Superman DESTROYED By Gender Bends?!

[@kapkant6197]

Superman's lesser known weakness is Rule 63

[@DirtiestJoe]

Do you mean rule 64..? I’m scared to look up rule 63.

[@computerizedprincess]

@@DirtiestJoe Rule 63 is an Internet meme that states that, as a rule, "for every given male character, there is a female version of that character" and vice versa.

[@theblocksays]

@@computerizedprincess Well there WAS Pink Kryptonite. Or was that a joke?

[@ianfinrir8724]

​@@theblocksaysIt's real. Clark doesn't like to talk about it.

[@michaelolivero1626]

You had me at "Paradise Island, an island of hot sweaty dudes." Now I want the series

[@TeruteruBozusama]

Parts of what's interesting about genderbends is how the writer thinks it would work. Some has their personalities swap completely, others not at all, so it's just as interesting in that aspect.

[@juanbisonosuero3650]

Agree

[@Kierste_n]

Not only that but the world building ramifications. Is it still structured like our world or is it more matriarchal? Does Earth 11 still not have a male president? Are the woman there expected to be the breadwinner culturally? Is it more common to see female superheroes than male?

[@juanbisonosuero3650]

@@Kierste_n that's interesting👍🏽

[@aaronray6110]

Well Sasha that's the beauty of rule 63. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

[@CasuallyComics]

Lol 63% of the time it works all the time

[@GenerationWest]

I like just about everyone's costume... except for Wonder Warrior. Anyway, he should just be a Roman Centurion looking dude, but with less armor. So, I'm a huge fan of this concept, better if The can switch back and forth. I don't know... I just think it's neat lol

[@juanbisonosuero3650]

I like the name wonder Warrior (Better than wonderus Man bot not as simple as wonder Man)

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

I don't like it, but I'm so glad it exists, much more than your usual same-but-female versions that are so boring. And i think the white onesie kinda has potential, something similar should be done more often. Captain america is along those lines if it was good. In this context it kinda looks a bit dainty, so maybe the intent was something like covering him up for decency because the ROLES have been swapped genders. That's still a male character in a female ROLE of that society.

[@tygrkhat4087]

More like a Greek Hoplite.

[@DSan-kl2yc]

That's a good idea. But this was like a one shot adventure.

[@ianfinrir8724]

Nah, give Wonder Warrior a breastplate with Medusa's face embossed on it like Alexander the Great was said to have worn.

[@nishidohellhillsruler6731]

You know, I do admire the level of commitment to the bid shown by them not putting long slacks on dude Black Canary and Super Boy, I mean, not wearing pants is indeed part of their brand :D

[@kingbeauregard]

The off-center shield on Superboy's top was how Supergirl's worked at the time. She had tiny shorts too.

[@jsimpers]

I remember reading (and enjoying) this comic when it first appeared. Liked the gender swapped idea, especially "Wonder Warrior". And a world where the only difference between Hawkman and Hawkwoman would be their hair color (as was mentioned in the old letter column for that issue). And, just to be a nit picker, the assisting editor was E. Nelson Bridwell, not Nelson E.

[@DSan-kl2yc]

Can you imagine such a world A world where hawkman has reddish orange hair... Kidding aside there could be other differences. Hawkman is older in standard continuity, and now he's be the younger of the two. He'd start out as hawkboy. He wouldn't be the one that saved thanagar from the manhawks. Stuff like that.

[@HandofOmega]

I love that Mxy just straight up admits to phoning this one in! Would love to see him just one day say, "Eh, this isn't my best work..." Also, what's Earth-4?

[@Mechazaurus]

I think the letter writer meant Earth 4 to be the theoretical swapped gender Earth. Earth 1 was the main continuity, Earth 2 was the old 40s continuity and Earth 3 was the "good guys are bad guys and vice versa". So the gender bent Earth (they didn't have one at the time) would be 4.

[@blackrazer22]

"Eh, this isn't my best work... Also, what's Earth-4?" That would have been so funny if he had said that.

