We could be heroes: Drivers as comic book heroes

And we're back! Let's welcome Socratic NASCAR's new contributor Mayor Jimmy, a veteran of way more racing-related blogging than me.

I had this idea back when Jr had the Dark Knight Rises paint scheme, but then he won and I got distracted. If Dale Jr were a comic book hero, he'd have to be Batman, right? I mean, losing his father, having to prove himself to be more than a rich kid, all that? So that got me thinking what other comic book heroes the other drivers would be. But my knowledge of comic book heroes is basically from Hollywood, so I'm sure there are subtleties I'm missing. One thing is certain, though - Tony Stewart IS Wolverine. That can't be up for debate. 

So, which comic book heroes would various drivers be? Okay, Mayor Jimmy - GO:

Mayor Jimmy says:

Tony Stewart/Wolverine

This was Sara's "must have" and actually it's a pretty spot on match.  Bad-boy looks, very quick temper, but one other good comparison Sara didn't even know about.  Wolverine is Canadian and back in the days before he joined the X-men (but before he was Weapon X) he rolled with Canada's Department H which deployed a Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight.  They pop up on the radar every once in a while.  So does Wolverine's Weapon X days.  Still with me? 

Okay good.  So the reason this translates to Tony so well, is because Tony also started out somewhere other than where he is today: Sprint Cars (by which I mean F1).  That too pops up on the radar once in a while in the form of the Indy 500 usually.  Well, Wolverine gained his primary popularity in X-men lore and Tony has gained his in NASCAR. BAM.

 

Michael Waltrip/Aquaman

This pick was mostly because Waltrip is a king when it comes to endorsements and plugging sponsors.  Seriously, there's nobody better.  Just as Aquaman is King of the sea.  Remove Michael from his kingdom and put him on a track, he's a fish out of water.  Sure they both have occasional moments where they shine, but otherwise Aquaman is taken as seriously out of water as Michael is outside a commercial.

Dale Jr/Wally West (Flash)

I'm more specific about him being Wally West in that West is actually the third incarnation of The Flash.
 

West actually started out as Kid Flash, the sidekick of Barry Allen, who was Flash since the 50s.  Like recent NASCAR fans with Jr as “Earnhardt,” West is probably who most recent comic fans would know as “The Flash”.  I mean c'mon, all that's missing is Jr to have started his career as “Kid Earnhardt” right?  

I had thought about using Black Panther due to him being someone born into royalty, had his father die early, tried to separate himself from his kingdom to forge his own identity (Black Panther joining the Avengers, Jr leaving DEI), but Black Panther isn't mainstream enough.  Sara suggested Batman due to parental death and trying to shed the rich boy image. Only problem I see in that one is that Jr's dad dying isn't what made him go into racing; he was already doing it.  Also, Bruce Wayne doesn't shy from his spoiled rich image.  He embraces it to make people realizing he's Batman harder.  Think about it, if I told you Paris Hilton was secretly a crime fighter, how hard would you laugh?  Flash however, he's a big name in comics and the flash "family" has been around a while.

 

Jimmie Johnson/Lex Luthor

He's a businessman at the top of his game. He goes into the boardroom and he gets it done.  Johnson gets it done on the track.  Like Luthor closing deals, Johnson wins titles. HOWEVER......  we know there's a hidden story.  We know behind it all, there are backroom deals.  Cheating happens.  Publicly, we can't even implicate him in it.  Lex always finds a way out usually by finding others to take the fall.  We all know who Jimmie has to take the fall.

 

Busch Brothers/Punisher

I wanted to separate them, but honestly, they're both the same thing.  Trouble.  Pure, unapologetic, trouble. They have their missions, they don't care who they cheese off in pursuit of the goal.  Everyone knows they're trouble.  During the Marvel event known as Civil War (which totally sucked –  It was comic book pretentiousness at its highest) Captain America got desperate and recruited the Punisher.  He was also about to make a deal with a couple minor super-villians when Punisher walked in and gunned them down.  Cap knocked Punisher around as Punisher told him “you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.”  Same thing goes for all these sponsors who try and act shocked when one of these yahoos opens his mouth and embarrasses them.

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More drivers/heroes to come. For now, what do you think?