TOP 50 VILLAINS OF MARVEL
TOP 50 VILLAINS OF MARVEL
List items
1. Magneto
2. Doctor Doom
3. Venom
5. Juggernaut
6. Apocalypse
7. Thanos
8. Galactus
9. Loki
10. Sabretooth
11. Bullseye
12. Kingpin
13. Carnage
14. Mystique
15. Ultron
16. Doctor Octopus
17. Red Skull
18. Sandman
19. Lizard
20. Abomination
21. Mephisto
22. Mr. Sinister
24. Mysterio
25. Omega Red
26. Quicksilver
27. Blackheart
28. Onslaught
29. Super-Skrull
30. Mandarin
31. Kraven the Hunter
32. Hobgoblin (Kingsley)
33. Pyro
34. Rhino
35. Lady Deathstrike
36. Scorpion
SCORPION, not Venom
37. Vulcan
38. Electro
39. Silver Samurai
40. Absorbing Man
41. Barracuda
42. Obadiah Stane
43. The Hood
44. Morbius
45. Chameleon
46. Daken
47. Sebastian Shaw
48. Jigsaw
49. Taskmaster
50. William Stryker
If the Disney Villains Won
We sort of have a love/hate relationship with the Disney Villains. We love them because they do all kinds of deliciously evil things that involve epic song and dance numbers and sarcastic one-liners. Then of course, we have to dislike them when they put our heroes or heroines in peril. You can imagine then, that at the end of our favorite Disney stories, we have some mixed feelings about seeing the villain go. So that got us thinking—what would those stories be like if the Rapunzels and Aladdins of the world didn’t prevail? What would happen if the Disney villains actually won? Here’s what we think might have happened:
Jafar
The most powerful sorcerer in the world AND the sultan of Agrabah? That’s a power combination we don’t want to get behind. We suggest the residents of Agrabah move ASAP.
Ursula
We bet Ursula would start throwing all those fantastical feasts she used to have when she lived in the palace. But after a while, she would turn all the rest of the mermaid citizens into those creepy worms and life would get pretty boring.
Scar
If Scar won, we imagine the lionesses would be out of there, leaving Scar with no food, no water, and a bunch of angry hyenas. Now that we think about it, it probably wouldn’t have worked out for Scar either way.
Mother Gothel
We assume it it would be business as usual at Mother Gothel’s tower. Except Rapunzel would be really sad with no Flynn around to cheer her up (no, we are not crying right now, we just got something in our eye).
Yzma
Since she would now be the Empress, we imagine Yzma would rule over everyone, wear fabulous clothes, and eat Kronk’s appetizers (except his spinach puffs).
Gaston
We’re guessing if Gaston was successful, he would take over the Beast’s castle. Knowing his sense of style, we imagine he’d redecorate with antlers and all of his trophies. Egg diet would remain the same.
Lady Tremaine
Things would probably remain the same at the Tremaine household. Cinderella would still be dreaming, the stepsisters would still be bratty, and Lady Tremaine would still be evil.
Maleficent
If the mistress of all evil won, Prince Philip would be locked in her dungeon and Aurora, along with the entire kingdom, would be asleep. Maybe she would stage the ultimate sleepover and laugh at all the sleeping gentry.
Dr. Facilier
If he finally got over those fat cats who don’t give him as much as a sideways glance, we think Dr. Facilier would upgrade his creepy voodoo lair. Maybe he would get one of those beautiful houses in New Orleans and eat lots of beignets.
Hades
Hades would be sitting on high at Mount Olympus, probably toasting his win and getting a tan (the underworld doesn’t get much sunlight).
Evil Queen
She would finally be the fairest one of all… until the next beautiful maiden came along.
Everything We Know About Marine Biology We Learned from Finding Nemo
Nine out of ten scientists* agree: watching Finding Nemo is the equivalent of earning a doctorate in marine biology. So put away those bio textbooks and actual science materials, and dive into these marine life lessons from Nemo, Dory, and the other talking fish. Maybe this science isn’t conventional, but it’s really entertaining which is just as important.
*By “scientists,” we mean “Oh My Disney staffers who passed a couple of high school science class back in the day.”
Exhibit A: Pacific Cleaner Shrimp sanitizes young clownfish.
A quick spin cycle usually does the trick.
Exhibit B: Regal tang and clownfish find temporary shelter inside bill of pelican.
Just add water!
Exhibit C: Great white shark does not demonstrate qualities of a mindless eating machine.
In other words, fish are friends, not food.
Exhibit D: Yellow tang manifests obsession with artificially created bubbles.
Do not even lay eyes on them. Highly addictive.
Exhibit E: Regal tang is multilingual.
Languages include: English, Whale, and conversational Orca.
Exhibit F: School of moonfish displays high level of directional intelligence.
Plus exquisite grace and coordination.
Exhibit G: School of fish attends school on back of blue and white spotted eagle ray.
And all new explorers must answer a science question.
Exhibit H: Blue tang navigates through smack of jellyfish with bouncing technique.
A “smack” is indeed the correct term for a group of jellyfish. The sea is indeed full of mystery.
Exhibit I: Darla.
Repeat after us: “Find a happy place. Find a happy place.”
Everything We Know About Marine Biology We Learned from Finding Nemo
We Bet We Can Make You Feel Nostalgic
Ever since you were a wee tot, the magic of Disney and Disney•Pixar movies has been tickling the very edges of your imagination. You may have grown up in spite of your best efforts, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still remember your Disney childhood and feel like a kid all over again. Prepare to surf a tidal wave of nostalgia right back to the days when you couldn’t tie your own shoes.
