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Note: this photo was published in an Apr 14, 2010 EveryBlock New York City zipcode block titled "10009." It was also published in a Sep 16, 2010 blog titled "Free Wi-Fi Coming To NYC Parks Is Basically Worthless."
Moving into 2011, the photo was published in an undated (early Jan 2011) "Mr. Blues Guy" blog, as an illustration of a song titled "Slash-fiction blues." It was also published in a Jun 13, 2011 blog titled "Lleva tu oficina siempre contigo." It was also published in a Jul 30, 2011 blog titled "CROWDSOURCING CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT." And it was published in an Aug 27, 2011 blog titled "Is Facebook Bumming You Out?" It was also published in an Oct 11, 2011 blog titled "Creating Secure Passwords That Are Easy to Remember." And it was published in a Dec 20, 2011 blog titled "Facebook's New App Might Help Lower Suicide Rate."
Moving into 2012, the photo was published in a Jun 20, 2012 blog titled "Being the Most." It was also published in a Sep 25, 2012 blog titled "Free Chess Games."
Moving into 2013, the photo was published in a Jul 16, 2013 blog titled "New York City Offers Free Wi-Fi in 32 More Parks With Purpose-Defeating 10-Minute Limit" as well as a Jul 23, 2013 blog titled "وب سایت شما هم تاثیری در کسب و کارتان."
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Ever since I first arrived in New York City in the late 60s, I've known that the "scene" in the East Village was centered in St. Marks Place and Tompkins Square; that's where you went to find the music, the hippies, the drugs, the homeless people, and the excitement ... and, quite often, the cops and the folks that you'd just as soon not encounter after dark. But despite having ridden and driven past the park numerous times, I never actually spent any time there; so, in the spirit of checking out my long list of unexplored spots in the Big Apple, I decided to spend an hour or two in the park this past weekend.
While I knew that Tompkins Square Park had maintained a certain level of notoriety since the 60s, I didn't realize that its "activist" roots went back much further. Opened in 1850 and named after Daniel Tompkins -- a Vice President under James Monroe, and the governor of New York from 1808-1817 -- the park was the scene of the deadly 1863 Draft Riots during the Civil War, and was the scene of attacks, in 1857, by the police on immigrants protesting unemployment and food shortages. It was also the scene of the "Tompkins Square Riot" in 1874, when police crushed a demonstration involving several thousand workers; and the scene of a squabble with the National Guard in 1877 when 5,000 people gathered to hear Communist revolutionary speeches.
Well, all of that is past -- and even the riot of August 1988, when 44 people were injured when police attempted to clear the park of homeless people, seems lost in dim memories. Today, the park is clean and friendly, with lots of children, families, and people with dogs wandering its pathways and stretching out on the large grassy areas. At the same time, I found that it lacked the energy, the vitality, and the hard-to-define "buzz" that I've felt in other parks around the city. There were no musicians, no artists, no jugglers, no mimes, no fountains with children splashing in the water. There was a guy making some kind of religious speech on a loudspeaker, but most people ignored him; the only comment I heard was a loud, grouchy, "Aw, shut up!" from someone passing by. There were a couple of chess games underway at the entrance on 7th Street and Avenue "A," but even those seemed somewhat listless and lackluster...
Maybe I just picked the wrong weekend; it turns out, for example, that the French Embassy and the NYC Department of Parks sponsor a free outdoor French film festival at sunset on Friday nights in June and July. And then there's the Halloween party (in October, obviously, not in April), which boasts an annual attendance of 2,000 spectators and 400 costumed dogs (all of which is part of a fundraiser to maintain the large dog run in one corner of the park).
But while I was here, I wandered around and took a couple hundred photos of the people who seemed most interesting ... from which I chose 20 that seemed worthy of uploading to Flickr. That's what you'll find in this set.
Publish Janu,18/01/ 2017 BD LIVE HITS is a YouTube Chanel that presents all Hit Model, , Videos, News, , Live Performance, Juicy jokes etc ! ** Sonam's going to Hollywood!** Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, after traveling to Hollywood. Huma kuresirao international film debut. Britain, however, the film is not Hollywood. Sonam's father Anil Kapoor has already recovered Hollywood debut. Mission impossible: Ghost Protocol, and he acted in Slumdog Millionaire. Now Hollywood is Sonam. Ease of coffee with Sonam has acknowledged. Huma Qureshi international film debut. He is working with the director, Gurinder cadda his name. Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder's film. Huma Qureshi is going to release the film in the UK on March 3 this year. Subscribe our channel : goo.gl/FD2h1b Share the video youtu.be/5D2hCeYZPOI Facebook fun page : ift.tt/2gF3THr Twitter : twitter.com/anis01713734673 *****KEYWORD****** ** Sonam's going to Hollywood**
I just published my first ebook on Smashwords and Amazon. Each company sells it for different kinds of e-readers. If you're curious you can download a small sample on either site.
Anyway, it was a bit of a challenge to get it done but I'm super happy it's done now. I've had an earlier version of this book and another one with all animal photographs for sale as printed mini-books for years now (I sell them at craft fairs), but always wanted to get them online too.
Happy Earth Day!
After the crash: will homelessness become the life style of Banksters?
Published photograph in:
banking.naiksweb.com/homeless-man-in-front-of-a-wells-far...
Note: this photo was published in a Jul 13, 2011 blog titled " Adopting through Foster Care."
Moving into 2012, it was also published in an undated (late May 2012) blog titled "Adoption Through Foster Care." And it was published in a Dec 7, 2012 blog titled "Here's How Parents And Kids Interact On Facebook."
Moving into 2013, the photo was published in a Jan 2, 2013 blog titled "10 Financial Resolutions That Should Top Every Parent's List This Year." It was also published in a Jan 14, 2013 blog titled "13 Common Mistakes That Can Blow Your Finances." It was also published in a Feb 28, 2013 blog titled "Gender: Sheryl Sandberg Presents: Deeply Troubling Stats About Women," as well as a Mar 1, 2013 blog titled "9 Reasons You Should Care About The Sequester." And it was published in an Apr 8, 2013 blog titled "Men Get Depressed About Not Having Kids." It was also published in a Jul 25, 2013 blog titled "Teach Us To Pray."
Moving into 2014, the photo was published in a Feb 25, 2014 blog titled "Resolve to Plan Your Estate in 2014." It was also published in a Jul 24, 2014 blog titled "Tips to Help You Invest in Your Kids."
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On my third visit to Rome this year, I decided that I had seen enough of Piazza del Popolo, Castel Sant'Angelo, Piazza san Pietro, and the Spanish Steps. Of course, there are lots of other magnificent sights in Rome, but I wanted something that would also have a lot of people around; after all, you can only take one or two pictures of a church or a statue, but there are endless variations of "people shots."
So I ended up in Piazza Navona, which was decorated for Christmas and full of sights and sounds that were apparently intended to attract families with children, as well as tourists and local visitors. There were clowns and balloons, costumed mimes, a man and a woman at opposite ends of the piazza blowing utterly enormous soap-bubbles, as well as vendors hawking toys and balloons and pastries and panini sandwiches. There is an enormous statue in the middle of the piazza, with gargoyles and mythic creatures, plus a merry-go-round, and a few other amusements.
But it was the people that I focused my attention on. Lots of kids, eyes filled with wonder at the sights and sounds around them; plenty of tourists from all over the place; romantic couples strolling hand-in-hand as they sampled the snacks and drinks on sale. I was delighted to see that there were lots of local people in the piazza too; it seems to be a popular place for families to bring their children.
Anyway, I took some 500+ photos, winnowed the collection down to 50 "keepers," tweaked and edited the keepers as best I could, and uploaded them here to Flickr for your enjoyment...
Oor Wullie (English: Our Willie) is a Scottish comic strip published in the D.C. Thomson newspaper The Sunday Post.
It features a character called Wullie Russell .
Wullie is the familiar Scots nickname for boys named William.
His trademarks are spiky hair, dungarees and an upturned bucket, which he uses as a seat - most strips since early 1ii937 begin and end with a single panel of Wullie sitting on his bucket.
The earliest strips, with little dialogue, ended with Wullie complaining ("I nivver get ony fun roond here!").
The artistic style settled down by 1940 and has changed little since. A frequent tagline reads, "Oor Wullie! Your Wullie! A'body's Wullie!" (Our Willie! Your Willie! Everybody's Willie!).
Created by Thomson editor R. D. Low and drawn by cartoonist Dudley D. Watkins, the strip first appeared on 8 March 1936.
Watkins continued to draw Oor Wullie until his death in 1969, after which the Post recycled his work into the 1970s.
New strips were eventually commissioned from Tom Lavery, followed by Peter Davidson and Robert Nixon. Ken H. Harrison drew the strip from 1989 until 1997, when Davidson resumed duties.
Between January 2005 and 2006 storylines were written by broadcaster Tom Morton from his home in Shetland, and subsequently they were written by Dave Donaldson, managing director of Thomson's comics division.
The current writer is former Dandy editor Morris Heggie.
The Oor Wullie bucket Trail begins on the 17th June 2019 and is even bigger than the last one 3 years ago.
In 2016 Dundee held a bucket trail with over 50 sculptures all painted with different designs to celebrate 80 years of Oor Wullie.
This was a huge success with the sculptures raising over £800,000 at auction for the local childrens charity.
They have decided to bring it back this year but on a far bigger scale with 150 sculptures and this time you will be able to find them not only in Dundee, but Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and a few dotted in other towns and cities across the country.
At the end of the summer these will once again be auctioned off and the money will be split between 3 childrens charities.
Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail runs for 11 weeks from 17th June 2019 – 30th August 2019, culminating in a series of Farewell Events and nationwide auctions in each of the five host cities, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness.
Scotland’s first ever national public art trail aims to unite the country as it raises awareness and vital funds for Scotland’s children’s hospital charities.
Funds raised through the trail will support Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity,Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity,and the ARCHIE Foundation, helping children in hospital across the country.
Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail is a Wild in Art event, and would not be possible without the support of DC Thomson Media.
I have taken a keen interest in this event and intend to capture all of the sculptures across the city, posting some of my favourite shots here on Flickr.
Published by O Globo, Brazil april, 1940
Cover art: Bill Everett Marvel Mystery Comics No. 3/1940 - Timely Publications from page #1.
The Dawn of Timely Comics in Brazil.
First appearance of characters in this issue: Atlantes, Red Mask, Namor: The Sub-Mariner Prince.
Story's Included in this edition are:
a.) Characters:
Namor, The Submarine Prince
Screenplay: Bill Everett
Drawing: Bill Everett
Original editor: Martin Goodman
Originally published in Marvel Mystery Comics (1939) n ° 2/1939 - Timely Publications
b.)Characters:
Red Mask
Screenplay: Will Harr
Design: Maurice Gutwirth
Originally published in Daring Mystery Comics (1940) n ° 2/1940 - Timely Publications
c.) Characters:
Gong (The Clock)
Screenplay: George Brenner
Design: George Brenner
Original editor: Ed Cronin
Originally published in Feature Funnies (1937) n ° 14/1938 - Quality Comics
Historically important the very first Timely Comic in Brazilian History.
Thought to be the first complete International Edition of Timely Comics Globally outside the US.
Cover art and Interior complete story by Bill Everett.
Cover art: Bill Everett Marvel Mystery Comics No. 3/1940 - Timely Publications from page #1.
The beginning Internationally of the of Marvel Comics in the Foreign Comic market.
O Globo the single most important publisher in Brazilian history, and when is all said and done I feel the historians will state the obvious.
They were the Pioneers that brought history to the International market, with complete stories and original art of the Grand Masters.
Bill Everett and Carl Burgos among others.
Heaslip House [architects: Alfred H. Chapman, 1938-39 (O'Keefe House); Lett Architects, Rounthwaite Dick & Hadley, 2005-6]. Side view. Published by the Ryersonian, 2006
© Stephanie Fysh 2006; all rights reserved
Three thousand head on a hillside is a lot of sheep but it is only when they were compressed into a great flowing river between houses and parked cars of old Zaragoza that it was possible to appreciate what such a mass really means.
A boy in the slum at Gulbai Tekra who had just bought this kite. The Uttarayan Kite Festival is a great day that cuts across divisions of wealth and caste. I spent the morning of Uttarayan in this slum as it is especially vibrant on any festival, especially one as colourful as this.
