Is it weird I have as many Hyperion figures as I do Hyperion comics?

It's weird that that's even an option! About a week or so ago, I got the new Marvel Legends Hyperion/Doctor Spectrum two-pack (I wanna say from GameStop, but I couldn't find it on their site just now) and it seemed like a quicker-than-usual turnaround from when that was announced to when I got it. Then, they've since announced Nighthawk and Blur, and this kind of push on the Squadron Supreme almost makes me suspect some kind of announcement is forthcoming: like Hasbro wants to knock through the comic versions now, so they can push the MCU/live-action versions later...

But, we saw the previous issue some time back, and re-reading that maybe I have more issues of this series than these two? Although, brutal honesty time: there's a very good chance the next comic shop you hit, you can probably find cheap copies of the earlier issues of this series. Orders were probably cut back by these two, they'll be more trouble to run down. Or you could get the trade..."Daddy Issues"? Bad Marvel! Bad! From 2016, Hyperion #6, written by Chuck Wendig, art by Nik Virella and Marc Laming, color art by Romulo Fajardo Jr.

Wendig writes a very smarmy, full-of-himself Iron Man, here this issue to bring in Hyperion for the death of Namor: in the MCU tradition, Tony has his faceplate open most of the issue as well. I'm not convinced Tony gave a rat's ass for Namor, although he tries to spin it like he had lost a friend: stopping Hyperion may have just been a science project, since he was able to use "sterile neutrinos" like Kryptonite to contain him. That works really well, until Hype's girl Thundra clocks a big honking mace into Tony's chest. Hyperion has bigger fish to fry, though, as the creepy Junior was coming back, with an army, to get the girl called "Doll." It mildly irked him that Junior was somehow still alive, apparently with the ability to reconstitute himself if even one molecule was left; which I thought was an Eternal trick. Hyperion convinces Tony to take Doll and her dog to safety, and has Thundra watch the perimeter to make sure no bad guys get out. Then, after a brief confrontation and bit of moralizing, Hyperion pretty much nukes the bad guys from orbit: although he might look like it and have to live like it, he wasn't human. Killing those guys meant nothing to him, and he tosses Junior to freeze in space for ever.

Tony gets Doll and her dog, now named 'Marc' after Hyperion, set up with a new life. Hyperion continues his trucker life, with Thundra by his side...although, I am not sure where this Hyperion is in continuity now, since there was a bunch of stuff with the Squadron Supreme replacing the Avengers in the timeline. Some of that was kind of good, although I'm fuzzy on how it ended. Read more!

If you felt tremors, well, last night was date night...

On the cover of this one, while clutching Hyperion for a big kiss, Thundra is also clutching her big mace-chain thing, like she was going to need it sooner rather than later...y'know, that's their private business, I won't speculate. From 2016, Hyperion #5, written by Chuck Wendig, art by Ario Anindito, color art by Romulo Fajardo Jr. Cover by Elizabeth Torque.

While I'm familiar with Squadron Supreme or Sinister versions of Hyperion, the current Marvel universe one isn't as well known to me; although I believe he served a stretch on Jonathan Hickman's Avengers. In this short series--one of like ninety Marvel shoved onto a weakened market at the same time, like Red Wolf, Black Knight, and I think a bunch of Guardians of the Galaxy solo books--the Superman-esque hero was struggling to figure out his place in that world, and had saved a young runaway and her dog from her crime boss stalker/possible father "Junior" and his evil carnival and its captured pet alien. In gratitude, the girl called Doll wants to help Hype get some action. Whatever his tastes might be...

Doll sets him up for speed dating, and while there are willing prospects, Hyperion thinks it's a bad idea, and he would be better off alone. On his way back to his truck, his brooding keeps him from noticing Thundra until she's right on top of him. Figuratively first, then literally. They had been glancing at each other in the Squadron, and she had left Arkon--yay, he sucks!--so why not?

After a session on top of a small town's water tower--oh, no way that thing was durable enough for that--Thundra urges her to let Doll handle herself, and get down to giving her some daughters. Oh, and she had passed the destroyed carnival and noticed someone pulling themselves from the wreckage: Junior. Hyperion realizes he would go after Doll, and he and Thundra go get some information from Junior's skeezy mind-controlling carnie, Big Bally. Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Doll and her dog are visited...by Iron Man! Who's looking for "the hyper-powered war criminal," so that probably wasn't going to be a friendly chat.

I pulled two issues of this out of the dollar bin recently, but I suspect the distribution for that last issue was a bit less, even with Iron Man catching a beating on the cover. Read more!

Sometimes, the numbers just do not come out.

