Podcasts about tales to astonish

Welcome to episode 204 of the Campus Comics Cast and in this episode we discuss who has the better catch phrase. Is it Dr. Strange with the Hoarry Hosts of Hoggoth or Hercules with By the Zesty Zither of Zeus. Then after covering the first five appearances of Marvel's Hercules, we talk about the comics we have been reading. Timestamps: 00:00:00 Opening Music 00:00:22 Intro 00:02:15 Listener Feedback 00:06:05 First Five Hercules (Marvel) 00:43:54 What We Have Been Reading 01:30:55 CLZ Shake 01:35:10 Next Episode 01:38:00 Outros 01:40:25 Stinger 01:40:28 JSApril Teaser Is the zesty zither of Zeus mightier than Doctor Strange's incantations? If you're tired of the same old superhero stories and crave a deep dive into the origins of a classic character, this episode explores how Hercules, Marvel's bombastic powerhouse, first burst onto the scene and carved his place in comic book history. Uncover the evolution of Hercules from his mythological roots to his Marvel incarnation. Gain insights into the creative choices made by comic legends like Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in shaping this iconic character. Discover hidden gems and forgotten stories from the Silver Age of Comics. Tune in now to discover which early Hercules story is a hidden gem, and you might just find your next favorite back issue to hunt down!

A special Christmas treat as Andrew looks at Additional Appearances by Spider-Man in other Marvel Comics. Includes Strange Tales #115, Avengers #3, Tales To Astonish #57, Avengers #11, Fantastic Four #35, #36 & Annual #3 AND Daredevil #16 and #17

It's the holiday season so Santa Claus is coming for your comics at the Big 2). That means our Big 2, Nico & TK (along with their producer Kevo) are here to review and respond to the latest and greatest in funny book magic, starting with an Avengers Academy timed for Thanksgiving and the greater holiday season. Then, it's time for the full-on madness with Marvel Holiday: Tales To Astonish! Then move over to DC for the first two installments of Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight Returns before checking out the oversized anthology DC's Batman Smells, Robin Laid An Egg! It's all this and more on an all new X Is For Podcast! X IS FOR SHOW is a talk show for your favorite media, the same way THE OFFICE was a documentary about a paper company. Every week, THE ACTION PACK gathers to discuss a wide range of entertainment media and news, from film & TV to comics to gaming, music, and beyond. Led by showrunner NICO (@NicoAction), with co-hosts TK (@TKElemental) and producer KEVO (@KevoReally), as well as a variety of friends and special guests, these LIVE discussions are not to be missed - so be sure to tune in and join us for all the fun!

Jimmy chats with Daniel Kibblesmith to talk about comics and Daniel's fascinating career. Daniel, once considered "The Clown Prince of Groupon" according to the headline in an Intelligencer article, went from senior marketing copywriter there to writing for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Since leaving The Late Show, Daniel has written comics and for TV, including writing for the animated Netflix series inside job. Daniel comes on the podcast today to discuss his career and a few of the recent stories he's written, including a Kitty Pryde Hanukkah story in Marvel's Holiday Tales to Astonish, Powerpuff Girls Winter Snowdown Showdown, and the trade for Rick and Morty: Finals Week. Also, since this episode was recorded it's been announced that Daniel will be writing Darkwing Duck and working with the incredible team of Ted Brandt and Ro Stein! This was a great conversation that you don't want to miss.  Check out Daniel's website here: https://www.kibblesmith.com/  Marvel's Holiday Tales to Astonish: https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP240990 From the publisher This December, get in the holiday spirit with a special new Marvel Comics one-shot: MARVEL HOLIDAY TALES TO ASTONISH! In the great Marvel tradition, behold the many ways your favorite heroes celebrate the season with stories starring the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and Spider-Man! Brought to you by a lineup of acclaimed Marvel talent, these three heartwarming, inspirational, and action-packed stories are suited for any reader to enjoy, making them the perfect gift for the Marvel fans in your life! Today, fans can check out all four covers, including pieces by Luciano Vecchio and Leonardo Romero along with a wraparound homage cover by Lee Garbett and a hidden gem cover from industry legends Gil Kane and John Romita Sr. Plus check out a sneak peek at all three tales! Here's what fans can look forward to! First, you're invited to the Fantastic Four's Holiday Party! But when an uninvited guest decides to spread doom instead of cheer, the FF jump into action in this delightful story from writer Gerry Duggan and artist Phil Noto. Then, in a tale of Hanukkahs past, Kitty Pryde scrambles to save the day while shopping for gifts for her new teammates—the Uncanny X-Men! Daniel Kibblesmith and Pat Olliffe deliver this X-tra special adventure packed with merry mutant cameos and callbacks to classic X-Men stories! Can Spider-Man stick to his New Year's resolution as well as he sticks to walls? Find out as Peter Parker and Miles Morales ring in the New Year as only Spider-Men can in a spectacular tale by Gene Luen Yang and Dylan Burnett. Powerpuff Girls: https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT240190 Rick and Morty: https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/NOV241740 Darkwing Duck: https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/DEC240163  COMICS OVER TIME Make sure to give a listen to our friends with Comics Over Time. PATREON We have a new Patreon, CryptidCreatorCornerpod. If you like what we do, please consider supporting us. We got two simple tiers, $1 and $3. I'll be uploading a story every Sunday about some of the crazy things I've gotten into over the years. The first one dropped last week about me relocating a drug lord's sharks. Yes, it did happen, and the alligators didn't even get in the way. Want to know more, you know what to do. Our episode sponsors Arkenforge Play TTRPG games? Make sure to check out our partner Arkenforge. They have everything you need to make your TTRPG more fun and immersive, allowing you to build, play, and export animated maps including in person fog of war capability that let's your players interact with maps as the adventure unfolds while you, the DM get the full picture. Use the discount code YETI5 to get $5 off your order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 269.  James B and Eddie tackle Carrion and Hobgoblin's breakup and Betty Brant's breakthrough.   Plus a villain named Egghead and a car driving dog in this extended length podcast. Web of Spider-Man 63 The Amazing Spider-Man 331 Spectacular Spider-Man 331 Tales to Astonish 57 Marvel Fanfare 4   Sponsor: Maime Muggins Landlady   Theme Music by Jeff Kenniston.  This Episode Edited by James B using Audacity and Cleanfeed.  Summaries written by James B and Eddie and Timmy Connors.  Most Sound effects and music generously provided royalty free by www.fesliyanstudios.com and https://www.zapsplat.com/  Check out all the episodes on letsreadspiderman.podbean.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out our live meetup and Discord Channel here https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_mW6htjJUHOzlViEvPQqR-k68tClMGAi85Bi_xrlV7w/edit

Pop-collage artist Jerry Nelson aka JCrash is back on the show, this time to dive into Marvel's Tales To Astonish story “When The Space Beasts Attack!” (Issue 29, December 1961)… plus we'll talk about our favorite alien invasion flicks and Jerry's new ‘zine! It's some out of this world fun!   You can follow JCrash on Instagram: @jcrashart And you can buy his stuff at his website: www.jcrashart.com Support living artists!!!   For all things Jacked Kirby, visit our FlowPage where you'll find links to listen everywhere, a link to purchase a t-shirt, plus our social media pages: www.flow.page/jackedkirby  

A MAJOR Hulk supporting cast member debuts in this ish. Plus, What did Egghead have in store for Pym?

Russell begins the journey through all of the Hulk's starring appearances in Tales to Astonish. This issue is a big one. One of the biggest facets of the Hulk's lore is established in this issue. ALSO, What was happening in the other half of this comic with Giant Man?

