Month: January 2021

Amazon Prime Video has announced the release date for its upcoming adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s Invincible, which will premiere on the streamer on Friday, March 26, 2021.

The announcement was made by Kirkman during a livestream to celebrate the 18-year anniversary of the release of Invincible #1 from Image Comics. Invincible’s 8-episode first season will air in a weekly format, with the first three episodes dropping on March 26, followed by the remaining chapters airing every Friday until the finale on April 30, 2021.

During the livestream, Amazon also revealed a new clip featuring Steven Yeun’s Mark Grayson playing catch with his father, J.K. Simmons’ Nolan Grayson. You can check out this awesome clip in the video below or at the top of the page:

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Per Amazon, Invincible centers on “seventeen-year-old Mark Grayson (Yeun), who’s just like every other guy his age — except that his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man (Simmons). But as Mark develops powers of his own, he discovers that his father’s legacy may not be as heroic as it seems.”

Simmons and Yeun are joined by an all-star lineup of voice actors, including Sandra Oh (Killing Eve), Seth Rogen (This is the End), Gillian Jacobs (Community), Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2), Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Walton Goggins (Justified), Mahershala Ali (True Detective), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Ezra Miller (Justice League), and many more.

For more on the series, be sure to check out our Invincible explained breakdown, the first trailer for Invincible, and some nifty Invincible character designs from the series.

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David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He’s also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

Creator of The Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman, has his second most-popular comic series, Invincible, landing as an animated series on Amazon Prime on March 26. During a livestream, Kirkman himself made the announcement and helped debut an extended clip, which you can see below.

The clip features the titular Invincible AKA Mark Grayson (Steven Yuen) and his superhero father Omni-Man AKA Nolan Grayson (J.K. Simmons). The comic series is about a the son of the world’s greatest superhero who finds he has super-powers of his own. From there, Invincible hosts plenty of twists and turns over the course of the #144 issues of the comic, which ended in 2017.

Aside from Yuen, who famously played Glenn on The Walking Dead, Invincible has cast a few people from the hit AMC zombie series. This includes Khary Payton (Ezekiel) as Black Samson, Sonequa Martin-Green (Sasha) as Green Ghost, Lauren Cohan (Maggie) as War Woman, Chad Coleman (Tyreese) as Martian Man, Michael Cudlitz (Abraham) as Red Rush, Lennie James (Morgan) as Darkwing, and Ross Marquand (Aaron) as The Immortal & Aquarius.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Mass Effect 2‘s Jack was originally supposed to be pansexual, but her romance arc was changed after BioWare looked at the media reception to romances in the original game, as reported by The Gamer.

Since Mass Effect 2’s release 11 years ago, fans have wondered why Jack was could only be romanced by a male Commander Shepard, since she makes references to being with partners of different genders in some of her voice lines. After the original game’s launch in 2007, Fox News held a panel about the game’s depictions of sex and sexuality. The panel criticized both Mass Effect 1’s sex scenes and the ability to romance Liara T’Soni as either a male or female Shepard.

Talking about the development of Jack’s romance in an interview with The Gamer, writer Brian Kindregan said: “She was essentially pansexual for most of the development of that romance.” But the Fox News panel created a domino effect that changed things.

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With WandaVision on Disney+ now streaming, the Elizabeth Olsen/Paul Bettany series about, of course, Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch and Vision, is raising a lot of questions among fans. And one of the biggest is regarding who exactly Geraldine is, the character played by Teyonah Parris.

So let’s catch up on the history of Geraldine, who according to Marvel Studios is actually known as Monica Rambeau. We’ve seen her before in the MCU, specifically in the Captain Marvel movie where she was still a little girl.

If you don’t know Monica Rambeau and some of the many names she’s had over the years—including Captain Marvel!—let us shine some light on this hero.

Spoilers follow for WandaVision through Episode 3.

