It was the hats.

She-Hulk 14
"Everything you wanted to know about Awesome Andy but were afraid to ask"
Awesome Andy gets his solo story here, in the aftermath of falling in love with lawyer Mallory. Andy is a living android, from a Reed Richards discovery twisted by The Thinker "to my own ends". Andy grew to mimic any living creature, and wield Thor's hammer, to make his first choices on his own. He worked at the law firm to pay back his case.
Along the way, they liked and cared for him. He used Ero's love powers to make Mallory love him, and now she runs to Two-Gun leaving a heartbroken Andy.
"If I'm a person...and I did those things to Mallory..then I don't like the person I've become." And She-Hulk, in a Civil War bit, has been drafted as an agent of S.H.E.I.L.D.

There is a searing letter in the back criticizing penciller Rick Burchett saying "my six year old could do a better job". He also goes on to insult Mike Oeming, the Asst. Editors, and the storyline. While that was just foul, I do wonder about the She-Hulk art. For example, look at how frail and skinny she looks in these panels. It doesn't look like the pinnacle of strength that Jen Walters is to me. Anyone else have thoughts on this, or Burchett in general?

As always, I'm still following the events in 52, but just got 34 today. Loved the Batwoman/Nightwing cover, and the dialogue when he gave her a real batarang. Charlie's painful illness and Kate with Renee was nice-- all though the interior art of Kate was very different than previous versions. Black Adam's continues to grow and change in the name of his family, but will that redeem him from his "international terrorist" life. Check out the 52 pickup blog for the weekly rundown.

I guess I missed JLA 3, because I was lost at the start of 4. The Benes art is great, Roy and Dinah good in the fight scenes, and those nutty starros are not organic, and Red Tornado deals with being human. "Is that my blood?". Meltzer is good with the dramatic ender-- a huge Solomon Grundy saying "And I'm sick and tired of dying."

Hope you all read the Secret Six 6 finale. The Mad Hatter is mad, then accepted, then, well, something else. Ragdoll is perfect, and Knockout made me laugh aloud when she tells Catman "Your mercy tastes like vomit on my tongue, Blake. Be grateful you're pleasant to look at, Kitten." For you sorry folks who missed this series, the trade is out in March.

Today I went to an amazing reenactment of the Second Battle of Trenton, held almost at the same place Washington fought the British and Hessian armies. After, I got $41 worth of comics for this week alone, so more thoughts soon.

"This isn't just gonna blow over"

After spending a near week with only dial-up in Ohio, god bless ya if you visit my site without high speed internet access. You are dedicated!

I think I better change my profile picture here- I'm gonna be cold this winter!

Thanks to all new 'friends' on my comic space account. It's great getting your comments and coming across new artists and fans. Now I've been playing in the locations tags to find 'friends' from around the world.

French message board discussing my redhead countdown.


Criminal 3


Ed Brubaker, I adore this title (and fedoras!). In the same brutal yet sweet way I loved Sleeper, you have again brought the crime story, with desperation, redemption and romantic tinges to life. The tender interplay here wtih Greta and Leo, while she recovers from a gun shot wound, is a nice bridge from the set-up action to the forthcoming action.

When the naked auburn haired Greta (Sean Phillips beautiful but not exploitative art) wonders if she should show her hideous scar to him, Leo responds with:
"Scars make your body more beautiful, Greta". I reread this scene several times, pondering how Leo told her the version of the always-loved 'I like you just for who you are'.
I wonder if Ed or Sean have a thing for redheads, because Miss Misery in Sleeper also was of the trouble/love interest vein.

and the ain't-it-the-truth quote--
"You're different than I always thought you were.
"People usually are..."
"Yeah, but usually it's a disappointment."

Hop on board if you haven't yet- it's only issue 3 so you can catch up.

