Blog Archives
Marvelous May – THE FINAL MATCH-UP
Welcome back to Marvelous May! Well, it’s that time, folks. We started with 16…
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 we’re now down to the last two superheroines standing. It’s time to find out which two will take each other on for the crown of Marvelous May’s #1 Superheroine. First up is Jane Foster, AKA The Mighty Thor!
Real Name: Jane Foster
Alias: Thor
Height: 5’7″ (5’9″ as Thor)
Weight: 135 lbs (450 lbs as Thor)
Occupation: Adventurer, Asgardian Goddess of Thunder, Doctor
Current Affiliation: All-New, All-Different Avengers
Powers: Superhuman strength, superhuman speed, superhuman durability, superhuman stamina, self-sustenance, healing factor, electrokinesis, flight, energy projection, weather control
Created By: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby
Debut: Journey Into Mystery #84, 1962
Portrayed By: Natalie Portman (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Kari Wahlgren (Avengers EMH), Peg Dixon (The Marvel Super Heroes), Elizabeth Maxwell (Lego Marvel’s Avengers)
…And her opponent, one of the single-most fan favourite superheroines of this era, Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel!
Real Name: Kamala Khan
Alias: Ms. Marvel
Height: 5’4″ (variable)
Weight: 125 lbs (variable)
Occupation: Adventurer, High School Student
Current Affiliation: All-New, All-Different Avengers
Powers: Elongation, appearance alteration, size alteration, accelerated healing factor
Created By: Sana Amanat, Stephen Wacker, G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona
Debut: Captain Marvel #14, 2013
Portrayed By: Ashley Burch (Lego Marvel’s Avengers), Priyanka Chopra (Marvel Avengers Academy)
And thus, let the voting begin! And for this, the finals of the tournament, you can now vote on the final match-up by replying to the links to it on Facebook and Twitter. You have until May 31st, when this year’s Marvelous May ends with the reveal of the Marvelous May #1 Superheroine of 2016. Ja né!
Marvelous May Semi-Finals – Ms. Marvel vs Gamora
Welcome back to Marvelous May! Well, here we are, the second of the semi-final match-ups: It’s Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel, vs Gamora!
And, with that, the final four of Marvelous May are made official. Two of these incredible superheroines will move on to the finals, and one will become the champion of the Marvelous May fan-vote tournament. So, feel free to vote on this match-up, and if you haven’t already, go vote on She-Hulk vs Jane Foster. Then, be sure to check back in on May 23rd to see who the Marvelous May finalists are. Ja né!
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Jennifer_Walters_(Earth-616)
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Jane_Foster_(Earth-616)
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Kamala_Khan_(Earth-616)
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Gamora_Zen_Whoberi_Ben_Titan_(Earth-7528)
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 – Quake vs Jane Foster
Welcome back to Marvelous May as an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. takes on a Goddess of Thunder. It’s Daisy Johnson, AKA Quake, vs Jane Foster, AKA The Mighty Thor!
Quake
Admittedly, I didn’t actually know much about Quake going into this, but that’s good, because that means I’m learning along with everyone else. Daisy Louise Johnson was originally thought to be a Mutant. However, that’s not the case at all. Instead, her powers come from her father, Calvin Zabo’s, mutated DNA, and the Inhuman genes passed down from her mother. Regardless, Daisy has the ability to manipulate seismic energy. She can send out vibration waves similar to those found in earthquakes. Thanks to her training under Nick Fury (for the record, the one who doesn’t look like Samuel Jackson), she’s able to use precise accuracy with her vibrations to literally cause targets to shake themselves apart. She even once imploded Wolverine’s heart. Naturally, being Wolverine, he got better, but the point stands that she’s not to be taken lightly. Her Inhuman metabolism also grants her enhanced speed, reflexes, endurance, and strength, supposedly surpassing that of even Captain America himself. And all of that is on top of her standard training as an agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. She’s also served as a member of the Avengers for a time, as well as the Secret Warriors, and at one point even held the position of Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., being the one who recruited Nick Fury Jr. and Phil Coulson. And speaking of Coulson, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Daisy serves as a member of his team on the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., albeit with a slightly different back-story, and first appearing under the name Skye. Regardless of which version, though, Quake is not someone you want to find yourself on the bad side of.