Published in Serendib magazine (Sri Lankan Airlines) in January, 2008.
Published in January 1894 by The Historical Publishing Company, author J. W. Buel, this book contains 300 photographs of every aspect of the fair.
The World's Fair: Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the New World in 1492. At the core of the fair was an area that quickly became known as the White City for its buildings with white stucco siding and its streets illuminated by electric lights.
I'm a little late to the party, have any of you guys seen this one yet?
Well after a little mix up with the contributer copies I finally received the August/September issue today that scored my second cover shot with R.M.Williams OUTBACK magazine!
I'm always super pumped when I see my shots in print with these guys :)
For all the Lincoln crew out there, the cover shot was taken in Boston Bay while doing my PADI dive course.
Cheers n beers,
Rob
Character Creation
The Human Torch (Jonathan Lowell "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four.
He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of a similar, previous character, the android Human Torch of the same name and powers who was created in 1939 by writer-artist Carl Burgos for Marvel Comics' predecessor company, Timely Comics.
Like the rest of the Fantastic Four, Johnny gained his powers on a spacecraft bombarded by cosmic rays. He can engulf his entire body in flames, fly, absorb fire harmlessly into his own body, and control any nearby fire by sheer force of will. "Flame on!", which the Torch customarily shouts when activating his full-body flame effect, has become his catchphrase.
The youngest of the group, he is brash and impetuous in comparison to his reticent, overprotective and compassionate older sister, Susan Storm, his sensible brother-in-law, Reed Richards, and the grumbling Ben Grimm. In the early 1960s, he starred in a series of solo adventures, published in Strange Tales. The Human Torch is also a friend and frequent ally of the superhero Spider-Man, who is approximately the same age.
In film, the Human Torch has been portrayed by Jay Underwood in the unreleased 1994 film The Fantastic Four; Chris Evans in the 2005 film Fantastic Four, its 2007 sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Deadpool & Wolverine (2024); Michael B. Jordan in the 2015 film Fantastic Four; and Joseph Quinn in the MCU films The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), Avengers: Doomsday (2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).
Publication history
Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, Johnny Storm is a renovation of Carl Burgos's original character, the android Human Torch, created for Timely Comics in 1939. Storm first appeared in The Fantastic Four #1 (cover-dated Nov. 1961), establishing him as a member of the titular superhero team.
In his plot summary for this first issue, Lee passed on to Kirby that the recently formed Comics Code Authority had told him that the Human Torch was only permitted to burn objects, never people.
Over the course of the series, Johnny being the little brother of teammate Susan Storm a.k.a. the Invisible Girl was one of several sources of tension within the group.
Additionally, he starred in a solo feature in Strange Tales #101-134 (Oct. 1962 – July 1965). An eight-issue series, The Human Torch (Sept. 1974 – Nov. 1975), reprinted stories from that solo feature, along with stories featuring the original android Human Torch.
Later years also saw a 12-issue series, Human Torch (June 2003 - June 2004) by writer Karl Kesel and penciler Skottie Young, and the five-issue team-up miniseries Spider-Man / Human Torch (March–July 2005) by writer Dan Slott and penciler Ty Templeton.
The Human Torch was the permanent co-star of Marvel Team-Up, but was dropped after three issues because the creators found this format too restrictive.
He co-starred in two one-shot comics, Spider-Man & the Human Torch in... Bahia De Los Muertos! #1 (May 2009), by writer Tom Beland and artist Juan Doe, and Incredible Hulk & the Human Torch: From the Marvel Vault #1, a previously unpublished story from 1984, intended for Marvel Team-Up by plotter Jack C. Harris, scriptwriter and artist Kesel, and breakdown artist Steve Ditko.
Character Evolution
Although he was in the Fantastic Four, Johnny still had time to have his own adventures, fighting villains such as the Wizard and Paste-Pot Pete, who would later go on to have grudges against both Johnny and the Fantastic Four. (These adventures were chronicled in Strange Tales). The Human Torch also started dating a fellow student named Dorrie Evans. During the time that the Torch was dating Dorrie, Peter Parker ironically met her one night, and impressed her with his quiet, studying manner as opposed to Johnny's hotheadedness and eagerness.
Deciding that it would be funny to see how she reacted around Spider-Man, Peter changed to Spider-Man, only to end up fighting the Beetle, another of the Human Torch's foes, who was planning to capture Dorrie for revenge on the Torch. Eventually the Torch arrived, and together he and Spider-Man defeated the Beetle and saved Dorrie, one of their earliest team-ups.
After an adventure with the Mole Man, the Sue Storm found a newspaper article which had a small section about her and Johnny's father. The two went to visit him in prison, but unknown to them, the Super-Skrull had kidnapped Franklin Storm and shape shifted to replace him. The Super-Skrull then went on a rampage as the Invincible Man, correctly guessing that the Torch and Invisible Woman wouldn't attack someone who they thought was their father, until Mr. Fantastic discovered the deception.
The Super-Skrull agreed to return Johnny and Sue's father, but moments after they saw him, he yelled at them to escape, before a bomb which had been implanted in him exploded. Thankfully, no one was hurt except for Franklin, but he was gone from Johnny and Sue's life once more.
Major Story Arcs
The Frightful Four
By now, Reed and Sue had agreed to marry, but shortly before they could, the Fantastic Four's counterpart, the Frightful Four (consisting mostly of old enemies of the Human Torch) attacked the group. One of Johnny Storm's best moments was during the first battle with the Frightful Four, FF #36. The evil FF had captured the Invisible Girl, the Thing, Mr. Fantastic and Alicia Masters while Torch was absent from the Baxter Building. Wizard brilliantly attached anti-gravity discs to all four and sent them up into the atmosphere to meet certain death. However, Alicia Masters was able to signal Torch with the FF flare signal before being captured. Hence, Johnny was able to come and capture the Wizard and force him to fly a plane and rescue the missing three FF members and Alicia.
If not for the Human Torch saving the day, his three partners and Alicia Masters most certainly would have suffocated high in the atmosphere! The next battle with the evil FF came in issue #38, "Defeated by the Frightful Four". As part of the Frightful Four's plans, they managed to trap the Fantastic Four on a deserted island with an atomic bomb. This took place following Medusa's capture of the Invisible Girl. Although Sue was able to protect the group with a force field, the radiation still somehow affected them and took away the Fantastic Four's powers.
The team was then attacked by Doctor Doom, who wanted revenge for having been tricked into thinking that he had defeated the team the last time they clashed. The team managed to regain their powers with a special gun of Reed's, but the Thing left the quartet after being forced to have his powers back. Following him the Thing, both he and the Human Torch were brainwashed by the Frightful Four into joining the group. After a lengthy fight between the Frightful Four and Fantastic Four, Johnny and the Thing were cured, but a member of the Frightful Four, Medusa, managed to escape.
Inhumans
Johnny would encounter Medusa shortly after Reed and Sue's wedding, when she was being chased by a mysterious man named Gorgon. Medusa revealed to the Torch that she and Gorgon were both from a mysterious race, who had superpowers. Before she could reveal any more, Gorgon managed to capture her. Johnny shortly ran into another member of the race, (which Reed dubbed the Inhumans), Crystal, whom he fell in love with at first sight. Johnny managed to convince Crystal and the rest of the Inhumans that humans were not their enemies, but shortly afterwards, Black Bolt (the King of the Inhumans) brother Maximus trapped all of the Inhumans inside a "negative energy" dome, which the Fantastic Four only just managed to escape.
Following this, the Fantastic Four had their first encounter with Galactus and the Silver Surfer. (It should be noted before moving on to Galactus that some FF fans were disappointed that Stan Lee did not allow Johnny Storm and Crystal to marry and to bring Crystal on to the FF team as a permanent member. Crystal did go on to do a superb job as a temporary replacement for Sue during Sue's maternity leave.
Unfortunately, due to health reasons, Crystal was forced to leave Johnny and go back to live with the Inhumans. She and Johnny never did get back together and she ended up marrying Quicksilver. It would seem likely that the reason that Stan Lee did not make Crystal a permanent member of the team is because he did not wish to change the name of the group from Fantastic Four to Fantastic Five.)
To battle Galactus, Johnny was selected specifically by the Watcher to retrieve a great weapon he had in a safe place. Johnny was able to retrieve the weapon, known as the Ultimate Nullifier, and they threatened Galactus with it, who left the planet alone.
Galactus
While in a in a singles bar Johnny met Frankie Ray and later met up to go on a date. On their first date, Frankie learned that Johnny was the Human Torch when he had to save a man's life. Frankie was repressed of her memory about the accident that gave her super-powers, until one day it came to light. Reed helped her learn the truth of her past. Frankie and Johnny soon became a couple and Frankie even became a member in-training.
When Galactus needed to consume the Earth to survive, Frankie volunteered to become his next herald to explore space and have adventures as long as he spared the Earth. Galactus accepted, endowing Frankie with the Power Cosmic and called herself Nova. Johnny lost his second love that day.
Secret Wars
During the Secret Wars, when the Beyonder transported a group of heroes and villains to Battleworld, the Thing decided to leave the Fantastic Four and live among monsters at Monster Island. Johnny and Alicia Masters would soon start a relationship during the Thing’s absence.
Johnny Storm and Alicia Masters are about to get married, but the Mad Thinker and Wizard plan to take advantage of the event. The Thing and the Puppet Master have different plans and manage to stop the two evil geniuses. Reed and Sue decide to take some time away from the Fantastic Four and leave the Thing in charge. And his first duty is to find replacements for the two. Thing finds Crystal and Ms. Marvel as the replacements. Johnny is torn between his first love Crystal and his now wife Alicia.
Skrull Homeworld
Just when Reed and Sue return to the team, it is revealed that Alicia is really a Skrull named Lyja. The Fantastic Four take off to the Skrull Homeworld to save the real Alicia Masters from their clutches. Upon finding this out Johnny would have nothing to do with Lyja, despite the fact that she was branded traitor for helping the Fantastic Four save the real Alicia. Lyja then disappears.
Lyja eventually returns and teams-up with Devos, the Devastator, and Paibok, the Power Skrull and are out for Johnny’s blood. During the battle Johnny accidentally goes Super-Nova and starts the Empire University on fire.
Johnny then becomes a wanted man by people who he once called friends and ally. After being hunted by Silver Sable’s Wild Pack, Daredevil, Spider-Man, and the Secret Defenders. Johnny eventually has his day in court, but the Huntara, Paibok, Klaw and Devos chose this opportunity to strike. Unfortunately Johnny has some super-powered allies to lend a hand. Lyja returns, but now both Johnny and his Ben are fighting for her affections. Not wanting to cause problems between the two she again disappears.
Infinity War
Johnny's double of himself and some of Earth’s other heroes at the beginning of the Infinity War attacked Johnny, creating mixed emotions from having to battle his friends. Creating doppelgangers of Earth’s heroes, the evil Magus planned to remake the universe in his image. Johnny joined all of Earth’s heroes in battle with their evil counterparts before the final defeat of the Magus.
Infinity Crusade
The Magus’ opposite, the Goddess, started the next major event that would be known as the Infinity Crusade. Preying on the religious beliefs of others to manipulate them into joining her cause, Sue was coerced into allying with the Goddess. This cause Johnny to question his faith since he believed he and his sister were equally strong in their beliefs.
Onslaught
The next major threat was a being known as Onslaught, a psionic creature created out of the minds of Professor X and Magneto. It took all of Earth’s heroes to combat this threat. In the end the all non-mutant heroes sacrificed themselves to defeat him and it seemed that the Avengers, the Fantastic Four and many other heroes were gone forever.
Counter Earth
Franklin used his abilities to create a pocket universe for all the heroes to remain living on. On this Counter Earth, Johnny and the other Four lived out their lives anew, not knowing the events of the past. With the help of Roma, this Earth was brought back to Johnny’s original dimension and all the heroes returned to life, although confused over the previous events.
After the death of Galactus, the evil embodiment of destruction known as Abraxas was unleashed on the universe. Abraxas planned to destroy all life in the multiverse. A plan was developed to find the Ultimate Nullifier since Johnny was the only one aware of it’s location, although subconsciously. The other members of the team traveled to other universes to gain pieces of the Nullifiers location from alternate Johnny’s. In the meantime, Johnny and an alternate reality Frankie Raye began the search for it. Once they found the Nullifier, Nova revealed she was really the Herald of Abraxas and took the Nullifier to give to her master. Franklin and Valeria were able to revive Galactus, who was able to easily defeat Abraxas.
