By Christopher Gates on Feb 01, 2018 10:30 pm
Progress is not quite faster than a speeding bullet.
With Black Panther headed to the big screen and Black Lightning tearing it up on the CW, it's a watershed moment for black superheroes. That doesn't mean that it's been an easy journey to get here. The following moments represent some of the biggest steps forwards--and some backward--for superheroes of color.
27. 1941: Marvel's first black sidekick
A few months before Pearl Harbor plunged America into World World II, Timely Comics (later known as Marvel) published Young Allies, a comic series about a group of kids who help Captain America and Bucky Barnes fight the Red Skull. One of the team members is a big-lipped, superstitious, and dim-witted African American that embodies some of the worst stereotypes of the era. His name? Why, Whitewash Jones, of course.
26. 1942: The Big Red Cheese gets some help
Around the same time, Captain Marvel editor Ed Herron introduced Billy Batson's simple-minded "valet," Steamboat, in America's Greatest Comics #2. Steamboat was supposed to be a positive role model and was created to draw in black readers, but many fans disagreed, including over 11,000 schoolchildren who called themselves the Youth Builders, and a group of African Americans who traveled to Fawcett's editorial offices to protest in person. Executive editor Will Lieberson took their side, and Steamboat disappeared from the book in 1945.
25. 1944: A big behind-the-scenes debut
Matt Baker, the first known African American comic book artist, made his debut penciling the cover story in Jumbo Comics #69, which features a leopard skin-clad crimefighter known as Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. The tale, "Slaves for the White Sheik," features the noble, aristocratically-born white hero freeing the hapless black natives who have been forced to participate in an illegal pearl-harvesting operation.
24. 1947: Enter Lion Man
In the late '40s, Orrin Cromwell Evans, the first black reporter to handle "general assignments" for a mainstream white newspaper, produced and published the only issue of All-Negro Comics, which Time Magazine called "the first [comic] to be drawn by Negro artists and peopled entirely by Negro characters." While private eye Ace Harlem is All-Negro Comics' big star, the issue also features a story starring Lion Man, a college-educated African American who ventures to Africa to fight white criminals.
23. 1954: Waku swings into action
Marvel, then called Atlas, introduced its first black hero, Waku, Prince of the Bantu, in Jungle Tales #1. While Waku isn't technically a superhero, he shares many of their traits, including a tragic backstory (he's orphaned at the very beginning of his tale) and a resolute no-killing policy.
22. 1964: From fan artist to counter-culture icon
Richard Eugene Green, better known as "Grass," made waves as the first black man to join the burgeoning fan art and underground comics community. His early comic, the superhero adventure title Xal-Kor the Human Cat, owed a huge debt to the Golden Age comics of the '30s and '40s. It quickly became one of the most popular features in the Star Studded Comics fanzine, which also featured early work from future Marvel editors-in-chief Jim Starlin and Roy Thomas, renowned superhero artist Dave Cockrum, and Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin.
21. 1965: Mainstream comics' first black title star
The first African American character to headline his own comic arrived when Dell Comics published Lobo #1, starring the mysterious gunslinger of the same name. The series only lasted for two issues and was cancelled after roughly 90% of retailers refused to sell Lobo because of its lead's skin color.
20. 1966: All hail the king of Wakanda
Black Panther, arguably the first real black superhero, appeared in Fantastic Four #52, in which he helped Marvel's first family defend Wakanda from Klaw, a scientist-turned-supervillain. Black Panther, real name T'Challa, went on to become a mainstay in the Marvel Universe. He joined the Avengers in 1968, starred in Marvel's first long-running multi-issue story arc in 1973's Jungle Comics #6, took on the Ku Klux Klan in the same series in 1976, and made his big screen debut in 2016's Captain America: Civil War.
19. 1969: The Falcon takes to the skies
Black Panther might be Marvel's first black superhero, but the company's first African American hero didn't appear until a fews year later, when Sam Wilson (alias the Falcon) popped up in Captain America #117. The Falcon quickly settled into the role of Cap's sidekick, and ultimately assumed the shield and cowl when old age caught up with Steve Rogers in 2014.
18. 1970: Ebon beats Marvel to the punch
Two years before Luke Cage burst onto the scene, indie cartoonist Larry Fuller (pen name Christian White) published Ebon, which is widely considered the first superhero comic with a black main character (Ebon might also be the first superhero comic produced entirely by a single black man, although that's debatable). The comic only lasted for a single issue, but that didn't deter Fuller, who went on to create the hilarious, satirical, and undeniably filthy underground comic series White Whore Funnies.
