Avengers: Infinity War

10 years for the carnage to be unleashed.

A couple of posts ago (three actually) I said how tired I was of seeing great ideas being tossed into the garbage bin like a cheap forgotten McDonald's burger. Obviously, I was referring to the overnight success of Comic Book films these days. In addition, I was disappointed with what Rian "Dick" Johnson had done with The Last Jedi, and yet here you have me writing about another superhero film...

Avengers: Infinity War as a standalone film, would obviously fail in so many levels, that I'd put right next to the many other films I think are just fucking cash grabs. However, seeing this film marks the 10th anniversary of what humbly started in 2008 with Iron Man, and went on for another 9 years that will surely go on for another decade. 

Avengers forever!

I don't think so.

Plot wise we get a very simple story: Thanos, the powerful space overlord has built an "Infinity Gauntlet" (the actual name of the classic comic book, you posers) that allows him to wage the powerful weight of the six infinity stones. Predictably, friends and foes from all corners of the universe have decided it is time to do something before it's too late for the whole universal existence. 

The movie benefits a lot from its prequels, where most of the characters' personalities were introduced and developed vastly enough to make us care for each of them. Nevertheless, the film does take its time to tell us who Thanos really is, and what he is actually looking for once he gets all the six precious stones. For a CGI guy, I can say he's OK but not the best villain seen in years as many are calling him all over the internet. The fact that he wants to destroy everything because he's a bad guy, seems dated, childish and plane stupid. 

Infinity War does require you to have seen some or most of the MCU in order to fully enjoy its moments, which are many. I'd say you'd have to watch the Captain America trilogy, Thor 2 & 3, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.1, the first Avengers film and Doctor Strange and then, you'll be all set for an entertaining ride. 

Girl power!

Unusual team of heroes.

Directed by the Russo brothers, who also directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier & Captain America: Civil War, the film is a celebration of ten years of entertainment and overall fun. While the film does struggle with some tonal shifts during the first act, its brilliant action scenes and clever dialogue more than make up for these shortcomings. The film's ending will be overwhelming to some and most likely will divide fans over how it is executed. The directors do a superb job developing Thanos' personality outside of simply wanting universal domination. His motivations feel somewhat morally ambiguous and at times even make him seem sympathetic. Despite the film's darker tone, there are still some hilarious scenes of banter among the heroes, particularly between Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) and Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). 

I was so ready to tear this down - 19th MCU film, too many stars, bloated CGI, first of a two parter, and so on and so on...

Yet, this is so much fun. Pure popcorn...now in the dictionary under "popcorn film" is just the poster for this film. Somehow, the Russo Brothers have juggled all the parts to give everyone some time in the sun. They are helped immensely by two things: the premise is so pure Mcguffin that you just watch Thanos look for Infinity Stones which gives a primal momentum and that the film's stars/characters are looking to move on - that means, actual stakes for once as people could really die and not just comic book dying either.

Never upset an X-Men!

So, it's that bad again Cap,. right?

The DC people must be kicking themselves. The lightness and comedic touches are brilliant. You are laughing out loud, comedy level, but at totally organic character humor. It means you are so entertained throughout its rather long running time.

The other big surprise is Thanos himself. Normally, I hate CGI characters but somehow they have made Thanos and Josh Brolin work enough to give the character an actual arc. This is one of the better MCU villains and I never thought I would write that. In addition, and considering the massive amount of characters this film has, I was surprised to see the Russo brothers were careful enough to give key characters, enough on screen time, to show them doing their thing. Moreover, some characters were even upgraded to the legendary status they have in their respective comic books. For example, and this is not a spoiler, so rest easy, Doctor Strange shows us why he is the real master of mystic arts, and not someone to mess off with. Also, the Mighty Thor (yeah, one of my favorite superheroes of all time) recovers is God-like status, so he's not fucking around when you see him take the lead. I guess, this comes directly as a result of the wonderful Thor Ragnarok movie. In addition, Captain America and his bad-ass team have one of the coolest introduction scenes in the film. 

Not on our watch!

Space Ego V/S Tech Ego.

