Thor: 5 Comic-Book Facts You Need To Know about Ragnarok

Thor: 5 Comic-Book Facts You Need To Know about Ragnarok

While Thor Ragnarok will hit theaters before the end in 2017, here are five things that you may need to know about Ragnarok that will give you some basis about where the film got its influence from:

Ragnarok is From Norse Mythology

As Marvel’s Thor is based on Norse mythology, Ragnarok also sees its basis from the Norse people. Ragnarok is the Vikings version of Armageddon, that terrible event that will end with everyone dying because the world would end. In this mythology, only the Norse Gods die. It is the foreshadowing of a great war that sees gods like Odin and Thor battle against Loki and the Frost Giants. After the Fimbulwinter aka the everlasting winter, Loki and co battle the Asgardians that ends with everyone dying and Fenris Wolf, son of Loki swallowing Odin whole.The fire demon Sutur then burns the Nine Realms, destroying the land that sinks into the sea.

It Happens Over And Over again

The Norse myth considers everything a circle, so after that much destruction, the children of Odin and Thor and other gods will take the place of their fathers and Earth will be repopulated with the help of two humans. The Marvel comics takes on this cycle, and Ragnarok is shown as a huge battle that goes on every few decades like a circle.

Thor Died In The Ragnarok Comic

In the comics, Thor sacrificed himself to break the cycle of Ragnarok. He discovered that Those Who Sit Above in Shadow had manipulated the event and had to put a stop to it. Thor also had to pluck out his own eyes and hang himself from the world tree to finally see the truth.

The Comic Caused Serious Consequences

After the even that was Ragnarok, the Avengers parted ways in the Avengers Disassembled storyline.The New avengers and The Young Avengers sprung from this series. It was also a catalyst which caused in part House Of M, Planet Hulk, and Dark Reign. Af Avengers: Infinity War is set to close Phase 3, the movie version of Ragnarok will surely play catalyst to what will happen in that Avengers movie.

Thor Was Cloned In The Comics

While Thor is making his sacrifice, Tony Stark, Hank Pym, and Reed Richards clone the Norse god, using strands of his hair. He named himself Ragnarok and was used to battle anti-mutant registration heroes in Civil war. He later became affiliated with the Dark Avengers.

Marvel Announces Deadpool Vs. The Punisher

Marvel Announces Deadpool Vs. The Punisher

Marvel Comics today announced Deadpool vs. The Punisher, a new series pitting the Merc with a mouth against the ruthless vigilante.

Deadpool vs. The Punisher debuts in April, written by Fred Van Lente with art by Pepe Perez.

“To me you know Punisher is best as a killing machine—I wouldn’t really call him a “humorless” one, though, because when Garth Ennis was writing him there was certainly quite a bit of deadpan black humor to him, and that’s definitely my take,” Van Lente tells Marvel.com. “Likewise, whenever I’ve done Deadpool I love writing his quips and burns as much as the next person, but what makes him a compelling character is that element of tragedy to him—the sadness, and loss that I think the Deadpool film did such a good job of getting across along with the jokes.

“So our story, ‘Bullet to the Brain,’ is your classic ultraviolent super-crime tragi-comedy, I guess you could say.”

Deadpool and the Punisher used to be teammates as members of the Thunderbolts, but Van Lente is clear that they’re not friends. In fact, they’re time working together only increased the resentment between the two.

“Oh, they do not like each other, particularly from their [Thunderbolts] days on the same team together,” Van Lente says. “Wade thinks Frank is a stick in the mud while Frank thinks Wade’s healing factor has made him loud, sloppy and useless.

“I mean, to me the gold standard for these kinds of ‘versus’ comics is [Christopher] Priest and [Mark] Bright’s Spider-Man vs. Wolverine, where the two characters have a genuine reason to go after each other; it’s not mind control, it’s not mistook-you-for-a-villain, both protagonists are each other’s antagonists for legitimate reasons the reader can relate to, and that’s where this new character The Bank comes in.”

The Bank is a character Van Lente says has existed in the shadows of the Marvel Universe for decades and has a history with Wade Wilson.