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss life after being an Avenger. What are the responsibilities? What are the privileges? Do they get top secret briefings? Are they like ex-Presidents? Or like ex-FBI? Who pays for the damage they cause when Giant-Man decides to grow to 35-feet in the middle of the city and starts knocking down buildings? These are unprecedented times, but someone has to figure this out quickly!Behind the comic:This is the first adventure of Giant-Man and the Wasp post-Avengers. The story continues into the next issue, but at that point they “retire” and the title converts to dual stories of Namor and the Hulk. It turns out Giant-Man just wasn't that popular. It didn't help that Tales to Astonish had consistently been one of the weaker titles for the previous few years. Something needed to change. Also in this issue, the Human Top, who was originally introduced as a “normal human” who just happened to be able to spin quickly, has now developed the ability to fly…In this issue:Giant-Man and the Wasp are practicing just outside the city. A plane intentionally flies into Giant-Man, and the pilot, the Human Top, considers killing him but does not have time before Giant-Man wakes up. The Top splits, and Giant-Man returns home. Giant-Man practices his growing ability in downtown Manhattan. The Human Top then returns and battles Giant-Man and the Wasp, and Giant-Man is enraged when the Top leaves with a captured Wasp.In the Hulk story, the Hulk saves Major Talbot from dying during the Leader's attack. Then, when the Hulk has turned back into Bruce Banner, General Ross places him under arrest for treason. The leader sends his humanoid minions to the base where Banner is being held, and while they attack Banner, he turns back into the Hulk and battles them but is knocked out as they steal an invention of Banner's for the Leader's use.Assumed before the next episode:People are fed up with Giant-Man leaning on their buildings, carelessly causing damage.This episode takes place:After Giant-Man has leaned on one too many buildings.Full transcript:Edward: Mike, what do you do when you retire from the Avengers? What's next? What's next on your plate?Michael: I don't know. It's hard to go higher in the superhero community, but it's also harder to get a better job in even the military or that kind of like super diplomacy communityEdward: and super diplomats.Michael: Well, that's what they are, right? Like they're like, I don't know, like Warrior Kings in a way. Right?Edward: Thank you for your service, giant man. I'd not like you to be the diplomat in charge of Poland. Over there with the wasp. You can help us deal with geopolitical situations in the Eastern Republics.Michael: But that's what they've been doing though. They've been acting asEdward: the last time giant man went into the Eastern Europe, he was crashing through the Berlin wall. It's not diplomatic, it's not known for diplomacy.Michael: No, but his actions, whether they're clumsy or not, were actually affecting international relations. So that's what I mean, like the general sense of whatever they are.Edward: Yeah. So causing diplomatic relations is not the same as being a diplomat, just cuz they both have the word diplo in them.Michael: No, no, no. I'm not saying that they're, I'm not saying that that's the job. It's just that what have the Avengers been? They've saved the world. They've battled villains. They have taken upon their self to go to other countries, to act in America's interests.And then at times we've found that they've acted secretively to the same extent, further in the interest and theory of America. So I don't know what you want to call them, but they're not regular. And so you're, they're not regular. And, and your question at the start was like, well, what do you like, what do you do when you retire?Well, it's not unprecedented, but it's unusual. And so it's a good question.Edward: And so what's unusual, you're saying retiring as a superhero is unusual or retiring as an avenger is unusual. What's unusual?Michael: Retired from the Avengers is unusual because, well, yes, it's Avenger.Edward: Avengers have only been around for a couple years. No one has retired until now. But now we've had, now we have three retirements, sorry, four retirements, 1, 2, 3, 4, all at the same time.Michael: Yeah. And my point is that it's unusual. We have an experience where someone with that much power who's had such a fascinating role and influence on world affairs, is now no longer in that position? I think there's a qualitative difference between being on the Avengers and being the go-to team for. Pretty much any big problem to be on their own. Are they still on the payroll or at least getting the status and the influence they had on Avengers?Edward: I wouldn't think so. If you're not, you can't be like, not on the Avengers, but still getting all the Avenger privileges.Michael: That's right. So that's what I mean. Somebody that tied in to International affairs in such a highly visible way and such an influential position, I would think that they don't just retire and, then our intelligence organizations are like, that's cool.I guess you just. Have all this knowledge and this know-how, and you just go off and do what you want. So I'd imagine that there's something that must tie them closer. Oh, I see what you're saying. It's like maintain them and to be still being sort of a post adventure, but still in the family. You know what I mean?Edward: Got it. You're a post, you're not in ave anymore, but now you're a post a event. It's like a presidents. When presidents retire, they still have the secret service. Follow them around everywhere. They still get paid. Right., if you're an ex-president, you still get a salary.Michael: I think so. Or some kind of pension, I don't think they'd wait till like they're, you know, like most of 'em seem to be quite old when they're president, when they retire. I don't think they, they have to wait long before they get the stipend. Right. Which makes a lot of sense as well, cuz you don't want them to Go out and say, I've been the president of the United States for eight years and now I'm interviewing for this job at General Electric.Or I might go, I think I'd like to go work in Hungary. You know what I mean? I don't think that they're gonna be like, what's next for me? As if it's just like anybody in the world. They're just not. And so I think get to pay them enough to keep them on the bench in a way, and still get to know-how and the benefit of the expertise and still have them available to contact them.I would think.Edward: Okay, there's an ex-presidents club. You think there's gonna be an ex Avengers club where they all get together and come back together and talk about, I dunno, I guess the new Avengers can ask the old Avengers for advice the presidents do that sometimes. Yeah.Michael: I think so. I mean, I'd like to think so because the alternative would be that the Avengers, so somebody who's been so tied into our security and the intelligence organizations, but also our military and our political affairs is just suddenly like, huh. Well, I gotta make a living not an Avenger anymore.Edward: Maybe I'll go rob Banks,Michael: right? Or maybe I will go maybe work for, another country. I mean, like they could, and it's unusual, like the adventures started as this voluntary group, but very quickly became integral to our security intelligence organizations, et cetera.but I bet that there are those types of organizations and associations already. I bet they just attach that type of structure over to the Avengers to make sense.Edward: Paul, you're saying there's other structures like the Avengers out there?Michael: You used presidents ex-president, as an example.I think there has to be some kind of process they can follow to say, time.Edward: But the difference is the presidents, like that's part of the constitution, like that's built into the fabric of our country and there are rules and regulations that go back. Hundreds of years. The Avengers are a couple years old.We don't even know exactly how the Avengers are affiliated with their government, how they're affiliated with Stark Corp. They're all part of this military industrial complex, and I don't think we understand what's going on. It's definitely not the way we understand what happens with the president.Michael: Well Ed, I'm not saying I'm cool with it. I find it to be the most weird you know, and people that listen to our show know this. I've always found it to be the weirdest thing that the military, the government, our intelligence organizations are like, I don't know, better get the adventures involved. I've always found it to be strange, but whether it's strange or not, they're tied in and they have this connection and they have this. Powered authority in our society. So just to have them float off and possibly just what, decide that they want to, take what they know and not do anything with it, or,Edward: yes. You're basically say we should bribe them so that they don't do that. We should have tax dollars go towards paying giant man and Thor and Iron Man in the wasp and tell them, Hey, here's a hundred grand. Uh, please don't work for the Russians.Michael: I think, I wouldn't use the word bribe, but I think it's incentivized, I suppose, but's be honest, let's be honest. You, I've had shows where, where your solution is like, I guess we gotta kill them. Or lobotomized them. I'm like, no, I'm just following your well trod path on this one. Like probably need to pay them is the better alternative than like, Like, where I know you want to go on these things where it's like, too dangerous of your life. See you later.Edward: You know, I'm gonna tell your wife about the things you've been doing, unless you give me an incentive to not do thatMichael: well yeah. It's, like, protection, money protection.Edward: I'm not gonna, uh, bust into your shop, but, you know, I need some incentive to make sure that it stands up. Okay.Michael: But Ed, you wouldn't characterize it as bribing that you say, Let's say Kennedy, who's a young president, let's say. He hadn't been assassinated and he continued on, and he retired after, let's say he served two terms. He would've been in his early fifties, you wouldn't have considered bribery to pay him a pretty healthy pension.Edward: No, you're, right. It's not bribery to have to pay someone to do their job.Michael: It's a role.Edward: It's an incentive pay. It's an incentive. So that you go and do The Thing that we we're paying you to do. I think bribe, connotates something illegal, right? Or something underhanded. What's what's going on here though, is, it kind of is underhanded, because it's not public, it's not well-known. Is Stark Corp paying their post avenger salary? Is it the government? That's to me the, big question. And the other thing is that well at least giant man is still active. We haven't heard much from about Thor Iron Man, but, it's Giant man is out there. Experimenting and doing more stuff. Like the latest things on Giant Man is he can now grow to 35 feet tall. He's getting bigger and bigger, so his power levels are increasing. And he's doing it right in the city. He's damaging buildings, he's doing practices. He weighs tons with tons and tons of weight, and he's walking through the city causing damage.And so in the past when that happened, the Avengers had some sort of fun that paid for that stuff. Is there a post Avengers payment fund now too?Michael: That's part of the reason why I was thinking about this, there has to be some kind of structure in there. Not just about the idea that they have information that would be damaging, to our interests if they went somewhere else, for instance.But also if giant man is practicing growing in the cities, and holding onto buildings so he doesn't fall down. He's causing damage. And in the past, it's still irresponsible them to do that. But at least there is some kind of recourse for the regular person or insurance companies. He get some kind of, kind of like, you know, fix, fix the masonry on this. You know, likeEdward: fix, it's like an irresponsibility reading. As an avenger you can have a 10 on irresponsibility, but now that you're post Avengers, let's bring that irresponsibility level down to a six or a seven.Michael: And he hasn't, you know what I mean? Practicing growing around buildings when you wait tons and could knock one over if you just tripped, is not responsible.Edward: And also grabbing, grabbing onto the edges of buildings and like having bricks fall off. It just seems a little dangerous.Michael: It's super dangerous. So that's why I think that there must be something in the way, some process or some similar continuation of coverage.Really. Like I know when lawyers retire, we have mandatory insurance and then when you retire you can have runoff insurance, which would cover you. So you might get a claim, there's only so long you can Sue your former lawyer there's limitation periods and then you'd wanna make sure you cover. So if you did get sued,Edward: the insurance covers you, not for the time that you were a lawyer, but the insurance is covering you for right now. Like, for example, if you stopped your insurance today, And you got sued for something you did yesterday, the insurance wouldn't cover you.Michael: No, so insurance covers terms, so as long as you have occurrence base and claims based policies, but the most common policy would be like if you get into a car accident, you have insurance policy with company A, and then you get sued two years later. B, you no longer are insured you by that company. You're run to another insurance company. It's the company that was on risk that would cover you. And so I'm saying for, Lawyers when they retire, they wanna make sure they've got insurance and coverage, to continue a bit longer. I see I'm diving into stuff. I'm not a hundred percent sure I'm far from retirement, but I just know that there is coverage up.Edward: There's something, there, something, there's something's something there that's a giant man probably has some sort of insurance policy that's covering him post Avengers, some sort of runoff policy that lasts for some period of time.Michael: Or you just have the Avengers have so much money at their disposal. They're either self-insured in a sense, or they just have money to pay. But whatever it is, I think that you don't have these retired Avengers running around causing damage and then not, and then what you're gonna Sue giant man, you're gonna find out where that guy, who he really is. Or do you still follow the process that is in place that we we're aware of where they could make a claim. Because of the damage that the Avengers caused, which I think is a way that's kept people kind of okay with them in general.Edward: So if he has to have this coverage that keeps lasting, like we're kind of paying for giant man for the guess for the rest of his life or for some time period.Does he have responsibility then too? This is like reserves in the military. I think we can call back up giant man if the Hulk was rampaging through the city and we're like, you know what? The Avengers are a little weak right now. We need some, uh, we need some more bench strength.Can he be called in?Michael: I don't know. I mean I would think so. I would think that's part of the deal. Like we said at the beginning, it's unusual and unprecedented about what they are in our society, but they are unusual. They are unprecedented is so, you and I are just trying to speculate about what should make sense.And I think what makes sense is that if they're out there, Having information or abilities that could harm us if they were no longer on our side. I think that there's a built-in incentive to have them close to home, really. But also if they're out there doing activities, and they're more or less government agents, which they have been.I think there should be some kind of recourse for regular people. Otherwise people would not be as keen about Giant man doing his calisthenics in the middle of the city.Edward: Like you're sounding more and more like the Avengers are like the mafia. Once you're in, you can't get out. You think you're out and we pull you back in.Michael: I'm not saying that they're not like that. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss the shocking loss of scientific skill among the country's top scientists. It clearly seems purposeful, but what is the purpose? Aliens trying to keep humanity from developing new technologies? A domestic test to take away targeted abilities from exceptional people? Will they be able to take away superpowers next? And if so, is it ethical? If we can't keep someone in prison, is the choice really between lobotomizing their abilities or capital punishment? What is the ethical choice? Ed and Mike disagree!Behind the issue:The after-effects of this issue result in Giant-Man unable to shrink smaller than a normal human for the remainder of his time in this title (which is ending soon and will be replaced with Namor. More on that when it happens!). Otherwise, nothing special here. In this issue:A guy is driving around town while being directed by a man in a hidden laboratory in a funny costume named the Supreme One. When the driver sees Giant-Man, he decides to zap him in a green ray, which causes Giant-Man to grow weak. This is because the ray is designed to steal power. The Supreme One becomes obsessed with stealing Giant-Man's power, as he was unable to do that the first time he had someone try. To that end, he has his minion drive around town bathing scientific geniuses in the green ray, stealing their next-level scientific abilities, i.e. a top physicists forgets everything he knows about physics, etc. Giant-Man and the Wasp investigate, eventually tracking down the Supreme One, who escapes in a spaceship (turns out he is an alien).In the second story in this issue, the Hulk fights the army in a foreign nation, and when he turns to Bruce Banner, he is captured by some locals. Major Talbot is sent in to rescue Bruce Banner, and the episode ends on a cliffhanger - will Talbot and Banner fall to their deaths as they escape? Tune in next week!Assumed before the next episode:People are wondering what is happening to all the smart people. They are getting … less smart? How does that make any sense?This episode takes place:After people learn of the de-smartening that is happening.Complete transcript:Edward: All right, Mike, we're gonna change it up this week. We're gonna change it up a little bit because I have a story I think we should be talking about that's not, well, maybe it is superhuman. The scientists around the world are losing their scientific abilitiesMichael: right?Edward: So these are top physicists who are losing the ability to do physics or top geneticists who can't do genetics anymore. Top chemists who can't do chemistry anymore. And their brains can still do everything else. They can still have conversations, they can still love their families, but they're losing their scientific abilities. And so I think this is a super thing. We don't know who's doing it or why, but it sounds superhuman.Michael: Okay, before we get to this superhuman, if they're superhuman. Not saying that what you're saying is thatEdward: No, I'm not saying human. It's a superhuman, some sort of superhuman thing. I don't think we know any scientific way to remove parts of knowledge from someone's brain like that feels like a superhuman thing.Michael: Right. So you're saying that there must be a purpose to it. This phenomena that's only targeting extremely intelligent and highly accomplished and specialized people like physicists. They're being targeted and their abilities are removed, which. Yeah, it doesn't sound normal.Edward: Um, well, it's never happened before, so therefore it is by definition, abnormal. Although it's abnormal, it's happening more and more now. So is it becoming normal? It's becoming normal. It was not normal, but now it is.Michael: It's normalized almost, and so normalized.So I guess the first question is, what's the purpose of it? So your first thing is that you're thinking that there's a super villain possibly, or an alien or something that is doing this for a reason. Right. In that it's making humanity weaker. It's making our ability to defend ourselves worse. Worse. Is that where you're kind of going on it,Edward: it sounds that way. Like, oh, you're right. Maybe it's a villain who's doing blackmail, but it seems purposeful. If it was a virus, That was just spreading around, right? And causing brain damage to people. First of all, that'd be terrifying, but secondly, it feels like that viruses don't work that way. The viruses wouldn't go and attack just the most intelligent top scientists in the world and just attack their scientific knowledge and leave everything else untouched. So you're right, it seems purposeful.Michael: And that's alarming because we know that in the last few years, in addition to what appears to be naturally occurring superhuman abilities and extraterrestrial or, paranormal, superhuman abilities, we have seen that there's been greater advances in technology, in science that have allowed humanity to reach new levels. So Iron, Man and other, you know, giant. Giant man have been able To create things that are just impossible they're fantastical. It's basically modern magic, the science that they've been able to wield so is this a preemptive attack, a taking away the ability of other people to create such modern miracles?Edward: Oh, you're right. Yeah, it could be stopping the creation of new superheroes. We know, if you look at the superheroes that are out there, a handful of them, like the X-Men seem to be that this people who are born with this weird gene that's being activated by something.But for most superheroes out there, or, super villain for that matter. It seems to be either, Some sort of science that science is doing it. That's right. Captain America is experimented on and turned into Captain America, like the Reed. Richards took fantastic four up into space and space stuff turned them into the Fantastic four. Sandman was like atomic research, whatever turned him into Sandman. So it feels, or to your point, Iron, Man and Giant Man was actually, or the porcupine, they're actually building technological wonders. And so if our top minds, the people who can like do the engineering, the people who can understand the atomic science are losing their ability to do that.Hey, maybe it is aliens. Maybe aliens are trying to put humans in their place and say, Hey, stay on the planet Earth. Stop leaving and stop developing powers.Michael: It's wild. It sounds paranoid, but at the same time it's starting to make a lot of sense. This will fundamentally weaken humanity. By taking our top scientists off the board. That's right. Quite frightening. That's right. But then the other part of it is leaving side the motivation which is alarming and I'm hopeful that say the Avengers or the various federal agencies are on top of this, you gotta wonder how they're doing it. Like how is it that they're doing almost micro lobotomies. Is it a technological basis for it or is it magical? How exactly are they doing it at all.Edward: You're right. Clearly, it's not something that anyone has done before, but someone has found a way to go and do, lobotomy is a good word. It's a very, it's like a targeted lobotomy. Because what's fascinating about this is it's not like these scientists are coming in with other brain damage. They're able to continue on their lives. Normally. They are still able to, whole jobs. Not even like they can't do normal stuff. They can do all the normal things. They just, it's like this piece of knowledge. They're cutting edge brain power and I don't even know if their intelligence was affected so much as their knowledge was affected. So if you're a scientist who's like really brilliant and spend 40 years of your life diving deep into physics, you're not gonna be able to spend another 40 years we just don't live long enough.Michael: It's quite a violation of their autonomy too. I don't want to discount that, but, however they're doing it, it's wild. And you gotta wonder if it's not some extraterrestrial kind of thing or some kind of super thing. What if it's actually a, just, it's something more domestic? We talked before about, What do you do with these super villains that you capture and have these amazing abilities? Like say, let's say Sue Storm turned into be a bad person and she has force fields and can turn Invisible. Like how do you deal with that and make, and IM prisoner if she was a villain, is this. Some technology that somehow got into the world where they've been experimenting on how to turn off abilities and it's got into the wrong hands and they're using it to turn off the abilities, for lack of a better term, of regular humans.Edward: If you're right, maybe it is just an experiment then, and they're testing to see if they can turn it on and off before they say, Hey, let's turn off the superpowers of. Sue Storm or Reed richards. Let's turn off the brain power of some physicists and you're right, if it doesn't work and they can't turn it back on again, that would be really bad. But not as bad as if we like turn off the superpowers of the Avengers because hey, that's irreplaceable.Michael: It does lead into to a consideration of like, how if this is like a deliberate thing that might be done by people on our side, say a government kind of project that got the wrong hands, that tells us I guess I've ever thought about the idea that turning off, say, superpowers is akin to a pure violation of a person's autonomy, right? It's more relatable in a way to basically make a very intelligent person, less intelligent in a particular area that is actually, it's so remarkably unethical, cuz it is effectively targeted Phlebotomy.Edward: Clearly whether it's just happening to Random intelligent people, it's unethical. But if we did this to get against the guy who was building the porcupine suit or the wizard who is like notoriously committing crimes and breaking outta prison and committing the frightful fore attacking the Fantastic four, if we just reduced his intelligence and stopped his ability to go and create these fantastic suits, I dunno, is that still unethical?Michael: I think so. Yeah. Yeah. It, definitely is it is a version of lobotomizing those intelligent people. We don't do that right now. There have been super intelligent people in history and if the choice is to build a better prison or to lobotomize somebody, you would choose you should choose to build a better prison.Edward: That's fair. And I guess I feel like we haven't really. On that route, far enough. We still are building these terrible prisons and allowing these criminals to escape again and again. But I guess let's go further. Remember there was the vanish. Do you remember the vanish, right?Yes, I did. So that's, yeah, so the vanger had the ability to teleport and, I'm not sure how he was dealt with, I assume, like we assumed at the time maybe that they just killed him. There was just a extra, judicial murder to take this guy out because otherwise what do you do?You can't put in prison someone who can teleport outta prison. He was teleport into the Oval Office. He was threatening the president. You, can't stop someone like that. And so if we had, if for the vanish or. Let's say what they had this ability to turn off his power. Or, and along the way it also turned off his ability to do complicated differential equations. It feels like that's a better alternative than allowing him to go free or a better alternative than murdering him.Michael: Yeah. But it's the same, you know, The Thing with ethics is that they're not relative. This goes to, the question I suppose, is the ability to have like a superhuman power, and you, if you remove that, is that the same as effectively doing a version of a targeted lobotomy? And I think the answer is yes. I mean, I think that the Vanger, even by basis of just looking at his name, He identifies, that's a core part of who he is.Edward: He enjoys vanishes, and if he stops vanishing, then who is he anymore?Michael: Well, exactly. And so to remove that from him,Edward: it's, I'm the talker. If you take away my, if you make me mute, who am I?I can't, I can't, I can't do The Thing that I do.Michael: But it, but it's the same thing, like, so it is the same thing removing an ability for somebody to solve differential equations as a top physicist is the same as taking away a person's ability to, in this case, do a unique thing, which is the ability to,Edward: so I'll grant you that, but the difference is, is that the guy doing the differential equations isn't trying to murder the president. It feels like that. Like that's the difference. You're right. I don't think we should go and find everybody who can teleport and then go and take away their abilities. That seems like a draconian a totalitarian government that would do something like that. But if there's somebody teleporting around murdering people, I think by all means we should stop that person. And if that means taking away their ability to teleport, I think so. Be it.Michael: I guess the question is, what is a worse and more abominable crime towards an individual or harm that you could cause them? Is it one to give them effectively a brain injury so that they are not the same person as they were before, because that's what you're doing if you turn up abilities. I think it's similar to making somebody less, less intelligent to like solve differential equations either argues the same as turning off their ability to do what they're born to do, which is teleport. So it's a better termEdward: to murder. I was born to murder precedents.Michael: Wait, so you either give them effectively a brain injury, so you actually violate what they are as a human at who they're as a person. Their core being or you killed them, is what you're saying. Or you build a better prison. Yeah. Yeah. And you're saying you handled a better prison. It's only two choices.Edward: That's right. That's right. So I think we are all agreed that if you can build a better prison, you build a better prison that feels like the right thing to do, I think. Mm-hmm. When you can't build a better prison, when you have someone like the vanish or the absorbing man who can, if you put him in a prison, whatever you. Put him in, he can absorb the strength of that thing and bust his way out. And so what do we do? The absorbing man, they set him into space to drift aimlessly for eternity. Like that seems worse. It feels like if you had a choice between, that's the worst one. Drifting through space for all eternity, or losing the ability to absorb the strength of materials around you. I think most of us would give up the ability to absorb, even if our name was the absorbing man. It feels like you can get a new name.Michael: Hey. They sit him down and say, listen, here are the two alternatives. We've been up all night thinking about the options here, and one is that we turn you into a race that'll float through the empty space forever, or we give you, effectively we change your brain chemistry. And I think that, historically, it's a pretty slippery slope when you start messing around with people's brains and changing who they are. I don't know what the right answer is, ed, but I have to say youEdward: really don't know the right answer. You really think that maybe the right answers to have 'em drift through space for all eternity.Michael: I don't know. You're forcing me to say that. I think it'd be better. I think it would probably be better to actually like, uh, And I'm against a death penalty. But that seems to be preferable to actually really lobotomize againstEdward: sin. Bomb the ball. No, no, no, no, no, no. Listen, imagine. So let's put you in that, those shoes. Okay? Now, Mike, you now have the ability to fly. You are flying, man, and you could fly around and so on. But you know what? You used that, you used that flying power for evil, and you started killing presidents. And so now they're like, Mikey, you need to go to jail. Unfortunately. This metaphor is falling apart because we could put a flying guy in jail. You,Michael: you put a, the ceiling solved the problem, ed.Edward: Okay, Mike, you have the ability, we're gonna use this vanish again. You can teleport Mike, you can now teleport everywhere and you're murdering people left, right, and center. Because you know what, maybe the teleporting also meant your brain go, went crazy, and the government comes to you and says, Hey Mike, we have two choices.We can take away your ability to teleport and you'll go back to being old Mike. Or we can murder you. Are you really, are you like, have you given that choice? Like you think the right choice is to murder you?Michael: Uh, it's, it's just such a hard It, it is. It's not hard. Murder. Murder is a problem. The slippery slope stuff is terrible.Eddie, you're actually,Edward: yeah. But one of them, one of them has a slippery slope. The other one is a giant hole of death.Michael: You know what I think because,Edward: you can recover from a slippery slope, you can't recover from a murder.Michael: Eddie, I'm a lawyer. I'm not a judge. I'm not making that call right now. But you're, but clearly I know where it goes with you. You'd be like, take away my ability. Give lobotomize me so that I don't go out and vanish anymore and I'll live the rest of my life.Having you having fundamentally changed what, who I am as a person? Yes. Yes. How is that any different than Lobotomizing people that. The state didn't, consider to be, desirable?Edward: Well, we've already, I think the difference is, is we've agreed that you are only doing this as a last ditch effort. We're not saying, Hey, you're a murderer, a normal murderer who like walks around with knives and guns. We'll just take the knives and guns away from you. Even though you call yourself gunman and you define yourself by using guns, we're gonna take away the guns. And then, and you're like, oh, but I can't be gunman without guns.Well, too bad you're no longer gunman. You are now just man, and we're gonna put you in a jail. And that jail is not gonna give you access to guns and that's the preferred choice. But if you can't, but if you can't put them in the jail, you need another choice. And the second choice should not be killing them indiscriminately.Michael: So I guess the problem and hear me out on the slippery slope, but like if the technology is developed and you can use it on these, in these extreme situations, my fear is that you use them. Even if you could rationalize that, you would use them in more mundane situations where all prisoners, all people convicted of violent crimes are now gonna get, effectively get a lobotomy because it's safer.Because you can't keep them in prison forever. Or if you do, the prisons are unsafe, et cetera. There's gonna be a rationalization for actually using this technology to effectively lobotomize them too. So it won't be limited, I'm afraid to this very unique situation that. The teleporters of the world. I wish we know there's one. And it could extend and it could, it would extend what I consider to be an abomination throughout. Oh, again, you're worried Our society.Edward: Well, maybe we just put in rules in place that the person needs to choose to have this. We just get to a certain point where it's like, Hey, you can choose to be lobotomized or murdered, and if you prefer murder, we can do that for you.The state's really good at murdering people.Michael: I think it's what, I think one of those, that's what they consider to be actually not a real choice. Ed, I thinkEdward: know that's the point is, but like, we're stuck at this point where we have to choose the choice. We don't give them three choices if it's not like we can take away your powers, murder you or put you in a jail that you can escape from in two seconds. Which do you choose now? Well, clearly the guy just escapes from jail and so that's not an acceptable choice for our society. We need to stop the vanger and people like him from murdering people. And so far it seems like what we're doing is we're just murdering. We murdered the vanger and we sent the absorbing man into space. And this molecule, man, we don't know what happened to him. These people who are extremely powerful. They seem to just be disappearing and we're not talking about it. That is the slippery slope. And so this is a way to reduce the murdering this against villains.Michael: Well, if I had to guess. I suppose the murder's been working out. At least that's what's been happening and I think it's unfortunate. I think it's horrific. And so what I hope will happen is that maybe if the government is secretly funding this research into this technology, maybe they should direct their attention. Towards better prisons that would solve the problem and avoid these thorny issues. That, that you're pushing on me.Edward: Teleportation proof prisons. That's the next scientific achievement. Read Richards. Go do it.Michael: Send them to Asgard Ed. We know that they must have their, they're superpowered.God's like Thor. They must have the technology up there to deal with strange, unique powers. Let's, let's, let's start talking about that.Edward: Vanisher, get off Earth. Go murder Odin. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

