The ballots are in! The votes have been counted! And now, here are the winners according to you, our readers!
As per tradition, both Muskateer and myself voted as well. We made our picks before anyone else and our choices were originally presented on the Thank You for Voting Page. Now we'll present our reasons for making those choices. For the most part, our reasons were written before the awards winners were determined. Spectrum's comments are in orange, while Muskateer's are in green text. Comments by individual characters will be in a box. Shall we get on with it?
Favorite Male Hero:
Terra Fire came in second, with Spectrum and Captain Valor tied for third.
| Muskateer's Comments: The voting was close, but the cream always rises to the top. Of course, you could also just say that I am too cool to lose! |
I have to admit that I'm a bit surprised that Terra Fire came in second. Unfortunately, Young Champions is very much an ensemble piece, meaning that he doesn't get as much screen time as some of our other characters do. I can tell you that the storyline that comes immediately after Howler's Quest will heavily involve Terra Fire. Plus, he may turn up in some other places as well.
Captain Valor was a lot of fun to write and I thought his series turned out rather well; so having him get voted for was not a surprise. Look for a second Troubleshooters mini featuring the good Captain and his companions in 2002 as well.
Muskateer's Comments: It keeps getting closer and closer, but Musky pulled it out again. I think the coming year will be better for him than the last one and things are more settled for me too, so hopefully more writing opportunities will surface. He had an eventful year, but nothing compared to 2002. Stay tuned.
Favorite Heroine:
Spectrum's Pick: My vote this year goes for the Tigress. She finally got the chance to cut loose on her own and show what she could do. She had the best year of all the heroines over all. Her tussle with Daigon and its final results were definitely sweet revenge.
My runners up for this award would be Scarlet Sabre and Morning Star.
Tigress came in second, with Enchantress and the Scarlet Sabre tied for third.
| Huntress' Comments: "This is starting to become a habit. Thank you all very, very much and I hope I can live up to your expectations next year." |
I've got a bit of a confession to make. The choices I made for this years awards were not my original picks. You see, way back in August(!), I made my initial picks. They were based on the files that we had planned to put up before the end of the Awards period. At that time, there was 13 more files scheduled to go up and 11 of those 13 were at first draft stage. For a variety of reasons, only 8 of those 13 actually made it up. Huntress #26 through #28 were 3 of those 5 files and much of my balloting was based on those files. So, I ended up changing to the choices that I officially made. I don't enforce this on anyone else, but my picks are solely based on what occurred in those files during the voting year. So that's why I went with Tigress instead.
But in the end, it really didn't matter. The Huntress won again for the third time running, much like Muskateer. Helena is one of those characters who I find very easy to write. Most of her files are a breeze to write and I have to admit that I'm looking forward to what comes next for her as it will be all new material. The Were-Huntress arc was primarily the last thing that happened in her old series, so we're now heading into uncharted waters. It should be fun!
The Enchantress is one of my oldest characters and probably doesn't get all the credit she deserves. Gwen should have quite a few appearances during the year to come. She's part of a flashback tale that serves as the 25th Anniversary issue of Troubleshooters, in addition to her appearances in the Avengers and Muskateer.
The Scarlet Sabre is another one of my favorites as well. She's fun to write and has a whole lot of interesting stuff ahead for her. Plus, she can pop up in a multitude of places in addition to her own solo series.
Muskateer's Comments: Huntress had an eventful year, no question and she continues to be one of the site's favorites. I am glad her new costume finally got posted. I think she may have her best times ahead of her and she will look good doing it. Her stories were powerful and showed how serious this business really is!
Spectrum's Pick: My choice this year is for the Texas Ranger. For us, Tex is a very old character and one that's a lot of fun to write. He and Helena did become a couple in our old stuff, albeit under very unusual circumstances. Yes, he is a bit of a western stereotype, but it's just an act on his part. Simply a role that he's played for so long that it comes pretty naturally to him.
My runner-ups would be Sabre and Impact.
In a massive tied for 2nd place were Blizzard, Texas Ranger, Impact, Sabre, and Spectrum.
| Jack O' Lantern's Comments: This year I threw everyone a curve They said it was an award I didn't deserve. Me, I say that it's just sour grapes. I'm really more deserving than all the other 'capes'! Oh yeah, Aunt Matilda says "hi".
