Here's my question: I think anyone who turns himself into a superhero (as opposed to radiation/interplantary travel/whatever accident of fate) has got to be some kind of psycho. What say you people?

Which begs the question: what's the closest Marvel equivalent to Superman? Way too much power for no reason other than being an alien? Also, boring?

I think they split him into two characters: Thor, the awesomely powerful defender sent to earth from far away by his father; and Captain America, the boy scout/apple pie paragon of virtue.

In more recent times they've had Hyperion, who's pretty much a point-by-point ripoff of Superman down to his origin and alliterative secret identity; and the Sentry, who was created to be an over-the-top throwback to the Silver Age.

Here's my question: I think anyone who turns himself into a superhero (as opposed to radiation/interplantary travel/whatever accident of fate) has got to be some kind of psycho. What say you people?

Now, bearing in mind that I have been Not Reading Comics since the LAST crisis, so things may have changed, but many of the self-made super men and women are perfectly sane. I mean, Batman's issue is that his parents are dead. Barbara Gordon, the original Batgirl* on the other hand, was just the smart and motivated daughter of a cop who thought she could do some good.

And Michael "Mister Terrific (2)" Holt, while motivated by a pep talk from a supernatural entity after a great personal tragedy, is also self-made and pretty sane.

* In this continuity, at any rate

Note that I know next to nothing of comics, which is why I'm interested to hear what you people think.

In more recent times they've had Hyperion, who's pretty much a point-by-point ripoff of Superman down to his origin and alliterative secret identity; and the Sentry, who was created to be an over-the-top throwback to the Silver Age.

Didn't they also have Gladiator, the alien Shi'ar? He had Superman level power and was all stuffy and uptight.

And Michael "Mister Terrific (2)" Holt, while motivated by a pep talk from a supernatural entity after a great personal tragedy, is also self-made and pretty sane.

As was the original Golden Age Mister Terrific, Terry Sloane, though I don't think Sloane got any supernatural pep talk. He was just really really good at, uh...everything...and decided to Do Some Good.

Same with the Golden Age Atom, who was a five-foot tall wrestler type. Later on he got super-powers, but originally he was just in it to Do Good and, incidentally, beat up people. There may have been some Short Guy Issues, but I don't think that would qualify him as nutso.

I think an interesting case is Rex Tyler, the original Hourman. He was just a chemist who stumbled on a super-vitamin formula, Miraclo, and used it to fight crime (it gave him super-strength and speed and nigh-invulnerability for, you guessed it, one hour). Later on he became addicted psychologically to the stuff, but that's a case of the crime-fighting making a psycho, not a psycho deciding to fight crime.

Alot of the original mystery men were just dudes who decided to dress funny and beat up criminals. Mister America (later Americommando), Manhunter (I)...the original Red Tornado was Ma Hunkle dressing up in long johns with a pot on her head.

New Twilight photos

Found while I was scrounging for a rumored new picture of Draco Malfoy. (No joy yet.)

A few people on my LJ Flist have been talking about Twilight, mostly in mockery. (With howlingly funny purple-prosed excerpts from the books.) Talk about bad fanfic-gone-pro. Is that true that the lead vampire guy sparkles? I'm curious despite myself.

I haven't read the books. The lead vampire guy is played by the guy who played Cedric Diggory in the HP movies - which is how I came across the pictures.

Interview with Chiwetel Ejiofor who stars in Red Belt.

Interview with Chiwetel Ejiofor

I know I said this before, but I was surprised at how good he was in Kinky Boots.

HP+HBP set report with Draco promotional photo - sadly, not a still from the movie.