NationStates Jolt Archive

*Inspired by the Superman is Jesus thread*

In America, our comic industry has created such superheroes as Superman, Batman, Captain America, Captain Marvel (Shazam for some of you.) and so forth.

However, Our (American) Comic companies Marvel, DC, and others also strive to create Heroes of and for other Nations... sometimes even buying the rights from companies from other Nations.

I just know that other nations also create their own superheroes... or do they?

what Homebrewed SuperHeroes were created by your comic industries. England, Spain, Japan, Australia, etc... what comic fantasies do you or your kids read about.

What is interesting is how multinational the superheros are even from american companies.

Nightcrawler is german, Colossus is russian. Magneto I believe originally was...polish? Eastern European at least.

Superman was technically not even human at all.

A lot of comic book superheroes and villians aren't American.

What is interesting is how multinational the superheros are even from american companies.

Nightcrawler is german, Colossus is russian. Magneto I believe originally was...polish? Eastern European at least.

Superman was technically not even human at all.

A lot of comic book superheroes and villians aren't American.
true, but take Marvel.

Captain Britian is a Marvel UK creation. so I really cannot say if he is truly a British creation or an American one... if anyone knows, your answer would be grateful.

Japan has or had Cutey Honey, Kikaida, Captain Atom and a whole army of God Robots that are unmistakenably Japanese in origin. heck, some may argue that Godzilla is also a superhero! :D

so what heroes sprang from the minds and soil of other countries? that's my question.

*Inspired by the Superman is Jesus thread*

In America, our comic industry has created such superheroes as Superman, Batman, Captain America, Captain Marvel (Shazam for some of you.) and so forth.

However, Our (American) Comic companies Marvel, DC, and others also strive to create Heroes of and for other Nations... sometimes even buying the rights from companies from other Nations.

I just know that other nations also create their own superheroes... or do they?

what Homebrewed SuperHeroes were created by your comic industries. England, Spain, Japan, Australia, etc... what comic fantasies do you or your kids read about.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4312547.stm

I don't know about nations other than the USA, but as another poster has said, many comic characters are from other countries. In DC's 52, there was a team in China called the Great Ten.

What is interesting is how multinational the superheros are even from american companies.

Nightcrawler is german, Colossus is russian. Magneto I believe originally was...polish? Eastern European at least.

Superman was technically not even human at all.

A lot of comic book superheroes and villians aren't American.
according to wikipedia he's polish.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4312547.stm
hmm... I wouldn't mind seeing what adventures these get into as well as their storylines...

Among them is Aya, whose father was murdered in front of her, and her mother blamed - effectively leaving her to grow up as an orphan. She is adopted by an underground fighting organisation that turns her into the Princess Of Darkness.

Another characters are Zein, known as The Last Pharaoh, who was transported from Ancient Egypt in a time capsule; Jalila, who developed superhuman powers after surviving a nuclear explosion; and Rakan, a warrior with a magic sword from ancient Arabia.

What is notable about Middle East Heroes is that the female models are at least as powerful as their male counterparts. Jalila is most powerful character in terms of abilities.

THe most pathetic 'super' hero has to be this one:
http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/c/capeuro.jpg
CAPTAIN EURO!!!

Yes, a man so cool he's named after a currency.
What next?
Baron Pfennig?
Nickel-and-Dime man?

Okay, bad start with the name. But mayhaps it gets better.
Let's see what his superpowers are:

Powers/Abilities: Physically, Captain Euro is in peak condition. He also has a knack for languages.

Ah...that's it?
He's in good shape and can speak a couple of languages?

Man, is Europe so doomed.

Here's some more lame heros:
Lame-ass heros of the World!! (http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/r/restwrld.htm)

Lame, except for this one:
http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/o/octobriana.jpg
I don't care what her powers are.
Any chick that carries a gun and uses a teatowel to hide her enormous knockers is A-OK in my book.

Dr Who embodies the British approach to superheroism, really. It is quick thinking and empathy, not force, that ultimately saves the day.

I don't care what her powers are.
Any chick that carries a gun and uses a teatowel to hide her enormous knockers is A-OK in my book.

