Panel Biter: Year Two

Two Years. That's like, 500 days. Wait. 730. I googled it. So, yeah! Woo! 730 days in the making!

September 30th, 2014, I created The Panel Biter. August 2nd, 2014, I started The Panel Biter's Podbean Account. And a few weeks ago on September 17th, 2016, me and my friends did our first Live episode of The Comic Buffet Podcast at Granite State Comic Con. Wasn't fantastic, but it was good practice. And hey, that Live show is on our YouTube! And we're on iTunes. I'll save the advertisements for later, I'd like to really start by thanking all of you reading this. Huge thank you to those of you who have gone back and read older posts, I see you in my blog's stats and I'm happy to see older posts get some attention. "A Gross Imperfection" seriously just skyrocketed a few weeks ago to my surprise. And if you like the old stuff or the new stuff I encourage you to comment on posts. I want to talk to you guys, otherwise all I see are numbers on a screen. I'd like to know if you're really interested in the stuff you learn here or if you're all six year-olds who see pictures of Batman and click on posts just to see the pictures. No offense. That's really something I can't stress enough: comments. Odds are you have a Google Account thanks to our YouTube Overlords, so you have the ability to comment. Knowing what you think and what you like or don't like will help me bring you more entertaining posts.

And for all of you who read this blog regularly I urge you to check out the Podbean Account too. I've mentioned it before, but I have comic books news shows, a show were I explain a comic book story to people who don't read comics, and recently a roleplaying game podcast set in the Marvel Universe during Medieval Times. I have so much fun doing Podcasts and I want you readers to experience the fun with me! Also, I see the numbers for the podcasts too. Not as high as they are here. The Comic Buffet will be returning in a few months, hopefully I can get it on YouTube as well. We're also going to be returning to commentating over "Teen Titans" episodes around that time and following that I have another cartoon commentary series planned for 2017. So yeah, PODCASTS ARE FUN COME LISTEN TO THEM PLEASE.

This is a difficult post to write. Last year's "Panel Biter: Year One" was easy because I still had high hopes. Lately I've been doubting myself and this blog. I like writing. I like writing about comic books and researching and learning more about comic books. I like seeing people read this blog and all the great posts that have come out of it. I don't know if it's pride or ego that has me scrolling through the "Year One", "Year Two", and "PBDC" page lists, but I do it sometimes because I like the stuff I've written and I hope you've liked it too. I try not to get too personal or low when I do this, but it's hard to tell if I'm doing a good job when the people who read my stuff don't answer me. That's why I've been putting questions at the bottom of posts. For answers. For a reply. Otherwise how do I even know if you like this blog? The stats for the blog say I have readers from other countries! Russians! Germans! I see you there! This is a blog for all kinds of people and nobody should be afraid to reply. And hey, there's a follow button too!
I want more of you to listen to my podcasts, I want to be able to adapt this onto YouTube in the near future, I want The Panel Biter to be a community. But that can't happen if things keep going the way they are. I will appreciate every view this page gets, I will cry tears of relief every time that Podbean download number rises, and I will reply to every comment on every post, podcast and video. Because "this" means the world to me. Because "this" could be my future, I want it to be my future. I don't want to be working a 9-5 job forever, I want to write forever. I want to entertain forever. And in a medium that brings something new everyday, that can be possible. But not if I'm the only person pushing this boulder we call "The Panel Biter" uphill. I'm not asking for donations, I'm just asking for a voice. So I know I'm doing this for nothing, so I know I'm not alone in the darkness when I think this blog is going nowhere. I want to look back years-decades-from now and attribute all of my success to you readers. Because at the end of the day, a writer isn't a writer until he's been read.
Please show your support in the comments below. Better things are to come for Year Three of The Panel Biter. As always, Thank You So Much For Reading, Listening and Watching.

The Superhero Weight Limit

Okay, so you know why this picture sucks? I googled "Superman Symbol" and then "Average Fat Man" and-I swear to Rao-every picture of an average fat man was disgusting. Not because they were fat-saying that would contradict today's whole post-but because they were all slobs or eating or sweaty-looking. So, good ol' Jonah Hill came through for me again. Regardless, why are there no fat superheroes?

The last five years have been revolutionary for comic books. Characters of all races, genders, and religions are on the forefront of the comic book genre. Well, despite the fact that characters of varied nationalities have been around since the 60's. But hey, we have the internet now so nothing before matters, right? Anyway, I was thinking of characters I could dress up as for Halloween earlier and usually found myself saying "that's too expensive" or "I'm not fit enough". And that led to my epiphany that despite Muslims, Homosexuals, and every other demographic of people being represented in comic books, fat people aren't. Neither are trans-people, but give it time. Tumblr users will write comics eventually. No offense. But yeah! Why no fat superheroes? Could there be an actual reason? Well, yeah, but we'll save that until the end.

And just so we're clear, I'm saying there are no fat "superheroes". There are fat characters: Harvey Bullock from Batman comics, Foggy Nelson from Daredevil comics, Amanda Waller (before 2011), The Kingpin, The Penguin. But you'll notice a theme. Not only are none of them superheroes, but most of them are bad guys. The only two characters who aren't bad are Harvey and Foggy and both of them are treated as lesser characters to both Jim Gordon and Matt Murdock, respectfully. And then there is Bouncing Boy. Don't know him? I'm not surprised. Bouncing Boy is a member of DC Comic's Legion of Superheroes, an army of heroes in the 30th Century. He is overweight and his power is to inflate his body and bounce at people. But his body has always been portrayed as portly. So we have a character who is fat and who's power is to become fatter? Even if he is a hero he is so obscure and his power is so offensive. And speaking of offensive, what about The Blob? The X-Men villain who's power is to be fat? Yeah, him. Not only is he obese, but he is a stupid, selfish, egotistical, sexist, unhygienic glutton. He's a villain with no sign of good in him. He-in an alternate universe-ate a person!

But among all these poor representations, there is Faith. Not the feeling, the character. Faith Herbert/Zephyr is a character created by Valiant Comics in 1992, but a few years ago saw a reemergence as a plus-sized superhero. And her weight isn't even a story element! She can fly and control the wind or some such, but the important thing is that her being overweight isn't part of her character. She just is. Superman has blue eyes, Wolverine is short and hairy, and Faith is overweight. She's all the community has, but there is still an issue. And it's a touchy one. Plus-sized women are more accepted by the media than plus-sized men. Completely serious. Plus-sized women are appearing more as main characters in films and on the covers of magazines. Open a male model catalog and it's all the same abs and triceps. In my millennial head it all comes down to who cares more. Overweight men don't usually care about how people see there body after High School. But women are different. Women are naturally beautiful, that's what society has always taught us. From Greek myths to Disney to video games to television. Women are sexy through and through, men are sexy when they're fit. And I know the plus-sized women movement is still pretty new in the media, but my point stands. Overweight men just aren't as attractive-at least in the eyes of the media.

Now I'm not trying to push any buttons here. I weight 270 Ibs. on a good day. My shirts are XL, my pants are 36 wide and 30 long. I can't brag, I can only relate. But physically I can't relate with any comic book characters because they're either evil, lesser, not my gender, or have powers related to their weight. And that doesn't just suck for me, it sucks for other comic book readers. I think it's safe to say most comic book readers are overweight. Fact is, comic books help young, body-sensitive men ignore their personal issues and enjoy a story following people who can do the impossible. Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man wouldn't judge you because you're fat. They'd judge you by who you are. Because they serve as inspiration. And that's why none of them are fat.

We are supposed to aspire to be like superheroes, that's why most superheroes are built like gods! Faith and Bouncing Boy may be there to tell you it's okay to be fat, but every other superhero is subliminally trying to inspire you to treat your body better. That's just a part of comics that won't fade away. That's why there are no fat male superheroes. Because for as much as it would sell, it's easier to rehash the characters artists feel confident drawing. Because to our society, fat men aren't attractive. They're funny, they're gross, or they're somebody's pal.

