The Fantasticar of the MC2

 

Bear with me as I try to get back into the habit of writing again after what has been an unintended hiatus. Today I thought it would be fun to look at the famous first family’s physics-defying flyer, the Fantasticar. So, let us talk about The Fantasticar in the MC2.

 

For consistency, I will follow the designations used in the FF: Fifty Fantastic Years handbook to refer to the various Fantasticars. The first Fantasticar (‘Fantasticar I’), sometimes styled ‘Fantasti-Car’ and colloquially referred to as the ‘flying bathtub,’ debuted in the pages of Fantastic Four #3. Hallmarks of future Fantasticars including Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) and the capability to separate into four separate compartments independently pilotable also debuted here.

 

The second Fantasticar or ‘Fantasticar II’ first appeared in Fantastic Four #12 where the fan reaction to the origin ‘flying bathtub’ design was directly referenced. This design would not only become the longest running but also the template for future iterations of the Fantasticar in years to come.

 

Breaking the numbering system already, the ‘Long-Range Fantasticar’ appeared in Fantastic Four #293 and was larger, more enclosed, and capable of trans-sonic speed which allowed for longer flights.

 

The last Main Marvel Universe model Fantasticar which is relevant to the MC2 does not originate in the Main Marvel Universe. In the pocket universe known as ‘Heroes Reborn’ created by Franklin Richards to save his family and the various other heroes who sacrificed themselves during the Onslaught event, the ‘reborn’ Reed Richards modified a hyper-sonic transport loaned from the ‘reborn’ Tony Stark. This Fantasticar was capable of hyper-sonic sub-orbital flight and could travel trans-globally in a matter of hours.

 

Now, the MC2’s Fantastic Five have their own Fantasticar which is first glimpsed in Spider-Girl #3. Visually similar to the Fantasticar II albeit with an appropriate five compartments capable of independent piloting. We see one section on its own in Spider-Girl #10 piloted by Franklin Richards.

 

In the pages of Fantastic Five (vol. 1) #3, we see a more modern version of what appears to be a single compartment from the Fantasticar, again piloted by Franklin Richards. We see the more classic design a few more times, with at least some compartments seen in Spider-Girl #25 and Spider-Girl #34, though one seems to double as the Big Brain 2.0’s omni-pod used for transportation in some appearance. which depending on the artist resembles a section of either the classic or modern Fantasticar.

 

Finally, we see a variety of Fantastic Five-branded vehicles in the second Fantastic Five series, including what appears to be the aforementioned earlier Fantasticar II.

 

That is all I have for today but rest assured, I think I have found yet another niche topic to explore in the future.

 

Until I stop seeing Star Trek starships in random comic panels, I remain

 

frogoat

       

How I Made My First Marvel Legends Custom Figure

Something different for today! I’ve had a recent desire to get back into a childhood hobby of mine: Marvel Legends! With the march of time, the toy line of Marvel figures has changed hands from Toy Biz to Hasbro and there’s been many improvements in how these toys are made. With that said, I found a bunch of heavily discounted Marvel Legends figures, many of them X-Men related, and on a whim, I snapped them up with one goal: make custom MC2 Marvel Legends figures!  Here’s my first attempt, making the leader of the Uncanny X-People; Jubilee as she appears in the MC2.

 

To start off with, I had purchased the X-Men ’97 series Jubilee figure which has a great head sculpt and detailing. Normally Jubilee figures portray her rocking her iconic 90’s clothing with the blue gloves, rolled up yellow jacket, pink shirt and blue shorts, but the figure here reflects her costume change from seen at the end of X-Men ‘97’s first season. Fortunately, I also picked up the Husk figure from the Nemesis Build-A-Figure series, which has the now-classic Generation X red body suit I needed. I learned as a kid that hot water and Marvel Legends don’t mix, and thus with a ‘boil and pop’ I hit what I thought was my first stumbling block.

 

Oh no! Are the heads not interchangeable? Turns out the pegs are designed the same, and with a little adjustment I was able to swap them over. Some blue tack was required as one head socket was bigger than the other. The boil and pop let me take Jubilee’s coat and arms out and re-place them on the Husk figure’s torso.

 

The second problem, and again it was very minor, was the hands. Jubilee in the MC2 wears yellow gloves, the 90’s version had blue gloves and neither of these figures had either. Enter the Age of Apocalypse Rogue figure which was part of the Colossus Build-A-Figure series. Marked down a ridiculous 80%, I got this and several others in a bundle very cheap. And she has yellow gloves. Everything came together and all is right with the world, folks!

 

Anyway, I’m extremely happy with how this turned out and how easily the parts came together. I’m looking forward to making more in the (MC2) future so stay tuned!

 

Until I figure out how to paint figures, manufacture my own accessories and make my own dollies, I remain

 

frogoat

Mutant Spotlight: Daze

 

The mutants of the MC2 present a tantalizing glimpse at days of future present, allowing us to see how the mutant minority is treated in an overall brighter reality from most X-Men stories. Let’s take a brief look at one of the most obscure mutants to originate in the MC2niverse: Daze.

