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This thread's for talking about the Marvel Comics line, whether the comics are decades old or brand new.

As well as the superhero tales of the Marvel Universe, that also includes all the other things Marvel's done (Epic Comics, Icon Comics, Star Comics and all the rest), as well as the older stories by Atlas and Timely, the companies that later became Marvel.

Acquisitions like Malibu Comics and Miracleman are also on-topic, as are the licensed 20th Century Studios titles, the Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Zoids and Transformers comics, and all of the comics created locally by regional imprints like Marvel UK and Marvel Italia.

  • We have dedicated threads for some groups of titles (such as Spider-Man and the X-Men). You can still discuss them here, but you might want to use the more specific threads.
  • We also have threads for Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Predator and some of the other franchises. Sometimes it may be more useful to discuss the comics there rather than here — but they're still on-topic and there's no hard rule.

Technically, Marvel's Infinity Comics (and their predecessors, Infinite Comics) are webcomics, not comic books, but it's fine to talk about them here.

Discussions that are only about Marvel adaptations in other media (films, video games etc.) are off-topic, but discussing the differences between the adaptations and the original comics is fine - as long as spoilers for the adaptations are tagged.

Please follow the spoiler policy rules - tag spoilers for the latest issues, for any previews or content leaks, and for off-topic comics (e.g. if comparing Marvel to a DC story). When including spoiler tags, try to write so that tropers can make an informed decision before viewing them (e.g. which series and issue will they spoil?).

    Original text of OP 
A thread for all the miscellaneous Marvel discussion that doesn't have its own thread.

So apparently, they're making a Black Panther movie. Let's hope Hudlin is kept as far away as possible. On a related note, anyone think that the whole 'Super Hero that is also a King/Ruler' is kind of ridiculous? I mean where do heroes like Aquaman and T'Challa find the time to both lead a nation and go gallavanting on the other side of the globe?

Edited by Mrph1 on Sep 1st 2024 at 8:36:28 PM

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#73451: Sep 25th 2025 at 7:30:23 PM

There's a funny case of Johnny calling BS on one of those 'oh it doesn't work because' reasons in-universe when he briefly fought Galactus in the JMS crossover book.

Uatu the Watcher shows up specifically to tell Johnny that Galactus is immune to the Penance Stare Because Actually Galactus serves a grand cosmic function. And Johnny goes 'wow that's bullshit.'

And then Uatu narrates at him for the rest of the book about how cool Galactus' grand cosmic function is and Johnny says 'wow that's still bullshit and I'm going to fight this man now' but he doesn't get to because the entire book was taken up by exposition. Well played, Uatu.

[up] Pretty sure the Carol example also got the handwave that Robbie was fighting against the mind control to softball the stare against Carol.

Edited by Bocaj on Sep 25th 2025 at 7:31:40 AM

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#73452: Sep 25th 2025 at 7:32:30 PM

I thought the reason for that is another "no regrets" excuse for Galactus.

The PS not working on Big G because he doesn't have a soul in the traditional sense because he's an Eldritch Abomination actually does make sense.

[up] Regardless of the softball excuse, just like with Punisher it only serves to make the Rider look like a chump.

The face Johnny made when Frank no selled it was absolutely embarrassing. He looked like a total loser.

Edited by slimcoder on Sep 25th 2025 at 7:33:58 AM

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#73453: Sep 25th 2025 at 7:34:41 PM

And Galactus deep down does have regrets over what he's done. Part of him is still Galan. And that part of him is still just a man.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#73454: Sep 25th 2025 at 7:37:12 PM

If you want to run with the idea that Galactus is a natural part of the cosmic order, you could have Zarathos just rebel. Just refuse to let the stare go off.

'Stop pouring sugar into the gas tank of the universe, host'

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Cortez from Parts Unknown (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#73455: Sep 25th 2025 at 7:37:49 PM

It's why he liked being the Lifebringer.

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#73456: Sep 25th 2025 at 7:43:17 PM

Wait Conan also no-selled this? How does that happen?

I think this is from Savage Avengers, just not sure which issue.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1000027210.jpg

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#73457: Sep 25th 2025 at 7:45:54 PM

Conan was merged with a Symbiote at the time.

