AVENGERS POLL: MOCKINGBIRD

[Doctor Bong]

How do you rate Mockingbird as an avenger on a scale from 1 to 8 points?
How well does she work for you within the dynamics of the team?
How much do you like/dislike her as a character?

[scottharris]

I gave her a three. I never liked Mockingbird as a kid, though I appreciate her more as an adult than I did then. Still, I don't think she works all that well as an Avenger. I think she would have been more interesting had she continued as a SHIELD agent or whatever she was.

Interestingly, since the whole Mock-Hawk thing was Gru's attempt to turn them into Green Arrow and Black Canary, I think she would have worked very well as the type of character Black Canary is now. Had Gru lived to copy DC's current events, then, she might have inadvertently become more interesting.

[Dr. Hank Pym]

I gave her a five. I liked her until the separation from Clint, where they're bickering about how much they couldn't stand each other kind of made me want to doze off at some points. When she came back I warmed up to her again, and thought her death issue of the WCA (100) was one of the most well done issues of the mag.

[Shiryu]

2, never really been interested in her. She reminds me of Black Widow a lot, but without the leader qualities and with less time spent in the team.

[sharkar]

Ah, yes, our blond bowmen and their lady loves. As Scott and Shiryu mention, there are connections between the Hawkeye-Black Widow, GA-Black Canary, and Hawkeye-Mockingbird associations.

Jul 24, 2008 16:57:02 GMT -5 scottharris said:

Interestingly, since the whole Mock-Hawk thing was Gru's attempt to turn them into Green Arrow and Black Canary...

In turn, I feel the GA-Black Canary pairing may have been partly inspired by the earlier Hawkeye-Black Widow pairing.
(In the mid-60s, Hawkeye became arguably the most popular Avenger with readers, partly because of his tortured romance with Natasha as chronicled in Avengers #29-#44).

Jul 25, 2008 9:25:27 GMT -5 Shiryu said:

...She (Mockingbird) reminds me of Black Widow a lot, but without the leader qualities and with less time spent in the team.

Superficially, at least, the 1960s Black Widow always struck me as being based on Black Canary (besides the obvious similarity in names). In 1964, Marvel introduced Natasha as a non-costumed spy type. Then in 1965, when Natasha dons a typical superhero costume, it is very similar to Black Canary's famous costume--fishnets; dark one-piece, low-cut "bathing suit"; and with a short, waist-length cape standing in for BC's bolero jacket.


Back on topic: IMO, Mockingbird was never a very interesting character. The part she played in Vision Quest was despicable. Her best moment was when her brain patterns were used as the basis for Alkhema. All in all, definitely not an essential Avenger.

I give her a "1."

[starfoxxx]

I gave Mockingbird a 4. She was important in Hawkeye's evolving into a leader and a top-tier hero. Her batons were pretty lame, though, I guess they dissapeared up her sleeves???

For some reason there is a lapse in my WCA collection around the time she was "assaulted" by the original Ghost Rider and she ends up killing him, upsetting Clint. This plotline was seen in flashback quite a few times after. This whole plot just seemed so weird to me, especially in a fun book like WCA. I also wasn't collecting by the time she was killed, that must have sucked for Clint.

[Doctor Bong]

I gave her a 7.
Another of my favorite avengers, there was just something about her personality which I really liked.
As you can guess, after reading AWC #102 I was NOT a happy camper...
I almost wish there could be a way for the Mockingbird which appeared in SE to be the real McCoy. That way I could truly and sincerely say that BMB finally did something right by my book, but I realize that this couldn't be so without violating certain aspects of the current continuity.

[Tana Nile]

I'd give her a 4. Not a great Avenger, but I thought she was good in WCA.

[spiderwasp]

4. Nothing too original or particularly necessary but interesting nonetheless.

[Bored Yesterday]

A 1. What's up with those batons that come out of her sleeves? That's not really such a great power. And I like Hawkeye better as a bachelor -- but I do agree that the marriage wasn't a terrible plot line. But I just can't get past the batons that come out of her sleeves. I just can't dig that in any way. Never liked the character.

[Shiryu]

Jul 28, 2008 21:11:50 GMT -5 Doctor Bong said:

I almost wish there could be a way for the Mockingbird which appeared in SE to be the real McCoy. That way I could truly and sincerely say that BMB finally did something right by my book, but I realize that this couldn't be so without violating certain aspects of the current continuity.

I suppose it could be argued that if a Skrull has all her memories, her personality, and truly believes to be her, she kind of would be back in a way

[dlw66]

2

I can take her or leave her, but would be more inclined to leave her. I was never a huge WCA fan anyway, due to Milgrom's horrific artwork -- she never had a chance to grow on me I guess.