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Post by Kermit The Hulk on May 17, 2008 15:34:51 GMT -5
88. Frank Booth Who is he: A violent sociopath/criminal. What is he from: “Blue Velvet.” What has he done: Involved in murder, rape, kidnapping, and drug addiction. Intelligence: Smart but crazy. Power: Has his own gang. Vileness: Extremely violent, crazy, and jealous. Sway: He’s pretty fucking scary, which is good for intimidation. Purity: Will do anything to please himself. Physical Prowess: A pretty strong man. Name Coolness: Sounds like a regular old name. Created by: David Lynch. Portrayed by: Dennis Hopper, but he wasn’t the original choice. The part of Frank Booth was originally offered to Robert Loggia, then Willem Dafoe and Richard Bright, all of whom turned it down because of the character's vulgar and intense personality. In contrast, Hopper, Lynch's third choice, accepted the role, reportedly having exclaimed, "I've got to play Frank! I am Frank!" Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) returns home from college after his father (Jack Harvey) suffers a near fatal stroke. While walking home from the hospital, he cuts through a vacant lot and happens upon a severed ear and puts it in a paper bag. Jeffrey takes the ear to local investigator Detective John Williams (George Dickerson). When he returns to the Williams house later to discuss the incident further, Jeffrey meets the detective’s daughter, Sandy (Laura Dern). She tells him details about the ear case and a suspicious woman, Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini). Increasingly curious, Jeffrey devises a plan to sneak into Dorothy's apartment that involves posing as a maintenance man. Dorothy becomes distracted when a man dressed in a yellow suit (Fred Pickler) knocks at her door, and Jeffrey steals Dorothy's spare key. Jeffrey and Sandy attend Dorothy's nightclub show at the Slow Club. While Dorothy performs at the nightclub, Jeffrey sneaks into her apartment to snoop. He hurriedly hides in a closet when she returns home. However, Dorothy, wielding a knife, finds him hiding and threatens to hurt him. When she realizes he is merely a curious boy, she assumes his intentions are sexual in nature, and is turned on by his voyeurism. She makes him undress at knifepoint, then fellates him. Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper) interrupts their encounter with a knock on the door. Dorothy urges Jeffrey to return to the closet and he then witnesses Frank's bizarre sexual proclivities, which include erotic asphyxiation, fisting, dry humping, and sadomasochistic tendencies. Frank is an extremely foul-mouthed, violent sociopath whose orgasmic climax is a fit of both pleasure and rage. When Frank leaves, a saddened and desperate Dorothy tries to seduce Jeffrey again. She demands that he hit her but when he refuses she demands to be left alone. Jeffrey again observes Dorothy's nightclub show at the Slow Club, where she performs the song Blue Velvet. Frank is also present at the nightclub. Later, in the car park, Jeffrey watches Frank and his cohorts drive away before going to Dorothy's apartment again. Jeffrey spends the next few days spying on Frank, and at one point sees him entering a building. Shortly afterwards, two men exit the building, a well-dressed man and someone Jeffrey recognizes as the Yellow Suited Man. He concludes the two men are criminals, as is Frank. He also visits Dorothy again, and this time she successfully seduces him. However, while they are making love she asks him to strike her. He refuses and she pressures him, becoming more emotional. Finally in blind rage he knocks her backwards, and is instantly horrified, but Dorothy, as a result of Frank's constant beatings, has come to take pleasure from it. Afterwards, Frank catches Dorothy and Jeffrey together, and forces them both to accompany him to the house of Ben (Dean Stockwell), a suave dandy and partner in crime. In a bizarre scene Ben mimes the singing of Roy Orbison's "In Dreams", sending Frank into maudlin sadness, then rage. He takes Jeffrey to a milling yard and savagely beats him to the overture of "In Dreams." Jeffrey wakes the next day and goes home, where he is overcome with guilt and despair. He decides to go to the police. At the police station, Jeffrey notices that Sandy's father's partner is Gordon, the Yellow Suited Man. Later at Sandy's home, her father is amazed by Jeffrey's story, but warns Jeffrey of the danger of the situation. Jeffrey and Sandy go to a dance party together, profess their newfound love and embrace. When they're tailed on their way home, Jeffrey is relieved to discover that it's only Sandy’s football-playing ex-boyfriend. A confrontation is avoided when they see a naked and distressed Dorothy waiting on Jeffrey’s front lawn. Barely conscious, Dorothy accidentally reveals that she slept with Jeffrey, causing Sandy to leave in tears, although she later forgives Jeffrey over the phone. From the hospital, Jeffrey tells Sandy that he must return to Dorothy's apartment and tells Sandy to send her father there immediately. When he arrives back at Dorothy’s apartment, he finds the crudely lobotomized Yellow Man and dead body of Dorothy’s husband, who is missing an ear. When he tries to leave, he sees The Well Dressed Man coming up the steps and recognizes him as Frank. Jeffrey talks to Detective Williams over the police radio but lies about his location inside the apartment. Frank enters the apartment and brags about hearing Jeffrey's location over his own police radio. When Frank fails to find Jeffrey in the bedroom, he returns to the lounge. Jeffrey shoots Frank with the Yellow Man's gun. Detective Williams arrives with Sandy in tow. Days later, we see Jeffrey and Sandy together, with their lives back to normal, and before the credits, Dorothy and her son playing happily in the park together. Frank Booth is fucking scary. With his weird sexual fetishes and breathing from an oxygen tank, the man is creepy as hell. The man is filled with rage. It comes out pretty much everywhere he goes. Hell, Frank’s rage is pretty much entwined with sexual pleasure. He needs anger to get off, making him even more insane. He viciously beats Dorothy, only seeing her as means for sexual pleasure; and he will callously beat her in order to get off. However, he is also obsessed with the woman. To him, she is his; and no one else can have her. He will cruelly kill anyone he sees taking her away from him. Frank Booth is just crazy motherfucker who wouldn’t want to mess with if he really existed.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on May 17, 2008 16:08:21 GMT -5
87. Bullseye Who is he: An assassin. What is he from: Marvel Comics, but he usually appears in Daredevil. What has he done: Killed the two women Matt Murdoch loved: Elektra and Karen Page. Intelligence: He’s a hired assassin and not behind any master plans of his own. Power: Takes orders from people. Vileness: Nobody is safe near this guy, even if you're in a bar or a church. Sway: His intense stare is enough to intimidate most people. Purity: He's an assassin paid to do what he's told, but sometimes, his job can become personal. Physical Prowess: An average muscular man, but his fighting skills are good; and his throwing skills are amazing, hence the name Name Coolness: “Bullseye” = pretty cool. Created by: Marv Wolfman and John Romita, Sr. Portrayed by: Colin Farrell in the Daredevil movie. His look in the movie, bald head and bull’s-eye scar on his head, has become Bullseye’s look in the comics. However, Bullseye has retained his old look. Comics: Bullseye grew up in The Bronx, where he lived with his brother and his abusive father. His brother's main form of recreation was playing with rifles, leading Bullseye to become an expert shot. When he was 10 years old, his brother started a fire in their home in an unsuccessful attempt to kill their father. Shortly thereafter, Bullseye was placed in a foster home, and became a baseball player in high school. Bullseye was an extremely talented pitcher, and was offered a scholarship, but instead opted to enter the minor leagues. After three games, he was called up to play a sold-out Major League game. He had surrendered no hits the entire game, and in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, he became bored and requested the coach pull him from the game. The coach refused, and insisted that he finish the game. The opposing team's batter mocked him, accusing him of cowardice. Bullseye threw the ball at his head, killing him. As the ball struck, he said only one word: "Bullseye". He was barred from professional baseball and convicted of manslaughter. This is a retcon of a previous origin story from Elektra #2, which depicts Bullseye growing up as a below average student in a trailer park with an alcoholic, physically abusive father. In this version of events, Bullseye fakes his father's suicide using a handgun set off by a toy arrow. None or all elements of this version may be true since it describes his father as possibly recovering from a recent divorce, fitting in perfectly with Daredevil's taunts in their confrontation during the "Hardcore" storyline. His cold demeanor and unique skills, however, meant subsequent recruitment by the National Security Agency as an assassin was inevitable, and he was soon assigned to train Contras in Nicaragua. By the time he arrived, however, he claimed to have already been planning to leave the NSA. He had planned on robbing the Contras blind and fleeing, but soon discovered they were desperately poor. Bullseye made the best of the situation: within seven hours of being informed of their poverty, he had led the Contras in seizing a landing strip that the Colombian cocaine smugglers were using as a staging area before moving on to the United States. Without use of the airfield, the smugglers were unable to send new shipments. Bullseye set up Paolo, his hapless Nicaraguan translator, as the leader of the new force controlling the airfield, and let the word spread around. However, Paolo was nothing but a patsy. Bullseye planned to invite several organized crime heads to the airfield to broker a new deal with him as Paolo's supposed "right hand man". He would take their money and disappear, presumably leaving Paolo to suffer the wrath of the Mafia, Russian Mafia, Yakuza and various other criminal elements. This outcome is unknown, as before the deal could be finalized, the Punisher (Frank Castle) arrived. Castle killed all the organized crime leaders in a fiery explosion from which Bullseye barely escaped. The two engaged in a fierce battle in which Bullseye was able to wound the Punisher and evade or disable several of his weapons. Bullseye then used some blood-reddened mud to paint a bull's-eye on his forehead, mocking Castle's inability to hit him. The fight concluded when Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrived, and the Punisher fled. Bullseye turned himself in to the D.E.A. agents and soon was assigned to infiltrate the Kingpin's criminal empire. He obtained a costume, fled yet again, and became one of the most dangerous hitmen in the world. All of the above information was given by Bullseye during a subsequent interrogation by US intelligence. Just prior to escaping from custody, Bullseye confessed he made up some or his entire story to amuse himself; for example, he claims that he was really the one who started the fire which burned down his childhood home. The whole capture was a plan by the assassin to gain access to the prison where his father was being held. The story ends with Bullseye finally getting revenge on his father, leaving him to burn as the prison's security systems torched everything inside. From his earliest appearances, Bullseye is one of the more prominent enemies of Daredevil. He battles Daredevil after first meeting him, and battles him again soon thereafter. Bullseye was then hired by Maxwell Glenn to kill Daredevil, although Daredevil defeated Bullseye on live television. Bullseye then joins Eric Slaughter's gang. He kidnapped Black Widow and battled Daredevil again. Bullseye is established early on as insane, and begins degenerating further when a brain tumor creates hallucinations that everyone he meets is Daredevil. He begins killing random people under the belief that he is killing his nemesis. Daredevil later saves Bullseye's life, pulling his unconscious body from the path of a moving train. Bullseye is humiliated to be saved by his nemesis. The tumor is later successfully removed, though Bullseye's sanity is still in question. He then begins working as the Kingpin's chief assassin. Cleared of his charges on the grounds of insanity, he finds that the Kingpin, his usual employer, has retained the services of a new assassin: Elektra, Daredevil's former lover. Bullseye and Elektra fight, and Bullseye impales Elektra on her own sai, saying, "You're good... but me, I'm magic" (the line was later used in the film adaptation of Daredevil). Disguised as a morgue attendant, Bullseye attempts to kill Daredevil (in his civilian identity as Matt Murdock) with a thrown projectile, which Daredevil casually blocks with his cane. After reviewing the medical reports from Murdock's childhood accident, Bullseye becomes convinced that Matt Murdock is Daredevil, and has been given superhuman powers by the chemical spill that blinded him. Bullseye then attempts to sneak up on Matt and kill him in his own home, but is ambushed by Daredevil, who has fooled Bullseye into thinking that a dummy with an attached tape recorder was Murdock. Seeing Daredevil and "Murdock" at the same time, Bullseye is convinced that Daredevil is not Matt Murdock, after all. The battle ends up with the pair balanced on a telephone wire from which Bullseye falls and is caught by his opponent. Bullseye screams that he is not going to let the hero save him again, and tries to stab his rescuer, whereupon Daredevil simply drops him. The multi-story fall breaks Bullseye's back, paralyzing him. Bullseye spent an extended period of time in the hospital following the fall. At one point, Bullseye was visited by Daredevil who forced him to participate in a game of Russian Roulette. As Daredevil related a case from earlier in the