17. 1970: Green Lantern learns a lesson
Until the '70s, DC Comics' lineup was very, very white. Writer Denny O'Neil and artist Neal Adams challenged the company's lack of diversity in Green Lantern #76. The issue includes a now iconic exchange in which a poor African American man accuses Hal Jordan of ignoring Earth's racial injustices in favor of extraterrestrial threats.
16. 1970: DC's first black superhero isn't who you think
Despite what you might've read lately, DC Comics' first black superhero wasn't Black Lightning. Green Lantern John Stewart, Legion of Super-Heroes member Tyroc, and the New God's avatar of death, the Black Racer, all hit spinner racks before him. DC's first black superhero, however, was actually Mal Duncan, a gifted boxer who joined the Teen Titans in issue #26 of their ongoing series. While Mal didn't originally have any powers beyond his fighting prowess, he later gained a variety of abilities and went by a number of superhero code names, including Guardian, Hornblower, and Vox.
15. 1971: Kryptonians are racist too
A year later, in Superman #239, DC Comics made a misguided attempt to explain why we'd never seen Kryptonians of color before. Apparently, black Kryptonians were segregated from the rest of the population and lived somewhere called Vathlo Island. Understandably, Vathlo Island was only mentioned a handful of times before it disappeared entirely.
14. 1972: A (cover) star is born
The first mainstream black superhero to get his own comic book was Luke Cage, who debuted in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire. Initially, Luke Cage was a jive-talking hustler, and his adventures relied heavily on tropes and stereotypes from popular blaxploitation films. Eventually, the blaxploitation craze ended, and Luke's title faded away. However, the bulletproof hero has been a fixture of the Marvel Universe ever since, and even got his own Netflix TV series in 2016.
13. 1973: Wonder Woman's sister
DC might've been behind the curve when introducing black superheroes, but it actually beat Marvel on the superheroine front. In Wonder Woman #204, DC introduced Nubia, a black Amazon with a claim to Wonder Woman's title. Like Diana, Nubia was crafted out of clay and brought to life by the gods. Unlike Diana, Nubia was raised by Mars, the god of war, and not Hippolyta. Nubia's also a better fighter than Diana, and beat Wonder Woman in a duel before returning to her home, the Floating Island, in her debut story.
12. 1975: A new goddess in town
Giant-Size X-Men #1 didn't just revamp Marvel's merry band of mutants. It also introduced Ororo Munroe, better known as Storm, Marvel's first black superheroine. Raised as a thief on the streets of Cairo, the young mutant was regarded a goddess in her native Africa after her weather-controlling powers kicked. Later, Charles Xavier tracked her down and made her a core member of the X-Men team.
11. 1975: M'Shulla and Carmilla, sittin' in a tree…
The first interracial kiss in mainstream superhero comics took place in Marvel's Amazing Adventures #31, when M'Shulla Scott and Carmilla Frost, allies of the freedom fighter Killraven, locked lips during a down moment. Interestingly enough, that's actually the second interracial kiss that writer Don McGregor snuck into a mainstream comic book. The first happened in Creepy, a horror title from Vampirella publisher Warren, after McGregor's artist misread the writer's script and added an unintended smooch between its two leads.
10. 1977: Black Lightning
As the '70s rolled on, DC wanted their own take on black heroes like Luke Cage and Black Goliath, who got his own superhero identity and comic book in 1975. The company contacted former Luke Cage scribe Tony Isabella and tried to recruit him to write a character named The Black Bomber, who was a white racist who turned into a black man whenever he got angry. Isabella pointed out that this was a terrible idea and countered with Black Lightning, a super-powered high school principal who assumed his superhero mantle out of desperation, not some higher calling. DC approved, and Black Lightning went on to be DC's first African American headliner.
9. 1977: Big screen debut
The first movie starring a black superhero wasn't a big-budget Hollywood production. It was a low-key blaxploitation flick called Abar, the First Black Superman (later renamed In Your Face to avoid trademark complications). In the film, a scientist gives a chemical concoction to a local heavy, creating a superpowered vigilante who fights neighborhood bigotry. Abar was filmed on a shoestring budget and didn't have official permits, but it didn't matter; when the police arrived to shut down filming, a real life motorcycle gang that had been hired to appear in the film scared the fuzz away.
