Blue Devil Vs. Carnage

 

One of the things that bothered me about Swamp Thing's abrupt cancellation is that we will not get to see where Blue Devil's story goes.  I liked Ian Ziering's performance as Dan Cassidy, and his origin story was done well - but when we left him he was still very much a monster when he transformed into the Blue Devil.  I'd have like to have seen him come to grips with his curse in a second season, and becoming more like the well adjusted hero from the comics.  Who knows when Blue Devil will get another chance at live action? Maybe the upcoming Justice League Dark show for HBO Max?

Robocop, Groot and Rocket Raccoon

 

I remember first seeing Robocop on the big screen.  In those pre-Batman 1989 days, it was the closest thing to a big superhero movie out there.  My friends and I decided to watch it at a drive-in theater.  We were quite enjoying it when for some reason, the sound cut out half way through.  When we went to the front office to complain, nobody was there!  It would be years before I rented a copy and finally saw the end of the movie.

Firestorm and The X-Men

 

Paul Smith's run on Uncanny X-Men was my introduction to his amazing artwork.  I loved his take on the characters, everyone had a sleek modern look while honoring the designs of previous artists on the title. I made sure to follow smith's career since then to masterpieces like Leave it to Chance and The Golden Age.  I was lucky enough to pick up a few sketches by Smith many years back:

Amanda Waller and Power Man & Iron Fist

 

Oh, I can't imagine this set up going too well.  Luke and Danny are used to working for others, but under the condition that they will be paid for their efforts.  Waller is used to being in control of subordinates, but under the threat of lethal consequences if they don't follow her orders.  There's bound to be plenty of friction with them all trying to work together, and that usually makes for an interesting story.

Amanda previously met these two in STF #2821...

Daredevil Vs. Predator

 

I made this cover before I found out that Disney had acquired the rights to the Alien and Predator franchises.  Now it seems like this is one of those match ups that might actually happen for real.  I don't know if Marvel has any interest in folding the two space monster epics into their mainstream continuity, but I wouldn't be surprised to at least see some crossover one shots or mini series featuring one or both versus heroes from the MCU.

X-Men Vs. Infinity, Inc.

 

Infinity Inc. was a well designed team, I really liked all of their costumes.  Well, maybe except for Nuklon's headwear - Come on, buddy - you have have a mohawk or a headband, but not both.  Pick a lane.

Mickey Mouse, Calvin & Hobbes and Snoopy

 

I still fondly remember one of my first stuffed animals from almost half a century ago.  I had a plush Snoopy that I brought everywhere with me.  What is mostly recall is that I had a bad habit of carrying him by his ears and they kept tearing off, so my mother would have to sew them back on from time to time.  Not many memories from those early years stand out, but that's something that has always stayed with me.

Stargirl and Wolverine

 

I'm looking forward to the new season of Stargirl.   Word is that Jon Wesley Shipp will be reprising his role as Jay Garrick, so we can expect more JSA action.  Jakeem Thunder will be joining the ranks of the young JSA'ers, and it will be interesting to see how Thunderbolt will be depicted.  We may even get a Green Lantern at some point in the season as I have read about some casting for Jade..  Should be fun!

The Spectre and Son of Satan

 

I never quite got Daimon Hellstrom's superhero outfit.  The shirtless/cape combo always seemed odd to me.  I get that maybe he was really proud of his chest emblem, maybe he even needed it exposed to use his magical abilities - but wouldn't a v-neck have sufficed?  I'm betting Captain America had plenty left over to lend after he abandoned his Nomad persona.

Storm and Batgirl

 

I can still remember Kitty Pryde's shocked reaction when Ororo first debuted her new look with the mohawk and leather outfit.  I was just as surprised, this was well before internet spoilers could ruin such a moment and at a time when costume changes were not found as frequently as they are now.  It was a cool look, even though at first I missed that beautiful head of hair and tiara that Storm was famous for.  Chris Claremont provided characterization to go along with the change and it made for some good drama as well.

Kang Vs. The Time Trapper

 

Continued from yesterday's cover, we see that The Flash isn't the only one that has gained attention for his time warping ways.  Visitors to this page, like Blog Patron Bob Greenwade, have suggested that Kang run afoul of The Time Trapper, and I have to agree that would make for an epic battle. Maybe together they can make some sense of DC Continuity!

