Storylines That Fizzled Out

[Bad Wolf]

This is more of an idea that fizzled out than a story, but one of my big disappointments was Bill Mantlo's Derangers.

Back in the 80s an issue of Amazing Heroes featured an article on four new series Mantlo was to be writing: Cloak & Dagger, Rocket Raccoon, Swords of the Swashbucklers, and The Derangers. Only the first three saw light of day as originally intended.

I no longer have the issue so I'm going on memory, but it was about a group of individuals with various mental illnesses (it might not be so acceptable today), whose powers reflected those illnesses. For instance there was a housewife named Breakdown who could literally explode and reform. There was a burned-out rock-star who was basically a tank, and I think a character based on multiple personalities. Maybe some others I forget. They were under the guidance, or perhaps mis-guidance of their psychologist, Doctor Bedlam.

The series was to be drawn by Butch Guice.

For whatever reason, it never happened. I waited, and waited... until finally they appeared as a bunch of generic villains in Alpha Flight. With the exception of Goblyn, a young girl with a demonic "imaginary" friend, none of them were explored or given any depth.

And the art wasn't as good.

*sigh*

[Gothos]

Julius Schwartz had a frustrating tendency to introduce story lines in his comics that looked like they might go somewhere, only not to develop them. Soon after Schwartz took over Batman, in issue 167 of Batman, Bill Finger wrote a story that introduced an international criminal organization called Hydra. It was a promising story, taking Batman in a more realistic direction, and we were led to believe that more "heads" of the Hydra would be showing up in future issues. Yet nothing was done with that.

Re: disappearing organizations-- for one issue of a Superman comic, in which he met a one-shot villain named 'Dr. Kryptonite," he also encountered a criminal syndicate named "Intercrime." At story's end Superman swore to go after the remaining malefactors, but I don't think the name turned up again. When Kirby came up with his own syndicate, "Inter-Gang," I dearly wished he'd used that title, since I thought "I-G" sounded rather silly.

Also, at the end of the tale about "The Man Who Destroyed Krypton," Superman also swears to go after the Pirate Empire, the men who sent assassin Black Zero to annihilate Krypton. I don't think that one ever came back, probably because most fans wanted to forget that alternate take on the classic origin.

[Reptisaurus!]

The Warren Ellis series I'm sorriest to see fizzle out is Doktor Sleepless, followed fairly closely by Desolation Jones, and with Fell a more distant third.

Huhyeah, Doktor Sleepless was really, really good.

Although not quite good enough that I never noticed it was unfinished.

[The Duke]

The original New Universe series from the 80's was gutted and finally put out if its misery months after Jim Shooter had left Marvel, the main architect of that line. A few dick editors/creators even took some final potshots at JS in the pages of the book.

I remember being 13 years old and full of excitement for the New Universe. Two issues into Strikeforce: Morturi I felt like I'd had a run in with Doctor Light on the JLA Satellite. That was the beginning of the end for the "golden age" of Marvel, I suspect.

[Scott Harris]

I remember being 13 years old and full of excitement for the New Universe. Two issues into Strikeforce: Morturi I felt like I'd had a run in with Doctor Light on the JLA Satellite. That was the beginning of the end for the "golden age" of Marvel, I suspect.

Strikeforce: Morituri is genius! It also wasn't part of the New Universe. Are you possibly thinking of Codename: Spitfire?

[Ish Kabbible]

Neal Adams and his Continuity Comics company was in the middle of a massive storyline crossing over into all it's publications. Issues were notoriously late even though they continued to solicit future comics in detail. Neal's company just stopped with nothing said to the fan press. But since the writting on these books were awful-no one really cared.
I believe the same thing happened with Comico's Elementals.

[The Duke]

Strikeforce: Morituri is genius! It also wasn't part of the New Universe. Are you possibly thinking of Codename: Spitfire?

I believe that I am.

Mine own further addition to this topic is the Acclaim comic Gravediggers. It promised a new mini-series then the entire line, including X/0 Manowar was killed off.

[Mace Dolex]

Neal Adams and his Continuity Comics company was in the middle of a massive storyline crossing over into all it's publications. Issues were notoriously late even though they continued to solicit future comics in detail. Neal's company just stopped with nothing said to the fan press. But since the writting on these books were awful-no one really cared.
I believe the same thing happened with Comico's Elementals.

I think I seem to remember Valeria The She-Bat was going to crossover with Spawn but Todd McFarlane got cold feet I guess since Continuity Comics didn't seem as cool or "Image-ized".

[The Valeyard]

Neal Adams and his Continuity Comics company was in the middle of a massive storyline crossing over into all it's publications. Issues were notoriously late even though they continued to solicit future comics in detail. Neal's company just stopped with nothing said to the fan press. But since the writting on these books were awful-no one really cared.
I believe the same thing happened with Comico's Elementals.

Continuity's Deathwatch 2000 was 1 issue away from completion. I believe that final issue was being drawn by Michael Golden and he was taking his time with it. When asked, Neal Adams said something along the lines of "You want me to rush Michael Golden?"

They pushed forward with the next crossover - Rise of Magic. It was the never-ending crossover that never ended. Continuity closed up shop during this storyline. The non-Rise of Magic stuff (Valeria The She-Bat & KnightHawk) ended up over at Valiant's Windjammer line. Todd McFarlane didn't get cold feet. He blatantly said he'd rather do a team up with Batman because people have heard of that character. He pulled Spawn out of the crossover and it was eventually re-drawn as a Valeria/KnightHawk team up.

The next big crossover from Continuity (which was solicited in Previews) was an alien invasion storyline.