week, he waxed about how he felt about Bullseye. At the end of the game, Daredevil revealed the gun he had used for the game was empty and that he was only bluffing. Bullseye is taken to Japan, where Japanese scientist Lord Dark Wind reinforced much of his skeleton with adamantium. He resumes his criminal activities, battling Daredevil in an effort to regain position of chief assassin for the Kingpin. Bullseye is imprisoned for several years. Bullseye eventually escapes prison, and then battles Captain America. He battles Crossbones in a vain attempt to assassinate the Red Skull to regain his position with the Kingpin. Bullseye then encounters an amnesiac Daredevil. He takes advantage of Daredevil's temporary amnesia by replacing the hero and committing robberies in an attempt to destroy his image. Eventually Bullseye has problems returning to his own identity, while Daredevil believes he was his own father, the boxer Jack Murdock. Both hero and villain switch costumes and fight, returning to their real identities but still painfully aware of their inherent similarity. Bullseye later has another run-in with the Punisher when he is part of Frank's frame-up scheme that ends with Bullseye getting both of his hands shot and losing a finger to the Punisher's brutality. Bullseye encounters Deadpool and Gambit during another long interval in which the character is seldom used. In the Kevin Smith and Joe Quesada authored story arc Bullseye was hired by the villain Mysterio to attack and confuse Daredevil. In the course of their battle, Bullseye killed Daredevil's longtime love interest, Karen Page, with one of Daredevil's own billy clubs. When the next battle between Daredevil and Bullseye takes place, the assassin collapses in the middle of a fight, claiming that he has a brain tumor. He is brought to a maximum security prison, where he recounts his (at least partially falsified) origins to a federal agent (see Daniel Way and Steve Dillon mini-series Greatest Hits, as described above) who has been sent to interrogate him over the location of some radioactive materials which he has stolen prior to his incarceration. He manipulates another agent into attacking him until one of his teeth is knocked out. Bullseye uses the tooth as a weapon, killing the agent and working his way to the prison's infirmary, where he encounters and kills his father. Under the new Daredevil creative team of authors Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev the Kingpin returns to New York to start over from scratch after he has been severely wounded in an assassination attempt and left in a coma while his wife had sold off most of his assets. Bullseye offers to kill Daredevil for him, later entering Daredevil's apartment and attempting to kill his old enemy's new girlfriend, Milla Donovan. Enraged and already near the breaking point, Daredevil savagely attacks Bullseye and throws him out the window. During the fight, the hero reveals to Bullseye that he knows his origin: that his real name is Lester McThrowy, his mother was a prostitute, and that he never knew his father. This was first revealed in Kevin Smith's Daredevil: The Target miniseries which promised to explore Bullseye's origins, but had not yet been published past the first issue. He mocked the assassin's new 'Bullseye' tattoo and carved a new one over it with a rock. Bullseye returns in the arc "The Murdock Papers," seeking purported documents confirming Daredevil's secret identity. After a brutal fight with Daredevil and Elektra, Bullseye flees into open traffic where he is hit by a truck, sustaining severe injuries. In the next story arc, "The Devil in Cell-Block D", by the new creative team of Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark, Bullseye is imprisoned again at Ryker's Island, concurrently with Matt Murdock who was being held on federal charges after his identity as Daredevil is exposed. When the prison breaks out in riot, the Kingpin - who has foreknowledge of the impending attack - arranges for Bullseye to be released from his full-body-and-face restraints. Having previously cut a deal with Daredevil for mutual protection, Fisk planned to hijack a riot-squad chopper to escape the island. At the price of the deal, Matt Murdock finally refuses to let Bullseye leave prison. They fight, Daredevil dodges Bullseye's gunfire, and the Kingpin is hit point-blank. Daredevil then beats Bullseye unconscious. Bullseye, along with many other villains, was recently recruited into the New Thunderbolts by Iron Man and Mister Fantastic to hunt down anti-registration superheroes in the Marvel Civil War storyline. Afterwards he's recruited by Norman Osborn into the reformed team led by Moonstone. He operates invisibly and is not seen by the public. He is used as a last resort and has a nano-chain fed into his system, so if he disobeys orders, he will receive an electrical shock. Bullseye fights American Eagle after having being deceived by Songbird and told that she has disabled his nano-chain. During the fight, he simultaneously receives an electrical shock from the nano-chain in his system on order of Moonstone and is attacked by American Eagle (who mocks him for purposely avoiding fights with super powered foes) with a blow that breaks Bullseye's neck. As a result of the damage sustained from both being attacked by a superhuman and being shocked by the nano-chain, Bullseye has been paralyzed, left unable to speak and has incurred severe brain injury. Movie: Bullseye was hired by the Kingpin to kill Nicholas Natchios. Bullseye kills Natchios with Daredevil's billy club, causing Elektra to believe Daredevil killed her father. Bullseye himself begins to perceive Daredevil a personal challenge to his skills, because he is the only target he has ever missed. Later, Elektra attacks Daredevil, seeking revenge, but soon realizes Bullseye killed her father. Elektra and Bullseye battle, but he slits her throat with a playing card, then stabs her with one of her sai (which was exactly how he killed her in the comics), and her heart stops (in the Director's Cut, Bullseye deals more injuries to her and while impaling her, gives her a kiss by biting down on her lower lip). Daredevil chases Bullseye to a church, and they battle until Daredevil maneuvers Bullseye's hands to be shot by a S.W.A.T. sniper, leaving him with wounds resembling stigmata. With Bullseye wounded, Daredevil grabs him and throws him out of a window, crashing onto the hood of a car. A later scene shows him hospitalized but still able to fling a hypodermic needle with enough force and accuracy to impale a fly. He never misses. Bullseye is an excellent marksman. He can hit anything with any object he throws. This makes him a great assassin. He is very cold, kills people solely because he gets paid to do so. He doesn’t make any job, except when it comes to Daredevil. They bitter enemies hell-bent on beating each other. They truly hate each other, and each fight they partake in leaves each fighter bloody and beaten. Bullseye is obsessed with killing Daredevil. Hell, he killed innocent people thinking they were Daredevil because of hallucinations brought on by a brain tumor. And, Bullseye has hurt Daredevil emotionally as well as physically by killing the two women Daredevil loved: Elektra and Karen Page. He has made Daredevil into a man driven by pain and loneliness and longing to fill the emptiness in his soul. And, throughout all the years of their personal rivalry, Bullseye is the only man who has been able to make the Man Without Fear to fear him.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on May 17, 2008 16:12:47 GMT -5
Tomorrow, numbers 86-83 (I do four on the weekend). Here are the hints:
"Yes! *long evil laugh*," King Kong ain't got nothing on him, he carries a very long sword, and he REALLY loves his mother.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on May 18, 2008 12:19:20 GMT -5
Countdown time. Here's number 86: 86. R.J. Fletcher Who is he: Owner of Channel 8. What is he from: “UHF.” What has he done: Tried to destroy Channel 62; stole Stanley’s mop. Intelligence: Quite knowledge in the TV business. Power: He runs at television network. Vileness: Will run anyone out of business that threatens his networks ratings, and HE STOLE A GUY’S MOP!!!! Sway: Running a TV network gets you quite a bit of clout to have things done. Purity: Has an insatiable hunger for ratings. Physical Prowess: He’s an old guy. Name Coolness: He falls under the Initial Default Syndrome. Much like the Military Default Syndrome, Initial Default Syndrome means that if you have initials for a name, then it automatically makes your name cool. Also like the Military Default Syndrome, the only exception is “Weiner.” Created by: "Weird Al" Yankovic & Jay Levey Portrayed by: Kevin McCarthy, who thoroughly enjoyed himself during the film, according to Weird Al. He would often break out in laughter after finishing a take where his character was being especially nasty. George Newman (“Weird Al” Yankovic) is a daydreaming loser whose uncle wins a faltering UHF television station (Channel 62) in a poker game. Prompted by his wife, and having nothing better to do with the station, his uncle puts the unemployed George in charge, along with his friend Bob (David Bowe). Station employees are soft-spoken scientist/studio engineer Philo (Anthony Geary), spirited receptionist and wannabe news reporter Pamela Finklestein (Fran Drescher), photojournalist/cameraman Noodles MacIntosh (Billy Barty, in one of his final roles), and the eccentric janitor Stanley Spadowski (Michael Richards), who actually started out as a janitor for their VHF rival, network affiliate Channel 8, but got unfairly fired for pitching a research report, and immediately afterwards was hired by George Newman. George and Bob, in addition to their administrative duties, star in a children's show, Uncle Nutzy's Clubhouse (complete with unenthusiastic live studio audience). The station struggles, and one night George works late and forgets the birthday date he set up with his girlfriend Teri (Victoria Jackson) and her parents. She dumps him, and in his resulting depression he walks off the set of the kids' show in the middle of a broadcast, leaving Spadowski to host the remainder of the show. Going to a nearby bar to drown his sorrows, he discovers that other patrons are mesmerized by Stanley's oddball hosting style, and his rather unusual inspirational messages. George and Bob rush back to the station, and Stanley accepts the host's spot permanently, on the condition that he can still be the station janitor. And so Uncle Nutzy's Clubhouse becomes Stanley Spadowski's Clubhouse. With Spadowski hosting, the show immediately becomes a massively popular hit among both children and adults. Inspired by the overnight success of Stanley Spadowski's Clubhouse George and Bob then give Channel 62 a revamped programming lineup. They premiere shows such as "Wheel of Fish" (hosted by karate-teacher Kuni (Gedde Watanabe)) and "Raul's Wild Kingdom," whose host (Trinidad Silva) announces that poodles can fly. Incredibly, Channel 62 not only appears in the next television ratings list, but is suddenly the most successful station in town. However, R.J. Fletcher (McCarthy), the villainous, spiteful owner of Channel 8, is furious at being beaten by a UHF station. He calls George's Uncle Harvey in hopes to buy the station—and his timing turns out to be ideal because at that same second Uncle Harvey had just been informed by his unseen bookie, Big Louie, that the horses he'd chosen for a race had all lost, and so he now has a massive gambling debt ($75,000) which must be repaid in two days. Harvey makes a deal for Fletcher to purchase the station (which he intends to close down and convert to something else, as FCC by-laws forbid owning two TV stations in the same town), but when George finds out, he phones his aunt, who forces her husband to give George time to match the cash and buy the station. After agonizing on how to raise the money, the answer suddenly comes to him, in the form of a telethon. In no time at all the Channel 62 crew launches a telethon to sell investment shares in the station to local viewers. Desperate to make the fund-raiser fail, Fletcher's goons kidnap Stanley and hold him in the Channel 8 studio. Due to a camera he had earlier installed to keep an eye on Fletcher (which George had unwittingly told him to do), Philo sees this and informs George. With the help of Kuni and his students, George manages to free Stanley, and they rush back to the last moments of the telethon, to discover that they are still $2,000 short of the amount needed, as time runs out. Assured of victory, Fletcher goes before the crowd to announce the end of Channel 62, but a fortuitous circumstance—to which (ironically) Fletcher has inadvertently contributed earlier in the movie—suddenly raises the last of the needed money at literally the last second: the bum, who appears periodically in the movie asking for change, has returned and asks George Newman not for change this time, but the last several shares of stock in U62; $2,000 worth "and keep the change!" George immediately takes the money, pays Uncle Harvey's gambling debt off, and not only is Channel 62 saved, it has now become a publicly-owned company. Meanwhile, the disgruntled Fletcher is approached by an FCC official, who informs him that Channel 8 has lost its broadcasting license and "effective immediately is off the air", because of the station's lateness in filing for a license renewal. George and Teri get back together, Philo, his work done, leaves for home (the Planet Zircon), as does Uncle Harvey (Los Angeles, in his case). And the aforementioned fortuitous circumstance comes to light: Fletcher had gotten accosted by the bum outside the Channel 8 offices earlier, and so, in order to get the bum out of his hair, gave him what he thought was just a regular run-of-the-mill one-cent penny. But now it turns out that what Fletcher had really given the bum was a rare 1955 Double-Die Denver Mint Penny, worth a fortune! This explains how he was able to buy the last shares of stock of U62—and what happened to the Rolex watch Fletcher was supposed to get on his birthday. Greed is the root of all evil. Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprising that many villains would be greedy bastards. In fact, there are quite a few greedy people on this list. R.J. Fletcher is one such man. He cares about only two things: ratings and money. And, these are the things that will make his station, Channel 8, the number one network on TV. But, he just doesn’t want to have the number one TV network; he wants to dominate the competition. Hell, if anyone gets remotely close taking the top spot, like Channel 62, Fletcher will bring down the all mighty hammer and crush them. He will bury the competition and do anything to have the deed done. While most people would that there’s enough pie for everyone, R.J. Fletcher wants the whole pie to himself. But, that’s not the worst thing he’s done. No, R.J. Fletcher did an act so unholy, so despicable, so evil that it pisses me off just to think about it. He stole Stanley’s mop. He stole Stanley’s mop!!!! HE STOLE STANLEY’S MOP!!!! WHAT KIND OF UNHOLY MONSTER WOULD STEAL A MAN’S MOP!!!!? YOU’D HAVE TO HAVE NO SOUL TO DO SUCH A THING!!!! WHY WOULD ANYONE STEAL A MAN’S MOP!!!!? I MEAN…IT’S…JUST… RAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! *eyes turn white, clothes rip off of body, muscles expand, skin turns green* HULK ANGRY!!!!*Hulk breaks through a wall. He smashes a car and kicks a mailbox. Hulk picks up another car and throws it into a building. Then, he grabs a lamp post and throws it into a bunch of cars. Then, Hulk jumps away.*
