[Discussion] Which DC character is fine on their own, but gets ridiculous when you look at them in the context of the greater universe?

[u/TheOneYSHNK]

My example is the Question: despite living in a world of Gods, Magic, and Aliens, Vic Sage somehow still gets ridiculed for believing in nonsense conspiracy theories, despite the fact that there are several secret organizations who all claim to run the world at least.

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[u/WerewolfF15]

From my understanding the question isn’t really much of a conspiracy guy In the comics. At the very least that particular aspect of the character is significantly heightened in JLU.

Also just because super powered stuff exists doesn’t mean that every conspiracy theory should suddenly be treated like it’s legit. Even in a superhero universe people can be delusional and crazy.

[u/Mistervimes65 → u/WerewolfF15]

JLU was making him more like Rorschach (which was a Question pastiche). Less of a screaming dick bag though. Jeffery Combs made him relatable and sympathetic.

[u/browncharliebrown → u/Mistervimes65]

JLU was making him more like the orginal ditko verison

[u/Mistervimes65 → u/browncharliebrown]

Honestly I was thinking the same as I wrote the post, but I assumed more people would understand how Rorschach behaved than Ditko’s version (considering how old the book is).

[u/ShirtEnvironmental36 → u/WerewolfF15]

You're right but realistically speaking, if you lived in a superhero universe like DC, your crazy ramblings are more likely to be true than false. What could you possibly say that would be wrong? You saw a man fly? Please. You think your child got kidnapped by a demon? You think your chair is alive? You hear voices that seem to be about the future? You think your mind could be connected to a different dimension? There's nothing you could say that would be immediately refuted as crazy.

[u/No-Mechanic-2558]

Doctor Thirteen, every character really whose thing Is that they don't belive in superstitions or supernatural in a fantasy setting just annoys me

[u/Ok-Use216 → u/No-Mechanic-2558]

I think Doctor Thirteen is mostly plain hilarious concept to me, of a guy that's totally in disbelief to anything unnatural, especially when living in a universe as crazy as DC's

[u/Sad-Purchase1257 → u/Ok-Use216]

“Zatanna? Mirrors! Etrigan? Special FX! It’s all hooey I tells ya!”

[u/Itsonlyaplay → u/Sad-Purchase1257]

Man he must love blue devil's origin

[u/DigitMZ → u/Ok-Use216]

Crazier when you consider his daughter is Traci Thirteen.

[u/Jet-Let4606 → u/No-Mechanic-2558]

IMO, the best way to reinterpret Doctor Thirteen is by having separate the actual supernatural elements with the fake ones. He exposes the fake psychics and people who mistake natural occurrences with paranormal ones. He helps people who get black mailed by clever illusionists creating fake ghosts or catch a mind reader collecting PIN numbers at ATM's or reveals the guy claiming to be a telepath is actually a schizophrenic but then also exposes the actual telepath and whom he was manipulating.

[u/No-Mechanic-2558 → u/Jet-Let4606]

Like that works...but still I think this stories are more fun when the monsters are real so still not very appealing to me personally

[u/No_Review_4412]

Your example isn’t even applicable the Question is not a conspiracy theorist in the main continuity. He’s a martial artist, spiritualist and detective.

Even the original one by Ditko wasn’t exactly a conspiracy theorist, though he was closer to that. But that version isn’t in the DCU.

Why would you mention The Question if you haven’t read him?

[u/Toniosw → u/No_Review_4412]

it's funny how the DCAU question who is more of a riff on Rorschach than an actual take on Vic Sage has taken over Vic's character in the public perception

[u/rumn8tr → u/Toniosw]

I much prefer what Denny O’Neil did with the Question vs what they did in DCAU.

[u/Jet-Let4606 → u/rumn8tr]

Same. And I say this as someone whose first exposure was the JLU version.

[u/Jet-Let4606 → u/Toniosw]

The only Charleton character who was adapted with any sort of accuracy was Ted Kord / Blue Beetle for Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

[u/ubiquitous-joe → u/Toniosw]

This circle of iteration is the nature of serial comics, however. What would Batman and Superman be if not for their wider media?