Remember when…
Peter Pan and Tinker Bell taught the Darling kids to fly, and you firmly believed that with enough faith, trust, and pixie dust, you could fly, too?
Kala promised tiny Tarzan that he would always be in her heart, and it almost felt like she was talking directly to you?
You and your siblings reenacted “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” in your living room by jumping from one piece of furniture to the next as though you were on the water peg obstacle course?
Topsy Turvy Day in The Hunchback of Notre Dame seemed like the wildest, most fun festival of all time, especially when everyone joined in for the big final chorus of “Here it is, the moment you’ve been waiting for”?
Baloo first reminded you to focus on the “Bare Necessities” of life via a toe-tapping, tongue-twisting jam that you never stopped singing, and you decided to pretend to be a bear for the foreseeable future?
The idea of owning one hundred and one dalmatian puppies delighted you to no end and you relentlessly begged your parents to open their minds to the idea?
Ariel and her grotto made you wish you were a mermaid with a carefully cultivated collection of thingamabobs and the most beautiful singing voice ever?
How about when…
Pocahontas made you want to go canoeing, only you had no canoe so instead you sat in a laundry basket and used a spatula as your paddle?
You watched Toy Story for the first time and fell in love with the idea that your toys were just as crazy about you as you were about them, and you ran around wearing a cowboy hat singing “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” to anyone who would listen and some who would not?
You watched Snow White command an army of helpful woodland creatures, and anytime you had to pick up your toys thereafter you wished there were 80% more animals helping you?
You watched Aladdin for the first time and sang “Friend Like Me” nonstop for weeks, putting your heart and soul most ardently into the “waaa waa waaaaa (waa waaaa)” part?
Belle wished on a dandelion with perfect technique, and you spent hours in your backyard trying to recreate it?
Cinderella made you seriously consider the viability of making tiny clothes for mice and leaving them around in hopes that they might find them?
You watched The Fox and the Hound, and you and your best friend decided to start calling each other Todd and Copper?
Baby Hercules got baby Pegasus for his birthday, and all you wanted for your next birthday was a baby Pegasus of your very own?
You got major chills the first time you saw the sun rising over the savanna during “The Circle of Life” (and you still do every time you watch it)?
Alice taught you about unbirthdays, and you’ve been celebrating them ever since?
Powerline was your favorite musical act of all time?
Mickey’s antics in his role as the sorcerer’s apprentice in Fantasia made you fall in love with him?
Bambi’s attempts to skate on the ice resulted in the most adorable failure the world has ever known, until he was helped by his trusty friend Thumper?
Dumbo and his mama linked trunks and you were flooded with more emotions than you knew what to do with?
Lady and Tramp had puppies and they were an adorable mixture of little Ladies and a little Tramp?
You tried to teach your pets to play the piano in an effort to recreate “Scales and Arpeggios” while simultaneously instilling in them some culture?
12 Things You Didn’t Know About Disney•Pixar Films
If there’s one thing we love more than watching Disney•Pixar films, it’s learning fun facts about Disney•Pixar films. So, the next time you’re having a movie night, here are some little-known facts to impress all of your friends with:
In the beginning of Up, Charles Muntz stands on the same stage used in the Disney•Pixar short, Presto.
All the world’s a stage … that you can use again in another film.
For Cars, the filmmakers brought in a broadcast sports director to help advise the racing scenes.
Authenticity is the key to making any Disney•Pixar film amazing.
The original working title of WALL•E was Trash Planet.
Considering WALL•E’s Earth is a planet covered in trash, it totally makes sense.
To model the teeth of characters in The Incredibles, the animators took pictures of people’s toothy grins around the studio.
Can you imagine being the teeth model for Edna Mode? That’s a lot of pressure.
The animators created age progression charts using the school photos of John Lasseter’s sons to help make Andy’s aging believable in Toy Story 3.
We’re really glad our embarrassing school photos are safely hidden in the depths of our parents’ basements.
At a point in Ratatouille’s development, Remy had a mother named Desiree.
When the story became more about the relationship between Remy and his dad, the character was cut.
Andrew Stanton and Bob Peterson thought of the idea for Nemo’s Tank Gang initiation during a car trip.
Staton and Peterson would drive from Pixar’s offices in Emeryville to Los Angeles for talent voice recordings. During their travels, they would work out story ideas, and this hilarious scene was imagined during one such trip.
Originally, Toy Story was conceived as a half-hour Christmas special for television.
We’re extremely grateful that they decided to make it a full-length feature film.
Carl and Ellie’s house number is 18, which is the same as Pete Docter’s grandparents’ house.
Cue the awws.
For the classic Disney intro before Brave, the filmmakers thought about changing the castle to castle DunBroch.
While we love the Disney castle, we think it would’ve been fun to see Merida’s castle at the beginning!
All the child screams in Monsters, Inc. were supplied by the animators’ kids.
That’s the ultimate “Bring Your Kid To Work Day” activity.
Mater’s name was inspired by a real NASCAR fan.
John Lasseter met Douglas ”Mater” Keever on one of his research trips to the Charlotte Motor Speedway. When Keever met Lasseter, he introduced himself the same way Mater does in the film (“My name’s Ta-Mater, but without the Ta”) and the rest is history.
5 Disney Things You Need to Know This Week
In case you missed any Disney news this week, we have conveniently gathered it all up and placed it here for your perusal.
1. We released a video celebrating the birth of Her Royal Highness, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. It turns out that some of our favorite Disney babies were just as excited as we were to welcome the princess to the world.
2. Although we’re sad that Phineas and Ferb has to end in June, Disney XD has announced that the co-creators of the show, Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh will be back with a new series in 2017: Mike Murphy’s Law! It centers on the fictional great-great-great-great grandson of the original Murphy’s Law namesake.
