Thunder. Thunder. ThunderCats. Noooooooo

by Christopher Scott

*Aggravated Sigh*

Apparently Cartoon Network has been digging through its vault of underutilized properties again, and this time they’ve gone too far. With the announcement of their latest show, ThunderCats Roar, I felt the need to give my 2 cents after a nearly 5-year hiatus on this webpage. Yes, it’s that serious.

To give you some backstory, my name is Chris Scott and I am a former contributor on TheTalkingBox who used to cover animated shows including The Invincible Iron Man, The Awesomes, and ThunderCats (2011) which was probably my main staple. Through the good and the bad, I provided updates and synopses along with my own opinion during the one-year revival of the series. The show was not perfect (not really even close), but it gave us brief glimpses of greatness and ultimately did a decent job in filling the shoes of its inspiration.

Yesterday, however, Cartoon Network teased a new show in development using the ThunderCats license which reminds us that Cartoon Network is creatively bankrupt in 2018. According to the wildly misleading press release, “Staying true to the premise of the original series, Lion-O and the ThunderCats — Tygra, Panthro, Cheetara, Wilykat, and Wilykit — barely escape the sudden destruction of their home world, Thundera, only to crash land on the mysterious and exotic planet of Third Earth. Lion-O, the newly appointed Lord of the ThunderCats, attempts to lead the team as they make this planet their new home. A bizarre host of creatures and villains stand in their way, including the evil Mumm-Ra, Third Earth’s wicked ruler who will let nothing, including the ThunderCats, stop his tyrannical reign over the planet.” Cartoon Network, how dare you use such a vague and nostalgic description of this new series to obfuscate what is really going on here?

Cartoon Network / Entertainment Weekly 

By taking a moment to look at the official keyart for the series, depicting a chibi art style and goofy expressions, it is painfully clear that this is merely a shadow of what ThunderCats has always stood for in the hearts and minds of its audience. This is more like if the entire cast of the show was replaced by various incarnations of Snarf. To further envision the style of the show, it is being created by producer/cartoonist, Victor Coutright (Mighty Magiswords, Pickle and Peanut, and OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes). With only a brief introduction to his former works, it is clear that this show is an attempt to join other reviled shows on the Network such as Teen Titans GO! and Unikitty! Additionally, there is an official teaser out there, but it is just too infuriating to give a link here. Just go to YouTube and search ThunderCats Roar, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Now, for those of you who believe I might be a 30-something millennial who is blinded by nostalgia glasses and who can’t just let kids enjoy the shows they like, I completely understand your point of view. I constantly struggle to keep nostalgia in check and I would be lying if I said I didn’t fail from time to time. That being said, there is a place for action-oriented, exciting, and story-driven animation in today’s market. There is a reason Japanese animation is being picked up by Netflix, Amazon, and other streaming networks. Shows like Gravity Falls, DuckTales, and Star Vs. The Forces of Evil are all performing very well in the space, offering variety in stories and adventure that comedic shows simply cannot. And just think about it from your own childhood. For every Reboot, Thundercats, and Batman The Animated Series that are cemented in our memories, there were dozens of Samurai Pizza Cats, Eek The Cat, Mega Babies cartoons that barely remain in our subconscious. And if Cartoon Network simply must create another humor-driven cartoon to add to their already overloaded lineup, why must it be done using the ThunderCats reputation? There is still outcry to this day over their misuse of the Teen Titans license for Teen Titans Go! I am just not sure it is necessary in this case seeing as how the license doesn’t really resonate with today’s children, but will absolutely infuriate those who loved the original series.

Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps I am in the minority here. Let me know in the comments below! Would you rather see the ThunderCats return in this incarnation? Or would you prefer they come up with some new license and keep the original spirit of the show untouched? I’d love to hear your feedback!

The Awesomes: Identity Crisis

by Christopher Scott

The Awesomes "No Mo' Sumo" (S01E04): Welcome back everybody! Yet another episode recap is on the way. Today’s recap is for episode 4, “No Mo’ Sumo.”

Picking up directly from where episode 3 left off, Tim’s parents are trying to take him away from the team. Apparently they are former mercenaries who’ve had their secret identities compromised, and therefore have put their son in danger. They want to take him away and start over once more to keep him safe. ….. wait ….. what?

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So Tim’s parents were mercenaries, can kick major butt, and aren’t native Japanese. They worked together as a team codenamed: Dine and Dash. (Cute team name) One of the villain teams they stole from, The IT Department, repeatedly tracks them down during the episode to exact their revenge. (Or fail repeatedly to do so.)

The Awesomes take it upon themselves to try and help Tim’s family to assume new lives. In order to do that they need to find U.M.B.R.E.L.L.A., a secret organization that specializes in changing identities, through a very elaborate series of fetch quests. It’s a typical cartoon plot that’s been done a thousand times. Sadly, there is nothing too fresh here to mention specifically as a stand out funny moment.

In the end, Tim proves himself as capable of handling threats because of his superpower. He fights in an arena for the Invisible Hand of the Floating Glove, against a Cyclops gorilla monster or something. This impresses his parents and sets off the chain of fetch quests culminating in reaching U.M.B.R.E.L.L.A. and Tim’s parents getting their new identities. Tim stays behind to continue with The Awesomes, which is good because I did NOT want them to start looking for another teammate again.

The final scene setting up episode 5 begins with the IT Department tracking down the team once again. Because of a crossing of the streams (Thanks, Ghostbusters) The Awesomes are transported to another dimension or timeline where there is a group of their doppelgangers floating overhead. They don’t really fill us in on any more than that.

Not a lot of “Awesomeness” in this one, guys. What few fights there were are short and uneventful. I am intrigued by the cliffhanger, though. What do you think? Are The Awesomes on another planet, or a different dimension, or an alternate timeline? And what about their alternate personas; heroes or villains? Leave your comments below and I’ll check back on you. Until next time, be awesome! 

Awesomes: This Episode Makes the Series Look “H.I.P.P.I.E.R.”

By Christopher Scott

The Awesomes “Baby Got Backstory” (S01E03): Welcome back faithful viewers! Are you ready for another great recap of an episode of The Awesomes? Well, will you settle for mediocre? Now we’re talking!

Episode three, titled “Baby Got Backstory,” begins with the team failing miserably at taking down a giant cockroach. Prock is trying to direct them as best he can, but no one cares what he has to say. Can’t blame them too much, he’s a bit whiny.

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After a few minutes of utter failure we find out it was all just a simulation in a holographic room called the H.I.P.P.I.E.R. As Gadget Gal steps out to use the restroom, the real basis of this episode is formed. Shortly after she leaves, the HQ goes into lockdown (though I sorta wish it had been Rockdown like Impulse had suggested). Gadget Gal winds up stuck outside with her nemesis, Tomboy and The Bowling Team, leaving the rest of the team to tell their backstory as to how they gained their superpowers.

