View allAll Photos Tagged featured
✰ This photo was featured on The Epic Global Showcase here: ift.tt/24SttfJ
-------------
》Featuring The Amazing: @the_invisible_realm ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
In dreams nothing can hurt you… not even your own fears. Dream Sequence (2008). #conceptualart #dreams #whpdaydream #theinvisiblerealm
✰Follow @the_invisible_realm on Instagram for more awesomeness like this!
Wow! This must be one of the few best news I have ever received. I am very thrilled and honored to be one of the featured artists in the upcoming creative media network involving some of the great artists specializing in different disciplines of art. It\'s called August (August Corporation) and it is the new invitation-only, ad-free creative platform that allows for higher exposure for the artist, and more targeted results for the consumers. With this focus, I invite you to check it out and sign up for the beta version that will be launched soon. I couldn\'t be more excited to know that some of my great artist friends are also coming to August, such as Nathan Wirth nlwirth, Simos Xenakis Simos Xenakis, +Michael Woloszynowicz, +John Kosmopoulos, Toby Harriman tobyharriman. Big thanks to Nathan Wirth and Simos Xenakis for their recommendation and to +Sean Wing for this great concept. I look forward to everybody\'s success!
The App:
More about the August:
www.medium.com/@seanwing/august-the-playbook-19d81c19ffe5
Articles:
fstoppers.com/editorial/introducing-august-can-it-solve-o...
www.slrlounge.com/august-social-media-game-changer-for-al...
#august #augustcorporation
The following link will always start with my most recent image. Here's Mikey G Ottawa's Flickr photostream's Slideshow: www.flickr.com/photos/mikeygottawa/show/
Here's my three minutes of CTV exposure here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C2U_01ajdw&feature=youtu.be
.
✰ This photo was featured on The Epic Global Showcase here: flavoredtape.com/post/158198671370
-------------
✰ Featuring David Zinn ✰
-Explore @davidzinn here and on instagram for more!
Little Free Library (“Booktoothed”) finished at last. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but his expression speaks volumes. #minilibrary #freelibrary #acrylics for #literacy #rxforreadingdetroit
Featured Model: Alyssa
Today's image has a movie cover feel and that's why it needed a title too. Alyssa's styling and beautiful eyes look amazing!
Mi cover para esta obra maestra :)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=leJ84aTDH3w
I like it, like it (3x)
I I like it, like it
I like it, like it (3x)
Na na na, come on
I like it, like it
Na na na, come on
I I like it, like it
Na na na na na na, come on
I like it, like it
Na na na, come on, come on, come on
Na na na na na na
Feels so good being bad
There’s no way I’m turning back
Now the pain is my pleasure
Cause nothing could measure
Love is great, love is fine
Out the box, out of line
The affliction of the feeling
Leaves me wanting more
[Chorus x2]
Cause I may be bad
But I’m perfectly good at it
Sex in the air
I don’t care
I love the smell of it
Sticks and stones
May break my bones
But chains and whips
Excite me
Na na na, come on, come on, come on
I like it, like it, come on, come on, come on
I like it, like it, come on, come on, come on
I like it, like it, come on, come on, come on
I like it, like it
[Britney Spears]
Just one night full of sin
Feel the pain on your skin
Tough, I don’t scream mercy
It’s your time to hurt me
Yeah
If I’m bad tie me down
Shut me up, gag and bound me
Cos the pain is my pleasure
Nothing comes better
Yeah
[Chorus:]
Cause I may be bad
But I’m perfectly good at it
Sex in the air
I don’t care
I love the smell of it
Sticks and stones
May break my bones
But chains and whips
Excite me
Na na na, come on, come on, come on
I like it, like it, come on, come on, come on
I like it, like it, come on, come on, come on
I like it, like it, come on, come on, come on
I like it, like it
S…S…S
And
M…M…M
S…S…S
And
M…M…M
Oh
I love the feeling you bring to me
Oh, you turn me on
It’s exactly what I’ve been yearning for
Give it to me strong
And meet me in my boudoir
With my body suit on, on, on
I like it, like it
[Chorus x2]
Cause I may be bad
But I’m perfectly good at it
Sex in the air
I don’t care
I love the smell of it
Sticks and stones
May break my bones
But chains and whips
Excite me
Na na na, come on, come on, come on
I like it, like it, come on, come on, come on
I like it, like it, come on, come on, come on
I like it, like it, come on, come on, come on
I like it, like it
Like it
S…S…S
And
M…M…M
S…S…S
And
M…M…M
S…S…S
And
M…M…M
S…S…S
And
M…M…M
✰ This photo was featured on The Epic Global Showcase here: ift.tt/1svpkkm
-------------
》Featuring The Amazing: @beeple_crap ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
ROCKY MOUNTONS #everyday #3d #cinema4d #c4d
✰Follow @beeple_crap on Instagram for more awesomeness like this!
Featuring: Accessories, Animations, Apparel, Cosmetics, Decor, Footwear, Jewelry, Poses, Tattoos, Vehicles
Event Opening Date: October 3, 2022
Event Closing Date: October 15, 2022
Teleport to Cosmopolitan
This event is in one location
www.seraphimsl.com/2022/10/03/cosmopolitan-is-delightfull...
✰ This photo was featured on The Epic Global Showcase here: bit.ly/26WKrvn
-------------
…✰Featuring The Amazing: @sergey_polyushko ✰ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
Фотосъемка животных Киев (psfoto.com.ua) #кот #Украина #Одесса #2014 #балдеж #cat #catstagram #animal #psfoto
✰Follow @sergey_polyushko on Instagram for more awesomeness like this!
