Iron Man is GodKiller

SUMMARY PAGE: IRON MAN, PART II, MARVEL NOW!

Click Here: The Marvel NOW! Reading Order

Analysis: The second story arc from Iron Man is the AvX: Godkiller plot. Now Iron Man is out in space; he's had interaction with the Guardians of The Galaxy and he's been exploring. Uniquely, this is also important to the Avengers vs. X-Men story arc, as it has some implications to the disappearance of The Phoenix.

Iron Man #6 (Has no chronological bearing at the time. This placement may be temporary. In Iron Man #5, the story ends that this suit will be built "weeks later". New "space suit" and new "PEPPER" a.i. After fighting and finishing up space pirates, Tony ends up on a ship with the Voldi, an ancient race whose teachings have reached the Kree and Shi'ar. It's his birthday and he tries to hook up with a Voldi princess, but she's disgusted by his hair. As his day gets worse, though, he's attacked by robots. Destroying them, he learns that they are cops and he's under arrest. He turns himself in to find out that they are arresting him for the destruction of "The Void Falcon", which you and I know as "The Phoenix". This issue has multiple banners. It is also part of an event called AvX Aftermath.) 
Iron Man #7 (Continues from Iron Man #6 after a short period. Tony is now a prisoner of the Voldi and has been called on to answer for crimes against their people and their god, which turns out to be the Phoenix Force. The issue is built a lot like a Star Wars movie, but ultimately the robot, or droid, supplying him with drinks reveals itself to be Recorder 451, a Rigellian creation unique to its kind because of a programming malfunction. Explaining it's origin, it tells Tony of a play to invoke Shay-Tah Run, a Voldi rite of combat. In Star Trek-like Captain Kirk fashion, Tony issues the challenge during his trial and ends up in an arena like a pit fighter. Fortunately for him, the Voldi suck at fighting; Tony beats them all up. At the same time, the Recorder is searching for Tony's armor, getting closer by the moment. But as Tony tires, the goal is for him to stay alive long enough for this plot to work. Getting worried, though, the Voldi Supreme Justicar begins to consider that Stark's success in combat may cause a problem. Her advisor comes up with a solution, and on the last page Tony meets his final opponent, Death's Head the Bounty Hunter.)
Iron Man #8 (Continues immediately from Iron Man #7. Death's Head begins attacking and all Tony can do is run. Elsewhere, Recorder 451 reaches the Iron Man armor and convinces the Pepper AI to rescue him. In the meantime, he steals the Voldi "Heart", a very special device. Back at the arena, Tony is saved as a moments notice when his armor flies in, knocking Death's Head away. He suits up and rockets back to his mobile armory. While gearing up, Pepper tells him something bad is happening back at the Voldi base. It the Celestials: they are now destroying the ancient race. Before Iron Man can turn and help them, Recorder 451 displays his image saying that they heart was a device they used to siphon power off The Celestials. Once he removed it, The Celestials killed them like a tick. It turns out all this was Recorder's idea: to lure Stark to The Voldi and use him as a distraction while he stole The Heart. Thanking Iron Man, he disappears.)

This is a Story Arc Summary Page provided by The Superheroes List. If you're just arriving, Marvel NOW! is a reformation of the Marvel Comics Publishing Group, reinventing and revitalizing their great superheroes and villains to the latest era. Are you interested in what's happening with Marvel NOW!? Well you're not alone. You can find the Reading Order and more information at The Marvel NOW! Reading Order. Twitter #MarvelNOW

The Guardians Of The Galaxy In The Wake Of War

SUMMARY PAGE: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, MARVEL NOW!

Click Here: The Marvel NOW! Reading Order

Analysis: Ever since the announcements and speculation of the 2012 Avengers movie, The Guardians of the Galaxy have been gaining in popularity. These aren't the Guardians of the 70's, they've been rebuilt in the last decade with Starlord, Rocket Raccon, Drax, Groot, and Gamora. Also integral to the silver screen and the Marvel NOW! reformation is Iron Man's appearance in space. He's going to play a part of their adventures as you'll soon see.

Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 (An origin issue of sorts, it delves 30 years back when J'Son of Spartax acccidentally lands on earth in a rural setting, meeting Meredith. She nurses him to health, but they also fall in love. Before he leaves, he gives her a special weapon designed only for him. The issue then moves to the younger years of Peter Quill, the child of Meredith and J'Son who never got to meet his father. His days growing up are tense, finally exploding on the night two brood soldiers kill his mother, invading his house. He manages to pull a shotgun and kill them first. In the tussle, he also finds the special gun his father left behind long ago. The issue ultimately closes with an adult Peter Quill, relaying his story to none other than Tony Stark, Iron Man, while on the Guardians ship. Iron Man then says "he's in" and prepares to join them in their fight.)
Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (It's clear Iron Man has met with Peter, so this occurs after Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 and the recent Iron Man issues. Peter's dad, King of the Spartax Planetary system, warns him that Earth is now off limits to all others. The story then breaks to Iron Man, once out in space, who runs into a Badoon Phalanx and is targeted. While fighting, the Guardians come to his aid. But as ferocious as the Badoon are, they realize they are beaten and explode their ship. From the wreckage, they can see another ship heading towards earth. At the end, Peter suspects that his father knew this was going to happen; we see London under attack.)
Guardians of the Galaxy #2 (Continues immediately from the previous issue. Starlord and his team, with Iron Man joining them, go into action against the Badoon invasion of London. They attempt to radio for help, but all communications are blocked. One by one, each of the Badoon ships are taken out until the team stands alone with few wounds. Suddenly, Spartax forces appear and order Peter and the rest to drop their weapons for violating the Earth Directive of non-interaction with the planet. Throughout the issue, there is also a meeting of the galaxy's leader's, including the All-Mother of Asgardia, who warns the rest that they should not attack the planet because it is under her protection. The King of Spartax uses this threat as a means to set up the Directive.) 

This is a Story Arc Summary Page provided by The Superheroes List. If you're just arriving, Marvel NOW! is a reformation of the Marvel Comics Publishing Group, reinventing and revitalizing their great superheroes and villains to the latest era. Are you interested in what's happening with Marvel NOW!? Well you're not alone. You can find the Reading Order and more information at The Marvel NOW! Reading Order. Twitter #MarvelNOW

"Believe" in Iron Man NOW!

SUMMARY PAGE: IRON MAN, PART I, MARVEL NOW!

Click Here: The Marvel NOW! Reading Order

Analysis: The key item of import with Tony Stark is his latest look. After you read the Avengers Assemble, title, you will notice Iron Man is still wearing the Red-and-Gold. In Iron Man #1, however, he's adorned in his new look: Black-and-Gold. In addition, the premise behind this character, the biggest change, is that he's dropped his liquid metal tech and decided to use modular armor parts that can be swapped in and out, depending on the mission. Additionally, it's also important to note that all this falls on the heals of the Iron Man movie trilogy and the Avengers (2012) movie; so a lot of the development will be hinting at things we might see on the screen.

Right: The new Iron Man look, from Iron Man #1 (2012).

