The Prowler in the MC2

 

While I haven’t had the opportunity to play the new Spider-Man: Miles Morales, I thought it might be a nice idea to take a look at the most well-known of Miles’ rogues gallery, The Prowler. As Aaron Davis didn’t exist during the publication history of the MC2, I’ll be detailing the sparce information we have on the original Prowler, Hobie Brown in the MC2.

 

This is going to be super quick! Unless I’m mistaken the only mention we have of Hobie Brown’s alter ego is in Amazing Spider-Girl #4 where the television celebrity Bounty Hunter Julius ‘Mad Dog’ Rassitano notes he is using ‘The Prowler’s steel-tipped claw’ along with various other gadgets formerly belonging to different super villains.

 

However, it should be noted that Julius also admits later on that much of his equipment and gadgets come from his television program’s prop department. I say most because he does also appear to possess some genuine articles, such as confiscating the retractable legs of Stilt-Man when he captured the villain or purchasing the suction-grippers of The Beetle on eBay (Amazing Spider-Girl #5).

 

It’s unknown what the status of Hobie Brown is in the MC2’s present-day, but the appearance of his alter ego’s gauntlet gadgets does leave the potential for a future appearance someday should the MC2 ever grace the comics world again.

 

Until I develop my own battle suit and clawed gauntlets only to become the second most recognizable version of the identity I originated, I remain

 

frogoat

 

 

President of the United States of America in the MC2

 

In my part of the world there is an election on the horizon, which inspired me to finally cover the most non-controversial aspect of the MC2: Politicians! Today I’m going to introduce you all to the President of the United States of America in the MC2.

 

The President of the United States of America during the present-day era of the MC2 is none other than George Washington Bridge. For those unfamiliar, G.W. Bridge first appeared in X-Force #1 and was a high-ranking member of the spy organisation S.H.I.E.L.D. and a long-time member of the time-travelling Cable’s mercenary team Six Pack. While he’s a solid existing Marvel character to draw on when selecting a fictional President, I suspect he was chosen as much for his name which has a nice ring to it as any other reason.

 

The MC2’s G.W. Bridge made his first appearance in Spider-Girl #31, glimpsed on a video call with Tony Stark which gets interrupted by a depowered Spider-Girl who comes crashing into Stark’s office riding a Goblin Glider. Naturally President Bridge offers to call S.H.I.E.L.D. but is dissuaded by Stark. This issue was released in early 2001, so it’s kind of forward thinking (or predictive) of the creative team to feature an African American as President.

 

While President Bridge doesn’t technically appear, we do hear from his Special Advisor (and former Avenger) the Vision in Last Hero Standing #3. Vision reports that the President is concerned about the recent rash of super hero disappearances present a possible security threat to the nation.

 

In the follow up mini-series Last Planet Standing, President Bridge does make a few on-panel appearances, starting with #1 when he discusses the missing Fantastic Five (led by Reed Richards) and the current team of Avengers with Vision. The President is not filled with confidence by the present line up of heroes defending the world.

 

 In Last Planet Standing #2 Vision informs the assembled Avengers that he has been sent by President Bridge to coordinate and supervise all efforts to safeguard the world in the Fantastic Five’s absence. This news is not well received by the Avengers.

 

In Last Planet Standing #3, the Fantastic Five manage to establish communication with the President and update him on the nature of the threat to the planet. President Bridge also asks Vision to convey his sincerest gratitude to the Avengers, placing the Fantastic Five in charge and putting the Avengers on standby, an instruction that is not well received either. Vision points out that as a government-sanctioned team they all serve at the will of President, though Stinger maintains that they are volunteers and shouldn’t be on the sidelines in such a situation. Soon after, the whole Avengers team disobey orders and head off to join the fight as Galactus’ Herald arrives on Earth.

With the world-threatening crisis deteriorating, President Bridge contacts the Fantastic Five only to be brushed off by Reed Richards who tells him that the use of nuclear weapons would be both futile and tragic as it would have no effect on Galactus (Last Planet Standing #4).

 

With the Fantastic Five, Avengers and various other heroes failing to stop the threat of Galactus, the President asks one of his advisors how soon they can attempt a nuclear strike. Learning this would require hours to evacuate ground forces and days to clear the civilian population, President Bridge states ‘I hate this job.’ (Last Planet Standing #5)

 

When Doctor Doom returns imbued with cosmic power and sends his virtually indestructible Doombots across the globe to dismantle the world authorities, President Bridge holds an emergency meeting with his advisors and other major governments before determining his course of action. With no other option, G.W. Bridge contacts Doctor Doom and informs him that the governments of the world have agreed to surrender to save millions of lives (Fantastic Five vol.2 #4).

