War Machine:

The birth of War Machine

The Masters Of Silence, three Japanese warriors tricked by Justin Hammer into attacking Iron Man, defeated Stark using their technology enabling them to not be affected by repulsors or unibeams.^[25] To combat the threat, Stark designed the “Variable Threat Response Battle Suit, Model XVI, Mark I” (nicknamed “War Machine”), a more heavily armed version of the Iron Man armor designed for all out warfare. After Stark’s apparent death, he left Rhodes in control of Stark Enterprises as its new CEO along with a modified version of the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit designed especially for Rhodes, model JRXL-1000, to continue the Iron Man legacy.^[26] As Iron Man once again, Rhodes used the armor and faced off against threats such as the Living Laser, the second Spymaster, Blacklash, the Beetle, and Atom Smasher. When Greymalkin, the space station headquarters of the mutant Cable, was found near Earth orbit by a Stark Enterprises shuttle, Rhodes was involved in a battle to claim the station involving agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Cable’s team of young mutants known as X-Force.^[27] Upon the revelation that Stark is alive and Rhodes was kept in the dark about it, Rhodes quits Stark Enterprises and the friendship between the two is fractured.^[28] After teaming with Iron Man against battledroids programmed to kill Rhodes, Stark wanted Rhodes to keep the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit stating that the armor always belonged to Rhodes.^[29] Rhodes eventually kept the armor and later adopted the name of War Machine.^[30] When the robot Ultimo went on a rampage, Rhodes called together Harold “Happy” Hogan, Bethany Cabe, Eddie March, “Carl Walker” (a.k.a. Clayton Wilson) and Michael O’Brien to pilot various Iron Man armors to take down Ultimo as the Iron Legion.^[31] He rejoined the West Coast Avengers as War Machine and served with the team until he resigned after an argument with Stark as Iron Man during an Avengers team meeting to immediately shut down the West Coast branch.^[32]

After his departure from Stark Enterprises and his move to California, Rhodes was approached by Vincent Cetewayo, noted activist from the small African country of Imaya and founder of the human rights organization Worldwatch Incorporated.^[33] Cetewayo offered Rhodes the position of Worldwatch’s new Executive Director, but the offer was declined. Cetewayo was kidnapped by Imayan forces led by the murderous dictator President Eda Arul, who viewed Cetewayo as a traitor and deserving of death. After learning what happened to Cetewayo and receiving no aid from S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Avengers due to their reluctance to interfere in a hot international situation, Rhodes traveled to Imaya as War Machine in order to free Cetewayo. Joined by Deathlok, who also came to Imaya to save Cetewayo, the two managed to fight their way through the Imayan capital and evaded capture from a S.H.I.E.L.D. unit lead by Major Bathsheva “Sheva” Joseph.^[34] After finding out that Cetewayo was saved by Cable and was teleported to an Imayan rebel camp, Rhodes joined the fight to liberate Imaya from Arul’s grasp. Rhodes successfully lead Imayan rebels into combat against Arul’s forces and the dictator was overthrown. However, Rhodes failed to save Cetewayo from being killed by the Advisor, the apparent mastermind of Arul’s rise to power. Shaken by the death of Cetewayo and finding something worth fighting for, Rhodes takes the position of Worldwatch’s Executive Director and hired Sheva Joseph, who left S.H.I.E.L.D. after her assignment in Imaya.^[35]

The actions of War Machine in Imaya were controversial and Stark felt that Rhodes was misusing the armor. With his armor in need of maintenance, Rhodes returned to Stark Enterprises to get the blueprints and specifications so he could make his own repairs.^[36] Stark refused and demanded that Rhodes return the armor to him.^[37] The two men battled each other in their respective armor. When Stark tried to shut down the War Machine armor to end the fight, Rhodes countered by changing the armor’s codes. The fight was stopped via an EMP cannon blast by Bethany Cabe, the new Head Of Security for Stark Enterprises.^[38] While their armor was frozen and rebooting, the Mandarin captured Rhodes and Stark and discovered their identities. Century of the superhero team Force Works rescued Rhodes, but his armor was useless thanks to the Mandarin’s anti-technology field. During this adventure, Rhodes and Stark finally reconciled and the two joined forces with Force Works to stop the Mandarin and his Avatars from using the Heart Of Darkness for their plans of conquest.^[39] After the Mandarin was defeated, Stark gave Rhodes the blueprints to the War Machine armor and a fully upgraded armor with new armaments was made.^[40] Rhodes continued to use the War Machine armor in a solo superhero career, occasionally fighting alongside Stark and Force Works.

