PINBALL WIZARD ZEN Marvel Pinball : DOCTOR STRANGE

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It may be seen as anachronistic, or even retro-throw-back for modern computer-gamers (or are they predominantly "console gamers" now?) to want to play PINBALL, but it seems that they do, and because of that, pinball (or at least a virtual version of it) is seeing a resurgence in popularity not seen since the 1970's.

Now, while I do confess to rocking the flippers back in the arcades of my youth, I haven't had any real interest in playing in recent years until MARVEL started releasing platforms based on their characters and event storylines.

Perhaps it is fitting that ZEN Studios (makers of ZEN PINBALL) have just days ago released a DOCTOR STRANGE themed pinball table!

Check out some game-play!

This isn't the first time the good Doctor has been featured on a Zen Pinball game. He was also showcased in previous outings, such as the INFINITY GAUNTLET table (where he is seen pictured on the board, along with Strange-themed characters like ETERNITY, among others) and the PLANET HULK table  (where he emerges as a 3D character [in his ZOM-Possessed form from the story] to do battle with the Hulk.

However, NOW we have a solo board that features exquisite details, multiple characters and even event details and dialogue taken from various storylines from the comics and even his animated film.

Battle against BARON MORDO (the conjuring of mystic swords for a swordfight between STRANGE and MORDO is taken directly from the animated film), and NIGHTMARE! In a story taken directly from the first few issues of the SORCERER SUPREME title, DORMAMMU takes over the body of DOCTOR STRANGE while Doc is in his astral form! The mystic battle continues with each in their own form should you get to that level. And of course, the big bad of the board is SHUMA GORATH, seen looming over the background, and activated by reaching certain in-game criteria (hit the right lighted targets, get the right point-range, etc...)!

Personally, I only played a few rounds, and was able to access all the baddies EXCEPT SHUMA (argh!), but I will continue trying.

There are several in-game niceties to help ensure you come back for more; the EYE of AGAMOTTO is a section of the board that rises up to form its own mini-table, with smaller and quicker game-interactivity against which to battle, STRANGE interacts with the ball, conjuring forth an ORB of AGAMOTTO ball to send into play and plenty of flashing lights and sounds to tickle the ADHD/OCD centers of the brain.

Mentions of the ANCIENT ONE and DEFENDERS as well as dialogue from WONG, and CLEA doesn't hurt either.

For a few bucks you can download on a variety of platforms, including Xbox LIVE Arcade, Steam, Playstation Network (PS3 with Playstation Vita free, and PS4), iOS, Google Play, OSX and Kindle Fire!

I'm not sure if the price is the same across the board, but I DL'd for my PS3 (which came with a FREE DL for the Vita) for a scant $2.99!

This is ZEN Studios first table for their newly released ZEN PINBALL 2 (which has 3D capability, if you have a fancy-schmancy 3D TV or something). ZEN PINBALL 2 is a FREE download, so you have no excuse not to get it.

And fret not, if you've already purchased tables for the previous MARVEL PINBALL platform, you can import your purchased tables and sets to the ZEN PINBALL 2 interface free and easy.

On a personal note, I did find the game to be less pleasing than other, previous MARVEL PINBALL tables (but to be fair, as previously stated, I did only play a couple of rounds on a non-HD, non-3D, non-flatscreen TV, so perhaps I didn't get the full experience). I've really liked the PLANET HULK table, the BLADE table is awesome, GHOST RIDER is appropriately wicked-cool, and the INFINITY GAUNTLET board is challenging good fun.

What the DOCTOR STRANGE board has going for it (aside from the obvious DR. STRANGE lure for me), in addition to the intricate background details, or even the ability to battle classic foes is... almost more than anything else... the ability to TRULY be...

...a PINBALL WIZARD!

(By the way, knowing that I would write about this game when it was released, I have been DYING to use "Pinball Wizard" as the title for this blog-post since the first announcement was made back in October. You can't imagine my shock that NO ONE used that title for any of their articles - then, or now. Perhaps, like many gamers of today, they just aren't old enough to make the immediate connection to a classic 1969 album by THE WHO.)

SMACK DOWN with DOCTOR STRANGE Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 PREVIEW

 While it was hardly a secret, (since the news was leaked a month ago - as I blogged [HERE]), Capcom and Marvel have made it OFFICIAL:

DOCTOR STRANGE

is a fighter in 

ULTIMATE MARVEL vs CAPCOM 3

(And anyone who has been following my Twitter feed would have noted that I hinted at posting this particular post on the 17th... but alas... between stuff and power outages... well... I suck.)

