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thebibliomancer · 3 years

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Essential Avengers: Avengers Annual #12: MOONRISE

September, 1983

Earth’s Mightiest Heroes battle -- the Moon’s Mightiest Heroes... The Uncanny Inhumans!

With the population of the Moon being just the Inhumans plus Uatu, that’s kind of an overly narrow superlative.

But I do love this cover! The Avengers all forming a big A? Good stuff!

So the timeline of this annual is all kinds of screwed up.

It was released in September and published in November (whatever that means) but its supposed to pre-date Fantastic Four #254.

FF #254 and Avengers #232 overlap. In fact, FF #254 coming out in May and Avengers #232 share the scene where She-Hulk bonks off an invisible wall with what seems to be the same dialogue.

But despite meeting Reed in this Annual, he doesn’t recognize new Captain Marvel in Fantastic Four #256.

But this has to happen before Avengers #233 and FF #254-256. Due to changes that are going to take place in and after that story but also has the FF show up in costume changes that will take place during the listed period.

Its also weird from the Avengers standpoint because Starfox is part of the Avengers in this annual but he just joined in #232 and got sent on his first mission which happens at the same time as She-Hulk is bonking off that invisible wall.

So it makes no sense anywhere but I’ll cover it here to get it out of the way so I can cover Avengers #233 and FF #254-256 in one post, heavily summarizing down on the FF as its not as relevant.

So long story short: this issue fits weirdly in the timeline but lets get it over with.

The issue starts with the Avengers being secretly escorted before the UN Security Council FOR THE TRIAL INFORMAL HEARING OF THE FANTASTIC FOUR!

Why?

Reasons.

Inhuman-related reasons.

In an area usually masked with lunar dust, the SHIELD space platform discovered a whole ass city on the Moon, distinct from the whole ass city that already existed on the Moon.

A city full of all kinds of fantastical life.

Guy who is not Gyrich: “Clearly, the region heretofore known only as the Blue Area, is not only habitable -- it is inhabited by a race of beings possessed of incredible science, technology, and, it appears, superhuman powers! Beings, honored ambassadors, who are not human!”

Ambassador Gregorovich: “Da! Inhabiting Earth’s Moon in a strategic orbital position -- but not human!”

Mr Fantastic: “No, Ambassador Gregorovich, the occupants of the city of Attilan are not human. They are... the INHUMANS!”

Reed... why do you think this is helpful?

He then decides to give their entire ass backstory. Explaining how they were humans once but then aliens came and did some experiments on early human and created a genetic offshoot who became known as the Inhumans.

How the Inhumans kept their numbers low and avoided contact with humans by hiding in various places, including the Himalayas.

The Chinese ambassador complains that the Fantastic Four knew about this entire ass city in China’s backyard but didn’t report it.

Reed defends the decision because the Inhumans just wanted to be left alone. And also that for a long while the city was stuck under a dome and incapable of posing a threat to the outside world.

How when the dome was broken by Black Bolt’s mighty voice, the Inhumans continued to want to be left alone but were eventually attacked by a group called the Enclave while at the same time being struck weak to a mysterious illness called POLLUTION.

And how to escape POLLUTION, the Inhumans just fuckin’ moved their entire ass city to the Moon.

Cap: “The perfect solution!”

Wasp: “Was it, Cap?”

She-Hulk: “If it were, I have a hunch we wouldn’t be here today!”

Heh. Love the peanut gallerying.

The Security Council objects too because the FF enabled a secret super human race to live on the Moon, which is a great strategic location for attacking the Earth. Just look at any number of sci-fi.

Of course, this argument is slightly undermined by the Inhumans and their ridiculously long track record of minding their own business.

It’s pretty notable that when modern human pollution threatened their entire race, they just shrugged and moved to the Moon.

But despite that, the Security Council needs reassurance that the Inhumans pose no threat to Earth.

The Fantastic Four offer to go to the Moon and talk to the Inhumans but the Security Council says no on the basis of ‘you’ve done enough already’ and says that the Avengers will go instead.

I was wondering what any of this had to do with the Avengers!

I’m actually surprised that the entire Security Council agrees to send the Avengers. Earlier, Ambassador Gregorovich was complaining that Security Council had called American Superhero Team Avengers to the hearing of American Superhero Team the Fantastic Four.

You’d expect him to at least insist that some Russian superheroes be sent too.

Which would be cool, honestly.

The Soviet Super-Soldiers had been introduced a couple years before. Coulda done a combination Soviet Super-Soldiers and Avengers mission. Or heck, superheroes from each member of the Security Council.

I understand why Mantlo didn’t do that since this is pretty much a done in one Avengers vs Inhumans slugfest and what I”m proposing really complicates things. But he also created the Super-Soldiers so it just feels like it works.

Anyway, the Security Council sends the Avengers on a fact finding mission to determine whether the UN will enter into a treaty with the Inhumans on the Moon.

As ya do.

The Avengers travel to the MOON in one of the space quinjets that they have for flying to the Moon.

Also, at some point they picked up Scarlet Witch and Vision. I guess for the former’s ties to the Inhumans through Quicksilver.

The Avengers are met on the MOON by the Inhumans Royal Family, aka the only important ones. I know that there’s an entire city of these dinguses but whenever anyone says “the Inhumans” they usually just mean the royal family.

Anyway, its been a while since the Avengers and Inhumans had a get together, so Cap introduces the Inhumans to the Newest Avengers: She-Hulk, Captain Marvel (2.0), and Starfox.

We get some New To This Sort of Thing from Monica as she marvels, captainly, that she’s actually on the Moon!

Then Crystal shows off her new baby Luna. Named for the Moon. Like how sometimes people name babies Gaia, no doubt. Or Tara.

She-Hulk: “Quicksilver and Crystal’s baby? Oh, gee! She’s so... cute!”

Wasp: “You sound almost envious, She-Hulk!”

Wasp, pls. Just let Jen compliment someone’s baby without ascribing motives.

Quicksilver also has an awkward greeting with Scarlet Wanda and Vision.

Because actually they were on the Moon recently. Where they learned that Magneto Is Secretly Wanda and Pietro’s Father.

And Wanda is not really ready to come to terms with that.

If she waits long enough, she’ll never have to because the retcon pendulum swung the other way eventually and now he’s not their father. And since he was an albatross hanging around their necks, necks that weren’t unburdened by albatrosses already, I can’t say I’m upset about it.

And Also: he never did any parenting of them. He swooped in when they were full ass grown adults and tried to act like their relationship meant anything aside from the whole coercing into terrorism and making Wanda sexy dance for him parts.

Most of the people that are big upset that Magneto was retconned away from being their dad never gave a shit about the man who actually raised them.

Poor Django Maximoff.

Anyway, that’s a long rant to establish that now is when John Byrne’s masterplan to have Magneto and Quicksilver related because they have the same haircut finally came to fruition.

His plan to make Sandman and Norman Osborn related is still pending at the time of this issue.

And the impact of that (Magneto reveal) is a recent bombshell to Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and Vision.

It doesn’t really affect anything in this issue though.

Annnyway.

Medusa asks whether the Avengers really popped up to the Moon for a social call but Cap says sadly no.

That they’re here because the various Earth governments aren’t happy that the Inhumans are looking down on them from space.

Gorgon and Karnak are a bit upset about this because they had to flee Earth because of all the human pollutions humans were polluting and now humans have sent people to hassle them at their change of address.

Wanda and Wasp smooth things over by saying that they’re just here to assure each other that humans (and mutants and etc) and peacefully coexist with Inhumans across the small vastness of space.

Black Bolt steps forward to react to this offer by doing a shrug which is interpreted as the open hands of peace and friendship.

Wasp: “The open hands of peace and friendship? We’ll tell the nations of Earth they’ve nothing to fear, Black Bolt!”

Cool beans.

Although, I’m pretty sure that the UN expected more than a... uh... ‘we cool?’ exchange.

I believe the term used was “fact-finding mission.” But whatever.

Lets instead talk about fashion, briefly.

Most of the Avengers and Inhumans are wearing the sort of thing that they always wear. But Wasp is wearing an outfit I’ll call ‘the Magneto variant of her ripoff Molecule Man costume.’

The one usually in green and purple except its in red and purple. It looks good on her. But her new (80s?) haircut looks good too. Its maybe a lady’s mullet? But whatever it is, Janet is rocking it.

On the other hand we have She-Hulk who is wearing an aerobics-chic type costume complete with legwarmers. She also was interested in an aerobics instructor job several issues ago. I do not know what’s going on with her lately.

The 80s, maybes.

The Inhumans take the Avengers on a tour of Moon Attilan wherein Lockjaw becomes very enamored with Starfox and would, if this were a modern comic where sensibilities have shifted more crass, probably try humping his leg.

He is very fond of Eros.

Anyway, the Inhumans decide to take the Avengers to the Royal Crypt because I don’t know.

Its kind of morbid for a tour of the city to show the Avengers the crystal coffin that contains the dead, deceased body corpse of Maximus (the Mad). Like, what the heck, the Inhumans.

I guess its important for plot reasons to establish that its here.

But what the heck, the Inhumans??

Medusa exposits that Maximus is the one who initiated the Enclave attack on Attilan that preceded moving to the Moon! But while all of the Inhumans were stricken with pollution sickness, Maximus seemingly had a change of heart and turned against the Enclave, saving Attilan at the cost of his own life.

Maximus is very like a dumber, less charismatic Loki in a lot of most of the ways.

Having doomed and then saved the Inhumans, they honor him by putting him in a crystal box right at the front of the crypt so everyone can look at it.

Weird.

When the Inhumans and Avengers are leaving the crypt, Lockjaw becomes confused and intrigued by a familiar scent from the crystal box and then doggy glares suspiciously at Black Bolt.

Then, as the doors to the crypt are shut, Maximus’ eyes open as he screams internally forever.

So that’s a thing.

A kind of easy to unravel the mystery of thing.

Because, just saying, the Inhumans have the same plots over and over. And I mean narrative plots and scheme plots.

With everything be settled forever by one tour where they looked at a dead body and the Inhumans definitely being no threat to Earth at all ever no way, She-Hulk vows that she’ll use all of her legal experience to present a brief to the UN defending the Inhumans’ right to inhabit the Moon.

In fairness, I don’t think they signed the treaty saying not to weaponize space so...

Now: its time to party down.

Annnnnd its kind of a half-hearted affair.

Half the people are standing around moodily instead of partying. Like Quicksilver and Medusa are glaring at each other. Black Bolt is doing what Black Bolt do and just sitting on his throne.

I know he can’t talk but he can dance, right? Or does that shatter mountains too?

In fact, only She-Hulk and Triton are dancing and Triton is ruining it by making fish puns.

Wait, this side of the party looks a lot cooler!

What the heck, was there an option to have this sweet butterfly lady as a recurring Inhuman all along and they never took it? What the heck!

Anyway, a few of the background Inhumans including sweet butterfly lady are all over Starfox and his come-hither psychic powers.

Meanwhile, Cap takes some time to stare at Black Bolt not enjoying himself.

Scarlet Witch goes over to Medusa and verbally notices she looks bummed. She confesses that Black Bolt has become aloof and distant since they came to the... Moon...

HOW THE HECK WOULD YOU TELL?

Anyway. Wanda tells Vision she’s concerned for those two crazy kids but Vision wants nothing to do with anyone else’s drama.

Scarlet Witch: “Vision, I’m concerned for Medusa and Black Bolt.”

Vision: “As am I... But it is their affair... For them to resolve. We are here simply as ambassadors of peace, my wife, nothing more.”

