Top 100 Super Palookas Part 13

#40: VIBE

 

 Vibe has to be one of the most despised super heroes in existence. He's constantly included on lists of the worst comic characters of all time, and seems to be universally derided by fan boys everywhere. 

When DC introduced the "New" Justice Leagure in 1984, it immediately had it's detractors...gone were well established heavy hitters like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, replaced by newcomers like Gypsy, Vixen and Vibe.

Vibe (real name, Paco Francisco "Cisco" Ramon) was a gangbanger from

Detroit, where the new League would establish their base of operations. He was brash and obnoxious, but fans didn't find this to be compelling, and hate mail bombarded the DC offices immediately.

The character has had a kind of 2nd life, as he's been reimagined as a tech genius and lovable nerd in the CW Flash show (which thankfully ditched the stereotypical gang member trope.)

He was actually revived in the New 52, and even had his own series. 

#39: DAIMON HELLSTROM, AKA SON OF SATAN

 

If I was making this list SOLELY on characters I love, Hellstrom would be in the top 5. I love the character and as a kid I collected every issue he was in.

The 1970s had a huge occult boom, and Marvel comics introduced a ton of characters that capitalized on this craze.

Along with his sister Satana, DAIMON was portrayed as the heir of Satan (Marvel pushed out and Retconned this to a demon named Marduk Kurios, and later Satannish) and he constantly struggled with the forces of Hell, as well as his own inner turmoil. 

He'd marry Patsy Walker, AKA Hellcat, and eventually defeat and replace his father as ruler of Hell. He's become an ancillary character in the MU, but I'd love to see him return to his 70s glory. (I assume it's hard for Marvel to merchandise a character with a big pentagram scar on his chest, but I'd kill for a Hellstrom Marvel Legends figure.)

#38: KOBRA 

 

Kobra was conceived by Jack Kirby, as one of the last projects for DC comics, before he left to return to Marvel.

The book was then handed to writer Martin Pasko to refine and eventually released Kobra #1. 

The book centered around separated Siamese twins Jeffrey and Jason Burr. Jeffrey is 

Abutted as a baby by a cult who believe he will usher is the Age of Chaos.

Unbeknownst to both brothers, they share a psychic link, able feel what the other feels. Jason then is used by an international security ageny to stop the evil cult.

It was an odd book, less superhero and more Adventure Serial, with no costumed hero, and the focus more on the villain of the book.

Eventually Kobra would be more integrated into the standard DCU and fought the JSA, Batman and several others. 

With a terrorist organization at his disposal, Kobra had the potential to be a top tier, A-list villain...but despite debuting 10 years before the animated GI-Joe cartoon, there were tons of comparisons which I think hurt any real widespread appeal. 

#37: WHIRLWIND

  

 

Whirlwind is dope. He has a cool helmet, spins around super fast, has sweeeeeeet sawblades on his wrists. Why don't more people think Whirlwind is a boss? I don't know, but they're all wrong. 

Whirlwind rules. 

#36: THE NEW UNIVERSE

 

In 1986, Marvel's brash Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter had a monumental idea: to create a brand new Marvel universe, one that focused more on grounded, more "realistic" takes on super hero comics. The characters would be more flawed, the powers less glamorous and the stories themselves would be grittier, and focused more on human drama. Shooter wanted to revolutionize comics.

Weellllllllll....that was the plan, anyways.

The history the New Universe is well documented, still considered one of the biggest misfires in comic history. The book was a colossal disappointment in sales, and would last barely 2 years.

A lot can be said about the politics behind the books themselves, but I feel like where they went wrong was a lack of focus, and quality control...while yes, there were some TERRIBLE books (Kickers, INC, Mark Hazzard/ Merc) there were a few great ones...Starbrand had a ton of promise (and would eventually be included into the MU through Quasar) but I honestly feel that DP7 was one of the most underrated series of the decade, far more compelling and sophisticated  than almost anything else Marvel was putting out at the time. 

Years later Marvek would actually go with their ORIGINAL idea, which was new, reimagined versions of their heroes without all the decades of continuity, with the Ultimate universe. 

