Thursday, December 26, 2013

Jim Morita

Real Name
Jim Morita 

Occupation 
Soldier 

Citizenship
USA
 
Place of Birth 
Unrevealed


Known Relatives
None
 
Group Affiliation
U.S. Army, Nisei Squadron, formerly Howling Commandos, Nick Fury 
 
Education

Unrevealed 

Height
5' 6"

Weight
135 lbs.

Eyes
Brown

Hair
Black

Powers
None

Abilities
Jim Morita is skilled in judo and karate in hand-to-hand combat. He is proficient with explosives, and familar with stealth tactics and standard-issue U.S. Army weapons. Morita is a novice parachutist.

Other Info
Born to Japanese immigrant parents, Jim Morita was raised in America. Therefore, he was considered a "Nisei" (second-generation Japanese-American). When World War II broke out, Jim joined the U.S. Army and soon became a member of the Rangers.

At one point, Morita was assigned to a squad of Nisei soldiers under the command of Captain "Happy Sam" Sawyer. Jim was sent to the Able Company base with his squad; however, Morita arrived on the base days before the rest of his squad. Once at the base, a couple soldiers picked on Jim for being Japanese, and when they got rough with him, he used judo to fight back. Sergeant Nick Fury sprang to Jim's aid and helped drive them away. (To learn about Nick Fury, click on the highlighted name above. Note: Beware of the low-cut outfit worn by one in the background on Nick Fury's bio page.)

Later, Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos went on a secret mission to rescue Dr. Warren Parker from a German concentration camp. Captain Sawyer asked Jim to assist them in their mission. When Fury began bellowing at Jim the same way he did with the other Howlers, Morita knew that he had found acceptance. Once at the camp site, the Howlers and Morita parachuted in from their plane and attempted to sneak in; however, one of the prisoners sent up an alarm. But, the Howlers and Morita still managed to break Dr. Parker out and fight their way out of the camp. Upon returning back to England, Jim found that his Nisei Squadron had finally arrived. In addition, one of the soldiers that had picked on Morita earlier apologized to Jim for his behavior because he had heard how Jim had helped the Howlers. (Click the highlighted name above to learn about the Howling Commandos.)

Some time later, when the Able Company base was invaded by Colonel Klaue, the Blitzkrieg Squad, and supplementary Nazi forces, Morita and his Nisei Squadron helped defend the base. In the end, Colonel Klaue was defeated by the Howling Commandos. Jim congratulated the team on their victory and said that he hoped he would able to serve with them again soon. (To learn about the teams above, click on the highlighted names.)

Later on, during a mission with his Nisei Squadron, Morita and the others were captured by Nazis and sent Prison Camp 13. Soon after, the Howling Commandos allowed themselves to be captured and placed in the camp so that they could help Morita and the others escape. Once the Howlers arrived, they learned that numerous escape attempts had already been tried, but the guards always caught and killed the men trying to escape. One prisoner, Bodenschatz, accused Morita of being an informer because of his Japanese heritage. Others in the group suspected the ranking officer in the prison, Captain Tim Corbett. Eventually, the Howlers and Morita's men made secret plans to escape; however, they spread a false plan for the informer to leak so that the Nazis would be unprepared for the real breakout. It was a success, and Morita destroyed the Nazi motor pool so that they couldn't follow them. 

As the escapees were trekking home, they stopped for water, and Gabe Jones offered his canteen to Bodenschatz after having a drink himself. However, Bodenschatz refused and exposed himself as a Nazi spy--just as Nick Fury had suspected; therefore, Captain Corbett killed Bodenschatz. Afterwards, Morita led the Howlers and the other prisoners to a nearby Nazi radio shack so they could radio for a pick-up so they could all return back to England. (To learn about Gabe Jones, just click on his highlighted name above.)

There is nothing there, but here is the link to Jim Morita's bio page on Marvel.com, http://marvel.com/universe/Morita,_Jim.

Jim Morita appeared in the film Captain America: The First Avenger as a Prisoner of War, and later joins Captain America and members of the Howling Commandos in attacking HYDRA bases.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Happy 5th Birthday!

It all started December 22, 2008 with a post about The Incredible Hulk. Now, 5 years later...the Madness continues!

To commemorate the 5 years that the blog has been going, a new limited time "Happy 5th Birthday" Marvel Madness header has been added to the blog.

Thank you for all your support in keeping the Marvel Madness blog, and my obsession, going! You are all awesome! And as always...Keep Up The Madness!

-Cory Garr
Founder of the Marvel Madness Blog

Monday, December 16, 2013

Bambi Arbogast

Real Name
Bambina Teresa Bliss Arbogast


Occupation 
Partner to Tony Stark; formerly personal assistant to Mr. Stark 

Citizenship 
USA

Place of Birth
Long Island, New York 


Known Relatives
Norman Arbogast (husband, deceased), Uranus Bliss (sister), Alison Arbogast (niece), Fred (first cousin, twice removed) 
 
Group Affiliation
Resilient; Heroes for Hire; Stark International

Education 
Masters in Business Administration (MBA) 

Height
5' 1"

Weight 

132 lbs.