I don't think we have any scans of him, but I have a soft-spot for lower tier Fantastic Four baddie the Mad Thinker. He had a fun turnout in New Warriors #3, and in Amazing Spider-Man #242 (although the Awesome Android on the cover wasn't the Awesome Android!) but I like his almost no-show in today's book: from 1977, Fantastic Four #183, "Battleground: the Baxter Building!" Written by Bill Mantlo, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Joe Sinnott. (Marvel had used that exact same title just four years prior, in FF #130!)

The Mad Thinker is in a cheerful mood today, since his plan is running like clockwork: Reed Richards (currently powerless), the Thing, and the Human Torch were all trapped in the Negative Zone. The Invisible Woman should be dead by now, since she was just thrown out a window; and the Thinker's Android should be securing the building so the Thinker can help himself to Reed's inventions. But while the Thinker's numbers may crunch out, there are some more variables: Sue is saved by the Impossible Man, who then refuses to join her, Thundra, and Tigra in storming the Baxter Building, since it wasn't fun. The Brute--the monstrous Reed Richards of Counter-Earth, currently evil--had some regret over throwing Sue out the window, but not so much that he didn't turn the building's defenses on them.

Meanwhile, in the Negative Zone, Annihilus explains to the guys how he discovered the Mad Thinker's android (from FF #71, which features a cover similar to this month's!) floating in the Zone, and turned it into his "loyal Scavenger!" for Fantastic Four Annual #6. After Annihilus was defeated in FF #141, the "loyal" Scavenger helped himself to his boss's Cosmic Control Rod, and digivolved into a third form...a big beardy monster, for some reason. ("He came to life. Good for him.") There is actually a somewhat tragic element to Annihilus, even though he's a horrible monster: he's terrified of death, and most everything he does is in search of immortality. He had taken the android because he wanted a servant that wouldn't betray him, so of course it stole his immortality. Reed works out a deal, though: give them a ride back to the Negative Zone portal, and he would return the Rod once they take it away from the android.

So, by the time the Thinker leisurely strolls into Reed's lab...the numbers have distinctly not worked out as expected. There's at least two people there he didn't plan for at all, and I'd guess the odds of his android growing a beard weren't taken into account. The Thinker straight ghosts on that one. Meanwhile, the android is defeated when the Rod is yanked out of it, and the Brute--now "good" since his concussion had worn off--takes the Rod through the Negative Zone for Annihilus, to redeem himself. But remember, there's no shame in bailing on a plan that's not working; sometimes there's just no sense in riding it out. This was a pretty good issue, but the next one--with a two-thirds different creative team--is even better.

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"Fauxhold."

Sadly, the panel with the two Hobgoblins, was supposed to have a third one: I still have the previous version from the Spider-Man line of some years back. (We see him in an episode of "Timing," an old series here that got away from me like this one!) I think it would compare pretty favorably with the new Marvel Legends version, and might even have a better glider.

I kind of liked the Baron Mordo figure from Dr. Strange, although he didn't come with his Staff of the Living Tribunal, just a stick. He also seemed like too classy a guy to give Satana a lot of hassle.
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"Rumble."

I'm almost 90% positive the NY State Comptroller race wasn't affected by voter fraud or tampering. Other races...well...

Actually, every time we see Black Cat steal something here, it ends up being a disaster for her. And Val and Thundra were going to destroy the apartment again, until I liked the idea of Val pulling a shank better. Not sure the apartment is out of the woods yet, though.
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"Room."

Honestly...I'm aware of Vine, but I don't think I've ever been there. Until writing this post, anyway.

The sofa's a new piece, which actually has a backstory! It's a promo piece that came with the S.H. Figuarts Iron Man Mk.42. (If you have a hankering for it, please go through a site with an affiliate program that gets some kickback!)

The Black Cat/crimelord story is really going to be in Patsy Walker: Hellcat, even though I still don't think Felicia would risk it. I haven't been following it closely; I'm not sure she ever realized the Spider-Man that put her in jail was the Superior, Doc Ock.

In other news, I do wonder when I'll find Misty's gun...
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"Reconstruct."

I usually alternate the Kurt & Pool and the Satana/Black Cat strips, but I'm having some computer trouble! First I had to update to Windows 10, then it decided to update my drivers into the ground. Still working on it, but I'm not sure about the rest of this week. And I have a massive pile of quarterbooks to get to, too...
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"Restitution."

I'm sure Misty wouldn't usually rush headlong into a situation like that, except I don't think she thinks much of Pool. Also, there's no fire escape on Pool and Kurt's building, since Kurt removed it in the second episode, over eight years ago! (Actually, they aren't in the same building anymore, since it was blown up!)

We saw that new status/origin for Thundra the other day; but I had thought in her old appearances, her world's battle of the sexes had as much as been won by women, and men were considered "the weaker sex." They may or may not have been considered second-class citizens (or worse) but Thundra is acting like they are now.

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