Comic Encounters of the ATWT Kind

February 23 to 25 marked the second annual New York Comic Con and, being quite the comic book enthusiast, I bought my Saturday pass a few months ago and made plans to meet up with friends off the Weekly clock.

AS THE WORLD TURNS’ Trent Dawson (Henry) is quite the noted comic book lover himself, but what are the odds of running into him in an expansive convention center, crowded with hundreds upon hundreds of fans, Stormtroopers, and the sporadic X-Man?

Apparently pretty good! Imagine my surprise when I spotted him at the Jacob Javits Center, right outside the entrance to the con’s “Artists’ Alley.” I called out, “Trent!” and, fortunately, he not only heard me, but stopped to chat. (Before you ask, neither of us was in costume.)

“Oh, my God, I’m totally geeking out!” he confided, going on to describe how he’d scored an autograph from George R. R. Martin, his favorite author. “Now I know how it feels!” he grinned, miming the nervous fan requests he, himself, has gotten for an autograph or two.

We traded some anecdotes about Saturday’s cold weather and picking up back issues of favorite titles, and even pondered why we hadn’t jumped on this shared passion ahead of time and done some “real” coverage for Weekly‘s readers. (There’s always next year…)

Rather than wait that long to cross Oakdale with comics again, here’s a list of 10 famous (or infamous) comic book personas your favorite ATWT characters could take on:
1. Craig: Lex Luthor (DC). He’s got the archvillain part down; all he needs is a date with an electric razor. I’m sure Paul would be happy to give him the trademark chrome dome!

2. Meg: Jean Grey (Marvel). Sure, she’s got the trademark red hair, but Meg also has this telepathic X-Woman’s amazing ability to spot a guy’s lies even before they spout them! Just don’t tick her off and risk raising The Phoenix.

3. Carly: Wonder Woman (DC). An Amazon princess she ain’t, but Carly does have experience with shiny cuffs and getting men to spill their deepest secrets with her magic…lasso.

4. Paul: Professor X (Marvel). He already comes with psychic skills and a penchant for counseling troubled youths — and envisioning him as the well-intentioned but often ego-driven Charles Xavier means Craig can grab that razor and turn him into a cue ball!

5. Luke: Spider-Man (Marvel). A wisecracking cutie with a secret identity? My Spidey sense tells me Luke’s web is just tangled enough to make it work. He just needs to find his male Mary Jane.

6. Vienna: Catwoman (DC). A sex kitten who likes the finer things and has a taste for dark-haired heroes, Vienna seems to be a purrr-fect match for notorious jewel thief Selina Kyle.

7. Jack: Mr. Fantastic (Marvel). Überflexible Reed Richards has nothing on the most harried member of Oakdale’s finest. Between making arrests and playing dad to three kids, Jack’s got the Fantastic Four and then some!

8. Gwen: Black Canary (DC). Oakdale’s brave, blonde heroine has a “Canary Cry” that’s not quite shattering, but she sure stopped villainous Adam’s heart with her glorious pipes, didn’t she?

9. Maddie: Shadowcat (Marvel). Fast on her feet, tenacious with a mystery, and quick with the lies, Maddie can slide in and out of any number of dangerous situations. That makes her a perfect fit for the X-Men’s Kitty Pryde.

10. Will: Batman (DC). A brooding, rich man with a dark streak, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to learn that Will has a few bats in his belfry and a cool car in the garage. And would Casey be his Robin? How does the larcenous Mr. Hughes feel about tights?