Text Play: Pokemon Zeta #12

Hello, and welcome back to the Vesryn Region! This is the twelfth entry in my Text Play of Pokémon Zeta!

As before, I will be spoiling the entire game. As such, I recommend that you download the game at its wiki here before reading this. Also, I want to apologize if any of the images on this blog are off-center. That appears to be a problem with the blog site. And with that, let's go!

Last time, we arrived in Ladoga Town, and I got a Happiny egg. So, I thought it'd be fun to ride around a bit with my bike to hatch it. There's a beach in town that's perfect for it. You can talk to the little kids at the beach, and they crack silly jokes.

Kind of like that. With the egg taking some time to hatch (even riding on a bike), I decided to do some exploring. Remember the closed-off bike path from the last entry? Well, there is a house right below it.

Go in there, and talk to one of the dudebros inside. He'll give you a thing called an Instant Lapras. The Instant Lapras is the item that replaces Surf. Wait...I had to use the Surf HM to get here. ...WHY DIDN'T THEY LET ME OBTAIN IT IN KIVU TOWN?!

Seriously?! Seriously! This is a problem I've had with this game. The Dolly, the Machete, the Instant Lapras. These are items that basically replace the HMs. And as I believe I have ranted before, and I do apologize for subjecting it to you all again, but I HATE the HMs. It's why I liked these items. They can do the same things on the Overworld that the HMs can do, but unlike HMs, you don't end up saddling a Pokémon with a move that you can't make them forget later on. I got the Surf HM at Kivu Town. We needed it to travel the waters of Route to get here to Ladoga Town. WHy give me the Surf HM to get here when I'd just get the replace item here in Ladoga? Why not just give me the Instant Lapras in Kivu?

That's a bit of a problem. The game forces you to use the HMs to get the item that replaces it. It makes the HMs redundant and pointless. Just give me the items. I know that some people may prefer to use the HMs, and that's fine. Just me personally, I never liked the HMs, even back when I was playing the original Pokémon Red and Blue back in the day.

Sorry about that, folks. Let's go back to exploring Ladoga Town, shall we? There are a couple of interesting sights to see here. One is the local lighthouse.

You can't enter here yet. Evidently, some mysterious "boss" resides in there. The two guards in front of it did reveal something about this person: Their first name is "Miror". Yeah. If you're a nut for Pokémon like I am, it's pretty obvious who it is in there. Nearby the lighthouse is a dock. At the end of it there is a building with a boat inside it.

You can't go in the boat because you need a ticket. And we have no ticket, so we cannot go for a nice boat ride. I'm sure we'll find a ticket somewhere down the line though, so it's not something I'm worried about. In the meantime, I've been riding around town trying to hatch this egg I got in the last entry. It's supposed to hatch to a Happiny, so I'm excited for that. So far thought, I don't seem to be making much progress on it, despite my doing plenty of riding around on my bicycle. Huh. Maybe I should put the egg away and work on something else for now. And so we shall.

The "Main Event" of this place is the Ladoga Shrine. It's here that Team Olympus is trying to summon this "Divaevus" thing.

The grunts guarding him just let me go right up to him. It's hilarious. They don't even try to stop me. I do wish it was because I got such a fearsome reputation from the beatdowns I've given them in the past, but I doubt that's the reason. Turns out they think that their boss can beat me. But still, I'd better be prepared. Luckily, Route 312 is right nearby.

It's a good place to grind up my Pokémon, and add some new ones to my collection. Tried to catch a Gligar, but it broke out of all my Pokéballs.  Even when asleep...HOW DO YOU DO THAT?! Did catch one on my second try, though. So, that's nice.

Anyway, after I did some grinding, I decided to once again take up the role of exterminator and clear out this place's little Team Olympus infestation.

The grunts in front of the shrine don't even attempt to challenge me. Guess my rep for kicking their butts got to them. The men at the shrine remark that someone named "Zeus" was able to predict this. He then noted that Team Olympus needed two legendary Pokémon...including this "Divaevus" one. Why? Arceus is essentially God in the Pokémon universe. What would this "Divaevus" be able to do? Anyway, they found a way to summon this thing...

And it takes the form of a Chespin. Yeah. I'm beginning to think this "Pokémon" is a bit of a troll. Anyway, the Team Olympus men finally realize that I'm here. One of them is Thor, who we faced back at the Pokehadron Collider. Another one of his associates, Apollo, suggests that he just capture the "Divaveus" with a Master Ball and just leave.

