Ghost: You beat me to it (poll)! So far, I see we have about 7 or so folks that clearly haven't read the comic. Note to poll-takers: Magnus is not flying in the graphic your host, Ghost, has shrewdly provided! He's merely jumping of a very short ledge - like any average citizen would do. -- Mykal
He's got super-ability beyond those of mortal men. A combination of know-how, technique and superstrength that lets him scrap robots that is unique.
More importantly, he's a Name. He's not a cop or a soldier. Nobody ever said, "Which robot-fighter is next up on the roster? Who's on duty shift? Oh, Magnus? He's one of our best."
No, it's "OMG, robots are running amuck! Call Magnus!" In the same vein as "light the bat signal", or "I'll activate my supersonic watch"
So, combine unique ability with a celebrity-status name (and heroic attitude, but nobody has suggested Magnus lacked in that quality) and you've got a Superhero!
Magnus was raised and trained by a robot in the martial arts (no radioactive injections, no special potion or formula) by a robot named A1. His level of training was unique, yes, but well within the bounds of any mortal so trained from birth. He was trained in the martial arts until his hands could break anything, steel included!
He does not posses super or extraordinary strength. I simply can't agree that he has superstrength beyond mortal men.
Yes, he is unique. Yes, there is no one like him in year 4000 AD; but he is so because of hard work and training, not because of any super gifts. To me, this makes him all the more special and “super.” -
Mykal, I hate to bring up the obvious Batman exception that may prove your rule. What Magnus lacks is a costume/secret identity/other paraphenalia. Otherwise, I think he's super enough since he is the go-to guy when robots run amok.
Well, I lack the proper Magnus scholarship to cite chapter and verse. However, it's always been my impression he has a degree of super strength.
One, because no form of karate-fu is going to smash metal alone. At least, that's how it sits with me.
Two, I have a memory of a Magnus panel where a mob of riffraff are surging thru the upper city. They are pigpiling Magnus while he shouts "I don't want to hurt you! You can't win against a man who has the strength to smash robots!".
Now, that's the essential meaning of the panel, but I cannot in good conscience claim it's an exact quote.
Blaze: Funny you should mention that panel. You will find that exact panel in the story, The Power of the One Thousand; which I have posted over at my blog at this very moment! My blog? Gold Key Comics!
Blaze: After you have read that story, ask yourself (with regard to warning to crowd): wouldn't a highly trained professional martial artist or Special Forces soldier, capable of killing an opponent with one blow, be conscience-bound to say the very same thing to a crowd he was fighting? Would that make him a superhero? -- Mykal
Well, Ghost! Aren't you quite the Mr. Fix it! First your installing an overhead fan; now our painting. You just keep on working. By the time you get to the computer, ALL will understand that Magnus is NOT a superhero! he is merely an excellent crime fighter. One question: when did Magnus ever rely on anything but his wits and his fits? -- Mykal
Mykal: "wouldn't a highly trained professional martial artist or Special Forces soldier, capable of killing an opponent with one blow, be conscience-bound to say the very same thing to a crowd he was fighting? Would that make him a superhero?" That's a logical fallacy. The fact that a protector of the public good who is not a superhero would have similar concerns does not mean that Magnus is not a superhero because he, too has those concerns. The very fact that, lack of explanation aside, Magnus is a hero who exhibits super-human abilities makes him, by default a superhero.
If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck and punches its fist through steel, it's a SUPER-duck. Even Mr. Miagi could only train a guy to punch through blocks of ice.
Ghost: He, Magnus, has no superhuman abilities. He was trained by A1 (a robot who understood the dangers of his own kind) to use martial arts against robots; meaning that he is a superior martial artists that knows the weak points of robots. All his “smashing” robots is actually just breaking them at points in their structure where they are most vulnerable. Further, he has had a piece of technology implanted in his brain by his robot/mentor so that he can understand robot talk - these twin factors may lead the citizens of NORTH AM (as well as come comic book readers) to believe he is a superhero. But none of his abilities are superhuman. Therefore, he is not a superhero.
