History ReimaginingTheArtifact / ComicBooks

** Whereas in the reboot ''ComicBook/Transformers2019'', it ''is'' an open proclamation that they're the bad guys. Previously known as the Ascenticons, they used a variety of shady and underhanded means to grow in influence as a political party. The term "Decepticon" was first used as an insult by Sentinel Prime condemning their methods, but when Megatron launched a surprise coup, he turned it into an AppropriatedAppellation to rub it in the Autobots' and the Senate's faces that he was able to keep them in the dark for so long about his real ambitions.

* Jughead from ''ComicBook/ArchieComics'' wears a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whoopee_cap whoopee cap]] on his head: a type of hat made from a fedora turned inside-out with the brim cut into a crown shape. It was [[AluminumChristmasTrees an actual fashion]] in the 1940s amongst young boys, and was meant to signify Jughead being immature for his age, but [[OutdatedOutfit fell out of style]] and the significance was lost. Later readers were more likely to assume it was something like a Burger King crown, especially with the comic's more stylised art. The [[ComicBook/ArchieComics2015 2015 reboot]] introduced a new meaning behind the hat: Jughead was a wealthy boy who wore a fedora until his parents [[RichesToRags lost their money]] due to being swindled by a water bottle company, after which he cut up his hat into the familiar whoopee cap.

* ''ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman'' has a bunch of these, as part of their quest to make ''everything'' canon.

* IDW's Franchise/{{Transformers}} works do this frequently, reimagining old gimmicks from the franchise's early years.

** The existence of CyberCyclops characters in a race of sentient machines ''horrifyingly'' explained as a form of punitive mutilation called "Empurata" where their faces were removed and their hands chopped off, and they were left with just a singular optic and unwieldy claws. Because it was only supposed to happen to criminals, they were publicly humiliated and shamed for speaking against the corrupt government, while also shoving them straight into the UncannyValley from a Cybertronian perspective.

** The Dinobots choose their out-of-place alternate modes in order to survive on a prehistoric Earth where the conditions are hazardous to them without protection, and quickly become attached. Their designs are also reimagined to look more like ''real'' dinosaurs, complete with scale alterations as needed (meaning the member who turns into a brachiosaurus is now head and shoulders over everyone else).

** With the ''[[ComicBook/Revolution2016 Revolution]]'' mini-series establishing the ComicBook/HasbroComicUniverse, they've done things to some of the other franchises- ie. ''WesternAnimation/{{MASK}}'' is a sub-division of ''Franchise/GIJoe'' (which in turn is now a division of the Earth Defense Command, from the [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers G1 Transformer cartoon]]) designed to combat the Cybertronians, rather than just a team of good guys taking on bad guys (VENOM being led by the breakaway Miles "Mayhem" Mannheim, who had earlier been in charge of MASK, and prior to that [[ComPositeCharacter was the "Sea Adventurer"]] in [[MythologyGag Joe Colton's Adventure Team]]).

* Creator/GrantMorrison does this frequently, so much so that they have their own folder.

* Bebop and Rocksteady were created for ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987'' to serve as Shredder's DumbMuscle, and with the show being comedic and primarily aimed at kids, they were soon [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] into being so dumb that they were barely functional and the Turtles outwitted them at every turn, making you wonder why Shredder kept them around for so long; other continuities tended to ignore them as a result. Then ''ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIDW'' came along and had them just dumb enough to serve as ComedicReliefCharacters while playing up their SuperStrength to the point where they are almost impossible to defeat.

* Apache Chief, widely regarded as one of the lamest of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'', was re-adapted in 2002 by Joe Kelly into a much more interesting character, [[http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Manitou_Raven Manitou Raven.]]