It really seems a little early to start telling origin stories to me. I mean, I hardly care about these characters this early in the series. If it had waited until halfway through the season, it might have held more weight and value. Instead it misses the impact it could have had and just becomes a filler. Oh well.

While Gadget Gal does a pretty good job keeping her enemies at bay, the first up to tell his story is Tim. A fairly short story, he was born with his sumo powers and when he’s angry he beats up people. Glad to have THAT out of the way. I was on pins and needles.

Concierge went up next. While at a beauty pageant she saw her calling by watching a news reporter lose her cool under the pressure. She stepped in and the rest was history.  I did like how they likened her organizational skills to reading the code from The Matrix. If nothing else, this episode made me watch that movie shortly afterwards. Classic.

Hotwire sorta followed up, buuut I’m not sure hers counts. There was no flashback or anything. Still seems to me like she is hiding something. Her parents had boring jobs, she got her powers when she was 16, and she thought it would be cool to be a super hero. Yup …. thought it would be cool … so she did it.  Also, I guess Muscleman caught her in a lie that her dad taught math versus teaching social studies, but it was so glazed over that I’m not sure if they meant that to matter.

Impressario was kinda nerdy, but his mom loved him. He found his stone that he uses for conjuring his imagination into real objects and then used it to gain confidence. Not much of a story, but it seems to be a trend. His story is cut short by his mom, who happens to have stumbled into the headquarters at this most inopportune time. She winds up being stuck in the middle of the epic battle being fought by Gadget Gal while Muscleman begins his origin tale.

Muscleman’s story is a double hitter for both himself and for Prock. They were the crime fighting duo, Brains and Brawn! I love their theme song. I’m gonna find that and use it for a ringtone. During their story the evil doer’s “Hat Trick” is robbing an armored car. “Looks like someone earned some time in the penalty box!” (It’s one liners like this that keep me coming back for more.) In the end they win, I guess. Prock winds up hospitalized, but he said they won, sooooo……

Anyway, Prock finally decides to take action and get the team out of their jam. Through another conversation with Impressario’s mom, he finds out that the gem that Impressorio uses for his conjuring doesn’t actually do anything. Impressario has powers, not the gem. And because the room only nullifies the gem, they can now escape and clear their base of bad guys. Although the bad guys seem to have made up with the good guys, so, whatever.

The episode ends with a tease of what’s to come. Next week, Tim’s parents come to return him home. That’s sure to go over well. Until then, let me know how I did with this recap. And, why do you think Tim’s parents suddenly want their son back? Leave your comments below and I’ll see you soon!

The Awesomes: Pilot, Part 2

by Christopher Scott

Hulu Original Series The Awesomes

The Awesomes "Pilot, Part 2" (S01E02): G’day mates! I’m back to review the second part of the pilot episode for The Awesomes. Here we go, try to keep up!

Picking up from where we left off, our newly formed team has run into their first villain, evil doer, trash monster. Compost is a sentient blob of garbage. How hard could this be? I seem to defeat garbage every Thursday by wheeling it out to the street from the garage.

In typical team-building fashion, every hero has his or her own way of getting things done. Prock needs to lead this team, but he is hesitant and green around the gills. After a few minutes of getting their butts whooped they finally come together and … are saved by Perfect Man! Hooray Perfect Man!!!

Even though Perfect Man steals their spotlight, the producer of Superhero Now invites the team to appear on his show to reintroduce The Awesomes to the world. After a few flashbacks to the glory days, the host begins to interview Prock on his leadership skills. Well …. more like he begins to chastise Prock for being an awful hero in front of his audience (which includes the Sasquatch from the animated Jacks Links Beef Jerks commercials that air during the show. Ha, nice).

The host then brings out his next guest, Dr. Malocchio, the “reformed” super villain. Question: If Dr. Malocchio can control people’s minds and we haven’t developed some sort of defense against it, why didn’t he just control the minds of his jury and not go to jail in the first place? Dr. Malocchio makes some good points during the interview as if he has the world’s best interests at heart by eliminating all super powered beings. Using some secret ray gun, he demonstrates it on a villain who interrupts the broadcast. It’s starting to remind me of the plot of X-Men 3 at this point. I didn’t like X-Men 3.

After the interview Prock find out he needs to add one more member to the team before he can qualify for government funding of The Awesomes. Holding a series of tryouts, the team adds Hotwire to the roster. Prock needed a love interest I guess, so … now he has one. She can control electricity somehow, but it’s not really clear how well she does it or how useful it can be. Also, she’s a new hero with no background, which has Concierge on her guard.

Just as the team is getting their drink on in celebration, they are attacked once more. This time The Animal Kingdom comes knocking! Like Care Bears, but strong and evil. A slick move by Prock and some more good old-fashioned teamwork, and that threat is eliminated. Nice job guys! Everything wraps up nicely, The Awesomes get their funding and ….. whoa, wait.

Hotwire is dating Perfect Man? Well that was unexpected. I figured she was gonna turn out to be Dr. Malocchio’s daughter. I guess she could be both. If she winds up being both, will that mean that every episode another bombshell will drop about her background? Ugh! I guess we will find out in the coming episodes. I hope you’re enjoying the show! Keep stopping by TheBTalkingBox for the latest episode recaps and comment below to let your voice be heard!

NEW SHOW: The Awesomes

by Christopher Scott

Hulu Original Series The Awesomes

The Awesomes "Pilot, Part 1" (S01E01): Hey guys and gals! It’s good to be back, bringing you up to date on the new animated series presented by Hulu, The Awesomes. Featuring the voice talent of Seth Meyers, Kenan Thompson, and many other sketch comics from both MAD TV and Saturday Night Live, The Awesomes is a comedy series following a team of heroes trying to keep the world safe from villainy. The only problem is, all of the good heroes have quit, so we’re left with the “B-Team.” I’m getting a little ahead of myself.

Here in Episode One we are privy to how this new team of heroes comes to be. After a short flash forward, we are introduced to Mr. Awesome, the leader of the current super hero team “The Awesomes,” and Prock, his son who has only the power to stop time in order to monologue but has become both a professor and doctor in order to impress his father. (Heh, I see what you did there.)

Today, Mr. Awesome is retiring from his tights and wants to pass the torch to a new generation of hero. Obviously that means his first choice as a successor is …  Perfect Man! Duh! You weren’t thinking Prock, right? Come on! Prock is lame! But when Perfect Man shuts down the offer and no other hero wants to step up, including a press member who must have been on steroids, it leaves only Prock to don the title of leader. Which, in turn, causes every decent team member to quit posthaste.

