How Paragon From Jupiter's Legacy Should Have Really Looked
Netflix's "Jupiter's Legacy" explores the twilight of a great age of superheroes, and the difficulties of the next generation that's supposed to continue their work. The situation is particularly problematic for the Sampson family of the mighty, Superman-like Utopian (Josh Duhamel), Lady Liberty (Leslie Bibb), and their troubled children, Chloe (Elena Kampouris) and Brandon (Andrew Horton). Chloe spends her time partying and living the high life, but Brandon at least attempts to follow his parents' footsteps by fighting crime as the costumed superhero, Paragon. However, powerful as he is, Brandon finds it hard to keep up with his father's strict code of conduct.
Brandon is a pretty cool character, and even though "Jupiter's Legacy" bombed on Netflix and was cancelled after Season 1, no one can say that Horton doesn't look adequately heroic in the role. But how does he measure up to Mark Millar and Frank Quitely's original version of the character? Let's take a look at how Paragon from "Jupiter's Legacy" should have looked.
The comics Brandon is a scruffy guy with no superhero identity
"Jupiter's Legacy" is all about generational and familial struggles, but the source material takes things far further than the Netflix show. The comics version of Brandon Sampson is a moody, uncertain guy who shares his sister's party animal instincts, and couldn't care less about codenames or superhero costumes. While he's an extremely powerful telekinetic with eye beams that can defeat just about anyone, he has no inclination to follow in his father's footsteps, and he's extremely weak-willed.
This Brandon's status as a hard-drinking prodigal son reflects on his design, as he tends to favor somewhat scruffy and casual black clothing. He's also noticeably more unkempt than the live-action version, with greasy black hair and an unshaved look that's a far cry from Andrew Horton's five o'clock shadow. The ruffled bohemian look even extends to the rumpled suit that he starts wearing as the plot progresses, so it's clearly an instrumental part of his character. While Brandon's comics design could arguably have been a little too nondescript to work in the show, it immediately sets him apart in the printed form — and acts as a cool antithesis to the usually sleek and slick look of superpowered comic book characters.