Steve gets the reaction of today's youth to Ant-Man Quantamania before diving into our second installment of classic solo Sub-Mariner stories with Tales To Astonish #81-87 from 1966. Then Andrew leads Kevin & Steve through Nova's second series (1994) and New Warriors #60, which is both our 7th segment covering Nova's publishing history and our […]

Steve gets the reaction of today's youth to Ant-Man Quantamania before diving into our second installment of classic solo Sub-Mariner stories with Tales To Astonish #81-87 from 1966. Then Andrew leads Kevin & Steve through Nova's second series (1994) and New Warriors #60, which is both our 7th segment covering Nova's publishing history and our […]

In anticipation of Marvel Studios' ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantamania' movie, Mike D. & Tommy discuss the comic book debut of GIANT-MAN in Tales To Astonish issue 49 (August 1963)! Ant-Man is all growds up, kids!    For all things Jacked Kirby, including listening links and social media links, visit our FlowPage: www.flow.page/jackedkirby   If you like the show, share the show! Tag a friend, tell a friend, share the flyer, spread the word! And please rate/review the show on Apple (or wherever else you can rate & review it! Do it! Now!) Thanks!   

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss how to pronounce “Madam Macabre”. Is she a villain or just a Giant-Man competitor? Can we trust Giant-Man on this? How fast will growing/shrinking technology proliferate? And why is everyone with a superpower a hero or a villain? Why not just use your abilities to save some money or become an entrepreneur?Behind the issue:This is the first and only appearance (so far) of Madam Macabre. Part two of this issue is a Hulk feature, which is not covered in the podcast. The only public fact of the Hulk feature is that Bruce Banner is in the Soviet Union, and it is unclear if he is defecting or kidnapped again.In this issue:Giant-Man and the Wasp storyMadam Macabre is able to use technology to shrink inanimate objects. She is envious of Giant-Man's ability to shrink himself. And so she sets up a meeting with Giant-Man. She explains at the meeting that she was mentored and tutored by the supervillain the Mandarin. She then makes the pitch for Giant-Man to quit the Avengers and to partner with her in some vague plan to take over the world. Being the hero that he is, Giant-Man rejects the offer. She returns to her lair and schemes to defeat the Giant-Man. The step in this scheme is to kidnap the Wasp, which lures Giant-Man to her lair. He is trapped in a shrinking room, but the Wasp breaks free and rescues him. The Wasp then successfully defeats Madam Macabre and frees Giant-Man.Hulk storyThe Hulk is trapped in the Soviet Union. A kindhearted Soviet scientist helps him out, but he is killed. This causes the Hulk to become very angry. He goes on a rampage at the Soviet base, where he is stuck for a while, and eventually escapes.Assumed before the next episode:People are starting to wonder about all of the superheroes and supervillains with similar powers.This episode takes place:After Madam Macabre has been soundly defeated.Full transcript:Edward: Mike first there was giant man, then there was the wasp, and now is there. There is mad. Mc, oh my gosh. I can't even say the word. You can't say it, eh, I can't say it. Madam Mc mc macur mebrak. Madam. I can't, I can read the word Mike. I just can't say it out loud.Micheal: I think you need to start watching some old films. Macra describes like some old classic film noir, if I'm thinking of it correctly, but certainly it's a word. MaccaEdward: Mac. But here's The Thing. You should do so. So say the. First person who can shrink ant man, first person that can grow. Giant man. Very descriptive names. The wasp also like descriptive as in small animal. You'd think that Spider-Man could also shrink, but no, he doesn't. But this new person who has the ability to grow and shrink things, Madam Mak, uh, has nothing to do with, with changing size. Like what type of name?Micheal: Well, it's not descriptive, but, I would award points for originality. I think the intention behind calling yourself Madam Mac is that you're suggesting some malhi days. You know, you're suggesting some mallin, some malicious intent. Right. And, certainly some, darkness to her. And she was according to giant man, she was, Villain who could shrink. Just like him, right?Edward: And according to giant man, she was like stealing something that, like a art gallery or something. She was breaking in and stealing stuff and they caught her. To be fair though, we only have giant man's word on that. We have No, I don't, I dunno if there's any evidence that she was actually doing that other than giant man say so.Micheal: Other than name, other than the word of an unknown vigilant, master vigilante who happens to have captured someone with the exact same power set as him. It seems, if I was being cynical, I would say that I would question whether a giant man is trying to take out the competition. But we know he is, he's been a hero. It's just that, that he's also human, I think, and so maybe he just felt threatened by having somebody with the same power. Being out in society?Edward: I would think so. You can look at the timeline of it, right? So the timeline was Madam Mebrak. I'll look at that. I can say it now. Thank, thank, thank you for this education. Madam Macabre, she becomes semi-famous. So she's in the papers. Mm-hmm. , she has this special ability, she's not committing crimes. She's just advertising her ability to say, Hey, I figured out this technology. I too have the ability to grow and shrink. And then shortly afterwards, giant Man comes out and. . Yeah, but she needs to go to jail cuz she's a criminal. So the timing is a little bit suspicious in terms of him shutting her.Micheal: Yeah, it is. And the adventures have all had, they've recently had some issues that we've observed when they appear to be acting in their own interests after a few years of acting heroically. So we just don't know what to make of it. And I would assume people will find out more at the criminal trial, but much like any trial you need to have, you need. Evidence for witnesses who could be identified. And so Thank you. I would imagine she go, she might go, she might go free, you know, like, cuz it's just the word of a vigilante. So an Avenger's,Edward: an official, he's an official vigilante though. He's working for somebody. We're not exactly sure who, but he's working for somebody. We think he's like at least semi-official. I think what, to me, what's interesting about this is two things. One is that, sooner or later this technology is going to get out, right? We know, we've seen from other evidence that giant man's powers don't come from the fact that he was experimented on or some sort of magic radiation, it's some sort of pills that he was taking, and so mm-hmm. , it's a technology that he has that's able to go and do this. And we know from the past that once someone has the technology, it gets spread, right? Like the Americans were the only ones with the nuclear bomb in 1945. And like by 1950 there was at least four or five countries with the nuclear bombs. And so, it feels like this technology is gonna get out there. Once we know it exists, someone's gonna be able to d.Micheal: But I don't think there's any evidence that, Madam MCC Abra had got the technology. You know what I mean? It's more. I wonder if it's just it's more the idea that gets out there.Edward: That's right. That's right.Micheal: Where she learns that somebody can shrink through some kind of process and so she creates it or duplicates it in her own way because there's historical precedent for that as well. At least when it comes to people, meeting challenges and surpassing.Edward: Yeah, I'm not claiming that she stole his abilities. And as far as I know, giant man isn't even claiming that she stole his abilities. And so, no, he has reason to claim that she is and he's not. So it suggests that no, she came up with it independently. But we've seen that happen again and again in different technological situations like both in scientific theory and in technology, right? So, like Isaac Newton is credited with inventing the theory of gravity and calculus, but if he hadn't, there was, there were a number of other people that were waiting in the wings who would be publishing the same things soon afterwards. It's very rare that a scientist is doing it, and if they weren't around that nobody would've ever come up. .Micheal: And it suggested inevitability to the scientific process, but also even just with respect to humanity and people. Remember that people thought the four minute not be run and then as soon as Roger's Banister, broke that record, ran the four minute mile, what was it a month and a half later, someone beat that record and then people thereafter continued beating that record, just suggests that as soon as people could see that it was possible, it became possible for.Edward: That's right. It was Landy or something. It was 46 days after Banister broke the four minute mile. It was, John Landy came out and beat it. Mm-hmm. and, and, and, and, and banister just barely beat it. Like he was point happened to be half a second faster than the four minute mile. And then Landy came in and like blew past him, was Two seconds faster, like a few days later. And since then a number of people have break broken the four minute mile. I think it's interesting before Banister did it, doctors were saying that anybody who's going to be able to break, anyone who attempts to break the four minute mile will die. I think that was the quote. They will die. It is so hard on the human body. If you ever run that fast, you will die. And now we've no, absolutely not true. And other people are training for it, and they know that it's possible. They know that it's something that you can achieve. And now we know shrinking the human body down to the size of an ad is something that we can achieve.Micheal: That's it. And I think that's the take home message really. And the question lends itself to whether other superpowers are gonna be, duplicated and we're gonna start seeing more. But you gotta wonder sometimes, have we. I don't think we have, but have we hit maximum powers? You know, we have people that can grow large, they can grow small, they can get strong, they can uh, theyEdward: can fly. We talked about Thor last week. He'd fly really fast.Micheal: They can fly really fast. And I are we gonna see a lot of different powers, you know what I mean? Or is this just that we've hit the max powers and our, we're gonna see versions of it come out, with more shrinking and whatever.Edward: Could be, could be, I dunno. But it feels like we're still seeing a significant amount of variety happening, right? It wasn't that long ago that Sandman popped up and he's, the ability to turn into sand like that seems pretty unique and different from everybody else. Spider-Man's power different than other people. I guess some things, like he being really strong or flying seems to be common, but we're also getting we're still seeing lots of variety. Just because we have somebody else shrinking doesn't mean that this is it. It's not the end of, it's not the end of the beginning, Mike. This is just not even the beginning of the end.Micheal: We're continuing on. Here's the other question that I had though I have to admit, it's been bothering me. So, you know, when you, when youEdward: tell me your therapist today,Micheal: my therapy session, so Dr. Ed, here's what's been on my mind, and it might just be because it's unreported, but it seems that when people developed a technology or developed powers, they go one of two ways in quite a binary sense. They either become superpowered Adventurers or they become criminals, and you know what, I'm just like, well, wait a minute, isn't there like a third path where let's say for instance, I was inspired to develop technology, to learn how to grow taller or shrink Maybe I wouldn't decide to quit my job as a lawyer and become an adventurer, or certainly become a criminal. I just decide well, I gotta reach that can, on the top shelf in my kitchen, I'm just gonna grow. Instead of grabbing, going in the step ladder or I, I move in, I decide like, you know what? I wanna maybe downsize a little bit. Literally, I get a smaller apartment in New York and I can fiddle up more furniture, or I can get around more easily in my own apartment. It just fiddle. I don't know.Edward: It's like that you have like a very spacious apartment. All of a sudden. Your television is enormous. You have the biggest screen television in the whole world.Micheal: You know, or maybe I wanna save on food and maybe, I dunno if this is how it works, but I shrink cuz I, I could just order small portions everywhere, and just like nibble away for like a week on something. You know, this loaf of bread, one loaf of bread fills me up. Maybe eating a lot of bread isn't a good idea, but you know what I mean? , and so, but I just gotta wonder. And there's not just, there's other technologies. Like if I had the power to turn Invisible again, would I join a super team or break into a bank or would I more likely turn Invisible so I can, when I'm walking home in the evening, I don't want to pop,Edward: I don't wanna hear who you're spying on. Mike, I don't want to hear, I don't want, this is not time replace . Hey, I think, I think you're coming onto something right? Of like, Hey, you have these, if you had these abilities, if this technology was out there, you don't have to go and fight criminals and you don't have the best way to help society is not necessarily to go and help criminals. Maybe if you had this power to grow and shrink instead of stealing art, you could just start a moving. Imagine how efficient your moving company would be. They could just, you go to someone's house, you're like, no problem. We'll just shrink your whole house down. Bang, we'll throw it into an envelope. We'll ship it to the new place and then we'll just grow it again. And we can be the most efficient, fastest, we can charge a much lower rate and make much higher margins. And like all of a sudden we have a nice little business going.Micheal: Yeah, exactly. Or what if I could be like a Human Torch, I could just, save money on my heating bill every month.Edward: so like, here's The, Thing, . Every time you get a power, you're looking for a way to, to save some sense. I think the better look for growth opportunities. Look for ways to increase your revenue. Don't just cut your cost. You can't shrink yourself into success, Mike.Micheal: You know what? That's a good point. And this is why we're buddies. So this is, I'll bring the pessimism. You bring the optimism . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

