What Marvel Studios Should Do Next After "The Avengers"...

Marvel continues to dominate the market for superhero movies with the mega-epic The Avengers.  In a way, it was a mindblowing miracle for all those super heroes to be brought together in one awesome film.  Kudos for Marvel for setting it all up perfectly ever since they decided to produce their own films instead of licensing them to other studios, thus, finally establishing the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) – a shared universe or continuity among the Marvel movies, or, at least, by those produced by Marvel Studious.    So, what’s next after The Avengers?  Here are some opinions of mine on how Marvel Studios should proceed…

First, let’s enumerate some of the already announced upcoming films that will be produced by Marvel Studios, which means they will be within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). On 2013, we will have Iron Man 3 and Thor 2, while the only sure movie as of now for 2014 is Captain America 2.  The Avengers 2 will either be on 2015 or 2016.  Though still not sure, Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man are the top two properties that are heavily rumored to be very likely made into movies. 

     

Now, let me share to you the timetable I prefer for “Phase 2”:

2013 – Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Ant-Man

2014 – Captain America 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther

2015 – Incredible Hulk 2, Avengers 2

Marvel Studios currently has a “two films a year” policy, so my first suggestion is that they should make it a “three films a year” policy.  That would ensure that more ground would be covered for Avengers 2 to be set up with less time. 

There are no rumors yet for any other hero aside from War Machine that will make an appearance in Iron Man 3 (with the exception of Ant-Man being rumored of having an end-credit cameo to hype his own movie), so I guess the first hero we can assume that is going to be an upcoming member of the Avengers is US War Machine (who already made an appearance in Iron Man 2.  I was surprised he wasn’t used in The Avengers already).     

In Thor 2, a cameo appearance for a future Avenger should happen, like what was done with Hawkeye in the first Thor movie.  Maybe Valkyrie?  With her connection with Asgard, this is feasible.  How about Spider-Woman?  Tigra?  Hercules?  Namor?  Wonder Man? 

                                   

If they can start production later this year, an Ant-Man movie could come out by December next year.  In Ant-Man, the Wasp should be introduced (I’ve always maintained the opinion that Ant-Man and the Wasp should have been in the Avengers instead of Hawkeye and Black Widow.  But better late than never).  And, maybe, even Ultron and the Vision, too.  Hank Pym creates Ultron (establishing him as the villain of this movie) and then Ultron creates the Vision.  Also, how about Scott Lang?  Scott could be the protégé of Pym in this movie, and in the end, Lang would inherit the Ant-Man persona while Pym would settle as Giant-Man or Yellowjacket.  Excited to see a scene like this in the Ant-Man movie:

     

In Captain America 2, it’s rumored that Bucky will return as the Winter Soldier.  I also want for Falcon (a consistent ally of Cap) to make an appearance here – but it’s not an imperative.

The production of a Guardians of the Galaxy film would expand the MCU greatly.  Aside from the fact that it will give exposure to non-Avengers related characters, a Guardians of the Galaxy movie would also explore the trademark galactic environment of the Marvel Universe.  Take note that Thanos had already made a cameo in Avengers, so it’s perfectly set up for him to become the villain in this movie.  Moreover, the best thing about this movie is we will see Rocket Raccoon in the big screen!

Another Marvel property that is being rumored to have a movie being made on is Black Panther.  And I believe that producing a Black Panther movie is a genius idea.  He’s actually one of the most awesome Avengers ever.  And I really can see him as someone that has what it takes to share the spotlight with the Big 4 of Avengers (Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, and Captain America).   And if Marvel Films manages to get permission from Fox, the owner of the license to produce X-Men films, Storm – being Black Panther’s wife and co-Avenger – could make an appearance… but more about licensing issues later.

And before they release Avengers 2 in the summer of 2015, an Incredible Hulk 2 movie should serve as “appetizer”.  I would really want Joe Fixit – the Gray Hulk – to make an appearance here.  This movie should also introduce She-Hulk and the villain should be Red Hulk, who will, in the end, see his wrongdoing and will be held under Avengers’ custody.  Then in the Avengers 2 movie, he will have his redemption by significantly aiding the Avengers on what crisis they would face in that movie.

So then, in Avengers 2, we can have US War Machine, Wonder Man (or Valykyrie, or Spider-Woman), Ant-Man (or Giant-Man/Yellowjacket), the Wasp, the Vision, Ant-Man (Scott Lang), Winter Soldier, Falcon, Black Panther, and She-Hulk (or Red Hulk) to augment the roster.  The roster is now crowded, unlike the first movie which only had six Avengers.  So the challenge for the writers is to utilize all of them so well that everybody would have their moments.  I don’t mean all should shine equally in the movie.  Premium Avengers will shine the most, of course. But the rest of the Avengers should not be mere background characters; each one should be significantly remembered.

After Avengers 2, we proceed to a “Phase 3”.  I have no clear timetable suggestion for Phase 3, but the films after Avengers 2should set up TWO Avenger movies for 2018 or, better, 2017.  It is imperative for A Heroes for Hire (Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson and Jason Statham are perfect to play Luke Cage and Iron Fist, respectively... especially “the Rock” as Luke Cage.  Just perfect!) movie and a Dr. Strange movie to be made in this period.  And more importantly, Marvel Studios should find a way that will allow them to use characters – X-Men, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Daredevil – that were licensed to other studios (20^thCentury Fox, Sony, Columbia).  They can buy back the licenses or co-produce the movie with these studios… I don’t care what they do, as long as they get it done!

For 2018 (or 2017), as I’ve said, two Avengers movies should be made.  The first is a Secret Avengers movie.  To those of you who aren’t aware of the “Secret Avengers”, this is the black ops arm of the Avengers.  The roster I’m picturing for this movie is going to be made up of something like this: Captain America, Shang-Chi, Beast, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Valkyrie, War Machine, Sharon Carter (should be introduced in Captain America 2 or 3), Ant-Man, and Venom (will explain this later).  Captain America’s going to be the leader… or Hawkeye, if there is no Cap in the movie roster.  This is going to be a darker movie than the usual Avengers movie, because, remember, this is a black ops strike team.  Thus, they need to operate secretly, coldly, and detached.  I.e. plenty of killing.

