#mike and roman both being referred to as ‘weak’ or ‘the weak one’

[bitethehandthatneedsme]

soooo normal about mike ross and succession characters parallels btw

[spnreactionblogging]

our father, who aren't in heaven

SPOILERS BELOW BUT I'M REALLY LATE TO THE PARTY THIS TIME

[I actually watched this like a month ago but didn’t remember to post it, oops]

I got so backed up with real life shit that I'm delayed watching this but I stayed off tumblr and twitter almost entirely for the last few weeks to avoid spoilers but god DAMN it it's a fucking buckleming episode

why do they keep being put in charge of the return of characters who we're all very invested in? you ruin kevin tran, you are likely to ruin adam, god fucking damn it.

at least RSJ is directing

you can tell they always think their episode titles are really goddamn clever too and it pisses me off

is john winchester not in heaven anymore? I thought that was a big fucking todo, that he and mary are up there and they don't want to ruin it for them. or are you referring to chuck? or both? who cares.

poor adam.

chuck what fun is it if you just automatically win every time, huh? what's the point?

I do love rob benedict though. I don't like being frustrated with his character.

buckleming's gotta get in as many "terrified women in exploitative situations" as they can before the end huh

I like eileen a lot and I probably ought to get around to watching her actual original episodes at some point

"guest starring jake abel" has got me choked up

HEY TOO BAD THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN READ THE TABLET IS FUCKING DEAD HUH, HOPE YOU KEPT ALL THOSE NOTES OF HIS THAT YOU OCCASIONALLY DRAG OUT AND DECLARE WORTHLESS

poor kevin, god fucking damn it all

SAM: so he has an achilles heel DEAN: well i'm saying he has a weak spot

YEAH BECAUSE DEAN IS STUPID RIGHT? THANKS BUCKLEMING

I hope misha's hip is okay

I do like donatello, I hope nothing awful happens to him :(

sorry though guys the only prophet i acknowledge is kevin tran

okay so obviously as we've known since day one they're gonna team up with the darkness to subdue chuck but things will probably work out in the end to maintain universal harmony or some shit so whatever

sam really does have queer flannel, i like that black and white and red all over shirt

I hate buckleming episodes for so many reasons but not least of all because everyone behaves like a petulant kindergartener

is sam just reading the bible? it's got that golf leaf edge

okay seriously though don't they already have kevin's notes? why is donatello translating this fresh? kevin did all this work and fucking died for it. at least honor his legacy. jesus fuck.

really though, 14.08 establishes this:

http://www.supernaturalwiki.com/14.08_Byzantium_(transcript)

[Dean awakes where he passed out on the kitchen table, and hears voices in the other room. He gets up and follows the voices to the library] SAM: Man, haven't seen this stuff in years. WOMAN: And what language is this technically in? CAS: We're not sure, but it's-- it's written in cuneiform. Kevin was very thorough. SAM: Yeah. We kept it all-- the translations, his notes on his translations, annotations. You name it. [...] SAM: That's not-- Dean, listen, last night, after about whiskey number five, it hit me. I mean, we've torn through all the lore looking for a way to cure Jack, right? But we've never looked through Kevin's angel tablet translations. DEAN: Yeah, 'cause they're worthless. I mean, Kevin translated them into-- to crazy scribble only a prophet can read. And last I checked, we can't exactly ask Donatello. LILY: Maybe I can read them.

did he not take demon tablet notes? he sure seemed to have a bunch of those in seasons 8 and 9! also why do demons not care about this anymore

"if my dad kept me locked in a cage for ten years" oh yeah? if one month on earth is ten years in hell, then adam's been in the cage with michael for 120 earth months = 1,200 years in hell. OVER A MILLENNIUM IN HELL.

buckleming so completely fail to hold my attention even during the episode that ostensibly the whole fandom's been waiting for for a decade, that writing the word "millennium" got me sidetracked into watching some backstreet boys music videos and an nsync one to boot. what do you even have to say for yourselves, buckleming.

okay I got way distracted about the 8tracks closure

so I can't help but notice that STILL they have nothing to say about adam, they just need michael. like.

wow.

cas is the one to bring it up! I fucking love you castiel

keith szarabajka does a good rob benedict

buckleming writing this: chuck should immediately threaten all the women in their lives

oh so NOW dean doesn't want cas going to hell. cute. after forcing him to do so alongside belphegor. fuck you, dean.

i love sam and eileen doing witchy shit and cas watching

oh rowena's back.

i guess we should've known if she died she'd just like. go to hell.

"so fix it!" says rowena, by way of buckleming, dismissing everything castiel has every right to be angry about, as if this should just be shrugged off. easy for her to say when she's the one who fucked things over for crowley. not cool with sam being out of the room for that either? sam is very much involved with these proceedings.

I'm here for adam's food appreciation

I don't remember what happened to adam's mom? was it with the ghouls?

family does suck, adam.

I don't want to hear dean's commentary about sam's relationships or whether eileen is hot or anything like that, ever. butt out.

I do like the actress playing lilith

I need bourbon too, donnie. fortunately i had some prepared before i clicked play on this episode

I loooove these shots of castiel with the chessboard and the railing/bannister/whatever

I get that cas is being "BAMF" again I GUESS or whatever but I'm irritated with him stooping to this level of like... what dean pressured sam into with jack in S14, with using this intense sincerity to trick people. not a fan. and SHOCKER, "jack in the box" was written by buckleming too so there you go. there's this episode of bob's burgers where linda's running a murder mystery dinner and is like "ha! I was the murderer all along even though I said I wasn't!" you didn't connect shit, you're just lying

I will give buckleming exactly one point, even though it's 99% jensen's delivery, but calling him "mike" so derisively is hilarious

why don't they just tell him his AU self had the same goal last season

they definitely don't let them actually apologize! gee! all this time and they don't actually apologize. fuck off.

you could've written ANYTHING. anything at all, buckleming.

adam knows all about not knowing the secrets your dad is keeping

I'm glad adam doesn't forgive them.

"they believe it's true so it's probably true" is bad reasoning here

I feel like sue is probably fucked? or else this is a trap.

michael's the golden child and doesn't realize he's being abused by god just like the rest. at least he doesn't in this version

who said he had an entire tree up his ass, balthazar? zachariah? dean? bobby?

I think cas was right to show him the truth, just the events as they occurred

ugh i'm so nervous and uncomfortable for cas that there's no one here to intermediate if dean goes after him

literally after I type this I unpause and cas asks "where's sam?"

yeah i knew it was a trap. and here chuck's going to hurt eileen because he can.

I'm glad dean apologized on behalf of both of them I guess? but also not cool with sam not being here to talk to adam himself.

I'm glad michael found out about AU michael

stoked about purgatory honestly. bring back benny. BRING BACK GORDON. bring back dick roman.

cas looks so tired. what a note to end on.

I am also tired.

[eljackinton]

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad - A Look Back at Star Wars: Crimson Empire

This column normally takes a look at obscure comics. For every every sixth month, instead of taking a look at a comic that nobody talks about, this special edition will take a look at a comic I feel not enough people talk about. You can also read this in full over on my blog.

Star Wars: Crimson Empire by Mike Richardson, Randy Stradley and Paul Gulacy – 1998 – 2012

Contains Massive Spoilers

What's cooler than the Emperor’s Imperial Guard?