* This is what Creator/BrianMichaelBendis has done with Marvel's lesser or dated 1970s characters like ComicBook/{{Luke Cage|HeroForHire}} and the first ComicBook/SpiderWoman.
* According to his commentary in an ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' collection, this was also Bendis's intention with the introduction of that universe's Venom. The series' treatment of ComicBook/TheCloneSaga is a more solid example.
* Franchise/{{Batman}}:
** The Batcave's giant penny. Despite being the most infamous part of the cave's background, Batman got it from an early, ''absurdly'' minor foe of his called the [[{{Idiosyncrazy}} Penny Plunderer]]. Said villain has never made a comeback, but his penny is too iconic to drop at this point, so most later incarnations starting with ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' kept it but attributed it to Two-Face instead.
** ComicBook/{{Robin}}: As comics get DarkerAndEdgier, a KidSidekick is more and more obviously an unethical endangerment of the poor kid, especially since letting them ''actually die'' is nothing new. Why is there still always a ComicBook/{{Robin}}? The reasons vary, but they usually come down to the kid being set on a dark and dangerous path anyway, and Batman taking them under his wing to make sure the kid can actually ''survive'' in a place like Gotham and, in some cases, be a proper hero instead of [[ThouShaltNotKill crossing the line]].
*** Dick Grayson: This is how the original Robin's origin story was reimagined, with Dick trying avenge his DeathByOriginStory-victim parents on his own ''anyway'' before Batman took him in. It was an important part of the backstory of ''ComicBook/NightwingRebirth'' with the introduction of Raptor, a fellow Romani and old friend of his mother: once thieves, she went straight while Raptor didn't, and he sought to raise Dick his own way but Bruce got to him first.
*** Jason Todd: He was a delinquent who Bruce wanted to help, knowing that he had the potential to be a hero but would more than likely end up as just another petty criminal if Bruce didn't intervene. It's also implied that Bruce used him as a ReplacementGoldfish for Dick after their falling-out.
*** [[Comicbook/RobinSeries Tim Drake]]: The role of Robin was reimagined somewhat differently with Tim, with ''Robin'' stepping in to save ''Batman'' from going down a dark path rather than the other way around. After Jason Todd's death, Batman's [[SanitySlippage borderline-instability]] could easily turn into a HeWhoFightsMonsters case if he didn't have someone to keep him down to Earth; Tim took up the mantle (after first unsuccessfully trying to persuade Dick to return) out of the belief that "Batman needs a Robin."
*** Damian Wayne is the most blatant example. Raised by a multinational secret society to be the perfect assassin, he seemed all set to inherit the throne of his grandfather, Ra's Al Ghul. However, he instead chose to follow the footsteps of his father, Bruce Wayne. Damian can and has killed many full-grown and trained men, so his time as Robin is more to teach him morality and compassion.
** [[http://www.agonybooth.com/3-lame-batman-villains-rescued-from-obscurity-by-awesome-retcons-52175 This]] article on Website/TheAgonyBooth discusses old, laughable Batman villains who were reimagined into much more effective and menacing threats.
** Batman famously [[DoesNotLikeGuns refuses to carry a gun under any circumstances]], even though [[BadassNormal he doesn't have any superpowers]], and his job would presumably be a lot safer if he at least kept a pistol around for self-defense. For most of his history, this was largely because [[UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode the Comics Code Authority]] severely limited portrayals of violence in comic books, so it became a general rule that superheroes just don't carry guns.[[note]] While Batman did carry a gun in a few of his very first appearances, these are generally dismissed as EarlyInstallmentWeirdness.