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Monica Rambeau: The All-Terrific Captain Marvel

Monica got her start in the Marvel universe in 1982’s The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16. Created by Roger Stern and John Romita Jr., she made her debut as the “all-new, all-different, all-terrific Captain Marvel” when she and Peter Parker crossed paths in their plain clothes. Literally, she walked past him, and his Spider-Sense went off to tell him that she was someone extraordinary. Worried that she might draw unwanted attention in a bad neighborhood, Peter changed into his costume to keep an eye on her. He quickly discovered that she can take care of herself.

Caught by surprise, Monica blasted Spider-Man thinking he was another hoodlum; she hadn’t yet learned to fully control her powers. She was the new Captain Marvel, an unorthodox lieutenant in the New Orleans Police Department before she was granted staggering powers as the result of being blasted by extra-dimensional energy. Turned into pure electromagnetic energy herself, Monica can fly, travel close to the speed of light, convert her body into energy, and fire photon blasts.

Monica went to the Avengers for help controlling her powers, and she became a member of the team. A natural leader thanks to her commanding personality and time in the police force, it wasn’t not long before she was promoted to leader of the Avengers. However, when she was left powerless after expending all of her energy in a battle, Monica returned to patrolling the New Orleans harbor for a brief period. Naturally, her powers returned (because comics), and in time she would choose two new monikers: Photon, and later Pulsar.

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By the time of the Infinity storyline in 2013, Monica had taken yet another superhero name, Spectrum. She joined the Mighty Avengers alongside Luke Cage, Power Man, White Tiger, and the Superior Spider-Man to stop Proxima Midnight from destroying New York City. Later, Monica took her place in the Ultimates lineup with Carol Danvers—Captain Marvel—before returning once again to the Avengers.

Photon, Pulsar, and More: Monica Rambeau’s Many Superhero Names

Monica was dubbed Captain Marvel after her first somewhat accidental outing as a superhero. In command of a small boat before donning her costume for the first time, a witness overheard Monica called “Captain” by her companion. When the police arrived, the witness could only say, “Capitan est maravilla!” Captain Marvel was born. There was no hero bearing the name at the time as Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel, had succumbed to cancer, so the name stuck.

After some time passed, the son of Mar-Vell, named Genis-Vell, met Monica and offered to let her keep the title after his initial misgivings. She declined, saying she had picked a new name to “stop living in other people’s shadows.” She chose Photon. (In the film version of Captain Marvel, Photon is Maria Rambeau’s call sign, a nice nod to the comics.)

Genis-Vell later decided he wanted the name Photon when his body was transformed into photonic energy after being grievously injured. “I can’t be my father–I have to be something different,” he told Monica as they brainstormed superhero names over drinks. She finally settled on Pulsar, saying simply, “I like that one.”

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After a while, Monica just went by, well, Monica. This is likely the name most people think of when they think of the character, for clarity’s sake. But once again, Monica changed her superhero name to Spectrum after taking the lead on the team known as the Mighty Avengers. She was most recently part of this year’s “No Road Home” storyline with her fellow Avengers, still bearing the name Spectrum, so that might be the one that finally sticks.

Who is Geraldine in WandaVision?

2019’s Captain Marvel movie introduces us to a young Monica, daughter of Maria and friend of Carol, who’s a lieutenant herself—Lieutenant Trouble, that is. (Carol’s nickname for her is another perfect tongue-in-cheek homage to the original character.) The 11-year-old (played by Akira Akbaris) is instrumental in choosing Carol’s costume as Captain Marvel. Years will pass before we will see her again as an adult, this time in WandaVision, and perhaps that series will see her gain powers and become a superhero like in the comics. She could even take her mother’s callsign, Photon, for her superhero name.

For now, however, it seems as though Geraldine/Monica is an agent working for SWORD, which makes sense since Nick Fury now runs that secret organization, and a younger Fury was palling around with Monica’s mom and Captain Marvel back when Monica was a kid.

It does seem that Monica is infiltrating the false reality that Wanda is living in, and probably has created, in WandaVision. Somehow she takes the name Geraldine along the way, and it’s not clear whether or not she’s fully aware of her true identity while she is in that sitcom-like world (called Westview). But when she starts to realize something is wrong and questions Wanda about Wanda’s dead brother Pietro, who was killed by Ultron in the MCU’s “real world,” Wanda expels Monica from Westview.