That being said, do we need a fat superhero? Uh, yeah! Who am I supposed to dress up as!?

Thanks for reading!

Who should I dress as for Halloween? Comment below!

Marvel Medieval #3

Marvel Medieval is a tabletop RPG of my own design. Myself and The Comic Buffet Crew are playing this game on a new podcast series over on The Panel Biter Podbean! So if you want to follow along or learn some lore, this is the post for you!
panelbiter.podbean.com

Character Focus: The Forest Guardian

Race: Beast-Person
Class: Spiritual
Gear: Light Armor, Slingshot Pistol, Cleaver, Gear Kit, Big Bag.
Skill Chart:
Forceful -1, Careful +0, Flash +0, Sneak +1, Clever +2
Character Specials:
 Forest Friend: While in an area with plant-life, the user can summon a Tree Giant. All of the Tree Giant's actions depend on the user's D6 rolls without modifiers and the Tree Giant can be destroyed by harsh attacks.
Animal Nest: The user builds a bunker out of nearby scraps. The bunker is above ground and can contain two human-sized characters. While inside, the characters heal slowly from damage and are protected by attacks. The bunker will be destroyed after heavy damage.
Rocard was once part of a traveling circus, but he escaped the group after his ringleader became more demanding. He spent many years in the forest studying magic. He eventually learned how to create small tree-men and use them to steal from wanderers. Using the stolen goods and his magic expertise he formed a camp in the forest where travelers can rest. For a price, that is.

Non-Playable Race: Puppets

"Puppets" were created by King Anthony Stark, Royal Scientist Henry Pym, and Sorcerer Supreme Stephan Strange four years before The Infinity War. After the War, The Great Kings shared Puppet technology to make their citizens believe everyone was on solid ground. Puppets can be purchased for house service, child care, food preparation, and basically any task that is non-violent. Most Puppet Manufacturer Labs are in Starktropolis. A Puppet is created in a Pinocchio-like fashion: a craftsman will use metal to craft a "person" and a sorcerer will use a special spell to give it life. In order to keep Puppets from going rogue, the spells used are incomplete until orders are put into the Puppet. While it is alive it will not move until it is told it's name, it's purpose, and it's owner. Some notable Puppets include Vis (the servant of King Erik and The House of Magnus), Jocasta (servant of Henry Pym), and Herbie (servant of King Richards). Puppets are currently unplayable and pose no threat to players. However, more expensive and important Puppets carry weapons solely for self-defense. Players cannot own a Puppet, but can be given one.

Class: Heavy

The Heavy is perfect for defensive players. As a Heavy, the player will take the blunt of most damage and-while not having too be tall-they will be bulky and hard to knock down. Heavies are a class that are not too distant from Knights, though Heavies do not belong to a specific Kingdom and are more often hired for protection. Either for good or for evil. As a Heavy players will have their choice of the following weapons: A Long Sword & Big Shield (two handed), A Ball & Chain (two handed), A Long Hammer (two handed) or No Weapon (hands-free). The Heavy has the Class Ability called Meat Shield. This ability is only active when the player is protecting an ally. While protecting an ally or allies from oncoming damage, the Heavy is immune to the damage it is hit with. When the opposing enemy starts aiming at The Heavy specifically the ability is deactivated. Heavies are a solid and easy class to play. What they lack in agility and talent they make up for with resilience and strength. As long as your team has a Heavy, you'll know who to stand behind while you plan your course of attack.

How To Play: 20-Sided Dice

While D6's are the primary Dice used in Marvel Medieval, D20's also play a part. Like most roleplaying games the D20 is used for Perception and Turns. When a player wants to observe using sight, smell, hearing or whatever other senses, they need to roll a D20. If they role above a 10 they will be given a description of what they are looking for/at. But if they roll a 10 or under they will fail to observe. As for Turns, when a battle is about to ensue between a player or party and an enemy or enemy party each character involved has to roll a D20. While players roll for their character, the DM (Dungeon Master) or GM (Game Master) will roll for the enemy characters. The numbers each character rolls will determine which of them gets to perform an Action. Say Justin rolls a 15, Shae rolls a 7, and an enemy Goblin rolls a 16. The order of Turns goes Justin, Goblin, and Shae until either side wins. D20's are your one-roll destinations to get learning or get battling!
Enough said!

Bub Facts

Let's see how much of a Wolverine Fan you really are! Here are One Dozen Wolverine Facts!

1. Wolverine was created by Roy Thomas, Len Wein, and John Romita Sr as a minor character in "The Incredible Hulk #181" in 1974. When he first appeared all readers knew about the character were his powers, his affiliation to Department H, and that he was Canadian.

2. Wolverine was made a member of The X-Men in 1975 and had no origin for a very long time. Len Wein had always known Wolverine was a mutant, but a rumor that circulated years ago was that Wolverine's scrapped origin was that he was a mutated wolverine cub changed into a man. Len Wein denies this rumor to this day.

3. Wolverine stands at 5'3, giving him a reputation of being shorter than the average superhero. For comparison Spider-Man is 5'10, Deadpool is 6'2, and Squirrel Girl (who Wolverine has dated once) is also 5'3. Wolverine also weights 300 Ibs due to the Adamantium in his body.

4. Wolverine is around 130 years old as his incredible healing factor keeps him from physically aging and-as seen with Old Man Logan who is Wolverine 50 years later-also keeps him from dying of old age.

5. Wolverine is the inventor of a move called "The Fastball Special". He came up with this move while on The X-Men with fellow superhero Colossus. Wolverine would crouch in a curled-up position and stand on Colossus' palm and with Colossus' strength he'd be thrown like a baseball at whatever foe needed slashing. Wolverine has also performed this move with Avengers like The Hulk, The Thing, and She-Hulk. The latter couldn't help but comment on the firmness of Wolverine's backside.

6. From the 1970's to 1990's Wolverine did not have a solid origin story. Details like his alias Logan, his involvement in Weapon X, his rivalry with Sabretooth, and his experience in every American war filled in some blank spaces, but Wolverine was kept mysterious on purpose. The X-Men comic series was filled with characters who fit allegories, like Shadowcat being the witty 80's kid and Jean Grey being the good-girl-gone-bad character. Wolverine-who smoked, drank, was covered in hair and who swore like a sailor-was the mysterious, manly, bad-boy archetype. As for his origin, Marvel Editorial would not let one be absolute until 2001's "Origin". This story also revealed Wolverine's birth name to be James Howlett.

7. Adamantium is said to be a man-made metal forged from unknown materials, it's purpose was to rival the strength of Gods. It's name is derived from the word "Adamant" which means "Firm, unyielding, unshakable, and determined". This term is also reflective of both Wolverine's healing factor and his personality.

8. Wolverine was brought onto the Weapon X program to be made into the next Super-Soldier. Along with Deadpool, The Green Goblin, and Luke Cage, Wolverine would be one of many characters who's endowed abilities are a result of Captain America's existence.

9. Wolverine's direct family includes his clone Laura/X-23 who has currently taken the Wolverine mantle, and his son Daken who is the child of Wolverine's dead wife Mariko and had taken the Wolverine mantle while on Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers. Old Man Logan-a version of Wolverine from an alternate future-had a wife and two kids who were murdered by Hulk children.

10. Wolverine is thought to be incapable of dying. His healing factor has brought him back from neck punctures, limb dismemberment, being eaten alive, and he has once even regenerated from a single blood cell. The healing factor also makes it impossible for him to die from alcohol poisoning or lung cancer, but Wolverine has also traveled to Hell and back. Literally. Although, due to him weighing 300 Ibs and being full of metal Wolverine can still drown to death. Currently, Wolverine's healing factor has been disabled and he had died being encased in Adamantium. Meaning even if-by some miracle-his healing factor came back, he'd be trapped inside his ironic shell.

