Definitions by The Centurion
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American publisher of comic books and related media. In 2009, The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Worldwide's parent company.
Marvel started in 1939 as Timely Publications, and by the early 1950s had generally become known as Atlas Comics. Marvel's modern incarnation dates from 1961, the year that the company launched The Fantastic Four and other superhero titles created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and many others.
Marvel counts among its characters such well-known properties as Spider-Man, the X-Men, Wolverine, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Captain America, the Silver Surfer, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, and the Avengers and antagonists such as the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Kingpin, Magneto, Doctor Doom, Loki, Galactus, Thanos, the Abomination, and the Red Skull. Most of Marvel's fictional characters operate in a single reality known as the Marvel Universe, with locations that mirror real-life cities. Characters such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, Daredevil, and Dr. Strange are based in New York City, whereas the X-Men have historically been based in Salem Center, New York, and the Hulk's stories have usually been set in the American Southwest.
Marvel started in 1939 as Timely Publications, and by the early 1950s had generally become known as Atlas Comics. Marvel's modern incarnation dates from 1961, the year that the company launched The Fantastic Four and other superhero titles created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and many others.
Marvel counts among its characters such well-known properties as Spider-Man, the X-Men, Wolverine, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Captain America, the Silver Surfer, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, and the Avengers and antagonists such as the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Kingpin, Magneto, Doctor Doom, Loki, Galactus, Thanos, the Abomination, and the Red Skull. Most of Marvel's fictional characters operate in a single reality known as the Marvel Universe, with locations that mirror real-life cities. Characters such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, Daredevil, and Dr. Strange are based in New York City, whereas the X-Men have historically been based in Salem Center, New York, and the Hulk's stories have usually been set in the American Southwest.
Marvel Comics began life as "Timely Publications" in 1939, with comic books featuring Captain America, Namor the Sub-Mariner and an early version of the Human Torch. Legendary comics writer Stan Lee was hired as an office assistant in 1939. Within two years, the 19-year-old Lee was promoted to editor of the Marvel Comics line, a post that he would keep until 1972.
Everything changed in 1961, when Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby ushered in "The Marvel Age of Comics" by creating The Fantastic Four -- a new style of superhero comic that focused on the characters' internal drama as well as their heroic adventures. The style was a huge success, and the Lee/Kirby team went on to create the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, the Mighty Thor and the X-Men. The prolific Lee worked with artist Steve Ditko to create Marvel's greatest success story, Spider-Man. Stan Lee's Marvel revolution extended beyond the characters and storylines to the way in which comic books engaged the readership and built a sense of community between fans and creators.
Everything changed in 1961, when Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby ushered in "The Marvel Age of Comics" by creating The Fantastic Four -- a new style of superhero comic that focused on the characters' internal drama as well as their heroic adventures. The style was a huge success, and the Lee/Kirby team went on to create the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, the Mighty Thor and the X-Men. The prolific Lee worked with artist Steve Ditko to create Marvel's greatest success story, Spider-Man. Stan Lee's Marvel revolution extended beyond the characters and storylines to the way in which comic books engaged the readership and built a sense of community between fans and creators.
Marvel Comics by The Centurion October 28, 2014
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 (cover dated Nov. 1961), which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium. The Fantastic Four was the first superhero team created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, who developed a collaborative approach to creating comics with this title that they would use from then on. As the first superhero team title produced by Marvel Comics, it formed a cornerstone of the company's 1960s rise from a small division of a publishing company to a pop culture conglomerate. The title would go on to showcase the talents of comics creators such as Roy Thomas, John Buscema, George Pérez, John Byrne, Steve Englehart, Walt Simonson, and Tom DeFalco, and is one of several Marvel titles originating in the Silver Age of Comic Books that is still in publication in the 2010s.
The four individuals traditionally associated with the Fantastic Four, who gained superpowers after exposure to cosmic rays during a scientific mission to outer space, are: Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards), a scientific genius and the leader of the group, who can stretch his body into incredible lengths and shapes; the Invisible Woman (Susan "Sue" Storm), who eventually married Reed, who can render herself invisible and later project powerful force fields; the Human Torch (Johnny Storm), Sue's younger brother, who can generate flames, surround himself with them and fly; and the monstrous Thing (Ben Grimm), their grumpy but benevolent friend, a former college football star and Reed's college roommate as well as a good pilot, who possesses superhuman strength and endurance due to the nature of his stone-like flesh.
