#Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective

[justdealingwithsomeissues]

There is way too much time-line-y mumbo jumbo going on here, but the important thing is that the timekeepers are now involved as well.

[cgbcomics]

[digsyiscomics]

Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective #1, September 1993, written by Mark Gruenwald, penciled by Mike Gustovich

[classicmarvelera]

An Underrated Story that Remains featuring Kang The Conqueror

He first appeared in Avengers comics in the 60s

You have to ask what were Stan Lee and Jack Kirby thinking? “He who Remains”, “He who has Variants” from multiple timelines and as if this wasn’t enough; lo and behold he is none other than Nathanial Richards, father of Reed Richards  

It’s hard to choose the Antagonist’s best story vs Avengers, vs Fantastic Four or vs Marvel Universe for that matter. After all, he has also crossed paths with Doctor Doom more than once 

One of the objectives of Classic Marvel Era is to introduce Marvel fans to underrated stories. Stories that didn’t get much attention as much as they deserved due to any reason (logical or otherwise), so here we go:   

Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective

In 1993, both the Avengers and X-Men titles had completed 30 years of entertaining comic book readers. But what is astonishing to know in today’s world of MCU, that the X-Men were dominating the industry (not just Marvel and not just comics, either) 

Surprisingly there was more room for Magneto in both team’s stories which also led to a cross-over event “Blood Ties” (since Magneto was believed to be the father of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch in that decade). Naturally, the Avengers/X-Men 30th Anniversary focused more on Magneto’s progeny leaving much of Avengers’ stories in the background (Avengers 360-366) as well as limited series like The Terminatrix Objective

The story, written by Mark Gruenwald and illustrated by Mike Gustovich, focuses on two variants of Ravonna Renslayer, Kang’s love interest across millennias. Ravonna's future self (Revelation) summons three Avengers: Thunderstrike, War Machine, and US Agent, to stop the Terminatrix (another variant of Ravonna) from reviving Kang. In retaliation, the Terminatrix summons Avengers of her own, namely; Captain America, Iron Man and Thor. Without giving further spoilers, this story is a class of it’s own thanks to Mark Gruenwald’s approach to story-telling especially when it comes to not leaving any loose threads while tackling timelines and variants 

The art by Mike Gustovich makes this story enjoyable to read even more and luckily we have this story preserved as part of an Avengers Epic Collection

This story is highly recommended for fans of Kang the Conqueror 

[elgaberino-mcoc]

Listed: Ravonna Renslayer

Ravonna, Kang's tragic love, revenge foil, and now MCU co-star, has been added to the MCOC Wishlist.

Rationale: she's important to Kang's saga. Kang is likely central to MCU phase 4. No need to wait for the next Tournament.

Recent MCOC Wishlist rank #124 • Vote

[queen-of-meows]

I have so many thoughts and feelings.

First, whaaaat ????

Then, can someone send Ravonna to therapy ? I'm pretty sure that's not healthy behaviour.

[bringbackwendellvaughn]

[marvelheroperil]

- Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective #4, 1993

[cherikrises]

Loki Theory Time

SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 5

First of all the theory that Kang the Conqueror was involved in the tva has been here since episode one since we have Ravonna Renslayer, but I think that this episode has added even more support. So the glow cloud monster is referred to as Alioth in the episode who has a connection to Kang in that he is Kang’s rival. In  Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective #1-4 Kang was able to weaken Alioth in order to temporary trap him.... 

SO what if Kang is behind the TVA and he needs this to remain the sacred timeline as this is the timeline where Kang was able to overwhelm Alioth. The end of time is as much of prison to Alioth as it is to the other variants. Alioth consumes variants to sustain himself. If Kang wants to maintain power he needs this to be the only timeline.

This is just some thoughts I had I’m not that knowledgeable on Kang or Alioth so please don’t take any of this at face value!

[justdealingwithsomeissues]

Everyone on this cover is drawn just lightly wonky enough that its impossible not to notice it but very difficult to put your finger on why...