Civil War
During the Superhuman Civil War, Johnny is severely beaten in a night club by people outraged by the events in Stamford and super heroes in general. When he awoke, the team had split in many separate ways. Johnny joined Sue on Captain America’s anti-registration Secret Avengers team. At the end of the war, the team reunited. Reed and Sue took a short leave for a honeymoon to rekindle, leaving the Black Panther and Storm in their place.
Team Turmoil
Over time, the stability of the Fantastic Four began to diminish. Johnny began to start searching for a career as an actor. Johnny actually won a major role in a summer blockbuster but soon realized he wasn’t up to the task. Johnny began working in television instead before finally becoming a New York City firefighter. He returned to be the Chief Financial Officer of the Fantastic Four and even averted disaster with his leadership abilities.
After another battle with the teams greatest foe Doctor Doom, Reed attempted to take over Latveria. This caused a major misunderstanding, turning the United States government and the team against him. With the resulting death of the Thing, the team split up once again. Johnny took to his old love, automobile repair. He was plagued by hallucinations that Ben was not dead, which in fact he was not and was returned to his normal state.
The team next had to deal with an alien scientist named Zius. He had developed a cloak to hide planets from the world devourer Galactus, but the Invisible Woman’s powers threatened his plans. He demanded she sacrifice herself to save billions of lives. To protect Sue, Reed used a specially designed machine to switch her powers with Johnny. This fooled Zius and he left the planet. This did not fool Galactus who destroyed Zius and claimed Johnny (with Sue’s invisibility powers) as his new herald. Galactus bestowed a portion of his Power Cosmic to Johnny and forced him to see through the cloaks and find him planets to feed on. Johnny was not mentally altered by Galactus and hid many planets from him for as long as he could. As Galactus’ patience dwindled the remainder of the team and Quasar came and rescued him.
Death
A second Annihilation Wave under the command of Annihilus' Anti-Priest, the head of the Cult of Annihilus, fought The Universal Inhumans and later, under "Kid Annihilus'" personal command, they initially breached The Negative Zone portal in The Baxter Building in an attempt to ignite the Second Great Annihilation War. The Human Torch managed to hold them off until the gateway could be completely sealed and was cut down shortly afterward by the vast wave of Arthrian cultists and their child lord, much to the dismay and horror of a powerless Ben Grimm and his godchildren, Franklin and Valeria Richards. It is noteworthy that two different polls of fans could be found across the internet prior to the "death issue". The polls for who fans wanted to die consistently showed Mr. Fantastic to be #1 by a wide margin. However, comic fans got it right regarding who they predicted would be killed. The Human Torch won those polls by a significant margin.
Return
During an attempt by Annihilus to open the portal in the Baxter Building, Johnny manages to escape from his prison cell in the Negative Zone. With help from new friends, the Light Brigade, he defeats Annihilus, taking the Cosmic Rod and control of the Annihilation Wave with it. As the portal opens, Johnny is reunited with Spider-Man, who was attempting to stop the Anti-Priest from opening the portal on the Earth side.
Johnny flies into the sky, creating a flaming number four and unites the other members of the FF atop the remains of the Baxter Building. With the Kree attempting to destroy New York, Johnny immediately joins the fight by unleashing his Annihilation Wave through the portal. Leading from the flagship, Pestilence, Johnny takes the wave into space to battle the Kree armada. Galactus suddenly appears between the two fleets and Johnny mobilizes the wave to attack, however is quickly stood down by Reed who tells the team that he summoned the World Eater.
The Kree retreat and the Mad Celestials appear, combining there bodies to attack Galactus and send him hurtling toward Earth. Johnny and the Future Foundation head back to the surface in an attempt to activate a machine the Council of Reed's built to take down the Celestials. The machine doesn't fully work however, only separating the Celestials. Johnny takes flight and attempts to attack one of them, using his Nova ability, but the Celestial regenerates and knocks Johnny back to the ground.
As Johnny looks on with his family, a future version of his niece and nephew appear and future-Franklin destroys the Celestials, saving Reed from their judgement.
Team Player
With Reed, Sue and their kids thought dead after the events of Secret Wars, and Ben off in space with the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Fantastic Four disbands, and the Baxter Building is sold to Parker Industries. Wanting to the honor tJohnny becomes a member of the Avengers Unity Squad, and dons a new uniform to signify this. Around this same time, he also enters into a romantic relationship with Medusa, Crystal's older sister. When Crystal finds out about this, things become strained between the three, and the relationship eventually ends.
Johnny eventually discovers that as Sue's sole living heir, he is entitled to the profits gained from Reed's patents, which turns out to be well over five billion dollars. With his newfound wealth, he purchases Avengers Mansion for the team. During the contest between the Grandmaster and the Challenger, the Avengers seek to protect the planet from these two destructive forces. Learning that both sides are after several small pyramids of incredible power, Johnny manages to grab one of the artifacts, but seemingly perishes in the process. However, he is later revealed to be alive, but held in stasis.
Johnny later discovers that he is beginning to lose his powers, with his flames gradually becoming weaker. This, coupled with the loss of his family, puts him into a depressive state. However, his spirits are raised when Ben returns and tells him that the others may still be alive, and the two set off to locate them. The two later learn that they are both losing their powers due to being cut off from Reed and Sue, as their abilities all share a common source. Although, they never find their family, their family finds their own way home and moves in with Ben and Alicia, now engaged.
Soul-Mate
Reed was obsessed with trying to accomplish the journey that the Fantastic Four were originally meant to take when they got their powers. They packed up the family spaceship and finally successfully made it to Spyre. With the same cosmic storm energy that mutated the F4, the Spyricans used it on volunteers so that they would have the Unparalleled, a superhero team to defend them.
They also had a tradition of “soul-mates.” Similar to marriage, couples are outfitted with special arm bands that connect them. Reed and Sue got their own, having shown up to the planet as a dedicated couple, but Johnny got linked to Unparalleled member, Sky. Eventually, the diplomacy between the F4 and the Unparalleled broke down and the F4 were allowed to leave peacefully. A reluctant Sky, who had faith in the soul-mate tradition, stood by Johnny and returned with them to Earth.
Johnny underestimated how much the arm bands connected Sky to him. For instance, during Knull's invasion, when Johnny was bonded to a symbiote, the symbiote was able to reach through the arm band and bond with Sky as well.
Too Hot
After Johnny’s one night stand with Victorious, he hid under the bed while she took a video call from Dr. Doom. He proposed a marriage of political convenience that she accepted. With few friends, Doom requested Reed be his best man, earning the entire team an invitation to the wedding. During the proceedings, Victorious felt compelled to share that she had been intimate with Johnny, publicly embarrassing Doom, who lashed out at Johnny.
After calling in multiple drones to fight the F4, Doom bombarded Johnny with cosmic rays. This caused his powers to turn extreme, leaving him unable to turn off his fiery form. He was too hot for his family to even get close to him. Reed referred to him more as a Human Star than a Human Torch, powered completely by cosmic rays and no longer required oxygen to create flames. He was forced to move into the deep sub basement of the Baxter Building. He even burns too hot for Reed’s best containment suit, limiting his time outside of the basement.
Thanks to his arm band, Sky also had her animal powers enhanced, turning her feral. She lashed out at Johnny until finally giving up on her people’s soul-mate tradition. Johnny removed the band from her arm, and Sky used Reed’s Forever Gate to return to her home planet.
Reckoning War
The Fantastic Four jump into action when the Badoon destroy The Moon and invade Earth with brand new weaponry. The weaponry reminds Reed of Watcher tech, so he leads his team to find Uatu for answers. They find Nick Fury instead, who had been investigating for the Watcher a group calling themselves The Reckoning. They were supplying upgraded tech to war-like alien races. Uatu knew about them and downloaded his knowledge to a data sphere before the Moon was destroyed. Reed helped himself to the sphere, downloading all The Watcher knowledge to his vulnerable human mind. He saw that The Reckoning was the first race The Watcher’s tried to help, which went so bad they took a vow only to watch from then on. Now, The Reckoning were back.
Reed used his new hyper intelligence to orchestrate a new battle plan. He determines that they are most needed in Shi’ar space defending the M’kraan crystal, but Johnny, angry Reed refused to cure him with his new intelligence, flew off into space to assemble his own army to take on The Reckoning. His recruits included The Starjammers, The Guardians of the Galaxy, The new Kree/Skrull Alliance, and The Unparalleled.
He leads his new cavalry to the home planet of the Watchers. He instructs his team to take on the body of Galactus that had been transformed into an Asgardian Destroyer by Galactus' former heralds to buy his family time to defeat Wrath of the Reckoning without killing anyone. Johnny proves to be almost hot enough to defeat him, but Reed still prepares to use the Ultimate Nullifier, which would also kill him.
Thankfully, Reed was not killed by the Ultimate Nullifier, as it was designed to be used by a Watcher, which he had been turning into. Instead, it burned out the Watcher transformation. Uatu, who had absorbed all of the Watcher knowledge and power for himself, used the power to set everything right. He restored Galactus but with a hunger for knowledge, pulled the barrier down on the edge of space, increasing the universe by 90%, and returned the heroes to their homes.
Johnny was briefly upset that Reed had forgotten how to fix his mutation without the Watcher knowledge. Instead of returning to Earth, he accepted an invitation to Spyre, where The Overseer combined his research with Reed's and found a cure to cosmic mutations. Johnny was happy to be the first test subject, making sure it was safe for the rest of the Monster Mob.
Powers & Abilities
The cosmic radiation that changed Johnny into the Human Torch gave him a vast array of fire and plasma based powers. Members of the Fantastic Four's bodies are constantly absorbing Cosmic Radiation from the atmosphere, growing stronger.
Pyrogenesis: The Human Torch possessed the mental ability to control ambient heat energy and the physical ability to transform his entire body, or portions of his body into a fiery, plasma-like state of will.
Heat Absorption: Johnny’s body is covered by flaming plasma that protects him from flames and heat. He can easily absorb fire and explosions.
Heat Detection: Johnny can detect heat and energy out of living being and machines. Also scale his perceptions up to the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Energy Output: The plasma field around Johnny’s body produces intense flame which can be raised and lowered in temperature. The heat can easily dissipate most projectiles.
Blast Power: The Human Torch can create streams or balls of flame and use them as projectiles. Special attacks include the Nova Flame, a multi-directional attack capable of over 1,000,000 degrees Fahrenheit and the Nova Heat, an offensive beam of heat rivaling the heat of a normal star. Even without using his Nova Blast, Human Torch has been able to reach temperatures hot enough to hurt the likes of Hulk, Namor, the Thing and Silver Surfer, among others.
Fire Control: With his flames, Johnny can create shapes and objects out of flame. He can also control any fire within his range of vision no matter how it formed. Johnny can also control which parts of his body he has in flame in order to touch someone or something that he doesn’t want to burn.
Wind Manipulation: Can alter air currents by changing temperatures.
Flight: As the density of his body changes, Johnny’s body becomes lighter than air, giving him the capabilities of flight. He is also extremely maneuverable. The faster he goes, the shorter his limit becomes. At normal speed (about fifty air miles per hour) he should be able to fly for a half-hour, a distance of twenty-five miles.
Super Speed: The Human Torch can easily break the sound barrier while in flight.
Durability: The Human Torch is surprisingly, and extremely durable. He was able to shake off punches from Gladiator, Namor, and Annihilus.
Immunity to Fire & Heat: The Human Torch is unaffected by heat and flames, including his own, even when part of him is aflame and the rest of him is not. His flesh cannot be scalded or burned by any heat source whose level is below that of his maximum output.
Cold Resistance: Human Torch have a degree of resistance to cold temperatures.
Weaknesses
The Human Torch requires oxygen to use his flame powers. Without it, he would not be able to flame on or would be soon extinguished.
The Human Torch burns through energy rather quickly depending on his energy expenditure. Special attacks such as the Nova Flame could easily deplete his energy reserves.
It takes incredible focus to control his heat powers and must be a constant thought. Johnny has learned well over the years to control this power.
