Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? Ep.3: Amazo to Animal Man

An android with all the powers of JLA. The hero who knows he's in a comic. A fantasy princess. The criminal with an angle. A family man. Which are hot, which are not? The Girls of the Hot Squad are on course to take us through Who's Who #1 in this Hot or Not mini-series which dares to ask if the characters of the DC Universe are any more datable than the ones from the MU!

Featuring permanent panelists Isabel, Nathalie, Josée, and Amélie.

Listen to Episode 3 below (the usual mature language warnings apply), or subscribe to the feed on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Relevant images and further credits at: Who's Hot and Who's Not ep.3 Supplemental

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19 responses to “Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? Ep.3: Amazo to Animal Man

  1. Not much to say on many of these, so we’ll stick to what I know.

    Amethyst is a great concept for a character and I really enjoyed the Showcase collection, but the who age progression thing is just … icky. More so now that I’m the father of a 13 year-old girl (who is a manager for the school’s volleyball team, BTW).

    Ace is only 84 lbs? My female German Shepherd (and Shag’s favorite) Athena was is the mid-80’s, but all of my male GSD’s have been over 95 lbs. Thor, ever the outlier, was 125 lbs at his healthiest. 2′-4″ at the shoulder seems about right, though. Axel, the current nitwit of the house, is right around there. He also stands 5 ft when on his back legs, which is why our fence is 6 ft tall. 😉

  2. Amazo: Funny the girls commenting on his anatomy. That’s just how Mike Zeck draws people!

    Ambush Bug: I never have warmed up to Ambush Bug, really. I found him annoying in his appearances in the Superman books back in the day, and I didn’t like this phase of Giffen’s art either. I guess I should give it a try, but I feel like you kind of had to be into it at the time to fully appreciated. Just missed that boat.

    Amethyst: I always felt this had HUGE potential as an animated series, and I guess DC did too, as they were developing a show with Hanna Barbera back in the day. Those DC Nation shorts showed some of the potential. Now I think it would make a great series at HBO Max. I didn’t watch the latest iteration of She-Ra, but it seemed to borrow a bit more from this, at a glance.

    Angle Man: A character who seems to exist only to show that creators are going DEEP into the bench for villains. He shows up in the background of Legion of Doom/Secret Society meetings in the later days of JLU.

    Animal Man: I’m surprised you didn’t go ahead and show them a pic of Buddy in his jacket. Would it have changed their minds? Are they aware of the anti-jacket-over-the-tights-look for super heroes? Does Buddy get a pass on this? I think he does, but would the girls?

    Ace, The Bat-Hound: A thing of beauty. The Yukinori tradition of mind-blowing excellence continues.

    Chris

    1. Animal Man: I’m surprised you didn’t go ahead and show them a pic of Buddy in his jacket. Would it have changed their minds? Are they aware of the anti-jacket-over-the-tights-look for super heroes? Does Buddy get a pass on this? I think he does, but would the girls?

      Change their minds to “even hotter”?

  3. I feel like the entire WHO’S HOT AND WHO’S NOT experiment was created just so Siskoid could talk about his beloved Ambush Bug.

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  4. Impressive podcast most impressive. Oh I would’ve found red mask. But, as you pointed out it would be pointless to do so. After all if a character or any from the timeframe had been in the DC archive. Roy Thomas would’ve found them. Since he’s pretty much the first comic book historian. Though he did cheat when putting the son of gladiator in young allies. While that character is under public domain. I’m pretty sure DC comics did not publish that pulp novel. At any rate time to move on. Amazing has always dressed like he got his fashion tips from the sixth Dr. I don’t really see him as having a long torso. Just me I have a long torso. This just looks about average. Though it is cool to see a Mike Zeke the drawing in a DC comic. Specifically as character. Not sure when he was created. If he was created in the 60s. His pointed ears were probably based on the popularity of Mr. Spock. That would explain the eyebrows as well. As for the items maybe he’s made out of nano bots? And his body just creates the items to use when using the powers of different heroes. It would explain why he can stretch his arms and whatnot. Maybe they’re not physical items. But items the nano bots is made of. Created for him to use. Kind of like how the vision created himself a cape and age of ultra. For the avengers movie well the second avengers movie.

    Moving along. Well that statement turns out to be ironic since were now talking about ambition. And clearly he realizes that it is not easy being green. Not a great costume. But, it fits the character. And the costume fits him. Since he was a complete goofball. I’m pretty sure when Joe Kelly fixed bid pull he was inspired by ambush bug. Just with better fashions. While he looks skinny. I’m not quite buying that he’s 5’10 ft and the hundred and 25 pounds. That’s a bit too skinny for that height. The costume is supposed to look like something some smuch through together. And that fits this character perfectly. I wonder if the no ball playing was a sex joke? I remember ambush bug being the man in the 80s. And he was cool in the DC online videogame. As well as that one episode of brave and the bold. Where the fonds voiced. The lines on his mask or weird. But, for whatever reason given used use that all the time. The antennas are also an obvious bit. They’re being way over sized is probably a joke.

    Still that’s all I have to say about this character. Moving right along. I like amethyst, but I mostly know her from this entry and the cartoon network cartoon. I like the cartoon. We all had the otherworldly fantasy thing. Though mine involved else. But I do I take my family with me. At the time elf quest is very popular. So that was why. Moving on to her custom. It’s a decent enough outfit. Though since people love to talk it combat practicality and a custom. Those huge earrings she’s sporting or probably a bad idea. Also the sword basket isn’t covering her hand. It makes no sense to have above the hilt. What is that protecting? It would just make the weight off. Thus affecting the balance of the sword. Though a decent enough costume. Capes actually have a practicality and sword fighting. Since it can be used to distract an opponent. I don’t get the monkey headed belt. But, whatever. Maybe she was a big fan of the Chinese legend of the monkey King. I don’t know I’ll is like the topaz stone. Still a decent enough entry.

