Last Day of January

Today is the last day of January!

Yeah, I know. Is surprises me, too. It seems like this month just raced on by faster than a Formula One car with a rocket engine strapped on to it...driven by Sonic the Hedgehog on speed.

I just want to say I hope all you blog readers had a good January. If you did not, hopefully February will be a better month for you.

Text Play: Pokemon Zeta #5

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

Before I go any further, muck like last time, I want to warn you all that I will be spoiling this game. If you want to play it for yourself, I recommend downloading the game at its wiki right here. And with that, let's go!

Last time, we decided to go up to the Pokéhadron Collider and clear out the little infestation of Team Olympus that went up and made itself a nice little home there. That's right, they're the bugs and we're going to be the exterminators. But first, there are a few things we have to take care of. One of those things is going to a certain house near the Fianga City Gym.

The owner makes his home here when he's not working at the Collider. He also shares his home with a couple of Voltorb and an Electrode. You're probably wondering why one of the Voltorb is blue. That's not a glitch or a coloring mistake, that's a shiny Voltorb.

Considering those two Pokémon's reputations for...well, exploding, I can imagine he has to be very careful where he steps, otherwise...

After treading very carefully in the house, I found an Ancient Tome. I think it's my third one so far. I think. As I said before, this game doesn't really tell me how many Ancient Tomes I own.

The only way I can enter the Collider is to go up north through Route 306. This route is a rather straightforward one, it just has a lot of Trainers on it. It's a neat route, you walk on a very long pier that connects a couple small islands.

There is a nice incentive, though. There are 10 Fishermen-class Trainers on this Route. If you defeat all ten, you can get a Good Rod. This is better than the Old Rod I got already, and I can catch some more Pokémon. All I've gotten so far with my Old Rod was Goldeen and Magikarp. I took on the Fishermen as it was a great way to level up Nepenthes and Volton, my Weepinbell and Luxio.

I got some inspiration and decided to use the Fisherman challenge to also level up my Pikachu and Ivysaur. After all, we might face off against a Water-themed gym in the future, so it helps to be prepared. Not to mention Pikachu and Ivysaur have been very helpful in the challenge.

With the Challenge complete, my Old Rod got upgraded into a Good Rod. Yay!

You can't really avoid all the Trainers when you go on this Route. You'll have to battle some of them to get through it. I recommend taking on all of them, as they can help grind up your Pokémon, and you'll get money for beating them, which you will need. More on that later.

After making your way through Route 306, you end up taking on Route 307.

Route 307 is a rainy route, with lots of tall grass. It kind of reminds me of the Midnight Mansion, only with no thunder. Remember that from the third entry of this Text Play?

Of course you all do! ...you all read these, right? Anyway, we go through the route, and there's not much to see, just lots of tall grass. But there are a couple places to plant berries.

If I plant berries here, do I still have to water them? I mean, this place is constantly raining, you'd think you wouldn't have to water them. Just something that puzzles me. Personally, I'd prefer being able to get Berry Pots, so you won't end up forgetting you planted some berries on some route patch and never going back to pick them.

I kept going forward through the route, and I fought a couple trainers. This route is a good place to grind up Pokémon. On the way through the Route, there was a little bit of a gathering.

I recognized Professor Oak. And N is with him, too. I wonder how they would get along. Considering N's views towards human-Pokémon relations, would he see Oak as an enemy? I mean, Oak does hand out Pokédexes to starting Trainers, so maybe Oak would be seen by N as an enabler of Pokémon capture? But then again it has been shown in the anime that Oak's got essentially a giant reserve that lets Pokémon run around and get exercise. I also have noticed that Cyrus is with them. Yeah, I bet they're unaware he's the main villain of the Diamond and Pearl games.

Also with him is Aria, the Pokémon League Champion. Hey, Mom! Yeah, Aria is our character's mother.

Anyway, they seem to be facing off against members of Team Olympus. And they have their leader with them. I think I remember seeing eyepatch guy before...oh, wait! I have! Back in the Onega Town Museum! He helped steal the Time Caller from there!

Thanks to Professor Oak, we learn that Eyepath Guy's name is Zeus. It's kind of appropriate that the head of a group called Team Olympus is named Zeus. King of the Greco-Roman gods, and all that. Oak claims that as long as Team Olympus doesn't have the Time Caller, their scheme at the Pokéhadron Collider will fail. Yeah, Oak? They have the Time Caller. I saw them steal it from the Onega Town Museum! You'd think they'd keep that thing under lock and key, and not publicly display it.

It also turns out that Aria was offered membership in Team Olympus years ago. Naturally, she turned it down. Can't blame her, really. Team Olympus ain't exactly nice folks. And I bet they have lousy benefits. Zeus demonstrates the power of the Time Caller.

He managed to summon Shaymin. N and Cyrus are furious. But Team Olympus vanishes. Oak is worried. The Time Caller is a very powerful device, and now that it's in Team Olympus's hands...there's not much hope for the entire world, much less the Vesryn region.
However, there may still be a chance.

The Legend Researcher in Superior Town has a book on the origins of the universe. There may be something there that can help. I have to go back to Superior Town to talk to the guy. They'll wait for my return. Cyrus also gives me TM17 (Protect). Thanks, man. I don't think I'll be using it, but thanks anyway.

So, you're all just going to wait out here for? In the rain? You guys aren't going to just go inside a building, stay dry and maybe enjoy some coffee, snacks, and pleasant conversation? Okay, then. Stay out here and get soaked. So we have to go back to Superior Town. You may be thinking, "Oh great, backtracking".

Luckily, we don't have to do that. Nope, the game takes us straight back to the Legend Researcher's home.

We find him studying a statue of a legendary Pick up your plant, man. It's bothering me. He claims that he needs to clean the place up. Just pick up your plant, man. It's not hard or time-consuming. Anyway, the book I'm asked to look at is on the table right next to the Researcher's NES.

"In the ancient void, there was nothing. Then, there was an egg. A golden egg, a powerful egg. Inside this egg, there was beast known as Arceus. Arceus, the original Pokémon. Arceus created the world as we know it, Time, Space and Antimatter, and created awe-inspiring beasts to guard them. Arceus created life to inhabit the world, and then sealed himself away in his own dimension. Before he did this, however, he created a Pokémon to-"

And that's it. That's literally it. The Researcher realized that Oak sent me...and Team Olympus got the Time Caller. He compares the power of a legendary Pokémon to the Unown I caught in entry . A legendary Pokémon is very powerful. Well, duh. The Time Caller does exactly what its name says: Summons things from the past and brings them to the present. Again, duh. You wouldn't call something a Time Caller if it was meant to just look pretty. The thing is, Shaymin is not the only legendary Pokémon out there. If Team Olympus can capture and command all of them...yeah, that's not good.

