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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2022 6:10:37 GMT -5
In Thunderbirds, the Hood, who was out to sabotage International Rescue and sell its secrets to hostile powers, operated mainly in the shadows. He rarely encountered the Tracy Brothers. I remember Parker and Lady Penelope running him off the road in one episode. In another episode, he captured Brains. But I don’t recall him coming face-to-face with any of the Tracy Brothers in the series; I could be wrong, but I think their first face-to-face encounter with him was when Scott unmasked him in the theatrical movie Thunderbirds Are Go.
(There were encounters between them in various comic strips, including one story “Tracy Island Exposed”, where Gordon Tracy knocked him out; I’m not sure what any modern incarnations have done)
What do we think of villains who operate in the shadows, rarely encountering the heroes?
Are there any villains you think should never encounter a hero? Could that ever really work?
Or is it nice to see at least one encounter? (Oh, and did Horde Prime ever meet the likes of He-Man face to face, anyone know?)
I must admit, I did crave some more encounters between the Hood and International Rescue. I had hoped there might be an episode where the Hood - never actually named that in the show - was exposed, or found his way to Tracy Island. Punch-ups were exceedingly rare in Gerry Anderson’s shows, due to the limits of puppetry I would imagine. But I’d have liked to see Scott or Jeff Tracy punch the Hood’s face. However, as an adult, I do see the intrigue and benefits in having the Hood be more of a shadowy character.
Which comicbook heroes have rarely, if ever, come face to face with heroes?
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Post by wildfire2099 on Dec 23, 2022 8:48:01 GMT -5
I did really at least see what Dr. Claw looked like when I was watching Inspector Gadget as a kid.. I wonder if they ever showed him?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2022 9:23:53 GMT -5
I did really at least see what Dr. Claw looked like when I was watching Inspector Gadget as a kid.. I wonder if they ever showed him? Yes and no. They never showed his face in the cartoon. I’m told there was an action figure which showed his face, but I am not sure if they are customs or whether an actual licensed figure was produced.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2022 11:03:51 GMT -5
Hey drive, you posted this cover of a villain in the shadows in the current cover contest.
It was my first time seeing this title....was this story with the Ripper an actual take of the White Chapel murders, at least as far as Marvel could take it with the comics code?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2022 11:08:39 GMT -5
It was a very loose interpretation of the Ripper murders, with a supernatural angle - and set many years after the Ripper murders. It’s a reprint of a 50s tale.
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Post by MDG on Dec 23, 2022 13:48:55 GMT -5
Unless it happened in one of the DC issues, I don't think The Spirit ever saw the Octopus' face.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2022 15:16:20 GMT -5
It was a very loose interpretation of the Ripper murders, with a supernatural angle - and set many years after the Ripper murders. It’s a reprint of a 50s tale.
ok, if they took creative liberties with it in that manner I will pass....but still one of those obscure Marvel titles I never saw before.
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Post by codystarbuck on Dec 23, 2022 21:27:16 GMT -5
Fu Manchu and his knockoffs, including Ra's al Ghul, to a certain extent, via various agents, though Ra's got more direct, with Batman.
In the Goowdin/Simonson Manhunter, the Council operated in secret and the Manhunter clones were the direct threat to Manhunter.
Luthor did this to a certain extent, after the revamp. Less shadows and more via underlings.
Justin Hammer operated through mercenaries, until the direct confrontation with Tony Stark, where he destroys the machinery that is overriding control of the armor, allowing Stark to operate as Iron man and wipe up the floor with Hammer's mercs.
Your Moriarty and Dr Mabuse types usually operated through a series of cut-outs and agents. Moriarty has his confrontation with Holmes, after he has interfered in his affairs; but, Mabuse pretty much operates for a longer period of time, in the various serials and movies, before facing Inspektor Lohmann or Joe Como.
Blofeld did entirely, until You Only Live twice revealed him. He was a bit more effective when he was just voiced by Eric Pohlman and you only saw his hands and part of his torso, with the face always hidden.
In the original Gatchaman tv series (which was redubbed as Battle of the Planets and G-Force: guardians of Space), the villain, Berg Katse (Zoltar in BOTP and Galactor, in G-Force) operated through various Galactor (Spectra, in BOTP) field commanders and battle mecha, until later in the series, when the Gatchaman team run across him. After the death of the Red Impulse, Ken the Eagle makes a more deliberate hunt for Katse and he barely escapes, in one episode, building to the final, epic battle at the end of the series. He does act in female form, at times, but the team doesn't know it is the same Katse, as it isn't revealed until later that Katse is a mutant, formed of male and female twins, who shifts between them, which has driven him insane. Behind even Katse, though, is Sosai X, the alien entity who created Katse and is the true force behind Galactor's technology and their designs.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2022 9:01:50 GMT -5
I did really at least see what Dr. Claw looked like when I was watching Inspector Gadget as a kid.. I wonder if they ever showed him? Speaking of Doctor Claw, there’s a ‘fan theory’ that he and Chief Quimby are one and the same. There’s the fact that Quimby always knows the plans of M.A.D. beforehand. Well, that’s not really a theory, perhaps Metro City’s Police Department simply had good intelligence operatives. However, during the end credits of each episode, you’ll hear Doctor Claw say, “I’ll get you next time, Gadget, next time.” And it appears to sync with Chief Quimby’s mouth moving as he stands next to Gadget. I don’t believe a rather throwaway cartoon - which I did enjoy as a kid - would be sophisticated enough to plan such a thing, and I feel that it’s a coincidence that Quimby’s mouth moves when Doctor Claw threatens Gadget. Nice ‘fan theory’, though.
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Post by k7p5v on Dec 25, 2022 4:30:51 GMT -5
Even though it didn't quite become reality, there was talk that Apocalypse was the one behind WEAPON X!
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Post by kirby101 on Dec 25, 2022 10:13:04 GMT -5
I don't think Nick Fury ever found out these two were behind his fight with the Yellow Claw in Strange Tales.
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Post by k7p5v on Dec 26, 2022 3:25:28 GMT -5
And then there was Mr. Tolliver: mysterious employer of Deadpool, and a persistent inconvenience to Cable throughout the 90's (XD)
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Post by codystarbuck on Dec 26, 2022 11:59:26 GMT -5
The Monitor was more interesting, while he was observing various DC heroes, before Crisis kicked off.
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