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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 10, 2008 15:38:35 GMT -5
Countdown time, once more. Here's number 26: 26. Freddy Krueger Who is he: Undead serial killer. What is he from: The Nightmare On Elm Street franchise. What has he done: Killed a lot of people in their dreams. Intelligence: From the cleverness of the original to the dumbness of the later flicks, it all averages out. Power: His only drawback is that he hasn't figured out a way to kill people while they're awake, but in dreamland, he rules. Vileness: Slicing, dicing, and exploding teenagers on ceilings and in beds, he's done it all and more. Sway: Extremely intimidating, but also loves to turn on the charm. Purity: A complete nutbag who’s been known to show occasional weakness. Physical Prowess: Nice build with scarred body, and the glove is an immortal horror icon; nothing creeps you out more than this guy in a dark alley. Name Coolness: “Freddy Krueger” is pretty cool. Created by: Wes Craven. Portrayed by: Robert Englund, but he was not the first choice. The filmmakers initially wanted a stunt man to play the part. Englund, however, was sent a copy of the script, and agreed to star. “A Nightmare On Elm Street”: A fifteen-year-old girl named Tina Grey (Amanda Wyss) has a disturbing nightmare in which she is stalked through a dark boiler room by a figure with distinctive razor-sharp knives for fingers on his right hand. Just as he catches her, however, she wakes up screaming, only to discover four razor cuts in her nightdress identical to the cuts in her dream. The next day, she finds out that her friend Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) experienced the same dream. That night, Tina, Nancy, and her boyfriend Glen Lantz (Johnny Depp) have a sleep-over to make a distraught Tina feel better. Tina's rebellious boyfriend, Rod Lane (Nick Corri), crashes the party and goes to bed with Tina in her mother's bedroom. However, Tina has another nightmare, and this time the killer catches her and brutally murders her. Rod wakes up to find Tina being cut open by invisible knives and then dragged across the ceiling. Rod, being the only other person in the room at the time, is suspected of the killing and is arrested the next day. Nancy then has three violent nightmares in which she is viciously stalked then attacked by the same terrifying figure who attacked Tina. These nightmares lead her to talk to Rod in prison, who tells her what he saw in Tina's mother's bedroom. Much to the dismay of her mother Marge, Nancy becomes increasingly convinced that the figure appearing in her dreams is the person who killed Tina. Nancy and a skeptical Glen rush to the police station late at night to talk to Rod, only to find that he's been strangled by his own bedsheets. To everyone except Nancy, it appears to be a suicide. Nancy's mother takes her to a Dream Therapy Clinic to ensure she gets some sleep. Once again, she has a horrendous nightmare. This time, her arm is badly cut, but she finds that she has brought something out from her dream: the killer's battered hat. It arouses concern, but also other feelings in Nancy's mother, who is clearly hiding a secret. Eventually, Marge (Ronee Blakley), increasingly drink-sodden, reveals to Nancy that the owner of the hat, and the killer, was a man named Freddy Krueger (Englund), a child murderer who killed at least twenty children over a decade earlier. Furious, vengeful parents burned him alive in his boiler room hideout when he was released from prison on a technicality. Now, it appears he is manipulating the dreams of their children to exact his revenge from beyond the grave. Nancy's mother, however, reassures Nancy that Krueger can't hurt anyone, pulling Krueger's knife glove from a hiding place in the furnace as a visual aid. Nancy devises a plan, with Glen, to catch Krueger, but Glen succumbs to sleep and is viciously killed by being sucked into his bed and shot back up in a fountain of blood. Nancy is left alone with Freddy after pulling him into the real world. She runs around her house and forces him to run into booby traps she had set earlier. After setting Freddy on fire Nancy locks him in the basement, and finally gets her father and the rest of the police to help. After discovering that Freddy has escaped and that fiery footsteps lead upstairs, Nancy and her father, Donald Thompson (John Saxon), a police lieutenant, witness Freddy smothering Marge with his flaming body, disappearing to leave her corpse to sink into the bed. After sending her father away, Nancy faces Krueger on her own and succeeds in destroying him by turning her back on him and draining him of all energy. The scene shifts to the next morning, where it is revealed that everything was a dream as Nancy gets in a car with Glen and the rest of her friends, on their way to school. Nancy realizes that she is still trapped in the dream, as Freddy possesses the car just as she gets in. The car drives away with Nancy screaming for her mother, and Marge being pulled through the door window by a clawed hand. “A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge”: It has been five years since the events of the first film. A new family, the Walshes, have moved into the former home of Nancy Thompson. The Walshes' son, Jesse (Mark Patton), happens to move into Nancy's old room. He eventually begins to have nightmares of Freddy (Robert Englund) demanding that Jesse kill for him. Jesse finds Nancy's old diary in which she had been keeping track of her nightmares and her encounters with Freddy. He goes to his parents in a panic, but they argue and Jesse storms out. Jesse finds himself walking the streets late at night. One night, he walks into a bar where he runs into his gym coach, who takes him back to the gym to run laps. The coach has Jesse hit the showers, while he goes back to his office. While he is in his office, the shelves begin to come alive, hurling balls and other sports equipment at him. Two ropes grab him by the wrists and drag him into the shower. The shower fills with steam and we see Freddy's silhouette in the background, clawing the coach's back. As everything comes into focus, Jesse is the one with the glove on his hand. Jesse's friend Lisa begins to do some digging and uncovers information about Freddy, including the location of the factory where he brought his victims. Meanwhile, Freddy visits Jesse's younger sister, but when she wakes up, it's actually Jesse standing there, with the glove on his hand. Jesse enlists his other friend, Grady, to watch over him while he sleeps. Once Jesse falls asleep, Grady turns out the lights for himself. As soon as Grady is asleep, Jesse awakens and begins to scream in pain - Krueger is coming out and Jesse cannot stop him. With the door jammed, Grady is helpless against Krueger, who impales him on his own door with his glove. When Krueger looks in the mirror it turns out that it was Jesse, with Krueger staring back at him from the mirror. Jesse runs to Lisa's house where she is having a pool party. However, Freddy takes control of Jesse and attacks Lisa. Lisa is able to fight off Freddy, who runs from the house and out to the party. Most of the kids run for the fence, only to be confronted by scorching hot metal. Everything begins to heat up, including the pool, burning anyone that is near. Some of them try and talk Freddy down, but are killed immediately. Freddy has them all cornered against the back fence; he exclaims, "You are all my children now!"(Meaning he is going to kill every last one of them as explained in "Freddy's Dead The Final Nightmare" and "Freddy vs Jason") After Lisa saves him from being shot by her father, he vanishes into a fiery wall. Lisa runs to the old factory, thinking she might save Jesse there; she finds him and tells him that she loves him and that he can fight from the inside. Freddy begins to lose control. As the factory begins to burn to the ground, Freddy himself starts burning. After he dies, the rest of the factory suddenly extinguishes. Just when Lisa thinks it is all over, Freddy's burnt corpse begins to move. Jesse begins to crawl out of Freddy's ashes. The following Monday, Jesse goes back to school. He climbs the bus, finally relieved that it is all over. But something is wrong; the bus is traveling too fast. Jesse panics and jumps up, only to find out there is nothing wrong; the bus is coming to its regular stop. As he and Lisa rest at ease, Freddy's glove bursts through their friend's chest and the bus speeds off the main road and into the open land just like in Jesse's nightmares. “A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors”: Taking place six years after the events of the first film, with no mention of Jesse Walsh (the protagonist in A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge), Kristen Parker (Patricia Arquette) falls asleep and dreams of a young girl running into an old, condemned house, which bears resemblance to Nancy and Jesse's house in the previous films. As Kristen follows after the little girl, she begins to realize that she's in trouble. She finds the girl in a boiler room. As she hears someone walking above them, the little girl exclaims, "Freddy's home". Kristen wakes up in a panic. Kristen is placed in Westin Hills, a psychiatric hospital after an "attempted suicide." When a nurse tries to sedate her, Kristen fights back and cuts one of the orderlies, Max (Laurence Fishburne), with a scalpel. As she backs into a corner chanting a rhyme she heard in her dreams, new staff member Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) suddenly appears in the room and finishes it for her. Nancy soon realizes that Freddy is not dead, and that Kristen and the other patients, Joey (Rodney Eastman), Taryn (Jennifer Rubin), Kincaid (Ken Sagoes), Phillip (Bradley Gregg), Jennifer (Penelope Sudrow) and Will (Ira Heiden), are the "last of the Elm Street children," the last remaining children of the vigilantes who killed Freddy. After seeing Freddy in a dream, Nancy realizes she has to protect the remaining children. Unfortunately, Freddy kills Philip by tearing the tendons from his arms and legs enabling Freddy to control him like a puppet, making him walk up to the top story, then cutting them to let him to fall to his death. He also kills Jennifer by making the television grow arms, grab her, and smash her head into it, before Nancy can do anything. Meanwhile, Neil (Craig Wasson), the psychiatrist who works with the kids, begins to receive visits from a mysterious nun, Sister Mary Helena (Nan Martin). She informs Neil that Krueger was never properly buried and must be laid to rest in consecrated ground. Soon after, Joey is kidnapped by Freddy in his dream, and in the real world he lies in a coma. Nancy and Neil are fired because they try to tell their superiors that the dreams are real; the remaining kids are forced onto a regime of nightly sedation. As Neil and Nancy's father, Lt. Donald Thompson, (John Saxon) embark on a journey to find Freddy's corpse and give him a proper burial, Nancy and the kids attempt a group sleep session to try and go in and free Joey and get to Kristen, who was thrown in the "quiet room" and sedated against her will. As soon as the kids fall asleep, Freddy separates them and kills Taryn by injecting her with a massive amount of heroin from his claws and Will by making his wheelchair grow spikes and attack him, then stabbing him before the others can save them. However, Kincaid manages to fight his way through Freddy's barriers and reunite with Nancy and Kristen. Kristen had initially found Nancy after she was separated from her and put back into the film's opening dream sequence, only this time featuring Freddy decapitating her mother, holding the head up to Kristen, and preceding to speak to her about ruining it for mom every time she brings a man home. Nancy, Kristen, and Kincaid find Joey dangling above a huge fiery pit. Nancy manages to save him while Kristen wrestles with Freddy. Nancy realizes that Freddy is stronger than he once was, to which he replies "the souls of the children give me strength." It becomes clear that Freddy does not simply kill his victims; he holds their souls gruesomely captive. Kincaid tries to take Freddy, but is overpowered. Before Freddy can kill Kincaid, he realizes that his bones are being disturbed - Neil and Nancy's father are about to bury Freddy in a true grave, near an old junkyard. Freddy takes possession of his bones and fights off Neil; he throws Lt. Thompson onto the tail fin of an old car, killing him. Freddy returns to the children but is again foiled, this time by Joey. Nancy and the kids rejoice at their apparent victory. Nancy's father visits her in the dream world as a spirit, explaining that he has "crossed over". He apologizes to her and hugs her. As Nancy and her father embrace, Nancy is stabbed by Freddy's glove. It wasn't her father after all; it was Freddy. Kristen tries to save Nancy, but it's too late and Freddy grabs Kristen as well. Just as he is about to finish her, Nancy takes Freddy's hand and stabs him with his own glove. At the same moment, Neil awakens and pushes Freddy's bones into the grave. He brandishes a bottle of holy water and begins to fling it upon the bones. In the dream world, the holy water is burning Freddy and bright light pours out from within his body. Neil takes a crucifix from his pocket and places it on the skull. A cross shape is burned into Freddy's head, killing him. Nancy, however, is beyond any help and dies. At the funeral, as others are weeping in silence over the loss, Neil sees the nun that helped him. When he goes to thank her she vanishes. He is left standing by a gravestone. On the stone there is a name Amanda Krueger, just below that is another name, her name in Christ: Sister Mary Helena, showing that the nun was the spirit of Freddy's mother. At the end, Neil falls asleep with a toy house next to his head, and the lights suddenly come on in it, just before the credits roll. “A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master”: Kristen (Tuesday Knight, who replaced Patricia Arquette), Joey (Rodney Eastman), and Kincaid (Ken Sagoes), have been released from Westin Hills and are now living normal lives and attending high school. Kristen has managed to make some new friends -Alice (Lisa Wilcox), a young, bright girl who is a frequent daydreamer; Sheila, a brainy, quiet girl with asthma (Toy Newkirk); and Debbie (Brooke Theiss), a tough girl who hates bugs. She has also found herself a boyfriend, Rick (Andras Jones), who happens to be Alice's brother. Kristen begins to have bad dreams and feels as though Freddy has once again come back from the dead. During one of her nightmares, she pulls Kincaid and Joey into her dream. In school the next day, Kincaid and Joey confront Kristen about pulling them into the dream. As it turns out, Freddy is indeed back. Kincaid wakes up one night, only to find himself locked in the trunk of an old junked car. When he opens the hood, he realizes that he is in a salvage yard - the same one that Freddy's body was buried in. Kincaid spies his dog, Jason, digging and urinating in the ground nearby. The ground begins to shake and the plot where Freddy lies begins to sink deeper into the ground and open up. Inside the grave, the bones begin to grow flesh. As soon as Freddy is resurrected, a pile of junked cars comes crashing down on him. Freddy quickly recoups and kills Kincaid. A little later, as Joey is watching television, he begins to feel something moving beneath his waterbed. When he pulls back the sheets he finds a woman swimming in his bed. Before he can react, Freddy bursts through and kills him. The following day at school, Kristen is concerned when her friends fail to show up for class. At home that night, her mother gives her a sedative to help her sleep. When Kristen falls asleep this time, on Alice's advice, she tries to convert nightmares into pleasant dreams, to no avail. Even in her good dreams, Freddy appears and ruins everything. Kristen eventually finds herself in Freddy's boiler room. It is explained that Kristen is the last child from Elm Street, and Freddy needs her help to get more children. When Freddy is about to kill her, she screams for Alice. Alice appears suddenly in the boiler room just as Krueger kills Kristen. Before Kristen dies, she sends her power, the power to pull people into her dreams, to Alice. Before the power can reach her, it passes through Freddy first, taking a part of him with it. As Alice tries to understand what has happened, and who exactly Freddy is, her friends begin to die. First, Sheila and Rick are killed. While taking a test, Alice accidentally pulls Sheila into a dream where Freddy is waiting; the same thing happens to Rick later. After his death, Alice teams up with Dan Jordan (Danny Hassel), who was one of Rick's closest friends. Together with Dan, Alice tries to get to Debbie, their last surviving friend, before Freddy finds her. Unbeknown to the two teens, Freddy is able to control their movements. Trapping Alice and Dan, Freddy is able to reach Debbie and kill her (by transforming her into a giant cockroach and trapping her inside a roach motel) before Alice and Dan intervene. Following a car accident, where Dan is injured and rushed to the hospital, Alice returns home to prepare for one final battle with Freddy. Alice goes to sleep to help Dan before Freddy can kill him. As Alice and Dan search for Freddy, the doctors wake Dan and he is pulled from the dreamworld. Alice, facing Freddy alone, attempts to use all of her abilities against him. Nothing seems to work. It isn't until she is reminded of the final verse of a children's rhyme about the "Dream Master" that she is finally able to defeat Freddy, by making him see the evil that is inside. Alice releases the tortured souls that Freddy imprisoned. Krueger's clothes fall lifelessly to the floor. The film ends with Dan and Alice at a fountain some time later. She tosses a coin in and makes a wish. As she and Dan depart, she decides to keep the wish to herself as Freddy's image appears in the ripples left in the fountain from the tossed coin. “A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child”: Taking place a year after The Dream Master, Alice (Lisa Wilcox) and Dan (Danny Hassel) have now started dating and there is no sign of Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). Alice begins to have dreams of a young nun, with a name tag for "Amanda Krueger", being locked away in an asylum full of maniacs. Upon graduating from high school, Alice and Dan plan their getaway to Europe. Alice has made some new friends: Greta (Erika Anderson), a supermodel in training, Yvonne (Kelly Jo Minter), a future Olympic diver, and Mark (Joe Seely), a comic geek. As Alice makes her way to work, from graduation, she finds herself back at the asylum. Alice is strolled into an operating room, wearing Amanda's uniform, and screaming in pain. As Alice looks around she sees Amanda Krueger (Beatrice Boepple) on the table, instead of herself, giving birth. As the baby is delivered, Amanda clamors to get to it. The baby breaks free from the doctors and escapes the room. Alice follows it into a church rectory, the same place that Alice defeated Freddy in. Before she can stop him, the baby finds Freddy's clothes and quickly grows into an adult. Amanda shows up to help Alice, but she's disrupted when Freddy slams the church doors closed on her. After these events, Alice finds herself at work, but four hours late. Alice immediately phones Dan who leaves their friends and rushes over to the diner. Before Dan can make it he falls asleep and Freddy forces him to drive into another vehicle. Alice, after watching Freddy take possession of Dan, faints in the middle of the street. At the hospital, she is informed that she is pregnant with Dan's child. While recouping, she meets a young boy, Jacob (Whitby Hertford). Yvonne later informs Alice that there were no children on her floor, nor is there a children's ward at the hospital. Krueger begins to kill Alice's friends one by one as they fall asleep. First Greta, then later he kills Mark. Alice requests an early ultrasound for her baby, and she soon realizes that Freddy is using her child to get into her friend's dreams. Alice also discovers that Jacob is really her son. It's only when Yvonne barely escapes Krueger, thanks to a little help from Amanda's soul, that she accepts what Alice has been telling her. Alice sends Yvonne to the abandoned asylum to release Amanda's soul while she sets out to free Jacob. Krueger pulls her into a M. C. Escher-like labyrinth to try and slow her down. Freddy goes back into hiding inside Alice as she finally catches up to Jacob. Upon the revelation that Krueger has been hiding inside of her the whole time, Alice forces him out, but almost dies in the process. After being released by Yvonne, Amanda arrives and instructs Jacob on how to defeat Freddy. Jacob, releasing the power that Krueger has given him, forces Freddy to revert back to an infant. Before he can escape, though, Amanda picks him up and absorbs him back inside. Freddy begins to fight from within and the church doors close. A year goes by; Alice gives birth to Jacob, and is finally at peace from the nightmares. “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare”: Over the years, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) has returned and succeeded in killing nearly all of the children in the town of Springwood, Ohio. The only surviving teenager, known only as "John Doe" (Shon Greenblatt) throughout the film, finds himself confronting Freddy and being deliberately thrown through an invisible barrier into the outside world. He finds himself wandering the streets with no memory of who he is. Meanwhile, at a shelter for troubled youth, Spencer (Breckin Meyer), Carlos (Ricky Dean Logan) and Tracy (Lezlie Deane) plot to run away from the shelter. Carlos was physically abused by his parents, Tracy was sexually abused by her father, and Spencer simply does not want to conform to his father's lifestyle. John, after being picked up by the police, becomes a patient of Dr. Maggie Burroughs (Lisa Zane). Maggie decides to take him to the town that is mentioned in the article he was carrying. Tracy, Carlos, and Spencer stow away in the van, but are discovered when John has a hallucination and almost wrecks the van just outside of Springwood. After encountering the adult inhabitants of Springwood, Maggie and John find out that Freddy Krueger had a child that was taken away from him. John begins to suspect that he is Freddy's child, which, to him, would explain why he has not been hurt. Meanwhile, Tracy, Spencer, and Carlos, after unsuccessfully trying to leave Springwood, decide to rest at a nearby abandoned house, which transforms into 1428 Elm Street (Freddy's, Jesse's, and Nancy Thompson's former home). Carlos and Spencer fall asleep and fall prey to Freddy. Tracy is awakened by Maggie, but John, who went into the dream world with Tracy to try and help Spencer, is still asleep. Maggie and Tracy decide to take him back to the shelter. Freddy reveals to John that he was using him to get to his daughter, and then impales John on a bed of spikes. Before he dies, John tells Maggie that Freddy's child was not a boy. When Maggie and Tracy cross the Springwood town limit, the barrier shatters. Tracy and Maggie return to the shelter, but they discover that no one remembers John, Spencer, or Carlos except for Doc (Yaphet Kotto), who has learned to control his dreams. Maggie remembers what John told her and discovers her own adoption papers. That night, she falls asleep and encounters Freddy. He tells her that she is really Katherine Krueger, Freddy's daughter. He explains to her that he used her to escape Springwood and now wants to start his killing spree in a new town. Doc discovers Freddy's power comes from the "dream demons" who continually revive him, and that Freddy can be killed if he's pulled into the real world. Maggie decides that she will be the one to enter Freddy's mind and pull him into the real world. Once in the dream world, she puts on a pair of 3-D glasses (the theatrical version of the film was in 3D during the climax) and goes into Freddy's mind. There, she finds out that Freddy was teased as a child, inflicted self-abuse as a teenager (Tobe Sexton), and murdered his wife, Loretta Krueger (Lindsey Fields), in front of his own daughter and was given the power to be immortal from fiery demons as he was burning due to the parents who burned him with molotov cocktails. After some struggling, Maggie manages to pull Freddy into the real world. Both Maggie and Freddy end up in hand-to-hand combat against one another after Freddy tries to earn Maggie's sympathy. Maggie continues to battle Freddy, enraged by her knowledge of what he has done. Eventually, Maggie stabs Freddy in the stomach with his own glove, and then sticks a pipe bomb in his chest, causing him to explode. Maggie manages to evade the blast and tells both Doc and Tracy that Freddy is dead. This is the first movie in the Nightmare series to end without hinting that Freddy may still be alive. “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare”: Just as the first Nightmare film opened with the creation of Freddy's infamous glove, New Nightmare opens with the creation of an updated, more sinister and sleeker looking glove. As the maker of the claws appears to chop off his own hand in preparation for attaching the claws to his own wrist, the other people on the set wince, and the director, Wes Craven, encourages the effects specialists to pump more blood. Soon he yells, "Cut! Print that, Gretchen!" Heather Langenkamp (Langenkamp) with her husband, Chase (David Newsom), and their son, Dylan (Miko Hughes), are wandering around the set of the new “Nightmare on Elm Street” movie. Presently the claw, which was only a prop a minute ago, comes to life and starts maiming and killing the special effects crew, Dylan disappears into thin air, and, as the claw advances to attack Chase, Heather screams, waking up in her own bed in her own house with Chase, in the middle of an earthquake in Los Angeles. After the earthquake dies down Chase has a couple of scratches, the same as he had received in the dream. This causes Heather to wonder if they were sustained in the earthquake or in the dream. Heather reveals she has been receiving harassing phone calls from "some deranged fan" acting like Freddy, but they've stopped for the last couple weeks until now. When she gets home, her son has an episode during which he warns her in a voice not his own, "Never sleep again!" Worried, Heather asks Chase to come home. Chase falls asleep at the wheel on the way, and dies in a supposed car crash. When Heather goes to identify the body, it seems, to her, that there may have been more to the crash than meets the eye, mainly the claw marks on Chase's chest. Dylan, now also grief stricken, continues acting ever more strangely. When Heather takes him to a hospital, the doctors suspect her of being insane and of abusing him. She goes to Wes Craven (Craven himself) for help making sense of what's happening. Craven tells her he doesn't know much more than she does: he dreams a scene or two each night and wakes up and writes them down. He goes on to tell her that in the script he's been