Quantcast
Channel: ToyLab
Viewing all 3127 articles
Browse latest View live

The Line of Black Panthers

$
0
0
 http://sniktbub.wdfiles.com/local--files/file:2211420-ff-606-cov-1/2211420-ff_606_cov.jpg

The Line of Black Panthers

There have been Black Panther's throughout history.  Here is the line of known Black Panthers in the Marvel 616 Universe.

Bashenga - The original Black Panther
Bashenga was given the secrets of the Panther god Baal.  Bashenga creates the Panther Cult to solidify his power.  As part of the secrets of Baal Bashenga learns of the mystical heart shaped herb that gives the Panthers their powers.

                            
Unknown number of Black Panthers
                         
Azzuri the Wise - Father of T'Chaka
                            
T'Chaka - Son of Azzuri
                  
S'yan - Son of Azzuri - Younger brother of T'Chaka

T'Challa - Son of T'Chaka

Erik Killmonger - Takes on mantle for a time

Kasper Cole - AKA Vin Diesel Panther takes over mantle for a short while in NYC

Shuri - Daughter of T'Chaka

T'Challa - Returns to role of Black Panther

Related:
Black Panther movie - News, Characters, and Speculation 

Marvel's Spider-Man video game

$
0
0

Please Share and Follow us on Twitter!




Marvel's Spider-Man video game

I have played a lot of Spider-Man games over the years.  My experience with them goes back to the 90s SNES game Maximum Carnage.  That game was great and then as the games began using the open world concept to sling around I played the heck out of them.  However, its been awhile since I was really super excited for a Spider-Man game or really any superhero game.  A few things Marvel's Spider-Man game that really stood out to me. the game has story that feels like a true comic story in a video game.  Normally videogames have you bounce around in various stories, and showcase a variety of villains but nothing has emotional or personal stories that make up so much of the comics.  Well this game boasts multiple comic writers who know a lot about Spider-Man including Dan Slott and Christos Gage.  The story selected for the game to tell is the Brand New Day story that introduced Mister Negative and the FEAST program.  That story is very modern and feels very fresh.  While I enjoy beating up Spider-Man's classic villains as much as the next guy a game that focuses primarily on one of the new villains is very intriguing.    The Spider-Man featured here also is a bit older and it feels like that allows to game to emotionally mature along with the character.

The game also looks flat out beautiful but hey you have to come to expect that in Spider-Man games.


Release Date:  1st half of 2018.

Platform:  Playstation 4


Trailer:



Behind the Scenes of the Game



Games Plot (Per Wikipedia)
Peter Parker is 23 years old and interning at a laboratory while about to graduate from college. Peter has been Spider-Man for eight years and has settled into his role as protector of New York City.Early in the story, Spider-Man defeats Wilson Fisk. Afterwards, a new gang emerges known as the Inner Demons who are now taking over Fisk's territory. Spider-Man then arrives at a construction site owned by Kingpin and must defend Kingpin's men who are under attack by the Inner Demons.While fending off the Inner Demons from the construction site, Peter learns that Martin Li, one of New York's most prominent philanthropists leads the Inner Demons under his alter-ego Mister Negative. Martin runs the F.E.A.S.T. shelters located across the city which complicates things for Peter's personal life as his Aunt May works at F.E.A.S.T.


 Spider-Man Store:

Check out these cool Spider-Man and Venom items.











Don't go anywhere there is more SPIDER-MAN!

Who is Spider-Man? 
 

Marvel - News, Characters, Reviews, Movies, and Comics 

Who is Shadowman? (Valiant )

$
0
0





Who is Shadowman?

Shadowman is a hero in the Valiant Comics universe.  Shadowman was part of the original flagship of Valiant characters in the early 90s and his books sold very well often over 100 thousand per month and outselling many Marvel/DC titles.  Shadowman was also featured in a hit video game when the license was part of Acclaim.  The video games were popular enough to get Shadowman as rated one of the top Black video game on the N64 characters by BET and IGN.  Shadowman has his own day in the city of New Orleans called Shadowman Day which is on Jan 17th.

A Shadowman film is in the works, currently no actor names have been attached to role. For more info see film section at the bottom of this page.


First Appearance: Shadowman #1 (Vol 1 1992)

Shadowman News:

Shadowman series is set to launch in March 2018.  A new design of Shadowman was done by Greg Smallwood. 




I really like this design of Jack Boniface and am excited to see what this series does.

SHADOWMAN (2018) #1
Written by ANDY DIGGLE
Art by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Cover A by TONCI ZONJIC
Cover B by RENATO GUEDES
Interlocking Variant by JUAN JOSÉ RYP
Shadowman Icon Variant by TRAVEL FOREMAN
Glow-in-the-Dark Variant by TONCI ZONJIC
DON’T FEAR YOUR DEMONS… FIGHT THEM!




Bio:
There have been multiple versions of Shadowman with all being men gifted with the mystical voodoo force that allows them to be Shadowman.  Each Shadowman is imbued with standard super hero powers like super strength but also have Voodoo mystic powers.  The Shadowman characters are generally not shown to be gifted in Voodoo and thus have varying success using it.  They also have access to a mystical underworld called the Deadside.
Jack Boniface is the son of the former Shadowman Josiah Boniface.  His father disappeared in a battle with a mystical villain named Master Darque when he was young.  His mother seems to be scared of something and leaves Jack in foster care when he is still a young child.  She leaves him only with a strange amulet.  As Jack gets older he begins to unravel the mystery of who is father is and what happened to him.  More importantly he begins to learn the secret of the amulet that was left to him.  
When Jack was still a young child an evil mystical villain by the name of Master Darque invaded New Orleans with an army. Josiah Boniface leaves an amulet with his wife Helena LaBreton and then goes to battle Master Darque. Josiah becomes Shadowman and helps his friend Dox fight against Darques forces.  Dox has created an army from the deadside that he has mustered to battle Darque's army.  Darques forces are being beaten back when Darque decides to strike at Shadowman/Josiah. Darque had waited until the sun was up to strike hoping that the extra light would effect Shadowman's powers. Even as Darque attacks, he is in turn attacked by Shadowman. The two are pulled into a portal and the invasion ends. With the Invasion defeated Dox went to find Helena but finds that she has fled New Orleans.
Jack learns that his parents had been criminals on the run and that his father had been charged with homicide. Neither parent had been located by authorities they had both seemingly disapeared. While Jack continues his research into this parents a monster named Mr. Twist attacks a bar and kills the customers there. Additionally Mr. Twist alters two police officers into monster henchmen he calls Bretheren.

Confused and angered about learning his parents were criminal's, Jack decides to get rid of the amulet that he has held since being a child. He tosses the amulet in a river. He is located and found by Alyssa a protege of Dox who had long ago helped Jack's father Josiah. Alyssa says that the amulet had mystically hidden his presence from other magic users but without he can now be found both by her and others. Almost immediately the Bretheren monsters hunt down Jack and strike they shoot Jack and seemingly kill him. Close to death a mysterious entity comes to Jack's aid and turns him into the new Shadowman.



Valiant Store:

Toylab is a member of the Amazon Affiliate program and so we can bring you these awesome deals on Valiant products directly from Amazon to you.





Powers and Skills:

  • Nightvision
  • Regeneration - super healing
  • Super strong
  • Super fast
  • Super durable
  • Various mystical spells / abilities that are of voodoo in origin
  • Can contact mystical voodoo entities called the Loa
  • Can travel to the dimension known as the deadside
Film:
No actor name has been attached to Shadowman as of yet.  However, a film is in development.

A Shadowman movie is in the works.  Valiant is working on various plans to bring its universe to the big screen.  The company has a notable five picture deal with Sony that includes its properties Harbinger, and Bloodshot.  Valiant has additional plans that include an inhouse Shadowman film.    A THR report says that Adam Simon (Salem) has been hired to produce the film and Reginald Hudlin (Marshall, The Great White Hype, Boomerang) has been hired to direct.  Hudlin is also a well known comic writer from his time writing Black Panther.  J. Michael Straczynski who has worked on the projected previousily has stayed on as an executive producer.
A variety of other Valiant films are in various stages of development including an Archer & Armstrong film from the minds of Terry Rossio and Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland).  Also a Quantum & Woody film is being worked on by Joe and Anthony Russo (Captain America: Winter Soldier and Civil War).



A whole bunch of classic Marvel Valentines day cards

Who is Man-Thing?

$
0
0


Who is Man-Thing?

