#365 Marvel Villains

[docgold13]

365 Marvel Comics Paper Cut-Out SuperHeroes - One Hero, Every Day, All Year…

Team Supplemental - The Young Avengers

The team of teenage heroes known as The Young Avengers formed when a younger version of Nathaniel Richards traveled to the modern era from the distant future as part of a desperate effort to prevent himself from growing up to become the villainous Kang the Conquer.  Nathaniel had hoped to recruit the modern age Avengers to assist him since they had been the one team who had consistently managed to defeat his older self.  Yet he miscalculated his time jump and arrived at a time where The Avengers had disbanded following the Disassembled event.

Unable to make another time jump, Nathaniel made do by searching the Vision’s data banks to locate a group of young heroes previously identified as potential recruits for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.  So to belay suspicions with these young heroes, Nathaniel hid his true identity and took on the guise of Iron Lad.      

The team Nathaniel was ultimately able to put together called themselves ‘The Young Avengers.’  This team was composed of Wiccan, Hulkling, Patriot, Stature and Hawkeye/Kate Bishop.  Subsequent additions to the team included Wiccan’s twin brother, Speed, and a new iteration of The Vision with a personality matrix based on Iron Lad’s consciousness.    

Although The Young Avengers were able to defeat Kang, the trauma of the death of his teammate, Stature, caused Nathaniel to become emotionally unhinged.  This caused him to ultimately returned to the path that would result in fulfilling his destiny and become Kang the Conquerer.

The initial version of The Young Avengers disbanded, yet a new iteration came together to battle the threat of the inter-dimensional parasite known as Mother.  This second version of the team consisted of the original members, Hawkeye, Hulking, Wiccan and Speed, along with the new additions of Ms. America Chavez, Marvel Boy, Prodigy and Kid Loki.  

The team first appeared in the pages of Young Avengers Vol. 1 #1 (2005).

#365 Marvel Comics Heroes #Young Avengers #cut-outs #paper art

[episodicnostalgia]

Comic Book Break: The Venom Symbiote

Featured art by Ron Lim: Covers for Marvel Tales #266-268 Mark Bagley: Carnage/Spidey/Venom Poster Ron Frenz: Cover for Amazing Spider-Man #252

I grew up as a Spider-man fan in the 90’s, which means I (predictably) thought Venom was the coolest villain of all time.  My Dad introduced me to Spidey’s ‘modern era’ shortly after Carnage first hit the scene, which means the Symbiote villains were a hot topic.  As such, my first introduction to both Venom and Carnage would be in the pages of ‘The Amazing Spider-man’ #365, and boy did that issue leave an impression. 

You see up to that point my fascination with the web head was moderately new, and I remained largely ignorant to the finer points of his lore.  My Dad had just begun to re-discover comic books for the first time since his childhood, and this particular issue was a extra sized anniversary edition, replete with a holographic cover, character histories, and even a handful of bonus stories that were framed around various side characters who could reminisce about Spider-man’s classic tales.  It was a handy way to bring new readers up to speed, and it worked well enough on my Dad (much to my approval) for him to continue collecting until the Clone Saga ruined everything.  ASM #365 also featured this absolute BANGER of a poster by Mark Bagley.  Check it out!

That image was seared into my brain, and two things became abundantly clear to me 1) Those villains were unequivocally, the greatest characters in modern literature, and 2) I needed to know why. Obviously I asked my Dad who those guys were, and he proceeded to explain the basic premise of the Symbiote suit and it’s history with Spider-man.  Needless to say, I became obsessed with finding an issue, ANY ISSUE, that featured Venom and/or Carnage; I wanted to know everything about these guys.  The only obstacle that stood between me and my goal was my age, as I was still quite young, and I think my folks were just the tiniest bit leery of exposing me to a characters who looked and behaved like, if we’re being honest, bloodthirsty hell demons (or brain thirsty, as the case may be).

As luck would have it, my dad found a pretty fair compromise in the pages of ‘Marvel Tales’.  MT was a series that featured reprints of classic-or-topical spider-man comics from days of yore, often with new cover art by a current artist.  Since the introduction of Carnage was turning heads towards the Spider-man books (also around the same time the comic book speculators boom was taking off)  it was a prime opportunity for Marvel to reprint the issues of ASM that introduced the original symbiote creature (written by Roger Stern).  So, my dad bought me several issues (pictured up top, and immediately below) to satiate my curiosity for another year before I finally got finally see Venom himself, and in the mean time I was simply delighted to be reading the origin story as I went.

Since those days, my interest in Venom has wavered dramatically depending on the project/medium/who’s writing him, and I’ve found much of what’s been produced fairly underwhelming; but my admiration of the design for Spider-man’s black costume has remained steadfast.  If I’m being (perhaps heretically) honest, I almost prefer the black costume to the original.  Something about it just feels so correct for the character, and clearly I’m not the only person who felt as much.  Despite some initial push-back,  the black costume had garnered enough support by the end of the 8-issue symbiote saga, for it to be brought back as just a ‘regular costume, but with the symbiote aesthetic.’ From that point on, it would feature regularly for several years before Venom officially inherited the look.

And just to be clear, no I wouldn’t ever truly want to replace Spider-man’s classic look, but you gotta admit, the black suit looks mighty slick.

#spiderman the animated series #spiderman #black suit spider man #symbiote suit #venom symbiote #venom origin #venom #eddie brock #marvel comics #comic books #retrospective #marvel tales #the amazing spider man #carnage #maximum carnage #mark bagley #ron frenz #roger stern #ron lim #90s comics #scifi #80s comics #carnage symbiote #retro review #episodic nostalgia

[mostlygibberish]

"It's Morbin' time."

I liked the part when he Morbed on those guys.

No, really, I actually watched Morbius. I figured there's no point seeing 365 movies in a year if I'm not going to include the single greatest accomplishment of film-making released in it. It wasn't the most offensively bad thing I've ever seen, like some would have you believe, but it was certainly a shitty movie.

The plot made very little sense, none of the characters had comprehensible motivation for their actions, and things just sort of happened like they had a script framework they had to fill out, because they probably did. The tone shift between any two scenes was completely unpredictable, and it was never clear why anybody was reacting the way they were to the insane shit taking place. 

Multiple people watched somebody Morbing out (literally transforming into a Nosferatu looking monster) and just took it ridiculously casually. When he jumped like 25 storeys up a stairwell, the cops said "Hold your fire!", like they were dealing with a regular fleeing guy and not a magic vampire. The best part is that approximately ten seconds later the main cop was somehow up there on the roof confronting him.

Jared Leto seemed incapable of emoting even before he became a CGI monster, and I found him as annoying as always. Matt Smith, despite already looking vampiric to begin with, was horribly cast as the villain who entirely lacked motive. Turns out his stupid dance scene is just as funny in the movie as it was context-free on youtube, because it actually has no context. It just hard cuts from a serious laboratory scene to him dancing and Morbing out, to remind you he exists.

Adria Arjona was pretty good, but her character was presented as a love interest without bothering to include any actual relationship development. I hope appearing in this didn't hurt her career too badly, though it looks like she might be signed up for a sequel if and when one eventuates.

There were these two cops that kept showing up, but ultimately they contributed absolutely nothing to the movie. I think they may have been intended as audience surrogates or comedic relief, but whatever the plan was it didn't work.

All the fights were dull and entirely rendered in terrible CGI. You couldn't really follow what was happening spatially because of the way everything was just muddled blobs smacking against each other in dim lighting. It all looked shocking dated.

Morbius had the power of flight because he had bat DNA and bats can fly. Obviously that's the thing that lets the bats fly, right? Their genes and ability to... see wind currents? The wings are really just for show, everyone knows that.

Even the end credits were a confusing mess; Neon vector graphics bombarded the screen like we just watched some retro 80's callback, accompanied by music that made me think I was in a day spa awaiting a relaxing mud bath.

The most egregious sin of Morbius is that it had not one but TWO sequel hooks, assuredly planting the seed for the living vampire's triumphant return to the silver screen, and a cinematic universe capable of effortlessly overthrowing Marvel and DC.

A literally perfect piece of pure kino that everybody should immediately watch. Also an entertainingly shitty movie.