[@robi218]

Earth 4 ended up being the earth with the Charlton heroes like Captain Atom and Blue Beetle

[@FantasticDinos]

Black Condor’s costume is awesome. Those short shorts feel very 80’s and I love the giant boots. I really respect male heroes who go bare legged, but I still wish he had fishnets.

[@CharlesJohnson-tp7qq]

I could definitely see an 80's hero in the short shorts and a big leather coat. My question is what is Black Condor got on under the coat? A black tank? Bare chested?

[@hope-cat4894]

Not enough male heroes going bare legged anymore. 😍😆

[@juanbisonosuero3650]

Agree

[@GnuHopper]

So...was the Earth-M counterpart to Earth-1's Black Condor named Black Canary?

[@trublgrl]

"We thought we'd get away with it, until Human Puss in Boots showed up!" "I'm Black Condor!"

[@WarmLillie]

Superman getting beaten by rule 63 versions of himself now. Sound like something that the internet made up instead of sliver. But it’s here and let’s see it happen.

[@billyhills9933]

In the shot of the JLA they should have had Hawkman and Hawkwoman just to mess with everything.

[@TitularHeroine]

😂nice

[@briangressett902]

I remember reading this when it came out. I was obsessed with Wonder Warrior.

[@mark-s]

Me too bring him back to face Diana and explain that unitard

[@misterrea861]

4:05 "Just an island of hot sweaty dudes" 😆😆😆😆

[@demonpniff]

You're right, this is a Silver Age story in the bronze age. When I was young I always hated the stories with the 5th dimension imp (no, I can't spell it) because most of them were just weird things happening until the end until the imp appears and says, "Ha, I'm messing with you." It always seemed so anticlimactic.

[@mitchfletcher2386]

Mxy-yz-ptlk.

[@ProjektTaku]

just say "mr mxy"

[@shinyagumon7015]

This reminds me, did you cover the Superboy story where he turns into a girl before? Because that would be an interesting companion piece to this story. Especially how female Clark has no consistent name going from Claire to Clara in the two stories. Also I love the Superwoman outfit in this. It's feminine but without coming off as too girly or too unnecessarily skimpy. I also like how it has a normal fit and isn't unnaturally tight to emphasize her curves like some of the later versions of genderbend Clark. And yeah Wonder Warriors outfit sucks so bad that even 80s readers make fun off it🤣 Would've work why better if they leaned more into the two directions of making it less skimpy or keeping it as is instead of this weird middle ground with the leotard.

[@tygrkhat4087]

A sleeveless top and star-spangled leggings would have been much better.

[@michaelhughes8057]

I see that I'm not the only one who remembers that comic story from the Silver Age.😀

[@Magicghost23]

Mister Mxyzptlk basically trapped superman in a fanfic

[@macaemeia146]

My god

[@aucarter]

So Mr. Mxyzptlk is basically an incel? 🤣🤣🤣

[@rjb1216]

Always amazes me how stuck in the silver age early 80s Superman was

[@kingdomcomesuperman3669]

Ultimate thing to take away is that no matter the magic tricks Mxyzptlk couldn't cramp on Jimmy's style.

[@bobmathis-friedman6742]

I bought the issue when it first came out: on the cover, Wonder Warrior had exposed skin, but was whited out inside; I'm guessing that they whited it in successive printings..I'm guessing that it's because the Powers That Be thought that the imagery was too overtly homoerotic.

[@DSan-kl2yc]

Namor was showing more skin at the time. I don't see how it would be homoerotic. Dick greyson wore his shorts as Robin till the 80s or so. On the other hand I could see them thinking he looked too much like a man in drag or something by wearing wonder woman's distinct costume. On the other other hand... He's still wearing wonder woman's costume. I think it's just the most minimal change they could think of to make the costume work. They could have just had it be a vest and closed off. But that was more effort than they wanted to give.

[@EinDose]

I feel like after a point, Mxy should be Superman's first guess whenever there's something a little sideways about reality. He's the culprit often enough that at the very least you should knock him off the list of suspects FIRST before jumping to 'accidentally universe-hopped'.