What is SpecterGirl's stance in this? Or have you shrewdly muzzled her vote by hogging the computer? I suspected as much! -- Mykal
Mykal: Oh! So he's a CYBORG Superhero! "he has had a piece of technology implanted in his brain by his robot/mentor so that he can understand robot talk" Yet another ability far beyond those of mortal men. As to your previous assertion that Magnus merely finds the chinks in the ronbots' armor, I have a comics panel clearly showing Magnus smashing steel "I" beams with his BARE HANDS!
Mykal: furthermore, and I quote Wikipediam the sum total of all human knowledge: "1A recognized the threat represented by the dependency of humans on robots in general, and the developments in North Am due to H8 in particular. Therefore, 1A trained Magnus as a warrior to protect humans against both rogue robots, and humans who used normal robots for evil purposes. Magnus was trained from infancy by 1A in an under-sea domed house, using advanced techniques, to become a skilled martial artist WHO COULD BREAK STEEL WITH HIS BARE HANDS. In addition, 1A equipped his charge with a device that would allow him to "hear" robot-to-robot radio communications."
Again, not a skill obtainable by a normal person. And you already said he didn't have that ability, which suggests that you are laboring under a misconception.
Anyone dressed like that who goes around punching robots inna labonza is a superhero in my book.
If he ain't a superhero, what is he? A plumber? A gynocologist? If he ain't a superhero, why'd they give him his own comic, huh? Whuffo dey did dat, huh? Whuffo?
Mykal, if your argument is that Magnut, er Magnus isn't a superhero because he has no 'super' powers, that argument fails, and I'll explain why. Can we agree that Magnus is a 'hero'? Yes?
Now, Bruce Wayne has no 'super' powers, no spider-bite, no gamma radiation, no nuclear fizzies, no special power suppositories that enable him to fight crime...no, he is a man. An ordinary man, who trained himself to be extra-ordinary. No one can argue that Batman is not a superhero, therefore, by default, Magnus IS a SUPERHERO!!!!
I'll add more exclamation points if that will prove my point better...
Sorry Mykal, but I only read SUPERHERO comics. And since you've so ELOQUENTLY stated your case, you've convinced me that Magnus is NOT a superhero. Clearly, neither is the Man of the Atom, as any of us who was exposed to massive amounts of radiation and lived would logically develop the same perfectly ordinary ability to manipulate matter and energy.
Ha! Aaron, you're a hoot! Hey, being a cyber-bully is kinda fun! Who are we gonna gang up on next?
Mykal, all serious jesting is in earnest, just joking with a hint of ironic truth that is a subtle false lie that express what is a freudian subtext which means, ...still pals?
Ghost: You beat me to it (poll)! So far, I see we have about 7 or so folks that clearly haven't read the comic. Note to poll-takers: Magnus is not flying in the graphic your host, Ghost, has shrewdly provided! He's merely jumping of a very short ledge - like any average citizen would do. -- Mykal
ReplyDeleteMykal: LOL!! It appears that the "no" votes have doubled since this morning. How many times did YOU vote, Mykal? ;-)
ReplyDeleteOH, he's a superhero all right.
ReplyDeleteHe's got super-ability beyond those of mortal men. A combination of know-how, technique and superstrength that lets him scrap robots that is unique.
More importantly, he's a Name. He's not a cop or a soldier. Nobody ever said, "Which robot-fighter is next up on the roster? Who's on duty shift? Oh, Magnus? He's one of our best."
No, it's "OMG, robots are running amuck! Call Magnus!" In the same vein as "light the bat signal", or "I'll activate my supersonic watch"
So, combine unique ability with a celebrity-status name (and heroic attitude, but nobody has suggested Magnus lacked in that quality) and you've got a Superhero!
And that's how I voted.