On the other hand, the female characters feel like they're on a "side quest" rather than part of the big fight. A disappointment considering how many fans these characters have. There's not a single scene (save for one but, nope, not spoiling it here) where they feel truly relevant. Also, I couldn't believe the scene where Black Widow returns to the screen is actually by walking towards a background showing her perfect rounded ass (I mean, isn't that sexist for today's standards?). Same thing happens with Scarlet Witch's breasts here and there.  In addition, the excessive amount of "fan service" feels a bit too much at times. Another minor issue I had, was the fact that some characters personalities were changed in order to fit into the bigger picture when there was no need in doing so. Moreover, the exhausting use of CGI goes entirely against the "painful and dramatic" motif the film has been drawing us into from start to finish. Do computers cry?.

Also, the climax feels a bit too much on the side of the old exploitation tricks 70's films relied on to keep their fans entertained. If you're a comic book reader, you know that nothing is sacred, and that nothing is impossible so, the cliffhanger was a big meh, because you know what will inevitably happen in the sequel. Cheap trick Marvel!, cheap trick.

I could use a hand.

The new Guardians of the Galaxy?

And last but not least, a couple of big downers the film had:
 

How powerful are Thanos abilites? because in one scene he fucking beats the crap out of one of the most powerful MCU characters and later he's punching and kicking far weaker characters that don't seem to be that hurt and disabled after the fight.

And one example of stupidity: When the antagonist is almost beaten, the most stupid thing takes place in order to serve an onion thick plot, and well, now I fucking hate that character.

If I was to rate the film I'd say an 8/10 if watched as it should be: a part of a bigger film collection, and a 5/10 as a standalone film due to the lack of a great many things and a gigantic CGI overuse and video-game like sequences. If I had to rate purely for fun, I'd say the film is a bold 10/10 and probably the film of 2018.  

The film in a single sentence? "Genocide is a good thing".

Here's the movie trailer collection:

Trailer #2:

Trailer #1:

And the red carpet show:

Thor Ragnarok

Thor returns with tons of laughs!

Happy belated Halloween to y'all! And just when you thought the superhero film ranking was led by Logan & Wonder Woman, voilá! Disney, ahem!, Marvel Studios returns with a vengeance in Thor Ragnarok! Let's admit it, the latest entries in the MCU have been rather mediocre archetypes of previous more successful efforts. Doctor Strange, Spider-Man Homecoming & Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 lacked most of what made other MCU films interesting or worth seeing at least. Anyway, and after two films that were good enough but not excellent, the mighty God of Thunder finally gets the film he deserves! and to make matters even better, you don't even need to watch Thor: The Dark World in order to fully understand what goes on in this new installment of "point blank" as Tony Stark calls Thor.

First of all, let's get rid of the "Aw,but the Ragnarok event in mythology has great battles, foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures (including the gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdallr, and Loki), the occurrence of various natural disasters" nonsensical crap. These movies don't have to stick to the myth or comic books, by the book. The MCU is its own right thing. For instance,in Norse mythology, Fenrir (the giant dog) is the son of Loki and Hela is also the child of Loki. Now tell me how the hell Marvel is gonna show us Hela and Fenrir as Loki's children? Loki is already a well established and grounded character. At this point,I don't think any director/writer could change Loki's past and introduce Fenrir and Hela,as Loki's kids cause this would also bring tons of questions,plot holes and flaws.

Thor is back!

And so does his mischievous brother!

For the sake of MCU continuity,Marvel had to make changes in the Norse Myth and in the comics, and it fucking worked wonders!. Still, the film is mainly based on the Thor comics storylines "Ragnarok" (Thor discovers Asgard is doomed to Ragnarok and must fight to stop it from happening) and the Surtur saga (Surtur appears, and Thor and Loki team up to stop him). It also incorporates elements of the Marvel storylines "Contest of Champions" (the Grandmaster and Death host a tournament) and "Planet Hulk" (the Hulk becomes a gladiator on an alien world).

The performances of the main cast are impressive and exceptional.This movie also showed us the real "God of Thunder". For the first time he was extremely powerful without his hammer. That lighting streaming all over his body was pure awesomeness. In addition, the newly refreshing score/soundtrack really upped the overall musical environment to whole new levels. The eightish sound the score has, plus the varied color palette the many worlds seen on screen have, really drive you back to epic adventures filmed in the 1980's! And don't get me started on using "Immigrant Song"! a Led Zeppelin classic that screams God of Thunder!. Led Zeppelin rarely borrows their music for other media, and I'm sure they made the right choice when they noticed their lyrics fit the movie like a glove. Feel like singing?