From there Prock attempts to assemble a new team of worthy heroes to defend the world through teamwork. He has the choice to attain decent heroes with less impressive powers or to grab A+ power wielders with huge mental shortcomings. And because this is supposed to be a comedy, a ragtag team of crazies makes for better TV … er, internet TV.

This new team includes Muscleman, a strong guy with no intelligence. Frantic, a super speed runner with a serious need to succeed in life that causes him to be “bat guano crazy.” Gadget Gal, a senior citizen/former hero who happens to have a run in with an old nemesis during the episode that causes her to return to 25 years old or so. Impressario, a telepath with mommy issues. Tim, an 11-year-old boy who can Hulk-out to a giant Sumo Wrestler. Then there’s Concierge, who isn’t a hero per se. She’s more like a receptionist. She seems like she is a staple of the team though, so I’ll give her recognition here.

There is also a villain who makes a few appearances, Dr. Malocchio. He is evil, in jail, and can manipulate people’s minds. That’s all you really find out about him. He doesn’t even have any good one-liners.

That’s all for real substance in the first episode. There are jokes littered throughout the show, but it has a ways to go to meet up with the Family Guys and Futuramas of the world. It’s not bad, and it’s nice to have another comedy out there to enjoy. The slogan really says it all: “The Awesomes! Our bar is lower!” Stay tuned to TheTalkingBox for more episode recaps and comment below! How are you liking the show so far? And what would you like to hear more of? Don’t be a stranger!             

Aqualad’s Leadership Is Questioned

by Christopher Scott

Young Justice “Alpha Males” (S02E04):

This episode begins right where the last left off. Our heroes are still being freed from their various traps and details are being sought after by the Justice League. Superboy’s super-hearing eavesdrops on Aqualad talking to Batman about the mole possibly being Red Tornado. He subsequently freaks out along with the rest of the team. They all believe that they should have been informed of the mole and that he was withholding information from the group­­ that contributed to them almost dying. (As much as I agree with them, I would think at least one of them would see that this had to be kept secret. Can’t any of them tell that the only way the mole would be caught would be if they were not aware they were being watched?)

Batman steps in, stating that they need to put this aside and go on a mission right away. He puts a quick stop to the bickering and explains that they will not have a rotating Den Mother instead of Red Tornado or anyone else being a permanent staple. First up, Billy Batson, aka Captain Marvel. (How awesome is that!? For those of you who don’t know, he is like 10 years old in real life. His powers allow him to be a grown-up superhero. Hanging out with a bunch of kids is an awesome occupation for this guy.) They are to track down some killer gorillas that wield guns. I wish I was making this up.

Captain Marvel accompanies them on their mission, much to the chagrin of Aqualad, who does not enjoy being babysat. The team hits the ground in a dense tropical area. Aqualad attempts to give orders, but is ignored as everyone goes about their business. Superboy gets protective of Miss Martian and is scolded and ends up going off alone. Miss Martian is with Artemis, Kid Flash with Robin, and Aqualad with Captain Marvel. It isn’t long before they are all in combat with jungle creatures with collars. The animals have all been enhanced by the Cobra Venom and are twice their normal size and strength. The collars seem to control them all and keep them aggressive to intruders.

Aqualad starts to target the collars and makes short work of the animals. Eventually, communication is set up by Miss Martian, and all of the others do the same to the collars. They start to come up with a battle plan while Captain Marvel gets lost chasing a tiger (like a 10-year-old). He gets captured, which adds a whole new dimension to this plan. Reconnaissance is no longer the aim of the mission. Aqualad demands their respect and takes command back into his hands, offering to give up his leadership only after this mission has been completed successfully.

Captain Marvel has been taken hostage by The Brain and his gorilla accomplice, Mallah. He plans to access his brain and gain the knowledge of his mind. (See, Captain Marvel is not just strong. He is a culmination of many powers at once: the wisdom of Solomon, strength of Hercules, stamina of Atlas, power of Zeus, courage of Achilles, and speed of Mercury. It spells Shazam, which is the secret word he uses to go from boy to hero and back.) The wisdom of Solomon is great and vast. It is little wonder that a villain known as The Brain would want that.

The Young Justice crew finds the hideout and blast in. For some reason, some of the jungle creature aid them in battle. Superboy has made friends with a wicked-looking white wolf and the tiger that Captain Marvel had followed earlier, and they help him escape. The battle is short-lived, as is the episode really, and The Brain and Mallah escape.

They all meet back at the ship. Aqualad explains himself to everyone as to why he kept secrets and they all decide to leave him in charge. Miss Martian and Superboy make their apologies, and everyone heads home. Captain Marvel goes back to his uncle’s apartment and goes back to being Billy Batson.

Not the best episode for sure, but after the last three, what did you expect? What do you think is next for the team? And what Justice League member are you looking forward to taking the lead for a short time? I’d like to see the drama for a Superman episode frankly. Leave your comments below!

Super Powers Are For Chumps

by Christopher Scott

Young Justice “Homefront” (S02E03):

I love the Young Justice team. I love the characters. I love the story. I love the powers. But, you know what else I loved? Batman cartoons. The guy is the single greatest hero in the DC Universe. Hands down. Bruce Timm, creator of Batman: The Animated Series, reminded me of that fact time and again. He had the brains, brawn, money, and skills to make all the super-powered cohorts of his look weak and foolish. In this episode, we are reminded again of what it takes to be a hero… and it’s not powers.

The episode starts with a very short flashback and intro that are worth mentioning. Following Artemis, the flashback shows us a very young version of her trying to convince her stepsister to stay and wait for their mother to return from prison. Why she is there makes little difference. Her stepsister is Cheshire, which explains some things. It also shows us a small window into Artemis’s psyche. She has a problem with leadership. She is great at backing up her team, but when the pressure is on, she loses it. Good to know.

The short intro is split into very few insignificant parts. First, Artemis started her first day at the new prep school she got into during Season 1. It happens to be Robin’s school too, and he is quick to introduce himself. It is clear he knows her secret identity. (For a split second we meet Barabara Gordon, Batgril, too. Man it would be so cool to add her to the team. She has really only had one cartoon where she got her due and it was excellent. Go watch The Batman starting at Season 2 if you don’t know what I’m talking about.) In Mount Justice we see the remainder of the team going about business as usual. Aqualad confides in Red Tornado his suspicions of a mole in the team. Red Tornado leaves the matter to Aqualad to deal with and exits the hideout. All is well at this point.

Robin arrives at the Gotham City teleporter to Mount Justice at the same time. She says that she was there to visit her cousin …. lame. Robin enters first, followed by Artemis. Cue disaster! She enters to a blazing fire with smoke everywhere. Robin shouts words of warning and she reacts accordingly. The fire takes a life of its own, chasing the two down corridors. The chase scene and acrobatics cannot really be described, so if you can I suggest you find this episode online because it is animated very well.

