Outsiders of the Galaxy – An Amalgam Story

Grace pounded against the walls of her prison, she could feel the walls shake as her super strength impacted but nothing budged. The aliens who designed the prison must have accounted for super-powered individuals like her. She still could not believe that she had been incarcerated in the first place. It was a complete mistake. Grace had been on Earth living her normal life when she and her family had been caught in the crossfire of an attack by Thanoseid. The Titans of Genesis had transformed Grace into a being designed to combat Thanoseid and sent her into space. 

Every time she thought of Thanoseid, her blood boiled. She saw her family incinerated before her eyes and that made her angry but there was something more. The body she had been given cried out for Thanoseid’s blood. She did not remember much about her brief time with the Titans but they also hated Thanoseid. He was their kin and they wanted him dead. When Grace closed her eyes, she saw Thanoseid’s face. She needed to kill him. It was something she knew in the very core of her being even though it scared the hell out of her. She had never wanted to hurt anybody, not even the drunks she had tossed out of bars as a bouncer.

She had landed on a station where she decided on a whim to stand up for herself and some other weirdos. They had locked her away even though she was not the aggressor. Now she was stuck in a space-bound prison when she just wanted to go home and forget all of this. She wanted vengeance for her family but she never expected to get this far. She punched the wall again and almost thought she dented it just a little. Encouraged, she renewed her struggle and pounded at the wall again and again. She thought she heard something on the other side and so she stopped for a moment. Sure enough, there was also a pounding coming from the other side. She raised her fists again and attacked the wall. The wall suddenly exploded outward in a shower of flame. 

A man in a mask stepped into the opening and he carried two alien space pistols. Grace tensed as she anticipated getting shot by this maniac. After some of the smoke had cleared he pressed something on the side of his mask and it disappeared. The man had dark black hair and blue eyes. He smiled at Grace and then looked over his shoulder.

“Arsenal!” the man yelled. “You used too much again! I keep telling you and you keep doing it. Moderation!” He spoke with familiarity and humor and it immediately made Grace more at ease although she was still confused. What had she done to earn a prison break?

“Keep your pants on, Grayson,” a voice said. A raccoon carrying a very large gun jumped into view. “I know what I’m doing.” The raccoon was wearing a sort of armor and a jetpack. It was definitely not a normal raccoon.

“Who the hell are you?” Grace asked. “What are you doing here?”

“My name is Peter Grayson,” the man said. “But you might know me as Nightlord.”

“Who?” Grace asked. Was she supposed to recognize that name?

Peter groaned and the raccoon laughed. “I guess not,” he said. “This is Arsenal. He’s our demo guy. Expert at breaking out of places.”

“He’s a raccoon,” Grace said, still a little in shock.

“You take that back!” Arsenal yelled. “I’m not a raccoon!”

“Enough,” Peter said. “Maybe don’t use the R-word. You’re Grace the Destroyer?”

“I don’t even know where that name came from,” Grace said. “I don’t want to destroy anybody.”

“What about Thanoseid?” Peter asked.

“Yeah, you want to destroy him?” Arsenal asked.

Grace’s fists clenched. “What do you know about Thanoseid?” she asked. “You’re not with him, are you?”

“No way!” Arsenal yelled. “We’d never throw in with that punk.”

“I want to kill him,” Grace said. “I don’t think I can stop until I kill him.”

“My girlfriend was his adopted daughter and we’ve joined with her to stop Thanoseid,” Peter said. “We could use your help.”

“You could use a lot of help,” Grace said. “Do you really think that we can take on Thanoseid?”

“I believe we can,” Peter said. “We have the plan to make Thanoseid go hasta la vista, baby.” He said the last with a comically bad Austrian accent.

“Wait, where did you hear that phrase?” Grace asked. “It’s from the Terminator.”

“Terminator 2, actually,” Peter said. “I saw it before I was abducted from Earth.”

“I’m from Earth!” Grace yelled. “What are you doing all the way out here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Peter said. “But I fell in with a bunch of pirates called The Ravagers after my space shuttle conked out. I just haven’t been back to Earth since then. Nothing really back there for me.”