It's also no secret that I (and many other fans of the Master of the Mystic Arts) couldn't be happier!
With already built-in characters; Dormammu, Doctor Doom and downloadable Shuma-Gorath, it is only fitting that their heroic counterpart be given the chance to square off against them.

(It also makes me wish that I could play video games more than as just a button-mashing newbie.)

But, I'm not going to pontificate all that much in this post.
(I DO have some positive comments and as well as some negative review point, but I'll leave those to the end.)


Instead, I'm going to let the pictures (and VIDEOS) speak their 1,000 words!

SPELL of the VISHANTI! Final Finishing Move

The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu!

Doctor Strange : Master of the MARTIAL Arts!

Seven Rings of Raggadorr!

Hosts of Hoggoth! Final Finishing Move.

As awesome as the still shots are, nothing can prepare you for being able to see Doctor Strange in ACTION!
















From what I could gather, Strange calls upon many of these various named spells, to differing effect (see vids for specifics)

Attacks

• Impact Palm: Strange hits the opponent with a force palm attack, and leaves the opponent in a crumple state.
• Flames of the Faltine: Strange fires a green fireball.
• Mystic Sword: Strange slashes the air with blue shockwave projectiles. Low version fires straight ahead, medium fires at a 45 degree angle, and heavy is a series of short-range slashes.
• Grace of Hoggoth: A floating orb appears in front of Strange. These come in both yellow and red colors, and hang stationary in the air, even when Strange isn't on the field (Though they dissipate if he is knocked out). There can be up to three on screen at a time. These orbs act as a path for his Flames of the Faltine fireball. When the fireball is released, it heads straight for the nearest orb, and if there is more than one, it will travel to the others before heading toward the opponent. For each orb that the fireball travels to, the stronger it becomes. Having the fireball travel through specific orb color combinations produces different projectiles, making this move somewhat similar to Dormammu's Power of the Creator/Destructor.
  • 1 Yellow Orb:
  • 2 Yellow Orbs:
  • 3 Yellow Orbs: A purple beam that leaves the opponent in a crumple state.
  • 1 Red Orb: The fireball grows stronger and brighter.
  • 2 Red Orbs: An even stronger fireball.
  • 3 Red Orbs:
  • 2 Yellow Orbs, 1 Red Orb
  • 2 Red Orbs, 1 Yellow Orb
  • 1 Yellow Orb, 1 Red Orb: The fireball turns yellow and becomes faster.
• Illusion: A counter move in which Strange disappears and reappears behind his attacker.
• Teleport: A simple teleport move. Light attack teleports behind the opponent, medium teleports above them, and heavy teleports towards the ground if Strange is airborne.
• Bolts of Balthakk: Strange fires two bolts of green lightning out of his hands.
• Eye of Agamatto: A glowing sphere of yellow light appears in front of Strange. He can attack this sphere with Impact Palm to make it move. The opponent can cause it to dissipate if they attack it before Strange can get it moving. The orbs disappears if Strange doesn't hit it within two seconds after summoning it.
• Disks of Denak: Strange creates floating disks that remain stationary for a moment, before homing in on the opponent. 

Hyper Combos

• Seven Rings of Raggadorr: A Counter Hyper. Strange fires a large beam of blue lightning.
• Spell of Vishanti: Strange pulls out his book of magic, and a large pillar of yellow lightning strikes the opponent.
• Astral Magic (Level 3): Strange releases his astral form which wraps the opponent in a mystic restraint, and reforms with Strange. Strange concentrates his magic, and the opponent is then surrounded by yellow orbs, which envelop the opponent in a massive pillar of yellow lightning.

My favorite bit is the ASTRAL MAGIC spell. A visual treat, with astral energies swirling all around in a cascading whirlwind of magic.

However, for sheer nerdgasm thrills, the VERY best part is his signature departure from the battle field after winning; he casts a spell that forms the sigil that is his window design and uses is as a teleport glyph.
PURE AWESOME!

All in all, as far as the physical dynamics of Strange's battle technique and the visual representation of his spells, I am most pleased. I might offer some different spell combos and visual effects to be more akin to his published history, but truthfully, that's only because I'm a Doctor Strange nerd of the Nth degree.

I'll gladly play Doc as presented and be thrilled to do so.