Phillygirl lent me her floppies of Garth Ennis The Boys. Only read issue 1, raunchy and sick at points, but intriguing to consider the dark side of superpowers. The first 6 issue will be available March 07 in trade

Phillygirl and I also disagree on Brian K. Vaughan joining the writing staff of Lost. Love BKV, love Lost, but as one of his DC coworkers said to me, once Hollywood comes calling, not just the money but the creative freedom making film and shows-- it will be hard to give comics the time. Look how long it took Lindelof (Lost co-creator) to work on the Ultimate Hulk vs. Wolverine. With Y ending, and the leaving Runaways, there will be less BKV tasty comic goodness for all.

More reviews to come because I got caught up while away. The trip has reminded me that I'm so lucky to have 2 comic stores in about 15-20 minutes, plus a Barnes and Noble for GN's, and the library, 'course. At a guitar shop in Angola, IN, they asked if "I was from around here". Nice midwestern types, in a cute but small town- guess they pegged me as not local.

parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting

Enjoy the season, and the holidays from Redhead Fangirl! After the work on the redhead countdown, it's time to take a short break. I'll be out of town, maybe having a white christmas. This weekend included hosting my family for a holiday dinner and a party that had guitar playin' and singing.

• Visit the Comic Blog Legion
  
  
• 2 great Comic Cover Advent Calendars: Yet Another Comics Blog
  and Polite Dissent
  

• Watch the weekly video podcast of Variant Edition

Some GN's I've recently read to suggest--
American Born Chinese
Love Fights, vol 1. by Andi Watson

Comics-- Batman/Spirit, JSA 1, Mystery in Space 4, Zombies vs. Robots, White Tiger 2, Crossing Midnight 1.

Celebrate yourselves and friends and family!

#1 Barbara Gordon, Batgirl, Oracle

It probably isn't a surprise to find Barbara Gordon as #1 on my list.

Batgirl

Redhead librarian Barbara Gordon, daughter of Commissioner James Gordon (after Crisis she becomes his niece). Babs fashions a female Batman costume on her way to a ball. A fight breaks out with Killer Moth, and begins her crime-fighting career.

The character fleshed out considerably, with the shy, mousey, bookworm version of Barbara Gordon quickly giving way to a more modern, confident character (whom friends call "Babs"). Devoid of her plain-Jane glasses and hair bun- Barbara proved to be more popular than her predecessor (Bette Kane, the Bat-Girl) with the readers as well, as they made requests for her to appear in other titles.

First Comic Book Appearance

* Detective #359, January 1967.

There is a similarity with #2 Mary Jane here- her backstory also includes a drinking father who took his anger out on Barbara.


From 1967 to 1988 she was the superhero known as Batgirl; since 1988 she has been known as Oracle.

Oracle

In 1988, in what many feel was one of the most ruthless storylines in comic history, the Joker, as part of his plan to drive James Gordon into madness, shoots Barbara through the spine, paralyzing her and ending her career as Batgirl forever.

In 1998, the character Oracle was first established in Suicide Squad #23. It was in Suicide Squad #38 where we learn that Oracle is in actuality, a wheelchair bound Barbara Gordon

She's the information maven now, able to access the real power of information and feed that information to her team Birds of Prey. BOP is written by Gail Simone, and just reached it's 100th issue. From here a new team is being assembled, to take the place of the departing Black Canary. Oracle acts as team leader, friend, mother-figure, and conscience for the team. Her skills at accessing info networks, and hacking, give both crime fighters and geek boys a thrill.

Barbara, from a young Batgirl to the more mature Oracle, represents the best of all superheroes: intelligence, humor, strength, beauty, loyalty, and a moral compass to guide us. She's a character that has changed physically and mentally, and has actually grown with time. When you are 20, you have these righteous opinions about the world, experienced only in college classrooms. That's the Batgirl phase. The richer phase is the Oracle one-- you know more about the world, and how not to judge or insist your opinion is the only one. You can build your own team of friends and family like Barbara does in BoP.

