'The Comic Book Mark-Out Thread'

[Shannon Philips]

Phfil Shanahan = The Sinister Web Surfer
If we're doing profiles here, I think it's only fair to include everyone's favourite blindman, Daredevil. Don't be put off by the film (although I happen to like it) DD is the best Marvel superhero eeeeever. I'm going to get about writing a profile, and shortly, I will open your eyes to Daredevil, get it?
On a side note, why do you think that so many people who are into wrestling, are into comic books too? Jess and I discussed this once, and we came to the conclusion that we only wanted to be wrestlers so we can run around in tights and pretend to fly. And now I can.
Anyone watch Justice Leauge Unlimited yesterday? Everyone kept calling Booster Gold, Green Lantern. It was, well good.

[pownall]

Well at a base level wrestling is just live action comics..

you have the good guys and the bad guys, the garish costumes, the larger than life feel, the complex and compelling stories. Hmm, profiles huh? maybe i should profile someone too, wuestion is...who?

Well, seeing as i'm into my anit-heores, how about the most ANTI of them all, SPAWN?...

[Jesster]

How could I have forgotten about Spawn?! I got into those when I worked at a library, and they had a load of graphic novels in. I loved the skewed morality that it presented, and the vision of the afterlife.

And of coure "He made boys scream and he made girls scream. So I made him scream and scream and scream."

[Shannon Philips]

The only exposure I had with Spawn, were the batman crossovers, and of course, that dire, dire film. That film you mentioned before Dave, was called the Justice Society of America. With that said, time for the Daredevil profile, which I've borrowed in part from www.manwithoutfear.com and my big bad brain...

Matt Murdock grew up in Hell's Kitchen, New York, the son of 'Battling' Jack Murdock, a fading boxer and henchman-for-hire. Maggie Murdock left her husband and son to become a nun, and was thought to be dead for a long time. Jack insisted Matt study, so he could become something more than he was. Matt was bullied was kids who called him a bookworm, and gave him the ironic nickname; "Daredevil".

Walking home from school, Matt sees a blind man crossing the street, and dives to push him out of the way. The truck swerves, and spills radioactive isotopes into young Matt's eyes, rendering him blind. After a difficult recovery, he soon learns to cope with the disability, only to secretly realise the pros the radioactive exposure granted him. Namely, his remaining senses had been raised to superhuman sharpness. Blind people's remaining senses function at optimum level, to make up for the loss of sight; it's called transfusion or something like that. Matt's body did that, but to a superhuman level due to the radiation. He can hear any sound, even in his sleep, he can tell if you are lying by hearing the change in your heartbeat. His sense of smell is so sensitive he can recognise a person by their natural odour, after only meeting them once for a few seconds (he can also tell people apart from their heartbeats, which are apparently unique) his sense of taste can tell him how many grains of salt are on something, should he ever need to know, and his sense of touch is so acute that he can read normal type, by feeling the indent left on the page. His ears function in a radar sense, which he needs a constant sound to use, which allows him to detect physical objects' positions and their general shape (similar to echolocation), giving him a valuable advantage, especially in the dark where the odds are in his favour.

Matts father is in a bad way, struggling to support him through law school, and make rent. To further his son's career, Jack approaches a local boxing promoter called 'The Fixer' who will book him against opponents, who were unbeknownst to him, instructed to lose. At the final match, it is revealed to Jack that the previous bouts were fixed, as he is instructed to take a dive in the fourth. During the fight, Jack realized too late that his son was watching. He did not have the heart to disappoint his son, and so he fought with all his heart and won by a knockout. After the fight, he was savagely beaten by the Fixer's men for breaking their deal. Matt finds his father in an alleyway, and listens to his last heartbeats.

Distraught, Matt investigates during his time at law school, and learns of the fixer’s involvement. This is where he also meets Elektra Nachios, the other love of his life. Matt finds a loophole to the childhood promise he made to his father not to resort to violence, and designs a makeshift yellow and black costume to bring him to justice. The fixer dies of a heart attack whilst fleeing 'Daredevil'.

Matt Murdock continues his war on crime, whilst running a law firm with his partner, Franklin "Foggy" Nelson and their secretary, Karen Page. Page and Murdock finally get involved, but break up time and time again, only to realise they love each other and get back together. They have misunderstandings and fall out, when Page moves to LA to become a radio hostess. The deal breaks through, and she becomes addicted to heroin, then resorts to making porn films, and finally sells Daredevil's identity to the Kingpin, to pay for her addiction. It is finally revealed to her by Mysterio (Spider-man baddy, in disguise) that she has aids, where she returns to NY to find Matt. Matt is going through a crisis of faith now, with Mysterio (who bought his identity off Kingpin for $1million) playing mind games with him, attempting to drive him loco. Mysterio hires Bullseye to play part in DDs undoing, there is an awesome fight in a church, where Daredevil is shot by Bullseye, whilst trying to rescue a child many people think is the second coming of Christ. Karen Page turns up, and seeing Daredevil beat rushes to his aid. She trades the baby, for Matt’s life, and when she turns her back, Bullseye hurls one of Daredevil's Billy clubs into the chest of Page, killing her slowly. Matt goes slightly insane after this, and has a nervous breakdown; her death weighs heavy on his conscience to the day. I'm going to stop now, as I’ve exceeded my word limit. I'll resort to bullet points that I’ve stolen off a website.....sorry guys, I may of gotten carried away there. If anyone does actually want to know anymore about DD (you freaks) PM me and we'll carry this on. Much fun to be had.

