Text Play: Pokemon Zeta #15

Hello, and welcome back to the Vesryn Region! And this is entry number 15 in my Text Play of Pokémon Zeta!

As usual, I do have to provide a spoiler warning.

I will be revealing things in this game, so if you want to play through it first, you can download the game at its wiki here. And with that, let's go!

I've been working on building a team to face off against Avery at the Gym here in Treader Town. I had decided on using Charmeleon and Pidgeotto as part of my Bug-beating team. However, there has been a complication. Grinding these Pokémon has not been easy. You see, there is really only one place right nearby you can grind them up besides the Gym around here: Route 314.

Unfortunately, Route 314 is...not the best place to grind up Fire and Flying-type Pokémon. The Route is mainly home to Phanpy and its evolved form Donphan, as well as Drilbur. Phanpy, Donphan, and Drilbur are Ground-type Pokémon. Bug-types (Avery's specialty) are weak against Fire, Flying, and Rock-types. Ground-types are strong against Fire and Rock. But on the other hand, I'm getting plenty of XP for my Kingdra and Victreebel, so that's an upside. Too bad I DON'T NEED THEM TO TAKE ON AVERY!

While grinding, I was able to put some more thought into what team I want to use to take on Avery. Magmortar is a must, thanks to it being a Fire-type. I have been grinding up my Pidgeotto and Charmeleon as well. Pidgeotto is a Flying-Type, and as for Charmeleon, well...it's pretty obvious why I'd include one of those in a team dedicated to fighting Bug-types.

Charizard is Fire AND Flying. Charizard can learn moves from both those types, so it's the perfect Bug-Fainter. Yeah, fainter. I know it sounds silly, but you don't kill Pokémon, you just KO them. They live to battle another day. Especially makes sense in organized battles like facing Gym leaders. And these games were made for kids, so...yeah. And also, Charizard is awesome. 

Anyway, as I said in what I believe was the last entry, Bug is also vulnerable to Rock. When I looked over the Pokemon I had obtained up to this point, I discovered that I had captured a Dwebble. Dwebbles are Bug/Rock, and mine knows Rock Blast. I may use him in my anti-Avery team. I've never used a Dwebble in a Pokémon game before, so that'll be fun to try out. Also, Dwebbles are kind of cute.

Look at that adorable little hermit crab-like Pokémon. I think this little critter will be very helpful on my anti-Avery team. Thing is, I caught him at a rather low level. Which means...yup. Lots of grinding.

There is a nice trade-off, though. Yes, there 's more work to be done with the grinding, but in the long run, I'll get a more powerful Dwebble out of the deal. So, that's a plus. I did consider backtracking a couple of Routes to try and ease the grinding, but that turned out to not be helpful as the wild Pokémon there are a bit too powerful to work with right now. Ugh. This is so frustrating. 

I really wish there was an area full of Bug Pokémon I could go to to grind up Pidgeotto, Charmeleon, and Dwebble around here. I can't help but wonder if Avery was intended originally to be a Rock or Ground-type-themed Gym Leader. It would explain why his Gym is in a mountainous area. You don't associate mountains with insects, after all. You'd likely expect 

While thinking about how to deal with Avery, I had discovered that Bug-types are also vulnerable to Poison. Which makes sense. I looked in my Boxes to see what Poison-types I owned. I wish it had a search feature. I own a Tentacool, but that was out. The Bug Pokemon in the Gym may know Grass-type attacks, and Tentacool is also a Water-type. I own both the male and female Nidoran. The male one knows Peck (a Flying-type attack) and Poison Sting, and it as the ability called Poison Point. 

Wait, "ability"? Well, allow me to explain.

Starting with Generation III (Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire), the Pokemon games introduced a mechanic called "Abilities". Basically, it's a special little passive effect a Pokemon can have besides its standard four attacks. Every Pokemon has an Ability. Some are helpful, some are a hindrance. For example, the male Nidoran I own in this game has an Ability called Poison Point. In this case, if the Nidoran is hit by an attack that requires physical contact to work, there's a chance that the attacking Pokemon will end up getting poisoned...wait...why don't I also use this Pokemon against Avery?!