Scarlet Witch: “But...”

Vision: “Nothing more.”

She-Hulk decides that the thing to do at a party is obviously to go pet the host’s dog. I mean, that’s why people socialize, right? To pet dogs?

But Lockjaw is upset over something and teleports next to Black Bolt so he can growl in his general direction.

The narration says “But what Lockjaw knows... he dares not tell... yet.”

I hope this isn’t during the period where it was canon that Lockjaw wasn’t an Inhuman dog, he was an Inhuman that looked like a dog that everyone treated as a pet despite being as intelligent as any of them.

That was a weird time.

Thankfully retconned to be just a prank that Karnak and Gorgon were pulling on the Thing.

Weird prank but sure.

Later, after the party, Medusa wakes from a fitful sleep to stare dramatically into the night and drama fret over the rift growing between her and Black Bolt.

But Black Bolt has gone to the crypt where he leans in to speak to Maximus’ crystal coffin.

Weirdly, him speaking doesn’t break everything like it usually is known to do.

Perhaps a cluuuue.

Black Bolt (?) asks Maximus (?) if he’s sleeping well and then tells him he must be off to the secret staircase hidden under the crystal coffin.

As ya do.

Elsewhere, Scarlet Witch wakes with a start because her vaguely magically mutant powers have given her a DREAM VISION OF EARTH UNDER ATTACK

Also: I’m always amused when the comic remembers that Vision’s costume is a costume that he can take off. Enjoy some Vision fanservice.

Vision tries to tell Wanda that it was just a dream and that she shouldn’t be afraid of dreams because Logic but then Captain America runs by the room shouting AVENGERS ASSEMBLE because a distress call came from SHIELD about the EARTH being UNDER ATTACK.

Just like Wanda’s dream.

Maybe try not to invalidate Wanda, Vizh.

Anyway, moon rocks are being flung at Earth and you’ll never guess from where!

From the Moon!

The Avengers are obviously not really but kinda implying that the Inhumans might know something about it

But before pointing fingers, Wasp tells Thor to go intercept the moon rocks since he’s the only one fast and buff enough to do it. Also he can hold his breath like a real long time.

Because, yeah, he explicitly has to take a deep breath of Moon air before launching into space.

Out in space, Thor sees where the moon rocks are being launched from (doesn’t look like from Attilan so that’s something) but he’s too busy launching Mjolnir to pulverize some rocks and punching other rocks to follow them to their source.

Also, onslought.

That’s possibly a typo but I like to believe that onslought is just how its spelled in Marvel so that Onslaught is an even stupider name.

But the onslought of rocks is too rapid for Thor to make any headway. For every rock he shatters, there’s two more behind it.

So he’s out of the plot and punching rocks for a while.

Meanwhile, now its the time to point fingers.

The Inhumans are getting pretty defensive at the suggestion that the moon rocks that are being launched from the moon might be from the moon and therefore that the Inhumans might possibly be involved as they are the only ones who live on the Moon except Uatu. And Uatu wouldn’t launch a moon rock unless he could find a way that it wouldn’t be counting as interfering.

Like maybe if it landed on Frank Castle’s family.

Gorgon: “I do not like being accused of betrayal, Karnak!”

Quicksilver: “Nor do I like hearing my adopted home slandered!”

She-Hulk: “Yeah, well, names won’t hurt you -- but those moonstones are gonna break Earth’s bones!”

Unlikely! Definitely be an extinction event but Earth has strong bones.

Also, what a weird thing to say, She-Hulk!

So in quick defense of the Inhumans who are probably obviously not behind this: if they were going to throw rocks at Earth, they’re definitely smart enough to wait until the Avengers are home instead of doing it while they’re within range to punch.

They’re slightly too smart for that.

Crystal asks Scarlet Witch and Vision to mediate since they have ties on both sides but Black Bolt arrives before any mediation can happen.

And Black Bolt clears everything right up!

By declaring war on Earth and ordering the execution of the Avengers!

Yup, no ambiguity there!

But surely, the Inhumans won’t just jump to obey an unjust order, right? Surely, they will object and demand an explanation for this new course of action that’s practically a 180 from his previous position?

Hahah, of course they don’t. These fucking idiots.

Gorgon: “If Black Bolt commands undying enmity between our races, it must be with reason!”

God.

So while the Avengers are still trying to be like ‘lets use our words, people’ the Inhumans just leap right into attacking.

Even Lockjaw jumps forward and locks his jaws on Cap’s shield.

Pietro frets, not knowing where he fits in.

Quicksilver: “Where do I stand? I am not an Inhuman, but a mutant! My child is human, tied to Earth!”

Crystal: “But Attilan is your home, my husband!”

Unspoken: ‘And what the fuck, I’m your wife!’

Quicksilver is convinced though and runs into the fray. Wanda protests so obviously Crystal starts attacking her.

Wow, the Inhumans come off as dicks in this.

So some pointless fight scene summarization.

Starfox ends up rolling around on the ground with Triton where Starfox gives Triton an orgasm. I assume. He pleasure blasts his brain making the guy laugh uncontrollably and collapse into a fountain. And then Triton gets Starfox all wet. By splashing him with the fountain water.

Quicksilver tries to punch Captain Marvel but she’s faster than him.

Because she can go lightspeed.

In fact, she makes him look like a dumb joke just dodging around and then punching him in the back of the head. And also, like, he’s the resident speedster of Marvel and he looks like a slow joke next to Monica Rambeau and Silver Surfer. And they had him flight Flash once and that was like Flash was challenging a baby to a fist fight, just remarkably mismatched.

But since there’s kind of a back and forth dealie going on, he spins her right round like a record round round round by running around her real fast when she makes the mistake of standing still.

Meanwhilelsewhere, Vision goes up against Karnak. And trash talks Karnak about how dumb it is trying to punch an intangible or diamond man. And then he fists Karnak with that fist thing he does sometimes. But Karnak vibrates his hand so he can smack intangible Vision.

Yup.

But nearby, Cap is still trying to wrestle his shield out of Lockjaw’s mouth and the dog flings him into Karnak, knocking the guy down.

The fight turns for the Avengers. She-Hulk punches out Gorgon quipping “steel toes can’t compensate for a glass jaw!”

Captain Marvel blasts out some of her energy, which knocks Quicksilver on his ass.

Annnnnd. Wasp never bothered to fight Medusa. Because designated girl fights are passe. But mostly because eh fuck it.

Wasp: “What of us, Medusa? Are we to fight, too? Will you blindly obey Black Bolt -- though you know some force upon the Moon is attacking Earth? Don’t you owe it to yourself to find out who -- and why... rather than accept the rash dictate of your leader that this battle must go on?!”

Medusa: “Though we have chosen Black Bolt as our king, Wasp, every Inhuman of the Royal Family is of equal rank. That status gives us the right to question Black Bolt’s decrees should we come to doubt their vision! Thus, I choose to exercise my right, Black Bolt, and pose the question... WHY??!”

Now, see, Gorgon? If you had bothered to think with your head brains instead of leaping right to “NEVER QUESTION LEADER” maybe you wouldn’t have had your block dented by She-Hulk. Think about that for next time.

Also, good on Wasp for being one of the best Avengers leaders. She’s super good at not jumping in half-assed.

She-Hulk decides Black Bolt is taking too long and grabs him and demands he speak.

Which would be a hilariously ill-thought out in other circumstances.

Black Bolt: “Unhand me, you -- you savage!”

Everyone is like ‘OH SHIT’ and tries to duck and cover but no mass destruction and loss of life occurs.

Captain America: “Black Bolt spoke -- and we’re all alive!”

Medusa: “IMPOSTER!”

Except its less an imposter and more someone stole Black Bolt’s body, apparently? At least that’s what Medusa figures.

Are... his powers not tied to his body? What??

Anyway, Lockjaw is finally like ‘my moment is here!’ I guess because he leads the AvengersInhumans to the Royal Crypt and Maximus’ cool crystal corpse box.

Captain America: “Of course! That’s the only logical answer!”

Because duh.

Medusa puts together that if Maximus is Black Bolt, Black Bolt must be Maximus so Maximus must not be dead. And then chokes ‘Black Bolt’ until he admits it.

Pretty hardcore, Medusa.

Karnak and Vision combine their respective powers to break the apparently self-healing harder than diamond crystal coffin.

That’s a lot of stuff that this coffin does but I get it. If you’re bearing Maximus and for some reason don’t want to just bury his body in concrete, you do the next best thing and put him in a self-healing diamond crystal coffin to minimize the chances that he’ll inevitably come back from the dead like he did do.

The freed ‘Maximus’ stalks towards ‘Black Bolt’ to real Maximus’ fear and begging that surely Black Bolt wouldn’t harm his own body.

And I’m further confused about how the powers work because Black Bolt in Maximus doesn’t say anything here so maybe the power is with his mind but also as he sternly corners Maximus in Black Bolt, the tuning fork on Black Bolt’s body’s forehead starts crackling with an awesome power.

So is the power still in the body? Or what?

Anyway, ‘Maximus’ lays hands on ‘Black Bolt’ and this causes their minds to swap back. Thankfully, considering how confusing all these qualifiers were beginning to get.

Now with everyone in the right bodies, its time for Maximus to Explain It All.

So back in that story where the Enclave attacked Attilan, Maximus was part of the plan scheming because he wanted to overthrow his brother and become the ruler. As is his repetitive goal.

But the Enclave pressed the advantage over Maximus’ objections when the pollution sickness made the Inhumans to weak to fight back. They were even going to execute Medusa.

So Maximus turned on the Enclave, used an improperly shielded giant laser, and ended up in a coma.

Maximus whines about how the Inhumans should have listened to him and subjugated humanity to stop their evil polluting ways so that the Inhumans wouldn’t have been forced to the Moon.

But ironically, getting forced to the Moon worked out for the dingus because there was a powerful crystal on the Moon which woke Maximus from his coma and gave him the new never before possible power to swap minds with Black Bolt.

And then like a guy that makes good decisions that aren’t bad, Maximus got in contact with the Enclave again.

Gorgon: “You again allied yourself with our human foes?”

Triton: “For good reason is he called Maximus the Mad!”

Or at least Maximus the bad at decisions.

Maximus: “No! Don’t you see? Our strategic location, combined with the Enclave’s tactical expertise, make us invincible!”

In his own defense, Maximus argues that the Enclave is going to bombard Earth with rocks until humanity is mostly dead and then the Inhumans can go back to Earth.

Presumably... I mean... after all that nuclear winter from all the stuff blasted up into the atmosphere?

Maximus is supposedly a genius but ehhhh I don’t see it.

He is squirrely though because he uses his psionic powers that he has to freeze everyone in place and then runs off, all but cackling.

And like a smart person, he flees right to the hidden base where Alpha Primitives have been pressed into the service of the Enclave.

He tells them that they’ve got to flee because the jig is up but the Enclave are less than convinced in their salmon jumpsuits.

An Enclave Guy: “What?! Just run off and abandon our meteoroid launchers?!”

Meteoroid launcher is a fun name for death from above.

Another one points out, hey wait Maximus screwed us over once, maybe he’s lying again.

And summoned by the opportunity to deliver a sweet line, Captain America (and others) are teleported in by Lockjaw.

Captain America: “You can believe him, mister -- this time, Maximus is telling the truth!”

Yeah. Maximus led the Avengers slash Inhumans right to the Enclave.

He’s not smart! Or he has that INT WIS division going on.

The Enclave don’t get a chance to try to fight (and thank god, we’ve had enough fight scene in this book) because Black Bolt just blasts them all in one go, resolving the plot in one panel.