Bullseye:

While Bullseye technically has no superhuman powers, he has trained rigorously for many years with almost every type of throwing weapon imaginable, developing an uncanny ability to use virtually any object as a lethal projectile. As a result, he can accomplish many feats with thrown projectiles that are impossible outside of fiction. Some of his accomplishments include lacerating a person’s throat with a thrown playing card, spitting his own tooth through a human skull, tossing a paper airplane to a distant rooftop, and killing a person with a toothpick thrown through a window from a hundred yards away.^{[volume & issue needed]} However, Daredevil is a comparatively frustrating target because the superhero’s enhanced senses provide enough information to allow him to counter the attacks most of the time. While incarcerated, Bullseye was diagnosed with a rare form of red/green color blindness calledprotanopia.

Bullseye has exceptional physical conditioning, with the agility, reflexes, stamina, and speed of a professional or even an Olympic athlete. One result of his naturally perfect athletic gift forhand-eye coordination is that his reflexes are honed to a level well beyond that of any normal human.

Due to various injuries, many of Bullseye’s bones have been reinforced with strips of adamantium, with his spine now entirely composed of the substance.^{[volume & issue needed]} This has increased his resistance to injury in unarmed combat. This reinforcement also allows Bullseye to utilize acrobatic maneuvers impossible for an ordinary human (as his bones are protected from fracture). While Wolverine’s mutant healing factor allowed his entire skeleton to be laced with adamantium, the details of Bullseye’s surgical procedure(s) have not been disclosed.

Aside from his ability to throw projectiles with lethal accuracy, Bullseye is also an expert martial artist and is extremely talented in the use of edged weapons and conventional firearms. He has mastered a wide variety of hand-to-hand combat techniques and has mastered all known hand weaponry. Often, his outspoken attitude during combat about using his abilities seems to have become one of his favorite weapons: intimidation. As such, he believes that his attention in the media grants him more effectiveness in combat with a near flawless reputation, rather than an assassin who often uses fear of the unknown.

It must be pointed out that while his accuracy and deadliness against unenhanced opponents is nearly 100%, this is not true when he faces off against superhuman opponents. His accuracy degrades rapidly in these situations, to the point where he misses more than 50% of the time. It is not known whether this is due to nervousness and apprehension at facing superhuman opponents, or if superhuman opponents simply react and move too fast for him to effectively target with his unenhanced abilities. Foes such as American Eagle have commented on and mocked him for this.

Bullseye has a compulsive need to study his targets’ histories, abilities, and relationships before engaging them. He employs this information to attempt to anticipate his opponents’ movements in combat. This compulsion often crosses from the professional into the personal, such as Bullseye’s obsession with Elektra.

Bullseye, at least for a short time, appeared to be able to sense Daredevil’s presence psychically.

Bullseye has used handguns, knives, shuriken, whips, sais, darts, and plastic explosives. His ability to turn nearly anything into a lethal projectile has allowed him to use playing cards, pens, pencils, vases, hairbrushes, golf balls, paper clips, peanuts, paper airplanes, and even one of his own teeth as weapons. He also wears body armor made of kevlar.

Charles Xavier (Professor X)

Powers and abilities

Cerebro, as seen in the X-Men films.

Professor X is a mutant who possesses vast telepathic powers, and is among the most powerful telepaths in the Marvel Universe.

Professor X is able to perceive the thoughts of others or project his own thoughts within a radius of approximately 250 miles (400 km). With extreme effort, he can greatly extend the range of his telepathy. He can learn foreign languages by reading the language centers of the brain of someone adept, and alternately “teach” languages to others in the same manner; Xavier once trained a new group of mutants mentally, subjectively making them experience months of training together, while only hours passed in the real world.^[111]

Xavier’s vast psionic powers enable him to manipulate the minds of others, warp perceptions to make himself seem invisible, project mental illusions, cause loss of particular memories, and induce pain or temporary mental and/or physical paralysis in others. Within close range, he can manipulate almost any number of minds for such simple feats. However, he can only take full possession of one other mind at a time, and must strictly be within that person’s physical presence. He is one of the few telepaths skilled enough to communicate with animals and even share their perceptions.^[112] He can also telepathically take away or control people’s natural bodily functions and senses, such as sight, hearing, smell, taste, or even mutant powers. A side effect of his telepathy is that he is gifted with an eidetic memory. He has displayed telepathic prowess sufficient to confront Ego the Living Planet, while aided by Cadre K^[113] as well as confront and narrowly defeat Exodus.^[114]

He can cause the loss of specific memories or even total amnesia. He can also project powerful mental ‘bolts,’ enabling him to stun the mind of another person into unconsciousness or even cause death. These ‘bolts’ inflict damage only upon other minds, having a negligible effect on non-mental beings, if any. The manner in which Xavier’s powers function indicates that his telepathy is physical in some way, as it can be enhanced by physical means (e.g., Cerebro) and can be disrupted by physical means (e.g., Magneto’s alteration of the Earth’s magnetic field).