Anyway, some backup arrives: Morgan, one of the games' Elite Four.

She joins me in a double battle against Artemis and Apollo. Let's rock!

1st Pokémon - Elekid (Lv. 34, Apollo), Sableye (Lv. 34, Artemis). I brought out Gabite, Morgan brought out Swanna, both Lv. 35. Sableye managed to inflict Burn on Swanna. The Sableye was revealed to actually be a Zoroark. Swanna wa defeated, forcing Morgan to bring out her Lv. 35 Floatzel. Floatzel defeated Elekid.
2nd Pokémon - Luxray (Lv. 37, Apollo). Zoroark was defeated by Gabite.
3rd Pokémon - Banette (Lv. 35, Artemis). Floatzel was defeated. Morgan sent out Walrein (Lv. 35). Gabite defeated Banette. One Dragon Claw, baby!
4th Pokémon -  Sableye (Lv. 37, Artemis). Sableye defeated Gabite with Ice Fang. Sableye was defeated due to Confusion effect. I brought out Butterfree and used SLeep Powder on Luxray. Butterfree defeats Luxray with a Psybeam.
5th Pokémon - Pupitar (Lv. 37, Artemis?). Defeated by Butterfree.
6th Pokémon - Sharpedo (Lv. 35, Apollo). Defeated Butterfree. Brought out Weepinbell. Weepinbell was defeated by Walrein's hail. Brought out Luxray. Shapredo was defeated by hurting itself in its confusion. A shame, as Luxray had a nice bit of Thunder Fang for it.

Yeah, there appears to be a goof here. Apollo is supposed to use Fire-type Pokémon like Vulpix. Makes sense that Apollo is the god of the sun. But he mainly used Electric-type Pokémon, like Luxray. Yeah, evidently he got mixed up with his counterpart in Pokémon Omicron's Team Asgard Thor. Yeah. Sheesh, what a massive goof.

Writing out a double battle is hard. With the battle over, Morgan commands her Walrein to use Roar to drive off Divaevus. Amazingly, it succeeds. You'd think a Pokémon as supposedly powerful as that one would be able to resist that attack, but what do I know?

Apollo basically writes it off, saying Zeus knows where Victini is anyway. And they'll be able to catch it and presumably wish Divaevus into their possession...after killing the Elite Four off. And us, of course. Remember, we're also the reason why Team Olympus was foiled at the Pokehadron Collider.

Afterwards, Morgan explains she learned of me thanks to Wilson. He had warned her that Team Olympus may come to the "Chrome Circle". She had wanted to get me because Tobias of the Elite Four wanted to meet me. Remember Graham, the Gym Leader in Kivu Town? Tobias is his brother. I'm guessing Graham was very impressed with my victory against him, and told Tobias about me. That's pretty awesome. I hope he's a good kid.

Ad that's where we're going to have to stop for now. But I hope you will join me next time as I...figure out where to go next from here.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you like it, show it off! Take care of yourself, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, and wear a mask! See you next time!

Pokémon Obtained

(Route 312)

- Tropius

- Gligar

- Trapinch

- Vespiquen

Adventures of Superman #431 (August 1987)

Over his eighty-plus years of adventures, Superman has fought many a foe. Some of these villains have become iconic characters in their own right. Key parts of the mythos: Lex Luthor, General Zod, Brainiac, Metallo, etc. However, not every threat that Superman fights reaches that level of fame. Allow me to show you one such villain, as we take a look at Adventures of Superman #431!

The cover is a bit basic. Well-drawn, but basic. A Jerry Ordway piece, it depicts Superman angrily crushing a gun in his hand. Doesn't really hint anything about the story. That's a shame, really. Also, is it just me, or does his jaw seem a bit...off?

"They Call Him--Doctor Stratos!"
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Penciler: Erik Larsen
Inkers: John Beatty, Dick Giordano, Karl Kesel, Bob Lewis, Jerry Ordway, P. Craig Russell(Credited as India Inc. Get it?)
Colorist: Anthony Tollin
Letterer: Albert Deguzman
Editors: Andrew Helfer, Mike Carlin
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins with a group of gunmen firing at the Man of Steel.

"Keep wasting these bullets, boys!"

