Who is....James Proudstar | Warpath? - A Reading Guide
James "Jimmy" Proudstar, is an X-Men affiliated character from Marvel Comics first introduced in 1984. Jimmy is a member of the Yavapai-Apache Nation, and was born in Camp Verde, Arizona. Jimmy grew up idolizing his older brother, John, who would die while on a mission with the X-Men, prompting Jimmy's own path into the world of mutant infighting. Jimmy's story includes topics around the mistreatment of indigenous people (including the medical experimentation that they've suffered), as well as dealing heavily with themes of grief and healing. However, given the nature of American comic books and the lack of diversity among writers, the comics do not always do a good job addressing themes and plots specifically related to Jimmy being Apache.
Many earlier comics do not accurately depict Jimmy's skin-tone or culture, so while in the graphic above I have adjusted some coloring, please be advised that in an unfortunately large number of the following issues...he will look white.
Reading list is under the cut!
From Hellions to X-Force
Jimmy's first appearances are with the Hellions, a villainous group of mutants under the direction of Emma Frost. Jimmy joined their ranks following the death of his brother, John, when he was determined to get revenge on the X-Men- he soon found that he didn't fit in with the Hellions and returned home. Cable approached him about joining the New Mutants but he declined until he discovered that the Hellfire Club (of which Emma was part) had murdered his entire tribe. Now fueled by a desire for revenge against Emma Frost, Jimmy agreed to join the New Mutants right before they turned into X-Force.
A new X-Force was formed, led by Wolverine (Logan) to do the more....extreme tasks the normal X-Men won't.
Uncanny X-Men (1981) #493
X-Factor (2006) #26
New X-Men (2004) #45
X-Men (1991) #206
X-Factor (2006) #27 (mostly here as set up for the next issue)
New X-Men (2004) #46
X-Men (1991) #207
Uncanny X-Men (1981) #498-499
X-Force (2008) #1-6
X-Force: Ain't No Dog (2008) #1B
Cable (2008) #6-7, 9-10
X-Force (2008) #7-11
X-Men: Legacy (2008) # Annual 1A, 230A
X-Force (2008) #12-13
X-Force/Cable: Messiah War (2009) #1
Cable (2008) #13
X-Force (2008) #14
Cable (2008) #14
X-Force (2008) #15
Cable (2008) #15
X-Force (2008) #16-18, 20
Necrosha, etc.
After the events of Messiah War, Jimmy became embroiled in Necrosha (reanimated mutants were being controlled by Selene and the T-O virus). After fixing that scenario, Jimmy quit X-Force, stayed in Utopia after the schism, and would join the X-Men in a war against the Avengers. (This era technically includes Age of X, but Jimmy doesn't really...do much there so I didn't include those appearances).
X-Necrosha (2009) #1A,C
X-Force (2008) #21, Annual 1A, 22A-25
Nation X (2010) #4C
X-Men: Schism (2011) #5 (Jimmy's only in like 3 panels but they're important)
X-Men: Legacy (2008) #260
X-Men (2010) #20-29
Weapon X
After all...that. Jimmy was captured by the restarted Weapon X Program, after being rescued the team Jimmy was on started by renaming themselves "Weapon X" as a way to reclaim the program that had hurt them. During this time, Jimmy started dating Domino...which was certainly a choice on the writer's part....
Weapon X (2017) #2, 4
Weapons of Mutant Destruction: Alpha (2017) #1
Totally Awesome Hulk (2016) #20
Weapon X (2017) #5
Totally Awesome Hulk (2016) #21
Weapon X (2017) #6
Totally Awesome Hulk (2016) #22
Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey (2017) #1-5
Weapon X (2017) #7-21
Astonishing X-Men (2017) #13A-17
Extermination (2018) #3-5
X-Force (2018) #1A-5, 7-10
Krakoa and Fall of X
Like many mutants, Jimmy moved to the mutant nation of Krakoa. While on Krakoa he joined the New Mutants, and would have a chance to reconnect with his beloved brother, John.
New Mutants (2019) #14-15, 18-24
Giant Size X-Men: Thunderbird (2022) #1
New Mutants (2019) #29
New Mutants: Lethal Legion (2023) #1
X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic (2021) #121-123, 138-142
So, since April 2021, Flash Thompson has been back in action! Sort of. Intermittently. It was a long 1,043 days, but he finally came back to us in Venom (2018) #34. So, what's he been up to since busting his way out of the ground? Well... why don't you take a look for yourself?
