Kick-Ass Sidekicks: Who Are Your Favorites? [Archive]

iSteve

03-03-2007, 08:49 PM

My favorite sidekick hands down is Bucky Barnes (aka Winter Soldier). As has been noted elsewhere on the forum and in the iFanboy vidcast, in the World War II comics, Bucky was a regular killing machine. Not only was he Capt. America's sidekick - he did everything Capt. America did - and with no super-soldier serum. There's a great article on this at Newsarama - Bucky Barnes, Badass (http://www.newsarama.com/Marvel/CAp/BuckyBarnes.htm).

mikegraham6

03-03-2007, 08:51 PM

iSteve

03-03-2007, 08:55 PM

there were certain points in DC continuity were Speedy was more interesting than Green Arrow.
the whole heroin addict thing, then the new Speedy contracting aids, that was more interesting than GA.

I dont know if this counts but right now i find the Winter Soldier (Bucky) more interesting than Cap (mainly because he has no balls... sorry iSteve;) )

I've always found the character of Speedy interesting. Roy was definitely great, but I was really moved by the story of Mia and how she was HIV positive.

mikegraham6

03-03-2007, 08:59 PM

I've always found the character of Speedy interesting. Roy was definitely great, but I was really moved by the story of Mia and how she was HIV positive.

that issue, with the cover with an all white border, was really moving and was one of my favorite issues of the year.
i think it was really underrated and i recommend people should check it out. i think it took balls for winick to tackle the issue when no one really talks about aids in north america anymore but there are still tons of people living with the disease.

mikegraham6

03-03-2007, 09:00 PM

ive also been meaning to read the GA/GL issues where speedy becomes an addict. are they collected? its suppose to be a great storyline.

iSteve

03-03-2007, 09:00 PM

that issue, with the cover with an all white border, was really moving and was one of my favorite issues of the year.
i think it was really underrated and i recommend people should check it out. i think it took balls for winick to tackle the issue when no one really talks about aids in north america anymore but there are still tons of people living with the disease.

I feel the same way.

paper

03-03-2007, 09:08 PM

I think Tim Drake's really interesting. It's gonna be interesting to see where he goes in later years. Being the great detective that he is.

watsonglenn

03-03-2007, 11:06 PM

I think Tim Drake's really interesting. It's gonna be interesting to see where he goes in later years. Being the great detective that he is.

While I would not say Tim is more interesting than Batman I do think he is the best side kick of all.

Why is Batman the only guy left with a side kick?

mikegraham6

03-03-2007, 11:26 PM

While I would not say Tim is more interesting than Batman I do think he is the best side kick of all.

Why is Batman the only guy left with a side kick?

because a real hero wouldn't put a child in risky situation where there is a chance they can get injured. i always found the whole sidekick thing a bit hard to swallow (as opposed to say, the whole "a man can fly" thing ;) )

watsonglenn

03-03-2007, 11:38 PM

because a real hero wouldn't put a child in risky situation where there is a chance they can get injured. i always found the whole sidekick thing a bit hard to swallow (as opposed to say, the whole "a man can fly" thing ;) )

But they all had sidekicks at one time and now none. Well I guess GA has Speedy again and in a way all the Young Averngers are just begging to be sidekicks.

Never mind.

paper

03-03-2007, 11:39 PM

Forgot Ebony White in the Spirit. He's great in the new Cooke series.

watsonglenn

03-03-2007, 11:41 PM

You know the one side kick that was hands down cooler than the big guy.

Kato.

masherscf

03-03-2007, 11:43 PM

Xander Harris...

paper

03-03-2007, 11:43 PM

Really liked Jimmy Olson as seen in Superman Returns. For me, one of the high points of the movie.

mikegraham6

03-03-2007, 11:45 PM

But they all had sidekicks at one time and now none. Well I guess GA has Speedy again and in a way all the Young Averngers are just begging to be sidekicks.

Never mind.

One thing about the new speedy that bugged me was how irresponsable ollie looked by allowing her to be his sidekick. Im no expert on AIDS by any means but it is my understanding that by placing her in a high risk situation where she is suceptible to cuts/bleeding, isn't there a possibility of her infecting people around her? feel free to correct me if im wrong but AIDS is transmitted through bodily fluids so if some of her blood, say, ends up splattering on another person's cut, then they would be infected.. just sounds like bad mojo to me.....

paper

03-03-2007, 11:48 PM

Xander Harris...

Definitely. The episode where we see everything from his perspective ("The Zeppo") is probably one of the best in the series. A cool deconstruction.

