The Avengers and Infinity Inc. (And More!)

 

Mr. Universe returns for his 12th appearance as STF's greatest villain, and this time he is super-charged enough that it will take two teams to beat him.  Fortunately, this issue is 100 pages, so there will still be plenty of room left for some fun back-up tales!

My goodness, are we really on the march towards STF #5000?

Here are some larger views of this issue's individual stories:

Superman and Beta Ray Bill

 

Sure, it's easy to accept a hero from another planet when they have movie star good looks.  What if your savior has a face that only a mother could love?

Thor and Lois Lane

 

I've liked the quick moments that we have seen of Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane, and I am looking forward to seeing her performance in full when Superman is released to theaters.  I have to give a tip of the hat to the costume designers as well.  Her outfits seem definitely inspired by those that Lois wore on Superman: The Animated Series.

Mary Jane and Lois Lane

 

Lois Lane is one of those characters that actresses really have fun with.  and there have been some really enjoyable depictions over the years, my favorites are Noel Neill, Margot Kidder, Teri Hatcher, Dana Delaney Erica Durance and Bitsie Tulloch.  Everyone seems to love the choice of Rachel Brosnahan as the latest cinematic Lois, and she does look great in the teaser trailer.  I can't wait to see what she brings to the role.

Mr. Fantastic and Cyborg / Lois Lane and The Watcher

 

Still no casting announcements for The Fantastic Four?  I figured that we would have heard something by now.  The upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is being touted as the end of Marvel's cinematic Phase Four, and there are strong rumors that Dr. Doom will be teased in that film, so I have to believe that we'll start hearing some FF news once it has been released.

Cyborg has been allies with Reed Richards ever since he temporarily took Ben Grimm's place in the Fantastic Four as depicted way back on a cover from 2012...

The Rocketeer and Superman

Everyone talks about how great John Williams' Superman score is, and with good reason.  Another one of my favorite superhero scores has to be James Horner's Rocketeer soundtrack.  You know it is great music because a bunch of other films have used it as a temp track in early commercials and trailers.

Superman and the Rocketeer first met back in STF #1627...

Superman and Iron Man in "The No-Show!"

Like Thor, Iron Man is a hero that I enjoy pairing alongside Superman.  I can see them getting along in their heroic identities, and working well together.  Clark Kent and Tony Stark on the other hand would probably not be such fast friends - Stark has a natural mistrust of snooping reporters and Kent was raised with much better manners than a rich narcissist.  The juxtaposition of those two sets of relationships could make for a fun tale.

Superman Vs. Hyperion

I always thought it was cool that Marvel had a team of JLA analogues in their super-group The Squadron Supreme.  The fact that their "Superman" - Hyperion - had red hair was an added bonus.  As a redhead, I was always looking out for heroes that looked like me, and it was great to have one as a team leader.  Marvel had been doing some interesting things with Hyperion and the Squadron, but once J. Michael Straczynski left those titles, they seemed to lose their momentum and stopped appearing before too long.  Hopefully they will be back soon, I've enjoyed them in all their various incarnations over the years.

The Thing and Lois Lane

Well we have heard that the new Superman in Zach Snyder's upcoming film will be Henry Cavill (a very solid selection, in my opinion), but have yet the learn who will portray the latest incarnation of Lois. Noell Neill, Margot Kidder, and Teri Hatcher have all given memorable performances, each highlighting aspects of the character. Kate Bosworth never really fit the role for me in either appearance or performance, although some of that blame must fall on the script. My favorite Lois to date has Been Erica Durance on Smallville, she embodies most of the qualities that make the comic book Lois appealing. Of the names I have heard to be in possible contention for the new film, I would say that Rachel McAdams would be my choice. I am sure we will hear one way or another soon.