Jane Foster
Doctor Jane Foster was originally conceived to be…well, Thor’s primary love interest. Let’s call a spade a spade here. However, recent events have made it clear that, at some point, the powers that be had a very different plan for her. Since the early days when she was an ally and assistant to Doctor Donald Blake, Thor Odinson’s other persona (long story), Jane has since become a doctor herself, gotten married to another man, and had a child…Then, when she found out Thor was back after being dead (again, lost story), she got divorced, lost custody of her child, and recently found out she had cancer. Yeah, her life has had some ups and downs, to say the least. However, one of the more radical changes to her life came when Thor lost the ability to wield his hammer, Mjölnir. At some point, she found herself on the moon, where the hammer was last left, and was somehow able to pick it up, transforming herself into a warrior with all of Thor’s abilities, and even altering her mannerisms…for some reason. Having witnessed Thor’s abilities over the years, Jane was quickly able to wield Mjölnir with the same level of skill as her predecessor. She’s strong enough to easily lift 100 tons, can create and control lighting and storms, is capable of speaking to and understanding all races, and can fly by hurling Mjölnir, grabbing hold of its strap, and willing it to go wherever she pleases. She’s also nigh-invulnerable, able to shrug off just about anything that comes her way, with very few exceptions. Eventually, she even earned Thor’s blessing in wielding the hammer, as well as the right to call herself Thor, though she does so in secret to everyone but a few select individuals. However, all of this comes with a very dire price: While transformed into Thor, she’s immune to all Earth-born illnesses and diseases, but she can only remain so for so long, after which, she reverts to her normal state, where her cancer seems to have been aggravated due to the transformation. In short, being Thor is killing her. But she has sworn to continue upholding her duties as the new Goddess of Thunder and defender of Midgard. As she herself put it, “The world needs a Thor”.
Be sure to vote before May 9th, when the winner of this battle takes on the winner of the next match-up, Squirrel Girl vs Spider Woman! Until then, be sure to check back in to vote on that match, and click the links below to learn more about the combatants here. Ja né!
All-New, All-Different Avengers #3 Preview
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes might have a little teen drama to deal with. Here’s the preview for All-New, All-Different Avengers #3!
- Warbringer has made good on his name, and the All-New Avengers stand poised to yank defeat from the jaws of victory unless they can put their differences aside–and in the case of Ms. Marvel and Nova, that doesn’t seem very likely!
http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/all-new-all-different-avengers-3-marvel-comics-2016
All-New, All-Different Avengers #2 Preview
Part two of the origins of the newest Avengers team of all comes out this week, so here’s an early look at it! It’s All-New, All-Different Avengers #2!
- The Avengers are dead–long live the Avengers! Earth’s Mightiest Heroes–Captain America, Thor, Vision, and Iron Man–are living separate lives, not tied to any team–but when a threat from beyond the stars targets our world, fate draws them together once more, alongside Nova, Ms. Marvel, and Miles Morales a.k.a. Spider-Man!
