Wednesday, August 31, 2016

TOP TEN INCREDIBLE HULK VILLAINS

TOP TEN INCREDIBLE HULK VILLAINS


Hey, everyone! As some of you may know, the Incredible Hulk is my all time favorite super hero. I've loved the Hulk since I was a child watching the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno Incredible Hulk television show in syndication in the 1980's. Then I discovered the comic books, Peter David's run in particular, and my love for the green goliath was forever cemented. There is no super hero I know more about or have read more of than the Hulk.

I originally crafted this list for the comic book website COMICONVERSE. Here is a link to that article, TOP 10 HULK VILLAINS. 

I am representing that list here albeit with a few changes. These are the top villains I personally enjoy seeing battle the Hulk. These are primarily Hulk villains and no heroes allowed. So no Wolverine, Thing (Ben Grimm), Thor, or Doc Samson. Just the villains. And no Dr. Doom or M.O.D.O.K either since they're more associated with other heroes but have tangled with the Hulk numerous times.

So, without further delay, bring on the bad guys!




#12
XEMNU ~ THE TITAN


Because I love the Hulk so much I am giving us two bonus characters for this list. 

First appearing in Journey Into Mystery #62 in November 1960, Xemnu was Marvel’s first Hulk. Originally named The Hulk, Xemnu was an alien monster who crash landed on Earth. Possessing telepathy and strength surpassing even that of today’s Hulk (Bruce Banner).  Xemnu mind-controlled entire towns of people forcing them to rebuild his space ship. Xemnu makes our list for being one of the few Hulk foes who can outclass the green goliath in sheer strength.

During his first encounter with Earth’s super heroes, Xemnu defeated both Namor the Sub-Mariner and Doctor Strange before coming face to face with his successor, Bruce Banner a.k.a. the Hulk!  Through the combined might of the Defenders, Hulk was able to drive Xemnu away.  Xemnu has returned on multiple occasions since then to battle the Hulk and has even made his television debut on the show Hulk: Agents of S.M.A.S.H.





#11 
THE BI-BEAST


 And the second bonus villain for this list is certainly one of the weirdest characters in the entire Marvel pantheon (a little Hulk reference there for those of you in the know "wink").

First appearing in Incredible Hulk #169 from November 1973, the monstrous Bi-Beast is an artificial being created long ago by a race of avian creatures. He has two minds with which to formulate his plans, a nigh indestructible body, and both stature and strength greater than that of the Hulk! One of the minds possesses vast intelligence while the other mind is more simple and base, providing the raw emotion and power needed to physically battle the Hulk. With this combination of sheer force and maniacal machinations, the Bi-Beast is a deadly foe not only to the Hulk but to anyone brave enough to oppose him.

In his first confrontation with the Hulk, Bi-Beast kidnapped Betty, one mind being in love with her. The Hulk followed and battled the Bi-Beast to a standstill. It wasn't until the intervention of the evil M.O.D.O.K. that the Bi-Beast was defeated. But not for long. Bi-Beast returned, taking over S.H.I.E.L.D. and using their helicarriers against the Hulk. The Bi-Beast has returned again and again to menace the Hulk, She-Hulk, the Defenders, and many more of Marvel's heroes and he remains one of the most formidable forces on Earth.





#10
THE RINGMASTER AND THE CIRCUS OF CRIME


First appearing in The Incredible Hulk #3 in September 1962, Maynard Tibolbt became the Ringmaster of the Circus of Crime. Through the use of a hypnotic disc upon his ringmaster’s hat, Maynard would place the audience under a hypnotic stasis and the rest of the circus performers would rob the crowd blind. Then Ringmaster would mind-wipe the audience of any memory of being robbed and the circus would pack up and move on to the next unsuspecting town.

The Ringmaster makes the list in honor of being one of the Hulk’s earliest villains. Tiboldt hypnotized the Hulk and forced the green goliath into the service of the circus. With the help of Rick Jones, Hulk was able to break free from Ringmaster’s mind control and thwart the Circus of Crime. Not exclusive to the Hulk, the Ringmaster has had encounters with many heroes narrowly succeeding more than once against the likes of Spider-Man, Daredevil, and even the Avengers. The Ringmaster and his circus always seem to come back around to the Hulk, pitting him against the seductive Princess Python or even a mind-controlled Dragon Man!





#9
ZZZAX ~ THE LIVING DYNAMO


First appearing in The Incredible Hulk #166 in August 1973, Zzzax is a being of pure energy. Created during an electrical explosion inside an atomic reactor, Zzzax possesses the ability to absorb and channel all forms of electrical current. Zzzax can even absorb the electric synapses firing in human brains, temporarily taking on the personalities of its victims.

