Pick6: My Red Superheroes

On December 1 we had World AIDS Day to promote awareness about AIDS and how it affects those around the globe. There were various tributes, seminars and education bazaars to try and spread the word. Heck even Twitter offered the #red hashtag which would turn your tweet red if you used it.

Perhaps my favorite moment was when the girls of the office decided to attend one of the said education fairs and deposit an AIDS awareness goody bag on my desk in the middle of the work day. It was complete with condom, lube and a nice shiny AIDS awareness ribbon.

So I got to thinking, what small tribute with the color red can I do. And at the time I just happened to be reading Autumn’s post of which superheroes would be the best movers (I contend that would be The Vision for simple processing power). So my brain immediately went to what red superheroes are out there? And which would be on my Pick6?

Good thing for you I actually decided to do it even though it was a tad bit late for relevance.

Red Arrow

Ever since DC Comics brought back Green Arrow from the dead with the help of Kevin Smith, I have tended to side with the old cranky bastard over the likes of Batman and Superman. But despite my love of Ollie and all the trouble he likes to stir up, it was the guy who was at his side prior to his death, Roy Harper. He went from being Speedy the sidekick to the much more grown up Arsenal during some of his time with the Teen Titans. Then when he got to join the Justice League of America he decided to choose the oh so original name Red Arrow. That and some little girl has already claimed the name Speedy. Name aside, Harper has been kicking some serious ass lately.

Dark Phoenix

Jean Grey, Marvel Girl, Phoenix. So many names for the red haired mutant missy of the Xavier Institute. But it wasn’t until the dark streak came out in her that she got really good. Sure you can say the Dark Phoenix wasn’t technically a superhero, but then again, who is nowadays?  She is basically the Phoenix, but with a skin tight red suit in place of the skin tight green suit Phoenix wore. She finally came out of her shell only to be cut down in her prime. Good news, this is comics and I am pretty sure she will be back on day. Just ask Bucky Barnes and Jason Todd about that. Plus is the X-men really the X-men with Cyclops and Wolverine going all teen angsty over her?

Flash

The Flash and I have an on again, off again relationships. Sometimes I think he is one pretty sweet dude, another he is off making really bad television shows like the early 1990’s The Flash. I think it really has to do with comic writer Geoff Johns. Johns tends to tell stories that I enjoy and look forward to. And he’s done it with multiple characters in a universe I tend to ignore. So bravo Johns. But I still feel awkward about consistently staring a dude in a skin tight unitard regardless if it is Wally, Bart or Barry. How about mixing in some blue jeans here and there? He does have a tremendous rogue gallery that probably makes him all the more interesting. But now that we have had four Flashes, can we not have anymore for fear of winding up the The Flash Corps.

Scarlet Witch

Crimson leotard with purple stockings? Okay granted, Scarlet Witch in the early days of her renderings may not have been the biggest fashionista out there. But as Marvel shedded the comic code, the Witch shedded fabric. Gone are the stockings, in the knee high red scarlet leather boots. Leotard gone, in come the scarlet leather bustier. You know she was basically all dolled up for the male Avengers demographic. And then she decided to go all crazy, wipe out Mutantkind and then disappear from the face of the earth. Me? I just like her because of her magic side. I am a sucker for magic….big crimson magics.

Firestar

Fire. Fire is good. Red is the color of fire. Nevermind that as a kid I stole my dad’s cigarette lighter and went down to the field and lit a pile of hay on fire. A nice fireman came to my house and talked to me about fire safety after that. Never mind that I like burning plastic bags because dripping flaming plastic makes a very cool sound. Nope. But then again it was at those young years where I was so impressionable that I would not miss Spider-man and his Amazing Friends. One of those amazing friends? Firestar. But can anyone tell me why the hell Iceman was there? Since those day Angelica Jones made the rounds through the various superheroes groups Hellions, The New Warriors, even the Avengers. But Firestar’s most recent appearance? The much ballyhooed Marvel Divas mini series that was supposedly a spoof on HBO’s Sex in the City series. Now that I have said that I might need to reconsider Firestar’s inclusion on this Pick6.

Spider-man

Is any list really complete without you friendly neightborhood web-slinger? But lo and behold more Spidey and his Amazing Friends. I think I might have found the beginning to my psychosis. Then again they were nice enough to set up a geeky kid to be possibly the most important superhero in the Marvel Universe. I still don’t know about their decision to put him black either as that totally made him on a red list impossible for a given period of time.

But at this point and after writing this I still have on question, how exactly was Iceman an amazing friend?

And also since this was all brought upon by World AIDS Day, if you havn’t already, educate yourself about AIDS and the spread of HIV and pass it on.