#me core after watching deadpool and wolverine

[thatboisus]

me logging onto tumblr after consuming a new piece of media

[mcufandomhatespeopleofcolor]

This might be me thinking too much, but I'm honestly worried that Disney will take the well deserved boycott of next year's captain america movie as "proof" that movies with Black leads that aren't profitable when it has nothing to do with Sam Wilson at all.

I don't think its you thinking too much honestly. Its complicated tbh. Like ok I didn't want sabra in cap 4 either. and there was definitely pressure on disney/marvel to do reshoots for cap 4.

but the other side of it is that there's a couple of all white properties (deadpool & wolverine, agatha all along) that are doing GREAT. And before anyone comes at me with AAL not being all white I've only seen Aubrey Plaza trend from the show despite the fact that she's a transphobe and white/white passing. Not to mention if the theories are right about Locke's character being a son of Wanda he should be romani/jewish so he's been whitewashed.

Also other diverse marvel properties like The Marvels and Ms. Marvel (I'm talking about her show's rerelease on ABC after it had been released on Disney+) have failed miserably. There's just like no... self awareness from white fans who have gone to see dp&w several times in theaters. They don't care about the bds boycott.

I honestly feel like white ppl at large are very quick to pick up on sjw terms and boycotts to justify why they won't watch diverse properties. You can see it in the way that the marvels failed at the box office even though the strike ended around the same time it came out. you can see it in the way white girls are shipping dp/w and don't give a shit about the sapphic representation in Carol Danvers because her lover was a Black woman Maria Rambeau. Meanwhile the entirety of tumblr is obsessed with AAL because again a white gay ship is at its core.

I'm just so tired of this shit.

mod ali

[daftdrac]

If you were in a conversation, what topic would you like to talk about? :D

Something X-Men related, probably specifically anything deadpool or wolverine (Deadpool isn't exactly X-Men but I'm counting him cause he's also a part of this hyperfixation) anyways I LITERALLY GOT THIS NOTIFICATION WHILE IM WATCHING THE WOLVERING AND THE XMEN CARTOON LMAOOO Yeah I'm super into. X-Men shit right now because I watched Deadpool 3 and my brain said YES. THAT. I am absolutely taking this as an opportunity to rant by the way cause there is so much random shit about this show that has me giggling. Errrmmm spoiler warning I guess ?

FIRST OF ALL LOGANS VOICEEEEEVEVEVDBDBE 👹👹👹 I'm not one to simp for fictional characters (lie) but I'm down bad JUST because of the voice (also lie im down bad for a lot of reasons)

ALSO THE FUCKING AMOUNT OF LOVE INTERESTS HE HAS IN THIS. JEAN, (KINDA-ISH) WHO DOESN'T SHOW UP UNTIL EPISODE 23 OF 26??? SOME RANDOM JAPANESE WOMAN WHO'S MARRIED TO A SAMURAI?? SOME ALIEN-MUTANT-THING WOMAN WHO WORKED WITH HIM AND WAS HIS GIRLFRIEND BEFORE HE LOST HIS MEMORIES OR SOMETHING ?? Emma kinda but not really she's not an explicit love interest but you can kinda tell it's a little implied at some points. I definitely am forgetting a few my memory is still shit but A BISEXUAL CHARACTER AND NOT A MALE LOVE INTEREST IN SIGHT <3 thats why Cyclops is here. He's supposed to be kind of a romantic rival to Logan kinda (cause they both like jean or whatever idk it REALLY doesn't seem like Logan likes jean all that much but I guess he does) but it really just ends in them having tension that feels less like they despise each other and more like they're waiting for everyone to leave them alone so they can go at it so I'm counting Scott even if he isn't like OFFICALLY a love interest he basically is

Oh also gambit is a thing for like 2 episodes. All he does is cause issues which. Gambit core I guess idk much about him 💀 all I know is he is REALLY like. Cunning and confident and shit. Tryin to think of the word. CHARMING yeah he's charming. Or supposed to be I guess he looks a little funny so he just makes me giggle looking at him. Honestly if he wanted to fuck Logan he could probably convince him to buy he's in love with one of magneto's daughters or whatever?? That he met for like a few hours and kissed once?? Before being thrown in a cell for kissing magneto's daughter??? And then abandoning her after promising to take her away from genosha with him?? I don't even know man.

Anyways I'm a complete noob X-Men fan I literally didn't know jack shit about anyone but Logan before I started watching this. Already a hardcore wolverine/cyclops fan they're gay to be fr with you. I should read some of the comics huh. Anyways here's my live reaction to Logan and Scott interacting like normal people:

Also silly goofy images from this show no I'm not sorry 3/4 are Logan he's BABYGIRL in this okay

Here have a poolverine meme to end this post

[things-arent-what-they-seem66]

Hiya! It's me again, ya horn boi, that is just THIRSTY for your writing 😫🙏

I was wondering- when you're able and if this one shot idea interests you (don't write it if it doesn't, this is just my sick little mind needing some fuel because AO3 is down and I'm starting to tweak).

But I was wondering if you could do a little one shot set in the Deadpool x Wolverine au? Specifically Adam using his claws on Lucifer? (It doesn't have fo be stabbing or making him bleed if you're not into that, mainly just cutting his clothes off-)

They definitely start flatting together after the film, so I like to think that this takes place at the flat and Adams been drinking cause he's still depressed (if you've seen the film he has a perfectly good reason for this), so he basically spills his feelings to Lucifer, who then takes him to bed to sleep the alcohol off. The dirty stuff happens in the morning when Adam feel super embarrassed but Lucifer tell him he feels the same.

After been hated in his own universe, Adam just baths in Lucifers praises and touches.

They get a little rough but what do you expect from two immortals that have a pain kink-

So, that's basically it, just some soft love for Adam with a lot of filth mixed in.

I just need more beefy Adam with Logans cute hair ears- if Lucifer makes a comment on them I'll buy you a car for your 21st birthday-

Anyway- thank you! 🍳

I'VE FINALLY SEEN THE MOVIE!! I was waiting to do this one when I saw the movie and now I have.

Even though they had saved their world and everyone in it, Adam couldn't fight off the depression that still clawed it's way into his mind when the dust was settled and everything was over.

He was living with Lucifer now, really he had nowhere else to go he didn't know why he even bothered trying. It was still weird to him that the Adam of this world that died was the anchor being keeping it all together.

Adam wasn't that important, he could live in any timeline apparently.

Adam raised the bottle of whiskey to his lips and took a deep drink, he enjoyed the way it burned going down his throat. He wasn't sure now just how long he's been drinking but it's been enough to get a good buzz on.

Lucifer: Hey there- Woah, what's with the self inflicted pity party?

It was easy to see that Adam was drunk, that bottle was new but more than half gone already.

Fuck, that wasn't good.

Lucifer: Come on baby girl time for bed before we find out if you actually can drink yourself to death.

Lucifer gently reaches down and removes the bottle from Adams grip and sets it down before picking him up like he weighed nothing. Because to Lucifer he really didn't.

Adam held onto him and buried his face in Lucifer's neck.

Adam: You smell good.

Lucifer: Thank you it's called soap.

Adam: I ever tell you how much I love you?

Lucifer grinned: No, but why don't you tell me now?

Adam: I love you so much, but you've never loved me.

Lucifer was confused until he remembered the version of himself from this Adams world. So they had history there too....

Lucifer: I love you too.

Adam: You do?

Adams claws came out making Lucifer jump.

Lucifer: Woah! Watch the murder mittens cute stuff.

Adam giggled and that's how Luicfer knew he was fucking wasted. Adam never giggled especially over a silly joke he makes.

Lucifer laid him on the bed but Adam pulled him down and held him while he slept off his drunken stupor.

Lucifer: There are worse places to be than in between these perfect titties.

In the morning woke up to being held by Luicfer, his face got warm and he tried to get away.

Lucifer: What no morning kiss?

Adam groaned: Oh fuck me....

Lucifer: Well if you really want to.

He laughed nervously when Adam unsheathed one set of claws and it looked like he was going to stab him in the dick, but instead he used them to cut off his clothes.

Lucifer: Well this is a pleasant surprise.

Adam: I can change my mind.

Lucifer: Nope! Come here beautiful.~

The sex they had was a mixture of hard core rough sex and making love. Adam melted under his touch and soaked in all the praises that Lucifer showered him with as he pounded into him. The headboard was banging the wall like it was Morse code.

It could be heard throughout the apartment, good thing Charlie was out for coffee.

When they were done they laid there basking in the afterglow of their euphoric blissful state.

Luicfer: Addie.

Adam felt his eye twitch at the nickname: What?

Lucifer: You're my favorite person.

Adams face got hot again: Shut up.....

[alpaca-clouds]

Do Adults Remember Being Kids? Or: Adults that do not understand kids make bad kids media

A few days ago I had a discussion with one of those male crybabies in their 40s, who are very butt-hurt about media not always being made for them. But that discussion kinda got out of hand, with more and more people chiming in. And this got me to wonder: "Uhm, do people not remember being kids?"

