Superman #4 (April 1987)

With the film The Suicide Squad coming up, I thought it would be nice to help use this blog to talk about some of the characters in the film. The film is using quite a few lesser-known DC supervillains in it, one of them being Bloodsport. Who is being portrayed by Idris Elba. I thought, why not take a look at the comic that introduced him? This is Superman #4! I do want to warn you, this comic can be pretty violent, so just keep that in mind before proceeding. 

I like the cover. A John Byrne piece, it shows our man blasting the comic's masthead logo to smithereens. I admit, I'm a bit of a sucker for covers that mess with the masthead logo. 

"Bloodsport!"
Writer: John Byrne
Penciler: John Byrne
Inker: Karl Kesel
Colorist: Anthony Tollin
Letterer: John Costanza
Editors: Andrew Helfer, Mike Carlin
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins with Jimmy Olsen and his then-main squeeze Lucy Lane eating at a fast-food joint. Jimmy is trying to convince her to help him discover some shady goings-on at the airline she works at. Jimmy then hears a man screaming, and the bullets start flying.

Page 8, Panel 2

Bloodsport fires into the crowd of people, ranting and raving about how people are wasting the freedoms he and someone named "Mickey" fought in Vietnam to defend. Bloodsport rides off on his motorcycle, blasting the restaurant one last time in the process. Jimmy summons Superman with his signal watch. The Man of Steel looks into the restaurant, and he is understandably sickened by the sight of the corpses.

Captain Maggie Sawyer of the Metropolis Major Crime Unit (making her debut here) estimates about twenty-five people are dead. She has an APB on him, but it's like the man vanished. Superman is able to pick up the trail with his heat vision. Jimmy Olsen tries to go after the Metropolis Marvel (he wants the scoop on Bloodsport), but his car decides now is a good time to break down.

Olsen's car is equipped with a police band scanner, and it alerts him to Bloodsport rampaging in Kenmoore Lanes, a bowling alley Jimmy used to go to as a kid. He's getting a taxi! Speaking of Bloodsport, the man has decided to fill everyone in the alley with hot lead, except for a hostage. Superman and the murderous madman face off. Bloodsport tries to blast his hostage's head off, but Superman's able to push his gun aside and knock him on his butt, but the psycho has one more trick. He makes a little futuristic pistol appear in his hand.

Page 16, Panel 3

It's like the needler from Halo, but packing Kryptonite. Yup, the gun fired a small sliver of the toxic green alien rock, and as anyone with an ounce of knowledge about the Man of Tomorrow knows, Green K can hurt or even kill Superman with long enough exposure. Anyway, Bloodsport is about to finish off the Man of Tomorrow when an unlikely savior comes to his aid.

Page 17, Panel 1

Yup, Jimmy Olsen has had all he can stands, and he can't stands no more. Even he would be able to hit Bloodsport with that mega-cannon at this range. Despite this, Bloodsport gets away with the aid of a smoke bomb. Olsen is able to get Superman to a hospital. The Man of Steel is weak, but he still has to stop Bloodsport. And since he has access to Kryptonite, that means there's a man behind the man. And that man? One Lex Luthor.

Page 19, Panel 1

Luthor had Bloodsport prepared as a weapon against Superman, naturally. But the man was clearly unstable, and well...all this has been happening. Luthor demands that the plug be pulled on Bloodsport, if you know what I mean. Superman re-engages Bloodsport, but his injured state makes him really unable to bring down the madman. He gets ambushed by a tank provided by Luthor. Interestingly, Bloodsport seems unaware of Luthor being his patron. 

Bloodsport materializes a bazooka to destroy the tank, which gives Superman an idea of how to stop him. Superman uses his heat vision to ionize the air around the psychopath, screwing up the teleporter he uses to get his weapons. However, Bloodsport has one last ditch weapon. You see, the bandolier he wore was not just to look cool.

Page 26, Panel 2

It's a bomb activated by a dead man's switch. A bomb powerful enough to blow a ten square-mile crater in the Big Apricot. Another man tries to make one last attempt to try and talk him down.

Page 27, Panel 1

Meet Mickey DuBois. This is the man Bloodsport was ranting about. He pleads with Bloodsport to let this end, as the war in Vietnam is over. It's here Jimmy Olsen reveals the whole story of the DuBois brothers. You see, Robert "Bloodsport" DuBois was a draft dodger. When his number came up to go to 'Nam, he fled to Canada. It wasn't because he was against the war. He fled out of fear. Mickey went in his place, posing as Bobby. When Bobby learned of Mickey's loss of all his limbs in 'Nam...he went insane. Bobby had spent the last decade in mental hospitals in Canada. 

