Tuesday 30 August 2022

Speak Your Brain! Part XXXVI. Of trios, troikas and triumvirates.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon
***

The Steve Does Comics Megaphone
Image by Tumisu
from Pixabay
As summer threatens to give way to autumn, another month approaches its close but this blog rumbles ever onwards.

And it does so by resurrecting the feature the whole internet's been talking about.

It's the one in which the first person to comment gets to pick the topic of the day!

But what could that topic be?

It could be art, films, flans, plans, books, bagels, cooks, nooks, crooks, ducks, drakes, pixies, rocks, music, mucous, fairy tales, fairy lights, Fairy Liquid, fairy cakes, Eccles cakes, myth, moths, maths, magic, tragedy, comedy, dromedaries, murder, larders, Ladas, mystery, mayhem, molluscs, Moorcock, May Day, mangoes, bongoes, drongoes, bingo, Ringo, Pingu, Ringu, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Doris Day, Marvin Gaye, Brookside Close, Ramsay Street, Coronation Street, Albert Square, Scarlet Street, Dead End Street, the Equinox, parallelograms, rhomboids, androids, asteroids, pomegranates, granite, marble, marbles, maples, staples, fables, stables, sofas, eggs, pegs, legs, dregs, sodas, sausages, eggs, whisky, broth, Bath, baths, Garth Marenghi, Garth Brooks, Garth Crooks, Bruno Brookes, Bruno Mars, Mars Bars, wine bars, flip-flops, flim-flam, flapjacks, backpacks, see-saws, jigsaws, dominoes, draft excluders, blockheads, blackheads, dunderheads, deadheads, webheads, flowerpots, Bill and Ben, flour pots, bread bins, bin bags, body bags, body horror, shoddy horror, doggy bags, bean bags, coal sacks, cola, cocoa, dodos, Dido, Soho, Solo, silos, wondows, pancakes, pizzas, pastas, pastors, baking soda, sci-fi, Wi-Fi, Hi-Fi, sewage, saunas, suet, Tomorrow People, Forever People, Party People, Sheila Steafel, steeples, Silurians, Sontarans, Sea Devils, sins, suns, sans, sense, sludge, slumps, sumps, sunshine, slime, soup, sandwiches, servants, Sultanas, Santana, Sultans, grapes, grappling or sandcastles.

Or something else altogether.

Only you can decide.

Awesome indeed is the responsibility that hangs upon the head of the reader.

55 comments:

Anonymous said...

What are your favourite trios/troikas/triumvirates?

e.g.

1.) Titans Three! Hulk, Namor, Surfer - Submariner # 33

2.) Human Fly, Daredevil, White Tiger - Human Fly # 9

3.) Yellow Jacket, Daredevil & Luke Cage join the Defenders - Defenders Sons of the Serpent

4.) Iron Man, Guardsman, Jack of Hearts - Iron Man # 106


Can you list some good troikas?

Phillip

Anonymous said...

Human Torch, Sub-Mariner and Captain America, by several miles.

b.t.

dangermash aka The Artistic Actuary said...

Nice idea Philip.

I'll throw in
- Crimson Dynamo, Titanium Man and Radioactive Man as a superhero team in Vietnam in Avengers around Celestial Madonna time
- Fandrall, Hogan the Grim and Volstagg
- the original Enforcers if I'm allowed to have villains: ASM #10, #14, #19 Ditko at his finest
- Zemo/Enchantress/Executioner from Avengers #7 just why? Why?
- was there ever a Charlie's Angels comic?

Anonymous said...

Also:

Uncle Creepy, Cousin Eerie and Vampirella

Vaultkeeper, Cryptkeeper, Old Witch

Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolf Man

Avengers ‘Big Three’ - Cap, Thor, Iron Man

Defenders ‘Big Three’ - Hulk, Namor, Dr. Strange

Batman, Batgirl and Robin (66)

Luke, Leia, Han

Napoleon Solo, Ilya Kuryakin, April Dancer (I know, that’s a stretch)

b.t.

Anonymous said...

