Hey all and welcome to another edition of the Marvel Handbook. I‘m Jim of course. With my partner, bud and editor Daron. Hey Daron how are you?
That’s a good question, I’ll let you know once I figure out how I feel about being your “budâ€â€¦
I‘m not bad. Running a bit later then I wanted to though. Had to clear my head and get rid of a bad cold. But I‘m back into action and ready to go.
Awww, did little Jimmy have a cold?
Tough!
Life’s hard all over.
*ahem* Sorry about that…yeah let’s get on with the show here…
Jag emails
Read that you guys need some help with questions so I have some for you:
Hey Jag we always need help.
So many jokes, so little time before work…
1) Since he came to prominence in New Avengers and now with World War Hulk, I’m pretty interested in the Sentry. I love the idea that the guy is so powerful but is afraid of himself by having such deep psychological issues and his fear of what can happen if he lets go which to me, sets him apart from being just a Superman clone. Actually, in a lot of ways, Sentry is how Superman SHOULD be portrayed sometimes as its a fresh and different take on the all-powerful hero. Also, the build-up of Sentry confronting the Hulk has been an awesome part out of that mini-series (that one panel where Senny is standing in his doorway with the shadow covering him waiting for Hulk’s response to whether or not Stark is to die is great). Do you think WWH will be Marvel FINALLY pushing a new major hero to the next level (something they try to do all the time but no one really sticks)?
Well that‘s what I think could happen will be Sentry could get the best of Hulk here at first. In the end Hulk gets more powerful even with the possible Red Hulk being created by it. But of course Sentry will have defeated Hulk maybe into retreating and rethinking what he did in the end.
2) Glad to see all the Taskmaster love in your column. What did you guys think of Tasky’s mini-series a while back? I thought it wasnt the tightest story but was a fun ride and had a perspective on the guy that wasnt previously seen, almost humanizing in a way. I say a new Tasky mini or better yet, an ongoing series called…wait for it…”Taskmaster and Deadpool”….with two fun-loving freelancing assassins try to work and live together. If Terror Inc. can have another mini, Tasky DESERVES one.
I did enjoy the limited series myself. He’s a cool character. No doubt there. I’m not certain for an ongoing but there is something to look forward to for the Taskmaster fans:
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #8
Training is almost over for our cadets. Some will graduate. Some will washout. And, yes, some WILL die! It all starts here, in the Initiative’s biggest story to date! And with the clock ticking on the first class of recruits, get ready to meet the next batch! Including new Marvels, old Marvels, at least one SKRULL, and…THE IRREDEEMABLE GIANT-MAN? Also, with the Gauntlet out of commission, just wait until you meet Camp Hammond’s new Drill Instructor… he’s a real Taskmaster!
So hope that helps.
Well not being a big fan of Deadpool, I have to say I might buy a Taskmaster/Deadpool book. I’m definitely with you on that.
3) I know that MAX and regular Marvel are different but it really bugs me in regards to the Punisher character. I mean, MAX Punisher is such an amazing take on the character as he’s so cerebral with strategy and purpose but Marvel Punisher seems like such a dunce. Seeing the guy pop up in Runaways and get decked by Molly (i think it was Molly) was painful to see (say what you will about their current titles but at least DC protects their non-powered heroes most of the time) and having Frank running around with the Captain America uniform was cheese. I liked Frank appearing in Civil War and his conflict with Cap but hate his new title as it just seems the old stuff that got tired in 1995. What do you think should happen to the Frank Castle character?
Well the Max series is running well. It‘s happening the way Frank should be handled. The Marvel series I see as humor in many ways. Not serious enough to be considered a Punisher book in ways. I‘d get rid of War Journal if it helped. Allow the main characters to appear in the Max series instead
Personally, I could care less if they offed him. The Punisher just holds no interest for me. Best case scenario is they off him in the Marvel U, and let his MAX book run as a totally separate character in his own Universe. But that’s just me.
4) What will it take for Ghost Rider to get a really great writer onboard? I look at this character as having so much potential as a concept as I really think Marvel should push him a bit out of the Marvel mainstream and make him Vertigo-ish and maybe re-writing his origin/story/mythos. Just blow up GR and start from scratch (which I know has been done before but I’m talking about radical change.) Having him fight with Hulk in WWH is just dumb, as if giving GR a bit of a rub via a major crossover will really cure what ails him creatively. Okay, dream team for GR? Artist and writer?
Hmmmm I don‘t have the issues you have with Ghost Rider you do But I do understand your point. Put GR in Max. Give him to Garth Ennis and a great artist that can do Ghost Rider.
Personally I think GR is one of those characters that could us a complete overhaul. And if they aren’t Crisising the entire U they should at least give GR his moment. I think the best way to handle this is to put a new player in the skull and let him start from scratch. Johnny and Dan have been done to death and just aren’t interesting anymore. A new character with a new mythos is really what the character needs.
