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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 – Jane Foster vs Spider-Woman
Welcome back to Marvelous May, as the second round of the tournament continues! Next up, we’ve got Jane Foster, AKA Thor, vs Jessica Drew, AKA Spider-Woman!
What’s hilarious about this match-up is…remember what I posted at the end of Jane’s match-up with Quake?
Okay…I swear I wasn’t thinking of the possibility of this fight happening when I picked out this picture. I was not setting up for a joke with this, it just kinda happened. In fact, I feel bad that I didn’t set up for one, because I feel like I should have one here, and I got notta. lol
Anyway, with that outta the way, can I just say, for the record, how glad I am that Spider-Woman has a new costume nowadays? Her old costume was pretty much a punchline by the time she’d finally switched to the new one. In fact, it had gotten to the point where it was addressed IN UNIVERSE!
Granted, I have NO idea how she managed to fit into her new costume when she was pregnant. Granted, the jacket was oftentimes seen undone, but not always. At that point, she had to be bigger than me, and lemme tell you something: Unless her costume is made out of some super-stretchy material that I am not aware of, there is no Goddamn way I could EVER be able to get into her costume. I would probably break the zipper of her jacket trying to fit it around my root beer gut belly. I’m a big person. And she was PREGNANT. She had a whole other person inside her. HOW DID SHE DO THIS???
Speaking of new looks…has anyone else noticed how Thor Odinson, after losing Mjölnir, has basically become 90’s Aquaman? Seriously, look at them: The same beard and long hair, the loss of part of their left arm (granted, a little more in the case of Odinson), a somewhat gruffer attitude, and so on. And I’m not even saying that as a negative, either. It actually really works for him. And I gotta say, loving how he opted to replace his arm with a prosthetic made of the same material that went into the construction of the hammer. And yeah, I know, with recent events, it’s looking like they’ll finally solve the issue of the hammer by having him obtain the Ultimate Universe Mjölnir. I’m in favour of this, honestly, since it validates both Thors instead of one over the other.
Anyway, that’s all I wanted to talk about. And yes, from here on out, expect me to shoot the random shit in these articles now that I’ve already given the basic histories of the heroines. With that said, you can check out the links below to learn more after voting for who you think should win this match-up. And be sure to check in next time as we see who will battle in the third match of the second round. Ja né!
Marvelous May – Squirrel Girl vs Spider-Woman
Welcome back to Marvelous May, and today, one of the more unique heroines of the Marvel Universe takes on longtime Avenger and Carol Danvers’ BFF. It’s Doreen Green, AKA Squirrel Girl, vs Jessica Drew, AKA Spider-Woman!
Squirrel Girl
In all of the Marvel Universe, there is a heroine so dreaded, so feared, that even the greatest villains to ever to terrorize the universe dare not speak her name. That heroine is…The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl… … …Stop laughing, I’m serious. Doreen Green is a Mutant with a 3 foot long semi-prehensile tail, the ability to lift up to 25 tons, claws for climbing structures and griping onto objects, a rapid healing factor, and the ability to communicate with squirrels. And I know what every single person who has never read her comics is thinking right now: “How pathetic is this? She’s a human squirrel who can talk to other squirrels. This is the lamest superheroine ever!” Well, here’s the thing: Her first outing resulted in her rescuing Iron Man and defeating DOCTOR DOOM. YEAH, the guy who created Battleworld was defeated by this girl when she was just a teenager starting out. It wasn’t even a Doombot pretending to be him, either, it was the real thing. By swarming Doom’s aircraft with a massive legion of squirrels, all chewing up and tearing through the thing before attacking Doom directly, even the dreaded ruler of Latveria couldn’t handle the massive swarms coming at him. Since then, she’s actually joined a few different incarnations of the Avengers, as well as acted as a nanny for Luke Cage’s daughter, Danielle. Currently, she’s a member of the New Avengers, along with Wiccan and Hulkling, and her sidekick Tippy-Toe, who is, of course, a squirrel. Regardless of what team she’s on, though, the fact is that you should NEVER underestimate Squirrel Girl, as has been evidenced by her rather impressive record as having defeated opponents like Doctor Doom, Wolverine, Maelstrom, Deadpool, M.O.D.O.K., and most impressively, a clone of Thanos so perfectly replicated that even Uatu the Watcher was fooled…or so Thanos claims, anyway. I think he just was having trouble living it down. 😛
