allaboutduncan is really Phillip Duncan and he's a web developer, a husband, a father, a T-Ball coach, the editor of Superheroes-R-Us, a WordPress junkie, a reluctant DotNetNuke builder, and a jQuery fan.
// March 19th, 2008 // No Comments » // Web
Fascinating article at the Consumerist detailing how Best Buy profiles its customers. Be sure to check out the gallery of images at the bottom of the article all of the Best Buy profiles. Which profile describes you?
We already know how Best Buy thinks of customers as either “angels” or “demons,” and most Diggers are “Buzzes” or “Rays,” but now meet the newest additions to their internal sales stereotyping system.
// November 27th, 2007 // 2 Comments » // Comics
Finally, is the first thing that comes to mind.
In February of 2008, Marvel will release the first volume (of 12) collecting all of the entries from the 2004-2007 All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. Details are still sparse and I’m only going on what the advanced solicitation copy says.
The most exciting and comprehensive Marvel handbook is finally here! Beginning a twelve-volume guide to the Marvel Universe with more than 100 huge entries in each tome! This issue – from 1602 to Blackwulf! Spotlighting people (Angel, Annihilus, Ant-Man, Apocalypse, Arachne, Ares, Aurora, Banshee, Baron Zemo, Beast, Beta Ray Bill, Bishop, Black Bolt, Black Knight, Black Panther, Black Widow), places (Atlantis), teams (AIM, Acolytes, Agents of Atlas, Alpha Flight, Avengers), species (Badoon), alternate realities (2020, 2099, the Age of Apocalypse) and more!
The big question I have for this hardcover collection is…does it contain the other “guide books” that use the Marvel Handbook format, but were not branded as such.
For example, will it include the Spider-Man: Back in Black Handbook (April 2007), Mystic Arcana: The Book of Marvel Magic (May 2007), The Mighty Avengers: Most Wanted Files (June 2007), World War Hulk: Gamma Files (August 2007), Marvel Zombies: The Book of Angels, Demons, & Various Monstrosities and the X-Men: Messiah Complex – Mutant Files (December 2007). I would surely hope so. Some of those (Spider-Man and Mighty Avengers) look exactly like an All New OHotMU book, except for the logo.
With the mention of “places (Atlantis)” in the solicitation text, I’m hopeful that the hardcover will also include the data from the late 2007-2008 Marvel Atlas releases.
Best of all, the entries will be in alphabetical order. Since the original releases in 2004 started with spotlights on teams and characters (Avengers, X-Men, Spider-Man), the entries for those books were in alphabetical order for those issues only. It wasn’t until the 2006 update that an entire 12-issue run was alphabetized. Still, many characters and information from the 2004 and 2005 one-shots were omitted from the 2007 release.
All of this means many collectors and readers will likely be buying this content again, but it will be well worth it. Collectors and readers that like the Marvel Handbook will be lining up to buy these versions.
// July 6th, 2007 // No Comments » // Comics
Michael may believe that the Octosquid is the beginning of the end for human civilization, but writer Robert Kirkman predicted it fist in his comic book series Invincible.
Octoboss is a super-villain who has repeatedly attempted to steal radioactive material with the aid of his henchmen, the Squidmen. Knowing Kirkman, Octoboss will eventually pop up again and reveal his master plan, but I couldn’t help but think of the character after reading the other two linked articles. Kirkman has a great knack for creating out-of-this-world characters that could be hokey if done by any other writer, but somehow seem fun and cool in the “Invincible” universe. Read more about Octoboss.
I would imagine reading Invincible now was much like reading the first 130 issues of Amazing Spider-Man, where the readers were hit with so many new and cool ideas that they just kept reading and enjoyed every minute of it.
// March 29th, 2007 // No Comments » // Comics, Movies
Mister Fantastic is an inherently cool character (I think). He may be the least powerful member of the Fantastic Four, but he can do so many things with his power, that he’s a fun character to read (or watch). I hope that in the upcoming Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer movie, that the character is played much more like he was at the end of the first film.
