The Light Brigade in: "Illuminating Evil!"

I'm hoping that we get a full trailer soon for WandaVision.  Despite delays, the series is still set to debut on Disney+ before the end of the year.  I mostly want to see how Monica Rambeau looks, and if they manage to give her a costume close to her classic appearance from the comics.

This is the Third Appearance of The Light Brigade - they previously battled Blackheart in STF #2690, and first appeared in STF #2170...

Superman & Captain Marvel Vs. Galactus

Superman previously faced off with Galactus in STF #428, and it looks like he's called in a reinforcement for the second round here...

Interesting to hear that Henry Cavill will be back in the role of The Man of Steel, but only as a guest star and not in his own movie.  Some are speculating that he will show up in Black Adam, but that movie is sounding pretty jam packed already.  Maybe he'll show up in a Flashpoint movie that resets the DCEU?

Ka-Zar and Warlord

The Savage Land is one locale we have not seen (or even had mentioned) yet in the MCU.  I wouldn't be surprised to see it show up one day though.  I mean, Marvel heroes vs. dinosaurs on the big screen?  Take my money now!  Maybe once the X-Men are up and running, we'll get a cool Sauron plot.

Fighting American and Captain America

Some more Jack Kirby today, this time a double dose.  The thug here reminds me of another thing that Kirby excelled at - depicting ugly mugs for villains and creatures.  No wonder he did such a memorable job on characters like The Thing, Darkseid, The Demon and The Hulk.

Hawkman and Hercules in: "Outnumbered... on Olympus!"

I'd say that between the two artists featured on this cover,  a generation of creators was inspired and created.  Jack Kirby was the master of huge concepts, the use of exaggeration to depict power and action, and a brilliant designer of machinery and devices.  Joe Kubert excelled at landscapes, the physical form and pacing - and created a school where he could share his vast knowledge.  I can'y imagine what comics would look like these days had these two legends not been a part of the scene.

Herc previously met Hawkman in STF #849... and they also shared a Golden Age adventure in STF #1795...

Han Solo Vs. Aliens

And Han thought that battling a swarm of Mynocks was a handful!  Let's hope he is aware of the acid blood when shooting at such close range... and that Chewie is close by to offer some back up!

This tale takes place not long after Luke Skywalker's Alien encounter in STF #1363...  and another Harrison Ford character faced of against the Alien Queen in STF #1665...

Red Tornado and Mr. Fantastic

This cover features two artists that rank high among my favorites, and who were both gone far too soon.  Mike Wieringo and Don Newton each had very distinctive and instantly recognizable styles, and it was always a treat to see which projects and characters they were working on next.  Both were also at the height of their careers during their untimely passing.  We were fortunate to have enjoyed a wealth of their talents, and I can  only imagine the further contributions to comic art they would have made if they were still with us.

Black Racer Vs. Thanos

One change that the MCU made for Thanos was his motivation.  He wanted to eliminate half of all life in the universe to restore his twisted sense of balance, while in the comics, he was trying to impress the living embodiment of Death, who he was obsessed with.  I can understand why the change was made, that might have been a tricky concept to pull off.  Then again, Cate Blanchett's Hela was realized perfectly, perhaps the Goddess of Death could have taken Lady Death's place.

The Flash and Iron Man in: "Monkey Suit!"

It will be interesting to see how The Mandarin is handled in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.  The bait and switch that Marvel pulled with an actor portraying the villain in Iron Man 2 was one of the few times that fans really had a problem with a choice made for the MCU.  I'm glad there's a second chance to get him done right.

The Flash and Iron Man have shared adventures on the blog before - They were last seen together in STF #2546, and had a two-part tale that began in STF #1164 and concluded with their future counterparts in STF #1165...

I... Vampire Vs. Morbius

I have to admit that I had very little interest in the Morbius movie until i saw the teaser trailer for it a while back.  The brief glimpse of Jared Leto in full Morbius make up looked great, far more faithful to the comics than I was expecting.  Then, Michael Keaton shows up as Adrian Toomes (The Vulture) at the end!   Now I am curious to see how much it will tie into the MCU/Sony Spider-Man movies, and who else might show up in the film.