[@roberth.9664]

For me I'd put Wonder Warrior's outfit in the middle on the list of gender bent Wonder Woman with the Countdown one on the bottom and the New 52 Wonderous Man one as the best. He is the one that looks the least like Diana and you probably could pass him off as his own character if you showed him to someone who didn't know, but I still feel he is the coolest design.

[@notaraven]

I kind of like it, wonder woman's more iconic outfits always felt like a mix of masculine and feminine to me. The white sleeves and leggings kind of do the same thing on wonder warrior.

[@barq6994]

The collar was 10/10. Wonder Warrior could have wore star spangled pants AND (for lolz) give him a mohawk, short one. I think the tank top would have been good too.

[@stebaer]

If you saw Wonder Woman #289&290 you saw how Captain Wonder of whom has a gold mask & long pants and a long sleeve shirt while Wonder Warrior has the bathing suit like Wonder Woman but with the white surroundings and that's an impish scheme like that that Myzptlk would perform.

[@Lospaghetto]

Aww. They should've put Wonder Warrior in the tube top

[@AussieDragoon]

I think Wonder Warrior would have worked better if they had just gone Full Hulk Hogan with it, since it's not like the exposed legs trunks look is out of place in pro wrestling, especially at the time. Drop the white body suit because it just looks bad, shorten the boots a bit, maybe add some blue knee protection for the look, lengthen the hair and maybe add a goatee or something and, boom, Wonder Warrior. Personally I'd also make the belt bigger, drop the eagle down to it and maybe add a new logo to the shirt, really get that old school wrestler look, but that might change the look a bit much.

[@Isaac-vq9gw]

Thank god there are at least a couple people who have also seen Wonder Warrior's tights and been confused as to why they exist

[@deeconstruction8163]

This was one the first comics I ever owned. The cover really did its job and hooked my interest. The story would have made a great episode Of Super Friends, which I was absolutely obsessed with at the time.

[@seanpowell1661]

Same here! This story would've worked great on the Super friends tv show. Then again...kids back in the day would have been horrified to see Batman with boobs. Lol

[@GleeChan]

I don't know why I love Sasha's voices (especially for Superman). You know that that's how she hears him in her head.

[@RabbiJoeInJerusalem]

Wonder Warrior is giving me serious Prince Adam vibes. And that was the action figure I had as a kid, not He-Man.

[@darkhero-3097]

I think the funniest plot hole is how in the story, everyone was genderbent. It wasn’t a new illusionary world, everyone was straight up turned from guy to gal, and Vice versa. So here’s the issue: if that’s the case, how does Clara Kent existed? She would need her own counterpart, Clark Kent. But since he’s Superman, and since Mxy didn’t know that, that means that Clara just existed from thin air? 9:50 Sounds like someone would enjoy Plastic Man :)

[@ArakkoaChronicles]

Creating people out of thin air isn't unheard of for Mxy. What's more surprising is that he saw Clark Kent and Superman missing at the same time, gave it enough thought to make replacements for them, but not enough to consider that they always seem to swap at the same time.

[@rodneylindsey849]

The Biggest Disappointment for Me is They are not Lois , Jimmy, & Bruce 😞 Mxy it would have been so much Fun seeing Clark show Bruce how He looked as Wonder Warrior …Oh Well Keep Up The Outstanding Work Sasha 🖖🏾

[@TheDukeofMadness]

I'd say my favorite swapped world has always been Earth-2. I know the Germans winning WWII is old hat but the execution in those old stories was great.

[@justicierodelaliga]

I recently read a Wonder Woman comic where she travels to Earth 11 and, in this case, they made all the Justice Guild with short hair. If anything, all should have had long hair except Wonderous Man. As is, doesn´t make sense why Wonderous Man would keep the short hair as well. More so, he didn´t look like the Grant Morrison´s version.

[@juanbisonosuero3650]

Yes 👍🏽

[@HandofOmega]

Have we had a video about Action Comics #156 yet? Apparently Lois becomes an early version of "supergirl", complete with being called "the Girl of Steel" and wearing a blond wig!