(Venom (2018) #34 (Cates, Coello) ...okay, he was actually buried in NYC in Amazing Spider-Man #800, but I suppose we can't nitpick)
After his resurrection, he appeared briefly as Agent Anti-Venom in Venom #200, musing over the details of his resurrection...
...and that led directly into Extreme Carnage. The order for that event is as follows: Alpha, Scream, Phage, Lasher, Riot, Toxin, Agony, Omega. Extreme Carnage reunited Flash with Andi (as Scream, and then Silence) and essentially has Flash in full Symbiote Rights™ mode, unless you're Carnage. Because fuck that guy.
It's not my most favorite event in the world, but it's probably the best Flash content you'll get for him post-resurrection. It's pretty fun though, and worth a read.
After that, his next big appearance is in Savage Avengers (2022) #1-10. He's part of the main cast and team, so technically it's the most content we see for Flash since his resurrection, but it's a bit of a mixed bag. Pepose's Flash isn't awful, but he's nothing to write home about. The most interesting bits are the Anti-Venom Symbiote seemingly gaining some sapience, and Flash's short-lived romance with Tandy (Dagger).
Interestingly, the first issue of Savage implies that Flash has been in contact with Liz Allan again, presumably since the events of Extreme Carnage. Beyond that, we get to see the dragon form of Anti-Venom again, and he takes on a more classic appearance better resembling John Romita Jr.'s origin design for Anti-Venom back in New Ways to Die. It's not known if the Anti-Venom will maintain its seeming sense of self, but we can hope!
Beyond that has just been bits and pieces of content for him. He had a decent supporting part in Amazing Spider-Man #900, but he also didn't have any chemistry with anyone, so it probably ranks at the bottom of my list for post-resurrection appearances. It also doesn't determine whether or not Flash remembers about the identity reveal exactly 100 issues earlier so... (tosses hands up)
He also cameoed in Dark Web #1 at a memorial for Harry Osborn, lingering near Liz. Curiously, in Dark Web, Norman Osborn was just outside, but for whatever reason Flash didn't react whatsoever to his murderer being about thirty feet away, so, it is what it is.
Beyond the above it's all been little spot cameos and mentions of him. There was a little teeny tiny mention in Venom (2021) #11, as well as in the 2022 Venom/Spider-Man Free Comic Book Day issue (he's on Dylan's team, with those swords apparently ready to stab the shit out of Lee Price. at least I'm hoping).
He also got the world's tiniest but MOST IMPORTANT mention in Red Goblin #5 as long as you can overlook Stanley Osborn being white (head in hands) but the important thing here is UNCLE FLASH. I'm crying. He is Uncle Flash. Was it Uncle Flash calling? No. It was Cletus Kasady. But that's not the point!!!! He's Uncle Flash!!!!!!!!
The best we can honestly hope for at this point is that Flash appears in either the current Carnage event (Carnage Reigns) or in whatever they've got going on in Venom. I personally would like to see him rejoin the cast of Amazing Spider-Man, but maybe given the current writing staff he's better off away from that.
We do know for sure he's in Extreme Venomverse #3 (out 6/14) but it's not really Flash, it's a Flash from some other universe. Still, we will take our crumbs with gratitude because that's all we're getting right now.
I'll update this as more becomes available! Which will hopefully be a lot! Stay tuned, true believers!
Do you like Superman and Batman's friendship but don't know where to start reading? Or are you just looking for more to read? This list is for you!
Comics can be quite hard and complicated to navigate, especially when two characters have interacted for 69 years. A lot has happened in that time! I made this reading guide to help you along. It's organized by era and (mostly) in chronological order.
Many thanks to @katsuyacrimson and Orph for their input and help, and @worldsfinest for some last-minute info!
Some personal faves:
World's Finest vol. 2 (1990) >> Good starting point if you want a self-contained story that is not really in continuity.
Superman/Batman (2003) >> Good starting point. See under 'Post-crisis' for reading order.
Dark Knight over Metropolis >> See under 'Post-crisis' for reading order.
Batman/Superman (2013) #1-4 and #16-20 + annual #2
Batman/Superman (2019) #16-21 + annual 2021
Alright, long list under the cut. Enjoy your reading!
☆ = essential reading to follow their relationship (imo)
▻ = tie-in to other story or not entirely essential to follow their relationship
Pre-crisis (1952 -1985) // Earth One
☆ Superman (1939) #76 - Very first meeting
☆ World's Finest Comics - Superman and Batman teamed up almost every issue from #71 all the way to #323 (the final issue).
