Thursday Thirteen

 

When I was young, I used to be an avid comic book reader. My uncle who was four years older than I was read comic books and once I could read, I began to read them too. This would have been the late 1960s, early 1970s - what I would consider my "golden age" of comic books.

I haven't picked up a comic book in many years, but from what I've read, they've changed dramatically since then. The comics I read were bright, self‑contained, and easy to pick up off the newsstand.

Today’s comics are more serialized, more cinematic, and far more complex. They have deeper character development, modern art styles, and a wider range of heroes than I ever saw back then.

It’s a different landscape but still built on the same colorful foundations I grew up with.

If you need a hero, the comics are one place to look.

1. Wonder Woman (DC). The iconic Amazon warrior and symbol of truth and justice. When I was reading her, she'd basically been turned into the secretary for the Justice League.

2. Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) (Marvel). Master spy turned Avenger with unmatched tactical skill. In my era, she roamed around with Spider Man sometimes.

3. Storm (Ororo Munroe) (Marvel). Weather‑controlling mutant and longtime X‑Men leader.

4. Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) (Marvel). Cosmic powerhouse known for strength, flight, and energy blasts.

5. Jean Grey (Marvel). Founding X‑Man whose telepathy and telekinesis make her one of Marvel’s strongest heroes.

6. Rogue (Marvel). Southern mutant who absorbs powers and memories with a touch.

7. Thor (Jane Foster) (Marvel). When she lifts Mjolnir, she becomes the Mighty Thor, worthy of godlike power.

8. She‑Hulk (Jennifer Walters) (Marvel). Gamma‑powered attorney balancing super strength with sharp humor.

9. Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) (Marvel). Shape‑shifting teen hero inspired by her idol, Captain Marvel.

10. Supergirl (Kara Zor‑El) (DC). Superman’s cousin, bringing Kryptonian strength and compassion to Earth.

11. Power Girl (Kara Zor‑L) (DC). Earth‑2’s Kryptonian hero, known for her confidence and raw power.

12. Spider‑Woman (Jessica Drew) (Marvel). Super‑powered investigator with venom blasts and wall‑crawling abilities.

13. Sue Storm / Invisible Woman (Marvel). Fantastic Four co‑founder who uses invisibility and force fields with precision. I always thought she was really cool and she was one of my favorites.

When I was reading comics, there was basically only Wonder Woman, Sue Storm, the Black Widow, She-Hulk, and Supergirl. Oh, and I left out Batgirl. How could I forget Batgirl? She was on the TV show.

I have a vague idea how the others came to be - but some of these characters used to be male, like Thor and Captain Marvel. I know there are now different earths and universes and such, but I'm rather clueless as to how that all came about. Some of that I know from reading about comics. Some of it I know from The Big Bang Theory.

There's a new Supergirl movie out. I don't know if I will make it to the theater to see it, but I will at least watch it when it hits the TV. I really liked the first Wonder Woman movie. Supergirl isn't getting very good reviews, but you never know.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 966th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.