8. 1990: Indie creators get in the game
Brotherman wasn't supposed to be a cultural icon. Artist Dawud Anyabwile and his brother, writer Guy Sims, created the character as a parody, intended mainly to drive business to Anyabwile's airbrushing store. And yet the character--an everyman who doesn't actually have any powers--is widely credited with reinvigorating the black indie comics community. Anyabwile sold over 750,000 copies of Brotherman before the series ended in 1994. In 2018, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture announced that it would add Brotherman materials to its archives, citing the comic's "historical and unique" influence on the indie comic scene.
7. 1993: The Dakotaverse is born
Fed up with mainstream comics' lack of diversity, Dwayne McDuffie and a group of other black creators founded Milestone Media, a company devoted to empowering people of color both on- and off-panel. Milestone's books were published by DC, but their creators retained both editorial independence and intellectual property rights. While Milestone's comic division closed in 1997, its franchises remain popular. Static, one of Milestone's flagship characters, got his own cartoon series in 2000, while characters like Rocket and Icon made appearances in Warner Bros.' sidekick-oriented animated series Young Justice.
6. 1993: Meteor Man crashes
Meteor Man might be the first mainstream movie featuring a black superhero, but sadly, it's not very good. Despite the appearances by celebrities like Robert Townsend, James Earl Jones, Sinbad, Cypress Hill, and Bill Cosby, the campy, lighthearted superhero adventure failed to win the hearts of critics or audiences and only made back $8 million of its $30 million budget.
5. 1997: A tale of Spawn and Steel
In August 1997, the first two superhero flicks starring established black characters debuted at the box office. Spawn, starring Michael Jai White as Todd McFarlane's popular anti-hero, hit screens first. Steel, a Superman spin-off with all references to Superman removed, followed two weeks later. While Spawn was a moderate success, Steel tanked, putting a quick end to star Shaquille O'Neal's Hollywood aspirations.
4. 1998: Gone vampire hunting
Blade wasn't just the first Marvel movie starring a black character. It was the second Marvel movie ever to get a theatrical release in America (only Howard the Duck beat Blade to cineplexes). Starring Wesley Snipes as a character first introduced in Marvel's The Tomb of Dracula--in 1973--Blade singlehandedly kickstarted the superhero movie craze, spawned two sequels, and got a television spin-off in 2006--which ended up being the first Marvel TV show with a black lead.
3. 2004: The truth comes out
Truth: Red, White & Black, a seven-issue miniseries by Robert Morales and Kyle Baker, tells the story of a government program to recreate Captain America's super soldier serum using black soldiers as test subjects, most of whom are mutilated or killed by the experiments. Online, traditional comic book fans condemned the book, while critics praised Marvel's decision to highlight the sordid and brutal history of America's race problem, especially the infamous and highly unethical Tuskegee syphilis experiments on which Truth was partially based.
2. 2018: Jefferson Pierce returns
Since 2012, the CW has become the go-to place for superheroes on television. While the network has featured a number of characters of color, particularly on its lighthearted team-up series Legends of Tomorrow, the CW's ever-expanding line of DC-themed TV shows didn't get a black lead until Black Lightning debuted in January. Reinventing Jefferson Pierce as a retired vigilante who needs to suit up again when a criminal gang threatens his family, Black Lightning's first episode scored the best ratings for a CW premiere in two years, and looks set to join The Flash, Arrow, and Supergirl as a CW mainstay.
1. 2018: Black Panther goes big
After 17 big budget superhero adventures starring white men, Marvel Studios will release its first big-screen movie with a black lead in February 2018 when Black Panther hits theaters. The movie's been in development since 2005 (although Wesley Snipes tried to get a Black Panther movie off the ground as far back as 1992) and stars Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, and Lupita Nyong'o. Black Panther is a big step forward for Marvel behind the camera, too: The film is directed by Ryan Coogler, who previously helmed Fruitvale Station and the Rocky spinoff Creed. He's the first black director that Marvel's hired.
