#the shadow king

[dracula-smokes-weed]

Drawing For Nothing is out!

Forgot to announce this here but the first ten chapters for Drawing For Nothing have been released! For those who missed the last post, this is a free, digital art book for animated films that were either canceled or bombed due to complicated issues.

https://www.drawingfornothing.com/

More chapters are to come. A few highlights in the next installation will be My Peoples and Larrikins.

Also, if anyone wants to help research, feel free to send a DM! We're also working on a new cover that will feature custom artwork of various characters from these movies. If you think you got what it takes to draw in the style of another artist, we would appreciate the help!

[rei-ismyname]

Magneto Talks to Himself

(It's actually the Shadow King trying to fuck with him in the afterlife, but it's a conversation he needed to have.)

[lennyenthusiast]

RAAAH PART THREE LEGION AS TEXT POSTS RAAAHH

[aesthetic--mood]

Aleksander Morozova "The Darkling" Aesthetic

[sparkoflena]

With talk of a Gambit movie, I have a particular story vote:

Thick As Thieves by Chris Claremont. It's not Remy's inital origin story but I adore it. Imagine a movie with young Remy LeBeau and child Ororo Munroe.

I don't even really need the frame-by-frame story. I'd just love to see them connect. I'd love to see the action of the Thieves Guild and the Shadow King. He's very Robin Hood - centric in this story. It's a reminder to the audience of just how great of a fighter he is without his powers. He's also highly protective of little Ro the whole time which makes him such a compassionate character, even as a sassy thief. A perfect mix of action and found family.

And at the end of the story, when Ro gets her memories back, she takes him to meet the X-Men. Which is the PERFECT ending for an origin movie for any X-Man character, in my opinion.

[theelectronicstranger]

Ultimate X-Men #3 Discussion

          If you have not read this issue, then please look away now! I’ve been really loving this title so far. I think this issue is worth your time and money, so don’t spoil yourself and maybe come back to this when you’ve read this issue.

          I really enjoyed learning more about Mei Igarashi/MayStorm this issue and seeing how her powers manifested. We saw a bit of her connection to Storm/Ororo; in the issue, we saw a glimpse of her looking up “Storm” on social media and reading all about her escapades as a freedom fighter in West Africa:

I already talked about this in my Ultimate Black Panther #1-3 Discussion, but I really appreciated that we get some confirmation on who Storm is and how she is related to Mei in this universe. I also like how this is kind of the first time these books have connected with one another. Unless you count the Tony Stark appearance in Ultimate Spider-Man #1, there hasn’t really been that much crossover in the first 3 Ultimate Universe titles. My only problem with them showing Mei and Storm’s connection is that I wish it was longer. I would love to know more about the extent of Mei’s interest in Storm. I’m hoping we see more of her connection with Storm and maybe see her work with Storm in the future as the stories of this universe progress. Although this little panel suffices, I just wish there was more.

          We also get to see Mei’s family life in this issue, and it is not good. Her parents seem to be fighting all the time because her father seems to be cheating on her mother with another woman. Also, her dad seems pretty checked out with the whole relationship and his family in general because anytime we see him, his expression doesn’t really change. He’s just looking at his paper or looking somewhere else. It feels like he has straight up disdain for the family he has, and Mei has learned to dislike her father because of his actions and inaction within their family. He is also pretty abusive in this issue. When Mei talks back to her in this issue, Mei’s father hits her without any remorse:

What really gets to me about these pages is the fact that he just did it so nonchalantly. Like he knew this was just something Mei deserved or something he needed to do to punish her daughter. He did it so matter-of-factly that it was really scary and effective in making me hate this guy, which makes what happens next so satisfying:

This is my favorite panel of the issue. Mei, after being struck by her father, unleashes and awakens her mutant powers. It’s like all this pent-up anger and repressed emotions she feels inside just explodes and makes themselves feel known. I absolutely love Peach Momoko’s art here. I think she drew Mei’s awakening so well, which makes what follows after so heartbreaking:

Her father doesn’t even flinch, and he doesn’t change his demeanor. He just wants her out of his house. When I first read this, I was speechless because her father was just so cruel. He didn’t even try to understand what happened or understand his daughter at all. All he knew was that her daughter was now a liability and someone he couldn’t control anymore, so he told her to go. This scene just completely deflates that big burst of energy from when Mei awakens her power. It’s as if there’s nothing that she could do to change how her father feels and acts about her. Even her powers manifesting wasn’t enough to get a better reaction from him.

