Happy Easter!

Hello, to all my blog readers! I just want to wish you all a happy and wonderful Easter Day today!

Easter is basically the day that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after he got crucified. Here in the United States, where I live, the holiday often falls on a Sunday, so it has not been declared a federal or public holiday. State and federal employees don't work on Sundays anyway, that's why. And many cities hold Easter parades. You can read more about Easter, it's history, and it's traditions here.

One of the symbols of Easter is the Easter egg. The egg is meant to symbolize rebirth and new life, which makes sense, considering what Easter is supposed to represent. Another Easter symbol is of course, the Easter Bunny. Originating among German Lutherans, the Bunny is a Santa Claus-like figure who gives colored eggs (and originally toys) to good children. You can read more about the bunny here.
Hope it was a wonderful day for you all! Sorry for the cut-and-paste, I wasn't able to come up with anything better to say. Thanks for reading!

The 'Nam #52 (January 1991)

The 'Nam. A war series, it told tales of soldiers fighting in Vietnam from 1965 to 1973. The 'Nam actually got its start as story called The 5th of the 1st. The story was published in Savage Tales #1 (October 1985), an anthology magazine that told historical adventure tales. It was written by Vietnam veteran Doug Murray, and penciled by Michael Golden. At the time, the magazine was edited by another man who knew the jungles of Vietnam well: Mr. Larry Hama. He included this story as he wanted to incorporate more Vietnam-era war stories in the titles.

The story was well-received, and it inspired Marvel's then editor-in-chief Jim Shooter to greenlight a comic based on stories of soldiers in Vietnam in 1986. According to Larry Hama, Jim Shooter approached him with a mock-up of a comic book cover made from a G.I. Joe cover, with 'The 'Nam' as a title and basically said, "Make a comic out of this." Hama then asked Doug Murray to put together a pitch. Murray himself has said that he was surprised Shooter decided to make this comic a thing, but felt maybe he wanted to experiment a bit.

Murray would be reunited with Michael Golden for this new war comic. At the time, Golden was due to start work on Batman for DC Comics. However, Golden had grown kind of bored with drawing superheroes. Naturally, he was very receptive to the idea of doing something different.

The 'Nam would actually go on to be quite successful. In fact, the first issue of the book outsold X-Men. Yeah. Think about that. The X-Men. They were arguable Marvel's most popular superteam at the time, if not their most popular characters...and their book got outsold...by a book about soldiers in the Vietnam War. That's crazy. Even crazier? The book would last seven years, going from 1986 to 1993. The series would put out 84 out of an intended 100 issues. The book would get critical acclaim, and even be honored by a veterans' organization called The Bravos. The 'Nam was also unique as unlike many other titles produced by Marvel, it was not intended to be part of the Marvel Universe. Many issues would show soldiers owning Marvel comic books, explicitly establishing that various Marvel mainstays like Captain America, Spider-Man, and Iron Man were fictional in that book's world.

Under Murray's pen, the book's tales would be told in real-time. Basically, for every month between issues, a month would pass in the book. He did this to convey the soldiers waiting to return home from Southeast Asia. According to him, every soldier there had a calendar to keep track of how long they had left in Vietnam. His run told the tale of Private First Class Edward Marks as he witnessed real events during the war. Doug Murray would leave the book after twelve issues due to editorial changes. If his run wasn't cut short, Murray intended Marks to return to Vietnam as a reporter, witnessing the usage of Agent Orange.

By the 1990s, sales of the book were struggling. The writer at the time, Don Lomax (himself also a Vietnam veteran) and editor Don Daley decided to have the Punisher appear in the title. This made some sense. Punisher was popular at the time, and it was established that the character himself served in Vietnam. Despite this, the title would conclude in 1993, with issue #84. Issues #85 and #86 were still made, though. However, they would not go unpublished. They would be released as part of a Punisher special: The Punisher in the 'Nam: Final Invasion in 1994. The appearance of the Punisher in the book surprised readers as The 'Nam was, as I said earlier, not intended to be set in the Marvel Universe.