He mentions a man named Wilson that I had to visit in Fianga City. Aria mentioned him at the very beginning of this journey, too. Well, it turns out this "Wilson" is one of the lead scientists over at the Pokéhadron Collider. Team Olympus can use the Collider to summon a very powerful Pokémon. Funny, Zeus was able to summon Shaymin without the Collider. Why would he need the Collider?

The Researcher points out that after the world was created, Arceus fell into a deep sleep. It led the Researcher to ask a question: If Arceus created the world...who maintains it? The Researcher believes Arceus created another Pokémon to do that very job. A Pokémon that can travel through time and bend dimensions, one whose power rivals Arceus itself. The implication is that this possible Pokémon is what Team Olympus is after.

Maybe that's why Zeus needs the Collider. Yeah, legendary Pokémon are powerful, but I can imagine that Arceus (or at least a Pokémon near its significance) would be a whole new level power-wise.

Yeah, so maybe to catch this possible Pokémon, Zeus needs the Collider to somehow enhance the power of the Time Caller. At least, that's what I think. Anyway, I returned to Route 307. The game just takes me there, no taking the long track myself. That's very convenient. On the Route, Professor Oak is still waiting. In the rain.

Who knows where Aria, N and Cyrus ran off to. Maybe to get drunk, maybe they finally got some sense and went inside, I don't know. Anyway, he revealed that the Researcher had already called him and told him what I read. ...what? Wait, if he did that, then why did you have me go all the way back to Superior Town?!

Eh, I'll punch Oak later. Anyway, Aria went off to a place called Blackfist City, which is in an area called the Chrome Circle. The Chrome Circle is the giant circular island in the center of the Vesryn region. You know, I can imagine a place to cast magic spells in a Shadowrun game being called a Chrome Circle, ha ha. Anyway, Nyasa Town has been quarantined by Team Olympus. How'd they do that?! But then, a rumbling occurs, and Oak gets a little adult with his language.

Yeah, it was a surprise to me, too. But it turns out that Team Olympus has leveled Nyasa Town. They...they reduced the entire town to rubble. Everything's gone. My family's home, the local gas station/convenience store that made those great subs, the local library, the park with that awesome jungle gym and swing set...all gone. It's all just a big pile of rocks. And yes, like every other town we've come to before, Nyasa Town is named after a lake. Lake Nyasa is an African Great Lake. Nyasa is the Tanzanian name for the lake. It's called Lake Malawi in Malawi, and Lago Niassa in Mozambique. Pretty cool, huh?

There is one thing in the town that is still intact: the tunnel to the Pokehadron Collider. I wonder why it was put there in the first place. Maybe it was a way for employees of the Collider who lived in Nyasa Town to get there and back home quickly and safely? I mean, that would not be completely implausible. Route 307 is filled with grass patches, which means tons of wild Pokémon. I mean, I have Pokémon to protect myself on the route, but some workers may not be so lucky.

A word of warning. Be prepared before coming here. I'm serious. Be prepared. You see, once you enter this tunnel...you cannot go back until you clear out Team Olympus from this place. When you enter the cave, you head down a long tunnel. Nothing special here, just a tunnel. All it is. Just a tunnel.

Upon arrival inside the Collider, you will battle one of Team Olympus's commanders...named Thor.

No, not that Thor! Wait a minute, Thor? Why is a commander of Team Olympus named Thor?! Well, I think I can explain that. You see, in the grand Pokémon tradition, Pokémon Zeta is one half of a pair of Pokémon fangames, the other being called Pokémon Omicron. That was the version Linkara did a Let's Play of that helped inspire this Text Play.

In Omicron, the enemy team is called Team Asgard. Anyone who's watched a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie knows that Thor is Asgardian. Yeah, the character you're supposed to be fighting in Zeta is a woman called Apollo who uses Fire-type Pokémon. Why does Apollo use Fire-types? Because in Greco-Roman mythology, Apollo is the god of the sun. Also music and medicine. Pretty cool, huh? Yup, the programmers goofed.

Ah, well. Thor, befitting his designation (Thor in Norse myth is the god of thunder), uses Electric-type Pokémon, mainly Elekid and Luxio. He also has a Carvanha, a Water/Dark-type Pokémon. They are no joke. His Pokémon seem easy to counter. After all, just sic some Ground-types on the Elekid and Luxio and an Electric or Grass-type against the Carvanha, right? Well...not exactly. You see, his Pokémon all know Ice-type attacks. His Elekid knows Ice Punch, and his Luxio and Carvanha all know Ice Fang. Ice is very good against Ground-type Pokémon. I believe Ice also is good against Grass, so Carvanha's teeth will be very dangerous for my Weepinbell.

When it comes to Ground-types...I don't have a lot of options. I have a Diglett, Geodude, Rhyhorn, Onix, and a Cubone. I don't think I can use Onix or Rhyhorn, because they don't learn a lot of Ground-type moves on their own. At least, at a level I can still control them at. My Gible is part-Ground, so I can keep it on my team. I think I'll switch out my Horsea for Cubone (Horsea's Water, so it will get slaughtered by Thor), and I'll think I'll keep Magmar on my team as well. Magmar is a Fire-type, so Elekid and Luxio's Ice attacks won't do a lot of good against it.

In the end, I decided to swap out Weepinbell and Horsea for Geodude and Diglett. I kept Magmar as a ounter for Luxio and Elekid's Ice-type attacks, and I also kept Gible because Gible is part-Ground. It also knows a Ground-type move: Sand Tomb. Sand Tomb can trap a target in a sandstorm for 4-5 turns. Geodude and Diglett can learn Magnitude early on, so they can potentially do some real damage. Yup, I'm preparing some nasty little surprises for Thor.

All I have to do is some grinding. And I think that's where we'll stop for now. I have to get prepared to make Thor eat his own thunder! Wish me luck! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time!

Pokémon Obtained
(Route 307)
- Nidoran (Male)
- Oddish
- Chatot
- Deerling
- Burmy
- Nidoran (Female)
- Remoraid (Caught with Good Rod)

198X Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

Growing up can be tough. Shedding the innocence of childhood and getting ready to join the world of adults can be a daunting experience. Sometimes, you just want to get your mind off things for a little while. One way to do that is to hit the local arcade and play some games. For the teenager called "Kid", the lines between the world of video games and reality are about to blur. This is 198X. Let's take a look at the launch trailer!

*relaxing retrowave music*

I like the look of this beat-'em-up...wait, it's not just a beat-'em-up?

Hey cool, a shoot-'em-up! I love shoot-'em-ups! I have R-Type Dimensions on my Nintendo Switch, and it's so much fun...wait, it's not just a shoot-'em-up?

Hey, looks like Outrun there! I have this Outrun-esque game on my 3DS called 80s Overdrive. It's...alright. It could have been better. Wait, it's not just a racing game?