“He also happens to be one of Wade Wilson’s best friends, having known Deadpool before his Weapon X days, and so when Punisher decides to bring The Bank down, he’s got to go through Deadpool to do that, and you know what? Frank doesn’t really have a problem with that, since he doesn’t like Wade all that much anyway.”

The Fate of Iron Man

#Marvel's latest comic book crossover event #CivilWar 2, which has dominated their comic book line up and left fans polarized with mixed receptions. Regardless of how you feel about Civil War 2, there is no doubt that the ramifications of the climax of the eighth issue will be seen in more of Marvel's upcoming #comicbooks.

Civil War started with #IronMan and #CaptainMarvel leading two groups of superheroes against each other, in order to decide the fate of the precognitive #Inhuman, Ulysses. Now, the same two heroes will be the ones to end the conflict as they duke it out over the fate of Miles Morales (#SpiderMan), who Ulysses see's in a vision, murdering #CaptainAmerica.

Unfortunately, for Iron Man and Captain Marvel, only one hero can be victorious and walk away.

The Fate of Iron Man

Despite the fact the Civil War has only just ended, we have already seen some of the new post-Civil War status quo in a few other Marvel comic books. For those of you who have not been keeping up, the fate of Tony Stark was one of the biggest mysterious. Stark has been absent in all post-Civil War comic books, having been replaced by two new Iron Man themed characters along with a digital version of himself.

So, as the battle raged on between Iron Man and Captain Marvel, many had already come to the conclusion that it would be Tony Stark that would fall on the battlefield. While others believed Stark's absence to be more of a red herring. As it would turn out, both schools of thought are correct.In the ensuing battle on Capitol Hill, Captain Marvel rips Stark out of his armor with a devastating blow right before the other heroes can intervene. From here it seems that Stark really has died until Marvel reveals a last little twist. Tony Stark had some contingency plans for a situation which would involve his untimely demise.

In a move that would probably make Batman jealous, it is revealed that Stark was able to ward off death thanks to mysterious and numerous experiments that he performed on himself prior. Saving his life in the process, but locking him into a catatonic state, at least until someone can figure what kind of augmentations he made to himself.

After months of speculation, the ultimate fate of Iron Man has finally been revealed to us. This revelation would likely appease fans of Iron Man as it can only mean that Stark's return will be sooner rather than later; in the meantime, the aftermath of the Civil War shines new light onto Marvel's upcoming changes in status quo for their roster.

The Aftermath Of Marvel's Second Civil War

With Iron Man out of commission, the next revelation in issue 8 of Civil War came in the form of Ulysses. Ulysses's abilities have continuously grown, recently granting him the ability to interact with the visions of the future he witnesses. At the end of the climactic fight, Ulysses's powers hit a breaking point which saw him transcend into another plain of existence, away from earth.

While this is unlikely the last that we will see of the Inhuman Ulysses, with his exit, Marvel's Civil War 2 event effectively comes to a close. While on the surface Ulysses felt like more of a throwaway character, his fate seems to tie into an overarching plot that Marvel seems to be quietly building towards.

Future Events To Come

One of the focal driving points of the climax of Civil War's story was the apparent future murder of Captain America (who is now secretly an agent of Hydra) at the hands of Spider-Man. While the incident has yet to take place, it's something that Civil War has set up for the future.

Along with that issue 8 features more potential future plot lines, including the return of Ultron, Thor with his original Mjolnir hammer back and the now currently ongoing war between the #XMen and the Inhumans; the latter of which being one of two events that have so far come to fruition.

Interestingly it was revealed that Ulysses's visions are but potential outcomes, so it appears that Marvel might be teasing us with a few false alarms and red herrings which were been added into the mix of potential story lines. Regardless, Civil War 2, for all its ups and downs, has given us a brief glimpse at the direction Marvel comics will be heading in past 2017 and it certainly looks to be a promising one.

What do you think about the end of Marvel's Civil War 2 story line? Sound off in the comments below!

Will Hugh Jackman Finally Wear the Classic Wolverine Costume in Logan?

Will Hugh Jackman Finally Wear the Classic Wolverine Costume in Logan?

