Super-Wha?

While I wait to see if another blogger I emailed picks up this ball and runs with it, enjoy an excerpt of my email to him.

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I felt like you should see these. Concept art for alternate/evil versions of several DC superheroes, in "high-tech," "road warrior," and "robotic" styles.

"Road Warrior" in this context is basically code for "leather bondage fantasy."

Yes, that means Batman wearing a hockey mask outfitted with knives over a slave collar, all while sporting a wrist crossbow and a loincloth.

These were almost toys.

Judging by the roman numeral date of 1985 and the word "Kenner," - these were almost Super Powers toys.
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Really, you owe it to yourselves to check these out.
http://www.comiclink.com/auctions/item.asp?back=%2Fauctions%2Fpreview.asp%3Fcode%3D2011feb%26itemtype%3D1%26pg%3D2%23Item_876111&id=876111

As the Kids Say.... "OMFG, Epic, FTW" or as I Say - AWESOME.

That's right, after years of me talking about it, the X-Men Arcade Game (which was never ported to any home system) is going to be available as a download title.

This game's art style was based on the Byrne/Zeck/Cockrum-ness of the 1980s Pryde of the X-Men pilot. It was the first game ever (to my knowledge) to have a DOUBLE SCREEN, which meant that it was the videogame equivalent of a double-wide (in a good way), which enabled space for you and 5 OTHER FRIENDS to play the game all at once.

A lot of people might remember it for the bad voice acting/translation, but I remember it as being my favorite way to spend a roll of quarters. This had "80s/90s arcade/pizza place birthday party" written all over it. When you're 10, kicking the crap out of bad guys with 5 other dudes, and by the way - YOU'RE ALL X-MEN - that's seriously about the awesomest thing there is to do.

I was usually Colossus. Nightcrawler as a backup. Wolverine if I was lucky. (Because Storm and Dazzler were girls and Cyclops was Cyclops.)

This is one of those few rare games (like Mike Tyson's Punch-Out) that I can just play, beat, and want to play all over again.

Quite honestly, I'm thinking about taking whatever day this comes out off of work as a personal day. This is just really awesome news for me.

Link to the original article is below
http://destructoid.com/nycc-x-men-arcade-welcomes-you-to-die-on-psn-xbla-soon--186007.phtml

AoA Reference Pics

Madureira/Townsend Reminiscing...

Pages are listed chronologically.

Uncanny X-Men 334, p.19. I especially love the panel with Juggernaut screaming in Jean's face, and the last one where J's removed his helmet. Lots of emotion and vulnerability here. Definitely a strong memory of my comics reading as a kid!

Uncanny X-Men 336, p. 17. There's a lot of nostalgia for me in Onslaught baring Xavier to the heroes (I think they made a toy that re-enacted this?). This was just a great scene, and I love the nice Onslaught headshot to the right, but what really delivers this page for me is Cyclops in the lower-right corner with his gritting pointed teeth. You can't get much more "it's about to go down," than that! (Unless...)


Uncanny X-Men 340, p.17. OK. So you CAN get more "it's about to go down." A super-angry Wolverine about to let loose on some mutant-haters. This is bone claws Wolverine, somewhere between his animalistic/bandana time and being back to normal. That's pretty awesome.

Uncanny X-Men 346, p. 7. In the bottom panel, this is THE image I see in my head when I think of Marrow. Definitely a favorite.

The Omega Question...

Similar Character Design: Bald Bull and Dr. Phil

Maybe it's just because I'd like to punch Dr. Phil in the stomach, but...



I'm just saying.

Similar Character Names

2 Characters, both from the X-Men universe, both villains.
D'Ken. And Daken.

These guys' names differ solely in an A taking the place of an apostrophe.

And they BOTH suck.