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James Johnson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 March 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 2174
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| Posted: 24 January 2021 at 12:26pm | IP Logged | 1
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Not sure about anyone else, but I love seeing the X-Men getting their butts handed to them by the Imperial Guard.
Maybe due to the fact that the IG are not villians and are only doing what they in their eyes is right.
:-)
Edited by James Johnson on 24 January 2021 at 12:27pm
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Rebecca Jansen
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 February 2018
Location: Canada
Posts: 4635
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| Posted: 24 January 2021 at 1:05pm | IP Logged | 2
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I see there have been figures of at least some of the Imperial Guard (Marvel Legends series?), including Manta... and Astra. I can't tell if they are one-offs or what though using repainted parts from commercially made figures.
Manta figure: https://www.figurerealm.com/customfigure?action=view&id=7785 1
The only Jahf I could find is one someone custom made...
Edited by Rebecca Jansen on 24 January 2021 at 1:09pm
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Andrew Bitner
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 7526
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| Posted: 24 January 2021 at 7:37pm | IP Logged | 3
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The FF beat Gladiator by tricking him and sapping his self-confidence, making him think he was hammering Ben Grimm with ineffectual punches when he was really hitting Captain America's indestructible shield.
I don't think the X-Men have a trick like this up their sleeve, so it comes down to raw power--and they can't beat Superman. Their best hope would be Professor X messing with Gladiator's mind, but I'm not sure that that's a good idea... especially because he would find out.
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Andrew Bitner
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 7526
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| Posted: 24 January 2021 at 7:39pm | IP Logged | 4
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There are rarely conflicts as interesting as those between two sides that have valid claims to being "right."
The X-Men are protecting their friend and teammate. The Imperial Guard are protecting Shi'Ar space from a cosmic threat.
And only one team can win.
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Steven Queen
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 28 February 2020
Location: United States
Posts: 950
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| Posted: 25 January 2021 at 6:38am | IP Logged | 5
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I suspect Doctor Doom and Magneto are pretty sure they're right too.
Their villainy lies in their desire to place themselves at the top of the social pyramid at all costs. Pride is at the root of that too.
The IG are inherently soldiers/servants, so that doesn't really apply to them. However, showing up on another species' planet, and bossing them around shows a similar superiority complex. And when it is done in an arrogant fashion, without an attempt to engage/negotiate/explain---it clearly places them in the wrong. Their sin (in this appearance) is their dismissive treatment of the X-men as non-equals. It's evident in every "we've defeated you before" sentence that they utter.
JB said above that Gladiator is not a villain---and mostly he's not (Nuremberg Defense?). But in this current drama, he is still playing the "bad guy"---just like he did on the Moon. What Gladiator and the IG haven't historically shown is much compassion or the heroic traits (e.g. Superman) that rise above just following their orders. Jahf, here, being the exception.
It takes more than just sheer power (e.g. Gladiator) for me to admire a "hero". A far more interesting story-arc than him lording above everyone, would be for him to be humbled (by the X-men...'cause I love them), and grow in the process. That's, in part, why his FF appearance was so memorable---that small moment of doubt JB depicted so well. Unfortunate, in this latest incarnation, we don't see much indication that had a lasting effect (which is generally good in comics..."put the toys back", etc.).
A good beat-down of the IG by the X-men that leads to a respect-among-equals is a better foundation for friendship, in my opinion---especially since the IG has already shown up with little evidence of mutual respect OR heroic behavior (just barking of orders, implied threats, and hair-triggered assaults...on a dude in a wheelchair!).
Comics as morality plays? Perhaps later-era IG appearances in the Marvel Universe have endeared these characters to the readership here more---I'm judging solely by JB's work with them since that's all I've seen.
Sorry to go on about this. This will be my last post about it, as I've probably said too much already. However, it's also worth mentioning that it's the great storytelling than has created the tension in my heart every time the IG make an appearance. It's no small feat to make these fictional characters come alive. Thank you once again Mr. Byrne for these gifts.
Edited by Steven Queen on 25 January 2021 at 6:49am
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Wallace Sellars
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 17701
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| Posted: 25 January 2021 at 7:11am | IP Logged | 6
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QUOTE:
| The FF beat Gladiator by tricking him and sapping his self-confidence, making him think he was hammering Ben Grimm with ineffectual punches when he was really hitting Captain America's indestructible shield. |
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It was Reed that Gladiator thought he was hitting, not Ben.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: 25 January 2021 at 7:12am | IP Logged | 7
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Another sharp-eyes alert: Slight divergence in the plotlines in the pages on which I am currently working has made necessary another bit of micro-surgery on an already posted page.*---------------------- *Fair warning: this is NOTHING compared to what lies ahead!!
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
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| Posted: 25 January 2021 at 7:13am | IP Logged | 8
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•• Cute!
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Philippe Pinoli
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 03 September 2004
Location: France
Posts: 1331
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| Posted: 25 January 2021 at 7:32am | IP Logged | 9
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Well, how to put it so that you remain
calm folks, there is no Lilandra left to
rescue ;)
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Ted Downum
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 21 April 2004
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Posts: 2380
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| Posted: 25 January 2021 at 7:45am | IP Logged | 10
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Gladiator's powers are most definitely on full display in today's installment. I love the protective-sphere panel.
I don't think Astra's attack on Kitty worked out quite the way Astra intended. Surely she didn't mean to end up as part of an amorphous mass (shudder) phased five miles down (and sinking? [shudder]) in the Earth's crust!
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Andrew Bitner
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 June 2004
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| Posted: 25 January 2021 at 7:54am | IP Logged | 11
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If they came to rescue Lilandra, they're likely to be unhappy when they find what's left of her.
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Eric Sofer
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 31 January 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 4789
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| Posted: 25 January 2021 at 9:11am | IP Logged | 12
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ITEM: Oh, oh, oh. It's GLADIATOR! Look, up among the stars! It's an astroglider! It's a stratojet! It's GLADIATOR! Mr. Byrne, there is one thing I hope you'll address for Gladiator, and that is a sobriquet or two. Hardly necessary, but the verisimilitude would be delicious, and I would fall off my chair laughing in delight!
ITEM: They've come to save Princess Lilandra? Might as well try to save Bucky or Gwen Stacy or Jean Grey- hmm? Ohh....
ITEM: I'm interested what led the I.G., in search of Princess Lilandra Phoenix, to immediately attack the X-Men. How could our merry mutants possibly be at fault? They KILLED Jean Grey's personality, and the Dark Phoenix they faced WAS Lilandra. Maybe asking Professor X about it, since he was her lover; but just attacking first and ask questions later? Sounds more like the Clint Eastwood Guard. "Do we have twenty-five members... or only twenty-four?"
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