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If other superheroes had Aquaman Syndrome

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Lightflame Stick of the Fallen from where you can't find me Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: Drowning in your pond, hoping you'll notice me
Stick of the Fallen
#1: Aug 29th 2013 at 6:45:16 PM

Okay, I don't think Aquaman Syndrome is an established term even among those on the internet, but it gets the point across. (I hope.) That being "character with awesome abilities who is thought of as lame by the general public".

I'm wondering how the public could misinterpret other characters if they were done badly enough. Not that it would ever happen.

"Hi, my name is James Logan. I can heal myself. So when I fight alongside you, I'll be worth crap, but if I get shot in the knee, you won't have to call a doctor, bub."

Fear the Green Lantern, who can turn anything green! Traffic lights will never be safe again!

"Oh great! Let's pile up all the useless cats and hope a tree falls on them!"
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#2: Aug 29th 2013 at 6:49:43 PM

I remember a Newgrounds video years back that asked the important question: if Spider-Man does everything a spider can, does that mean he has trouble getting out of bathtubs?

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Tiamatty X-Men X-Pert from Now on Twitter Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: Brony
#3: Aug 29th 2013 at 6:57:06 PM

[up] I know Ant-Man does. The Porcupine, in his first appearance, tossed him into a bathtub as an ultimate death trap.

X-Men X-Pert, my blog where I talk about X-Men comics.
NapoleonDeCheese Since: Oct, 2010
#4: Aug 29th 2013 at 6:59:41 PM

[up]Hell, even the Atom has the same problem, although to a lesser degree. Some people still has problems seeing 'shrinking to microscopic size' as being an useful power at all.

TheEvilDrBolty Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
#5: Aug 29th 2013 at 7:05:52 PM

[up] The Atom suffers because his most awesome power - density control - is impossible to depict visually. It's all well and good to say he's tiny but super-strong, but hard to make a visual impression of that.

NapoleonDeCheese Since: Oct, 2010
#6: Aug 29th 2013 at 7:12:00 PM

Maybe Captain Marvel? No one will deny his powerset is awesome, but he's kinda railroaded into public perception (not like he's that popular between non-comics readers anyway) as 'Superman with a child's mind', which most tend to take as 'Superman, but a retard'.

Black Lightning and Luke Cage are generally recognized as badasses, but still, the perception of them tends to be 'angry ghetto black' before people even starts thinking about what their powers are.

edited 29th Aug '13 7:13:32 PM by NapoleonDeCheese

Canid117 Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: Hello, I love you
#7: Aug 29th 2013 at 7:14:09 PM

Children are dumb. What are you gonna do?

"War without fire is like sausages without mustard." - Jean Juvénal des Ursins
RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#8: Aug 29th 2013 at 8:46:33 PM

Look out! Wonder Woman has her magic lasso! No rodeo is safe!

KingZeal Since: Oct, 2009
#9: Aug 29th 2013 at 10:02:58 PM

  • Wolverine has six butter knives on each arm and his main power is healing after he runs or falls down the stairs with them.
  • The Hulk is no match for marijuana smoke.

Calnos The Jossed from Nowhere Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
The Jossed
#10: Aug 29th 2013 at 10:10:32 PM

This looks like a job for Batman, the man with the power of throwing bat-shaped objects at you!

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comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#11: Aug 29th 2013 at 10:11:44 PM

Hawkeye is a frequent butt of jokes. Even in his own series, Matt Fraction pointed out that badass as he is, there are simply some situations where "being really good at archery" has absolutely no practical use.

I know Zatanna is also a frequent target of mockery if only because of how easily and frequently she's taken out.

Cider The Final ECW Champion from Not New York Since: May, 2009 Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
The Final ECW Champion
#12: Aug 30th 2013 at 10:35:57 AM

You who needs Aquaman syndrome when you have the Sentry?. You know what, I no its bad form to reward mediocrity but maybe I should make an exception in this case and actually buy a Marvel comic to show that I appreciate the Sentry's death?

Namor and The Shark probably have Aquaman syndrome worse than Aquaman anyway. Every other comic book fan insists they are better than Aquaman (myself included) but neither one has the recognition (thus sales). Namor especially, at least the shark was immortalized by the career of John Tenta and Aquaman was okay in Mega Man 8.