For context. Someone posted the scene from Thor: Love and Thunder, in which Thor shares his power with the Asgardian kids. The person posted that was like: "Can we all agree that this was the worst scene in the MCU?" And one of my moots quote-tweeted this with: "Yeah, how dares the movie made for children include a power fantasy for children?" At which quite a few nerds got angry with them for daring to suggest that those movies, they love-hate so much, are for kids.

And they went like: "So you are saying that Winter Soldier is for kids?" Which I personally found hilarious. While normally I watch most movies in the evening, for time reasons back in the day I watched Winter Soldier in the afternoon in a full cinema one day after release. And my then roommate and I were the oldest people in the cinema who were not parents that afternoon.

Because yes. There is a reason why Disney makes a point of making all the movies (other than Deadpool & Wolverine) PG13 rated. Which means that 13yos can watch the movie alone, and kids younger than 13 can watch it together with their kids. There is a reason why there are a lot of kids toys for those movies. Because it is for kids.

Now, to be fair, I argued all those things, and one of these professional crybabies ended up agreeing with me after a while. So, I guess that could have gone worse.

However, I also tweeted about it myself and one of my followers also noted another topic where this shows: Folks claiming that Shonen anime are like totally for adults, while... you know... while the official core demographic is "boys between 8 and 14 years".

That is a lot of preemble, I know. But... Uhm, yeah, I don't know how to say this:

Children are absolutely able to deal with dark themes!

They love them in fact. Because they are kids, and they like cool stuff.

Will they get everything about those things? Nope. But is it for them and will they love it? Yeah.

I mean, I remember a lot of those shows I loved as a kid. The reason Digimon Tamers was my favorite Digimon season from the moment it came out, was that it was the first season that took me as a kid serious. It is still a kids show, but it allowed for themes like death and depression. It allowed also for adult characters to exist and to be important in the show, which gave it a more realistic vibe, wihtout ever destroying the power fantasy for kids.

Or another show that was fairly popular back then in Japan: Ojamajo Doremi. A show with a core demographic of girls between 4 and 12 years of age. And this show deals with death, suicidal thoughts, bullying, sickness, children dying of sickness, war and so many other shows. But... You know, look at this show and try and tell me it is not for kids:

I am sorry folks, but kids can deal with those topics, as long as it is not too graphic and are explained properly within the show.

And to get back to the MCU movies: I am sorry, none of them is actually all that adult. It being a thriller does not make it "adult". I mean, fuck, the MCU does for the most part not deal with death as a topic. Because nobody bloody dies and stays dead. Those movies are very, very kid-friendly. It is the equivalent of taking action figures and smashing them together.

Sure, in some of the movies there are topics that kids might not inherently grasp (like the parenting themes in the Guardians movies and the historical context for Black Panther). But those are in only a few movies - and you can still explain them to the kids!

[criticalpraisefilm]

Deadpool and Wolverine - first impressions

Previous Deadpool movies worked because the jokes are funny and constantly coming, but they make jokes to serve the story and theme. The movie is about something and the jokes are a bridge to the theme while keeping the audience entertained. This movie is about nothing.

Wade Wilson, Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is trying to live a normal life when he is told by Mr Paradox (Matthew Macfayden) that his timeline is in danger. Believing that it can only be saved with the assistance of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Deadpool finds a version of him from another universe and sets off to save his world, opposed by the opportunistic Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin).

I don't want to call this a bad movie. I was quite entertained while watching it. A lot of the jokes land quite well, and there's a lot of jokes. The action is quite well shot (save for one particular fight scene - sadly probably the most pivotal fight scene in the movie, the one that is trying to have the most thematic relevance is subject to some of the most egregious camera shaking I have ever seen in an action movie) and most of the actions kept me entertained. The performances are generally good: Reynolds is witty and excitable as ever; Jackman brings equal parts pathos and furious violence to his character; Macfayden is as slimy as his character demands; Corrin is clearly having a lot of fun playing a villain; and everyone else I didn't name because their appearance is meant to be a surprise is good.

But then comes the reverse side - the story is extremely meandering. Most scenes, while entertaining and having plenty of jokes and fun, don't seem to serve the story. It's strange to say that, since those scenes do advance the plot or the characters - it's the plot itself that's the problem, because one third into the movie the story finds itself veering off into what feels like it should be a side quest to get the story back to the main thrust, but suddenly this is the main thrust. The villain of the second act, the subplot that lets the characters and theme develop while we lower the stakes a little, ends up being the final villain, getting resolution and then getting pulled back into the plot because the movie forgot that it needed a climax. There's taking the main problem and recontextualising it to raise the stakes, but when the stakes were already high enough for the characters to be invested, raising them and making it bigger just serves to made the story less focused.

And that's really the name of the problem here. The story is unfocused. Deadpool's emotional journey...isn't. He has a problem, but that problem is solved by way of saving the world as a matter of course. Wolverine has more of an emotional journey, but even that doesn't feel satisfying because there's no real resolution to it: he refuses to lay out his emotional state and problems, finally explains it to a side character with the main character nowhere to be found, and the next time we see him he's reached the end of his character arc and decided to care again. A deeper level of this emotional problem is brought up in the next scene, but after that scene is over it's not really referenced again. This wouldn't matter, he's not the singular main character, but Deadpool has the same problem. He is very early on presented with a choice that ties into his somewhat contrived personal conflict, immediately makes the more noble and "right" choice, and it's never a problem again. If the emotional core of the story is solved within the first half hour, why is the rest of the movie here?

Not all of the jokes land, of course. There are a lot of cameos from characters and actors from previous Marvel projects, mostly from before the big Marvel Cinematic Universe. I get the impression that the movie is trying to mock the MCU for the tendency to introduce a shiny character from the comics and wait for the audience to applaud them, but satire requires clarity of purpose. If your way of mocking this tendency is do the same thing, except these characters are from movies or franchises that didn't expand into the biggest media franchise in the world, that's not mockery, that's just doing the same thing and expecting the audience to find it funny because you told them to. And considering how many actual barbs the movie throws at the MCU (one or two of which are even funny) the fact that the main form of comedy directed at it is so flat and uninspired is disappointing and deeply unfunny. It's nice to see some of these characters here again. But why are they here? What do they contribute? If their contribution is nothing more than showing up and being there for the audience to recognise, you're not making fun of the MCU, you're just doing the same thing you're trying to mock.

In theory it's a fun crossover adventure of two entertaining and interesting characters, and maybe that's enough. Like I said, I was entertained, and I don't regret watching the movie. But I cannot tell you what it was trying to do or say or contribute to cinema or the world other than "wouldn't this be funny". And that's okay for an entertaining movie. But it could have done more. And it's kind of a shame that it didn't.

[multiverserift]

Superman is boring.

This is what many people think. There's an easy explanation for this.

Most people get their superhero knowledge from cinema movies.

Superman didnt have a REALLY good movie for 40! years!

Superman II was 1980, that was 44 years ago.

Returns was okay-ish but nothing to bring you to the edge of your seat. Then came Man of Steel, which had its own problems. It was bland, and besides some Cavill hype culture, nothing really sticked.

Then came BvS, which sucked, Justice League, which sucked, yeah.

In the same time we had at least 4 decent Batman movies (and of course The Excellent Dark Knight), twice as many GOOD Spiderman movies.

And many movies about other characters like Iron Man, GotG, Dr. Strange, X-Men, even Deadpool and Wolverine.

Supes is a character that INSPIRES you. When I walked out of Tobey Maguire's first Spidey movie, I felt inspired. Which Superman movie after Superman II made you feel inspired? Yeah.

Then second base if you're not into movies. TV Shows. Let's stick to live action, because many people put animated stuff into the "for kids" drawer. Totally wrongly, of course.

Marvel totally won this with ace performances like Daredevil, Jessica Jones (the BEST show), Loki, Punisher, WandaVision (what a surprise! creative energy!), Moon Knight. I really liked Runaways. And if you didn't watch The Gifted, you really shoud.

Batman had Gotham (which I really liked). Superman got Krypton, which didn't include Superman. Well. Titans missed everything (except Krypto), so did Gotham Knights.

No Superman inspiration here. No. Because that is the core of the character. He should make you FEEL like YOU CAN DO THIS, and EVERYTHING CAN BE OKAY.

This feeling didn't get transported in the most important media for casual audiences. For MORE THAN 40 YEARS!

Of course people think "well he's boring", because they didn't experience the feeling.

Most people don't watch the animated stuff. Shame, really.

You want to know what the last good Superman moments for me were? In friggin' SHE-RA. Yeah you heard me.

She-Ra did for me what decades of superhero narratives couldn't do. She-Ra achieved a rare thing. It has an overpowered character, but in many situations, it doesn't help her. Many of her problems she has to solve with her mind.