11. Wolverine may seem like a berserk fighter, but this is only in extreme situations. Thanks to his military training and martial arts training in Japan, Wolverine rivals Captain America and Iron Fist in his fighting capabilities. Along with his fighting skills, Wolverine's enhanced senses allow him to track anyone from anywhere. His sight, hearing and smell also make him a human lie detector. He can smell when you are lying. In a way this also makes him like Daredevil. Bonus fact, when the character Demolition Man constructed his superhero costume he based it off Daredevil and Wolverine's costumes.

12. In 1993, during a story called "Fatal Attractions", Magneto used his powers to rip the Adamantium out of Wolverine's body. This traumatic experience caused his healing factor to burn out and it also revealed his claws were made of bone. The pain was so drastic Wolverine became feral and primitive. He later got the Adamantium back onto his bones by Apocalypse. However, there is a rumor that one of the writers of The X-Men at the time had jokingly said during a meeting "You know, if I was Magneto I'd just rip the metal out Wolverine's body". Meant to be a joke, Marvel Editorial told the writers to use that in a story. The writer objected by saying that would kill him, but Editorial replied "But what if it didn't".
Thanks for reading!
Are you taller than Wolverine? Comment below!

Spider-Man's Amazing Friend With Benefits

If there is one kind of character I really appreciate its the "So good on TV we put her in the comics" kind of character! Harley Quinn, Mercy Graves, Phil Coulson (yeah he isn't a woman, but he looks good in makeup) and today's Z-Lister, Firestar from Marvel Comics!

Firestar was created by-oh, boy-Dennis Marks, Dan Spiegle, Christy Marx, John Romita Sr., and Rick Hoberg in the NBC cartoon "Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends" in 1981. She appeared as a main character alongside Spider-Man and Iceman. The writers were planning on using The Human Torch, but the network couldn't get the character due to studio rights. Even back then we were struggling with character rights! Firestar was given the name Angelica Jones (not related to that obscure character you all care about now) by Dennis Marks who had an ex-girlfriend of the same name. Firestar's TV origin was that she was a mutant bullied in high school and framed for stealing a school trophy. Using the hero identity of Firestar she found the real culprits were the ones who set her up. She joined the X-Men after that and accompanied Iceman in helping Spider-Man in New York.
Angela would by remade in the comics in 1985's "Uncanny X-Men #193" where her new backstory is that she was trained and manipulated by Emma Frost and brought into The Hellfire Club's little junior squad, The Hellions. She had been used by Emma for various missions both with and against The X-Men, finally she had been given a bodyguard who found out Emma was manipulating Jess with mind-control and he told her the truth. Emma killed the bodyguard, but Jess retaliated by defeating Emma Frost and burning down the training room of The Hellfire Club mansion.
Now having independence, Firestar would be a member of The New Warriors and shared many adventures with them, she had developed a relationship with their leader Justice as well. After she helped Spider-Man during "Maximum Carnage" she and Justice joined The Avengers. Interesting enough, The Wasp had designed a new costume for Firestar that bared some cleavage. Although early covers of those Avengers books showed Firestar in that costume, Firestar had modified the suit to be more modest. I only bring this up because it was a glimmer of self-respect by both the character and the people working on the book. Around this time it was revealed Firestar's powers were actually based around microwaves which caused heating effects, but they also made Firestar unable to have children. After making peace with Emma Frost, Jess started college and retired from being Firestar. She also broke things off with Justice as she felt she needed more life experience before moving forward with marriage.
She remained retired through the Civil War era of Marvel Comics and reappeared as Firestar once again in a series called "Marvel Divas" alongside Hellcat, Black Cat, and Photon. Jessica learns she is diagnosed with cancer as a residual effect of her powers. Jess had asked Hellcat to write a blog about her experiences in hopes that it would help other cancer patients. Desperate to save her friend, Hellcat almost accepted an offer from Daimon Hellstrom (The Son of Satan) to remove the cancer in return for Hellcat's love and soul. Firestar and her friends were able to save Hellcat and stop this deal. Through chemotherapy, Firestar would beat her cancer.
The next phase of her life included being a reluctant member of The Young Allies, being co-leader to an Initiative team, and being confronted by Emma Frost to join her X-Men. The latter conversation ended with a burning hotel room and a "no". We see Firestar again applying for a job as a Physics Teacher at The Jean Grey School of Higher Learning. She would accompany The X-Men on a mission to help Nightcrawler save heaven itself.
Firestar has had the kind of history that's typical for a superhero. Great rises, great tragedies, and great recoveries too. In my personal opinion, most people share those life patterns both in and out of fiction. Life works in a downward/upward/downward again kind of motion. Firestar is one example of the hardest points in life making you stronger after you experience them. I really respect Firestar's humility, she refused to make the cancer vanish via magic, she refused to wear a slutty costume, and she refused to rush into marriage. Firestar is a very thoughtful character and it's a bummer "Amazing X-Men" was cancelled. I hope to see Firestar in another Marvel title soon as she is a rarity of characters who actually make human decisions.
Thanks for reading!
Do you like Firestar? Comment below!

What If Superman...

The story of Superman has become a memorable story of American fiction. Planet explodes, last child lands on Earth, child is raised by farmers and grows up to be America's greatest superhero. Pretty basic, everyone knows it. But what if things took a slightly different turn? What If Superman Landed Somewhere Else?

What If He Landed in Atlantis?

DC Comic's Atlantis is home to characters like Ocean Master, Mera, Tempest, and, of course, Aquaman! However, we can assume Superman and Aquaman are around the same age so if baby Kal-El was shot from Krypton and landed in Atlantis, Arthur Curry would not be there. Arthur didn't see Atlantis until he was a young adult. Going through Atlantean history we learn that Queen Atlanna had ruled Atlantis when Arthur was a baby. She had married a member of The Atlantean Guard and gave birth to Prince Orm. Atlantean history is pretty funny actually, they have ties to aliens, the dimension of Gemworld, and the creation of Homo Magi. Anyway, if Kal-El landed in Atlantis he'd most likely be adopted by Atlanna. She'd be the first informed of the babies' arrival and-not having it in her to abandon another child-she'd take Kal-El under her wing. Or fin. Oh, and before you ask: Yes, Superman can breath underwater. It's never been outright said, but since he can survive in the vacuum of space he clearly doesn't need oxygen. He'd probably discover his sunlight based powers when swimming closer to the surface. After Atlanna would die of unknown causes Orm would take the throne and probably misuse his adopted brother's power. This would be more possible if Arthur Curry showed up and tried to get Atlantis to join humanity. Not to knock Aquaman, but Superman could beat him. But would he? Kal-El (or whatever Atlanna would name him) would be raised with regard for his fellow Atlantean. I think Kal-El and Arthur would overthrow Orm and put Arthur in charge so that Kal-El could go to the surface and learn of his alien heritage. And be Aquaman, I guess.

What If He Landed in Gorilla City?

Okay, this one is weird. This meteor crashed in a jungle in Africa and it's radioactive waves skyrocketed the mental capacity of the local gorillas. They became super intelligent and capable of telepathy. Their elected king Solovar led the gorillas into building a city in the jungle. Dubbing it Gorilla City, they would use advanced technology to hide the city from humans. There isn't much of a time frame we can go on. We know this city was established before Solovar would contact The Flash to help defeat Gorilla Grodd, but we can also guess the lifespans of these gorilla have increased via technology. So, just to fit things together, let's say Kal-El's ship fell to Earth alongside the special meteor. When they crashed, the meteor gave the gorillas hyper intelligence and did the same for baby Kal-El. The gorillas would quickly learn of Kal-El's alien origins and maybe Kal-El's advanced mind could show them how to construct a city like the ones on Krypton. Following the advanced alien race, Gorilla City would become New Krypton, ruled by Kal-El. Kal-El would grow out his hair to resemble his gorilla brothers and easily fight enemies like Gorilla Grodd, keeping his city secure. With all the power going to his head, Kal-El might try to expand his city across the Earth. Issuing in a new world order where "Kal-El The Gorilla King" would change the Earth the same way he changed this gorilla population. Justice League vs Gorilla King anyone?

What If He Landed on Mars?

