The first issue of Gotham City Sirens introduced us to The Broker, real estate agent to the criminal mastermind. Previews of Marvel Divas shows that there are now matchmaking services for the single superheroine.
This, of course, adds to the list of everyday services that comics has trotted out over the years. The Rogues went to Paul Gambi for their duds, and many Marvel heroes went to Janet van Dyne. Physicians like the Crime Doctor provides (usually villains) the medical care they need. Inventors like the Tinkerer provide equipment and custom gadgets to the super crowd (often villains). Both Oracle and Calculator provide significant IT and data mining services. Damage Control does extensive clean up and repairs after battles. Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg, and Holliway provides legal services to superhumans. Batman has, at times, had outside contractors design and build him Batmobiles. The Mighty has an entire support team. There have also been multiple news sites, blogs, e-zines, and television tabloids covering the super community, and at least one reality show (which ultimately resulted in the Marvel Civil War kicking off).
My question to you is twofold. First, what other everyday services have we seen that I've neglected to mention (I'm sure there are lots)? Second, what are some other possibilities we haven't seen yet? I've got my own take on the latter question after the break.
Posted by JL Franke at July 1, 2009 8:47 PM
Dr. Blink, Superhero Shrink. Normal psychiatrist who just sort of fell into having supers as his clientele.
Marvel brought Night Nurse back a few years ago; now she runs a clinic where injured superheroes can go to get patched up.
Marvel's also got the Bar With No Name where supervillains can go to get a drink.
There's a fine line between verisimilitude and sucking all the magic out of the fictional world, and a lot of these characters/concepts cross the line, at least as far as I'm concerned.
Jason: Your mention of The Bar With No Name made me remember the Oblivion Bar, where all the DC mystics hang out.
I think the issue with bringing the everyday world into comics is that, if you haven't seen it before (or at least for a while) and it's done well, it can be a fresh way of generating new stories. For example, Goodman,... provided She-Hulk with a unique setting that fit the character's background and supported some quirky storytelling (which is the kind of storytelling where the character has always fit best). The problem comes from oversaturation of it, or in pulling back the curtains too far (like if they ever revealed that Batman's suit includes an adult diaper so that he doesn't have to stop the Batmobile for potty breaks -- a known practice of real-life mounted warfighters in the field).
Adult diaper? Too far? Nah, we can do better than that. The Batman had mystical portals set up at the opening of with penis and anus so that his waste gets deposited in a pocket dimension.
The next Bat crossover will reveal this, and the hideous revenge the denizens of that dimension will take.
The Fantastic Four has had accountants appear in stories, as well as several (usually powered) babysitters. Not to mention Willie Lumpkin, mailman.
The idea that Spider-Man can't cash a check is silly. There should be a bank or credit union to handle those sorts of irregular financial services.
There's no need for "A website or service that tracks battles among metas so that you can plan your commute accordingly." - that would be part of a normal traffic report (traffic jam downtown, from Hulk rampage, ...)
Agatha Harkenss is the original Marvel au pair.