Spider-Woman
She is probably the most famous heroine in the Marvel Universe to use the Spider name and have not that much to do with Spider-Man. In fact, Jessica Merriam Drew was originally an agent of Hydra, the group that was once the rogue Nazi science division. For a while, she believed she was an actual spider mutated to be human. However, it was later revealed that she was given an untested spider serum and put in a genetic accelerator as a child to save her life from long-term Uranium poisoning, though the process wiped her memories of everything beforehand clean. On her first field mission for Hydra, Jessica disobeyed orders and defected. She later joined up with S.H.I.E.L.D. as one of their new agents, and has since become a member of multiple different factions and incarnations of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the Avengers. Along with superhuman strength, speed, durability, agility, reflexes, hearing, and flexibility, Spider-Woman has the ability to fire bio-electric ‘Venom Blasts’ to stun foes, can crawl across walls via electrostatic attraction, produce pheromones meant to intimidate, repulse, or even attract those that breathe them in, and is immune to just about all known venoms and toxins. Most recently, Jess has actually become a mother, and has chosen to continue operating as Spider-Woman, becoming both a full-time superheroine and a full-time single mother.
And let the voting commence! Be sure to get yours in before May 9th, when we find out which of these two will take on the winner of Quake vs Jane Foster. Also, feel free to learn more about these two via the links below, and check back in for the next match: Scarlet Witch vs Ms. Marvel. 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!
The NEW MU Books Confirmed Thus Far
While the official date for the release of the full Marvel line-up for the NEW MU (or All-New All-Different Marvel, whichever we’re calling it now) is July 1st, several titles have been confirmed over the past month, while others have been alluded to. As such, let’s take a look at some of these books, starting with…
As I’ve said before, this book will be the flagship title for the new line-up. This book will feature Tony pretty much having to work from the ground up to get to where he once was in his standing as both Tony Stark and Iron Man. The new Invincible Iron Man book will include a new suit with new abilities, new characters, and new resolutions on previous story arcs, as we’ll hopefully get the answer to the question that I’m sure has been on the minds of many the past few years: Is Tony Stark too far gone after everything he’s done, or can he redeem himself for his misdeeds? It’s hard to say, but then again, consider that Tony Stark was first created as a character that no one in that time period would like and then would be forced to sympathize with. In addition, thanks to modern interpretations of the character (in large part, the first of the Marvel movies), Iron Man is ultimately the story of a man who, when his eyes were opened to the terrible things he’d done, strove to better himself as a result. As such, if anyone could come back from these things, it’s Tony Stark… … …Let’s just hope that, while he remains the magnificently snarky bastard we know, he remembers to stay sober, not indulge in petty fights with his fellow heroes, and for God’s sake, keep his friends in the know about what he’s ACTUALLY doing in certain situations. lol
Not gonna lie, I don’t really know much about Squadron Supreme. Everything I DO know is stuff that I’ve learned on wikis, or have been told by fans, comic enthusiasts, and a certain internet personality. Apparently, they come from another world in the Multiverse, although the team has been rebooted and had their stories retold on other Earths beyond that. A lot of the members are analogues for members of the Justice League (Hyperion is Superman, Doctor Spectrum is Green Lantern, Power Princess is Wonder Woman, Nighthawk is Batman, etc.). Also, some of their stories and their history can be seen as What If-type stories of the Justice League without using their trademarked names and whatnot, such as crossovers with the Avengers, and were the first to really look at things like what if heroes used their powers to forcibly turn their Earth into a paradise, long before there was an Injustice: Gods Among Us, or even Watchmen. But, that’s about all I know about the team, and I really know dick all about the individual members. As for this book, all I know is that the members on this team come from the various incarnations of Squadron Supreme seen throughout the Multiverse and are now forced to work together in this new world. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how this set-up develops, but I don’t know if it’s necessarily for me.