It's a group of gunmen going up against Superman, so naturally he is able to easily deal with them. They had robbed a charity event that he was speaking at. Yeah, they're not very bright. But these men are not the real antagonist of this tale. We go to a palace that looked like it was designed by an Amazon architect. This is Castle Chaos, and it's the home of this man.

"Gentlemen! Behold! My glorious mullet!"

Meet Dr. Constantine Stratos. He's a bit touched in the head. Much like Maxie Zeus in Batman: The Animated Series, he fancies himself a god. And this self-proclaimed god is angry. You see, his aide Emil Markos has done a pretty lousy job. Markos has also stolen from him and tried to turn Stratos's staff against him. Markos pleads for mercy, but Stratos is not a merciful man. He then proceeds to kill Markos by presumably making him explode. I think. The comic is unclear.

It's here we learn a bit of Stratos's past. You see, the redheaded fury was found as a baby on the base of Mount Olympus. Yeah, it's a real mountain in Greece. Highest mountain in the country. This had convinced him that he was a scion of the Greek pantheon. After bedding one of his assistants, she tries to kill him. However, a strange icy wind kicks up, freezing her solid.

"I had a divine dream about freezing a woman, and...oh. Awesome."

We next head to the Daily Planet. Lois Lane and Cat Grant are discussing some family issues. Cat had heard that Lois's mother was unwell, and she thought she'd want to talk about it. Cat's been starting a custody battle herself with her son, but Lois is icy about it. Everyone's fine, and that's all Cat needs to know.

Clark Kent is outside the Daily Planet building buying a hot dog, when he sees Lois stomp by. He tries to ask how she's doing, but Lois is basically like "figure it out yourself, Smallville" as she walks away. Cat finds him and invites him to lunch, when a sudden hailstorm kicks up. This is unusual for Metropolis, as it's May.

In Washington D.C., the then-President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, sees the hail from the White House. He's not worried about it, until a giant hailstone smashes into the building.

Yeah, the taxpayers will be footing that bill, too. He gets a call from the Soviet Union's then-premier, Mikhail Gorbachev. Moscow is being hit by a heat wave. Doctor Stratos calls in and basically tells him "I can do worse, and I will speak my demands". Ronnie tells Gorby that the two have a mutual problem. Luckily, Ronnie knows a man who can handle this. No, not Batman!

In the Planet's microfilm library, Cat goes to find some evidence she can use against her ex-husband for her upcoming custody trial. The gopher who works there is drawn as a stereotypical skinny balding nerd with a major crush on her. She takes advantage of this to get him to help her find what she's looking for.

At Castle Chaos, Doctor Stratos only has one question: "How is the satellite"?

Doctor Stratos designed this on a mead binge.

Yeah, this is how Stratos has been pulling his weather tricks. He sees it as a substitute until his natural godlike powers emerge. Stratos's men detect Superman flying over London, and Stratos gives the kill order. The Man of Steel gets battered by powerful winds. Superman welcomes this as if whatever is behind this focuses on him, innocent lives will be less at risk. And I can also imagine that other superheroes will be able to focus more of things like helping with the cleanup and search and rescue.

Superman gets battered by tidal waves and lightning, but he's able to save London by creating a moat around Parliament. He then discovers Paris is under a thick pea-soup fog. Huh. Isn't that London's thing?

You see, Superman can't take care of Stratos simply because the man is using his satellite to imperil innocent people with extreme weather, and that's the priority. Stratos covers Egypt and North Africa in snow, but Supes is able to deal with it. Superman realizes that the only way the mad wannabe god can affect so many places at once is...from orbit. Superman discovers Stratos's satellite with his telescopic vision. He also is able to follow the transmissions to the satellite to Castle Chaos. Stratos tries to blast the Man of Tomorrow with a bolt of lightning. The Metropolis Marvel blocks the lightning, but Stratos is caught in the backlash.

"OH MY ME, I AM IN SO MUCH PAIN RIGHT NOW!"

The burning madman falls out of the castle, screaming that he can't die like this. Gods don't die like this! Superman couldn't save him due to his being exhausted by his cleaning up Stratos's weather disasters. Superman dives into the water, but can't find even so much as a body. Superman is left with a lot of questions.

Oh well, at least it's all over. All that's left to do is dismantle the equipment, and take a nice long vacation. God knows Superman deserves it after the day he's had. Several days later, the Aegean Sea starts to boil, like it's being heated in a giant kettle. A large hand emerges from the water, followed by an equally powerful body.

