Creator Credits for The Punisher: One Last Kill (2026)

Huh; I'm not a big Punisher fan, but this might be the best adaptation of the character yet. Credits for the creators of the characters and concepts in The Punisher: One Last Kill TV special are listed below; please inform me of any omissions; my ful list of Marvel Cinematic Universe creator credits is right here.

Ross Andru (artist): co-creator of the Punisher, a war veteran who becomes a vigilante, wearing a black costume with white skull design on his chest and wielding vast arsenal of firearms and explosives in a one-man war on crime (Amazing Spider-Man #129, 1974)

Mike Baron (writer): co-creator of the Punisher wearing a trenchcoat overtop his costume; of Curtis Hoyle, a one-time member of Frank Castle's unit who died (Punisher #1, 1987)

Gerry Conway (writer): co-creator of the Punisher, a war veteran who becomes a vigilante, wearing a black costume with white skull design on his chest and wielding vast arsenal of firearms and explosives in a one-man war on crime (Amazing Spider-Man #129, 1974); of Frank Castle becoming the Punisher after happening upon criminals in a park who set off a gunfight which killed his wife Maria, daughter Lisa and son Frank Jr. (Marvel Preview #2, 1975)

Tony DeZuniga (artist): co-creator of Frank Castle becoming the Punisher after happening upon criminals in a park who set off a gunfight which killed his wife Maria, daughter Lisa and son Frank Jr. (Marvel Preview #2, 1975)

Steve Dillon (artist): co-creator of of the Gnuccis, a mobster family whom the Punisher wages war against; of Bobbie Gnucci, Eddie Gnucci and Carlo Gnucci, all killed by the Punisher (Punisher #1, 2000); of Ma Gnucci, leader of the Gnucci crime family who seeks revenge against the Punisher after he killed her family, putting out a bounty on him (Punisher #4, 2000); of Ma Gnucci being crippled (Punisher #5, 2000)

Garth Ennis (writer): co-creator of of the Gnuccis, a mobster family whom the Punisher wages war against; of Bobbie Gnucci, Eddie Gnucci and Carlo Gnucci, all killed by the Punisher (Punisher #1, 2000); of Ma Gnucci, leader of the Gnucci crime family who seeks revenge against the Punisher after he killed her family, putting out a bounty on him (Punisher #4, 2000); of Ma Gnucci being crippled (Punisher #5, 2000)

Bill Everett (artist): co-creator of Karen Page, a blonde legal secretary (Daredevil #1, 1964)

Klaus Janson (artist): co-creator of the Punisher wearing a trenchcoat overtop his costume; of Curtis Hoyle, a one-time member of Frank Castle's unit who died (Punisher #1, 1987)

Stan Lee (writer): co-creator of Karen Page, a blonde legal secretary (Daredevil #1, 1964)

Tom Lye (artist): co-creator of Frank Castle growing a beard while living anonymously (Punisher #17, 1997)

Bill Mantlo (writer): co-creator of Frank Castle suffering from mental problems (Spectacular Spider-Man #81, 1983)

Al Milgrom (artist): co-creator of Frank Castle suffering from mental problems (Spectacular Spider-Man #81, 1983)

John Ostrander (writer): co-creator of Frank Castle growing a beard while living anonymously (Punisher #17, 1997)

John Romita (artist): co-creator of the Punisher, a war veteran who becomes a vigilante, wearing a black costume with white skull design on his chest and wielding vast arsenal of firearms and explosives in a one-man war on crime (Amazing Spider-Man #129, 1974)

Daredevil: Born Again Season Two Creator Credits

Below is my list of comic book creators whose work I saw represented in the 2nd season of Daredevil: Born Again. If you see anything that I missed, please let me know in the comments. My full directory of Marvel Cinematic Universe Creator Credits is found here.

David Aja (artist): co-creator of Vanessa Fisk arranging Foggy Nelson's death to get at Matt Murdock (Daredevil #88, 2006)

Ross Andru (artist): co-creator of the Punisher, a war veteran who becomes a vigilante, wearing a black costume with white skull design on his chest and wielding vast arsenal of firearms and explosives in a one-man war on crime (Amazing Spider-Man #129, 1974)

Brian Michael Bendis (writer): co-creator of Jessica Jones, a cynical, alcoholic, superhumanly strong private detective who runs Alias Investigations; of Jessica's relationship with Luke Cage (Alias #1, 2001); of Matt Murdock and Jessica Jones as allies (Alias #3, 2002); of Soledad Ayala, Hector Ayala's wife; of the White Tiger being wrongly arrested for murder; of Matt Murdock becoming Hector's defense lawyer (Daredevil #38, 2002); of the White Tiger being shot dead by the police after his trial (Daredevil #40, 2003); of Angela Del Toro, a young woman who is an ally of Daredevil (Daredevil #58, 2004); of Angela Del Toro revealed to be Hector Ayala's niece (Daredevil #69, 2005); of Angela Del Toro as the White Tiger; variant White Tiger costume with black stripes (Daredevil #70, 2005); of Matt Murdock's identity as Daredevil becoming public (Daredevil #76, 2005); of Matt Murdock arrested and sent to Ryker's Island (Daredevil #81, 2006); of Danielle Cage, daughter of Jessica Jones and Luke Cage (The Pulse #13, 2006)

Jenny Blake (writer): co-creator of Matt Murdock's Catholicism (Daredevil #119, 1975)

Bob Brown (artist): co-creator of Matt Murdock's Catholicism (Daredevil #119, 1975); of Heather Glenn, Matt Murdock's girlfriend (Daredevil #126, 1975); of Bullseye, an expert assassin who can turn any object into a lethal weapon, battles Daredevil; of Bullseye with a target on his forehead (Daredevil #131, 1976)

Ed Brubaker (writer): co-creator of Foggy Nelson being killed (Daredevil #82, 2006); of Vanessa Fisk arranging Foggy Nelson's death to get at Matt Murdock (Daredevil #88, 2006); of Wilson Fisk stripped of his U.S. citizenship due to his illegal activities (Daredevil #93, 2007)

Marco Checchetto (artist): co-creator of Cole North, a principled New York policeman who opposes Daredevil (Daredevil #1, 2019); of Mayor Wilson Fisk mobilizing an anti-vigilante task force to use extreme methods against New York's vigilantes, ordering all vigilante activity illegal (Devil's Reign #1, 2022); of Wilson Fisk removed as mayor of New York (Devil's Reign #6, 2022)

D. G. Chichester (writer): co-creator of Daredevil wearing body armor (Daredevil #322, 1993)

Jeff Christiansen (writer): creator of Buck Cashman's name (Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #12, 2010)

Gene Colan (artist): co-creator of Karen Page learning Matt Murdock is Daredevil (Daredevil #57, 1969); of Ben Urich, a reporter with a relentless dedication to the truth (Daredevil #153, 1978); of Heather Glenn learning Matt Murdock is Daredevil (Daredevil #154, 1978)

Gerry Conway (writer): co-creator of the Punisher, a war veteran who becomes a vigilante, wearing a black costume with white skull design on his chest and wielding vast arsenal of firearms and explosives in a one-man war on crime (Amazing Spider-Man #129, 1974); of the mystical golden tiger amulets that grant superhuman abilities to the athletes who wield them (Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1, 1974); of the Punisher's alias Frank Castle (Marvel Preview #2, 1975)

Mike Deodato (artist): co-creator of Bullseye working as a secret U.S. government operative (Thunderbolts #110, 2007)

Tony DeZuniga (artist): co-creator of the Punisher's alias Frank Castle (Marvel Preview #2, 1975)

Terry Dodson (artist): co-creator of the White Tiger being shot dead by the police after his trial (Daredevil #40, 2003)

Warren Ellis (writer): co-creator of Bullseye working as a secret U.S. government operative (Thunderbolts #110, 2007)

Bill Everett (artist): co-creator of Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who also fights crime as Daredevil by using his superhuman sensory powers; Daredevil costume with horns on head and red eye lenses; the billy club as Daredevil's primary weapon; Murdock partnered with his college friend Franklin "Foggy" Nelson at Nelson and Murdock law firm; Karen Page as Murdock and Nelson's secretary and object of affection to Matt; Daredevil as a "man without fear" (Daredevil #1, 1964)

Ron Garney (artist): co-creator of Ben Hochberg, a district attorney who clashes with Matt Murdock (Daredevil #2, 2016); of Muse, a silent serial killer dressed in white with streaked paint on his mask who kills and tortures people from a twisted sense of creating art, using their blood in his paintings (Daredevil #11, 2016); of Wilson Fisk running for mayor of New York as an independent candidate, campaigning to outlaw vigilante heroes in New York such as Daredevil and the Punisher (Daredevil #28, 2017); of Muse's activities being used by Mayor Wilson Fisk as a justification for targeting vigilantes (Daredevil #598, 2018)

Michael Gaydos (artist): co-creator of Jessica Jones, a cynical, alcoholic, superhumanly strong private detective who runs Alias Investigations; of Jessica's relationship with Luke Cage (Alias #1, 2001); of Matt Murdock and Jessica Jones as allies (Alias #3, 2002); of Danielle Cage, daughter of Jessica Jones and Luke Cage (The Pulse #13, 2006)

Dick Giordano (artist): co-creator of the mystical golden tiger amulets that grant superhuman abilities to the athletes who wield them (Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1, 1974)

Archie Goodwin (writer): co-creator of Luke Cage, superhumanly strong and durable hero for hire in Harlem (Hero for Hire #1, 1972)

Billy Graham (artist): co-creator of Luke Cage, superhumanly strong and durable hero for hire in Harlem (Hero for Hire #1, 1972)

Marc Guggenheim (writer): co-creator of Brett Mahoney, a police detective (Marvel Comics Presents #1, 2007)

Manuel Gutierrez (artist): co-creator of Soledad Ayala, Hector Ayala's wife; of the White Tiger being wrongly arrested for murder; of Matt Murdock becoming Hector's defense lawyer (Daredevil #38, 2002)

Don Heck (artist): co-creator of the Swordsman, a mustachioed swashbuckler who wields a sword (Avengers #19, 1965); of Jacques Duquesne, the Swordsman's real name (Avengers Spotlight #22, 1989)

Gil Kane (artist): co-creator of Hell's Kitchen as locale patroled by Daredevil (Daredevil #148, 1977)

Jack Kirby (artist): co-creator of the Swordsman, a mustachioed swashbuckler who wields a sword (Avengers #19, 1965)

Szymon Kudranski (artist): co-creator of police officers working for Wilson Fisk appropriating the Punisher's imagery in imitation of him (Punisher #13, 2019)

Stefano Landini (artist): co-creator of Wilson Fisk becoming mayor of New York; Daredevil vowing to bring down Fisk (Daredevil #595, 2018)

Michael Lark (artist): co-creator of Foggy Nelson being killed (Daredevil #82, 2006); of Wilson Fisk stripped of his U.S. citizenship due to his illegal activities (Daredevil #93, 2007)

