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Marvelous May – And The Winner Is…!
Welp, Marvelous May has come and gone. And now, after all this, it’s time to announce the winner of this month-long fan-vote tournament. And so, our winner, and #1 Marvel Superheroine is…!
…GRANNY GOODNESS!!!
…Nah, I’m kidding, it’s Kamala. lol
And really, was there ever any doubt? This young woman has won the hearts of damned near every single person to read her book. She has earned her position as this generation’s favourite Marvel superheroine, a member of the Avengers, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and the winner of the 2016 Marvelous May fan-vote tournament of superheroines. So congratulations to Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel. 🙂
And a big hand for everyone else who competed, as well.
Aaaaannnd I’m pretty sure this’ll be the last time I ever do something like this. lol That said, I’m glad I did it, and I’m very thankful for everybody who voted. But, now that this is over, be sure to check back in for updates on my Nuzlocke run, as well as my thoughts on DC Universe Rebirth #1, AND one last send-off/rant for DC’s The New 52. Ja né!
Marvelous May – Captain Marvel vs Emma Frost
Well, it’s finally time, folks! Welcome to Marvelous May!
And thus, we can finally begin the fan-vote tournament of Marvel superheroines. And right off the bat, we’ve got one hell of a showdown that, to the best of my knowledge (and a quick Google search) has never been seen in the pages of Marvel Comics: Captain Marvel, AKA Carol Danvers, vs White Queen, AKA Emma Frost!
Captain Marvel
In a world of Mutants, aliens, Inhumans, Gods, other dimensional beings, and swallowers of entire worlds, there are few with the résumé of one Carol Susan Jane Danvers. Created in 1968 as a supporting character for Mar-Vell, the then Captain Marvel, she was an officer of the United States Air Force at the time, until a device belonging to an alien race, the Kree, exploded, and she was caught in the blast radius. But because this is a comic book, instead of doing the logical thing and killing her, the device, revealed to be a “Psyche-Magnetron”, melded Mar-Vell’s genetic structure with her own, effectively making her half-Kree. Finding herself with superpowers, she decided to take on the name of Ms. Marvel, though nowadays, following the death of Mar-Vell, she has taken up the alias of Captain Marvel. She’s able to absorb different forms of energy to boost her already impressive strength, speed, stamina, and reflexes, can fire the energy back out in photonic blasts, and can fly at supersonic speeds. She also possesses a seventh sense, wherein she’s able to predict her opponent’s next moves, and possesses immunity to a number of different poisons and toxins due to her mixed physiology. Beyond her abilities as Captain Marvel, though, Carol is also an experienced pilot and combatant, and has gained experience over the years as a leader, having led the Avengers at one point, and more recently working as the commander of the Alpha Flight Space Program’s Low-Orbit Space Station, Earth’s first line of defense against extraterrestrial threats. And just tossing this out there? Kelly Sue DeConnick’s run on Captain Marvel might just be one of my all-time favourite comics EVER, and I am eagerly (and admittedly nervously) waiting to see who Marvel Studios casts as Carol for her upcoming film, which will be the first stand-alone movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a female lead.
Emma Frost
To say Emma Frost’s alignment in terms of being a heroine or villainess has been complicated over the years would be a gross understatement. Needless to say, the White Queen’s no angel, whether as a member of the villainous and socially elite Hellfire Club, or as a high-ranking member of the X-Men. She is a skilled manipulator, thanks in part to her Mutant ability to read minds, though this can largely be attributed to her rather troubled upbringing giving her an overall lack of decency and morality. As such, she’s been known to do some rather…unethical things, like gleaning massive amounts of information from people, track others with psychic abilities, mind wipe and manipulate as she sees fit, and was caught having a telepathic affair with Scott Summers, AKA Cyclops, while he was still married to Jean Grey. However, she’s not without her good side, as she HAS helped the X-Men save the world on numerous occasions, whether it was appreciated or ever desired to begin with. And while romantic affiliation with Scott wasn’t without its more controversial moments, her feelings for him were largely genuine, and she has helped him however she could to get over his personal trauma and demons. In fact, she could get downright possessive of him to the point where, if you did ANYTHING to harm or insult him, she’d make you VERY sorry. She also has a secondary Mutation: She can coat herself in an organic diamond form to give her enhanced strength, durability, stamina, and immunity from other psychic abilities and attacks. The only downside is that she cannot use her own in this state, meaning she has to be able to identify and respond to threats appropriately using the right abilities. Oh, and as a side-note? If there is a more over-sexualized woman in the history of comic books than Emma Frost…I don’t know that I wanna meet them. lol
Anyway, voting on this match-up shall now begin. You have until May 8th, when the first bout of the second round begins, to vote in the comments below on who you want to see move on. Also, if you wanna know more about these characters, click the links below to learn all about their histories. And be sure to check back in for the next match-up: The Wasp vs She-Hulk. Ja né!