"I LIIIIIVE! ...where are my pants?"

Like any good horror movie villain, Stratos is alive. Now mutated into a more monsterous giant form, he rants that he's finally achieved the godhood he was destined to have...and that one day, Superman will die by his hand. That never happens. Stratos never appears again.

This story was an alright done-in-one. It was rather fun to see the Man of Steel be pushed to the limit, against a force of nature twisted to malevolent ends.

Doctor Stratos himself is a bit of a dopey villain. He has a criminal scheme that makes me think of the Silver Age with the ruthlessness of the post-Bronze Age. There's really not much to him, he' just a delusional man with a god complex. To be honest, I think he would be a good fit for Wonder Woman's rogues gallery. After all, this is the DC Universe. The Greco-Roman gods are real there. They could confirm whether Stratos was an actual demigod or just a crazy man. Would have loved to have seen the look on his face if Zeus told him "Nah, you ain't my kid. Also, I couldn't help but notice Stratos bears a striking resemblance to the younger red-haired body that Lex Luthor would use to house his brain later on in the comics.

Erik Larson's art is rather...interesting. The style of it does lead to some rather humorous-looking facial expressions. He does show some really good storytelling at parts, too.

This feels like a bit of a fill-in story, but it's not terrible. I personally would have liked to have seen Doctor Stratos return. Shame that DC reorganizing their universe has made that practically impossible. If you want to read this one for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2005 trade paperback Superman: The Man of Steel Vol. 4.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourself and each other. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, and wear a mask. See you next time, when we rejoin the Black Panther on another adventure...

Rogue Company Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

In July 2020, a beta was dropped for the Hi-Rez Studios-distributed and First Watch Games-developed Rogue Company. A multiplayer third-person shooter, the goal of the game is to achieve various objectives and basically put a bullet in your opponents before they put one in you.

Each of the playable "Rogues" has different unique abilities. This new game will be coming to PCs, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...and the Nintendo Switch. Let's look at the trailer!

Meet Dima and Ronin, a pair of mercenaries looking for a good time. And basically, mercs' idea of a good time involves destruction. Fun for the whole family!

That's a fancy looking store. A bit rich for my blood, though.

I bet the bathrooms and Wi-Fi would cost a pretty penny to use, anyway. Sheesh.

When in doubt, whip out the American Express Black Card. The real high-rollers use this baby.

Wow. If Charleston Heston could see this, he'd be drooling.

The problem there is that it's the wrong gun for the job, Ronin. You have to have the right tool for the job.

Ronin's not a gun girl, is she?

You're shooting willy-nilly! AIM, WOMAN!

I have another name for the Mamba AC Rifle: The Overcompensator.

Nothing against you picking a sword, Ronin. Swords are cool, but maybe you should have a gun as a backup. Covers long range.

Talk about your broken hearts, ha ha. I'll see myself out...

I so want a series with these two. Just them hanging out doing jobs and being pals. Who do I have to yell at to get his?

This game does look like a lot of fun, but I wish it had a single-player campaign. It's like Overwatch. The characters look neat, and I can imagine the gameplay is fun, but there's nothing for people who just like to play by themselves. That's a shame, really. Ah, well. I hope it sells, and multiplayer fans enjoy it.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, and wear a mask! See you next time!

Wonder Woman Trailer #2, My Thoughts

Back in December of last year, I looked at the first trailer for Wonder Woman 1984. I remembered being very excited for it as I loved the last Wonder Woman movie. With the DC Fandome event, a whole bunch of projects relating to DC's characters was announced. It also served to remind us there still some things coming. And one of those treats we got was a new trailer for WW84. Let's take a look!

Run, Diana! Ruuuuuuuun!

Eh, I still am not quite too fond of this film's take on Themyscira/Paradise Island. It never really ruined the film for me, but it didn't feel like the comics to me. It should look like Ancient Greece, not...this.

What these Amazons did not realize was that the small Diana next to them had god blood in her veins. They were in for a metaphorical whuppin'.

Okay, what is Diana's lasso latching on to? It's daytime, there's no lightning.

Okay, based on that satellite dish, I'm wondering something. ...is this a Metal Gear crossover? Because Diana hanging out with Solid Snake would be neat.

Yeah, there has to be something to this. There has to be some kind of twist on Steve Trevor's mysterious "return" after 70 years. I'm guessing Dr. Psycho myself. Or Psycho-Pirate.

