Who Is The Strongest Superhero?

July 21, 2016 By Toby Isaacson Leave a Comment

Who is the Strongest Superhero Ever?

This question has been haunting us for a long time. And, to be honest, it will probably continue to do so. The reason for this is simple: there are no statistical ways to form an answer to this question, so everything is mostly opinion-based and highly subjective. We all know how well that goes down on the Internet. Who is the strongest superhero? Subjectively, plenty of people.

But the most important aspect most of us seem to be eluding is that there is no way to properly analyze all of the known superheroes and consider it fair to compare them. When we ask “who is the strongest superhero,” this can refer to so many things. Which one is most likely to outlive them all? Who has the most impressive set of skills? Who has the biggest physical strength?

With all of these factors being taken into consideration, we’ve tried to line up a few possible contenders.

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As a conclusion, it’s hard to determine one winner. Traditionally, Superman would be the best pick because he manages to balance really well the skills necessary to an indestructible hero. But his life would really be tough if he were to ever go on par with one of these other aforementioned characters.

How about we just make them all team up to defend us and call it a day?

Villains We Want In The Marvel Spider-Man Reboot

May 28, 2016 By Toby Isaacson Leave a Comment

With Civil War having recently hit theaters (and receiving overall really positive reviews while at it too), it’s time for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to flip the page on a new chapter. And, boy, what a chapter it is. Spider-Man is the character who received the most movie adaptations in such a short time span. Merely a decade ago, Sam Raimi would give us the first interpretation, which would later become a trilogy in its rightful sense. Unfortunately, any possible sequels were postponed due to financial reasons. Only a few years later, Sony gave us The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel.

And now, even less time passed between adaptations before it was decided that it was time for yet another reboot. This time, however, the project is in Marvel’s hands, where it should have always been. Needless to say, the Marvel has a track record for pulling movies that were average to good at their worst, so the expectations bar is raised yay high. Its take on everyone’s favorite web crawler is coming in 2017, featuring Tom Holland as the leading character Peter Parker. Here are the awesome Villains We Want In The Marvel Spider-Man Reboot.

#1 Venom

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Yes, Venom made an appearance in the third installment of Sam Raimi’s trilogy, but it was far from being satisfying. The character of Eddie Brock was a bit off, the actor didn’t really fit the bill, and when Venom actually came into play, we were 15 minutes away from the end of the movie. He was rather a Venom-pretender cameo than the proper thing. As a result, we certainly speak for everyone when we say that an entire movie dedicated to the frightening symbiotic villain would really lift a boulder off the fans’ chests.

#2 Carnage

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And since we’re talking about psychotic spider-like characters, we can’t cross Carnage off this list. A late addition to Spider-Man’s universe, he is the perfect example that when something’s bad, it can go even worse. Spawned from Venom and attacked to a serial killer, Carnage’s insane power and complete detachment and lack of empathy made him so overwhelming that it forced Peter’s hand into an alliance with Venom to stop him.

#3 Jackal

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Admittedly, the Jackal’s overly-complicated cloning storyline would be fairly difficult to translate to the big screen, but there is more to Jackal than his obsession of repeatedly cloning Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. He is incredibly intelligent. His brains would make for a great potential showdown and we’re not even counting the possibility of him introducing either (or both) of the Scarlet Spiders into the MCU.

#4 Rhino

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We were first teased with Rhino’s big screen debut in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Or, to put it more honestly, at the very end of the movie. Since he was supposed to play a big part in the third installment, we never actually got to see this “all brawls, no brain” archetype in proper action. This would make for a perfect chance for Marvel to give us a character completely different from the villains say Spidey battle in both series.

#5 Mysterio

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An odd choice, some may say, but Mysterio would make for a mandatory inclusion in the MCU should the Sinister Six make an appearance and an excellent standalone villain if the odds end up not in our favor. Armed with nothing but a knack for dramatics, a talent to manufacture special effects, and a stubbornness to die, Mysterio has proven to be a real obstacle in Spider-Man’s way over the years.

