06.12.2008
New comic book hero has N.C. ties
Most comic-book superheroes come from Manhattan or imaginary places, such as Metropolis and Gotham City. But one of the newest heroes on the block is a Tar Heel.
Emery Schaub, a.k.a. Boulder, appears in “The Avengers: The Initiative” issue 13, out now from Marvel Comics. The series follows fledgling superheroes attending a sort of super boot camp sponsored by the Avengers, a team whose members include such stalwarts as Captain America, Thor and Iron Man.
Enter Emery, a stocky - OK, fat - young man with an outfit that looks like a last-minute Halloween costume. “I’m from Morganton, North Carolina,” he explains to his apathetic fellow recruits on the bus ride to the camp. “That’s near Asheville.”
He’s got one heck of a superpower, too: Invulnerability from any form of injury. And he’s an enthusiastic fan of superheroes, well-versed in trivia about them.
But maybe we shouldn’t be too proud to call him our own.
Upon arriving at the Avengers’ compound, the drill sergeant (a reformed supervillain called the Taskmaster) scoffs at Emery’s chosen supername and, based on his portly physique, renames him “Butterball.” And Emery proves not to be the most competent superhero around.
“He’s not strong,” Taskmaster explains to other members of the Avengers. “He’s not fast. And even if he wasn’t built like a tub of pudding, he’d still be a klutz.”
“Well, before he came here he was fry cook, not a ninja,” another hero replies. “It’s our job to whip him into shape.”
Trouble is, since Emery gained his powers and can’t be injured, he also can’t get into shape. No amount of exercise tires him or tones his muscles. He’s stuck in his portly, clumsy form.
But he is the focus of the issue. And mercifully, he doesn’t speak in a thick Southern accent or seem like a complete dimwit, though he is socially awkward.
But why Morganton?
“My wife, Ruth, is from Valdese, one town over,” explained Christos N. Gage, the writer of the comic. “Her father, the late Rep. Ray Fletcher, represented Morganton in the state House for many years.”
One minor note that may not ring true to some readers: at one point, Emery refers to “pop” instead of “soda.” “Yeah, I know that’s not a Southern term, but I liked the way it sounded,” Gage said. “Chalk it up to artistic license.”
This may not be the only connection the Avengers have to North Carolina. In the current storyline, the team has announced plans to open branches in all 50 states.
“I’d definitely like to establish a North Carolina team at some point,” Gage said. “Hopefully it’ll happen sooner rather than later.”
Tim Clodfelter