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on May 18, 2008 12:42:24 GMT -5
85. Alonzo Harris Who is he: A corrupt LAPD detective. What is he from: “Training Day.” What has he done: Breaks the law to get himself out of debt with some gangsters, killed a drug dealer friend in order to steal his money. Intelligence: Had the right plan to dig himself out of debt but didn't count on Jake being so damn honorable. Power: Loves to hide behind that badge. Vileness: Cared very little for his friends and even less for his foes. His son and girlfriend are pretty much the only two people he cares about. Sway: Used a lethal mix of charm and intimidation to get what he wanted from people, especially Jake. Purity: With a heavy debt to pay and his life on the line, he forced himself to do whatever he could to survive. Physical Prowess: Can do his share of brawling, and looks good in black leather. Name Coolness: “Alonzo” is so cool it makes “Harris” look cool by comparison. Created by: David Ayer. Portrayed by: Denzel Washington, who the Best Actor Oscar for his performance. The movie, as the title suggests, follows a single day in the life of a young LAPD cop Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) as he is subject to a single day evaluation by Alonzo Harris (Washington), a highly decorated LAPD police narcotics officer to see if he has what it takes to be a 'narc'. During the first few moments of Jake's pairing with Alonzo, it becomes quickly apparent that Jake's 'by the book' dictum is in stark contrast to Alonzo's philosophy of blending in with the street. They first detain some college students buying marijuana from a dealer, but instead of arresting them they just take their drugs. Jake is put into a compromising position when Alonzo offers him a hit of marijuana (that is, unknown to Jake, laced with PCP) as a test of his street smarts, putting a gun to his head and threatening to throw him out if he doesn't smoke it. Jake relents and smokes. Alonzo then takes Jake to the home of a drug dealer and bookmaker "Roger" (Scott Glenn), with whom Alonzo seems to have a close relationship. As they're cruising down the street later on, Jake notices a girl (Samantha Esteban) being attacked by two men in a side alley. Jake jumps out of the car and saves her, while Alonzo watches. Jake wants to arrest the men and get a statement from the girl, but Alonzo dismisses her and leaves the two men out on the street to face 'street justice', though not before intimidating and torturing them. Jake discovers the girl's pink wallet before he leaves and picks it up, whereupon he realizes that the girl is 14 years old. During the rest of the day, Alonzo brings Jake further and further into the world of the 'street' as he harasses a drug dealer named Blue (Snoop Dogg) and learns about another drug dealer named Sandman. He then illegally searches Sandman's home and steals thousands of dollars in the presence of Sandman's wife (Macy Gray) and nephew, Sandman's wife then calls for help when she realizes the money was stolen, the local gang members which appeared to be Crips outside start to take action, by shooting Alonzo's car on which he then fires back. He then takes Jake to the Jungles to meet his Salvadoran mistress, Sara (Eva Mendes), and their young son, where he establishes that the gang members in the housing project all fear and respect him. During their entry to the housing project, Jake and Alonzo see a flock of pigeons controlled by a resident, and Alonzo explains to Jake that the residents use the pigeons to warn the community the police are present. Alonzo then meets with three high ranking police officers, known as the "Three Wisemen" (Tom Berenger, Harris Yulin, Raymond J. Barry), where it is clear from their conversation that Alonzo has bigger problems than breaking in a new rookie. Alonzo receives permission from the Wisemen to "cash in" on an "account." Alonzo goes back to Roger's home with Jake and some fellow narcs, and seizes Roger's money stash hidden underneath the floor of his kitchen, offering a cut to the team (Jake refuses his share). Alonzo then takes Jake's shotgun and shoots Roger as he sits unarmed and helpless. Jake is horrified by what he had just witnessed and while the crew sets out to manipulate the crime scene, he snaps, resulting in a tense standoff between him and the corrupt officers. But he soon realizes his predicament and surrenders when Alonzo mentions the department's blood test as his wild card, which would ruin him as it would detect the PCP he had smoked earlier that day. The backup arrives to clean up, and Jake expresses his disgust at the way Alonzo operates, to which Alonzo replies that it is part of his methodology; he had to cozy up to Roger (who was apparently a very elusive and unscrupulous drug dealer) in order to take him out, which sums up his pragmatic view of "law enforcement", but Jake believes otherwise. The pair later arrive at the home of a Latino gangster named "Smiley," (Cliff Curtis) who is playing poker with two other gang members: "Sniper" (Raymond Cruz) and "Moreno" (Noel Gugliemi). After playing a hand, Jake becomes aware that Alonzo has abandoned him to the thugs, and Smiley informs him of Alonzo's situation: he must pay one million dollars to Russian Mafia members for killing one of their employees in Las Vegas, explaining the heist of Roger's stash. Jake tries to escape, but the trio quickly overpowers him and drags him into the bathroom to be shot. They ignore his pleas for mercy and search his pockets, finding the pink wallet he had picked up earlier which happens to belong to Smiley's cousin. Jake desperately tells him where he found it. Not believing him, Smiley calls his cousin, who confirms Jake's story and provides his physical description. In appreciation for Jake's brave actions, Smiley spares Jake's life, returns his pistol and allows him to leave. Jake returns to Sara's apartment looking for Alonzo. He attempts to arrest him as he tries to make his appointment with the Mafia members, but Alonzo resists. Jake eventually subdues him, after which gang members and local residents begin congregating to watch the conflict. Alonzo tries to get the crowd on his side, but it becomes evident that the neighborhood has had enough of him; they allow Jake to walk away with the money, who intends to turn it in as evidence. Detained by one of the gang members, an incensed Alonzo then rails at the defiant mob. They in turn abandon him in disgust. Attempting to escape through LAX, a broken Alonzo meets his end at a quiet intersection, where a crew of Russian gunmen guns him down. The final scene has Jake pulling into his driveway and going home to his family, while a radio broadcast reports Alonzo's death. Ironically, the news report of Alonzo's death is a facsimile of a line spoken earlier in the movie by Alonzo himself, which was used to persuade Jake to take part in Roger's murder/robbery: "An LAPD narcotics officer was killed serving a high-risk warrant. An LAPD spokesperson said, officer Alonzo Harris was survived by his wife and four sons." It’s funny. This movie came out around the same time a TV show called The Shield premiered on FX. They both had one thing in common: the main character was a corrupt LAPD detective. However, Vic Mackay (The Shield) is a little different than Alonzo Harris: Mackay has some redeeming qualities. Well, a lot more than Harris. In fact, Harris’s only redeeming quality is that he cares for his son and girlfriend. And, it did say that Harris had a wife and four sons at the end of the movie, and he may have cared for them, too. However, that’s were Alonzo Harris’s kindness pretty much ends. He is a criminal with a badge. He’s using the law, putting it on his side so that he can break it. He bends, sometimes breaks, the rules in order to achieve his goals. He has sunk so deep into the depths of his line of work that he has corrupted himself to the point where his own life has become the target of a foolish debt to be repaid. And, as Alonzo exposes Jake to the harshness of the streets where many a drug deal takes place, he also reveals his own questionable tactics in fighting the criminal element, whether that means intimidating the "animals" at will or misrepresenting themselves with fake search warrants. Alonzo also manipulates his new student, going so far as to hold a gun to his head to get him to smoke drugs, which turns out to be a clever blackmail device later on. He also turns on a “friend,” killing “Roger” and stealing his drug money. He is also egomaniacal, feeling that “King Kong ain’t got nothin’ on me!” And, in the end, his ego is what leads to his downfall. He thought that he could manipulate and blackmail Jake in order to make sure his scheme to get himself out of debt would work. However, Jake is just too goddamn honorable to let this happen. And, much like King Kong, Alonzo dies in a hail of bullets.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on May 18, 2008 13:20:05 GMT -5
84. Sephiroth Who is he: The most famous member of SOLDIER, the paramilitary branch of Shin-Ra Electric Power Company. What is he from: Final Fantasy VII, V, and Tactics; Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts I and II, Itadaki Street Special and Portable, and Ehrgeiz What has he done: Enacts a sinister plot which threatens the Final Fantasy world, killed Aeris; annoying and angered video games who tried to beat him. Intelligence: Smart but a little crazy. Power: Is behind the plot that threatens the Final Fantasy world. Vileness: Will kill anyone who dares to stop him. Sway: That long sword of his (Masamune) helps him to get people to do what he wants. Purity: His motives aren’t exactly clear. Physical Prowess: Super-strong, can change forms, and has his Masamune. Name Coolness: Pretty cool. Created by: Tetsuya Nomura. Portrayed by: In Japan, he’s voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki (Ehrgeiz) and Toshiyuki Morikawa (all other appearances). His English voice is done by Lance Bass (Kingdom Hearts) and George Newbern (all other appearances). Final Fantasy: Sephiroth was born 25 to 30 years before the start of the game (exact year left unknown) to Professor Hojo and Lucrecia Crescent. Before Sephiroth's birth, Hojo and Lucrecia were working as assistants to Professor Gast, Shin-Ra's top scientist, on the Jenova Project. The project studied the remains of an extra-terrestrial entity known as Jenova, which was mistakenly thought to be one of the Cetra, an ancient people of the world that the game takes place in. Hojo injected cell samples from Jenova into the pregnant Lucrecia. Lucrecia then carried Sephiroth to term, his fetal form merging with the cells of Jenova as it developed. After his birth, Shin-Ra raised Sephiroth to be a supersoldier, the very first SOLDIER. They told him nothing of his mother except that her name was "Jenova." He was not aware his father was the Shin-Ra scientist 'Hojo' whom he referred to as "inexperienced". He proved to be an incredibly strong and effective member of SOLDIER, gaining worldwide fame for his exploits such as his role in Midgar's victory against Wutai. He was later sent by President Shinra to deal with the newly formed AVALANCHE when they raided Junon, and then went after the group when they "kidnapped" Professor Hojo. In SOLDIER Sephiroth had two friends, Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos. Though all three were rival SOLDIERs First Class, they each saw each other as close. When Genesis and Sephiroth duel in the virtual reality Junon, Sephiroth manages to beat Genesis, proving to be the stronger. The small wound Genesis takes does not heal. Sephiroth offers his blood as a transfusion, but is told that his blood is not compatible. Genesis eventually defects from Shin-Ra, making Sephiroth very uneasy about his missions against him. Just before his final mission, Sephiroth hints that he may leave Shin-Ra altogether. In the events of Crisis Core and Last Order, taking place four years before the beginning of Final Fantasy VII itself, Sephiroth was ordered to inspect the Mako Reactor outside the town of Nibelheim with a small entourage, consisting of one other member of SOLDIER and a few Shin-Ra MPs. Among this group was SOLDIER 1st Class member Zack and his buddy, a 16-year-old Shin-Ra trooper named Cloud Strife. Nibelheim was Cloud's childhood home, but he avoided showing his face and revealing himself to his childhood friend Tifa Lockhart out of shame over not becoming a full-fledged member of SOLDIER as he had sworn to do several years earlier. At the reactor, Sephiroth found several pod-like chambers containing monstrous creatures, apparently former humans, possibly mutated by injection with Jenova cells and exposure to