WTF. It's a term that's come into the human lexicon not only in online chats, but IRL as well. Which I'm fine with. WTF is a censor friendly way of airing your utter confusion, disgust, or annoyance with a given subject, and plus it's kind of funny to boot.
As comic readers, there's undoubtedly many times where we've been reading a book only to come across a moment and think: WTF? It could be a moment of awe-inspiring shock value, or just a plain old moment of disdain. Either way, these are the top 10 WTF moments in comic books.
10. Elektra is a Skrull! WTF!
At the time, the reveal of the Skrull invasion was exciting. Retrospectively, after Secret Invasion turned out to be a complete and utter shitfest, it's just rather bizarre. However, when New Avengers #31 released and fanboys across the world realized they'd been duped, we reacted with suprise, shock and ridiculous speculation. So much for that.
9. The GD Batman!
Frank Miller and Jim Lee's still unfinished All-Star Batman & Robin incited more WTFs than any other series in recent memory. Most notably, Batman's outright mean persona and his constant claiming that he's "the Goddamn Batman!" Despite the confusion it inspired, it was hilarious.
WTF, until you realized it was a joke and meant to be tongue in cheek. I just hope that someday we get to see the final issues. I'm not holding my breath.
8. Dr. Light is a Little More Dangerous Than Previously Thought...
Dr. Light, a classic C-List Teen Titans villain raped the wife of The Elongated Man. And then the Justice League voted to alter his mind via Zatanna to make him less formidable. And THEN Batman found out and the League wiped his mind too. WTF.
The best implosion of a team ever, Identity Crisis tore apart the DCU like no other story had ever done, not even Blackest Night. And it all started with the vile actions of a villain who, for so long, was a laughing stock of the superhero community.
7. Out With the Silver Age
I'm not sure there was any more definitive moment of the death of the Silver Age than Crisis on Infinite Earths. Sure, comics had taken on a darker tone in the 1970's, but it was cemented in stone with the death of two long standing Silver Age characters, the original Supergirl and the Barry Allen Flash.
Seeing that cover with Superman holding his dead cousin was a definitive moment for many readers in the 1980's, and the iconic image has lived on in true WTF fashion.
6. Frank Castle & Archie Hate Drug Dealers
I don't think a whole lot of explanation is needed here. Anti-hero violence enthusiast teams up with the classic (children's) comic strip star, hunting down a drug dealer at Riverdale High School. I can't express to you how badly you need to read this story.
5. Big Barda Does Apokolips
I guess if you are John Byrne, kidnapping the New God Big Barda and forcing her to make porno movies on Apokolips - with Superman - to get at her husband Mister Miracle, is the obvious route to take. To everyone else on the planet Earth, Action Comics #593 garnered a big fat "WTF", before the term even existed.
Byrne has denied that the video tape given to Mister Miracle starring his wife was, in fact, NOT a porn film. However, the fact that the supervillain that orchestrates the whole scenario is named Sleez combined with the panel that shows Barda in a bra and panties, sort of says otherwise.
John Byrne: you are a pervy douche. Also, on an unrelated note, your "birthing matrix" idea was stupid.
4. Marvel Artists Leave and Found Image Comics
In the early 1990's, the comics industry experienced a giant boom in popularity and sales, and several artists that were at the forefront of Marvel's creative output - Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane, Rob Liefield, Marc Silvestri, among others - were fed up with the inner workings of the publishing giant. Not having any rights or control over the characters they created, several of these artists announced their exit from the company to form Image Comics, where creators would retain all rights to their work.
It got a gasp and a WTF for sure, leaving behind the money and success of the big Marvel titles, but in the end it was a good move for all involved, and more importantly - the industry as a whole.
3. Spider-Man Gets a Brand New Day
I get it. I've beat this into the ground. That doesn't make it any less f*cking ridiculous. Fanboys uttered a resounding (and quite angry) WTF when they learned that a lot of the Spider-Man continuity for the better part of 20 years was being tossed out the window in an effort to bring the character some youthful edge. Or, as I like to call it, "youth-anize" the character. Get it? Euthanize?
2. Doctor Doom Cries on 9/11
Yes, 9/11 is a sore subject with many people. It's tread on lightly, even today. In an effort of "tribute", Marvel released some 9/11 tie-ins, as it were, showing the heroes helping out on that terrible day and the effect it had on the Marvel characters. It portrayed them as helpless and human, just like most people were feeling that day. It was a valiant effort by all involved, except for one moment in Amazing Spider-Man #36.
Doctor Doom, seeing the destruction of the World Trade Center, sheds tears. The man who has tried to either take over or destroy the world HUNDREDS OF TIMES, is an evil dictator of a European country similar to Hitler, murderer of an uncountable number of "random innocents", is... sad? WTF?
This isn't a debate of the importance of Doom's character over real life tragedy; that is irrelevant. There is no denying which is the more important issue here. But not only was this moment out of character and utterly wrong for Doom, but it added an unintended degree of melodrama to the whole issue that made something that could've been a defining moment for Marvel into something rather hokey.
1. Red/Blue Superman
In 1998, DC made the mother of all WTF decisions when they opted to change the character of Superman. This character that had stood for 60 years, and had just been killed off a few years prior to show his utter importance not only to comics but to the world, was out the door.
Splitting him into two different personalities (Red & Blue) with electricity based powers was all around a mind numbing idea. So mind numbing in fact, that the explanation to get him back to normal was quite vague, probably a result of the severe backlash of comic book fans and their desire to fix the problem as quickly as possible.
A change of costume or marriage status is one thing, but completely altering everything that established the character as an American icon in the first place is something else entirely.
W.T.F.
wpt out!
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