Monday, February 27, 2012

Magog


If you had told me a decade ago that they would make a Magog action figure as part of the DCUC line I would have thought you were an idiot. Magog was a one note character from the 1996 Kingdom Come miniseries where he played the strawman character meant to represent the Punisher and other gritty heroes that were popular in the 90's for their gritty natures and willingness to kill in the name of justice. After Kingdom Come he appeared once in a sort of follow up about a year later and then was never mentioned again.

But Geoff Johns has never met an idea from the 90's he didn't think should be reintroduced into the story 15 years later. And with that, Magog entered into mainstream continuity as the ULTIMATE LEGACY CHARACTER. Specifically the JSA is rounding up legacy heroes and decides to include FDR's great-grandson. He's got an alien weapon welded to him due to an accident, so it's not entirely unjustified, although why did he have to be a direct descendant of FDR? BECAUSE GEOFF JOHNS, that's why. (Although wouldn't it have been hilarious if the dude preferred to be remembered as the great-grandson of Eleanor Roosevelt?) Anyway, he's a hero and soldier, so he's got no qualms about killing for the right cause and then BAM, Gog shows up and uberpowerful god-like being who transforms the young man into Magog and OMG!!! KINGDOM COME!!! REMEMBER THAT?!!! GEOFF JOHNS LOVES HISTORY!!! So yeah, that's how Magog showed up in the mainstream continuity as a member of the JSA. During a time when Geoff Johns had written it so that the Starman and Superman from Kingdom Come had joined the JSA. Awkward!

Oh, and then Max Lord mad Magog blow off his own head with his power staff. And that's how Magog left the mainstream continuity. Violently. Because he was a Geoff Johns character and they have to die violently because Geoff Johns.

AND THEY MADE A TOY OF HIM! Now I could pretend that I got this Magog figure because I have fond memories of Kingdom Come, but I can't. Now when I think of this character I don't think of Kingdom Come. What I think of is the great-grandson of FDR Wearing that ridiculous armor without a shirt turning his power staff to blow off his own head because he was being mind-controlled. FDR's GREAT GRANDCHILD. You know, one of these guys.

Yeah, think about that and tell me the Watchmen prequels won't affect how you see the original story.

4 comments:

  1. This guy looks like the guy Chandler from Friends accidentally ate the weapon too. Ha-ha!

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  2. BOOM! BAM! SMASH! KABOOM! "There are some who call me.... Tim" -MP Holy Grail.

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  3. I have been tempted by this one even though I am totally out of the DCUC collecting habit now. But I have fond memories of Kingdom Come and have read none of the Geoff johns stuff, so that would be why.

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  4. I like this character's design in a off way because to me he reminds me of a 80s than 90s one from a toyline from Hasbro lol. A Visionaries villain minus the Hologram.

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