The Marvel-DC Universes: "Hey! What About Us?!" Quiz

Answer: "Special Marvel Edition" #15

While Iron Fist is the more popular character, Shang-Chi is the proclaimed 'master' of Kung Fu. He made his debut in "Special Marvel Edition" #15, in 1973. The title of the book would change to "Master of Kung Fu" with issue #17 and would enjoy a 124 issue run ending in 1983.

Answer: The Man-Thing

Biochemist, Ted Sallis, tried to re-create the super-soldier serum which had created Captain America years earlier. While working on perfecting the serum in the Florida Everglades, he was betrayed by his lover to an evil corporation called Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.). Rather than allowing the serum to fall into their hands, Sallis injected himself with the experimetal drug and was chased into the swamp where he drowned. Later, as the serum and the swamp came together, Sallis emerged as the mindless, muck-encrusted Man-Thing, who would become, not only the swamp's protector, but the defender of all reality as we know it, as well.

The Man-Thing made his first appearance in the pages of "Savage Tales" #1 in May, 1971. The classic line associated with the Man-Thing was: "Whatever knows fear, burns at the Man-Thing's touch".

Answer: "Mr. Miracle" #1

Although he is one of the so-called New Gods, Scott Free, a.k.a. Mr. Miracle, did not debut along with his fellow gods in the pages of "Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen" #134, in 1971. He was first seen in his own book, "Mr. Miracle" #1, later that same year.

Mr. Miracle was an escape artist with the ability to free himself fron any trap, no matter how intricate it was. Born on the paradise planet of New Genesis, Scott was traded by his father, Highfather, for Orion, the son of Darkseid, who was the ruler of the war-like planet, Apokolips, in order to achieve peace between the two worlds. Raised in horrendous conditions and submitted to tortures beyond imagining, Free escaped his adopted home-world and rejoined his biological father's fight to end Apokolips' evil.

Mr. Miracle has had several incarnations of his book, but none have ever really caught on for any substantial length of time.

Answer: The Creeper

While all of these heroes made their initial appearances within the pages of DC's "Showcase" at one time or other, it was The Creeper who was featured in issue number 73, in 1968.

Jack Ryder was an out-spoken talk show host who was injected with an experimental serum after being wounded trying to prevent in an attempted kidnapping of scientist, Dr. Yatz. While the serum gave Ryder enhanced strength and agility, it also unhinged his mind. He is almost as looney and as unpredictable as the Joker.

The Creeper went on to star in his own short-lived book called "Beware, the Creeper", in 1968, which only lasted six issues.

Answer: Marvel Feature

The Defenders made their first appearance in the pages of "Marvel Feature", in 1971. The team was featured in the first three issues before they were given their own title, in 1972, which ran for 152 issues before it was cancelled in 1986.

Answer: Swamp Thing

Referred to as Alec Olsen in his initial appearance (his last name would later be changed to 'Holland'), Swamp Thing made his debut in "House of Secrets" #92, in 1971. This was about 2-3 months after Marvel's Man-Thing came on the scene. Both characters are eerily similair in that they both were changed into swamp creatures due to experiments that had been sabotaged in some way; they both became protectors of their respective swampland homes, with Swamp Thing in Louisiana and Man-Thing in Florida; they were both mystical creatures, as Swamp Thing eventually evolved into an Elemental being and Man-thing became the center of the Nexus of All Realities.

Although, Swamp Thing intially had the power of speech (albeit, extremely labored), he lost it after it was later explained that Alec Olsen/Holland had actually died in the explosion that created the monster and that Swamp Thing was, in fact, a plant that thought it was a man. This first series ran for 24 issues.

Swamp Thing is probably the more popular of the two swamp creatures and his books have received, not only fan praise, but critical acclaim within the comic book community, as well, due to some of the industry's most influential writers and artists being on the book at some time or other like Berni Wrightson (whom actually created the character along with writer, Len Wein) and Alan Moore, who's run on the second series, "The Saga of the Swamp Thing", truly re-invented the character and took it to new heights.

Answer: True

"Marvel Team-Up" should have really been called "Spider-Man and..." because throughout most of the series' run, which went from 1972-1985, and ended with issue number 150, Spider-Man (or the Human Torch for a few issues) would team up with a less popular character. And, with issue number 65, it was Captain Britain's turn to have the spotlight turned on to him.

The two-part story not only introduced the Captain to American fans, but it also introduced the villain, Arcade. Also, these issues were drawn by a man named John Byrne, who would later go on to gain incredible popularity on another book entitled "The Uncanny X-Men".

Answer: False

In an alternate reality in the not-too-distant future, Luther Manning became Deathlok the Demolisher, and made his first appearance in the pages of "Astonishing Tales" #25.

After being severely injured in battle, Manning awakens in the body of the cyborg, Deathlok, because the military branch needed a guinea pig to test the experimental weapon. Manning breaks free of their control and continued to fight against their evil as he tries to free himself from the cyborg.

There have been at least three men to have carried the mantle of Deathlok, Luther Manning, Michael Collins (whose version had a 34 issue run in his own book from 1991-1994), and Jack Truman.

Answer: Mon-El

Thought to have been Superboy's long lost brother, initially, Mon-El made his made his debut here. Hailing from the planet Daxam, Mon-El was found by Superboy and so named because of the day of the week he was found (Monday) and the misunderstanding that he was Superboy's brother from Krypton ('El' is Superboy/Superman's family name).

