[Necro]

Iceman


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Publisher: Marvel Comics
First appearance: X-Men (vol. 1) #1 (September 1963)
Created by: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Alter ego: Robert "Bobby" Louis Drake
Species: Human Mutant
Team affiliations: X-Men, X-Factor, Defenders, Champions, X-Terminators, The Twelve, Cataclysm Keys, Secret Defenders
Notable aliases: Drake Roberts, Mister Friese, Frosty
Abilities: Ice manipulation/ cryokinesis, Thermal vision, Superhuman strength and durability beyond human norms, ice form

Iceman (Robert "Bobby" Louis Drake) is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men (vol. 1) #1, (September 1963).

A mutant, Iceman has the ability of cryokinesis where he can freeze anything around him and can also turn his body into ice. Although he is an Omega-level mutant, Drake has yet to tap his full mutant potential. He has, however, begun to take more interest over the years in developing his abilities. One of the original X-Men, Iceman has had a frequent presence in X-Men (and Spider-Man)-related comics, video games, animated series, and movies.

Shawn Ashmore portrayed Iceman in the X-Men films.

Powers and abilities

Iceman possesses the power to radically decrease the temperature of ambient water vapor in his immediate environment, thereby freezing it into ice. In this manner he is able to quickly form a great variety of ice structures, including projectiles, shields, ladders, baseball bats, etc. He often makes ice slides which form rapidly beneath and behind his feet, pushing him along the slick surface at high speeds. Originally, Iceman's own body temperature would lower dramatically when his powers were active, reaching −105 °F (−76.1 °C) within a few tenths of a second (now his body usually converts to organic ice; see below). Iceman is immune to sub-zero temperatures; he is also able to perceive the thermal energy level of objects around him. Because cold is the absence of heat, Iceman does not actually 'emanate' cold; rather, he decreases thermal energy. As mentioned by writer Mike Carey, Iceman is "an Omega level mutant...[and] has powers that can influence the ecosystem of the entire world."[35]

In his early appearances, Iceman generally covered his body in a thick layer of what appeared to be snow; hence he looked more like a traditional snowman than an ice-man. Upon further training in the use of his powers, he was able to fashion an armor of solid ice around his body when using his powers, which afforded him some degree of protection against concussive force and projectiles; he apparently became slightly transparent when doing this, as Cyclops jokingly compared him to Susan Storm. Later on, he manifested the ability to convert the tissue of his body into organic ice. He sometimes augments his organic ice form with razor sharp adornments to his shoulders, elbows, knees, and fists. Iceman has also been able to move rapidly to another distant location while in his organic ice form, being able to deposit his bodily mass into a river and reconstitute his entire mass a great distance away in a matter of minutes (by temporarily merging his molecules with those of the river). On one occasion, Iceman suffered a severe chest injury while in his ice form and was able to heal himself by converting back into his normal human form.

Iceman is also able to reconstitute his organic ice form if any part of it is damaged, or even if it is completely shattered, without permanently harming himself. He can temporarily add the mass of a body of water to his own, increasing his mass, size, and strength. He can survive not only as ice, but as liquid water and water vapor. He can also transform his body from a gaseous state back to a solid, although it is physically and mentally taxing.[39][40] Iceman can also freeze sea water, as seen during the "Operation Zero Tolerance" story arc.

Aside from his superhuman powers, Iceman is also a fair hand-to-hand combatant, and received combat training at Xavier's School as well as coaching from the Black Widow and Hercules while serving with the Champions of Los Angeles. Iceman has as much combat training as Cyclops or Beast.

Personality

According to writer Mike Carey "one of Iceman's best personality traits is that emotionally Bobby Drake is like the ice he manipulates -- not cold but transparent. 'He's devastatingly honest. He is very up-front with his emotions and his thoughts all the time.'"[35] "Also, he's obviously incredibly brave both in terms of facing external, physical danger as well as facing up to unpleasant situations and admitting his own mistakes."[35]

This emotional honesty can often complicate matters for Bobby, especially in matters of love. Sometimes Bobby is looked down upon as being immature, but this is just a guise for his insecurities and well noted fear of change, he is easily made emotionally uncomfortable by his own short-comings and this often alters Bobby's child-like joviality into sullen moodiness (which does not help in the perception that he is immature).