Man-Thing is a Marvel character that is very similar to the DC character Swamp thing.  One difference with the character is that his touch is acidic while Swampthing's touch is not.  Man-Thing has appeared in a horror film however he has never appeared in the MCU.  Man-Thing has been mentioned in various ways in the MCU even being name dropped in Agents of SHIELD (See Manthing Easter Eggs post below).

Real Name: Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis

Alias: Man-Thing, Vorgornus Koth

First Appearance:
Savage Tales #1

Man-Thing Store:
Toylab is a member of the Amazon Affiliate Program and is able to bring amazing deals on products like those below:


Man-Thing News

Man-Thing 2017
In March, 2017 a new Man-Thing will be a new 5 issue solo series written by famed horror writer R.L. Stine.  The idea is for a talking Man-Thing to go home to California to work on film deals.  Each comic will feature a 2nd story written by R.L. Stine.  Stine has said that Man-Thing will show more personality in this series telling the New York Times that Man-Thing, "can talk and he’s very sarcastic,”
Stine went on to credit reading comics like the Tales from the Crypt as a major influence on his writing style.  Marvel offered various characters to write for Stine and he quickly selected Man-Thing.  He says he has long held a fondness for Swamp Monsters.

The series is said to be a dark, horror tale aimed at teenagers or older but will have elements of humor added in.


Man-Thing - Multi-Media:
Coming soon



Biography:


Ted Sallis is working on Project Gladiator in the Everglades.  Project Gladiator is an experiment involving the Superhuman Serum that transformed Captain America.  Learning that AIM is operating in the area, Sallis breaks into his lab with his lover Ellen Brandt.  He begins to destroy his already memorized notes.  Unfortunately, Brandt betrayed Sallis and agents appear.  Sallis escapes with his serum that he injects himself with right before crashing his car into the swamp.
His body merges with murky water around him and he emerges as the dim red eyed monster Man-Thing with only faint memories of Ted Sallis.  He then attacks Ellen Brandt scaring her face, then shambles off into a new existence living in the Swamp.

Man-Thing becomes a protector of the Nexus of All Realities an important location within the Ever Glades.

2017 ManThing


Man-Thing leaves the swamp and goes back to his original home of Burbank, California.  He seeks to learn why there have been no films made about him.

Swamp Thing and Man-Thing
Yes Swamp Thing and Man-Thing are similar and yes there is a reason for that.
The two characters appeared at around the same time and the two writers involved with the characters were also roommates at the time.  Gerry Conway writer of (Man-Thing) lived with Len Wein (Swamp Thing) writer, Len refused to alter the origin of Swamp Thing to make him more different. Marvel may have considered Legal action against DC but in the end nothing official occurred.

Man-Thing is generally considered to be good.  He has effectively lost his conscious human mind and only retains bits of his old self.  The lack of full understanding make him dangerous to everyone around him.  He basically reacts to others emotions.  If others emotions are violent he will in turn react violently, if others emotions or benevolent then he in turn will act benevolent.


Powers:
Man-Thing is made up of vegetable/swamp matter held together through the serum injected in him.

  • Sense emotions
  • Super strength, speed,
  • Very high level of durability, nearly invulnerable
  • Acid that kills almost everyone it touches
  • Poisonous chemical odor that forces others to fear it
  • Immortality


2005 Film and MCU:


Man-Thing: The Nature of Fear is an American / Australian Horror film by Lionsgate Films this film is not set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  The film was not a financial or critical success.  The Film released in some international markets and on Sci Fi Channel is said to have grossed less than a million dollars after costing more than $30 million to make.  The film is also thought to be critical failure and has been mentioned as both the worst horror film and worst Marvel film of all time.   Since being released Lionsgate has sold the rights of Manthing back Marvel.  While Man-Thing has been hinted at in the MCU he has yet to officially appear.

The film premiered on the US Sci Fi Channel on April 30, 2005.  An uncut version of the film was released on DVD June 14, 2015.

While not a Marvel film, Marvel did release a prequel comic series to go with the film.  The prequel comics cover the adventure of a claims adjuster whose research brings him into contact with Man-Thing.



Trailer:




Synopsis:
A new sheriff is brought in to investigate a series of disappearances and murders in a Louisiana swamp.  The swamp had recently been sold from a Native American tribe to an Oil Company and the company had been suffering a series of both vandalism and murders.  Many of the locals blame a mysterious monster for the deaths.  Sheriff quickly finds himself kneck deep in a conspiracy and is hunted by both criminals and a monster alike.

What Happened to Man-Thing?
While the plot of the film is not very good some of the visuals in the film are cool.  Generally, I think the way Man-Thing looks is pretty awesome.  The film had fairly good special effects for a horror film. Many of the actors like Rachel Taylor in the film went on to have fairly good film careers.

Director Brett Leonard who has also done films like The Lawn Mowerman was interviewed by William Bibbiani from Blummhouse.com on making the film.  In the interview Leonard explains that the initial script had a strong father son relationship between the sheriff and Man-Thing.  Effectively, a boy sees his father murdered where spirits turn the father into a avenging nature monster.  This initial script gives the Sherrif a reason for coming into town as he is basically looking for answers to what happened to his father.  According to Leonard the negative response toward the father son relationship in Ang Lee's Hulk caused the "Power that Be" to remove that aspect from the film.   Not enough was added to the Sheriff's arc though to flesh out his story arc so in the actual film all of the characters just appear to be stuck in the swamp.  Generally, these changes caused the film's story to not work.
The Director also says he wanted a dark, edgier ending in which all of the characters but Man-Thing were killed.  He feels this would have been a more satisfying ending than the relatively happy ending of actual film.


Man-Thing Monster

Man-Thing

Man-Thing Rachael Taylor Mattew Le Nevez

Related:
Manthing Easter Eggs in Ironman 3 and Agents of SHIELD


Who is Cable?

$
0
0

Please Share and Follow us on Twitter!







Who is Cable?

Cable is a Marvel hero primarily known for his battles with Apocalypse.  He is a time traveler from a dystopian future and the son of X-Men Cyclops and Madelyn Pryor (Jean Grey's clone).  Cable will appear in the film Deadpool 2 and be played by actor Josh Brolin.

First Appearance:  Uncanny X-Men#201 as Nathan Summers (1986), New Mutants #87 as Cable 1990)

Real Name: Nathan Christopher Charles Summers

Alias(es):  Cable, Nathan Dayspring, Soldier X, Nathan Winters, Askani'Son

Cable News:
Cable look in Deadpool 2
A funny 4th wall breaking Tweet from Ryan Reynolds that provides another look at Josh Brolin's Cable incoming in Deadpool 2.

A post shared by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds) on

Cable Store:
Toylab is a member of the Amazon Affiliate program so we can bring you great deals directly from Amazon quickly like Snikt Snikt Snikt!!!!!





Bio:



The X-Men villain Mister Sinister was obsessed with finding a mutant capable of defeating his master Apocalypse.  He theorized that a union between the X-Men Cyclops and Jean Grey would result in a powerful mutant capable of unleashing enough telepathic energy to kill Apocalypse.  Sinister carefully plotted events using a clone of Jean Grey named Madelyn Pryor.  When Pryor gave birth to Nathan Summers, Sinister thought he had succeeded in creating the special mutant.  However, Apocalypse was warned of Nathan Summers and had him infected with the Technoorganic Virus.  The X-Men managed to temporarily defeat Apocalypse but were unable to save Nathan from the virus, however the team was visited by time travelers from the Clan Askani.  Clan Askani was a group devoted to the defeat of Apolcaylpse and came from 4935.  Using future technology they promised they could save young Nathan.  The clan brought the child to the future and raised him as a warrior.  They also created a clone of him but this clone was stolen by Apocalypse and named Stryfe.  Stryfe was designed to be the successor of Apocalypse.

After defeating Apocalypse in the future and surviving Stryfe Cable traveled back to the 20th Century.  Here he learned to speak English from Moria McTaggert and met Charles Xavier.  He helped design advanced security system of the X-Mansion in exchange for knowledge on the 20th Century.

Cable aided his old enemy Apocalypse in defeating Onslaught and rescuing a young Franklin Richards.  He then opposed and eventually killed Apocalypse in the events of the 12.   Cable learns there are 12 powerful mutants who destined to guide the world, however Apocalypse kidnaps them with the intent of harvesting their powers to make himself even more powerful.  Cyclops sacrifices himself and draws in Apocalypse's essence into himself so that Cable is able to kill the nearly immortal villain but at the cost of his own father's life.  Jean Grey manages to move the Apocalypse out of Cyclops and Cable finishes him off.




