Today's Lunchtime Reading: West Coast Avengers 26 What Is Scorpio?

 West Coast Avengers 26 What Is Scorpio?

Published: November 10, 1987

Writer: Steve Englehart Penciler: Al Milgrom

Cover Artist: Al Milgrom and Mike Machlan

The Zodiac Cartel is holding a meeting trying to figure out what happened to the LMDs that recently cribbed their gimmick, when their Scorpio suddenly drops his over-the-top French accent to reveal that he's not Jacques LaPoint, but an LMD Jake Fury in disguise, and he's led the entire LMD Zodiac to their base to ambush and kill them.

The original Zodiac is quickly slaughtered, but Taurus slips away. He swallows his pride and actually goes to the West Coast Avengers for help, though secretly planning to rebuild his own Zodiac once he gets the Avengers to dispatch the LMDs. He leverages his insight into the astrology-driven minds of the Zodiac to be instrumental in predicting the rival team's movements. Moon Knight's own astrological pinnings lead him to vouch for Van Lunt since the Moon's in Taurus, but he plans to keep a close eye on the villain. Soon, the Avengers intercept the Zodiac at a Breeder's Auction in Wichita.

During the battle, Sagittarius is killed by a stray arrow from Hawkeye, leading the rest of the Zodiac to flee. Even though it was an LMD, Clint is shaken by the kill, a reaction that makes Mockingbird more anxious about her secret involvement in the death of Phantom Rider.

Later, at Zodiac's hideout, Scorpio ruminates on his relationship to the Zodiac Key. He recalls things that he had previously forgotten, that he was the original holder of the Key, and as such every time he died the Key re-animated him in an artificial body based on a SHIELD LMD, but each new Jake thought he was becoming Scorpio for the first time. Now, he uses the Key to create another new LMD, a new Sagittarius that's a dead ringer for Hawkeye.

NYSQ DC Fandome Special Report

On Saturday, August 22, Warner Bros. welcomed fans everywhere into the DC FanDome—a free virtual fan experience where no badge is required.

 

Imagine all the Super Heroes and Super-Villains you’ve ever loved finally coming together in one place to celebrate DC’s past, present and future.  Accessible for 24 hours at DCFanDome.com, the global event immersed fans into the DC Multiverse, with new announcements from WB Games, Film and TV, and comics, as well as an unprecedented opportunity to hear from the casts and creators behind your favorite feature films and TV series, including: Aquaman, The Batman, Batwoman, Black Adam, Black Lightning, DC Super Hero Girls, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, DC’s Stargirl, Doom Patrol, The Flash, Harley Quinn, the SnyderCut of Justice League, Lucifer, Pennyworth, SHAZAM!, The Suicide Squad, Supergirl, Superman & Lois, Teen Titans GO!, Titans, Watchmen, Young Justice: Outsiders and, coming this fall to theaters worldwide, Wonder Woman 1984.

 

The DC FanDome is the place to hear highly anticipated announcements and the latest news, see exclusive footage, and venture into themed worlds designed to entertain everyone from movie and TV superfans to gamers and readers, to families and kids.  With special presentations to engage fans in every time zone across the globe, you’ll have the opportunity to have an experience that’s all your own.  Inside this virtual world, fans will also get access to localized events, featuring the faces and voices from countries around the world in their local language.  No matter where you live, your age or your level of fandom, there is something for you.

 

 

Today’s Lunchtime Reading West Coast Avengers 25 The Greatest Show on Earth!

 West Coast Avengers 25 The Greatest Show on Earth!

Published: October 10, 1987

Writer: Steve Englehart Penciler: Al Milgrom

Cover Artist: Al Milgrom and Mike Machlan

Wonder Man is battling three men in jetpacks and after making quick work of them, we find out it is all a stunt for the premier of his new movie, Arkon IV the Goblin Pit!

Clint and Bobbi discuss what happened when she was taken by the Phantom Rider and Tony seeks out Simon to talk about their recent power struggles. Moon Knight is severing ties with Frenchie to focus on being a West Coast Avenger.

Simon is questioning if he should stay with the West Coast Avengers while Dr. Pym and Espirita talk about her leaving to go on a vison quest. Just as Simon is finishing up a taping of the Tonight Show, the Abomination shows up and attacks Wonder Man!