    Moving on to angle. Not only does he have the arrow pointing to his joystick. But they have a bit in such a way like he’s ready to do a forward thrust. Our dance the time warp from Rocky horror picture show. To me this outfit is just oy. Green and yellow. He wore this in public and no one ever told him this was a bad idea. You can definitely tell though he was created in the Golden age. The man’s name is Angelo bend. They were not even trying here.

    What you did use the animal man theme song way of saying his name? Shagg will be disappointed. There is usually only this had someone drawn by Gil Kane. Then again everybody gets a upgraded appearance when Kane draws. Kind of like when JR SR took over on Spiderman and PA became a much better looking guy. Cool add-on with Ace the bat hound. He was pretty cool on the Batman beyond cartoon. Can’t wait to hear the next episode.

    1. Amazo predates Mr. Spock by 6 years, but his features are pretty standard for “alien-looking” in comics back then. Which is still weird because he ended up being an android.

      As for Animal Man, 1) I don’t work for Shagg, 2) the girls would have been “huh?!”, and 3) it would have spoiled my use of it as a clip.

      1. Ah. Well Androids save The 1st Human Torch were made to look like aliens back then. Even Brainny. He is a robotic being But, looked like a green man. Even the vison is a red dude. with Ebony eyes no pulps. So that maybe why. Or maybe he copied them from Senestro since he was Hal’s foe. Probly just all Andriods looked like E.T.”s back then.

        I didn’t say you worked for Shagg. Just that he’d be disappointed. Friends can be disappointed …also it was a joke. I didn’t mean for real. As for the girls they probly would say huh and then they’d riff on it. The girls ae great at improve. The clip still works with it. And it didn’t have the theme. Just Weird Al voicing the character.

        1. Speaking of jokes – “I don’t work for Shagg” was one.

          The theme was used AFTER the discussion, not in the channel-surfing opening, or have I gone crazy?

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  5. I thought for sure someone would say that Angle Man is ‘acute’ villain. But maybe that joke is too ‘obtuse’. I guess his not being hot is ‘right’.

    I have been at OHOTMU since the beginning and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the chitchat section at the beginning to help differentiate the voices (something I still sometimes struggle with)! #BangBang

    I am a big fan of Amethyst in almost all her incarnations and that is a truly lovely picture of her. I’d love for the crew to see pics of her done by Esteban Maroto or even Giffen. She’s pretty cool!

  6. I’m loving the detour into the DC universe by the Hot Squad. This episode was fantastic because it sounded like it was going off the rails a lot. Fun for listeners, not so fun for editors! I might have to go back into the old Who’s Who episodes to contrast what the ladies say to what Rob and Shag said! Or might not, because I’m lazy……

    Amazo – I love Amazo! I don’t care what anyone says. That weird red skull cap, the funky Black Adam ears, the odd costume choice…. I love it all. And I enjoy how he (it?) doesn’t really want to fight the JLA anymore, but just wants to go back to sleep but can’t because of his programming. It made me feel sympathetic toward this villain, something I had never experienced before.

    Ambush Bug – I love Ambush Bug! I don’t care what anyone says. Weirdly, I’m not a big fan of Deadpool and his antics but I love it when Ambush Bug does it. I don’t get it and I can’t explain it but that’s how it is. He’s a total hot for those antennae!

    Amethyst – I never got Amethyst. I don’t care what anyone says. Here’s the thing, I think she is a hot for sure and she definitely had some interesting stories, but maybe it was the stories leaning into the whole gem angle too much, but her stories never stuck with me. And that age changing thing…. just, no.

    Angle Man – This is the reason I love Who’s Who. Morts like this make enjoy this series so much. And it makes me enjoy these episodes even more! The ladies reaction should be the default reaction to this dingus. It shouldn’t be Wonder Woman saying, “Oh no, not Angle Man!”

    Animal Man – I haven’t read (but own!) his seminal ’80’s/’90’s run but I don’t like Animal Man. He just seemed so under powered for anything. He’s the Hawkeye of the group. Sure he might be really good at what he does, but when you have gods walking the Earth, what’s the point of having him around? I feel like he’s the guy with multiple emotional support pets.

    Well done, everyone. I can’t get enough Siskoid and the Hot Squad so I’m loving these extra episodes! Keep up the great work!

    1. By all means, read the Morrison series and reevaluate that opinion. As for “of the group”, it depends which group. He was out of his league in the JLE and knew it, but was pretty much the biggest gun in the Forgotten Heroes.

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      1. I really should get around to reading those Morrison issues, specially when they are just sitting here in my “to read” pile! Off to do some fun homework!

  7. Hey! I first got into OHotMU or Not with the first Who’s Who episode back in September, and I’ve spent the last three months listening through the archives and have FINALLY caught up! Thanks for making such an awesome podcast!

    Alley-Cat-Abra: For what it’s worth, in a later story it turned out that her mouse teammate was killed by an evil double of her created by dark magic, whom she helped bring to justice, clearing her name. Little Cheese remained dead, however.

    Angle Man: Siskoid mentioned that he was found dead in Vegas and the killer was never revealed. Turns out there was no killer! He tried using his spacial teleporter during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, when DC’s multiverse was collapsing, and the shock killed him.

    Animal Man: The only thing I can really add about him is that at the time Who’s Who came out, he was still a fairly generic hero without much personality. His family and career as an animal rights activist didn’t come along until a couple years later. In fact, he was so obscure that he was a member of a team who called *themselves* “the Forgotten Heroes” along with other relative nobodies as Congo Bill, Cave Carson, and Immortal Man.

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