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The controversial discussion around Henry Cavill stepping down as Superman had the internet buzzing since the actor officially announced it on his Instagram.
In fact this riled up fans so much that the hashtag #FireJamesGunn became a trending topic on social media. To give some context here, James Gunn, most notably known for his work directing the Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel movies and DC’s The Suicide Squad and creator of The Peacemaker TV series was recently hired on as co-head of Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC Comics film and TV unit along with Peter Safran. James Gunn will now be the Kevin Feige of the DC cinematic universe.
The producers have decided to focus on the earlier parts of Superman’s life, leaving Cavill to pick up his pink slip from Warner Bros and move onto the next project. And while there are several articles out there speculating who should play the next-gen Kal-El (aka Superman), what about Val Zod? This is a character that Michael B. Jordan has expressed interest in playing and is set to executive produce a series for HBO Max currently in development.
So while we fan cast over who will wear Superman’s cape next, let’s explore the comic book canon Black superheroes in the DC universe that offer a unique, fresh and substantive story to the prolific action hero.
Calvin Ellis
Also known as Kalel, Calvin Ellis is an alternate version of Superman who appears in the multiverse of DC Comics. He is the President of the United States and the superhero known as Superman in the alternate universe of Earth-23.
Val-Zod
Val-Zod is a Kryptonian who is the second character to take on the mantle of Superman in the DC Comics Universe. He was raised on the planet Krakoa instead of Earth and is a member of the Justice Society of America.
Honorable Mention:
Kwaku Anansi
Kwaku Anansi is a character in the DC Comics universe who is a member of the superhero team known as the Global Guardians. While he is not had the actual mantle of Superman and is actually more aligned with being a Spider-Man-like character, he has powers and abilities similar to those of Superman. He is an Anansi, a mythical spider and trickster god from African folklore who claims to be directly responsible for the creation of Vixen’s Tantu Totem. His powers include super strength and the ability to fly.
As the shakeup begins over at Warner Bros, J.J Abrams’ Black Superman reboot is still happening. The controversy around the development of the reboot, a script penned by cultural critic Ta-Nehisi Coates decided to racebend Superman and make Clark Kent Black, instead of going with a canon Black character like Val-Zod or Calvin Ellis.
While it’s too early to tell what Gunn and Safran’s plans are for the DC cinematic universe are as it relates to this specific hero, one thing is for certain, there are a lot of options to create various stories, experiences and new franchises under the Superman mantle.
There’s also a conversation to be had around Milestone characters such as Icon, Rocket, Static and Hardware. Where will they fit into the new guard over at Warner Bros Discovery?
We’ll see what happens and in the meantime; reading up on these characters are a great way to kill some time while you wait.
The controversial discussion around Henry Cavill stepping down as Superman had the internet buzzing since the actor officially announced it on his Instagram.
In fact this riled up fans so much that the hashtag #FireJamesGunn became a trending topic on social media. To give some context here, James Gunn, most notably known for his work directing the Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel movies and DC’s The Suicide Squad and creator of The Peacemaker TV series was recently hired on as co-head of Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC Comics film and TV unit along with Peter Safran. James Gunn will now be the Kevin Feige of the DC cinematic universe.
The producers have decided to focus on the earlier parts of Superman’s life, leaving Cavill to pick up his pink slip from Warner Bros and move onto the next project. And while there are several articles out there speculating who should play the next-gen Kal-El (aka Superman), what about Val Zod? This is a character that Michael B. Jordan has expressed interest in playing and is set to executive produce a series for HBO Max currently in development.
So while we fan cast over who will wear Superman’s cape next, let’s explore the comic book canon Black superheroes in the DC universe that offer a unique, fresh and substantive story to the prolific action hero.
Calvin Ellis
Also known as Kalel, Calvin Ellis is an alternate version of Superman who appears in the multiverse of DC Comics. He is the President of the United States and the superhero known as Superman in the alternate universe of Earth-23.
Val-Zod
Val-Zod is a Kryptonian who is the second character to take on the mantle of Superman in the DC Comics Universe. He was raised on the planet Krakoa instead of Earth and is a member of the Justice Society of America.
Honorable Mention:
Kwaku Anansi
Kwaku Anansi is a character in the DC Comics universe who is a member of the superhero team known as the Global Guardians. While he is not had the actual mantle of Superman and is actually more aligned with being a Spider-Man-like character, he has powers and abilities similar to those of Superman. He is an Anansi, a mythical spider and trickster god from African folklore who claims to be directly responsible for the creation of Vixen’s Tantu Totem. His powers include super strength and the ability to fly.