As Wonder Man battles the Abomination, old fears rise up after dying from the Collector’s poison and losing to Thor in this year’s Avengers Annuals crossover (West Coast Avengers Annual #2 and Avengers Annual #16) but overcomes them to stop the Abomination before he can cause too much damage!

And none of it was caught on camera, everyone thinking it was more stunts for the movie. Wonder Man learns that no matter how big he gets in Hollywood, he will always be an Avenger!

Quick Hit on the Massive Layoffs at DC

"The majority of staff of the streaming service DC Universe has been laid off, as has editor-in-chief Bob Harras and multiple other executives on the publishing side. Monday's WarnerMedia layoffs have affected a significant number of high-level figures at comic book powerhouse DC, multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.

 

Among those said to be losing their positions are editor-in-chief Bob Harris, senior VP of publishing strategy and support services Hank Kanalz, VP of marketing and creative services Jonah Weiland, VP global publishing initiatives and digital strategy Bobbie Chase, senior story editor Brian Cunningham, and executive editor Mark Doyle, who oversaw the rollout of the Black Label graphic novels. Jim Lee remains the CCO."

 

Hollywood Reporter Story: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/dc-comics-dc-universe-hit-by-major-layoffs-1306743

 

“Simply put, “Warner Media doesn’t want to be in the comics business. It wants to be in the character business,” another source with knowledge of Warner Bros. operations tells me. That same source contends that the company may have no longer wanted DC and its comics to be the driving force behind entities that are so important to WB franchising and licensing goals. Moving forward, both sources believe comics will be just a small part of the necessary intellectual property maintenance needed to keep corporate cash cows like Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman humming along.”

“Keep in mind, it wasn’t about whether DC was losing money. Even if it was, it was a small amount. The problem is that the potential profits in comics are negligible when one considers the average summer blockbuster has $200 million-plus budgets. Bluntly put: It's likely Warner Media doesn’t think the money to be made in comics is worth the effort.”

SYFY Wire: https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/dc-comics-dc-universe-layoffs-fallout

 

 

Shake Up on the Live Action Avatar remake at Netflix!

Announced in September 2018, fans of Avatar the Last Airbender were treated with news that Netflix would be creating a live-action remake of the original animated series.  However, this time around, the series' original creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko would be both the executive producers and showrunners.  With that added information, fans were cautiously optimistic that this reimagined series would be true to the spirit of the original and far better than 2010’s The Last Airbender.  However, since this initial announcement, there has been almost no news from either party on the status of the project.

 

To the shock of Avatar fans around the world, on August 12th, Bryan and Mike announced via open letters on social media and their individual websites that they had made the decision in June to end their involvement with the live-action Netflix series.

As Michael put it, “Netflix said that it was committed to honoring our vision for this retelling and to supporting us on creating the series. And we expressed how excited we were for the opportunity to be at the helm. Unfortunately, things did not go as we had hoped.”

This obviously leaves us wondering a few things.  First, what happened?  And second, what does this mean for the upcoming series?  Not to mention how this will affect the release of The Legend of Korra on Netflix this week.  The consensus from most of the news outlets is the go-to “creative differences” were the root cause of the split.  However, your fellow nerds did some digging and found an interview between multiple sources inside Netflix and the site FandomWire where they explain exactly what those creative differences were.

 

Fandome Wire Link: https://fandomwire.com/exclusive-why-avatar-the-last-airbenders-creators-really-left-netflix/

 

 

Today’s Lunchtime Reading Avengers Annual 16 The Day Death Died!

Avengers Annual 16 The Day Death Died!

Published: January 16, 1987

Writer: Tom Defalco Penciler: Butch Guice, John Romita, Keith Pollard, Ron Frenz

Cover Artist: Bob Layton

As a result of the Contest of Champions, the Grandmaster had restored the Collector's life at the cost of his own. Once within the realm of Death, however, he schemed to conquer the final adversary. Now, after having pitted the West Coast Avengers against their eastern counterparts in Death's domain, he has distracted, then defeated Death itself. (As seen in Contest of Champions and West Coast Avengers Annual #2)

Bored with life, the Grandmaster has created five life-bombs which will cause a new "big bang," replacing the present universe with one of his own design. When the Avengers challenge him to a final game, he pits them against a new Legion of the Unliving composed of their deceased friends and foes.

