Disney Buys Marvel Entertainment

Get ready for Wolvie/Mickey

The big news of the day is the $4B purchase of Marvel Entertainment by Disney. Given that Marvel Comics has come so far in the past ten years in furthering its characters into a cohesive sophisticated universe the likes of which have not been seen since 1965 or so compounded by the unparalleled success of movies such as Iron Man in the box office this news must seem flattering to Marvel execs but doom-laden for readers. I for one do not enjoy the Disney brand and while I’m not the type to boycott something on account of corporate ownership…. this comes close.

Fans all over the world must have nightmarish visions of a cutesy X-Men and such but the flipside is that Marvel Comics will finally have access to resources that they have never had before… so the animated film projects may improve in quality and expect mots more on TV. Of the two, I think Disney actually stands to profit the most here. I don’t mean to sound naive, but with the Disney cartoon characters looking a bit long in the tooth and ripe for public domain ownership this purchase could provide the much-needed shot in the arm the company needs. Marvel Comics will finally be able to rest securely in the knowledge that they will not go under as they had many years back when the investment bubble burst.

From the announcement it sounds like Disney is looking to gain the acceptance of a key demographic that they have no pull with by purchasing Marvel rather than perverting the comic book characters into something that they are not. Anything Disney did to upset the fans of Marvel that have supported the comic book characters over the years would taint the personality of Marvel and also stand against the very reason that Disney purchased the company in the first place.

Additionally, Disney has just the right amount of financial clout to pull all the various Marvel movie properties under one umbrella making crossovers a possibility for the first time, so this could be a dream come true in many ways.

X-Men/Avengers, anyone?

So long as Disney keeps out of the creative content of Marvel Comics this should be nothing but good news, right?… right?

Disney catches comics giant Marvel in a $4B web

Pow! Disney captures Spider-Man, Iron Man and other Marvel characters in $4 billion deal

By Ryan Nakashima, AP Business Writer
On Monday August 31, 2009, 7:06 pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Walt Disney Co. is punching its way into the universe of superheroes and their male fans with a deal announced Monday to acquire Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion, bringing characters such as Iron Man and Spider-Man into the family of Mickey Mouse and “Toy Story.”

The surprise cash-and-stock deal sent Spidey senses tingling in the comic book world. It could lead to new rides, movies, action figures and other outlets for Marvel’s 5,000 characters, although Marvel already was aggressively licensing its properties for such uses.

The deal won’t have benefits right away, and Disney stock sank on the news. Disney expects a short-term profit hit, and Marvel characters from X-Men to Daredevil are locked up in deals with other movie studios and theme parks. But Disney’s CEO, Robert Iger, promised an action-packed future.

“`Sparks will fly’ is the expression that comes to mind,” Iger told analysts.

Stan Lee, the 86-year-old co-creator of “Spider-Man” and many more of Marvel’s most famous characters, said he was thrilled to be informed of the marriage Monday morning.

“I love both companies,” he said. “From every point of view, this is a great match.”

The deal is expected to close by the end of the year and marks Disney’s biggest acquisition since it purchased Pixar Animation Studios Inc., the maker of “Up” and “Cars,” for $7.4 billion in stock in 2006.

Marvel would follow another storied comic book publisher into the arms of a media conglomerate. DC Comics, the home of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, was bought by Warner Bros. — now part of Time Warner Inc. — in 1969.

Buying Marvel is meant to improve Disney’s following among men and boys. Disney acknowledges it lost some of its footing with guys as it poured resources into female favorites such as “Hannah Montana” and the Jonas Brothers.

“Disney will have something guys grew up with and can experience with their kids, especially their sons,” said Gareb Shamus, whose company Wizard Entertainment Group runs several of the Comic-Con conventions around the nation.

Marvel TV shows already account for 20 hours per week of programming on Disney’s recently rebranded, boy-focused cable network, Disney XD, and that looks likely to increase, Iger said. The shows are “right in the wheelhouse for boys,” he said.

There will be some lag before Marvel’s trove of characters are fully developed at Disney, because of licensing deals Marvel has with other studios.

For example, Sony Corp.’s Columbia Pictures is developing the next three “Spider-Man” sequels, starting with “Spider-Man 4″ set for a May 2011 release. News Corp.’s 20th Century Fox has the long-term movie rights to the “X-Men,” “Fantastic Four,” “Silver Surfer” and “Daredevil” franchises.

Adam Warlock

Adam Warlock as he appeared in Annihilation: Conquest

One of the heavy hitters in the Marvel Comics Cosmic ring, Adam Warlock has a very scattered and rather dubious past. Created by Jack Kirby, you’d think that Warlock would be as popular and successful as the Silver Surfer, another of the King’s stellar creations. However, without a series to call his home, Adam Warlock drifted like a dream half made until very recently.

From the FF to Thor and even a starring role as the savior of the universe in the fondly remembered Infinity Gauntlet saga, Adam Warlock has done it all, but sadly that includes numerous cancellations and reboots.