Doc even talks some smack. Here are a few of the catch-phrases he says in the game:

"A novice of the Mystic Arts could defeat you."
—Spoken before a match.

"One does not require the Eye of Agamotto to see this outcome."
—Spoken before a match.

"The Ancient One would be most pleased."
—Spoken upon victory. 

"I AM the Sorcerer Supreme, after all."
—Spoken upon victory.

My only "negative" comments are few in number and minor of importance:

- Capcom screwed up his cloak. The gold embroidered area on his cowl is wrong.
But I already bitched about that last time - as I blogged [HERE])

- Why is his voice so... effete? He should be creepy in a spooky way. Or at least a "commanding" presence. Not sound like a pompous Maitre D.

And... that's it.
Those two things are the only negative points that I have.

The very fact that ULTIMATE MARVEL vs CAPCOM 3 has Doctor Strange in all his magical, mystical, majesty, I totally give a pass to Capcom for re-releasing this game within the same year as its original incarnation.

Sadly, I still don't have a game console to play this game (the last platform that I acquired was the Wii, and have only played my copy of the Marvel vs Capcom 3 : Fate of Two Worlds game on my brothers PS3 once, during a holiday visit), but I am STILL going to pre-order the hell out of this game (in the hopes of getting a PS3 some time in the not-too-distant future)!

Release date: November 15th, 2011
$39.99

"Tamam Shud!"
~P~

An early wish for a HAPPY THRASH-GIVING! DR STRANGE a playable fighter in U MvCC3!

Frustrated by the current economy...
Irritated by the stupidity and childishness of Washington Congress...
Want to punch someone in the face as a release for all this pent-up hostility...

(Anger... rising!)

But, Lo! There has come a reason to be thankful this Thanksgiving... the gift of THRASH!

While it was announced at the San Diego Comic Con that there is going to be, in November 2011, a re-release of the recent MARVEL vs CAPCOM3 : The FATE of TWO WORLDS game - rebranded as ULTIMATE MARVEL vs CAPCOM3 - and will feature 12 new fighters, 8 new levels of play and other sweet bells and whistles, they only announced 4 official fighters:

Marvel's

• Ghost Rider
• Hawkeye

Capcom's

• Firebrand
• Strider

(Anger... fading...)

But, it was also leaked (accidentally, on purpose) a few days earlier, that the entire newly expended roster (which includes all the previous 38 characters - thus bringing the new total to 50) would include...
Capcom’s

• Frank West
• Nemesis
• Vergil
• Phoenix Wright

and Marvel’s

• Iron Fist
• Nova
• Rocket Raccoon

and...

DOCTOR STRANGE

Official Capcom artwork.

If he looks like this in the game, I only have ONE nit to pick...

the gold embroidered area on his cowl is supposed to be at the back of the cowl
and at the base of his shoulders, leading down and around the outside border of the cloak.
It does NOT go around the edge of the cowl. Recent artists (Joe Quesada) had made that mistake in recent years and it keeps coming back...
(anger... rising...)

Doctor Strange can FINALLY put the virtual beat-down on many of his top-tier nemeses...
DORMAMMU, DR. DOOM and SHUMA GORATH...

(Anger...fading...)

So, while it is sad (and annoying!) that I purchased the deluxe version of Marvel vs Capcom 3 only a few scant months ago (as blogged about [HERE]) I feel it is "worth" it to finally have Doctor Strange as a playable character in this game (as opposed to just making a lame cameo appearance, like he did in the prior release, along with other blog favorites like MAN-THING).
And at a mere $39.99, it's not all that bad.

(Anger...gone.)

Add to the fact that there are still some free bonus swag to get if I preorder.
Unfortunately, there are different "costume packs" that can only be obtained by pre-ordering, and each pack is available from different retailers....

(Aaaagghhhh... Anger... RISING..)

Good thing I'll be able to pull out the HAND of HOGGOTH to put the smack down on whomever pisses me off!
Now WHERE's my Congressman...?

BEWARE : The IDES of MARCH! -or-The EYE(S) of MARCH! -or-The FIGHTS of MARCH!

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Today is March 15th.
The infamous "Ides of March" (Google it if your history class never went over Ancient Rome and the life of Julius Caesar).

But it is ALSO the day that the Downloadable characters are made available for the newly released MARVEL vs CAPCOM3 video game (as blogged previously [HERE]).