Finally, what if he didn't land on Earth at all? What he landed on Mars!? To set this up it's important to know time works differently on Mars. One year on Mars is roughly two years on Earth. Which means if Clark became Superman at age thirty-and all the main Justice League members are about the same age-The Martian Manhunter would be thirty in Earth years, but sixty in Martian years. This works pretty well as The Martian Manhunter is often the wisest of the League and has even used the identity of an older man as his alter ego for a while. So if Kal-El landed on Mars, J'ohn J'onzz would be thirty and most likely a child himself. There isn't much history about J'ohn's upbringing, but judging by his character he'd most likely try to be kind to Kal-El. Since Martians have telepathy they could figure out Kal-El's origins easily and try to raise him as one their own. However, Clark is white-skinned and The White Martians are a savage species of Martians, causing some issues. Another issue would be a character named Ma'alefa.ak. Ma'alefa'ak was the only Martian without telepathy and unleashed a curse that caused all other Green Martians to burn to death. J'ohn was teleported off Earth at that moment and was unable to save his people. But Kal-El would not be able to stop the plague either. It is partially alien magic which Kal-El has no effect on and it is telepathic which is an ability he lacks. Failing to protect his adopted people, Kal-El's rage would lead him to kill Ma'alefa'ak and The White Martians, but to never find piece. When J'ohn-as The Martian Manhunter-would return to Mars after his time on Earth to find Kal-El living in solitude, J'ohn would guide Kal-El to Earth and help him come to peace. Continuing to avenge and honor their fallen family, J'ohn and Ka-El would protect Earth as The Martian Men.
Thanks for reading!
Where would you like Superman to land? Comment below!

Marvel Medieval #2

Marvel Medieval is a tabletop RPG of my own design. Myself and The Comic Buffet Crew are playing this game on a new podcast series over on The Panel Biter Podbean! So if you want to follow along or learn some lore, this is the post for you!
panelbiter.podbean.com

Character Focus: The Red Priest

Race: Human

Class: Fighter

Gear: Light Armor, Walking Stick, The Good Book, Satchel.

Skill Chart:

 Forceful +0, Careful +2, Flash -1, Quick +0, Clever +1, Sneak +1

Character Specials:

Radar Sense: This user is granted complete knowledge of the interior of a nearby room. This can only be used while inside or beside a room and can detect people, objects and obstructions.

Devil Inside: The user casts an illusion that makes them appear demonic. This special does not effect any stats or behavior, it is simply a tool to intimidate opponents.
Matthew was the blind son of a brave knight known as Bat-Lin. Bat-Lin took Matthew on all his adventures and described to him the opponents he'd battle and the places they'd go. While accompanying Bat-Lin and a group of knights, Matthew was almost killed a monster, but Bat-Lin sacrificed himself. While the other knights fought the beast, Matthew ran off and became lost in the mountains. He was found by a hermit named Stick who was also blind. Stick taught Matthew how to fight, how to support himself, and how to turn his weakness into a tool. Using the tragedy of his father's death and he lessons imbued onto him, Matthew became a wandering warrior. He wears the mask of his inner anger and teaches other how to control their anger. Matthew does not seek vengeance, he seeks to teach others his ways as The Red Priest.

 Race: Mutants

It is believed the first colony of Mutants were cursed by The Gods for blasphemous deeds. Mutants are hated, feared, and avoided by Humans because of rumors and stories fabricated about them. All Mutants are essentially human, but with deformities. Extra limbs, skin alteration, disproportionate body parts, and so forth. Because they are so similar to Humans, it is law in many Kingdoms that Mutants wear a red sash around their upper arm to clarify they are not human. Some people believe this makes it easier to distinct the two races, others use it as a means of segregation. Mutants have The Race Ability of "Healing Factor". This ability is always in effect, when a Mutant receives minimal damage they can recover instantly. If the damage is continuous they will not have time to recover, but if you are a Mutant who's been hit by a few arrows you can duck in cover, remove the arrows, and quickly recover from the damage. The Mutant Race may be shunned, but they persevere. In need of a safe home, Mutants can find their way to Genosha-The Kingdom of King Erik-or The House of Westchester-home of Sir Xavier and The Exiled Knights.

Class: Knights

Knights are a class that focus on strength and defense. As a Knight one is expected to defend his people as often as he'd defend himself. Knights are well respected in Franrich and most Knights belong to a Kingdom. Knights start off as apprentices to veteran knights before earning their independence, but Knights who roam the land doing good deeds are just as admirable as the Knights who defend kingdoms. As a Knight, players will be able to choose from a few weapons to use in combat: The Long Sword (two handed), The Big Shield (one handed), the Short Sword & Arm Shield (one handed), and The Short Sword & Medium Shield (two handed). A Knight's Class Ability is called Valorous Flame. A Knight can only use this ability when he is unable to fight, either to a trap or weakness. When used, The Knight selects one party member to receive a boost in strength, speed or health. The stat boosted is up to the Knight and the selected ally. Knights are powerful on their own, but are better capable on a team. Dependable, loyal, and skillful in combat, to be a Knight is to be an example of heroism.

How To Play: Skill Chart

An "Action" is any situation where the player wants/needs to attempt something that requires skill.
Careful (Handling, aiming, balancing).
Clever (Planning, accessing knowledge, operating machinery).
Flashy (Performing stunts, trick-shots, acting).
Forceful (Moving heavy objects, defending, gripping).
Quick (Running, agility, reflexes).
Sneaky (Spying, stealing, stealth).
When rolling a D6 for an Action, the result of the roll is effected by Skill Modifiers. Players can select which stats get which modifiers, but they must include the six:
Great (+2) to one Skill.
Good (+1) to two Skills.
Average (+0) to two Skills.
Bad (-1) to one Skill.
After rolling a D6, the player will need to add the modifier of whichever skill required. For example: Connor wants to move a boulder out of his way so he can enter a cave. He rolls three D6's and gets a Success, but he has to factor in his Forceful Modifier. If he had an Average he'd be okay, if he had a Good or a Great the result would be boosted up one or two levels, but, alas, he has Bad Forceful. The resulting roll in knocked down one level to Success With Casualty and he moves the boulder, but crushes his foot in the process. Use this Skills Chart and last week's Roll Results for accurate outcomes!
 Enough said!

Aqua Facts

Lets see how how much of an Aquaman fan you are! Here are One Dozen Aquaman Facts!

1. Just like fellow DC Comics superheroes Batman and Green Arrow, Aquaman has a large family of allies. He has had three male sidekicks, three female sidekicks, a wife, sometimes a son, a half-brother, a dog, and a giant pet octopus.

2. Aquaman's wife Mera comes from a subset of red-headed Atlanteans who have the ability to manipulate water. This ability has also been used by Tempest, Aqualad and many other Atlanteans, but it is often sighted as an advanced Atlantean magic that Mera's race have naturally.

3. Arthur-like all Atlanteans-is biologically built to survive the deep seas. That is why when he's out of the ocean he has super strength, super speed, unbreakable skin, enhanced senses and temperature durability because those are all abilities that make traversing the ocean possible and change in effect outside of the ocean.

4. Aquaman doesn't talk to fish. He taps into the brains of marine animals and makes powerful suggestions. So, it's more like mind control. This ability has ranged from fish, to whales, to amoebas, to ancient mythological monsters. If Arthur tries hard enough he can control the mind of a single human as humans-in one stage of our evolution-lived in the ocean.

5. In absence of his right hand, Arthur has had a grappling-hook hand and a solid-water hand that could morph into other objects.

6. In 1986, Aquaman wore a blue camouflage costume. Other design changes include a shirtless, bearded, shoulder-guarded look in 1996, a shirtless, pony-tailed swashbuckler look in 2003, and a black-vested, exiled king look in 2015.

7. Aquaman is a founding member of The Justice League and has usually remained a main member. He was only ever substituted in "Justice League: The Animated Series" by Hawkgirl and in the animated movie "Justice League War" by Shazam. Aquaman's membership has also extended to a team he founded with The Martian Manhunter, Zatanna and The Elongated Man called Justice League Detroit.