Iron Man #1 (The only chronological item of note is that Iron Man is now using his Black and Gold armor. This puts this title after "Avengers Assemble". After leaving Resilient, Tony Stark is brought into a plot that involves the Extremis technology when it's inventor is killed, but not before leaving him a message. He infiltrates a prototype show by AIM, and now knows the organization is responsible for his friend's death. After a short battle, he captures and interrogates the AIM representative and learns that there are still four Extremis prototypes still out there. He promises to capture and get rid of their tech by the end of the issue.)
Iron Man #2 (Continues from Iron Man #1, without any chronological markers. Starting with the induction of a new character, Alex Draguno, to an organization called "The Circle", the story then moves to Tony Stark building a new A.I. for his "Armory". It's designed to be a mobile base that moves with Iron Man, able to fit him quickly with new, adaptive modules. In a joust-stylized contest, Tony heads to Symkaria, where he accepts a challenge and faces their knights. The prize is the return of his extremis tech, but before either side wins, he blows it up and leaves. Ms. Draguno, however, seems happy with her results.)
Iron Man #3 (Continues from Iron Man #2, without chronological markers. Tony continues his quest to remove the extremis tech and finds another buyer, a drug lord with lots of money. When he arrives at the villain's compound, he faces Living Laser, Firebrand, and Vibro, set to guard the tech. As Iron Man, he locates his target, but then finds out that the drug lord's daughter is dying and it is being used to heal her. Instead of destroying it, he applies an advanced process, healing her, but then has the dealer arrested.)
Iron Man #4 (Continues from Iron Man #3, with no other chronological markers. Tony locates the next series of extremis techs, leading him to catacombs in Paris. There, he finds a conglomeration of science and superstitions, creating thirteen quasi-extremis-demons from females. Using a highly weaponized version of his armor, Tony begins killing all of the murderous creatures, but one; this particular being appears docile. But at the end of the issue we realize she, or it, is pregnant.)
Iron Man #5 (Continues from Iron Man #4, with no other markers. He's been hesitating to go after the last location of the extremis tech, but Tony heads up into orbit on a space satellite where an old friend "Eli" is harboring it. After some verbal threats, he lets Tony inside and shows him how he's stolen everything, upgraded himself, and is modifying it to make "spacemen" that can habitat any planet. Tony says he'll have to get rid of it, and they fire lasers on him. It does no good, and he blasts all the extremis away.He leaves, and in the final pages of the issue, he completely modifies his suit and has a new look, including a new A.I. called PEPPER.)

This is a Story Arc Summary Page provided by The Superheroes List. If you're just arriving, Marvel NOW! is a reformation of the Marvel Comics Publishing Group, reinventing and revitalizing their great superheroes and villains to the latest era. Are you interested in what's happening with Marvel NOW!? Well you're not alone. You can find the Reading Order and more information at The Marvel NOW! Reading Order. Twitter #MarvelNOW

The Invincible Iron Man: Armor vs. Armor

PREPARE FOR BATTLE!

Choose The Best Iron Man Suit

~A small sample of the Iron Man suits. Excerpt from Iron Man #255 (1987).

Well, there's only a month left before everyone on the block will be racing to see the Iron Man 3 movie. It releases May 3rd in the United States and there have been lots of good hype and teasers. To get in the spirit of Tony Stark and his infamous tin can extravaganza, let's talk about Armor!

Which Armor do you like the most? Is it his traditional Crimson and Gold dress, some variation, or one of the radical styles that we've seen throughout the decades. It's been 50 years since that grey bucket of bolts walked forth and he never looked back since.

Are you ready? Head Over Here And Vote! This is a poll with nothing technical but your comic book expertise and know-how. You can be as detailed or as "obvious" as you like. Tell everyone which armor you like above the rest. Who knows, maybe Marvel will get the hint.

The Invincible Iron Man: Armor vs. Armor is a Prepare For Battle feature provided by The Superheroes List . This is quarterly submission where you get to vote, comment, or upgrade the article with your own submission. It never stays the same once you've participated.

The AvX Aftermath Reading Order

EVENT: AVX AFTERMATH

You Thought The Phoenix Wouldn't Bother You Anymore

Perhaps you're a little confused.


Began: February 6th, 2013
Ended: April 2013

Were you a fan of AvX Consequences? Were you fooled into thinking Marvel NOW! was the conclusion of the Avengers vs. X-Men event?

Maybe you were, and righty so. But guess what? It's not over. Not entirely. Marvel Comics introduced a brand new story arc called AvX Aftermath. And as you can guess, there's going to be some fallout.

What is AvX Aftermath? According to Marvel Comics it's just a Story Arc that involved Iron Man during his adventures into space. Basically, that ended up being the case with the exception that it puts Tony right in the purview of the Guardians of The Galaxy. Either way, that's why you're here; you want to follow along.

You've landed on a Summary Page and Reading Order for the AvX Aftermath event. It has been updated with every release, as news and information came out. The overall goal now is to give you as much insight as you need.


What You Will Need To Know
Precursory and Necessary Knowledge

Picture: This is the only known logo currently on file for AvX Aftermath. "The Godkiller" may be Iron Man specific or systemic throughout the event.

AvX Aftermath, as it stands right now, is a single-title story arc surrounding Iron Man, Tony Stark. It never turned into a crossover event; none of the other Avengers are X-Men were involved. What it did do was show some celestial background of the Phoenix from the perspective of other aliens. In turn, it also placed Iron Man in space, near enough so that the Guardians of the Galaxy could bring him onboard for their adventures.