After this path crossed with the mutant Deadpool.  The pair became interwined by a plot of the One World Church to turn the world into blue skinned aliens in way to promote peace.  The two form a bizarre and unlikely friendship.  During the events of the One World Church the DNA of Cable and Deadpool is mixed giving them both the ability to teleport with on restraint.  When one teleports the other is brought along for the ride.  This ability thus bring Deadpool and Cable together as grudging partners.

Cable at one point create a war against himself and the rest of the world in the hope that it would unite the world and reveal its full potential.

Cable sacrifices himself in order to destroy the powerful Skornn.  His energies are collected across dimensions by Deadpool and reunited by Scarlet Witch which brings him back to life.



Cable Rogues Gallery:


Powers:
Cable has vast telepathic powers and is said to possess a potentially unstable amount of telepathic energy.  He is able to use his power to do many things:

Telekinetic Energy

  • Can can move objects with his mind
  • Can take apart and resemble items including particles
  • Can gain knowledge of how things are built and work, very quickly by using his mind to take it apart.
  • Can lift vast weights and create force shields around himself and others.  His force fields are thought to be strong enough to protect him from a direct nuclear strike.
  • Can be used to augment his physical strikes.
Telepathy Powers
  • Can control other people's minds
  • Can read people's thoughts
  • Can see the future
  • Mental defense - his own mind is nearly imprenable

As a result of the Technoorganic virus much of Cable's body has been turned into a cyborg.  His cyborg parts have enhanced strength and can be repaired.  This also helps him have superhuman durability and endurance.   He also cyborgnetic mental functions that allow him to calculate things using a future super computer.

He has advanced education and intelligence due in part to advanced future education.

Due to his affliction with the Technoorganic virus much of Cable's powers are forced to be used toward stopping the virus from taking over the rest of his body.  Due to this his overall power is greatly reduced.

Items/ Upgrades:
Cable has many upgrades from future technology.  As his main power is muted due to contracting a virus his technology allows him to hold his own.  He uses a variety of gadgets, weapons and cyborgnetic parts for battle.  These future technology items include:

  • Guns/Blasters
  • Teleportation devices
  • Time Travel devices



Film:


Cable will appear in Deadpool 2 and be played by Josh Brolin.  Brolin also plays Thanos in the MCU.  As the Fox universe and the MCU universe are seperate he can effectively play 2 different Marvel characters.  Josh Brolin signed a 4 picture deal that will include Deadpool and X-Force.

Josh Brolin has been spotted lifting in the gym getting ripped for the role.

First picture of Brolin as Cable has been released.  I generally like it.  I may wished for a little more metal on his face but generally this still looks good.  I also see that his finger is metal so I assume he is still going to look like a cyborg when we see his full body.  My big worry from a visual perspective is that they take away his machine parts and just leave him as a guy with a big gun and a glowing eye.  I really think the machine parts are part of Cable's back story and need to be there in a significant way.






A post shared by Josh Brolin (@joshbrolin) on

Photo










MAKE MINE MARVEL!

X-Men movie news, reviews, casting and art



Marvel - News, Characters, Reviews, Movies, and Comics 


Some Valentines Day cards from Venom

$
0
0



Some Valentines Day cards from Venom

Lets face it long tongues are kind of sexy.........yeah I went there.  Nobody has longer tongue than Venom.  So in a way Venom and Valentines day kind of go together likes Peas and ........Orangutans.

Yeah they don't go together at all, which is in part why these cards are so funny.

Here are some funny Valentine's day cards from your favorite long tongued villain.















And of course we can't ignore the Tongue.  This Valentine shows it off the way no other can.




Want More?
More Venom!!!!!


Who is Spider-Man?



Spider-Man Fan Land! All Spidey News All the Time! 
 

Marvel - News, Characters, Reviews, Movies, and Comics 
  

Tom Holland is Spider-Man see his Parkour Moves!


DISCLAIMERThis article was submitted by a volunteer contributor who has agreed to our code of conduct. Toylab is protected from liability under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and "safe harbor" provisions. Toylab will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please contact us at ToylabHQ@gmail for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. You may also learn more about our copyright and trademark policies. 

The best Valentines themed Marvel comics

$
0
0
 http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/scale_super/1/18863/1128858-4356667131_31ddaa5eb8.jpg

Here are some fun and lovely Marvel issues to read  on Valentines Day

Related:
Toylab's Valentines Day Special 


Deadpool # 27
Deadpool 27 is cool because it is both the issue where Deadpool gets married, and is a Guiness Record holder for having the most characters on its cover.
Plus its a Deadpool comic!






Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (1997)
In this famous issue Peter Parker aka Spider-Man marries his longtime sweet heart Mary Jane.  Lets ignore the fact that their marriage was written away in the Brand New Day story and just enjoy this issue for two longtime lovers tying the knot.




Want some darker Valentines Day reads how about:




Punisher My Bloody Valentine

http://www.x-comics.de/bilder/produkte/gross/Punisher-Bloody-Valentine.jpg


Harley Quinn Valentines Day Special!

Related:
Toylab's Valentines Day Special 

Deadpool's Tips for Valentines Day

$
0
0
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/5b/1e/49/5b1e49db349612271a38080f5307c606.jpg

Deadpool's tips for Valentines Day

Hot Announcer lady: Want to roll like Deadpool this Valentines day?  Well here are some helpful tips from the man himself!

Deadpool: I have had my share of heart ache.  Being stabbed in the chest is never fun.  Its down a peg or two from falling off a cliff or being blasted by a heat ray. 
Take it from your ol' pal Wade, its best to do Valentines the right way than the wrong way.  Are you with me?  Word!

Related:
Toylab's Valentines Day Special 
Deadpool Movie headquarters / Sleazy Apartment - Full of news, speculation and potential explosive devices, and SNACKS!


Here are my tips!  Follow them, and learn from the Pool!

1)  Dress Well
Want to impress a woman, try wearing something flashy.  Girls are like deer, and dwarves they like shiny things!  Also put your name on it so that everyone knows who you are because girls love celebrities!

http://www.dadsbigplan.com/images/uploads/2009/10/deadpool-16.jpg

2) Listen - Or at least pretend to.

Girls say lots of stuff some of it is even useful, but even when it is really boring ....pretend to listen!  Most of the time they won't know the difference!

http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/scale_medium/5/56434/1497519-400px_cable___deadpool_vol_1_20_textless.jpg


3) Surprise
Never be predictable
http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/0/77/430427-Deadpool_Paco+Medina16.jpg


4) Give her Gifts but nothing that Explodes!

Try to find that perfect something your lady will love.  Be careful giving grenades without pins, actually be careful giving any explosive devices.......unless she is an alien invader or an angry demon then go for it!

http://i.imgur.com/V7dkJ.jpg

5) Be cautious who you chose as your Valentine
Pick the right girl and you will have an Amazing night, choose wrong and you will end up with a hammer to your face.  Hopefully, the hammer is not Mjorner!
Guys don't always think deep, about those internal qualities, that make someone beautiful when choosing.  Thats too bad.



6)  BE YOU!!!
Last and most important Tip
Be yourself, Believe in yourself, you are good enough, and you are special (Just not as special as me).  Put effort into something and you might be surprised what can happen.!

Follow this advice and you will be rolling like Deadpool in no time....Swag!




Related:
Toylab's Valentines Day Special 
Deadpool Movie headquarters / Sleazy Apartment - Full of news, speculation and potential explosive devices, and SNACKS!

Hulk's Tips for Valentines Day

Toylab's Valentines Day Special!

$
0
0
https://d1466nnw0ex81e.cloudfront.net/n_iv/600/654791.jpg

Hope everyone has a lovely Valentines Day.  One of our Toylabers really hit the ball out of the park with his Valentine's Day plans.  We may need to share what he did if he gives us permission.  I am always amazed at the creative ways that some people come up with to share their love with others.  That is what makes this day wonderful.
I know many pepes out there are single too.  Be patient your special valentine is out there somewhere.

Here are some valentine's day themed posts for your enjoyment.





  Valentines Day Comics:
Best Marvel Valentines Day reads!!! 

Valentines Day Tips:

Valentines Day Cards



Valentines Day Event for Pokemon Go!