Marvel Tales Ep #6: Tales To Astonish #44 & #45 Welcome back to Marvel Tales! In this episode, Phil and Justin review Tales To Astonish #44 & #45 (June & July 1963) featuring the first appearances of Janet Van Dyne as the Wasp, aiding Ant-Man in his battles with the alien from Kosmos and the return of Egghead. Plus a discussion of the various costumes of the Wasp over the years as listed on this website: http://www.wondrouswasp.altervista.org/ind-eng.htm Tune in today and don't forget to review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and anywhere else you can!    Marvel Tales Links  → Twitter http://www.twitter.com/MarvelTalesPod → Instagram https://www.instagram.com/capeslunatics/ → Facebook facebook.com/MarvelTalesPod → YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/CapesandLunatics ==================

Marvel Tales Ep #5: Tales To Astonish #27 & #35 Welcome back to Marvel Tales! In this episode, Phil and Justin review Tales To Astonish #27 (January 1962) featuring the first appearance of Hank Pym as the “Man in the Ant-Hill” and Tales To Astonish #35 (September 1962) featuring Hank Pym's first appearance as the costumed hero Ant-Man. Tune in today and don't forget to review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and anywhere else you can!    Marvel Tales Links  → Twitter http://www.twitter.com/MarvelTalesPod → Instagram https://www.instagram.com/capeslunatics/ → Facebook facebook.com/MarvelTalesPod → YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/CapesandLunatics ==================

Es diciembre, y eso significa que ya empiezan las despedidas de año, los amigos invisibles, y los especiales de las fiestas. En este caso, le toca al epílogo de la Fase IV del MCU (¿o el prólogo de la Fase V?), el Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special... que a su vez, fue el primer especial de Marvel concebido para Disney+. Hacemos la RE: seña del mediometraje festivo, pero además del primer arco argumental del comic en el que se basan los guardianes cinematográficos, Guardians of the Galaxy V2 (2008) 1 al 6, por Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Paul Pelletier, y otros. Como yapa, un breve repaso estilo Orígenes Secretos de la historia de publicación del equipo original de Guardians, y como surge el moderno. Pero para no quedarnos en eso, y aprovechando la otra entrega televisiva reciente adyacente a los Guardians, hacemos RE: seña de los cortos animados I Am Groot, con el bebé planta favorito de todos. También repasamos los orígenes del personaje, y su primera aparición en Tales To Astonish #13 (1960), por Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby, y otros. Con música de Kevin Bacon & The Old 97's, Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine, Wizardthrone, y Jordy. Próximo programa: Rings Of Power / House of the Dragon.

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss Bruce Banner being charged with, and then absolved of, treason. Only 30 people have ever been charged with treason in America, so what exactly did Banner do? And why were the charges dropped so quickly? The last time treason charges were dropped was in 1947, and the process took four years. If Banner should not have been charged, someone should lose their job. If he SHOULD have been charged, then why were the charges dropped? Is America part of some secret war, and with Banner aiding the enemy. Has he been set free “they” don't want the public to know about the war? And who are “they” anyway?Behind the issue:In the issue, Banner was charged with treason, but the charges are made to go away as a result of the direct involvement of the President (who was informed by Rick Jones). If this had happened in real life, it would have been an impeachable offence by the President. But in real life, it is pretty unlikely that Banner would have ever been charged. In real life, for crimes committed post-WWII, only one person has been charged with treason in the USA. This is largely because the bar to prove treason is so high that most prosecutors will charge the suspect on a different offence. (Note: people were charged with treason after WWII, although all of these charges related to crimes committed during that war - it was not until 2006 that someone was charged with treason, for aiding and abiding Al Qaeda).In this issue:Bruce Banner its in a military prison, charged with treason for trying to sabotage his own invention. He had not tried to do that - he was trying to protect his nuclear invention from being captured by the villainous Leader's Humanoid - but he really cannot explain himself without revealing that he is really the Hulk. Meanwhile, the Leader plots to study his fellow gamma-irradiated human, the Leader. We return to Washington, D.C., where Banner refuses to tell his lawyer why he is innocent (i.e. that he is the Hulk, etc.) His teenage friend Rick Jones shows up and, after flashing his top-priority Avengers I.D. card, visits with the President of the U.S.A. to tell him why Banner is innocent, i.e. that he is the Hulk. The President agrees that it would not be in the public interest for Banner to share his secret, and at the same time, he does not want to lose one of the U.S.'s greatest scientists to a lifetime in prison. Faced with this conflict, the President pulls strings to have Banner cleared of all charges, and Banner goes free. Well, free to head to an island in the ocean to test his new atomic device. While there, Banner turns into the Hulk, and the Leader, who is also interested in Banner's invention, sends his Humanoids to attack the Hulk. The battle rages and rages, with the Hulk growing more savage and more wild. How will this end? Assumed before the next episode:People are wondering what the heck is happening with Bruce Banner being charged with treason, and the charges then being dropped.This episode takes place:After Bruce Banner is cleared of treason. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:On the backs of the Atlantean attack on the airline, Mike and Ed discuss the physiology of Atlanteans. If they are evolved for living under the oceans, why do they have legs? Why do they have hair? Why do they have lungs? Something is not adding up. Ed proposes that they are an advanced civilization that used genetic engineering to create their abilities. Mike suggests they might be aliens. They definitely don't seem to be dolphins. Behind the issue:This episode came about from a “post episode” discussion we were having. We decided to turn it into an extra episode for your listening pleasure.In this issue:The Wasp's plane is captured by the Atlanteans as it soars above the ocean, with some kind of bubble structure pulling it, safely, to ground. This attack is orchestrated by the Atlantean war lord Attuma. Giant-Man races to her rescue, taking on the Atlantean warriors and singlehandedly defeating them.Assumed before the next episode:People are curious about Atlantean physiology.This episode takes place:After people have had another look at Atlanteans. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