Brought back into the mainstream by the cataclysmic Annihilation: Conquest, this bronze age space wizard is once again a major player in the MU. Starring in the monthly series Guardians of the Galaxy by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, Adam Warlock has influenced the formation of the Guardians as vanguards of threats to the cosmos (a wise decision as two had occurred so close together and only the nearly forgotten heroes of the MU responded… where were you, Reed Richards??). In addition to paving the way for his future, Adam Warlock has recently come full circle with his destiny.

But before we get to that, I’d like to look at his auspicious beginnings.

A Guy named Him

Chillin in his cocoon, Warlock when he was named 'Him'

Adam Warlock began his life in a weird looking cocoon guarded by a group of AIM wannabees called the Enclave. After hatching from his egg as a golden naked man, Him embarked on a series of adventures that largely led to him denouncing the scary Marvel Universe for the safety of his cocoon.

When he re-emerged it was at the behest of Roy ‘the boy’ Thomas and Gil ‘Sugar’ Kane in the pages of the new series Marvel Premiere. Billed simply as ‘The Power of Warlock,’ the series looked like a big success.

The Power of… Warlock

Warlock as he first appeared in Marvel Premiere

Set in Counter-Earth (the one exactly opposite us on the other side of the Sun), the new series was an opportunity for Thomas to play in his own private sand box. As a result, the aims are high and the material very risky and rather theatrical. Directionless and confused, Adam Warlock meets the High Evolutionary on Counter Earth and finally receives a name other than him. Armed with one of the Infinity Gems (the Soul Gem), Adam Warlock is tasked with defeating the Man Beast of Counter Earth… a place where animal-men run amuk and a mutated Hulk-like Reed Richards is President of the U.S.A. Everything goes a bit pear-shaped and Adam ends up achieving his goal but ended up dying once again only to be reborn in the Hulk. A thinly-veiled Christ-figure, Adam Warlock built a rather impressive following, enough to ensure that he would re-appear again, this time under the pen of Jim Starlin.

The most productive period of the character’s history, Starlin premiered the character in his own series as a battle with a dark future version of himself called Magus who leads hos own cult, The Universal Church of Truth. The battle for the soul gem launched the character into the series ‘Warlock’ and took off to gain great success for both Warlock and Starlin. The supervillain Thanos (think Darkseid only less awkward with stairs) then arrives as the antagonist and things really get going, to the point where both Captain Marvel, Spider-Man and the Avengers get involved!

More recently, Adam Warlock took a major part in the mini-series called Infinity Gauntlet featuring the ‘mad god’ Thanos’ attempt to appease Death by obtaining all of the Infinity Gems and destroying all life. While the series featured nearly every superhero in the Marvel Universe in ways that Secret Wars boasted, it was Adam Warlock that really shined, earning both a solo series and a follow-up mini-series.

Back from the dead…. again

Found on a distant planet by Moondragon and Quasar, Warlock was in deep hibernation due to the events of the Annihilation War with the forces of the Negative Zone. Hatched too soon from his rest, Adam is at first unwilling to aid the heroes in their war with the Technovirus, but eventually comes around. This latest version of Warlock is sagely but also rather forthright and rarely suffers unnecessary conversation. Stating the need for the Guardians to form so that future galactic cataclysms are met pro-actively, Adam Warlock has taken on the role of sage and tactician, leading Rocket Raccoon, Star Lord, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, Groot and Mantis as they solve a series of universe-ripping events from ever occurring. Wielding a power called Quantum Magic, an ability even he does not understand, Adam Warlock is incredibly powerful but also unpredictable.

In the course of this new series, Adam Warlock has encountered the Universal Church of Truth who seek him out as their savior. Unwilling to go down that road, Warlock at first rejected their attention. However, he has since allied himself with the Universal Church of Truth in order to save the universe from a giant rift in space as a result of the War of Kings between the Kree and Shi’Ar empires. In order to stop the imminent destruction, Warlock ‘vented’ the energy into a possible future and brought it to the present. Unfortunately, that possible future saw Warlock embracing his darker side and becoming the Magus.

Funny how it takes about 20 years for a storyline to come around on comics, isn’t it?

Magus

It’s unclear what is next for Warlock/Magus but judging by his adventures so far, it will be anything but predictable!

Recommended reading:
Marvel Masterworks: Adam Warlock (collecting the Marvel Premiere issues)
Infinity Gauntlet
Annihilation: Conquest book one
Annihilation: Conquest book two
Guardians of the Galaxy- Book One

Alien Legion

Compiled of the unwanted beings throughout the galaxy to fight wars no one else would, the Alien Legion was a comic that captured audiences in the early 80’s. Created in 1983 by Carl Potts (of Punisher War Journal, Venom and Shadow Masters), Alan Zelenetz and Frank Cirocco, Alien Legion was a major success for fans of nontraditional adventure comics. The mixture of gritty warfare and hard-sci-fi were reminiscent in part to Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers. Started as part of Marvel’s Epic Comics line, the series featured stellar artistic talents including Terry Austin, Whilce Portacio, and Scott Hanna.