Let me first explain about Venom being on the team.  If Marvel Studios managed to work together with Columbia, they can produce first a Venom movie prior to Secret Avengers.  But before even that, Venom should be the villain in The Amazing Spider-Man 3, where Spidy would don the black symbiote first, and then after he gets rid of it, it would find Eddie Brock (much like what happened in Spider-Man 3, but cooler and more badass… and no Sandman.  Just pure Spider-Man vs. Venom).  After Spidy beats Venom and the authorities contained/capture him, the post-credit scene will show how some government figures (maybe those shadowy figures that Nick Fury was reporting to in The Avengers) are talking of using it for the military.  In Venom, it will show how the government project on the symbiote went through.  It’s going to be an origin movie on how Flash was chosen to be the operative to host the symbiote.  Eddie Brock could come back as Anti-Venom and be the villain in this movie.  Or Carnage.  Spider-Man could cameo.  In the end scene, Flash could become unstable, which will lead to him being captured by an Avengers containment crew consisting of Red Hulk, Beast, Giant-Man, Captain America, and Thor (lightning to finally subdue the symbiote).  In a post-credits scene, Flash offered to be supervised by the Avengers.   

Yeah, I really like this current Venom.  And I really really want him to be put into the big screen and in the roster of a Secret Avengers movie. 

The second Avengers movie for 2018 (or 2017) is New Avengers.  The movie should follow a similar plot of the “New Avengers” episode of The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes animated series:  the Avengers team was thought to be dead (but were actually only displaced in space-time), so a new Avengers team replaced them to save the day for that episode.  The same way, in the movie, the members of the roster in the first three Avengers movies are neutralized – either they were captured by the enemies or was thought to be killed (but will be revealed to be alive in the end).  So a new set of Avengers are assembled to save the captured original Avengers or/and save the world from a threat.  The line-up is going to be made up of Spider-Man, Wolverine, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Daredevil, Dr. Strange, Ms. Marvel, and the Thing.  Daredevil could be a reboot, or Ben Afleck can reprise the role.  But Wolverine should definitely be played by Hugh Jackman.  The design for the Thing in this movie should be more badass than the silly one in the FF movies.  In the climax, the original Avengers are rescued or revealed to be alive, and together with the New Avengers, they fight the enemies in one epic final battle – the greatest battle sequence ever made in movie history! 

I have no more ideas for a “Phase 4”.  Maybe Marvel Studios can end the saga with New Avengers and start anew.  Or they can go on, but I’ve no more clear and solid fantasies for beyond New Avengers.    

And maybe by 2018, DC finally catches up with Marvel in doing superhero movies and by then, a Justice League movie is finally made.  And then an Avengers vs. Justice League movie will be done on 2020. 

OK, all of these are just farfetched fantasies of mine.  Not really feasible.  But I can dream, right?  Still, thinking of the possibilities – though unlikely to happen – makes the geek in me totally excited.  

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Top 10 Fictional Cowboys/Gunfighters

The American Wild West is the most romantic historical setting I’ve ever encountered.  Even more romantic than the best setting of fantasy itself, the Middle Ages.  Thus, I consider the legend of Western heroes – the cowboys and gunfighters – bigger and more kickass than the legend of chivalrous knights (maybe because cowboys and gunfighters are more of anti-heroes than heroes, while knights are mostly more of the hero kind.  And we all know that anti-heroes usually have more depth than heroes).  And not only knights, I even consider cowboys and gunfighters better than other romanticized historical characters like samurais, ninjas, and pirates.  Indeed, knights, pirates, ninjas, and samurais’ fictional or legendary interpretations have their own respective unique appeals.  But it is with fiction’s portrayal of cowboys and gunfighters that I found to be most fascinating.  Listed are the 10 fictional “cowboy/gunfighter” characters I liked most. 

Note: you will notice that most characters in this list aren’t from pure Westerns.  It just happens that there are more characters that interested me in sci-fi Western or mashed-up Western genres than the usual plain Western.     

10.) QUICK DRAW McGRAW

The 10^th spot almost went to James T. West and Artemus Gordon (from the “Wild Wild West” TV show, which was also eventually made into a movie).   But as I think more as I construct this list, in the end, I decided to give the spot to Quick Draw in spite of him being “cartoony”.  Why to an anthropomorphic Hanna-Barbera cartoon character?  Well, because of the character’s uniqueness of being a Western law man that has a masked vigilante alter ego!  That is something I haven’t found in other gunfighter characters.  Quick Draw’s main vocation is a sheriff.  That is badass, already.  But – not content with having this cool job – he would sometimes also don a Zorro-like masked identity called “El Kabong” – having the trademark attack  of swinging down with a rope crying “OLAYYYEEE!”, and slamming an acoustic guitar on his opponent’s head with a “KABOOONG!” shout.

   

9.) COLT

Among all the protagonists of “Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs”, the most “cowboy” among them – or the only one who was actually patterned with the cowboy stereotype (the other two male leads, Saber and Fireball, are based on a Scottish Highland cavalier and a race car driver, respectively) – is Colt.    He has a perfect accuracy with the gun.  And he also has a small spaceship named, with a very cowboy sound to it, “the Bronco Buster”. 

8.) JAKE LONERGAN

I haven’t read the graphic novel yet, but I did watch the “Cowboys & Aliens” movie.  Both Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig’s characters were badass in the movie, but Craig’s stood out more (since he was the lead after all).  His character, Jake Lonergan, was an infamous, wanted outlaw.  When the audience first encountered him, he was amnesiac and had an alien metal bracelet around his wrist.  He had no idea who he was and how the bracelet got around his wrist.  As the story proceeds on, it is revealed that Jake, along with his lover, was along the first humans abducted by the invading aliens.    His lover was killed in an experiment by the aliens but Jake was able to escape, stealing the bracelet – a standard alien weapon – along the way.  However, abducted humans were given some “hypnotism” by the aliens, making them catatonic or amnesiac, explaining why Jake had lost his memory.  After regaining his memory, which includes the location of the alien base, Jake would lead an unlikely party of humans – made up of cowboys, outlaws, and Indians – to rescue the abducted humans and to fight off the alien invasion.  The Wild West humans were heavily outmatched to such advance technology wielded by the aliens and only Jake’s stolen bracelet weapon allowed the possibility of doing some actual damage.  Still, with Jake leading them, and with humanity’s stubbornness, resiliency, and cunning, they were able to beat the aliens in spite of the great disadvantage.  

