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Underground > Comic Books >

Modern-day League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

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20:10 / 01.11.03

A question in a newspaper I read today asked who would make up a modern-day version of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

The characters would all have to be fictional, have to come from books which are set in the present (and thus could have a shared universe)and be fairly well-known. Each character would have to bring a certain something to the team. Some unique skill.

My other half and I wracked our brains to come up with some interesting people but realised that, sadly, most of the ones we came up with were from books that eventually became movies. Not a bad thng, as such, but limiting. I'm sure there are better choices out there that I'm not thinking of.

Now, obviously this is just a bit of fun, so let's not get too serious or obscure. It could be argued that it would be more appropriate to choose movie characters, but that's too easy.

So far we've got:

Hannibal Lector (The scary-ass psycologist. Maybe a consultant more than an active team member.)

Jack Ryan (This one's iffy. The leader.)

Arthur Dent (Hey, he's been across time and space, he's bound to have learned a few things. The only problem is Earth was destroyed in HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE so he may not be suitable.)

Ms. Marple (The uber-detective)

Harry Potter (The occult expert)

So, any ideas?

20:31 / 01.11.03

What about James Bond?

I do like the idea of Hannibal Lector taking Harry Potter under his wing.

20:35 / 01.11.03

Hah! Cool! Never thought of Him.

And I love the idea of a Lector/Potter mentor/student thing...

All Acting Regiment

21:04 / 01.11.03

What about Alex from Clockwork Orange? And maybe someone from Trainspotting.

I personally dont think we should have harry potter; im sorry, in my opinion, he just in't his own character, just a "pick n choose" of other motifs. Of course so are all characters but Potter especcially. While the other characters we've mentioned exist to say something about the human condition, Potter exists to sell rubbish books to gullible kids.

How about Dangermouse as a replacement? As the Anti-mickey? Wasnt he a Cosgrove Hall creation and therefore the antithesis of the big moneyed american mouse? Much more Barbelith anyway.

21:34 / 01.11.03

I'm no fan of Potter either but he is popular and contemporary "literary" character (ie. he's in a book, which is the main criteria.)

Love your reasoning for Dangermouse but he didn't appear in book form first, did he?

Alex. Interesting. The Anarchist of the group. The one who challenges everything. Forces the other chracters to examine their own beliefs and motivations.

Foust is SO authentic

22:09 / 01.11.03

What about Lestat? The interview portion of Interview takes place in the present, doesn't it?

We could consider characters from other culture. What about the sympathetic survivor from Battle Royale? I'm forgetting his name. Or Asakawa from the Ring novel. A psychic reporter.

22:16 / 01.11.03

Lestat yes. Always nice to have a vampire around.
Asakawa yes. Good choice, there.

Don't know anything about Battle Roayle. Can you tell me/us a bit more?

22:49 / 01.11.03

Indiana Jones.

Funny enough idea, this. I'm trying to come up with strictly literary characters(of a certain, League-worthy caliber) and drawing a blank. Mostly everyone I think of is cinematic.

(I'd pick Louis over Lestat. He seemed to have a little more depth, if I remember correctly)

00:30 / 02.11.03

Surely Buffy would get a gurnsey???

00:33 / 02.11.03

What about Dr. Alan Grant or Dr. Ian Malcom? And the narrator from Fight Club?

And does Harry Potter even take place in modern times?

captain yossarian

10:05 / 02.11.03

- patrick bateman: the "american psycho"
- john f. sebastian: the puppet-maker from "blade runner" (maybe coming from a futuristic para-universe?)
- inspector columbo: for he´s slightly more up-to-date than ms. marple
- michael knight: the "knight rider" with his sophisticated trans-am
- james bond, of course, but only the version(s) from "casino royale"
(- indiana jones could be nice but he´s a little bit too much of a quatermain-cover-version)
- miriam and/or john blaylock: the upper-class-vampires from the tony scott-movie "the hunger" (1983), visually associated with catherine deneuve and david bowie
- barbara "jeannie" eden and major nelson: the only jeannie with her master

- and as the manipulative bad character: the mad commissioner dreyfus from the "pink panther"-movie series or some spectre-boss..

captain yossarian

10:06 / 02.11.03

oh, i forgot:

- the avengers!

captain yossarian

10:11 / 02.11.03

and i do not think they only have to appear in books... film/tv are also modern ways to entertain... and especially tv series seem to be a modern kind of pulp magazines and adventure novels.

Phex: Dorset Doom

11:19 / 02.11.03

Since we have almost totally abandoned the idea of using literary characters, may I suggest.
-B.A Barakas. (The A-team)
-Optimus Prime (Transformers)
-Colonel Kurtz (Apocalypse Now)
-Ron Jeremy (Ron Jeremy)
And Stephen Hawking as an Birds of Prey 'Oracle style character leading them from his HHawk-cave.
Love the idea of Narrator/Tyler Durden as a Jeckyl and Hyde gestalt.

11:41 / 02.11.03

All good, but the thing is, it's far too easy to come up with ideas from movies and TV.

Limiting the choices to characters who first appeared in books is more of a challenge, so let's stick with that.

Foust is SO authentic

12:35 / 02.11.03

Indeed, let's stick to books alone. It's not LXG if we're coming from other mediums - then we might as well just pick Spiderman.