$
0
0


Pokemon Go Event




This year's Pokemon Go Valentines Day event is cute but does not offer massive rewards that players have become accustomed to during these events.

This event primarily features the heartshaped generation 3 Pokemon Luvdisc.  Anytime you catch one you earn 3x the stardust you would normally.  This means this Valentines day event is all about catching Luvdiscs and rolling in the Stardust.

Now while that may seem underwhelming it may be better than it seems at first blush.  It takes a lot of Stardust to boost up the elite pokemon in the game to partake in Legendary raids.  This event is a great way to focus on getting heap loads of the stardust and doing just that.

I will also say its pretty fun to look out on your map and at a bunch of floating hearts.

The Event will end on Feb 15th so go out there and catch some hearts!

No Quest System?
The code in the game has been updated with something that looks like a quest system.  Some hoped that the quest system would debut for this event, however it appears the game is saving it.  It would not surprise me if they hold toward the end of spring to launch it before summer and the games effective peak season.








Last Years Valentine Event
Last years Valentines Event was also based off Chansey but was a little different.




Pokemon Go Valentines Day Event is goes from Friday the 8th at 11 am to Feb 15th 2017

The  Valentines day event will feature double candy for all candy generating actions so transferring, catching, buddy pokemon, and hatching pokemon all result in double the normal amount of candy.

Also Pink Pokemon including Chansey, Clefable will be more likely to catch and Igglypuff, Cleffa and Smoochum will be more likely to hatch from eggs.

Oh Yes and Lure Modules will last for 6 HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!  I expect that this will make Pokestops all over covered in Lures like never before!


Message from Niantic on the event

Trainers,
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we couldn’t think of a sweeter time to double the amount of Candy you’ll earn every time you catch, hatch, and transfer Pokémon. Your Buddy Pokémon is also getting into the Valentine’s Day spirit and will find Candy twice as fast!
Throughout the celebration, you’ll notice that Chansey, Clefable, and many other adorable pink Pokémon will be encountered more frequently in the wild. Cleffa, Igglybuff, and Smoochum will also be more likely to hatch from Eggs. And to help you paint your town pink this Valentine’s Day, Lure Modules will last for six hours for the entire duration of the event.
This limited-time celebration will only be available from 11:00 A.M. PST on February 8, 2017, to 11:00 A.M. PST on February 15, 2017, so grab your valentine, get out, and explore the world around you!



TOYLAB TIP: Use this event to get Blissey!







Chansey is going to be the hot Pokemon to catch during this event.   It should be exciting because Blissey the evolved form of Chansey promises to be extremely powerful. Alright so Blissey is not out yet but is a Pokemon expected to come out during Generation 2.  I believe Niantic has Gen 2 ready to go but is waiting for Spring to roll it out world wide.  I'm hopeful that Gen 2 launches with some new features see my post on NPCs, Dungeons and Quests!  Even though Gen 2 is not out there are some pokemon you can catch now that will help you when Gen 2 does launch and top amongst those pokemons is Chansey.  Chansey has become known as one of the toughest gym defenders due to his massive HP and in Gen 2 Chansey picks up an evolved form called Blissey that will be even more POWERFUL.  Muahahhahahahaha.

As Chansey is one of the featured Pokemon in this event this is a great time to try to catch as many of him as you can!

You might also want to check out our post about building a Chansey Castle as a defense tactic.  You can find that post and many others in the Pokemon Go guide below.



The Poke fun has just begun...Also See!


More Pokemon GO! Tips, Tricks and More!

Midnight Angels Ayo and Aneka - Black Panther Villains

$
0
0

Please Share and Follow us on Twitter!





Who are the Midnight Angels?

The Midnight Angels are villains of the Marvel hero the Black Panther.  Ayo and Aneka are former members of Black Panther's loyal personal guard the Dora Milaje who have rebelled.  The are not evil or out for world domination but have a major political disagreement with Black Panther and his rule.  The characters are in the film Black Panther.  According to Variety there was a scene in which a relationship between the characters was hinted at but had since been removed sparking some controversy (See bottom of page in MCU section for more on this).


First Appearance: Aneka -Black Panther #8 (Vol 5-2009)  Ayo- Ultimates #1 (Vol 2 -2016)

Real Name:   Ayo and Aneka

Alias: Midnight Angels

Midnight Angel News:

A new Trailer for Black Panther highlights Wakanda and in particular the Dora Milaje:




Bio:


Stelfreeze variant cover

Ayo and Aneka were members of the Dora Milaje the highly trained female warriors of the Black Panther. Aneka was a highly decorated member and combat trainer for the Dora Milaje.  She was personally tasked by T'Challa to develop fighting styles to battle robots as the nation of Wakanda prepared for the Doom War. Fighting together Ayo and Aneka fell in love despite there being strong prejudice against their relationship.    The two slowly grew disgruntled with the rule of the Black Panther and highly jaded after the fall of the Golden City.

During a raid in a Wakandan village Aneka kills a tribal Chieftain who had been abusing women.  Queen Ramonda held trial over Aneka.   Ayo came to Aneka's defense and explained how the death of the Chieftain was necessary.  Queen Ramonda sympathized with her predicament but ultimately  found her guilty and sentenced her to death.  She was taken away to Fort Hahn to await her sentence.



Ayo was unwilling to allow Aneka to die so she stole two prototype Wakandan armor suits called Midnight Angel suits.  She uses one of the suits to free Aneka.  While freed both women discuss how they are now dead, knowing that they will be hunted down for betraying the king and stealing the prototype suits. They decide that they should act as dead women should.  This means creating a rebellion to take down the Wakandan monarchy.

A monarchy they no longer believe in.

The pair leave with the high tech armors and form a rebellion that initially includes only a few members of the Dora Milaje but continues to grow as disorder in Wakanda mounts.  The two are still reluctant to join with the other resistance group known as "The People".

The pair next raid a group of bandits on the northern border of Wakanda where they kill a group of bandits who were kidnapping and raping women.  They tell the freed women that everyone deserves better in Wakanda.

In the series World of Wakanda more backstory is provided for various Black Panther characters including the Midnight Angels.  Ayo and Aneka are depicted training to enter the Dora Milaje.  They are also shown entering a slummish area as part of a Dora Milaje strike force and capturing a woman with blue skin (Perhaps a Wakandan Mutant or Inhuman.)  The series then has a flash of the villains Zenzi's childhood.  She is apparently a lone survivor of a slaughter of a military force.  She uses her power to cause the military soldiers to shoot themselves and flees.

Powers:
Ayo and Aneka are highly trained in African martial arts being former members of the elite Dora Milaje.

The pair also have a variety of high tech powers due to the armored Midnight Angel suit.
  • Super Strength
  • Super Armor
  • Super Speed
  • Pulse beams



Black Panther Store:
Toylab is a member of the Amazon Affiliate program which allows to find awesome deals on Black Panther merchandise and link them directly on our site.

Comics and Trades:
I normally only recommend 4 trades from Amazon however I have linked directly to 8 here.    I highly recommend Don McGregor's Black Panther Jungle Action the 1973series which fleshes out Wakanda.  I grew up on and love Christopher Priest's Black Panther that modernized the character.  The recent Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet is also phenonemal, while being very different from all other comics.



Toys and Merchandise:
Here are my favorite Black Panther Toys.  The Mask, Funko, Marvel Legends figure and the Lego Set from Captain America: Civil War.  This will be updated once the Black Panther film comes closer.





MCU:



Ayo is played by Actress Florence Kasumba in the MCU.

Captain America: Civil War:

Ayo appears in the film Captain America: Civil War she is part of the Wakandan body guards protecting T'Challa. She confronts Black Widow who is standing in front of one of Wakanda's cars and she says: "Move. Or you will be moved"T'Challa jokingly remarks that he would enjoy seeing that fight.

Black Panther:



Ayo is in the Black Panther film however her exact role is not known. There are multiple named Dora Milaje.

Ayo is shown holding off warriors. These warriors could be from Erik Killmonger or from another group. She is also shown standing next to T'Challa in a scene where Ulyssess S. Klaue is being interogated by SHIELD agent Everett Ross. While T'Challa and Ayo are behind a one way mirror, Klaue indicates that he knows they are there.





Scene Cut Controversy
A reporter for Vanity Fair reporter named Joanna Robinson mentioned there was a scene between Okoye and Ayo in which a romantic relationship was hinted at in an early showing of the film. However, the scene is not in the final cut. This has sparked some controversy about cutting out an LGBTQ scene.