To understand this story better, you should follow the Avengers vs. X-Men event. In it, a cosmic entity known as The Phoenix is on a course towards earth. The Avengers believe it will destroy the world; the X-Men believe it will change and perhaps revive the mutant race. This clash of idealogies pits both supergroups against each other as the creatures looms closer and closer.

---

The AvX Aftermath Reading List
The Basic Organization of Issues

Final Update: 04/17/2013

Chapter 1: The Godkiller
001 Iron Man #6
002 Iron Man #7
003 Iron Man #8<--Released: 04/17/2013. This is a single title Story Arc.

Update Notes
Last Submission: 04/18/2013

The Reading Order is now final.

04/17/2013: Implemented the latest issue. This finishes the Story Arc, putting Iron Man out in Space.
03/07/2013: It's understood that AvXAftermath: Godkiller is a 3-part story arc. This page, however, will be used as a backup if Marvel decides to create any further story arcs that use the AvX Aftermath synopsis. This week's release has been added.

02/15/2013: As explained by my friend Slappypyne, Marvel expects Iron Man to be the only title associated with the AvXAftermath banner. This page will likely be classified as nothing more than a Story Arc. If, however, they decide to add more in the future, we'll be ready!
02/11/2013: Started this Summary Page and Reading Order for AvX Aftermath. This is almost NO information on the event, so it's going to take lots of prying to get Marvel to tell us what they know.

.
The Listing Summaries
Includes Spoilers - So Beware!

Chapter 1: Godkiller

001 Iron Man #6 (The Beginning of The Godkiller story arc. Tony Stark has now decided to head into space and seek adventure in the stars. Leading him into a battle with Space Pirates and Cosmic Terrorists, he emerges victorious, coming into contact with an ancient race known as the Voldi on his birthday. Little is know about them except that they've had there hands in moving many of the other races, including the Kree and Shi'ar, along in their technologies. Tony becomes entranced with a Voldi Princess, and tries some of his charm, but is rebuffed when she sees he has "disgusting" hair on his face. Feeling neglected, he's surprised by an assault of robotic forces. Destroying them, one of the A.I.s tell him he's a wanted criminal for "Deicide". Tony turns himself in and finds out that The Phoenix, also know to the Voldi as The Void Falcon is their god. And he is guilty for its murder.

002 Iron Man #7 (Continues from Iron Man #6 after a short period. Tony is now a prisoner of the Voldi and has been called on to answer for crimes against their people and their god, which turns out to be the Phoenix Force. The issue is built a lot like a Star Wars movie, but ultimately the robot, or droid, supplying him with drinks reveals itself to be Recorder 451, a Rigellian creation unique to its kind because of a programming malfunction. Explaining it's origin, it tells Tony of a play to invoke Shay-Tah Run, a Voldi rite of combat. In Star Trek-like Captain Kirk fashion, Tony issues the challenge during his trial and ends up in an arena like a pit fighter. Fortunately for him, the Voldi suck at fighting; Tony beats them all up. At the same time, the Recorder is searching for Tony's armor, getting closer by the moment. But as Tony tires, the goal is for him to stay alive long enough for this plot to work. Getting worried, though, the Voldi Supreme Justicar begins to consider that Stark's success in combat may cause a problem. Her advisor comes up with a solution, and on the last page Tony meets his final opponent, Death's Head the Bounty Hunter.)
003 Iron Man #8 (Continues immediately from Iron Man #7. Death's Head begins attacking and all Tony can do is run. Elsewhere, Recorder 451 reaches the Iron Man armor and convinces the Pepper AI to rescue him. In the meantime, he steals the Voldi "Heart", a very special device. Back at the arena, Tony is saved as a moments notice when his armor flies in, knocking Death's Head away. He suits up and rockets back to his mobile armory. While gearing up, Pepper tells him something bad is happening back at the Voldi base. It the Celestials: they are now destroying the ancient race. Before Iron Man can turn and help them, Recorder 451 displays his image saying that they heart was a device they used to siphon power off The Celestials. Once he removed it, The Celestials killed them like a tick. It turns out all this was Recorder's idea: to lure Stark to The Voldi and use him as a distraction while he stole The Heart. Thanking Iron Man, he disappears.)