The comic that we're going to look at is the first time Frank Castle appeared in the title, showing his days serving his country before he would don his black outfit with the skull logo on the chest. This is The 'Nam #52!

The cover is a Jorge Zaffino piece. It's basically a man screaming at me. I'm assuming that it's Frank Castle. What is he screaming? A vow of vengeance? An epic battle cry? His pizza order? The coloring and the pencils give the cover a gritty look, and I think it gives the impression that Frank is going a little nuts. I have to admit, the corner box logo amuses me. It's the Punisher's skull logo wearing a lopsided Vietnam-era Army helmet. I have no idea why it amuses me, it just does.

"The Long Sticks"
Writer: Roger Salick
Penciler: Mike Harris
Inker: James Palmiotti
Colorist: Ed Lazellari
Letterers: Phil Felix (pages 1-5), Jade Moede (pages 6-20)
Editor: Don Daley
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The time: Somewhere between 1965 and 1973. The place: Duc Pho, South Vietnam. A helicopter touches down in a Marine Corps base. 800 yards away, a Vietnamese sniper watches the landing through the scope of a sniper rifle. The sniper is camouflaged by the trees and foliage.

A general emerges from the helicopter, and the sniper takes aim. As the unsuspecting Marine salutes and talks to the lieutenant sent to greet him, the sniper kisses a small monkey skull hung around his neck, like he's hoping for some luck. He takes aim with his Soviet sniper rifle, the SVD Dragunov...and fires.

The 7.62 mm round hits its target: the general's neck. The sniper smiles proudly at his work, then slips away to perform another mission. Three days pass. At Hill 55, the news is brought to Captain James. James figures that the Colonel was killed by a sniper known only as The Monkey. He points out a map that has several pins on it. Each pin represents a man that the Monkey has killed. The Monkey has become such a problem that the brass is sending a man to brief him on it. The Monkey may be a good sniper, but the Marine Corps got a man who is no slouch himself behind a sniper's scope: One Sergeant Frank Castle.

So, where is our resident future criminal killer at? Well, he and his friend Corporal Morris are doing a bit of sniping.

They spot a Viet Cong sniper using an improvised outhouse. Frank's got a bead on him. The outhouse was about 2500 yards away. The rifle of Frank's choice? An M-2 .50 cal Browning. He liked the gun as its bullets allowed for a stable trajectory for about 3000 yards. Frank makes the shot and takes out the sniper...and sets a new sniping record.

He's brought to Captain James's office. James asks him what he knows about The Monkey. Frank's knowledge is little, but he does know he's probably the very best sniper the Viet Cong have got. As such, James wants Frank to take a classified, and very dangerous mission: Take out The Monkey. As for why this mission is classified? Well, The Monkey's home has been found. It's an NVA headquarters...in Laos. I'm guessing that there's potential for an international incident here if something goes wrong.

Soon, Castle and Morris are on their way to Laos. Morris is to keep an eye on Castle, and they are to avoid the Viet Cong at all costs. The helicopter can wait three days. After that, they're gone. Castle assures them not to worry. If they're not back in time...they're likely not coming back.

The two men find the base. The only way Castle can get a shot is by doing some crawling on the grass for about a thousand yards. He'll scout the area tonight, then shoot The Monkey tomorrow. Morris thinks he's crazy. Frank tells Morris to meet him on the treeline. Castle then begins the slow crawl. It's a tough job. Castle can't leave any evidence he is there, or he'll get spotted. This had led him to take five hours to crawl 800 yards. The future Punisher encounters a bit of a problem.

A bamboo viper. Venomous snakes native to Southeast Asia. And the Viet Cong will be the least of Frank's worries if that gets its fangs into him. He and the snake engage in a staring contest. It seems like an eternity that the two stare at each other...ultimately, the snake gives up and slithers away. I kind of liked Frank being a bit freaked out by the snake. For all of his grit and toughness, he's still only human. Also, he hasn't reached Punisher levels of crazy yet. Frank is able to sneak his way towards the compound, where he encounters The Monkey, who is busy cleaning his sniper rifle.

