COLBERT GETS CAP'S SHIELD

[MattBrady]

As Marvel hinted yesterday, Captain America’s shield made an appearance on last night’s The Colbert Report.

The shield showed up at the end of the show; with Colbert first taking back his criticism of Cap for siding against the Federal Government and the Super Hero Registration Act, and then reading a letter from Marvel Editor in Chief, Joe Quesada. The letter read:

Dear Stephen,

As Editor in Chief of Marvel, I am burdened with the handling of our characters’ estates in the sad event that a hero should perish before his time.

Captain America’s will was read last Friday, and while heavy-hearted, I am proud to announce the Star-Spangled Avengers has bequeathed his most valuable possession, his indestructible shield, to the only man he believed had the red, white, and blue balls to carry the mantle, Stephen Colbert.

Welcome to the Marvel Universe.

Sincerely,

Joe Quesada

The shield was then brought out, and Colbert accepted it, giving it a rap with his knuckles.

“That’s the sound of indestructible Wakandan Vibranium,” Colbert said. “I take this responsibility very seriously, and I promise to use this shield only to fight for justice…and to impress girls.

“Ladies, anybody want to touch it?

[screams from audience]

“Cap? I hope I make you proud.”



Marvel fans may recognize the shield - it was a constant prop in the editorial offices (probably best known recently for appearing in a picture with Bill Rosemann a few years back when Marvel moved their offices), dating back to the days of long-time Captain America write and editor Mark Gruenwald. Most recently, the shield had been in Editor Tom Brevoort's office.

According to Brevoort, the shield was acquired by Gruenwald, who either commissioned it or received it as a gift from a fan costumer in the early 1980s.

"It was one of two shields that Mark had, the other being the 'cursed' shield—so named because, after Mark’s passing, anybody who possessed it would get fired shortly thereafter," Brevoort told Newsarama. "That 'cursed' shield is long gone at this point."

Reportedly, the shield will be added to the set of The Colbert Report, along with Colbert's other mementos of democracy and liberty.

[Somebody]

*based on aspects of yesterday's thread, waits nervously for thread implosion...*

[delltechdude]

that was the only part of the show I caught last night, I have to say while I hate that Steve Rogers is gone (for now) Atleast the shield is being kept by the right man

[xdemon]

I'll bet Bill O'Reilly is so jealous right now!

[RDuarte]

While I geeked out that Colbert actually said "Wakandan Vibranium" on national television, I was slightly disappointed in him because he claimed the Wakandan Vibranium was indestructible. The shield may be indestructible (made of a Wakandan Vibranium/steel alloy), but Wakandan Vibranium is not. A geek like Colbert should have known that.

[joekelly007]

i thought caps shield was made of adamantium ??!!?!

and leave it to marvel to turn the "death" of their moral center into a joke.....

[STL]

Hmmm.

I can't see publicity being that bad for Marvel. Good move. And a reminder to the broader audience that what they're reading is a comic after all and should be entertaining; not some social commentary.

The read out letter does sound like boot-kissing though. Could've had a bit more wit to it.

[MattBrady]

Originally Posted by joekelly007

and leave it to marvel to turn the "death" of their moral center into a joke.....

I know! it was just like when Jay Leno wore a Superman black armband when he died, or the SNL skit about Superman's funeral!

Shameless!

Come on folks - obviously, this was done in good fun, and in the spirit of (as all publishers have done over the years) not taking themselves too seriously. Let's try not to go 180 degrees from that this early in the day. People are just waking up.

MattB

[Snikkas]

Frakkin' awesome

[Bearpod91]

Ha! Awesome!

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by joekelly007

i thought caps shield was made of adamantium ??!!?!

Nope - the Handbooks once claimed it was an adamantium/vibranium alloy, but all that proved is that the HBs DO get stuff wrong - adamantium's an alloy, which wasn't invented until well after WW2 - and then in imitation of Cap's shield.

The shield itself is "an unknown, unduplicatable vibranium/steel alloy", since the guy who made it fell asleep while it was being made and Something Happened between then and it setting.

[John Evans]

Originally Posted by STL

And a reminder to the broader audience that what they're reading is a comic after all and should be entertaining; not some social commentary [My emphasis].
.

(1) I didn't realise the two things were mutually exclusive.

(2) What do you think Colbert's show is if not social commentary?

J

[jaredgood1]

Dear Ed Brubaker,
Please kill Colbert now. If possible, something involving rabid schnauzers hopped up on herbal viagra seems appropriate.
Thank you very much.

[Bob LeFevre]

I thought it was pretty funny and light hearted. Stuff like this is great for the industry!!!

[CKdoubleU]

Originally Posted by Somebody

Nope - the Handbooks once claimed it was an adamantium/vibranium alloy, but all that proved is that the HBs DO get stuff wrong - adamantium's an alloy, which wasn't invented until well after WW2 - and then in imitation of Cap's shield.

The shield itself is "an unknown, unduplicatable vibranium/steel alloy", since the guy who made it fell asleep while it was being made and Something Happened between then and it setting.