          I’m going to talk a little bit about the Shadow King (This is still not confirmed by the way, but we still don’t have a name for him so I’m just sticking with “the Shadow King” for now). We saw a bit of him this issue. I still maintain my belief that it was too early to reveal that the Shadow King’s identity was an actual physical person and not some spirit or entity because I felt like all of the mystique surrounding his identity and what he is went away when we found out what he looked like. I really would have preferred it more if his identity was kept a secret for at least a year. Yes, there’s still some questions regarding his identity and his motivations that are left to be answered. However, I felt like we could have kept more of the horror aspect of the book if his identity was kept a secret for a little longer. I’m not saying that it’s not there still, but with this issue specifically, it felt like that aspect has been diminished. I understand that Momoko probably wanted to temper people’s expectations of who this person is, so I’m trusting that she knows what she’s doing and I’m just going to enjoy what she has in store for us in the future. I am a little excited to find out more about who this person actually is and what his motivations are, so I hope we get those answers soon.

          This issue also introduces us a bit to Nico Minoru, which was a nice surprise. As far as I know, Nico Minoru was never a mutant unless I’m missing something. If I am, then please let me know. I’m pretty sure she’s a sorceress/witch in the main 616 universe and was never a mutant. I wonder how this version of Nico Minoru’s powers work because is seems to hint that she’s a psychic in this issue; but also, at the end of the issue we see her holding a magnifying glass that oddly looks like the Staff of One:

I like her design in this issue and I’m wondering if the magnifying glass helps her use her powers at all. Maybe that’s how she knows that Mei and Hisako are mutants. Sidenote: This is the first time in this series that anybody has mentioned the word ‘Mutant”. If that magnifying glass is the Staff of One, then that makes me wonder if certain mutants in this universe need “trinkets” to activate their powers because Hisako in this issue talks about how her Omamori is always with her even when she forgets it:

When Hisako activated her armor power back in Issue 1, we see her holding her Omamori in her hand:

The Omamori looks exactly like her armor too. My theory is that maybe certain mutants in this universe are connected to certain items that helps them manifest their powers? We know that this universe has a very interesting history with artifacts and stolen destinies/powers. The Maker took certain items/artifacts that would have turned certain people into superheroes. What if this universe holds value to those artifacts/objects and that is how some mutants use their power in this universe? What do you guys think?

Anyways, I want to go back to the picture of Nico Minoru’s introduction and focus on the little girl on Nico’s right:

The little girl is wearing bunny ears, and my immediate thought is that it was Molly Hayes of the Runaways. Maybe even the girl with the eyepatch is Gert Yorkes? I don’t really know if that’s Molly or if that’s Gert but I’m excited to find out. Also, I want to point out that Mei Igarashi is technically a runaway right now. She’s not with her parents anymore. It seems that she’s alone right now, so maybe we will see a version of the Runaways in this series? What do you guys think? I personally really like the Runaways team, so seeing them in this book in some form or another will be nice.

          That’s all I have for this issue of Ultimate X-Men. Thank you for reading this! I’d love to know what you guys think of the issue. I didn’t talk much about Hisako this issue because this issue was more about Mei, but there were some panel in the beginning of this book that I want to see where it goes for a bit before I talk about it. Thank you for reading and have a great day.

[uncannybroker]

"This word...villain. Do you know where it comes from? It means, originally "one who lives in a village." A peasant. Do I seem like a peasant to you?... Me, the king. King of Kings. His majesty, the wise."