Eyes 
Blue

Hair 
Black

Powers 
None

Abilities 
Secretarial skills

Other Info 
Mrs. Bambina "Bambi" Arbogast began her administrative career in US Army services as a clerk to a mobile army surgical hospital unit. After this, she spent ten years in the US Department of Defense.

Later on, Bambi interviewed for a position as an executive assistant to Tony Stark--head of Stark International. While she was waiting for Stark to arrive for the interview, Bambi was caught in the midst of a battle between Iron Man and the villain known as Whirlwind (Bambi was unaware that Stark was Iron Man). However, she refused to run and instead she calmly managed the incoming calls on Stark's phone and even rescued items in the office from damage during the fight. At one point during the fight, Bambi distracted Whirlwind with the telephone which gave Iron Man the opportunity to knock Whirlwind unconscious. Afterward, Iron Man returned to his identity as Tony Stark and immediately hired Bambi without an interview due to her impressive capabilities. (To learn more about Iron Man and/or Whirlwind, just click on their highlighted names above.)

Over the years, Bambi became one of Tony Stark's most important employees at Stark International. During her time with the company, Bambi became friends with her fellow employees including James Rhodes. (Click on the highlighted name above to learn about War Machine.)

At one point, when Stark International was set ablaze during a battle between Iron Man and Whipash, Bambi risked her life trying to rescue Stark's personal papers from the flames. (To learn about Whiplash, click on the highlighted name above.)

Babmi kept Stark International up and running, until Tony's drinking problem lead to the ruin of the company. After, Obidiah Stane took over Stark International, Bambi left the company. (To learn about Iron Monger, just click on the highlighted name above.)

More recently, when Tony reinvented his company as Stark "Resilient," he again hired Bambi--who was a millionaire investor at the time.

There is nothing there, but here is the link to Bambi Arbogast's bio page on Marvel.com, http://marvel.com/universe/Arbogast,_Bambi.

Babmi Arbogast makes a brief cameo in Iron Man 2 as Pepper Potts' secretary. She is also mentioned in Iron Man 3 by Happy Hogan who is reminding everyone about wearing their badges for security. However, she is not seen on on screen.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Christine Everhart

Real Name 
Christine Everhart

Occupation 
Daily Bugle reporter 

Citizenship 
USA

Place of Birth 
Unknown 

Known Relatives 
None 

Group Affiliation
Daily Bugle
 
Education 

Unrevealed 

Height
Unknown

Weight 

Unknown

Eyes 
Unknown

Hair 
Blonde

Powers 
None

Abilities 
Trained in the field of investigative journalism.

Other Info
Christine Everhart worked for the Daily Bugle as an investigative reporter. She was part part of the Washington D.C. press who attended the press conference held by Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) to formally announce his candidacy for U.S. Secretary of Defense. As part of Everhart's job, she provided the Daily Bugle with that news coverage. In attendance with Stark were Stu Conrad (from the Pentagon's acquisitions department) and Artemus Pithins (U.S. President's press secretary). Towards the end of the conference, Christine stepped forward with a question for Tony Stark. Tony stopped and agreed to answer her question as he complimented her for having a beautiful name. Based on his announcement, Everhart asked boldy if he had been "hit on the head one too many times by the Mandarin?" Quickly, Conrad and Pithins pulled Tony away to avoid the question. (To learn about the above place and/or characters, just click on their highlighted names.)

Later on, Christine appeared on "Morning USA" in which she commented about the footage from a senate hearing held years ago by Senator Harrington Byrd to determine the identity of Iron Man. At the time, Tony was trying to conceal his identify from the public; however, Everhart voiced her skepticism of Stark because of the lies he had told over the years. In addition to that, Christine had also been to visit Senator Byrd and prepared an interview with him on the subject matter. (Christine on Morning USA is shown in the fourth picture posted above.)

There is nothing there, but here is the link to Christine Everhart's bio on Marvel.com, http://marvel.com/universe/Everhart,_Christine.

Christine Everhart appeared in both the Iron Man and Iron Man 2 films. However, instead of working for the Daily Bugle, Everhart was employed by the magazine Vanity Fair.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Grundroth

Real Name
Grundroth 

Occupation
Frost Giant
  
Citizenship
Jotunheim 

Place of Birth
Jotunheim 

Known Relatives
Ymir (ancestor) 

Group Affiliation 
Frost Giants 

Education 
Unknown 

Height
Unknown


Weight
Unknown 


Eyes
Unknown; his left eye has been replaced by a golden orb


Hair
Bald


Powers 
Like most Frost Giants from Jotunheim, Grundroth possess superhuman strength and resistance to physical injury. (The flesh and bone of the Giants of Jotunheim are about three times denser than similar human tissue, contributing to their superhuman strength and weight.) His powers are directly affected by the cold, which will cause him to grow and gain power. As the opposite is true as well, sufficient heat will cause him to shrink and lose ability. Frost Giants are extremely long-lived, but their life spans are not as long as those of the Asgardian gods, who have been able to extend their lives through consumption of the enchanted apples of Idunn.

