CBR Live! Archive
A Year of Cool Comic Book Moments - Day 40
Here is the latest cool comic book moment in our year-long look at one cool comic book moment a day (in no particular order whatsoever)! Here's the archive of the moments posted so far!
Today we continue "Catch Phrase" week! Each day we'll examine the first time that various comic book characters used their most famous catch phrase!
Today we look at the first use of a certain alliterative Avengers catch phrase!
Enjoy!
The Avengers did not really have a catch phrase for months. You could tell Stan Lee wanted to give them one. Preferably, it would be nice if the catch phrase was alliterative. Stan Lee LOVED alliteration - Peter Parker, Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Scott Summers, Bruce Banner - and the same went for his catch phrases!
So in Avengers #11, he did it!
Oh wait, that didn't work.
Okay, the next issue, he REALLY got it down pat!
Okay, okay, that did not work, either.
But finally, in Avengers #14, he REALLY got it!
Amusingly enough, for a phrase that only debuted in the fourteenth issue of the magazine, by issue #16, it was already treated as a major part of the book's history.
It made the cover...
And Iron Man is already wistfully thinking back upon a phrase that debuted two months earlier...
And the crowd already knows it!!
That's quite an impressive catch phrase that it became beloved by the public so quickly!
- Posted on February 9, 2009 @ 12:47 PM
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29 Comments
Paul
February 9, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Aren't they already "assembled" by the time someone yells it out?
Jay
February 9, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Man, why was Spidey so annoyed in that first panel?
James Moar
February 9, 2009 at 1:51 pm
I seem to remember it's a villain pretending to be Spider-Man. I mean, can't you hear the villain monologue in those thought balloons?
Sam
February 9, 2009 at 2:04 pm
I really love that panel of Iron Man walking off backstage after the Avengers' first big line-up change. Mkes me mist up every time. As a flashback I reckon it would make a cool opening of a story.
Omar Karindu, back from an Internet Thogal ritual
February 9, 2009 at 2:11 pm
It's an evil Spider-Man robot built by Kang, to be precise.
Wow...I can't believe I actually typed that sentence.
Overdrive Ostrich
February 9, 2009 at 2:21 pm
In my life I'll probably re-read those issues a dozen times more, but I dunno how long it would have taken me to notice that.
Bernard the Poet
February 9, 2009 at 2:52 pm
I've always thought it was a terrible catchphrase.
The Earth is under attack from hoards of evil aliens, and what are the Avengers going to do about it? They are going to assemble.
Brian Cronin
February 9, 2009 at 3:18 pm
I presume the theory is that once you've assembled the mighty Avengers, that means that the bad guys are going to get their ass kicked.
Greg Burgas
February 9, 2009 at 3:41 pm
You do know if you don't feature Dazzler's "Go for it!" this week, you're dead to me. DEAD TO ME!!!!! If that bothers you, you know, at all.
DubipR
February 9, 2009 at 6:12 pm
I'm hoping to see a "Great Caesar's Ghost" in here.
Andre Fairon
February 9, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Spider-Man is pissed off because no one liked HIS catchphrase: "Great Walloping Websnappers!"
John Chidley-Hill
February 9, 2009 at 8:01 pm
I believe I read somewhere that Stan Lee used alliterative names and titles as a memory aid. He was writing, what, eight books a month? Generally making it up as he went along, and not knowing which characters were going to be hits and which ones were going to be misses.
Craig
February 9, 2009 at 8:17 pm
I think "SPOON!" has pretty good odds.
buttler
February 9, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Sadly, "ROM if you want to! ROM around the world!" never really caught on.
J to the AAP
February 10, 2009 at 3:12 am
I've heard that too, it didn't always work though. He still he misremembered naming Bruce Banner Bruce, he was Bob Banner for a few issues until someone pointed it out. It's been Bruce Robert Banner ever since, a simple but effective way to clear up the snafu, not even an evil clone or any time travel involved!
Gabe
February 10, 2009 at 4:46 am
assemblers avenge!
Gabe
February 10, 2009 at 4:54 am
He also called Spider-man Peter Palmer once or twice.
Jeff Ryan
February 10, 2009 at 6:39 am
I'm impressed that no one has, for catch phrase week, mentioned the catchphrase from the comedy troupe the State. Week's not done yet: There's still time.
Michelle Smith
February 10, 2009 at 6:57 am
A very amusing post, and I'm not even really a comics person!
Matthew Johnson
February 10, 2009 at 7:32 am
Re: Stan's alliterative tendencies -- I recall reading that you can tell which early Marvel books were ghost-written by his brother Larry, because the heroes didn't have alliterative names. (I can't remember, did Larry Lieber get a credit in the Iron Man movie?)
Blackjak
February 10, 2009 at 7:34 am
Catchphrases I'd like to see this week:
"I am the Law!"
"Hrrmm..."
"I hunt heroes. I still haven't found any"
"Go get 'em Tiger"
"Big Jobs!"
"Kiss my axe!"
The Dude
February 10, 2009 at 9:05 am
How about "Let's hug it yout, bitches!!"
No? Sorry...
chris
February 10, 2009 at 10:30 am
I smell a Wolverine catchphrase coming up sometime this week. After all, he is the best there is at what he does...
Dalarsco
February 10, 2009 at 11:48 am
@Johnson: It's been a while since I payed attention to the credits, but I seem to recall that Leiber gets a nod in there.
Jbird
February 10, 2009 at 12:42 pm
". . .CARBONADIUM SYNTHESIZER."
Mars Bonfire
February 10, 2009 at 12:43 pm
As a kid, I defaced the inside cover of my Spider-Man Annual 1978 (Marvel UK) with a catch-phrase for each character :
Iron Man "I'VE ONLY GOT FIVE MINUTES TO RECHARGE MY CHEST PLATE!!"
Hulk "HULK SMASH PUNY HUMANS!!"
The Thing "IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!"
Invisible Girl "OH, REED! HELP ME!"
Yes, I learnt what a women's place was in the Marvel Universe.
MarkMc
February 11, 2009 at 11:03 am
Gotta be room for "Suffering Sappho!" "Merciful Minerva!" "Great Hera!"
"Great Guppies!"
"Jumpin' Jets!"
"Face it, tiger; you just hit the jackpot!"
"Lords of Light!" (or was that just in a cartoon?)
Can we find any use of Robin's "Holy ---!" before the TV show?
MarkMc
February 11, 2009 at 11:05 am
"If I don't save the Earth, I'll have failed! Just like I failed Uncle Ben!"
that seems to me to have occurred more than "With great power, there must come... great responsibility"
chris
February 11, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Spoooooonnnnn!!!