Lest we forget: The Power is yours!

By reading the above title, you're probably thinking either this post is about Captain Planet or the funny spoof of Cap'n Planet by actor Don Cheadle for Laughordie.com.

Well it's not, but I am going to talk briefly about another character with Power as his last name.
I'm talking about Dr. Maximus Power.

You're probably going "who?"

I'm referring to this guy:

Back during the 3rd Volume of Iron Man, writer Frank Tieri created this alien "villain" to fight Tony. His backstory is basically that he was living on a planet that was ruled my magic and outlawed science. Our boy Maximus dared to practice the forbidden art/black magic of science, and was tried, convicted, and sentenced to exile on our planet. You know 'cause that's where all alien criminals wind up in comic book land.

So Maximus does the whole "stranger in a strange land" routine, and eventually learns Earth's customs and languages. While living with bums and free-thinkers in California(because that's where all bums and free-thinkers live apparently) he discovers the whole fascination with Super-Heroes. Being the smart alien that he is, he not only figures out a way to get people high w/o the dangerous side-effects(it's true, just read it) , but he also figures out a way to give everyday, regular people superpowers.
Skip ahead a few years, and now going by the name Dr. Maximus Power, he becomes rich and famous for his discovery. Tony's then girlfriend at the time Rumiko Fujikawa, takes him to a Halloween party where Power is the guest of honor. The people in attendance take power's drugs, get super-powers, and all hell breaks loose. Did I mention that Rumiko takes his drug too? She does, and now Tony has to deal w/ her as well as a whole bunch of drunk and super-powered idiots. You know, kind of like a normal party night for Tony.

He eventually fights w/ Dr. Power, and of course beats him just in time to team-up w/ the FF for a Maximum Security event tie-in issue.  Remember that mess?


























After those 3 issues, we never see Maximus again, and I'm curious why not. Sure he seems to be a knock-off/copy of the Martian Manhunter, but he seemed to have more potential than that off a throw-away character. I'm sure some writer like Bendis can dust him off, and make him relevant again. Right?

"Hey, I remember those...."

My buddy Googum covered some forgotten toys a few weeks back, and it got me thinking about some other toys, namely from the 80's that haven't been brought back, but should. Yes, I know toy properties like the Thundercats, Silverhawks, and TNMT are back on the scene again big time with new toys, video games, and new shows on the way. So let me humbly submit 3 suggestions on toys from yesteryear that could be revamped and brought back.

1). Food Fighters

 

Yes, god love Mattel because they put these weird warriors out from 1988-89. Billed as "Combat At Its Kookiest!", the Food Fighters were an odd bunch that debuted during a time when war was popular with kids. Maybe this was due to the fallout from the last of the cold war, but it seems everyone from GI Joe to M.A.S.K. to the Transformers were always fighting. And much like the Transformers and GI Joes, there were good guys and bad guys; the good guys being the Kitchen Commandos and the bad guys being the  Refrigerator Rejects. I had a couple of these guys when I was a kid; namely Sargent Scoop and Major Munch. They were fun, weird, and totally different from anything else out there at the time or since. They never had a comic or TV show, or even a video game you could follow they with, so that's probably why they've been mostly forgotten or swept off to the side over the years. They did have some vehicles and a playset made, but nothing that would really make them standout. Still, I think the world is ready for their brand of zaniness again, especially if they were revamped for modern times.

2). Battle Beasts.

With the tagline  "They may be small but they can grow into an army”, battle beasts came into the toy scene around 1986. They originally came from Japan and were called "Beastformers". They had a cartoon series and comic book over there too. Hasbro began distributing them shortly after. The main gimmick with these guys, or animals, as it were, was that they had three main hologram symbols on their chests; Wood, Fire, and Water. Basically it was waring animals using the age-old principal of rock, paper, scissors; fire burns wood, water puts out fire, and wood floats on water. 

They were only 2 inches, but still cool as hell if you were a kid into new and unique toys. The BB's would later get a comic produced in  the states, as well as Halloween costumes, lunch boxes and carrying cases, but no games or cartoons. Starting around '09, Diamond Select Toys started to produce them again, but nothing new has come out recently. Feel free to Wiki these toys for more info.

3).Garbage Pail Kids

 

Oh, yes, these guys! Distributed by the Topps Trading Card Co. since 1985, these funny as hell characters were straight up parodies of the then popular Cabbage Patch Kids. I've loved them ever since, and had a small but sizable collection back in the day. Just as funny now as they were then, GPK went straight for the jugular in terms of making fun of people and everyday situations, and they came with bubble gum so what's not to love? They were as gross and depraved as it got, yet remaining kid-friendly. They're still being produced to this day, with a few variations. I think it's way past time for an animated show or web-show of these lovable tikes. There's no doubt in mind these guys heavily influenced the creators of Family Guy and South Park, just no doubt at all.

See you bitches later......