Pete Cochran, Linc Hayes and Julie Barnes

I vote ‘yes’ on Charlie’s Angels — but which three???

b.t.

McSCOTTY said...

Betty, Veronica and Archie

Batman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn

Oor Wullie, Fat Bob and Soapy Souter

And the greatest of all the trios;

Snap, Crackle and Pop!

dangermash aka The Artistic Actuary said...

Definitely the original three, b.t. Cheryl Ladd was a big step down from FFM.

Anonymous said...

Did Iron Fist, Shang Chi, and the White Tiger team up, in 'Deadly Hands of Kung Fu' - or is my memory failing me?

Phillip

Anonymous said...

'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly'

The Albert Ayler Trio

Zinoviev, Stalin & Kamenev
There you go Philip - theres an actual troika for you.
This country could do with one like that running it this coming winter if you ask me. Admittedly it didn't end too well thanks to the middle one, but you have to give it to them - they knew how to deal with the kulaks!

Wolfman, Colan & Palmer
Not so keen on the first of that threesome usually, but Tomb of Dracula was pretty good.

Charlie's Angels
Although I like the version from the films (the ones with Lucy Liu). Ok, I'll get my coat...

-sean

Anonymous said...

Moe, Larry, and Curly! Ch47

Anonymous said...

Marvel Triple Action!!! OK, I know, it featured five avengers usually lol

Anonymous said...

Double post — sorry!

Make that Kirk, Spock and McCoy then

b.t.

Anonymous said...

Phillip:

Yes, I believe those three did team-up once in DEADLY HANDS

which reminds me:

‘When three are called and stand as one
Together they’ll fight, their will be done
For each is born anew, the Tiger’s Son!’

Lin Sun, AbeBrown and Robert Diamond

It’s immensely sad that I recited the Tiger Oath from memory….

b.t.

Anonymous said...

Phillip:
It’s ‘Dark Waters of Death’, a 40-page epic starring Shang-Chi, White Tiger and Iron Fist by Bill Mantlo, Joe Staton and Sonny Trinidad in DEADLY HANDS 31.

There was also a team-up of The Tiger’s Sons, Iron Fist and Blackbyrd, P.I. by Bill Mantlo, Pat Broderick and Terry Austin that I liked a lot back in the day but am afraid to look at now…

b.t.

Anonymous said...

How about:

Virdon, Burke and Galen
Paulie, Christopher and the Russian
Matt, Luke and Craig

DW




Colin Jones said...

Planet Of The Apes is returning to Marvel in 2023 so I'll nominate Jason, Alexander & Malaguena from the classic POTA comics in the '70s.

Also Taylor, Landon & Dodge - the three astronauts from the 1968 POTA film.

Conan is leaving Marvel again (the Conan licence will be held by Titan Comics from 2023) so I'll include the classic Marvel troika of Conan The Barbarian, Savage Sword Of Conan & King Conan.

Can't believe nobody's mentioned The Wizard, Sandman and Trapster.

Colin Jones said...

The Three Investigators
Wings
Mary, Mungo & Midge
The Foundation Trilogy
Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
Earthsea Trilogy
The trilogy of Star Wars trilogies
Bowie's Berlin Trilogy (how did you forget that one, Paul?)

Anonymous said...

Josie, Valerie and Melody

Andy, Stewart and Sting

Gwen, MJ and…and…Betty Brant? Debra Whitman? Aunt May? Crap, that ain’t gonna work…

Steve, Jamie and Bigfoot

Manny, Moe and Jack (the UK dudes probably won’t get it but Killskip and Charlie ought to)

b.t.

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Hitler, Mussolini, Tojo

Redartz said...

Oh, this is fun!

Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland.
Jonny Quest, Hadji and Bandit.
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko.
Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin.
Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Terry Austin (Terry gets double duty!)
Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson (The Supremes)
Red, Yellow and Green (which make up white light, of course!)
Ham, Swiss Cheese and Rye Bread (my favorite sandwich.) Ok, maybe I'm getting carried away here...

Anonymous said...