Zzzax is a unique villain in Hulk’s rogues gallery as one of the few enemies Hulk cannot physically touch or pummel with his fists. Zzzax has repeatedly battled the Hulk over the years, one of his more notable encounters being where he absorbed General Ross‘ mind, combining Ross’ unyielding desire to destroy the Hulk with Zzzax’s nigh unlimited power. Zzzax makes the list for the unique threat he presents to the Hulk and for returning numerous times with electrify terror!





#8
THE U-FOES

First appearing in The Incredible Hulk #254 in December of 1980, a group of four individuals attempted to recreate the accident that created the Fantastic Four. They flew into the same cosmic radiation and were transformed into the U-Foes! Vector – possessing the power to manipulate vectors and repel matter. Vapor – possesses the power to transform her body into a fog-like form capable of assuming the properties of any type of gas. X-Ray – possesses the ability to manipulate energy radiations of all kinds and project them as attacks. Ironclad – possesses a metallic hide, the ability to manipulate his body’s density, and Hulk level strength.

Together these four comprise the U-Foes, four of Hulk’s deadliest enemies! Technically there are four of them and while they can function on their own they are primarily a unit. The U-Foes have come very close to killing the Hulk on multiple occasions. X-Ray once channeled gamma negative rays siphoning off all of the Hulk’s power. Vector even repelled the flesh from Professor Hulk’s bones. They’ve fought several heroes other than the Hulk but have plagued Dr. Banner more often than any other hero.





#7
TYRANNUS


First appearing in The Incredible Hulk #5 in January 1963, Romulus Augustulus was the last emperor of Rome before the fall of the empire. Exiled to the cavernous depths of Subterranea, it was there that he discovered the well feeding the Fountain of Youth. Drinking the water Tyrannus became immortal. Also in Subterranea he discovered the advanced technologies of the Deviants. With dreams of creating the ultimate empire on Earth, Tyrannus has returned to the surface time and time again attempting to conquer the world.

One of the Hulk’s earliest enemies, Tyrannus has battled against the Hulk and other Marvel heroes again and again. Intelligent, immortal, and a lust for conquest only a Roman could possess. Tyrannus once took over the golden city of El Dorado, and using the technologies therein became a being of pure energy. Tyrannus at one time found himself merged with Hulk’s other enemy the Abomination. Perhaps the most devastating blow the tyrant has ever dealt to the Hulk was the seduction of Betty Ross. Tyrannus makes the list for attacking Hulk on multiple levels over and over again.





 #6
THE WENDIGO


First appearing in The Incredible Hulk #162 in April 1973, the entity known as the Wendigo is a spirit roaming the Canadian wilderness. When a human cannibalizes another this spirit possesses the human and transforms them into the man-eating beast men call THE WENDIGO! Possessing greater strength, stamina, and durability than even the Hulk and an insatiable appetite for human flesh, the Wendigo is a terrifying monster the likes of which few who see it survive to tell the tale.

The Hulk is one of the few who can tackle the Wendigo alone and even then he sometimes needs help from Wolverine or Captain Marvel (Genis Vell) to get the job done. If anyone ever had doubts as to whether the Hulk was a hero or a monster, one look at the Wendigo and you’d have your answer. A classic Hulk villain steeped in actual Native American myth, the Wendigo is one of Hulk’s most formidable foes. The Wendigo curse was even transferred to the Hulk at one time creating a hybrid Hulk/Wendigo monster!





#5
THE MAESTRO


First Appearing in The Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect #1 in December 1992, the Maestro is the Hulk from one possible future-timeline. Still possessing Banner’s intellect and the merged green Hulk/gray Hulk body, this future version of himself is a Hulk completely corrupt with power. The heroes have been defeated and the world has been reduced to a wasteland. Only one city remains, Dystopia, and the Maestro rules it with an iron fist.

Bruce has long feared what would happen if the Hulk’s rage ever went out of control. Ironically it wouldn’t be the rage but the power combined with Banner’s intelligence that would turn the Hulk into that which he always feared. Freedom fighters from the Maestro’s dark future traveled back in time to retrieve the only one capable of defeating the tyrant, the Hulk from the present. Facing the Maestro shook Banner to his core and the possibility of the Maestro surfacing in the future helps keep Banner and Hulk on the straight and narrow path of the hero. The Maestro is one of the Hulk’s greatest enemies.





#4
GENERAL "THUNDERBOLT" ROSS



First appearing in The Incredible Hulk #1 in May 1962, General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross was there at the Hulk’s birth and partially responsible. General Ross was head of the Gamma Bomb project that resulted in the Hulk’s creation. A military man, the General has an unyielding desire to safeguard the United States from all threats foreign and domestic. With unlimited government resources at his disposal, General Ross has proven to be one of the Hulk’s most tenacious enemies.