Some highlights and personal faves:
Batman and Superman in World’s Finest: The Silver Age Omnibus - collects #71 - 116 (and Superman #76)
Saga of the Supersons - collects various issues between #215 and #263.
#246-247; #250; #259; #271 (first meeting retold); #272 - 274; #279 - 289; #293; #294-295 (the infamous break-up happened at this point in Batman and the Outsiders #1); #300; #302
▻ Superman Annual #7: The origins of the Superman-Batman team
▻ Superman Annual #9
☆ Superman Annual #11: For the Man Who Has Everything
Post-crisis (1986 - 2011) // New Earth
Main universe:
☆ The Man of Steel #3 - One Night in Gotham City. New first meeting. general warning for John Byrne rightwing-leaning superman but ok i guess
▻ Adventures of Superman #440 - The Hurrieder I Go. Secret identities revealed. Part of the ongoing story in the Superman books at the time.
▻ Batman #428-429 - part of A Death in the Family.
☆ Dark Knight over Metropolis
Preceding events: Action comics annual #1, Adventures of Superman #466, Action Comics #653. Read these for the full story.
Main story: Superman (1987) #44, Adventures of Superman #467, Action Comics #654
▻ Superman: The Man of Steel #37 - first time seeing each other again after Clark’s death and Bruce getting his back broken. Part of Zero Hour. Could be read as stand-alone, might be a little confusing.
▻ Superman: The Wedding Album - Bruce arranges for Metropolis to be protected during Lois and Clark’s honeymoon.
▻ JLA (1997) 80-page giant #1 - The Green bullet (first story)
▻ JLA (1997) #27
▻ Superman: Emperor Joker - Bruce shows up mainly in the second arc, The Reign of Emperor Joker. Read the full story to understand it all! Starts in Superman (1987) #160, or collected in tpb.
☆ Superman (1987) #168 and Detective Comics #756 - With This Ring and Lord of the Ring.
▻ Batman #612 - part of Batman: Hush.
☆ Superman/Batman (2003). Longest running team-up book to date, beside the World’s Finest Comics. Definitely essential reading!
Reading order: Annual #1 (first meeting retold, again. this time with deadpool); Annual #2; Secret Files and Origins 2003 (When Clark Met Bruce); #1 - 56; Annual #3; #57 - 87; Annual #4
▻ Batman #640 - part of Batman: Under The Hood. harder to read on its own.
▻ Justice League of America (2006) #0 - Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
▻ Superman #710 - part of Superman: Grounded. Can easily be read as stand-alone.
Limited series:
☆ World’s Finest vol. 2 (1990) 3 issues.
▻ Legends of the World’s Finest (1995) 3 issues.
☆ Batman & Superman: World’s Finest (1999) 10 issues - #7 is the most important.
New 52 (2011 - 2016) // Prime Earth
☆ Batman/Superman (2013) #1-4 - New first meeting as Clark and Bruce*
▻ Batman (2011) #19-20 - Ghost Lights (backup story)
Actually- while i’m still on a bit of a Creeper kick, may as well post the reading guide I made a while ago for twitter over here too! though here’s a few things to keep in mind here; though:
- Multiple origins are listed here, as the Creeper is a character dc has messed around with quite a bit. He has a few more than what is listed, but I’ve noted the better ones.
- Because of this, putting his appearances in an in-universe chronological order is a tad bit tricky, but i’ve tried my best to compile them in a way that’s somewhat cohesive.
- Keep in mind this is also a beginners reading guide, and I might have missed a few other/minor appearances here and there. However places like comicvine have a more comprehensive list of all of the comics he’s appeared in! (though as far as I know they aren’t in any particular order)
Creeper is overall a really fun under-appreciated character almost doomed by how convoluted comics can be, but I hope this simple guide can help more people get into him! happy reading!
a (mostly) complete guide to comics featuring james buchanan (bucky) barnes / the winter soldier.
i love and cherish bucky barnes so much, but when i started reading comics in may 2019 i found it very confusing and inaccessible - so i did all of the hard work of putting things together through trial and error and compiled it all together so no one else has to.
there are comic guides to bucky barnes existing in the world right now, but all that i found were outdated or missing major pieces, or were just single long lists with no clues as to whether the appearances were significant or little blips - i’ve tried to take a lot of that guesswork out here!
there’s an “faq” at the end with some extra tips/deets/resources/etc.