[[/note]] These days, that's no longer the case; not only is the CCA defunct, superhero comics are now marketed to adults almost as often as children, and [[SuperheroPackingHeat superheroes who carry guns]] (like ComicBook/{{Cable}}, ComicBook/{{the Punisher}}, and even Batman's former sidekick Red Hood) are fairly common. Today, though, Batman's hatred of guns is a well-established part of his characterization rather than a standard superhero trope. He could get away with carrying a gun if he wanted, but he [[IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim refuses to stoop to criminals' level by committing murder]], and he prefers to prove his superior physical ability by [[GoodOldFisticuffs beating them the old-fashioned way]]. Sometimes it's linked specifically to Batman's grief for his parents, who were killed by a gun.
* ComicBook/BlackCanary's outfit dates back to when she briefly was a 1940s pulp villain. In the 1980s and 1990s, DC tried to reimagine its dated style by having the LegacyCharacter Black Canary style herself after her mother's old costume. When that became unlikely due to ComicBookTime, DC reimagined it again. In the 2010s, Black Canary became a punk rocker, which coincidently fits her costume.
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' had several of these:
** Bizarro was originally a dimwitted clone of Superman created by a scientist's replicating ray, and he famously ruled over the topsy-turvy cube-shaped planet of "[[BizarroUniverse Bizarro World]]", which was populated by similarly dimwitted replicas of Superman and his friends. Some of the campier aspects of the character's origin story -- like the cube-shaped planet, and the replicating ray -- wouldn't have translated very well to the more grounded and serious post-''Crisis'' continuity, but the general concept of a flawed Superman replica was popular enough that Bizarro himself was brought back. In his new origin, though, he was a genetically engineered clone created by a team of scientists on ComicBook/LexLuthor's payroll, and his mental deficiency was played a bit more dramatically, making him more of a TragicMonster than a bumbling simpleton. Also, New 52 explained that his name came from his codename: Subject B-Zero.
** Superman did this with the Clark Kent identity ComicBook/PostCrisis. In the old days, he was just what the TV intro said: Superman, disguised as mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent. He really had no reason to have a human identity, especially after his powers increased to the point that the job at the newspaper in order to find out about dirty deeds was no longer necessary. ComicBook/PostCrisis, he's now more Clark Kent who dresses up as Superman and not the other way around. He was raised as Clark Kent, after all, and he doesn't want to give up that identity. Sometimes it's noted that the Clark Kent persona keeps him humble and grounded, avoiding the AGodAmI mentality that otherwise might tempt him. (Contrast with General Zod.) It's also been said that he likes the SelfImposedChallenge of learning to be good at something for reasons other than his GameBreaker powers; being able to [[Film/SupermanReturns throw a whole island into space]] won't help you win a Pulitzer.
** There's also [[ClarkKenting Superman's use of glasses to hide his civilian identity]]. Today, very few people seriously believe that he can effortlessly disguise his face just by donning a pair of glasses, but a few modern writers have toyed with the idea that he actually uses the glasses to hide his distinctive eye color (a bright shade of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_egg_blue robin's egg blue]] that isn't seen in normal human eyes), which is one of the few visible markers of his Kryptonian heritage. Fittingly, this detail came right about the time that Clark's extraterrestrial roots were starting to get more focus in the series (they were originally just a convenient explanation for his superpowers, but have since become a crucial part of the ''Superman'' mythos).
** Creator/ChristopherReeve's performance in the movies also made ClarkKenting make more sense. With his acting ability, the ''total'' change in demeanor was enough to make pretty much anyone say "Okay, now I can see it."
