Comments on: Valiant Comic Book Alphabet of Cool - O

By: Michael Sacal

Michael Sacal — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:09:24 +0000

"we look at another great Valiant destiny"

Um, you mean dinasty?

By: Michael Sacal

Michael Sacal — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:35:06 +0000

"Anyhow, in a roundabout way, this brings us to Rai, as it was on that list (only an honorable mention!? I heard that Rai #0, when pureed, can cure malaria!)."

For more on Rai #0 (though its malaria-healing capabilities are a little overblown ), check out a detailed synopsis at the Book of Geomancer here (http://www.valiantentertainment.com/wiki/index.php/Rai_Zero)

By: John

John — Wed, 07 May 2008 22:31:31 +0000

I still have some of the original house ads that referred to Bloodshot by the classier name of "Rising Spirit" rather than his oh-so-90s moniker.

I take it after Shooter was booted, that was one of the big changes to Rai #0?

By: GQ

GQ — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:28:20 +0000

Yes, but why was he an interesting character?

By: Blake

Blake — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:08:37 +0000

The reason the Rais looked like Bloodshot is because Grandmother (the Japanese mainframe) modeled them after him. When he died, she drained his nanite-infused blood, the Blood of Heroes, and held it in stasis, creating Rai as her spirit guardian in his place.

By: Roquefort Raider

Roquefort Raider — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:59:06 +0000

I think the Rais looking like Bloodshot can be reasonably attributed to coincidence. (I mean, not in reality, but in the Valiant universe). The early Rais basically look like the Japanese flag: all white with a red circle on the chest. They're like the Captain Japan of their time. Bloodshot, meanwhile, has a red circle on the chest as a side effect of the operation that got superpower-inducing nanites intio his bloodstream; as you'll recall, the "syringe" is a big cylindrical device that attaches to the heart region and leaves a big round scar. As for Rai #0, it may not really cure malaria... but it could be a cure to storyline decompressing. In one issue (and one that's just meant to be the origin story of the new Rai), readers can witness all the important events of the Valiant universe's next 2,000 years. The deaths of Shadowman, Bloodshot, Archer, Toyo Harada and Aric Dacia would nowadays warrant a six-issue miniseries each; here we cover them all (and lots more besides) in something like 20 pages. Sure, there were typos and the art was kind of average, and the book was really in the "tell, don't show" category, but it really had everything!