Cars feature in this annual event over the years
Hats Off Day, Show and Shine,
Hastings Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
For my video; youtu.be/mtfSyPnq6VY
Was lately featured in Shanghai's "Bund" magazine as a promising foreign freelance photographer living in China.
Allah has been too kind.
✰ This photo was featured on The Epic Global Showcase here: ift.tt/1TfSxp7
-------------
Redraw of a previous concept in support for #EarthHour | 19 Mar 2016 | 8:30-9:30 pm local time. 🌎💡 #ChangeClimateChange
by @kerbyrosanes on Instagram.
"Maria Hill: What does S.H.I.E.L.D. stand for, Agent Ward?
Grant Ward: Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.
Maria Hill: And what does that mean to you?
Grant Ward: It means someone really wanted our initials to spell out "S.H.I.E.L.D."
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s introduction in the Strange Tales featuring "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." occurred during a trend for action series about secret international intelligence agencies with catchy acronyms, such as television's The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which Stan Lee stated in a 2014 interview, was the basis for him to create the organization.
Colonel Fury (initially the lead character of Marvel Comics' World War II series Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos) was reimagined as a slightly older character with an eyepatch (which he lacked in his wartime adventures) and appointed head of the organization. Some characters from the Sgt. Fury series reappeared as agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., most notably Timothy "Dum-Dum" Dugan, Fury's bowler hat-wearing aide-de-camp.
Its most persistent enemy is Hydra, a criminal organization founded (after some retcon) by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker.
S.H.I.E.L.D. was presented as an extant, full-blown entity in its first appearance, with Tony Stark in charge of the Special Weaponry section and Fury seeing "some of the most famous joes from every nation" (then "half the leaders of the free world" a page later) at a meeting of the Supreme International Council.
Much was revealed over the years to fill in its labyrinthine organizational history. Stan Lee wrote each story, abetted by artist Kirby's co-plotting or full plotting, through Strange Tales #152 (January 1967), except for two issues, one scripted by Kirby himself (#148) and one by Dennis O'Neil (#149).
Following an issue scripted by Roy Thomas (#153), and one co-written by Thomas and new series artist Jim Steranko,* came the sole-writer debut of soon-to-become industry legend Steranko—who had begun on the feature as a penciller-inker of Kirby layouts in #151 (December 1966), taken over the every-other-issue "Nick Fury" cover art with #153 two months later, and full writing with #155 (April 1967).
Steranko quickly established the feature as one of comics history's most groundbreaking, innovative, and acclaimed. Ron Goulart wrote,
"Even the dullest of readers could sense that something new was happening. … Which each passing issue Steranko's efforts became more and more innovative. Entire pages would be devoted to photocollages of drawings [that] ignored panel boundaries and instead worked together on planes of depth. The first pages … became incredible production numbers similar in design to the San Francisco rock concert poster of the period."
Larry Hama said Steranko "combined the figurative dynamism of Jack Kirby with modern design concepts. The graphic influences of Peter Max, Op Art, and Andy Warhol were embedded into the design of the pages — and the pages were designed as a whole, not just as a series of panels. All this, executed in a crisp, hard-edged style, seething with drama and anatomical tension".
The series won 1967 and 1968 Alley Awards and was inducted in the latter year to the awards' Hall of Fame. Steranko himself was inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2006.
The 12-page feature ran through Strange Tales #168 (sharing that "split book" with the occult feature "Doctor Strange" each issue), after which it was spun off onto its own series of the same title, running 15 issues (June 1968–Nov. 1969), followed by three all-reprint issues beginning a year later (Nov. 1970–March 1971). Steranko wrote and drew issues #1–3 and #5, and drew the covers of #1–7.
New S.H.I.E.L.D. stories would not appear for nearly two decades after the first solo title. A six-issue miniseries, Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. (June–November 1988) was followed by Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (vol. 2). This second series lasted 47 issues (September 1989–May 1993); its pivotal story arc was "the Deltite Affair", in which many S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were replaced with Life Model Decoy androids in a takeover attempt.
A year after that series ended, the one-shot Fury (May 1994) retconned the events of those previous two series, recasting them as a series of staged events designed to distract Fury from the resurrection plans of Hydra head von Strucker. The following year, writer Howard Chaykin and penciler Corky Lehmkuhl produced the four-issue miniseries Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. (April–July 1995).
Various publications have additionally focused on Nick Fury's solo adventures, such as the graphic novels and one-shots Wolverine/Nick Fury: The Scorpio Connection (1989), Wolverine/Nick Fury: Scorpio Rising (October 1994), Fury/Black Widow: Death Duty and Captain America and Nick Fury: Blood Truce (both February 1995), and Captain America and Nick Fury: The Otherworld War (October 2001).
Origin
S.H.I.E.L.D. was formed by Nick Fury, in the period after World War II. However, he figured the U.S. government wouldn't want a group like that, so he disbanded it. Later, though, after a terrorist attack, he noticed that a group like S.H.I.E.L.D. could really have helped and prevented the disaster. So he reformed it.
Meanwhile, the United Nations had already taken S.H.I.E.L.D. and restarted it, having Colonel Rick Stoner becoming the first Director of the organization. Fury immediately joined and rose to the top. The Nations had reformed it in response to a HYDRA attack, and once Fury was leading it, it flourished.
