I first encountered The Demolisher in the pages of an issue of Marvel-Team-Up when I was around seven. He immediately became dear to my twisted pre-teen heart. Part super-hero, part monster he was an amalgam of the two things I loved most at the time. And I immediately loved how he talked to the 'puter in his head. Even before Wolverine, Deathlok was my first experience with a real take-no-prisoners anti-hero. And I dug the heck out of it. When I was a kid I had a doghouse out back behind the house, but no dog, so that became my secret hideout as it were. I kept that copy of MTU and an issue of Tomb of Dracula under a foam mat in the doghouse to keep them safe from my mother's periodic comic book purges. Later I sought out the old issues of Amazing Adventures with Deathlok's solo adventures. This was my first exposure to the kind of post-apocalyptic future that would became one of my favorite sci-fi scenarios. Luther Manning would be right at home in the world of Mad Max or on the road to the Dark Tower.
Somebody needs to do a cool new Deathlok miniseries with the Luther Manning cyborg wandering through more post-apocalyptic adventures. I mean it was cool when he met Captain America and all, but Deathlok belongs in the ravaged future, alone against the nuclear mutants.
I wonder who'd be a good writer for the new adventures of Deathlok? It doesn't seem like a good fit for my go-to guys Bendis, Brubaker or Millar somehow. Maybe Warren Ellis. Or Joss Whedon. or Brian K. Vaughn? He's probably all post-apocalypticked out. Those are all pie in the sky dreams though.
Oh, I know who! Jason Aaron. Yeah, that's the dude. That would be cool. I bet he could do Deathlok some sweet nuclear justice.
Speaking of which, SCALPED is a pretty freaking great comic. If you're not reading it already, you should probably check it out.
Okay, bye.
4 comments:
I love me some Deathlok. I've never seen a better character so badly used. I don't know the MTU you refer to Sam, but I do love the original Amazing Adventures stuff - why did I sell those issues again?
It was around number 53 or something I think. I reread it recently in one of those big Essential collections. It's not a very good story if you're not eight years old, I'm afraid. I've still got the Amazing Adventures issues and those still hold up pretty well as old school futureshock pulp.
You know, I've only read that mini-series that Jackson Guice did back in the early 90's. I remember it being pretty great. Now I want to read those others you mentioned. Mad Max and Dark Tower... then it's got to be awesome. but no Tina Turner right?
Well, now I've probably built up those Amazing Adventures tales a bit much. Nostalgia probably plays a healthy role in my enjoyment of them. They're not quite on Mad Max/Dark Tower level, but if you're after a fun pulpy time Deathlok delivers.
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