His power doesn’t work on film in slow shots. for example, the scene in the first film where he stretched his hand under the door just doesn’t look good. It looks fake. However, in the final battle with Dr. Doom, his stretches and turns into several shapes quickly an rapidly. It was the first time in the film I smiled while watching the character. Hopefully, the new film will feature lots of shapes, bouncing and stretching for Mister Fantastic (read more about the character).
// March 16th, 2007 // No Comments » // Comics
What’s wrong with this picture: you’re a super-villain and you possess the strength and agility of the “rare Wakandan white gorilla,” which means you’ve got enhanced human strength and durability, as well as superhuman stamina and agility. You outweigh Captain America by 100lbs. and have almost a foot height advantage, yet you still manage to get “overpowered” by him in Avengers #78 and #79. Way to go, Man-Ape and Cap., I still miss you.
Intelligence: Normal
Strength: Enhanced human
Speed: Athlete
Stamina: Superhuman
Durability: Enhanced human
Agility: Superhuman
Reflexes:
Fighting skills: Wakandan Royal Militia training
Special skills and abilities: None
Superhuman physical powers: Superhuman strength, agility, stamina, and durability equal to that of the rare Wakandan white gorilla
Superhuman mental powers: None
Special limitations: None
Source of superhuman powers: Mystical transference of the abilities of the rare Wakandan white gorilla
Costume specifications: The Man-Ape wears the pelt of Wakandan white gorilla.
Personal weaponry: None
Special weaponry: None
Other accessories: None
Transportation: Various
Design and manufacture of paraphernalia: Inapplicable
First appearance: AVENGERS #62
Origin issues: AVENGERS #62
Significant issues: AVENGERS #62 (battled the Black Panther in attempt to usurp the throne of Wakanda and return Wakanda to primitive state);
AVENGERS #78-79 (traveled to America, joined Lethal Legion, captured Black Panther, fought Avengers, overpowered by Captain America);
WEST COAST AVENGERS #1-2 (rejoined Lethal Legion, battled Tigra);
VISION AND SCARLET WITCH Vol.2 #2 (abandoned Grim Reaper, accompanied by Black Talon)
// March 13th, 2007 // No Comments » // Comics
In issue #10 (1965) of the X-Men series, Ka-Zar was introduced and he bounced around the Marvel Universe for many years following, somehow meeting up with a large cast of Marvel heroes, despite being a one-hit Tarzan knock-off and mainly located in the Savage Land.
He did have a short run series in 1997 with art by Andy Kubert, but the character hasn’t been seen much since then.
First appearance: X-MEN #10
Origin issue: DAREDEVIL #13
Significant issues: X-MEN #10 (first encountered original X-Men, first battled Maa-Gor);
DAREDEVIL #12-14 (first encountered Daredevil, first battled with brother the Plunderer);
INCREDIBLE HULK #109-111 (first encountered Hulk, battled Umbu the Unliving);
ASTONISHING TALES #1-2 (first battled Kraven the Hunter);
ASTONISHING TALES #8 (encountered Bobbi Morse (Mockingbird));
ASTONISHING TALES #12-13 (first battled AIM, met Man-Thing);
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #103-104 (first met Spider-Man, battled extraterrestrial Gog);
KA-ZAR #1 (first met Shanna the She-Devil);
KA-ZAR #14-20 (battled Klaw, first visited another dimension);
X-MEN #61-63 (first battled Magneto’s Savage Land Mutates);
X-MEN#115-116 (teamed with X-Men to battle Zaladane and Garokk);
KA-ZAR THE SAVAGE #1 (discovered the Savage Land is part of Pangaea);
KA-ZAR THE SAVAGE #12 (first battled Belasco);
KA-ZAR THE SAVAGE #29 (married Shanna);
KA-ZAR THE SAVAGE #33 (apparent death of brother Parnival);
AVENGERS #256-258 (destruction of the Savage Land by Terminus, rescued by the Avengers, left Savage Land for the civilized world);
IRON MAN #202 (encountered Iron Man, battled the Fixer);
X-MEN ANNUAL #12 (Savage Land restored by High Evolutionary and Garokk; Ka-Zar, Shanna and newborn return);
KA-ZAR GRAPHIC NOVEL (Ka-Zar and Shanna separated)
// March 7th, 2007 // No Comments » // Comics
In a sad turn of events, Marvel Comics has decided that it was time to get rid of Captain America.
