THE CRIME TAILOR: Okay, maybe you should explain this to me again.
OVERTHROW: I am a superb jai alai player and I wish to use that skill to become a supervillain.
THE CRIME TAILOR: …I’m not seeing it.
OVERTHROW: Come on, you do this all the time. Javelin is just a guy who didn’t even win an Olympic medal and he said you gave him very good stuff. I want good stuff.
THE CRIME TAILOR: Have you ever won an Olympic medal?
OVERTHROW: That’s entirely besides the point.
THE CRIME TAILOR: So no, then.
OVERTHROW: Jai alai isn’t an Olympic sport. If it was, I would certainly have won many medals.
THE CRIME TAILOR: Fair enough. So how do you want to do crimes using jai alai?
OVERTHROW: Well, I was think maybe the balls could explode? That’s good, right?
THE CRIME TAILOR: Sounds doable. Let me see what I’ve got in storage…
(The CRIME TAILOR goes into the back room. OVERTHROW stands around listening to the lite jazz in the background.)
THE CRIME TAILOR: Okay, so I got good news and I got bad news.
OVERTHROW: You don’t have any exploding jai alai balls?
THE CRIME TAILOR: Well, I was going to have to modify some exploding baseballs anyway to make those, but I forgot that the exploding baseballs all got sold last week.
OVERTHROW: To who?
THE CRIME TAILOR: Someone who blew up.
OVERTHROW: Oh.
THE CRIME TAILOR: You have to be careful with exploding baseballs.
OVERTHROW: I understand that. So no exploding balls. What are my other options?
THE CRIME TAILOR: Well, that’s the clever bit. See, I’ve got this small plasma projector that I haven’t been able to sell.
OVERTHROW: Plasma projector? Like, blood?
THE CRIME TAILOR: No, as in “superheated gas.”
OVERTHROW: That sounds dangerous.
THE CRIME TAILOR: I’m sorry, I thought you wanted to be a supervillain?
OVERTHROW: I didn’t say no. I’m just… waiting to hear how it works.
THE CRIME TAILOR: Well, normally plasma projectors are built into a gun or something, and the gun fires a big blast of superheated plasma.
OVERTHROW: Right. But this one is different?
THE CRIME TAILOR: This one basically makes a sphere of plasma.
OVERTHROW: …and then what?
THE CRIME TAILOR: That’s it.
OVERTHROW: So I would have a sphere of superheated gas in, what, my hand?
THE CRIME TAILOR: Well, I’m thinking I give you a… what do they call that scoop thing you wear in jai alai?
OVERTHROW: A xistera.
THE CRIME TAILOR: Right. We make one of those out of superdense metal. I’m thinking cargonite – durable, nearly unbreakable…
OVERTHROW: How heavy is it?
THE CRIME TAILOR: Fairly.
OVERTHROW: Would I still be able to do my jai alai tricks?
THE CRIME TAILOR: I’m sure. You might have to work out a bit, though.
OVERTHROW: I can handle that.
THE CRIME TAILOR: Okay, so now that we’ve got that worked out, how about your costume?
OVERTHROW: I think I will keep it simple. Jai alai uniform and a mask.
THE CRIME TAILOR: …not very supervillain-y, is it?
OVERTHROW: …well, what if we make it green?
THE CRIME TAILOR: All green, or do you want some highlights?
OVERTHROW: Maybe we could make the mask a different colour? Purple? I like purple.
THE CRIME TAILOR: …ehhh…
OVERTHROW: Is that in poor taste? Do they clash?
THE CRIME TAILOR: Not in supervillain fashion, no, but…
OVERTHROW: What?
THE CRIME TAILOR: Well, green and purple is kind of the Joker’s signature look.
OVERTHROW: Is that a problem?
THE CRIME TAILOR: Not for him it isn’t, if you get my drift.
OVERTHROW: …I think I’m fine with it.
THE CRIME TAILOR: It’s your funeral.
OVERTHROW: Or his!
THE CRIME TAILOR: Confidence is nice. Do you want the usual extras? Micro-kevlar padding, burn/tear resistant fabric…?
OVERTHROW: Yes. Also I would like some rocket boots.
THE CRIME TAILOR: Oh, hell. Look, kid, I’d be slacking on my duties as a tailor to super-criminals if I didn’t tell you that rocket boots are almost never a good idea.
OVERTHROW: I have heard the stories, but I think I would like them just in case.
THE CRIME TAILOR: Everybody says that, but do you know the number one cause of supervillain fatalities? It’s not the Suicide Squad. It’s rocket boots running out of fuel when you’re three stories up because you decided that having rocket boots meant you could fight Hawkman on his own turf.
OVERTHROW: But I will not be fighting Hawkman, I do not think.
THE CRIME TAILOR: Who are you planning to fight?
OVERTHROW: Blue Beetle?
THE CRIME TAILOR: …in that case might I recommend the Ski-Hi Mark 12s? Definitely the best rocket boot on the market right now, with a ten minute non-flammable combination fuel supply.
