{"id":50479,"date":"2013-02-15T10:51:59","date_gmt":"2013-02-15T08:51:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/?p=50479"},"modified":"2013-02-15T21:08:38","modified_gmt":"2013-02-15T19:08:38","slug":"spider-mans-dark-secret-and-other-weird-superhero-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/features\/50479-spider-mans-dark-secret-and-other-weird-superhero-facts","title":{"rendered":"Spider-Man’s dark secret, other weird superhero facts"},"content":{"rendered":"

The world of comic-book superheroes isn\u2019t as black and white as you may think, and with the horde of origin stories and failed incarnations, there are some superhero facts that you probably don\u2019t know, but should.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a mouthful<\/h3>\n

In 1962, DC created a superhero that never really caught on, because his super power was a little weird \u2013 eating.<\/p>\n

Matter-Eater Lad was part of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and possessed the power to eat matter in all forms. Matter-Eater Lad could eat at superspeeds, and consume matter that was supposed to be indestructible. Man-Eater Lad could then essentially just kill Superman by quickly eating him.<\/p>\n

Marvel controlled your braaaiiiinnnss\u2026<\/h3>\n

While the word \u201czombie\u201d is thrown around in gaming, movies and comics these days, you once had to ask Marvel whether you could use it, as the comic-book company owned the publishing rights to the word from 1975-1996.<\/p>\n

After realising that the enforcement of this trademark would be too ridiculous, Marvel opted out and changed the trademark to \u201cMarvel Zombies\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Marvel<\/a>

Marvel Zombies<\/p><\/div>\n

Northstar\u2019s secret<\/h3>\n

While DC\u2019s Green Lantern coming out of the closet was highly publicised, it was actually Marvel\u2019s Northstar that became the first openly gay superhero in 1992.<\/p>\n

Due to Marvel\u2019s policy against openly homosexual characters (at the time), Northstar’s apparent lack of interest in women was implied to be due to his obsessive drive to win as a ski champion,\u00a0and writer\u00a0Bill Mantlo’s later attempt to reveal that Northstar had\u00a0AIDS\u00a0was squelched. In\u00a0Alpha Flight\u00a0#106 (1992), writer\u00a0Scott Lobdell\u00a0was finally given permission to have Northstar state, “I am gay.”<\/p>\n

Gray with anger<\/h3>\n

Stan Lee originally created the Incredible Hulk to be gray in colour, so that he doesn\u2019t suggest any particular ethnic group.<\/p>\n

After a problem with the grey colouring at the printing press, Hulk came out with a green tinge, which led to Lee sticking with the colour scheme, which became one of his defining points.<\/p>\n

Ain\u2019t that the truth!<\/h3>\n

Wonder Woman\u00a0and her lasso of truth were invented by the same guy who invented the polygraph machine.<\/p>\n

William Moulton Marston, a psychologist\u00a0 and inventor, struck upon an idea for a new kind of superhero, one who would triumph not with fists or firepower, but with strength and truth, then conceptualising Wonder Woman\u2019s iconic lasso.<\/p>\n

\"Wonder<\/a>

Wonder Woman<\/p><\/div>\n

Spider-man was once sexually abused<\/h3>\n

This was revealed in an infamous PSA comic from Marvel; Spidey took on the message of the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse, and in it the wall-crawler saves a young boy from being abused, and then to assure the child, tells him that he was molested by his friend Skip.<\/p>\n

According to marvunapp.com:<\/p>\n

(Spider-Man\/Power Pack#1\/1 [fb]) When he was around twelve or so (at least old enough to walk home from school by himself), Peter Parker met an older student named Skip Westcott in the public library; Skip seemed impressed by Peter’s studiousness, nicknaming him “Einstein,” and the two boys became friends, which pleased Peter’s Aunt May, who’d been concerned that her nephew spent too much time alone. Peter and Skip were frequently alone at Skip’s housewhile Skip’s mother was at work, and one evening Skip showed Peter some pornography, then suggested that they “conduct a little experiment” and “touch each other like the people in that magazine.” Peter was appalled but “too frightened to leave.” Following this, Peter stopped spending time with Skip, and when his Aunt May and Uncle Ben questioned him about it, he told them what happened.<\/span><\/p>\n

(Spider-Man\/Power Pack#1\/1) Years later, in his Chelsea apartment, Peter overhears his young next-door neighbor Tony Lewis resisting the “advances” from his babysitter Judy. As Spider-Man, he knocks at the Lewis window, causing Judy to flee, and he persuades Tony to tell him what happened. When Tony admits that Judy was touching him in wrong ways, Spidey assures Tony that he’s not to blame for the situation and tells the boy his own story (without giving his real name, of course). Spider-Man then swings Tony across town to the party that his parents are attending, where he tells them what happened and is comforted by them. Spidey swings back home, satisfied that he has helped the boy and successfully confronted one of his own personal demons.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Skip<\/a>