Here's one of the greatest song ever written for your listening pleasure:

And just so you don't get lost in translation, here are the lyrics so that you can see how fantastic the soundtrack choice is:

Ah-ah, ah!
Ah-ah, ah!

We come from the land of the ice and snow
From the midnight sun, where the hot springs flow
The hammer of the gods
We'll drive our ships to new lands
To fight the horde, and sing and cry
Valhalla, I am coming!

On we sweep with threshing oar
Our only goal will be the western shore

Ah-ah, ah!
Ah-ah, ah!

We come from the land of the ice and snow
From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow
How soft your fields so green
Can whisper tales of gore
Of how we calmed the tides of war
We are your overlords

On we sweep with threshing oar
Our only goal will be the western shore

So now you'd better stop and rebuild all your ruins
For peace and trust can win the day despite of all your losing

Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh

 

Hela, goddess from hell!

The grandmaster and his "imprisoned workers".

This movie is mostly targeted for everybody looking for a good time. As stated above, you don't need any knowledge from previous Thor films and even other MCU movies which is great, because if you can entertain people that are not familiar with your products, it's because you're making fucking masterpieces! So, ten thumbs up for director Taika Waititi. 

Moreover, They finally gave hulk a personality. Even though he looks all big,formidable and scary,he was kinda adorable every time he talks. So glad they finally made him talk. Also, they really improved his CGI.This is the definitive version of Hulk in the MCU. Even the haircut they gave him made him look better.

Hulk smashes again!

Doctor Strange is in the craft beer industry now.

The newcomer, Tessa Thompson surprised me with her performance. They say she based her character's personality in Terminator's Sarah Connor. The criticism on why she isn't a white actress (like in the Norde myth) is completely pointless, and biased. She kicks ass in the role because of her talent, not because of her look.

Taika Waititi felt that, despite the events of the film setting up Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the film would not only stand on its own, but reinvent the franchise: "A lot of what we're doing with the film is, in a way, dismantling and destroying the old idea and rebuilding it in a new way that's fresh. Everyone's got a slightly new take on their characters, so in that way, it feels like Thor (2011)."And boy does Thor Ragnarok feel refreshing!. Waititi decribes his film as a "1970s and 80s science fiction fantasy, the most 'out there' of all the Marvel movies." He cited Big Trouble in Little China (1986) as a major influence on the film: "It's a fun adventure film that has big stakes, but also has a breakneck speed and takes you on a crazy adventure."

Girl power. Real girl power.

The Revengers!

Director Taika Waititi said that he wanted to showcase Chris Hemsworth's comedic talent in this film: "He's so good and underutilized in that department. He's legitimately one of the funniest things in this film." In addition, Hemsworth had to bulk up again for his role as the mighty god Thor. He had to follow a strict diet, and workout six to seven times a week, and eat around six thousand calories a day. Hemsworth's trainer, Luke Zocchi, revealed that Hemsworth put on twenty pounds of muscle for his role in the film, taking his weight over two hundred pounds for the film, by following an "old-school bodybuilding regime lifting a large weight-load for small number of reps." Zocchi revealed Hemsworth's favorite body part to train was his biceps, saying, "We design the workout around the body parts he's gonna be showing off the most, he's gonna have his arms and shoulders showing (through the sleeveless armor), so that's the thing we really focus on building up. He probably bicep curls thirty kilo dumbbells on average, each hand, so one hundred twenty pounds total. We always do seated incline curls, standing curls, and hammer curls. We started lighter and slowly, progressively get heavier." Zocchi said they are trying to deliver Hemsworth's best physique yet for this film.  

Tom Hiddleston  on the other hand, explains that since Thor: The Dark World (2013), "Loki has devoted most of his efforts to narcissistic self-glorification, not so much on good governance. Loki has always tested the limits of his power and the boundaries placed upon him. He doesn't just stick his finger in the electrical plug socket, he burns the house down. And now he has to deal with the consequences." He then adds, "It's in Loki's nature to change. He's a mercurial spirit, and the minute you try to define him he changes shape. But events in Ragnarok try and inspire him to change forever. The Goddess of Death shows up, and the stakes are high for everybody, so Loki, perhaps more than ever, is challenged to define himself in the face of that threat. He and Thor are in such an extraordinary situation where everything is so unfamiliar that their familiarity, as family members, becomes important." 

BFFs!

Suit up Revengers!