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In the comics, Monica’s origin story is tied to the nefarious Roxxon Corporation in New Orleans—which viewers of Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger are very familiar with. If she is a superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will her powers be tied to Roxxon? Or directly to Wanda Maximoff herself due to the events of WandaVision? It’s almost impossible to predict what kind of role Monica Rambeau will ultimately take in the MCU. No matter what it is, we can’t wait to see her light up the screen.

Jan. 22, 2021: This story has been updated with the latest information on WandaVision.

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Kelly Knox is a freelance writer who also contributes to StarWars.com, Marvel.com, Nerdist, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragons, comics, and more.

Phoenotopia: Awakening–previously a Switch exclusive–is now available on PC via Steam. This action-adventure puzzle platformer is a full-blown remake of 2014’s Phoenotopia, a popular Flash game.

In Phoenotopia: Awakening, you play as Gale, a simple villager. When mysterious invaders appear from the sky and abduct all the adults, you suddenly become the oldest person in the village. Despite your lack of combat training and knowledge about the outside world, you take responsibility for the situation and set out on an adventure to save the grown-ups.

Gameplay-wise, Phoenotopia: Awakening features top-down, open-world exploration when you’re wandering through the landscape and transitions into a side-scrolling action-platformer when you enter towns, dungeons, and other key areas. Combat is difficult, relying on stamina.

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With the ICA exposed, Hitman 3‘s next stop is the vineyards of a known Providence member who may be brewing more than just a fine wine behind the scenes.

Here are all of Mendoza’s assassination challenges and everything you need to do to complete them. For more tips and secrets, be sure to read our Hitman 3 walkthrough and guide hub. Otherwise, check out our other assassination guides below.

• Dubai Assassination Guide
• Dartmoor Assassination Guide
• Berlin Assassination Guide
• Chongqing Assassination Guide
• Carpathian Mountains Assassination Guide

Notes of Hemlock / Hold My Hair

Tamara Vidal only has one type of wine that she cares for, and it happens to be a rare bottle of Pinot. While she’s on her rounds with Burnwood, disguise yourself as a waiter and make your way down to the bar area on the ground floor. A bottle of Pinotcan be found in the storeroom to the right side of the bar, and once you have it, you can wait for Vidal to appear.

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Five destinations and a trail of dead bodies later, Agent 47’s journey has finally come to an end. There’s only a single target to focus on in Hitman 3‘s final level, but a small army of Providence elite agents stand between 47 and the elusive Arthur Edwards.

Here are all of the Carpathian Mountain train’s assassination challenges and everything you need to do to complete them. For more tips and secrets, be sure to read our Hitman 3 walkthrough and guide hub. Otherwise, check out our other assassination guides below.

• Dubai Assassination Guide
• Dartmoor Assassination Guide
• Berlin Assassination Guide
• Chongqing Assassination Guide
• Mendoza Assassination Guide

Straight Shot

Once you’ve worked your way to Edwards, a limited number of options are available. If you’d prefer to get rid of the Constant the old fashioned way and you happen to have run out of weapons on your way towards the confrontation, some of 47’s signature tools can be found in Edwards’ wardrobe, past where he stands looking in the mirror. A bullet to the head from 47’s silenced pistol, an SMG, or any of the other guns you picked up will earn you the Straight Shot challenge completion. Quick, easy, and to the point.

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WandaVision on Disney+ is a mystery wrapped in an enigma, but every week we get more hints about the truth.

WandaVision represents some major firsts for the MCU. It’s the first official entry into Phase 4, the first MCU Disney+ streaming TV show, and Wanda and Vision’s first featured story together–but it’s also the first time we’ve ever had a real long-form mystery unfold like this for the MCU at large. Sure, there have been plenty of dangling threads to theorize about in the movies–that’s part of the fun–but we’ve never been given new information to work with on a week-to-week basis, and it’s changed the guessing game significantly.

It also doesn’t help that WandaVision is arguably the weirdest thing the MCU’s ever done, so there are plenty of questions to be asked.

