Tino and Lauren join me in an epic discussion about all the sex in comics. We answer questions from our first memories of sex in comics to the question about boob windows.
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BAMF! Let's teleport right into this month's Superhero Sunday the blue skinned horned tail, Nightcrawler.
Nightcrawler created in 1975 by Dave Cockrum and Len Wein for Marvel and the X-Men. Cockrum originally came up with Nightcrawler while stationed in Guam for the U.S. Navy. At that time Nightcrawler's concept was a demon who failed a mission and stayed on earth (Earth616) he also wore trunks instead of the full costume.
Nightcrawler Debuted in "Giant Size X-Men #1" (1975).
Cockrum pitched the character to DC and was rejected but later he started working at Marvel and X-Men with Roy Thomas. It was then he submitted Nightcrawler and had to change him to German decent and thus we got the mutant he is today.
Nightcrawler is the son of Azazel the demon and the mutant Mystique. He was abandoned in german and raised by gypsy queen. His birth name was Kurt. He would grow up in the circus as a happy child receving his teleportation ability at puberty and getting the name Nightcrawler as a performer. During his time in the circus he picked up his skills with agility and sword skills.
Some time later he gets caught up and hunted in a town who see him as a demon. Kurt was a man of faith and struggled with this identiy and how the people around him would hate him. While being hunted he runs into Professor Charles Xavier the leader of the X-Men.
Nightcrawler meets Shadow Cat (Kitty Pryde) while fighting a sorcerer and he joins the X-Men as it is a place he feels accepted for his abilities and appearance. During his time on the X-Men he would go on a side journey and create a team called Excalibur with Nightcralwer and his N-Men. He lead the team while Captian Britian went off with Meggan. Once they returned Nightcrawler returned to the X-Men.
Nightcrawler would bounce around as team leader of new mutants and being put in various spots with many teams. House of M occurs and there are no more muntants then years later the first Mutant comes by during the Messiah Complex. It was after House of M that Wolverine and Kurt would spend more time on missions together. They had a back and forth friendship and the depth of their friendship was proven during the events of Second Coming in which Bastion attacks and kills Nightcrawler. Cable takes Hope the muntant Nightcrawler and the X-Force were trying to protect.
His death remained from 2010 to 2015. Wolverine goes on a task that Nightcralwer had left for him in a letter and thus trying to live up to all the hope Nightcrawler stood for.
His story is so much more then a few adventures and his character was friends with so many, he also had such an impact on the muntant side of Marvel. He has a mom who has a moral grey line and he father a demon.
Nightcrawler is a demon creature with the heart of a saint and love for humanity, he is selfless and that was a strong characteristic for me as a kid. I really loved how he was a foil to Wolverine and never gave up on anyone. Also as a kid the blue skinned pointy eared mutant that swung swords and could teleport was "like the coolest thing."
It was of coarse the 90's cartoon that showed me Nightcrawler (im sure the music is now stuck in your head). But I loved him in the comics and future cartoons/movies as well.
Ladies and gentlemen let us dawn our cowls and jump into this Superhero Sunday with Batgirl.
The legends that are Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff with DC comics created Batgirl in 1961. Though it wasn't til 1967 and Barbra Gordon took the mantle that Batgirl would gain her iconic status.
First appearing in Detective Comics #359- "Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl." She would continue to appear in Detetive Comics and become a member of the "Batfamily" which included the likes of Nightwing and Robin.
Its a shame that it wasn't until 2000 that Batgirl recieved a solo series but since then her popularity has only grown and she has really become a staple of the Bat-Universe at DC.
Batgirl has been the name for many women in the DC universe this will focus on Barbra Gordon who has the longest time under the mantle and is the current Batgirl for DC (But heres the list of all to hold the name Batgirl). Barbra Gordon aka 'Babs" is daughter of Commissioner Jim Gordon. Her 1967 appearance was helping stop the kidnapping of Bruce Wayne by villian Killer Moth, while she didnt know that this attracted the attention of the Dark Knight and helped stop the villian. Barbra was only getting started. Barbra would continue to prove she was tough and willing to be a hero. Dressing as Batgirl she would fight and eventually Batman takes her under his wing. Batman originally disapproved but she was determined.
Batgirl would fight in team-ups for years but her popularity went down and Alan Moore in 1988 wanted to write a book that would try to break Batman and have the Joker show Batman that anyone can be morally broken, The Joker tries to prove his point when he takes photos of Barbra Gordon and paralyzes her in order to ruin Jim Gordon and provoke Batman.