They make their way to the showers and hit the water to stop from being burned alive. Great idea, until the shower heads come blasting off of the wall. Water is now gushing into the room at an alarming rate. So either the enemy can control elements or there is more than one villain in the lair. Greeeeat! Robin blows a hole in the wall to escape, which buys them a 30-second lead.

Next, they are in the kitchen, catching their breath as best they can. Robin downloads blueprints of the hideout so that he can track movements and runs through an escape plan. Artemis chooses a vent over the stove as their next step and the two jump inside. The faceless enemy is no fool, shooting waves of flame through the ductwork. They dodge the brunt of the attack and quickly run through their options. Robin disables the security sensors so they cannot be tracked so easily now and then runs through the security footage to see what they are up against. All they see is the mountain being flooded as the cameras are systematically dismantled.

They have now found their way into the library, still being chased. Someone speaks out, calling for Artemis and Robin in the voice of Red Tornado. Artemis jumps out excitedly to her rescuer, only to find that it is a robot, and red, but very clearly not Red Tornado. Robin, with his intense training, falls for no such trick and saves Artemis from a very hot fate. And we’re on the run again! Into a secret passage in the library, which impresses Artemis, the two escape without a scratch. (I like when Artemis gives a nod to the secret passage and Robin mentions how much more complicated and impressive the Batcave is. I’m glad they added someone to the team with such a rich history.)

The androids come over the intercom to state that the remaining heroes have 10 minutes to surrender, and we get a glimpse of where the rest of the team is. Miss Martian and Aqualad are in a cage of fire. They both have a weakness to the heat, so they are out of commission. Kid Flash and Superboy have been trapped by some metal that was melted and then reshaped around them. They are also surrounded by water that is slowly rising to drown them. Things look bad. Fortunately, the remainder of the free team is still very capable of freeing their friends.

Robin and Artemis head for the hanger as instructed, but covertly. They have a doubled-edged plan to begin freeing everyone. First, they want to test the strength of their captors. Second, they need to establish communication with the remainder of the team. They start to fight. There are explosions. And Robin throws a well-placed batarang that lands next to Kid Flash. Artemis and Robin escape again and are reminded that they only have 6 minutes to comply with their surrender.

Robin is unfazed while Artemis begins to freak out a little. Robin starts to talk to KF though the batarang to come up with a plan. They decide on an EMP. Robin grabs parts from the X-Ray machine and they head to the generator in the hangar to hook it up, but of course it doesn’t fit. Meanwhile KF and Superboy distract the robots. The two are spotted and Artemis uses her last arrow to fend off the attackers. Artemis manages to retreat, but Robin is not so lucky.

And then there was one. Artemis loses her composure and thinks of escaping the mountain. Surely her friends would die under those circumstances. She finally comes to her senses, deciding to save her team or die alongside them. If that’s not dedication, I don’t know what is! She grabs the arrow on display in the trophy room and returns to the hangar to fire it into the generator, completing the circuit. The EMP goes off and the bots hit the ground hard.

Red Tornado returns to the scene, coming up with an excuse that the teleporter was down and he couldn’t get there earlier. Suspicious, yes. During their interaction the EMP wears off and Red Tornado is affected by the other two cyborgs. His eyes turn red and he sucks all of the air from the room. The team go unconscious and are woken by the Justice League hours later. The three machines have escaped and left them all unharmed.

That’s where the episode stops y’all. Pretty epic I think. Like I said, if you can find it online do yourself a favor and catch this one. It was intense! What did you think!? Leave your comments below.

Miss Martian and Superboy Hook Up

by Christopher Scott

Young Justice “Terrors” (S02E02):

So, if you couldn’t tell by the summary, this is another tale of two of our heroes. The rest of the team pretty much sits the whole episode out. Miss Martian and Superboy are taking center stage as … villains? Let me explain.

A pair of twin troublemakers, the Terror Twins (which you would think would make their powers something fear-related, but it doesn’t) are “terrorizing” New Orleans. The Young Justice team and the Justice League team up for like three seconds to take them both out. Miss Martian and Superboy are given collars made to look like their powers are suppressed and are gussied up to look like the duo and take their place on the way to Belle Reve Prison. Confused yet?

It’s flashback time. Remember in the very first episode when four ice-based criminals attacked the Justice League on the same day? Well, apparently Batman hadn’t forgotten. After what I’d imagine was hours of investigation spanning weeks, if not months, he has determined all four criminals were eventually transported to the same jail. Two immediately, and two more were en route. This jail is the big house to almost every criminal mind in the DC universe that isn’t locked up at Arkham Asylum. Superboy and Miss Martian, disguised as the enemy, would be transported in as well, in an effort to uncover the truth behind why all of the ice-based criminals wanted to be admitted all at once.

And back into the present… we go to find this duo locked up in a transport with Icicle Jr. and Mr. Freeze (two of the four from that chilly event). The group meets the warden, Amanda Waller, and the prison psychiatrist, Hugo Strange (more heavy hitting characters from DC). The two explain that no one has ever escaped. No one ever will. And don’t bother trying to escape unless you want to be shocked to death by the collars everyone in the prison wears. That’s sure to keep everyone in line.

The men and women of the prison are separated into two different wings. To compensate for this Miss Martian sets up a telepathic link between them so that they can stay in contact. She is quickly accepted by her peers but Superboy must earn their respect. He thwarts an attack on Icicle Jr., which catches the eye of Icicle Sr., who seems to be the ring leader of the prison. After gaining respect, the two incognito heroes begin to gather intel.

There are a few more uninteresting scenes here where Superboy, pretending to be a Terror Twin, confronts his very real problems with his “father,” Superman, with the help of Hugo Strange, but they are short and don’t uncover anything we didn’t already know. The first step of the real plan starts in the mess hall. After accounting for the whereabouts of all the League members, Mr. Freeze stages a fight with Icicle Sr. in an effort to get taken to the warden. The breakout plan is given to Superboy, who gives it to Miss Martian and everything is laid in motion.

Mr. Freeze, once in Waller’s office, destroys his collar and threatens Waller to release the collars. She does so, but also commands a lockdown of all the exits. All of the prisoners are running amok. It takes Miss Martian about 3 seconds to blow her cover by saving one of the guards from a villain. She gets “put on ice” and is out of commission, as is her telepathic link. Superboy has one plan now above all others: get to Miss Martian.

Now, were you still wondering why this episode had anything to do with ice-based criminals? Well, the plan is to use ice attacks on the heavily reinforced doors to weaken the metal, and then use strong villains to pound away at the cold metal. I would have gone with fire-based criminals to melt the doors away, but nobody asked me.