8. Aquaman's first sidekick Garth was a founding member of The Teen Titans as Aqualad, he returned as Tempest to The Titans and raised a son with the character Dolphin. The other Aqualad-Jackson Hyde-is actually the illegitimate son of Aquaman's archenemy Black Manta.

9. Aquaman's earlier adventures have showcased him crossing paths with an old-school team called The Sea Devils. The Sea Devils are a group of explorers who were created as an underwater variant of The Challengers of The Unknown, another Silver Age team of adventurers.

10. Aquaman is often criticized for his usefulness. Or lack there of. His humiliation began with "The Super Friends" cartoon in 1973 where he and his undersea allies were only used for specific tasks. Modern day TV viewers saw this harmless children's cartoon as fact and TV shows like "Family Guy" and "Robot Chicken" often satire the character. Television shows like "Justice League", "Young Justice" and "Batman: The Brave & The Bold" offered more respectable versions of the character, but are often overlooked in favor for the universally recognized "Super Friends" version. Even now with the character having a movie slated for 2018, the representation seems too far from the source material and will most likely replace one undeserved perception of Aquaman with another.

11. After appearing in season five of "Smallville" portrayed by actor Alan Ritchson, the character was to receive a spin-off show in 2006 called either "Aquaman" or "Mercy Reef" starring the same version. The pilot was not picked up for a show. An additional TV appearance of the character was in the show "Entourage" as the character Vincent Chase starred in a fictional Aquaman film.

12. Arthur Curry had once been cursed and transformed into an undersea creature called The Dweller. In this form he was forced to guide a new version of himself named Arthur Joseph Curry into becoming the new Aquaman and new King of Atlantis. Joseph's adventures were more themed in swords-and-sorcery, but ultimately he left the throne for Arthur to return in 2008.
Thanks for reading.
If you were Aquaman what would you wear? Comment below.

The Will of Qwsp

Some of DC Comic's strangest characters don't even come from the same home as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Some come a dimension unseen by mankind, The 5th Dimension. Home to reality altering imps, The 5th Dimension has plagued Batman with Bat-Mite, Superman with Mr. Mxyzptlk, and even the undersea champion Aquaman with today's Z-Lister, Qwsp!

Created in "Aquaman #1" in 1962 by Jack Miller and Nick Cardy, Qwsp was an imp from the mysterious 5th Dimension. Like other imps, Qwsp explored the 3rd Dimensional planet Earth and quickly befriended the heroes Aquaman and Aqualad. Qwsp helped the heroes defeat various foes, one being Qwsp's own brother Quink. Quink had also traveled to Earth and was manipulated by a pirate named Captain Slade. Though Qwsp rescued Quink from the Captain, Quink had already been corrupted and swore revenge on his brother. And he did! Quink captured Qwsp and Aquaman and imprisoned them in a sub-section of the 5th Dimension. Aquaman and Qwsp managed to escape, defeat Quink and have the council of the 5th Dimension imprison Quink. Qwsp's final adventure with Aquaman was helping the hero save Queen Mera from an alien warlord known as Leron. After this adventure, Qwsp would give a heartfelt goodbye and go back to the 5th Dimension.

During the 1990's, Qwsp returned to Earth to find his old friend had changed. Aquaman was violent, grim and intimidating. And he was bearded, shirtless and had a stupid harpoon hand. Qwsp decided he's change himself to match Aquaman's new personality and became malevolent as a result. Now corrupted by darkness, Qwsp tricked Yz and Lyz-the Genie Princes who ruled over the 5th Dimension-to initiate in a battle and use Earth as the battle ground. Captain Marvel (Billy Batson) and The Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner) traveled to the 5th Dimension and pleaded the council to stop this battle. Though they didn't care for Earth, the council realized if the Earth were destroyed the annoying Mr. Mxyzptlk would never leave the 5th Dimension. As such, the council stopped the fight and put Qwsp on trial. Qwsp was sentenced to One-million infinities in the 8th Dimensional Maze.

During The Spectre's magical rampage he threw the JSA member Jakeem Thunder into the 8th Dimensional Maze. Jakeem had been the current owner of the genie known as Thunderbolt and had encountered Qwsp in the maze. Qwsp used his powers to possess Jakeem's body and assume control of Thunderbolt. Using these two, Qwsp traveled back to the 5th Dimension and use the genie to rain chaos on it's citizens. The JSA members Mister Terrific, Stargirl and Hourman-with assistance from a magical ally-went to the 5th Dimension and managed to rip Qwsp out of Jakeem. For his crimes, Qwsp was turned into a genie, imprisoned in a capsule and given to the magical ally of the JSA.
Qwsp is an interesting little guy. When it comes to imp characters they are more often nuances than villains, but Qwsp is different. See, Superman never went through much of a change for Mxy to react and Mxy would more often save Superman from extra-dimensional villains to protect his favorite toy. When Bat-Mite saw Batman went from blue-and-gray to black-and-gray all he did was change his own costume to match. Qwsp must have loved Aquaman so much he was willing to change himself when Aquaman went through his 90's phase. Aquaman got that violent because DC Editorial thought that would make him cool and marketable, but to the current generation it just looked silly. And I think Qwsp's transformation into a villain is reflective of the ridiculousness of Aquaman's change. I may be looking too far into it, but Qwsp really works as an example of how not to behave when meeting an old friend again. The fact is, people change and you shouldn't have to change yourself to make that relationship work again. Qwsp wanted to be Aquaman's friend again so badly he overlooked how different Aquaman had become and how trying to befriend him would be a bad idea. So when he tried to make himself the kind of person Aquaman was he couldn't control himself. Sometimes people lose who they are when they spend too much time trying to be someone else, especially when they're doing it for someone they care about. In the end, Qwsp delved too deep into the abyss. Lucky for us, Aquaman knows how to swim upward.
Thanks for reading!
Who do you think should have an Imp Buddy? Comment below!

Go Home, Deathstroke!

Deathstroke isn't a Batman villain! People only think he is because of "Arkham Origins"! He's not a Green Arrow villain either, he just made an appearance on "Arrow"! Slade Wilson/Deathstroke is a Teen Titans villain, he works best as a Teen Titans villain, and casting him as a villain for the first Batman film of this new, crappy, DC movie universe is a waste! There. Now that I got that out of my system I can tell you which villains would be better suited for a Batman film. Two rules: They can't be villains we've seen on film before and they have to fit within this stupid film universe. Lets go. Here is The Panel Biter's Top 5 Batman Villain Film Picks!

5. The Red Hood

It saddens me to know this DCU will never use sidekicks respectfully, but at least they have the chance to use one. We see in "Batman v. Superman: Civil War Was Better" that Jason Todd/Robin was killed by The Joker, as indicated by his costume being hung up in the Batcave. The story of The Red Hood has been told a few times, but to see it in a film could give some credit to the role sidekicks play to heroes. Essentially it would be a combination of "Death in The Family" and "Under The Red Hood" and it would give us more background into the Batman/Joker relationship and how Robin was portrayed in this film universe. You could have some kind of back-to-back story showing Bruce Wayne before and after Jason's death and now he must test his restraint when choosing to either side with his tormented sidekick or to protect his greatest foe. The Red Hood is at the bottom for a few reasons, he has the Deathstroke problem of being too visually underwhelming to put center stage, plus as much as I want to flesh out Ben Affleck's Batman and to focus on Robin's presence I really don't want to see Leto's Joker again and I fear WB would mess up what originally was a solid story.

