Batman or Spider-man? - Saturday Morning Beatings! (Pt. 3)

Very few characters have ever had so many iterations of animated TV shows. Both of them had their own live action and animated series back from Batman's start in the 1930 serials to super hip 60's and 70's shows for both of them with horrific special effects. To Batman's credit, his flew on for entire seasons while Spider-man's poorly received series not even going past 13 episodes. Adam West's TV series went on to be respected as the shark-spraying piece of cheese that it is, but it was hardly the peak of the Caped Crusader's most popular outing. Both of these superheroes have an entire plethora of TV history, but their true renaissance wouldn't come until their Saturday morning animated series in the 90's. 

Batman The Animated Series

Bruce Timm and Paul Dini are the two men credited with making this show the great entity that it was. After Tim Burton's 1989 movie took the fanbase by storm, they wanted to follow it up with a shadowy, more young adult oriented animated series that was also safe(ish) for kids. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill brought about a Batman and Joker that would live on for generations as two of the greatest versions of each character. Each episode was so amazingly crafted with developing stories for both the Batman rogue's gallery and the batfamily, even going so far as to create its own ever-spanning characters like Harley Quinn. Joker's jester-like partner and underling came about with this series in the episode "Joker's Favor". 

Even Mr. Freeze, a character that was never taken seriously before this cartoon, was expanded in his lore and treated as one of Batman's most dangerous opponents. With a wife in a coma with which he is finding a cure, he needs to resort to crime in order to gain the funding. This version of Freeze would become the real version that everyone turned to for reference. Killer Croc, The Mad Hatter, Clay Face, Catwoman, all of them were so done with astonishing quality in both writing and character progression throughout. 

The scripts were written with intelligence and even the worst episode, "I've got Batman in my Basement!", is still good enough to hold its own against scrutiny. Villains were given understanding motivations and some of them are genuinely heartfelt in their dispositions. Sometimes, they don't want to be this way and just succumb to mental illnesses. Most of them are just greedy, though, and with Batman's no-kill rule, it's not as if he's over punishing them. H.A.R.D.A.C. Batman was just confused as to who was the real Batman and actually thought he was the Dark Knight himself. He was a robot clone that was just trying to be Batman. These stories really can go to some dark places and make you think.

The animation and artwork became iconic for Bruce Timm's style and all the way to the Superman crossover and art change, they were very aesthetically pleasing. Once the art change happened, though, Joker, Scarecrow, Bane, Mad Hatter and some others took a bit of a nosedive in character design. It wasn't a dealbreaker and it didn't outright destroy the show, but it didn't do it any favors. The last season is seen as a bit of a weak point but the show was still great. Even when it added the Robins and Batwoman, this series never faltered in its quality. The series in its entirety is still seen as a milestone for the character and comic series of Batman.

Spider-man The Animate Series

Once Spider-man threw his hat into the ring, it took a lot of fans by surprise. You would think it would just copy off of Batman's homework, but it took the series in a whole other direction. The idea for a series was, in fact, directly connected to Batman's, but beyond that, it exists in its own style of art and storytelling. It is far more into progressive storytelling, where the Dark Knight was more episodic. This was a good and bad thing for both series for two different reasons. Sometimes, Spider-man just carried on its stories for a little too long. Sometimes, though, Spider-man pulled off a real banger of a season. 

The early episodes are far superior to the later, though. By season 3, the stories began running on for far too long and this came to a head in season 4 where it ends on a cliffhanger that would never be resolved. It went from episodic and 2 to 3 parters to just going on and on and on with the same story that just ends up getting old. To try and spice it up, they even bring in the X-men 92 characters, but it didn't have exactly the hyped effect that they were hoping for. 

When Spider-man started with fighting Vulture, Scorpion, Rhino and Doc Ock, many agree that the series was at its peak. When Venom and Kingpin had plots, they tended to last longer but kept up the quality writing. There were some fantastic stories being told with pacing that was willing to take its time and build up to the bigger battles. This was when the series was hitting them out of the park! Peter Parker struggled with his home life and his hero life while trying to get with Mary Jane and this had its ups and downs while only really getting annoying by the last season. Then there was the more complicated relationship Spidey had with Black Cat. With villains like the Green Goblin or Lizard being people he looked up to professionally, it held real weight because these were characters we've been introduced to before they went to the baddies. 

There were limitations, though. This was a time when bullet guns were seen as bad, so they switched to lasers. They also wanted to keep a hard Y7 rating for the younger audiences and Fox was on a no violence kick, so there could be no on-screen punches. So, you get more jump cuts away from hits and a whole lot of web shooting to debilitate villains. Spider-man had to use his brain and out smart a lot of his opponents and a lot of kids never even noticed the nonviolence. It didn't really suffer as a result. It was more the graphical aspect and the framerates that hurt the series. Sometimes the slow-motion would just make the screen bug out and the animation would get jumpy and it was weird, even for the younger audience. 

The voice work and the overall execution of the series had its very high points, but also had a few flops. A lot of people will point to the Black Spider-man calling after Shocker, and yeah that's when it was most noticeable. While Kingpin's voice became iconic for the character, there's more stock villain voices for a lot of the rogues. After a while, they started making up villains and pulling some of the more not great versions of well known characters. Blade was done pretty well, but Morbius wasn't. Instead of being a blood-sucking vampire, he absorbed plasma through weird growths on his palms. If they weren't going to go full on with him, then they shouldn't have brought him up in the first place. The did the same with Punisher. Obviously, he wasn't going to go on his normal blood baths like in the more adult themed comics, but the laser blasters just took something away from the more tough-guy persona. 