** By TheEighties, Oswald "The Prankster" Loomis was one of the most problematic ''Superman'' RoguesGallery villains because, for such an enduring character (he's one of the precious few still recurring ''Superman'' characters created back in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks) he posed the least credible threat of all: a gangster, his gimmick consisted in committing crimes [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin in the form of pranks]], without having any extraordinary powers himself. This made him the least threatening Superman villain fifty years later when Creator/JohnByrne re-imagined him as a deranged former tv star bent on revenge for the cancellation of his show by Morgan Edge. This version still was not enough to convince the readers, but by then the Prankster had been around for so long and appeared on practically every Superman live action television show, so he was difficult to get rid off. Thus, in TheNoughties he was again retooled as an arms dealer who also specialized in creating diversions to stall ''Superman'' when another more important crime was being committed by the Prankster's clients. Still not happy with the result, during the ComicBook/New52 the Prankster was ''again'' re-imagined but as a villain for ComicBook/{{Nightwing}}, this time he appeared as a computer expert bent on avenging his father's death due to the carelessness of the [[CorruptPolitician corrupt mayor of Chicago]].
** ComicBook/PowerGirl's infamous CleavageWindow has gotten Creator/DCComics many complaints of sexism over the years, since it pretty clearly just exists [[{{Fanservice}} to give readers something to ogle]]. [[GrandfatherClause It probably wouldn't fly if the character were introduced today]], but it's also such an iconic part of her costume that it looks strange without it (partly because she doesn't have a {{chest insignia}} to replace it). The artists have tried to redesign her costume many times to get rid of the window, but [[StatusQuoIsGod none of their attempts have stuck]]. Eventually the writers settled on making Power Girl an [[TheTease unapologetic showoff]] with a [[GoodBadGirl playfully flirtatious personality]], so it actually seems (somewhat) in-character that she would show off her breasts for the sake of it. It helps that she also has a healthy sense of humor about it, and isn't afraid to [[LampshadeHanging hang a lampshade]] on her sex appeal.[[note]] As a bonus, this has also helped to [[DivergentCharacterEvolution differentiate her]] from ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, her AlternateUniverse counterpart, who is generally portrayed as more demure and innocent.[[/note]]
** In a rather ironic case of CelebrityParadox, ComicBook/{{Brainiac}}'s name began to come off as a bit ridiculous after the character had been around for a decade or two, as the term "brainiac" eventually entered the popular American lexicon as a juvenile slang term for "genius" (the character is actually ''the origin of the word'', which was coined simply as a portmanteau of "brain", "maniac", and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ENIAC "ENIAC",]] the first programmable computer), making one wonder why an alien robot would unironically call himself that in-universe. The Post-Crisis comics eventually retroactively decided that his name was an abbreviation of "'''Brain''' '''i'''nter'''a'''ctive '''c'''onstruct", making it a bit easier to take seriously.
** ComicBook/KryptoTheSuperdog was one of many animal sidekicks introduced during the golden age of comics. He would go on adventures with the other Kryptonians and had a thought process like a human. After ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' and DC's mandate that Superman be the only surviving Kryptonian various substitutes for Krypto were created but none of them stuck. Eventually the mandate lessened on Krypto came back, but by then DC has moved away from goofy animal sidekicks. So instead writers emphasized his dog nature, making him act like an actual dog with a dog's temperament and loyalty to his masters, and usually hangs around the Kents.
* ''ComicBook/{{Earth 2}}'' was meant to do this with a number of GoldenAge characters, reimagining them in a modern context. For instance, Wing is now a young Asian-American cameraman rather than the AsianSpeekeeEngrish caricature he was in the 30s. However, ExecutiveMeddling led to the original writer leaving, and the new writer having to throw away all of that writer's work in favour of a DarkerAndEdgier plot revolving around an [[spoiler:evil Superman]].