#morbius #morbius 2022 #movie review

[evikdpriagung]

What If Season 2 Episode 01: Nebula Joined Nova Corps (Disney Hotstar)

20231224 #1 00.19 WIB358/365 Days 12,303 What If Season 2, “Nebula joined Nova Corps”. I love Nebula. I thought that she will be the villain. Love her action here. More Nebula please. 💜💜💜. Cuman dari segi cerita bisa improve lagi lah ya.Story: 7.5Character Development: 8Visual: 8.5Music: 8Plot: 7.5Moral Values: 8AVERAGE: 7.92/10Source: @marvel #Review #Opinion #TVSeries #WhatIf #Season2…

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[tvrundownusa]

tvrundown USA 2022.11.04

Friday, November 4th:

(exclusive): Manifest (netflix, new network, season 4A available, first 10 eps), Lookism (netflix, anime series premiere), The Fabulous (netflix, Korean fashion romance series), Marvel Studios Legends (dsn+, Wakanda special), Slumberkins (apple+, puppets + animation preschool series premiere), El Presidente (amazon, season 2 "Corruption Game" available, all 8 eps), "Uvalde: The Struggle to Understand" (hulu, a 365 ABC News special, in primetime)

(movies, etc.): "Satan's Slaves: Communion" (Shudder, horror), "My Policeman" (amazonPrime, theatrical romance), "Causeway" (apple+, PTSD drama), "Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me" (apple+, personal health documentary), "Director by Night" (dsn+, the making of "Werewolf by Night"), "Brahmastra Part One: Shiva" (hulu, Hindi theatrical movie, US premiere), "The Silent Twins" (Peacock, streaming premiere), "Both Sides of the Blade" (AMC+, French romantic drama), "Elesin Oba: The King's Horseman" (netflix), "Enola Holmes 2" (netflix, mystery sequel), "WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story" (Roku, biopic starring Daniel Radcliffe)

(streaming weekly): The Peripheral (amazon), Acapulco (apple+), Shantaram (apple+), Central Park (apple+), The Mosquito Coast (apple+, season 2 opener), The Problem with Jon Stewart (apple+), Garcia! (HMax), "Who's Talking to Chris Wallace" (HMax), The Great British Baking Show (netflix), High School (freevee, season 1 finale), The Amber Ruffin Show (Peacock, season resumes, primetime)

(original made-for-TV movies): "Unperfect Christmas Wish" (UPtv, 2hrs), "Secrets in the Family" (LMN, 2hrs), "A Magical Christmas Village" (HALL, 2hrs)

(also new): Monster High (NICK), "Black Panther: In Search of Wakanda" (ABC, a 20/20 special)

(hour 1): S.W.A.T. (CBS), Penn & Teller: Fool Us (theCW), Lopez vs. Lopez (NBC, sitcom premiere) /   / Young Rock (NBC, season 3 opener, new night), The Villains of Valley View (disney) /   / "Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion" (disney), "The Lincoln Project" (SHO, part 5/5 docuseries finale)

(hour 2): Fire Country (CBS), Whose Line Is It Anyway? (theCW), Raven's Home (disney), The Amber Ruffin Show (Peacock, streaming)

(hour 3): Blue Bloods (CBS), Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

(hour 4 - latenight):   The Graham Norton Show (BBCAm)

#LopezLopez #YoungRock #MosquitoCoast #television

[616rogue]

Rogue: Reading guide.

This guide is set in chronological order, featuring Rogue’s most notable and meaningful appearances from her comic-book debut to date.

All must read issues will be in bold text. All must read titles will be in italic text.

SEE ALSO: Rogue’s website, all of Rogue’s comic-book appearences, Rogue & Gambit’s reading guide, Rogue’s fan-page.

1) Childhood and past as a villain.

Cable (1993) #87.

X-Men Unlimited (1993) #4.

Classic X-Men (1984) #44.

Marvel Fanfare (1982) #60.

Marvel Super-Heroes (1990) #11.

Avengers Annual (1963) #10 (First appearance).

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #158.

2) X-Men.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #171.

Rogue (2001) [#1 - #4].

Uncanny X-Men (1963) [#172 - #175]  + #178 + #182 + #185 + #194 + #203 + [#210 - #213] + #218.

Marvel Super-Heroes (1990) #2.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) [#221 - #234] + [#235 - #237] + [#238 - #243] + #244 + [#246 - #247] + #269 + [#274 - #275] + [#278 - #280].

X-Factor (1986) #70.

X-Men (1991) [#1 - #13].  

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #297.

X-Men (1991) #19 + #24 + [#27 - #28] + #30.

Gambit (1993) [#1 - #4].

X-Men Unlimited (1993) #4.

X-Factor (1986) #108.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #305.

X-Men (1991) [#33 - #34] + #38.

Rogue (1995) [#1 - #4].

Cable (1993) #20.

X-Men (1991) [#41 - #42].

Uncanny X-Men (1963) [#323 - #325].

X-Men (1991) #45.

X-Men Unlimited (1993) #11.

X-Men (1991) #55.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #336.

X-Men (1991) #58.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) [#341 - #350] + [#353 - #354] + [#359 - #365].

X-Men (1991) [#81 - #87] + [#93 - #94] + #95 + [#100 - #102] + [#103 - #105].

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #386.

X-Men (1991) [#106 - #107].

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #388.

X-Men (1991) #108.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #389.

X-Men (1991) #109.

X-Treme X-Men (2001) [#1 - #4].

X-Treme X-Men: Savage Land (2001) [#1 - #4].

X-Treme X-Men (2001) [#5 - #19] + #31 + [#40 - #41] + #46.

Rogue (2004) [#1 - #6].

Mystique (2003) #23.

Rogue (2004) [#7 - #12].

X-Men (1991) [#167 - #187].

Ms. Marvel (2006) [#8 - #10].

X-Men (1991) [#188 - #204].

New X-Men (2004) #46.

X-Men (1991) #207.

X-Men: Legacy (2008) [#215 - #216] + #200 + [#224 - #227].

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #517.

X-Men: Legacy (2008) [Annual] #1.

X-Men: Legacy (2008) [#228 - #235].

X-Force (2008) [#26 - #27].

New Mutants (2009) #14.

X-Men: Legacy (2008) [#238 - #245].

New Mutants (2009) #22.

X-Men: Legacy (2008) #246.

New Mutants (2009) #23.

X-Men: Legacy (2008) [#247 - #258].

X-Men: Regenesis (2011) #1.

X-Men: Legacy (2008) [#259 - #270].

Avengers vs. X-Men (2012) #11.

X-Men: Legacy (2008) [#271 - #275].

3) Avengers.

Uncanny Avengers (2012) [#1 - #4].

Gambit (2012) [#9 - #12] + #19.

X-Men (2013) [#1 - #3].

Uncanny Avengers (2012) #5.

X-Men (2013) #4.

Uncanny Avengers (2012) [#6 - #25].

Avengers & X-Men: AXIS (2014) [#1 - #2] + [#3 - #9].

Uncanny Avengers (II) [#1 - #30].

Despicable Deadpool (2017) #293.

X-Men: Gold (2017) [#23 - #25].

Avengers (2016) [#675 - #690].

4) Return to the X-Men.

Astonishing X-Men (2017) [#1 - #2] + [#4 - #12].

Rogue & Gambit (2017) [#1 - #5].

X-Men: Gold (2017) [#26 - #30].

Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor (2018) [#1 - #4].

Mr. and Mrs. X (2018) [#1 - #10].

Captain Marvel (2019) [#3 - #5].

Mr. and Mrs. X (2018) [#11 - #12].

5) Current timeline.

Excalibur (2019) [#1 - #11].

Deadpool (2020) #6.

Excalibur (2019) #12 + [#16 - #18] + [#19 - #20] + #21.

X-Men (2019) #21.

X-Men (2021) [#1 - #3] + #5 + [#9 - #12].

X-Men: Hellfire Gala (2022) #1.

Love Unlimited Infinity Comic (2022) [#32 - #33] + [#61 - #66].

Captain Marvel (2019) [#43 - #44] + #46 + [#47 - #49].

Rogue & Gambit (2023) [#1 - #5].

Marvel's Voices: X-Men (2023) #1.

X-Men (2021) #24.

Hellfire Gala: X-Men (2023) #1.

The Invincible Iron-Man (2022) #8.

Uncanny Avengers (2023) [#1 - #2].

#x-men #rogue #anna marie #reading guide #comicedit #xmenedit #marveledit #f: marvel #f: xmen #ch: anna marie #type: reading guide

[ifyoulovemeletmebinge]

I posted 6,869 times in 2021

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For every post I created, I reblogged 6.2 posts.

I added 4,077 tags in 2021

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My Top Posts in 2021

#5

thinking about how dean is probably the first person cas thought was attractive......

one day, cas just looked at dean and was like: “oh. oh. OH. this one human is... pleasing to me. like his face. and body too? i could count his freckles all day. the shade of his hair in the sun is breathtaking. i want to stare at his hands because his knuckles are nice. i want to trace the bump on his nose. i have to look away when he walks because the way his knees bend is admirable.” 

109 notes • Posted 2021-01-08 01:54:31 GMT

#4

he was just gay. Why. why is that so— why can’t we just say it? He was a gay character. He was just GAY. THATS ALL

140 notes • Posted 2021-03-16 21:06:31 GMT

#3

still can’t believe he sent 17 year old dean to go hunt lesbian nuns as a way to subconsciously threaten him with a warning....

“this isn’t just what society will do to you. i’ll do it too. i’ll be the first shot and the last match to burn your bones to dust. you’re a failure if you don’t fuck that waitress tonight. watch out for sammy.”

209 notes • Posted 2021-01-14 18:02:18 GMT

#2

the best part of this is.

it wasn’t a French mistake it was intentional.

365 notes • Posted 2021-03-10 18:13:57 GMT

#1

if he who remains villain, why funky little dude who jumps around his furniture eating snacks?