Stan Lee (writer/editor): co-creator of the Kingpin of Crime, a mob boss dressed in white who organizes the disparate underworld elements under his leadership from the heart of Manhattan (Amazing Spider-Man #50, 1967); of the Kingpin's wife, Vanessa Fisk (Amazing Spider-Man #69, 1969); of the Swordsman, a mustachioed swashbuckler who wields a sword (Avengers #19, 1965); of Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who also fights crime as Daredevil by using his superhuman sensory powers; Daredevil costume with horns on head and red eye lenses; the billy club as Daredevil's primary weapon; Murdock partnered with his college friend Franklin "Foggy" Nelson at Nelson and Murdock law firm; Karen Page as Murdock and Nelson's secretary and object of affection to Matt; Daredevil as a "man without fear"; Matt Murdock orphaned at a young age when his father was killed (Daredevil #1, 1964); of Daredevil's ability to detect lies (Daredevil #3, 1964); of Daredevil's red costume; of Daredevil's gimmick billy club (Daredevil #7, 1965)

Alex Maleev (artist): co-creator of Angela Del Toro, a young woman who is an ally of Daredevil (Daredevil #58, 2004); of Angela Del Toro revealed to be Hector Ayala's niece (Daredevil #69, 2005); of Angela Del Toro as the White Tiger; of variant White Tiger costume with black stripes (Daredevil #70, 2005); of Matt Murdock's identity as Daredevil becoming public (Daredevil #76, 2005); of Matt Murdock arrested and sent to Ryker's Island (Daredevil #81, 2006)

Bill Mantlo (writer): co-creator of the White Tiger, alias Hector Ayala, a Puerto Rican man who obtains the tiger amulet and dons a white costume to battle crime (Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19, 1975)

David Mazzuchelli (artist): co-creator of Wilson Fisk learning Matt Murdock is Daredevil; of Wilson Fisk controlling the police and using the authorities to wreck Matt Murdock's life and target his allies; of James Wesley, one of the Kingpin's lieutenants (Daredevil #227, 1986); of Murdock wearing stubble in both of his identities (Daredevil #228, 1986)

Scott McDaniel (artist): co-creator of Daredevil wearing body armor (Daredevil #322, 1993)

Roger McKenzie (writer): co-creator of Ben Urich, a reporter with a relentless dedication to the truth (Daredevil #153, 1978); of Heather Glenn learning Matt Murdock is Daredevil (Daredevil #154, 1978); of Josie's Bar, a dive bar in Hell's Kitchen tended by the titular Josie (Daredevil #160, 1979); of Hell's Kitchen as Matt Murdock's childhood borough (Daredevil #164, 1980)

Frank Miller (artist/writer): creator of Wilson Fisk's name; of Wilson Fisk as Daredevil's primary enemy (Daredevil #170, 1981); of Vanessa Fisk's death causing the Kingpin go become even more criminally insane (Daredevil #171, 1981); of the reporter Urich working against Fisk (Daredevil #177, 1981); of Bullseye using the name 'Benjamin Poindexter'; of Daredevil badly injuring Bullseye in retribution (Daredevil #181, 1982); of Heather Glenn growing mentally unstable (Daredevil #188, 1982); co-creator of Josie's Bar, a dive bar in Hell's Kitchen tended by the titular Josie (Daredevil #160, 1979); of Hell's Kitchen as Matt Murdock's childhood borough (Daredevil #164, 1980); of Wilson Fisk learning Matt Murdock is Daredevil; of Wilson Fisk controlling the police and using the authorities to wreck Matt Murdock's life and target his allies; of James Wesley, one of the Kingpin's lieutenants (Daredevil #227, 1986); of Murdock wearing stubble in both of his identities (Daredevil #228, 1986)

Lou Mougin (writer): co-creator of Jacques Duquesne, the Swordsman's real name; of Armand Duquesne, the father of the Swordsman (Avengers Spotlight #22, 1989)

Ann Nocenti (writer): co-creator of Buck Cashman, an employee of Wilson Fisk and an enemy of Daredevil (Daredevil #250, 1988)

Joe Orlando (artist): co-creator of Daredevil's ability to detect lies (Daredevil #3, 1964)

George Perez (artist): co-creator of the White Tiger, alias Hector Ayala, a Puerto Rican man who obtains the tiger amulet and dons a white costume to battle crime (Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19, 1975); of Angela Del Toro as the White Tiger; of variant White Tiger costume with black stripes (Daredevil #70, 2005)

Yvette Perez (writer): co-creator of the White Tiger, alias Hector Ayala, a Puerto Rican man who obtains the tiger amulet and dons a white costume to battle crime (Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19, 1975)

Joe Quesada (artist): co-creator of Matt Murdock wearing red-tinted sunglasses (Daredevil #1, 1998)

Paolo Rivera (artist): co-creator of Kirsten McDuffie, a New York assistant district attorney who crosses paths with Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson (Daredevil #1, 2011)

John Romita (artist): co-creator of the Kingpin of Crime, a mob boss dressed in white who organizes the disparate underworld elements under his leadership from the heart of Manhattan (Amazing Spider-Man #50, 1967); of the Kingpin's wife, Vanessa Fisk (Amazing Spider-Man #69, 1969); of the Punisher, a war veteran who becomes a vigilante, wearing a black costume with white skull design on his chest and wielding vast arsenal of firearms and explosives in a one-man war on crime (Amazing Spider-Man #129, 1974)

John Romita Jr. (artist): co-creator of Buck Cashman, an employee of Wilson Fisk and an enemy of Daredevil (Daredevil #250, 1988)

Matthew Rosenberg (writer): co-creator of police officers working for Wilson Fisk appropriating the Punisher's imagery in imitation of him (Punisher #13, 2019)

Chris Samnee (artist): co-creator of Matt and Kirsten opening a law firm together (Daredevil #1, 2014)

Jim Shooter (writer): co-creator of Hell's Kitchen as locale patroled by Daredevil (Daredevil #148, 1977)

Kevin Smith (writer): co-creator of Matt Murdock wearing red-tinted sunglasses (Daredevil #1, 1998)

Charles Soule (writer): co-creator of Ben Hochberg, a district attorney who clashes with Matt Murdock (Daredevil #2, 2016); of Muse, a silent serial killer dressed in white with streaked paint on his mask who kills and tortures people from a twisted sense of creating art, using their blood in his paintings (Daredevil #11, 2016); of Wilson Fisk running for mayor of New York as an independent candidate, campaigning to outlaw vigilante heroes in New York such as Daredevil and the Punisher (Daredevil #28, 2017); of Wilson Fisk becoming mayor of New York; Daredevil vowing to bring down Fisk (Daredevil #595, 2018); of Muse's activities being used by Mayor Wilson Fisk as a justification for targeting vigilantes (Daredevil #598, 2018)

Richard Starkings (letterer): creator of Daredevil logo (Daredevil #1, 1998)

Roy Thomas (writer): co-creator of Karen Page learning Matt Murdock is Daredevil (Daredevil #57, 1969)

Mark Waid (writer): co-creator of Kirsten McDuffie, a New York assistant district attorney who crosses paths with Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson (Daredevil #1, 2011); of Matt and Kirsten opening a law firm together (Daredevil #1, 2014)

Dave Wilkins (artist): co-creator of Brett Mahoney, a police detective (Marvel Comics Presents #1, 2007)

Marv Wolfman (writer): co-creator of Heather Glenn, Matt Murdock's girlfriend (Daredevil #126, 1975); of Bullseye, an expert assassin who can turn any object into a lethal weapon, battles Daredevil; of Bullseye with a target on his forehead (Daredevil #131, 1976); of Karen Page living in San Francisco (Daredevil #138, 1976)

Wally Wood (artist): co-creator of Daredevil's red costume; of Daredevil's gimmick billy club (Daredevil #7, 1965)

Chip Zdarsky (writer): co-creator of Cole North, a principled New York policeman who opposes Daredevil (Daredevil #1, 2019); of Mayor Wilson Fisk mobilizing an anti-vigilante task force to use extreme methods against New York's vigilantes, ordering all vigilante activity illegal (Devil's Reign #1, 2022); of Wilson Fisk removed as mayor of New York (Devil's Reign #6, 2022)

Columbo's Day

Over the last two years I slowly watched every single Columbo movie/episode, from 1968's Prescription: Murder to 2003's Columbo Likes the Nightlife. Columbo was a program I knew a little about - I knew it starred Peter Falk as a slovenly detective who seemed distracted and disorganized but was always working steadily to build a case against a criminal; I knew the "one more thing..." line; I knew the format would feature the murder at the beginning so that the audience was always aware of who the killer was (as I discovered, though, there were exceptions to the format). But I'd never actually watched a Columbo until I sat down and started with Prescription: Murder, way back at the beginning.

I suppose one of the questions I had about the series was how it functioned as a mystery program when the killer was always known at the top of the drama. As I discovered, that's the key to what makes Columbo interesting to watch - to guess at what vital mistake the killer made. Particularly during 1971-76, the period where Columbo was a regularly-scheduled program (as opposed to a now-and-then TV movie), the killer was often presented as the point-of-view character, with Columbo on the fringes (often Columbo wouldn't appear until after the first half-hour). Now, not every Columbo featured a great mistake on the killer's part; the lazy path was for Lt. Columbo to simply doubt the killer's alibi because of an unusual piece of evidence and then wear him down until he confessed; the best Columbo episodes, though, had a piece of evidence that was set up at the beginning that would come back at the climax in a satisfying way. The episode "Lovely But Lethal" had a particuarly great example of that.

Because the show often followed the killer's perspective, I did find myself strangely rooting for them to outsmart Columbo, even though I knew it was impossible (it's Columbo's show, after all). There are also many, many times I noted that if the killer had simply refused to talk to Columbo or insisted on having a lawyer present, Columbo would never have obtained the information he needed to force a confession (since Columbo usually had, at best, very flimsy circumstancial evidence). In the 70s, though, usually the killer's biggest problem would arrive in the last half-hour when they'd attempt to throw Columbo off their trail by committing another crime (even another murder) that would instead backfire big time.

I found the series at its weakest when it meddled with the format; there are some - particularly in the final years - where there isn't even a murder or where the murder isn't depicted on screen, which means the viewers weren't given all the information they were normally supplied with. Falk's always great in the role, but the 1989-2003 movies are a huge step down from what had come before. I cringed particularly while watching the final movie, Columbo Likes the Nightlife, which is painfully trying to be a hip 2003 program (with a soundtrack that sounded imitative of Run, Lola, Run) and the last thing Columbo, of all programs, should ever have tried to be was "hip." It's far more dated than most of the 70s episodes.

For my money, the best episodes of Columbo were in the 70s; my favourites are: "Blueprint for Murder"; "Dagger of the Mind"; "The Most Dangerous Match"; "Any Old Port in a Storm"; "A Friend in Deed"; "Negative Reaction"; and "How to Dial a Murder."

