Back in the 1990s, Marvel Comics debuted ‘Sleepwalker,’ the superheroic adventures of a strange creature from a sleep-dimension (I think that’s in the mall, where they sell the beds with the numbers) who fought crime in the mainstream Marvel U. Though the book was much maligned, partly due to Marvel editorial declared that it was ‘Sandman done right!’, even though there’s nothing wrong with Neil Gaiman’s magnum opus, Sleepwalker still has fans, including Robert Kirkman, who used Sleepy as a primary character in Marvel Team-Up a few years ago. ‘Walker’s status as 1990s refugee actually reminds me of the rather shabby treatment of Iron Fist in the mid-80s, before the creators who grew up with him started writing the books and treating them with the same respect as Marvel’s 1960’s stalwarts.
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) feels like a Sleepwalker right now, after two 12-hour breakless shifts, asking: What character most deserves another shot at greatness?
19 Comments
I always thought Slapstick had the potential to be a pretty decent character. I was happy that he showed up in Civil War and The Initiative, but I think with the right creative team he could have a decent title of his own. Sure, he’s a living cartoon character, but he essentially has more power than he realizes since he can somewhat warp reality to a degree.
And as I’ve been mentioning every time a question like this comes up, I think it is about time G’nort makes a comeback in the new DCU. I honestly think he has the potential to be a great character without changing who he is at the core.
Celeste Rockfish. I think she would make a fun addition to Legion Lost. Personally I would write an arc that involves Celeste showing up to help the Lost Legionaries out of a scrape. Possibly even using a GL Ring. I would add in the complication of her also being a stranded time traveler who can’t let the current Green Lantern Corps know she is around, but not have her be from the 31st Century. I’d also make her a more established in the 21st century with a false identity as a private detective to give the Lostionaries both a touchstone in the 21st century, but add in worry that they may be stranded for a very long time, like she has been.
I don’t know why, but I always thought she was a fun character.
I honestly can’t think of one on my own, but I gotta second this recommendation. But until Legion Lost stops with its “I can’t tell my teammates about my secret/my true mission/some nebulous prophecy!” stuff, I can’t justify reading it.
I would like to see Adrian Chase as the Vigilante again. In the new 52, he could show up. In today’s comics, an amoral hero is nothing new, but when you have a hero that regrets the pain he inflicts, and has a job that he believes in, and believes in the law, that could be some serious drama they were not ready for in the 80’s.
A second character I would like to see return is Grendel. I really enjoyed Christine Spar and always wished her story was longer.
The Queen’s Rebellious Daughter :-)
You didn’t say it had to be comics!!!
In the 90’s sleepwalker vein, I always enjoyed an anti-hero/villain that fought spider-man named Cardiac. He had a cool costume and weapons and was also African-American if I remember correctly.
I would love to read another Longshot limited series. Nocenti and Adams captured something special in that limited series and I’d like to see his story continue beyond his time in the X-Men in a story that isn’t crap.
Hitman! I got every comic that was put out on him. I was disappointed when they cancelled it.
I guess I should say the DC comics – Hitman that was created by the aliens that came to earth to eat humans but somehow created a bunch of superheroes in the process.
Ambush Bug and Space Ghost
Yes. And the Herculoids.
Monica Rambeau, who never should have had the name of Captain Marvel taken away from her
Stiltman
For me it’s a pair of characters, which, in this case, is NOT breaking the rules because you simply can’t have one without the other: Cloak and Dagger. I’m even fine with them keeping the recent role-reversal that occurred in Spider-Island. But, please, distance them from Spider-Man, which means taking them out of New York. They’ve always had urban roots, so I’d like to see them uprooted and placed in a quieter setting with more character driven stories (and to be used for something other than a plot device). Marvel NOW!, anyone?
Darkhawk. In the original armor as drawn by Mike Manley in Darkhawk#1-12. But, with a little less focus on his alter ego Chris Powell, or maybe pass the DH amulet on to another. As long as it’s not another teenage angst filled secret identity…..
Chris Powell was pretty much Peter Parker, only dumb as a box of rocks. Phillipe Bazin was, for all intents and purposes, the Miami Vice version of Norman Osborn, which made the comparison even more acute for me…
I want to see Songbird on the Avengers, like we were promised in Avengers Forever.
I always felt that with the right creative team and the right promotional push, Quasar had the potential to be an A-list character, as important to the MU as Green Lantern is to the DCU.
I’d like the Loners back, but only written by BKV. Darkhawk, Lightspeed, Turbo and Ricochet together again.