Re: Random Thoughts

[Spectral Knight]

Smart of all the richest Marvel people to never have gotten married (give or take a Black Panther). No marriage means no divorce means no need for a prenup.

You know, as much as some people take issue with a lack of marriages or lasting marriages in the MU, it’s actually wild how many relationships in the MU don’t end because of cheating. Matter of fact, most MU heroes (and villains I feel like) are like pretty monogamous when you think about it. Which if we want to talk about being “unrealistic”, then you gotta admit the lack of infidelity should be the start of any conversation.

I mean in the real world, outside of marriages, most relationships I see end, end because of cheating. But like Absorbing Man and Titania have been together for years and if you set aside plot induced potential cheating (ie mind control or shape-shifters), Creel has been a pretty loyal dude. I mean he had a drug problem and is a murderer..but my cousin Ricky can’t stay faithful to saving his effing life and he works in HvAC lol

When I first read this I thought there must have been loads of MU relationships that broke down after cheating but only a few come to mind. I think of Scott and Emma's mind shags whilst he was still with Jean, 'Berto and Tabitha doing the dirty on Sam, and the whole Gambit and Mystique/Foxx thing. Havok's liason with Annie came to mind but he hadn't actually cheated prior to the non-wedding and Lorna's breakdown, he was just pre-occupied with Annie without actual infidelity

Given Scott and Jean are married as are Rogue and Gambit, and whilst not together now Alex and Lorna did rekindle their relationship for a time, maybe the MU citizens are just more forgiving of infidelity?

[das_boot]

I mean… Jean DID die before there could be any sort of consequences of that, and Scott moved on fairly quickly afterwards (a more cynical man than I might suggest he had his new girlfriend lined up). In fact, I kind of suspect that Jean and Scott’s deaths and resurrections kind of just lined up neatly so that they could still be married on a technicality, but I’d have assumed that they would have had to remarry since they’d both died…

[Anna Raven]

Does Counting Crows even have any other songs besides Mr Jones and Round Here?

Don’t disrespect my Crows!

The only Crows I acknowledge are the Black Crowes!!

Just kidding, I really love those two songs, I just don't know many of their deeper tracks.

[Blackcyclops]

@SK: Idk, it seems like another reading is that they cheat less lol

[AntiBody]

Does Counting Crows even have any other songs besides Mr Jones and Round Here?

Don’t disrespect my Crows!

The only Crows I acknowledge are the Black Crowes!!

Just kidding, I really love those two songs, I just don't know many of their deeper tracks.

Omg! I'm no super fan or anything, but there's Long December, Hangin Around, their horrid remake of Big Yellow Taxi... I don't think it was a single per se, but their song Colorblind used in the movie Cruel Intentions had a notable effect on an entire American generation lol.

[Anna Raven]

Don’t disrespect my Crows!

The only Crows I acknowledge are the Black Crowes!!

Just kidding, I really love those two songs, I just don't know many of their deeper tracks.

Omg! I'm no super fan or anything, but there's Long December, Hangin Around, their horrid remake of Big Yellow Taxi... I don't think it was a single per se, but their song Colorblind used in the movie Cruel Intentions had a notable effect on an entire American generation lol.

I will definitely check those out!

[Blackcyclops]

Its weird how I see the kids on Tiktok trying to make a point to say how important Blade was for Marvel without fully explaining the story. Like I got into an argument with someone who said that Iron Man, Punisher, and other non-Spidey characters were all “c-tier” back in the day (which I can only assume they meant the mid and late 90s) and then said that’s why Marvel was going bankrupt (without an understanding, I think, about what bankruptcy for a business actually means) and then Blade saving them from bankruptcy. Which is technically true but not because it made them alot of money (the X-Men movie was already in the works too) but because it showed the viability of Marvel comic book movies. And the company was going bankrupt because of the bubble bursting and alot of practices that had nothing to do with actual characters in the comics. Also, while someone like Iron Man wasn’t a A-lister to the large world, for comic fans he certainly wasn’t a c-lister.

[Spectral Knight]

Wasn't Marvel saved from bankruptcy when Avi Arad et al. came in from Toy Biz, and the money really came in when they sold off the film rights, rather than the films themselves which didn't make Marvel as much as the studios who purchased those rights.

I don't think any one aware of comics in the 90s could call Punisher C-list. Wasn't he holding up three solo titles for a time early in the decade (and had that Dolph Lungdren movie too)? I mean, outside of Spider-Man, what other solo characters for Marvel have had three ongoing solos running at the same time?

Anyway, like you said, the speculator boom bursting, plus other factors like the loss of big hitters who became competition in the Image guys exodus, the dubious acquisitions (Fleer/SkyBox, Malibu, the distribution debacles) all influenced Marvel's perilous financial states rather than the "tier" of the characters in the comics.

Blade WAS important but not just because it illustrated comic book movies could be successful (Superman and Batman had already done that...!) but it also showed that you didn't need to be an A-list character to do well if the movie is excellent. I also think Blade doesn't get the respect it deserves in showing where superhero movies could go with the violence and darkness. I don't think Nolan's Batman trilogy gets made if it wasn't for Blade. Sure, Burton's Batman flicks weren't exactly sugary but it really was a step change, in retrospect. Even now, 25 years later it still feels contemporary. Okay some of the FX have dated a bit but it's a quality movie with some quality visuals.

[Anna Raven]

I don't think I even knew Blade was a Marvel property when the movie first came out. It wasn't until Blade 2 when it became a little more comic-booky rather than straight horror that I think I realized it was Marvel.

