Welcome to the third issue of RazorFine Presents Comic Spotlight as we take a look at comic heroes, villains, and everything in between. The focus of today’s issue? From the mind of the guy who first drew Spider-Man came The Question. After leaving behind the Webhead at Marvel in 1967 Steve Ditko found a job at Charlton Comics and in a seven page backup story of Blue Beetle issue #1 Ditko gave the world The Question. The world’s first Objectivist hero would go through many lean years before a re-imagining of his character at the hands of Dennis O’Neil in the late 80’s. Ditko. O’Neil. Talk about a pedigree. Check out the Full Diagnosis for more!
The Question
Name: Vic Sage
1st Appearance: Blue Beetle #1
Final Appearance: Dies in 52 issue #38 (reborn as part of the new DC Multiverse on Earth-4)
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“The Question, on the one hand, is an obsessed character. He will do absolutely anything in pursuit of his own rigid moral code, save contradict his own beliefs.”
—Alan Moore
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Vic Sage made a career for himself as an investigative journalist in the horribly corrupt Hub City (modeled after East St. Louis) where one of his stories led him to a former professor Dr. Aristotle Rodor and the invention of an artificial skin known as Pseudoderm. To prevent Rodor’s associate Arby Twain from selling the sometimes toxic compound to Third World Nations Sage donned a mask of Pseudoderm and became the faceless crime-fighter known as The Question.
When Charlton Comics went into decline The Question languished in relative obscurity, along with other characters including the Blue Beetle and Captain Atom, but finally the properties were bought by DC Comics. In 1987 Dennis O’Neil (a former Charlton writer) began a 36-issue run which re-introduced the world to the character as well bringing in characters such as Lady Shiva and Richard Dragon and moving the character to a more Eastern philosophical an Zen-like stance. To help explain this shift in philosophy O’Neil shot him in the head in the first issue before the bringing him back to life and literally resurrecting the character as something new.
Unlike many heroes The Question was a thinking man’s crime-fighter and a philosopher. In his first incarnation The Question was presented as the world’s first Objectivist hero. Although the hero moved away from that philosophy in later incarnations, the character never shied away from the bigger issues. Perhaps on the early adventures of The Silver Surfer would compare with adventures that discussed issues on moral and philosophical ground. To The Question his mission was a necessity which drove him to ride the edge far more than most comic heroes (he even on occasion killed, without remorse). Under O’Neil he started to examine the big picture, concerned with the politics and corrupt government officials rather than your average petty criminal or super-villain.
Alan Moore, unable to use the Charlton characters he originally planned for what would become Watchmen instead modeled the characters off the originals and gave life to and older and more sinister version of the character known as Rorschach.
The character would come full circle when he was introduced in Justice League Unlimited where he was presented as a conspiracy theorist obsessed with the minutiae which he believed all fit into the broader picture. “The plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces are called aglets; their true purpose is sinister.” The character provided some of the show’s best moments providing his own take on situations and his unlikely relationship with The Huntress (inspired by the Huntress: Cry for Blood mini-series). This character has a little Ditko, a little O’Neil, and more than a splash of Moore’s Rorschach as well.
Sadly Vic Sage was killed off (cancer) during DC’s weekly year-long event 52 after bestowing his secrets and legacy to former Gotham Police Detective Renee Montoya. (Not the best idea DC ever had). However, final events of 52 reestablished the DC Multiverse and The Question lives again on Earth-4.
The Question, dressed in a suit and fedora, spouting wisdom, philosophy, or conspiracy theories, is one of the more unique characters ever invented for comics. For further reading check out Scott Titpton’s take on the character from Movie Poopshoot and VicSage.com which includes tons of history and character info (plus instructions on how to draw the character). You can also pick up the graphic novel of the beginning of Dennis O’Neil’s run now available in trade paperback.