From the Archives - 19

Ok, I think this should be the last one for a while. It's amazing how long it took to catalog all of the supers minis I have, I really need a better system for storing them so that I can keep track of what's where.

Venom: I may really not be a fan of the character, but if you have Spider-Man you need the iconic villains. This version has a good presence and size for a very '90s look. Heroclix. 

Mister Hyde: Last of my League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the outsize top-hat leans Hyde towards the film rather than the comic, but I love the character of the piece. Wyrd. 

Mk I Iron Man: I wasn't going to have too many different Iron Man suits but I opened this one in a booster and couldn't resist painting it up. Heroclix. 
 

Kyurem: I think this figure came in a box of cards I bough back when I ran Pokemon League at work? I know it was a while ago because of the square base, from a short-lived Dungeon Crawl project. Toy. 

Thor: Before the MCU film, there was only a couple of looks to choose from for Thor, so I went with this more armored version, which I still really like, though most people aren't big fans. Heroclix. 

Rhino: Pretty sure this is one of the oldest Heroclix I own, in that it was part of my original collection, back when I played. The paint work on it is pretty old too, I probably should update it. Heroclix. 

Superhero Media: Godzilla Final Wars

Chances are, if you're familiar with a Godzilla film outside of the American ones or the original it's Final Wars, a masterpiece of what-the-fuck and IP management that is simultaneously the Batman RIP/Turtles Forever and the Avengers Forever of Godzilla. In the not-too-distant future, an international team of soldiers and superhuman "mutants" pilots their flying submarine with a drill head to victory against Godzilla, ending the years long "Monster Wars" with a win for humanity. A few years later, the arrival of the alien "Xillian" race prompts international chaos and the return of many Kaiju thought long gone; with most mutants falling quickly under alien control, a desperate plan is hatched to free Godzilla from the Antarctic ice and begin the "Final War" for human survival. If that's already too much for you, maybe give Final Wars a miss, because I've barely scratched the surface of the crust of gonzo that encases one of the most highly regarded Godzilla films of all time. No, I'm not kidding, this thing is nuts in the best ways. 

For the uninitiated, Japanese Godzilla films tend to be roughly divided into two eras (technically it's more like four, but that's not important right now), the Showa era and the Toho era, named for the companies which produced the films at the time. Though it's not a hard rule, it was generally considered that the two eras were separate continuities, but that all changed with Final Wars, which makes a herculean effort to unite Godzilla under one continuity. Yes, Final Wars combines everything from oxygen destroyers, Minilla, Mothra's fairy guardians and even the 1998 American "Zilla", who dies brutally and quickly to the real thing in one of the film's best moments. Suffice to say, Final Wars is hardly a character piece, so if you have a favourite kaiju or like some development in your monster films, this one may leave you cold, because the focus is clearly action, and plenty of it. Final Wars has some of the best kaiju fights ever put to film, with my only real complaint being that many are too brief and the mix of rubber suits and CGI can clash pretty badly at times. Of course, I'm not watching Final Wars for anything other than a killer good time with Kaiju, so even criticising it for being too fun is pretty much a waste of time; this film is exactly what it wants to be, unashamedly. 

Although Final Wars is considered among the best Godzilla films ever made, it is clearly not intended for new viewers and is really not a good place to dive in if you don't just want something to laugh at. Even as a fan, this is kind of a mood thing for me, like when I'm in just the right mood, I'll watch Final Wars, but if I just want a Godzilla fix, I'm more likely to pop in Shin Godzilla, Godzilla II: King of the Monsters or Godzilla Vs. Hedorah to get it. This one, like Avengers: Endgame, is for the fans, not a new introduction or a good place to land on accidentally. An entire cottage YouTube industry built around parsing the madness of Final Wars is still going strong, especially with the terrible dubbed version that pops up regularly on Netflix. That said, Final Wars is a great film, I love it, but be warned going in that it pulls no punches and does not include any exposition for the Godzilla minutiae happening. Hail to the king.