Meanwhile, out in space, Thor is like oh good people have stopped throwing rocks at me. He was holding his breath this whole time after all and even he would have needed to reenter atmosphere soon.

With the Enclave in varying degrees of sprawled on their asses, the Inhumans can turn their attention back to Maximus for the assholery de jour.

He’s not repentant.

Maximus: “You don’t dare attack me, Gorgon! I am your brother, Black Bolt! I have as much right as you to the throne of Attilan! Like you, I wish only the best for our people! But, fool that you are, you refuse to admit our superiority to the humans! It is our destiny to establish dominion over the Earth! We must not be content with exile on this barren world! We must reoccupy the Earth! To do otherwise would be to deny our heritage! You know I’m right, Black Bolt! Admit it! Admit it!”

Black Bolt just turns his back on Maximus and gestures the others to take him away.

Since he never talks, he’s the master of the non-verbal shut down.

With the shooting meteors at Earth and also Maximus plots tied up, the Avengers get back to why they’re up here in the first place.

Wasp: “What reassurance does the Earth have that they won’t be attacked again?”

Gorgon: “What reassurance have we that the Earth will not attack us? Humanity is better equipped for war than we! And it was the human scientists of the Enclave that fomented this battle!”

Medusa: “Of our people, none save Maximus have ever waged war against mankind. The Inhumans will ever seek the ways of peace. That is the solemn pledge of Black Bolt and the family royal. Tell that to your leaders... and ask if they can truly pledge the same!”

Okay, fair enough, fair enough. The Enclave were humans but on the other hand, it was Maximus who invited them to the Moon.

So maybe guarantee that you’ll keep Maximus on a leash?

Or do you not want to make promises you know you can’t keep?

Maybe at least promise you all won’t immediately jump to action if Black Bolt suggests that it’s time to destroy humanity. Please. Apply some critical thinking.

Annnnyway, the Avengers promise to deliver this message to the UN and “pray that our fellow man is wise enough to reply in kind!”

But seriously. Maximus causes like. 70% of the Inhumans’ problems. Get a better handle on him, you dipshits.

Follow @essential-avengers because I’m brave enough to say ‘I don’t always like the Inhumans’ which I can assure you without bothering to google is probably a rare opinion. Also, like and reblog to make me feel appreciated.

#Avengers #Inhumans #the Wasp #Captain America #the Vision #Scarlet Witch #Starfox #She Hulk #Captain Marvel #Monica Rambeau #Quicksilver #I'm not tagging the inhumans #essential marvel liveblogging #Essential Avengers #this took me forever to get through #its not necessarily bad #its just aggressively average #also its not the best lockjaw art I've seen by a very long shot #his teeth bother me

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natromanxoff · 4 years

Text

Queen live at Colston Hall in Bristol, UK - November 18, 1975

The photos could be from either night.

This article from the November 29 issue of Sounds chronicles the second night in Bristol.

Queen triumphant

QUEEN ARE the type of group that make a man want to abandon rock writing. They pose questions and never provide answers. They exist in their own space-time continuum, visible and audible but keeping their secrets to themselves.

On the surface they couldn't be a nicer bunch of people, but they carry English reticence to an epitome. It isn't, as Geoff Barton said two weeks ago, that they're boring, it's just that they're reserved. Or in writer parlance, they don't automatically provide colourful copy. All my instincts as a writer tell me that there is a great story in that band, but after two nights with them I'm hardly any the wiser.

Skin tight

That their insularity has a lot to do with them being one of the most amazing heavy-metal and/or rock bands in Britain - with all the signs that they'll end up monsters on the order of Zep - is fairly obvious, but just how much bearing it has on the matter is hard to say. The enigmas they might pose mightn't even have answers.

Is there any logical reason why they present an image and persona straight out of the Beatles school of interlocking chemistry?

John is reserved, almost nonchalant on stage, as if it's all in a small, personal joke. When asked how he saw himself within the framework of the band he replied, with a small smile, "I'm the bassist".

Roger is his opposite, the cheeky sidekick in a Clint Eastwood movie, and attracting a lot of cheesecake attention in America and Japan.

Freddie is an original - one of the most dynamic singers to tread the boards in quite a few years. His attraction is obvious.

Brian is perhaps the biggest enigma of all. What is this seemingly frail, gaunt astronomer doing on that stage, striding purposefully and blasting diamond-hard rock? They're all equally strong personalities - like the Beatles there's no one major focal point. Ask four fans who their dream Queen is and you'll get four different answers.

Only Queen are driven to better each previous album - which at this stage of the game is obviously producing some excellent results - and 'A Night At The Opera' turned into a saga - culminating in 36-hour mixing sessions in an effort to allow at least a few days for rehearsal. In the end they managed three and a half days at Elstree with four hours off to videotape the promotional film for 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.

Their first few dates had not been without errors and the quartet were still not feeling totally comfortable their second night in Bristol, fourth night of the tour. You'd never know it, though.

Like all other aspects of the group, the stage is sophisticated. A black scrim provides a backdrop bounded by a proscenium of lights both front and rear. At each side the p.a. rises like a mutant marriage of Mammon and Robby the Robot. Amp power is readily evident but the most extraordinary is Brian May's subtle set up: nine Vox boxes stepping back in rows of three. The only packing crate visible is holding a tray of drinks, and you may rest assured that no roadie will rush, crawl or lurk across the stage while the show is in progress unless it's to rescue Freddie's mike from the clawing crowd.

As the auditorium darkens the sound of an orchestra tuning up is heard over the p.a. The conductor taps his baton on the music stand and a slightly effete voice welcomes the audience to A Night At The Opera. The Gilbert & Sullivan portion of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' follows, a brief glimpse of Freddie is allowed, and then in a blast of flares and white smoke the blitzkrieg begins.

Roger is barely visible behind his kit, just his eyes and tousled locks. John is wearing a white suit and playing the-man-who-must-stand-still-or-it-will-all-blow-away. Brian is slightly medieval in his green and white Zandra Rhodes top, while Freddie is...

There have been sex objects and sex bombs, superstar potency and the arrogant presentation of this all-important area, but never has a man's weaponry been so flagrantly showcased. Fred could jump up on the drum stand and shake his cute arse, leap about and perform all manner of amazing acrobatics, but there it was, this rope in repose, barely leashed tumescence, the Queen's sceptre. Oh to be that hot costume, writhing across the mighty Fred!

Phallic

Freddie is not pretty in the conventional sense of the word; like Mick Jagger of '64, he is his own convention. Also like the Jagger of the time, his stage persona and action is unlike anything else. Although it borrows - like most of the group's plagiarisms - slightly from Zeppelin, in tandem with Freddie's supreme assurance and belief in himself - he always refers to himself as a star - it explodes into something that is a constant delight to watch.

He reacts to his audience almost like an over-emotional actress - Gloria Swanson, say, or perhaps Holly Woodlawn playing Bette Davis. At the climax of the second night in Bristol he paused at the top of the drum stand, looked back over the crowd and with complete, heartfelt emotion placed his delicate fingers to lips and blew a kiss. Any person who can consume themselves so completely in such a clichéd showbiz contrivance deserves to be called a star.

Freddie's real talent, though, is with his mike stand. No Rod Stewart mike stand callisthenics here, just a shortee stick that doubles as a cock, machine gun, ambiguous phallic symbol, and for a fleeting moment an imaginary guitar. He has a neat trick of standing quite still in particularly frantic moments and holding the stand vertically from his crotch up, draw a fragile finger along its length, ever closer to the taunting eyes that survey his audience.

Their show contains lots of bombs and smoke, lots of lights, lots of noise. They fulfil the function of supremely good heavy metal - i.e. you don't get a second to think about what's going on. When they do let up for a few minutes, it's only so you can focus in on the bright blue electric charge crackling between your ears.

Bulldozer

Dominating the sound is Roger's drumming, a bulldozer echo that bounces like an elastic membrane, meshing with your solar plexus so that your body pulses in synch with the thunder. Tuned into that, everything else is just supremely nice icing.

For three days rehearsal, after eight months off the road Bristol was extremely impressive. In speculative mood I quizzed people on how long they thought it would take to headline Madison Square Garden. I was thought a radical at a year and a half. John Reid smilingly assured me it would take a year.

That Queen should end up with John Reid is an entirely logical proceeding. Everything about Queen demands that the world eventually kowtows at their feet in complete acquiescence - so big that bodyguards have to accompany them at every step. Well, no - they found that an annoyance in Japan, but, you know, huge.

Such status demands a Reid or a Peter Grant, and whatever the causes for their leaving Jack Nelson and Trident, an elegant group like Queen is going to look for a man with class. Reid found the idea of managing a group interesting, and having to deal with four strong personalities a challenge. He only concerns himself with their business and ensuring that the year ahead is mapped out. In January they begin a jaunt through the Orient, Australia and America, by which time it's March and they begin preparations for the next album.

Reid's prediction of a year was proven highly credible the next evening in Cardiff. The band had still not paused from the rush up to the tour and spent most of the day relaxing and sleeping - no doubt a factor in their near recumbent profile. Also, unlike most groups, they were keeping their dissatisfaction with the show to themselves.

They stopped off at Harlech TV on the way to see a cassette of the video for 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. The general consensus was quite good for four hours, with much laughter during the operetta. Brian finds film of the group educational - the first time he saw himself was a Mike Mansfield opus for 'Keep Yourself Alive' - "It was 'All right fellows, give it everything you've got but don't move off that spot.' It was terrible." You don't like Mansfield, eh? "Oh, I hate him - we all do... I was horrified when I saw it - I couldn't believe we looked that bad. I looked very static - seeing myself has taught me a lot about stage movement. Some of the things I do are planned for effect, but it's mostly just feeling the audience and communicating that back to them."

Arriving at the motel - several miles out of town - Freddie immediately fell asleep, John held court of a sort, joined later by Brian, while Roger went jogging, a daily event when touring. Tuning in to rock via Bill Haley and Tommy Steele, he became a drummer because he was better at it than guitar. All through school he was in bands; he only went to dental school out of "middle class conditioning, and it was a good way to stay in London without having to work". His mother thought it a bit strange when he opted for a career as a rock star, but she doesn't worry too much now.

The concert starts in much the same manner as the previous night, but there are signs that tonight is work, with posing an afterthought. The endings to most of their songs are magnificent and majestic, especially 'Flick Of The Wrist' and the rapid harmonies of 'Bad Boy Leroy Brown'.

Maniacal

The audience, seeing their faces in town for the first time, are vociferous in their appreciation. Guys know all the words to every song, yelling enthusiastically at every effect and solo. The band picks up, Freddie receiving the crowd beneficently, telling them they’re beautiful.

As the show builds it is obvious that things are gelling more. The previous night Brian had seemed totally out of place, not moving too much, taking solos with the weirdest half blank half possessed stare, talking to himself; cocking ear towards guitar. He was the proverbial stranger in a strange land, one step removed from the plane inhabited by you and me.

Tonight he moves fluidly, the gonzo lead guitarist of a gonzo band. His expressions are just as maniacal, but it only makes him look more demonic. His solo in 'Brighton Rock', an exposition in riffing and echo, is a treat because of his physical response to both music and audience, complete with ham acting. Freddie gets into the same game on 'The Prophet's Song', where he conducts an acapella madrigal with himself. It's a pretty commanding moment.

It’s soon after this that Madison Square seems reasonable. About a minute into 'Stone Cold Crazy' it becomes very obvious that Queen have suddenly Plugged In. Found the metal music machine and Connected. Freddie's movements explode in perfect unison with the music, the lights and surroundings go crazy, and the audience goes berserk.