Black Panther Screenwriter Joe Robert Cole weighed in on the controversy basically saying that if the scene did exist it was small and not part of a major theme of the film.  Joe was quoted as saying:

"I know that there were quite a few conversations around different things, different directions with different characters, and characters that we may have," ... "We thought, ‘Well, maybe we’ll work it this way with an arc or work it that way with an arc.’"

When asked specifically about the scene he responded:

"The scene you’re talking about, I don’t remember," ... "I can’t remember the exact exchange you’re talking about, but I think it was really brief. I’m not sure. I know that it was not – there wasn’t some major theme through that we were looking to explore with that in terms of the story. We didn’t like, pull out a full thread of some theme. But your friend quite possibly could be right, or I’m maybe having a brain fart here and just can’t remember."

More Black Panther:

Black Panther: News, Toys, and Media

Who is Daisy Johnson / Quake /Skye?

$
0
0




 http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel//universe3zx/images/thumb/1/16/Daisy_Quake442.jpg/406px-Daisy_Quake442.jpg

Who is Daisy Johnson?
Daisy Johnson is a  hero and SHIELD agent in the Marvel Universe.  Daisy has super abilities due to the genetic manipulations of her father the super villain Calvin Zabo AKA Mister Hyde.  She has the ability to generate powerful seismic waves.  She occasionally goes by the name Quake, a reference to her seismic powers.

Daisy Johnson is a relatively new character created by Brian Michael Bendis.  She has had a prominent part of some of the big events that Bendis masterminded like Secret War, Civil War and Secret Invasion.



First Appearance:  Secret War #2

Daisy Johnson News:
Daisy Johnson Multi-Media:




Bio:
http://static6.gohobby.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Agents-of-SHIELD-Daisy-Johnson.jpg

Daisy Johnson is the illegitimate daughter of Dr. Calvin Zabo and Jessica Johnson. Jessica Johnson was a prostitute frequented by Dr. Zabo. Dr. Zabo had begun using the Hyde formula prior to her conception and had already altered his DNA. Daisy inherits her father's mutated DNA and develops the power of creating and controlling seismic waves. After her power develops she is identified by SHIELD and is trained as an agent. Despite only being a high school graduate Daisy is remarkably intelligent and quickly learns the espionage trade. She is trained by Nick Fury himself and the two develop something of a father daughter relationship. She becomes one of his closest and most loyal supporters. Daisy eventually is given a Level 10 clearance, the highest clearance available at SHIELD. She is part of a very small group of Agents to have been given Level 10 clearance.
After the events of Secret War Nick Fury is kicked out of SHIELD but Daisy maintains contact with her mentor.  She is brought into a special mission by Fury to find hidden people with powers to make a team to battle the Skrulls.  

She has a romantic relationship with Hellfire one of her recruits.  He eventually killed for betrayal by Nick Fury.

She replaces Nick Fury at one point and is made Director of SHIELD but is rather quickly replaced by Maria Hill.

Fun Facts:
Has been a member of the Avengers.

Daisy is famous for defeating the powerful Mutant Magneto.  She caused a small tremor in his brain causing him to pass out.

Important Relationships:  Nick Fury, Hellfire and Calvin Zabo 
http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/0/5586/1210066-hell5.jpg
Dr. Calvin Zabo is the biological father of Daisy Johnson.  They are estranged.
She does have something like a paternal relationship with Nick Fury.
She has a romantic relationship with the character Hellfire.





Powers:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cy-KeR2Yj4Q/TnByIQHjUiI/AAAAAAAAEGU/gqH1lx7qvuU/s1600/DaisyIsNotAMutant.jpg

  • Can generate Seismic Waves:
  • Can control and manipulate vibrations
  • Can send the waves through the ground or use it to add force to a punch.
  • She can also make the waves inside of objects or people to various effect.
  • She once caused Magneto to pass out by causing a tremor in brain.

She is a highly trained SHIELD agent.

Skye from Agents of SHIELD?
http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Agents-of-SHIELD-Skye-Origin-Sin-Daisy-Johnson-Quake.jpg


Skye from Agents of SHIELD  is Daisy Johnson in the MCU.

Skye's father is Calvin Zabo and Skye is a tweaked version of Daisy Johnson.  While Daisy in the comics has no connection to the Inhumans like Skye does.

In Season 4: 

Skye now seems to use the name Quake and has gone off on her own.  It seems like she will likely encounter a man named Robbie Reyes who has special supernatural powers and goes by Ghost Rider.  Chloe Bennett has said she has spent most of her time away from the old SHIELD team actors.

Clues:
Both are female orphans brought into SHIELD and are highly trained within the group.  Both also have a monstrous Doctor Father.

I initially believed Skye's father was an Inhuman but he does not seem capable of holding the the Inhuman device known as the Diviner.  This would indicate he is a human who some how gained super strength.  This sounds very much like Calvin Zabo.

More Fun!
THE HUB: Home to latest SHIELD news and speculation   
   

More Skye from Agents of SHIELD 
 

Agents of SHIELD speculation and theories 
Who is Calvin Zabo/Mister Hyde Daisy's father? 
Inhumans CheatSheet for Agents of SHIELD fans
Is the City on the map Attilan? 
Is Skye's father the evil Maximus the Mad? 
Who Are Skye's Parents #1
Is Skye an Inhuman?

Who is Stilt-Man?

$
0
0
 http://i.imgur.com/SonJUlx.jpg

Who is Stilt-Man?

Stilt-Man is a villain In the Marvel universe.   He is known for using a suit with long telescopic legs.

Real Name: Wilbur Day

First Appearance: Daredevil #8


Related:
All Daredevil and Defenders Saga News! 
The Hidden Secrets of Daredevil 
Review of Daredevil Netflix Series


Bio:
Wilbur Day is an engineer who steals a prototype of a hydraulic ram from his employer and converts it into a type of stilts.   On top of the stilts Day designs an armored suit.  The suit includes a variety of weapons and gadgets.   Day embarks on a criminal career using the name Stilt-Man.

Stilt-Man used his long telescopic legs to reach high points and rob out of reach areas.  He quickly ran into Daredevil and beaten.   He returned and battled heroes Daredevil, Spider-Man, Thor and Punisher.

Turk Barrett a small time once stole the Stilt-Man armor and tried to become an assassin of the Kingpin.  He was brought down when Day informed Daredevil of a weakness in the armor.  This allowed Day to retrieve and further upgrade the stolen suit.

 Day's suit was famously updated with Stark Technology as part of the Armor Wars event.  In this series Iron Man's technology was utilized by various villains to upgrade their suits and weapons.  Stark beat all the villains including Day.

Day quit his criminal career and even turned in his suit to Daredevil.  He was used as an enforcer of pro registration forces during the Civil War Marvel event.  On his first mission he came into contact with the Punisher who quickly paralyzed and then killed Day.

http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix5/ladystiltman2.jpg

Since the death of Day three other Stilt-Men have arisen.  The first two were quickly dispatched and have yet to return again.  The final Stilt-Man is Lady Stilt Man she worked for Misty Knight's Villains for Hire group.  She has also been recruited into Max Fury's new Masters of Evil.


Powers:
Uses a heavily armored suit that has long retractable legs that allow him to reach high places.
Also has used a wide variety of gadget including one that allowed him to shrink others or himself.


MCU:
http://images-cdn.moviepilot.com/images/c_fill,h_359,w_550/t_mp_quality/iiqjsir5pjmoqve8l1hm/the-15-geekiest-easter-eggs-in-netflix-s-daredevil-355465.jpg
A version of Stilt-Man's Suit can be seen in the workshop of Melvin Potter in the Daredevil Netflix Series.



THE Big Ol' Glossary of Daredevil Facts:
All Daredevil and Defenders Saga News! 
The Hidden Secrets of Daredevil 
Review of Daredevil Netflix Series 
Avengers News
Who are the Chaste? 

Who is Daredevil?
 
Elektra
Black Widow
Stick 
Daredevil
Shaft 
Stone 
Master Izo
Kirigi
The Absorbing Man
Hawkeye
Hulk 
The Hand  
Luke Cage
Jessica Jones
 Chaste
Who is The Owl aka Leland Owlsley
Who is Elektra?  
Who is the Kingpin?
Who is Bullseye?
Who is Mother Crane? 
Steel Serpent 
Mr Fish 
Who is Gladiator aka Melvin Potter? 
Hell's Kitchen.



