Who Was Who Is Who #41

So for want of anything better to write about on a Monday, I'm going to go through all my copies of Who's Who and see if I can predict who will make it over to the new DCU by the end of 2012, who might make it and who hasn't got a Slipknot's chance.

SHRINKING VIOLET - as far as I can see, thanks to the wonders of the internet, Shrinking Violet is appearing in the pages of Legion of Super Heroes so gets in the in place column.

THE SIGNALMAN - I have a vague memory of reading that the Signalman was dropped off a high building by another villain. Or am I confusing him with someone else? Either way, I don't think the New 52 can deal with the Signalman just yet.

THE SILENT KNIGHT - Demon Knights is probably the best place for this guy to show up so I'll give him a possible simply on that.

SILVER DEER - an old Firestorm villain that I really can't see returning.

SILVER GHOST - one of the Freedom Fighters' Nazi enemies from Earth-X. As that Earth isn't returning any time soon and there's only the vague hint of a Freedom Fighters return at some point, I think it unlikely we'll see this guy soon.

SILVER SCARAB - as previously mentioned, now that we know the Earth-2 heroes are all in their early twenties, it precludes the chances of any of the Infinity Inc kids appearing so unless an unrelated Scarab shows up, I don't think we'll be seeing Hector Hall.

THE SILVER SWAN - with the current Wonder Woman title having moved towards gods and monsters, it seems unlikely that we'll be seeing the poor Silver Swan.

SINESTRO - while Who's Who shows him in his villainous garb, he's definitely in place as a Green Lantern in the current series.

SIVANA - Dr Sivana had not only an appearance in the Shazam! back-up in Justice League #7 but also a makeover. Gone is the short, weedy scientist, replaced by a bulked up, taller version who, despite the physical change, is still clearly the same character.

SIVANA FAMILY - I'd have thought that the Sivana Family was a jokey, Silver Age concept that would be retired. With the Shazam! back-up, though, the revitalised Dr Sivana mentions trying to save his family through science or magic so it seems likely we'll get some version of them. For that, they go in the definite column.

THE INNER WORLD OF SKATARIS - growing up on Tolkien, David Eddings' The Belgariad, Julian May's The Saga of The Exiles not to mention Dungeons and Dragons, I've long had a fondness for maps of make-believe lands. Sadly, though, as I've said in the entries dealing with the Warlord's cast so far, there are currently (as of early April) no plans to revive Skataris or its inhabitants that I'm aware of so we'll probably not get to see these places anywhere but here.

SKULL - not a person but an organisation that went up against the Outsiders. As such, I'm not counting them.

SKYMAN - we might get a Sylvestor Pemberton as a Star-Spangled Kid at some point in Earth-2 but I wouldn't put him high on the list of likely apperances. I'll put him in as a possible.

SLAM BRADLEY - from what I remember, Slam Bradley came back to the DCU as a PI in Gotham and either he or his son was romantically involved with Catwoman. We might see him come back but I doubt it.

SLIPKNOT - killed pre-Flashpoint I don't think we need to worry about this fella retuning any time soon.

SNAPPER CARR - oh, Snapper . . . I can't see the new League needing a wise-cracking, hip-lingo spouting teenager to hang around with them, somehow.

SOLOMON GRUNDY - a perennial bad guy of the Justice Society, James Robinson used him to great effect in Starman. Will he return to the character in Earth-2 and do something else with him? I think it's possible.

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So in summary three in place (Shrinking Violet, Sinestro and Sivana) one definite (one or more members of the Sivana Family) and three possibles (Silent Knight, Skyman/Star-Spangled Kid and Solomon Grundy)