And when she finally transforms, you very often feel INSPIRED.

Of course, Superman & Lois is a gem I will defend with my life. I saved this one for the last paragraph, because it's THE BEST. Seriously. Watch it. That moment on the cliff with Clark and Jordan. DAYUM.

But most people won't watch this. Most people go to the cinema and feel "yeah Superman, bland, boring, overpowered and still boring".

This is why we need DESPERATELY a good Superman movie. I have high hopes in James Gunn.

[vicsy]

Had some time over the last month to watch a couple of movies I've been meaning to and felt like sharing my opinion about them!

The Whole Nine Yards – I remember seeing it on TV ages ago. Recently I finished reading Matthew Perry's biography and he talked lengths about making this movie and how enjoyable it was. I felt the need to watch him alive on the screen again and this was, in a way, a perfect movie of pretty much a lost genre of whimsical criminal comedies. Matthew's brand of humor always resonated with me and helped shape the way I tend to joke around. When you look at him you always see Chandler but in this case it was an added bonus. Overall this movie is not THE epitome of "omg best movie ever!" but it doesn't make less enjoyable and quirky. Reminded me a lot of simpler times.

Bottoms – okay, look. I'm an Ayo Edebiri enthusiast and this movie only helped cement it further. Angry and brash and really fucking funny. I love the gratuitous violence, loved the setting that moved from a modern time high school to, once again, a place from the early 2000s. Rachel Sennott was so good in this movie and also the character Nicholas Galitzine played made me actually want to punch him through the screen. A lot of serious issues that were conveyed through joking dialogue did not come off as an offensive but something rather pointed and I love the delivery. Incredible choice of wardrobe and movie score, honestly did not expect to like it as much as I did!

Practical Magic – another movie I last saw when I was a literal child. I wanted to rewatch it after a deep dive video about Charmed and the era where movies about witches were at its all time high. I feel like plot wise there isn't much to look at but the movie is carried by the characters and their uniqueness. Magic is just a nice bonus in there. Oh, and the duo of Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman? Truly enjoyable even after so many years.

The Adam Project – needed an action flick after witnessing Deadpool and Wolverine. Had been meaning to watch that movie for a long time and, while I was flying home, finally got to it. As someone who is not fond of time travel, I did not expect to like the concept but, man. I really did. A really, really great cast and plot that managed to pack an emotional punch, apart from humor built off of Ryan Reynolds and Walker Scobell, who plays the younger version of Ryan's character. I think at the core there is a theme of dealing with grief and lost time but all wrapped up in action sequences, jokes that sometimes land and sometimes don't, and pretty great visuals. Gotta commend the dynamic between the actors – it felt really natural and unforced.

gotta catch up on other stuff that I am yet to watch buuuutt here's this!!

[cherrrydragon]

hiya pooks, i wanted to get to know you more so i have a couple fun questions for you that include my personal answers! (i’m an oversharer)

1) fav media of spider-man?

i looooooove ultimate spider-man. i think it’s so over hated because the kids who watched spectacular grew up and were upset the next spider-man show was a kids show and not an adult show made for them. the fact that there just so much room for cameos from all other marvel media really helped me build a love for marvel as a whole. i wouldn’t know half as much marvel lore or characters without it since i never read the comics. (too poor to continuously buy growing up + can’t read comic panels over screen cause bleh. i think it was our first time meeting miles on screen too, which was awesome!)

it showed me who spider-man was at his core, a good person. and that’s what stood out to me. it also showed me that spider-man was super funny and always had a ‘quip’ lol. bonus points for ps4 spidey for being the first game i played of him and into the spider-verse for literally changing animation for the whole world. straight up best movie ever made.

2) fav media of dc?

gotta be the 2022 batman for me. i was so happy they finally got him right on the big screen! it took so long for people to realize that batman is only fear to his enemies, but hope to the people. they also count have picked a better catwoman! and the fact that the riddler is just some guy? mwah, perfection, amazing, incredible!

side rant; everytime i see someone mention how they thiugtt he robert patterson didn’t play a good bruce i wanna scream. how are we lacking so much media literacy nowadays that we can no longer recognize this is before he gets his whole playboy persona. he doenst even have financial stability! he’s literally just learning who he is. there’s deadass a whole scene dedicated to him trying to go into the club as batman and getting turned away vs being welcomed in as bruce and realizing bruce wayne has actual value to fighting crime.

3) fav non live action character?

sam anderson’s nova is so fun! he’s such a sweetiepie. i know earlier i said i don’t read the comics, but i do listen to them. i really wish they would put him in as teen trying his best with the guardians of the galaxy <3

klarion the witch boy is so silly (especially in young justice. his va is perfect for him.) he literally just terrorizes people for funsies. gotta love the lord of chaos and his cat.

hi hi! i just wanna preface this by saying a lot of media im a fan of i havent actually watch/read/played just because i cant truly sit down and consume content like i used to when i was younger. literally yesterday i watched the second deadpool movie after like, maybe 2 years since watching the first one (and i probably wouldnt have watched it if the new dp and wolverine movie didnt come out LOL) so i can't really answer these as efficiently as id like but ill try my best

fav media of spider-man?

before it would've been mcu spiderman simply because i havent watched the raimi or amazing spiderman ones, but now without a doubt i can say the spiderverse movies are my fav ones! all movies are pieces of art, but the spiderverse movies are truly by and for art kids. the animation and art is beautiful and i think the way it so artistically connects all things spider-man is really cool.

2. fav media of dc?

so... the last time i watched any dc media was when i was way younger LOL. i distinctly remember watching dc super hero girls, justice league unlimited, the flash (tv) and i think arrow (tv)? but like i said, i was young and don't remember much. ive seen from numerous people that the dc timeline is kind of a mess and that + the fact that there's so much content is what's keeping me from consuming it now. on the topic of batman 2022 there's literally nothing stopping me from watching it but i havent LOL i just cant sit down and watch it. i think the brainrot got to me rip.

i think what stops me from consuming content is the fact that i become a fan of it without actually participating. i read so much fanfic that i learn the plot of things through there, and because i already know what happens i dont desire to spend time and take it in. i might be cooked ngl. but anyway, no official favorite dc media from me

3. fav non live action character?

dude theres like way to many to name but one that comes to mind immediately is black cat (i dont think she's been in any live action from marvel yet?) something about those cat burglars man... LOL. i know this doesn't really count but i really like her portrayal in "Dark Matter" by mysterycyclone on ao3 (and amazing peter parker in gotham fic, highly recommend) i truly love the idea of the thief becoming friends with their crimestopper, because like catwoman, they aren't really hurting anybody (at least, from what ive seen)

as for dc... like i said i have not consumed enough media to pick LOL my bad 💔

[raevanmun]

✵ - Are there any other fandoms you’d like to approach?

This question is... well. A touch fraught for me. That said, yes. I would love to return to a couple of them that I have let fall to the wayside of the years. Before I became my anxiety’s bitch, I used to do a lot more real life sort of role play.Meaning, I table topped a lot and had a good circle of friends to do that with. I haven’t in years now and it makes me rather sad. Sad enough, that I ordered 200 bucks worth of the new VTM (Vampire the Masquerade) core books so that I might, given inspiration start an online game for those so inclined. I absolutely LOVE that gameverse. No sparkle vampires, just blood suckers all trying to figure out how to feed and keep themselves free. The new storyline is amazing, been updated to our current times and I really feel that I have a good idea for story.So, maybe after the new books arrive (I pre-ordered) and I get my mind wrapped around the new rule set and content fully, I’ll try doing something via discord. Otherwise, most of the fandoms I find attractive, I am in. There are maybe a few comic book things that I wish I were better versed in, but I just don’t have the attention span/dedication to go to the comic shop every week to buy the newest stuff, nor the money to go back and collect all the old things I’d need to get myself up on it all.That said, I do have a love for comics and I have favorites that while I haven’t read the entire bodies of, I have read some of and have a general working knowledge of. I grew up reading Fantastic Four, was a huge fan of Ben Grim as a kid. Marvel is still my favorite - of the mainstream comic world. I am unfortunately rather stodgy in my tastes and prefer X-men these days. I hated the movies, before anyone asks, just hated them. I had really high hopes and then found the first two so bad, I gave up on the movies all together. I should watch all the newer stuff, but I haven’t. Like none of it since the poorly done Wolverine origin movie that they later re-made. Wait, I take that back. I have watched Deadpool, because... well, DEADPOOL.I do have a lot of love for DC however, but only for very specific characters. I watched Suicide Squad. While a lot of people hated it, I loved Margot Robbie’s Harley. My DC’ness is very much Gotham centered, and Batman and his directly associated characters are my faves there. Not a Superman fan, and as much as I loved the mid 80′s reboot of Wonderwoman ( and I do own every single issue of that series) I didn’t see the movie. So much controversy. I won’t argue the fine points of comics though with folks. I don’t keep up well enough to do so. So, I guess it sort of counts. hahahaha.Thanks for Asking! @smith-hadeon

[cosmicpopcorn]

Deadpool 2 (2018)

So, your favorite crazy ass pansexual assassin/mercenary...antihero...whatever the fuck he is (let’s just go with fucking awesome)...has returned in Deadpool 2 ready to kick ass, take names, and make us laugh with the crudest of jokes. Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead return with him, while the X-Force, Cable, and Firefist are introduced.