1258 notes • Posted 2021-07-14 18:07:57 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #Incredibly predictable #Good job me :) #rant lmfao

[maraleftlung]

Tonight Xmen #DarkPhoenix :) #xmen #DarkPhoenix #marvel #film #heroes #villains #bubblegumcinema #movies #cinema #movie #cineworld #june #burton #365 #midlands #england #uk #gb #ig #igers #instapic #instacool #instagram #instagramers #picoftheday #photooftheday #leftlung #maraleftlung (at Cineworld Burton upon Trent) https://www.instagram.com/p/Byf5_-VH1Mu/?igshid=lejg15uj76qb

#darkphoenix #xmen #marvel #film #heroes #villains #bubblegumcinema #movies #cinema #movie #cineworld #june #burton #365 #midlands #england #uk #gb #ig #igers #instapic #instacool #instagram #instagramers #picoftheday #photooftheday #leftlung #maraleftlung

[traincat]

Hi traincat! Hope you're doing well. I figured since you have an extensive knowledge on all things Spider-Man, you would know your way around his rogues! I wanted to ask if you have a favorite or one that you find most compelling and why. Thanks a million!

I think my answers for which rogues are my favorites and which I find most compelling and which are widely viewed as the best and why are all pretty wildly different. I do think the popular assessment that Spider-Man has one of the best rogues galleries in Marvel canon is true. Like, I think the absolute best Spider-Main villain story -- the one that gives you the best sense of the villain as a character and also the one that works best at uniting villain and is Kraven’s Last Hunt, which is just incredible on every level. (Content warning for suicide.)

(Web of Spider-Man #32) Also, like, in terms of design, Kraven is great. Love a big Russian game hunter perpetually bare chested and wearing leopard print cropped leggings. That’s not something you get sick of. Only Kraven Sr. for me, though -- I’m less fond of his son, although I think the whole family affairs in Grim Hunt and Scarlet Spider v2 are pretty fun.

On the other hand, though, I think that some of the biggest villains in Spider-Man’s gallery, namely Norman Osborn and Doc Ock, are overused, although I know why they’re overused and it’s because they’re really good villains. (But also you can only make people pay for the same story so many times with only minor variations before it starts to get old.) I think Norman and Peter are pretty perfect opposites, whereas Otto and Peter are mirror images -- although I think generally Norman stories pull off that opposite nature better than Otto stories reveal him as a mirrored image of Peter. 

I think it’s interesting that Otto is kind of the first “big” villain Peter encounters -- he makes his debut in ASM #3, so there are villains that come before him, but they’re like, the Vulture and the Chameleon. And there are great Vulture stories -- love that flying octogenarian -- but like, I would not put the Vulture in the absolute top tier Spider-Man villains. And the Chameleon is a freak.

Same, girl. (Web of Spider-Man #65) 

More villain talk beneath the cut.

By comparison, Otto is the first villain to actually serve Peter a real defeat, the first one to humble him. So I think it’s interesting that they come from very similar backgrounds -- both geniuses, both lonely as children, both people who were in danger of becoming very solitary, isolated adults, which Otto did and which Peter did not. They had a mother figure who verged on at times or was actually smothering in her affections, and a salt of the earth type father figure. And Otto gains his powers after suffering an accident with radiation much the same way Peter does. It’s one of the things that disappoints me about Superior Spider-Man, because I don’t think it plays into the idea of Otto and Peter as mirrored images of each other nearly as much as it could have. Even Otto’s Parker Industries originally showed up in a “bad” version of Peter’s life, where he never got bit by the spider and instead becomes a CEO:

(Sensational Spider-Man #41) “You prove yourself to everyone -- except yourself.” Which is what Otto is continually trying to do, and which is what he always falls short of. So it’s interesting that there’s kind of all this set up here and that the actual comics sort of continually fall short of it. 

Green Goblin stories live up to their rep a little better, in my opinion, and they’re better at playing into those parallels. Norman and Peter are both self-made men, but Norman is rich and Peter is not. Peter accepts responsibility and fault; Norman does not. Norman’s life is devoid of women, while Peter’s is full of it. If Norman and Peter are both studies in masculinity, then Norman’s is toxic and Peter’s is not. Peter is capable of growth; Norman is entrenched in this role he’s made for himself -- he is not capable of sustained growth beyond the role he’s made for himself. There’s a reason I think Norman gets used so much and it’s because it’s a heady dynamic to kind of play into -- especially when you go with the relatively more recent angle of things where Norman kind of views Peter as the perfect heir, worthy where Harry is not. Honestly, it’s a good time whenever you’re involving Harry in the mix at all, as someone caught between these two very powerful figures and how the tug-of-war there for ownership of him is just completely soul destroying. 

(Spectacular Spider-Man #180)

But I do think Norman is overused, and it’s gotten a point where in Amazing Spider-Man #800 it was like -- oh, what, he’s going to kill Flash? He’s going to kill someone else Peter loves? He’s killed like half the main-main cast at this point. He’s behind the murder of Peter and Mary Jane’s baby, he’s responsible for Ben Reilly’s death, he killed Gwen Stacy, Harry’s death goes directly back to him, he’s kidnapped May and Mary Jane and Flash and blah blah blah it’s JUST TOO MUCH. It can’t always be this one guy! You can’t just bring him back every 50 issues like “this time Norman Osborn’s gone too far” when he went too far in the ‘70s. Everything since then has just been trying to recapture the moment he threw Gwen Stacy off the bridge. It’s exhausting. I’m begging Spider-Man, as it starts hyping up yet another Norman story for ASM #850, to do something new.

In comparison to Norman, I think Harry’s run as the Green Goblin is fairly flawlessly executed as far as villain stories go, especially in its final hour. Spectacular Spider-Man #200 is really one of my favorite single issues of all time. Harry has the pathos that Norman really never does -- you can feel for Harry in a way that you can’t feel for Norman. And it’s because Harry loves Peter -- really, truly loves him -- that his acts of villainy take on that special edge of cruelty. It doesn’t just hurt Peter that these things are being done; it hurts Peter that these are being done and that it’s Harry doing them and that, in a lot of ways, they both blame Peter for why Harry is doing them, even if at the end of the day it’s in no way Peter’s fault. And then there’s the utterly perfect moment as Harry dies in Spectacular Spider-Man #200, that his act of triumph is that he can’t bring himself to kill Peter, because he loves him too much. It’s perfect. I live in fear they’re going to make Harry a villain again and try to replicate it only to fall painfully short. 

I think the Jackal is actually underutilized because he is in my honest opinion the scariest Spider-Man villain, or at the very least the creepiest. Where Norman can only dream of remaking Spider-Man in his own image, the Jackal actually does that with Ben Reilly -- and, to a lesser extent, with Kaine, his first damaged clone. He’s a good lurker, too, less show-y than either Otto or Norman. He lurked in the background for a while. And in a series where I think you can pick a lot of the villains apart as men who take advantage of their power, having the Jackal be a college professor whose villainous career stems from his obsession with one of his students fits right in. And he’s just creepy. He’s upsetting! The things he does to the clones -- both the Peter and Gwen clones, although I think the comics are not so great at letting the Gwen clones shine as individual characters, which is something I wish someone would actually do something about -- are very upsetting, especially since you can extrapolate from a lot of Kaine’s stories and the things we know bother him and how he’s consistently paralleled against Janine Godbe, that both Kaine and the Gwen clones were sexually abused by the Jackal. (Spider-Man’s not typically shy about examining darker subjects, and while we can only extrapolate from canon with Kaine, it’s extremely there on the surface with the Gwen clones. I mean, he married one.) And honestly, the villain who’s whole schtick is cloning makes more sense as someone who can repeatedly come back from anything than Norman’s deal of Corrupt Businessman Surprisingly Hard To Kill. I’ve said before that Peter appears to have a bit of a loophole in his personal moral code when it comes to violence that either has no consequences or lessened consequences, like when he cuts loose against Wolverine, someone who has a healing factor, or when he buried the Juggernaut, supposedly indestructible, in concrete. The Jackal as someone who could and has clone himself repeatedly opens up similar doorways -- what’s to stop Peter from cutting loose if the Jackal isn’t confined to this one body? There’s a lot to play with there and a lot more interesting spaces to go than, say, having to invent increasingly poor excuses for why Peter hasn’t taken more permanent action with Norman if Norman is always going to return to do harm to someone beloved to Peter.

Finally, I’m in a weird spot with personal favorite villains because honestly my instinct is to say the Lizard. And that’s an issue because of one fairly recent storyline and everything that’s spun out from it: Shed (Amazing Spider-Man #630-633), the storyline where Curt Connors loses all control over the Lizard, kills, and partially devours his son Billy. Like, I LIKE grim dark Spider-Man comics, and Shed is honestly too much for me -- not because of the Lizard’s actions, but because in the story Peter fails to save Billy. And I say not because of the Lizard’s actions because I think, as fun as a giant lizard man in purple pants and a lab coat can be, I think Curt Connors makes for one hell of a supervillain metaphor for domestic violence. 

(ASM #365)

(Spectacular Spider-Man v2 #13) And it’s very compelling. There’s a lot of things to explore down that alley. But once you actually go as far as having the Lizard kill his son, you can’t take that back. And the problem is, that’s what Spider-Man comics have tried to do post-Shed. It feels weird and deeply out of character to have writers assume that Peter could forgive the murder of any child, let alone a child he knew, and have him continue his relationship with Curt Connors. It’s a weird message to go “yeah, he ate his kid, but he wasn’t in control, and he made up for it via cloning, so we’re all good now.” Like imagine trying to spin that in any horror movie. It doesn’t work -- that your villain kills his kid and then clones him and pretends everything is okay now would be the plot of the horror movie. Spider-Man is a series fundamentally built on the fact that actions have consequences, and sometimes those consequences are utterly unfixable. Peter can’t go back and intercept the burglar to prevent Uncle Ben’s death. He can’t clone Uncle Ben and wipe that incident out of history. So to have a story like Shed in continuity as something that doesn’t alter Peter’s perception of Curt Connors forever doesn’t work.