[cgbcomics]

[aion-rsa]

Marvel’s Loki Episode 5: MCU Easter Eggs and References

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This article contains Loki episode 5 spoilers.

Marvel’s Loki episode 5 is a big one. Yes, we know…last week felt like that. And the one before it, too. But this one really IS, with the entire episode taking place (as DoG’s Kayti Burt put it) on top of a literal “trash pile of MCU and Marvel Comics Easter eggs.”

With that in mind, let’s have some fun with all the incredible Marvel references they managed to sneak into Loki episode 5.

Journey Into Mystery

You probably already know this, but Journey Into Mystery was the book that first introduced the Marvel Comics version of Thor, with Loki following shortly after. The title eventually was just renamed Thor since the Asgardians had become the primary focus of the book for years by that point. However, Journey Into Mystery was revived a few years back, with its primary focus being on the adventures of Kid Loki this time around.

Thanos Copter

The Lokis pass a helicopter with “THANOS” on the side. This is a reference to Spidey Super Stories #39 from 1979. The all-ages comic featured a story of Spider-Man and the Cat (Hellcat) taking on Thanos, who was on the hunt for the Cosmic Cube. He flew around New York City in his own helicopter with his name on the side. The reference comes up as a joke here and there, including an issue of Deadpool. Even Thanos’ giant two-sided blade weapon from Avengers: Endgame has been considered by many to be a sly reference to the Thanos Copter.

Ecto-Cooler

While the Lokis are all drinking wine, Kid Loki is shown drinking Hi-C Ecto Cooler. The Slimer-based citrus drink was a tie-in to The Real Ghostbusters cartoon of the 1980s and lasted into 2001 due to its popularity. Afterwards, it became a fondly-remembered relic to time. Ecto Cooler made a brief return in 2016 to coincide with the Ghostbusters reboot. Sadly, there’s no news of it coming back for the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife movie.

Speaking of Kid Loki…

Kid Loki

Kid Loki seems to be wielding a flaming sword, which looks an awful lot like Laevateinn, the sword he wielded in the Loki: Agent of Asgard comics.

Polybius

In the background of the Lokis’ lair, we see a Polybius arcade machine. Polybius is a long-running urban legend. Supposedly, back in 1981, an arcade machine was set up in Portland, Oregon, watched over by various men in black. The game was so addicting that it caused fights to break out and horrible side-effects to its players. We wrote more about the decades-old mystery of Polybius right here.

Pretty sure there’s an old Williams Space Pinball machine in there, too but that’s not as wild as Polybius.

The Void

Fittingly, the realm where all the pruned victims end up is called the Void. In the comics, the Void is a dark, inexplicable, and possibly biblical entity that acts as the evil side to the Sentry. During the storyline Siege, the Void murdered Loki, which facilitated his rebirth as Kid Loki.

Alioth

Alioth first appeared in Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective #1, the same 1993 comic that also introduced Ravonna Renslayer to the world…and one that features Kang as its central villain. Hmmmm…

Oh, and Alioth was co-created by Mobius M. Mobius inspiration/model Mark Gruenwald, who gets another shout later in the episode.

Vote Loki

The “politician Loki” who we see leading (inasumuch as they can/want to be led) the loose coalition of Variant Lokis is modeled almost exactly on the version of Loki from Marvel’s Vote Loki story by Christopher Hastings, Langdon Foss, and Paul McCaffery. In it, Loki ends up running for President, with his ridiculous campaign built on the “honest” deception of openly lying to the American people inadvertently aided by a credulous news media. It’s a good read and you should check it out.

This episode also engages in the old MCU/Star Wars tradition of someone getting a hand cut off…in this case it’s our pal, “Vote Loki.”

Frog Thor

A frog resembling Thor is shown in a jar labeled “T365.” Wouldn’t you know it, Thor #365 is the issue where Loki transforms Thor into a frog. Yes, it was a whole thing. Walt Simonson’s run on the Thor comics is really spectacular.

“Frog Thor” also got a mention in Thor: Ragnarok, during the “play within the movie” seen as “Loki” apologized to “Thor” for turning him into a frog.

