#Pureheart the Powerful

[comicbookcovers]

Archie Giant Series #142, October 1966

[thebestcomicbookpanels]

A pretty freaky Clown in Archie as Pureheart the Powerful #3, 1967

[browsethestacks]

Remember When... Archie Did Every Genre?

[supercap2319]

Meeting of Heroes

Pureheart The Powerful AKA Archibald "Archie" Andrews was no stranger to other superheroes like himself. His friends Jughead, Veronica, and Betty were also superheroes. Even Moose and Reggie. They even had allies in other areas like Greendale, home of Sabrina Spellman, code name: Enchantress. Speaking of Sabrina, she was off in another dimension dealing with magical problems that needed her attention, but she had time before she left to warn Archie and his friends that her enemies, the Greendale Thirteen, would be coming to Riverdale to take over.

The Greendale Thirteen was a group of thirteen witches that wanted to rule the mortal world and cast in an era of chaos and disarray. They wouldn't succeed. Not if Pureheart, Superteen, Miss Vanity, and Captain Hero had anything to say about it.

Despite not being here to help, Sabrina didn't leave her super pals completely alone. She was sending one of her closest friends to come and help them.

It was a good thing too, because they could use all the help they could get. Even though they all had super strength, they were still outnumbered by nine. The witches blasted them with their magic as Archie took on the head witch. She gave him an uninterested look. "You think you can stop us, child?" Her voice was oozing with overconfidence. "We are not of this earth. Nothing on this planet can stop us." She boasted.

"Well, I'm sure as hell gonna try." Pureheart told her as he flew towards her, fist raised for a punch. The witch laughed as she summoned a blast of blue magical energy as it crashed into Archie, knocking him back as he tried to break through it with punches. He kept punching himself a path with his brawn before the witch cast a shield to protect herself as Pureheart slammed his fists into the wall of magic to break through. The head witch summoned lightning and struck Archie down to the ground as he created a small crater from his descent.

He grunted as he looked up at the witch as she summoned a fireball in her hands and as she was about to throw it down at Archie, one of her fellow witches told her something as her face shifted from smug to complete anger and shock as the head witch barked orders for her fellow wiccans to blast their magic towards the sky as Archie frown in confusion as Betty and Veronica helped him up. “What the hell are they shooting at?” Captain Hero, Jughead, asked.

He got his answer as a ball of light that looked similar to a comet was heading towards them, as the witches' powers seemed to be ineffective against this thing. Each strike of magic made it seem bigger and more powerful as Pureheart watched the comet strike five witches down to the ground as the remaining eight either attacked and got hit by the ball of light, or tried to escape and got caught until only the head witch was left.

The ball of energy stopped as it formed a person with a red, black, yellow suit. He wore a black helmet and a red visor to cover his face as the mysterious flying man smiled at the witch. “Long time no see, witch bitch.”

“Why won’t you die?!” the witch shrieked as she blasted him with blue fire as he flew towards it and Archie’s heart dropped at that. Seeing this hero getting burned alive was unsettling, but luckily, he wasn’t. The new hero shot a stream of his own energy that glowed and sparkled like a miniature galaxy as the two energy forces collided over each other, trying to consume the other one as the witch was losing her edge. She struggled to push back. “You can’t win. We won’t be imprisoned again.”

“Too late. You’ve lost.” The hero pushed more energy until it exploded, causing a blinding light and Pureheart covered his eyes until it was all clear. They all looked to see the mystery hero standing there with the witch in his arms, unconscious. “There. She won’t be able to take over your town now.”

Archie swallowed as he walked towards the male hero and held out his hand. “Thanks for coming when you did. You saved our asses.”

The guy flashed Pureheart a grin that made his heart skip a beat. “No problem, Pureheart The Powerful. You and the Superteens are doing a great job. Keep up the good work.” He rounded up all the witches and put them together as he used his powers to create a large ball to fit all of them in. “See ya around.”

Archie watched him go as he smiled like an idiot before he remembered that they didn’t catch his name. “Wait! What’s your name?”

The guy looked down at them and smiled once again. “The Comet. But you can call me Y/N.” Then he was gone.