Due to its non-stop violence and hard-as-nails characters, the series almost feels like it belongs in the UK Magazine 2000 AD. Potts created a one of a kind series that perfectly captured the then burgeoning acceptance of military sci-fi in comics. Drawing influences from pulps, independent comics and film, Potts’ mission was very clear cut, to create a French Foreign Legion in space. The inclusion of alien life forms only came after he drafted a snake/human design that was too good to pass up. At that point the series expanded to include a statement on the melting pot of humanity told on a galactic scale (an idea that both Star Wars and Star Trek come of as very colonial on).

While the back issues and one-shots aren’t all that hard to find Dark Horse Comics collected the series in their ‘omnibus’ line of trade paperbacks.

A kind of time capsule of 80’s comics, Alien Legion is a hit even today, drawing in readers who would ordinarily be turned off by the superhero books and find the more austere comics like Sandman far too limp for their taste. Man, we really could use another comic like this today.

Recommended:

Alien Legion Omnibus 1
Alien Legion: Footsloggers
Alien Legion: Force Nomad

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Rise of the Bounty Hunters

For those of you who missed out on the first season, Cartoon Network has been playing repeats to bring you up to speed in time for the upcoming premier of year two. A thrilling expansion of the prequels, Clone Wars is marred only by a rather lackluster feature film that may have turned off potential audiences from this exciting cartoon series. I have reviewed key episodes in the past noting how the program grew from episode to episode in both artistic ability and sophistication on writing (aside from the Jar Jar episode… what was up with that?).

Cad Bane

Last season’s finale gave use the terrifying bounty hunter Cad Bane who raised the bar for danger in the Star Wars Universe. From the tagline of the second season, it looks like things are going to get interesting.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Rise of the Bounty Hunters premieres Friday, October 2, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT)

Star Wars - Clone Wars Season 2

Coming off of the record-setting first season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Cartoon Network announced today it will premiere a full slate of 22 all-new episodes for season two of the critically acclaimed and top-rated CG-animated series from creator George Lucas and Lucasfilm Animation. The special one-hour season two premiere event of Star Wars: The Clone Wars airs Friday, October 2, at 8 p.m. (et/pt).
Star Wars: The Clone Wars has emerged as one of the preeminent animated series on television, combining the expansive scope of the Star Wars saga with exciting weekly adventures. During its first season, premiere episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network (Fridays at 9 p.m.) ranked #1 on all TV with boys 6-11. Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a thrilling, weekly 30-minute “mini-movie” created by the talented artists at Lucasfilm Animation.

Fierce battles, expanded storylines and ground-breaking animation raise the stakes in Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Rise of the Bounty Hunters. The lives of the Jedi become more complex as secret and forbidden relationships are revealed and a new breed of villain enters to take advantage of the wartime turmoil. Season two introduces these lawless rogues into the fray along with a host of new characters, locations and creatures. Set against the spectacular backdrop of the Star Wars universe, The Clone Wars is bigger, bolder and more intense than ever before.

Lucasfilm, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Lucasfilm Animation and related character names, vehicle names and properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

Spider-Man and Venom

Venom by Andre Holzmeister

(to view more art by Andre Holzmeister, please visit his website)

If Spider-Man is the flagship of Marvel Comics, I’m not exactly sure what that makes Venom. One of the company’s most popular characters, the tongue-lashing evil demonic symbiote has terrorized Peter Parker’s life for nearly fifteen years. The comic book character became an enormous hit in the early 1990’s, owing much to Todd McFarlane’s distinctive art style which gave Venom his signature monstrous identity complete with a toothy leer and claw-like hands.

A fairly straightforward blood-thirsty villain, Venom has undergone several changes in recent years; swapped hosts, become an Avenger and even faced off against ‘Anti-Venom.’ After appearing on the big screen in Spider-Man 3, you’d expect the dream of many 90’s Spider-Man comic fans would have been fulfilled but their favorite villain was treated so badly that they feel cheated. However, due to the enormous financial success of the third Spider-Man movie outing, almost everyone and his brother is now familiar with this formidable super villain.

Reportedly forced upon director Sam Raimi, Venom added very little to the third Spider-Man film story-wise and in my opinion played a lousy supporting role to two other evil characters. A crowded movie resulted in none of the villains coming off looking all that impressive which must have been quite a shock given the high quality of the first two films.

Venom movie?

Venom fans may have cause to rejoice as rumors become more solid about a Venom solo movie. What a movie based on a cannibalistic alien life form that attached itself to hoodlums would end up looking like I have no idea. Typing it out, it looks more like a Troma movie than anything else… or maybe a low budget direct to DVD Cronenberg film.

But understand this… if Marvel (or Sony Pictures who owns the rights to a Venom movie) want to win back any lost love from Venom fans they have to do two things; play it straight (no musical numbers) and respect the source material.

Hopefully they will read this short primer.

Secret Wars #8

Spidey’s new suit

It all started innocently enough in the maxi-series/action figure tie-in Secret Wars. A brand new costume was in the cards for America’s favorite wall crawler and it looked like nothing anyone would imagine a hero wearing. A slick black uniform with a very stylized spider-design, the new outfit won over some fans and deeply troubled others.

This was at a time when the entertainment industry was getting more violent and ‘edgier,’ making fans of nerdy Peter Parker no doubt worried that he would start talking tough and maybe packing heat. Their fears were not needed, however, as the living costume soon showed its true intentions, to bond with him permanently.