#6 Kingpin

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Daredevil fans probably collectively gasped. This is because Kingpin is a well-known troublemaker in Matt Murdock’s way, but he couldn’t seem to be able to keep his nose out of Spider-Man’s business either. Resembling at first glance the archetype of a mob leader commanding others while sitting in his chair and evilly stroking a cat, we later discover that Kingpin is pretty much 99.9% muscle and he can put up quite the physical fight.

6 Differences Between The Civil War Movie And Comics

March 14, 2016 By Toby Isaacson Leave a Comment

When Marvel announced in 2013 the listing for its upcoming movies, everyone was hyped to hear about Captain America: Civil War. It’s practically impossible to be a fan of the comic books and not have heard about the infamous storyline that the film is going to be founded on. The Civil War plotline was launched in 2006, with no other arc living up to the impact it had on the Marvel universe. Our heroes were no longer dealing with villains that threatened to render Earth to a pile of ashes and dust. Instead, the conflict was internal, gnawing at the morality of those who suddenly had different points of view when it came to humanity’s defense.

After the release of the latest trailer and with the premiere of the third Captain America installment quickly approaching, it’s time to put the movie and comics side by side. From what we’ve gathered so far, here are 6 Differences Between The Civil War Movie And Comics.

1. The Catalyst

Every fire needs some sparks before being ignited. Civil War is no different, although the reason why superheroes are now forced to pick sides is different in the movie than in the comics.

In the comics, at fault is a rather obscure group of heroes called The New Warriors. They naively try to defeat Nitro, a villain that proved to be way beyond their powers. He causes an explosion so big that it, unfortunately, takes the lives of roughly 600 innocent civilians. Needless to say, the government was furious and decided that the superhero’s way of dealing with villains was damaging the cities and population too much. Therefore, they needed to find a way to ensure that superheroes’ powers would be kept in check. In other words, they would be (unfairly) held accountable for all the damage caused by the villains.

On the other hand, the movies chose to tie the reasoning behind the superhero registration with the damage left behind by the Avengers’ missions. From the destruction caused to New York and to the untoward side effects succeeding Ultron’s defeat in Sokovia, it all became too much for the government to handle.

2. The Characters

One of the things that made Civil War such a memorable arc was the sheer scale of the event. However, for understandable reasons, it’s a factor that’s rather difficult to transfer on the big screen.

Essentially every single character in the comics gets involved in the conflict, one way or another. And it’s not just the heroes that get affected; villains are thrown into the mix too.

The Marvel cinematic universe is considerably more limited than the books, so to include all of the characters in a two-hour long film would be practically impossible. For starters, we won’t be seeing the Fantastic Four getting involved in the strife. Reed Richards was a pivotal player for the pro-registration side, relentlessly working alongside Tony Stark so their cause could emerge victoriously. But since FOX insists on keeping the rights to the team, we can be absolutely certain they won’t ever become a part of the MCU. Other big names that won’t participate in the Civil War will be Bruce Banner (Hulk) and Thor, who’s probably just busy preparing his upcoming installment, Thor: Ragnarok.

3. The Sides

From the trailers and teasers shown, we’ve managed to get a clear look at the two opposing sides. Iron Man leads the pro-registration side, backed up by Black Widow, War Machine, Vision, and Black Panther (supposedly Spider-Man too). Captain America leads the anti-registration side, followed by Winter Soldier, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, and Ant-Man.

The teams aren’t very different from their comic counterparts, but there are indeed some changes. For starters, Vision was on Cap’s side in the comics. Black Panther was also in the anti-registration group since he wanted to leave his people out of the quarrel. In the trailers, however, he is shown to be by Tony’s side. Producers have said, though, that he is more of a wildcard, so we can expect the unexpected.

4. The Villains

The government decided that those who opposed the Superhero Registration Act are too dangerous to be left to their own devices. Cap and his allies were declared public enemies and have started being actively hunted down.

Some of the most odious supervillains started working under the government, pretty happy with the opportunity to legally kill some superheroes. It made for a good plot point and a definite obstacle for Cap’s side that rendered the conflict more intense.

It doesn’t look like this scenario will be transmuted to the movie, though. And it’s, again, understandable. There are enough characters squeezed in a mere two-hour runtime as it is, adding villains would complicate things even further. Moreover, MCU’s villains are either too big (see Loki and Thanos), either forgettable, either dead.

