And Now…

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From Mr. Miracle #7, The Most Romantic Thing I Have Ever Seen:

 

“We’ll go down that old shark’s mouth together!!”

“Then I’ll beat her to death from the inside!!”

 

Just sorta gets you right here, doesn’t it?

 

More of Scott Free and Big Barda’s romance–which also involves a battle with Kanto–can be found in the pages of the Fourth World Omnibus v.3, by–who else?–Jack Kirby. Who, if you’ll remember, also co-created the romance comic. Coincidence?

33 thoughts on “And Now…”

  5. Whenever my girlfriend tells me I’m an unfeeling robot, I’m going to ask her whether she loves me enough to jump down a shark’s mouth with me and beat it to death from the inside. Oh, she isn’t? No ring for you girlie! Game, set, match. Is there any problem comics can’t solve?

  6. Bardo and Scott were always my favorite comic book couple. I blame Kirby for my fetish for women twice as tall as me who punch things for a living. Here’s to hoping Miracle gets another go when DC’s finished salting the fourth world.

  9. When the gang from Riverdale go to the beach, will there be thrills and danger when Betty goes down THAT OLD SHARK’S MOUTH?

    Oh, wait, this only *sounds* like a couple of days ago.

  11. This is truly the test of a relationship. If you and your significant other are not willing to jump down a shark’s throat and beat it to death from the inside, you probably weren’t meant to be.

  13. That’s actually how me and my boyfriend met. We both jumped down the throat of the same shark (quite the faux pas in Micronesia!) to punch it to death from the inside and, well, the rest as they say, is history.

    Good times.

  14. Once my wife actually jumped down into a shark’s mouth to beat it to death from the inside. After the shark was dead she crawled out and brought out a robot nazi gorilla that was in there that she had to jump down IT’S throat and beat IT to death from the inside before she could beat the shark to death from the inside.

    GAWD I LOVE THAT WOMAN!!!!!!!

  15. What I love about the original Kirby Barda is she always has this serene expression on her face. I think people miss that when they write her nowadays.

  17. I think Jack based Barda on his wife. She musta been one hell of a woman. I should have worked the whole shark punching thing into my marriage vows. Next time. What!? OUCH! Kidding.

  19. “through sickness, and in health, through ninjas and through sharks, through robots and through pirates, through zombies and through talking apes…”

  21. “I think Jack based Barda on his wife.”

    Lifted from Mark Evanier’s Jack FAQ:

    “Jack based some of his characters (not all) on people in his life or in the news…though often, the connection would be lost as the character evolved. That is to say, once the story was done, only Jack would be able to see any trace of the model…and sometimes, even he would lose track of how a character came about. Nevertheless, Big Barda’s roots are not in doubt. The visual came about shortly after songstress Lainie Kazan posed for Playboy…and the characterization between Scott “Mr. Miracle” Free and Barda was based largely — though with tongue in cheek — on the interplay betwixt Jack and his wife Roz. Of course, the whole “escape artist” theme was inspired by an earlier career of writer-artist Jim Steranko.”

    This means 2 things:

    1. Roz Kirby could beat the living crap out of sharks from the inside.
    2. Big Barda is partially based on nudie pictures of Nia Vardalos’ mom from “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”

    Consider that last bit revenge for the Archie post from 2 days ago. I could have gone my entire damn life without ever knowing what … that thing was. You know what thing.

  23. That’s a really…touching…scene…

    What? I’ve just got something in my eye, that’s all…

  24. I Like Tony’s comment about Barda’s serenity, although I think of it as composure. One of my favourite Barda portraits is the last panel of page 19 of #8 of the original series. It’s the subtlety with which he conveys her tightly controlled despair. She believes Scott’s dead, but she’s staying in control to destroy their enemies. All divers should carry copies of this picture, it’s way more powerful than bat shark repellent.

  27. My noblest goal in life is now this – to find that special lady who will go inside an old shark’s mouth with me and help me beat it to death from the inside. Because, when you get down to it, that’s the true meaning of love. And possibly Christmas. No, wait – Arbor Day. Yes. That is the true meaning of Arbor Day.

    And thanks for the Chabon link, Scott! That was a really great read. I might even have to repost that on my blog sometime.

  28. Edward Liu: Consider that last bit revenge for the Archie post from 2 days ago. I could have gone my entire damn life without ever knowing what … that thing was. You know what thing.

    Oberon?

  30. All I can say is, don’t let your romantic dreams of a girl you can slide down the shark guts of Life with unhinge your judgement.

    Remember: that woman is going to be wielding the Mega-Rod in your house. For the rest of your life.

  32. “through sickness, and in health, through ninjas and through sharks, through robots and through pirates, through zombies and through talking apes…”

    Man…Those should be the vows forEVERY superhero wedding EVER! Seriously, sickness and health, richer and poorer, for better and worse, just doesn’t seem to cut it. Also, “through death and through resurrection, through aliens and through clones…”