Is the world ready for another Fantastic Four movie?

Here’s how it goes. Back in the 80’s, Marvel was hard up for cash so somebody had the bright idea to sell the movie rights to some of the popular characters. Constantin Studio brought the rights in 1992 and made a very low budget version of Fantastic Four in 1994 but was never released. They did press and appearances with the actors who thought the movie would be released but the studio had no intention of doing so. It was a ruse to maintain the rights. Then in 2004, 20th Century Fox got the movie rights to the Fantastic Four and produced a movie in 2005. A sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, was soon released in 2007. After an eight-year break from the franchise, the studio decided to do a reboot of the Fantastic Four in 2015.

Let’s be clear. None of these adaptions were overall well received by fans or the industry. These movies received hard criticism from all levels. When you think about the high level of Marvel movies from Blade to The Ant Man and the Wasp, you have to see the difference in the Fantastic Four movies. Just not up to par. I personally didn’t think the 2005 movie was that bad but the Rise of the Silver Surfer when Reed was in the disco lost me. The 2015 reboot was nothing but trash and was a shadow of what the FF truly is. In 2009, Disney acquired the rights to Marvel Entertainment. In 2017, Disney acquired the rights to 20th Century Fox Film and Television. So now you see how this all comes together and how we are having this conversation now.

The Fantastic Four #1 debuted with Marvel Comics in 1961. With the success of the Justice League over in their competitor’s line up, Marvel wanted its own team book. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were put to the task. With what was called the “Marvel Method” of creating back then the story of exactly who came up with the concept is a little blurred but both men take equal credit. However, Stan Lee can take credit for adding the infamous tagline “The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine”. What makes the Fantastic Four different from any other team is that it is about a family.

The original team consisted of Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic, who can stretch his body part to unknown limits; Susan Storm Richards, The Invisible Woman, Reed’s wife who can bend light to create force fields and turn invisible; Johnny Storm, The Human Torch, second character to take that name, Sue Storms brother who had the ability to burst into flames and fly; and last but not least, Benjamin Grimm, The Thing, Reed’s best friend who was endowed with superhuman strength at the price of a hideous rock appearance. The original concept, which has changed over the years due to changing times and to keep things current, was that the team embarked on a scientific mission into space to gain an advantage in the cold war.

While in space the ship was bombarded with cosmic rays which transformed the team and gave them fantastic powers. They were to be portrayed as a dysfunctional yet loving family unit. A family with all the problems of a regular family, the bickering, the secrets, the loyalty, everything. As time went on, members of the team would go and return being replaced by others who would join their family. Eventually, Reed and Sue would marry and have children which would solidify the family motif. The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine was a fixture in Marvel comics representing for over 50 years.

Then in 2015 Marvel announced it was canceling the Fantastic Four comic.

Although Marvel had said that they were canceling Fantastic Four to give it a break for a while, others speculated that Marvel wasn’t pleased with what Fox was doing with the movie rights. It was believed that Marvel didn’t want to promote or be associated with what Fox was doing. Who could blame them? Especially after the 2015 fiasco. The 2015 Fantastic Four movie grossed a mere $25,000,000.00 in its first weekend and a worldwide gross of approximately $167,000,000.00. Much lower than the other films. The plot swayed away from the original concept and this FF did not have the same family feel. I personally was thrown off by Johnny and his dad being Black and Sue being adopted. Sue Storm wasn’t even part of the mission that got them the powers but received her powers as an after effect of the mission. It was a mess.

Meanwhile, in comics, the end of the Secret Wars storyline found Reed and Sue going out to explore a new multiverse with their children Franklin and Val. Ben Grimm went in space to travel with the Guardians of the Galaxy and Johnny Storm served as a liaison for the Inhumans. When Marvel revived the classic Marvel Two-In-One with the Thing, he teamed up with Johnny Storm the Human Torch. Their quest would eventually lead to bringing the band back together. August 2018, The Fantastic Four was back on the comic racks. Fans were excited because now that the movie rights were back under Marvel control through Disney there was a new call for a new movie. A movie done right. Fans know that with the winning formula Marvel has so far with its properties they could finally do a movie worthwhile. But are we really ready for another Fantastic Four movie?