Again, thank goodness this book is sticking around. However, despite the fact that this is getting a new #1 issue post-Secret Wars, I’m still gonna be checking out the current book. If for no other reason, but because it helps to introduce the new character and member to the team, Singularity. Plus, it’s a good way to see how this team will gel together. With that said, can I make maybe one or two comments regarding this team? I don’t know why Nico is wearing a muumuu, but unless you’re going for the witch-like look, it doesn’t work. And even then, I feel like she should be wearing a hat or hood, just to complete the look. Also, I get this isn’t an issue with this book specifically, and it’s just the direction the character has been taken lately, but the goth look for Dazzler irks me. I mean, if it was just her being angry about what Mystique did to her, fine, I understand that completely, but I thought when she chose not to kill her in the end, that was the end of that. Plus, looking at this team, it would make them a bit more varied in colour if she was in her old look. But I’m still looking forward to this. Also, wouldn’t mind seeing Spider-Woman or Misty Knight join the team to make it a magnificent seven.
This was something that was teased a little while ago, but now we’ve got confirmation on this new Hulk. The name of the book threw me a bit, but apparently, this new Hulk is someone who is VERY excited about the role, so that makes a bit more sense. The weird thing is that both his face and his arm are blacked out in this preview, which has led to some speculation about who it could be. The obvious candidate seems to be Amadeus Cho, given his background, the hairstyle shown, and a few other reasons that’s been brought up, but we’ll see what happens. Incidentally, though, I should note that it’s been confirmed that Maestro, the possible future evil Hulk, is gonna be sticking around post-Secret Wars, so between that and this reveal, that suggests that Jen might be needing to use that cure on Bruce Banner pretty soon after all. Also, if there’s a new Hulk in town, wonder if we’ll be seeing him in this next book…
Yup, the team I will not shut the frak up about. lol I can’t help it, I’m excited about this book, and this team. It’s diverse in nationalities, powers, ages, and just overall walks of life. The only thing I find myself wondering about is how this team is gonna be at its most effective if Tony Stark won’t be funding and supplying them with money and equipment. Apparently, they won’t even have Avengers Tower, although really, that is like painting a giant bulls-eye on the island of Manhattan for their enemies…even though they tend to attack New York most of the time anyway. Also, I’m curious to know if this means Kamala told her parents about her superhero life, since I can’t imagine her being a full-time member of the team and doing her own patrols of New Jersey without telling them or having a really good cover story… … …I kinda want her to tell them, just because I wanna see her mom’s reaction. XD
So, according to Bendis, because of course he’s writing this book, Miles Morales is the main protagonist, while Peter Parker will act as his mentor. Personally, if they’re going the direction of having Miles be the primary Spider-Man from here on out, having Peter mentor and guide him is a good idea. The thing is, while Miles has been Spider-Man for at least a little while now, he’s never really had any kind of formal training as a superhero, having to pretty much pick it up as he goes with only his knowledge of how Peter worked previously in his universe. Peter Parker, meanwhile, not only got training with his fellow heroes, but he took what he learned from Shang-Chi and Steve Rogers and used these new moves in tandem with his powers to create the Way of the Spider. Given Miles’ own unique abilities (invisibility and venom sting, if he could merge them with the Way of the Spider, it could potentially prove even more effective in his hands. Plus, it’ll be interesting to see how Miles adapts to this new world and how he stacks up against Peter’s rogues gallery, who, while similar to the villains he knows from his Earth, are nonetheless different in a lot of ways.