Creation
S.H.I.E.L.D. made their first appearance in Strange Tales #135. They were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
Team Evolution
S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage and Logistics Directorate) or Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law Enforcement Division (see Iron Man #227) is a group affiliated with the U.N that deals with superhuman threats. It is an intelligence and anti-terrorism group similar to the FBI, only it is an international corporation that spans all the world. It acts like the police force.
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are armed and work well, much more effective then standard police. They fight terrorists as well as super humans. S.H.I.E.L.D. also has been responsible for the starting of spin-off groups like S.W.O.R.D. and S.T.R.I.K.E. S.H.I.E.L.D. has agents that also are higher level, that often are super humans.
Captain America, Spider-Woman, and Iron Man all have operated as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. S.H.I.E.L.D. keeps ties to the superhuman community, too-they often call on the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and Captain America.
S.H.I.E.L.D. has superhuman agents in the past-two teams were formed in an effort to make a S.H.I.E.L.D. superhuman team. The first team consisted of Marvel Man, Texas Twister, the Vamp, and Blue Streak.
However, it quickly failed, and another team in the same vein also failed. The Psi-Division of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a group of psychics or telepaths that deal with psionic menaces. This is only one of the groups of super humans that work in S.H.I.E.L.D. for the greater good.
All S.H.I.E.L.D. members have a certain level, based on their importance. A normal S.H.I.E.L.D. agent will have a Level One-which means he can pass through Level One areas and has clearance.
A sergeant might have Level Two, which means he has Level Two and One clearance. The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. has a Level Nine clearance. Level Ten means the most important person in the world-no one currently possesses a Level Ten clearance. Not even the President, or Nick Fury.
S.H.I.E.L.D. has many bases around the world. Many are on land-most notably S.H.I.E.L.D. Central, which is located in New York City. There are also many shelters that are secretly placed around the world.
Fury has used one, as has the Secret Avengers when they needed a base during the events of Civil War. However, their most famous and important base is the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.
Helicarrier
The Helicarrier is an aircraft that is constantly in the air. It is large enough to hold an aircraft carrier. It is the mobile headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D. and is extremely protected. The Helicarrier has held an entire squadron of jet fighters and a nuclear ballistic missile.
There is one major Helicarrier, which is the one that is most important and used. There are also many smaller Helicarriers, however, which all serve as bases too.
The Helicarrier has an extremely high level of security-even if someone managed to get on without clearance, guards and extremely powerful security technology would have them gone in a second.
The Helicarrier was first proposed by Stark Industries, and was designed by Tony Stark, Forge, and Mr. Fantastic.
S.H.I.E.L.D. operated as a covert, military/intelligence agency at the time, and members of it had already appeared. S.H.I.E.L.D. already fought HYDRA then-the evil group had plots like the aforementioned "Overkill Horn".
A.I.M. made its first appearance, and individual villains such as Red Skull also popped up and needed to be stopped by S.H.I.E.L.D..
At this time, Godzilla came, and the Godzilla Squad was formed to take the monster down. S.H.I.E.L.D. had tough periods during this time. Several lifelike robots got so smart that they became able to think and make choices-they became sentient beings.
They had a grudge against S.H.I.E.L.D. for making them follow orders all the time before they had intelligence-so they drugged important S.H.I.E.L.D. members and took their place within the organization.
Several of these were Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine, Jimmy Woo, and Jasper Sitwell, among others. However, the valiant Fury managed to take them down.
Fury's Influence
Most of the reason that S.H.I.E.L.D. was so effective started with Fury.** He started the group and put good, effective agents in place. He was extremely popular in and out of S.H.I.E.L.D. and had strong ties with the hero community. Without him, many "pessimists" and intellectuals theorized that S.H.I.E.L.D. would fall, and fall hard.
Unfortunately, they were right. S.H.I.E.L.D. ran into disastrous times. As aforementioned, Nick Fury did a mission in Latveria to stop them from attacking the U.S. However, it was totally unauthorized, and Fury was forced to resign from S.H.I.E.L.D. Warrants went out for his arrest.
The new head of S.H.I.E.L.D. was Maria Hill-who proved to be incompetent at the position. The President of the U.S. was a driving force behind Hill's election-for two reasons.
Hill was an American, so the President expected her to be loyal first and foremost to the U.S. even though S.H.I.E.L.D. was a United Nations facility. Also, many men and women had been members of S.H.I.E.L.D. for a long time, and they would have been much better as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D.. However, they were "too loyal to Fury", so Hill got the job to keep the Fury loyalists out.
S.H.I.E.L.D. took a downward turn. Fury's work as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. was extremely effective, and an insane amount of work had kept corruption out of the huge organization.
Unfortunately, Hill wasn't as good as Fury at it, and S.H.I.E.L.D. became corrupt and weak. Crimes were committed. Criminals were "stockpiled" in prison. Worst of all, the Avengers discovered that someone was mining the anti-metal in the Savage Land using slave labor-and S.H.I.E.L.D. was the prime suspect.
Subdivisions
S.H.I.E.L.D. also has many subdivisions and other groups based off it. Two other groups have been formed from S.H.I.E.L.D.:
S.W.O.R.D. and S.T.R.I.K.E.
S.W.O.R.D. stands for Sentient World Observation and Response Department. As you can easily guess, S.W.O.R.D. works with extraterrestrials. It stops extraterrestrial threats, keeps tabs on powerful aliens, etc. They are not a subdivision of S.H.I.E.L.D. but are actually a separate, yet similar group that simply works with S.H.I.E.L.D.
