2025, The Positives

2025 has been...well, it's been a year, hasn't it? It's been rough for a lot of people. However, it hasn't been all hopeless.

That's right, 2025 did have some positives. Allow me to show you some, courtesy of the Good News Network.

- The fisher returns to Ohio. For those not in the know, a fisher is a carnivorous mammal native to North America. They're mustelids, meaning they're related to weasels, otters, and badgers. Ohio used to be a major home to the fisher, until the 18th century, when they were nearly hunted to extinction by fur trappers. Since 2013, fishers have been spotted more and more in the state, the fruit of efforts by conservation groups to maintain healthy ecosystems. 

- King Amenhotep III statues rise again. 1,200 years ago, a pair of statues of Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III were damaged by an earthquake. Since the late 1990s, a team of Egyptian and German experts have worked to reassemble and repair the statues. On this month, the fully-restored statues were displayed in Luxor. 

- Fluor Field revitalizes a South Carolina town. Fluor Field is a baseball stadium located in Greenville, South Carolina. Since 2006, the 6,700-seat stadium is the home of the Greenville Drive, a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Boston Red Sox. The field is meant to replicate Fenway Park, the Red Sox's own home stadium, even having its own version of the famous "Green Monster". Since the field was built, it has helped revitalize the city. It has generated nearly $300 million for the city's economy and transformed a seedy part of the city into an area full of high-rises and hotels. The power of sports indeed.

- ANEW celebrates 20 years of recycling office furniture. On Earth Day 2005, interior designer Rose Tourje founded ANEW. She found inspiration by seeing some office furniture being accidentally tossed out a window to the ground where forklifts were filling dumpsters to go to landfills. Since then, ANEW has worked with numerous companies to reduce office waste while helping benefit the less fortunate. 

- Blind man cooks barbeque. In Duncanville, Texas, there is a barbecue restaurant that is rather unique. That's because the chef, Christopher Jones, is blind. Having lost his eyesight due to diabetes, he started a restaurant here he cooks his grandfather's recipes using his other four senses, mainly smell. Just goes to show that just because one is disabled, doesn't mean they still cannot contribute to society.

- Japanese college student becomes American football hero. Kansei Matsuzawa was a talented soccer player in his native Japan during his high school days. After graduating from Makuhari Sogo High School in 2017, he went on a trip to the USA. He would end up seeing his first NFL game there, and he saw himself in the kickers. Inspired, he returned to Japan where he learned how to kick footballs by watching YouTube videos of Seattle Seahawks player Jason Myers. He would go on to play for the University of Hawaii's Rainbow Warriors, where he not only became known as "The Tokyo Toe", he became the very first University of Hawaii player to be named an All-American in 2025. Just goes to show that talent knows no borders. 

- Frenchman saves family from a burning building in Paris. Fousseyneu Cisse never expected to be a hero. But when the 39-year-old immigrant receptionist saw that a group of people were trapped inside a burning apartment building, his inner Superman emerged. Cisse climbed to an adjacent building and helped rescue two adults and six children. A spectator had filmed his heroic act, and it went viral in France. He would be invited to be a guest of honor at the country's Bastille Day parade by French President Emmanuel Macron, and Paris Police Chief Laurent Nunez awarded him a ceremonial medal. Through it all, Cisse was humble, saying that he was told to act by his heart. 

- A scorpion's venom may be able to fight breast cancer. Scientists in Brazil have discovered that the venom of the Amazonian scorpion known as Brotheas Amazonicus appeared to fight breast cancer cells much like modern chemotherapy medicine does. They discovered that a peptide in the venom called BamazScplp1 is the reason, and it could lead to a new therapy to help save the lives of people with breast cancer. 

2025 was full of bright spots. Scientific advancements and people working to make the world better. Hopefully, 2026 will continue to provide little bits of light like against the darkness. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time, and have a very happy and safe New Year!

International Cello Day

Generation X #4 (February 1995)

One of the regular themes of the X-Men family of comics is the idea of the "next generation", a group of youths rising to meet the challenges of a world that fears and hates them. After all, the original X-Men themselves were billed as the "Strangest Teens of All". In the 1980s, characters like Kitty Pryde and the New Mutants continued on this theme. However, by 1994, in-universe, these new kids had grown up and become veteran superheroes. It was time for a new generation to rise up. Enter...Generation X. 