Mako. Deeper inside, he found a larger chamber labeled "JENOVA," which contained a very strange feminine-looking creature. Crisis Core shows the true events to the Nibelheim incident, and Genesis plays a large part in Sephiroth's madness. During this time, Genesis tells Sephiroth that he was born from the Jenova Project, which was used to produce a 'monster'. Going in more depth about Jenova, and the Jenova Project, Genesis states more facts, but Sephiroth himself does not understand all of what Genesis tries to tells him. Deeply disturbed by the fact that the creature had the same name as his "mother" and by the idea that he himself might have been created in an experiment similar to the one that created the monsters in the pods, Sephiroth made his way to the mansion that had been occupied by Shin-Ra researchers and began reading the research notes that were located in the basement library. As a result of what he learned, Sephiroth became enraged and psychotic. Based on the Shin-Ra reports, he came to believe that Jenova was a Cetra, and therefore that he himself, Jenova's "son," was the last survivor of the Cetra. He also believed that the human race had betrayed the Cetra 2,000 years earlier, leaving them alone to defend the Planet from a calamity it had faced (eventually revealed to have been Jenova itself), and resolved to take vengeance for his "ancestors." He burned Nibelheim to the ground, killing nearly everyone within the village, including Cloud's mother, and then returned to the Mako Reactor in the Nibelheim Mountains. He was pursued by some surviving villagers, including Tifa and her father. Cloud and Zack, as of yet unharmed, also followed. When Tifa arrived at the reactor, she found her father dead with Sephiroth's Masamune left beside his body. In anger, she took the sword and charged Sephiroth outside the pod room; however, he took his blade back from her and cut her down, nearly killing her. A moment later, Zack arrived and rushed up the stairs in the pod room to Jenova's chamber, attempting to stop Sephiroth. Zack was sent reeling out of the doorway of the chamber and onto a pod. Sephiroth attempted to take Jenova with him, but before he could do this, Cloud charged into the room, carrying Zack's large Buster Sword, and taking Sephiroth by surprise stabbed him through his abdomen from behind with it. Believing Sephiroth was finished, Cloud went to tend to Tifa. Due to Sephiroth's enhanced anatomy, however, he survived Cloud's assault, though wounded greatly. He then removed Jenova's head for reasons known only to himself. He prepared to leave, and to launch an assault upon the human race to symbolically "take back the Planet" for the Cetra. Before he could leave the Reactor, Cloud pursued him once more. This time Sephiroth took Cloud by surprise, turning quickly and sliding his sword into Cloud's stomach. But Cloud's desperation proved greater than Sephiroth's strength, and he lifted Sephiroth off the floor using the blade in his chest as a lever and his own body as a pivot, flinging Sephiroth over the edge of the catwalk upon which they stood, and down into the Mako pool beneath the reactor. Sephiroth's body dissolves in the Lifestream but his will combines him and Jenova into a single being, with him in control. In Last Order, it was reckoned that Cloud only managed to fling Sephiroth into the wall, and that Sephiroth jumped into the Lifestream as a means of escape. No other version of the Nibelheim incident shows events going this way. Following this, Shin-Ra sealed the records on Sephiroth and rebuilt Nibelheim in order to cover up the incident, populating it with Shin-Ra employees paid to act as the town's citizens. Hojo meanwhile decided to make use of the surviving residents of Nibelheim, and so commissioned them against their wills to take part in an experiment that would hopefully prove his Jenova Reunion Theory. A theory that stated that when Jenova's cells are separated, they will seek to reunite in a "Reunion". This was done by injecting some of Jenova's cells into the survivors and then infusing them with Mako, two procedures that had been carried out on Sephiroth himself (the difference being that the procedures were done on Sephiroth when he was still developing in the womb, causing them to merge with his DNA and grow with him as he developed). Thus, the subjects of the experiment were dubbed "Sephiroth Clones". Cloud and Zack were two of Hojo's subjects for this experiment, and they would spend the next four years as his prisoners in the Shin-Ra Mansion of Nibelheim. Shortly before the main events of the game begin, Zack broke free and took the semi-comatose Cloud with him. Around this point in time, the call of the Reunion began to go out, and the Sephiroth clones began making their way toward Midgar, where Jenova was transferred to after the Nibelhiem incident. As for Sephiroth, through the years, he began to understand the true nature of Jenova by absorbing her head and being encrusted in raw materia, deciding to use the knowledge of the Cetra obtained from the Lifestream for his ambitions. Sephiroth heads to the great Northern Crater, the Planet's 2,000 year old wound that was formed by Jenova's landing, where he slowly reforms his body in preparation to become a God. This was the last time Sephiroth would be seen for four years. The hero party of the game, known as AVALANCHE, were captive in Shin-Ra's headquarters at this time, having made a daring raid on the facility in an attempt to rescue a captive ally. During the night, Jenova's body contained now in Hojo's lab in the building, breaks out of its containment vessel through Sephiroth's influence, taking on his appearance and will as a total puppet. Since this Jenova was nothing but a projection of Sephiroth's will, all the actions she takes can be attributed to Sephiroth, for Jenova is nothing but a piece of him now. Sephiroth through Jenova slaughters much of the Shin-Ra personnel in the building. At some point, Cloud's prison cell was opened, either by Jenova itself or by an electrical malfunction occurring as a result of massacre. It is also probable that Sephiroth himself opened the lock, possibly because he views Cloud as one of his "clones". AVALANCHE found their guards slaughtered, and President Shinra impaled against his desk by a sword that apparently belonged to Sephiroth. As a result of this, Sephiroth clones began changing direction toward the Northern Cave, where Sephiroth's actual body is located. Having decided to investigate the matter, encountering the Jenova/Sephiroth on the way, AVALANCHE discovered that Sephiroth was attempting to use the Black Materia, an item that would call forth a manifestation of the Ultimate Destructive Magic: Meteor. Sephiroth intended to use this to deal a potentially fatal wound to the Planet, at which time it would then send out large amounts of spirit energy from the Lifestream in order to heal that wound. Sephiroth planned to be at the center while bringing the Reunion to the Northern Cave so they can absorb the scattered remains of Jenova in the clones and intercept this massive concentration of energy, absorbing it and the knowledge and power it carried, which he believed would make him a God. Aeris Gainsborough, the true last survivor of the Cetra, tried to use the White Materia given to her by her mother to summon the force called Holy, the only power able to counter Meteor. During her attempt to call forth this Ultimate White Magic, Sephiroth fell from above and impaled her with his sword, killing the flower girl almost instantly. This was part of Sephiroth's manipulation and mental torture of Cloud, possibly destabilizing him so that he might be easily manipulated. Though Aerith had successfully called Holy, it was now being held back within the Planet by Sephiroth, preventing it from moving with his will, as augmented by Jenova's power. He continued manipulating Cloud until AVALANCHE reached Sephiroth's body inside the Northern Cave, by which time Sephiroth had so whittled away at Cloud's mind that he believed he was nothing more than a cluster of Jenova's cells that had assumed the form of a real person named "Cloud." He then willingly handed over the Black Materia to Sephiroth, which Sephiroth used to call forth Meteor. Afterward, AVALANCHE and the Shin-Ra executives that were present were forced to flee from the collapsing area. Sephiroth then erected a field of energy around the Crater to prevent entry. With his shield up, and Shin-Ra busy fighting AVALANCHE and the WEAPON called forth by the Planet, Sephiroth was safe in the Northern Crater from all attack. While the rest of the world was in Chaos which was chaos thanks to the looming shadow of Meteor, Sephiroth perfected his body so as to become a God. However, his shield was penetrated by Shin-Ra, when they fired the Sister Ray. Cloud and the rest of AVALANCHE then descended into the chasm to defeat a mutated Sephiroth, his body hatching from a pupa-like material (Bizarro Sephiroth) and preparing to absorb the Lifestream (Safer Sephiroth). After destroying Sephiroth's body, his spirit made a mental assault upon Cloud, attempting to overcome his will as easily as it had done in the past and take Cloud's body as his own. However, Cloud's mental defenses had grown and he triumphed over Sephiroth's spirit with his ultimate technique, Omnislash, at which time Sephiroth's spirit was seemingly reclaimed by the Lifestream. During the events of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Sephiroth again plays the role of the destroyer. It has been two years following the defeat of Sephiroth, and a fatal malady called Geostigma has spread throughout the world, afflicting many with extreme fatigue and open sores on the skin. The now-reclusive Cloud finds himself confronted by a strange trio of silver-haired men who are the physical manifestations of Sephiroth's will and spiritual energy, his powerful will having allowed him to pull out of the Lifestream before being fully diluted. However, without a great abundance of Jenova's cells, Sephiroth cannot be fully reborn. These three, Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo all believe themselves to guide by their "mother" Jenova, but rather it is Sephiroth himself who forces their actions. The leader, Kadaj becomes the vessel of Sephiroth after absorbing the contents of a case containing remains of Jenova, transforming into the man himself. Sephiroth and Cloud then fight in the ruins of Midgar. Though Cloud is exhausted by the effort, Sephiroth does not break a sweat. He is merely toying with his old foe, hoping to crush his spirit before killing Cloud. Sephiroth reveals his intent to use those that die of Geostigma to bend the Lifestream to his will, take over the Planet and use it to travel to another world, thereby repeating the cycle started by Jenova. Sephiroth is defeated by Cloud's Omnislash Version 5 move, wherein Cloud's First Tsurugi sword is separated into individual swords (the individual swords could be combined by Cloud to form stronger and larger swords) in mid-air. Cloud dashes through Sephiroth, grabs another sword and dashes through him again. This process is repeated until he uses all six components of the First Tsurugi. Sephiroth remains floating in the air as his single black, feathered wing then appears. His final words are "I will...never be a memory," and his single wing wraps around him. The wing fades away, revealing what is left of Kadaj's body as he falls to the ground. The weakened Kadaj is then accepted into the Lifestream as his body and soul 'evaporate' into the falling rain, Aerith's Great Gospel. Kingdom Hearts: Sephiroth also appears in the English and Final Mix versions of Kingdom Hearts, where he appears as an optional boss in the Olympus Coliseum world, and is widely considered to be the hardest boss in the game. A new orchestration of One-Winged Angel serves as the background music for this battle. In the Final Mix version of the game, extra scenes are revealed including one where Aerith reveals that Cloud wasn't looking for her, but Sephiroth. A bonus scene is also shown after Sephiroth is defeated, where he has a face off with Cloud. Sephiroth reappears in Kingdom Hearts II, again as an optional boss. In this title, his role is expanded beyond its status in the original Kingdom Hearts, as he is involved in a side story involving Hollow Bastion resident Cloud Strife, whom Sora confronted in the first game, he attacks with a meteor like attack, dark orbs, columns of fire, and a long Masamune combo. Once again he is considered one of the hardest bosses of the game. Sephiroth is quite the enigma. His motives in the Final Fantasy games aren’t really clear. Some would say that is a character flaw, but it is kind of smart for villain. Usually, the villain gets foiled because he explains his plan to the hero. But, with Sephiroth, it’s hard to tell what he wants or how you can foil. He has also quickly become one of the most recognized in video game history and has become an indo to Goth gamers everywhere. Also, most villains have that one moment usually solidifies him or her as a villain for life. Sephiroth’s moment comes in Final Fantasy VII when he kills Aeris. That pretty much made him one of the most reviled villains in video games history. But that’s not the only reason he’s a good villain. He’s also impossible to be n Kingdom Hearts. Using fire, meteors, Darkness spheres, voodoo, teleportation attacks, and his ultra-long katana to gore you, defeating him is harder than beating Final Fantasy VII using you nose to work the controller. Though, it can be done: Seph can be taken out by implementing the proper strategy. The MP Rage, which gives you MP every time you are struck, is essential to victory. This is because walking away from this match unscathed, regardless of your skill, is not going to happen, and you need all the MP you can get to constantly heal your battle wounds. As with many boss battles, this one has multiple phases where your aggressor will try out his array of attacks. To win, you need to stick it out through all of the phases, using your MP to cure yourself and sneaking in hits in between Sephiroth's. However, saying it and doing are two different things.