⚡ Happy 🎯 Heroclix 💫 Friday! 👽
_____________________________
A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
Secret Identity: Johnny Storm
Publisher: Marvel
First Appearance: The Fantastic Four #1 (Nov. 1961)
Created by: Stan Lee (writer)
Jack Kirby (artist)
The Human Torch has been seen:
Chowing down with the FF at the Greasy Freeze in BP 2020 Day 216!
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/50185600671/
Fighting Doctor Doom in BP 2021 Day 46!
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/50947974421/
The rest of the Fantastic Four can be seen here:
Mr. Fantastic, BP 2022 Day 280!
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/52411514451/
Invisible Woman, BP 2022 Day 287!
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/52426425322/
The Thing, BP 2022 Day 308!
Published in Prien and Stemmer 1995, p. 329. Picture courtesy of Mirek Riha, www.modelari org, 11 January 2013.
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Photograph taken at an altitude of Five metres, at 10:55am on Tuesday 3rd September 2019 off Island View Road and Homathko Drive, on the sandy shoreline of Island View Beach.
This beautiful stretch of golden sandy beach is located on the Eastern shore of the Saanich Peninsula, near to Victoria and beautiful Sidney by the sea, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Nikon D850 Focal length: 55mm Shutter speed: 1/125s Aperture: f/14.0 iso220 RAW (14 bit uncompressed file) Image size L (8256 x 5504 FX) Hand held with Nikon VR Vibration reduction enabled Focus mode: AF-C AF-Area mode: 3D-Tracking Exposure mode: Aperture priority exposure Nikon Back button focusing enabled Metering mode: Matrix metering ISO Sensitivity: Auto White balance: Natural light auto 0, 0 Colour space: Adobe RGB Nikon Distortion control: on (Normal) Picture control: Auto High ISO NR: on (Normal) Vignette control: Normal Active D-lighting: Auto
Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR. Lee SW150 MKII filter holder. Lee SW150 77mm screw in adapter ring. Lee SW150 0.3 (1 stop) Neutral density graduated soft resin filter. Lee SW150 Filters field pouch. Nikon EN-EL15a battery.Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960. Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.
LATITUDE: N 48d 34m 44.47s
LONGITUDE: W 123d 22m 10.79s
ALTITUDE: 5.0m
RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 93.3MB
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Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.017 (20/3/18) LF 1.00
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit (Version 1.3.1 11/07/2019). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit (Version 1.4.7 15/03/2018). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 1.3.2 15/03/2018). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
Courageous Creativity - Flying Chicadee
PRETTY EXCITING!! I was just published as the featured photographer in this ezine.
issuu.com/flyingchickadee/docs/march_2015_print Every full-page photograph is one of mine, including the front and back covers.
At a time when the vast majority of stereoviews were black & white photographs mounted on cardboard, the T. W. Ingersoll Company published these brightly colored stereo images using a printing process like that used to reproduce photos in newspapers. Although the result is not as pleasing as beautifully hand colored photographs, Ingersoll stereoviews were inexpensive and very popular. Another advantage that is more apparent now, a century later, is that Ingersoll mounts remain flat whereas nearly all mounted photographs are annoyingly curled.
In the picture above, Grey Eagle, the chief, is shown at the right, his son Tomahawk to the left and his wife and youngest child in the opening to the lodge. Grey Eagle wears the full regalia of the chief, the war bonnet being remarkable for the beauty of the eagle feathers. The child in the wife’s arms is deprived of his usual carrying board by the fact that the family is away from home and the mother has extemporized a Sioux carrying bag. The shawl which is draped over her shoulders will, upon occasions, be deftly fashioned into a sack and the child placed upright therein. It is held just over one of the mother’s shoulders. Holding the fabric closely crossed over her breast, Mrs. Grey Eagle can carry the baby without great inconvenience for a long distance. [From the description on the back of the card]
Born an Oglala about 1850-54, Gray Eagle was among the northern or "non treaty" bands living away from the agencies by the 1870s. In the spring of 1872, Sitting Bull approached Gray Eagle about marrying his sister, Four Robes, an action that suggests that Gray Eagle's father had died by this time. That fall, Sitting Bull also married a second sister, Seen by the Nation, a widow with two sons. As a brother-in-law of Sitting Bull, Gray Eagle became closely aligned with the noted Hunkpapa headman.
Gray Eagle married a Hunkpapa woman named Deer Woman Tahca Winla (later known as Lizzie Gray Eagle) by about 1874(?). Gray Eagle appears to have joined the Hunkpapa about this time. In 1876, Gray Eagle, now about 22 years old, fought against the Army at the Battles of the Rosebud and at the Little Bighorn. During Sitting Bull's council with Colonel Miles, Gray Eagle was standing nearby, holding horses. He was among the Hunkpapa who fled across the boundary into Canada for more than 2 years. Gray Eagle later recalled that he and Low Dog, a rising northern Oglala leader, were good friends and that they decided to come in and surrender in advance of Sitting Bull and other Hunkpapa.
Gray Eagle is first listed in agency documents as a leader of his own band in November 1882. Agent James McLaughlin described Gray Eagle as "a man of determination and strong will power... an influential leader of his people." He was noted as one of the first of the northern Hunkpapa to adopt western dress. He served as a tribal judge and went to Washington, D.C. as a delegate from Standing Rock in 1888.
His relationship with his brother-in-law, Sitting Bull, has been open to debate. Gray Eagle said that their relationship began to deteriorate in the late 1880s when he was attempting to persuade Sitting Bull to abandon traditional ways and to not engage in the newly emerging Ghost Dance. "You go ahead and follow what white man says but for my part, leave me alone," Sitting Bull reportedly said. Gray Eagle warned Sitting Bull that his refusal to obey the Indian agent would cause trouble. "We have been friends for a long time," Gray Eagle replied, "but if you are not going to do as whites say, we will not be together any more."
There is considerable speculation as to why Gray Eagle accompanied the agency police to Sitting Bull's home that morning of December 15, 1890. Some have speculated that he had turned against his brother-in-law and had led the police there. Others suggest that he came to protect his sisters and their children. Gray Eagle himself said that he went to try and use his influence to convince Sitting Bull to come in to the Agency with the police as ordered. Tragically, during the struggle with the agency police, Sitting Bull and several family members were killed.
In the aftermath of Sitting Bull's death, his widows and children joined Gray Eagle's band and then, about 1892, transferred to the Pine Ridge Agency. Gray Eagle remained at Standing Rock as a vocal spokesman for his community. He died at Standing Rock on June 13, 1935. [Post by ephriam at American Tribes. Com. Read more: amertribes.proboards.com/thread/171#ixzz2nJ5smIHg]
(Note: An inexpensive viewer can turn the side-by-side images on the computer screen into a 3-D image. The viewer is available from the following source:
Alfa Romeo Production Reportedly Jumped 62 Percent in 2017
U.S. sales for Alfa Romeo reportedly shot up more than 2,000 percent.
According to a numbers from Fim-Cisl published by Automotive News, Alfa Romeo’s 3 Italian factories constructed 150,722 vehicles in 2017 that is approach adult from only 93,117 in 2016. While that’s a outrageous commission of growth, it still falls brief of FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne’s confident projection early in 2017 of 170,000 Alfas that year.
ANALYSIS - Future Alfa Romeo models
22 January 2018 | Features & Interviews | Source: Glenn Brooks
FCA is the latest OEM to have its current and future models put under the microscope for examination. The first brands in this series were Fiat and Abarth, followed by Chrysler, Dodge and Ram. Features on Jeep, Maserati and Ferrari are still to come.
Last year, FCA Italy built more than 100,000 Alfa Romeo vehicles, a huge improvement over 2017 yet a long way short of the infamous 400,000 cars by 2018 goal. The target was not abandoned. Instead, it was pushed back by two years. How realistic is this now looking? Something dramatic may happen - production in North America or China and a couple of extra models which take off quickly - so it shouldn't be laughed off. The division does have a hard task ahead, though, even getting to the quarter of a million mark.
Exports to China are running at the rate of about 500 vehicles a month.
One of the biggest problems for Alfa is the US market. The Giulia is a good car, and the Stelvio is a terrific first effort at an SUV. What is needed now are more models. Especially SUVs and further ahead, electrified vehicles. Even if sales were doubled in 2018, that would still be fewer than 25,000 cars. The challenge is therefore a major one.
As for China, FCA hasn't stated any plans about local production, and Alfa doesn't have the overseas reputation for excellence which allows Lexus and Porsche to be so successful as import-only brands. At the moment, exports are running at the rate of about 500 vehicles a month. That's not even half the annual volume of results from the USA, themselves quite disappointing.
It's going to take Fiat Chrysler many years to establish Alfa Romeo as a make with the needed large range of vehicles, each of which needs to command high pricing. It can be done - look at the demand for the 8C supercar a decade ago and what those cars are now worth. For that to happen, there needs to be Audi-style consistency in everything that Alfa does.
FCA's COO Richard Palmer claims that Alfa Romeo is no longer sustaining losses. That might not sound like much of a boast for any supposed luxury brand. In the case of this marque, it's a big achievement. Adding extra crossovers and SUVs is what now needs to happen for Alfa to finally begin generating big cash numbers for reinvestment. Past 'savings' from sudden, major cost cutting programmes, a false-economy in every case, must also become a strategy that is binned.
FCA will host its next investors' briefing and public discussion of future models in May.
Leaving cars in production for way too long, and then axing them with no replacement has to be something which never again happens. Apart from the lack of an estate, one of the main reasons for the Giulia taking so long to establish itself was the brand's perplexing absence from the D segment for years.
Currently, the Mito and Giulietta are beyond the stage in their lifecycles at which they should have been replaced, while the 4C is fast and gorgeous but too expensive and compromised in ways which the Porsche 718 cars are not.
We haven't heard much from FCA in some time about what it now wants Alfa Romeo to be. That may not change until 1 June, which is when the group will host its next investors' briefing. The best thing which could come out of that would be under-promising and then, during this next five-year plan, over-delivering. That applies equally to sales and model range expansion claims, year-by-year.
B segment (Sub-compact)
A Fiat Punto-based hatchback replaced the three-door Alfa 147 almost a decade ago. Build at what was then Fiat Auto's Mirafiori plant started in June 2008. Originally MiTo but since changed to Mito, the model name is a contraction of Milano and Torino: Alfa Romeo and Fiat's home cities.
A five-door car would be launched in 2013 and also exported to North America, Fiat Group stated in April 2010. Yet like the Giulietta estate and so many other models, that car never made production. Had it done, Alfa's overall volumes could have been significantly higher. The success of the Audi A1 Sportback proves that point.
Fiat left the Mito on the market without a styling refresh for more than five years. The first facelift premiered at the 2013 Frankfurt IAA, and there was a second round of again minor changes in 2016. After a debut at the Geneva show, the latest Mito went on sale during the second quarter of that year.
The Mito is not expected to be replaced.
For reasons unknown, FCA is not expected to replace this car. Production is likely to end in July.
C segment (Compact)
The Giulietta, which was meant to be an Audi A3 Sportback rival, was the first vehicle on Fiat Group's C-Evoluzione platform, also known as 'Compact'.
The car's architecture is a development of a components set first seen in the Fiat Stilo. It was heavily modified with new front and rear suspension systems and is also distinguished by being compatible with all-wheel drive applications (though the Giulietta is front-drive only).
Originally thought to be called 149 and due for launch in 2009, the car premiered at the Geneva motor show in March 2010. The Milano name was revealed by Chrysler LLC in February 2009 but Fiat later changed it: 'Giulietta' was announced in December 2009.
A slightly updated Giulietta premiered at the Frankfurt motor show in September 2013. As well as new alloy wheels and upholstery, there were darkened headlamp filters (formerly exclusive to the QV) and a new grille, while the former 140hp 2.0-litre diesel was replaced by a 150hp MultiJet II unit. In additional, all 1.4 turbo petrol engines became Euro 6 compliant. The QV was not part of the facelifted range, but a revised Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde did then appear at the Geneva motor show in March 2014. It went on sale across Europe two months later.
Another minor facelift for the Giulietta had its public debut at the Geneva motor show in March 2016.
Production is likely to end in late 2018. All build has always been at Cassino. This plant is in the town of Piedimonte San Germano, three kilometres from Cassino, in the province of Frosinone.
The Alfetta should go into production at the end of 2018.