Speculation is that we could see another FF movie by 2020 but I think we might need a little more time to get the taste of the last one from our mouths. With the introduction of Captain Marvel and the Skrulls in that movie in 2019, there is definitely a place for the Fantastic Four. The Fantastic Four origin story has already been done twice with a lackluster response from critics and fans. Including Dr Doom is too predictable.

How can this work?

For the next phase of Marvel, they should start by mentioning Latveria and a college kid genius named Reed Richards. We don’t even need to see them just know that they exist in this universe. Then, by 2020, you can have a Reed Richards show up to advise Captain Marvel, Black Panther, or Scott Lang or even tutor Peter Parker for college prep. You must do an origin story. There’s no getting around that. This time you do it the Marvel way. For your first movie reboot, you go classic: Mole Man. You introduce Victor Von Doom but you don’t do Dr. Doom until the sequel because trust me there will be a sequel. You can even wait and do Dr Doom in the third movie and do the Negative Zone in the sequel. You don’t have to rush it. The main goal should also be to build up to your next big event. Your next Infinity War. That would be Galactus coming to Earth.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe would do the Fantastic Four the way they were meant to be done: as a family of adventurers. They are not superheroes. Jack Kirby said in his version of the Fantastic Four creation that he modeled them after his DC Comics creation Challengers of the Unknown. The same basic concept just the FF have powers. The MCU would know what 20th Century Fox got wrong which is how to portray the characters. Once again, however, this is something that must be built up. You can’t just jump right into another Fantastic Four movie after the other failures, especially the last one, which is still so fresh. Best bet is to give it at least 4 or 5 years. 2022 I think we should be ready and the set up would be primed.

Are we ready for another Fantastic Four movie? In my opinion, not yet.

Give us some feedback and let us know what you think of the opinion stated on this site.

Kenny Walker Jr

Sometimes the power of a superhero can be overwhelming. They can be created so powerfully that they seem impossible to defeat. Superman can move mountains; Green Lantern can do anything in his imagination and Thor is literally a God. However, for all their power there are some drawbacks. They do have weaknesses. 

Superman Kryptonite

Let’s tackle the obvious and easiest one first. As we all know Superman was born on another planet which was destroyed. Apparently, shards from the destroyed planet can weaken Superman and even kill him and small meteorites have made their way to Earth to keep the man of steel humble.

Green Lantern yellow

The Guardians power ring choose Hal Jordan to become a Green Lantern because he was fearless and with this ring, he can do whatever his mind can create. Green Lantern can combat any foe that he comes across ….as long as the color yellow is not involved. The power of his ring cannot even touch anything yellow meaning if you paint his whole world yellow, he’s just a guy with a glowing green ring.

Green Lantern (Golden Age) wood

The first Green Lanterns ring has more of a mystic background. There is no space corps involved. However, this Green Lanterns weakness is wood. So, if a tree is falling on you and there’s nobody around to save you if this Green Lantern shows up you are still out of luck.

Wonder Woman bound at the bracelets by man

Ok now, this is a bit sexist and slightly pornographic. Wonder Woman’s power rivals that of Superman and she has stood toe to toe with him. One of the things that makes this possible even though he is stronger is her training as an Amazon warrior. However, if an ordinary man happens to be able to sneak up on her and bound her by her bracelets, she is powerless. Considering the times in which she was created, this was a simple fix in making a woman submissive.

Daredevil loud sound

Daredevil is the man without fear. He is blind with heightened senses. He doesn’t need to be able to see. In fact, his heightened senses are much better than sight making him a very formidable superhero. However, if you overload him with noise then you have a good chance of defeating him. You must overload his high senses. Makes sense.

Flash too much Speed

The fastest man alive has a weakness that is his greatest strength. Running too fast. For as powerful as Flash is if he runs too fast, he can destroy himself.

Thor more than a minute away from his hammer

We’re putting this in even though it no longer applies. But this is too classic to let go. when Thor first appeared, he had a human alter ego named Donald Blake which was a handicapped doctor who used a cane to walk. When said doctor tapped this cane on the ground, he became the demigod, Thor. The cane reverted to its true form of Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. Thor had to be connected to his hammer. If the hammer left his side for more than 60 seconds than Thor would revert to Donald Blake. Marvel decided this was a dumb foil and got rid of the concept back in 1984.

Human Torch asbestos

Johnny Storm the Human Torch is a very powerful being. His ability to go supernova and literally be able to destroy everything if he chose is a power to be reckoned with. However, if you happen to have some asbestos on then you can have the fight half won.