Blaze: Well put, but consider if will:
ReplyDeleteMagnus was raised and trained by a robot in the martial arts (no radioactive injections, no special potion or formula) by a robot named A1. His level of training was unique, yes, but well within the bounds of any mortal so trained from birth. He was trained in the martial arts until his hands could break anything, steel included!
He does not posses super or extraordinary strength. I simply can't agree that he has superstrength beyond mortal men.
Yes, he is unique. Yes, there is no one like him in year 4000 AD; but he is so because of hard work and training, not because of any super gifts. To me, this makes him all the more special and “super.” -
Ghost? Your views? - Mykal
Mykal, I hate to bring up the obvious Batman exception that may prove your rule. What Magnus lacks is a costume/secret identity/other paraphenalia. Otherwise, I think he's super enough since he is the go-to guy when robots run amok.
ReplyDeleteWell, I lack the proper Magnus scholarship to cite chapter and verse. However, it's always been my impression he has a degree of super strength.
ReplyDeleteOne, because no form of karate-fu is going to smash metal alone. At least, that's how it sits with me.
Two, I have a memory of a Magnus panel where a mob of riffraff are surging thru the upper city. They are pigpiling Magnus while he shouts "I don't want to hurt you! You can't win against a man who has the strength to smash robots!".
Now, that's the essential meaning of the panel, but I cannot in good conscience claim it's an exact quote.
Blaze: Funny you should mention that panel. You will find that exact panel in the story, The Power of the One Thousand; which I have posted over at my blog at this very moment! My blog? Gold Key Comics!
ReplyDeletePS: Page 10 - last panel! And make sure you come right back! -- Mykal
ReplyDeleteBlaze: After you have read that story, ask yourself (with regard to warning to crowd): wouldn't a highly trained professional martial artist or Special Forces soldier, capable of killing an opponent with one blow, be conscience-bound to say the very same thing to a crowd he was fighting? Would that make him a superhero? -- Mykal
ReplyDeleteAh, how fortuitous! A new blog bookmarked and the very issue of my youth on display! Thank you sir!
ReplyDeleteObviously I did misquote Magnus, but it is the previous panel that clinches my point. "I can't use my full strength without hurting these people."
The line every super strong super hero has used at least once in their career.
Blaze: You may have misquoted, but only by inches! Damn fine memory, my friend! That memory qualifies you for a Gold Plated Magnus fan! -- Mykal
ReplyDeleteMykal: YOu can't flatter Blaze into taking your side! Painting bedroom. Comments to follow. This is Aaron. Stupid iPhone.
ReplyDeleteWell, Ghost! Aren't you quite the Mr. Fix it! First your installing an overhead fan; now our painting. You just keep on working. By the time you get to the computer, ALL will understand that Magnus is NOT a superhero! he is merely an excellent crime fighter. One question: when did Magnus ever rely on anything but his wits and his fits? -- Mykal
ReplyDeleteMykal:
ReplyDelete"wouldn't a highly trained professional martial artist or Special Forces soldier, capable of killing an opponent with one blow, be conscience-bound to say the very same thing to a crowd he was fighting? Would that make him a superhero?" That's a logical fallacy. The fact that a protector of the public good who is not a superhero would have similar concerns does not mean that Magnus is not a superhero because he, too has those concerns. The very fact that, lack of explanation aside, Magnus is a hero who exhibits super-human abilities makes him, by default a superhero.
If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck and punches its fist through steel, it's a SUPER-duck. Even Mr. Miagi could only train a guy to punch through blocks of ice.
Ghost: He, Magnus, has no superhuman abilities. He was trained by A1 (a robot who understood the dangers of his own kind) to use martial arts against robots; meaning that he is a superior martial artists that knows the weak points of robots. All his “smashing” robots is actually just breaking them at points in their structure where they are most vulnerable. Further, he has had a piece of technology implanted in his brain by his robot/mentor so that he can understand robot talk - these twin factors may lead the citizens of NORTH AM (as well as come comic book readers) to believe he is a superhero. But none of his abilities are superhuman. Therefore, he is not a superhero.