Well, yeah Steve. She's immortal. Did she not tell you this?

Based on the first trailer, I expected to see this version of Barbara Minerva be kind of like Selina kyle in Batman Returns. Looks like it'll be more she always had a monster inside her, she just can unleash it now.

Ah, so we get a bit of Barbara's motivation here. It's the old "You got to have everything, and I didn't! So now you're going to see what it's like to have nothing!" bit.

I don't know why, but I love that truck flip.

Is...Is Wonder Woman lassoing a cloud?

Fun fact, the first patent for a gas turbine to power an aircraft was filed by Frenchman Maxime Guillaume in 1921. The first aircraft to have a jet engine would be the German Heinkel He 178, which first flew in 27 August, 1939.

Another fun fact? Radar as we know it today was secretly developed by researchers in several countries shortly before World War II. So it does make sense that Steve Trevor would be amazed by a jetplane equipped with radar.

Max Lord using those mind control powers he has in the comics. I wonder if it's connected to that gold crystal he was seen with in the last trailer. You know, the one that looked like a LEGO piece?

Remember when I said that this Barbara may have had a monster inside of her? Maybe her transformation could be seen as symbolic. Physically, she's become the very monster she always want.

"YOU HAVE BEEN A BAD KITTY!"

Maybe that LEGO crystal had something to do with the Cheetah becoming an actual catwoman...

It looks like this Cheetah will be amalgaming various comic incarnations of the character. She stars out wearing a suit like Priscilla Rich, has the rage of Deborah Domaine, and will have the feline form of Barbara Minerva. Neat.

I thought parachute pants were a 90s thing! At least, that's when I first became aware of them, with MC Hammer and all.

Well, this trailer looks pretty neat. I was excited for this movie already, but I am really hyped now. I thought the fully-changed Cheetah looked neat, and I can't waist for the twist with Steve Trevor's resurrection. I think this movie will be just as good as the original.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, and wear a mask. See you next time!

Black Panther #1 (November 1998)

In recent years, the Black Panther has been riding a new wave of popularity thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But believe it or not, like many of Marvel's stalwart characters, he's been around a very long time.

T'Challa first debuted in Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966), and would then go on to join the Avengers for a while in Avengers #52 (May 1968). His first starring feature would be the Jungle Action title with issue #5 (July 1973). It was in this title that then-writer Don McGregor and artists Rich Buckler and Billy Graham crafted the classic "Panther's Rage" storyline. We looked at the first issue of that saga right here. In the 1980s, the Panther got his first miniseries, by writer Peter B. Gillis and artist Denys Cowan. It was also during that decade that McGregor reunited with the Panther, joining up with Gene Colan to create Panther's Quest, the sequel to Panther's Rage that ran in the Marvel Comics Presents anthology title.

With the 1990s, McGregor penned a third story in his Black Panther saga: Panther's Prey, alongside artist Dwayne Turner. And in 1998, the King of Wakanda would get a new ongoing title, the first issue we're going to look at here.

For its first year, series was part of the Marvel Knights imprint, which focused on standalone stories
set in the Marvel Universe. Writer Christopher Priest had a goal with this title. He felt that in the years since his creation, the Black Panther was never really given the opportunity to show that he could be one of Marvel's most dangerous superheroes, thanks to his own abilities and resources as a king of a technologically advanced African nation. So, is his collaboration with Mark Texiera a good start to achieving that goal? Let's find out when we look at Black Panther #1!

The cover is a Mark Texiera, Dave Kemp, and Joe Quesada piece. It's a bit basic, just depicting the Black Panther in costume himself. It's not a bad cover, just a bit plain.

"The Client"
Writer: Christopher Priest
Penciler: Mark Texiera
Inker: Mark Texiera
Colorist: Brian Haberlin
Letterers: Richard Starkings, Siobhan Hanna
Editors: Joe Quesada, Jimmy Palmiotti
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

The story begins with Everett K. Ross being in a rather...unusual situation.

Everett K. Ross picked the wrong week to quit drinking...

I'm sure that being trapped in a bathroom holding a rat at gunpoint is not quite as...unusual in the Marvel Universe as in the real world. We get narration from Ross himself. You see, he was supposed to be minding a certain Wakandan monarch. But the Black Panther and his entourage had decided to do some window jumping, leaving Ross alone in the middle of the projects. But Ross isn't lonely. Besides the rat, he also has the company of Zuri, who was a friend of T'Challa's late father.

