In this issue, Robby and an amoral scientist are shrunk by a chemical and wind up in an other-dimensional world ruled by microbes who coincidentally want to invade Earth. In giant form, not in the regular way. Ladies and gentlemen, you are in 1967 and you're so used to having your mind blown, you don't even notice anymore. Shall we take a look at Robby's three identities who together (well, sequentially) beat the common cold?Case 16: House of Mystery #171
Dial Holder: Robby Reed
Dial Type: The Big Dial
Dialing: Robby's getting better at using the Dial. Used to be he had to switch back to Robby and wait a while before dialing a new hero. In this issue, he goes from superhero to superhero without becoming Robby in between.
Name: King Viking (it rhymes! I'm not saying that's a good thing... but he trumps Viking PRINCE)Costume: Medieval gear, including a winged helmet and feathered arms, an acceptable green and gold color scheme, and those round patches that are making Marvel's Thor reach for his lawyer's business card. That helmet's a bit extreme, but then the Shining Knight is wearing something crazy these days too.
Powers: A "Super-Norseman", King Viking can fly, and is especially though, strong and fast. He has a sword and shield to help him. It's a case of keeping it simple and you can't go wrong with enhanced physical stats and flight, though I should mention he flies out of control in thin atmospheres.
Sighted: In a cabin, likely north of Middleton. King Viking tried to stop a scientist and his crew from enjoying the fruits of their chemical plant heist, but wound up shrinking everyone down to the microbe dimension.
Possibilities: Times, like places, are good niches DC likes to fill. Good news, it's Middle Ages are ripe for additions, and King Viking could well have flown around helping people in Medieval Scandinavia. Maybe he kne the Viking Prince or the Viking Commando. Maybe he followed the latter to the future. Maybe he overshot and is not the Global Guardians' Norwegian member.
Integration Quotient: 80% (the name needs work, but a perfectly workable Norse hero)
Name: Robby Go-Go (no real name is given)Costume: A Golden Agey number in fact reminiscent of Stripesy's costume, Robby Go-Go's jacket is more modern (60s). The high heels are eyebrow-raising however. I don't have the necessary cultural context to really evaluate Robby's claim that he looks like a "one of those Go-Go characters right out of a discotheque". Not quite mod enough.
Powers: Robby can't help but perform popular dances of the day, including the Frug and the Monkey. These agitate either his arms, legs or both to super-speeds and strength. However, Robby doesn't seem to be able to really control which dance he does and when. He just can't... stop... dancing!
Sighted: In the microbe world, though the radio news will know all about it later. Go-Go tries to get the scientist's help in stopping the would-be microbe invaders, but is instead betrayed and lands in microbe jail.
Possibilities: If they found a place for Super-Hip (in the last few issues of the latest Doom Patrol series), then anything's possible. Stays on the fringe and maybe shows up in an episode of Teen Titans Go or something.
Integration Quotient: 25% (kinda silly, but the potential for a campy appearance is there)
Name: Whirl-i-Gig (a bit juvenile-sounding, but not bad)Costume: Sporting a big white "W" on green armor, Whirl-i-Gig wears a robotic-looking mask with a grill instead of a mouth, and his limbs are actually thin, sharp blades. Yikes! Really freakish from some angles.
Powers: In addition to breathing fire, W-i-G can spin his limbs like a giant cuisinart or his entire body to create more benign tornadoes.
Sighted: Presumably Middleton. Whirl-i-Gig brought everyone back from the microbe world, arrested the criminal scientist and his gang and stopped the microbe invasion.
Possibilities: The android Red Tornado didn't appear until the next year, so could Whirl-i-Gig be an earlier prototype built by T.O. Morrow? Scrapped when his handshakes and breath proved so dangerous, W-i-G became prone to too high an emo quotient (a flaw common to all Morrow's androids until Amazo's bad self). Whirl-i could be the hero everyone is afraid will hurt their children by accident.
Integration Quotient: 60% (that obvious link to the Justice League's most pathetic member - yes, I'm counting Gipsy, Vibe and G'nort in my evaluation - could give it a certain lease on life... such as it is)
Some pretty good integration numbers for the Robby Reed era!
Bonus Martian Manhunter Villain Who Could Easily Have Been a Dialed-Up Character
The ability to sneeze out fire could normally only come from a magic alien power randomizer, but it's apparently something that evolved naturally on Mars. Go figure.Next week: Robby takes another identity out for a second spin, plus two new ones! I'll dial your number when I'm ready to post!
Comments