Saturday, July 03, 2010

New Warriors



The Warriors were founded by wealthy young adventurer Dwayne Taylor, who devoted his life to fighting crime after the murder of his parents. Mentored by his legal guardians-retired mercenary Andrew Chord and enigmatic housekeeper Tai. Dwayne fought crime as Night Thrasher, forging a vigilante partnership with the superhuman brother-and-sister duo Midnight's Fire and Silhouette, and romancing the latter; however, their alliance ended badly when Silhouette was shot by a gangster. Blaming Thrasher for the tragedy, Fire disappeared with his fallen sister, swearing vengeance.

Current Members:
Gauntlet, Justice (Vance Astrovik), Komodo (Melati) Night Thrasher (Donyell Taylor), Rage, Scarlet Spider (Patrick), Slapstick, Tigra, Ultragirl

Former Members
Aegis (Trey Rollins), Blackwing (Barnell Bohusk), Bolt (Chris Bradley), Dagger, Darkhawk, Debrii, Decibel (Jono Starsmore), Firestar, Helix, Hindsight, Longstrike, Microbe, Namorita, Night Thrasher (Dwayne Taylor), Nova (Richard Rider), Phaser, Powerhouse/Powerpax, Renascence, Ripcord, Scarlet Spider, Scarlet Spider (Michael), Silhouette, Skybolt, Speedball (Robert Baldwin), Speedball (Darrion Grobe), Tempest (Angel Salvadore), Timeslip, Turbo (Michiko Musashi), Turbo (Mike Jeffries), Wondra

Other Members (Honorary, Reserve, etc.)
Andrew Chord

Secret Warriors


While in hiding after the Secret War, Nick Fury uncovers evidence of the Secret Invasion. Because the active heroes he knows may be compromised, he gathers a new team of "caterpillars", young, untested superhumans, whose existence is known to Fury alone. One of these young superhumans sought after was Layla Miller, but she refused politely, stating that they would only succeed without her. When the Skrulls invade New York, Nick Fury and his team of Secret Warriors arrive and rescue the defeated Young Avengers and Initiative members before withdrawing from the battle.[8] The Warriors help the other heroes defeat the Skrulls, before teleporting to an unknown location.[9]

After the invasion, Fury infiltrates a covert Chicago base and downloads information about the previous and current command structures of S.H.I.E.L.D. A few weeks later, he confronts the new U.S. president about the deactivation of S.H.I.E.L.D., and gives him the location of two of the organization's covert bases. Fury's team tries to shut down a covert base in Texas, but HYDRA appears and attacks the team. As the team attempts to evacuate, H.A.M.M.E.R. agents surround the area (accompanied by the Sentry), but the Warriors escape. Fury confronts the team on their failures, but reveals to Daisy that HYDRA was on a recovery mission at the Texas base, and that S.H.I.E.L.D. is a branch of HYDRA, while various agencies of the United States Government, including the NSA, Department of Treasury, and FBI Science and Technology Branch, as well as the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate and Foreign Intelligence Service are all under HYDRA control.[10]

On a solo mission soon after, Fury teams with Norman Osborn to interrogate a lower-level HAMMER agent. The conversation (and materials obtained afterwards) reveal there may be an organization much like HYDRA, installed in the upper levels of world governments, called "Leviathan." This organization appears to have been founded by the Soviet government for reasons as yet unclear.

The Secret Warriors also assist the New Avengers when the Hood's gang was assaulting them