By Chris Pereira on Feb 01, 2018 05:53 pm
One of Destiny 2's biggest updates so far is now available, introducing new elements to the game like Masterwork armor and Raid armor perks. Its release also marks the launch of the latest Iron Banner event, which is the first one to take place since Curse of Osiris debuted in December. That DLC started the second season of in-game content, with each season bringing new gear to activities like Faction Rally and Iron Banner. Following the recent Faction Rally event's new set of items, now is your chance to acquire the just-added selection of Iron Banner gear. Iron Banner Engrams you receive from Lord Saladin can now have a variety of new items inside them, alongside those that were already available. Even more will be added during the next Iron Banner, but for now, you can expect to have a shot at a new hand cannon, scout rifle, shotgun, Ghost, Sparrow, shader, and ship. Additionally, there's a new emblem that tracks how many times you've ranked up with Iron Banner; you can earn this by completing the Iron Banner Milestone (which requires playing 30 total Iron Banner matches during Season 2). Bear in mind, the new gear requires that you own Curse of Osiris. Even without the DLC, though, you're still free to participate in the event and earn Season 1 gear. You can see all of the new gear, including the weapons and armor Ornaments (for Titan, Warlock, and Hunter), in the gallery above. One notable change for this instance of Iron Banner is how you earn rewards. In addition to the usual means of acquiring gear, you can now directly purchase select items. Saladin will sell three weapons and five pieces of armor during each event for a combination of Legendary Shards and Iron Banner Tokens. He also has five armor Ornaments that can be acquired by completing Challenges during Iron Banner matches. This Iron Banner runs from now until the weekly reset on Tuesday, February 6. The game mode this time around is Control. You can see what else is new in Destiny 2's update in our rundown on the 1.1.2 patch notes.
Titan Mark Ornament
Titan Leg Armor Ornament
Titan Guantlet Ornament
Titan Chest Armor Ornament
Titan Helmet Ornament
Warlock Bond Ornament
Warlock Chest Armor Ornament
Warlock Gauntlet Ornament
Warlock Helmet Ornament
Warlock Leg Armor Ornament
Hunter Gauntlets Ornament
Hunter Chest Armor Ornament
Hunter Cloak Ornament
Hunter Helmet Ornament
Hunter Leg Armor Ornament
By Chris Pereira on Feb 01, 2018 05:16 pm
Thanks to a variety of factors, Monster Hunter World is likely to be many people's first experience with the franchise. New gear is desirable in any RPG, but it's especially important in Monster Hunter, where your progression is tied not to experience points, but the new armor and weapons you're able to acquire and craft. Much of that gear is unattainable until you've sunk a significant number of hours into the game, honing your skills, taking down challenging enemies, and amassing the necessary resources for crafting. To give you an idea of what kind of armor sets you'll be able to use once you've progressed far enough in the game, we've compiled the gallery above. You'll find images of high-end armor for both your own character (if you're playing a male, as we were), as well as gear for your Palico companion. Monster Hunter World releases on January 26 for Xbox One and PS4, with a PC release to come later in the year. That's notable, as recent entries were limited to 3DS. The additional horsepower has allowed for a game with much larger, more beautiful environments to play in. It also does a better job of introducing newcomers to the flow of playing a Monster Hunter game. You can read more about what to expect in our Monster Hunter World review. Those playing on PS4 will be able to get their hands on some exclusive gear based on Horizon: Zero Dawn. We also know that new Mega Man-themed items are on the way, and if past games are any indications, that won't be the last crossover content that Capcom releases.
By Kallie Plagge on Feb 01, 2018 03:36 am
What To Watch
More and more anime, as well as anime-inspired movies and series, are making their way to Netflix. Originals like Castlevania and the live-action Death Note movie join classic series and upcoming ones on the service, and it can be tricky to know which ones you should binge and which you should let be. While there's a lot of great anime on Netflix, there are some you should prioritize. Click forward to see all the best series you can stream right now.
Death Note
If you haven't seen it yet--or if you thought the Netflix's live-action Death Note was interesting and wanted more--now's the time to watch this classic crime series. Light Yagami, a brilliant high school student and son of a police chief, finds the Death Note, a notebook with the power to kill anyone whose name is written in its pages. The mysterious killer is dubbed "Kira," and a top detective known only as "L" is given the task of tracking him down. The series is known both for its fantastic cat-and-mouse dynamic and as a great show for people who haven't seen much anime. It has things like shinigami (gods of death) and a distinctly Japanese style, but it's not the capital-A Anime with big fight scenes and a lot of yelling that you might imagine when you think about anime.
The Devil Is A Part-Timer
The devil's on the run from the hero of Ente Isla, a world he's trying to conquer, and he ends up in modern day Tokyo. In order to survive, he gives himself a human form and...starts working at a fast food restaurant called MgRonald's. Naturally, there are some shenanigans to be had. This is one of the lighter shows on this list and is great if you're looking for a fantastical comedy to watch when you want to relax.