The story ends with Bobby hugging his brotherl

I did like this story, although I can understand if some may be turned off by the violence of this story. Considering the epidemic of shootings in the United States in recent years...yeah. I get it. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2004 trade paperback Superman: The Man of Steel Vol. 3.

Text Play: Pokémon Zeta #23

 Hello, and welcome back to the Vesryn Region! This is number 23 in my Text Play of Pokemon Zeta!

Now, I will warn you all as usual, this game will be heavily spoiled here.

If you want to play this game for yourself, I recommend downloading it at the game's wiki here. And with that, let's go!

After we finally defeated Zeus (as well as learned some rather shocking things about his past), it's time for us to get back on the road to completing the gym leader circuit. We have already defeated six, so there's only two left. I am still amazed I made it to this point. Thanks to everyone who's been reading these entries so far. The support has been very helpful. 

So, where do we go next? Well, we were told we should head to Blackfist City. This city has a big Department Store, a subway system, and it has the game's second Safari Zone. It's also home to the game's seventh Gym. The leader of said Gym is named Demetri, and the Gym specializes in Psychic-type Pokemon. I can imagine this won't be the insanity that Sabrina bought back in Red and Blue.

To get there from Treader Town, we have to do a bit of backtracking to get to Route 315. We have to hit Route 312. If you remember the last time we went there, there were two Team Olympus grunts blocking that route's northeastern exit. Well, with Zeus beaten and on the run, the grunts are gone. So, we can now use this route to get to Blackfist.

The route splits into three paths: East, South, and West. The eastern path will take you to a grassy area surrounding a rock.

This is a Moss Rock. If you level up an Eevee here, it will evolve into a Leafeon. Gotta remember this for the future in case I want to breed me some Eeveelutions.

Anyway, all three paths eventually will lead you to the entrance to the Thunder Underroute. Thunder Underroute. It sounds like a bizarre monster truck course. The Underroute is an underground cavern we have to travel through if we want to get to Blackfist City. The thing is, the Underroute is quite a tough little cave to get through. Luckily, the game's wiki provided a map!

And they also have one for anyone with colorblindness. 

Pretty nice, huh? I thought it's pretty cool they made a version of the map for those who have trouble seeing certain colors. 

Before we get to the Underroute, I personally recommend that you head back to Ladoga Town and get some supplies at the local shop if you need them. Especially Escape Ropes. They let you instantly get out of caves like the Underroute quickly if you need to head to a Pokemon Center. Now, I know you may be wondering something. Why is this place called the Thunder Underroute? Well, that's because it's the home to a bunch of Electric-type Pokemon. You can get a Magneton, Magnezone, and a Manectric here if you want them. Since we're playing Zeta, we can also get an Eelektrik here. If you're playing Omicron, you can get a Mawile here. 

I do want to give a bit of a warning here. There's a glitch in this game that will get you stuck if you try to Surf in any of the bodies of water in the Underroute. So DO NOT SURF IN ANY OF THE BODIES OF WATER HERE. If you do end up in the water, there are a couple ways out. You can use an Escape Rope, or a Pokemon that knows Dig or Teleport if you have one. You can also try to reset the game's map by pressing the hotkey ("P" is the default for this), then use Surf again and press the down button.

If you really want to explore the Underroute, there are a couple TMs you can get there: You can get some items there as well, but I really just want to get through this place and hit Blackfist City.

If you make your way through the route like the map showed, you'll find yourself at the very end of Route 315. And it's a short walk (there's a trainer there, but he can be avoided), you'll find yourself in the Blackfist Residential Area. 

Blackfist City is rather unusual compared to many other towns/cities in Vesryn. As you have likely learned from past entries, many of the towns/cities in Vesryn are usually named after lakes. There is no Lake Blackfist to my knowledge. Like in other towns, you can get items here as well. For example, there's this house on the lower right of the Residential Area.

This house is home to a lady with a pair of Bibarels. One of them has an item that would have been very helpful to us in the past: An EXP. Share. For those new to the Pokemon franchise, an EXP. Share is an item that allows Pokemon who have not participated in battles to get some EXP. It's a handy little item for building up new teams to take on Gym Leaders. I just wish we had gotten this item a lot earlier. It would have been very handy.

I mean, I get why you get the EXP. Share early on in Sun and Moon. Unfortunately, this EXP. Share is based on the earlier versions, which means it's a held item. Still, it's better than nothing.