Superboy makes an effort to distance himself from the action and then convinces Icicle Jr. that the collars are being turned back on. Being a gullible B-rated criminal, Icicle Jr. is quick to believe him and aids Superboy in turning them back “off.” Then the two work on making a door to the women’s side of the prison. As soon as the door is opened Superboy unleashes some inner fury, dominates the villains in his way, and saves Miss Martian. He reaches out to her telepathically, she breaks free, and the two kiss. Good for them. :)

The episode ends rather abruptly here. Obviously, with the collars reactivated, the uprising is quelled. Hugo Strange is put in charge of the prison. And what would a Young Justice episode be without a nod to the Light? Icicle Sr. and Hugo Strange are happy with the arrangement, agreeing that this was really the plan all along. Really? The plan was to lose? Or was the plan to get Superboy a girlfriend?

I liked it overall, but I am still missing some real teamwork. Still no Kid Flash, Robin, or Artemis. Who are you waiting for the most!? Leave your comments below.

Red Arrow Calls For Help

By Christopher Scott

Young Justice “Targets” (S02E01)

Young Justice has returned for round 2! The episode begins with Red Arrow staking out peace negotiations with Rhalasia. (Think Korea when thinking Rhalasia.) The two halves of this country have had some heated exchanges in peace talks and are awaiting a surprise negotiator who is coming to assist in bringing peace. Red Arrow has come to ensure that this special guest arrives safely. He had been tipped off that Cheshire, of the League of Shadows, was there to assassinate him/her. He makes a call to the Young Justice crew for access to their computer netw

orks. After reaching Aqualad, the two banter back and forth about how Red Arrow should just join their group, but he declines as usual (even though he wants to use all of their stuff apparently).

Just as the limousine pulls up, Arrow finds his target and Cheshire finds hers. An RPG is shot at the vehicle and deflected by Arrow. The two fight briefly, she is caught, and the rescued negotiator turns out to be Lex Luthor (dun, dun, duuuun).

Arrow approaches the billionaire wanting answers. Was the hit on Lex? Or on the peace negotiations themselves? Lex replies that it is really Arrow’s job to find out that part, and leaves him to his work. It is clear that Red Arrow is disheartened that he even saved the man in the first place. If only…

Anyway, back at Mount Justice, Miss Martian and Superboy have been asked to enroll in the local school to better familiarize themselves with Earth customs and such. It will make for better reconnaissance if they understand more of the world around them. Miss Martian becomes Megan Jones and Superboy is now Conner Kent. There are a few goofy scenes as they try to fit in at school, but nothing of importance takes place with these two. Also of note, Robin, Artemis, and Kid Flash are MIA from the entire episode. I was looking forward to seeing Robin in action at least.

The story now returns to Red Arrow, as he is speaking with Cheshire behind bars. She gives him little to none of the information he is looking for, but instead opens a whole new can of worms as she is broken out of prison by Sportsmaster (by the way, what a terrible villain. You can make him strong, fast, and give him all of the gadgets in the world, but he is still just a loser ex-PE Coach to me). Arrow tries to chase the two of them down, but it is no use. Thankfully, he fires off a beacon that he can use to track their escape chopper before losing them completely.

After hunting his prey throughout the city, he comes across the complex being used by the League of Shadows. There is Sportsmaster. There is Cheshire. And now, yet another villain joins the show for the first time, Raz al Ghul. Things just stepped up a level in complexity. Red Arrow is spotted and narrowly escapes them all, immediately calling for backup from Aqualad. Happy to get some airtime this episode, he accepts.

The final showdown takes place in a grand meeting hall. Lex is trying to bring both sides together using a tea ceremony native to both cultures. The woman serving the tea is recognized as Cheshire by Aqualad and it is ON. She throws the cart of tea towards the negotiators and public figures just as Aqualad summons all of the water from everyone’s drink using the power of his Water Bearers. The water pools itself upward, creating a massive shield of water just as the tea cart explodes tremendously. It blows out all of the windows and a huge hole in the side of the building, but leaves all of the people unharmed behind the watery dome. The water falls to the ground and Aqualad and Red Arrow jump into action. Sportsmaster also joins the rumble coming in via a helicopter full of henchmen. The bodyguards from both countries take on henchmen, and the heroes take on the villains. In the end, evil is thwarted and Lex’s cyborg liaison stops the final attacker, causing both of the Rhalasian countries to sign the peace documents and thank him profusely. Arrow and Aqualad take it in stride and depart.

Arrow has gained a new respect for his compatriots and pledges allegiance to the cause. He will still stay solo, but he can be counted on (it reminds me of Batman in Justice League). Also, Lex and Raz al Ghul seem to have been in cahoots the whole time, working for The Light. No surprise there as every episode so far seems to end with some sort of Light twist. I just wonder when they will expose The Light and finally have something to focus on. Who knows?

A good return to the series, though I will admit I miss the MIA characters. Is there a villain or hero you’re waiting to see? Comment below!

Lion-O Loses the Sword of Omens

by Christopher Scott

ThunderCats “The Drifter and The Duelist” (S01E07)

The team has finally left the Tower of Omens, but they haven’t gotten far. Two situations have kept them in the area; a lack of supplies, and incorporating the Book of Omens into the Thundertank. While Panthro and Tygra figure out the logistics of fusing paper with metal, Lion-O and Snarf are sent off to gather the supplies they’ll need. Cheetara must be doing something too, but it’s a secret.

Lion-O arrives at a nearby village for and is greeted by a rabbit-humanoid character who is hanging by his clothing on the front gate, like a scarecrow. Referred to as “Drifter,” his name suits him well. The wind seems to blow him from place to place as he rides it. He warns Lion-O to stay away from the village because it is notorious for sword duels. Men seem to come from everywhere to gain/lose their once-famous blades. Lion-O disregards the information, frees the Drifter from the gate, and bids him farewell as he enters the city.

His supplies are easy enough to find in the bazaar district, but payment is a bit more … complicated. Lion-O, being an heir to the throne of Thundara, has never been short on funds. But now that the city has fallen, the money is worthless. He must enter a local competition in sword mastery to gain the funds for the supplies. Luckily, it is already under way, so Lion-O runs to make an entry.

The point of the contest is to cut a swath into a large obelisk in the center of town. Each contestant boasts about the origin of his blade and then takes a strike at it. Lion-O has only one note, “You’re all battling for second place.” With that confidence, the Sword of Omens extends and cuts deep into the stone, splitting it in two! The crowd goes ballistic, the reward is paid, and the supplies are bought.