Top 100 Super Palookas Part 12

#45: THE CREATURE COMMANDOS 

 

Sometimes all you need is a concept. "Classic monsters as an elite WW2 fighting squad" is definitely a winner as far as I'm concerned. 

There have been a few attempts to modernize and update the team, but I prefer them killing Nazis. 

#44: JACK-OF-HEARTS

 

Jack Hart's father was a scientist who created Zero Fluid. Jack was accidentally exposed to Zero Fluid and given uncontrollable super powers. To help control his powers, he built a containment suit, which resembled the Jack of Hearts playing card. (Because subtlety isn't a thing in comic books.)

Jack of Harts is one of the most tragic heroes in the Marvel lexicon. Never fully getting control of his powers, he was distanced from others, and at one point had to spend 14 hours a day in a specially designed containment room, otherwise his powers would cause him to self destruct. When he was finally unable to  control it, he flew off into space to self destruct without harming anyone else.

His unique look and inherently tragic nature made him stand out amongst other Marvel heroes. His sacrifice still stands in the MU.

#43 NIGHTWATCH 

 

 

There's a long tradition in comics of creators "borrowing" ideas from other, popular creations from rival companies. Usually, it's some independent company pilfering an idea created by "the big 2"....but in the case of Nightwatch, Marvel SHAMELESSLY poached the design from Todd McFarlane's then extremely popular Spawn. 

It's so embarrassingly transparent I'm surprised that it didn't result in a lawsuit. The character had max exposure during the Maximum Carnage storyline, and a 4 issue self-titled series. Over the years, the character has managed to develop a fan base, most likely for the wrong reasons. 

#42: THE BRAIN AND MONSIEUR MALLAH 

 

Are The Brain and Monsiuer Mallah inherently silly? Of course. Are they also awesome? Absolutely. A super intelligent French gorilla with a machine gun in a romantic relationship with a brain in a tiny robot body? If you don't dig that then maybe comic books aren't really your thing. 

#41: THE GLOBAL GUARDIANS 

 

 

The concept for the Global Guardians actually originated in the animated Super Friends show (when they added the multi-diverse cast such as Black Vulcan, Samurai, Pharaoh and Apache Chief.) 

It's a concept that had unlimited potential, and one I feel that DC has never properly explored. The cast has some truly interesting characters, and while a few hung around and were developed in the 90s Justice League books,  they have been kept out of the modern DCU. In a world where we are more and more aware of the importance of representation and diversity in comics, the Global Guardians could be used to address those issues...as well as telling great, fun comics. 

 

Top 100 Super Palookas Part 11

Hey Palookateers, we're officially at the half way point! The sheer Palookaness is about to ramp up to 11! Will your favorite Palooka make the list? I guess we'll have to wait and see!

#50: THE ENFORCERS

Over the years, unfairly or not, I've come to judge a comic fan on their opinion of Marvel's trio of hired goons The Enforcers; if they scoff and dismiss them as dumb, I know I'm not going to take their opinion on any further topics of the Four-Color variety.
While a few others have joined their ranks over the years, the founding members (lumbering brute Ox, diminutive judo master Fancy Dan, and master of the lariat, the cowboy Montana) have been around in some form since 1964. 

#49: JACK O' LANTERN

 

When Marvel first introduced the original Jack  O' Lantern into the Spider-Man mythos, he seemed to be poised to be the next Green Goblin/Hobgoblin. 20 years later (and three different guys wearing the costume) and he has sporadic appearances, almost all of which are outside the Spidey books.

I think the character was probably most popular during the 90s Spider-Man cartoon, but was soon tossed aside for the much more popular symbiotes like Venom and Carnage. I think some might have felt that he was a cheap imitation of Green Goblin, but I always loved his look, he was different enough to stand on his own.

#48: CIRCUS OF CRIME

 

 

I love silly, dated concepts that outlive their origins.

In this day and age, circuses are all but disappeared, figments of a time when choices for entertainment were far less available than they are today.

What I always liked was how rife the concept was for super villainy...you could seemingly could up with a villainous offense out of every single circus archetype. The Ringmaster has always been the standout character, and the Circus have fought everyone from Daredevil to the Hulk.