Martian Manhunter fire, matches

A lot of people aren’t familiar with the Martian Manhunter. His powers put him in league with Superman and in my opinion, make him even more powerful. He’s got super strength, flight, invulnerability, heat vision, shapeshifting, invisibility, and telepathy. However, if you got some gasoline and light a match to set the whole room on fire than it is literally on. Martians weakness for fire is what helped Batman defeat a room full of Martians in a classic Justice League story.

Firestorm organics

Firestorm the Nuclear Man is very powerful indeed. I mean, come on, he’s the nuclear man. One of his main powers is his ability to transmute objects. So, you try to shoot him with a hail of bullets and he turns them into flowers or cotton balls. He can transmute anything except anything organic. He can not transmute humans or animals in any way.

Shazam & Captain Marvel Jr saying their own names

These two heroes go in together because not only are they related to each other of sorts but they have the same weakness. Shazam used to be called Captain Marvel but because of rights and confusion, he is now called Shazam. However, for Billy Batson to become Shazam he has to say his name for the lightning to strike so if he is in his superhero form and says his name again, he reverts back to Billy Batson. The same applies to Captain Marvel Jr who has to say Captain Marvel to get his powers. In Captain Marvel Jr’s case, this may no longer apply since Shazam has been retconned and Captain Marvel is no longer a thing in the DC universe.

Gladiator self confidence

Gladiator is like a space Superman. You name it he can do it. Strength, speed, slow aging, invulnerability, the whole thing. However, an attack on his ego and give him doubt then you have him right where you want him. For all his grandiose posturing and bravado, if you shake his confidence than the battle is won.

Power Girl raw unprocessed natural material

Power Girl has a slightly confusing background. Originally, she is the Earth 2 cousin of Superman but that has been changed in so many different ways. She is now on an Earth 2 that I care not to go into but that doesn’t change the fact of why she’s on this list. Her weakness is raw unprocessed natural materials. So, man-made bullets she can handle but if you try to drive a wooden stake through her heart like a vampire you are on to something.

Wolverine The Muramasa Blade

Over the years, Wolverine has become annoyingly hard to kill. Don’t get me wrong, Wolverine is a great character but over the years they kept throwing things at him and he would not die. So, what do you do with a character you make too powerful? You create a special sword that can actually kill him. For good.

Adam Strange too long away from Earth

The hero Adam Strange is not so much a hero on earth as he is a hero on the planet Rann. He was drawn there by the zeta beam. However, this is also his weakness. He can not stay away from Earth for more than a year at a time. So even if he’s in the middle of a mission and his year is up, he vanishes back to Earth.

Kenny Walker Jr

We live in a time where it is commonplace to turn a comic book hero into live action. Whether on the silver screen or on your home TV, we seldom have to imagine what our favorite comic book hero would look like if they came to life. Technology in the industry has made even the most complex character able to come alive. But not every character has gotten star treatment as there are tons of characters that have been looked over. Here is our list of DC and Marvel comic book heroes that we feel deserve to be made live action.

1. Elongated Man & Sue Dibny

When I started to write this article, these are the first characters that came to mind. I know we get a taste of Elongated Man on the CW’s Flash but this is different. Before she was killed in Identity Crisis and he was killed in 52, this was the magical DC super couple that made people believe that a hero could love. This could be a rom-com that saves the DC cinematic universe from the darkness they feel they need to be relevant. I know these are B listers that the fans barely know but that’s even more reason that there is little chance this would be messed up. Did you know that the artist used Danny Kaye as a basis to draw Ralph Dibny and Dawn Wells from Gilligans Island to draw Sue Dibny? True story.

2. Legion of Superheroes

Come on, who wouldn’t want to see the story of the future heroes brought to live action. Legion flight rings would be enough for me to say yes. Again, some of these characters have already been on a few CW shows but this would be a much bigger take. Think Star Trek but with every member of the crew having some sort of super power. They could even tie this into the Justice League movie and use the Darkness Saga storyline which features the Legion going up against Darkseid.

3. Freedom Fighters

Freedom Fighters takes place on an Earth where the Nazi won World War II. Uncle Sam, Black Condor, Doll Man, The Ray, Phantom Lady, and the Human Bomb are the leaders of a resistance force set to bring down the Nazi regime. If you marry the movie Red Dawn with the TV show V and gave all the main characters super powers this is the demon love child you would get. I would go see that.