5. Spider-Man’s Side

It seems like the other wildcard character in the movie is going to be Spider-Man, whose arrival to the Marvel cinematic universe has been long awaited. The latest trailer definitely made quite a fuss out of his climatic appearance right at the end. But what’s his role going to be, exactly?

In the comics, Peter Parker is squeezed in the middle of the conflict. He is more or less bribed by Tony to the pro-registration act and managed to shock all readers by publicly revealing his identity. Ultimately, Spider-Man’s morals clashed with the lengths to which Tony and Reed went to, and switched sides to Cap’s team.

One could say that this seems like the trajectory the MCU Spider-Man will take, but it’s not that likely. For starters, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is only sixteen years old, a big difference from the adult, married, mature Peter Parker in the comics. The circumstances are different and with this factor considered, Spider-Man might see the Civil War differently.

6. The Deaths

Arguably the most anticipated moment of the movie is the ending. More specifically, the imminent death of one of the characters. The streak of deaths in the comics is started by the New Warriors and then ends with the assassination of Captain America himself.

Producers have been teasing the death of one of the characters for a while now, and theories haven’t failed to surface. Many fingers point towards War Machine (who seems to be in a bad place in the trailer) while others believe the victim will be Scarlet Witch. Naturally, the outcome that many fear is that the movie will stay faithful to the comics and kill off Cap. Don’t worry too much about that, though, since Chris Evans is signed up for the two-part Avengers: Infinity War.

In the first two phases of Marvel movies, we were introduced to a set of brilliant characters, getting attached to many of them. With Civil War, it looks like our affinity towards one character or another is going to be tested, forcing us to also pick sides. The movie is going to come soon, and then we’ll be able to decide if these 6 Differences Between The Civil War Movie And Comics have been accurate.

Image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

5 Comics’ Moments The Walking Dead Won’t Use

August 10, 2015 By Anne Burwell Leave a Comment

If you’ve ever watched “The Walking Dead” you know they’re not shy with the amounts of blood they use. And if you’re never watched the show, here’s how it goes: there’s a scene that involves someone being eaten alive every five minutes. And as scary and gory as that sounds, it’s pretty addictive. After I discovered “The Walking Dead”, I went through the first three seasons in a week, barely leaving the house. I was so hooked on the whole post apocalyptic zombie world, I would then startle on my way to the grocery shop when a twig would snap and I kept looking over my shoulder to check for walkers. But how much is too much for this TV series? They seem to enjoy killing off all their characters, so we can’t help but expect another Red Wedding. We took a look at the comic books and shook our heads at some scenes. Read about the gory 5 comics’ moments the Walking Dead won’t use. Hopefully.

5. The Unique Way Out

Carol is probably the character who has grown the most from the beginning of the show. If we were introduced to her when she was a victim of domestic violence, we witnessed how her skin grew thicker when she lost her girl. She became a fierce fighter who never hesitates to kill. But the comic books tell the story of a different Carol. She’s much younger and yearns to be accepted and loved. When she is rejected, she kills herself by allowing a tied up zombie to eat her alive. Phew! We’re all glad Carol’s still on the show and we hope she won’t willingly hug any walkers too soon.

4. A Jamie Lannister Touch

In the comic books, the whole Governor situations plays out differently. He is still the bad guy and Rick is still the badass hero. But the Governor is crueler than his TV equivalent and cuts off Rick’s hand, in an attempt to make him understand neither him or anyone else is safe in the big wild world. On the other hand on the TV series, Rick is safe and sound and can still do up his laces in a few seconds. Did “The Walking Dead” producers get cold feet about maiming the main character? Still, even if they didn’t pull a George R. R. Martin until now, it doesn’t mean it’s never going to happen. As much as we all like seeing Rick intact, he might get bitten by a walker and he has a handful of enemies who would like to teach him some manners and chop off his arm.

3. A Different Kind of Boyhood

Has anyone else noticed how good Carl Grimes is getting on screen? Thankfully, he overcame his teenage, moody phase and is now on his path to manhood. He has some amazing zombie killing skills and he’s not whining that much anymore. Can we start cheering for even more character development? Listen to this: in the comic books, after Alexandria is attacked by a humongous herd of walker, Carl is shot in the head and loses a big chunk of his face. Would the directors venture to put this in the show? Only time will tell.