Thor, Hawkeye, and Dr. Pym battle the Executioner, the Swordsman, and Nighthawk in a fiery netherworld, where Dr. Pym is impaled on a stalagmite by Nighthawk and killed, while Thor defeats the Executioner but is killed preventing the life-bomb from exploding, leaving Hawkeye the only survivor of his group after he tricks the Swordsman using his trick arrows, electrocuting him.

Meanwhile, Captain Marvel, Moon Knight, Tigra, and the She-Hulk face Drax the Destroyer, Death Adder, the original Green Goblin, and the Kree Captain Mar-Vell in a tropical setting. Tigra defeats Death Adder but is poisoned by him in the process, Moon Knight is killed by the Green Goblin, and She-Hulk has her back broken by Drax the Destroyer. Captain Marvel succeeds in defusing their bomb but her energy form is drained by the villains while She-Hulk and Tigra die on the beach below.

The Silver Surfer and Korvac fight to their mutual destruction in space.

 In a misty alien wasteland Iron Man, Mockingbird, Dr. Druid, and the Black Knight face Dracula, Terrax, the second Red Guardian, and the original Black Knight. Iron Man defeats Terrax at the cost of his armor, while Mockingbird overcomes the Red Guardian. The two Black Knights are too evenly matched for either to win, while Dr. Druid and Mockingbird are both killed by Dracula, the latter distracting Iron Man from defusing their bomb, which detonates.

In an Arctic waste Captain America, Wonder Man, and the Wasp combat Hyperion, Baron Blood, and Bucky. Hyperion kills Wonder Man by driving him through the planet into a nearby sun, while Captain America beats Baron Blood. The Wasp, suffering due to the extreme cold, is crushed to death by Bucky, who Cap defeats before destroying their bomb.

Incredibly, only Cap and Hawkeye have survived the contest. Rather than undergo a second round with their late comrades added to the ranks of their foes, Hawkeye proposes a simple game of chance which the Grandmaster cannot resist playing. He proffers two arrows, daring the alien gamesman to guess which one has an arrowhead attached.

When the Grandmaster loses, Death frees herself and exiles him from her realm, then returns all the Avengers to life on Earth. Captain America is astounded to learn that Hawkeye has cheated on the wager, by palming the arrowhead attached to the shaft the Grandmaster chose.

Today's Lunchtime Reading, West Coast Avengers Annual 2 Death and Taxes!

 West Coast Avengers Annual 2 Death and Taxes!

Published: September 10, 1987

Writer: Steve Englehart Penciler: Al Milgrom

Cover Artist: Al Milgrom

East Coast vs. West Coast Avengers in a nice ol' game of softball. But of course, someone has to crash the party…

The Silver Surfer arrives with the warning that one of the Elders of the Universe plans to murder the Avengers. The Silver Surfer takes the West Coast Avengers to the Colector’s ship where they learn that they must die to confront the Grandmaster and save the East Coast Avengers!

As the East Coast Avengers arrive in death’s realm, the Grandmaster tells them that the Collector is using the West Coast Avengers to make a deal with death so that he never dies. What follows is a battle of Avenger vs Avenger with Iron Man vs Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau not Carol Danvers) with Iron Man getting the upper hand.

Captain America vs Mockingbird with Cap winning this battle to even it out at 1 to 1

Silver Surfer goes to confront Death to try and get her to send the Avengers and him back to the world of the living since she is above even elders of the Universe and he meets her gaze and the Silver Surfer Screams!

And the one on one battles continue with Dr. Pym vs the Wasp! Dr. Pym wins this round by using his knowledge of her fighting style to trick her into thinking she won and grabbing her

The heavy hitters step up, the Mighty Thor vs Wonder Man! Thor takes down Wonder Man to even it back up at 2 to 2

Tigra is taking on Dr. Druid and Dr. Druid with the win by using telekinesis after his illusions failed to trick Tigra

Now it is time for battle of the Knights, Black Knight vs Moon Knight! Moon Knight throws everything at the Black Knight but wins by tricking the Black Knight into thinking he had killed him with his ebony blade!