writing, pure evil can be temporarily defeated if its essence is effectively captured in a work of art that is able to allow evil to express itself. Craven explains that the evil has taken the form of Freddy Krueger (Englund) because it is a familiar one. "Freddy" sees her as the gatekeeper who holds Freddy at bay since Heather's character Nancy defeated Freddy in the first movie. To Freddy, it is Heather that gave the character of Nancy her strength. Freddy is attacking her at her weakest points, trying to break her down before confronting her. She leaves as confused as when she arrived. Freddy forces her to accept the role he wants her to play. At the same time, he eviscerates the toy dinosaur Dylan believes has been protecting him and abducts the boy. The final showdown between Freddy and the mother-son duo occurs in a steamy and water logged dreamscape ruin, apparently Freddy's home turf. Dylan finds Heather, only for them both to be attacked by Freddy, Heather is knocked out, Dylan is left defenseless. Freddy lures Dylan into a trap and tries to eat him, Heather wakes up in time to save Dylan, but Freddy makes his tongue extend and wrap around Heather's face. Dylan gets out of the trap to save her by taking a kitchen knife that Heather brought in with her, cutting Freddy's tongue in half, making his tongue go back to normal size. Even so, the two succeed in killing Freddy and escaping back to the real world. There they find the script of the film Craven has been working on waiting for them. Dylan asks his mother to read some of it to him, which she does: "We open on an old wooden bench. There's fire and tools, and a man's grimy hands building what's soon revealed as a gleaming set of claws. And the claws are moving now as if awakening from a long and unwanted sleep..." “Freddy VS Jason”: Freddy Krueger is stuck in Hell, and his only way out is if people remember him and his terrible deeds. Therefore, he resurrects the undead serial killer Jason Voorhees, who is capable of acting in the real world, and tricks him into rising from the grave again. In the disguise of Pamela Voorhees (the one person to whom Jason will listen), Freddy convinces Jason to kill teenagers living on Elm Street to make the residents of Springwood, Ohio think that Freddy is back. Jason first kills a boy named Trey after he and his girlfriend, Gibb have sex at a house "party", which is blamed on Freddy. A group of youths, including Lori Campbell, Kia, and Gibb are questioned and Lori hears Freddy's name said by one of the police officers. The group is then sent to the police station, where Lori dozes off. In her dream she sees girls skipping rope and singing Freddy's theme song. In the real world, Freddy tests his power gained from Jason's attack. Although he is able to be seen by Blake, (one of the teens partying at Lori's house) Freddy cannot cause any damage. So, Freddy lets Jason get the kill of Blake and his dad, overlooking the massacre and remarking that he will, "get the glory." At school the next day, Kia, Lori and Gibb hear about Blake's death and Lori tells everyone about her dream, in front of everyone in the school. After she tells them, she finds that her old boyfriend, Will Rollins has returned, (she didn't know that he had been kept in an asylum for years). Later that night, everyone goes to a rave in a corn field. Gibb apparently takes some date rape pills and falls asleep, vulnerable to Freddy. A boy comes across her unconscious body and kisses her, but while this is occurring Jason crashes the rave, killing Gibb (who is still sleeping), the boy, and 15 others. Deputy Scott Stubbs, a rookie police officer tries to inform the Sheriff about Jason, thinking he is a copycat killer, but the sheriff refuses to believe it. Stubbs goes to Lori and the others, and tells them about the killer. They all conclude that Freddy is the one pulling the strings. However, by the time they realize this, the fear has made Freddy strong enough to come back from Hell. The group goes back to Westin Hills Asylum to find Hypnocil (a dream suppressant) so Freddy cannot kill them. Then Freddy possesses a teen and disposes the majority of the Hypnocil. Jason comes into the building and attacks, but is put to sleep by Freddy's possessed teen. Freddy brings him to the Dream World where Jason, realizing he's been tricked, fights Freddy, only to lose due to his fear of water from his drowning as a child. The teens decide to bring Jason back to Crystal Lake, feeling that the best case scenario is that Jason will win on his home turf. Lori is injected with the remaining tranquilizer so she can bring Freddy out of the Dream World. Jason wakes up not long after she does, and escapes the van. The group brings an unconscious Lori into a cabin, where Jason attacks, fatally wounding Linderman. Lori wakes up after the cabin is set on fire and Freddy comes out of the dream with her. Jason and Freddy soon begin a final battle at Crystal Lake, Jason eventually kills Kia and the fight begins between Freddy and Jason. Freddy starts taking advantage of the construction site and uses it to cause lots of harm to Jason unfortunately he is knocked off balance and falls to the ground and enters direct cobat which goes all the way to the docks where Freddy slices Jason's fingers off, taking his machete and landing several hard slashes on Jason. Lori distracts Freddy and lights the dock on fire giving Jason the opportunity to tear off Freddy's arm. Lori and Will blow up the propane tanks, in an attempt to kill the two. Freddy emerges from the lake with the machete still in his hand. He is about to kill Lori and Will when Jason emerges from the water and stabs Freddy with his own glove. Lori then decapitates Freddy with Jason's machete, and both Freddy and Jason fall into the lake, disappearing beneath the surface. The film ends with Jason walking out of Crystal Lake holding Freddy's decapitated head, which winks to the audience, leaving the outcome of the battle ambiguous. Ah, Freddy Krueger. Another infamous horror icon. Quite a few have been on this list, but Freddy is a little different from the others. For one, he usually targets kids and teens. Well, that’s not exactly different from most of the other horror slashers. But, he was doing it before he became the master of dreams. In fact, that’s how he became the master of dreams. He was a serial killer who killed many children as was arrested. But, the search warrant wasn’t proper filled out, and he was acquitted. The parents of the murdered children were obviously upset and decided to take matters into their own hands, i.e. they burned him alive. Just moments before his death, Freddy was approached by three dream demons. These demons search the mortal world for the most evil soul and, in turn, give that person the power to turn dreams into reality. Freddy accepted their offer to "be forever" as the flames consumed him. But, that’s not what truly makes him unique. You see, Freddy Krueger doesn’t kill people in the physical world. He commits his murders in people’s dreams. As long as his victims are dreaming, Krueger can inhabit and control their dreams, twisting them to his own ends. He is also capable of entering a victim's mind via state of intoxication, whether the victim is drunk or stoned. Krueger often toys with his victims by changing his form and surroundings, usually resembling the boiler room where he brought his child victims that had been missing in town. He also has the power to manipulate or possess any object or part of the dream environment not kept exclusively on the person of his victim at all times after initial creation, as he does in the fifth and sixth films. Any physical harm done to a person in Freddy’s dream world carries over into the real world, though exactly how differs significantly between films, allowing him to easily commit multiple murders. This is quite scary because sleep is so comforting. Most people feel safe in their own beds. But, with Freddy on the loose, sleeping becomes a thing a horror with an unstoppable monster lurking in your dreams turning them into deadly nightmares. Also, when he’s in your dreams, he’s in your mind. He knows your personality, your hopes and fears. This allows him to twist the dreams into what really scares you. However, he can be defeated. All you have to do is realize you’re in a dream. That way you can use your imagination to manipulate the dream and defeat him. However, you have to do this quickly, or else Freddy Krueger will quickly kill you. Plus, that hat, that red and green sweater, that burnt skin, and that glove with the razors on the fingers looks pretty freakin’ cool.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 10, 2008 16:03:11 GMT -5
25. Gordon Gekko Who is he: A very successful and unscrupulous corporate raider. What is he from: “Wall Street.” What has he done: Sells off Bluestar and nearly puts his protégé’s father and co-workers out of work, most likely has done this before. Intelligence: An extremely intelligent businessman with years of experience behind him. Power: Can put corporations out of business just by buying or selling stock. Vileness: In stock trading, there are no friends or allies; there is only money to be made. Sway: Gekko will wine and dine you to make as much money as he can off you, then drop you like a bad habit. Purity: Greed, of course, drives him, but he knows when he's been beaten. Physical Prowess: Knows how to throw a punch. Name Coolness: “Gordon Gekko” is pretty cool with a nice alliteration to it. Created by: Oliver Stone. Portrayed by: Michael Douglas, who won the Best Actor Oscar for the role, but he almost didn’t get the role. The studio wanted Warren Beatty to play Gekko but he was not interested. Stone initially wanted Richard Gere, but the actor passed. So the director went with Douglas despite having been advised by others in Hollywood not to cast him. Stone remembers, "I was warned by everyone in Hollywood that Michael couldn't act, that he was a producer more than an actor and would spend all his time in his trailer on the phone." But the director found out that "when he's acting he gives it his all." An ambitious young stockbroker, Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), is desperate to get to the top. He schemes to become involved with his hero, the extremely successful but unscrupulous corporate raider Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas). Gekko is a ruthless and legendary Wall Street player whose values couldn't conflict more with those of Bud's father, Carl (Martin Sheen). So caught in the middle is Bud, who pitches his father's company to Gekko with the intentions of saving it while everyone gets rich in the process. Carl is a maintenance chief at a small airline, Bluestar, and learns it will soon be cleared of a safety violation after a previous crash. The ruling will bring the airline out from under government suspension, allowing it to expand its business. Fox tips off Gekko with this inside information. An appreciative Gekko takes Fox under his wing but compels him to unearth new information by any means necessary. Bud becomes wealthy, enjoying Gekko's promised perks, including a fancy condo and a trophy blonde, interior decorator Darien (Daryl Hannah). Things change when Gekko decides to sell off Bluestar's assets, an act that would leave Carl and the entire Bluestar staff out of work. Betrayed by Gekko and wracked with the guilt of being an accessory to Bluestar's destruction, Bud resolves to disrupt Gekko's plans. He angrily breaks up with Darian, who prefers money to love. Bud devises a plan in which he will manipulate Bluestar's stock value so that Gekko will decide to sell off his stock in the company. It will then be picked up at a lower price by Gekko's rival, corporate raider Sir Lawrence Wildman (Terence Stamp), who will become the airline's new majority shareholder. Gekko, realizing that his stock is plummeting, lashes out furiously at Fox and finally decides to dump his remaining interest in the company. Only later does Gekko learn that Fox engineered the entire scheme. Bud triumphantly goes back to work the following day, where everyone is curiously in a somber mood. He enters his office where he is greeted by law enforcement officials and representatives of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bud is placed under arrest for violating federal securities laws, is handcuffed and led out of the office in tears. Sometime later, Fox confronts Gekko in Central Park. Gekko viciously assaults Fox, but not before mentioning several of their illegal business transactions. Fox is wearing a wire, and the police presumably will use this recording as state's evidence, although Gekko's fate is left ambiguous. The film ends with Bud arriving at the courthouse, ready to atone for his crimes and greed. You don’t have to commit murders or unspeakable acts of torture to be a great villain. Sometimes, all you need to be is a ruthless, greedy cutthroat who would sell off his own mother’s assets just because it would allow you buy a stock that would make you millions. That’s how Gordon Gekko is. He doesn’t kill people or wage war on entire countries; he is just a greedy corporate raider who manipulates the stock market in order to make himself millions of dollars. He is filled with greed, and afterall, greed is the root of all evil. Though, Gekko would say otherwise. The quintessential Gordon Gekko moment comes when he addresses an entire room full of stockholders. His speech on greed is what defines him as a capitalist and a person: "The point is ladies and gentlemen that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms - greed for life, for money, knowledge - has marked the upward surge of mankind..." Gordon Gekko's greed is what sets him apart from the other wheelers and dealers, but it's also what sets him apart from those who follow the rules and those who break them. Gekko leverages inside information to strike when the time is right, dumping stock and leaving shareholders in ruin. When Gekko takes Bud Fox's advice to buy Blue Star Airlines, the company Bud's father has worked for years, he sees an opportunity to make more money. The naive Bud watches in horror as Gekko tells the directors the company will be safe, then decides to dump the company so he can make millions and puts many out of work. However, Bud manages to make a deal with a white knight millionaire to save Blue Star and set up Gekko at the same time. Fox succeeds in his plan, costing Gekko millions, but he finds himself in heavy violation of insider trading. An enraged Gekko faces Fox once again and admits to some of his wrongdoing before punching him in the face. However, Fox was wired, turning on Gekko for the Feds. In the end, jail time is the only destiny for the likes of Gekko and Fox. But, unlike Bud, you just know that Gordon Gekko, a man who deals in information, will land on his feet with his eyes still firmly fixed on the prize.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 10, 2008 16:16:14 GMT -5
Tomorrow, numbers 24 and 23. Here are the hints:
He's is also an Eighties icon of greed, and he brought the water to L.A.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 11, 2008 21:01:50 GMT -5
Countdown time, once again. Here's 24: 24. J.R. Ewing Who is he: An oil tycoon. What is he from: Dallas. What has he done: constantly plotting subterfuges to plunder his oil foes and their Texas-sized wallets, constantly cheated on his wives, and too many more to name right now. Intelligence: Incredibly smart when it comes to oil and conning people. Power: Pretty much runs Ewing Oil. Vileness: Framed a man of murder once; that’s pretty vile. Sway: Can buy and sell you. Purity: He does love some people: Sue Ellen, his son John Ross, Julie Grey; but he may love money more than them. Physical Prowess: Average male build. Name Coolness: Under the Initial Default Syndrome, “J.R. Ewing” is automatically cool. Created by: David Jacobs. Portrayed by: Larry Hagman, though he almost didn’t get to play him for long. During the summer of “Who Shot J.R.?”, Hagman negotiated for more money by threatening to leave the show, hoping to get it because of J.R.’s huge popularity with fans. CBS did leak rumors of possibly recasting the J.R. role, but Hagman prevailed and got what he wanted. J.R. Ewing was born in 1939 on Southfork Ranch to Jock and Ellie Ewing. In the beginning, he was just like any other little baby boy, except that he needed more love and affection from his parents than he ever got. At first, he was a shy boy who was a little scared of his father Jock, until Gary was born. The Ewings also had a third son: Bobby. J.R. was pretty much trained by his father to be an oil man. Beginning at the age of five, J.R. would usually go to his daddy's office at Ewing Oil and learn the business. He would watch his daddy, hang on his every word, emulate his every move, and do everything he could in order to please him. To him, Jock was a perfect great big god whose boots were firmly stained with oil. J.R. had no interest the ranch or the Southfork way of life. He thrived on the exchanges in the business, the deals, the way his father's eyes lit up in delight when he got his way, when he closed a deal, when the well came in, when the oil commanded best price of the day. And it wasn't just the figures, the finances, although J.R proved to be a wizard at them. There was also the thrill of pursuing the unspoken: if bigger was better than biggest was best. Jock expected J.R to succeed and gave him little attention until he did. And if J.R made a mistake then god help him, Jock would nail him. From this relationship, J.R. learned the one word that would guide him for the rest of his life-win. To do this, J.R. took a shortcut in his early years. He relied on his lightning-fast reflexes, keen intellect, and beguiling charm to wheel and deal and bedazzle, and it worked. In later years, when he had gained all the practical knowledge concerning oil, he was, quite literally, unbeatable in most situations. It was clear early on that J.R. also had a great flair for wheeling and dealing in another area: women. Since he was thirteen years old, J.R. had this almost spooky way with women of all ages. He charmed, flattered, and seduced women in no time; and if for some extraordinary reason he failed, then he just bought them in intricate ways that on the surface appeared to be something else. The ladies offered a great deal more attention than J.R. ever received at home. As the eldest son, J.R. was expected to be a good big brother, but it wasn't easy. J.R. thought Gary was a wimp and bullied him in private every chance he got, not so much because he hated him but because his mama gave Gary everything. She was always fussing over him, tending him, hugging him, taking him for rides and walks, none of which she did with J.R. And Gary really did nothing to deserve it. When he wasn't having a tantrum, he was off moping somewhere. He was athletic but didn't like to play with anyone; he would always quit and run to Mama. J.R. did take his role with little Bobby seriously, though, and honestly loved the kid. Everyone did. J.R.'s parents lavished attention on Bobby, but J.R. didn't mind so much, he was so little-ten years younger-and he was cute. And cute was no threat to J.R., because he wasn't competing in that category. However, it didn't pass his notice that both parents acted differently with Bobby. They were freer with him; for one, they always touched him. No one ever touched J.R, except to spank him. From the moment J.R. had brothers, he had a lifelong fight on his hands. Not for money, not for power, but for the love and affection and approval of his parents. It certainly wasn't too much to expect from one's parents, but it was the very thing J.R. couldn't bring himself to ask for outright. He thought his daddy would think him a sissy, and he thought he would probably be right. In 1956, J.R. enrolled at the University of Texas and went off to Austin for four years. He was an excellent student, extremely popular fraternity brother, and a party goer and thrower extraordinaire. He had an enormous capacity for women, of course, and food and drink, Texas style. His drink of choice, bourbon and branch, became the illicit rage on campus. After he graduated, Jock pushed him to do a stint in the Army and was shipped off to South Vietnam in 1960. Although he was a good soldier and won several medals in the field, he grew sick at heart at what he saw and was told to do, so he put his wheeling and dealing to use and got himself transferred to Japan, where he finished out the rest of his hitch. J.R. returned home, and to Ewing Oil as a Vice President. Gary was gone and would never ever have a head for business anyway. And, Bobby, at that time, was more interested in chasing skirts and cattle than being bothered with Ewing Oil. So, J.R. had the field all to himself. He plunged right in with his father's blessing. Business boomed, along with the family's personal fortune, because of his efforts. Still, there was a void in his life. He saw scads of women, and his parents wondered out loud if he had thought about marrying, settling down, producing some heirs. J.R. assured them that he was looking, and indeed he was, but like everything else, J. R. Ewing was determined to bring home the best, and, more important, and most difficult, he wanted to love and be loved. Of the hundreds of women he dated, wooed, bedded, none fit the bill. Then, in July 1963, serving as a judge at the Miss Texas Pageant in Fort Worth, out came young Miss Dallas, Sue Ellen Shepard. Sue Ellen won the pageant and J. R. Ewing's heart. It was quite a lengthy romance. Sue Ellen loved J.R. and he her, but he was hesitant about marriage. After all, every girl in the state was after him. However, unlike every other girl in the state, Sue Ellen flatly refused to go to bed with J.R. unless they were married. It made her all the more desirable, and the more he desired her, the more aloof she became. Then, finally, crazy in love with her and convinced that she had to be the one, he asked her to marry him. They had a huge wedding at Southfork in 1971. The marriage was a great disappointment to J.R. He loved Sue Ellen, but he had trouble in the one place he had never had before: bed. It wasn't that Sue Ellen was exactly cold, it was just that she was so restrained, so ladylike, that J.R. was practically afraid to touch her. J.R. honestly believed that Sue Ellen was a lady, a great lady, and, based on their first time in bed together, he came to believe that true ladies weren't interested in such things and shouldn't have to be sullied that way. So he left Sue Ellen pretty much alone after the honeymoon. It wasn't that he wanted to, but it seemed to be what she wanted, although they never talked about it. So rather than debase his beautiful wife, J.R. discreetly took his desires elsewhere. He found solace with his secretary, Julie Grey, who not only met his appetite in bed, but who also was a confidante, one who generously gave him affection. She would be more a wife to J.R. than Sue Ellen would be for several years. The other disappointment that was related to this was that Sue Ellen didn't conceive, and J.R. very much wanted to have children. When Jock retired in 1977, J.R. was made President of Ewing Oil. It was a wise choice, for J.R. was a man of the times and his new ideas and ' ventures were highly successful-so long as he had absolute power. Though J.R. had wonderful business schemes, they were so intricate, often so cloak and-dagger, that they required a great deal of secrecy and shooting from the hip. Their success depended on J.R.'s masterminding them, without any outside interference. One naive step could result in the undoing of months of ground work and cost the company millions. Until 1978, J.R. had no such interference and the company was in blazing good health. In late 1978, J.R.'s previously discreet sexual liaisons came home to Southfork to haunt him, and nearly kill him. J.R. and Ray Krebbs had gone on a weekend fling with a certain Wanda Frick and Mary Lou Allen in the Tropicana Motel in Waco. It wasn't anything special, just a jaunt to blow off a little steam after a hard week's work. But Wanda's husband and Mary Lou's brother followed the men back to Southfork and held the family hostage during the great storm that fall. The incident, on the whole, turned out all right, though J.R. was shot in the arm and the entire family became wise to some of his activities on his "business" trips. Sue Ellen reacted bitterly, and their marriage started to rock. That year also presented problems at Ewing Oil. After Bobby married Pamela Barnes, the daughter of the Ewings’s chief rival: Digger Barnes, Bobby demanded a bigger executive role in the home office. J.R. was sorely tried by Bobby's interference, and this would mark the beginning of J.R.'s efforts to get him out of Ewing Oil altogether. It wasn't that he didn't think him bright-in fact, he thought Bobby was better suited to running Southfork, which was no easy job-but that he lacked qualities needed to do business in the oil industry: a sense of divine duplicity, for example. Bobby was just too naive, soft. In 1979, after eight years of marriage, Sue Ellen announced that she was pregnant, J.R. was elated. His happiness was only momentary, however, for they were having horrendous problems in their marriage. Then J.R. found out that Sue Ellen was having an affair. And leave it to her to have it with the man whom J.R. hated most in the entire world: Cliff Barnes. To top everything, Sue Ellen began drinking heavily, despite J.R.'s efforts to prevent her. Fearing that Sue Ellen was doing permanent damage to the unborn child with her round-the-clock drinking, J.R. was forced to place her in a sanatorium. Then, the final blow: Julie Grey was murdered. J.R. paid all of her funeral expenses and tried to put her to rest in his heart. John Ross Ewing III was born with apparently no bad effects from Sue Ellen's drinking. That was the good news. The bad news was that J.R. was informed that the baby was Cliff Barnes's. J.R. was obviously upset. Sophisticated paternity tests were taken and J.R., to his utter joy, found out that John Ross was truly his flesh and blood. J.R. could not be with his son enough after that. He loved him, held him, talked with him, and touched him with tenderness. No matter how bad things got, J.R. would have this son to love. On a dove-hunting trip with Jock, Bobby, and Ray Krebbs, J.R. was accidentally shot in the leg. He recovered quickly, and it was fortuitous, since the biggest deal of his life-the purchase of offshore drilling leases in Asia was occurring, as was the collapse of his marriage. Following John Ross's birth, Sue Ellen was seriously depressed, and it worried J.R. that she was virtually ignoring the baby. Then Sue Ellen started disappearing, staying out afternoons and nights, and giving no explanation but sly smiles. J.R. was beside himself. He loved Sue Ellen, but she wouldn't come near him. Tired, lonely, under enormous pressure at work, he resigned himself to the fact that Sue Ellen must be having an affair. J.R. turned to Sue Ellen's sister, Kristin, for comfort. Then J.R. got in a whole mess of trouble with his parents, which upset him more than the actual problem. He had been forced to mortgage Southfork to finance