And I think that's where we'll stop here for the month. I am sorry this entry isn't much, but the thing is, I didn't have a lot of opportunity to really work on this Text Play this month. Still, a small bit of progress is better than no progress. I'm just grateful that I managed to get through Mt. Press and make it here. So, I hope you all join me for the next entry!

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

Pokemon Obtained:
(Route 315)
- Slaking
(Thunder Underroute)
- Eelektrik
- Manectric

Iron Man #284 (September 1992)

A comparison I don't think people make very often is of superhero comics and of soap operas. The reason why is because of popular conception of the audiences of these particular media not exactly crossing over. But there are quite a lot of similarities, mainly in the usage of certain tropes. Superhero comics just have more action and people in colorful costumes. One trope that is associated with soap operas is faking the dead. A character seemingly dies and is revealed to have actually survived some time later on. Comics have used that trope, too. Tony Stark has done so himself, in Iron Man #284!

The cover is a Kevin Hopgood and Joe Sinnott piece. It's really good. It depicts Tony Stark lying in a coffin in the stereotypical "dead guy" pose. Looming over him is the shadow of the Iron Man suit, perhaps symbolizing the shadow the armor has put over his life since he and Ho Yinsen built that first suit in Southeast Asia all those years ago. A nice detail is the lack of Iron Man on the corner box, just showing the Marvel Comics logo at the time.

"Legacy of Iron"
Writer: Len Kaminski
Penciler: Kevin Hopgood
Inker: Andrew Pepoy
Colorist: Mike Rockwitz
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Editor: Nelson Yomtov
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins with a very special news report.

Page 101, Full Page

Tony Stark has been ill for a while, and it looks like he's succumbed to it. After a long, hard fight, no doubt. James Rhodes is watching this new report on TV, and he's growing angrier at the report painting Stark as a corporate bully. In a little snapshot of the time this comic was originally published, the report even mentions rumors that Stark had contracted HIV. 

We get a brief flashback of Stark dying on the operating table. One of the doctors contacts Abe Zimmer, an employee and friend of Stark's at the time. She tells him he has six minutes to collect Stark's body. Curious...

Rhodes is shown holding a press conference announcing Stark's death. We see how various figures react to this. Captain America flies the American flag at half-mast at Avengers Mansion. Bethany Cabe sheds tears. Doctor Doom, in a surprisingly human moment, toasts Stark and declares Latveria will have a day of mourning for Stark. It makes a bizarre bit of sense, since Doom and Stark have clashed a bit over the years.

The West Coast Avengers watch this on TV. Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan hug. Nick Fury laments that a man as presumably young as Stark dies while an old man like him keeps hanging on. Kathy Dare laments trying to kill him, and the Spymaster sees an opportunity.

Rhodes gets a visit from the head of Stark's legal department, and he has something for him. It's something Stark told him to leave with Rhodes in the event of his death. And now that has come to pass, there ya go.

Page 109, Panel 6

What're the odds that CD-Rom contains either Stark's attempt at a rock album, or a video game he was working on for that new StarkGaming subsidary? Sadly, it's not. It's basically a personal message from Tony to Rhodey. He wants his old friend to continue on as head of Stark Enterprises. There are competent businessmen in their positions, but he knows that SE will need a good moral rudder. He also wants Rhodey to continue something else on.

Armor looks familiar, don't it? Yes, Stark wants Rhodes to continue on as Iron Man. Rhodey understandably know what to think. But Rhodes' then-beau Marcy Pearson knows what to think. She's angry about this because she was next in line to be the CEO of Stark Enterprises. She implores Jim to not accept the position. Rhodes can't bring himself to, because it's Tony's last wish. She gives him an ultimatum: The job or their relationship. 

That night, Rhodes wakes up and sees a bunch of villains rampaging on television, including a kaiju-sized Crimson Dynamo, Titanium Man, and Firepower. A crowd runs to Iron Man, but discover his armor is empty. Rhodes then sees a zombie Tony Stark saying he could have stopped this. It's clearly a sign. Rhodey heads to Stark's old office and suits up in the future War Machine suit. As his first corporate decision, he calls up Marcy and tells her she's fired.

Well, that's one way to answer that potential conflict of interest. Elsewhere, what appears to be Tony Stark is ascending to Heaven, but not quite. 

Page 122, Full Page

Yup, looks like Tony isn't quite dead yet. He's just frozen.

I enjoyed this story. Yeah, Tony turned to be...okay? At the end, but it was neat seeing how the Marvel Universe would have reacted to the death of Tony Stark. It makes sense that it would be seen as big deal. Remember, Iron Man was one of the first superheroes of the Marvel Age. Right alongside Spider-Man, the original Avengers and X-Men, the Hulk, and the Fantastic Four. He would likely be seen as a major pillar of the superhero community, and his death would hit hard. 