Note: When this episode was first published it referenced TTA #62. It is actually about TTA #64. We regret the error.In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss the “attack” on an American airline by Atlantians. The underwater empire used advanced technology to capture the airplane in a “bubble” and lower it to the water. No one was killed, or even injured, so was it an attack? Are America and Atlantis still at war? Or do we just not understand their culture? Do we have an urgent need for sociologists? How many fractions of Atlantian are there? Are there more in the Pacific?Behind the issue:Tales to Astonish are now split between Giant-Man/the Wasp and the Hulk. We cover the Hulk part of the issue in “part 3”.In this issue:Coming soon. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode we will be discussing VeVe's new comic book series dropping Thursday, August 25th. Should you HODL or Sell? We will provide the facts to help you make the best decision for your collection. If you enjoyed this video, please make sure to Like and Subscribe! We will be dropping HODL or Sell videos the day before each drop. As always, this video is made for entertainment purposes only and is never financial advice. Linktree Digital & Physical Comics: https://linktr.ee/comicsandcryptoDownload the Lolli extension to earn Bitcoin back on your online purchases. https://lolli.com/share/TUzemVnZCVDonation AddressesVEVE: @comicsandcryptoGEMS: e6085dd1-cc0e-45c7-b6c7-b02a566979bdETH: comicsandcrypto.ethWAX: comicscryptoYou can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @ComicsandCrypto Opening Music is by NineFingerInstagram: NineFinger999Score by OBAY KY The Avengers [ Nocopyright Music] - Avengers theme song | obay ky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAG08OE5Wak

In this episode we will be discussing VeVe's new comic book series dropping Thursday, August 11th. Should you HODL or Sell? We will provide the facts to help you make the best decision for your collection. If you enjoyed this video, please make sure to Like and Subscribe! We will be dropping HODL or Sell videos the day before each drop. As always, this video is made for entertainment purposes only and is never financial advice. Linktree Digital & Physical Comics: https://linktr.ee/comicsandcryptoDonation AddressesVEVE: @comicsandcryptoGEMS: e6085dd1-cc0e-45c7-b6c7-b02a566979bdETH: comicsandcrypto.ethWAX: comicscryptoYou can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @ComicsandCrypto Opening Music is by NineFingerInstagram: NineFinger999Score by OBAY KY The Avengers [ Nocopyright Music] - Avengers theme song | obay ky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAG08OE5Wak

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss Giant-Man's exclusive interview with the Daily Bugle. What did the Bugle have to agree to in order to get the exclusive? Were there questions that were not asked? Or did Giant-Man choose to give the paper an exclusive because of their historically heavy superhero coverage? Also: What was the cause of the giant plant that almost destroyed the entire city? Is there going to be an investigation so that we can be assured it will not happen again? Or do we just count on Giant-Man to rip it out from the taproot each time it happens?Behind the comic:The Daily Bugle's first appearance was in Marvel Mystery Comics #18 in 1941. In the Marvel Silver Age, the paper was first mentioned in Fantastic Four #2, but it quickly became central to the Spider-Man storylines. This issue was an uncommon example of the paper taking a more (somewhat) significant role in a non-Spider-Man issue, but mostly the paper is used as the generic “newspaper” anytime a paper or a reporter is needed in any New York-based story.In this issue:A criminal steals Giant-Man's costume and technology and uses them to commit crimes. At the same time, Hank Pym has created a serum that is causing plans to grow out of control, creating a massive public safety issue. Fortunately, Giant-Man is able to steal his costume back and fix the plant problem.Assumed before the next issue:People are more wary of giant plants.This episode takes place:After Giant-Man has fixed the problem that he created. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

On this episode, your boys are discussing the Sub-Mariner half of Marvel Comics' Tales To Astonish issue 82 (May 1966), wherein the sovereign of Atlantis goes up against the Invincible Iron Man in an epic battle— Kirby style! Plus the usual Jacked Kirby banter you've come to love and expect from Tommy & Mike D. (including heartfelt appreciation for YOU, our listeners!)   If you like the show, share the show! Help us spread the good word! Tag a friend! And if you're listening on Apple, please rate and review the podcast! Thanks!   You can find all things Jacked Kirby, including listening links and our social media pages right here: www.flow.page/jackedkirby

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss Giant-Man's covert operation in East Berlin. He rescued a suspected American spy and busted through the Berlin Wall. Now that it is clear he is working directly for the CIA, how does that affect how the Avengers will work with foreign governments? If they get in disputes, will they be treated as spies? Will this make defending the Earth more difficult? Also: Why did Giant-Man threaten violence to his fan club?Behind the issue:Since Stan Lee was writing every series at this point, he began having the Avengers guest-star in more and more of the non-Avengers titles. The perception is that the five Avengers basically spend all their time on Avenger's business. In this case, the Avengers were asked to save the American spy, and Giant-Man was the individual who was sent on the mission. At the time, new issues came out as the artists completed the work, which sometimes made it difficult for Stan to keep the different storylines coherent (something similar is happening with the Marvel Cinematic Universe right now. Spider-Man: No Way Home was meant to come out AFTER Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The multiverse elements of Spider-Man were supposed to follow what was kicked off in the Dr. Strange movie. When the release dates were switched, the storylines needed to be changed to make sense. This may be why Stan changed the Avengers line-up in Avengers #16. Coming soon!)In this issue:Giant-Man breaks up his own fan club meeting. He's in a bad mood because he is stressed about his friend Lee Kearns, who has been captured in East Berlin. He decides to fly to Europe and liberate his friend. He sneaks into East Berlin, breaks his friend out of his cell, and fights a bunch of hyper-intelligent gorillas that the Soviets have at the prison. He ends up busting down part of the Berlin Wall, ferrying his friend to freedom.Assumed before the next episode:People are worried that an Avenger may have started WWIII.This episode takes place:After Giant-Man has broken his friend out of East Berlin. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

      Mike and Derek are joined by the Irredeemable Shagg to discuss Thunderbolts #14 in our coverage of the ongoing series. Then in the historical half, Derek makes Mike and Shagg suffer through the Ant-Man & The Wasp segment of Tales To Astonish titled, "The Creature from Kosmos!"

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss the detonation of a nuclear bomb on American soil. The bomb was meant to be used against the Hulk. Is that an acceptable use? Will this lower the taboo on the use of nuclear weapons? Is the Hulk more of a threat than a nuclear winter? What about other existential threats? Also: What type of jail could hold the Hulk? And why is the answer inter-dimensional?Behind the comic:At this point in Marvel history, Stan Lee is using the Hulk increasingly as a supporting character. The Hulk's own title failed, but he is becoming a draw when paired with other heroes. In a few months, Lee will add the Hulk as a regular second feature in Tales to Astonish. This issue was (we think) a trial run. In this issue:Davy “The Human Top” Cannon conspires to take his nemesis Giant-Man down. Meanwhile, Giant-Man and the Wasp head to New Mexico in an effort to track and take down the Hulk. The Human Top tracks the Hulk down first and warns him that Giant-Man is on the way. The Hulk and Giant-Man then meet up and fight. The Army launches an atomic missile at the Hulk. The Wasp warns Giant-Man of the incoming missile, who informs the Hulk about it. The Hulk heroically intercepts the missile.Assumed before the next episode:People are wondering whether the Hulk survived an atomic weapon, and what that could mean.This episode takes place:After Giant-Man's battle with the Hulk. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss how Giant-Man and the Wasp prevented an alien invasion that started in Africa. Mike argues that there must be international treaties that allow foreign intervention. Ed believes that this is unlikely due to international bureaucracy, but that America can't let that stop them from being the “World Police” - at least as it relates to extra-planetary invasions. Also: Who is paying for the jet that the two heroes crashed on their adventure?Behind the issue:More and more, Lee is incorporating the broader “Marvel Universe” seamlessly into each title. Here, the Avengers get an alert that there is a giant in Africa that is demanding human sacrifices, but, because it is not seen as a “huge” threat and many of the team members are busy with other work, the decision is made that Giant-Man and the Wasp can handle it on their own. The story otherwise follows the common pattern: the villain is ACTUALLY an alien who is “testing the ground” to see if his people should invade. After encountering resistance from Giant-Man, the alien giant decides for his people that “Earth is not worth it”. Sounds familiar? While Lee is trying to get kids to read more issues across the entire Marvel line, he is still generally assuming that most readers will not notice that this is the same story he has told with a half dozen earlier alien invasions.In this issue:Giant-Man and the Wasp head to Africa to investigate the story of a 30 foot tall giant. They fly over in a jet, and sure enough, there is a giant who grabs their jet out of the sky. Giant-Man and the Wasp are able to use teamwork to beat the giant, who is led to believe that they possess strange magical powers. The giant, who is actually an alien, decides that his people should not invade the Earth.Assumed before the next episode:People are wondering how broad a net the Avengers cast in the name of world security.This episode takes place:After Giant-Man and the Wasp have beaten the giant alien invader. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

