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ANIMA and
SON OF VULCAN
in TITANS EAST
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Vulcan gives his powers to Mikey in the
SON OF VULCAN mini-series [2005]. |
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A Hero Ignited
Miguel "Mikey" Devante grew up as an orphan in the sleepy town of Charlton's Point. But at age fourteen, his life changed dramatically. In his search for a part-time job at Big Belly Burger, Mikey found himself caught between the eco-obsessed Floronic Man and a flame-wielding hero known as Vulcan. When Mikey's quick thinking helped save the day, Vulcan recruited the resourceful orphan as his newest sidekick.
Before Mikey's training began, Vulcan was slain by the Floronic Man, who was actually a shape shifting White Martian in disguise. With his dying breath, Vulcan passed his fire-based powers onto Mikey with a touch. Imbued with fantastic powers but no direction, Mikey sought answers in the Forge, Vulcan's high-tech headquarters. With help from Vulcan's android aide, Pandora, Mikey helped himself to a collection of Vulcan's state-of-the-art weaponry before security protocols caused the Forge to self-destruct.
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Titans East is massacred before their first mission in TEEN TITANS EAST SPECIAL [2007]. |
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Trial By Fire
Mikey's problems were compounded when he was targeted by Vulcan's Rogues Gallery of villains - the Coalition of Crime - who believed Mikey was literally the son of Vulcan. Aided by Vulcan's former sidekick, Barney Blaine, Mikey was able to repel the villains. Blaine then revealed to Mikey that Vulcan's powers originated from a metavirus devised by the White Martian race. This "virus" passed flame-wielding abilities from host to host through a touch - which enabled a long line of "Sons of Vulcan" to hunt the White Martians. In turn, the White Martians became their bitter enemies.
Mikey faced a true trial-by-fire when he confronted a group of White Martian human hybrids: Sapling, Buster , Silhouette, Quaker and Blur. After proving himself in battle, Mikey was faced with a fateful decision: should he go it alone as a kid sidekick without a superhero mentor, or can he just hang up his costume forever? Resolving to continue the Sons of Vulcan legacy, Mikey continued adventuring and simply referred to himself as Vulcan.
Titans East Massacre
After reclaiming Titans Island on the East River, Cyborg set out to create an East Coast Titans team. After the elder Titans turned down membership, Cyborg gathered a Titans East composed of Hawk & Dove, Power Boy, Little Barda, Anima, Lagoon Boy and Son of Vulcan.
During a routine training exercise, Cyborg ordered the rest of the team to take down Power Boy. But the newest Titans were shocked to discover Power Boy's burned corpse hanging from a tree. Before the team could react, they were savagely attacked by the children of Trigon. This onslaught left The Son of Vulcan comatose.
Vulcan is able to generate intense heat and fire from any part of his body. Vulcan also obtained his previous owner's arsenal of weaponry - including body armor, gauntlets that can generate force fields, a special sword with a translucent monomolecular blade and nearly indestructible headgear.
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Son of Vulcan #1-6 [2005]: Orphan Mikey Devante was just looking for an after-school job at a local fast-food restaurant. But caught between the Floronic Man, bent on liberating the salad bar from carb-conscious consumers, and Vulcan, a flame-wielding hero determined to sautée the poisonous Plant Master, Mikey may have bitten off more than he can chew—especially when he's hand-picked to become Vulcan's newest sidekick! But how will Mikey learn the ropes of heroism when Vulcan bites the dust before training him?
Teen Titans East Special [2007]: A flashback reveals an untold tale of the New Teen Titans saving a pop star from Joker and Bizarro. Flash to the present: Cyborg seeks out his old Titans allies to become Titans once again. All the elder Titans (Nightwing, Flash, Troia, Raven, Starfire, Red Arrow and Beast Boy) turn him down. Undaunted, Cyborg gathers a Titans East composed of Hawk & Dove, Power Boy, Little Barda, Anima, Lagoon Boy and Son of Vulcan. During a routine training exercise, Cyborg orders the rest of the team to take down Power Boy. Power Boy holds his own against the heroes, until Dove takes a leadership role and starts using teamwork to reign in Power Boy. The team is then shocked to discover Power Boy’s lifeless, burned body hanging from a tree. Before the team can react, they are savagely attacked by an unseen foe shooting laser blasts from the sky. Continued in Titans #1. Cyborg, Hawk & Dove, Power Boy, Little Barda, Anima, Lagoon Boy and Son of Vulcan form Titans East in this issue; the team is also massacred in this issue. Death of Power Boy.
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BEATTY BRINGS SON of VULCAN TO DC
by Jennifer M. Contino
posted 03-14-2005 - courtesy of http://www.comicon.com/pulse/
Although it's called Son of Vulcan, writer Scott Beatty told THE PULSE the six issue miniseries has nothing to do with the Charlton hero who met his maker during the War of the Gods saga several years ago. This story concerns "the problems a boy 'inherits' when he becomes the partner to one of the world's greatest heroes." Beatty's working with artist Keron Grant and colorist Danimation to bring this new "old" hero to life.
Beatty stressed it was important for him to have PULSE readers understand that this series is brand new. "SON OF VULCAN has nothing to do with the original Charlton Comics character [John Mann] save for the name," Beatty stated. "I approached DC Comics with an original concept about a year ago. Executive VP Dan Didio suggested using the title SON OF VULCAN, which fits on several levels. The characters and the concept are based on one of my favorite superhero motifs, the kid sidekick, and all the inherent problems of choosing an adolescent to be a partner-in-crimefighting."