It was amusing to see Doctor Doom toast a dedication, though. But considering their battles over the years, I can imagine that the Latverian tin-plated tyrant would have an odd respect for Stark. What I also liked about this story is that it underlined one of Stark's most infamous flaws as a character: His tendency to take matters into his own hands and leave his friends out of things. I do wish they held out the reveal of Tony being in cryogenic suspension a bit longer, though. Let the fakeout last a bit.

Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

Back in 2011, Nintendo released the game The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Nintendo Wii. The 16th mainline game in the Legend of Zelda series, it told the origins of one of the Zelda series' most iconic items: The Master Sword. It was also the first Zelda game to feature a full orchestra for its music.

The game would get high praise for its visuals and story, but it would get more mixed reception for its controls. The game would be released for the Wii U eShop as part of the celebration of the series' 30th anniversary in 2016. And now, it's getting an HD upgrade for the Switch! Let's look at the launch trailer!

Man, I admit this. I've never played Skyward Sword, but it looks beautiful in HD.

"Look Wendy, I can fly!"

Good thing that bird was there.

Man, skeletons can be annoying.

It is always weird seeing robots in a Zelda game.

Ha ha, stupid Moblins.

I always wanted to try ziplining.

Yeah, diving into lava is not a good idea, Link.

Hey, rollercoaster!

I admit, I've never played this game, but I would like to give it a try. It looks rather neat. I hope it comes with a demo.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! 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, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! See you next time!

Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins Trailer, My Thoughts

In the long history of the G.I. Joe franchise, one of its most popular characters is a certain black-clad silent ninja known only by one name: Snake Eyes. The Joe commando has appeared in practically every incarnation of the elite military force, from the comic books to the live-action films. So, it would make sense that the man would get a live-action film focused on him. Malaysian actor Henry Golding is taking up the black suit in Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins, a reboot of the live-action film continuity. Let's look at the trailer!

Fight! Fight! Fight!

Who would have thought one of the characters regarded as the most awesome members of the GI Joe team moonlighted as a fish factory worker? Hey, I don't begrudge the guy. In this day and age, you gotta do what you gotta do to make ends meet.

"I'm here to talk to you about Fight Club."
"I thought we weren't supposed to talk about Fight Club."
"...ah, dang it."

I bet this was not how that guy expected to have his Wednesday end up.

Yeah, this totally is not the lair of a supervillain.

"I get a sword? SWEET!"

That bowl of water thing reminds me of The Golden Child. When Eddie Murphy had to cross that pit without spilling the water.

"Do you guys also have health benefits?"
"And pension."
"Whoo-hoo!"

Is that Scarlett? Neat. All she needs is the crossbow.

Love seeing the classic COBRA logo.

COBRA also have a few pyramid rackets going. 

Wait a minute, is that a Mortal Kombat homage with that ninja's bike leathers? All we need is him screaming "GET OVER HERE" and a spine getting ripped out.

Honestly, I think this movie will be dumb, but the fun kind of dumb. It's the kind of dumb movie that you can sit and enjoy because it's just so much fun. Just don't take it too seriously, and you'll have a good time.

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, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! See you next time!

U.S. Agent #1 (August 2001)

If you ever watched The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+, then you may be familiar with one John Walker, aka U.S. Agent, and a former holder of the mantle of Captain America himself. Our man Walker has graced this blog before, in my reviews of Captain America #333 (September 1987) and Captain America Corps #1 (June 2011). Since his days as Captain America, Walker has been a bit of a mainstay in the Marvel Universe, having a stint in the original West Coast Avengers, which eventually evolved into Force Works. He's also gotten time to shine in the solo spotlight a couple of times.

Yes, our man Walker's had a few solo adventures in the MU. His first miniseries was in 1993, in which he battled the Scourge of the Underworld, a mysterious killer of minor supervillains that appeared in various Marvel books in the 80s. Most recently, he got a miniseries in 2020, penned by Christopher Priest.

The comic we're going to look at here is the first issue of his 2001 miniseries, which followed up on the events of a story called "Maximum Security". In that story, the various intergalactic powers decided to make Earth into a glorified penal colony. They dumped their criminals on Earth, and basically said to Earth's superheroes, "They're your problem now". After this  story, Walker joined the US Marshals. In particular, he became a member of the Superhuman Tactical Activities Response Squad, or S.T.A.R.S. And no, they never went to a mansion or Raccoon City. 

So, with that out of the way, let's look at U.S. Agent #1!