Frank tries to sneak in closer, but a Viet Cong patrol is right near by. The future Punisher silently hopes that they don't look in his direction...but decides against it. After all, as Castle himself said, "Nobody listens to a soldier's prayers". As such, he takes out his silenced .45 pistol and shoots them. The camp is still quiet. It's like nobody noticed the soldier's actions. Castle takes the shot with his sniper rifle at The Monkey.

The camp goes into battle stations, and Castle flees into the trees. Heh. I'm a poet and I don't know it. Castle finds Morris, seemingly asleep. The soldier is understandably angry about it. He just took out The Monkey, the NVA are firing more rounds at him than at a target at a redneck's shooting range, and he's sleeping?! But Morris is not in Dreamland, he's in the afterlife. Got impaled by a bamboo shoot. Castle feels a gun at his back.

Wait...if The Monkey's right there, then...who did Frank shoot?! How?! Is The Monkey like Wolverine or something?! Is he an Immortal?! Castle shares my confusion, but the answer is actually pretty simple: A double. Castle sniped a body double. The Monkey uses doubles to confuse American snipers that hunt for him. The Monkey and his men lead Castle to a cave that they use as they use as a home base. The big Marine is well aware that they will likely torture him for any info they can get about his mission and all that. They enlarged the cave and stocked it with weapons and equipment likely stolen from the American troops. They take the future Punisher to a cage which is going to be his new home.

The Monkey decides to taunt Castle a little bit by asking if he wants to know his next target. Who is it?

Yes, The Monkey plans to put a bullet in the neck of Captain James. You see, James had been like a father to the future vigilante, and it understandably angers the man. Frank refuses to hear The Monkey's bragging and boasting. He takes off his shirt and tears it up. A guard comes by to check on Castle...and he's shocked by what he has found.  The story ends with Frank Castle having seemingly hung himself, possibly out of despair over being unable to save his mentor.

This comic was pretty good. It's pretty cool seeing Frank Castle's military days before he became the Punisher. It's a great opportunity to see what could have helped form the Punisher...or at the very least, see where he picked up the skills he uses as the Punisher. We get the idea that Frank is already a very deadly and very effective man when he's got a gun in his hand. The Monkey is a bit of a one-dimensional character, but the usage of a body double is actually rather clever. Also, it's a Punisher story, those don't need overly-complex bad guys.

I think the ending was kind of obvious as a fakeout. I mean, yeah, we all know ol' Frankie isn't the type give up and die easily, so there's got to be a trick to it. Also, I would have liked a bit more exploration of the relationship between Castle and James. The story hints that James mentored Castle, so I would have liked to have seen more interaction between them.

I had no complaints about the art. One detail I liked was that some panels that showed snipers aiming made it look like we were looking right down the sniper's scope. It was a cool detail that I really liked.

If you want to read this for yourself, I suggest you hunt down the 2018 trade paperback The Punisher Invades 'The Nam. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you enjoyed it, spread it around! And if you want to give this blog some additional support, please drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar! See you next time, where we find out if Frank Castel truly did die in 'The Nam...

Hobbs and Shaw Trailer #2, My Thoughts

Back in February, I gave my thoughts on the first trailer for the spin-off of the Fast and the Furious series known as Hobbs and Shaw. I thought it looked like a ton of fun, and seemed to be delightfully insane. But there's a second trailer out! Let's take a look!

I get the feeling this whole film is just going to be Hobbs and Shaw engaging in a metaphorical contest over which one is "manlier" or some other silliness.

I get the feeling Hobbs knew those men were behind the door, and put them there to troll Shaw.

Has Hobbs been spending time on TV Tropes?

That is a big dude. With a big wrench. Reminds me of this giant wrench I saw when I went to the Hoover Dam back in 2012.

Neat, ain't it? It's a Big Dam Wrench. I made a funny. I enjoyed seeing the dam. I saw it again when I went to Nevada for my sister's wedding. I wish I brought my camera.