Release List
What We Know, What To Expect

Either it's been tight-lipped, Marvel doesn't know, or it "somehow" slipped under the radar. In this section, any related titles listed alphabetically. Titles in bold mean they are already out.

Iron Man #6
Iron Man #7
Iron Man #8


Need AvX?
If You Don't Have It, Get It!

Collecting Avengers vs. X-Men 0-12, Point One (AVX story), AVX: VS 1-6, Avengers vs. X-Men: Infinite 1, 6, 10. Each collection includes a code for a free digital copy available exclusively through the Marvel Comics App!

The Complete AvX Catalog (Amazon)

Premise: The Phoenix, a cosmic entity capable of destroying worlds, is heading towards earth. No one knows why, but the Avengers believe it will be a World-killer event. Over on the other side of the continent, however, Scott Summers aka Cyclops believes this may herald a new era for mutantkind. No one really knows, but standing in this middle of this clash are The Scarlet Witch, newly arrived on the scene after being thought dead, and Hope Summers aka The Mutant Messiah. These two ladies are about to enact a prophecy. The question is, will it be for good or ill?

Your Comments
Insight, Info, and Idealogies Welcome

Thanks for reading! This Summary Page is meant to organize information surrounding The AvX Aftermath event. (That's Avengers vs. X-Men: Aftermath, just to be clear.) If you see anything of importance, find a news article, or would like to chime in, you're insights are valuable. Please drop a message from what you've seen or heard. Just remember to be courteous.

Tony Stark vs. Stephen Strange vs. Reed Richards

VILLAINOUS MOMENTS

The Illuminati Has A Territorial Dispute

~Dark Avengers #184 (2013)

In what appears to be a war of the New Avengers Illuminati, Doctor Strange, Reed Richards, Tony Stark and possibly others, have separated New York and the region into territories and are attempting to destroy their opponents.

Dark Avengers #184 has it all. And it's part of the Marvel NOW! revolution. Moonstone, Skaar, and the other criminals-posing-as-heroes have fallen into an alternate universe where the good guys aren't so good anymore.

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.

Tony Stark Has One Problem: Pryde!

SUPERFUNNIES

Re: A "Minus" X!

~Iron Man and Kitty Pryde, from A+X #2 (2013)

After inviting Kitty Pryde to Stark Resilient and offering her a job, Tony Stark, the one-time Invincible Iron Man, had to quickly send her off.

In the recent release of A+X, a new edition from the Marvel NOW! event, the team consisting of Peter David and Mike Del Mundo bring you a skit with the golden avenger and an unlikely mutant, Kitty Pryde of the X-Men. Now one of the Headmasters of The Jean Grey School For Higher Learning, Stark sees potential PR in Kitty and brings her to his headquarters to offer her a position.

And of course, it doesn't work out.

Are heroes and villains smart? Naw. #SuperFunnies updates every week (usually Thursday) on The Superheroes List. Here are the bloopers, flip-flops, and all-together moments of levity during exchanges of humor and snapshots of utterly ridiculous decisions in comic books.

Tony Stark, Billionaire Inventor, Wanted

THE TOP 10 GREATEST SUPERHERO INVENTORS

SUPERHERO INVENTOR #1

Who is Tony Stark? Well if you've been hiding under a rock, you're forgiven. He's "Big Business", a Corporate Welfare Mogul who has lost, bought, and resold his holdings multiple times over. And - no wonder - he's Iron Man, the Crimson Avenger loaded down with all the latest and greatest technological gizmos of our era. Surely many of you are sickened by this inventor who owes everything he has to the middle class.

Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Resilent, Inc., is without a doubt the most treacherous hero and inventor the country has ever had to recognize during labor day. Everyone nowadays points to him as the Rich 1% and as President Obama later claimed, he was talking about Tony when he said, "You Didn't Build That!"