7.) LEE SCORESBY

Lee Scoresby is a cowboy mercenary aeronaut from the fantasy world of Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy.  Originally from the country of Texas, Lee spent most of his adventures in the northern land, where he met and fought side by side with his bestfriend, the armored bear, Iorek Byrnison.  He is an expert sharpshooter with the gun.  As an aeronaut, he is very skilled and meticulous in piloting his balloon.  In “The Golden Compass” film, he was perfectly played by Sam Elliot, who isn’t a stranger with Westerns.  Sam Elliot’s performance, the appeal of a cowboy on a balloon (instead of on a horse) on the Artic (instead of a Wild West setting), and remaining badass despite an advanced age made me mightily like the character.

6.) MALCOLM “MAL” REYNOLDS

Mal is the protagonist of the cult hit space western “Firefly” (and its spin-off movie “Serenity”).  His demeanor and disposition is definitely that of a Western cowboy.  He is a courageous, cunning, intellectual, and strong leader.   He is a skilled fighter and has –a recurring element of most characters on this list – very good shooting skills.  He is, as described by creator Joss Whedon, “everything that a hero is not.”  Mal greatly reminds me of Han Solo, but I surprisingly like Mal more than Han.  During the Unification War against the Alliance, Mal volunteered for the Independents (the losing side in the war).  During his stint for the Independents, he rose to the rank of sergeant and it was implied he also was able to hold a brevetted rank of captain.  After the war, Mal acquired an old, cranky Firefly-class transport ship which he named “Serenity” after the Battle of Serenity Valley, the deciding battle of the war.  With his eccentric crew, Mal makes his living by smuggling and cargo transport.               

5.) JONAH HEX

Both Marvel Comics and DC Comics have Western characters in their mainstream universes.  But among these characters, I think the most popular is Jonah Hex (because he is the character I’m most familiar with, and, most likely, most familiar to you, too).  Hex is a scarred bounty hunter in the DC Universe’s Wild West.  He is very gruff and cynical, an infamous and ruthless killer, but honorable and will protect and avenge the innocent and weak.  Despite being blind in one eye, he displays close to superhuman accuracy with the gun.  He displays equal excellence in shooting with both his right and left hand.  He’s also very fast on the draw that he can shoot multiple opponents before any of them can draw their guns or get a shot off.  He is indeed a very skillful shooter that when he was transported to the future, he still managed to outgun everybody that has modern weaponry in spite of just using single-action revolvers.  On time-travel storylines, Hex managed to meet modern characters in the DC Universe.  He is such a badass that he had bested Batman in combat at more than one time.               

4.) THE MAN WITH NO NAME

Brilliantly played by Clint Eastwood, “The Man with No Name” (“Uumo senza nome” in Italian) is the protagonist of Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns (the best known being the epic “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”).  He is a lone, quiet, stern, and tough character with a high but unconventional sense of justice. He has a lightning fast draw and brilliant shooting skills.  Though he is “the Good” in the “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” trio, he is not really a straight moral guy, but he, being a bounty hunter, lives for the gold and money.         

3.) THE LONE RANGER

The Lone Ranger, could be, the most iconic Western fictional hero in this list.  He is such an immortal icon that his masked appearance, his music theme, and his catchphrase (“Hi-yo, Silver! Away!”) are widely known to many.  He is a former Texas Ranger, along with his Indian sidekick Tonto, who fights injustice in the Wild West.  He conducts himself with a strict moral code that as a pop culture icon, he is a significant role model to audiences.  My most favorite thing about the Lone Ranger is he only uses silver bullets – not because he fights werewolves (he doesn’t) – but because they serve to remind him that life is precious and, like his silver bullets, should not be wasted (that’s very poetically beautiful!).             

2.) BRAVESTARR

Marshall BraveStarr is the first cowboy/gunfighter that I really liked and to whom I give credit for introducing me to the charm and romance of the Western genre.  He serves as the sheriff of New Texas, a pioneer colony in a planet that has an environment that mirrors the Wild West.  He has Native American ancestry and can summon superpowers from the “spirit of animals”.  These powers are “Strength of the Bear” (super-strength), “Speed of the Puma” (super-speed), “Eyes of the Hawk” (super-sight), and “Ears of the Wolf”(super-hearing).  Aside from these powers, he also carries a “Neutra-laser” pistol and a “Trans-Freezer” rifle.            

1.) ROLAND DESCHAIN

Roland Deschain is the protagonist of Stephen King’s epic “The Dark Tower” series (you got to read the entire awesome series to appreciate Roland greatly).  He is the last of the Gunslingers, a venerable order of highly skilled combatants, peacekeepers and diplomats patterned with the gunfighters of the Wild West and the knights of Arthurian legend.  He is the youngest ever to become a gunslinger (showing how talented and stubborn he is) at the age of 14.  Roland’s personality and image is heavily based on “The Man with No Name” (the number 4 in this list), while his quest and individual struggles are based on the Robert Browning poem, “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”.  He has superhuman accuracy and lightning fast draw, that his hand becomes a blur when he draws his six-shooters.  He is an excellent shooter with both left and right hands.  Aside from amazing gun shooting prowess, he is also very proficient in other weapons and skills (Gunslingers are greatly trained in different disciplines and expertise) and possesses great tactical and intellectual capacity.  Though mostly detached, cold, and ruthless, he also can sympathize with the weak and can invest love to people he cares for.  However, his obsession for the Dark Tower is greater than any heroism he possesses or concern he has on people.  With his actions resulting, directly or indirectly, to the loss of the people he cared for, he is left mentally and emotionally scarred – their deaths burdened him till the end.  He is a lonely man on a quest, not only to save the universe, but to find his redemption as well.