Crimson Empire was a mid-nineties Star Wars Expanded Universe comic following the exploits of Kir Kanos, last of the Imperial Guard. It was followed by a sequel in 1999, Council of Blood and after nearly a decade and a half, finally concluded in 2012 with Empire Lost. Crimson Empire is an all time classic, and Council of Blood, in my opinion anyway, manages to outdo even that. Empire Lost? Not so much. I'm going to take a look back at all three books, talk about what makes the first two so great in the face of their weaknesses, and why Empire Lost failed to escape it's own.

But first, a little history.

Crimson Empire was a follow up to Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy's Dark Empire, one of Dark Horses' Star Wars mainstays at the time. Dark Empire was framed as the official continuation of the Skywalker saga, with a plot that saw the resurrection of the Emperor in a clone body, and Luke's flirtation with the Dark Side. It was well revived at the time, but fans clashed over Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy, which also framed itself as the official continuation of the Skywalker saga, albeit in a different way.

While Dark Empire and the Thrawn Trilogy don't directly contradict each other, and supposedly both slip into the EU time-line seamlessly, they do feel like they're from alternative universes. Dark Empire drew heavily from science-fantasy, with an anything-goes kind of attitude to the force that brought us talking trees and ancient tribes. Thrawn on the other hand was much more interested in the military aspect of the setting, exploring the politics of a post Return of the Jedi universe.

This was even reflected in the artwork, where Empire had a fantastical, almost concept-art inspired style to it, Thrawn's artwork was crisp and detailed, with every character, ship and blaster drawn like you were almost looking at stills from the films.

To put it bluntly, Dark Empire was interested in the Stars, and the Thrawn Trilogy more interested in the Wars.

I still prefer Dark Empire, but only by a very slim margin. In the end, it was Zahn's approach that won out, and the EU would embrace more detailed and coherent world-building instead of the kitchen sink approach, and do away with the more 'Space-fantasy' inspired aesthetics.

Out of this came Crimson Empire. While obstensively a follow up to Dark Empire, it has more in common with the Thrawn books. The artwork is crisp and brand loyal, and the story is concerned with the minutiae of the Imperial Guard's back-story.

And from this approach comes Crimson Empire's two most prominent characters, Kir Kanos and Mirith Sinn. Kanos is a gruff, brooding, reluctant anti-hero, Mirith is a smoking hot, red-headed femme-fatale with a dark past and a penchant for latex catsuits.

If you're a fan of the Star Wars EU, you'll probably notice those descriptions not only match that of Kyle Katarn and Mara Jade, but also a dozen other EU characters I could name. Despite feeling cool and expansive at the time, the Star Wars Expanded universe really suffered from a lot of it's writers having similar tastes, and as such is rotten with brooding badasses and sexy seductresses. Heck, if you only had a passing familiarity with the characters, you'd be mistaken for thinking that it is Mara Jade on the front cover of Council of Blood.

Now this didn't bother me at the time of course, but going by today standards it's easy to see Crimson Empire starting on the back-foot, with a bunch of character archetypes that are far too common even now. That Crimson Empire is still a classic, though, is because it shines through in spite of these limitations.

Crimson Empire's story is a fairly straightforward one, Carnor Jax, one of the Empire's last Imperial Guard, has manipulated his way to the throne by conspiring against the clone Emperor and killing off his compatriots. He didn't reckon, however, on his old sparring buddy Kir Kanos surviving. So Kanos teams up with the rebels in an 'enemy-of-my-enemy' alliance to finally bring Jax to justice.

It's a standard revenge plot used to info-dump some back-story about the Imperial Guard through flashback. Nothing particularly complex or new. Ultimately, it's safe to say that Crimson Empire has more style than substance.

But what style it has. From Jax's dark-lord design, to General Antilles Super Star Destroyer emblazoned with Rebel Alliance sigils, to the Emperor being overly polite to his prospective trainees while Vader berates them in a wonderful good-cop/bad-cop routine, to Jax and Kanos' final, issue-long duel, and Dave Dorman's amazing, amazing covers, there isn't a moment when pure style isn't just bleeding out of the page.

Stradely's artwork is just incredible, where even just a close up on some leather gloves can become  visceral and vivid. If it wasn't for some incredibly unfortunate moments with Sinn's boobs I'd say the book had some of the best artwork of all time.

With a grim and uncompromising ending, Crimson Empire may not be the most original of stories, but the writing and artwork have such style that it burns itself into your memory like the burning Empire sigil on the cover. It's a book as cool and badass as the legendary Imperial Guard long deserved.

Of course there was no way a story as badass and memorable as Crimson Empire wouldn't be commissioned for a sequel. While Jax had been brought to justice, his conspirators on the Imperial Council still lived, and it would be up to Kanos to track them down and bring them to justice too.

It would have been easy for Council of Blood to simply repeat the revenge plot of Crimson Empire, but Richardson and Stradley had more loftier ambitions in mind. Council of Blood instead focuses more on showing us an Empire in decline, with the major villains of the Star Wars films now long gone and the rest slowly being undone by backstabbing and bureaucracy.

The whole experience has a great feeling to it. The Imperial's situation is reminiscent of a receding Eastern Roman Empire slowly becoming Byzantium. The story is chock full of characters with ulterior motives and goals, including the self appointed 'Emperor' Xandel Carivus, sleazy Hutt Grappa, the sympathetic ally Baron D'Asta and the first appearance of Nom Anor, herald of the Yuuzhan Vong.

Despite the story having a sharp focus along a closely nit series of plot-lines, the Star Wars world has never felt bigger, drawing inspiration from both the same hard science-fiction and pulp fantasies that the original films did. The Vong's presence here is particularity interesting, since Anor's intentions are never revealed within the comic itself, surrounding the character with an air of mystery and dread.

With this expanded focus, Council of Blood brings with it the depth that Crimson Empire lacked. The titular council is made up of believable and well rounded individuals with their own goals and motivations on display. Plus there are a lot of cool little details in how it serves as a companion piece to Crimson Empire, like how in the original Carnor Jax's elite guard were simply black armoured stormtroopers, exposing Jax's arrogance and pride at being that last of the 'true' Imperial Guard. Come Council of Blood, the fact that Carivus' own men do wear the red of the Imperial Guard slyly hints at his attempts to subvert the Imperial pecking order.

But if you thought that all these wider themes would mean that style would take a back seat you'd be sorely mistaken. This really shines through when it comes to the characters. Grappa is spiteful, petty and melodramatic in ways Jabba never was, and his Zanibar allies feel genuinely fucked-up frightening.  Gulacy's art is even better this time around, and the space battles and combat really sing with intensity. It's everything you could possible want in a Star Wars comic and it fits nicely into six solid issues.

You might have noticed that I haven't mentioned either Kanos or Sinn in my praises for Council of Blood, and that's mainly due to the story being more of an ensemble piece. This is no bad thing though, Kanos and Sinn spend most of the plot being manipulated into place by other characters, and Kanos is at his best when he's just getting out his blade and cutting folks up as his bounty hunter alter-ego Kenix Kil.

Council of Blood wraps up nicely, if less spectacularly than Crimson Empire with Kanos flying off into the stars, still loyal to the dead Emperor. It would be a bittersweet and fine ending for most stories, but seeds were sown for a third in the trilogy, and the EU's tendency to reference and interconnect everything leaves the story in an odd place, with no mention of Kanos in the EU after his vow to kill Luke Skywalker.

I suspect Richardson and Stradley asked writers to hold off using Kanos in other stories, with the intent of concluding his story on their own terms. Kanos would show up, however, in a couple of short comics, though I've only read one, which deals with Kanos' time as a bounty hunter, and it doesn't really add anything to the main canon of the trilogy.