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This one was rather unexpected, considering that Jocko didn't even appear in the awards period. There was only 1 vote between first and second place, so this was race was not a runaway. Just goes to show that several characters could have easily won the award this year. Tex I talked about above, but Sabre had a very good year as he was my runner up choice, along with Impact. Sabre, Impact, and Blizzard are featuring in the upcoming X-Factor arc that should start around February. Oh, yeah, Spectrum will be there too.
Muskateer's Comments: Since I was one of the voters for Jocko, I was directly responsible for his winning. Of course, it's not the first time. Black Paladin won last year without an appearance. And favorite is favorite, so with the voting this close and the choices so many, it could have gone almost any way.
Muskateer's Pick: Tigress was my choice since I didn't vote for her for the Main award. It was hard not too, so an easy choice here. She had a great series after a tough time at first in Howler's group's clutches. Daigon and her should have a lifetime of bad feelings built up. Already formulating the series about their next encounter. Should be a doozie!
Shockwave, Silver Spectre, Tigress, Mockingbird, and Night Owl all tied for second place.
| Felina's Comments: "It was a very trying year, but things appeared to have worked out. It's not easy keeping up with a daughter like Helena, but I do my best. Thank you for voting for me." |
Much like with Jocko, only 1 vote separated Felina from the rest of the pack. Good choices all the way around. Had I not voted for Tigress as Best Heroine, she would have gotten my Supporting Heroine vote. Shockwave and Mockingbird will continue to be X-Factor main stays, while Night Owl will pop up where she can. 'Owl will definitely appear in the next Wild Cards mini which I hope to have done for 2002. And yes, one of our regulars did correctly deduce who Mockingbird really is from the clues in the files. Or rather, he's the only one who told us who she was thus far.
Muskateer's Comments: A good close race and that highlights the fact that there are lots of deserving choices. Lots of great stories out there and lots of backgrounds to explore. The Huntress story was very powerful and the others all showed well this year. Should be an interesting category next year.
Spectrum's Pick: I'm going to have to go with the White Dragon this year. He was quite evil and savage in his dealings with the Huntress and I'm sure that many applauded the Avengers for taking this dangerous man down. He was simply the evilest of the bunch!
Muskateer's Pick: White Dragon. He was the most villainous of the bunch. Not many choices really after what he did to the Huntress. Black Paladin may pull off the kid gloves to win back his award though. Better look out!
Black Paladin came in a distant second.
| White Dragon's Comments: "Bah! I care not for these stupid awards! Be gone, you fools!" |
Spectrum's Comments: This was one of the few races that was not even close. Most everyone agreed that the White Dragon was the most vile and villainous of the bunch. But fear not Black Paladin fans, I've got the sneaking suspicion that the Dark Knight will be on top again next year. Look for a major appearance by Black Paladin and Lady Bale in the Superior Six mini-series!
Muskateer's Comments: Draggie took it, although I don't think he'll be winning too many more awards once his bosses get done with him. Big win that was not surprising in any way.
Muskateer's Pick: I picked Daigon for much the same reason as White Dragon. She just didn't get to succeed as well in her plans as the Dragon did. Does that make her less deserving or was Tigress just more prepared than the Huntress was for a very bad situation. Glad Daigon didn't get her way!
Daigon, Mind Slayer, Howler, and Scorpia all tied for second place.
| Lady Darkness' Comments: "This pitiful attempt at flattery will not save you. All shall bow down before me!" |
Daigon is a good choice for Best Villainess after her actions in the recent Young Champions arc. I can say that she will figure prominently in the next YC arc that leads up to the 25th Anniversary issue, which will conclude the Howler's Quest storyline! No doubt she'll be tangling with Tigress once again! Likewise, Howler will be heavily involved in all of this. Look for a major revelation about Howler to come to light in the arc as well.
Mind Slayer and Scorpia are both our past award winners and were sort of quiet this past year. Both of these ladies will be back again and play major roles in the stories that lead up to X-Factor #25.
Spectrum's Comments: The winner is no surprise to me since I've been voting for her since we started the awards! Lady Darkness will continue to confound and generally annoy Muskateer and the other Avengers in their titles. Look for a few of her secrets to start being revealed as well!
Spectrum's Pick: It was a quiet year on the costume front. Not a whole lot that was new. My pick this year goes to Terra Fire. Why? Because I think it looks nice. Never claimed that fashion was my strong suit.