Red and Proud

#2 Mary Jane Watson Parker

Mary Jane Watson Parker,or MJ,currently married to Peter Parker, Spider-man, and lives in the Avengers tower with Aunt Mae Parker.
Gwen Stacy, Spidey's love interest. Fans loved Mary Jane from her first appearance, the famous scene where a very reluctant Peter gets set up with her. She turns around at his "That's Mary Jane!", and says "Face tiger, you hit the jackpot!"



Spider-Fan characters Mary Jane
Living a life so large, it had seemed as if she was insignificant. She's the motivation that keeps Spider-Man fighting and relentlessly driven to survive when the odds are against him

Marvel Directory Mary Jane


According to Stan Lee, Mary Jane was originally intended to be simply a rival for Gwen Stacy for the affections of Peter Parker. Lee had always intended for Gwen Stacy to be Spider-Man's one true love, but fans vocally supported the feisty Mary Jane over the non-offensive Gwen Stacy. The pairing of Mary Jane and Peter Parker has become one of the true classic romances of the comic medium and the couple are considered to be one of the superhero genre's most beloved "super-couples".

Since June 2004, I've been in love with the Spider-man loves Mary Jane series. MJ is the star, not yet the model/actress, but a high school girl trying to find herself and trying on different things-and boys- for size. Sean McKeever's teen angst and teen bliss writing with Mizayawa's manga yet American look of the Spider-Man family are a joy to hold. Many bloggers are interested to see David Hahn (Bite Club, Robin) when he begins doing art on the title.

I love Mary Jane for her flirty quips, can-do personality, and her devotion to Peter. Also, MJ is more complex than the party girl she seems; her troubled family background adds the element of a different outer persona than the inner one.
I really like the Spider-man movies. Kirsten's MJ in these films is more of a mix of MJ and Gwen- first love, girl next door more than the jaw-dropping MJ. Now that the redhead Bryce Howard will be the blonde Gwen, who knows where this will leave MJ in the films.

2-5% of United States popn has red hair

#3 Poison Ivy

#3 is villainess Poison Ivy in the Batman Family, Pamela Isley. "May your hell be a green one"- famous for flirting scenes with Batman and her friendship with Harley Quinn.

From: Poison Ivy- Ivy's origins cast her as a botanist caught in the clutches of one Dr. Jason Woodrue (later to become a plant-powered supervillain known as the Floronic Man), who conducted bizarre experiments on her. Woodrue's mad science turned Isley into Ivy, mixing her human blood with plant toxins and making her virtually immune to all poisons, viruses and diseases.

To Poison Ivy, plants in general are more precious and deserving of protection than human lives, and she'll willingly sacrifice the latter to guarantee the survival and prosperity of the former. Naturally, those arboreal priorities have led her to more than one clash with the urban avenger Batman.

Adding depth and human appeal to her animated incarnation is the wonderful Thelma and Louise-like relationship she shares with Joker-moll Harley Quinn. Ivy becomes the 'big sister' in this relationship, constantly cajoling Harley to better herself and leave her abusive clown of a boyfriend behind.

I really enjoyed the Harley and Ivy miniseries, written and drawn by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. One side effect of their popularity is the endless pinups- and even more provacative- images drawn and sold at cons. Jim Lee draws her in a green bathing suit, others take away all the clothes and just use leaves.

Many college days were spent with Phillygirl watching Batman: the animated series and loving the Poison Ivy character. We were both pretty active in the environmental group, and PI was a villian, but with a definite cause.

Uma Thurman's Ivy from 1997's Batman & Robin, was an unqualified disaster - whether because the script was so irretrievably awful or because Thurman simply sank in the part, it's hard to say.

Can two brown haired parents have a redhead?

#4 Mera

#4 Mera (Aquaman's wife)

Mera, Queen, and Arthur Curry's former wife, makes my list at #5. Personally, I grew up spending summers- well, all seasons- on the beach and adored Aquaman. Redheaded queen wife Mera was one of the rare redheads, and she was Aquaman's equal partner.