“Cool.” Archie whispered to himself.

[jhsharman]

To the Rescue

Funny decision on recoloring the streak in this next panel.

Background sky color a different confluence of pollutants?

[onlylonelylatino]

Introduction of Evilheart by Bill Vigoda

[smashpages]

Courtesy of Archie Comics, here's a preview of one of the new stories that'll appear in World of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #135, which will arrives Nov. 22. It is a fun one, as writer Tom DeFalco, artists Steven Butler and Jim Amash, colorist Glenn Whitmore and letterer Jack Morelli pay tribute to a Christmas classic. A Visit from St. Nicholas, the poem by Clement Clarke Moore, gets turned on its head as Pureheart the Powerful and Pow-Girl hear the “clatter” of super-villain activity before Christmas.

[gingermintpepper]

Tbh, I'm kind of obsessed with the almost tragedy of Eiland and Caldarus in Fields of Mistria. Eiland's dedicated his life to uncovering the secrets and stories hidden in Mistria's archeology - he's single-mindedly devoted to it, so much so that even his side hobbies are influenced by his love of history and desire to know more about Mistria's but it's that devotion that makes him so blind to the magic right in front of him.

It's Eiland's sharp eye that sees Caldarus' statue behind that tree on the farm. It's Eiland who whacks away at the bark with the axe fruitlessly until he's assisted. It's Eiland who coaxes the player to help repair Caldarus' statue and subtly ropes them into joining his History Society. It's Eiland who is devoted to the steles, who gets so excited at the prospect at uncovering a new piece of old Mistria's puzzle that he cuts his outing short to rush to the museum. It's Eiland who realises that all of the different eras of artefacts dug up in Mistria's soil must mean that Mistria itself was once the cradle of civilisation for Aldaria.

And yet, with all of that knowledge, he's still so, so blind to what's right in front of him. He doesn't realise that Juniper is a witch, he merely knows that she is familiar with all manner of the arcane and assumes it's a scholarly pursuit like his instead of what it actually is - Juniper's lifestyle, Juniper's culture. And ultimately, I think that's why he's blind to Caldarus and the magic right in front of him.

Eiland isn't taking the time to stop and really think about what all these artefacts and armaments mean. He isn't considering that remnants of old Mistria still live, he isn't even able to grapple with the question of whether or not it's right for him to dig up the armour at the stele when it's clearly hidden there for a reason. Eiland is completely detached from the history he's searching for and that's why, even with magic and the truth about Mistria right in front of him, he'll remain blind to it.

[kyuairyeo]

the most chaotic team with one person (kendall) having the entire braincell instead (for @themundanemudperson and @miss-morgans-lover)

[astranauticus]

kinda out of good art ideas at the moment (used up all my Flashes of Genius for the next month pretty much) so the next time i get really bored i might tryna draw the rwd crew as arknights characters with similar vibes bc VR-LA as ebenholz (sass, tragic backstory involves the death of a close friend with very gay undertones, magic comes from a very powerful magical entity they've... bonded with one way or another, funny dps capabilities) and dani as nian (genius artificer vs genius craftsman, Ship MenaceTM, deep down very scared of losing their (found) families) are like... screaming at me. also i think VR-LA deserves an absolutely massive cape and dani deserves some really short shorts

[sexcromancy]

also now I'm watching 2x01 and I cannot BELIEVE that it starts with Fred's hallucination of Archie's graduation. the wave of grief that hit me. in fucking sane

[mrrubbersuitman]

https://www.etsy.com/.../archie-as-pureheart-the-powerful... FN Archie as Pureheart the Powerful 2, available through the link for $40.00

[double--cross-d]

Bro I'm just reminded of how much I love Misstar and I am once again pissed that it's just watered down to "flirty girl character"

[tobiasdrake]

FUN FACT: Did you know that Vegeta wasn't blowing smoke on Namek when he claimed to have become a Super Saiyan?

Well. Not entirely, anyway.

And also the process of becoming a Super Saiyan is kind of complicated, and Goku is an enlightened martial arts master.