Roster

Nick Fury
Founder and leader of the Secret Warriors
Quake
Daisy Johnson, the daughter of Mister Hyde. She possesses the power to create earthquake-like vibrations.
Phobos
Son of Ares. He possesses the power to instill fear in others as well as limited pre-cognition. Being a member of the Olympian race, but born of a mortal woman also gives him the potential for far greater "god-like" powers not unlike his uncle Hercules, but require his "mortal" body die first.
The Druid
Sebastian Druid, the son of Doctor Druid who has inherited some of his father's skill with magic. However, he is soon seen as a liability and Fury cuts him loose.[12]
Slingshot
Yo-yo Rodriguez, the daughter of the Griffin. She can run at superhuman speed and bounces back to the point where she began running. She was recently injured severely, with both of her arms severed by the Gorgon, and was temporarily unable to remain active with the team. However, both arms have now been replaced with prosthetics and she has returned to active duty.
Hellfire
J.T. James, the grandson of the Phantom Rider, is able to charge items (notably a chain) with fire and unleash a devastating attack. During New Avengers, J.T. is shown as one of the possible replacements for the title of Sorcerer Supreme, showing great magical potential. In issue 16, Hellfire is discovered to be a double agent with Hydra, directly with Baron von Strucker.
Stonewall
Jerry Sledge, who has been bailed out of jail by Daisy Johnson, where he was being held for hitting a police officer. He possesses superhuman strength and an ability to increase his size, while his skin appears to take an appearance resembling stone. In issue 9, he demonstrated the ability to change the composition of his skin, by turning it into metal after getting Ares' axe swung into his chest. Very little has so far been revealed about the character, but Bendis has revealed that his father is a "major Marvel icon". In issue 12, it is revealed upon his visit to a prison that his father is Carl "Crusher" Creel, The Absorbing Man.[13] He tries to tell Reed Richards his real name at one point, but is cut off after saying "Henry".[14]
Eden Fesi
A reality warping young man previously under the care and training of the mutant Gateway.[15] Nick Fury initially attempted to recruit him to another unknown team, but Gateway refused.

Squadron Supreme


The following history applies only to the Squadron Supreme of the mainstream Marvel Universe. The team from the Supreme Power series exists in the Marvel "Ultimate" universe.
The Original Squadron Supreme

Years ago, Marvel shamelessly unveiled their very own JLofA rip-off group: the Squadron Sinister. These four villains were foes of the Avengers. Later, they took it one step further and created the Earth-S of the Marvel Universe, where lived the good Squadron Supreme. The group grew in number over the years, appearing in various issues of Avengers and Defenders before finally getting their own groundbreaking 12-issue mini-series in the 1980s (now available in trade paperback). Eleven new members joined during the mini-series. Unlike the core Squadron, these were original characters.

Recently, the JLA's popularity sparked a "reboot" of the Squadron Supreme. The book, called Supreme Power, starred Hyperion and was published under Marvel's "Max" imprint. These new stories definitely do not take place in the main Marvel Universe, nor do they have any connection to the former Squadron Supreme. Many of the original characters have been revamped and reintroduced. The book then spun into three mini-series, Doctor Spectrum, Hyperion and Nighthawk. In this universe, these characters are often at odds with each other. Nighthawk, Power Princess and Amphibian have "bad sides" to them, and others like Arcana and Nuke have been teamed against Hyperion. No team was actually formed until Hyperion #2.

During the SS limited series, they took on eleven new recruits. Six of them were forcibly reformed criminals brainwashed into working with the SS: Ape-X, Dr. Decibel, Foxfire, Lamprey, Quagmire and Shape (Ape-X was rendered brain-dead while Decibel and Quagmire seemingly died in action; Quagmire actually survived and is active as a villain on mainstream Marvel Earth). The brainwashing was undone and Lamprey betrayed the SS, dying in battle with Dr. Spectrum. Shape and Foxfire remained loyal to the SS, and Foxfire died in action alongside them. The SS's other new recruits were novice super-heroes: Haywire, Inertia, Moonglow, Redstone and Thermite. All five joined the SS as infiltrators on behalf of the subversive Redeemers, but when the Redeemers successfully coerced the SS into abandoning their positions as world rulers, the surviving rookies remained with the SS. One of the five, Thermite, was accidentally killed during the Redeemers' battle with the SS.