#47: SALEM'S SEVEN

 

Salem's Seven. 7 brothers and sisters who live in "New Salem" where all the town's residents are magic users. They share the same father, Nicholas Scratch, who's essentially the Devil. Their grandmother is Agatha Harkness, who basically taught The Scarlet Witch magic. 

Comics have never given me enough Salem's Seven. I want toys, a movie, a WB. Series. 

#46: BLOOD PACK

 

 

In the summer of 1993, both Marvel and DC separately decided to reinvigorate their comics by adding a bunch of new characters. Marvel did so by releasing a bunch on annuals and debuting a new character in each. DC on the other hand decided to make it a whole event, tying all of their new characters into a massive storyline featuring Xenomorph knockoffs killing people across the DCU, some of which survive and become "New Bloods." While some of them had solo books (Gunfire, Hitman) DC decided to form a team from some of those characters, and that team was Bloodlines: Ballistic. Nightblade. Mongrel. Razorsharp. Geist...and a bunch of other super-nineties super hero names. 

It's actually painful to read some of those books now, and most of the characters were barely even one dimensional...but I applaud trying to create new characters, and they've even recently tried to bring some of those characters back into continuity. 

Top 100 Super Palookas Part 10

#55: DIAMONDHEAD

Diamondhead (real name: Arch Dyker, which has to be the greatest name in the history of people having names) was a criminal who was accidentally turned into living, super-strong diamond.

He would became one of Nova's main antagonists, and would occasionally pop up in other people's books.

I'm on record as being a HUGE fan. First off, he just looks cool. Also: that's a legitimately bad ass power. I feel like he could have had a successful transition into being a Spidey villain as well. Also: I once told Erik Larsen that I liked a drawing he did of DH and he admitted to being a huge fan of the character, which makes total sense. 

#54: ORKA

 

 

Orka is a 20 ft tall human killer whale that's as strong at the Thing. And yet he somehow still never gets any respect.

Look at that picture...how does that image not make you happy?

People are weird. 

#53: THE ATOMIC SKULL

 

Skulls are cool. Everybody thinks so. Atomic fire is also pretty cool...I guess?

Anyways, there was 2 different dudes to be called The Atomic Skull, both fought Superman. They bought had skulls. That were Atomic.

Whatever, skulls are cool. 

#52: RAGE

Elvin Haliday was a 13 year old boy, who was exposed to toxic waste when trying to hide from some local bullies, which caused him to grown large and powerful. He looked twice his actual age, and was nearly as strong as the Hulk!
Rage has spent time with the Avengers, and the New Warriors. In recent years, he's become disenfranchised with the superhero community and has been more centered on social injustices than super crime. He was even wrongly imprisoned, and beaten in jail and put into a coma by supervillains.
People thought Rage had a goofy look, but I always liked the character, and thought he had a ton of potential, and also addressed the very real issue of a lack of diversity in the Avengers.


#51: THE JACKAL

Rcently, Marvel has introduced a new Jackal, who is actually Spider-clone Ben Reily. But the original Jackal, Dr, Warren Miles, was actually a character in the Spider-Man comics for nearly a decade before he was revealed as the villainous Jackal!
Obsessed with the far younger Gwen Stacey, her death caused his obsession to turn into madness, and he blamed Spider-Man for her death. He vowed to make Spider-Man pay, and became the evil mad scientist The Jackal.
His main bit of notoriety comes from playing a central role in the controversial Clone-Saga storyline, but he's payed a much bigger role in the Spider-verse than that. He was actually the character that first introduced The Punisher, directing him to target the Punisher for crimes he didn't commit.
The Jackal isn't your typical Spider-Villain...his motives were far more creepy, and his motives weren't to be rich or take over the world. He also fought with long, complicated machinations, and his persistence would make him a reoccurring thorn in Spidey's side.
As a kid, I was in a local comic store, and the guy who worked there, whom I looked up to, brutally mocked the character...I didn't say anything, but I found the character very intriguing, and even kind of disturbing.

Top 100 Super Palookas Part 9

#60: GANGBUSTER

 

Do you remember when America was obsessed with Gang violence? When people nowhere near South Central Los Angeles were terrified of the war between the Crips and Bloods? The movie 'Colors'?