http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/all-new-all-different-avengers-2-marvel-comics-2015
My Thoughts On The All-New, All-Different Marvel Books
So, I went ahead and got the free preview book for the All-New, All-Different Marvel, which begins in October. As such, I’d like to give my thoughts on a few specific ones, general looks at the rest, and just talk about a few things I feel might be missing from the new Marvel Universe as a whole, as it’s being shown here. Also, not gonna bother talking about the ones already revealed that I talked about before, so if you notice some rather notable books missing from this article, click here to see if I mentioned them already. Let’s start off with probably the obvious…
Additional Avengers Books
I told ya. ^_^ So, in addition to the All-New, All-Different Avengers, AKA Earth’s Mightiest Most Dedicated Heroes, and the all-superheroines A-Force, we’ve got a couple other Avengers teams. The first is the Uncanny Avengers which, as shown above, will star Rogue, Steve Rogers, Human Torch, Doctor Voodoo, Quicksilver…um, some woman I don’t recognize, the Amazing Spider-Man, and the back-from-the-dead Deadpool…because, let’s be honest, we knew he would be. lol The other team is the New Avengers, which will star Songbird, Hulkling, Wiccan, Hawkeye, Squirrel Girl, and Sunspot as part of the new Avengers Idea Mechanics. On top of that, there’s a new Illuminati book, which apparently is now about a team of villains, and a new Ultimates book, which features Black Panther, Blue Marvel, Miss America, Captain Marvel, and Spectrum going up against Galactus. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is getting written by one of the show runners for Arrow, of all people. Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D. will apparently have Dum-Dum Dugan teaming with Elsa Bloodstone and the monsters of the Secret Wars Howling Commandos. And lastly, there’s gonna be a Contest of Champions book, which may or may not tie into the game, and has Maestro pitting heroes against one another in an arena. And that’s not even the end of the team books, because guess who?
The X-Men Titles
Yup, you can put down the riot helmets and posters, they’re still around, folks. We have three books with the name X-Men in them: Extraordinary X-Men (Storm, Iceman, Colossus, time-displaced Jean Grey, Old Man Logan, Nightcrawler, and Magik), All-New X-Men (time-displaced Beast, Iceman, Cyclops, and Angel, along with the All-New Wolverine), and Uncanny X-Men (Magneto, Mystique, Sabertooth, Psylocke, and Fantomex). There’re also three other X-Men related books: Old Man Logan, which features the aged Logan existing in this new world, All-New Wolverine, which has X-23 stepping into the role, and Deadpool…’nuff said there. XD Supposedly, in the eight month gap between Secret Wars and the new books (which I’m guessing they’ll fill us in on later), there was some sort of incident between Mutants and Inhumans, which will help explain this new status quo for the two sides, as present day Beast will be joining the Uncanny Inhumans as a result of that.
Spider-Man Incorporated?
In addition to the Spider-Man book I mentioned starring Miles Morales, as well as the relaunched Spider-Gwen, there are several other Spider-related books coming out. Amazing Spider-Man will have Peter launching a new and improved Parker Industries worldwide, bringing back the Spider-Mobile, and pulling the old Tony Stark trick by having his superhero identity be his ‘bodyguard’. Also, for those wondering, he’s not still married from Secret Wars, and the book will probably never even mention what happened in One More Day, so don’t expect to see me buying this…which is sad, because otherwise, this looks like it’ll be nice, crazy fun. Web Warriors will feature Spider-Gwen teaming up with Spider-Girl, Spider-Ham, and a few other Spider-Men from various realities as some sort of Spider-Man Incorporated-like team…because why not at this point? Silk is ‘apparently’ turning heel, although I don’t know if I buy it just yet. Carnage is coming back after sacrificing himself during AXIS, so it’ll be interesting to see if he’s still a hero or not. Spider-Man 2099 is sticking around, with a new costume to boot. Then there’s Venom: Spaceknight… … …If Rom doesn’t show up, I’ll be so sad. lol Before I continue, though, there’s something specific I need to discuss…
Spider-Woman PREGNANT?!?!