[Necro]

The Red Skull


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Publisher: Marvel Comics
First appearance: (Schmidt) Captain America Comics #7 (Oct 1941)
(Maxon) Captain America Comics #1 (Mar 1941)
(Malik) (Golden Age) Captain America Comics #61 (March 1947)
Created by: Joe Simon, Jack Kirby

In-story information

Alter ego: Johann Schmidt, George John Maxon, Albert Malik
Team affiliations: (Schmidt) Kronas Corporation, Exiles, Nazi Germany, HYDRA, AIM
THEM, ULTIMATUM, Skeleton Crew
Abilities: (Schmidt) Cloned body of Captain America (including the Super-Soldier formula); skilled hand-to-hand combatant, strategic genius, political mastermind, expert marksman
(Maxon) Skilled saboteur, hand-to-hand combatant, marksman, (Malik) Strategic master, political master, (Earth Cosmic Red Skull/Johan Schmidt) Genius level Intellect, Expert Combatant, Regenerative Healing, (All) Periodic access to Cosmic Cube

The Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, comic book supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general. The first two Red Skulls are Nazi agents and the third is a Communist. The Red Skull was first introduced in Captain America Comics #1 in 1941. The first Red Skull was an American industrialist turned Nazi saboteur, while the second is a long-time enemy of Captain America. The third Red Skull is best known for causing the deaths of the parents of Peter Parker, and thus orphaning the boy who would become Spider-Man. According to S.H.I.E.L.D., Johann Schmidt, (the original and current Red Skull) is considered one of the greatest threats to humanity. The Red Skull was ranked number 21 on Wizard Magazine's Top 100 Greatest Villains Ever list and was also ranked as IGN's 14th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.

Powers and abilities

Although the Red Skull has no superhuman abilities, he is a highly gifted military and subversive strategist and political mastermind. He also possesses an intellect and inventive genius on the level of supervillains such as Doctor Doom. At one point, the Red Skull's mind inhabited a body cloned from Captain America's, and hence possessed the mutagenic alterations induced by the Super-Soldier Serum. He was thus endowed with a body that was in perfect physical condition, with strength, speed, durability, agility, dexterity, reflexes, coordination, balance, and physical endurance that exceeded that of any Olympic athlete who ever performed. Despite the scar tissue covering his face and head, his senses were still above-average. He has been shown as a hand to hand combatant and martial artist on par with Captain America himself, originally trained by German athletes appointed by Hitler, and is heavily trained as a skilled marksman with various forms of handguns, and well-versed in the use of fire arms and explosives. The Red Skull is commonly portrayed as one of the Marvel Universe's most genuinely frightening major villains.

While sharing Alexander Lukin's body, he lost his superhuman abilities. Currently, he resides in one of the android body engineered by Arnim Zola, with enhanced endurance and resilience.

He typically armed himself with a trick cigarette that could fire fatal poison gas — his trademark "Dust of Death" — toward his victim. The "Dust of Death" is a red powder which kills a victim within seconds of skin contact. The power causes the skin of the victim's head to shrivel, tighten, and take on a red discoloration, while causing the hair to fall out. Hence the victim's head resembles a "red skull". He also carries a large arsenal of conventional and advanced fire arms and explosives.

In an alternate earth, the Red Skull has, like Captain America, been given the Super-Soldier Serum, but rather than being enhanced to peak human potential, has been given Instant healing abilities that render him virtually immortal and able to regenerate even lost limbs and organs.

[Necro]

Ant-Man


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Publisher: Marvel Comics
First appearance: Tales to Astonish #35 (September 1962)
Created by: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Characters: Henry Pym, Scott Lang, Eric O'Grady

Ant-Man is the name of several fictional characters in the Marvel Comics Universe. The first Ant-Man, Henry Pym, was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appears in Tales to Astonish #35. Since Pym, both Scott Lang and Eric O'Grady have used the name Ant-Man.

Fictional character biography

Over the years a variety of characters have assumed the title of Ant-Man, most of whom have been connected with the Avengers.

Henry Pym

Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym invented the various methods for someone to reduce their size and assume the identity of Ant-Man, armed with a helmet that can control ants.

Over the years he has adopted other aliases, largely based on his size altering discovery: Pym Particles. These include Giant-Man, Goliath, and Yellowjacket.