The Giulietta successor - it may revive the Alfetta model name - should go into production at the end of 2018. FCA is expected to sell two bodies, aiming to create rivals for the Audi A3 Sportback and A3 Sedan, plus their S and RS variants. One major difference will be rear- and all-wheel drive, however.
There may also be an electric hatchback but probably not until the time of a facelift in 2022. Alfa Romeo might also export the Giulietta replacement to North America, which wasn't the case with the first generation model.
D segment (Mid-size)
A replacement for the Alfa 159 - discontinued in early 2011 - took more than five years to enter production. Yet, there is no wagon version of the Giulia. This is an incredible state of affairs when the brand needs to show it is relevant in Germany and the UK. The Giulia wagon had been due to be released during 2017 but for reasons which FCA has never fully explained, the project was cancelled.
Alfa has a long, long way to travel before it can be thought of as being a competitor to the German Big three, Volvo, Land Rover and even Jaguar, and that's just in Europe. Having said that, Alfa's only sedan has received good reviews from the media for its dynamics and it is selling well in some countries.
There is a mountain to climb, but as Audi was determined to steadily prove, the underdog can eventually grow even bigger than the ones who used to bark the loudest. That takes decades though.
Series production of the Giulia did not commence at the Cassino plant in Italy until April 2016. The first cars were delivered to owners in Italy in late June 2016.
A 350hp 2.0-litre petrol engine should be added to the Giulia range later in 2018.
FCA US told the media at November 2015's LA auto show that the Giulia Quadriofoglio would be "arriving" there in the summer for the 2017 model year. There is also a 276hp 2.0-litre MultiAir2 engine in North America with the choice of rear- or all-wheel drive. The Quadrifoglio was offered first, priced from US$70,000.
Cars with four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines did not appear until the Geneva motor show in March 2016. At the same event, Alfa Romeo announced that the sedan would be available at launch in three model grades: Giulia, Super and Quadrifoglio and with up to six engine choices: 150 and 180 HP 2.2-litre diesel with 6 speed manual or 8 speed automatic transmission, 200 HP 2.0-litre petrol engine with 8 speed transmission and 510 HP 2.9-litre V6 BiTurbo petrol engine with 6 speed transmission. A 210hp diesel and the 276hp petrol unit were added in late 2016.
A prototype of Progetto 152 had been revealed at a media event on 24 June 2015, to mark the 105th anniversary of Alfa Romeo. The car's public debut was at the Frankfurt IAA in September 2015. FCA revealed only a handful of facts about the car in June 2015 and almost all of these concerned the range-topping Quadrifoglio. The four-leaf clover, which is powered by the 380kW (510PS) V6 petrol turbo engine fitted with cylinder deactivation, is said to accelerate to 100km/h in 3.9 seconds.
The 4,643mm long Giulia is claimed to have 50/50 weight distribution and is available with rear- or all-wheel drive. The propshaft, roof and bonnet on the low-volume/high-price Quadrifoglio are carbon fibre; aluminium is used for the engine, brakes, suspension, doors and wings; and the rear crossmember is made of aluminium composite and plastic; while the brake discs are carbon ceramic.
As Alfa Romeo has not been a competitive brand in this segment since the early years of the 156 way back in the 1990s, the Giulia is being built in only modest numbers - probably even fewer than the similarly sized Jaguar XE sedan.
A 350hp 2.0-litre petrol engine is expected to be added to the range later in 2018. After this, a facelifted line-up should appear in 2020. The next Giulia, which will use an evolution of the current car's Giorgio platform, is due to be launched in the final quarter of 2023.
E segment (Executive / Large)
Reid Bigland has not ruled out a large four-door car but he down-plays the idea.
Reid Bigland, who heads up Alfa Romeo, has not ruled out a future large four-door car but he sensibly down-plays the idea. Alfa Romeo has many other more urgent priorities than trying to take on the German brands in this segment. Lexus (GS), Infiniti (Q70 & L) and Jaguar (XF & L) have only limited success, while the Volvo S90 is doing OK but nothing more than that.
Reflecting on just how tough the Executive/Large sedan and wagon segment is for brands other than Audi, BMW and Mercedes, perhaps it might be better for FCA to leave Maserati's Ghibli unchallenged as the Group's sole entry in this class. Its sales might not be in the tens of thousands, but at least the car is able to command high prices.
It's equally hard to envisage an Alfa going up against the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Lexus LS. FCA will be watching with close interest when Jaguar pushes the button to fire up its BEV-only strategy for the next XJ. With the existing model selling at way under 10,000 units a year, an XJ which runs on energy stored in batteries might even improve upon that car's sales performance.
Rather than push Alfa into the F segment for full-sized luxury sedans and hatchbacks, FCA will likely consider electrifying the next Maserati Quattroporte after seeing if consumers take to BEVs from other premium-priced brands. How the future electric four-door Porsche does in the marketplace is key.
Crossovers & SUVs
A compact SUV sized midway between the Audi Q3 and Q5 had been planned some years back but the project was delayed and delayed. This model would have been co-developed alongside the Jeep Compass and built in either Mexico or Brazil.
A business case can be made for an Alfa C-SUV but FCA's priorities for Alfa Romeo at the moment centre on rear- and all-wheel drive models. Vehicles based on the CUSW platform do not appear to be something which the company wants for Alfa Romeo. Why this should be the case when few buyers even know which axle is sending the majority of their car's power to the road, is a mystery.
The world's most successful premium brand has only one RWD car, the R8, in its vast range of models, while BMW's best seller in Germany is the front-wheel drive 2 Series. FCA appears to have overlooked these facts in its zeal to embrace the apparent 'purity' of rear-drive vehicles. That the FWD Mito and Giulietta are such weak sellers is due almost entirely to their age and lack of development - where were the additional engines, sports variants and bodystyles which could have kept these cars selling briskly?
Sergio Marchionne says there will be be two more Alfa Romeo SUVs
The most recent official information concerning the C-SUV project came from Sergio Marchionne. Speaking at Fiat Chrysler's Balocco test track in Italy in February 2017, FCA's CEO stated that two more SUVs were under development. One will be above the Stelvio, which was not news, but one below the brand's only current SUV was something which had been known prior to this announcement.
The compact SUV would logically be based on the similarly sized Giulietta replacement. Its release probably won't take place until late 2019.
Project 949, the Stelvio SUV, which became available in 2017, is built on the same line as the closely related Giulia at Cassino.
The vehicle's public debut was in 510hp Quadrifoglio form at the LA auto show in November 2016. At 4,687mm long, it is slightly shorter than the Porsche Macan.
As well as the 2.9-litre Ferrari-derived biturbo petrol V6, there is one other petrol engine: a 206kW (280hp) 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol turbo which produces 400Nm of torque. Both engines are linked to a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. There is also a 2.2-litre diesel for European countries and certain other markets.
While the Stelvio Quadrifoglio shares its engine with the Giulia Quadrifoglio, there is one major difference: the sedan is rear-wheel drive only. However, the Stelvio four-leaf clover is mostly rear-wheel drive but drive is sent to the front axle when slippage is detected.
Stelvio production commenced in May 2017. Europe-wide sales commenced during the following month and the Stelvio became available in the USA during July 2017, new for the 2018 model year. The Quadrifoglio (biturbo V6) did not go on sale until November 2017 and early 2018 in the USA.
There should be a facelift for the Stelvio range in 2021. The next Stelvio is due in 2024 on an updated version of the Giorgio platform.
The 'Dolomiti' could well have its public debut at the Geneva motor show in March.
Speaking at the Frankfurt motor show in September 2011, Sergio Marchionne told the media that a large SUV for Alfa Romeo was in the planning stages.
As per the Ferrari V8-powered car which eventually became the Levante, the big Alfa 4x4 would have been derived from the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Since then, the Maserati became bigger and changed platforms but kept the Ferrari engine. Sort of - the V8 became a V6. It finally reached production in 2016.
The 5,003mm long Levante was developed to take on the Porsche Cayenne's domination of its segment. Will Alfa Romeo be given a similarly sized SUV? At the moment, the answer is yes but such a vehicle's path to production has been, to be polite, confusing.
In November 2010, Fiat Group CEO Sergio Marchionne appeared to contradict his own future model plan document that had been publicly shared with analysts earlier in the year. He stated that a new, big SUV for Alfa Romeo was likely to be based upon the Jeep Grand Cherokee and built alongside that model in the USA. Previously, Alfa's large 4x4 was said to be under development on Fiat's D-Evoluzione platform and not due for launch until 2014.
Harald Wester, the then CEO of Alfa Romeo, reportedly told analysts at a conference in Frankfurt in September 2011 that the large SUV had been cancelled. However, a large 'SUV' was listed on a slide showing basic details of future models for Alfa Romeo at FCA's Investors' Briefing in May 2014.
At the moment, the project is officially revived: a production model would appear "in 2017 or later", FCA announced at a press conference in January 2016. It could well be that this model ends up being closely related to the Maserati Levante. Should that be the case, it would not then use the Giorgio architecture.
Maserati's SUV is almost identical in size to the Porsche Cayenne, so Alfa's model should also be about five metres in length. As for the name, this seems guaranteed to be an Italian word with links to either motorsport or a place associated with roads which appeal to enthusiast drivers. FCA was careful to do this for Alfa's first SUV. Perhaps its big brother will be called Dolomiti. That would be in reference to the Grande Strada delle Dolomiti, a spectacular road with views of those mountains.
If FCA is using the Quattroporte/Ghibli platform to develop the Dolomiti, that would mean a big Alfa SUV could be in production at Mirafiori on the same line as the same size Maserati Levante as soon as 2019. However, an Italian union source claimed in early 2017 that the E-SUV would be manufactured at Mirafiori commencing in the first half of 2018. The Dolomiti could well have its public debut at the Geneva motor show in March.
Roadsters
Despite being a rarely seen model, FCA will continue to have the 4C in the Alfa Romeo line-up.
In theory, the 4C has it all: good looks (after the original headlights were restyled), fantastic handling and roadholding, great acceleration and a rev-happy engine which makes great noises. In practice, the car is ridiculously expensive, cramped and difficult for many potential owners to get in and out of. It is also one of the few vehicles on the market which does not have power steering. That's great for Sunday mornings on empty country roads but not exactly ideal in the city traffic conditions where most test drives have to take place.
The sub-4m long but 2m wide mid-engined 4C entered initial production in mid-2013, its lightweight chassis being outsourced to Adler Plastic.
The sales release in North America was delayed until 2014 and RHD build did not get underway until the fourth quarter of that year. These mistakes, plus the issue of pricing meant that many buyers in the two potentially strong markets of the USA and the UK lost interest in having to wait so long and bought something else. There is also the fact that the car for North America has an extra 100kg of weight, though it is still commendably light.
The US-spec 4C has aluminium inserts within the carbon fibre chassis. Federal regulations meant a modified structure was needed to absorb different impact forces. The monocoque and the front and rear frames are different, the suspension is reinforced and suspension tuning is bespoke.
In an attempt to redress disappointing sales, a targa bodystyle became available in 2015. The 4C Spider has a removable canvas top held in place by folding carbon fibre bars. Unlike this standard-fit roof, an optional carbon removable hardtop is too big to be stored in the boot. As with pricing, ease of driving, and accessibility, this is a basic error which Porsche avoided by giving the far cheaper 718 Boxster a no-hassles electric soft top.
FCA US slashed Fiat prices for the 2017 model year in an attempt to revive collapsed sales. Fiat Chrysler had hoped to sell 25,000 cars worldwide over a seven-year lifecycle but this was wildly optimistic. Looking on the bright side for savvy collectors, the little Alfa positively screams future classic, given its rarity.
Despite being a rarely seen model, FCA will continue to have the 4C in the Alfa Romeo line-up. A facelift is due to appear in the third or fourth quarters of this year. The car will also have revised suspension and steering systems. A replacement model seems iffy at this point.
A theoretical 6C could be evolved from the future Maserati Alfieri.
The project to develop a second sports car is said to have started afresh, but at the moment, the business case appears to be questional, especially given the failure of the 4C.
The theoretical 6C could be evolved from the future Maserati Alfieri. The Alfa would have its own engine(s) and be more expensive. Production volume would likely be a thousand or so per annum. Development of prototypes is said to be advancing with a pre-production car supposedly to be a world premiere at a motor show within the next year or two.