Anyway that’s why my favorite villain is the Shocker. Love that quilted bastard.

#traincat talks comics #*replies #long post/

[theredherb]

The Red Herb’s Top 10 Games of 2020

Hey, fuck 2020. You might notice that many of the “Best Of” lists you read this year and last can’t help but mention how terrible 2020 was. That’s because every day was like hitting a new, splinter riddled branch on our 365 day plummet off a shit-coated tree. The year brought with it a viral pandemic that served as a pressure cooker for the societal and systemic issues boiling beneath the surface of our every day life. And we’re not out of it. 

At least one positive holds true of 2020: the games were pretty darn good. One has to wonder, though, if 2020 was the last year of what can be called “normalcy” for the video game industry. Now that the remainder of titles brewed in pre-Covid times are out in the wild, what will the future of gaming look like as studios shift to work-from-home and distribution models migrate to digital as the primary bread winner? What will games look like going forward?

I have no fucking clue. We’ll get there when we get there. But looking back, I’m glad to have had such solid distractions from the stress and strife. If 2020 is any indicator for the industry going forward, then my takeaway is that games will continue to grow in prominence because of their ability to help us cope and, more importantly, stay connected.

Anyway, here’s video games:

10. MARVEL’S AVENGERS

Oh, Marvel’s Avengers. I know you expected to be on more prestigious Top 10 lists than mine. Truthfully, I debated whether or not you should be here. But I had to search my soul (stone) on this one. Really assemble my feelings. Tony Stark my thoughts (?). Here’s the short of it: Marvel’s Avengers has a great story campaign with a surprising amount of emotional weight thanks largely to Kamala Khan’s quest to reassemble the heroes of her youth. Once the final cutscene ends, though, players were expected to take their play box of Marvel heroes, jump online, and duke it out against hordes of villains for the privilege of precious loot and level gains. It would be impossible to get bored because Crystal Dynamics was going to continually Bifrost in new quests, cosmetics, and heroes -- for free!

Except, after fans blasted through the campaign (took me a solid weekend), they found a multiplayer mode filled with repetitive fights against non-descript A.I.M Bots, a handful of dull, un-Marvelous environments (the PNW?! In a video game?! Wowwee!), and a grind for gear that became useless minutes after it was equipped. Oh, and bugs. Tons of bugs. It must be hard for A.I.M. to take earth’s mightiest heroes seriously when they’re falling through the fucking earth every other mission.

So why the Kevin Accolade™? Of all the mistakes and underbaked ideas, Crystal Dynamics got the most important thing right: they made me feel like I was a part of the Avengers. Cutting through the sky as Iron Man; dive bombing, fists-first as the Hulk; firing gadgets at cronies as Black Widow; cracking a row of skulls with Cap’s shield… Avengers is a brawler on super soldier serum.

The combat is crunchy and addictive, and surprisingly deep once you unlock your character’s full suite of skills and buffs. The gear matters little. But choosing a loadout that works for you -- like ensuring enemy takedowns grant you a health orb every time or turning area clearing attacks to focused beams of hurt -- does matter. When it comes to games with disastrous launches, Avengers is the most deserving of a triumphant comeback story because, if you clear the wreckage, I think there’s a solid game here. If I was able to spend hours playing it in its roughshod state, I can see myself digging in for the long-term once it’s polished up and given a healthy dose of content. You know...if Square Enix doesn’t outright abandon it.

9. STREETS OF RAGE 4

Here’s a fact about me: I love beat ‘em ups. From Final Fight to X-Men to The Simpsons, I prioritized my quarters for the beat ‘em up machines (and House of the Dead simply because House of the Dead fuckin’ owns). Unfortunately, Streets of Rage wasn’t in arcades, and I didn’t own a Genesis growing up, so I didn’t get around to the series until Sega re-released as part of a collection. Though my history with the 29 year old brawler is shorter than some, the basics stand out out right away: it’s an awesome side-scrolling brawler filled with zany character designs and high octane boss fights.

SoR4 nails that simple spirit while adding an electric soundtrack, buttery smooth animations, and an art style that looks like a comic book in motion. You can button-mash your way through the game or master your timing to combo stun the shit out of bad guys. Same screen co-op is a requisite for the beat ‘em up genre but I have to call it out nonetheless given that it's next to obsolete these days. The story campaign is, of course, finite but a stream of unlockables and a Boss Rush Mode pad out the package nicely.

I really don’t have to go on and on. I’m on board with any game that captures the arcadey high of classic beat ‘em ups, and Streets of Rage 4 does it with flare.

8. RESIDENT EVIL 3 REMAKE

Resident Evil 2’s remake was my game of the year in 2019. It’s a pitch perfect revision that captures the pulse-pounding fear of the original while beautifully updating its graphics and gameplay for modern audiences. The most striking aspect of RE2’s remake is how it expands and reconfigures the classic game’s environments and set pieces. Capcom managed to recontextualize, and even improve on, the original’s design while staying faithful to its tone and atmosphere.

Resident Evil 3’s remake is less successful in modifying and improving on its source material. If the game feels like it was handled by a different team than RE2R, your gamer hands have good eyes (roll with it). It was developed by a separate internal team (three different teams, in fact), but that’s actually one of many choices mirroring its 1999 forebear. Just like the original, RE3R is a tighter (i.e. shorter) experience that launched less than a year after its predecessor. And just like the original, the game skirts away from survival horror in favor of action horror.

Unlike last year’s remake, however, RE3R paints in broad strokes with the original material much in the same way that 2004’s Dawn of the Dead remake shared a vague resemblance with Romero’s ‘79 classic. Capcom at least nails down what matters: you play as Jill Valentine, beaten and discredited after the Arklay Mountains incident, during her last escape from the zombie besieged Raccoon City. Her exit is complicated by Nemesis, a humanoid missile that relentlessly pursues her from minute two of the game. Her only chance of making it out alive is by teaming up with a gaggle of Umbrella dispatched mercenaries, including an overly handsome fellow named Carlos Oliveras that you control for a spell. But fans struggled to get over what Capcom didn’t remake. Several enemies, boss fights, and a “divergent path” mechanic that had you choose how best to escape the Nemesis in a pinch were omitted from the remake. Even an entire section set in a clock tower was cut. But, let’s be honest, the biggest omission is a secret ending where Barry Burton saves the day using only his beard. For real, YouTube that shit.

If you look at what the remake does instead of what it doesn’t, you’ll find a lightning paced action game highlighted by tense, one-on-one fights against the constantly mutating Nemesis. The tyrant’s grotesque transformations evoke the mind-rending, gut turning creature designs found in John Carpenter's The Thing. It’s sad that Nemesis doesn’t pursue you through the levels as diligently as he did in the original, or as Mr. X had in last year’s remake, but these “arena fights” end up being harrowing and fun, culminating in a memorable final encounter. The remake also treats us to the best incarnation of Jill to date. She’s a cynical badass, exasperated at how Umbrella upended her life, and can take a plunge off of a building yet still muster enough energy to call Nemesis a bitch. RE3R also shines thanks to its snappy combat, including a contextual dodge that feels rewarding to pull off, less bullet-sponge enemies than RE2, and an assortment of weapons to get you through Jill’s Very Bad Night(s). It makes for a necessary, though shorter, companion to last year’s stellar remake.

7. HADES

I’m experiencing a new type of shame including a title that I haven’t beaten on my Top 10 list, but I can assure you that I’ve dumped hours into its addictive death loop. It’s probably because of my resistance to looking up any tips, but given the skill-check nature of the difficult boss fights, I’m almost afraid the top shelf advice will amount to “die less, idiot.”

My failings aside, Hades is brilliant. It’s the perfect merger of gameplay and storytelling. You play as Zagreus, son of Hades, and your entire goal is to escape your father’s underworld domain. You pick from a selection of weapons, like a huge broadsword or spear, and attempt your “run,” seeing how far you can make it before an undead denizen cuts you down. It’s familiar roguelike territory, but where Supergiant separates their game from the pack is in the unique feeling of constant progression, even as you fail. With each run, not only is Zagreus earning a currency (gems or keys) that unlock new skills that make the next go a little easier, you’re also consistently treated to new lore. The fallen gods and heroes that line your father’s hall greet you after each death and provide a new insight into their world. The writing is bouncy and hilarious, the voice acting ethereal and alluring, and the character designs could make a lake thirsty.

Supergiant’s stylistic leanings are at their peak here. They’ve managed the impossible feat of making failure feel like advancement. Sure, it totally fucks up other roguelikes for me, but that’s okay. None of those games have Meg.

