Greatest Character Showdown Round 6 (Results IN)

[Relique du Madde]

Odysseus has survived 3000+ years, vs, uh, how long has Batman been around? So my vote's for the storm-tossed son of Laertes. Plus, he's the original fantasy adventurer--he wandered the known world, defeated fantasic creatures, and journeyed to the underworld. It's no surprise that he's made it to the semis.

Yes, Odysseus has been around since the golden age of the Greeks, and has survived the test of time BUT he's old and dried up. Besides for having bit roles on Xena or Hercules, has Odysseus done anything lately? No.. (I didn't watch Troy so I don't know if they put him in that movie).
Batman, on the other hand, who is a recent creation, still lives and adventures. He has traveled the known world, fought villians who are almost fantastical in their abilities, and even though he is reconned every several years, he WAS among the first super-hero detectives. Lets face it, if he existed in Odysseus's time (and had Homer as his author) he would have also lasted for thousands of years as a hero who defended Athens, Troy, or some other city against corruption and evil only to be enlisted by the Trojans during the Trojan war, where he died in battle against Achilles.

 

[jonesy]

1. Captain Jack Sparrow
2. Batman

Hmm. None of the final four were people I would've expected to see there.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

I expected Indy to go pretty far. Everybody loves him, and he didn't have any competition within his own milieu to draw votes away.

 

[Storm Raven]

Yes, Odysseus has been around since the golden age of the Greeks, and has survived the test of time BUT he's old and dried up. Besides for having bit roles on Xena or Hercules, has Odysseus done anything lately? No.. (I didn't watch Troy so I don't know if they put him in that movie).

Yes, he was, played by Sean Bean.

Odysseus also had an entire mini-series made out of his adventures recently. It had some flaws, but it was definitely better than Xena or Hercules.

Batman, on the other hand, who is a recent creation, still lives and adventures. He has traveled the known world, fought villians who are almost fantastical in their abilities, and even though he is reconned every several years, he WAS among the first super-hero detectives. Lets face it, if he existed in Odysseus's time (and had Homer as his author) he would have also lasted for thousands of years as a hero who defended Athens, Troy, or some other city against corruption and evil only to be enlisted by the Trojans during the Trojan war, where he died in battle against Achilles.

Or he could have ended up as well known as Hicetaon.

 

[OblivionSiege]

1. Captain Jack Sparrow
2. Odysseus

 

[johnsemlak]

Yes, Odysseus has been around since the golden age of the Greeks, and has survived the test of time BUT he's old and dried up. Besides for having bit roles on Xena or Hercules, has Odysseus done anything lately? No.. (I didn't watch Troy so I don't know if they put him in that movie).
Batman, on the other hand, who is a recent creation, still lives and adventures. He has traveled the known world, fought villians who are almost fantastical in their abilities, and even though he is reconned every several years, he WAS among the first super-hero detectives. Lets face it, if he existed in Odysseus's time (and had Homer as his author) he would have also lasted for thousands of years as a hero who defended Athens, Troy, or some other city against corruption and evil only to be enlisted by the Trojans during the Trojan war, where he died in battle against Achilles.

Yes, he was, played by Sean Bean.

Odysseus also had an entire mini-series made out of his adventures recently. It had some flaws, but it was definitely better than Xena or Hercules.

I'd recken there's lots of films about Odysseus made in foreign langauges as well.

Don't forget that Odysseus's tale continues to get printed (the Odyssey would be available in just about any decent bookshop in the Western world--can't nearly say that about Batman), sold, read, taught in school, etc to this day and he'll be there 500 or 1000 years later in all likelyhood.

And remember that Odysseus has much greater worldwide penetration compared with Batman than you might think. Many poeple in the world have barely heard of Batman, and have never ever seen any of his comics. The films are worldwide blockbusters but they're one of several dozen such films a year. E.g. in Russia batman might as well be toilet paper to a large amount of the population; while Odysseus is at least be well-known.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

1. Indiana Jones
2. Odysseus

 

[johnsemlak]

Hmm. None of the final four were people I would've expected to see there.

Well, I hardly think Indiana in the final four, or in the final, is a surprise. I certainly had him picked from the get go.

I am a bit surprised that neither a LotR character or a SW character is still in it. Several key LotR characters didn't even get nominated (Aragorn, Frodo, possibly Elrond). And Conan out, that's a bit surprising. Must be vote rigging .

 

[Templetroll]

1. Indiana Jones "That aztec coin belongs in a museum!"
2. Odysseus (he was known as Ulysses or Ulixes in Roman mythology.)

[QUOTE="Ulysseus" Alfred Lord Tennyson]

... my purpose holds

To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths

Of all the western stars, until I die.

It may be that the gulfs will wash us down;

It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,

And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are,--

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

[/QUOTE]

 

[Templetroll]

1. Captain Jack Sparrow
2. Batman

Hmm. None of the final four were people I would've expected to see there.

Batman usually wins these things. He's always a good bet to make the final four etc.