The process of becoming a Super Saiyan is complicated. The English dub got a bit confused on this point while they were frantically erasing as much spirituality and also martial arts and general power levels talk as they could from the series.

The dub was bad. I don't think that's a surprise to anyone. It was a 90's anime dub. It scrubbed the source material of a lot of stuff.

But specifically here, the dub confused matters when it said that to become a Super Saiyan, you have to be pure of heart. This confused matters, because being purehearted is a thing in Dragon Ball. You have to be purehearted to ride the Nimbus.

This concept of pureheartedness exists in Dragon Ball. But it has nothing to do with the Super Saiyan.

This isn't the same as that. To become a Super Saiyan, you need something else. Notably, the Viz manga also translates this idea as "pure of heart"....

But the idea being translated here is more along the lines of tranquility than innocent goodness.

Becoming a Super Saiyan is a bit of a process. To understand the Super Saiyan, we need to talk about limit-breaking. This is a concept that's expressed repeatedly throughout Dragon Ball. In order to become Dragon Ball Powerful, you have to break your limits. You hit a ceiling and that's as far as you can go, until you find some new way to push through and break that ceiling. The series is big on this idea.

As an example, Mr. Satan is an incredibly formidable martial artist. He is peak. Top-tier fighter. ...within human limits. But he doesn't hold a candle to Krillin because Krillin broke the human limit in childhood.

Mr. Satan is basically Panput from the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai.

Saiyans are in a different league from humans, and they have different set limits. Different norms, different standards, and different potentials. But, like humans, there's a ceiling. The first step to becoming a Super Saiyan is breaking the Saiyan limit.

Goku, as a low-class Saiyan trained on Earth in martial arts, was able to break through the Saiyan limit during his gravity training in space. This wasn't the goal of his training, mind; Goku had a particular goal in mind. He was subjecting himself to intense gravity so that he could acclimate his body to withstanding higher levels of Kaioken.

Not even realizing that was what he was doing, Goku was the first to shatter his Saiyan boundary and take the first step to becoming a Super Saiyan.

That Goku has transcended Saiyan abilities isn't lost on either Vegeta or Captain Ginyu, both of whom peg him as a Super Saiyan... before walking it back because Goku lacks the overwhelming bloodthirst and battle hunger that characterizes the legend.

Poor Goku has no idea what any of these people are on about. He might as well be listening to Game of Thrones fans infodump about the Lannisters.

But he wasn't alone. During his fight with Jeice following his third Zenkai of the arc, Vegeta finds himself trashing Jeice. Vegeta's as surprised as Jeice is, to be honest. Even with a Zenkai, he should not be doing this well.

Vegeta's last Zenkai wasn't just a Zenkai. It pushed him through the Saiyan limit.

You see, something happens to a Saiyan as they cross that boundary. Their ki begins to swell astronomically in preparation for becoming a Super Saiyan. Both Goku and Vegeta at this point have entered a sort of proto-Super Saiyan state. Their powers are passively being inflated.

Goku, too, eventually realizes that his power is growing at an astronomical rate that cannot be explained by his training or his Zenkai boosts or any phenomenon he's aware of. He's just. Swelling with power for reasons he can't fathom.

Neither of them are Super Saiyans yet. They still need the right spark to ignite it - and, despite knowing more about the Super Saiyan legend than Goku, Vegeta has no idea what that spark is. But they're both inflating like balloons in preparation for ignition.

Vegeta brings up the proto-Super Saiyan again in his first showdown with Frieza.

He recognizes that he is not yet the Super Saiyan. But he is a proto-Super Saiyan. He still feels it, still feels his power inflating within himself. He just. Needs. That. Spark.

But he won't find it. He said it himself: He doesn't think Goku and his "soft heart" can become the Super Saiyan. The Super Saiyan is supposed to be filled with rage and battle hunger.

But breaking the Saiyan limit isn't enough. You need the spark: A tranquil heart awakened by rage.

There are two pieces to that. The first is a tranquil heart. What does that mean? It means tranquility. Stillness. Peace. Becoming one with yourself and the cosmic universe.

During his training in space, with nothing to concern himself with and no distractions, Goku found tranquility. Alone in the void of space with only his beloved art, he achieved a measure of serenity and peace that he's never known before.