Created by Scott Lobdell and Chris Bachalo, the group first debuted in Uncanny X-Men #318 (November 1994). The group was created as a reflection of the cynicism of the namesake demographic. Also, it had "X" in the name, so it helped fit the X-Men branding. The original members of the group came together as a result of the 1994 "Phalanx Covenant" crossover. The original members of the group, as was the tradition of post-Giant-Size X-Men teams, were from a variety of backgrounds:

- Jonothan "Jono" Starsmore/Chamber, an English mutant who had the power to fire energy blasts from his chest. His powers manifesting left him bitter as they destroyed his lower face, being forced to rely on telepathy to speak.
- Everett Thomas/Synch, an African-American Missouri boy who could copy the powers of any mutant nearby him.
- Paige Guthrie/Husk, a blonde Kentucky girl who could shed her skin, revealing different substances. She was the younger sister of New Mutant, X-Man, and future Avenger Sam Guthrie/Cannonball.
-  Monet St. Croix/M, a powerhouse from Monaco who could fly, had super strength, and had telepathy. She came from a rich family, and drama around it was part of the group's original series.
- Jubilation Lee/Jubilee, a Chinese-American mutant from Beverly Hills, with the power to generate explosive "fireworks". The only pre-established character in the original group, she served as a "bridge" to the X-Men.
- Angelo Espinosa/Skin, a reluctant gang member from East LA, he had gray stretchy skin that he could stretch. His powers affected his appearance due to it also sagging and it also gave him headaches. Much like Chamber, he hated his powers.

These six were the core members of the group, being in it throughout the book's original run from 1994 to 2001. The book lasted 75 issues. Now normally, I'd look at the first issue of the book. However, since Christmas was this week, I thought I'd look at a holiday-themed issue of the series. So, let's look at Generation X #4!

The cover is a Chris Bachalo piece. It gives me the vibe of Silver Age comic covers, promising all sorts of things. 

"Between the Cracks"
Writer: Scott Lobdell
Penciler: Chris Bachalo
Inker: Mark Buckingham
Colorists: Steve Buccellato, Electric Crayon
Letterers: Richard Starkings, Comicraft
Editor: Bob Harras
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins in Maine. Some of the members of the group (Skin, Synch, M, and Jubilee) riding home in the car of Sean "Banshee" Cassidy when they notice a police blockade. The police inform them that the bridge to Faybrook (a fictional town as far as I know) is closed. One of the cops advises Sean to take another route, Monet notes that she had studied the maps of the area earlier...and the cop was lying about the alternate route. So, what is going on there that would make the cops do this? Well, this is an X-Men spinoff book. What do you think? 

In the school, the cops are standing off with...a rather unusual young man. 

Page 5, Panels 1-2

Meet Eliot, a presumed descendant of Quasimodo. He's not some supervillain who wants to take over the world, he's just a kid who wants to learn. He wants to attend school with the other kids. His teacher, Mr. Lorenzano (aka Mr. L), tries to convince him to let the other kids go. Mr. L was sympathetic to Eliot, trying to convince the school board to let the boy attend. After all, it's not like he has actual superpowers or anything like that. He just looks like one of Quasimodo's relatives. That's literally it. Being butt-ugly don't make you an inherent danger to everyone around you. 

But let's peek back in on the Xavier Institute, shall we? The building's been getting a visitor.

Page 6, Panels 3-4.

Meet Penance. She's a whole other kettle of fish. She's fond of the peaceful area. She's used to being alone. However, today, she's going to have a visitor. 

Page 7, Panel 2

Meet Jonathan "Chamber" Starsmore. As I said earlier, he is a psionic who blew up part of his body when his powers manifested. Among those body parts he lost was his jaw, so he needs his telepathy to talk. 

He offers Penance some apple slices. That's nice of him. Who doesn't love apple slices? Mmmm...apple slices...

He's being watched by Gen X's sixth member: Paige "Husk" Guthrie. She notes amusingly that Chamber has a heart. Emma Frost, the former White Queen of the Hellfire Club (who at this point had reformed), notes that's rude to eavesdrop. Paige claims she didn't intend to do so, she was doing some studying and happened to overhear. 

Paige points out that Emma is the last person to cast such aspirations, considering her villainous past. Emma, though...isn't chastising Paige at all. In fact, Paige reminds Emma of herself at a younger age...which leaves the Kentucky girl to wonder if that was a compliment...or a warning. 

The cops are waiting for Eliot's parents to arrive. They don't notice an ice cream truck parked nearby. How could they not notice the bright pink ice cream truck parked right nearby?