Devilman Crybaby
Don't be fooled by the generous gore or flashy orgy scenes; Devilman Crybaby is a solemn, pensive look at what it means to be human. Based on the Devilman manga from the '70s, Devilman Crybaby follows Akira, an extremely empathetic teenager who is prone to crying at the suffering of others. When his childhood friend Ryo comes to town, he informs Akira that demons will return to earth, and that there's a way for the two of them to save humanity. Devilman Crybaby stands out thanks to its classic-looking animation and phenomenal direction, with layers of meaning to dissect long after you've finished the tenth and final episode.
Durarara!!
If you're looking for action, suspense, and something a little darker, try Durarara! Set in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district, Durarara follows a newcomer to the area as well as a gang of dangerous individuals and a headless motorcyclist who runs in underground circles. There's a lot going on, but the episodes switch between different perspectives with a narrator giving context. Durarara is popular for its supernatural-meets-gang-violence style and superb animation. And no, the name doesn't mean anything.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
If you're in the mood for a modern classic, look no further than Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. It follows the brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, who embark on the one forbidden act of alchemy: human transmutation. Thanks to the alchemic Law of Equivalent Exchange, Edward loses his right arm and Alphonse his physical body. What follows is a search to find their humanity, a mentally scarring scene involving a dog, and one of the finest endings known to anime. Note that while the original Fullmetal Alchemist is also on Netflix, Brotherhood is the recommended version, since it follows the manga much more closely and is considered the ideal adaptation.
Gurren Lagann
Gurren Lagann is an absolute classic and a must-watch for any anime fan. Made by Gainax, the studio behind Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gurren Lagann is about friendship, believing in yourself, and giant mechs that fight each other. It's action-packed and silly and, despite some weird pacing in spots, is quite the adventure. One of the coolest things about the series is how it transitions from a hole in the ground--all of humanity lives underground to protect themselves from the dangers of the surface world--to something entirely different by the end, yet still a cohesive whole.
Kill la Kill
After watching Gurren Lagann, your next series should be Kill la Kill. It was made by Studio Trigger, an offshoot started by former Gainax staff, and has the same larger-than-life feel and wacky action in a new world--not unlike FLCL. Be warned: It's about clothes that have special powers, and those powers are usually activated by making the outfit a lot more revealing. But trust me, it makes sense in the end.
Little Witch Academia
Also by Studio Trigger, Little Witch Academia is a feel-good show about young girls studying to become witches. It stars Akko, a girl who's struggling at the academy due to her non-magical background--until she finds an artifact that once belongs to the witch who inspired her in the first place. It's cute and great to watch when you want something a bit more relaxed.
One-Punch Man
If you grew up watching shonen series like Dragon Ball Z, you'll appreciate One-Punch Man's comedic take on the genre. Saitama is the ultimate hero; he can defeat anyone with only one punch. But because of that, he's pretty bored with being the hero, preferring to get excited about sales at the grocery store instead of defeating the latest supervillain. It's funny but also an interesting look at what happens after you accomplish your goals, and its theme song goes hard. Plus, season 2 is coming up soon!
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Remember Sailor Moon? Puella Magi Madoka Magica is kind of like that, except much sadder. It's a twist on the magical girl genre and explores the power of hope over pure despair. The eponymous star Madoka has the opportunity to make a wish with a familiar called Kyubey--any wish, he says, and he can grant it, but she must fight evil in exchange. What wish would be worth the cost? Puella Magi Madoka Magica has a fantastic, haunting soundtrack and is only 12 episodes, but maybe don't binge it if you don't want to cry a lot. Don't worry, though; believe in hope.
Rurouni Kenshin
The lead character in Rurouni Kenshin is a placid soul named Himura. And despite carrying a sword on his hip, the blade is sharpened on the wrong side; a move to ensure he won't inadvertently take a life, even in self-defense. However, one part comedy and one part drama, Rurouni Kenshin truly stands out when Himura's righteous instincts push back against this mindset. Himura's present attitude is a result of him rejecting his past as a legendary assassin. But violent ex-samurai seeking fame and power at the cost of innocent lives cross his path on a regular basis, forcing his hand. Himura's left no choice but to rekindle his smoldering aggression to protect the innocent, and though he typically manages to rid evil without resorting to murder, the show craftily keeps the question lingering in the air: will he kill to protect those he loves at the cost of his own humanity? The 95-episode show on Netflix is a great starting point for anyone interested in the series, but once you connect with Himura's plight, do seek out the OVAs, dubbed Samurai X. Those episodes tell of the disturbing childhood that lead to Himura's violent middle years--though they unfortunately aren't on Netflix.