So Kanos would hang around in continuity limbo until 2012, and I was ecstatic to find out we'd get to see the end of his journey in Empire Lost. The hype only increased when I looked at the back of the book and saw what appeared to be him tussling with New Republic versions of the Senate Guard from the Prequel Trilogy.

“Cool,” I thought, “It looks like Kanos is going to be doing battle with his metaphorical successors. That's interesting, resonant and a symbolic way to round off the trilogy.”

As it turns out, these guys never actually show up in the comic.

The moment you open the book something just feels... off. Gulacy's art, once the shining star of the series, looks awful here. I'm not sure if the problem is Gulacy doing his own inks this time around or if Michael Bartolo's digital colours are a bad fit for his style, but the whole thing is a mess. The characters look wooden, stiff and uncanny. There are some seriously questionable panel compositions that look melodramatic and comical, but overall the art is just bad, bad, bad.

The disappointments wouldn't stop there though, because the problems of the 90's era EU would finally be coming home to roost.

A few pages in we're finally reunited with Kanos, who looks more like Commander Shepard from Mass Effect here, and this only cements my lack of enthusiasm.

See, I could go on an extremely long rant about how the default male option from a sci-fi RPG saga represents everything wrong with the diversity of character we have in storytelling today, but it'd take me too long. So let me put it like this:

When I started reading Empire Lost, I expected seeing Kanos again would be like coming home to an old friend. Like slipping on a comfortable old jacket. But after years of characters like John Shepard, Marcus Fenix, Kyle Katarn, Alex Mason, Christian Walker, latter day John McClain, Bill Roenick and many, many other gruff, brooding white guys, Kanos just didn't hold any appeal for me any more. It's like going back to the old café you used to get breakfasts from as a kid and realising that the breakfasts don't taste all that different from the millions you've eaten at Denny's.

This wouldn't be too bad if Empire Lost handled Kanos like Council of Blood did, but this is the character's swan song, so it's got to give an emotionally satisfying ending to what feels more like a collection of tropes in armour than an actual character.

Empire Lost's biggest problem of all is the weird intersection it sits between the original Star Wars Trilogy, the Prequel Trilogy, the 90's EU and the 00's EU, all of which have their own themes and aesthetics that struggle against each other.

This is most prominently seen in the use of Luke, Leia and Han. In Crimson Empire and Council of Blood, the Skywalker clan never appear, spoken only of in hushed whispers. This gave them a mythical sort of status that loomed large over Kanos' street-level adventures. Seeing Kanos and Sinn interact face to face with Luke and Leia just kind of feels at odds with the story Crimson Empire wants to tell. Mirith Sinn dressed in a leather fetish catsuit standing next to Carrie Fisher as classic Leia can't really get any weirder.

There's loads of other issues like this. Prolonged foreshadowing to the New Jedi Order series sits awkwardly in the plot. Boba Fett shows up to confront Kanos, which should have led to an awesome showdown, but instead only serves as a pointless cameo. Having a rogue Imperial fleet using Prequel-Era ships sounds like a cool idea, but seems to serve no more purpose than the Fett cameo. Finally, all references to the Dark Empire series have been dropped in favour of nods to the Thrawn saga instead.

All this clutter leads to Empire Lost lacking an identity of its own, when it's preceding books both had a strong unity of vision. It's a shame too, because Empire Lost is filled with good ideas. The main villain, Devin was a former assassin for the Emperor, and his back-story is a mirror to Kanos'. However, Devin is just kind of pulled out of nowhere with little foreshadowing, and fails to serve as the 'Evil Kanos' that the plot needs him to be.

Still, there are moments where that familiar style still shines through. The first panel we see Kanos back in full regalia sent a shiver down my spine, and the final battle between the classic Imperials and Devin's prequel-era splinter group is a great thing to behold. Another nice detail I like is Han and Leia's war weariness and their optimistic relief that an end to the conflict is finally in sight. This is kind of sad in light of where the Star Wars galaxy was to go after the story's conclusion.

Even so, the whole book fails as a satisfying ending for Kanos. The original Crimson Empire was framed as a tragedy. A story of a good man bound by a code of honour that drives him to acts of violence in the name of an evil regime. If ever there was to be a fitting end to Kanos' tale, it should  have been his own death, by his own hand, or in a final misguided confrontation with Luke.

Instead, we get Kanos' redemption. Now don't get me wrong, I would still have been happy with Kanos turning from the Emperor and renouncing his original vows if it was written well, but in Empire Lost this all happens far too quickly and easily. Where the previous books hinted at Kanos' doubts, he still had a ways to go at the end of Council of Blood. Here though? It just takes one conversation with Devin for Kanos to throw down his arms and turn to the New Republic. It doesn't feel earned, and smacks more of a reluctance to tell a more daring tale.

In the end, Empire Lost just sleepwalks along to a conclusion. While it is interesting to see the Republic win the battle that finally closes the book on Palpatine's Empire, it could have been so much more solid than this. The demands of Empire Lost to serve as a satisfying conclusion were much higher than that of both Crimson Empire and Council of Blood, and it misses the mark horribly. I can't even say that the art saves it.

I don't know if I'd have been happier without Empire Lost. On the one hand it's nice to finally find out just what happened to Kir Kanos and Mirith Sinn, but soon enough the new mandate from Disney hitting the continuity reboot button would render that little titbit mostly irrelevant anyway.

Still, in the words of Meatloaf, two out of three ain't bad. The entire Crimson Empire saga has been re-released by Marvel now, and it's well worth the entire package. So what if Empire Lost is a disappointing ending? Crimson Empire and Council of Blood still stand up well today, and that's worth any trade off in my opinion.

Crimson Empire is a mixed bag in every respect, but the good outweighs the negatives so much that I still think they're some of the best Star Wars comics ever written. Maybe one day we'll see a retelling of the saga in the new Marvel continuity (now there's an idea to play around with), but until then, if you want to see a gripping tale where the legendary Imperial Guard are rendered as power-armoured space-ninjas, then Crimson Empire's got your back.

Jack Harvey 2017. Star Wars: Crimson Empire is (c) Disney/Marvel/Dark Horse where appropriate. Images used under fair use.

[aion-rsa]

Wolverine’s 15 Craziest Retcons

Wolverine is a powerhouse whose claws, super-strong adamantium skeleton and incredible healing factor make him a force of nature. He’s also a messed up guy with a history filled with tragedy, confusion and contradictions. It was established early on that Wolverine suffered from a combination of brain damage, mental trauma, psychic blocks and memory implants that gave him amnesia and flashbacks of things that never happened. That makes him… complicated, to say the least.

RELATED: Everything You Knew is a Lie: 15 Most Altered Superhero Origins

Until Wolverine’s origin was laid out in the pages of the appropriately-named 2001 mini-series “Origin” (by Bill Jemas, Paul Jenkins and Joe Quesada, with art from Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove), his life was a collection of ideas that would get changed whenever a new writer came along. Those changes are known in comics as retroactive continuity or “retcons,” and they can be both interesting and problematic. He’s not the only character with retcons, of course, but he’s one of the most famously affected by them. With Wolverine’s new movie “Logan” making a stir in the ether, the CBR team runs down 15 of Wolverine’s biggest retcons.

HIS HEALING FACTOR

One of Wolverine’s defining powers is his healing factor, which allows him to quickly walk off almost all injuries. It’s part of what makes Wolverine almost indestructible, which is why it’s kind of surprising that he didn’t start out that way.