Remember all those years of Iron Man figurines, DVD movies, and comic books? Well don't be surprised: Stark was receiving royalties from every one of them. (Speaking of which, I'm required by law to inform you of the Amazon Iron Man Catalog featuring the IM Combo Pack w/ Digital Release. All rights reserved by T. Stark). While you were entertaining yourself with the stories of his adventures and pursuits, he was exploiting your hard labor.

So just remember, friends and countrymen, as Labor Day comes and goes, some among us are heroes of the people, but some heroes are not heroes at all. Did they get here by their own efforts? Surely not!

The Top 10 Greatest Superhero Inventors is a Countdown sponsored by The Superheroes List, giving you a look at some of the most brilliant minds, working their way with gadgets and innovations. It's also a satirical (hopefully humorous) tribute to the 2012 coming of Labor Day. If you like this kind of thing, head on over and check it out!

The Immortal Iron Fist Explains Kung Fu

SUPERFUNNIES

"It's All In The Hips!" Says Fist

~Wolverine and The X-Men  #15 (2012)

The Iron Fist, after years of serving side by side with Iron Man and the Avengers, attempts to provide Tony Stark with a detailed quantification of Kung Fu power.

This amusing debate takes place between Abigail Brand, Iron Man, and Danny Rand, The Immortal Iron Fist. In the stunning rounds of the Avengers vs. X-Men event, by some mystical reasoning, the power of the Iron Fist is capable of stopping - or rebuffing - the Phoenix entity.

Now the technological experience of Hank McCoy and Tony Stark are in play; working a strategy, they intend to use the mystical martial arts energy as part of their defense.

Okay then. So how does Kung Fu power work?

Are heroes and villains smart? Naw. #SuperFunnies updates every week (usually Thursday) on The Superheroes List. Here are the bloopers, flip-flops, and all-together moments of levity during exchanges of humor and snapshots of utterly ridiculous decisions in comic books.

Tony Stark vs. The Mandarin

~Invincible Iron Man #520 (2012)

Having been bested by Mandarin at every turn, Tony Stark contacts his evil nemesis to work out a deal.

Since the beginning of the Shattered Heroes event, Mandarin has been harassing Stark at every turn. It's obvious that taking Iron Man down is not enough. Lawsuits, government sanctions on the Iron Man armor; Tony throws in the towel and walks away from Stark Resilient in Invincible Iron Man #520.

How does a modern-era mastermind handle one of the world's smartest men? Two words: Remote control.

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.

The Avengers Movie Review

Somewhere out there, other worlds exist. And they have no intention of being friendly, especially when a power-hungry demigod Asgardian is looking for some payback. In a nutshell, this is the villainy you're going to see in the May 4th, 2012 release of the movie, The Avengers. I had the privilege of viewing an early release: It had everything you'd expect. And more. If you're a fan of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, you're going to get your money's worth; and if you've never heard of Thor, Iron Man, or any of the rest of these legendary heroes, you'll in for an action-packed story.

Let's get to the meat, though. Here's the important notes.

The Plot: Loki, Thor's brother, has made a pact with an alien race to invade the planet Earth. To get them across the cosmos, he steals the Cosmic Cube, called the Tesseract. Fearing for the planet's safety, Nick Fury calls in Earth's Mightiest Heroes and forms The Avengers, who work together with difficulty, but eventually mesh together to fight for their survival.

First off, the characters. Most were top-notch, but I felt a couple of them were weak. At this point, I can now say that nobody plays Tony Stark better than Robert Downey Jr.; the two were made for each other. And Samuel L. Jackson actually was the inspiration for this version of Nick Fury, so we needed to look no further. Chris Hemsworth as Thor: perfect. I was also surprised how great Mark Ruffelo did as a burdened Bruce Banner; he came across perfect, had clever quips, and probably to the rest of us, became the most scrutinized actor because he only recently got the part after we learned Edward Norton was not asked to fill the role. Overall, we had reasonable expectations from them due to their appearances in all the prequel movies.

My disappointments came from some of the character designs and writing. Nick Fury: in my book, he's a no holds barred son of a gun. He plays with the big dogs; on the battlefield, he's as ruthless as The Punisher. I didn't see that, unfortunately. Captain America was mediocre to my liking. I'm a big Cap fan and didn't like the costume that much; he looked stiff and kinda thin. (I do realize that the Cap uniform is a tricky, though.) What redeemed the super-soldier was near the end when he started taking aliens down, barking orders, and coordinating the Avengers counter-attack. That's my guy!