Captain America surrendered after failing to register as a super-powered individual following the events of the recent Civil War crossover. Pitted against his former best friend, Iron Man, Cap was fighting for what he believed America wanted. When he was attacked by ordinary citizens in the streets of New York, he realized how wrong he was and surrendered to police custody. Only a week later (real time), he's been shot and killed by a sniper on the way to court.
I can somewhat understand what they're attempting to do here. Old America is dead. The things that we used to hold true to our heart (Mom, Baseball and Apple Pie) have been replaced by iPods, H2 Hummers and Youtube. More than any other hero (except maybe Superman) Cap stood as a beacon of hope and a physical embodiment of America.
Current Captain America series writer Ed Brubaker had this to say about Captain America's current relevance to today's society:
"What I found is that all the really hard-core left-wing fans want Cap to be standing out on and giving speeches on the streetcorner against the Bush administration, and all the really right-wing [fans] all want him to be over in the streets of Baghdad, punching out Saddam."
To that I have to say, so what. Does that mean he has to stand for one of those two viewpoints? Could he not have had his own? Couldn't you use Cap to motivate people to speak their mind, no matter their opinion?
In the end, it doesn't matter. Marvel has made their decision and will live with it until it benefits them to bring him back. With Cap's friend Nick Fury in hiding for the past few years, it will be no surprise to me when he reveals that the "Cap" that was shot and kill was a SHIELD Life Model Decoy and that the real Cap, Steve Rogers, has been working underground with him.
We know that he won't stay dead. I would guess that in less than 6 months, another hero will appear in the familiar red, white, and blue costume. The "impostor" will parade around as Cap for a while until the real one reappears. With copyright laws such as they are, Marvel cannot go without publishing a Captain America series for too long a period or the rights would revert back to creator Joe Simon.
"It's a hell of a time for him to go. We really need him now," said co-creator Joe Simon, 93, after being informed of his brainchild's death.
The sad part about that quote (as a friend mentioned to me), is that at 93, Simon may not be around to see his creation, his legacy, return.
Added Captain America to the Who's OHotMU page today.
// March 2nd, 2007 // No Comments » // Comics
While DC seemed to focus on the Greek gods in Wonder Woman, Marvel decided to create a series of stories based upon the Norse gods. Thor and his fellow Norse gods debuted in August of 1962 and although they're not currently in a series, they are slated to return in the Summer of 2007.
Heimdall is the sentry that guards the Rainbow Bridge that provides access to the Asgard, the home of the Norse gods. However, Heimdall's main claim to fame is being the only Norse God to sport the Abraham Lincoln – Chin Curtain beard.
Real name: Heimdall
Other current aliases: None
Former aliases: None
Dual identity: None; the general populace of Earth is unaware of Heimdall's existence, except as a mythological character
Current occupation at time: Sentry of Asgard
Former occupation: Unrevealed
Citizenship: Realm of Asgard
Legal status: No criminal record
Place of birth: Unrevealed
Marital status: Single
Known relatives: Sif (sister)
Known confidants: Sif, Balder, Kamorr
Known allies: Odin, Thor, the Warriors Three
Major enemies: Loki, Surtur, Mangog
Usual base of operations: Asgard
Former bases of operations: None
Current group membership: The royal court of Asgard
Former group membership: None
Extent of education: Unrevealed
Height: 7' 2"
Weight: 575 lbs.
Eyes: Gray
Hair: Brown
Other distinguishing features: Heimdall wears a full beard but no mustache.