3. The Muppets are coming to ABC with a new series and have been releasing a series of videos from their YouTube Space takeover. (The latest one features Josh Groban!)
4. Disney Infinity 3.0 was announced and will feature Star Wars characters in the Toy Box!
5. Luke Evans tweeted a photo of himself and Josh Gad in the recoding studio, singing “Gaston” for the upcoming live-action version of Beauty and the Beast. They’re going to play Gaston and LeFou respectively!
Which of these upcoming projects are you most excited for? Tell us in the comments!
Google intros new Jump VR platform and improved Cardboard
Google brought virtual reality to the masses cheaply with Cardboard, a DIY headset announced at last year’s I/O conference. Now, the search giant’s building upon its 1 million VR viewers with an improved Cardboard headset that fits smartphone screens up to 6 inches. It also incorporates a new top-mounted button that replaces the finicky magnetic ring so that Cardboard works with any phone. And, in what’s probably the most consumer-friendly move Google’s made with the new and improved Cardboard, it takes just three steps to assemble. Clay Bavor, VP of Product, told I/O attendees that they’d be receiving these new DIY VR kits immediately after the keynote. And for interested VR developers, it’s important to note the Cardboard SDK now works with iOS in addition to Android.
Google Cardboard / Expeditions / Jump VR
Google also announced Jump, its new VR platform for creating and sharing content due out sometime this summer for “select creators.” It’s the company’s way of giving professional-grade VR content-creation tools to the masses so that anyone can capture and share 3D video. To do this, Google’s partnered with GoPro to build Jump’s first 3D camera rig. As Bavor explained onstage, the software works by seamlessly stitching video frames together for a border-free, depth-corrected immersive VR experience that can be easily uploaded and viewed on YouTube.
Jump also happens to be the perfect software companion for Expeditions, Google’s just-announced initiative to bring these VR experiences to educators so that “teachers [can] take their classes on field trips to anywhere.” Google didn’t reveal much about how Expeditions will work or how it’ll roll out to schools, but it’s clear from today’s announcement that Google’s taking VR very seriously.
‘Captain America: Civil War’ – Behind the Scenes of the Next Marvel Blockbuster
While ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ keeps exploding the box office, ‘Captain America: Civil War’ has commenced production. Featuring a huge cast of familiar heroes (Cap, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Falcon, War Machine, Bucky Barnes) and newcomers (Black Panther, Ant-Man, Vision, Scarlet Witch) entwined in a classic comic storyline, ‘Civil War’ promises to be a game-changer for the Marvel Universe. Here’s an inside peek at the making of the film, directed by Joe and Anthony Russo for a May 6, 2016 release.
‘Captain America: Civil War’ – Behind the Scenes of the Next Marvel Blockbuster
Marvel’s Latest Big Superhero Crossover Is Way Better Than DC’s
You know the drill: Worlds will live! Worlds will die! Lots of spin-offs! Marvel and DC Comics are pretty much doing the same universe-changing story in almost the same way at almost the same time. One of them is good. One of them isn’t.
Kotaku editor-in-chief Stephen Totilo and I have both been reading chunks of the major publishing crossovers from Marvel and DC. There’s been elements that we’ve liked and some that have left us cold. Overall, we both feel like Marvel’s got the better offering and elaborate as to why that is in the chat below.
(Spoilers follow. Hover over the top left of each image and click on the magnifying glass icon to expand it.)
Evan Narcisse: These days, it seems like the big two superhero publishers are always doing one big crossover after another, designed to shake things up and keep readers engaged.
But what’s been different this event season is just how similar DC Comics’ just-ended Convergence and Marvel’s ongoing Secret Wars are to each other. I wondered about just closely they’d line up when they were both being hyped but now that they’re happening the resemblance is kind of uncanny.
Stephen Totilo: I figured out any easy way to spot the difference. The DC one is the one that’s bad.
Evan: Harsh but true. Convergence read like what it is: a stopgap fill-in while DC figures other, more important stuff out. It exists to cover for the company’s move out to California, for those who didn’t know.)
Stephen: One emerges from a company needed to move offices; the other from a writer (Jonathan Hickman) building a years-long story to a crescendo. Both are business moves in that all comics crossovers are designed to rope in new readers and compel existing ones to buy more books. They both trade on nostalgia, since the core concept, as you alluded to, is similar: they involve the creation of patchwork worlds full of districts that contain characters from this or that beloved classic Marvel or DC series. The thing is, I grew up reading DC. I read and loved many of DC’s older crossovers. And yet I’ve avoided much of Convergence and have disliked most of what I tried, because so much of it was drenched in DC’s dreary, uninspired approach to its own history. Whereas, I didn’t grow up reading Marvel, have no clue what Inferno is, have no soft spot for its 2099 timeline, didn’t read Infinity Gauntlet, and yet I’m trying and enjoying nearly all the Marvel Secret Wars stuff. Why? Because Marvel taps more interesting creators these days and seems to let those creators have more fun.
Evan: Yeah, the fact that DC’s higher-ups knew that Convergence was coming and somehow didn’t tease or build to it at all is pretty damning. Either you can’t get your creators to play ball or it’s just not that important as part of what you’re actually building towards.
Evan: I read almost all of the Convergence main series and tie-in books, and they largely seem like try-out or paycheck comics for their creative teams. The ones that had actual charm or worked—like the Atom, Shazam, Question, Nightwing/Oracle or Speed Force books—were anomalies.
The whole event feels even more insulting for leaning on cancelled or disavowed versions of characters that readers loved. “Here, buy comics with the Batgirls we know you liked but did away with anyway.”