Black Widow and Hawkeye were never billed as main draws to the movie; I felt they played well in the mostly supporting positions. I knew Scarlett  Johansson was going to have short hair, but I made amends. She played Black Widow well and the scene were she beat up a russian mob boss and his flunkies while tied to a chair was brilliant. Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) was interesting to me; I wasn't sure how they were going to pull off an archer superhero in a real life movie. Thumbs up, though; he was actually quite good and I loved how he could set his quiver for specialty arrowheads at a moment's notice.

The Action was great: If you ever want to make a successful superhero movie, add aliens or robots; something you can beat up on, which doesn't make you look like a killer. That's what happened here as Loki allied himself with the Chitauri to invade earth. This movie ran almost two and a half hours; although the first hour was slower paced, it seamlessly lead into a much more frenzied last half. Many of the battles were actually disputes between the heroes. The best solo fights in my opinion were Thor vs. Iron Man and Hulk vs. Thor; they really threw down. (No, I mean threw down through buildings, trees, battleship hulls, etc.)

The CGI and Special Effects were excellent. Hulk stole the show, not just with the renditions of the monster, but the writer's portrayal. In the beginning, he was surprisingly psycho-scarey, but by the end, you're laughing at the behemoth's aggressive nature. In all the cases, it worked. Superb.

My only problem, what surprised me the most, was the size of the handguns. I'm thinking Fury and Black Widow would be packing some sizeable heat; instead they were firing off pea-shooters that produce little "bang". I'm not sure why it was decided that they carry very small firearms, but that's how it ended up.
Tied into all this, you had the background and scenery, which I thought was a little dull at times. Much of the film took place on the SHIELD heli-carrier, a floating "city" where they ran their operations; this put us in grey and battleship steel sequences, aircraft cockpits and flight decks. But don't fret; the last half of the movie, aliens are destroying Manhattan, and you can never go wrong when New Yorkers are fleeing for their lives.

Overall, this movie was a success. I though it was going to be difficult to pull off a plot with this many superheroes; there's always a lot that gets left on the cutting room floor when you have a huge cast like this. In my opinion, it was better than any in the X-Men trilogy. There was a great deal of action, and even great moments of humor (sometimes very unexpected, like when Loki calls Hulk a stupid monster and gets throw back and forth before he can finish his sentence. That was incredible.) If you really want an experience, go for the 3D; it adds to the dimensional, sci-fi content because the special effects were great.

Last Note: Stay for the Easter Egg. Most Marvel flicks have a brief scene at the end; The Avengers followed the same pattern and you'll see a surprising character between the credit rolls. And yes, this means more Avengers to come!

This review is a supplement from the Superheroes List Blog, The Superheroes List website, and the Spotlight On The Avengers Movie fan page. If you enjoyed this movie or have another opinion, please feel free to chime in and Check out The List!

Iron Man vs. Magneto and More

 ~AVX Versus #1 (2012)

This week we all received a close-up, detailed look at some of the major battles occurring on Utopia during the Avengers vs. X-Men battle. Those of note were Iron Man vs. Magneto, The Thing vs. Namor, and Red Hulk vs. Colossus. Meanwhile, above Earth, Beast is leading other Avengers in an effort to route The Phoenix Force before it can get closer.

In AVX Versus #1, an incredible force of display showed us that Iron Man was fully capable of taking on the Master of Magnetism. Supplied with a non-metal version of his suit, he managed to take Magneto out. Underneath the waves, Ben Grimm faced Namor in what was expected to be a decisive victory for the Atlantean, but surprisingly ended in his defeat.

Uncanny X- Men #11 focuses primarily on Red Hulk vs. Colossus. Once again, the battle led to an underwater front where the scarlet behemoth managed to best the newly, Juggernaut-enhanced mutant. In the same issue, Hope has decided to flee the battlefield after speaking with "Unit".

New Avengers #25 threw a curveball at everyone with a historical account and prophecy of The Phoenix Force. It's clear that The Immortal Iron Fist will be instrumental in dealing with Hope and her powers in the near future.