Xavier can perceive the distinct mental presence/brain waves of other superhuman mutants within a small radius of himself. To detect mutants to a wider area beyond this radius, he must amplify his powers through Cerebro and subsequently Cerebra, computer devices of his own design which are sensitive to the psychic/physical energies produced by the mind.

Professor X can project his ‘astral form’ into a psychic ‘dimension’ known as the ‘astral plane.’ There, he can use his powers to create objects, control his surroundings, and even control and destroy the astral forms of others. He cannot project this form over long distances.

Uncanny X-Men writer Ed Brubaker has claimed that, after being de-powered by the Scarlet Witch,^[115][116] and then re-powered by the M’Kraan Crystal, Charles’ telepathy is more powerful than was previously known. However, the extent of this enhancement is unknown.^[117]

Charles is a genius with multiple doctorates. He is a world-renowned geneticist, an expert in mutation, possesses considerable knowledge of life sciences, and is the inventor of Cerebro.^[9] He is the leading authority on genetics, mutation, and psionic powers, and possesses considerable expertise in other life sciences. He possesses a Ph.D. in genetics, biophysics, and psychology. He is highly talented in devising equipment for utilizing and enhancing psionic powers.

During his travels in Asia, Xavier learned martial arts, acquiring “refined combat skills” according to Magneto. When these skills are coordinated in tandem with his telepathic abilities, Xavier is a dangerous unarmed combatant, capable of sensing the intentions of others and countering them with superhuman efficiency. He also has extensive knowledge of pressure points.^[118]

Charles Xavier was also given possession of the Mind Infinity Gem.^{[volume & issue needed]} It allows the user to boost mental power and access the thoughts and dreams of other beings. Backed by the Power Gem, it is possible to access all minds in existence simultaneously. Like all other former Illuminati members, Xavier has sworn to never use the gem and to keep its location hidden.

The Sentry!

Character Background:

Curtis Elkins was a Guardsman at the Vault, a prison for super powered criminals. While there Curtis befriended Hugh Taylor, a new Guardsman fresh out of the Army. Curtis left the Vault sometime after Hugh was murdered by Venom during an escape.

After that, Curtis and a few of his fellow Guardsmen joined The Jury, an agency organized by General Orwell Taylor. Their purpose was to track down and destroy Venom. To that end many of them were armed with sonic and fire generating weapons to which the alien symbiote was vulnerable. After the death of Orwell, the firm was reformed by his older son Maxwell to fit the principles of civil rights and the legal court system. It was in fact a change done in accordance with Curtis’ personal ideology of law and order. At a final fight with Hybrid, he was seriously injured, not only by physical damage, but also by mental contact with the symbiotes.

Almost all of his later team members were his colleagues from the Vault, either those involved in the riot, or those involved in the Guardsmen at other times. They include Screech (Maxwell Taylor), Ramshot (Samuel Caulkin), Bomblast (first name unknown, last name Parmenter), Firearm (unknown) and Wysper (Jennifer Stewart).

His former enemy Scott Washington aka Hybrid was also a Guardsman in the Vault.

[edit] Powers and abilities

Although their suits of powered armor were made by altering Guardsmen suits, they are neither identical nor equal, and let the wearer possess different abilities. Sentry’s strength is the greatest of them all. He was strong enough to hold down Spider-Man in one of their fights. He has flight technology made differently from the others, with a ramjet propulsion mini engine installed into his boots. His whole costume is a green-brown color while his partners’ are “standard” Guardsmen colors. He has a powerful energy gun. There’s a lock-pick tool kit inside his right glove.

- Wikipedia

Crazy, although this reminds me about how stoked i am for this years zombie club. Hopefully, im not quite sure yet, but im taking over the club, which means sweet sweet things to come! All invited! Yes, Even you!

Dear Trekkies, This is for you. Haha.

Haha, Oh DC…

Powers, abilities, and equipment

Deadpool’s primary power is a regenerative healing factor, depicted by various artists and writers with varying levels of efficiency. Said healing factor, which was artificially endowed by the Weapon X program, enables him to regenerate any destroyed tissues or organs very quickly. This allows almost instantaneous recuperation from crippling or lethal wounds (Deadpool once regenerated entirely from a severed hand after the rest of his body was destroyed). He can also self-reanimate (that is, come back from the dead), as a direct result of his healing ability. The reason for this is unknown.^[55] This has the apparent effect of slowly causing Deadpool to become more insane every time he dies, to the point of psychopathy and hallucinations. He also never gets tired as fatigue toxins are immediately eliminated by his healing factor. As a by-product of his healing factor, he possesses enhanced strength, agility, and reflexes.