Abilities
Grundroth is particularly aggressive even for a Frost Giant. Also, his field of vision is limited to a degree as he only has one eye.


Other Info 
Grundroth is a Frost Giant of Jotunheim. He appeared to have some form of seniority among his fellow Frost Giants; in fact, he was quite possibly their temporary leader after they had another failure under the leadership of thier Frost Giant monarch and traditional leader, Utgard-Loki. Unfortunately, after one particularly loss at the hands of the Asgardians, (again being led by Utgard-Loki) Grundroth and his fellow Frost Giants were reduced dramatically in their physical size--average-sized humans now towered over them. (To learn about the races and/or place above, just click on the highlighted names.)

Later on, Grundroth and his fellow shrunken Frost Giants were approached by the Asgardian Loki in Jotunheim. Loki offered Grundroth and his fellow Frost Giants that he would restore them to their once former glory and stature, if they would serve him for a time. Grundroth and his Frost Giant agreed. However, once they were restored to their proper size, the giants turned on Loki. They sought the means to how Loki had restored them, so they could take this power source for themselves. (Loki had actually used the young mutant X-Man, Iceman, against his will to revitalize the Frost Giants) Although Loki was able to hold his own against the Frost Giants--even severely damaging some with heat attacks--he eventually fell under their group assault and both he and Iceman were at the mercy of these re-energized and angry Frost Giants. However, Thor arrived in time and brought a quick destruction to the giants. Realizing the battle was lost, Grundroth called for a retreat and he and his fellow giants fled.  (Click the highlighted names above to learn about the characters and/or team. Note: Beware of the low-cut outfit worn by Loki in his woman-form on his bio page.)

Later on, Grundroth and his band of Frost Giants went to Midgard (Earth) to seek revenge on Thor by unleashing the Midgard Serpent (Jordmungand) on the God of Thunder. Once they arrived in Norway, Grundroth himself summoned the mighty beast and the Midgard Serpent departed to confront Thor. Grundroth and his Frost Giants followed so they could witness Thor's destruction. However, during their pursuit, they came across the lifeless body of Thor. Grundroth planned to take Thor's body back to Jotunheim so he could claim ruler-ship of the Frost Giants as his reward for besting the Thunder God; however, in an odd twist of fate, Loki intervened (still bitter about the Frost Giants' earlier betrayal, Grundroth in particular) and tricked one of Frost Giants into infusing his life force into the virtually invincible Destroyer, which then slew Grundroth and the rest of the Frost Giants present. (To learn about the above highlighted place, character, and/or armor, click on their names.)

There isn't anything there, but here is the Marvel.com bio of Grundroth, http://marvel.com/universe/Grundroth.

Grundroth appeared in the film, Thor, as one of Laufey's Frost Giant soldiers. He fought against Thor when he invaded Jothunheim with Loki, Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three. However, he was defeated by a single strike from Mjolnir, which sent him flying against a frozen mountain. He was then seen fighting Hogun of the Warriors Three with twin Ice Daggers. Grundroth was also one of the Frost Giants that was brought to Asgard to assassinate Odin. In addition, he was one of the Frost Giants assigned to guard the Bifrost bridge and an incapacitated Heimdall. However, when Heimdall finally broke free of his icy prison, Grundroth was decapitated by Heimdall. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the characters, team, weapon, and/or place. Note: Beware of the very revealing outfit worn by Lady Sif on her bio page.)

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Battle Royal 19 Results

And the victor of Battle Royal 19 is...GRAVITON! He received 50% of the votes (3 votes). Kind of a low turn-out at the polls this time around, but thanks to those that voted! Malekith, Fin Fang Foom, and Madeline Drake all tied for 2nd place--receiving 1 vote each. 

Remember, Marvel Maniacs, this holiday season to...KEEP UP THE MADNESS!

Friday, November 29, 2013

Jim Wilson

Real Name
James Wilson

Occupation
AIDS clinic manager; former vigilante, drifter, sidekick 
 
Citizenship

USA 

Place of Birth 
Harlem, New York
 
Known Relatives

Gideon Wilson (Mr. Gideon, father), Mrs. Wilson (mother), Sam Wilson (Falcon, uncle), Sarah Casper (aunt), Jody Casper (cousin) 
 
Group Affiliation

Formerly Young Watchers, Corporation, US military (special civilian associate) 

Education
High school (unfinished) 

Height
5' 10" 

Weight
144 lbs. 

Eyes
Brown 

Hair
Black 

Powers
None 

Abilities 
Quick-witted and resourceful, Jim developed some fighting skills while partnered with the Hulk. During his association with the US Army, he also became familiar with assorted military equipment, installations, and procedures. In addition, Jim trained in unarmed combat with the Young Watchers. Jim learned chess from Betty Ross. Being an experienced traveler and frequent hitchhiker, he had extensive knowledge of many American towns and highways. Jim was a charismatic, funny, loyal, and courageous young man who made friends easily. He was also a capable manager and a dedicated social activist.