 

With a cosmically powered Doombot hovering above the White House, President Bridge holds a secret meeting with Tony Stark, Vision and Mainframe. The President learns the Avengers have defeated one of the Doombots and Stark believes he can eventually design a program to jam the robots but things look grim. After Doctor Doom is defeated, President Bridge discusses the need to attempt to reverse engineer the Doombots despite his desire to simply melt them down. Tony Stark admits he has tried to replicate Doom’s technology and discloses it’s impossible. Stark concludes they own the world’s safety to Reed Richards.

 

President Bridge has a secret conversation with a shadowy figure (actually Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D.) about the accidental release of ‘Specimen 297’ (a piece of the Carnage symbiote) on the streets of New York City (Amazing Spider-Girl #10).

 

Finally, in Amazing Spider-Girl #16 we hear from one of G.W. Bridge’s special advisors that the President is strongly committed to aiding the people of China. Following Doctor Doom’s attack on the Chinese Government during his attempt to conquer the world, the country faces an economic crisis which affects the entire global community. During his public appearance in Paris, this special advisor is assassinated by the invisible mercenary Deadspot.

 

That’s it for today, folks. Maybe in the near future I’ll dedicate a post to more politicians in the MC2? Don’t forget to take part in the democratic process by voting. We’d hate for a Doctor Doom-type to try to take over the world now, wouldn’t we?

 

Until I figure out how to fill in a ballot, I remain

 

frogoat

The Dance

 

I’ve briefly touched on the cat burglar character Claw in a very old post where I mentioned his second and to-date final appearance in the Amazing Spider-Man Magazine from 2007, but today I thought it might be more helpful to simply share this obscure prose story in it’s entirely. ‘The Dance’ is written by Tom Defalco with art by Ron Lim, Scott Koblish and Avalon’s Rob Ro.

 

 

 

For background, this story seems to take place shortly after Amazing Spider-Girl #13. This is evident from the references in that story to ‘the big dance’ which is not depicted in the Amazing Spider-Girl series proper, but instead sets up the prose story ‘The Dance’. Additionally, in ‘The Dance’ May mentioned her recent break- up with Gene Thompson, so this story takes place before they get back together Amazing Spider-Girl #18.

In 2009 this story was reprinted in the Spider-Man: Spider-Women digest alongside the Spider-Man Family One-Shot MC2 story featuring Araña aka Anya Corazon. As both the original magazine and the digest are hard to find, I thought this might help some of the newer readers to fill in this fairly minor gap in their read throughs. Enjoy!

 

Until I find a new previously unknown MC2 story to talk about, I remain

 

frogoat

 

 

Freebooter's Costumes

Moving forward with my new favourite research-heavy series of posts about the MC2, today we’ll be looking at the roguishly charming member of the MC2’s Avengers, Brandon Cross aka Freebooter. Specifically, we’ll be taking a deep dive through his various appearances to showcase any and all of Freebooter’s Costumes. Without further ado, let’s jump in!

 

Freebooter’s most frequent and recognizable costume is the one he debuted in alongside his fellow Dream Team members in A-Next #4, following a shadowy cameo in A-Next #3. Artist Ron Frenz had this to say during his interview with Adam Chapman’s on the Comic Shenanigans podcast:

‘I remember Freebooter being a no-brainer. I’m an old Space Ghost fan and I like the outline of that mask so that kind of worked for me and I kind of built the costume around it. I was kind of doing a cross between the Swordsman and Hawkeye. I love those characters.’

 

Following in-universe chronological order, Brandon’s earliest costume appears in a flashback during American Dream #3 which details Shannon Carter’s first meeting with former hero and long-time Avenger Clint Barton aka Hawkeye. Clint introduces Shannon to another of his ‘special students,’ Brandon Cross in what appears to be his own training gear. Notably, Brandon appears to already have a preference for both purple and the distinctive design he’ll later don as a hero.

 

In another flashback in the same issue of the American Dream mini-series, we see Brandon training alongside his fellow students and future teammates wearing some fairly standard looking martial arts training uniform or ‘gi.’ It’s nothing special, but to leave it out would be unforgiveable, I’m sure!

 

On the very next page, during the same flashback sequence in American Dream #3, we get our first look at the Freebooter costume in all it’s elegant glory. This appears to be the first time Brandon sees the costume too, as it is gifted to him by his mentor Clint Barton as a gift on the group’s graduation day. This is also where Brandon is given his superhero codename by Clint, for those paying attention.

 

This costume remains unchanged throughout the A-Next series from Brandon’s debut right up until the final issue, and this continues into his guest appearances in Spider-Girl and beyond.  However, there are a few small variations worth pointing out. In A-Next #8 we get a glimpse of Brandon mid-way through changing into his costume, giving us this look of Freebooter without his masked hood, glove or bracer arm-guard. Note that normally Brandon wears his glove on his right hand and his bracer on his left arm.

 

Over in J2 #6 we see slightly different bracer design on Brandon’s left arm, this time with only one large exposed area on the forearm rather than the standard two.

 

 

Here’s Freebooter unarmed and without his belt and bandolier from A-Next #12. Don’t worry, he gets them back!

