X-Men: Apocalypse’s New Superpowers & Origin Explained

by Stone Marshall | Jan 26, 2016 | Awesome Book News | 0 comments

APOCALYPSE’S POWERS

Now that we’ve learned just how closely the origin of this take on Storm will stick to the comic books, one might think the same would be true for Apocalypse. As the post-credits scene of Days of Future Pastshowed, Apocalypse would still rise to power (along with his Four Horsemen) in the days of ancient Egypt, and be blessed with the telekinesis needed to assemble an entire pyramid. After that, his powers get a bit more… comic book-ish. In short, he can do just about anything a comic book reader could think of.

For the X-Men movie universe, some restrictions need to be applied. While that might sound disappointing to fans, Singer reveals a new origin for the villain – and an explanation for his immortality – that will have fans more curious than upset:

“He moves from body to body. Apocalypse himself is not a physical form, he’s an energy. I don’t know what he is. What he does is he accumulates powers over the millenia by moving from body to body, and what’s wonderful is he thinks in the beginning of the film he’s found this great body. I don’t want to give away what the power of the body this mutant has but it’s a familiar one that you’ve seen a number of very famous mutants have. It kind of ends up being the wrong one because he gets stuck in it for a long time, but then suddenly he has this opportunity and that becomes his agenda.

“He has a number of different powers that he’s acquired over the years as he’s moved from body to body, accumulating these various abilities. One of them is to imbue other mutants and to heighten their powers and abilities beyond anything they ever imagined. Secondly he can shield from psychic powers, he can form shields so that it makes it harder for a psychic like Xavier to tap in and get to them. He’s not a psychic himself though. He can amplify your power, transform you as a mutant but his ability to physically damage, destroy, or build is in the non-biological world. That’s in the physical world, he can change the inorganic molecules of things.

The one restriction should be immediately obvious, since the comics saw Apocalypse able to reshape his own body, size, and density at will (making him a tough villain to actually beat). The same thinking is likely behind the decision to remove telepathy from his power suite, granting him the power to manipulate others to his cause, but not sense when they may be straying from the path – a pivotal point if Magneto, Storm, Angel or Psylocke are ever going to return to the side of our heroes.

Singer went on to tease more powers being explored, since the possibly infinite number of former hosts could offer plenty of tricks up his sleeve – and the question of where Apocalypse’s true origin lies, as a being of energy, isn’t going to be answered before the movie hits theaters. The core mystery seems to be the one body Apocalypse attempted to occupy, when a mutant ability he craved turned out to be more than he bargained for, and presumably saw him disappear for centuries.

If he’s been able to actually plot or plan that entire time, then the X-Men looking to stand against him will be in for a massive fight.

THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB

So, how do you find the right person to bring to life a mutant who is as old as time, perfectly equipped to manipulate minions, draw followers willingly to his cause, and attempt to rule the world with an iron fist? Apparently, it wasn’t a difficult question, since Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina) was their top pick:

“He was our first choice. When we started talking about Apocalypse, it was back when we were making Days of Future Past and we started talking about who could actually play the part from the standpoint of who could hold the screen and even dominate the screen with Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, all the actors we have.”

That’s a task that Isaac is more than up for, having earned critical acclaim in half a dozen movies in recent years. Ex Machina, Inside Llewyn Davis, Show Me a Hero, and A Most Violent Year may be targeted at a different audience than an X-Men adventure, but given what’s been said about Apocalypse, there’s enough character work to put Isaac’s skills to work. That’s assuming that Singer hopes to make him as nuanced and believable a villain as Magneto before him.

But talent wasn’t the only reason Isacc was a perfect choice. In a world where superhero franchises are regularly criticized for giving little representation to minority actors (or characters), Singer and his team made the decision to cast a non-Caucasian actor if they could. Their criteria wasn’t as explicit as Apocalypse’s presumed ethnicity – Egyptian? Arab? A blue-skinned alien mutant? – but it did play a role in their search:

“In terms of his ethnicity, we wanted it to be someone who wasn’t white so that was actually another part of the decision process, so that was a nice coincidence for us even though he’s not, as you say, Egyptian or Middle Eastern. But really it came from a place of who’s the best actor in the world to us who hasn’t already been in an X-Men movie [laughs] or some other superhero movie, because we couldn’t cast somebody from Avengers.”