The figure inside the truck notes that Eliot is not registering on their mutant-detecting equipment. Another person on a monitor points out they don't have the equipment and resources they used to. They have to work with what they got. The members of Gen-X in Faybrook get their way past the SWAT team. Sean orders Synch to use his powers to, well...synch with Eliot. Originally, he could only do this with other mutants, but after his resurrection during the Krakoa Era (he was killed off at the end of the Generation X comic's run), he now can copy the powers of any other superhuman, regardless of how they got their powers. For example, he can now duplicate the powers of the Spider-Men or the Fantastic Four if he was near them.

Meanwhile, Jubilee infiltrates the crowd, asking what's going on. She gets the skinny on the situation, and debates reporting to Banshee like she was told to. Naturally, being the rebellious sort, she decides, "Nah". Meanwhile, the standoff continues between Eliot and the police. The mutated boy rants and raves that people always see him as an acceptable target. Mr. L tries to calm the situation, but Eliot is too angry, ranting about how nobody wants to hurt the "pretty" kids. 

Meanwhile, Synch tries to use his power on Eliot, but something is odd. He did manage to sync with a mutant, but it's not Eliot. It's in the ice cream truck.

Eliot's parents also try to talk him down. Mr. L's heart starts to give out, telling Eliot this is why he understands his plight. Jubilee made her way into the school from the basement. Banshee realizes that Eliot is desperate, so hopes the other members of Gen X are ready to move in. However, someone else makes themselves known. 

Meet Peter, aka the Orphan-Maker (also has been known as Orphan Maker). First appearing in X-Factor #31 (August 1988), and created by Walt and Louise Simonson, Orphan-Maker is a dormant mutant who uses a suit of power armor. He is usually in the company of another villain called Nanny, their whole thing being "rescuing" mutant children from their parents...even if said parents still love their mutant kids. Peter's own mutant powers have never been activated, but it is believed that if they are...he could end the planet.

Anyway, as befitting his codename, Orphan-Maker tries to shoot at Eliot's parents. Thankfully, Banshee is able to stop the bullets with his sonic screams. The elder mutant notices the "bullets" are bone fragments, likely a nod to his limited resources. M and Skin then engage him.

As this is going down, Jubilee makes her way to the classroom Eliot is at. Banshee had figured that she would disobey his orders, so he made that part of his plan.

Eliot pleads the firecracker to help her and Mr. L, but the teacher's bad heart has given out, and he has died. Meanwhile, the Orphan-Maker managed to get away. Gen X managed to stop him, but Mr. L's death casts a pall over the whole thing. And there's another twist. Eliot...is not a mutant.

Well, he is, but he's not the kind of mutant that has the X-Gene like the members of Gen X. He's just...ugly. That's literally it. He has no superpowers, no special skills, he's just an ugly kid who just wanted to go to school. He always was. 

Considering what kids of crazy things there are running around in the Marvel Universe, I am surprised there aren't more cases like Eliot's. I mean, there was Banjo, who appeared in Spectacular Spider-Man #156 (November 1989). His mother was exposed to radioactive fallout when she was pregnant with him. And there was also Lucas Jackson, who first appeared in Thing #4 (October 1983). Unlike Eliot, they had powers (Banjo was super-strong, and Jackson had empathic powers), but in general, it seems like the only mutants there are in the Marvel Universe are ones with X-Genes. 

The story ends with Jubilee reading about the upcoming Age of Apocalypse crossover while the page gets covered in ice. Yeah, the comic would temporarily become Generation Next during the crossover.

I enjoyed the comic. It wasn't as...festive as I expected. To be fair, I never read this comic before I chose it, I just thought it'd be more festive by the cover. I will admit, it's more...tragic than I'd expect for a "festive" story. Generation X prevented an innocent boy from dying but couldn't save his teacher.    

Eliot is a one-shot character, but I think there was a missed opportunity here with him. It would have been neat to see Gen X take him in after the events of this issue. I mean, Banshee remarks that Eliot is someone falling through the cracks. Not to mention Gen X operated from a school. All Eliot wants is just to go to school and learn with other kids. He would get to do that with Gen X. Not to mention the irony of him looking like a monster even though he's not a mutant being around superhumans that do look like regular people at first glance. You could get some interesting stories out of that. I'm just saying.

I'm not quite sure how to describe Chris Bachalo's artwork. It certainly is...unique for lack of a better word. I haven't seen superhero comic art quite like it. There are times it    

Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas, everyone!

I hope this day brings you joy, cheer, and good tidings. However you choose to celebrate this day (if you choose to at all), I hope you find some happiness and some peace.

