Karnilla Invades Asgardia

 ...my time is at hand!
~  quoted from The Mighty Thor (2012)

From Fear Itself, we lost the Son of Odin to the Serpent. He was burned in a funeral pyre and then...suddenly, Tanarus appeared!

Well, it's all unraveling right now in The Mighty Thor series, part of the Shattered Heroes event. Tanarus is not who we (or they) thought. He's a pawn of Karnilla, the Norn Queen, posing as one of the Crones. She's been using a subtle mix of illusion and sorcery to keep all of the nine realms in confusion. Her plan made them forget Thor existed.

And now, Karnilla's plan is at climax; she's revealed herself and is in the midst of unleashing a goblin army onto the newly risen Asgardia and All-Mother.

Villainous Moments is a column from of The Superheroes List, updated weekly (usually Tuesday). What are the bad guys doing this week? Macabre and unthinkable, grotesque and unbearable; here's your answer! Look for #VillainousMoments on Twitter.

Mjolnir Found: Fury's Big Week 3

~Fury's Big Week #3 (Digital 2012)

As the Avengers Movie goes into the next phase with viral alerts and trailers, Marvel is also accompanying the project with Fury's Big Week, a digital release that ties Marvel superhero prequels of Iron Man 2, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Captain America together.

It's already on its 3rd week; summaries from the previous two issues can be found on the TSL Avengers Movie Fan Page:

Fury's Big Week #3 (Agent Coulson is keeping Tony Stark focused on saving his own life while keeping aware of the atmospheric disturbance occurring over the earth, centering on New Mexico. He gives Fury a briefing and tells him that it may be an Einstein-Rosen Bridge, also known as a wormhole. Fury decides to send him to new Mexico to check it out. Soon later, Stark has a showdown with Hammer Industries tech and the villain known as Whiplash. Only through Black Widow's help is he able to team with War Machine and survive. Once Coulson arrives on sight in the desert, his team locates a crater wherein resides a strange hammer.)

This is a running article which will be updated Mondays on the Superheroes List Blog, The Superheroes List website, and the Spotlight On The Avengers Movie fan page. If you're interested in this movie, keep your eyes open and Check out the List!

Saiko Is Raymond

~Nightwing #6 (2012)

After the first six issues of Nightwing, where Dick Grayson inherits the Haley Circus, the major villain named Saiko has been revealed as Raymond, an associate who was thought to be dead.

One of the more subtle plots, the inheritance of the circus has been a lure, leading Dick into a series of traps which culminates in issue #6: it takes place on a night commemorating The Flying Graysons. From high above the wires, that's when Saiko reveals his true identity.

For those of you following Night of The Owls, there are also some correlations, but you'll want to read Nightwing #1-6 to catch the clues; there's even an indication that Dick could have possibly been inducted into their strange diabolical organization.

Okay, so who is Raymond? That's the real question; everything points to a friendship gone wrong...you think?


Villainous Moments is a column from of The Superheroes List, updated weekly (usually Tuesday). What are the bad guys doing this week? Macabre and unthinkable, grotesque and unbearable; here's your answer! Look for #VillainousMoments on Twitter.

Ghost Rider VIllain #1: Mephisto

And so, dear readers, we are down to the number one most vile and diabolical villain of the Ghost Rider. Let's be fair: who else could it be other than Mephisto, the Lord of the Underworld and ruler of Hell? Technically, he's the devil (or demon) that spurned the Rider saga, captivating Johnny Blaze's imagination and hope by offering him a contract of servitude until the end of days. Heck, most Ghost Rider fans give him credit as the original sin-maker. Read More

The Spirit of Vengeance couldn't have a greater villain than Mephisto, but have you seen the other nine most interesting and powerful villains of the Rider? If not, be sure to check out The Top 10 Villains of Ghost Rider, a countdown sponsored by The Superheroes List. And why? Because if you like comic books and superheroes, you'll love this stuff.

Valentines Day 2012: Date With A Devil

~New Mutants #37 (2012)

Well, if you thought Valentine's Day was lost on superheroes, Marvel pushed New Mutants #37 and brought an extraordinary twist to romance.

