So it’s Australia Day, here in Australia. Obviously. We get the day off work, get to see fireworks and hang out with friends at the BBQ and drink beer. Apparently that’s what we’re supposed to do anyway. I’ll be stuck inside attempting to finish editing two wedding videos. Well, seeing all the Oz flags around the past few weeks got me thinking about Australian superheroes, and the lack thereof. I don’t mean Australian comics. There’s quite a few of those, and I’m very glad to see Platinum Grit being taken on board by Image. I remember reading that over a decade ago in its infant paper form. So, what about Australian superheroes? They’re aren’t any really. There’s Captain America and Captain Britain. So how about a Captain Australia? Doesn’t have the same ring to it, granted, and the sight of a beer belly wrapped in spandex is not comforting. These are the only two Aussie superheroes that immediately spring to mind – and one of them’s a supervillain!
I remember reading an early X-Men Annual that introduced me to Gateway, the aboriginal teleporter that occasionally aided the X-Men. Not much has been seen of him in the last few years, but apparently he was killed by the Marauders and is the great grandfather of Bishop. Now, from Marvel to DC.
George Harkness is perhaps a more famous Aussie comics character. Nicknamed Digger, his code name of Captain Boomerang should tell you what his powers are all about. He was one of the members of Flash’s Rogues Gallery, and often called people, “mate,” to assert his Aussie-ness. He was killed as an overweight out of touch baddie, by Robin’s father during Identity Crisis. Now, his son, Owen Mercer has taken the name and a much better costume, and is acting on the opposite side of the law from his father, even befriending Robin.
These aren’t bad characters, but certainly not prominent ones. It’s time we saw another Aussie super character in the pages of today’s comics. Not all superheroes are American. Are they?
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