This year, to commemorate such a dire and deadly day, let me present for you the dread, destructive and downloadable  DOOM of...

SHUMA GORATH!

As added bonuses (bonusii); allow me to present to you the cameo appearance of other Monsters and Mages...

DOCTOR STRANGE

- and -

The MAN-THING

and the LEGION of MONSTERS...

Man-Thing appears at the end of JILL VALENTINE's story (she being another DLC character).
In the ending, Jill teams up with BLADE; Vampire Hunter to defend against the uncertain threat of
Man-Thing and the Legion of Monsters (Morbius; Living Vampire, Werewolf by Night and Living Mummy).

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And at the ending for Hsien-Ko, DOCTOR STRANGE is summoned... sorta.



Sadly, it seems as if it isn't REALLY Doctor Strange at all, but an imagined version created by Hsien-Ko in a comic book she created.

*sigh*
The Ides of March have struck again.
Once again the respect for Doctor Strange, by the very company he keeps, has been assassinated.
Et tu, Capcom?

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No, sadly, I have YET to even look at the game itself.
First off, as I mentioned in the original post [HERE] I don't even own the required video gaming system with which to play the game.
Yes, I bought the game, but purely for the fact that it contains; Shuma Gorath, Dormammu and Doctor Doom as playable characters, as well as cameo appearances by Doctor Strange, Man-Thing, and other faves (Satana, Legion of Monsters, Blade, Iron Fist, Ghost Rider, Silver Surfer and more...)
As well as the sweet Shuma Gorath limited edition t-shirt that came with it.

But, also, I've been so busy with professional projects; called in to work on special projects at my most recent employer, as well as freelance projects for my ex-employer-before-that.
AND two special projects that will be revealed on this blog (which should have been revealed already if not for the aforementioned business keeping me busy).

However, and this wraps up all these points; I am expecting to play this game this coming weekend with my brother - who owns multiple game platforms (my first "official time-off" in a long time, as I will spend time with all of my siblings for a weekend getaway).
Some down-time is required to recharge.

Then, I'll get to post all the entries that have been waiting in the wings these past months.
Good things come to those who wait.
Thanks for waiting.



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"Tamam Shud"
~P~

I NEED to PUNCH Something... NOW! Marvel vs Capcom3 : Fate of Two Worlds Quite possibly the GREATEST fighting game ever?

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* UPDATED *

02-18-2011

More pics, videos and spoilers (labeled)!

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After a month of waiting, a package arrived at my doorstep (ok, my P.O. Box) and inside was a treasure trove of awesomeness - presenting pleasures, both immediate and promised.

The Limited Collector's Edition of MARVEL vs CAPCOM 3 : Fate of Two Worlds video game!
(I bought the one for the PS3)

With a bonus of an exclusive, Limited Edition SHUMA GORATH "Waste of Flesh" t-shirt (designed by Meat Bun, as I blogged about [HERE] - scroll down to the 01-15-2011 update near the bottom.)

HE WHO SLEEPS BUT SHALL LP, LP, LEFT, HK, HP, UP, UP, DOWN, UP

Available for PS3 and XBOX360, the limited collector’s edition for MvC3 costs $69.99, only $10 more than the standard game, and comes with some sweet extras to delight comic book fans.

Here is what the set includes: 

• Steelbook case featuring exclusive art work. 
• 12-page prologue comic/art book, written by Marvel writer Frank Tieri, plus campaign art and a selection of fan art. 
• A one-month subscription to Marvel Digital Comics.

 and the very BEST part...  

• 2 DLC Characters – Shuma Gorath and Jill Valentine in her Resident Evil 5 battlesuit. 

Unfortunately, the DLC characters won't be available until MARCH 15, 2011! 

So... I need to WAIT in order to put together my three-character team of:

• DOCTOR DOOM
• DORMAMMU
• SHUMA GORATH

Totally.

 

Freaking.

Awesome!

Oh, how insane is THAT gonna be?
Three of my all-time favorite baddies, all available for me to control them in order to bring pain to anyone foolish enough to cross me?
Bwa-ha-ha-ha!!!
er.... sorry. Got carried away there.

Here are some screen grabs of SHUMA GORATH (and Jill) the first two DLC characters (and also some DORMAMMU as well).



In Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Shuma-Gorath only appears as a downloadable character, but his moves are as deadly as ever. To send your opponent into a world of dizzying madness, enact his “Chaos Dimension” attack.

