"Sometimes, David David, I can't help but get the impression you wait for a predominant direction to manifest in a thread so you can go the other way." - JB

I apologize if I've given that impression, JB, and I certainly can understand why you'd have that of me. One of the reasons I post is because I love the debates, here. I don't try to deliberately stir the pot, although, again, I can see how my post about the Stacy Osborn children can easily be seen as such, but the debates here can be among the friendliest and most intelligent that I've ever been engaged in. 

Since I started posting here, three years ago, you've changed my mind and challenged my ideas on not just the direct market and the direction of comics but on abortion, Christianity, and gun control as well. I've even used some of the facts that you've cited and opinions that you've presented in lectures, for my high school classes. And I hope that, when I post, I can create an intelligent counterpoint that might make someone reevaluate something or might even make me reevaluate something.  

To be fair, Superman does have a son as of SUPERMAN RETURNS.  Not the comics to be sure, but it's out there.

The Thundra/Hulk baby?  Yeah, pure bullshit. 

Daken is a villain?  Awhile back I saw some conversation about a scene between Cyclops and Wolverine.  Apparently Cyclops was trying to get
Wolverine to kill Daken and Logan refused. 
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Jeebus, talk about not understanding the characters.

If only Tom DeFalco had known. He wouldn't have had to do his "next generation" of Marvel heroes as a sideline imprint.

The heroes being created today, Skaar, Daken, Lyra, hell... Cable and X-Man even, all reflect their creators' awareness that the parent heroes have been around for a very, very long time. Long enough, surely, to be having kids of their own. Grown kids even. What's called for here is an array of second generation heroes who acknowledge this "reality" while still allowing editorial to keep the parents young, viable, & presumably "undamaged."

Try to see it from the modern creator's point of view: Marvel heroes are all old. Older now than DC's were back when Marvel was mocking them for being dusty old fogeys. The hip, up-and-comers have all aged, and the people writing them can't see them in any other way. Add up all the storylines that "must" have happened to bring the characters to where they are today. Allow for the amount of time all those stories would have to take. Y'see? These guys are pretty f*ckin' old, even if you ignore "real time." They should all have been having kids years ago! But they didn't and today's writers can see why... They're down with the plan. Don't mess too much with the product. They get it. But on the other hand, c'mon! These guys're old!!! Y'can't get around that!!!

Hell, they are ways to give them kids that don't age them, or at least not much. Raise the kid in an alternate timeline, bring them back fully grown. That plan worked for Cable, X-Man, and Franklin. It'll work for Lyra. How about fast-acting Miracle-Gro for Magic Babies? Bang! Skaar's aw-gwown-up-now, just like that! Haha! This is easy! Clones! Hellyeah! They can be grown to any age! Just set the dial to "hottie" and thereyahave'er! X-23, toasted to just a little past jailbait! Who's next? C'mon! Step up! Daken? Just like dear old Dad, the guy can be any age we want! Wolverine just kinda... forgot the kid existed. And for 50 years, this homicidal badass kept a low profile... 'Cause he's just that cool, y'dig?

And all of this just goes to show that what the writers, want is much, much better for the industry than keeping the characters as they were when they found them, years ago. Back when sales were higher.

Writing isn't something you do just with your head. You do it with your heart. With all of your heart if you do it right... And the hearts of today's writers have spoken clearly. Marvel's characters are old, old, old. They may as well start writing the next batch. The Lee-Kirby-Ditko bunch is played out...

It's a shame DeFalco couldn't get everyone to see it sooner. MC2 was simply a little ahead of it's time. And not by much at all, really.

You know, I'm a little confused by Daken.

Do the average fan boys like the character? Do they buy a comic for his appearance? Is he actually considered cool?

The reason I ask is because he seems like a character that was MADE to be cool. A fourth grader making up a 'bad-ass' version of Wolverine and putting in all the modern age nonsense that he doesn't really understand but thinks are cool. Tattoos, mohawks and the like. And then how to distinguish him from his dad? A wrist claw? How does that make sense?

Daken is Poochie from the Simpsons. Out of touch adults trying to be hip and cool for the kids and getting it wrong.

Or are the standard marvel buyers actually buying that a character they're being TOLD is cool, is actually cool? Crap, when I was a kid if a character was being rammed down my throat I don't think I would have liked that character at all.