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RedneckRocker First Loyalty: Yourself from None Of Your Business Since: Jan, 2001
First Loyalty: Yourself
#13: Aug 30th 2013 at 11:01:21 AM

While it's not really Aquaman Syndrome, I've met people whose attitudes towards costumed heroes was "If they haven't appeared in a movie or TV show, who cares about 'em?" So best of luck trying to explain characters like Cable, Tom Strong or The Authority.

edited 30th Aug '13 11:01:36 AM by RedneckRocker

Embroiled in slave rebellion, I escaped crucifixion simply by declaring 'I am Vito', everyone else apparently being called 'Spartacus'.
NapoleonDeCheese Since: Oct, 2010
#14: Aug 30th 2013 at 11:15:51 AM

Regarding Wolverine, animation series tend to kinda give him this problem, since he can't, you know, actually cut anyone who isn't a robot, invulnerable, or regenerates just as soon. And they can't show him being too injured so you have to agree he NEEDS the rapid regen. It's just viewers tend to overlook that.

[up]Technically, Cable does have several appearances in animation during FOX's X-Men run.

edited 30th Aug '13 11:16:41 AM by NapoleonDeCheese

kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#15: Aug 30th 2013 at 11:42:38 AM

To be fair, a lot of Aquaman's poor rep came from Superfriends. And Aquaman wasn't the only hero that got the shaft from that...

"I'm Hawkman! I can fly through the air! Like a hawk! And... and... and... hey, what else can I do?"

I'd say Angel also suffers from a poor rep, for the same sorts of reasons as Hawkman...

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#16: Aug 30th 2013 at 12:12:32 PM

[up]I did eventually like that they gave Angel's wings some offensive uses. There was a pretty cool issue recently where he basically used them to have a sword fight with Silver Samurai.

If anyone had ever heard of B'wana Beast or Freedom Beast, I'm sure they'd be the butt of frequent jokes. Being able to fuse animals is a really...disturbing power, to say the least.

Watchtower Since: Jul, 2010
#17: Aug 30th 2013 at 12:31:39 PM

"Hey look, everybody! It's Ant Man! Save us with your powers of talking to ants and hitting your wife!"

Also, from all the movie buzz it seems like Rocket Raccoon and Groot are drifting into this, at least among non-comic fans. Which is a damn shame.

ScarletCajun Belligerent Webhead from Lafayette, La. Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Belligerent Webhead
#18: Aug 30th 2013 at 12:37:03 PM

[up]And I've got gut feeling that people will think Rocket is something Disney made-up.

Lafayette Strong
Tiamatty X-Men X-Pert from Now on Twitter Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: Brony
#19: Aug 30th 2013 at 12:43:09 PM

Rocket Raccoon managed to intimidate a mindless Thanos. Anyone who says he's not made of awesome is wrong.

X-Men X-Pert, my blog where I talk about X-Men comics.
comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#20: Aug 30th 2013 at 12:48:05 PM

[up][up] When I used to have Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, my dad and brothers thought it was absolutely hilarious that Marvel published a book about a gun-toting raccoon.

One of the reasons I think Guardians is such a gamble is precisely because of that. The past Marvel movies took liberties and made changes to avoid some of the campier and sillier stuff that would make audiences wince, but you can't really do that with Rocket or Groot.

Tiamatty X-Men X-Pert from Now on Twitter Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: Brony
#21: Aug 30th 2013 at 1:23:20 PM

On the other hand, have you seen that brief clip of Rocket firing his gun? He looks pretty badass. More to the point, I think Rocket has a chance of being a major draw. I mean, it's a raccoon with a big-ass gun. That's kinda awesome.

X-Men X-Pert, my blog where I talk about X-Men comics.
Anteres Since: May, 2010
#22: Aug 30th 2013 at 2:15:02 PM

Is it just me or does anyone else no give a damn about Aquaman because people keep telling me "Aquaman is really awesome and badass and can give people an aneurysm with his MIND !"

A form of hype aversion I suppose. Anyone who needs to be defended this much must actually have something wrong with him.

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#23: Aug 30th 2013 at 2:18:21 PM

[up] A lot of it is after Super Friends, a lot of writers tried way too hard to make him Darker and Edgier. Which as you said, reeks of overcompensation.

edited 30th Aug '13 2:18:45 PM by comicwriter

Anteres Since: May, 2010
#24: Aug 30th 2013 at 4:26:30 PM

[up] Which is kinda funny. Super Friends was never a thing on my side of the pond. I've never seen it. So Aquaman's portrayal in that had no effect on me. But so many people have had to tell me that Aquaman is viewed as useless in order to tell me why he isn't. The very people who are defending him are, in fact, perpetuating the "Aquaman is lame" concept.

They have to tell people it to deny it.

edited 30th Aug '13 4:26:58 PM by Anteres

Canid117 Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: Hello, I love you
#25: Aug 30th 2013 at 4:45:51 PM

Not on this side of the Atlantic where his portrayal in the Superfriends cartoon legitimately does pervade the public consciousness.

"War without fire is like sausages without mustard." - Jean Juvénal des Ursins

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