Marvelous May – The Finalized Roster
Well, the time is nearly upon us, folks. Jyger’s Rant’s first-ever fan-vote tournament will begin in four days. As such, it’s now time to reveal the final roster of heroines that will compete in this tournament. Here are the 16 individuals who will battle it out, with the winners determined by you, the audience.
Quake, Mayday Parker, Ms. Marvel, Storm, Wasp, Squirrel Girl, Emma Frost, Gamora, Rogue, She-Hulk, Jean Grey, Jane Foster, Spider-Gwen, Captain Marvel, Scarlet Witch, and Spider-Woman
And, after finalizing the roster, I also set up the tournament brackets to determine who will face who at the start of May.
And that’s everything. Be sure to check back in on May 1st as the tournament begins with Captain Marvel vs Emma Frost. Ja né!
Jyger’s Favourite 10?! – 10 BEST X-Men
Well, I talked smack about a vital part of the X-Men’s story in the Marvel Universe recently, so I suppose I should make up for that. lol As I said before, I actually really like the X-Men. I just feel their plight is one that doesn’t make a lot or even any sense when it exists as part of the Marvel Universe. But I STILL LIKE THE X-MEN. Don’t ever think that I don’t. As such, I’ve decided to do a Jyger’s Favourite 10 of the X-Men, but with a twist. These are not necessarily my FAVOURITE X-Men. Rather, let’s say that, in a hypothetical scenario, I was asked to put together a team of 10 X-Men for a mission. I would have no idea what the mission parameters would be, just that a situation has come up that requires an immediate response, and I have all of the X-Men to choose from for this team. I’ll do an article focusing on my favourite members later. And to further my point on this not being a team of heroes I necessarily like, let’s start off with the one I constantly complain about…
#1 – Cyclops
…No, seriously. Love him or hate him, the one thing you cannot deny is that Scott Summers is a born and bred leader, and for someone with a rather limited potential move pool (his optic blasts and martial arts), he uses both with his keen senses to great effect. As such, I really can’t avoid putting him on this team. And while he’s been known to clash hard with, say, one or two other individuals I’m going to be listing here, when a situation dire enough comes up, they’ve generally been shown to put their differences aside long enough to see the mission through. And just as a note, I would like to say that, while I prefer his Jim Lee designed 90’s gear, I actually really like the X shaped visor…even if I have no idea how the frak it’s operated. lol
#2 – Wolverine
He’s the best at what he does, and what he does ain’t nice. Regardless of if he has Adamantium or bone claws, regardless of if his healing factor is working or not, James ‘Logan’ Howlett has proven time and again to be a great asset to the team… … …well, when he’s not chasing down ghosts from his past, or getting hurled across the room by Magneto because he’s got a freaking metal skeleton (and yes, I HAVE seen the Pete Holmes Ex-Men videos). Still, even in the latter scenario, damned if his savage tenacity doesn’t get him back to his feet. Also, for someone who is so grumpy and an occasional loner, he’s been known to, on several occasions, be very protective of the younger X-Men, specifically Jubilee and the next person on this list…
#3 – Shadowcat
There are few superhero situations I can think of off the top of my head where someone who can phase through solid mass or even energy bursts wouldn’t come in handy. As such, Kitty Pryde has to be considered an asset to any team. Even people who personally dislike her see what she brings to the table and have brought her on board for that, like Emma Frost did in Astonishing X-Men. Of course, the problem is that Kitty at times has problems putting her own dislike of others that have hurt her or her friends in the past aside, regardless of what’s happened since. Again, like Emma Frost. Still, she does at least try to keep it down to witty banter when in emergency situations. Oh, and did I mention she’s got a freaking dragon protecting her, and is currently engaged to the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy, meaning she could call them in for help if need be?