Not only does the General battle the Hulk with his military forces, but he also disapproves of Bruce Banner’s relationship with Betty, the general’s daughter. Combating both Bruce and the Hulk, Thunderbolt Ross has stooped to lows he’d never thought he’d make, allying himself with vile villains such as M.O.D.O.K. and the Abomination, attempting to gundown Banner outright, and even so low as to become the very thing he hates, a crimson hued Hulk himself. Though not an actual villainous person, Ross has been an antagonist to the Hulk since the very beginning.





#3
THE ABOMINATION


First appearing in Tales to Astonish #90 in April 1967, Emil Blonsky was a Russian operative spying on General Ross’ military projects. Discovering a gamma powered machine, Blonsky exposed himself to far more gamma radiation than had created the Hulk. This transformed Blonsky into a hideous monster with twice the strength of the Hulk, but unlike the Hulk Blonsky retained his intelligence but could never revert back to his human form. Blonsky became known as the Abomination, one of the strongest beings on Earth.

In their first encounter the Abomination easily overpowered the Hulk, going so far as to beat the Hulk to death. Kidnapping Betty and leaving, General Ross was forced to revive Hulk through means of defibrillation. Using one of Banner’s gamma siphons, General Ross and Hulk were able to significantly reduce Abomination’s strength to that of the Hulk’s. The Abomination is a long time enemy of the Hulk and, like Wendigo and Xemnu, one of the few beings on the planet who can go toe to toe with the Hulk in sheer brute force. The Abomination was responsible for the death of Betty and has been one of the few enemies to have bested the Hulk on more than one occasion.





#2
THE LEADER


First appearing in Tales to Astonish #62 in December 1964, Samuel Sterns was exposed to gamma radiation just as Banner had been. The gamma rays however had a quite different effect. Instead of receiving brute strength, the gamma rays enhanced Sterns’ mind to super-genius levels. Using his newly acquired intelligence for personal means, the Hulk just happened to be present at a time when Sterns, now calling himself the Leader, was stealing parts for a machine he was building. This was the first of many setbacks the Hulk would cause the Leader. After numerous setbacks the Leader refocused his efforts on finding a way to rid the world of the Hulk once and for all.

The Leader is truly the opposite force to the Hulk in every way, perfectly exemplifying the word “nemesis.” Sending wave after wave of his creations to battle the Hulk, robotic war-machines or rubbery pink humanoids, the Leader used his intelligence rather than brute force to battle the Hulk and at times it was Banner who was forced to battle the Leader in a game of wits rather than strength. Perhaps the Leader’s greatest triumph was during the Ground Zero saga where he detonated a gamma bomb that seemingly atomized the Hulk and transformed a small town populace into gamma mutates. A super-villain mastermind, the Leader has defeated the Hulk numerous times and has solidified his place has Hulk’s greatest enemy.





#1
BRIAN BANNER ~ THE MONSTER


First explored by legendary Hulk scribe Bill Mantlo in Incredible Hulk #267 and later in the critical origin story from Incredible Hulk #312, Brian Banner was a chemical engineer who experienced a gamma ray accident at the lab. He was safely behind a glass wall when the gamma rays exploded in his face, but he was convinced the gamma rays had effected him on a cellular level. When Bruce was born Brian was convinced the gamma rays in his cells had created a monster - his son. Brian's mind was unhinged. He abused Bruce both verbally and physically, calling him a monster and beat Bruce's mother regularly. When Bruce was still in single digits he and his mother were about to leave Brian for good when Bruce's father caught them. Brian beat his wife to death in front of Bruce.

I know. I just said that THE LEADER was the Hulk's greatest enemy and nemesis. And he is in the traditional sense. But if there is one figure who has had the biggest hand in creating and defining the Hulk and Bruce Banner's lives more than any other it is his father, Brian Banner. Bruce and the Hulk are split personalities resulting from abuse and trauma suffered as a child, incurred by Brian. Bruce's greatest fear is the monster within and that monster, in truth, is the memory of his father. Brian's ghost has haunted Bruce all his life and is reason why Bruce is a good person, wishing to be nothing like his father.







There you have it, the top ten (twelve) enemies of the Hulk, in my opinion. The Abomination is my personal favorite Hulk villain on the list followed closely by The Leader. The Hulk has many more rogues in his gallery, honorable mentions including the Absorbing Man, Armageddon, the Harpy, Trauma, Madman, the Riot Squad, Wildman, the Red King, the Galaxy Master, the Glob, Mr. Hyde and more!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to comment below and list your top ten Hulk villains or at the very least your favorite Hulk villains. 

And for more top ten lists check out the lists below!





 
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Tuesday, August 30, 2016

COMICS IN REVIEW: GUARDIANS OF INFINITY #8

Hello everyone! As some of you may know, I am writing for the website COMICONVERSE. I have been covering the current comic books from Marvel Comics Guardians of Infinity and Doctor Strange.

For myself and anyone else interested I am documenting each of my articles here at Blood Work.

If you haven't checked out this latest article here you go!
 