Freddie asks for requests and receives a roar out of which one can vaguely make 'Liar'. Fred walks along the stage, nodding, agreeing he will do this one and that one while the kids roar on. "I'll tell you what - we'll do them all!"

'Doing Alright' opens slow and portentously. Queen's variation of light and shade is one of the major factors in their popularity, but even so the quiet sections frequently find the audience's mind wandering. One kid starts getting a joint together, totally forgetting it when everything blasts off again; guys talk among themselves, only to instantly leap to their feet, fists flying to the beat.

'Doing Alright' changes into a cha-cha beat, Freddie snapping his fingers, the coolest hipster in town, and then instantly drops into faster-than-light drive - the whole row next to me leaps to their feet as a man, rocking back and forth as Brian roars into a blinding solo.

Two songs later, in 'Seven Seas of Rye', the kids break - very fast - and in five seconds half the audience is a seething mass in front of the stage, climbing on each other in pyramids, sudden openings appearing as a splintering seat sends a few bodies to the floor.

The rest of the show is equally intense, especially for a couple of minutes during 'Liar; where Fred and Brian merge into a tight little triangle with Roger while John stands in front of the bass drum, staring out with his small smile.

Freddie has treated his encores - 'Big Spender' and 'Jailhouse Rock' - differently on successive nights, once appearing in a kimono and in Bristol with rather rude tight white shorts, giving the song title new emphasis. In Cardiff, though, he doesn't bother to change at all. Later it transpired that Brian had twisted his ankle during 'Liar'. While he’s attended to, kids out front pick up chair slivers to keep as mementos.

On the bus back to the hotel Brian sits quietly at the back, chatting with two girls. John sits at the front, as always. Freddie stares out of the window, lost in his own world. Roger bounces around, starts a pillow fight with Brian - which stops as soon as Brian scores a direct hit to the face - then discovers an eight track of 'Sheer Heart Attack', punching it through the channels as he conducts the group. The two hours towards which they have channelled the day's energies are spent.

Ambition

That Queen have become a top attraction through a fair degree of plagiarism is amusing. Stealing is nothing new in rock (or any art for that matter) and mostly Queen use the borrowed material better than the originals. That they would be big I don't think anybody really doubted. All four have immense desire to be successful, and that kind of ambition will keep them slogging until they achieve it.

But there are popular heavy metal bands and there are popular h-m bands. From watching Queen's audience it is apparent that Queen speak for them in a way that bands such as the Who and the Stones and the Beatles spoke (and continue to speak) to their audience. Uriah Heep may be great at what they do, but five years after their demise who'll remember them? Creedence Clearwater Revival demonstrate the same thing - who remembers them? And yet five years ago they were the largest band in the world.

Queen will probably always be remembered, because as their tour is beginning to demonstrate, they have the ability to actualise and encompass the outer limits of their sense of self-importance. Queen and their music, presentation, production - everything about them says that they are more important than any other band you've every heard, and who has there been, so far, who has objected? Certainly not the 150,000 people (plus 20,000 a day) who bought 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in the first 20 days of its release. Certainly not me.

See you at Madison Square Garden.

[text © J. Ingham 2007; photos © Kate Simon]

~ You can see the photos which was mentioned on the article, from the link on the title. ~

#queen #queen band #roger taylor #freddie mercury #brian may #john deacon #queen concerts

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rompstompchomp · 4 years

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Rampage Origins: Ruby The Lobster

Colossal Cinematic Crustaceans

Gargon (Teenagers From Outer Space 1959)

A race of human-like aliens seeks to use the Earth as pasture for their lobster-like livestock. However, one young member knows this will put the human race at serious risk and rebels against his people, running away and befriending a small family of humans, as well as eventually having to destroy the test Gargon and sacrifice himself to save both the Earth and his own planet. Very little is revealed about the Gargons’ biology other than that they are bred for their meat, can breathe air and grow to enormous size in Earth’s oxygen rich atmosphere (how big they typically grow is not revealed) and that attack viciously with their claws. They also have a roar that’s sounds like the halfway point between someone badly imitating an elephant and an angry cat. The Gargon in the film was portrayed by an actual lobster using front screen projection.

Ebirah (Ebirah, Horror Of The Deep (1966)

When a young man hears his brother has been lost at sea, he becomes desperate to find him. He and his two friends eventually end up on a yacht with a shady character, which they steal. Eventually they are shipwrecked by a giant mutated lobster and are washed ashore on an island run by a terrorist organization. The organization is producing heavy water for weapons of mass destruction and have kidnapped natives from Infant Island (Mothra’s home) to act as slave labor. The natives are unable to leave without being attacked and eaten by the huge creature (mutated by the nuclear waste produced by the terrorists’ activities) and are forced to create a yellow liquid from a native fruit that repels it in order to allow the terrorists to ship out their heavy water. However, the heroes come up with a brilliant plan to fake the yellow liquid so the lobster will attack the terrorists’ boats, as well as using Godzilla (who’s also on the island) as a distraction, while Mothra rescues the people. Ebirah was defeated by Godzilla when he ripped off the creature’s claws, forcing it to flee. Ebirah returned in Godzilla: Final Wars, where it seems that this lobster was finally cooked via Godzilla’s radiation blast (though I think we all know by now that death for kaiju is merely an inconvenience until the next time around).

Ebirah is shown to be highly aggressive, fighting the much bigger Godzilla and even taunting him. He is also one of only a few monsters in the Toho Godzilla universe that is shown explicitly to be a man-eater.

Lobstroids The Movie (?) (1989)

Lobsters infused with steroids grow to gigantic size and are drawn ashore by the sound of rock and roll to terrorize a coastal Maine town. This film is an intentional horror-comedy and seems to fit very closely with the tone of the Rampage game series.

Commander Crayfish (Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers Season 1 Episode 59: Mighty Morphin’ Mutants, May 16, 1994)

This monster becomes the leader of a group of evil Power Ranger clones (acting as the Red Mutant Ranger) and using similar weapons to the Power Rangers themselves (such as an energy sword similar to the Red Ranger and power blasters). Commander Crayfish was yet another MMPR original creation. It seems odd to have a crayfish monster lead a group of evil clones, but the costume is still neat.

Slobster (Street Sharks Season 1 Episode 1: Sharkbait, September 7, 1994)

Mad scientist Dr. Paradigm added the DNA of villainous historical figures to that of sea creatures to create his minions, one of which being Slobster, a drooling hybrid of a lobster and the DNA of Genghis Khan and Thomas Blood (not exactly an even mix of evil if you read up on both figures). Slobster and a swordfish hybrid named Slash basically served as the series’ Rocksteady and BeBop until the start of the third season, where they were mysteriously absent.

What Rampage 2 Universal Tour and Rampage Total Destruction Took From Giant Lobster Films and Shows

Ruby is a human mutated into a lobster with fangs (echoing Slobster’s human-lobster hybrid nature) and has the stalk eyes and bright red color of Ebirah.

The updated version of Ruby seen in Rampage Total Destruction gained the antennae seen in many previous lobster mutants as well as a rounded appearance closer to that of Commander Crayfish and a tail like many of her less anthropomorphic predecessors.

#Player 1 (OOC)#Graphics (Images and Aesthetics)#ruby the lobster #rampage 2 universal tour #rampage total destruction #teenagers from outer space 1959 #ebirah horror of the deep 1966 #lobstroids the movie (?) 1989 #mighty morphin power rangers #street sharks

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awackyphdinadorkable · 5 years

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Cherik Moodboard: Enchanted AU

Note: This is supposed to be a little more detailed exploration of the plot bunnies I have in mind for this (though I am really happy to read that I am not the only one feeling a mighty need for such an AU). I hope to put that into fanfic one of these days, but until I find the time and muses needed… I guess this can be taken as a small preview. :)

In a magical kingdom far, far away lives a young man in a cottage in the woods. Charles is a man heading towards his personal happy ending, as does anyone. With his sister Raven, he has any intention to not only find his personal luck but also for other people. Raven and he are special – they possess a kind of magic. Charles can read people’s minds whereas his sister can change her outer appearance at will.

Charles since harbored the wish to become a teacher and wants to build a school for people like them, those with magical gifts. Westchester Castle would be perfect. And at last, the owner of the property is willing to negotiate a treaty with Charles so that he can build his school there.

However, his supposed benefactor strikes Charles as rather strange. Now meeting him for the first time in person – they conversed by letter before – he can’t read his mind. Charles believes it is due to the strange helmet Sebastian Shaw is wearing, but before he has any chance to investigate, Charles finds himself pushed into a well in Westchester’s garden, and just like that, he is gone…

Erik Lehnsherr is going about his life as a lawyer while keeping a low profile, hoping not to draw too much attention to himself or his teenage son who is busy giving him trouble instead of listening to his father. Until just recently, Erik didn’t even know Peter was his son because his mother and he fell out of touch when he moved to Poland.

Trying to make ends meet as a normal person is hard enough, but doing so as a mutant who has to keep his faster-than-lightning son from exposing them at a time when mutants are more and more under scrutiny is an entirely separate nightmare.

When Erik and Peter pass by Time Square after dinner, both are in for a surprise: A man in a medieval-looking costume runs around in the middle of the busy street, shouting at people to stop thinking. It takes Erik a moment, but then it dawns on him: that man is likely one of them, a mutant. Thus, he instructs Peter to use his lightning speed to get them out of the situation, whiplash notwithstanding.

Peter takes them back to Erik’s loft, where a still very clearly disoriented man with dark hair and beautiful blue eyes struggles with “so many voices.” Any effort of Erik’s to get the man’s personal details fail – knowing very well that the new identification laws for mutants he is desperate to dodge in court won’t do that man any favors if he just hands him over to authorities. But it’s no use.

“I like him,” Peter declares.

“Why?”

“He’s weird.”

“Ah.”

In an effort to help the young man struggling with his mutation, Erik tries to calm him by instructing the, for what it seems, telepath to only focus on his thoughts. Luckily, that solves some of the problems, though sadly, it also creates more since that telepath is strong enough to dig into the darkest corners of Erik’s mind, recovering all those painful memories he put away for good.

“I am so sorry, Erik.”

“It doesn’t matter. I want to know who you are, now that you took a look around my head. So?”

“I am Charles. And I believe something is very much at disarray.”

“You don’t say.”

“I mean to say that… I seemingly ended up in the wrong world.”

As it turns out, Charles was sucked into another dimension. Erik nearly chokes on the name of the man Charles was busy making deals with. Sebastian Shaw. The man who made him into a monster. The man who killed his mother. The man he is still desperate to find and bring to justice.

However, as much as he wants revenge, Erik knows that figuring out the situation with Charles currently takes precedence.

“So we get to keep him?” Peter asks.

“You make it sound like he is a stray cat?”

“Well, he’s a stray guy, then. Though he definitely dresses fancier than the homeless guys down Time Square.”

“I would very much appreciate it if you granted me lodgings until I… well, acquainted,” Charles offers shyly. “It appears my home is in another dimension at this moment.”

Erik agrees to have Charles in his loft until they have this sorted out, though the thought of having a telepath in his home does nothing to calm his mind. After all, Charles accidentally dug in very deep already, and Erik has no intention of revisiting the memories he buried inside him.

The following days are filled with confusion foremost. Charles has some issue adjusting since cars, showers, or toasters are, to his mind, witchcraft. Though Charles seems curiously drawn to that which he doesn’t know, which only ever seems to fuel Peter to show Charles the “ways to modernity” by declaring himself Charles’s personal “reality tour guide.”