“I guess that’s true for me too,” Grace said. “My family died on Earth.”

“Mine too,” Peter said. “So I guess that means your free to join up with us?”

“I guess so,” Grace said. She did not even know who these people were but she still felt like she could trust them. Moreover, she did not really have a choice. Without them, she would be stewing in prison instead of fulfilling her directive.

“Well, if you’re coming, you better shake a leg,” Arsenal said. “We don’t have long. Starfire and the others can’t hold off the guards forever.”

“He’s right,” Peter said. “You’re either in or you’re out. We have to get a move on.”

“I’m in,” Grace said. “As long as I get to kill Thanoseid. He killed my family.”

“All I can promise you is that you get to have a hand in his destruction,” Peter said. “I don’t know who will get the killing blow but I’m not saying that it won’t be you.”

“Good enough,” Grace said. “Let’s go.”

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Top 11 Superheroes That Need a Movie or Show

These are a few characters or teams that I feel could use their own show or movie. Some of them have already been animated and some of them already have a television show but they could use more. I purposely left out characters who are confirmed to already have a movie or show in the works.

11 Deadman

There have already been some allusions to Deadman’s origins when Nanda Parbat was mentioned on Arrow. Boston Brand is a deceased circus performer who clings to the land of the living in order to right wrongs and save the day. While I have really only experienced the character during crossover events, I feel like a lot could be done with this character. In death, he is merely a spirit but he has the power to possess people to use their bodies to accomplish his tasks. He is also often a conduit between the lands of the dead and the living. The problem with putting this on screen is how to depict the possession. Frankly, it could be fun to see a bunch of different actors doing an impression of whoever is playing Deadman. I am not sure if the character could carry a movie on his own but a movie teaming up with somebody like Zatanna or some other mystical DC Comics characters could be fun. It looks like he will be in the upcoming Justice League Dark but that is one animated feature. He could also be in a television show with a whole bunch of guest stars standing in for him in each episode.

10 The Shadowpact

While they were not around for long, I always liked the Shadowpact. They were a ragtag group of mystical heroes and anti-heroes who confronted mystical threats. They always kind of struck me as kind of a blue collar superhero team. They all met each other at a magical bar that exists beyond space and time that is owned by formerly retired leader Nightmaster. Probably the most famous character is Blue Devil, a guy who sold his soul for demonic powers and fame. He struggles with the decision and how it might inspire others to sell their soul too. My favorite character from the issues I have read was Detective Chimp. He is an actual chimpanzee who can talk and was also a very intelligent, chain-smoking detective. In fact, two reboots ago, he was somebody that Batman would consult with to help the World’s Greatest Detective figure out tougher mysteries. The problem here is that the team also had The Enchantress in it and Suicide Squad kind of screwed that up. She is not very necessary and Nightshade (another magician) can easily fill her role since she is already on the team. I won’t go into everyone on the team but they would make a good movie.

9 Runaways

The Runaways were a breakout success in comic books that seemed to come out of nowhere not long before the Civil War storyline in Marvel Comics. The Runaways were young superheroes who were struggling with a very difficult truth. Their parents were some of the most powerful yet relatively unknown supervillains in the world. While villains like Doctor Doom and Loki were tearing down cities while loudly proclaiming their intentions, the Pride were villains that controlled things more from the shadows similar to the early days of the Mafia. They were grooming their kids to take over the family business but the kids had different ideas and ran away from home, struggling with not wanting to be villains but also not really wanting to fight their parents. The series deals a lot with dealing with the strong emotions that come with youth and being on the lam with superpowers and/or superweapons. There were also some very interesting gay, lesbian and transgender themes which we haven’t really seen a whole of in superhero stuff so far. There were so many interesting concepts in this book that would be amazing adapted on screen.