6. DEMON’S SOULS

Whereas Capcom takes liberties with their remakes, Bluepoint took the Gus Van Sant approach and made a 1:1 recreation of the 2009 title that launched the “Soulslike” genre. The dividing difference is a 2020 facelift brought to us by way of the PlayStation 5’s next-gen horsepower. There’s been online arguments (surprise) regarding the loss of Fromsoftware’s visual aesthetic in translating the PS3 original in order to achieve a newfound photorealism. It’s true, some beasties lose their surreal weirdness -- a consequence of revisiting designs without the worry of graphical or time constraints -- but the game’s world is still engrossing, morbid, and bleakly gorgeous.

That’s not to say all Bluepoint did was overhaul the graphics and shove this remake out the door. No, their improvements are nuanced, under-the-hood changes that gently push the genre into the next-generation. For one, the loading times are incredible. You could hop between all five archstones in under a minute if you wanted. And this game is a best DualSense controller showcase outside of Astro’s Playroom. You can feel a demonstrable difference between hitting your sword against a wall compared to connecting it with an attacking creature. Likewise, the controller rumbles menacingly as to let you know enemies are stomping across a catwalk above you. “Better rumbles” was not on my wish list of next-gen features, but the tactile feedback goes great lengths to make you feel like you’re there.

Granted, sticking so closely to the original means its pratfalls are also carried over to the next-gen. The trek between bonfire checkpoints is an eternity compared to the game’s successors, and Fromsoftware hadn’t quite mastered the sword ballet of boss fights prevalent in Dark Souls. Instead, a handful of bosses feel more like set pieces where you’re searching for the “trick” to end it versus having to learn attack patterns and counters. Still, it’s easy to see the design blueprint that bore a whole new genre. From having to memorize enemy placements to hunting down the world’s arcane secrets in the hopes of finding a new item that pushes the odds in your favor. Bluepoint’s quality of life improvements only make it kinder (not easier) to plunge into the game, obsess over its idiosyncrasies, and begin to master every inch of it. That is until you roll into New Game+ and the game shoves a Moonlight Greatsword up your ass.

5. YAKUZA: LIKE A DRAGON

Here’s a fact about me I’m sure you don’t know: I love beat ‘em ups. Streets of Rage 4 had an easy time making it on this list because it can be classified as both a “beat ‘em up” and “good.” Here’s another fact about me: I’m not the biggest fan of JRPGs. I’m told this is not because of any personal preferences I harbor, but rather due to a distinct lack of culture. I’ve made peace with that. At least my uncultured ways are distinctive.

But my disinterest in JRPGs is notable here because it illustrates how very good Like A Dragon is. Transitioning the Yakuza series from a reactive brawler (entrenched in an open-world SIM) to a full-blown turned-based RPG was risky -- especially 8 entries into the mainline series -- but it pays off explosively for Like A Dragon. Not only does the goofiness, melodrama, and kinetic energy translate to an RPG -- it’s improved by it. Beyond a new protagonist -- the instantly likable and infinitely affable Ichiban Kasuga -- we’re finally treated to an ensemble cast that travels with you, interacts with you, and grows with you. Their independent stories weave into Ichi’s wonderfully and end up mattering just as much as his.

The combat doesn’t lose any of its punch now that you’re taking turns. In fact, it feels wilder than ever and still demands situational awareness as your enemies shift around the environment, forcing you to quickly pick which move will do the most damage and turn the fight in your favor. RGG purposefully made Ichi obsessed with Dragon Quest (yes, specifically Dragon Quest) as an excuse to go ham and morph enemies into outlandish fiends that would populate Ichi’s favorite series. It’s a fun meta that never loses its charm.

This is the best first step into a new genre I’ve ever seen an established franchise make and I hope like hell they keep with it for future outings -- and that Ichi returns to keep playing hero. There’s plenty of callbacks and treats for longtime fans, but RGG did a masterful job rolling out the virtual carpet for a whole new generation of Yakuza fanatics.

4. GHOST OF TSUSHIMA

Sucker Punch’s dive into 13th century Japan doesn’t redefine the open-world genre. But like Horizon: Zero Dawn before it, Ghost of Tsushima takes familiar components of the genre and uses them exceptionally well, creating an airtight experience that can’t help but stand out. I can tell Sucker Punch mused on games like Assassin’s Creed and Breath of the Wild, tried to figure out what makes those games tick, and then brought their own spin to those concepts. You can feel it in their obsession to make traversal through the environment as unobtrusive as possible, letting the wind literally guide you to your destinations instead of forcing the player to glue their eyes to a mini-map. You can feel it in how seamless it is to scale a rooftop before silently dropping on a patrol, blade first. You can feel it in the smoothness behind the combat as your sword clashes against the enemy’s. Every discrete part is fine-tuned yet perfectly complements the whole. The game is silk in your hands. 

The mainline story can be humdrum, though. It mirrors the beats of a superhero origin story, which isn’t surprising when you account for the three Infamous titles and satellite spinoffs under Sucker Punch’s belt. But Jin Sakai’s personal journey outshines the cookie-cutter plot. His gradual turn from the strict samurai code to a morally ambiguous vigilante lifestyle (to becoming, eventually, a myth) is a fascinating exploration in shifting worldviews. This is bolstered by the well-written side-missions dotting your quest, some of which play out in chains. It’s these diversions about melancholy warriors and villagers adjusting to life under invasion that end up being the essential storytelling within the game. Whatever you do, don’t skip a single one.

Before GoT can overstay its welcome with collectible hunting and stat-tree building, the ride is over. If you find exhaustive open-world titles, well, exhausting, Sucker Punch coded enough of a campaign to sticking the landing and not more. But if you were looking for more, the game’s co-op Legends mode is the surprise encore of the year. It strikes its own tone, with vibrant, trippy designs, and a progression system that embarrasses other AAA titles in the space (I mean Avengers. I’m talking about Avengers).

3. THE LAST OF US PART II

The Last of Us is widely regarded as a masterpiece. It’s a melancholic trek through a realistic post-apocalypse, driven by the budding bond between a world-weary survivor and a would-be teenage savior. The fungal zombies and violent shootouts with scavengers were scary and exciting, but ultimately just window-dressing compared to the level of complicated, and honest, human emotion on display throughout the tale. While a segment of detractors helpfully pointed out that The Last of Us’ story isn’t unique when compared to years of post-apocalyptic books, comics, and movies, that argument seems to forget that a narrative more concerned with the human protagonists’ connections to one another instead of saving the world or feeding into a hero complex is pretty unique for games -- especially a high profile, AAA budgeted game.

Still, fans made heroes out of Joel and Ellie because of their own connection to their journey. And that connection is almost instantly challenged in the opening hours of The Last of Us Part II to heartbreaking effect. But I’m here to tell you that any other sequel would have been dishonest to the legacy of the original game. To be given a hero’s quest as a continuation, an imagined sequel where Joel and Ellie do battle against the viral infection that’s swept the earth, would have been a despicable cash-in. It would have been a mistake to follow-up the original’s careful examination of human nature just to placate an audience that seems to have missed the point Naughty Dog made. The Last of Us Part II hurts. But it has to or else it wouldn’t have been worth making. It’s a slow-burn meditation on the harmful ripples revenge creates, how suffering begets suffering, and how, if we don’t break the cycles of violence we commit to, suffering will come for us.

To drive this point, we’re given two distinct perspectives during the meaty (and somewhat overlong) campaign, split between Ellie Williams, the wronged party seeking revenge, and Abby Anderson, an ex-Firefly whose actions set the sequel into motion. The greatest trick Naughty Dog pulls off isn’t forcing us to play as a character we hate, it’s giving us reasons to emphasize with them. It was gradual, and despite some heavy-handed moments meant to squeeze sympathy out of the player (how many times do I have to see that fuckin’ aquarium?!), I eventually came to love Abby’s side of the story. The obvious irony being that she unwittingly walks the same path Joel did in the original.

My love for the narrative shouldn’t distract from how well designed the world is. Being a King County local, the vision of a ruined Seattle strikes an uncomfortable note -- it was eerie seeing recognizable buildings overgrown with vegetation but otherwise devoid of life. Maybe the heart-wrenching story also distracts from the fact this game is, by definition, survival horror. Exploring toppled buildings in the dark, hearing the animalistic chittering of the infected, defending yourself with limited resources… It manages to be a scarier entry into the genre in 2020 than even RE3R. There’s a particular fight in a fungus covered hospital basement that easily goes down as my Boss Fight of the Year. Human enemies make for clench-worthy encounters, too, with incredibly adept AI that forces you to keep moving around the environment and set traps to avoid getting overwhelmed.

Admittedly, the subject matter -- or more to the point, the grim tone -- was tough to stomach during an actual pandemic which has happily treated us to the worst of human nature. Still, The Last of Us Part II is absolutely worth playing for its balance of mature themes and expertly crafted world, and the way it juxtaposes beauty and awfulness in the same breath.

2. SPIDER-MAN: MILES MORALES

The most impressive thing about Miles Morales is that, despite being a truncated midquel rather than a full-blown sequel, it’s a better game than 2018’s Spider-Man. It’s not because of the instantaneous loading times or the fancy ray-tracing techniques used on the PS5 version of the game. Rather, it’s how it takes the joyride of the original game and hones it into a laser focused experience filled to the brim exclusively with highs. Like Batman: Arkham Asylum going into Arkham City, Miles starts the game off with his mentor’s best abilities and tools. From there, he discovers his own powers, his bioelectric venom strike, which ends up feeling like the missing ingredient from the first game’s combat.