Unlike some people's petty,shallow claims,I don't think marvel is always using the same formula again and again since 2008. Cause if they fallowed that path since 2008,people wouldn't watch their movies for the past 9 years.And they definitely couldn't create the highest-grossing franchise of the planet without their major players like Fantastic 4,X-men and Spider man. 

Overall, Thor: Ragnarok plunges headfirst into unbridled comedy and Waititi gives his actors ample room to showcase their natural comedic talents, especially Hemsworth and Blanchett, who are rarely seen having so much fun. Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban, and Ruffalo also shine, and Tessa Thompson steals scenes as Valkyrie, a hard-drinking Asgardian bounty hunter and former member of Odin's elite guard. Overall, the film benefits from its director's distinct style and measured irreverence, giving Thor a welcome boost of vitality.

Here's the movie trailer:

 

Avengers: Age Of Ultron

We're back with new toys for you to buy.

Every decade in film history has had its hype. the 70's delivered the exploitation/sexploitation craze. The 80's delivered a massive amount of B movies in the most varied genres. The 90's had alternative films featuring drug use and abuse. The 2000's seem to have been split in two halves. One were there were many awful films, and another half where films based upon Comic Books took the lead.  Honestly, we've grown tiresome of reviewing superhero flicks. However, our Comic Book love remains untouched and as strong as ever. 

Previously we engaged ourselves in the fulfilling mission of reviewing as many Marvel Cinematic Universe films we could, so that you could get a wider picture of what's to come in the future of such universe. The long wait ends today, with the film that sets the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 3.

Avengers 2, AKA Avengers Age Of Ultron is the long awaited sequel of Marvel's Avengers, perhaps the greatest success Marvel Studios have had until today. Does the sequel outdo the prequel? let's find out!

Shall we help idiot Stark stop his AI invention?

We're growing tired of your bullshit Stark.

Partially based upon some comic book story arcs (mostly Age Of Ultron & Avengers Now) the sequel is essentially about Tony Stark's latest idea (something that could greatly improve Iron Man 3's poor reputation) which is none but to mass produce his previous remotely controlled Mark 42 armor as to set up a whole army of Iron Drones (known as the Iron Legion) in order to be everywhere in a matter of a few minutes. Such technology is based upon the what we saw in Iron Man 3, only this time it works. With S.H.I.E.L.D. gone for good (see Captain America: The Winter Soldier) Stark sets up as the CEO and #1 investor of the Avengers initiative. Next to him, Captain America takes the field commander position (Stark hates the man) and Hulk, Black Widow & Hawk Eye follow directions.

The addition of Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver, which may seem a bit odd from a certain comic book point of view, although brief, works wonders. Specially Scarlet Witch which plays an important part in the climax of the film. Now, if you are expecting a background story for each "miracle" (mutant is forbidden since it's copyrighted by 20th Century Fox and here they're known as "the enhanced") you'll be disappointed. Nevertheless, we're clear that they are a product of Hydra experimentation (The Winter Soldier again) As for Vision, the other newcomer, he's modeled after J.A.R.V.I.S. and this, was spoiled a long time ago in Iron Man 3. Don't remember? Well, next to the big bunny Stark bought Pepper Pots there is a Christmas sock hanging that reads J.A.R.V.I.S. Now, the colors in the sock are green, red & yellow, which are The Vision's suit colors, clever, eh?

Black Widow is in love with two very different men.

Hello legs!

and what about Ultron? Well, Ultron is pure reprogrammed Chitauri AI and his body clearly resembles that of a T-800 from the Terminator franchise (I wish it had more comic book likeness but whatever). Also, his goal is borrowed from Skynet's program: exterminate humanity because they're violent and destructive by nature. Nevertheless, Ultron is as menacing as fuck (there are a couple of over the top moments but what the hell) He's built an army of Iron Man spare parts and he's reinforced them with Vibranium (the material he's made of. Such material is developed in Africa, suggesting a possible Black Panther reference) The Avengers are clearly outnumbered and out gunned against this new menace but, heroes will be heroes.

Just like the prequel, humor is also a key element in the sequel, an item that I consider a Joss Whedon signature move. Every joke helps us understand that the film and its characters are not to be taken seriously. Hopefully, Avengers: Infinity Wars will keep some of that humor without Whedon directing.

Screw your lame intro, get me to the review now!!
 