Iron Man #280 (May 1992)

Legacy. It's something we all have wondered about. After all, we are all mortal, and there will be a time when we all shuffle off the mortal coil, as they say. Everyone has asked what kind of legacy we will leave behind. Will it be family? Will it be some form of artwork? Superheroes have also asked that question. And for Tony Stark, aka the Invincible Iron Man, he will find that he has left...quite a legacy. You'll see what I mean when we look at Iron Man #280!

The story begins with our man Tony, contemplating his life after the events of Operation: Galactic Storm. He laments the irony of his current situation. He originally built his armor to help keep himself alive after his capture in Siancong all those years ago, but now thanks to the techno-organic parasite he's been infected with by Kearson DeWitt, it's now bringing him closer to death.

His friend James Rhodes feels differently. Yes, Tony is not a good place right now, but he just went through an intergalactic war (again, Operation: Galactic Storm). Most people would be pleased they survived it. Tony disagrees. Why? Because of his new armor.

During that story, he used a new suit of armor specially designed for space travel. However, it also ended up damaging and burning out the life-support system that he wears to keep DeWitt's parasite at bay. It doesn't matter to Tony anyway, as he's just delaying the inevitable. He's a dead man walking. 

Rhodes tries to cheer the man up by pointing out that he's not dead yet. Where there is life, there is hope. He can figure a way out. Tony is a brilliant guy, after all. Also, Rhodes doesn't say this, but I want to point out that thanks to his connections with the Avengers, Tony also knows a bunch of other brilliant people. They could also help.

Tony isn't moved. As far as he is concerned, his condition is terminal. He's already dead, he just is waiting to be buried. Unseen by him, he is being observed by an alien race. 

Page 8, Panel 4

They press a button, and Tony finds himself zapped into their midst. They start bowing before him like he's some sort of god.

Overwhelmed by his illness and presumably this sight, Tony then blacks out.

Some time later, Tony wakes up and finds himself in some sort of medbay.

Page 13, Panel 1

"Anybody got some Jello? I like Jello." 

The alien cyborgs welcome Stark to the 28th century. 

They didn't just bring Tony here to socialize, although that would be so funny if that was the case. You see, they need his help. Tony wonders why they can't call any other science expert. But they called Tony for one reason: He is their God.

Yes, these aliens are called "The Stark". They are from the 1990s Guardians of the Galaxy series, which is set in the far future of an alternate Marvel Universe called Earth-691 (although at the time, this wasn't established yet). On this Earth, the Martians from H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds attacked Earth in the early 20th century, conquering the planet and ending that Earth's Age of Marvels. That Earth's Tony Stark launched his armor technology into space to prevent the Martians from getting their tentacles on it. The craft containing his armors landed on an alien planet. And it was inhabited.

Page 15, Panels 1-2

"Guys, I am keeping this head!"

These seemingly primitive beings turned out to be smarter than expected. They were able to figure out these armors and quickly became an advanced society. Since then, a secret caste of the Stark known as the Programmers had come about to help guide development. Despite this, the Stark ravaged their homeworld, destroyed its environment, leaving it in ruins with war and infertility. Stark wonders if he is responsible for this horror, but the Programmer says he didn't fail them, they failed him. It was their own greed, their own power lust that caused this. They hope Tony can help, as he is a deity to them.

This shocks Tony to the core. He's a dead man walking, yet this alien race sees him as a savior. He can't help himself, but they expect him to help them? He still feels a need to try, though. I think it's because he mainly blames himself for what the Stark have become. He gets to work, pushing himself to the limit and beyond trying to build and design systems to help these folks repair their world.

One day, a group of barbarians attack.

Page 21, Panel 2

"CANDYGRAM!"

One of the Programmers gets Stark back to the time machine they used to bring him here. After all, it was believed at the time that the future of Earth-691 was the future of Earth-616. The barbarians make their way to the time machine, but Stark has a plan.

He makes a proclamation. 

Page 23, Panel 4

"Join with us, and you'll get free pizza!"

The leader is enraged, thinking Tony is a false idol. The Programmer sends Tony back, saying that those barbarians may have destroyed any hope for their world, they will not get to commit deicide. Tony is brought back to his timeline, only seemingly milliseconds after he was taken. He doesn't remember his time with the Stark, thanks to time travel shenanigans. Something seems to have stuck in his subconscious, as he rants to Rhodes that "it mustn't happen here". The story ends with Tony collapsing in front of his old friend.