Tiger & Bunny
Tiger & Bunny is a fun look at what would happen if superheroes were commercialized the way modern sports are. Each hero's costume is branded to a NASCAR-level extreme (with actual brands). While this may sound off putting, the show's tongue-in-cheek nature winkingly pulls it off. The story offers a great buddy duo of the veteran Hero Wild Tiger and new up-and-comer Barnaby (Bunny), and while it show starts with a far more comedic edge, the action eventually picks up when the show's villains come into play.
Your Lie In April
Your Lie in April is a heartfelt story about Arima Kousei, a prodigal pianist whose career is derailed by a traumatic event. However, a chance encounter with Kaori Miyazono, a free-spirited violinist, reignites a passion he thought had long faded. What makes Your Lie in April interesting is, for the most part, it doesn't focus on the romance between Arima and Kaori. Instead it explores their complicated personal issues and uses these to bring them closer in a way that feels natural and authentic.
By Michael Rougeau on Feb 01, 2018 02:30 am
For the sci-fi junkies of the universe.
Netflix's Altered Carbon is some heady, intense science fiction--the most hardcore sci-fi on TV in years. The first episode alone is packed with so many cryptic, futuristic terms and concepts it might make your head spin. And you wouldn't want that--who knows what it might do to your cortical stack? Don't worry if you have no idea what that means. We've got you covered with this list of the important cyberpunk and sci-fi terms, phrases, and concepts you'll need to fully grasp exactly what's going down in Netflix's noir sci-fi epic, Altered Carbon, which hits Netflix this Friday, February 2.
27. Cortical Stack
The cortical stack is the sci-fi invention at Altered Carbon's core. It shapes the story's world, and it makes all the show's events possible. Think of it like a USB drive that houses your memory and personality--everything that makes you who you are. It rests somewhere within each person's upper spine/lower skull. If your body dies, your stack can be implanted in a new one, as long as it remains intact.
26. Sleeves
Sleeves are what the denizens of Altered Carbon's world call their bodies. Thanks to cortical stacks, bodies are basically disposable--depending how wealthy you are, at least.
25. Re-sleeving
Re-sleeving is the process of your cortical stack being implanted or "downloaded" into a new sleeve. The wealthy can be re-sleeved whenever they want, sometimes treating different sleeves like changes of clothes, while the poor do it once in a lifetime--if that.
24. Spin Up
Spinning someone up or being spun up is the process of being awakened after re-sleeving. It can be disorienting, especially if your most recent memories were heightened or traumatic (such as if your last sleeve died in combat).
23. Sleeve Sickness
Sleeve sickness is a physical malady that includes disorientation and other symptoms. It can occur when your stack is re-sleeved and can be overcome with the aid of re-acclimation drugs.
22. Organic Damage
Organic damage is the illegal act of damaging or killing a sleeve.
21. Sleeve Death
This is simply the name for when your sleeve gets destroyed or damaged. The mind lives on without the body--as long as your cortical stack isn't destroyed with it.
20. Real Death
This is the real, scary kind of death, when your cortical stack is destroyed or lost along with your sleeve, making it impossible for you to be re-sleeved and spun back up. Of course, the wealthy have secure backups, so the richer you are, the more unlikely real death is.
19. Meths
"Meth" is the somewhat derogatory term for the richest of the rich--and therefore the oldest of the old, the untouchable, borderline inhuman elite at the top of Altered Carbon's society. Meths usually live in decadent mansions above the clouds. They're named after the Biblical figure Methuselah. The exact passage quoted in the Altered Carbon book is "and all the days of Methusaleh were nine hundred sixty and nine years."
18. Grounders
"Grounders" is the derogatory term Meths use to refer to those at the other end of society, especially poor people who live on the world's surface rather than above the clouds.
17. Needlecast
A needlecast is a "tightbeam transmission"--in other words, an extremely precise digital broadcast--of the contents of your cortical stack. For example, Meths can needlecast to different stacks around the globe--or the universe--to attend faraway business meetings or simply go on vacation.