The cover is a Jerry Ordway piece, and it's pretty cool. It depicts our man Walker in his U.S. Agent uniform at the time, standing in front of what looks like a crowded jail cell formed from the American flag. I have to admit, I am rather fond of this outfit for John. It always seemed to fit him, in my opinion.

"The One That Got Away."
Writer: Jerry Ordway
Penciler: Jerry Ordway
Inker: Karl Kesel
Colorist: VLM
Letterer: John Workman
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada

The story begins with our man Walker on his way to a HYDRA fortress in Italy to capture a bail jumper.

Say what you will about Walker, but the man has his own sense of style. His plane gets shot down by a trio of heat-seeker missiles. This allows Walker to recall an earlier conversation he had with Val Cooper, who was the head of the Commission for Superhuman Activities. At this time, she was Walker's boss as the head of S.T.A.R.S. (Superhuman Tactical Activities Response Squad), basically a specialized police force to capture superpowered villains.

A Senator Warkovsky is none-too-happy with Walker's cowboy cop antics. He's also running for re-election, and what he wants is his own appointee running S.T.A.R.S. Walker is none too happy about this, but Cooper assures him the senator's choice is legit...and someone from Walker's past. 

As the flashback continues, Walker is making his way through the HYDRA fortress to get his man: one Alfonso Lopez, aka Machete. The Agent is able to subdue the mercenary. He tries to make his way to the rendezvous point outside the fortress, but HYDRA is naturally not making that easy for him. Luckily, Walker has some backup.

Meet Kali Vries. Former US military, former SHIELD. And Warkovsky's choice to head S.T.A.R.S. The two argue over her being late when John discovers that Machete is dead. He caught a bullet during the escape. And to make things worse, SHIELD has arrived. And they are not too happy.

It turns out, SHIELD was monitoring the HYDRA fortress for the past month. They had discovered that Machete was pushing some new mind control tech on them. SHIELD wanted to find out where it came from and who Machete was selling it for. But thanks to Walker busting in, that lead is pretty much dead. Whoops. 

Later , at S.T.A.R.S. HQ, Machete's body is being autopsied. A couple of discoveries were made. One is this bug-looking thingy.

It's a mind control device, likely extraterrestrial in origin. Machete had tons of these little monsters. It's also discovered that two of the slugs that killed the mercenary...were from S.T.A.R.S. themselves.

Yeah, that's not going to go down well. Vries and Walker try to discuss the situation, but it's clear the two have had a romantic entanglement in the past, and it's...causing some problems. Walker's co-worker Allie tries to get our man to see that Vries is messing with him, but Walker isn't interested in hearing. 

In Washington DC, Senator Warkovsky's enjoying a nice run , when he meets up with Vries in a hoodie. Warkovsky asks if Vries has been accepted by the S.T.A.R.S. group yet. She hasn't, but she knows Walker still carries a bit of a torch for her. She plans to use that to win him over. Warkovsky gives her one of the alien mind control bugs, telling her to plant it on Walker.

Later on, Walker gets briefed by Cooper about a new mission. 

Marion Pouncy (the comic misspells it Pouncey), aka Poundcakes, is a long-running supervillain. She first appeared in Marvel Two-in-One #54 (August 1979), and was a member of the Grapplers, a stable of superpowered women wrestlers. She had super strength, and was also equipped with "seismic boots", special footwear that allowed her to create powerful seismic events when she stomps the ground. It can be argued that she is a pastiche of the Female Fury known as Stompa.

She had escaped her lockup and is believed to be involved in the same operation as Machete was. Satellite imagine has also discovered a ne new structure thirty miles off the coast of Maine. It's Atlantean in design, so it's believed that she is trying to sell these alien bugs to radicals in the Atlantean Army. Namor the Sub-Mariner wasn't leading Atlantis at this time, but buying alien arms isn't his style. But Cooper's mission is simply get Poundcakes and those alien bugs. So, how will our man get to this Atlantean base?

In this stylish aero-submarine! Walker's been briefed, he's got his gear and his ride, he's ready to catch some criminals...hopefully without getting them killed this time. The story ends with Walker and the group on the way to the base...with Vries planting the mind control bug on him.

This was a pretty good comic, in my opinion. I liked that this set up Agent's status quo. We got a nice little bit of intrigue with Vries. I also admittedly enjoyed Walker's interactions with his co-workers. Ordway's art was also rather nice, although I will admit, something about his faces seems a bit...off to me. I can't explain it. But it was never something that really bothered me. 

If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2020 trade paperback U.S. Agent: The Good Fight. Thanks for reading this blog entry! 

