Fact-finding
on 17 February 2025
at 15:07
Chapter: Volume 3; Schooled
Characters: Blackbird, Conjurer, Dagon, Marc Walker, Migrant, Princess Paragon, Quarterback, Roughhouse, Sentry 7, Silverback, Snowfall, Trackstar
Location: Invincible University
I think SB and friends are gonna need a few more allies.
I have to say that Silverback’s doubtful expression in the bottom panel matches mine. The Sentry Seven sound on a par, with, say, varsity JLA (not criticizing or anything, a lot of superhero universes have their transparent JLA expy and when done right, it works very well; the Royal Guard is a fine example, Love and Capes has another, and Mark Waid’s Irredeemable as well). Of course, ol’ SB was ready to tackle the Guard by himself at some point, but that was in a specific situation with its own stakes.
Which raises the question, how bad would it be for SB and company to go up against the Sentry Seven, make a half-hearted attempt to defeat them, lose, and say “well done guys, now be responsible with these awesome powers you have”?
So the Migrant is native from Jupiter. Interesting. (And totally not from Mars, to dot my i’s on my point about the JLA.) This likely means that he is far more durable and strong than most superpeople from Earth, given the inhuman pressure and gravity on that planet.
I thought Conjurer was Zatanna, but her “imagined constructs” make her sound more like Green Lantern. Time will likely tell. Dagon strikes me as sort of a parallel with Snowfall, since both get their powers from an external entity with doubts as to who controls the use of the powers. Quarterback sounds like a noticeably weaker Superman, particularly in the latter’s main power – his unflinching devotion to being and doing good. (Also, the JLA stories I read show Superman having an equal voice to other members, not a particular leadership role.)
Last, I see you had fun with the team names. Nice to have a greek-themed one and a Latin-named other. Hellravens, Shadowguard and above all WildC.R.E.W. are right out of the 90s, the latter in particular (I loved that book). The Magistrates look more serious, and possibly Far East-themed? (Come to think of it, most of the people we’ve seen so far at the UI seem to hail from a Western background. Are there other regional occurrences of the notion?)