Stephen: Being an editor-in-chief, I have a soft spot for editors. Being a comics reader, though, I mostly have disdain for modern super-hero comics that seem driven by editors. DC just spent two months printing books that used a bad formula that clearly from the top-down. They published 40 or so two-issues series, each of which just HAD to feature a battles between warring factions of different prior DC storylines (post-Crisis Justice League International vs. Wildcats or whatever). Each of these just had to begin with our heroes de-powered. Each just had to include the moment when the villain behind the patchwork world restored everyone’s powers and told them to fight. You should easily be able to sell me on a new, short series about the vintage JLI or Suicide Squad or post-Crisis Superman and yet… I just HAD to not buy the second half of any of those series. DC should treat more of its creators like Grant Morrison and let them be creative. Thank goodness there are signs of that in the preview books they’re putting out in advance of their June refresh. You are more encouraged by the previews, too, right?
Evan: Yes, I am, even though part of me feels like I should know better. I’m excited by what I’ve seen so far from the Batman and Superman books. I’m not so dumb as to think these won’t be the new canonical versions of the Dark Knight or the Man of Steel but I think some interesting tensions and situations could come from the changes.
The weirdest thing about the vague way that Convergence ended—with the apparent restoration of the old multiverse, and the existence of a new one—is that it seems to be opening a back door to the kind of thing DC was moving away from. When they did the New 52 reboot four years ago, everything lived on the same block, so to speak. Now they’re letting creators sketch out different neighborhoods, it seems.
Stephen: It’s never too late to admit you did something dumb. The New 52 reboot was dumb. They half-assed it, not making it a clear reboot, rushing it to market without seeming to have a coherent sense of their new universe’s history. Post-Crisis was sloppy, too, but Post-Crisis was better-paced with them not relaunching everything all at once. The Multiverse is a good concept. It’s fun. People like alternate Earths.
As for the preview books, I’m torn on Superman. Grouchy Superman seems like, well, not Superman! But I loved the post-Crisis Superman comics so much that I can’t tell if I have enough perspective to welcome varied interpretations of the character. Robot Batman seems silly, but, sure, why not. Take a chance. I was surprised about how much I cared about the Cyborg preview book and like the idea that he’s got mysterious parts of his cyborg body that he doesn’t know about. I also liked the Justice League United book that you highlighted earlier this week, since it seems to have a crazy, eclectic cast. We Are Robin is cool, too, because, hey, we’ve had boy Robin and girl Robin, but we’ve never had every-teenager-is-Robin before. More of that, DC. Go crazy!
Stephen: On the other hand… you’re pumped for Darkseid War, right? A new potential crossover looms. Oh joy.
Evan: Lord.
Evan: I mean, it’d be naive to think that kind of continuity-riven orthodoxy will ever go away in cape comics. But I’m glad more divergent fare like Black Canary (which itself riffs on ideas seen in stuff like, say, Scott Pilgrim) gets to exist next to Darkseid War. So, while DC is expanding their multiverse, Marvel is contracting theirs. And that might be another reason that Secret Wars feels more interesting. There’s a sense of mystery about what the next version of the Marvel Universe will look like.
Stephen: And yet DC’s was the one called Convergence. So confusing!
The main Secret Wars book has been good, the crossovers a mixed bag not surprisingly. My favorite of this week is…. M.O.D.O.K. Assassin! It does a good job of literally telling you where things are. He’s in a place called Killville that is between a district run by mutant-killing Sentinels and a district based on the House of M mutant crossover. The two sides cross paths in Killville until M.O.D.O.K. intervenes. M.O.D.O.K., that giant head with spindly arms and legs who is a lunatic killer is the kind of ridiculous character that DC used to embrace more. (Thank goodness they’re beginning to appreciate and reintroduce Captain Carrot again).
Stephen: Maybe it’s helpful that I have next to no history with these characters. Like, I have no idea if the new Inferno is a proper homage to classic Inferno.
Evan: They kind of don’t need to be good homages, though. Because Marvel hasn’t cut off its history in chunks the way DC has, so the collective pangs for this old stuff aren’t quite so acute. That said, I like the Old Man Logan book this week, more than I did the original Mark Millar/Steve McNiven run that it’s named after.
Stephen: Does it even connect to the old one? I’m flying blind here, Evan! Tell me what I need to know.
Evan: It does, barely. Logan is still surrogate dad to the baby Hulk that was orphaned when he killed all the mean ol’ Hulks in that alternate timeline, so it seems to be a real follow-up.
Stephen: Oh, I thought that was all new!
Evan: (My memory is foggy. I’m sure some commenter will correct me!)
Evan: Part of what makes Secret Wars work is that it’s so different than what came before it. This whole Game-of-Thrones medieval court intrigue set-up is nothing like the Marvel Universe of a month ago. Guess Doom is a GRRM fan?
Stephen: Hey, if they want to homage the GoT show and have a controversial rape scene, too late. DC covered that in Identity Crisis.
Evan: Nova Flame-level burn, boss. Johnny Storm, remember him?
Stephen: No. I’ve forgotten who the Fantastic Four and X-Men are. Good job, Marvel!
Evan: Anyway, we already know that things will go back to a semblance of the previous iteration of the Marvel Universe, with some big changes. But what we’re getting in the meantime is enthusiastic work by the company’s top talent. Like, Brian Michael Bendis wrote Old Man Logan and it doesn’t feel phoned in a la so many Convergence tie-ins. Even the work from creators who aren’t household names—like on the Planet Hulk book—doesn’t feel throwaway.
Stephen: Yeah, the books do not feel phoned in.
Evan: The same story beats aren’t being recycled, thank God.