Enter the villain of the episode. Known only as The Duelist, he challenges Lion-O for the Sword of Omens, and the winner would collect both blades. Lion-O shoots him down, but it goaded into the fight when the Duelist disrespects his father. Smooth move. Lion-O takes a few moments to practice his moves and the Drifter reappears to show him he is clearly not ready. After many successive tries, Lion-O fails at the Drifter’s challenge, as the Drifter rides on the air to dodge his attacks. Panic is fierce in Lion-O’s eyes as he realizes that his skills might not be up to the task of facing off against a master at duels. Noon comes, the battle is short, and the legendary Sword of Omens is lost in mere moments.

The Drifter floats back into the story here with a tale of his own. Apparently, he was once a master blacksmith. Spending his entire life making swords, he crafted one in particular in his downtime for himself. Over a year in the making, the Sword of Hatanzo was his crown jewel. An incredible sword, he relied on his blade for victory until the day he met The Duelist. The Duelist beat the Drifter, took his blade, and left him a shell of his former glory.

Lion-O begs him to make a new blade after coming out of retirement. The two argue, but after Lion-O proves his skills in smithing are very, VERY weak, the Drifter jumps in and takes over. One afternoon later a new sword is born and Lion-O wastes no time in taking it into battle. The stakes are higher this time around… Lion-O would win all of the blades in the collection upon winning. However, the Duelist would win the honor of taking the life of his challenger should he win.

The challenge draws a large audience. Everyone loves bloodshed I suppose. The two begin, but it is clear that Lion-O has learned nothing thus far. His strikes are still very strong as he attacks head-on. The problem is that even though his new sword is made by the same blacksmith who crafted the Sword of Hatanzo, it was made in a single afternoon. Not over the course of a year. As quality as the blade might be, it cannot handle such punishment in battle. (I’m glad they mentioned that, because I honestly thought they would just let Lion-O win with this blade he just happened to come across.) The blade snaps in two, leaving Lion-O defenseless. The Duelist goes to make his final lunge, but the Drifter reminds Lion-O of his secret to battle from their earlier conflict. Lion-O loosens his body and dodges the strike, still clinging to his broken blade. He begins to dodge like the wind, eventually taking an opening to disarm his opponent and defeat him.

The Drifter and Lion-O celebrate victory as they collect their swords from the ground where they lay. The Duelist reveals a knife he had hidden and goes to exact revenge on them both, but is stopped by the Drifter and his vine from his mouth. He uses it to take the blade from the Duelist and leaves him in shame. The Drifter collects the remaining blades and vows to return them to their original masters, and Lion-O takes the Sword of Omens and his supplies back to the Thundercats to continue on his own journey. The two part ways and thus ends the episode.

I am so happy about the track this series is now on. What did you think of this one on a scale of 1 to 10? I’m going with a 9! Comment below!

Transforming the Airwaves for Generations: The Life Cycle of the Transformers Franchise

by Christopher Scott

For the past 27 years the battle between Autobots and Decepticons has been chronicled across many forms of media. Cartoons, comic books, and movies have all given us a glimpse of these larger-than-life beings and their quest for peace. I consider myself lucky in many ways to have been a part of this journey for so long, however the road has been rough at times as well. The main problem stemming from such a long tradition is that the universe in which the battles take place have changed dramatically so many times that it is hard to keep track. Today we look back at some of the more popular, and not so popular, versions of our robots in disguise and see where they may be headed in the future.

The franchise started out (as many cartoons do) as a way to get kids to buy toys. Because as interesting as it was to have a semi-truck turn into a robot via a few twists and turns of limbs, it didn’t have that spark that ignites the imagination. Instead, Hasbro (the toy creator) sanctioned some Marvel Comics writers, including Dennis O’Neil, to write a backstory for these toys and give them purpose. This then spawned both a comic series and the cartoon often referred to as Generation 1 (G1). Sunbow Productions and Marvel Productions collaborated on the show that gave birth to Optimus Prime, Megatron, and the original cast of characters. The robots had crash landed on Earth and reignited their war from their previous home planet, Cybertron, that had been destroyed. Many of the basics of the future series and movies were taken from G1.

G1 aired from 1984 through 1987 and immediately hooked the audience of young boys from ages 8 to 15. Hasbro had hit a gold mine of marketing potential with this show. The toys began to fly off of the shelves, along with t-shirts, comics, lunchboxes, and the like. Every kid wanted to be a part of the revolution. I truly don’t think that today there can be any comparison to this phenomenon only because there are so many choices for entertainment now that wouldn’t have been available in 1984. We have four channels devoted solely to cartoons, widely available (cheap) DVDs, and internet so expansive that we can find anything at any time. There was some competition from shows like Thundercats, but it was always assumed that they were only riding on the success of Transformers.

After G1 was completed, there were some Japanese spin-offs and a comic book that continued in its wake. And, of course, the toys continued their production without a break. Just as interest might have started to slow down, we were treated to another jaw-dropping take on the characters. Transformers: Beast Wars began in 1996. The real draw was the use of computer-generated 3D models instead of a two-dimensional cartoon. The story picked up where the original series had left off, with some minor tweaks. The Autobots were now the Maximals and the Decepticons were the Predacons, and in this show the characters transformed into animals instead of vehicles. According to the story, the alternate Earth they landed on had too much Energon (their fuel supply) in the atmosphere so they could not use vehicle forms. All fake science aside, the show was immediately well-received and took off quickly.

Again Hasbro had hit the nail on the head and began raking in the money. This may not have been the first CG-animated cartoon, but it was one of the best, even by today’s standards. It won a Daytime Emmy Award, lots of press attention, and the hearts and minds of children the world over. There were some glitches along the way with bringing it to the rest of the world from its Canadian origins, but these were minor and the show thrived anyway. For three years the series ran, reestablishing the toy line as a dominant force for dwindling the wallets of parents everywhere.

The next iteration of Transformers ran the series into the ground as far as legitimate cartoon series are concerned. Transformers: Robots in Disguise began in April 2000 and was also a computer-generated cartoon. The problem was, with each new season, the name of the show changed, the time the show aired changed, and the network even changed. It was succeeded by Transformers Armada, Energon, and Cybertron. The transformations were more elaborate for each character, and they would have multiple forms and could combine with each other. It just became difficult to follow as a TV show and merely served to keep toys on the shelves.

This brings us to the movie franchise, which launched Transformers into the stratosphere. The enormity of this project is incomprehensible. In fact, as of this writing, the third film hasn’t even been put on DVD and Blu-Ray yet. The movies (though clearly off topic for a blog about television) have cemented this show to have a future for the next 30+ years. And to bring these characters onto the small screen, Hasbro did bring another new cartoon out, called Transformers Prime.