“Shuma-Gorath grabs you with his tongue, wraps himself around you, and slides you into a nightmarish portal. It’s spinning, hallucinatory and gives you a taste of what’s going on in the Chaos Dimension, which is where he hails from. And then he spits you out.”

  - so sayeth Seth Killian, Capcom’s special advisor to the game, describing the move.

Check out the pic of THAT!

Now it DOES suck that Shuma Gorath isn't a regular, included character in the game.
Seriously, Shuma Gorath has been featured in video games before - including previous incarnations of this game:
- Marvel Super Heroes
- Marvel SuperHeroes vs Street Fighter
- Marvel vs Capcom2
so why dump him down to the level of DLC?
Instead, reserve that "honor" for more highly desirable characters.
Let's face it, if you're not a huge fan of the Doctor Strange mythos, you probably won't care about Shuma and won't want to have to pay to get him.
But I'm SURE there are other entities that fans would gladly (?) pony up the cash to score.

Still, where Capcom taketh (sorta) they also giveth:
While Doctor Doom is an old veteran of video games, and even Shuma Gorath has appeared in earlier epics, never before has DORMAMMU been seen in a video game, and here he is in full fighting fury!
(as I blogged about months ago [HERE])

Check out the sweet visuals of Dormammu incinerating his opponents!



But you think THAT would be enough to make me squee over the prospect of playing?
Maybe... but no.

Also confirmed are a multitude of other cool CAMEO appearances by many characters near and dear to my heart:

• BLADE
• SATANA
  
• IRON FIST
• MEPHISTO
• SATANNISH
• GHOST RIDER
• SILVER SURFER

 And... oh yeah, that's right...

DOCTOR STRANGE!

and

MAN-THING!

Oh, yeah bitches!
While Man-Thing is rumored to appear in the background of some fight scene, Doctor Strange has been CONFIRMED as being seen in "one of the characters ending scenes" (reference found [HERE]).
While it would be far, far better to see Doctor Strange as a playable character, I am glad to see that he is not totally forgotten in this epic.
Especially fitting seeing as how at least two of his deadliest foes (3 if you count Dr. Doom) are prominently featured.

 “Every character in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has their own unique ending. That’s something we worked very closely on with Capcom. And Dr. Strange will appear in one of the character’s endings.”

 - promises Chris Baker, manager of licensed games at Marvel Entertainment.

* SPOILER ALERT: 

Through a quick web-search, I have uncovered which character's ending, complete with screen-grab, where Doctor Strange appears.

If you WANT to be SPOILED... look for the RED TEXT at the END of this post and then keep scrolling to the very bottom.

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*IMPORTANT TIME-SENSITIVE NEWS*

You can VOTE for what characters you'd like to be included (as DLC's I'd imagine) via the CAPCOM website - [HERE]

 But voting polls CLOSE FEB. 19TH AT MIDNIGHT PST. 

You can vote for 3, 4 or 5 characters, so after you read this post... go vote for DOCTOR STRANGE and two to four others.

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Now if THAT isn't enough to get my amygdala humming, what else does this game bring to the table?

• Innovative graphics and gameplay bring the Marvel and Capcom Universes to life: Powered by an advanced version of MT Framework, the engine used in Resident Evil 5, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 brings beautiful backgrounds and character animations to the forefront.
• Evolved VS. Fighting System: Wild over-the-top gameplay complete with signature aerial combos, hyper combos and other original systems. The evolved new battle system, the “Team Aerial Combo” takes the exciting mind-reading game to a whole new level!
• 3-on-3 Tag Team Fighting: Players build their own perfect team as you assign unique Assist Attacks for each character and utilize each character’s special moves to create their own unique fighting style.
• Living Comic Book Art Style: See the most adored characters from the Capcom and Marvel universes brought to life in a “moving comic” style, blurring the boundaries between 2D and 3D graphics.

GAH!!!
There's only one problem (well... TWO really) with my getting to play this game.

I'll readily admit, that I'm not much of a video game player.
Oh, I WANT to play.
A LOT!

However, grand aspirations aside... I should fess up to the fact that I don't really have the skillz to pull off the multi-button combos required in today's electronic gamefare.

I feel like I'm standing up in some 12-step group meeting for the woefully pitiful game player.

"Hello. My name is Ptor and I am a button-masher."
"Hi, Ptor."