Also loved his speech to Dawn in season 7, where he talks about what it's like to be the "regular guy" amongst a bunch of super-beings. A love letter to all sidekicks.

(It's just a Whedon invasion on the boards today, isn't it?)

watsonglenn

03-03-2007, 11:53 PM

mikegraham6

03-03-2007, 11:55 PM

It would not be politically correct to imply that someone with AIDs might be dangerous to others. Any villain that would object to fighting Speedy for fear of her blood would be the worst kind of villain, a closed minded, homophobic, conservative, fundamentalist, fascist.

not what i meant........

paper

03-04-2007, 12:06 AM

One thing about the new speedy that bugged me was how irresponsable ollie looked by allowing her to be his sidekick. Im no expert on AIDS by any means but it is my understanding that by placing her in a high risk situation where she is suceptible to cuts/bleeding, isn't there a possibility of her infecting people around her? feel free to correct me if im wrong but AIDS is transmitted through bodily fluids so if some of her blood, say, ends up splattering on another person's cut, then they would be infected.. just sounds like bad mojo to me.....

I think it's pretty dicey no matter how you look at it.

But...transmission through a fight doesn't seem likely.

I did some research:

Whilst HIV may live for some time outside of the body, HIV transmission has not been reported as a result of contact with spillages of blood, semen or other bodily fluids. Just because someone comes into contact with tiny quantities of HIV in dried blood, it does not follow that infection will occur.

Even if someone with HIV were to inject someone with their own blood, the concentration of the virus would have to be very high. The likelihood of passing it on this way would only be about .4%. It is highly doubtful that Speedy would be doing that type of thing anyway.

I'd say the likelihood of passing on the virus to a villain or to an innocent bystander during a street fight is about the same as accidentally killing them through physical violence, if that.

Superman is probably just as likely to have a seizure and destroy an Arby's with his heat vision.

mikegraham6

03-04-2007, 12:14 AM

I think it's pretty dicey no matter how you look at it.

But...transmission through a fight doesn't seem likely.

I did some research:

Whilst HIV may live for some time outside of the body, HIV transmission has not been reported as a result of contact with spillages of blood, semen or other bodily fluids. Just because someone comes into contact with tiny quantities of HIV in dried blood, it does not follow that infection will occur.

Even is someone with HIV were to inject someone with their own blood, the concentration of the virus would have to be very high. The likelihood of passing it on this way would only be about .4%. It is highly doubtful that Speedy would be doing that type of thing anyway.

I'd say the likelihood of passing on the virus to a villain or to an innocent bystander during a street fight is about the same as accidentally killing them through physical violence, if that.

thanks for the info, im glad thats finally resolved for me. it had been nagging me for a while... its kinda sad, i thought i knew a lot about AIDS but i guess im just as ignorant everyone else...:(

paper

03-04-2007, 12:24 AM

thanks for the info, im glad thats finally resolved for me. it had been nagging me for a while... its kinda sad, i thought i knew a lot about AIDS but i guess im just as ignorant everyone else...:(

That's just my reading. The highest medical training I have is owning the first two seasons of House on DVD.

Oddly enough, the subject's come up on House and other shows like Law & Order SVU. In the former, an HIV infected patient coughs blood into a doctor's face. In the latter, a wounded detective comes into contact with a person who has just slit their wrists in a bathtub. Both characters took blood tests, but were eventually given a clean bill of health. No matter how low the risk, infection is still possible.

As is the accidental destruction of a perfectly good Arby's restaurant at the hands of a Kryptonian.

mikegraham6

03-04-2007, 12:27 AM

That's just my reading. The highest medical training I have is owning the first two seasons of House on DVD.

Oddly enough, the subject's come up on House and other shows like Law & Order SVU. In the former, an HIV infected patient coughs blood into a doctor's face. In the latter, a wounded detective comes into contact with a person who has just slit their wrists in a bathtub. Both characters took blood tests, but were eventually given a clean bill of health. No matter how low the risk, infection is still possible.

As is the accidental destruction of a perfectly good Arby's restaurant at the hands of a Kryptonian.

so, what i guess your saying is, i should put off swimming in HIV infected blood, for now at least... until we get all the facts..:D

what does supes have against arbys? their sandwichs are delicious!

six-gun

03-04-2007, 12:28 AM

Bucky, followed closely by Tim Drake.

Neither are cooler than their mentors though.

paper

03-04-2007, 12:30 AM

How could we forget?

Harley Quinn.

***

Also, I take issue with the linked list.

Inigo Montoya is in no way a sidekick. Fezzik, you can argue.

