105 definitions by the centurion
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.
by the centurion October 26, 2014
Marvel Studios, LLC originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996, is an American television and motion picture studio based at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. The studio is a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Being a part of the Disney conglomerate, Marvel Studios works in conjunction with The Walt Disney Studios, another Disney unit, for distribution and marketing. For financial reporting purposes, Marvel Studios is reported as a part of Disney's Studio Entertainment segment.
Marvel Studios includes numerous units and joint ventures, both operating and defunct: Marvel Television, Marvel Animation, Marvel Music, MVL Productions LLC, and MLG Productions. Among the many animated, television, feature film and music releases, the studio has been involved in three Marvel-character film franchises to have exceeded one billion dollars in North American revenue: the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Marvel Cinematic Universe multi-film franchises, with X-Men and Spider-Man licensed out to 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures respectively. Marvel Studios' films are currently distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, and by Universal Pictures for the Hulk films.
Marvel Studios includes numerous units and joint ventures, both operating and defunct: Marvel Television, Marvel Animation, Marvel Music, MVL Productions LLC, and MLG Productions. Among the many animated, television, feature film and music releases, the studio has been involved in three Marvel-character film franchises to have exceeded one billion dollars in North American revenue: the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Marvel Cinematic Universe multi-film franchises, with X-Men and Spider-Man licensed out to 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures respectively. Marvel Studios' films are currently distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, and by Universal Pictures for the Hulk films.
By 2005, Marvel Studios began planning to independently produce its own films and distribute them through Paramount Pictures. Previously, the studio had co-produced several superhero films with Columbia Pictures, New Line Cinema and others, including a seven-year development deal with 20th Century Fox. Marvel Studios made relatively little profit from its licensing deals with other studios and wanted to get more money out of its films while maintaining artistic control of the projects and distribution. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige realized that unlike Spider-Man and the X-Men, whose film rights were licensed to Columbia and Fox respectively, Marvel still owned the rights to the core members of The Avengers. Feige, a self-professed fanboy, envisioned creating a shared universe just as creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had done with their comic books in the early 1960s.
by the centurion October 30, 2014
The Rocketeer is a fictional character, a superhero created by writer-illustrator Dave Stevens. The character first appeared in 1982 and is an homage to the Saturday matinee serial heroes of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
The Rocketeer is the secret identity of Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jetpack that allows him to fly. His adventures are set in Los Angeles and New York in 1938, and Stevens gave them a retro, nostalgic feel influenced by the King of the Rocket Men movie serial, the syndicated Commando Cody TV series (both from Republic Pictures), and pinup diva Bettie Page.
In 1991, The Rocketeer was released as a feature film by Walt Disney Pictures and was directed by Joe Johnston. Rocketeer creator Dave Stevens has a small cameo in the film as the German test pilot who dies when the Nazi version of a rocket backpack explodes during take-off. This was a part of black-and-white film footage stolen, then smuggled to the US of Nazi top secret rocket backpack testing.
The Rocketeer is the secret identity of Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jetpack that allows him to fly. His adventures are set in Los Angeles and New York in 1938, and Stevens gave them a retro, nostalgic feel influenced by the King of the Rocket Men movie serial, the syndicated Commando Cody TV series (both from Republic Pictures), and pinup diva Bettie Page.
In 1991, The Rocketeer was released as a feature film by Walt Disney Pictures and was directed by Joe Johnston. Rocketeer creator Dave Stevens has a small cameo in the film as the German test pilot who dies when the Nazi version of a rocket backpack explodes during take-off. This was a part of black-and-white film footage stolen, then smuggled to the US of Nazi top secret rocket backpack testing.
The Rocketeer makes a great number of references to pop culture from the 1930s to the 1950s. The first storyline, "The Rocketeer" features characters from the Doc Savage pulp series, though Stevens takes care not to refer to any of the characters — including Doc Savage himself — by name, so as not to violate copyright and incur a licensing fee for use of the characters. "Cliff's New York Adventure" similarly features unnamed characters from The Shadow pulp magazine series, including the Shadow's famous alter ego, Lamont Cranston.
by the centurion December 14, 2014
Odin is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is first mentioned in Journey into Mystery #85 (Oct. 1962), then first appears in Journey into Mystery #86 (Nov. 1962), and was adapted from the Odin of Norse mythology by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. He is the father of Thor and former king of Asgard.
Sir Anthony Hopkins portrays Odin in the 2011 superhero feature film, Thor, and reprised his role in the 2013 sequel, Thor: The Dark World.
Sir Anthony Hopkins portrays Odin in the 2011 superhero feature film, Thor, and reprised his role in the 2013 sequel, Thor: The Dark World.