The Flash Vs. Kang in: "Second Time Around!"

 

I absolutely cannot wait to see how Kang is brought into the MCU.  He's one of Marvel's best villains and hopefully when Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania gets rolling, we'll get some idea of how he looks and will be utilized.

It looks like Kang was not done with the scarlet speedster once he trashed his cosmic treadmill in STF #2879...  the story doesn't end here though - make sure you come back tomorrow to witness the exciting conclusion!

Godzilla Vs. The Tick

 

I'm looking forward to Godzilla Vs. Kong when it is released later this month.  Godzilla: King of the Monsters got a lot of flack, but I quite enjoyed it.  Sure, the human characters could have been written a lot better, but those monster battles were awesome!  So I am going into this next film with the same attitude with which I watched that one - laugh at the humans and marvel at the behemoths! If I get enough spectacle it won't have to be Citizen Kane.

The Silent Partners in: "Breaking the Silence!"

 

We've now seen The Darkhold on Wanda/Vision after a version of the book was used on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., so it appears that Kevin Feige is ready to use concepts and characters from the Marvel TV shows.  That's good to hear, because I think the MCU will do a much better job of presenting heroes like Black Bolt and The Inhumans and villains like Absorbing Man and Graviton than we got in their first live action incarnations.

This is the fifth adventure of The Silent Partners - they last appeared battling Soundwave in STF #2810... the recruited Man-Thing in STF #2250, they were targeted in STF #1650, and made their debut in STF #764...

Captain Comet and The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants

 

The incredibly entertaining Wanda/Vision has ended and 

MILD SPOILER FOLLOWS

The Scarlet Witch did not usher in the age of Mutants as some had guessed may happen.  Still, there seems to be some hope for X-Men fans - there's been a rumor of Marvel moving forward with plans for a movie titled The Mutants.  Not much to go on, and not even verified yet, but it's nice have some indication that the wheels are in motion to bring the Children of the Atom to the MCU.

Impulse Vs. Gorgon

 

Bart Allen was a fun addition to the Flash Family.  It was amusing seeing the hyperactive speedster interact with his older mentors and the other teen heroes from Young Justice.  Since then he's been aged and de-aged, changed his hero ID to Flash to Kid Flash and back to Impulse (I think).  I'm not sure, I lost track of him around the time the second Wally West as Kid Flash showed up and took his place on the Teen Titans.  I think Brian Michael Bendis may have brought Bart back in a new Young Justice title.  Sheesh, the Flash Family history is as confusing as Hawkman's at this point!

Superman Vs. Homelander

 

I had never read The Boys in comic form so did not know what to expect from the Amazon Prime series.  I have to say that I like the show quite a lot, which surprises me, as I prefer my superheroes to be presented as people of virtue.  Even so, it's interesting to see this take on a corporate based group of supers with their own personal motivations.  I'm not a big fan of gore, and there's usually at least one scene an episode where I have to avert my eyes, but other than that, I find it to be an engaging series and I look forward to a third season. 

Aliens Vs. The Phantom Stranger

 It will be interesting to see what becomes of the Alien and Predator franchises now that they have been acquired by Disney.  I've read that they are interested in creating new streaming series for each.  Can such show work on Disney+, or would they have to be too watered down?  Maybe they'll go to the Disney-owned Hulu instead?

Defenders and the Legion of Super-Heroes

 

I'm surprised that I haven't paired up these two teams until now, I had to go back and check just to be sure.  There's enough variety in the memberships of DC's premiere Super Team and Marvel's official Non-Team that any number of line ups could make for an exciting tale with lots of contrasting personalities and power sets.  I'm still hoping to eventually see big budget live action treatments for either team.

Xena and Valkyrie

 

Fraiser joins the ever growing list of series that are coming back for new seasons after a run that concluded several years ago.  Some of these have been welcome and some should probably have not returned  Xena is one show that I would love to see revisited, at least as a streaming movie.  Lucy Lawless is still in good shape and it would be cool to see what has become of  The Warrior Princess as well as Gabrielle and Joxur.  It would be nice to see at least one episode with today's special effect capabilities, too.