You know, there’s even an independent wrestler with a Thor Frog gimmick. Life is beautiful sometimes.

Classic Loki

So it appears that Classic Loki is basically what would have happened if “our” Loki survived the opening of Avengers: Infinity War, which he did by allowing Thanos to kill a duplicate while he disguised himself as some debris. Classic Loki went into hiding and developed a taste for brighter greens and yellows, and aged into Richard E. Grant, before he was pruned by the TVA and found himself here in the Void.

Classic Loki’s line about “the god of outcasts” comes from 2019’s Loki #5, by Daniel Kibblesmith and Andy McDonald:

“I am Loki. God of outcasts. They see themselves in me. And I in them. All of us, alone together. It’s why my stories always end with someone trying to put me in a box. And begin with my spectacular escape.”

Later in the episode, Classic Loki and Kid Loki literally “exit stage right,” in what feels like a very deliberately “stagey” moment that plays on the Shakespearean overtones of all of this.

The Living Tribunal

On the ground in the Void there’s a large severed head…and it’s that of The Living Tribunal, a cosmic entity created by Stan Lee and Marie Severin back in 1967. The presence of a Living Tribunal (even one who is dead at this present time), whose entire purpose for being is predicated on the existence of a multiverse, means that the TVA is trying very hard to cut all ties and any evidence of the fact that the multiverse is already out there.

U.S.S. Eldridge

The USS Eldridge was a real Cannon-class destroyer in the U.S. Navy in use from 1943 to 1992. It was supposedly sold for scrap after it was decommissioned but Loki posits that perhaps it was an unwanted Variant in the Sacred Timeline. Perhaps this is because the ship was rumored to be subjected to the “Philadelphia Experiment” that was supposed to render it invisible to the human eye. The story is sadly probably a hoax.

There’s a not exactly great 1984 movie called The Philadelphia Experiment which adds time travel to the equation, making this little callback even more Loki appropriate.

Is That Stan Lee?

At about 9:38 there’s a mural in the TVA headquarters. On the right there’s a guy in prescription shades, with a familiar moustache and salt-and-pepper hair. We’re not saying that’s Stan Lee, but…

The Castle

Yes, we know, that ominous castle sure looks like Doctor Doom’s  home of Doomstadt, but…it’s probably not (or is it?). More likely, this is Castle Limbo, home of Kang the Conqueror (or…is it?).

We unpacked these possibilities some more here.

The Music

The “heroic Loki” theme at the end sounds like it’s about to break into Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.”

Speaking of, the regular Loki theme is very similar to the part of the Delfonics “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide From Love)” that was sampled for Missy Elliott’s “Sock It To Me.” The original (also sampled for the Fugees’ “Ready or Not” and Dr. Dre’s “Still D.R.E.”) was about the inevitability of love, and Missy’s song was about sneaking into somebody’s house to get your back blown out, so basically the same thing. Could have some bearing on Loki and Sylvie’s story.

The music that plays during the “Loki brawl” is this show’s equivalent of Scooby-Doo chase music. That’s a good thing, by the way.

Pixar, is that you?

Was that the Pizza Planet truck? Mobius’s ride, a station wagon with a slice of pizza on top, immediately brought to mind the popular Pixar easter egg/elaborate timeline mcguffin that has appeared in every Pixar movie to date. Also, very nice touch having Lightning McQueen himself drive it.

An even nicer touch is the license plate on the car Mobius is driving: GRN W1D. As in “Gruenwald.” As in (say it with us, kids!) Mark Gruenwald, the Marvel writer and editor who Mobius is based on.

Ant-Man

At one point on the ground in the Void we can spot a gigantic Yellowjacket helmet. Yellowjacket is the codename for several size-shifting superheroes in the Marvel Comics, but is best known to MCU fans as Corey Stoll’s Darren Cross from the first Ant-Man flick. 