You can tell I'm not a "breast" man, by the way I'm put off by her too close together eyes and lack of a nose...

Dr Who embodies the British approach to superheroism, really. It is quick thinking and empathy, not force, that ultimately saves the day.
And 'Hulk' embodies the US approach.
It's mindless overwheming brute strength that appears to be the best (read: only) option.

You can tell I'm not a "breast" man, by the way I'm put off by her too close together eyes and lack of a nose...
In this pic, she has a nose (albeit a small one) and her eyes are a bit further apart:
http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/o/octobria.jpg
Oh, and her breasts are bigger.

New Zealand has only ever had one 'superhero', as far as I'm aware:
http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/c/capsunsh.jpg
CAPTAIN SUNSHINE!!!

(Why is it, they're always called 'Captain'? Do none of them ever do well enough to get promoted?)

Came out in the early 80's. It was a gimick comic, trying to sell a solar-powered watch. Failed miserably, so the first issue was also the last.
IIRC, he had the 'powers of the rainbow' or some crappy thing like that. It was ecological too, if my memory serves me correctly.

Only bit of interest about it is that it was the first comic Colin Wilson illustrated (you can tell, cause the captain looks like a dwarf or something. His proportions are just all wrong). He went on to work for 2000AD, on Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper and then eventually onto some popular French comics.

I remember (no idea why I do) as a kid there being a huge promotion for the comic and I also remember a few weeks later seeing bundles of them (like 20 or 30 in each pile) being sold for a $1, maybe less. Someone should have told them that superheros should not grace their covers smiling inanely. They're meant to be tough intimidating mufus.

Wish I had bought some now. There's prob some comic-obsessives out there who would buy them. Especially as it's Wilson's first work.

I don't think a national superhero would be a great success in Germany...

I don't think a national superhero would be a great success in Germany...
Why not?
He could be called 'Captain Übermensch'.

Surely there's no way anyone could find that upsetting or in poor taste.

Superman was a Canadian invention, but is officially American property. Canada has... Wolverine? He's from Alberta.

THe most pathetic 'super' hero has to be this one:
http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/c/capeuro.jpg
CAPTAIN EURO!!!

Yes, a man so cool he's named after a currency.
What next?
Baron Pfennig?
Nickel-and-Dime man?

Okay, bad start with the name. But mayhaps it gets better.
Let's see what his superpowers are:


Ah...that's it?
He's in good shape and can speak a couple of languages?

wow. thats stupid. whats his weqapon? euro coins?? how pathetic!

Superman was a Canadian invention, but is officially American property. Canada has... Wolverine? He's from Alberta.

That's better than having Superman, anyway, in my book.

wow. thats stupid. whats his weqapon? euro coins?? how pathetic!

No silly. His powers are the essence of Europe. :)

Superman was a Canadian invention, but is officially American property. Canada has... Wolverine? He's from Alberta.

Wolverine.... *drools

No silly. His powers are the essence of Europe. :)
huh??

Wolverine.... *drools

*offers Cabra a handkercheif*

huh??

Ah nevermind.

http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/k/kaptsver.jpg

Kapten Sverige. Very short-lived, luckily. He apparently fought lizard Nazis, as you can see.

Mexico has a number of superheros. There are old ones like Kalimán ( http://www.kaliman.com.mx/kal_16.html ) who started as a radio character, and Chanoc ( http://www.chanoc.net/ ), a kind of Tarzan that lives in the Mexican jungles with his uncle Tsekub. Los Supersabios These are still very clean-cut goody-good characters like most superheros everywhere in the world.

Lately, they've been not so perfect, but lots more fun. Like Cerdotado ( http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/c/cerdota2.htm ) addicted to porn and easily corruptable; or Hombre-Man ( http://losmiserables.com.mx/hombrem.htm ) whose concept of justice is somewhat personal.

Superman was a Canadian invention, but is officially American property. Canada has... Wolverine? He's from Alberta.

They've got Alpha Force. It includes Bigfoot.

Er... Sasquatch.