To be fair, it's not like I'm going to fight Avery right away. And I also remembered that I had a Venonat. That's Bug/Poison. Yeah, I got plenty of options, but not a great place to grind them up. Lovely. This part of the game is going to make me go crazy...

Between this, and the fact that I have not had a ton of time to play this game, this entry will be a bit short this time around. I do apologize for that. I found myself putting up a Text Play entry every month, and I do want to keep that regular schedule going. So again, I apologize for this entry being so short. Hopefully, next month's will be more exciting. I might actually fight Avery in that one!

Well, I hope so, anyway. 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 often, and wear a mask! See you next time! 

Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #2 (April 1978)

Back in December 2018, I took a look at the first issue of Firestorm's first solo series. I found it to be an enjoyable first issue, clearly in the vein of early Spider-Man. So, would the second issue be just as enjoyable? Let's find out in my review of Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #2!

The cover is a Al Milgrom piece, and it's pretty...interesting. You got Firestorm being ambushed by the new villain he's facing here. He's pleading for Superman's help, but the Man of Steel is basically like "Yeah, you're on your own, kid." This gives the cover a bit of a Silver Age vibe thanks to the whole "Superman is being a jerk" shtick that it's using. It's kind of funny to see in a Bronze Age-era comic.

"Danger Doubled is Death!" 
Writer: Gerry Conway
Penciler: Al Milgrom
Inker: Bob McLeod
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Letterer: Ben Oda
Editors: Gerry Conway, Jack C. Harris
Executive Editor: Joe Orlando

The story begins with Firestorm flying down to help and old man who is being used as a punching bag.

"Here I come to save the dayyyyyyy!"

The men were sent by a "Mister Oswald" to do a little bit of Mafia-style debt collection. Our matter-manipulating hero is able to stop them by turning the sidewalk into tar. Ronnie Raymond wishes his favorite girl Doreen Day could see him like this. Ronnie and Dr. Martin Stein debate in Firestorm's head whether Doreen would be impressed by Firestorm's powers. Firestorm tries to impress a girl by turning a piece of metal into a bouquet of roses. The girl just faints in response. 

Firestorm flies off, then splits into Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein. Because Stein was unconscious when the bomb that turned him and Ronnie into Firestorm went off, he has no memory of his time as one half of the Nuclear Man, which ends up bewildering a cop that was trying to get some answers out of him out about the Hudson plant explosion. 

"Ay! Ah'm a cop, and you will respect mah authoritah!"

He's then confronted by a furious Danton Black, who is going to sue him. He claims Stein stole his plans for the plant's reactor and caused the explosion to cover it up. Stein calls him a fraud, and Black stomps away, vowing to get Stein back. However, he starts to feel strange. He gets a splitting headache, and he's starting to see double. Remember, in the last issue, Black was also caught in the explosion that created Firestorm. I think it's going to cause problems for him, too...

Back at school, Doreen is reading about Firestorm in the paper, and she thinks "Hey, this guy's pretty cool." Future Thinker Cliff Carmichael is not so impressed. He sees Firestorm as just another violent moron.  Ronnie angrily tries to introduce Cliff's mug to his fist, but Doreen gets him to calm down, and tells Cliff to get bent. 

Later, at Chez Raymond, Ronnie asks what he thinks of Firestorm. Mr. Raymond tells him that he thinks Firestorm is taking the law into his own hands, and he feels that is not a good thing. A disheartened Raymond goes out for a walk. It seems like he can't get anything right for a change. But enough of this teenage angst. This comic promised us Superman, so let's deliver on that, shall we?

"This is Clark Kent for WGBS, and Rao, I miss my old job..."