Deadpool opens in theaters February 12, 2016; X-Men: Apocalypse on May 27, 2016; Gambit sometime in 2017; Wolverine 3 on March 3, 2017; and an unannounced X-Men film on July 13, 2018. The New Mutants is also in development.

X-Men: Apocalypse’s New Superpowers & Origin Explained

Justice League: Cyborg & Flash Concept Artwork; Wonder Woman Movie Logo Revealed

by Stone Marshall | Jan 26, 2016 | Awesome Book News | 0 comments

With 2015 behind us, moviegoers are gearing-up for an onslaught of highly-anticipated comic book movies in 2016 – starting with Deadpool in February, followed soon behind by the Justice League kickoffBatman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Initially developed as a Man of Steel sequel, Batman V Supermanhas grown into a full-on shared universe crossover movie – with planned appearances by iconic characters from both Batman and Superman’s respective colleagues and enemies. In addition to the titular heroes, Dawn of Justice will also include appearances from Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, and Alfred Pennyworth, with confirmed cameos from several future Justice Leaguers (in various stages of their superhero journeys).

While it remains unclear how much Cyborg and The Flash, for example, we’ll see in Batman V Superman, Warner Bros. has made it apparent that the comic book face-off/team-up features a major role forWonder Woman. Making an appearance as both Diana Prince and Wonder Woman in the Dawn of Justice trailers, Gal Gadot has been a significant source of excitement – culminating in a show-stopping moment during the Doomsday battle. However, Batman V Superman is only the first stop on Wonder Woman’s big screen journey – as the character will return for a prequel story in 2017 (followed by futureJustice League universe appearances). Now, as Warner Bros. begins production on Wonder Woman, the studio has unveiled an official logo for the film.

The logo made its debut on Twitter – as a background wallpaper and profile image for the official Wonder Woman film account.

Check out the image in full below (via @WonderWomanFilm):

The Wonder Woman film Twitter account was only recently activated – and features just one tweet (the previously released image of Gal Gadot in costume that marked the start of filming), posted only 24 hours before the logo debuted. Currently, at the time of this writing, the account only has 1,700 followers (though expect that number to increase dramatically in the coming days) – meaning that the studio is likely just getting the film’s social media presence in place.

How active the account will be, as well as how much the filmmakers will reveal during shooting, remains to be seen – but, given that social media reveals have been a major component of Batman V Superman‘s marketing campaign, readers who are active on Twitter will definitely want to give the account a follow. After all, Zack Snyder’s Twitter followers were treated to first-look reveals of everything from bald Lex Luthor to Aquaman in costume to the Batman V Superman Batmobile, so there’s reason to think that Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins or Warner Bros. PR will take a similar approach with the WWI-set prequel tale. Given that set photos from the film are already appearing online, it’s likely that Warner Bros. will continue to use social media as a means to drown out leaks with a steady stream of official reveals.

As for the official logo itself, there isn’t a lot to analyze at this stage. The design takes blends the classic “stacked” double-W Wonder Woman logo with real-world textures and color themes from the character’s upcoming onscreen aesthetic. In keeping with Snyder’s depiction, the logo looks less like a superhero insignia and more like the symbol of esteemed warrior race – with ornate embellishments inspired by Wonder Woman’s eagle breastplate.

That all said, the timing of the Wonder Woman logo reveal and Twitter account debut is interesting – given that DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. are already teasing several reveals during tonight’s DC Films Presents: Dawn of the Justice League TV event, including a sneak peek at Wonder Woman. So, it’s likely the logo and Twitter account won’t be the only Wonder Woman news for today – given that the studio has also dropped first-look concept artwork of their founding Justice League members as well.

Check out the concept artwork featuring Aquaman, Cyborg, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash below (which was posted over at the DC Films Facebook page):

It’s worth noting that the Dawn of Justice League teaser image is stylized concept artwork – meaning the costume designs for new characters that have yet to be seen onscreen may not be finalized. Still, the designs certainly give an idea of what the studio is using as a template for The Flash and Cyborg, even if the on-screen versions depicted in Justice League are ultimately a bit different.