Other Info
James "Jim" Wilson grew up in Harlem at odds with his father who was a strict Christian minister. As a dreamer, Jim always wanted to travel, perhaps an impulse fueled in part by the demise of their upstairs neighbor "Smiley," and elderly blues musician. When Him was young, Smiley died a lingering, lonely death. Shaken by the incident, Jim prayed he would never die old and helpless like Smiley. As he grew up, Jim sought adventure and escape from his fractious household Jim, which resulted in Jim dropping out of high school at age 15. This sparked an angry argument with his father that nearly ended in violence. After this, Jim left town on a bust headed for Los Angeles. Once there, he soon became a starving street person. However, unwilling to return home, Wilson ended up living in a burned-out tenement building and claimed he was an LA native whose parents had died in a fire, sometimes even convincing himself that his story was true. Desperate, Jim once even snatched a woman's purse; however, he felt so ashamed that ended up leaving it behind without taking any money.

At one point, when the Hulk (Bruce Banner) was on the run, he sought refuge in Jim's tenement. This resulted in Jim and Hulk bonding with each other as kindred spirits and fellow outcasts. This resulted in Jim quickly became one of the Hulk's closest friends, and eventually aiding him against foes such as HYDRA, Xemnu, Rhino, Abomination, Quintronic Man, Stingray, and the Leader.  (To learn about all the above highlighted characters, just click on their names.)

Also, Jim began a recurring association with the US Army, who often called on Wilson because he was one of the few people with any positive influence over the unstable Hulk's actions. Despite his wariness of authority in general and the military in particular, Jim eventually became friendly with General "Thunderbolt" Ross and his daughter Betty. In addition, Wilson soon began a serious long-term romance with Talia Green, though she disapproved of Jim's attempts to help the Hulk. (Click on the highlighted names to learn about the above characters. Note: Beware of the very revealing outfit worn by Betty Ross in her Red She-Hulk form on her bio page.)

At one point, Wilson was briefly drawn into the subversive Corporation organization; however, Jim quickly turned on them and was marked for death. Luckily, the Hulk rescued Jim from their assassin, the Constrictor.  (To learn about the company and/or character above, just click on their highlighted names.)

Later on, Jim participated in Doc Samson's ill-fated attempts to rehabilitate the Hulk, which were sabotaged by Corporation agent Moonstone (Karla Sofen). Afterward, the Hulk helped Captain America, Falcon, and Marvel Man (Wendell Vaughn) deal the Corporation a crushing defeat. In the process, Jim learned that the Falcon was his uncle, Sam Wilson. After this, Jim renewed his ties with some of his Harlem relatives. In addition, Jim joined a community-policing group known as the "Young Watchers," helping Falcon and Spider-Man purge a secret criminal faction within the Young Watchers. (Click the highlighted names above to learn about the characters. Note: Beware of the very form-fitting outfit on Moonstone's bio page.)

At some point, Jim contracted HIV and it eventually developed into AIDS. After learning about this, his girlfriend Talia abandoned him. However, Wilson found a new calling as a manager of a Los Angeles clinic that cared for dying AIDS patients. Unfortunately, at one point, Wilson found out that an  LA mob boss named Paul Lang hired some thugs to kill Jefferson Wolfe--the "longtime companion" of his son, Tyler Lang, who was also HIV-positive. (Lang blamed Wolfe for giving Tyler the disease, and deeply resented the fact that Wolfe still appeared in good health). After learning about what was going to happene, Jim called in Falcon, Rick Jones, and the Hulk for assistance, and they all helped fight off Lang's super-assassin, Speedfreek, from killing Wolfe. Unfortunately, during the attack, Jim was seriously wounded. But, he soon recovered. (To learn about the characters above, just click on their highlighted names. Note: Beware of the low-cut dress worn by one in the background of Rick Jones' bio page.)

More recently, Jim suffered broken ribs when he was attacked by a mob protesting the fact that a court had ordered an HIV-infected boy to be allowed into a public school. The Hulk showed up and broke up the scuffle. He then took the injured Jim to the Mount--the secret headquarters of the Pantheon (a superhero group which the Hulk was a member of at the time). However, Jim's health was far worse than he had previously admitted and he was dying. Wilson remembered that a blood transfusion from the Hulk turned his cousin, Jennifer Walters, into the She-Hulk. Therefore, Wilson asked Bruce to give him a transfusion of his blood, hoping that the Hulk's gamma-irradiated blood would act as a cure to the virus. However, the Hulk refused, fearing that he might transform Jim into another destructive monster. Accepting Bruce's decision, Jim soon died peacefully with the Hulk at his side. (To learn about the above highlighted team, just click on their name. Note: Beware of the revealing/form-fitting outfit worn by the She-Hulk on her bio page.)

Later, Bruce Banner anonymously donated enough money to keep Jim's clinic running for the next decade.

There isn't anything there, but here is the Marvel.com link for Jim Wilson, http://marvel.com/universe/Wilson,_Jim.