Yes at the time, Clark Kent was working as a television reporter for WGBS. After delivering his report, he sheds his suit to go check out this new nuclear-powered hero. In the Hudson power plant, Dr. Martin Stein is working on some repairs. He's lamenting about Danton Black's court order, and the governor's concerns about the plant. However, his worry session gets interrupted by a guest. Or should I say, a pair of guests.

"That's right, Stein! Danton Black is TWINNING AT LIFE!"

Meet the new and improved Danton Black, aka...Multiplex. He has the power to show multiple movies at once! ...how'd he get a supervillain costume so fast? Ronnie felt the ambush, realizing that he and Stein in their civilian forms share a Corsican Brothers-style connection. Ronnie tries to make his way to the plant, but he can't quite there. So, he tries to trigger the transformation into Firestorm. It not only works, but it allows Firestorm to go instantly to the plant, where he confronts Multiplex.

Multiplex believes that since the radiation of the plant gave...him? them? their powers, further exposure will make those powers stronger. Firestorm and the twin terrors brawl, but each of the individual Multiplexes are really strong, and combined with their teamwork, are able to knock the Nuclear Man around. Luckily, Superman arrives to help.

"Everyone gets one, Ronnie."

However, Multiplex is able to get away. Firestorm is left confused, until Stein points out that there's an experimental pile in the physics lab at State University. Rejuvenated, the Nuclear Man flies off. What does Superman do? He just decides to stand there. Did Zack Snyder write this?

Anyway, Firestorm makes his way to State U, which was near Central Park. Multiplex tries to absorb the radiation in the pile, but they discover the pile is empty, and they're starting to weaken. You see, when Ronnie first engaged Multiplex here, he seemingly tried to blast the twin supervillain...and missed. But in actuality, he was aiming for the radioactive uranium in the pile, changing it to phosphorescence. 

Yeah, a little science lesson here. Phosphorescence is not a substance, it's a property a substance can have. Materials that are phosphorescent don't emit radiation it absorbs right away. For example, have you seen a watch whose face can glow in the dark? That's because the watch's face is made of materials that are phosphorescent. Basically, Firestorm turned the radioactive uranium into a material that absorbs radiation. So, when Multiplex tried to absorb it, they essentially...short-circuited. Looks like Stein's smarts are rubbing off a bit on Ronnie.

Superman arrives as Ronnie unmasks the twin terror. And yup, they're Danton Black. The two heroes take them to a hospital, where the two Dantons merge back into one, presumably due to the radiation charge wearing off. Ronnie and Martin worry that Danton may remember being Multiplex, and he may return to menace them again.

On a happier note, Superman thinks our neophyte hero has potential. Perhaps one day, Firestorm may be able to call himself a member of the Justice League. The story ends with the Nuclear Man flying through the air in joy. Yeah, his day was not a complete loss after all. He stopped Multiplex, and Superman gave him props. 

I honestly enjoyed this comic. With the origin out of the way, we're able to delve into Ronnie and Martin starting their crimefighting career including facing their first supervillain. As I said about the first issue, there is a bit of early Spider-Man vibe, and that vibe continues on here, with things seemingly not ever working out right for Ronnie. It's a classic way to convey relatability, as everyone had felt like they had one of those days where nothing has ever seemed to go right. And Al Milgrom's art is wonderful to look at.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2011 trade paperback Firestorm: The Nuclear Man. 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 the Legion of Super-Heroes continue being haunted by a great darkness... 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I hope this day was a fun one for you all. I hope you all have something to be thankful for out there. As for me, I am thankful I have my family and my job. I also was thankful I had some delicious ham for dinner, ha ha. 

I am also thankful to every one of you who's come and visited this little blog over the years. I hope you continue to do so. Happy Thanksgiving! 

Domino #1 (January 1997)

It's been said that fortune favors the bold. The heroine that's getting the focus here would definitely agree with that statement. Especially since she always seems to have good fortune with her. Of course, I'm talking about Neena Thurman, aka Domino.