Fantastic Four by The Centurion October 27, 2014
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply as the Champions League, is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). It is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football. The final of the 2012–13 tournament was the most watched UEFA Champions League final to date, as well as the most watched annual sporting event worldwide in 2013, drawing 360 million television viewers.
Introduced in 1992, the competition replaced the European Champion Clubs' Cup, or simply European Cup, which had run since 1955, adding a group stage to the competition and allowing multiple entrants from certain countries. The pre-1992 competition was initially a straight knockout tournament open only to the champion club of each country. During the 1990s, the format was expanded, incorporating a round-robin group stage and more teams. Europe's strongest national leagues now provide up to four teams for the competition, and will provide up to five teams from the 2015–16 season onwards.
Introduced in 1992, the competition replaced the European Champion Clubs' Cup, or simply European Cup, which had run since 1955, adding a group stage to the competition and allowing multiple entrants from certain countries. The pre-1992 competition was initially a straight knockout tournament open only to the champion club of each country. During the 1990s, the format was expanded, incorporating a round-robin group stage and more teams. Europe's strongest national leagues now provide up to four teams for the competition, and will provide up to five teams from the 2015–16 season onwards.
In its present format, the UEFA Champions League begins in mid-July with three knockout qualifying rounds and a play-off round. The 10 surviving teams enter the group stage, joining 22 other teams qualified in advance. The 32 teams are drawn into eight groups of four teams and play each other in a double round-robin system. The eight group winners and eight runners-up proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final match in May. The winner of the UEFA Champions League qualifies for the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
UEFA Champions League by The Centurion October 26, 2014
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup, commonly referred to as the Club World Cup, is an international men's association football competition organised by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The championship was first contested as the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship. It was not held between 2001 to 2004 due to a combination of factors, most importantly the collapse of FIFA's marketing partner International Sport and Leisure. Since 2005, the competition has been held every year, hosted so far by Brazil, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.
The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000. It ran in parallel with the Intercontinental Cup, a non-FIFA affiliated competition first disputed in 1960 by the winners of the European Champions' Cup and the Copa de Campeones de América. Initially created as Intercontinental Champions Clubs' Cup, since the 1980 season the competition was renamed the European/South American Cup and also knowns as the Toyota Cup following a change in format which saw Toyota become the main sponsor of the competition until it was discontinued in 2004. In 2005, the FIFA Club World Championship absorbed the Toyota Cup and the competition's pilot edition and in 2006 took its current name.
The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000. It ran in parallel with the Intercontinental Cup, a non-FIFA affiliated competition first disputed in 1960 by the winners of the European Champions' Cup and the Copa de Campeones de América. Initially created as Intercontinental Champions Clubs' Cup, since the 1980 season the competition was renamed the European/South American Cup and also knowns as the Toyota Cup following a change in format which saw Toyota become the main sponsor of the competition until it was discontinued in 2004. In 2005, the FIFA Club World Championship absorbed the Toyota Cup and the competition's pilot edition and in 2006 took its current name.
The current format of the tournament involves seven teams competing for the FIFA Club World Cup at venues within the host nation over a period of about two weeks; the winners of that year's AFC Champions League (Asia), CAF Champions League (Africa), CONCACAF Champions League (North America), Copa Libertadores (South America), OFC Champions League (Oceania) and UEFA Champions League (Europe), along with the host nation's national champions, participate in a straight knock-out tournament. The host nation's national champions dispute a play-off against the Oceania champions, from which the winner joins the champions of Asia, Africa and North America at the quarter-finals. The quarter-final winners go on to face the European and South American champions, who enter at the semi-final stage, for a place in the final.
FIFA Club World Cup by The Centurion October 26, 2014
Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy is a comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a square-jawed, hard-hitting, fast-shooting, and intelligent police detective. Created by Chester Gould, the strip made its debut on October 4, 1931, in the Detroit Mirror. It was distributed by the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate. Gould wrote and drew the strip until 1977.
Although stories often end in gunfights, Tracy uses forensic science, advanced gadgetry, and wits, in an early example of the police procedural mystery story. Stories typically follow a criminal committing a crime and Tracy's relentless pursuit of the criminal. The strip's most popular villain was Flattop Jones, a freelance hitman hired by black marketeers to murder Tracy. When Flattop was killed, fans went into public mourning, and the Flattop Story was reprinted in DC's series of Oversize Comic Reprints in the 1970s. Reflecting film noir, the villains' small crimes led to bigger, out of control situations. Similarly, innocent witnesses were frequently killed, and Tracy's paramour Tess Trueheart was often endangered by the villains. As the story progressed, Tracy adopted an orphan under the name, Dick Tracy Jr., or "Junior" for short, who appeared in investigations until becoming a police forensic artist in his father's precinct, and cultivated a professional partner, the ex-steel worker Pat Patton, who gradually became a detective of skill and courage enough to satisfy Tracy's requirements.
