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Andrew Bitner
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 7541
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| Posted: 06 February 2025 at 4:25pm | IP Logged | 1
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The Leader is going to appear in the new Captain America movie, so I guess the guy's on my mind.Question is: given he might be the smartest man on Earth in Marvel--even beating Reed and Doom--what has kept him from being a world-class threat? Is it his fixation on the Hulk? Is it that he lacks the imagination or ambition? The Leader seems like a character who could (and should) threaten entire teams of heroes, rather than constantly tangling with a green-skinned monster he should (theoretically) be able to defeat.
What gives?
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: 06 February 2025 at 4:26pm | IP Logged | 2
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He’s silly looking.
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Brian Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 28 July 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 31462
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| Posted: 06 February 2025 at 4:32pm | IP Logged | 3
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Gotta be the green skin
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Jason Ladwig
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 29 April 2020
Location: United States
Posts: 226
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| Posted: 06 February 2025 at 5:27pm | IP Logged | 4
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JB's response made me chuckle out loud. Thanks, I needed that.
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Brian ONeill
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 04 July 2024
Posts: 70
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| Posted: 06 February 2025 at 6:05pm | IP Logged | 5
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'Evil version of hero looks(something) like hero' syndrome.
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Casey Sager
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 753
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| Posted: 06 February 2025 at 7:16pm | IP Logged | 6
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I'm honestly surprised they're bringing back Tim Blake Nelson to play the role after 16-17 years. It almost seems out of character for them to do that.
Edited by Casey Sager on 07 February 2025 at 3:14pm
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Steven Brake
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 January 2016
Posts: 675
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| Posted: 06 February 2025 at 7:38pm | IP Logged | 7
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Both The Leader and The Abomination seem to be specifically Hulk villains.
It's odd that neither ever, or only rarely, are antagonists for other characters.
The Abomination could be a decent part of a Masters of Evil or Frightful Four line-up - has he ever fought The Thing?
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Andrew Bitner
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 7541
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| Posted: 06 February 2025 at 9:00pm | IP Logged | 8
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I guess "he's silly looking" works. Big bulbous head, parodied by Megamind and others, maybe a bit too much like the Martians from MARS ATTACKS! Maybe he's just too hard to take seriously. For all that, though, he's got potential. One day...
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Andrew Bitner
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 June 2004
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Posts: 7541
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| Posted: 06 February 2025 at 9:02pm | IP Logged | 9
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And AFAIK, Abomination hasn't ever fought the Thing. That would be a pretty good match-up, considering Blonsky is stronger than Hulk but doesn't increase his strength--something Ben is probably used to facing with Banner.He would be a good addition to some non-Hulk-specific groups. I think the only hold up is when an editorial office says "no, these are OUR toys, you can't use them." That does happen, doesn't it?
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Jean Voulis
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 05 February 2025
Location: Canada
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| Posted: 06 February 2025 at 9:32pm | IP Logged | 10
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I enjoyed his initial story in Tales to Astonish which culminated in him trying to rob the Watcher's abode on the moon.
A bit of a one note character but I do like the contrast between his brain and the Hulk's brawn.
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Doug Centers
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 February 2014
Location: United States
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| Posted: 06 February 2025 at 10:11pm | IP Logged | 11
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My memory of The Leader always goes back to those sixties Marvel cartoons. I can still hear that shrill voice.
And yes, the looks. Like M.O.D.O.K. they just don't have that allure.
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Jose Zulueta
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 March 2022
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Posts: 181
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| Posted: 07 February 2025 at 12:05am | IP Logged | 12
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My guess is that the Leader was created in the tradition of Lex Luthor and Sivana; the ultimate opposites of the musclebound heroes. As opposed to super-strong, the villains are super-smart.
Thing is, though, the Leader is consistently defeated by the end of every Hulk story ... so what does that say about The Leader's intellect?
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