"Zuri picked the wrong week to START drinking..."

It's revealed that Ross is basically telling a story to his boss Nikki in the State Department. Ross tends to go...off target in his recollections, which leads to some funny revelations, like he and Zuri somehow facing off against some female mud wrestlers. Straight out of Stripes.

Nikki manages to get Ross on track. You see, T'Challa and his crew wanted to go out for a drive.

King T'Challa, aka Mr. Smooth.

It's then that he and two of his Dora Milaje met a man named Manuel Ramos. Ramos was a bit of a big deal in these housing projects, a sort of crimelord. T'Challa tells Ramos and his men to safety their guns and lay them on the ground. Ramos laughs it off, and in response, T'Challa uses an advanced Wakandan taser device to give Ramos and his men some nice electroshock therapy.

"Oh my God, the fog's clearing from my brain!"

The Panther drags Ramos out of his car, and lets his two Dora Milaje have some fun with his men...without killing them, of course. It's here we learn these two Milaje's names: Okoye and Nakia. Remember them from the Black Panther movie? Yeah, they got quite the makeover for the MCU. Meanwhile, Ramos gets a wall to the spine. This makes him angrily threaten to slice T-Challa's throat...and he invites him to do so, while the king is in his full Black Panther costume. Ramos's knife is useless against the Panther's suit, and he takes the gangster up to the roof of a building.

It's here we learn something as to why Black Panther has come to the United States. It's not Avenger business. A child had been killed at the Tomorrow Fund, a charity the Black Panther was connected to. As such, the Panther wants to make a deal: Panther lets Ramos live, Ramos helps the Panther find the child's killers. Ramos refuses, so he gets marked by an energy dagger. The signature it leaves behind marks the criminal, allowing the Panther to track him anywhere with his Kimoyo Card.

Thanks to some drink to the face from Nikki, Ross is finally able to explain how this all started. You see, he had been assigned to escort the Avenger while he was in the US investigating the aforementioned child's death. Little Jamie Robins was a poster child for the Tomorrow Fund, a charity that, as I explained earlier, was connected to Wakanda.

Ross thought the assignment would be an easy one at first. After all, the Black Panther may have been a king and an Avenger, but he wasn't a big-time guy. He wasn't exactly a Thor, or a Captain America.

However, T'Challa's homeland had erupted in tensions at the time. T'Challa had allowed Wakanda to take in refugees from various ethnic wars going on. The refugees brought their war with them, and the Wakandans were not happy about it. The Panther and his allies tried to calm things down, but T'Challa is more of an idealist than a politician.

When he heard about the death of Jamie Robins, T'Challa felt an obligation to investigate this. Zuri and T'Challa's stepmother Ramonda know they can't convince him to stay in Wakanda. Besides, T'Challa is not too worried. If anything really bad goes down, he can return in a couple hours. He only intends to be in America for about five days, no big deal. Ross then recalls when he arrived to pick up the feline king at the airport. He brought a Miata.

Ross: "...I'm gonna need a bus. No, two buses."

Yeah. When the Black Panther comes to town, you not only have to make sure to bring out the good plates, but also have plenty of them. We finally catch up to Ross in the apartment holding a rat at gunpoint. He gets a knock on the door. Unfortunately, it wasn't because Zuri wanted to try this "pizza" thing New York is so famous for.

The demon Mephisto has come down to the Big Apple, looking for a soul to steal. He was in a bind, because he's way behind, and he's willing to make a deal. Ross just closes the door, and tells Zuri it's for him.

This was a pretty enjoyable first issue. It does well setting up what we need to know about the King of Wakanda's current situation. Everett Ross is a very good POV character. He's a government schlub who is just clearly way in over his head. The character is portrayed as slightly...un-PC for lack of a better term, but Priest has said this was intentional. Ross is also the source of the humor in the comic. I laughed out loud at his reaction to Mephisto, as well as his other misadventures. Priest's knack for humor is rather underrated in my opinion.

Mark Texiera'a art is rather unique. It looks like everything is made of chalk to me. There's a bit of grit in the art that fits the story rather well. He does some great work with expressions, and some of the layouts are quite clever. I like it a lot.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2015 trade paperback Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection Vol.1! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay home, wash your hands frequently, and wear a mask! See you next time, when I look at an adventure of the Man of Steel...