Before he made it to the big screen, Deadpool had a humble beginning when he first appeared in the comic book series, The New Mutants #98, cover-dated February 1991. Your girl Domino also makes her first appearance in this issue as well. The New Mutants series is a spin-off series from the X-Men franchise - it centers around a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training. In issue #98, Deadpool has been hired to kill The New Mutants and Cable...such a wonderful way to meet your favorite neighborhood assassin/mercenary, right? He then began appearing as a regular character in the X-Force series and went on to make guest appearances in several Marvel comics such as The Avengers, Daredevil, and Heroes for Hire. After getting a couple of his own miniseries (The Circle Chase and Deadpool), he eventually got his own ongoing title/full series in 1997. Now this fool got two movies...he’s finally got a piece of the pie!

In the 2004 comic book series Cable & Deadpool, Deadpool describes his appearance as “Ryan Reynolds crossed with a Shar-Pei.” And since 2016 (if you don’t count Ryan Reynold’s appearance as Wade Wilson in X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Ryan Reynolds has taken on the task of being our beloved Deadpool and he’s pretty damn good at it. It was clearly meant to be. In Deadpool 2, starring alongside Ryan Reynolds, we have Josh Brolin as Cable (yes, that’s the same dude who did a fucking fantastic job as Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War), Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Julian Dennison as Firefist, Zazie Beetz as Domino (guess who I’mma be for Halloween?), T.J. Miller as Weasel, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and Stefan Kapicic as the voice of Colossus, Deadpool’s wonderful friend who puts up with all his bullshit and possible love interest/sex buddy? (I’m just saying - even Vanessa told him not to fuck Colossus when she spoke to him in the afterlife, so clearly something may be happening there).

Before we get into the pros and cons for Deadpool 2, let me just say this: I’ve seen a lot of Marvel movies lately and I gotta be honest, they have set the bar high for not only superhero movies but movies in general. At this point, even the most “average” Marvel movie is gonna have great acting, writing, and special effects. This makes it hard for a nigga like me who is trying to find something to critique when writing these reviews because who the fuck just wants to read about me fangirling over a movie (e.g. my Avengers: Infinity War post). I don’t even enjoy writing fangirl posts, which is why the one for Avengers was as short as it was. So unless Marvel starts randomly fucking up their movies for no damn reason - which I doubt is ever gonna happen - I’m not gonna have half as much to critique as usually do. 

Anyway, let’s get into the pros and cons:

Pros:

From what I know about comic book Deadpool (antihero characteristics, humorous - especially crude humor, breaks the 4th wall, pansexual), the movie Deadpool appears to be a pretty accurate representation of him. They didn’t try to make him kid/family-friendly, I definitely see them playing on and/or hinting towards his pansexuality (if anything I swear he flirts with men more than women - the only woman I really see him flirt with is Vanessa), and movie Deadpool is crude as fuck. They even have movie Deadpool continue to break the 4th wall (in case you didn’t know, breaking the 4th wall is when a character is aware that they are a fictional character and may actually interact with the audience) and you can check out this Deadpool 2 trailer for an example of him breaking the 4th wall - he actually interrupts the trailer to discuss the special effects. You’re never too sure if a sequel is going to actually be just as good as the original...or good at all. Another concern is whether or not the sequel continues to build on the character while remaining true to the character’s essence/core personality and this is especially concerning when a movie is an adaptation of a comic/book. Deadpool 2, if anything, continues to emphasize Deadpool’s core personality while building upon it at the same time. 

Going off of the first pro, Deadpool 2 emphasizes his core personality traits (humorous, individualistic, sexual) while attempting to give him more emotional depth. The first half of the movie has us watch Deadpool experience grief after the death of Vanessa. Even before her death, watching him interact with her and plan a family allows us to see the side of him that desires stability, commitment, and family. This first half is important because it shows us that while Deadpool is securely individualistic and doesn’t necessarily need a team like the X-Men or The Avengers, he does still desire family and companionship. It lets us know that even the Merc with a Mouth isn’t beyond the basic human desire to connect with others. In the second half, while more fast-paced and action-packed, we still get to see more of Deadpool’s sense of morality and belief in the goodness, or potential goodness of others when he fights to save young Firefist from Cable. In fact, I would say that Deadpool has an even stronger sense of morality than Colossus - Colossus was willing to leave Firefist in the hands of the headmaster even though it was pretty obvious he was being abused because he refused to play “judge, jury and executioner,” while Deadpool was so sure of how wrong it was that he started killing the orderlies immediately. We also get to see him try to form his own family with the creation of the short-lived first version of the X-Force. 

Ryan Reynolds was made to play Deadpool. Makes me forgive him for Green Lantern and almost makes me forget it even happened! By the way, that post-credits scene of Deadpool shooting Ryan Reynolds in the head while he holds a copy of the Green Lantern script is PURE GOLD.

Zazie Beetz does an awesome job as Domino - she makes a big impact on the audience even though she may not have as many lines or scenes as some of the other characters. The directors and writers also did a really good job of showing the audience Domino’s power of luck - a power that seems so abstract and would be believed to be difficult to display well in movie format.

Cable is a character that I feel you can empathize with and who I actually kind of liked by the end. I really enjoyed how at first he was portrayed as the villain, only for things to be switched up and for us to find out the real villain was the chubby kid from New Zealand (aka Firefist). 

While being hilarious and action-packed, Deadpool 2 does take the opportunity to give you something to think about if you pay attention. First, they have Firefist point out how there are no chubby superheroes. It’s no secret that our society often discriminates, shames, and is prejudice against those who are larger. In media, they are often portrayed as the butt of jokes, being romantically and sexually undesirable, lazy, unhealthy, not athletic, etc. So, is it really a surprise that there are no chubby or plus-size superheroes? I love that Firefist is not skinny or unrealistically built and that he points out how there aren’t any superheroes who look like him (Fun Fact: In the comics, Firefist is a white, skinny, blonde kid from Tulsa, OK, so I’m digging the changes they made - both to Firefist and Domino, whose comic book version was a woman with chalk-white skin).

Second, Deadpool himself points out how the name X-Men forgets that there are female mutants in the group...this is why he chooses X-Force, a gender-neutral name for his group of superhero misfits. The language we use in a patriarchal society is often masculine - for example, we tend to say mankind instead of humankind or things like, “come on guys” to refer to an entire group of people who may not all identify as male and it’s because men are seen as the default. Deadpool’s jokes and commentary in this movie sometimes calls out societal biases that have also made their way into our comics and superhero movies and I’m here for it. Not only that, but Deadpool does not look like your typical hero - his skin is scarred and disfigured, despite him being fit and we still see him being a sexual and romantic being and I think that’s powerful when you have nothing but a bunch of super fit and conventionally attractive superheroes running around.

The soundtrack for the movie is perfect and they perfectly match the songs and scenes. 

All the references are so fun to pick up on - if you’re really into comic books, superhero movies, and honestly just a TV and movie junkie in general, you will love picking up on all the references they throw at you. 

Cons:

So, while those references are great for TV, movie, comic book, and superhero junkies, they’re not-so-great for those who just watch movies here and there and aren’t necessarily fanatics. I’ll go as far as to say if a person isn’t really into comics, superheroes, and doesn’t really know a lot of television and movie shit...a lot of stuff is going to be lost on them. Some movies are made for everyone and some movies are made for fans or at least those with a strong interest - Deadpool 2 is one of those movies and unfortunately that may alienate other viewers/audiences.  

Deadpool’s humor can be hit or miss - at times, the jokes didn’t really hit and weren’t really funny. The first half of the movie’s humor wasn’t as good as the second half of the movie. At times, I found myself laughing just because I knew I was supposed to and the humor and crudeness felt forced. 

Overall, Deadpool 2 is a fun, fun movie that poses some important questions about morality and makes commentary on aspects of society. Ryan Reynolds not only starred in but was also one of the writers and producers of this movie, and his talent shines throughout the entire 1hr and 59min of it. I’m proud of him, and I’m sure Deadpool is too.

Rating: 4.5 Caramel Popcorn Pieces 

[staarknaked]

Hello! I have been watching the marvel movies and tv shows for a while now but I’d like to read the comics too. Any idea how to start since there are so many and have been there for so long (as in which comic from what year)? Thank you in advance!