the Asian wells, and Jock and Ellie, outraged, lashed out at J.R., with Jock stepping back in to run Ewing Oil. The fact that the wells came in, as J.R. knew they would, that the venture for a period made Ewing Oil the richest independent oil company in the world, didn't seem to count for much. J.R. was not to be trusted by his parents for quite some time. Now, everyone seemed to be out to hurt him, and Sue Ellen, who had begun drinking again, openly declared her hatred of him and her desire for a divorce. Late one night in the spring of 1980, while working in his office at Ewing Oil, J.R. was shot twice. He nearly died. The bullets bruised a kidney and nicked his spleen and left him in the most horrible condition J.R. could imagine: paralyzed from the waist down. The situation brought one aspect of happiness, however: Sue Ellen came lovingly to his side. He underwent a very dangerous operation to regain the use of his legs. As he began the long road to recovery, he was hurt to learn that his daddy had put Bobby in as President of Ewing Oil. Then came the ultimate betrayal: Sue Ellen was arrested as the prime suspect in the shooting. She hadn't come to him because she loved him, she only came because she thought she had shot him in a blackout and was feeling guilty. It turned out, though, that Sue Ellen was innocent; it was her sister Kristin who had done it. But, their marriage was still in ruins. J.R. chose not to prosecute Kristin because she told him she was pregnant with his child. J.R. could not bear the thought of a child of his, or any child for that matter, being born in prison. He let her go and supported her financially throughout her pregnancy in California. After intensive therapy and sheer persistence, J.R. regained the use of his legs. Back on his feet, he was back in full action, with one major problem to take care of: Bobby refused to step down from Ewing Oil. J.R. was alarmed by what he saw as Bobby's reckless leadership, and so he persisted in striking some kind of deal to get back into the power seat before the company was run into the ground. Bobby finally resigned in 1980, after J.R. agreed to set him up in a business of his own. The year 1981 was the worst of J.R.'s life. Sue Ellen walked out on him. J.R. managed to wrestle John Ross from her, but Pam stole John Ross from Southfork and took him to Sue Ellen. Then Kristin showed up in Dallas, alone. She had gotten into trouble after the birth of her baby; she was on drugs and, after ingesting too much PCP, fell from the second-floor landing of the main house and died. J.R. was accused of murder by Cliff Barnes, but he was cleared of any wrong doing. J.R. hardly cared, in comparison with the other loss he was feeling. Sue Ellen was shacking up with some cowboy in San Angelo, committing adultery, and she had his son with her. Sitting in John Ross's empty room at Southfork one night, J.R. broke down and wept. J.R. became obsessed with' getting him back. When he and Sue Ellen went to court, he was prepared to bring up her past, the drinking and affairs, not giving a damn about the publicity, only wanting to get his son, but Miss Ellie restrained him. He tried to take John Ross off the Southern Cross Ranch by helicopter, and Miss Ellie stopped him again. J.R. tried to reason with the Farlows, get them to kick Sue Ellen off of the ranch; but it was to no avail. So finally, desperate, he embarked on the most risky and dangerous business venture of his life. Using Ewing Oil Company as collateral on a loan, he bought up all the oil that was being fed into Clayton Farlow's refineries. By glory, he'd make them give him back his son. The plan failed, and put Ewing Oil on the brink of disaster. Miss Ellie stepped in. Backing off from her wrath, J.R. had to sit helplessly by as she sold the oil, at a loss, to Clayton Farlow. Then she lectured J.R. that she would be watching his every move and that, when the time was right and she found someone else to run Ewing Oil, she was going to get the family to vote him right out of the company. Sue Ellen left her cowboy at the Southern Cross and moved into a Dallas town house. Thanks to Miss Ellie, the court had awarded her custody of John Ross, a huge settlement over and above alimony and child-support payments, and gave J.R. visitation rights only on alternate weekends. The money didn't bother J.R., that's not what he wanted; he just wanted to be with his son. When Jock died in South America in 1981, J.R. couldn't handle the loss and went into a deadly depression. He didn't have his son living with him, he had lost his wife, and his father, the man he passionately revered, the reason why he had done everything all his life-to make him proud of him, was gone forever. J.R slumped into day long drinking and listlessly let Ewing Oil run itself. He fell into a deep depression. However, his brother Bobby brought him out of it. Bobby forcefully reminded him that Jock had built an empire for them, and it was his and J.R.'s responsibility to preserve that empire for their sons. J.R. realized that Bobby was right, and his heart lifted at the thought of John Ross Ewing III. If J.R. couldn't go on living for himself, then he'd do it for John Ross. J.R. wanted his son back at Southfork, that was no secret, but it was a secret that he desperately wanted Sue Ellen back, too. There had been something about their separation, something had been restored in Sue Ellen that had been lost for many years, that stirred his heart. He had forgiven her, and his original feelings for her resurfaced. And her affairs and the birth of their son had brought out a side of her that had long been hidden. Instead of being detached, cold, Sue Ellen was actually a loving, affectionate, and passionate woman. It caused J.R. untold pain to find out that Sue Ellen was seeing Cliff Barnes again, and while everyone else said that J.R. was upset only because it was Cliff, that J.R. wanted John Ross back at Southfork because of his voting shares in Ewing Oil, the truth of the matter was that J.R. only wanted his family back, and that included Sue Ellen. In 1982, J.R. learned that Christopher, the dear little boy whom Bobby and Pam were adopting, was his child by Kristin. J.R. had loved the baby the moment he saw him, before he had even known. However, he was crestfallen when it turned out that Kristin had miscarried his baby and that this child was someone else's. J.R. would have loved to have had another child and, although he was happy for Bobby, he would always play with Christopher a bit wistfully. J.R. slowly made progress with Sue Ellen. No matter what they had done to each other and themselves, there was still an undeniable bond between them. If nothing else, they were survivors, they were the parents of John Ross, and Sue Ellen was, by this time, a Ewing at heart. The spark of the years before came back and their love rekindled. J.R.'s dream of having her back as his wife seemed to be realized when she agreed to marry him again. Meanwhile, though, J.R. had quietly aided Cliff Barnes's greediness and watched as Barnes destroyed his own company career. But to J.R.'s shock, Barnes tried to kill himself. Sue Ellen and Miss Ellie held J.R. responsible. J.R. didn't understand, since it was obvious that Barnes's own greed and stupidity had been his undoing, with little help from him. Nevertheless, Sue Ellen put off their pending marriage while an angry Miss Ellie led the family in voting J.R. out of Ewing Oil. Not to be left out in the cold for long, J.R. became the silent Chief Executive Officer of Harwood Oil, for a 25 percent interest in the company. The position had been offered by Holly Harwood, the beautiful young thing who had just inherited the company from her father, Al, and didn't know how to run it. So, J.R. had something to do until his father's will was read, and he was reinstated at Ewing Oil to run half of the company in the yearlong contest with Bobby. Despite that workload, J.R. continued to run Harwood Oil until well into 1983. On November 24, 1982, J. R. Ewing's dream came true: he and Sue Ellen were remarried at Southfork. This time, he pledged not only his love and devotion to her, but monogamy as well. And he meant it. He resisted the advances of Marilee Stone, whom he had tangled with before, and the pesky Holly Harwood, who was hell-bent on seducing him. But J.R. was completely in love with Sue Ellen, and she loved him back. It was a wonderful period for J.R., being reunited with Sue Ellen and his son, and not having to fight his brother in the Ewing Oil contest alone. Sue Ellen was right there by his side every step of the way, and right there beside him in bed every breath of the night. He was deliriously happy. Later that year, when J.R. went into the cheap gasoline business and received 1,431 letters from people who had seen him on "Talktime," the local television talk show, saying they'd vote for him if he ran for a political office, it gave J.R. food for thought. Politics had always caught his fancy. However, being an oilman through and through, J.R. declined when a grass-roots organization tried to talk him into running for Dave Culver's U.S. Senate seat. As the contest with Bobby grew more complicated, one side and then the other vying for the lead in profits, J.R. remained confident. But Miss Ellie could not stand to see the personal repercussions of what was happening between her two sons. She took Jock’s will to court to contest it. The scene in the courtroom did not bring out the best in anyone, including J,R who was outraged at Pamela's interference in the matter. In 1983, while on a fact-finding trip to Cuba, J.R. was thrown into prison, but he soon emerged, unscathed, and with a consummated deal for an enormous oil sale. He made piles of money for Ewing Oil and pulled ahead in the contest. In the process, he alienated Holly Harwood, who began gunning for revenge. Holly set J.R. up, not realizing the tragic consequences of her actions. It took weeks to plan, but she finally succeeded in getting J.R. drunk and in bed. She timed it perfectly so that Sue Ellen would arrive and see them. The incident was to cause a rift in their marriage that never fully repaired. J.R. tried to explain, telling Sue Ellen how much he loved her and pleading with her to forgive him. Instead, Sue Ellen started drinking again. J.R. helplessly watched her self-destruction, so horribly reminiscent of her alcoholic rampage of years before, and it broke his heart to see little John Ross not understand what was the matter with his mother. J.R. did his best to shield John Ross and stop Sue Ellen, but to no avail. When J.R.'s half brother, Ray Krebbs, accidentally set fire to Southfork, J.R. was knocked unconscious and almost died, but he came to in time to grab John Ross and leap off the second-floor landing to safety in the pool, while Bobby pulled an unconscious Sue Ellen to safety. It was a narrow escape for J.R.'s little family, and it made J.R. redouble his efforts to patch things up with Sue Ellen. But she would have no part of it and demanded a separate bedroom. After the fire, J.R. noticed that little John Ross was quiet, withdrawn. J.R. and Sue Ellen sent him to a camp where he could get special counseling. J.R. felt terrible; he knew his relationship with Sue Ellen had been partially responsible for John Ross's condition. There was just so much damage in general in the family of late; J.R. had had his fill of all the unhappiness and got Bobby to agree to call off the contest and split the control of Ewing Oil between them. They did, and at least that front quieted down. John Ross was enthralled by a young counselor, Peter Richards. J.R. grew jealous of the young college man's close relationship with his son, but he refrained from interfering, hoping that John Ross would come back to him in the same loving, admiring way as before. Then J.R. noticed something else. At first he thought he imagined it, but then he really thought he saw it: Sue Ellen was attracted to this counselor. He grew more suspicious when Sue Ellen refused to let J.R. so much as touch her. Things were not going well at Southfork as the whole family seemed to be coming apart. The night of the 1983 Oil Baron's Ball, however, Sue Ellen surprised and then elated J.R. by inviting him to bed. Afterward, though, when J.R. tried to hold her in his arms, happy that she had forgiven him, Sue Ellen haughtily said no, she just felt like using him. J.R. was hurt, and his hurt turned to anger. Later, in 1984, after Sue Ellen was hit by a car, J.R. found out that she had miscarried. He was terribly upset, losing a child he didn’t know he was going to have. One afternoon, J.R. happened to overhear Sue Ellen and Peter Richards talking at Southfork. He felt as though someone had plunged a knife in his heart. They were talking about their affair and that Peter could be the father of the lost child. It hurt J.R. in every vulnerable place. The betrayal was complete. Sue Ellen had rejected J.R. and his love to tramp around with a boy. It was a cruel return on the love and trust he had invested in her. And it was, in his mind, unforgivable. If Sue Ellen was going to act like a prostitute, then, hell, he figured she might as well be treated like one. J.R. framed Peter for possession of drugs and then told Sue Ellen if she didn't move back into his bedroom, he would see that Peter went to prison. Sue Ellen chose to comply, which hurt J.R. even more. Peter left the area, and although J.R. was relieved about that, he was miserable about his relationship with Sue Ellen. He didn't want to take advantage of her, he didn't want to use her; he wanted her to love him like he loved her. What J.R. didn't know was that Sue Ellen did love him. It only took family misfortune to bring it out. After Bobby was shot at Ewing Oil and J.R. was nearly overwrought with concern for Bobby and finding the killer, Sue Ellen's coldness slowly began to melt. Hoping against hope that the occasional look in her eyes was a glimmer of love and concern, J.R. tentatively tried sharing his worries with her. Slowly, with time, Sue Ellen started to grow closer. And then, at last, there she was, holding her arms out to him. Their reconciliation was joyous, but short-lived. The minute Jamie Ewing, the daughter of Jock's dead brother Jason, appeared in late 1984, J.R, smelled trouble. He was right. In no time Jamie had manipulated Sue Ellen into friendship and turned her against J.R. and, on top of that, slapped a law suit agonist the Ewings for a third of Ewing Oil. Although J.R was deeply distressed by Sue Ellen's rejection and out raged by his cousin’s actions he remained calm. So, JR had another fight on his hands as his cousin Jamie joined forces with Cliff Barnes to take control of 60% of the company. But then thanks to Jamie's brother Jack, the Ewings went to court and proved Jamie's document a fraud. But meanwhile J.R.’s marriage to Sue Ellen was still on the rocks and a new woman came into his life in the shape of Mandy Winger, she was young and beautiful and J.R wanted her. And what J.R wants J.R gets. The two embarked on an affair. But this time J.R went public with his new lover as he genuinely cared for the girl. J.R. pushed Sue Ellen to the brink again, accusing her of being a bad mother and anything else that went wrong in his life. Sue Ellen took back to drinking for comfort whilst J.R found his comfort with Mandy. But Sue Ellen's drinking didn’t last long as she built up her own business in Lingerie, using it has a ploy to get Mandy out of the way. J.R grew tired of Mandy and was impressed by Sue Ellen's scheme. J.R. was smitten with the new Sue Ellen and found a new attractiveness towards her which resulted in the reconciliation of their marriage. But J.R.`s world was about to collapse . The oil world was in crisis as cheap oil was being sent in from the Gulf. J.R. paid a missionary BD Calhoun to start a war in the gulf so the oil would stop and American crude prices would rocket. But, unknown to J.R., the Justice department with the help of Jeremy Wendell from Wes Star were on to him. To save a long court battle and imprisonment the Ewings were forced to give up Ewing Oil, the building, the assets and even the name. Ewing Oil ceased to exist. J.R. started his own business, JRE Industries, but he longed for Ewing Oil, the power, and now revenge. J.R. aimed his revenge at Wes Star and used the daughter of one of the main share holders to do this: Kimberly Cryder. Kimberly wanted J.R. and in exchange for marriage would make sure J.R. got the voting rights to take control. The two embarked on an affair. When Sue Ellen found out she moved back into her old room and declared her marriage over but decided not to give J.R. a divorce...yet. J.R. ended up loosing Wes Star and was out on his own again. Sue Ellen divorced J.R and left South Fork; the marriage was now well and truly over. J.R.`s relationship took another turn for the worse when, in 1988, J.R. kidnapped John Ross and hid him at a private school. Sue Ellen was furious and with her new love Nicholas Peace confronted J.R. J.R. and Nicholas got into a fight, and Nicholas fell over the balcony to his death. In an irrational state, Sue Ellen picked up a gun and shot J.R. But, J.R. survived and dropped the charges against his ex wife. In 1989, whilst out on a fishing trip with Bobby and their sons, J.R. met a young beautiful waitress in the shape of Cally Harper. He fell for her sweet ways. He took advantage of her, and that night, she lost her virginity. When her brothers found out, they forced J.R. at gun point to marry Cally which he did. He then escaped and headed back to Southfork hoping he would never lay eyes on Cally again. J.R. was back at Southfork and continued as normal. But then one day Cally Harper turned up claiming to be J.R.`s wife. J.R. denied any knowledge of this and treated the girl with contempt. But Cally was determined and made up she was pregnant. Another Ewing heir was on the horizon so J.R. accepted her as his wife, and the two remarried at a glorious ceremony at Southfork. On their wedding night Cally confessed that she wasn’t pregnant at all. JR just laughed as he didn’t care as he was truly smitten with her. Bobby had managed to get the Ewing name back, and J.R. joined forces with him. But, this time Bobby was in charge, and, to top it all off, Bobby made Cliff a partner. Then a young man turned up at Southfork: James Beaumont. He revealed he was J.R.’s son, the result of J.R.’s affair years before with an English woman Vanessa Beaumont, his first love. The two did not hit it off and constantly would but heads, but J.R. took him in as his own. J.R.’s fidelity to Cally soon proved a strain and he began his flings again. The marriage to Cally was soon over and she left Dallas for good, pregnant with J.R.’s son. J.R. decided to leave her in peace, feeling he owed her that much. In 1990 Bobby's new wife April was murdered. Bobby blamed the oil business and decided to sell the company which he did to Leanne De La Vega. J.R. was mortified he was about to loose his company again. However, Leanne took J.R. on as a partner and promised to sell him the whole company back. But, she revealed that she bought Ewing Oil as part of her plan to get revenge on J.R. She reminded him how they had had an affair years before, and she had been pregnant. When she told him about the pregnancy, he had told her to get rid of it and called her "the Village whore." The abortion left her unable to have children: since then she had been waiting to get revenge. Leanne gave the company to J.R.’s enemy Michelle Stevens: the girlfriend of James and the sister of Bobby's dead wife. Eventually, J.R. managed to get 50% of Ewing Oil back from Michelle when he helped her get off a murder charge, but he was shocked to find that she had sold the other 50% to Cliff Barnes. J.R. wanted out, he couldn’t work with that Barnes man. So, JR went after Wes Star and was in the position to take it over. Thinking he would be in control of the biggest Oil Company he sold his 50% to Cliff. But unbeknown to J.R., Dusty Farlow and Carter McCay had been plotting to stop J.R. and got control of Wes Star. JR had nothing. Not only did he not have a company but also John Ross had left and moved to England with his mother. James was also gone. J.R. had nothing, so in a desperate state he took out a gun and planned to kill himself. But he changed his mind and shot the mirror instead. That night he left and took a plane to Paris J.R. spent 5 years of his life in Paris. Then, in 1997, he decided it was time to return and take back everything he had lost. After faking his own death in a car accident, Sue Ellen and John Ross returned to Dallas. This was all part of J.R.’s plan to get back all he thought was his. His plan worked well, he managed to get Ewing Oil away from Cliff Barnes and back in the Ewing Family, and his ambition of heading Wes Star also became a reality. His power was complete, J.R. was back on top. And just to make it complete he and Sue Ellen rekindled their relationship. JR was back, back with his power, his son. And that's where he’s going to stay. In the 1980s, there was a big bull market. The economy was good, and making money was the thing to do. However, greed became a big deal. Soon, Hollywood began reflecting the culture. We soon had two icons of greed: in the movies, it was Gordon Gekko; and in TV, it was J.R. Ewing (even though he came onto the scene in the 1970s). J.R. was the breakout character of the TV show Dallas. He was so nasty, cunning, and greedy that people immediately loved to hate him. I mean, just look at that infamous episode in which he got shot. “Who Shot J.R.?” was the question on people’s mind in the summer of 1980. Everyone wanted to know who shot the man. However, no one was asking why someone would want to shoot J.R. And, there’s a good reason for that: J.R. Ewing was a no-good bastard who deserved to get shot. In the show, he is often discussed in bitterness, with the conversation laced with accusations of ruthless con jobs in his quest for power. However, let it be said that Dallas has been warned. The fact is J.R. never attacks unless provoked. You can call him any name under the sun, and he won’t bat an eye lid. But, if you make the slightest move that threatens the well being of the things closest to his heart: his son, his mama, his power or his wife, then he will quickly take care of you in a way you will never forget. The name J.R. Ewing just brings up images of a good looking smiling a devilish grin, wearing a nice suit and cowboy hat and holding money. He may look nice on the outside, but on the inside, J.R. Ewing’s heart is as black as the oil he controls.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 11, 2008 21:32:39 GMT -5
23. Noah Cross Who is he: Former owner of the L.A. Water Department. What is he from: “Chinatown.” What has he done: Orchestrated a plan to monopolize the water market of Los Angeles, killed his former partner in the water department, had sex with his daughter, which got her pregnant. Intelligence: Very smart, especially when it comes to water and nefarious plans. Power: Has subordinates and can have people killed. Vileness: Had sex with his own daughter and tried to take the child they produced away from her; that’s sick! Sway: Having been a prominent part of L.A.’s development, he can get a lot done; like his daughter said, he OWNS the police. Purity: He loves his daughters, in a sick and twisted way. Physical Prowess: He’s an old man but is pretty tall. Name Coolness: “Noah Cross” is pretty cool, in an ironic way (biblical names for such an evil man). Created by: Robert Towne. Portrayed by: John Huston, who was mainly known for being a screenwriter and director. A Los Angeles, private investigator named Jake "J.J." Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is hired to spy on Hollis Mulwray (Darrell Zwerling), the chief engineer for the city's water department. The woman hiring Gittes claims to be Evelyn Mulwray, Hollis's wife. Mr. Mulwray spends most of his time investigating dry riverbeds. Mr. Mulwray also has a heated argument with an elderly man. Gittes finally catches Mulwray during an outing with a young blonde and photographs the pair, which becomes a scandal in the press. After the story is published, Gittes learns that the woman who hired him was not the real Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway). Clues suggest a scandal in the city government: despite a serious drought and an expensive proposal to build a new dam, the Water and Power department is dumping fresh water into the ocean at night. On a tip, Gittes seeks out Mr. Mulwray at a reservoir but finds the police there instead, investigating Hollis Mulwray's death from drowning. When the police speak to Mrs. Mulwray about the death, they assume she hired Gittes, which Gittes corroborates. She thanks him and hires him to investigate what happened to her husband. Later that night, while breaking into the reservoir's secured area, Gittes is confronted by water department security, Claude Mulvihill (Roy Jensen) and a thug (a cameo by director Roman Polanski), who slashes Jake's nose for being a "very nosy fella." Gittes receives a call from Ida Sessions (Diane Ladd), the woman who was hired to pretend to be Mrs. Mulwray, who suggests that Gittes look at the obituary column. At the water department, Gittes notices photographs of the elderly man Mulwray quarreled with a few days before his death, Noah Cross (John Huston). Cross, who is Evelyn Mulwray's father, used to own the water department as Mulwray's business partner. Cross ended his association with the department when the partners sold it to the city. Cross hires Gittes to find the blond girl Hollis had been seeing, saying that she might know what happened to him. Acting on a hint from Sessions, Gittes begins to unravel an intricate water scandal. Cross and his partners have been forcing farmers out of their land so they can buy it cheap, after which a newly-built (and controversial) dam and water system would start redirecting much of L.A.'s water supply to that land, dramatically increasing its value. Since Cross wants no record of such transactions, he has partnered with a retirement home community in such a way that many of the eldest residents within (one of whom is mentioned in the obituary column) would legally, but unknowingly, own the land. Back at Evelyn's house, Gittes and Evelyn share a romantic interlude. As they lie on the bed afterward, the phone rings. Evelyn has a cryptic conversation with someone, and then informs Jake that she has to leave for a little while. She asks him to trust her. Gittes follows Evelyn to a middle-class house and sees Mulwray's girlfriend crying. Evelyn claims this is her sister, who was crying because she had just learned about Hollis' death. Later that night, Sessions is murdered. Police Lt. Escobar points out that the coroner's report proves that salt water was found in Mulwray's lungs even though the body was found in a freshwater reservoir. Gittes returns to Evelyn's mansion, where he discovers a pair of eyeglasses in a garden saltwater pond. Gittes confronts Evelyn, who reveals that the blond girl, Katherine (Belinda Palmer), is both her sister and her daughter; Gittes asks Evelyn if her father raped her and she shakes her head no. It remains unclear whether the act was consensual or not; Evelyn's father later hints that it was indeed a consensual incestuous relationship by saying: "Most people never have to face the fact that, at the right time and the right place, they're capable of anything." It is apparent also that Evelyn resents her father for taking advantage of her in a relationship considered unnatural. Gittes then chooses to help Evelyn escape. Evelyn remembers that the eyeglasses could not have been her husband's because they are bifocals. Gittes arranges for the two women to flee to Mexico and instructs Evelyn to meet him at her butler's address in Chinatown. Evelyn leaves, and Cross arrives with Mulvihill under the pretext that Gittes has found the girl; however, Gittes confronts Cross with the accusation of murder and the glasses. Mulvihill takes away the eyeglasses that are the only physical evidence. Cross forces Gittes to take him to the girl. When Gittes arrives at Evelyn's hiding place in Chinatown, the police are already there and arrest Gittes. When Cross approaches Katherine, demanding custody of her, Evelyn pushes him back, shoots him in the arm and starts her car. As Evelyn is driving away, the police open fire and Evelyn is shot and killed. Cross clutches Katherine, taking her out of the car, as a devastated Gittes is comforted by his associates (Joe Mantell and Bruce Glover), who urge him to walk away: "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." As I’ve said before, you don’t have to kill a lot of people or rage wars on countries to be a great villain. You can be very greedy, like Gordon Gekko. You can be a real jerk, like Johnny Lawrence. You can be a huge buzzkill, like Dean Wormer. Or, you can just be really creepy, like Noah Cross. This old man just oozes creepiness. I mean, he had sex with his daughter Evelyn and got her pregnant. That’s just sick and wrong. And, sure, it is implied that the sex was consensual. But, Evelyn later regretted it, seeing how wrong it was. Plus, she was dead set on keeping her sister/daughter Katherine away from her father. She has no doubt that this creepy old will most likely try to do the same with Katherine as he did with her. However, that isn’t the sole reason Cross is on the list. I mean, he is trying to control the water in L.A. Cross and his partners has been forcing farmers out of their land so they can buy it cheap. Then, a newly-built dam and water system will redirect much of L.A.’s water supply to that land, dramatically increasing its value and making Cross rich. And, to leave no records of this, he partners with a retirement home community in such a way that many of the eldest residents within (one of whom is dead) would legally, but unknowingly, own the land. It is a very good plan, and Cross will get rich without anyone the wiser. Though Gittes does learn the plan, he can’t really do anything about it since Cross is very powerful and can get away with it. Hell, the movie ends without anyone actually stopping him from doing this, so he most likely DID get away with it. And, he ends up with Katherine. However, the movie ends with Evelyn dead, and Cross is shown to be distraught over her death. Nevertheless, Noah Cross is one creepy bastard who wins in the end.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 11, 2008 21:41:52 GMT -5