ONE PUNCH! ONE PUNCH! A bit anti-climactic, but it was funny, so I'll allow it.

Clever way to use a bulletproof vest, I'll give Shaw that.

Yeah, these two will be in a manhood-measuring contest throughout the whole movie.

I think Shaw grabbed the wrong guard.

Is Brixton advertising a reality show?

Wait, why would anyone develop a virus that can do that?! Oh wait, crazy people.

Brixton needs to work on his Falcon Punch.

I bet Shaw's entire family has buttkicker in their DNA.

Ow.

Is that Helen Mirren?

Heh heh, he ejected early.

That's a lot of dudes with guns. Cue the Conservation of Ninjutsu!

Black Superman, huh? Hey, Brixton! I'd like to introduce you to Val-Zod. I am a NERD.

OUCH.

Aww, Hobbs's mom is sweet. And hey, it's Roman Reigns!

I get the feeling this kind of madness is normal for the Hobbs family.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA Hobbs and Shaw are in trouble.

So, let's see what he got here. We got a family of angry Samoans armed with ancient weapons made of wood and shark teeth...versus mercs armed with modern armor and guns. Yeah, the Samoans are going to win this.

WHEEEEE, WE'RE GOING OFF A RAMP IN A TURBOCHARGED TRUCK! YEEE-HAW! Doin' the Duke boys proud!

Yeah, Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson totally saw that scene from Captain America: Civil War where Captain America holds off a helicopter with one hand and was like "I can do better".

Well, as I said, this film looks like it will be delightfully insane. I get the impression that this film is not taking itself too seriously. It knows it's a goofy action flick, and it's having fun with it. I got some laughs from this trailer like I did the last one, and this is one I'm looking forward to seeing. Adding that to the list alongside Shazam! and Avengers: Endgame...

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate New Content Announcement, My Thoughts

On December 7, 2018, Nintendo released the newest game in their popular Smash Bros. fighting game franchise was released. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The game's big thing was that every single playable character in the Smash Bros. series would be in this game, from Wolf of the Star Fox series to Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series to Ryu from the Street Fighter series. Over 70 fighters would be in the game. A 71st character came along in the form of the Piranha Plant...and five more characters are coming as DLC, one already revealed.

The game was given practically universal acclaim, and is the fastest-selling game for the Switch. It sold nearly 13 million copies in a month. I got a copy for Christmas. It is so much fun.

As the trend is with games these days, there will be DLC and updates. And Nintendo has announced that SSBU is getting such a big update, to version 3.0. It comes with new features! Let's take a look!

Say hello to Joker from Persona 5! He's the game's newest fighter, and is one of 5 special DLC characters coming to the game! I can't wait to see who comes next! Since Microsoft and Nintendo have been getting chummy lately, maybe Banjo-Kazooie will appear next? I loved their N64 adventures.

Joker subscribes to the "just shoot 'em" idea. No need for fancy powers, just bullets. And having a big knife also helps. Makes sense, guns and knives are his weapon of choice in the game.

It appears one of his combat outfits is his civilian school uniform. Makes sense, considering how deep into games' lore the Smash Bros. series likes to get into.

Hey, Joker has his own power meter like Little Mac does!

I love that the other characters from the game are doing commentary. Nice little touch.

Of course with a new fighter comes a new stage. I love that it changes based on the background music.

Joker's Final Smash is kind of like Shulk's. Just call in his friends and they all hand out a beating.

Cool guys don't look at sparkle explosions...

That's the attention to detail right there. Joker has his own unique win screen. Another nice touch? Look at the opponents Joker has beaten. Link in his "Dark Link" costume, and Dark Samus. Shadows of the heroes. It also makes sense. They're the dark mirrors of Nintendo heroes, and Joker's whole thing is changing the malevolent nature of people's hearts using his Persona powers.

Joker just making off with everyone's stuff! Mario better hide Cappy. Link, hide your weapons, too.

...I really oughta get that Fighters Pass.

Joker looks very graceful. I might enjoy playing as him.

"He wields a gun." I don't know why, but the delivery of that made me laugh.