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Top 10 Fictional Archers

Archery is a sport that, once you try, is pretty addicting.  However, using arrows to kill is very different from aiming for an immobile, inanimate target.  Arrows are indeed very dangerous, but arrows aren’t that lethal as we generally think. A shot from an arrow won’t get you killed instantly as with a bullet.   Usually, an arrow, upon entry to the body, cleanly plugs the wound and keeps the insides intact.  Thus, it prevents the one hit from dying from excessive loss of blood.  Pulling out the arrow is actually more dangerous than getting hit since it will tear blood vessels open.  A bullet, in comparison, is far more lethal since it will completely destroy the insides once it hit, causing massive bleeding.  That’s why it’s not unknown for arrowheads to be dipped with poison, to kill more efficiently. 

Our idea of the lethality of the arrow is because of our encounter with fiction.   In fiction, a target immediately gets killed after getting hit by an arrow.  And the romanticism of the arrow shot gets easily stamped on our minds because of the talented, hawk-eyed archer that released it.  Despite of the difficulty of angle and great distance, the archer hit ridiculous targets with ease and deadly accuracy.  This is the romantic charm of archery in fiction.

10.) RURIKO IKUSAWA

She is a Gatekeeper for A.E.G.I.S, a secret organization that combats alien invaders called, uh, Invaders.  Being a Gatekeeper, she can open a gate which allows her to access power from a different dimension.  To release the power of her gate, she makes use of a bow and arrow (the arrows are interestingly held on a canister on her thigh).     

9.) HANK THE RANGER

In the “Dungeon & Dragons” TV show, teenagers are transported to a fantasy realm and each one are given magical weapons.  Hank was given a magical bow that can shoot out energy arrows.  These arrows can be used as traditional projectiles or tools used for grappling-and-climbing, tying up enemies, or for providing illumination.  Being steadily courageous and cool-headed – valuable assets of an archer – he is the natural leader of the group.    

8.) SUSAN PEVENSIE

Being one of the Pevensie siblings, she is one of the main characters of the first two Narnia books (and movies).  Susan is known for her great beauty, that during her reign of Narnia with her siblings, many royal suitors from different countries asked her hand for marriage.  Her beauty’s reputation is only rivaled by her reputation with the bow and arrow.  In the first book, Father Christmas gave her a bow and arrows along with the horn that sends aid when blown.  She would eventually become an excellent archer.  She was even able to best Trumpkin the dwarf – with dwarves being known to be the best archers in Narnia – in an archery competition.  In the Prince Caspian movie, Susan’s ability is gloriously displayed in the Second Battle of Beruna. 

7.) KATNISS EVERDEEN

I haven’t read the books yet, but I have watched the “The Hunger Games” movie.  And I found Katniss a very strong female character.  As a tribute competing for the battle royal Hunger Games, Katniss has a high aptitude for survival.  She is known to be very talented with hunting with the bow, so it was a no-brainer that it was the weapon she chose to wield during the competition.  Her name – Katniss – is derived from the aquatic plant that is abundant around her home district, District 12.  Interestingly, the Katniss plant is also known as “arrowhead” and belongs to the genus Sagittaria, or “the Archer.”  Indeed, her skills in archery are hinted even in her name.      

6.) URYŪ ISHIDA

Uryū is a left-handed, chivalrous Quincy.  Since Quincies and Shinigamis are mortal enemies, he and the main protagonist of “Bleach”, Ichigo, once clashed but eventually became allies and friends.  His Quincy abilities allow him to absorb spiritual energy and re-shape it into different kinds of bows – with each bow getting stronger as the story progresses and Uryu also gaining more power and strength – which release powerful energy arrows or attacks.  Being intelligent, Uryu would usually search the weak spot of an opponent during combat and aim for that.  

5.) JOHN RAMBO

Rambo is one of the most iconic movie characters ever.  With his training as a Green Beret (Special Forces) and experience as a POW (he was tortured regularly when he was one), Rambo is toughened into an intense, badass combat machine proficient in survival and guerilla warfare.  Yes, he had used several weapons during the film saga – from knives to guns to rocket launchers.  But the weapon he used that stood out the most was the bow.  With the bow, Rambo possesses awesome accuracy and can take out opponents armed with guns.  But best of all, he made exploding arrows part of his arsenal!  Again, let me repeat that… EXPLODING ARROWS!!!

4.) ROBIN HOOD

Robin Hood is definitely the most iconic and most popular of all fictional archers (There are some who say that Robin Hood has been an actual historical character.  That could be true, but the idea we have of him is through the legend and fiction).  There are different retellings of the legend – through books, movies, animation, comics, and TV shows – but the core of the character is the same:  a heroic outlaw during the medieval period with excellent archery skills who steals from the spoiled rich and gives to the oppressed poor.   (Note: the image I used above is of my two most favorite Robin Hood portrayals: the Kevin Costner-portrayal in “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” and the anthromorphic fox-portrayal from the Disney animated movie) 

   

2.) & 3.) GREEN ARROW & HAWKEYE

The number two and three spots belong to these two and are interchangeable between them.   They are definitely just clones of each other (Green Arrow was created first though).  Hawkeye is Marvel’s talented superhero archer, while Green Arrow is DC’s talented superhero archer.  Both possess awesome accuracy.  Both use trick arrows – arrows with different special functions.   Both are capable martial artists and fencers in close combat.  Both came back from the dead.  Heck, even their wives – Mockingbird and Black Canary – have plenty of similarities with each other.  Still, in spite of the similarities that could lessen the uniqueness of the characters, I find them fascinating superheroes.  Green Arrow was meant to be an archery-themed Batman.  Hawkeye’s transition from crook to prominent Avenger and leader, as well as becoming a size-changing Goliath and a katana-wielding Ronin (transforming himself from a long range-type combatant to a melee-type combatant) at some points in his superhero career, gave great depth to his character.  Archery-themed superheroes seem to be silly, but the comicbooks effectively portrayed the two of them as great and lovable characters.    