4. Hush

Thomas Elliot was the son of two rich Gotham citizens and was Bruce's childhood friend. When Bruce's parents died, Thomas envied how Bruce got the family fortune and so Thomas tried to kill his own parents, but only killed his father after cutting the breaks to the family car. Thomas would grow up to be the world's greatest plastic surgeon and as an adult he would discover Bruce's secret. By using the alias of Hush and his surgeon skills, Thomas would manipulate Batman's rogues gallery in an attempt to fake his death, kill Batman, and escape Gotham with his family fortune. Elliot is another good personal villain for Bruce, and using the "Hush" storyline we could see other Batman villains being manipulated by Hush. I could see Two-Face, Killer Croc, and another unnamed villain being especially useful in a story like this. Thanks to his ability to change the facial structure of anyone, Hush could also make himself or some hired men look like Bruce Wayne and commit crimes to distract Batman. One whole scene can show Affleck/Bruce doing something completely out of character and then end on Batman busting into the room. Affleck vs Affleck! Again, while Hush is a good psychological and personal villain he lacks an upscale on presentation, but I suppose featuring other villains would fix that.

3. The Mad Hatter

Jarvis Tetch is a short, British inventor who creates mind control devices. Pretty nifty, unfortunately he also believes he is The Mad Hatter and that the world is his Wonderland. As such, he is always trying to find his "Alice". Some versions of The Mad Hatter want to steal Batman's cowl, other versions are pedophiles, but all versions have this perception that "Alice in Wonderland" is the only true reality. This is a classic psychopathic villain for Batman to battle, and what's more is that we could see Batman fight the technology of mind control. What if Tetch had some kind of company rivalry with Bruce Wayne and Bruce had to fight his mind controlled employees without hurting them too badly? What if Tetch tried to control Batman, but all he did was make Batman see Wonderland? Parts of the movie could just rip off those Tim Burton "Wonderland" movies. Batman would have to save a little girl, survive the crazy world of Wonderland, and use his own tragic psychology to control himself. Batman is a character all about self-preservation and Tetch is all about letting go of what is real and just folding into fantasy. You could even set Arkham Asylum as Mad Hatter's base of operations since its already a madhouse. Perfect for his Wonderland. Once more Tetch isn't visually spectacular, but his forced environment and psychological trials would make up for that.

2. Clayface

Basil Karlo was a washed out Hollywood actor who was booted from his own film. After he failed to murder all the actors involved he injected himself with radioactive protoplasm which turned him into the monster Clayface. Obviously the origin would have to be retooled a little bit, maybe Karlo is a former actor who was forced to work with the mob, but he failed a job and was almost killed only to be saved by the flesh regeneration chemicals of Hush. Sorry. Flaunting my own Batman film pitch. Anyway Clayface brings that visual appeal the Batman movies lack. He can be a man, he can be a monster, but just like Hush he can disguise himself as anyone else. Like a cop, or a mayor, or the richest man in Gotham City. And I'm pretty sure Ron Perlman is in good enough shape to play the human version of Clayface and voice the monster form, after all he voiced Clayface in "Batman: The Animated Series". Clayface is-pardon the pun-so malleable for a film. He can really be a tough opponent and make use of WB's budget. Plus we haven't seen Batman fight a real monster in these films yet. Since we know Affleck's Batman has been at this for a while it only makes sense for his next challenge to be more than a guy with a gun.

1. Man-Bat

Okay, okay, okay! This is one I was excited to get to! Man-Bat! Man-Bat was a scientist named Kirk Langstrom who attempted to cure deafness by splicing bat DNA into himself. This resulted in him turning into the monstrous Man-Bat and-sometimes-feeding on blood. Later on he actually became an anti-hero and sucked the blood of villains, but early on he took on all comers. Now, what you see above is a behind-the-scenes shot of Bruce's second dream sequence in BvS. This screenshot is without the stupid nightmare effect so you can actually see the monster that bursts out of Thomas Wayne's casket to attack Bruce. The costume isn't bad without effects, but back when I saw the scene I was really upset. First of all, Zack Snyder you damn child. You couldn't even write a silent, emotional moment without saying "nah that's boring and gay" and turning it into a jump scare. Oh, and it was pointless too! But maybe this scene could be fixed. If Snyder's Batman has precognitive dreams, it would only make sense for Man-Bat to be the villain of his film. You have this foreshadow scene, you have the costume, and you have a bomb villain too! Man-Bat is a monster so you immediately have a step-up from the typical villain. He used to be a good-natured doctor so you have emotional turmoil. And he is the "nightmare" version of Batman, which means Gotham's fear of Batman can extend beyond their assumptions because there is an actual bat person killing people. The film could represent the line Batman doesn't want to cross, he wants to be feared, but not for being a savage killer. It would at least make up for him being a savage killer in BvS. Thanks Snyder. Man-Bat could be the thing that makes Batman a more morally upstanding hero, especially if Langstrom died at the end of the film. To see what Bruce could have been die at his feet would be the character developing shock this Batman needs. It would be one hell of a film, a good use of money, and redeem an otherwise pointless jump scare.
Thanks for reading!
Who do you want to see in the next Batman film? Comment below!

Marvel Medieval #1

Marvel Medieval is a tabletop RPG of my own design. Myself and The Comic Buffet Crew are playing this game on a new podcast series over on The Panel Biter Podbean! So if you want to follow along or learn some lore, this is the post for you!
panelbiter.podbean.com

Character Focus: The Phantom Queen

Race: Human
Class: Sorcerer
Gear: Medium Armor, Long Sword, Royal Ring, Side Bag.
Skill Chart: Forceful +1, Careful +1, Flashy +0, Quick -1, Sneak +2, Clever +0
Character Specials:
Mother's Cloak: User, allies, and/or object becomes invisible. Effect lasts longer when used on the user.
Imagine Shapes: Creates an invisible object of any size, shape and weight.
After The Great Infinity War, King Richards of Baxterria tried to use the power of The Space Gem to travel beyond Earth and into the stars. At his side was his half-brother Johnathan, his bodyguard Grimm, and his beloved wife Queen Susan. With a ship of his own design, Richards and his party used The Space Gem to warp into space. However, it is said they were cursed by The Gods for their abandonment of Earth and were sent flying back to their kingdom. Susan found herself lost in the forest and her skin had become invisible. Susan spent the next five years in anguish until finally learning to control her abilities. When Susan heard that her brother and guard died in the crash and Richards locked himself away in solitude, she abandoned her family and kingdom. As the mythical Phantom Queen, Susan defended innocent travelers and buried her shame with bloodshed.

Special Item: Infinity Gem Clovers

It is said that the Six Great Kings gained superiority over Franrich by acquiring The Infinity Gems. Rumored to be the hearts of Gods, the Infinity Gems are kept concealed in each of the Great King's castles. Around the time of The Infinity War, a curse was cast that caused each Gem to shed pieces of their power across the land. If found, these Infinity Gem Clovers can aid their users. However, these rare items can only be used once before they vanish.
The Time Clover (Orange) will allow a player to undo one Action.
The Space Clover (Purple) can teleport a target to any location within short distance.
The Soul Clover (Green) will turn one enemy into an ally.
The Reality Clover (Yellow) will completely heal a target of all harm and illness.
The Power Clover (Red) will double the damage dealt by it's user.
The Mind Gem (Blue) will allow the user to read the mind of one target.

Beware: The Goblins

Goblins are a common race in Franrich, but not held in high regard. Passive Goblins are usually greedy merchants or selfish builders, but feistier Goblins have a habit of stealing and killing. Goblins come in all shapes and sizes and all share an affinity for craftsmanship and simple magic. Goblins travel in packs and-if they are well equip-will craft a platform out of planks of wood and use levitation magic to fly through the night sky. Mostly nocturnal, Goblins are thought to hide in caverns under trees and hills. They don't often ally with other races without personal gain, but all Goblins believe in a legend that one Goblin became powerful enough to turn himself into a man. If you ever come across a Goblin pack, make sure you have friends with you. A Goblin is at his deadliest when he has his pack and at his weakest when he's singled out.

How To Play: Dice

In the game of Marvel Medieval, all Actions revolve around one six-sided dice. Anytime a roll of a D6 is required, the number will determine if you succeed or fail:
1=Fail with casualty

2=Fail

3=Fail with bonus

4=Success with casualty

5=Success

6=Success with bonus
Use this chart and you'll be succeeding and failing in no time! Important note: this roll system applies to Actions, but not perception checks. Details on those and more on Actions to be released soon.
Enough said!

