Everybody loves a good redemption story, especially Marvel. Numerous characters start off crossing paths with heroes, only to join their side several issues later. The Fantasy Comic League adds five characters to the database who could fit that category. New characters such as the Prince of Power from Guardians of the Galaxy, and Kharsa and Sycorax from King in Black: Namor, clashed with their respective titular characters only to turn around and join their team. The three of them all notch (or are about to notch) their minimum sixth appearance within a year of creation to qualify for score keeping. And then two established characters appear and get automatically counted. Skids, a former acolyte, now has a new role as a mutant-island relationship ambassador; Hobie Brown, the former Prowler, suits up as the latest incarnation of the Hornet.
Book the Week – King in Black #4 (Review score: 70 points; 17 Characters). Eddie Brock, one of the best examples of a bad guy making good, reaches the pinnacle of heroic acceptance. In a stunning reveal, writer Don Cates reveals that the opposing force to Knull is the Enigma Force, a god of light that bestows the power of Captain Universe upon those with whom it bonds. Venom’s cosmic glow up comes at the end of a jampacked issue that features Marvel Girl helping Dylan Brock free the captured heroes and turn the tide (quite literally with Namor being involved) against the King in Black.
Hero of the Week – Captain America (Review score: 20 points; 10 Pts/App). For every action there is an equal reaction, and when an antagonist turns to the light, there is always a hero that falls. Captain America has been facing his own demons in recent years thanks to an evil Hydra lookalike tarnishing his good name during the “Secret Empire” event. His current solo title deals with that struggle as he learns that many Americans still do not trust him, and many turn to less scrupulous characters to fill that vacuum. In the latest issue, Red Skull makes his move and thinks he can exploit this distrust after he frames Captain America for fighting belligerent protestors. .
Antagonist of the Week – Doctor Donald Blake (Review score: 12 points; 12 Pts/App). Thor’s good doctor alter ego is good no more. Doctor Donald Blake has freed himself from the mystical prison where Odin had concealed him and he continues carving a path through Asgardian-infused characters. His latest conquest, Throg, is one of the smallest but also one of the most challenging. Throg, with the help of Lockjaw, gives Blake a run for his money, even defeating him, before Blake comes across Doctor Strange, who has possessed Asgardian magics himself before.
Performance of the Week – Gwenpool (Review score: 12 Points; 12 Pts/App). In keeping with the theme of bad guys being good, and good guys being bad, or just not knowing what side a chaotic character supports, there is Gwenpool. The animated assassin starts off by trying to take down M.O.D.O.K. but has her own personal dilemma about the duality of good versus bad. Realizing M.O.D.O.K. is struggling with some personal issues she rewrites her victory over him and decides to help him instead.
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Key: TU – Team-Up; LT – Lead Team; SC – Save Civilian; CD – Character Development; DA – Defeat Antagonist.
| Black Widow #5 (42) |
| Black Widow (NR) – Agility, Deception, Gun, Melee, Projectile, Tech, Weapon, TU (Black Widow), LT, CD (Hides her family after faking their death), DA (Hydra goons) Black Widow (YB) – Agility, Gun, Melee, Tech, Weapon, TU (Black Widow), LT, DA (Viper) Hawkeye (CB) – Explosive, Precision, Projectile, Weapon, TU (Black Widow), DA (Weeping Lion) Winter Soldier – Deception, Espionage, TU (Black Widow) Antagonist(s) Arcade – TU (Viper) Red Guardian – Durability, Tech, TU (Viper) Viper – Gun, TU (Red Guardian), LT |