It's also not just a ninja game? ...that makes me want to go grab my Switch and play The Messenger again.

It's not just an RPG, either? What kind of game is this? Although that dragon-dying animation is pretty cool...

Ohhh, I see! You're a kid playing games in an arcade! Although an RPG would be rather odd to have in an arcade, considering the very nature of role-playing games and all... There are arcade games with RPG elements out there, like Knights of the Round, but an full-on role-playing game? Yeah, that would be odd to see in an arcade.

"Over-the-top arcade action meets coming-of-age story". So, kind of like Scott Pilgrim, except and actual video game.

198X. Because we don't want to pin down the year.

Uh, you got a ninja on your telephone pole there.

Hey, is that a spaceship in the sky?

Well, this looks interesting. I'm a sucker for 80s stuff, so I may give this a shot. I'm actually quite fascinated how the arcade games will be incorporated. I hope there's a demo!

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time!

Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants (1982)

From 1982 to 1993, Marvel would regularly publish original graphic novels, oversized comics with higher page counts and printed on higher-quality paper. Marvel's editor-in-chief at the time, Jim Shooter, was inspired by Franco-Belgian albums. These graphic novels would tell tales of Marvel's many heroes, like Spider-Man, the Punisher, and the X-Men. However, the line would also chronicle adventures of creator-owned characters, like Jim Starlin's Dreadstar, Dave Cockrum's Futurians, and even Michael Moorcock's Elric.

Some of the stories told in the Marvel Graphic Novels would become iconic, like The Death of Captain Marvel (The first MGN, which told the last days of the Kree hero Mar-Vell as he fought cancer), and X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills (The fifth MGN. Elements were used in the film X2).

So, what does that have to do with the New Mutants? Well, the New Mutants' first appearance was in one of those Marvel Graphic Novels, the fourth one to be exact. It was originally meant to be the first issue of a new comic series starring them, but Jim Shooter ordered it to be reworked into a Marvel Graphic Novel so one could be published on time. The Graphic Novel would spawn the first New Mutants comic series, which lasted 100 issues, from 1983 to 1991, which then became the first X-Force series.

The New Mutants would continue to get series over the years, mostly focusing on the 80s version of the team. But how did they start? How did five young mutants come together and become one of the most beloved teams of the 80s? In honor of their movie coming out (after years), let's find out in my review of Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants!

The cover is a Bob McLeod piece. It's not a bad cover, but it is a bit basic. It is well-drawn, though. What I do like about the cover is that we get some idea of the powers of each of the characters. I'm kind of amused by Xavier on the cover. It's like he's trying to get the New Mutants to stop being so rash. Chuck, they're teenagers with attitude and superpowers. They're going to get rash.

"Renewal"
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciler: Bob McLeod
Inker: Bob McLeod
Colorist: Glynis Wein
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Editor: Louise Simonson (credited as Louise Jones)
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with Moira MacTaggert, a friend of the X-Men, spotting a wolf leaping by.

"I've heard of werewolves in London, but this is ridiculous!"

The future reincarnating mutant is surprised to see a wolf in Scotland, as wolves have been extinct there for generations. Yeah, I'm not the biggest fan of Jonathan Hickman's retconning Moira to be a mutant, but that's getting off-topic. The wolf crashes into the ground, seemingly changing shape. Moira investigates and discovers the wolf changing into a redheaded teenage girl. To Moira's shock, she recognizes the girl, one Rahne (pronounced "Rain") Sinclair.

Moira notes that the girl has a gunshot wound on her. Nothing life-threatening, but she did note the girl had unusual DNA. She's 14 years old now, old enough to manifest powers. A pitchfork-toting mob shows up, led by one Reverend Craig. He demands that Moira back away from Rahne, and let them exorcise the "demon" from him, but she knows his way of doing so would involve him putting a bullet in her. She states that since they're on her family's land, Rahne is under her protection now.

The mob disperses, but Craig warns her the Lord's will cannot be stopped. Moira's like "yeah yeah, go away." She wraps Rahne up in a jacket and plans to take her to Charles Xavier. The scene shifts from the cool night of Scotland to a hot day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A soccer game is going down between two archrival teams: The Thunderbolts and the Dynamos. We focus on one particular Thunderbolt: Mr. Roberto da Costa.

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLLLL!"

A couple of the Dynamo members attack Roberto. You see, they're not too fond of the fact that Roberto is biracial (His father is black, and his mother is white). Roberto tackles one of the attacking Dynamos, and ends up catching a beating...but then the football player undergoes a startling transformation, sending one of the racists flying.

"Oh man! I shouldn't have drank that mad scientist's energy drink!"

The stadium flies into a panic, except for Roberto's father Emmanuel and Roberto's girlfriend Juliana. She runs to him as he returns to normal, and freaks out. Roberto's body feels stone cold and still. Unknown to them, someone is observing this. The observer notes that more mutants are appearing every day, all across the world. But that doesn't matter. The observer vows that every time a mutant appears, they will be destroyed.

The scene shifts again, this time to the Appalachian mountains in Kentucky, USA. We focus on one of the mines belonging to the Pierce-Consolidated company. One of the miners is a 16-year-old boy named Samuel Guthrie. He's beginning his first day of work at the mine. You see, Sam's father was a miner, who had just passed away from black lung. With him gone, Sam's now the man of the house, and he needs to provide for his family. Sam's father dreamed of him going to college, but that's likely not going to happen now. But one of his brothers or sisters might.

A cave-in occurs, trapping Sam's boss. Sam tries to rescue him, and a miracle occurs.

"Mama always said this would happen if I listened to all that Def Leppard!"

Sam erupts from the mine, like a human rocket. Or a cannonball. The mine's boss believes that he was saved by God making a miracle. Sam knows he somehow blasted them out, and he's utterly scared and confused. The observer notes that this mutant manifestation is "closer to home". Interesting... The observer notes Sam's powers will be useful...for a while. And then, he can join Roberto da Costa six feet under.

The scene shifts again. We're still staying in the United States, but we're going from the Appalachians of Kentucky to the Medicine Bow Mountains, part of the Rocky Mountain range of Colorado. There, we look in on a girl meditating in the forests nearby. Her name is Danielle Moonstar, and she's enjoying a seemingly-increasing rare moment of peace and joy. A mountain lion approaches the girl.

Normally, that's something that should cause worry...despite mountain lion attacks on humans being quite rare. However, it turns out that this particular lion is a friend of Danielle's, and they cuddle together for a bit like he's just a big ol' housecat. The lion scurries when it picks up the scent of an unfamiliar man. The man is Black Eagle, Danielle's grandfather. He has some news for her. Danielle is a mutant, with powers of the mind, and Black Eagle has contacted a man who can help her understand and master her powers. That man's name? Charles Xavier.