I enjoyed this comic. The story is a simple one, with your basic environmental Aesop: Take care of the planet, as it's the only one we got. The comic really shows one of the big hallmarks of Tony Stark's character: his tendency to blame himself for things and run himself ragged trying to make things right. It's the crux of the earlier Armor Wars storyline, for example. It's perfectly in character for him to try and help the Stark, even though what they did to their planet was not his fault. He did not force them to adopt his technology, see him as a deity, or ravage their planet.  

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2008 trade paperback Iron Man: War Machine. It also is found in the 2020 trade paperback Iron Man Epic Collection Vol. 17: War Machine. Thanks for reading this blog entry!

Flake Appreciation Day

Today is Flake Appreciation Day!

Snowflakes are tiny crystals made of ice, formed by water freezing around tiny mineral or organic particles. As the droplets freeze and go through the atmosphere, they end up forming crystals that are hexagonal in shape. The reason for this is because the atoms of ice are arranged in a hexagonal shape. Think of the molecules of a snowflake as like the board in Blockbusters.

Yeah, like that. Only without the colors and the letters in the old electronic calculator font. We tend to think that snowflakes are white in color, right? 

They are actually clear. They appear white because they diffuse light that passes through them like a prism. Also, did you know that there are eight broad classifications for snowflakes? Yes, there are! Also, the reason why no two snowflakes are seemingly alike in nature is because snowflakes can form very intricate designs. Mother Nature is arguably at her most creative as an artist with the snowflake. Laboratories have grown snowflakes that are nearly identical, but that's because they can use controlled conditions. 

We learned about the diverse designs of snowflakes thanks to the photographic works of meteorologist Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley. He started photographing snowflakes in 1885 thanks to attaching a bellows camera to a microscope. He would go on to photograph 5,000 snowflakes, helping reinforce the idea that no two snowflakes are alike. In 1935, Japanese physicist Ukichiro Nakaya grew artificial snowflakes in a lab. He also helped classify the various forms of snowflakes based on his own observations and creation of photographic plates of snowflakes.  

So, yeah. Snowflakes are quite fascinating little wonders of nature. Thanks for reading this blog entry! See you next time!

Happy Hanukkah!

 I would like to wish all my Jewish blog readers a very Happy Hanukkah today!

What is Hanukkah? Also known as the Festival of Lights, the festival celebrates the rededication of Jersualem's Second Temple at the time of the Maccabean Revolt.

The holiday is observed for eight days and nights at a certain point from late November to late December due to differences between the Hebrew and Gregorian calendars. The festival is observed by lighting the candles in a candelabra known as a menorah. The menorah has eight candles, with a additional candle in the center called a shamash (meaning "attendant" in Hebrew). On every one of these eight nights, the shamash candle is used to light each of the other eight candles. These candles are a celebration of the Hanukkah miracle.

The holiday is also observed by eating foods cooked in oil like latkes, as well as dairy. There's also special songs for the occasion like the Ma'oz Tzur, and the Hallel prayer is recited. It's also customary for Jewish children to play with a spinning top-like toy known as the dreidel.

Hanukkah is celebrated all over the world, from the United States to India. I would also invite you all to read my review of The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #14 (February 2012), which has a nice little story for the occasion that features a lesser-known DC hero.

Hope your Hanukkah is a wonderful one! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!

All-Star Superman #12

It's that time again! It's time to join the Man of Steel in his final adventures! Last time, Lex Luthor managed to escape the electric chair thanks to a serum that gave him the powers of Superman. Superman also had to deal with Solaris seemingly getting himself vaporized taking down Solaris the Tyrant Sun. So, where do we go from here? Let's take a look at All-Star Superman #12!

The story begins with Kal-El, seemingly alive and in one piece.

Well, no. He's dead.

He's essentially in the Kryptonian version of the afterlife. And he's united with his biological father Jor-El. Jor-El explains that because Kryptonians' bodies absorb and store solar energies, it had an effect on how they die. You know the old adage "Matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed"? It's a similar principle here. They only change. And that is what is happening to Superman. His consciousness, his soul as it were, is ascending into a new form, building itself "thought-palaces" that can be either their heaven or Hell. And Superman has two options: Stay in this thought palace...or turn and face evil one final time. It's not hard to guess which option Superman chooses. After all, there's still a job for Superman...and it looks like there's a big one for him.