Secret Avengers #26 took us into space where The Beast, Thor, and others tried to route The Phoenix Force, but failed. Beast is attempting to use an invention he made that might contain it. So far, no luck; fortunately for them, the monstrous energy turned to Hala, home of the Kree, after those aliens coaxed it and somehow resurrected Captain Marvel. The latest concern now is what he, Mrs. Marvel, and The Protector intend to do; there's a huge implication that they will attempt to backstab The Avengers for an unknown reason!

Overall, the entire event is in full battle mode. There's now two more plots to uncover: whatever the Kree are doing and Iron Fist's role.

This Week In Comics is a series of articles that will update on Monday on the Superheroes List Blog, and The Superheroes List website. This is the Avengers Vs. X-Men edition: if you're interested in this event, keep your eyes open and Check out the List! #TWIC

Avenger #2: Iron Man

~Cover of Iron Man #2 (2008)

Intro: We can rebuild him. Stronger. Faster.Better. We have the technology...


No wait. That's the wrong guy! But in all seriousness, Iron Man is by far worth more than millions if you consider the level of technological ingenuity and power built into the nanotech and circuitry Tony Stark devised to save his own life.

Originally born to us in Tales of Suspense #39 (1963), Stark was a playboy millionaire and inventor caught in a terrible hostage situation which ended up nearly killing him. In an explosion, pieces of shrapnel became embedded near his heart: a mortal wound. To save himself, he contrived a metal suit that kept his heart beating. From that day forward, this device and the weaponry additions turned him into The Invincible Iron Man.

Iron Man, like many of those on this list, is also a founding member of The Avengers; at the time, he was a bulky shell often nicknamed "The Golden Avenger". Together with Hank Pym, they created most of the technical advances, including the Quinjet, the official Avenger's transport, and security defenses.

While the Avengers have had multiple leaders, Tony Stark and his suit are often seen fulfilling the role. It is not atypical for him to be running the group at any time. And over the decades, he has managed to rebuild his heart and integrate his tech into his body.

The Top 10 Greatest Avengers is a countdown list provided by The Superheroes List. This is an event coinciding with the release of the 2012 Avengers Movie premiering May 4th. If you're big with Avengers trivia or superheroes, then Check out this List!

Avengers #4: Jarvis The Butler

~Mighty Avengers #21 (2009)

The panel above speaks the truth; one amazing constant that has endured longer than any other Avenger - a source of inspiration, as well as cleanliness and good house-keeping - is none other than Edwin Jarvis the Butler, who was first recognized in Tales of Suspense #59 (1964) by Captain America, and first appeared with the group in Avengers #16. (It was a rather dubious introduction, though; Hawkeye tied him up to prove he was worthy Avengers material.)


From a proper British background, Edwin Jarvis has no real special powers; what we know is that he is an experienced airman and former member of Her Majesty's Royal Air Force, meaning he likely has some combat under his wings. All that aside, his true contribution to the team has been his service to the Stark family, having been Howard Stark's butler, and then Tony's. Since the 1960's, what becomes apparent is that he keeps the team morally founded while also fixing personality conflicts.

And so, ironically, what puts Jarvis in this position are words from fellow Avengers. Captain America has stated that this gentlemen will forever stand as one of the team; Hercules and others have supported it with equally dedicated notions, furthering that without him, The Avengers wouldn't last.

The Top 10 Greatest Avengers is a countdown list provided by The Superheroes List. This is an event coinciding with the release of the 2012 Avengers Movie premiering May 4th. If you're big with Avengers trivia or superheroes, then Check out this List!

We've Found Steve Rogers

Fury's Big Week #8 (Agent Phil Coulson is wandering through SHIELD headquarters and runs into Nick Fury with some groundbreaking news; they've found the body of Steve Rogers! Apparently, he's alive and in suspended animation. All this suspense mounts in the backdrop of Stark's power source, the Asgardian wormhole event, and Banner's DNA. Hawkeye arrives at Project PEGASUS and meets Dr. Selvig; who Fury says has been acting strange. They exchange some words and we learn he is truly Loki, Thor's half-brother, in disguise.)

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!

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!