The Setup: During the events of Fear Itself, the team went searching for Danielle Moonstar in Hel. Unfortunately, they had no way of getting there; their only recourse was to make a deal with Mephisto for transporation.

And that's how this Valentine's Day issue was born. Mephisto required only one condition in agreement for his services: A date with Magma. For the conclusion of this extremely humorous issue, check it out; page after page is filled with dark humor.

SuperFunnies updates every week (usually Thursday) on The Superheroes List.These are the moments of levity and humor, sometimes utterly ridiculous. You can also look for #SuperFunnies on Twitter.

Dr. Doom and Hulk Means Mad Science

~Incredible Hulk #5 (2012)

Since the arrival of the new issues of The Incredible Hulk, out of the Shattered Heroes event, there's been a question in the minds of comic book readers: How can Banner and Hulk be separate entities?

Well, guess what? It's finally been revealed! In issue #5, it turned out that Dr. Doom, that notorious monarch of Latveria, literally separated the personas.

It's all part of the story. The Hulk is a true barbaric character now, no longer binded by the will that was Banner's. Yet, even though they are separate, we find that something continues to bring them together.

Villainous Moments is a column from of The Superheroes List, updated weekly (usually Tuesday). What are the bad guys doing this week? Macabre and unthinkable, grotesque and unbearable; here's your answer! Look for #VillainousMoments on Twitter.

Ghost Rider VIllain #2: Zadkiel

One of the common themes that qualifies opponents as Ghost Rider villains is their link to evil. Most of his nemeses are, in some way, connected to the lower levels of the underworld and hell. (Reviewing the earlier parts of the list show us characters who were, at least, granted their powers by other denizens of evil.) And yet, where in all of this fantastical, antithetical adventure will we place the agents of heaven? Where do they fit into the hierarchy of the Rider's enemies?

Well...right here, of course. Read More.

Ghost Rider: Heaven's On Fire

One of the best stories in the Ghost Rider Universe, Heaven's on Fire tell Zadkiel's tale, one of a power hungry divine creature that couldn't stand the discretion of his maker. Available as a paperback, the entire plot unfolds in the manner of a hellish thriller.

Collecting all six of the Ghost Rider: Heaven's on Fire issues, this purchase is the summation of Zadkiel's war on Heaven, where he uses a prophecy to enact a radical change of leadership. In these pulse-pounding issues, you'll get it all, Johnny Blake, Danny Ketch, Spirits of Vengeance, Hellspawn, it's all there.

Zadkiel is the #2 villain in The Top 10 Villains of Ghost Rider, a countdown provided by The Superheroes List commemorating the weird kinds of bad guys he had to face. This is what life's like when you're a Spirit of Vengeance. Right? If you like this kind of stuff, come on over and Check out the List!

The Deadpool Fighting Style

~Battle Scars #4 (2012)

Few superheroes would call that a sword block. YOU GO, DEADPOOL!

Want to see what this is all about? Check out Battle Scars, following the mystery behind Marcus Johnson. Everybody wants him dead; he just wants to know why. This story follows in the aftermath of Fear Itself and into the episodes of Shattered Heroes.

SuperFunnies updates every week (usually Thursday) on The Superheroes List.These are the moments of levity and humor, sometimes utterly ridiculous. You can also look for #SuperFunnies on Twitter..

Hell on Earth, Circle of Four

~Venom #13 (2012)

He has been posing as a casino gambler lately, and his human form was known as Mr. Degli, but in this issue of Venom, the truth was uncovered.

Blackheart is back. Calling in hell-bound contracts and capturing super-powered genetic material, he's managed to bring Hell to a small portion of earth. In this panel, he's speaking with dear-old dad: Mephisto. The first blow has been struck as the fight for the netherworld begins anew.

One problem, though, and we are calling them The Circle of Four. Venom, Red Hulk, X-23, and the new Ghost Rider. These individuals have come together and are preparing to face Blackheart head-on.

The Circle of Four story arc started  February 1st, 2012 and will be running every week of the month with Venom #13.1, #13.2, #13.3, and #13.4. It concludes with Venom #14.

Villainous Moments is a column from of The Superheroes List, updated weekly (usually Tuesday). What are the bad guys doing this week? Macabre and unthinkable, grotesque and unbearable; here's your answer! Look for #VillainousMoments on Twitter. And if you like some Ghost Rider trivia, check out The Top 10 Villains of Ghost Rider.