[@jasonroberts7558]

I have to mention that I love the fact that you have the Animal Man collection on your shelf. Buddy Baker is criminally underutilized in DC comics. I'm still salty that he got killed by Heatwave in the Flashpoint universe.

[@freddiemartin699]

Remember getting this comic back in the day. It was the great cover art that attracted me.

[@GrandArchPriestOfTheAlgorithm]

Must this blessing shield you from the wrath of the Holy Ones & Zeros.

[@jonathanwarrdddedcxddeecec4787]

That face Superman is making on the cover is definitely constipation

[@kdisley]

0:28 "Stressed...? Concerned...? Perplexed...?" _Constipated...?_

[@calumsanderson6741]

I might cosplay as Wonder Warrior at some point, complete with white overalls hahaha

[@eltonbarfield646]

I had this issue and still think I do in my collection. I would have to dig deep to find though. Amazingly, 20 years later they brought this world back as part of the newly formed multiverse.

[@karenl6908]

Your wig matches the colors of the flowers on your shirt, and I am 100% impressed with your commitment to matching wigs with clothes.

[@adam-l74]

I wonder what Sasha would say about Steve Trevor as Captain Wonder and his costume!

[@cassandralyris4918]

They made this one because they wanted to draw them all gender swapped, and I'm 100% okay with that. Also, your shirt is so cute. 👌😉

[@CH-wh7ee]

One of the reasons I like this channel is because it helps me look at old comics in a new light. I bought this issue when it first came out. And then completely forgot about it. But a sense of irony comes with time and distance.

[@professormutant3252]

nah KISS have always been sane, same with other rock and metal groups like Twisted Sister

[@mjjpeluso]

"Paradies Island: Just an island of hot sweaty dudes." IALOL

[@AzmiAb]

I actually knew this story! I think I was looking into all the times Superwoman was used and who that exactly was, the most known would be Earth...3?4?

[@symbolpending7632]

You're probably thinking of Earth-3 with Superwoman, Lois Lane, being part of the Crime Syndicate.

[@AzmiAb]

@@symbolpending7632 Yes, that one. I always forget which Earth is which, but yeah the weird Lois Lane is the evil Wonder Woman called Super Woman for some reason

[@wondercub]

One of the BEST issues. I literally bought it based on Wonder Warrior and how similar his uniform is to the Mego doll of Wondie.

[@HmStH111]

"I'm not THAT liberated" he says. Sir, we know you and we know the way you treat women around you so stop trying to fool us....

[@talk2myself315]

I was recently re-reading the Superman 2020 series. In retrospect, I'm disappointed it didn't involve Superman distributing COVID vaccines.

[@kratoscraken5614]

9:54 "never skip leg day" hahhaha classic 👍

[@bombseel]

Low key digging Black Condor and Wonder Warrior 👀👀

[@cassiedevereaux-smith3890]

Earth X called, and is issuing a copyright strike on 'Black Condor'. Johnny Quick from Earth 3 looks sideways at Earth 2 and says 'tell me about it'.

[@BThings]

I resent that Black Condor doesn't get to have fishnets.

[@MistarZtv]

an island of hot sweaty dudes? when is the next ship sailing?

[@jimbatter5246]

That super boy is weirdly cute and yes let wonder warrior have the muscles and body hair out 😤 also I knew Myxlplxckle (what ever) was a weirdo but I didn't know he was a incel 🙄

[@Vexe]

That gender swapped black canary 👀

[@d-manthecaptain1382]

Give Wonder Warrior a white cape, that'll fix it.

[@rodneylindsey849]

Hey Sasha as a fellow Star Trek Fan , when Superman ran into the barrier surrounding the Earth did You think “ For The World Is Hollow & I Have Touched The Sky” 🖖🏾

[@CharlesJohnson-tp7qq]

Mr. Mxyzptlk doesn't know Superman's secret identity because he's fascinated with Superman, but finds Clark Kent too ordinary, too boring. Or it could be the glasses.