[amaramiyu]

My Legendborn Cycle Musings & Theories

May 2023 is when I first got into this series and I've been hooked ever since. I've read Legendborn and Bloodmarked at least twice and I have some thoughts about the books and series in general. So without further ado:

Spoilers ahead!

First of all, I'm glad I waited to make this post because recently more information has been revealed about the next upcoming book (Oathbound), and that instead of the series being a trilogy of books it'll be a tetralogy (4 part book series).

Oathbound

I strongly believe that the Shadow Court is definitely going to be unleashed that was part of the bargain Bree made with the Shadow King after all.

Vera’s warning to Bree at the end of Bloodmarked: “Chaos thrives on imbalance.” In Oathbound, is Bree going to become villainous or corrupted in some form? Since she doesn’t have her ancestors to balance or influence her since she closed the ancestral stream?

Since the third book is called Oathbound I wonder if this means oaths will be broken or removed. Obviously, Natasia's Kingsmage Oath to Martin Davis had to have been removed. Could the same thing happen possibly between Nick and Sel?

At the end of Bloodmarked, the main trio: Bree, Nick, and Sel have become separated. Since this is Bree's story first and foremost I think the book will still only be from Briana's point of view. I don't think we'll be getting multiple points of view. However, I'm not quite sure.

Selwyn Emrys Kane

There’s more to Selwyn Kane than meets the eye. One of the main themes in the Legendborn Cycle is ancestry and inheritance.

Theory 1: Erebus (the Shadow King) is Selwyn’s father. Erebus is described as a father-like figure towards Sel and he has a history and a clear fondness for Natasia (He knew where she was at the end of Bloodmarked). However, we know that the Order supposedly monitored Natasia closely while they ensured she gave birth to an heir. Obviously, since both her and Sel are powerful Merlins there must be more to discover about their bloodline. Also, it is mentioned how closely Sel resembles Merlin his ancestor not only in appearance but also in mannerisms. Sel is a prodigy and has the rare ability to transform into an Owl like his ancestor Merlin. Not to mention, the skill he used to craft aether constructs to hold Bree together after her injury which isn’t easy to do and most likely would’ve killed other Merlins attempting to do it.

Theory 2: Maybe Selwyn’s bloodline has ancestral ties to someone on the Shadow Court. 

Nicholas Martin Davis

He's going to be leading the faction of the Order that's still loyal to the Knights of the Round Table.

Maybe he'll continue to forge a further alliance with the Line of Morgaine. Nick will then be further exposed to how they live and maneuver outside of the Order. He is trying to find a solution to stop the Legendborn Cycle without the Scion of Arthur having to die. In Bloodmarked, he found something out but he didn't get to elaborate on it further.

In General

I think the relationship between Sel and William is underrated.

There’s still much we don’t know about Cambions and unions. So far, we know:

Full Demon + Human = Cambion

Human + Cambion = Cambion

But what about: Full Demon + Cambion = ?

Cambion + Cambion =  ?

Are these unions even possible or allowed and could they produce offspring?

On the cover of Bloodmarked, I think Bree is wearing the outfit that she wore during the Rite of Kings ceremony.

Valechaz is clearly enamored and fascinated with Bree and he's such a wildcard. Valec at times can also be hard to read. Will he be a friend or foe going forward?

This may be an unpopular opinion, but in terms of a TV series adaptation of the Legendborn Cycle, I would prefer that it be an animated TV series rather than a live-action series.

[harpya-176]

Professor Charles Francis Xavier, Professor X, & Amahl Farouk, The Shadow King, in Uncanny X-Men #117 “PSI WAR!”

[the-technicolor-yawn]

average x men astral plane battle

[iamblue15]

Happy Birthday to Henry Selick!!!

[franki-lew-yo]

Updated my Animation deleted scene playlist, kiddies

Feel free to message me w suggestions of anything I didn't already ad to the list, though know that I always ATTEMPT to keep videos together based on the movie/show they pretain tho so you'll have to wait for it to be properly sorted out.

