I have been reading this forum for about a year now, generally enjoying the posts and the people. I typically hate forums and will only post something if it has been stewing in my head for a long while, or if I think what I have to say is either genuine or original. Anyways, this has been in my brain for a while and I wanted to hear what you all had to say.
What if Manikin where still a part of AF/OF? Manikin was always a childhood favorite of mine, one that, for some odd reason, still lingers as something of a mystery to me. The idea of being able to generate 3 other heroes to Leap/Slither/Teleport around at your call, was always something I enjoyed thinking about. A strange power, one that fails to make sense now-a-days compared to most other heroes/mutant's powers, but still one that beg analysis and questioning.
Proto: Again, this character is easy enough to grasp. I liked the idea of being able to dissolve most substances or to change shape at will. The ability to cover an enemy or hold them in place is fun too. Slipping under a door, or through a keyhole would make for an interesting addition to his abilities, but when you can just as easily dissolve the door away... With the change of Manikin's powers in one of his last appearances, he was unable to summon all three forms at a time. It was said that he would then be able to become each character at will. This made me think if the new version of Proto, one where Manikin would change into Proto alone, would take on a more humanoid shape as a default. This instead of just becoming a random blob, but still being able to shift and change his mass and shape.
Apeman: He seems to be the most basic of characters. I have always compared his strength and speed to that of Beast. Obviously stronger than your standard human and with significantly more body hair. Fairly tough as well as we have seen him take a beating at the hands of the original Omega Flight. Now that Manikin is only able to change into one of these three heroes at a time, I would like to think that Knapps intelligence would follow over to Apeman.
Highbrow: This character is the one who gives me the most pause. Was Highbrow an actual far-future version of Manikin? Or was his form and powers dependant on what Knapp though his future would be? Seeing what Marvels future is like in the year 2007+, is Highbrow really a valid character? It is never really stated what year Highbrow comes from, or why he is the way he is, and nothing that Highbrow ever says has really indicated. This makes me wonder what Highbrow would look like were he to be summoned now. I would like to think that he would still be similar in looks and powers to the old Highbrow, maybe less skinny looking and with a better groomed Mohawk But it is easy enough to think that maybe his powers would be altogether different. Anyone’s guess is as good as mine on that one. With teleport powers that exceed Blink, and with Flight, Math, Enhanced Vision, and the ability to read other hero's powers just by looking at them, Highbrow was a cool character for his time and even now. Not to mention that the rest of his tech was completely undefined. Who knows what else Highbrow could have done?
Anyways...I would love to hear what any of you think. I may be one of the few who love this character quite so much as to think about what he would be like now, but I figured it was worth a post. Enjoy