?"

 

That's the one where Superman retires and a new generation of amoral heroes replace him, until he is forced to come out of retirement, reform the JLA and they end up fighting the battle of Armageddon after a prison riot in devastated Kansas.

 

Yeah, DC's imaginary stories/elseworlds are more like riffs on the concepts in different times/places/scenarios, or they are future stories, like the old Batman II stories ( Grayson as Batman), Superman in the distant future, the Dark Knight Returns and so on.

 

Marvel's original concept was to spin off of an established event in established continuity.

 

Kev

 

[OldGuy]

"What if Reed Richards could work on gadgets and service Sue from 8 rooms away..."

 

That's not a "What If?", that's one for the MAX branch of Marvel.

[hogations]

My all-time favourite DC What If story is still "What if.. the Joker killed Lois Lane?"

 

Ah yes, Kingdom Come! Alex Ross did a great job re-imaging the heroes (the Flash and Hawkman never looked so good!).

[comicinvestor-migration]

Art-wise it was excellent, the germ of an idea was also quite good, but so much more could have ben done with the actual story. I personally like it due to the rather obvious slam on Modern Age comic books.

[supapimp]

what if CI maintained his site? or what if CI never discovered the CGC forum? or what if CI was just plain unopinionated?

[comicinvestor-migration]

Do you ever notice that when I leave, you all start sniping on unthical sellers, and argue amongst yourselves incessently?

 

You should be glad I'm here, to spice things up and provide a common anti-CGC Speculation foe. .

[supapimp]

CI, you know im f'ing with you. go read my post regarding heritage auctions

[BronzeBruce13]

Hey Supapimp... (please to meet ya') I've enjoyed reading your opinions for over a month now, you're quite knowledgeable and have a unique perspectiuve that I often identify with (excuse the mild kissing)

 

With that said, I would very much like to hear your input on the actual post

 

Thanks,

Bru

[supapimp]

i haven't read the newer what if issues, but i have read some of the bronze run. on threads im not to knowledgeable on, i tend to shut my trap and let CI rant and rave in my place. but you have some interesting topics and ideas regarding what if's.

[mr_highgrade]

Yo Pimpy, I've got a better one "What if CI and Blazing Boob kissed and made up"?

 

By the way, Marvels 1-4 with Alex Ross ROCKED!!

[supapimp]

i'd pay money to read that book! hell CI already apologized to everybody on this board that he might've offended, but no apology to bobster directly.

[comicinvestor-migration]

That's because the Blazing One asks for everything he gets. If some call me abrasive, I'm not sure what term you'd use for Bob.

 

Thumb tacks through sandpaper?

[Darthdiesel]

Thumb tacks through sandpaper?

 

Ahh yes, CI...I believe you are referring to the ancient scrotal loofah!

 

[BronzeBruce13]

Thanks... with your imagination though, I find it hard to believe you can't give me 5 legitimate and interesting What If? story concepts off the top of your head.

 

This is a creativity exercise... work with me

 

Remember how Hydro and Sandman crashed into one another in a ASM issue and made "Mudman" or "Sandtrap" or whatever they became?

 

What If... _______ and ________ were fused together as a single hero (and outline a brief story concept.)

 

 

 

 

[BronzeBruce13]

WHAT IF TRIVIA AND POTENTIAL NO-PRIZE

 

What does What If? Issue #7 v1 not get credit as being (by CGC and Overstreet) but What If...? #105 v2 does?