Day 22: Substitute
Today’s sole suggestion is “Substitute”. When I was assembling my idea spreadsheet I decided that I wanted to go in a different direction for this blog entry. While most blog posts have been about science fiction or fantasy games, this entry will be about superheroes. Specifically the Legion of Substitute Heroes.
Back in the 80’s my family use to take trips to see relatives in other states. One year my parents presented us with a stack of comic books to keep us occupied on the drive. One of the comics was my first introduction to my favorite superhero, “Firestorm, The Nuclear Man”. I claimed this comic as my own. One of the other comics was DC Comics Presents number 59. I’m certain my parents picked this one just because we knew who Superman was. When my siblings didn’t claim their own comics after the trip was over, I took it and added it to the collection I was starting. I still have this issue just a few feet away from where I’m typing this blog post now.
What intrigued me about this issue was not only the bad guy, a weird character named “Ambush Bug”, but the group that teams up with Superman to fight off Ambush Bug. They were a team of super powered individuals that applied for membership in The Legion of Superheroes, but were rejected as full members because their powers were not quite up to snuff. The team included.
Antenna Lad: His powers allowed him to detect signals anywhere on the planet.
Chlorophyll Kid: He can make plants grow and has limited control over them.
Color Kid: Using his power allows him to change the color of anything.
Double-Header: A alien being with two heads, each with their own mind.
Fire Lad: A hero that breathes fire.
Infectious Lass: She can infect other people with one of a thousand diseases.
Polar Boy: He can lower the temperature around himself or other objects and shoot blasts of cold.
Porcupine Pete: A hero with the ability to shoot sharp quills.
Stone Boy: An alien who can turn his body into stone.
This is a band of misfits that would later remind me of the heroes we see in the 1999 movie Mystery Men. A group pof heroes with not quite powerful powers. I’ve talked about playing a DC Comics RPG previously. In that game we were all superheroes with kick-butt powers. If I were to play a new comic based game, I’d want to play something along the lines of the League of Substitute Heroes or Mystery Men.
Final Thoughts:
Only one suggestion for today. But one I was able to come up with a post for when I was planning ahead in July.