Logan now officially hits this year, marking the first superhero film of 2017 when it drops in March. The film is Hugh Jackman's "#OneLastTime" as Wolverine, the quick-healing and quicker-tempered clawed X-Men character he's now been playing for seventeen years. With this being his last time rocking the chops and the claws, and only teases of it before, could we finally see Jackman in a classic gold and blue or even brown and tan costume, full Wolverine style in this film?

Tonally, it sure doesn't seem likely. Logan takes place in the future, in a world where mutants, and it seems colorful superheroes of any stripe, are long gone. Logan's one of the last survivors, alongside an aged Charles Xavier and the clone of himself he picks up along the way. The gritty, R-rated scenario for the film doesn't seem like it would offer up a chance for him to put on spandex and a mask; if the villains of this world know who he is, that he's one of the last mutants alive, and are coming after Logan the man, not Wolverine the hero, then what's the point?

wolverine-costume-movie

However, a Wolverine costume was made, based very closely off the classic comic look, for The Wolverine, the last movie. That movie? Starred Hugh Jackman and directed by James Mangold, just like this one. Jackman knows fans desperately want to see him in the costume, just once. And come on, it's already been made!

The most likely chance for us to see this would be in a flashback, then. If we are to find out precisely when blood was taken for the clone project, for instance, or see how some of the other X-Men died in a cameo, we could perhaps see Wolverine in full costume for that moment. We can say definitively it's not in the first forty minutes that has been screened for press already, but that would be something you'd want to hold for the film anyway. The nature of the film's plot, having so much backstory to it, certainly offers up more opportunities for such a scene. If this is truly Jackman's One Last Time, then how about one last nod to fans?

Logan hits theaters March 3, 2017.

Tony in his happy place

Tony in his happy place. (Credit: Mike Mayhew)

5 Superpowers You Didn’t Know Iron Man Has

5 Superpowers You Didn’t Know Iron Man Has

Iron Man is without a doubt one of Marvel’s most recognizable heroes. Ask anyone around the world who Iron Man is and they’ll tell you: he’s a man that’s covered in iron. He’s also a billionaire, genius, playboy, philanthropist, and one of the most bankable superheroes in cinematic history. But that’s not all he is.Despite Iron Man’s claim to fame being that he’s just a regular human whose various suits help him accomplish superhuman feats, as it turns out, Iron Man is more than just the sum of his suits. Throughout different comic book, television, and film storylines since Iron Man’s 1968 debut, he’s accumulated a whole host of powers that most people aren’t aware of. Sure, everyone knows the basics – like his flight and weapons capabilities – but we’re diving into the powers that you don’t think about when you think about Iron Man.To satisfy your curiosity of what makes Iron Man so badass in the recently released Captain America: Civil War, here’s 12 Superpowers You Didn’t Know Iron Man Has.

GENIUS-LEVEL INTELLECT

With the equivalent of a small country’s weapons arsenal packed into a suit that he flies around inside of, it’s easy to forget that Iron Man isn’t just a high-tech killing machine — he’s actually the genius who invented the high-tech killing machine. Well, technically Tony Stark invented it, but they’re one in the same, which is why we’re considering one of Iron Man’s most overlooked powers his genius-level intellect.

There are a lot of smart people in the Marvel Universe. Between Reed Richards, Hank Pym, and Bruce Banner, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Stark is just some cocky engineer who knows his weapons. But perhaps one of Tony’s – and thus Iron Man’s – greatest strengths is his superior intelligence. Often considered one of the greatest minds in the world of Marvel, Stark graduated from MIT at 17 and quickly made a name for himself; and then later he made a name for himself as Iron Man, the smartest superhero on the face of the Earth.

HE CAN STORE HIS SUIT INSIDE HIS BODY

n case you’re thinking that if you took Iron Man’s suit away he’d no longer be Iron Man, think again. Unlike Batman, Iron Man’s powers have been upgraded over the years and the result is a superhero that can never be separated from his costume — because it’s hiding inside of him. And while Iron Man has had a collection of suits over the years that all have different capabilities, it’s the suit that’s a part of Iron Man (and Tony Stark) that truly makes him a superhero.