Well, as it turns out, my most recent acquisition feels my pain and Capcom has seemingly designed a game with me in mind. Most early reviews state that this game is designed for the two opposite ends of the gaming spectrum; the super-pro and the button-masher (and not really anyone in-between).

Supposedly, the seizure-inducing multi-combos, while monstrously effective for the advanced player are still dazzlingly awe-inspiring and able to be pulled off by neophytes such as myself.
All to dizzying, pleasure-center throbbing results.

So, I am excited!
Finally, a game where I can do as much damage to my video-game expert younger brother as he does to me.

The main problem?
Well... (he admits sheepishly)... I don't even HAVE the console required to play this game.

Admittedly, I bought it because of the multiple characters included (and the sweet Shuma Gorath shirt) with the foreknowledge that I'll have to either go visit my brother to play or wait for him to come to me - his PS3 game console in tow.

But, those instances will be few and far between (sadly, because I like my brother and enjoy seeing him - as well as desiring to punish him mercilessly with the unmitigated fury of DOOM, DORMAMMU and GORATH!). Also, upsetting because, the DLC can only be downloaded once, and it will forever be accessible ONLY from my bro's game console.

I need to get me a PS3 - stat!
Just as soon as one falls from the sky... or is available cheap.
I've been holding my own with a sporadic stream of freelance jobs (and am in training for another full-time/ part-time job) but funds for frivolous items like video game consoles isn't easy to come by.
;-(

Alas, I am a, as SHUMA GORATH would say (in play)...
"WASTE OF FLESH!"

---

"Tamam Shud!"
~P~

*SPOILER FOUND BELOW*

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* SPOILER of which Character's ending where DR. STRANGE appears*

Hsien-Ko
Hsien-Ko and her sister, Mei-Ling, seek the assistance of Dr. Strange to help free their mother from the spirit world, and maybe even return the two of them to human form.

I am unsure if this is animated in any way or is merely a static scene with only scrolling text.
If this is the sum total of Strange's appearance(s), I will be a bit disappointed, but still glad that he wasn't totally left out.

For a list of ALL (or nearly all) -over 40 more- other cameos they can be found at the following link. [HERE]

What's On The Other Side...

I had hoped to have my in-depth review of New Avengers # 5 up today, but alas, real-world responsibilities (and the post's growing size) prevented that from coming to pass.

However, all is not lost, as this entry really should be made first anyway (and, I was looking to have made this post several days ago, anyway... so, really, I've just shunted the whole publication schedule a little).

The reason for this post needing to come first is that it shows (and I will also be linking back to it form my NA # 5 review) what is to come after the events of that issue, thus helping me in some of my theories.

So, here is what we can expect in a month or so.

And just for the sake of tradition, I'll pull up this hoary old image to create the mood:

"Greetings, my friends.
We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I
are going to
spend the rest of our lives..."
... while reading comics.

"Official" graphic for this feature; "doctored" image from the cover to Strange Tales # 156
(original art by Marie Severin)

=============

Alrighty then.


First, let's see what's looming on the horizon


And by LOOMING, I truly mean that...

SHUMA GORATH!

INVADERS NOW! #4 (of 5)
Story by CHRISTOS GAGE & ALEX ROSS
Written by CHRISTOS GAGE
Penciled by CAIO REISS
Cover by ALEX ROSS
Variant Cover by HOWARD CHAYKIN
You've seen the Invaders go up against Nazis, super-villains and mutant monsters...but you've never seen them take on an elder god. Shuma-Gorath -- "He Who Sleeps But Shall Awake" -- has set his sights on our world, and only the greatest heroes of World War II can stop him...quite possibly at the cost of their own souls!

For anyone NOT following the INVADERS: NOW mini-series, it seems to have a mystic-menace angle, with the first issue featuring the N'Garai demons and the golden age Vision being all "there is a mystic menace that is tied to our collective pasts"...

So, it is by only a small surprise that by issue 4, the shit really hits the fan with the appearance of Shuma Gorath; "He who sleeps but shall awaken".

Last seen being defeated (off-panel) by Doctor Strange in the "KNIGHTS 4" series (issues 25-27) the ancient evil has again returned.

I have long believed that this is ALL part of a mystical war undercurrent that has been brewing for years (I won't go into it again, but it revolves around a bunch of teaser stories from several years ago, wherein such events as we're seeing now in New Avengers were foretold to be coming).
With events like the Chaos War, the New Mutants in Limbo, Vampires in X-Men and much much more... the Marvel Universe is looking very "magical" as of late.

