Comic Book Diagnosis: De-Aging
The Fountain of Youth has long been a staple of stories and legends. It should come as no surprise then that the legend has made its way into comic books as well. Not always the fountain itself (though it does show up from time to time), but the concept of restoring youth to an older or aged character. In comic books, there are many ways this can occur, and regaining one’s lost youth is rarely a good thing.
Magic is the most common method of de-aging characters, at least when one considers the number of individuals affected For example, Klarion used his powers to de-age the entire JLA and JSA during the Sins of Youth storyline. Monster Girl of the Guardians of the Globe (as seen in Invincible) grows younger because of a curse whenever she uses her powers. Superman was turned into Superbaby by a mystic potion (labeled “Ye Youth Potion,” of course) in Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane #32.
Alien Super Technology is another common method of de-aging characters. It was used notably on Magneto and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants by Alpha the Ultimate Mutant* in Defenders #16 and the Atom (Ray Palmer) during Zero Hour. Mojo used the superior technology of his Mojoverse to change the X-Men into the X-Babies in X-Men Annual #10.
Plain old American Mad Science can make characters more youthful as well. Lois Lane found this out when she decided to expose herself to Professor Lockhart’s Youth Rays in Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane #10 and ended up as a bawling baby.
Mutant powers can also lead to the de-aging of a character. This can be a mutant whose powers affect others (like Nanny, who regressed Storm in the Uncanny X-Men), or a character whose powers affect themselves (Sally Floyd’s daughter Minnie, as mentioned in Generation M).
Surprisingly, there is no mention of any de-aging medication (unless one counts Ye Youth Potion) in any comic book that I can find. (Slightly off topic, but as far as I’m concerned, the best scene with youth-restoring medication in literature of any sort occurs in Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator).
You’ll notice that I’m only considering situations where a character actually becomes younger, not ones where lifespan and youth are preserved (like, Steve Rogers and Nick Fury) — that’s a post for another day.
I’m also not considering cases where the youthful characters are explained away as clones or denizens of an alternate universe (Batch SW6 in Legion of Super-Heroes, or the younger Tony Stark in Avengers: The Crossing)
*This could also be considered de-aging due to mutant powers, but since Alpha was bio-engineered by Magneto using alien technology, I’m classifying it as “alien super tech.”
Other Comic Book Diagnoses:
Frozen SolidBrains! Brains!HypertrichosisXenografting
July 26th, 2007 at 6:52 am
I prefer the X-Babies to the JLA Babies. The JLA Babies just look like SD/chibi characters.
Only Chris Claremont could have made Lil’ Wolvie say something that no kid has ever said, at least not in the past 75 years. I mean, ‘Golly Gumbucks”?
July 26th, 2007 at 7:00 am
Golly Gumbucks is the greatest phrase ever.
July 26th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
How about the magic mushrooms in Ranma 1/2 which rejuvenated you according to size (eating a 5 cm mushroom would make you 5 years old, etc.)? ;)
July 26th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
Was Atom getting de-aged in Zero Hour really alien super tech, though? I always thought it was Interaction with odd bits of chronal energy/odd physics, or, if you prefer, the ever-popular “We should really mess with somebody other than the JSA at some point in this storyline’
July 28th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
I thought the X-Babies were clones, though.
July 28th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
The X-Babies in X-Men Annual 10 were de-aged X-Men.
The X-Babies from Excalibur Special: Mojo Mayhem were clones Mojo created because the real X-Men were (apparently) dead.
July 30th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Only magic or Mojo-tech will appropriately shrink the clothes.
August 6th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
In the Spider-man/Power Pack mini issue #1, a cosmetic company has accidently created a De-Aging chemical which the Vulture steals. Spidey is bathed in it in trying to stop the Vulture and become 12 years or so old again. Hilarity ensues until it is discovered that salt water reverses the effects.
January 9th, 2012 at 9:40 am
I had presumed that “golly gumbucks” was meant to be an obvious substitute for something much less socially acceptable.
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