4. All-Star Squadron

All Star Squadron was a DC comic that took place during World War II. In their stories, writers would use actual events that took place in history but would add the fictional characters in the mix as if they were a part of real history. This would not only be good on the big screen but as an ongoing TV show.

5. Wonder Man

Wonder Man, AKA Simon Williams, is the ionically charged superhero in the Marvel Universe that lives in Hollywood as an actor/stuntman when he is not out saving the world with the Avengers. Although he is thought of as a B list hero, he is one of the more powerful heroes in the Avenger books. Yes, he does happen to have a convoluted origin that can be dummied down but to his credit, his brother, the Grim Reaper, would make the perfect villain that the story would need. What would make this interesting is that you can tell a whole struggling actor story and his desire to be a superhero collide to make his life difficult.

6. Multiple Man

Jaime Maddox, the Multiple Man, has already been featured in an X-Man movie. This showing did not give him justice. If you follow the true comic book version of the use of his powers and not make him a guy that can duplicate himself for a fight then you would have an interesting plot. Imagine a guy who can duplicate himself and send his duplicates out into the world to learn different things. Then they come back to the original and get re-absorbed and give the original the knowledge they have learned. You send a duplicate out to learn religion, another duplicate out to learn martial arts and another duplicate out to learn medicine then a few years later they come back to get re-absorbed and you retain their knowledge. You could potentially be the smartest person in the world. Then you can add the conflict of a duplicate not wanting to be re-absorbed or a duplicate turning to evil and now you have quite an interesting movie.

7. Blue Beetle & Booster Gold

Blue Beatle, Ted Kord, and Booster Gold, Michael Carter, were the best part of the Justice League in the late 80’s to early 90’s. Their exploits as heroes who would sometimes screw things up were legendary. But they were true heroes who got the job done. Yes, they were funny but when times got tough they were the ones you could count on. These guys made this list because I think this is the kind of movie the DC Cinematic Universe needs to get them away from the idea that they have to have dark serious movies.

8. Alpha Flight

Alpha Flight is like the Canadian version of the Avengers. Plain and simple but that would be the appeal to this coming to the big screen. What makes this team so dynamic is that it has so many variations of powers. Alpha Flight has mutants, mystics, scientist, alien creatures and mythical creatures that make up this team. You could use the strong ties to Wolverine if you want but you really don’t have to go there. This is a concept that can stand on its own.

9. Shang-Chi

Let’s be honest, Shang Chi is a character created in the 70’s to cash in on the whole Bruce Lee thing. He’s an Asian guy who is arguably the best martial arts fighter in the Marvel universe who happens to have an evil father. This character made the list because if done right with the right actor you could have one of the best martial arts movies made. Again, being honest, the martial arts displayed by Finn Jones as Iron Fist was extremely lacking because you cast a guy who knew nothing about martial arts. This would be Marvel’s chance to give their fans the martial arts kick ass film they deserve.

10. Milestone Line

In 1993, a group of Afro-American artist and writers founded Milestone Media because they felt minority characters were not represented well in the American comic industry. Distributed by DC Comics, they created a universe of minority characters that would become a legendary breakthrough in comics. The most popular character would be Static. But there were also great characters such as Icon and Rocket, Hardware, and the Blood Syndicate. All good characters that could hold a whole movie universe to last at least a good 10 years. Of course, most people want to see a live-action Static but I personally would love to see them take a crack at bringing the Blood Syndicate to life.

11. Blue Marvel

Adam Brashear, Blue Marvel, is not a known character at all. He is relatively new to comics created only about 10 years ago in 2008. His story is an interesting one though. Getting his powers in the 1950’s and fighting crime completely covered because he was a Black man. Although during his heyday in the 50’s and 60’s he was the worlds number one hero he hid his true identity because he knew the world would not accept him if they knew he was a Black man. True to form, in a battle his clothes were torn to reveal to the world he was indeed a man of color he was forced to resign from superhero life and attempt to live out the rest of his life as a private citizen. Then circumstance brings him out of retirement in today’s world. Because of the nature of his powers he has not aged much at all. He fights crime without his mask. With the popularity of Black Panther and the climate for the world regarding people of color, this is the right time to make a movie about a positive Black hero.