 
 

As many of you know, I had a love/hate relationship with this book. Every issue of this book contained two separate stories. I loved every moment with the primary story, the actual Guardians of Infinity story. And I mostly hated every single page of the secondary stories.

So why am I disappointed?

Because this book never really got a chance. Marvel shot this book in foot from day one with the double feature aspect. But nevertheless the primary story was written very well and the characters were treated respectfully. I love the Guardians 3000 characters and the writer of this book, Dan Abnett, knows how to write them expertly.

It saddens me that this may be the last time that Dan Abnett will write a Guardians of the Galaxy story. I sincerely hope not because he set up a truly limitless future for stories. It would be such a shame if no one ever wrote these characters again.

So, with true nerd love, I raise a glass to the Guardians of Infinity, Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Keith Giffen, Carlo Barberi, Andrea DiVito, Paul Pelletier and cosmic Marvel goodness. 
 
Cheers, guys.

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KAIJUOLOGY: EBIRAH


Subject: Ebirah a.k.a. the Sea Monster

Documentation: Godzilla Vs The Sea Monster a.k.a. Ebirah: Horror of the Deep (1966) and Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

History: Up until the mid-twentieth century, before the advent of satellite imagery, many mysterious and undiscovered islands existed. In the South Pacific numerous islands, atolls, and landmasses were being discovered and explored well into the late-twentieth century. Of note among these are Solgel Island, Selgio Atoll, Faro Island, Mondo Island, Letchi Island, Odo Island, the Ogasawara chain of islands, and most notably Infant Island. During the 1940's and 50's this area of the world was often used to test hydrogen and atomic bombs.

Letchi Island was a tropical landmass located deep in the south pacific, the closest nearby island being that of Infant Island (the infamous home of the kaiju deity Mothra). The island was lush with vegetation, including a variety of fruits, some of which no longer exist. Letchi's most distinctive feature was a mountainous area to the eastern side of the island. In that area lived a species of giant condor birds.

According to the legends retold by the natives of Infant Island, a tribe of people once lived on Letchi long ago. These people lived in fear of the giant condors and of another horror living in the deep waters around Letchi, a mammoth lobster they named Ebirah. Whenever any vessel, no matter the size, took to the sea it would fall prey to Ebirah who roamed the waters surrounding the island like a gatekeeper. They avoided being eaten by the giant condors by seeking shelter and staying out of sight when the birds took to the skies. The inhabitants discovered that the juices extracted from a local fruit contained a natural repellent. When sprayed in the water the juices would keep Ebirah away allowing boats safe passage.

The island's location rests along a tropical jet stream and frequently falls victim to intense storms. Every few years, during the monsoon season, a storm so powerful would engulf the island and decimate everything the inhabitants had built. After having rebuilt their lives countless times the Letchi people eventually left the island. The descendants of the people from Letchi arrived on Infant Island and assimilated into the populace there under the kaiju deity Mothra's protection.

Sometime after Godzilla's battle with King Ghidorah and the defeat of the Xileins, the weary kaiju traveled the ocean in search of a place to recuperate. According to Infant Island natives who witnessed the battle, Godzilla emerged off the shores of Letchi. Suddenly the king of the monsters was attacked by surprise from under water. Ebirah and Godzilla clashed both above and below the waves. Godzilla, still weak from his battle with Ghidorah, was nearly defeated. Had it not been for a brief moment when the two monsters arose from the waters Godzilla may have met his end at the pincers of Ebirah.
Art by Yasushi Torisawa

Instead, when the two beasts breached the surface, Godzilla managed a quick blast of his radioactive breath to Ebirah's face. The lobster kaiju released its grip on Godzilla and the king of the monsters fled to shore. Near death, Godzilla staggered toward the cliff-side of the mountain, fell through a rock wall into a cavern, and immediately entered a hibernate sleep to heal. The weight of the beast's fall shook the cliff bringing down a section of the mountainside. The avalanche of rock sealed the entrance to the cavern and at last Godzilla was allowed to rest.

THE LETCHI MISSILE CRISIS

In 1965 an international terrorist organization, code named RED BAMBOO, occupied the island of Letchi. The Red Bamboo lost many ships to Ebirah during the initial attempt to take the island. A few ships managed to sail past Ebirah and reach the island. Once on the island the Red Bamboo soldiers encountered a small group of Infant Island natives who were gathering local fruits and recovering relics from their ancestors who once lived on Letchi. These natives were taken captive and through them the terrorists learned of the fruit juice that repelled Ebirah. They also learned of Infant Island and the island's protector/deity Mothra.

Now possessing the means to placate Ebirah, the Red Bamboo set about the construction of a nuclear refinery and weapons manufacturing plant. They abducted more natives from Infant island, enslaving them, and forcing them to produce large amounts of the yellow liquid which granted them safe passage through Ebirah's waters. Using Ebirah essentially as a guard patrolling the waters around the island, no ships except those of the Red Bamboo could approach the island.