So, obviously, Batman wins this one by a longshot. Spider-man was not a bad series, it just didn't age as well and took a much deeper dive in the later seasons. It had its place in the vast amount of superhero cartoons, but Batman was seen as the prime example to follow. Many could make the case that Spectacular Spider-man was a better choice to face this challenge, but it was made in a different era, whether it was better than the 1994 series or not. The two of them did well in their own right, but this is definitely 5 points to the Caped Crusader himself! Give them a try and next time we'll examine some of the lesser animated series tries. So, be warned that we may be viewing Beware the Batman. That's right, a warning. You're Bat Warned. 

Pryde of the X-men - The Franchise that Almost Was

There aren't many that have ever even heard of the X-men animated series before the 1992 iteration. As awesome as that series was, there was, indeed, another series right before it. It all began with, surprisingly enough, Robocop the animated series. They gave that series 12 episodes and the reason it didn't have the full 13 is because the final episode's funding was transfered over to what is now known as Pryde of the X-men. This series failed to take root, mostly because it wasn't all that great. The voice acting was a little off, especially with Wolverine's weird Australian accent and Magneto's cliche ridden villain voice. There was a lot wrong with this pilot episode, but it also grew a cult following because of everything it did right. 

We get a fairly decent, albeit long, introduction to each of the X-men. The roster is actually different from the one in 1992, but not really in a good way. Yes, Rogue was one of the greatest characters, but the exclusion of Colossus and Dazzler is a bit of a downer. I like Nightcrawler too and he was barely in the 92 series. Aside from that, we still get Wolverine and Storm, so even with his weird voice, he's still the character we know and love. 

The movie is based around Shadow Cat, who has a very annoying baby voice of Kath Soucie. They call her Kitty Pryde (hence the title) and honestly, she should have been the character they did rather than Jubilee. Her powers aren't exactly comparable or quite as useful in combat, but that gave her a bit more charm than what we ended up with. Professor X still remains basically the same, though his 92 voice is far better without sounding like Charlie from Charlie's Angels. He also gets an upgrade from his normal looking wheel chair. 

The animation is actually far better than what we normally get from old 80's cartoons of the time. They actually stepped up their game, probably because it was the pilot and/or finale of Robocop amount of effort. What could have come from the series may have been a massive downgrade, but I guess we'll never know. The best thing you can say about this show is that it is better than the average animated series. The real problem is that the story/plot is extremely basic and seemed to want to cram anything and everything in its runtime. 

For some reason, someone thought it would be a good idea to literally plop this into a story EXTREMELY similar to its videogame counterpart. All of the Brotherhood of Mutants in this show are treated like boss character underlings while Magneto literally stays in the back and gives commands. Then all of the time, Kitty Pryde is whimpering and whining like a little tiny baby with a rattler. Her dialogue is so cringeworthy, a bit more realism in her demeanor would have been nice, but we got what we got. 

The cool thing about treating every villain character like a VG mini-boss is that we got some pretty awesome dream battles. Juggernaut vs Colossus may have lasted 5 seconds, but it was still cool with the face off with "Me, Juggernaut!" Still, seeing the White Queen relegated to a minor obstacle was a big downer. With so many characters in the toy box, not all of them could get the needed attention, but really, why Kitty? 

Despite its flaws, though, it is still a nostalgic piece of art that many saw in their childhood and loved when they were kids. It may not have aged well with people, but it did become a staple in many collections. I saw this when I finished the 92 X-men's first season and was hungry for some more. This was weird, I'm not going to lie. It was a big difference between this and the far more serious show of the 90's. I had no idea that this was produced by the same lady, Margaret Loesch, who literally put her career on the line to create this entire franchise because she loved the idea so much. This was a fun show and it had all kinds of charm, including that wondrous 80's cartoon charm that so many love and will almost cry from such gorgeous nostalgia. It brought one of the best beat'em ups out of Konami and it was the precursor to one of the greatest cartoons ever made. We owe this random cartoon pilot a lot and it's fun to revisit from time to time. It may be a little hard to watch without crying, but that's just life. Comfort works in strange ways. Virtua Comfort.

Batman or Spider-man? - Feature Length VHS (Pt. 2)

 Who can say who the real Batman is? Who is your favorite Spider-man? Can you believe how many Spider-men there have already been? Live action superhero films were always expected to be low quality, and a lot of the time, they were. That is, unless they were Batman or Spider-man. Not only did Batman from 1989 show people that superhero films can be not only awesome but also gritty, but Spider-man fired off the superhero genre in serious film. Batman, Blade, X-men and Spider-man finally proved, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that modern superhero movies can be fantastic! (Okay, no, there has not been a really good Fantastic 4 movie, but that's a subject for later) Excelsior! 

This will be a look at multiple movies, because there are many different series, even if there are even more actors. Somehow, Batman and Batman Return are in the same series as Batman Forever and Batman and Robin. Many will say that Pattinson or Bale are the real Batman, and there are even a few that would count Affleck with that title. These are all valid choices. Even if Kilmer wasn't the best Batman, we still love him and hope his family and friends remember him fondly. 

Batman Returns

No, friends, here we recognize Michael Keaton as the real Batman. We've taken a fairly close look at the 1989 title already, and it's most assuredly winning him some points in this race, but many would argue that Batman Returns is his magnum opus. Getting personal for a moment, this movie just lacked a lot of tact and taste. Seriously, I liked those Burger King toys that came out with the movie, but they got shelved because this movie was very vulgar and graphic for children. Still, there is no denying its quality and it is still Michael Keaton. 