Your open-world playground -- a locale in the Marvel universe called “New York City” -- is exactly the same size as the previous installment, which helps avoid making the game feel “lesser.” But Insomniac wisely consolidated the random crimes Peter faced into a phone app that Miles can check and choose which activity to help out with. Choices like this really trim the fat from the main game and help alleviate “the open-world problem” where the story’s pacing suffers because players are spending hours on end collecting feathers. This is great because Miles’ story is also great. The narrative kicks Peter out pretty early on, focusing on how Miles assumes the role of city protector, primarily focused on his new home in Harlem. Insomniac avoids retreading the same path paved by Into the Spider-Verse by telling a relatable tale where Miles defines his identity as Spider-Man. With a strong cast led by Nadji Jeter as Miles, the game lands an impactful story that weaves its own new additions to Miles’ mythos (light spoiler: I loved their take on The Prowler).

Miles Morales was pure virtualized joy from start to finish. A requirement of the platinum trophy is to replay the entirety of the game on New Game+. I didn’t hesitate to restart my adventure the minute the credits were over. Everything I loved about 2018’s Spider-Man is here: the swinging, the fighting, the gadgets, the bevy of costumes. But it gave me a new element I adore and can’t see Insomniac’s franchise proceeding without: being Miles Morales.

1. FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE

I love subversive media, I do. And Square Enix’s “remake” of one the most beloved video games ever made subverts expectations by openly acknowledging that, yes, the original story you love exists and is consistently referenced in this game. But this is not that story. This is something..else. Because the truth is, SE could never have recreated FFVII and delivered a title that matched the Sacred Game fans created in their heads. That impossible standard is like an imagined deity, given power by feeding on raw nostalgia reinforced by years of word-of-mouth and appearances on Top 100 lists. I’m not saying FFVII is a bad game or that fans give it too much credit. Not at all. There’s a reason it’s so influential -- it’s good! But memory works in a funny way over time. We have a tendency to codify our perception of a thing over the reality of it. The connection we make to certain media, especially when introduced at a young age as FFVII had been to a whole generation of fans so long ago, creates a legend in our heads. Unfortunately, it’s a legend no developer could achieve when tasked with remaking it.

So Square...didn’t. Final Fantasy VII Remake has the same characters, setting, and plot beats as the first third of the original game but it’s not the same game, nor is it a remake of it in the traditional sense. It’s something new. And I fucking love that about it.

Everything is reconfigured, including the combat. After years of trying to merge RPG mechanics with more approachable (and marketable) real-time action (see FFXV and the Kingdom Hearts games for examples), Square Enix finally landed on the perfect balance. You fully control Cloud on the battlefield, from swinging your impossibly huge buster sword to dodging attacks. The ATB gauge (no one knows what the acronym stands for -- that information has been lost to time) gradually fills up, letting unleash powerful moves. But best of all, you fight in a party, and you can switch who to control on the fly.

That may not sound revolutionary, let alone for a Final Fantasy, but each character has a completely unique feel and suite of moves. At times, it feels like playing a Devil May Cry game where you can switch between Dante, Vergil, and Nero on the fly (that’s a free idea, Capcom. Hire me, you cowards). You can soften up an enemy with Cloud’s buster to increase their stagger meter, switch to Barret for a quick gatling barrage, and finally switch to Tifa to crush them with her Omnistrike. You can accomplish this in real-time or slow down the action to plan this out. It’s a great mix of tactics and action that prevents the game from feeling like a mindless hack n’ slash.

What really, really works here is the character work. Each lead walks in tropes first, but the longer you spend with the members of your party, the more their motivations and fears are laid out. You end up having touching interactions with just about the whole main cast. There’s a small segment, after Cloud saves Aerith from invading Shinra guards, that the two make an escape via rooftop.They make light conversation -- small talk really -- but it’s exchanges like this that feel genuine, perfectly framing their characters (stoic versus heartfelt), and grounding an otherwise larger-than-life adventure.

Many bemoaned the fact that FFVIIR only revisits a small portion of the original game, but I think it was a brilliant choice -- to massively expand on areas we only got to see a little of in the original. I honestly didn’t want to leave Midgar. It’s a world rife with conflict and corporate oppression, sure, but Midgar is beautifully realized, from the slums below the plates, populated with normal people trying to make the best of life, to the crime controlled Wall Market, adorned with gaudy lights and echoing honky tonk tunes. It very well may be years before FFVII’s remake saga comes to a close, but if each entry is paved with as much love and consideration and, yes, storytelling subversion as this introductory chapter… It’ll be worth the wait.

#gaming

[tomatostyle]

Drawing challenge day 124 Scarlet Witch Wanda Maximoff

#365 #365project #365 day challenge #day 124 #Wanda Maximoff #Scarlet Witch #wanda #maximoff #x men #x-men #fan art #marvel #marvel comics #ink #art #drawing #art work #makers #female villains #comic #cartoon

[docgold13]

365 Marvel Comics Paper Cut-Out SuperHeroes - One Hero, Every Day, All Year…

November 16th - The White Queen

Emma Frost was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to the wealthy Winston and Hazel Frost. Emma had been the third of four children and her father was a cold, ruthless, and domineering parent who imposed impossibly high standards on his children.  Emma’s mother, meanwhile, turned to prescription drugs to cope with the tensions of her household and was largely uninvolved in her children’s lives. 

Emma’s Mutant telepathic abilities manifested in early adolescence.  She found that she could read minds and alter the thoughts, attitudes and beliefs of others.  She ultimately used this power to blackmail her father.  Her father was actually impressed by his daughter’s actions and he offered to make her his sole heir to the family fortune.  Emma rejected the offer, left home and decided to make her own way in the world. 

Following misadventures on the street, Emma became a student at Empire State University and met the fellow Mutant telepath, Astrid Bloom.  Bloom was more apt at using her psychic abilities and she helped to train Emma to further hone her skills.  Some time thereafter, Emma was invited to the Hellfire Club, an underground elite society.  Whist involved with this society, Frost discovered the plans of Edward Buckman and Steven Lang to destroy all Mutants. Alongside Sebastian Shaw, Lourdes Chantel, and Harry Leland, Emma battled Lang's Sentinels. She killed Buckman and the Council of the Chosen and then, alongside Shaw, took control of the Hellfire Club.  Shaw became the society’s ‘Black King’ and Emma took the role of the ‘White Queen.’

During her time with the Hellfire Club, Frost created the Massachusetts Academy, an educational institute for training young Mutants.  Her best students formed a tactical team known as ‘The Hellions’ who would go on to have multiple run-ins with the New Mutants squad of the Xavier School.  Sadly, many of The Hellions were killed during a confrontation with the time-traveling villain known as Trevor Fitzroy.  

Taking time to recover from this terrible loss, Emma ended up aligned with The X-Men in battling the Phalanx.  Emma agreed to help train the young Mutants the Phalanx had targeted and, alongside the X-Man Banshee, she led the Generation X team.  This squad eventually disbanded and Emma relocated to the island haven of Genosha.  Emma taught at a school on Genosha until a genocidal Sentinel attack killed most of the island's inhabitants.  Frost survived due to the sudden manifestation of her secondary mutation: the power to transform herself into a flexible, near-invulnerable, diamond-like substance. 

After being rescued, Frost joined the X-Men and took on a teaching position at The Xavier Institute.  She mentored a group of telepathic quintuplets, the Stepford Cuckoos, who quickly became her prized pupils. Frost and the Cuckoos proved themselves when they thwarted the schemes of the villainous Cassandra Nova. 

Frost continued on as a member of The X-Men and became lovers with Cyclops.  She would later be possessed by the Phoenix Force during the Avengers versus X-Men event.  

More recently, Emma has reclaimed her title as The White Queen, only now as chief executive officer of the Hellfire Trading Company.  This company is responsible for legally exporting the miracle drugs produced on the Mutant nation of Krakoa.  As White Queen, Emma Frost has a seat on the Quiet Council, the ruling body of Krakoa.  In addition, she created the Marauders, a team led by Kitty Pryde and responsible for handling the black market for the miracle drugs, among other concerns.

Emma Frost has appeared in a number of the Fox Films X-Men movies, portrayed by actresses January Jones and Tahyna MacManus.  The villain turned heroine first appeared in the pages of X-men Vol. 1 #129 (1979).

#365 Marvel Comics Heroes #White Queen #Emma Frost #X-Men #Hellfire Club #January Jones #Tahyna MacManus #cut-out #paper art

[quicklyseverebird]

Why I became politically activated (agitated), or why I became a Trump supporter.

All the cards on the table, I doubt anyone will read this, especially anyone to whom it might make a difference or change a mind.  This is a textual equivalent to shouting into the wind, and at the moment of writing these words, I don’t even know if I will post them anywhere.  Yet I find clarity in writing things out, and in light of the state of our country, I want to organize my stream of consciousness to see why and how I got here, to where I stand now, at this point of time.

I used to pride myself on my lack of political involvement.  I used to all but sneer when people got all worked up about political issues.  Such things were distant and had no seeming impact on my life, though I did my civic duty and voted whenever possible, because that’s what you do in a republic, and you have no right to complain about the results if you did nothing to affect them.