A better idea than replacing the 4C with another way too expensive Lotus Elise-style model would be to come up with a follow up to the breathtaking (to look at and to hear) 8C.
Just as the NSX is giving Acura a much needed halo effect in the same way that the LFA did for Lexus, Alfa could really do with a proper supercar. Using the next Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio as the basis makes a lot of sense. That way a new 8C could be on the market in 2020 with numbers limited to a few hundred a year and pricing at around the 200,000 euro level. 'Alfa Romeo, by Ferrari' on the engine cover of a V8 would guarantee a sky-high price.
Some will of course scoff at these ideas as irrelevant yet FCA hopefully has its eyes and wallet open wide for the re-entry to Formula 1 and the rumoured return to IndyCar. Not to put too fine a point on it, last time around, these were disastrous forays. That cannot be repeated: failure is not an option. A small range of sports cars and supercars could certainly lend the project some added credibility.
EVs? PHEVs? Fuel cell vehicles?
FCA has no official plans for any electric or plug-in hybrid Alfas and the company has been very public about its lack of enthusiasm for models powered by hydrogen. R&D for the latter isn't cheap and while Fiat Chrysler continues to be saddled with a large amount of debt, don't expect to see any money going into fuel cells.
How can Alfa Romeo be a serious player in the premium segment without EVs and PHEVs? In short, it can't. FCA eliminating its structural debt and moving to building the cash pile which it has long promised "in 2018" may well happen. Alfa Romeo should be first in the queue for a big tranche of fresh cash to develop the vehicles which it will need so as to properly compete with the German Big Three, Volvo, Porsche, Range Rover, Lexus, Infiniti, Acura and Jaguar.
Alfa will likely offer PHEV versions of the Giulia and Stelvio in limited numbers, mainly for California. A fully electric model will have to wait for the release of the Giulietta successor, which as noted above, should be available in four- and five-door forms. The 'Alfetta-e' would be sold mostly in Nordic markets plus California, the Netherlands, France, the UK and possibly China. By the time it goes on sale, Germany too might be a country where EVs could become modestly popular.
American postcard by Disney Enterprises / Pixar Animation Studios, 2005. Image: Pixar Animation Studios. Concept art by Tia Kratter and Nat McLaughlin for A Bug's Life (John Lasseter, 1998). From 'The Art of Pixar: 100 Collectible Postcards', published by Chronicle Books.
A Bug's Life (John Lasseter, 1998) is an American computer-animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Buena Vista Distribution. It was the second film by Disney and Pixar. Written by Andrew Stanton, the film involves a misfit ant, Flik, who is looking for 'tough warriors' to save his colony from a protection racket run by Hopper's gang of grasshoppers. Unfortunately, the 'warriors' he brings back turn out to be an inept troupe of Circus Bugs.
An ant colony on an island is suppressed by a group of locusts, led by Hopper. Each year, they claim a part of the food supply. One of the ants is Flip, an outsider who prefers to work alone and is constantly trying to come up with new inventions. He is seen as an eccentric. On the day the locusts come again, Flip causes all the food he has collected to literally fall into the water. The locusts think that, because of the lack of food, the ants are trying to revolt. Hopper demands that the ants deliver a double supply of food before the end of autumn. Then he and his gang leave. While Flip is on trial for what he has done, he suggests going to town to find larger insects that can drive the locusts away. The ant council agrees as they would like to get rid of Flip. Flip reaches the insect city, a metropolis built of old boxes and other rubbish. In the same city, there is a circus. The artists of this circus are fired by their boss, P.T. Vlo, after a performance degenerated into chaos. Flip finds the fired insects and thinks they are the warriors he needs. The Bugs, in turn, think that Flip wants to hire them for their act. He takes them to the colony. On the island, the performers soon make themselves popular when they rescue the young ant Dot from a bird. The attack gives Flip the idea of chasing off the grasshoppers with a fake bird. On his instructions, the ants build this bird.
A Bug's Life was initially inspired by Aesop's fable 'The Ant and the Grasshopper'. The storyline originated from a lunchtime conversation between John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, and Joe Ranft, the studio's head story team; other films such as Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo and WALL-E were also conceived at this lunch. Lasseter and his story team had already been drawn to the idea of insects serving as characters. Like toys, insects were within the reach of computer animation back then, due to their relatively simple surfaces. Production began shortly after the release of Toy Story (1995). The screenplay was penned by Stanton and comedy writers Donald McEnery and Bob Shaw from a story by Lasseter, Stanton, and Ranft. The ants in the film were redesigned to be more appealing, and Pixar's animation unit employed technical innovations in computer animation. Randy Newman composed the music for the film. During the production of A Bug's Life, a public feud erupted between DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Pixar's Steve Jobs and John Lasseter. Katzenberg, former chairman of Disney's film division, had left the company in a bitter feud with CEO Michael Eisner. In response, he formed DreamWorks SKG with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen and planned to rival Disney in animation. After DreamWorks' acquisition of Pacific Data Images (PDI)—long Pixar's contemporary in computer animation—Lasseter and others at Pixar were dismayed to learn from the trade papers that PDI's first project at DreamWorks would be another ant film, to be called Antz. By this time, Pixar's project was well known within the animation community. Both Antz and A Bug's Life center on a young male ant, a drone with oddball tendencies that struggles to win a princess's hand by saving their society. Whereas A Bug's Life relied chiefly on visual gags, Antz was more verbal and revolved more around satire. The script of Antz was also heavy with adult references, whereas Pixar's film was more accessible to children. It was clear that Lasseter and Jobs believed that the idea was stolen by Katzenberg. Katzenberg had stayed in touch with Lasseter after the acrimonious Disney split, often calling to check up. In October 1995, when Katzenberg asked what they were doing next, Lasseter described what would become A Bug's Life in detail. When the trades indicated production on Antz, Lasseter, feeling betrayed, called Katzenberg and asked him bluntly if it were true, who in turn asked him where he had heard the rumor. Lasseter asked again, and Katzenberg admitted it was true. Lasseter raised his voice and would not believe Katzenberg's story that a development director had pitched him the idea long ago. Katzenberg claimed Antz came from a 1991 story pitch by Tim Johnson that was related to Katzenberg in October 1994. Lasseter grimly relayed the news to Pixar employees but kept morale high. Katzenberg moved the opening of Antz from spring 1999 to October 1998 to compete with Pixar's release. The film grossed $363.3 million worldwide, surpassing DreamWorks' Antz. Despite the successful box office performance of both Antz and A Bug's Life, tensions would remain high between Jobs and Katzenberg for many years.
A Bug's Life won in 1999 the Academy Award for Best Music and received positive reviews. Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote, "Lasseter and Pixar broke new technical and aesthetic ground in the animation field with Toy Story, and here they surpass it in both scope and complexity of movement while telling a story that overlaps Antz in numerous ways." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three and a half stars out of four, saying "I enjoyed too the use of animation to visualize a world that could not be seen in live-action and could not be created with special effects. Animation contains enormous promise for a new kind of storytelling, freed from reality and gravity, but although the Japanese have exploited that freedom, too many American feature cartoons follow the Disney formula of plucky young heroes and heroines and comic sidekicks. It's a formula that has produced wonderful movies. But the Pixar computer animation studio, a Disney co-producer, broke new ground with "Toy Story" in 1995, and now with "A Bug's Life," it runs free. The story, about an ant colony that frees itself from slavery to grasshoppers, is similar in some ways to the autumn's other big animated release, "Antz," but it's aimed at a broader audience and lacks the in-jokes." And at AllMovie, Matthew Doberman wrote: "A Bug's Life is a high point in animated family fare. It's the kind of film adults enjoy as much as, if not more than, their preschool offspring. Even the fake "outtakes" following the film are hilarious: like much of the film's humor, they aim for a surprising level of sophistication. The creators use animation not just to put a child-friendly face on some normally creepy critters, but to go where live-action can't, creating a world of shapes, colors, and sounds that couldn't be accomplished otherwise."
Sources: Roger Ebert (RogerEbert.com), Matthew Doberman (AllMovie), Wikipedia (Dutch and English), and IMDb.
December is Pixar month at EFSP!
Published: www.alluvium-journal.org/2019/12/16/contemporaneous-story...
Frankfurt Osthafen
American postcard by Disney Enterprises / Pixar Animation Studios, 2005. Image: Pixar Animation Studios. Art by Paul Topolos for The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). From 'The Art of Pixar: 100 Collectible Postcards, published by Chronicle Books.
The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004) is an American computer-animated superhero film, and the sixth feature-length animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Set in a fictitious version of the 1960s, the film follows Bob and Helen Parr, a couple of superheroes, known as Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, who hide their powers in accordance with a government mandate and attempt to live a quiet suburban life with their three children. Bob's desire to help people draws the entire family into a confrontation with a vengeful fan-turned-foe. Although the film was not as successful as its predecessor Finding Nemo, it still received 27 awards and the film's DVD was the best-selling DVD of 2005, selling 17.4 million copies.
The story of The Incredibles begins with a still young Mr. Incredible a.k.a. Bob Parr who, like any superhero, performs his daily heroic deeds. He is unexpectedly visited by Buddy, a young fan eager to become his helper. Buddy turns out to be more of a nuisance than a help, despite his self-invented gadgets, and Mr. Incredible sends him away. Later that day, he marries the superheroine Elastigirl (Helen). Then, suddenly, things go wrong. After Mr. Incredible saves a man who was about to commit suicide, the man sues him. This leads to a chain reaction of lawsuits against superheroes. The government decides to help the superheroes by setting up a special programme that will pay for all their lawsuits and provide them with new identities, on the condition that they never do heroic work again. 15 years later, Bob and Helen have settled into a quiet little town. They now have three children: teenage Violet, 10-year-old Dashiell ("Dash"), and baby Jack-Jack. Violet and Dash each have superpowers, but Jack-Jack is apparently normal. Bob, who now works at an insurance company, is frustrated that he can't help anyone anymore. He still tries to be a "hero" by pointing out loopholes in the law to his clients so they can get their benefits. He also regularly goes out at night with his old friend Lucius (also an ex-superhero called Frozone) to help people. He is unknowingly shadowed by Mirage, a mysterious woman. After Bob loses his job, Mirage contacts him. She offers him a large sum of money if Bob will take out a runaway robot, the Omnidroid 9000, on an island. Bob accepts the job and defeats the Omnidroid. After this, Bob gets more and more assignments. He starts training again to get in shape and has the fashion designer Edna Mode make him a new suit. Two months later, Mirage calls Bob again. When Bob arrives on the same island again, he is attacked by an enhanced version of the Omnidroid. He is captured by the mastermind behind the Omnidroid, a man called Syndrome. This Syndrome is none other than his old fan Buddy. He has made a fortune over the past 15 years inventing and selling weapons. He has kept the best weapons in order to become a hero, despite his lack of superpowers. Later, when Mr. Incredible escapes and looks into Syndrome's computer, he is horrified to discover that Syndrome has already killed dozens of superheroes to prepare his Omnidroid for battle with Mr. Incredible. At home, Helen discovers Bob's absence. When she sees that his old superhero suit has been repaired, she immediately goes to Edna. Edna shows the superhero costumes that she has made for all the members of the family. From Edna, she hears that Bob was fired months ago and has started working as a superhero again. Thanks to a transmitter Edna fitted into Bob's suit, Helen discovers Bob's location and immediately jets off to the island. Dash and Violet come along as stowaways. Unfortunately for Mr. Incredible, the transmitter also gives his location away to Syndrome and he is captured again.
