Potential. A limit we all wish to reach. Whether we be an athlete on the field, or a worker behind a desk, we-as human beings-have extraordinary strength, perseverance, and focus when he tap into that latent potential. But imagine being able to fully use your potential, to master your hidden talents. Today's Z-Lister is Marvel Comic's Captain Ultra.
Captain Ultra was created in 1976's "Fantastic Four #177" by Roy Thomas, George Perez, and Joe Sinnott. While Captain Ultra is not a widely known character, he is easily extinguishable by his array of color and grand manner of speech. Cap used to be an average plumber named Griffin Gogol, but one day after servicing an old man who could not afford to pay him, Gogol was endowed with superpowers. The old man turned out to be an alien in disguise and used hypnosis to cure Gogol of his smoking habits. As a side effect he gained the powers of flight, super strength, super speed, x-ray vision, intangibility, and super-breath. He could also tap into his "ultra potential" to enhance a physical or mental feat. Such as lifting something beyond his own strength, resisting psychic attacks, or something as humorous as telling a hilarious joke or performing an extensive dance move. However, this power came with a cost. Gogol developed a fear of fire. Despite his new weakness, Gogol used his powers to become Captain Ultra.
As Captain Ultra he was rejected from a team called The Frightful Four, and later rejected membership into The Defenders, but had a decent career as a solo superhero. After years of therapy with a character named Doc Sampson, Gogol conquers his fear of fire and begins a stand-up comedy career alongside a superhero career. While on his comedy tour he defeated "The Demon Without Humor" by making it laugh with an "ultra-joke" and destroyed a mud monster that had taken over a small town in Texas. After "Civil War", Captain Ultra was recruited onto The Initiative: a program that would station a superhero team in every state of the country. Along with a small group of heroes, Captain Ultra was stationed in Nebraska. Two of Cap's teammates were mysteriously murdered and when Iron Man showed up to take control of the situation, Cap saw it as an offense. Captain Ultra fought Iron Man and almost defeated him with his "ultra-powers" if not for the intervening of Doc Sampson. The three of them worked together on solving the murder case, despite Captain Ultra being upset that two replacement superheroes were being fast-tracked over to Nebraska to replace the two heroes who were murdered.
It was after Captain America and Iron Man put the Superhuman Registration Act to rest that a former Avenger named Wonder Man was psychologically damaged from his own energy-based powers. Wonder Man formed a team called The Revengers to seek revenge on The Avengers who abandoned, ridiculed, and ignored him and other heroes. Captain Ultra joined this team, however three separate Avengers teams were able to overpower The Revengers and lock them up on a superhuman prison called The Raft. Captain Ultra claimed his reason for attacking The Avengers was that-despite his immense powers-nobody respected him or acknowledged him. None could see his potential like he could. Captain Ultra would later be seen in Pleasant Hill, a virtual reality prison that brainwashed criminals into believing they were living different, happier lives.
I've heard that comedians are the saddest people on the Earth, and with Captain Ultra I'm starting to really believe that. Here we have a character with amazing powers, he made a demon with no humor laugh for crying out loud. But his costume and his name seem to deter serious consideration. Seeing how silly he is as a hero only made him a more dangerous villain. Even fighting Iron Man and The Avengers didn't put this guy on any top tier rosters. And can you blame him for going mad? He is a score below Superman in power, and actually has the ability to be "his very best" in an instant, and yet he is rejected. Even when he got past his easily-exploitable fear of fire he was still undermined. And that's too bad because the idea of a superhero also being a stand-up comedian sounds cool to me. I love stand-up and I love superheroes, so you would think that concept could be useful. For a comic book or a Netflix series, I don't know. For as sidelined as Captain Ultra was, I think the character could be useful. I think he has potential. Sorry, Cap ain't the only comedian around here!
Thanks for reading!
As Captain Ultra he was rejected from a team called The Frightful Four, and later rejected membership into The Defenders, but had a decent career as a solo superhero. After years of therapy with a character named Doc Sampson, Gogol conquers his fear of fire and begins a stand-up comedy career alongside a superhero career. While on his comedy tour he defeated "The Demon Without Humor" by making it laugh with an "ultra-joke" and destroyed a mud monster that had taken over a small town in Texas. After "Civil War", Captain Ultra was recruited onto The Initiative: a program that would station a superhero team in every state of the country. Along with a small group of heroes, Captain Ultra was stationed in Nebraska. Two of Cap's teammates were mysteriously murdered and when Iron Man showed up to take control of the situation, Cap saw it as an offense. Captain Ultra fought Iron Man and almost defeated him with his "ultra-powers" if not for the intervening of Doc Sampson. The three of them worked together on solving the murder case, despite Captain Ultra being upset that two replacement superheroes were being fast-tracked over to Nebraska to replace the two heroes who were murdered.
It was after Captain America and Iron Man put the Superhuman Registration Act to rest that a former Avenger named Wonder Man was psychologically damaged from his own energy-based powers. Wonder Man formed a team called The Revengers to seek revenge on The Avengers who abandoned, ridiculed, and ignored him and other heroes. Captain Ultra joined this team, however three separate Avengers teams were able to overpower The Revengers and lock them up on a superhuman prison called The Raft. Captain Ultra claimed his reason for attacking The Avengers was that-despite his immense powers-nobody respected him or acknowledged him. None could see his potential like he could. Captain Ultra would later be seen in Pleasant Hill, a virtual reality prison that brainwashed criminals into believing they were living different, happier lives.
I've heard that comedians are the saddest people on the Earth, and with Captain Ultra I'm starting to really believe that. Here we have a character with amazing powers, he made a demon with no humor laugh for crying out loud. But his costume and his name seem to deter serious consideration. Seeing how silly he is as a hero only made him a more dangerous villain. Even fighting Iron Man and The Avengers didn't put this guy on any top tier rosters. And can you blame him for going mad? He is a score below Superman in power, and actually has the ability to be "his very best" in an instant, and yet he is rejected. Even when he got past his easily-exploitable fear of fire he was still undermined. And that's too bad because the idea of a superhero also being a stand-up comedian sounds cool to me. I love stand-up and I love superheroes, so you would think that concept could be useful. For a comic book or a Netflix series, I don't know. For as sidelined as Captain Ultra was, I think the character could be useful. I think he has potential. Sorry, Cap ain't the only comedian around here!
Thanks for reading!
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