So, when Trump first mentioned that he was running for president, I just rolled my eyes and chuckled like anyone else.  He was vain, self-promoting and way too quick on the Twitter finger.  He’s no one I would want to have over for dinner, but now I’m glad he won and I hope he wins again.  I don’t think anyone else’s ego would have been able to weather the storm we’ve gone through over the past 4 years.  Especially not a politician, who survives mainly by going wherever the wind of public opinion blows.

But I’m not a Republican, so I can’t vote in their primaries, so when he rose to the top, I was as surprised as anyone else.  So, who was my other option?

Hillary Clinton, the poster child of political corruption and cronyism, whose scandals and crimes make a bigger volume than all the books she’s written explaining(complaining) about her loss.

2016 is when I had my political awakening and started to really look around at what was happening in the culture around me.  Perhaps it was because I was a parent to a child on the cusp of adolescence who would soon start to be immersed in it.  What I saw terrified me.

America had a rising group of Nazis infiltrating our culture.  And I don’t mean the stereotypical skin heads we all revile and view with disgust.  And I don’t mean the paltry 10-11k white supremacists in our country of 365 million (per Anti-defamation League data).  No one took them all that seriously, because their bigotry was all too obvious, easily exposed, and they were, quite frankly, too few to matter.

No, I mean a real group of extremists who were Nazi’s in all but name.  Who actually made a point of labeling anyone who disagreed with them a Nazi, in fact.  Who with seeming ignorance of the historical irony of their actions, re-enacted every deed performed by the black and brown shirts of pre-WWII fascist Europe.  They worked to shut down free speech (of anyone whose position differed from their own), attacked and intimidated anyone who challenged them with threats physical, verbal, professional and political, advocating literal book burning, public destruction of property, and most sneaky of all, enacting a new form of acceptable racism into a form that some have compared to a state-sponsored cult or religion.  I saw the blossom in 2016, and now I am seeing the fruit.

A couple weeks ago, I watched, in horror, live on television as the Krystal Naught was reenacted in my own city and cities across the country.  Since then I’ve seen these groups claim territory, terrorize and destroy businesses and residents’ homes.  Most often—again in seeming unconscious irony—those belonging to the very people they claimed to be fighting in support of.  The term terrorist is apt, as well as zealot.  They subvert groups of well-meaning people to their own political ends and rain down terror on anyone who disagrees with them, up to and including actual physical harm, and provoking situations that wind up in death.

They are left wing, just as the Nazi’s were, born from a communist/Marxist foundation with an emphasis on race, instead of class, as their dividing point.  It’s not the proletariat and bourgeoisie anymore, it’s <insert minority group> vs white.  The irony that most of these individuals are themselves, white, seems—of course—to be lost on them.  Fascism is socialism with a nationalistic and racial focus.  It was invented by a student of Marx as a way of making socialism feasible.  Apart from the nationalistic bent, this group follows the same formula.  Anyone who disagrees with them is a Nazi or some kind of “-ist” or “-phobic.”  It’s a marvelous rhetorical device.  Say you’re not racist, well that that’s proof that you are!  Try and bring up a factual point that disagrees with them, and they slap you with a label and claim through intersectionality politics that they don’t have to listen to you or any facts you might have to offer because you are from the “wrong group.”  They only have to listen to details or views on an issue from a group appointed and designated by their ideology.  No one else could ever offer a differing position.  And those from the group in question who DO disagree with them?  Well obviously, they are “race traitors” and their views don’t matter either.  After all, a person is only a part of the “right group” if they agree with these people.  If this took place in Nazi Germany, they would have been called “Jew-lovers.”  I’ve literally watched people of color assaulted, abused, called racial slurs, by white people.  (yes, there’s that irony again.)  I’ve watched POC being told by these individuals, unaware of their actual skin color, to check their white privilege because obviously they have to be white if they disagree with their position.  I see this inherent and rampant racism every time I post my own views and watch as people assume I’m a white man because…I hold the “wrong view.”  Why would race even matter to whether or not what is being said is true or accurate, unless you're a racist?  They have all their groups in neat and tidy boxes, with their assigned positions and “proper,” “permitted” viewpoints and anyone straying from the herd must be culled.  I’ve watched them tear down statues of the men who gave them their rights, and statues of the men who freed slaves or died to free them, even black heroes!  They’ve torn down statues built to commemorate abolitionists in the name of…racism…  They paint a street, claiming that it is free speech, but when someone else paints on the same street, it’s a hate crime.

They are, in fact, the most racist people in our country, and they revel in it because they feel it’s justified.  Place any of these people in Nazi Germany and they would be chomping at the bit alongside the Fuhrer at the "outrages" the Jewish race had inflicted on their country and the "privileges" they possessed.  Their racism is “justified!”  It is “right!”  I have no doubt that, if our skin color didn’t already distinguish us from one another, the mobs roaming our cities now would be demanding something akin to pink triangles or stars of David be worn by the designated parties.  We can see their racism clearly wherever they find a position of power and are allowed to organize themselves.  We watched an utterly self-unaware Chaz/Chop re-institute Jim Crow laws and create race-designated locations, parks, gardens, etc.  Whenever they find themselves in power, they organize themselves along racial lines.  Given enough time, they would probably have created separate bathrooms and drinking fountains.

Like the Nazi’s of Germany, they thrive on division and fear.  It gave the Germans a sense of purpose and pride coming out of the Great Depression following WWI.  In today’s world, they never would have risen so far or so fast if not for the economic devastation following Covid-19 and the many frustrated, unemployed, frightened people it left in its wake.

And they do it all in the name of “racial” or “social” justice, and justify their rampant racism that way. They excuse their racism in the name of…racism.  It leaves one wondering if these are either the most historically ignorant and self-unaware people in human history, or if they are literally evil.  And I don’t use the term evil hyperbolically.  I don’t mean mustache-twirling villains in black.  No one really evil believes they are evil.  The Devil himself thought his actions justified.  Evil always justifies itself, masks itself as good, and this allows them to do even greater harm, for no one does more damage than an intellectual fool who believes they are doing the right thing.  The only thing greater than mankind’s tendency towards evil is our ability to convince ourselves that it is good.  And oh, they lie, and they lie, and they lie.  They lie about events where they were the aggressors.  They lie and even post videos of the event proving they are lying, boasting about their lies, because they know that they won't be held accountable, and their lie is being spread faster than the truth, and the people in authority will allow this.  Far from being counter-cultural, they are now a state-sponsored, state-supported non-theistic religion.  The similarities with a cult are creepy.

The truth is, they aren't interested in eliminating racism. In fact, as we can see from these protests, they make racism worse!  And they do so deliberately.  Why?  Because they aren't interested in lives, no matter the color.  They aren't interested in actual justice.  More black lives alone have been killed by these protests, by actual BLM and Antifa people, than unarmed black men were killed by cops across the country in all of 2019.  Perhaps we should defund/disband them.  They are militarizing racism the same way the Nazi's did, to gain power.  It's not about lives, it's not about actual violence or inequality, it's about the Movement. It's about gaining power and influence in society.  And it is working the same way it did back in Germany.  When you have literally white, leftist people attacking and calling black people racial slurs because they don't agree with their positions, and then claiming they are against racism....

So, let’s see here.  We have an international organization born from the German Communist Party, with localized cells but a unified ideology, cooperative networks, shared finances, a common uniform, trademarked logos and merchandise, who ferment racial tensions to gain political power, create divisions between communities, seek to destroy anyone who would stand in their way through threat of violence and intimidation, destroy history, hide in screens of “useful idiots” seeking to be a part of a cause that they stir into “protests” so they can create further unrest and violence, all so they can gain power for their ideology.  And all the while, claiming to be the victims of the people they attack so they can claim the moral high ground.  Self-defense in the face of the mob is “racist.”  Protecting your property is a sign of “privilege” that must be purged, even as they loot, burn, destroy homes and businesses of the people whose lives they claim to want to protect.  

Explain to me how, exactly, they aren’t exactly like the Nazi’s before the rise of Hitler?  They are a socialist organization, with a racial element that use intimidation, threats of violence, doxing, actual violence and harm to anyone who disagrees with them or stands in their way to gain political and social power.  A literally evil ideology that has caused more death and suffering to mankind than any other in history, that has failed everywhere it was implemented.

And all the while the media propaganda praises them, just as they did Hitler (who himself won Time’s Man of the Year award, recall).

If you want to know if you are one of the good guys, then ask, which side supports freedom of speech?  Which supports liberty?  Which side doesn't advocate for violence as a means to their ends?  Which side are literally attacking their opponents?  Are people better off when you are in control, or not?  I think we can look at the smoldering ruins of our cities to decide where these extremists stand.