OVERTHROW: Are they worth it?
THE CRIME TAILOR: When it comes to rocket boots, I think you want to spend the extra money and not get some terrible surplus gear.
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Well, look at that, MGK just won the internet. Again.
while I was not a fan of the eighties Blue Beetle series, I give them credit for blindsiding me about Overthrow’s identity (a rival of Ted’s who kept ducking out of appointments for vague excuses was so Obviously Overthrow I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong).
Man, this REALLY makes me want to tell people that my profession is “crime tailor” the next time I have to make small talk at a party.
Time for a new regular segment!
Reason #x Why MGK Should Write “The Crime Tailor”
I have to admit, I do totally love The Crime Tailor; I think just about all Thursday Who’s Who segments should involve him.
(for that matter, kudos for bringing it back…Thursday Who’s Who is my favorite weekly feature on your site, although Al-Rashad is quite good).
Green and *magenta*, actually, which means you’d have to eat babies just to be taken half-seriously as a villain. Why not just throw some glitter on there too?
Characters like this who specialize in throwing specific items (boomerang, oddball, javelin, etc) really need a secondary power that overshadows the long distance weapon thing.
Take the Goddamn Batman, for example. He’s a thrower of batarangs, pellets and other things. However that ability is overshadowed by his deductive abilities, stealth skills, and of course a psychological background that chronically perpetuates itself. These are the kind of things that allowed Batman to be elevated from a mere hurler of bat-shaped objects and beyond characters of more limited means like Green Arrow.
However, Overthrow is an awesome name. One can never have too many villains with awesome names. If you’re a hero and you beat a crappy villain with an awesome name, it will always look better in the press than beating an awesome villain with a terrible name.
Also, “Overthrow”? Sure, in a villainy context, it might indicate toughness, but I would think in a sporting context, it means you… missed. Imaginary gold medals in jai alai, my Aunt Fanny!
Also also, if you’re still questing for Trouble For Trumpets, I totally win. The price tag on the (unfortunately paperback)cover says a whopping $1.98.
And the Rex The Wonder Dog score is….?
I like that he decided not to go with a helmet. That’s confidence.
Huzzah, a new Thursday Who’s Who! Brings back memories of my youth, reading the original Who’s Who, and every so often coming across a niche or “theme” character and thinking, “Really? Someone created this character, someone else (or possibly the same someone) designed this outfit, and some editor let the character reach publication instead of laughing the creator(s) out of their office? REALLY?”
Yay! Thursday Who’s Who!
@Zenrage: Sure if you’re a superhero you need more than the “I can throw stuff good” schtick, but if you’re a super-villain, one good schtick is enough. I mean, not everyone is going to be “Dr. Doom” or “Lex Luthor” or “Gorilla Grodd”. Some guys are just there to have their one schtick that works for a while, take a beating and get thrown in jail. The superhero world needs its Overthrows and Captain Boomerangs and Javelins as much as it needs its Riddlers or Clayfaces or Parasites. And hey, the “I can throw stuff good” guys can aspire to someday be like Bullseye or Deadshot and graduate up to the A-list of super-villainy.
The Riddler’s got that same basic color scheme about half the time (mostly green with purple highlights), and the Joker mostly leaves him alone. And the Riddler even rocks the suit and hat combo that’s much closer to Joker’s signature look.
Course, that might just be professional courtsey on Joker’s part. Overthrow might not get the benefit of the doubt.
My theory is that Overthrow was actually the jai alai guy from _Mad Men_, still trying desperately to get people interested in jai alai.
“do you know the number one cause of supervillain fatalities? It’s not the Suicide Squad. It’s rocket boots running out of fuel when you’re three stories up because you decided that having rocket boots meant you could fight Hawkman on his own turf.”
Ha!
Glad to see this feature back
It is a crying shame that there was no post-crisis version of the Purple Pile-Driver in time to get a who’s who entry.
First reaction: “Jai Alai? That’s a pretty goofy shtick for a supervillain. Thumbs down.”
Second reaction: “He fights Blue Beetle? I approve.”
I miss these, would like to see them more. Never heard of this guy, but I wouldn’t mind seeing him, might be a good fight for a lower powered guy or even hang with Flash’s rogues.
See, this is the kind of guy I can see getting used once or twice and then cropping up as a cameo or side-villain in perpetuity. I can see Overthrow as muscle for a guy like the Penguin or as an assassin or saboteur at some international sports or business event.
I’m just imagining a crazy mask wearing ja lai player popping out behind a bush while flinging piping hot plasma balls. That’s the kind of thing that can mess you up.
when you overthrow in a sporting context – for example, overthrowing a ball – doesn’t that mean you miss?
What folks hopefully realize is that Overthrow fought the Blue Beetle BEFORE the “BWA-HA-HA” days of Giffen’s League. This was one of the Charlton revival series that emulated Ditko in pacing and layout, but not in depth of story or philosophical self-confidence.