Doctor Doom Vs. Catwoman

It seems like Zoe Kravitz will be sporting a costume like the one above when she appears as Catwoman in Matt Reeve's upcoming Batman movie, from what I have been able to discern from set reports.  I think that she will look great in the role, and I really hope that she and Robert Pattinson have great on-screen chemistry.  A mutual attraction between Selina Kyle and Batman/Bruce Wayne that the audience buys into is a key element, and can provide a through line for a trilogy if done well.

Ghost Rider Vs. Skeletor

Masters of the Universe seems to be on the verge of a comeback.  From what I read, there are two animated shows and a live action movie in the planning stages (not to mention the already airing  She-Ra and the Princesses of Power on Netflix).  Anything has to be a step up from the first movie attempt back in the day!  It will be interested to see which of these projects most successfully brings Eternia's heroes back into spotlight.

Superman Vs. The Juggernaut

The Juggernaut is one X-Men foe that I would like to see return in the MCU.  He was pretty much treated as a joke in both his X-Men and Deadpool film appearances, and really has not been given the respect he deserves on the big screen yet.  Did they even touch on the fact that he is a half brother to Charles Xavier?  There's still plenty of story to mine with the character.

Batman and Solar: Man of the Atom

Are we going to have a skinny Batman?  Robert Pattinson posted some recent pics of himself, and it does indeed look like his figure is still rather slight, despite filming being at least a third the way completed for the new movie.  Maybe, the suit will help the appearance of his physique.  I've always liked director Matt Reeves' visual style, so I still have hope that the Caped Crusader will look appropriately cool.

Bouncing Boy and Flatman

I always got a kick out of Chuck Taine.  I liked that he was a rare hero that was not in body builder shape, and I liked even more that his size and goofy power set did not prevent him from becoming romantically involved with Triplicate Girl.  I have to imagine he and Flatman from the Great Lakes Avengers would get along well.

Cheetah Vs. Black Panther

One thing that has not been revealed from Wonder Woman 1984 is how Kristin Wiig will look in full Cheetah form.  There have been a few merchandising peeks that give some hints, however.  It seems like we will get something close to how she appears on this cover, which is a good thing, as it's one of my favorite versions of the character.

Spider-Man and Kid Eternity

 With major The returns of both Gwen Stacy and Jor-El in recent years (or at least alternate versions of them), Ben Parker seems like one of the last comic characters that has been allowed to remain deceased.  It makes sense, as the inspiration his death provided to Spider-Man is the central cornerstone for that hero.  Of course, that mentorship role was taken over by Tony Stark in the Marvel movies, with barely a mention of Uncle Ben.  The poor guy just can't get a break.

Gamora and Green Lantern

It will be interesting to see where that character of Gamora goes in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3, after the events of Avengers: Endgame.  Can Star-Lord win her heart a second time?  What will her purpose be now that she has reconciled with her sister and her megalomaniac father is out of the picture?  I'm hoping we see more of her fighting skills - for such a legendary combatant, we haven't really seen her truly cut loose with those skills yet.

Batgirl Vs. Elektra in: "Crimes of my Father..."

Batgirl is another one of those characters that has many different costumes though the years, but in my eyes has never topped her debut look.  The one tweak I have really liked was changing the grey to jet black, like she did in the Animated Series.  The yellow gloves and boots may not lend themselves to stealth, but they look so good that I can forgive that impracticality.

These two previously met in STF #1889...

Daredevil and Black Canary

Lots of theories are swirling around the inclusion of Daredevil into the MCU and it will be interesting to see where he lands.  Some say that since Peter Parker will need a lawyer after the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Matt Murdock will be introduced as his legal counsel.  Then there's the rumor that DD and other street level heroes will form a Marvel Knights-type team on Disney+.  Some rumors say all the characters that appeared on the Netflix Shows will be recast, and others indicate that Charlie Cox will stay in the role.  Hopefully once Hollywood gets up and running again, we'll get some concrete answers about DD's live action future.

The Super Friends and Gatchaman

I think my interest in superhero teams and team-ups definitely goes back to the Super Friends cartoon show.  It was regular Saturday morning viewing for me and I was entranced watching all of the colorful costumed heroes interacting with one another.  Later seasons would have multiple stories each episode, with some tales featuring team ups between one of the Super Friends and a special guest star, and I absolutely loved those.  It's safe to say that the show is a cornerstone for my lifetime love of comics, and ultimately the creation of this blog.