[@dramonmaster222]

There's something really fascinating about Genderbent Superheroes.

[@Harespider]

I demand more gender-bent content! if there's none I'll riot. it'll be a riot of one, but a riot none the less

[@lydias376]

I shall join your riot!

[@ianfinrir8724]

We shall be The Rioters Three.

[@markshulusky6680]

"He's not even facing in their direction," well, would you?

[@Tiggeralt]

Gender-swap AUs are fun. I like the current Earth-11 stories, especially since there's a bit more to it than that. For instance, the Flash of that world is also a counterpart to Johnny Quick, which is more apparent with her sidekick, Kid Quick. Other kinds of -swaps are fun too. Morality-swaps, for instance, like DC's Earth-3 or Star Trek's mirror world. Another kind of -swap I like is age-swap, though this one seems more common in fanworks than in canon. The only canon example I can think of offhand is in the DC Sins of Youth event, and even then only in some of the tie-ins. That was mostly played as a de-aging story. Edit: More fun genderbending stories that aren't full-on AUs include Superboy №101 (red kryptonite turns Krypto into a pregnant female collie, typical 60s goofiness) and Guy Gardner: Warrior №42 (a supervillain turns Guy into a woman and forces him to put on a fashion show, typical 90s goofiness).

[@DSan-kl2yc]

I don't see the point of that first one. If it's not even Barry Allen or Wally than it's not even a gender swap. And there's a female Johnny quick already, Jessie Quick/Liberty Bell. Like calling the second doctor midnight a gender swap. She's just a different person.

[@philiphunn194]

"Superman Destroyed By Gender Bends"? I think I've read that fanfic...

[@RedwoodTheElf]

I seem to remember a What if comic cover (probably a gag cover) "What if the X men became the Ex-Men?" It had female versions of all the X-Men (Professor X included) With Professor X saying something like "Our Arch-Nemesis, the Gender Blender, has swapped all our genders!"

[@loganjohnson880]

Ok no the leotard on WW is simply not the move. The cover has him in a tank top that’s better but the look he needs is definitely the muscle tank we see in the comic. Cut the sleeves. Cut the pants. Pantless looks for male superhero’s will always be a serve Also, he totally should have gone full 80s hair with him. I’m talking waist long full volume curls

[@fredwardv6988]

Leslie Luthor is a great LL.

[@Konel333]

As always, fun and insightful, Sasha! Agreed re Wonder Warrior's costume. Someone must have thought it needed the unitard, but I have no idea why. But I *beg* you to do even one video on the Legion! They have so much good content for you. You'd have videos for months! :) (Cosmic Boy's 1970's costume alone is worth its own video!)

[@MakiPcr]

I like Gender Bends when the author takes the material seriously, not just slot the characters into gender stereotypes

[@trinitea7826]

The Blues Clues reference LMAO. Amazing.

[@dadoctah]

I find myself wondering, as I didn't back when the issue was new, about the other members of the JLA not shown. Would have loved a glimpse of "Martian Womanhunter".

[@s.philRBW]

"Dear Edito-... Sasha: Everyone's always saying how Superman and Batman are crazed stalkers, but, if you ask me, Mixyizpittlik is the REAL creep!" Man, I'm glad I never wrote to a comic book. I'd die if it turned up here. P.S., if you want some real cringers, try sampling Adventure's Legion of Superheroes letters page.

[@Desconocido2403]

That was a fun take on the genderbend concept. Once again, magic causing Superman a headache

[@juanbisonosuero3650]

My favorite are Superwoman AND Black canari

[@COMICSAREAWESOME]

I was reading a review of Multiversity: Teen Justice when I got the notification for this one - which is a comic about a bunch of gender-swapped versions of the main DC Earth. Coincidence...or something else???

[@blackphoenix77]

I read this comic book online over a decade ago on a website about gender changing in comics; I downloaded it and stapled it together; I think I still have it laying around somewhere.