Avengers Forever #7 (June 1999)

It's that time again! It's time to join Earth's Mightiest Heroes in their battle against Immortus! Last time, our heroes battled in certain points in time, and made a shocking discovery about a minor villain from their early days. They decided to take the fight to Immortus himself! So, how did that go down? Let's find out in Avengers Forever #7!

The cover is a Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino piece. It's pretty cool, depicting our ragtag Avengers making their way through what appears to be a medieval castle. Yellowjacket's pose makes me chuckle, though. 

"Into a Limbo Large and Broad..."
Writers: Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern
Penciler: Carlos Pacheco
Inker: Jesus Merino
Colorist: Steve Oliff
Letterers: Richard Starkings and Albert Deschesne
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

The story begins with the Avengers building a big gizmo.

Page 1, Panel 3

The device was created from one of Kang's chronospheres. It's meant to allow the Avengers to penetrate the dimension of Limbo, where Immortus has his stronghold. Before the Avengers begin their journey, Genis-Vell tells Rick Jones to stay in the Time-Sphinx. This is important, hold on to it for later.

The Avengers fly through the timestream, witnessing various events of their past, in particular the relationship between the Vision and the android hero of the 1940s known as James "Jim" Hammond, aka the Original Human Torch. During their travels, they notice another strange moment.

Page 4, Panel 4

This appears to be a "missing" adventure from the Avengers' early days, possibly in another timeline. Eventually our heroes arrive at Immortus's stronghold.

Page 5, Panels 3-5

Yeah, because of the properties of this dimension, Immortus's stronghold constantly changes appearance. Limbo is weird. 

The Avengers arrive at the stronghold, and it proceeds to mess them up.

Page 7, Panel 2

Did I mention that Limbo is weird? Okay, good. The stronghold is trying to disorient and separate our ragtag Avengers. And it's very successful at it. Hawkeye finds himself in a gallery full of statues of himself in various costumes...and encounters a very angry Tempus. Captain America finds himself in what looks like a medieval castle, where he encounters a old friend.

Page 9, Panel 1

Nick Fury, as he appeared when he fought with the Howling Commandos in WWII. The two talk and Fury convinces Cap that maybe the war is over for him. The Wasp finds herself in a building that would make M.C. Escher proud. She's being blown by gale-force winds. Hank Pym calls out to her, telling her to follow his voice. She tries to, but then seems to hear Hank everywhere.

Page 10, Panel 3

The dialogue you hear from Hank in all those bubbles is actual dialogue Hank has said in previous Avengers issues. Pretty cool, huh? Next, we look in on Yellowjacket. He finds himself in a room full of monitors similar to the Time-Sphinx. Keep in mind, at this point in history, Yellowjacket is utterly unaware that he is Hank Pym. The monitors reveal that he is Pym, showing images of his future trial and arrest for treason. Yellowjacket is determined to prevent that from happening, as he doesn't want to return to a future of misery and failure, in his own words.

Songbird finds herself surrounded by darkness. The only light is a spotlight pointing directly down at her. The voice of a judge is heard. Melissa Gold was once a runaway, and a supercriminal. She seeks redemption and freedom from her guilt as an Avenger. The judge states that despite that, she cannot escape her past. The "judge" is revealed. 

Page 12, Panel 1

These are people from her past. Her boyfriend MACH-1, her former teammates in the Grapplers, her former partner in crime Angar the Screamer, her parents. The figures taunt her, saying she abandoned her, couldn't be a good child, etc. Melissa screams that she tried to please them, tried to be what they wanted her to be. Genis-Vell is also there, and he tries to get her to see this is Limbo manipulating her fears and regrets.

Back at the Time-Sphinx, Rick Jones notices that the craft's scanners can't read Limbo. It's left him worried if the Avengers are alright. He decides "Screw this, I'm going to go help out", despite Genis-Vell warning him to stay in the sphinx. Speaking of Genis, he was able to snap Songbird out of it with a kiss. Meanwhile, Hawkeye fights and is able to defeat Tempus.

In the medieval castle area, Cap and Fury continue their talk, Fury shifting into his appearance as a CIA agent in the 50s, and then in the uniform he wore when he became the director of SHIELD. He tries to convince Cap to give up, as it seems that the battles they fought never seem to end anything. The Nazis, HYDRA, AIM, the Secret Empire. Defeat one evil, and a new one always seems to take its place. Cap realizes that this was an attempt to play on his doubts. Remember, Cap had just recently endured the events of the first Secret Empire story, and it left him rather demoralized. But the Sentinel of Liberty refuses to quit, as he believes those battles did matter. He busts out, observed by Libra. Give 'em heck, Cap!

