The Synthetic Six (Vs. Mr. Universe)

 

For this, the third appearance of The Synthetic Six,  I needed an opponent to truly challenge them.  Who better to fit the bill than STF's arch super-villain, Mr. Universe, making his 17th appearance?

Doom Patrol and Devil Dinosaur

 

It's too bad that Marvel has pivoted away from Kang in the movies.  Sure, he was beaten by ants, undermining his villainous stature, but an Avengers: Kang Dynasty movie could have offered up some fun time travel scenarios.  Imagine Spider-Man in the Time of Devil Dinosaur, Hawkeye teaming up with Two-Gun Kid, or Hulk meeting his future self,  The Maestro. Oh well, maybe we will get another chance after Secret Wars reboots everything!

Robotman and Giant-Man

 

I guess I have read so many groan inducing puns in the comments section of this blog, that it's starting to rub off on me, because the one above even makes me wince.  Still, It does seem to be the kind of thing that Cliff Steele might say, and it would definitely be cool to see him working alongside Hank Pym.

Robotman and The Vision

 

I'm not sure when the final episodes of Doom Patrol will air, but I am looking forward to how Cliff Steele's story is wrapped up.  I'm equally unsure when VisionQuest will air (or even begin production), but I am also looking forward to what happens next for the synthezoid.  I guess we'll just have to be patient.

Machine Man and Robotman in: "Restoration Project!"

The final episodes of Doom Patrol should air on MAX soon, and it will be interesting to see how everything wraps up in the series.  Cliff Steele has been put through a lot, so I hope he finds some sort of happy ending.  Let's hope it isn't too long before the team appears in the new DCU.

Machine Man met the original Robotman in STF #2001...

New Mutants Vs. Doom Patrol

 

Well, after numerous delays,  New Mutants has finally been released to theaters.  It has only been getting middling reviews, but I like the characters so I am sure that I will check it out as a home rental at some point.  It looks to be a pretty low budget affair, with minimal use of powers and filmed on a single location.  Then again, Lockheed looked really cool on the commercial, and I am interested in how the Demon Bear is handled.  Has anyone gotten a chance to check it out?

The Falcon and The Teen Titans

I am very curious about how Sam Wilson will wield the Shield that Captain America gave to him.  Cap used it very effectively, but he had the super-soldier serum to allow him to do that.  Sam is in great shape, but has normal human strength.  We all saw what happened when Happy Hogan tried a Captain America like move in Spider-Man: Far From Home!  Sam is of course is more skilled than Happy, but still has no special powers to assist him - not to mention his wings getting in the way when wielding the shield.  Hopefully this will be addressed in the upcoming Disney+ show.

Elasti-Girl and Giant Man

Bruno Premiani doesn't get as much recognition ans some other Silver Age artists, and that's a shame because he is one of my favorites.  He had a great mastery of storytelling and character design.  While he worked on some other characters, I feel he really got a chance to shine with his depiction of the Doom Patrol's adventures.  He's another artist that I really began to appreciate more once I saw his work in black and whit in the DC Showcase reprints.

Dynomutt and Robotman

DC has had some fun teaming their heroes up with the stars of Hanna-Barbera, so maybe we will see something close to this one day.  I understand that the Doom Patrol will be featured on DC's upcoming streaming  channel Titans show.  I hope they do a live action Cliff Steele justice.  So far the I have seen costumes that look great (Robin, Hawk and Dove), and some that I am not impressed with (Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy), so I'll keep my fingers crossed the DP is represented well.

The Herculoids and the Doom Patrol

I love that some of the classic Hanna-Barbera characters have found a new home with Future Quest, and hopefully through that they will find new fans as well.  Now that DC is publishing new stories with the likes of The Herculoids, can some real life comic crossovers with DC heroes  come to pass?  I hope so.

Teen Titans and The Human Torch

DC has been fast and furious with its TV announcements lately and one of the biggest surprises was that a Titans series is in the works.  Not much in the way of details has been released, but it looks to be following the Marv Wolfman / George Perez era team as Nightwing, Starfire and Raven and are confirmed members of the team.  It seems like an ambitious project, but I can't pass judgment until I learn more about it.  Hopefully a TV budget will still allow for plenty of heroics.

Dr. Doom Conquers The Doom Patrol

I have been reading the original appearances of The Doom Patrol lately and I am reminded of how that team was ahead of its time.  I can see why some consider it to be more suited to Marvel because their stories read like a comic that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby might have produced, with the crazy villains and concepts, as well as the interesting personalities of the heroes.  Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani really created a gem.

The Doom Patrol Vs. Galactus

I can imagine a scenario like this actually taking place in the pages of Doom Patrol.  Niles Caulder was always taking crazy chances and unnecessary risks, and was also known for keeping secrets from the rest of the team.  Sure, it was usually for the greater good, but he really knew how to escalate a situation.

The Doom Patrol and The X-Men

While there hasn't been any solicitation for a Doom Patrol series in the newly rebooted DCU, Robotman at least got a spotlight in the My Greatest Adventure mini-series.  I wasn't crazy about his new design, which seems to be a throwback to Cliff Steele's brief 70's look and I haven't checked out the series so I don't know if any reference to the other members of the Doom Patrol was made.  The X-Men are another team I haven't checked in on in a while, not really wanting to dive into the sea of so many titles and characters to follow.  Hopefully once the huge Avengers Vs. X-Men crossover has ended and the dust settles there will be a more streamlined title that a lapsed reader can easily join.