Aquaman gained his own series for the first time with the publication of Aquaman #1 (Jan-Feb 1962). Aquaman had met Mera, a queen from a water-based dimension, and he married her at the same time he was crowned king of Atlantis, Aquaman #18 (Nov-Dec 1964). They soon had a son, Arthur, Jr. (nicknamed "Aquababy") in issue #23 (Sep-Oct 1965).

Mera had her own breakdown and struggles after the death of their son, Arthur, Jr. She blamed her husband for his death and left him.

The Absorbacon's Mera summary
'She's Wet Phoenix, Submarine Maxima, Underwater MJ, , Bathospherian Batgirl, Aquatic Knockout, and the Looker of the Sea. Remember, blondes are supportive but ineffective allies; brunettes don't know your secret identity; black haired girls are seductive enemies; redheads are fiery troublesome love interests. That's just how life is, folks.'

Comic Treadmill's Aquaman 16-18 (1964) review . A lot of other great Aquaman reviews on this site.

I had been reading the Aquaman series [This series ran from issues #1 (Feb 2003) to #39 (Apr 2006)], and the new series renamed Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis with issue #40 (May 2006), written by Busiak and illustrated by Butch Guice, gives Mera a starring role, and has lead to some gorgeous Mera artwork. Alex Ross in the Justice series has luscious Aquaman and Mera panels also.


Mera Overview of the DC Comics character Mera, from the Aquaman mythos, from Tegan's Aquaman site
'Mera is a truly sensitive and caring individual. She will go out of her way to help those in need, even at the risk of her own life. She was one of the rare silver-agers females (and by rare I mean I remember only one other - Hawkwoman) who was not a truly "I will do anything to annoy the hero" supporting female cast member. She was not the "female in need of rescue" kind of character, like Lois Lane and Iris West and Carol Ferris etc. She had a personality and, from time to time, she saved Aquaman with her own powers and intelligence. She was not inferior to the main character of the book. She was the voice of reason against Aquaman's hot-headed temper, and sometimes it took Mera's soothing yet commanding voice to bring him out of his reveries.'

Ginger haired cartoons

#5 Jean Grey

[Make me your friend at comicspace.com/redheadfangirl. Over 3,000 fanboys and girls now!]

#5 is the only Class 5 mutant, the green-eyed, red haired Jean Grey. She has telepathy-telekinesis-psionically levitate and move matter. She is one serious house of powers.

Using the codenames Marvel Girl and later Phoenix, Jean Grey is best known as a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, she first appears in X-Men #1 (September 1963).

Jean Grey is a mutant born with vast telepathic and telekinetic powers. She is a caring, nurturing figure, but she also must deal with being an Omega-level mutant and the physical manifestation of the cosmic Phoenix Force. wikipedia

Jean Grey is also the type of superhero that I love: a smart, strong female, dealing with inner demons, outer pressures, and has suffered through dark days. (now hers as Phoenix are beyond the regular gal problems, but can be used as a metaphor. Dark Phoenix appears and Jean Grey scorches the Earth. In the end Jean is redeemed by the I-wasn't-Dark Phoenix-I-was-in-a-cocoon-at-sea..you know, that old excuse.

The Dark Phoenix Saga is an extended X-Men storyline in the fictional Marvel Comics Universe, focusing on Jean Grey and the Phoenix Force, ending in Grey's apparent death. It was written by Chris Claremont with art by Dave Cockrum and John Byrne.

It is sometimes divided into two parts, with the Phoenix Saga (X-Men [vol. 1] #101-108, 1976-1977) referring to Grey's seeming assumption of the power and repair of the M'Kraan Crystal, and the Dark Phoenix Saga (X-Men [vol. 1] #129-138, 1980) to her corruption and fall. It is one of the most well-known and heavily referenced comic stories, and widely considered a classic., wikipedia.

Kurt Busiek's (then a college student) solution to Jean being innocent of Dark Phoenix's crimes(involved the discovery that Jean Grey was still on the bottom of Jamaica Bay in suspended animation, and the Phoenix entity had used her body and mind as a lens, creating an immensely powerful duplicate of Jean, but a duplicate which grew more corrupted and distorted the longer it remained separate from the true Jean. Chris Clairmont was completely opposed to this and John Byrne's retcon of of the origin of Dark Phoenix.