The suit had a few interesting improvements on the standard red and blue affair, such as the ability to morph into different outfits, blend into the shadows (aside from the giant staring eyes) and even produce its own webbing (goodbye pesky web shooters!). But it was also insane and determined to take over Peter’s soul. With the aid of Mister Fantastic, Parker found that the symbiote was sensitive to sonic vibrations. By hiding in a church bell tower as it tolled, the suit finally lost its grip and painfully dropped off… and onto another nearby host, Eddie Brock.

Eddie Brock

Eddie Brock was a tough and mean-spirited rival from the Daily Bugle until Parker exposed him as a fraud. This act cost Brock everything, forcing the once talented reporter to work for disreputable tabloids. After discovering that cancer was eating away at his body, Brock was at his wit’s end. While praying for guidance, the symbiote dropped from the rafters directly onto him. Unified in their hatred of Parker for ruining Brock’s life and rejecting the symbiote, the two merged into a single monstrous entity driven by rage called Venom.

cover to Birth of Venom

Far larger and stronger than Spider-Man, Venom is also more resilient. Perhaps the greatest advantage that Venom has over Spider-Man is that it has no limitations of morality.

This version of Venom proved immensely popular with fans (again, mainly due to McFarlane’s art). The intense violence of the villain was something new to readers of the comic and raised the bar for potential danger for the first time in ages. Starring in his own series, the villain even received a talking action figfure from Toy Biz that proclaimed, ‘I’m going to eat your brains!’ before it was recalled. Since the symbiote had bonded with Parker it retained much of the former host’s knowledge, including his secret identity, and was even able to block the much-vaunted spider-sense making Venom all but invisible to Spider-Man.

It’s debatable if the alien symbiote is evil at all. In one story it is hinted at that the adrenaline given off by its hosts has altered its chemistry, making it addicted to the chemical. It could be said that it brought out Parker’s baser nature and was so influenced by Brock’s distraught state of mind that it has become locked into a psychotic violent state. That being the case, its most recent host is the grand-daddy of bad news bears.

Venom (Mac Gargan) by Mike Deodato

Mac Gargan

After Eddie Brock discovered that his cancer had returned, he decided to sell the Venom suit in a public auction to the criminal underworld. The highest bidder was Angelo Fortunado, but the two minds did not mix well and in the end the symbiote rejected Angelo in favor of another, Mac Gargan – known as the Scorpion.

A private eye paid by J Jonah Jameson to uncover the link between Spider-Man and Peter Parker, Gargan became the guinea pig for an experiment destined to create a being strong enough to destroy the pesky webbed menace. Using the scorpion as a basis, the experiment was a success at granting Gargan super-human strength and endurance but also drove him into a violent frenzy. Apparently the process imprinted the evil nature of the scorpion onto Gargan. Donning a costume complete with stinger tail, he set out to destroy Spider-Man but failed on each occasion.

The melding of Gargan and the symbiote into Venom has resulted in one of the most relentless versions of the characters to date. While Brock showed some sense of decency from time to time and even teamed up with Spider-Man if needed, Gargan has been attacked his own team mates and even happily bitten off and eaten their body parts. This version of Venom seems to have found a perfect balance thanks to Gargan’s unusual brain chemistry. As a member first of the hero hunting group called the Thunderbolts and later the Dark Avengers, Venom has operated in much the same way as a heavy arms weapon brought out to deal with appropriate threats.

In recent years he has ripped off the Sub-Mariner Namor’s wings, slaughtered innocents and even eaten the god of war, Ares (Venom later spit him out). A force to be reckoned with he is also operating as Spider-Man, protector of NYC, by maintaining a semblance of sanity whenever possible.

Pop cultural impact and what’s next?

Developed into video games, action figures, cartoons and numerous clothing items, Venom’s demonic toothy grin has become very familiar to both comic book fans and youth culture who no doubt view him as a rebellious icon.

Venom in the upcoming Ultimate Alliance 2 next gen console videogame

It is very unclear what approach Sony Pictures would take in releasing a Venom movie but it is safe to say that a Venom film without Spider-Man is not impossible, but it would have to be very dark and very bloody. If the film makers have even the slightest notion of introducing the concept of redemption in this movie all they have to do is look at one picture of the slavering monster to see that there is no hope of turning back there.

Venom is pure evil.

Recommended reading
Spider-Man: The Saga of the Alien Costume
Spider-Man vs Venom
Spider-Man: Birth of Venom
Marvel Knights Spider-Man
Thunderbolts: Faith in Monsters
Spider-Man: New Ways to Die
Dark Avengers book 1
Dark Reign: The Sinister Spider-Man

The Dalek Wars

(Frontier in Space – Planet of the Daleks)

a classic Radio Times cover

As many readers of this blog may know, the Doctor is a renegade of his own people, driven to act where his race has refused to and right the many wrongs throughout space and time. After many adventures, however, he eventually was forced to face judgement for his actions by standing trial. As punishment for his constant interference, the Timelords exiled the Doctor to the planet Earth and removed the knowledge of how to operate the TARDIS ensuring that he would no longer be a nuisance. The tenth anniversary of Doctor Who saw the Doctor arrive to the aid of the Timelords who in a very uncharacteristic display of clemency, returned the Doctor’s freedom and knowledge of space-time travel. No longer restricted to the 20th Century Earth, the program was for the first time since 1970 a series of star-spanning adventure and it meant to utilize this fact to the fullest extent.