Co-created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, Domino first appeared as a cameo in X-Force #8 (March 1992), and then fully appeared in X-Force #11 (June 1992). She supposedly first appeared in New Mutants #98 (February 1991), but that was another character called Copycat impersonating her. The result of a government breeding program in an attempt to create supersoldiers, Domino has enhanced agility and reflexes, but her main power is her 'luck'.

In actuality, her 'luck' is a form of telekinesis. Basically, she subconsciously causes random effects that result in things working out for her. She is also a skilled markswoman, acrobat, and martial artist. Domino has been a mainstay in various incarnations of X-Force over the years. She also has gotten some solo adventures over the years, mainly a couple of miniseries, and a short-lived ongoing in 2018. The comic we're going to look at here is the first issue of her first solo miniseries from 1997.

Fun fact, Neena Thurman was not the first character in the Marvel Universe to go by the name "Domino". Back in various comics in the 80s, several minor supervillains were killed off by a mysterious character known as the Scourge of the Underworld. A man named Dominic Dunsinane [first appearing in Rampaging Hulk #4 (August 1977)] worked as an informant for the Scourge. The two Dominoes are not connected in any way. So, with all of that out of the way, let's look at Domino #1!

The cover is a David Perrin piece. It's pretty good, if a bit basic. It basically shows Domino leaping out at the reader, gun ready to fire. It is a bit fanservicey with the way the uniform clings to her...tracts of land. Like she was vacuum-sealed. 

"Rise and Fall"
Writer: Ben Raab
Penciler: David Perrin
Inker: Harry Candelario
Colorist: Joe Rosas
Letterer: Richard Starkings, Comicraft
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

The story begins with a man playing with dominoes.

He's standing them up, while citing the names of various world leaders throughout history. There is a lesson here this man is trying to show: That all empires fall...like dominoes. The man is Milo Thurman, and he's got a "hyper-developed brain" that allows him to predict events. He reports to a man named Henry Peter Gyrich. 

Gyrich is a man who is not unknown to the superhero community. He has worked with the Avengers in the past. He's not interested in Thurman's lessons, just results. Next time that Thurman predicts a major chance in the balance of power, he has to report it to Gyrich. After their meeting concludes, Milo picks up a copy of his favorite book: Dante's Inferno. As he reads, he gets a visitor.

Wait, you say? Isn't this book titled Domino? So, where is our titular character. Well, Miss Neena Thurman's letting her hair down in Carnival.

It's been a long time since our heroine's just been able to relax and enjoy the day. And she's been able to do that here in Brazil. But even a mutant mercenary needs to take a powder. She tries to, but she ends up meeting a little person...with some big whips.

There's a joke in here somewhere... Domino tries to flee from him, but the little guy is actually quite quick. She also seems to know his voice from somewhere. He mentions Cable and the X-Men, and that only makes the super-lucky merc more suspicious. She's able to get his mask off, and it reveals his enhanced face.

...how'd he hide that wannabe Vader mask underneath his jester mask? Anyway, the man's name is Pico. He was shot by Cable in X-Force #14 (September 1992). Domino gives the diminutive cyborg a punch in the mouth and some shuriken for his trouble. She was keeping them in her boots, in case you were wondering. Pico is able to deflect them, and he leaps at Dom. Luck always being on her side, she finds a clothesline and uses it to restrain the cyborg. Pico pleads for Dom to not hurt him, but she doesn't care what he thinks. She wants to know one thing: Who sent him? Another guest makes their appearance, but we don't see who they are quite yet. 

Back in the facility Milo is a "guest" at, Henry Peter Gyrich is doing some thinking while on his way to pay Milo another visit. He is pondering about how the world is in greater danger than ever thanks to the seeming deaths of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four (This is a reference to the Onslaught crossover. See my Thunderbolts #1 review to learn more about that). He goes to Milo's cell and has found the man has seemingly decided to go outside.