Jean Grey first X-woman
This site has the Jean Grey-all, biographies, pictures from the early years, to the Phoenix years, to the X-factor years.

Bianca's Jean Grey site

Redhead horns Tshirt

#6 Ralph Dibny, the Elongated Man

Ralph Dibny, the Elongated Man, has come to the forefront of DC comics in recent years, and I couldn't be enjoying his arcs more. He was one of the first Silver Age comic characters to reveal his true identity, and also married Sue Dibny.

His first appearance was The Flash (vol. 2) #112 (May 12, 1960). He was partially created by Julius Schwartz, who noted he only created the character because he didn't realize DC Comics had acquired Plastic Man in 1956.

In Alex Ross' new series Justice, there are some amusing Plastic Man and Elonganted Man moments where Plastic ribs Ralph.


Ralph Dibny in the current 52 series is still reeling from the the murder of his wife, Sue Dibny in the Meltzer/Morales series Identity Crisis in 2004. I'm sentimental about the part where he talks about being in the room with the superstar heroes of the past, Flash and Superman, but Sue still choosing him.

Dibny is a real adult in the sometimes juvenile world of comics. His detective skills, marriage and respect for his wife, and the wise but still volatile interactions.

He and his wife Sue Dibny became effectively partners, solving mysteries and participating in Justice League adventures as equals. They were also notable in having a stable, happy, and relatively trouble-free marriage — an anomaly in the soap operatic annals of comic books.




Despite being a Justice League member, Dibny has not been a high profile character, at least in terms of JL members the average fan could rattle off.

The character has appeared in a few episodes of the Justice League Unlimited animated series, voiced by Jeremy Piven. This is the first television series in which he has made an appearance

My red hair gives me superpowers Tshirt

#7 Red Sonja

This year is the 35th anniversary of Red Sonja, and despite writer Mike Oeming's jokes that she will have some kids and get a minivan, that seems doubtful. Dynamite comics releases the current Red Sonja, and the cover art and variants are very popular.

With her chain mail bikini and big sword, with her curves and long red hair, get Red Sonja a lot of attention. She gets a spot on my list for being of the first redheads that springs to mind when you think of comics - hell, she had Red in her name. Despite falling a Witchblade, Vampirella category, she is a fierce warrior. She will "never lie with a man unless he beats her in fair combat"

Red Sonja, "warrior woman out of majestic Hyrkania," is a fantasy sword and sorcery heroine created by Roy Thomas and Barry Smith and first appearing in Conan the Barbarian #23 (Marvel Comics).

Most artists depict Red Sonja wearing a very brief bikini-like costume of scale mail. As originally drawn by Barry Smith for "The Shadow of the Vulture" and "The Song of Red Sonja" in Conan the Barbarian issues 23 and 24 (1973), she did not have as full a figure and dressed a little more conservatively, in a chainmail long-sleeved shirt and red cloth (maybe leather) shorts. I think the Jonathan Luna cover (Feb) will be an interesting take on RS.

Brigette Nielsen and Arnold Schwarzenegger made the film Red Sonja in 1985.


Featuring the first ever 3-D reproduction of Michael Turner's cover to RED SONJA #1, this incredible statue stands 13" tall, and a whopping 11.5" wide and 13" long!

The official Red Sonja site

#8 Daredevil

The redhead at #9 on the list is Matt Murdock, Daredevil, created in 1964.

Daredevil (Matthew Murdock) is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett[1] in Daredevil Vol. 1, #1 (April 1964), he is notable as being among the few superheroes with a disability. Blinded during his youth, his other four senses developed to compensate, and he obtained a sonar-like ability to perceive objects.

Although Daredevil had been home to the work of many comic-book legends — Jack Kirby, Wally Wood, John Romita, Sr. and Gene Colan, among others — it was not until Frank Miller's entrance on the title in the late 1970s that Daredevil was regarded as either popular or influential.