Father, Son and Holy Ghost

Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Abraham, Martin and John

Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman

Ginger, Mary Ann and Lovey

Uncle Arthur, Aunt Clara and Dr. Bombay

Fred, Wilma and Pebbles

Groucho, Harpo and Chico

Bella, Edward and Jacob

Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds

b.t.

Anonymous said...


‘Roper…Williams…and Lee!’

I didn’t get to see it in a theatre back in ‘73, but it seemed like the TV commercial was in constant rotation, for weeks. Those three names are burned into my brain.

b.t.

Colin Jones said...

The Three Stooges
The Three Amigos
The Hair Bear Bunch
The Railway Children
Robin, Chrissy & Jo from 'Man About The House'
Flash Gordon, Dale Arden & Dr Zarkov

Anonymous said...


Redartz:
Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato!
Chili Cheese Dog!
Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla!
Pink hearts, orange stars, green clovers!
Protein, veg, starch!

b.t.

Colin Jones said...

Agar, Golin Longshanks & Stephen The Minotaur from 'Hordes Of The Things' which was a brilliant fantasy spoof originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1980 but didn't get the fame and acclaim it deserves (but thankfully it does get repeated every so often).

"The Evil Flesh-Eating Lord Of Craan is NOT a cannibal!"

Colin Jones said...

The Three Musketeers
The three bears from Goldilocks And...
The three blind mice
Trio (the Da Da Da song)
Mickey, Donald & Goofy
Huey, Duey & Louie
Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck & Porky Pig
The Jam
Bananarama
Terry, Bob & Thelma from 'Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads'
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin & Michael Collins

Steve W. said...

Thanks for the topic, Phillip. People seem to have already named all the trios I was going to suggest. I'm clearly going to have to put some hard thought into my nominations.

Anonymous said...

b.t. - As regards DHOKF, thanks for refreshing my memory! I've been DHOKF cover gallery surfing, and I haven't got # 31 in the garage - so I don't know where that factoid popped up from!

Sean - agreed. And let's re-nationalize the energy companies, & send Bojo, Truss & Sunak to the Falklands archipelago, this winter!

DW - no-one remembers Craig! Where would Paulie & Chris have been without those sachets of sauce, in their vehicle?

Colin - Wasn't "Jo" expecting in the Railway Children? Possibly she could count for two!

Also, there's Rod, Jane & Freddy!


Steve - I'm surprised this topic got traction!


Phillip

Anonymous said...

Dangermash - thinking about Soviet superheroes, maybe Vanguard, Darkstar & Crimson Dynamo were a trio, at one point. (Spidey - as Peter Parker - threw Crimson Dynamo down the steps of a brownstone - quite impressive, in fact!)

As regards Charlie's Angels, maybe the "core" 3 were Kelly Garrett, Charlie & Bosley (hardly "angelic"), as the others were interchangeable, mostly!

Phillip

Colin Jones said...

Crosby, Stills & Nash
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Holland Dozier Holland
The Three Degrees
The three witches in Macbeth
John Noakes, Peter Purves & Valerie Singleton
John Noakes, Peter Purves & Lesley Judd
The trio from Magpie (I forget their names except for Jenny Hanley. Mick something and Tommy something?)
Noel Edmonds, Keith Chegwin & Maggie Philbin
Chris Tarrant, Sally James & The Phantom Flan Flinger (I'm getting desperate).
The classic Cadbury's troika of Dairy Milk, Whole Nut and Fruit & Nut...

Anonymous said...

Well done dangermash, calling the Crimson Dynamo, Titanium Man and Radioactive Man superheroes rather than supervillains.
Up the workers, dm.

-sean

Anonymous said...

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

That’s a wrap! Goodnight kids!

Colin Jones said...

I can't believe we haven't mentioned Tarzan, Jane & Cheeta.

Or even Tarzan, Jane & Boy from the Johnny Weissmuller films.

Or Tom, Jerry & Butch the dog.

Or the three popes from 1978 (Paul VI, John-Paul I and John-Paul II).

Or the three-day week...