Batman doesn't bag as many bodies in this title, but there is no shortage of villain death at his hands. He lights a guy on fire and makes another one explode! The dark tone to this movie is not undershot by Michelle Pfeiffer, who is absolutely flawless in execution. She even learned how to use a whip to near perfection for this role and that just proves her dedication. Her performance is also irreplaceable. 

Then there's Christopher Walken! He is always awesome and kills any argument against this movie. He is so calm throughout this entire movie, and yet he is so sadistic that he will kill someone to gain business advantages and/or silence them for finding out the many illegal acts of fraud and embezzlement. Seriously, this guy makes a guy in a batsuit look sane. 

The action set pieces are awesome, but the look of a thousand penguins in mechinized kamikaze rockets is just haunting. They make the circus henchmen out to be colorful and have their own gimmick. One guy played by Vincent Shiavelli uses a monkey, while a very pale woman uses a very tiny dog who is able to catch a batarang. Penguin had a decent plan to become mayor. He just screwed with the wrong bat! 

I love how Bruce Wayne was the only one who was skeptical of Cobblepot, knowing he wasn't doing what he said he was doing. It really plays into Batman being a detective and it also pushes him to his limits. When the Batmobile comes under the control of a transmitter, it's just fun to see how Batman counters Penguin's strikes. He even strikes back by ruining his speech for mayor. 

While it is not my favorite title, it is still a beloved relic of when movies did their own thing and had their own artistic style. It's a shame that Burton was removed for the threequel and Keaton left when Burton wasn't on board as director. This movie was very dark, but it seems like he could have been asked to reign it in a bit. Either way, what we got with Joel Schumacher was at least good for a laugh from another old friend who seemed to genuinely be a good human being. 

Spider-man 

Tobey Mcguire had some very large shoes to fill when it came to the character he was taking on in 2002. There was a lot of expectation in the Sam Raimi directed summer blockbuster film. And bust that block it did, because Spider-man was a massive hit. It was yet another piece of evidence that superhero movies were capable of being awesome and garner praise from both fans and critics while making them truckloads of money. To put it bluntly, this movie is kind of weird, but in a very good way. Somehow, they went slightly old school comic book with the dialogue style and the world. A lot of the dialogue can sound stilted or unnatural, but somehow, still fit into this very... different reality. 

Peter is likeable, and it's good that he's not just pushed around, he is known to fight back to some extent. The character moments where he gets bit by the spider and becomes arrogant does kind of come out of nowhere, but it is evident throughout his entire fight with Macho Man Randy Savage, who is wrestling under the name BOOOOOOONE SAWWWWWW!!!! Macho Man never looked so awesome as he did when he made a cameo appearance in the very first Spider-man movie. 

It was a shame to lose Cliff Robertson, as his character Uncle Ben, but that's how the story goes. The movie follows along with the origins of Spider-man rather well, and of course they put a more modern spin on it. The costume we know and love comes about after his uncle's murderer accidentally falls to his death. Yes, it would have been nice to have the original introduction to the costume, but with the tragedy that happened, it's probably a good idea that they nixed it. 

The Green Goblin with Wilem Dafoe is a standout performance. That is saying something when it comes to this cast, because everyone pulls their weight, but Dafoe is so cartoonishly evil, you can't help but love to hate the hell out of him. His tech looks really cool, with the pumpkins looking very futuristic, but yes, the mask is rather overly cartoonish. This is not a wussy version of the Goblin that just explodes to harm people or cause headaches. He flat out kills people with his pumpkin bombs and they still get away with it being not all that brutal.   

Then there is Kirstin Dunst, yes, we must talk about her. In retrospect, it probably could have gone better with their relationship. As it stands, it's a bit more of a fairytale relationship by comparison to the comic book's relationship between them. Still, in the first movie, they screw it up still, yes, but at least she didn't know he was Spider-man, yet. The relationship they have throughout the film may not have been the healthiest one, but it was certainly cinematic. 

The love scenes are fun, the action scenes slap, when it comes right down to it, this movie is solid all around. The extras' acting could use a bit more direction in some cases, other than the true Raimi form in bringing in Bruce Campbell for a cameo. He announced the match for Spider-man vs Bone Saw. Yet another memorable element to that legendary scene. 

When you compare the Batman series with the Spider-man series, there are a lot of similarities. The third installments were not great but the movies started out very strong. In this case, though, the scoring system that is very real has decided that Batman wins this round. If I had a golden VHS trophy, it'd go to Michael Keaton, but Tobey Mcguire in Spider-man 1 and 2 pulled those movies together and was a strong performer as Peter Parker, and he had a good performance as Spider-man. Batman just has to be a bit more legendary, but this is a very close call. Batman receives a score-tying 5 points. Happy Thanksgiving, folks! Virtua Bat Punch!

Batman or Spider-man? - The Webbed Batarang (Pt. 1)

Since the very early days, there have been two real power houses in the comic book world. Yes, there have been others and they have their own great titles, but DC and Marvel have been the two spotlight franchises. There have been two characters that are proven to be their most marketable names and those are the targets of today's article. Batman has been the outsider of the Justice League as a dark entity that excels in taking down mysterious and powerful criminals. Spider-man has been an every man since he was young and was bitten by a spider, joining forces with many heroes across the Marvel Universe. He has officially been considered an Avenger, an X-man, part of the Fantastic 4, and this isn't even going into the one-off teams he has formed. Spider-man guest starred in the one-off NFL character in his debut appearance! While Batman and Spider-man are polar opposites, they found their way at the top ranking of their respective sides of the comics. 

