Sunday, December 6, 2020

Hyperion Vs. Martian Manhunter

 


Sure, he was a Superman Knock-off, but there were a couple of reasons that I always liked Hyperion.  First, he was a riff on the Man of Steel when it was still a relatively unique idea - in the decades since his debut, I've lost count of all the Superman analogues out there.  Then there was a more personal reason - I was glad that such a powerful character had red hair like me!  Of course, if he ever makes it into the MCU, that's probably the first characteristic that will be jettisoned!

27 comments:

jack-el said...

great cover....
another of your seamless mashups....
as a fellow ginger, i propose a team of red-headed heroes....
i can't wait to see what you can come up with....
see you in the funny pages....

Ross said...

Check out Code: Red, they've made 2 appearances

George A Tackes said...

Your comments made me laugh (in a good way). Being a blond, I favored Flash, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Hawkeye, and Captain America.

Jim Burrows said...

Since you lost count, here's a gallery to get you started. It's still partial, but…

https://www.deviantart.com/eldacur/art/Of-Supermen-and-Mice-updated-Superman-analogues-749110104

Glenn said...

If Hyperion gets to MCU Hyperion will be a redhead since redheads are sinister. But since MCU likes to change races, sexes, etc. Hyperion will be a transgender, female American Indian.

I don't care how good actors/actresses are I do not like it when they change sexes of characters. Create a new character if you cannot use one that came with source. The Sorcerer Supreme being a woman made no sense to me.

Bob Greenwade said...

Actually it started to be popular in the 1940s to do riffs on Superman; they just led to lawsuits. The one against Wonder Man quickly killed the character; the one against Captain Marvel took longer.

And, a funny thing: when Hyperion was first introduced, wasn't he basically a villain? Or was that a later development with an alternate version?

@Glenn: I mainly have problems with changing the race, sex, etc. of major characters. My only problem with DC making Alan Scott into a gay man was that it wrote Jade and Obsidian out of continuity. The Ancient One being a Celtic woman only bothered me a little, and I was OK with it once I saw Tilda Swinton on the screen in the role (it was a tough job to balance stereotyping versus whitewashing). I am bothered a little with the gender change on Mar-Vell, despite Annette Bening's spot-on performance and the way that the change hid a couple of the movie's surprises.

Even so, it may be about time for DC to start exploring African-American versions of Kal-El and/or Bruce Wayne. (I think the former's been done loosely, but I'd like to see how a Black Clark Kent deals with going from a middle-American small town where he's largely accepted to a big city where subtle forms of racism are ingrained.)

Davejonz said...

Another great cover that's got me wishing I could read the story that went with it.
I really liked Hyperion, mainly because it gave us "Superman" in the Marvel universe. Then I really enjoyed Straczynski's Supreme Power series.
And talking of Superman knock-offs, didn't you do a team of them a while back?
@Bob, I too would like to see those African-American versions. I think Grant Morrison did one for Kal-el in his Multiversity, and Nighthawk, Hyperion's team-mate in the Squadron Supreme, (at least in the Straczynski version, is African-American.

Ross said...

Yes, Davejonz, STF #359

Davejonz said...

Thanks Ross. Truly a fine looking bunch of knock-offs. Any chance we can see them again?

J5 said...

Squadron Supreme maxi series by Mark Gruenwald is still my favorite Justice League story.

kevin from new orleans said...

Where did that image of J'onn come from?

Ross said...

I think an interior from DCCP

Ross said...

Maybe, Davejonz, anything is possible.

Horsefeathers floating off said...

Now if Hyperion vs Shazam you'd have one fun issue for the artist and colorist. No hype!

Anonymous said...

And if he ever made it to the DCTV Arrowverse, he'd become a bald African-American (like Jimmy Olsen).

Anonymous said...

@Bob Greenwade: didn't Stan Lee already imagine Batman as African-American? And wasn't Superman already reimagined as Mexican-American?

Carycomic said...

@Horsefeathers: see STF #1663.

Carycomic said...

@Ross: this would truly be a nail-biter in a real-world crossover. I mean, could even Martian super-powers be a match for Hyper-ionic powers?

Bob Greenwade said...

@Anon@9:03: Yes, Stan did imagine Batman as African-American, though that wasn't Bruce Wayne (his name was Wayne Williams, and was never wealthy). I've tended to think of Bruce as coming from "Old Money," and we've just about gotten to a point in our society where an African-American family can have been rich long enough to hold that label. For my proposal, keep the rest of Bruce's story; he can be Black, having all the same elements but addressing race issues as well.

Live-action Wonder Woman, on the other hand, I think should go in the opposite direction: none of the actresses who have played her to date are of significant Greek heritage. (Her African counterpart, Nubia, should remain a separate individual.)

BigMike20X6 said...

I remember ages ago Marvel and Image put out another Superman knockoff fight, Gladiator vs Supreme, and I thought Hyperion would have been a better opponent for Supreme
And yes, I know Gladiator is a Superboy knockoff. That's not the point. :p

Horsefeathers in Red & Yellow said...

@Carycomic I was right & so were you.
Carycomic said...
As Billy "Fernando" Crystal might say. "This...looks...MARVEL-ous!"

Horsefeathers at ringside said...

Has Power Princess ever gone directly against Superwoman? That would be A Match Made in the Heavens.

Carycomic said...

@Bob G: DC's already conducted such an exploration. According to Alan Moore's "Multiversity Guide," Calvin Ellis (nee Kalel of Krypton's Vathlo Island) is POTUS on Earth-23.

Noremac said...

What is his unique power?

Anonymous said...

I don't know if he has unique powers. But, in addition to having abilities similar to Superman's, JJ is also telepathic...and capable of Durlanesque shapeshifting.

krupal kulkarni said...

Kill him Martian Manhunter!

ty said...

Actually Martian Manhunter beat him (Squadron Sinster version) in JLA/Avengers. In one panel shows MM carrying him off after defeating him.

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