Truth, Justice, and the very best of the American Way

Several years back, there was an Avengers (?) annual that had Ben The Thing Grimm visit an alternate world, [SPOILERS] and I think, basically, hang out with some other guys and play poker. The alternate world was essentially the Marvel Universe as it would have been if they hadn't kept retro'ing the characters and time lines. Talking about "whatever happened to," Spider-Man had just done a fade, nobody knew what happened to him, and Captain America had died with other first responders in 9/11. That just kinda hurts there.

Marvel was once fresh and set in the "real" world, and advancing in real time. Peter Parker was originally just a couple years older than me. So, he'd be in his mid-60s, kinda creaky for web-swinging, and Mary Jo would have some streaks of gray. The FF's kid would really be grown up by now; instead they put him through the age-suddenly-izer that kids too often get in comics. They didn't know what they had and they lost it. Anyway, the magic was basically over when Steve and Jack left.

There once was a Captain America, just like there once was a Superman. Even really good people who knew they had to be clean like the heroes they represent, like Lone Ranger Clayton Moore.

They stood for Truth, Justice, and the very best of the American Way. All available on re-runs, YouTube or NetFlix, but, oh, look, Jackass and LOLcats and Butthead cartoons!

'Nuff said, true believers.