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Turner Publishing Company - Robert Weinberg , Lois H. Gresh

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133 pages

English

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The authors of The Science of Superheroes now reveal the real genius of the most evil geniuses
Ever wonder why comic book villains, such as Spiderman's bionic archenemy Dr. Octopus or the X-Men's eternal rival Magneto, are so scary and so much fun? It's not just their diabolical talent for confounding our heroes, it's their unrivalled techno-proficiency at creating global mayhem that keeps comic book fans captivated. But is any of the science actually true? In The Science of Supervillains, authors Lois Gresh and Bob Weinberg present a highly entertaining and informative look at the mind-boggling wizardry behind the comic book world's legendary baddies. Whether it's artificial intelligence, weapons systems, anti-matter, robotics, or magnetic flux theory, this fun, fact-filled book is a fascinating excursion into the real-world science animating the genius in the comic book world's pantheon of evil geniuses.
Lois Gresh (Scottsville, NY) and Bob Weinberg (Oak Forest, IL) are the authors of the popular Science of Superheroes (cloth: 0-471-0246-0; paper: 0-471-46882-7)
Preface.

Introduction by Chris Claremont.

1. The Original Dr. Evil: Lex Luthor.

2. The Villain in the Iron Mask: Dr. Doom.

3. Computer Supervillain or Village Idiot? Brainiac.

4. Feathers and Fury: The Vulture.

5. The Kiss of Death: Poison Ivy.

6. Groping for Power: Doctor Octopus.

7. Leapin’ Lizards: The Lizard.

8. Clothes Make the Man: Venom.

9. Grodd Almighty: The Evil Super-Gorilla.

10. A Magnetic Personality: Magneto.

11. Immortality for Some: Vandal Savage and Apocalypse.

12. Have Surfboard, Will Travel: The Silver Surfer.

13. The Case of the Missing Antimatter: Sinestro.

14. Crisis on Infinite Earths.

15. Frustration in Five Dimensions: Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite.

Appendix: Comic Writers Tell All.

Notes.

Bibliography and Reading List.

Acknowledgments.

Index.

Sujets

Lois H. Gresh

Robert Weinberg

Science

Informations

Publié par	Turner Publishing Company
Date de parution	15 août 2007
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780470250532
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0650€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

THE SCIENCE OF SUPERVILLAINS
Lois H. Gresh
Robert Weinberg

John Wiley Sons, Inc.
Copyright 2005 by Lois H. Gresh and Robert Weinberg. All rights reserved
Introduction Chris Claremont. All rights reserved
Published by John Wiley Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com . Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and the author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
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Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com .
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Gresh, Lois H.
The science of supervillains / Lois H. Gresh, Robert Weinberg.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-471-48205-6 (cloth)
1. Comic books, strips, etc. - History and criticism. 2. Villains in literature. 3. Science. I. Weinberg, Robert E. II. Title.