16. Personality Frag
A "personality fragmentation" occurs when a person re-sleeves into too many different bodies. Basically, you go insane. That's why Meths keep multiple clones on ice, often in multiple places; re-sleeving into your own body (even a copy of it) avoids adverse effects.
15. Synthetic Sleeve
A synthetic sleeve is a lab-made body that possesses abilities a normal (i.e. born) sleeve does not, such as some shapeshifting capability to change your appearance. However, synths are limited in other ways.
14. AI Hotels
Altered Carbon is set so far in the future that AI hotels--hotels owned and operated entirely by artificial intelligences--are considered archaic. The AI are programmed to crave customers, and they're often eccentric. In the book, protagonist Takeshi Kovacs stays at a hotel called the Hendrix, themed after Jimi Hendrix, while in the show he stays at The Raven, where the AI proprietor resembles none other than Edgar Allan Poe.
13. Dipper
A Dipper is someone who can hack into a transmission and remove or add information, such as copying your private memories while you download into a new stack. For all intents and purposes, they're Altered Carbon's version of hackers.
12. Trauma Loop
One character in Altered Carbon gets stuck in a trauma loop, meaning her sleeve died in so traumatic a fashion that her backup is essentially corrupted. Her stack can't be spun back up properly without her suffering.
11. Songspire
Songspire is a structure that appears to be part rock and part tree. It grows on Mars, and individual songspires can be small enough to fit on a necklace or bigger than a house. They emit pleasant sounds and fragrances when touched. Their purpose isn't fully clear, but they appear to have some significance in both the book and the show.
10. Extreme Organic Damage Event
An "extreme organic damage event" in the context of the show is an event at which significant organic damage--damage to one's sleeve--will occur, like a pre-planned fight to the death. These require permits issued by the police to be fully legal.
9. Simulspace
Simulspace is simply Altered Carbon's name for virtual reality. However, unlike the VR of today, simulspace is often indistinguishable from "the real."
8. Psychosurgery
A form of mental therapy that takes place in simulspace, often to help people deal with traumatic events.
7. VR Interrogation
VR interrogation is a brutal form of torture that takes place in simulspace. Your interrogator spins your stack up in VR, then tortures you to digital sleeve death over and over in whatever creative ways the simulation's programming can support. Your stack and sleeve remain intact in the real, so you never truly die, but you feel everything in your mind.
6. Multisleeving
Multisleeving is a criminal activity that involves copying the contents of your stack and downloading yourself into separate sleeves simultaneously. Essentially, there are two or more yous walking around. It's highly illegal, and the penalties are harsh, though it can be hard to prove.
5. Neo-Catholics
Neo-Catholicism is a religion whose devotees believe in the "natural order," and that being re-sleeved destroys the soul, even as it preserves the mind. Neo-Catholics' stacks carry special "Neo-C coding" that prevents them from being legally spun up when their original sleeves (i.e. their actual birth bodies) die. It's a big source of the conflict in Altered Carbon. Resolution 653 is a bill that would allow murder victims to be spun back up to testify, even if they have Neo-C coding.
4. Reaper
Reaper is a drug that simulates a near death experience. It's cheaper than actual sleeve suicide, a thrill only those wealthy enough to keep clones and backups on hand can afford to experience. It can also be used in small doses to lower your body temperature and instill a feeling of cool indifference that makes it easier to commit violence. As a result, soldiers often use it.
3. Portable 3D Bio Organic Printer
Imagine a 3D printer that can work bones, flesh, and organs into actual living bodies, A.K.A. sleeves. That's a portable 3D bio organic printer, an extremely expensive gadget that Meths sometimes keep around.
2. CTAC
The Colonial Tactical Assault Corp (CTAC) is a universal police force whose soldiers needlecast to pre-trained sleeves on whatever world they're needed. They fight sleeve sickness by injecting chemical cocktails. Depending what side you're on, you might see them as the enemy.
1. Envoy
The Envoys were a group of soldiers who rose up in resistance against humanity's colonial forces and CTAC. It didn't end well. They had some vaguely defined enhanced abilities (including improved senses, intuition, and physical capabilities).
