Ten Power Trios

Lots of heroes go solo exclusively, others work exclusively in groups.  Some, like Batman and Luke Cage, prefer a single partner in their feats of derring-do.

But what about those elusive three-person combos?

Welcome to Ten Things!

Whooshman-Bicarbonate Films, in conjunction with ‘An Amateur Comics Historian’, and ‘the Pep Boys: Manny, Mo And Jack’, Presents:

TEN POWER TRIOS!

10) TEAM CW

One of the great joys of Flash Season 1 is seeing a shared-universe concept working week-to-week on the small screen, and when Green Arrow and Firestorm arrived as the cavalry in the battle against the Big Bad, I cheered a little.  Inside.  Quietly..  Though they quickly disappeared after the fight, it was and is incredibly exciting to see a proto-Justice League in TV action for the first time.

Because that thing from the 90s with Major Winchester as the Martian Manhunter?  Never.  Happened.

9) BAKARYU SENTAI ABARANGER

Because of the American adaptation starting with ‘Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers,’ most casual fans expect a Super Sentai team to always have five members, but there is a grand tradition of a three-man team, dating all the way back to 1981’s Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan.  Abaranger, like Liveman and Hurricaneger before it, began with a team of three heroes in primary colors, as well as some seriously excellent design-work.

8) TRIPLE TERROR

By 1943, everybody who was anybody in comics had a costume and a cool name, and the Brandon Triplets (Bruce, Richard and Barton) wanted to get in on that action.  Traveling the world and using their skills and knowledge, they became Menta (with mind powers), Chemix (whose mastery of chemistry was so wondrous as to be a super-power) and Lectra (who was equally skilled with electronics), plying their trades in fifty-odd issues of United Feature’s ‘Tip-Top Comics.’

7) THE WHIZ KIDS

Loving tributes to the hip Teen Titans tales of yore, Kid Galahad (who is totally NOT Robin), Cyclone (who is totally NOT Kid Flash) and Moray (who is a melange of Aqualad and Wonder Girl in one character), were the sidekicks of major heroes working to make their own place in the world.  As with all the Big Bang heroes, their adventures were wonderfully familiar to long-time comic readers, and they eventually grew up to become the Whizzards, with a few new (not at all Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven) members.

6) JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS

5) THE HEROIC TRIO

The team of Wonder Woman, The Invisible Girl and Thief-Catcher came together while trying to stop the schemes of (or, in Invisible Girl’s case, in the actual employ of) the villainous Evil Master.  The three heroes fight one another, then embrace their similarities to bring down Evil Master together, in an over-the-top but deeply enjoyable mix of comic book and martial arts movies.  If you haven’t seen it, ya probably should (just watch out for the flying babies.)

4) THE SONS OF THE TIGER

Lin Sun, Bob Diamond and the unstoppable Abraham Brown are the Sons Of The Tiger, thanks to their magic amulets and devotion to the martial arts teaching of Master Kee.  Given that they’re still at large in the Marvel Universe, part of me wants to see a big full-scale Sons reunion, with ‘Enter The Dragon’ references and high stakes, and maybe a guest-spot by Shang-Chi.  In any case, they’re the three greatest heroes that Marvel forgot…

3) WHOOZIS, WHATSIS & HOWZIS

This one is a little bit of a cheat, since all three of ‘The Freak Super-Heroes’ are actually Robby Reed in disguise, but since you’re still here and didn’t revolt on me about the Pussycats, I figure you’re an okay Joe, Jane and/or Joe-Jane.  Outré even for Robby’s wacky super-antics, they’re still the first thing that comes to mind for most readers when you mention ‘Dial H For Hero,’ and the idea of a living superball, boomerang and pinball machine putting the smackdown on evil never fails to bring a smile to my face…

2) THE POWERPUFF GIRLS

Sugar!  Spice!  And Everything Nice!  Plus a secret ingredient, Chemical X (originally written to be ‘A Can Of Whoopass’, back when the team was conceived as ‘The Whoopass Girls’), these elements gave rise to the most adorable avengers of evil ever assembled.  Though the art style is intentionally cute and the heroes are kindergarten-age girls, the Powerpuff Trio’s adventures are remarkably traditional superhero antics, even if you consider that their main villains are an intelligent chimpanzee and an effeminate lobster-devil.  Bonus points for making it clear that human emotions exist on a spectrum, and that tomboy Buttercup and ditzy Bubbles are just as heroic as sister Blossom…

1) HUEY, DEWEY & LOUIE

Hyper-competent Junior Woodchuck scouts, our boys are occasionally mischief-makers, but are always ready to help out Unca Donald or Unca Scrooge in their schemes.  World-travelers, the sons of Donald’s sister Della/Dumbella (depending on the writer), they are among the most popular comic-characters in the world, appearing in dozens of languages.  Hands down the best part of their history though is the fact that, while they wear color-coded hats (and sometimes shirts), those colors can vary, leading to the realization that the boys are intentionally messing with people’s heads by borrowing each others’ hats, giving them a psychological edge and probably more than a few yuks…

Feel free to follow along (@MightyKingCobra) for more Ten Things madness on Twitter! As with any set of like items, these aren’t meant to be hard and fast or absolutely complete because, after all, three IS a magic number.  (Yes, it is!  It’s a magic number.  Somewhere in the ancient mystic trinity, de doodle deedle doodle doo!)

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