Speaking of the Spiders of the Marvel Universe, Spider-Gwen’s solo title is confirmed to return. I say return, because Spider-Gwen #5 was the final issue of the first volume of her book…which I didn’t know about until I got to the very end of it. Granted, I understand the need to start whole new volumes for each series in this new universe, but goddamnit, Spider-Gwen JUST GOT STARTED. The new volume even has the same creative team, thank God. Hell, she’s not even part of the mainstream universe, she’s gonna be dimension hopping between her Earth and the new one. Which, FYI, for anyone saying that the Marvel Multiverse is just gonna completely up and disappear, just remember that Marvel counts EVERYTHING in the Multiverse. Well, the movies aren’t ending, the TV shows are still airing, and Spider-Gwen’s Earth is gonna be sticking around, so it’s not disappearing. It might be SHRINKING, it might have some worlds disappearing and combining into new worlds, but it’s not going away completely. But anyway, I’m just glad this book will be back post-Secret Wars. And hey, it’s nice knowing that at least one alternate take on the Spider-Man mythos will be sticking around full-time…Still, can’t we at least make some kind of distinction from the first book, so that, in the future, people looking for the first issue of the first volume don’t accidentally pick up the new #1? I know I started calling the book Gwen Stacy: The Insert-Cool-Sounding-Adjective-Here Spider-Woman as a joke, but at this point, I think I’d take it.
Another book I’m super happy to see that is confirmed to be returning is Captain Marvel, with Carol Danvers as the titular cap. Unfortunately, it seems that Kelly Sue DeConnick isn’t sticking around to write it post-Secret Wars, which makes me a little sad. She’s the one who has helmed the book since Carol took over the role. She’s a big part of the reason we have a movie starring the character scheduled. Still, good to see Carol returning in all her badass glory, with her regulation haircut back, her costume getting some minor updates, and apparently running her own orbital defense space station. Also, for worried feminists, don’t, it’s being written by Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas. If you don’t know who they are, I’ll give ya a hint: Agent fucking Carter on ABC. We’re gonna be fine, folks. lol
Yeah, you had to know that, with this guy getting a movie soon, he was gonna have a solo book. According to Jason Aaron, when he was talking to Entertainment Weekly about the new book, he and Chris Bachalo “wanted a Doctor Strange who was always having to work for what he gets,” and that “Strange has to worry about repercussions” because “We’re talking about the forces of magic. So whatever he does has repressions.” This is probably the reason why we’re seeing him use more basic weapons and tools in artwork for the new book and his post-Secret Wars situation in general: When the best weapon at his disposal has a big risk factor to it with multiple possible bad ends to using it, it’s best to keep it as a last resort. It’s like Willow in Buffy The Vampire Slayer after she went bad, having to lean on her other skills as to not abuse something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Granted, the two are doing it for somewhat different reasons, but it’s still a comparable scenario. Hopefully, like Iron Man, we see more of Strange looking back on certain past mistakes (mind wiping Steve Rogers, for example) and trying to make up for them.
Other than these, we know that Ms. Marvel will get a new volume, that there’ll be a couple of books focused on S.H.I.E.L.D. and its members, there’ll be solo books for Drax and Gamora, that there will be an Uncanny Inhumans book, and that there’ll be at least one X-Men book, probably multiple knowing that brand. Also, given the characters presented on the banners we saw a while back, we can probably expect books for Captain America, Spider-Woman, Daredevil, Thor, Ant-Man, Black Panther, and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Lastly, I’m willing to bet that there’s at least one or two more team books planned, since I don’t know what else Red Wolf and Citizen V are doing, with at least one other Avengers team present besides the All-New, All-Different Avengers, and that we may see the returns of Groot, Black Widow, and Team Hawkeye and their books, since they seem to be doing pretty well thus far. There’s also been this teaser for something potentially involving Venom, with the words “I’ve returned” present…which doesn’t seem to bode well for Flash Thompson. o.O
Anyway, what kind of books would you like to see released in the All-New, All-Different Marvel? Lemme know in the comments section below, and we’ll see what appears on the list on Canada Day. Ja né!
Welcome To Marvelous May + Jyger’s Favourite 5 – 5 Marvel Characters That Should Have Their Own Netflix Series
Fans of my blog, Marvel Comics fans, fans of the Avengers movies, etc, welcome to Marvelous May.
