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James Hanson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 14 February 2006
Posts: 2396
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| Posted: 11 June 2007 at 1:49pm | IP Logged | 1
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1) Who created Gladiator?
2) Did you design him? If so, did you style his mohawk to be like a Roman
helmet or because it was fashionable?
3) How does he compare to Thor and the Silver Surfer, power-wise?
4) How does he compare to your version of Superman?
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 136079
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| Posted: 11 June 2007 at 4:09pm | IP Logged | 2
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1) Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster. (Or, if you prefer,
Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum.)
2) Dave designed him. You can see many of the
recurrent Cockrum motifs in his costume, including
the high boots and gloves.
3) No idea.
4) Much more powerful. He's Silver Age Superman
level.
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James Hanson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 14 February 2006
Posts: 2396
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| Posted: 11 June 2007 at 5:27pm | IP Logged | 3
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For some reason, I thought you were in some way responsible for Gladiator.
i wonder if they named him because of that book Gladiator that some assert
was the inspiration for Superman.
Thanks JB!
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Wes Wescovich
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 21 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1726
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| Posted: 11 June 2007 at 5:51pm | IP Logged | 4
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James, you know that the Imperial Guard is a "stand-in" for the Legion of Super-Heroes, right? Gladiator=Superboy. And I would think that he was named that as a sort of tribute to the character in the Philip Wylie novel, also. Roy Thomas introduced a character named Arn (Iron) Munro in the Young All-Stars title to sub for the post-crisis golden age Superman. Bearing some resemblance to Wylie's Hugo Danner also.
Edited by Wes Wescovich on 11 June 2007 at 5:53pm
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Rick Hannah
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 04 April 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 547
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| Posted: 11 June 2007 at 6:13pm | IP Logged | 5
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James. I could be wrong, but I think JB's contribution to Gladiator was to fully define what he was capable of in the FF #249 story "Man and Superman!" Until that time Gladiator's abilities had not really been explored in any detail. In that issue, if the title wasn't enough, Gladiator was first firmly established as an analog of Superman in terms of powers (unaided travel thru space, super-breath, super-speed, invulnerability, etc.) and in terms of the extent of those powers. Also, this was JB's chance to explore his theory that Superman's powers were, in part, psionic.
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Brian Hague
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 14 November 2006
Posts: 8514
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| Posted: 11 June 2007 at 9:01pm | IP Logged | 6
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Roy Thomas based his "Iron Munro" on a 1934 pulp hero written by John W. Campbell; Aarn Munro from "The Mightiest Machine" published in Astounding Stories. In that story, the hero's abilities came from his having been born on Jupiter, a planet with a heavier gravity than Earth. At a circumference nearly the same as his height, the 300 pound Aarn closely resembles Arnold Drake's Charlie-27 from Guardians of the Galaxy.
Thomas made his Munro the son of Philip Wylie's "Gladiator," Hugo Danner. While in the novel, Danner is likely to have had any number of kids, Thomas went the extra step of having Danner survive the events of the novel, which in many ways, invalidates the point of Wylie's story. Ah, well... Anything for an affectionate and respectful homage, right...?
There are Superman websites out there now that refute the long-held assertion that Siegel knew of Wylie's novel because he wrote a review of it in his mimeographed sci-fi fanzine. Folks who say they have seen copies of those 'zines report that no such review exists.
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Ron Farrell
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Posts: 1518
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| Posted: 11 June 2007 at 9:06pm | IP Logged | 7
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Personally, when I first saw Gladiator I didn't think Superboy. Legion geek that I am, I saw him as Mon-El, the Legion's leader. Surprised Dave didn't include a brother for Gladiator to even things up.
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Steven Myers
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 10 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5745
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| Posted: 11 June 2007 at 9:14pm | IP Logged | 8
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I think the Imperial Guard is more the Adult Legion, and Smasher is Mon-El. But I'd have to re-read their first appearance. I read a webpage once that tried to equate JB's additions (Warstar, Eathquake, Hussar or whatever they were called) with LOSH members, but I don't see how they are such.
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Wes Wescovich
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 21 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1726
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| Posted: 11 June 2007 at 9:39pm | IP Logged | 9
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Interesting info, Brian. I only read the first few issues of YAS and the art (and higher price) took it off my must have list pretty quick.
Ron, a friend of mine in elementary school absolutely loved OMAC and swore that the character was a direct descendant of Superman. When Gladiator came along, I saw Superboy and for some reason equated the mohawk as being tied to the OMAC thing. I've been a Legion fan since the Cockrun run and I always wondered why Mon-El was left out of the Imperial Guard. Maybe you are right.
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Michael Connell
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 13 January 2006
Posts: 4024
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| Posted: 11 June 2007 at 9:42pm | IP Logged | 10
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I always equated Smasher with Ultra Boy, because their costumes seemed pretty close.
Edited by Michael Connell on 11 June 2007 at 10:02pm
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Eric White
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 October 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 1088
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| Posted: 11 June 2007 at 9:48pm | IP Logged | 11
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Smasher was Ultra Boy. There was no Mon-El counterpart.
I don't think JB's additions to the Imperial Gaurd had any Legion
counterparts.
*Edit* - I did a little digging and it turns out there was a Mon-El counterpart
called Commando (M-Nell). I can't find a picture of him so I don't know how
visually close he is to Mon-El.
Edited by Eric White on 11 June 2007 at 10:05pm
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Brian Hunt
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5182
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| Posted: 11 June 2007 at 10:00pm | IP Logged | 12
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Gladiator is another one of those characters that writers use to prove how tough their characters are because they can beat him, or hold their own with him. It seems to have come in vouge after FF#249.
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