12. Moon Knight

I added this on because Moon Knight, AKA Marc Specter, is what everyone wants to see. You know why this character would work? Because he is basically Marvels answer to Batman but with split personalities. If Marvel does not want to put this fan favorite on the big screen than they should at least prepare a series on a streaming service.

That’s our list. Leave comments and let us know if you agree or disagree with our list.

Kenny Walker Jr

After generations of suffering in silence, mental health awareness is now at the forefront of culture. In the world of super heroes and super villains, mental illness is an all too common underlying theme. The casual fans are familiar with the PTSD Batman faced after watching his parents killed but may not know he suffered this same fate after Joker killed Jason Todd, and Jason Todd’s subsequent battle with PTSD as he became The Red Hood.

Casual fans see Two-Face as a prime candidate for Dissociative Identity Disorder but may not catch the Coin Flip is a compulsion from the character’s Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Thanks to the Iron man films, Iron Man faced anxiety and alcoholism, though on a much smaller scale than the groundbreaking 1979 Demon in a Bottle story arc tackling his alcoholism. Dual diagnoses are all too common in real life, and the same goes for these comic multi-verses.

An entire thesis could be presented with every single one of these characters and their respective diagnoses, so this will be a generalized overview. Many people living with mental illness are often dual diagnosed. The most well-known being addiction and depression. Characters like The Comedian from Watchmen and Arsenal from DC turn to drugs and alcohol to cope. However, in many cases, there are multiple mental disorders such as Bi-Polar and Schizophrenic, called Schizo-Effective.

Another combination is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Anxiety. All of which are all too commonly compounded by Depression sprinkled on top. Or in some cases like Deadpool, the Joker, and this humble author, have an amalgam of mental disorders. As mentioned before, Iron Man was a great portrayal of dual diagnosis in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jarvis informed Tony he was having a panic attack, as well as Depression, and PTSD, after the apocalyptic vision Scarlet Witch showed him during Age of Ultron.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is all too common amongst superhero origin stories. Marvel’s Netflix series Jessica Jones brought her battle with PTSD to the small screen.  DC has recently released the title Heroes in Crisis, with the underlying theme of the trauma superheroes must overcome. Thor in Avengers: Endgame, is a great example of a depressive episode resulting from PTSD, but not suffering from Depression. He experienced a trauma, so he became extremely apathetic, and seemingly an alcohol suggested by his new dad bod.

He was very sad, as he rightfully should have been, but without more than one episode, he would not have been classified as having Depression. His character in Endgame could also resemble symptoms of PTSD originating from The Snap or The Blip. DC’s Rebirth introduced a new Green Lantern, Jessica Cruz. The green lanterns are powered by WILL, but as a superhero with anxiety, she sometimes lacks the will to even get out of bed. DC does a great job of portraying real-life anxiety in the mind of this superhero.

She helps the Justice League stop a sea monster, then catches a submarine by manifesting her powers as a Green Lantern. Despite the external battle being over, she is still battling her biggest demon, her anxiety. She tells herself she can’t hold the submarine, that she doesn’t belong amongst these other heroes, that she is not strong enough. Then it happens again and it leads to her getting knocked down by a weak villain, subsequently leading to a confrontation with another Green Lantern, Simon, Jessica goes home, constantly reliving  all the doubts, and does not get out of bed to meet Simon for breakfast as was their routine.

The story ends with fellow Simon, in her kitchen making her pancakes to show she doesn’t have to fight this alone either. Daredevil is another Marvel character dealing with depression, and unbeknownst to casual fans, his mother left his father and him due to suffering postpartum depression. Writers have even tackled Agoraphobia, or the fear of leaving one’s home. During World War Hulk, Robert Reynolds, known as Sentry, could stop Hulk as he has the power of 10000 exploding suns. Sentry also has a “dark side” called the Void. Choosing to use the term “Void” representing the void he feels as part of his crippling agoraphobia.

One common complaint, the writers’ use his agoraphobia as a plot point to continue the story. This tactic receives criticism as lazy writing and lends to Sentry being a disliked character. But for the sake of mental illness, it does portray agoraphobia and give it a brief spotlight. Domestic abuse has also been a theme presented to comic book fans. The most notorious being the relationship between Harley Quinn and the Joker. But the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym was also abusive to his wife, the Wasp, which subsequently lead to her leaving him. 