Smash Facts

How much of a Hulk fan are you!? Here are One Dozen Hulk Facts!

1. When first created in 1962 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Bruce Banner would turn into The Hulk only during a full moon and The Hulk was colored gray. Due to inking issues the gray would always be a different shade. In one instance he was mistakenly colored green, however after seeing The Hulk green Stan decided to keep that shade of green instead. By that point his transformation was then tied to his anger and his Hulk form had become less smart and more savage to capitalize on the difference between Bruce Banner and The Hulk.

2. Banner has had several name changes over the years. Originally he was Bruce Banner as it followed Stan's alliteration strategy. By using alliterative names he could remember character's names better (Reed Richards, Peter Parker, Scott Summers). In one issue Stan mistakenly called him "Bob Banner" throughout the issue. Rather than ignoring the mistake, Stan-one issue later-established that Banner's full name was "Robert Bruce Banner". In the 1977 "The Incredible Hulk" TV show the character was renamed David Banner, apparently because "David" was a more masculine name. Commonly he is referred to as Bruce Banner.

3. One of The Hulk's more obscure abilities is being able to home in on the place of his birth. The location in New Mexico where the Gamma Bomb had turned Bruce into The Hulk. Wherever he is, The Hulk can detect where that location is.

4. Bruce's multiple identity disorder has ranged further than just The Hulk. The Gray Hulk isn't as strong as other Hulks, but is intelligent. Gray Hulk further developed into Joe Fixit, a mob enforcer in Las Vegas who ran with criminals. Doc Green is another intelligent Hulk who aimed to remove all other Hulks from the Earth by curing them. Doc Green is suspected to be the early version of The Maestro, an alternate future version of The Hulk who had become the power-hungry ruler of a post-apocalyptic city. Most recently there was Kluh, "The Hulk's Hulk". Kluh was a giant, black Hulk who was conceived from The Hulk being betrayed by his friends during the event "AXIS". Because The Hulk had developed an affection for fellow Avengers by then, the anger over their actions had caused a new threshold of rage to emerge.

5. Bruce's father Brian Banner had abused both Bruce and Bruce's mother Rebecca. It is this traumatic experience that led to Bruce's anger being the source of The Hulk's power. It was also implied in "Planet Hulk" that The Hulk had been within Banner since Banner was a child and that the abuse from Banner's father created the Hulk. The Gamme Bomb was simply The Hulk's chance to break free from Banner's mind.

6. The development of the Gamma Bomb that turned Bruce into The Hulk had actually been co-manufactured by Tony Stark.

7. Bruce's love interest Betty Ross is the daughter of The Hulk's reappearing foe General Thunderbolt Ross. Ross had been on the Gamma Bomb project as well and hated Bruce because the squeamish scientist had been dating Betty. When Bruce became The Hulk, Ross saw it as an opportunity to create super-soldiers and/or kill Bruce. Ironically, Ross would go on to become The Red Hulk to battle The Hulk. Double irony, Betty would become The Red She-Hulk as well.

8. Hawkeye is the only person who has legitimately killed The Hulk.

9. Bruce was once at risk of dying from Lou Gehrig's Disease. During his condition, a merging of three Hulks called "The Devil" had been trying to break through Bruce's mind and cause bloodshed. It was thanks to Hulk's villain The Leader and the use of Brian Banner's corpse that Banner survived his condition.

10. The Hulk had once married an alien gladiator during "Planet Hulk". Though she had died, she still gave birth to Skaar, The Son of Hulk. Skaar had taken the mantle of "The Hulk" on Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers.

11. While there is no limit The Hulk's strength-just as there is no limit to his anger-the strongest we have seen The Hulk was at the end of "World War Hulk". The Hulk discovers one of his trusted allies had killed his wife and tricked him into attacking superheroes and had become so full of rage that he entered a state referred to as "World Breaker Hulk". In this state, The Hulk's strength and rage were so powerful a mere step on concrete created earthquakes. Simply by existing The Hulk was destroying the Earth and-if he was not stopped-he very well could have.

12. In a tie-in to 2015's "Secret Wars" we are shown an alternate universe where everyone on Earth is a Hulk. On this Earth the one person in control of himself is a psychiatrist named Doc Sampson. Sampson has been a regular Hulk character since the 1970's. In this world, Doc Sampson provided therapy to many people to help them manage their Hulk forms. One case was when he treated this world's Peter Parker who was trapped in his Hulk form. It was only after Sampson convinced Peter that his Uncle Ben was at peace that Peter was able to stop being angry over his death and return to his human form.
Thanks for reading!
How often would you Hulk out? Comment below!

Whiz, Whizzer! Whiz!

Alright let's back to some traditional Z-List comic book characters! Characters who have been forgotten and unnoticed and for good reasons. Today we'll be looking at a classic, one of the earliest superheroes in Marvel Comic's history. Today's Z-Lister is The Whizzer.

Robert Frank/Whizzer was created by artist Al Avison in 1941 in "USA Comics #1". It should be mentioned that the writer of this story was never credited and to this day has not been identified. Additionally, Whizzer was created one year after DC Comic's first version of The Flash, Jay Garrick. Whether or not Marvel (or Timely as they were known as back then) wanted to bank of the speedster concept is up to interpretation. His original backstory tells us that Robert was on a trip with his father Professor Emil Frank in Africa, during the trip Robert was bitten and poisoned by a cobra. In order to save his life, Emil infused mongoose blood into Robert. The mongoose blood counteracted the cobra's poison and also gave Robert the power of super speed.

Through extensive research online, in libraries, and through various biologists and zoologists across the nation I have deduced that while mongoose are biologically immune to snake venom, they do not posses super speed. Also, since when does a blood transfusion-oh, forget it. I mean if we really want to analyze this Peter Parker got the strength, speed and agility proportionate to a spider through a bite. Spider-Man can lift 10 tons just as a spider can lift...whatever would weight ten tons in comparison to a spider's size. I don't know! But what I'm saying is, since mongoose are really fast because they're small maybe Robert received that boost in speed too? Maybe. Then again, the spider that bit Peter was radioactive. At least Robert's poison proof.

Anyway, Robert used his powers to fight crime as Whizzer and eventually joined teams like The Liberty Legion to save Captain America and The Invaders, The Invaders shortly after saving them, and finally The All-Winners Squad which was just a combination of the two teams. Awful name, by the way. Sets up too high of an expectation. "All-Decently Scored Squad" is more like it. Writer Roy Thomas would revitalize Whizzer in 1974 and writer Gerry Conway would "fix" his origin in 1976 by stating the mongoose blood infusion kickstarted a latent mutant gene that was dormant in Robert. This implies Robert was a mutant who's powers never manifested until the mongoose blood infusion. Hold on to this idea. Whizzer would later join The Avengers to stop his own son Nuklo who's radioactive powers caused him to run amok. This fight causes Whizzer's first heart attack. At the end of the adventure Whizzer privately believes he is the father of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. Again, hold on to that.

After a fight against the Living Laser, Whizzer had his second heart attack and finally dies of a third heart attack while fighting Isbisa. Nuklo's powers had gone away while helping Whizzer battle Isbisa so the day Nuklo earned a normal life was the day his father died too. Whizzer is regarded as one of The Avenger's oldest and respectable members for his years of heroism. Now, the Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch thing. At that time in comics Wanda and Pietro were both considered mutants and Magneto was their father so Whizzer's belief was solely based on him learning he was a mutant and Quicksilver's similar powers. In 2015-because of movie rights-it was revealed Wanda and Pietro are not mutants, but humans experimented on by The High Evolutionary and that Magneto is not their birth father. Was Gerry Conway trying to distance Magneto from the twins even as early as the 1980's? Is this new non-mutant status for the twins a chance to change Whizzer's origin again and establish him as their father? If that was the case it would be in Marvel Studios favor as Whizzer didn't begin as a mutant and most likely falls under Marvel Studios' rights. Just something to think about.