However, they are closely affiliated with both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the United Nations. S.W.O.R.D. encountered Ord, an alien who was convinced that a mutant from Earth was destined to destroy his planet.
He attempted to attack Earth to kill all the mutants but S.W.O.R.D. and the X-Men stopped him, effectively stopping an interplanetary war. The leader of S.W.O.R.D. is Abigail Brand, a tough, effective leader who stopped many crises and is extremely valuable to S.H.I.E.L.D.
She was a Fury loyalist and respected him a lot and greatly dislikes Maria Hill. As for Tony Stark, he has not encountered S.W.O.R.D. or Brand yet. S.W.O.R.D. is currently trying to stop another war with a planet called Breakworld.
Since S.H.I.E.L.D. is loyal to the United Nations two countries have created their own answer to S.H.I.E.L.D. that works within their country and their country alone. The first to appear was the British version of S.H.I.E.L.D., S.T.R.I.K.E. (Special Tactical Reserve for International Key Emergencies).
S.T.R.I.K.E. was British, but one of their early leaders, Tod Radcliffe, was revealed to be a traitor that worked for the Red Skull. The next leader was Lance Hunter. They worked closely with Captain Britain.
However, Vixen (Captain Britain's enemy) took them over and S.T.R.I.K.E. was disbanded. The most prominent person to work for S.T.R.I.K.E. was Betsy Braddock, who had psychic powers. After leaving S.T.R.I.K.E.. she joined the X-Men as the heroine Psylocke.
S.A.F.E. is the United States answer to S.H.I.E.L.D. The name stands for Strategic Action For Emergencies. S.A.F.E. is nearly identical to S.H.I.E.L.D., except they are only in the U.S. They have fought many enemies, including Doctor Doom and Baron Heinrich Zemo. The leader is Sean Morgan, a competent leader and good soldier. Joshua Ballard is the most prolific agent, and he's extremely helpful-he's the Dum Dum Dugan of S.A.F.E..
Along with these agencies, other small groups have been formed including Euromind and Starcore.
Another group that has continually showed up over the years is the Cape Killers. They were never an official S.H.I.E.L.D. group, but S.H.I.E.L.D. agents did make up it's ranks.
The term Cape Killers was given to any group of soldiers trained to hunt, subdue and in worst case scenario kill meta humans. The Cape Killers have had such members as Agent Abrams, Agent Cleery, Dum Dum Dugan, & Special Agent Marquez, and her partner Agent McAllister.
Members
Nick Fury
The most prominent, important, and effective member of S.H.I.E.L.D. is the man who runs it all, Nick Fury. Fury was born in New York City in 1921, to decorated World War I pilot Jack Fury. He and his friend Red Hargrove lusted after adventure-so they joined the U.S. Army in World War II.
Nick was an adept soldier, and he was given command of the First Attack Squad-nicknamed the Howling Commandos. The Howling Commandos were extremely effective-and Fury quickly became a decorated war hero.
After the war, Fury was hit by a land mine and badly injured. The government decided to test a new formula on him-that would heal him and greatly retard his aging. This was called the Infinity Formula.
It worked-Fury was restored to full strength and is still in his physical prime today. He eventually joined the CIA and became a CIA agent in Korea, also interacting with the Fantastic Four.
Tony Stark hired him to be the second commander of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Fury excelled at the job. Under his leadership, S.H.I.E.L.D. grew and grew until it is now one of the most powerful organizations in the world. Fury led S.H.I.E.L.D. for over forty years, working tirelessly and keeping it powerful and secret.
However, Fury recently discovered that Latveria, led by the evil Doctor Doom, was planning to attack America. He immediately had S.H.I.E.L.D. launch a covert assault on the country, effectively stopping the massive attack that would have taken place.
A year later, Latveria attacked back, and thousands were killed. Fury was blamed-and Luke Cage was injured. Captain America was angered at Fury. Eventually, this culminated in Fury being fired as commander of S.H.I.E.L.D.. A warrant was put out for his arrest, and Maria Hill took his place as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Hill still leads S.H.I.E.L.D. and Fury is still in hiding. He keeps control over parts of S.H.I.E.L.D. and lent a base to the Secret Avengers during Civil War.
Nick Fury is infused with the Infinity Formula, meaning he barely ages at all. He is an soldier, with lots of experience as both a warrior and a leader. He is a master tactician and strategist, and is very good with all sorts of weapons.
He wields great political power as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., and is a very good hand-to-hand combatant.
Nick Fury is not the only S.H.I.E.L.D. agent-not by a long shot. Many of the other important S.H.I.E.L.D. members date back from Fury's old team-the Howling Commandos.
Dum Dum Dugan
Dum Dum Dugan (Timothy Aloysius Cadwallader Dugan) was working as a circus strongman before he enlisted in World War II.
He was put in the Howling Commandos, a new division led by Nick Fury. He was extremely valuable to the team-he was so strong that he was able to save them from many things that should have killed them.
He was a great marksman, strongman, and leader, and he became Fury's second-in-command. When the war ended, Fury invited Dugan into S.H.I.E.L.D. as his second-in-command. Dugan has easily been the second-most-important person to S.H.I.E.L.D.
His missions have included tracking down and killing a radioactive monster ( Godzilla, in the Godzilla Squad) and various independent missions to take super villains (often with Squirrel Girl).
For a long time, he worked maintaining security on the Helicarrier, and working for Fury whenever needed. When Fury was replaced by Maria Hill, he was her second-in-command and was put in charge of mutant affairs.