So, with that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the things we do know about the show thanks to the first three episodes–each little piece of information we get, no matter how small, and what it might mean as the show continues on. In a story like this, every scene–no matter how bizarre–has to count for something, right?

Neither Wanda nor Vision know why they’re in Westview

Right off the bat, WandaVision’s core mystery is obvious: Neither of our heroes knows what they’re doing in Westview or even how they got there. They’re not sure when they got married or what they do for a living, and they don’t seem to be aware that they’re hopscotching through decades of American pop culture.

Wanda has some level of control over Westview’s reality

We see in Episode 2 that Wanda is able to “rewind” time in Westville and undo things she doesn’t want to see or experience, like when the beekeeper crawls out of the sewer and she simply says “no” to make him disappear.

Someone is “doing this” to Wanda and someone else wants to rescue her

Wanda is experiencing intrusions on Westview’s reality that seem to indicate that someone is trying to contact her–probably to rescue her. The unnamed voice asked, in Episode 2, who was “doing this” to her.

SWORD is involved and Monica Rambeau is an agent

Hints of SWORD’s involvement have been everywhere in the show so far, but Episode 3 confirmed that Monica is an agent–and that she had some ulterior motive for being in Westview. Wanda was threatened by this for some reason and promptly “ejected” her, for lack of a better word, out of Westview and into what certainly looks like the real world.

Westview seems to be located in the real world–sort of

Judging by Monica’s expulsion from the town, it seems like Westview is actually somehow located in the regular world, and is possibly cloaked or blocked off by magic. It seems that SWORD has surrounded the location with a sort of militarized perimeter. This may mean that Westview is in fact not an alternate Earth or alternate dimension, but is actually a high tech version of The Truman Show–or some sort of extremely quaint looking prison.

Agnes might be in on it

Agnes seemed very aware that Monica wasn’t a person who actually “belonged” in the community–but never directly explained why or how she knew. It seems like she might have some secret knowledge about Westview’s population that, at best, lets her know who SWORD is sending in, or at worst, may let her manipulate who’s there in the first place.

HYDRA may be playing a role

There have been an awful lot of HYDRA-related flashbacks and call outs that may or may not be related to Westview as a whole. Depending on how deeply Wanda’s psyche is informing Westview’s status quo, the HYDRA nods could just be projections–both Wanda and Pietro were experimented on by HYDRA in Age of Ultron, after all–or they could be peeks behind the curtain. Maybe the whole of Westview is a HYDRA gambit to bring Wanda back into the fold.

Wanda and Vision have children now, but are they real?

Episode 3 introduced Wanda and Vision’s kids, William and Thomas, who have their own monumentally confusing comic book histories. The question is now that they exist in the show, will they actually exist in the MCU going forward, or are they just products of whatever force is creating Westview as a whole?

Death By Toys makes comical one-of-a-kind action figures, like Karate Teacher Who Threw Up, Deadbeat Dad Action Figure–which is an empty box–and All the Babies Your S****y Friends Keep Having. However, some of the most interesting original creations just happen to be a unique take on Simpsons figures: imagining them as if they were real-world humans

From bartender Moe Szyslak to neighbor Ned Flanders, the person behind Death By Toys, Dan Polydoris, originally made the real-life Simpsons figures for an art show at Gallery1988. “I’ve made lifelike figures of cartoon (and video game) characters in the past, and it’s something I love to do,” Polydoris told GameSpot. “I think it’s fun to imagine a cartoon being made into a crappy movie adaptation, and then the movie adaptation being made into a crappy action figure line. It’s also fun to find stock photos that capture the spirit of a particular cartoon character.”

Gallery

While these Simpsons toys can’t be purchased themselves, Death By Toys produces a lot of comical custom action figures with specialty packaging. Polydoris’s company began its origins in 2013, after his first child was born. He was creating vintage-style NES action figures and found that not only did people like them–there was a demand for them. Eventually, this led to him quitting his job after 15 years to make Death By Toys his full-time gig, a decision that Polydoris said is the best he ever made.

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