Agents of SHIELD Season 5 trailers and teasers

$
0
0




Agents of SHIELD Season 5 will begin with our favorite band of agents having been kidnapped and brought into space where they must deal with cosmic threats such as the Kree and teh Vrellnexians.


Trailers - Teasers:

Episode 10  "All the Comforts of Home"


Agents of SHIELD returns  March 2nd, 2017.  The Agents make it back to their own time however they are now fugitives and on the run.  More over it seems that Carl Creel aka the Absorbing Man has them in his sights.  Creel was last seen working for Talbot.  Talbot was last seen being shot by an LMD that looked like Quake.  It could be this is the reason why Creel is going after the agents.
Coulson and team set out to rewrite the course of humanity’s fate, but they’re unaware that their efforts will dramatically change one S.H.I.E.L.D agent’s life, on “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” FRIDAY, MARCH 2 (9:01-10:01 p.m. EST), on The ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand.
“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” stars Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, Chloe Bennet as Daisy Johnson, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons, Henry Simmons as Agent Alphonso “Mack” MacKenzie and Natalia Cordova-Buckley as Elena “Yo-Yo” Rodriguez.
Guest starring are Jeff Ward as Deke, Catherine Dent as General Hale, Dove Cameron as Ruby, Brian Patrick Wade as Carl Creel, Briana Venskus as Agent Piper, Shontae Saldana as Candice Lee, Antonio Aaron as Officer Kennedy, Stewart Skelton as Chief Wellins, Patrick Warburton as General Stoner, Joel David Moore as Noah, Josh Fingerhut as bartender and Amy Tolsky as woman.

Episode 9
I thought the Last Day was a really interesting episode that some how upped the time travel weirdness that has been part of the whole season.  It was simultaneously integral to the plot of the season while having its own stand alone story.

The next episode begins with some movement against the Kree and its about time.  The agents on the Lighthouse now have weapons and since Kasius's main henchwoman Sinara is down on Earth it leaves the agents on the station with plain ol' Kree troops to deal with.

You can see that Mac, Yoyo and Flint are more than capable of dealing with a pair of Kree Soldiers and so the revolution on the Lighthouse begins.

You can see this new episode of “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” this Friday at 9|8c PM on ABC


S5 Episode  "The Last Day"



This Friday will be a big Agents of SHIELD so plan accordingly.   The agents may finally learn about the prophesy.  Last season they met a man who could read the future but only see horrible things effectively how people were going to die.  The agents were unable to save him, but then Fitz learned that his daughter had also gone through Terregenis and inherited some of his ability though potentially more refined.  His daughter named Willow was able to see the future.  Willow works with Enoch an alien robot anthropologist called a Chroniccon to help Earth avoid the future seen thus far in Season 5.  It was her that gave the orders to Enoch on who should be selected to be sent into the future and also decided Fitz needed to stay.

In the next episode, the Agents finally come to face with an adult Willow and learn more about the prophesy and how they can prevent it from occurring in the first place.


“The Last Day” – Coulson and the team discover that the most unexpected person from S.H.I.E.L.D.’s past may hold the key to stopping Earth’s destruction, on “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” FRIDAY, JAN. 19 (9:00-10:01 p.m. EST), on The ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand.

“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” stars Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, Chloe Bennet as Daisy Johnson, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons, Henry Simmons as Agent Alphonso “Mack” MacKenzie and Natalia Cordova-Buckley as Elena “Yo-Yo” Rodriguez.

Guest starring are Jeff Ward as Deke, Dominic Rains as Kasius, Florence Faivre as Sinara, Joel Stoffer as Enoch, Coy Stewart as Flint, Michael McGrady as Samuel Voss, Tunisha Hubbard as Ava, Willow Hale as Robin Hinton, Ava Kolker as Robin (age 12), Lexy Kolker as Robin (age 7), Jamal Akakpo as comms agent, Michele Tobin as Gretchen and Dusty Sorg as Mouse.





S5 Episode 2 "A life Earned"

ABC has released 8 pictures showing Quake and some of the new space characters.  As you can see the show will not be skimping on the aliens.

COULSON UNCOVERS SECRETS AND BETRAYALS IN SPACE, ON ABC’S ‘MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.’

“A Life Earned” – Coulson and the team discover what their captors’ true intentions are; and in space, escape is not an option, on “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” FRIDAY, DEC. 15 (9:01-10:01 p.m. EST), on The ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand.


image hostimage hostimage hostimage hostimage hostimage hostimage hostimage host



S5 Premiere

A couple of things are revealed in the trailer/teasers for season 5.
  • First they are definetly in Space
  • They will be definetly fighting with the Kree and may other aliens
  • There is 4 legged alien monster that is a Vrellnexian a type of alien that first appear in Thor comics.
  • SWORD might appear or be created here.







New Pictures:
New pictures were released of portraits of all the agents.




























Pod System
One of the key components of Season 4 was the Pod system.  The Pod system broke the Season down into 3 distinct segments each with its own overarching theme.  Each Pod though was very interconnected with things from pod 1 setting up things that happened in the Finale.  I thought the Pods really kept things fresh and interesting.  It provided the show enough time to explore a theme but about the time it was getting long in the tooth it was moving onto the next pod.  With Season 5 it is unclear if the pod system will be kept.  The show runners know that it was popular but also say that the pods were in part due to the TV schedule and its breaks.  The show was effectively starting and ending new pods around the tv breaks.  As the schedule next year will be different its not likely that the system will be kept the exact same way.  However, I think we can expect for them to try introduce new themes in similar manner.

Inhumans



No Marvel MCU property has done as much with the Inhumans concept as Agents of SHIELD.  The show has introduced a bevy of Inhumans, the Kree creators of the Inhumans and even show cased the process of Terregensis.  The show even did its version of the Terrigen Cloud that was a major part of the recent Inhuman's comic story of Inhumanity.  It thus makes perfect sense that ABC was also given the show Inhumans which will focus on the Inhuman Royal family.  Inhumans will be airing in the fall of 2017 prior to Agents of SHIELD Season 5 that will come out in either late 2017 or early 2018.  Its no secret that Marvel has had trouble tying its various properties together to create a cohesive universe.  The Agents often seem to be off on their own with little to no interaction with what is happening in the MCU films.  With ABC having both Inhumans and Agents though it seems likely that they will be able to tie both shows together.  Its hard to say how exactly this will be done, but you can bet on it occuring in some fashion or form.
Coulson is will begin the next season in what appears to be space (could be another dimension) and this could immediatly tie into either the Kree or the Inhumans.

One other thought on Inhumans was way back in Season 2.  Raina gains the ability to see into the future and prophesizes that Skye will become a major Inhuman leader capable of saving their people.  This seems like a pretty big deal, and could in a way make Quake/Daisy/Skye an alternative leader for the Inhumans instead of Blackbolt.

Another loose end is that in Season 2, various Inhuman communities and ruins were shown.  It would be interesting to get an explanation on what all that stuff is and how they relate to the Royal Family.


S.W.O.R.D. or Space Agents?


On 9-26-2017 Marvel released a new promo for Agents of SHIELD with what appears to be a space ship door with a SHIELD emblem.  This seems to provide further evidence of a SWORD or SWORD like plot.

SWORD is an agency like SHIELD that is designated to protect Earth from threats.  Unlike SHIELD however the threats focused on by SWORD are all from alien or off world threats.  The agency has a headquarters in space called the Peak and is run by a half mutant, half alien character named Abigail Brand.  SWORD and Brand were creations of Joss Whedon during his much heralded Astonishing X-Men run.   Joss is connected to Agents of SHIELD because his brother Jed Whedon and sister inlaw Maurissa Tancharoen are showrunners for Agents.  Due to that connection I have often wondered if Brand and SWORD will show up.

There were some potential hints that there could be a space agency.  In season 1, I thought it was interesting that SHIELD was launching 084s into space (Later revealed some were kept on Earth).  Coulson was resurrected by a program called TAHITI using a serum called GH-325 that was run by a group that was not SHIELD.  This organization what ever it was had access to a Kree corpse used to create the serum.   The organization was known by Fury which was how Coulson was revived by the TAHITI program.  When Coulson and company broke into the facility housing GH-325 they entered into a gun fight with non SHIELD guards.  The organization that runs that facility has never been revealed but I often assumed it was SWORD.

For more hints at SWORD see:

Did Marvel just introduce SWORD?