While Charles can be convinced to wear something more up-to-date to blend in better in public, his way of expression and lack of knowledge continue to get Erik into one awkward situation after the other.

When Charles starts an impromptu musical number in the park, Erik is just about to lose it, though.

Things hit another level of oddity when Peter’s mother checks in on them without letting Erik know of her surprise visit in advance, only to start making comments about how he seemingly "switched teams" after she runs into a half-naked Charles emerging from the bathroom after yet another hot shower, which he finds an “absolutely fantastic invention” they should have long since adopted in his world.

“It is so convenient!”

Despite their continuing clashes, especially once both discuss the methods of their taking on Shaw, the two have a vested interest in finding the man. After all, Charles himself has any intention to get back home to his sister, for whose safety he fears.

Unknown to them, Raven has since taken it upon herself to search for her brother after he didn’t return from his business dealings with Sebastian Shaw as he promised. And Charles always keeps his promises.

She travels to Westchester. While looking for her brother, she nearly walks in on Shaw talking to some of his minions. Raven can gather that Shaw needed to get rid of Charles because of his powerful mind that may have the power to destroy his plans of world dominion – and used Westchester as a way of luring him into a trap. Though, to Shaw’s dismay, something went wrong and Charles was not killed – as it was planned – but sent to another dimension.

“That’s the trouble with the fairytale world. Here, we can’t win – because the bad never wins here, but that doesn’t mean we can’t gather our weapons and then head back to our terrain where we most certainly can.”

One of his fellows, a blonde woman going by the name Emma Frost, is tasked to travel to that dimension and “take care of business” and ensure that Charles doesn’t get into their way a second time once they launch their plan in the other dimension.

Shaw releases a blast of energy through which Emma can travel to that dimension. Raven takes a chance and sneaks in after the blonde woman without anyone’s realization, only to find herself in the middle of Central Park, naked, blue, in her natural shape – and thus in the eye of everyone.

Unable to control her abilities, Raven has no other choice but to seek cover until she gets a hold of her magic. After all, she has to find Charles before this Emma Frost can.

Though help may soon be on the way when she runs into Hank, a young man who loves video games and tells her that she looks exactly like one of the characters of his club’s most beloved game. The group hails her like some kind of blue goddess, which Raven finds flattering, surely, but she really needs to find her brother first.

Hank volunteers to help her, arguing that she won’t have to hide at the convention he intends to visit, because everyone walks around in costumes there. He reveals to her that this is the one occasion where he also travels around in his natural shape – which is, like hers, blue. Just with a lot more fur. Raven agrees, hoping that going from there, she may have it easier to find Charles. And the prospect of being able to be herself in public, she will have to admit, is all the more intriguing.

In some other part of the city around the same time, Erik has his dear trouble taking care of a kleptomaniac teenage mutant who won’t listen to a word he says and an adult mutant who walks the earth with the curiosity of a child, leaving Erik wondering whether he truly is the only adult in the room.

But then again, Charles is from fairytale land where everyone is happy and where no bad can come to you. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to him that Charles won’t see the bad in the world when Erik witnessed it firsthand, more than once.

Yet, there is a part of Erik that is completely enchanted by that man’s perception of the world, the happiness and hope he radiates and inspires.

Charles, for his part, finds himself both irritated and fascinated not just by this strange world but the man so kind to take him in. There is a great deal of darkness in Erik that Charles never witnessed back in his world – because it doesn’t exist where he comes from. And more than anything, he wants Erik to see the part Charles saw for himself when he accidentally looked into Erik’s mind, but Erik keeps ignoring this light – all the good in him, his love and his compassion, among many other things. Yet, Charles remains determined to show him just that magic.

In an effort to help mend the fractured relationship between Peter and Erik, Charles tries to communicate their feelings to one another, as this father-son pair fails to express what they truly think and feel. While Erik feels offended at first, he realizes that Charles is doing so with best intentions in mind – and actually succeeds to build a bridge between the two after Erik already thought he’d lose yet another child, like back in Poland.

Things take a sudden turn when Peter takes Charles to a convention in the city, so that Charles can “let the weird run wild and free” – only to run into none other than Hank and Raven.

While everyone is happily reunited, Erik is only left wondering just how many more “stray people” according to Peter he’ll have to take in. Though thankfully, Hank proves to be of help, having developed a device that would increase a telepath’s abilities so drastically that he or she could locate other mutants. Charles is thrilled by the idea, hoping that this will finally give him a chance to track down Shaw, not only for Erik’s sake but now also to make sure that Raven makes her way back home safely.

Erik, while driven to finally find Shaw after all those years, finds his mind constantly overwritten by his growing worry and care for Charles, who, to his mind, puts himself in far too much danger in an effort to find Shaw.

While Charles can’t locate Shaw thanks to the helmet, they end up with a lead on the woman Raven followed, Emma Frost. Conveniently, she hosts a ball that is supposed to be a great finale for the convention – though really just for high society – which may prove like a good opportunity to get some answers.

Thanks to Charles’s convincing, the group has no trouble getting in.

And yet, trouble lurks just behind the next corner, since they are not the only ones with special abilities – and the will to see their goals achieved.

Erik fears that he will remain right in the end – that in his world, there are no happy ending stories…

#cherik #cherik au #charles x erik #charles xavier #erik lehnsherr #x men au #enchanted au #i have a lot of cherik feels mkay #and I am a thirsty hoe for disney adaptations #I can't help it #I mean #I could #but I don't want to

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comfortfoodcontent · 1 year

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1991 Marvel Comics X-Men “The Mighty Mutant Tour” Magazine Ad

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thecomicsnexus · 4 years

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TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES ADVENTURES #53-54 FEBRUARY - MARCH 1994 BY STEVE MURPHY, RYAN BROWN, STEVE LAVIGNE, CHRIS ALLAN, JON D’AGOSTINO, JIM LAWSON, ERIC TALBOT AND BARRY GROSSMAN

SYNOPSIS (FROM COMIC VINE)

An ancient evil spirit named Animus is awakened by its followers and travels to Jerusalem where it steals "The End of Days", one of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

April and Oyuki arrive in Israel with two large trunks in tow. The women take a taxi to a local hotel and we discover that the TMNT, Ninjara and Master Splinter were hiding in the large luggage. Shortly thereafter, a young military Private named Ariella Yahuda arrives and tells April that she'll be their tour guide for the Old City the following morning. Once Ariella departs, the TMNT have a big pillow fight while Master Splinter turns on the news. The broadcast shows a huge fight taking place on the streets of Old City, where tourists and citizens are fighting a pitched battle with one another. Also in the melee are Al'Falqa and Katmandu. Our heroes hurry out to investigate the violence, but April and Oyuki are met by Ariella, who tells them that they must stay at the hotel until the fighting has stopped. The TMNT have other plans and escape through a window.

The Turtles make it to the heart of the battle and discover that everyone involved is possessed - all of their eyes are blank white. Mike spots someone throwing a molotov cocktail into a car. The Turtle tries to retrieve it before it explodes, but he's too late and is caught in the blast.

Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Ariella spots the smoke from the car fire and transforms into a super-powered being named Golani before setting off in the direction of the explosion.

Animus arrives on the scene and declares that it has begun the Armageddon with the help of the End of Days scroll. Golani attacks the behemoth, who orders the possessed Al'Falqa and Katmandu to protect him. The TMNT and Ninjara have their hands full fending off human attackers. April and Oyuki arrive and try to get some footage of the battle. April shines a bright light on Animus, which cause the creature to recoil. Golani realizes that the monster fears the light, and so she blasts him with hers. Animus fades away, but vows that he will return that night. Master Splinter reaches Michaelangelo's side, and discovers that his son has been blinded from the explosion that he was caught in.

Our heroes go back to their hotel to plan and recuperate. The group decides to take the fight to Animus and head off to find his hideout inside the Fortress of Nimrod. Oyuki stays behind with Mike, who can't leave due to his blindness. Later that evening, the TMNT, Splinter, Ninjara, Al'Falqa and Katmandu find the Fortress entrance and go inside to investigate. They're immediately attacked by the men who freed Animus, but our heroes make short work of their foes. The Turtles find what they think is a giant statue of Animus, with the End of Days scroll at its base. Golani picks up the parchment and flies off with it - which causes the statue's eyes to glow. It wasn't a statue after all, but Animus himself! Without the power of the scroll or its followers, the monster begins to shrink down in size, until its merely a few inches tall. Ninjara borrows a snow globe that Oyuki had bought as a souvenir and traps the miniature Animus inside.

Back up story featuring the shocking death of the Mighty Mutanimals at the hands of the Gang of Four.

REVIEW

Before I go into details. It looks like Raphael and Ninjara were travelling inside one box, and Michaelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello and Splinter were in another. Then Mikey proceeds to make a joke about the sleeping arrangements. Foxes and Turtles are quite incompatible... but... well... for what I read about turtles... they could, technically have sex. I don’t know, I think it’s best not to think about it too much.

In any case, this story is filler, and introduces characters you will forget about by the time you read the back-up story. I wonder if Mikey will remain blind next issue though.

And speaking of the mutanimals story. They die!

Yes they die. Apparently, the big plan was to have a cartoon and a toy line, but when that didn’t come through, the comic was cancelled, and Brown and Murphy decided to kill them all!

It’s a bit too much for a kid’s comic. But have in mind that this is 1994. Girlfriends would make their way into refrigerators and cities would blow up completely. In all-ages comic-books. So I guess it’s a product of its time.

On the good side of all of this, Slash is back!

I give this story a score of 5.

#chris allan #ryan brown #mighty mutanimals #tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #teenage mutant ninja turtles adventures #archie comics #comics #review #1994 #modern age

