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» Legion World » LEGION CLUBHOUSE » Long Live the Legion! » My beef with Timber Wolf (Page 1)

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Author Topic: My beef with Timber Wolf
Ibn al-Nezumi
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I know I might get the ire of the other worldies, but what specifically makes Brin Londo unique, power-wise. Reep Daggle can replicate his powers via shapeshifting, and Ultra Boy and Mon-El are definitely much faster and stronger. Plus, his antisocial and snide personality could be found in Wildfire and Shadow Lass to an extent.

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From: Indojapan, Earth | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
cleome46
or you can do the confusion 'til your head falls off
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I thought it was long ago established that the "no duplicates" rule means exactly what the writers feel like having it mean at any given moment.

Which is the same with Cham's powers and how much beyond form he can assume, actually. See my and others' blathering on that issue in Phantom Girl's recent RP thread. (I love that thread.)

I wasn't crazy about Wolf's personality when I was reading the book, but that's okay. Every character doesn't have to be written exactly the same, I guess.

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From: Vanity, OR | Registered: Dec 2008  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
He Who Wanders
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Good question, Ibn. I've often wondered the same thing.

I can only suppose that when Brin was introduced as Lone Wolf in Adventure Comics # 327, his story struck a chord with readers. After all, he was a young man who did not know his true identity and who ultimately discovered that his birth heritage was greater than he thought. There is a folkloric quality about this. Compare Brin's loss of identity and ultimate self-discovery with "Cinderella," for example.

It could be that these elements of his origin story coupled with his budding romance with Light Lass made Brin very popular with fans, who may have clamored for his return, in a way that other characters introduced at the same time (e.g., the Heroes of Lallor). His popularity, therefore, transcends the usefulness (or lack thereof) of his powers.

But, of course, you were asking what makes him unique, powerwise. Nothing, actually. But, considering Reep's powers, there is also nothing unique about Gim, Vi, or Chuck.

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The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that

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cleome46
or you can do the confusion 'til your head falls off
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Hey, you know... if you type out the phrase, "My Beef With Timber Wolf, He Who Wanders," it totally would have worked in a hype box for a Superboy + LoSH cover from the Grell era.

I'm just sayin'...

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He Who Wanders
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[Confused]

Somebody's been drinking too much coffee, it seems. [Smile]

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The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that

From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Ibn al-Nezumi
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quote:
Originally posted by He Who Wanders:
Good question, Ibn. I've often wondered the same thing.

I can only suppose that when Brin was introduced as Lone Wolf in Adventure Comics # 327, his story struck a chord with readers. After all, he was a young man who did not know his true identity and who ultimately discovered that his birth heritage was greater than he thought. There is a folkloric quality about this. Compare Brin's loss of identity and ultimate self-discovery with "Cinderella," for example.

It could be that these elements of his origin story coupled with his budding romance with Light Lass made Brin very popular with fans, who may have clamored for his return, in a way that other characters introduced at the same time (e.g., the Heroes of Lallor). His popularity, therefore, transcends the usefulness (or lack thereof) of his powers.

But, of course, you were asking what makes him unique, powerwise. Nothing, actually. But, considering Reep's powers, there is also nothing unique about Gim, Vi, or Chuck.

I have the same problem with Bouncing Boy as well. Lightning Lass, too. Although I'm all for the staunch 'moral officer,' thats been replaced by Polar Boy's earnestness. I don't think Gim and Salu's powers overlap because growing and shrinking have more verisimilitude than just shifting into a minute fly or a gigantic space whale.

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How many times do I have to die?!?

From: Indojapan, Earth | Registered: May 2008  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Sketch Lad
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Brin's main power had to do with his agility and acrobatics, which he combined with fighting skills. No one could do what he could do, even if they were super strong or invulnerable. Not that they'd need to. I find him to be more comparable to Karate Kid than anyone else.

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Eryk Davis Ester
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The important thing to realize is that there was no explicit duplication of powers rule until the Bronze Age, specifically the introduction of Wildfire. Prior to that there's a general preference towards diversity of powers among the Legionnaires (they sometimes say things like "We've already got someone who can do what you do" in tryouts), but no "rule" against duplicates.

Once the rule was established as part of Legion canon, for some reason it's been assumed that Silver Age members needed to have their memberships retroactively justified, and so we get appeal to things like Brin's "super-acrobatics" as his unique ability. It always seem to me that it would make more sense to suppose that they only instituted the rule at the same time the 25-member limit came into place, which would mean that those already on the team at the time would not have been subject to it.

From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
jimgallagher
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I agree, Sketch Lad. I always found K Kid and T Wolf to be interchangeable. They even had the same color hair and costumes.

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He Who Wanders
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quote:
Originally posted by Ibn al-Nezumi:
I don't think Gim and Salu's powers overlap because growing and shrinking have more verisimilitude than just shifting into a minute fly or a gigantic space whale.

All Cham has to do is grow or shrink in his normal form and he duplicates their powers.

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Candlelight
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Chams power is shapeshifting.
You really shouldn't count him as anything else ~ that's his uniqueness.

I think the idea of unique powers isn't just the powers, themselves, but the combinations, strengths and presentation of the powers.

Wolfs powers are the acrobatics and agility mention before, but also, hyper senses, assertiveness, fierceness and cunning.

If he's anything like the American Timber Wolf, he'd also be a team/pack player, resourceful, observant, perceptive, rugged and a survivor.

And Brins movements should be flowing, natural, one with his environment and way past human levels of balance, reaction and speed.

I feel he's utterly unique in the Legion and in the DCU.

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From: Salem, Oregon USA | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
He Who Wanders
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quote:
Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester:
The important thing to realize is that there was no explicit duplication of powers rule until the Bronze Age, specifically the introduction of Wildfire. [. . . ] Once the rule was established as part of Legion canon, for some reason it's been assumed that Silver Age members needed to have their memberships retroactively justified [. . .]

Good points, Eryk, although retroactive justification seems plausible in the case of Lightning/Light Lass, whose powers were altered by Dream Girl after Garth returned to life.

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The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that

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Eryk Davis Ester
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Well, Dreamy explicitly says that she altered Ayla's power because it was redundant, but nobody else had even questioned the duplication of powers prior to that. I'd actually say there must be some other reason why Nura decided to change her powers, such as she saw that the new powers would be useful on some future adventure or something.
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Quislet, Esq
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The thing is Chameleon Boy's power was originally super-disguise, not shape-shifting. It was said at the time that Cham could only assume the form, but not duplicate powers. i.e. He could look like Mon-el or a Lightning Beast, but not have super strength or generate lightning. So I image that the super-disguise power was more like a personal illusion with his body mass staying the same. So Cham could look like a little fly, but would not be able to fit through a keyhole.

Of course, his power did become shape-shifting. But even with shape-shifting, I don't see Chameleon Boy being able to duplicate Timber Wolf's abilities aka acrobatic/agility power.

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From: Boston | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Quislet, Esq
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quote:
Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester:
Well, Dreamy explicitly says that she altered Ayla's power because it was redundant, but nobody else had even questioned the duplication of powers prior to that. I'd actually say there must be some other reason why Nura decided to change her powers, such as she saw that the new powers would be useful on some future adventure or something.

I think in that story, it first seemed like Alya was made powerless and thus kicked out of the Legion. Dream Girl did this to try to prevent a vision she had of the Legionnaires dying.

But doesn't the no duplication also show up when Ultra Boy joined? His unique power being his Pentra Vision which allowed him to see through anything, even lead.

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Five billion years from now the Sun will go nova and obliterate the Earth. Don't sweat the small stuff!

From: Boston | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
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