The Marvel Now is here. Two number one issue Avengers books arrive this new comic book day. Two very different titles for a very different reality in the Marvel Universe.
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes reassemble in the aftermath of Civil War II. We still have more chapters of the superhero showdown between Iron Man and Captain Marvel’s forces over the power of predictive justice but we’ve already seen some of the fallout.
It was just a year ago rookies (Ms. Marvel/Kamala, Nova/Sam, Spider-Man/Miles) joined legacy heroes (Captain America/Sam, Thor/Jane) for an All-New, All-Different Avengers.
In an earlier, alternate universe Herc he was in a relationship with James Howlett, aka Wolverine so fans were naturally curious about Herc when he returns.
After the box-office success of Thor I’m hoping Marvel will dive into its other mythological heroes and villains for future movies and television shows.
Here are 3 more God-like heroes WORTHY of consideration:
A Geek can dream: Dwayne Johnson could be playing a Greek demigod or an alien bounty hunter next but I think he was born to play another famous comic book alien. Johnson is in talks to play Hercules based on Radical Publishing’s Hercules The Thracian Wars and Lobo of DC Comics.
After reading Wolverine and the X-Men #13 it came to me how Johnson would be perfect as Gladiator, the ultimate Shi’ar warrior turned Emperor. I don’t want to spoil the ending of that issue so I’ll go back in time.
I was a young geek when I first marveled at Gladiator and the Shi’ar Imperial Guard. Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Terry Austin had already blown my mind with what would become the Dark Phoenix Saga. As I opened Uncanny X-Men #137 to see my favorite heroes on a Shi’ar spacecraft surrounded by Empress Lilandra and her Imperial Guard. This elite squadron of warriors was led by a muscle-bound alien with mohawk. Gladiator (real name Kallark) is a Strontian warrior created by Claremont and Dave Cockrum. Strontians have the capacity for incredible strength and various powers as long as they are completely devoted to a sole purpose. Kind of a Zen Superman.
Wolverine and the X-Men #13 courtesy Marvel.com
Gladiator has fought with and against the X-Men to protect the universe from the Phoenix. Emperor Kallark now leads the Shi’ar Empire and his son is at Wolverine’s school – protected by Warbird. The Phoenix is back on Earth. Gladiator and his Shi’ar army arrived to save his son and take on the Phoenix Five in a cosmic throwdown.
Only the Marvel editors know the final fate of Gladiator after this week’s Avengers vs X-Men tie-in but the Marvel Universe would not be as amazing without him in it.
Fantastic Four #249 courtesy Marvel.com
Given the cosmic direction Marvel movies are going maybe we’ll see the Shi’ar Empire in an Avengers sequel or the Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Dwayne Johnson has the powerhouse body and presence to portray one of the coolest aliens to grace comic books and may be it’s worth considerating a Gladiator series and solo movie. Thanks for reading the casting dream of a devoted geek.
It looks like The Rock could be playing The Main Man! Dwayne Johnson revealed via Twitter that he is in talks to play Lobo, the intergalactic bounter hunter of DC Comics.
“Rumors of me possibly playing LOBO are true. Joel Silver and Brad Peyton working on it now. That could be fun” he states on Twitter.
Kids of the Marvel Universe will be forced to choose sides in the upcoming Avengers Vs. X-Men. The war comes to Avengers Academy in issues 29 and 30. Today Marvel revealed preview art and a new interview with writer Christos Gage. The writer recently brought X-23 to the Academy with more mutants on the way and don’t expect the bonds of friendship to build.
“Avengers Academy is where the Avengers want to put the young mutants of Utopia when hostilities break out,” explains Gage. “They take them into custody and house them at the one facility they know that can handle an infusion of super-powered kids. It’s a bit like Child Protective Services: ‘You’re not under arrest, you haven’t done anything wrong, this if for your own good—but you can’t leave.’
“Needless to say, there are plenty of folks who are none too happy with this turn of events. And if bringing them to Avengers Academy is intended to keep them out of trouble, it doesn’t quite work out that way.”
Expect Wolverine’s “daughter” to be in the spotlight. “She has a foot in each camp, so the war between the Avengers and the X-Men is naturally going to affect her more than anyone. She joined Avengers Academy in part because she wanted [nothing] of the Wolverine/Cyclops Schism. Now she’s caught directly in the middle of another war, and there is no avoiding making the choice this time around.”
Gage adds the members of the X-Club, Sebastian Shaw and Hercules will be visiting Avengers Academy. You may have already seen the preview art of the Olympian naked on campus – seriously.
