Daughters of the Dragon and Man-Bat

 

We know that Luke Cage and Danny Rand will be returning in Daredevil: Born Again season 3 - but what about the Daughters of the Dragon?  When we last saw them, Misty had just received her bionic arm and Colleen had the power of the Iron Fist - I want to see what happens next with both of them!

Man-Bat and Man-Wolf in: "Savage Saviors"

 

Man-Bat and Man-Wolf first met in STF #440...

This is another cover that required a bit of prep work before I could add in any new elements.  Here is a look at the behind the scenes progress:

Man-Bat Vs. The Abomination in: "We, Who Were Men Once..."

 

We've already seen the abomination a few times in live action, now it's time to get Man-Bat on the big screen.  He may be too out there for Matt Reeves grounded take on Batman, but James Gunn's more fanciful DCU seems like the perfect place for Kirk Langstrom's bestial alter ego to show up.

These two first faced off in STF #4491...

Man-Bat and Doctor Strange in "No Escape From Castle Mordo!"

 

This is another example of a cover that required the removal and patching of portions before any new images could be added to it.  Here is a look at the behind the scenes progress:

Man-Bat and Dr. Strange Previously met in STF#2993 and STF #2833...

Man-Bat and Captain America

 

James Gunn's DCU seems to be the place for Batman's more outlandish villains and allies to appear.  We already have Dr. Phosphorous in Creature Commandos and a solo Clayface movie is in the works as well.  I really hope that Man-Bat will finally get his live action debut in a DCU project down the line.

Detective Chimp & Man-Bat meet Devil Dinosaur

 

These three characters have all had entertaining animated appearances, now it's time to see them in live action.  Man-Bat is long overdue to show up in a Batman movie and Detective Chimp is certainly on the short list if a Justice League Dark movie ever gets past the talking stages.  I'm surprised that the Savage Land has not been introduced into the MCU - but once it does, that would be a great place for DD to make his debut.

Man-Bat and The Abomination

 

This would be an interesting match up.  Man-Bat has agility and flight at his advantage, while The Abomination has his incredible strength.  No matter who wins, it would be cool to see them join forces against The Grandmaster at the end of the story. 

Sleepwalker Vs. Batman's Villains

 

The villains in Batman's rogues gallery have made for some true nightmare scenarios and visually stunning dream sequences.  It might be fun to put a hero in there that could face off with them in the dreamworld.

Man-Bat and She-Hulk

 

Matt Reeves' The Batman trilogy seems to be focusing on The Dark Knights more grounded foes.  I am hoping that when we finally get to DCU adventures with  Batman: The Brave and the Bold, we can finally see some of the more fantastical members of the rogues gallery on the big screen.  I've always said involving Hugo Strange and his Monster Men experiments would be a great place to start, as you can use that plot to also introduce Man-Bat and Killer Croc.  Make it so, James Gunn and Peter Safran!

Man-Bat and Wolverine

 

I was worried at first that Wolverine would be treated like a joke for his upcoming return in Deadpool 3, but maybe my concerns were unfounded.  The film has been described as a 48 Hours type of adventure between the two mutants, which sounds to me like a perfect approach.  I can see Hugh Jackman giving off a gruff Nick Nolte vibe while putting up with Ryan Reynold's broader comedy.

Wolverine and Man-Bat first met in STF #3819...

Wolverine Vs. Man-Bat

 

Do you prefer Man-Bat as a full on villain, conflicted bad guy, or as a straight up ally to Batman and others?  I like him as basically good, but misunderstood and struggling to maintain the balance between his human and savage side.  For that reason, I can see him being somewhat of a Kindred Spirit to someone like Logan.

Man-Bat and Daredevil

 

Every movie version of Batman that we get seems to be darker and more grounded than the last.  While that has made for some tense, dramatic films, it still leaves some of the cooler elements of the Batman mythos off the table.  The more you strip down his vehicles and gadgets, the less cool and unique he begins to feel.  Yes, it was interesting to see a reality based glider suit in The Batman, but I have to admit, the scene in The Dark Knight with the "memory fabric" of Batman's cape becoming a glider in Japan was a much cooler moment.  Then there are the villains.  with this ultra realistic route, it seems as if we'll never see any of Batman's more fantastical villains like Man-Bat or Clayface on the big screen.  Hopefully for the next Batman installment, Director Matt Reeves can find the right balance.