Dick Tracy by The Centurion October 25, 2014
Justice League
The Justice League, formerly also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in The Brave and the Bold #28 (February/March 1960), the Justice League originally featured Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter. The team roster has been rotated throughout the years with characters such as Green Arrow, Captain Atom, Captain Marvel, Black Canary, the Atom, Hawkman, Elongated Man, Red Tornado, Firestorm, Zatanna, Hawkgirl, Cyborg, Vixen, and dozens of others. Sidekicks like Supergirl, Robin, Aquagirl, and Speedy tend to support the main hero or heroine.
The team received its own comic book title in October 1960, when the first issue was published. It would continue to #261 in April 1987, which was the final issue. Throughout the years, various incarnations or subsections of the team have operated as Justice League America, Justice League Dark, Justice League Europe, Justice League International, Justice League Task Force, Justice League Elite, and Extreme Justice.
The team received its own comic book title in October 1960, when the first issue was published. It would continue to #261 in April 1987, which was the final issue. Throughout the years, various incarnations or subsections of the team have operated as Justice League America, Justice League Dark, Justice League Europe, Justice League International, Justice League Task Force, Justice League Elite, and Extreme Justice.
The Justice League of America is the DC Universe's most powerful and premier superhero team, a strike force comprised of the world's mightiest heroes. They act as stalwart protectors of sentient life; Earth's first line of defense against terrestrial, extra-terrestrial, inter-dimensional and supernatural threats. There have been many members over the years and several incarnations of the team, but the original group was founded by Aquaman, Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Superman and Wonder Woman. The Justice League of America was created by Gardner Fox during the Silver Age as a spiritual successor to the Golden Age's Justice Society of America, first appearing in Brave and the Bold #28. (1960)
Justice League by The Centurion October 18, 2014
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad is a covert black-ops government strike team under Task Force X. The team is partially made up of imprisoned super-villains who agree to serve as expendable agents on life-threatening top-secret missions for the United States Government. In return, after sufficient service, the prisoners are granted full pardons for their crimes.
The Government does not officially acknowledge the existence of the Suicide Squad, and claims their missions as random supervillain attacks. In addition, there are other non-prisoner members such as Nemesis and Nightshade who participate in the team as part of individual arrangements. The Suicide Squad operate out of Belle Reve prison in Louisiana.
To prevent members escaping in the field, the prisoners are shackled with explosive bracelets programmed to detonate a certain distance from the field leader, who also wears a remote control that can detonate or disengage the bracelets as desired. Typically the field leader will be either Rick Flag or Bronze Tiger.
The group is largely run by Amanda Waller, although at times someone else will act as a cover for her, like when the existence of the Suicide Squad became public. The Suicide Squad has also occasionally left Task Force X and Governmental Control to work freelance.
The Government does not officially acknowledge the existence of the Suicide Squad, and claims their missions as random supervillain attacks. In addition, there are other non-prisoner members such as Nemesis and Nightshade who participate in the team as part of individual arrangements. The Suicide Squad operate out of Belle Reve prison in Louisiana.
To prevent members escaping in the field, the prisoners are shackled with explosive bracelets programmed to detonate a certain distance from the field leader, who also wears a remote control that can detonate or disengage the bracelets as desired. Typically the field leader will be either Rick Flag or Bronze Tiger.
The group is largely run by Amanda Waller, although at times someone else will act as a cover for her, like when the existence of the Suicide Squad became public. The Suicide Squad has also occasionally left Task Force X and Governmental Control to work freelance.
The Suicide Squad is a team of imprisoned super-villains who perform high-risk missions for the U.S. Government in exchange for commuted sentences. They are formally known as Task Force X. The team's actions are highly classified, and the government is able to deny any involvement by claiming that they are not responsible for the damages of a random super-villain attack. Their commander is Amanda Waller, who runs the organization out of Belle Reve prison. The Suicide Squad was created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru, first appearing in Brave and the Bold #25. (1959)
Suicide Squad by The Centurion October 18, 2014