So, following Squadron Supreme #12, the roster stood as follows: Hyperion, Power Princess, Doctor Spectrum, Whizzer II, Arcanna, Shape, Haywire, Inertia, Moonglow and Redstone. Skrull had long since resigned. Amphibian and Nighthawk resigned in protest of the SS's becoming world rulers to steer the Earth back to stability after its temporary conquest by the Overmind, and Nighthawk led his Redeemers group in persuading the Squadron to abdicate. Nighthawk died in that battle, as did fellow ex-SS member Black Archer, who joined the Redeemers after the SS expelled him for abusing their mind-control technology by forcing Lady Lark to love him. Lady Lark resigned in protest of his expulsion, still brainwashed into blindly adoring him, but she didn't join the Redeemers (nor did Amphibian). Nuke went mad after realizing he had given his parents cancer, and died battling Dr. Spectrum. Tom Thumb died of cancer himself while trying to find a cure for it. Ape-X was incapacitated, Doctor Decibel died while suffocating when Quagmire's power engulfed the hospital. Quagmire was lost and presumed dead, and Blue Eagle, Lamprey, Foxfire and Thermite died during the SS/Redeemers battle.

Most of those killed in SS #12 were placed in Hybernaculum chambers. These chambers were invented by Tom Thumb, and basically served the same purpose as cryogenic preservation. There were 7 chambers: Tom Thumb, Pinball, Thermite, Foxfire, Blue Eagle and Golden Archer were shown. The other one may have contained Nighthawk, since Lamprey's body was mostly unrecoverable.

The Authority


The Authority is, at its fundamental core, a treatment of the Justice League of America taken to its logical conclusion. Seven of the most powerful superhumans in the Wildstorm Universe take it upon themselves to protect Earth from all threats, internal or external. These threats are usually gargantuan in nature and the eradication of these threats equally Herculean. This is widescreen, cinema-scope super-heroic fiction at its finest. Consisting of Jenny Sparks, Swift, the Engineer, the Doctor, Jack Hawksmoor, Apollo & the Midnighter (a gay version of the World's Finest duo i.e. Superman and Batman), The Authority was a spin-off from the late Stormwatch series, which took as its premise a UN-sanctioned super group. The creators responsible for these epic wonders were Warren Ellis (writer), Bryan Hitch and Paul Neary (artists) and together they delivered 12 pulsating issues that illuminated the jaded super-hero comic book industry.

The founding members of the Authority are

* Jenny Sparks, the Spirit of the Twentieth Century, the group's founder and original leader
* Apollo, "the Sun God"
* Midnighter, "Night's Bringer of War"
* Jeroen Thorndike, the Doctor (initially thought to be the second Doctor, he was subsequently shown to be the latest in a long line)
* Angela Spica, the second Engineer
* Jack Hawksmoor, "King of Cities", leader of the Authority 2000-2005, and
* Shen Li-Min, a.k.a. Swift.

Following the "Outer Dark" story arc (see below), Jenny Sparks is replaced with

* Jenny Quantum, the Spirit of the Twenty-First Century, Authority leader 2005 to present.

After "The Eternal Return" (again, see below), new members of the Authority are

* Rose Tattoo and
* Habib ben Hassan, Thorndike's successor as Doctor.

Beginning with #18 of volume five the team roster undergoes a major change. Jack Hawksmoor, Swift and Engineer remain on the team, where they are joined by new members:

* Christine Trelane, former co-leader of Stormwatch,
* Deathblow,
* Flint, previously of Stormwatch,
* Freefall, previously of Gen 13,
* Grifter, previously of the Wildcats,
* The High, the now depowered former Authority foe and
* Rainmaker, previously of Gen 13.

The Authority's base of operations is the Carrier, a gigantic interdimensional "shiftship" existing everywhere on Earth at the same time and capable of moving through every imaginable plane of existence. Usually referred to as a female, the Carrier is in fact sentient and could be considered an additional member of the team

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Wonder Girl



Wonder Girl and the other Teen Titans were next featured in Showcase #59 (December 1965) before being spun off into their own series with Teen Titans #1, cover-dated February 1966. With the character called only Wonder Girl or "Wonder Chick" by her teammates, her status as either the younger Wonder Woman displaced in the timeline or another character altogether is not explained until Teen Titans (vol. 1) #22 (August 1969).[1] In a story by Marv Wolfman and Gil Kane it is established that Wonder Girl is a non-Amazon orphan, rescued by Wonder Woman from an apartment building fire. Unable to find any parents or family, Wonder Woman brings the child to Paradise Island, where she is eventually given Amazon powers by Paula von Gunther's Purple Ray. The story ends with Wonder Girl wearing a new costume and hairstyle, adopting the secret identity "Donna Troy."