Not to be confused with the Main Marvel Universe character nor the 2099 character both also coincidentally known as Daze, the MC2’s Daze made her first (and at time of writing only) appearance in the pages of J2 #10. Daze’s real name is unrevealed, though she may be a native of the island nation Madripoor, given her welcome greeting to Zane Yama aka J2 and Logan aka Wolverine.

Daze appears to be around Zane’s age, certainly the two are nearly the same height. Daze also appears to be of African descent, and though some online databases claim she is African American, I cannot see any indication she’s from the United States. That said, Daze is a fan of the Avengers, quickly recognizing J2. Recruited by the enigmatic magnetically powered Magneta to join a potential super-team alongside Rina Logan aka Wild Thing and J2 (unbeknownst to the Avenger himself), Daze was evidently selected for her ability to transform into various gaseous vapours.

 

Beyond the fact she was being tested and evaluated by Rina and Magneta as prospective team member, we don’t learn anything further including the potential finalized line-up of Magneta’s team, nor what became of Daze following Magneta’s turn to the dark side in later stories.

 

I submit Daze for your approval, faithful readers. In a just world, she’d be part of an ‘All-New, All Different X-People’ relaunch book and we’d know far more about her. What say you? Anyone interested in a Madripoor post?

 

Until I stop thinking of Jimi Hendrix while reading about this purple Daze, I remain

 

frogoat    

Spider-Symmetry: Sal Buscema

 

Since learning of the passing of Mr Sal Buscema, I’ve struggled to find an adequate way to show my respect for one of comics’ true legends. I’m deeply saddened and at a loss as to how to convey how much of an impact Sal has had upon the industry and myself personally. That said, I think the best kind of tributes come from fellow artists in the field, so here is just one example of Spider-Symmetry which demonstrates the impact of and sincere reverence for Our Pal Sal from one such comic book artist, Mr Ron Frenz.

 

From the pages of the fantastic ‘The Child Within’ story which ran through Spectacular Spider-Man #178-#183 (with an epilogue in #184) by J.M. DeMatteis and Sal Buscema, we get this wonderful full-page splash to end issue #173:

 

As penciller on Spider-Girl, Amazing Spider-Girl and the Spectacular Spider-Girl eras, Mr Ron Frenz would pay homage several times to long-time Spider-Girl inker and good friend Mr Sal Buscema, with today’s example coming from the final issue of the Spectacular Spider-Girl mini-series, issue #4:

 

Sal’s contributions to the comic book industry cannot be overstated, from his extensive runs across various titles, to his famous and dynamic ‘Sal Buscema Punch’ pose, to his dedication and kindness, not to mention inspiring entire generations of comic book fans and aspiring artists. We have lost a major pillar of the MC2 Universe, someone who chose to essentially come out of retirement to work on Spider-Girl and for that I will be forever grateful. Thank you, Sal.

 

 

Until I manage to better find the words to express myself, I remain

 

frogoat

What to Watch Before Wonder Man

 

The newest instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to release on Disney+ in mere days, so I’ve put together a list of the most relevant previous MCU entries of both the movies and shows to watch before the Wonder Man series hits our screens.

 

 

For this first entry, I recommend starting with Iron Man 3 (2013) which (kind of) introduced the armoured Avenger’s comic book arch-foe, The Mandarin. Controversially, the movie instead delivered a rug-pull moment and revealed ‘The Mandarin’ to be (SPOILERS!) actor Trevor Slattery (Sir Ben Kingsley) playing the role of the terrorist villain in propaganda material for the real mastermind of the film.

 

 

The fallout from the controversial decision was mitigated somewhat with the release of the short film All Hail the King, first released on the 2014 home release of Thor: The Dark World and now easily found on Disney+. The short focuses on the incarcerated Trevor Slattery being interviewed by a reporter who reveals there is a real Mandarin who is very much angered at his title and Ten Rings organisation being co-opted. The ending is ambiguous, with Trevor being broken out of prison to meet his namesake…

 

Next up, 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming introduced the Department of Damage Control, who were responsible for cleaning up in the wake of the Battle of New York seen in the first Avengers movie.

 

Notably, they grow and take on more responsibilities, collecting advanced technology and policing those with superpowers as we would see in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Ms. Marvel (2022) and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022). The most relevant DODC member is Agent Cleary (Arian Moayed) who will return in Wonder Man, pursing Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II).

 

Meanwhile, Trevor Slattery returns in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), having been kept almost as a court jester by Wenwu (the real name of ‘The Mandarin’) to entertain members of his Ten Rings organisation. I’m curious to learn how Trevor made it back from mystical Ta Lo and headed to Hollywood for Wonder Man…

 

Hopefully that’s all the background you might need before Wonder Man releases this week.

 

Until I go full method and gain superpowers requiring cool shades, I remain

 

frogoat