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Post by The Maxx on May 18, 2008 13:34:30 GMT -5
Have you noticed that R.J. Fletcher is just like Vince McMahon?
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on May 18, 2008 13:40:00 GMT -5
83. Norman Bates Who is he: A serial killer who has an unnatural attachment to his mother. What is he from: The Psycho franchise. What has he done: Killed a bunch while dressed as his mother. Intelligence: He’s a mama's boy, unable to think for himself, but he's capable of carrying out her wishes. Power: He runs a hotel. Vileness: Mother's jealousy fueled an incredible rage capable of committing murder. Sway: Very shy and overpowered by his Mother, he has held his tongue far too often. Purity: You can almost hear the cuckoo birds singing inside his head. Physical Prowess: He's a tall drink o' water but not incredibly strong. Name Coolness: If you put “master” in between his name, it becomes a junior high joke. Created by: Robert Bloch Portrayed by: Anthony Perkins, who played Norman in all four Psycho movies. Both the novel and Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film adaptation explain that Bates suffered severe emotional abuse as a child at the hands of his mother, Norma, who preached to him that women and sex were evil. The two of them lived alone together in an unhealthy state of emotional dependence after the death of Bates' father. When Bates was a teenager, however, his mother took a lover, thereby making him insanely jealous. Bates then murders both of them with strychnine and then preserved his mother's corpse. Bates develops dissociative identity disorder, assuming his mother's personality, repressing her death as a way to escape the guilt of murdering her. He inherited his mother's house, where he kept her corpse, and the family motel in Fairvale, California. Bloch sums up Bates' multiple personalities in his stylistic form of puns: As "Norman" Bates, the little boy, he is dominated by his mother, and has to do whatever she tells him. As "Norma" Bates, he dresses in her clothes, mimics her voice, and kills anyone who threatens to come between her and her "Norman," especially attractive young women. As "Normal" Bates, he is a (barely) functioning adult who runs the business of the motel and keeps peace between the other two personalities. Norman is finally arrested after he murders a young woman named Mary Crane (called Marion Crane in the film) and Milton Arbogast, a private investigator sent to look for her. Bates is declared insane and sent to an institution, where the "mother" personality completely takes hold; he completely becomes his mother. Bates dies in Bloch's 1982 sequel to his novel. In the sequel to the original film, Bates is released from the institution 22 years later, seemingly cured. However, a series of mysterious murders occur, as well as strange appearances and messages from "Mother", and Norman slowly loses his grip on sanity. The mysterious appearances and messages turn out to be a plot by relatives of one of Norman's (or Mother's) victims to drive "Norman" Bates insane again; the murders turn out to be caused by Norman's real mother, Norma's sister, Emma Spool, who, of course, shares the family's history of mental illness. In the end, Norman kills Spool and embalms her body while assuming the "Mother" personality once again. In the third film, Norman continues to struggle, unsuccessfully, against “Mother’s” dominion, but in the end attacks her corpse violently, attempting to break free of her control, and is again institutionalized. During the last few minutes of the movie, a reporter tells Norman that Emma Spool was his aunt, not his mother, and had killed his father. Apparently, she had fallen for Norman's father and, when Norma Bates had given birth to Norman, kidnapped the child, believing he was her son. In the final sequel, however, the revelations of Psycho III are effectively retconned. (Bates' father is explained as having been stung to death by bees). In this film, Bates had been released from the institution, and is married to one of the hospital's nurses. When his wife becomes pregnant, however, he lures her to his mother's house and tries to kill her; He wants to prevent another of his "cursed" line from being born into the world. (The film implies that Bates' mother suffered from schizophrenia and passed the illness onto him). He relents at the last minute, however, when his wife professes her love for him. He then burns the house down in an attempt to free himself of his past. During the attempt, he is tormented by hallucinations of "Mother" and several of his (or her) victims; He almost dies in the flames before willing himself to get out, apparently defeating his illness at long last. In the pilot episode of the failed TV series Bates Motel, Bates is never released from the institution after his first incarceration. He befriends Alex Kelly, a fellow inmate who had murdered his stepfather, and wills ownership of the titular motel to him before dying of old age. Norman Bates is crazy and creepy as hell. He killed his mother and kept her body in their house with him. He soon developed a personality that was based on his mother. After meeting Marion, the sexually repressed man spies on her in the shower. However, his “Mother” personality took over and unleashed a serial killer inside of him. Though, he’s kind of a sympathetic character. He is acting under a mental illness. He really has no control over the actions he does. It’s his “Mother” who is committing the murders. But, that still doesn’t excuse the fact that Norman has killed many people. It can be seen that Norman is allowing his illness to take over him. He is very weak and grew up with only mother. She was quite controlling, and he had some unnatural feelings for her. And, it all led to a life of insanity and murder. Norman Bates mind is a jumbled mess, and he takes it out on innocent victims. That makes him such a great villain.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on May 18, 2008 13:43:55 GMT -5
Tomorrow, number 82 and 81, plus a recap of the last 20 villains. Here are the hints:
A pair of comic book villains: one reformed but went back to evil, and the other works for a religious conspiracy.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on May 18, 2008 14:33:07 GMT -5
Have you noticed that R.J. Fletcher is just like Vince McMahon? Maybe they're long lost brothers?
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Post by The Maxx on May 18, 2008 14:54:10 GMT -5
Have you noticed that R.J. Fletcher is just like Vince McMahon? Maybe they're long lost brothers? The obsession with eliminating competition is scary. If Vince had stolen Moppy from Saturn he & Fletcher would be indistinguishable from eachother!
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on May 19, 2008 15:50:19 GMT -5
It's countdown time again, bitches. Here's number 82: 82. Black Adam Who is he: A corrupted ancient Egyptian predecessor of Captain Marvel. What is he from: First appeared in The Marvel Family #1, a comic book for Fawcett Comics; now he’s a character in DC Comics, most notably in JSA, Villains United, Infinite Crisis, 52, and his own miniseries Black Adam: The Dark Age. What has he done: Becomes corrupted by his power and takes over ancient Egypt, killed Billy Batson’s parents, and killed many people out of revenge for the death of his wife Isis. Intelligence: Smart and cunning, but a little crazy. Power: He’s a superhuman who ruled an entire country. Vileness: Has killed without mercy many times and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. Sway: His superpowers and vicious ways is a great motivator to get people to what he wants, or else. Purity: If he wants to do something, he’s gonna do it; and there ain’t a whole lot that can stop him. Physical Prowess: Magically bestowed aspects of various mythological figures which include superhuman strength, speed, stamina, physical and magical invulnerability, flight, fearlessness, and vast wisdom/enhanced mental perception; enhanced senses and can heal himself through magic lightning. Name Coolness: Just adding “Black” to “Adam” makes for one cool name. Created by: Otto Binder & C.C. Beck. Portrayed by: Lou Scheimer voiced Black Adam in the Kid Superpower Hour with Shazam! Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has agreed to appear as Black Adam in the film Billy Batson and the Legend of Shazam! The original Fawcett Comics version of Black Adam, which appeared only once during the original Fawcett run of Captain Marvel comics, is an ancient Egyptian prince named "Teth-Adam", who is chosen by the wizard Shazam to be his successor. When Adam says the magic word "Shazam", he is transformed into a super-powered being, Teth Adam (literally translating into "Mighty Human"). Possessing the same powers that Captain Marvel would later be granted, Adam is soon corrupted by the vastness of his powers. The wizard Shazam originally gives him ancient powers derived from Greco-Roman deities. Later stories establish that the names of gods from the Egyptian pantheon make up the acronym Shazam for Black Adam. Deciding that he should rule the world, Adam overthrows the pharaoh and assumes the throne. An angry Shazam gives his errant champion a new name, "Black Adam," and banishes him to the most distant star in the universe. Adam spends the next 5000 years flying back to Earth. By the time he makes it back, in 1945, Shazam has appointed three new champions to take his place: Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, and Captain Marvel Jr. Adam does battle with the trio, known as the Marvel Family, but since all are equally invulnerable, the fight goes on and on without resolution. At the suggestion of the wizard Shazam, Uncle Marvel tricks Black Adam into saying the wizard's name, transforming him back into his mortal form. Adam's natural aging process takes hold, and he withers away into a skeleton within moments. While he is defeated in the same story in which he debuted, Adam is resurrected nearly thirty years later (by Doctor Sivana) in DC Comics' Shazam! revival of the Marvel Family characters. According to Shazam! #28, Black Adam gets his powers from Shu (stamina), Hershef (strength), Amon (power), Zehuti (Thoth) (wisdom), Anpu (speed), and Menthu (courage). After several more defeats at Captain Marvel's hand, Adam joins Mister Mind's final pre-Crisis version of the Monster Society Of Evil. Adam's origin is revised for the 1987 miniseries Shazam! The New Beginning, in which the need for Captain Marvel to oppose him is made an integral reason of why Billy Batson is recruited. Soon after that call, the corrupted champion is drawn from the netherworld by an interdimensional transport device created by Dr. Sivana, whom Adam attempts to make his slave. Black Adam is reintroduced to the DC Universe in The Power of Shazam! graphic novel by Jerry Ordway in 1994. In that story and the subsequent Power of Shazam! ongoing series, Adam is a deadly and evil adversary for Captain Marvel. In this revised origin, Teth-Adam is the son of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II, and impresses one of the high priests, the wizard Shazam, with his good deeds. The wizard gives Teth-Adam the power to become the superhero Mighty-Adam by speaking the name "Shazam", an acronym for Mighty Adam's powers: the stamina of Shu, the swiftness of Heru (Horus), the strength of Amon, the wisdom of Zehuti, the power of Aton, and the courage of Mehen. Mighty Adam serves as Egypt's champion for many centuries, but becomes corrupted by the charms of a mysterious woman, revealed to be Shazam's evil daughter Blaze in disguise. The bewitched Adam is convinced that he and his mistress should rule Egypt, so he kills the Pharaoh and appoint himself ruler. Shazam learns of this treachery and strips Adam of his powers, encasing them in a mystical scarab necklace. Adam's depowered body rapidly experiences the aging process that the magic had staved off, and the former hero withers away into a dried cadaver in seconds. Shazam buries both the body and the scarab in the tomb of Ramesses II, where he plans for it to remain for all eternity. In death, the former hero is referred to as "Khem-Adam" ("Black Adam"). Disillusioned by what he perceived as Adam's betrayal, Shazam waits several millennia before appointing a second champion to fight evil in his name. Thousands of years later, during the late 20th century, an unscrupulous archaeological aide named Theo Adam finds himself assigned to the Malcom Expedition, financed by the Sivana Foundation to excavate the tomb of Ramesses II. Adam uncovers Khem-Adam's tomb in a secret passageway, and leads his superiors, C. C. Batson and his wife Marilyn, to the discovery. Upon first sight of Khem-Adam's scarab, Theo Adam becomes obsessed with the artifact, and kills both Batsons in order to steal it. Escaping Egypt, Theo Adam soon made his way back to America. The Batsons' son, Billy, has been left behind in the United States, and is drafted by Shazam to become the wizard's second champion, Captain Marvel. When Theo Adam first encounters Captain Marvel, he notes both Marvel's identical appearance to C. C. Batson and the