1980s

Donna's origin is expanded in "Who is Donna Troy?" (January 1984), issue #38 of the 1980s relaunch of the team, The New Teen Titans. Robin investigates the events surrounding the fire from which his old friend had been rescued as a toddler, discovering that her birth mother had been a dying unwed teen who had given her up for adoption. The subsequent Crisis on Infinite Earths miniseries (1985-1986) rewrote the history of many DC Comics characters; Wonder Woman's own pre-Crisis history was written out of existence, and the character was reintroduced in Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #1 (February 1987) as a new arrival from Themyscira (the former Paradise Island).

With the character of Donna tied predominantly to the Titans, her origin was retconned to fit into the new continuity created by Wonder Woman's relaunch, one severing her direct ties to the Amazons. In the storyline "Who Is Wonder Girl?" featured in The New Titans #50-54 (December 1988-March 1989), the Titans of Myth enlist Donna's aid against the murderous Sparta of Synriannaq. It is revealed that the Titan Rhea had rescued a young Donna from a fire; Donna and Sparta had then been part of a group of 12 orphans from around the universe who had been raised on New Cronus by these Titans as "Titan Seeds," their eventual saviors. The Seeds had been given superhuman powers, and named after ancient Greek cities. Called "Troy," Donna (like the others) had eventually been stripped of her memories of her time with the Titans of Myth, and reintroduced into humankind to await her destiny; Sparta had retained her memories, and the knowledge had eventually driven her mad. Killing her fellows Seeds to "collect" their powers and destroy the Titans of Myth, Sparta is ultimately defeated by Donna and the only other Seed left alive, Athyns of Karakkan. In The New Titans #55 (June 1989), Donna changes her pseudonym from "Wonder Girl" to "Troia" and adopts a new costume incorporating mystical gifts from the Titans of Myth.

Post-Wonder Girl

Donna's origin was rewritten again in the 1990s, reattaching to the Wonder Woman mythos. It is revealed that the Amazon sorceress Magala had animated a mirror image of young Princess Diana to create for her a mystical, "identical twin" playmate. This twin is soon mistaken for Diana and kidnapped by Dark Angel. Dark Angel disperses the girl's spirit across the multiverse, condemning her to live multiple lives, each one cut short by the Dark Angel at a moment of tragedy.[volume & issue needed]

In at least one of these variant lives, Donna would become a superhero and encounter her grown sister, now Wonder Woman, and their mother Queen Hippolyta, without realizing who she really was or how she was related to them. After that timeline ends with the death of Donna's son, Diana and Hippolyta intervene to find what happened to Donna. Donna finally defeats Dark Angel, destroying the evil entity and regaining her original Amazon powers; she returns to reality to continue her life from that point.[volume & issue needed]

The 2005 miniseries The Return of Donna Troy reveals that Donna is actually an amalgam of every Donna Troy, who remembers all of her other incarnations. After the events of Infinite Crisis (2005-2006), Diana briefly passes the mantle of Wonder Woman to Donna. However, Diana continued to be the star of the book, and reclaimed the title of Wonder Woman in the first story arc of Wonder Woman vol. 3. Wonder Woman Annual (vol. 3) #1 gives Donna a new origin that combining elements of her three variant origins:

Donna was born as Princess Diana's mystic twin through the help of Amazon sorceress Magala. Months later, an old enemy of Queen Hippolyta called Dark Angel kidnapped Donna thinking she was Diana. Donna was placed in suspended animation by Dark Angel for years and was eventually left to die in a burning building. But fate intervened and the now grown-up Diana came onto the scene as Wonder Woman and rescued Donna. She was brought back to Themyscira where she received training from both the Amazons and The Titans of Myth and years after followed Diana into the outside world as Wonder Girl and helped form the Teen Titans.

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