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SER: Yes, this is how non-scientists write scientists, I think. They depict them as basically the mirror image of the most dogmatic evangelist. Scientists should be the most open-minded people around -- they just need evidence (provable evidence) before they leap to conclusions. A scientist would say that "there is no evidence that magic exists." A scientist would not look at Dr. Strange do his thing and say, "There is no such thing as magic."

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It's similar to the Scully syndrome on the X Files.

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SER: I tend to think Scully got a bum rap. She simply insisted on actual evidence for the more bizarre assertions Mulder made. Mulder never really got conclusive evidence and encountering the inexplicable and stating categorically that "aliens did it" is as rational as someone in the real world encountering the inexplicable and stating categorically that "God did it."

Scully became sort of laughable later on, as the series progressed. But I think that was more a failing of the show. The delicate balance was tipped.

A couple of years ago, I was approached about the remote possibility of doing a miniseries in collaboration with what we shall here call A Famous Skeptic. This would be using one of the publisher's skeptical characters. Snag was, the Famous Skeptic wanted to play up the skepticism of this character. Wanted to make that the whole point of the series, with the character constantly debunking ghosts and aliens and other such wotnot. Which, of course, simply doesn't work. A skeptic in a superhero "universe" would be someone who seeks proof of the outrageous and the supernatural, rather than blindly accepting it. He would not be someone who denies the existance of such things (or, in a comicbook "reality", can easily disprove them!).

I started re-reading the FF in conjuncture with these weekly reads and got so caught up in them that I blitzed right through (read "Hero" the other day).  They are so utterly engrossing and entertaining - It's a shame no comics like this are being published today let alone no FF comics!

"Scully became sort of laughable later on, as the series progressed. But I think that was more a failing of the show. The delicate balance was tipped."

Some of Mulder's theories were wacky though.  Regularly I'd find myself wondering where he dug that preposterous story from.

So, in conclusion I would like to say "Thank You" to Mr Byrne for some damn fine comic books.

Andy

And don't even get me started on what time travel does to tenses!!