Frank Miller revamped the story in 1979 and those elements still remain: Hell's Kitchen NY as it's own noir character, the introduction of Kingpin as nemesis, and organized crime. Daredevil has always been tied to the reality of the streets. This comes up in the latest Civil War series grouping Daredevil with other characters like Luke Cage who are not establishment, registration types. Of course, being close friends with Spider-man makes me like Daredevil even more.

The Joe Quesada drawn and Kevin Smith Daredevil of 1998 stands out in recent history as an important reboot, and the 4 year Bendis run has been acclaimed also.
Writer Ed Brubaker and artist Michael Lark became the new creative team with Daredevil #82 (Feb. 2006). I love Brubaker and must admit I have not read his popular take on the character.

Occasionally, Matt Murdock was shown as a blonde- boo!
And the debated Ben Affleck movie Daredevil in 2003. Somehow it seems much longer ago than 3 years!

"Sunlight hurts me" Tshirt

...another thing that hurts is Chris at 2 Guys Buying Comics is shutting down shop. Thanks for 2 years of great posts. It is a real commitment to run a blog, and post even every few days. There have been many times, when I've worked on a post and got no comments, or blogging has created more stress, that I've considered closing up too. So thanks boys for your unique and smart voice!

#9 Atom Eve

Atom Eve, from Robert Kirkman's Invincible series, makes the list at #9.
Her powers and abilities include:

Atom Eve is able to manipulate matter at the sub-atomic level by sheer will power. Organic and inorganic matter can be changed into anything she desires. She can augment normally bad food such as cakes and other sweets into nutritious foods as well as re-arrange the environment. Her costume is easily created by altering her clothes to fashion her Atom Eve suit.

She can also fly by lowering the density of the air around her as well as creating force fields.

What I love about Eve, besides her awesome long red hair, is how despite having incredible powers, she is still hesitant and insecure about what she can do. It's a metaphor for many women in life, learning what your identity is and utilizing your brains, strength, beauty or other skills.

A future Eve tells Invincible that she was in love with him.
In issue #34, Invincible met with a future version of Atom Eve that confessed her undying love for him. She instructed him to either tell her either that he (Invincible) loved her, or that he hated, or didn't want anything to do with her romantically so that she (Eve) could get on with her life.
(Eve, See Lana Lang, for the redhead being second to another girl story)


At this point in Invincible, Mark seems to be unsure about having real girl Beth as his girlfriend, but also loves Beth for being the first one to want to date him. This time the rival girl is a blonde.
I once wrote a letter to Kirkman to tell him that women do read Invincible (and The Walking Dead), and that if I could sew I'd make an Atom Eve costume. This lead to a comical response letter where a guy asked if Kirkman would publish those pics. I couldn't believe that I was being discussed in a comics letters column!

Carrot tops are green, Einstein Tshirt

#10 Giganta

A character first seen in 1944, Giganta makes my list at #10. Imprinted from the Super Friends shows of my childhood, as the Legion of Doom rose from the swamp...

Wonder Woman vol. 1 #9 (Summer 1944)
The original version of Giganta was a foe of the Golden Age Wonder Woman, first appearing in Wonder Woman Vol. 1 #9 where the ape Giganta is artificially evolved into a large red-headed human woman by Professor Zool.

Giganta became a favorite villian, looming over the Justice League in the Super Friends series. Her cave woman cloth, that expanded with her size, was fascinating to me. Of course the psychology of a superstrong and huge woman has been discussed as male fantasy/repression ideas. Breasts each the size of a house makes anyone ponder- then the fact that she could swallow you or stomp you to death- there is fear and lust rolled up.

Giganta was first seen outside comics as a member of the Legion of Doom in the 1970s animated TV series Super Friends. In the TV series, she has the ability to grow to giant size (with accompanying superhuman strength) simply by willing it.