At the end of Season 4, the agents are apprehended by a mysterious organization of soldiers.  They appear to be looking at a green device that is either stopping time, or is a portal of some kind.  An agent with the soldier mentions a window.  In the next scene Coulson wakes up on what appears to be a space station overlooking an astroid field.  Its possible that Coulson is in another dimension like the Dark Dimension but it seems more likely that he is somewhere in space.   This would seem to stronly hint toward SWORD involvement.

There is however a big problem with SWORD involvement in the MCU.  Yes the theory makes sense but SWORD appears in the comics Astonishing X-Men and so its TV rights presumably belong to Fox and not Marvel.  Its possible the company's could reach an agreement to allow the show to use SWORD but these deals never seem to be easily struck.

So if they are not SWORD and Coulson is not on Peak then where is he?  My guess is that he has become embroiled insomething with the Kree or Inhumans and could be on Attilan.

Coulson's Faustian Bargain
At the end Season 5 its indicated that Coulson struck a deal in order to allow the Spirit of Vengeance to enter his body and kill AIDA.  Ghost Rider says he does not envy Coulson but other than that the bargain is kept secret.  What ever the deal was it reasons that it will factor into Season 5 in a major way.

M.O.D.O.K.


MODOK is a major villain that fans have long asked to be part of the show.  His name actually came up a lot in fan speculation for who the Clairvoyant was.
In Marvel Comics MODOK is often depicted as the leader of A.I.M. and is a frequent adversary of SHIELD.  A reformed MODOK appears in some stories as a member of SHIELD.

Why do I think MODOK will be in Season 5?  At all has to do with the character of Superior in Season 4.  The character Superior went through various transformations in Season 4 and there are numerous hints that he will become MODOK.  Expect him to figure into Season 5 in a sizable way.

Read our post below if you curious why Superior is MODOK.

Is Superior really MODOK?



Loose Ends:
There are some other loose ends that the show could focus on.  Remember the Graviton tease?  did the Blizzard really die.  Did AIM really end after the battle in Iron Man 3?  What about the Man Thing teases, Abomination mentions, is the Griffin still locked up? What happened to Nitro?

On top of that there are couple of other characters that everyone would like see again.  Robbie Reyes as Ghost Rider, Lance Hunter, and Bobbi and of course Deathlok from the first 2 seasons.  Will these characters be given a major role in Season 5?

I know fans would love to see some of those items mentioned and given some kind of conclusion.


Agents of SHIELD Store
Toylab is a member of the Amazon Affiliate Program so we can highlight awesome super secret SHIELD gadgets like these below:











Warning: Classified SHIELD Files below:


Marvels Agent of Shield speculation HUB

Top 10 Villains of the Black Panther

$
0
0

Please Share and Follow us on Twitter!







There seem to be many comic fans who know and like Black Panther but have not read too many of his comics.  They know him from his tie ins with the Avengers or from paling around with the Fantastic Four.  This is too bad as Black Panther has really interesting and fleshed out mythos that includes some spectacular villains. Who are these bad guys? They include some classic super viilains as well as villains with more relevence to modern current events.

Here is the Toylab ranking of the top Black Panther villains that includes some classics as well as some new  modern threats.



10) Morlun
Morlun is much more known as a Spider-Villain but the eater of totems also made a stop in Wakanda.  He devoured a few Wakandan totems before coming to battle Shurri the then Black Panther.  Shurri being the sister of T'Challa and filling in during his absence.

For more Morlun - CLICK HERE




9) Moses Magnum
Moses Magnum has appeared as a villain many times throughout his time in the Marvel universe. He had a major story in the pages in of Deathlok where he attempted to take over Wakanda. He was thwarted through the combined might of the Black Panther and Deathlok.

For more on Moses Magnum - CLICK HERE!





8) Tetu

Tetu is a Wakandan challenger to the Monarchy who has used his powers to create a terrorist backed uprising that bears resemblance to modern terrorist groups such as ISIS.

For more on Tetu - CLICK HERE



7) Midnight Angels

Former loyal members of Dora Milaje the Midnight Angels break apart and rebel against the royal government after they become disillusioned with the rule of T'Challa.

For more on the Midnight Angels - CLICK HERE




6) Zenzi

Zenzi is a former experiment of Erik Killmonger who finds a new place in helping a coup against the Black Panther.

For more on Zenzi - CLICK HERE




5) White Wolf

The White Wolf is T'Challa's adopted brother whose hardline take against rebels forces T'Challa to make a hard choice.
For more White Wolf - CLICK HERE



4) Achebe

The clever and terrifying Achebe is genius strategist and entirely insane.

For more on Achebe - CLICK HERE!




3) Man Ape

The Man Ape is one of the Black Panther's oldest classic villains. He can be a little cheesy but all Black Panther fans love to see the two super powered African warriors battle.

For more Man-Ape - CLICK HERE



2) Klaw

Klaw is a threat to both Wakanda's resources as well its resources. He forces the Black Panther to question how much his country must change in order to defend it self from outside threats.

For more Klaw - CLICK HERE



1) Erik Killmonger

With every decision T'Challa makes he is judged by Erik Killmonger. A man who sees himself as T'Challa's superior but with a vastly different vision for Wakanda.

For more Erik Killmonger - CLICK HERE






Black Panther Store:
Toylab is a member of the Amazon Affiliate program which allows to find awesome deals on Black Panther merchandise and link them directly on our site.

Comics and Trades:
I normally only recommend 4 trades from Amazon however I have linked directly to 8 here.    I highly recommend Don McGregor's Black Panther Jungle Action the 1973series which fleshes out Wakanda.  I grew up on and love Christopher Priest's Black Panther that modernized the character.  The recent Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet is also phenonemal, while being very different from all other comics.



Toys and Merchandise:
Here are my favorite Black Panther Toys.  The Mask, Funko, Marvel Legends figure and the Lego Set from Captain America: Civil War.  This will be updated once the Black Panther film comes closer.



More Black Panther:

Black Panther: News, Toys, and Media

Alamo Draft House's Black Panther Pints

$
0
0

Please Share and Follow us on Twitter!







There are so many branded items for movies these days normally I am not going to take the time to highlight a cereal box, or glass that has a super hero on it.  However these new Black Panther Pint glasses from Alamo Draft House really stand out to me.
The glasses feature art from stand out Italian artist Francesco Francavilla who worked on Black Panther: Man With Out Fear (2010) with David Liss.  He also did the amazing artwork for the Archie Afterlife Series which merged the Archie universe in a zombie horror setting.

Black Panther: Man Without Fear


I don't really associate Black Panther with beer if there is a character that goes with Beer I tend to think of Wolverine/Logan but the colors work.   The art that Francesco Franvilla did has an array of orange and reddish hues that really seem to lend itself to drinking beer.  Something about it just make me want to drink a beer in it right now.

The glasses are available now for purchase at Alamo Draft House locations.  Black Panther tickets are also available so you can go to an Alamo Draft House buy tickets and beer glasses.

Black Panther Store:
Want to check out some great Black Panther comics?  Toylab has found the best deals on Amazon just for you:









Here are some Tweets from Fransciso showing off the Pint Glass Art:







Also Check out!


All Toylab TV show coverage!

Who is the Black Panther?

$
0
0

 http://i0.wp.com/bitcast-a-sm.bitgravity.com/slashfilm/wp/wp-content/images/Black-Panther3.jpg

The Black Panther is a title of the defender of the African kingdom of Wakanda.  While many men have had the title of Black Panther throughout time by far the most well known is King T'Challa.

Black Panther has not appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe however he will very SOON.  Actor Chadwick Boseman has been hired to play the titular champion of Wakanda.  Marvel has begun paving the way for the character to appear.  There have been numerous Black Panther Easter Eggs in the Marvel TV Series Agents of SHIELD.
 Black Panther will for sure be in Captain America 3 Civil War as well his own movie Black Panther.

First Appearance: Fantastic Four #52

Black Panther Film News Hub:
Black Panther Film - Trailers, news, art, interviews
The Black Panther film hub is home to tons of information on the upcoming Black Panther film set to be released in 2018.  It includes actor / Director interviews as well as media and products on the upcoming film.