Exhibiting almost the exact same powers as Superboy, the two were delighted to have been 'reunited', however, when it became apparent that Mon-El's weakness was lead and not Kryptonite, as it is with the people of Krypton, Superboy placed Mon-El into the Phantom Zone until a cure could be found. It would take 1000 years before Mon-El would see the outside world again when he was released in the 30th century by the Legion of Superheroes. He joined the team and became an intergal part of that group. He would later change his name to Valor and drop 'Mon-El'.

Answer: #44

After decades of fighting alongside the Batman as Robin, the Boy Wonder, Dick Grayson grew to manhood and finally gave up that identity in "New Teen Titans" #39, along with Wally West, who also gave up his identity of Kid Flash. Needing to escape from the shadow of his mentor so that he could forge his own way, Dick chose the name of 'Nightwing' and premiered his new identity in "Tales of the Teen Titans" #44, which had just changed its name from "The New Teen Titans" a few months earlier with issue number 41.

'Nightwing' was a name once used by Superman when he and Jimmy Olsen, who called himself, Flamebird, teamed up in the miniature, Kryptonian bottled city of Kandor, in "Superman" #158, in 1963.

Answer: The Doom Patrol

Robotman, Negative Man, Elasti-Girl, along with their physically-challenged leader, the Chief, made up the original roster of the Doom Patrol, in 1963. The group made their debut in "My Greatest Adventure" #80, some three months before the X-Men, with their physically-challenged leader, Prof. Xavier, debuted.

It is widely believed that Stan Lee, the editor of Marvel Comics at the time and the father of so many of Marvel's superheroes, used the Doom Patrol as his inspiration for inventing the X-Men.

Answer: True

Marvel Comics' renowned Sorceror Supreme, Dr. Strange, was indeed first seen in "Strange Tales" #110, in 1963. Because of the format of the book, Dr. Strange, shared the title with two other heroes during his series run, the Human Torch and Nick Fury. Dr. Strange would get his own book in 1974.

Answer: The Warlord

After his debut in "First Issue Special" #8, Travis Morgan, a.k.a. the Warlord of the lost, pre-historic world, Skataris, went on to enjoy a very long run in his own series from 1976-1989, ending with issue number 133.

Answer: Dazzler

Dazzler made her debut in "The Uncanny X-Men"# 130, in 1980, during artist John Byrne's historic run on the book. With the mutant power to turn sound vibrations into energy beams and such, Allison Blaire, a.k.a. the Dazzler, was created at the height of the disco era. The character as a member of the X-Men briefly and enjoyed a book of her own that ran 42 issues from 1981-1986.

Answer: Cable

Cable made his first appearance, which was a cameo, in "The New Mutants" in issue number 86. His first full appearance came one issue later.

Answer: The Guardians of the Galaxy

The Guardians of the Galaxy (Maj. Vance Astro of Earth; the crystallined, Martinex, from Pluto; Charlie-27, from Jupiter; and Yondu, from Beta-Centauri IV) were the original members of the 31st century superhero group whom debuted in "Marvel Superheroes" #18, in 1969. Each member of the group represented the last of his particular race.

While the team would make countless appearances in other books within the Marvel universe, they would not receive a book of their own until 1990. It ended in 1995 with issue number 62.

Answer: #282

Tony Stark's best friend, Jim Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine, made his first full appearance in issue number 282 of "The Invincible Iron Man" (vol. 1), in 1992. The character's actual first appearance happened as a cameo in issue number 281. Rhodes had taken over for Stark as Iron Man in issue number 169 when Stark succumbed to his alcoholism and needed to dry out. Tony would return in issue number 200 to reclaim his place as Iron Man.

In 1994, Jim Rhodes got his chance to head his own title called "War Machine". The book only lasted 25 issues, however.

Answer: "Green Lantern" #141 (vol. 2)

The Omega Men made their first appearance in "Green Lantern" #141 (vol. 2), in 1981. The team hailed from the Vegan star system and were renegades who were on the run from the evil Citadellian empire as they fought to free their universe from its control.

The original group consisted of Primus (telekenisis/telepathy), their leader, Kalista (a sorceress), his wife, Tigorr (ability to change into a tiger-like creature), Felicity (a female of Tigorr's species with the same powers he had), Broot (super-strength and invulnerability), Nimbus (a ghost-like humanoid), Harpis and Demonia (harpy-like sisters), Doc I (a cyborg doctor), and Shlagen (team mechanic).

Answer: "The Omega Men" #3

Lobo was a Czarnian and the last of his kind after his race (which was orginally called Velorpian) was wiped out by the Psions. He first appeared in "The Omega Men" #3, in 1983, and would go on to have several of his own mini-series's as well as his own book which lasted 64 issues, from 1994-1999.

It is believed that the Lobo character was DC's answer to Marvel's popular mutant, Wolverine. They both were anti-heroes possessing enhanced senses, a healing factor, as well as berserker rages and immortality. They were both unbeatable fighters, too.

Answer: "The Flash" #110 (vol. 1)

After hanging up his uniform in "The New Teen Titans" #39 along with Dick Grayson (Robin), Wally West would inherit the mantle of The Flash after his uncle, Barry Allen the second man to be called The Flash, perished while trying to save the universe in DC's twelve issue, mini-series, "Crisis on Infinite Earths" #7, in 1985. Wally became The Flash in issue number 12. Wally would go on to his own book entitled "Flash", in 1987, and enjoy a series run of 230 issues, which finally ended in 2006.

As Kid Flash, Wally made his first appearance in "The Flash" #110 (vol. 1), in 1960.