If there’s one thing Marvel Comics has no shortage of, it’s supervillains. From cosmic beings like Galactus to powerful thugs like the Absorbing Man, the bad guys make up a significant portion of the superhuman population. It’s gotten to the point where many supervillains have formed a sort of subculture, complete with their own honor codes and local hangouts – like the infamous Bar with No Name.
Showcased in Spider-Man’s Tangled Web #13, the bar is a secret hangout where street-level criminals like the Vulture, Stilt-Man, and Whirlwind go to have a drink and complain about their latest fight with Spider-Man or Captain America. And while one would suspect that having so many super criminals under one roof would be trouble, the bar is usually a remarkably civil place – thanks to the bartender, Marvel’s very own “Bat-Man.”
Marvel has offered multiple versions of DC’s Batman in its comics. “Nighthawk,” a character from Marvel’s Squadron Supreme titles, is a well-known Batman doppelganger and Spider-Man’s wife Mary Jane was actually seduced by a Bruce Wayne-type playboy the night before her wedding to Peter Parker. At one point, Stan Lee even reimagined Batman as an African-American wrestler named “Wayne Wilson.” However, there's something to be said for a Bat-Man who strikes fear into the hearts of criminals purely using an actual bat.
Take for example Calab, the head bartender of the Bar with No Name. Although Calab is an imposing-looking man with a large build, he doesn’t appear to have any special powers or abilities. Nevertheless, he keeps a close eye on his patrons, especially the ones that drink too much. In one scene from Spider-Man’s Tangled Web #13, he sees low-level supervillains Stilt-Man and the Matador get into an argument that threatens to turn into a full-blown brawl. In response, Calab breaks out a battered baseball bat and informs the villains that if any of them want to fight, they can fight him – and his “VBC Stick.”
According to Calab, “VBC” is the name for his “Villain Be Cool” Stick. A moment later, both Stilt Man and Matador get a lesson in manners when Whirlwind informs them that Calab was Doctor Doom’s head of security for twelve years. Terrified by Calab’s impressive credentials, both villains settle down, unwilling to take a chance on this “Bat-Man.”
It’s a hilarious scene that actually shows Calab using Batman’s most effective weapon – his terrifying reputation. Although the Bar with No Name has appeared in many stories since, readers haven’t seen Calab physically use his “VBC” in a fight yet… most likely because none of the supervillains are willing to see what someone who was once a respected employee of Doctor Doom is capable of. Frankly, anyone capable of keeping so many villains in line with just the strength of his personality would be invaluable in one of Marvel’s many supervillain jails – but for now, this “Bat-Man” does his best work behind a bar.
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/3qSSqsA
0 Comments