First off, I am not talking about who would win in a fight. There are all kinds of controversies with which would win the fight. Death Battle says that Spider-man would win a fight if Batman doesn't prepare but I'm going to be siding with Stan Lee on this front. Any fight between two characters is based on the writer. Whoever the writer wants to win will win and everyone can come up with every excuse. Batman could win against Spider-man and the webster can most certainly win against the Dark Knight. None of that matters and it is not being discussed. 

This is more on which one you would prefer as a character. The choice says a lot about you, but not really. Your choice is more prone one way or another based on personal bias and it may come from one medium or another. The way we're doing this is there will be a deep look across their franchises. These two properties represent their companies as flagships and they have been buried in toys, electronics, video games, TV shows, movies, posters, clothing, breakfast cereal, and bubble blowers. There is a lot to look at and let's make it interesting by giving it a subjective rating system. 

By the end of this series of articles, we can add up their scores and see which one comes out on top when all is said and done. I'm no expert on the comic books, nor have I kept up with current storylines as they've all come and gone in the blink of an eye. I have kept up with a lot of their TV shows, movies, and I can pick and choose among their best and worst storylines in the comic books. They've had some epic adventures in every medium and this seems like a good time to see how they add up together. We're not going to be looking at everything, but if you wish for me to consider some sort of game changing element in their favor or detriment, leave a comment or a message and let me know. I will take a look. 

Since this is primarily a video game blog, we may as well start with a comparison of their greatest video games. Both of these heroes have had successful runs on games, but both have also had some of the worst and blandest outings on both consoles and PC. If we kept going at each and every single video game, we'd be here all day. 

Batman Arkham City

Arguably the best video game outing Batman has ever had. While Arkham Knight wasn't a flop, it was far more devisive than the second installment. Arkham City was still fresh, it was coming off the success of Arkham Asylum with all new mechanics and far more room to move around. The best thing about this game is its boss battles. Fighting the likes of Penguin, Solomon Grundy and Clayface are awesome enough, but the star of the entire show was the fight with Mr. Freeze. I will admit, if I didn't have the info that shows you which parts of the level to use, it probably would have taken me far more than two tries. The game as a whole is rather long and beating it required several fights with multiple groups of gangsters. 

The Joker plot and the twist at the end is something to behold, and it's fun to take down the big baddies while also following along with a very well crafted plot. This was when Batman was seen at his best with a ticking time clock for an illness he needs to cure and several criminals coming after him because of what Hugo Strange did with an entire section of Gotham City. That is one unbelieveable element in this game. Who on Earth would possibly sign off on Arkham City? That sounds like political suicide to someone's approval rating. 

One of the best mechanics of this game is the gadgets, some returning from the original game. Some of them are brand new. One of Arkham's signature device is the explosive gel you spray in the form of the bat. Now you can put it in the way of an unsuspecting thug and knock them out with a controlled explosion. Even the puzzle-solving device known as the "hypnografter" is a fun little device to use with your PS3/PS4 controller. 

Still, there are a lot of things to see with this game, both in its DLC sidestories featuring Harley Quinn and Red Hood and in its collectibles. Going to be honest, I never really cared much for the Riddler's question marks. The extra content is appreciated, though, and some of them actually were good in their own right.

Spider-man PS4

Spider-man has never looked and felt so good as he did when they released his game for the Playstation 4. Yes, they basically reused the fighting mechanics from the Arkham Series while changing a couple of the buttons, but they fully put the Spider-man spin on it, while adding a very different array of gadgets to help. You're taking down small-time thugs and big baddies all over again, only they're a rogue gallery that is arguably equal to Batman's. Going against the likes of the Sinister Six was just so well pulled off with this game. You don't have to outright fight them yourself, outside of a cutscene, but you also have to go through an entire plotline with Aunt May, trying to find Harry Osborn, and all of the things with Peter's relationship to Mary Jane is just a wonderful part of the story. 

The thing this game has up on Arkham City is the controls. All of the greatness in a sandbox superhero game are seen through this game's mechanics and its very sunny disposition. It really is the best webswinging mechanics in any game. You can get used to it within moments of giving it a try, there is a lot of room to practice. New York is gigantic and exploring it is a joy with the collectibles and the extra stuff that even out does the Arkham Series, which had much of its own. For some reason, though, for Spider-man, I wanted to find the backpacks for the Spider Suits and I wanted to collect all of the throwback items as well, because I recognized a lot of them. 

The thing Arkham City has over Spider-man, the stealth sections. That's right, I'm saying it. I did not like the stealth sections when you're Miles and Mary Jane. Of course I would rather be Batman! Spider-man is great with stealth, as seen with his own stealth sections when he's taking down snipers or large groups of thugs all at once. However, Spider-man just feels the need to make us powerless and the side character sections seem to last forever. 

For me, the one that takes it is Spider-man for the PS4. It was a close call, but the design of New York City is just flat out better than Arkham City. Both games have a lot to offer, but it's the boss battles in Spider-man have more main villains to contend with. This is even true when being compared to Arkham Asylum. The Sinister Six wins Spider-man a lot of points. It's not often you see a video game actually pull that off with a sufficient storyline to go with it. Arkham City is no slouch, but we're comparing gold and silver at this point. At the end of the day, it's all just more of a good thing. 

When you look at the video game library as a whole, it all adds up to apples and oranges. The Arkham Series won Batman a ridiculous amount of points with fans, and even had some decent exploits in the 8-bit scene with the Batman movie tie-in Nintendo game and Batman: Return of the Joker. While Spider-man's NES outing with Sinister Six didn't pan out so well, his really good games didn't start coming out until his PS1/N64 excursion. This is nothing to say about Spider-man 2 for the Gamecube and PS2, but then we were treated with Spider-man 3 and Spider-man: Web of Shadow, both for the PS3 and Xbox 360. That's kind of what I mean, they'd had such a huge spectrum of good and bad games that it's very difficult to determine who would win outside of their greatest titles. 