This whole month is gonna be dedicated to Marvel-based stories, news, lists, and so on. And, since Avengers: Age of Ultron is out today (and no, I haven’t seen it yet, and if you spoil it for me, I know a guy in town with an Iron Man suit who can kick your ass, lol), might as well start off by talking about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Specifically, let’s talk about the Netflix exclusive series they’ve been making. As you probably know, a recent change to the original plan they had for the series has occurred. Whereas there were originally going to be four characters (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist) with their own series with approximately 13 episodes each, which would lead to a 4-8 episode series for the Defenders, the plan has changed in that Daredevil apparently did so well that it’s been renewed for another season. Which, I gotta imagine, was a little stressful for the creators of the show. I mean, they had this show they were so proud of that was primarily meant the launching pad for this bold new plan, and the people looked at it and went “That was amazing! What are you guys gonna do for Season 2?” And the creators were like “… … …Oh shit.” Because what do you do? Do you compromise your original plan and go about the process of making a whole second season, or do you tell them no? And frankly, if you tell the audience no when they want more of something they thought was good, you run the risk of losing that audience.
Regardless, though, the point remains that the original plan has been slightly compromised, but in a good way, where we can see that this strategy for the Marvel Cinematic Universe is working. So, with that said, one has to wonder if this means they’ll be considering adding more to the plan. Specifically, more characters with their own series. So, with that said, time for another Jyger’s Favourite 5 as we look at 5 Marvel Characters That Should Have Their Own Netflix Series. As usual, for the benefit of people new to this blog, these are in no particular order. Also, Black Widow is not here simply because I think she should instead have her own MOVIE, not TV show. With that said, let’s start with the one I keep saying they should do…
#1 – She-Hulk
Seriously, how was this not part of the initial game-plan? Superhero shows are hot, courtroom dramas are hot. So, mix the two and see what happens! Plus, we’ve got Daredevil, who is a lawyer by day, meaning you could potentially cross over with the two outside of the big one planned. And, it would create a great contrast between the two, with Daredevil being a far darker and edgier series about a lawyer who is a superhero, whereas She-Hulk would just have fun with the concept. Plus, think of the guest stars you could have by, say, having one of the Avengers (Tony, most likely) getting sued. You can do all kinds of weird and wacky stuff with that concept, and still have a viably good show. On top of all of that, there’s just the great contrast between the personas of Jennifer Walters and She-Hulk, which is VERY different from Bruce Banner and the Hulk. Whereas Banner can be afraid to let the Hulk out and feels the need to leash the beast, Jennifer can sometimes feel like the She-Hulk persona is needed to do the things she can’t, but at the cost of her sense of self-worth (at least, that’s what I took away from Dan Slott’s run with the character, which FYI, he’d need to be a creative consultant for the series).
#2 – Spider-Woman
Now that Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures have a deal, there’s no more concern as to whether this character can appear in this universe. And thank goodness, too. With the reveals made in Captain America: The Winter Soldier regarding S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, it would actually be cool to see a character that was on both sides of the spectrum at one point or another, to learn more about how Hydra continued to exist for so long without S.H.I.E.L.D.’s knowledge, even infiltrating its organization. And then there’s the aspect of Jessica herself, especially at this point in the MCU, where S.H.I.E.L.D. officially doesn’t exist anymore, with its agents now having to operate even more clandestinely than ever, and where she fits into that, and if she even wants to work as a spy anymore, or if she’d prefer to be a hero that helps people more in the open. With that said, though…I’m think it might be best to use a modified version of her current costume. Or, if nothing else, alter the old one so it isn’t quite as skin-tight and doesn’t have the frigging arrow pointed down at her crotch. lol Seriously, who the hell designed that? I mean, I like the colour balance, but that’s about it.