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collectorscorner · 4 years

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CC Blogger - New Arrivals @ Collectors Corner : Wednesday 1/15/2020 Complete list of items shipping to the stores, some items may be limited in availability. If you see anything you want to purchase on the list and are not a subscription member at Collectors Corner, just contact us and let us know if you want an item held at the stores. email - [email protected] Subscription Membership & Free Membership Card : Collectors Corner's No Obligation (FREE) Membership Card or FREE (In Store) & ONLINE Subscription Membership saves you 10% Off ALL Bagged & Boarded Comic Book Back Issues, Board Games, Graphic Novels, Manga & Special Orders. Plus Never miss a comic again! Computerized and organized + you can add and cancel titles on your subscription list from home on your own time, or in the store when you pick up your comics at : Maryland's Coolest Stores! Since 2001. 3 Convenient Locations - CC PARKVILLE HQ 7911 Harford Rd Parkville, MD 21234 CC BALTIMORE - OUTPOST 403 North Charles St. Baltimore, MD 21201 CC BEL AIR - OUTPOST 17 N. Main St. Bel Air, MD 21014 www.collectorscornermd.com NEW ARRIVALS : Wednesday 1/15/2020 ABSTRACT STUDIOS Five Years #7, $$3.99 AC COMICS 21st Centurions #1, $$5.95 ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT Adventures Of Mickey And Maj Volume 1 Time Space Magic GN, $$8.99 Miranda Fantasyland Tour Guide GN, $$11.99 Nutmeg Volume 5 Spring The Good Dine Young TP, $$11.99 Princeless Volume 9 Love Yourself TP, $$14.99 AFTERSHOCK COMICS Descendent Volume 1 TP, $$16.99 Killer Groove Volume 1 TP, $$16.99 Midnight Vista #5, $$3.99 Orphan Age Volume 1 TP, $$16.99 AHOY COMICS Second Coming #6 (Of 6), $$3.99 ALTERNA COMICS Adventures Of Mr. Crypt And Baron Rat #3 (Of 3), $$1.50 Alterna Giants Blood Realm Volume 1 Dark Covenant, $$4.99 Alterna Giants Blood Realm Volume 2 Shadowed Kingdom, $$4.99 Alterna Giants The Mighty Mascots Volume 1, $$4.99 Cyko KO Volume 2 #3 (Of 3), $$1.50 Gods And Gears #2 (Of 4), $$1.50 ICYMI #11, $$0.99 ICYMI #12, $$0.99 It Came Out On A Wednesday #10, $$1.99 Midnight Mystery Volume 2 City Of Ghosts #4, $$1.50 Void Walker #2 (Of 4), $$1.50 Wicked Righteous Volume 2 #4 (Of 6), $$1.50 AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY PRODUCTIONS Rocky And Bullwinkle Seen On TV #2 (Cover A S. L. Gallant), $$3.99 Rocky And Bullwinkle Seen On TV #2 (Cover B Retro Animation Variant), $$9.99 Underdog And Pals #3 (Cover A Matt Hansel Hero Variant), $$3.99 Underdog And Pals #3 (Cover B Retro Animation Variant), $$9.99 ANDREWS MCMEEL Baby A Soppy Story GN, $$14.99 ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS Archie #710 (Archie And Katy Keene Part 1)(Cover A Laura Braga), $$3.99 Archie #710 (Archie And Katy Keene Part 1)(Cover B Francesco Francavilla), $$3.99 Archie #710 (Archie And Katy Keene Part 1)(Cover C Emanuela Lupacchino), $$3.99 Archie #710 (Archie And Katy Keene Part 1)(Cover D Paul Renaud), $$3.99 Archie #710 (Archie And Katy Keene Part 1)(Cover E Billy Tucci), $$3.99 ASPEN COMICS Michael Turner Art Edition The Best Of Michael Turner Featuring Fathom Soulfire Ekos (Cover A Michael Turner), $$5.99 Michael Turner Art Edition The Best Of Michael Turner Featuring Fathom Soulfire Ekos (Cover B Michael Turner), $AR AVATAR PRESS Warrior Nun Dora #3 (Cover A Daniel Gete), $$5.99 BIG FINISH Doctor Who Rose Tyler The Dimension Cannon Audio CD, $$63.99 Doctor Who The Eighth Doctor Ravenous 4 Audio CD, $$63.99 Doctor Who The Monthly Adventures Volume 257 Interstitial Feast Of Fear Audio CD, $$24.99 Torchwood Torchwood One Latter Days Audio CD, $$41.99 Torchwood Volume 31 Vigil Audio CD, $$16.99 BOOK PALACE Illustrators Magazine #28, $$24.99 Illustrators Special #5 (The Art Of Commando Comics), $$34.99 Illustrators Special #6 (The Art Of Brian Bolland), $$34.99 BOOM! STUDIOS Folklords #2 (Of 5)(Matt Kindt 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $$3.99 Ghosted In L.A. #7 (Cover A Siobhan Keenan), $$3.99 Ghosted In L.A. #7 (Cover B Sina Grace), $$3.99 Hellmouth #4 (Cover A Jenny Frison), $$3.99 Hellmouth #4 (Cover B Steve Morris Hellmouth Connecting Variant), $$3.99 Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal Age Of Resistance #5 (Cover A Mona Finden), $$3.99 Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal Age Of Resistance #5 (Cover B Kelly Matthews & Nichole Matthews), $$3.99 Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal Age Of Resistance #5 (Cover C Christian Ward), $AR Red Mother #1 (Danny Luckert 3rd Printing Variant Cover)(not verified by Diamond), $$3.99 Red Mother #2 (Cover A Jeremy Haun), $$3.99 Red Mother #2 (Cover B Jeremy Haun Red Variant), $AR Red Mother #2 (Cover C Toni Infante), $AR Saban's Go Go Power Rangers #27 (Cover A Eleonora Carlini), $$3.99 Saban's Go Go Power Rangers #27 (Cover B Amelia Vidal Album Variant), $$3.99 Saban's Go Go Power Rangers #27 (Cover C Miguel Mercado), $$3.99 Saban's Go Go Power Rangers #27 (Cover D Johanna The Mad Social Variant), $AR CAPSTONE PUBLISHING Stan Lee Get To Know The Comics Creator SC, $$7.95 CHAPTERHOUSE PUBLISHING Pitiful Human-Lizard Volume 3 Almost Getting There TP, $$19.99 CHARMZ Amy's Diary Volume 3 Moving On GN, $$9.99 CINEBOOK Route 66 List Volume 2 Missouri GN, $$11.95 Thorgal Volume 0 The Betrayed Sorceress And Almost Paradise GN, $$19.95 Valerian Volume 23 The Future Is Waiting GN, $$13.95 COMIC SHOP NEWS Comic Shop News #1700, $AR COMICMIX Ha.i.ley GN, $$19.99 His Name Is Savage Volume 1 GN, $$19.99 DAIKAIJU G-Fan #126, $$6.95 DARK HORSE COMICS Aliens Vs Predator Thicker Than Blood #2 (Of 4), $$3.99 Disney Frozen True Treasure #3 (Of 3)(Cover A Eduard Petrovich), $$3.99 Disney Frozen True Treasure #3 (Of 3)(Cover B Tommaso Renieri), $$3.99 Dragon Age Blue Wraith #1 (Of 3), $$3.99 Hellboy Winter Special 2019, $$3.99 Skulldigger And Skeleton Boy #2 (Of 6)(Cover A Tonci Zonjic), $$3.99 Skulldigger And Skeleton Boy #2 (Of 6)(Cover B James Harren), $$3.99 Steeple #5 (Of 5)(Cover A John Allison), $$3.99 Steeple #5 (Of 5)(Cover B Robert Ball), $$3.99 Tales From Harrow County Death's Choir #2 (Of 4)(Cover A Naomi Franquiz), $$3.99 Tales From Harrow County Death's Choir #2 (Of 4)(Cover B Tyler Crook), $$3.99 Trout Volume 2 The Hollowest Knock HC, $$19.99 DC COMICS Aquaman #56 (Cover A Brad Walker & Andrew Hennessy), $$3.99 Aquaman #56 (Cover B Skan), $AR Batman The Golden Age Volume 6 TP, $$39.99 Batman's Grave #4 (Of 12)(Cover A Bryan Hitch), $$3.99 Batman's Grave #4 (Of 12)(Cover B Jee-Hyung Lee), $AR Birds Of Prey Black Canary TP, $$19.99 Crisis On Infinite Earths Giant #1, $$4.99 Detective Comics #359 (Facsimile Edition), $$3.99 Dollar Comics Batman Adventures #12, $$1.00 Flash #86 (Cover A Rafael Sandoval & Jordi Tarragona), $$3.99 Flash #86 (Cover B Dustin Nguyen Card Stock Variant), $AR Flash Forward #5 (Of 6)(Cover A Evan Doc Shaner), $$3.99 Flash Forward #5 (Of 6)(Cover B In-Hyuk Lee), $AR Freedom Fighters #12 (Of 12), $$3.99 Green Lantern Legacy GN, $$9.99 Hellblazer Volume 22 Regeneration TP, $$29.99 He-Man And The Masters Of The Multiverse #3 (Of 6), $$3.99 Justice League Odyssey #17 (Cover A Jose Ladronn), $$3.99 Justice League Odyssey #17 (Cover B Ken Lashley), $AR Legion Of Super-Heroes #3 (Cover A Ryan Sook), $$3.99 Legion Of Super-Heroes #3 (Cover B Jim Cheung Card Stock Variant), $AR Low Low Woods #2 (Of 6)(Cover A Sam Wolfe Connelly), $$3.99 Low Low Woods #2 (Of 6)(Cover B Jenny Frison), $AR Lucifer #16, $$3.99 Nightwing #68 (Cover A Travis Moore), $$3.99 Nightwing #68 (Cover B Alan Quah), $AR Nightwing By Peter J. Tomasi TP, $$29.99 Question The Deaths Of Vic Sage #2 (Of 4)(Cover A Denys Cowan & Bill Sienkiewicz), $$6.99 Question The Deaths Of Vic Sage #2 (Of 4)(Cover B Eduardo Risso), $AR RWBY #4 (Of 7)(Cover A Sarah Stone), $$3.99 RWBY #4 (Of 7)(Cover B Stanley Artgerm Lau), $AR Scooby Apocalypse Volume 6 TP, $$16.99 Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #7 (Of 12)(Cover A Steve Lieber), $$3.99 Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #7 (Of 12)(Cover B Ben Oliver), $AR Teen Titans #38 (Cover A Bernard Chang), $$3.99 Teen Titans #38 (Cover B Khary Randolph), $AR DIAMOND PUBLICATIONS Diamond Bookshelf #31, $AR DRAWN AND QUARTERLY Kitaro Volume 7 The Trial Of Kitaro GN, $$15.95 DYNAMIC FORCES Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100 (Kevin Eastman Variant Cover), $AR Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Secret History Of The Foot Clan #1 (Of 4)(Kevin Eastman Variant Cover), $AR DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT Bettie Page Unbound #9 (Cover A John Royle), $$3.99 Bettie Page Unbound #9 (Cover B Scott Chantler), $$3.99 Bettie Page Unbound #9 (Cover C Jerome K. Moore), $$3.99 Bettie Page Unbound #9 (Cover D Matt Gaudio), $$3.99 Bettie Page Unbound #9 (Cover E Photo), $$3.99 Bettie Page Unbound #9 (Cover F Photo Virgin Variant), $AR Bettie Page Unbound #9 (Cover G Matt Gaudio Black & White Variant), $AR Bettie Page Unbound #9 (Cover H John Royle Black & White Variant), $AR Bettie Page Unbound #9 (Cover I Jerome K. Moore Virgin Variant), $AR Bettie Page Unbound #9 (Cover J John Royle Virgin Variant), $AR Bettie Page Unbound #9 (Cover K John Royle Black & White Virgin Variant), $AR Bettie Page Unbound #9 (Cover L Scott Chantler Virgin Variant), $AR James Bond #2 (Cover A Jim Cheung), $$3.99 James Bond #2 (Cover B Jim Cheung Black & White Variant), $AR James Bond #2 (Cover D Jim Cheung Black & White Tint Virgin Variant), $AR James Bond #2 (Cover E Jim Cheung Pencil Variant), $AR James Bond #2 (Cover F Jim Cheung Vintage Paperback Variant), $AR Nancy Drew The Palace Of Wisdom HC, $$17.99 Vampirella Red Sonja #5 (Cover A Julian Totino Tedesco), $$3.99 Vampirella Red Sonja #5 (Cover B Babs Tarr), $$3.99 Vampirella Red Sonja #5 (Cover C Ben Oliver), $$3.99 Vampirella Red Sonja #5 (Cover D Leonardo Romero & Jordie Bellaire), $$3.99 Vampirella Red Sonja #5 (Cover E Shannon Kingston Cosplay Variant), $$3.99 Vampirella Red Sonja #5 (Cover F Drew Moss Then And Now Variant), $$3.99 Vampirella Red Sonja #5 (Cover G Roberto Castro Bonus Variant), $AR Vampirella Red Sonja #5 (Cover H Sergio Davila Black & White Variant), $AR Vampirella Red Sonja #5 (Cover I Drew Moss Black & White Variant), $AR Vampirella Red Sonja #5 (Cover J Drew Moss Black & White Virgin Variant), $AR Vampirella Red Sonja #5 (Cover K Drew Moss Blood Tint Virgin Variant), $AR Vampirella Red Sonja #5 (Cover L Leonardo Romero & Jordie Bellaire Virgin Variant), $AR Vampirella Red Sonja #5 (Cover M Leonardo Romero Tint Variant), $AR Vampirella Red Sonja #5 (Cover N Leonardo Romero Black & White Virgin Variant), $AR Vampirella Red Sonja #5 (Cover O Drew Moss Virgin Variant), $AR Vampirella Red Sonja #5 (Cover P Leonardo Romero & Jordie Bellaire Black & White Variant), $AR FULL MOON FEATURES Deadly Ten Presents Femalien Cosmic Crush #1 (Cover A Daniel Pascual), $$3.99 Deadly Ten Presents Femalien Cosmic Crush #1 (Cover B Dan Fowler), $$3.99 GALLERY 13 Strange Ones GN, $$19.99 GHOST SHIP Saki The Succubus Hungers Tonight Volume 1 GN, $$13.99 Yokai Girls Volume 9 GN, $$12.99 Yuuna And The Haunted Hot Springs Volume 8 GN, $$12.99 GOLDEN BOOKS Disney Frozen I Am Anna Little Golden Book HC, $$4.99 Disney Frozen I Am Elsa Little Golden Book HC, $$4.99 HUMANOIDS Strangelands #5, $$3.99 IDW PUBLISHING Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy Volume 27 HC, $$44.99 Disney Comics And Stories #9 (Cover A Marco Mazzarello), $$5.99 DuckTales Faires And Scares #2 (Of 3)(Cover A Marco Ghiglione), $$3.99 DuckTales Faires And Scares #2 (Of 3)(Cover B Marco Ghiglione), $$3.99 DuckTales Faires And Scares #2 (Of 3)(Cover C DuckTales Creative Team), $AR Dungeons And Dragons A Darkened Wish #4 (Of 5)(Cover