Barbra though paralyzed wasn't broken she only came back stonger willing to help Batman as information genius Oracle. While she was Oracle she would help the team take down villians and a new Batgirl in the form of Cassandra Cain would come along.
Later after the events of Infinte Crisis Stephanie Brown (The Spoiler) would take the mantle of Batgirl and it would go back to Cassandra too.Then the events of Flash Point occur and reset the continuity of the DC Universe it is here that Barbra regains her mobility with an experimental surgery and takes back the role of Batgirl. She continues as Batgirl in todays continuity as well in the NEW 52. Even in her revamps Barbra Gordon/Batgirl stay fresh and have creative teams,
This is simple there have been many to take the name Batgirl but there is only on Babs. Barbra Gordon is the reason to like Batgirl and the wonderful people who refused to let her become a simple plot device or just a "female robin" She has help her own in DC stories and titles.
Batgirl has fought villians, faced the Joker, tussled with Batman and paralzyed but her mantle has stayed true to being a strong female character in a male hero world.
I remeber her on Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond. I always enjoyed the character and this s porobably because I love the Bat-Family as a whole but she fits in the family perfectly. So go check her out.
Tommy is back on the show and we are talking about a comic he is working on called The Raven with Eric Shock. The comic is from the golden age of heroes and we cant help but talk about the history of comics/superheoes as well as our futures in writing.
The Raven is on IndieGoGo right now so go check it out and support some awesome people!
We are all the good kid and the bad boy in this Superhero Sunday with Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier.
James Buchanan Barnes the boy solider and sidekick to Captain America was created by the team Joe Simon and none another than Jack Kirby in March 1941 appearing in Captain America #1. The book was printed by Timely Comics the predecessor to Marvel Comics. The character was created and named simply Bucky at first and was made to be a sidekick for Captain America. Bucky would go on to appear in several teams and stories before his death in the comics until 2005 when Ed Brubaker had a unique way to bring him back.
James Buchanan Barnes born in 1925 in Indiana he was an orphan and was adopted by a solider. James had a love of the army to and help the troops, though underage he snuck his was into the army and would help the troops. One day in 1940 at camp he walked into Steve Rogers tent and saw Steve putting on the Captain America helmet. After some convincing Steve Rogers agreed to train James and let him be a sidekick of sorts. The army agreed to let him fight to help rally the youth of America to support its troops and with Bucky being at the side of Captain America. James changed his name to Bucky after his middle name Buchanan.
Bucky helped Captain America fight the Nazis and was even a scout for a super team known as The Invaders for a brief time. Throughout missions and years Bucky would help defeat Nazis and Hydra. Flash Forward to 1945 and WWII was coming to an end. But Baron Zemo a commander of Hydra had an experimental plane he ridged with explosives to drop on the allies. Both Captain America and Bucky climb the drop plane as it flies over the ocean. They try to disarm the bomb and Bucky fails to do so. The plane explodes sending Captain America to the ocean where he freezes and isn’t discovered til years later. Bucky Barnes was presumed dead from the explosion (he was dead in the comics until 2005).
The Winter Soldier is born in the wake of Bucky’s death or his thought to be death. Turns out Russian soldiers find a frozen body missing an arm and barely alive. Bucky Barnes died that day in the snow and Hydra/Russian secret forces got a new weapon. Bucky would have his mind wiped and get a new metal arm. He was brain washed and turned into an assassin for evil. After missions he would be put in a life preserving chamber until he needed to be used again. The Winter Soldier would be used for years until he was caught up to Captain America in present day and they do battle. Captain America and the Avengers find out who this weapon is/was. Steve Rogers (Captain America) is so torn by this but must save Bucky from what he has become. Steve ends up capturing and Bucky and brings back memories.
Over the years in comics Bucky would have to deal with his dark past as well as find his place in the present without letting the guilt eat away at him. He would join the avengers and become a great hero even taking the mantle of Captain America in Steve Rogers brief absence just after Civil War.
As Bucky Barnes he is a sidekick that we the readers relate too. I may not be a super solider but I can pretend to fight alongside him. He also was the representation of innocent kid who just wants to be enthusiastic and help the heroes. This only makes his death all the more tragic. His resurrection as a villain is more than a gimmick and only makes the character richer and enriches the Marvel universe with more depth as well as bring a new element for Captain America. This is one of my favorite stories in all of Marvel comics history and it made me see how much you can do with people in costumes.