Throughout, there were a lot of familiar names I was happy to see; it was certainly a surprise that the first actual episode of the Columbo series was written by Steven Bochco and directed by Steven Spielberg! And I enjoyed seeing actors like Patrick McGoohan, Robert Vaughn, Dean Stockwell, Robert Culp, Roddy McDowell, Ray Milland, Leonard Nimoy, Martin Landau, Donald Pleasence, Johnny Cash, Dick Van Dyke, Ida Lupino and William Shatner to say nothing of before-they-were-famous appearances by the likes of Martin Sheen and Jamie Lee Curtis. Even in the show's twilight years I appreciated seeing the likes of Robert Foxworth, George Wendt, Richard Riehle and Billy Connolly.

I found I really enjoyed the "how catch 'em" variant to the whodunnit; I'd seen it done before in the play and film of Dial 'M' for Murder (note that John Williams played a very Columbo-like detective in the Hitchcock film version; Williams was also on a Columbo episode!) but Columbo did it so well that I went looking for other examples of the format in mystery fiction. It seems as though R. Austin Freeman's stories of Dr. Thorndyke from the 1910s might be the first stories told in that manner. I also sought out the short story "Prescription: Murder" was based on ("Dear Corpus Delicti" by William Link) and the first TV movie that was made from the resulting play Enough Rope. I definitely recommend the Dr. Thorndyke stories and, even if you've seen "Prescription: Murder" you should read the original "Dear Corpus Delicti" because it's got an amazing surprise ending that's different from the Columbo version.

I'm happy I took the time to watch the entire series, it was very rewarding.

Backsliding

I've recently been looking back on the television series Sliders and, man... that show wasn't very good, was it?

Sliders was a science fiction show created by Tracy Torme. It starred Jerry O'Connell as Quinn Mallory, an inventor who built a device that enabled him to travel into parallel worlds. Unfortunately, the device lost the coordinates to his original reality and so he and his comrades (originally including Sabrina Lloyd, Cleavant Derricks and John Rhys-Davies) are perpetually 'sliding' from one reality to another, hoping each time they might find the way back home.

The series aired on Fox for 3 years (1995-1997), took a year off, then returned on the Sci-Fi Channel for 2 more years (1998-2000). When the series was first announced I was interested in it but I had no idea exactly when the show started airing or what time it was on in my area. I think it was originally on Fridays; whenever it was, I wasn't usually around when it aired. The first time I caught an episode on its original airdate was when I saw the season finale; I had no idea if the show would be back for a 2nd season but I wanted to see it. I was surprised to learn in retrospect that the 1st season had only 10 episodes. What a brief window!

Season 2 is where I really started watching the show and there's a lot of fun ideas in that season. The show didn't take itself too seriously with wacky concepts like a world where people believe in witchcraft, or where California was part of Texas. Easily the episode I most enjoyed at the time was "Post Traumatic Slide Syndrome," where the cast encountered an alternate version of Rhys-Davies' character and weren't certain which version slid with them at the episode's end. In retrospect, this 13-episode season was the highlight of the series.

I saw almost every episode of the 3rd season when they first aired. At the time, I noticed there were a lot of episodes that seemed like rip-offs of popular films. To this day I've never seen the movie Species but I assumed the episode "the Breeder" was a Species rip-off. Apparently, that was deliberate as Tracy Torme got booted off his own show this season. The showrunners also drove off Rhys-Davies and replaced him with Kari Wuhrer. In what became a tradition for the show, whenever a cast member quit Sliders the writers gave their character a humiliating, definitive, cruel death scene. This wound up being Sabrina Lloyd's last season too. Lloyd went on to better things with Sports Night while Rhys-Davies went on to, um, You Wish, but more importantly had no other commitments when Lord of the Rings started filming.

It was watching this season again that really cemeted for me how little the creators cared for their own program. Take the episode "Paradise Lost," where they slide into a small town (rather than either of their usual haunts, the cities of San Francisco or Los Angeles) where the citizens feed people to a Tremors-style monster to prolong their lives. When your show's high concept is that you can send your characters into a parallel world, how do you end up with an episode like this? There's nothing about the script that suggests Sliders; if you told me it was taken from the X-Files or Outer Limits' slush pile, I'd believe you.

The Sci-Fi Channel years saw the show become kind of a vanity project for Jerry O'Connell as he brought in his brother Charlie pretty much just because he had the clout to make them hire his brother. When the O'Connells both quit the show, the series attempted carry on without them, but kept the character of Mallory by casting a new actor (Robert Floyd) as Mallory's alternate self.

Watching that final season of Sliders, it's especially grim to see how far the budget must have fallen. Instead of filming on the Universal backlot, they were shooting on low-budget sets that looked to be made of cardboard and about 5' square. It's amazing that the show carried on so far, but I guess circa 2000 there was a lot of science fiction on cable networks and in syndication (Stargate: SG1, Andromeda, Earth: Final Conflict, First Wave) and I guess every studio and network wanted skin in the game.

I think there are some fun gems in the first 2 seasons of Sliders but boy, overall this show does not hold up.

Creator Credits for Ironheart (Season One)

In short: a misstep that doesn't seem to understand the appeal of its protagonist or antagonist.

Jason Aaron (writer): co-creator of Zelma Stanton, a toque-wearing young woman who was affected by brain maggots (Doctor Strange #1, 2015); of Zelma Stanton learning how to practice magic (Doctor Strange #20, 2017)

Chris Bachalo (artist): co-creator of Zelma Stanton, a toque-wearing young woman who was affected by brain maggots (Doctor Strange #1, 2015); of Zelma Stanton learning how to practice magic (Doctor Strange #20, 2017)

Brian Michael Bendis (writer): co-creator of Riri Williams, a brilliant young engineer at MIT who studies Tony Stark's technology and develops her own suit of armor based on his, taking the armor out on test flights (Invincible Iron Man #7, 2016); of Riri entering MIT while still a young teenager (Invincible Iron Man #8, 2016); of Ronnie Williams, Riri's mother (Invincible Iron Man #12, 2016); of Natalie Washington, Riri Williams' best friend; of Riri's father and Natalie Washington dying when Riri was young when they were hit by stray bullets from a gunfight; of Riri deciding to honour Tony Stark's legacy by becoming a hero (Invincible Iron Man #1, 2017); of Riri completing her version of the Iron Man armor and going public as Ironheart (Invincible Iron Man #3, 2017); of Ronnie Williams learning Riri is an armored hero and choosing to support her (Invincible Iron Man #5, 2017); of Xavier, an old friend of Riri Williams and sometimes-romantic interest (Invincible Iron Man #595, 2017); of the Hood leading a personal army of superhuman criminals (New Avengers #33, 2007); of Rampage as a member of the Hood's gang (New Avengers #35, 2007); of the Hood's cloak being connected to Dormammu; of the Slug as a member of the Hood's army (New Avengers #46, 2008)

Robert Bernstein (writer): co-creator of Stark Industries, Tony Stark's company (Tales of Suspense #45, 1963)

Mark Bright (artist): co-creator of Obadiah Stane's death following a battle with Iron Man (Iron Man #200, 1985)

John Buscema (artist): co-creator of Mephisto, demon closely resembling Satan, seeks to corrupt and claim the souls of pure people (Silver Surfer #3, 1968)

Stefano Caselli (artist): co-creator of Natalie Washington, Riri Williams' best friend; of Riri's father and Natalie Washington dying when Riri was young when they were hit by stray bullets from a gunfight; of Riri deciding to honour Tony Stark's legacy by becoming a hero (Invincible Iron Man #1, 2017); of Riri completing her version of the Iron Man armor and going public as Ironheart (Invincible Iron Man #3, 2017); of Ronnie Williams learning Riri is an armored hero and choosing to support her (Invincible Iron Man #5, 2017); of Xavier, an old friend of Riri Williams and sometimes-romantic interest (Invincible Iron Man #595, 2017)

Joe Casey (writer): co-creator of the Clown as an assassin (Deathlok #3, 1999)

Chris Claremont (writer): co-creator of Madripoor, a nation with a great deal of organized crime (New Mutants #32, 1985)

Mike Deodato Jr. (artist): co-creator of Riri Williams, a brilliant young engineer at MIT who studies Tony Stark's technology and develops her own suit of armor based on his, taking the armor out on test flights (Invincible Iron Man #7, 2016); of Riri entering MIT while still a young teenager (Invincible Iron Man #8, 2016); of Ronnie Williams, Riri's mother (Invincible Iron Man #12, 2016)

Steve Ditko (artist): co-creator of Doctor Strange, a master of the mystic arts who champions Earth (Strange Tales #110, 1963); of Dormammu, a fiery demonic entity who opposes Dr. Strange (Strange Tales #115, 1963); of the Dark Dimension, a mystical realm (Strange Tales #126, 1964); of Kaecillius, a mystic foe of Dr. Strange (Strange Tales #130, 1965)

Bill Everett (artist): co-creator of Kamar-Taj, the temple where Doctor Strange studied sorcery (Strange Tales #148, 1966)

Eve L. Ewing (writer): co-creator of N.A.T.A.L.I.E., Neuro-Autonomous Technical Assistant & Laboratory Intelligence Entity, an artificial intelligence created by Riri Williams that was based on her deceased friend Natalie Washington and accidentally took form without Riri's direct supervision (Ironheart #1, 2019); of Ironheart visiting Wakanda and befriending Shuri (Ironheart #9, 2019)

Matt Fraction (writer): co-creator of Ezekiel Stane revealed to be Obadiah Stane's son (Invincible Iron Man #1, 2008); of Ezekiel Stane, criminal who has bionic technology throughout his body, enabling him electrical powers (The Order #8, 2008)

Mike Friedrich (writer): co-creator of Thanos, extraterrestrial despot (Iron Man #55, 1973)

Archie Goodwin (writer): co-creator of Howard Stark, deceased father of Tony Stark and previous owner of Stark Industries (Iron Man #28, 1970)

Mark Gruenwald (writer): co-creator of the Slug, a gangster (Captain America #324, 1986)

Don Heck (artist): co-creator of Rampage, alias Stuart Clarke, a technology-wielding criminal (Champions #5, 1976); of Howard Stark, deceased father of Tony Stark and previous owner of Stark Industries (Iron Man #28, 1970); of Iron Man, alias Tony Stark, a genius inventor who built his own armor and used his inventions for good (Tales of Suspense #39, 1963); of Stark Industries, Tony Stark's company (Tales of Suspense #45, 1963)

Kyle Hotz (artist): co-creator of the Hood, alias Parker Robbins, a small-time criminal who obtained a mystical cloak that granted him supernatural powers; the Hood wielding twin pistols; of John King, Parker's cousin and cohort in crime; of Parker's father Arthur Robbins (the Hood #1, 2002)

Reginald Hudlin (writer): co-creator of Shuri, Wakandan hero (Black Panther #2, 2005)

Tony Isabella (writer): co-creator of Rampage, alias Stuart Clarke, a technology-wielding criminal (Champions #5, 1976)