Inigo is forever.

kwok_talk

03-04-2007, 01:54 AM

Back in the day, I liked it when Jubilee tagged along with Wolverine.

mikegraham6

03-04-2007, 01:59 AM

Back in the day, I liked it when Jubilee tagged along with Wolverine.

did you ever read the story where donald pierce (im not sure of the name) cruxified logan and jubilee frees him? i think it was one of her first storylines, that was a great book!

kwok_talk

03-04-2007, 02:01 AM

did you ever read the story where donald pierce (im not sure of the name) cruxified logan and jubilee frees him? i think it was one of her first storylines, that was a great book!

No! Sounds cool though. Probably before I started reading regularly. I just liked how her spunk was a good offset to Wolverine's broodiness.

mikegraham6

03-04-2007, 02:05 AM

No! Sounds cool though. Probably before I started reading regularly. I just liked how her spunk was a good offset to Wolverine's broodiness.

i wish i knew the issue number for you, it was the first x-book i read and ive loved them ever since. its about wolverine hallucinating up on this cross and its one of the trippiest x-stories i've read. name of the story was 'FEVER DREAM"
it has a purplish cover with wolverine up on an x-shaped cross with rain pouring down

HELP guys! whats that issue number????

paper

03-04-2007, 02:10 AM

Uncanny #251

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y192/polcapn/2605_4_0251.jpg

kwok_talk

03-04-2007, 02:10 AM

i wish i knew the issue number for you, it was the first x-book i read and ive loved them ever since. its about wolverine hallucinating up on this cross and its one of the trippiest x-stories i've read. name of the story was 'FEVER DREAM"
it has a purplish cover with wolverine up on an x-shaped cross with rain pouring down

HELP guys! whats that issue number????

Oh wait! I have read that one (the cover sounded familiar). I hadn't read any other X books, so none of it made sense at all and I have no idea what happened.

mister-s

03-04-2007, 03:13 AM

First thing that came into my head was Altar Boy from Astro City. That was a really great story, I thought.

lindseyd

03-04-2007, 06:45 AM

I love both Speedys, old and new, but Mia is totally my favorite.

I thought they held off on making her Speedy long enough that it didn't seem forced, and that storyline really dealt with the whole sidekick thing in a way that seemed rational and interesting. I LOVED her time in City Walls; her killing that guy was so heartbreaking and awful but totally necessary. After reading that it was really tough to make sense of Batman's "never ever kill anyone ever, even if they killed your sidekick with a crowbar and a bomb" policy.

I am really worried about her now that Green Arrow is getting cancelled. Hopefully she'll make her way back into the Teen Titans or something instead of chilling in comics limbo with Arrowette.

comhcinc

03-04-2007, 07:01 AM

http://www.thetick.ws/images/arthurtv.jpgi can think of no better side kick

jgg0610

03-04-2007, 04:19 PM

I'd have to go with Frankie from the Goon first even though he isn't cooler than his mentor.

Another choice would be Renee Montoya although I'm not sure she can be considered a sidekick anymore since she's on her own now.

iSteve

03-04-2007, 04:21 PM

iSteve

03-04-2007, 04:24 PM

I don't think anyone has mentioned the ultimate side-kick: Dick Grayson. Though going through a bad spot in his own title right now, nonetheless Dick was great as Robin AND as Nightwing.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/67/BatmanRobin.jpg/250px-BatmanRobin.jpg

fred

03-04-2007, 04:41 PM

Dick Grayson is the greatest sidekick of all time

watsonglenn

03-04-2007, 06:47 PM

Dick Grayson is the greatest sidekick of all time

I honestly like Tim Drake better. He makes more sense than Dick ever did and while he might not be as athletic I bet he ends up tougher.

k-dizzle

03-04-2007, 06:49 PM

I honestly like Tim Drake better. He makes more sense than Dick ever did and while he might not be as athletic I bet he ends up tougher. I like Carrie Kelly more.

darron

03-04-2007, 08:28 PM

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e5/Frankwelker_aladdin.JPG

http://jamillan.com/chewbacca.jpg

http://www.ctn.etsmtl.ca/scgc/boston/boston%202003/bender.gif

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c8/Jimmyolsen.png

darron

03-04-2007, 08:28 PM

http://www.dekoele.nl/kato.jpg

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/a/a9/175px-Otacon.jpg

http://www.afn.org/~afn57777/andy/images/focus.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d3/Meet_woodstock_big.gif

jerome

03-04-2007, 08:40 PM

http://heat.sport24.com/images/mn/1135725275.jpg

paper

03-04-2007, 08:51 PM

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y192/polcapn/theoffice2.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y192/polcapn/gareth.jpg

fred

03-04-2007, 10:35 PM

http://heat.sport24.com/images/mn/1135725275.jpg

that's funny. I heard a few weeks ago that he's trying to mount a comeback. Isn't he like 75?

jgg0610

03-05-2007, 12:12 AM

that's funny. I heard a few weeks ago that he's trying to mount a comeback. Isn't he like 75?