We go back to Songbird and Genis. Why did the Kree Avenger kiss the former villainess? Well, Genis wanted to jolt Songbird to reality, but he let his feelings get the better of him. You see, he comes from a point in time after Songbird's, where the two were a couple.

 Yeah. It's here that the Avengers regroup, with Immortus sending his Time Army after them, a force filled with warriors throughout history, from angry cavemen to post-apocalyptic cyborgs looking like Eddie straight out of the Somewhere in Time album.

Seriously, why has there never been a comic book that has been inspired by this? What, do I have to write it?! Iron Maiden, call me! Let's talk about this! This album cover needs to be a comic book! Anyway, the Avengers are forced to retreat, reluctantly leaving Yellowjacket behind.

The group find that Rick Jones has, well...up and wandered off, much to Genis's frustration. It seems he was hoping to prevent something. Huh. Anyway, the story ends with Yellowjacket and Immortus making a deal: Yellowjacket helps him destroy the Avengers, and Immortus remakes history so he never reverts to Hank Pym.

I liked this issue, (It's Kurt Busiek on Avengers, how could I not) but I did get the feeling not a lot was going on. Maybe it was because the previous issue was a bit more action-packed. Still, I loved the call-backs to past Avengers storylines, and there's a bit of subtle foreshadowing with the Avengers going through the time-stream. Yellowjacket betraying the others did make sense to me. After all, it fits him. Keep in mind, at this point in his history, he's basically a cocky jerk version of Hank Pym who is utterly unaware that he's Hank Pym. Considering what happened to the man afterwards in the comics, it is understandable why he betrays the other Avengers. Still a jerk, but yeah. 

This issue did make me wish that George Perez was drawing it. I like Pacheco's art fine, but this is clearly a story made for George Perez to draw.

Songs for a Hero: Definitive Edition Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

The role-playing game is a well-known type of game. It an be hard to find one that is truly unique. Well, the Nintendo Switch basically has said "Here's a unique one" with Songs For a Hero, a playable musical RPG. Yes, you read that right. A musical RPG. Let's look at the trailer!

I have to admit, an interactive musical is a rather unique idea for a video game.

I hope this guy's voice does not end up becoming annoying...

"MOVE ME ALREADY!"

The graphics have the impression of an old 8/16-bit game that was ported to mobile. 

Mario our warbling hero ain't. He'd get powered-up from those mushrooms!

Give those monkeys bananas, dude. That'll stop 'em for a bit.

Hopefully he'll get some better weapons. It ain't an RPG without upgrading your arsenal.

The watery singing made me chuckle.

Well, this game looks like a little bit of musical fun! I hope that people who enjoy musicals and RPGs get a good time out of this game, and it looks like one I may enjoy myself! 

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, wear your masks, and get vaccinated! See you next time!

Happy 4th of July!

 Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Hope it was a wonderful day for all of you!

Scarlet Witch #1 (December 2015)

Since she first appeared in X-Men #4 (March 1964) alongside her super-speedy brother Pietro "Quicksilver" Maximoff, one Wanda Maximoff has been on a long journey. Evolving from reluctant enemy of the X-Men, to joining the Avengers as part of Cap's Kooky Quartet (at the time, such a radical revamp of a superhero team was unprecedented), to leading Force Works, Wanda has had many adventures.

As with many heroes, Wanda's journey has had many moments of triumph and torment. In the 2000s, Wanda's life would turn for the horrific. A nervous breakdown caused her to use her hex powers to disassemble the Avengers and create the House of M. These events would pass, but Wanda would remain scarred by it all. Despite this, Wanda would eventually return to the Avengers, the team that had basically become her expanded family.

Naturally, Wanda's long association with Earth's Mightiest Heroes (and her start as an X-Men villain) would have her be a part of various media adaptations of the Avengers and the Merry Mutants. Wanda would appear in the 1990s X-Men cartoon, as well as 1994's Iron Man cartoon as a member of Force Works. She would also go on to appear in the animated series Avengers: United They Stand, X-Men: Evolution, The Super Hero Squad Show, and Wolverine and the X-Men. She would most notably rise to fame in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen. She portrayed the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and in the Disney+ miniseries WandaVision. She will return in the upcoming film Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.

The comic we're looking at here is the first issue of her first ongoing series. Wanda's had a couple of mini-series beforehand. In 1982, she and the Vision got a four issue miniseries called The Vision and the Scarlet Witch, written by Bill Mantlo and Rick Leonardi. They would get a second miniseries in 1985, the two got a second miniseries, with Steve Englehart writing and Richard Howell on art. In 1994, Wanda got her own four-issue solo miniseries written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, with John Higgins on pencils.