#4 – Storm
I remember a scene from the 90’s Spider-Man animated series where Peter had to bring together a group of heroes, but could only call upon a single member of the X-Men. I forget what the actual behind-the-scenes reason for his choice was, but the one given on the show was she was so powerful that she could control the weather, meaning Spider-Man likely saw her as the most powerful member of the team. Now, some would argue that point, I’m sure, but there’s no denying that Ororo Munroe is at least in the top 5 for that position. Also, as the current headmistress of the Jean Grey School, she knows how to lead by example and keep a calm head in emergencies in order to get the job done. While she used to deal with a bad case of claustrophobia and emotional control, she’s been able to overcome both in order to ascend into arguably one of the Marvel Universe’s greatest heroes. And just for the record, she’s one of the few superheroines I can think of that can make the mohawk look work. lol
#5 – Colossus
…I’m not doing the stupid yell. XD With that said, I don’t know why the arcade game isn’t available on Wii U, but it’s something I’d like to see rectified in the future. But anyway, Piotr Rasputin is one of the most physically dominating and durable members of the X-Men, due to his ability to encompass his body in organic steel. Not to mention, there’s a reason Logan prefers to do the Fastball Special with Colossus, because this guy can throw like a freaking boss. With that said, I certainly hope the mission doesn’t take him anywhere near Wakanda, because apparently his body reverts back to normal instinctively when he comes in contact with Vibranium. So, never toss Captain America’s shield to him, I guess.
#6 – Rogue
I love Anna Marie. I really do. There’s something about her southern charm that just melts my heart. And before you say anything, I would just like to note that even my girlfriend loves her, too. lol Anyway, considering she can absorb and utilize the powers and abilities of anyone she comes in skin-on-skin contact with, it’s kinda hard not to see how Rogue can be useful in just about every situation that calls for superheroes. And while she used to be unable to control this power, requiring her to wear gloves in order to not suck the energy from anyone she touches, she’s since mastered it and can now freely touch… … …much, I’m sure, to the delight of most boys who grew up in the 90’s. XD
#7 – Dazzler
…Why do people not understand how awesome this character is? Alison Blaire can turn sound into flashing lights, holograms, and laser beams! That’s AWESOME! Honestly, I think the only reason anyone takes issue with her is the whole Disco Queen gimmick, and honestly, I’ve seen way worse and don’t mind it one bit. The only thing you’d wanna make sure of is that she isn’t put on a team where she might find herself teaming with Black Bolt, because his voice creates enough damage, I don’t need to know how much worse it could get if Dazzler turned it into a frakking Final Flash.
#8 – Iceman
Yeah, I know, Bobby Drake doesn’t exactly have the most creative codename ever. In fact, I wonder at times how many Vanilla Ice jokes have been thrown his way over the years. Still, can’t deny what he brings to the table. He can turn water to ice and manipulate both at his will, he can sense people through their body heat, and he can even encase himself in an organic ice form, so anyone hoping to get into a fist fight might wanna rethink that. The only real problem he has is that he’s believed to be a little afraid to tap into his full potential for whatever reason, due to a concern of losing control. Still, if and when that happens and he can keep his focus, look the frak out.
#9 – Nightcrawler
Yeah, I guess I might as well include the last of the playable characters in the X-Men Arcade Game in this list. lol Anyway, as anyone who plays Mortal Kombat can tell you, teleporters are awesome and generally have the edge in a fight, and Kurt Wagner fits that build. He knows how to make full use of his teleporting in conjunction with his master acrobatics and fencing in combat, and because his tail is prehensile, he can triple wield weapons if necessary. He’s also got night vision, can scale walls, and has an incredibly flexible bone structure. Of course, if you catch him, he has the same basic weaknesses as an ordinary human, and his teleporting requires him to see where he’s going or else he could conceivably materialize in a wall. But, all things considered, not the worst weaknesses for a guy like him.
#10 – White Queen
Well, I had to have a telepath on this team somewhere, and it was down to three: Psylocke, Jean Grey, or White Queen. I ultimately decided on Emma Frost because she seemed like the most well-rounded of the three, and while Jean ultimately has the most raw mental potential of the three, most of the times that she’s shown the ability to use it was when she was bonded to the Phoenix, and I don’t need to tell you what a problem THAT can be. The other reason I picked her, though, is because, depending on the situation, it can actually be a tad advantageous to have someone on the team that’s willing to bend a rule or two to get the job done. As a side note, I just gotta say this: If there is a more sexualized comic book character than Emma Frost in the history of ever, I don’t know that I wanna meet them. XD
Anyway, that’s it for my list of who I believe to be the 10 Best X-Men. Got your own list? Leave it in the comments, and be sure to come back when I list my 10 FAVOURITE X-Men. Ja né!