Avengers Age Of Ultron is everything you could expect from Marvel Studios: A thrilling non-stop action ride that depicts superheroes as we like them: Being the hero, saving the day on broad daylight and having no psychopath like inner issues. The film is clearly not made for non comic book fans or comic book films fans. This time we're briefly or quickly introduced to characters that require you to have an extra tad of knowledge of the Marvel Universe or at least to be familiar with some of its more important/known characters. Besides, the original (film) Avengers we now have more characters to look for: Scarlett Witch & Quicksilver (both only referred to as as the enhanced, the twins or the Maximoff during the movie) The Vision (who remains unnamed during the film although "the vision" is teased a couple of times) In addition we have the presence of returning characters such as War Machine, Maria Hill, Nick Fury & The Falcon.

I need to use the bathroom.

I auditioned for Terminator 5 but they said I was too cute.

Avengers Age Of Ultron may not make room for the upcoming marvel films, not at least in a wider sense. References to Captain America: Civil War are zero to none during the film, although there are certain tension moments among the Avengers members, those scenes are not in direct relation with what happens in Civil War (the comic book) Then we have the Avengers Infinity Wars connection, is it there? Well, in a way it is. Thor has a dream where he sees the future and the unexpected appearance of more infinity stones and that's it.
 
The movie opens with an immediate action sequence, with our heroes teamed up again and engaging in some very rubbery-looking action heroics. This stuff is fun, and if it doesn’t mean much it at least gives audiences this specific kind of action sequence that we haven’t really seen in a superhero movie before. People tend to think Superman is campy but I'd say campiness is where you find it. It is during this heroic battle that we are introduced to the mutant couple of Quicksilver (Aaron Johnson) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen from the Olsen twins that are to die for now).

So you're saying your AI has gone nuts?

Hulk Smash!

Later on there is a party scene where our heroes interact with characters from previous Marvel Studios films. This party is supposed to be a farewell party as the Avengers have finally stopped the last remaining traces of Hydra. However, during the mission they find out the true power that's behind Baron Von Strucker's intentions: For reasons unknown, he's got his hands onto Loki's scepter and his ultimate plan is to use the energy within the scepter as to create a new generation of state of the art weaponry. In addition, he's got one of the dinosaur like Chitauri vessels in his hideout. Once the Avengers recover the missing piece, Stark & Banner ask J.A.R.V.I.S. to analyze the energy contained inside the scepter and what they discover is unparalleled: there is a superior artificial intelligence contained within, which leads Stark to rethink his dream of the Ultron program (an army led by AI that would put an end to the Avengers and would contain any menace without the need for human supervision) Unfortunately, they can't figure out a way and ask J.A.R.V.I.S. to try as hard as it can before Thor takes it back to Asgard.

For some reason, Ultron already exists inside Loki's Scepter so as soon as Stark & Banner return to the party he sort of "self activates" once he becomes self aware he hacks into JARVIS and borrows the Iron Legion bodies as to begin his plan which is literally based on Stark's quote "peace for everyone". From here on, the Avengers have to get back in business and face a very difficult time, thanks to the technological juggernaut that Ultron is. 

I'm only here so you can buy the toy!

Yes, I want you to buy my action figure too.

Avengers Age Of Ultron clearly is an adequate sequel to a film that changed the way the industry and non comic book fans see superheroes. With a challenge that seems larger than life Marvel Studios and his talented selection of film makers, producers, writers and actors have achieved the impossible: To create a sequel as good as the prequel or even better than the prequel depending on how you see it. What seemed to be the curse of the film industry (sequels) has now been once again changed thanks to a dedicated team of professionals. Nevertheless, like every human made product, the film does have its flaws, and despite the fact you already know we love comic books here, I think it's fair to point a few of the flaws this magnificent sequel has:

First, the CGI which by now should be of no surprise to anyone, has minor flaws but in moments where it shouldn't fail: Iron Man's armor looks too artificial in several scenes where he's standing or not flying & fighting lots of ultrons. Also, Vision is the one who took the fatal blow. His body (unless is a close up shot) looks way beyond fake. I mean even video games got that right many years ago. Secondly, why would you add a new character in the story just to have him killed by the end of the film? I mean, it's like he/she/it wasn't part of the story at all!! Thirdly, Ultron's menace is really big, or isn't that big? His presence neither holds connection to the past of the Marvel Cinematic Universe nor does have any relationship with the future of it. If you were expecting the foundations for Avengers Infinity Wars boy you're damn wrong. Fourthly, the loose ends:

Massacre: Avengers style.