There are a few fan favorite characters addressing Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder. Marvel fans have been voicing their desire for the presence of Moon Knight in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Moon Knight is a cult favorite among Marvel fans. He has three identities, Jake Lockley, Marc Spector, and Stephen Grant. Legion is another character dealing with DID, but in a much different manner. Each of Legion’s identities each come with different superpowers. Legion is said to have thousands of personalities within him

With mental health awareness on the rise, so are characters specifically meant to represent mental illness. Frank Gaskill and Ryan Kelly are both doctors, specializing in the Autism Spectrum. With their knowledge they created Max Gamer. Max Gamer, also the name of the comic run, has Asperger’s syndrome, now referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder. The creators do not portray his ASD negatively, in fact, they use the “symptoms” of ASD as his superpowers.

All these characters have battled villains to save the world, while battling the villainous mental illness within. While they may be superheroes that pop culture idolizes, never forget, in the real world, it takes super human strength to overcome these potentially crippling disorders.

Mike Hoff

Upon entering the Franklin Institute’s Marvel Superheroes exhibit, eyes gaze upon an old newspaper stand lined with Marvel comics, all artwork, then proceed to watch a five-minute Marvel introduction video. This video mentions Martin Goodman, known as the founder of Marvel Comics, started off in pulp magazines before creating Marvel Comics #1.

The first issue featured The Human Torch, an android, not from Fantastic Four, pit against Namor, the Sub Mariner. The introduction video also includes tidbits such as Captain America nearly selling a million copies. The comic controversy of the 1950s, and of course, the origin story of Marvel’s greatest legend, Stan Lee.

This video surmises much of what follows in the exhibit, and these same points are mentioned in an interactive screen during the next phase of the exhibit. Longtime comic fans will already know much of the information presented throughout this exhibit, but there are still many reasons for these comic book fans to still attend, and for all to enjoy.

There are panels from The Phantom, said to be the first costumed superhero debuting in 1936. Also, panels of Flash Gordon, one of the most popular heroes from the early years of comics, which debuted in 1934. It is one thing to know the history of Marvel Comics #1, but at the Marvel exhibit, comic fans get to glance at an actual issue of Marvel Comics #1.

The first issue of Amazing Spiderman is also on display, along with Black Panther’s first appearance and first issue. The costumes from the Black Panther film were showcased along with the other Superhero suits and helmets from the rest of the characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One of the most interesting sections was the Comic Book controversy containing articles about the Comic Book Trial.

Comic fans learn comic books were being banned and burned as the superheroes would often be included with the crime genre, thus attracting the wrath of angry parents. This led to the Comic Code. A list of “Do’s” and “Don’t’s” for comic companies to follow in order to be published. This almost killed the comic industry, until Stan Lee created Fantastic Four, and the rest is history.

Another major attraction was the inside scoop behind creating comics revealed at this Marvel Superheroes exhibit. Located in the Spiderman section, there is an interactive screen depicting the process of comic creation. From lettering to coloring to editing, fans are privy to insights to how their heroes come to life. There was an interactive screen for comic fans to arrange panels and a Spiderman issue presented panel by panel from penciling to inking to lettering to coloring.

One of these interactive screens had a chart portraying the differences between creating comics traditionally compared to the modern digital age. Depicting the differences between the standard 4 color of print, CMYK, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and black; to the thousands and thousands of colors now available to comic artists. Another part depicted how four different inkers could have four different shades of white, thus providing fans a glimpse into the uniqueness of each issue.

The exhibit started with the characters from the Avengers, then moved onto the street level heroes of Marvel’s Netflix series such as Daredevil, Iron Fist Luke Cage. Jessica Jones, The Punisher, as well as Ghostrider to the space heroes such as Guardians of the Galaxy and mystic heroes like Doctor Strange. Also included were sections about the character progressions of Nick Fury, and She-Hulk, as well as Captain Marvel, including a web of all the characters connected to the Supreme Intelligence.

There were only a few negative aspects of the Franklin Institute’s Marvel Exhibit. First, the lighting made photography hit and miss with a cell phone. Some sections were too dark, or too reflective, but this is just a small detail. The main issue was the lack of villain displays and information. Granted it is called Marvel’s Superheroes exhibit, without villains, these heroes wouldn’t exist. Overall, this exhibit is worth the entry fee whether on a solo adventure or a team journey.