He demands the computer explain where Milo is. The computer basically tells him he's still in the cell, and Gyrich gave the authorization to release him.

Back to Brazil! Who's the mysterious new voice?

Say hello to Eugene Milton Judd, aka Puck of Alpha Flight! You may remember him from Alpha Flight #1 review. Neena his thrilled to see him, as evidently, the two are old friends. So, what's he doing here in one of South America's most famous countries? That's a secret. By the way, she's going by "Beatrice" these days. A nod to a man she once knew. The "one that got away", as it were. She realizes that Puck isn't here to play catch up. He's been rooting around Department H, and he shows her an image of Milo from earlier. 

The sight of Milo cuts Domino deep. You see, Milo was Neena's "one who got away". Puck is understanding. If there's one thing he knows about our lucky merc, it's that she's actually got quite a big heart. That's why Puck's here, to give her a warning. Something's going on in Department H, and Milo's going to be a dead man as a result of it. Yeah, that's not something she's going to brook. Later, we join Domino in the desert as she prepares to infiltrate a government facility.

Yeah, more on her choice of infiltration gear. She makes her way into the base. While she's infiltrating, we get to look inside her mind a bit. It's pretty clear that she still has feelings for Milo, and she's trying to keep her focus. She notices that the base may been compromised based on the entry codes being changed.

Yeah, you'd think that a top-secret military base would regularly change its codes. It's a simple security measure. It's not the only surprise Neena gets here.

These big yellow mechs are called Mandroids (these ones are based on the Mark II design), and they're actually power armors. They've primarily been associated with SHIELD, but considering that this is the Marvel Universe, it could be anyone using these suits. Neena feigns putting down her guns, but then blasts them. The energy blasts from her guns ricochet around the room, but Dom's luck powers protect her from being hit by keeping her moving out of the way. After dispensing the Mandroids, she continues on.

Later, she finds bodies. Lots of bodies. Someone turned this place into a slaughterhouse. The sight of dead bodies is nothing new to Domino (after all, she is a mercenary), but even after her experiences, the stench of death still bothers her. She finds more downed Mandroids...with claw marks on them. The Mandroids' armor is made of titanium, and not much could slice them up. Wolverine could with his claws, but the slash marks are in groups of four, not three. 

Domino makes her way to the chamber where Milo was held, and only finds some dominoes...and the copy of Dante's Inferno he had. It's odd that this book is here, as it's his prize possession. He used to read the book to her. It's then that our heroine discovers that she's not alone here, and she's not here to make friends.

Meet Yuriko Oyama, aka Lady Deathstrike. You may be familiar with her if you ever watched the film X2 (played by Kelly Hu) or saw X-Men: The Animated Series (voiced by Jane Luk). And she wants to make our favorite lucky lady into some lucky ribbons.

I enjoyed this comic, to be honest with you. It was neat seeing a look into some of Domino's past. I also liked how she was portrayed in the story, how she does have some cocky swagger. It makes sense. If someone had her skills and powers, that person would feel cocky and invincible, too. The story does show that Domino does have a heart, which I thought was nice. It's easy to portray her as cold and only caring about the money, but this helps show that she's a bit more complex than that. I also did like the slight nod to the events of Onslaught, as it helps show that the universe is interconnected.

The art is pretty good, very clean. I do think it was a bit fan-servicey at times, though. It wasn't much of a problem with the scenes in Brazil, as Domino was there to relax and enjoy Carnaval. Although I thought the suit she wore when infiltrating the base was...an odd choice. I mean, Neena is a professional. I get going to the beach in it, but infiltrating a military base? Yeah. It's not surprising, it was the 90s. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2018 trade paperback X-Men: Domino. 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 take another look at the early days of a Nuclear Man...

Batman: Soul of the Dragon Trailer, My Thoughts

 What do you think of when you think of the 1970s? Watergate? Charlie's Angels? Bruce Lee? What about...Batman? Yeah, the 70s were actually a pretty good time for the Dark Knight. It was in this decade that Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams's acclaimed work on the character came about, bringing him closer to his grim Golden Age roots. 