| Cable #8 (18) |
| Beast Cable – Telekinesis Cable (Young) – Computer, Gun, Melee, Weapon, TU (Domino), DA (Clone) Domino – Gun, Precision, Probability, Weapon, TU (Cable), DA (Clones) Antagonist(s) Stryfe |
| Captain America #27 (37) |
| Agatha Harkness Agent 13 – Computer, Deception, Durability, Flight, Invisibility, Melee, Strength, TU (Captain America) Black Panther Black Widow (NR) Captain America – Deception, Durability, Influence, Melee, Precision, Projectile, Shield, Shield Defensive, Shield Offensive, TU (Agent 13), LT Dr. Toni Ho Dryad Falcon Hulk (JW) Misty Knight Nick Fury, Jr. Red Hulk Thor Winter Soldier Antagonist(s) Red Skull – Deception, Explosive Sin |
| Champions #4 (52) |
| Bishop – TU (Champions) Cyclops – TU (Marauders), LT Dust – Flight Iceman – Ensnare, Flight, TU (Champions) Ironheart – Flight, TU (Marauders), SC Kate Pryde – Vehicle, TU (Champions) Ms. Marvel – Size, Strength, Stretch, TU (Marauders), LT, SC Nova (SA) – Flight, TU (Marauders), SC Pixie – Flight, Teleport, TU (Champions) Spider-Man (MM) – Crawl, Webs, TU (Marauders), SC Storm – Flight, Lightning, Wind, TU (Champions) Viv Vision – Bionics Antagonist(s) Attuma – Blade, Strength Pyro – Flames, Vehicle, TU (Champions) |
| Guardians of the Galaxy #11 (29) |
| Apollo – Flight Athena – Flight Drax Gamora – Durability, Melee Groot – Vehicle Hera – Flight Hercules Hermes – Flight Marvel Boy Moondragon – Telepathy Nova (RR) – Suit Phyla-Vell Prince of Power Rocket Raccoon Star-Lord – Flight Zeus – Flight, Lightning, DA (Guardians of the Galaxy) |
| Immortal Hulk: Flatline #1 (9) |
| Hulk (BB) – Durability, Melee, Morph, Personality, Sense, Strength, Weapon, SC |
| Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #2 (24) |
| Black Panther – Computer, LT Fat Cobra – Melee, TU (Iron Fist), DA (Undead) Iron Fist – Energy Offensive, Melee, Sense, Strength, TU (Luke Cage), LT, DA (Undead) Luke Cage – Melee, TU (Iron Fist), DA (Undead) Okoye – Vehicle Antagonist(s) Taskmaster – Business, TU (Hidden Dragon) |
| Iron Man #6 (35) |
| Hellcat – TU (Iron Man) Frog-Man – TU (Scarlet Spider) Gargoyle – Energy Defensive, TU (Scarlet Spider) Iron Man – Intellect, Melee, Strength, Suit, TU (Hellcat), LT, DA (Guardsman) Misty Knight – Intellect, TU (Scarlet Spider) Scarlet Spider – TU (Misty Knight) War Machine – Melee, Will Power, TU (Iron Man) Antagonist(s) Blizzard – Vehicle, TU (Korvac) Controller – TU (Korvac) Korvac – Energy Offensive, TU (Blizzard), LT Unicorn – TU (Korvac) |
| King in Black #4 (70) |
| Black Cat – TU (Marvel Girl) Cyclops – Energy Offensive, Strength, TU (Doctor Strange), DA (Symbiotes) Doctor Strange – Artifact, Magic Offensive, Strength, TU (Marvel Girl), CD (Receives a magical Asgardian upgrade), DA (Symbiotes) Human Torch – TU (Marvel Girl) Invisible Woman – Strength, Telekinesis Offensive, TU (Marvel Girl), DA (Symbiotes) Iron Man – Suit, TU (Marvel Girl) Kharsa – TU (Marvel Girl) Marvel Girl – Flight, Sense, Strength, Telekinesis Offensive, Telepathy, Telepathy Offensive, TU (Doctor Strange), LT Mr. Fantastic – Tech, TU (Marvel Girl) Namor – Strength, Water Offensive, TU (Marvel Girl), DA (Symbiotes) Silver Surfer – Energy Offensive, Speed, Telepathy, Vehicle, TU (Marvel Girl), DA (Symbiote dragons) Spider-Man (PP) – Webs, TU (Marvel Girl) Storm – Flight, Lightning, TU (Thor), DA (Symbiotes) Sycorax – TU (Marvel Girl) Thor – Flight, Lightning, TU (Marvel Girl), DA (Symbiotes) Venom – CD (Bonds with the Enigma Force as the new Captain Universe) Antagonist(s) Knull – Durability, Melee |