Victorian Masters of Evil

I did the first one of these years ago because I was sick of seeing half-arsed attempts at Victorian Science Fiction/Steampunk superhero projects on the Lead Adventure Forum, which were kind of the flavour of the month. What I wanted people to do was to put more thought into the concept than just gluing cogs on Iron Man and calling it a day, which was something that was happening quite a bit. Perhaps it was due to my background in Film and Literature, but I just thought there was way more to the concept than just "Bruce Waynesworth" donning a costume to battle "Jolly Jack the Joker". So I pulled out some of my Victorian Literature notes and Silver Age comics and got to work mashing together the JLA and various texts relevant to the era. 

Years later, my brain seems wired for this shit now, as I can't stop coming up with more ideas for the same concept. Is it because I just keep reading comics and Victorian Literature? Probably, but that's not going to stop me. Hopefully though, I'm coming to the end this time. I mean, I've dipped down to the B-list pretty hard to get some of this to work, what's next, mashing up Sam Weller and Wong? Actually, that's pretty good. Maybe a Victorian era, British take on SHIELD, with Samuel Pickwick as Nick Fury and Weller as Dum-Dum Dugan? Sam already has the bowler hat and mustache, so it kind of works, right? Anyway, let's just get going before I do even more of these.


Masters of the New World 
For all the heroes that the new age of reason, discovery and technology has brought, there has come with it those who would stand for the causes of destruction, ignorance and greed. Individually powerful, some of these self-styled "Masters" have whole armies at their beck and call, a few even ruling over entire countries. The nightmares of all right-thinking subjects of Her Glorious Majesty came to fruition when, one day, it was discovered that several of these foreign devils had banded together to battle against the Empire. May God save the Queen.

Adam (Ultron) 

Created by some deranged mind, a German, no less, "Adam" is a man-made monster, born of alchemy and other foul practices, it killed its creator and vanished into the icy North. Many thought that was the end of the macabre tale, until similar creations started to be discovered wandering the streets of major cities across the world. It transpired that neither Adam nor his creator's methods were truly lost and that Adam had begun creating his own "monsters" with which to gain his revenge upon the world. Just how many creatures Adam has created and how far his influence has spread cannot be determined, but armed polar expeditions are being formed to try and gauge the scope of the threat.


Fu Mandarin Chu (Mandarin) 

A veteran of the Opium Wars, the Mandarin sorcerer known alternatively as The Daemon, David Lo Pan and Fu Manchu has made it his life's mission to bring down the British Empire. Manipulating organised crime, drugs and prostitution rings, Fu has garnered a great deal of temporal power to go along with his mystical might, gathering allies and followers from around the world to build a veritable army of Evil. Operating from the shadows, few know that they even face the threat of Fu Mandarin Chu until it is far too late to do anything about it.


Helmut Robur-Zemo (Baron Zemo)

The eldest son of French and Prussian nobility, Hemlut Robur-Zemo embraced the technology of the new century with a gusto most young, wealthy men apply only to the pursuit of drink and women. Quickly becoming an accomplished areonaut and big game hunter, Helmut grew bored of the legal fun that could be had in Europe and moved out to the colonies, where less oversight would enable him to hunt the most dangerous game, Englishmen. Swooping down from the skies in his ornithopter, Helmut harried British troops and farmers across Africa and Asia for the mere sport of it, robbing where he had to to keep himself in fuel and ammunition. Helmut's skills attracted the attention of foreign warlords and he soon found himself a solider-for-hire, taking on British Colonial interests for the coin and challenge. 

Professor Lindenbrock (Mole Man)

Thought to have vanished into an Icelandic volcano on a misguided quest to find the Hollow Earth, Professor Lindenbrock survived his foolhardy escapade and found himself in a world he could have scarcely imagined. Inside the Earth, lit by a mysterious "internal sun", ancient creatures still survived and many terrestrial forms grew to incredible size, creating a veritable world of monsters. His mind gradually warped by the unearthly light and strange new foods he was forced to eat to survive, Lindenbrock became convinced that the life of the Hollow Earth was superior to that which dwelt on the surface, and that only he could correct this imbalance. Using his newfound affinity for the monsters with which he shared his subterranean world, Lindenbrock began raids on major surface cities, sowing destruction wherever he went, retreating to the Hollow Earth only when he was opposed by the heroes of the Empire. 