Jim Wilson makes a brief cameo in the film, The Incredible Hulk, where he is shown in a news interview at Culver University.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Bor

Real Name
Bor Burison

Occupation
Former King of Asgard 
 
Citizenship
Asgardian

Place of Birth
Asgard 
 
Known Relatives
Buri (Tiwaz, father); Bestla (wife, deceased); Odin, Ve, Vili (sons, deceased);  Frigga (daughter-in-law) Balder, Hermod, Hoder, Thor, Tyr, Vidar (grandsons); Loki (adopted grandson); Mimir (brother)
 
Group Affiliation
Asgardians
 
Education

Unrevealed 

Height
6'5"

Weight
650 lbs.

Eyes
Blue 

Hair
Red

Powers
Like all Asgardians, Bor was extremely long lived and aged at a much slower pace than humans, but was not immortal. He could feel the presence of Odin – were he still alive – in any of the nine worlds. Bor appeared to have near limitless power including superhuman strength, endurance, durability and reflexes He could channel potent energy beams from his eyes, guide lightning to strike a desired target, and Bor could even unleash forces powerful enough to destroy the Earth. 

Abilities
Bor was a fierce warrior and an expert at armed and unarmed combat. 

Other Info 
When his father Buri abdicated the throne, it left Bor as the ruler of Asgard. A born warrior, he led his people in a time of power and prosperity and won their loyalty both through his leadership and also through his triumphs on the field. Bor was also one of the gods who had created the universe. Along with his other accomplishments, he was an unquestionable and powerful ruler.  (To learn about the above highlighted character and/or place, just click on their names.)

Later on, Bor took the giantess Bestla as his wife. The two had sons named Odin, Ve, and Vili. When Odin was born, Bor paid him special attention, grooming him to one day take his place as King. He taught Odin how to fight, rule, serve, and also to defend his dreams. However, Bor did not encourage Odin to dream his own dreams. Therefore, when Odin went against Bor's wishes and created man on Earth, Bor was enraged. Unable to undo what his son had done, Bor sent every possible horror imaginable upon the inhabitants of Earth. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the characters.)

One day, during a great war between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants, Bor led his forces against the giants with Odin at his side. Together with his son, they proved too much for the Frost Giants to handle. However, when one giant attempted to flee, Bor pursued him and stumbled into a trap set by a powerful sorcerer (who was actually the present-day incarnation of Loki in disguise who traveled into the past) who turned him into snow. Odin found his father as the wind was blowing Bor's form apart. However, before Bor was completely gone, he asked his son to find a sorcerer strong enough to restore him. He told Odin his spirit would rest in the snow until he was recalled. After this, he was blown away in the wind. (To learn about the races and/or character above, just click on their highlighted names. Note: Beware of the low-cut outfit worn by Loki in his woman-form. Also, Buri cursed as snow is shown in the fourth picture posted above.)

Afterwards, Odin told the other Asgardians that  his father had perished and proclaimed him as king.

Upon his return to the wintry present-day, Loki used his magic to restore Bor from the snow. However, he also placed a spell on Bor to alter his perception of the world around him--humans looked like demons and vehicles looked like giant monsters. Confused by his surroundings, and distraught from his realization that Odin was gone, Bor began destroying everything around him in a fit of rage. In fact, when Thor appeared to stop him (both of them did not know who the other was), he too looked like a demon. However, Bor could sense Odin's power within the form of the demon before him, and he assumed it was because this was the monster responsible for killing his son Odin. Thus, striking with a fury only Bor could possess, the Asgardian began his assault on Thor. In fact, Thor would have been killed if not for the Odinforce within his body. Thor tried to reason with Bor, but Loki made sure the two could not communicate verbally either. During the battle, Bor actually caught Thor's hammer, Mjolnir (apparently being one of the few who are worthy of wielding it), but he discarded it, thinking that it wasn't worthy of him. Thor did not want to kill a fellow Asgardian, so he called for help from the Avengers. Unfortunately, it was Iron Patriot's (aka Norman Osborn) Dark Avengers who answered the call. When the Dark Avengers arrived, Iron Patriot ordered them to take out both Bor and Thor. Therefore, briefly, Bor and Thor worked together to fight off the team. The Dark Avengers could not defend themselves against the combined might of the two Asgardians. After they got rid of the Dark Avengers, the two returned to battling one another. Blow after blow, neither Asgardian would give in and things only got worse when Bor began unleashing his true power--power that could tear the entire Earth apart. To avert this tragedy, Thor knew he would have to kill his foe. One final time, Bor and Thor squared off against one another, each prepared to deliver the killing blow. However, Thor was victorious--Mjolnir shattering upon the killing blow to Bor. (To learn about the ability, teams, and/or character highlighted above, just click on their names. Note: Beware of the form-fitting/revealing outfits worn by some on the Dark Avenger's bio page.) 