Spider-man gets 5 points for being awesome! Next, we'll take a look at something else in their vast library of media. We'll be looking at the good and the bad, the Batty and the Spidery. Keep an eye out for that and make your own choice.

Top 10 Best Marvel Villains

The rogue gallery that Marvel possesses has some very recognizable faces. This is thanks, in part, to the MCU, which brought several villains to light that may have been formerly overlooked. Loki has always been a favorite among people thanks to Tom Hiddleston's iconic performance, and he's pretty awesome. This list sides a bit more with the comics. It has many influences but the comics represent a lot of the better aspects for several of these villains. Thanos may be more the exception rather than the rule in this claim, his comic counterpart made some questionable decisions. Either way, feel free to express your own favorites from Marvel's baddies and check these out.

Magneto

In a way, Magneto has been pretty spot on about human nature and how they panic at the mere sight of something different. He began the Brotherhood of Mutants and you really can't blame him when all is said and done. He saw that mutants were being hunted by humans simply for being different and he went the opposite direction as Charles Xavier. The real genius is that both of them are right and that there really is no easy answer to their feud over the rights of humans and mutants. Magneto's power is very immense, being able to lift gigantic metal structures with seemingly little effort. He's used this ability in some very controversial ways, and he's also been the subject of many fan theories on how what his magnetic powers can truly do. 

Dark Phoenix

Phoenix is not a villain, and Dark Phoenix is more her rendition when she takes over Jean Grey and starts action scenes full of pure power! The storyline behind this series of comics is very moving, because we've come to grow closer to Jean and seeing her like this weighs heavily on the characters and the audience. The Hellfire Club is a highlight in this series and their strange powers bring an edge to the battles with the X-men as they fight for a loved one they may lose.

Sabretooth

When you have a great hero, or anti-hero, you need to give him an awesome villain. Wolverine's arch nemesis has always been Sabretooth. Their battles are hardcore and their storylines reach way back because of their near immortality and longevity of life. The two of them really hate each other and there is usually a lot of blood when the two of them get together. They are both victims of the Weapon X program, but Sabretooth was much more apt to kill than Logan. Now, Sabretooth just wants to get rid of anyone in his way, especially when he gets the scent of his friendly neighborhood Wolverine.

Carnage

When Venom just isn't enough of a villain for Spider-man, now there needs to be an enemy of Spider-man and Venom. Carnage is exactly what his name implies. He will kill his victims without a care, and his storyline through Maximum Carnage is probably one of the best in Spider-man's history. While some of his teamups have worked for a while, it's really only a matter of time before he decides he's going to go his own way, and just kill his way out of any situation. The symbiote that covers Cassidy is an offspring of Venom's. When Venom found out that he didn't care who he killed, the two of them met in battle and it did not end well for Eddie Brock.

Doctor Doom

The most recognizable villain of the Fantastic Four, mostly because he is also a villain for Spider-man and Hulk. Doom is very powerful, both in energy projection and the fact that he rules an entire country. Ladveria looks up to him like a King, and he has used this power to make a play for more power over the world. He can use outlandish technology, magic, military might, and experimental science in order to gain what he wants, though it is often that he is thwarted by the many enemies he has made along the way. 

Omega Red

One of the craziest weapons in the Russian arsenal. He uses his tentacles to absorb the life essence from any of his victims, and he was used during the Cold War against Russia's enemies until he was no longer of use. Omega Red also has ties to the Weapon X project, and Wolverine is even hesitant to face this opponent, knowing that his abilities and strength are not to be underestimated. His weakness is extremely cold temperatures, and this has often forced him into ice encasements.

Juggernaut 

One of the most foul mouthed strong men in Marvel, throwing out quips as he knocks down walls and buildings as he wishes. Juggernaut is nigh invulnerable, gaining his strength from a magical stone, which encased him in armor, his helmet also invulnerable to psychic attack. He is often locked in combat with Colossus, though he has also fought the Incredible Hulk. The Hulk was one of the most fierce opponents he ever faced. Even though no living force can stop the Juggernaut when he gains up forward momentum, the Hulk has proven to be able to twist him into redirecting his charge. 

Venom

Spider-man's arch nemesis is Eddie Brock, failed photographer for the Daily Bugle. JJ Jameson charged him with getting guilty pictures of Spidey, and he was fired when Eddie failed. He grew a bitter hatred for him and Eddie suddenly found that hatred amplified as an alien symbiote covered his entire body. The suit gave him power and the ability to mimic Spider-man's abilities. His battles with Spider-man are legendary and his storylines are always so personal because he knows Peter Parker's secret identity. What I really like about Venom is that he will not harm the innocent, he will only use his powers for personal spite or what he believes is the greater good.

Thanos

Thanos is the most dangerous opponent the Avengers and the heroes of the Earth have ever faced. He is ruthless in his agenda and he has the power to back up his authority. He has galactic amounts of strength, and a fighting ability from years of combat and conquest. Thanos's thirst for the Infinity Stones was one of the best storylines in Marvel Comics, and the fight was on a universal scale. Both movie version and comic version are amazing to witness for yourself. While his power is dulled down a little bit for the movies, they are no less awesome to watch on the screen. Thanos remains a deadly force to reckon with in Marvel, and whoever survives a run-in with him should feel very fortunate.