…Yeah, Spider-Woman’s a mom now. And, as I understand it, the new books pick up approximately 8 months after the end of Secret Wars, so I think the implication is that Jessica is about a month or two away from delivering the baby… … …Okay, first off, I will admit to having to stop myself from squeeing at the idea of Jess having a baby. lol Also, I DO kinda find the whole single-mom-being-a-superheroine schtick kinda awesome. However, if I’m correct and the implication is that she’s still active as a heroine while carrying the baby, can I just ask one question: WHY?!?! That is super dangerous, not only to Spider-Woman, but to the baby! Now, maybe I’m way off, and the series actually picks up with her either finding out she’s pregnant or as she’s having the baby, but I REALLY hope she’s not putting on the costume and gliding through the night skies while carrying the kid. Also, who is the father? Is she even dating anyone currently? Oh, PLEASE don’t let this be another ‘mystical pregnancy’ storyline. I learned of Avengers #200 just last year, and I still haven’t gotten the bad taste outta my mouth. Otherwise, though, as I said, kinda excited to see the kid. lol
Uchuu KITAAAAAAAAAA!!!
500 geek points to the first person who gets that reference. ^_^ Also, a million geek points says that’s Kitty Pryde posing as Star-Lord in the new Guardians of the Galaxy book. With that said, two questions come to mind: Where is her fiancé (the new Star-Lord book SUGGESTS time travel, but I have no idea), and what’s with all the dudes on the team besides her? It’s Thing, Drax, Venom, Rocket, and Groot, with Rocket as the only one who isn’t some buffed up powerhouse. I know Gamora left (and I’ll get back to that later), but where’s Captain Marvel? Mantis? ANY of the other space-faring superheroes that aren’t bulky dudes? Other than that, as I said, Star-Lord looks like he might be travelling through time, the Uncanny Inhumans are gonna be kicking ass as the next big superhero team, Drax is entering the interstellar octagon, Angela might be running Hel, Karnak is getting a solo title, and Nova has Sam teaming up with either his dad or Richard Rider, I can’t tell. And Howard the Duck is getting a relaunched solo where even the creative team are openly acknowledging how silly it is to relaunch it so soon.
SO MANY SOLOS! XD
Getting back to the Avengers, there are a lot of them getting their own solo books, so let’s do a quick rundown of each. Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers will apparently be in the middle of a schism of some sort in ‘Sam Wilson, Captain America’, which could get more than a little awkward for the foreseeable future. Ms. Marvel is gonna be fangirling like a crazy person over the fact that she’s an Avenger (and in record time), which I can’t wait to read. The Totally Awesome Hulk is more than likely gonna turn out to be Amadeus Cho, all things considered, especially given that both Greg Pak and Frank Cho LOVE the guy. Daredevil is supposedly gonna be teaming up with Gambit… … …’kay. Doctor Strange, Invincible Iron Man, and Captain Marvel, already said my piece on them. All-New Hawkeye might be All-OLD Hawkeye, as Clint Barton may be joining in the old heroes club for some reason and having a clash of some sort with Kate Bishop…not sure what’s going on there. Scarlet Witch is finally getting a solo book that will last longer than 4 issues. Vision is starting a new robotic family…in which family sitcom hijinx are almost certain to follow. lol Astonishing Ant-Man is apparently going back to his villainous ways, although he’s got his fingers crossed on the cover, so probably a ruse. And then there’s the last book I wanna talk about…
The Mighty Thor
Okay, I had a big talk about this on Deviant Art recently, and I gotta be honest with you guys about this. While I like the idea of Jane Foster in the role, there exists many problems with it and this book in general. Now, her getting the name Thor doesn’t bother me as much as a lot of people, since it’s not like she’s a usurper or anything, Odinson GAVE the name to her. What bothers me is that this is the only time someone else has taken up the hammer and kept the name Thor, unlike in the cases of Beta Ray Bill and Thunderstrike. Also, the mystery behind what Fury said to Odinson probably won’t pay off in the long run, Odin is being a colossally sexist douchebag for reasons that are out of character for even him, and Jane’s voice and mannerisms just feel off for the character, although her inner monologue makes up for it a little bit. And how the hell did the inscription on the hammer change anyway (which should probably have had the inscription instead say ‘if THEY be worthy’ from the beginning, as opposed to the former ‘he’ or current ‘she’. More gender neutral, and let’s face it, women have held the hammer before now anyway)? Don’t get me wrong, I’m still very excited to see her as a member of the Avengers post-Secret Wars, and seeing Odinson still be active and badass is good, but it feels kinda tainted by, I’m sorry, bad writing. So, what would I have done differently? I would’ve had Jane gain Mjölnir for a short time, then do what they did with Thunderstrike by having her gain a new hammer of her own with her own badass identity while Thor regains Mjölnir and have the two running at the same time as God and Goddess of Thunder. And before you think it wouldn’t sell well, I would just like to remind that, back in the day, Thunderstrike at one point was vastly out-selling Thor.