Mike Hoff

In celebration of Independence Day, Obsidian Nomad presents our top 10 patriotic superheroes. These are the heroes that best represent America. A lot of the common denominators in these heroes are relationships to World War II and some kind of fluke accident or secret serum. Nevertheless, these are the heroes we most think of when we think of America.

Check out our list and let us know who you would add or take away.

Stargirl – Courtney Whitmore

First appearance (as Courtney Whitmore) Star and S.T.R.I.P.E. #0 1999 – As Stargirl JSA: All Stars #4 2003

Courtney Whitmore is the stepdaughter of the Pat Dugan original sidekick hero of the Star-Spangled Kid, Stripesy. Courtney found the Kid’s old cosmic belt in the garage and originally calls herself the Star-Spangled Kid to annoy her stepfather. Later, as a member of the JSA, she meets the original Starman and receives his cosmic rod and changes her name to Star Girl.

Battlestar – Lemar Hoskins

First appearance Captain America #323 1986

Lemar Hoskins was given a version of the super soldier formula and was selected by the government to be a Bucky for the new Captain America when Steve Rogers had quit. He changed his name to Battlestar after another Black man reminded him that calling himself Bucky was derogatory because that was a term for slaves.

US Agent – John Walker

First appearance (as Super Patriot) Captain America #323 1986 – (As Captain America) Captain America #333 1987 – (As US Agent) Captain America #354

John Walker was given a version of the super soldier formula and originally became the Super Patriot as a nemesis to Captain America. When Steve Rogers was no longer Captain America, the government picked Walker to be the replacement. When Rogers resumes the mantle of Captain America, Walker becomes the US Agent.

Star Spangled Kid – Sylvester Pemberton

First appearance Star Spangled Comics #1 1941

Sylvester Pemberton was a kid superhero during World War II with an adult sidekick, Stripesy. Both heroes were lost in time with the rest of the superhero group, Seven Soldiers of Victory, and rescued in modern day by the Justice League and the Justice Society. In modern time and still young, Sylvester joined the Justice Society and used the then injured Starman’s cosmic rod. He remodeled it into a belt and changed his name to Skyman.

Patriot – Eli Bradley

First appearance – Young Avengers #1 2005

Eli Brandley is the grandson of the African American Captain America, Isaiah Bradley. Isaiah was part of an experiment the government had after the super soldier serum was lost after it turned Steve Rogers into the first Captain America. Eli, wanted to follow in his grandfathers’ footsteps, convinced the other heroes that he had powers by using an illegal drug to augment himself. When he was injured in a battle trying to save Captain America, he was given a blood transfusion by his grandfather which gave him real powers to fight as Patriot.

Miss America – Madeline Joyce

First appearance Marvel Mystery Comics #43 1943

Madeline Joyce was an heiress who tampered with a machine a scientist had created that he claimed gave him superpowers. While tampering with the machine it was hit with lightning and she gained powers. She used those powers to fight crime during World War II. She also fought alongside Captain America, Bucky, the original Human Torch, Toro, the Sub Mariner and the Whizzer in the All Winners Squad.

Liberty Bell – Libby Lawrence

First appearance Boy Commandos #1 1942

Libby Lawrence receives a bell-shaped medal that was shaped from a piece of the original Liberty Bell. When the actual Liberty Bell is rung it enhances her powers and she uses it to fight crime during World War II. She eventually becomes a member and chairperson of the All-Star Squadron and marries Johnny Chambers who is the superhero Johnny Quick. They have a daughter Jessie Quick who becomes the second Liberty Bell.

Uncle Sam

First appearance National Comics #1 1940

Uncle Sam is a mystical entity that is described as the “Spirit of America”. He leads the Freedom Fighters who exist on a world where the Nazis won World War II.

The Shield – Joe Higgins

First appearance Pep Comics #1 1940

Joe Higgins, the original Shield, was a chemist and the son of an army lieutenant that was working on a secret formula for super strength during World War II. When his father was killed by the Germans trying to get the formula, Joe finished his fathers work and used the formula to fight the Germans.

Captain America – Steve Rogers

First appearance Captain America Comics #1 1941

Steve Rogers receives the super soldier serum and becomes Captain America during World War II to fight the Nazis. During a battle with the Baron Zemo towards the end of the war, he is presumed dead but is really frozen in ice after falling in arctic waters trying to stop a bomb aimed for America. He is revived by the Avengers in the modern day and continues to fight crime and represent America.

Kenny Walker Jr