The grappling hook looks neat.

Considering all the damage that Joker can do, I can bet that to balance it out, he's a bit lacking in the ability to take a hit.

Rebel's Guard and the Rebellion meter makes me think of Cloud and his Limit Break meter. Even can be charged the same way.

So, I think the whole point is to get Joker to the point where he can unleash Arsene, and that's when you go all out. Arsene is one dapper Persona. Which is appropriate for a Persona named after a legendary gentleman thief.

In the Persona series, there's a place called the Metaverse. It basically contains the physical manifestations of people's subconscious desires. So basically, someone subconsciously desired this series for Joker.

Heh, looks like the other Phantom Thieves want to take a closer look at the action.

As I said, I like that the Mementos stage's colors change based on the background music. The game will use music from three games in the series, and each color represents a game. Red for Persona 5, yellow for Persona 4, and blue for Persona 3.

I can't wait to find out who the other four DLC fighters are. The possibilities are endless!

Considering that a character from the Persona series is playable in the game, makes sense there'd be Mii costumes paying homage to the series, too. The Tails and Knuckles costumes are neat, too. And at only 75 cents each? That's a bargain!

A stage builder?! We're getting a stage builder?! THAT IS SO COOL! I love stage builders! I'm going to mess with that thing so much...it does look like it'll be better than previous ones...

There will also be a video editor, too? Hey, that's neat! Any gamers that are also budding filmmakers will love this feature, I bet.

Looks like I'll have to get the Switch Online service if I want to upload my custom stages. I get why, but that is a real shame.

Don't really care much about Smash World.

This new update is awesome! I love the new features, and Joker sounds like a fun new character to play as. He comes off as a bit overpowered to me, but maybe I'll have to actually play as the guy to be sure. He might end up being a personal favorite. I am very excited for the stage builder and the video editor modes. I can't wait to mess with those. I'll have to remember to grab the Fighters Pass. I also love the new stage. It's so funky. This new update is spectacular.

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Final Fantasy X/X-2 Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

Last month, I gave my thoughts on the "Your Story Begins" trailer for Final Fantasy X and X-2 coming to the Nintendo Switch. I thought it looked neat and was interested in giving X a shot. I also thought it was great seeing Final Fantasy games coming to Nintendo consoles again. Feels like the old days in a way. And speaking of Final Fantasy, I've been listening to the Retro RPG podcast's episodes about Final Fantasy V, and I want to try that game. I know it was ported to the Game Boy Advance, and I want that cartridge.

Anyway, the Launch trailer is here! That's right! The games are out! So, let's take a look at this thing!

Ahh, nothing like hanging out with your friends around the campfire on a nice night. Not too warm, not too cold. Just comfortable enough for everyone.

Heh. Tidus wanted a friend. Well, coming from what I understand about the character, I don't blame him.

Look at those graphics. They are incredible.

What a bunch of wacky-looking soldiers. How do they see with those helmets? Do they use the Force?

Dance Time with Yuna!

Mighty Punch to the face!

Na na na na na na na na na, Cat man!

That must be one tough bubble if it can't be popped that easily.

Hey, Xbox One players can enjoy this remaster, too! Awesome for them!

The battle animations look neat.

As I have said in the past, I have wanted to give this game a shot. I certainly do hope there's a demo out on the Switch eShop. It always annoys me when there's a game I want to try out, but there's no demo. I get that these are nearly twenty-year-old games, but how hard can it be to prepare a quick demo? I don't know. I hope that there is, because I want to try X and X-2 out.

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Movie Review: Hellboy (2019)

When an ancient queen returns and is intent on wiping out humanity, the only way to stop her is to raise a little hell. And who better than Hellboy to do said hell-raising? Well, the live-action Hellboy reboot is out! Did it hit harder than the Right Hand of Doom, or was it a fizzling failure? Let's find out! I do want to warn that I will try to make this review as spoiler-free as possible, but there may be some minor stuff.

The first thing I had noticed was that this film took full advantage of its being rated R. Seriously. There is a ton of blood, violence, and f-bombs in the movie. I did feel the language was a bit excessive at times.