When Goku steps off that ship, he's different. He's entirely focused on the task at hand. He doesn't even want to fight the Ginyus, which is a stark departure for his character. He has no interest in the joy of battle; Only in doing what he came for and going home.

Goku asks the Ginyu Force multiple times to just go away. He does not care about this. He is thoroughly disinterested in fighting.

He's not even mad. They beat up his son and his best friend, and Goku does not care. Also, he can read minds now. Because he is the Heavenly Buddha, I guess.

This is a super weird moment, but its main purpose is to demonstrate that Goku has become... something else. He's not just "Goku but stronger"; he's changed on a fundamental level.

Goku is no longer a rash, impulsive student. He has become a master of his art. Do you see that kanji on his back? Kaio presented Goku with this new dogi after he got out of the hospital... uh... somehow.

You. Uh. You gonna elaborate on where the fuck that came from, Goku? No? Okay, man. You do you.

In any case, Goku's new dogi is distinctive because it erases the sigils of both the Kame school and Kaio. Originally, he would wear the Kame sigils on both front and back to reflect his status as a student of Kame-senryu.

Even if he did only technically study Kame-senryu for less than a year. It's fine; the Muten-Roshi filled him with a lot of philosophy that's guided him over the years so it still counts.

After he trained under Kaio, the sigil on his back was replaced with Kaio's sigil, to reflect that he is Kaio's student now as much as he is the Muten-Roshi's. Though he left the Kame-senryu sigil on Goku's front, because he is a student of both.

But from the moment Goku steps off that ship, both Kaio and the Kame sigils have been replaced by this new one.

This new sigil serves two purposes. First is that it's the first kanji of Goku's name. Both of his masters are now gone from Goku's expression, replaced by Goku himself; This symbolizes that Goku has, himself, become the master. His art is now fully his own.

Goku is at the peak of his journey. There is nothing more for him to learn. It falls to him now to cultivate, develop, and evolve his art for himself, using the knowledge and mastery he's acquired. And, as we'll see in the next arc, to ultimately pass it on to the next generation to come.

But, bringing this back to the tranquil heart thing: The kanji for 'Go' also represents enlightenment. Goku has found peace with himself and his place in the cosmic universe. That is why he, and not Vegeta, is ready to have his spark ignited.

He's broken the Saiyan limit. He has a tranquil heart. All he needs now is to snap, and have his tranquil heart awakened by rage.

But Vegeta still has a ways to go. Because his heart is far from tranquil.

The best he can come up with is "I Zenkai'd into this, I can Zenkai out of it!" Vegeta is very fettered, especially in conflict with Frieza. He is not one with the cosmic universe. He is a nervous wreck of emotions and wants and distractions. He was so close, but he could never have ignited here. Not under these circumstances.

No, Vegeta would only find his tranquility after becoming stranded on Earth. (No, anime, Vegeta did not have a spare spaceship on hand to leave immediately.)

Three years, living at Capsule Corp until he moved out and got his own place. Free from the yoke of Frieza and able to pursue nothing more than his own self-improvement. Driven by a desire to surpass Goku but in a low-stress environment...

...and apparently hanging out with Bulma in his downtime.

That's where Vegeta found his tranquility. And the spark of rage that ignited his tranquil heart? His own inadequacies, of course.

Never change, Vegeta. XD

[jhsharman]

Mad Doctor Doom's Dupe

Mad Doctor Doom gets pulled out from the Little Archie world, though his assistant Chester is left behind.

There are actually two other versions for this, with a different coloring on one or the other of the transforming Reggies.

Bob White here aims here for a static representation of movement along the lines of Marcel Duchamp in his "Nude Descending a Staircase". Does he succeed? Did Duchamp?

Computo. A quick look at comics dot org indicates that both DC and Marvel had a Computo. Cybernetics was all the rage! Compare theirs with Archie's.

They become anti-ponytail twirling for some reason. Duplicatable action?

Tenpin one word of two?

[onlylonelylatino]

Little Archie becomes Little Pureheart the Powerful to take on the Music Master. Artist unknown.