Man-Bat Joins The Sinister Six

 

Spider-Man: No Way Home kind of gave us a Sinister Six story but not really.  I guess if you count the mid-credit scene there were six Spidey villains in the mix - or if you count J. Jonah Jameson as a villain.  Still, hopefully one day down the line we'll see a true sinister six adventure on the big screen.  

I was happy to use a Don Newton image of Man-Bat here.  I was lucky enough to pick up an original  Don Newton page many years back:

Man-Bat Vs. The Vulture

 

The Spider-Man: No Way Home teaser has dropped, and in it we see subtle and not-so-subtle teases for Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Electro, Sandman and The Lizard.  That still leaves one more space on the roster to complete a full Sinister Six team.  Will Michael Keaton's Vulture return?  We know he will show up in Morbius, but could he appear here as well?  I think that Mysterio is more likely - if anyone could fake his death, it's him, and something or someone definitely seems to be influencing Doctor Strange.  Hopefully some more light will be shed when a full trailer is released.

Man-Bat, Man-Thing and Yoda

 

I'm looking forward to the Obi Wan Kenobi series on Disney+.  Will Yoda show up at some point?  I haven't heard anything about that but of all the announced series, that seems to be the most likely place for him to make an appearance.  I won't be holding my breath for a scene like the one above, though - but it would be very cool!

Man-Thing first traveled to Dagobah in STF #303, and he previously met Man-Bat in STF #333...

Master of Kung Fu and Man-Bat

 

It looks like Marvel is making up for lost Covid time and the second half of 2021 will be jam packed with content - four movies in addition to as many Disney+ shows.  This means we will be seeing Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings sooner than I thought (September 3).  Hopefully that means that publicity will kick into gear soon and we will finally get to see some footage in the form of a teaser or trailer.

Heppy to feature the work of Mike Zeck here.  Here's a sketch by him that I picked up several years back:

Man-Bat Vs. The Lizard (Round Two!)

 

When Bob Greenwade, a patron of this blog, suggested this battle, I figured it was a strong enough match up to demand  a second appearance - so here it is! Thanks, Bob!  They first tangled in STF #2606.  I have to say that I'd be rooting for Man-Bat in this fight.  While both character started out as respected scientists that were altered by self administered experimentation, Kirk Langstrom  always seemed like the more redeemable of the two to me.

The Thing Vs. Man-Bat in: "Last Chance for Humanity!"

I think that everyone pretty much figures that The Thing will be realized with CGI motion capture when he comes to the MCU.  The next question is which artist's version will be used as a model when creating his look?  Will the computer artists go with the classic  Jack Kirby look, or perhaps an interpretation by George Perez, John Byrne or Ron Wilson?  Any one of those would work for me.

The Thing first met Man-Bat on a cover back in my MTIO: The Lost Issues days...

Man-Bat and Doctor Strange

I remember watching the first episode of Batman: The Animated Series, and being thrilled that Man-Bat was featured.  It was a choice that firmly set the show apart from any other Batman project that viewers had seen before.  Here was a villain that had never been seen outside of the comics, in a story presented with seriousness and suspense.  I automatically knew that the show was going to be something special, and indeed, it certainly was.  Now, let's get Man-Bat into the movies!

These two first crossed paths in STF #2883...

Just a week until STF #3000 - I have some extra features I hope you will like:

- Oversized cover featuring two iconic teams clashing for the first time
- And now, a word from our sponsor
- You get a ring!  And you get a ring!  And you get a ring!
- Public Service Announcement
- Oops, I did it again!
- Coming Saturdays this fall!

... all in the spirit of STF: The Lost Issues!

Doctor Strange and Man-Bat

The new Batman movie will have plenty of villains, but most have had previous appearances on the big screen.  We've also seen other foes like Deadshot, Kiler Croc and Black Mask showing up in non-Batman films like Suicide Squad and the upcoming Birds of Prey. Even so, there are plenty of Batman foes that are still waiting for their debut.  The more fantastical characters like Man-Bat and Clayface are right at the top of my list.  Perhaps they could tie into experiments being performed by Professor Hugo Strange, who also has yet to appear on the big screen.