Danielle is furious. Why should she go across the country to see some old white dude? Her anger ends up triggering her powers.

"Is this that Stadia thing, Danielle?!"

She projects an image of what looks like her grandfather being beaten to death by armored men. She freaks out as this happens whenever she gets her temper up. This is why Black Eagle contacted Xavier. She's reluctant, considering what the white man has done to Native Americans in the past. Black Eagle assures her that Xavier is a good guy. He should know. He and Xavier were blood brothers. Danielle reluctantly agrees to go.

The observer is overjoyed to hear this. He believes Xavier will go to answer Black Eagle's summons alone, without any of the X-Men. The telepath will be vulnerable, and then he'll strike. Who is this observer? One Donald Pierce, at the time the White Bishop of the Hellfire Club. The bigoted cyborg also has a woman named Tessa restrained in...wherever he is. Tessa tells him the Hellfire Club won't let him get away with whatever he plans, but Pierce isn't worried. By the time they figure out what he's up to, they won't be able to stop him. Their wealth and power will be his.

That night, Danielle wakes up screaming for her grandfather. She takes her horse out to the town and finds him lying dead. She knows her grandfather was murdered. And she shall have her vengeance. At the Xavier Institute, there's some testing going down.

One of the most reliable ways to test mutant powers: The Lime Jell-O Test.

The test subject is one Xi'an Coy Manh, aka Karma. Unlike the rest of the New Mutants here, she was an already established character, first appearing in Marvel Team-Up #100 (December 1980), by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. With Xavier are Moira and Rahne.

Xi'an has the power to control minds, but she's demonstrated other psionic abilities over the years. Xavier is testing Shan's powers ("Shan" is her nickname, as it's how Xi'an is pronounced), and he's found that her psionic gifts have the potential to rival his in raw power. He would like her to demonstrate.

Shan is understandably reluctant. When she possesses someone with her powers, her personality can slowly change to match the host. Xavier tells her he'd rather not have his powers either, but he's stuck with them, so he might as well learn to control them...or they'll control him. Moira volunteers to be Karma's possessee. Karma uses her power on the scientist, and Moira gets up from her chair, speaking with Shan's voice. Shan herself can still move her own body, but it's greatly weakened.

Rahne partially wolfs out, demanding Shan let Moira go. Uh, Rahne? You were in the room when Moira volunteered to let Shan use her powers on her. Xavier is able to telepathically calm Rahne down as Shan releases Moira. Xavier notes that Moira's mind was essentially shut down. The group head out to get some food. Testing out superpowers works out quite the appetite. It's there we get a recap of Shan's origins from Marvel Team-Up #100. Basically, Shan is a Vietnamese refugee. She and her family had escaped Vietnam to America. Her mother and father died on the way, but she and her younger siblings Leong and Nga made it.

She also had a twin brother named Tran, who had the same powers she does. He supposedly died as well, and unlike Shan...he reveled in his own psionic abilities. He supposedly died as well, but future stories would reveal that was...not quite the case. Future stories would also reveal Shan had a half-sister, but that's another tale for another time.

Rahne is very disturbed by the casual discussion of mutant powers, as she thinks they're demonic in nature. Xavier explains to her there's nothing inherently evil about mutant powers. They're no different than having a heart or a brain. Shan has had to use her powers to survive in the past, and she admits to feeling the temptation to use them like her brother had. She's hoping Xavier can help with that, but he can't. 

Xavier is tired. He's gathered up young mutants to help people in the past, but he's seen them die. Also, the X-Men being kidnapped by the Brood in X-Men #161 (September 1982) is on his mind. Moira reminds him the X-Men were heroes, and they knew the risks. The X-Men were originally formed to help foster human-mutant peace, to help them live with and understand what they are. To refuse Shan and Rahne's need for their help makes all the X-Men have done meaningless. Xavier then agrees to help them.

Shan points out that she needs to care for her younger siblings. That's no problem for Xavier. He offers her a job working for him. Generous salary and benefits. He then gets a letter from Colorado. You see, Xavier served in the armed forces back in the day, and Black Eagle was basically an old army buddy. His granddaughter Danielle has manifested mutant powers, and he figures since Xavier is an expert on that kind of thing, he could help her out.

The next day, Xavier heads out to Colorado alongside Shan and Rahne. He finds that Black Eagle is dead. Xavier mourns his old friend, remembering him as a wise and respected man among his tribe. The world is poorer for his loss, as far as the bald telepath is concerned. Shan realizes with him gone, they don't have much of a chance of finding Danielle. However, that is not a problem for very long.

"Professor, I think we found that magic movie ticket from Last Action Hero!"

The group find themselves suddenly in what looks like Vietnam during the war, making Shan scream in horror. An explosion knocks her, Rahne, and Xavier senseless. Danielle runs for her life, being pursued by an armored man on a flying craft. She recognizes the man as one of the men in Black Eagle's death-vision. Dani's mountain lion friend attacks the armored man, but gets tossed off a cliff and killed for its trouble.

The armored man tries to do the same to Danielle, but Shan's able to take control of the man's mind and use him to fight off the other armored men. Xavier introduces himself to Dani, saying that he was with her parents when she was born. She demands that he leave her alone. He points out that Danielle has trouble controlling her powers, and he can help her with them.

Xavier scanned the minds of the man Shan controlled. He works for Donald Pierce, and Danielle was not his only target. He's also after two boys, one in Brazil, and another in Kentucky. Dani wants to put a knife in the man's heart, but Xavier convinces her to leave him to the cops. The next day, the gang are in Rio de Janeiro, looking for Roberto. The cops burst into their hotel room.

"STOP! IN THE NAME OF LOVE!"

One of the cops explains that there was an attempt to abduct Roberto, and his girlfriend Juliana Sandoval has vanished. And Moira made a phone call to Roberto's father Emmanuel about him.

The cop explains this while smacking Moira. I get the feeling this cop is not good at his job. The cops go to arrest the three, but Shan is able to use her mind-control powers to get the cops to cuff them in a way that's escapable. Shan makes the two cops punch each other. The three future New Mutants make their escape. Moira will stay and try to convince the police of the truth.

Dusk falls over the capitol city of Brazil. Shan, Dani, and Rahne find Roberto sneaking out of his family townhouse. They follow him to a slum district. There, Roberto meets with a man in red. Roberto tells him that he's completed his end of the bargain. Now it's time for him to release Juliana. The man in red is like "Nah, screw you!" The man in red has some friends. You see, these three want Roberto dead because...he exists. That's pretty much it. Roberto transforms into his Sunspot mode.

"Kill him before we get Kirby Krackle'd!"