lightning-bolt insignia on Marvel's chest that had also decorated Khem-Adam's tomb. Adam therefore has a revelation, and realizes that he is a reincarnation of Khem-Adam. Grasping his stolen scarab, Adam speaks Shazam's name and is transformed into the super-powered Black Adam. Black Adam reveals himself to Captain Marvel as the Batsons' killer, and the two battle. Captain Marvel emerges victorious by snatching Adam's scarab, and therefore his power, away from him. Marvel brings Theo Adam to Shazam, who wipes Adam's memory and takes away his voice, so that he can not access his powers. This solution proves temporary, as Blaze re-enters her former lover's life and helps restore his voice, his memory, and access to his powers. Although Adam appears during the Power of Shazam! ongoing series' first year of publication as a villain, towards the end of the series' run, Adam returns and announces that Black Adam and Theo Adam are separate personalities. Black Adam stands trial again for the murders of the Batsons, and is acquitted when it is revealed that his fingerprints do not match those of Theo Adam's. The reformed Black Adam is still vulnerable to his murderous host's influence, and he attacks the Justice Society of America under Theo Adam's control in JSA #6 (1999). In subsequent issues, Adam joins supervillain Johnny Sorrow's Injustice Society after Sorrow removes a malignant brain tumor from Adam's brain. Adam soon betrays Sorrow, and he and the JSA defeat the Injustice Society. Claiming to be free of Theo's evil influence again, a repentant Black Adam requests membership in the Justice Society, and is granted a probationary membership in JSA #21 (2002). During his tenure in JSA, writers Geoff Johns and David S. Goyer redefined Adam's personality and background, focusing on the character's old-fashioned and militant ideals of justice, and his officious and strongly opinionated attitude. Despite this, he has stated on many occasions that he respects the Justice Society, particularly members such as the first Flash Jay Garrick. Several other JSA members are shown to be skeptical of Adam's reformation; primary among them is Atom Smasher, who later becomes Adam's close friend. The writers also created added tension in the book by having Captain Marvel, who is wholly unconvinced that Adam has reformed, join the team. One JSA story arc (issues 39 through 44) features Marvel, Hawkgirl, and Mr. Terrific venturing back in time to ancient Egypt, where they meet Mighty Adam before his corruption. During this visit, Mighty Adam is grateful to meet Captain Marvel, as Marvel's presence demonstrates that his legacy will survive him even with his children gone, and, when Marvel transforms back into Billy Batson, Adam expresses admiration for the young man's ability to handle the power of Shazam at such a young age, something he doubts he could have achieved himself. Johns and Goyer used this story arc to slightly alter Adam's origin. The hero now hails from the fictional North African nation of Kahndaq, not Egypt, although he serves for the Egyptian prince Khufu (who is later reincarnated as JSA member Hawkman). The character of Blaze is completely removed from the origin story, and Adam's rage is described as having resulted from the conquering of Kahndaq (and the murder of his wife and children) at the hands of a magically powered supervillain named Ahk-ton (whose powers resemble future hero Metamorpho), who is working with the notorious DC immortal Vandal Savage. Mighty Adam kills Ahk-ton during the struggle, and returns to Kahndaq to reclaim it by any means necessary, including murder. The wizard Shazam does not agree with Adam's actions, and robs Adam of his powers and kills him. In JSA #45 (2003), Black Adam and his teammate Atom Smasher both defect from the Justice Society. During the next few issues, Adam forms his own organization, which administers justice the way Adam wants it: "an eye for an eye". His roster includes a mix of DC heroes and villains, including Atom Smasher, Brainwave (who is possessed by Mister Mind), Northwind and the rest of the society of Feithera, Nemesis, and former JSA museum curator Alex Montez, the human host of the demon Eclipso. Adam's collective executes Kobra, a villain who has been acquitted by the legal justice system. Adam then turns his attentions to his old homeland of Kahndaq, now ruled by a militant dictator whose actions had long been ignored by the United Nations. Late 2003 began the publication of a JSA/Hawkman crossover story arc titled "Black Reign", written by Geoff Johns alone, which features Adam and his militia's hostile takeover of Kahndaq. A war soon breaks out, with Adam, his comrades, and the Kahndaqi people on one side, and the Justice Society on the other. By the end of the arc, the JSA leaves Adam in control of Kahndaq, provided that he does not leave its borders, convincing him that he can't enforce his rule on the world or he is no better than the dictator he'd defeated. Brainwave is saved by the JSA, Mister Mind is apprehended thanks to the actions of the Atom, and Nemesis and Alex both die during the battle when Alex loses control of Eclipso. Only Northwind and Atom Smasher remain at Adam's side. As Kahndaq's ruler, Adam is depicted as fiercely working to protect his people and his nation. Black Adam is featured heavily in DC's 2005 Infinite Crisis crossover, primarily in the Villains United miniseries as a member of the Secret Society of Super Villains (which he only joins to protect Kahndaq from the Society). Concurrently, in JSA, Atom Smasher leaves Adam's side to return to the JSA. The Society is run by Alexander Luthor, Jr., a character from the alternate world Earth-3, who disguises himself as the Lex Luthor of the post-Crisis Earth. The Infinite Crisis limited series centers around Alexander Luthor's plan to restore the Multiverse. Needing a member of the Marvel Family to power the apparatus he has designed to recreate the alternate earths of the Multiverse, Luthor has the Society betray and capture Black Adam. With the help of the mind-controlling powers of the Psycho-Pirate, Luthor is able to control Adam and have him call down the magic Shazam lightning bolt to fuel the apparatus; the Spectre's rampage during the Day of Vengeance storyline has reverted all magic in the DC Universe to a raw, chaotic structure, and the death of the wizard Shazam has transformed him into a tether that can be used to harness the magic and use it to power his equipment. By the end of the miniseries, Black Adam is freed by Superboy and Nightwing. Adam quickly kills Psycho-Pirate and, following a failed attempt to defeat Superboy-Prime (which reveals that magic does not affect Superboy-Prime, as Adam's blows allegedly only 'tickled'), joins the heroes- although he is generally regarded as being on his own side by the other combatants- in the Battle of Metropolis, destroying Amazo shortly after his arrival. Black Adam appears as a featured character in DC's weekly 52 comic book. Depicted as the violent protector of the nation of Kahndaq, Adam kills several super-villains in public and on television to demonstrate his views. As a result, he is distrusted by the superhuman community. He creates an international metahuman coalition against the perceived metahuman supremacy of the United States. In 52, DC introduces Adrianna Tomaz, a slave offered to Adam by Intergang as a token to curry his favor. After Adam deals harshly with the slavers, Adrianna becomes Adam's love interest, and her counsel proves wise to him. In week 12 of the series, Adam uses a magical amulet, hidden on the scarab in which Shazam imprisoned him, to transform Adrianna into the superheroine Isis. Weeks later he proposes, and the two are married under the auspice of Captain Marvel and the rest of the Marvel Family. In 52 Week 23, Black Adam and Isis, with the assistance of the Question and Renee Montoya, find Isis' brother Amon. Due to a failed escape attempt, Amon suffers near-fatal wounds. In order to save his life Black Adam bestows a portion of his own power on the boy, as Captain Marvel did for Captain Marvel Jr. Isis' brother then becomes a new addition to the Marvel Family under the name Osiris. Osiris is accepted into the Teen Titans. Upon returning from a mission, he and the rest of the Black Marvel family are attacked by the Suicide Squad. The Black Marvels successfully defeat the Squad, but not before footage of them in battle (including Osiris' accidental killing of a Squad member) is captured by Amanda Waller, who uses it to further ruin the Black Marvel Family's reputation. Meanwhile, Kahndaq is struck with a number of natural disasters, which seem to have a supernatural origin. Wracked with guilt over the death of the Persuader, Osiris ventures to the Rock of Eternity and pleads with Captain Marvel to have his powers removed; as he fears Black Adam's influence (and those of his gods) has tainted him with evil. Black Adam arrives and the two battle until subdued by Isis and the Marvels. Osiris relents and accompanies the Black Marvel Family back home, only to be betrayed and brutally devoured by his friend, the talking crocodile Sobek, while in his mortal form. Isis and Adam confront Sobek, who reveals that he is Famine, the Fourth Horseman of Apokolips, one of four creatures created by Intergang to attack Black Adam. Adam swiftly disposes of Sobek, and does battle with the other three Horsemen. One of them, Pestilence, infects Isis with a deadly disease before Adam kills him and his partner War. A gravely ill Isis saves Adam from Death using her powers, and tells Adam with her dying breaths that she was wrong to try to change his views on justice, and that he should avenge both her and Osiris. Seething with fury, Adam flies to the neighboring nation of Bialya, where Death has taken refuge. Adam slaughters everyone within Bialya - the government, the army, and the citizens - while hunting for Death, whom he defeats in battle, then tortures the creature into revealing the whereabouts of its masters. Intent on revenge, Black Adam flies to Oolong Island, hideout of a coalition of evil DC Universe scientists who created the Horsemen. However, the scientists subdue him and he suffers weeks of torture at the hands of Dr. Sivana. The "Science Squad" then announces to the world that they plan to sell Black Adam as a living weapon to the highest bidder. The Justice Society assaults the island, freeing Adam. It is revealed that Chang Tzu had built the Horsemen under orders of China, who wanted Adam and his family to be assassinated after Adam left the Freedom of Power Treaty. Adam refuses to be taken into custody and once more flies off, seeking revenge for the death of his family. Enraged to the point of madness, and with his gods' blessings, Black Adam flies to China, causing massive civilian casualties and billions of dollars in property damage when various superhumans get in his way. He tears through the ranks of the world's superhumans, killing Young Frankenstein and Terra of the Teen Titans, and seriously injuring several others. He attacks China, continuing the destruction until the decimated Great Ten allows the Justice Society and a coalition of other metahumans onto Chinese soil. Captain Marvel, though unable to take away Black Adam's powers, works with a group of mystics, including Zatanna and the Phantom Stranger, to transform Black Adam into the mortal Teth-Adam. Using his abilities as the new guardian of the Rock of Eternity, Marvel changes Adam's magic word from "Shazam" to an unknown one (Later revealed to be "Chocolate Egg Cream") to prevent him from ever changing back. Despite his defeat, Teth-Adam escapes thanks to the intervention of his one-time ally Atom Smasher. He is left a mortal wandering the Middle East, unsuccessfully guessing at the word that will restore his power. In this six-issue mini-series, which begins sometime after his defeat in World War III, the still-powerless Teth-Adam orders his remaining loyal minions to savagely beat his face in order to alter his physical appearance. Effectively disguised, he leads the group to Kahndaq to retrieve the bones of Isis, while the JSA is in Bialya searching for him. Adam and his men are attacked by unidentified soldiers (who are also searching for Teth-Adam) while leaving the tomb of Isis and Osiris. Adam's followers sacrifice their lives so that he can escape with his wife's remains. Adam then travels to the frozen Himalays, where he cannibalizes the corpse of his last henchman after running out of food. The text indicates that his henchman voluntarily sacrifices his body to keep Black Adam alive. This serves to indicate both Black Adam's undying dedication to resurrecting Isis as well as the equally powerful loyalty that his remaining followers had for him. Finally reaching a secluded cave, Teth Adam resurrects Isis using a Lazarus Pit. The process is imperfect however, and Isis' new skin decays and her body literally falls apart. Adam returns her to death to end her suffering. Teth-Adam then journeys to Doctor Fate's tower, hoping to retrieve Isis' amulet. He encounters Felix Faust, who offers his assistance in return for being freed from the tower, in which he was trapped by Ralph Dibny