Legend of the superheroes 1979 "a live-action comedy/action kids show that thankfully only managed to eke out two episodes" Giganta appears, but only bends a bar instead of growing in size.

Joss Whedon has been bellyaching about the villians for his Wonder Woman movie. I'd like to see Giganta, if not as the main villian, but certainly as backup.

Giganta rap sheet

SuperFriends Page

Red Heads & Freckles
photographs of redheads, G rated

#11 Mystique

Mystique is a shapeshifter, but her blue skin, yellow eyes and red hair are present in her natural form. She makes my list at #11 for being shown as a redhead in print, and of course the sexy and brutal portrayal by Rebecca Romijn in the X-men films.

Mystique (Raven Darkholme) is a Marvel Comics character associated with the X-Men franchise. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Mooney, she first appeared in Ms. Marvel #17 (May 1978).

X-2:
Nightcrawler: Excuse me? They say you can imitate anybody, even their voice.
Mystique: [as Nightcrawler] Even their voice.
Nightcrawler: Then why not stay in disguise all the time? You know, look like everyone else.
Mystique: Because we shouldn't have to.

Mystique is a great villian, for both her ruthlessness in murder and her shape-shifting abilities that make the reader or viewer unaware of her identity until the reveal. Being the mother of Nightcrawler, and the foster mother of Rogue adds to the dichotomy of Mystique.

Veteran X-Men writer Chris Claremont has stated in interviews that he originally intended for Mystique and Destiny to be Nightcrawler's biological parents (Mystique having morphed into a man for the conception), but Marvel nixed the idea for being too controversial, due to it being a point in time where writers were prevented from having a character be gay or bisexual.

An old man of ninety was sitting on a park bench crying.

A policeman noticed this and asked him why he was crying.

"Well," says the old fellow, "I just got married to a twenty-five year old redhead. Every morning she makes me a wonderful breakfast and then we make love. In the afternoon she makes me a wonderful lunch and then we make love. At dinner time she makes me a wonderful supper and then we make love."

The policeman looks at the old man and says, "You shouldn't be crying! You should be the happiest man in the world!"

So the old man says, "I know! I'm crying because I don't remember where I live!"

#12 Guy Gardner

Green Lantern Guy Gardner is not your Opie or Jimmie Olson dork-redhead-- he is arrogant and brash. A former football hero who never could win his father's love, his hot temper became hallmark of his character. Guy fits the stereotype of the tempermental redhead, another redhead archtype. And he does it so well.

He was created by John Broome and Gil Kane (who patterned him after actor Martin Milner in Green Lantern #59 (March 1968), although the character was changed significantly in the 1980s Steve Englehart and Keith Giffen who turned him into a boorish, jingoistic parody of an ultra-macho "red-blooded American male." This remains the character's most recognized interpretation to date.

He challenged Batman as League chairman, and promptly got his socks knocked off. He's the 80's teen movie villian- jock and ass at once- that we love to see get comeuppance.

Johns and Van Sciver reinvent Hal Jordan, and Guy in Green Lantern: Rebirth
In Green Lantern: Rebirth #6 it is mentioned that Guy Gardner's ring is constantly sparking with energy, as if unable to contain the power of his will.

It's a good time to be a Guy fan with the release of Guy Gardner: Collateral Damage. Chaykin is the artist and writer-- lots of teeth baring will happen!



If you love a Redhead, set her free ...
If she follows you everywhere you go, pitches a tent in your front lawn and puts your new girlfriend in the hospital, she's yours.

#13 Scandal Savage

A new redhead in 2005 to the comics scene gets spot #13 on my list: Scandal Savage, an important member of the Secret Six and DCU villian Vandal Savage's daughter. There are several reasons that Scandal is interesting to me. Her father is a longtime foe in DCU, and her strained relationship with Vandal adds depth and tension. In Villians United, she was blackmailed by none other than Lex Luthor (acting as Mockingbird).

Her character was created by the best redhead creator in the business, Gail Simone, along with Dale Eaglesham.