Tomorrow, numbers 22 and 21, plus a recap of 100-21. Here are the hints:
he has a big appetite, as big as a planet, and you don't want to get kissed by him, it's a kiss of death.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 12, 2008 20:51:30 GMT -5
It's that time, that countdown time. Here's 22: 22. Galactus Who is he: A cosmic entity who devours planets. What is he from: Marvel Comics, most notably the Fantastic Four comics, the Silver Surfer comics, Marvel: The End, Annihilation: Silver Surfer, Annihilation, and Annihilation: Heralds of Galactus. What has he done: Devoured planets all over the universe, killing trillions. Intelligence: Omniscient. Power: He is the most powerful being in the Marvel Universe. Vileness: Like I said, he’s killed trillions. Sway: Everyone is scared of this thing. Purity: Only cares about feeding his insatiable appetite. Physical Prowess: Wields the Power Cosmic, giving him the power to produce nearly any effect he desires, including the molecular restructuring and transmutation of matter, the teleportation of objects (even entire galaxies) across space, size-alteration, the projection of energy with vast destructive force, the erection of nearly impenetrable force fields, the creation of interdimensional and intra-dimensional portals, telepathy, telekinesis, and cosmic awareness on a universal scale; can also create sentient life in the form of Tyrant, resurrect his herald Morg, manipulate mortal souls, manipulate memories and emotions, and remake dead worlds, including their populations, in every detail; has been described as "the most awesome living entity in the cosmos" and "the universe's most powerful creature". Name Coolness: “Galactus” is pretty cool. Created by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Portrayed by: Ted Cassidy voiced Galactus in the 1967 Fantastic Four animated series. Tony Jay voiced him in the 1994 Fantastic Four animate series. James Blendick voiced him in the Silver Surfer animated series. Gregg Berger did the voice in the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance video game. And, no one played him in “Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer” because they made him a cloud. 20th Century Fox's rationale for having the character as a cloud was to keep him discreet. Visual effects studio Weta Digital convinced Fox to add physical hints of the comic book incarnation, such as a shadow and the fiery mass within the cloud resembling Galactus' signature helmet. Director Tim Story claimed he made Galactus a cloud so that the future Silver Surfer spin-off film would have a chance to be unique and introduce the character as he normally appears. J. Michael Straczynski, the spin-off's writer, confirmed Galactus is in his script and that "You don't want to sort of blow out something that big and massive for one quick shot in the first movie." Originally named Galan of the planet Taa, Galactus is the sole survivor of the Big Crunch of the universe that existed prior to occurrence of the Big Bang, which led to the present-day Marvel Universe. Galan is initially a space explorer investigating the impending end of his universe. Eventually, Taa is engulfed by a radiation plague that kills almost all its inhabitants. At the last second, Galan escapes the doomed planet in a starship with a few other survivors. Rather than perish from the lethal radiation that has extinguished all life across the universe, Galan proposes to his crew mates that they pilot their craft directly into the center of the Big Crunch. As he approaches the Cosmic egg, the focal point of the Big Crunch and the source of the exterminating radiation, his ship and crew are promptly destroyed. At the moment Galan's universe meets its end, the incarnation of that reality's Phoenix Force amasses the positive emotions of all living beings in the cosmos to preserve them from eternal damnation, enabling the "Sentience of the Universe," that universe's incarnation of Eternity, to meet with Galan. Within the Cosmic Egg the Sentience of the Universe reveals itself to Galan and informs him that though they both will die in the impending cataclysm, they will survive through a joint heir born into the next universe. The Sentience of the Universe then merges itself with the mortal Galan, establishing Galan as the sole survivor of the ensuing Big Crunch. This union ultimately leads to his rebirth in the present universe as Galactus. After the Big Bang and the birth of the present reality, Galactus gestates in a cocoon of cosmic energy to complete his metamorphosis, and after an undetermined period of time emerges as an entity of vast cosmic power who is essential and intrinsic to the newly formed universe. Upon emerging from his incubation ship, Galactus destroys the planet Archeopia, the first world to fall prey to his hunger, and uses its remains in constructing Taa II in homage to both Archeopia and Taa. Galactus has been referred to as the "third force of the universe," and the balance between the entities Eternity and Death. He has called Eternity "father", while Death has called Galactus "my husband and father, my brother and son". In the prime Marvel Universe, the cosmic overseer the Living Tribunal likens Galactus to one of the three essential forces of reality, Equity (Eternity and Death in turn represent the other forces, being Necessity and Vengeance). Due to his vast power and intrinsic, natural role in the universal order, Galactus considers himself a higher being than all non-abstracts, coming to embody a force of cosmic nature necessary for universal existence. Galactus maintains his existence by devouring planets that have the potential for supporting life. In so doing, he has consumed countless worlds, resulting in the elimination of entire extra-terrestrial civilizations. He created a cosmic being in his own image, Tyrant, whom he later renounced and defeated after Tyrant developed a lust for power and tyranny. Frequently, Galactus utilizes a herald to scour the universe in search of sustenance. Upon pinpointing the requisite planetary body, the herald will signal Galactus, resulting in the Devourer's arrival on the world's surface and the deployment of the Elemental Converter, a colossal machine capable of draining all life energy from the planet within minutes. While the Converter makes consumption of the planet's energy more efficient, Galactus is capable of feeding without its aid. Galactus has appointed a number of beings to act as his Herald, with each bestowed with a fraction of the Power Cosmic. Galactus however spares the planet Zenn-La when Norrin Radd offers his services as a herald in exchange. Galactus transforms Norrin Radd into his herald, the Silver Surfer. Galactus has threatened to consume the Earth on several occasions. During his first encounter with humans, the cosmic entity the Watcher and Galactus' rebellious herald, the Silver Surfer, aid the Fantastic Four. Galactus is defeated when Mister Fantastic threatens him with the Ultimate Nullifier, which was retrieved by the Human Torch from Galactus' spaceship, Taa II. Galactus exiles the Silver Surfer to Earth, then leaves and vows to never attack the Earth again. He eventually returns to Earth, however, seeking the Silver Surfer. Later, Mr. Fantastic petitions Galactus to stop the threat of the cosmic entity the Sphinx on Earth, releasing Galactus from his vow. In one encounter, Galactus returns to Earth in pursuit of his rebellious herald, Terrax. Galactus expends a considerable amount of energy in the pursuit, and finally arrives with the intention of consuming Earth to replenish himself. A hungry and weakened Galactus resolves the issue with Terrax, but is so diminished in power that he is defeated by the combined efforts of the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and Doctor Strange. However, rather than let Galactus die of hunger, Mister Fantastic uses a device powered by the Thunder God Thor to resuscitate him. Grateful, Galactus proclaims that Earth is safe from his feedings before departing. Mister Fantastic's actions have consequences; however, as he is later placed on trial by a consortium of alien worlds for saving Galactus, which would indirectly cause the deaths of the worlds Galactus would later consume. The Shi'ar preside over the trial, and look to execute Mister Fantastic until the cosmic entity Eternity is summoned by the combined efforts of Galactus and the Watcher. Eternity then enables the millions of alien onlookers to momentarily become one with the universe, temporarily granting them the clarity that Galactus is an essential part of the natural order of the cosmos. Some time after this, Galactus plays an important role in the Infinity War against the evil Magus, helping Earth's heroes organize a defense against the powerful adversary, as well as appealing to the Living Tribunal for the temporary restoration of the Infinity Gauntlet. Galactus is seemingly destroyed when the Silver Surfer turns Galactus' own Elemental Converter against him. As Galactus disperses he warns that his death will allow a great evil to surface. After his death, Galactus' remains take the form of a star, the second in the Chandilar system. The great evil Galactus spoke of later emerges in the form of the Biblical demon Abraxas, the universal embodiment of destruction and the antithesis of Eternity. The Fantastic Four discover that much of the energy Galactus harvests from planets is devoted to keeping Abraxas imprisoned. Realizing only Galactus can stop Abraxas, Franklin Richards pools all of his power with that of his sister, Valeria Von Doom, and focuses it on the second star of the Chandilar system, thereby reconstituting Galactus; however, the siblings permanently burn out their powers in the act. The newly revived Galactus reclaims the Ultimate Nullifier from Abraxas, and Fantastic Four leader Reed Richards uses the device to realign reality and reimprison Abraxas. Galactus reveals that the Ultimate Nullifier is actually an aspect of his being. Some time afterwards Galactus, displaying aching conscience for the countless sentients he has destroyed, is attempting to unite and use the Infinity Gems in order to alleviate his need to devour planets. He is, however, being manipulated by a cosmos-devouring inter-dimensional parasite called Hunger. In collaboration with Thanos of Titan Galactus manages to thwart the entity's endeavor to enter, and consume, their universe. The planet-shattering conflict leaves Galactus greatly weakened for some time afterwards, which grants his first herald, the Fallen One, an opportunity to exploit this vulnerability. Thanos realizes that potential success would imbalance the universal order, and handles the matter by enslaving the Fallen One into his service. Later, Reed Richards designs a weapon with the express purpose of stripping Galactus of the Power Cosmic. The creation of the device is made possible with help from Quasar and Johnny Storm, who is cosmically aware at this time. The weapon succeeds in separating Galactus into his two core components, Galan and the Power Cosmic. Galan then exiles himself in another dimension, hoping that this act will prevent the Power Cosmic from finding him. The ruse fails, however, as the alien warrior Beta Ray Bill encounters a fully reformed Galactus shortly afterward. Millions of years ago, Diableri of Chaos, one of the "Proemial Gods", wished to control the universe, causing a civil war. This brings Diableri into conflict with Galactus. Galactus kills Diableri and imprisons his two main lieutenants, Tenebrous of the Darkness Between and Aegis Lady of All Sorrows within the Kyln. When the Annihilation Wave enters the universe the Kyln is damaged, allowing Tenebrous and Aegis to awake from stasis and escape. Sensing their presence, Galactus petitions the Silver Surfer to become his Herald once more; the Surfer accepts and Galactus further augments his power. Tenebrous and Aegis eventually engage and defeat Galactus and the Silver Surfer in battle. An incapacitated Galactus is then imprisoned by Annihilus, the creator of the Annihilation Wave, who has tasked Thanos to discover the secret of the Power Cosmic. Drax the Destroyer manages to free Galactus, who in retaliation unleashes a blast that destroys most of the Annihilation Wave, a Watcher, and more than three star systems. This forces the surviving parties to form a truce. Galactus is one of the few villains who can strike fear in the hearts of people all over the universe. When he comes to your planet, doom shortly follows as he devours your planet. However, some people would argue that Galactus is not a villain, that he is just a force of nature and only destroys planets in order to survive. To those people, I say, “ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY!!!!?” I mean, sure he was a cloud in the Fantastic Four sequel, which still pisses me off to no end. (And, I could care less if they wanted to wait and show Galactus; there were better things they could have done to not show Galactus besides making him a cloud.) And, as a living force of nature, Galactus’s true form is close to that of a humanoid star and cannot be perceived by most beings. So each species perceives Galactus in a form they can comprehend. However, he was once a man: Galan of the planet Taa who got caught in the explosion of the Big Bang that turned him into the Devourer of Worlds that we know today. So, since he was a man, that means he has thoughts and consciousness. Hell, he can speak, and I doubt the tornadoes in the Marvel Universe speak as well. And, he’s a threat to everyone, good and bad. When you are a threat to other evil beings, then that makes you pretty evil yourself. Also, he has the highest body count on the list; it is up in the trillions. This being has killed more people than all the villains on this list have ever met combined! The only act of leniency Galactus offers is sending a herald to tell the planet that he has chosen to eat that Galactus is coming. And, the only time he spared a world was when Norrin Radd offered his services as a herald to spare his home planet. And, that’s about it. It takes nearly all of the Marvel heroes to stop Galactus from eating Earth whenever he comes around. So, you can argue that Galactus is a force of nature all you want; the fact remains that nothing good comes whenever he is around.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 12, 2008 22:16:40 GMT -5
21. Michael Corleone Who is he: Don of the Corleone crime family. What is he from: The Godfather books and movies. What has he done: Killed all the top mobsters in order to restore the family’s power, had his own brother Fredo killed, tried to legitimize the family, but they pulled him back in. Intelligence: Very smart; went to Dartmouth. Power: He is the Don of the Corleone crime organization. Vileness: Had his own brother murdered. Sway: Talks softly but carries a big stick. Purity: Cares for his family. Physical Prowess: Average physical male. Name Coolness: “Michael Corleone” is pretty cool. Created by: Mario Puzo. Portrayed by: Al Pacino, who almost didn’t get the role because he wasn’t as well known back then as he is today. The studio originally wanted Robert Redford or Ryan O'Neal to play Michael Corleone, but Coppola wanted an unknown who looked like an Italian-American, whom he found in Al Pacino. Pacino was not well known at the time, and the studio did not consider him right for the part, in part because of his height. Pacino was given the role only after Coppola threatened to quit the production. Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman, Warren Beatty, Martin Sheen, and James Caan also auditioned. Elvis Presley was also interested in the role, but did not audition. “The Godfather”: At the wedding reception of Don Vito Corleone's daughter Connie and Carlo Rizzi in the late summer of 1945, Vito, the head of the Corleone Mafia family, who is known to his friends and associates as Godfather, and Tom Hagen, the Corleone family lawyer and consigliere (counselor), are hearing requests for favors from friends and associates, because "no Sicilian can refuse a request on his daughter's wedding day". Meanwhile, the Don's youngest son Michael, who has returned from World War II service as a decorated war hero, tells his girlfriend Kay Adams anecdotes about his father's criminal life, reassuring her that he is not like his family. Among the guests at the celebration is the famous singer Johnny Fontane, Corleone's godson, who has come from Hollywood to petition for help in landing a movie role that will revitalize his flagging career. Jack Woltz, the head of the studio, will not give Fontane the part, but Don Corleone explains to Johnny: "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse." Hagen is dispatched to California to fix the problem, but Woltz angrily tells him that he will never cast Fontane in the role, for which he is perfect, because Fontane seduced and "ruined" a starlet that Woltz favored. The next morning, Woltz wakes up to find the bloody severed head of his prize $600,000 stud horse in the bed with him. Woltz gives in. Upon Hagen's return, the family meets with Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo, who is being backed by the rival Tattaglia family. He asks Don Corleone for financing and political and legal protection for the importation and distribution of heroin, but despite the huge amount of money to be made, Corleone refuses, explaining that his political influence would be jeopardized by a move into the narcotics trade. The Don's oldest son, hotheaded Sonny, who had earlier expressed to the Don his support of the family entering into the narcotics trade, breaks rank during the meeting and questions Sollozzo's assurances as to the Corleone Family's investment being guaranteed by the Tattaglia Family. His father, angry at Sonny's dissension in front of a non-family member, privately rebukes him later. Don Corleone then dispatches his top button man (hit man), Luca Brasi, to infiltrate Sollozzo's organization and report back with information. Soon after his refusal to support Sollozzo, Don Corleone is shot several times in an assassination attempt, and it is not immediately known whether he has survived. Meanwhile, Sollozzo and the Tattaglias kill Luca Brasi. Sollozzo then abducts Tom Hagen and persuades him to offer Sonny the deal previously offered to his father. Enraged, Sonny refuses to consider the deal, and issues an ultimatum to the Tattaglias: turn over Sollozzo or face war. They refuse, and Sonny responds by having Bruno Tattaglia, son of Don Phillip Tattaglia, killed. Michael, who is considered a "civilian" by the other Mafia families, not involved in mob business, visits his father in the hospital but is shocked to find there is no one guarding him. Realizing that his father is again being set up to be killed, he calls Sonny with a report, moves his father to another room, and goes outside to watch the door. With the help of Enzo the baker, who feels indebted to the Don and has come by the hospital to pay his respects, he bluffs away Sollozzo's men. Police cars soon appear with the corrupt Captain McCluskey, who breaks Michael's jaw when he insinuates that McCluskey is being paid by Sollozzo to set up his father. Just then, Hagen arrives with "private detectives" licensed to carry guns to protect Don Corleone, and takes Michael home. Following the attempt on the Don's life at the hospital, Sollozzo requests a meeting with the Corleones, which Captain McCluskey will attend as Sollozzo's bodyguard, and Michael volunteers to kill both men during the meeting. This initially amuses Sonny and the other senior members of the family; however Michael convinces them that he is serious, and that killing Sollozzo and McCluskey is in the family's interest: "It's not personal. It's strictly business." Although cops are usually off limits for hits, Michael argues that since McCluskey is corrupt and has illegal dealings with Sollozzo, he is fair game. At the meeting, after being searched by McCluskey, Michael excuses himself to go to the restroom, where he retrieves a planted revolver and assassinates Sollozzo and McCluskey. For his safety Michael is sent to Sicily, while the Corleone family prepares for all-out warfare with the rest of the Five Families, united against the Corleones, as well as a general clampdown on the mob by the police and government authorities. In Sicily, Michael lives under the protection of Don Tommasino, an old friend of the family. While there, he falls in love with and marries a local girl, Apollonia Vitelli, who is later killed by a car bomb intended to assassinate Michael. Back in New York, Don Corleone returns home from the hospital and is distraught to learn that it was Michael who killed Sollozzo and McCluskey. Some months later, in 1948, Sonny severely beats Carlo Rizzi for brutalizing the pregnant Connie, and threatens to kill him the next time he abuses her. An angry Carlo responds by plotting with Tattaglia and Don Emilio Barzini, the Corleones' chief rivals, to have Sonny killed. Carlo beats Connie again in order to lure Sonny out. Furious, Sonny drives off alone to fulfill his threat. On the way, he is ambushed at a toll booth and machine-gunned to death in his car. Instead of seeking revenge for Sonny's killing, Don Corleone meets with the heads of the Five Families to arrange an end to the war. Not only is it draining all of their assets and threatening their survival, but ending the conflict is the only way that Michael can return home safely. Reversing his previous decision, Vito agrees that the Corleone family will provide political protection for Tattaglia's traffic in heroin. At the meeting, Don Corleone determines that Don Barzini, not Tattaglia, was ultimately behind the mob war and Sonny's death. With his safety guaranteed, Michael returns from Sicily. More than a year later, he reunites with his former girlfriend, Kay, telling her that he wants to marry her. With the Don semi-retired, Sonny dead and middle brother Fredo considered incapable of running the family business, Michael is now in charge, and promises Kay to make the family completely legitimate within five years. Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio, two Corleone Family caporegimes (captains) complain that they are being pushed around by the Barzini Family and ask permission to strike back, but Michael refuses. He plans to move the family operations to Nevada and after that, Clemenza and Tessio may break away to go on their own. Michael further promises that Connie's husband, Carlo, is going to be his right hand man in Nevada. Tom Hagen has been removed as consigliere and is now merely the family's lawyer, with Vito serving as consigliere. Privately, Hagen complains about his change in status, and also questions Michael about a new regime of "soldiers" secretly being built under Rocco Lampone. Don Vito explains to Hagen that Michael is acting on his advice. In Las Vegas, Michael is greeted by Fredo and Johnny Fontane in the hotel-casino partly financed by the Corleones, and run by Moe Greene. Michael explains to Johnny that the Family needs his help in persuading his friends in show business to sign long-term contracts to appear at the casino. In a meeting with Moe Greene, Michael offers to buy out Greene but is rudely rebuffed. Greene believes the Corleones are weak and that he can secure a better deal from Barzini. As Moe and Michael argue, Fredo takes sides with Moe. Afterwards, Michael firmly tells Fredo to never again take sides with anyone against the family. Michael returns home. In a private moment, Vito explains his expectation that the Family's enemies will attempt to kill Michael by using a trusted associate to arrange a meeting as a pretext for assassination. Vito also reveals that he never intended a life of crime for Michael, hoping that his youngest son would hold legitimate power as a senator or governor. Shortly afterwards, Vito dies of a heart attack while playing with his young grandson Anthony in his tomato garden. At the burial, Tessio conveys a proposal for a meeting with Barzini, which identifies him as the traitor that Vito was expecting. Michael arranges for a series of murders to occur while he is standing as godfather for Connie and Carlo's son: Don Stracci and his bodyguards are shot by Clemenza with a shotgun as they exit an elevator; Moe Greene, while having a massage in one of his hotels, is shot in the eye by an unknown assassin; Don Cuneo, while leaving a hotel, is trapped in a revolving door by Willi Cicci and shot; Don Tattaglia and a woman he is with are gunned down while in bed by Rocco Lampone and another unknown assassin; and finally, Don Barzini is shot on the steps of a courthouse by Al Neri, who is disguised by wearing his old policeman's uniform. After the baptism, Tessio believes he and Hagen are on their way to the meeting between Michael and Barzini that he has arranged. Instead, he is surrounded by Willi Cicci and other button men. Realizing that Michael has found out about his betrayal, Tessio tells Hagen that his betrayal was only business. Meanwhile, Michael confronts Carlo about Sonny's murder and gets him to admit his role in setting up the ambush. Michael informs Carlo that his punishment is to be excluded from the family business and hands him a plane ticket to exile in Las Vegas. Carlo gets into a car to go to the airport, where he is garroted by Clemenza. Later, Connie confronts Michael, accusing him of Carlo's murder. Kay questions Michael about Connie's accusation, but he refuses to answer. She insists, and Michael lies, assuring his wife that he had no role in Carlo's death. Kay is relieved by his denial, believing it to be true. The film ends with Clemenza and new caporegimes Rocco Lampone and Al Neri paying their respects to Michael. Clemenza kisses Michael's hand and greets him as "Don Corleone." Kay watches with dawning comprehension as the door closes; Michael is the new Godfather. “The Godfather Part II”: In the late 1950s, where Michael Corleone, Godfather of the Corleone Family, deals with various business and family problems at his Lake Tahoe, Nevada compound during an elaborate party celebrating his son's First Communion. He meets with Nevada Senator Pat Geary, who despises the Corleones but has shown up with his wife to accept a large endowment to the state university. Senator Geary demands a grossly exaggerated price for a new gaming license and a monthly payment of 5% of the gross profits from all of the Corleone Family's Nevada gaming interests, to which Michael responds with a counter-offer of "nothing". Michael also deals with his sister Connie, who, although recently divorced, is planning to marry a man with no obvious means of support, whom Michael disapproves of. He also talks with Johnny Ola, the right hand man of Jewish gangster Hyman Roth, who is supporting Michael's move into the gambling industry. Finally, Michael meets with Frank "Five Angels" Pentangeli, who took over Corleone caporegime Peter Clemenza's territory after his death, and now has problems with the Rosato Brothers, who are backed by Roth. Michael refuses to allow Pentangeli to kill the Rosatos, due to his desire to prevent interruption of his business with Roth. Pentangeli leaves abruptly, after telling Michael "your father did business with Hyman Roth, your father respected Hyman Roth, but your father never trusted Hyman Roth." Later that night, an assassination attempt is made on Michael, which he survives when his wife Kay notices the bedroom window drapes are inexplicably open. Afterwards, Michael tells Tom Hagen that the hit was made with the help of someone close, and that he must leave, entrusting Hagen to protect his family. Michael meets with Hyman Roth in his home near Miami, tells Roth that he believes Frank Pentangeli was responsible for the assassination attempt, and that Pentangeli will pay for it. Traveling to Brooklyn, Michael lets Pentangeli know that Roth was actually behind it, and that Michael has a plan to deal with Roth, but needs Frankie to cooperate with the Rosato Brothers in order to put Roth off guard. When Pentangeli goes to meet with the Rosatos, he is told "Michael Corleone says hello", as he is garrotted; but the attempted murder is accidentally interrupted by a policeman. Pentangeli is left for dead, and his bodyguard, Willi Cicci, is wounded by gunfire. In Nevada, Tom Hagen is called to a brothel run by Fredo, where Senator Geary is implicated in the death of a prostitute. Tom offers to take care of the problem in return for "friendship" between the Senator and the Corleone Family. It is implied that the entire event was staged by the Corleone Family in order to gain leverage with Geary and force his cooperation. Meanwhile, Michael meets Roth in Havana, Cuba at the time when Dictator Fulgencio Batista is soliciting American investment, and guerrillas are trying to bring down the government. At a birthday party for Roth, Michael mentions that there is a possibility that the rebels might win, making their business dealings in Cuba problematic. The comment prompts Roth to remark, privately, that Michael has not delivered the two million dollars to seal their partnership. Fredo, carrying the promised money, arrives in Havana and meets Michael. Michael mentions Hyman Roth and Johnny Ola to him, but Fredo says he has never met them. Michael confides to his brother that it was Roth who tried to kill him, and that he plans to try again. Michael assures Fredo that he has already made his move, and that "Hyman Roth will never see the New Year." Instead of turning over the money, Michael asks Roth who gave the order to have Frank Pentangeli killed. Roth avoids the question, instead speaking angrily of the murder of his old friend and ally Moe Greene, which Michael had orchestrated (as depicted at the end of the first film), saying, "I didn't ask who gave the order, because it had nothing to do with business!" Michael asks Fredo, who knows Havana well, to show Senator Geary and other important American officials and businessmen a good time, during which Fredo pretends to not know Johnny Ola. Soon after, at a sex show, a drunk Fredo comments loudly that he learned about the place from Johnny Ola, contradicting what he told Michael twice earlier, that he didn't know Roth or Ola. Michael now realizes that the traitor in the Corleone Family is his own brother, and dispatches his bodyguard back to their hotel to kill Roth. There, Johnny Ola is strangled, but Roth, whose health is failing, is taken to a hospital before he can be assassinated. Michael's bodyguard follows, but is shot by police while trying to smother Roth with a pillow. At Batista's New Year's Eve party, at the stroke of midnight, Michael grasps Fredo tightly by the head and kisses him, telling him "I know it was you Fredo; you broke my heart." Batista announces he is stepping down due to unexpected gains by the rebels. The guests flee as the guerrillas pour into the city. Fredo runs away from Michael, despite Michael's pleas that he is still his brother and that the only way out is with him. Michael returns to Las Vegas, where Hagen tells him that Roth escaped Cuba after suffering a stroke and is recovering in Miami, that Michael's bodyguard is dead, and that Fredo is likely hiding in New York. Hagen also informs Michael that Kay had a miscarriage while he was away, which causes Michael to lose his usually calm and collected demeanor. Michael returns to his compound in Lake Tahoe, where he wanders the house in silent contemplation. He sees Kay (whom he has prevented from leaving the compound for her own safety) in the bedroom, but does not approach her. In Washington, D.C., a Senate committee, of which Senator Geary is a member, is conducting an investigation into the Corleone Family. They question disaffected "soldier" Willi Cicci, but he cannot implicate Michael, because he never received any direct orders from him. With Fanucci dead, Vito earns the respect of the neighborhood and begins to intercede in local disputes, operating out of the storefront of his Genco Olive Oil Company (named after his good friend Genco Abbandando). When Michael appears before the committee, Senator Geary makes a big show of supporting Italian-Americans and then excuses himself from the proceedings. Michael makes a statement challenging the committee to produce a witness to corroborate the charges against him. The hearing ends with the Chairman promising a witness who will do exactly that. Tom Hagen and Michael discuss the problem. They have found out that Frank Pentangeli is the witness who will testify against him, and observe that Roth's strategy to destroy Michael is well planned. Michael's brother Fredo has been found and persuaded to return to Nevada, and in a private meeting, he explains to Michael his betrayal: upset about being passed over to head the Family in favor of Michael, he wants respect and his due. He helped Roth, thinking there would be something in it for him, but he swears he didn't know they wanted to kill Michael. He also tells Michael that the Senate Committee's chief counsel is on Roth's payroll. Michael then tells Fredo: "You're nothing to me now. Not a brother, not a friend, nothing", and privately instructs Al Neri that nothing is to happen to Fredo while their mother is still alive; the understanding is that Fredo will be killed after her death. Frank Pentangeli has made a deal with the FBI to testify against Michael, believing he was the one who organized the attempt on his life. At the hearing in which Pentangeli is to testify, Michael arrives accompanied by Pentangeli's brother Vincenzo, brought in from Sicily, whose surprise presence causes Frank to recant his previous statements about Michael. When Pentangeli is pressed, he claims that he just told the FBI what they wanted to hear. With no witness to testify against Michael the committee adjourns, with Hagen, acting as Michael's lawyer, loudly demanding an apology. At a hotel room afterwards, Kay tries to leave Michael and take their children with her. Michael at first tries to mollify her, but loses his temper and hits her when she coldly reveals to him that her recent "miscarriage" was actually an abortion to avoid bringing another son into Michael's criminal family. Carmella Corleone, Vito's widow and the mother of his children, dies, and the whole Corleone family reunites at the funeral. Michael is still shunning Fredo, who is miserable and depressed, but relents when Connie implores him to. Michael and Fredo embrace, but at the same time Michael signals to his capo Al Neri that Fredo's protection from harm, in effect while their mother lived, is now over. Michael, Tom Hagen, Al Neri, and Rocco Lampone discuss their final dealings with Hyman Roth, who has been unsuccessfully seeking asylum from various countries, and was even refused entry to Israel as a returning Jew. Michael rejects Hagen's advice that the Corleone Family's position is secure, and killing Roth and the Rosato brothers for revenge is an unnecessary risk. Later, Hagen pays a visit to Frank Pentangeli on a military base and suggests that he take his own life in return for having his family taken care of afterwards. With the connivance of Connie, Kay visits her children, but cannot bear to leave them and stays too long. When Michael arrives, he closes the door in her face. The film reaches its climax in a montage of assassinations and death, reminiscent of the end of The Godfather: As he arrives at a U.S. airport to be taken into custody, Hyman Roth is killed by Rocco Lampone disguised as a journalist, who is immediately shot dead in turn; Frank Pentangeli is found dead in his bathtub by two FBI agents, having followed Hagen's instructions and committed suicide, slashing his wrists while taking a bath; and finally, Fredo is murdered by Al Neri while they are fishing on Lake Tahoe, as Fredo is saying a Hail Mary to help catch a fish. The penultimate scene takes place as a flashback in 1941, as the Corleone family is preparing a surprise birthday party for Vito. Sonny introduces Carlo Rizzi, Connie's future husband and eventual betrayer of Sonny, to his family. Sal Tessio comes in with the cake for the party, and they all talk about the recent attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Michael shocks everybody by announcing that he has just enlisted in the United States Marines. Sonny angrily ridicules Michael's choice, while Tom Hagen mentions how his father has great expectations for Michael, and had made specific arrangements for his future. Fredo is the only one who supports his brother's decision. When Vito arrives, all but Michael leave to greet him. The film ends with Michael in the Corleone Lake Tahoe compound, sitting alone, in silence. “The Godfather Part III”: The movie begins in 1979, with a brief flashback establishing the long and tragic history of the Corleone family. Michael Corleone is now approaching 60 and still feels tremendous guilt for indulging in his ruthless ambition many years ago. Although his previous conquests have made him a very rich man, the thoughts of his children, their future, happiness, and his legacy are the only things keeping him going. His adopted brother Tom Hagen is now dead. The Corleone compound at Lake Tahoe is abandoned. Michael and Kay divorced in 1959, and Michael gave her custody of their children, Anthony and Mary. He has returned to New York City, where he is using his wealth and power to restore his dignity and reputation. The violent criminal element of the Corleone family has been largely abandoned, ostracized by Michael as well as the public, which no longer romanticizes the gangster lifestyle. Michael has embraced corporate America. In an attempt to break with the past, Michael creates a charity, the Vito Corleone Foundation, in memory of his father. At a ceremony in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, presided over by Archbishop Gilday, Michael is named a Commander of the Order of St. Sebastian. At the lavish party following the ceremony, Kay and Michael have a somewhat uneasy reunion. Anthony tells his father that he is going to drop out of law school to pursue a career as an opera singer. Kay supports his choice, but Michael disagrees, wishing that his son would finish law school or join the family business. Michael eventually acquiesces to Anthony's wishes. Meanwhile, Vincent Mancini, Sonny Corleone’s illegitimate son, shows up at the party. He is embroiled in a feud with Joey Zasa, the Corleone family's mafioso muscle. What remains of the old Corleone criminal empire, once the most powerful Mafia family in the nation, is now under Zasa's stewardship. However, the Corleones' old neighborhood in Little Italy is in ruins, and has become lawless. In Michael's study, Vincent and Zasa tell him about their feud. The discussion grows violent, with Vincent accusing Zasa of being an out-of-control monster who mocks Michael behind his back. Michael makes it clear that he is not "a gangster" and that whatever bad blood exists between Vincent and Joey Zasa is none of his business, and must be settled between only them. He asks the two men to make peace with one another. The two men embrace, but Zasa insults Vincent by whispering "bastardo" in his ear. Enraged, Vincent bites off part of Zasa’s ear. Zasa is escorted out and Michael scolds Vincent for his violent ways. But impressed by Vincent's passionate loyalty to protect him, Michael agrees to take his nephew under his wing. The party concludes with a family picture where Michael asks Vincent to join the rest of the family. That night, two men break into Vincent’s home, after Vincent has spent the night with a female journalist (Bridget Fonda). Vincent kills one in order to frighten the other into revealing Zasa as the man who sent them and kills the other. Michael seeks to buy the Vatican's shares in Immobiliare, an international real estate holding company. He negotiates the transfer of $600,000,000 to the Vatican Bank with Archbishop Gilday, who has plunged the Holy See into tremendous debt through his poor management and corrupt dealings. While in Vatican City, Michael learns that several influential parties oppose the deal for many reasons, not the least of which is the extensive criminal history. Don Altobello, an elderly New York mafia chief, tells Michael that his old New York partners want in on the Immobiliare deal. A meeting is arranged in Atlantic City, and Michael appeases most of the Mafiosi with generous payoffs. Zasa, however, gets nothing. Furious, he declares that Michael is his enemy. Zasa storms out of the meeting. Minutes later, a helicopter hovers outside the conference room and sprays a barrage of bullets through the ceiling windows. Almost everyone is killed, but Michael, Vincent (acting as a human shield for his uncle), and Michael's bodyguard and caporegime, Al Neri, manage to escape. Back at his apartment in New York, as Michael considers how to respond to this hit, he suffers a diabetic stroke, and is hospitalized. Near-delirium, Michael screams out the name of his brother Fredo. Though they are cousins, Vincent and Mary begin a romantic relationship. Unbeknownst to Michael, Vincent, with the urging of his aunt Connie, plots revenge against Joey Zasa. During a street fair, Vincent and his accomplices kill Zasa's bodyguards, and Vincent murders Zasa himself. Michael, still hospitalized, berates Vincent when he finds out. Michael insists that Vincent end his relationship with Mary because Vincent’s involvement in the family puts Mary's life in jeopardy. Vincent agrees. While in Sicily, Michael tells Vincent to speak with Don Altobello and to intimate to him his intentions of leaving the Corleone family. Altobello supports the idea of Vincent switching his allegiance, and introduces him to Licio Lucchesi, the man behind the plot to prevent Michael’s acquisition of Immobiliare. Michael visits Cardinal Lamberto to speak about the Immobiliare deal. Lamberto convinces Michael to make his first confession in nearly thirty years; in which he confesses to ordering the killing of his brother Fredo. Touring Sicily with Kay, who has arrived for Anthony’s operatic debut, Michael asks for her forgiveness. As both admit that they still love each other, Michael receives word that Don Tommasino, his Sicilian friend and ally of the Corleone Family for half a century, has been assassinated, signaling that a new round of violence is about to begin. Cardinal Lamberto is elected Pope John Paul I, which means that the Immobiliare deal will likely be ratified, due to his intention to "clean up" the dealings of the Vatican. The new Pope's intentions come as a death knell to the plot against the ratification of the Immobiliare deal, prompting frantic attempts by the plotters to cover their own tracks. Vincent tells Michael what he has learned from Altobello: Lucchesi is behind the plot against the Immobiliare deal, and a master assassin known as Mosca da Montelepre (the man who killed Tommasino), has been hired by Altobello to kill Michael. Vincent wants to strike back, but Michael cautions him, saying that if he goes ahead with such a plan, there’ll be no going back. Vincent insists on revenge, and Michael relents. He makes Vincent head of the Corleone family. In exchange, Vincent agrees to put an end to his relationship with Mary. The family travels to Palermo to see Anthony perform the lead in Cavalleria Rusticana at the renowned opera house Teatro Massimo. Meanwhile, Vincent makes plans to seek revenge against the Corleone family's enemies. Interspersed with scenes from Anthony’s performance are the brutal murders of the enemies of the Corleone family. Michael Corleone's theme, Halls of Fear, is mainly played during the murders: Keinszig is assaulted by Vincent's men, and his body is hanged over the bridge, to make his death an apparent suicide; Archbishop Gilday has the tea of the pope poisoned. The pope soon drinks it and dies; Don Altobello eats a dish of poisoned cannoli that his goddaughter Connie serves him and soon dies a silent death as Connie watches; Al Neri shoots Archbishop Gilday as he climbs a spiral staircase and flings the archbishop's body down the stairs; and finally, Calo approaches Don Lucchesi and whispers to his ear "Power wears out those who do not have it" before stabbing Lucchesi in the throat with his own pair of glasses, killing him. The assassin hired by Don Altobello to kill Michael, Mosca, descends upon the opera house during Anthony's performance, killing two of Vincent’s men, but the opera ends before he has the chance to kill Michael. The assassin retreats to the opera house facade’s staircase, and tries to shoot Michael there. Mary is confronting her father about the forced break-up with Vincent, when two shots ring out. The first hits Michael in the shoulder. The second hits Mary in the chest, and she dies calling out to her father, "Dad?" Vincent then kills the assassin with a single shot, striking him in the chest. As Kay cradles Mary's bloody body in her arms, Michael screams with primal pain and rage. The scene dissolves to a short montage of Michael's memories, the first being a dance with Mary, the second being a dance with his first wife, Apollonia, and the last being a dance with Kay, symbolizing the women he has lost. The film ends in an unspecified year (later cited in a timeline included in The Godfather DVD box set as 1997), showing an aged and broken Michael, seated in the front yard of his Sicilian villa. He slowly puts on a pair of sunglasses, drops an orange from his hand, slumps out of his chair, collapses to the ground, and slowly dies, completely alone. A small dog sniffs around his body and the screen fades to black. Power corrupts, and Michael Corleone is a perfect example of this. He starts out an intelligent young man and decorated war hero who wants nothing to do with the family business, i.e. the Mafia. In fact, the Mafia bosses consider him to be a civilian. Hell, his father, Don Vito Corleone, wanted him to become a politician. However, the assassination attempt on his father pulls Michael into the business. He offers to kill Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo and Captain McCluskey at a meeting Sollozzo sets up. Reluctant at first, he eventually commits the deed. This is the beginning of Michael long life of crime. The man soon becomes the top person in the family business, taking over his father’s position as Godfather. He has all of this father’s enemies killed while he is at the baptism of Connie and Carlo’s son. As the priest asks if he renounces Satan and all his sins, he says I do as the movie cuts to all the people Michael ordered killed. It is at this point we know that Michael has become corrupted by the family business. By the second film, Michael is wholly corrupted. He is a study of calm efficiency with the image of a neatly kept businessman who belies his dealings as a strong-armed Mafioso. He has to deal with many obstacles: government watchdogs, his planned assassination, and his treacherous brother Fredo. This is where Michael is shown to be his cruelest: he disowns his own brother for giving family information to his rivals and has him killed. This shows us the limits of Michael’s cruelty. No one is safe from him, not even his own family. And, all that deeply rooted familial tradition of his Sicilian heritage will not stop him. By the third movie, Michael tries to get out, but he can’t. He is so deep in the Mob getting out is difficult for him. He may be so close to turning the Corleone family into a legitimate business, but he falls and is back to his old ways. However, these old ways end up causing the death of his daughter May. He ends up dying alone in the front yard of his Sicilian villa. Michael went from being the Don of the most powerful mob family in America to losing his family and empire and dying a lonely old man who has lived a life of agony. The Godfather movies are a warning to all those who let power corrupt you: you can become as powerful as Michael Corleone, but it will only lead to agony and dying alone.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 12, 2008 22:18:23 GMT -5
Okay, here's a recap of 100-21:
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 80. Annie Wilkes 79. Mr. Blonde 78. Principal Ed Rooney 77. Ivan Drago 76. Cigarette Smoking Man 75. Leatherface 74. Angel Eyes 73. Bob 72. Tony Montana 71. Thanos 70. Daniel Plainview 69. General Zod 68. J.J. Hunsecker 67. Megatron 66. Two-Face 65. Kevin 64. Big Brother 63. Johnny Lawrence 62. Vince McMahon 61. Clubber Lang 60. Mr. Burns 59. Biff Tannen 58. Kid Miracleman 57. Bill The Butcher 56. Venom 55. Max Cady 54. John Doe 53. Predator 52. Dark Phoenix 51. Patrick Bateman 50. Dr. Christian Szell 49. Jason Voorhees 48. Godzilla 47. Eric Cartman 46. HAL 9000 45. Starscream 44. Cobra Commander 43. Randall Flagg 42. Keyser Söze 41. Jabba The Hutt 40. Deathstroke 39. Angelus 38. Anton Chigurh 37. Tony Soprano 36. Nurse Ratched 35. Alex Forrest 34. The Green Goblin 33. Iago 32. The Velociraptors 31. Ozymandias 30. Rowdy Roddy Piper 29. Hans Gruber 28. Grand Moff Tarkin 27. The Xenomorphs 26. Freddy Krueger 25. Gordon Gekko 24. J.R. Ewing 23. Noah Cross 22. Galactus 21. Michael Corleone
Tomorrow, we enter the top twenty with 20 and 19. Here are the hint:
A quartet of equestrians, and he has scarlet bones.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 13, 2008 20:32:47 GMT -5