Roberto thrashes the men, but they're able to fight back pretty well. You see, these men were once regular Hellfire Club guards...until a certain Canadian man named Wolverine sliced them up to ribbons. They got some nice new bionic implants. Roberto can't maintain the Sunspot form for long, and transforms back. He pleads with the men to not hurt Juliana, but they're like "Nah". Shan takes over one of the men's minds, making him fire at the others, while Dani disorients them with an illusion of the men's worst fear: Wolverine.

Shan goes to help Roberto up, but he knocks her out by mistake. This releases the merc she was controlling. He starts firing, and Juliana takes a bullet for Roberto. An enraged Danielle unleashes an illusion of Wolverine on the shooter, rendering him catatonic. Roberto laments that Juliana is dead, and he blames himself for her death. Shan tries to comfort him and get him to join them at the Xavier Institute. He just wants revenge. Dani convinces him to join up. Remember, Pierce's men killed her grandfather, too. So, how's Xavier doing?

Well, he and Rahne are driving in a back road in Kentucky, hoping to locate Sam. They find him alright. The future New Mutant, X-Man, and Avenger slams into his and Rahne's jeep, knocking it over and setting it ablaze. Rahne is able to leap out from the jeep in her wolf form, and Sam rescues Xavier from the jeep. She watches a group of Hellfire Club mercenaries arrive in a helicopter. Sam is wearing their uniform himself, but not their masks.

The men collect Xavier, but Sam is worried. He could have sworn he saw Rahne in the jeep. This is rough country, and she could get hurt out here. The mercs point out that the only human they detected was Xavier. Sam wants to know why they want him, and who he is. The mercs tell him that's info he does not need to know. After all, Pierce gave him a job. Rahne is able to follow Xavier's scent to a compound deep in the Kentucky woods.

"I hope there's dog biscuits there..."

The first line of defense in the compound is a pair of high fences, topped with barbed wire. There are guard dogs lurking between them. There is no way Rahne can leap those fences in wolf form...and good luck climbing them as a human. Luckily, Rahne can shift into a halfway form and use that form to get over the fences and escape the guard dogs. She's able to make her way to the roof of the main building and spots Donald Pierce doing his whole supervillain thing.

"I could just shoot you right now, but I'd rather gloat."

Pierce's gadget is keeping Xavier's psi-powers dampened. He also intends to use the machine to download all the knowledge in the telepath's brain. Xavier can resist...but it will cause him permanent brain damage. He also intends to use it on Tessa as well, likely to make sure she can't escape and reveal his plans to the Hellfire Club. You see, he's not a fan of the fact that many of the higher-level members of the Club are mutants, and he intends to stage a coup and drive them out. Rahne overhears this, and is unsure what to do. She's rather...new to this superhero thing, so she knows she has no chance of freeing Xavier. However, she can't just stand by and do nothing while his life is in danger. Not to worry, Rahne! Help is on the way in the form of Dani, Shan, Roberto and Moira.

San Guthrie spots the young Scot on the roof, but is driven away by an illusion of a cave-in. Unfortunately, he rockets away through the building, which brings out a swarm of Hellfire Club guards. The group are able to take them down thanks to Roberto. Sam returns, but is driven off by Shan when she gets her hands on a machine gun. The group enter the building, wrecking everything they see.

Rahne gets to Donald Pierce first, but his cyborg body makes him immune to her fangs. She gets badly hurt by the bigoted cyborg. Dani tries to attack, but his bionics allow him to use her own power against her. Roberto bursts in, and Xavier sees an opportunity. He has Rahne get to a console behind him. She does, despite her injuries. Sam shows and engages Roberto. Shan tries to possess Pierce, but he is easily able to take her down. Shame her gun ran out of ammo...

Rahne is able to find a certain switch and flip it. Pierce orders Sam to get rid of Roberto, Rahne, and Shan. The Kentucky boy is unsure how to do it. What does he mean, just take them to the sheriff? Pierce is like "No, kill them, you inbred hick!" Sam refuses, as he's not a killer. Pierce is like, "Yeah typical, you mutants always side with each other" and is about to shoot him. But Sam Guthrie is not going to die today.

"Aw, nuts! I shouldn't have used a flintlock!"

Funny enough, later stories would claim that Sam is supposedly part of a group of immortal mutants, but its gone back-and-forth since then. Xavier uses his psionic powers to stop Pierce from shooting the young mutant, then takes control of his mind. He uses him to free Tessa. These young New Mutants are sore, beaten up, and Rahne needs to go to the hospital. Moira's on her way with a car, so the kids can go rest and Rahne can get patched up. But that leaves Pierce. What to do with him?

Tessa's got the solution for that issue: Leave him to her. She'll tell the Hellfire Club about his actions here, and they'll deal with him. HA HA HA, he'll be back. And then there's Sam. He's not sure what to do here. Roberto tells him to go with his boss. They leave, with Sam all on his lonesome. A couple of weeks pass. Xavier summons the kids, all wearing their fancy new uniforms.

"Looking good, kids."

I like the little touch of the rebellious Dani making changes to her uniform to reflect her Cheyenne heritage. They have a visitor: Samuel Guthrie. Xavier summoned him, as he sensed the boy wasn't really bad, just duped by Pierce. Roberto is reluctant, as he feels Sam lacks honor. The others are willing to give him a chance, though. Rahne asks Roberto to give hi a chance, and Roberto agrees. After all, he can never say no to a pretty girl. The story ends with Xavier smiling at the five New Mutants getting to know each other.

This comic was very well-done. It does a fantastic job establishing each of the characters and their personalities: Shan, the reluctant but capable hero. Rahne, the shy girl who fears her powers have doomed her to damnation. Danielle, the rebel filled with Native American pride. Sam, the salt-of-the-Earth responsible kid. Roberto, the hothead. It's basic, but there is stuff to build on for them in the future. The story also does have some of that Claremont melodrama, but that's one of the reasons why the X-Men became so popular under him.

I have noticed that the New Mutants all seem to have tragic backstories. Shan's backstory is tied to the Vietnam War, Rahne nearly gets burned at the stake, Dani is forced to isolate herself, Sam has to work in the mines after his father died, and Roberto loses his girlfriend.

I did feel it was kind of pointless to introduce Juliana and Black Eagle just to kill them off. One of my issues with current X-Men is that they seem to have no human allies or friends anymore. That helped the X-Men have a connection to humanity and showed that they were actually making progress on that whole human-mutant peace thing. Having them around would have helped there. Also, this comic established Black Eagle and Xavier knew each other, keeping him around would have explored that more. I don't think it was ever brought up again after this.

I also have high praise for Bob McLeod's art. It's incredibly well-done. His art is very detailed, and I love the "acting" in his art, if that makes any sense. We see the characters being very expressive, especially in the faces. He does excellent facial expressions. Also, I did noticed that the colors in the comic seem to be very pale, washed out. I think it does fit the tone of the comic.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend hunting down the 2006 trade paperback New Mutants Classic Vol. 1 or the 2017 trade New Mutants Epic Collection Vol. 1: Renewal. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! Join me next time as we see a battle between two psychics of immense power...