Pharaoh En Sabah Nur - (Apocalypse)

When archaeologists and explorers first suggested that the process of Ancient Egyptian mummification was an attempt to prepare the body of the Pharaoh for a return to life, little did they know that it would work. A forgotten Pharaoh of a dynasty erased from history by those wanting to forget the horrors wrought by En Sabah Nur, the God-King, the Living Apocalypse. Awoken when his tomb was disturbed, En Sabah Nur began a rampage of death and destruction until military forces were able to take advantage of his weakened state and drive him into the desert. Swearing vengeance and his intention to conquer the new world he had awakened in, En Saba Nur began to gather fanatical followers to his banner, building an army with which to raid Egypt before turning his attention to the world.

Superhero Media: Robocop 3

Robocop 3 is generally regarded as the "bottoming out" of the series, but not having seen it before, I found myself actually enjoying it more than Robocop 2, despite it being only a pale echo of the original. Now in the dazzling future of the 1990s, OCP has been brought out by a Japanese corporation, with many officers struggling to hold on to their positions as entire departments are cut, including the Detroit Police. Detroit is a failing city in Robocop 3, with gang enclaves and rampant looting and violence, complete collapse only being held back by a skeleton police force following the lead of Officer Murphy. In order to, finally, get things moving on Delta City, OCP has brought in a team of South American Mercenaries to remove people from their homes in Old Detroit, creating friction with the Police and calls from the Mercenary leader to "retire" Robocop. All the while, a resistance movement is growing within the poor and disenfranchised of the city. 

So, whilst Robocop 3 features a child hacking ED-209, Samurai robots and Robocop getting a jetpack and machine-gun arm, for me, there's one element that kind of overruns all of that annoying stuff. Look, there's no way to get to this but to say it outright, but Robocop leads a Anarchist revolt against a privatised and militarised police force, and that's fucking amazing. The original Robocop is a masterpiece of subtle satire riding in a pop-culture vehicle dripping in the most American of excesses, to the point where many audiences will cheer on the tool of their own oppression. By the time we get to Robocop 3, the joke is wearing thin and the writing (still Frank Miller) isn't all that clever, but the series ends with an armed uprising against corporate fascism that includes the homeless, working class and disgruntled police all under the banner a literal walking piece of militraised police equipment. I have no idea how intentional all of that is, but damn, it's a great tableau. 

After watching Robocop 3, I wonder at Detroit's (real life) decision to not accept the donation of a Robocop statute, not because it just would have been cool, or that Robocop and Eminem are the only Detroit cultural exports anyone remembers anymore, or that the first film encapsulates the rampant capitalism that destroyed the American automotive industry. No, Detroit needs Robocop more than ever because of the ending of Robocop 3, the "ugly stepchild" of the franchise, but also the one that draws the people of Detroit together to stand up against their oppressors and unite for the common good. Is Robocop 3 worth watching just for the ending? I think so, but, as I've demonstrated over the years, I'll sit through almost any trash just to look for the gems. Fear not, however, our Robocop journey will continue, so keep a look out for more of this hero and franchise in the future.

Miniatures Finished: Infestor Swarms

Part of the Infestors army for Bot War are these "Swarms", mechanical wasp-like creatures that move quickly and harry enemies. I ordered two sets with my initial order of Bots, not realising that up to three Swarms could be fielded in the one army. So rather than have two bases of three bugs on flying stands, I made three bases of two bugs scavenging on rocks.

I've never been a big fan of the GW-style plastic flying stands, so many of my "flying" units are propped up by wire or standing on something. I really wasn't happy with these models, but now that they're done, I kind of like them and want to get a game in.

Superhero Media: Men In Black III

From what I'd heard, Men In Black III was the return-to-form for the series, and I guess that's true, but then my contention becomes that perhaps the series wasn't all that good to begin with. Seemingly wanting to erase all memory of Men In Black II, the third installment begins with Jay and Kay still partners and Jay being treated like the "new kid" despite more than a decade with the agency. Before you can say "out of ideas", a brilliant actor is cast as a creepy alien and a chase across New York has begun, with Jay having to go back in time to save Kay from an untimely death. Men In Black III is a tad more fresh than its predecessor, in that it doesn't rely on repeating all of the jokes of the original, but this also manages to date it, with the world of 2012 being quite a ways different from the world of 1997. Yes, we need to talk about racism, sorry. The main "joke" of the MIB series has always been based on immigration, framing extraterrestrials as foreigners, and it does work, but post Trayvon Martin, the jokes just aren't as funny anymore. For example, a "Chinese" chef having to put on a dodgy accent in order to engage with customers is, perhaps, not the best look.