In many ways Doctor Who is a TV program of limitations. I have many times described it to others as Star Trek The Next Generation with the budget of Cheers and that comparison is not far off the mark. Nevertheless, the production staff of Doctor Who have a long standing tradition of working within the confines of their limitations to produce magic. However there are instances where the series attempted things that are frankly not within its ability.

A twelve part interlinking space opera is one of them.

a Draconian

Frontier in Space

Part of a series of stories exploring the future of the human race (including Day of the Daleks, the Mutants, and Colony on Space), Frontier in Space evolved from a script by fan favorite writer Malcolm Hulke (the same writer who gave us classics such as The Faceless Ones in 1967, and The Silurians and Ambassadors of Death in 1970). This is not his finest hour yet I still find the ideas expressed in the script rather interesting.

A unified government, the Earth Empire is encountering problems in space and at home. Riots erupting due to over-crowding take over the news while dissidents are shipped to prisons on the moon. Cargo ships are being assaulted in space, their precious grain stolen. The culprits seem to be the other major power base, the Draconian Empire, but the Draconians claim that their ships are being similarly attacked, by Earth ships. Am uneasy truce hangs in the air after a galactic war that has tempers still on edge since its conclusion. In short, both empires are teetering on the brink of all out war once again, but it all seems far to orchestrated to the Doctor who is searching for answers as to who could benefit from such a conflict.

Thrilling stuff, isn’t it!?

The trouble is that there is nowhere near the budget needed to support this story, leaving the viewer with very few actors in screen representing whole populations and rather embarrassing costumes and sets (the standard desk chairs as flight chairs on space ships and what look like wrestling uniforms acting as armor for the humans). The other problem is that there is not enough story to go round to fill the unbearably long 6 episodes. The Doctor and his companion Jo are captured and escape so many times that even they start making jokes about it. When the Master enters the story, it’s hardly exciting at all since he has been in so many adventures up till this point that he had lost his impact.

The Master (Roger Delgado)

That’s not to say Frontier in Space is a dud of a story but it comes very close.

Frontier in Space clips

Hulke had proven himself many times over as an imaginative writer and his insistence at portraying complex situations comes through… but is hampered by the President of the Earth decked out in a prom dress and all of the Draconians acting as if they are from the 1940’s. The story attempts to tell a tale about the manipulation of societies and how wars can be directed as well as fought but in the end it’s all very silly and childish. Additionally, Jon Pertwee’s sincerity as the Doctor only looks more bizarre against Delgado’s camp mincing. Their chemistry had worked so well in previous stories but here both actors appear to be enjoying the other’s company far too much for the program to be taken seriously.

The sequence where the Doctor is imprisoned on the moon as a radical is very interesting and the fact that he is forced out of his costume and into a prison outfit is rather startling since as a rule the Doctor remains in costume throughout his adventures. You also have to admire how much action the story provides for Pertwee, one of the most active and daring of Doctors in the program’s rich history. He fights powerful bruisers called Ogrons, trades laser blasts with Draconians, faces down a mythical monster blob-thing, even pilots a space ship and performs repair work in a spacesuit! I’m very curious to see if the upcoming DVD release will allow for CGi-enhanced footage that may liven up the visuals to the high drama of the script.

To add to the complexity of the script, the big reveal of who is manipulating the Draconian and Earth empires into war turns out to be none other than the Daleks. The reveal is actually quite exciting and I imagine had a big impact at the time. While the Draconian and Earth empires realize they were being fooled and join forces to root out the Dalek forces, the adventure fails to end in a complete conclusion and instead offers up a cliffhanger into the next story, Planet of the Daleks.

an unstoppable army of Daleks

Planet of the Daleks

The race of evil mutants determined to eradicate all other sentient life in the universe, the Daleks, make what could have been one of the biggest appearance on the TV screen in this 6 part epic. Last seen one year previous in the time-travel drama ‘Day of the Daleks,’ the pepper-pot shaped monsters challenged the third Doctor more than any other incarnation until the 2005 series which saw the Tenth Doctor square off with his nemesis once a year regularly.

The Doctor (Jon Pertwee)

This is ironic since actor Jon Pertwee despised the Daleks, finding them impossible to act against as they had no face to react to and could barely move. You have to admit, he had a point. For a traditionally comedic actor, Pertwee took the role very seriously and looked for ways to portray his character as believable as possible for the audience. There are many stories where this approach worked very well, such as the aforementioned Ambassadors of Death. But by and large his later adventures played out like live action comic books, Planet of the Daleks included.