Stephen: Secret Wars 2099 was surprisingly interesting, though I’m not a Peter David guy. They’ve got a lady Captain America who doesn’t seem to know she’s Captain America when she’s not being Captain America. Weird! I’ll keep reading that.
Stephen: I am a bit annoyed, though, that this crossover interrupts a lot of what was being published and/or seemed to rush several good Marvel series to premature conclusions. I was enjoying Charles Soule’s Inhumans run. Waid’s Daredevil may be long in the tooth but now it feels like they are scrambling to wrap up. This crossover seemed to work into Hickman’s timing but not in many others’.
Evan: Agreed. The tie-ins give creators room to experiment wildly, which probably won’t be the case when this is all done. And you make a good point about non-event books. If you’re not into Secret Wars, you’re out of luck.
Stephen: Some of the non-event books seem protected. The surprisingly-good Howard the Duck and Squirrel Girl books (read the second Galactus issue, #4!) seem to have been unaffected. Dan Slott and Mike Allred’s superb run on Silver Surfer probably wasn’t going to last much longer with or without a crossover. Stepping back, though, I just have to say that I trust Marvel so much more than I do DC these days because Marvel now has several years of letting their creators do substantial distinct runs and a lot of great books to show for it. DC, which used to be the company that was more open to letting writers and artists be more expressive has felt straight-jacketed for a half-decade or more, even with the New 52. I hope they’ve finally found their inner Mister Miracle. They need it.
Evan: To me, some of those DC previews show glimmers of hope. Marvel’s teased a few revelations in a Free Comic Book Day Avengers story, but the bulk of their coming status quo changes remain mysteries. They don’t quite need the same level of hype as DC does, though. Hopefully, six months down the line, each publisher’s line-up will be filled with must-read stuff. It’d be a real Crisis if that doesn’t happen.
Marvel’s Latest Big Superhero Crossover Is Way Better Than DC’s
Evangeline Lilly Introduces Marvel’s Ant-Man Micro-Tech Challenge
While Ant-Man will introduce some fantastic technology to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios is looking at spreading innovation in the real world with the announcement of “Marvel’s Ant-Man Micro-Tech Challenge,” a special contest designed to inspire and encourage scientifically-minded young women nationwide. Marvel has just released a new video featuring star Evangeline Lilly introducing the program. There’s even a few new bits of footage from the “Phase Three” capper itself. Check it out in the player below and find official rules for the contest underneath.
The challenge invites girls nationwide, ages 14 – 18, in grades 9-12, to design and build a DIY project using at least one readily available micro-technology component, which can enable tinkerers, makers, builders and future Imagineers to execute big ideas with a board that fits in their pocket and costs less than a video game. The projects can be utilitarian, artistic or just plain fun.
After completing a project, applicants will be asked to submit a short video demonstrating the project and explaining how it will inspire other girls to pursue interests in science, technology, engineering, or math.
The five winners will each receive: Two round-trip tickets to Southern California, including hotel accommodations, from June 28 through June 30, 2015, to be on the red carpet at the World Premiere of Marvel’s Ant-Man at the Dolby Theatre in Dolby Atmos on June 29, 2015; attend a special “The Evolution of Technology” workshop on June 30 at The Disneyland Resort where they will meet Walt Disney Imagineers who will introduce them to the broader scope of technology and how innovation is inspired during a behind-the-scenes tour of The Disneyland Resort; and receive a tour of the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.
Upon completion of the challenge, a STEM-based girls program in each winner’s hometown will be selected to receive “re-create” instructions for each project. Each winner will have the opportunity to lead a workshop in building her project with the girls in the selected program in her community. By sharing their work, the winners will accomplish big things from small beginnings by inspiring other young girls to follow their interests in computing, technology, and engineering.
Entries will be accepted from May 21, 2015 through June 11, 2015. For application forms, eligibility requirements, official contest rules and more information about Marvel’s Ant-Man Micro-Tech Challenge, visit Ant-ManChallenge.com.
Evangeline Lilly Introduces Marvel’s Ant-Man Micro-Tech Challenge
Sentinel’s Latest Marvel Toy Is A Heavily Armored War Machine
So far Sentinel’s swanky Re:Edit toys have focussed on making some pretty amazing Iron Man variants. But while their latest doesn’t fall far from the Iron Man tree, it’s a bit different: it’s an all new War Machine, one that comes packing heat and some pretty awesome armor.
Scant details have been released for the figure (which presumably comes in at around 18cm or so, like previous Re:Edits) other than a lone image:
It’s cool to see how rounded, slick and sleek Sentinel’s Iron Man figures are, and then good ol’ Rhodey is just a thick, chunky slab of walking tankiness. It’s a pretty snazzy upgrade.
There’s no release date for Re:Edit War Machine just yet, but expect more details soon. The usually hefty, nearly-$200 price tag these figures go for is also to be expected (if not more, given the size of it!).
Sentinel’s Latest Marvel Toy Is A Heavily Armored War Machine
The New Assassin’s Creed Won’t Have a Tie-In App, Thank God
The company finally wised up in February and decoupled the app from the game with a mea culpa patch. And today, it’s gone one step further and promised that Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, the next installment set in Victorian London, will ship app-free this year.
“There will not be a companion app,” a Ubisoft rep told Eurogamer. “For Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, the team wanted to focus all their efforts on the core experience.”
Hum a bar or two of “Born Free” with me.
2014 was, as far as I’m concerned, the first bum year for the whole Assassin’s Creed franchise. Ubisoft clearly overreached, rolling out not one but two full-fledged Assassin’s Creed games, and the strain on quality control was obvious.
