Capes and Japes
a casual comics podcast

#253 – Vic Sage

The Question/Charles Victor Szasz

Today we talk about Vic Sage, best known as The Question, a guy who covers his face with fake skin who has followed wildly differing philosophies over his iterations, but over all of them he does a lot of violence.

Today's mentioned & relevant media:
-Watchmen (1986)
-Blue Beetle (1986) #5-7
-The Question (1986)
-L.A.W. Living Assault Weapons (1999)
-Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood (2000)
-The Question (2005)
-52 (2006)
-Blackest Night: Rise of the Black Lanterns (2010)
-Justice League: Trinity War (2013)
-New Suicide Squad (2014)
-Convergence: The Question (2015)
-The Question: Deaths of Vic Sage (2019)
-Lois Lane (2019) #3-4
-Event Leviathan (2019)
-Checkmate (2021)

-Constantine: Distorted Illusions
-The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special (2022) #1
-Superman: Son of Kal-El (2021) #17 textless cover
-Fantastic Four (2022) #1
-Adversary by Blue Delliquanti Print, Digital
-How to Break a Curse by Mapurl Kumoricon (currently unavailable)

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#252 – The Spectre

Jim Corrigan/Crispus Allen/Hal Jordan/Aztar

Today we talk about The Spectre, who, despite starting as the ghost of Jim Corrigan, has been several different human men possessed by the spirit of (the christian god's) holy vengeance, as well as a pretty literal deus ex machina.

Today's mentioned & relevant media:
-Golden Age Spectre Archives vol. 1
-Showcase Presents: The Spectre
-All-Star Comics Archives Collections
-The Spectre (1967)
-Wrath of the Spectre (1974)
-Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985) reading order
-The Spectre (1987)
-The Spectre (1992)
-Zero Hour (1994) reading order
-Day of Judgment (1999) reading order
-Legends of the DC Universe (1997) #33-36
-Day of Vengeance (2005)
-Gotham Central (2002) #38
-Infinite Crisis (2005) #4
-Infinite Crisis Aftermath: The Spectre (2006)
-Tales of the Unexpected (2006)
-Final Crisis: Revelations (2008)
-Blackest Night (2009) reading order
-Brightest Day (2010) reading order
-Justice League of America (2006) #54-59
-The Phantom Stranger (2012) #0, #5
-Gotham by Midnight (2014)
-Detective Comics (2016) #1007

-Star Trek: Lower Decks (2022)
-Fantastic Four (2022) #1
-Secret Invasion (2022) #1

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#251 – The Phantom Stranger

Today we talk about The Phantom Stranger, who has many possible identities and backstories, but he's been cursed, somehow, to walk the Earth and cryptically help solve problems without getting fully involved.

Today's mentioned & relevant media:
-Phantom Stranger Omnibus
-The Phantom Stranger (1969)
-Justice League of America (1960) #103
-The Brave and the Bold (1955) #89
-Secret Origins (1986) #10
-The Phantom Stranger (1987)
-The Books of Magic (1990)
-Vertigo Visions: The Phantom Stranger (1993) #1
-Day of Vengeance (2005)
-Blackest Night (2010): Phantom Stranger
-The Phantom Stranger (2012)
-Wonder Woman (2016) #758
-Swamp Thing (2019 TV Show)

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#250 – Bizarro

Today we talk about Bizarro, who is usually a failed clone of Superman who always says and does the opposite of what he means. He's made his own Bizarro World, been a nuisance to multiple heroes, and joined Red Hood's Outlaws.

Today's mentioned & relevant media:
-Superman in the Fifties (Includes Action Comics (1938) #254-255)
-Showcase Presents: Superman vol. 2 (Includes Action Comics (1938) #263-264 and Superman (1939) #140)
-Superman: Tales of Bizarro World (Adventure Comics (1938) #285-299 features)
-Superman (1939) #305-306
-DC Comics Presents (1978) #97
-Superman (1986) #88
-Superman: Emperor Joker
-Superman: Escape from Bizarro World
-Forever Evil (2013)
-Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016)

-DC's Terrors Through Time (2022) #1
-Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania trailer

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#249 – Starro

Today we talk about Starro, a big starfish-shaped creature from outer space who keeps trying to take over Earth.