Starting with Iron Man’s Extremis Armor and evolving into the Bleeding Edge Armor, Tony Stark was able to create a suit that meshed with his mind and body. Controlled with his thoughts and implanted directly into his nervous system via nanotechnology, Iron Man’s suit can be stored inside of his bones, able to be deployed whenever the situation presents itself. Not only is this power able to give Iron Man the element of surprise when an attacker thinks they have the advantage on him, but it also takes Iron Man more in line with the rest of the Marvel Universe heroes; seemingly-regular people that can unleash their powers at any time, no matter what they happen to be wearing.

ACCESS TO THE WORLD’S COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS

If you’re Iron Man it would be pretty essential to hear what the world is saying about you and who may or may not be chasing after you if you’re enjoying a Sunday flight in your suit. It therefore makes sense that Shellhead would have the ability to tap into the communications systems of the world and use the information he obtains to his advantage. But that seems like a pretty straightforward power that we’d all assume Iron Man has, so what makes it so intriguing?

Iron Man’s ability to access the world’s communications systems is actually more complex than it seems, and the casual Iron Man fan would have no idea just what he can do with this power. Thanks to Tony’s merging with his Iron Man armor after the events of Extremis, he’s actually able to talk – and listen – to machines all around the world, without his suit. This is because Tony’s brain developed a technopathic bond with the world’s machinery, and as a result he can tap into any system that he wants and have his way with it. It’s just another under the radar power that makes life as Iron Man a lot easier.

SUPER-HUMAN HEALING

Iron Man’s gotten a lot of upgrades since his comic book debut, and he’s far from the frail alcoholic that had to become Iron Man in order to prevent the shrapnel in his body from killing him. In fact, Iron Man took a page from others in the Marvel Universe – specifically Wolverine and Deadpool – and gained the ability of super-human healing somewhere on his journey from forgotten comic book hero to multi-billion dollar movie icon.

Taking a page from his suit – which has been developed to patch and repair itself if damaged – Tony Stark is harder to take down than one might think. With a super-human ability to heal, Stark’s body can produce entire new organs if it needs to in order to keep itself alive. While he might not survive a gunshot to the head like Wolverine, Iron Man can still take some serious damage before calling it a day, inside and out of his suit.

PHYSICAL COMBAT SKILLS EVEN WITHOUT HIS SUIT

Not many people would think that a wealthy businessman who became a weaponized superhero out of necessity would be a great fighter outside of his suit, but those are the kind of people that Tony Stark would love to prove wrong. Unable to use his suit for a period of time in the comics, Stark was unwilling to sit on the sidelines and be just another powerless guy, so he turned to Captain America for help.

It was at this point that Cap started Stark on a relentless training regimen that would prepare him to be a great fighter, even when he’s not hiding behind the red and gold armor. Stark took to his combat training and eventually became a physically intimidating presence, learning how to give and take punches along the lines of the best fighters in the world.

Which power were you most surprised to learn that Iron Man has? Are there any we missed? Let us know in the comments!

ABSORBING MAN

ABSORBING MAN

Seeking a pawn to use against his nemesis THOR, the Asgardian god LOKI endowed brutal prisoner "Crusher" Creel and his ball and chain with the power to "absorb" the physical properties of anything he touched. Creel broke out of prison and battled THOR, as Loki intended. However, Creel overreached himself by trying to absorb the power of the whole Earth and exploaded. Thanks to his new powers, however, Creel was not truly dead, and loki magically reassembled his body. Loki then enlisted the Absorbing Man as his ally in an attempt to overthrow ODIN, monarch of Asgard, but Odin banished Creel into outer space. Over the years the Absorbing Man has repeatedly battled THOR and HULK as well SPIDER-MAN and AVENGERS. During the first Secret War staged by the BEYONDER, Creel met Mary "Skeeter" MacPherran (TITANIA), whom he later married. He was thought killed by SENTRY during the Civil War, and it was soon after revealed that he was the father of Stonewall of the SECRET WARRIORS. Creel returned, only to be depowered by Norman Osborn. During FEAR ITSELF,a repowered Creel became Greithoth, Breaker of Will, one of agents of destruction for Worthy.