I’m sorry for how long this is, I tried. Once you find where you want tostart, it gets easier to narrow down and follow timelines and full story arcs,sort of, I promise. Also, Wikipedia is your friend. Marvel starting doing a lot of events after CivilWar. You can skip them and just read summaries. Save your sanity. If you have any questions you can msg me off anon too and I can walk you through it because Marvel comics are a shit show I’m so sorry I don’t make the rules.

Projects:

-Civil War (2006-2007): This is on the list because this is where I jumpedinto Avengers comics, and it’s honestly their most iconic events. It has a tonof main titles for multiple characters and is a really good way to get into howthey think and who they are, but it is fucking huge. After reading the core book, the tie ins and theCap/Iron man books are great. Really gives you history and scope of the Marveluniverse and its original players. This will take a while.

-Avengers Disassembled (2004-2005): Probablybigger than civil war? I have the hardcover of this and it is massive. But again, iconic if you wantto do the work and read it. Scarlet Witch is a key player and it pretty coversbackground for a whole variety of previous material. This will also take forever. I have the entirely of it in a hardcover and I’ve only gotten through 2/3rds of it.

- House of M (2005): Wanda Maximoff. Right here. If you want toknow what comics Wanda is like, and why mutants are the way they are in comicsright now, House of M is it. House of M preludes some of the best x-men stuffpost Phoenix era and leads to a ridiculously intense storyline that leads towhere the mutants are now and why they are the way they are. The core book isshort, and good as a one shot, but if you go further it gets crazy.

Movie Characters in Comics

I haven’t readAnt-Man, Black Panther, or Thor solos except for the all-new thor where it’s JaneFoster but they are re-booting Thor in 2018 I think. And I don’t read Dr.Strange, he’s kind of an asshole.

-Black Widow (2014-2015): The art is amazing and Natasha adopts a cat.That’s all you need honestly. Doesn’t tie into the MCU at all but really great.

-Hawkeye (2012-2015): The Clint Barton we deserve tbh. Fraction andAja’s run is iconic and legendary. Also not MCU related but widely recognizedas one of the best comics runs.

-Planet Hulk (2006-2007): One of themore iconic Hulk runs and also where parts of the Hulk’s story in Thor: Ragnarokcame from.

-Scarlet Witch (2015-2017): Really good art, Wanda is trying to fix witchcraft, and it I think goes into a little bit of her backstory with Vision. They are no longer together in comics, but this I think deals with some of the aftermath and gives glimpses into her history. I have it, I haven’t gotten around to reading it.

-Invincible Iron Man: Extremis (2006): Ended up influencinga huge part of the original Iron Man movie, and updates Tony’s everything. Thearmor from this book was the basis for the armor in the MCU.

-All-New All-Different Invincible Iron Man (2015): This is a newerTony Stark, and this line eventual leads to the Riri Williams line I think? It’sa modern take on Tony Stark.

-Captain America: Winter Soldier / Captain America(Vol 5.) (2004-2011): Ed Brubaker is the mastermind behind bringing BuckyBarnes back as the Winter Soldier. This Cap line runs forever, and covers allthe major events of the mid-late 2000’s, including civil war, death of SteveRogers, and Bucky picking up the Shield. Really good run, it’s the only soloCap stuff I’ve read any part of. The Winter Soldier stuff starts in 2005/2006if you want to skip right to it.

-Captain America (2017): Starting atissue # 695, this is Steve’s redemption arc from the clusterfuck that wasMarvel’s Secret Empire. Getting into Cap here and then backtracking would be mysuggestion.

- Guardians of the Galaxy (2013-technically ongoing): this is a pretty long run and was launched whenthe movies started bringing new readers, and it’s really good. It does crossover with the O5 X-men business briefly, but it’s also where they reallyintroduce Angela Odinsdottir, Thor’s kick ass stolen sister.It’s been re-branded a couple of times due to events.

Team Books

-The Ultimate’s: Super Human (2002): The Ultimate’suniverse inspired the movies. It’s a close universe separate from marvel 616,which is the marvel universe where all the other comic recommendations arecoming from. Ultimate’s is grittier, darker, and changes backstories but isstill really really good. Gets weird, and is definitely not close to themovies, but a lot of the inspiration for the movies came from this universe,and you’ll see it if you read it.This is the kick off book, but the Ultimate ‘verse is pretty straight forward.

-Avengers Assemble (2012-2014): This wascreated for the movies. It has the movie team line up, and was meant to be thestepping stone from the fledgling MCU to the Marvel 616 comic verse!

Netflix/Hulu/Marvel TV

-Runaway’s (2003/2017): If you watched the Hulu Runaway adaption, these arethe comics to read. The 2003 run will not have the same characters or romancesas the show though, and the 2017 ones kind of bounce off the original omics andthe show. I’m not the biggest fan of the Runaways but my best friend read themwhen we were younger so I know this by association.

- Jessica Jones: Alias (2001-2004); Jessica Jones (2016): The netlfixshow was based off the Alias comics, and its Bendis and Gaydos back on the 2016run as well, making Jessica one of the most consistently written characters inMarvel. Very similar to the show

-The Defenders (2017): A reboot of the Defenders line to hype the neflixshow. I love danny jess and luke any and every time they interact. Jess andLuke named their kid after danny okay I love anytime these assholes teamup and I believe this is similar to the show as well.

Deadpool + Friends Deadpool is in a lot ofshit. He was in Deadool and Cable in the 90’s and early-mid 2000’s and then therewas a point where everything he was in was shit for a while, and now he runsaround the marvel universe and teams up with everyone from spider-man to thenew wolverine.

-Uncanny X-Force (2010-2012): This one is a wild ride, and only recommended ifyou really liked the Deadpool movie. Wolverine and X-23 with Deadpool and twoothers mutants. Lots of stabbing. Dark. Moral conundrums. Excellent andabsolutely amazing expose of Deadpool’s character and what his morals are like.-Spider-Man/Deadpool (2016-ongoing): I can’t speak for the laterstuff, but the first bit was pretty funny.

New Kids onthe Block These are “new” heroes that were meant to be youngand fresh. They’re fully established now, and definitely worth a look.-Nova (2013-2016): I love Sam. I do. He’s a spazy Hispanic teenagerwith cosmic space powers by accident basically. He’s one of the kids thatkicked off the dad!tony thing in comics. Has appearances by the guardians, anddeals with cosmic space stuff-Invincible Iron Man: Ironheart (2016-ongoing for now): This iswhere Riri Williams takes over the Iron Man title as weird shit happens to TonyStark. Black, 16, smarter than Tony.-Ms. Marvel (2014-ongoing): Kamala is just really sweet honestly,though I’ve only so far gone through the first 2 or 3 trades.

-Spider-Men(2012): Blends the spider-man of 616 with ultimate spider-man and gives areally good jumping point to the Miles Morales as Spider-Man when he comespermanently into the 616 universe.

-Spider-Man(2016-ongoing): Miles as spider-man. He and Nova, and Kamala get mentored by Tony Starkin some of the all new-all different avenger’s books but each also has a solorun.

- Hawkeye(2016-2018): The only Young Avengers to get her own series, Kate Bishop as Hawkeye.Helps keep Clint Barton from dying, pretty great all around. Kate isn’t newsince she came around in 2005 but she was horribly underused until she showedup in Fractions Hawkeye and then got her own solo.

LGBTQ and fucking AWESOME but not MCU related at all:

- Young Avengers (2005) and YA: Children’s Crusade (2011):Children’s crusade has more Wanda, YA is the first teenage superhero group thatalso had one of Marvel’s first gay on panel kisses.

- Angela: Asguard’s Assassin (2014) and Angela: Queen of Hel(2015): a transfriendly lesbian love story with fierce fucking femalecharacters.

- Fearless Defenders (2013): Valkyrie and a ton of kick assmarvel women team up, boot all the men off the Defenders team and then showthem the fuck up also there are Lesbians and Valkyrie is a fucking goddess.

And that’s where I’m going to stop. If you put any of these titlesinto google with the dates, it will show you what you’re looking for! There aresites to read comics for free, and there are programs that you can use to readthem digitally. But honestly, once you find what you like, head to your localcomic book shop (if you have one) and browse their titles. Most places wlilorder things in.

If you’re into X-Men, I can do an X-men specific list, butX-Men aren’t really MCU so I didn’t include them. X-Men is kind of my tried andtrue for marvel though tbh. There are a lot of new X-men series being launchedright now and they just resurrected Jean Grey, so if you want that, let me know,it’s its own list.

[roguedeck]

Dear FFG, please make a Boom Boom card

I’ve been way into the Marvel Champions LCG recently.

As a long time Netrunner player, I’m always ready to check when FFG puts out a new LCG. This was especially true for Marvel Champions when I found out that Michael Boggs was one of the lead designers. His stuff at the end of Netrunner made him someone to watch.

As good as the game is now, I’ve bought it on spec. Sure, I’m excited to play Spider-man, Captain America, and Captain Marvel. But one day, they will get to the X-Men, and I would be morally and legally obligated to go back and get everything from the beginning.