Apocalypse

The ultimate villain in the X-men storylines. His strength is otherworldly, and his powers make him seemingly invulnerable, along with his vast longevity of life. He is one of the first mutants in history, and once he woke up from his sleeping lazerus pit, he decided he wanted to gather his four horsemen, and then rule the Earth, both mutants and humans. He and his horsemen are often seen as a force to take on an army, as Angel (or Archangel), Storm and Rogue have found themselves among the four. Apocalypse is often opposed by Cable, who stops at nothing in order to finally kill Apocalypse and bring an end to his reign.

Top 10 Favorite Marvel Superheroes

 Stan Lee left behind a legacy that no other comic book creators can boast, outside of maybe Akira Toriyama. Not only did he bring about some of the most iconic superheroes, he also aided their comic book franchise by becoming the face of Marvel. He was like an old friend or a grandfather that was extremely enthusiastic about comic book heroes. Calling us all True Believers and telling us to believe in something more incredible than ourselves, he was there to make sure we made it a real experience where we lived the story along with the characters. These were the characters I truly grew up with and collected their merchandise by the truckload. 

Deadpool

Generally overhyped, but striking up some good storylines, Deadpool is probably one of the best examples of perfection through parody. He is wacky, fun to watch, and actually had a very good run of comic books. He is far from the best and can may belong on some anti-hero list, but he qualifies well enough. He can be very funny, but he can also go a little overboard and sour the punchline. He may have started out as a parody villain, but he has devolved well enough to become one of the more memorable of the Marvel heroes.

Cable

Whether he be with the X-men or the X-Force, Cable has proven to be one of the most interesting characters with motives that sometimes borders along obsession. The best work with him is when he is out to defeat Apocalypse. He exploits every weakness and goes to ridiculous heights with which to destroy a nigh invulnerable villain. He has some of the best high tech gear and he is resourceful to no end. He kind of had a lame period when they gave him god-like powers and he teamed up with Deadpool, but he has always created a badass foil to his wacky antics.

Colossus 

It sometimes happens that the strong man of a team comes out on top. Colossus is just an all around nice guy and comes from a different culture back in old Russia. His battles with Juggernaut are legendary and unfortunately he joins the Brotherhood of Mutants for a little while after his team up with the X-men. It's really a shame they didn't feature him more in the live action X-men movies, though it is understandable since his power is quite the CGI undertaking. They made up for it in the Deadpool movies thankfully.

Rogue

One of the most versatile characters in the Marvel roster. She also started out as a villain with the Brotherhood of Mutants, but ended up being one of the most valued X-men characters. Rogue absorbing Miss Marvel's powers and growing powerful like Supergirl made her confident and also looking awesome when beating a Sentinel's metallic brains in. Misrepresented by the movies, but given true love with Gambit in the comics, Rogue has had some ups and downs. The best iteration will always be from X-men the 1992 animated series.

She-Hulk

One of the best characters to come out of the Incredible Hulk and get her own series. Jennifer knows she's in a comic and she knows how ridiculous the concept is, so she just goes with it. She is smart mouthed, brilliant as a lawyer, and is among the best looking superheroes of the bunch. While she is not as strong as her cousin, Bruce Banner, in his green form, she has become a great hero in her own right. The best version is through the late 80's and through the 90's. You know, the one that was actually funny and cool.

Spider-Gwen

A character that came at the right time and had a great nostalgic flare to mix with spider powers. Gwen Stacy becoming Spider-Woman and then Ghost Spider was one of the best examples of bringing a character back the right way. She is one of the best things to come out of the Spider-verse, along with the initial storyline itself. Since then, she's teamed up with the Spider-verse team in something called the Web Warriors. While her recent exploits haven't been all that enthralling and they kind of ruined her story for a while by taking away her powers. Gwenom is still one of her best iterations. This character is awesome and she's even a drummer!

Hulk

The story of Bruce Banner getting nuked by gamma radiation is one that will live in the strong man tropes forever. The Incredible Hulk's battles with Abomination are classic, along with several of his other battles with giants and brutal beasts. This series has shown just how dangerous the Hulk really is, all through his comics. Nevermind those storylines where he's just Bruce Banner, it's all about transforming and bashing things! He's even beaten The Thing easily. His movies have had some ups and downs, but he also had a great TV series with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. This is one of the front runners for great superheroes and he will continue to be.

Wolverine

Once the frontrunner for the X-men as their best and most resourceful fighter, Wolverine has been all over and had his own very successful run of comic series. Introduced in the Incredible Hulk series, Wolverine went on to team up with pretty much everyone in the Marvel universe. His best comics come from his fights with Sabertooth, team ups with Spider-man and his origin story in the super violent Weapon X series. He is best when he is slicing and dicing. He's had so many parts in movies, animations and TV series like the multiple X-men series.

Thunderstrike

That's right, you read that correctly. Thunderstrike turned into a hidden gem of the Marvel series with a compelling and interesting series. His battles with Blood Axe and even Juggernaut are awesome. He was meant as a stand-in for Thor, and eventually joined him in Thor Corps for a brief stint. Eric Masterson had a lot of very good storylines dealing with new villains while also trying to discover who is behind the red skull mask of his arch nemesis wielding a magical double bladed axe. The conclusion is quite the twist and sadly, Thunderstrike has never had a real revival beyond someone else taking up his mantle for a small role. If there was ever a story to put in a graphic novel form, it's this series! Will it happen? Probably not.

Spider-man

You really can't beat the traditional sometimes. Spidey barely needs any introduction. The trope of being bit by a radioactive spider is etched into comic book history and Spider-man is literally the most profitable toy seller on the market. His storylines like Spider-verse, Spider Island, Maximum Carnage and his stint with the X-men are among the greatest in the industry. Spider-man is universally loved and Peter Parker has been through the ringer when it comes to tragic backstories and tragic stories in general. Battling the Sinister Six and the symbiotes have to be some of the best times with the web head, and he remains a hero with one of the best rogue galleries! He's often immitated, but never duplicated, Spider-man remains the best of the best.