In 1966 four Japanese men sailed a yacht into the waters near Letchi Island. The four men sailed directly into a storm as Ebirah surfaced to attack. The storm blew all four men overboard as Ebirah attacked. The waves carried the men to Letchi's shore as Ebirah destroyed the yacht. These Japanese men were like the first few raindrops portending a storm, a storm that would decimate the Red Bamboo. On the run from Red Bamboo troops, the four of them sought refuge in a cave within the mountain peak on the island. Inside they found an opening to an even larger cavern in which the kaiju Godzilla was lying dormant. Using a sword as a lightning rod and wire procured from a Red Bamboo supply house, they awakened Godzilla during a lightning storm.

As Godzilla emerged from the mountain cavern, Ebirah arose from the ocean depths to attack another boat from Infant Island. The two kaiju instantly recognized one another, their hate for each other renewed. Godzilla, knowing Ebirah had the clear advantage in the water, remained on shore. Hurling chunks of the mountainside at his opponent, Godzilla kept his distance. When it became apparent these attacks had little effect on Ebirah, Godzilla hesitantly entered the water. The kaiju battled ferociously. Ebirah at one point was lifted completely out of the water, heaved overhead by Godzilla. The colossal crustacean counterattacked by taking Godzilla below the waves. Taking one of the huge rocks from earlier, Godzilla bashed the stone against Ebirah's head. After a couple strikes Ebirah swam away and Godzilla returned to shore, ending their second battle in a draw.

Later Godzilla advanced upon the Red Bamboo facilities on the island. The terrorists fled the island into the sea, spraying the yellow liquid into the water to drive Ebirah away. Unknown to the Red Bamboo, the liquid they were spraying was a faux repellent created by the Infant Island slaves to sabotage their captors. While Godzilla destroyed their headquarters on land Ebirah emerged from the sea and destroyed the Red Bamboo ship along with all the humans inside.

Godzilla entered the ocean to battle Ebirah yet again. The two monsters fought in vicious combat, Ebirah handily beating down Godzilla, even squeezing the king of the monsters' neck between its pincers. The tide of the battle turned decidedly in Godzilla's favor when he gripped one of Ebirah's pincers between his jaws and forced the lobster to surface. Godzilla then ripped one pincer off after another. Soundly defeated, Ebirah retreated into the sea away from Letchi Island and Godzilla finally claimed his victory over the sea monster.

Shortly thereafter a nuclear bomb left by the Red Bamboo detonated wiping Letchi Island off the face of the Earth. Whether Ebirah survived Godzilla's attack or not is unknown. The crustacean kaiju hasn't been seen by the natives of Infant Island or kaijuologists since.
IDW's Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #17 alternate cover. Art by Matt Frank.


EBIRAH'S BIOLOGY

*Note: Much of Ebirah's biology is unknown as the kaiju has yet to be studied by any official kaijuologist. The information pieced together here is provided by the eyewitness accounts of the four Japanese men and select Infant Island natives present during the Letchi Missile Crisis*

Ebirah is believed to be the last surviving member of a species of Eryma Mandelslohi Titanus, a prehistoric species of mega-fauna that lived during the Jurassic period. Ebirah closely resembles in appearance today's common Reef Lobster (Enoplometopus antillensis). Ebirah has a bright red shell pigmentation, ten walking legs (the first two of which are much larger than the rest), and a segmented tail.



Ebirah's body is covered in a densely thick exoskeleton composed of chitin a thousand times stronger than common lobsters, nigh impenetrable (not even Godzilla was able to penetrate Ebirah's shell). The weakness in Ebirah's armor lies at the joints and underbelly. The carapace comes to a long pointed end on Ebirah's head extending on back along the tail.

The tail measures one and half times the length of Ebirah's torso and contains the lion's share of Ebirah's muscle. Long dagger-like protrusions line the bottom outer edges of the tail. When coiled around an enemy kaiju Ebirah's tail is extremely deadly and constrictive. The kaiju lobster's tail can also be used to grip the earth or rock formations along the ocean floor affording the beast greater leverage when using its pincers.

Ebirah's prominent form of attack are the pincers on its front two legs. The right pincer is far larger than the left and far stronger. Caught in its grip even Godzilla could lose a limb. The left pincer is thinner and sleeker used to stab and spear enemies and food. The other eight legs are primarily used for walking but also have three sharp claws at the end of each. Lastly Ebirah has several antennae atop its head able to sense changes or vibrations within the water. From the largest kaiju to a human being, Ebirah can sense their presence in the ocean from the lowest depths.

Given Ebirah's propensity for attacking any and all vessels in the water, human beings, and kaiju, the mammoth lobster is considered one of the malevolent kaiju of earth rather than a protector. One of the Destroyers of Earth.