And it's in the 70s that we'll be joining the Caped Crusader in this latest animated film from DC. Voiced by David Giuntoli, Batman will be joining forces with Lady Shiva (Kelly Hu), Bronze Tiger (Michael Jai White, who portrayed the character in Arrow), and Richard Dragon (Mark Dacascos) to fight the evil Kobra (Josh Keaton) in Soul of the Dragon. Let's look at the trailer!

I expect that this film will get pretty bloody considering the rating and there's likely lots of martial arts here.

Hee hee, Bruce Wayne with sideburns.

Yeah, in the comics, Richard Dragon is a white redhead. I bet he was made Asian here to make him a pastiche of Bruce Lee. His voice actor here, Mark Dacascos, has a Spanish/Chinese/Filipino father and a Irish/Japanese mother. Yeah, the man is a living United Nations.

And of course, Bats has to make an entrance. If I had written that, he would have been screaming "I'M BATMAAAAAAAN!" the entire time.

Man, I always loved the yellow oval Bat-symbol. It's nice to see it here. It makes sense, too. In the 70s comics, Batman had the yellow oval on his Bat-emblem. I want that back, I miss it. 

Heh, reel-to-reel tape. Hey, why didn't Doctor Cyber use that to store the beauty formula in when she last fought Wonder Woman?! She would've had a backup!

Yeah, if Bruce Timm is involved, it's likely to be good. 

Okay, that bit with how Shiva beat that dude was pretty funny.

Bruce is thinking, "Yeah, I get the feeling Shiva is going to give me headaches..."

Yeah, using lesser-known villains! The Kobra Kult!

Look at Jeffrey Burr. Who does he think he is, David Bowie? You know, I'm surprised this film doesn't use Jeffrey's twin brother Jason. After all, the two have a Corsican Brothers-style connection. That could be useful to our heroes. 

BACKBREAKER! BAH GAWD, BRONZE TIGER! THAT MAN HAS A FAMILY!

...did Rich just use the One-Inch Punch?

Well, this looks like a fun adventure tale! I admit, there are times that I do wish DC would cool it a bit on Batman. I get that he's a big cash cow, but the DC Universe is a pretty rich place, and at least this movie is giving plenty of lesser-known characters some love. I haven't seen many of these DC animated movies, but I have heard they're pretty good. I'll give this one a shot.

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!

Captain America #300 (December 1984)

Since this week saw Veterans Day, I thought it would be appropriate for this week's comic review to focus on a character who was a veteran. And who better than Captain America, huh? Since the 1940s, various incarnations of the Captain have fought crime and supervillains. One of the most enduring was the Red Skull.

Like Cap himself, there have been several incarnations of the Red Skull. However, like Steve Rogers is considered the "true" Captain America, the "true" Red Skull is one Johann Schmidt. The two men had had an enmity that lasted for what seemed like years, even enduring after the end of World War II. But all enmities must come to an end at some point. Let's take a look at what seemed to be the end of their endless battle in Captain America #300!

The cover is a Mike Zeck and Paul Neary piece, and it's a good one. It depicts Captain America and Red Skull fighting each other. You get the impression that they're desperately trying to get one up on one another. Their being on their knees gives the impression that they're exhausted, like they're trying to end their battle before they end up falling asleep.

"Das Ende"
Writer: J.M. DeMatteis (credit for plot. He used the "Michael Ellis" name for script)
Penciler: Paul Neary
Inker: Dennis Janke
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Letterer: Diana Albers
Editors: Maek Gruenwald, Howard Mackie
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins in...Queens, New York of all places. It's here we look in on an apartment building, a man named Jesse Black Crow.