Who knows when the X-men box is coming. But I’m sure we can count on Wolverine, Cyclops, Iceman and the other heavy hitters. You know Gambit is going to get his own pack.

But what about the other guys. The second stringers. The fan favorites. Sure they probably won’t be anchoring their own hero deck. That’s fine. But as packs are developed, and allies are selected, let’s not forget about the true believers on the bench.

Who is Boom Boom?

To quote the scribe Warren Ellis, Boom Boom has the mutant power to blow things up and steal all your stuff.

As an 80s kid Boom Boom popped up in X-Factor, along with Rusty, Skids, and Rictor. These kids eventually got lumped in with the rest of the New Mutants, and militarized themselves in the pages of X-Force.

X-Force got really eXtreme. Boom Boom changed her name to Boomer, then Meltdown, then realized that was dumb.

She showed back up in Warren Ellis’ Nextwave where she blew more stuff up (tick tick tick), discovered the bad guys’ secret plot, and defeated Forbush man when he couldn’t use his mind control powers (as she had no mind).

"The little guy did something to your heads. I gave him the explodo because I am clever." - Boom Boom

Other stuff happened that most people don’t care about in the early 2000s.

The next time she popped up on my radar was in the excellent New Mutants: Dead Souls mini. Among other things she got to play with Dr. Strange’s ghost dog.

Then she popped back up in Dawn of X’s New Mutants where she drunkenly blew up stuff to help rescue Beak from a drug gang.

She’s also somehow a super hacker. Yay comics.

FFG Wouldn’t Actually Make this Card Would They?

Can she support her own hero deck?

As much as I’d love to see a “Plasma Bomb” power card, or a “Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom” upgrade, there is no way Boom Boom gets her own deck. She’s an ally through and through.

What aspect would she appear in?

Could you imagine a protection Boom Boom? Me either.

Aggression. 100%.

What hero pack would she show up in?

Boom Boom isn’t going to make her way into a main team X-pack. Wolverine is going to pack Jubilee and Colossus. Our best chance is to get some side team support.

Cable and Deadpool are popular enough to eventually get their own hero packs, so I could plausibly see 90s X-Force getting some love. She’d be perfect in a Cannonball pack (even though there is no way Sam is aggression), but I doubt he has the cache to carry a deck on his own.

There’s also a world where we want a New Mutants movie tie in. I’d love a Moonstar/Mirage pack, or more plausibly a Magik pack. Boom Boom could potentially be a second or third ally there.

My guess is if she ever shows up, it’s as part of a Cable pack. She wouldn’t be a core Cable ally. That probably goes to Domino. She’s probably not even in his core aspect deck. But could she be one of the additional aspect card? Man I hope so.

What would she do?

Boom Boom is definitely aggressive, but not for one-on-one combat. She’s going to hit wide instead of hard.

And she is definitely not going to thwart.

Boom Boom should be a 2 Attack, 0 Thwart ally with the ability, Response: After Boom Boom attacks reveal the top card of your deck. Do 1 damage to each enemy for each [MENTAL] resource on that card.

[terrifiesthem]

Hey, friendo! I was wondering if you could shed some light on which main comics to read about the Punisher! XDD Like in which order and which ones are more relevant or important so I can truly grasp Frank Castle's character. Because I feel like I'm doing wrong by just knowing him from the show. So can you please inform me? Please and thank you!

OH BOY CAN I?? i know of a lot of comics you can read about frank that has him at his truest state, but y’know just watching jon bernthal’s rendition of frank is pretty good in itself too. i also recommend ray stevenson’s frank as well! so there’s no reason to feel ashamed of that! but of course, the comics provide a bit more insight to frank’s character as a whole. there are a LOT that are important, but i’ll just jot down the comics i feel really nail frank’s character.

THE PUNISHER: YEAR ONE. this is the one that jon bernthal is closest to, as well as the next three comics below. i feel like this really showcases frank and how he officially came to be the punisher and explains it in a way that the show didn’t really explain it.

THE PUNISHER (1987). this is the longest one out of the original trilogy for frank, but it’s still as good. fair warning with any of these issues in the trilogy, though -- if frank has a ponytail, just skip the issue.

THE PUNISHER: WAR JOURNAL.

THE PUNISHER: WAR ZONE. war journal and war zone are practically the same thing, but take note that at the end of this trilogy the issues mix together. like the punisher could have one part of an arc and the war jounral could have another part of an arc. i know one of these don’t label their titles, but you can easily look it up and see where the parts are exactly. but this original trilogy is the very core of frank castle.

PUNISHER: THE TYGER. although this is technically set in an alternate universe, i still like it very much! it tells you the story of when frank was a kid and when he was first exposed to crime and all. it’s very interesting and a good read into what frank was like as a kid and how his family was like!

THE PUNISHER (2004). also referred to as punisher max. this is a very good series by garth ennis and it does showcase a lot more gore and more grittiness to frank. it’s an alright serious if you wanna see blood and everything, and it’s a good look on old man frank.

THE PUNISHER (2011). this is personally my favorite punisher comic ever. it was the first one i read and it’s what got my hooked onto frank in the first place. the art style is fucking beautiful, and the story -- although it lacks that signature narration from frank’s POV that is so dire to the punisher comics in general, i think greg rucka really nails frank in this.

ummmm ... i think that’s pretty much it if you don’t wanna go and read every single comic there is. even i haven’t read everything but those series i’ve listed for you are the key series that has stuck out to me and personally these are the series i use to reference how i rp frank in general. if you do want to go on and read more punisher comics after these, here’s a list of comics to avoid:

punisher max vol 2 (written by jason aaron and illustrated by steve dillon). no seriously. fucking avoid this issue like the plague. it’s awful, it instills this fucking shitty look on frank’s character that isn’t accurate at all -- and if you’re a true fan of frank you’ll understand why it’s god awful.

deadpool vs the punisher. honestly, i would advise not reading anything that makes frank go up against another character. you can read something like doctor strange/the punisher: magic bullets because they aren’t going up against each other. you can also read wolverine/punisher, but by god do not read deadpool vs the punisher. it tries to push that viewpoint that jason aaron came up with in punisher max vol 2 and it isn’t fucking funny. at all. or accurate. so avoid this comic, too.

the punisher vol 4. frank gets caught up in supernatural shit and overall it’s fuckin stupid.

the punisher vol 8. franken-castle. need i say more? they clearly just had no idea what to do with his character around this point in time.

thunderbolts volume 2. or thunderbolts in general that has frank in it. i don’t agree with frank willingly getting tied into a group. at all. he works alone, and even if he has to work with someone, it would only be one person or two. for one mission, more than likely. you can read it, if you want, but i would just steer clear of it.

[comic-movieheroesranked]

Cinematic Comic Characters Ranked! (Year 2009) Part Three

It’s rough coming right after a fantastic year of movies (2008) but 2009 did pretty well for itself. Terminator Salvation is our only sequel and we also get an X-Men spinoff with X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Kids favorite shows come out with Astro Boy, Dragonball: Evolution, and G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra, and we got a couple of thrillers with Whiteout and Surrogates. We also get the debut of the controversial Watchmen! Let’s get started with numbers #40-21!

*SPOILERS AHEAD FOR ALL HIGHLIGHTED MOVIES ABOVE*

40. President Stone/Peacekeeper (Astro Boy)

"Declare war! This is gonna get me re-elected."

How did this guy even get elected in the first place? He's an idiot who thought the only way to stay in power was through violent technology. It's his arrogance that gets Toby killed and it's his arrogance that puts the whole city in danger when he still decides to use the red core energy. He ends up getting absorbed by the Peacekeeper and starts a city-wide battle with Astro that only ends when Astro sacrifices himself and connects the two cores. Stone is then arrested by his own men and taken away.

39. Delfy (Whiteout)

"They don't make them like that anymore."

Delfy was just a regular pilot who just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. He's the one who first discovers Weiss's body out on the ice and contacts Carrie. Afterwards, she makes him her personal pilot as she sets up an investigation. This new job ends up nearly killing him twice: Once when he gets buried under fifty feet of snow with the others inside the Russian plane, and another when Haden breaks out and stabs him. He recovers and ends up bonding with Pryce and Carrie for six months until the winter is over.

38. Abel Shaz/Breaker (G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra)

"Is that Double Bubble?"

Although he isn't the only brains on the team, if anyone needs advice on technology, Breaker is your guy. I will always enjoy the member of the squad who understand gadgets like no one else can yet doesn't truly understand most jokes that said. With the nanobite warheads being the most dangerous pieces of technology known to man, Breaker comes in handy in helping the team stop Cobra from bringing whole cities down.

37. Agent Zero (X-Men Origins: The Wolverine)

"It's funny how innocent people tend to die around you!"