Mexico has a number of superheros. There are old ones like Kalimán ( http://www.kaliman.com.mx/kal_16.html ) who started as a radio character, and Chanoc ( http://www.chanoc.net/ ), a kind of Tarzan that lives in the Mexican jungles with his uncle Tsekub. Los Supersabios These are still very clean-cut goody-good characters like most superheros everywhere in the world.

Lately, they've been not so perfect, but lots more fun. Like Cerdotado ( http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/c/cerdota2.htm ) addicted to porn and easily corruptable; or Hombre-Man ( http://losmiserables.com.mx/hombrem.htm ) whose concept of justice is somewhat personal.

Wait... Hombre-man? Wouldn't that translate into Man-Man?

Wait... Hombre-man? Wouldn't that translate into Man-Man?
No, it would be Man-Hombre :D

No silly. His powers are the essence of Europe. :)


Eeeeewwwwww! Euro juice. :eek:

http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/k/kaptsver.jpg

Kapten Sverige. Very short-lived, luckily. He apparently fought lizard Nazis, as you can see.

No, that's the Nazi Dinosaurs that will return if gay marriage is legalized. Thus sayeth the holy book of Drawn Together.

The UK and the USA same exactly the same superheroes.

As far as British superheros go, there's Captain Britain of course, and Excalibur in general, Pete Wisdom (I think that's his name), Psylocke (though she's part of the X-men in America at the moment) currently, and I think there was Spitfire (female speedster) and Blackjack during WW2.

That's just Marvel...

http://www.majorgrooves.co.uk/uploaded_images/bananaman_globe-736664.jpg

Its all about banana man

No, that's the Nazi Dinosaurs that will return if gay marriage is legalized.

You don't know much about Sweden, do you?

so from what I gather so far, the characters from Marvel (an American company) are or were orginally drawn and made from their respective countries...

I do believe Captain Britian did have his own series that was published only in the UK, and that (I Think) Marvel bought the rights for him and others. but does that also include Sabra (Isreal), Black Panther (Africa) Sunfire (Japan) or are they American created characters 'Assigned' to a country?

As far as British superheros go, there's Captain Britain of course, and Excalibur in general, Pete Wisdom (I think that's his name), Psylocke (though she's part of the X-men in America at the moment) currently, and I think there was Spitfire (female speedster) and Blackjack during WW2.

That's just Marvel...
There was also Marvelman. He was renamed Miracleman for the US market after Marvel threatened to sue.
He was a total Shazam-ripoff. Yell out 'Kimota' and he'd change into a superpowerful hero. He was around in the 50's and 60s originally.

Alan Moore then reinvented him and wrote an awesome series back in the '80s for a very short-lived comic called 'Warrior'.
In it, he's just an ordinary guy with no memory of being Miracleman and is having terrible nightmares. He does change into Miracleman, with all his memories returned but finds that no-one has ever heard of him or his amazing exploits.
He eventually finds out that he was part of an experiment run by the British military and he had been kept under sedation for years. All his memories were just Matrix-like dreams designed to test him and his abilities.
Eventually the military decided he was too powerful to keep alive and tried to kill him in a nuclear bomb test.
Great premise for a comic (or even a movie, imo).


A few years later it was picked up by a US comic outfit and coloured (said colouring/printing was appalling - smeared out all the details). Moore then wrote a few more issues (thank God! When Warrior ended, Marvel/Miracleman was human and unable to change back. The last panel ended with him facing being eaten by a huge Marveldog, which looked like a cross between a rotty and a kimodo dragon.
Unfortunately, the American artist for the new issues was absolute shit.
After 6 or so issues, Moore stopped and Neil Gamman took over (and a much better artist too) - one of the first (if not the first) series Gamman ever wrote.
Entire series went for 24 or 25 issues (including the Warrior reprints, which were the first 6 issues)

Worth hunting down.

Unfortunately, due to legal copyright wranglings, it was only collected into a book form once, which quickly went out of print.
I was interested in buying it once (in NZ, the shop that stocked them went out of business around issue 14, so I've only ever read to there) and ebayed Miracleman.
Bloody things were being offered for $300US for all 3 volumes. Right now I see someone's wanting $325US for the whole 24 issue run.

Anyway, back to heroes in UK: there's also Dan Dare.
And Judge Dredd, but he's set in America.