A story that seems like a forgotten vintage movie serial, Planet of the Daleks is meant to act as follow-up to the previous story, Frontier in Space, yet there is very little connecting the two aside from the appearance of the Daleks in the last episode of the preceding adventure. Set on the planet Spiridon, the serial concerns the Doctor encountering a guerrilla squad of Thal soldiers sent to investigate the activity of the Daleks. It turns out that the Daleks have built a massive factory in the planet itself and are constructing the largest Dalek army ever, presumably in order to take over both the Draconian and Earth empires. By joining forces, the Doctor and the Thals thwart the Daleks’ plans and destroy their vast factory.

That’s really the whole plot, yet it drags on for 6 parts.

It can be a bit of fun for any fan of vintage Who or ‘old school’ sci-fi, but if you are ever trying to win over a friend… don’t show them this story. Another adventure with grandiose aims of epic proportions, the budget is simply not there and the result is disappointment at tiny model Daleks on a table top twitching back and forth to represent the ‘deadly Dalek army.’

There are some interesting moments, but this is a classic Terry Nation script from start to finish.  The same writer that had brought success to Doctor Who with his creation of the Daleks was beginning to show his limitations.  I don’t mean to be too hard on this story as I rather like it and very much look forward to watching it on DVD in November, but it is not the finest hour of the program nor the Pertwee era.

Frontier in Space clip

I have to admit that attempting to produce such a big story is noble, but I also realize that the result is rather poor. With all of the stories that were destroyed by the BBC, imagine how this would be regarded as a ‘missing’ adventure. I wager that it would be heralded a classic. As it is, this is an interesting specimen of Doctor Who of the early 70’s as it explored different avenues, something that it would do once again in recent years… with mixed results.

Personally, I prefer the historical adventures, but Doctor Who’s staying power depends on many factors, one if which is the rich variety of stories that it can tell. For that reason alone, you can rarely fault it for trying something bold.

The Inhumans

The Inhumans by Jack Kirby

The villainess Medusa was introduced as part of the infamous Frightful Four back in issue 36 of the Fantastic Four. A member of the dastardly group of villains devoted as much to evil as the FF upheld the virtues of justice, Johnny Storm saw that her heart was not in this ‘evil’ business. Allowing her to escape capture, Johnny soon met the incomparable Crystal who wooed the young flame being with her innocent charms. Mistaking Johnny for one of her race she led him into her safe house where the Inhumans dwelt, forever changing the fate of her people.

By allowing Johnny Storm into the Refuge opened up their hidden world to the race of humanity that had progressed so far since they and the Inhumans had occupied the planet together. In many ways, the human race had evolved very little past the cute primates that dwelt on the plains and picked nits off of each other while the Inhumans had built a vast culture in their hidden city. To be fair, the Inhumans had an advantage on humanity in the form of genetic manipulation.

A super army

Developed as a secret army for the Kree against their life-long foes the Skrull, the Inhumans were genetically engineered human beings. Abandoned as a failed experiment by the Kree, the forgot almost entirely of their pet project. Left without direction, the Inhumans lived on as a kingdom unto itself. Through the use of the Terrigen Mists in a sacred rite of passage, the Inhumans bred more of their kind. Their own failed experiments were declared subhuman and allowed to live as slave labor in the bowels of the city.

The royal family

The royal family of the Inhumans are a powerful force to be reckoned with.

The Inhumans by George Perez

Their leader, King Blackagar (also known as Black Bolt) is referred to as the perfect being. Able to manipulate the very electrons around him, Black Bolt is also cursed to eternal silence, his very whisper capable of shattering a mountain. To his eternal shame, his voice cost the sanity of his broth Maximus, driving the prince to madness.

Queen Medusa is capable of interpreting the very thoughts of her husband and acts as the King’s voice in all matters. A regal and stately personality, she is capable of controlling her hair as a weapon powerful enough to kill if necessary.

The martial combat expert Karnak is able to see the flaw in all things and use that knowledge to defeat any enemy. A master tactician, Karnak has protected the royal family through generations of conflict as a military adviser.

The giant Gorgon’s mighty hoofed feet cause shock waves that can collapse buildings but it is his short temper and strength that make him a deadly foe to the enemies of the Great Refuge. Always the first to react in battle, he is a primal creature that must be reigned in by his family.

The silent and sagely Triton must dwell in water to survive but his slippery and lithe form makes him a capable fighter. Wearing a special water-ballast suit on land, he is incredibly strong and powerful yet his nature is not that of a fighter.

The elemental manipulator Crystal bridges the gap between the Inhuman and human societies first by her romance with Johnny Storm and membership in the Fantastic Four and later as the bride of Quicksilver. It is this marriage that jeopardizes the safety of the Inhuman populace and sets in motion their next stage of development.

At last… war

War of Kings

Driven mad by the loss of his powers, Quicksilver uses his access to the Terrigen Mists to steal the crystals necessary in their creation. Embedding the crystals in his body, he flees the Great Refuge. Enraged by this violation, the Inhumans declare war on the world of man, breaking the bonds with the humans that had learned to trust them. This set them on a path of violence that continues to this day.

After the near Skrull Invasion of the planet Earth and the abduction of King Blacakagar, the Inhumans have accepted their place as warriors and carved out a kingdom on their home world of the Kree. Through the turbulent War of Kings with the Shi’Ar Empire, the Kree are now the ruling force in the galaxy. No longer the philosophers and seclusionist race of super beings, the Inhumans are now what they were always meant to be, a ruling family.