PN6714.G75 2004

741.5 09-dc22
2004003018
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To my father, who gave his love of science fiction to me. And to my mother, with gratitude and deep love for everything.
-Lois H. Gresh
To Mark W. Powers and Pete Franco, two of the nicest guys ever to work in the comic book field.
-Robert Weinberg
On the Internet at: www.sff.net/people/lgresh and www.robertweinberg.net
Contents
Preface
Introduction by Chris Claremont
1 The Original Dr. Evil: Lex Luthor
2 The Villain in the Iron Mask: Dr. Doom
3 Computer Supervillain or Village Idiot? Brainiac
4 Feathers and Fury: The Vulture
5 The Kiss of Death: Poison Ivy
6 Groping for Power: Doctor Octopus
7 Leapin Lizards: The Lizard
8 Clothes Make the Man: Venom
9 Grodd Almighty: The Evil Super-Gorilla
10 A Magnetic Personality: Magneto
11 Immortality for Some: Vandal Savage and Apocalypse
12 Have Surfboard, Will Travel: The Silver Surfer
13 The Case of the Missing Antimatter: Sinestro
14 Crisis on Infinite Earths
15 Frustration in Five Dimensions: Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite
Appendix Comic Writers Tell All
Notes
Bibliography and Reading List
Acknowledgments
Index
Preface
In the mid-1950s, comic books were going through a major slump. The most popular comics of the early 1950s, those featuring crime, war, and horror stories, had been swept off the newsstands by Senate hearings that tried to link comic books with juvenile delinquency. Though no direct correlation was ever proved, the bad publicity was so damaging that it forced comic publishers to invent a self-censoring code that all but wiped out violence, action, and death from their magazines. Humor and funny animal comics like the Disney brand sold well, but superheroes, long a mainstay of the industry, suffered.
DC Comics were kept afloat only by the iconic status of their two stars, Superman and Batman, whose popularity never wavered. Other comic book companies weren t so fortunate, and one after another, slid into bankruptcy during the 1950s. For a time, it seemed possible that superhero comics, an American mainstay since 1938, might perish. But two editors, Julius Schwartz at DC Comics and Stan Lee at Marvel Comics, each in his own way, turned the industry upside down. Superhero comic sales surged in the late 1950s through the early 1970s in what became known as the Silver Age of Comics. DC and Marvel became media giants, and the face of comic book publishing was changed forever.
Schwartz, a well-known science fiction fan and literary agent, had been working as an editor for DC since the 1940s. In early 1956, he was given the job of reviving interest in DC superheroes. His vehicle was a new comic, titled Showcase , which featured tryout stories for new superheroes. If a character sold well in its Showcase appearances, it was given its own comic. If sales were poor, the character was dropped.
The first character to appear in Showcase under Schwartz s directorship was the Flash. The character was a familiar one to Schwartz, who had edited a 1940s version of the hero for several years. This time, as editor of the series from the beginning, Schwartz decided to do things differently. A science fiction fan since the 1930s, Schwartz knew that readers liked stories that seemed authentic-that were based on some element of actual science. Even if the science was twisted, bent, and stretched to the limits, the factual circumstances of the story gave it a much more believable feel. And that, Schwartz felt, was the key to selling superheroes.
Thus police-scientist Barry Allen was dosed by a batch of electrically charged chemicals during a thunderstorm. His costume was made of recently developed miracle fibers, and every time he did some new and seemingly impossible feat, a footnote to the story noted that Barry was able to run across water because he never broke the surface tension of the liquid. Schwartz went so far as to fill the blank spaces in his comic with science clippings and facts.
The first issue of the scientific Flash was a success, and Schwartz knew better than to gamble with success. With the introduction of each new Flash villain, an aside or cutaway revealed the scientific secrets behind the villain s incredible powers. Each time Barry Allen caught crooks using some astonishing scientific trick, Schwartz was sure to make it very clear how the stunt was performed. The real secret of the comic wasn t the actual science demonstrated but Schwartz s determination to keep the stories plausible. The adventures might not be scientifically accurate, but they seemed to make sense. And that was what mattered.
The publishing theory of the day was that if a formula worked once, it would work a dozen times. It s still considered true today. Following the Flash in Showcase Comics were the Challengers of the Unknown, Lois Lane, Green Lantern, the Atom, the Justice League of America, and many others, all with their own quasi-scientific backgrounds and all but a few earning their own comic books. It was the Schwartz formula of superheroes based on science that revolutionized DC Comics in the 1950s and 1960s.
Meanwhile, at much smaller Marvel Comics, Stan Lee, another longtime veteran of the comic business, was told by his publisher to create a team of superheroes to match the popularity of DC s newest sensation, the Justice League. Lee invented a group he named the Fantastic Four. Soon after, he came up with another superhero comic, the Incredible Hulk. And within a year, he added The Amazing Spider-Man to the Marvel roster. However, Lee didn t follow Schwartz s model of making his heroes scientifically plausible. Instead, he tried another idea new to comics. He made them into soap operas.
Marvel s success was based on the three elements that made soap operas on radio and TV so popular. First and foremost, Lee s characters, both heroes and villains, had personalities. They were complex individuals with likes and dislikes, good traits and bad. Plus, as dictated by story events, the personalities of his characters changed over time.
Second, Marvel Comics featured long stories, often filling the entire issue of the comic book. Most superhero and adventure comics at the time featured two or three stories per issue, making complex adventures impossible. Lee enjoyed writing complicated narratives, and soon his stories were stretching over two, three, or even four issues. Marvel Comics became serials.
Third, and perhaps the most radical change, Lee stressed continuity in his comics. His heroes learned from their mistakes, as did his villains. Events progressed in a continuous fashion. Characters changed and grew older, some even married, and others died. Continuity became important. Lee s superheroes had a history, a backstory that made their lives more compelling, more interesting.
Taken separately, Lee s three comic book changes weren t an entirely different method of storytelling. To a small extent, comics of the past had experimented with each concept. However, all three ideas combined gave Marvel comics a new look. For the first time, comic heroes such as the Fantastic Four had real lives and spent their time doing things other than fighting supervillains. The quartet even argued and displayed human emotions. Marvel Comics soon became known as the com