And finally it is Hawkeye vs She-Hulk, Hawkeye with the win by making She-Hulk breath in a bunch of gas after running out of breathe under water and the West Coasters win 4 to 3!

And as the Avengers all come back to where the Grandmaster is, his real plan to trap Death herself is revealed!!!

Continued in Avengers Annual 16!

Doom Patrol Season 2 Breakdown and Review [Full Spoilers]

Doom Patrol follows the unlikely heroes of the eponymous team who all received their powers through tragic circumstances and are generally shunned by society. Most members of the team were treated by the Chief, a medical doctor who gave them residence in his mansion to help protect them from the outside world. Their name derives from an earlier Doom Patrol team that was formed by the Chief.

 

The first members of the Doom Patrol to be introduced in the series are Jane, the dominant personality of a traumatized woman with dissociative identity disorder; Rita Farr, who struggles to prevent her body from turning to a gelatinous state; Larry Trainor, who has an entity of negative energy living inside of him; and Cliff Steele, whose brain was placed in a robot body following a car accident. The team is later joined by cybernetically-enhanced superhero Vic Stone.

 

In the first season, the Chief is captured by the malevolent Mr. Nobody, sending the Doom Patrol on a journey to rescue him. Along the way, they discover secrets about themselves and of the Chief, whom they eventually learn is responsible for the tragic events that gave them their powers.

 

First season premiered on February 15, 2019 on DC Universe. In July 2019, the series was renewed for a second season, which is set to premiere on June 25, 2020 on both DC Universe and HBO Max.

 

Today's Lunchtime Reading West Coast Avengers #24 Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted!

West Coast Avengers #24 Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted!

Published: August 10th 1987

Writer: Steve Englehart Penciler: Al Milgrom Cover Artist: Al Milgrom

Dominus and his minions near completion on the Master Machine that will enslave the world, confident that his gambit to trap the Avengers in the past was flawless. He's therefore quite shaken when the Avengers suddenly attack the base in force. Dominus sends the Desert Dwellers out to stop them, including dozens of duplicates of the artificial members Butte, Gila, and Cactus.

 With their team bolstered by Doctor Pym, La Espirita, and Moon Knight, the Avengers easily gain the upper hand on the henchmen. Sunstroke, the one human of the Desert Dwellers knows when to fall back and flies up the shaft of the towering silo where Dominus awaits.

The Avengers follow and as they near the top they're confronted by the costumed man they've believed to be Dominus. The man takes the moment to explain that he's actually a just a vessel through which Dominus speaks. While his race created the Master Machine to enslave lesser races, they didn't count on becoming enslaved themselves. Dominus is the Master Machine and at that moment he's all around the Avengers built into the walls of the upper levels of the silo. Dominus blasts the Avengers with its mind-enslaving rays, completely immobilizing them, then dismisses Sunstroke to another assigned location.

 As Dominus' vessel walks to the machine controls, gloating about his victory, he doesn't notice Moon Knight walk up and clock him. Not understanding how his enemy could still be moving, he blasts Moon Knight again, but again Moon Knight shakes it off and pushes forward.

Dominus panics, unable to comprehend how someone could resist its power, and its inability to resolve the paradox soon causes the entire machine and by extension the base to rumble and burst into flames as it begins to collapse. Moon Knight wisely keeps quiet about how Dominus really was enslaving his minds, but with his multiple personalities he had minds to spare.

The Avengers are freed from the effects of the machine and are able to escape the collapsing mountain. As it does, they see the core of the Dominus machine blast off into space on a rocket. The fliers of the team try to pursue, but when Wonder Man's jets stall in the upper atmosphere, Iron Man breaks off to rescue him from the fall.

Wonder Man is hardly grateful, arguing that his invulnerable body would have survived the fall and it was more important to catch Dominus. Nonetheless, the day is saved even though Dominus and Sunstroke escaped.

Later, as the Avengers finally return home, Wonder Man is ambushed by his producer's assistant, who is finally able to inform him that everyone hates his new costume.