So, that’s all well and good, but what’s missing from this equation? Well, looking at the books present and the characters on the banners, I notice that Black Panther only shows up in the Ultimates book so far, Inferno isn’t appearing on the cover for Uncanny Inhumans and may have been swapped out for Reader, and Citizen V and Red Wolf have yet to show up at all. Other than those present on the banners, though, the most notable absentee from the new books is probably Black Widow, which is odd since her solo title was doing really well. Further compounding her absence, however, is a rumour on Twitter I’ve been trying to track back to its source regarding her possible DEATH. I don’t know where this rumour started, but if it’s true, I can tell you for a fact that a lot of people are gonna be ticked off. Other absentees are Gamora, who is supposed to be getting her own book soon, the Fantastic 4, although I already assumed that would be happening, Loki, who has been on a huge roll since the first Avengers movie came out, All-New Ghost Rider, who just got started last year, and while they’re on team books, it’s odd that Rocket Raccoon, Storm, Squirrel Girl, and She-Hulk’s solo titles are apparently not being renewed. As such, I get the feeling this isn’t all there is planned.
Anyway, that’s all I gotta say about the new books so far. Lemme know what you think in the comments section, and we’ll see if any more books get announced between now and October. Ja né!
And The New Thor IS…? (WARNING – SPOILERS)
So, ever since the reveal that there would be a new Thor close to a year ago, the question on everyone’s minds was “Who is she?” Well, now we know. Well, actually, a lot of us knew yesterday due to a leak leading to Marvel deciding to come out publicly about it (I wonder if they blamed Hydra for THIS one too), but because there were those I knew on social media that made the choice not to read the spoilers and instead read today’s Thor #8 to find out who the new Thor was. So, now that the book is out, I’ve decided to go ahead and give my thoughts on the matter. With that said, let’s go ahead and just say it: The new Thor is Jane Foster.
Yup, totally thought it was Roz Solomon, didn’t you? Apparently, so did Odinson. He totally believed by this issue that it was Roz, and then she walked up to talk to him and Thor and he had this look on his face like he was completely stupefied. Myself, while I suspected heavily that it was Agent Solomon, part of me was also secretly hoping for…well…
Well, except replace Vince McMahon with Loki, and Steve Austin with Prince Odinson. In fact, if Loki had said that exact phrase, I would’ve laughed until I peed. XD
So, let’s talk about this revelation, shall we? First off, it kinda makes me wonder if we’re ever gonna see Natalie Portman dressed as Thor in the future. ‘Cuz I’d be down with that. As for the comics, though, I like how this reveal, while it answers some questions, nonetheless leaves us with a lot more. Like, we can probably gather that the hammer called on Jane and deemed her worthy due to a combination familiarity with her and her understanding of what it means to be Thor, but it doesn’t answer HOW it called her. More-so, we still don’t know what it was that Nick Fury told Odinson to make him unworthy. What’s actually kinda irritating about that is that he was literally about to tell Jane, right as Roz ran up and interrupted them. But, my guess is that, now that we know who the new Thor is, that’s next on the list of things to learn the truth about.
But, to the point, do I like this choice? Honestly… … …Yeah, I kinda do. I would’ve loved if it turned out to be Loki, but honestly, this works too. Jane is someone who is ready, willing, and able to make the ultimate sacrifice play to be the protector of the ten realms. And while it’s always great seeing her fly around, kicking ass, and being a hero, I also really wanna see her make it through this okay somehow. I wanna see her somehow manage to survive her ordeal with breast canc-… … … …Wait a minute, when did the first issue of this series début?