Morbius Teaser Trailer, My Thoughts

Michael Morbius was once a man. Born in Greece, Morbius had a rare blood condition that would kill him one day. However, Morbius was also a Nobel Prize-winning biochemist. He attempted to use his scientific skills to cure his condition, but something went wrong. Horribly wrong. Using an experimental treatment derived from a mixture of vampire bat DNA and electroshock therapy, he ended up transforming himself into a vampire-like monster, cursing himself to be a creature of the night.

Created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, Morbius first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #101 (October 1971). Thomas was inspired by a science fiction movie of his boyhood. Kane drew from legendary actor Jack Palance for his appearance. At first, Morbius started out as a tragic villain for the Webslinger, but over the years would become a brooding anti-hero. The Living Vampire would get his own series a couple of times over the years, and be associated mainly with the supernatural superteam known as the Midnight Sons.

Morbius would also make appearances in various media outside of comics, mainly connected to Spider-Man. And now, he's set to get his own movie. Yup, the Living Vampire is making his cinematic live-action debut. Let's take a look at the teaser trailer!

I think that nun there is supposed to be Greek Orthodox. Would make sense, as Morbius is Greek.

Oh my God, it's Moriarty! No wonder Morbius ends up a villain here!

Ah, there's Mikey in his brooding hoodie. He wears that brooding hoodie when he broods. That's why it's called a brooding hoodie.

I love that the film kept his being a Nobel Prize winner.

Uh, Mike? Those bats have to be radioactive. You know, like that kid in the red and blue suit? He got the spider powers thanks to a radioactive spider.

Oh, they found the Batcave. Bruce Wayne is going to be Bat-Furious.

Do those bats think they're sharks?

"At what cost?" Well, Mike just may have given himself rabies, but he thinks the foaming at the mouth is worth it.

"It's okay, hon. The bats just like me, that's all. They think I'm their king."

You know, blood substitutes exist. Just make milkshakes with them, Boom! Mike's problem is solved.

Yeah, this is set in the MCU. That mural of Spider-Man with "Murderer" graffiti'd across it. Watch Spider-Man: Far From Home. I'm not spoiling it.

Hey, Matt Smith! A Doctor Who/Spider-Man crossover would be pretty cool.

I bet he's going to look like that at the end of the movie.

And further proof this is in the MCU. Michael Keaton in the end. He's clearly Adrian Toomes there.

I did not have the reservations regarding this film that I did with Venom, mainly because unlike Venom, Morbius is not really dependent on Spider-Man. His motivations had nothing to do with the Webslinger. However, this film does have the vibe that it was made in the 90s a bit, with the color palette and all that. It may fit here. Jared Leto seems like he'd do a good job as the Living Vampire. I think I may give this a watch.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time!

NWA Powerrr Episode 12, My Thoughts

It's that time again! It's time to feel the powerrr! Here's my look at Episode 12! You may want to watch the episode first, as I will be spoiling it here. Enjoy!

Recap time! What a power alliance that had been formed!

Tim Storm is a man with something left to prove! He wants that TV gold!

Dear GAWD, Stu Bennett is so much better to listen to than Jim Cornette. Good riddance to him.

Oh my God, they got a "Momma Storm" t-shirt! I want that shirt!

If I were Tim Storm's mamma, I'd be proud to be on a shirt.

"Look how cool I am, everyone!"
- Nick Aldis, 2019.

Nick Aldis is just mad nobody chants for his mom.

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!

Aron Stevens and the Question Mark have shown to be an amazingly entertaining duo.

I like the little detail of Aron personalizing the belt with the stripe addition. It helps show how big his ego is and how little he respects the belt's legacy...despite the National Championship belt being butt-ugly, in my opinion.

There's only one "Shooter", Bennett. And that's Mr. Shooter McGavin.

Match #1 - Submission Exhibition Match - Aron Stevens vs. Sal Rinauro

We've seen quite a bit of Sal Rinauro over the show. Maybe he'll be given a bigger role as time goes on? Also, I like his tights.

Can't win that way, Aron! You ain't the Karate Kid!

If I were Sal, I'd just start beating the tar out of him.

Sweep the leg! Put him in a bodybag!

Cobra Kai would be proud, Aron.

Sal danced around too much.

Winner: Aron Stevens

And looks like Trevor Murdoch is none too impressed with Aron's ka-ra-TAYYY.

It ain't about belts, Murdoch wants to hand out a beating.

Don't do it, Trevor! Oh, he is.

Match #2 - Aron Stevens vs. Trevor Murdoch

Ouch. I would not want to be on Murdoch's bad side.

Aron really using his head!

Murdoch shows he's got some submissions of his own!

Winner: Trevor Murdoch

Looks like his spot in the TV Title tournament is safe.

Drunk Eli is fun Eli.

Hopefully he's been able to shake the hangover.

He needs a moment.

YEAH!

I think he's still a little lost in the sauce.

Yup, he's still lost in the sauce.

Burn by Cabana there.

Guys, I think he's still a little drunk.

Girl Powerrr, eh? I wonder what's the deal here?

So, Marti felt Allisin Kay was never a real friend to her, huh? I like that we're getting some deeper explanation here. I can imagine Melina was behind this.

Match #3 - Marti Belle vs. Tasha Steelz

The girls trying to wrench each other's arms out of their sockets!

Steelz knocked silly with that knee!

Marti Belle trying to ring Steelz' bells!

Marti's association with Melina really has brought out a mean streak in her.

I think that neckbreaker was a bit mistimed.

Os-Cutter from Steelz!

Winner: Tasha Steelz

What an upset from Tasha! And Melina does not look happy...

Dice vs. Konley next week!

TV Title Tournament match time! Every match has a 6 minute 5 second time limit!

Aldis wanted to have some fun in this tournament, but Tim Storm had to suck all the fun out of it.

"Coward" is an appropriate chant.

"Strictly Business". Sounds like a sequel to Risky Business in which Tom Cruise's character grew up.

Come on, Nicky boy! Get in there! Prove you're no coward!

AW, YOU COWARD!

So, he's sending in Royce Isaacs? The look on his face is HILARIOUS! "Wait, WHAT?!"

Main event time!

Match #4 - NWA TV Tournament Qualifier - Tim Storm vs. Royce Issacs

This'll be short. Get it?

If Tim Storm can't get his hands on Aldis, he'll give Issacs the beating instead!

Issacs is thinking "Is it too late to turn in my two weeks' notice?!"

I like Royce's boots. And of course Thom Latimer would try shenanigans!

BIG BOOT FROM STORM!

I don't think Aldis is too worried that Tim may murder Royce.