Jack Kirby (artist, writer): co-creator of Wakanda, the secretive high-tech African nation (Fantastic Four #52, 1966); of Vibranium, the rare metal found in Wakanda which powers most of their technology (Fantastic Four #53, 1966); of the Kree, an extraterrestrial race (Fantastic Four #64, 1967); of the Clown, a criminal (Incredible Hulk #3, 1962); of Thor, the hammer-wielding godly hero (Journey into Mystery #83, 1962); of Iron Man, alias Tony Stark, a genius inventor who built his own armor and used his inventions for good (Tales of Suspense #39, 1963); of Hank Pym, a brilliant scientist who discovered Pym Particles (Tales to Astonish #27, 1962)

Barry Kitson (artist): co-creator of Ezekiel Stane, criminal who has bionic technology throughout his body, enabling him electrical powers (The Order #8, 2008)

Salvador Larroca (artist): co-creator of Ezekiel Stane revealed to be Obadiah Stane's son (Invincible Iron Man #1, 2008)

Stan Lee (writer): co-creator of Wakanda, the secretive high-tech African nation (Fantastic Four #52, 1966); of Vibranium, the rare metal found in Wakanda which powers most of their technology (Fantastic Four #53, 1966); of the Kree, an extraterrestrial race (Fantastic Four #64, 1967); of the Clown, a criminal (Incredible Hulk #3, 1962); of Thor, the hammer-wielding godly hero (Journey into Mystery #83, 1962); of Mephisto, demon closely resembling Satan, seeks to corrupt and claim the souls of pure people (Silver Surfer #3, 1968); of Doctor Strange, a master of the mystic arts who champions Earth (Strange Tales #110, 1963); of Dormammu, a fiery demonic entity who opposes Dr. Strange (Strange Tales #115, 1963); of the Dark Dimension, a mystical realm (Strange Tales #126, 1964); of Kaecillius, a mystic foe of Dr. Strange (Strange Tales #130, 1965); of Iron Man, alias Tony Stark, a genius inventor who built his own armor and used his inventions for good (Tales of Suspense #39, 1963); of Stark Industries, Tony Stark's company (Tales of Suspense #45, 1963); of Hank Pym, a brilliant scientist who discovered Pym Particles (Tales to Astonish #27, 1962)

Kevin Libranda (artist): co-creator of Ironheart's armor in red, black and gold colours (Champions #22, 2018); of N.A.T.A.L.I.E., Neuro-Autonomous Technical Assistant and Laboratory Intelligence Entity, an artificial intelligence created by Riri Williams that was based on her deceased friend Natalie Washington and accidentally took form without Riri's direct supervision (Ironheart #1, 2019)

Larry Lieber (writer): co-creator of Thor, the hammer-wielding godly hero (Journey into Mystery #83, 1962); of Iron Man, alias Tony Stark, a genius inventor who built his own armor and used his inventions for good (Tales of Suspense #39, 1963); of Hank Pym, a brilliant scientist who discovered Pym Particles (Tales to Astonish #27, 1962)

Leonardo Manco (artist): co-creator of the Clown as an assassin (Deathlok #3, 1999)

Luke McDonnell (artist): co-creator of Obadiah Stane, a businessman who secretly sought to seize control of Stark Industries, pitting himself against Iron Man (Iron Man #166, 1983)

Paul Neary (artist): co-creator of the Slug, a gangster (Captain America #324, 1986)

Dennis O'Neil (writer): co-creator of Obadiah Stane, a businessman who secretly sought to seize control of Stark Industries, pitting himself against Iron Man (Iron Man #166, 1983); of Obadiah Stane's death following a battle with Iron Man (Iron Man #200, 1985); of Kamar-Taj, the temple where Doctor Strange studied sorcery (Strange Tales #148, 1966)

John Romita Jr. (artist): co-creator of Shuri, Wakandan hero (Black Panther #2, 2005)

Bill Sienkiewicz (artist): co-creator of Madripoor, a nation with a great deal of organized crime (New Mutants #32, 1985)

Paul Smith (artist): co-creator of Kaecillius' name (Doctor Strange #56, 1982)

Jim Starlin (artist, writer): co-creator of Thanos, extraterrestrial despot (Iron Man #55, 1973)

Roger Stern (writer): co-creator of Kaecillius' name (Doctor Strange #56, 1982)

Billy Tan (artist): co-creator of the Hood's cloak being connected to Dormammu; of the Slug as a member of the Hood's army (New Avengers #46, 2008)

Brian K. Vaughan (writer): co-creator of the Hood, alias Parker Robbins, a small-time criminal who obtained a mystical cloak that granted him supernatural powers; the Hood wielding twin pistols; of John King, Parker's cousin and cohort in crime; of Parker's father Arthur Robbins (the Hood #1, 2002)

Luciano Vecchio (artist): co-creator of N.A.T.A.L.I.E., Neuro-Autonomous Technical Assistant and Laboratory Intelligence Entity, an artificial intelligence created by Riri Williams that was based on her deceased friend Natalie Washington and accidentally took form without Riri's direct supervision (Ironheart #1, 2019); of Ironheart visiting Wakanda and befriending Shuri (Ironheart #9, 2019)

Leinil Francis Yu (artist): co-creator of the Hood leading a personal army of superhuman criminals (New Avengers #33, 2007); of Rampage as a member of the Hood's gang (New Avengers #35, 2007)

Jim Zub (writer): co-creator of Ironheart's armor in red, black and gold colours (Champions #22, 2018)

Creator Credits for Daredevil: Born Again (season 1)

In short: a welcome return to form for the television versions of these characters.

Below is my list of comic book creators whose work I saw represented in the 1st season of Daredevil: Born Again. If you see anything that I missed, please let me know in the comments. My full directory of Marvel Cinematic Universe Creator Credits is found here.

David Aja (artist): co-creator of Vanessa Fisk arranging Foggy Nelson's death to get at Matt Murdock (Daredevil #88, 2006); of the Tracksuit Mafia, Russian gangsters (Hawkeye #1, 2012)

Adrian Alphona (artist): co-creator of Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who lives in Jersey City, wearing a costume consisting of a mask, blue smock with yellow 'M', red burkini and golden bangle; of Yusuf Khan, Ms. Marvel's father (All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1, 2014); of Yusuf as a banker (Ms. Marvel #1, 2014)

Sana Amanat (editor): co-creator of Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who lives in Jersey City, wearing a costume consisting of a mask, blue smock with yellow 'M', red burkini and golden bangle (All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1, 2014)

Ross Andru (artist): co-creator of the Punisher, a war veteran who becomes a vigilante, wearing a black costume with white skull design on his chest and wielding vast arsenal of firearms and explosives in a one-man war on crime (Amazing Spider-Man #129, 1974)

Brian Michael Bendis (writer): co-creator of Soledad Ayala, Hector Ayala's wife; of the White Tiger being wrongly arrested for murder; of Matt Murdock becoming Hector's defense lawyer, creating a conflict of interests because of his own super hero identity (Daredevil #38, 2002); of the White Tiger being shot dead by the police after his trial (Daredevil #40, 2003); of Angela Del Toro, a young woman who is an ally of Daredevil (Daredevil #58, 2004); of Angela Del Toro revealed to be Hector Ayala's niece (Daredevil #69, 2005); of variant White Tiger costume with black stripes (Daredevil #70, 2005)

Jenny Blake (writer): co-creator of Matt Murdock's Catholicism (Daredevil #119, 1975)

Bob Brown (artist): co-creator of Matt Murdock's Catholicism (Daredevil #119, 1975); of Heather Glenn, Matt Murdock's girlfriend (Daredevil #126, 1975); of Bullseye, an expert assassin who can turn any object into a lethal weapon, battles Daredevil; of Bullseye with a target on his forehead (Daredevil #131, 1976)

Ed Brubaker (writer): co-creator of Foggy Nelson being killed while Matt Murdock hears his heart stop, upsetting him (Daredevil #82, 2006); of Vanessa Fisk arranging Foggy Nelson's death to get at Matt Murdock (Daredevil #88, 2006); of Vanessa Fisk running her husband's criminal empire during his absence (Daredevil #92, 2007)

John Buscema (artist): co-creator of Ms. Marvel, costumed woman with mask, red and blue costume (Ms. Marvel #1, 1977)

John Byrne (artist): co-creator of Karen Page living in San Francisco (Daredevil #138, 1976)

Marco Checchetto (artist): co-creator of the Punisher rescuing Daredevil from Mayor Wilson Fisk's police (Daredevil #3, 2019); of Mayor Wilson Fisk mobilizing an anti-vigilante task force to use extreme methods against New York's vigilantes, ordering all vigilante activity illegal (Devil's Reign #1, 2022)

D. G. Chichester (writer): co-creator of Daredevil wearing body armor (Daredevil #322, 1993)

Jeff Christiansen (writer): creator of Buck Cashman's name (Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #12, 2010)

Gene Colan (artist): co-creator of Karen Page learning Matt Murdock is Daredevil (Daredevil #57, 1969); of Ben Urich, a reporter with a relentless dedication to the truth (Daredevil #153, 1978)

Carla Conway (writer): co-creator of Ms. Marvel, costumed woman with mask, red and blue costume (Ms. Marvel #1, 1977)

Gerry Conway (writer): co-creator of the Punisher, a war veteran who becomes a vigilante, wearing a black costume with white skull design on his chest and wielding vast arsenal of firearms and explosives in a one-man war on crime (Amazing Spider-Man #129, 1974); of the mystical golden tiger amulets that grant superhuman abilities to the athletes who wield them (Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1, 1974); of the Punisher's alias Frank Castle (Marvel Preview #2, 1975); of Ms. Marvel, costumed woman with mask, red and blue costume (Ms. Marvel #1, 1977)

Tony DeZuniga (artist): co-creator of the Punisher's alias Frank Castle (Marvel Preview #2, 1975)

Steve Ditko (artist): co-creator of Spider-Man, a young red and blue-garbed super hero in the New York area (Amazing Fantasy #15, 1962)

Terry Dodson (artist): co-creator of the White Tiger being shot dead by the police after his trial (Daredevil #40, 2003)

Bill Everett (artist): co-creator of Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who also fights crime as Daredevil by using his superhuman sensory powers; Daredevil costume with horns on head and red eye lenses, red and yellow colors; the billy club as Daredevil's primary weapon; Murdock partnered with his college friend Franklin "Foggy" Nelson at Nelson and Murdock law firm; Karen Page as Murdock and Nelson's secretary and object of affection to both men; Daredevil as a "man without fear"; Matt Murdock orphaned at a young age when his father was killed (Daredevil #1, 1964)

Matt Fraction (writer): co-creator of the Tracksuit Mafia, Russian gangsters (Hawkeye #1, 2012)

Ron Garney (artist): co-creator of Ben Hochberg, a district attorney who clashes with Matt Murdock (Daredevil #2, 2016); of Muse, a silent serial killer dressed in white with streaked paint on his mask who kills and tortures people from a twisted sense of creating art, using their blood in his paintings (Daredevil #11, 2016); of Muse confining his victims in the sewers while he created his art (Daredevil #13, 2016); of Wilson Fisk running for mayor of New York as an independent candidate, campaigning to outlaw vigilante heroes in New York such as Daredevil and the Punisher (Daredevil #28, 2017); of Muse's activities being used by Mayor Wilson Fisk as a justification for targeting vigilantes (Daredevil #598, 2018)

Dick Giordano (artist): co-creator of the mystical golden tiger amulets that grant superhuman abilities to the athletes who wield them (Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1, 1974)

Mark Gruenwald (writer): co-creator of Bullseye escaping prison by spitting one of his broken teeth into a guard's eye (Captain America #372, 1990)

Manuel Gutierrez (artist): co-creator of Soledad Ayala, Hector Ayala's wife; of the White Tiger being wrongly arrested for murder; of Matt Murdock becoming Hector's defense lawyer, creating a conflict of interests because of his own super hero identity (Daredevil #38, 2002)

Don Heck (artist): co-creator of the Swordsman, a mustachioed swashbuckler who wields a sword (Avengers #19, 1965); of Jacques Duquesne, the Swordsman's real name (Avengers Spotlight #22, 1989)

Gil Kane (artist): co-creator of Hell's Kitchen as locale patroled by Daredevil (Daredevil #148, 1977)

Jack Kirby (artist): co-creator of the Swordsman, a mustachioed swashbuckler who wields a sword (Avengers #19, 1965)

Szymon Kudranski (artist): co-creator of police officers working for Wilson Fisk appropriating the Punisher's imagery in imitation of him, much to the Punisher's disgust (Punisher #13, 2019)

Stefano Landini (artist): co-creator of Wilson Fisk becoming mayor of New York; Daredevil vowing to bring down Fisk (Daredevil #595, 2018)

Michael Lark (artist): co-creator of Foggy Nelson being killed while Matt Murdock hears his heart stop, upsetting him (Daredevil #82, 2006); of Vanessa Fisk running her husband's criminal empire during his absence (Daredevil #92, 2007)

Stan Lee (writer/editor): co-creator of Spider-Man, a young red and blue-garbed super hero in the New York area (Amazing Fantasy #15, 1962); of the Kingpin of Crime, a mob boss and enemy of Spider-Man dressed in white who organizes the disparate underworld elements under his leadership from the heart of Manhattan (Amazing Spider-Man #50, 1967); of the Kingpin's wife, Vanessa Fisk (Amazing Spider-Man #69, 1969); of the Swordsman, a mustachioed swashbuckler who wields a sword (Avengers #19, 1965); of Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who also fights crime as Daredevil by using his superhuman sensory powers; Daredevil costume with horns on head and red eye lenses, red and yellow colors; the billy club as Daredevil's primary weapon; Murdock partnered with his college friend Franklin "Foggy" Nelson at Nelson and Murdock law firm; Karen Page as Murdock and Nelson's secretary and object of affection to both men; Daredevil as a "man without fear"; Matt Murdock orphaned at a young age when his father was killed (Daredevil #1, 1964); of Daredevil's ability to detect lies (Daredevil #3, 1964); of Daredevil's red costume; of Daredevil's gimmick billy club (Daredevil #7, 1965)

Ron Lim (artist): co-creator of Bullseye escaping prison by spitting one of his broken teeth into a guard's eye (Captain America #372, 1990)

David Mack (writer): co-creator of Maya Lopez, a deaf First Nations woman who was like a daughter to Wilson Fisk (Daredevil #9, 1999)

Alex Maleev (artist): co-creator of Angela Del Toro, a young woman who is an ally of Daredevil (Daredevil #58, 2004); of Angela Del Toro revealed to be Hector Ayala's niece (Daredevil #69, 2005); of variant White Tiger costume with black stripes (Daredevil #70, 2005)

Bill Mantlo (writer): co-creator of the White Tiger, alias Hector Ayala, a Puerto Rican man who obtains the tiger amulet and dons a white costume to battle crime (Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19, 1975)

David Mazzuchelli (artist): co-creator of Wilson Fisk learning Matt Murdock is Daredevil; of Wilson Fisk controlling the police and using the authorities to wreck Matt Murdock's life and target his allies (Daredevil #227, 1986); of Murdock wearing stubble in both of his identities (Daredevil #228, 1986)

Scott McDaniel (artist): co-creator of Daredevil wearing body armor (Daredevil #322, 1993)

Jamie McKelvie (artist): co-creator of Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who lives in Jersey City, wearing a costume consisting of a mask, blue smock with yellow 'M', red burkini and golden bangle (All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1, 2014)

Roger McKenzie (writer): co-creator of Ben Urich, a reporter with a relentless dedication to the truth (Daredevil #153, 1978); of Josie's Bar, a dive bar in Hell's Kitchen tended by the titular Josie (Daredevil #160, 1979); of Hell's Kitchen as Matt Murdock's childhood borough (Daredevil #164, 1980); of Daredevil and Punisher being fellow vigilantes but disagreeing sharply on how extreme their crimefighting methods should go (Daredevil #183, 1982)

Frank Miller (artist/writer): creator of Wilson Fisk's name; of Wilson Fisk as Daredevil's primary enemy (Daredevil #170, 1981); of the reporter Urich working against Fisk (Daredevil #177, 1981); of Bullseye using the name 'Benjamin Poindexter'; of Daredevil badly injuring Bullseye in retribution (Daredevil #181, 1982); co-creator of Josie's Bar, a dive bar in Hell's Kitchen tended by the titular Josie (Daredevil #160, 1979); of Hell's Kitchen as Matt Murdock's childhood borough (Daredevil #164, 1980); of Daredevil and Punisher being fellow vigilantes but disagreeing sharply on how extreme their crimefighting methods should go (Daredevil #183, 1982); of Wilson Fisk learning Matt Murdock is Daredevil; of Wilson Fisk controlling the police and using the authorities to wreck Matt Murdock's life and target his allies (Daredevil #227, 1986); of Murdock wearing stubble in both of his identities (Daredevil #228, 1986)

Lou Mougin (writer): co-creator of Jacques Duquesne, the Swordsman's real name; of Armand Duquesne, the father of the Swordsman (Avengers Spotlight #22, 1989)

Ann Nocenti (writer): co-creator of Buck Cashman, an employee of Wilson Fisk and an enemy of Daredevil (Daredevil #250, 1988)

Joe Orlando (artist): co-creator of Daredevil's ability to detect lies (Daredevil #3, 1964)

George Perez (artist): co-creator of the White Tiger, alias Hector Ayala, a Puerto Rican man who obtains the tiger amulet and dons a white costume to battle crime (Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19, 1975); of variant White Tiger costume with black stripes (Daredevil #70, 2005)

Yvette Perez (writer): co-creator of the White Tiger, alias Hector Ayala, a Puerto Rican man who obtains the tiger amulet and dons a white costume to battle crime (Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19, 1975)

Joe Quesada (artist): co-creator of Matt Murdock wearing red-tinted sunglasses (Daredevil #1, 1998); of Maya Lopez, a deaf First Nations woman who was like a daughter to Wilson Fisk (Daredevil #9, 1999)

Paolo Rivera (artist): co-creator of Kirsten McDuffie, a New York assistant district attorney who crosses paths with Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson (Daredevil #1, 2011)

John Romita (artist): co-creator of the Kingpin of Crime, a mob boss and enemy of Spider-Man dressed in white who organizes the disparate underworld elements under his leadership from the heart of Manhattan (Amazing Spider-Man #50, 1967); of the Kingpin's wife, Vanessa Fisk (Amazing Spider-Man #69, 1969); of the Punisher, a war veteran who becomes a vigilante, wearing a black costume with white skull design on his chest and wielding vast arsenal of firearms and explosives in a one-man war on crime (Amazing Spider-Man #129, 1974); of Ms. Marvel, costumed woman with mask, red and blue costume (Ms. Marvel #1, 1977)

John Romita Jr. (artist): co-creator of Buck Cashman, an employee of Wilson Fisk and an enemy of Daredevil (Daredevil #250, 1988)

Matthew Rosenberg (writer): co-creator of police officers working for Wilson Fisk appropriating the Punisher's imagery in imitation of him, much to the Punisher's disgust (Punisher #13, 2019)

Chris Samnee (artist): co-creator of Matt and Kirsten opening a law firm together (Daredevil #1, 2014)

Jim Shooter (writer): co-creator of Hell's Kitchen as locale patroled by Daredevil (Daredevil #148, 1977)

Kevin Smith (writer): co-creator of Matt Murdock wearing red-tinted sunglasses (Daredevil #1, 1998)

Charles Soule (writer): co-creator of Ben Hochberg, a district attorney who clashes with Matt Murdock (Daredevil #2, 2016); of Muse, a silent serial killer dressed in white with streaked paint on his mask who kills and tortures people from a twisted sense of creating art, using their blood in his paintings (Daredevil #11, 2016); of Muse confining his victims in the sewers while he created his art (Daredevil #13, 2016); of Wilson Fisk running for mayor of New York as an independent candidate, campaigning to outlaw vigilante heroes in New York such as Daredevil and the Punisher (Daredevil #28, 2017); of Wilson Fisk becoming mayor of New York; Daredevil vowing to bring down Fisk (Daredevil #595, 2018); of Muse's activities being used by Mayor Wilson Fisk as a justification for targeting vigilantes (Daredevil #598, 2018)

Richard Starkings (letterer): creator of Daredevil logo (Daredevil #1, 1998)

Roy Thomas (writer): co-creator of Karen Page learning Matt Murdock is Daredevil (Daredevil #57, 1969)

Stephen Wacker (editor): co-creator of Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who lives in Jersey City, wearing a costume consisting of a mask, blue smock with yellow 'M', red burkini and golden bangle (All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1, 2014)

Mark Waid (writer): co-creator of Kirsten McDuffie, a New York assistant district attorney who crosses paths with Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson (Daredevil #1, 2011); of Matt and Kirsten opening a law firm together (Daredevil #1, 2014)

G. Willow Wilson (writer): co-creator of Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who lives in Jersey City, wearing a costume consisting of a mask, blue smock with yellow 'M', red burkini and golden bangle; of Yusuf Khan, Ms. Marvel's father (All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1, 2014); of Yusuf as a banker (Ms. Marvel #1, 2014)

Marv Wolfman (writer): co-creator of Heather Glenn, Matt Murdock's girlfriend (Daredevil #126, 1975); of Bullseye, an expert assassin who can turn any object into a lethal weapon, battles Daredevil; of Bullseye with a target on his forehead (Daredevil #131, 1976); of Karen Page living in San Francisco (Daredevil #138, 1976)

Wally Wood (artist): co-creator of Daredevil's red costume; of Daredevil's gimmick billy club (Daredevil #7, 1965)

Chip Zdarsky (writer): co-creator of the Punisher rescuing Daredevil from Mayor Wilson Fisk's police (Daredevil #3, 2019); of Mayor Wilson Fisk mobilizing an anti-vigilante task force to use extreme methods against New York's vigilantes, ordering all vigilante activity illegal (Devil's Reign #1, 2022)

2024 Review: Television

I don't include a rundown of which television shows I watch each year, but in 2024 I watched a lot more television programming than in recent years - no doubt due to my wife's influence. By far the highlight has been slowly going through the entire series of Columbo! I knew all about Columbo but had never watched a single episode until last year; now we're 6 seasons in with several more to go and it's been a lot of fun. It's also inspired me to introduce my wife to other detective films and TV shows that I've enjoyed that have a similar bend (that is, fiction where the criminal's identity is known but the means by which the detective will catch him is unclear).

We also quite enjoyed the sitcom series How I Met Your Mother, which impressed me by its earnestness - that amidst some very good sitcom jokes there was genuine emotion and romance. Frequently I enjoyed the series as much as a drama as I did as a comedy.

We also watched a few seasons of Wallander (British version), the Kenneth Branagh series about a Swedish police detective who's good at his job yet unable to make his personal life work.

And we went back to some older shows, watching a lot of the detective series Law and Order: Criminal Intent and the sitcom Cheers which were welcome to revisit. And we finished up viewing the entirety of Alias; I summarized my feelings about the series in this post.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed X-Men '97, the sequel to the 1990s animated series. I reviewed the series twice, my first impressions here and a follow-up post here.

I suppose the only sour note of 2024 was the Star Wars series The Acolyte, which was bad, although mostly bad in the same ways I found the Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka to be bad. I wrote a brief dismissal of the series in this post.

2024 was also the year we lost actorCarl Weathers, whom I enjoyed the most on the television series Arrested Development.

Tomorrow: wrapping up 2024 with books!

The Acolyte: Lite

Last week's episode of the Acolyte is garnering a lot of hate online. I didn't hate it. I thought it was pretty funny. Recap follows.

Atop the Hoover Dam, OSHA and MAE are raised by a colony of lesbian mimes. Their mothers AUNTIE SEPTIC and DARTH MAULY demonstrate the Thread.

AUNTIE SEPIC: Children, we call it "the Thread." Other people, whom you have never heard of and will never meet, call it "the Force." It's important that you know they're wrong.
DARTH MAULY: Now watch as the power of one creates an invisible wind.
A lesbian mime flails in response.
MAE: Sign me up for that!
DARTH MAULY: And so you see the power of many. We are all individuals.
LESBIAN MIMES: We are all individuals!
OSHA: I'm not. I don't wanna be a lesbian mime.
DARTH MAULY: Too bad, there's no job economy atop the Hoover Dam. Get ready for the ceremony tonight.

The lesbian mimes perform a super-secret special ceremony to induct the children on top of the Hoover Dam. They fail to notice the JEDI sneaking up on them.

JEDI: 'Sup, witches?
DARTH MAULY: Get out of here, we certainly aren't hiding any children we couldn't possibly have.
JEDI: Like those two who are clearly hiding behind you? Hi, children.
OSHA: Wow, people other than the two dozen lesbian mimes I've lived with all my life!
JEDI: Hey kids, wanna join our cult?
OSHA: Are you lesbian mimes?
JEDI: No, joyless eunuchs.
MAE: Pass.
JEDI: But we carry laser swords and have qualified immunity!
OSHA: Sign me up for that!

The lesbian mimes order OSHA to flunk her Jedi tests.
JEDI: Don't think of the number three.
OSHA: Is the number three?
DARTH MAULY: Dammit! You fell for their Jedi mind tricks!
MAE: If you leave, it will destroy our family!
OSHA: So?
MAE: Well, I wanted to be the one to destroy our family.

A fire breaks out, all the lesbian mimes die from apparent asphyxiation.
OSHA: What have you done?
MAE: What have you done?
OSHA: What have you done?*

*actual dialogue

"Can you show me what a bag looks like again?" Looking back at Alias

Over the last year I watched the entire run of the television program Alias (5 seasons, 2001-2006). My wife was a fan of the program and encouraged me to try it out. I'd never seen it before; in fact, I knew precious little about Alias. I think the sum total of what I knew is that Jennifer Garner starred as a spy who went on undercover missions and sometimes wore wigs. Oh, and her father was a spy too. Yeah, that's all I knew.

I didn't even know it was created by J. J. Abrams. I'm certainly not a fan of his work - I tried and bailed on his later programs Lost and Heroes - but in some respects, knowing it was an Abrams program meant I was prepared. I knew from experience that while he was pretty good at establishing a mystery (his "mystery box" storytelling engine) he was pretty lousy at following through on those mysteries.

The big "mystery box" of Alias is a Renaissance inventor called Rambaldi who created all sorts of fantastic inventions hundreds of years ago; throughout the series a variety of villains - chief among them, Arvin Sloane (Ron Rifkin) - try to obtain Rambaldi's manuscripts and inventions while Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) attempt to keep them out of his hands. It's the only science fiction material in a program that otherwise was reasonably grounded.

The Rambaldi material drives a lot of episodes across all 5 seasons but since it was J. J. Abrams, I anticipated that there wasn't much point in speculating as to where the Rambaldi plot was headed. Instead, I resolved I would enjoy the ride - take in the Rambaldi plots as just a MacGuffin that keeps the storytelling engine running. I think it helped a lot - I think I enjoyed the series much more than I otherwise would have. Certainly online, it seems that a lot of people complained during the show's original airing that the Rambaldi plots were basically impossible to follow and the least-interesting aspect of the show.

In time, I even grew fond of the Rambaldi stuff. It disappeared for most of season 3 (apparently in response to criticisms from the network) and when it came back in the last half of that season, I was actually happy to see it return - even though it led to maybe the least believeable bit of sci-fi nonsense in the series (where a drug created by Rambaldi caused a character to write out an algebraic equation using "muscle memory").

Alias changed quite a bit from one season to the next and I have thoughts about all of them. Be warned that I am going to spoil a lot...

Season 1

The series begins with Sydney Bristow as a grad student who confides to her fiancé that she's really a CIA agent. Sydney's superior Arvin Sloane has the fiancé assassinated in retaliation. It's only then that Sydney learns Sloane isn't really with the CIA, he's running a rogue faction called SD6 and most of her fellow agents are likewise deluded into believing they're running CIA missions. Sydney learns her father Jack (Victor Garber) is likewise in SD6 but he's working as a double agent for the CIA. Sydney shares her information with the real CIA and agent Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan) becomes her handler; to help bring down SD6, Sydney must work as a double agent.

One very appealing part of the first season is that every episode ended on a cliffhanger. I'm sure that helped bring back viewers during the original airing - it certainly keeps you watching until the end of each episode as during this season the action would always ramp up in the last few minutes, rather than wind down the way other television programs did.

The oddest thing about the series set-up is that Sydney was supposed to be a grad student. She only occasionally appeared on campus during the 1st season and had just a few scenes here and there where her professor would express disapproval with her work. Her studies were supposed represent her real life and what she wanted for herself, but it was almost always out-of-focus in the series. Instead, she was a CIA double agent working with SD6 who, additionally, had given her a cover identity as a bank employee. It was way too much; the bank cover identity was likewise unimportant (she would pay lip service to it as an explanation to her friends as to why she was constantly making international trips). Season 2 dropped the grad student aspect as Sydney declared she'd graduated off-screen, with Vaughn even quipping, "When the hell did you have time to take a class this year?"

Part of Sydney's attempted "normal life" drama also involved her friends, who were not (initially) part of the spy dramas - Will (Bradley Cooper) and Francie (Merrin Dungey). Francie primarily supplied relationship drama with her boyfriend troubles; Will was a reporter who gradually got drawn into the spy drama as he was unwittingly pursuing a story that led him directly to SD6. The season 1 Will plot is very good, as we in the audience possess knowledge Will doesn't and realize how much danger he's placing himself into.

The character of Jack Bristow is difficult to get a reading on at first and that's by design (the original intro would include Sydney referring to him as "a man I barely know - my father"). During the 1st season at times I was left to wonder if he really was a double agent or if he was playing the CIA and SD6 at the same time. As it turns out, what I was slowly picking up on is that Jack is extremely devoted to his daughter and places her wellbeing (or, what he believes to be her wellbeing) above any other considerations. It helped make Jack a stand-out character and throughout the series they'd find good ways to use his love for Sydney resulting in his taking extreme measures.

I knew of actor Ron Rifkin's work only from a season he spent as a recurring character on ER and now that I've seen him as the series' arch-villain Sloane, I wonder why I haven't seen more of Rifkin's work. Even though Sloane began the series by ordering the assassination of Sydney's fiancé, Alias loved to introduce Sloane's sympathetic qualities and continue to suggest that he might be repentant and seek atonement almost all the way to the end of the series. What kept him pretty firmly in the villain camp was that Sloane was pathologically unable to accept personal responsibility; he continually lectured Sydney how "circumstances" had forced his hand, as though he had no agency of his own. He would be an infuriating character in the wrong hands but Rifkin managed the balancing act very well.

I should also note this season had a very good two-parter with guest star Quentin Tarantino as an agent of a third power who broke into SD6 to pilfer their Rambaldi archive. It's a dynamic story inspired by Die Hard that raised the stakes just when the first season really needed it.

Season 2

This is the year where Sydney's personal life was phased out and not only because she finished grad school off-screen. Francie's new thing this season was running a diner. You'd think the diner would be the new civilian hangout place for Sydney between missions but nope, apparently this was an ABC series, not a WB series. Instead the diner barely ever turned up and Sydney's moments between missions continued to be set in her apartment.

I found Will's 2nd year plot to be a bit disappointing; him being drawn further into the world of espionage was a welcome development because he was such a fish-out-of-water compared to the rest of the cast. But Will spent about half the season drifting by in the background with no particular arc until in the 2nd half he became an unwitting security leak and the series repeatedly dumped terrible things upon him.

The series made a huge change in the season's 12th episode, where the CIA successfully shut down SD6 and their bosses, the Alliance. It's effective - a very abrupt termination of the ongoing plot that does leave the viewer wondering what will happen next. At the same time, what was the point of all the Alliance plots through the first year and a half, beyond giving Sloane something to do? The same episode Sydney and her friends finally went after the Alliance is the episode the Alliance were beaten for good (off-screen, of course).

I guess the premise of Sydney as a double agent couldn't go on forever, but I had been looking forward to seeing how a new wrinkle would develop. The show had been building up the villain Sark (David Anders), who was working for Sydney's mother Irina (Lena Olin) against SD6. Sark seemingly defected to SD6 but Sydney was well aware he wasn't truly loyal to the organization. This created a new dilemma for Sydney - how to maintain her front of supposed loyalty to SD6 when Sark was aware she was really with the CIA and her likewise unable to expose Sark to them. But almost as soon as Sark joined SD6, SD6 went away. Dilemma averted!

The 12th episode is also where Sydney and Vaughn became a couple. There'd certainly been plenty of romantic tension between them, although I was a little taken aback when they stated in that episode that they couldn't be together until SD6 were beaten; then they beat SD6 later that episode and hooked up. That again felt like something that could have been teased out longer.

Still, these are pretty minor quibbles; what made the 12th episode so good is that they stopped the SD6 storyline before it got boring. That there were still plenty of stories left in the premise is only to the series' credit.

I should also make mention of the appearances of Sydney's mother Irina in this season. Irina spent most of the 1st half of the season as a prisoner in CIA custody. The first time Sydney went to see her - and the camera carefully panned around the bars of Irina's cell, showing just subtle glimpses of Irina - I remarked to my wife, "why are they filming her like she's a Jurassic Park dinosaur?" That became my repeated remark every time someone went to see Irina in her cell.

There were some really big guest stars this season that included Faye Dunaway, Rutger Hauer, Ethan Hawke, Christian Slater, David Carradine and Danny Trejo.

Season 3

This season shouldn't work, but it did. The previous season's cliffhanger ending revealed Sydney had forgotten an entire year of her life. Usually when an ongoing work of fiction performs a massive time-skip it doesn't pan out, but this worked - partly because it left Sydney with a mystery to figure out (and the solution was actually good, despite the show's creator).

The first half of this season where Sydney was constantly befuddled at how her friends' lives had changed and her old relationships had become fraught (other than that of her father - Jack remained reliable as ever) was good character drama and kept the show from getting too comfortable. This is also probably the only season where Sloane was more-or-less one of the good guys.

Some big guest stars this season included Djimon Hounsou, Quentin Tarantino, Vivica A. Fox, Ricky Gervais, David Cronenberg and Isabella Rossellini.

Season 4

The big addition to the cast this season is Nadia (Mia Maestro), Sidney's half-sister. I liked Nadia but I don't think she really fit the program. Her presence should have resulted in good character drama because she was devoted to her father (Sloane) and her sister (Sydney) and would therefore be torn between them. But the series never pushed Nadia too hard; she was never forced into the sort of moral compromises that Sydney so often had to make. There was a sense that Nadia was too pure and wholesome to do anything wrong; that left her kinda just there. I was interested to see how her dynamic with Jack would pan out (particularly as the season opened with Jack having supposedly murdered Irina) but not much happened there either. She was also set up with Vaughn's friend Weiss (Greg Grunberg) as a romantic interest but they basically remained forever at the same stage - flirtatious but not serious.

Some big guest stars this season included Angela Bassett, Joel Grey, Michael McKean, Isabella Rossellini and Gina Torres.

Season 5

And this is where the series ended; apparently ABC axed the show mid-season but gave them enough time to wrap up their story. Just about every character of significance came back for the last season, even unimportant characters like Sydney's old professor or Vaughn's boss from the 1st season.

This is the season where Jennifer Garner was pregnant and there were a lot of cast shufflings going on. Three new characters were introduced to replace those who'd left, the newbies being Rachel Gibson (Rachel Nichols), Renne Rienne (Elodie Bouchez) and Thomas Grace (Balthazar Getty). And now -- come on! -- if your real name is Balthazar Getty you have got to get a more dynamic character name than Thomas Grace!

Since Sydney was pregnant in the season 5 opener I assumed the two new female characters (Rachel and Renee) were brought in so that the series would retain strong female leads even if Garner had to miss a few episodes (or at the very least, couldn't perform any stunts for a few episodes). As it turned out, Garner took a 4-month break after giving birth but Alias just took a hiatus on her behalf; when she returned, it was to wrap up the series.

Consequently, Renee's character didn't get too far off the ground. She was set up as a terrific spy and fighter but not a team player. She would disappear for long stretches of time so I don't think audiences were given enough to connect with. Rachel, however, worked out very well; as basically a normal person caught in an espionage plot, I felt Rachel covered Will's season 2 plot more successfully and her backstory as being a CIA agent recruited into a rogue agency gave her obvious parallels to Sydney. Episodes where Sydney would coach Rachel in how to become an undercover agent were pretty good and certainly showed a different side to Sydney.

It all wrapped up with a two-hour finale that I felt was very solid. I enjoyed delving into this program and I'm certainly pleased my wife encouraged me to give it a chance.

9 More Thoughts About X-Men '97

I suppose prior to X-Men '97 it had been some time since I experienced an X-Men story that I enjoyed. With the first season done, it's left me with a few thoughts about the X-Men franchise and what the cartoon does very well.

1. Cyclops: In the comics, Cyclops had a tough time of it after the 1990s. He's the definitive X-Men leader but at times he was sidelined - written out of the book, or exploring his dark side, becoming a terrorist. X-Men '97 demonstrates that he really does work best as a great team leader - a man who has troubles in his personal life but knows how to rally his team, earn people's trust, stop the bad guys and save lives. The series even gave him a few moments to act cool (particularly in the 1st episode, where his use of his optic blasts is especially creative). There's a lot of life in this character - you don't have to bend or break him, just keep him tightly-wound.
2. Wolverine: He's been such an attention hog for so long that it's hard to remember how good he is as an ensemble player. Post 1990s, Wolverine suddenly took over roles on the team that were traditionally held by other characters - suddenly he was a natural leader or the team's conscience. It's not his best fit; X-Men '97 shows him as a bit of an agigtator but overall good team player who understands his allies' strengths and backs them up. It's nice to see him retreat back into this role after 24 years of stories where if he wasn't central to the action he simply wasn't present.
3. Nightcrawler: The early animated programs emphasized Kurt's Catholic faith - which is a significant part of his character, but not what made him a beloved X-Man. With him promoted to a lead character in X-Men '97, I was happy to see his swashbuckling love of adventure come to the fore. The Kurt who loves to laugh, fence and sneak up behind his friends to hug them is really the Kurt fans enjoy spending time with.
4. Bastion: The Operation: Zero Tolerance crossover in which Bastion was the lead villain came out in 1997 so it was certainly appropriate for X-Men '97 to adapt, but it was also considered a nadir in the X-Men franchise. Operation: Zero Tolerance has long been considered a failed storyline by fandom and Bastion an interesting but botched attempt at giving the team a major new opponent. X-Men '97 took advantage of hindsight to give Bastion a stronger storyarc, emphasizing him as not simply an anti-mutant figure but, as a cybernetic being, a contender against mutants' claim to representing the future of humanity. It's easily the most compelling take I've ever seen on Bastion and I expect the comics will scramble to give him an animated-inspired makeover.
5. The X-Men of the 90s: The failure of Operation: Zero Tolerance coincided with Scott Lobdell's exit from the X-Men. He'd been writing for them since the tailend of the Jim Lee era and, whatever you might say about his work, he kept the book consistent, largely by following the storytelling engine Chris Claremont had created. '97 was a particularly hard time for Marvel, with the company's bankruptcy, a number of failed new titles and initiatives and most of their television and film projects either stalled or dead on arrival. That X-Men '97 exists demonstrates how well Marvel repaired itself following the 90s. For all the negatives we can say about how Marvel has conducted itself in the 21st century, at least they pulled out of their death-spiral.
6. X-Men history: Outside of Operation: Zero Tolerance, however, X-Men '97 is very interested in celebrating - not the 1990s - but the 1980s X-Men of Chris Claremont's heyday. The characters of the original animated series were all garbed in the Jim Lee outfits they wore for most of the 1990s, but X-Men '97 gradually shifts most of the cast into costumes from the Claremont days; Rogue and Storm revert to their original Dave Cockrum costumes; Wolverine dons his brown and orange John Byrne costume; Magneto briefly wears his 1980s John Romita Jr. 'M' costume; Sunspot wears a 1980s New Mutants costume (pointedly he doesn't wear the blue and gold costume seen elsewhere in the series); Cyclops goes back to his classic Dave Cockrum look while Jean Grey wears her 1960s Don Heck costume. Claremont's Inferno is covered in a single episode! Claremont and Windsor-Smith's Lifedeath is adapted! But the series also looks ahead past the 1990s with Jubilee donning her circa 2010 costume, the Sentinel attack from E Is for Extinction is adapted and later characters such as Pixie pop up in the backgrounds.
7. Soap opera: I'm now convinced that if you don't want to write soap opera, you really ought to keep away from the X-Men. If you don't want to write at least one romantic triangle, why even bother? The X-Men have a long history of angst but also of romantic pairings - the fandom loves it. And X-Men '97 delves in, with a Cyclops/Jean/Madelyne triangle (that's a bit more nuanced than the original triangle), a Rogue/Magneto/Gambit triangle, the Storm/Forge pairing and a wholly original Jubilee/Sunspot romance. That's prime X-Men.
8. Metaphors: It's been pointed out that although the X-Men can be used as an interesting metaphor for race, religion and sexuality it can be unhelpful to try and make parity between them. Frequently, humans are right to be worried about mutants, given they have immense power, poor self-control and almost no accountability. They also have a tendency to close ranks and assert that only they can judge each other (they also appear to forgive each other very readily). That limits the metaphor, so it's probably best not to hit it too square on the head. I think X-Men '97 balanced it well - it's the first animated X-Men I've seen that was willing to dip its toes into gay/trans characters and certainly the character arc for Sunspot as he asserts his identity as a mutant seems to be intentionally mirroring the experience of someone "coming out." The destruction of Genosha draws from 9/11 to give scenes emotional depth yet not unearned. It's a good mix.
9. Shade: Oh, how I did enjoy X-Men '97 casting shade on the 2000 X-Men movie, as Cyclops quips of the X-Men costume he's just handed Cable: "What'd you expect? Black leather?" The 2000 film took a moment to dump on Wolverine's iconic comic book visuals and the last 24 years have seen many other comics characters adapted to live action in less-than-inspired visuals - often just wearing black leather. Kudos to X-Men '97 for being unashamedly a comic book adaptation.

"The name's Gambit, mon ami. Remember it." X-Men thoughts, related to X-Men '97

There are spoilers for X-Men '97 in this post.

I was skeptical of the X-Men '97 program when I heard about it; I certainly didn't intend to watch it. Still, I was aware that buzz was growing online after its debut a few weeks ago and I thought... after all... what harm could it do?

X-Men '97 is a continuation of the X-Men animated program that aired on Fox Kids in the 1990s. I enjoyed the 1990s program for the most part - I found the animation a bit crude (especially after I started watching the Bruce Timm Batman series) but I won't deny I was thrilled to see a major Marvel super hero in animated adventures that were helping raise the X-Men's profile around the world.

Still, why bring it back? Why not put that passion into a new animated X-Men program that kids in the 2020s might be interested in, rather than appeal to old guys who should have better things to do than watch a continuation of a favoured kids' show from their youth? Haven't comics themselves suffered greatly from fans' unwillingness to age out of the hobby? I mean, the comics themselves already produced a sequel to the 1990s cartoon that was written by Chris Sims... and that's all you needed to hear about that.

Going in, I was prepared for a nostalgia fest (and it is; they indulge in a recreation of the 90s X-Men arcade game for no good reason other than nostalgia). I was prepared to cringe. I don't think I was prepared to like it.

There's a moment in the first episode that cemented it for me. The X-Men's Blackbird jet is destroyed mid-air by a Sentinel. The X-Men must then use their powers to save each other from falling to their deaths. That's a pretty standard set-up for a super hero comic action set piece (in fact, the all-new all-different X-Men team faced that scenario way back in their 2nd adventure, X-Men #95). It climaxes with Cyclops using his optic blasts to slow his descent, an unusual means of demonstrating his power and control.

I was reminded of the scene in the film Iron Man 3 where Iron Man rescued people falling from an aircraft. Not just because of the similarity of the scenario, but because it called upon the hero to be resourceful (and for the film to demonstrate clear visual storytelling). As I say, scenarios like these were pretty typical in the comic books I grew up with; I see a lot fewer of them now - action scenes where the characters use their powers in ways that are creative and make sense according to the situation they find themselves in; opportunities to test characters and demonstrate something of their capabilities and even personalities; a situation that calls for a good command of visual storytelling rather than characters posing at each other while talking.

In which Michael imagines a typical X-Men comic book storytelling conference:

Writer: "Ugh, an action scene. I don't want to write an action scene."
Artist: "Nor do I care to draw one."
Writer: "Path of least resistance: they pose at each other in a double-page spread. Reader assumes the fight happened between panels."
Artist: "Whatever fills the pages works for me."
Writer: "That reminds me, I need to fill a data page. Maybe I'll quote Orwell. Or present nothing but redacted text."

I don't wish to join the chorus saying that the X-Men comics haven't been very good since Grant Morrison left 20 years ago - there have been outliers. It's just, they were outliers - not usually the main X-Men title. For the last 20 years the comic book counterparts have been trapped in their own storytelling engine. Usually the X-Men seem to be either fighting each other, fighting a faceless army or fighting someone so powerful they're practically a deity. The franchise has felt unmoored to me - ungrounded. Claremont's X-Men comics set up a template many other writers could use; when he was shown the door, his successors proved they could keep the books going through imitating his formula. But after Morrison broke the engine (or perhaps, after "M-Day" broke the engine) the massive cast of characters seem to have meandered, trapped in a shrinking universe with fewer and fewer new stories to tell, instead going through worn out tropes (an X-Man betrays the team! but they're a popular character so the team will get over it eventually; an X-Man dies! but so what, no one stays dead; the team breaks into factions with different philosophies and even fight each other! big whoop, they'll all be friends again when the next writer arrives).

X-Men '97 reminded me that, yeah, the X-Men are fun. They're interesting characters to spend time with. They have unique personalities, they clash over particular matters, they have different fighting styles... and they have a colorful rogue's gallery of enemies who have an interesting set of personalities too (Mojo maybe not so much). X-Men '97 reminded me... man, it's not that hard to tell a X-Men story that feels like a proper X-Men story. They made me feel for these characters again; even killing Gambit stirred me, despite all the comics have done to treat death with indifference (the present Krakoa age in the comics abolished death as any other than temporary inconvenience).

Many performers from the 1990s X-Men have reprised their voices, which is a little surprising. Cal Dodd's Wolverine sounds mostly the same, albeit weathered by age - although that kinda suits the character. I found Alison Sealy-Smith's imperious performance of Storm on the 1990s program off-putting (I think it drove me to dislike the comics version of Storm as well) but she seems to have a better balance now, less of the faux-Thor speech helps. The sheer number of returning performers is impressive considering more than 25 years have passed; even those who've aged out of their old roles have been recast into other characters for the new show.

For all that X-Men '97 is nostalgia bait for old men, I think new viewers might like it too; they'll probably have to watch the 1990s show first, though, and that might not appeal to them.

RIP: Carl Weathers

Carl Weathers passed away last week at age 76. Most of the reporting online talks him up as a performer in the Rocky franchise and for his role in the original Predator. I like those movies quite a bit; Predator is one of the most ridiculously macho movies ever made, and kind of funny because of how over-the-top macho it is. Rocky, despite its reputation, was a heartfelt story that connects to me on an entirely different level.

Having that background with Weathers, I was very pleased when he turned up in the television series the Mandalorian; his appearance in the first episode surprised me and was the first signal I received that the casting work on that series was top-notch. I enjoyed seeing reappear on that series (even direct an episode) even though the series itself just kept running in circles.

But if I'm honest, my favourite role Carl Weathers ever played in was when he portrayed... Carl Weathers on television's Arrested Development.

I laughed a lot at him satirizing himself. Based on his willingness to make fun of himself, he must have been a pretty great guy. Rest in peace, Mr. Weathers.

Echo (2024) Creator Credits

Because... no one demanded it.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Echo is a bit confounding. The creators of this TV mini-series openly disparaged the comic book version, who is already not a particularly well-known character. The comics version was already a bi-racial (First Nations/Hispanic) deaf woman, yet they chose to cast a performer with a prosthetic leg too, which seems like cluttering her up with attributes instead of honing her character. But Vincent D'Onofrio reprised his performance as the Kingpin and for some reason Graham Greene is present to supply comic relief so the series itself wasn't a total waste of time.

Below are the comics creators whose work I noticed being represented on the Disney+ series Echo. If you saw something I missed, please let me know! My full list of Marvel Cinematic Universe creators is found here!

David Mack: creator of William the name of Maya's father (Daredevil #52, 2003); of Wilson Fisk attempting to reconcile with Maya after becoming her enemy; of Maya returning to her family's reservation and going on a vision quest (Daredevil #53, 2003); co-creator of Maya Lopez, a deaf First Nations/Hispanic woman who is an expert martial artist; of Maya as a protege to Wilson Fisk, raised by him after her father's death (Daredevil #9, 1999); of Echo, Maya Lopez's codename; of Maya's father leaving a bloody handprint on her face as he died; Maya's father as a lieutenant of the Kingpin; the Kingpin arranging the death of Maya's father but making Maya think a super-hero was responsible so she would eliminate the hero for him; Maya battling Daredevil (Daredevil #10, 2000); of Maya learning the Kingpin had killed her father and turning against him, shooting and blinding him (Daredevil #14, 2001)

Joe Quesada: co-creator of Maya Lopez, a deaf First Nations/Hispanic woman who is an expert martial artist; of Maya as a protege to Wilson Fisk, raised by him after her father's death (Daredevil #9, 1999); of Echo, Maya Lopez's codename; of Maya's father leaving a bloody handprint on her face as he died; Maya's father as a lieutenant of the Kingpin; the Kingpin arranging the death of Maya's father but making Maya think a super-hero was responsible so she would eliminate the hero for him; Maya battling Daredevil (Daredevil #10, 2000); of Maya learning the Kingpin had killed her father and turning against him, shooting and blinding him (Daredevil #14, 2001); of Ronin, a costumed identity used by a crimefighter who uses martial arts and swords in combat (New Avengers #1, 2005)

Jimmy Palmiotti: co-creator of Maya Lopez, a deaf First Nations/Hispanic woman who is an expert martial artist; of Maya as a protege to Wilson Fisk, raised by him after her father's death (Daredevil #9, 1999); of Echo, Maya Lopez's codename; of Maya's father leaving a bloody handprint on her face as he died; Maya's father as a lieutenant of the Kingpin; the Kingpin arranging the death of Maya's father but making Maya think a super-hero was responsible so she would eliminate the hero for him; Maya battling Daredevil (Daredevil #10, 2000); of Maya learning the Kingpin had killed her father and turning against him, shooting and blinding him (Daredevil #14, 2001)

Rebecca Roanhorse: co-creator of Maya's family reservation located in Oklahoma (Phoenix Song: Echo #1, 2021); of Maya communicating with the spirits of her ancestors, including the Lighthorsemen (Phoenix Song: Echo #2, 2022); of Maya being part-Choctaw nation (Phoenix Song: Echo #3, 2022); of Maya being able to conjure up power from her connection to her ancestors (Phoenix Song: Echo #5, 2022)

Luca Maresca: co-creator of Maya's family reservation located in Oklahoma (Phoenix Song: Echo #1, 2021); of Maya communicating with the spirits of her ancestors, including the Lighthorsemen (Phoenix Song: Echo #2, 2022); of Maya being part-Choctaw nation (Phoenix Song: Echo #3, 2022); of Maya being able to conjure up power from her connection to her ancestors (Phoenix Song: Echo #5, 2022)

Stan Lee: co-creator of the Kingpin, a bald, heavset crimelord who wears a white suit, poses as a legitimate businessman (Amazing Spider-Man #50, 1967); of Daredevil, a costumed crimefighter in red who wields a billy club as a weapon (Daredevil #1, 1964); of Hawkeye, a heroic champion archer (Tales of Suspense #57, 1964)

Brian Michael Bendis: co-creator of Ronin, a costumed identity used by a crimefighter who uses martial arts and swords in combat (New Avengers #1, 2005); of Maya Lopez connected to the Ronin identity (New Avengers #13, 2005); of Hawkeye as Ronin (New Avengers #27, 2007)

Kyle Charles: co-creator of Maya Lopez communicating with the spirits of her ancestors, including the Lighthorsemen (Phoenix Song: Echo #2, 2022); of Maya being part-Choctaw nation (Phoenix Song: Echo #3, 2022)

John Romita: co-creator of the Kingpin, a bald, heavset crimelord who wears a white suit, poses as a legitimate businessman (Amazing Spider-Man #50, 1967)

Dave Ross: co-creator of Maya Lopez learning the Kingpin had killed her father and turning against him, shooting and blinding him (Daredevil #14, 2001)

Bill Everett: co-creator of Daredevil, a costumed crimefighter in red who wields a billy club as a weapon (Daredevil #1, 1964)

Mark Gruenwald: creator of Hawkeye suffering hearing loss, requiring him to obtain a hearing aid (Hawkeye #4, 1983)

Frank Miller: creator of Wilson Fisk's name; of Fisk as an enemy of Daredevil (Daredevil #170, 1981)

Don Heck: co-creator of Hawkeye, a heroic champion archer (Tales of Suspense #57, 1964)

Matt Fraction: co-creator of the Tracksuit Mafia, a Russian crime cartel (Hawkeye #1, 2012)

David Aja: co-creator of the Tracksuit Mafia, a Russian crime cartel (Hawkeye #1, 2012)

David Finch: of Maya Lopez connected to the Ronin identity (New Avengers #13, 2005)

Ed Brisson: co-creator of the Black Knife Cartel, a criminal organization (Bullseye #2, 2017)

Guillermo Sanna: co-creator of the Black Knife Cartel, a criminal organization (Bullseye #2, 2017)

Charles Soule: co-creator of Wilson Fisk running for mayor of New York City (Daredevil #28, 2017)

Ron Garney: co-creator of Wilson Fisk running for mayor of New York City (Daredevil #28, 2017)

Leinil Francis Yu: of Hawkeye as Ronin (New Avengers #27, 2007)