The Bullpen

[David]

In my car on a Saturday afternoon, I was FLIPPING OUT to discover the Beatles had done this song.

Beatles?  Isn't it Wings?

[New Mutant]

hey everybody...didn't get to listen yet but here is the cover for my segment...

NEKRA!!


First Appearance
Shanna the She-Devil #4 (1973)

Gemma Sinclair (Nekra's mother) was a cleaning woman at the Los Alamos Atomic Proving Grounds in New Mexico who was exposed to a large amount of radiation when an explosion breached the facility's small atomic pile. Though both of Nekra's parents were African-American, she was born with chalk-white skin.

Despised by her family, she ran away from home at the age of ten and met Jerome Beechman, the son of another person exposed to radiation in the accident. Shunning other people, the two lived together in the desert for the next six years, surviving by their wits and educating themselves with stolen books. When an angry mob attacked them one evening, the two manifested their mutant abilities for the first time, killing some of their attackers and driving off the rest.

During this time, Nekra grew fangs while Jerome came to resemble a mandrill, leading him to adopt the name as his own. Together they plotted to overthrow three small African governments and consolidate them under their rule. The Nekra became the chief priestess of a personality cult based around the Mandrill, though their plot was frustrated by Shanna the She-Devil. After their failure, Mandrill and Nekra formed Black Spectre, an organization of African-American women committed to overthrowing the U.S. government. Though the group succeeded in taking over the White House briefly, they were ultimately defeated by Daredevil, with the aid of Shanna and the Black Widow. Though Mandrill escaped, Nekra was taken into custody by S.H.I.E.L.D..

Held in a S.H.I.E.L.D. holding facility, Nekra was drugged to prevent her from utilizing her powers. Exposure to a broadcast of a rally by the second Hate-Monger, though, exposed her to frequencies designed to stimulate rage, which helped her to overcome the drugs and escape. Coming upon a den of worshippers of the death-god Kali in the tunnels of New York City, she became high priestess of their cult. She later established a base at a clinic for emotional research in an effort to understand her powers better, but she was discovered by Spider-Woman and, vulnerable to Spider-Woman's pheromone emissions, was defeated and returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.

[Steve Raker]

Beatles?  Isn't it Wings?

Right, which is why no one ever cared. I've known about this one since I was a kid, but......it's Wings.  I'd rather eat wings.    ....a lot of wings.

[New Mutant]

Monsters, Aliens, robots and.......HANK PYM FTW!!!!!

Yeah yeah YEAH!! That's RIGHT!! I had no idea that Hank Pym made his debut eons before the Avengers!!  SEE?!?? SO many things I can still learn!!!  And the whole way they are assembling the movie Avengers from other movies (see what I did there?) is just like how they did it back in the day!!

STEVE! STEVE!  Was Janet Van Dyne in that story with Hank Pym!?

And why was Janet never known as Janet Pym anyway?? No wonder she got the pow-pow!  (I'm TOTALLY kidding.)

Beatles?  Isn't it Wings?

Right, which is why no one every cared. I've known about this one since I was a kid, but......it's Wings.  I'd rather eat wings.    ....a lot of wings.

Wait, what? OH! Okay. See. I didn't know that I didn't know that I didn't know.   

[New Mutant]

Thanks to everybody for all the nice comments...

If you do not already know, The background music is all composed by myself (under the handle, Obscure Alternatives)...

Sadly, I'm feeling even more inadequate after hearing yet another excellent sounding voice on Marvel Noise, courtesy of Matt H.

If I could have a super power it would be to have a good voice  

Maaaaaaan, I need to give you a hug in the worst way.  You don't even KNOW how much I love what you're doing, and like, x1000 because it's a personal challenge to you that you are PWNING.  It's not even your voice I hear when you do your segments anymore--it's yo big-ass heart. 

Boy you betta work.
 

[New Mutant]

What the hell does that mean, anyway?  Is there such a thing as a "fantod"?  I've been intending to look that up.  Thanks for reminding me.

EDIT:  Yep.  I should be looking up a lot more words as I read Infinite Jest.  And I thought I had a decent vocabulary....

Squee!!! Another thing I never knew I never knew!

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE WOLF CRY TO THE BLUE CORN MOON?!
OR ASK THE GRINNING BOBCAT WHY HE GRINNED???

What *I* want to know, Matt, is if you've used that word aloud in a sentence!! And if you HAVE, tell me then if the crown you got for being subsequently inducted into nerd royalty chafes your eartops.

[New Mutant]

 I know you described the villian as Z-list but you didn't describe which Mandrell it was.

No offense to the fans of the country or the western music, but I ain't much for it.  Keep those segments coming.

HAHAA!!!!  
Ohmigod, you guys!  My history! My LIFE!! Just like beautiful Mount Airy Lodge, it's all connected to Marvel Noise and David A Price!! I LOVE what you people here make me feel!!! I wanna cry now!!!