…Aww, son of a bitch! During Breast Cancer Awareness Month?! How did I not piece that together before?! ROFL
Anyway, those are my thoughts on the reveal of the new Thor. And now that we know who she is, that should make things interesting for the foreseeable future, especially given her position on the new Avengers team. Ja né!
A More Detailed Analysis of the All-New, All-Different Avengers
…So yeah, once again, we’re talking about the new Avengers team. And btw, if you’re looking at the cover for the Free Comic Book Day issue and NOT hearing the Avengers theme from the movie, you’re doing it wrong. lol But yeah, with the team scaled down to seven, it seems the members are selected both for being legacy heroes and for having a wide array of varying powers and abilities. And honestly, I think that’s a good move. So, let’s take a look at what each member brings to the table, and how they might relate to one another, starting with someone the team wouldn’t be complete without…
Sam Wilson, AKA Captain America
While the original Captain America, Steve Rogers, wasn’t one of the original five founding members of the team, the legacy of Captain America is such that it wouldn’t be Earth’s Mightiest Heroes without him. And let’s face it, folks, regardless of if this is permanent or not, regardless of if Steve will ever regain the supersoldier serum and his youth or not, Samuel Thomas Wilson has proven himself as worthy stand-in for the role. As such, him being in this team is a must. However, despite currently acting as a leader for the Mighty Avengers, he hasn’t really done so for very long, which could prove an issue when it comes to being a possible contender for leader of the All-New, All-Different Avengers.
In any case, Samuel is a master acrobat and aerialist, which he makes perfect use of with the wings carried over from his old Falcon persona. Also assisting him in the sky is his pet bird, Redwing, with whom he had a telepathic link to (though Redwing MAY have been killed in a recent issue of All-New Captain America). He’s also been trained by Steve Rogers in a number of different martial arts styles when action needs to be taken to the ground. His body has been taken to the peak human range, able to press about 480 pounds. And, as is a must for anyone carrying the name of the iconic hero, Sam also wields Captain America’s shield, which is made out of Vibranium and thus able to absorb immense kinetic energy, making it near-indestructible. After one of the few occasions where that near-indestructibility was tested a bit too much, though, the shield was rebuilt using the mystical metal, Uru, making it stronger than ever. If that metal sounds familiar…well, the next Avenger on this list wields a weapon made from the same stuff.
Thor, the Goddess of Thunder
“Whomsoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor”. That WAS the inscription on Mjolnir, the mighty hammer wielded by the God of Thunder, Thor. However, recent events have led to the inscription reading “if SHE be worthy”. Personally, I would’ve gone with the less gender specific inscription of “if THEY be worthy”, especially since this isn’t the first time a woman’s held the hammer, but regardless, the point stands: The new Thor is a woman. We don’t know WHO yet, but whoever she is, she’s proven so talented with Mjolnir that even Thor Odinson has given her his blessing and his name. The only real problem she has going into joining the Avengers is that she appears a bit inexperienced as a team player. Despite this, she does appear heroic-minded, and is most certainly one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
As I said before, Thor wields Mjolnir, a weapon made by the dwarven blacksmiths Eitri, Brok, and Buri, who used the core of a star as the mold. The star later went supernova, almost destroying Earth, and may have been the resulting force for what killed the dinosaurs. In addition to being a weapon composed of Uru and possessing immeasurable strength and durability, it also comes complete with a number of abilities. Thus far, the female Thor has demonstrated that she’s gained superhuman strength and can lift 100 tons for sport, can channel electricity with or without the hammer in her grip, can survive the vacuum of space, possesses chronokinesis, is near-invulnerable, and possesses immunity to all Earthly diseases and infections. And, as the chosen wielder of Mjolnir, she is the only one who can lift it, can summon the hammer to her hand from anywhere, and by tossing it and holding onto the leather thong, she can use it to fly at the speed of sound. Also, this Thor apparently possesses finer control over the hammer while it’s in flight than Odinson, even from a long distance. This is likely due to her apparently higher levels of self-restraint, able to keep a tighter focus than the former God of Thunder in battle. She may literally take every aspect of the former Thor and improve upon them all. However, she also has the same weakness as the enchantments involving Don Blake and Eric Masterson: Prolonged separation from the hammer will cause her powers to slowly fade. In order to maintain her maximum potential, she has to remain in direct contact with Mjolnir. But, considering her mastery over the hammer in such a short amount of time, this is a relatively small weakness to have, as she may prove to be the single most powerful of the new Avengers team.