Review: Ebirah is one scary and cool kaiju. The "Jaws" of the kaiju-verse or rather the "Claws." I remember seeing Godzilla Vs The Sea Monster on television and VHS back in the late 80's and early 90's and thinking how scary Ebirah looked. Watching the movie today Ebirah still stands out as a striking visual marvel to behold. The suit design and creation is incredibly realistic and convincing. It's too bad that the bulk of the monster is often hidden from view beneath the water, Godzilla swinging the monster overhead being one of the only full body shots.

A significant amount of Ebirah's battle scenes are reused in Godzilla's Revenge but it wouldn't be until 2004's Godzilla: Final Wars where viewers would finally see the crustacean kaiju resurrected. Sadly Ebirah's appearance in Final Wars is massively out of character, the lobster being on land attacking a city and then defeated by humans. It is a far cry from 1966 where the suit looked better and the kaiju almost defeated Godzilla. In Final Wars the lobster might as well be called "Nameless Disposable Kaiju #4" as that is how the director seemed to treat him. He's more or less a punchline in the film than anything else. Oh well, at least we got to see him... sort of.

Ebirah briefly resurfaced in two of IDW's Godzilla comic book series, GODZILLA: HALF CENTURY WAR and GODZILLA: RULERS OF EARTH. Ebirah also appeared in the Playstation 2 video game GODZILLA: SAVE THE EARTH as an enemy kaiju in an extra mission level.
Ebirah from IDW's Godzilla: Half Century War. Art by James Stokoe.

I'll admit that it doesn't appear as if a whole lot of imagination was put into the creation of Ebirah (in keeping with Jun Fukuda's other additions Kumonga and Kamacuras). He's fairly identical to actual lobsters with no real unique features. But if you were to look at real life creatures in nature to blow up to kaiju size and battle Godzilla a lobster is a natural choice being that they already look rather monstrous. It is Sadamasa Arikawa and his crew that really make Ebirah something special. As with Kumonga and Kamacuras, Ebirah is brilliantly realized on screen.

It's understandable if you don't think very much of Ebirah, especially if you haven't seen Godzilla Vs the Sea Monster in quite some time. But if you give the film another view I think you'll find Ebirah a very effective and wonderful kaiju, one of the best looking kaiju in all of the Showa Era.

THREAT LEVEL: 5 out of 10
Localized Destruction


Destroyer of Earth

For more studies in Kaijuology check out the pages below

 
BARAGON 
BIOLLANTE 
DAGAHRA 
DAIMAJIN 
DESGHIDORAH  
DOGORA
GABARA
GAMERA 
GANIMES
GEZORA
GIGAN 
GUIRON 
HEDORAH
KAMOEBAS
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Monday, August 22, 2016

THE SAGA OF THE KING OF THE MONSTERS ~ PART 7: GODZILLA VS THE SEA MONSTER (1966)


From 1954 to 1965 only one man had directorial control over the Godzilla franchise: Ishiro Honda. After devoting much of his life over the previous two years to the tokusatsu genre, giving audiences such incredible films as Mothra Vs Godzilla, Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster, and Invasion Of Astro-Monster as well as Dogora and Frankenstein Conquers The World (five monster movies in two years!) Ishiro Honda stepped away from Godzilla. In 1966 the Godzilla reins were handed off to a man named Jun Fukuda: the second most prolific director of the Showa Era Godzilla series.

The Godzilla series had just finished a trilogy in which the king of the monsters battled Mothra, then teamed-up with Mothra and Rodan to save the Earth, and finally saved the galaxy from the Xilian threat. The stakes and scale of the Godzilla series climbed higher and higher. Rather than attempt to top Honda's Astro-Monster, Jun Fukuda ended up taking Godzilla down a different direction and arguably onto a fresh path for audiences to enjoy.

GODZILLA VS THE SEA MONSTER a.k.a. EBIRAH: HORROR OF THE DEEP was nearly a complete shift from any Godzilla film prior, in story, tone, setting and more.

THE PLOT

Ryota's brother, Yata, was lost at sea and presumed dead. Despite everything Ryota dedicated himself to finding his brother going so far as to steal a boat in the harbor and setting sail. Accompanied by two friends and master thief, Ryota sails into the very waters where his brother was believed to have died. A tropical storm erupts around them. In the middle of the storm Ryota and the others see a massive claw rise out of the ocean. The boat capsizes and all four of them are thrown into the sea.

When they awake they find themselves washed ashore on an island ruled by a terrorist organization arming for war. The waters around the island are guarded by a colossal lobster kaiju named Ebirah. And slumbering deep within a cave beneath the island's mountain peak, unbeknownst to the terrorists, is Godzilla. On the run from the terrorists and facing certain death, Ryota and the others take it upon themselves to wake Godzilla in hopes that the monster may inadvertently destroy the terrorists and defeat Ebirah.

THE GOOD

Genre Melding. When director Jun Fukuda first stepped into the Godzilla series, the franchise had already reached a crescendo in storytelling. Fukuda was left with the question of where does one go after saving the universe from a dire alien threat? Instead of trying to top anything Ishiro Honda had done with the series Fukuda takes a completely new approach. And wisely so. Fukuda blends multiple genres here, many of which hadn't been seen in a Godzilla movie prior. The film starts with a shipwreck and then shifts to a teen beach party-like film complete with music that could've been composed by The Ventures. Then our heroes are stranded on a tropical island figuring out how to survive on the run villainous characters vaguely reminiscent of a Robinson Crusoe or Swiss Family Robinson adventure film.

The terrorists, known as the Red Bamboo, take on a whole new level of evil once it is revealed they are stockpiling weapons of mass destruction. This film was made in 1966 when the world was still locked in the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis was only four years prior. Writer Shinichi Sekizawa immediately legitimizes the Red Bamboo threat by drawing parallels with real world events. By doing this Sekizawa creates a world ending threat without repeating any beats from past Godzilla films, keeping the story fresh and unique all the while maintaining the Godzilla-worthy scope. It's already an exciting movie without Godzilla. Bring Godzilla into the mix and the movie goes above and beyond.

Ebirah. Of all the water based kaiju out there none have been as scary or as convincingly realized as Ebirah in this 1966 film. Hiroshi Sekita, the suit actor playing Ebirah, must've had one of the most difficult kaiju to portray. Not only was the suit elaborate but he had to perform all his scenes soaking wet, adding even more weight to an already heavy costume, and performing sometimes fully submerged in a tank of water. Then there is the amazing suit design and construction that puts the 2004 Ebirah suit to shame. Eiji Tsuburaya, Teruyoshi Nakano, and Sadamasa Arikawa put forth one of the best looking kaiju in the Showa Era.

THE BAD

While containing one of the best looking kaiju in the Showa Era, the film also contains one of the worst looking kaiju in the Showa Era: The Giant Condor. This minor kaiju was realized completely through puppetry as was the only choice available to them given the size of the creature compared to Godzilla. Some shots are convincing while others come across static. Mothra's brief appearance as well suffered from a stiff puppetry performance at times. Sadamasa Arikawa would go on to perfect his puppetry in the following film, Son of Godzilla, producing some truly amazing effects. In addition to the spotty realization, the giant condor is also superfluous to the plot. Overall it is a minor complaint in an otherwise well done kaiju film. Toho also cut Arikawa's budget for the film too. Had he a larger budget these effects would no doubt look far superior.

THE VERDICT

Jun Fukuda took over directorial duties in this film taking the Godzilla franchise in a new direction. Shinichi Sekizawa keeps the story fresh and exciting by introducing real world parallels and a different style of story while maintaining the signature Godzilla-size scale. Godzilla's involvement too is circumstantial rather than the kaiju acting on behalf of Earth. It's as if the main characters deliberately steer the plot towards an oncoming storm, that storm in this case being Godzilla. It's a wonderful atypical plot device employed by Sekizawa. Add in a wonderfully designed and realized kaiju in Ebirah and the next phase of the Godzilla franchise is off to a good start.

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10
Category: Transcendence
(a film enjoyed by both the adolescent and adult Godzilla fan)

Ode To What Might Have Been

King Kong was originally supposed to be the hero kaiju of the film. The 1933 King Kong has been said to be Eiji Tsuburaya's favorite movie and Toho had been involved with Rankin/Bass Productions to make a new King Kong film. This movie was one of Toho's pitches that Rankin/Bass passed on, later agreeing on what would become the movie KING KONG ESCAPES. Obviously Toho still went ahead with the original pitch, swapping Kong for their own kaiju instead.

 When viewing the film from this perspective, much of the movie feels more befitting a Kong epic rather than a Godzilla film. The island setting for starters, an element more common in Kong films than Godzilla. Finding Godzilla asleep in a cave within a mountain, awaking him with a bolt of lightning (similar to what happened in King Kong Vs Godzilla), and Godzilla's attraction to Kumi Mizuno's character all ring of Kong and make less sense with Godzilla. The battle against the giant condor feels like an homage to the Kong/Pterodactyl battle from the original 1933 King Kong film. Even Haruo Nakajima's overly animated performance during the airplane attack would fit Kong's character.

Watch Godzilla Vs The Sea Monster looking for all the little details that would better suit King Kong. It makes for an interesting viewing as well as fun. I wonder, if Kong had been in the film, would he have encountered Mothra at the end too or would a different monster have been substituted instead?
 
