The ‘Florida Man’ Meme Actually Creates Villains in DC’s Universe | CPT PPP Coverage

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Warning: Contains spoilers for “Florida Man,” appearing in DC’s Legion of Bloom #1The popular “Florida Man” internet meme not only exists within the DC Universe, but it actually creates villains. In the story “Florida Man,” starring Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) and appearing in DC’s Legion of Bloom #1, Jaime and his friends find themselves face to face with an obscure, but powerful, villain–one whose powers have gone out of control, thanks to the “Florida Man” effect.

The story is written by Julio Anta, drawn by Jacoby Salcedo, colored by Allen Passalaqua and lettered by Dave Sharpe. Jaime and his friends have arrived in Miami for vacation when Jaime gets a news alert on his phone that reads, “Florida man dressed as bat terrorizes children’s party.” Jaime is stunned to learn that this has happened less than a mile away. He receives more notifications about “Florida man,” and after he receives one saying the Florida Man has transformed into a rampaging alligator, he leaps into action. His armor alerts him that he is facing Animal/Vegetable/Mineral Man, an obscure Doom Patrol villain who can morph into any animal, vegetable or mineral he wishes; readers then learn he has recently received the ability to morph into metahumans as well. Blue Beetle learns the villain has lost control of his powers; he asks his armor to create a ray gun to use against Animal/Vegetable/Mineral Man. After blasting the villain and subduing him, Blue Beetle and his friends learn he moved to the state after hearing about the “Florida Man” meme; Animal/Vegetable/Mineral Man, sick of being forgotten, wanted to become the “Ultimate Florida Man,” However, he underestimated the “peculiar effects [Florida] has on its inhabitants,” and lost control of his powers.

The Florida Man Effect is Real in the DC Universe

The “Florida Man” is one of the internet’s most popular memes. Stories of people committing weird crimes in the state of Florida have been around for a long time, and as internet/meme culture grew, more people took notice. Others began to notice that most of these wild and bizarre crimes were being committed by men. The Florida Man meme began to take off around 2013, when a Twitter feed devoted to the topic was created, and has grown in prevalence over the years.

And now, the Florida Man effect has come to the DC Universe, where it is a bona-fide phenomenon that actually interferes with people, causing those with super-powers to lose control of them. The Animal/Vegetable/Mineral Man sought to harness this power for himself, and become the “Ultimate Florida Man.” However, it backfires on him, and he succumbs to it in the end, forcing Blue Beetle to step in and stop him. Why does the Florida Man effect do this in the DC Universe? What creates these “peculiar effects”? The story does not explain it, and while it is largely played for laughs, the Florida Man effect is quite dangerous in the DC Universe.

Another question that must be asked: what if another, even more powerful villain, like Black Adam or Sinestro, succumbs to the Florida Man effect? Or what if a hero were to be corrupted by it? Despite the story’s tongue-in-cheek nature, the notion that the Florida Man effect creates villains in the DC Universe bears exploring down the road.

DC’s Legion of Bloom #1 is on sale now from DC Comics!