Daron buddy, Ben Morse wrote to us again. He really must miss us.
I’m sure he does…you know you can only take goofing off in offices of Wizard Magazine for so long. I bet, Ben will quit Wizard and come running back to us by the end of the year. Any takers?
(note: The above is a joke. Please don’t send emails asking how much I want to bet.)
Ready to start bud?
Sure…I got nothing better to do.
Julian emails
I usually write Mathan, but I have a Marvel question this time around. I don’t have to identify at any lyrics, do I? Anyhow…
What has happened to Juggernaut?
When I last read X-Men and he was friend with that fish-faced boy, he seemed really weak. His strength was seemingly diminished and he just wasn’t getting the job done anymore. Also, this Juggernaut was ‘good’. But in Identity Disk, there was the ‘bad’ one (I flipped thru it at the shop). Are there 2 Juggernauts?
Your help is appreciated!
This one is hard to explain. We can blame bad continuity on it. We can blame bad editors. We can blame just forgetful writers.
I’ll just say if you noticed in Austin’s last arc he wore gray when he joined the Brotherhoods side. He wore the classic outfit while on X-Men side. In Identity Disc he was evil and wore gray. Now it makes me wonder if there’s theory behind two Juggernauts or as I said bad editing and continuity. That would be weird though. Maybe though Identity Disc happened after he got sucked in Xorn’s head and he joined that team evil. I’d love to explain this better but it was someone making a big mistake.
Now I didn’t read Identity Disc so I don’t know if he was named or not, but I’m pretty sure there was a story in X-Men while Juggs was bad that did deal with a second Juggernaut. If I’m remembering correctly he came along and kicked Cain’s ass because unlike Cain, this new Juggs was at full power. Anyone else remember that? – The Overlord
Ben Morse emails again this week.
Actually it was later revealed in Avengers Forever that “Kang” was Immortus in disguise and that “Mantis,” as well as all the other villains being employed by “Kang” (including the ones resembling the children of The Vision and The Scarket Witch) were Space Phantoms under Immortus’ control.
Thanks again Ben for clearing that up. I should’ve done that myself.
Dave emails
This week it was mentioned that in the AoA that the Absorbing Man was one of the non-mutant powered people used by Apocalypse. Now I know it was true as I read the issue, but my question is why he was even there to begin with. In the mainstream reality, Crusher Creel was powered by Loki to become a foe for Thor. In this reality, there was no Thor (in Asgardian form anyway), and presumably no Loki either (probably still a tree). So where on earth did Crusher Creel get the power to become the Absorbing Man? Or is this one of those “it’s an alternate reality, don’t question the fact that it makes no sense” type of deals that we see so often with Exiles and What If?
I have a feeling Crusher got the Absorbing Man ability thanks to the Terrgin Mist which created the Inhumans. It would explain his powers as well as the others working for Maximus. Since Maximus controlled the Mist he can give power to normal humans as well.
Graham emails
When I inquired as the whereabouts/history of Captain American’s original shield (the one replaced by the photon one), you said:
“He got his original back in issue 20, but it was broken. Klaw repaired it in Cap #22.”
(of series #3)
My follow-up questions are:
1) Wasn’t it made of some combination of Adamantium/Vibranium (indestructible AND impact absorption), and therefore virtually indestructible? How did it get damaged at the bottom of the ocean?
What I think happened was when it went into ocean and all it likely corroded and started to break apart. It also likely hit the ocean floor.
Oh Jim, you can do better than that. I’m sure it was more than that. I can’t remember it exactly, but I do remember that it was damaged somehow and not corroded. If anyone has the issues around write in and let us know how exactly Cap’s shield got jacked up. – The Overlord
2) How does Klaw, master of sound, repair it (and why)?
I remember that it took the residue power of the Beyonder/Dr.Doom struggle (during the original Secret Wars limited series) to allow Captain America to “will” his shield back together . How could Klaw do something that the power of a(n) (almost) god took to do?
Let’s just also say Beyonder left in a flaw in Cap’s shield. A sub molecular fault, which would ultimately allow it to be smashed to small pieces as it, hit the ocean floor. These pieces were reassembled, and used to absorb the supra-vibratory energy of Klaw, resulting in the re-fusing of the shield
PS: Also note Cap originally got a photonic Shield from Sharon Carter in the Man Without a Country story arc.
