RJ Writing Ink

Favorite comic time period

I got confused by the criteria for today’s challenge, as I’m not sure what it means by “favorite comic time period.” In my view, that either means the run for a specific author or comic book series, or an era of comics in general. I’m going with the latter in this case for Marvel Comics, as there’s only one time period I consider my favorite.

Bronze Age of Comics

If I were to describe Marvel about the different ages of comic books, it would be like this. The Golden Age’s their infancy; the Silver Age is their early to mid-childhood, and the Bronze Age is their late childhood and adolescence. That means it has all the angst and issues that come with it.

Lasting from 1970 to 1986, this is my favorite Marvel Era because it gave us some of the best stories that Marvel’s ever put out. The company spent the 1960s laying the groundwork, but once that was done, they started working with darker, more mature stories. Stan Lee even did a three-part story on drug use in the Amazing Spider-Man, despite it going against the Comic Code Authority. I respect that (stick it, Frederic Wertham).

The Death of Gwen Stacy

This was a watershed moment in the Bronze Age of Marvel. In the span of a single issue, Gwen Stacy, Spider-Man’s girlfriend, was murdered at the hands of the Green Goblin. Before that, you never saw a hero fail so badly, or see a major character die so suddenly. Next to losing Uncle Ben, this was probably the worst moment in Spider-Man’s life.

This moment set the tone for the Bronze Age. From here on out, Marvel wasn’t afraid to deal with things like drug abuse, racism, murder, etc. It led to us getting the new X-Men, Days of Future Past, the Dark Phoenix Saga, and more. Henceforth, it’s my favorite comic time period for Marvel.

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Favorite Non-Human Race

One of the biggest questions humanity has asked whether or not we’re alone in the universe. If you lived in the Marvel Universe, you would know that we weren’t, because there are hundreds of sentient species that share the cosmos with humanity. This is my favorite non-human race.

The Skrulls

Featuring green reptilian skin and pointed ears, one look at a Skrull’s enough to tell you that they’re not from Earth. That is if you can see their true form. Appearing near the beginning of Marvel’s run in the 1960s, the Skrulls are a race of shapeshifting aliens that a universe-spanning empire. They use their abilities to transform into almost any being imaginable, from sentient beings to common house-pets. This makes them naturals at espionage and infiltration. It’s also led them to clash with the heroes of Earth on several occasions.

Unfortunately, fate hates the Skrulls, as they’ve seen a lot of bad things happen to them over the years. First, their homeworld was devoured by Galactus, leading to their empire collapsing into civil war. Then attacks from other civilizations and villains weakened them even further. Desperate, the Skrulls put almost everything into conquering Earth to use it as their new homeworld.

The Secret Invasion

Unfortunately for the people of Earth, the Skrulls figured out how to copy the memories of anyone they transformed into, and even any powers they may possess. Their disguises got so good, not even those with super senses could tell them apart. They came close to conquering Earth, but their attempts failed once more after Reed Richards developed a way to identify the Skrulls. The resulting final battle in Central Park ended with the death of the Skrull Queen at the hands of Norman Osborn.

The Skrulls may be at odds with the heroes of Earth a lot of times, but I can’t help but admire their powers, making them my favorite non-human race. The reason why is actually pretty lame: I’d want to use them to turn into my favorite voice actors and use their voices for entertainment. It would be awesome to turn into Steve Blum and hear his voice come out of my mouth! I could do so many cool things with shapeshifting, which makes them my favorite non-human race.

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Favorite Elementalist

When you have a character roster that counts gods, aliens, sorcerers, and meta-humans in its cast, being able to wield the forces of nature seems ordinary. Marvel has its fair share of heroes, villains, and entities capable of control the elements, some better than others. There’s one being, though, that stands out above the rest as my favorite elementalist of them all.

Ororo Munroe, AKA Storm

I couldn’t think of anyone else to take the top spot other than the X-Men’s resident Weather Woman, Storm. Born to the princess of a tribe in Kenya and an American photographer, Ororo Munroe’s one of the strongest Mutants in Marvel. She can use her powers to manipulate every aspect of the weather to create any phenomenon imaginable. She’s conjured up thunderstorms and tornadoes, create hurricanes, and can even manage cosmic weather. Thank goodness she’s not a villain. If she were, she would be feared throughout the cosmos.

