It’s a sad truth of the Silver Age of Comics that most of the heroes were interchangeable ciphers. As the Bronze Age dawned, comic book heroes gained rudimentary defining characteristics: Green Arrow became a loudmouth, Hawkman a hot-head, and Green Lantern a loner/jerk. In the modern age, characters can change their personalities entirely with each new writer (witness Hawkeye, whose no-killing credo was a defining point in the 80s, stumping for the murder of Norman Osborn during the Bendis run on Avengers) but it seems that most of them are unlikable modern anti-hero jerks. Even Captain America has had a hard time of it these days, but primary Green Lantern Hal Jordan has it worst of all, in my eyes, given that his new characterization expands on his Silver Age fearlessness to make him utterly without tact or forethought, instead getting by on sheer bull-headedness. It’s really a shame, given all the cool stories that established Hal as a stalwart hero and decent man back in the day, which leads us to today’s jerkwad query…
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) is most frustrated at the fact that Hal’s bravado has no basis in action, instead coming across as adolescent posturing, asking: What character’s modern personality traits do you find yourself disliking the most?
7 Comments
I gotta go with New 52 Hal Jordan in Justice
League. In addition of being a jerk, he did absolutely nothing to base his confidence in. Got his ass handed to him first by Superman (that was a good fight though, first time in years Superman wasnt sold short), then Darkseid, yet he kept on yapping. Hes supposed to be a leader Green Lantern Corps, for guardians’ sake!
Couldn’t have said it better myself. I haven’t much liked Hal since some time ago (maybe even before Kyle Rayner came along), but his personality and characterization has gone nowhere but down in my opinion.
Optimus Prime used to be like a mix between John Wayne and Abraham Lincoln. True he tried to sacrifice his life at the drop of a hat but he was the kind of character you could really look up to as a kid. Now I’ve got a war damaged sadist that before he rips someone’s face off TELLS them whats going to happen.
Yeeowtch. What incarnation is that?
Brainiac 5, all the way. His treatment over the past decade has lost all nuance (and any real difference from Vril Dox) as he became an elitist, arrogant ass.
Of course, this may not matter anymore in the New 52 all Justice League all the time model…
Cyclops being a complete douchebag.
Unpopular opinion alert: Wolverine becoming a “badass with a heart of gold” and a mentor to a series of teenage female x-men (kitty pryde, jubilee, armor).