Ten Supers With The Power Of Love

It’s a curious thing, making one man weep, making another man sing…  And, in some cases, it gives ya super-powers.

Welcome to Ten Things!

Whooshman-Bicarbonate Films, in conjunction with ‘An Amateur Comics Historian’, and Canadia’s Own Celine Dion, Presents:

TEN SUPERS WITH THE POWER OF LOVE!

10) STAR SAPPHIRE WONDER WOMAN

The creation of the ‘Emotional Spectrum’ is something of a mixed blessing.  One the one hand, it made Green Lantern’s adventures fresh and different after years of the “Green Vs. Yellow” battle, but it quickly turned Hal Jordan’s life into an endless series of color-coded wars in space.  During the events of ‘Blackest Night’, a number of DC heroes and villains were chosen by power rings, and the Star Sapphire Corps (whose pink rings embody the emotion of love) chose Princess Diana of Themiscyra as their newest member.  It makes perfect sense for Wonder Woman as a character, the costume looked okay (not something you could say for ALL the Altered State ring-powered heroes & villains) and only the power of a Black Lantern ring could overcome it.  If only we hadn’t followed the good story with six more darn-near identical ones full of flying space-energy rings…

9) STARFOX

Another victim of the changing times, Thanos’ baby bro Eros has gotten a bad rap in recent years.  Fortunately, we’re here to praise Starfox, not to try him for statutory crimes.  With the ability to trigger good feelings in the pleasure centers of the brain, he lives up to the name Eros (AKA Cupid, for those not up to speed on their mythology.)  In the long-lost world of the 1980s, that didn’t *have* to mean anything sexual or perverse, even if modern readers have problems seeing it as anything but.  Never one of the most exciting Avengers in the firmament, Starfox was nonetheless possessed of an excellent costume and an interesting look, now forever exiled to the heap of heroes marked “Unfortunate Modern Implications.”

8) MEGGAN

Meggan Puceanu is a mutant empath of the Marvel Universe, best known for her long romance with Captain Britain.  As a child, her mutant powers keyed into the emotional states of her family and neighbors, all of whom considered her birth a bad omen of blah blah blah, giving her a monstrous appearance.  When she fell for Captain Britain, she transformed through the power of love into the beautiful superhuman form we know her for, and has remained in that way ever since.  (At one point, she chose the alias ‘Gloriana’, but I don’t know if that’s still in play in her most recent appearances.)

7) MA-TI

The youngest member of The Planeteers, this Brazilian tween is a key part of the team’s ability to summon the mighty Captain Planet, defender of the environment.  Sure, the others have flashier abilities, and his youth tends to make him more emotional and easily manipulated, but without his empathy and caring for others, Captain Planet is just another jerkass flying brick.  Despite all the mockery, Gaia , the embodiment of the very earth itself, explicitly stated that his abilities to key into the passions and emotions of any living being (including telepathically communicating and influencing others) are the most powerful of all the rings, and it’s clear that his kind-hearted and caring nature are why she entrusted it to Ma-Ti.

6) THE SEDUCTRESS

Transformed by an illegal science experiment, alongside a dozen or so other college students, Paula Pophouse gained the power to make anyone fall helplessly in love with her.  Like all her comrades in arms, this was the direct result of her emotional state at the time of the Ax-cell-erator explosion, one of many moments where she wished for a knight in shining armor to come along and save her from her own loneliness.  Paula’s super-career starts somewhat shakily, but she shows great promise in the use of her abilities, even trying hard to not use her powers in unethical ways.  (She doesn’t always succeed.)

5) CONFRONTATION BEAST CHAMELEON-FIST MELE

Years before the Gekirangers (also known as Power Rangers: Jungle Fury), mighty warrior Mele fell in battle, and was resurrected by Black Lion Rio.  Mele found herself smitten with him, and dedicated her life to fighting for his love.  The power behind her feelings was so strong that she was able to save him from the Big Bad, eventually sacrificing herself to save the Gekirangers, and eventually uniting with her beloved lion-headed beau in some strange astral sorta-kinda-afterlife.  If nothing else, you have to admire her motivation, especially as she mellowed from cruel living weapon to happily coupled ghost-woman with freaky-deaky hair.

4) VENUS

Originally believing herself to be the actual Roman goddess of love and such, Agents Of Atlas’ most powerful member was later revealed to be a mythological siren who, ashamed of her strange soulless nature, chose to stop using her song to lure sailors to their doom and instead walked the Earth defeating neer-do-wells with the power of love.  Disheartened by the truth that she had blocked out, Venus nearly gave up on everything, only for teammate Jimmy Woo to remind her of all the good she had done in the decades she believed herself a goddess.  Now, if only we could get Marvel to use her and her awesome team of friends again…

3) SCOTT PILGRIM

In his 7-volume battle against Gideon, his beloved’s evil exes and his own base nature, Scott Pilgrim learned a lot about himself, finally using the Power Of Love to engage the final evil ex in battle…

…aaaaand get himself killed.  Fortunately for young Master Pilgrim, he earned an extra life in a previous volume, which he is able to draw upon and once again confront Gideon on his own terms.  For Scott, at least, the Power Of Understanding proves more powerful than the Power Of Love, but he is able to give girlfriend Ramona his love-sword…  I’m going to rephrase that.  Scott passes this weapon to Ramona so that the two of them can team up against Gideon and bring the ordeal to a close.

2) THE FLASH

“But, Matthew,” you’re saying.  “I though Flashes were all powered by the metaphysical Speed Force thingama!  This is about heroes powered by love!”, you’re saying.  Fair enough, Faithful Spoilerite, but while Wally’s speed comes from that extradimensional plane of velocity, his ability to channel it without losing himself in the process comes from his love for true love Linda Park-West.  (Her brother is named Central.)  That ‘anchor’ point allows Wally to go faster and further than any other speedster, without being absorbed into the sea of speed like Johnny Quick or poor Max Mercury.  In this case, he’s less “powered by” love than he is “governed by” or “tethered by” love, which I think actually sounds better…

1) GARNET

The most powerful of the Crystal Gems (defenders of the Earth, protectors against the tyranny of their own people, de facto parents to gem/human hybrid boy-child Steven Universe), Garnet is unique, even among the heroes on this list.  As a gem fusion, she represents the combined essences of gems Ruby and Sapphire, describing herself as a living representation of their loving relationship.  Other heroes may be driven by love, or use its powers for good, Garnet’s triumphant “I Am” song says it best: She is made of love, and it’s stronger than any of her foes.

Plus, her hair looks fantastic.

Thanks to Faithful Spoilerite Marcelo Poblete for this edition’s theme!  If you want to suggest another set of Ten Things, feel free to follow along (@MightyKingCobra) for more madness on Twitter! As with any set of like items, these aren’t meant to be hard and fast or absolutely complete, especially since we don’t have Gene Simmons, Doctor Love on this list…

Either way, the comments section is Below for just such an emergency, but, as always: Please, no wagering!