posted
I’m not sure if this post is more appropriate for the "Bits" forum - given its sort of narrative form - but I decided, given the music related content, I’d stick it in "Anywhere".
Anyway, I first thought of this idea in the late '90's - after seeing a "Spice Girls" video, of all things - that so many of the public personas of musicians have a lot of the same attributes, and the same sort shared history, as super-heroes (c'mon, tell me that the team of Scary, Sporty, Baby, Posh and Ginger didn't immediately suggest distinct power sets, ala Power Pack or something).
I always thought it would be sort of neat to try to fit these "characters" into some sort of shared continuity that mapped, in a generic way, to comics’ own history. It basically writes itself at a high level:
Though there had been prominent heroes prior to the dawn of the Great Heroic age, they had been primarily of the two-fisted, plainclothes variety, such as The Chairman of the Board (who would, along with Dino and The Candyman, later become part of the loosely affiliated team, The Rat Pack). It wasn't until the early 1950's, though, with the arrival of the Comets, that the Super-Heroic age was truly ushered in.
The Big Bopper… The Killer… Johnny B. Goode. Hardly a day went by in the 50's without a new hero being introduced whose name would become legendary. Above all of them, though, was the man who many would come to consider the greatest ever, the standard bearer of this Silver Age... The King.
This wide-eyed innocent time couldn't last forever and, as the decade drew to a close, three heroes - including fan-favorite, Buddy - would perish on a case that came to be known as "The Day the Music Died". The world mourned, little aware that - in just a few short years - a new phenomena would soon sweep through the heroic community: the introduction of the superhero team.
It started, of course, with the arrival of the global phenomenon known as The Fab Four (led by The Walrus and Macca), but soon turned into a full-on heroic invasion. (Personal note: although I would never dispute the legendary contributions of The Fab Four, I've always thought, at the end of the day, that The Glimmer Twins were a more effective "street-fighting" force). Along with the advent of the team concept, the 60's also brought a greater political relevance to the hero community, with the poet-warrior sensibilities of people like the Jester coming to the forefront.
I should note that while I've never really been a fan of western heroes, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention their large vocal fan community. Following in the tradition of the Golden Age cowboy, Luke the Drifter, others emerged during this time like The Red-Headed Stranger, Watasha, and of course, perhaps the greatest crossover western hero, The Man in Black.
The late 60's into the early 70's were a turbulent time in the hero community, with the shiny Day-Glo promise of the late Silver Age giving way to the more jaded vision of the Bronze. Although the crossover event, "The Aquarian Exposition" still stands as the standard against which all others are measured, the fact remains that, within the next two years, the deaths of Voodoo Child, Pearl and The Lizard King had signaled the end of an age.
That's not to say that the Bronze Age was without merit. Indeed, the 70's brought an entirely new concept - the Anti-Hero. Men with names like Vicious and Rotten, and the team known as The Only Band That Matters, eschewed traditional heroic methods for a radical new brand of vigilantism. At the same time, glamorous new heroes began to arrive from beyond the stars. The quartet of The Starchild, The Spaceman, The Catman, and The Demon commanded a veritable army of loyal followers.
Perhaps the hero who most personified the turbulence of the Bronze Age is one whose chameleon-like ways allowed him to endlessly adapt to the changing times. Arriving with his minions, The Spiders from Mars, the man known as Ziggy Stardust would continually morph over this decade, alternately known by such names as Aladdin Sane, Halloween Jack, The Thin White Duke, and a host of other identities.
As the 70's wound down, tragedy struck twice on an epic scale as, first, the greatest hero of the Silver Age, The King (now well past his prime), died, and then, just a few short years later, the former leader of The Fab Four, The Walrus, was gunned down. Particularly hard hit by the latter was his occasional partner, Captain Fantastic, who would go on to have a long career of his own.
Following this Crisis, as if to fill the void into the 80's, the community crowned a new king - this time, The King of Pop. A former child hero who spent the 70’s as a member of a young hero team with his four brothers, the notoriety of The King of Pop would debatably grow beyond that of anyone before, or since. Always surrounded by controversy, however, his fame would eventually turn to infamy, as his behavior and appearance became more and more bizarre over the years, eventually turning him into the hideous creature known as Wacko Jacko.
Although there had always been an underlying provocative element to the concept of the superhero, it wasn’t until the 80's that all pretense was dropped, with several high profile heroes, most notably The Material Girl and The Purple One, utilizing the element of sex as their primary modus operandi. As if to balance out this extreme shift, other, more grass roots heroes also came to prominence, perhaps none so famously as the super patriotic hero simply called, The Boss.
The 80's were a high time for the superhero teams, as well, with their exploits becoming larger and more expansive (a true reflection of the times), led by such flamboyant leaders as Diamond Dave, The Toxic Twins, and the Irish front man who would arguably best bridge the gap from the 80's into the 90's, the half hero/half villain known alternately as both The Fly and Mr. MacPhisto.
The late 80's into the 90's signaled a true end to the Bronze Age and the dawning of the darker Iron Age. Typified early on by Goth sensibilities, this soon gave way to a more grim and gritty (some might say grungy) wave of new generation heroes who did away with a lot of the colorful excesses of their predecessors – including codenames and flashy costumes - preferring plain flannel uniforms and using simple first names such as Eddie, Chris, or Kurt.
The dawn of the new millennium was appropriately ushered in by revival of the technology-based hero. The mad genius Dr. Tchock emerged as an early avatar of this new age, as daft, robot-headed individuals manned their electronic weapons, ready to fight a new century’s threats.
What will the next age look like? Will throngs of Little Monsters set the stage for the future? Will an endless queue of Idol and X-Factor powered individuals be the heroes of the next generation? Stay tuned for the exciting next issue!
So, obviously that rambling above just scratches the surface. Who else can you think of in music history that fits in with this sort of super-hero reimagining?
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Registered: Feb 2008
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
This seems like a perfect place to post this video reflecting on the era in which capes were the fashion trend for rock super-heroes!
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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Don't forget the quartet of heroes from England known as Meaty, Beaty, Big, and Bouncy, or, alternatively, as Tommy, The Whirlwind, The Ox, and Moon.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
Absolutely, Huey! There is a wealth of untapped potential out there.
I didn't even mention one of my favorite Bronze Age stories: the payoff to the Space Cowboy/Gangster of Love saga where it was revealed that both were actually alter egos of that mild-mannered Maurice.
In retrospect, I totally should have guessed it... there was no other way he could have known about the "Pompatous of Love".
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Registered: Feb 2008
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posted
Let's not forget the other Starchild, who descended from outer space in The Mothership. He also used the names of Sir Lollipop Man (alias the Long-Haired Sucker) and Dr. Funkenstein, along with his team of companions known sometimes as Funkadelic, sometimes as Parliament.
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From: Arkansas Province, Baaldur | Registered: Jul 2007
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Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
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