Anonymous said...

Ah, the three day week - back when a tory government crashed energy supplies, sent inflation soaring, and set off a wave a wave of strikes.
Will the English ever learn?

-sean

Anonymous said...

Phillip

Yeah, but he got a million pound settlement and moved in with Kim Appleby. The other two doofuses were insolvent within a few years.

What eve happened to the Russian? ;-)

DW

Anonymous said...

ever

Anonymous said...

DW - My memory's hazy. I seem to remember his people contacted Tony, telling him the guy was a commando - and Tony had to diffuse the situation, before the Russian clashed with Paulie & Chris. Also, whilst Paulie & Chris were freezing in the car - reduced to eating sachets of sauce - the Russian was proudly declaring it wasn't cold at all, compared to winters in Russia, whilst rolling in the snow - or something!

Phillip

Anonymous said...

???

Anonymous said...


Frankenberry, Count Chocula and Booberry

The Kingston Trio

Peter, Paul and Mary

Tony Orlando and Dawn (Thelma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson)

The Bee Gees

Robbie, Chip and Ernie Douglas (MY THREE SONS)

Here, There and Everywhere

b.t.

Anonymous said...

Three's Company (US version of 'Man About the House')

Three of A Kind (Lenny Henry, David Copperfield & Tracey Ullman).

Phillip

Colin Jones said...

The Three Graces
The Three Muses
The Three Kings/Wise Men
The three little pigs
The Funboy Three
I Saw Three Ships...
Three Steps To Heaven
Three Lions On A Shirt
The Goons (Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe & Peter Sellars)
The New Avengers (Steed, Purdey & Gambit)
The ghosts of Christmas past, present & yet to come
Thatcher, May & Truss
World War III (just give Loony Liz enough time...)

Anonymous said...

The Three Weird Sisters aka The Three Witches (MACBETH)

The Unholy Three (Lon Chanel’s only talkie)

Three On A Match (bad luck — DON’T DO IT)

Three Strikes (you’re OUT!)

b.t.

Anonymous said...

H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith and Robert E. Howard — the ‘Big 3’ of WEIRD TALES

b.t.

Anonymous said...

33 1/3 rpm

-sean

Anonymous said...

Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst

DW

Colin Jones said...

Cerberus, the three-headed dog
Holmes, Watson & Moriarty
The Doctor, Sarah-Jane & Harry
Luke, Leia & Darth Vader (just a normal dad and his two kids)
Luke, C3PO & R2D2
Harry Potter, Hermione & Ron
Buck Rogers, Wilma Deering & Twiki

Anonymous said...


Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto

Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot

Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Mark Antony

Johnny Storm, Crystal, Pietro

Scarlet Witch, Vision, Mantis

Tony, Maria, Chino

Danny, Sandy, Cha Cha DiGregorio

b.t.

Anonymous said...

The Beaver, Wally, and Eddy Haskell

Angus Scrimm, Don Coscarelli, and Reggie Banister

Jeanie, Major Nelson, and Major Healy

Samantha, Darren, and Endora

-Killdumpster

v mark said...


Scanned through the list twice, convinced that surely by now someone must have mentioned

The Galaxy Trio (from the Birdman show, featuring Vapor Man, Meteor Man and Gravity Girl)

and, much more recent and so dearly loved

We3 (featuring 1, 2 and 3)

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Neil Armstrong, Gus Grissom, Gordo Cooper... and all the various 3-man teams of NASA!

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Tinkers, to Evers, to Chance

Louis Aparicio, Nellie, Fox, Sherm Lollar

Concepcion, Morgan, Perez (that was for your Red! Can't work in Rose in a troika?)

Colin Jones said...

BBC1, BBC2 and ITV...

Anonymous said...


Will Robinson, Dr. Smith, Robot

Ben Boxer, Steve and Renzi

Beldar, Prymat and Connie

Maxim and Mrs. DeWinter, Mrs. Danvers

b.t.

dangermash aka The Artistic Actuary said...

Can't believe nobody's said Steve, Sean and Charlie yet.