The man is haunted by visions, visions of Captain America in danger. These vision supposedly come from the spirit of the Earth itself, calling for the Native American man to come to the Star-Spangled Avenger's aid. They call the man to fly, fly to him. A mist overcomes him, and he flies out of his wheelchair into the night...in the form of a giant black crow. Meanwhile, in the Red Skull's headquarters, our man Steve Rogers and his old nemesis the Red Skull are playing a game: Who can break the other's face with their hand first?

During their punchfest, the Red Skull is ranting and raving about how he and Cap are two gods locked in eternal struggle and Cap is just like, "Shut up, you delusional psychopath!" Meanwhile, in a New York hospital, a man named David Martin Cox lies comatose. His wife Julie and son Cody are with him trying to get him to wake up. 

You see, Cox was a friend of Cap's, and a former war vet turned pacifist. However, he ended up in this state due to events in Captain America #293-294 (May-June 1984). Basically, as part of a plan to demoralize Cap, the Red Skull had brainwashed Cox to take up the cloak of the Devil-Slayer (although Cox called himself simply "The Slayer"). He was able to fight off the brainwashing, but a battle with Cap and a psionic attack by one of the Skull's minions left him in the state he is here. He's not doing very well, his life signs unstable. 

Back to Cap and Skull. The two still are in the middle of their slugfest. Like David Cox, they're both dying. The Red Skull had secretly slipped a poison to Captain America that is causing him to age rapidly. Recently, the Nazi supervillain had discovered that he was starting to age rapidly himself. At the end of World War II, the Skull had ended up trapped in a bunker and exposed to gases that put him in suspended animation. This was the reason the Skull was able to continue being a menace to the world even (at the time) nearly forty years after the war ended.

But the gas wore off, and Father Time was catching up with him. But the Skull refused to die until he could take Cap with him. Hence why he schemed to make Cap age. Skull wants to die locked in combat with his old nemesis, but Cap vows to live. As the two brawl, Dave's condition seems to get worse and worse, getting closer to death. 

Cap demands that Skull give him the antidote to the poison afflicting them both. Skull is like "Ha ha, there is no antidote." The Star-Spangled Avenger manages to overpower the Skull, admitting that he does hate the Nazi villain. Not hard to imagine why. I mean, he is a Nazi agent.

Cap has fought a lot of bad guys at this point. Criminals, madmen, and tyrants, in his own words. But the Red Skull? He's the outright worst. He's a true monster, likely the most evil man Cap has ever encountered. The Skull taunts our hero. Kill him! The dying Cap raises his fist to deliver the final blow...but refuses.

No. That's what the Red Skull wants. He's not going to give this old monster what he wants. The Red Skull wants to die in combat, but Cap is not going to do that. Besides, the Skull's dying anyway. 

The Skull angrily throws off his mask, revealing the aged face of Johann Schmidt, the once-unremarkable man who became one of the greatest monsters of the Marvel Universe. He screams at Cap to kill him, but the poison finishes the villain off. At that moment in the hospital, Dave Cox wakes up much to Julie's delight. He claims Cap was helping him fight to live. This is watched by Jesse Black Crow in the form of, well...a crow. 

Back in the Red Skull's bunker, Cap looks at the Red Skull's corpse. They were no gods, just a pair of tired old men. The Skull wanted to bring Cap down to his level, but he failed. Did come close, though. Cap carries the dead villain out of the bunker, determined to live. Cap discovers that Skull-House, the villain's twisted home, is still standing. You see, in a previous issue, Schmidt had faked the destruction of his home and death of some of Cap's allies at the time as part of his plan to demoralize the American Avenger. Rogers tries to push onward, but the poison within him is about to finish him off, too. Until some help arrives.

Yeah, that's...something. Black Crow looks over the two dead men. Skull is gone, but Steve still has a fragment of life left. The Native American mystic uses some yucca plant leaves and powder made from cornmeal, blossoms, and pollen to contact the spirits. He then takes his magic spear and plunges it into Cap's heart.