So, perhaps.
Just perhaps... the baddie behind it all in New Avengers will ultimately be shown to be someone like Shuma Gorath, or one of his emissaries.

---

As for the New Avengers and Doctor Strange and Doctor Voodoo, we'll see them in the next issue of New Avengers (# 6) but it looks like one -or both- of them might not be the same

NEW AVENGERS #6
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by STUART IMMONEN
The shocking battle for our dimension comes to a shattering conclusion; and not everyone will survive!! Who will make the ultimate sacrifice to save us? Marvel fans will not want to miss this startling chapter in Avengers history.

My theory is that Doctor Voodoo, having lost his brother's spirit (Daniel Drumm perhaps being the one who makes the "ultimate" sacrifice) will go rogue and be all "Lawful Neutral" or "Neutral Evil" (to use classic D&D alignment terms).
Notice how Voodoo has his face all in shadow? And Strange's face is HALF shadowed?

Doctor Strange is looking to get a bad hand thrust upon him.

---

After the events of New Avengers, Doc is outed with the rest of the Illuminati and will have to deal with the mess of the Infinity Gems in the pages of the next arc of (adjectiveless - "classic") AVENGERS, starting with # 8.

AVENGERS # 8
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.
The Story: The return of the Illuminati! Marvel's super-secret brain trust has reunited because someone is trying to put the Infinity Gauntlet back together. Who is it and will the Avengers be able to stop them in time? And what does any of this have to do with the Red Hulk?

This could very well be the tipping point for Doc, and sends him off to that "space adventure" in the HULK titles (as shown here in a previous post entitled; "Strange-us Quo - or- Future Doc"- [HERE]

Because, by the very next issue, Doc is supposedly channeling the evil ZOM energies that he absorbed from 'World War Hulk' - and which started the whole mess of his losing the title of Sorcerer Supreme.

INCREDIBLE HULKS #619
Written by GREG PAK
Penciled by PAUL PELLETIER
Cover by CARLO PAGULAYAN
A CHAOS WAR TIE-IN!
As the onslaught of the Chaos King threatens existence itself, a terrible secret from the past makes Marlo Chandler, Rick Jones's wife, the most important mortal on the planet. The Incredible Hulks race their most demonic enemies across the country to reach Marlo in time -- but can they handle the revelations she brings? Plus: the return of Doctor Strange's darkest side!

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So, if Marvel truly DOES co-ordinate things during their editorial retreats, and it's not just naked slip-n-slide contests, with Quesada and crew butt-sliding across beer-fountain slides of all of our hard-earned money, then perhaps this is a well-woven tapestry, leading to something...

But what that might be... Doc becoming a "ronin"-type sorcerer, masterless and beholden to no one... or slowly ascending to his former place as Earth's Sorcerer Supreme... I have no idea.

All that is for sure is that Doctor Strange isn't being killed off... yet.

GIF GIFTS

Just a bit of a time/space filler today.
Regardless, these are still some real goodies to share with everyone.


No long ramble this time. I'll just show you a few things I found online while I should be doing more important stuff.

Animated gifs of some of my favorite characters!

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DOCTOR STRANGE!

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MAN-THING!

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ROM : SPACEKNIGHT!

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SHUMA GORATH!

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SCARLET WITCH!

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aaaand... 

LOBO the DUCK!

 

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OK, LOBO the DUCK is really nobody's favorite, but seeing as he's part of the Amalgam Universe and is a mash-up between LOBO and HOWARD the DUCK, I'd say he's pretty damn awesome.
Plus, just LOOK at him! Sweet!

These are all animated gifs, sometimes called "sprites", many of which were created by talented gamers and coders for use in what is known as "M.U.G.E.N." (or just MUGEN), which is a freeware version of typical 2-D sidescrolling fighting style video games.

Many of these sprites are 100% original works, while most are based off of some form of template - either a generic template or based on figures already created and adjusted to look more like the new character desired.

For instance, Doctor Strange up top is based on a Magneto template with some adaptations and tweaks here and there (Spider-Man hand, for instance).


The popularity of the CAPCOM style fighting game seems to be what started this trend, especially the MARVEL vs CAPCOM games (as I blogged about once earlier [HERE]).


Allow me to give some props to the coders who made these.


I TRULY wish I could acknowledge the ROM animator, but I found that one a few years back and can't seem to locate it online any more to find the creator's name.