// March 1st, 2007 // No Comments » // Comics
Electro is a classic looking Spider-Man villain. He may be something on a one-trick pony, but you have to admit, the corny looking lightning bolt head gear is a great visual. I can't recall anyone even using Electro all that much in the past few (or more) years. He made an appearance or two in Ultimate Spider-Man (with an uncool, redesigned look) and one on the MTV Spider-Man cartoon, but hardly anything all in the Marvel Universe proper. I think we should start a petition for a starring role in Spider-Man 4.
My favorite entry in the bio below is the line about him being "extremely sensitive" to anything that might short-circuit him. . . Maybe he starts to cry if you confront him with a squirt gun or bucket of water.
Intelligence: Normal
Strength: (unenhanced) Normal, (charged) Superhuman Class 10
Speed: (unenhanced) Normal, (charged) Metahuman
Stamina: (unenhanced) Normal, (charged) Metahuman
Durability: (unenhanced) Normal, (charged) Metahuman
Agility: (unenhanced) Normal, (charged) Metahuman
Reflexes: (unenhanced) Normal, (charged) Superhuman
Fighting skills: Minimal ability at hand to hand combat
Special skills and abilities: None
Superhuman physical powers: Electro can generate electrostatic energy through his body at a rate of about 1,000 volts per minute and store up to 1000,000 volts. At ten feet, his maximum charge is more than enough to kill a normal man. Electro can employ this electrostatic energy as lightning arcs from his fingertips at 1,100 feet per second for about 100 feet.
Superhuman mental powers: Electro can override any electrically-powered device and manipulate it according to his mental commands
Special limitations: By using an external electrical power source to recharge his body's energy reserves, Electro could expend electricity indefinitely without diminishing his personal reserves. When he is fully charged, Electro is extremely sensitive to anything that may "short-circuit" him, such as water
Source of superhuman powers: An unusually configured magnetic field was created when struck by lightning while Dillon was holding live, high-tension wires and a wound reel of one-inch cable.
// February 27th, 2007 // No Comments » // Comics
I remember reading the first few appearances of Scourge (probably in Amazing Spider-Man #277) and thinking he was a cool villain. That seems against everything I wrote yesterday, since Scourge could easily be an early version of the dark/extreme hero/villain trend of the 1990's.
Here was a villain (hero?) that went around killing C and D grade Marvel villains and shouting the phrase "Justice is Served." Aside from the Punisher, that was unheard of at the time. I don't think it was the violence of the character that intrigued me, but the mystery. Scourge popped up through many Marvel titles, for several months, exterminating villains here and there. The mystery of Scourge culminated with the massacre at the "Bar with No Name," which was a hangout for Marvel's villains. He was tracked down and defeated by Captain America in issues #319 and #320 of that series. Cool end for a cool story.
Or so I thought.
Another person assumed the identity of Scourge a few years later in Captain America and the pattern was repeted numerous times. The concept became even more diluted when it was revealed that Scourge wasn't a person, but an organization whose members assumed the role of Scourge. One was cool, but like anything, too much is never a good thing.
Purpose: The elimination of the criminal element through assassination
Modus operandi: The use of subterfuge to get close to targets, then elimination by whatever lethal means are possible
Extent of operations: Nationwide, per�haps worldwide
Relationship to conventional authori�ties: Unrevealed, Scourge is generally believed to be a single individual, rather than an organized group
Base of operations: Southern California estate of Angel I
Former bases of operations: Mobile
Major funding: The personal fortune of the elderly millionaire who claims to have been the 1940's costumed hero Angel I
Known enemies: Captain America, USAgent, Dr. Karl Malus, Red Skull, (former) Enforcer, Miracle Man, Hate-Monger III, Megatek, Melter, Titania I, Basilisk I, Hammer, Anvil, Fly, Death Adder, Blue Streak, Wraith, Bird-Man II, Turner D. Century, Cheetah, Commander Kraken, Cyclone, Firebrand I, Grappler, Hellrazor, Hijacker, Jaguar, Letha, Mind-Wave, Mirage I, Rapier, Ringer I, Shellshock, Steeplejack II, Vamp, Red Skull II (all deceased)
Known allies: (former) Red Skull
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