[medium-bloodcrafter-scion]

It just occurred to me that not only did Bree go with Erebus /SK, but Erebus/SK pretty much just.... left his position as Seneschal of Shadows. He literally pulled an "I've won the lottery, fck you I quit." Which, good for him, he didn't like his boss.

I'm sure it's scenes over at Regent HQ as they frantically try to piece together where he is.

[lennyenthusiast]

amahl farouk core

[jocia92]

Legion: A Silent Film Fight

[theelectronicstranger]

Ultimate X-Men #2 Discussion

          I’m going to be talking about some spoilers for this issue so if you have not read this issue then please look away now. I’ve been enjoying this book so far and I think it’s worth your money to buy it.

          The first thing I want to talk about is the character in the cover of this issue: Mei Igarashi AKA Maystorm. I really like her design. I like that she takes so much inspiration from Ororo/Storm, and I think Peach Momoko, in an interview, even says that this character definitely idolizes Ororo/Storm of this universe. I have not read Ultimate Black Panther yet, so I don’t know how Ororo/Storm is like in that book but seeing Maystorm in this book definitely made me want to read Ultimate Blank Panther more for sure.

I’m glad that they introduced Mei in this issue because Hisako now has a friend that she can talk to and figure out her powers with. She definitely needed someone to be friends with because after Tsubasa and after meeting the Shadow, she started hiding herself more and more. In the beginning of this issue, we saw Hisako thinking about Tsubasa and thinking about what she could have done differently, so that he wouldn’t have died. The Shadow King (still unconfirmed if this is the Shadow King or not by the way) also seems to be watching her or corrupting her thoughts in the beginning of this issue. Hisako is pretty much alone and vulnerable; she doesn’t really know what to do with this Shadow King business and she’s still trying to process Tsubasa’s death, so Mei showing up how she did was like a lifesaver for her. Literally, when Mei showed up in this issue, it felt like the tone of the book changed, and it gave the book/Hisako a little more hope. I also like the little art decision Peach Momoko makes in this issue, where Mei breaks out of the panel of the book while she is helping break Hisako’s focus from the Shadow King. It’s like Mei dispels the curse that the Shadow King had on Hisako and the reader by just being there.

Hisako Thinking about Tsubasa/ The Shadow King Watching?:

Mei Showing Up and Breaking the Boundaries of the Book:

          Speaking of the Shadow King. I do not like that Momoko revealed who this Shadow King is immediately in this issue. At least, I think Momoko revealed who this Shadow King is. Sure, we don’t have a name for this guy yet, but I felt like it was too soon to reveal that a person is behind these torments on Hisako. I actually did like the idea for a while that he might be some apparition or some entity that is haunting Hisako, who just has a powerful psychic ability. I don’t necessarily think this decision was bad. I’m still very much into the book. However, I just would have loved to have had this mystery going in the book for a while. I am interested in where Momoko is going with this. I want to know who this guy is and what he was to Tsubasa because he seems pretty close to him. Maybe a brother? Or another friend? We also see a uniform when he was revealed so he’s definitely still a student. So maybe he was just a close classmate of Tsubasa?

Shadow King’s Identity:

          Lastly, I want to talk about Peach Momoko’s art once again. I will keep saying this: I think this book is so worth it to buy monthly just for the art. I love her art so much. I am so glad that she is both writing and drawing this series. I feel like it helps the focus of this book so much. My favorite page from this issue was the reveal of the security guard being a ghostly creature. It reminded me of a movie I’ve watched before, but I just can’t remember the name of it, and it’s been bugging the hell out of me, so if the security guard reveal reminded you of a movie, then please let me know what that is because I have been racking my brain as to what this reminded me of and just can’t remember it at all.

Picture of the Guard/ Favorite Page of the Issue:

          Anyways, thank you for reading my small discussion on this issue. I would love to know what you thought of this book as well as your favorite page or panel from this issue. Also, thank you in advance if you end up giving me the movie I have been trying to think about. Have a good day!