You might have heard about Transformers Prime in another of my editorial pieces. It is a new series that takes a few characters and elements from the movies and puts them into a show for the next generation of children. It airs on a newer network called The Hub, which is also owned by Hasbro. What I like most about this show is that, now that the characters and storyline have been around for quite some time and the movies were an astounding success, it gives families a chance to bond over a show that previously would have catered only to young boys. The show follows its predecessors by also being CG, however I really wish that it was in HD. Besides that, the characters are recognizable and the story is fun to watch. In fact, there are a few episodes (namely “Predatory” and “Partners”) that I was as impressed with as any live-action TV show I have ever watched. New episodes of this cartoon start Saturday so set your DVR and get caught up before it returns to The Hub.

The Transformers will continue to be present in our lives for years to come. As long as it continues to make money I’m sure we will never see a day where Optimus Prime will not be here to save the Earth from the likes of Megatron and his dastardly Decepticons. If you have a favorite robot in disguise post a comment below as to who and why!

Lion-O Enters the Book of Omens

by Christopher Scott

ThunderCats   “Legacy” (S01E06)

This episode picks up right where we left our heroes, at the Tower of Omens. The Thundercats have left the chamber where they found the Book of Omens, but Lion-O has stayed behind to try and understand why the book is empty. He believes that the book might actually be a piece of technology instead of just a book. As he starts to take a knife to the spine of the book, a beam of light is emitted from the jewel on the cover, and it proceeds to take his soul inside of the book.

Lion-O awakens to the sound of Jaga’s voice. Apparently he is inside of the book along with Jaga’s soul, which we saw enter the book at the end of the last episode. Jaga explains that Lion-O must learn from the book’s historical records by reliving the past life of one of his ancestors, Leo. The book actually takes Lion-O’s soul and places it into Leo’s body so that now Lion-O is in control of the story. He must relive the events that transpire and achieve the same goals as Leo once did, or the Book of Omens will be closed to him forever.

Leo’s story takes place during the short flashback from the last episode. The cat race is working under the rule of Mumm-Ra. Leo is basically the second-in-command of the cats. Mumm-Ra explains that they are after the Eye of Thundera, for him to control using the Sword of Thundarr. It is a similar sword to the Sword of Omens from what I can tell and it is held by a black gauntlet that is encrusted with gems, similar to Lion-O’s gold gauntlet but much more menacing. Lion-O is commanded to get the slaves prepared to invade the planet where the Eye is being kept.

Lion-O finds a massive area of prison holding cells, where every manner of humanoid creature is being held captive. Dogs, lizards, sharks, and more are all in large rooms separated by species. As the animals are outfitted with collars that will explode should they try to escape, Lion-O and a female cat are caught in the middle of a prison riot. They each hold their own and take two of the prisoners to solitary confinement for acting out. Once there it is made apparent that it was a ruse to get some attention. Both of the prisoners and the female officer have been in cahoots for staging an overthrow of Mumm-Ra. They make some last-minute arrangements, filling in Lion-O as well.

Lion-O is brought to a level of the ship where his new sword and gauntlet are being forged out of the same material as the ones currently being used by Mumm-Ra. The Sword of Omens and its gauntlet are passed to Lion-O and he takes the responsibility very seriously. He and the female cat commander then head for the hanger, where the Eye of Thundera has just been brought aboard. They manage to take it from Captain Tygus, the general who was commencing the attack on the planet’s surface, and place it within its rightful place in the Sword. Lion-O then heads to Mumm-Ra’s chambers to begin the rebellion.

The overly-confident Lion-O confronts his would-be leader, ready for battle. I would have been confident too had I been in Lion-O’s shoes. However, this is short-lived. Where Lion-O believes he has the single greatest power in the universe in the palm of his paw, Mumm-Ra is quick to inform him that there are actually three additional gems with similar attributes in existence. And, it just so happens, Mumm-Ra has already collected these three stones and incorporated them into his black gauntlet. Though he seems to be outmatched, his bull-headed nature kicks in as he decides to do battle with Mumm-Ra in light of this information. As the two clash, the scene thoroughly redefines epic.

Lion-O manages to knock loose one of the stones in Mumm-Ra’s gloves and takes its power into his own. The two foes don some incredible looking “space-armor” and go back to the fight. They manage to shatter the hull of the ship, do some more fighting in zero gravity, and re-enter unscathed. At one point Lion-O gets the upper hand and takes a few moments to free and rally the slave creatures. Mumm-Ra reappears and the two continue to battle until Lion-O conquers his enemy.

Mumm-Ra is beaten and has reverted back to the withered corpse-like body he normally displays. His magical stones are stripped away and fused into Lion-O’s gauntlet. He leaves the broken being that is Mumm-Ra to fend for himself as he returns to the bridge of the ship. Because of all the commotion earlier, the ship is in disarray and headed to crash on a nearby planet: Third Earth. Everyone prepares for impact just as Lion-O’s soul is once again torn back into the pages of the book and to the soul of Jaga.

Jaga informs him that the remaining stones are to be his next target, but that during his quest he must also strive to unite the many species of Third Earth. Without their aid, the Thundercats cannot hope to conquer Mumm-Ra’s tyranny. From what I can tell of Lion-O thus far, making friends should not be an issue. Jaga sends his spirit to return to his body, and in a flash Lion-O awakens back in the Tower of Omens to some confused looks from his team. It should be interesting trying to explain this adventure to them!

Another fantastic episode to the series that is finally starting to take shape! I can’t wait to see what happens next. Out of all the species you saw in the episode, which one stands out as the most interesting that you would like to see the cats encounter? Sound off below!

The Book of Omens is Found

by Christopher Scott

ThunderCats “Journey to the Tower of Omens” (S01E05)

The Thundercats are in a forest searching for the Tower of Omens, which is the resting place of the Book of Omens. They have hit a small roadblock in their directions and are unsure of which direction to travel next. Lion-O is trying to use the ability of “sight beyond sight,” which uses the Sword of Thundera to guide him toward whatever goal he has in mind (sort of like Jack’s compass in Pirates of the Caribbean). The ability is not working properly, which Cheetara attributes to Lion-O’s lack of confidence. Just as she tries to help him to trust himself, Snarf trips on a branch, revealing an entrance to the temple.

Meanwhile, Mumm-Ra is watching their every move. He imprisoned Jaga in a lantern that was supposed to guide him to the Book of Omens in an earlier episode, but apparently that did not work as well as he had planned. He has a flashback of the first time he grasped the Eye of Thundera, several generations ago. I guess he was the leader of the cat race, and they conquered a plant for its power. The flashback is really short and not very thorough with explanations. Now that he has seen the direction the Thundercats are going, he decides to leave his pyramid fortress and track down the book personally.