Top 160+ Favorite Games of all time! (Pt 3)

We continue with the list and WOW has it been a little more difficult than I thought. Writing twenty paragraphs isn't so bad, but trying to remember things about this game to comment on was more challenging than expected. All of these games have gotten tons of play time, but there were some that I haven't played in years. While I was able to replay a good number of them, not all of them are readily available for everyone to re-experience. It's sad, but that's the game industry. Anyway, on with the last of the games before we enter the top 100! Onward!

#119 Virtua Fighter 4

When you want a great fighter on the PS2 and are tired of Mortal Kombat Deception, Virtua Fighter released a fantastic title just for you! You want to fight on a single player ranking system and fight in arcades? Then get ready to revisit one of Sega's most awesome franchises. They're all here, from Jeffry to Pai-chan! Its graphics only got better from title to title, and the controls never faltered. Virtua Fighter stood tall from console to console and PS2 is no different. You still get the fast pace punch, kick and throw action you want and that's how it's always going to be

#118 Mortal Kombat X

While it is not as good as Mortal Kombat 9, this title still delivered on a lot of fronts. The storyline isn't anything to write home about and the idea of death in the series has become something of a joke, but the fatalities and a lot of the new characters added bring a lot to the table. The character designs on the women can be seen as a bit of a downgrade, thanks to some public outcry, but the graphics and the gameplay are still very solid. It's good to see a lot of these returning characters they brought back and a lot of the different gameplay keeps it fresh. A lot of good jokes came from this title and even some of the DLC characters are greatly appreciated, including Leatherface and even the playable Goro!

#117 Doom 64

Doom has gone through several different versions, moderations, and iterations, but none of them are quite as unique as Doom 64. This Doom does focus on killing monsters and demons, but it also has a strange quality to its puzzles and map quirks. The entire game was far different than people thought it would be, thinking it was just another port to another system, but it was different in so many ways. The monsters and tone were so unique, it's basically considered its own separate entity. Some people consider it the true Doom 3, but there are others who wouldn't consider it that, thinking it was far too different. Still, we here at Planet Virtua consider it a strong entry to the Classic Doom franchise. That should be good enough.

#116 Dragon Quest XI

Although the story is a bit taxing to keep up with, Dragon Quest 11 is a lot of fun, and the characters make up for a lot of its shortcomings. The graphics are quite strong and the setting is absolutely beautiful. It has that beautiful character design we know Toriyama for and that is enough to put it on this list as a strong entry. While it is quite linear, it's still a very dynamic and long run from beginning to end. It goes through many different places and you meet many different characters that decide to join you on your journey.

#115 Mega Man X

Perhaps the greatest followup to a thriving series. Mega Man 2 is the greatest of the original series, Mega Man X is unmatched in its own series of games. This game has an introduction that's actually fun, and the gameplay can be so wonderfully challenging. I had a lot of problems getting through some of these levels before I finally got better with the controls, which are easy to learn but hard to master. X is a character design marvel, who joins the Mega Man team as something of an upgrade, and the two of them take on the likes of Dr. Wily and Sigma. If you are a fan of the franchise, this title is obligated to be played. 

#114 Doom 3

This was a divisive title, but it has many charms of its own. Not only does the BFG edition for consoles include Doom and Doom 2, but once you accept this as a survival horror, it's a lot more attractive as a game. This was the first game in the franchise to be fully rendered with all new 3D graphics compliments of John Carmack and what little remained of the original ID team. The look of this game was so advanced that it made PC's of the time cry constantly and the darkness that you explore has some very stylized horror elements that you just can't help but love. As a Doom game, it's lacking a bit. As a stand-alone offshoot of the series, it's more entertaining as a thriller along with being a slower shooter. 

#113 Luigi's Mansion

So few consoles ever have such an amazing initial title. Luigi's Mansion is iconic of the Gamecube. While in the Mario Franchise, Luigi's Mansion is darker with completely different but equally enthralling gameplay. You need to use evolving and complicated techniques to defeat high level ghosts as well as ghost bosses. Seeing all of the different types of ghosts and boos is a lot of fun and Luigi became something of a great character on his own merit thanks to this series of games. Even after three whole games, this little spinoff series still retains its outward charm.

#112 Duke Nukem 3D

Both the Sega Saturn and PC version of this game are more than worthy of being your first ports to play. Even on the N64, this game keeps its great charm of being a "Doom Clone" done correctly. Duke Nukem is trying to save the women of the world from a bunch of different aliens invading the Earth. You can use both rocket and alien technology to take on these pigs and squids, and you steal one-liners while doing it. This is required playing for anyone who wants a good "Boomer Shooter" showing off the game engine's true capabilities. 

#111 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Love the 80's? Love stealing digital cars from NPC's? Can't get enough crime from game crime bosses? Head down to Vice City and play a plethora of minigames and shootouts while you take it over! When it comes to the GTA series, this is one of the great titles. Playstation 2 was graced with this awesome title to great effect. The city is expansive and plays among the greats when it comes to a sandbox game. It's more of a great thing in the series and don't forget to take in those retro vibes of a bygone era. Rad.

#110 Batman: Arkham City

The peak of the Arkham series. Going through this entire cityscape of Gotham is an absolute joy as you ram your fists into the faces of criminals along the way. Two-Face, Catwoman, Clayface, Harley Quinn and an ever deminishing Joker. Thanks to taking too much Titan Venom in the first game, Joker finds himself trying to find a cure and he's going to have Batman help him whether he likes it or not. The twist in the final act is awesome and the gameplay is just Arkham Asylum with a wider scope. You are Batman, now go boot faces!