X-Factor #7 (August 1986)

Before I begin, I feel I have to owe some apologies. I apologize for this week's review coming out the way it did. My job has taken up more of my time, and my computer was being a jerk, and I was very tired, so I ended up publishing this blog entry unfinished. Hopefully, this completed version makes it up to you all. Enjoy!

Back in September 2018, I took a look back at X-Factor #1 (February 1986). I found it to be an enjoyable issue, but I did feel it had some problems, mainly with how it handled the whole Scott Summers/Madelyne Pryor/Jean Grey triangle they were clearly going for, as well as the entire concept of the X-Men posing as mutant hunters. However, I had also pointed out that felt that this era of X-Factor did have some potential. Let's take a look at X-Factor #7, and you'll see what I mean.

This cover is a Ron Frenz and Josef Rubinstein piece. It's really neat. You have Scott and Jean in their X-Factor guises whipping up a angry mob against the two obvious mutants. Then there's Angel, Iceman, and...Cyclops coming to try and save them? Yeah, there's a bit of a goof here. It looks like Scott appears twice on the cover. I didn't notice it at first. Maybe it's meant to be Beast with Jean? But that can't be, the body type is all wrong. It's the only flaw in an otherwise pretty good cover.

"Fall Out!"

Writer: Louise Jones

Penciler: Jackson Guice

Inker: Josef Rubinstein

Colorist: Petra Scotese

Letterer: Joe Rosen

Editor: Bob Harras

Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with Jean "Marvel Girl" Grey and Warren "Angel" Worthington III a ride.

Hank "Beast" McCoy notes the irony that when they pose as mutant hunters, they're seen as heroes, but being mutants, they're seen as villains. Gee, maybe you should have used X-Factor to make mutants look good, Hank. These people are morons.

Anyway, you may be wondering why Beast is no longer blue and furry. Well, that's due to some shenanigans in X-Factor #2-3. Hank McCoy underwent a cellular reversion, causing him to regain his original human appearance (as well as gain a big flattop that would have made a certain Dick Tracy villain jealous). Anyway, our squadron of Mutant Morons-I mean, Merry Mutants, are heading back to a hangar where they overhear a news report. One of the mutants they fought, a size-changer called Tower, rants to a reporter about X-Factor possibly being in alliance with the mutants they fought. Again, this shows how stupid this idea is.

Thanks to a distraction from the Beast, the X-Men are able to get to their plane. During their leaving, Scott accidentally calls Jean "Maddie", as in his then-wife Madelyne Pryor. Thing is, Jean is not aware that Scott had married since she had supposedly "died" at the end of the Dark Phoenix Saga. The group arrive at their headquarters, where they find that pro- and anti-mutant protestors are clashing. and one Trish Tilby is on the scene, making her debut here.

I get that it was the mid-80s, but good God. Would any network really have let a reporter go out on the field looking like that back then? Well, maybe MTV... Anyway, she ends up interviewing Vera Cantor, the Beast's then-main squeeze. The members of X-Factor race into the building. We shift scenes next to a hazardous waste dumping site in New Jersey. We join two mutants named Bulk and Glow Worm. Unlike the members of X-Factor, they have more...extreme mutations.

Bulk finds a mouse he wants to keep as a pet, but Glow Worm is against it. He thinks mice are nasty critters, and they also tend to...well, die around them. A group of men spot the mutants, and figure they can avoid having to pay X-Factor to deal with them by shooting them. They force the two mutants to flee, despite Bulk being rather bulletproof. Glow Worm drives the men off by making a carburetor explode.

Fleeing to the sewers, Glow Worm laments how much he and Bulk get attacked lately, especially since X-Factor first appeared. Bulk notices that the mouse in his hands has died. Animals he found never died this quickly before. The two realize that their radioactivity is increasing. Remember, these guys were hanging out in a toxic waste dump...and the radioactivity is killing them, too.

The two lament that their deaths will be meaningless. Bulk asks why they don't just make people stop shooting at them. Glow Worm sees an X-Factor flyer and he gets an idea...

In X-Factor's headquarters, Scott tries to reach Madelyne, but fails. He realizes he can't put this off anymore. He'll have to tell Jean about his marriage...even if it means she walks out of his life. Dude, you thought she was DEAD! If she's going to be mad at him about that, that's her problem, not his! Sheesh.