So, why did I become politically activated/agitated?  It wasn’t some YouTube channel “radicalizing” me.  I am not a MAGA fanatic or Trump fan.  What motivated me was seeing the rise of a new, evil authoritarian power in America.  They wear a different mask, but their actions speak for themselves.  They are the REAL neo-Nazis.  It doesn’t matter what they call themselves now.  You can change your name, but your deeds remain.  Your title doesn’t define you; your actions do.  If it quacks like a duck….  The Right didn’t pull me to their side, you on the left drove me here in fear for my life and the future of this country.  The fear is only growing now as I see official after official bow (sometimes literally) to these groups.  If they gain any more political power, I shudder to think of the world my daughter will inherit.  Will she be the new Anne Frank?  The Right isn’t the one making threats or calling me names if I disagree with them.  You are.  They don’t threaten my life or my family’s future.  You do.  They aren’t the people approaching with devastation in their wake.  You are.  You activated me.  I can only hope enough other people will see you for what you are and be activated as well.  God help us all if you ever gain power.  Some of them are literally already calling for anyone who disagrees with them to be imprisoned in "re-education" camps.  No lie.  This cannot happen.  Never again.

#antifa #trump #politically activated #america #BLM #fascist #leftist #right

[isolaradiale]

Lost in Space 23

Hello, Isolans! We have conducted an activity check for the month of August!

If your character isn’t on this list, make sure to check this page to see how many stars that character has earned this month! Stars can be used for purchases at the marketplace.

The blogs that were removed from the Isola Radiale masterlist are under the cut. Note that both blogs with broken links and deactivated accounts will be included both at the top of this list and in their proper categories.

If you were removed in error, please simply send a re-application message. Several different people work on the activity checks, so it’s possible there are mistakes! If this happens to you, you will be able to keep everything you previously had, you just may be placed in a different residence.

Our general activity rules regarding checks are as follows:

Make at least three in-character posts during a calendar month (for instance, if the activity check is for January, have three in-character posts between the 1st and 31st of January).

Only one drabble and/or meme response of 300+ words counts as activity.

One-liners or minis not tagged #isola mini also do not count.

Please Note: If you are removed during two consecutive activity checks, you will not be allowed to re-apply as that character for two calendar months. 

Additionally, anyone removed during the activity check will have a 12-hour window from the time of posting to re-claim their character. Any character not reclaimed during that period will be open to the community at large.

Please send in your reapplications from the account of the character that was removed.

Broken URLs:

Caster (Scathach=Skadi) (FATE)

ANIMAL CROSSING

Redd (CONDO 418)

 ARKNIGHTS

Ch'en (HOUSE 130)

 ASSASSIN'S CREED

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad (CONDO 416)

Jacob Frye (HOUSE 129)

Shay Cormac (TOWNHOUSE 220)

 BLASPHEMOUS

The Penitent One (HOUSE 114)

 BLAZBLUE

Azrael (APARTMENT 311)

Nu-13 (TOWNHOUSE 211)

Tsubaki Yayoi (TOWNHOUSE 218)

 BLEACH

Ichigo Kurosaki (APARTMENT 365)

 BLUE EXORCIST (AO NO EXORCIST)

Amaimon (CONDO 428)

 BUNGOU STRAY DOGS

Chuuya Nakahara (TOWNHOUSE 217)

Lucy Maud Montgomery (CONDO 469)

Nikolai Gogol (TOWNHOUSE 235)

 CARDFIGHT!! VANGUARD

Kai Toshiki (Aichi's House [Cotes])

 CASTLEVANIA

Richter Belmont (TOWNHOUSE 208)

 CLOSERS

Wolfgang Schneider (APARTMENT 306)

 COOKIE RUN

Vampire Cookie (CONDO 424)

 CRITICAL ROLE

Yasha Nydoorin (HOUSE 119)

 DANGANRONPA

Gonta Gokuhara (APARTMENT 360)

Nanami Chiaki (HOUSE 110)

Takumi Hijirihara (APARTMENT 336)

 DC COMICS

Damian Wayne (HOUSE 117)

 DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN

Leo Manfred (TOWNHOUSE 220)

Markus (APARTMENT 369)

 DISNEY

Honey Lemon (CONDO 468)

Rapunzel (CONDO 467)

 FATE

Assassin (Okada Izou) (APARTMENT 316)

Avenger (Antonio Salieri) (APARTMENT 371)

Caster (Scathach=Skadi) (HOUSE 171) *BROKEN URL

Ruler (Sherlock Holmes) (APARTMENT 321)

Saber (Charlemagne) (CONDO 420)

 FINAL FANTASY

Rain (TOWNHOUSE 208)

Warrior of Light (Red Mage - Faris Helmold) (CONDO 428)

 FIRE EMBLEM

Byleth (M) (APARTMENT 309)

Lewyn (APARTMENT 347)

Linhardt von Hevring (CONDO 469)

Lucina (Lucina's House [Archimedes])

Mercedes von Martritz (APARTMENT 366)

 GANGSTA

Nicolas Brown (APARTMENT 337)

 GHOST TRICK

Yomiel (TOWNHOUSE 208)

 GRANBLUE FANTASY

Siete (HOUSE 132)

 HELLTAKER

Azazel (APARTMENT 369)

 HOLLOW KNIGHT

Pure Vessel (APARTMENT 301)

 HOMESTUCK

Hearts Boxcars (APARTMENT 326)

 HUNTER X HUNTER

Feitan (APARTMENT 315)

 HYPNOSIS MICROPHONE

Doppo Kannonzaka (CONDO 424)

 KINGDOM HEARTS

Aqua (TOWNHOUSE 240)

 LEAGUE OF LEGENDS

Jinx (HOUSE 124)

 LEGEND OF ZELDA

Octavo (CONDO 402)

 LETHAL LEAGUE

Switch (CONDO 463)

 LOBOTOMY CORPORATION

Laetitia (TOWNHOUSE 235)

 THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES

Mike Crew (HOUSE 126)

 MARVEL

Clint Barton (Hawkeye) (Clint's House [Golden])

 MO DAO ZU SHI

Jiang Cheng (APARTMENT 370)

Jiang Yanli (CONDO 402)

 MY HERO ACADEMIA (BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA)

Dabi (The League of Villains' Mansion [Cotes])

Jin Bubaigawara (Twice) (CONDO 434)

Shouta Aizawa (CONDO 465)

 NARUTO

Itachi Uchiha (Sasuke's House [Cotes])

Sasuke Uchiha (Sasuke's House [Cotes])

 ODIN SPHERE

Oswald (APARTMENT 308)

 ONE PUNCH MAN

Tatsumaki (HOUSE 107)

 ORIGINAL CHARACTER

Carina Aegir (APARTMENT 305)

Cecil Tenebrae (APARTMENT 327)

Italma Meridian (HOUSE 123)

Jounoichi Nakahara (HOUSE 150)

Revenant (HOUSE 139)

Riku Haruna (HOUSE 122)

Speckles (CONDO 465)

Wabbajack (TOWNHOUSE 213)

 PERSONA

Ryoji Mochizuki (CONDO 423)

Takuto Maruki (TOWNHOUSE 211)

 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

Erik (The Phantom) (TOWNHOUSE 220)

 POKEMON

Leon (TOWNHOUSE 236)

 PROFESSOR LAYTON

Alfendi Layton (HOUSE 174)

 RWBY

Adam Taurus (Adam's House (Cotes))

 SHE-RA AND THE PRINCESSES OF POWER

Entrapta (HOUSE 103)

 SHOVEL KNIGHT

Mona (APARTMENT 325)

 SPIRITED AWAY

Haku (TOWNHOUSE 201)

 STAR OCEAN

Precis F. Neumann (HOUSE 172)

 STAR WARS

Anakin Skywalker (CONDO 412)

Obi-wan Kenobi (APARTMENT 321)

 SURGE CONCERTO

Earthes (HOUSE 102)

Ionasal.kkll.Preciel (CONDO 401)

 SWORD ART ONLINE

Alice (HOUSE 129)

 TALES OF

Anna Irving (HOUSE 122)

Martel Yggdrasill (APARTMENT 360)

Mithos Yggdrasill (HOUSE 105)

Yuan Ka-Fai (CONDO 435)

 TEAM FORTRESS

Medic (CONDO 421)

 TOKYO AFTERSCHOOL SUMMONER

Protagonist/Wanderer (APARTMENT 303)

 UNTITLED GOOSE GAME

Horrible Goose (OUTSIDE)

 VANITAS NO CARTE

Noé Archiviste (HOUSE 134)

 VOLTRON

Keith Kogane (TOWNHOUSE 239)

  THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU

Joshua Kiryu (APARTMENT 363)

#modnote #activity check #lost in space 23

[evikdpriagung]

20220515 #3 18.41 WIB

135/365

You Have No Idea Just How Reasonable I Have Been - Scarlet Witch

Last night for the second time.

Resource: Google

#Movie #WandaMaximoff #ScarletWitch #Superhero #Villain #Marvel #Disney #DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseofMadness #XXI #Kalibata #Jakarta #Indonesia #Sunday #May #15th #2022

[namor-the-submariner-dot-net]

365 Days with Namor

Saturday is the SWINGING SIXTIES

Day 11

Fantastic Four #6 by Jack Kirby & inked by Dick Ayers Cover Date: September 1962 Another Namor first, the first Super-Villain Team Up of the Marvel Universe! Namor and Doom Frenemies Fourever!

#365 Days of Namor #Namor #Sub-Mariner #Doctor Doom #Ben Grimm #Reed Richards #Sue Storm #Johnny Storm #Fantastic Four #Fantastic Four 6 #Super-Villain Team-Up #Jack Kirby