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That's mainly because everyone comes back to life, legacies are only temporary and the "replacements" get sidelined into their own under-promoted books that die in 12 issues.
Just about the only exception right now is Ms. Marvel, and even then she never "replaced" Carol.
Just about the only exception right now is Ms. Marvel, and even then she never "replaced" Carol.
I remember predicting that all of the new diversity versions of the characters introduced in Marvel NOW! would break everyone's hearts by being sidelined and vanishing when the originals came back.
And that's exactly what happened.
And that's exactly what happened.
Amadeus Cho? Gone. Bruce Banner is back.
Jane Foster? Sidelined, gets the Valkyrie title as a consolation. Probably won't last a year.
Sam Wilson? Yeah, Cap's not old or a Nazi anymore so he's gonna need that shield back. Chop chop.
Jane Foster? Sidelined, gets the Valkyrie title as a consolation. Probably won't last a year.
Sam Wilson? Yeah, Cap's not old or a Nazi anymore so he's gonna need that shield back. Chop chop.
Cho went from being THE Hulk to an also-ran in a group title.
That's the kiss of death. You get sent off to live with the West Coast Avengers or something and then fade into the background.
You become "lore."
That's the kiss of death. You get sent off to live with the West Coast Avengers or something and then fade into the background.
You become "lore."
That's the problem. Comics don't grow. Status quo uber alles.
But the movies *have* to, what with the realities of actors aging or moving on. So Spider-Man Far From Home is going somewhere the books never dared, and it's for keeps.
But the movies *have* to, what with the realities of actors aging or moving on. So Spider-Man Far From Home is going somewhere the books never dared, and it's for keeps.
Miles has his own book and is in Champions.
He sort of has a circle of protection drawn around him, in that a large part of his audience sees themself in him. His movie killed.
But that only lasts as long as his popularity and visibility.
He sort of has a circle of protection drawn around him, in that a large part of his audience sees themself in him. His movie killed.
But that only lasts as long as his popularity and visibility.
Also Miles *did* replace his universe's Peter Parker ... who came back to life, and retired. Then the whole universe collapses into a singular universe, and Miles was in a world where Peter never died. He went the roundabout way of getting sidelined.
Except he's too popular.
Except he's too popular.
In comics, nothing lasts forever.
Unless it was written before 1979. Then it never dies. Never ever. Even if it actually dies.
Comics hit arrested development at the end of the Silver Age.
Unless it was written before 1979. Then it never dies. Never ever. Even if it actually dies.
Comics hit arrested development at the end of the Silver Age.
"Good job, Wally, but I'm alive again, so ... y'know ..."
"But I've been the Flash for 20 years! Through four Presidents, even."
"Hmm? You're still here? Oh, I'm gonna need the costume back. Drop it at dry cleaning on the way out, yeah?"
"But I've been the Flash for 20 years! Through four Presidents, even."
"Hmm? You're still here? Oh, I'm gonna need the costume back. Drop it at dry cleaning on the way out, yeah?"
You know what saved Wally West from getting dumped into total obscurity?
The Justice League cartoon. For a whole generation of kids, he was the only Flash they ever knew. It protected him.
For a little while.
Only a little while.
The Justice League cartoon. For a whole generation of kids, he was the only Flash they ever knew. It protected him.
For a little while.
Only a little while.
I have to say, looking back at this thread, looking at decades of cynical marketing eroding storytelling ... I'm amazed I kept reading as long as I did.
Every medium has its level of how stuff "really works," but comics barely has the ideal anymore. The crap's too visible.
Every medium has its level of how stuff "really works," but comics barely has the ideal anymore. The crap's too visible.
Well ... yes. Every creative team comes in and wants to do THEIR story, even if it won't fit in the established overall story.
Fuck's sake, Grant Morrison got Batman and immediately put a gun in his hand.
That got undone because it fucked status quo.
Fuck's sake, Grant Morrison got Batman and immediately put a gun in his hand.
That got undone because it fucked status quo.
Infinite Crisis on the DC side, and the New Avengers arc on the Marvel side.
After that the annual events spiraled out of control.
After that the annual events spiraled out of control.
Yeah, it was. Still is.
Those were the big events that revived comics (a little) after the speculator crash.
So both companies drove it into the ground.
Marvel's done THREE Asgard annual events in ten years, ffs.
Those were the big events that revived comics (a little) after the speculator crash.
So both companies drove it into the ground.
Marvel's done THREE Asgard annual events in ten years, ffs.
And every single creative team on every title the company publishes is expected to write around them, no matter what story they're trying to tell.
Shit like that completely derailed Spider-Gwen.
Shit like that completely derailed Spider-Gwen.
I forgot about this in the 90's since it was mostly confined to the mutant titles, but there were a TON of X-book crossovers in the early to mid 90s. They came one after another, many nonsensical. (Proteus, anyone?)
Proteus was a mutant made of pure energy who could manipulate reality. He died.
To bring him back, a villain sucked up all his energy into her son until his hideously bloated carcass turned into Proteus.
He was vulnerable to metal. He died again.
Huge derailing crossover.
To bring him back, a villain sucked up all his energy into her son until his hideously bloated carcass turned into Proteus.
He was vulnerable to metal. He died again.
Huge derailing crossover.