The series that was doing THAT with a Steve Ditko character was “The Question” by Denny O’Neil and Denys Cowan. Len Wein’s “Blue Beetle” was trying to revive the colorful, super-science edge of Silver Age comics — similar in tone to Ditko’s Spider-Man (right down to some of Ted’s pangs of drama).
Overthrow may seem lame, but Wein also created the Muse, a mob son who was trying to ignite a gang war so he could leave the life and pursue his dream of acting. The idea of a flamboyant supervillain being an aspiring actor makes sense if you have a single friend with a drama degree currently waiting tables and trying out for YouTube superhero films. The series was too choppy to really have poignancy, but the ultimate fate of the Muse and the reaction of Blue Beetle (and guest star The Question) seems exactly like Steve Ditko would have written in the Sixties, had he been able to sympathize for one second with a criminal from a tormented background (hint: he would not have).
Batman and Spider-Man both have some very goofy rogues that have become unquestioned by comic fans (I hesitate to name them, for fear of being told I am totally off base) because they worked their way into superhero pop culture while the average reader was a young child, and then gradually hardened in step with the pace of the general readership. We accept them because we’re used to them in myriad forms, and can accept the goofy roots because they’re cherished and because we have seen an organic growth over the years toward mature, well-rounded characters. So the Mad Hatter became a dark pedophile to whom mind control is as thrilling as rape, the Riddler became a master logician who uses his costumed past as a kitschy ironic selling point in Gotham — heck, even nostalgia allows writers to use Killer Mother as the face of an ineffectual Joe trying to make it big, or a half-wit given the gift of power we all crave.
If Overthrow had come out in 1966, he would have ended up with a steroid-pumping, whore-banging analogue in “Watchmen” who would be a failed revolutionary and full-time hedonist eventually killed by Rorschach. And Geoff Johns would want to revive Overthrow in the pages of JSA to work alongside Kanjar Ro to challenge the two Wildcats to an intergalactic sports contest with like, the moon, or Liberty Belle’s secret government files, or something along those lines, at stake.
All I’m saying: Overthrow as good as KGBeast as a concept and costume, or at least could be “modernized” (jai alai is popular in certain regions where revolutionaries have had sway).
Next closest thing to Rex?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXElh_VM0Uc
@ C. Carter said: “heck, even nostalgia allows writers to use Killer Mother as the face of an ineffectual Joe trying to make it big, or a half-wit given the gift of power we all crave.”
Boy, not for nothing, but I’d TOTALLY read about a villain called Killer Mother…
Oh good…I’ve been missing Thursday’s Who’s Who badly.
Nice to see it back. This installment was great.
…the only thing good about Overthrow was that his mask reveal gave us… some total nobody who was after Ted Kord for some half-crazed anarchist/luddite reason. At least, that was the 80s/Manhunter crossover reason. Did they retcon his origin again…?
Worse then Overthrow… one of the laterday GI Joe figures was a grenade thrower who used a jai lai scoop thing.
Poor Larry Hama had to actually do a write up on why that’s a valid military plan.
Larry Hama is a saint.
@ Dave Zeigler
I’m just guessing, but I’m pretty sure he meant Killer Moth (who, despite how it sounds, was a tolerable Batman villain…I enjoyed him, anyway).
Haha, yeah, whoops — I meant “Killer Moth.”
“Killer Mother” sounds like something that hit the cutting room floor in Grant Morrison’s “Invisibles” era.
That dude reminds me of that cosmic goalie character Roy Thomas created during his Fantastic Four run (I can’t remember his name but I’m sure it was just as silly as Overthrow). Except, as Mad Men proved, there’s more innate comedy in Jai Alai.
And does DC really have a Crime Tailor? Because that’s just so many levels of awesome.
The fact that Overthrow refers to his scoop as a xistera and not a cesta suggests he’s Basque. If the ’80s series had taken off I’d be reading all about this in Blue Beetle Secret Files.
(Okay, there’s no way I’d be reading it, but someone would have actually been paid to write it.)
I like how the Who’s Who implies that Overthrow coined the term ‘military-industrial complex’ and is evil for wanting it overthrown… that’s a bit creepy
Wasn’t poor Overthrow killed in one of those terrible lead-ups to Infinite Crisis? OMAC Project, maybe?
Those OMACs, they certainly went after the heavy hitters.
Also, didn’t the Flash Rogues have a tailor in Rogues’ Revenge that got kidnapped? It suggested his expertise was in making costumes that could survive in the conditions their powers could create. I want to read about that dude.
Yeah, Paul Gambi.
http://www.hyperborea.org/flash/gambi.html
The killer goalie’s name was Gaard.
I did not have to look that up.
Do not forget that Gaard came back as VANGAARD… *sigh* And he was Johnny Storm, Vietnam vet
My man, I want you to write a comic book.
Any comic book. I don’t care. But you need to be in writing.