I did enjoy the cast. David Harbour of Stranger Things fame takes up the Right Hand of Doom, and his Hellboy is a bit more emotional and rougher-edged take, like he was a younger version of the character. He displayed some nice moments of humor in his performance, and there is a scene with him and Ian McShane's Trevor Bruttenholm that made me tear up a little. Daniel Dae Kim was also really good as Ben Daimio. His and Hellboy's interactions were fun. I also thought Sasha Lane's Alice Monaghan was great, too. I liked her evolution into a butt-kicker in her own right.

One of the flaws I felt the film had was the villain, Nimue. I felt she did come off as a bit wooden. Like they didn't let her emote. I also felt that her trying to tempt Hellboy to the dark side was kind of thin as we did not get a lot of Hellboy interacting with regular people to show that he was as 'hated and feared' as she claimed. I also was not completely into Ian McShane's performance as Trevor Bruttenholm. His Bruttenholm was a bit harsher and meaner than the portrayal by the late John Hurt in the GDT Hellboy films, and I think it would not have hurt for him to show some sympathy and kindness towards his son on occasion.

I have seen a lot of reviews saying this film was terrible. I do agree on one thing: This film is not as good as the Guillermo Del Toro films. I think that the film did not quite have the heart those did, mainly thanks to Del Toro's fondness for making monsters more human. However, I don't think the film was completely terrible. There were some cool visuals, and if you like bloody fights, this film would be right up your alley. This Hellboy is more of a straight-up action film than a character piece. And hey, the GDT films still exist, so they can still be enjoyed. Heck, if you have Netflix, the first one is there.

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Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars #4 (August 1984)

The Secret Wars rage on! Last time, the villains launched an attack that wrecked the heroes' homebase and basically blasted it to Hades and back. We also saw the rise of two brand new villains in Titania and Volcana, and Ben Grimm seemingly lost his Thing powers and became human again. Not to mention Thor and Enchantress went off to...talk the talk of immortals. Oh, and the X-Men decided to go their own way and hang with Magneto, which resulted in a brawl with Spider-Man. Yeah, quite a bit happened. So, let's see the heroes pick the pieces up in the latest issue of Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars!

The cover is really awesome! Why? Look at it! HULK HOLDING UP A MOUNTAIN. That is all. The boxes on the cover really say it all, really. "Beneath one hundred and fifty-billion tons stands The Hulk--and he's not happy!" Well, yeah. Hulk is not known for being jovial in general, and well...if I had to hold up a hundred-fifty billion ton mountain, I'd be pretty ornery, too.

"Situation: Hopeless"
Writer: Jim Shooter
Penciler: Bob Layton
Inker: John Beatty
Colorist: Christie Scheele
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with the heroes' home exploding.

"You know, Owen Reese would make a mint in the demolition business."

Yeah, they're not getting the deposit back on that. The villains then check the ruins, hoping to find some bodies, but the heroes managed to escape. Volcana is awe of the Molecule Man, considering he was able to destroy the headquarters with a wave of his hands. He is touched by this and asks her to call him Owen.

Doctor Octopus spots the heroes regrouping some miles away. Octopus hopes they can salvage a big weapon to finish them off. However, Titania is basically "Screw that! I don't need a weapon like some wimp! I got muscles!" Which she demonstrates.

"DO ANY OF YOU BOYS EVEN LIFT, BRO?! HUH?! DO YA?!"

Yeah. She tosses that giant piece of debris five miles. Impressive. The Wrecking Crew join in with smaller bits of debris, but Absorbing Man convinces them to go after the heroes. However, the Molecule Man has a...bigger way to solve the hero problem.

"Bit...overkill, huh Owen?"

Yup, he's going to drop a mountain range on them. Never say Molecule Man didn't ever go big in life. The heroes see Titania's piece of rubble coming down. Hulk can't get it because he's carrying a bunch of people. Hawkeye uses an explosive arrow to split the piece of debris. Iron Man is then able to break it up further with his repulsors. The heroes are seemingly in the clear...but then again, Molecule Man did create a mountain range just for the purpose of dropping it on their heads.