#3 – Hawkeye
Again, I haven’t seen Age of Ultron at the time of this writing, but I have heard a few details, specifically as it pertains to the character of Hawkeye. Let’s just say we learn some interesting details regarding Clint Barton that would be cool to explore. And seeing as how the movies don’t seem keen on exploring them much farther than shown in this movie, the options seem to be to either have him be a guest character in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or have him get his own Netflix series. And frankly, the latter would also open the door for Hawkeye related characters to appear, like his brother Barney, AKA Trick Shot, the super-villain Crossfire, his ex-wife Mockingbird, and even his eventual successor Kate Bishop. On top of that, it’d be a great character study for Clint, looking at how he feels being on a team with a god, a super-soldier, a near-invulnerable gamma radiated man, and a genius with his own high tech mech suit, and if he feels in any way inadequate compared to them.
#4 – Ms. Marvel
I’ve actually heard rumours they may be at least considering doing a live-action adaptation of this character. If they do, all I ask is that, for the love of God, don’t white wash her, and PLEASE have actual Pakistani-Americans writing for the show. Hell, have G. Willow Wilson on board for this. If Geoff Johns can do the DC shows, I’m sure it wouldn’t be problematic to have her for this. Beyond that, I would also suggest holding off on it. Like, a lot. In fact, might even be a good idea to wait until after Inhumans hits theatres, considering that she is one of them after all. And it might be a good idea to aim this at a SLIGHTLY younger audience (not LITTLE kids, just younger), thus allowing Kamala to be their stand-in as a young person entering this oftentimes insane world.
#5 – The Mandarin
Okay, in my personal opinion, and I know I’m gonna get crap for this, the decision to make the Mandarin in Iron Man 3 just an actor playing a role was actually a good call. It plays well into the overall theme of the movie. It also works even better that it turns out, via a one-shot in the Blu-ray release of Thor: The Dark World, that there was a REAL Mandarin that’s been hiding in the shadows whose name was stolen by Aldrich Killian and used by Trevor Slattery, and that this individual is VERY unhappy with that. As such, we have our cake and eat it too. People who like the twist in Iron Man 3 don’t have that taken away, and fans of the character from the comics get what they want. So, why not explore that? See what his real schtick is, and establish him as a character and a legitimate threat for either Iron Man, the Avengers, or the Defenders to have to fight later on. Again, everybody wins.
Anyway, those are five characters I think should get Netflix series. Got one that’s not on here? Lemme know in the comments below, and we’ll see how things develop over the years. Ja né!
Jyger’s Favourite 10?! – 10 Characters That NEED To Survive Marvel’s Secret Wars
I’ve recently posed the same scenario to a few people, just out of curiosity: Let’s say Marvel came up to you and asked who you felt 10 must-have characters are that need to survive Secret Wars and exist in the new Marvel Universe. Who would be on your list and why? The reason I ask this is because…well, let’s face it, after Secret Wars is over, and the Marvel Universe is rebooted, things will be VERY different, and it’s entirely possible that not everyone in the Marvel Universe that we know and love now will make it into the new one. And frankly, it’s not just who gets in, but which version of what characters get in. For example, let’s say Tony Stark makes it through to the post-Secret Wars universe, which he probably will. It could be any version of Tony throughout history and across the Multiverse, or a brand new take on the character. Hell, it could be a complete cut and paste of Robert Downey Jr.’s take on the character…which I’d actually be perfectly okay with, by the way. But yeah, point is, there’s no way to know, and a lot of people could potentially be losing some of their favourite characters with this reboot. As such, I’ve decided to list the 10 characters I feel need to survive Secret Wars, though I should note that I won’t be including any that are currently part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as I would imagine their positions are secure. So yeah, thankfully, I don’t see Carol Danvers going anywhere anytime soon. ^_^ So, let’s start off with the one that you all probably know I couldn’t stand to have the Marvel Universe be without…
#1 – Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel
…Yeah, I have a confession to make: For many years, Stephanie Brown has been my favourite superhero. While I wouldn’t say that she’s been usurped, if there was ever a hero in a position to possibly do so, it’s Kamala. She’s simultaneously able to reach out to a minority group, AND be extremely relatable to lots of people: She’s a geek, she writes fanfiction, she has trouble relating to her family, standard teen issues, non-standard teen issues (see aforementioned family), a good sense of humour, a love of superheroes, and a desire to be like them. Plus, while she isn’t always the most successful heroine at her job, she nonetheless keeps trying, learning new ways to use her powers and getting better at being a superhero, thus earning the praise of Wolverine and Spider-Man. She’s a very inspiring hero as a result. It’s really no wonder the trade paperback for issues 1 through 5 did as well as it did, ranking #2 on the New York Times Best Seller list. And frankly, we know that Marvel is always looking for ways to make money, so keeping Kamala around as Ms. Marvel is a must. Failing a solo book, however, she should at least be on a team, possibly a new version of the Young Avengers, or even a sort of Young Inhumans book.