Page 276, Panel 1

The floating Luthor sneers at the Daily Planet staff. They were the ones who put him in the electric chair, so he figures they should decide which of them lives or dies next. Perry White points out that the truth put him in the chair, all the Daily Planet staff did was basically report it. Luthor mocks the concept of truth as it's something that can be seen or touched. Lois tries another tactic. She's had experience with being as powerful as the Man of Steel. She has a good idea of the rush he feels right now. Just think about it.

Luthor admits he could use a propaganda spokesperson. So, back to the thought-palace!

Jor-El tries to convince Kal-El that his time is over. After all, he's helped build a future for the Kandorians and Earth. He's given them something to aspire to, showing there is always hope, there is always a chance at a better future. Kal screams as what appears to be Krypton exploding.

Back at the Daily Planet, Steve Lombard tries to wake up Clark, apologizing for all the pranks he's pulled on Clark. Jimmy shows Luthor a photo from the Planet's Singapore newsdesk. The photo shows that the Sun has turned blue. Solaris poisoned the Sun, taking advantage of Luthor's vanity. Being the vain sort, Luthor doesn't like being told he's been made to look stupid. He blows Lois away with some super-breath. That's when Clark wakes up.

After tossing Jimmy Olsen aside, Luthor's all like "Alright, who else wants to take on the strongest man in the world?" Clark asks if Luthor is maybe a bit too...unstable for the kind of power he has. Luthor notices that Clark is grabbing something out of a drawer. 

Page 282, Panel 1

What? You don't have a Gravity Gun? I have a Gravity Guns are great. And this is the DCU. I can imagine in Texas, people stockpile Gravity Guns. Jimmy provides an extra Superman costume, thinking he was posing as Clark. He assures everyone Clark is fine, and he's got Luthor handled. The Man of Steel hits Luthor with a truck, hiding with his Gravity Gun. Luthor can find him, though. But that is not a problem. You see, Superman had planned for this.

(huh)

Yes, he had suspected Luthor was involved with this whole thing since Robot 7 malfunctioned when he was creating that Exo-Gene serum for Lois. Over the years, he's had to confiscate some very deadly weapons from all over the Milky Way, including the Gravity Gun. Thanks to being under the effects of it, Luthor has to work fifty times harder to stay in the air. But that's not why he chose the gun. An enraged Luthor then beats the tar out of Superman, screaming he will not die until Superman does first. The mad scientist manages to knock our hero from a bunch of loops. Nasthalthia proclaims that this is Science Year Zero, the new era. She notices Luthor is acting weird.

(what's wrong with you)

Thing is, Superman's powers are also having a little side effect, in a way. Lex is starting to see the world as Superman sees it. He sees the forces binding the universe together. He can see the machinery of the universe. He realizes that humanity is all it has. It's all we got. And it's why Superman is the force for good that he is.

Page 287, Panel 3

Superman reveals the real reason he used the Gravity Gun on Lex. Lex's powers have to compensate harder to withstand the gravity he is under. And it makes his powers burn out and wear off faster. Yup, Superman outsmarted one of the smartest men in the entire DC Universe.

(smart)

Superman gives Lex a Mighty Punch. Luthor has another vial of the serum...which is now in Superman's hands. The mad genius rants and raves that he could have saved the world if it weren't for the Man of Steel. Superman decks him with another Mighty Punch and cuts through all of Lex's self-aggrandizing whining and BS with one sentence.

You could have saved the world years ago if it mattered to you, Luthor. 

I love this line. More on that later. Lois runs into the Man of Tomorrow's arms like the rescued princess into the knight that saved her. Superman still has to repair the sun. His body is transforming into energy...and information. He only has seconds to do this, his final labor. He kisses Lois and tells her he loves her. And he always will. Until the end of time. And he flies off, Lois proclaiming her love for her Metropolis Marvel. In his last moments as a mortal man (seemingly), Kal-El of Krypton flies into the sun, changing it back from blue to yellow. 

A year passes. Jimmy asks if Lois is sure she doesn't want to speak at Superman's memorial service. Makes sense she'd be asked. After all, like Jimmy, she was close to him. She is sure. After all, she believes Superman is not dead. He's repairing the sun. And when he does, he'll come back. He knows where to find her if he does. True to her belief, the Man of Tomorrow is there, doing exactly that. 

Over at the P.R.O.J.E.C.T, Leo Quintum talks to his assistant Agatha about the ceremony. He found it very moving. He also notes that Luthor seemed to find closure in it. After all, he seemingly got what he wanted: A world without Superman. Quintum finds it a unique challenge to human ingenuity. Agatha wonders what if Superman never does return. Quintum isn't worried. After all, there is a plan for that. The miniseries ends with him looking at a blue door with Superman's iconic shield insignia on it...only the "S" is replaced with a "2"...