"...Ouch."

SPLAT. The villains are naturally in a celebratory mood. Meanwhile, Thor and Enchantress are just hanging out somewhere. The two Asgardians discuss...love of all things. Thor is curious as to what the Enchantress wants. She simply wants one thing: The Thunder God's heart. She's had a thing for him for millennia...she's so lucky Skurge isn't there right now. She has tried to force him to love her, but Thor tries to explain to her that it doesn't work that way, that love is something that is given, not taken. Amora points out that they're immortal. As such, they have to occupy their time with crazy quests, or else they'll go mad...if they're not already insane.

She asks Thor if he could ever love her. Thor admits that he's unsure. She asks him if she is beautiful. Thor states that she is, but true beauty comes from the spirit. He thinks that is the quest Amora should undertake, try to be a better person. She basically tells Thor she'll try...if she give him a kiss as a sign that there's hope. However, an earthquake shows up to interrupt things. The two return to the heroes' citadel...what's left of it. Yeah, they find themselves surrounded by Enchantress's fellow villains.

Thor demands to know where the heroes are, and Dr. Doom basically tells him "we squished them with a mountain range WHO DA MAN NOW RICHARDS LOL." He demands Thor's surrender, but Thor decides he'd rather break all their jaws with Mjolnir.

Titania tries to wallop the God of Thunder, bragging about how famous she'll be. Thor just sends her flying with a backhand. The villains try to dogpile him, but he's able to fight them off, too. Doom reveals he fitted Ultron with a new weapon. Basically, it's a disintegration ray...and the weapon is tested on the Avenger of Thunder. It seemingly disintegrates him, leaving only his helmet and scrapes of cape. The Enchantress is shocked to the point of tears. Doc Ock thinks the villains have won, but Doom reminds him the X-Men and Magneto are still out there.

Doom then remembers that Kang tried to kill him in issue 1, and he has Ultron disintegrate the time traveler. The villains head back to their base...but there's one problem.

"I lived, varlet."

Thor is still alive. Doom did mention the X-Men were still out there, so let's check in on them, shall we? They're flying towards Magneto's magnet-shaped home base. In the plane, each of the X-Men have their own private reveries going. Piotr "Colossus" Rasputin is missing Kitty Pryde. Rogue thinks about her past as a member of the villainous Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Wolverine vows to not hold back anymore, as they are at war. Xavier is troubled by his wiping Spider-Man's mind.

Meanwhile, in Magneto's home, the Master of Magnetism is calling upon his great power. Power that can shake mountains. Power that can raze cities. What does he use that incredible power for?

"All this effort to make a simple grooming device...By God, I'm getting old."

He makes a comb for the Wasp. There is something oddly hilarious about this. The two talk about the place Magneto is residing in, and he believes that it was created by previous occupants. This...makes a bizarre form of sense. We can assume that the Beyonder created the citadels intended for the heroes and villains so they could have a place to stay while they're fighting it out, but it's unlikely that he'd create separate place for Magneto. It's also unlikely that the Beyonder would make a separate place for Magneto...and I highly doubt Mags could have built this place himself.

Anyway, the X-Men arrive, with Wolverine hoping there's beer here. He's going to be quite disappointed. Magneto explains that he was discussing with Janet about the Beyonder...no he wasn't! He was being a dirty old man! Don't lie, Mags! You wanted to get your old self into Jan's jumpsuit! Anyway, Mags tries to cover himself by suggesting the X-Men take a more aggressive stance against Doom and his forces. Thing is, Mags also suggests that if Captain America and the non-mutant heroes have any problem with it...they should kick their butts, too.

Mags's stance is not surprising, considering his character. This is a guy who survived one of the most horrific events in human history, and it clearly scarred him. It led him to view humanity in general as no different than the Nazis that killed his family. It's something that has made Magneto one of Marvel's more complex and interesting villains. He's done some bad stuff, but it's understandable why he does it. He fears a second Holocaust, and he wants to use the Beyonder's power to create a golden age for mutantkind.

