Favorite Fictional Character --- Stingray

Ever since I was a kid, I've been a superhero geek.  Now I'm not one of those that would ever go to Comic-Con, or dress up like their favorite character.  I haven't touched a comic book in years, and most of the superhero movies don't do anything for me.  But there is a select group of heroes that I love.  I've loved them since I first stumbled up on them, and I will probably always love them.  Over the years I've highlighted only a few of them, Doctor Strange, Mandrake the Magician, and Northstar.  So in the month of September, I'm going to be posting on some of my other favorite superheroes.  Some of them will be familiar to a lot of you, others only if you grew up reading comic books.  And for those superhero fanatics who happen to stumble upon these posts, these are not character bios or in depth studies of their behaviors, these are simply posts about why I like them.

Born Walter Newell, the man who would become the costumed crime fighter, Stingray, started off as a famed oceanographer.  He is one of those men who got caught up in the adventuring game, purely by accident.  The U.S. government asked him to supervise the construction of a underwater city, and he quickly became friends with Namor, the Sub-Mariner.  When the government thought Namor was in league with terrorists, Dr. Newell, donned the Stingray costume to capture his friend.

Over the years he has worked with the Avengers on a needed basis, and even helped to house them in his underwater research lab when their mansion was destroyed.  He has helped beat back alien and terrestrial threats to the Earth, and shows almost undaunted courage in the face of danger.  Which, when you think about it, is pretty amazing.  He has no special powers and really no trained combat skills. He has to rely on his suit, which allows him to breath underwater, has a pretty cool propulsion system, gives him super strength while he is wearing it, and since his name is Stingray, it gives off controlled electric shocks.

If you knew the kid I was growing up, you would understand why I loved Stingray.  For years, all I wanted to be was an oceanographer.  I could think of no cooler career choice.  I even knew I wanted to go to school in Hawaii.  I'm not sure what weakened my resolve, but after a few years I focused on medicine, and we all know how that turned out.  And the idea of an ordinary guy, with no unique powers, putting himself out there to help others, it's something I admire and strive to emulate in my life.  Of course I'm not donning a costume and chasing down criminals, but there are so many ways you can positively influence the lives of others.