* DC brought back widely-hated FadSuper / CaptainEthnic ComicBook/{{Vibe}}, who was killed off in the 80s shortly after his debut. They've given him a less-ridiculous costume and removed the more offensive aspects of his back story (he's no longer a [[GangBangers Gang Banger]] who talks like Creator/AlPacino from ''Film/{{Scarface 1983}}'', and his real name -- Paco -- was reclassified as his EmbarrassingMiddleName, with his actual real name being Cisco) to make him a more well-rounded character, which led him to become a main character in ''Series/TheFlash2014''.
* Likewise, ComicBook/BuckyBarnes. While Robin's reimaginings tend to keep the KidSidekick angle as a basis, Bucky, though remaining a junior partner to ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, became [[PsychoSidekick a kind of shadow assassin]] that did the dirty work that an iconic symbol like Cap just couldn't be seen to do. The KidSidekick turned into a sniper that used "KidSidekick" as a cover. The Ultimate Universe had him as a wartime photographer who was assigned to photograph Cap kicking Nazi ass; [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger the movie]] aged him up and made him a friend and fellow soldier.
* Rick Remender has stated he's fond of this practice, as he considers it a challenge to use obscure or hated characters from periods like the 90s. He's since made ComicBook/{{Onslaught}}, a widely hated 90s villain, the BigBad of ''ComicBook/{{Axis}}'', and brought back Brother Voodoo, a hero from Marvel's 70's monster era whose obscurity was a RunningGag in Creator/FredHembeck's gag comics.
* In ''Franchise/XMen,'' the ''ComicBook/NewXMen'' series ditched the standard superhero threads, a [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] convention seen as {{Narm}} by the writer in light of today's DarkerAndEdgier comic stories, for black and yellow leather outfits. When the spandex returned in ''Astonishing X-Men,'' we're given a good reason for it: The people need to feel like they can ''trust'' their heroes, especially the hated and feared mutants, so a "DarkerAndEdgier kill squad" look was wrong for them.
* Franchise/WonderWoman:
** Wonder Woman had her invisible jet rendered pointless after it was decided she could fly, and it's been a topic of teasing ever since. However, more recently, people have realized that having a stealth vehicle that could transport people or cargo could be pretty damn useful and a lot more effective than simply carrying one person in your arms. Some versions also make it a high-tech sci-fi super-jet with a ''Franchise/StarTrek''-style cloak rather than a biplane that is totally invisible and somehow Wondy, appearing to float in midair in a sitting position, just knows where all the buttons are. (Mind you, NarmCharm exists too, so just as often, that's ''exactly'' what it looks like, and it is awesome.)
** ComicBook/SteveTrevor has gone through this often. Being the poster child (and page image) for UselessBoyfriend despite his AcePilot status writers can't really find much to do with him, but he hangs on because they all assume that, being the Wonder Woman equivalent of Lois Lane, he '''should''' be there. Post Crisis in ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'' he was reimagined as ComicBook/EttaCandy's husband instead of Diana's, leaving the princess with a several short lived romances with other characters which were all poorly received by the readers. However, the New 52 relaunch has turned him into the liaison between the Justice League and A.R.G.U.S., turning him into the AlternateCompanyEquivalent of Marvel's Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.
** ''ComicBook/SensationalWonderWoman'': Nina Close, a [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Golden Age Wonder Woman]] villain, is re-imagined as a social media celebrity with millions of followers on [[BlandNameProduct SnapShout]].