For some reason Wolverine and Agent Zero DID NOT get along with each other. Everyone would be joking along with everyone else then all of a sudden they're both threatening to kill each other. The years after Logan leaves Stryker's team doesn't cool off the tension because those two are ready to pop off again when they reunite. It's a pointless rivalry though because we all knew Logan would come out on top, and it's not because he's the main character either. I mean, yeah, Zero is really good when it comes to shooting bullets and jumping over high fences but bullets don't do anything to Wolverine especially once he gets the adamantium in his skeleton. So when the two clash, Agent Zero ends up exploding in a helicopter and Logan...remains unharmed.

36. Sally Jupiter/Silk Spectre (Watchmen)

"I don't hate him because he gave me you."

The original Silk Spectre and one of the few remaining heroes alive from the Minutemen. Sally Jupiter is retired now and totally missing the game, so much that she trains her daughter to be the next Silk Spectre. She reminds me so much of those pageant moms that now live through their daughter's lives to fill young again. Although I'd really like to know why, it's never really explained, only assumed, why Sally goes back to sleep with The Comedian, who tried to rape her previously. The result of their one night stand is Laurie, who ends up coming to terms with it by the time she finds out and confronts Sally about it.

35. Chi-Chi (Dragonball: Evolution)

"Just because my name is Chi-Chi doesn't mean I'm an idiot."

I liked Chi-Chi and I'm pretty sure the only reason why they didn't have her in the movie more was because they knew I'd rank her higher than Goku if they did. I mean if I were in the group hunting Dragon Balls I would have totally added her in once I saw her fighting skills but it never happens. Instead we just see her every time we need someone to flirt with Goku.

34. Maggie Greer (Surrogates)

"It's better this way."

Maggie is Greer's wife and together they lost a son before surrogates became globally used. This causes her to mourn in a unique way where she locks herself in her own room and just lives her life through her surrogate. Even though she cares for Greer, she ignores the distance between them instead for the new fun life she has as a surrogate. When the surrogates are destroyed, she almost kills herself but ends up connecting with her husband again in their child's old room.

33. Dr. Bill Tenma (Astro Boy)

"You're still my son."

It took me a very long time to like Tenma, and I was starting to believe that he was a lost caused until he pulled through in the end. First he completely ignores Toby when he was alive, treating him like a unbothered teacher would a student instead of a father, then goes into a huge depression after he dies. Because of this, he creates Astro, a robot version of Toby but then completely abandons him shortly after and then aids President Stone in capturing him and shutting him down. It isn't until after he removes the core from Astro that he finally accepts him as his son, returning the core and bringing him back to life.

32. Goku (Dragonball: Evolution) 

"Kamehameha!"

With Dragon Ball being a Japanese anime I was glad that there was a lot of Japanese influence in the movie. The setting, the background actors, even some of the core cast but you know who wasn't? GOKU! Like I don't understand the reasoning as to why they thought casting a white guy as Goku would be a great idea when Grandpa Gohan was clearly Asian! But besides that, Goku was lame! He wasn't exciting to watch, which is a huge shame because I loved the watching the show with my older brother when I was little.

31. Bulma (Dragonball: Evolution)

"Everybody has a price."

Bulma was my favorite in the movie. I loved the guns, loved how she handled herself with the boys, and loved all her cool technology that basically was the reason they got around (her compact motorcycle) and found the Dragon Balls (Her D.P.E.). Her interest with Yamcha was fun and flirty and when it came down to business she was ready to help any way she can. She definitely should have been Asian, but at least her character wasn't as bad as Goku's.

30. William Stryker (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)

"Welcome to the war."

Our mutant-hating government official is back and now we get to see how his connection with Logan came to be. On a mission to create the strongest mutant weapon for the government, Stryker creates a team of mutants, including Logan and Victor, to hunt down adamantium. When this costs the lives of innocents, Logan's out, which is bad business for Stryker since Logan's he key to his secret weapon. He creates an elaborate plan, staging the death of Logan's girlfriend, Kayla, and pinning him against Victor to bring him back so he can put the adamantium inside him and successfully create, Weapon X. Of course, everyone that's a mutant figures out he's playing them all and his plans go down the drain with the death of Weapon XI. His adamantium bullets are what cause Logan to lose his memories and they're eventually what kill Kayla, but not before she can control his mind and send him away for good...at least until he turns up again.

29. Cora (Astro Boy)

"Didn't your nanny-bots teach you not to sneak up on people?"

Cora accidentally ran away from Metro City to the surface world where she becomes a sort of leader to the orphan kids Hamegg takes care of. She's the first one to discover Astro and quickly befriends him and he proves he's a kind person. She's the only one who feels betrayed when it's revealed he's actually a robot, but she quickly gets over it and helps him save Metro City from President Stone. After everything is done, she's even able to reunite with her parents.

28. Edward Blake/The Comedian (Watchmen)

"This is a joke. This is all a joke."

The biggest asshole in this movie BY FAR. Like even though everyone had their faults and definitely weren't saints, The Comedian was straight up a bully working for the government. In his worst moments, he beats the shit out of citizens protesting, attempts to rape the original Silk Spectre, and ends up murdering a Vietnamese woman carrying his child! For some reason he suddenly cares about being a father when he wants to get to know his other daughter, Laurie, but ends up just drinking his life away until Adrian shows up to murder him. Even though he dies in the beginning of the movie, his bad punchline of a life haunts everyone throughout the film.

27. Wade Wilson/Deadpool/Weapon XI (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)

"You whip out a couple of swords at your ex-girlfriend's wedding, they will never, ever forget it."

Wade Wilson is very conflicting because even though he's missing his signature costume, he was absolutely spot on when he worked on Stryker's team. He's deadly with the sword, has the same healing abilities as Logan, and will never shut his mouth. Then things got weird. Somehow Stryker is able to gain control over Deadpool and turn him into everything he's not by giving him powers of previous mutants Victor has either killed or kidnapped. Mouth sewn shut, Deadpool becomes Weapon XI and is such a threat it takes both Wolverine and Sabretooth to take him down.

26. Kate Connor (Terminator Salvation)

"I'm a doctor, not an engineer."

I don't know why, but I kind of expected Kate to have a bigger role? Not that being one of the only doctors in the resistance isn't important, because it is, but I always thought she would be like what Barnes was, a second in command. Still, she was fiercely loyal to her husband and was his support when he needed her. He especially needed her towards the end of the film, as it was her hands that operated on him to save his life.

25. Dr. Lionel Carter (Surrogates)

"My son's death will not have been in vain. Not if it heals mankind."

Lionel Carter created surrogates because he wanted people with disabilities, like himself, to live a better life then his partners and company took it to a global scale and by 2017, ninety-eight percent of the world population used a surrogate for basic every day activities. After his son dies for being mistaken for him, Lionle decides enough is enough. Using all his resources he gets a hold of the weapon that killed his son to return the favor to the man responsible. He also creates the ultimate virus that will destroy all the surrogates and kill everyone attached to them. Thinking his plan will never fail, Lionel takes a cyanide pill before seeing his plan come to life.

24. Dr. John Fury (Whiteout)

"I never meant for anyone to get hurt, but Haden got greedy."

I'm not gonna lie, I felt some type of way when it was revealed Doc was working with Haden to smuggle the diamonds. He probably had the closest relationship with Carrie and their personal conversations were some of my favorite scenes in the movie so when it turns out he was working with Haden, the guy who cause Carrie to lose two of her fingers, I was shocked. I guess the silver lining is that once he was caught he didn't fight it. He explained why he did it then walked outside to the deadly snow storm, killing himself.

23. Ana Lewis/The Baroness (G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra)

"Do it. You already killed me once."

I'm so glad it was revealed that Ana was being brainwashed to act as The Baroness the whole time because I just could not accept her willingly participating in the death of millions all because Duke disappeared after her brother's death. No one is that dramatic. Still, as The Baroness she was a force to be reckoned with. She killed all of the men in Duke and Ripcord's old unit, gave Scarlett her first fight, and she helped nearly destroy Paris. Good thing for the Joe's that Duke's gorgeous puppy-dog face broke her out of her mind control and she was able to free him and help stop her evil brother once and for all.

22. Dr. Elefun (Astro Boy)

"Everybody has their destiny, Toby."

Out of all the older males in the film, I truly believe that Dr. Elefun cared the most about Astro. He never saw him as just a robot that can be used for his own personal gain (President Stone, Hamegg) and he definitely didn't think he was a mistake that needed to be destroyed (Dr. Tenma). He really took his time to get to know and bond with Astro, who was still trying to come to terms with himself. I think in the future Elefun will morph into a huge father figure to Astro.

21. Remy Lebeau/Gambit (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)

"You miss me?"

Gambit has been the mutant everyone wanted to see on the big screen ever since the first X-Men came out. He's always nearly made it in the previous films but was cut out at the last minute. Well now he's here and he was a little bit of a let down. He wasn't horrible but he had such a minor role. He's a mutant that escapes Stryker's island before going back to his thief lifestyle in New Orleans. His fight with Logan was cool because we saw his signature staff and kinetically charged deck of cards, but after that he just remains in the background. He takes Logan to the island then is the first one to talk to him after he loses his memory, going his own way shortly after.