The Invincible Iron Man
Here’s where there’s kind of a big question mark present. Granted, it wouldn’t be the only one on this team, but I’ll get to that. As readers of the current Marvel product know, Tony Stark was inverted in the event AXIS. Basically, he’s more or less a villain now, although how you could tell considering some of his behaviour over the past few years (starting Civil War, mind-wiping Captain America, etc.) is a bit in question. However, the Iron Man suit on the cover is clearly in the old school hot rod red and gold, as opposed to the chrome Superior Iron Man. So, either he’s been reverted to normal, which could lead to more than a bit of discomfort and mistrust on the team for various reasons, or Secret Wars has brought back an earlier Tony Stark, one who didn’t do any of the crap his more recent incarnation has been responsible for, which could lead to Superior Iron Man being the old school evil twin scenario…which could be interesting, honestly. Of course, one other possibility is that it’s not really Tony in the suit, which would fit the trend of the others being newer characters stepping into old shoes. Personally, I’m kinda hoping for Pepper, since then the gender ratio of the team would be a bit more even.
Regardless of who is in the suit, anyone who has read the comics or watched the movies has a decent idea of what to expect. Repulsor blasts, flight capability, enhanced strength, is airtight so he can survive underwater and in space, and will likely have a vast number of hidden weapons and equipment installed. And, assuming it IS Tony under the suit…well…
Vision
This is where the other question mark on the team is. Vision’s personality and overall sense of self can differ, depending on current programming on his brain patterns. And since I’m not reading Uncanny Avengers, I don’t really know much about his current persona. However, if it’s kept unique from past versions, it would help to contribute to the theme of this team: Recognizable names and costumes, new personalities/characters. Regardless, Vision has nonetheless proven time and again to be a key component to any Avengers team, and can work his way into any gathering of heroes easily enough.
Vision’s abilities have generally been pretty consistent, so we can expect him to have his hyper-intelligent brain, capable of analyzing and processing information at the speed of the world’s greatest super computer and possess superhuman reflexes, can absorb solar energy and release them as energy beams, and has the ability to alter his own density to fly, turn intangible, become hard as diamond, or lift anywhere from 50 to 90 tons. Also, he can adjust and alter his vocal processor, optical scanners, and audio tuners, and can even use holograms to make himself appear human. Despite this, he’s not invincible, as there are those in the Marvel Universe with superior strength and speed to his. And while his brain is extremely fast-working, he HAS been shown to be capable of being distracted, which can be a problem. Also, despite not being human, he was once shown to be knocked out by a drug………Yeah, not sure how that worked. o.O
Sam Alexander, AKA Nova
Probably the member I’m least familiar with. I don’t really know much of anything about the Nova Corps, other than them being intergalactic police officers, keepers of the peace and upholders of justice. I do know that Samuel Alexander is a teenager, one of three on the new Avengers team, and has been an official member of the Avengers since December, though he’s on probation for going after Kluh (basically, think the Hulk, only even more powerful and rampaging……YEAH, seriously) alone. So yeah, he can be a bit headstrong, over-confident, and still has a bit to learn about being part of a team, but he’s got a good heart, and the potential to be a great Avenger. Also, apparently he was named after Jeph Loeb’s son, who died of bone cancer when he was only 17.