A Tess Fowler), $$3.99 Dungeons And Dragons A Darkened Wish #4 (Of 5)(Cover B Tess Fowler Character Sheet Variant), $$3.99 Dungeons And Dragons A Darkened Wish #4 (Of 5)(Cover C Ibrahem Swaid), $AR Dungeons And Dragons A Darkened Wish #4 (Of 5)(Cover D Tess Fowler Black & White Variant), $AR From Hell Master Edition #9 (Of 10)(Cover A Eddie Campbell), $$7.99 Gears Of War Hivebusters #4 (Of 5)(Cover A Alan Quah), $$3.99 Gears Of War Hivebusters #4 (Of 5)(Cover B Pierre Droal), $AR GLOW Vs The Babyface #3 (Of 4)(Cover A Veronica Fish), $$3.99 GLOW Vs The Babyface #3 (Of 4)(Cover B Nicole Goux), $$3.99 GLOW Vs The Babyface #3 (Of 4)(Cover C Catherine Nodet), $AR Marvel Action Avengers #9 (Cover A Jon Sommariva), $$3.99 Marvel Action Avengers #9 (Cover B Siobhan Keenan), $AR My Little Pony Omnibus Volume 5 TP, $$24.99 Napoleon Dynamite #3 (Of 4)(Cover A Sara Richard), $$3.99 Napoleon Dynamite #3 (Of 4)(Cover B Photo), $$3.99 Napoleon Dynamite #3 (Of 4)(Cover C Jorge Monlongo), $AR Rising Sun #1 (Of 3)(Cover A Martin Coccolo), $$4.99 Rising Sun #1 (Of 3)(Cover B Chieh Ying Yu), $AR Rom Dire Wraiths #1 (Of 3)(Cover A Luca Pizarri), $$4.99 Rom Dire Wraiths #1 (Of 3)(Cover B Corin Howell), $$4.99 Rom Dire Wraiths #1 (Of 3)(Cover C Guy Dorian Sr. & Sal Buscema), $AR IMAGE COMICS Hit-Girl Season Two #12 (Cover A Declan Shalvey), $$3.99 Hit-Girl Season Two #12 (Cover B Declan Shalvey), $$3.99 Hit-Girl Season Two #12 (Cover C Eve Mae Roman), $$3.99 Lazarus Volume 6 TP, $$16.99 Lucy Claire Redemption #2 (Cover A John Upchurch), $$3.99 Lucy Claire Redemption #2 (Cover B John Upchurch), $$3.99 Outpost Zero Volume 3 The Only Living Things TP, $$14.99 Over My Dead Body GN, $$16.99 Pretty Violent #6, $$3.99 SFSX Safe Sex #5, $$3.99 Spawn #304 (Cover A Francesco Mattina), $$2.99 Spawn #304 (Cover B Todd McFarlane), $$2.99 Spawn #304 (Cover C Todd McFarlane Black & White Variant), $$2.99 Undiscovered Country #2 (Giuseppe Camuncoli 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $$3.99 Undiscovered Country #3 (Cover A Giuseppe Camuncoli), $$3.99 Undiscovered Country #3 (Cover B Greg Capullo), $$3.99 INSIGHT EDITIONS Harry Potter Film Vault Volume 5 Creature Companions Plants And Shapeshifters HC, $$16.99 Harry Potter Film Vault Volume 6 Hogwarts Castle HC, $$16.99 J-NOVEL CLUB Animeta Light Novel Volume 2 SC, $$14.99 Archdemon's Dilemma How To Love Your Elf Bride Light Novel Volume 3 SC, $$14.99 Infinite Dendrogram Light Novel Volume 4 SC, $$14.99 Magic In This Other World Is Too Far Behind Light Novel Volume 6 SC, $$14.99 KODANSHA COMICS Hitorijime My Hero Volume 6 GN, $$12.99 If I Could Reach You Volume 3 GN, $$12.99 Yamada-kun And The Seven Witches Volume 19 GN, $$16.99 LITTLE BROWN BOOK FOR YOUNG READERS Deep And Dark Blue GN, $$12.99 Deep And Dark Blue HC, $$24.99 Plain Janes GN, $$18.99 Plain Janes HC, $$26.99 LO SCARABEO Morbus Gravis Deluxe Edition HC, $$77.99 MAD CAVE STUDIOS Over The Ropes #2 (Of 5), $$3.99 MAGNETIC PRESS Infinity 8 #18, $$3.99 MARVEL COMICS Absolute Carnage Immortal Hulk And Other Tales TP, $$29.99 Absolute Carnage Lethal Protectors TP, $$15.99 Absolute Carnage Miles Morales TP, $$15.99 Absolute Carnage Scream TP, $$15.99 Acts Of Evil TP, $$34.99 Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection Volume 25 Maximum Carnage TP, $$39.99 Avengers #29 (Cover A Ed McGuinness), $$3.99 Avengers #29 (Cover B Emanuela Lupacchino Marvels X Variant), $AR Conan Barbarian The Original Marvel Years Omnibus Volume 4 HC (Cover A Frank Cho Book Market Variant), $$125.00 Conan Barbarian The Original Marvel Years Omnibus Volume 4 HC (Cover B Gil Kane Direct Market Variant), $$125.00 Contagion TP, $$15.99 Crazy TP, $$19.99 Incredible Hulk #180 (Facsimile Edition), $$3.99 Incredible Hulk By Peter David Omnibus Volume 1 HC (Cover A Steve Geiger Book Market Variant), $$125.00 Incredible Hulk By Peter David Omnibus Volume 1 HC (Cover B Todd McFarlane Direct Market Variant), $$125.00 Iron Man 2020 #1 (Of 6)(Cover A Pete Woods), $$4.99 Iron Man 2020 #1 (Of 6)(Cover B Simone Bianchi Connecting Variant), $AR Iron Man 2020 #1 (Of 6)(Cover C Superlog Heads Variant), $AR Iron Man 2020 #1 (Of 6)(Cover D Ron Lim), $AR Iron Man 2020 #1 (Of 6)(Cover E In-Hyuk Lee), $AR Iron Man 2020 #1 (Of 6)(Cover F Khoi Pham), $AR Iron Man 2020 #1 (Of 6)(Cover G Nick Roche Party Variant), $AR Iron Man 2020 #1 (Of 6)(Cover H Pete Woods Premiere Variant), $AR Iron Man 2020 #1 (Of 6)(Cover I Herb Trimpe & Barry Windsor-Smith Hidden Gem Variant), $AR Iron Man 2020 #1 (Of 6)(Cover J Christian Ward Marvels X Variant), $AR Iron Man 2020 #1 (Of 6)(Cover K Gear Design Variant), $AR Jessica Jones Blind Spot #1 (Of 6)(Cover A Valerio Giangiordano), $$3.99 Jessica Jones Blind Spot #1 (Of 6)(Cover B Martin Simmonds), $AR Marvel Masterworks Daredevil Volume 14 HC (Book Market Edition), $$75.00 Marvel Masterworks Daredevil Volume 14 HC (Direct Market Variant Edition Volume 285), $$75.00 Marvel Tales Ravencroft #1 (Cover A In-Hyuk Lee), $$7.99 Marvel Tales Ravencroft #1 (Cover B In-Hyuk Lee Virgin Variant), $AR Marvel's Black Widow Prelude #1 (Of 2), $$3.99 Marvel's Spider-Man The Black Cat Strikes #1 (Of 5)(Cover A Sana Takeda), $$3.99 Marvel's Spider-Man The Black Cat Strikes #1 (Of 5)(Cover B J. Scott Campbell), $AR Marvel's Spider-Man The Black Cat Strikes #1 (Of 5)(Cover C Todd Nauck), $AR Marvel's Spider-Man The Black Cat Strikes #1 (Of 5)(Cover D Adi Granov Game Variant), $AR Oz The Complete Collection Volume 1 Wonderful Wizard Marvelous Land TP, $$15.99 Revenge Of The Cosmic Ghost Rider #2 (Of 5)(Cover A Scott Hepburn), $$3.99 Revenge Of The Cosmic Ghost Rider #2 (Of 5)(Cover B Logan Lubera), $AR Revenge Of The Cosmic Ghost Rider #2 (Of 5)(Cover C Superlog), $AR Revenge Of The Cosmic Ghost Rider #2 (Of 5)(Cover D Ron Lim), $AR Ruins Of Ravencroft Sabretooth #1 (Cover A Gerardo Sandoval), $$4.99 Ruins Of Ravencroft Sabretooth #1 (Cover B Mico Suayan), $AR Runaways #29, $$3.99 Savage Sword Of Conan Conan The Gambler TP, $$19.99 Star Wars The Original Trilogy The Movie Adaptations TP, $$34.99 True Believers The Criminally Insane Gypsy Moth #1, $$1.00 True Believers The Criminally Insane Mandarin #1, $$1.00 Valkyrie Jane Foster #7 (Cover A Mahmud A. Asrar), $$3.99 Valkyrie Jane Foster #7 (Cover B Kris Anka Marvels X Variant), $AR Venom The End #1 (Cover A Rahzzah), $$4.99 Venom The End #1 (Cover B Adam Warren), $AR MYTHOS COMICS Vamp #2, $$3.99 ONI PRESS Courtney Crumrin Volume 6 The Final Spell TP, $$12.99 Fights GN, $$19.99 Rick And Morty vs Dungeons And Dragons Chapter II Painscape #4 (Cover A Troy Little), $$3.99 Rick And Morty vs Dungeons And Dragons Chapter II Painscape #4 (Cover B Kendra Wells), $$3.99 Rick And Morty vs Dungeons And Dragons Chapter II Painscape #4 (Cover C Troy Little & Jim Zub Character Sheet Variant), $$3.99 OSPREY PUBLISHING D-Day Storming Fortress Europe GN, $$26.00 PRINTERS ROW Disney Sweet Dreams Mickey HC, $$9.99 QUIRK BOOKS Comic Quests Knights Club The Buried City SC, $$9.99 REBELLION / 2000AD 2000 AD Prog #2161, $$6.99 2000 AD Prog #2162 (X-Mas Special), $$7.99 Judge Dredd Megazine #415, $$13.00 Ken Reid's World-Wide Weirdies HC, $$24.99 Third World War TP, $$24.99 RED 5 COMICS - STONEBOT Machine Girl #3, $$3.95 ROTHIC Ancient Dreams #9 (Mike Krome 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $$3.99 Southern Nightgown #8 (Sabine Rich 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $$3.99 SEVEN SEAS ENTERTAINMENT Arifureta From Commonplace To World's Strongest Volume 5 GN, $$12.99 Magical Girl Site Volume 11 GN, $$12.99 Sorry For My Familiar Volume 6 GN, $$12.99 SILVER SPROCKET Fanlee And Spatzle Make Something Perfect GN, $$12.00 Teenage Condition Lizard Daddies (One Shot), $$3.00 SKYHORSE Betty Boop Guide To A Bold And Balanced Life HC, $$19.99 STONE ARCH BOOKS DC The Amazing Adventures Of Batman Bane Drain SC, $$5.95 DC The Amazing Adventures Of Batman Reptile Raid SC, $$5.95 DC The Amazing Adventures Of Batman The Big Freeze SC, $$5.95 DC The Amazing Adventures Of Batman The Terrible Twos SC, $$5.95 STRANGER COMICS Niobe She Is Death #1 (Hyoung Taek Nam 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $$3.99 Niobe She Is Death #2 (Cover A Hyoung Taek Nam), $$3.99 Niobe She Is Death #2 (Cover B Jae Lee), $$3.99 Niobe She Is Death #2 (Cover C Jae Lee Virgin Variant), $AR SUBLIME Liquor And Cigarettes Volume 1 GN, $$12.99 TITAN COMICS Life Is Strange #12 (Cover A Claudia Leonardi), $$3.99 Life Is Strange #12 (Cover B Game Art Variant), $$3.99 Life Is Strange #12 (Cover C T-Shirt Variant), $$3.99 Oscar Martin's Solo The Survivors Of Chaos Volume 1 HC, $$29.99 Sherlock A Scandal In Belgravia #2 (Cover A Alice X. Zhang Sherlock Variant), $$4.99 Sherlock A Scandal In Belgravia #2 (Cover B Photo), $$4.99 Sherlock A Scandal In Belgravia #2 (Cover C Jay), $$4.99 Sherlock A Scandal In Belgravia #2 (Cover D Marguerite Sauvage), $$4.99 TOHAN CORPORATION Hobby Japan December 2019, $$20.00 Megami November 2019, $$20.00 Newtype November 2019, $$20.00 TOKYOPOP Goldfisch Volume 3 GN, $$10.99 TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING Best Of Draw Bundle TP, $$39.95 UDON ENTERTAINMENT Stravaganza Volume 2 TP, $$19.99 VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT Bloodshot #5 (Cover A Declan Shalvey), $$3.99 Bloodshot #5 (Cover B Billy Tucci), $$3.99 Bloodshot #5 (Cover C Leonardo Colapietro), $$3.99 Bloodshot #5 (Cover D Dave Johnson Pre-Order Edition Variant), $AR Rai #3 (Cover A Raul Allen), $$3.99 Rai #3 (Cover B Michael Walsh), $$3.99 Rai #3 (Cover C Adam Pollina), $$3.99 Rai #3 (Cover D Dan Brereton Pre-Order Edition Variant), $AR VERTICAL COMICS Knights Of Sidonia Master Edition Volume 4 GN, $$34.95 VIZ MEDIA Case Closed Volume 73 GN, $$9.99 Homestuck Epilogues 2-In-1 Novel SC, $$34.99 Legend Of Zelda Twilight Princess Volume 6 GN, $$9.99 Ooku The Inner Chambers Volume 16 GN, $$12.99 Persona 5 Volume 1 GN, $$9.99 Pokemon Sun And Moon Volume 6 GN, $$4.99 Radiant Volume 9 GN, $$9.99 Sleepy Princess In The Demon Castle Volume 10 GN, $$9.99 Splatoon Volume 8 GN, $$9.99 Yo-kai Watch Volume 13 GN, $$9.99 Yona Of The Dawn Volume 21 GN, $$9.99 YEN ON Asterisk War Light Novel Volume 12 SC, $$14.00 Death March To The Parallel World Rhapsody Light Novel Volume 10 SC, $$14.00 Strike the Blood Light Novel Volume 14 SC, $$14.00 YEN PRESS Angels Of Death Volume 9 GN, $$13.00 Certain Magical Index Volume 20 GN, $$13.00 Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon On The Side Sword Oratoria Volume 10 GN, $$13.00 Karneval Volume 9 GN, $$20.00 Reborn As A Polar Bear The Legend How I Became A Forest Guardian Volume 2 GN, $$15.00 Teasing Master Takagi-san Volume 7 GN, $$13.00 ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT Robyn Hood Vigilante #3 (Cover A Drew Johnson), $$3.99 Robyn Hood Vigilante #3 (Cover B Sheldon Goh), $$3.99 Robyn Hood Vigilante #3 (Cover C Alfredo Reyes), $$3.99 Robyn Hood Vigilante #3 (Cover D Igor Vitorino), $$3.99 TOYS - T-SHIRTS & COLLECTIBLES 30 Minute Mission Optional Portanova Armor Set (Dark Red Version), $AR Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown X-02S 1/144 Scale Plastic Model Kit, $AR Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown X-02S 1/144 Scale Plastic Model Kit (Model Edition), $AR Amazing Spider-Man #347 Poster, $AR Archie Comics Archie ReAction Figure, $AR Archie Comics Betty ReAction Figure, $AR Archie Comics Jughead ReAction Figure, $AR Archie Comics Reggie ReAction Figure, $AR Archie Comics Veronica ReAction Figure, $AR Batman The Animated Series Batman ARTFX+ Statue (Opening Version), $AR Bearbrick 24 Piece Blind Mystery Box Series 38, $AR BOOM! Studios Short Box, $AR Carbotix Getter 1 9 Inch Die-cast Light-Up Figure, $AR Cowboy Bebop Vicious S.H. 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radio-nano · 5 years