It's pretty clear that Men In Black III is looking for nostalgia hits and to kick-start a new franchise, MCU-style, with Jay at the centre as some kind of "chosen one". You see, in the finale, Jay's father sacrifices himself to save Kay, who then takes the child Jay under his wing. Sure, that's an idea, I guess, but my big question is why? This twist in Jay's origin doesn't add anything to the character, who was intentionally something of a blank slate to begin with, and with no more films in the franchise, it doesn't go anywhere, it just hangs like a bloody stump. I get the feeling that the studio was expecting for Men In Black III to be a big enough hit to launch a new series of films, with new supporting cast being introduced, the setting being expanded and the introduction of time travel. Sadly, MIB just doesn't seem to be the kind of setting that Hollywood can manage to spin into an ongoing franchise, as easy at it looks on paper. I think, to date, only the Godzilla/Monarch Cinematic Universe has gotten this right, keeping the monsters, but changing up the cast with each new film. 

So is there anything left in the MIB tank? Yes and no. We'll get to MIB International in time, but the premise is workable, even if it's only worked once. Taking a risk would, oddly, probably be the best approach at this stage, cut the budget to the bone and get some up-and coming comics to take a spin. How about the Lonely Island as Men In Black, or Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as "affirmative action" WoMen In Black? Hell, make it an Amazon Women On The Moon style anthology film with sketches of different comedians and actors dealing with aliens, there's got to be enough there for ninety minutes of laughs. Ok, now I want to see Anna Kendrik and Elizabeth Banks in suits running the Immigration Desk at MIB headquarters, trying to be as polite as possible in trying circumstances. There's something there, right? Or do we just let this one go already?

Thinking Out Loud: Villain Apocalypse

Pretty much since my first year of doing this, I've been hinting at the idea of "Villain Apocalypse", occasionally lifting the veil but never really getting it down properly. So what is "Villain Apocalypse", and why have I been fixated on it for so long? Simply put, "Villain Apocalypse" is a shorthand term I use for a post-apocalypse superhero setting in which the world-ending cataclysm was not a nuclear war or natural disaster, but instead the act of a supervillain or villains. I first used this idea with, of all things, a one-shot Pokemon role playing game I ran at a convention, where the world had been rendered an Anime version of Fallout by a battle between Mewtwo and other Legendary Pokemon. Of course, there are plenty of examples of this in all superhero media, from Age of Apocalypse and Old Man Logan through to Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks or even Samurai Jack. Not only is a Villain Apocalypse an interesting and engaging setup for a setting or adventure, it can really make for great characters as well. How? Let's go through this. 

Putting superheroes in a post-apocalyptic setting is, weather you intend it to be or not, a statement on the heroes in general and a broader response to the genre as a whole. Keep in mind, that if the world ended (or at least, was drastically changed) by the acts of super powered individuals, be they heroes or villains, that makes those characters the bomb or plague of the story. Post Apocalypse is a subgenre of Science Fiction which tends to be heavily allegorical, with the cause of the end of the world not being so central to the narrative as people's reaction to it. In a Villain Apocalypse, however, the heroes are not only survivors, but walking reminders of the end of the world; imagine playing a walking nuclear bomb or a Nazi after the fall of Berlin in 1945. Even if the heroes inhabiting this world are truly altruistic, how can anyone ever really trust them again when they, or someone like them, is responsible for the end of all you knew? Even if the actual event itself was caused by a supervillain, either directly (Infinity Gauntlet) or indirectly (Legacy Virus), there would be anger over the fact that the heroes didn't stop it this time, that's what they're here for, right? 