[tokenBG1009]

I think if you're at least in the common knowledge you're at least B-Tier. This is where I'd put most of the BIG Avengers in the 90s. Iron Man, Captain America, and probably Thor being the primary ones. They were known by just about everyone. They just weren't the same draws as the A-Tier characters like Hulk, Spider-Man, or Wolverine (and the X-Men). And honestly, Spider-Man is a tier above considering the ONLY superheroes more popular than he is are Superman and Batman.

I also had no idea Blade was a Marvel property until I got older. I thought it was just a cool movie about a vampire hunter. Granted, I was relatively dumb as a child. I was telling my boss a couple days ago that while I knew The Phantom Menance was a prequel, I was REALLY confused as a child why they kept calling "Luke" Anakin.

[Spectral Knight]

Ahh, I already knew Blade was a Marvel character through his appearance on the 90s Spider-Man show. Of course I didn't know then that the movie was in already in development and that Whistler was an original creation for the movie pinched by the show writers and had never appeared in the comics.

[das_boot]

See, the discussion about Blade is one of (several many) reasons why the whole “a black/female/gay lead or mature rated movie is a risk” argument holds zero weight with me at all. If the spiritual ancestor of the MCU considered that they could not only make a movie with a black main character in a movie that was rated r/18+ in the late 90’s/early 00’s, then I really don’t see how it’s “woke” or “pandering” to do it now

[Anna Raven]

See, the discussion about Blade is one of (several many) reasons why the whole “a black/female/gay lead or mature rated movie is a risk” argument holds zero weight with me at all. If the spiritual ancestor of the MCU considered that they could not only make a movie with a black main character in a movie that was rated r/18+ in the late 90’s/early 00’s, then I really don’t see how it’s “woke” or “pandering” to do it now

Wesley Snipes was headlining all sorts of movies back then too. I suppose that's an argument execs would try to make "well Snipes was a bankable star" but there are plenty of bankable stars who are POC these days, way more than in the 80's/90's at any rate, so that excuse is out the window.

[Blackcyclops]

Idk, bankable star in 1998 isn’t the same thing in 2023. Wesley was actually a superstar at that time. Blade was able to grab attention at that time because of Wesley Snipes the man. Blade in 2023 would grab attention because of Blade the character. It’s basically been that way since Iron Man came out. Stars themselves aren’t as important to drawing in crowds as the concept/franchise thing itself. Which is true for both Black and white superheroes though. So the argument used by those kind of people doesn’t hold up for 1998 or 2023, just for different reasons.

[das_boot]

Idk, bankable star in 1998 isn’t the same thing in 2023. Wesley was actually a superstar at that time. Blade was able to grab attention at that time because of Wesley Snipes the man. Blade in 2023 would grab attention because of Blade the character. It’s basically been that way since Iron Man came out. Stars themselves aren’t as important to drawing in crowds as the concept/franchise thing itself. Which is true for both Black and white superheroes though. So the argument used by those kind of people doesn’t hold up for 1998 or 2023, just for different reasons.

Oh, FACTS, I’m just getting increasingly bored of being called “woke” like it’s an insult

[tokenBG1009]

A friend who's a little right of center once asked me if I was woke back when that term first started being used. Like, I had to look up what the word even meant. I wonder what she was expecting me to answer. She may have been asking in a joking manner. I dunno. It was weird.

[das_boot]

So, I can’t remember which of you told me to read Hudlin’s BP run on Unlimited, but I started it earlier last week (up to issue 13) and not quite sure how I feel about it…

[EphemeristX]

Tina Turner died. I think I'm gonna go cry.

[P-90]

Tina Turner died. I think I'm gonna go cry.

Ray Stevenson died. He played both the Punisher and Volstagg so I thought it was worth a mention.

[das_boot]

Tina Turner died. I think I'm gonna go cry.

Yeah. This sucks. I didn’t realise she’d survived intestinal cancer and kidney transplants in recent years though

[Spectral Knight]

Tina Turner was an absolute force of nature. That she had her commercial solo 'peak' more than two decades after her debut recordings shows her longevity as well...

Personally, I'll always have her performance of the Acid Queen in Tommy in my mind when I think of her.

[EphemeristX]

For me, it was Auntie Entity in Beyond Thunderdome. We don't need another heeeeero~

[Blackcyclops]

Being a Black person of a certain age, Tina’s life was always shown as one of triumph thanks to Angela Basset’s portrayal of her in the 90s cinematic classic “What’s Love Got to Do With It”…her whole catalogue is a soundtrack for life with people in my mom’s demo.

[das_boot]

Being a Black person of a certain age, Tina’s life was always shown as one of triumph thanks to Angela Basset’s portrayal of her in the 90s cinematic classic “What’s Love Got to Do With It”…her whole catalogue is a soundtrack for life with people in my mom’s demo.

That movie was JUST crazy powerful. To think that she walked away from that relationship, was living on food stamps and benefits and then had her solo success? Damn. What a woman.

[Blackcyclops]

That makes me curious: what are quintessential movies for families from yalls demo? Like I know alot of you British folks grew up working-class, so are there like particular films that your family or people like you watched growing up that yall felt reflected your hometown or culture?

Like a Black person who grew up in the 80s and 90s in America, here’s a list of some of them:
The Wiz
The Last Dragon
What’s Love Got to Do With It
Waiting to Exhale
The Color Purple
Roots

Those are some big ones…