That could have ended disastrously. The two have some kind of spirit talk, Steve seeing visions of American history and imagery like Native Americans battling settlers, protests, and the Liberty Bell as well as his allies and friends at the time: Bernie Rosenthal. Jack Monroe, the second Nomad. Arnie Roth. And Sam Wilson, the first Falcon. Black Crow tells Cap that he can't beat this poison purely by will. But he can beat it with trust. Trust in him. Trust in the spirit of America. Okay...

Speaking of Cap's friends, they managed to escape the confines of Skull House. They make their way to the Skull's home. Nomad offers to go in first to find Steve, as a bit of penance for being the one to slip Cap the aging serum in the first place. He did it under the control of a hypnotic command, I believe. Jack is able to find Steve, who is feeling a bit weak, but otherwise alright...as alright as an aged old super-soldier can be. Jack doesn't recognize the Red Skull without his mask, but it doesn't matter. As far as Steve is concerned, he's the past. The story ends with him taking the dead Red Skull out of the building, saying that it's time to bury the past for good.

This to me is one of those comics that is really best when it's read as part of the whole "Death of the Red Skull" storyline. Reading the whole story really gives the climax a lot of its power. My big issue with this was the appearance of Black Crow. It feels like he's just here to be a deus ex machina. Also, I'm kind of mixed on Black Crow. On one hand, it's pretty awesome to see a Native American superhero. Always nice to see more of those. On the other, his costume does come off as a bit stereotypical, with the paint and the feathers, and all that.

I liked it when DeMatteis juxtaposed Cox's struggles with getting out of his coma with Cap's final battle with the Red Skull. I do like this, as it shows how influential and symbolic of showing that tyranny can be overcome. Paul Neary also turns in some good artwork here. His work here is really strongest in the closeups, where he can really show the emotions of the characters. He also does some decent storytelling. I do think it is a bit cartoony for the story, though.

The Red Skull would return from the grave, in Mark Gruenwald's run. If you want to read this for yourself (and I do recommend it. "Death of the Red Skull" is an underrated storyline in that deserve more love), I suggest tracking down the 2012 trade paperback Captain America: Death of the Red Skull. 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 a certain lucky mutant in her first one-shot solo adventure..

Friday the 13th

It's that time again! It's Friday the 13th again! Which means I have to do my regular advisory regarding this man.

This guy always shows his...face? Hockey mask? Hockey mask face? Yeah, I'll go with that. He always shows his hockey mask face on this day, and people tend to...well, die when that happens. If you see him wandering around, just keep your distance. Don't try to start a fight, and don't try to bribe him.

I'm serious on that. Don't try to bribe him. He has no need for money, so he can't be bought. And it really angers him for some reason. Pictures of his mom can distract him, so just keep one one you for this. Show him the pic and then run. 

Stay safe, stay smart, and keep your eyes peeled on Friday the 13th.  

Monster Keeper Announcement Trailer, My Thoughts

Who doesn't like monsters? Especially monsters that can be trained to follow your commands. I mean if Monster Hunter taught us anything, it's that games with monsters are great. In the game Monster Sanctuary, you don't just encounter monsters, you get to raise them! Let's look at the trailer!

Yes. Yes, I am ready. Let's do this.

I like the graphical style of the game. But then again, I'm a sucker for the 16-bit graphical aesthetic.

I wonder if you can customize the character you play as.

"Come, Blue Lassie! Onward to adventure!"

Just ridin' a jellyfish. Ridin' a jellyfish...

I get a vibe of a mix of Pokémon and Dragon Quest with the leveling-up and evolution systems.

And of course, what game that involves raising monsters would not have a way to let them beat each other senseless?

Well, this looks like a ton of fun! It makes me think of what Pokémon may have been like if it was put on the SNES. I can't wait to play this!

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! 

Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day, everyone!

Today is the day that we honor those who served our nation. To them, I say this. Thank you. Thank you so much for your service. It is always appreciated.