Glad we got a nice royal proclamation regarding the current state of the X universe.  I did take that X-men/Dark Avengers trade out of the library and really enjoyed it.  I sort of ditched the X-iverse from regular reading because it is so damn incestuous³.

³I use the term here to represent the fact that the books endlessly cross-over in some bizarre combinations that create a confusing continuity for me.  Unless I can have the Professor Tom Morris sitting next me at all times for constant reference.

Okay stop.
Hamma Time.

No, honestly, I still wanna cry and hug and reminisce and bask in the feelings of nostaligia and innocence with the knowledge that you guys were around on planet Earth too, watching, reading, and not liking the same things I was, at the same time, wherever in the world you were.

[Steve Raker]

Was Janet Van Dyne in that story with Hank Pym!?

Nope! ....and they didn't call him Hank, just Henry Pym.  He made the growth serum, the shrinking serum, had his backyard adventure, made one friend in the ant kingdom, and then 'destroyed' the serum due to the inherant danger of using such a means again.

And why was Janet never known as Janet Pym anyway?? No wonder she got the pow-pow!  (I'm TOTALLY kidding.)

  you're killin me, Alan!

I think she kept her name 'cause she was the heiress to the Van Dyne fortune, and the last with her family's name.  She was a celeb of sorts as well by the time she finally married Pym.

Wait, what? OH! Okay. See. I didn't know that I didn't know that I didn't know.   

I'm almost certain that there was a Bullpen Bulletins about this song and McCartney's Marvel love, too.  I'll keep my eye out for it and share if able!

[New Mutant]

Nope! ....and they didn't call him Hank, just Henry Pym.  He made the growth serum, the shrinking serum, had his backyard adventure, made one friend in the ant kingdom, and then 'destroyed' the serum due to the inherant danger of using such a means again.

I think she kept her name 'cause she was the heiress to the Van Dyne fortune, and the last with her family's name.  She was a celeb of sorts as well by the time she finally married Pym.

I'm almost certain that there was a Bullpen Bulletins about this song and McCartney's Marvel love, too.  I'll keep my eye out for it and share if able!

Am I the only one doesn't see what a tragedy this will be if they don't include Janet & Hank in the Avengers movie? Are they REALLY going to leave all the allure to dour-ass Scarlet Johannson? Miss I-Never-Smile-Unless-I'm-Beating-Your-Ass? Come ON!  How awesome would it be to have Janet and Tony tripping it high society, all glammed-up and dancing, with Hank off sulking, growing more and more jealous? How cool would it be to have Janet want to be an Avenger because, by all bravado appearances from Tony's persona, it's the hipster-riche thing to DO. And yes, okay, deep down, she DOES really want to make a difference in the world and be more than a spoiled heiress.  COME ON!!! I'M not the only writer in the world!! JOSS!!! Do NOT let me down, buddy!!

[jonny the homicidal drummer]

13 songs about super heroes and they couldn't play one anti-hero song 

j/k great episode guys

but there best be smash tales next week 

[Rick Hansen]

13 songs about super heroes and they couldn't play one anti-hero song 

j/k great episode guys

but there best be smash tales next week 

Ho ho! I see what you did there.

Not to worry. It's already been submitted to King DAP.
I would give you a preview listen, but that would violate my contract with Big Meanies Inc. 

[Matt H.O.W.L.]

Here's one I missed:

[MichaelBailey]

All righty.  Finished this the other day.  Here are some thoughts.

Dave K: I like this segment quite a bit.  I enjoy hearing about obscure series I have never heard of or knew very little about, so I appreciate your contribution to the show.  I too like the background music so keep it up.

Matt: Dude, that was hilarious.  The bit went off without a hitch and I laughed out loud a few times.  Quick question; you may have covered this already but have you ever listened to the BBC audio drama AMAZING SPIDER-MAN?  It was produced in 1995 and was done by the same guy (Dirk Maggs) that produced SUPERMAN LIVES and BATMAN: KNIGHTFALL.  I won't spoil my thoughts on it (and I have many) but it does a loose adaptation of the first year or so of Amazing Spider-Man.  Definitely worth a listen...and probably not that much more.

Steve: As always, sir, I dug the segment.  I know very little about this end of Marvel.  In fact outside of the first appearance of Henry Pym the only other story I read that resembles these stories was a bizarre one that had an Aunt May and Uncle Ben (they even looked like Peter's aunt and uncle) who have a niece with a secret.  I need to track these stories down at some point because they sound interesting but that is far down the road.

Great job as always, y'all.

[Steve Raker]

Steve: As always, sir, I dug the segment.  I know very little about this end of Marvel.  In fact outside of the first appearance of Henry Pym the only other story I read that resembles these stories was a bizarre one that had an Aunt May and Uncle Ben (they even looked like Peter's aunt and uncle) who have a niece with a secret.  I need to track these stories down at some point because they sound interesting but that is far down the road.

Great job as always, y'all.

Glad you enjoyed....I'm hoping to pick up some of these other old MMW at NYCC next year....I think that's my entire hitlist for the con: affordable MMW's!

Thanks, Michael!