Superhero Updates?

[dvandom]

Inspired by a thread on the history and pedigree of sidekicks over on Howling Curmudgeons, I started thinking about "What if Big Two comic creators got their hands on classic pre-superhero characters and revamped them for the superhero age?" Sherlock Holmes has been revamped to death, of course, as have the more famous pulp-era heroes like the Phantom, Shadow, Tarzan, Doc Savage, etc. But some of the ones you wouldn't think appropriate to superherodom might still work:



The first idea I had was Bertie and J.E.E.V.E.S.: Young Bertie Wooster is the airheaded son of a superhero, who has inherited some of his family powerset (also expressed in his retired but still very scary aunt). To keep him out of too much trouble, gentleman's gentleman Jeeves has built the Jet-Enabled Exo-Vector Environment Suit, or J.E.E.V.E.S.!

Alejandro Quixano has made a name for himself in the business world, and in his late middle age has turned to charitable works and various "lost causes". But, when going through some of his family heirlooms, he discovers that his lineage has been responsible for fighting back periodic invasions by otherworldly giants that only people with his specific genetic heritage can even see! Armed with a magic sword and assisted by his trusty bodyguard Bartolomo Panza, he is the new DON QUIXOTE! (edit: Hm, on further reflection, I think I might just use this idea in ASH. One of the low-powered 1970s types.)

Nat Bumppo grew up on a reservation, never fitting in due to his mixed heritage and uncertain parentage, so he ended up in the Army like so many of his peers. But, during a massacre of his position in Afghanistan, he was fatally wounded. While lying in the sand, bleeding to death, he was visited by the spirit of his ancestor, Uncas. The two spirits merged, granting Nat the power of ten men as the LAST OF THE MOHICANS!



So, anyone else have ideas?

Comments

[jarodrussell.livejournal.com]

Not counting the first (now public domain) Tom's father (who wasn't named Tom, but was an inventor none the less, irrc), there have been four generations of Tom Swifts. He's actually the original Generational Science Hero, before such a concept existed.

[querldox.livejournal.com]

The first series was Tom Swift, back in the 1910s and 20s. This is where, due to its style using lots of adverbs, the "Tom Swiftie" came from (for example, cribbed from a website, "Shall I frost the cake?" Tom offered icily.).

Then in the 1950s, we got the first Tom Swift Jr. books, which had his sister Sandy and friend Bud Barclay refered to above. Tom Sr. was also a supporting character.

The third series, in the 1980s, has the title Tom Swift character as the son of a Tom Swift, but is at best very casually related to the previous two series.

The fourth series, in the 1990s, again has a Tom son of Tom, and occasionally namechecks some supporting characters from series 2, but again the continuity isn't very tight, if much of it really exists at all.

To my surprise, while checking info on this, a fifth series started last year, again with Tom son of Tom, and per the first page of the first book readable at Amazon, has Bud Barclay back as one of Tom's best friends. Unclear how this may or may not relate to previous continuities other than Bud's existence though.

And, since both have been mentioned, am I the only one who thinks a Tom Swift/Danny Dunn crossover would've been cool?

[dvandom.livejournal.com]

Heh. I didn't even know about the third series, much less fourth and fifth. I had a bunch of the 1950s books as a kid, probably inherited from my parents or maybe bought at a library sale, I no longer remember which. Definitely had books 1 and 3, and from the space race one I learned about orbital dynamics (specifically, you slow down to go faster).

[jarodrussell.livejournal.com]

Was Danny Dunn a genius or was the scientist he and his mother lived the inventor? Not that it matters because Danny Dunn and Tom Swift's Automatic Fabricator might possibly the best title ever.