Was wondering if he'd be next. Ace had this tendency with many of their comic book characters to not really flesh them out with secret identities, origins, etc. So, you get characters like Captain Courageous and the Unknown Soldier that are ill-defined embodiments of concepts with ill-defined powers as well as Vulcan (claimed to be descended by the gods but otherwise operated as a generic costumed superhero) and Magno who had no other identity or backstory.
I always felt that especially with the Captain and Unknown, it worked to their detriment. Andy, why would the Unknown, a spiritual construct, have a gun that fired sci-fi bullets? Heck, later Captain Courageous actually trades in the costume and seems to operate as an actual non-powered Army Captain.
Of course, Ace did it also with one of their pulp characters, Secret Agent "X", but there his lack of background and real identity was the point of the character, it didn't come off as being a short-cut to getting right to the action sans any needed characterization and motivation.
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Posted by: Don Markstein
Posted on: 2008-09-21 at 11:21:16 AM
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Good analysis. I'm not a big fan of those generalized do-gooders who aren't anybody in particular, and don't have specific reasons for doing what they do. They lack basic story values -- motivation is a very important story value.
Can it be, that's why nobody's ever heard of them today?
Quack, Don
Can it be, that's why nobody's ever heard of them today?
Quack, Don



