Part Six: Marvel-ous, or Not?

Doug: Hey -- anyone out there like men in shorts? No, I mean shorts. Today we're going to poke a little fun at a character who was actually on the cover of one of the first several Fantastic Four comics I ever purchased. We're talking about the Crusader. Er, ah, Marvel Boy. No, no -- it's Quasar. Oh, jeez...

Doug: Most of you may be familiar with the two covers on the left, and you're wondering -- shorts? The dude isn't wearing shorts! But, effendi, take a gander at the cover on the right and you'll see ol' MB wearing basically the same costume, but without the blue pants -- later in his "life", George Perez mercifully changed the bottom of the bodysuit to red and added the blue pants. Took DC a long time to commission Neal Adams to save Robin from a similar fate...

Doug: This is, garish as it looks, a favorite costume of mine. Perhaps it's because it came out somewhat early in my comics-buying career, but it just always stuck with me. The period in the FF that saw the debut of the Crusader was a nice little run, with the Hulk 2-parter coming right after this and the loss of Ben Grimm's powers, the addition of Luke Cage, and the creation of the exo-skeleton coming even after that. As to the Marvel Two-In-One cover, who read and didn't like the Project Pegasus storyline (soon to be released in a Marvel Premier Hardcover edition)?

Doug: I actually prefer the above look (with the blue pants -- no, not with the shorts) to whatever Quasar is wearing these days. I understand that his recent get-ups are loosely based but still an able homage to the original 1950's costume. I liked the headband (and I generally eschew headbands, my friends), the large chest symbol, and the big belt. While virtually none of that may be practical, it had that over-the-top look that comics can get away with. The suit to the right -- something would have to be modified even more were it to see the light of Hollywood day. But not in a four-color comic, baby!

Karen: I suppose his original short pants look was much more acceptable to kids in the forties. But a bare-legged hero today looks a little funky. What's interesting is how Quasar's look really began to become more like Captain Marvel (or Mar-Vell as it were) as his powers and role became more like the former protector of the universe.

Karen: Of course we also have the original Marvel Boy, Bob Grayson, now running around as the Uranian in Agents of Atlas. But his look is nothing like Quasar's.

Karen: All in all, I'd give him a thumbs up. It's hard to go wrong with primary colors and sparkly effects!