Scott Lang

Scott Lang was a thief who was reformed with the aid of Pym and Iron Man. After a career as the second Ant-Man, he became an affiliate of the Fantastic Four, and most recently became a full-time member of the Avengers. For a period of time he dated Jessica Jones. He was killed in Avengers #500, but his daughter, Cassie, has taken up his heroic mantle as Stature, in the pages of Young Avengers.

Eric O'Grady

Eric O'Grady is the new "hero" to take up the title of Ant-Man. Eric O'Grady is a low-level agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. who stumbled upon who he believed was Dr.Henry Pym, but actually a Skrull impostor, in the latest incarnation of the Ant-Man suit, in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters. A man of very few morals and willing to lie, cheat, steal, and manipulate in order to get ahead in life, Eric immediately stole the armor for his own selfish plans, which included using his status as a "super-hero" to seduce women, and humiliate and torment others. He had his own short-lived title before being shuttled off, first to the pages of "Avengers: The Initiative," and then, "The Thunderbolts".

[Necro]

Bizarro


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Publication information

Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Superboy #68 (1958)
Created by Otto Binder, George Papp

In-story information

Alter ego Kent Clark[volume & issue needed]
Place of origin Htrae
Team affiliations Injustice League, The Society
Notable aliases Bizarro #1, Superman, "The Phantom", The Wraith, Bizarro Clark, Bizarro-Superman
Abilities Reverse versions of Kryptonian powers including freeze-vision, heat-breath, vacuum breath, spot-light vision, x-ray hearing

Publication history

Bizarro is the archnemesis of Superman. He first appears in Superboy #68 (Oct. 1958) when Superboy is exposed to a "duplicator ray." This version makes multiple appearances in Action Comics; Superman; Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen; Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane; Adventure Comics; Secret Society of Super-Villains and DC Comics Presents from 1959 to 1984 prior to a reboot as a result of the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline. In 1986, Bizarro was reintroduced in issue #5 of the limited series, The Man of Steel. Another version appears in the 2006 "Emperor Joker" storyline that ran through Superman #160–161, Adventures of Superman #582–583, Superman: Man of Steel #104–105, Action Comics #769–770 and Superman: Emperor Joker #1.
Fictional character biography

Pre-Crisis Bizarro

The original Teen Bizarro is created during a laboratory accident. A scientist demonstrating his newly invented "duplicating ray" to Superboy, tests the device on a radium pellet and a jewel. However, the duplicated radium was non-radioactive and the jewel melted. The scientist then stumbles and knocks the machine, inadvertently creating an imperfect Superboy. Although the scientist insists the duplicate is not alive, the creature nonetheless escapes from the lab. Bizarro wants to be accepted, but his appearance and his childlike erratic behavior scares people, especially since he has little control over his super-strength. He is befriended by a blind girl, shortly before Superboy realizes the glowing-blue remains of the machine would act as kryptonite to the doppelganger. During the confrontation, Bizarro flies straight towards Superboy, having realized that the shockwave from his destruction would cure the girl's blindness. Strangely, Teen-Bizarro later appears in a Legion of Super-Heroes story set in the Legion's future time.

The later Adult Bizarro is created by Lex Luthor, who re-created the "duplicating ray" and uses it on Superman hoping to use the duplicate in an attack on Superman. Bizarro does not cooperate and instead tries to emulate Superman. Unfortunately, his attempts to match his original's heroics are clumsy and destructive. Bizarro uses the Imperfect Duplication Ray on himself and creates a New Bizarro who has Superman's looks and Bizarro's mentality. New Bizarro asks for Lois Lane's hand in marriage and prevents Superman from filling Lois in on the plot that fails anyway. In a later story, Jimmy Olsen becomes a Normal-looking Bizarro with a Bizarro mentality and exposure to Blue Kryptonite resets his mentality to Jimmy normal.

Bizarro then kidnaps Lois for companionship. This dilemma is resolved when Lois uses the "Imperfect duplication ray" to create a Bizarro-Lois Lane to be a more appropriate companion for Bizarro. Feeling rejected by the people of Earth, the Bizarro couple move to Htrae, which had ancient advanced technology which they used to populate the planet with other Bizarros created in the same manner

Post-Crisis Bizarro

LexCorp Bizarros

In Man of Steel #5, Lex Luthor creates a clone to combat the Man of Steel.[3] The clone is proven to be imperfect, the imperfections in the duplicates eventually fatal. The mute creature makes several attempts to "be" Superman, including wearing a jacket and glasses over his still visible costume. The flawed duplicate is destroyed when he and Superman fly into each other.[4] The powdered remains of Bizarro restore sight to Lois Lane's blind sister.