1.) LEGOLAS

No other fictional archer impressed me much more than Legolas.  I haven’t read the LOTR books yet when I first saw the first LOTR film.  I would eventually read the books, but Legolas’ talent as an archer was not presented in great detail in the literature.   Legolas’ performance on the big screen was a lot more magnificent than the archery prowess that was implied in the books.  Legolas would shoot the most ridiculous arrow shots I’ve ever seen.  Not only would he shoot with deadly accuracy that is typical with exceptionally talented fictional archers, but he would also pull out, nock, draw, aim, and shoot an arrow in such fast and fluid fashion that the speed of arrows being released is no different from the speed of bullets being shot from a revolver.   Sometimes, he would even draw and fire two or three arrows at the same time.  In the third film, Legolas’ skill was shown at its best display when he was able to take down even a monstrous oliphaunt (a gigantic elephant-like creature).          

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My First Musical Performance with My Family

As a special number in our church service, my mother, my sister, and I performed instrumentals of some hymns.  First, we played "Where Jesus is, Tis' Heaven".  My sister played the violin, my mother played the bandurria, and I played the acoustic guitar.  Then, we played "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus" and "Mansion Over the Hilltop".  On these two, my sister played the bandurria, my mother played the acoustic guitar, and I played the mandolin.  It was wonderful to perform and praise God on stage for the first time with my family (My father wasn't able to perform with us since he can't play any instrument. However, next time there's a musical number by the family, he should join us and do the vocals!).  And in spite of the pain I am in now, it didn't hinder me in praising God with all my heart.  Indeed, no matter what the circumstance is, good or bad, I should praise God!

    

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Chain of Thoughts: Let Me Rant... Because, Obviously, I'm Not OK

• There’s indeed something wrong with me.  So funny that just a few days ago, I have been extremely happy.  But just recently, this happiness was forcibly taken away from me.  As if Dementors sucked it off…

• So forgive my ranting.  I need this.  “Writing is therapy”, as I always say.

• What am I feeling right now?  Hmmm.  Sad.  Hurt.  Frustrated.  Disgusted.  Angry.  Self-pity.  Helpless.  Sick.  These emotions come in waves… one at a time or all at the same time.  Sometimes I succeed in stopping the flush of pains.  Sometimes, I fail.  I think I would not be exaggerating that among the heartbreaking things that happened in my life, this is the worst.  To be fair, God has saved  me from severe heartbreaks in life (Thank you, Lord.), so not much heartbreaks to compare this to.  Still, never been this sad before.

• Also, never been so angry like this before.  Rage boils inside.  It feels like I want to GRAB SOMEONE’S HAIR AND THEN SLAM THE HEAD OVER AND OVER AGAIN AGAINST THE WALL, BREAK THE SPINE LIKE A MATCHSTICK, AND THEN SLAM THE BODY ALL AROUND THE PAVEMENT LIKE A RAGDOLL!!!! RAAAAAAAWWWR!!!!

• The “somebody” I mentioned above doesn’t really mean a person.  Any anger I have on some people are fading, and any anger that I feel is mostly on the situation.  Yep, I want to beat something intangible like the situation into pulp as if it’s something tangible.  Irrational?  Yep.  Anger inspires a lot of irrationality.  Just as a raging Hulk would even pick a fight with the rain and lightning.

• It seems gratifying to be able to be like the Hulk, able to just let your rage explode and violently go berserk – screaming, smashing, and pulverizing.  The release could be the greatest cathartic satisfaction ever.  

• But it’s not the best way.  As a Christian, there should be no room for hate in my heart.  Indeed, I’ve been angry to some people… but the anger I have on them is fading (credit goes to the Holy Spirit).  But, again, there is still anger brewing in me.  Though it is not directed on people, the anger is still there.  It’s sort of fluctuating.  Sometimes it fades with the healing process.  But then, if reminded of my pain and situation – and how it led to this – the wounds are reopened and the anger returns again. Thus, as long as the pain exists, it will be now part of my daily struggles to overcome this anger each day.  May God help me.  I don’t want to have fed-up anger in me explode.

• I have always believed that having hate in my heart is hazardous to my own well-being.  I have to be careful about this anger in me.  According to Master Yoda, anger is one step away from hate and two steps away from suffering.

• That’s one good piece of wisdom.  I don’t want to ultimately go to the Dark Side.  So, really need to quench these negative emotions.  But again, as long as the pain is there, the anger will probably linger.

• Before it happened, I felt it in my bones that it was coming.  Thus, I prayed to God that I will be saved from pain.  But He didn’t.  I know He has a good reason… He always does.  Instead of letting it add to my frustrations, I reminded myself that even if God allowed it for me to experience this pain, I should be grateful that he saved me from the worst pain possible: an eternity in Hell.  There’s nothing more terrifyingly painful than the suffering in Hell.  And what’s a few days… weeks… months… and, even, years of pain in this world?  It might be a long time, but that’s no comparison to an eternity in Hell.  And for that – God saving me from that fate – makes me thankful. 

• And, yes, I believe that, someday, God will save me from this pain I experience now.

• Uh, sometimes, I too much concentrate on the bad things I experience.  I allow the pain to overwhelm me and blind me from the good things God has given me.  Because if you indeed compare the good with the bad, the good would always outweigh the bad.  Sorry, Lord.  I’m glad that You continue to sustain me.  Thank you for the hope that I have in You.  And thank you for giving me the knowledge that the Ultimate Joy can really be found in You alone.  Thus, this particular Joy of mine can’t be taken away from me like these other joys.

• Whenever I feel discouraged and hopeless, I sing this Switchfoot/Mandy Moore song to myself… really powerful and beautiful and encouraging words (my favorite parts are italized and bold): 

There's a song that's inside of my soul. 

It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again 

I'm awake in the infinite cold. 

But you sing to me over and over and over again. 

So, I lay my head back down. 

And I lift my hands and pray 

To be only yours, I pray, to be only yours 

I know now you're my only hope. 

Sing to me the song of the stars. 

Of your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again. 

When it feels like my dreams are so far 

Sing to me of the plans that you have for me over again. 

So I lay my head back down. 

And I lift my hands and pray 

To be only yours, I pray, to be only yours 

I know now, you're my only hope. 

I give you my destiny. 

I'm giving you all of me. 