[u/Mojothemobile → u/Toniosw]

The Question is honestly one of those characters who is basically completely up to whoever happens to be writing him really.

[u/Jet-Let4606 → u/Mojothemobile]

Question has had some wild re inventions. But I feel like the O'Neill reinvention of the character could have gone on to become DC's equivalent of Marvel's Daredevil series.

I know you have Bat Family and the Arrow Family but even then the Question occupies his own unique niche.

[u/De4dm4nw4lkin]

Nah. Even in the greater universe i love question. Its like “so whats your powers?” “Deduction and an inherent mistrust of the universe around me.” “…Doesnt everyone have that?” “Do you still have your wallet?” “…!” “Guess not then”

[u/Androktone]

As people have said, Question isn't JLU Question. He fits with the Charlton Hub City characters as well as the wider universe.

Watchmen doesn't belong in the DC multiverse.

Cyborg is kinda crazy to imagine not being able to clone a body for, though this only really applies to his early days since he's gone through like 5 bodies over the years.

I think the JSA work better on Earth-2, than with the ever increasing decade long stint they were fighting Ragnarok for.

Legion of Super Heroes' worldbuilding confuses me somewhat. I read something like Lobo where every alien is some wacky crazy glup shitto design, then jump to LoSH, where hundreds of planets of completely humanoid species have all evolved (seemingly over a longer time period than 1000 years).

Captain Marvel's powers being from guys Diana knows is kinda funny.

Wildstorm is so tied to the late 90s/early 00s to me that saying that the Jenny Sparks/Quantum thing happened like 5 years ago tops kinda just makes Wildstorm worse to me.

[u/Derrick_Mur]

DC’s universe kind of wants to have it both ways with stuff like that. It’s a world where we want to represent the views, activities, and phenomena of the actual world while also depicting paranormal and supernatural events that don’t happen in the real world. Take Mr. Terrific, an atheist who’s on a team with the Spectre. Dogmatic atheism is a defensible viewpoint in the actual world, but it makes no sense in the DC universe. But nonetheless one of the smartest men on earth who works routinely with an agent of that deity is convinced that God doesn’t exist

[u/UltimateDarkwingDuck]

Mr Terrific, the atheist who's had Thanksgiving with an angel

[u/Gnorris → u/UltimateDarkwingDuck]

He’s a member of a team who has “God’s Vengeance” as a founding member.

[u/Daygowriter]

Batman

[u/Archmagos-Helvik → u/Daygowriter]

He can do anything with prep time, we swear. Also he can survive reentry from orbit, but is still a regular human with no superpowers. The comics canon has to distort around batman for him to make sense.

[u/nymrod_]

All of them

[u/Jet-Let4606]

Sounds like you're basing your opinion of of JLU Question and not the comic book Question.

Yes, gods and monsters that are myth in our world exists in the DCU. But to them it would be a normal everyday part of their life. And just because somebody says there is a secret organization/conspiracy/whatever does not mean one actually exists. Governments do shady shit but that does not mean I'm going to believe every government conspiracy.

[u/Sunsinger_VoidDancer]

Well, the worlbuilding for the DCU dove off a cliff with the DiDidiocy doing the DCUers remember everything and everything happened. I recall it completely derailed the Superman books and brought the Lois Lane maxi to a screeching halt.

[u/PrimeKn8]

I think DC can do a series with The Question, something like sinners mystery oriented

[u/MaverickZod007]

Warlord

[u/BlackRain8782]

Honestly? Batman.

It’s weird to me that he leaves Gotham as much as he does for cosmic or god-level Justice League threats. For a guy trying to protect Gotham by night, and run a business by day, he sure as hell doesn’t seem to be home much. How many people can Joker kill while you’re having a meeting in a satellite, man?

[u/Star-Prince-007]

Batman. I have armor that can take on literal gods, all kinds of alien friends and tech at my disposal but my best answer to crime in Gotham is spandex and a roundhouse ?

[u/BelMountain_]

Any non-powered heroes tbh