It's the time for the countdown. Here's number 20: 20. The Four Horsemen Who are they: A wrestling stable. What are they from: NWA/WCW. What have they done: Broke Dusty Rhodes’s arm and leg, broke Ricky Morton’s nose and accused him of being a pedophile, violently kicked Sting out of the group, and pretty much ran roughshod all over the NWA and WCW. Intelligence: All pretty smart and cunning. Power: They were usually at the top of the NWA. Vileness: All those sneak attacks, gang beatings, and broken bones say they are pretty vile. Sway: There were two choices: stay on their good side or get your ass kicked. Purity: They cared for each other and the gold they usually held around their waists. Physical Prowess: All in very good shape and excellent wrestlers. Name Coolness: “Four Horsemen” is very cool, with a nice Biblical aspect to it. Created by: Arn Anderson (well he gave them their name). Portrayed by: Ric Flair (1986-1999), Arn Anderson (1986-1999), Ole Anderson (1986-1987; 1990; 1993), Tully Blanchard (1986-1988), James J. Dillon (1986-1989), Lex Luger (1987), Barry Windham (1988-1989; 1990-1991), Sting (1989-1990), Sid Vicious (1990-1991), Paul Roma (1993), Brian Pillman (1995-1996), Chris Benoit (1995-1997; 1998-1999), Steve "Mongo" McMichael (1996-1999), Curt Hennig (1997), and Dean Malenko (1998-1999); associate members: Kendall Windham (1989), Jeff Jarrett (1997), and David Flair (1999); managers and valets: James J. Dillon, Baby Doll, Woman, Dark Journey, Debra McMichael, Miss Elizabeth, Bobby Heenan (coached them for one match at The Great American Bash in 1996), Charles Robinson (their biased referee in 1999), Asya, Torrie Wilson (David Flair's valet while he hung out with them), and Hiro Matsuda. The Four Horsemen formed in January 1986 with Ric Flair, the Minnesota Wrecking Crew consisting of Arn and Ole Anderson, and Tully Blanchard, with James J. Dillon as their manager. They feuded with Dusty Rhodes (breaking his ankle and hand), Magnum TA, Barry Windham, The Rock 'N Roll Express (breaking Ricky Morton's nose), Nikita Koloff, and The Road Warriors. Dusty Rhodes, Animal, Hawk, Ronnie Garvin and many others fought Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Title during that time period. They always had most of the titles in the NWA, and they often bragged about their success (in the ring and with women) in their interviews. The Four Horsemen moniker was not planned from the start. Due to time constraints at a TV taping, production threw together an impromptu tag team interview of Flair, the Andersons, Tully Blanchard and Dillon; all now united after Ole Anderson returned and tried to break Dusty's leg. It was during this interview that Arn said something to the effect of "The only time this much havoc had been wreaked by this few a number of people, you need to go all the way back to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!" Nevertheless, Arn has said in an RF Video shoot interview that he, Flair, and Tully Blanchard were as close as anybody could be away from the ring while they were together. They lived the gimmick outside of the arena, as they took limos and jets to the cities they wrestled in. Baby Doll was Flair's valet for a couple of months in 1986, after previously managing Tully Blanchard during 1985. In February 1987, WCW newcomer Lex Luger was made an associate member of the group after he expressed his desire to become a Horseman. The others started to leave Ole out of things, after he cost him and Arn Anderson the NWA Tag Team Titles at StarrCade 1986, and eventually he was kicked out in favor of Luger that March. The fact that Ole missed a show to watch his son Brian wrestle was used against Ole in the split as Tully Blanchard and Dillon questioned Ole's loyalty and Tully called Brian a "snot-nosed kid." During this time, they wrestled Rhodes, Nikita Koloff, the Road Warriors and Paul Ellering in a series of War Games matches. These matches were brutal and ended up with all 5 members of each team in the cage at the end trying to make somebody submit. During the first match, Dillon suffered a separated shoulder from a botched attempt at the Warriors' finishing move, the Doomsday Device. Dillon landed directly on his right arm and shoulder, and was replaced for the series of matches by the masked War Machine, later known as the Big Bossman. Luger was kicked out for first blaming Horseman manager J.J. Dillon for costing him the U.S. Title, when his attempt to help him win by cheating backfired, and subsequently, not allowing Dillon to win a Bunkhouse Stampede match as the Horsemen had agreed to among themselves. In January 1988, he teamed with Barry Windham to feud with the Horsemen. The pair even defeated Anderson and Tully Blanchard for the NWA World Tag Team Championship at the inaugural Clash of the Champions. In April 1988, Windham turned on Luger and took his spot in the Horsemen during a title defense against Anderson and Tully Blanchard. This group of Horsemen has been called the greatest as far as technical wrestlers goes. It was also in this year when the Horsemen held all of the major NWA titles at once, with Flair as the World Champion, Windham as the United States Champion, and Arn and Tully as the Tag Team Champions. This feat was not duplicated until the 2000 reformation of the nWo with Bret Hart as World Champion, Jeff Jarrett as United States Champion, and The Outsiders as World Tag Team Champions. In September 1988, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard left to join the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) dropping the tag titles at the very last minute to the Midnight Express (Stan Lane and Bobby Eaton). Anderson and Blanchard were known as "The Brain Busters" in the WWF, managed by Bobby "the Brain" Heenan. Flair, Windham, and Dillon continued to refer to themselves as "the Horsemen" and the NWA even flirted with the idea of bringing in new members. Butch Reed was signed to wrestle solo matches with Dillon as his manager. Then in February 1989, Barry's brother Kendall Windham appeared to have joined them and even held up the four fingers after turning on Eddie Gilbert during a tag team match. Then Dillon left to take a front office job with the WWF, and they dropped the Horsemen name, hiring Hiro Matsuda as their new manager. Shortly thereafter, Windham lost the U.S. Title to Lex Luger and he too departed for the WWF. The Horsemen concept helped define the NWA in the mid to late 1980s. The departure of Anderson and Blanchard was huge at the time, Dillon and Windham's departure made it worse, and despite numerous revivals over the coming decade, things were never quite the same. The Horsemen reformed in December 1989 in the NWA. Flair, Arn & Ole Anderson, and long standing rival Sting formed the group in a shocker. They were faces and feuded with Gary Hart's J-Tex Corporation of Terry Funk, Great Muta, Buzz Sawyer and The Dragonmaster. At the culmination of this feud the group returned to being heels, kicking Sting out for daring to challenge Ric Flair for the World Title. Woman soon became Flair's valet. They feuded with Luger, Sting, Rick Steiner, Scott Steiner and El Gigante during this time. In May 1990, Ole became the manager and they added Barry Windham and Sid Vicious to fill out the group. They feuded with the Dudes With Attitudes which consisted of Sting, Luger, the Steiner Brothers, Paul Orndorff and Junkyard Dog. By the end of 1990, Ole and Woman left the NWA. Ted Turner had bought Jim Crockett Promotions, the largest faction of the NWA, and turned it into World Championship Wrestling. In October 1990, another Horsemen legend occurred. Barry Windham dressed up as Sting and attempted to get pinned by Sid Vicious for the WCW World Heavyweight Title. It completely backfired as Sting ended up winning the match. The Horsemen line-up of Flair, Anderson, Windham and Vicious eventually broke up and went their own ways. In May 1991, Sid left for the WWF. Flair also joined the WWF in August of that year. Windham turned face during a feud with soon-to-be WCW Champion Lex Luger. Anderson started teaming with Larry Zbyszko; the duo soon joined Paul E. Dangerously's Dangerous Alliance. The next incarnation was from May 1993 to December 1993. Flair returned from the WWF to WCW to rejoin Arn and they promised a Horsemen reunion at the Slamboree PPV. Pretty Paul Roma replaced Blanchard who could not work because of a failed drug test. Ole Anderson was on hand as the adviser but made only one appearance on A Flair for the Gold. This group of Horsemen is considered by many wrestling fans to be the weakest incarnation of the group. They were good guys again and feuded with Barry Windham and the Hollywood Blondes (Steve Austin and Brian Pillman). This group ended with Roma turning on Arn to join Paul Orndorff as the tag team of Pretty Wonderful. In 1995, Flair and Arn (back to being heels) were teaming with Vader to torment Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage. After Vader lost to Hogan in a steel cage match at Bash at the Beach, Flair entered the cage and lambasted him. Vader snapped and attacked Flair, and Arn came to his rescue. This led to a handicap match at Clash of the Champions XXXI, in which Vader defeated the team of Flair and Arn. Flair and Arn began to bicker, as Arn always felt he was doing Flair's dirty work; a feud developed that led to a match at the Fall Brawl PPV on September 19, 1995 in Asheville, North Carolina. Arn defeated Flair with the help of Brian Pillman. Flair begged Sting to help him against them but he did not trust Flair. After weeks, Sting agreed and Flair ended up turning on him at the Halloween Havoc PPV to reform the Horsemen with Arn and Pillman. They quickly added Chris Benoit to fill out the group. This version of the Horsemen feuded with Hogan, Savage, Sting, and Lex Luger. Flair eventually took Miss Elizabeth and Woman from Hogan and Savage, and they were his valets for the next six months. In early 1996, Pillman started his infamous "Loose Cannon" storyline and started a feud with Kevin Sullivan. He ended up leaving WCW, going to ECW, and eventually the WWF in February and Benoit took over to create one of the most talked about feuds of all time. In this feud, Woman, who was really married to Sullivan, left him for Benoit. However, life imitated art, and Woman actually left Sullivan for Benoit. This feud got heated and some of the matches were shoot-style with the performers using stiff or even full contact moves, rather than the typical North American style of softening maneuvers. In June 1996 at the Great American Bash, former football player Steve "Mongo" McMichael turned on Kevin Greene in a "gimmick match" and joined them. During this match, McMichael's then-wife Debra was chased to the back by Woman and Elizabeth, but later came back with them and a steel briefcase, which she handed to her husband. Mongo opened it to reveal a Horsemen t-shirt and money; after thinking it over, he closed the briefcase and hit Greene with it, allowing Flair to score the pin on Greene. McMichael was officially inducted as the fourth Horseman, and in the process gave the group another ringside valet in Debra. The online rumors pages said that Debra and Woman did not get along behind the scenes. This quickly played out on TV too, as they constantly bickered, and Benoit and Mongo had to step in. When the nWo was founded the next month, the Horsemen became de facto babyfaces along with the rest of the WCW roster. In September, Flair and Anderson teamed with their bitter rivals, Sting and Luger, to lose to the nWo (Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and an impostor Sting in the WarGames match at Fall Brawl when Luger submitted to the impostor Sting's Scorpion Deathlock. This angered Anderson, and he feuded with Luger for the next month. In October, two developments occurred that affected the group. First, Jeff Jarrett came over to WCW from the WWF, and expressed his desire to join the Horsemen. He immediately gained a fan in Ric Flair, much to the chagrin of the other Horsemen. The next week, Miss Elizabeth officially announced that she had joined the nWo. Flair finally let Jarrett join the group in February 1997 but the others did not want him. Jarrett began bickering with Mongo over Debra's attention, and in June won the U.S. Title from Dean Malenko, with the help of Eddie Guerrero; in July he was kicked out of the stable by Flair. In a move uncharacteristic of the Horsemen, however, Jarrett was allowed to literally walk away, instead of receiving a classic Horsemen beatdown as was expected. He eventually took Debra from Mongo, but Mongo took Jarrett's U.S. Title. To this date, amongst fans and members of the Four Horsemen, there is still debate whether to include Jeff Jarrett as a Horsemen. In his biography, Arn Anderson clearly states that "Jeff Jarrett was never a Horseman." His "membership" and his easy departure leaves the situation ambiguous. The Four Horsemen usually pick their own members, but at the time, WCW held extreme control over storylines and this may have forced them to accept a member for those purposes only and not by choice. In August 1997, Arn Anderson retired due to a neck/back injury that did not allow him to wrestle. Curt Hennig took his spot as "The Enforcer." In September, Hennig turned on the Horsemen and joined the nWo. Flair disbanded the group and they went their separate ways. The last incarnation came in September 1998. Dean Malenko and Chris Benoit kept going to Arn about reforming the Horsemen. He kept saying no. James J. Dillon, back in WCW's front office, even made a request. Arn eventually gave in and they reformed the Horsemen with Mongo and Flair and Arn was the manager. They feuded with the nWo and Eric Bischoff, with whom Flair had some real backstage problems. In early 1999, the Horsemen turned heel again. Mongo had recently departed the wrestling world and they were down to Benoit, Malenko, Flair and Arn as the manager. They also had a referee biased to them, Charles Robinson, whom members of the Horsemen even referred to as "Little Nature Boy" (due to his resemblance to Flair). Ric Flair's son David Flair, though never an official member, wrestled with them and wore Horsemen shirts. Ric Flair, the (onscreen) President of WCW at this time, had awarded him with the U.S. Title and had the Horsemen help David to keep it. Eventually, Benoit and Malenko left him in May in protest over Flair's selfishness and joined other wrestlers, thereby effectively ending the Four Horsemen. One thing that is very important for being a good villain is to be able to back up all the talk you say about yourself. And, if there was one group that could walk the walk and talk the talk, it was the Four Horsemen. First, you had a collection of some of the best wrestlers of all time. The first incarnation consisted of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, and Tully Blanchard. Flair is a legend of the business, who can spout out great promos from now until the end of the world and could have a good match with the likes of El Gigante, Eric Bischoff, and Vince Russo. Arn and Ole formed a very good smash mouth tag team, and they weren’t bad on the mic, especially Arn. Hell, he gave the group their name. And, Tully Blanchard was also a phenomenal wrestler with a great gift of gab. In fact, Arn and Tully are pretty much in a dead heat for the moniker “Greatest Wrestler Who Never Won A World Title But Should Have.” Other members included such great wrestlers as Barry Windham, Lex Luger, Sid Viscious, Brian Pillman, Chris Benoit, and Dean Malenko. Anyway, the Horsemen would always talk about how great wrestlers they were in promos. And, while you may have hated to hear them same it, you couldn’t really argue with them about it. Hell, pretty much every member of the Horsemen held a tile. In fact, several incarnations held the top titles in the NWA at the same time. No matter what they said about themselves, they always made sure they backed it up in the ring. They were also quite arrogant, bragging about all the money they had, the fancy cars they drove, all the expensive clothes and watches and whatnots they wore, and all the women they had sex with. And, this wasn’t just a gimmick; they lived it to a T. But, what really puts the Horsemen on the list is all the dastardly deeds they committed. There’s a reason they call Ric Flair “The Most Dangerous Player In The Game”; he cheated a lot and kept his fellow Horsemen around him. They were notorious for gang beatings. When you wrestled one of them, you basically wrestled all of them. Plus, you also had to deal with their managers. It didn’t matter if it was Baby Doll, J.J. Dillon, Woman, or one of the others; they usually got involved. And, some of their deeds were very notorious: they broke Dusty Rhodes’s leg and arm, they broke Ricky Morton’s nose, they accused Morton of being a pedophile, they attacked their allies the Midnight Express, they kicked Sting out of the group because he wouldn’t give up his title shot for Flair’s NWA World Title, they kicked Ole out of the group…well, there’s just too much the mentioned. The one thing that makes the Four Horsemen really stand out was their sheer dominance. They were usually at the top of the NWA and usually held all the major titles. And, no matter how many times they were knocked down and lost their titles, they usually got right back up and regained them. Hell, it appeared that the NWA wasn’t a wrestling organization as much as it was the Horsemen’s personal playground. Like I said, the Four Horsemen walked the walk and talked the talk.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 13, 2008 21:23:25 GMT -5
19. The Red Skull Who is he: Nazi agent/supervillain. What is he from: Marvel Comics, most notably the Captain America comics. What has he done: Set off a chain of events that led to Captain America’s assassination; tried to create a Fourth Reich and unleash anarchy onto the world. Intelligence: Tactical genius. Power: Usually commands a many subordinates. Vileness: Besides being a Nazi, he became so ferocious that even Hitler was afraid of him. Sway: Fear, intimidation, manipulation, and a reputation for being such an evil man. Purity: Cares only for whatever cause he gets behind. Physical Prowess: Olympic-level strength, stamina, and reflexes; highly advanced martial artist; and expert marksman. Name Coolness: “The Red Skull” is pretty damn cool. Created by: Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Portrayed by: Scott Paulin played the Red Skull in the 1991 “Captain America” movie. Paul Kingman voiced the Skull on the Marvel Superheroes animated series. Peter Cullen voiced him in an episode of the 1981 Spider-Man animated series and an episode of the animated series Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends. Earl Boen voiced him in several episodes of the 1990s FOX Spider-Man animated series. Seth Green voiced the Skull in an episode of Robot Chicken. Chronologically by publication date, the first Red Skull to appear in the 1940s comics was George John Maxon, an American businessman and Nazi agent who led a ring of spies and saboteurs. He faced Captain America during two of the latter's first missions. A formidable opponent in his own right, Maxon was thought killed during the last encounter, though he would reappear for one last encounter with Captain America in the Silver Age. Maxon was later revealed to be the agent of Johann Schmidt, the true Red Skull. As with many supervillains, Johann Schmidt had a traumatic childhood that warped his mind paving the way for villainy in his adult life. Schmidt's mother died in childbirth and his father blamed Johann for it and tried to murder him, only to be stopped by the attending doctor. The father later committed suicide and Johann was orphaned. He grew up on the streets struggling to survive and his hatred of humanity grew with each day. A key episode was when he fell for a local Jewish girl, but when she spurned his clumsy advances, he murdered her, finding a release for his frustrations. With that, his depravity grew still more. In his late teens during the rise of the Third Reich, Schmidt got his most prosperous job, a bellhop in a major hotel. There, he served the rooms of Adolf Hitler himself. By chance, he was present when the Führer was furiously berating an officer and swore he could train Johann himself, a simple bellhop, to be a better National Socialist. Looking closely at the youth and sensing his dark inner nature, Hitler decided to take up the challenge and recruited Schmidt. Dissatisfied with the standard drill instruction his subordinates used to train Schmidt, Hitler took over personally. Upon completion, Hitler gave Schmidt a unique uniform with a grotesque red skull mask, and he emerged as the Red Skull for the first time. His role was the embodiment of Nazi intimidation, while Hitler could remain the popular leader of Germany. To that end, The Red Skull was appointed head of Nazi terrorist activities with an additional large role in external espionage and sabotage. He succeeded, wreaking havoc throughout Europe in the early stages of World War II. The propaganda effect was so great that the United States government decided to counter it by creating their own equivalent using the one recipient of the lost Project Rebirth, Steve Rogers, as Captain America. The two counterparts soon clashed in what would be a series of engagements throughout the war, ending with a final battle that left the Skull buried under the rubble of a bombed building. Because he was immediately exposed to an experimental gas there, he remained in suspended animation for decades. With Schmidt's disappearance after 1945, the reputation of the Skull was still formidable enough to prove useful. In 1953, a Communist agent named Albert Malik set up his spy/criminal organization in Algeria and assumed the identity of the Red Skull, pretending that he was the original, when he was actually serving Soviet interests (ironically, Hitler's regime was staunchly anti-Soviet/Communist). During the 1950s, he faced the then active version of Captain America who was also using the identity of Steve Rogers, pretending to be the original. The two impersonators continued to battle each other throughout the decade. While the Captain and Bucky (Jack Monroe) were placed into suspended animation when his flawed replicate of the Super Soldier treatment seriously affected his mind, Albert continued his activities, and over time cut his links to the Soviet Union. Among other notorious deeds, he was responsible for the deaths of Richard Parker and Mary Fitzpatrick-Parker, the parents of Peter Parker (a.k.a. Spider-Man), tipped off by the super-criminal Gustav "The Gentleman" Fiers. However, Malik was eventually shot and killed by the mysterious Scourge of the Underworld at the original Red Skull's orders. In addition, Johann Schmidt's legacy still caused trouble in the years of his absence. This primarily came in the form of powerful destructive robots called Sleepers which were intended to activate at preset times by his agents to devastate the Earth in the event of Nazi Germany's defeat. However, Captain America was able to neutralize all the machines in turn. Johann was eventually rescued in modern times by the terrorist organization, HYDRA. The Skull quickly subverted a cell to his own ambitions of world conquest and the death of Captain America. When Johann reappeared, he and Albert, though his age was starting to catch up with him, started to antagonize each other while both claiming the identity of the Red Skull. Finally Albert was the victim of an assassination organized by Johann, at the hands of a rogue agent of the Scourge of the Underworld. Thus the two enemies resumed their war, with Captain America, among other opponents, frustrating the Skull's schemes; not even when the Skull possessed the reality-altering Cosmic Cube could he claim victory. Establishing a Nazi colony on a deserted island, the Skull fathered a daughter who would eventually become known as Mother Superior. The war between Captain America and Red Skull in the modern era reached a breaking point when Red Skull one day discovered that the gas that had placed him in suspended animation was now wearing off and that his body was rapidly aging to what would be Skull's normal age. Now physically in his mid-80s, a weak and feeble Red Skull planned for a final showdown with his arch-rival. Kidnapping Captain America's closest allies, he forced Captain America to surrender himself to Skull and forcibly undergo a medical treatment that aged Captain America's body to its rightful age. The two men, their bodies now ancient, fought one last battle to the death. Yet at the last minute, Captain America refused to kill the Red Skull and Skull himself died cursing Captain America, as his elderly body shut down. Dead at last, it seemed like the threat of the Red Skull had finally ended while The Avengers were able to restore Rogers' youth. However, the Red Skull would not stay dead for long; Nazi geneticist Arnim Zola, who had obtained DNA samples of Captain America years earlier, arranged for Skull's mind to be transplanted into a clone body of Captain America at the moment of his death. Assuming the identity of "John Smith" (the English equivalent of his natural German name), Skull decided that he would reinvent himself and his quest for absolute power as a means to celebrate his cheating death. The Red Skull abandoned his longstanding beliefs in National Socialism and Hitler, on the belief that the Nazi philosophy made him look like a relic of the past. Skull instead turned towards American ideology for his new motivation. Skull saw much potential in the American dream of capitalism and self-determination and set about establishing his own foothold inside Washington DC, culminating in him gaining control over "The Commission", a government body that monitored and regulated super-hero activities in Washington. Skull also changed his mode of operations: rather than "living from one grand scheme to the next", he began financing a score of evil organizations that reported directly to him, most notably the militia group The Watchdogs. He also corrupted one of the Scourges, an organization who terrorized super-villains with a killing spree. Despite all of this, Skull's biggest move would be his plot to remove Rogers from the position of Captain America and replace him with a jingoistic extremist named John Walker. Although Walker initially attempted to live up to his predecessor's ideals, The Skull arranged for the murders of Walker's parents, driving him insane and into a downward spiral of murder as part of his plan to blacken the name of Captain America. Yet like all things, Skull's plans fell apart when Skull's chief pawn in the Commission was killed by Skull, right in front of Captain America. About to be exposed, Skull tried to manipulate Walker into killing Rogers. When Rogers defeated Walker, the Skull appeared to gloat at what he had done to Rogers and Walker and the reputation of Captain America. The Skull explained that this is part of his new operational method of engaging in multiple concurrent projects instead of investing consecutive grand schemes that his enemies could focus all their energies on stopping. Furthermore, these projects include killing Rogers at a time of his own choosing and that he could not touch Skull due to his newfound status as a wealthy American businessman. Rogers, disturbed and puzzled by this mystery man with a face identical to his own and claiming to be his dead archenemy, noted that the Skull was not inhaling from the cigarette holder he had in his mouth. The cigarette turned out to be holding a lethal dose of the Skull's favourite poison, the Dust of Death, intended for Rogers - but the trap backfired against Schmidt when Walker suddenly hit him from behind with his shield. As a result, Schmidt suffered the facial disfigurement attributed to the Dust, as his face turned into a literal red skull. Skull did not die though, presumably due to him having developed a level of immunity to his personal poison. After this, the Skull was attacked by the mutant terrorist Magneto, a Jewish Holocaust survivor who wanted to punish him for his involvement in Hitler's regime. Magneto buried him alive with enough water for a few months. The Skull remained imprisoned, close to death and beginning to see the error of his ways, until he was rescued by his henchman Crossbones. The Red Skull's relationship with other villains was fraught with problems due to many villains shunning him because of his Nazi background. In the "Streets of Poison" storyline, the Skull proposes an alliance with the Kingpin to bring a new designer drug to New York but the Kingpin refuses to ally with the Nazi. He then defeats a weakened Skull in hand to hand combat, sparing his life on the condition he never come near the Kingpin's territory again. In the "Acts of Vengeance" crossover, the Skull demands the Wizard apologize for an insult to which the Wizard replies "You'll see yourself welcomed into Heaven before I speak those words!" Not long after that, he was kidnapped by Magneto. One prominent exception is fellow Nazi, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, leader of the terrorist organization HYDRA. After the Skull's agents allow Strucker to be reborn, a grateful Strucker allows the