By Miguel Concepcion on Feb 01, 2018 01:30 am
Web-Slinging Wishes
The PlayStation 4-exclusive Spider-Man game by Insomniac is due out sometime this year. In the last two decades, Marvel's web slinger has seen more good game adaptations than bad ones. When memorable high points like Spider-Man 2: The Game and Web of Shadows come to mind, it's clear Insomniac has high standards to live up to. And with so many console releases--mostly thanks to Activision--what does a new Spider-Man have to do in 2018 to stand out? We have a few ideas, seen in this gallery of nine things we want from Insomniac's Spider-Man. Currently, Spider-Man on PS4 has no release date. However, it has been been confirmed to release sometime later this year. For a look at how Spider-Man is shaping up, watch the game's latest story trailer. And if you'd like more insight on how Marvel Games is overseeing development of Spider-Man and its licensed games as a whole, read our interview with Marvel Games vice president and executive producer Mike Jones. If you're eager to see what the other exclusives on PS4 are, then check out our in-depth gallery covering all the biggest PS4 exclusives coming in 2018. You can also look at our galleries detailing all the Xbox One exclusives, PC exclusives, and Switch exclusives.
Greater Emphasis On Gadgets And Abilities Over Fisticuffs
Much like the Batman Arkham series, combat in Spider-Man games has leaned toward beat-em-up style brawling. Yes, Spider-Man does tend to finish his fights with some sort of webbing-based flourish but it would be a positive change if his other talents and gear took the spotlight. Better combat integration of his even his most well-known powers like wall crawling and superhuman reflexes would add depth.
It Feels Like An Insomniac Game
We'd love to see Insomniac's talents for imaginative weapons and gadgets make their way into the game, even if it sounds weird for Spider-Man at first blush. From webware to spider-bots, there's five decades worth of gadgetry to dive into, ripe for reinterpretations by the talents responsible for Ratchet & Clank. And we hope Ted Price and his crew have the creative license to invent new gadgets for Peter Parker.
A New Kind Of Spider-Man Open World
Insomniac is also experienced in open-world designs, a high point being Sunset Overdrive. There are a number of Spider-Man games with expansive open worlds but none interpreted with the same surrealist and involving flavor as Sunset City. As a standalone game with no attachments to any of prior Spider-Man stories (including last year's Homecoming film), Insomniac's can make this one of the most original video game interpretations of New York City in a long time.
No Random Muggings
Just because it seems mandated that open-world Spider-Man games have to be set in New York City doesn't mean that it has to always have random muggings. It was an especially involving component in The Amazing Spider-Man 2's morality system, where your status as a hero or menace was determined by how many crimes you stopped. This feature ultimately felt like a chore, where disinterested players were unfairly classified as a menace. Being guilted into saving someone from a mugging doesn't always make for great gameplay, especially when you were in the middle a more compelling story mission.
No Origin Story
It seems like anyone with a remote interest in Spider-Man already knows his origin, with some thanks to the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield films. Not only is the classic origin tale involving Uncle Ben unnecessary but so is any kind of origin-focused exposition. It'd be great to jump into the game with a version of Peter Parker who has already has a grasp of both his great power and responsibilities.
Focus On Peter Parker (And Miles Morales)
Speaking of Peter Parker, not enough games have paid attention to Spider-Man's real identity and his young adult challenges, particularly with his love life. It wouldn't be a stretch to hope for story-driven interludes that take inspiration from Life Is Strange or the many episodic Telltale games. And the fact that another Spider-Man, Miles Morales appeared at the stinger of the E3 2017 video for the game only makes the prospect of a Parker-Morales meet-up all the more intriguing.
Classic Spider-Man Attitude
One of the qualities of the better Spider-Man games in the past was their well-crafted dialogue, often bringing out Spider-Man's moxie, much to the frustration of his foes. This next game is all the more promising thanks to its experienced writing staff, which includes veteran comic book writers Christos Gage and Dan Slott. From what we've seen and heard, this latest handling will portray the web-slinger as the familiar smart aleck fans expect.
Mixing Up The Villain Roster
Yes, Doctor Octopus and the Green Goblin are popular for a reason, but for a series that's been around since the early 1960s, there's a wealth of sinister source material to mine. Having Mister Negative is a good start but how about Boomerang or even Crime Master? Insomniac can give the recurring villains like Black Cat, Rhino, Shocker, and Scorpion a break.
Side-Missions That Matter
Just because side missions are optional doesn't mean they're not worth the player's time. Some of the best side missions in the Arkham games have through-lines that last the entire length of the game. Speaking of mission choice, there'd be great replay potential if the narrative locked you out of one mission if you accept another, and with endgame repercussions. For example, what would happen if you flaked out on a date with MJ because you decided to stop a bank heist?
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