Guardians of the Galaxy

There’s lots of crashed spacecraft, one of which kind of looks like the Dark Aster (Ronan the Accuser’s ship in Guardians of the Galaxy), and there may be a Helicarrier hanging around. There’s also a flying saucer that vaguely resembles the ship from John Carpenter’s The Thing, and a pirate ship that if Doctor Doom were actually the villain of this show (he isn’t…or…is he?) would make us think of that character’s very first appearance in Fantastic Four comics, where he sent Ben Grimm back in time to become Blackbeard. No, really.

Miscellaneous Time Variants

The fate of the Lokis is reminiscent of What If? #12, otherwise known as What If the X-Men Had Stayed in Asgard? At the end of the story, after tasting defeat yet again, Loki begged Those Who Sit Above in Shadow to allow him to rule Asgard. They agreed by sending him far into the future at the end of time. As reality started to break down, Loki went out laughing in the face of oblivion.

The bus ad at the beginning is for Calum Ross, who is an editor on the show. 

The shot of all the Lokis walking as the camera swoops overhead is very much reminiscent of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies.

Loki and Sylvie are cold in The Void. But wait a minute, aren’t they both Frost Giants? Why then would Loki conjure a green blanket? Unless he wants a convenient excuse to cuddle up with his Variant…

Loki is drinking “RoxxiWine” pinot noir…out of a box…which is a nice touch.

Is that weird, very large plant in the bowling alley hideout supposed to be a Variant Yggdrasil? Or wait…what if that’s Plant Loki?!? He’s green, isn’t he?

Next to Alligator Loki’s kiddie pool there’s a copy of The Mystery and Lore of Monsters, a 1930 book by Charles J.S. Thompson.

The tower we all keep thinking is Avengers Tower is in fact Qeng Tower, the headquarters of Qeng Enterprises, the company that Tony Stark (mistakenly) sold the old Avengers tower to in the comics.

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Spot anything we missed? (Probably, right?) Let us know in the comments!

The post Marvel’s Loki Episode 5: MCU Easter Eggs and References appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[digsyiscomics]

Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective #2, October 1993, written by Mark Gruenwald, penciled by Mike Gustovich

[marvelman901]

Avengers: Terminatrix Objective 1 (1993) Written by Mark Gruenwald Penciled by Mike Gustovich Inked by Bud LaRosa Terminatrix had taken over from Kang, but was being threatened by various enemies. One of them was Revelation, who had recruited three Avengers to fight Terminatrix... . #marvel #superhero #avengers #terminatrix #90s #deadhunt #budlarosa #markgruenwald #mikegustovich #usagent #kang #time #alioth #chronopolis #warmachine #ironman #thunderstrike #captainamerica #revelation #thor #alien https://www.instagram.com/p/B_2owQOBKVC/?igshid=f36p2ai8tml9

[biggoonie]

AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION: THE GATHERERS STRIKE! TPB

Volume #24 in the Avengers Epic Collections Written by BOB HARRAS, GLENN HERDLING, MARK GRUENWALD & MORE Penciled by STEVE EPTING, GORDON PURCELL, MIKE GUSTOVICH & MORE Cover by STEVE EPTING Gathering doom! The mysterious Gatherers have big plans for the Vision, while the other Avengers have their hands full with one of their own: the powerful sorceress Sersi! Captain America returns — but things have changed in his absence, and the Black Knight won’t take kindly to being bossed around! The Dane/Sersi/Crystal love triangle gets ever more complicated as the Avengers finally meet their shadowy nemesis: Proctor of the Gatherers! Deathcry enters the world of the Avengers, and Hank Pym becomes Giant-Man once more! But who is the Bloodwraith? Plus: USAgent, War Machine and Thunderstrike form a new “big three” in a time-travel tussle with Terminatrix — and Cap, Iron Man and Thor aren’t far behind them! All that and Deadpool too! Collecting AVENGERS (1963) #360-366 and ANNUAL #22, AVENGERS: THE TERMINATRIX OBJECTIVE #1-4, AVENGERS STRIKEFILE and AVENGERS ANNIVERSARY MAGAZINE. 488 PGS./Rated T …$39.99 ISBN: 978-1-302-92063-0

[bringbackwendellvaughn]