This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post here at Balladeer’s Blog will look at Longshot, who has been repeatedly memory-wiped, rebooted, repurposed, retconned and has even been a mutant, then NOT a mutant.
LONGSHOT Vol 1 #1 (September 1985)
Title: A Man Without a Past
Villains: Mojoverse humanoids and creatures
Synopsis: Readers are dumped into events as this issue opens. A mulleted man we will come to know as Longshot is being pursued through a bizarre alternate dimension which we will come to know as the Mojoverse. His pursuers are menacing humanoids armed with rayguns, and oddly formed creatures, some of whom can talk.
At length, Longshot escapes through a random portal and ends up on Earth. We readers learn he has lost his memory and has two hearts and only three fingers and a thumb on each hand. His first superpower (aside from his incredible agility) is revealed to be incredible “luck” and that luck prevented his pursuers’ blaster fire from actually hitting him and instead hitting everything around him. Continue reading
Balladeer’s Blog has covered many, many Movie Hosts over the years. Pioneers from the 1950s like 
Among the many others that I’ve examined were big names like Elvira, Joe Bob Briggs, and Joel Hodgson of MST3K. Balladeer’s Blog even covered YT figures who combined movie hosting schtick with online film reviewing like 
CANTO ONE – The jungle and mountain god Tan Vien was accompanying the semi-divine Emperor Hung Vuong XVIII on a Royal Hunt. A turn of fate puts them in a position to save the imperiled son of Long Vuong, the chief sea god. CLICK 
CENTURY CLUB – The INDIANA FEVER (17-16) took it on the road against the DALLAS WINGS (9-24). 
WELCOME TO UNCASVILLE – The CONNECTICUT SUN (24-9) hosted the SEATTLE STORM (20-13) at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. 
A VOYAGE INTO TARTARY (1689) – The real author of this work is unknown. It is a fictional encounter with a lost race, advanced technology and more. It’s possible that the writer wanted anonymity due to his then-blasphemous attitudes toward religion. 
Happy Labor Day! And yes, I know it’s traditionally the Labors of Hercules, but last week’s blog post about 
DOWN GOES NUMBER TEN – The 19th ranked BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS played the number 10 MORNINGSIDE UNIVERSITY MUSTANGS in their own house. The 1st Quarter ended with the Ravens up 21-3, and they would need all those points. The Mustangs pulled to within 28-17 at the Half and 35-30 in the 3rd Quarter before Benedictine held on in the 4th to win it 48-45. 
CUMBERLAND ON THE ROAD – The CUMBERLAND UNIVERSITY PHOENIX traveled to face the MISSOURI BAPTIST UNIVERSITY SPARTANS. The opening Half of this game was deceptive as the Phoenix led by a score of 28-3 by the midpoint. After the break, the Spartans made it a whole different game, pulling to within 28-25 to end the 3rd Quarter, but Cumberland U. held on in the 4th for a 35-28 win. 
UNDER THE RADAR THRILLER – This game pitted the AVILA UNIVERSITY AVALANCHE (now the Eagles) against the visiting BETHANY COLLEGE SWEDES. The Avalanche seized a quick 7-0 1st Quarter lead, following which neither team scored again until after the break. The Swedes tied things up at 7-7 in the 3rd Quarter, and an action-packed 4th saw Avila triumph 24-21. 
Superheroes have been huge in pop culture in recent decades. Will Eisner’s iconic superhero the Spirit – who debuted in June of 1940 – rose from the grave of his secret identity, Private Investigator Denny Colt, after his apparent death when he got saturated in some chemicals of the supervillain Doctor Cobra. 
GREATER THAN HUMAN STRENGTH – Taking this hero’s origin story at face value with no ret-conning necessary, when Denny Colt came to in his coffin he dug his way to the surface. It would require much more than the strength of a normal human to burst through the coffin lid AND force his way upward through six feet of soil. For all I know The Big Bang Theory guys may have once done a calculation on how much actual strength it would take to accomplish this feat. 
KISS THEIR BUTTE! – Out in Butte, MT the 21st ranked MONTANA TECH OREDIGGERS welcomed the number 3 team in the nation – the GEORGETOWN (KY) COLLEGE TIGERS. A 7-7 1st Quarter tie became a 14-7 Orediggers lead by Halftime. The 3rd Quarter ended with Montana Tech up 21-14 and the 4th in a 29-22 Orediggers triumph! 
HISTORY WAS MADE – The WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY STATESMEN played host to the latest college playing its FIRST EVER intercollegiate football game – the WILLIAM WOODS UNIVERSITY OWLS. As usual, it wasn’t the kind of history that the newbies would have liked, as the Statesmen led 38-0 at the Half before winning the game 59-0. 
CITIZEN SOLDIER (1956-1957) – Also known as The Big Attack, this half-hour series depicted dramatic reenactments of real wartime incidents from World War Two, STARRING THE ACTUAL SERVICEMEN WHO TOOK PART IN THEM! 
Charles Marquis Warren directed and Ron W. Alcorn produced this syndicated program that lasted for one season of 39 episodes. 
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