Warewullf, Battle Royale was a Japanese novel (then movie) about a group of 9th graders dropped on an island by the government and told that only one of them was leaving. They all had to fight to the death. The character I'm refering to - I believe his name is Kawada - was a survivor from a previous Battle Royale and returned for personal reasons. He was strong, resourceful, and an excellant fighter.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

12:44 / 02.11.03

The problem here is we could use comic book charas too, so it all gets a bit meta. Micheal Kight would be perfect. As would Constantine.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

12:46 / 02.11.03

And what about that dude from Tetsuo II: Bodyhammer? He could turn into a fucking tank!

13:08 / 02.11.03

Kawada. He sounds pretty cool. He's on the short-list.

For the villian, I suggest the twisted and sinister Willy Wonka and his slave-army of Oompa-Loompas. Eeeeevil Oompa-Loompas...

(Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was set in the 50's or 60's, I believe, so he could still be around.)

Radiator, we can't use comic characters, otherwise we could just select the Justice League and leave it at that!

To recap, fictional book characters only.

13:39 / 02.11.03

I think Bridget Jones would add a much needed dose of quirky cuteness to a team consisting of monsters like Hannibal Lector, Lestat, and Harry Potter.

13:42 / 02.11.03

Nice one! We need more female characters.

What would special skills be? Whinging?

14:43 / 02.11.03

A grown-up (or mostly grown-up) Matilda (from Roald Dahl) could rock the house, even if she didn't have the telekinesis and had just the mega-amazing brain power.

Do you think P.N. Elrod's Jack Fleming, still around 80+years later, would work? I wonder how he'd be by that time?

Dirk Gently would be a fun addition, too.

17:25 / 02.11.03

I liked the idea of Arthur Dent, but yeah, his Earth was destroyed, and let's face it, he didn't do much besides observe and... fly. Sometimes. Being a skilled sandwich maker may not be exceptionally LeagueWorthy. Dirk Gently, however? Perfect. (or maybe Ford Prefect would be equally froody)

The main character from Robertson Davies "Fifth Business" would be a good choice, too, methinks.

Wholeheartedly concur with the idea of "jack/Tyler" (from the book, of course)... where they pull him out of the hospital for one last adventure.

Our Lady of The Two Towers

17:28 / 02.11.03

Although I loathe and despise the book, I suspect Holden Caulfield might have some role, even if it's just the man who sends them on their missions.

Tyler Durden could be the crazy guy, or Patrick Bateman for the same reasons, though he was just deluded rather than actually deadly wasn't he? (I can't remember how closely the film followed the book).

Orlando would still be around of course, though whether ze was ever interested in joining the League.

Perhaps Will from His Dark Materials could start the Junior League?

Being post-60s there would have to be some sort of clever referencing to Jerry Cornelius I expect.

Surely there's a place for Hunter Thompson?

And what about Oedipa Mass, once she finds out who's buying Lot 49...

at the scarwash

20:36 / 02.11.03

Hagbard Celine is the obvious replacement for Nemo.

A grown-up Harriet the Spy as the detective character.

Dr. Benway as the junkie physician (a position lacking in LXG, I've thought).

If we're going to mine Roald Dahl, I'd pick Danny the Champion of the World.

Woolf's Orlando is still theoretically alive, isn't s/he?

Phex: Dorset Doom

23:28 / 02.11.03

Benway would be cool. Or perhaps 'Willy the disk', a blind inhuman junkie psychic. While we're having evil characters why not Fantomas from the french pulp novels of the same name?
Victor from 'Glamorama' might fill up the 'good guys' side a little, as would the lead character from 'Anymous Rex' (who is both a hard-boiled detective and a Velocier Raptor in a rubber human suit) Japhy Ryder from Kerouac's 'Dharma Bums' could be the teams' spiritual center.

03:45 / 03.11.03

Arthur Dent, and the other hitchhikers, were in a radio show before they were in books. So even if we could work around the whole earth being destroyed thing, they would be disqualified.

I'm sure there'd be room for a Rauol Duke cameo somewhere. Damn close to being fictional.

For a villain: how about the Grinch? The League can be fighting to save Christmas!

04:04 / 03.11.03

I like the idea of Matilda. Also, for a more updated detective, but still female how about Kinsey Millhone from Sue Grafton's novels?

The resistable rise of Reidcourchie

09:11 / 03.11.03

Surely the characters have to have made quite a serious impact on the public psyche. Whilst I can see Bond/Lecter etc. Dirk Gently?

Mack Bolan if you're going to take the these guys are a bunch of bastard here to protect the empire. Also isn't this the American century (or last century was if you see what I mean)?

Thing is wasn't LoEG just Moore's take on a Victorian superhero team, so don't we already have it covered with the iconic Justice League?

The resistable rise of Reidcourchie

09:12 / 03.11.03

I'm assuming Mad Max was never a book, shame.

A

13:23 / 03.11.03

Mad Max was set in a post-apocalyptic future. Indiana Jones' adventures are set in the 30's or 40's or something.

My team would have Batman, Columbo, Harry Potter, Emma Peel, 99 and Andrew W.K. (I know some of them are from the 60's, and I don't care.)

13:33 / 03.11.03

i would like to see william burroughs and hunter s thompson

both are pretty much fictional characters from books, albeit self-created ones.

a

13:42 / 03.11.03

Surely the characters have to have made quite a serious impact on the public psyche. Whilst I can see Bond/Lecter etc. Dirk Gently?

Good point. They have to be characters that "The Public" will have heard of.

Tryphena Absent

14:54 / 03.11.03

Charlie's (Angels) speaker. Kit from Knightrider and JR from Dallas (or Joan Collins in Dynasty?)!

Tryphena Absent

14:55 / 03.11.03

Oh and I'd have Draco Malfoy (obviously) though I'm not sure he quite stands up to the test.

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