#109 Hrot

There are few games where I have poured so many hours into nothing but the Endless Mode. Hrot is one of those games because it just has a very addictive style to its gameplay. You're equipped with a lot of DOOM like weapons and amplifying damage/speed powerups to take down some very strange soldiers and creatures. All of the humans have gasmasks because it's a post-nuclear apocalypse. Everything is a shade of brown or dull gray and everything is also powered by PASCAL, which is a very difficult programming language. It still looks so old-school and Quake-like, but it also has such an interesting level design to each episode. If you're up for a great modern Boomer Shooter, this is your game. 

#108 Mortal Kombat 11

This game fixes just as much as it destroys in the MK Lore. Mortal Kombat 11 takes everything from both MK9 and MKX while also adding a very disjointed multiverse/time travel plotline. Though there are some great playable characters, there's also some not-so-great new characters. Either way, the game mechanics are improved with a new way to do x-ray moves plus an awesome array of new backgrounds. The story mechanic of bringing back dead characters, though, is still unfortunately still here. It's a mixed bag, but what edges it onto this list is the great gameplay and controls in its fighting classical towers.  

#107 Hogwarts Legacy

There are a lot of great things about bringing your own created character into the world of Harry Potter and being able to achieve a great deal of power along with all of the unforgiveable curses. This game's story is not great and its characters are more miss than hit, but the way you can explore the country side and take down dark magic users along with dark creatures is just a fantastic time waster. The ending when you achieve the OWLs is underwhelming, but the fact that you can play with dark magic and explosions in the arena mechanic is just beautiful. Creating your own Room of Requirement and customizing your own outfit is a lot of fun. This may be the Harry Potter fan talking here, but I will say this game is not for everyone. There's still a lot to explore and do in this beautiful world the devs created. 

#106 Resident Evil 4

When you want to kill infected people who not only attack you but also put hoods on in order to do so with chainsaws, RE4 is your game! Fighting the different creatures, playing through the story and using your own weapons in order to survive this dangerous world will get you to clench against your seat. You go up against huge monsters and whole barrages of deadly, mindless villagers to the point where it is downright exhausting at times. Save the girl and bring her out of the danger zone, but do not expect to get out unscathed. This is definitely one of the best Resident Evil titles, period.

#105 Saints Row: The Third

Many will argue this point, but I consider this one of my absolute favorite Saints Row titles. This was when they really started to lean into the craziness of the entire franchise, which it was already getting into in the second installment. In here, you fight titans of other gangs as well as some extra powerful arsenals which include, but are not limited to grenade launchers, armored vehicles and high tech guns. While it still has the annoying obligated mini games and some annoying tasks here and there, it's still a fun game overall. The story is crazier and the Saints are hilarious sellouts, but they still come off as bad ass, as they should.

#104 Jet Set Radio

When the gameplay shines brighter than everything else, but everything else is still great, you've got an awesome game. Jet Set Radio (or Jet Grind Radio in the states) was one of the earliest games on the Dreamcast, and it brought the system out in a state of greateness. The mechanics are challenging but also a lot of fun, and the characters are just the 90's coming forth to show you how awesome it truly can be. The graphics are cell shaded and stylized in an anime form that is simple but still really cool. You can customize your own graffiti and you can make a name for your character as you spread the name all across the city. 

#103 Resident Evil

Sometimes, you just need to go with the original. This title is great while also being flawed. The tank controls need a lot of getting used to and the voice acting was hysterically bad. The graphics did not age well, but that has never concerned us here at Planet Virtua. This is still a dark toned, crazy rendition of the survival horror genre, which was nearing infancy at the time. It set the bar high right off the bat. It wiped Alone in the Dark off the map and drilled its own name into the hearts of gamers all over the world. It also brought us zombie tropes and monsters that are still used and referenced heavily to this day. If you're brave enough and are sure you know what you're getting into, this game is highly recommended.

#102 X-men Origins: Wolverine

One of the very few examples of a game that not only was a great movie tie-in game, but even out shined its own film in every way. This game throws its source material out the window, as it should and showed its greatness in its own way. You are Wolverine and you are cutting through the baddies in gloriously gory combat segments while also figuring out your way through forests and rough turrains. The abilities you use make you feel like the killer himself and you do great feats of violence that are nothing less than therapeutic. If you doubted this game because of the movie it's based on, perish the thought. Give this game a try if you're willing and able.

#101 The Orange Box

Half-life 2 has had a very interesting history in its long, fabled release. For some reason, they packaged it along with Team Fortress 2 and Portal, which kind of makes this title a shining example of a compilation. Portal, even when it was basically a throw-away title that they just slapped on as an extra, became a fan favorite and still has a cult following to this day. As a Team Fortress Classic fan, TF2 was a lot of fun to come into contact with, because it was everything you loved about the original game with a new paint job and some very colorful characters on top of that. Half-Life 2 is everything you loved about the first game with a tweaked physics engine and a whole new slew of levels to power through. It all culminated into an amazing collection of titles that is still beloved to this day. 

#100 Sonic Adventure

Sonic is one of the few success stories when it came to his debut in glorious 3D! This awesome title took Sonic and threw him into a completely new adventure with brand new villains. While it is far from perfect, it's just great to see how dynamic your control over the blue hedgehog is. This game is long and a lot of it can be rather challenging, but there is just that nostalgic luster all over the graphics and it can go so far as to make you fall in love with Sega's favorite mascot all over again. This game is just flat out fun and while it's obviously not perfect, the overall experience is more than worth it.