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Post by brutalis on Jul 28, 2016 14:31:35 GMT -5
Who wants to share their love for the second string heroes and villains. They may or may not have received their own series or were regulated to guest stars or members of a larger team. Great and or lame that just never captured the fancy and hearts of readers? For me sometimes following those lesser folks was more pleasurable and purely fun than the big guns of the companies. The stories and circumstances they provided being more interesting and creative at times.
For instance, in Marvel: Hank Pym as Gian/Ant-man or Yellowjacket, Nighthawk, Hawkeye, Falcon, Stingray, grey/blue Beast, Wonderman, Starhawk, Iron Fist, Shang-Chi, Jack of Hearts, White Tiger, Werewolf by Night, Hercules, Deathlok, Nova, Xemnu the Titan, Modok, Dr. Demonicus, The Shocker, Blastaar, The Sphinx, The Stranger, Mesmero, Unus the Invincible, The Blob and so many others.
For DC: Mister Miracle, Big Barda,The Demon, The Phantom Stranger, Metamorpho, Green Arrow, Timberwolf, Chameleon Kid, Karate Kid, Phantom Girl, Ultra Boy, Bizarro, Wildcat, JSA Starman, Doctor Fate, Warlord, The Riddler, Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Gorilla Grodd, Kid Flash, Lightray of New Gods, Starro, the Gentleman Ghost and on and on.
Nothing against those who big draw superstars who proved their staying power over the decades but i do love me the underdogs and lesser known's awaiting their turn at greatness to the larger consumers but who remain spectacular and special and great to me!
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jul 28, 2016 15:09:24 GMT -5
For me sometimes following those lesser folks was more pleasurable and purely fun than the big guns of the companies. The stories and circumstances they provided being more interesting and creative at times. Fully agreed!!! (and great subject, by the way). My two favourite characters at Marvel when growing up were Conan and Shang-Chi, both of them "fringe" characters. Many of my favourite second-stringers eventually became bigger names : Nova, Blade and Warlock come to mind. I also always liked Ka-Zar and many of Marvel's monster stars like Man-Thing, Jack Russell and the Frankenstein Monster. For some reason I also liked Triton, loved the Silver Surfer and thought Midnight (Shang-Chi's brother) was cool as hell. Another one from the left wing: the Guardsman, Tony Stark's other bodyguard (I loved the design of his suit). I didn't read much DC but really liked the Warlord and Kamandi, Etrigan and Power Girl. (Yes, Power Girl. Don't judge me!!!  ) |
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Post by Randle-El on Jul 28, 2016 15:41:04 GMT -5
I'm a big Daredevil fan, and I've always thought of him as one of Marvel's B-list characters even though he's had his own title for years. He's definitely a popular character for sure, but I don't think he's ever really broken out to the mainstream in a big way, even though he's had a film adaptation and TV show. He's too popular to be considered obscure, but not quite popular enough that a lot of people outside of comics or nerd culture would immediately know who he is. You'd have to go "He was that superhero Ben Affleck played a few years ago..."
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Post by mikelmidnight on Jul 28, 2016 16:31:22 GMT -5
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,872
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Post by shaxper on Jul 28, 2016 16:38:02 GMT -5
I've always been a big fan of Miss Martian and Black Alice, but they probably count as C listers...
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jul 28, 2016 16:46:38 GMT -5
Some of my favorite runs are decidedly B or C list. Ostrander's Spectre. Chase and Chronos from the late 90s.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2016 17:56:38 GMT -5
I don't know anyone of you woudd qualify the Doom Patrol a 2nd rate team - but I do love that team for all it's worth and the Metal Men too. They were unique too and that's made them special to me.
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Post by Prince Hal on Jul 28, 2016 18:33:24 GMT -5
I know I'm dating myself (requires carbon-14), but you asked...
As a kid, loved Tomahawk, the Challengers, the Doom Patrol, the Metal Men, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Elongated Man, Rip Hunter, Johnny Cloud, Enemy Ace (not really a B-lister, but still never quite a sales hit).
Later on, added Ragman and Scalphunter.
