Comments on: Top Five Female Superheroes Using Old Male Codenames

By: Mary Warner

Mary Warner — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:57:35 +0000

When I was looking through the list all I could think of was Captain Marvel. I was so scared she wouldn’t be on here. But there she was at #1!!!!

I can’t believe all these comments on here criticising her. What is wrong with these people? Haven’t they read any old Stern Avengers?

While it is true that in many ways, the Shazam-guy is the real Captain Marvel, Monica is and always will be the Marvel-Captain Marvel, and all the others who used that name were completely worthless. And I was thrilled to see that she’s Captain Marvel again in the new Marvel Divas!!

By: Graeme White

Graeme White — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:46:13 +0000

Charlton heroes, and I don’t think that’ll happen. The people who go and see the Watchmen movie that don’t know they’re analogues of the Charlton heroes will be the ones who don’t read comics, and I really don’t think they will afterwards (with maybe the exception of other Moore books).

It’s only common knowledge to us geeks, and I really don’t think the non-comics geek movie-goers are really going to care

By: Jeff Ryan

Jeff Ryan — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:33:42 +0000

Hey, someone else brought up Quasar!

And I also second the Montoya Question. Who will hopefully get some more play when the Watchmen movie comes out, and people try to track downt he Charleston heroes.

By: Graeme White

Graeme White — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 11:52:11 +0000

I think in regards to Starfire, Wolfman just liked the name and though it was available as noone had used Red Star. Kovar was created by Giordano as plotter alongside Wein and Wolfman, with Bill Draught on art.

Wolfman was only a fill-in writer on Kovar’s first appearrance, so although he’s credited as one of his creators, the character was more likely to be Giordano’s idea as he was the books plotter for some time.

By: DanCJ

DanCJ — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:15:20 +0000

I had no idea there was a female Captain Marvel – then again, Billy Batson is the only Captain Marvel I’ll formally recognise.

Manhunter should have won!

By: CATR'S Chris

CATR'S Chris — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:39:24 +0000

Come on! Captain Marvel? The girl shouldn’t have made it into the list at all!

By: Bernard the Poet

Bernard the Poet — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 10:47:32 +0000

“Given that Wolfman created both Starfires and was the writer on that one issue where the original Starfire appeared, I think itâ€™s pretty safe to say it wasnâ€™t a coincidence.”

Ouch!

My apologies Brian, I should have done my homework.

By: Dave Lane

Dave Lane — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 00:58:34 +0000

And during Jerry Ordway’s Shazam series, didn’t Mary Marvel call herself Capt. Marvel?

By: Dave Lane

Dave Lane — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 00:53:50 +0000

Actually, before Kory of the Titans, there was another female Starfire from DC; she was a sword and sorcery adventurer who had her own title for 8 bi-monthly issues with 3 different writers, around 1976 or 1977.

By: T.

T. — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 23:39:19 +0000

although itâ€™s very hard to come up with a worse codename than Ms Marvel.

Yet somehow Kurt Busiek managed to accomplish that very thing with the name Warbird. Almost an impressive feat actually.

By: b_rad

b_rad — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 22:45:00 +0000

After the orginal Crisis DC went crazy for this concept. There was not only a new, female Dr Light, but also a female Dr Midnite (now dead), Wildcat (now dead) and, my own personal fave, a female Dr Fate- a change that I think could easily be made permanent. Sometimes it seems like giving female characters old male powers and code names was just a failure to come up with imaginative new heroines- although I do have to admit the female elseworlds Creeper character that had a mini a few years ago was not slavishly attached to her male counterpart and was, in the end perhaps, too original. (Dada-esque art theft anyone?) Personally I enjoyed Rene Montoya’s character much more before she became the Question as her personal growth has become increasingly bizarre since the transformation. Monica Rambeau was also, I thought, an excellent character with a sucky codename and costume although it’s very hard to come up with a worse codename than Ms Marvel.

By: T.

T. — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 22:40:00 +0000

Brian, itâ€™s a bit of a cheat having Starfire on your list. The original Starfire had only appeared in one comic when Kory debuted and I suspect that it was a coincidence rather than a deliberate decision by Marv Wolfman.

Given that Wolfman created both Starfires and was the writer on that one issue where the original Starfire appeared, I think it’s pretty safe to say it wasn’t a coincidence.

By: Michael Jones

Michael Jones — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 22:11:00 +0000

I’d have tossed in a bid for the all-new Star-Spangled Kid, until she changed it to Stargirl and freed the name up for a new male version…

By: Kelson

Kelson — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 21:38:25 +0000

“Iâ€™m the only one who bought Countdown to Adventureâ€¦ Arenâ€™t I?”

I bought it too. But…well…I still haven’t read past the halfway point…

By: Rhod

Rhod — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:50:09 +0000

I was sure White Tiger would be on here.

By: Blackjak

Blackjak — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:49:11 +0000

ooo! Shining Knight! Justine! Forgot that one, she was/is great!

By: DanLarkin

DanLarkin — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:46:31 +0000

No love for Inza Nelson as Dr. Fate? Or Morrison’s Shining Knight? Boo.

By: Marcus Brute

Marcus Brute — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:25:13 +0000

Anyone think that Phyla-Vell is a glaring omission? Not only only is she a great character, but she also used two old male codenames, Captain Marvel and Quasar.

By: Paul Krogen

Paul Krogen — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:57:50 +0000

Ew.
and “Ms. Sinister”. I don’t know if she qualifies for a “best”, but she’s got the name!

By: Blackjak

Blackjak — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:57:36 +0000

Don’t forget Rucka’s “Five Books of Blood” and “Final Crisis: Reveleations” developing the Montoya Question even further…