In his first appearance in Len Wein and Herb Trimpe’s “Incredible Hulk” #181 (1974), Wolverine didn’t heal rapidly at all. Instead, he was so fast that Hulk could barely touch him, except for one moment when Hulk hits Wolverine, but he mysteriously shrugged off the impact. It was only when he became a regular member of the X-Men in 1977’s “X-Men” #107 that his healing was established, but throughout the ’80s, it took him weeks and even months to heal from major injuries. Starting in the 1990s, Wolverine’s healing ramped up until he healed from a nuclear incineration within minutes. He later explained this by saying his healing factor grew more efficient the more he used it, retconning his earlier weakness.

HE KNEW EVERYONE

For a long time, it was said that no one knew how old Wolverine was, because his healing factor made him both immortal and also kept him from showing his age. That meant writers could say he was as old as they wanted him to be, and wrote stories of Wolverine hanging around for decades. With his long life, it makes sense that he met a few familiar faces along the way, but it kind of got out of hand.

For example, in Archie Goodwin and Howard Chaykin’s “Wolverine/Nick Fury: The Scorpio Connection” (1989), Wolverine tells Nick Fury that they knew each other in his days serving with Canadian intelligence. However, “Wolverine Origins” #17 later shows them meeting during World War II. Since Fury didn’t dispute Wolverine in ’89 and didn’t recognize Wolverine, that was clearly a retcon. Also, the story showed him meeting Captain America, even though Cap didn’t recognize him decades later. How can you forget Wolverine? That hairdo alone tends to stick with you.

WEAPON PLUS

One of the defining moments of Wolverine’s life was his kidnapping by the Weapon X program, which forced the powerful adamantium metal onto his bones and tried to brainwash him. But Weapon X itself has gone through a lot of changes throughout the years. In 1975’s “Giant Size X-Men Annual” #1, Wolverine was codenamed Weapon X, but that changed in “Wolverine” #50 (1991), when Weapon X became the name of the super-soldier program that experimented on him.

In Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s “New X-Men” #129 (2002), another huge retcon was introduced when it said the “X” in Weapon X stood for the Roman numeral ten, meaning there were other experiments going all the way back to World War II, with more created after Wolverine. The program’s full name became the Weapon Plus program, and included most Marvel super-soldiers (including Captain America) as former members. At that point, it was said that early Weapon Plus experiments involved animals, but “Uncanny X-Force” #22 (2012) retconned Weapon III as the human supervillain, the Skinless Man.

RELATED: Bait and Switch: 15 Comic Book Reveals That Were Changed

HE MET PROFESSOR X

Wolverine became an official member of the X-Men in “Giant Size X-Men Annual” #1 (1975), when Professor X went to the Canadian government to recruit Logan because the original team of X-Men was lost on the mutant island Krakoa. Wolverine reluctantly agreed, which seemed kind of odd, considering he’s always been a lone wolf and didn’t fit in well with the rest of the team.

It was always the first meeting between the two, but that all changed with Daniel Way and Mike Deodato’s “Wolverine Origins” #29 in 2008. In that issue, Professor X revealed that Wolverine had been sent years before their meeting in Canada to kill him. Xavier knew about Wolverine’s mission, but used his psychic powers to erase his memory of the meeting and also implant the suggestion to become an X-Man because Xavier wanted to use Logan as a weapon. This retcon set up Xavier as kind of a jerk, manipulating and lying to Wolverine for decades.

HE FOUGHT THE ANGEL OF DEATH (A LOT)

As we mentioned earlier, Wolverine’s healing factor has grown to pretty ridiculous levels. Even with his unbreakable skeleton and rapid healing, Wolverine seemed to be able to brush off death way too easily, and it got to the point where someone had to explain why. When Marvel decided the time had come to kill off Wolverine, a new explanation for his miraculous healing was retconned.

In Marc Guggenheim and Howard Chaykin’s “Wolverine” story arc in 2008, it was revealed that Wolverine actually had died many times in the past, but each time had fought Lazaer (the Angel of Death) for the right to escape Purgatory and come back to life. As quickly as that was set up, Wolverine discovered his soul had been damaged and made a deal with Lazaer that if it was fixed, he would stay dead. Just in time for the “Death of Wolverine” stories, Logan was killed for good. Or at least, so far…

HIS REAL NAME

The real name of Wolverine has been a huge mystery, which makes sense since he couldn’t even remember where or when he was born. It didn’t help that he spent some time as a secret agent using false names. Over the years, there have been a few suggestions for his name, several of which contradict each other.

In Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s “Uncanny X-Men” #139 (1980), it was first revealed that Wolverine’s name was “Logan,” but he didn’t say if it was his first or last name. This became a critical point, and something other comics played with. Throughout the comics, they’ve also made references to the name “James,” but the matter seemed to be settled in “New X-Men” #143, when a file in the Weapon X program listed his name as “James Logan.” However, in “Wolverine Origins,” it was retconned and finally made canon that his original name was James Howlett. Logan was just the name of the family groundskeeper.

SILVER FOX

It’s hard to overstate how complicated Wolverine’s relationship is with the woman known as Silver Fox, since she’s both one of his greatest loves and greatest mysteries. In fact, she’s arguably been the subject of more retcons and switcheroos than any other character in his history.

First introduced in “Wolverine” #10 (1989), Silver Fox was a former lover who was killed by his archenemy Sabretooth, and her death became the spark that lit the flames of hatred between the two for years. Yet, in “Wolverine” #60-64 (1992), her death was retconned when Wolverine discovered she never died at all, and was actually an agent of HYDRA. In fact, the comics went so far as showing him a fake cabin that was used to implant his false memories of her. Her death was retconned yet again in Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel’s “House of M” in 2005, when Wolverine recovered memories of Silver Fox being killed by Sabretooth, after all. They didn’t even bother to explain that one.

HIS FATHER

As we mentioned before, Sabretooth is Wolverine’s most cruel and sadistic archenemy, revelling in tormenting Logan. There have been a lot of attempts to explain the conflict between the two, and one went way too far.

Sabretooth was originally created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne in “Iron Fist” #14 (1977), but readers quickly noticed his similarity to Wolverine, so they became enemies. The two fought lots of times, but in “Wolverine” #41 (1991), Sabretooth shocked the comic world by telling Logan they were father and son. It kind of made sense, since the two look similar, have similar powers and Sabretooth is indeterminately older. Later, Claremont in interviews confirmed he intended for Sabretooth to be Wolverine’s father. However, in the very next issue, this was revealed as false by Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D., who conducted DNA testing to prove Sabretooth wasn’t Wolverine’s father, after all. That left their relationship to continue, but the roots of their hatred still hasn’t been solved… at least not the way readers may have wanted.

HE WAS A LUPINE

Now we’re getting into some of the bigger retcons Wolverine has gone through, which were changes to his very species. From his joining the X-Men, it’s been said that he was a mutant, which was how Professor X was able to locate Wolverine. That all changed in “Wolverine” #53 in 2007, though. In that story, Wolverine met a new enemy named Romulus (who we’ll get to later); he explained they were actually not mutants, but a new species of human evolved from canines instead of simians, or what he called Lupines. More than that, he claimed that all other wild mutants like Sasquatch, Sabretooth and Feral were Lupines, and that Sabretooth hated Wolverine because he was from a blond-haired tribe that hated the dark-haired tribe on sight.