during 52. It is also revealed here that Teth Adam's previous attempt at bringing Isis back at the Lazarus Pit failed because one of Isis's fingers was missing; an individual's remains must be fully intact for a Lazarus Pit to work properly. With Faust's help, Black Adam's power source is changed from his six patron gods to the residual mystic energy contained in Isis' corpse. "Isis" now works as his new magic word of transformation. Once again in his superhuman form, he sets off to retrieve the scattered pieces of Isis' amulet. Faust warns Adam that this is only a temporary solution, as every time he draws power from Isis' bones, they become more fragile and less able to sustain her resurrection. In retrieving the first part of the amulet, Teth Adam encounters Hawkman. The two have a savage battle in the sky, leading to Hawkman's serious injury. After the fight, the Justice League is notified and the team begins trying to find Black Adam. Meanwhile, while resting at a riverbank and contemplating his mission to bring back his wife, Teth Adam is shot down and badly wounded by members of the same organization that attacked him in issue one. He is, however, strong enough to speak the magic word "Isis" and transform into Black Adam. After promptly dispatching the assassins with extreme prejudice, he visits a veterinary hospital to have his wounds repaired. After leaving the hospital, the doctors who save Teth Adam's life are attacked by the assassins. Teth Adam sees this happening, saves the two doctors, and kills one of the assassins and captures the other two. He kills them both, one by striking him with lightning and one by flying him up into the thermosphere, after getting information from them. The Justice League talks to the two doctors as part of their hunt for Teth Adam, and learn about his heroic act of saving them from the assassins. This further develops Teth Adam's anti-hero character, as it is one of his first acts of heroism since the events of World War III. Black Adam via traveling by train as a stoe-away and happens to arrive at Fawcett City. Seeing this as his chance to look for clues as to what Captain Marvel changed his magic word too Teth Adam roams Fawcett City reading signs and guessing what the word is. After hours of searching he enters a malt shop and accidentally discovers that the new transformation word Captain Marvel changed back in 52 was in fact "Chocolate Egg Cream". With his original power returned, he flies to Fate's Tower and confronts Faust. Faust attempts to resurrect Isis, but the resurrection fails, and Isis' bones crumble to the floor. Faust blames Black Adam for using Isis' power too much, and distraught, Black Adam flies away, ending up in the Kahndaq embassy in Gotham City. It is revealed that the bones that Faust showed to Black Adam belonged to Ralph Dibny, and Faust resurrects Isis successfully. With her under his power, he exits the tower. In Countdown #49 a depowered Mary Marvel stumbles upon Black Adam at the embassy and finds that he has killed several others that have had the misfortune to find their way into the building. It appears that Adam is about to harm Mary as well, but transfers all of his powers to her (including those he recovered from Isis). He departs in his mortal form, telling her to tell Billy Batson "Sorry". Appearing again in the final issue, Black Adam is once again empowered by unknown means (possibly when Mary lost her power above Earth against Eclipso.) Mary Marvel seeks to join forces with him in a new Black Marvel Family, but he dismisses her as arrogant and childish, leaving her entirely alone. There are many adjectives that describe Black Adam: ruthless, cruel, vicious, etc. But, the most apt one would have to be “obsessed.” It wasn’t always this way. Black Adam was basically created to be an evil version of Captain Marvel. Then, he reformed and became a superhero, even becoming a member of the Justice Society. However, his evil ways were always lurking underneath the surface. He quit the Justice Society, became the ruler of Kahndaq by force, and alienated the superhero community by killing supervillains on live TV. Then, he fell in love with Isis and found a son in Osiris. Sadly, their time together would not last as Isis and Osiris were both killed. Soon, Black Adam become obsessed with revenge, killing thousands in two countries and basically starting a war to get vengeance from the people who were responsible for their deaths. Then, he became obsessed with bringing Isis back from the dead, killing more people who dared to get in his way. Though, some would say Black Adam is more of anti-hero than a villain, but dead bodies are dead bodies; and he is pretty much responsible for them. But, that doesn’t really matter. All that matters is that Black Adam is one bad man.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on May 19, 2008 16:21:25 GMT -5
81. Herr Starr Who is he: A former German special forces soldier and a member (later leader) of the secretive organization known as The Grail. What is he from: Preacher. What has he done: Killed the boys who blinded his eyes, did some “dirty” jobs for the Grail, murders his way through the ranks of the Grail, etc. Intelligence: Military. Power: Had a powerful position in the Grail. Vileness: Will kill anyone without a second thought. Sway: He carries a gun, which is pretty persuasive. Purity: Said he would kill “a million little girls to win” the war he has been fighting all his life. Physical Prowess: Is pretty deadly with a gun, but sucks in unarmed combat. Name Coolness: “Herr Starr” is pretty cool. Created by: Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Portrayed by: The character hasn’t made an appearance outside of the Preacher comic book yet. However, there are talks of a Preacher series being made for HBO. But, that was back in 2006, and there’s hardly been a word about it since. The child who would become Herr Starr was always quiet and studious. The son of a British serviceman and a German mother who died in labor, he had hoped to avoid the unwanted attention of bullies by keeping to himself. Unfortunately a gang of children, led by one particularly brutal child, targeted him because of this. This bullying ultimately led to an attack where they gave "A star for Starr" and with a broken bottle carved 5 jagged lines around and over his right eye. As well as blinding him in that eye the stress from the event caused all his hair to fall out and his cries forever turned his voice into a harsh grating sound. After that Starr's life (until meeting Jesse Custer) would become dedicated to seeking order in the world. One by one the children responsible for his attack died in a series of accidents and unfortunate tragedies. Their deaths were always at least one year apart, although two were brothers and together were burned to death in a house fire. The last, the gang leader, died on Starr's 10th birthday from drinking herbicide, the result of which caused his spine to contract until the back of his head touched his heels. Starr, though obviously responsible, was never implicated in these deaths as he had refused to name his attackers after he was assaulted, wanting to exact revenge by himself. Herr Starr began his career as an agent of the German anti-terrorism unit GSG 9. (This is an anachronism, as GSG 9 is presented as being operational and well-established in 1972, when it did not exist until 1973) He excelled in all fields of training, except unarmed combat. During this class the instructor, a bully well known for victimizing and humiliating his students, challenged Starr to a sparring match. In response Starr pulled out his handgun and shot the instructor in the knee-caps. When challenged as to how he would survive without training in unarmed combat Starr replied that he had "no intention of being unarmed." In the late 1970s, Starr was recruited into the Grail, the most secret and powerful organization on Earth. The Grail's secret is that Christ did not die at all but was drugged in a death like state, later rescued and eventually marrying and having children. The Grail protects the bloodline, planning to set off a partial Armageddon in 2000, with the intent of making the descendant of Christ now the new Savior. As such, the Grail went about controlling the world, making all decisions for every leader on the planet in preparation for the day when nuclear war would be seemingly averted by the return of the Messiah and peace would reign on Earth. Starr proved his worth to the Grail when assigned to eliminate a former member living in a mental hospital: Starr blew up the entire hospital so the member is lost with the other inmates, reasoning that while one death would be investigated, the destruction of the whole hospital would leave the authorities without any idea where to start looking. When questioned about the innocent deaths, he replies rhetorically "How many children died at Sodom and Gomorrah?" Starr rose quickly in the ranks of the Grail, eventually becoming Sacred Executioner, second only to the Grail's leader Allfather D'Aronique. He becomes notable for his ruthlessness and the fact he doesn't care for relationships, only sex. In 1990, he comes to the conclusion the Grail is doomed. After 2000 years of in-breeding "to keep the bloodline pure", the would-be savior is a mentally retarded and physically gawky child who frequently urinates in public and speaks gibberish. Starr knows the world would never accept this and decides to kill the child and find someone more acceptable, even though the rest of the Grail, including Allfather D'Aronique, hangs on to the faith that the child would manifest divine powers and become a worthy leader. When he hears of Jesse Custer and his power of "the Word," Starr decided that he made the perfect candidate for an alternative Messiah and planned to use Custer in his scheme to overthrow the Grail's leadership. In "Proud Americans," Starr murders his way to the position of Allfather, (he pushes D'Aronique out of a helicopter, which results in the death of Christ's descendant and an unnamed soldier as well, when D'Aronique lands on them) giving him control over the Grail. With the position comes immense power, and Starr is able to commandeer a United States army tank division to attack Jesse and the Saint of Killers in Utah and then order the American President to order a nuclear warhead dropped on the Saint in Monument Valley. Throughout the course of the series, Starr undergoes one humiliating injury after another: When an underling is ordered to find him a hooker, he accidentally hires a male prostitute who sexually assaults Starr; he has his left ear shot off by Tulip; Jesse cuts a massive gash across his bald scalp so Starr's head resembles a giant penis, and he spends the rest of the series hiding it with a Panama hat; when a nuclear bomb knocks his helicopter out of the sky, Starr wakes up in the company of three inbred hillbillies who turn out to be cannibals who have already eaten his right leg, but Starr tricks a mentally retarded cannibal into handing over his gun by wiping the man's overly sloppy rear end ("For what I am now forced to do, I will one day wreak vengeance on God Himself.") and manages to shoot and kill all three cannibals, only to have two of them land on top of him; getting out from under them, Starr hops one-footed across the desert, tripping and falling all the way and finally calls for rescue and when asked what he wanted, answers "A hot bath, a week's sleep, a prosthetic limb and Armageddon, in that order"; when a member of the Grail Council gets close to proving Starr's treason, Starr kills him and his Russian bodyguard, only to be attacked by the man's savage Rottweiler, but he manages to shoot it but not before it has chewed off his genitalia. All this takes its toll on Starr's mind and he decides the Grail and its dreams of control and order are not worth what he's sacrificed. He kills the Grail Council, assembling a private army and hunting down Jesse at the Alamo. He finally ends up charging Tulip, who shoots him several times, finally jamming the gun under his chin and blowing the entire top of his head off. He has time to utter a final, disgusted "Shit" before collapsing dead. Faith. It is one of the things that drives people, and it is very hard to stop a person who is driven by it. You see, faith is belief without proof. A person driven by faith does not need proof to believe in what they believe in; he or she just believes. Herr Starr is such a person. He has faith in the Grail and their goals. He believes so much in the Grail that he feels their chosen messiah is not a worthy messiah and kills him. He also believes that the Grail cannot ultimately achieve their own goals and believes they should be overthrown. Starr feels the new messiah is Jesse Cutter and goes through hell to use him to take over the Grail. However, he goes through hell trying to do this, goes crazy, and then decides just to kill the Grail and Jesse because all that he went through was not worth it. Nevertheless, he is a driven man who will not stop for anything. Herr Starr pretty much sums up who he is: “I am at war. I have been all my life. And, I would kill a million little girls to win.”