Brad Bird originally conceived the screenplay for The Incredibles for a traditional, animated film for Warner Bros. According to his own account, he got the idea from a drawing he had made in 1993. He developed the film as an extension of the 1960s comic books and spy films from his boyhood and personal family life. After the film Looney Tunes: Back in Action became a flop, Warner Bros. closed its animated film division, and the project for The Incredibles was cancelled. When Bird later talked to his friend John Lasseter about the film, Lasseter convinced him to give Pixar a try. Bird and Lasseter knew each other from their college years at CalArts in the 1970s. Pixar accepted Bird's script but changed the animation to computer animation. This made it the first Pixar film to feature only human characters. At his request, Bird was allowed to put together his own crew. He approached people he had worked with on The Iron Giant (1999), among others. Bird's idea contained many scenes that were difficult for the computer animation to do. Among other things, new techniques were needed to realistically depict human anatomy, clothing, and skin. Among other things, Violet's long hair was technically difficult to draw. The film was largely treated as if it were a live-action production. John Barry was the first choice for the composer because of his music for the trailer of On Her Majesty's Secret Service. However, Barry did not want to recreate his old soundtracks for the film, so Michael Giacchino was approached. The music in the film is entirely instrumental. Critics' reactions were very positive. Critic Roger Ebert awarded the film 3.5 out of 4 stars and wrote: "The Pixar Studios, which cannot seem to take a wrong step, steps right again with "The Incredibles," a superhero spoof that alternates breakneck action with satire of suburban sitcom life. After the "Toy Story" movies, "A Bug's Life," "Monsters, Inc." and "Finding Nemo," here's another example of Pixar's mastery of popular animation." The film is generally regarded as one of the best Pixar films. One point that many critics noticed was that the film had a much more serious and mature undertone than previous Pixar films. However, this was also a point of negative criticism. The film clearly contained more and more realistic violence than previous Pixar films. The film won the Academy Award in 2005 for the best animated film (the second Pixar film to win this award) and the award for best sound effects. The film was also nominated for the award for best screenplay and best sound. The Incredibles made $70,467,623 in its opening week, more than any Pixar film has ever made in its opening week. The film even (just) beat Finding Nemo's revenue of $70,251,710. The film brought in a total of $261,441,092, making it the second most successful Pixar film ever, and the fifth most successful film of 2004. Worldwide revenue was $631,436,092. A sequel, Incredibles 2, was released in 2018.
Sources: Roger Ebert (Roger Ebert.com), Wikipedia (Dutch and English), and IMDb.
December will be Pixar month at EFSP! In the coming weeks, Bob, Truus & Jan Too! will share our collection of Pixar postcards with you at Flickr.
Character Creation
Drax the Destroyer (Arthur Sampson Douglas) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in The Invincible Iron Man #55 (February 1973).
The character's origin story relates that Arthur Douglas was a human whose family was attacked and killed by the supervillain Thanos. Needing a champion to combat Thanos, the being known as Kronos took Arthur's spirit and placed it in a powerful new body, and Drax the Destroyer was born. Drax's powers included enhanced strength and resilience, flight, and the ability to project energy blasts from his hands. The character often battled Thanos, and on occasion the superheroes Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock. He was also a member of the group known as the Infinity Watch.
In 2004, the character lost his flight and energy blasts, and a portion of his strength and resilience. This version of the character played a role in the crossover comic book storylines "Annihilation" and "Annihilation: Conquest", and became a member of the relaunched Guardians of the Galaxy.
Drax has been featured in a variety of associated Marvel merchandise, including animated television series, action figures, and video games. Dave Bautista portrayed the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special (2022 television film) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). Drax also appears in the Disney+ animated series What If...? (2021).
Starlin commented on the character's creation stating "In the beginning, Drax was versatile, because I didn't know what the hell to do with him," Starlin confessed. "He was an element; he was supposed to be Thanos' Kryptonite. I sort of drifted away from that idea, and when I came back to using him, I made a big change in him. I brain-damaged him and made him into the Hulk, because Marvel didn't have a dumb green thing at the time, and I thought they should. And so I sort of made him like that. Later on they wanted to change his visuals, which I had no problem with because I was never crazy about that costume. It didn't make a lot of sense. I wasn't invested enough in the character to go back and do anything more with it."
Starlin later commented in an interview that "I ripped off my own costume, I redesigned Dr. Weird's costume at Texas Trio and pretty much just used it as Drax's costume, Drax was going to be Thanos's kryptonite that's why he was green."
Publication history
Drax first appeared in The Invincible Iron Man #55 (February 1973), and was created by Jim Starlin with the help of writer Mike Friedrich. He had a recurring role in Captain Marvel, beginning with issue #27 (July 1973). He also appeared in Warlock #10 (December 1975), Iron Man #88 (July 1976), Warlock #15 (November 1976), Logan's Run #6 (June 1977), Thor #314 (December 1981), and Avengers #219 (May 1982), before being killed by Moondragon in The Avengers #220 (June 1982).
Starlin brought Drax back in Silver Surfer vol. 3 #35 (1990), and he had a recurring role until issue 50. After appearing in The Infinity Gauntlet #1–6 (1991), he was featured in Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1–42 (1992–1995) as a member of the titular team, the Infinity Watch. The character reappeared in Warlock vol. 3 #1–4 (1998–1999) and Captain Marvel vol. 4 #4–6 (2001).
Drax received an eponymous 4 issue miniseries in 2004, and was a starring character in Annihilation: Nova #1–4 (2005) and Annihilation #1–6 (2006). After a follow-up appearance in Nova vol. 4 #4–7 (2007) and the 2008 "Annihilation: Conquest" storyline, he was featured as a team member in the 2008 relaunch of Guardians of the Galaxy, and appeared in the 25 issue series of the same name. The character had a small role in The Thanos Imperative #1–3 (2010), in which he was killed.
The character reappeared in Avengers Assemble issues #4–8 (June–October 2012), with no reference to his death. He then starred in Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3, a part of the Marvel NOW! relaunch.
Fictional Character Biography
Born in California, Arthur Douglas married Yvette and raised a daughter named Heather (who later became Moondragon). One day, while traveling through the Mojave Desert on their way to Los Angeles, they witnessed a spaceship above. In the spaceship was Thanos, who had been on a mission to survey Earth. To rid any evidence of his existence, Thanos destroyed the car with Douglas family still inside. Mentor, who was monitoring Thanos' surveillance of Earth at the time, found out that Heather survived the attack, so he took her back to his planet, Titan. Mentor believed that Thanos had grown too dangerous and that he needed to be stopped so he called upon Kronos to find and seize the consciousness of Arthur Douglas before it was too late.
Kronos and Mentor created a body which had superhuman powers and installed Arthur's spirit in it, in the process creating Drax the Destroyer. All of Arthur's past memories were removed and replaced with the hate and pure desire to kill Thanos. Along with Iron Man, Drax battled Thanos and the Blood Brothers. Thanos fled and for years, Drax chased him and had brief encounters with him but never killed him.
Thanos' Nemesis
Though created as an archenemy to Thanos, Drax proved to be less popular than his hated prey and was subsequently overshadowed by Thanos in the years to come. The likes of Adam Warlock and Captain Marvel rose to take his place as Thanos' primary adversaries, and Drax was killed off.
Infinity Watch
Starlin soon brought Drax back but with major alterations to the character. Drax was now larger than he had been before, and his intelligence was severely diminished, making him child-like and prone to tantrums. Understandably, "Space Hulk" became a term used to describe him. Starlin's cosmic stories found a new level of popular with the Infinity Gauntlet event, and Drax was one of the characters who rode this wave. As a member of the Infinity Watch, Drax was a major character in Starlin's ongoing saga with Adam Warlock over the next few years. Though the character was a source of some drama, this incarnation of Drax was largely used for comic relief and heavyweight action.
Annihilation
After returning to cosmic obscurity for several years, Drax was on the receiving end of another major alteration, but this time is came from writer Keith Giffen, who wrote a limited series surprisingly starring Drax as the lead. This saw Drax get a major redesign but also be returned to something much closer to the cunning and determined hunter of Thanos he was originally meant to be, salvaging him from being the joke character he had come to be seen as by readership. Giffen went on to write the Annihilation event, restructuring and revitalizing Marvel's cosmic franchise. Drax was one of the breakout stars and was repositioned as one of Marvel's major cosmic characters along with Nova. He soon starred as one of the main characters in the new Guardians of the Galaxy series.
Fighting Thanos
Drax finally got his chance to battle Thanos during Thano's quest to get the Cosmic Cube. Drax, along with the Avengers, Moondragon, and Captain Marvel, battled and eventually destroyed Thanos. However, after finding out Thanos had rematerialized, Drax searched the Galaxy for the returned Thanos. Though before Drax could battle him, he found out that Thanos had once again been destroyed in a battle with the Avengers, Captain Marvel, and Adam Warlock.
Later when Drax was possessed an Alien entity, he battled Thor and Moondragon. After recovering from the possession, Drax is asked by Moondragon to join her on her journey in search of knowledge. Eventually, they came upon the planet Ba-Banis, a world of humanoid aliens caught in a vast civil war. Moondragon used her mental powers to quell the conflict and then decided to set herself up as the world's goddess. Recognizing that her ambitions were not honorable, Drax sent their ship to Earth with a holographic distress message. The Avengers responded and discovered Moondragon's world of mentally enforced tranquility. Freed by the Avengers from his daughter's mental domination, Drax sought to end her menace but was stopped by Moondragon when she used her mental powers to force Drax's life essence to vacate his artificial body. The Avengers subdued Moondragon and brought Drax's body back to Earth. They put Drax in the ship Sensia, sent the ship into space, and set it for self-destruction. Drax's body was destroyed when the ship exploded but without his spirit inside.
Return
When Death restored Thanos years after Drax's death, Kronos decided it was time to bring Drax back. He gave him a better physical structure and strength and again installed the hate and desire to destroy Thanos. But Kronos had not realized that when Moondragon mentally damaged Drax's mind, that he would be left a mindless, confused brute, with a taste for Earth's television program ' Alf'. Drax had occasional memory breakthroughs when he watched an "I Love Lucy" rerun on TV and had a passing familiarity with his daughter Moondragon when they first meet after his reincarnation. She was scared that he might retaliate if he remembered what she did to him, but the memory passed without incident.
In his renewed quest to destroy Thanos, Drax encountered Thanos' new nemesis, the Silver Surfer, and together they ventured into soul world, where they encountered Adam Warlock, Gamora and Pip the Troll, all who were pivotal in Warlock's decision to return to the land of the living. Drax joined the heroes' assault on Thanos during ' The Infinity Gauntlet' ordeal and was one of the very few heroes who wasn't killed during the conflict; being present up to the very end when Thanos' so-called granddaughter Nebula held the gauntlet.
Infinity Watch
Following Thanos' defeat and the subsequent breakup of the Infinity Gauntlet, Drax was chosen by Adam Warlock to safeguard the Power Gem as part of the Infinity Watch, alongside his daughter Moondragon and Gamora. When presented with the Power Gem, unlike most of the other Infinity Watch members who wore their gems upon their brow, Drax mistook the gem for a jelly bean and ingested it. Luckily, the gem was indigestible and instead resided within Drax for a few years, having lodged itself within him (rather than passing through). During his time as a largely earth-based superhero, Drax, with the power gem, would prove to be stronger than even the Hulk, though his diminished mental faculties would hold him back in more ways than one, including his inability to land gracefully when flying ( and always causing great amounts of property damage as a running gag).
Towards the end of the Infinity Watch's existence, Moondragon was critically injured during a mission and was put into a full body cast, whom Drax dutifully watched over. Eventually, due to internal strife and the disappearance of the Infinity Gems, the Watch fragmented and went their separate ways. Drax returned to Titan with Moondragon, who successfully petitioned Chronos to restore Drax's mind to its former acuity (and Drax for Moondragon's restored health), at the expense of some physical power.
A short time later, Drax was accused of murdering Elysius (wife of the late Captain Marvel and mother of Genis-Vell) and several others. Warlock, along with Gamora, Pip, and Genis-Vell , tracked Drax down and subdued him in time to find out that the real culprit was the re-animated corpse of the original Captain Marvel. Using his soul-gem, Warlock traced the being controlling the corpse, a creature within the Negative Zone known as Syphon, who was using the Nega-Bands as a conduit. Felled by a backlash of psychic energy, Warlock was unable to stop the transfer of the Nega-Bands to the unconscious Drax, who flew off into space. Warlock then gathered his allies and pursued Drax, finding that Syphon was using Drax and the bands to rip a portal into the Negative Zone, which threatened the structure of the Universe. Summoning all of his strength, Warlock pulled Drax free and removed the Nega-Bands, causing the portal to shrink. But before the portal could completely close, Syphon pulled Warlock into the Negative Zone, and, in front of Blastaar and Annihilus, took Warlock's gem, and used it to re-open the portal.