It's actually been fairly consistently shown to fail against Symbiotes. It's failed before against Venom and Carnage. Carnage even pointed out to Ghost Rider that the Stare failed against Venom, so it made no sense to try it against Carnage.

Edited by M84 on Sep 25th 2025 at 10:48:00 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#73458: Sep 25th 2025 at 7:46:11 PM

Galactus I would just say, "It doesn't work because Ghost Rider is a demon and Galactus is a god."

If anyone should have spell resistance, it's them.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Sep 25th 2025 at 7:46:30 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Archsage Professional Simp from My House Since: Apr, 2022 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Professional Simp
#73459: Sep 25th 2025 at 7:46:46 PM

At this point idk why he bothers with the stare anymore. He should ask for a new ability.

Best advice I ever got? Keep repeating the joke till everyone is forced to laugh.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#73460: Sep 25th 2025 at 7:48:40 PM

[up][up]Galactus is explicitly not a god in the Marvel verse. He's outright mocked the notion that power alone makes someone a god. He is after all "just" a mortal man infused with a great power.

Edited by M84 on Sep 25th 2025 at 10:49:51 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#73461: Sep 25th 2025 at 7:51:21 PM

He's a literal part of the cosmos and its rules for existing, predating the Big Bang.

And far more of a god than most such beings.

More like Eternity than Odin.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Sep 25th 2025 at 7:51:39 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#73462: Sep 25th 2025 at 7:53:09 PM

Galactus said it himself:

Galactus: Sphinx! You share the folly of all your lowly species. You believe that power itself makes one a God! But even Galactus, to whom all is possible, even Galactus whose every passing whim becomes reality — even Galactus is no God.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Archsage Professional Simp from My House Since: Apr, 2022 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Professional Simp
#73463: Sep 25th 2025 at 7:53:21 PM

He's more than a god but he's no God. He's just a cosmic cyborg parasite with morality that changes depending on who's writing him.

Best advice I ever got? Keep repeating the joke till everyone is forced to laugh.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#73464: Sep 25th 2025 at 7:54:11 PM

Galactus is more powerful than a lot of actual Marvel verse gods. But as he said, being a god isn't just about how powerful one is.

Disgusted, but not surprised
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#73465: Sep 25th 2025 at 7:55:20 PM

I am still shocked that Conan was in the Avengers.

Archsage Professional Simp from My House Since: Apr, 2022 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Professional Simp
#73466: Sep 25th 2025 at 8:01:57 PM

I mean the Kool-Aid Man has his own set of Marvel Comics so its not exactly exclusive

Best advice I ever got? Keep repeating the joke till everyone is forced to laugh.
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#73467: Sep 25th 2025 at 8:03:16 PM

[up][up] I'm shocked Marvel regained the license for Conan only to lose it just as fast.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
TomWithoutJerry Tyranny Bad, Democracy Good. from Where Might Makes Right and I have no Might. Since: Dec, 2023
Tyranny Bad, Democracy Good.
#73468: Sep 25th 2025 at 8:40:44 PM

[up][up]The Kool-Aid Man probably no sells the Penance Stare too.

Please remember that, ultimately, fictional works of entertainment are just that.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#73469: Sep 25th 2025 at 8:42:10 PM

There's a very dark joke about his victims I have too much taste to make.

[beat]

Obviously diabetes victims.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Sep 25th 2025 at 8:42:24 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
burninganimefan357 Since: Oct, 2012
#73470: Sep 25th 2025 at 9:00:57 PM

Is there any creative ways that the Penance Stare has been resisted / bypassed that isn't the "Doesn't Feel Guilty" excuse that writers keep bringing up?

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#73471: Sep 25th 2025 at 9:02:29 PM

Actual Biblical divine power negates it. That's how Frank Castle was protected from it the first time he faced it.

Frank "only" suffering severe nausea the second time is down to his raw nerve and willpower.

Edited by M84 on Sep 26th 2025 at 12:03:30 AM

Disgusted, but not surprised
Sircray Since: Apr, 2018
#73472: Sep 25th 2025 at 9:58:05 PM

There's a bunch of examples listed here.