Storm showing his ring savvy...

PERFECT STORM!

Winner: Tim Storm

And the show ends with the Rock 'n' Roll Express showing up! I guess we'll have to wait until next week to fin out what they want!

Well, this was another fun episode. I can't wait to see what happens next week!

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you around!

Wonder Woman #212 (July 1974)

Over the past couple of years, I've spent a month every year looking back on a twelve-issue miniseries. For this year, I decided to so something a little different. What I'm going to dive into this year is not really a mini-series. It's twelve issues of Wonder Woman's series that are dealing with a particular theme: Wonder Woman making like Hercules and undergoing her own Twelve Labors to prove herself worthy of rejoining the Justice League.

It's kind of appropriate that Wonder Woman pay homage to mythology. After all, the Amazing Amazon and Greek mythology have gone hand in hand since the character first appeared way back in 1941. During the Silver Age, when the character's ties to Greek myth were increased, Diana had been described during the Silver Age as being "beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, stronger then Hercules, and swifter than Hermes". The Silver Age was also a time of great upheaval for the Amazon. In an attempt to shake up the character, a storyline was conceived in which the Amazons would go to another dimension to "recharge their magic", but Wonder Woman would stay behind, losing her powers.

For some years afterwards, Wonder Woman would continue adventuring as a white-suited martial artist/mod boutique owner, in the vein of Emma Peel. This change was received with criticism, but Wonder Woman eventually did get her powers back. The 12 Labors deals with a newly-repowered Wonder Woman showcasing her worthiness to rejoin the League. Unfortunately, I have not really been able to find any information about how this storyline came to be. A shame really, as I would have loved to have learned what inspired it. Ah, well. Let's take a look at Wonder Woman #212!

The cover is rather amusing. A Bob Oksner piece, it has the vibe of a romance comic cover from the 1950s. You have Superman pleading with Wonder Woman to return to the League. Wonder Woman tells him she cannot. The way they're posed does look like a pair of star-crossed lovers. Batman, Flash (Barry Allen) and Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) are also on the cover, and their poses are amusing. They look so confused, like they have no idea what in the name of Rao is going on. On the bottom, Superman promises to tell the strangest Wonder Woman story ever. He's not kidding. Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of Wonder Woman's masthead logo here. It looks a bit plain to me.

"The Man Who Mastered Women!"
Writer: Len Wein
Penciler: Curt Swan
Inker: Tex Blaisdell
Colorist: Unknown
Letterer: Unknown
Editor: Julius Schwartz

The story begins at the Justice League Satellite, orbiting 22,300 miles above the Earth. Superman has announced that the task he was assigned is done, and he's out of the Justice League because of this. With that, he slams down a file folder filled with pictures of Wonder Woman.

Batman tells Superman that he's overreacting, and this needs to be done. Blast it, Bats. Can't your lazy Bat-Butt perv on Wondy yourself? But in all seriousness, the Dark Knight asks for the Man of Steel's report. And with that, Superman tells his story. In his civilian identity of Clark Kent, he was reporting live from the United Nations, covering an address by Indira Gamal, Prime Minister of a nation called Pamanisia.

"I'm Clark Kent reporting live from YES I HAVE PANTS ON!"

I know what you're thinking. "What is that thing on his head?" and "Why is Clark Kent a television reporter? Doesn't he work for a newspaper?" Well, at the time in the Superman comics, Galaxy Communications bought out the Daily Planet, and Clark Kent ended up working as a TV anchor. A group of men parachute down. They are gunmen out to assassinate the Prime Minister. Clark is unable to do much as he's on camera, and at gunpoint. Luckily, Wonder Woman is in town, and she's able to easily dispatch the gunmen...well, almost.

One of them tries to shoot the Amazing Amazon in the back. Remember, Diana is not bulletproof, hence the bracelets. Before Wondy gets a bullet in the back, Morgan Tracy (The UN's security chief) is able to tackle the gunman to the ground. Tracy rips off the mask of the gunman to realize...

"My God! It's Mrs. Richards!"

It's a gunwoman. In fact, all the masked assassins are women, which shocks the two. ...why? Women can be assassins. However, the Star-Spangled Amazon has other business, so figuring out the motive of these women is going to have to be on Tracy. Gamal's address proceeds without further incident. When the cops arrive to arraign the women, one of them grabs a gun and tries to shoot Tracy. Wonder Woman is there in her civilian identity as Diana Prince, and she's able to take the woman down with a couple of judo chops.

Tracy introduces himself to Diana, but she tells him they meet briefly back in Wonder Woman #205 (April 1973). He offers her a job at the UN Crisis Bureau. After all, Diana can speak every language and she's clearly quite a fighter. She would only be an asset to the Bureau. Diana tells him she'll consider it. She then meets up with Clark Kent. He asks her when she got her powers back. You see, in Wonder Woman #179 (December 1968), Wonder Woman lost her powers when she declined to join the other Amazons in their journey to another dimension. This led to, as I said earlier, the controversial "Mod Era" in which Wonder Woman fought crime as a white-clad martial artist inspired by Emma Peel.

The thing is, the Amazing Amazon...doesn't remember any of this. Clark points out she quit the Justice League because of her power loss. She also does not remember quitting the League, but noted that it does explain why she never got any summons to help the League out with cases. He asks her to meet him at the League's headquarters. He'll meet her there. And with that, Diana Prince exchanges her 70s power suit and glasses for the Amazon bustier of Wonder Woman.

...where does her 70s power suit go?

Superman heads to the Justice League Satellite, the Flash (Barry Allen at the time) reports that Wonder Woman never showed up. It's not like her to just not show up...unless she's not aware that the satellite is the League's current HQ! he heads to the remains of the JLA's old mountain headquarters. Diana is afraid. Why can't she remember months of her life? What is going on?

Superman takes her to the JLA satellite, where the League try to piece together how and why Wondy lost the last several months of memory. She can't remember her "mod period", her martial arts training with her mentor I-Ching, even her beloved Steve Trevor. She wants some answers. Superman tells her they can help her if she rejoins the Justice League. However, she fears her memory loss may make her unreliable.

However, she has an idea to prove her worthiness. She'll rejoin the League if she succeeds in twelve labors, a la Hercules and his twelve labors. And those twelve labors will be her next twelve adventures. The League will monitor her adventures, and if she completes them to their satisfaction, she'll rejoin the JLA. The League agrees, and with that, Wonder Woman heads out. She's got an appointment. The League have one final task: Who is going to monitor Wondy first? Flash nominates Superman to do it, as he brought Diana's plight to their attention in the first place. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman arrives at her home of Paradise Island, and meets up with her mother Queen Hippolyta.