I want your symphony, singing in all that I am 

At the top of my lungs, I'm giving it back. 

So I lay my head back down. 

And I lift my hands and pray 

To be only yours, I pray, to be only yours 

I pray, to be only yours 

I know now you're my only hope.  

• Beautiful song.  Always gives me pleasant goosebumps.  If I have a good voice, I will gladly sing it for you.  Indeed, my hope is in God.  A God that controls the Universe also controls my life.  And His wonderful plan for me will always carry perfectly into completion!  I should believe in this...

• I am not all pains and anger.  There are times I am able to detach – like before.  My personality before, I was hard to emotionally shaken.  I can’t be bothered by pain.  If I feel unfavorable emotions, my defenses easily disregard them.  Any misery I felt was undetermined because they were considered as irrelevant.  I maintain good emotional equilibrium because of this defense.  I couldn’t be hurt because didn’t care.  I didn’t care because I was apathetic.  But last year, my emotional barriers broke down, allowing myself to finally see a clear distinction between misery and happiness.  With defense gone, I began to care.  Thus, because I was caring, I was vulnerable to be bothered.  I was vulnerable to the pain brought by being hindered to be with the object I cared for. 

• But as I’ve said, there are times when something just clicks inside me and I detach from the pain and anger.  Once again dismissing the pain and anger as irrelevant.  Maybe the emotional defense mechanisms are kicking in once again.  Maybe the pain will be ignored once again, or at least, be made tolerable.    

• My mind does work weirdly (So does yours if you really ponder on it).  If the personalities start to “divide” again, then it means the aspects of my life are being made autonomous from each other again to isolate the aspects that are in pain from those that aren’t, so that the pain won’t be able to touch the healthy aspects.

• Gibberish to you?  Remember:  Ranting.  Therapy. 

• No.  I’m not going insane (yet).  Love is keeping me sane.

• For the record, I love her.  

• I hope I will get out of this undamaged – or at least fully recovered.  I hope after all of this, there will be no hidden bitterness or resentment in my heart.  I’m hoping this pain will make the joy of the future glorious.

• Gonna terribly miss those time we were free to be together. Villains won this round.  But someday Batman and Supergirl will fly together again.   

• May God help me through the next days.  

• For the time being that I’m waiting for a miracle, I will seek You first.  Because in the end, nothing else matters.  Even this pain won’t. 

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Chain of Thoughts on the Lakers Before the Finals Begin

• It's going to be an exciting Finals with the Thunder and Heat.  But I'm going to rant about the Lakers.
• The last time I wrote about the Lakers on a June, a championship was won (sigh).  For the second straight year, the Los Angeles Lakers failed.  For Lakerdom  – this may sound harsh but it’s the truth – anything short of a championship is a failed season.  Winning spoiled us.  No Laker championship as a birthday gift to me like before.

• It always stings whenever my Lakers lose in the playoffs.  I sincerely believe the Lakers were capable of pulling a dramatic underdog storybook  finish this season.  They just needed to play with a “never say die” attitude – to play with grit and heart – every second of each game.   Because if they don’t play that way, they would be overwhelmed by the youthful talent of the Oklahoma Thunder.  Well, it’s up to you to decide if the Lakers did play with heart (for me, they didn’t), but one thing is for sure, the Thunder triumphed.  
• Indeed, Kobe is within the twilight of his playing career, but signs of him slowing down were very minimal, if there’s any.  He remains a dangerous scorer, thanks to his brilliant post up skill, beautiful fadeaway (even adding a Dirk Nowitzki in it), and, most importantly, amazing footwork.  Great thanks to an innovative surgery in Germany during the offseason, Kobe was again able to drive aplenty to the basket, drawing many fouls and earning many trips to the line.  However, he shot only 43% from the field.  This is due to Kobe’s usual knack of taking bad shots.  The fault is not solely on Kobe’s stubbornness but also because Mike Brown still hasn’t figured out an effective Laker offense (or if he had, he wasn’t able to infuse it on the team ).  Thus, there was a large amount of Kobe isolations and bad shots.  There were multiple times when the Lakers’ set can’t create a good shot for anyone, then the team throws the ball to Kobe in the last seconds, forcing him to take a bad shot.
• Really frustrated with Mike Brown’s first year as a coach.  To be fair, I did find positive things about him, but unless he leads this team to a championship, I would always think he was a bad hire.  Again, Laker fans are harsh and spoiled.
• I was hoping Kobe would duplicate his achievement during the 2002-2003 campaign.  At one time during that season, if I get it right, Kobe was just shooting 29% from behind the arc (he would end the season with a 32.7% clip), and then he made the record of 12 three-pointers in a game, 9 of which are consecutive.  I was hoping he would break his record and go for 13 – with 10 consecutive – during a game this season.  It would be nice if Kobe returns to such level of three point shooting in which he was even being invited to participate in the three point shootout (it was during the 2008 All-Star Weekend, but due to injury, he wasn’t able to join.  Nowitzki replaced Kobe in the contest).

• The next skill set I want Kobe to add to his arsenal is to become brilliant in moving without the ball and getting off a shot quickly like Reggie Miller.  This will help him be free of double teams.  A mix of his usual “scoring from the post with stepback jumpers or turnaround fadeways off amazing footwork” with “moving without the ball, losing defenders through screens, and then catch-and-shoot with lightning release” in his game would be deliciously lethal as he alternates between the two styles.  But to allow him to move comfortably without the ball, there is a need for a great point guard.
• I was hoping Ramon Sessions would be the Laker version of Linsanity.  Hmmm.  Still hoping.  Or Lakers should just pursue Deron Williams.  Or – by fat chance – Mr. Linsanity himself!  (In an essay before, I already explained why Jeremy Lin is awesome.)
• Kobe should at least give coaching a try when he retires from playing.  He looks good at the sidelines.

• I believe that Kobe will win at least two more rings before he retires.
• Once Kobe wins another ring, he would accomplish something that Michael Jordan wasn’t able to do in his career: win a ring without Phil Jackson.  Man, I miss Phil. 
• If Derek Fisher wins his 6th ring with the Thunder, Kobe Haters will say – since the ridiculous “Kobe can’t win without Shaq” has been made obsolete already – that Kobe can’t win without Fish.  LOL.  Still, I root for the Thunder in this year’s Finals, obviously, since the opponent is the – ugh – Heat.