That’s all I got for now but we’ll contribute when a question pops in my head. Gotta keep the Handbook alive.
Thanks a lot Jag
We definitely appreciate it!
Rust emails
Hey guys,
Hey Rust
Enough about the women Logan has had…. what female has had the most lovers in Marvel U?
I‘d give it to Emma or Mystique myself
Call me stupid….I expect it after asking this question: What would happen if a symbiote merged with a symbiote? Is it even possible?
Your not stupid. But you get another symbiote. You can do it. It just makes the one symbiote stronger by doing it. But has to be some one like Carnage or Venom I think to do it.
Any word on if Ben Reilly will be making a return, other than way-too-brief Ultimate spots? Would you support a return?
I‘ve not heard anything. I‘m not for it either. I‘d like Ben to stay dead. The clone saga went over badly in the main 616 universe. I‘m not sure you can resurrect him without fan reaction being bad.
I personally loved Ben, and would love to see him come back…but he probably won’t.
Please explain what happened with Vindicator. I have the issue where he was killed and then his wife took over the mantle. But then the next thing I know, he’s back.
James worked for the Am-Can Oil Corporation and developed his suit to help search for oil deposits underground. However, after hearing it was intended to be used as a weapon by Am-Can Oil and specifically his boss Jerome Jaxon, he resigned. Secretly he left with the suit’s helmet, making the suit unusable. A young secretary named Heather followed him, explaining that she agreed with his decisions and that they could seek help from the Canadian government. They admitted they both had developed a strong attraction to each other and soon married.
In order to avoid prosecution for the theft of the super-suit, James made arrangements with the Canadian Parliament. The Minister of Defense assigned James to head up the Ministry’s research and development program known as Department H.
Some time later, James and his wife Heather encountered a ‘wild man’ in the woods while on vacation. James had to leave to find supplies. Heather was able to keep the man calm, believing he was not truly malicious. The man is better known as Wolverine, and has remained close with the Hudsons. Hearing about the Fantastic Four, James was inspired to form a team of superhumans to work for Canada, coming up with the name of Alpha Flight. He and Heather began recruiting members. Logan turned down Alpha Flight membership as he felt his presence and feelings for Heather would conflict with his friendship with James.
When Am-Can went bankrupt, the Canadian government took possession of the suit James had designed. Calling himself Weapon Alpha, James was ordered to capture his old friend Wolverine and bring him back to Department H. He was unsuccessful and accidentally wounded Moira MacTaggert. After this incident, he took the name Vindicator to redeem himself. On a few other occasions Hudson’s Alpha Flight teams have opposed the X-Men.
His old enemy Jaxon formed Omega Flight to battle the team. Jaxon was killed while using the Box robot, but also had Guardian’s suit overloaded to explode and kill him. James instead was sucked through a spatial rift.
James returned as a cyborg. Members of the Qwrlln race found him and seemed to think that the suit was a part of his body. Thus they bonded him to it while making repairs and healing his body. They altered him, thinking he would make a useful backup if Galactus arrived since they knew the world devourer had been stopped by Earthlings in the past.
They sent him back in a ship, but it was found by the Roxxon Oil Corporation. Roxxon attempted to use his computer systems. Madison Jeffries was also asked to help deal with “a computer problem.” James’s cyborg mind was too strong, so they attempted to cut him off life support. He responded by destroying the facility, but Jeffries was able to keep him alive. He was distant with the computer side often overriding his human side, which greatly troubled his teammates and wife.
Galactus soon approached the alien planet. Most of Alpha Flight and the Avengers were transported there. They were all sucked into another dimension under which conditions Galactus was able to be stopped. But this also meant he lacked enought energy to power a device that could transport them all back to the proper dimension. James and Heather’s suits could manage enough energy to assist Galactus, but the process was likely fatal. James impulsively knocked Heather out, handed her to his teammates and seemed to sacrifice himself to send the others home.
He was found by the Master of the World somehow in another area of space. James was brainwashed into leading a new version of Omega Flight as the Antiguard in the Master’s attempt to take over Canada. Apparently the new programming and repairs counteracted the aliens’, and James returned to normal.
Later James learned of Department H’s true plans after reinstating Alpha Flight. They attempted to kill him by rigging his armor to warp him into space. A younger clone of Hudson was created and sent by Department H to lead the team.
However, James fell back to Earth and was found in Antarctica by Sasquatch and Shaman. With Northstar and Aurora they confronted their other teammates. The Hudson clone was killed in battle, helping the others escape from AIM.
Although there has been some difficulty, and at one point a divorce was mentioned, it seems James and Heather have rekindled their relationship. Heather gave birth to a daughter. However, James was attacked by a rogue Department H operative obsessed with Heather, nearly destroying the new family’s happiness.
James traveled into space with the rest of Alpha Flight overseeing the return of the Plodex eggs.