In November a follow-up series called Realm of Kings that will no doubt explore the ramifications of the catastrophic war between such super powered societies.

Recommended Reading:
The Inhumans: Marvel Knights
The Inhumans: Silent War
The Inhumans: Secret Invasion
The Inhumans: Road to War of Kings
War of Kings

Kamelion

Kamelion and the Doctor (Peter Davison)

Of the many companions that have traveled with the Doctor through time and space, only two have been robots… and one of them was a robot dog. The other was the shape shifting android from Xeriphas called Kamelion. Introduced in the 1982 story ‘The King’s Demon,’ the character is rather fascinating as a fiction and an invention. An actual working animatronic robot, Kamelion was programmed to recite dialog supplied by voice actor Gerald Flood.

Just stop and wrap your head around this one again, a science fiction program featured a real working robot! … sure, it mainly rolled its eyes, turned it head and moved its mouth but it worked!

The thrall of the Master, Kamelion was part of the mincing Timelord’s latest ploy to trap the Doctor by altering Earth’s history. Mentally controlling Kamelion’s will so that it resembles King John, the Master sought to alter the signing of the Magna Carte, drastically changing history as we know it. The Doctor thwarted his nemesis’ plan (of course) and even dabbled in some traditional sword play before departing, Kamelion in tow.

You may be wondering why no one ever talks about Kamelion if he is so impressive. The reason is that he only appears briefly in two stories. After it’s inventor died in a boating accident, there was no one available who could actually manipulate the robot, making it impossible to integrate into an adventure. A brief scene of Kamelion was shot for the Season 21 opener ‘The Awakening’ but was never shown (expect it to be included as an Easter Egg in a forthcoming DVD!). The story goes that a simple line of dialog became screams of shock and the decision was made to just remove the scene entirely.

However, Kamelion did get a rather exciting send-off adventure the following year in ‘Planet of Fire.’ Traveling to the planet Sarn where refugees of the planet Trion are living under the leadership of crazed religious fanatic Timinov (played beautifully by former Jason King – Peter Wyndgarde), Kamelion is at once taken over by the mind of the Master. Seeking to use his slave to destroy the Doctor, the Master manipulates Kamelion once again only to fail as the robot breaks free of mental control. Begging the Doctor to kill him, Kamelion is destroyed by the Master’s own Tissue Compression Eliminator, reducing the robot to a withered ash.

Kameleon box set trailer

It really is a shame that Kamelion did not work out, but to be honest the problem was not only in his actual workings. A robot that immediately came under the mental control of the strongest willed being nearby is not really much of an asset, is he? Nevertheless, Kamelion is a neat invention and an interesting idea to jazz up the role of the companion in Doctor Who. The current series, in my opinion, could use some of this innovation.

Kamelion at the Longleat Exhibition

(click here for more pics from the Longleat Dr Who Exhibition)

The Red Skull

The Red Skull by Lenil Francis Yu

Marvel Comics is known as the House of Ideas. One of the clearest ways of showing how great these ideas are is by looking at the quality of their super villains. Along with Doctor Doom and Magneto, one of the best super villains of all time has to be the Red Skull. With little more than his devious mind and near-limitless determination at achieving his goals, he has terrorized the Marvel Universe since World War II and will more likely than not continue to do so for many years to come.

A simple street thug, the Red Skull started his career of crime with the brutal murder of a young Jewish girl. A simple bellhop, Johann Schmidt was chosen by Hitler himself to be transformed into a symbol of the Nazi Party and all that it represented. Trained personally by the Fuhrer, the Red Skull led a series of military campaigns spreading havoc across Europe. The antithesis to Captain America’s message of hope and freedom, the Red Skull was a testament to the horror and brutality of war.

Much like his nemesis, the Red Skull was suspended in time due to exposure of an experimental gas. Revived by the evil organization called AIM (Advanced Idea Mechanics), the Red Skull was back in action, turning members of AIM to his cause. During the course of his re-introduction to the modern Marvel Universe it became known that he was responsible for the deaths of Peter Parker’s parents who died during a secret government mission. The Red Skull became a threat not just to Captain America, but to many superheroes, allying himself with other villains.

It’s interesting to note that most other villains despise the Red Skull due to his Nazi ties and find him to be a wholly disgusting individual. This is not exactly surprising as Magneto is a Holocaust survivor and Doctor Doom was raised by gypsies. Yet even those not touched by the destruction of the Nazi Party can recognize the same quality that Hitler saw when he looked into Schmidt’s eyes those many years ago. He has a dark soul, darker than the deepest pits of Hell.

Is that his real face?

Whereas the initial Red Skull wore a mask to appear to be a harbinger of death, he has on occasion become that same image. After transferring his mind into a clone of Steve Rogers’ body, he inhaled his own deadly dust and suffered the massive disfiguring scars of its poisonous effects.

Devious plots and mad schemes

The Red Skull’s plots at world domination are legendary, from his use of the three-part machine called the Sleeper to his dusts of death. Yet his modern approach has proven to be more subtle, often relying on long-term results. For instance, the Red Skull was a key component in the development of the replacement Captain America known as John Walker. He had Walker’s parents assassinated, striving to draw out the Marine’s darker nature and urging him to kill the real Captain America in the process.