The Vision is here!

1. The main characters do not seem to have any memories from their standalone films with the only exception being Captain America (who quotes some of his past solo adventures)
2.  What is the purpose of establishing a universe of characters when they only recall what's happened in the previous Avengers film? You get the overall impression of "what does this film has to do with settling a shared universe?"
3. Do the after credit scenes matter most than an entire film? If things go on like this, I'm beginning to believe they do, and if that's the case that's one of dumbest ideas ever! "Hey, I'm making a new Marvel Studios film that holds no connection to our cinematic universe but the after credits scene is a killer, I guarantee that" This crap happened before with Guardians Of The Galaxy. 
4. How Ultron came to be? why was it inside Loki's scepter all along?
5. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is dangerously approaching the cliche zone where formulaic behavior turns a master piece into a dime a dozen movie. For example, the conflict among the Avengers was already used as an important element for plot development.
6. Whatever happened to the Iron Patriot armor?
7. The New Avengers team, seriously?

Avengers, assemble!

Together.

Overall, an adventure film that delivers 110% of pure super heroic action almost non-stop. Nevertheless, this film may not be for everyone because it adds new characters and other comic book related elements that will only be understood and therefore enjoyed by connoisseurs of the genre. My recommendation if this is your first Avengers film is to watch Captain America: The Winter Soldier & Iron Man 3 beforehand as to set mood for Age Of Ultron. Of course you can also watch the first Avengers film if you're interested in the after credits scene.

Kids will love the film, lots of action and even a recurring joke about "watching your language". Also the deeply explored human side of one of the Avengers, adds a more realistic take on the characters inside a massive universe of super powers. The whole "we do this together" motive also adds up. This time the Avengers are sure that only through team work they will save humanity from an idea apparently stolen from Superman Returns ...Ultron. The 3D scenes are also spectacular, so please watch in proper 3D to melt your brains out. 

Here's the movie trailer:

 

And here's the fake after credits scene that features Spider Man and had fans around the globe going crazy:

 

Spider-man & His Amazing Friends

Fire, Spiders & Ice!

Now that the world has witnessed the second trailer for the forthcoming sensation (The Avengers, Age Of Ultron), and news has it, the Spiderman feud between Sony and Dis..Marvel has come to an agreement, the future of comic books seems brighter than ever.  However, no one knows neither who's playing the new Spiderman nor if the new film will be a total reboot or a sequel. So, in order to help you cope with your Spidey cravings, the SPAM Alternative team has spent several hours researching for the most satisfying review a Spidey fan can get. So here you have it! Spam Alternative's favorite animated take on your friendly neighbor: 

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends is an American animated television series produced by Marvel Productions starring established Marvel Comics characters Spider-Man and Iceman and an original character, Firestar. As a trio called the Spider-Friends, they fought against various villains.

Originally broadcast on NBC as a Saturday morning cartoon, the series ran first-run original episodes for three seasons, from 1981 to 1983, then aired repeats for an additional two years (from 1984 to 1986). Alongside the 1981 Spider-Man animated series, Amazing Friends was later re-aired in the late 1980s as part of the 90 minute Marvel Action Universe (not to be confused with 1977's The Marvel Action Universe), a syndicated series that was used as a platform for old and new Marvel-produced animated fare (the newer programming featured RoboCop: The Animated Series, Dino-Riders and on occasion “X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men”, which was intended to serve as a pilot for a potential X-Men animated series).

Heroic threesome.

Who needs the Avengers & The X-Men!

In the second season, the show was aired along with a newly produced Hulk animated series as The Incredible Hulk and the Amazing Spider-Man. The two shows shared one intro which showcased the new title. Stan Lee began narrating the episodes in the second season. Narrations by Stan Lee were added to the first season episodes at this time so that the series seemed cohesive. These narrations (for the first and second season) are not on the current masters. They have not aired since the NBC airings. (As seen on the Stan Lee narration list at Spider-Friends.com)

For the third season, there was another title change. This time the characters' names would be reversed and the show was called, The Amazing Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk. It remained that way for most of the remaining years. NBC did air the show individually in mid-season (post 1986) after it was not initially announced for their fall schedule. Only some of the Stan Lee narrations for the third season are on the current masters. The missing narrations have not aired since the NBC airings.