Despite being one of the leaders of the X-Men, she does have a past as a thief. After her parents die, she began pick-pocketing to survive. Other than that, she was a right person. When Professor Xavier found her, she was known as a rain goddess in her region of Africa, using her power to bring life to the people of Africa. Since joining the X-men, she’s been one of its best leaders. Even when she temporarily lost her powers, she was kind enough to stay the leader of the team. It’s impressive when you think about it.

Storm Is Awesome

I may not pay too much attention to Storm outside of the X-Men, but I understand how important she is. She’s not only a famous example of an African superhero, but she’s also the first African woman to be a superhero. In short, she’s a big deal to Marvel, and they know it. She’s my favorite elementalist.

My Favorite Video Game

Marvel’s made a lot of video games over the years, and in my experience, they’re a hit or miss. Some of them have been huge successes, while others have ended up bombing hard. Of all the games that use Marvel Comics, there’s one about a certain web-head that I call my favorite video game.

Marvel’s Spider-Man for PS4 (2018)

At long last, Marvel gave us their answer to the Batman: Arkham series with 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man. The game starts with Peter Parker has been Spider-Man for eight years, and he’s gotten good at it. Aside from Jameson, most of the city loves him. He’s got a working relationship with the NYPD, and he just took the Kingpin. As soon as Kingpin’s behind bars, though, Spidey deals with a new threat in the mysterious Demons Gang. With a new suit and different gear, Spider-Man’s in for the fight of his life as he races to save New York.

With a fantastic cast of voice actors, amazing graphics, and fluid combat mechanics, this game’s the best Spider-Man ever. That’s nothing, though, compared to how awesome it is to web-swing across New York. With the ability to run, climb, and web-swing across the island of Manhattan, you’ll never use fast travel. It’s one of the best games I’ve played in years, and a must buy for any PS4 owner.

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My Favorite Cartoon Adaptation

Do you remember the first time you saw Marvel Comics adapted as a cartoon? I may not, but that doesn’t stop me from loving them, all the same. The 1990s were famous for giving us X-Men: the Animated Series, and while I never saw it, I know how much of an impact its had on my generation. My favorite cartoon adaptation is about the X-Men, but it’s a more recent one that combines some of the best stories in X-Men history.

Wolverine and the X-Men

The X-Men were once some of the most prominent champions of Mutant Rights, but after mysterious explosion led to the disappearance of Professor Xavier and Jean Grey, they disbanded. A year passed, and life for mutants got worse as humanity began to persecute them. Realizing that war’s on the horizon, Wolverine takes it upon himself to reform the X-Men before things get worse.

All this ends up being the tip of the iceberg. After finding Xavier in a coma, they receive a warning from him twenty years in the future. A future with the world in ruins, humanity enslaved, and the Sentinels hunt down any mutants they find. Unless they change things, this is the future that awaits the world. With Armageddon at the gates, the world needs the X-Men now more than ever.

A Love Letter to the X-Men

This show only lasted a year, running on Nicktoons Network from January to November of 2009. Even so, I consider it as a love letter to the team that helped carry Marvel for years. The art and animation already make it enjoyable on its own, but then you look at the voice cast, and you realize it reaches god-level. The show has an all-star roster of voice actors that include Steve Blum as Wolverine, and the talents of Nolan North, Kevin Michael Richardson, Tara Strong, Tom Kane, and more. It’s uncanny how they got so much talent behind this one show.

Then you have the plot, which is what makes it my favorite cartoon adaptation. The show combines two of the greatest stories in X-Men history into a single, cohesive unit: The Dark Phoenix Saga and Days of Futures Past. Interspersed amongst all this are elements from crucial stories from the X-Men’s history.

Unfortunately, the show got canceled due to Disney buying Marvel, meaning any unresolved, secondary plot threads were left unresolved. They were able to finish the main story, though, so I consider it a win in my book. I loved watching this as a teenager, and I call it my favorite cartoon adaptation of any Marvel property.