From what I can tell, here are the creators of the others:

Dr Strange by SPOOKY77 - info on his process [HERE]
Man-Thing by "ledernieraztlan"
Shuma Gorath by "sludge" - more of it [HERE] (registration required)
Scarlet Witch by "Warecus" and "ZVitor"
Lobo Duck by "sic-1"

Anyway, it's fairly easy to find things like this online.
I've found a bunch of posed and moves of Shuma Gorath, BlackHeart and Dr Doom from the actual Marvel vs Capcom games, but since those are probably copyrighted intellectual properties of big corporate entities - I'm not posting them here.

Enjoy the gif(t)s!

SHUMA GORATH looms on the horizon!

STRANGE TIMES INDEED!

Christos Gage is penning SHUMA GORATH into one of his next issues of... something ('Avengers Academy', perhaps?).
He said so himself on the Twitter thingee.

Check it out HERE

Shuma Gorath has ALWAYS been my favorite Doctor Strange baddie.
Heck. He/ It is my favorite comic / fictional / mythical baddie as well!
ANY time we see more SHUMA GORATH it is a GREAT day to be alive.

In celebration of that future event, allow me to re-post this awesome clip-film of SHUMA GORATH pics.

SHUMA GORATH!!!



Set speaker volume to "Bleedin' from the Ears!"

More commentary on current comics and stuff to come.

"Tamam Shud!"
~P~
PTOR

On Pins and Needles - or - Voodoo or Voodon't : which will it be?

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Just another quick blog post today.

This time, I'm providing links to three entries from Marvel.com and an interview / discussion with writer Rick Remender about his take on Brother / Doctor Voodoo in his upcoming series; DOCTOR VOODOO: AVENGER OF THE SUPERNATURAL.

A three part interview series, it can be found at these links:

PART 1
PART 2
PART 3

Mentioned in the articles:

- DR STRANGE's role as tutor!
- The "Lost Spirits of SHUMA GORATH"!
- Doctor Doom gets the EYE of AGAMOTTO!
- Voodoo will use necromantic aspects of magic which Strange avoided!
- Cool new uses for magick in the Marvel Universe!

...And More!

Here is some artwork from the article / issues by series artists,
Jefte Palo and Jean-Francois Beaulieu.

Consultation of the Doctors.

Voodoo's Scrying Stones watchdog station.
(eagle eyed observers will notice MAN-THING being scryed in the stone to the far left, from his turn with the Midnight Sons / Zombies.
Also, Son of Satan, Hood, Ghost Rider, Dracula, Punisher vs Hood, and Marvel Zombies.
Looks like Doctor Voodoo has the recent mystic upheaval under observation!)

While Dr Strange is looking rather bloated and "strangely" Germanic in facial appearance...
(I mean that mustache alone screams "Baron Bomburst"!), the artwork seems alright thus far. Perhaps not what I would readily imagine for a work dealing with Voodoo/ Supernatural stuff, but, while there are more page samples at the links above, there isn't a lot to develop an accurate opinion just yet.

I'm sure there will be MORE info on the series before it's October 7th release.
However, I for one am quite anxious to see what progresses from all this.

On "pins and needles" if you will.

An Evil deed in tribute of an Evil entity

OK.
I'm not sure what the rules are for proper web-etiquette, but I'm sure misappropriating someone else's blog-content for your own blog might be the # 1 "sin".

Still, I don't wish to be a content thief, but this is too awesome not to steal er... share, and have as a permanent addition to the blog.

As stolen... oh, heck... yeah... stolen from Neilalien, a YouTube tribute to MY favorite Doctor Strange baddie... heck, probably my favorite villain - PERIOD:

SHUMA GORATH!!!



Set speaker volume to "Bleedin' from the Ears!"

It. Is. Too. Freakin'. Cool.

Anyway, I can always say I was mind-controlled or something.

Sorry Neilalien. 'twont happen again.

Although, maybe I can use this as a good forum for a question I have:
While checking out the original vid on YouTube, I saw someone's comment where they inquire about the image that is shown at 2:15 ... he wanted to know WHERE that image came from and I am at a loss.
As a HUGE Shuma Gorath fan, I also have (so I thought) all of his appearances, and can name each and every other image's origin (except for the original pencil drawings,) but that one image doesn't ring any bells.
Can anyone help place that pic?

Perhaps if someone might be able to answer, some GOOD might come of this EVIL deed.

Regular original content will resume later tonight.