Jan then reveals that she's been playing Magneto all along. She wanted to know what she was up to. And now she knows, it's time to take her leave. But she not inconsiderate, she does give Magneto a nice parting gift, in the form of a sting blast. She easily fights her way through the X-Men, and flees in a flying craft. She felt the planet quake a while back, and she fears something terrible has happened. Yeah, she's unaware that the heroes' headquarters was destroyed by the villains.

Magneto tries to use his magnetic powers to force her back, but Xavier convinces him not to. He feels a bit of regret over using his telepathic powers on Spider-Man, and tells the Master of Magnetism that if he and the X-Men are to be allies, they will not use their powers in ignoble ways...this scene is weird.

It seems that the Wasp is the last hero standing. After all, the others were crushed by a mountain range, right? Nope.

If that's not bad enough, Hulk REALLY needs to use the bathroom.

Yup, just like the cover. The only thing keeping the heroes from being crushed is the Incredible Hulk. And even he can only hold it up for so long. It can be assumed that because he's got Banner's mind, he lacks the ability to reach the levels of rage, and therefore power, the classic savage green Hulk can reach. The heroes seem doomed...or maybe not.

They're able to revive the unconscious Reed Richards. Using Hawkeye's arrows, Iron Man's armors, and Spider-Man's web-shooters, he builds a device. He then has the Human Torch and the Monica Rambeau Captain Marvel use the device to channel all their power into Iron Man's armor. Then, the Golden Avenger fires his repulsors at the mountain.

Undoing millions of years of growth in a microsecond. We humans are a destructive bunch.

FREEDOM! Yup, the heroes are now free...and Thor is waiting for them on the other side. Cap sends Monica to find some supplies. She flies all over the planet at lightspeed, and manages to find a village. There's just one little problem.

Welcome to Galactusville, home of the World-Eaters!

The village is right near Galactus himself. Sure, the World-Eater is not exactly doing anything, but if he decides to take a step in the wrong direction...splat. The heroes meet the natives of the village, and they're understandably nervous. However, one of the villagers, a woman, argues in their favor. She is able to convince her fellow villagers to help the heroes out.

Turns out, the woman has the ability to heal injuries, and she's able to get She-Hulk and the Human Torch back in fighting condition. The Torch tries to lay on the charm, naturally. Ben Grimm points out that Galactus is right on the village's doorstep, but Reed isn't worried. Galactus doesn't seem to care at the moment, so this place is safe. He then suddenly changes back into the Thing, leaving him very confused. Why does this keep happening to him?!

Reed tells him he'll try to find out, but he's already got suspicions. He then notices something odd.

"HE'S GOING TO PUT HIS HANDS IN THE AIR! AND WAVE 'EM LIKE HE JUST DON'T CARE!"

The story ends with Galactus raising his arms, presumably to summon the equipment he uses to convert planets into the energy that he consumes for sustenance.

This story was enjoyable. As I have said, I am not a big fan of the X-Men's portrayal in this miniseries here because it seems to make no sense to me. Yeah, I get the X-Men's big gimmick, don't get me wrong. Fighting for a world that hates and fears them, I get it. I just think that this could have been done better. Maybe if the idea was that the X-Men are growing fed up with the lack of progress in the whole mutant-human peace thing, or they had gotten so used to being persecuted against that they have become rather paranoid... I'm just saying, this could have been done better.

Wasp turning on Mags was pretty darn funny, and I think fit her character. It was also neat seeing her get one up on the X-Men. I also liked Thor getting one up on the villains he's fighting. It's easy to show him as a big bruiser, so it's nice to show that he's got a brain under his winged helmet.

Bob Layton takes over the penciling here from Mike Zeck. I enjoyed Layton's work on Iron Man, and it's very good here, too.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, please spread it around! And if you want to give this blog some additional support, please drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar! It would be greatly appreciated! See you next time, as we join the Punisher with a look back on his days in Vietnam...