This involved conflicts with Wolverine, who he had a mysterious contact with. Eventually, he tried to resign from S.H.I.E.L.D. when Tony Stark took control. He was rejected-he was too important to S.H.I.E.L.D. to quit. He was recently shot in the chest by Daken, but he survived, and is currently in the hospital.
Gabriel Jones
Gabriel Jones was a young man living in New York City when a little thing called World War II popped up. Jones joined the army, and realized that he was naturally a great soldier and leader. He was put into the elite Howling Commandos and proved invaluable to the team.
After the war was over, Jones served on the Godzilla Squad with other former Howling Commandos (not Fury), and later joined S.H.I.E.L.D.
He ran out missions with or without other agents for S.H.I.E.L.D. until he retired, due to the events in the miniseries "Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.." He remains retired today, living the quiet, peaceful life. He sure deserves that. He also has the honor of being the first African-American in the Howling Commandos.
Sharon Carter aka Agent 13
Agent 13 (also known as Sharon Carter), is one of the most important members of S.H.I.E.L.D.. As a young girl, Sharon loved hearing stories of her older sister Peggy, who was a World War 1 flying ace and freedom fighter. Peggy had worked with Captain America, and the two fell in love.
However, Cap never learned her name, and he then froze in suspended animation. Sharon was a good fighter and loved justice, so she joined S.H.I.E.L.D. under the code-name "Agent 13" and ran out several missions for them.
She kept crossing paths with Cap, who had been resurrected and they eventually fell in love. Cap wanted her to quit as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, but she refused. Eventually, her death was faked so she could be sent off on a top-secret mission. The mission failed, and she was presumed dead. Cap was never informed that her death was faked the first time.
However, he eventually found her, and she rejoined S.H.I.E.L.D.. She now works as a high-level agent, reporting directly to Hill for missions. Recently, she was given a hypnotic suggestion by Dr. Faustus to help kill Captain America, and under hypnotism, shot him in the stomach after Crossbones, a sniper and Red Skull's henchman, shot him.
Other important S.H.I.E.L.D. agents include Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine, Clay Quartermain, Jimmy Woo, and Jasper Sitwell.
HYDRA***
Since S.H.I.E.L.D. is a major force and such a huge, powerful organization, it bound to have many enemies. Most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s enemies are big groups-and the most powerful, fearsome, and deadly one of them all is HYDRA.
HYDRA is S.H.I.E.L.D.'s archenemy. The motto of the group is "Cut off one of our heads, and two more will take it's place!" This is a reference to the Ancient Greek monster called the hydra, which fought Hercules and had the same ability.
HYDRA is a terrorist group dedicated to taking over the world and destroying S.H.I.E.L.D., which has foiled them many a time.
HYDRA has actually been around for centuries. The group goes all the way back to Imperial Japan, which only sought to rule Japan. This all changed in the 1900s when Wolfgang Von Strucker joined the group. Strucker was insane, deluded, and powerful-and he quickly rose to the top of the group.
He steered it away from Japan and decided on a new goal-rule the world! When he got to the top, he changed his name and got a title-he became Baron Strucker.
HYDRA was originally very open, not quiet, and S.H.I.E.L.D. was actually specifically formed to fight it (as you will read later). HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D. became enemies-constantly warring to take each other down. HYDRA made several daring moves.
Strucker invented the "Overkill Horn", which would detonate all nuclear explosives worldwide. Later came the biological "Death-Spore Bomb". Both plots were foiled by S.H.I.E.L.D., and the latter resulted in Strucker's death.
After Baron Strucker died, HYDRA split into many mini-groups, or "heads" of HYDRA. Some of these were East Coast HYDRA, Las Vegas HYDRA, New York HYDRA, and Germany HYDRA. These factions also genetically created super agents for HYDRA, resulting in the creation of many villains.
However, this backfired when the great hero Spider-Woman was created by HYDRA related. Eventually Strucker was revived, and he reunited HYDRA. They continued their war against S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Earth.
HYDRA later planned a massive attack on the U.S-they smuggled nuclear missile into America and was going to launch a bio nuclear assault on a major aquifer.
They also tried to brainwash an army of heroes and villains (including Elektra and Northstar). Both times, they were foiled by S.H.I.E.L.D. and the New Avengers (including Spider-Woman, who they created).
HYDRA is still extremely dangerous, and cannot be stopped easily. The only reason they don't currently rule the world is because of the heroic efforts of S.H.I.E.L.D..
The HYDRA Agent is similar to the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. He is extremely well-trained-only the elite become agents. They carry a large variety of weapons and are trained especially in stealth.
HYDRA Agents often get missions to detonate, destroy, beat up, or burn things, and they are superb fighters. Some Agents of HYDRA have been Red Skull, Spider-Woman, Kingpin, and many others.
A.I.M.
Although HYDRA is easily S.H.I.E.L.D.'s greatest enemy, it is by no means the only one. One of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s other enemies is A.I.M.
A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) was created as a subdivision of HYDRA, by Baron Strucker. A.I.M.'s purpose was to create new technological wonders for HYDRA to use against S.H.I.E.L.D. and to take over the world.
It is a group of scientists, industrialists, and technological geniuses, and originally, they provided and designed weapons, defenses, and huge assault mechanisms for HYDRA. However, HYDRA suffered a huge defeat from the U.S and Japan Armies, so A.I.M. broke off into it's own group.