Rogue‘s boreal beauty didn’t offset the sense of traipsing through a desolate world with filler storytelling and boring checklists. And Unity…well, pity that busy monster, an ambitious mess of a parkour sandbox punctuated by heartbreakingly beautiful vistas, but whose chief deficiency the media mostly missed in its rush to righteously grouse about glitches: Arno, the pouty lead, was a bore, his characterization flat, his journey at best a story-of-the-week affair.
So given the whole “back to one game a year” and “no gimmicky tie-ins” thing, I’m a trifle more optimistic about Syndicate—though it may also be time to put more than a year between these games. A series that launched less than a decade ago shouldn’t be able to count more mainline releases than years.
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD – Every Easter Egg and Reference
I’m sure a lot of you Mad Max fans out there were able to catch a lot of the references and Easter eggs from the universe that director George Miller included in Mad Max: Fury Road. There are several of them that have connections to the previously made films. Just in case you’re not sure if you caught them all, Mr. Sunday Movies has released a video in which he attempts to point out all of them. Mad Max: Fury Road was filled with all kinds of insane awesomeness, so maybe there were a couple things that you missed. Check out the video, and if you think he missed any Easter eggs or references, fill us and our readers in below!
The DARK KNIGHT Trilogy Fan Art Inspired by Bruce Timm
Artist Dan Mora created this cool piece of Batman fan art. It shows us what Christopher Nolan‘s Dark Knight trilogy would have looked like in the style of Bruce Timm, who gave us Batman: The Animated Series.
The FANTASTIC FOUR SHow Off their powers in New Promo
A new promo has been released for Josh Trank‘s Fantastic Four, and even though it’s tied to MovieTickets.com, it offers some footage of the heroes displaying their powers. It’s got Reed Richards (Miles Teller) stretching, Sue Storm (Kate Mara) going invisible, Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan) flaming on, and The Thing (Jamie Bell) being The Thing. I also included a couple of new promo banners featuring these characters. Fantastic Four is set to be released on August 7th.
FANTASTIC FOUR, a contemporary re-imagining of Marvel’s original and longest-running superhero team, centers on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.
10 Harry Potter Characters Who Totally Messed Up
Even the most loyal of Harry Potter fans should be able to admit that there are a whole bunch of characters in J K Rowling’s books that just didn’t quite reach their true potential.
Forget Harry and his amazing defeat of the most evil entity in the wizarding world; some of Rowling’s creations just didn’t quite pull their finger out in order to achieve their dreams. Or help Harry in his time of need. Or chose Voldemort over Harry from the very beginning. Or betrayed the hero for stupid reasons…
Poor Rowling; how many things has she had to apologise over in the last few years following the crazy criticism and analysis over the best selling fantasy series? From the proposition of Dumbledore being gay, to the killing of Fred Weasley, the poor woman never stops being hassled over small oversights in her novels.
Today we look at some of the more interesting reasons why some of her characters, be they good or bad, made poor decisions in order to move the HP plot along.
Here’s to all the characters who made mistakes, and who messed up well enough in their wizarding world activities to make it onto this list.
10. Cornelius Fudge
Let’s face it: Cornelius Fudge is first and foremost a politician, and a politician he is through and through.
His primary concerns are the viability of his post and his popularity, and when faced with the inconvenient truth of Voldemort’s return, Fudge chooses to deny the danger to the wizarding world. Because he is a coward.
Instead, he puts effort in to discredit those who, in his opinion, threaten his political power, and ultimately shows himself to be paranoid, self-centered and without scruples. He also appears to be somewhat gullible, being easily duped by Lucius Malfoy and apparently failing to recognise Umbridge for what she was.
He’s also just quite a pathetic character, showing few traces of bravery and inevitably doing little for the greater good of the wizarding world.
9. Peter Pettigrew
Can you think of any traits in Pettigrew that are worth applauding aside from his loyalty to the dark side? Peter Pettigrew’s real mess up is his dedication to Voldemort, who obviously fails to win over the world with his evil tricks. But even Peter’s loyalty to Voldemort is not something to be praised.
Scared of everything, the snuffling, unattractive man shows perfectly what it means to be a true coward. His loyalty is to himself, with all decisions made based on what will benefit him the most, from betraying his school friends when he decided his best course lay with old Voldy, to appealing to Harry’s better nature when the right decision would probably have been to kill him.
He gets what he deserves though, when his own silver hand chokes him to death. He should have stayed a rat and run away when he had the chance.
8. Ron Weasley
Don’t get angry, HP fans: this is really just referring to that time Ron LEFT HARRY AND HERMIONE while they were out to save the world. And alone in the woods.
Though it seems unfair to point the finger at Ron with regards to being the weakest of the trio (because he certainly puts in his fair share of effort), this one episode of childlike rage ranks him third in the Harry, Hermione, Ron balance.
Because he shouldn’t have had a tantrum and left them, right? Friends don’t leave friends when the fate of the world is in your hands. Jealousy is not an attractive quality at the best of times, and J K Rowling’s decision to have Ron run off in a fit of anger gives ample reason to lose a little respect for his character.
Thank god he returns eventually, in order to redeem himself. Still, it’s taking a lot longer than we expected to truly forgive him for such an immature display of behaviour.
7. Albus Dumbledore
Dumbledore’s character is complicated, and vast in trying to analyse, though many fans and critics have attempted to on multiple occasions. Despite his poor representation in the films, Dumbledore is by and large always fighting for the greater good, with only goodwill towards his fellow wizards, even if at times he does seem to make strange decisions.
We can forgive Dumbledore his poor treatment of his family, the death of his sister, and his casual curiosity into the power of dark magic as a teenager, because his intentions overall are true.