So, with that out of the way, let's look at Scarlet Witch #1!

The cover is a David Aja piece, and it's pretty awesome. You have what looks like Wanda looming over the skyline of New York City. Aja did all the covers of the series, and they're all pretty astounding. Especially since they regularly use only three colors: Red, white, and black.

"About the Death of Many Cats"
Writer: James Robinson
Penciler: Vanesa Del Rey
Inker: Vanesa Del Rey
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Cory Petit
Editors: Emily Shaw, Mark Paniccia
Editor-in-Chief: Axel Alonso 

The story begins with Wanda waking up from a dream about her joining the Avengers. She looks at herself in the mirror.

Yeah, her reflection is not quite...accurate. There's a reason for that. The red-loving heroine decides to start her day with a nice cup of Joe. The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup, after all. Someone asks Wanda if she had a bad dream. Wanda points out that there are no such things as bad dreams. Dreams are messages from the subconscious...if one cares to read them as such. So, who is Wanda discussing dreams with?

The ghost of Agatha Harkness, Wanda's old mentor back in the day. It was discovered Wanda had killed her during the events of Avengers Disassembled. Wanda believes her memory was trying to tell her something. She also senses that something out there is way off. Something is wrong with witchcraft. 

The two then discuss Wanda's new digs in the city. It was expensive, but that's New York City for you. Agatha worries that being in the city may not be the best for Wanda. After all, Wanda has not always agreed with crowds. But Wanda would rather live in the city. She's got a great view.

Wanda heads out into the city. In particular, she is going to a bistro. She's not after lunch, she's investigating a crime scene. It's here she meets the cop in charge of the investigation, a Detecive Erikson.

One of the busboys had suddenly gone crazy and attacked the diners. He killed two people before he was wrestled to the ground. Gomez himself claims that he had no memory of doing it. And this was not an isolated incident. A valet attacking a banker. A maid attacking a rich woman. Wanda read about those incidents in the newspaper. She also noted that cats in Lower Manhattan are dying. Strays, pets, none are safe (She saw the corpses of two cats on the way to the bistro). Wanda believes the incidents are connected in a mystical nature.

As such, she decides to give a little history lesson.

Back in the 1730s, young Parisian apprentices massacred cats in the city, viewing them as symbols of their exploitation by their rich masters. It was seen by historians as a prelude to the French Revolution. But to Wanda and other witches, it was an act of sacrifice. The purpose was to summon a sonnellion, a magical embodiment of envy and hatred. It looks like someone wants to repeat history. Lower Manhattan is a part of the city in which the poorer and less fortunate are being driven out in favor of the rich. 

The servants who attacked the wealthier people are genuinely innocent of their actions. The sonnellion is like a "hate plague", and it's spreading. In fact, Wanda senses that Detective Erikson has been infected by the sonnellion.

Detective Erikson was poor into a poor family, and had to work for everything he had. Even though he says he doesn't feel any hatred or envy of the rich, Wanda points out that he does subconciously. It's all the sonnellion needs to "infect" him. Wanda senses the sonnellion within him, and she's going to exorcise him. Thing is...it's going to be painful.

The Scarlet Witch is able to pull the demon out of him.

It's kind of appropriate that a demon associated with hate and envy is associated with the color green. Get it? Green with envy?

Alright, sorry. Being a Celtic demon, Wanda tries to use some Celtic magic to dissipate it. However, something goes wrong. Despite this, she's able to banish the monster. Later, she and Agatha discuss the events of the day. The two realize that someone, or something, is messing with witchcraft. The sonnellion's summoning was only the first strike. 

Wanda realizes what the dream she had about the Avengers meant. The Avengers are in the past. Whatever this issue is, it's for her to deal with as a solo heroine, not as one of Earth's Mightiest. Agatha implies that Wanda will have to use a lot of spells, which will take a heavy toll on her. Remember when Wanda looked at her reflection earlier, and it seemed older? Yeah, there's a reason for that. But either way, Wanda must undergo this quest. Witchcraft is being attacked, and only she can save it. 

This was a very good first issue. It does a great job of relating Wanda's new status quo. The comic is clearly emphasizing Wanda's connections to sorcery, which is nothing new for Wanda in the comics. She's been linked to the more mystical side of the Marvel Universe since the 1970s and the writings of Steve Englehart. Vanesa Del Ray's art gives the impression that this was drawn with chalk. It has this otherworldly vibe which I think its very well with Wanda. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2020 trade paperback Scarlet Witch by James Robinson: The Complete Collection. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Join me next time when the Avengers continue their battle against Kang...