Heroes/Villains That Have Never Been Used Correctly
Oct 18, 2020 17:22:51 GMT -5
profh0011 likes this
Post by berkley on Oct 18, 2020 17:22:51 GMT -5
I've always thought Dormammu could and should have been used more effectively: the Ditko stories that introducde the character are closest to realising the potential but even then there were a few mis-steps, as I see them - most obviously the "pincers of power" episode in which Dr. Strange defeats him in physical combat, which detracted from the aura of mystery and power that had been so effectively built up in the preceding instalments of that ong story (still of of the greatest Dr. Strange stories IMO).
And then someone - was it Roy Thomas? - giving Dormammu and Umar an "origin story" that, again, accompished nothing except to make the characters feel smaller, less mysterious, more mundane. But superhero writers can never resist trying to fill in the blanks. I think their background should have been left as vague as possible, with just enough hints given to enhance the feeling that they are in some sense unfathomable, primal forces that are extremely dangerous to deal with or even to speak of (as was established in that first introductory Dr. Strange epic). "The Dread Dormammu" should never be reduced to just a fancy title, the character should always be written in such a way that that phrase feels believable to the reader.
That was Roger Stern in Dr. Strange (1974 series) #71. While I'm normally pretty enamored of Stern's Strange, I have to agree that giving Dormammu and Umar an origin--especially one revealing they began as ordinary (albeit extradimensional) humans--was a bad idea.
Cei-U!
I summon one of Rog's rare misfires!
Yup - just like it was a bad idea when Kirby and/or Stan gave a similarly mundane, mortal origin for Galactus and arguably even the Surfer, or more recently when something along the same lines was done with Darkseid, IIRC from previews at the time. It can probably be thought of as a sub-division within the broader superhero trope of deflating or degrading characters seen as in any way "above" the ordinary run of mortals, super-powered or not.
And also related to the urge to "humanise" characters seen as difficult for readers to identify with - like when they give Thena a husband and children, or keep returning to the romantic relationship with Kro that she rejected in Kirby's original. Perhaps the Surfer belongs in this category as well.