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?

Thanos Vs. The DC Universe

 

Thanos being set loose in DC's silver age would have been wild.

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!

Doom Patrol and The Defenders in: "It's All in the Timing!"

 

I definitely think that these two teams go well together.  The Doom Patrol and The Defenders previously met in STF #3588.  The Patrol has also separately run into the Hulk in STF #2976 and Namor in STF #4344.  

Robotman and Jocasta

 

here we have a human brain encased in a robotic body and a robotic body programmed with human brain patterns.  I think that these two would work together well.

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.

Thor and The All-Star Squadron

 

It will be interesting to see what kind of role Thor will play in the next Avengers movies, seeing as he is the last remaining of the founding members (I'm not counting The Hulk, who is just green Mark Ruffalo now).  The real question is, will the God of Thunder survive the experience?

Captain Marvel and The Doom Patrol

 

I was kind of indifferent about The High Evolutionary when he would show up in a comic.  He was another otherworldly villain with an odd design.  Now that I  have watched him as the main antagonist in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, I see him and think, "Ooh, I really hate that guy!"

Mar-Vell first met the Doom Patrol in STF #4505...

The Iron Giant and Robotman

 I just watched The Wild Robot, which I was worried would just be an Iron Giant rip off.  I was very happy that other than involving a robot, the similarities ended there.  Well, the other parallel would be the quality of both films. The Wild Robot's story was fantastic with heart, action and humor and the animation was absolutely beautiful, including some truly breathtaking scenes. See it on the big screen if you can.

Doom Patrol and Captain Marvel

 

To think that we could have gotten a scene of the Classic Mar-Vell or a properly realized Supreme Intelligence in the Captain Marvel movie - and we were given a tired looking Annette Bening as a substitute for both.  What a missed opportunity. I do think that Bening is a talented actress, but I have to believe that's not what fans were hoping for.

Sub-Mariner and The Doom Patrol

 

Namor could have some problems working with others, but I think that maybe he would find some common ground with a team of freaks that are shunned by society. There is potential for an interesting tale by mixing him in with Niles Caulder's team.

The Synthetic Six (Vs. Ultron)

 

I thought it would be fun to have another outing from this team of once-human heroes.  Who better to face a group with robotic forms than the most evil artificial creation ever - Ultron! The Synthetic Six first appeared in STF #3830...

The Hulk Vs. Robotman

 

The final episodes of Doom Patrol are about to hit HBO Max, and it will be interesting to see how the series ends up.  I've enjoyed it so for, although sometimes it does seem to be spinning its wheels with no resolutions to its many ongoing plot points.  Now that the end is in sight, I am looking forward to some closure for the characters.

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...

Metal Men and Big Guy & Rusty (And More!)

 

For this Anniversary Issue, I thought I would go for an all-robotic theme. Looking at all of these match-ups, I'm not sure which one I would want to read first. Probably the lead feature, especially if it sported George Perez or Geoff Darrow art like the cover image. But, any story with a robot in it is entertaining to me, as they often offer some keen insights into the human condition.

Let the march to STF #4000 begin!

The Synthetic Six

 

I have a group of robot heroes on this blog in Robo Force, but I thought for this team I would use heroes that were once fully human, only to begin new lives in powerful artificial bodies.  I think that such a fate would drive me bonkers, so I have to admire that these characters choose to use their new forms to help others.

Doom Patrol and The Avengers

 

I'm looking forward to the fourth (and presumably final) season of Doom Patrol on HBO Max, but I am hoping for a little more character development.  The characters all seem to be running in place, still pretty much dealing with the same personal issues that they have been since the first episode.  It can get a bit mopey at times, so I hope this is the season that they all finally come to terms with themselves and become more confident as a team.

Doom Patrol and The Defenders

 

Back in another life, I used to do a lot of acting. About the only person I knew that made it big had been Connie Britton, who I went to acting school with back in the early 90's. One of the last shows I did was an off-Broadway production of a play called Open House.  We ran for over a month, and I had a good time acting with and hanging out afterwards with my character's romantic interest, played by my friend Stephanie.  The show ended and I only saw Steph once more when she came to see me in a night of one acts a little later.  I stopped performing and she moved out of the city so we lost track.  Fast forward about 16 years later and I'm watching Doom Patrol.  There was something familiar about Hammerhead, the manifestation of one of Crazy Jane's personalities - and the credits confirmed it.  She shaves her head for the role, but that is indeed my old pal Stephanie.  We later caught up on Facebook, it's nice to see her with a cool comic book related recurring role.  Looks like she got a part on the new MacGuyver series as well.

Doom Patrol and The Beast

 

The Sentinels are are always fun to see, but I have to admit the do seem to be pretty impractical.  I mean, I can see the use for mutant hunting robots if that's your thing, but I never really understood why they were built to be so giant.  If they are trying to capture mutants, that's hardly a stealthy design - I imagine they are pretty easy to see coming.