Thor's brother, Balder, had learned about who Thor was fighting and rushed to tell him; however, he was too late to stop Thor from killing their grandfather. Bor died in the arms of his grandson, Thor, not knowing who he was. When Thor learned of who he had just killed, the God of Thunder was overcome with horror and grief. Loki then reminded Balder that killing a member of the royal family was punishable by banishment from Asgard forever (Loki's plan all along). Having no choice but to uphold the laws of his people, Balder cast Thor out from Asgard for killing his grandfather, Bor Burison. (To learn about Balder, click on the highlighted name above.) 

To learn a tiny bit more about Bor, click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Bor.

Battle Royal 19

Imagine if twelve Marvel characters were to be in a huge battle where there could only be ONE victor! Putting the "good" and "evil" notion to the side...it's EVERYONE vs. EVERYONE--No alliances! Only ONE can be left standing!

Please choose who you think would win among the twelve Marvel characters in the poll.

Who will be the victor? Only YOU can decide!

Also, if you have time, please leave the reason why you think the character you chose would win in the "Comment" section below. This way, we can all see your reasoning in choosing your winner.

The twelve characters that are involved in the Battle Royal 19 are...


The Collector, Kurse, Malekith, Rick Jones, Fin Fang Foom, Graviton, Polaris, Human Torch (Jim Hammond), Joan the Mouse, Shin, Madeline Drake, and William Drake. (If you have forgotten some of these characters' powers/abilities, go ahead and check out their bios right here on the Marvel Madness blog by clicking on the highlighted names above.)

Sunday, November 17, 2013

The Collector

Real Name
Taneleer Tivan 
 
Occupation
Collector/Curator; Cosmic Being
 
Citizenship
Unknown
 
Place of Birth
Cygnus X-1
 
Known Relatives
Matani (wife, deceased), Carina (daughter, deceased) 
 
Group Affiliation
Elders of the Universe
 
Education

Unrevealed

Height
6' 2" (variable)

Weight
450 lbs. (variable)

Eyes
White (no visible iris)

Hair
White (no hair in alien-form)

Powers 
As an Elder of the Universe, the Collector possesses an immortal body, immune to the cellular deterioration of aging and impervious to conventional harm (disease, penetration wounds, etc.). Only the dispersion of a major portion of his bodily molecules could prevent his regenerative power from functioning and cause death. He can also manipulate cosmic energy for a variety of effects, including projecting concussive force beams, and the increasing of his size and mass (including physical strength) at will. He also possesses limited shape-changing abilities. His precognitive abilities give him brief visions of alternate futures, although he must meditate for long periods to identify the individuals he sees in the vision and its apparent point in time. He has telepathic abilities that enable him to make limited contact with the minds of other Elders. Unlike some of the Elders who have used their long lifetimes to develop vast powers of the body or mind, the Collector has not devoted any of his energies to self-perfection. Therefore, he has no special superhuman physical or mental abilities. The Collector is more interested in acquiring physical objects of power rather than developing powers of his own. 

Abilities
The Collector possesses a wealth of knowledge of an excess amount of topics due to his millennia of experience and education. Also, due to his nature of collecting objects, the Collector has an abundance of resources, including various teleportation devices, weapons, potions, battle-suits, lasers, bombs, cannons, and various types of items, equipment, and artifacts.

Other Info
Taneleer Tivan is one of the eldest living beings of the universe. His species on Cygnus X-1 was one of the first to evolve after the Big Bang. Death took Tivan along with one respresentative of each of the first species of the universe and gave them total immortality. These people have associated among themselves to create the "Elders of the Universe." As they are relatively few, they call each other "brother." (To learn about the above highlighted character and/or group, click on their names above.)

Taneleer spent the first millennia of his existence with his wife Matani and daughter Carina on the tranquil world he chose as his head quarters. However, after their daughter had grown to maturity and left them, Tivan's wife died of mysterious causes. Taneleer was completely surprised by her death--he had thought her as immortal as well. Soon after, during meditation, he realized that an important factor in an Elder's immortality was the will to live, and his wife had simply lost hers. (To learn about the Collector's daughter, click on the highlighted name above. Note: Beware of the low-cut outfit on Carina's bio page.)

After his wife's death, Tivan was determined to not succumb to the same fate as his wife. Therefore, after meditation about his meaning in life, he received a vision. In the vision, Tivan saw that powerful things would rise and would be determined to destroy the universe. Therefore, he decided to prevent this from happening and dedicate his life to collecting artifacts and living beings throughout the universe to place them out of danger. Then, after the destruction of the universe, Tivan could re-populate the universe and give them knowledge of cultures from the past. Thus, he built a great spaceship and began his work as "The Collector."