I guess I was wrong too.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_America%27s_shield#The_indestruc tible_shield

During one of his experiments to fuse vibranium with an experimental steel alloy (the other metal in the steel alloy is described by some sources as titanium), MacLain fell asleep and woke to find the experiment a success. However, this was due to an unknown catalyst entering the process during his slumber, and he was unable to duplicate the result. The vibranium-steel alloy mix was then poured into a mold for a tank's upper hatch to create the disc shape and painted to become Captain America's symbol.
Rogers' indestructible shield has often been referred to as being an adamantium-vibranium alloy. This is not the case: adamantium was only developed after Rogers was revived from suspended animation, during MacLain's later experiments to try and duplicate the material of the shield (the substance made its first appearance in Avengers Vol. 1 #66, July 1969).
The adamantium-vibranium error first arose in the Captain America entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (the composition of the shield was inaccurately described in the adamantium entry) and was propagated in several subsequent stories by writers using the Handbook as a reference. The error was corrected in Captain America #303-304 (March-April 1985), which established that the shield is made of vibranium and an "experimental steel alloy", but that did not prevent the error's repetition over the years.

I always thought the shield was made of a combination of vibranium and what would later be called adamantium.

Color me informed.

[stones throw]

Why are Marvel sucking up so much to Colbert? The shield should stay in the Marvel offices. If only Cap were still around...

Anyway, on "The Word" segment Joe Quesada seems so proud of Colbert was saying exactly the same stuff all the Civil War detractors have been saying! "Pick a side Wolverine!" Except we're called "200 whiny fanboys", but when it gets said on TV Quesada's rushing to kiss his ass.

[VocalMan81]

Originally Posted by jaredgood1

Dear Ed Brubaker,
Please kill Colbert now. If possible, something involving rabid schnauzers hopped up on herbal viagra seems appropriate.
Thank you very much.

HAHAHAHA, fool! The only way The Colbert can be killed is by several dozen vicious bears.


Vicious lady bears.

[USAgent]

Originally Posted by stones throw

Why are Marvel sucking up so much to Colbert? The shield should stay in the Marvel offices. If only Cap were still around...

Anyway, on "The Word" segment Joe Quesada seems so proud of Colbert was saying exactly the same stuff all the Civil War detractors have been saying! "Pick a side Wolverine!" Except we're called "200 whiny fanboys", but when it gets said on TV Quesada's rushing to kiss his ass.

I agree. Who is Colbert to get such a prized item from the offices? Seems kind of cheap to just give away such a memento from a Marvel legend such as Gruenwald. And to a two-bit commedian at that. They said it will become part of the set, which means it'll probably get tossed out in a few years when the show is axed.

[melperfect]

Originally Posted by stones throw

Why are Marvel sucking up so much to Colbert? The shield should stay in the Marvel offices. If only Cap were still around...

Anyway, on "The Word" segment Joe Quesada seems so proud of Colbert was saying exactly the same stuff all the Civil War detractors have been saying! "Pick a side Wolverine!" Except we're called "200 whiny fanboys", but when it gets said on TV Quesada's rushing to kiss his ass.

It's so early for the dumbest comment of the day!

Yes, because he should have derided Colbert for the great exposure. 201 whiny fanboys.

[RDuarte]

Originally Posted by stones throw

Why are Marvel sucking up so much to Colbert?

Because Colbert represents the spirit of the time? The Zeitgeist. And because Colbert has the power to get his viewers to help name a bridge after him in Hungary (in a contest designed to honor dead Hungarians; the Hungarian ambassador to the US came out on the show and said they'd name it for Colbert anyway), got thousands of viewers to participate in his Green Screen Challenge (a contest with no prize that required considerable skill), and had thousands of viewers post on Wikipedia to "save" the African elephant. Not to mention having a mascot of a minor league hockey team named after him, having two flavors of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, and having hundreds of people stand at the US/Canadian border waving fish to attract Stephen Junior back home. In short, what Stephen Colbert endorses, promotes, and talks about makes the collective consciousness of American pop culture. And in the coveted male 18-35 demographic, no less.

So, yes, Marvel is soooooooo stupid for wanting to keep a good working relationship with this guy, right? Yes, Marvel is teh stupedz...

[XtremeX]

What a bunch of BS...

Dirk deserves the shield!

[kennyab]

Originally Posted by stones throw

Why are Marvel sucking up so much to Colbert? The shield should stay in the Marvel offices. If only Cap were still around...

Anyway, on "The Word" segment Joe Quesada seems so proud of Colbert was saying exactly the same stuff all the Civil War detractors have been saying! "Pick a side Wolverine!" Except we're called "200 whiny fanboys", but when it gets said on TV Quesada's rushing to kiss his ass.

When Stephen Colbert says it, it's a joke on a comedy show, not an irate fanboy telling Quesada that he's the worst thing to happen to Marvel since Assistant Editor's Month.

And Colbert has been supportive of Marvel comics, having Quesada on the show to plug Civil War and bringing attention to Cap #25. I see it as a gift to someone who's made a contribution to the visibility of comics.

[vbartilucci]

Originally Posted by stones throw

Anyway, on "The Word" segment Joe Quesada seems so proud of Colbert was saying exactly the same stuff all the Civil War detractors have been saying! "Pick a side Wolverine!" Except we're called "200 whiny fanboys", but when it gets said on TV Quesada's rushing to kiss his ass.

When you say it you're a whiny fanboy.
When Steven Colbert says it he's being witty and ironic.
And when Ron Burgundy says it, it's the TRUTH!

[SifoDyasJr]

This proves it! Colbert IS the new Captain America! He's got the sheild...
http://www.cafepress.com/colbert08hq

[JKA]

good PR. I don't think this a problem at all, it actually makes Cap's death seem more permanent.