That retcon went over with fans about as well as a screen door on Wonder Woman’s invisible airplane, which may be why this was reversed in “Wolverine” #312 (2012), when Romulus’ own sister Remus told him that Lupines didn’t exist, and said Wolverine was a mutant, after all.

ROMULUS

Speaking of Romulus, let’s get to that big ball of retcons. By any standard, Wolverine has had a hard life. He’s been crushed, blown up and poisoned, but his physical injuries are nothing compared to his mental trauma. Pretty much every woman he’s ever loved has been brutally murdered, he’s fought through countless wars, and most of his life has been spent not knowing who he was or where he came from. There was no rhyme or reason to any of that, except to show why he’s such a hard-drinking and angry loner.

That all changed in Jeph Loeb and Simone Bianchi’s “Wolverine” #50 (2007), when Wolverine had dreams of a mysterious figure known as Romulus, who was thousands of years old and had been manipulating Wolverine before he was born. He secretly controlled Weapon X, took Wolverine’s son Daken from his mother’s womb, arranged for the death of Wolverine’s lovers over the years and pretty much got the ball rolling on anything bad that ever happened to Logan. His entire existence is a retcon of Wolverine’s sucky life.

HE STARTED WEAPON X

Since Barry Windsor-Smith’s classic story “Weapon X,” which appeared in “Marvel Comics Presents” #72-84 in 1991, Weapon X has been portrayed as a dark and shadowy organization that kidnapped and subjected Wolverine to the torturous process of bonding adamantium to his skeleton. The moment the Weapon Plus program came into his life changed Logan forever, and certainly wasn’t something he agreed to. At least, that’s the way it always was until 2012’s “Wolverine #312.”

In that story, Wolverine has a climactic fight with Romulus, who reveals that his claims of the Lupine were lies (another retcon mentioned earlier) and that he wants to create a new race of his own. In the final moments, Romulus also says that Wolverine was the one who altered his own memories to make himself into a test subject, and that Weapon X is and always was Wolverine’s idea. So far, that hasn’t been explained, because it makes no sense. It also contradicts the claims and flashbacks of Wolverine and other people involved in Weapon X.

ADAMANTIUM

Besides his claws, Wolverine’s unbreakable skeleton is one of his most defining physical features, with the indestructible metal used to reinforce all his bones, making them unbreakable. His skeleton is one of the strongest objects in the Marvel Universe, second only to Captain America’s shield. Much like everything else involving Wolverine, his adamantium skeleton is also a retcon.

In his first appearance fighting the Hulk, it was never said that Wolverine’s entire skeleton was covered in adamantium, only his claws. Wein only intended the claws themselves to be adamantium, and removable at that. After Logan joined the X-Men, later comics established that the adamantium ran through his entire skeleton. That made him not just fast with a quick healing factor and razor-sharp claws, but unbreakable, leading to his legendary immortality and invulnerability. It’s hard to imagine the old Canuckle-head without his metal skeleton, but that’s exactly what his creators did.

HIS CLAWS

When it comes to Wolverine, his most prominent feature is his pair of razor-sharp adamantium claws. That’s why we’ll be getting into how those claws have changed over the years, and how they’ve been retconned since the very beginning.

In his first fight against Hulk and Wendigo in “Incredible Hulk” #181, Wolverine fought the Hulk with his claws out the entire time, and never retracted them. That implied that his claws were attached to his gloves, which was actually the original writer Len Wein’s intention. When he returned in “Giant Size X-Men Annual” #1, Wolverine could retract his claws, but everyone assumed the claws were attached to his gloves. In “X-Men” #98 (1976), Wolverine surprised everyone when his gloves were removed, and he still was able to pop his claws, showing they were a part of his body, not his gloves. Reportedly, this was changed because Chris Claremont felt it would be easy for anyone to be Wolverine just by putting on his gloves. By having the claws inside his arms, they became a part of him and one of his most distinguishing features.

HIS (BONE) CLAWS

In his early appearances, it was said quite clearly that Wolverine’s claws were added during the process at Weapon X. Wolverine himself said this many times, and Weapon X confirmed it. In Fabian Nicieza and Scott Lobdell’s “X-Men” #25 (1993), Magneto infamously ripped the adamantium out of Wolverine’s skeleton, leaving him a shattered mess. Everyone expected Wolverine’s claws to be torn out as well, since they were (as previously said) believed to be a part of Weapon X.

But in the aftermath, they discovered his claws were actually made of bone, and the adamantium was just covering the claws. This was a huge retcon, since it meant his claws were in fact part of his mutation after all. It also meant his claws had been a part of him all along. This became clarified in “Wolverine Origin” #2, when he was shown as a young boy popping his bone claws for the first time.

HE WAS AN ACTUAL WOLVERINE

This is the big one, the mother of all retcons, so controversial that it never even made it to the printed page. It involves Wolverine’s very nature and existence, and goes all the way back to his first Hulk appearance, where he appeared to fight the Hulk and Wendigo with no explanation of who he was and where he came from. When he returned in the pages of “X-Men,” Xavier said he was a mutant, but that’s not what his creators intended.

Rumor has it that Marvel planned to reveal Wolverine wasn’t a mutant, but an actual wolverine, who had been turned into a human being. The idea was that the High Evolutionary (pictured), a supervillain obsessed with evolving animals, would have created Wolverine, making his mutant history a huge retcon. Wein has loudly stated that the evolved wolverine idea wasn’t his, laying the blame on Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum or John Byrne. In an interview with Cockrum, he did admit he planned to have the High Evolutionary involved in Wolverine’s origin, which seems like confirmation. Given everything we’ve seen of Wolverine over the years, we’re kind of glad that idea never saw the light of day.

What do you think is Wolverine’s biggest retcon? What other Logan retcons have you noticed?

The post Wolverine’s 15 Craziest Retcons appeared first on CBR.com.

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[dailybiblelessons]

July 26 to August 1 (Ordinary 17)

What's ahead in the Bible readings for this week

The Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time RCL Proper 12, Catholic Proper 17 The Tenth Week After Pentecost

Theme

The theme this week is God's providing for us. The Sunday Gospel reading from John is the story of Jesus feeding five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish. After all had been fed, the apostles gathered twelve baskets of fragments. Wednesday's Gospel is Mark's telling of the same story. In Saturday's Gospel, Jesus tells us that his food is to do the will of God who sent him.

Our Epistle readings this week concern love and patience. In the Sunday reading, Paul prays that the Ephesians may be rooted and grounded in love. In Thursday's and Friday's readings from Colossians, Paul urges them to clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love. In the letter to the Philippians (Monday) Paul writes that he knows what it is to be well-fed and to be hungry, and he gives thanks to them for providing for his needs. In the last Epistle reading (from Romans, on Tuesday) Paul writes obliquely about going to Jerusalem to provide the poor in the church there with funds he collected in Macedonia and Achaia. Here it is the churches God is using to provide for the needs of the people.

Complementary Series

The Psalm of preparation includes these lines:

All your works give thanks to you. You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing.

And the Psalm of reflection has these:

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart. He provides food for those who fear him.

Sunday's Hebrew Scripture tells of Elisha providing abundance when there does not seem to be enough. On Thursday we have the story of Elisha's commissioning by Elijah. Note that Elisha, by sacrificing twenty-four oxen (twelve yokes) and using the yokes as fuel, is breaking with his past, giving up the tools of farming to follow Elijah. The sacrifice is given to the people to eat. On Saturday, Elisha feeds the company of prophets during a famine. He turns poison wild gourds into edible food with some flour. On Friday, it is water that the people need. Elisha asked for a musician, and while the musician was playing the Lord came on him and he filled the wadi full of pools.