However, Dumbledore crossed the line from being a stoic leader to a calculating manipulator in his old age, and this is where he becomes a character who messed up. He never gave his followers all of the information they needed to make a free choice. He gave them only enough to manoeuvre them into doing what he wanted them to do (this was especially true of his two most valuable assets: Harry Potter and Severus Snape).
Would he have done it all differently if he could go back again? Or rather, would J K Rowling? We’ll never know.
6. Cho Chang
Cho, Harry’s first romantic love interest, messes up entirely in The Order Of The Phoenix when whatever little spark the two had between them completely fizzles out. From a wet kiss ‘because she was crying’ to an awkward tearoom spat in Hogsmede over Harry’s friendship with Hermione, Cho messes up when she fails to see the real hero that Harry is and instead chooses to side with her friend who betrayed the D.A.
While it’s understandable that Cho has to choose between her alliances in order to keep people happy, her lack of conviction for Harry’s point of view makes her a poor choice in the Potter Love Department. But Harry is her loss and Ginny’s gain, as we find out in the last book.
5. Vincent Crabbe
Anyone who makes a fire for their own vindictive purposes and then perishes in it because they’re too stupid to save themselves deserves to be labelled as a total mess up. A dislikable character from The Philosopher’s Stone, Crabbe’s association and loyalty to Malfoy make him an obvious ‘baddie’ in the Harry potter series, easing any pain we might have had at his inevitable death in The Deathly Hallows.
Making several cruel decisions throughout the series, from hurling a bludger at Harry in The Order of the Phoenix, to learning to do the Cruciatus Curse surprisingly well in their last school year make his fate an unsympathetic one. In fact, it might be safe to state that Vincent Crabbe got what he justly deserved.
4. Griphook
Ah, evil Griphook, the lover of all things gold and expensive. Griphook’s betrayal of Ron, Harry and Hermione in the Gringotts bank caves (if only Barclays buildings were as much fun) is a serious one, despite the fact that they still find the Hufflepuff Cup and destroy it. Griphook’s mistrust of wizards is no excuse for his possession over the sword, or him calling to the bank staff that there are thieves in the vaults.
Well, he messed up entirely there, didn’t he? The trio escape on a dragon, Griphook is called to Malfoy Manor to explain what happened, and Voldemort kills him with a killing curse. So really he got what all traitors deserve.
3. Narcissa Malfoy
Really, her biggest mess up was marrying into the wrong family, but that doesn’t excuse her disdain towards Harry, her cowardly decision to sacrifice Snape should Draco fail at his assigned task of murder, or her ability to constantly comply with her husband even though she has her own wishes.
Really, her love for her son over her loyalty to the Dark Lord is her biggest failing but also the only thing that makes her the tiniest bit admirable. She’s choosing to go against the scariest dude on earth in order to save her child, which makes her a good mother. Still, it’s a recipe for disaster from the start.
She should have kept her nose out and her mouth shut and joined Harry in the fight for the light.
2. Bellatrix Lestrange
Too crazy and murderous to be exempt from having the finger pointed at her, Bellatrix’s worst mistake is killing Sirius. Because how else do you get someone’s blood up than by killing off the only family (ish) member that they’ve only just found. Harry’s rage against Bellatrix is a deciding factor in his continuous hate campaign against her in the last few books.
Her real weakness is her obsessive devotion to Voldemort, putting him above anything else, including her family. Bellatrix’s evil nature borders on total insanity, causing her to act rashly and fervently, and in the Department of Mysteries, it is noted that the other Death Eaters present seem disturbed by Bellatrix’s intensity.
1. Voldemort
Of course Voldemort messed up: he didn’t win, did he?
In fact, in the entire HP series, he’s probably the epitome of someone who messed up. Throughout seven books we have to listen to him go on and on about killing the boy, about ridding the world of Dumbledore, and about killing off everyone who stands in his way.
But crucially, instead of heeding the prophecy foretelling his own death, or hiding his Horcruxes somewhere nobody would ever be able to find them, or like, just having a simple forcefield around them, he became so obsessed with his own power that he basically turned his own arch-nemesis into a magical killing machine.
Sure, it takes a lot of effort on Harry’s part to finally get it over with, but good overrules, as it should do in these fantasy books, and Voldemort ends up as nothing more than a cloud of ashes in the wind. When he could quite easily have reigned supreme from his evil throne and just got someone else to kill Harry and hide the bits of his soul he really needed not to be found.
Instead of putting them literally everywhere related to him in any way like an idiot.
Which other massive mess ups in the Harry Potter world deserve to be on this list? Share your thoughts below in the comments thread.
Friends 20th Anniversary: 20 Awesome Facts You Probably Didn’t Know
It’s been twenty years since Friends first aired and it continues to be a classic and a favorite among its’ original fans and some newcomers.
You Think You Know It all…
Even though I was only three years old when Friends first aired, I wasn’t surprised on how quickly I caught up with the seasons as I grew older and was allowed to watch more than cartoons and educational shows. 
The show soon became a part of my television watching routine as it did with many of my friends and classmates. I may not have understood all the jokes at the time, but that didn’t stop me from watching the show religiously. I still watch the show religiously over and over even if it has been twenty years since the beginning and ten years since the end. Myself and many many others can drop a “Friends” quote into a conversation and easily reference an episode. In honor of the twentieth anniversary, here are twenty little known facts that every Friends fan should know.
1. It isn’t just any frame hanging on Monica’s door, there used to be a mirror in it but it broke during filming. Producers liked the way it looked, so they left it.