Alpha Flight fell in battle against the Collective. Michael Pointer the mutant who had become the Collective has been in the custody of the Canadian government. While in prison he was approached by Sasquatch. Sasquatch proposes to Michael Pointer that he will make up for his deeds as the collective by becoming the new Guardian in Canada’s new premier super team Omega Flight.
Did Puck and Vindicator II ever get it on? It seemed to have been suggested in a few issues, but I never really understood if that happened or not.
I would believe it happened. Puck and her did have a short relationship for a time in the series.
How many “Flight” teams were there? I used to love Alpha Flight, but I read online about a Gamma Flight, Beta Flight and Omega Flight. What the hell? Please run those down for me if you have the time.
Alpha Flight: Aurora, Box, Madison Jeffries, Diamond Lil, Earthmover, Flex, Ghost Girl, Guardian, Manbot, Marrina, Murmur, Nemesis II, Northstar, Puck, Radius (Jared Corbo), Sasquatch II, Shaman, Snowbird, Sunfire, Talisman, Vindicator II, Wild Child, Windshear, Wyre
Alpha Prime: Crag, Avian, Primate, Vindicator II
Beta Flight: Aurora, Northstar, Sasquatch, Shaman, Snowbird, Marrina, Puck, Box, Flashback, Persuasion, Manikin, Pathway, Gobyln, Witchfire, Talisman, Flex, Radius, Manbot, Murmur, Guardian III, Ghost Girl, Ouija, Flinch
The Flight: Wolverine, Groundhog, Stitch, Saint Elmo, Smart Alec, Snowbird
Gamma Flight I: Aurora, Northstar, Sasquatch, Shaman, Snowbird, Marrina, Puck, Box, Wild Child, Madison Jeffries, Flashback, Smart Alec, Diamond Lil, Manikin, Witchfire, Pathway, Talisman, Persuasion, Gobyln, Feedback
Gamma Flight II: Auric, Nemesis, Silver, Wild Child, Witchfire
Omega Flight I: Diamond Lil, Smart Alec, Flashback, Wild Child, Delphine Courtney, Box
Omega Flight II: Bile, Brain Drain, Ms.Mass, Sinew, Strongarm, Tech-Noir, Antiguard
Omega Flight III: Sasquatch, Talisman, Beta Ray Bill, Guardian, US Agent, Arachne
That’s all them
I remember ages back in an issue of Spider Man where quite a few people were murdered by a serial killer, so it got me wondering. Are there any serial killers in the Marvel U still on the loose?
other then the Punisher? Lol or the random Mercs for Hire? Like Deadpoo?. No we don’t have any really around right now.
At least until someone writes a new story with one.
If you could start up a storyline for your own multi-comic arc similar to a Crisis or Civil War…what would it be?
Hmmmmm good one. I‘d like to try something sort of like the old Acts of Vengeance maybe. Doing it right though. They never did that right at the start. You can bring all the big villains in and create the ultimate groups or foes that would challenge the heroes. Something like a new Masters of Evil group just to take out the current New Avengers or Mighty Avengers. Even space would be involved in this as the ultimate plan to conquer the universe is put into play.
Well I’m sure most of you already know the answer to this. Marvel needs a Crisis like event. The entire Universe needs a reboot. At this point it doesn’t really matter how they do it, but that is definitely what I’d do or like to see done.
Excelsior!
Messiah Complex synopsis
Messiah Complex #1: The X-Men head to Alaska to find a city on fire. Earlier: Xavier uses Cerebra while talking to Beast as it overloads. Xavier contacts the other X-Men to send them to the location that caused the trouble. When in Alaska they find many dead bodies with Prism, Blockbuster and some Purifiers among them. Emma can’t find any children and examines a womans mind to see what happened. We see Purifiers and the Marauders arrive taking their battle to the city. Angel examines a hospital only to find dead babies but finding out the mutant was not with them. Someone took the baby. Predator X arrives as the X-Men leave
Annihilation Conquest synopsis
Quasar #4: Phyla gathers forces to help fight the Phalanx. As the fight continues she goes after the Adaptoid and uses the bands to help defeat him. We learn the original Quasar was the voice helping her. She sends the Phalanx to destruction and returns to the cocoon. She sees the Supreme Intelligence before Adam Warlock emerges.
Initiative Synopsis
Sub-Mariner #5: Iron Man tells the General Namor may be alive. 4 Days ago: Namor talks with his son before fighting the attackers. Killing one of them before getting knocked out by another. Regaining his strength from diving into the waters he goes off. Talking to his son again before dealing with him. The defense of Atlantis continues as Namor returns to stop the fighting. We learn Nitro was helping Kamar. 72 hours ago: Tony met with the general.
That‘s it for this week. Busy week and holding at least 1 email for next time. Now we‘re on a role again. Hopefully our readers keep this up. It‘s really helping. So Daron do what you think bud?
I think I’m still not comfortable with the word, “bud.â€
Cool. Go ahead and sign off first Daron.
Make me.
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And make mine a double!