The Whizzer looks silly, his origin is silly, but since he was a character of 1941 I feel he can't be judged for anything. You can't tease comic book characters from The Golden Age because there was no comparison, there was no serious counterpoint to ruin a character. People only tease Golden Age heroes now because movies like "The Dark Knight" exist. It was a simpler time and I think we should all accept that. Whizzer is a staple of classic Marvel history and while his design may be out of this world he at least stands as one of Marvel's first rival characters to DC Comics. He even had three successors! What a coincidence!

Thanks for reading.

Who do you think is the father of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver? Comment below!

Waterboys

Space is usually where the weird things come from. Giant starfish, purple planet eaters, good looking farm-boys. But strange things don't just come from the sky, sometimes they rise from the sea. Marvel's Namor The Sub-Mariner. DC's Aquaman. Today we ask the question What's The Difference!?

When you look at both characters you may have the idea that Namor is a rip-off of Aquaman, but that's not the case. Namor was created by Bill Everett in 1939's "Motion Pictures Funnies Weekly". Bill based Namor off of a Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem called "The Rime of The Ancient Mariner". The comic he premiered in was basically a prototype and when that failed to catch attention Everett used the character in "Marvel Comics #1" in 1940. Yeah, back then Marvel Comics was called Timely Comics and years later they used their first ongoing comic title as their new company title. Anyway Namor was one of Marvel's first characters next to Captain America and The Human Torch. He was also the first anti-hero in comic book history. So Deadpool and Punisher and Wolverine and all the other hardcore anti-heroes? They owe him. You see Namor's grandfather sent the princess of Atlantis to this boat to investigate humans and she fell in love with the captain of the boat. As a result Namor was born half human, half Atlantean. Marvel tried to say that makes him a mutant, but not really. Since his peers ridiculed him for being half human Namor grew up hating humans and going to America multiple times to terrorize people. When World War II started however, he agreed to work with America's heroes and form a team called The Invaders. Namor reappeared in the 60's where he fought The Fantastic Four and regained his throne in Atlantis. He has been a member of The X-Men, The Avengers, Marvel's Illuminati, and has even shared the power of The Phoenix Force. Because he is King of Atlantis he has waged battles against other countries like America, Wakanda, and Latvaria. Namor has super strength, speed, and durability, he can survive in the ocean and he can fly via tiny wings on his feet. I don't know why. His greatest power is his iron-clad leadership abilities. It is as if every awful thing he has done is forgiven once you consider how long he's been keeping mankind from destroying the ocean.

Aquaman first appeared in "More Fun Comics #73" in 1941 and was created by Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris. Like I said most people know Aquaman over Namor simply because Aquaman got more popularity. Sadly that popularity came from the constant ridicule on the character at the expense of the modern youth. "He talks to fish? That's useful" and such. Like Namor, Arthur Curry comes from two worlds as he is Atlantean and human. Arthur's mother was the queen of Atlantis and she met a sea captain who she fell in love with. When Arthur was born his mother chose to leave him with his father and go back to leading her kingdom. Arthur's father raised him in a lighthouse in Maine and taught him how to use his powers. When he became an adult Arthur's father died and Arthur chose to learn of his Atlantean heritage. Through many hardships Arthur realized his place as Aquaman, King of Atlantis. Aquaman was a founding member of The Justice League and tutored four sidekicks, he also found the love of his life in an Atlantean named Mera who was equal to Aquaman in her strength. In past versions of the history they even had a child. Aquaman has super strength, speed, and durability. Because he is biologically built for the ocean his hearing, sight, and endurance of climate is superhuman outside of water. Add to that his magic Trident and Aquaman can even go a few rounds with Superman. His signature ability is his command over sea-life. He does not TALK to fish. It's more like mind control, most sea-creatures are small minded so he uses telepathy to make suggestions that usually work. And it applies to any animal that fares water so it works on dolphins and whales and such. Since humans evolved from sea-creatures it's possible for Aquaman to push himself to the limit and control us too. He can control the smallest amoeba to the largest krakken. In recent years Aquaman has become aware of how his two people see him. Humans mock him. Atlanteans shun him. But he endures, he leads, he shows both worlds that he does not care about shortcomings. Aquaman is a bridge between two worlds and will push past the criticisms. In essence, he don't care bout' no haters.

Aquaman and Namor. Two sides of the same coin. One side leads to a passive aggressive jerk coming out of the ocean, and the other is about a bullied promise child taking a dive into the ocean. It's interesting that both their personalities and their life paths differ so much. Their popularity differs too with Aquaman-the second Atlantean hero-being more popular. But that's kind of for the worse, after all shows like "Family Guy" and "The Super Friends" haven't helped his case. And when DC Comics tries to make Aquaman cooler you get 90's Aquaman and you get Jason Mamoa Aquaman. Namor may be obscure and delegated to a rip-off but at least he hasn't been changed for the sake of being cool. Marvel Studios can whip out Namor completely unchanged in a film and we'll all love it. If Warner Bros gave us 2011 Geoff Johns' Aquaman? I'd shut my mouth, no doubt. But that's not the world we live in. I just hope when we do find Atlantis they don't find these two offensive.

Thanks for reading.

Who's your favorite Atlantean? Comment below!

Marvel Medieval #0

The Panel Biter is officially two years old! From posts to podcasts to videos, The Panel Biter has come a long way and all thanks to you! The loyal readers and the loyal listeners! As celebration for a new year of Panel Biterieness, my friends and I have prepared a new podcast series coming to The Panel Biter Podbean. Let me introduce you to our newest series, Marvel Medieval!

What you may not know is that my crew for The Comic Buffet Podcast (we're on break so go catch up on our episodes) was actually formed over a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. I was the worst Bard. Like, ever. I ended up dying naked and alone in the woods! But after that campaign I DM'd a Fate roleplay based on superheroes with my crew after each podcast. "Fate" is a simple, story-based gameplay system that I tweaked to be even simpler. For a better idea of how it works I'll link a Fate campaign on Podbean run by my friends over at Distractions Media. But back to me! After a long internal debate and some planning too, I've crafted a new Fate campaign with slightly adjusted mechanics. The world this campaign takes place in is a medieval version of The Marvel Comics Universe. Hence the name. A world where Iron Man is king of a technologically advanced kingdom, The Vision is a set of armor brought to life, and mutant-kind is protected by The Exiled Knights! I've cooked up a lot of lore and a lot of story ideas for this campaign and I'm ready to share them!

Every Tuesday I'll be posting these info posts about the game, providing gameplay details, pieces of lore, locations, items, characters and more. And once the game starts going on The Panel Biter Podbean I'll be sure to update you all on the adventures of my cohosts if you miss an episode or just don't want to listen. I mean, it would be cool if you listened *pouts internally*. Justin, Shae, Max and Connor will first be assuming the roles of established characters for a short mission. The first three episodes are just a preview to the game and a way for my cohosts to get a handle on how it is played. Justin has chosen Susan "The Phantom Queen", Shae is Orita "The Princess of Atlantis", Max is Rocard "The Forest Guardian" and Connor is Steven "The Captain". These characters being medieval versions of The Invisible Woman, Namorita, Rocket Raccoon, and Captain America respectively. I can't reveal their first mission yet, but by the end of the third episode my cohosts will be creating their own characters to proceed with, each character having a race, class, and backstory of their very own.

The world of Franrich is dominated by various Kingdoms, each with their own exports and histories. Also littering this world are items connected to Gods themselves. Alien colonies live on this planet, the forces of magic are tapped by many, but mastered by few. In future posts I will explain bit-by-bit the layout of the game so that you can follow and-if you like it-use it as a format for your own Fate campaign. By connecteing The Panel Biter and The Panel Biter Podbean through this fun, interactive game you can fully experience the creativity this site has to offer. So please stay tuned for the future tales of Marvel Medieval!

Thank you for reading!

Are you pumped for The Marvel Medieval RPG? Comment below!

For some Distractions Media Podcasts:

http://fateofheroes.podbean.com/