We’ll keep you updated with any reveals from the Dawn of the Justice League TV preview as well as future updates from Wonder Woman and Justice League production.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice will see theatrical release on March 25th, 2016, followed by Suicide Squad on August 5th, 2016; Wonder Woman on June 23rd, 2017; Justice League Part One on November 17th, 2017; The Flash on March 23rd, 2018; Aquaman on July 27th, 2018; Shazam on April 5th, 2019; Justice League Part Two on June 14th, 2019; Cyborg on April 3rd, 2020; and Green Lantern on June 19th, 2020. The Superman and Batman solo films have release dates TBD.

Read original article here:Justice League: Cyborg & Flash Concept Artwork; Wonder Woman Movie Logo Revealed

X-Men: Apocalypse’s New Superpowers and Origina Explained

by Stone Marshall | Jan 25, 2016 | Awesome Book News | 0 comments

With well over a decade under its belt, movie audiences have come to rely on the X-Men series for regular adventures, a rotating cast, and after X-Men: Days of Future Past, the assurance that even death can’t keep fan-favorite heroes out of the fighter. But when the superteam’s new villain was revealed, fans knew that X- Men: Apocalypse would be sending the mutants up against the biggest, baddest enemythey had ever encountered.

As the marketing rollout for Apocalypse has gotten underway, the scale of the threat has been a major talking point. But as unforgettable as the blue-skinned, armored Apocalypse known as En Sabah Nur – or ‘The First Mutant’ – may be, his origin story and mission don’t just threaten the mutants or humans of the X-Men universe, but the themes and narratives of the entire movie series.

We had an opportunity to speak with director Bryan Singer on the set of Apocalypse in July, getting some hints about the villain’s possible alien connection, what made Oscar Isaac the perfect actor for the role, and the indiscriminate order that he’s seeking to bring to mankind and mutants everywhere.

APOCALYPSE’S MISSION

Until now, the X-Men series has been based (more or less) on a single conflict: mankind’s fear, paranoia, and eventual dominance of mutants. It was a fairly universal allegory for stories of outsiders, segregation and hate the world over – but a nuanced, unpredictable narrative it wasn’t. With Apocalypse, Bryan Singer and writer Simon Kinberg are throwing that idea out the window.

Where X-Men: Days of Future Past saw mutants exposed to the world, threatening and saving President Nixon, it seemed that the ten year jump to Apocalypse would result in more of the same. But that all changes when Apocalypse arrives on the scene, with little interest in the difference between mutant and human – only the strong over the weak, and order over chaos. Singer explains:

“He believes with his heart that order is the only thing that’s going to save humanity, and he will provide that order at any cost…  and for a person who begins as a unifier and then grows in power – What’s the old expression about power? Power does what? And what does absolute power do? Things just never go right, so that civilization goes down and he starts a fresh one.

“In this movie, something happens, he thinks he’s figured it out finally. ‘Oops,’ didnt really go well, he gets kind of buried and then wakes up, now he’s in a different situation than he’s ever been before… The Babylonians, the Sumerians, the ancient civilizations, and suddenly he wakes up in 1983. Now the world’s connected with television and radio. We see it as different civilizations, we see it as “super powers” as he says it, then the non-superpowers, the first world, second world, third, whatever. But to him it’s all just one giant interconnected, overly militarized, screwed up civilization that worships false idols and is self destructive, and needs to be refined and saved from itself.”

Hearing Apocalypse described by the director, it’s clear that he’s as complicated or conflicted a character as any of the mutants. He’s resolved in his beliefs, sure: as an ancient immortal being, he has seen enough to completely justify his desire for order above all else (to himself, at least). And for powerful beings seeking to rule a civilization through order, there’s no nightmare like the 1980s.

It will have to be left up to individual fans to decide how ‘fair’ the survival of the strongest really is, since it could also be said that Apocalypse doesn’t really play favorites. It’s the strong he seeks, as it was in the comics, recruiting his Horsemen to descend the world into war. Those who survive are the ones who deserved to, becoming the building blocks of an even resolved society.

Where he crosses from an aggressive, ruthless tyrant to a figure of religious worship will hopefully be explored in the movie, but if we had to guess, it’s his ability to reshape the world that wins followers to his cause. And even if we don’t know just how much of a role he played in ancient history, Singer promises that his return will be, in a word: Biblical:

“The way I describe him the best is he, to me, is the God of the Old Testament and all that comes with that. If there isn’t the order and the worship then I’ll open up the Earth and swallow you whole, and that was the God of the Old Testament. I started from there and when Oscar and I met we began discussing, since he isn’t really God, he’s the first mutant perhaps, but he’s not God necessarily. He’s imbued with certain unique powers. Some of them may or may not be from this Earth, we don’t know.”