2. The show had a few different names before becoming “Friends”: Insomnia Cafe, Friends Like Us, and Six of One. 
2. The show had a few different names before becoming “Friends”: Insomnia Cafe, Friends Like Us, and Six of One.
3. Bruce Willis only appeared on the show because he lost a bet to Matthew Perry. They bet whether the movie “The Whole Nine Yards” would be no. 1 in the box office its’ opening weekend. Willis lost the bet, appeared on the show and donated his fee to charity.
4. Phoebe’s pregnancy was written into the show because she was pregnant in real life. 
5. Joey and Chandler’s big white dog actually belonged to Jennifer Aniston in real life, it was a good luck gift. 
6.”How you doin’?” was rated as the 4th best TV catchphrase. 
7. In “The One After Vegas” Arquette was added to everyones name in honor of Courtney Cox marrying David Arquette. 
8. Lisa Kudrow was scared of the duck. 
9. The first episode after 9/11/01 was re-written due to a bomb joke in the script. Ratings for the show also increased 17% because the nation craved comfort. 
10. Matt LeBlanc had to dye his hair because he started going grey during filming. 
11. “The Rachel” is the most requested hairstyle of all time, Jennifer Aniston actually hated it. 
12. 52.5 million viewers tuned in for the last episode, it was America’s highest rating show of the decade. 
13. Monica and Phoebe are the only pair to never kiss on the show, all the other cast members have done so in flashbacks and alternative reality episodes. 
14. James Michael Tyler (Gunther) was given the role because he was the only one who knew how to work an espresso machine. 
15. The cast was really drinking coffee while filming scenes at Central Perk. 
16. The show was filmed in front of a live studio audience except for cliffhangers. 
17. The cast huddled before every episode to prepare for the show.
18. Monica and Joey’s apartment went from number 4 and 5 to 19 and 20. It was realized that the lower numbers wouldn’t represent upper levels in a building. 
19. The theme song was no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks.
20. The cast had a pact; if one leaves, they all leave. 
Friends 20th Anniversary: 20 Awesome Facts You Probably Didn’t Know
Harry Potter on opera stage
AA Photo
The Mozart Academy has adapted J.K. Rowling’s world famous book “Harry Potter” for the opera stage, with proceeds from the production used to help children.
The Mozart Academy, founded by opera artist İlhan Cinpir in İzmir, made selections last September and gave chorus, theater and dance education to the successful applicants. Eighty students who successfully passed the education have won a role in the Harry Potter opera.
In the cast, Berlin Komische Opera soloist tenor Tansel Akzeybek plays the role of Harry Potter, Teyfik Rodos plays Professor Dumbledore, Serkan Kocadere plays Lord Voldemort, Nurdan Küçükekmekçi Aydın plays Lily Potter, Christopher Varas plays Severus Snape, Burak Dabakoğlu plays Ron, Bahar Çorbacı plays Hermione, Hülya Şahin plays Professor Minerva and Mehmet Alp Özkazanç plays Hagrid.
The libretto of the opera was written by Ali Hoca and it is directed by Murat Göksu. The choir conductor is Fatma Cinpir and the choreographer is Alicia Haydee Varela.
The single-act opera, which mainly features sections from the first and final books, lasts nearly 75 minutes.
The general director of the opera, İlhan Cinpir, said Harry Potter had not been adapted into an opera before, although the material was very suitable.
He said they had contacted Rowling to adapt the book into an opera, and she gave permission with the condition that its income would be spent for the benefit of children.
Cinpir said they first got permission for a single show but then increased it, adding, “After a long rehearsal process, a single show would cause disappointment for the children. This is why we increased the number of shows to six.”
The first and second shows were recently staged. Cinpir said they also wanted to perform two shows abroad if they received enough demand.
The proceeds of the shows in İzmir will be donated to Elmadere village in the province, which suffered big losses in the mine disaster last year in Soma. Also, the necessary tools will be provided to the Turkish Library for the Blind to help blind children read books.
Tenor Tansel Akzeybek, 37, who plays Harry Potter in the opera, said he was not a member of the generation who grew up with Harry Potter, but he watched the series after he got the proposal.
“The children that we act together with know everything about Potter. They show us our mistakes; warn us about make-up.”
Revealed: new image from illustrated Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Another of the Harry Potter pictures from the new Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Illustrated Edition has been released. What do you think?
The image shows Harry Potter in the cupboard under the stairs where the Dursleys make him sleep.
All the artwork for the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Illustrated Edition has been created by Jim Kay, who won the Kate Greenaway medal in 2012 for his illustrations in A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (read about how Patrick and Jim created that book and look at a gallery of Jim’s illustrations). The front cover image shows Harry Potter beside the Hogwarts Express.
Back in December 2013 Jim Kay told us how he would tackle the illustrations and described the feeling of “an implosion of brain-freezing terror” he had when he was chosen as the new Harry Potter artist.
The book will be published on 6 October 2015.
Revealed: new image from illustrated Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: Now in 3D
The acclaimed Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride is going 3D…
…at Universal Studios Japan.
The Osaka park unveiled its revamped Harry Potter ride on Thursday, making this the first of the two existing Hogwarts Castle rides to play in 3D. The original Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade in Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando, remains in its original, 2D projection form.
Photo courtesy Universal Studios Japan
Harry Potter film series actors Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), right, and Katie Leung (Cho Chang) were on hand with park president Glenn Gumpel for a ceremony Wednesday night at the Osaka park to “enchant” the Hogwarts Castle with a special spell to make the attraction run in 3D. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened at Universal Studios Japan last summer, drawing record crowds to the park, which is Universal’s most popular by annual attendance, drawing more than 11 million visitors a year.
Will the 3D version of the Forbidden Journey come to one of Universal’s American parks? Might this be one of the announcements that Universal Studios Hollywood will make as part of its Wizarding World of Harry Potter reveal on June 2? Stay tuned.