In Monday's Hebrew Scripture reading, it is Abraham and Sarah who provide food to the Lord. In this passage, God appears with two others to Abraham near Abraham's tent. After Abraham and Sarah provide hospitality, God informs them that Sarah, who has passed menopause, will conceive a child. On Tuesday, it is Moses, three companions, and seventy elders of Israel who "beheld God, and they ate and drank." Finally, on Wednesday Isaiah prophesies "for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines," when God will swallow up death forever.

Semi-continuous Series

We continue to read about David and his reign. One of the marvelous things about the Bible is that it so often shows us people with all their complexity. Although David is the most significant king in Israel's history, and the one most often pointed to as an ideal, he still had human weaknesses. We read this week about Bathsheba, whom David spied while she was bathing, and Uriah, her husband and a soldier in David's army. Bathsheba and David have sex and she become pregnant. David sends for Uriah and tells him to go to Bathsheba, but he will not while his fellow soldiers are at war. Thus Bathsheba is with child without any chance that her husband is the father. David sends a note, carried by Uriah, to the commander of his army, telling him to put Uriah in a position where the enemy will kill him. After his death, or murder, Bathsheba and David are together. The miracle here is that God is still with David, despite his actions.

As we contemplate all these miracles, it is important not to forget that every day God provides for us in ways that may not appear spectacular to us, but are nevertheless miraculous.

Summaries and Links for this week

Here are links for the readings for each day in the seventeenth week of Ordinary Time.*

Thursday to Sunday Psalms Complementary Psalm 145:10-18 Everyone looks to God to provide food in due season. Semi-continuous Psalm 14 God is in the company of the righteous, and is a refuge for the poor.

Thursday: Preparation for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Complementary 1 Kings 19:19-21 Elisha's call. Semi-continuous 2 Samuel 10:1-5 When the king of the Ammonites died, David sent men to comfort his son. This was misinterpreted and the Ammonites humiliated David's men. Both Colossians 1:9-14 Christ's supremacy

Friday: Preparation for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Complementary 2 Kings 3:4-20 The kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom set out to make war against Moab. They find no water for the troops or animals. Elisha calls on God, who provides water and assurance that Moab will be defeated. Semi-continuous 2 Samuel 10:6-12 The Ammonites hire mercenaries to fight David. David's commander Joab and his brother Abishai prepare for battle. Both Colossians 3:12-17 Instructions for living a Christ-like life.

Saturday: Preparation for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Complementary 2 Kings 4:38-41 In a time of famine, Elisha purifies a pot of stew made with wild gourds for the company of prophets to eat. Semi-continuous 2 Samuel 10:13-19 The Ammonites and their mercenaries are defeated. They regroup and attack again. David leads his army and defeat them. Both John 4:31-38 Jesus says, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me to finish his work."

The Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Complementary 2 Kings 4:42-44 Elisha provides food for a hundred people from twenty loaves of barley. They ate and there was some left. Semi-continuous 2 Samuel 11:1-15 Bathsheba and Uriah are wronged by David. Both Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul's prayer that Christ may dwell in the Ephesians' hearts as they are being rooted and grounded in love Both John 6:1-21 The feeding of the five thousand, and Jesus walks on water.

Monday to Wednesday Psalms Complementary Psalm 111 God gives food. Semi-continuous Psalm 37:12-22 Better the little that the righteous have than the bounty of the wicked.

Monday: Reflection on the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Complementary Genesis 18:1-15 Abraham, at the oaks of Mamre, serves three, one of whom assures him that Sarah, even in her old age, will produce a son for them. Semi-continuous 2 Samuel 11:14-21 David arranges for Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, to die in a battle. Both Philippians 4:10-20 Paul thanks the Philippians for their gifts, brought to him by Epaphroditus.

Tuesday: Reflection on the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Complementary Exodus 24:1-11 Moses took blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, "This it the blood of the covenant, which God has made with you in accordance with all these words." Semi-continuous 2 Samuel 11:22-27 Joab's messenger reports to David that Uriah is dead. Both Romans 15:22-33 Paul plans to visit Rome on the way to Spain.

Wednesday: Reflection on the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Complementary Isaiah 25:6-10a God will swallow up death forever, and wipes the tears from all faces. Semi-continuous 2 Chronicles 9:29-31 Solomon's reign is remembered. Both Mark 6:35-44 Jesus feeds five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish.

*Denominations have different ways of designating the weeks during the year, so your church may refer to this week by a different name. Regardless of the name, the readings are the same. Here is an explanation: Calendar Explanation

If you know someone who could deepen his or her commitment to being a Christian through these readings, why not forward this newsletter to that person? Here is a link that leads to the signup form: Sign up link Thanks for being part of this community of Bible readers. Mike Gilbertson

Selections from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 1995 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Unless otherwise indicated, Bible text is from The New Revised Standard Version, (NRSV) copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All right reserved. Image credit: The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes a mosaic at the Basilica di Sant' Apollinare Nuovo. Ravenna, Italy, via Wikimedia Commons. This is a public domain image.

[flauntpage]

Royal Rumble 2018 Was WWE at its Best

The best way to watch WWE is to recognize that there are actually three WWEs. There’s the television WWE, which consistently sucks and, outside maybe two or three nights a year, is insistent on nothing of import happening. There’s the Fall doldrums WWE, a long grey expanse from just after SummerSlam until January when the pay-per-views are passable but not great, in thrall to a paralytic fear of anything interesting happening which might upset the balance going into Wrestlemania season.

Then there’s the third WWE, the good WWE. From Royal Rumble to SummerSlam, with Wrestlemania as a midpoint, the pay-per-views are usually good to great. The booking can be down—this is WWE, after all—but it’s a fun company to watch, so long as you stick to the pay-per-views.

Sunday’s Royal Rumble was the good WWE in full pomp. Its two Royal Rumble matches (the traditional men’s match and the very first women’s) were near perfectly booked, never seemed to drag, and reminded everyone both of what a roster as talented and large as WWE’s can do and brought up questions about why they just won’t goddamned do it all the time.

Most Rumble matches work with a splash of humor, and the men’s was no different. The early highlight was Heath Slater lying prone on the floor outside the ring, knocked out on the walkway by an enraged Baron Corbin, only for everyone to walk by and get in a shot or two to keep him down. That was until Sheamus, in an act of hubris, threw Slater in, only to be immediately dumped out by the perennial jobber. It was perfect, both funny and roundabout revenge for Sheamus’s squash of the white hot heel Daniel Bryan several years ago, and I actually shrieked in an alarmingly high-pitched fashion when it happened.

Comedy wrestling gets a bad rap as being too gimmicky or diluting the melodrama the form is ideally capable of, but Royal Rumbles are long and the willingness to punctuate them with moments of silliness and irony shows strength, not weakness. WWE isn’t, and shouldn’t be, all comedy wrestling, but if you’re working with that much time and that many people, smoothing the edges is strong booking, not weak.

That held true throughout. Everything was booked more or less perfectly, the best Rumble match in over a decade and maybe one of the best five or six ever. Everything just clicked in that almost ephemeral, weightless way good wrestling does. Elias is in the ring starting a song and he tells us that the clock won’t start until he’s finished? That doesn’t make sense, but the timing of the gimmick and pacing of its execution made it feel right. Baron Corbin isn’t going to set the world on fire, but his post-elimination outburst knocking out several wrestlers felt right. The boos raining down on Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt for eliminating Rusev felt right.