The Collector stopped in every world to get a sample of its greatest achievements, as well as living representatives of each of their life forms. He has two appearances, a gentler humanoid appearance and a more aggressive alien like form he claims is his true form. He uses whichever form he feels he needs to collect his artifacts from the various worlds. In a matter of years, the Collector's ship was completely filled, and he was forced to suspend his mission in order to build expanded facilities for his permanent collection. With the aid of robo-mechanics acquired from the planet Cron, the Collector converted several uninhabited planets into giant museums for his collections. Every time his ship was full, he would return to his museum-worlds to deposit his recent acquisitions. (Currently, he has filled ten museum-worlds with artifacts from one hundred-thousand planets). (To learn about Cron, click on the highlighted name above. Also, the Collector in his alien form is shown in the third picture posted above. In addition, the Collector morphing between his human and alien form is shown in the forth picture posted above. )

Over the eons, the Collector's monomania became more and more obsessive--making him lose sight of his original reasons for his collecting. In recent years, the first being of great power he had foreseen as a threat to all life, Thanos of Titan, was born and eventually defeated without the Collector's intervention.  (To learn about Thanos and/or Titan, click no the highlighted names above.)

It was during this time, the Collector had an obsession with collecting Earths mightiest heroes--the Avengers. He attempted on several occasions to collect the team; however, he always eventually failed. (To learn about the Avengers, click on the highlighted name above.)

Later, when the second great threat to life, Korvac of Earth, appeared, the Collector decided to send his daughter Carina to spy on him. The intelligence he obtained led to the Collector attempting to report it to the heroes of Earth. However, Korvac found the Collector before he could do so, and he destroyed him. (To learn about Korvac, just click on the highlighted name above.)

After the Collector's death, fellow Elder of the Universe, the Grandmaster  (who can resurrect most living beings after their deaths) discovered that he could not resurrect virtually immortal beings like himself who are killed. Therefore, the Grandmaster challenged Death itself to a game. If Grandmaster won, then the Collector would live; however, if he lost, then he too would also die. Death agreed and each selected teams from among Earth’s superhumans to do battle each other in a Contest of Champions. The Grandmaster's team consisted of Captain America, Talisman, Darkstar, Captain Britain, Wolverine, Defensor, Sasquatch, Daredevil, Peregrine, She-Hulk, Thing, and Blitzkrieg; Death's team consisted of Iron Man, Vanguard, Iron Fist, Shamrock, Storm, Arabian Knight, Sabra, Invisible Girl, Angel, Black Panther, Sunfire, and Collective Man. The two teams were forced to battle each other and the Grandmaster’s team was victorious. However, Death revealed that in order to bring the Collector back to life, the Grandmaster would have to forfeit his own life as well. Compelled by his sense of gamesmanship to see the game through to its end, the Grandmaster sacrificed his life and the Collector returned from death. (Click the highlighted names above to learn more about the characters and/or event. Note: Beware of the extremely revealing outfits on Storm and She-Hulk's bio pages.)

Now resurrected, the Collector resumed his ancient task of collecting. He, with his extensive contact with Earth and earthlings, eventually established a large underground zoo located under Canada. Here, the Collector, housed such gigantic beasts as Fin Fang FoomGoomGargantus, Grogg, Groot, Grottu, and Rommbu, among others. (Click the highlighted names above to learn more about them.)

During a recent vision, the Collector foresaw the attempt of Surtur in destroying Asgard. However, Surtur was also stopped without the Collector's intervention. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about Surtur and/or Asgard.)

Later on, the Collector was able to return the favor to his brother, the Grandmaster, by having him resurrected. This happened in a complex scheme that included the Avengers fighting the West Coast Avengers--each team following one of the Elders and believing the other one was a villain. (Click on the highlighted team above to learn more about them.)

More recently, the Collector joined the other Elders in the Grandmaster's scheme to kill Galactus, which would result in the existing universe to collapse. The Elders would survive the big crunch and the subsequent big bang of a new universe; thus, becoming Galactus-like beings in the new universe. However, their scheme failed. But, the Collector has now become one of the threats to the universe he had once predicted.  (Click the highlighted name above to learn about Galactus.)

To learn a little more about the Collector, just click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Collector_%28Taneleer_Tivan%29.

The Collector makes an appearance during the credits of Thor: The Dark World. He is also supposed to make an appearance in the Guardians of the Galaxy film.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Kurse

Real Name
Algrim
 
Occupation
Guardian of Asgard; (former) Servant of Malekith the Accursed

Citizenship
Svartalfheim


Place of Birth
Svartalfheim

Known Relatives

None

Group Affiliation

The Dark Elves of Svartalfheim

Education

Unrevealed

Height7'


Weight
 

840lbs.

Eyes
Yellow

Hair
None

Powers
Though Algrim's strength level was greater than that of any of the other Dark Elves, it was less than that of Thor's. When his powers were enhanced by the Beyonder, Algrim became known as Kurse and was said to be twice as strong as Thor. Even later, the Beyonder further increased Kurse's strength, granting him almost immeasurable strength. Not only did the Beyonder increase Kurse's strength but also his resistance to injury. Kurse was now virtually invulnerable to harm--he to be able to walk on the ocean floor without injury, and did not need to eat or even breathe. His armor is a living part of his body, and if great enough force were set against it as to cause Kurse injury, the armor would "heal" at a rapid rate as if it were his living tissue. In addition, although not immortal, Kurse did age at a pace much more slowly when compared to human beings. Kurse was also immune to all known Earthly diseases and infections. 