I really enjoyed this comic, and the miniseries as a whole. 

Poinsettia Day

 Happy Poinsettia Day!

What is "Poinsettia Day", you may ask yourself. Well, a poinsettia is a species of flowering plant native to Mexico and Central America. In the wild, poinsettias have a range from Mexico to Guatemala, growing in tropical dry forests. Sadly, their homes have been threatened by unregulated deforestations. 

German scientist Johann Friedrich Klotzsch was the first European to describe the flower in 1834, when it was known as the "Mexican flame flower" or the "painted leaf". However, the poinsettia was actually first cultivated long beforehand by the Aztecs. The Aztecs would use the plant to make red dye for clothing as well as an antipyretic (fever-reducing) medicine. In fact, King Montezuma would adorn his palace with poinsettias, seeing them as a gift from the gods. 

So, where does the name "poinsettia" come from? Well, it came from Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was the United States' first ambassador to Mexico. A botanist, he introduced the flower to the United States in the 1820s. 

An urban legend regarding poinsettias is that they are very toxic flowers. Yes, exposure to the plant can cause some to develop skin rashes, and ingestion can cause diarrhea and nausea, but poinsettias are not remotely as dangerous as believed.  

Poinsettias are a flower associated with Christmas. When did this start? In 16th century Mexico. Legend goes there was this young girl named Pepita or Maria. She wanted to provide a gift to celebrate the birth of Jesus. However, she was very poor, and could not buy a gift. An angel inspired her to basically gather some flowers and put them on the church altar. Those weeds would sprout poinsettias. In the 17th century, Franciscan friars in the country would use poinsettias in their Christmas celebrations, the star-shaped flowers seen as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, and the red coloring symbolizing Jesus's crucifixion. 

In the United States, Paul Ecke Junior would be responsible for the association between poinsettias and Christmas. The grandson of a German immigrant named Albert Ecke, the Ecke family were in the business of selling poinsettias. Ecke Junior would send poinsettias to various TV stations across the country to display from Thanksgiving to Christmas as a way to promote his family's business. He himself would even appear on The Tonight Show. 

In 2002, Congress passed a resolution recognizing this day as National Poinsettia Day. This day also honors Joel Poinsett, who died on this day in 1851. 

So, yeah. This day actually has a very fascinating history. I hope you had some fun learning it. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time! 

World Pear Day

Happy World Pear Day, everyone!

Pears are a fruit native to coastal and mildly temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. They are grown and consumed around the world. The pear is part of the genus Pyrus and the family Rosaceae. Pears are often harvested in the summer and autumn. 

Humans have consumed pears for centuries. China has cultivated pears since 2000 BC (in fact, it's believed that the genus Pyrus originated there), and there's evidence that people have eaten pears in prehistoric times. The Ancient Romans also consumed pears. They introduced the pear to Britain.

Pears can be consumed in a variety of ways. They can be made into jellies and jams, they can be canned, and pears can even be used to make cider like apples. I wonder what pear cider tastes like. I imagine it tastes like pears and regret.

 Pears are a very versatile little fruit, so enjoy one today! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time! 

Silver Surfer Annual #2 (1989)

In the time of Ancient Greece, the philosopher Plato wrote the works Timaeus and Critias. In these dialogues, he mentioned a continent called Atlantis. A fictional island continent, it was meant to be an allegory regarding the hubris of nations. While Atlantis would be a minor bit of Plato's work, it would be a massive source of inspiration to writers for centuries. Just goes to show you never know what will catch on.

Naturally, comic books would also latch on to the idea of an advanced island civilization that ended up lost under the waves. Heck, both the Marvel and DC Universes have Atlantis as part of their worlds, and have major superheroes connected to them: Namor the Sub-Mariner, and Aquaman respectively. 

In the Marvel Universe, Atlantis and the surface world do have a bit of a... contentious relationship, kind of like Namor himself has with his fellow superheroes. In 1989, the surface world would find itself seemingly under siege from this ancient city. This is where it started: Silver Surfer Annual #2!

The cover is a Ron Lim and Joe Rubinstein piece. It's pretty cool even though it's a bit basic. It shows the Silver Surfer in space, in front of a planet. There's a supervillain looming behind him, the comic promising the return of the Deviant! Well, a Deviant. You'll see what I mean. This would be a cool poster.

"How Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth"
Writer: Steve Englehart
Penciler: Ron Lim
Inker: Keith Williams
Colorist: Tom Vincent
Letterer: Ken Bruzenak
Editor: Craig Anderson
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco 

The story begins in California, in particular with the Dreaming Celestial, buried under a mountain. It's been lying here since the events of the 1985 Eternals maxiseries, doing its thing...dreaming. The Dreaming Celestial is having some sort of bad trip, not helped by the events of Fantastic Four #323. The Celestial turns and groans. This causes an earthquake that registers 3.9 on the Richter scale. But this is the Silver Surfer's annual. And he is busy doing what he does best: surf the space ways! Catching those Cosmic Waves, bro!

The Surfer's board suddenly goes a bit wild, which Norrin finds...weird. He and the board are supposed to be one. The board is supposed to obey his commands. It's like something is trying to pull the board towards a particular destination. Our man examines the board and notices that there's some bacteria-like life forms clinging to it, like barnacles on a ship's hull. 

"Ewww, who put a booger on my board?!"

Norrin finds it unlikely that these things are the cause of his board troubles, so he tries to burn them off with the Power Cosmic. These little critters are resilient, though. As such, it has no effect. Norrin realizes that the particles are trying to take him somewhere, so he figures he might as well let them take him and his board where they want to go. They take him to a strange cloud, nothing like the Surfer has ever seen before. It's one of the...odder phenomenon he's encountered.

Norrin uses the Power Cosmic on the cloud, somehow causing the cloud to transform into an...old "friend" we've encountered on this here blog.

"I'm back and better than ever, baby! OH YEAH!"

Yup, Ghaur is back! Remember him from my reviews of the 1980s Eternals maxiseries? Well, he was seemingly killed after the events of Eternals #12 (September 1986), but it turns out his consciousness did survive...in the form of the bacteria-ridden cloud the Surfer had encountered. He saw the Surfer passing by as his destiny, recapping how he ended up there. Ghaur and the Surfer duke it out.

The mad Deviant is not at his full power, but he still is able to match the Surfer and his Power Cosmic well. However, Ghaur has a new plan, and he has no desire to waste his time battling Norrin. He traps the Surfer in a plasma field and flies off. I think he's just running away because he doesn't want to get himself some of Norrin's silver hands.

The Surfer considers pursuing him...somehow knowing Ghaur intends to return to Earth. I don't know. Maybe the Power Cosmic told him? I do remember he used it as a form of psychometry in John Byrne's Fantastic Four run. He then remembers that he has his own problems. Mainly that his own homeworld is being dragged into another Kree-Skrull War, as shown in his own book at6 the time. Not to mention Earth has its own fair share of superheroes. They've taken him down before, so they can do it again. Still, it would be nice to at least warn them, ya jerk!

Ghaur makes his way back to Earth. His destination? The ancient city of Lemuria. But not the Lemuria that was the home of the Deviants. This Lemuria is the home of Atlanteans that worshipped the seven-headed snake Elder God known as Set. Makes sense, considering the role Set will play in upcoming annuals.

The Lemurians are not happy to see the former Priestlord. They express their displeasure with him being in town by trying to blast him. Ghaur goes through the Lemurian forces like a hot knife through butter. After all, there is someone there he has to see: Llyra. 

"This had better be good. I'm wearing my power swimsuit."

Ghaur takes Llyra with him. Since he freed her from imprisonment in Lemuria, she does him a courtesy and warns him that she has no intention to serve any man, even if they are ugly blue men. However, Ghaur says that his plans have an accord with hers, mainly a desire for the Serpent Crown. Ghaur learned of the Crown thanks to his consciousness being expanded during his time as a space cloud. His mind came into contact with the mind of Set within said Crown. We get a brief recap of the Crown's history up to that point to its most recent appearance encountering the Thing, Dr. Strange, Scarlet Witch, and Spider-Man. But Ghaur has guaranteed Set's victory. 

In space, evidently the Surfer listened to me, because he transmits a warning to Doctor Strange and Elizabeth "Talisman" Twoyoungmen. And as this happens, the Dreaming Celestial turns, having nightmares about the decimation of humanity...'

I did enjoy this story, but it is mainly setup. We get to see the return of Ghaur and hint about his plans. I did enjoy seeing the recaps of the Serpent Crown's history up to that point. It's the Marvel history nerd in me. I wish modern Marvel comics did recaps like this. 

If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2021 trade paperback Atlantis Attacks: The Original Epic. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!