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Favorite Mode of Transportation

In a world filled with Mutants, Inhumans, Gods and more, there are going to be a lot of cool ways to get from Point A to Point B. Some characters in Marvel are either born with or develop the ability to travel wherever they want. Others get to where they need to go using a conventional method like a vehicle. Of all the means of travel, there’s one I would want as my favorite mode of transportation.

The Sling Ring

As soon as I saw this in Doctor Strange, I thought to myself, “I wish I had one.” A mystical ring used by the Masters of the Mystic Arts, the Sling Ring’s simple but effective. By concentrating while using magic, a user can open a portal to any destination they desire. As shown in the MCU, the Rings can not only send a person anywhere in the world but even distant planets. Someone with enough skill can also use it to travel between dimensions.

As far as transportation methods go, I count the Sling Ring among the most useful in fiction. It could take me anywhere I wanted to go, and I want to go to a lot of places on Earth. Heck, I could use it to go to the International Space Station; check “go to space” off my bucket list. The point is, I could go anywhere without worrying out annoying things like finances or travel fees with this wonder. The Sling Ring’s my favorite mode of transportation in Marvel’s arsenal, and nothing can change my mind.

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My Favorite Universe

Are you, dear readers, familiar with the Multiverse theory? It’s the idea that there’s an infinite number of co-existing realities and one of the best friends of comic book writers. Marvel has been using it to create stories separate from its central universe for decades, and they can be crazy. There’s one where all the heroes and villains became zombies; a world where evil robots ruled the Earth. Technically, the MCU’s an alternate universe in the Marvel Multiverse. Of all the worlds in the Multiverse, though, there’s one that I consider to be my favorite universe.

Battleworld

My favorite universe seems like cheating since it’s made up of fragments of the entire Multiverse: Battleworld. A few years ago, Marvel rebooted the Multiverse in the grandest way possible: destroying it, then recreating it. Before that happened, though, Doctor Doom took the remnants of the Multiverse and combined them into a single world, dubbed Battleworld. This patchwork of the Marvel Multiverse was the following setting to the “Secret Wars” Event. While Battleworld got destroyed after Secret Wars, it’s since been remade as its separate universe.

There are two reasons why this is my favorite universe. First, Battleworld is a combination of almost every primary world or event in Marvel’s history. Eagle-eyed fans can spot references to some of the most significant moments in Marvel history. Second, Battleworld and its fantastic inhabitants remind me of Westeros. Heck, the southern half of world’s guarded by a giant wall like in Game of Thrones. The whole place screams fantasy wonderland, and that makes it my favorite universe.

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Most Memorable Comic Book Death

There’s an unspoken rule in comic books: the only person who stays dead is Uncle Ben. Characters get killed off and brought back all the time in the comics. It’s gotten to the point where I can watch Jean Grey die for the umpteenth time and not bat an eyelash. Effects of desensitization aside, there’s one character that I consider to be the most memorable death in Marvel history.

THE DEATH OF ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN

The hardest part of being a hero is having to make the ultimate sacrifice, and that was the way the Ultimate version of Peter Parker went out. While the Avengers and the Ultimates are fighting a civil war, the Green Goblin uses the chaos to escape from prison along with some of Spider-Man’s worst enemies. Their only goal was to kill Spider-Man and his loved ones. Already wounded, Spider-Man pulls out all the stops to save his family, leading him to destroy the Goblin in a fiery explosion seemingly. Tragically, the injuries he sustained are fatal, and Peter Parker dies in the arms of his girlfriend, MJ.

Marvel had announced their plans to kill the Ultimate Spider-Man ahead of time, but it still hit us right in the feels. Watching Peter Parker die, saving his Aunt, his friends, and his girlfriend was more emotional than the death of Superman. After he died, all of New York City came to see him laid to rest at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, showing just how much the young hero meant to the city he protected.

Unlike many comic book deaths, watching the Ultimate Peter Parker die felt different. In the Ultimate Universe, people who died had more of a tendency to stay dead. Add on the fact that Ultimate Spider-Man had started the Ultimate Marvel Universe, this was a big moment. That’s what makes it the most memorable death for me. I felt like he was gone for good.
The Ultimate Peter Parker did end up coming back. He chose to let Miles Morales be the new Spider-Man while he and MJ ran away together. That’s a happy ending in my book.