[aion-rsa]

X-Men: Dark Phoenix - Easter Eggs and Reference Guide

http://bit.ly/2HXOvGu

X-Men: Dark Phoenix is here and we're putting together all the various Marvel Comics references hidden throughout.

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This article consists of lots of X-Men: Dark Phoenix spoilers. We have a spoiler free review here.

The X-Men Cinematic Universe has reached the finish line. After three initial core movies, four core movies from a rebooted sequel timeline, three Wolverine movies, two Deadpool movies, and a New Mutants fiasco that may or may not see the light of day, it’s time to pack it in. X-Men: Dark Phoenix is the last big showing of Fox’s genre-defining and, in all honesty, fascinating line of movies.

As always, being a superhero movie, there are a ton of comic book references throughout. Being an X-Men movie, that also means that throwaway heroes and villains are named after obscure comic book characters that they have very little to do with. Man, remember when "Psylocke" was in X-Men: The Last Stand? Yeah...

So let’s take a look at the various Easter eggs in Dark Phoenix before we have to rewrite a bunch of it for looking too much like our Captain Marvel Easter Eggs and Reference Guide. I’ll be here all week.

Dark Phoenix Villains

VUK AND THE D’BARI

The villains of the movie may be underdeveloped and feel tacked on, but they are actually a part of Marvel Comics’ history. The D’Bari are mainly remembered for their very brief and tragic appearance in Uncanny X-Men #135. After scuffling with the X-Men, Dark Phoenix flew off to space in need of a recharge. She ended up feasting on a star, which destroyed an entire solar system. The D’Bari were a race completely wiped out by the gesture.

This is also the reason why it was later retconned so that “Jean” in the Dark Phoenix Saga comic was not the real Jean Grey but the Phoenix itself after copying her appearance and personality. Before the retcon, Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter believed that Jean could never be allowed to live or come back to life as a hero after all that blood on her hands. This was a loophole to get past that.

read more: Best X-Men Movies Watch Order

Their appearance in the movie is far more reminiscent of the Skrulls between the shape-shifting and the desire to take Earth as their new home. That was kind of a big thing after Galactus ate the Skrull homeworld in the comics. It’s more than likely that these guys were supposed to be Skrulls from the beginning until legal issues screwed things around and the MCU got the rights to the characters. After all, before Captain Marvel, it was accepted by many that Skrulls were a Fantastic Four property, also under the Fox banner.

Jessica Chastain’s character is referred to as Vuk. Vuk, later known as Starhammer, actually appeared in the extremely notable Avengers #4, otherwise known as the issue where Captain America is thawed out and joins the team. Vuk, a male in the comics, used human disguises to sneak around and used his technology to turn most of the Avengers into stone. He’s appeared very sporadically since, eventually explained to be the last surviving D’Bari due to being off-world during the events of Dark Phoenix Saga. He’s since become obsessed with finding and killing Phoenix for her actions.

MAGNETO’S BROTHERHOOD

No longer a straight-up villain yet again, Magneto runs a refuge for mutants around the world. The credits list one actor as “Genosha Sentry,” confirming that, yep, this plot of land is the cinematic version of Genosha. In the comics, Genosha started as an island that captured and enslaved mutants. After it was toppled, Magneto took over and ruled it like his own mutant-only country. Even after its eventual destruction at the hands of Sentinels, Magneto has used it as a hideout from time to time.

Kota Eberhardt’s telepath character is Selene. Created by Chris Claremont and Sal Buscema in New Mutants #9 back in 1983, Selene has been a long-running antagonist for the X-Men. Mainly remembered for being the OTHER Black Queen from the Hellfire Club (and also the boss of the Gambit stage from that awful Arcade’s Revenge game for SNES), Selene is possibly the oldest known mutant in Marvel history, predating even Apocalypse. While she is a telepath in the comics, she also has a ton of other abilities, making her way more powerful than she is in the movie.

read more: Explaining the X-Men Movie Timeline(s)

Andrew Stehlin’s hair-puncher mutant character is listed as Ariki in the credits, who is not an existing X-Men character before this. During the making of the movie, he was identified as Red Lotus, an obscure martial artist mutant from X-Treme X-Men. Considering there are absolutely no similarities between the two, it makes sense that they’d change that part for once.

OTHER X-MEN REFERENCES

- During the party in the woods, Halston Sage plays Dazzler. The disco queen superhero made her comic debut in Uncanny X-Men #130, notably during Dark Phoenix Saga, albeit not having a major role. Funny that she finally got to make her movie debut considering she was originally created for the sake of starring in her own movie in the early '80s, which would have featured various Marvel heroes, high-profile musical acts, Robin Williams, and Rodney Dangerfield. Crazy stuff.

- The narration that Jean gives at the beginning is the same one Xavier did at the beginning of X2: X-Men United.

- The movie takes place in 1992. The same year when X-Men jumped into the mainstream with X-Men: The Animated Series. Coincidence? Probably! Maybe! Maybe not! Why am I yelling?!

- The shot of the jet flying out through the school’s basketball court is an exact copy of the same shot from the first X-Men movie, right down to the loose basketball being discarded.

- The cracks on Jean’s face are very similar to the weird scars on Rachel Summers’ face. Rachel herself a wielder of the Phoenix Force in the comics.

- Mystique complains to Xavier about how they have to “wear matching costumes and smile.” After Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s legendary run on New X-Men had the team wearing the black leather that the original movies were so fond of, Joss Whedon and John Cassaday’s Astonishing X-Men brought back uniforms with Cyclops citing the same concept that Mystique bemoans. The team’s costumes are also reminiscent of the original issues of Uncanny X-Men from the 1960s.

read more: The X-Men Movies You Never Saw

- Anyone else think it’s weird that they sell naked Mystique action figures in this reality? I guess Mystique is really, REALLY against uniforms more than anyone realized. Coincidentally, in real life, Jennifer Lawrence put the kibosh on them releasing a nude Mystique figure with her likeness.

- During Xavier’s speech at the White House, Chris Claremont makes a cameo. While Claremont didn’t create the X-Men, he was the one who made them a household name and added the defining minority dynamic to the comic. Plus, you know, he wrote Dark Phoenix Saga.

- John Grey’s hatred for Jean is a product of the movie only. In the comics, he loved Jean and didn’t even know about her abilities or the truth of the Xavier School for a long time.

read more - X-Men: Dark Phoenix Ending Explained

- During the X-Men confrontation with Jean by her house, there’s a truck in the background labeled “BISHOP POWER.” A sly reference to Bishop, the X-Men member with the ability to absorb energy and use it against others.

- Mystique is impaled thrice through the midsection. Probably a bookend to her fake death in the first movie at Wolverine’s hands.

- Xavier’s role in the movie ties into how the mid-00s treated him in the comics. Various incidents were uncovered, which painted Xavier as a man who went too far due to the ends justifying the means. When a rescue team of mutants failed a mission and seemed to die, he mind-wiped everyone to make them forget they ever existed (this included Cyclops’ brother Vulcan, so Cyclops was understandably pissed when this came to light). He also forced a confused, sentient AI to act as the Danger Room against its will. Like in the movie, this eventually cost him his spot as the school’s headmaster.

- By the end of the movie, Phoenix is straight-up dusting her enemies, which is how she took care of business in X3: The Last Stand.

- When Jean flies off to space to blow up, Cyclops says, “She’s gone.” In X-Men 2, when Jean died, Wolverine said the same line, only for Cyclops to immediately and tearfully yell at him for saying that.

read more - How Dark Phoenix Fixes X-Men Continuity

- Jean’s narration at the end: “This is not the end of me or the X-Men. This is a new beginning.” That sounds...very meta considering the future of the cinematic X-Men.

- Naming the school after Jean Grey is also from the comics. Wolverine renamed it the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning after he took over. If they’ve truly cut ties with Xavier, it’s probably for the better. For one thing, it’ll sidestep the X-Men’s fate from Logan.

Hopefully, when the MCU starts dealing with X-Men stuff, they can refrain from all the chess. I never want to see another chess game in a superhero movie again as long as I live.

MISCELLANEOUS

- The song that Jean wants to change on the radio is Jimmy Webb’s “By the Time I get to Phoenix.” Funny enough, she changes it to Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London,” a nod to the duality and dangerous nature of Jean and the Phoenix Force.

- Jean trying to scrub Mystique’s blood out of her shirt is the lamest, most on-the-nose Macbeth reference in recent cinematic memory.

- Jean opening her eyes as a new fire being and flying off into the cosmos is pretty intentionally evoking David going “Star-Child” at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

See any other fun references? Sound off in the comments below!

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Books

Gavin Jasper

Jun 6, 2019

Marvel

X-Men

Dark Phoenix

from Books http://bit.ly/2IsQMZt