I tend to think this approach works best when the "apocalypse" was in living memory, such as Old Man Logan, so that people can miss the comforts and ease of Late Capitalism, despite its flaws, and remember a time where heroes won and villains lost. There is a tragedy there that can drive the surviving heroes, either inspiring them to try and fix things or crushing them into depression, but it makes for a real opportunity to tell stories. Although I tend to prefer running games with lower-powered player characters, how much could even the godlike heroes really accomplish? Controlling the weather is all well and good until the climate collapses, and super strength can only help so much when people are starving. Whilst I'm yet to get a game up and running based around a Villain Apocalypse, it's an idea I just keep coming back to and wanting to make work, when the right opportunity hits. Though I'm constantly raging against the proliferation of "grim and gritty" in the genre, I think there's room for legitimate pathos and tragedy, with genuine hurt driving characters, rather than "damage" or fixations on revenge. I hope someone else draws some inspiration from this idea and, if you do, please let me know.

Superhero Media: Colossal

Sometimes, superhero media can be used to talk about broader social issues, such as Speedy being addicted to Heroin, Captain Marvel being a metaphor for feminist film making or The Punisher taking on human trafficking; but what about Kaiju as a genre? Sure, the original Godzilla has a clear meaning, the Gamera series tackles environmentalism and Shin Godzilla is about Japanese bureaucracy, but how would a Kaiju film about abuse and trauma work? Colossal is an independent film about Gloria, a New York party girl who goes back to her small Seattle suburb home after getting kicked out by her boyfriend. Reconnecting with estranged childhood friends, Gloria tries to get her life back on track and takes a job working at her friend, Oscar's, bar. Then, one night, a giant monster attacks Seoul. The world is shocked at the sudden appearance of a Kaiju, but life moves on quickly and soon Gloria and friends are back drinking at the bar after hours. That is, until, Gloria figures something out; she is controlling the monster. 

The rest of this is going to be pretty spoiler-heavy, so if you're keen to watch Colossal now, stop here. What makes Colossal unique and engaging is how the characters, particularly Gloria, engage with their discovery and take steps to resolve it. After realising that she has accidentally killed hundreds of people whilst stumbling home drunk, Gloria not only resolves to tackle her borderline alcoholism, but tries to atone for her actions, even scrawling a message in Korean apologising for the pain and suffering she has caused. The conflict of the piece comes when Oscar's motivation for his altruism and friendship is revealed to not be an old crush on Gloria, but a seething jealousy that has existed since childhood. When Oscar's true nature is revealed, Gloria must figure out how to use her new powers to save lives and gain control of her own destiny once more. 

If it's action you're after, Colossal is pretty light-on, but the exploration of Kaiju as a literal metaphor for the monstrous nature of people is interesting to explore. The connection between Gloria and the unnamed Kaiju is reminiscent of the 1990s Gamera films having "The Girl Who Talked to Gamera" as a character (Midori?), though obviously the connection is much more direct here. After having watched so many Kaiju films of late, I find myself considering the relationship between humans and Kaiju and how that can be explored through narrative. Characters like Mole Man and Doctor Demonicus have direct communication with their monsters, but Midori and Gloria have a more limited control, due to the nature of their monsters. If Kaiju are typically a metaphor for a human experience, how do we have more direct interaction with them beyond getting stepped on? 

From the Archives - 18

Some of these may already actually be on the blog somewhere, but I honestly can't find them in my database, so here we are.

Green Goblin: Despite being such a big part of the Spider-Man canon, there aren't too many good Heroclix sculpts of the Green Goblin. This one has a nice thin glider and a trail of smoke that doesn't break off easily. Heroclix. 

MODOK: Fun fact, this version is about the same size as the Marvel Crisis Protocol version and only costs around $8. Heroclix. 

Vulture: I've only ever bothered with the Adrien Toomes version of this character, but the Spider-Man Homecoming version would be neat as well if I could find it in my scale. Heroclix. 
 

Hawkman: Another character with shockingly few good versions, I've repainted the flesh on Carter a few times, as the plastic seems to turn the paint powdery after a while. Heroclix. 

Zzzax: How can you not love a big, electric monster who's name is an onomatopoeia? I really need to get him on the table for a game at some point. Heroclix. 

Iron Man: This version, from the "Avengers" set is really good and cheap if you're looking for a 2000s looking Tony Stark. Heroclix.