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My Perfect Casting Choice of A Character (If I was In Charge)

I have been dreading this day; not because I can’t think of my perfect casting choice for a character. It’s because my perfect casting choice already exists. The MCU’s ensured that every character I know and love has gotten the ideal actor for them. So instead, I’ll tell you of the person who I call the best live-action Spider-Man.

Tom Holland: the Perfect Casting Choice as Spider-Man

I will always have a soft spot for the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy. They’re what introduced me to Spider-Man, and by extension, so did Tobey Maguire. Yet he’s not the best Spider-Man I’ve ever seen in live-action. That honor belongs to Tom Holland.

Why do I think Tom Holland’s the perfect Spider-Man? It can boil down to three main reasons. First, he channels Spider-Man’s wisecracking behavior from the comics. One of Spider-Man’s best tactics is to crack jokes and heckle his opponents in the middle of fights. It may seem immature, but it serves a purpose: it makes the bad guys mad, which makes them more prone to making mistakes. Tom Holland channels the web-head’s great sense of humor to a T.

Two, he channels Spider-Man’s spirit and determination. Spider-Man’s not the smartest or strongest hero Marvel has, but when it comes to his willpower, I see him as someone who’s almost unmatched. From recreating the iconic rubble lifting scene from the comics to his decision to follow Iron Man into space, Tom Holland captures the spirit and drive that made Spider-Man Marvel’s flagship character.

Third, and I need you guys to pay attention to this one: he’s the right age! Tom Holland was only 18 when he got cast as Spider-Man for the MCU; at this point, Peter Parker’s 15. That’s as close as we could ask to get. Tobey Maguire was 27 when he played Spider-Man, but he didn’t look young enough. That’s one of my biggest problems with his portrayal. Same with Andrew Garfield.

Tom Holland was born to play Spider-Man, and I hope we get to see him as Spidey for years to come. He’s my perfect casting choice for my favorite superhero. ‘Nuff Said.

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From the blockbuster hits that the MCU has given us to the cartoons of the 90s, Marvel has done an excellent job of adapting its characters onto the big and small screens. I’d think its fair to say that our perception of Marvel’s roster is based on movies and TV shows. As much as I equally love seeing all these heroes and villains adapted from comic to screen, though, I have a favorite. He’s big, he’s purple, and he’s responsible for the mother of all memes last year.

MCU Thanos

Yes, true believers, my favorite comic-to-screen adaptation is none other than the Mad Titan, Thanos. Longtime readers of Marvel Comics will have at least heard of him, but the MCU made him a household name. The moment I saw him in the mid-credits scene in The Avengers, I knew that they were building up to something big.

We got to spend the next six years watching as Marvel built him up to be the ultimate villain, and they were smart about it. They had him operate from the shadows, only showing him sparingly as others did his work for him. Thanos got all the build-up he needed, and when he finally made his move in Infinity War, he didn’t let us down. He took everything the heroes had to throw at him, and despite almost dying, still managed to win in the end.

How many villains do you know where the villain ends up winning? We knew his actions would get undone, but it was still a watershed moment for the MCU.

Fixing Thanos’ Biggest Flaw

Meeting the hype aside, there’s another reason why the MCU Thanos is my favorite comic-to-screen adaptation. They fixed his most significant problem in the comics.

In the comic books, Thanos’ reasons for gathering the Infinity Gems (they’re called that in the comics) is more straightforward. He wants to impress the embodiment of Death. So he figures the best way to win her heart is through the gift of wiping half of all life in the universe.

If the MCU Thanos had that as his motivation, that would have been dumb. Like Dragonball: Evolution meets The Last Airbender dumb. It’s my pet peeve about the guy!

The MCU decided to give Thanos a far more realistic motivation. He wants to prevent the universe from destroying itself, fighting over the limited resources. The best part is that, on some level, I knew Thanos was right. Look at our world: too many people, yet there never seems to be enough to go around. There is, though; we’re just terrible at sharing everything.

My point is, the MCU had a rational reason behind his plans, whereas his comic book counterpart only did it to impress a girl. That’s a waste of godly power; ergo, my favorite comic-to-screen adaptation is MCU Thanos!

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