Super Hero Happy Meal

In the post-DC Comics Relaunch universe of SUPERBOY BIG GULP:

Unaware that his SLASHPOINT self was getting all 'slashy' with long-lost bud, Barry Allen, GREEN LANTERN HAL JORDAN was the second hero who tried to set-up shop next door to the DCU.

Having duped the dudes at MARVEL's border with a fake green card, Hal thought he was home free. Better yet, with FEAR ITSELF sweeping across the Marvel U,  Green Lantern knew he'd quickly earn his place by defeating any fearful foe he felt he'd face.

Until his own face had an unfortunate meeting with CAPTAIN AMERICA's fist, that is.  

Cap, you see, had heard about the ring-slinger; he knew DC's cosmic cop was there to set up his green space cop shop.  And if anyone could cripple Cap's plans of booting BUCKY out of the picture to protect his own, it was Green Lantern.

And so, fist met face, and Green Lantern's high hopes of becoming Marvel's hot new hero went the way of WONDER WOMAN. 

In the post-DC Comics Relaunch universe of SUPERBOY BIG GULP:

WONDER WOMAN was the Marvel U's first immigrant in the aftermath of the Great Change, and she enjoyed several adventures there with new heroic beau, the patriotic CAPTAIN AMERICA.

She was much better in bed than BUCKY had ever been, Cap thought, waxing sentimental for his recently-deceased ex-best bud.  He had just orchestrated Barnes' offing with Fraction and Brubaker, however, and with a new movie on the way, Captain America knew he couldn't share the stars and stripes with anybody.

And because it was a secret, Cap had the SECRET AVENGERS spend an entire night pasting BATMAN posters anywhere and everywhere they could. Later that morning, Wonder Woman left the Marvel U forever, and made an invisible run right to the Mexican border ---

'THE CAP' by Bennett Slater, for D-Structure [via]

...Does anybody else feel the urge to, like...frame that??

'K. Maybe it's just me (Sherm cares less), but I'm thinking...no. Anyway, USA Today are the lucky bastards who got that snap. It's a super-hot photo from a super-great interview with both of Marvel's new hunky heroes, Chris Hemsworth (Thor: The Mighty Avenger) and Chris Evans (Captain America: The First Avenger) this last weekend.

Some of the takeaway morsels:

Check out the complete interview sans bullet points -- HERE.

SILK SPECTRE: (Interrupting, while chewing gum) But I’m not —

SILK SPECTRE: (Interrupting again) But I’m not —

SILK SPECTRE: <Whatever!> Ummm...I was saying that… I said: I’m not a hooker.

SILK SPECTRE: But… you do have an ass of steel, don’t you?

SILK SPECTRE:  Well then, I guess we both know what that makes me.



Art from: New Avengers Annual #3, page 33, by Mike Mayhew [via]

Fantastic Four After Dark:

Everybody knows that the Cosmic Cube is a source of unlimited creative AND destructive potential... don't they?   Erm,... that the Cube is able to give one dominion over the universe while ALSO fitting quite comfortably in the palm of one's hand!?

Apparently, not everybody knows their Cosmic Cube's like they should. Tsk-tsk.  Dangerous geometry can kill, ladies and gentleman, AND it's about to figure quite prominently in the upcoming Captain America flick.  So, we'll say this once and one time only:

That's why we've developed our educational series, Schoolin' The Cube.  It's not easy, but it is necessary.  And it's for you, because we care.  So sit up straight, bring us an apple, and pay attention to your Schoolin'.

Red Skull by Timothy Huddleston [via]

'C' is for Captain America:

...and Chris Evans, who will undoubtedly be the hunkiest hero to ever break out of a block of ice when Captain America: The First Avenger's chills and spills fill theaters this summer. However, Captain America himself has come back after being on-ice more times than just once.

Here's a very vintage look at one of his first: Captain America (Chapter 10) from 1944, one of several short films or serials that brought Cap to the big screen in America during the World War II days of the 1940s.  In this short directed by Elmer Clifton, Captain America battles the evil forces of The Scarab, an archvillain who poisons his enemies and steals a secret device capable of destroying buildings by sound vibrations. Played by actor Dick Purcell, Captain America and, more specifically his alter-ego Grant Gardner, are not the same-named Marvelous men we know them to be today.  But he was the definitely the first Marvel to make it into the movies,  almost 67 years ago.  A long time ago to be sure, but if Cap were here, he'd probably say it feels a lot more like yesterday.

Jack Kirby's Art Is Pure by Portland, Oregon-based artist Ian D. Seniff [via]

Weston is writing and pencilling Marvel’s upcoming one-shot, The Twelve: Spearhead, a ‘prequel’ to his and writer J. Michael Straczynski’s yet-to-conclude 2007 maxi-series, The Twelve.

Spearhead, which is not being written by JMS,  follows The Phantom Reporter’s activities as a war correspondent covering the super-hero contribution to the Invasion of Europe, and will guest-star Captain America and the Invaders. 

The Twelve: Spearhead Issue #1 will be 40-pages, features cover art by Paolo Rivera, and is due sometime in March 2011. In his recent interview with MTV, JMS said he’s completed the final issues of The Twelve, and the series is expected to finally finish its delayed run this summer, likely in trade paperback / graphic novel format.

With Marvel's surprisingly yet intentionally (we figure) gritty teaser for Captain America finally making it to the front lines, word about the film's portrayal of Cap's longtime, once-dead kid-sidekick Bucky Barnes are also seeing light. Played on screen by Sebastian Stan, Bucky, known for three-quarters of a century as the 'Robin' to Cap's 'Batman', comes a lot closer to being his very own 'Dark Knight'.

This impression -- and the belief that the 1940's-era 'boy sidekick' schtick wouldn't fly well in 2011 -- allowed creators to essentially re-create Bucky Barnes, and his relationship with Steve Rogers, the man who will become Captain America.  Unlike the classic combo created by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, these two heroes will be more like brothers and equals than anything else.