Superman Analogue: Hyperion (Part 2)
81Can you imagine a Superman brought up where the American Way is a bit less virtuous? Hyperion as interpreted by J. Michael Straczynski was a Superman for that cynical "real world" and the hero of the Supreme Power line.
Master Thread: https://twitter.com/CaseAiken/status/1346189702580342785
Original Thread: https://twitter.com/CaseAiken/status/1081718545178943491
Original Text: Well, let's get on with it, then. Today we're doing part 2 of my little ramble on #Hyperion. We're talking about J. Michael Straczynski run on #Marvel's #SupremePower.
Cards on the table: I loved the Gruenwald run and was a bit dubious of the update at the time. I loved #RisingStars, but I was annoyed at the changes I perceived in the series. In particular, I HATED the initial costume that they had Hyperion wearing
However, my biggest issue was that I'd seen a lot of Superman or Justice League inspired stories at this point and I didn't see why they had to use the same name. And I hold that some things were needlessly changed (Hyperion is a ginger damnit!).
BUT, even then I dug the take on A Justice League type team: grounded in reality and very cynical. AND as I don't his exercise, I see now that the characters aren't so married to the Gruenwald run and rather are exactly what we need as a Marvel response to DC at any given time.
So let's talk about this particular Mark Milton. He's an alien, found by Farmers. However, he's quickly taken in by the government who raises him in a falsified "ideal" American family with parents played by actors.
At first he just does government missions before striking out on his own because he starts to rightly believe that the US government doesn't have the best intentions for the world at heart, though he then makes the leap that he instead does.
His arrival leads to several super beings showing up, all with similar names to classic Squadron Supreme stuff, but that's about it for most. One in particular was Redstone who was made into an awful villain when the original had been a hero...
Not that there weren't homages made to classic scenes...
Now, the series had some production issues that kind of derailed it. It launched as a Marvel MAX book, but got switched over to the Marvel Knights imprint after about a year and a half. There were also some spin off books, such as a Hyperion solo title.
The problem here was that the story was one of J. Michael Straczynski's big laid stories that he's fond of which works really well in a singular story, but between relaunches and spin offs the story began to seem needlessly complicated to new readers.
As far as I recall, the series kind of just petered off until being concluded sort of in "Ultimate Power", which was a crossover with the "ultimate universe". It wasn't particularly good.
(oh, @Linkara19 has a damn good video (videos?) on http://Atopthefourthwall.com)
So, I think I was a little harsh at first. The story still did an interesting thing with the Superman archetype in a fantastically crafted series. Hyperion really is a broad interpretation of the archetype, fitting exactly what is needed at the time.
Images:
1 - Supreme Power: Hyperion (2005) #1, Cover Artist: Terry Dodson
2 - Supreme Power (2003) #3, Cover Artist: Gary Frank
3 - Supreme Power: Hyperion (2005) #3, Cover Artist: Billy Tan
4 - Squadron Supreme (2006) #1, Cover Artist: Gary Frank
5 – Squadron Supreme (2006) #2, Cover Artist: Gary Frank
6 - Supreme Power (2003) #1, Cover Artist: Gary Frank
7 - Supreme Power (2003) #1, Artist: Gary Frank
8 - Supreme Power (2003) #8 Cover Artist: Gary Frank
9 - Supreme Power (2003) #11, Cover Artist: Gary Frank
10 – Squadron Supreme (2006) #7, Cover Artist: Gary Frank
11 – Squadron Supreme (1985) #12, Pencils by Paul Ryan, Inks by Sam De La Rosa, Colors by Christie Scheele
12 - Supreme Power: Hyperion (2005) #, Cover Artist: Gary Frank
13 - Squadron Supreme: Hyperion vs. Nighthawk Vol 1 #1, Cover Artist: Paul Gulacy
14 - Ultimate Power Vol 1 #5, Cover Artist: Greg Land
15 – Linkara is great! Check out his videos series on Ultimate Power, starting here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsmBEvgdAL8
16 - Supreme Power (Vol. 2) #2 - Cover Artist: Sebastian Fiumara
17 - Heroes Reborn (2021) #1 (Variant), Cover Artist: Carlos Pacheco
18 - Supreme Power (2003) #1, Artist: Gary Frank
19 - Supreme Power (2003) #3, Artist: Gary Frank
20 - Squadron Supreme (1985) #1, Art by Bob Hall
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