"SON OF VULCAN features wholly new characters, but with ties to established DC history," explained Beatty.
Although this has nothing to do with John Mann, whom Beatty assured is "one comics character who STAYS dead," the scribe also assured: "Vulcan's prior appearances will be covered in the miniseries. Readers will learn that he's been a fixture of the DCU for quite some time."
"When the series starts, Mikey Devante - our focus - doesn't have any powers at all," continued Beatty. "Conversely, Vulcan's powers involve fire and heat. Plus he's got a BIG indestructible sword. [Son of Vulcan is] about the problems a boy 'inherits' when he becomes the partner to one of the world's greatest heroes. Being a kid sidekick isn't just about having a high-tech subterranean cavern headquarters as your playground, or getting the last word with a bad pun when you're giving supervillains the smackdown. It's a lot more complicated. Mikey's introduction to superheroics is not without a certain bit of drama. Let's just say that he's not quite PREPARED for his new life."
Beatty added, "Because the characters, for all intents and purposes, are new to the DCU, the challenge is to reveal just enough to whet readers' appetites and tell a complete and satisfying story, but still leave enough stones unturned for a (hopeful) SON OF VULCAN reprise, either in an ongoing series or a 'season two' mini."
"Of all the things I've written for DC to date, SON OF VULCAN is probably the most irreverent," stated Beatty. "The series is quite serious in tone and topic, but there are elements of dark comedy that come through ... not merely for comedy's sake, but more a realization of the implicit ironies of what it means to be a kid sidekick. Essentially, you're a target from the get-go, a means to hurt the hero. But you're also being groomed to become the hero's eventual replacement, whether you like it or not. The series' focus, Mikey Devante, is forced to ask these questions much sooner than most youthful wards or teen cohorts."
Speaking of which, Beatty cited some of the usual suspects as being influences for the relationships and situations in Son of Vulcan. "Obviously, the Batman and Robin archetype is a big influence, but the kid sidekick motif isn't just limited to the Dynamic Duo. I found myself referencing Green Arrow and Speedy, as well as Captain America and Bucky when conversing with [artist] Keron [Grant] and series editor Tom Palmer Jr. and trying to make a particular point or reference."
"Miguel 'Mikey' Devante is cut from the same cloth as a lot of sidekicks ... Dick Grayson, Bucky Barnes, Roy Harper, Wally West ...." continued Beatty. "He's basically a good kid who lucked into what could be the best job in the world under other circumstances. Mikey was in the right place at the right time to help Vulcan out. Plus, Vulcan NEEDS a partner."
Beatty promised the identity of this Son of Vulcan will be revealed in the first issue. He also said some of the other SoV "helpers" as well as his "secret headquarters" would also be featured in the first part. However he was tight lipped on some other details. "The history of Vulcan is one of the underlying mysteries of the series. Readers will learn the truth as Mikey does. Vulcan exists in the same pantheon as Superman and Batman and all the rest. We'll see quite a few familiar faces as the series progresses."
"I'm writing the story with the hopes that ANY audience would find it accessible and enjoyable," continued Beatty. "We're not necessarily trying to fill a comics marketing niche here. All good stories are character-driven. We're offering an alternative take on a concept that's closely tied to the comics medium, not to mention heroic fiction. What does it mean to be a hero's youthful partner? What future do you face when you've got a rogues gallery at 15? These are the kinds of issues we'll be exploring."
Beatty told us what he thought to be the biggest inherent problems to an adult hero having a teen or child sidekick. "In a nutshell, the hero doubles the dangers, contributes to the delinquency of a minor, and can develop an emotional attachment that clouds his judgment," Beatty cited. "Yeah, it's great to have a partner to share the superhero workload, and it's nice to have someone to talk to during long stakeouts, but the risks outweigh the rewards."
Beatty said he hopes the story will have something for all comic fans. "It's really difficult to predict what characters will resonate with a particular audience. Some click while others can't seem to get a footing in today's market. There's no magic formula. Too often, good books - like good movies or critically-lauded television series -just don't find an audience ... even with good word-of-mouth. We've every hope that retailers and readers give SOV a shot. And if you like it enough the first time, we've been ready from the initial pitch to grow the concept into an ongoing series."
Beatty promised the identity of this Son of Vulcan will be revealed in the first issue. He also said some of the other SoV "helpers" as well as his "secret headquarters" would also be featured in the first part. However he was tight lipped on some other details. "The history of Vulcan is one of the underlying mysteries of the series. Readers will learn the truth as Mikey does. Vulcan exists in the same pantheon as Superman and Batman and all the rest. We'll see quite a few familiar faces as the series progresses."
"Vulcan and Mikey encounter the Floronic Man in the very first issue," continued Beatty. "As time goes on, Mikey will encounter various members of Vulcan's rogues gallery, including Witchazel, Monkey-in-the-Middle, Scramjet, Little B.U.D.D.Y., and Fishmonger, just to name a few."
Beatty said Mikey's superhero identity is a secret for now, but what wasn't a secret is his other projects. "NIGHTWING YEAR ONE, which I co-wrote with Chuck Dixon, is wrapping up as we speak. I recently finished the BATMAN BEGINS comics adaptation with artist Kilian Plunkett, as well as BATMAN BEGINS: THE VISUAL GUIDE from DK. One of my favorite personal works is THE BATMAN HANDBOOK from Quirk Books, now on sale. It's a real world primer on how to be Batman, including how to choose and train a sidekick. Somehow, I tend to gravitate towards concepts involving heroes and teen partners."
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