Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1 may be this week’s and this year’s most unlikely comic book launche.
The first issue by Ryan North and Erica Henderson takes the C-lister and turns her into an all-ages hero to inspire and bring the fun back to comics.
Doreen Green was created by the legendary Steve Ditko and Will Murray and most readers first knew her as a recruit of the Great Lakes Avengers. Green would later be the nanny for Danielle Cage, the daughter of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. The unlikely heroine has a crazy career defeating big baddies like Doctor Doom and Thanos.
As we celebrate the return of Squirrel Girl we can’t help but think about other oddball Marvel heroes who might be ready for a comeback.
Marvel is home to an outrageous cast of odd heroes like Hulk and the Thing. In recent years many unlikely heroes have become mainstream Marvels like Groot, Rocket Raccoon and Howard the Duck. Madrox the Multiple Man even made a big screen appearance in X-Men: The Last Stand and enjoyed a long run as leader of X-Factor before retiring.
So we though of two more unlikely heroes, 1 woman, 1 man – who might be primed for a comeback:
Ladies first.
Big Bertha Ashley Crawford is a mutant who can alter the size and mass of her body plus she’s has super-strength and durability. Legendary writer/artist John Byrne created Big Bertha and the rest of the Great Lakes Avengers during his West Coast Avengers run. She’s also a skilled pilot and fashion model. In an industry filled with fit females why not have a commitment to diversity and include this plus-size heroine? Perhaps Ashley will have a girl power reunion with Doreen in her book?
Jack of Hearts Yes, Jack of Hearts – blasting hero dressed like a playing card! I go with this fallen Avenger because of a sketch duel at Fan Expo Vancouver a few years ago. Stephen Sadowski and Phil Jimenez shared a friendly competition while sharing secrets of character design and stories of their celebrated careers. The artists took audience requests for the characters most in need of a makeover. Jimenez got Dazzler. Sadowski did an awesome new look for Jack of Hearts that would make you beg Marvel to resurrect him.
Who is he? Jack Hart was a creation of the great Bill Mantlo and Keith Giffen. The half-human, half-alien’s first color appearance was in The Incredible Hulk but Jack would become an ally of Iron Man and later an Avenger. Jack could fly, and emit concussive blasts but eventually he couldn’t contain his energy power. Jack chose to take his own life and the criminal who abducted Scott Lang’s daughter. Jack’s explosion in space was not the end. A zombified Jack would explode in a possessed Scarlet Witch’s assault on her team in the Avengers Disassembled arc. Readers would later see Jack in the afterlife, Avengers: The Children’s Crusade – a sequel to Disassembled, and in a Marvel Zombies tale.
Jack of Hearts is one of those oddball heroes with a wacky costume. Because of his connection of Scott Lang, Jack might appear in the new Ant-Man series since he once saved Cassie.
Who are your favorite oddball heroes you’d like to see Marvel resurrect?
By Editor