Ghost Rider Villain #3: Blackheart

 

Among the greatest and most vile demons to plague the Ghost Rider, the one he is likely to remember most, only recently crawled from the pits of Hell to push his dark wiles upon the innocents. He also had goals to overthrow his maker and attempted to make his own Spirits of Vengeance, showing a level of cunning and evil that left others in his somber wake. A main villain of the Noble Kale lineage, his name was Blackheart. Read More.


Recommended: Ghost Rider (Extended Cut) [Blu-ray]

In the first Ghost Rider Movie from back in 2009, Blackheart was the main villain and appeared with his "father". Although the name Mephisto was never used, we can ascertain the relationship between the two from the comic books.

Nicholas Cage stars as Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stunt-driver who has made a pact with the lord of Hell. Now, in times when evil is near, he undergoes a stunning transformation; flaming skull, chains of hellfire, he becomes the Ghost Rider. In this origin film, he faces the son of demon controlling him and must cleanse the creature from the earth!

Blackheart is the #3 villain in The Top 10 Villains of Ghost Rider, a countdown provided by The Superheroes List commemorating the weird kinds of bad guys he had to face. This is what life's like when you're a Spirit of Vengeance. Right? If you like this kind of stuff, come on over and Check out the List!

Multiple Counts of Aggrevation

~X-Factor #231

This is James "Jamie" Madrox, and you might know him better under the guise of his codename, Madrox, The Multiple Man. A mutant, his super ability is the creation of duplicates whenever struck by a blow of force. Although it's never been fully explained, these creations must come from somewhere...

And so, Jamie has been having a rough go of it for the last few issues of X-Factor. Perhaps it's a reversal of roles - it hasn't been fully explained yet - but it seems whenever a version of him dies in an alternate universe, he's pulled there and now he appears as the double.

With all that in mind, it's no wonder he's becoming more and more annoying.

SuperFunnies updates every week (usually Thursday) on The Superheroes List.These are the moments of levity and humor, sometimes utterly ridiculous. You can also look for #SuperFunnies on Twitter.

What Happened "Before Watchmen"?

~released cover of Dr. Manhattan in the Before Watchmen event

In light of the fantastic success of The Watchmen 12-issue series (1986) over 25 years ago, DC Comics announced this morning that they will be running prequels for the dark-heroic characters popularized by writer Alan Moore, with art and colors from Dave Gibbons and John Higgens. Titled Before Watchmen, these seven titles start sometime in summer 2012.

The titles as announced will be:

Comedian #1-6, with writer Brian Azzarello and artist J.G. Jones.

Dr. Manhattan #1-4, with writer J. Michael Straczynski and artist Adam Hughes.

Minutemen #1-6, with writer and artist Darwyn Cooke.

Nite Owl #1-4, with Writer J. Michael Straczynski and artists Andy and Joe Kubert.

Ozymandias #1-6, with Writer Len Wein and artist Jae Lee.

Rorschach #1-4, with writer Brian Azzarello and artist, Lee Bermejo.

Silk Spectre #1-4, with writer Darwyn Cooke and artist Amanda Conner.

There will also be a Before Watchmen: Epilogue one-shot released before the others, showing some of the artwork and starting a special side-story called "Curse of The Crimson Corsair".

If you're interested in following the series event, please join us at Before Watchmen Summary Page which will show artwork, checklists, and possibly a reading order (if one is necessary).


Recommended: The Watchmen (2009) Blu-Ray, Director's Cut

If you haven't been introduced to The Watchmen, there is a movie release in Blu-Ray that has the best graphics and is very close to the original 1986 series. This is the Director's Cut, which puts you in the perspective of what was fully intended.

You'll definately need to have read the series or picked up the movie to know what's going on in Before Watchmen.

The extended director's cut restores 24 minutes of connective tissue to the 162-minute film, most significantly the last scene of Hollis Mason, the first Nite Owl. Other elements help restore and fill in details that had been in the graphic novel.

I highly recommend the this Director's Cut version simply because it goes beyond the normal movie and isn't restricted by time constraints. Warning, though, this is movie is rated-R.