| King in Black: Planet of the Symbiotes #2 (8) |
| Hornet – Durability, Flight, Sonics, Tech, SC, CD (Gives up Prowler identity in favor of the Hornet), DA (Symbiotes) |
| M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games #3 (29) |
| Cyclops Forge Gwenpool – Agility, Assassin, Blade, Computer, Explosive, Fourth Wall, Projectile, Stealth, Weapon, TU (M.O.D.O.K.), DA (M.O.D.O.K.) Krakoa Skids – Business, Telekinesis Antagonist(s) M.O.D.O.K. – Bionics, Blade, Flames, Tech, Telekinesis, Telekinesis Offensive, Weapon, TU (Gwenpool), CD (Reunites with his father, the Founder), DA (Zoo.D.O.K.S.) |
| Marauders #18 (34) |
| Bishop – Absorb, Energy Offensive, Gun, Melee, LT Callisto Emma Frost – Business, CD (Opens the Moira MacTaggert Memorial Public Hospital) Iceman – Business, Durability, Ensnare, Flight, Ice Kate Pryde Magneto Masque – Heal, CD (Uses his powers to heal) Professor X Antagonist(s) Donald Pierce – Business Sebastian Shaw Shinobi Shaw Kade Kilgore – CD (Commissions a new line of Reavers) Proteus Pyro – Flames, Flames Defensive, Flames Offensive, Melee |
| Marvel #5 (42) |
| Captain America – Agility, Shield Offensive, Strength, Weapon, TU (Doctor Strange), LT, DA (German soldiers) Cyclops – LT Doctor Strange – Flight, Magic, TU (Avengers) Dum-Dum Dugan – TU (Captain America) Hulk (BB) – Durability, Melee, Strength Hulk (JW) – Weapon, TU (Doctor Strange) Professor X Thor – TU (Doctor Strange) Unseen – TU (Captain America) Winter Soldier – TU (Howling Commandos) Wolverine – Claws, Claws Offensive, Durability, Rage, Sense Wong – Magic, Telepathy, Teleport, SC Antagonist(s) Nightmare |
| Miles Morales: Spider-Man #23 (22) |
| Ms. Marvel – Durability, Grow, Melee, Morph, Size, Stretch, Weapon, Will Power, CD (Bonds with a symbiote) Spider-Man (MM) – Agility, Creature, Durability, Energy, Energy Offensive, Sense, Strength, Webs, DA (Symbiote dragon) Antagonist(s) Knull – Possession |
| Savage Avengers #18 (26) |
| Bishop – Gun Callisto – Blade, Weapon Conan – Blunt, Creature, Durability, Influence, Melee, Weapon, TU (Deadpool) Deadpool – Fourth Wall, Gun, Heal, Melee, TU (Conan) Iceman – Ensnare, Flight, Ice Offensive Antagonist(s) Kulan Gath – Claws, Magic |
| Spider-Woman #9 (21) |
| Spider-Woman – Crawl, Deception, Energy, Energy Offensive, Melee, CD (Receives a cure from the High Evolutionary), DA (Clones) Antagonist(s) High Evolutionary – Heal, Intellect, Tech Octavia Vermis – Blade, Deception, Energy, Melee, Tech, Weapon, CD (Kills her daughter), DA (Ophelia) |
| Thor #12 (36) |
| Doctor Strange Lockjaw – Claws, Claws Offensive, Intellect, Teleport, Teleport Defensive, Teleport Offensive, TU (Throg) Odin Thor Throg – Blunt, Durability, Flight, Lightning, Projectile, Strength, Weapon, TU (Lockjaw), LT Valkyrie – Creature, Flight Antagonist(s) Dr. Donald Blake – Absorb, Blade, Claws, Durability, Magic, Melee, Sense, Strength, Teleport, Weapon, DA (Throg) |
| X-Men Legends #1 (45) |
| Adam-X – Agility, Blade, Claws, Flames, Flames Offensive, Projectile, Speed, Weapon, SC, CD (Learns he’s a Summers), DA (Raza) Cable – Tech, Telekinesis Defensive, Teleport Corsair – Gun, CD (Reveals Adam-X is his son) Cyclops – Energy, Energy Offensive, Intellect, Strength, CD (Learns Adam-X is his brother), DA (Crystal Claws) Havok – Agility, Energy, Energy Offensive, Strength, CD (Learns Adam-X is his brother), DA (Crystal Claws) Hepzibah – Gun, Melee, Vehicle, Whip Professor X Raza – Blade, Gun, Vehicle, Weapon, LT |
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