At the time of the gene therapy that gave the character his healing factor he was dying of terminal cancer. An unanticipated side effect of the therapy was a rapid acceleration of the tumors as well, causing them to quickly spread across his entire body as soon as his powers fully activated. Though the healing factor keeps them from becoming a debilitating condition, Wilson’s body is in a constant state of flux and regeneration. The power’s full manifestation also appeared to contribute to his insanity, noted as he himself declared awareness of a growing detachment from reality moments after. Removal of his powers would mean certain death by cancer.

Deadpool’s brain cells are similarly affected, which renders him resistant to telepathy. This constant flux may or may not be what causes his irreverent banter and ADHD-type personality. His more recognizable demeanor established itself from the moment his healing factor began working at the hospice. He is completely unpredictable; a characteristic which has even extended itself to his physical coordination when he has so desired. After checking Weapon X’s files, Cable stated that Deadpool’s cognitive functions would never be normal as long as his powers were active, and later used the last vestiges of his own telepathic ability to correct the damaged areas of the mercenary’s brain. This allowed greater access to long and short-term memories, but Deadpool’s behavior otherwise remained completely unchanged.

For a brief time, Weapon X heightened his powers to a point where he was able to regrow body parts at will - better and stronger than before - enabling him to regenerate a severed arm in mere seconds.^[56] This augmentation also restored his normal appearance.

Aside from his physical advantages, Deadpool is a superb assassin and mercenary, and an expert in multiple forms of armed and unarmed combat and possesses excellent skills of marksmanship. He favors using bladed and martial arts weapons to meet opponents in single combat. His trademark weapons seem to be his twin katanas that he wears on his back when not in use, and his dual-wielded pistols. On occasion, Deadpool comically produces previously unseen weapons from thin air. This was only addressed outright once in a Heroes For Hire story in which Deadpool returned Misty Knight and Colleen Wing’s various weapons to them through mystery concealment. When asked how, he replied “It involves an awful lot of lubricant.”

He owns a personal teleportation device, usually located on his belt. This device, created by Weasel, teleports him away from, and occasionally into trouble, and has been prone to numerous malfunctions over the years. For a time he shared Cable’s “body-slide” transporting technology, with the limitation that both of them automatically teleport at the same time. Early in his original ongoing comic, he also possessed an image inducer built by Weasel. It projected holographic disguises which allowed him to go undercover, conceal his bizarre appearance, or goof off, for example to masquerade as Spider-Man’s alter-ego, Peter Parker, while trapped several years in the past.

A master martial artist, Deadpool has fought evenly with Iron Fist. In a Cable & Deadpool tie-in to the Marvel Civil War event, Deadpool singlehandedly engaged a group of five other superheroes including Goliath, Captain America, Hercules, Falcon, and Iron Fist (disguised as Daredevil) in hand-to-hand combat, though the outcome of the battle was forestalled by Captain America and the arrival of Cable. The combination of his battle-prowess and enhanced physique enabled him to defeat the non-superhuman grandmaster combatant, the Taskmaster, while both his hands and feet were manacled. Deadpool believes Taskmaster had let him win, but he later reveals to Deadpool he hadn’t.

Deadpool uses his continuous, off-the-wall banter to distract, insult, frustrate, and infuriate his opponents. Even when losing, he has refused to keep quiet and his constant chatter has even slightly muddled Daredevil’s enhanced senses. Domino has claimed this to be the most dangerous aspect of his combat style, since he can appear to be completely distracted and disorient his opponent while still focusing on the battle.

- Wikipedia.org

Doctor Strange holds the title of “Sorcerer Supreme” and as such can use magic to achieve a number of effects, such as energy projection;^[59]teleportation;^[60]telepathy;^[2]astral projection^[61] and the creation of materials, such as food^[62] and water.^[63] Strange is capable of creating even planet-wide effects, such as a protective shield.^[64] When casting a spell the character is often written to be invoking the name of a mystical entity, such as one of the Vishanti (Hoggoth, Oshtur and Agamotto) or the group the Octessence. These entities usually lend their power to a particular effect, such as the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, that Strange can use to entrap foes.^[65]

Strange was also schooled in the use of dark magic by one-time foe Kaluu, using it to destroy the entity Shuma-Gorath. The use of this magic, however, is both addictive and corruptive and Kaluu had to purge the magic from Strange before it could take full effect.^[66]

- Wikepedia.org

Character of the week

Dr. Strange:  Bio will be up tomorrow.

I’m not quite sure what my fascination with him is quite yet, although from what i’ve read so far throughout my travels is that he is completely accepting of consequence, and undoubtedly strong willed… Maybe they’re qualities i admire in a person.

Maybe he just kicks insane amounts of ass.

I’ll go with the later.