The show would usually feature other characters from the Marvel Universe.

Civil War conversations before it even existed.

Enlighten me, what is Spiderman & His Amazing Friends about?

Peter Parker (Spider-Man in case you, nope, that is not possible who doesn't know Parker is Spidey?), Bobby Drake (Iceman), and Angelica Jones (Firestar) are all college students at Empire State University. After working together to defeat the Beetle and recovering the "Power Booster" he stole from Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man) the trio decide to team-up permanently as the "Spider-Friends" (such a menacing name for mobsters) They live together in Peter's Aunt May's home with her and a pet dog, Ms. Lion, (adopted from Firestar) a Lhasa Apso. Together, the superheroes battle various supervillains. The real question is, how does aunt May, being a retired woman, manage to afford the bills three superhero students cannot afford? Maybe she, was the key element in the entire series and we didn't notice! The series should be renamed to "Aunt May and her amazingly unemployed hero tenants"

Some stories featured team-ups with other characters from the Marvel Universe, including Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Sunfire, and the mid-1970s X-Men.

How many Marvel heroes can you spot?

The X-Men befriend Spiderman's team.

From comic book to TV and to comic book back again.

The first comic book that directly referenced the Amazing Friends show was Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends #1 (December 1981), a one-shot that adapted the pilot episode, "The Triumph of the Green Goblin". Though the comic version altered the story to bring it in line with established Marvel Universe continuity (such as making the Green Goblin identity a costume as in the comics, rather than a physical transformation as in the episode), it was not considered part of said continuity. It is notable as the first appearance of Firestar in a Marvel Comics story, though the version of Firestar that exists within Marvel continuity would not appear until Uncanny X-Men #193 (May 1985).

The story was reprinted in England in late 1983 in the weekly Marvel UK title Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. It was reprinted in the U.S. as Marvel Action Universe #1 (January 1989), released to coincide with the airing of Amazing Friends reruns on the television series of the same name.

Original artwork.

Firestar Who?

After her aforementioned initial appearance, the Marvel Comics version of Firestar debuted in the pages of Uncanny X-Men #193 as part of Emma Frost's Hellions team. Firestar was given an origin story in a self-titled mini-series (March – June 1986). The character went on to be a founding member of the New Warriors, and later a member of the Avengers.

Spider-Verse

The Spider-Friends of Earth-1983 (described as a "kinder, gentler than most" world), except for Ms. Lion, are apparently killed by a dimension-hopping Morlun, set on draining the life out of every variation of Spider-Man across the multiverse.

Trivia

• The series was an attempt by NBC to replicate some of the success ABC enjoyed with the Super Friends franchise.

• The makers of the show had originally intended the stars to be Spider-Man, Iceman, and the Human Torch. However, legal issues about the rights to the Human Torch character (which had also plagued Marvel once before for the 1978 Fantastic Four cartoon) led to the Human Torch being replaced by a new character, Firestar, who had similar powers, but was a mutant like Iceman. Due to Firestar's popularity with fans, she has since become a part of the mainstream Marvel Universe. In pre-production, Firestar's codename changed frequently; the unused names include Firefly, Starblaze, and Heatwave.
  

• Ms. Lion was actually Firestar's puppy, as Angelica introduced Peter to the dog before she and Bobby knew Peter's secret identity or vice versa (as former teammates in the X-Men, Iceman and Firestar knew each other's secret identities before meeting Peter/Spider-Man). However, Aunt May ended up taking care of her most the time, with Angelica leading the busy life of a superhero and college student. Strangely enough, Ms. Lion actually saved the day in the episode "Seven Little Superheroes", in which The Chameleon was the main enemy; with her canine sense of smell, Ms. Lion was able to distinguish the shape-changing villain from the heroes he was impersonating. This episode was also notable for including Marvel heroes Doctor Strange, Namor, Shanna the She-Devil and Captain America.

• Some of the sound effects used in the series originated from Universal Television's Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

• In her civilian identity, Angelica Jones resembles Peter's girlfriend from the comic books, Mary Jane Watson. This was played up in issues of Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane in which Firestar appeared.

• In the 1984 movie Missing in Action with Chuck Norris, an episode of Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends is shown on TV. The title of that episode is called "The Prison Plot"

Gang Bang? no way Spidey, I'm outta here.

 Here's the original intro: