History of Comics in America

A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a funny book, comic paper or comic magazine) is a magazine made up of narrative artwork, virtually always accompanied by dialog (usually in word balloons, emblematic of the comic book artform) and often including brief descriptive prose. The first comic book appeared in the United States in 1934, reprinting the earlier newspaper comic strips, which established many of the story telling devices used in comics today. The term “comic book” arose because the first comic books reprinted humor comic strips, but despite their name, comic books are not usually humorous; most modern comic books tell stories in a variety of genres. This is seen clearly in the Japanese and European comic book markets, whereas in the United States, the market is dominated by the super hero genre, even though other genres are present.
Since the introduction of the comic book format in 1934 with the publication of Famous Funnies, the United States has been the leading producer, with only the British comic and Japanese manga as close competitors in terms of quantity of titles. The majority of all comic books in the U.S. are marketed to young adult readers, though they also produce titles for young children as well as adult audiences.

Cultural historians divide the career of the comic book in the U.S. into several ages or historical eras: the Golden Age, the Silver Age, the Bronze Age, and the Modern Age. The exact boundaries of these eras, the terms for which originated in the fandom press, is a debatable point among comic book historians.
Adventures into Darkness, horror stories

The Golden Age is generally thought as lasting from the introduction of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s Superman in 1938 until the late 1940s or early 1950s. During this time, comic books enjoyed considerable popularity; the archetype of the superhero was invented and defined, and many of the most popular superheroes were created. While comics as an art form could theoretically extend as far back in history as sequential cave paintings, comic books are dependent on printing, and the starting point for them in book form is generally considered to be the tabloid-sized The Funnies begun in 1929, or the smaller-sized Funnies on Parade begun in 1933. Both of these were simply reprints of newspaper strips.

The Silver Age of Comic Books is generally considered to date from the first successful revival of the dormant superhero form — the debut of Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino’s Flash in Showcase #4 (September-October 1956) — and lasts through the early 1970s, during which time Marvel Comics revolutionized the medium with such naturalistic superheroes as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four and Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s Spider-Man. There is less agreement on the beginnings of the Bronze and Modern ages. Some suggest that the Bronze Age is still taking place. Starting points that have been suggested for the Bronze Age of comics are Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith’s Conan #1 (October 1970), Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams’ Green Lantern/Green Arrow #76 (April 1970) or Stan Lee and Gil Kane’s Amazing Spider-Man #96 (May 1971) (the non-Comics Code issue). The start of the Modern Age (occasionally referred to as the Iron Age) has even more potential starting points, but is generally agreed to be the publication of Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns graphic novel and Alan Moore’s Watchmen by DC Comics in 1986, as well as the publication of DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, with Marv Wolfman as writer and George Pérez on the pencils.

Comics published after World War II in 1945 are sometimes referred to as being from the Atomic Age (referring to the dropping of the atomic bomb), while titles published after November 1961 are sometimes referred to as being from the Marvel Age (referring to the advent of Marvel Comics). However, these eras are referred to far less frequently than the aforementioned designations.

Notable events in the history of the American comic book include the psychiatrist Fredric Wertham’s criticisms of the medium in his book Seduction of the Innocent, which prompted the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency to investigate comic books. In response to this attention from both the government and the media, the US comic book industry created the Comics Code Authority in 1954 and drafted the Comics Code.

Where Did The X-Men Originate From?

In 1845 in North-Western Territory, British North America, young James Howlett (Troye Sivan) sees his father John Howlett (Peter O’Brien) killed by his friend Victor Creed’s father, Thomas Logan (Aaron Jeffery). In an act of vengeance, James kills the elder Logan using bone claws which have grown out of his hands. With his dying breath, Logan tells James that he is also his son. James and Victor (Michael-James Olsen) run away, pursued by a torch-wielding mob. They promise to look out for each other.

In the years that follow, adult brothers James (Hugh Jackman) and Victor (Liev Schreiber) are seen fighting together in the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, and eventually the Vietnam War. Their regenerative powers keep them from being killed in the battlefield. James is forced to act as a check on Victor’s increasing rage and ferocity. In Vietnam, Victor kills a superior officer after being stopped from raping a girl, and James and Victor are sentenced to death by firing squad, though their unique regenerative abilities keep them alive.

Major William Stryker (Danny Huston) approaches the two mutants and offers them membership in Team X, his elite group of mutants. The team consists of mutants Fred Dukes (Kevin Durand), who’s super-strong and invulnerable; John Wraith (Will i Am), who can teleport; Chris Bradley (Dominic Monaghan), a.k.a. Bolt, who can control electricity; expert marksman Agent Zero (Daniel Henney); and mercenary Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), an amazing swordsman who never stops talking. The brothers join the group and are sent to the team’s first mission: Invade the headquarters of a diamond trafficking operation in Lagos, Nigeria, to retrieve a meteorite. Afterwards, Stryker and the team brutally interrogate people from a nearby village to learn where the meteorite was found. James is disgusted by the murders committed by his teammates and abandons the group.

Six years afterward, James — now going by his last name, Logan — is a lumberjack living with his girlfriend Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins). Meanwhile, Victor hunts down and murders Bradley, who works at a circus; Victor mentions that Wade is already dead. Stryker locates Logan and claims that someone is killing members of the now-disbanded team. Stryker asks Logan for help, but is refused. Shortly after, Silverfox is murdered by Victor. Wolverine hunts down his half-brother, but is easily defeated. Stryker once again asks Logan for help, and Logan agrees. Stryker has Logan’s skeletal system reinforced with adamantium, a virtually indestructible metal retrieved from the meteorite found by Team X. Before the procedure, Logan asks for his new dog tags to say “Wolverine,” a reference to a story that Kayla told him. After the procedure, Stryker orders Wolverine’s memory to be erased, but Wolverine overhears this and flees. Stryker orders Agent Zero to hunt him down and take his head off.

An elderly couple, Travis (Max Cullen) and Heather Hudson (Julia Blake), see Wolverine — who escaped in the buff — enter their barn. They’re wary but welcoming, giving him food and clothing, including a leather jacket of their son’s — and their son’s motorcycle. The next morning, both are shot dead by Zero. Wolverine takes out several HMMWVs, a helicopter and Zero himself, then goes to Las Vegas. Wolverine locates former associates John Wraith and Fred Dukes (who is now massively obese from a guilt-driven eating disorder), seeking to learn the location of Stryker’s new laboratory. Wolverine learns the disbanded team had been capturing young mutants for Stryker. One of them, Remy LeBeau (Taylor Kitsch), also known as Gambit, escaped the island laboratory and knows its location. Dukes tells Logan that his brother Victor is actually working for Stryker, capturing and killing mutants for him. Meanwhile, Stryker captures a teenaged Scott Summers (Tim Pocock) with Victor’s aid.

Wolverine and Wraith locate Gambit in a New Orleans bar. Wolverine talks to Gambit while Wraith keeps watch outside, but Gambit suspects Wolverine was sent to recapture him and, using his ability to charge objects with kinetic energy, throws several playing cards at Wolverine that send him flying through a wall. Outside, Wolverine sees Victor has killed Wraith and taken a sample of his blood. Wolverine fights Victor, only to be interrupted by Gambit. Victor escapes, and after a brief struggle, Gambit agrees to take Wolverine to the mutant prison/laboratory on Three Mile Island. Once there, Wolverine confronts Stryker and learns Silverfox is still alive; Victor faked her death with hydrochlorothiazide. She was keeping track of the mutant to free her sister, Emma Frost (Tahyna Tozzi), who is also in the prison. Wolverine is devastated by this betrayal.

With no more quarrel with Stryker, Wolverine departs. Victor, angered that Stryker let Wolverine go, demands the adamantium procedure. Stryker, however, tells him that he won’t survive the procedure and in an act of rage, Victor tries to kill Silverfox. Wolverine hears Silverfox’s screams and attacks Victor. Finally having the chance to kill Victor, Wolverine chooses not to give in to his animal instincts and instead knocks him out. Silverfox shows Wolverine to the holding cells, and he frees the mutants there; among them are Emma Frost and Scott Summers.

Panicking, Stryker prematurely activates his newest creation, Weapon XI (Scott Adkins and Ryan Reynolds), a bald, pale-skinned and deformed Wade Wilson, lacking a mouth and with patterns on his skin marking his adamantium bone structure. As the rescue party approaches an exit, it is blocked by Weapon XI, who is under Stryker’s control. Wolverine tells them to find a new exit as two blades extend from Weapon XI’s arms. The blades are similar to Wolverine’s claws, but more like katana swords, Wilson’s weapon of choice. Wolverine realizes that this monstrosity is actually Wade Wilson. “Looks like Stryker finally found a way to shut you up,” he quips.

Weapon XI, also called Deadpool, is a mutant Frankenstein’s monster, with the abilities of several of the killed and captured mutants: Scott’s optic blasts, Wraith’s teleportation, and Wolverine’s healing ability. During the escape, Silverfox is mortally wounded. The other mutants escape through the facility’s tunnels, guided by Scott who is unable to tell them how he knows the way out. Emerging from the tunnel, the party encounters a helicopter. Emerging from the helicopter is a familiar figure: Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who has guided them to safety and offers them a home at his school.

Meanwhile, the fight between Wolverine and Weapon XI moves to the top of one of the nuclear power plant’s cooling towers. Weapon XI overpowers and prepares to decapitate Wolverine, but Victor returns to aid his brother. Wolverine and Victor, now working together, are able to decapitate Weapon XI, sending its head, still firing optic blasts, down into the cooling tower. Wolverine coldly informs Victor that despite his help, their relationship is over. Victor reminds him that as brothers, they can never be finished, and jumps off the the cooling tower. The damage from the optic blasts causes the cooling tower to collapse, but Wolverine is saved by Gambit.

Wolverine asks Gambit to ensure the prisoners are safe, while he returns to find Silverfox, who stayed behind because she was wounded. As he carries her to safety, Stryker shoots him in the back with an adamantium bullet. Wolverine tries to kill him but is shot in the head, knocking him unconscious.

Silverfox uses her powers of persuasion to order Stryker to walk away until his feet bleed, then dies from her injuries. Gambit returns to assure Wolverine that the mutants are safe, but due to amnesia caused by the brain damage the adamantium bullets inflicted, Wolverine does not remember anything (this was Stryker’s intention, knowing that even the adamantium bullets could not kill Logan). Gambit tries to get Wolverine to come with him, but he declines. Gambit wishes Wolverine good luck before departing, and Wolverine flees the scene as the ambulances and police arrive.

The film has several additional scenes during and after the credits. The first of these scenes plays a few seconds into the credits, and depicts William Stryker walking down a road. Due to Silverfox’s order, the toes of his shoes are torn and bloody from walking for so long. A military vehicle drives up behind him and he is apprehended by military police for questioning about the death of General Munson. (Stryker murdered the general earlier in the film in order to protect his vendetta against mutants.)

Depending on which theater the movie was shown in, one of two possible endings then appears following the credits. In the first ending, Weapon XI’s hand reaches out from the rubble of the nuclear complex to touch his severed head. The second alternate ending shows Logan drinking at a bar in Japan. The bartender asks if he is drinking to forget; Logan replies that he’s drinking to remember.

Rise of the Phoenix | X-Mens Last Stand

It has been several months since The X-Men stopped William Stryker, but that victory came at a price, they have lost Jean Gray when she tried to save them from the collapsed reservoir. Scott Summers (Cyclops) is still grieving about her loss. One day, he came out to the place which is where Jean Gray sacrificed herself. Then, Jean Gray appeared right in front of him. Though, it seemed that after that, Scott had disappeared. Meanwhille, the rift between humans and mutants had finally reached the boiling point. When humans discovered what causes humans to mutate, they have found a cure for the mutation. The X-Men were appalled at this idea. It was not long at all until the news about the cure came to Magneto. He decides to organize an army of mutants and wage his war against the humans. Then, it became clear that Jean Gray evolved into the Pheonix, her new mutant powers are so strong that she can not control her own body. Then, she kills off Professor X with her new powers. Now, The X-Men must stop Magneto again and put an end to the war against the humans, as well as stop Jean Gray’s Pheonix powers.
When a cure is created, which apparently can turn any mutant into a normal human being, there is outrage amongst the mutant community. Whilst some mutants do like the idea of a cure, including Rogue, many mutants find that there shouldn’t be a cure. Magneto, who still believes a war is coming, recruits a large team of mutants to take down Warren Worthington II and his cure. Might seem easy for the X-Men to stop, but Magneto has a big advantage, which Wolverine doesn’t have. Jean Grey has returned, and joined with Magneto. The Phoenix has woken within her, which has the ability to destroy anything in here past, even if that ‘anything’ is a X-Men.
The X-Men, mutant heroes sworn to defend a world that hates and fears them, are back! This time, with the help of new recruits The Beast and Angel, they must face evolution itself in the form of their former teammate, Jean Grey. Possessed with the cosmic power of the Dark Phoenix, the resurrected Jean Grey has become a danger to herself, her mutant comrades, and the entire planet. To stave off this imminent threat to humanity, a potential cure is discovered and processed to treat — and ultimately eliminate — genetic mutations, once and for all. Now, as the battle lines are drawn, the X-Men, led by Professor Charles Xavier, must contend with both Jean Grey’s world-consuming powers, as well as the malevolent Brotherhood, a band of powerful mutants organized under Xavier’s former ally, Magneto.
Mutants are on the verge of X-tinction, it seems, when US business Worthington Industries discovers a cure for mutation. This scientific breakthrough complicates and intensifies the battle - both physical and ideological - between Professor X’s integration-friendly X-Men and the human-hating muties let by Magneto …
When a private laboratory supported by the government finds the cure for the mutants, using the DNA of a powerful boy, the mutants have the option of giving up their powers and become human, but their society split. Magneto opposes and decides to join a force to fight against the government and kill the mutant boy. Meanwhile, Jean Grey resurrects uncontrolled by Xavier and with the personality of the powerful Dark Phoenix. She destroys Cyclops and Professor Charles Xavier, and allies to the evil forces of Magneto, making them almost invincible.

X-Mens Last Stand

Several months had passed since The X-Men defeated Magneto and imprisoned him in a plastic chamber. One day, a mutant going by the name of “Nightcrawler” infiltrates The White House and attempts to assassinate The President. Meanwhile, Logan is trying to discover his past, and wonder why he became a mutant. However, the friction between the humans and mutants is grinding much harder. As a scientist named William Stryker is assigned to discover about Professor X’s secret school and his chamber called “Cerebro”. Meanwhile, Magneto’s partner, Mystique, is planning to break her leader out of prison. Then, Professor X’s school is attacked by Stryker’s forces. Logan, Rougue, Iceman and others escaped. The rest of The X-Men meet in Boston along with Magneto, who escaped from prison. They must work together to stop Stryker and rescue Professor X.
After the events on Liberty Island, everyone at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters are settling in. Magneto is locked up in a plastic cell, Rogue and Bobby Drake have finally got together, and Wolverine has set off to find the origins of where he came from. But it wont stay quiet for long. After a mutant attack on the President, everyone starts to fear any type of mutant. William Stryker who plans to stop all mutants, takes over the school, causing Wolverine and his team of mutants to go into hiding. Stryker has managed to capture Xavier and will use him to create another version of Cerebro. Wolverine and the team must now team up with their enemy, Magneto to stop Stryker before it’s too late.
Already living in a society that mistrusts them, the mutants are faced with even more discrimination after an unforeseen enemy - who may be a mutant with extraordinary powers - launches a devastating attack. The news of the assault causes a public outcry against the mutants, including renewed support for the Mutant Registration Act, and William Stryker, a military leader rumored to have experimented on mutants (possibly including Wolverine), is among the most vocal supporters of the legislation. Stryker puts into motion a plan to eradicate the mutants and begins an offensive on the X-Men mansion and school. Magneto, having escaped from his plastic prison, forms an unlikely alliance with Professor Xavier to stop Stryker. Meanwhile, Wolverine heads north to investigate his past.
A new war between humans and mutants begins after an attempted assassination of the President of the United States. Now, all the mutants must fight together against a common enemy: General William Stryker. Stryker, to further his plan to eradicate all mutants, uses radical methods to get some information from Magneto, and plans an attack to Professor Xavier’s school. On the night of the attack, Wolverine is left alone to ‘babysit’ the young students (Jean Grey and Storm are looking for the mutant assassin, and Xavier is in Magneto’s plastic prison, having left Cyclops in its lobby). The plot goes on with a lot of action and many revelations, largely following the comic books.
Having returned from the north after finding nothing, Wolverine/Logan watches over the school students for a night as Charles Xavier visits Magneto in his plastic confinement prison and Storm and Jean Grey search for a teleporter mutant known as Nightcrawler who attempted to assassinate the president. Things become deadly as William Stryker, a scientist who has experimented on mutants, leads a siege on Xavier’s mansion- few mutants escape. With the school no longer safe, Magneto out of prison and forming a temporary alliance with the X-Men, and Professor Xavier in the hands of Stryker; the mutants team up to stop Stryker’s plans to wipe the mutants off the face of the Earth.

The Evolution Begins With The X-Men

In a world where both Mutants and Humans fear each other, Marie D’Ancanto, better known as Rogue, runs away from home and hitches a ride with another mutant, known as Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine. Charles Xavier, who owns a school for young mutants, sends Storm and Cyclops to bring them back before it is too late. Magneto, who believes a war is approaching, has an evil plan in mind, and needs young Rogue to help him.
A band of unique power-possessing mutants live in a world where their kind is hated and persecuted by humans. Under the guidance of their leader, Professor Charles Xavier, the X-Men strive for a world where humans and mutants can peacefully co-exist. The superheroes must also combat those radical mutants with intentions of exterminating human the race.

In the near future, when children are being born with a special X-factor in their genes, giving them special powers and making them mutants, the seeds of a new Holocaust are being sown by Senator Robert Kelly. The situation brings into opposition the fellow mutants and former friends, Erik Lehnsherr, a.k.a. Magneto, and Professor Charles Xavier. While Xavier wants a peaceful means of stopping the hatred toward mutants, Magneto seeks to even things out with a machine that would speed up the mutation process in all humans, making everyone equal. To stop Magneto, Xavier brings together a special group of mutants called “X-Men” to stop him. In the meantime, two mysterious mutants emerge: Logan, a powerful and aggressive mutant with no past, no memories, and a young girl named Rogue. Their quests for identities eventually land them in the sights of Xavier and Magneto, but for what purpose?
After the death of his family at the hands of the Nazis, Magnus, a mutant, vows revenge on all humanity. Meanwhile, a group of good mutants is assembled by Charles Xavier, who trains and cares for them. Magnus, now under the guise of Magneto, assembles the villains Sabertooth and Mystique to destroy anyone who gets in his way, including a furry Canadian mutant named Logan (Wolverine). A fierce battle ensues between Sabertooth and Wolverine. Xavier’s group, the X-Men, recruits Logan just in time to learn of Magneto’s dastardly plan to destroy the world.
Across the world, children are born with an extra twist to their chromosomes that allow them to exhibit superhuman abilities: fire a beam of force from their eyes, sprout wings that allow flight, or read men’s minds. These ‘children of the atom’ are often feared and despised by the world, forcing these mutants to resort to desperate actions. However, one group of mutants have banded together to show the world that it need not fear their kind. Apart, they are simply scientific curiosities, freaks and monsters - but together, united by their shared belief, they are more. They are the uncanny X-Men.

Wolverine: The Untold Story

Wolverine first came on stage in the Marvel Comics comic book franchise in October 1974, in the Incredible Hulk issue (#180). John Romita Sr. (Marvel art director) and writer Len Wein created the character. Wolverine was known for a saying in the comics, during the years starting in 1982, which was “I’m the best there is at what I do, but what I do isn’t very nice.” This catchphrase was created by artist Frank Miller.

Wolverine is a mutant who is also known as Logan. However, he was born James Howlett. His mutant abilities are regeneration, advanced physical strength, animal-like senses, and retracting claws. He can recover instantly from wounds, toxins and disease, and has lived longer than a normal human would live.

As Logan, he was part of Weapon X, a super soldier development program. It was here where he was experimented on and was bonded with alloy adamantium, an indestructible alloy. Wolverine became popular during the Vietnam War because, a lot of the people who were still at home reading comic books were more toward anti-war, and anti-authority during this time. So, Wolverine was portrayed as an anti-hero, but still got the job done. By 1988, Wolverine became a solo comic, and was adapted into an animated TV series as well as the X-Men film franchise, whereas, the character was played by actor Hugh Jackman.

Uncaged: Wolverine Gets Unleashed

The game world has now unleashed “Uncaged Edition”, the game for XBOX 360, PS3, and even your PC, that uncovers the inside scoop to Wolverine & the origin of his super powers. This is a great addition to the X-Men movie franchise, as big business aims to capitalize on the brand. Uncaged complements the summer blockbuster movie, X-Men Origins.

Overall, “Uncaged” features on Wolverine, one of the mutant X-men. The game was created by Raven Software, and they have done a great job bringing out the essence of the character, staying not only true to the movie, but also the Marvel comics. The game has an M-rating (compared to the film which is PG-13), offers an interweaving storyline and high quality cinematic game play.

The game story last from 10 -12 hours, and has 5 chapters which expands the storyline and follows up the film. The developers provided a 3^rd person action gamer experience, similar to the God of War series. The action sequences & experience get stronger as you progress, as well as you will battle large enemy numbers. You will also come fact-to-face with Marvel villains and have to solve environmental puzzles. One of the interesting points is Wolverines regeneration abilities in the game. You have two bars which signify Wolverines health system. If you deplete the first bar, the 2^nd bar will kick in & actually cause more damage to you and you will regenerate at a slower rate. So, the more you avoid damage, the faster you are able to regenerate.

Overall, the game gives you the experience that makes you feel like you are really Wolverine. You are given the ability to apply fury attacks, combinations, and the ability to do stunts all while utilizing Wolverines premier ability, adamantium claws. As you progress through the game, it’s almost like the game takes your previous attack strategies & provides for a more difficult game experience from level to level. This means, that the same attack strategies you had in your previous levels, won’t be as effective against tougher and future opponents. Also, you are not just able to use your claws and battle skills to fight enemies. One of the great things about this game is that you can use the actual surrounding environment as part of the action. Throw your enemy into spike walls, or drop an enemy onto an electrically charged box. Break limbs & skulls with your claws, or rip apart bodies and heads is just some of the gruesome level gaming experience you are offered. You get just enough violence in the game to not be too disruptive, but stay true to the comics, as well as the movie.