Well in the late 80s Wolfman decided to bring gang violence to Metropolis. As a stark contrast between a more real world level of violence and the typical kind of crime Superman traditionally takes on, it was an attempt to modernize (and humanize) the Superman books. 

Enter Gangbuster, a street level vigilante who focused on the crime that Superman wasn't dealing with. Jose Delgado was a school teacher who was tired of all of the youth crime that was plaguing his beloved home town and decided to do something about it. (Like the movie The Substitute...of the movie Class of 1999...or the movie 187...or the Substitite 2-4...man, there's a lot of movies about Teachers kicking highschool ass!)

He'd wind up getting paralyzed when he was overwhelmed by criminals (pretty realistic scenario for a Superman comic) until Lex Luther provided him an exoskeleton that would allow Jose to walk, but also allowed him to be remote controls by Luther (annnnd back to "comics".)

I genuinely loved the character as a kid, especially when drawn by Jerry Ordway....but the whole nunchucks-as-belt thing still bugs me.

#59: THE RED GHOST

 

Before the Russians were buying American Presidencies, they were trying to beat us to the moon!

Ivan Kragoff and his 3 trained apes took off his own lunar rocket, and were subjected to the same cosmic rays that gave them their superpowers!

Ivan could become intangible and invisible, Mikhlo the Gorilla was superhumanly strong, Igor the baboon could shapeshift and Peotr the orangutan could control gravity (or magnetism, depending on the writer) and they soon set off in a feud with the FF over supremacy of...the moon? Really? 

Somehow, this gang of crazy knuckleheads is still around today, which just goes to prove that people love super apes. 

#58: THE WINTER GUARD

 

Look, more Russians! 

The Winter Guard AKA The People's Protectorate, AKA The Supreme Soviets...

Man, I used to love these guys. As a kid, I didn't hate Russia (I was an Ivan Drago fan). I love RUSSIAN they are. They couldn't be more Russian if they were drinking Vodka out of a fur hat and posting dash cam footage on Youtube.

Comics are stupid, but in a good way. I mean, how do you not love a Russian dude who transforms into a huge Bear?

#57: CAPTAIN ULTRA

 

Griffin Gogol was hypnotized by an alien psychologist who unlocked his super human potential. He had a myriad of impressive powers. There was one problem, he had a severe phobia of fire, and would even feint if someone lit a cigarette. 

I've never been a fan of Captain Ultra...he was meant to be a joke, and the joke was never funny. I would normally exclude a character like him from being included in this list, but Marvel, over the years, has actually developed the character beyond his "Super-Loser" origins. (True Palookas aren't losers by design, but they might be losers by nature.)

#56: BLUE DEVIL

 

As a kid, when I first started collecting, it seemed like every comic character had like 100 years of confusing continuity, so I subconsciously gravitated towards newer characters that I could call my own.

Blue Devil was part of DC's launch of new titles in 1984. He was stuntman and special effects wizard Dan Cassidy, who was working on a movie when he got attacked by an actual

Demon, and ended up getting permanently bonded with the exoskeleton he had designed for the movie, eventually becoming a reluctant superhero.

Blue Devil was the perfect combination of tragedy and comedy. He was trapped in a form he hated, but managed to remain a jovial, fun character. Unfortunately, the next few years would see DC take a turn towards darker, more angsty stories, and BD never found an audience. He would eventually become an actual demon, and be a member of the Shadowpact, but just faded away from monthly comics altogether. I feel like a writer could still find a home for him in the right book, though. 

 

Top 100 Super Palookas Part 8

#65: MAN-WOLF

Astronaut Werewolf. Now that's an original concept.

John Jonah Jameson III, son of J. Jonah, was a test pilot and astronaut.  Jameson encountered a moon rock called the Godstone, which housed the essence of the Stargod (a space God that looked like a wolf man. OK.) and it's power transformed Jameson into the Moon-Wolf.

John Jameson has been a consistent presence in the MU since his creation in 1963!

He's bounced around in different forms, with different roles, but his time as Moon-Wolf is what he'll most likely always be recognized for.

#64: FORCE OF JULY

 

There was a time in the 80s when lots of comic creators seemed to have a massive mistrust of their government (I wonder why) and lots of different comics portrayed government sanctioned superheroes as less-than-Admirable.

None better portray this idea than Force of July. 

A whole team comprised of ultra-patriotic super-humans who tangled with the likes of The Outsiders and Suicide Squad.

They'd all die eventually, and a new team of non-powered agents would replace them, but I always thought this team had a ton of potential.

#63: THE CONTROLLER 

 

As a kid, I mainly remember the Controller as being the dude who looks way too much like Thanos. 

Basil Sandhurst was a control freak scientist who was paralyzed by his brother in a lab explosion.

Outfitted with a powerful exoskeleton, he'd soon become obsessed with enslaving the populace (as you do) but would be routinely stopped by that killjoy Iron Man.

For being such an imposing looking character, he was always kind of underwhelming, mainly  using his mind control powers unsuccessfully and being thrown into the Vault.

He somehow managed to be a major character though, and fought pretty much everybody. 

#62: DOMINIC FORTUNE 

 

 

Dominic Fortune was a classic Howard Chaykin creation: more swashbuckling adventurer than superhero, he was alive during the Great Depression...and he even once saved a Pre-Super Soldier Steve Rogers from getting beaten up by bullies. 

Having adventures for 6 decades, with his youth and vitality restored with a bootleg super soldier serum, he'd team up with all manner of A list heroes in the 80s, but sort of disappeared by the 90s. He'd eventually show up in a few appearances in the modern age (including a cool story were he was an "Avenger" in the 1950s) but usually only when Chaykin would return to Marvel.

While the heart logo is questionable, I always thought he was a cool character. He had that Chaykin charm. I mean, the dude lives on a Gambling river boat! That's pretty boss.

#61: CRAZY QUILT/DR. SPECTRO

 

I can't believe DC has two of these guys. I mean...how have neither of these dudes gotten killed off in a Crisis of some sort?

And we're talking about characters created by Kirby (Quilt) and Ditko (Spectro) here!!!

Spectro actually started out as a Charlton creation, and was obtain by DC when they acquired the rights for Captain Atom. Quilt, while being famous for being a Bat Villain, was actually created to battle the Boy Commandos. 

They are both still haunting the DC comics community, mainly as a punchline about fashion crimes. 

Top 100 Super Palookas Part 7

#70: GAMECOCK

 

70s Marvel comics will always have my heart.  Comics were meant to be fun, and no idea was too silly or too over-the-top. 

Gamecock, real name Carlos Cabrera, was a minor Captain America villain, with super strength, but only in his legs, who pops up every now and then, mostly as comic relief of some kind.

I love his original look. He looks like a human Piñata. Give me this over any generic 90s tough guy ANY DAY.

#69: CAMERON HODGE

Look at this thing. This was a MAJOR X-Men villain in the 90s.  Did you see that 1999 Jamie Lee Curtis movie Virus? No? Yeah, I didn't either, but it looked terrible. This thing looks like that movie. I remember actually being creeped out by this monstrosity. 

Jesus. Look at it. 

#68: WOODGOD

Woodgod has the great distinction of being the coverpage of the Facebook group that launched this Blog, so for that alone he deserves a spot in the Palooka Hall of Fame.
His character was very much a product of the 70s: Part Planet of the Apes, part Jesus Christ Superstar.  Created by two hippies-turned-scientists, he eventually became the leader and creator of a group oh animal-human hybrids called The Changelings, who have popped up in Hulk books throughout the years. And while he's never really had much of a presence in the Marvel universe, his sheer uniqueness makes him memorable.

#67: DOCTOR DRUID

Notorious for being the least-liked Avenger, I have to admit to actually being a fan as a kid. His moral ambiguity and unlikely appearance made him stand out. I legitimately bought into the character being a major star.

#66: TORPEDO

It's hard to imagine now, but in the mid-70s, Torpedo seemed to be on the verge of being a new star for the company. They pushed him HARD, and he was advertised as the Next Big Thing. At least, that's what it felt like revisiting those books as a kid.
His story is actually pretty tragic, as in his very first appearance the original Torpedo actually dies, leaving the suit to his friend. Years later, HE gets killed by Dire Wraiths while ROM is off in Space. His death is pretty disturbing and heartbreaking, especially for 70s Marvel.
The suit did land in the hands of two young friends, who shared the identity of a new hero calling themselves Turbo.