IndirectActiveTransport plays capoeira from Chicago (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Every rose has its thorn
plays capoeira
#73473: Sep 26th 2025 at 1:17:02 AM

The penance stare working on Galactus makes more sense than it not working. Doctor Strange nearly killed Galactus with the Eye of Agamotto, and all he used it for was to make Galactus face the fact that all his grand standing about being an important cosmic function was baloney and they he deserved to die for his crimes. Actually feeling the pain of all his victims should be even worse. Professor X once drove off Galactus by shooting a mental bolt fueled by all the sapient life on a planet Galactus intended to eat. Actually feeling the pain of everything he's killed should be even worse.

I'd perfectly accept Galactus having a counter to protect himself from the penance stare, mind you. Again, actually having characters use their skills and abilities against each other, figure things out, strategize, that's more consistently interesting than characters no selling. I'm not suggesting there's no room for no selling at all, but Galactus having blanket penance stare immunity doesn't make sense. He still has a soul, he's been temporarily turned back into Galan once. Just have him counter it in a way that makes sense of him. The Phoenix Force had a great counter to the penance stare. It was refusing to look Ghost Rider in the eye sockets! So Ghost Rider tried to drag Phoenix to eye level with his chains, but it successfully resisted.

Would the penance stare work on the Spectre? Why not? Ghost Rider has used the penance stare on angels before. Again, I'm sure the Spectre could work out a way around it. But being a super natural creature has never been in of itself enough. The penance stare worked on a demogorge! An elder god that eats other elder gods, and magic in general. It wasn't enough on it's own, more people had to pile on. Ghost Rider wasn't even able to use it at first, he'd have died before he got the chance if the Midnight Sons hadn't saved him, but when given the chance it worked nonetheless. Lilith, Mother of Demons, had her own abilities and knew better than to look at his face too long. Blade did pretty well by not making eye contact, relying on his sense of smell while the other Nightstalkers attacked from other positions. There's some Son of Satan character whose name escapes me, but she specializes in killing spirits of vengeance by shooting them with specialized guns and not engaging them on their own terms. The penance stare has logical counters. The symbiote thing was stupid and lazy by comparison. It might be consistent, and I guess I should appreciate it, but I like it better when Marvel tries to be consistent with their good comic books, or at least what good moments it can manage. So Carol Danvers can absorb energy? It stands to reason she can sense forms of energy she can absorb too. She isn't absorbing it with her eyes, so maybe she can afford to spend much of a fight not looking at Ghost Rider at all, much less at his head. Penance stare isn't an always on thing, or his only weapon. Quite the contrary, he always seems to have to focus at least a little to use it, while the hell fire is always on to a degree. Even if she can't absorb hell fire per se, she can definitely absorb light, which his flaming head gives off, heat too. So she could track that heat and light without her eyes, send punches/blasts in the general vicinity her blind sensing is leading her, risking a peek every once and while to make sure. I don't think it makes sense for a lot of characters to be immune, and a lot of characters don't need to be to immune to fight or even beat Ghost Rider. It'd be more interesting to see opponents fight around his abilities and him adjust accordingly. How many people suddenly turned sticky proof just to fight Spider-Man?

Buldogue's lawyer
Mrph1 he/him from Mercia (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: This is not my beautiful wife!
he/him
#73474: Sep 26th 2025 at 1:37:05 AM

There's a whole bunch of stuff with the cosmic heavy hitters that could just be handwaved as "it was the end of the Seventh Cosmos and the start of the Eighth - everything was unusually shaky and inconsistent during the reboot".

Which would be no bad thing. The level of Badass Decay they've had is not helpful to telling great stories. When everyone up to Celestials and Beyonders has been beaten by the Avengers, lesser threats are sometimes hard to take seriously.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#73475: Sep 26th 2025 at 1:41:25 AM

Judgement Day excused the Celestials' decay by showing us what a Celestial with a full tank of gas can do. The Progenitor curbstomped everyone and everything pitted against it and was only defeated by being convinced it was wrong. The other Celestials seen before this were all ages old beings running on fumes.

Disgusted, but not surprised

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