* In the first story arc, Daredevil's girlfriend Karen Page was killed by Bullseye. The impact of her death in Marvel Comics was probably only second to that of Gwen Stacy.
* Karen Page sold out his secret identity to the Kingpin for a shot while she was addicted to heroin. Later, she was killed in front of his eyes by Bullseye.
* Elektra was also killed in front of his eyes by Bullseye, although she was revived later.
* Heather Glenn committed suicide after becoming alcoholic.
* Later, small-time crook Sammy Silke leaked Matt's secret identity to the police, and corrupt policeman Henry Dobbs leaked it to the "Daily Globe" newspaper. Matt just managed to avert catastrophe by successfully suing the paper, although from that moment on, rumours about his double life never ceased.
* Foggy Nelson accused Matt that he wore Daredevil costume out of masochism, to punish himself for the many deaths he could not prevent, most noteably the one of Karen Page.
* Matt beat his eternal enemies Bullseye and the Kingpin once and for all and declared himself the "Kingpin of Hell's Kitchen", effectively succeeding Wilson Fisk as the most feared man of the underworld.
* After becoming the new Kingpin, Daredevil more and more went (figuratively) over dead bodies to enforce the law. He became so violent that Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and Mr. Fantastic were seriously worried about him.
* During this period, Matt got married to Milla Donovan, a blind woman. But as he became more and more erratic, Milla left him.
* Milla left him, accusing him that her marriage was a symptom of his nervous breakdown.
* Typhoid Mary's love was ultimately destroyed by her schizophrenia.
* Deaf supergirl 'Echo' was tricked by the Kingpin into attempting to kill Daredevil, who she was told killed her father. Though she learned the truth, her emotional imbalance keeps them apart.
* Almost as an exception to the relationship catastrophe, DD and Black Widow simply broke up, yet remain good, horny friends.

....

Greatest Thread Ever.

[pownall]

Damn, you shat all over my Spawn report. I wrote mine more like an introduction lol.

ok, heres mine, parts are blatantly ripped off from the various sites i went to....




Spawn
Real Name: Al Simmons.
Powers and Abilities: Spawn's powers are limited by two things: his power level and his imagination. He has been shown to teleport, fly, fire blasts of energy, and bring the dead back to life.
What's the Story?:

Al was born to loving middle class parents who lived in a quiet neighborhood outside of Pittsburgh. he grew up like any other kid, going to school, and playing a few sports. However, his competitive nature set him apart. He was always driven to win and accepted no less than total victory in everything he did, whether it was on the ball field, or just having a conversation. He would never start a debate unless he could get his point across. To Al, there was no pint in starting anything if there was no way he could win.

Al went from High School straight to College where he was first noticed and then recruited to the CIA. As part of his new job, he joined the military, rapidly going up through the ranks, and gaining a place on a special elite unit set to guard the president. While on duty with this unit, he saved the President from an assassin's bullet for which he was rewarded a huge promotion to Lieutenant Colonial. His combat skills and aptitude for quick learning brought him to the attention of Jason Wynn who became his personal mentor, drawing him publicly into the intelligence community.

Jason Wynn was a master of manipulation, and led Al Simmons into believing, at least at first, that everything they did had a purpose and was for the good of American Security. The missions became more bloody with fewer rational explanations, some even causing civil wars. What was once a strong friendship, or so it appeared to naive Al, rapidly deteriorated as Simmons began to question his commander Wynn and his motives. This continuous butting of heads would not be tolerated by the likes of Jason Wynn, nor would it go unpunished.
It was a mission just like the eight previous, where Al was going to kill in the name of his government when he was turned on by two of his fellow agents, Chapel and Priest, ironic names at best. The two agents opened fire on Al with laser weapons, burning him beyond recognition. Al had been set up by Jason Wynn because he'd become a thorn in the man's side.

Al Simmons was buried with great media fanfare because he'd been their darling ever since his televised rescue of the president many months before. He was a hero, his coffin draped in an American flag which was given to his widow Wanda Blake while the country watched. Stories ran for days of the lad buried in Arlington National Cemetery who'd risked and lost his life, all in the name of his country.