Skull the use of HYDRA resources. Skull's tenure in Washington came to an end when Skull was kidnapped and taken to Germany to stand trial for crimes against humanity, stemming from his days as an agent of the Third Reich. Skull narrowly escaped and was forced to fake his death in order go back into hiding in a compound in the Rocky Mountains. He recruited the female sociopath "The Viper", a move that alienated his minions and was further rocked when his chief henchman Crossbones kidnapped Captain America's girlfriend Diamondback, resulting in Captain America finding Skull's new lair. Skull went into hiding while the Viper, using funds she plied from Red Skull as part of a scheme to use televisions across America to blind TV viewers, was defeated by Captain America. Skull resurfaced during "Operation: AIM Island", where Skull discovered that he was facing the same permanent paralysis that Captain America was facing due to their exposure to the Super-Soldier Serum. When the evil scientist Superia offered Captain America a cure, Captain America refused it on account of Superia proclaiming that Captain America would "owe her". Skull took the cure and killed Superia, then arranged for Captain America to be kidnapped by his remaining forces and given a blood transfusion that cured him. Captain America's recovery would segue into a reluctant team-up between him and Skull; a Nazi cult that worshiped Adolf Hitler as a god had discovered a Cosmic Cube that contained Hitler's mind, put there in the cube by Skull himself. The two sought to stop the cult from fully powering the Hitler Cosmic Cube but Skull opted instead to send Captain America (against his will) into the cube to kill Hitler and allow him to imprison Captain America in the cube while he used its power to conquer humanity. However, Captain America escaped and in the process used his shield to sever one of Skull's arms, causing him to drop the cube. The Cube then became unstable, destroying Skull. Yet as most evil never dies, the same was true for that of Skull. Trapped in a hellish nightmare dimension and forced to serve as a bellhop to a world of immigrants, Skull's evil ultimately was so great that he was able to escape his prison. As a result, Skull now possessed limited reality warping powers that made him a truly cosmic threat. He was further aided by Kang the Conqueror, who sought an alliance with Skull to ensure his future dynasty would stay intact. He was sent to Galactus' ship to steal more power from it (in particular the power of omniscience), which would remove all limits to Skull's reality warping powers. Unfortunately, this led to Skull's undoing as Kang and Skull were ambushed by Korvac, who stole Skull's cosmic powers for his own and banished Skull back to Earth. The Red Skull later manipulated his way into the position of Secretary of Defense as Dell Rusk (an obvious reference to Dean Rusk, but also an anagram for "red skull") to develop a biological weapon he tested at Mount Rushmore. He was exposed and defeated by the Avengers, and the Black Panther beat him so badly that he literally broke the Skull's jaw in half. The Red Skull was assassinated by the mysterious Winter Soldier, under orders from the renegade former Soviet general Aleksander Lukin, who wanted to possess the new Cosmic Cube the Skull had manufactured. When the Skull was shot, he attempted to use the Cube to switch bodies with Lukin to survive, but as the Cube was still weak he only managed to transfer his mind into Lukin's body, so that the two enemies are trapped together, waging a constant war for dominance which the Red Skull seems to be progressively winning. During a plot to lure out Captain America, Red Skull/Lukin recruited several German skinheads and made them the successors to the Master Man. He then had these soldiers, dubbed the "Master Race," launch an attack on London, which was thwarted by Captain America, Spitfire, and Union Jack. Then, Red Skull/Lukin activated a Sleeper, a robot programmed for mass destruction, that was presumably created by Doctor Doom. The robot damaged a significant portion of the new London Kronas HQ, and was ultimately destroyed by Captain America and Bucky. In the aftermath, Red Skull sent a videotape, announcing to the world his return, followed by Lukin holding a press conference condemning the actions of both the Red Skull and Captain America, and supporting the Superhero Registration Act. Then, in his office, Red Skull introduced Lukin to his old/new associates, Crossbones and Sin. With America's superheroes divided over the act, the Skull manipulates events to his own ends, with the aid of Doctor Faustus, Doctor Doom, and Arnim Zola. His plans involved the reunion of Captain America and his former lover Sharon Carter, who is being manipulated by Faustus. In the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, the Skull puts his plans into action, arranging for Crossbones to shoot Captain America as he enters a courthouse in New York City; in the ensuing chaos, Carter, acting under Faustus' mental directive, assassinates Captain America. This, however, is only the first phase of the Skull's evil plan. Upon the discovery of his identity as Lukin, the Skull fakes his death, and initiates the second part of his plan: using Kronas Corporation's vast holdings to economically cripple the United States, before having S.H.I.E.L.D. agents brainwashed by Doctor Faustus open fire on crowds of protesters in front of the White House. The Red Skull continues his assault by engineering a riot by placing Kronas security troops and drugged water in a protest on the Lincoln Monument. All of this has apparently been to elevate his puppet politician, Gordon Wright, elevated in the public's eye with being credited as "resolving" the situations, as well as surviving an (staged) attack by the Serpent Squad. Once elected, Wright will lead the country directly into a police state secretly controlled by the Red Skull. It can be very tricky to have a villain who is a Nazi. This is mainly because it can be seen as a cop out. If you make a villain a Nazi, then it can be perceived that your lazy and just using the horrible reputation the Nazis had to make your audience believe that this character is a very evil man. However, this can also be a blessing as the Nazi villain usually has to be a very cruel and sadistic person in order to be remembered as a great villain. And, if there was one truly evil Nazi character, then it was the Red Skull. For one, just look at him. That red visage was originally a mask, but exposure to his own Dust of Death, a lethal pollen-like poison that constricts and discolors its victims’ faces, permanently disfigured him into that scarlet face with no skin or muscles on it. That is a very bad look for a male model, but for a villain, it is the best look you could possibly have. Also, he has usually been a thorn in the side of the superheroes of the Marvel Comics, especially Captain America. The Skull was created to be the perfect Nazi, the physical and mental ideal of the Third Reich. Hitler himself oversaw his training to make sure he would be the most fearsome symbol of Nazi supremacy. He has been described as being so cruel with the absolute authority he operated with that even Hitler was scared that he had unleashed an uncontrollable monster onto the world. Scaring Hitler pretty much brands you as an evil doer for life. After World War II and disappearing for several years, he came back with a vengeance, planning to bring back Nazi with a vengeance. However, over the years, he felt that Nazism had become outdated and has embraced a new philosophy: anarchy. Now, he is dead set on bringing forth a world without governments. His skills as a master manipulator have helped. He was able to manipulate his way into the office of Secretary of the State of the United States of America. Though, he was found out. Nevertheless, Skull used his intellect to get a puppet politician under his control, Gordon Wright, elected by crippling the U.S. economy and orchestrating riots at the White House and Lincoln Monument, planning to get him into the White House and turning America into a police state. However, the worst act he was able into success was the assassination of Captain America. He may have pulled the trigger that killed his archenemy, but the Red Skull was the one who put the plan in motion. And that is the mark of a great villain: defeating the hero who constantly thwarts you.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 13, 2008 21:26:38 GMT -5
Tomorrow, numbers 18-15. Here are the hints:
Resistance is futile, a wicked witch who can turn into a dragon, an evil clown, and he's got a magnetic personality.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 14, 2008 12:06:41 GMT -5
Countdown time, people. Here's number 18: 18. Maleficent Who is she: A dark fairy and self-proclaimed “Mistress Of All Evil.” What is she from: “Sleeping Beauty” and various other Disney works. What has she done: Cursed the infant Aurora to "prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die" before the sun set on her sixteenth birthday after not being invited to the baby's christening; tried to kill Prince Philip. Intelligence: Very intelligent in magic. Power: Has her own goons and a castle, which implies some power. Vileness: Wants to hurt Aurora because her father wouldn’t let the witch see Aurora’s christening; that’s pretty mean. Sway: Likes to use fear and intimidation and gloats a bit. Purity: Is obsessed with making sure Aurora sleeps forever. Physical Prowess: A tall, pale-skinned woman with yellow eyes who can transform into a dragon. Name Coolness: “Maleficent” is pretty cool. Created by: Walt Disney Pictures. Portrayed by: Eleanor Audley voiced her in “Sleeping Beauty.” Lois Nettleton voiced her in the animated series House Of Mouse. In the Kingdom Hearts video games, she was voiced by Susan Blakeslee in the English version and by Toshiko Sawada in the Japanese version. “Sleeping Beauty”: Maleficent first appears in the film Sleeping Beauty in King Stefan's castle during the christening of Stefan's daughter, Aurora, upset and enraged that she didn't receive an invitation to the ceremony like Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. In retaliation, Maleficent places a curse on Aurora for her to prick her finger on the spindle of an enchanted spinning wheel and die on her sixteenth birthday, although Merryweather is able to weaken the curse into a deep sleep rather than death. But Maleficent's anger is further aroused when she hears that Aurora has been taken into hiding by the three fairies, so she starts a manhunt for her, although her incompetent pig and goblin-like goons spend the next sixteen years searching for a baby. Infuriated, Maleficent smites them with lightning from her staff and tells her pet raven, Diablo, to "Circle far and wide. Search for a maid of sixteen, with hair of sunshine gold, and lips red as the rose." Maleficent's plan is successful, as, on the night of Aurora's return to Stefan's castle (her sixteenth birthday), Maleficent takes the form of an energy-orb and lures Aurora through a secret passageway into the tower of the castle, where she transforms into the spinning wheel and goads Aurora into touching the spindle. Aurora does so, and Maleficent reveals her motionless body to the three fairies, laughing in triumph. To keep Aurora from awakening ever again, Maleficent and her goons sneak into Aurora's old forest cottage (where she was to meet her lover, in reality Prince Philip, her future husband) to trap Prince Philip and stop him delivering Love's First Kiss to Aurora (the only cure for her slumber). They succeed, and take him to Maleficent's castle, situated in the dreaded Forbidden Mountains. Maleficent spends the next few hours in her castle, enjoying the victory festivities with her goons. Finally bored with the same celebration, she decides to pay Philip a visit and taunt him about how he failed to marry Aurora and that he will most probably be an old man by the time he escapes from the dungeon he is in. Laughing maniacally at Philip's anger, Maleficent retreats into her own tower "for the first time in sixteen years, I shall sleep well." But she is disturbed before long by her goons making noise. She orders silence, only to see that Diablo has been turned to stone and that Flora, Merryweather, and Fauna have broken Philip out of prison and are escorting him back to Stefan's castle. Enraged once again, Maleficent throws all sorts of spells at Philip (lightning bolts and a forest of thorns), but his mystic weapons given to him by the fairies (the Shield of Virtue and the Sword of Truth) break the curses, forcing Maleficent to face Philip herself and wields "all the powers of Hell" to reach her final form: a dragon. Maleficent and Philip start their battle, with Maleficent gaining the upper hand with her fire breath and forcing Philip to a nearby cliff. She manages to blast the shield out of his hands, but the three fairies transfer some of their power into the sword, making it powerful enough for Philip to throw it directly into Maleficent's heart before she can attack again. Slowly dying, Maleficent falls forward and tries to devour Philip, but she misses, and her weight causes the cliff to collapse, taking her with it and crushing her to death, leaving behind only her robe with the sword still in it. House Of Mouse and other Disney works: Maleficent is a recurring character on the TV series House of Mouse. She also appeared in the spin-off movie, Mickey's House of Villains where she was constantly shown, but delivered only a single song lyric, "Every evil queen gets due respect." In one scene from another episode, Maleficent sits across from Jafar in human form, and it was stated by Mickey that the two villains were on a date, after which Maleficent zapped Jafar. In another episode, Mickey had to help Hades win Maleficent's heart. Maleficent is also mentioned in the Nightwish song "FantasMic" from their 2000 album Wishmaster, in the lyrics Maleficent's fury / The spindle so luring. Maleficent is also the main villain in the novel, The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson. In the novel, primarily based in Magic Kingdom, she is able to leave the confines of the Disney Resort, enslave humans and try to take over the real world. Maleficent was also the final boss on the North American version of the video game Mickey Mousecapade created in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Maleficent's theme is heard during the intro of World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, since at the end of the intro, the main villain is shown. Kingdom Hearts: In Kingdom Hearts, Maleficent led a group of Disney villains who sought ultimate power by controlling the Heartless and unlocking Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all worlds. The villains Maleficent recruited were Hades, Captain Hook, Oogie Boogie, Ursula, and Jafar. She directs their affairs from the Radiant Garden, the former home of Ansem the Wise. Following the goal of ultimate power, Maleficent uses Ansem Reports to help her control the Heartless and darkness, and recruits Riku to help her gather the "Princesses of Heart". The seven Princesses of Heart are explained by Maleficent as necessary to complete the Final Keyhole portal that led to Kingdom Hearts; the Keyhole itself is located at Hollow Bastion. She distanced herself from the arguments among her group, appearing to them only when it was of importance. Over time, Maleficent focused more of her attention on Riku while her group slowly dissolved due to each being defeated by Sora, most being defeated in ways very similar to how they were defeated in their respective films. Inside Riku's heart, she sees both a powerful darkness and the ability to use the Keyblade, offering to help him revive his friend, Kairi, in return for his services. Riku agrees and Maleficent grants him the apparent gift to control the Heartless. Upon near-completion of the Hollow Bastion keyhole and the imminent arrival of Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the Beast, she battles them. Despite using her phenomenal powers of darkness, which included summoning meteors, casting lightning, and calling Defender and Darkball Heartless to attack the heroes, she is defeated, and has to hastily retreat. As the heroes catch up with her, Riku, who sarcastically asks about her well-being, appears. Unknown to her, however, Riku is now being possessed by Xehanort's Heartless, who went by the name of "Ansem" for the entire game. Failing to realize this, she is struck in the chest by the Keyblade Xehanort's Heartless created from the hearts of the six princesses she captured. The Keyblade, unlike the one Sora wields, is one that opens hearts; with her heart opened, Maleficent was vulnerable to the immense darkness that is attracted to her. The darkness overcomes her and transforms her into a dragon. In this form, she battles the heroes and dies, leaving only her robe. Upon her death, Xehanort's Heartless remarks that she was a puppet of the darkness all along, and that while she warned others about not underestimating the darkness, she ironically failed to see the darkness eating away at her own heart. He then steps on Maleficent's robe, which fades into thin air. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories: Maleficent appears in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories as an aspect from the memories of Sora and Riku. In Sora's memory world, Maleficent seeks to steal both Beast's and Belle's (from Beauty and the Beast) hearts for use in her dark magic, resulting in Sora's involvement and her later "death". In Riku's perspective, Maleficent is aware of her status as a figment of memory and is the only figment besides Aerith in Sora's story to understand this. She mocks Riku for his dabbling in the darkness, and reminds him of how he once clung to her and her darkness. Unfettered by her comments, Riku finally stood up to his former mentor and "killed" her. Kingdom Hearts II: In Kingdom Hearts II Maleficent is resurrected when Diablo, her faithful raven, brings her robe into the Tower, the home of Yen Sid, and the power of Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather's memories revives her. After her revival, Maleficent appears before Pete who just returned to Hollow Bastion after hearing of her "demise" while he was off gathering allies for their cause. After being updated on the events that had occurred after her death, Maleficent's goal of dominion over the worlds was placed on halt for both the finding of a new base of operations and getting revenge on Sora. She eventually made herself known to Sora and company when she attempted to take over Disney Castle by having Pete go back in time to get the Cornerstone of Light, the mystical object that protected the castle from forces of darkness, from Timeless River, which is Disney Castle in the past. She had Pete continue gathering Heartless while working with several Disney villains, including Hades, Captain Barbossa, Jafar and Scar. To further her goals, she hired the three little fairies, Yuna, Rikku and Paine, to spy on Leon and the Hollow Bastion Reconstruction Committee as well as resurrecting Oogie Boogie. Both alliances were short-lived; Maleficent abandons the fairies when the Heartless invade Hollow Bastion while Oogie drives her away with disrespect due to amnesia. Despite being Sora's enemy, Maleficent decided to use Sora to destroy Organization XIII for her when it became apparent they were a far greater threat than Sora to her mission to control Kingdom Hearts. At the Radiant Garden, she kept some Nobodies at bay and ordered Sora to deal with the Organization in hopes of both enemies destroying each other. She was seemingly overwhelmed by the sheer weight of enemy numbers. Despite this seeming act of goodwill, Maleficent assured Sora that it changed nothing between them. By the time she and Pete arrived in the World That Never Was, Maleficent's power over the Heartless was fading, as the world itself was too close to the darkness on which the Heartless thrive. She later assisted Sora, giving him safe passage to Xemnas while she and Pete held off the vast army of Heartless created by the ravaging of Kingdom Hearts by DiZ on the condition that she would take Xemnas's castle as her own. What happens to the two is unknown. Fantasmic!: In the night time show Fantasmic!, performed at the Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios theme parks, Maleficent is one of the Disney villains portrayed in the shows. In the shows, the Evil Queen decides it is time to finish off Mickey Mouse once and for all, and invokes Disney villains to help her. They strike Mickey through his dreams and imagination, and Maleficent is the final villain to attack Mickey - the battle between Maleficent's European dragon incarnation and Mickey serves as the climax to the show. It is to be noted that Maleficent cries out before becoming the dragon: "Now you will deal with me and all the powers of my imagination!", whereas, in the original film, she proclaimed "Now shall you deal with me, O Prince, and all the powers of Hell!" Because of the weight of the costume, she is usually played by a man. Dream Along With Mickey: In the Dream Along With Mickey stage show at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Maleficent is one of the villains who appear onstage to threaten Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy. Maleficent states that since people no longer believe in dreams, it's the perfect time for her to return to power and make the Magic Kingdom "the Place Where Nightmares Come True" - a play on the Disney parks' slogan of "the Place Where Dreams Come True." But Mickey leads the crowd in a chant of "Dreams Come True!" and scares away Maleficent's minions, Captain Hook and Smee, as well as defeating Maleficent herself. Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party: Maleficent also makes appearances during Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. She makes an appearance through her voice in HalloWishes, a Halloween-themed fireworks show along with Ursula The Sea Witch, Jafar, and Oogie Boogie. Susan Blakeslee provides Maleifcent's voice in those cases. During the Disney Villains Mix and Mingle Halloween Dance Party at that same event, Maleficent, along with Captain Hook, hosts the party and summons up all the villains that attend, including her co-host Hook and other villains, such as Cruella De Vil, Judge Claude Frollo, The Queen of Hearts, Jafar, and The Evil Queen. I’m gonna be honest with you people: most of the Disney villains don’t really appeal to me. I mean, sure there have been some good ones. But, most of them had this childish goofiness to them that sort of soured me on them all. However, I knew I had to put at least one Disney villain on the list because there have been some good ones; and that villains was clearly Maleficent. Of all the Disney, she’s the one I find, as well as most people, to be so cruel and devilish. She is viewed as one of the most powerful and sinister of the Disney villains, as she lacks any of the "goofiness" generally present in the later ones, while still exhibiting something of a dark sense of humor. And, she is quite the bitch. I mean, she threaten vengeance on Aurora simply because her father wouldn’t let Maleficent see her christening. That’s pretty mean and a little crazy. Plus, she had a great villainous look. Maleficent appears in the form of a tall, pale skinned woman with yellow eyes and massive black horns, symbolic of her evilness. She is clad in a black and purple robe with bat wing-like edges, and wears a gold ring with a large circular black stone in it. She also has a pet raven called Diablo, and a legion of goblins and troll-like entities at her command. In addition to this she carries a staff with a glowing green orb at the tip, through which she casts her spells, which include to ability to teleport herself from place to place or send bolts of lightning at enemies. She is also capable of shape shifting at will into numerous forms, including a will-o-the-wisp and a massive black and purple dragon. Hell, her dragon is one of the scariest things about her; and it created one of the most thrilling scenes in Disney when she is fighting Prince Philip in her dragon form. In fact, she was so scary that, during Sleeping Beauty's initial release, it was reported that many small children in the theaters were actually terrified of Maleficent's appearance both as a woman and dragon, and that some parents therefore had to leave the film early. And, she has been used as a villain in other Disney works, most notably the Kingdom Hearts video games. However, the amazing thing about Maleficent that she was such a good villain in “Sleeping Beauty” back in 1959 that she is still recognized as a great villain. And, that is another mark of a great villain: longevity.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 14, 2008 13:10:41 GMT -5
