Superman Analogues: Prime
186Case Aiken's a big fan of Superman (if you couldn't tell)! He's got a lot to say about the characters who are based on him or who fit the same archetype! This week, we're talking about Prime, a hero in the vein of Captain Marvel/Shazam, but taken to an extreme!
Find the original thread here: https://twitter.com/CaseAiken/status/1073350047394398210
Original Text: I was reading about larger breeds of dogs the other day. One of the points made was that their temperament tends to be more mellow because of an understanding of their physical power. They don't feel as threatened by the world around them, so they take a less defensive stance.
This comes with maturity, but that is accelerated even when compared with smaller dogs with similar lifespans (larger dogs tend to live on the shorter side).
This kind of life lesson is similar to that of the Ultraverse's Prime.
(Surprise! This is another Superman analogue thread!)
So #Prime was a 90s character who was VERY #Shazam/Captain Marvel inspired. He was a 13 year old boy who could excrete a fluid that he could reshape into a carapace that enabled him to take on superhuman traits. Basically a body horror version of Captain Marvel.
Now, I have to stop and wonder how obscure the character is. #Prime was part of a Saturday morning cartoon back in the day, but that was the style of the time in much the way the movies are now. #Ultraforce #Ultraverse
Anyway, what was interesting about the character was that it was a double down on the "youth in the body of a god" concept that #Shazam skirted. He was a 13 year old boy, so he had a very particular view of the world. He had a good heart, but was still learning how to relate.
Over the course of the comic, he was ostracized for being into girls that were his own age. He tried to after bad guys like pedophiles, but failed to provide evidence to pursue it legally, so he was perceived to be a monster attacking people.
It didn't take long for him to go through a rebellious phase...
But eventually he came to understand the responsibility of his powers. How he was expected to be a more stalwart and thoughtful figure because of them. After all, ultimately few things were a real threat to "The World's Strongest Ultra" and he matured into the line's real hero.
Before I go, I do want to talk about the aesthetics of the character. A wonderful detail is that Prime's a musclebound 90s cliche of a superhero ON PURPOSE. He made himself look like the heroes in the books that were out at the time, because he controlled his own appearance.
The rest of the art didn't look like this and it supported the introspective element of the book, looking at the nature of the comic book medium and how it influences young men.
Image 1 – Prime Poster by Alex Ross
Image 2 – Prime #2, Art by Norm Breyfogle
Image 3 – Ultraverse: Year Two, Cover by Gary Frank
Image 4 – Prime Vs. The Incredible Hulk #0, Cover by Art Thibert
Image 5 – The All New Exiles #1, Cover by Jeff Matsuda
Image 6 – Ultraforce Cartoon Series Cover Art
Clip From Ultraforce Cartoon
Image 7 – Prime Poster by Boris Vallejo
Image 8 – Prime #1, Art by Norm Breyfogle
Image 9 - Prime #1, Art by Norm Breyfogle
Image 10 - Prime #11, Art by Norm Breyfogle
Image 11 – Pin Up by Kevin Wst and Dennis Jensen
Image 12 – Later issue, not sure of the number. Looks like Norm Breyfogle, but not sure.
Image 13 – Later issue, not sure of the number. Looks like Norm Breyfogle, but not sure.
Image 14 – Poster by Mike Wieringo
Image 15 – Ultraforce #2, Cover by George Perez
Image 16 – Prime #6, Cover by Norm Breyfogle
Image 17 – Prime #1, Cover by Norm Breyfogle
Music by Bret Eagleston - www.breteagleston.bandcamp.com
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