At Marvel, Hawkeye, Rawhide Kid, Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg, Black Knight, Black Panther, Phantom Eagle (one-isssue wonder though he was)John Kowalski (War is Hell) and later on Howard the Duck and Shang Chi.
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Post by foxley on Jul 28, 2016 19:03:02 GMT -5
One of my all-time favourite runs is John Ostrander's 80s-90s Suicide Squad, which was definitely a B-list title at the time. I can honestly say that I liked the Suicide Squad before they were cool.
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Post by Bronze age andy on Jul 28, 2016 21:52:15 GMT -5
Red Wolf (and the rest of the Rangers: Texas Twister et al.)
Tagak
Prowler
Son of Satan
Nighthawk
Stingray
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Post by hondobrode on Jul 28, 2016 22:57:04 GMT -5
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Crimebuster
CCF Podcast Guru
Making comics!
Posts: 3,958 
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Post by Crimebuster on Jul 29, 2016 1:16:27 GMT -5
John Kowalski (War is Hell) Preach it! I love John Kowalski  When I met Chris Claremont last year, the first thing I had him sign was War Is Hell #9. He was flummoxed. I don't think anyone ever asked him to sign that book before. Everyone else in line had copies of Wolverine #1 and X-Men #137 or whatever. |
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Post by Prince Hal on Jul 29, 2016 7:43:02 GMT -5
John Kowalski (War is Hell) Preach it! I love John Kowalski When I met Chris Claremont last year, the first thing I had him sign was War Is Hell #9. He was flummoxed. I don't think anyone ever asked him to sign that book before. Everyone else in line had copies of Wolverine #1 and X-Men #137 or whatever. See, this is why we love comics. A hidden gem like War is Hell is like a neglected film great. It really was an excellent little series, and because it was essentially on the periphery of the Marvel Universe -- heck, maybe it actually wasn't in it -- the creators could do things a little differently than they might have otherwise. Can't remember now, and my compulsive nature will make me check, but I don't thinl there was even a whiff of the Nick Fury version of WW2 in that series, was there? Addendum: Quick check of Wikipedia says no, but Claremont did use Kowalski again in Man-Thing and then in a Scarlet Witch story as an "aspect of Death." |
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Post by brutalis on Jul 29, 2016 8:12:45 GMT -5
The list of second string and third string or even fourth string hero's and villains is endless. But so many captured my imagination in ways the big stars never could or would. I followed Hawkeye wherever his travels took him from Avengers to Daredevil, into Marvel Team-Up and into Defenders. I had one issue of Sub-Mariner with Stingray but the idea of an scientific oceanographer who so loved the ocean and would devote his life to creating and building his own diving suit capable of going toe to toe with Namor and Tigershark and allowing him the freedom of the seas and a friend like Triton just had me from the first instance.
But above them all at the time was the B-Team of all teams lead by an A-lister: the Kooky Quartet better known as the Avengers as lead by Captain America. Who couldn't love the defiantly irksome archer Hawkeye. The one hex wonder Wanda the Scarlet Witch. Her arrogantly swift to judge speedster brother Pietro known as Quicksilver. Then adding to the them the always trying to live up to everyone's expectation and coming up short even with every giant attempt Hank Pym as Ant-Man/Giant-Man/Goliath/Yellowjacket and his tag along girlfriend/soon to be wife the demure Wasp. Mix in royalty of The Black Panther and the synthetic man Vision and there you have the perfect mix for fun and frolic! There was just something about this group which i had found that sparked my imagination and i followed them searching stores high and low all through high school and into College.
B lister's came and went but Avenger's remained strong and could always be counted upon.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2016 8:51:17 GMT -5
Favorite DC B (or less) listers: Vixen, Mal Duncan, Lilith, Doom Patrol, Freedom Fighters, Firestorm (Ronnie), Black Orchid, Bat-Girl (Betty Kane), Golden Eagle, Hawk and Dove, Madame Xanadu, Superboy, Bat Lash, Jonah Hex...probably more that I can't remember!
Marvel: Son of Satan, Hellcat, Wonder Man, Firestar, Angel, Hercules, Quicksilver, Star Lord, Daredevil, Valkyrie
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