Our first thematic episode focuses on minor sidekicks to adult heroes! What would convince a teenager to endanger themselves to join an adult? Anthony & Doc break down several famous pairings and how they work (or don't)! Listen now!
SHOW NOTES:
Intro
Shoutout to new Patron Salvador
Adventures in Poor Taste plug for Doc's column
Episode 50 - Mailbag
Background (5:24)
First teenage sidekick was Robin, the Boy Wonder, introduced in Detective Comics #38 (April 1940)
Numerous teen sidekicks followed: Bucky (Captain America), Toro (Human Torch), Speedy (Green Arrow)
1954, Frederic Wertham published Seduction of the Innocent, claiming comic books were corrupting America's youth – pointed out potential homosexual subtexts, along with graphic imagery, in several comic books – the Comics Code Authority was created to let the industry self-regulate rather than have Congress do it for them
Later comics explore the role sidekicks have, and retcon the justification for the sidekick accompanying the hero (Bucky became an assassin, for example)
Many sidekicks become adult heroes in their own right, several even becoming legacy versions of the hero they helped
Discussion of several hero/sidekick pairings
Batman/Robin – Batman has series of Robins, all of whom have different personalities, and Bruce's relationship with each is different
Various Robins kept at arm's length at first to prevent Bruce from getting too close, especially after Dick left and Jason died
Cap/Bucky – Bucky started off as mere teen sidekick, then retconned to be dangerous assassin as part of Winter Soldier reveal (31:25)
Barry Allen/Wally West – Wally started off as Kid Flash, then became the third Flash after Barry's death – becomes more powerful than even Barry (38:33)
Wolverine/Kitty Pryde/Jubilee/X-23 – we discussed this in the Wolverine episode – Wolverine takes young girls under his wing (44:55)
Big Daddy/Hit-Girl – Mindy raised by her father to be brutal assassin, doesn't know anything outside of survival & killing (49:14)
Superman/Jimmy Olsen – never gets superpowers of his own (outside of wacky 50s/60s stories), but is a staunch ally of Man of Steel (53:04)
Rick Jones – sidekick to several heroes: Captain America, Captain Marvel, Hulk (58:24)
Real-life examples
Matt's suggestion of John Allen Mohammed/Lee Boyd Malvo (62:45)
Joe Montana/Steve Young (69:00)
Doc's mentor
Treatment?
End
References:
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