8 Green Arrow

A long time ago (at least a decade), a movie was announced as being in development. This was long before press conferences where the big two revealed their movie schedules for the next four years. DC Comics revealed a potential movie that at the time was simply called Supermax. In reality, the movie was a vehicle for the Green Arrow. In it, Green Arrow would be imprisoned in a new state of the art prison for high-profile lawbreakers and would have to escape to survive. It would have had cameos from a whole bunch of DC Comics villains who would be imprisoned alongside him and thirsting for superhero blood. I really wanted that movie to happen but it was canceled a while ago with the new darker and edgier concept that DC has going on. Green Arrow always felt like a more lighthearted superhero. Like Batman, he was a rich man who combatted crime in a costume but he was always a little more snarky. He is also one of the most liberal superheroes around and that is not bad in my book. Of course, we already have the fantastic show Arrow so nothing like Supermax will probably be made but I would actually love to merge the two ideas at some point and allow Steven Amell to have a movie under his belt.

7. The Outsiders

This was a short-lived offshoot of the Teen Titans (who will probably get a movie eventually). Nightwing and Arsenal (two former sidekicks) put together a more pro-active superhero team. They hunt down supervillains before they finish putting their master plan together instead of waiting for them to attack Metropolis or Gotham and having to scramble to defeat them before stuff really hits the fan. It was a cool concept to see these characters not only react to situations but also try and track down villains before their plans were made. That way, the innocent bystanders of the DC Universe were not in danger as much. When the battle occurs in a remote supervillain hideout, the characters can be more free with their wanton destruction. I am sure Lex Luthor probably insures his hideouts anyway. Along with Nightwing and Arsenal there were plenty of young heroes just trying to figure things out. Metamorpho is basically a walking chemistry set. Grace Choi (no superhero codename) is a super strong bartender who does not take any crap from anybody. Thunder could manipulate her density to cause all sorts of havoc. Then there’s a super powerful android named Indigo and Jade who is basically a Green Lantern. The comic also had a positive outlook toward LGBTQ issues and had a fairly light tone. I cannot stress enough how much DC Movies need a lighter tone here and there.

6 Sandman (Wesley Dodds)

Soon there might be a movie based on Neil Gaiman’s Sandman and if it makes it through Development Hell, then I think I will be in love with it. However, there is another character involved with DC Comics with the same name who is actually connected. Wesley Dodds is a rich inventor who lives in the roaring twenties. Wesley’s problem is that every night he cannot sleep because of horrible prophetic dreams connected to the Dreaming from Neil Gaiman’s series. These dreams may keep him up but they also push him toward solving or preventing horrible crimes. He wears a suit, a World War I gas mask and uses a gas gun to put his enemies to sleep. In the Sandman Mystery Theater series, he fights extremely evil people. Dodds himself is a quiet mouse of a man but when he dons his mask, he is confident and ready to risk his body and freedom to bring criminals to justice. Along the way, he is helped and hindered by a party girl/flapper named Dian who is often able to figure out a lot of the mystery without Wesley’s help. Together, they are a formidable force. If Warner Brothers wants to go dark and gritty, they should do it with characters and situations built for it instead of tarnishing their bright, shiny symbols of justice.

5 Blue Beetle and Booster Gold

This is pretty much the opposite of the above entry. There is a time for things to get dark and edgy but if Warner Brothers keeps playing the same song, then people are going to leave the party. Suicide Squad attempted to be more lighthearted but it still had muted colors and struggled with portraying villains vs. having characters save the day. Blue Beetle and Booster Gold are two heroes who bring both the best and worst out of each other. A movie starring the two of them has a lot of potential to be very funny while also adding a little variety to the DC Movie universe. Booster Gold is a man from the future who stole a bunch of equipment and traveled to our time to become famous and a superhero in that order. Blue Beetle is an inventor superhero who has a tendency to be a little too serious. Put them together and they are a formidable team that is constantly cracking jokes on each other like a buddy cop movie. Something in the vein of I Can’t Believe It’s Not the Justice League would work. It would be kind of a gentle parody of Batman v. Superman and other offerings in that universe mashed together with an almost improv style of comedy.