ReplyDeleteWhat is SpecterGirl's stance in this? Or have you shrewdly muzzled her vote by hogging the computer? I suspected as much! -- Mykal
Mykal: Oh! So he's a CYBORG Superhero! "he has had a piece of technology implanted in his brain by his robot/mentor so that he can understand robot talk" Yet another ability far beyond those of mortal men. As to your previous assertion that Magnus merely finds the chinks in the ronbots' armor, I have a comics panel clearly showing Magnus smashing steel "I" beams with his BARE HANDS!
ReplyDelete"I have a comics panel clearly showing Magnus smashing steel "I" beams with his BARE HANDS!"
ReplyDelete(valiant Magnus, I bet)
Mykal: furthermore, and I quote Wikipediam the sum total of all human knowledge: "1A recognized the threat represented by the dependency of humans on robots in general, and the developments in North Am due to H8 in particular. Therefore, 1A trained Magnus as a warrior to protect humans against both rogue robots, and humans who used normal robots for evil purposes. Magnus was trained from infancy by 1A in an under-sea domed house, using advanced techniques, to become a skilled martial artist WHO COULD BREAK STEEL WITH HIS BARE HANDS. In addition, 1A equipped his charge with a device that would allow him to "hear" robot-to-robot radio communications."
ReplyDeleteAgain, not a skill obtainable by a normal person. And you already said he didn't have that ability, which suggests that you are laboring under a misconception.
Anyone dressed like that who goes around punching robots inna labonza is a superhero in my book.
ReplyDeleteIf he ain't a superhero, what is he? A plumber? A gynocologist? If he ain't a superhero, why'd they give him his own comic, huh? Whuffo dey did dat, huh? Whuffo?
Ghost: This is my last attempt to make you see reason. I am right. Goodnight. -- Mykal
ReplyDeleteMykal: If enough people tell you you're drunk, you should sit down. Magnus is a superhero.
ReplyDeleteOh, oh ... I'm about to vote ....
Mykal, if your argument is that Magnut, er Magnus isn't a superhero because he has no 'super' powers, that argument fails, and I'll explain why. Can we agree that Magnus is a 'hero'? Yes?
ReplyDeleteNow, Bruce Wayne has no 'super' powers, no spider-bite, no gamma radiation, no nuclear fizzies, no special power suppositories that enable him to fight crime...no, he is a man. An ordinary man, who trained himself to be extra-ordinary. No one can argue that Batman is not a superhero, therefore, by default, Magnus IS a SUPERHERO!!!!
I'll add more exclamation points if that will prove my point better...
Okeedoakee - Magnus is a superhero. Now all of you get over to my blog and read the man himself! -- Mykal
ReplyDeleteTaste the bitter pill of logic, Mykal!
ReplyDeleteIs it stuck in your throat? Swallow it, man!
Ah, semantics! Don't ya love it?
Sorry Mykal, but I only read SUPERHERO comics. And since you've so ELOQUENTLY stated your case, you've convinced me that Magnus is NOT a superhero. Clearly, neither is the Man of the Atom, as any of us who was exposed to massive amounts of radiation and lived would logically develop the same perfectly ordinary ability to manipulate matter and energy.
ReplyDeleteDUCK SEASON!
Ha!
ReplyDeleteAaron, you're a hoot! Hey, being a cyber-bully is kinda fun! Who are we gonna gang up on next?
Mykal, all serious jesting is in earnest, just joking with a hint of ironic truth that is a subtle false lie that express what is a freudian subtext which means, ...still pals?
Mykal: Yeah, seriously, debating this nonsense has been fun. But I've ribbed you enough. I'm calling it quits.
ReplyDeleteOH! And Apocolyte: Yeah, I AM a hoot!
ReplyDelete