Check out the new section in the newsletter where we go “behind the comic” below!In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss how Egghead was able to use an ant surveillance network against Giant-Man himself. If Egghead can do it, how many other nefarious characters will be able to do what Ant-Man/Giant-Man did? We may or may not be comfortable with an Avenger surveilling the city, but we don't want just anyone doing it. But now that the technology is known to exist, how long until it is available to any ambitious actor? How will we stop the Soviets from monitoring our entire country with insects? We couldn't stop them from getting the A-bomb. Also: Can Spider-Man talk to spiders?Behind the comic:This is the first time Spider-Man meets Giant-Man and the Wasp. Initially, like many first encounters in comics, Giant-Man and Spider-Man fight, but the Wasp convinces the two men to stop. One might think that the Wasp is the more level-headed one in her partnership with Giant-Man. But then at the end of the issue, inexplicably, the Wasp decides that she hates Spider-Man. Why? Apparently, according to the Wasp, because wasps don't like spiders. Spider-Man's thought bubble has Peter claiming the same thing. It seems like Stan Lee was just trying to create a sense of conflict between the characters, but in so doing he suggests that somehow heroes take on the traits of their superhero names. This MIGHT make sense for Spider-Man, but the Wasp's powers have nothing to do with actual “wasps". So any hatred of things wasps hate - because wasps hate them - must be the result of serious psychological issues…In this issue:Hank “Giant-Man” Pym arms Janet “the Wasp” Van Dyne with a compressed air gun - a wasp sting, if you will. Meanwhile, Egghead has been plotting his revenge on Giant-Man. His plan? To communicate with ants, as Giant-Man does, and have them provide misinformation to Giant-Man. The first misinformation that the ants feed Giant-Man leads to a misunderstanding with Spider-Man, and the two of them brawl in the city. The police are distracted by their fight, which allows Egghead and his goons to commit a robbery. Giant-Man eventually figures out what happened, and he and Spider-Man join the Wasp in taking Egghead and his thugs down.Assumed before the next episode:Giant-Man is going to need to tighten up his communication system with ants.This episode takes place:After Egghead is apprehended. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss Giant-Man's return to mass surveillance. How far does his ant network go? Is the entire country being monitored? The entire world? Now that Giant-Man is part of the Avengers, is his surveillance technology being shared with StarkCorp and the US Military? Also, why has he shifted from organized crime to petty larceny? Do only rich people get the help of the Avengers?Beyond the IssueThe villain in this issue is a common-criminal who also happens to be a stage magician. While Dr Strange has made it clear that magic exists in the Marvel Universe, in this case “The Magician” just uses parlor tricks and sleight of hand to confuse and distract. He is slightly similar to Miracle Man from Fantastic Four #3, only without MM's super powered hypnosis. It is also yet another example of the Wasp being captured requiring rescue from Giant Man. In this issue:Hank Pym (Giant-Man) plans to propose to his partner in super-heroism, Janet Van Dyne (the Wasp). But before he pops the question, Janet makes him jealous by going to a party where she expects another man to propose. Meanwhile, Hank's ant surveillance system picks up the Magician, whom Hank suspects is a criminal. Turns out he is right, and that the Magician has been robbing high society parties. Han decides to set up a complicated sting operation, along with the police, that involves setting up a high society party on a boat, and another one on a decoy boat that is meant to attract the Magician and his crew. The plan works, and thus begins the battle between Giant-Man and the Wasp vs. the Magician. The Magician is soundly defeated. Assumed before the next episode:People are wondering if they are being used as bait for sting operations.This episode takes place:After the Magician has been laid low by the combined powers of Giant-Man and the Wasp. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss the mechanics of superhero fan clubs. Why are most members so young? Can anyone join a fan club? How much access to superheroes do members get? Do these clubs need security or at least require background checks? Is the fan club model going to work as it scales? Why is it easier to get access to superheroes than it is to traditional celebrities like rock stars and actors? In this issue:Giant-Man and the Wasp host a teen fan club of theirs at their downtown lab. Around that time, the Human Top escapes jail and immediately returns to causing chaos and robbing banks. Giant-Man and the Wasp investigate and ultimately run headlong into the Human Top, who steals Giant-Man's size-changing pills and takes one, growing very large. The Top cannot figure out how to handle the size change, and he is easily defeated.This episode takes place:After the Human Top is bested once again.Assumed before the next episode:People are looking into signing up for superhero fan clubs to meet their heroes. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss the possibility Giant-Man and the Wasp are working for the CIA. What are the risks of having American superheroes attempt to overthrow Communist regimes overseas? And who thought it would be a good idea for a 12-foot super-strong hero dressed in bright red to be the guy who sneaks around in a foreign country? Maybe this would have been a better mission for Spider-Man, or even Ant-Man…In this issue:The country of Santo Rico has elected El Toro as their president. El Toro was backed by the Communist bloc of countries, and Giant-Man is unhappy about that fact. Giant-Man receive a call from the government in Washington. They want him and the Wasp to travel to Santo Rico and pose as tourists, all the while gathering evidence of a communist plot in the election of El Toro. Giant-Man and the Wasp, in their civilian secret identities, are immediately identified as spies, leading to the Wasp being kidnapped and Giant-Man changing into his superhero outfit and battling El Toro, who seems to have offensive capabilities of his own. Giant-Man tears through the country looking for his partner. He rescues the Wasp, defeats El Toro, and unearths evidence of ballot box stuffing, which leads to the overthrow of El Toro and the return of a democratically elected leader.This episode takes place:After El Toro has been overthrown.Assumed before the next episode:People are wondering whether superheroes should be involved in foreign affairs. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

It's a new Marvel Reread Club where we read just one issue, June 1963's Tales to Astonish #44, joined by special guest Jeremy Whitley, the only writer to have written a Marvel comic starring any version of the Wasp in her own book! Pillbox hats! Laughter and gaiety! Sluggards confused with dullards!