Jag emails
Hey Jim
I have a question that has bugged me for awhile. I’ve always wondered what comic book artists or writers earn in terms of wages for their efforts. What are standard salaries and how do they get paid? I remember once reading in Wizard about something called a “page rate”. Also, I never heard about exclusive contracts of writers and artists till recently…when did this start happening?
The exclusive deals came about in the past 2-3 years I think. It’s only for the better known writers and artist though.
As for salaries I’m not a big expert on how much these guys make but you are right it’s on page count and also number of years you’ve been doing it and the like. Starting job would make less then a seasoned pro and all.
Most writer and artists do get paid a page rate. That rate can fluctuate greatly from company to company and again based on each individual creator. The creator’s also usually get residuals for things like Trade Paperbacks, and often they get bonuses when their books sell over an estimated amount. It would be hard to pin down an exact number because of all this variation. I hope this helped some. – The Overlord
In addition, do comic personalities get to make their own contracts? People like Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, Byrne, Moore and Miller have helped build the industry and their names alone can sell books and I imagine they get paid pretty well because of it. Also, does an artist or writer get paid better for being on a marquee book like Batman, X-Men Spiderman or Superman or is it more based on how many books you sell, like Identity Crisis, which does huge numbers and garners mainstream attention?
Yes they help make their own contracts. It’s a factor of having agents, this helps to make sure they get paid fairly.
Also I’d say you can get added incentives for titles based on how a book sells. It’s like a sports player’s deal. Incentive clauses that give you more money for sales.
I don’t think they get paid more for doing titles like X-Men vs Thor (though they might…) but the incentives would be higher since X-Men sells quite a bit more. – The Overlord
Sorry for the long email but I’ve always been curious the business of comic books, especially between creators and the companies.
It’s ok. But I’m not an expert. Hell I just hope I got it half right. You’d have to ask someone who knows this better. Find the piece in Wizard and read it closer. They would cover this right. Now I’m helping plug Ben’s magazine.
Rob emails
Hey, Jim. Great weekly article thing.
What – the hell – is Doop? Supposedly, he’s one of the most powerful… things… in the Marvel Univers. Where’d he come from? Is he a mutant? An alien? Some sort of green floating thing? And what’s his relationship with everyone’s favorite over-used mutant, Wolverine?
Make mine Trabold.
Oh I like that last bit, Make mine Trabold. Thanks for saying those kind words. I do my best for you readers. I should ask Manolis to help with this one. He knows the X-Statix best. I bet he’ll email if I get this wrong.
Now onto the question.
Doop is supposedly a powerful one at that. Doop has an egg-shaped lumpy green body, with eyes, a nose and mouth and two hands. He has no legs, but floats in mid-air all the time. Whether this levitation is a result of some internal property of his biochemistry or is something he has to actively concentrate on is unknown. Not sure if he’s mutant or alien but the way he speaks it seems alien.
He’s known Logan, Wolverine for some time supposedly, and they have been friends. Don’t know how they meet or where yet. Would be something good to cover if a writer is smart. I can see it now Doop the limited series. All questions answered.
Otherwise I have no clue about the Doop. Manny could help next week so stay tuned.