Like HYDRA, A.I.M.'s goal is to rule the Earth. However, unlike HYDRA, who wants to do it by force, A.I.M. seeks domination by technological means. They have created huge weapons and marvels before, and share one trait with HYDRA-they are dedicated to destroying S.H.I.E.L.D.. A.I.M. was led by the Scientist Supreme, an evil, shadowy figure where very little about him is known by S.H.I.E.L.D..
The Cosmic Cube was an intensely powerful item as it could literally alter reality to the user's whim. Red Skull once stole it and wreaked havoc with it, but that was later.
The Cube was created by the scientists at A.I.M., who sought to use it to rule the world. However, the Cube actually evolved into a new creature, Kubik, and A.I.M. no longer controls it. In this vein, A.I.M. created the Super-Adaptoid, which could exactly mimic the powers and appearance of other superheroes and villains.
Although it was immensely powerful, the Adaptoid contained a sliver of the Cosmic Cube that gave it its power. When the Cube became Kubik, it wanted the shard back, so it easily destroyed the creature and regained the sliver.
A.I.M. also created M.O.D.O.K. (Mobile Organism Designed Only for Killing). M.O.D.O.K. was originally one of AIM's own scientists, and he took control of A.I.M. and improved it, continuing the fight to rule the world and destroy S.H.I.E.L.D..
M.O.D.O.K. still is in charge of A.I.M. Along with A.I.M., some of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s enemies are Zodiac and Godzilla.
Zodiac
Zodiac is a criminal organization that was created using S.H.I.E.L.D. technology. Each member is another sign of the Zodiac, and they are dedicated to world domination. Although the Zodiac mostly fights the Avengers, they often collide with S.H.I.E.L.D. in their efforts to have the world ruled by their criminal organization.
Godzilla
Godzilla***** was a radioactive monster that rose out of the waters of Tokyo, Japan. S.H.I.E.L.D. immediately responded to the crisis, and formed the Godzilla Squad out of some of its members.
The Squad was led by Dum Dum Dugan (who never fully recovered from the experience), and its mission was to take down Godzilla.
Godzilla caused lots of property damage around Asia and North America before it was finally driven back into the sea. Obviously, this is based on the Japanese movie in real life of the same name-minus the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
Major Story Arcs
Civil War
The Civil War started when the New Warriors (consisting of Robbie Baldwin, Namorita, Microbe, and Night Thrasher) went on a basic mission to catch four criminals in an old house.
They included Speedfreek and an old Captain Marvel villain- Nitro. These villains had escaped from The Raft when Electro broke them out. The New Warriors easily defeated the villains-but Nitro was escaping.
Namorita stopped him, but he let off an explosion, destroying Stamford and murdering 600 people.
Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man,**** proposed the Superhuman Registration Act, where all super humans would have to register their powers and identities. They'd basically be cops. Maria Hill, who was the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. supported the Act, and eventually it was passed.
Many super humans disagreed with the Act, the most important and prolific being Captain America. S.H.I.E.L.D. was enlisted by the U.S. government to take down Cap and his anti-registration hero team, the Secret Avengers.
New S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents, nicknamed cape-killers, went after anti-reg heroes. S.H.I.E.L.D. was led by Maria Hill, and was fully pro-reg. Iron Man worked closely with S.H.I.E.L.D. also-he revealed his identity as Tony Stark.
Many battles were fought. Eventually, Tony Stark's pro-registration side-and S.H.I.E.L.D. won. However, Maria Hill found out why she had been made the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., as aforementioned-to keep more effective "Fury loyalists" out and be loyal to the U.S. She was not supposed to be effective, and she wasn't.
Dismayed, she turned leadership of S.H.I.E.L.D. over to the man she thought deserved it most-Tony Stark. Stark, also Iron Man, is currently the leader and head of S.H.I.E.L.D..
H.A.M.M.E.R.
In the fallout of Secret Invasion Norman Osborn is granted the keys to the whole world and closes down S.H.I.E.L.D. and replaces it with his own special forces known as H.A.M.M.E.R. He also replaces all of the organization's Stark Tech (which had been compromised during the Secret Invasion) with technology and weapons created by Oscorp.
Nick Fury also discovers a dark secret about who as been pulling S.H.I.E.L.D.'s strings the whole time he was an agent in Secret Warriors #1.
Weapons and Equipment
LMDs
S.H.I.E.L.D. has a lot of technology, important technology that is often used. Perhaps the most important is the LMD- Life Model Decoy.
The Life Model Decoy is an android that is absolutely indistinguishable from whoever it impersonates. Fingerprints, DNA, hair, speech, thought patterns (for telepaths), anything, the Decoy is exactly the same. However, it is an android.
LMDs are used to duplicate people and take their place if they are going to be assassinated or there is a strong chance of an attack. LMDs have been used in place of personnel since the beginning of the organization, including Jessica Drew.
Most often, they have been used as a substitute for Nick Fury, who has had at least five LMDs destroyed in attempts to have him killed. These robots are a lot of the reason that many key S.H.I.E.L.D. members are still alive.
The Zodiac, a criminal organization, was created using stolen S.H.I.E.L.D. LMDs. Also, LMDs have gained sentience a few times. The Deltites were a group of LMDs that gained sentience and tried to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D.. They were narrowly defeated by Nick Fury.
Red Ronin
S.H.I.E.L.D. also has used robot exoskeletons and gargantuan robots to achieve its ends. Red Ronin is the most important of those. Red Ronin was a huge, super powerful robot that was used by the Godzilla Squad.
The robot was destroyed by Godzilla before he was driven into the sea. It was rebuilt, but was hijacked by a mad scientist who was trying to start World War Three. It was stopped by the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. regained the remains.