Dead, but not forgotten

More recently, the Red Skull was shot by Bucky Barnes operating as the Soviet assassin ‘The Winter Soldier.’ Due to the close relationship that the Red Skull had with the Cosmic Cube, he avoided death and transferred his mind into that of Russian General Aleksander Lukin.

Pulling the strings from behind the scenes, the Red Skull engineered the death of Captain America. With the loss off its national symbol, the Red Skull has also steered the near total collapse of America through political manipulation.

Not content with killing his nemesis, the Red Skull and Arnim Zola were involved in a diabolical plot to trap Steve Rogers in time. The plot misfired and instead Rogers has found himself reliving key moments of his life as his consciousness struggles to escape a web of decades.

In the future…

In numerous glimpses into the future, the Red Skull has also been seen to play a key role. The most high profile of these appearances is probably in the ‘Old Man Logan’ story from Wolverine, due to be completed next month… hopefully.

Not a popular kid’s toy

Being a Nazi, the Red Skull has been given exposure very sparingly in cartoon format, often portrayed as a power mad villain without much of a political agenda. The exception is the appearance of the Red Skull on a rather fantastic Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends episode that fully embraced his Nazi past. Scarcer still are action figure depictions, again for understandable reasons. The skull head is attractive, but the swastika arm band is genuinely scary, more so for parents than kids.

Personally, I’ve always thought that the Skull’s Nazi past made him an even greater super villain since it has a basis in reality.

The big screen Skull

With a Captain America feature film on its way, I am thinking that we will soon be seeing a new version of the Red Skull on the big screen. Rumor has it that much of the movie, if not all of it, will be a period piece set in World War II. This approach has been attempted before in the universally derided Captain America movie from 1990 featuring an Italian fascist version of the Red Skull.

For a fictional world populated by super powered being attempting to protect the innocent, there are few things scarier than the Red Skull.

Krull (1983)

Krull

After Star Wars proved so popular and financially successful, it seemed that everyone wanted to be next. The result was not always pleasant, but it made for one of the weirdest eras of cinema as several studios released some of the weirdest science fiction and fantasy films this side of Zardoz.

One of the strangest films from my childhood has to be Krull. A British fantasy film with the trappings of Lucas-ish sci-fi opera, this movie bewildered me as it seemed to be part of a larger story. But there was no series of novels, no original version from the 50’s, no 2000 AD comic strip to hunt down… just Krull.

The story goes that Krull was intended to be a big budget Dungeons and Dragons film which makes a lot of sense given that the RPG was at the height of its popularity at the time. However, there were problems with the rights leading the filmmakers to figure out their own story, one that is so bizarre that even the trailer hints at a completely different premise.

At the time, this flick filled the void left between bigger budget epics with actual toy tie-ins, and provided some much-needed material for backyard play. Although I do recall reading about a kid who thought that he was the hero of Krull and whipped a pair of scissors through a window. You never can tell where a movie will take you, I guess.

Trailer

Our story

Beginning where many fantasies end, with the wedding of our hero and lady in distress, the evil forces of ‘The Beast’ arrive and kidnap the damsel from our hero’s arms. The Beast is the kind of monster that fuels a thousand nightmares. A giant claw, red-rimmed rheumy eyes and an open mouth full of fangs. His shocktroops consist of weird white-clad creatures called Slayers who appear to be almost bug-like in their behavior… but not much is ever done to explain what they are all about, kind of like the stormtroopers from Star Wars whom I had thought were robots when I first saw them.

Far-out visuals, neat characters and a cool weapon

Distraught, our hero Colwyn finds guidance from a wise old man who leads him to finding the ‘Glaive,’ something like the weapon that we would see many years later in the Blade movies, only it’s magical. The Glaive could easily be one of the coolest fantasy weapons out there. I vaguely recall a similar attempt involving a gigantic sword that shot one of its four blades out, but that was far too goofy.

Joining forces with a giant, shape shifter and a band of thieves and brigands, Colwyn embarks on the impossible task of defeating the Beast and retrieving his bride. Alongside the far greater number of opponents, the problem lies in the fact that the Beast’s lair moves freely as the sun rises. This involves seeking out the assistance of mystics and seers, magical horses and many other ideas that make this movie seems like a fever dream.

The visuals and ideas come so fast and furious but are accompanied by such wild action sequences that it kind of works. It’s like saying ‘we’re going to confuse you, but it won’t be boring.’ Just when you think it can’t get any weirder, Colwyn loses his Glaive in the Beast’s hide and uses mystical flame granted to him from his wedding ceremony to defeat the monster. Only the British could think up such an odd resolution.

Krull was full of great British actors as well (including Liam Neeson a young Robbie Coltrane), making the colorful characters that much more interesting.

That’s it??

The glory that is the Krull videogame

The tie-ins were few, including a disappointing video game and a couple of comic books. A world full of so many bizarre ideas should have spawned a million spin-offs but instead all we got was the one movie. Far too weird to remake, I wager it will stay that way.