Black Panther News and Info:


Black Panther Multimedia:

Bio:

Becoming the Panther
The Black Panther title is used by the champion of Wakanda.  While the Panther title is worn by men and women of royal blood it is not given to them.  Each Panther must earn the title through a set of ritualized trials that for T'Challa included fighting/defeating the then current Black Panther his uncle S'yan.  Once the title is won, a special heart shaped herb is provided that heightens the users senses and reflexes.  The Panther is also spiritually linked to the Panther god known as Bast.

http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/uploads/MattHawes/2012-05-13_223147_FF53_Klaw.jpg
Klaw finding Vibranium in Wakanda


T'Challa's father is killed by a mercenary by the name of Klaw Klaw was pursuing a rare metal in Wakanda called Vibranium.  While T'Challa manages to expel the invader he realizes he and his country must change to deal with these kind of threats.  Essentially, he does not want Wakanda to fall to imperialism of foreign powers.  He then goes on a long educational trip across the globe to learn all that he can.  He returns undergoes the ritual of the Panther and becomes the enlightened ruler and defender of Wakanda.

Hunter:
T'Challa often has to deal with his adoptive brother Hunter.  Hunter resents T'Challa for being in line to become King.  Hunter at one points runs a secret police that T'Challa shuts down when he becomes King.
The two often fight in a similar manner as Thor and Loki.

Other reoccurring adversaries of Black Panther include Man Ape and Klaw.

Fantastic 4 and Avengers:
T'Challa sees the growing super human phenomena and goes out to meet some of them.  He manages to defeat all 4 of the members of the fantastic 4 individually as a test.  He later befreinds them and as well as the Avengers.  T'Challa goes back forth defending and ruling Wakanda and the world with the Avengers.

Killmonger:
For a time T'Challa loses control of the country to rival, Erik Killmonger.  Killmonger attempts to bring Wakanda back to an ancient form of government without vestiges of colonialism.

A Nation Under our Feet:


T'Challa has returned home to Wakanda only to be faced by a series of terrorist and ideological threats to his rule.  A new mysterious group called the People pursue a more democratic form of government and do so with violence.  Meanwhile, some of the King's own Dora Milaje form their own revolt.
T'Challa meets with a variety of despicable despots hoping to get hints on how to put down a rebellion.  In the end he takes none of their horrific advice however, one of the members is video taped discussing the advice he gave T'Challa.  This interview is made by the People released to the public who are horrified at what their King has been listening to.

Ezekiel Stane is revealed to be a sponsor of the People.  He captures T'Challa but not before T'Challa manages to call in the calvary with an array of his super friends coming to his rescue including Gateway, Strom, Luke Cage, and Misty Knight.



Villains:
Top 10 Villains of the Black Panther



Friends:
Storm - Wife
Shurri - Sister
T'Chaka - Father deceased
Luke Cage - Friend
Misty Knight - Friend
Gateway - Friend


Skills and Powers:
Being raised as heir to the king T'Challa has been training to be the Black Panther his entire life.  He has studied science, politics, strategy and tactics.  He studied in some of the finest schools in America and Europe and is considered one of most formidable scientific minds in the Marvel Universe.

He is highly trained in a variety of martial arts and weapons.   His fighting ability is extremely high and has beaten a long list of heroes and villains.  His style often involves using the stances and moves of animals and integrating them into his human form.

The technology T'Challa has is very advanced.  His suit is made of Vibranium and while lite weight it can absorb the impact of blows, falls and bullets like heavy armor.  He can on run walls, dissolve metal, create energy daggers, jump and move without making a sound.  Beyond his suit he also has the Kimono Card which allows him to have satellite access and block radio signals from where ever he is.
He also can use any device in Wakanda which includes almost anything that one can imagine.

The spiritual link to the Panther god Bast also aids T'Challa from time to time.  Particularly if he is attacked on a spiritual or magical level the Panther helps protect him.

At times it has been shown that there is a spiritual linkage between all the Black Panther alive and dead.


MCU:

Actor Chadwick Boseman has been hired to play the titular champion of Wakanda, the Black Panther.

Captain America: Civil War:
Black Panther made his first appearance in the MCU in Captain America: Civil War.  After seeing his father killed in a terrorist attack T'Challa beings a hunt for the presumed assassin Bucky aka the Winter Soldier.  This leads him into a confrontation with Captain America and directly into the the throes of Civil War.
Upon learning the truth that Zemo had orchestrated the events to lure the Avengers to fighting each other T'Challa forgives Zemo and refuses to kill him.  He then invites Bucky to Wakanda where brainwashed super assassin can get treatment and be kept safely.

Black Panther:
T'Challa returns home to face a threat to his rule over Wakanda.  Two villains combine forces in attempt to end the line of family's rule.


Black Panther Store:

Toylab Recommended:  Black Panther: A Nation under our Feet
I really can not recommend this Black Panther story enough to people who want to read a Black Panther story. No this is not a pure clean, beginning in comics their rarely are. What the story offers though is an amazing story, that shows both grandeur and struggles of Wakanda, and the nation's titular hero the Black Panther. Few have done it better than this.







More Marvel Fun!
Marvel - News, Characters, Reviews, Movies, and Comics 




Zenzi - Black Panther Villain

$
0
0






Who is Zenzi?

Zenzi is a villain of the Marvel hero the Black Panther.  Zenzi appears as a member of the terrorist / liberation group known as "The People" who challenge the authority of the Wakandan monarchy. She first appears in the 2016 Black Panther series by Ta Nehesi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze.

First Appearance: Black Panther #1 (2016)

Real Name:   Unknown

Alias: Zenzi

Nationality: Nigandan (Nieghboring nation of Wakanda, ruled by Erik Killmonger

Affiliations:  The People, Nigandan Army

Zenzi News:

Zenzi Multi-Media:



Bio:



Growing up Niganda she was recruited/coerced/forced into a program by Niganda's then leader Erik Killmonger.  Killmonger was a longtime opponent of the Black Panther and one of the few men capable of defeating the hero.  After Killmonger's failed rule he blamed many of the powered army personnel he assembled for his failings.

 Upon Killmonger's death Zenzi joined a ground of Nigandan army personnel to attack Wakanda.  In particular she begins to follow Tetu a rebel leader who seems to have a connection to an Earth based spirit.

Wakanda was seen as weak after the effects of the Doom War, Thanos's Army, Namor's flood and the loss of Queen Shurri.  To the Nigandan forces it seemed that the people of Wakanda had already begun to reject King T'Challa and all they need was a push.

Zenzi created a riot where there was violence between the Wakandan people and government authorities.  She fled and escaped when T'Challa arrived on the scene.  T'Challa hunts down Tetu and Zenzi.  He slams Zenzi into a tree knocking her unconcious.  The Hatut Zeraze (Wakandan Secret Police) storm the area and the militia members of the People are defeated.  Tetu reveals he has the power of controlling vegetation which hes uses against Wakandan authorities.  He picks up Zenzi and carries her away.

Tetu and Zenzi are seen meeting the Midnight Angels who are reluctant to join with Tetu.  They seem to be creating their own unique movement.  Tetu and Zenzi are seen meeting with Ezekiel Stane.  Together they begin to turn volunteers into human bombs to conduct terrorist bombings in Wakanda.

They also video tape and distribute the damning words of one of the tyrants brought into consult with T'Challa on how to stamp down rebellions.  The words and video are edited to be taken out of context but then distributed and broadcast throughout Wakanda making T'Challa seem even more out of touch with his own people.



Powers:

Zenzi has powers through unknown means.  It possible her powers were created through experimentation of Erik Killmonger or they occurred through Inhuman/Mutant means.  It is known that she was a test subject of Killmonger.

Emotional manipulation - Zenzi is able to cause people to go hostile and violent.  She is able to draw out the worst thoughts in human nature.  It is unknown if she could use her power in the reverse way to calm people.  T'Challa describes her power as bringing out those feelings that people hide deep within.  Zenzi describes her power as revealing people's true selves.



Black Panther Store:
Toylab is a member of the Amazon Affiliate program which allows to find awesome deals on Black Panther merchandise and link them directly on our site.

Comics and Trades:
I normally only recommend 4 trades from Amazon however I have linked directly to 8 here.    I highly recommend Don McGregor's Black Panther Jungle Action the 1973series which fleshes out Wakanda.  I grew up on and love Christopher Priest's Black Panther that modernized the character.  The recent Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet is also phenonemal, while being very different from all other comics.



Toys and Merchandise:
Here are my favorite Black Panther Toys.  The Mask, Funko, Marvel Legends figure and the Lego Set from Captain America: Civil War.  This will be updated once the Black Panther film comes closer.



More Black Panther:

Black Panther: News, Toys, and Media
Viewing all 3127 articles
Browse latest View live