Diana wants to know one thing: Why did Hippolyta play havoc with her memory? Wait, how does Diana know Hippolyta messed with her memory? Well, the Amazons have the tech to cause selective amnesia in people. That does not necessarily mean that Hippolyta messed with Diana's mind. For all we know, it may have been a rogue Amazon. Hippolyta takes her to the Hall of Science. She shows Diana the Memory Chair.

"I got it at a yard sale on Apokolips. It was dirt cheap! Paid for itself!"

They were able to use the chair to restore Diana's full memory of her time in Man's World. The reason why they omitted her "Emma Peel era" memories was because they had incomplete records of that time in her life. Remember, Diana had stayed behind when the Amazons left for another dimension. Diana is furious about this as she needed those memories. She wants to now what happened to her beloved Steve Trevor. Hippolyta then gives Diana another bit of sad news: Steve Trevor is dead. There was a Steve she knew for several weeks before this comic, but he was a simulacrum designed to keep Diana's head straight. Wow.

Yeah. I honestly wonder sometimes what drugs these creators ingested. Anyway, after some tears are shed for her lost love, Diana heads back home and decides that she needs a distraction. Hey, that Tracy guy offered Diana a job at the U.N.'s Crisis Bureau, didn't he? That could be just the thing the Amazon needs. She calls him, but learns that he's entertaining Indira Gamal at The Casbah. The Casbah is a new nightclub in the West Side of New York City.

Unfortunately, it's not inspired by the Clash song. Although to be fair, this is 1974, and the song wouldn't come about until 1982. Instead, the Casbah is given the stereotypical "Arabian Nights" theme. Gamal wanted to eat here because she heard a lot of good things about the place. A man claiming to be the owner of the restaurant asks how they like the service. Gamal praises it, and the trap is sprung. The seats become a slide, and the two guests are sent to a hidden lair under the restaurant.

Diana heads towards the Casbah, her thoughts indicating that she feels a strange desire to go there. Like she is drawn to the club. Despite this, she senses something is preventing her from going inside. This gets the Amazing Amazon's suspicions up, so she changes into her Wonder Woman togs. Meanwhile, underneath the Casbah, Tracy finds himself tied up. Now he knows what's like to be Wonder Woman in the Golden Age.

He demands for himself and Gamal to be released immediately. After all, she's a head of state. Whoever is doing this is risking an international incident here. So, who is crazy and/or stupid enough to do this?

"Nobody expects the Musketeer Inquisition!"

Meet Mortimer Drake, the Cavalier! The Cavalier is a rather obscure Batman villain, first appearing in Detective Comics #81 (November 1943). Created by writer Don Cameron and artist Bob Kane, the Cavalier's gimmick is that he basically dresses up as a Musketeer and commits crimes. And swordfights Batman. It is interesting to see him face a different superhero.

Tracy's being alive is a bit of a problem for the Cavalier. You see, he was supposed to die trying to stop Gamal's assassination. Now he has to kill him here and convince Gamal (who is lying in some strange stasis chamber) that the US was responsible for the assassination attempt. Wait, what?! Despite the sheer ludicrousness of this plan, the Cavalier is sure he can pull this off. How? Well, he claims to have a..."way with women".

Like me, Tracy is confused by this. What is in it for the Cavalier? Well, simple. You see, if he controls Gamal, he can control her country...which can be a step towards world domination. ...Morty, maybe you just stick to swordfighting with Batman. Thankfully, Wonder Woman bursts in. Cavalier sends his henchwomen to take her down. However, they're human women with machine guns, and Wonder Woman is an Amazon, so you can guess how that fight went.

After easily dispatching the henchwomen, Wondy tries to get her hands on the Cavalier. However, the swordsman's presence seems to have caused her to waver. It's like his mere presence is able to make Wonder Woman seemingly fall in love with him. Unbeknownst to either of them, Superman is watching this from the skies with his telescopic vision. He's ready to dive down and give Diana a hand, but it's not needed. Diana, using some Green Lantern-worthy willpower is able to resist the swordsman's charms and gives him a Mighty Backhand.

The Cavalier is understandably shocked. No woman has ever resisted his chemically-advanced charms before! Well, Diana of Themyscira is no ordinary woman, Morty. He fires a bolt of lightning from his sword at her, admitting he was hoping that Diana Prince would have came as well (He had Tracy's phone bugged).

Wonder Woman's lasso is able to cut the Cavalier's sword to pieces. He whips his hat at her, the hat firing some sharp plumes at her. Wondy takes her tiara and tosses it like a boomerang, destroying the projectiles. The Cavalier then whips out his snuffbox. Wonder Woman than suddenly develops super-breath and blows the contents of the box back at him. The dust in the snuffbox covers the villainous Musketeer-wannabe, leaving him in a coughing fit. Before Wondy can capture him, the Cavalier's female servants suddenly rush the man and start beating him senseless.

Wonder Woman wanted to stop the Cavalier, but she did not want him dead. She lassoes him and the women and commands them to fall asleep. Tracy is understandably confused by this. Wonder Woman theorizes that the Cavalier's snuff somehow countered the chemical he used to make himself hyper-attractive to women.

And that's the story Superman recounts to the League. Wonder Woman had completed her first of her 12 labors, her test of self. There's just one thing left to do next. Who is going to observe and report on Wonder Woman's next labor? Well, since Flash volunteered the Man of Steel to watch over the Amazing Amazon, it's only fair that the Scarlet Speedster be the observer for the next mission.

"Flash, I choose you! Use Quick Attack!"

This was...not a great start to Wonder Woman's 12 labors. It felt like a first draft that never really got any proper editing. The whole thing with Diana mysteriously forgetting months of her life would have made for an interesting mystery over the course of the 12 labors, but it feels like it just got tossed aside. Not to mention it makes Hippolyta look like a jackwagon. One thing I did like about this story was Wonder Woman fighting the Cavalier. It's really cool seeing superheroes occasionally fight villains that are not part of their usual rogues' gallery. It helps sell the idea of an interconnected universe...even though the Cavalier's scheme is pretty stupid.

Also, I have to say I like the art. It's a pretty comic. Curt Swan is mainly known for his work on Superman. From the 1950s to the mid-1980s, Swan pretty much was the man who drew Superman in the comics. He also drew the very first meeting between Batman and Superman in Superman #76 (May-June 1952). As such, it's really cool to see him draw another one of DC's most iconic and oldest characters. Superman guest-starred in this issue, so no wonder he got the art duties. He really does give Diana the beauty of Aphrodite, I tell you what. He also makes characters expressive, especially Diana herself. I love Swan's art here.

Honestly, this is one story I think is only really good for the artwork. The writing itself is not that great. If you really want to read this for yourself, I would recommend tracking down the 2012 trade paperback Wonder Woman: The Twelve Labors. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time, where in honor of their upcoming cinematic debut, we'll take a look at the beginnings of the next generation of genetic heroes: The New Mutants...