Adding a third redhead to the mix, her lover is Knockout, a va-va-voom redhead with superstrength. She was oblivious to Scandal's upset when found in bed with Deadshot. The Secret Six team has just headed out to get Scandal back when she tried to breakaway. Daddy wants her to have a child.

The extent of Scandal's powers (if any) has yet to be revealed. While not, apparently, immortal like her father, she claims to be "damned hard to kill" (Villains United #5) and has proven herself to be a vicious fighter, capable of holding her own against the likes of Fatality (Villains United #3) and Talia al Ghul (Villains United #6).

In combat, she often employs a set of wrist-mounted blades, — the Laminas Pesar or "Lamentation Blades", which Scandal claims have been in the family for a long time. The blades have two settings. One is a pair of long, awl-like blades designed for stabbing. The other is three knife-like blades designed for slashing.


Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead.
Lucille Ball

#14 Lana Lang and Jimmie Olson

A pair of Superman redheads come in #14 on my favorite comic redhead list. Please delurk if you have any comments on the list!

Lana Lang
In the original Superboy stories, Lana was the girl who lived next door to the Kent family in Smallville, and was a romantic interest of Superboy.
Ironically, Lana Lang was often remembered as a sweet hometown girl by fanboy readers, but most of the time she was anything but sweet. Her single-minded fixation as a girl in Smallville was to unmask Clark Kent as Superboy

John Byrne in the mid-80s lessened Lana's connection with Superman, by making her origin:
Lana was a childhood friend of Clark, with a certain degree of romantic tension in the air as Lana had long pined after Clark who had loved her only platonically in return. It was sad that Lana was reduced to the also-ran who not only lost out to Lois, but never even had Clark's affection to begin with.

In the 1983 movie Superman III Lana was played by Annette O'Toole (who went on to play Martha Kent in the TV series Smallville). The Smallville Lana is a Chinese/Dutch brunette, rather than the traditional redhead. While she is a beautiful actress, the distinct red hair of the character is gone.

Or you might remember the redheaded Lana actress in The Adventures of Superboy


AND James Bartholomew Olsen (Jimmy Olsen)

Jimmy is traditionally depicted as a bow tie-wearing, red-haired young man who works as a cub reporter and photographer for The Daily Planet, alongside Lois Lane and Clark Kent, whom he idolizes as career role models. In most depictions of the character, he also has a strong friendship with Superman

In 2006's Superman Returns, Jimmy is played by actor Sam Huntington. Again, his traditional red hair was changed to a brunette character. To me, the red hair is so intrinsic if you know these characters, but I guess the casual movie or TV viewer doesn't know the origin.

Two Nuns are riding their bicycles down the back streets of Rome. One leans over to the other and says, "I've never come this way before."
The other nun, a redhead, whispers, "It's the cobblestones."
Redheadjokes.com

#15 Little redhaired girl

#15 The little red-haired girl from the Charlie Brown comics
The source of Charlie Brown's unrequited crush is actually never seen in the comic strip. When I was younger, seeing a redhead on TV, movie, or magazine ad was very rare. It was all tan blondes, maybe a brunette. Sometimes we might be like '4th female lead' in a Charlie's Angels episode. So imagining that I was the "little redhead girl" that a boy would think about and want to talk to, gave me hope. She made Charlie Brown the conduit for all our awkwardness and longings and missteps.

She does appear in the animated TV special "It's your first kiss, Charlie Brown".

I once saw a special on Charles Shultz which made me really appreciate him as an artist-- even the little doodles he created were full of character and life. The real redhead he pined for was named Donna Johnson.

"I'd like to see Charlie Brown kick that football, and if he gets the little red-haired girl, that's fine with me".

When I was a kid, my dream was to be a farmer and marry Charlie Brown. I wanted to rescue him and make him happy. Besides, he was always lusting after the little redhead girl.
Alicia Witt, actress

Only two things are necessary to keep a redhead happy. One is to let her think she is having her own way, and the other is to let her have it.
Redheadjokes.com