Art by Four Green.
VHS/DVD/BLU RAY
There have a been a number of VHS releases in the past, all containing the original English dub. These however have been re-edited and don't represent the original Japanese version. There have been two DVD releases so far, both containing the original Japanese version and a mere trailer for special features. The Blu Ray is virtually identical to the DVDs with a higher quality picture and sound. The English dub present on the DVDs and the Blu Ray however is a Toho produced international dub and is far inferior to the English dub present on the VHS. The re-edited version on the VHS, the version many of us grew up watching, is not present on any DVD or Blu Ray.

 If you're like me and grew up with the VHS version, hang onto your VHS. The DVDs and Blu Ray contain a widescreen presentation, original Japanese version, and higher quality picture and sound. But the English dub is absolutely terrible, almost as if it were done by Mystery Science Theater 3000. A superior DVD/Blu Ray the likes of Classic Media's Toho Master Collection or Media Blasters Tokyo Shock editions has yet to surface. Again, if you're like me and want an edition containing both the original Japanese version and the original US version you grew up with along with some decent special features... keep waiting and hold onto to your old VHS.
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Tuesday, August 16, 2016

SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: THE PURGE ~ ELECTION YEAR (2016)


When the first film in the Purge franchise was released back in 2013 the concept was frightening and it was an idea that had never entered my mind. One night a year all crime is legal in the United States. In short, the perfect makings for a new horror movie. The original film presented this expansive concept within an intimate framework, that of a home invasion film. The entirety of the film occurs in a single house. While executed with suspenseful precision the film only scratched the surface of the concept and scarcely showcased the scope of the world within the film.

With the second film in the franchise, THE PURGE: ANARCHY, the far-reaching aspects of the concept were shown, the narrative taking place in the streets and displaying not only crazies roaming the streets but also the rich, tactically trained, and well armed portion of the populace. And once again the narrative is told within the simple framework of a revenge story. The third and latest film in the series once again expands the scope of the story to the political theater. Thank the powers that be that they keep making more of these movies because...

THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR is easily the best in the series.


THE PLOT

It is election year in the United States and an up and coming senator named Charlie Roan is running for the presidency. She is campaigning to abolish the Purge holiday. On Purge night she is targeted by the current government regime for murder. It falls on Senator Roan's bodyguard, Leo, to see to it that she survives the night. When a double agent sabotages all of the safeguards in Senator Roan's home, Charlie and Leo are forced into the streets with countless Purgers ready kill anyone who crosses their path.

DISCLAIMER:

I'm not going to delve too deeply into the allegories of these films because frankly I'd be a little out of my depth. But horror films are and have always been fertile ground for allegory and social and political commentary (look at just about any George Romero film) and the Purge films are more fine examples of this. Instead I'm going to focus on the narrative structure, layout, and characters. Do not expect any political commentary here.

THE GOOD

Expansion. One of the aspects I love about this series is the layout of the narrative. The first film introduces a huge concept that effects the entire nation but explores the story in a very closed off intimate setting. The second broadened the stage giving us more and this third film continues the expansion of scope and story. Finally we see more of the New Founding Fathers of America (the regime who set in place the Purge) and the battle is taken to them. At the same time we see the story from the point of view of the lower-middle class working men, the immigrants, and the homeless. All the while blood and carnage rains down upon them. In each film it is clear that the characters participating in the Purge are the antagonists but maintaining a subtle gray area. Here the film directly aims the cross-hairs on NFFA.

Frank Grillo. The central character from the second Purge film, Leo Barnes, returns as one of the main characters in this film as well. Finally we have a clear hero to root for and actor Frank Grillo is totally badass (makes me sad that they killed off his character in Captain America: Civil War). With a hard-hitting action presence that could rival Jason Statham, Grillo brings the hurt on all the badguys and then some. He played a wonderfully conflicted character with hints of Snake Plissken and the Punisher in the previous film. Now he shows us that same power more focused and driven.

This movie all around is exciting. The film score is ominous, frightening, and dirge-like. And the scenes of carnage and mayhem are brutal and terrifying.

THE BAD

These films push the limits of how much violence and gore audiences can stomach while still being entertaining. This has always been my qualm with the Purge franchise. The filmmakers never take the onscreen horror to Rob Zombie levels. This is probably a good thing in regards to most of the film goers in attendance. I just wish there were unrated cuts on dvd which take those moments to that next powerful level. Again, the filmmakers are riding the line of palatable horror violence and doing it well. But for rewatchability's sake I wish they'd go all in like the Evil Dead remake.

THE VERDICT

The Purge films keep expanding the horizon of the series and as a result keep getting better and better. We are given clear cut badguys in this film in the NFFA. And Frank Grillo shines as the badass hero in the film who puts the hurt on the corrupt regime. Well done and executed on all fronts from acting, directing, music, and action. I've seen all of the Purge films in theaters and will continue to do so should the series continue. Check it out if you enjoyed the previous installments in the series.

Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10

Want more to Purge? Check out my review of the previous film in the series...

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