It has been stolen and used for evil many times, by Dr. Doom, The Hand, and Henry Gyrich. Each time, the robot has been defeated and rebuilt (by heroes like Wasp and Hulk)-only to be stolen again. Red Ronin is currently possessed and used by the evil villain The Fixer-it appears that the cycle is still going.
The Helicarrier
Of course, the most prolific technology created and used by S.H.I.E.L.D. is the Helicarrier.
The Helicarrier is outfitted with weapons, security, and is constantly filled with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who are extremely effective and good fighters.
The Helicarrier is always being attacked by villains, and they are barely ever successful. A smaller version of the Helicarrier, the Behemoth, is often used by S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents on missions, including by the Squad and by Dum Dum Dugan.
The Behemoth is similar to the Helicarrier, only there is less weapons, technology, and it isn't as fast or powerful.
As for other technology, S.H.I.E.L.D. has access to an infinite amount of military-level tech. Tools, weapons, anything that's used, S.H.I.E.L.D. can get.
Anything from pistols to nuclear weapons is easily attainable. Fighter jets are often used by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents when it is necessary for their mission.
⚡ Happy 🎯 Heroclix 💫 Friday! 👽
_____________________________
A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
Secret Identity: N/A
Publisher: Marvel
First appearance: Strange Tales #135 (August 1965)
Created by: Stan Lee (writer)
Jack Kirby (artist)
* Steranko art
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/48269254846/
** Nick Fury identity crisis
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/53250989962/
*** Baron von Strucker and Hydra
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/51932058251/
**** Tony Stark, Iron Man
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/52817252977/
***** Godzilla
Deboxing new Elsa 16'' Singing Doll. The Try Me button has been freed from the front window, then inner box is slid out of the outer box. The doll is attached to the backing, which is free standing.
I've finally gotten around to deboxing the Elsa Deluxe Feature Doll. I am way more impressed with her than I thought I would be. As with the Rapunzel Feature doll, the Try Me button on Elsa makes her sing about 10 seconds of Let It Go, and the lights in her forearms and cape turn on. The ten lights on the cape alternately light up on one side then the other as she sings. Once the Try Me button is detached from the front window, we can slide the doll out from the bottom of the box. The Try Me button is attached to her back, along with the lights on her cape. After the Try Me button is unplugged from her back, Elsa's sound and lights are triggered by sliding her ice swirl accessory a little way along her right hand. It is a bit hard to do the first time you try it, as the fit is very snug on her hand, and you have to push the bottom of the accessory very hard to get it to switch on her special effects. She sings about 30 seconds of Let It Go, the same segment as the older 16 inch singing Elsa doll. The singing is very clear, and just the right volume. I haven't compared the old doll with the new yet, as I need to replace the batteries on the old doll. The most outstanding feature of the doll is her cape, which has a glittery pattern of snowflakes and icicles completely covers the cape, and is even more detailed than the Classic Elsa's cape. It is slightly longer than floor length, so can hold its position. It is fully lined, to enclose the lights inside the cape. The other awesome feature of the doll are her semi transparent blue ice heels, which also have some glitter embedded.
Elsa Deluxe Feature Doll - 16'' H
now $29.95
reg $49.95, you save: 40%
Item No. 6002040901302P
Frozen delight
Empower any Frozen collection when unboxing this stunning Deluxe Doll to surprise all with her beautiful sculpturing, glittering costume, and special play features. Elsa's snowflake scepter lights up as she sings!
Magic in the details...
• Place snowflake scepter on Elsa's hand to see it light-up while she sings
• Detailed costume
• Glitter accents
• Braided, rooted hair
• Includes snowflake power accessory
• Comes in collector's display box with satin carry strap
• Part of the Disney Deluxe Feature Doll Collection
The bare necessities
• Ages 3+
• Requires 6 x LR44/AG13 button cell batteries, included
• Plastic / polyester
• Doll: 16'' H
• Imported
Safety
WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Small Parts. Not for children under 3 years.
-
The short version is that I’ve been working on Goodnight Sweetheart for three years. It’s a small photo book featuring photographs of dumped mattresses that I’ve found on my travels. I love a dumped mattress. Once buoyant and full of spring, they’re now tatty and waiting for the bin, ...
-
Read on at: emulsive.org/articles/projects/featured-project-goodnight...
-
Filed under: #Articles, #Projects, #AnilMistry, #PhotoBook, #TheCALMZone
#shootfilmbenice #filmphotography # believeinfilm
Delighted to guest feature in the current edition of GIZMODO with a series of six of my nocturnals and urban landscapes.... Check it out in the link below....
sploid.gizmodo.com/earth-can-a-be-really-spooky-alien-loo...
In case you were wondering, this is how GIZMODO describes itself.... "At Gizmodo—or, "Giz" for short—we love technology, we love gadgets, we love science, we love all kind of toys big and small. We love beautiful and smart design, we love architecture that you dream of living and working in, aircraft that fly at three times the speed of sound, spaceships that reach every corner of the solar system, sleek vessels that sail across Earth's oceans, geek culture, science-fiction, and all things weird and wonderful that geeks would love. And we love to write about all those things..."
The Secret Garden is so named by be because I very nearly missed it when I was wandering around the Gardens of St Erth. The entrance is partially obscured by a wonderful green bower, and were it not for a small amount of stonework around the pond and a bench at the far end, I would not have thought to go inside. It is actually called Koban's Pool; named for former owners Tommy and Penny Garnett's Labrador who loved to wallow there. The garden features shady foliage trees, shade tolerant plants and water pants that grow in profusion from the pond.
