Theme: HOLY COW, BATMAN! Each is the name of a comic superhero, clued as the name of his or her 'civilian' name.
17A. Diana Prince's alter ego : WONDER WOMAN. Very interesting, the creator of Wonder Woman was William Moulton Marston, a psychologist and the inventor of the polygraph. He wanted to create a new kind of superhero that thrived off of intelligence and love. But it was actually his wife, Elizabeth, who had the idea to make the new character a woman. Another woman, who was in a relationship with the both of them, Olive Byrne, also served as a model for the character that would be Wonder Woman.
24A. Peter Parker's alter ego : SPIDERMAN. Spidey gets his girl.
31A. Britt Reid's alter ego : THE GREEN HORNET. Anyone seen the new movie?
37A. Steve Rogers's alter ego : CAPTAIN AMERICA
48A. Linda Lee Danvers's alter ego : SUPERGIRL
56A. Reed Richards's alter ego : MR FANTASTIC. One of the Fantastic Four (with the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and Thing).
And a bonus:
53D. Lee who co-created 24-Across : STAN. Lee also co-created 56-Across (The Fantastic Four), Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, The X-Men, and ... serious ... Stripperella.
SUPER-fun puzzle, I love heavy themeage - count 'em, SIX theme answers. Not a big comic reader, but all these characters were familiar enough to be gettable. Peter Parker was the only alter-ego name I knew.
Across:
1. Place to chill out : SPA. Batcave wouldn't fit. I spend my share of time at the spa, and then some.
4. "In all likelihood ..." : ODDS ARE
11. Hollywood hrs. : PST. Hollywood, California is on Pacific Standard Time.
14. Many, many moons : EON
15. Land purveyor : REALTOR. Just spoke with one yesterday.
16. Mr. __!: old whodunit game : REE. Detective board game that pre-dates Clue - never heard of it.
19. Have some grub : EAT
20. Wore : HAD ON
21. Thus : LIKE SO
23. Cutting the mustard : ABLE
27. Arctic explorer John : RAE. 1813-1893. Scottish doctor who surveyed parts of the Northwest Passage (a sea route through the Arctic Ocean).
28. Quetzalcoatl worshiper : AZTEC. Quetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and has the meaning of "feathered-serpent"
30. Aromatherapist's supply : OILS. I use these a lot in my practice - they are fun to blend.
35. Bite for Mister Ed : OAT
36. Bray beginning : HEE. The sound a donkey makes, "hee-haw."
45. "Kubla Khan" river : ALPH. Had to google to learn that "Journey on the River Alph" is a collection of Poetry by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. His poem "Kubla Khan" was the inspiration behind the Realm of Xanadu cyber-novel. I'll leave the rest to to Clear Ayes.
46. Meted (out) : DOLED
47. XV years before the Battle of Hastings : MLI. I always have to guess with these.
51. Trade punches : SPAR
52. Sound acquisition? : STEREO
53. More artful : SLIER. Looks odd spelled that way.
55. Flight board abbr. : ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.
61. Bis plus one, to a pharmacist : TER. Latin. “bis in die” twice a day; "ter in die" three times a day.
62. Lizards with dewlaps : IGUANAS
63. "__ Hunters": History Channel show with the tagline "Hoax or History?" : UFO. Have only heard of House Hunters.
64. Many SAT takers : SRS. Seniors.
65. Abundant flow : TORRENT. Wet and relentless.
66. Pink Floyd guitarist Barrett : SYD
Down
1. Use a Singer : SEW
2. High-muck-a-muck : POOHBAH
3. "General Hospital" actress : ANNA LEE. Lila Quartermane. Died in 2004 at 91. Didn't know this, don't watch soaps.
4. Cookie that might flavor a McFlurry : OREO
5. "Jurassic Park" actress : DERN. Loved her in Rambling Rose.
6. Margery of kids' rhyme : DAW. See saw Margery Daw.
7. Road warning : SLO
8. Source of 20s, for short : ATM. Automatic Teller Machine.
9. Author Dahl : ROALD. Author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and my favorite, James and the Giant Peach, among others.
10. "Sesame Street" regular : ERNIE
11. Early arrival : PREEMIE. Premature, uh ... delivery.
12. Natural seasoning : SEA SALT
13. Jackson Hole backdrop : TETONS. Ansel Adams picture, The Tetons and The Snake River.
18. HST's successor : DDE. Dwight D. Eisenhower; Harry S. Truman.
22. Danish coins : KRONER
23. Museum fare : ART
24. Canonized mlle. : STE. STE = Saint. Mlle = Mademoiselle (French equivalent of "miss.") The process by which someone becomes a saint is called canonization.
25. Write : PEN. Verb.
26. Cologne pronoun : ICH. German for me.
28. "How now? __?": Hamlet, before mistakenly slaying Polonius : A RAT. In Act 3, Scene 4, Hamlet mistakes Polonius for the King. "Oh shame, where is thy blush?" Favorite all time play, bar none.
29. Letter after epsilon : ZETA. Greek.
32. Burrowing rodent : GOPHER
33. "Alas" : OH ME
34. Swamp growth : REED
37. Disorder : CLUTTER. Bothers me.
38. Shows up : APPEARS
39. Infamous Amin : IDI. Seeing this pretty regularly lately.
40. Postal motto word : NOR. The original saying was actually "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these courageous couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" and was said about 2500 years ago by the Greek historian, Herodotus. He said this adage during the war between the Greeks and Persians about 500 B.C. in reference to the Persian mounted postal couriers whom he observed and held in high esteem.
41. Every last one : ALL
42. Driving force : IMPETUS. A moving force; impulse; stimulus.
43. Elucidate : CLARIFY
44. Make public : AIR
45. Balance sheet heading : ASSETS
49. Send in the check : REMIT
50. 1961 British movie monster : GORGO. A British, underwater Godzilla.
51. Sasha, to Malia : SIS. The first daughters.
54. In the cellar, so to speak : LAST
57. Jet set garb : FUR
58. Rhine feeder : AAR. In the Swiss Alps, flows through Bern, see?
59. Tuscaloosa-to-Huntsville dir. : NNE
60. New England catch : COD
This theme reminded me the game Superheroes, from "Whose Line is it Anyway," still makes me laugh.
Answer grid.
Melissa
Answer grid.
Melissa