Luthor later recreates Bizarro to offer insight into how to stop the "Clone Plague". The new Bizarro escapes, and kidnaps Lois Lane, taking her to "Bizarro World"; a warehouse set up like a surreal version of Metropolis. He subjects her to danger, but she manages to escape. Bizarro is recaptured by Lexcorp, where he subsequently dies.

Emperor Joker

The Modern Age Bizarro. Art by Ed McGuinness.

A later version of Bizarro is created by the Joker by the use of the powers of Mr. Mxyzptlk[5]. The Joker creates a twisted version of Earth, a perfect cube with Joker's image on each facet. Created to be the greatest hero of Jokerworld and leader of that world's JLA (Joker's League of Anarchy), the backwards talking Bizarro is one of a number of characters Mxyzptlk saves from that world after Joker loses the stolen powers. The creature is subsequently captured by the Pokolistanian dictator General Zod, and tortured, apparently just for the pleasure of beating someone who resembles Superman.

After escaping from Pokolistan with Superman's help, Bizarro recreates his Jokerworld headquarters, the Graveyard of Solitude, and at erratic intervals emerges to "help" or hinder Superman; the decision as to which being seemingly random, and the same amount of trouble caused either way.

Bizarro is invited to join the Secret Society of Supervillains. Bizarro challenges Zoom to a race, due to Bizarro's complicated speech patterns, neither Zoom nor Cheetah are sure which end result of the race would convince Bizarro to join. The two race across the planet, Bizarro's erratic zig-zag path a point of contention with Zoom. When Zoom insults and threatens Bizarro, he is convinced that Zoom is his friend and joins. While with the Society, Bizarro kills the Human Bomb, commenting that he likes the flashes of light that the Bomb's powers produce.[4]

One Year Later

One year later, Bizarro is a captive of Lex Luthor and has been watching television in a small room for thirteen months. As a result, he is better informed than before.

Afterwards Bizarro left Earth to create a home for himself. After creating a cube shaped planet, filled with abstract versions of various buildings and locations on Earth, Bizarro found himself still lonely. Bizarro finds that, under the power of a blue sun, he gained a new ability called "Bizarro Vision". He uses his new ability to populate the planet with Bizarros, starting with a Bizarro Lois, that feared and hated him. Attempting to find answers Bizarro abducts Pa Kent and Superman follows in pursuit. With Superman's help, he becomes the new Bizarro World's greatest hero.[4]

New Krypton

In Superman #682, Bizarro goes to the grave of Jonathan Kent. When Clark and Martha arrive, he says "Me am happy." before flying off. Later, he is rounded up and placed in the Phantom Zone by members of Kandor. Superman frees all supervillains to be taken to Belle Reve, but Bizarro disappears from the Phantom Zone, somehow escaping.[6]

Adventures in Space

Sometime later Bizarro mysteriously wound up on Throneworld; Home of Prince Gavyn. In fifteen minutes a lost, angry Bizarro defeated half of Throneworld's Imperial Guard before Gavyn stopped Bizarro by befriending him. Gavyn kept Bizarro sedated with food and cartoons until Adam Strange, having learned from the Weird of Bizarro's presence on Throneworld, teleported the two to Hardcore Station to aid his overpowered allies. Bizarro became embroiled in the war between Rann, Thanagar, Lady Styx, and Synnar.

Bizarro, along with Adam Strange and Comet currently star in Strange Adventures written by Jim Starlin.

[Daddy]

And here I thought this was dead. I had been looking forward to you doing many updates for this.

[RaiZ-R]

I just recently read "Civil War: Captain America", "The Death Of Captain America", and "Fallen Son"... I've never been able to get into Cap before, he was always to goodie-goodie for my liking, and far too USA!! But my opinion on him has certainly changed dramatically. His USA-ness is far less about fighting for his country and far more about fighting for the people (which was the point of America in the first place... Well, that and being able to marry your cousin
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) which I love.