[@ravenwilder4099]

Though, even if this wasn't one of Mxy's tricks and actually was a parallel Earth, Mxy would probably be still be Mr. rather than Ms. Mxyptlk, since they're not from this universe anyway, but the Fifth Dimension. Or does each universe have its own Fifth Dimension?

[@fredcampbell4066]

I am leaning towards Superman looking constipated on the cover. I don't think they make super ex-lax so that could be a problem.

[@RobinTimDrake]

This was one of the first comics I ever owned!

[@radiak55]

I think Mxy not knowing Superman is Clark works so well with the cartooniness baked into his concept . As a classic Superman character, I buy that he would even go as far as not wanting to know just because for him it would be boring. With Superman, he gets all the fun of scheming againts him.

[@tolfan4438]

He is from the 5th demention but is it pre or post age of aquarius

[@GabePuratekuta]

Obviously it's pre.

[@bbeck76]

Thanks!

[@jun2damax]

"Pretty sure he would've found someone else..." Yea there's quite a lot of LLs around for Supes

[@SeanSinclair821]

You had me at "island of hot, sweaty dudes", Sasha!

[@ryzekiv7147]

Superman’s resversing-hairlick trick is almost as effective a disguise as Tony Daytona’s toothpick!

[@OtakuD50]

So this Black Condor didn't steal the identity of a senator?

[@thomasgiammarco2854]

The letter column mentioned a backup story called Superman 2020? I wonder what that was like. What did writers in 1980 think 40 years in the future would be like? And how far off was it from reality?

[@CasuallyComics]

Pretty far off lol in those stories they're launching entire cities into orbit to become space ships, that can travel the stars, that will alleviate overpopulation.

[@mark-s]

@@CasuallyComics love to see you cover that story but this was definitely one of my favourites ❤

[@suisui7481]

Right now in the Teen Justice book we have a gender bent world of Earth 11 where the story focuses on Talia Kane (Robin) (Damian Wayne genderbent), Laural Kent (Supergirl) (Jon Kent genderbent), Donald Troy (Wonderous Boy) (Troya genderbent), Klarienne the witch girl (Klarion the witch boy genderbent), Jessie Chambers (Kid Quick) (a nonbinary alt version of kidflash), Jacqui Hyde (Aquagirl) (Jackson Hyde genderbent) and Raven (genderbent version of Raven), this is also the world where the batwoman that laughs appears in.

[@zoeh6393]

I think it would have been neat to see wonder warrior in a gladiator inspired costume, more like the one in the 2017 movie, instead of... That. Plate armor skirts for everyone, I say!

[@stjecat]

Bought that when I was kid. Loved it. Not wonder warrior so much

[@emsleywyatt3400]

A fair amount of Silver Age silliness for a story from the '80s. Also, check out Action 568 (Second story.) One of my favorite alternate Earths was "Planet of the Capes", just for the title.

[@RngLovesMeLOL]

I'm kinda thinking just about every silver age storyline could be explained as a Myxy caper.

[@JunAoi]

I think one of my favorite aspects of the Superman villains multiverse stuff is even before Convergence, Brainiac was a nightmare in every dimension. When they first went to the Anti-Matter Universe in Grant Morrison's 'Earth-2' (even tho it's Earth-3), they assumed Brainiac was just a slave computer to Ultraman, but benevolent. Except the reality was Brainiac was gonna Brainiac. No matter what. It's a neutral entity that seeks knowledge and acts as a computer would. Not bothered by Good or Evil.

[@benjaminwilson2998]

Those shorts on black condor 👀

[@symbolpending7632]

Not quite as Silver/Bronze Age but Superman /Batman #20-25, has not only genderswapped Earth-11 Batwoman and Superwoman an amazing jock Superlad, a Marvel Ultimate knock-off, and a gaggle of Supergirls!

[@rackstraw]

Jimmy knows gender swapping as Tuesday.

[@rvawildcardwolf2843]

My fanfiction brain wonders that if he was trapped in a world without Lois and everyone's the opposite gender; How would Clark's relationship with Batwoman change?

[@Lego3400]

Superboy's outfit reminds me of Robin's. The trunks and tiny off center logo really evoke it.