Is it September 25th Yet? #Avengers

September 25th is the date the Avengers Movie will be released on BluRay and DVD.

I am as bad as a child waiting for Christmas morning!! I can hardly wait!

I am looking forward to seeing it again. (and again, and again, and again!)

AlphabeThursday – Superhero Style! “I” is for IronMan!

Continuing through the alphabet, one superhero at a time - This week, the letter "I" is in the spotlight.  If you have been following along, you have probably guessed that I would choose Iron Man as the star of this week's post.

Anthony (Tony) Edward Stark is young, rich, arrogant, and reckless.  He is also brilliant, successful, and secretly socially conscious.

Tony's father was Howard Stark, the guy who built the empire.  In the Iron Man movies, Howard is given a significant role.  He is also crucial in the development of Captain America.

The first Iron Man appearance was in a Marvel Comic in 1968.  He looked like this:

He evolved over time, and by 2006, he was looking more like the guy Hollywood made into a household name.  The deep red and gold make for a much better look, I think.


The comic book version of Tony Stark/Iron Man has some very interesting story lines.  His adventures are sometimes complicated, and occasionally a bit agenda driven, making him a very intriguing character.  In spite of all of his flaws, he was extremely well received when he made his theater debut.

The first Iron Man film was released into theaters in 2008.  In my opinion, Robert Downey Junior was a brilliant choice, and he plays the part to perfection.

The movie takes a few liberties, but does a great job.


Tony gets into a bad situation in Afghanistan which changes his life forever, especially since his heart can no longer function without an arc reactor to prevent shrapnel from entering the chambers  and killing him.

Captured by the terror group the Ten Kings, he uses his amazing intelligence to escape and eventually he goes back to Afghanistan to finish them off.  He deals with a complete change of attitude, betrayal, and even love in the process.


Iron Man II picks up the story a bit further into the future.  The presence of Iron Man in the world has created an era of world peace.  Unfortunately, Tony's arc reactor (that had been keeping him alive) is now killing him.  The key to his survival is delivered by his father from the past.

Additionally, Ivan Vanko, a fellow from Russia, who is tied to Tony in a way he is not aware of, is plotting revenge against him for injustices that were done to his father.  He uses Tony's technology in an attempt to destroy him.  In Tony's weakened state, the plan almost works. This is where SHEILD steps in and gets involved - since another of Tony's rivals has partnered with Ivan and hopes to assemble an army of Iron Men.

In the end, the good guys win, and Iron Man lives to become a part of the Avengers.


If you have seen the move, you know that Iron Man is a vital member of the Avengers team, and plays a critical role in saving the world.  He continues on the path of maturity as well, and is even willing to give his life for the good of mankind.

Since we all know that filming has begun for Iron Man 3, I don't think it is too much of a spoiler, to tell you, that Tony (thankfully) lives.


I am looking forward to the release of the next Iron Man adventure.

Join Jenny at ...off on my tanget... each week for AlphabeThursdays.

AlphabeThursday Superhero Style! H is for Hulk

You probably recognize the big, green Avenger in the picture above.

That's the Hulk.  When he is in a good mood, he is Robert Bruce Banner, brilliant nuclear physicist with a bit of an anger management problem.

In 1962, Marvel introduced this new character.


Bruce's father also worked in atomic sciences, and he was convinced that somehow, his radiation exposure had given his son mutated genes.  He thought that the boy's strength and amazing intellect was the result of some sort of freak DNA accident.

The elder Banner, (Dr. Brian Banner) became obsessed with these thoughts and over time, his neurosis drove him to alcoholism and he was a nasty abusive man.  Terrible things happened in the Banner household and when all was said and done, Brian was institutionalized, his wife was deceased, and his son went to live with relatives.

Bruce Banner continued to suffer - now at the hands of bullies.  He began to develop two personalities.  The angry Bruce filled with pain, rage, and hatred, coupled with the mild mannered Bruce who was hyperintelligent, and very sensitive.

After dealing with school bullies in a highly ineffective manner, Bruce was expelled.  However, his methodology was noticed by the United States government, who quickly instructed the military to keep an eye on him.

Eventually, Dr. Robert Bruce Banner graduated with a doctorate in nuclear physics and went to work for the Department of Defense where his plans for a gamma radiation bomb come together.  He also meets the girl of his dreams there - the boss's daughter - Betty Ross.

On the day the bomb is to be tested, Bruce sneaks into the test area into a shielded spot.  He would have been safe, except - just before detonation, he sees a young boy, Rick Jones, out on the test feild.  He jumps out to protect him, and gets him into a trench, but absorbs a massive amount of the radiation.

It turns out, Bruce's father was right.  The boy DID have a gene mutation.  One that allowed him to withstand the gamma rays.  But at a price.

The result was:


Whenever his pulse races, and he loses control of his anger, the big, green, rampaging beast (with underdeveloped verbal skills) would appear, and he is terrifying!  Only Betty and Rick Jones still see him as the man and not the monster.

From there, my green friend has had many writers, many incarnations, and many faces.  He has had a TV series, animated series, and films.


Most recently, he was in the Avengers film, played by Mark Ruffalo.  I was happy that Hulk had some excellent lines, and great scenes.



And this - is my favorite Hulk of them all... <3



Thanks to Jenny who hosts AlphabeThursday each week at ...off on my tangent...

AlphabeThursday – Superhero Style! C is for Captain America

 Happy Thursday!  Around here, that means AlphabeThursday with Jenny, at ...off on my tangent..

This week is "C".  Keeping with my superhero theme, I have to post about Captain America.  He is one of my favorites.  Chosen for his innate goodness, it was only multiplied when he was given the serum which gave him his amazing strength.



I loved the move - Captain America - The First Avenger last summer, and the Captain was a wonderful part of this years blockbuster, The Avengers.

There have been many portrayals of Steve Rogers/Captain America - and I think that the current version of America's Super Soldier does a wonderful job of conveying the strength and the heart that are central to his character.

AlphabeThursday–“B” is for Batman

I'm glad to be participating in another round of AlphabeThursday with Jenny from ...off on my tangent...  I had fun with the Avengers last week, so I think I will keep going with the superhero theme.

This July, the movie The Dark Knight Rises will be released in theaters, and it's sure to be a blockbuster.



I love the many versions of Batman.  From the campy 60's guy, to today's dark and dangerous depiction, he is one of DC Comics most popular and most marketable characters.

Although he has no true superpowers, he has the best "stuff".  His gadgets are great to see in the films, and a gift to toy makers who get to replicate and market them.  Batman has come a long way from his can of shark repellent!  His armor, vehicles and weapons are fantastic!

The often emotionless, millionaire playboy who moonlights as the Dark Knight meets Bane this year.  Bane is a very bad guy.  Will Batman save Gotham again, or has he finally met his match?

Since the preview trailers are a little bit dark, I won't post any, but you can find them on the website and YouTube.

The Avengers – Finally!

It's finally going to be in the theaters.  I can't wait to see this movie!  I'm sure I'm not the only one who is counting the hours until they see The Avengers.

If you're going, I hope you enjoy the show!