#2 – Miles Morales, AKA The Ultimate Spider-Man
Honestly, I attribute the Ultimate Universe surviving for as long as it did to its Spider-Man books, and to be perfectly frank, I loved how they handled the death of Ultimate Peter Parker (or DID he?), and the rise of Miles Morales as his successor. Much like another entrant on this list, Miles takes a lot of what works about Peter’s character and goes in a somewhat different direction with it, but nonetheless in a way that works. He’s actually younger and more awkward than his predecessor was when he first got started, and his powers are just different enough that he’s a very unique Spider-Man. Plus, hey, we gotta keep SOMETHING from the Ultimate Universe around…although it’s a pity that it seems we’ll probably never get resolution on whether the Peter that he teamed with recently was the real thing or a clone. As for what to do with him…well, there’s a few options. One is that he could replace mainstream Peter as Spider-Man for the most part, with Peter acting as a mentor/occasional partner in action. Two, they could both operate as Spider-Man, working both as partners and with Miles working with my aforementioned Young Avengers idea. Or three, there IS seemingly an opening for the role of Scarlet Spider, with Kaine’s apparent death (still not 100% sure about that, but whatever), that Miles could fill in. But speaking of Multiverse Spiders…
#3 – Gwen Stacy, AKA The Insert-Cool-Sounding-Adjective Spider-Woman
Like with Miles, Spider-Gwen is able to take elements of what makes mainstream Peter’s character work and pull it in a new direction. In this case, it’s taking those elements and applying them to a character we sort of already know, but isn’t EXACTLY the same. As such, she’s a wonderful blend of the familiar and the fresh. However, here’s where there could be a problem. You see, as far as I can tell, all the worlds left in the Multiverse are getting merged together into Battleworld for Secret Wars, and that, following the event, Battleworld will be transformed into the new Earth of the new Marvel Universe. I’m not 100% sure where that leaves Gwen and her radically different world, where characters we know and love have a lot about them that are different (Daredevil actually WORKS for Kingpin). And true, I could say the same for the Ultimate Universe, but this one is far more fresh and new to the reader, with a lot of possibilities left undiscovered and unrealized. It’d be a shame to toss it all aside. That’s why I’m hoping that this world at least remains part of its own universe, and that we don’t see the COMPLETE collapse of the Multiverse. Plus, say she was made part of the main Marvel Universe. What would we call her? I know her book is called Spider-Gwen, as is she by fans, but I think calling herself that in canon would kinda compromise the whole secret identity thing. lol
#4 – James ‘Logan’ Howlett, AKA Wolverine
Of all the people that aren’t in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is probably the one that’s the biggest no-brainer in terms of who will be making it into the new universe. And let’s be honest, you and I both know Logan’s coming back. As I’ve mentioned before, though, I hope we aren’t put in the same position we were in with the character prior to his losing his healing factor. I mean, he can have it, that’s fine, but there needs to be a limitation to it. He can’t be INVINCIBLE. Otherwise, you eventually lose interest in reading about him, because he can shrug off anything villains throw at him. Sure, just because he’s able to recover from anything doesn’t mean he’ll always win, but it certainly increases his overall success rate. And it’s not like he shouldn’t be able to win, it’s that we should have some tangible threat/concern-level so that it’s not a given that he’ll come out on top. That way, we can feel all the better for him when he does.