Skip Wescott and Peter Parker<\/p><\/div>\n

Iron Hughs<\/h3>\n

When asked about the underlying ideas for Iron Man, creator Stan Lee revealed that Howard Hughs was a strong inspiration for Iron Man.<\/p>\n

Stan Lee, who created the hero with artist Don Heck in 1963, said: “Howard Hughes was one of the most colorful men of our time. He was an inventor, an adventurer, a ladies’ man and finally a nutcase. Without being crazy, (Iron Man) was Howard Hughes.”<\/p>\n

SHIELD \u2013 ain\u2019t nobody got time for that<\/h3>\n

In the comics, “Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, S.H.I.E.L.D originally stands for Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-Enforcement Division.<\/p>\n

In Marvel\u2019s recent movies, the awkward acronym is changed to the similarly preposterous Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.<\/p>\n

Wolverine \u2013 the villain<\/h3>\n

Before becoming a stalwart member of the X-Men, Wolverine was a villainous character in the Hulk’s universe.<\/p>\n

He was introduced in issue 180 of the\u00a0Incredible Hulk\u00a0as a pint-sized Canadian superhero charged with bringing down the Hulk.<\/p>\n

\"Wolverine<\/a>

Wolverine vs. Hulk<\/p><\/div>\n

Spider-mobile<\/h3>\n

We all know that Peter Parker, despite being New York\u2019s secret savior, was always strapped for cash. However, it is relatively unknown that Spidey was once so hard-up that he had to endorse a car company.<\/p>\n

Due to the high expenses of rent and living, Spidey had to accept a Carter and Lombado, sponsored car. The Human Torch even helped Pete build it.<\/p>\n

The bulky beach-buggy-like vehicle was an abomination for the acrobatic web-slinger, and was eventually driven into a river after Mysterio tricked Spidey.<\/p>\n

Whoops…<\/h3>\n

Marvel artist Dave Cockrum, being disgruntled at Marvel, wrote a resignation letter to the company heads, but due to a production mistake, Cockrum\u2019s letter was published in an edition of Iron Man.<\/p>\n

The letter appeared not by Cockrum, but by Tony Stark\u2019s AI assistant, Jarvis. The letter read:<\/p>\n

Anthony Stark,<\/em><\/p>\n

I am leaving because this is no longer the team-spirited \u201cone big happy family\u201d I once loved working for. Over the past year or so I have watched Avengers\u2019 morale disintegrate to the point that, rather than being a team or a family, it is now a large collection of unhappy individuals simmering in their own personal stew of repressed anger, resentment and frustration. I have seen a lot of my friends silently enduring unfair, malicious or vindictive treatment.<\/em><\/p>\n

My personal grievances are relatively slight by comparison to some, but I don\u2019t intend to silently endure. I\u2019ve watched the Avengers be disbanded, uprooted and shuffled around. I\u2019ve become firmly convinced that this was done with the idea of \u201cshowing the hired help who\u2019s Boss\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t intend to wait around to see what\u2019s next.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Iron Man\u2018s writer\u00a0David Michelinie explained that the letter was published in the story of the Iron Man comic by accident, and that the letter was originally addressed to Marvel, before being changed to \u201cAvengers\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Iron<\/a>

Iron Man<\/p><\/div>\n

Source:\u00a0Wikipedia<\/a>,\u00a0Superhero Universe<\/a>,\u00a0AbeBooks<\/a>,\u00a0io9.com\u00a0<\/a><\/h6>\n

More superhero news:<\/h3>\n

Injustice: Gods Among Us release date delivered<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes review (PS3)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rocksteady\u2019s next Batman game to be a prequel?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Stan Lee playable character in Amazing Spider-man<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Superheroes face-off in Injustice: Gods Among Us<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Amazing Spider-man shows off Web Rush in new trailer<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Catch up on your trivia with these super-powered facts<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":196,"featured_media":50487,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"idle","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"","_sma_x_attempts":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[8787,8786,8785,21,8789,2277,8791,4677,8792,8788,8784,8790,1841],"class_list":["post-50479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-comic-book-facts","tag-comic-book-heroes","tag-comic-books","tag-headline","tag-hulk","tag-iron-man","tag-matter-eater-lad","tag-northstar","tag-strange","tag-superhero-facts","tag-superheroes","tag-wolverine","tag-wtf"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/196"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50479"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50479\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50634,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50479\/revisions\/50634"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}