Muskateer's Pick: Hornet. Tough choice and not much new this year. So going with my votes from last year again. Still my favorite, and of course I always like Musky's costume.
Black Paladin, Hornet, and Muskateer all tied for third place in the voting.
Spectrum's Comments: Well, this is a surprise. I would consider both Spectrum and Terra Fire my main two characters, meaning that they are the ones who have the most of my own personality in them. The Spectrum costume was my design, but before I get to cocky I should mention that the original Spectrum costume (the Lifesaver Man one) was my design as well. Terra Fire was designed by Muskateer. I like it, but think it would look better as a Firestar costume myself.
Muskateer's Comments: Well, I would like to take a little credit for Spec's costume, since I drew it and assisted with the idea a little. Terra Fire's costume is unusual and very cool. Always one of my favorites.
Muskateer's Pick: Shockwave. Her armor is just great. Color scheme is cool. Great look IMHO.
Costumes voted for included Black Diamond, Guardian Angel, Shockwave, Spinnerette, Cat, Night Owl, and the Purple Phlox.
Spectrum's Comments: This category was the only where no one was voted for more than once. I would consider all of the costumes voted for to be among the better ones on the site. For the most part they were all designed by Muskateer. Guess he's the one who should have gotten the award!
Muskateer's Comments: Well, there are lots of good choices...
Spectrum's Pick: I'm breaking my own voting history and going with Troubleshooters as our best series. The mini-series featuring Captain Valor and the Wild Cards were both very different and quite entertaining. You had wild action, solid storytelling, and lots of surprises in this title this year. What more could you ask for?
Muskateer's Pick: Avengers. Hard to vote against this one. It always is excellent and lots of good characters. Lots of good villains and big, eventful stories. It's our flagship title and very deserving.
Troubleshooters and Young Champions tied for second place.
Troubleshooters I talked about above. Young Champions is another of my favorites and one of the harder titles to write. This is one of the few series where Muskateer and I work out an outline for what happens. There's a lot of give and take in the process, but I think it makes it a much better series because of it. It's very much a collaborative effort.
Spectrum's Comments: For the third year running, the Avengers have taken the best series award. This was the other race that was not even close. The Avengers are the big story group of our site. Look for the large-scale adventures to continue as the Avengers troubles deepen. And, believe it or not, things will still get much worse before they get better!
Spectrum's Pick: This category for me was the single hardest one this year. There were many good files out there. It wouldn't surprise me if everyone voted for a different issue and this award ended in a massive tie. That being said, I settled upon Huntress #25. It was perhaps the most shocking and surprising issue of the year. Did anyone expect it to turn out the way it did?
Muskateer's Pick: Young Champions #20. Loved to see Tigress cut loose. She showed what she is capable of and it was a nice story. Looking to see more of her (I should write it then).
Tied for third place were Scarlet Sabre #9, Scarlet Sabre #10, and Troubleshooters #21.
The two Scarlet files were fun romps with action and humor. I imagine that Troubleshooters file was chosen for the revelation of Psi-Queens true identity. Good and interesting choices all around.
Spectrum's Comments: Ironically my choice and Muskateer's choice ended up tied for the Best Issue. Both issues were quite good and powerful in different ways. YC #20 was the more painful of the files to write, painful in the sense of what it took to actually get the file written. Had it made it into the voting period, my choice would have been Huntress #28. Of course, that one can always be voted on next year!
Spectrum's Pick: For Best Storyline, I'm going with the Up Close and Personal arc in X-Factor #15-17 & Spectrum #29-30. With this arc we finally got to take a really good look at the members of the team. So much of what had happened thus far was to simply get the team to this point and characterization has suffered in the process. These issues were not the easiest for me to write as many of the characters are not mine in the sense that I didn't create them. Getting inside their heads and learning their motivations was quite rewarding. Of course, much credit must go to Muskateer for creating these guys and his comments and opinions that helped shape the tales. Lots of good stuff in these issues.
Muskateer's Pick: Fall of the Huntress. I liked the Tigress fight better, but over all this was the best storyline of the year. Very eventful and major change in our heroine's life. Love these arcs. Easier for me to concentrate on a topic and it was a nice build up for this story. (not to mention the next Huntress one, as well!)
Up Close and Personal, Howler's Quest, and the Wild Cards all tied for third place.