• It’s very unlikely for Pau Gasol remaining a Laker.  I like Pau.  One of the best Lakers ever.  I was against trading him at the start and during the season.  I was one of the few who were glad the trade for Chris Paul did not come through.  Pau failed greatly when the Mavs swept the Lakers last year.  But I believed Pau would bounce back, he just needed a chance.    However, during the season, Pau was demoted to being third option with Bynum’s dominance emerging.  Pau still had his moments, but getting bothered by getting traded made Pau inconsistent.  And even though Pau was relieved remaining a Laker after the trade deadline passed, he didn’t have a dramatic comeback at all.  I thought that maybe Pau didn’t get into his groove because with Bynum occupying and dominating the middle, he has not much room to work on his graceful, finesse post game.  But whenever there’s a line-up where Kobe and Bynum is on the bench, leaving Pau as first option, he failed to flourish.  Pau remains a brilliant big man passer but he’s never an aggressive or consisted scorer.  That’s why though Pau remains a good player, he, in my eyes as well as others’, failed to redeem himself from last season’s meltdown against the Mavs.  Don’t want him to be traded, but our two seven footer frontcourt doesn’t work anymore.  More importantly, Pau is too expensive to keep.  Goodbye, Pau.  Lakerdom is forever grateful for the past seasons, but now, it’s time to move on. 
• Pretty interesting what can be brought by trading Pau.  The scenario that appeals to me most is where Andre Iguodala is brought to the Lakers!
• I didn’t like the Odom trade to Dallas.  If Odom was to be traded, they should have gone for Andre Iguodala.  Still, that MPE from the Odom trade is available.  Very intriguing how Lakers’ front office will use it to improve the team. 
• Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard?  I’m apathetic with this one.   The pros and cons on both are almost balanced.  Both have attitude problems.  Bynum is better on offense, while Howard has more impact on defense.  Any of the two would do for me as the Lakers’ starting center for next season’s campaign.  Won’t be disappointed if a trade would or wouldn’t happen.   

• Hopefully, next June, the Lakers will be back in the Finals... and win the championship!        

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Top 10 TV Characters

As years pass by, the TV series environment has been significantly enriching fiction and pop culture.  And from this rich (rich in quantity at least, since though there are plenty of awesome TV series, but by average, TV series don’t have first-rate quality) assortment of TV series came plenty of interesting fictional characters who are played by very talented actors.  Here, in this top 10, I list my favorites…

Oh, BTW, a Doctor (there are plenty of reincarnations of the Doctor character) from the very successful and long-lived TV series “Dr. Who” greatly deserves a spot in a list of TV series characters.  Unfortunately, “Dr. Who” was a TV series I wasn’t able to follow.  Heck, I even haven’t watched a single episode of “Dr. Who” yet.  Aside from the Doctor, there could be other great characters that I haven’t encountered, so sorry for the snubs on this list.  Aside from that, I also did not add characters from animated TV series.  Since if I did, they would probably occupy 6 to 7 spots in the list. 

Before we start with number 10, let me first enumerate the honorable mentions: Hercules (from “Hercules: the Legendary Journeys”), Xena, Lex Luthor (from “Smallville”), Dexter Morgan (a very fascinating character, but my real exposure to him was through the books), Nikita, Quark (from “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), Scully & Mulder, Green Hornet, Kato (amazingly played by Bruce Lee), Batman (the goofy, but still awesome, version of the caped crusader as played by Adam West), Remington Steele, Spock (my most favorite Star Trek character, actually, but I have not watched the original “Star Trek” TV series at all.  Got to be fond of Spock through the movies and the books.  That is why he never made the list, but, still, he is worth giving an honorable mention), John Crichton (from “Farscape”), Aeryn Sun (from “Farscape”), Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds (from “Firefly”), Duncan MaCleod (“The Highlander”), Spike (from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Carlton Lassiter (from “Psych”), Shawn Spencer (main hero of “Psych”, number 11 in this list if this is a top 11 list, and one of the greatest detectives in fiction). 

10.) MR. BEAN

  

Now, having watched episodes of “Mr. Bean” countless times over, the show and character don’t give me even a chuckle. However, it’s a different story during the first few times I’ve watched the show back in the 90’s.  I can’t remember any other character that made me laugh so hard like Mr. Bean.  His outrageousness, clumsiness, unique mix of stupidity and ingenuity, and silly facial expressions and mannerisms were effective elements on giving me the greatest laughs I’ve ever had in my TV watching.      

9.) KUMIKU “YANKUMI” YAMAGUCHI

The only character in this list from a non-American TV show.  The Yankumi in the Gokusen anime wasn’t particularly striking.  In the live action however, the Yankumi was hot!  And through live action, the Yankumi character is more perfectly portrayed by Yukie Nakama.  Hidden behind the clumsy, cute, harmless appearance is one badass girl.  A fresh university graduate hired to teach (or at least watch over) a section full of delinquent and unruly high school seniors, she enthusiastically desires to improve her students.  And through her unconventional ways of teaching, sincerity, and willingness to stand up and fight for her students, she gains their trust and respect, encouraging them to indeed improve with their studies and attitude.  She possesses great fighting skills, being secretly a yakuza family leader.  However, she would only display her toughness and fighting skills when saving or protecting her dear students, choosing to appear harmless and slow in normal circumstances in front of others.

 

8.) FONZIE

His real name is Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli. But that doesn’t matter.  Because to everyone, he’s “Fonzie” or “The Fonz” or just “Fonz”.  That’s a kickass nickname.  Fonz is the epitome of the suave, aloof way of being kickass, badass.  He’s a smooth talker, tough fighter, street smart, and always successful with the ladies.  He was a high school dropout (though he would eventually graduate by taking night high classes) and has a background as a delinquent, but still, he has his principles and is loyal to his friends.  He always comes out on top on fight, beating even if opponents are bigger or greatly outnumber him.  More amusing is when he uses his smooth talking in making opponents silly.  He was at first just a secondary character in the series “Happy Days”.  But he’s just too awesome that he eventually became the lead since he had become more popular than the main character, Richie.  Fonzie is a TV icon, while I can’t even remember the names and most of the faces of the rest of the characters in “Happy Days” without looking them up (I had to look up Richie when I had to mention the name earlier).    

7.) ANGEL

Angel was Buffy’s running boyfriend in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, and then they broke up, a spin-off series was made for him, he moved to Los Angeles and started a private investigation agency.  Angel is one of the best vampire characters out there.  After being cursed by gypsies by giving him a soul, Angel became unique from other vampires, fighting evil instead of causing it (though, there are also times where his evil persona, Angelus, would come out).  Being a “vampire with a soul”, his humanity gives him awkwardness and conscience.  The character has elements of the stereotypical redemption-seeking character, but this factor greatly adds to his character.  Through the two TV series, he transitioned from a reluctant hero seeking his purpose to a Batman-like altruistic crusader, as he struggles with his inner demons, and finding equilibrium between his humanity and vampire nature.  And as conclusion to this character analysis… yes, though I also like Spike, I, however, think that Angel is a greatly better character than Spike.  There.     

6.) ANGUS MACGYVER

I have to admit that when I’ve written my top 10 list on fictional spooks, I forgot about MacGyver.  If I didn’t, he would probably make it to number 5 in that list (and kicking Paul Sheperdson out of the list).  MacGyver is one of the most iconic characters in TV, and one of the most unique fictional characters I’ve encountered.   MacGyver is extensively talented and intelligent.  He prefers non-violent approach in solving conflicts, and refuses to use a gun.  Rather, he prefers to carry a Swiss Army knife and duct tape in his missions.  Being a scientist, his trademark skill is his quick thinking in improvising plans and tools from the things he can get his hands on on a given moment.  Because of this, the term “MacGyver” was included into colloquial American English lexicon, which means creating a solution to a problem through simple yet extremely clever means using available resources.           

5.) NATHAN “NATE” FORD

Ford is the brains of the 5-man “Leverage” team – made up of very talented thieves and con men – who steal from the rich and powerful who commit injustice against ordinary people, sabotaging their operations or/and getting them caught by the authorities along the way.  Every member of the team is impressive with his or her own specific skillset – from hacking to grifting – but Nate Ford impresses me most.  As the undisputed leader (being the brains), Nate masterminds their operations.  He is a brilliant strategist and planner.  He claims to have a Plan A to Plan Z (I’m not sure if it was Z or some other letter) of everything.  Seeing him at work – his plans working out in the end – is quite enjoyable.

4.) THE ROCK

He is arguably the best wrestler ever.  He’s both incredibly entertaining with the mic and inside the ring. He is definitely in a whole level on his own, and has greatly contributed success to the sports entertainment industry (which is, if you think about it, is just like a TV series).  I already discussed his greatness in my top10 pro-wrestlers list. 

3.) BUFFY SUMMERS

Being the Slayer, Buffy has superhuman speed, agility, and strength, an enhanced intuition, and a healing factor.  Also, through training, she is adept in fighting and wielding weaponry.  Buffy is your typical hot, strong heroine skilled in combat, the proven formula for success in making female characters outstanding and popular to (especially male) audience.  However, though Buffy belongs to such cliche of female characters, she maintains a charm that makes her stand out significantly.  Aside from the already mentioned fighting skills, Buffy also possesses a gift of gab, which she uses in making fun or taunting her opponents, working to her advantage.  With the way she uses sarcasms and puns in her fights, and the great confidence she displays when standing against opponents – regardless of being more powerful than her or weaker – she reminds me of the same attitude Spider-Man (being my most favorite comic bookcharacter) has when he fights, and this is probably one of the major reasons why I started liking Buffy.  Buffy, for me, is the awesomest female character ever created in fiction.    

2.) SHERLOCK HOLMES

In the TV show “Sherlock”, the Victorian story of Sherlock Holmes is brought into a modern setting.   The show perfectly reinterpreted how Holmes would have behaved and fared in present times.   So far, the only thing lacking with the character is the proficiency in fighting.  Though there are some scenes where Sherlock fought, he won using his wits rather than displaying some boxing and bartitisu skills which the original character is known to have.   Other than that, this TV’s Sherlock Holmes is just perfect.   The original literary Holmes being my choice for the greatest detective in fiction, this modernized counterpart portrayed for TV easily gets a high spot on this list.  Hmmm, in fact, the top spot goes to another Sherlock Holmes re-interpretation…    

1.) DR. GREGORY HOUSE

For any fan of Holmes and House, it’s quite obvious that the House character is a reinvention of Sherlock Holmes.  Both of them are detached, intelligent, logical, highly observant, and extremely rational.  Both of them can “read” people and only take cases that of interest to them (unusual and difficult).  Both of them are talented musicians.  Both of them struggled with drug abuse.   Both of them have the same home address – 221B Baker Street.  And their bestfriends have J.W. as initials.  House is Holmes if Holmes has chosen to use his mental powers on tackling medical mysteries instead of solving crime.  Still, though House’s character structure has Holmes as basis, but as a final product, House is a one of kind fictional character.  He is described by his bestfriend Wilson as having a Rubik’s complex – having a great obsession to solve a puzzle.  Another description Wilson has of House is being a “reality junkie”.  House is very witty and sarcastic, and would nearly always win any verbal sparring.  His knowledge of psychology, sharp observational skills, and quick logical mind allow him to accurately decode people’s secrets and histories and determine their personalities and motivations – which enable him to mock their weaknesses or/and manipulate them to do something he wants them to do.  He is very cynical and tactless, thus making him at odds with almost every one.  House is also isn’t afraid to take risks, with no fear of consequences or authority.   He has a rich amount of interests – from monster trucks to music – and talents, like speaking multiple languages fluently.  He also enjoys betting against others (which he often wins) and playing practical jokes.  Indeed, House is a very deep and interesting character, not only because of his brilliant medical skills and genius mind, but also because of his social and personal flaws.  Watching him on TV is a lot of fun.             

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