4 Squirrel Girl

Squirrel Girl kind of became a meme a couple of years ago as writers dug through the archives and realized that this minor hero had beaten a lot of Marvel’s biggest villains. She has defeated Doctor Doom, Galactus and several more heroes with determination, smarts and being underestimated. The character has a lot of charisma as seen in her own book recently. She has been a babysitter for Jessica Jones and Luke Cage’s baby (spoiler maybe?) and has been an asset to a couple of different superhero situations. Lately, she has been going on her own adventures as she has tried to figure out who she is and where the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl fits in. Her character has a similar can-do spirit to Kimmy Schmidt and actually has a similar disconnect from the way things really work. She also regularly breaks the fourth wall in her adventures and pokes fun at a lot of superhero tropes and other things we take for granted. In fact, she literally takes some of this from Deadpool who gifted her a set of flashcards which explain most of the characters in the Marvel Universe. Her movie or television show could be kind of like a PG Deadpool. We all know that the reason Deadpool worked was not because of its rating. A similar thing with the same fast-paced, cartoony action with smart dialogue would definitely work.

3 Static

I was just old enough to be able to watch the animated show Static Shock when I was a kid. I would love to see them reexamine that character since there are tons of issues around starring the character. Static comics put a spotlight on what it is to be a black kid in American cities while also showing what it is like to be a young superhero. Power over electricity and electromagnetism is a powerful ability and I was always impressed with the different ways the character could use that power. He wasn’t like most characters with energy-based abilities which includes the similar Black Lightning. He did not always zap his problems away and instead either used his powers indirectly or thought his way out of a problem. Virgil Hawkins was an inspiration, especially to young black Americans who wanted a hero who looked like them. In addition, his villains were people you would actually meet walking around a city who just happened to have superpowers. Deciding what cause to further through use of those powers was a big theme in the cartoon and, from I’ve read, the comic. Apparently,  there is a live action television show that may or may not be happening and I hope that it stays true to the spirit of the character. Also, please do not cast Jaden Smith.

2 Hawkeye (Kate Bishop)

I fell in love with Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye series. Not only does it portray Hawkeye in a very human and relatable way, it really does a lot of good for his protege Kate Bishop. Kate took over the mantle of Hawkeye for a while for Clint Barton, especially why she teamed with the Young Avengers. She is younger and just as good a shot as Clint is but she comes from an entirely different background. She comes from wealth but tends to shrug off her birthright more often than not. I would love to see something with Kate in it because she is a pretty complicated character in her own right. Also, Hawkeye gets a lot of crap from fans of the Avengers series of movies. I love Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye, the kind of blue collar/military hero that is just trying to survive while more powerful heroes rage around him. I would love to see a Hawkeye movie where he mentors Kate and they fight villains together. We already saw a little bit of Hawkeye’s urge to mentor during Avengers II And Civil War with Scarlet Witch but Kate would be snarkier yet more receptive. To me, that would be the best way to do a Hawkeye movie which could lead into a Young Avengers movie or just stand on its own.

1 She-Hulk

Please. Please. PLEASE give me a She-Hulk movie or television show. Jennifer Walters is Bruce Banner’s cousin and she accidentally gets transformed into She-Hulk through a blood transfusion needed to save her life. Unlike Bruce, she does not need to be angry to transform but being angry definitely will transform her more easily. She also is not the bottomless pit of rage and self-loathing that Bruce is and actually becomes a better person through being She-Hulk. Hands down the best part of her is that she is a working lawyer more than she is a superhero. My favorite stories about Jen are when she is actually trying cases and researching the law and making closing arguments and getting this done legally. Punching somebody is at the bottom of her list to do when she can simply get an injunction and end the fight before it even begins. I want to see her try some superpowered cases and deal with villains with legal skills. She could bring in Patsy Walker (from Jessica Jones) as her investigator and there could be cameos from all sorts of great characters. This is probably the whole reason I wrote this list. Give me a She-Hulk show or movie or both.