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on May 19, 2008 16:23:53 GMT -5
Okay, here's a recap of 100-81:
100. Walter Peck 99. Sideshow Bob 98. Dean Vernon Wormer 97. Bill Lumbergh 96. The French Taunter 95. Col. Kurtz 94. Baby Jane Hudson 93. Auric Goldfinger 92. The Nosferatu 91. M. Bison 90. Luther 89. The Wicked Witch of the West 88. Frank Booth 87. Bullseye 86. R.J. Fletcher 85. Alonzo Harris 84. Sephiroth 83. Norman Bates 82. Black Adam 81. Herr Starr
Tomorrow, numbers 80 and 79. Here are the hints:
Stuck in the middle with you, and she gives a whole new meaning to "obsessive fan."
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on May 20, 2008 17:44:05 GMT -5
Countdown time. Here's 80: 80. Annie Wilkes Who is she: An obsessed fan of Paul Sheldon. What is she from: Misery (novel and movie). What has she done: Tortured Sheldon into bring back a character of his that loved. Intelligence: She did her part to keep Paul in the dark but couldn’t throw the law off her trail. Power: She’s doesn’t have any “take-over-the-world” king of power. Vileness: Broke Paul’s ankles just to keep him captive and shot poor Sheriff Buster. Sway: Very friendly with the small town folks; even with Paul; no one would suspect her of evil doing. Purity: So obsessed with keeping Paul there, she did just about everything to make it so. Physical Prowess: Not physically strong, but it was enough to keep the injured Paul off his feet and in the house. Name Coolness: It’s sounds like an ordinary female name. Created by: Stephen King. Portrayed by: Kathy Bates, who won the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal. Novel: Paul Sheldon is the author of a best-selling series of romance novels featuring the Victorian-era heroine Misery Chastain. Since 1974, he has finished the first drafts of all his books in the same suite at the Boulderado Hotel in Boulder, Colorado. He is determined to finish his new novel, Fast Cars. After he has completed his manuscript, he has an impulse (fueled by three bottles of champagne) to drive to L.A. rather than back to his home in New York. In his inebriated state he is unaware that the Colorado Western Slope is going to be hit with one of the biggest snowstorms of the year in a few hours. Determined to drive through this, he loses control of his car, drives off the road, and tumbles down the steep hill, falling unconscious. Paul is rescued from the car wreck by a woman named Annie Wilkes, an experienced nurse who lives nearby. As Paul waves in and out of consciousness, he hears a voice (Annie's) telling him that she's his number one fan. After extricating Paul from the wreck, Annie takes him not to a hospital, but to her home, putting him in a spare bedroom. As Paul regains consciousness, he lies there completely helpless, being unable to move anything from his waist down. Having been a registered nurse for almost twenty years, Annie knows how to take care of his injuries. She feeds and bathes him and splints his broken legs, giving him Novril (a fictitious codeine-based painkiller invented by King specifically for the story) for his pain. Annie reads his new manuscript and doesn't like it, believing that there is too much use of profanity. When Paul tries to reason with her that "everybody talks like that", she goes into a fit. Paul begins to grow concerned over Annie's mental state, but he remains optimistic, believing once the roads are cleared Annie will take him to a hospital and life will continue normally. It's around this time that Misery's Child, the latest and intended final book starring Misery Chastain, hits the shelves. Completely unaware that this is the last book, Annie, whose life revolves around the character, buys the copy she has reserved. Upon reading the book, and learning of her beloved Misery's death, she goes into a rage. She tells Paul that she hasn't spoken to anyone about him. Paul, an only child of deceased parents and two-time divorcé, realizes that it may be a long time before he is missed. As Paul begins to regain strength in his legs, he is forced to use a wheelchair. He wants to leave, but Annie holds him prisoner, forces him to burn his manuscript for Fast Cars, and demands that he write a new book, which will bring Misery back to life. As he tries to come up with a credible plot premise, an early attempt at retconning is roundly rejected by Annie, Paul has little else to do, locked alone in his room. One afternoon, when Annie's away, Paul formulates a plan to escape. Although the plan is unsuccessful, he finally gets out of his room, and secures some needed pain medication, which she had been intentionally withholding from him. A few weeks later, he sneaks out of his room to tour the house again. This time, he finds Annie’s scrapbook, containing newspaper clippings from her entire life. Paul is disturbed to note that Annie has saved news accounts of the untimely deaths of her childhood next-door neighbors and college roommate. The ones that shock him the most, however, are from her time as a nurse. Initially, she worked in medical wards across the Midwest, and intentionally caused (or hastened) the deaths of elderly patients. In Colorado, however, after a brief marriage, Annie worked in the neonatal department, and while there she was charged with several infant deaths. She was tried but acquitted, and thereafter gave up nursing for good. The last entry in the scrapbook is a squib article from Newsweek indicating that Paul's literary agent has not heard from him for some time and has become concerned, although not overly so. Paul overlooked some of the signs of his unauthorized trips, and Annie soon found out he had left his room and hidden a butcher knife underneath his mattress. Eventually she confronts Paul, intent not on killing him, as that would be like "junking an expensive car because of a broken spring," but rather on "hobbling" him, by cutting his foot off with an axe, then cauterizing the wound with a blowtorch. Paul has come to hate and fear Annie, but realizes he is dependent on her because, in his weakened state, he cannot care for himself (and in addition is thoroughly addicted to the painkillers she supplies). He goes on with his writing, even though another spat with Annie results in her impromptu amputation of his left thumb. In early May, a Colorado State Police officer comes to Annie’s house with a picture of Paul. Paul throws an ashtray out the window and shouts. The surprised officer doesn't notice Annie sneaking up behind him. She hits the officer several times with a Wooden cross she had used for the burial of one of her cows, then runs over him with a riding lawnmower. She then backs over him to make sure he was dead—blood and gore flies all over the place. After disposing of the officer's body and his cruiser at her unspecified "Laughing Place," she comes to Paul with the officer's pistol and two bullets in it. She wants to be with him forever. Paul quickly explains that he is almost done with the book, however, and Annie believes him. As Paul finishes the last chapter, he comes up with a plan. He asks Annie for a cigarette and a match to light it with, to celebrate the completion of the manuscript. When Annie steps out of his room briefly, Paul prepares the final stages of his plan, and when she returns, he tells her that Misery's Return is the best thing he's ever written -- but that Annie will never get to read it. He then drops the lit match into a trash can nearby, which he has doused with a squirreled-away bottle of lighter fluid. Stunned, Annie runs to the pile and tries to put it out. She sticks her head in the flames, and emerges with all the flesh on her face burnt off. Paul flings his typewriter at her head, and it becomes wielded into her face. Although this does not kill her, it gives Paul the upper hand and after breaking a glass bottle and shoving the jagged stump into Annie's neck he believes he has managed to overpower her. Paul takes several handfuls of burning pages and shoves them down her throat, one by one, until she lies still, seemingly dead. He crawls to the bathroom, knowing that Annie has to be dead but still not believing it, and loads himself with Novril as he waits. Due to the overdose, he falls unconscious. When more police arrive, looking for their missing colleague, they find Paul awake in the house, but there is no sign of Annie. They would later find Annie's body in the barn, with one hand wrapped around the handle of a chainsaw. The cause of death was in fact a fractured skull sustained when the typewriter banged her head. Paul finds this ironic. Also, the reader learns, Paul did not burn his book at all. The pile of papers consisted of notes and discarded pages; the top piece of paper on the pile showed the book's title in order to fool Annie into thinking Paul was burning the actual manuscript. Returning home to New York, Paul is fitted with a prosthetic foot. He learns that his foot had been infected with gangrene, and that Annie's amputation of the foot actually saved his life. He submits Misery's Return to his publisher, who tells him that it is certain to become his best-selling book ever. However, the ordeal is far from over for Paul: he suffers nightmares about Annie as well as symptoms of withdrawal from the Novril. He also drinks too much, has writer's block and cannot bring himself to get back to work. However, one day, he gets an idea and begins to type a story based on his experiences from a new view. Movie: Nurse Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) saves the life of novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) after a car accident brought on by a severe blizzard. Wilkes, an obsessive fan of Sheldon's "Misery" romance series, takes him home and serves as his caretaker. Annie turns out to be severely mentally disturbed (very possibly suffering from erotomania), and she prevents him from leaving or contacting the rest of the world. Once Annie finds out he kills Misery Chastain, the series' namesake, in his latest published book, she flies into a rage and nearly kills him. She also coldly tells him that she never called the doctors, Paul's agent or his daughter, as she'd previously said she'd done. After leaving for a few days, she forces him to burn the manuscript he had carried with him and write a new "Misery" story, Misery's Return, in which Misery is somehow brought back to life. Paul eventually escapes from his room. He finds a photograph album with newspaper clippings of Annie's history; she had been acquitted on charges of infanticide while serving as head maternity nurse in a hospital. She has also killed several other hospital patients over the years, and also killed her father and college roommate. Annie discovers Paul's forays into the rest of the house and, to prevent further ones, cripples (or "hobbles") him in the infamous "sledgehammer scene" by breaking his ankles with a sledgehammer. A local sheriff, Buster (Richard Farnsworth), who is investigating Sheldon's disappearance comes to suspect Annie. After a visit, a noise from inside the house leads him to find Paul in the basement, where Annie hid him when she saw Buster coming. However, Buster is immediately killed by Annie with a shotgun. Upon completion of the "Misery" book, Annie is ecstatic and wants to celebrate by a murder-suicide with Paul. However, Paul acquires a chance and lights his finished novel afire. He takes advantage of her anguish by attempting to knock her unconscious with the typewriter he used. This fails, and the two engage in an intense brawl that ends in Annie's death. Paul is assumed to be rescued. The movie then continues eighteen months after Paul was rescued; he is shown in New York City having a meal with his agent, Marcia Sindell (Lauren Bacall). They discuss his new novel, which is separate from the "Misery" series. Paul rejects a suggestion to write about his experiences with Annie because he is constantly haunted by them; he mistakes a waitress, another one of his fans, for Annie in a haunting, daydream-like vision. Annie Wilkes is one crazy, obsessed fan. However, she certainly would not classify herself as a villain. In fact, when we meet her, she is doing a heroic act. She simply did what any good citizen would do if they happened to run across a person, who just happened to be her favorite writer, injured in a car accident in the dead of winter. She took him in and helped him get better. It’s the least his #1 Fan could do. Of course, she went a bit over the line. Just as Paul Sheldon was ready to leave, Annie felt the desire to keep him there longer, especially after finding out that Sheldon was killing off her very favorite fictional character from his novels, Misery. Annie felt it was necessary for Paul to stay longer and make things right, and when Paul disagreed, she needed to take steps to keep him there. Whether it was by lying, drugging him, or using the occasional sledgehammer to the ankles to keep him off his feet (in the novel, it was an axe, and she cut off his foot), Annie did it. She felt what she was doing was right, but we know it’s wrong. Beside the obvious (kidnapping and torturing Sheldon), she is also very selfish. Sheldon wants to move on from the “Misery” series. He wants to open up his literary prowess and explore new worlds and possibilities with his writing. However, Annie can’t accept that. She wants Misery; she wants Sheldon the same stories he has always been writing. In a way, she represents us all. Don’t we hate it when a certain fictional work does something new? Sure, there are those who hate it at first and then learn to love it; but Annie is that person who wants their favorite work to stay the same throughout. Everyone fears change and the unknown in the real world, and we usually turn to fiction because it is a safe escape. However, that fiction begins to change, we freak. We want that work to stay for our security and peace of mind. We don’t care about the creator wanting to do something new; we only care about ourselves. In a way, Annie Wilkes is us; and that makes her a whole scarier.
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