As noted above, the Captain Valor storyline was quite fun and very different from our normal stuff. Look for more Cap in 2002. The Captain Valor on Terra Nova storyline took place in Troubleshooters #16-18.
All of the runners up were good and had their strong points. That best part is that they are all very different kind of stories. In Up Close and Personal we finally got to meet the members of X-Factor. This was covered in X-Factor #15-17 and Spectrum #29 & #30. Wild Cards took place in Troubleshooters #19-21 and Howler's Quest has been a long running storyline in Young Champions. It started in Issue #10 and is scheduled to run all the way through #25.
Spectrum's Comments: This was another category where my votes got changed. The Fall and Rise of the Huntress was my original choice, but much of it was outside the years files. In the end, it didn't matter as that particular storyline tied for the best. The Fall of the Huntress took place in Huntress #24, Huntress #25, and spun out into the events of Avengers #29 and #30. (For completist, Huntress #26-28 finished of this particular storyline.)
Spectrum's Pick: Pulsar vs. Sabre. This was hands down the funniest bit of the year. It was just one of those things that just fell into place as I was writing it. Indeed, the Dirty Harry bit was conceived on the fly as it was being written. The dialogue between Sheila and Pulsar before Sabre arrived was hilarious as well.
Muskateer's Pick: When Psi-Queen's true identity was revealed. I think it came out of left field and it was a case of her having to do something she really didn't want to do, but had to. She loathes her identity, but it has so many advantages that it's hard to give up. Interesting to see where it leads.
Psi-Queen's true identity came in second place, with Sabre vs. Pulsar taking third.
Likewise, the revelation of Psi-Queen's true identity should have come completely out of left field. There were virtually no clues about who she really was in any of her appearances. (Unlike that of Mockingbird as mentioned above.) About the closest thing that comes to mind were her actions in Avengers #25 where she consciously avoids helping Nightingale, which doesn't really tell you anything. So this is a very good choice.
Spectrum's Comments: Boy, was that a mouthful! Several voters danced around and choose parts of the Huntress event, so I just combined them all into one. A lot of very memorable moments in that storyline. Many quite shocking, which they were meant to be.
Spectrum's Pick: There were lots of intriguing things that I want to explore more in the future. There was the stuff with Captain Valor and that world's version of the Avengers. There are also many future files and events that I can't wait to see come to pass. I'm also curious to see if any of the outside projects that have been discussed with some of our regulars come to pass. Having said all that, my pick for Most Wanted would have to be the Wildcards. This series turned out far better than I ever imagined. They're an interesting bunch that run the range of heroic motivations. Some of them are not even heroes at all! I've got the basics for their next mini-series in my head. Hopefully that one will turn out as well as their first one!
Muskateer's Pick: More Tigress. I think I say this every year in some fashion. I like Tigress a lot and have a great start on her mini-series, but been slow going. She is one of my favorite characters and a long greated one. She appeared back on Q-Link a little and I want to explore her even more.
Runners Up include the Wild Cards, Tigress, Captain Valor, and Black Paladin.
As for all the others, they should all appear in the next 12 months. I have plans to write second mini-series featuring Captain Valor and the Wild Cards. Tigress will continue to appear in Young Champions and we'll have to see if we can get Muskateer back working on her own mini-series! As for Black Paladin, he will have a major role in Troubleshooters #23 & #24.
Spectrum's Comments: Spin's a good choice. She's a fun character who will continue to appear in X-Factor for the foreseeable future. We also did two mini-series in the old stuff that could be adapted. Unfortunately, the first one is tied in with a very specific event that hasn't happened yet. But, it will soon.
Spectrum's Final Comments:
Thanks to everyone to took the time to vote in this years awards including Gordon, Graeme, Rob, Bruce, and Joe. Unfortunately, the number of ballots submitted dropped once more this year. In fact, we only had half as many ballots this year as compared to the first year. So, the final results are a bit disappointing.
But having said that, the numbers of hits on the website are up and we've set several opening week file records during the year. Huntress #25 has been hit a whopping 240 or so times since it's been posted! That makes it the 4th most looked at file of ALL TIME! That's pretty impressive!
Another year may have come to a close and but the new year promises to be just as good on the site. So stay tuned everyone. The best is yet to come!
Muskateer's Final Comments: Keep reading. Tell your friends about us. And if you see Dr. Destroyer on a street corner, call me!