 

While it’s clearly a colouring mistake, here’s Freebooter from Spider-Girl #13 looking like he’s missing some of his costume at the back.

 

Once again, Felicity Hardy’s daydream sequence in Spider-Girl #52 provides us with another ‘imaginary’ costume design for a member of the Avengers, with this look for Freebooter looking even more swashbuckler-y:

 

While his costume appears unchanged throughout the Last Hero Standing mini-series, we get this one panel variation from issue #4 where Brandon appears to have switched glove hands. I wonder if he’s ambidextrous?

 

Brandon takes time off from the Avengers for a while but a representation of him is glimpsed during Sylene’s plan to remake Earth as a new Asgard in Avengers Next #4. It’s likely another colouring mistake, but here Freebooter appears to have bare hands.

 

 Reappearing in a cameo appearance Amazing Spider-Girl #25, there is another slight variation which, yet again, may simply be the result of a miscolouring. But it does appear to depict the Freebooter costume with two gloves and shoulder pads, so it goes on the list here!

Artist Todd Nauck depicts Brandon’s Freebooter costume a little different from the norm, making the boots shorter similar to Captain America or Hawkeye’s classic costumes (American Dream #5)

 

Even in the Spider-Island mini-series’ MC2 story, where various characters have new or updated costumes, Brandon retains his iconic costume. Here is a shot of Freebooter with his trusty collapsible crossbow by his side from Spider-Island #1.

 

I realize some of these are a bit of a stretch, but at least I was thorough. If you think I’ve missed any, please do let me know! I hope we see more from Freebooter in the future, because the guy has grown on me during my research.

 

Until I master the art of being suave, charming and disarming, I remain

 

frogoat

 

Bluestreak's Costumes

Who’s everyone’s favourite blue-haired, fast-talking, impulsive speedster? That’s right! Bluestreak! What, did you think I was going to say Sonic the Hedgehog?! I thought now would be as good a time as ever to take a look at the different costumes worn by Blue Kelso through the years. There’s more than you might think! 

Bluestreak’s most enduring and iconic costume is the one she debuted in alongside her fellow Dream Team members in A-Next #4, following a shadowy cameo in A-Next #3. 

But let’s take a chronological look at Blue’s costumes throughout her career. As I’ve discussed in the past here, Blue was at one point a member of the X-People led by Jubilee. Unfortunately, we don’t have any visuals of what her X-Suit might have looked like, so here’s my terrible photoshop from a while back to give you a very rough idea:

Assuming my timeline of events are correct, after leaving the X-People, Blue becomes Clint Barton’s (formerly the heroic Hawkeye) special students, training to become a new generation of Avengers (American Dream #3). While training, Miss Kelso is seen wearing this training outfit:

Upon graduating, Clint gives Blue Kelso the code name Bluestreak and gifts her the costume we first saw back in the original A-Next series (American Dream #3, A-Next #3-#12).

Blue would continue to wear this costume during her guest appearances in Spider-Girl for several years. However, it is worth pointing out that a new costume debut’s as part of Felicity Hardy’s fantasy in Spider-Girl #52. This costume notably features full-length pants instead of shorts and long sleeve gloves.

Here’s where things get a little confusing. With Ron Frenz as regular artist on the Spider-Girl title, we got a few glimpses of Bluestreak alongside her fellow Avengers. While it’s a bit hard to tell with only background and cameo appearances, Blue seems to be rocking the full-length pants and long gloves look in Spider-Girl #81 with either a short or no-gloves variation in #83. I believe the former (almost certainly miscoloured) appearance is also the origin of the ‘Greenstreak’ joke, for anyone who remembers that!There's also a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance of Blue with the short gloves again in Spider-Girl #86.

Despite apparently switching to the long pants, Blue continues to wear her original Bluestreak costume complete with bike shorts throughout both Last Hero Standing and Last Planet Standing mini-series as depicted by artist Pat Olliffe. This trend continued into the Avengers Next mini series under artist Ron Lim and the American Dream mini-series featuring art by Todd Nauck. Meanwhile, ol’ Blue’s cameo’s in Amazing Spider-Girl weren’t big enough to clarify exactly what get-up she was wearing at the time.

Which brings us to Bluestreak’s appearances in the Secret Wars Spider-Girl tie-in story published in Spider-Island #1-#5. This story actually features a few new costumes for established MC2 characters, but here we see Ron’s design from Spider-Girl #52 make its first full-fledged appearance in all it’s glory, with a few tweaks such as Blue now having grown her hair out longer.

Let me know if I’ve missed anything or if you have any questions. I’m hoping to do more of these costume posts for other prominent MC2 heroes in future. What’s your favourite Bluestreak costume and are you as curious about her time with the X-People as I am?

Until I run out of blue hair dye and an urge to slap Thunderstrike in the buttocks, I remain

frogoat