I spent a delightful Saturday with the Famous Flickr Five+ Group in Blackwood at the Garden of St Erth. As my first Famous Flickr Five+ excursion, I was just delighted by how kind and welcoming everyone was. I look forward to future trips to places I have never been (such as the garden of St Erth) with the Famous Flickr Five+ Group in the future.
In 1854 a Cornish stonemason named Matthew Rogers decided to pursue his luck in the goldfields around Mount Blackwood in Victoria, so he packed up his life in Sydney and journeyed south. His venture proved successful, as he became one of the gold rush's most successful miners.
In the 1860s, Matthew built a modest sandstone cottage from stone quarried from around Bacchus Marsh behind a boot factory in an area known as Simmonds Reef, just outside what was then the very busy and thriving gold mining community of Blackwood which at the time had a population of some 13,000 people. He named it "St Erth" after his Cornwall birthplace. The original title was dated 1867, but it is believed the house was built before then.
The sandstone cottage is typical of Victorian architecture found in Australia at that time. Built in Victorian Georgian style. It features a symmetrical facade of exposed sandstone brick with sash windows either side of the front door, all of which are characteristics of Victorian Georgian architecture. The shady verandah, today covered in curling wisteria vine, features elegant, slender posts, which is also typical of the architectural style, as is the medium pitch corrugated iron roof.
Matthew attached a wooden building to the western end of his neat stone cottage which served as the Blackwood post office for a time, and also a general store; both essential parts of the burgeoning community.
The gold rush lasted for twenty eight years. Matthew's daughter Elizabeth and her husband Jim Terrill continued to maintain the store, but as gold ran out, the wooden buildings of the town were moved to Trentham. For a time the house lay empty and the bush moved back in. Eventually it was bought by a group of Melbourne businessmen who called themselves the Simmons Reef Shire Council.
Today, "St Erth" is the Garden of St Erth; a wonderful garden featuring fruit trees, an espalier orchard, heirloom vegetables, perennials, daffodils, tulips, flowering shrubs and a plant nursery. The Garden of St Erth is one of two main sites in Victoria for the Diggers Club, who specialise in growing and selling heirloom variety plants and old fashioned exotic plants. The homestead forms the entry to the beautiful garden, as well as a shop showcasing the heritage seeds, gardening equipment and myriad gardening products in line with the Diggers Club's commitment to sustainable gardening. Outside there's a plant nursery with a wonderful array of trees and plants for sale. A pretty cafe offers drinks, cakes and meals indoors or out featuring where possible local produce and some sourced from the garden.
Matthew Rogers was born at St. Erth, Cornwall, on 11th June 1824, he arrived in Victoria in 1854 with his wife Mary, and came to Blackwood about 1855. Matthew and Mary Rogers were the wealthiest people in Simmons Reef. Matthew did well from his mine called "Mount Rogers Big Hill Mine". He is stated to have made a fortune out of ore that yielded one and a half pennyweights to the ton. Mary Ann Rogers was born in Hayle in Cornwall 24th June 1828. She looked after the store and the Post Office attached to the house. The Rogers had no children, and adopted a girl born in 1872, called Elizabeth. Mary Ann Rogers died on the 27th of August 1896, aged 68 years. Matthew Rogers died on the 6th of January 1902.
Nestled against the Wombat State Forest, the township of Blackwood was originally founded in 1855 during the Victorian gold rush. The township's post office was opened in September 1855, and was known as Mount Blackwood until 1921. The township has shrunk significantly since the gold rush ended, and today many of its properties are weekenders for Melbourne professionals. The town still has a main street featuring a post office and general store, a pub, a cafe and an antique shop. It still retains some of its original miners cottages beyond "St Erth". It is a quiet, sleepy town, and is a delightful retreat for some peace and quiet. Blackwood is perhaps best known today for its music and culture festival held in November. It attracts artists from across the world.
Some of my drawings featured in Thomas Thorspecken's brand new book URBAN SKECHTING: the complete guide to techniques.
Available an Amazon.
- FEATURING -
#Klubb "Solace" Lingerie & Interactive Cash Addon
- LOCATION -
The Warehouse Sale
#sl #secondlife #secondlifeavi #secondlifephotography #secondlifeavatar #secondlifephoto #secondlifelgbt #art #artist #metaverse #aiart #blogger #slblogger #secondlifeblogger #blog
So after borrowing the Harlot for a photoshoot meetup event at my studio I was invited to do a feature shoot of the bike for Show Class magazine. The magazine is a dedicated subscription monthly book about the chopper world. Die hards know about it, the average magazine rack at your local store does not. This was exciting because of the credibility that is involved with getting your bike featured in such a mag, so when Eric the owner contacted me and asked if I would shoot for it, I jumped at the chance.
Rather than doing the typical portraits of a chopper amongst an auto shop, or near some industrial estate, I thought we could do something a bit different. Lots of the back alleys and old houses in the neighborhood nearby offered an "off the mainstream path" sort of depiction without getting out of the city. Neighborhoods where these enthusiasts tinker in their small garages, simply because they love the craft and art of these bikes. Seeing the dirt, overgrowth, and alike, meant that this isn't some poser show bike; it's a bike that gets to ride and be seen. We decided on almost 20 images for the article, but these two I've included I thought really captured the vibe of the day, and the rest were detail shots that showcase the build of the bike.
@lifebypixels