Nothing felt more right in terms of timing and execution than Shinsuke Nakamura’s win. It was a slow build, and it would have been fair to worry that WWE’s handling of Nakamura (leashing him to some of the worst signature taunts in the promotion) would make his win feel unsatisfying. But that was not the case. Instead, you could feel him growing into his role as eventual winner, the crowd and wrestler establishing a symbiotic relationship as the end, punctuated by Nakamura delivering the best Kinshasa knee since he left NXT to Roman Reigns, rolled around. For the first time since his call up, Nakamura felt like something more than what we’ve been given so far. I remain a skeptic, but this is the test: if the knock on him is that he only shows up for big matches (and fair play to him, he’s earned that right and getting money from the McMahons while going half-speed is okay in my book), it’s never getting bigger than a Wrestlemania title match against AJ Styles. And I am, at the least, less skeptical than I was before he shone at the Royal Rumble.

Again, equal credit is due the much-maligned booking team. The final six faced off in groups of three—Reigns, Nakamura, and Finn Balor squaring off against John Cena, Randy Orton, and a returning (and cut) Rey Mysterio. The generational warfare in the face-off was fully contrived; Nakamura and Balor are almost as old as their opposites, while Reigns is heading toward his mid-30s at light speed. The contrivance didn’t matter. It was pure symbolism of the best sort, less about generation than about where the younger men came from. New Japan. NXT. Small arenas and MMA matches.

The generation gap was present in the equally good inaugural women’s Royal Rumble, albeit for different reasons. The women’s match was more reliant on returning stars from the past, simply because the roster isn’t as large as the men’s. 30 people is a lot, and there’s also undoubtedly a baseline pop you want to maintain for each entrance, something which the lesser lights of a roster can’t always muster (see Titus O’Neil’s entrance in the men’s Rumble).

This created a trap. There was no way that the returnees weren’t going to eliminate some of the current stars, and that’s what happened. In any other year, this would grate, and probably will if the same happens in future women’s Rumbles.

In this one, though, it felt alright. WWE created its past and it was ugly. The returnees, from Lita to Trish Stratus to Molly Holly to every single one of them, were treated figuratively and literally like dogs. No amount of purging the references to the Attitude Era’s treatment of women and no amount of Stephanie McMahon’s self-aggrandizement will alter that. Colette Arrand’s thoughts on this are worth reading and appreciating.

But history did happen and it did suck. One of the byproducts of that is that these women, nearly all of whom are now in their 40s, never got the chance to take part in something like this. It would’ve been unthinkable for WWE’s corporate climate at the time to move from pudding matches and teased nudity to truly treating them as equal competitors (and, for what it’s worth, they still aren’t quite there, given that Brie Bella and Lana were introduced via their relation to their wrestling husbands).

Treating the women’s Rumble as a self-contained entity is tough, but there was a remarkable ease and joy to the returnees’ actions in the ring. This was typified by Stratus and Mickie James facing off towards the end. Look at the sheer, unworked happiness on their faces, not just as old foes and friends coming together after ten years, but at working a Royal Rumble together.

In the end, Asuka won, which was as correct a call as Nakamura winning the men’s match. She remained a buzzsaw throughout, and the earlier worries over her main roster debut have faded. Asuka has steadily, consistently been the monster we all hoped for and WWE needed. She, more than anyone else, has the ineffable “it"—the kind of thing that doesn’t require being the biggest or strongest, but which takes a wrestler up another level. The Rumble cemented that. The crowd was on fire every time she had her moments with another wrestler.

The end of the pay-per-view struck a slightly off-key note in an otherwise nearly perfect show (nearly perfect because the matches outside the Rumbles were merely fine, but that is exactly the level they should’ve been given how exhaustingly good the main events were). Ronda Rousey, of course, came out in Roddy Piper’s jacket. She inserted herself into Asuka’s moment, a fact which seemed to draw everything from nervousness to outright rage, judging from internet reaction.

It’s currently tough to parse. The charitable view, and it’s the one I’m currently holding, is that the manner of her arrival points to something interesting on the horizon. She extended a hand to Asuka, signalling that she’ll wait for the Rumble winner to choose who she wants to face at Wrestlemania, leaving Rousey with the other. Asuka slapped her hand away, a signal in turn that Asuka isn’t sharing the glory.

The problem is that the execution was ever so slightly off. It became immediately clear that Rousey isn’t ready to work a crowd. Almost immediately upon entering the ring, without waiting for the people chanting her name to reach a crescendo, she pointed awkwardly at the WrestleMania sign. The timing of it, the single most important skill in wrestling, was all off. Then she mutely pointed again as proceedings ended.

Rousey comes with a host of baggage, though it’s not to diminish this fact to point to the awful people WWE regularly does business with. An internal negotiation takes place every time we watch wrestling, old or new, no matter the promotion. It’s justifiable if Rousey’s transphobia and Sandy Hook trutherism are where you bail, just as it would be if Warrior’s return or Mike Tyson’s 1998 arrival as a recently convicted and released rapist was.

Setting all of that aside, the point was so immediately weird and robotic, so out of sync with the rhythm of the crowd and moment, that even though it was small, it immediately felt like the most basic pro wrestling skills were missing. That’s a problem in the mechanical sense for WWE. She’s going to make them a lot of money, and she’ll make money in return. But it’s worth recalling Ken Shamrock, her most immediate antecedent. He had all the physical skills and the intimidation factor, but he never picked up mic skills or the crowd empathy needed to move with the crowd’s swells and eddies, and it was quickly apparent with him, too.

This was not Rousey’s moment, however. This was Asuka’s and Nakamura’s. For once, the fans got exactly what they wanted and the show was wonderful because of it. So much of this was unthinkable 20 years ago, from a legit women’s Royal Rumble to two top Japanese challengers who aren’t reduced to caricature. Royal Rumble 2018 was historic, fun, and among the very best of its kind.

Royal Rumble 2018 Was WWE at its Best published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[godwarrior77]

Have you ever asked yourself the question: “Who Am I? How can God see His child when all I see is a flawed, damaged self?”

Well, I think the real, personal questions you should be asking yourself are: “Whose, am I? Who do I look like? If you answered these questions and you still feel unsure of who you are in Christ; then let me tell you. Throughout the Bible, God has referred to us, His people as Conquerors, Adopted, Children of God, Sons & Daughters, and much more. But, God tells us that we are new creations if anyone is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 gives us the verse and shows us how we aren’t damaged and broken.

2 Corinthians 5:17

“17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

If God said that anyone who is in Christ becomes a new creation, a new person; then why do we still have this problem with identity and who we are? Because of society and our subconscious desire to fit in and be accepted by others. I, myself have asked the questions of “Who Am I, Lord?” and “How can God see His child when I am undeserving of His love?” and it’s only now, that I am starting to understand that God has already told me who I am.

Although we may have trouble understanding who we are, God said differently in Romans 12:1-2 where He tells us to not conform to the world and renew our minds so that we may present ourselves a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God.

Romans 12:1-2

“1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present you bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  2. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

I think it’s because of our own need for identity and society’s flawed understanding of what identity means to people that we; as Christians and people sometimes ask ourselves “Who Am I?”.  I recently read an article by author and speaker Dr. Juli Slattery entitled, “Who Am I, Lord?” where she talks about her own experiences with identity. In the post, she wrote, “Only within the last few years have I admitted that I doubted the unconditional and intimate nature of God’s love for me” and I think that this is a statement that we as people and Christians oftentimes admit to ourselves or deny to ourselves.