Mutant X Villains
Alpha Flight
Guardian
Real Name: James Macdonald Hudson
Former Aliases: Vindicator
Place Of Birth: Ontario, Canada
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: Weapon-X Program, formerly Alpha Flight
Height: 6’2”
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Shaman
Real Name: Dr Michael Twoyoungmen
Group Affiliation: formerly Alpha Flight
Eyes: White
Hair: Black
Northstar
Real Name: Jean-Paul Beaubier
Place Of Birth: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Aurora (Jeanne-Marie Beaubier, twin sister)
Group Affiliation: formerly Alpha Flight
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 185 lb
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
Aurora
Real Name: Jeanne-Marie Beaubier
Place Of Birth: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier, twin brother)
Group Affiliation: formerly Alpha Flight
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 125 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
Puck
Real Name: Eugene Milton Judd
Place Of Birth: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: formerly Alpha Flight
Height: 3’6″
Weight: 225 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Snowbird
Real Name: Narya
Place Of Birth: Resolute Bay, Northwest Territory, Canada
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: formerly Alpha Flight
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 108 lbs
Eyes: White
Hair: Blonde
Sasquatch
Real Name: Dr Walter Langkowski
Place Of Birth: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: formerly Alpha Flight
Height: (as Langkowski) 6’4″, (as Sasquatch) 10′
Weight: (as Langkowski) 245 lbs, (as Sasquatch) 2,000 lbs
Eyes: (as Langkowski) Blue, (as Sasquatch) Red
Hair: (as Langkowski) Blonde, (as Sasquatch) Orange
Hellfire Club
Black Queen II
Real Name: Katherine “Kitty” Pryde
Former Aliases: Shadowcat
Place Of Birth: Deerfield, Illinois
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: Hellfire Club, formerly X-Men
Height: 5’6″
Weight: 110 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Black King
Real Name: Sebastian Hiram Shaw
Place Of Birth: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: Hellfire Club
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 210 lbs
Eyes: Gray
Hair: Black
Black Queen I
Real Name: Selene
First Appearance: Mutant X #12
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: formerly Hellfire Club
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
White Queen
Real Name: Emma Grace Frost
Place Of Birth: Boston, Massachusetts
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: formerly Hellfire Club
Height: 5’10
Weight: 115 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Harry Leland
Real Name: Harry Leland
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: Hellfire Club
Eyes: Green
Hair: Red
Donald Pierce
Real Name: Donald Pierce
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: formerly Hellfire Club
Hair: Blonde
Marauders
Cannonball
Real Name: Samuel “Sam” Zachary Guthrie
Place Of Birth: Cumberland, Kentucky, U.S.A.
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Husk (Paige Guthrie, sister)
Group Affiliation: Marauders
Height: 6′
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Husk
Real Name: Paige Guthrie
Place Of Birth: Cumberland, Kentucky, U.S.A.
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Cannonball (Sam Guthrie, brother)
Group Affiliation: Marauders
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Jubilee
Real Name: Jubilation Lee
Place Of Birth: Southern California
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: Marauders
Height: 5′
Weight: 96 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Sunspot
Real Name: Roberto DaCosta
Place Of Birth: Rio de Janeiro
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: Marauders
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 170 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Wolfsbane
Real Name: Rahne Sinclair
Place Of Birth: Kinross, Scotland
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: Marauders
Height: 5’2″
Weight: 108 lbs
Eyes: Green
Hair: Red
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Bastion
Real Name: Unrevealed
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: ESPers, S.H.I.E.L.D.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Bald
Colonel Dugan
Real Name: Timothy Aloysius Dugan
Former Aliases: Dum Dum
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: S.H.I.E.L.D.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Nick Fury
Real Name: Nicholas Joseph Fury
Place Of Birth: New York City
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: S.H.I.E.L.D.
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 221 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Punisher
Real Name: Frank Castiglione
Current Aliases: Frank Castle
Place Of Birth: Queens, New York
Marital Status: Widowed
Group Affiliation: The Punishers, S.H.I.E.L.D.
