There are many approaches to characters who have the same name in comics. Historically, DC Comics has given alternate versions their own Earth, with increasing difficulty and levels of complexity as we go. (For instance, there are now FOUR separate realities that have been designated ‘Earth-2.’) Historically, Marvel Comics has shunted the old guys to the side without prejudice (witness poor Mattie Franklin, or the super-alias history of poor Monica Rambeau), but in the last few years, they’ve taken to just letting all the characters do their thing separately. Spider-Man Miles Morales and Spider-Man Peter Parker both swing through the skies of New York, while three Angels hang out at the Jean Grey Academy and the Wolverines multiply and regenerate, leading to today’s eponymous query…
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) enjoys the adventures of Spider-Woman (Stacy), Spider-Woman (Parker) and Spider-Woman (Drew) enough to look past it, even as two of them are in the same book, asking: How bothered are you by having multiple character share the same name, ala MIles and Peter?
3 Comments
Extremely bothered, if original is still around, active and with same name. Not at all if its a real successor story and not a gimmick. I love legacy characters, like Justice Society does it. Love the JSA “New Beginning” run where old guys started to gather new team by tracking young relatives of golden age heroes and persuading them to join. That’s how it should be done and that is one of my favorite type of super hero stories.
On the other hand, I loathe shock value changes just because, especially if new person is already someone we know. Never like them. Only thing it does to me is ruin two characters I might like. If I feel its done “just because” without real story reason, like they really couldn’t tell this with existing characters I cant help but to feel it underestimates my intelligence by forcing something down my throat and telling me to like it and on top of that pretending it wasn’t done just for sales.
Don’t like Falcon as Cap, because I find both fine as their own hero. Also, Captain America works for me because it IS the guy from 40’s who really fought in WW2 and is the moral compass of all the heroes in Marvel Universe. If its not that guy it might be just any tool waving the flag. Make Falcon cool on his own, don’t try to shoehorn him in the role he cant possibly fill. If Cap is out and/or dead, that shield belongs to museum or display case in Avengers mansion. No one else can carry it. I know I contradict myself here with liking JSA and everything, but to me, this is different. Let Stark come up with something different than that old shield for the new guy with stars and stripes spandex.
I could be okay with new Cap if its some Age of Apocalypse type story where they bring out Cap’s shield as a more booster or symbol in desperate situation where everything is run over by super Hydra from the future or something.
Don’t like two Thors at all, its stupid gimmick, especially because of the hammer and Nordic pantheon thing. Theres only one Thor, none of that “Odinson” crap, its the guys real given name. If hes not Thor, then no one is. That’s the whole point of pantheon, they have specific jobs for specific gods. In Greek mythology, its not like Apollo can suddenly take Hades’ job as God of the Dead and do that on Sundays. If Hades isn’t there, dead are walking on the streets, no one dies and everything goes nuts. And I don’t buy “but its Marvel and not real Nordic gods”. Neither of them are real, but there are established rules for this stuff. Also, the way it was announced rubs me the wrong way, it feels like pandering.
Miles is alright, because hes from alternate universe, but its not a good idea have him and Peter around at same time. Mentoring angle doesn’t work well either if Peter is still young, fit and got powers. Remember all that “with great power” thing? He doesn’t just quit as long as he can do that. He can take an apprentice when hes like 50 or something.
Kamala as Ms Marvel is fine, because shes her own character and Carol is Captain Marvel now. Its a succession story and works. It also didnt change Carol to completely different character, her rank and costume changed, that’s all.
It depends on the characters, the context, the setting and other things, but I’m probably split down the middle. In some cases it doesn’t sit well with me, but in others I’m completely fine with it.
I don’t care for it..