Not only that but once he and Michael were not playing together, he was horrible.

fred

03-05-2007, 12:13 AM

Not only that but once he and Michael were not playing together, he was horrible.

well that could be said of the whole team really

maybe scottie should try baseball

or curling?

jgg0610

03-05-2007, 12:15 AM

well that could be said of the whole team really

maybe scottie should try baseball

or curling?
Yeah, but Pippen was the main one who Thought he could do it on his own and was very vocal about it.

jerome

03-05-2007, 12:49 AM

Not only that but once he and Michael were not playing together, he was horrible.

He wasn't horrible at all. After Jordan retired he had a really good run with the Blazers and in those two seasons in 94-95 when MJ was playing baseball the Bulls still nearly made it to the Finals.

jgg0610

03-05-2007, 03:49 AM

He wasn't horrible at all. After Jordan retired he had a really good run with the Blazers and in those two seasons in 94-95 when MJ was playing baseball the Bulls still nearly made it to the Finals.
Pippens level of play was directly affected by those around him. He wasn't a guy you could build a team around. You had to have other already talented players to put him with. You couldn't take a bunch of rookies, put them with him and a few years later, you'd have a good team. He rose or sunk to the level of those around him as opposed to a Jordan, Bird, or Johnson. They made whatever team they were playing for a winner, period. All Pippen did was make whatever team he played for a whiner. Big difference.

jerome

03-05-2007, 04:12 AM

Pippens level of play was directly affected by those around him. He wasn't a guy you could build a team around. You had to have other already talented players to put him with. You couldn't take a bunch of rookies, put them with him and a few years later, you'd have a good team. He rose or sunk to the level of those around him as opposed to a Jordan, Bird, or Johnson. They made whatever team they were playing for a winner, period. All Pippen did was make whatever team he played for a whiner. Big difference.

He was horrible because he wasn't as good as Jordan, Bird, or Johnson, three of the best players ever?

kwok_talk

03-05-2007, 05:13 AM

But wasn't he also on the Rockets when they had Drexler & Barkley and didn't win anything? I respect Pippen b/c he has the rings, but am not a big fan and definitely think it would be a bad idea to step back onto the court. I would hope someone would posterize him.

darron

03-06-2007, 12:06 AM

I know these are more 'henchmen' than 'sidekicks', but still, they are quite funny.

http://ffmedia.ign.com/filmforce/image/venture20041028-03_1098979758.jpg

drwally

03-06-2007, 02:15 PM

Funny thing -- even in the 1940s radio and movie versions, it was Kato that always saved the Hornet's ass time after time -- half the cliffhangers in Tne Green Hornet Strikes Again are resolved by Kato pulling a barely conscious Hornet out of a fire or collapsing building. Radio shows: Kato springs from behind curtain when Hornet in trouble. If not for Kato, the Hornet would be dust. And get this: Bruce Lee's first acting role is on the Green Hornet, that gets canceled after 1-2 years, Lee comes up with a show called Kung Fu (Chinese martial arts and cowboys), but the studio steals Lee's idea and casts a white guy, Lee goes off to Hong Kong to become a superstar, and guess who plays Grasshopper's Kung Fu teacher in the flash backs in Kung Fu?

Same guy who played Kato in the 1940s:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keye_Luke

Former Sidekick->Old Master->Passes on Wisdom, what symmetry.

Gotta love this list that started this thread, for giving props to both Willow and, one of my all time favorites, Dr. Pretorius, who ruled Whale's most famous film:
http://www.avclub.com/content/node/59017/2

For the kids: Sidekicks were all in vogue in the Golden Age because the prevailing wisdom was that younger readers needed someone they could identify with to get into the story. Or maybe they were just trying to rip off Robin's success...

luthor

03-06-2007, 11:09 PM

Easy...

http://www.80stees.com/images/products/Cobra_Destro-Magnet.jpg

jgg0610

03-07-2007, 12:26 AM

He was horrible because he wasn't as good as Jordan, Bird, or Johnson, three of the best players ever?
He put himself in that league. He made numerous statements in interviews where he put himself in that company. He was a decent player, but he wasn't nearly as good as he, himself thought that he was.