2. Playing Baseball with Glenn

In the comics the wickedest villain is The Saviors’ leader who wields a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. That sounds pretty Mephistophelic. And there’s more! He uses his custom made weapon to kill Glenn, a much loved character whom we all cheer foor whenever he fights with someone. Will this be Glenn’s fate on screen as well? Or can we expect “The Walking Dead” to subvert our expectations and kill Maggie instead? Either way, I’m already getting sad.

1. Hush, little baby, don’t you cry

We all regretted Lori’s death after giving birth to Judith, leaving Carl an orphan and Rick a widower. In fact, we should all be happy we didn’t get to see what the comic books did with the whole scene. In the comics, the Governor wins the battle at Woodbury and everyone is running in all directions. Including Lori, tightly holding her new born in her arms. But when the mother is shot from behind, she falls forward and dies on the spot, smothering her baby girl underneath her. We can see why the producers didn’t insist on putting that in the show, giving Judith a chance at life, even though the zombie world in which she was born is ruthless.

Image sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

5 Things That Make Thanos Marvel’s Supervillan

July 24, 2015 By Vernon Gadson Leave a Comment

If you’re not familiar with Marvel, here’s a recap on what you’ve been missing about one of their most famous villains, Thanos. He was created back in 1973 and since then has appeared in animated series, video games and even latest Marvel movies. He made a cameo appearance during the credit of “The Avengers” and appeared in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron”. Born on Saturn’s moon Titan, he became interested in nihilism and death and ends up murdering his own family for Mistress Death. Let’s have a look at 5 things that make Thanos Marvel’s supervillan.

5. He had daddy and mommy issues

You wouldn’t expect Thanos to grow up having a blissful childhood after his own mother attempted to kill him after giving birth to him, would you? Because of his looks and because he was feared by everyone, his family and the society he was born in shunned him as an outcast. At the same time, he was compelled to witness as his worthless brother, Eros, was being prepared to become Titan’s leader. As a consequence, he picked up some nasty habits on the way, including black magic, which was frowned upon by the Eternals.

4. Thanos the Brawler

Thanos was privileged and enjoyed some amazing powers like teleportation, flight, the ability to project heat and radiation. In addition, he can control objects with his mind and travel through time and dimensions. This translates into being stronger than other super heroes like Thor and Hulk. As a consequence, he doesn’t shy away from resolving conflicts with his fists. To illustrate his strength and determination, we’ll just mention he nearly beat the Silver Surfer to death, who is a powerful creature, capable of surviving in a black hole.

3. He has more lives than a cat

Over the years Thanos has experienced several deaths and has resurrected in mysterious ways. Among these, we remember the one time when he was turned to stone by the Warlock, followed by him reappearing as a ghost on the death of his nemesis, Captain Marvel. His next death involved Drax the Destroyer punching his beating heart out of him. But he plainly refused to stay dead and instead resurrected yet again, this time via a cocoon… only to be killed one more time by Drax with a bomb. It won’t come as a surprise that he survived this as well in the shape of a skeleton that later regenerated.

2. He’s not that good with kids

Gamora was “adopted” by Thanos and raised by him since she was a baby. He altered her perception to make her believe he wasn’t evil which worked just fine until it didn’t. When Gamora finally realized what she was up against, she tried to kill her step father, but ended up dead at his hand. Thanos also fathered biological children across the universe. However, none of these survived since he had a knack for destroying the planets they inhabited. Thanos tried to kill one of his surviving sons, Thane, but the father ended up trapped in an amber cube, the “Living Death”.

1. Death smitten

What does that mean? Death in Marvel comics can appear under any shape. Death first appeared for the boy Thanos in the shape of a little girl and then as a woman, as he grew up. Under her spell, he agreed to kill half the population of the universe, but Death remained unimpressed by all his efforts to conquer her. Apparently, it was not enough for her to receive the deaths of thousands of people and to have a loyal follower in Thanos. Maybe he should try again with flowers and chocolate?

Image sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5