* In today's political climate, it's next to impossible to unironically portray an American CaptainPatriotic character who can be taken seriously, since [[MyCountryRightOrWrong unquestioning loyalty to the most powerful military superpower in the Western hemisphere]] is far more likely to be seen as the mark of a soldier than the mark of a superhero. So then why is ComicBook/CaptainAmerica still such a popular character? Well, in addition to being [[GrandfatherClause the oldest example of such a character still in publication]], the modern incarnation of Cap is easy to root for because he fights for American ''ideals''--freedom, democracy, equality and human rights--rather than for America's government. He's actually far more likely to question (or outright ''challenge'') authority figures than many other superheroes, and will gladly disobey any order that goes against his conscience. In his own words: "I am loyal to nothing... except [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanDream the dream]]."
** This portrayal of Captain America actually goes all the way back to the 70s, as an attempt to portray him as his Golden Age self in the 50s (just having switched from punching Nazis to punching Communists) completely tanked with readers. In fact, that run was so unpopular that it was subsequently retconned that the [=McCarthy=]-era Captain America was actually a government assigned replacement; a right-wing man who leapt at the chance to defend America from Communism and who was [[PsychoSerum slowly driven mad by the failed reproduction of Cap's]] SuperSerum. He was even brought back in the 2000s as an EvilReactionary, as a combination of the damage done to his mind and his strong 50s-era Conservative cultural values left him both [[BadPresent horrified by the way progressive values had reshaped America since his time]] and unwilling to come to terms with it.
* ComicBook/GorillaGrodd, one of [[Franchise/TheFlash the Flash's]] archenemies, was introduced during a period when gorillas were something of a fad in superhero comics. By the end of the Silver Age, he had essentially become an ignored, one-note threat, and only kept appearing [[GrandfatherClause because he'd been around so long]]. But post-Crisis writers brought him back into relevance by making him a KnightOfCerebus bent on complete world domination, and one of the Flash's deadliest foes; in Creator/GeoffJohns' seminal run, in fact, he nearly destroyed Central City singlehandedly. It helps that modern writers tend to emphasize the LackOfEmpathy at the heart of his character, demonstrating how scary an aggressively territorial ape would ''really'' be with genius-level human intellect, but no human compassion whatsoever.
* In ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'' comics, the Green Lantern rings had the weakness of not having effect on anything yellow. This was later said to be due to the influence of Parallax, who had been imprisoned in the Lantern batteries for eons.
* Egg Fu, a Silver Age ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'' villain who was literally a Chinese sentient egg (the name's based on a Chinese dish named [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_foo_young egg foo young]]) who embodied all YellowPeril stereotypes imaginable, is widely despised for his bizarre concept and gross racial stereotyping. There have, however, been several attempts by writers who like Silver Age wackiness to update him in a less offensive way, most notably by Creator/GrantMorrison in ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' as a serious Chinese mad scientist villain, and later by Amanda Connor and Jimmy Palmiotti in ''ComicBook/HarleyQuinn'' as a benign American small-time mad scientist who becomes one of Harley's circle of weirdos in Coney Island. As for his origin, later appearances of him as a villain give him an Apokoliptian origin and a much scarier appearance.
* Bebop and Rocksteady were created for ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987'' to serve as Shredder's DumbMuscle, and with the show being comedic and primarily aimed at kids, they were soon [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] into being so dumb that they were barely functional and the Turtles outwitted them at every turn, making you wonder why Shredder kept them around for so long; other continuities tended to ignore them as a result. Then ''ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIDW'' came along and had them just dumb enough to serve as ComedicReliefCharacters while playing up their SuperStrength to the point where they are almost impossible to defeat.
* The ''ComicBook/DawnOfX'' relaunch for the ''ComicBook/XMen'' brand retools some of the old lingering elements that go back decades and seem out of place or passe today, but simply couldn't be removed completely due to tradition.
** The first issue of ''[[ComicBook/JonathanHickmansXMen House of X]]'' provides clear and solid definition of what an Omega level mutant was. Before, it was a vague term that loosely meant "mutant who won the SuperpowerLottery", and yet it was inconsistently applied and done haphazardly only to be forgotten. Here, the definition is a mutant whose dominant power is deemed to register or reach an undefinable upper-limit of that power's specific classification (ex. Iceman to temperature manipulation, Storm to weather manipulation, Magneto to magnetism, Jean Grey to telepathy etc.) while presenting a list of those definitively considered Omega.
** One of the messiest backstories, yet crucial to that of an iconic character, was Betsy Braddock aka ComicBook/{{Psylocke}} having a FreakyFridayFlip with Kwannon that turned her from a wholesome Caucasian Brit to a very sexualized Asian ninja. Racial politics aside, this made her so popular that the change stuck, with Marvel even forbidding the writers from undoing it. However, escalating political correctness and the desire for authentic representation as the years passed eventually drew more attention to Psylocke, and in 2018 she was finally reverted to her original Caucasian body and made TamerAndChaster as a result. For many, however, [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks this didn't take]], and sexy ninja Psylocke proved to still be more popular than wholesome White Psylocke. ''Dawn of X'' decides to have its cake and eat it by having Betsy become the new ComicBook/CaptainBritain and headlining ''ComicBook/Excalibur2019'', while Kwannon becomes [[LegacyCharacter Psylocke II]] and becomes an AscendedExtra as the main character of ''ComicBook/FallenAngels2019''. Betsy remains white and develops as a character, while a recognizable version of Psylocke fans know and love for decades remains. (Your mileage may vary on how well it works - the character with the name and appearance of Psylocke has a totally different history than the Betsy you were hoping to see in an X-book.)
** ComicBook/XForce is reimagined from a dark black ops team of anti-heroes to being the [[GovernmentAgencyOfFiction mutant CIA]] that's equal parts intelligence and special ops. ''X-Force'' has a history of this, considering the title was born out of the '90s Dark Age and had to be reinvented numerous times to fit as a current title.
* ''ComicBook/TitansHunt2015'': The members of Diablo are the Silver Age villains of the Titans--Mad Mod, Honeybun, and Ding Dong Daddy--reworked into more sensible incarnations. Mad Mod trades up the 60's fashion for a more hipster-y appearance, Honeybun is a proper {{Cyborg}} as opposed to a giant SpiderTank thing, and Ding Dong Daddy is now a mercenary riding around in a BlackMagic-enhanced muscle car as opposed to a PSA villain over the dangers of dropping out of high school.