Comic Coverage

Change We Can Believe In: The Eighth Wonder of Space

For the past couple of years, the word "change" has been thrown around ad nauseum, but as many understand (or are just now beginning to understand), not all change is good. Nowhere has that principal been better understood than within the comic book superhero community, as shocking physical transformations have afflicted their ranks for decades.

A frequent target of these freakish mutations was none other than The Batman. Originally a dark and moody character, the science fiction craze of the late 1950's and early 60's pushed Batman to jaw-dropping levels of lighthearted sci-fi insanity....such as the bizarre transformation that occurred in Batman #140 (1961).

Mistakenly transported to the alien planet Xlur, Batman and Robin where transformed by its strange atmosphere into green, bug-like aliens with magnetic antennas!

When they returned to Earth, Batman and Robin's strange new appearance was feared and distrusted by their crime-fighting colleagues and the people of Gotham. After they apprehended The Yellow Sweater Gang (yes, you read that correctly), the alien-mutation wore off...allowing Batman and Robin to return to their (relatively) normal appearances.

Change We Can Believe In: Quadro-Morphosis!

As is becoming increasingly clear, not all change is good. Nowhere has that principal been better understood than within the comic book superhero community, as shocking physical transformations have afflicted their ranks for decades.

Justice League of America #7 (1961) featured not one, not two, not three, but FOUR such transformations...all at the hands hostile aliens from the planet Angellax!

Luring the heroes into a booby-trapped funhouse packed with exotic weaponry, Green Arrow, the Flash, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern race through an open door...only to "feel the tug of mysterious cosmic forces" transforming them into:

As a surprise to exactly nobody, cool-headed teamwork won the day... allowing the Leaguers to return to normal, defeat the Angellaxians and banish them to 100,000 years of suspended-animation space travel.

A harsh punishment?  Sure...but at least Wonder Woman didn't have to go on a crash diet!

Oh...and one final bit of heroic inspiration: Lego Green Arrow...who, instead of wallowing in self-pity over his boxy body, figured out a clever way to rise above his temporary handicap!

To quote the diminutive Mr. Queen: "Stand aside Aquaman! I'm raring to turn a few shafts loose!"