The feline team enters the temple to find it is rigged with traps. Each trap seems to be attuned to the skills of a particular team member. The first room is a long bridge over a spiked floor. There are hundred of keys hanging from the ceiling. Cheetara decides to grab keys and try them until one works, however after the first incorrect key the bridge is retracted, leaving them all hanging onto a ledge at the far door. This room is solved by Wilykit and Wilykat. Being an expert thief, Wilykat has become a master at lock-picking and soon opens the door for everyone to climb into.

The next room is full of whirling blades, spinning at such a pace that they would surely kill anyone who might get caught in their path. Cheetara steps up for this trial. Having been trained as a cleric, she can augment her speed like magic and dashes into the hall. She loses a few hairs along the way, but gracefully dismounts the ceiling on the other side and opens the door, stopping the blades so that all may pass.

The third test opens up to a tremendous crevice in the earth. At first it would seem that they all must re-enter the jungle and continue their quest, but Cheetara reminds Lion-O that his sword may offer another path. Lion-O once again practices sight beyond sight, which shows him a switch on the cliffside. Tygra steps up and uses his whip to hit this switch, exposing the true Tower of Omens and a bridge to get them there.

Everyone’s excitement is building as they enter the chamber. There is a large column in the center with a spiraling staircase. Besides being very tall, there seems to be no trick to this room. That is, until Mumm-Ra shows himself. After some cocky banter, Mumm-Ra tosses the lantern with Jaga’s soul to the ground, but Cheetara springs forward and catches it. Lion-O and Tygra run for the staircase while Panthro steps forward to engage Mumm-Ra in battle.

Panthro holds his own for a while until Mumm-Ra finally transforms to his ultimate form, known Mumm-Ra the Ever Living. Using this form he conquers Panthro quickly, as well as Wilykit and Wilykat. He then leaps into the air, and, spreading his massive wings, takes flight up the tower. Tygra breaks off from Lion-O and holds back the enhanced version of Mumm-Ra for a few moments, but is also no match for the villain. Just as Lion-O reaches the top and sees the Book of Omens, Mumm-Ra appears to keep him from his prize. The two face-off as Cheetara awakens and races to the top of the tower to aid her king.

Mumm-Ra dispatches both of them with relative ease. Cheetara could only get in the way and Lion-O is not yet powerful enough to wield the Sword of Omens against such a powerful enemy. When all hope seems lost, Jaga sacrifices himself by destroying the lantern and exposing incredible light. As you may remember from the first episode, Mumm-Ra cannot handle direct light, and is forced to retreat from the tower. A small ball of light then escapes from the broken lantern and floats to the Book of Omens and dissipates. I guess it signifies Jaga’s soul is now encased in the book. As Lion-O opens the book he finds it to be … blank. And so ends the episode.

Were you expecting something different? And what do you think will be their next plan now that they have retrieved the book that has been the focal point of the story so far? Leave your thoughts and comments below!

Project Titanium is Unveiled

by Christopher Scott

Iron Man: Armored Adventures “Titanium Vs Iron” (S02E07)

The episode begins with Justin Hammer in the middle of a weapons presentation for several world leaders, including Nick Fury. After making a mockery of Iron Man, he is about to show off the prototype for Project Titanium when the entire building loses power. Hammer instinctively knows what the problem is; Iron Man has infiltrated the building.

Hammer’s paranoia seems to be correct as we see Iron Man hacking into Hammer’s computer systems on-site. He is using his stealth armor, which has a cloaking ability to hide him from cameras and such. After shutting down the power he brings the systems back online and begins to bypass security measures in the hopes to find his Iron Man specs and delete them permanently. He only makes it halfway though before being found by the guards and chased from the building. Just before disconnecting he also finds out some intelligence on Project Titanium. He races back to the armory just in time to avoid much of a confrontation.

The next day Tony is having a break between classes on the school’s rooftop with Pepper and Rhodey. The same general themes pop up from this season - about how Tony never owned the armor specs because they weren’t patented, so Hammer never actually “stole” them and whatnot. The argument is broken up by an invitation via text from Hammer to Tony for dinner to discuss Tony’s secret. The trio jump to the conclusion that Hammer must know Tony is Iron Man because Ghost sold him out from a previous episode. Tony decides to face Hammer personally.

When Tony arrives at Hammer’s penthouse the two have some small talk which leads them to Hammer’s suspicions about Tony. He believes that Tony is working for Stark International and is giving them weapons designs in an effort to strengthen the company before he takes it over at 18. Tony is angered by the allegations, says some rude remarks, and storms out. On the plus side, Iron Man’s identity is safe for another day.

Photo: Marvel

Later that evening Iron Man brings War Machine for backup while he tries to once again reclaim his armor specs and find out more about Project Titanium. Only one of these goals proves successful however, as Titanium Man (…really) is keeping watch over the computer terminal. Titanium Man is another suit of armor being piloted by Justin Hammer. It is significantly larger than Iron Man and much more powerful than Iron Man’s stealth armor can handle. In mere moments Titanium Man has Iron Man on the ground and down for the count. War Machine interrupts the killing blow only to bear witness to the ultimate weapon Titanium Man seems to possess: a beam used to leech power from its opponents. It drains War Machine completely and Rhodey passes out inside the armor. Iron Man produces a last-ditch Repulsor blast that blows back this menace and escapes the building with War Machine in tow.

Tony calls Pepper from inside the armor as he flees the scene. He is low on power from the battle and from carrying War Machine, and with Rhodey out of commission he needs the Mark II armor sent to him via remote that only Pepper can fly to him. She leaves her date with Happy (again) and rushes to aid her friends.

Meanwhile, Titanium Man is catching up to our heroes quickly. He manages to keep Iron Man constantly on the defensive until Iron Man is forced to use the last bit of energy from his armor to revive Rhodey. After this, Tony sheds the armor and hides from Titanium Man. Hammer is delighted over how well his armor is faring against the duo as he crushes the stealth armor beneath his massive feet. He continues to chase its pilot (whom he is not yet aware, is Tony) until War Machine again stops him short of his goal. As he fends off the behemoth, the Mark II armor is delivered to Tony, thanks to Pepper. Iron Man rejoins the fight and the two manage a victory by heating up Titanium Man until he bursts into flame. Apparently once titanium reaches a certain temperature it burns up with no hope of being put out. Titanium Man retreats, as do Iron Man and War Machine. I call it a draw at best.

Hammer returns back to his corporate offices at Hammer Multinational and blames his failure on Mr. Fix. Surprisingly, for his blundering, he kills Fix using the nano virus he planted in him at the beginning of the season! Hammer picks up a computer chip from the back of Fix’s now-limp body and places into his computer. Fix’s face is displayed via hologram as Hammer explains that Fix’s body is gone but his mind is now trapped inside the computer, continuing work on new technological advances for Hammer. Fade to black.

Overall it was a pretty predictable episode, but how about that ending!? What did you think? Sound off below!