Text

A Riot At The Opera: Queen Triumphant by Jonh Ingham with my favorites parts in bold.

Skin tight

Is there any logical reason why they present an image and persona straight out of the Beatles school of interlocking chemistry?

Roger is his opposite, the cheeky sidekick in a Clint Eastwood movie, and attracting a lot of cheesecake attention in America and Japan.

Freddie is an original - one of the most dynamic singers to tread the boards in quite a few years. His attraction is obvious.

Queen have been busy lads these past few months. Having disassociated themselves from their former management and joined with John Reid, the fourth album was seen to. Reid decided that a tight schedule wouldn't cause them undue harm, and figured on two months to record before embarking on this current tour. Only Queen are driven to better each previous album - which at this stage of the game is obviously producing some excellent results - and A Night At The Opera turned into a saga - culminating in 36-hour mixing sessions in an effort to allow at least a few days for rehearsal. In the end they managed three and a half days at Elstree with four hours off to videotape the promotional film for 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.

Their first few dates had not been without errors and the quartet were still not feeling totally comfortable their second night in Bristol, fourth night of the tour. You'd never know it, though.

As the auditorium darkens the sound of an orchestra tuning up is heard over the p.a. The conductor taps his baton on the music stand and a slightly effete voice welcomes the audience to "A Night At The Opera". The Gilbert & Sullivan portion of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' follows, a brief glimpse of Freddie is allowed, and then in a blast of flares and white smoke the blitzkrieg begins.

Around his ankles his satin white pants flare like wings - fleet footed Hermes. Everything north of the knee is skin tight - tighter than skin tight - with a zip-up front open to AA rating. But further south, definitely in X territory, lurks a bulge not unlike the Sunday Telegraph . There have been sex objects and sex bombs, superstar potency and the arrogant presentation of this all-important area, but never has a man's weaponry been so flagrantly showcased. Fred could jump up on the drum stand and SHAKE HIS CUTE ARSE, leap about and perform all manner of amazing acrobatics, but there it was, this rope in repose, barely leashed tumescence, the Queen's sceptre. Oh to be that hot costume, writhing across the mighty Fred!

Phallic

Freddie is not pretty in the conventional sense of the word; like Mick Jagger of '64, he is his own convention. Also like the Jagger of that time, his stage persona and action is unlike anything else. Although it borrows - like most of the group's plagiarisms - slightly from Zeppelin, in tandem with Freddie's supreme assurance and belief in himself - he always refers to himself as a star - it explodes into something that is a constant delight to watch.

Bulldozer

That Queen should end up with John Reid is an entirely logical proceeding. Everything about Queen demands that the world eventually kow-tows at their feet in complete acquiescence - so big that bodyguards have to accompany them at every step. Well, no - they found that an annoyance in Japan, but, you know, huge.

Maniacal

Tonight he moves fluidly, the gonzo lead guitarist of a gonzo band. His expressions are just as maniacal, but it only makes him look more demonic. His solo in 'Brighton Rock', an exposition in riffing and echo, is a treat because of his physical response to both music and audience, complete with ham acting. Freddie gets into the same game on 'The Prophet's Song', where he conducts an a capella madrigal with himself. It's a pretty commanding moment.

On the bus back to the hotel Brian sits quietly at the back, chatting with two girls. John sits at the front, as always. Freddie stares out of the window, lost in his own world. Roger bounces around, starts a pillow fight with Brian - which stops as soon as Brian scores a direct hit to the face - then discovers an eight track of Sheer Heart Attack, punching it through the channels as he conducts the group. The two hours towards which they have channelled the day's energies are spent.

Ambition

But there are popular heavy metal bands and there are popular HM bands. From watching Queen's audience it is apparent that Queen speak for them in a way that bands such as the Who and the Stones and the Beatles spoke (and continue to speak) to their audience. Uriah Heep may be great at what they do, but five years after their demise who'll remember them? Creedence Clearwater Revival demonstrate the same thing - who remembers them? And yet five years ago they were the largest band in the world.

Queen will probably always be remembered, because as their tour is beginning to demonstrate, they have the ability to actualise and encompass the outer limits of their sense of self-importance.

Queen and their music, presentation, production - everything about them says that they are more important than any other band you've every heard, and who has there been, so far, who has objected? Certainly not the 150,000 people (plus 20,000 a day) who bought 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in the first 20 days of its release. Certainly not me.

See you at Madison Square Garden.

And Freddie in an interview a few later after this article:

He has been talking almost an hour and from the rapid increase in body twitches it's obvious he now wants to leave. He gets up to go but then thinks of something else.

A few weeks before I had written a story that adored in detail the tightness of Freddie's costume and the obvious bulge it contained. The Editor had not missed the opportunity to use an obvious headline.

"You know, your 'Cock Opera' piece has done me more harm than good. It was a wonderful piece, but My God, I've got to live up to it now. The insinuations of hosepipes and things, it's gotten really amazing. My God! A day hasn't passed when someone hasn't made a comment on it."

I was reminded of critic Lillian Roxon interviewing Tom Jones and wanting to poke her pencil there to see if it was all Tom. I guess only Fred's tailor knows for sure.

#queen #queen band #Freddie Mercury #roger taylor #brian may #john deacon #deaky #disco deaky #bohemian rhapsody

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