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 200 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
Outcasts
Cloak
Real Name: Tyrone “Ty” Johnson
Place Of Birth: South Boston, Massachusetts
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: The Outcasts
Height: 6′
Weight: 175 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Horsemen
Apocalypse
Real Name: En Sabah Nur
Place Of Birth: Egypt
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: Horsemen of Apocalypse
Height: 7′
Eyes: White
Hair: Bald
Famine
Real Name: Unrevealed
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: Horsemen of Apocalypse
Eyes: Green
Hair: Red
Pestilence
Real Name: Unrevealed
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: Horsemen of Apocalypse
War
Real Name: Unrevealed
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: Horsemen of Apocalypse
Other
Sinister
Real Name: Dr Nathaniel Essex
Place Of Birth: Manchester, England
Marital Status: Single
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 180 lbs
Eyes: Red
Hair: Black
Sunfire
Real Name: Shiro Yoshida
Place Of Birth: Agarashima, Japan
Marital Status: Single
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 175 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Annihilus
Real Name: Unrevealed
Place Of Birth: Planet of Arthros, Negative Zone
Marital Status: Single
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 200 lbs
Eyes: Yellow
Beyonder
Real Name: Inapplicable
Place of Birth: The dimension of the Beyonders
Height: (in human form) 6’2”
Weight: (in human form) 240 lbs
Eyes: (in human form) Blue
Hair: (in human form) Black
Death: Absorbed by the Goblin Queen
Blastaar
Real Name: Unrevealed
Place Of Birth: Baluur, Sector 56-D of the Negative Zone
Marital Status: Single
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 520 lbs
Eyes: Gray
Hair: Gray
Bulleye
Real Name: Unrevealed
Marital Status: Single
Height: 6′
Weight: 185 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Deathbird
Real Name: Cal’Syee Neramani
First Appearance: Mutant X #12
Place Of Birth: The Aerie, Chandilar
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: Shi’ar Imperium
Eyes: White
Hair: Black
Doctor Octopus
Real Name: Otto Octavius
Place Of Birth: Schenectady, New York
Marital Status: Single
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 245 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Dracula
Real Name: Vlad Tepes
Former Aliases: Lord of Vampires
Marital Status: Single
Eyes: Red
Hair: Black
Death: Staked through the heart by Bloodstorm
Firestar
Real Name: Unrevealed
Marital Status: Single
Eyes: Red
Hair: Bald
Gladiator
Real Name: Kallark
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: Shi’ar Imperium
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 595 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Dark Blue
Green Goblin
Real Name: Norman Osborn
Place Of Birth: Hartford, Connecticut
Marital Status: Single
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 185 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Red
Death: Killed by the Goblin Queen
Juggernaut
Real Name: Cain Marko
Place Of Birth: Berkeley, U.S.A.
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Professor X (Charles Xavier, step-brother)
Height: 6’10”
Weight: 900 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Red
Robert Kelly
Real Name: Robert Edward Kelly
Marital Status: Single
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Lizard
Real Name: Curtis “Curt” Connors
Place Of Birth: Coral Gables, Florida
Marital Status: Single
Height: (as Connors) 5’11” (Lizard) Variable
Weight: (as Connors) 175 lbs (Lizard) Variable
Eyes: (as Connors) Blue (Lizard) Red
Hair: (as Connors) Brown (Lizard) Bald
Moot
Real Name: Unrevealed
Place Of Birth: unrevealed alternate dimension
Marital Status: Single
Eyes: Red
Hair: Bald
Professor
Real Name: Unrevealed
Place Of Birth: Canada
Group Affiliation: formerly the Weapon-X Program
Hair: Bald
Death: Killed by Captain America
Red Skull
Real Name: Johann Shmidt
Place Of Birth: Germany
Marital Status: Single
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 195 lbs
Eyes: Red
Hair: Bald
Death: Killed by Captain America
Shadow King
Real Name: Amahl Farouk
Place Of Birth: Cairo, Egypt
Marital Status: Single
Height: (as Farouk) 6’1” (as Shadowking) Variable
Weight: (as Farouk) 330 lbs (as Shadowking) Variable
Eyes: (as Farouk) Brown (as Shadowking) White
Hair: (as Farouk) Bald (as Shadowking) Bald
Death: Merged with Xavier
Titania
Real Name: Mary MacPherran
Place Of Birth: Denver, Colorado
Marital Status: Single
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 545 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Red
Vendetta
Real Name: Unrevealed
Marital Status: Single
X-Man
Real Name: Unrevealed
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Raven LeBeau (sister)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
All right, Daron, bud you can sign off first.
Well, I just want to say that I hope everyone’s New Year is off to a good start, mine’s been pretty hectic. And before I go I just want to remind everyone that if you haven’t taken a look at our Small Gods Contest you really should. We’ve got a great prize we’re giving away, and I wouldn’t want anyone to miss out on their chance to win.
See you all next week.
Now my turn. Notes:
1. Remember Elektra opens on Friday. Looks good. Better then Daredevil too. So go see it.
2. Which Elektra villain would you least like to meet in a dark alley? Is the question of the week on Marvel.com
3. Heroclix fans: WizKids and Marvel Enterprises have teamed up to give you the chance to pick a hero and a villain to appear as figures in an upcoming Marvel HeroClix set! Also Marvel.com.
That’s it for today.
Reporting from the Marvel Universe I’m Jim Trabold. Have a good week and keep those emails coming.