By putting on his helmet, Sam gains access to the Nova Force, a near-limitless source of energy. Different members of the Nova Corps can harness different levels of power from it, depending on their rank. As a centurion, Sam can lift up to 20 tons, possesses limited amounts of telekinesis, can fire concussive energy blasts in beam and sphere format, possesses a sort of cosmic awareness, can fly at seemingly physically impossible speeds, and can instantly translate any language to English, though he also knows some Spanish and Morse Code on his own. However, his strength and speed do have limitations, as proven in his fight with Kluh, who very nearly killed him, and has apparently left him suffering from a memory disorder, so that could be a problem for him.
Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel
The superheroine that I will not shut the fuck up about. XD So, I’ll make this quick: Kamala might be the newest and most inexperienced member of the team, which could lead to more than a bit of a problem, as is her HIGHLY over-protective family, but she’s a quick learner on the job, and has already proven herself time and again as a hero. And, because of a previous team-up she was a part of, I’m sure her and the last member on this team should work well together. Also, as an Inhuman, she can work well as an ambassador between the two groups, and I’m sure could likely call in support from a certain giant teleporting dog with superstrength that’s come to her aid more than once.
As one of two members of the team who can’t fly, Ms. Marvel nonetheless has no problem getting around. Given that she can alter her body to any size and shape that she wants, she could literally walk across whole city blocks in less than a minute. Of course, being able to shrink and grow to any size also makes her a nice stand-in for other size-changing Avengers like Ant-Man and Wasp, and being able to stretch out any body part means they won’t need to call in Mr. Fantastic anytime soon (thank goodness). She can even change her appearance to look like other people, meaning she could be a covert infiltrator if she wanted. Lastly, she has an accelerated healing factor, having once recovered relatively quickly from being shot. That said, this ability comes with a handicap, as she can’t use her other powers while healing, and the more she uses it, the less malleable her cells will be for a while, hindering her polymorphic powers, so she still needs to be careful on the job.
Miles Morales, AKA the Ultimate Spider-Man
The last member of the All-New, All-Different Avengers, Miles is a member of the Ultimates. However, considering the rather bleak future of his world with Secret Wars rapidly approaching, it seems the Ultimate Spider-Man has managed to make it into the new Marvel Universe as a member of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Despite being one of the youngest Marvel heroes of all time, Miles has nonetheless proven himself as the replacement of his world’s Peter Parker, instilled with the same sense of responsibility and possessing a lot of the former Spidey’s creative and calculating mind.
Anyone who knows Spider-Man has a general idea of what to expect when it comes to Miles’ main abilities: He has superstrength, agility, durability, and reflexes. He can stick to and walk across walls by reversing his own electron attraction, and can swing from structure to structure using the web shooters worn on his wrists passed down to him from Peter. And, of course, he possesses the Spider Sense, which grants him omnipresent detection of his surroundings, and seems to have greater potential than even Peter’s due to the genetic enhancements done to the spider that bit him. However, despite this, he’s not as good at being able to recognize and respond to threats detected by the Spider Sense just yet, and while he’s picked up quite a bit of fighting skill just from watching tapes of his predecessor, he’s otherwise had no formal martial arts training. To counter-balance this, he has two abilities unique to himself: He can blend himself and his clothes into his surroundings as a form of invisibility, and he can use the Venom Blast, a paralyzing touch with varying levels of effectiveness on different opponents (apparently works best on opponents with genetic alterations to their body). As such, anyone who only has knowledge of the more well-known Spider-Man abilities can be caught off-guard in a fight with him, which is how he even managed to defeat the mainstream Peter Parker in a fight after their first encounter led to a bit of a misunderstanding.
Anyway, that’s the magnificent seven members of the All-New, All-Different Avengers. Got any thoughts or opinions on this team, or other heroes you’d maybe like to see join later on? Lemme know in the comments below, and let’s see how everything turns out on Free Comic Book Day. Ja né!
Jyger's Rant 