Today's mentioned & relevant media:
-The Brave and the Bold (1955) #28
-Justice League of America (1960) #189-190
-JLA (1996) #22-23 -Teen Titans (2003) #51-54
-Booster Gold (2007) #14-15
-R.E.B.E.L.S. (2009)
-Justice League: No Justice (2018)
-Justice League (2018) #10
-Justice League (2018) #29

-Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands
-Werewolf by Night on Disney+

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#247 – Eclipso

Today we talk about Eclipso, who has gone from a scientist who accidentally became evil for a bit, to a manifestation of the Wrath of Christian God, to a powerful being from Gem World. He possesses people with black diamonds and anger.

Today's mentioned & relevant media:
-House of Secrets (1956) #61-80
-Eclipso: The Darkness Within (1992) reading order
-Eclipso (1992)
-Spectre (1992) #14-18
-JSA (1999) #46-52, 56-58, 73-75
-Action Comics (1938) #826, Adventures of Superman (1987) #639, Superman (1986) #216
-Day of Vengeance (2005)
-52 (2006) #27
-Blue Beetle (2006) #16
-Countdown to Mystery (2007)
-Brightest Day (2010) #7
-Justice League of America (2006) #54-59
-Team 7 (2012) #1-4
-Sword of Sorcery (2012) #6-9
-Justice League Dark (2011) #23.2
-Justice League vs. Suicide Squad (2016) #4-6
-Justice League Dark (2018) #15-19
-The Flash (2016) #775-779

-Black Panther, Wakanda Forever trailer

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#245 – The Bloodstone Family

Ulysses Bloodstone, Elsa Bloodstone, Cullen Bloodstone, Lyra Bloodstone

Today we talk about the Bloodstone family, started by Ulysses Bloodstone who was an immortal monster hunter until he died and was succeeded by his daughter Elsa, who found her lost brother Cullen in another dimension, and then they discovered their sister Lyra!

Today's mentioned & relevant media:
-Marvel Presents (1975) #1-#2
-Bloodstone (2001)
-Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone & the Monster Hunters (2005)
-Nextwave (2006)
-Astonishing Tales: Boom Boom & Elsa Bloodstone (2009) #1
-Legion of Monsters (2011)
-Avengers Arena (2012)
-Avengers Undercover (2014)
-Marvel Zombies (2015)
-Monsters Unleashed! (2017)
-Doctor Strange: Damnation (2018)
-Excalibur (2019) #8
-Death of Doctor Strange: Bloodstone (2022) #1

-Batman vs. Robin (2022) #1
-Tales of the Human Target (2022) #1
-Dark Knights of Steel: Tales from the Three Kingdoms (2022) #1
-Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton

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#244 – Theodore Sallis

Man-Thing

Today we talk about Ted Sallis, most commonly known as Man-Thing, who accidentally super soldier serum-ed himself into becoming a magic swamp creature.

Today's mentioned & relevant media:
-Song for Ted Sallis by The Mountain Goats
-Savage Tales (1971) #1
-Adventure into Fear (1970) #10
-Man-Thing (1974)
-Giant-Size Man-Thing (1974)
-Man-Thing (1979)
-Infernal Man Thing (2012)
-Man-Thing (2017)
-R.L. Stine Man-Thing (2017) panels
-Curse of the Man-Thing (2021)
-Briar's diagram on Discord

-Batman (2016) #127
-Cable (2020)
-Everything Marvel announced at D23 (2022)

Thanks to Victoria Watkins for our icon!
Support Capes and Japes by: Checking out our Patreon or donating to the Tip jar

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