As the shakeup begins over at Warner Bros, J.J Abrams’ Black Superman reboot is still happening. The controversy around the development of the reboot, a script penned by cultural critic Ta-Nehisi Coates decided to racebend Superman and make Clark Kent Black, instead of going with a canon Black character like Val-Zod or Calvin Ellis.
While it’s too early to tell what Gunn and Safran’s plans are for the DC cinematic universe are as it relates to this specific hero, one thing is for certain, there are a lot of options to create various stories, experiences and new franchises under the Superman mantle.
There’s also a conversation to be had around Milestone characters such as Icon, Rocket, Static and Hardware. Where will they fit into the new guard over at Warner Bros Discovery?
We’ll see what happens and in the meantime; reading up on these characters are a great way to kill some time while you wait.
The Hypno-Hustler is one of the most obscure, not to mention ridiculous, Spider-Man villains out there. And he is often ranked as one of the worst too. Despite sharing a creator with the man who gave the world Rocket Raccoon, Bill Mantlo. And yet, this musical criminal is going to be the subject of a live-action movie, starring none other than Donald Glover. The news comes straight from The Hollywood Reporter. But just who the heck is this obscure Spider-Man villain? We’re here to explain it all to you.
Hypno-Hustler, the Disco Devil
The Hypno-Hustler was one of many attempts during the peak of the late ‘70s Disco music craze to try to cash in on the phenomenon. (the other, far more famous example, is the mutant Dazzler). After Saturday Night Fever, everyone from Mickey Mouse to Count Chocula was cutting a Disco album, so Marvel wanted in on some of that action. Hence, the Disco-themed villain Hypno-Hustler made his debut in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #24 way back in 1978.
The Hypno-Hustler’s real name was Antoine Desloin. He was the lead singer of a Disco musical group called the Mercy Killers. They were scheduled to headline at a popular nightclub called “Beyond Forever.” But the club’s manager caught the Hypno-Hustler robbing his safe, so Desloin used his high-tech hypnotic equipment on the manager. He had a guitar that could emit hypnotic soundwaves, and also had some boots that spewed out knockout gas. He even had retractable knives in the soles. Later up on stage, Hypno-Hustler and the Mercy Killers used their hypnotizing equipment on the audience in order to rob them all. And it would have all gone according to plan, if not for that meddling wallcrawler.
A Fateful Encounter on the Dance Floor
As luck would have it, Peter Parker was dancing away at the club on that fateful night. And so, the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man was there to challenge the Hypno-Hustler. In the brawl, Spidey discovered that the Hypno-Hustler’s headphones protected him from his own hypnotic sounds, rendering him immune. Spidey then took his headphones off, therefore causing him to become a victim of his own hypnosis. In traditional Spidey fashion, Peter left Hypno-Hustler all webbed up for the police to take into custody. Interestingly enough, they introduced a Disco-themed villain who used music to hypnotize and steal on the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman TV series that same year.
Not Exactly an A-List Spider-Man Rogue
Hypno-Hustler did not exactly become one of Spidey’s recurring villains after this encounter. Within a year of his introduction, the Disco bubble burst. By the end of 1979, the terms “Disco Sucks” and “Dead as Disco” were on everyone’s lips. Everything pertaining to this genre instantly became tacky and passe. Thus, the Hypno-Hustler, with his all-silver costume and period-specific hairdo, seemed like an instant relic of a pop culture fad gone by. He has appeared a handful of times in the decades since. Usually as a background character cameo as the butt of a joke. He sadly did not survive the implosion of Disco like his fellow cash-in character Dazzler did. We last saw the Hypno-Hustler at a Vil-a-Non meeting for reformed villains.
We imagine Donald Glover will be able to have a ton of fun with a character like Hypno-Hustler. Especially if he makes the film an homage to the glorious excess of the Disco era. Maybe they make the movie a throwback period piece. Or maybe it takes place in the modern day, at a retro-themed nightclub. If we get a Spidey dancing cameo, that would make it all worth it. As long as Donald Glover wears a very close reproduction of the original Hypno-Hustler costume and embraces the absurdity, we’re here for it.
The post Spider-Man’s Groovy Disco Villain the Hypno-Hustler, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.