Warlock recovered but without his soul-gem, had little chance of subduing both Blastaar and Annihilus before Syphon was successful. Fortunately, Drax arrived with Pip, Gamora, and Genis-Vell to aid Warlock. As his friends fought on, Warlock went on to damage Syphon's conqueror wheel, thus closing the portal once more. Syphon attempted to use the soul-gem to kill Warlock, but found his attack turned upon his own soul. He fought back long enough to flee his own body and Warlock claimed the gem once more and, along with Drax and his other companions, returned back to their Universe.
Afterwards, Drax's condition began to revert; his mass and strength climbed back to previous levels, and his mind became clouded once more. He sought out Moondragon, who was residing with Genis-Vell and Rick Jones on Earth, which led to an altercation with Genis-Vell. In the course of this struggle, Drax was transported to the Microverse with Genis-Vell, where he finally found acceptance and happiness on the planet K'ai, where he remained for some time. During this period, Drax fought alongside the Micronauts until his diminished mental state was taken advantage of by Psycho Man. After leaving the Microverse, Drax was than seen as a combatant recruited by Adam Warlock to take on The Champion of the Universe in an attempt to stop The Champion from exploiting another planet. Drax failed to defeat The Champion, as did Warlock's and his other recruits ( Gladiator, Beta Ray Bill, and The Silver Surfer). However, The Champion was eventually defeated by She-Hulk, who trained months for her battle under Gamora.
Earth Fall
Drax was later seen on a prison ship with Paibok, Lunatik, and the Blood Brothers. He was accused of murdering 200,000 Skrulls. They were being transported to an intergalactic prison, but the ship crashed on Earth under mysterious circumstances. Drax attacked the others to keep them from harming innocent lives and his intelligence came back to him at random intervals during his fight with the other prisoners. While on Earth and at a low-point of intelligence, he wandered through Alaska and confused a young girl named Cammi for his daughter. As he slowly wandered through the country side, he encountered Paibok again. Drax was killed by Paibok but emerged with a new body with a higher intelligence and other unknown abilities, albeit with reduced strength and the inability to fly or "channel energy". The "new" Drax killed Lunatik and one of the Blood Brothers. The mini-series ended with Drax and Cammi back on a prison ship.
Annihilation
During the events of Annihilation, Drax survived an attack on the intergalactic prison known as the Kyln. Drax and Cammi teamed up with the last member of the Xandarian Nova Corps, Richard Rider (Nova). Together they fought against the advancing Annihilation Wave. Drax taught Nova the power of concentration so that he could contain the entire Nova force. Nova also asked Drax to teach him an important lesson: How to destroy. Drax was given the benefit of the doubt by Nova as his new body was just different enough from the Wanted file for 'Drax the Destroyer' that as long as Drax refers to himself merely as 'Drax' and acknowledges no past of destroying things, Nova would let the record slide.
Moondragon was taken captive by Thanos, who had allied himself with Annihilus and her severed ear was sent to Drax. Drax assisted the United Front and during a doomed battle between the Annihilation Wave and the United Front on Daedalus 5, fought off the invaders while Nova and the rest of the group (including Cammi) finished the evacuation. Drax fought his way to one of the Annhilation Wave's ships in his quest for Thanos, whom he found attempting to release Galactus from his prison on Annihilus' mother ship. Moondragon attempted to keep Drax at bay until Galactus was released but failed.
Before Thanos could release Galactus, however, Drax broke through Thanos' defensive shield and punches a hole through his chest. Drax then realized that the Silver Surfer was the only person who had enough power to match Thanos. While severely weakened, the Silver Surfer used all he had to match the height of Thanos' power output and succeeded. Once Galactus was freed, he teleported Moondragon and Drax to a far-off planet to spare them from his wrath on the Annihilation Wave. After that, Moondragon said Drax just disappeared, (which was Moondragon's way to cover for Drax). Drax resurfaced during the second Annihilation war on the run from the Phalanx 's select hunters. Drax was taken down by the phalanx-infected Nova and Gamora and was turned into one of the Phalanx Select. Once Nova managed to free himself from Phalanx control, the infected Drax and Gamora go after him with the goal of reinfecting him or destroying him. However, Nova eventually managed to free Drax and Gamora from Phalanx control.
Guardian of the Galaxy
After the second Annihilation war, Peter Quill / Starlord offered Drax a position in his new Guardians of the Galaxy, alongside Phyla-Vell, Adam Warlock, Rocket Raccoon, and Gamora. As a member of the Guardians, Drax was more grim and solitary but was a force of destruction who bailed them out of many predicaments during their first missions. After a Skrull infiltration of their headquarters on Knowhere, it was revealed that Mantis had been asked by Quill to use her mind-control powers on the team's members in order to help the team function better. As a result of this news, Quasar, together with Drax, go in search of Moondragon, bringing her to Mentor, who promptly murdered them!
Phylla and Drax than found themselves on a borderland called Oblivion, where the Quantum bands fell off Phyla's wrists, seeing as the bearer was now dead. Not long after, Phyla faced by her own demons but Drax sent them packing. They were joined by Maelstrom, who used Moondragon as bait to lure them for his master Oblivion, with the intent of using them to cross back over into reality. After his apparent defeat, Maelstrom agreed to lead them to Moondragon but instead led them to the Dragon of the Moon, where he said Moondragon was supposed to be, within the dragon that was regaining its strength after Ultron dispatched it back to Oblivion. Maelstrom however regained the upper hand once the Quantum bands re-bonded with him and he quickly encased Phyla and Drax, with the intent of feeding them to the Dragon in exchange for the Dragon using its energy to release Maelstrom from Oblivion.
Maelstrom dropped Phyla into the Dragon's mouth but after a short battle with Maelstrom, Phyla tore herself out of Dragon, while carrying Heather in her arms. With the Dragon dispatched, Quasar tried to return the bands to her but Phyla declined, stating that she had powers of her own. Together with Heather and Phyla, Drax returned to Mentor's place. Drax and Phyla rejoined the rest of Guardians of the Galaxy back on Knowhere, accompanied by Heather. Upon learning of the upcoming war between the Shi'ar Empire, with their new Emperor Vulcan, and the Kree, now led by the Inhuman's and their King Black Bolt, all of the Guardians reunited and made a plan to stop the aggressions before they destroyed the very fabric of reality.
War of Kings
Adam Warlock returned with Gamora to the Guardians and informed them of the War of Kings. Starlord and Rocket Raccoon decided the Guardians needed to be split into three teams to prevent the war from growing out of proportion. The three teams were; The Kree Team with Starlord, Bug, Gamora, Jack Flag and Martyr (Phylla-Vell), the The Shi'ar Team with Rocket Raccoon, Drax the Destroyer, Adam Warlock, Major Victory and Groot and The Coordination Team with Moondragon, Mantis and Cosmo the Spacedog. Drax was placed on the Shi'ar team because they required the brute force necessary to counteract Vulcan's destructive power. The Kree Team asked Blackbolt to stop the war, which he denied. The Shi'ar team then became separated from Warlock, who was transported on to a Shi'ar vessel and attacked by Vulcan. The rest of the Shi'ar Team worked with the Starjammers to free Lilandra Emperor Vulcan.
But negotiations soon failed and the team found itself in between a battle with the Inhumans and the Imperial Guard. The War of Kings ended with a massive fissure in space-time known as the Fault. To stop it's expansion, Adam Warlock overlapped the timestreams, which caused him to become Magus, subsequently attacking the team. Drax tried to rip out Magus' heart as he did Thanos, but Magus didn't have a heart and was able to shrug Drax off. Eventually, Magus was defeated, but at a massive cost to the team. Six members perished and Drax returned with the team to Knowhere, having paid a high price for their victory. Or so they were led to believe. Magus actually captured the fallen members who were later escaped. But during the escape they uncovered something long predicted - Drax's purpose in life was now renewed as Thanos came back from Death's realm.
The Thanos Imperative
It seemed that Thanos had been brought back for a purpose. The evil inhabitants of the Cancerverse, a twisted universe located on the other side of the Fault, were attempting to kill Death and turn all conquered universes into corrupted universes filled with life. Much to Drax's disagreement, Starlord formed a plan around Thanos and the team went into the Cancerverse.
Once in the Cancerverse, Drax became overwhelmed with his hatred and disgust for Thanos. Against his orders, Drax attacked Thanos and stuck a detonator to his chest, vaporizing Thanos to a skeleton. As Starlord argued with Drax for ruining their only hope of saving the universe, Thanos slowly and painfully reformed, having been barred from Death once again. Drax attacked a second time but this time Thanos did the vaporizing, claiming that his reasoning was not a personal issue of revenge.
Star-Lord and Nova held back Thanos long enough for the rift to the Cancerverse to close. Because nothing dies in the Cancerverse, Drax returned and continued to fight alongside his friends. Eventually, Nova would combine the power of the Cosmic Cube with his Nova force to open a gate back to their own dimension. Star-Lord, Drax, and accidentally, Thanos were able to return home, stranding Nova for now.
Powers & Abilities
After his death at the hands of Thanos, Kronos used his cosmic power to fuse Arthur Douglas' soul to a new body formed from Earth's soil. This body possessed a variety of super-human abilities. The Destroyer's body, while inhabited by Drax's spirit, was nearly invulnerable to all forms of physical injury. Drax's powers at this point included super strength, tremendous resilience, flight, and the ability to project concussive blasts of cosmic energy from his hands, as well as the ability to survive, and travel, at high speeds in outer space, as well hyperspace, without air, food, or water. Drax could harness his cosmic energy and project it through his arms as concussive blasts. The maximum amount of force Drax is able to project is unknown. However, he can project enough energy to shatter large, ferrous meteors. Drax also possessed the ability to sense the presence of Thanos across vast distances.
Second Return
When Drax was later restored, his physical might increased, but suffered severe mental disability in his new incarnation. Instead of his ability to sense Thanos across vast distances, Drax possessed the ability to sense when beings were in recent contact with Thanos, and a precognitive ability to sense when beings will be in contact with Thanos in the near future. Drax's strength was comparable to that of the Hulk, but lacking the latter's rage-fueled potential.
With the Power Gem, Drax was a truly unstoppable force with limitless strength. He subconsciously used the Power Gem to tap into it's power and grew stronger and stronger.
Current Powers
As of the 2006 " Annihilation" mini-series, Drax had again died and undergone a rebirth, appearing to have lost some of his strength and resilience, as well as his ability to fly and shoot cosmic energy blasts. However, his intellect returned to its original level and had taken a liking to using knives in battle. After his rebirth, he did display some psionic ability. He entered the mind of the human girl, Cammi, that was with him during his death and rebirth. He used her memories to reconstruct the events leading up to and following his death.
Drax has proven to have a superhuman olfactory senses. During the Annihilation event he was able to determine that Nova was a human like Cammi by sheer smell alone. Drax had also used this ability to recognize when weapons were about to be discharged in his area. In the Guardians of the Galaxy #5, he was asked if this acute sense had picked up any of the cloaked Skrulls.
In issue #4 of "Annihilation" Drax displayed an ability unseen in any of his previous incarnations; while in close proximity to Thanos' body, his own body emitted a strange, form-fitting aura. Shortly thereafter, he punched straight through the Thanos' chest with a single blow.
The full extent of Drax's powers after his most recent rebirth are unknown at this time.
Abilities
Drax is a more than proficient in combat, which was especially true in his original and more powerful incarnation. In Guardians of the Galaxy #5, Drax was said to have mastered the alien martial art form called "Dwi Theet". He used this to defeat Impact, a master in six different martial arts, with ease. In his normal life Arthur Douglas was skilled in playing the saxophone.
Strength levels
Drax's original form possessed superhuman strength, allowing him to lift (press) 40 tons. Following his fall and subsequent return, his strength increased to Class 100 level, allowing him to lift (press) 100 tons. With the Infinity Gem, his strength was raised even further, able to lift well in excess of 100 tons. As a result of his recent rebirth (shortly before Annihilation), Drax's strength appeared to have diminished somewhat, to what degree is unknown. The Marvel Power grid places his current strength at being able to lift over 75 tons and up to 100 tons.
Equipment
Drax currently carries a pair of knives made from unknown material. As a member of the Infinity Watch, Drax once wielded the Power Gem.
⚡ Happy 🎯 Heroclix 💫 Friday! 👽
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A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
Secret Identity: Arthur Sampson Douglas
Publisher: Marvel
First Appearance: The Invincible Iron Man #55 (February 1973)
Created by: Jim Starlin (writer and artist)