17. The Borg What are they: A race of cyborgs. What are they from: The Star Trek universe, most notably Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager. What have they done: Forcefully assimilated people, hoping to assimilate all biological life into the Borg collective. Intelligence: They all share a collective mind, which makes them all very smart. Power: Can wipe out entire civilizations. Vileness: Will assimilate anyone and everyone and destroy anyone who is resist them, but only attack those they perceive as threats. Sway: They can get Romulans and Klingons to work together to stop them. Purity: Will stop at nothing to assimilate all biological life into the collective in the pursuit of perfection. Physical Prowess: Each drone varies, but they are all cybernetically enhanced. Name Coolness: “Borg” is pretty cool, even though it sounds like a bad disease. Created by: Maurice Hurley. Portrayed by: Well, various actors/extras were used to play the Borg drones that appeared on the show. The two most famous Borg, the Borg Queen and Seven Of Nine, were played by Alice Krige and Jeri Ryan respectively. Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Borg first appear in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Q Who?", when the omnipotent lifeform Q transports the Enterprise-D across the galaxy to challenge Jean-Luc Picard's assertion that his crew is ready to face the unexplored galaxy's unknown dangers and mysteries. The Enterprise crew is quickly overwhelmed by the relentless Borg, and Picard eventually asks for and receives Q's help in returning the ship back to its previous coordinates in the Alpha Quadrant. At the episode's conclusion, Picard suggests to Guinan that Q did "the right thing for the wrong reason" (a T. S. Eliot quotation) by showing the dangers they will eventually face. The episode suggests that the Borg may have been responsible for the destruction of Federation and Romulan colonies in the first-season finale, "The Neutral Zone". The Borg next appear in The Next Generation's third-season finale and fourth-season premiere, "The Best of Both Worlds". In the third-season cliffhanger, Picard is abducted and subsequently assimilated by the Borg and transformed into Locutus, the latin term for "speaker". Locutus is the Borg method of describing the former Picard as the representative of the Borg in all future contacts related to humanity. Picard's knowledge of Starfleet is gained by the collective, and the single cube easily wipes out all resistance in its path, notably the entire Starfleet armada at Wolf 359, which consisted of 39 starships, some of which were sent from the Klingon Empire. The Enterprise crew manages to capture Locutus and gain information through him which allows them to destroy the cube. Picard is later "deassimilated". In the fifth-season episode "I, Borg", the Enterprise crew rescues a solitary Borg who is given the name "Hugh" by Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge. The crew faces the moral decision of whether or not to use Hugh (who begins to develop a sense of independence as a result of a severed link to the collective consciousness of the Borg) as an apocalyptic means of delivering a devastating computer virus that would theoretically destroy the Borg, or to humanely allow him to return to the Borg with his individuality intact. They decide to return him without the virus and his individuality left intact. This is followed up in the sixth-season cliffhanger "Descent", which depicts a group of rogue Borg who had "assimilated" individuality through Hugh. These rogue Borg fell under the control of the psychopathic android Lore, the "older" brother of Data. In cult leader-like fashion, Lore had manipulated them into following him by appealing to their restored emotions and exploiting their new found senses of individuality and fear, hoping to turn them on the Federation. Lore also corrupts Data through the use of the emotion chip he had stolen from Noonien Soong (Data and Lore's creator). In the end Data's ethical subroutines are restored (having been suppressed by Lore through use of the emotion chip) and he manages to deactivate Lore after a battle in which a renegade Borg faction led by Hugh attacks the main complex. Data reclaims the emotion chip, Lore is mentioned as needing to be dismantled (for safety) and the surviving Borg fall under the leadership of Hugh. The fate of these deassimilated Borg is not revealed. “Star Trek: First Contact”: The story begins in the year 2373, with an attack on the United Federation of Planets by cybernetic villains called the Borg. Starfleet, the Federation's defense force, prepares to defend Earth from a Borg Cube spaceship. However, the Federation starship USS Enterprise-E is kept out of the battle because of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's past traumatic experience with the Borg. As the tide of battle turns against the Federation forces, Picard returns to Earth to take command of the remaining ships and rescue survivors, including his former officer Worf. The Federation fleet destroys the Cube, but a smaller Sphere spaceship escapes into a time vortex. Suddenly, the appearance of the Earth dramatically changes and the Enterprise crew discover that the Borg have conquered the Earth in the past, changing the course of history and preventing the Federation from ever existing. The Enterprise follows the Sphere through the time vortex and arrives in the year 2063 just as the Borg ship attacks a run-down human settlement. The Enterprise destroys the Sphere, but a number of Borg drones and the Borg Queen transport undetected to the Enterprise. Picard realizes that the Borg were attempting to destroy the Phoenix - Earth's first spaceship with warp drive propulsion and leads a team to the planet below. Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge and an engineering team begin repairs on the damaged Phoenix while Commanders William Riker and Deanna Troi attempt to convince the designer and pilot Dr. Zefram Cochrane to proceed with the test flight of his spaceship. They explain that testing the warp drive will lead to first contact with the advanced Vulcan species, an event which will bring prosperity to an Earth devastated by a Third World War. Cochrane is overwhelmed by his role in "history-to-come" and reluctant to fulfill it. Picard and Dr. Beverly Crusher return to the Enterprise with Cochrane's assistant Lily Sloane, who is suffering radiation poisoning from the attack. Meanwhile, the Borg begin to assimilate the equipment and crew members on the Enterprise, taking over the engineering section and moving upward through the ship. Picard leads an assault against the Borg, but the offensive falters and the android Lt. Commander Data is captured. Retreating, Picard meets a bewildered Lily and explains the situation. They then lure a group of drones into the holodeck (a holographic simulation room) where Picard starts a simulation of a speakeasy. He turns off the usual safety measures so that he can use a holographic Tommy gun to kill the pursuing Borg. A computer chip taken from within a drone reveals details of the Borg plan. The crew discovers that the Borg are building a communications antenna, on the Enterprise's navigational deflector, to call for assistance from the Borg of 2063. Picard, Worf, and Lt. Sean Hawk inspect the hull of the ship wearing space suits and magnetic boots. They attempt to detach the antenna from the ship but the Borg attack and assimilate Hawk, forcing Worf to kill him. Picard succeeds in releasing the antenna and Worf destroys it with a phaser rifle as it floats away from the spaceship. Picard refuses to sacrifice the Enterprise, but Lily convinces him that hate for the Borg is clouding his judgment. He agrees to destroy the ship, and the crew evacuate in escape pods. Picard stays behind to rescue Data, held by the Borg Queen, in an attempt to corrupt him, the Borg Queen replaces pieces of Data's artificial skin with human skin, offering to fulfill his dream of becoming human. Picard, recalling he once served the Borg as Locutus, offers to remain willingly in exchange for Data's release. The Borg Queen tells Picard that she no longer needs him; Data is a more appropriate counterpart. Back on Earth, a now-convinced Cochrane launches the repaired Phoenix, accompanied by Riker and La Forge. To stop the warp drive test, the Borg Queen orders Data to fire the Enterprise weapons at the Phoenix. However, Data deliberately misses and with Picard's help, kills the Borg Queen, causing the remaining Borg onboard the ship to deactivate. Having detected the Phoenix, a Vulcan survey ship arrives to establish first contact with humanity. The Enterprise crew travel back to their own time, the correct version of history restored. Star Trek: Voyager: The Borg make frequent appearances in Star Trek: Voyager, which takes place in the Delta Quadrant, where the Borg make their home. The Borg are first discovered by Voyager in episode "Blood Fever". Later Chakotay discovers a population of ex-Borg of various species in "Unity". In "Scorpion", the Borg are engaged in a futile war against the much more powerful Species 8472. In exchange for safe passage though Borg space, the Voyager crew devises a way to assimilate the otherwise immune Species 8472. Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01, is dispatched to Voyager to facilitate this arrangement. After successfully driving Species 8472 back into their fluidic space, Seven of Nine attempts to assimilate Voyager and is severed from the hive mind, becoming a member of Voyager's crew. Seven of Nine's rediscovery of her humanity becomes a recurring plot point of the series. Flashbacks and allusions in several episodes, such as "The Raven", establish that prior to her assimilation, Seven of Nine was Annika Hansen, the child of scientists who studied the Borg in the Delta Quadrant independent of the Federation. In "Drone", an advanced Borg drone is created when Seven of Nine's nanoprobes are fused with the Doctor's mobile emitter in a transporter accident. The drone, who adopts the moniker "One", involuntarily sends a signal to the collective, bringing a sphere to Voyager. One destroys the Borg ship and lets himself die to protect Voyager from further Borg pursuits. In "Dark Frontier", Captain Kathryn Janeway decides to attack the Borg in the hopes of stealing a transwarp coil to aid in Voyager's journey home. The Borg Queen learns of the plot and offers Seven of Nine a deal to spare Voyager in exchange for her rejoining the collective. Voyager recovers the transwarp coil and uses it, with the Delta Flyer, to save Seven from the Queen. Voyager uses the transwarp coil to travel 20,000 light-years before it burns out. In the Voyager finale, "Endgame", a version of Janeway from a future alternate timeline travels back in time to aid in Voyager's return to the Alpha Quadrant. This Janeway allows herself to be assimilated, delivering a neurolytic pathogen that disrupts the Borg to the point of killing the Borg Queen and destroying the Borg Unicomplex. Voyager uses a transwarp hub to travel back to the Alpha Quadrant. Star Trek: Enterprise: A group of Borg, although not described as such in dialog, discovered in the Arctic in "Regeneration", send a transmission toward the Delta Quadrant. According to dialogue, their transmission would reach its destination in 200 years, essentially establishing a closed time loop with the events of "Q Who", explaining why the cube in the latter episode was already en route to Earth. These Borg are "survivors" of the Borg sphere shot down in Star Trek: First Contact, but never identify themselves as such throughout this episode. The episode's events prompt characters to allude to Zefram Cochrane's claims that "strange cybernetic creatures from the future" tried to interfere with first contact. Another Enterprise episode, planned for the fifth season of the show (which never materialized), would have featured Alice Krige as a Starfleet medical technician who encounters the Borg and is assimilated, thereby becoming the Borg Queen seen in First Contact. Other media: In the non-canonical Star Trek: The Manga, the crew of the Enterprise under James T. Kirk discovers an alien station operating near a black hole. The commander of the station appears to be abducting races in a desperate attempt to cure a strange plague among his people. Using his own daughter as a guinea pig, he is able to create a cure for the plague, though the end result is always assimilation into his daughter's, the future Borg Queen, consciousness for those cured. In the Star Trek novel Probe, which takes place following the events of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, the Borg are mentioned obliquely in communication with the whale-probe as spacefaring "mites" (the whale-probe's term for humanoid races) who traveled in cubical and spherical spacefaring vessels; the Borg apparently attacked the whale-probe and damaged its memory in some fashion prior to the events of the film. The novel Vendetta reveals that the planet killer weapon from the Original Series episode "The Doomsday Machine" is a prototype for a weapon against the Borg. “Resistance is futile.” That is what the Borg say to whoever they choose to assimilate, and it is usually the last thing the assimilated hear before they are turned into drones. Ever since they appeared in that “Q Who?” episode of The Next Generation back in 1989, the Borg have become the biggest threat in the Star Trek universe. I mean, they are such a threat that they can get the Klingons and Romulans to work together. KLINGONS AND ROMULANS WORKING TOGETHER!!!! THAT’S FUCKING AMAZING!!!! Anyway, they are usually consider an incredibly powerful threat; the best examples of this were assimilating Captain Picard into the collective and trying to prevent Zefram Cochrane's first contact with the Vulcans and in effect erase the Federation from history. Amazing, the Borg’s status as the primary threat was established despite the fact that they only appeared in about six episodes of The Next Generation. However, this was done because the creators have stated that due to the fact that the Borg were so powerful, it was not easy to come up with solutions for beating them. However, as time passed and future series went into production, the concept of the Borg would evolve to include inherent flaws that could be exploited in many different ways, leading them to be used in nineteen episodes of Star Trek: Voyager. It is this generous use of the Borg as villains on Voyager that caused many fans to complain that they were being used too often. TNG, DS9 and one-time VOY writer Ronald D. Moore once said of their perceived overuse, the Borg had been defeated so many times that they had "lost their teeth." (It should be noted, though, that only a fraction of these nineteen appearances actually had them as the main villains; many episodes had them in supporting or otherwise non-outright antagonistic roles.) Also, even more fans were outraged by their appearance in an episode of Enterprise, which took place long before the events of the original Star Trek series took place. However, though there was criticism for the anachronism, that appearance actually lent itself to established continuity, though the creators dodged a bullet by simply keeping the Borg from identifying themselves. Nevertheless, the Borg have been constant threat in the Star Trek series. They are relentless in their pursuit of assimilating every alien race in the universe into their collective. They will stop at nothing to see all of space as one giant Borg hive. “Resistance is futile” isn’t just a cool catchphrase; it is the Borg’s mantra.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 14, 2008 14:02:09 GMT -5
16. Pennywise What is it: A monster in the guise of a clown. What is it from: It (novel and miniseries) What has it done: Killed a lot of people, mostly children. Intelligence: Pennywise knew how to get into people's heads - especially kids' - and scare the hell out of them. Power: His best powers were mental, using hallucination to distract and confuse people. Vileness: In between nasty pranks and bad jokes, It kidnapped and murdered children. Sway: Mean, nasty, and vicious, It preyed on peoples' worst fears, whether they were young or old. Purity: Claimed to be the worst nightmare for the kids of Derry and couldn't have been too far off. Physical Prowess: Besides his trusty clown getup with the razor-sharp teeth, Pennywise often took the form of friends to mess with the kids' heads; and, It was a giant spider! Name Coolness: “Pennywise” isn’t scary or that cool. Created by: Stephen King. Portrayed by: Tim Curry, in the miniseries based on the novel. On the DVD commentary track, the actors note that Tim Curry's characterization of Pennywise was so creepy and realistic that everyone avoided him during the filming. Novel: For millions of years It, a malevolent, shape-shifting, child-killing monster (referred to simply as "It"), dwelt under Derry, awaiting the arrival of humans, which It somehow knew would occur. Once people settled over Its resting place, It adopted a cycle of hibernating for long periods and waking approximately every twenty-seven years. Its awakening is always marked by a great act of violence, and another great act of violence ends Its spree and sends It back into hibernation: 1715 – 1716: It awoke. 1740 – 1743: It awoke and started a three-year reign of terror that culminated with the disappearance of over 300 settlers from Derry Township, much like the Roanoke Island mystery. 1769 – 1770: It awoke. 1851: It awoke when a man named John Markson poisoned his family, and then committed suicide by eating a white-nightshade mushroom, causing an excruciating death. 1876 – 1879: It awoke, then went back into hibernation after a group of lumberjacks were found murdered near the Kenduskeag. 1904 – 1906: It awoke when a lumberjack named Claude Heroux murdered a number of men in a bar with an axe. Heroux was promptly pursued by a mob of townsfolk and hanged. It returned to hibernation when the Kitchener Ironworks exploded, killing 108 people, 88 of them children engaged in an Easter egg hunt. 1929 – 1930: It awoke when a group of Derry citizens gunned down a group of gangsters known as the Bradley Gang. It returned to hibernation when the Maine Legion of White Decency, a Northern counterpart to the Ku Klux Klan, burned down an African-American army nightclub which was called "The Black Spot". 1957 – 1958: It awoke again. Richie Tozier, Mike Hanlon, Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough, Eddie Kaspbrak, Ben Hanscom, and Stan Uris (who call themselves the Losers' Club) each have horrifying encounters with the creature, which takes on the shape of their biggest fears (but Its most prominent form is that of a sadistic, balloon-wielding clown called Pennywise). They are also being terrorized by the neighborhood bully, Henry Bowers, which only strengthens their bond. The Losers decide to hunt down the creature and destroy it. They eventually track It down and in the ensuing enormous battle of wills (known as the Ritual of Chüd), hurt It badly. The Losers promise that if It ever comes back, they'll confront It again. 1984 – 1985: It awoke when three young homophobic bullies beat up a young gay couple, Adrian Mellon and Don Hagarty, throwing Mellon off a bridge (echoing real life events in Maine). The narrative jumps forward to 1985, where murders are once again taking place in Derry. Mike Hanlon, the only one of the Losers who has remained in Derry, is convinced that the creature has returned and calls each of the Losers, reminding them of the promise they made as children. Each of the six other Losers have gone on to success and wealth, but had completely forgotten about their childhood trauma. They all return except for Stan Uris (who kills himself after receiving Mike's phone call) and begin piecing together their hazy memories. They also each have encounters with It. It decides to use Henry Bowers (who had followed the Losers and also encountered It in 1958), who is now committed to the Juniper Hill Asylum, to help kill the Losers. Bowers tracks them down and seriously hurts Mike. The five remaining friends then make their way into the sewers once again to confront and destroy the creature for the last time. Miniseries: “It” aired as a two-part television miniseries on November 18, 1990 on ABC, and loosely follows the plot of the novel. The first half of the film, set in 1960 (in the novel, it was set in 1958), introduces a group of social misfits, the "Losers", as they meet and form a tight-knit group in the face of a cruel and intolerant world. They each individually come into contact with the child-killing monster haunting their hometown of Derry, Maine, which they name "it". It usually appears as Pennywise the Dancing Clown before taking the form of whatever its child victim most greatly fears. Spurred on by Bill Denbrough's desire for revenge on It for killing his younger brother, the Losers resolve to locate It's home in the sewers and destroy the threat to Derry once and for all. Henry Bowers, a disturbed bully, and two of his friends, Belch Huggins (Drum Garret) and Patrick Hocksetter (Gabe Khouth), follow the group into the Barrens and into the sewers, in a bid to ambush and kill them as revenge for a rockfight, in which the Losers easily won, saving Mike Hanlon. Bill leads the others into a vertical pipe, leading to the sewers. Stan Uris is pulled away from the group by Henry and Belch, where Henry pulls a switchblade, used earlier to carve his name on Ben Hanscom's abdomen. Meanwhile, Patrick Hocksetter has been ordered to ambush the group from another side. It, in an unseen form seen only from 1st person camera movement, other than a bright light, referred to as It's Deadlights, makes its way from under a grate and eats him alive (offscreen), the last thing seen is Patrick screaming before the camera goes into his mouth, his gruesome death not captured. As Bill, Beverly, Richie, Eddie, Ben, and Mike come to the middle of the sewers, they discover Stan is missing. In another part of the sewers, Henry prepares to kill Stan with the switchblade as Belch restrains him. As Henry prepares to do so, It, only the Deadlights seen shining, burst a sewage pipe. As Henry and Stan watch in horror, Belch is folded in half through the narrow sewage pipe, and taken away by It. Henry calls his name, but to no avail. It makes its way out of the pipe. Stan flees, and Henry's hair turns white from the site of It's unseen form. Stan meets up with the group, and they avoid looking into It's Deadlights. It vanishes, and smoke fills the chamber. The seven form a circle, although It attempts to break it by appearing as Bill's brother George and Beverly's father, along with attempting to scare Richie in the form of a werewolf. As Stan says his prayers, It (in the form of Pennywise the Clown) pins him against the wall. As Pennywise prepares to devour him with It's fangs, Eddie sprays It in the face with his asthma inhaler, pretending it is battery acid. Half of the clown's face burns away, and Beverly cracks It's head open with a silver slingshot, revealing the bright light underneath. However, before Beverly can finish It off, Pennwise flips through the air, and is sucked through the drain. The group grabs his arms, only for the glove and one of the clown's claws to rip off, revealing a larger claw. The group argues and decide It is dead. After fighting It, and believing to have succeeded in killing It, they come out from the sewers and make a promise to return if It ever comes back. Little did they know that they would keep that promise 30 years later. The second half of the film, set in 1990 (instead of 1985 like the novel), focuses on the now-adult Losers who agree to return home to Derry (except for Stan Uris, who killed himself when he learned It had returned) to destroy It once and for all. Again, the Losers must face not only the terrible creature, but also Henry Bowers, the bully who made their childhoods miserable and is now an incarcerated madman under the influence of It, who is determined to kill them all. It, in the form of Pennwise the Clown, appears to Henry on the moonlight as he watches from the insane asylum bed. The clown tells Henry he must go back to Derry and kill them all. Later, after It puts disgusting creatures in fortune cookies, at a restaurant reunion for the six of them, along with adults discovering Stan's head, used by It in the library refrigerator, It visits Henry in the form of the deceased Belch, who hands Henry his lost switchblade. It allows Henry to escape by appearing to the guard as clown with the head of a Doberman Pinscher, although it is unclear whether It kills the guard or scares him away. In the meantime, as the six of the gang depart in their rooms at a hotel, Mike is attacked from behind by the adult Henry Bowers with a knife. Ben is distracted by It in the form of Beverly, who then scares him by appearing as Pennywise the Clown. Mike is stabbed and injured with the switchblade, but is saved by Ben and Eddie, Henry stabbing himself accidentally, slowly dying. After visiting Mike in the hospital, he gives Bill the two silver pieces they once used against It many years ago. In the meantime, Bill's wife Audra has followed him from England. Audra stops in the middle of the night to ask for directions from a grizzled attendant at a gas-station. As Audra talks to him, the attendant (Boyd Norman)'s voice changes. As Audra prepares to leave, the attendant asks her if she wants a balloon. When Audra turns to face the man, he is now Pennywise the Clown. It repeatedly asks her if she wants a balloon, the Deadlights in his eyes hypnotizing her, before grabbing her (offscreen). The five surviving members of the adults make their way into the barrens and further into the sewers. Bill discovers Audra's purse. The adults are taunted by a phantom of the clown (It), before It vanishes into thin air. After It taunts Bill in the form of Georgie, stating it is "all his fault", until Bill repels It by saying Georgie's death was not his fault. The group find a way through a small door believed to be It's lair, discovering many victims, including Audra, in cocoons, all in a hypnotic state. The five of them are confronted by It, in It's true physical form, an enormous spider. Bill, Richie, and Ben are hypnotized by the Deadlights, located on It's abdomen. Eddie attempts to injure It with his aspirator as he did as a child, but as they are not children and do not believe, it is useless. Eddie is grabbed and mortally wounded by It before Beverly shoots out the Deadlights with one of the silver slingshots. The others mourn Eddie, and chase It, killing It by dismembering the spider, Bill ripping out It's heart. The movie ends with a healthy Mike lamenting their future, and Bill breaking It's hold over Audra on the bike he saved Stan with as a child. The credits roll with Pennywise laughing one last time. Clowns are not cool. In fact, they are so not cool that they have to be evil in order for them to even be considered cool. And, this has led to many evil clowns, which has made the evil clown a cliché. But, there is nothing cliché about Pennywise. It is an evil force that has taken the form of a clown. It lurks under the town of Derry, Maine, and has made the small-town into a haven of fear and evil. Outsiders might notice a pattern, but the residents of Derry have been brainwashed by the evil lurking in the shadows of the town's sewer. During one summer back in the '60s, a group of outcast kids, the Loser’s Club, decides to fight back. One of them, Bill Denbrough, sought to avenge the death of his younger brother, George. Believing in themselves and their power to defeat evil, they succeeded in driving It away but vowed to return in case the evil forces arose again. It is very powerful. It can make people see whatever It wants people to see and threatened the kids with kiddie-like scares by appearing as Bill’s brother George, Beverly’s father, and a werewolf. If that didn't work, It got worse. Though they were able to defeat It, the experience had a profound effect on all of the Losers. Most of them didn’t even remember what had happened until Mike called them to tell them It had returned. So intense and frightening was the experience of driving away the evil the first time that Stan committed suicide shortly after learning the gang was getting back together in order to defeat It. Stan felt it was better to be dead rather than face It again. Pennywise was just as vicious when he returned and had adult-sized scares in store for the group. He wanted them to go away so he could have his fun with the kiddies, but vowing to stay and fight again, the gang believed in themselves and tried to convince themselves that adults could believe in the kind of power to overcome evil that kids did. Pennywise's true terrible form would be revealed and following a fight, one of the gang would fall. In a fight with evil, everything is on the line and it's always between life and death. It represents not just one being, but the essence of fear itself. Tormented with false visions and bad memories, the kids of Derry grew up to be repressed adults, and only by returning home to exorcise the biggest demon of all could they move on with clear minds and weights off their shoulders. The power of Pennywise cannot be overexaggerated as everyone in the entire town fell under his spell at one time or another. Courage is what it took to overcome fear, and that's what it took for the kids of Derry to defeat Pennywise.
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