Top 100 Super Palookas Part 6

#75: NKVDEMON

Originally the protégé of  the KGBeast, there were actually 3 different dudes to wear the guise of the NKVDemon, all of whom died unceremoniously. 

Taken from the name of the secret Soviet police force the NKVD, the 'Demon was on the same Super steroid that made his mentor so fearsome, but was also given artificially hardened skin, making him a virtual killing machine. He tussled with Batman...but got killed by the Police while trying to kill Mikhail Gorbachev. Not very bad ass.

He looked so cool, he was wasted potential, and every subsequent effort to give us a new NKVDemon failed to deliver as well.

(Now that the soviets are back in the news, maybe someone might try to make a 4th attempt...)

# 74: SOLO

 

 Created in 1986, before comics became full blown Gun Toting Vigilante Crazy, Solo was armed to the teeth and doing the whole "brooding anti-hero" thing before it became super fashionable. 

He also had the ability to teleport, which is actually the perfect power to give a gun crazy mercenary. 

I remember him mostly in the Spider-Man comics, usually in the employ of Silver Sable.

Sadly, Marvel tried to give him his own series at the height of "Punisher Mania", but nobody gave a shit. 

#73: VERMIN

 

Another tragic villain, everything about Vermin is a bummer.

The victim of extreme child abuse, the grown up Edward Whelan became a geneticist working for Baron Zemo. Through their experiments he becomes a vicious, savage rat-like humanoid.  So vicious, in fact, that he ends up murdering and eating his victims in his sewer home.

In the sad tradition of characters like The Lizard, Whelan was a sympathetic character fighting a dual nature, never fully able to regain his humanity.

#72: THE TURTLE (TURTLE MAN)

 

This Flash villain has the superhuman ability to steal the speed and momentum of others, making him the perfect foil for super speedsters.  

This was the original Turtle...there was a second Turtle, who fought Barry Allen and idolized the original, and eventually the two would team up. The original was far more ruthless and manipulative then his younger partner, who ended up in prison, happily taking all the blame so that he could feel like a big shot.

That's pretty damn Palooka. 

#71: THE DEMOLITION TEAM

 

Rosie, Hardhat, Steamroller, Jackhammer and Scoopshovel...together they are the mighty Demolition Team! 

Man, I love these guys. Pure stupid fun.

They were created 10 years after the Wrecking Crew, but by Len Wein and Dave Gibbon, of all people! They were mercs who decided "Hey, instead of assault rifles and tactical gear, let's use suped up versions of demolition equipment! COMICS!"

Every time I see these guys I hear this

Top 100 Super Palookas Part 5.

#80: MASTER OF THE WORLD

 

John Byrne's run on Alpha Flight, while not nearly as strong his run on FF, is still the defining run the characters have ever had, and he did an admirable job of giving them worthwhile adversaries of their own.

The Master was actually a 40,000 year old caveman named Eshu who was subjected to horrific alien experimentation for thousands of years. Those same experiments increased his mental and physical abilities to near superhuman heights and made him virtually immortal. 

He would try numerous times to become a world conqueror, only to meet defeat time and time again. 

He always felt like he should have been a bigger deal, but just never hit with comic readers. It might because he's essentially Vandal Savage in the most over-the-top super villain costume ever. 

#79: SHOTGUN

The Punisher never really had much of a rogues gallery...it's hard to have returning villains when you murder them all.

J.R. Walker was an attempt to give Frank a reoccurring, capable foe. Designed by John Romita Jr., he was very much a product of the 90s, but still felt more believable than most of the other one-trick pony tough guys plaguing comics at the time.

Unfortunately, he was given the most obnoxious, macho posturing dialogue and a very weak back story (tough as hell mercenary obsessed with big guns.) Even Jigsaw has more depth.

#78: THE GIBBON

 

 Man. Poor Gibbon....he just wanted to be Spidey's partner, but Web Head just laughed in his face. Man, J. Jonah Jameson was right, Spider-Man's an asshole.