When we, as people and Christians begin to doubt God’s love for us, we start to wonder if we are; Conquerors and Sons and Daughters of Jesus Christ. But I am here to tell you that no matter what you think about yourself, God still sees you as His child.

Dr. Juli Slattery has several quotes in her post that I think we; as people and Christians should use when we feel that our identity as children of God is shaken.

“When you draw near to God and listen, He doesn’t speak generically—but specifically.”

“God longs to tell you personally that He loves you. Even more, He wants to speak specifically and intimately about who you are.”

“… He is speaking to you by His Spirit through the Word. The question is: Are you listening?”

Dr. Juli Slattery isn’t the only one who has questioned who they are in Christ; speaker and writer Shannon Popkin wrote a blog post entitled, “Finding Freedom in the Mirror” where she first talks about her own experiences with identity and her struggles before giving ways to encourage women to let go of what is staring at you in the mirror and trust God.

In the blog post, Shannon Popkin said, “Being controlled by what others think and being out of control, with no restraint, are two types of the same thing: bondage. It’s bondage to be a slave to the mirror. And it’s bondage to live with no limits. Both types of bondage require God’s strong hand if freedom is ever to be had.”

Later in the blog post, Shannon Popkin said, “God wants for all of His daughters to live in freedom! But this freedom only comes through giving Him control, not trying to take it on our own” and in my opinion; I think that because of society’s belief that women are meant to act, dress, or be a certain way that even Christian women sometimes get caught trying to fit in with society. But God said something else in James 1:17, “17. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

If you, as women and daughters of God start to realize that you are new creation is Christ; then you don’t have to worry about what the mirror or the world says about you.

Shannon Popkin also said, “God says, “Why not step away from that mirror, and let Me determine your value and worth?”

I recently listened to a song by Casting Crowns entitled, “Who Am I” where in my opinion; it speaks not just from a place of wondering but also from a place of searching for an answer. In the song, the chorus of the song tells us exactly who we are and were called to be in Christ.

Chorus

“I am a flower quickly fading

Here today and gone tomorrow

A wave tossed in the ocean

A vapor in the wind

Still You hear me when I’m calling

Lord, you catch me when I’m falling

And You’ve told me who I am

I AM YOURS”

The lyrics to the song aren’t just words, they help to convey a message of identity and knowing who we are as adopted sons and daughters of God. Web Consultant Mike Mobley wrote a blog post called, “Scripture on Identity” where he talks about who we are in Christ and who God says we are. In the blog post, he said, “Identity is defined as who we are and how we are called by name and is critical for the day to day life of a follower of Jesus”.

I think that the quote above should be a reminder for all people; whether Christian or a non-believer that we don’t have to go and seek our identity in the world because God already tells us who we are. There are several key quotes in Mike Mobley’s blog post that should give us a reminder of how our identity is in Jesus Christ.

“From the moment we decide to trust and follow Christ, we become a child of God. We become a disciple of Jesus. We become a Christian. That becomes our new identity.”

“The problem begins when we take our eyes off of Jesus and put them back on ourselves. We get in trouble when we forget our new identity and start to go back to our old one.”

“… remind yourself of your new identity, and walk confidently as a follower of Jesus today.”

Mike Mobley said, “Christians need the daily reminder that their identity is found in Jesus. Nowhere else.”

I recently listened to a song by Christian artist Matthew West entitled, “Matthew West – Mended (Lyric Video)” where the song talks about how we sometimes see ourselves in the mirror and see our imperfections, our fears, and doubts but in this song; it is telling us to remember that even though we see ourselves as a flawed, imperfect people; God sees someone else entirely. The bridge of the song, in my opinion, lets us know that God sees His child even if we see something different.

Bridge

“I see My Child

My beloved, the new creation your becoming

You see the scars from when you fell,

But I see the stories they will tell

For you see worthless, but I see priceless

You see pain, but I see a purpose

You see unworthy, undeserving

But I see you through eyes of mercy”

Shannon Popkin has some quotes that I think women and daughters of God should tell themselves every day as a reminder that they already have an identity when they have become followers of Jesus.

“Mirrors are sharply critical. They offer no rest. No hope. Only more assignments. Mirrors tell you to rely on yourself. But God wants you to rely on Him! He says that His power is made perfect, not in your own perfectionism, but in your weakness and dependence on Him”

“Will you find your worth in His eyes instead of what is reflected on the bathroom wall?”

“… freedom in the mirror is found by putting God—not ourselves—in control.”

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God created you. Stop looking at your imperfections. Remember, you are God’s child.

You are God’s Masterpiece.

In the end, though we; as people and Christians all want to recognized and acknowledged by the society that we lose ourselves in the pre-conceived identity that society wants. However, we have to remember that we already have an identity as children of God. We all have an identity as followers of Christ; we just have to remember that when life seems to take over our Christ identity and replace it with a “Worldly” identity.

So, what do you think? Will you allow yourself to be burdened by your desire for an identity in a fallen world? Will you continue to look at yourself in the mirror and see a flawed, imperfect self? Or, will you turn to God the Father and ask Him, “Who Am I, Lord?”. You just have to remember that you are God’s child. Please comment below and join the discussion.

God’s Blessings,

Joshua Reid

  References

“Matthew West – Mended (Lyrics Video)” YouTube, uploaded by MatthewWestVEVO, 1 year ago, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Otg-5p7qug . Accessed 21 August 2017.

Mobley, Mike. “Scripture on Identity” beforethecross.com, https://www.beforethecross.com/scripture/identity/ . Accessed 23 August 2017.

Popkin, Shannon. “Finding Freedom in the Mirror” https://www.reviveourhearts.com/ , 4 May 2013, https://www.reviveourhearts.com/true-woman/blog/finding-freedom-mirror/ . Accessed 23 August 2017.

Slattery, Juli. “Who Am I, Lord?” https://www.reviveourhearts.com,  26 Jun. 2013. https://www.reviveourhearts.com/true-woman/blog/who-am-i-lord/ . Accessed 23 August 2017.

“Who Am I – Casting Crowns – with Lyrics” YouTube, uploaded by TheCatLadyJ, 2 years ago, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9hetEFcjGM . Accessed 21 August 2017.

  Picture References

Author Unknown. “Looking in the Mirror” http://www.centercrosscultural.org/2011/05/09/sebastian-guerrini-the-brands-of-life/ . Accessed 23 August 2017.

Author Unknown. “You Are a New Creation – 2 Corinthians 5:17”, http://www.crosscards.com/cards/facebook-ecards/cm-new-creation-2-corinthians-5-17-social.html . Accessed 22 August 2017.

Author Unknown. “You should look at My Masterpiece in the Mirror – God”, http://quoteaddicts.com/i/3282405 . Accessed 24 August 2017.

Lepine, Bob. “You’re NOT who you once were”, https://www.reviveourhearts.com/true-woman/blog/youre-not-who-you-once-were/ . Accessed 22 August 2017.

Meyer, Joyce. “GOD created you” http://resizeimage.club/openphoto.php?img=http://geniusquotes.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Mirror-look-quote-HD-wallpaper.jpg . Accessed 24 August 2017.

  “Who Am I, Lord?” – Our Struggle with Identity Have you ever asked yourself the question: “Who Am I? How can God see His child when all I see is a flawed, damaged self?”