Deadpool and Wolverine

I've never cared for Deadpool but I have been enough of a Hugh Jackman fan to see Deadpool & Wolverine, which opened in movie theaters today. Both characters were members of the Secret Defenders at different times, although it would be a stretch to draw many comparisons to that team. Even so, I did like seeing the Human Torch as a supporting character in the film, given his appearances on the DEFENSE Lines letters page as well as the cover of Defenders #62. Of all the surprises in the film, my favorite may have been an "easter egg" referencing illustrator Rob Liefeld.

Venus vs. Son of Satan

When Atlas Comics gave Venus her own series, the genre of that title gradually transitioned from romance to horror. Case in point, Venus #10 (June 1950). In that issue, the love goddess received an unwanted marriage proposal from the Son of Satan. This was not Daimon Hellstrom, who would premiere as the Son of Satan two decades later. Rather, it was another character who happened to be the devil's son. Venus discreetly referred to her unwanted suitor as Mr. Satin and successfully fought off his advances.

Neutral: Earth Prime

Stepping well outside the scope of the Defenders, I've wanted to include the character Ultraa in my posts about the alignment system from Dungeons & Dragons. An acquaintance of the Justice League of America, Ultraa was the first superhero of Earth Prime (a world where the JLA was mere fiction). Soon after Ultraa's heroic debut, the first supervillain also premiered on Earth Prime. This coincidence led Ultraa to believe that a balancing force was at work in the universe, evening the scales between good and evil. Therefore, the best way to protect his world from super criminals was to give up being a superhero. This seemingly convoluted outlook would fit within an alignment of true Neutral.

Lawful Good	Neutral Good	Chaotic Good
Lawful Neutral	True Neutral	Chaotic Neutral
Lawful Evil	Neutral Evil	Chaotic Evil

Ultraa made his debut in Justice League of America #153 (April 1978).

Anything Man

Jeff Colt (a.k.a. Anything Man) proved to be an unusual adversary in Defenders #69 (March 1979). When the unassuming veterinarian randomly acquired the power of Omegatron following a game of tennis, the Defenders came to investigate. Convinced that the heroes were there to test his abilities, Jeff attacked Hellcat, Nighthawk, and Valkyrie. He even struck Valkyrie's horse, Aragorn.

Concerned that an angry Hulk would make the situation worse, Dr. Strange apologetically turned his green teammate back into Bruce Banner. Once Jeff came to realize that he had become consumed with power, Dr. Strange returned him to normal with these magical words:

Then in the name of dark Satannish …

… By the mystic moons of Munnopor …

… Let Omegatronic power vanish,

And leave you but a man once more!

Neutral Good: Professor Imam

Believing that his former teammates in the Squadron Supreme were corrupt, Nighthawk sought the help of Professor Imam, the Wizard Supreme of Earth-S. Professor Imam agreed that the Squadron was now a menace but said he needed to conserve his dwindling energy to train his successor. By weighing the needs of the present versus those of the future, Professor Imam exhibited a balanced approach in keeping with an alignment of Neutral Good.

Lawful Good	Neutral Good	Chaotic Good
Lawful Neutral	True Neutral	Chaotic Neutral
Lawful Evil	Neutral Evil	Chaotic Evil

This panel of Professor Imam comes from Captain America #314 (Feb. 1986).