A mutant with superhuman strength and agility, he's bounced between trying to do right and be a hero, and falling back into crime and joining up with other fuck-ups like the Legion of Losers. 

He actually got a chance to shine as the lead character in the Marvel Apes series. He was also nearly killed by the Punisher at the wake for Stilt-Man.

All because Spider-Man laughed at him. 

Fuck you, Spidey. 

#77: THE SLUG

So he's basically Fatter-Kingpin. Like, he's literally just an obese crime lord. Except, you know how Kingpin has that line "People mistake my immense girth for fat, when in reality it is thick muscle mass"? Well, the Slug is just a tubby, tubby bitch.

He makes this list for 2 reasons: he's managed to be a pretty consistent character in the MU, and because he literally kills people by suffocating them in the folds of his fat. That's just fucking gross. 

#76: BLOCKBUSTER

 

 

I have a soft spot for big, brutish characters, but Blockbuster was a pretty one dimensional character, your basic Hulk rip off. Mark Desmond was a scientist looking to make himself stronger, but the transformation cost him his intellect and made him savage and biolent. He was a Bat foe for quite a few years, but mainly being manipulated by smarter accomplices.

His brother would actually become the 2nd Blockbuster, but wound up becoming super smart on top of strength and durability, and became a crime lord in Blüdhaven, and Nightwing's arch nemesis in the process. 

Top 100 Super Palookas Part 4

Hey True Palookas, here's Part 4. 

#85: SUGAR MAN

 

Ugh. Sugar Man.

Created by Scott Lobdell (of course) and Chris Bachalo during the Age of Apocalypse storyline, he managed to transfer over to the 616 (the main Marvel Earth timeline) and fought Generation Next and The New Mutants.

He always bugged me. I think in another universe/franchise he might work better...but as an X-men villain he's kind of a wet fart. But he routineley pops up so apparently he has his fans. 

#84: GREMLIN

 

The Gremlin, real name Kondrati Topolov, was the son of Yuri Topolov, a Russian nuclear scientist known cruelly as The Gargoyle due to his monstrous appearance, a side effect of years of radiation exposure.

His son was born a deformed mutant, with superhuman intelligence, and used that intelligence to became a master in robotics and exo-skeletons.

I always liked the Gremlin. He was a tragic figure, and was an interesting villain for the Hulk. He was a little redundant in the sense that the Leader was already the antithesis of  the Hulk, but I actually think he was MORE interesting than the Leader, and was a far better allegory for genetic mutations. 

Sadly he was killed in the Armor Wars, but I'm sure he'll get revived at some point because, hey, comics.

#83: Crule

There 90s were an...interesting time for comics, where ingenuity and a hip new approach to superheroes very quickly turned into generic, uninspired characters that did not age well. 

Which brings us to Crule (eye roll), a Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld creation that was a minor character in the 90s X-Force run.

His power range was the generic "fast strong tough guy" but also included clawed gauntlet like hands, and a spiked mace at the end of a long braid at the top of his head....but those weren't fabrications, they are actually physical manifestations of his mutant powers.

No, really. 

His origin is also overly complicated, being a member of a race immortal Mutants known as the Externals (groan) and was even a Nazi. 

As a kid I actually thought he looked really cool. In fact, I had his Toy Biz action figure and it was one of my favorites. What'd I know?

#82: MAN-APE

 

M'Baku has been a staple of Black Panther's rogues gallery since his introduction in 1969.

A fierce, capable warrior, whose origins mirror Panther's own, Man-Ape was always portrayed as a legitimate rival, and used consistently throughout the 70s and 80s, but somehow used more and more as comic relief as time has find on.

While I doubt you'd get away with calling a black man Man-Ape these days, I've never seen the ridiculousness in the character. 

#81: RAZORFIST

The man called Razorfist was actually 3 different guys, the first a guy named William Young, who was killed, and then the shared identity of William and Douglas Scott. All of them were adversaries of Shang Chi, but I first remembered the character from fighting Wolverine during his Madripoor run.

Now, while a dude with two foot long blades for hands is an intimidating sight...its impracticality is off the charts. Sometimes comics are just dumb.