X-Men: Apocalypse’s New Superpowers and Origina Explained

5 Facts You May Not Know About The Harry Potter Series

by Stone Marshall | Jan 25, 2016 | Awesome Book News | 0 comments

The Harry potter series is world famous and I’m sure that all of you would’ve read the books and would’ve watched the movies atleast a 100 times. But here are a few facts which you wouldn’t have noticed:

We all know that the deathly hallows were given to the three brothers by death. Well apparently the three brothers are The Dark Lord – Lord Voldemort with the Elder Wand, Professor Snape with the Resurrection stone and Harry Potter with the invisible cloak.

THE FAMOUS QUIDDITCH PLAYER PROFESSOR McGONAGALL:

 We all know that Professor Mcgonagall was a professor and the vice principal at Hogwarts. But apparently she was a very famous qudditch player. She played along with James Potter, Harry’s father.

TOM FELTON (DRACO MALFOY) AS HARRY POTTER

Tom Felton actually auditioned for the role of Harry Potter and for the role of Ronald Weasley also. But then he was ultimately selected for the role of Draco Malfoy.

SIRIUS BLACK COULD’VE BEEN ALIVE:

 Yes, you heard me right. It was actually Arthur Weasley who was supposed to die instead of Sirius Black in the fifth part. But then ultimately it was decided that Artthur Weasley must survive and Sirius Black must die.

THE FIRST AND LAST WORDS OF DOBBY:

The first and last words of Dobby were the same and it is “HARRY POTTER.” Well it turns out that Dobby is very faithful to Harry than what we think.

5 Facts You May Not Know About The Harry Potter Serie

J.K. ROWLING REVEALS THE MAJOR CLUE SHE TOLD ALAN RICKMAN ABOUT SNAPE’S CHARACTER

by Stone Marshall | Jan 24, 2016 | Awesome Book News | 0 comments

Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part II.” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Star Wars hero Poe Dameron returns in ongoing Marvel comic

by Stone Marshall | Jan 21, 2016 | Awesome Book News | 0 comments

Marvel Comics is going to fill in more of the gaps between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, with a new, ongoing Poe Dameroncomic set to launch in April.

Written by Charles Soule, with art by Phil Noto, the series will focus on Dameron’s life with the Resistance movement and battling against the First Order, prior to the events of JJ Abrams’Episode VII. And yes, Poe’s loyal droid BB-8 will be co-starring.

The series will explore Poe’s standing as one of the top X-Wing pilots working for General Leia, leading his squadron on an important mission — track down Luke Skywalker. However, a new villain working for the First Order is hot on his heels, set to become Dameron’s own personal nemesis.

It’s the third time Soule has penned stories in the Star Warsuniverse, following his earlier Star Wars: Lando and the just-launched Obi-Wan and Anakin mini-series. But the appeal of Dameron as a solo star is clear.

“It’s silly not to explore the idea of a guy who grew up steeped in the Rebellion and the older Republic and all of those myths and legends,” Soule told USA Today. “If you think about it, he grew up the way we did, hearing all of these stories.”

“Sometimes it can feel like the Star Wars universe is so well trodden and so many stories have already been told,” he added, “but the way the Episode VII galaxy is set up, there are opportunities for new archetypes almost, and the bad guy we’re working with is going to feel fresh and cool.”

Poe Dameron, played by Oscar Isaacs, was one of the breakout characters of The Force Awakens, and is set to continue serving a key role as the sequel trilogy progresses. However, given the new comic is set before the opening of the new film, the focus will be on his relationships with his fellow X-Wing jockeys rather than with Finn or Rey — at least until Rian Johnson’s Episode VIIIis released in 2017 and the comic can jump forward a little.

Marvel has previously dabbled in the era between the classic and the sequel trilogies, with Shattered Empire set immediately in the wake of Jedi. The four-issue mini-series dealt with the fallout — both literal and metaphorical — of the destruction of the second Death Star, and introduced Poe’s parents Shara Bey and Kes Dameron.

Star Wars: Poe Dameron launches in April, though readers keen to get an insight into Poe’s earlier adventures can get a head start withBefore the Awakening, an anthology exploring the new cast’s lives.

Star Wars hero Poe Dameron returns in ongoing Marvel comic