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss the revelation that the powers of Giant-Man (and Ant-Man) come from some sort of pill. Can anyone use these pills? How small a dose can someone take? What types of societal problems could these drugs solve? What are the side effects? Also: Giant-Man is in a cast. Does he need a Giant Doctor?In this issue:Giant-Man and the Wasp are putting on an exhibition of their amazing powers high above the city streets. Their old nemesis the Porcupine shoots a quill at Giant-Man, causing him to fall to the street below. He is able to avoid hurting himself too much by staying in his giant form. The Porcupine then decides to infiltrate Giant-Man's fan club when they head to see Giant-Man, all dressed up as villains from his rogues gallery. He, of course, dresses up as the Porcupine and, once he is with the club with Giant-Man, he springs into action, attacking Giant-Man. The battle spills out into the street, but the Porcupine escapes. He has actually captured the Wasp and is holding her prisoner. The Wasp escapes, but the Porcupine has marked her with a tracker. This leads the Porcupine to Giant-Man and the Wasp's secret base, where they battle once more. Giant-Man surprises the Porcupine by shrinking and then growing. The Porcupine grabs some of Giant-Man's size-changing pills and swallows all of them, causing him to shrink out of sight.Assumed before the next episode:People are wondering when they will be able to buy pills that can turn them into superpowered giants.This episode takes place:After the Porcupine has been defeated by Giant-Man and the Wasp. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss the Black Knight, a 14th century themed supervillain who flies a winged horse from ancient mythology. Is the winged horse Pegasus from Greek mythology, or one of many from Norse Valkyrie myth? Also, Giant Man shrunk during the battle. Is this verification that he is really Ant-Man? And what does his change in branding mean? Who has control of Ant-Man's ant surveillance network?In this issue:Giant-Man battles criminals who are planning to sell scientific secrets to the Chinese, and succeeds in defeating them. One of them is Professor Garrett who, after being charged with crimes against the U.S., flees to a small Balkan nation. He is inspired by a statue of a winged horse to mutate a horse into a flying stallion. He subsequently returns to the U.S., dresses in medieval armor, and starts committing robberies. Giant-Man battles this new Black Knight high above the city skyline. He is captured and hogtied, but escapes by shrinking down to ant size. The Wasp rescues him before he plummets to the ground below, and they engage the Knight once more, finally defeating him (although he escapes).Assumed before the next episode:People are making the link between Giant-Man and Ant-Man.This episode takes place:After the Black Knight has been defeated This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss whether it was a coincidence that Giant-Man joined the Avengers just as Ant-Man disappeared (and now seems to be working with Ant-Man's former partner The Wasp), or are Ant-Man and Giant-Man the same person? Also, the Human Top is revealed to be David Cannon, the world champion speed skater. Was he using his speed powers to cheat in Olympic competition? How many other world class athletes are actually superhumans who are hiding their full abilities?In this issue:Giant-Man is desperate to capture the Human Top, so much so he creates a spinning robot which replicates the Top's abilities for practice. Meanwhile, the Human Top continues his life of crime! Giant-Man and the Wasp eventually track the Top down, and the battle is ferocious, with the Top escaping the dynamic duo with highly secret civil defence plans. Giant-Man meets with government agents to discuss how to bring the Top down before he delivers the civil defence plans to the Russians. A sting is set, as well as a trap set by the police. The battle between Giant-Man and the Human Top is joined once more, leading to Giant-Man taking the Human Top down.Assumed before the next episode:People are wondering how closely Giant-Man is working with the authorities - and how he may be related to Ant-Man.This episode takes place:After the Human Top is taken down. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss “The Human Top” - a bank robber who appears to have the superhuman ability to “spin” very fast. What is unusual is that he has been “at large” since the late 1950s - long before the modern advent of superpowers. Is he superhuman, or just a very high skilled human? What is the difference between Olympic-level human abilities and “superhuman” abilities? Is every top athlete a “low powered” superhuman? Consider this - would it be ethical for the Thing to enter the boxing ring?In this issue:Dave Cannon has a special ability - he can spin super fast, evading anyone and everyone. He uses his special ability to commit petty crimes and then fix speed skating matches. He transitions to being a super criminal, known as the Human Top, and becomes public enemy number one! Giant Man and the Wasp decide to take him down, but are easily defeated by the whirling thief, with Giant Man causing significant property damage in New York City. The issue ends on a cliffhanger, as Giant Man and the Wasp wonder if they'll be able to defeat this twisting menace.Assumed before the next episode:People are wondering the extent to which super-powered people are in their midst.This episode takes place:As the Human Top terrorizes the Big Apple. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss a newly discovered dimension that exists alongside ours. This dimension has had the technology to observe us for thousands of years, and yet they do not yet have the secrets of atomic power. How rare is an understanding of atomic nuclear power among aliens and other-dimensional beings? Did humans advance in technology in some unusual way? Was it the discovery of atomic power that is causing all of these attacks on our planet? And is atomic power also why we are seeing so many super-powered people appear in such a short timeframe? Also, we welcome to the scene Giant-Man and take bets on which super hero team he will join.In this issue:Hank Pym decides to use his size formula in the opposite direction, and grow rather than shrink, becoming Giant-Man in the process. Meanwhile, the police are on the hunt for the Eraser, who is apparently erasing people from existence. The Eraser erases Hank Pym, who is actually transported to Dimension Z. It turns out the Eraser has been “erasing”, or transporting, human scientists to Dimension Z so that they can develop atomic power for them. Fortunately for Hank, the Wasp had shrunken and was “erased” with Hank too, unbeknownst to the Eraser. She helps free Hank, and the two of them free the scientists and bring them to Earth.Assumed before the next episode:People have not learned about Dimension Z, although they are grateful that their scientists are back. They're also wondering about this new hero Giant-Man.This episode takes place:After the scientists have been safely returned to Earth. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss Alex Gentry, “The Porcupine”, a government scientist who stole the Iron Man-like armor that he had built and attempts to use it for a life of crime. Ant-Man figured out who the Porcupine was, but Gentry still escaped and is at large. Who is responsible for tracking him down? Also, how dangerous are porcupines anyway?In this issue:Alex Gentry invents a porcupine battle suit while working for the US government and decides to throw his previous life away for a life of crime as… The Porcupine! His first order of business is to rob a bank while looking like a porcupine, which he does. Ant-Man and the Wasp happen to be at the bank in their civilian guises, and decide to investigate. Ant-Man eventually tracks down the Porcupine, who is ready for him. The Porcupine tries to drown Ant-Man, although he escapes. He and the Wasp then return to battle the Porcupine and defeat him by spraying liquid cement all over him. The Porcupine then flies away, vowing to improve his porcupine battle suit (the fact that it flies isn't enough) and do battle once more.Assumed before the next episode:The world feels safer knowing an ant and a wasp can take down a porcupine.This episode takes place:After the Porcupine is defeated by Ant-Man and the Wasp. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss the events happening in Greece. The Cyclops from Greek Legend is alive and well - and working with aliens! Could it be that the ancient gods who have suddenly appeared, including Thor and Loki, are actually aliens? And if so, are these aliens turning their attention to Earth after learning about our planet from the Fantastic Four going into outer space? also, does the first Greek superhero need a makeover?In this issue:Hank Pym (Ant-Man) and Janet Van Dyne (the Wasp) head to Greece for a well-earned vacation from crimefighting. While there, they try to book passage to the islands, and learn that the local sailors are too frightened to go. Apparently, a monster has been sighted in the islands, and everyone is staying away. They rent a boat and go to check it out for themselves. Sure enough, there is a giant one eyed monster - a Cyclops - on the island, who has been keeping sailors on the island. Not only that, there are aliens and spaceships on the island. Ant-Man listens in on the aliens - they were scouting ahead for an invasion. Ant-Man and the Wasp take the aliens down, and they also disable the Cyclops, which was just a big robot. The aliens reassess their plans to invade the Earth, concluding as they do that the Earthlings have greater powers than they had suspected as they were able to take control of the Cyclops robot. And that is how Ant-Man and the Wasp were able to foil an alien invasion whilst on vacation.Assumed before the next episode:People are scared off from traveling to Greece due to their apparent giant monster problem.This episode takes place:After Ant-Man and the Wasp have defeated the aliens and their robot monster. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:In this episode, Mike and Ed discuss a different type of alien invasion - an intergalactic monster! What happened, and how was the invasion repelled? Can we believe Ant-Man's claims? Why weren't the Fantastic Four involved? And what are the implications of a second super-small superhero - does this mean that Ant-Man's powers can be duplicated?In this issue:Hank Pym recounts, to himself, how his wife was kidnapped and killed. He swears revenge, and is actually inspired to become Ant-Man by a comment that she made to him about ants generally. After reminiscing about this terrible chapter in his life, Pym meets Dr. Vernon Van Dyne, a scientist, and his lovely daughter Janet. They get to talking about their research, Van Dyne about a gamma ray beam that can pierce space and detect signals from other planets; Pym about molecular cell transition; and depart. Shortly thereafter, Van Dyne, while conducting his research, is visited by a monster from the planet Kosmos. The monster escaped his prison on his home planet by following Van Dyne's gamma ray. The monster kills Van Dyne. Janet discovers the crime and decides to call Pym for help. Pym changes into his Ant-Man persona and inspects the crime scene. He returns to his lab, and Janet meets him there. Pym reveals his secret identity to her, and tells Janet that he can share his shrinking technology with her so that she can become the Wasp and help bring her father's killer to justice. Janet agrees, and so begins her life of fighting crime. Together, Ant-Man and the Wasp join the battle against the monster from Kosmos, who is still on Earth and battling the military. They defeat the monster by shooting him with a special bullet.Assumed before the next episode:People are wondering about this second super-small superhero.This episode takes place:After Kosmos has been defeated. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:In this episode, Mike and Ed discuss Elias Weems, the scientist-criminal who was recently given a suspended sentence on the recommendation of Ant-Man. Weems has invented a device that can age and de-age anyone in its path. Will the ray be commercialized? What would a society where no one aged look like?In this issue:Professor Elias Weems is unceremoniously fired by his lab because he is over 65 years old. Angry and hurt, he turns his genius to inventing a machine that will make others old, too. He succeeds in his maniacal quest - pretty quickly - and starts using it on animals and then people. He thereafter threatens to age everyone in the city if it is not turned over to him. Ant-Man is looped into the caper and, after visiting various labs in town, zeroes in on Weems. They battle, and Ant-Man is prematurely aged by Weems's aging ray. Weems finally realizes the errors of his ways when he accidentally ages his beloved grandson Tommy. Fortunately, Ant-Man has figured out how to reverse the ray's aging process, returning everyone to their proper ages. At his sentencing, Ant-Man (whose identity is not known to the general public), speaks on behalf of Weems. His old boss actually hires him back, having realized it was wrong to discriminate against Weems.Assumed before the next episode:The world is shocked and intrigued at the prospect of being prematurely aged and de-aged.This episode takes place:After people have learned that technology exists to prematurely age people - and to make them younger. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss the definition of an alien invasion - does an attack from another dimension count? They also explore the limits of Ant-Man's powers (Can he control wasps? How about polar bears?), and why he was involved in the inter-dimensional scientific kidnapping.In this issue:Henry Pym drops by his friend Paul's place, but the door is locked. And so he shrinks to the size of an ant, breaks in, and confirms that Paul is indeed not home. The news that evening carries the story that another eminent scientist has disappeared, to the bewilderment of the authorities. Pym decides to investigate, as Ant-Man. Before he can do that, he is ambushed and kidnapped. Which makes sense, given that Henry Pym is an eminent scientist. Pym's kidnapper takes him to another dimension ruled by the tyrant Kulla, who has been kidnapping Earth's best scientists so that they can build a death ray for them. (Note: If they can master inter-dimensional travel, why do they need help with a death ray? A question for another time.) Pym changes into his Ant-Man costume and shrinks down, whereupon he finds out that he can control the minds of inter-dimensional insects, whom he . That's handy, as he figures out how to defeat Kulla with the help of these insects . Pym and the other scientists then return home.Assumed before the next episode:The public is wrestling with the notion of inter-dimensional travel and the threat it may pose.This episode takes place:After Henry Pym and his fellow eminent scientists return from Kulla's dimension. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss how news that would have been mindblowing a year ago has now moved to the “back pages” of the newspapers. Mike also argues that Ant-Man is not using his talents to their full potential, whereas Ed disagrees. Where do you stand?In this issue:The owner of Mitchell Armored Truck Co., Howard Mitchell, complains to the police about a series of hijackings of his vehicles. Fortunately for him, Ant-Man has been spying on the entire city through his network of ants, and through this network, he overhears Mitchell wishing he could get in touch with Ant-Man. And so Ant-Man literally catapults across the city towards Mitchell's office and offers his services. Ant-Man sets up a fake hijacking, but before the sting operation is set, he leaves due to a medical emergency. Mitchell's truck is hijacked by a mysterious masked man. Ant-Man then springs into action - he had faked his medical emergency and tagged along in the truck - and battles the hijacker, ultimately defeating him. The hijacker is unmasked, and it is none other than Mitchell, who was running what must have been a convoluted insurance scheme.Assumed before the next episode:People are seriously wondering whether it is a good idea to live under the constant surveillance of a person known only as Ant-Man.This episode takes place:After the hijacker is caught by Ant-Man. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss who or what could be behind the insect attacks that have overwhelmed the city, and whether this should have been the responsibility of Ant-Man. Also: if there is a red beetle the size of a house, is his color really his defining feature?In this issue:A beetle is accidentally irradiated by atomic experiments. In a matter of moments, the beetle gains sentience, develops mental telepathy, and feels an overwhelming antipathy towards humanity. He battles Ant-Man, steals his growth gas, and becomes as big as a house. Now known as the Scarlet Beetle, he controls all manner of insects and directs them to attack humanity as he plots to take over the world. Ant-Man rejoins the fight and battles the Scarlet Beetle, ultimately prevailing by (cruelly) counteracting the effects of the irradiation. The Scarlet Beetle, now deprived of intelligence, sentience, and telepathy, and returned to a normal size, is left to live out his short life in Ant-Man's front yard.Assumed before the next episode:People are feeling fortunate that they have Ant-Man as their guardian, but may be asking whether there is a connection between their favourite anonymous vigilante named after an insect, and an insect army that nearly took over the world.This episode takes place:After the city was overrun by insects and a giant beetle. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss the ramifications of Ant-Man eavesdropping on everyone in the city through his network of ants and insects.In this issue:The criminal underworld is petrified of Ant-Man. They resort to hiring Egghead, a brilliant but corrupt scientist, to figure out how to defeat their tiny nemesis. Egghead studies ants and figures out how to communicate with them much like Ant-Man. He then sets up a fake robbery and spreads the word to Ant-Man through the ants, who lead Ant-Man into a trap. Ant-Man escapes the trap and takes the fight to Egghead and his accomplices, easily besting them. It turns out that Ant-Man knew of Egghead's plans - the ants were loyal to Ant-Man and told him all about it. Defeated and disgraced, Egghead wanders away towards a life of irrelevance.Assumed before the next episode:The public, having learned that Ant-Man is spying on the entire city, is wrestling with the notion of security vs. freedom, and considering whether living in a city effectively run by a masked vigilante working with the police is a good idea.This episode takes place:After the public has learned of Ant-Man's extensive spy network throughout the city. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss the latest criminal to go up against Ant Man - the Protector. Another engineering genius who breaks bad to prove himself against a superpowered hero? Does this prove the point we made in the last episode?In this issue:A small jewelry store owner mutters to himself that the Protector is robbing his store. Ant-Man, who is spying on the entire city through his network of ants, jumps in to help the store owner. He basically sets up a fake robbery, which leads to him battling the Protector, who appears to be a super-strong giant. He eventually discovers that the Protector is actually the small jewelry store owner who was running an insurance scheme and robbing other stores too. You would think that a 60 year old engineering genius would come up with a better use for an amazing exoskeleton than to commit insurance fraud and knock over small businesses. Crime does not pay, and yet another genius goes to jail. Meanwhile, Ant-Man, another science genius, feels pretty good about himself.Assumed before the next episode:The police are becoming overly reliant on the services of the masked vigilante, Ant-Man.This episode takes place:After the world has been deprived of a criminal genius who became the victim of his own hubris and ambition. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

In this episode:Mike and Ed discuss the latest superpowered individual. What are his powers, exactly? Where are these powers coming from? And what is his motivation for doing the job that police officers are paid to do?In this issue:Ant-Man seems to be everywhere. The issue opens up with him rescuing thieves who have locked themselves in a bank vault during a botched robbery. Thousands of miles away, the leader of the USSR decides to send “Comrade X” to capture Ant-Man and learn how he is able to change his size so that his troops will be able to take over the world. We return to the US where a young woman visits the police asking to be put in touch with Ant-Man. They don't know what to tell her - Ant-Man just shows up when he is needed. We, the reader, learn that Ant-Man communicates through ants throughout the city, and when someone mutters “Ant-Man”, he knows he is needed.Anyway, Ant-Man visits the young woman, who warns him that Comrade X is in America and intent on capturing him. Ant-Man heads off to confront Comrade X, easily dispatching his goons with the help of thousands of ants before confronting Comrade X, who turns out to be the young woman. It turns out she was Comrade X all along, disguised as a man. The Coast Guard shows up to take custody of the Russian spy as Ant-Man moseys away on an ant.Assumed before the next episode:The West is reeling once again to learn of yet another Russian spy on American soil.This episode takes place:After Comrade X has been arrested and the public have learned of the existence of another Russian spy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superserious616.com

With the first season of The Great American Pop Culture Quiz Show complete, we celebrate with our first of many theme matches to come — Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Join us as Ben, Darren and Tim test their knowledge of all things Marvel including a Marvel Cinematic Universe invasion of the rest of pop culture and a trip through some of Marvel's weirdest storylines. We've got werewolves and time travel shenanigans aplenty for you to enjoy! NOTES ⚠️ Inline notes below may be truncated due to podcast feed character limits. Full notes are always on the episode page.

With the first season of The Great American Pop Culture Quiz Show complete, we celebrate with our first of many theme matches — Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe!Join us as Ben, Darren and Tim test their knowledge of all things Marvel including a Marvel Cinematic Universe invasion of the rest of pop culture and a trip through some of Marvel's weirdest storylines. We've got werewolves and time travel shenanigans aplenty for you to enjoy!Also on this episode, you'll find out what's in store for season two (it's neat!). We are accepting applications to be a contestant on season three so if you think you've got what it takes, apply now!Support Us On Patreon