Abilities
Kurse was a formidable hand-to-hand combatant, relying primarily on brawling techniques that allowed him to make full use of his vast strength.

Other Info 
Algrim the Strong was one of the Dark Elves of the Svartalfheim (one of the Nine Worlds of Asgard) who served their ruler: Malekith the Accursed. (Click the highlighted names above to learn about the places and/or character.)

At one point, Malekith captured the Asgardian Lorelei in order to gain control over the God of Thunder: Thor. Algrim was told that he had be chosen to defeat Thor; therefore, when Lorelei was eventually freed, Algrim--who stood in shadow wearing ebony armor--was waiting and ambushed the God of Thunder. During the ensuing battle, Malekith actually attempted to destroy both of them by plunging the two into a pit of molten magma. However, Thor summoned his magic hammer Mjolnir, which carried him to safety; however, Algrim plunged into the magma. (To learn more about the above highlighted character and/or object, click on their names. Note: Beware of the revealing outfit worn Lorelei's on her bio page.)

The tremendous heat from the magma almost killed Algrim. In fact, he would have been died except that his enchanted armor protected him from the magma's full effects. However, the shock of the intense pain from the magma caused Algrim to experience amnesia. Unable to remember the real reason why he fell into the lava, Algrim could only remember Thor was somehow to blame. His desire for vengeance on Thor gave him the will to live. This hatred of Thor was also sensed by the incredibly powerful Beyonder who had come to Earth to investigate. Intrigued by Algrim's hate, the Beyonder decided to create an experiment with Algrim. He restored the Dark Elf to health, gave him vastly greater strength, and altered his armor to be more resistant to damage and made it a living part of him that would grow and heal organically. Now as a new being known as "Kurse," Algrim was sent to hunt down Thor (the Beyonder wanted to see what Kurse could do to the God of Thunder now in his strengthened state). Kurse somehow sensed that Thor was in New York City and passed from Svartalfheim to Earth and began walking across the ocean bottom to get to New York. (Click on the highlighted name above to learn about the Beyonder.)

Once he arrived in New York City, Kurse mistook Beta Ray Bill for Thor and attacked him. Kurse was much stronger than Bill, and he was only able to escape death by reverting to his original, non-super-powered form, so he no longer resembled Thor. Continuing to be driven by insane hatred, Kurse wreaked havoc in Manhattan as he searched for the God of Thunder. (To learn about Beta Ray Bill, click on the highlighted name above.)

During Kurse's rampage though New York, he severely injured Margaret Power (mother of the superhuman children--Power Pack). In response, the Power Pack came after Kurse and succeeded in burying him alive by causing a building to collapse on top of him. However, Kurse was able to free himself by later that same day. When he escaped he tracked down Thor and attacked the Asgardian. Kurse was now stronger than Thor; therefore, Thor donned his Belt of Strength (which doubled Thor's strength). When the Beyonder observed this, he increased Kurse's strength even further so that he surpassed Thor's strength once again. However, soon after, Beta Ray Bill and the Power Pack arrived and joined the battle. Thor used his hammer, Mjolnir, to project intensive heat at Kurse. The result of the heat blast caused Kurse to remember the lava pit he had fallen into earlier. In addition, it reawakened his memories and the realization that it was not Thor, but Malekith who was responsible for his near-death experience. Therefore, Kurse's anger and hatred shifted from Thor to his old ruler, Malekith. However, on Thor's instructions, Energizer (a member of Power Pack) absorbed energy from both Thor's hammer (Mjolnir) and Beta Ray Bill's hammer (Stormbreaker) and then fired a tremendously powerful ball of energy at Kurse, which rendered him unconscious. After this, Thor suggested to the Beyonder that Kurse be transported to Hel (the realm ruled by the Asgardian death goddess Hela) to search for Malekith, who might be there (Thor also was hoping that Kurse would cause trouble for Hela while he was in her domain). The Beyonder agreed, and teleported Kurse to Hel. (Click on the above highlighted names to learn about the characters, team, and/or objects.)

Upon arrival in Hel, Kurse began wreaking havoc looking for Malekith--who was not there. Due to the massive mayhem he was causing, Hela had Kurse driven into Asgard itself. Once in Asgard, Kurse finally found Malekith, who had used his shape-changing powers to look like the Asgardian Balder. Kurse attacked Malekith and slew the Dark Elf. With his mission of vengeance finally fulfilled, Kurse became peaceful. (To learn about Balder, click on his highlighted name above.)

Later on, Kurse aided the real Balder in successfully defending Asgard from an attack by the Frost Giants. After the battle, Volstagg noted that "Kurse" was not a fitting name for an Asgardian; therefore, Algrim was renamed "Valgoth." As Valgoth, he served as a protector of Asgard's children. (To learn about the above highlighted race and/or character, just click on their names.)

More recently, during the events of Ragnarok, Valgoth sacrificed his life protecting Asgardian children. (To learn about the event above, just click on the highlighted name.)

To learn a tiny bit more about Kurse, click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Kurse.