Comics have gone through more ripping transformations than The Incredible Hulk's pants.
• Superboy turns into a "Super-Sister" in issue 78 of Superboy comics, 1960. "Omigosh!" the transgendered lad responds. "I've been changed into a ... a girl! Shar-La's weird ring rays must somehow have done this."
Sure enough, an alien female named Shar-La pulled the switch to teach the hero some respect for women.
• Nick Fury transforms from a wavy-haired, eye-patch-wearing white guy in the comics -- to a famously bald, eye-patch-wearing black dude in the movies -- to now, a comic-book version of actor Samuel L. Jackson.
Way-cool artist Jim Steranko defined the character in the 1960s. But Jackson plays Fury in the movies, and comic-book Nick Fury Jr. looks like Jackson.
• The exclamation "Shazam!" comes from the Captain Marvel comic books of 60 years ago. The magic word changed unremarkable young Billy Batson into super-powered, Fred MacMurray-looking Captain Marvel.
Captain Marvel was unbeatable, but his lawyers lost a duke-out with Superman's legal squad. The Man of Steel claimed that Captain Marvel copied him. Captain Marvel, according to Superman, didn't change enough.
Style on 09/07/2014