In the training area, the other members of X-Factor are doing some training. They need a bit of polish, as they haven't worked together regularly in a while, and Jean's lost her telepathic abilities. It's during the session that Jean asks about Maddie. Warren, Hank, and Bobby all deny that Scott is seeing another woman, but Jean is able to get the truth out of them about Scott having married. She runs out of the room in tears.

The scene then goes next to the sewers underneath Manhattan. Bulk and Glow Worm note how they even found themselves rejected by the Morlocks, until they encounter one of them.

Meet Sally Blevins, aka Skids. She has the power to create a slippery forcefield around herself. She'll be a bigger part of X-Factor's adventures, but that's a story for another day. Glow Worm notes that she's too "pretty" to be a Morlock, as they tend to be rather...inhuman in appearance. That's because her powers prevent the bodyshaping mutant Masque from altering her looks...which drives him nuts. Glow Worm asks Skids to relay a message to the Morlocks: "We're cutting through the Alley to a rendezvous with destiny--and we're taking X-Factor with us!"

At the X-Factor HQ, Rusty Collins (remember him from X-Factor #1?) cleans up the leftover ice Bobby Drake made with his pyrokinetic powers. He had been staying with the group since the government is still wanting to question him about his accidentally burning a prostitute in the first issue. The mutants are alerted to Bulk and Glow Worm attacking the building.

This has the group in a pickle. As mutant hunters, they can't use their powers to fight the two radioactive mutants. But if they jump in as X-Men, people will get suspicious of their mutant hunter disguise. Yeah, this turned out to be a very bad idea, huh? They try to contact Jean, but she makes clear her thoughts on the matter by smashing her communicator. Scott, Hank, and Bobby use the sewers to make their entrance, while Warren tries to convince Jean to help them out.

Meanwhile, the three X-men engage Bulk and Glow Worm. During the fight, Bulk and Glow Worm tell the X-Men they're radioactive. They have to be taken away from people! Iceman uses the water in the sewers to accommodate that.

Warren and Jean emerge in their mutant hunter guises, aided by Cameron Hodge, Rusty Collins, and Vera Cantor. The group use a ruse of X-Factor driving the mutants off to get the Toxic Twins to safety. They explain to the X-Men that they attacked X-Factor because they figured "Hey, we're dying, maybe we can make our deaths matter by kicking X-Factor's heads in." The X-Men consider taking them in, but they have no way with dealing with their radioactivity. You know, guys...maybe you could contact Tony Stark or Reed Richards? Heck, Beast may be able to whip up something!

The Toxic Twins are like "thanks for nothing", and go off to presumably die. The story ends with X-Factor celebrating, but Jean telling Scott that they have some serious talking to do.

This comic was alright, but it does have its problems. The big one I've had is basically the drama with Jean Grey and Scott Summers. I feel it could have been done a lot better. It comes off as really jerky to me that they kept his marriage from her a secret. It wasn't like he was cheating on her, he thought Jean was dead when he married Madelyne. He moved on. It happens. I get that Jean is dealing with a lot, but she should have been told about that sooner.

I like Bulk and Glow Worm. They kind of remind me of George and Lennie from Of Mice and Men. I do like the tragedy of these two mutants being dangerous to be around through no fault of their own. These two are why I think this era of X-Factor had great potential. Back when the original X-Men were teeangers, things seemed simple. There were good mutants, and evil mutants. It appeared to be perfectly black and white. But now, things are a little grayer. Bulk and Glow Worm are not inherently evil, but their radioactivity makes them literally death to anyone who hangs around them too long. They can cause great harm, through no fault of their own.

This is what the original X-Factor should have been, the original team, now adults, realizing the mutant issue is quite complex, and dealing with navigating the adult world. I still think this whole Jean/Scott/Maddie silliness could have been handled a lot better. Jean is going through a lot, but I felt it was pretty scummy that the others were hiding the fact that Scott had gotten married from her. I mean, they were together when Jean supposedly "died", but Scott had moved on. At least, he should have. And if you read my my review of X-Factor #1, you'd know exactly what I thought of the X-Factor's "Mutant hunters" idea. It did not change with this issue.

I don't have much to say about Butch Guice's art, I'm afraid. I have no real issues with it.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2017 trade paperback X-Factor Epic Collection Vol. 1: Genesis and Apocalypse. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, and wear a mask! Join me next time, when we join the Black Panther as he takes a trip to New York City...