In honor of my seeing Inglourious Basterds last week (I make my holidays where I can), the SBG celebrates the Wars to End All Wars this week. So let's get some important background: What wars are most prized by geeks? Now, I don't mean Kirk vs. Picard etc., which are really just skirmishes. No, I mean full blown, sustained, tactical conflicts. Here are my 5 guesses in no particular order.
WWII
Though not quite as fictional as the next entries, Word War II has it all: Real villains (good guys don't put skulls on their helmets), high stakes, varied theaters, loads of war comics, Nazis obsessed with the occult, a Resistance, crazy rocket science, and the dawn of the atomic age. How could your imagination not be captured by THAT.
The Dominion War
Star Trek was never cooler than in the latter half of Deep Space Nine when massive armadas of Starfleet, Klingon and Romulans vessels fought massive armadas of Dominion, Cardassian and Breen ships. Sisko became THE man, and we were all too busy to even wonder where the heck the Enterprise was.
Ok, ok, Star Wars
Having insulted Warsies by mentioning my peacenik Trek before George Lucas' fanfic, I'll now concede the point that yes, Star Wars is just about the biggest geek thing with the word "Wars" in it ever. But in actual fact, it's only just a rebellion, not a war. At no time do the rebels declare the galaxy their own and the Empire trespassers (as with America's Revolutionary War). Oh and that Clone War thing? I prefer to think Episodes 1-3 are not canonical.
Secret Wars
Think what you like, but as a youth, I LOVED Marvel Super Heroes' Secret Wars. I still love the idea and sometimes go to sleep putting different teams of superhumans on the Beyonder's planet. To be fair, I loved it in part because it had the same concept as one of my favorite Challenge of the Super-Friends episodes, but it's stood up where CotSF didn't. Certainly more interesting and personal a story than all the Crises put together.
The Time War
This one is a mystery, but one I would love to have revealed. It's the Time Lords vs. the Daleks for the whole of creation, and nobody survives. Well, except the few that did. I've got my theories, but they need proving. Who wants to hear what millions of Whovian fists punching the air sounds like? Could we find out this Christmas maybe?
Those are my five. Maybe you wanted me to talk about the Transformers instead. Or something. Don't be afraid to chime in.
WWII
Though not quite as fictional as the next entries, Word War II has it all: Real villains (good guys don't put skulls on their helmets), high stakes, varied theaters, loads of war comics, Nazis obsessed with the occult, a Resistance, crazy rocket science, and the dawn of the atomic age. How could your imagination not be captured by THAT.The Dominion War
Star Trek was never cooler than in the latter half of Deep Space Nine when massive armadas of Starfleet, Klingon and Romulans vessels fought massive armadas of Dominion, Cardassian and Breen ships. Sisko became THE man, and we were all too busy to even wonder where the heck the Enterprise was.Ok, ok, Star Wars
Having insulted Warsies by mentioning my peacenik Trek before George Lucas' fanfic, I'll now concede the point that yes, Star Wars is just about the biggest geek thing with the word "Wars" in it ever. But in actual fact, it's only just a rebellion, not a war. At no time do the rebels declare the galaxy their own and the Empire trespassers (as with America's Revolutionary War). Oh and that Clone War thing? I prefer to think Episodes 1-3 are not canonical.Secret Wars
Think what you like, but as a youth, I LOVED Marvel Super Heroes' Secret Wars. I still love the idea and sometimes go to sleep putting different teams of superhumans on the Beyonder's planet. To be fair, I loved it in part because it had the same concept as one of my favorite Challenge of the Super-Friends episodes, but it's stood up where CotSF didn't. Certainly more interesting and personal a story than all the Crises put together.The Time War
This one is a mystery, but one I would love to have revealed. It's the Time Lords vs. the Daleks for the whole of creation, and nobody survives. Well, except the few that did. I've got my theories, but they need proving. Who wants to hear what millions of Whovian fists punching the air sounds like? Could we find out this Christmas maybe?Those are my five. Maybe you wanted me to talk about the Transformers instead. Or something. Don't be afraid to chime in.
Comments
What happaned to that old rumour about a "flash-back" sequence with Paul's McGann's 8th Doctor looking all grizzled and Dalek-fighterish that we were supposed to be getting this Christmas?
Of course, I won't shy from showing parts of it in my RPG campaign.
The War of the Ring
The Napoleonic Wars (edging out, just barely, the Civil War and the War of the Roses for the Historical slot. Versions in SF or Fantasy drag contribute to each, of course.)
Earthwar (the most legendary unreprinted Legion story around)
The Shadow War
And The Clone Wars, from back when they were unrevealed backstory like the Time War is now. Be careful what you wish for...
Other bits I love about Secret Wars: Doctor Doom's doubts upturning his victory, Magneto thrown in with the heroes, everything Galactus.