But existence didn't end for Al when he was burned by his treacherous comrades. At the moment of his death, he made a pact that he'd later barely recall. Al had always had an Achilles' heel, ill-afforded to a killer in his position. Al loved his wife beyond bearing and the deal hinged upon this. Though he was an atheist at the time of his death, Al would do anything to see his wife again and the Malebolgia took him at his word. In a split-second, or so it seemed, he was returned to earth. Al Simmons had now become an officer in training, one of Malebolgia's hand-picked Hellspawn for this century, bound to a symbiotic uniform and infused with hell-born energy. Al was able to follow orders, had killer instinct, and was willing to make the bargain; all of the Malebolgia's requirements.
At first, Al was disoriented which was part of the Malebolgia's training plan. What had seemed only a second, was actually five years. Soon, was beginning to learn however, taught both by a demon chaperone, and with some knowledge from the Malebolgia himself. Al was faced with the choice of doing nothing with his new powers or using them, for good or for ill. If he did nothing, he would be allowing evil to continue and that would help serve hell. But he also know that if he became a force for good and killed those that were evil with his hell-born energy, as his instincts told him to, he would just increase the population on the armies in Hell readying for battle with Heaven. And even if he became evil, and used the power, accepting what he had become, he became that much more valuable to hell.

Worst of all for Al, Hell is not content to wait for him to make his decision. His Guardian demon, the Clown, is there to dog his steps and push and prod him. This demon, who transforms into the hideously disfigured Violator, a creature born in the pits of hell, has chosen to target the loved ones from Al's life, and to put Al at odds with law enforcement and humanity in general. Spawn is hounded by them now, as the mob, the government and the cops all seek to stop this "cloaked enemy of society". It is this harassment that Hell hopes will drop the Hellspawn back to his instincts, those of a government-trained assassin, who would kill without questioning and act without thinking.
But it turns out that Al's Achilles' heel is Hell's as well. he loved his wife and came back to see her. He has discovered that she is remarried, to his best friend, Terry Fitzgerald who was able to give her the child he never could. Although frustrated, he realizes that she is happy and so he's moved on to search for a new identity and a way to come to terms with his new condition. His love for her was so deep that it actually helped salve some of his wounds and he's begun to heal spiritually. He now has to find a way to go on, because this game too, must have a way to win.

The easiest and most immediate purpose he sees is to exact revenge on Jason Wynn, whom he discovered, ordered his death. he's taken to living with the homeless people in the alley's Bowery, where he was first returned to earth, and has become their defender of sorts. He knows he should do something more for them and himself , but he now knows that the final curse laid upon him is that his power on Earth is finite. Once he is emptied of his Hell-born energy, he will be returned to the Malebolgia and become a favored slave leading an army of the damned with no hope of redemption. His task now is to use his powers wisely to figure out a way, if any, to break this contract, one that has never before been broken.

[Shannon Philips]

This is really just to get the ultimate comic mark out thread to the top of the boards again. Who else wanted to be Batman when they were younger? And who still wants to be?

[Jesster]

I didn't when I was younger. But I totally do now, kind of. I mean, the whole dark past and tortured soul, not alluring. But the coolness, and the broodingness is cool.

[themiracle]

i always viewed batman as a fancy rich puff. especially when that film came out where his suit had nipples...

spiderman has always been the ruler of the hero world to me, i mean he got to shoot his sticky web fluid at mary jane, he's a stud!

[si]

To be fair, if you're judging 60-odd years worth of Batman continuity and charcter on frigging 'Batman & Robin', which is widely appreciated as one of the worst films of all time, then you're an idiot.

[pownall]

To be fair Si, he is.

Unfortunately "main stream" batman always came over a bit camp. The first two batman movies tried to shy away from it, but come on, he runs around in tights with small boys, beating off..i mean up, men in fancy costumes.

To be honest though, no one can deny that the BEST super hero is Superman, he is the ultimate superhero by far. He's just a bit of a pansy at the same time.

For truly COOL superheroes you need to look at my personal favourite genre...ANTI-Heros. god bless em.

and on a side note, did you guys know theres a place near blackpool called clitHEROE lol

[Jesster]

Having just re-red Dark Knight Returns and Strikes Again. I find myself agreeing with Si, Returns was awesome but Strikes Again less so. I preferred the Long Halloween series to be honest.

I shall investigate this Kingdom Come, hadn't heard about it before.

Also, got Haunted Knight, love it. Three good stories.

[si]

Kingdom Come isn't so much a Batman book, as just a massive DC Crossover epic, in case that helps.

[Jesster]

Yeah, read about it on Amazon, sounds pretty cool. When I finally stop buying things for my brother's birthday, I shall purchase it.

[sparx]

God Bless u Phfil for bringing such a fun thread....we need to unleash our heroic tag-team ness out soon. I have currently been reading Marvel Knights Spider-man as they provide smaller 4 issue story arcs ( the clone saga nearly melted my then 10 year old mind) and are a lot of fun. The whole reason I did the whole Sparx gimmick was to be super heroic. Can anyone reccomend any other decent new Marvel titles that are out at the mo?

[Shane Tyler]

Look at this! Batman has lost his mind !
ualuealuealeuale.ytmnd.com/
namazoo.ytmnd.com/