#5 – Ororo Munroe, AKA Storm
Another member of the X-Men, and like Wolverine, I just can’t see the new Marvel Universe without Storm. She’s just been too important a character for too long for her to just completely vanish. She’s also one of the most powerful Marvel Superheroes, to the point where I’ve often wondered why she only spent a VERY short tenure with the Avengers. Granted, I think that she’s currently best served as the leader of the all-female Adjectiveless X-Men, but there’s nothing saying she can’t pull double duty. Hopefully, A-Force does in fact stick around post-Secret Wars, and Storm can be one of the primary members.
#6 – Anna Marie, AKA Rogue
…Yeah, as I’ve made clear on a number of occasions, I’m a big fan of the Southern Belle known as Rogue. As both a high-profile X-Man and a founding member of the Uncanny Avengers, she has proven to be a force to be reckoned with, no matter who she’s fighting. One touch is literally all she needs to turn the tide of battle. Her touch can even be lethal, though…let’s face it, with most of us, it’s worth the risk. Honestly, though, I kinda wish they hadn’t undone her getting past that by merging her with Wonder Man, and I hope this can be fixed later. And frankly, while we’re on the subject of wishes, I wish that Rogue could appear in the MCU in her more badass self, because if Fox ain’t gonna do it, I know Marvel Studios would be more than happy to. ^_^
#7 – Norman Osborn, AKA The Green Goblin
I felt compelled to put in at least one villain. Granted, with the next new Spider-Man reboot on the way, I would imagine Green Goblin will eventually play a role, but it’s not set in stone just yet. And because Norman Osborn’s Green Goblin persona is one of the most scheming, conniving, and morally bankrupt villains in all of Marvel, who has not only had a number of memorable encounters with his arch-nemesis Spider-Man but with the Avengers as a whole, I feel that he’s a must among villains to make it into the new Marvel Universe.
#8 – Jessica Drew, AKA Spider-Woman
Admittedly, this is one that could very easily turn out to be in the MCU, as rumours are afloat that she may appear in AKA Jessica Jones, but since nothing’s finalized yet, and it wouldn’t be a huge role, I feel justified placing Spider-Woman here. She’s an integral part of the Marvel Universe, having worked for the Avengers, the Secret Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., S.W.O.R.D., the Spider Army, the Lady Liberators, and even HYDRA for a time. In short, she’s had long-term interactions and relationships with multiple characters across the Marvel Universe, to the point where it would feel odd to see her not present in the new one, like it were incomplete. Besides, she just recently decided to pursue a whole new solo career in a new Batgirl of Burnside-esque costume. I’m sure plenty of people would love to see where that takes her.
#9 – Jennifer Walters, AKA She-Hulk
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m left wondering why the hell this character ISN’T part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I digress. To be completely honest, I actually like She-Hulk a lot more than the Hulk. And no, it’s not because she’s a woman…though that helps. lol I guess I just find the relation between the Jennifer and She-Hulk personas more interesting, her civilian job allows her a unique perspective of the Marvel Universe and the people in it, and…well, Bruce Banner in the comics has become kind of a dick lately. It’s actually weird seeing him behave like that in the comics, and then in the movies, he’s potentially shacking up with Black Widow. And yeah, I will admit that She-Hulk being a super strong, super sexy woman helps, but what helps a lot more, and I really mean this, is that she’s super strong, super sexy, AND super smart, meaning she has the complete package.
#10 – Flash Thompson, AKA Agent Venom
Again, this is someone who could very easily turn out to be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he isn’t yet, so no guarantees about his status post-Secret Wars. I think what I like most about Flash Thompson being Agent Venom is that here is a guy who used to be a colossal dickhole to Peter, who enlisted in the military, lost his legs in a heroic fashion, and has evolved into someone you could easily see becoming a competent anti-hero who has even joined the ranks of the Secret Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy (which, btw, I hope to see happen someday in the movies). And again, it’s familiar powers and a familiar character, but done in a different way. Love it.
Anyway, that’s it for now. Next time, I’ll talk about what superhero teams I’d like to see in the post-Secret Wars Marvel Universe, and who I’d like to see on each one. Ja né!
Jyger's Rant 