Jyger’s Favourite 5 – 5 Superhero Teams I’d Like To See In Marvel Post-Secret Wars
So, a while ago, I talked about characters I’d love to see make it into the new Marvel Universe when the dust settles and Secret Wars is over. As such, let’s talk a bit about some superhero teams I’d love to see either be a thing or continue to be a thing post-Secret Wars. Now, technically, we already know of one team that’ll exist, as we’ve learned that Captain America, Ms. Marvel, Vision, Ultimate Spider-Man, Iron Man, Nova, and Thor will be teaming up as the All-New, All-Different Avengers. But will that be the ONLY Avengers team? I highly doubt it, honestly. And frankly, there’s at least ONE other Avengers team that exists in the new universe. So, might as well start there. These are the five superhero teams I’d like to see in Marvel Comics post-Secret Wars, starting with the aforementioned Avengers team I’d like to see post-Secret Wars…
Potential Members: Captain Marvel, She-Hulk, Spider-Woman, Black Widow, Storm, Medusa, Angela, Wasp, Sif
As I’ve said before, a team of Marvel’s greatest superheroines? YES PLEASE! 😀 That said, while I get the feeling the version in Secret Wars will pretty much be damned near EVERY Marvel superheroine, I’m thinking the post-Secret Wars team should be a bit more streamlined. Captain Marvel, She-Hulk, or Storm would all be good choices to potentially lead the team, while the rest of the team should really be varied in terms of powers and walks of life. Of course, Black Widow works great as the least super-powered of the group, Angela or Sif would be good choices for representatives from Asgard, and there should at least be one Mutant and one Inhuman. And of course, there’s always room for long-time Marvel heroines like Wasp or Spider-Woman.
Potential Members: Steve Rogers, Thor Odinson, Rogue, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, Sabretooth, Quicksilver, Wolverine
Honestly, I see no reason to put the kibosh on this team. In fact, it might even be to the benefit of those that want to see Steve Rogers and Thor Odinson continue as key players of the Marvel Universe if they rejoined the team. Rogue, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, and Quicksilver all work as members too. As for Sabretooth, I can see him sticking around, though it may make things awkward if Wolverine DOES, in fact, return from the grave and rejoin his old team, considering their long and bloody history. And speaking of which…
Potential Members: Cyclops, Jean Grey, Havok, Beast, Emma Frost, Angel, Dazzler, X-23, Iceman
Would not shock me if, after Secret Wars, the All-New X-Men are more or less done away with, but that their future selves are influenced by their actions and thus end up in Cyclops’ camp. Would certainly make for an interesting scenario if Jean Grey, back in her adult form, was brought back, and now is on the same team as Cyclops and Emma Frost. Still, hopefully with the reboot, we can start to see Cyclops distance himself from his douchey and at times blatantly evil behaviour and try to make something better of himself. As for the other X-Men, well…
Potential Members: Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, Rachel Grey, Jubilee, Psylocke, Colossus, Pixie, Rogue
As I said before, I’m pretty sure the return of Wolverine is all but inevitable. As such, seeing him return to the X-Men would be a huge plus. And while I showed the logo for Astonishing X-Men, really, it doesn’t HAVE to be. It could be Amazing X-Men and be just fine. And, of course, all the big names in that particular camp of X-Men would be among its roster, though I wouldn’t be shocked to see some of the other students at the mansion and other X-Men join in from time to time. Now, while I would like to see Adjectiveless X-Men continue, there is one OTHER superheroine team I’d like to see get picked back up for the new Marvel Universe…
Potential Members: Valkyrie/Annabelle Riggs, Misty Knight, Dani Moonstar, Warrior Woman, Clea, Elsa Bloodstone, Ren Kimura, Nova (Frankie Raye)
I’m sorry, but I gotta know what the hell next happened with these characters! I haven’t seen them since the book ended, except for Valkyrie, and her appearances (that I’m aware of) didn’t allude to Annabelle or the team at all! Did they stick together? Did they split up? Are they still fighting Caroline and Morgana le Fey? Did Valkyrie, Annabelle, and Red get into some kinda twisted love triangle? Did they eventually end up fighting Galactus like Cullen Bunn wanted? WHAT’S HAPPENING?! lol
Anyway, those are five teams I’d love to see make it into the new universe. Got one that wasn’t here? Lemme know in the comments, and we’ll see what becomes of the Marvel Universe in September. Ja né!
Jyger's Rant 