Plastic Man and Captain America (Vs. The Red Skull!)

I was recently looking at an image from 1945 of the comic section of a general store, and it really is amazing to see how much was available.  Yes, folks back then didn't have all the entertainment options that we have today, but I'm still impressed.  It's a shame that comic companies and shops have fallen on such hard times these days, especially given the popularity of the characters and stories from comics in the movies and TV.  Hopefully the shops and industry will find a way to survive through the ongoing pandemic and shut down.

Plastic Man and Cap shared a more modern age adventure in STF #2542...

Wildcat Vs. Muhammad Ali

It looks like Yolanda Montez, the second Wildcat, will be playing a supporting role in the upcoming Stargirl series on the CW network.  Hopefully that means we will get to see Ted Grant in action as well, at least in some flashback scenes.  He's been well known as a trainer of heroes in the comics, and I'd love to see that aspect reflected in his live action appearances.

Thank you to Marc Tyler Nobleman, comics' historian and Patron of this Blog, for suggesting this match up!

Doctor Strange Vs. Solomon Grundy

The latest commercials for the CW's Stargirl have featured the Injustice Society, and I have to say they look great.  There were only a couple of fleeting glimpses of Solomon Grundy, but he looked very comics-accurate - far more than the version we got on Gotham.  I can't wait to see him in all his undead glory!

Ant-Man and Batman and the Outsiders

There had been talk for a while about M.O.D.O.K. getting an animated series on Hulu, but lately I have been hearing that he may actually be making an appearance in the live action MCU - possibly in the third Ant-Man movie.  It would be great if they can find a way to pull off such a crazy looking character.  They found a way to make Arnim Zola work, so anything's possible, I guess!

Tarzan and Devil Dinosaur

I'm still waiting for a great Tarzan movie.  It should be more doable than ever with today's technology, but even the most recent attempt has left me wanting.  All a director needs to do is to read Volume One of  Tarzan: The Joe Kubert Years, which reprint the classic 70's comics, and use that as a template.  I've heard that Disney is looking to do a live action version of their animated Tarzan movie, maybe that will finally satisfy my itch for a film that does the Ape man justice.

She-Hulk and the Female Furies

I thought that it was hilarious when Ed Asner voiced the animated version of Granny Goodness, Genius casting.  Still, who could play her in live action, if the New Gods movie ever gets made?  I've heard names like Oprah Winfrey and Kathy Bates mentioned, and I can see both.  For me, I think that Margo Martindale would be perfect in the role.

Thank you to Tom Zilla, a Patron of this Blog, for suggesting a Big Barda/She-Hulk adventure...

Hourman and Thor

I'm glad to see that Hourman is one of the JSA members that will be in action in the present day on the upcoming Stargirl CW series.  I've always thought that the character had potential for a show of his own.  Maybe if the show is a big hit we'll get a spinoff one of these days.

Martian Manhunter in the Marvel Universe

I keep reading that the one event that would bring the Russo Brothers back to the directing table for Marvel is an adaptation of Secret Wars.  I'm assuming they are referring to the first maxi-series that went by that name.  That would be epic, but clearly it can't happen for a while.  First the MCU has to introduce the X-Men and The Fantastic Four, not to mention villains like Dr. Doom, Galactus, Magneto,  more Spidey rogues, and so on.  Plus, Captain America was a big player in that series, will The Falcon take over his role?  Rhodey was in the Iron Man armor, so they won't have to resurrect Tony Stark at least.

Giant-Man and Firestorm

Is Bill Foster still dead?  That's the kind of question you can only ask about comic characters.  I enjoyed following his story through his own short-lived series and then as a supporting character in Marvel Two-In-One as well as appearances in other titles.  He was killed by Ragnarok, a Thor Clone, in the first Civil War mini-series.  I'm not sure whether he's ever been brought back by any means.  I think there's a Bill Foster Jr. out there somewhere, maybe that's what I'm thinking of.

These two met during Foster's Black Goliath days in STF #2104...

Hong Kong Phooey and Kung-Fu Panda

I enjoyed the Kung-Fu Panda movies. They were funny, had great character designs and had genuinely exciting battle sequences. I wouldn't even mind a fourth outing.

Thank you to Marc Tyler Nobleman, comics historian and Patron of this blog, for suggesting this animated team up.