As King of the Norse Gods, Odin possesses vast strength, stamina and durability far greater than a normal Asgardian, along with resistance to all Earthly diseases and toxins, incredible resistance to magic, and courtesy of the Golden Apples of Idunn, a greatly extended lifespan. Odin has all the abilities of his son Thor, but to a much greater degree. Odin is capable of manipulating the Odin Force—a powerful source of energy—for a number of purposes, including energy projection; creation of illusions and force fields; levitation; molecular manipulation, communicating telepathically with other Asgardians even if they be on Earth and he in Asgard, hypnotizing humans; channelling lightning to Earth from Asgard, controlling the lifeforces of all Asgardians, and teleportation. The character has also used the Odinpower for greater feats such as transporting the entire human race to an alternate dimension; stopping time; pulling the remains of distant planets down from outer space to crush his foes, compressing the population of an entire planet into a single being, the Mangog and then recreating the race and taking a soul away from the arch-demon Mephisto. The Odin Force extends Odin's power to a cosmic level, allowing him to engage entities such as Galactus on their own terms.
by the centurion December 26, 2014
The Incredible Hulk is a 2008 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character the Hulk. It is directed by Louis Leterrier and stars Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner. It is the second film to be released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a film franchise and shared fictional universe that is the setting of superhero films produced independently by Marvel Studios, based on characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics).
This film establishes a new backstory where Dr. Bruce Banner becomes the Hulk as an unwitting pawn in a military scheme to reinvigorate the supersoldier program through gamma radiation. On the run, he attempts to cure himself of the Hulk before he is captured by General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt), but his worst fears are realized when power-hungry soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) becomes a similar but more bestial creature. Liv Tyler also stars as Betty Ross, Banner's love interest and General Ross' daughter.
This film establishes a new backstory where Dr. Bruce Banner becomes the Hulk as an unwitting pawn in a military scheme to reinvigorate the supersoldier program through gamma radiation. On the run, he attempts to cure himself of the Hulk before he is captured by General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt), but his worst fears are realized when power-hungry soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) becomes a similar but more bestial creature. Liv Tyler also stars as Betty Ross, Banner's love interest and General Ross' daughter.
The Incredible Hulk (2008):
Bruce Banner: (in poor Portuguese) Don't make me hungry. You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry.
Tough Guy Leader: (in Portuguese) What the hell is he talking about?
(During the fight between The Hulk and The Abomination)
Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross: (Referring to the machine gun on the helicopter) Use that thing, soldier. Give him some help!
Helicopter Soldier: Which one?
Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross: Help the green one, dammit! Which one do you think? Cut the other one in half!
Abomination: (Preparing to finish the Hulk off) Any last words?
The Incredible Hulk: Hulk... SMASH!
(The Hulk smashes the ground making a quake, causing the Abomination to get his foot stuck)
(After end credits)
Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross: (in a bar) Reload...
(finishes his drink)
Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross: Reload...
(someone enters the bar and walks to Gen. Ross)
Tony Stark: The smell of stale beer... and defeat. You know, I hate to say "I told you so," but that Super-Soldier project WAS put on ice for a reason. I've always felt that hardware was much more reliable.
Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross: Stark.
Tony Stark: General.
Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross: You always wear such nice suits.
Tony Stark: Touché. I hear you have an unusual problem.
Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross: You should talk!
Tony Stark: You should listen. What if I told you we were putting a team together?
Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross: Who's "we"?
Bruce Banner: (in poor Portuguese) Don't make me hungry. You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry.
Tough Guy Leader: (in Portuguese) What the hell is he talking about?
(During the fight between The Hulk and The Abomination)
Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross: (Referring to the machine gun on the helicopter) Use that thing, soldier. Give him some help!
Helicopter Soldier: Which one?
Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross: Help the green one, dammit! Which one do you think? Cut the other one in half!
Abomination: (Preparing to finish the Hulk off) Any last words?
The Incredible Hulk: Hulk... SMASH!
(The Hulk smashes the ground making a quake, causing the Abomination to get his foot stuck)
(After end credits)
Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross: (in a bar) Reload...
(finishes his drink)
Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross: Reload...
(someone enters the bar and walks to Gen. Ross)
Tony Stark: The smell of stale beer... and defeat. You know, I hate to say "I told you so," but that Super-Soldier project WAS put on ice for a reason. I've always felt that hardware was much more reliable.
Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross: Stark.
Tony Stark: General.
Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross: You always wear such nice suits.
Tony Stark: Touché. I hear you have an unusual problem.
Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross: You should talk!
Tony Stark: You should listen. What if I told you we were putting a team together?
Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross: Who's "we"?
by the centurion June 15, 2012
The Marvel Mangaverse is a series of comic books published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2002, with a sequel "New Mangaverse" released in late 2005 and early 2006.
The series depicts an alternate (or possibly two alternates, see below) Marvel universe, its characters drawn and portrayed in a Manga-like style. Three volumes were published for the series, two of which were connected by a continuing story arc with multiple Marvel characters, while the third and fourth series each started a new story and focused on a single character, which were Spider-Man Mangaverse and Jean Grey of an alternate version (apparently) of X-Men Mangaverse.
By 2005, Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005 has given the numerical designation of "Marvel Mangaverse" as Earth-2301. The majority of the artwork in the first volume was shared between different artists, each of whom delivered one issue, with book-ends by Ben Dunn, whose work is best known on the comic series Ninja High School. Dunn also did the entirety of the artwork for volume 2 of Mangaverse. The artwork for the five issue miniseries New Mangaverse: The Rings of Fate was done by Tommy Ohtsuka.
The series depicts an alternate (or possibly two alternates, see below) Marvel universe, its characters drawn and portrayed in a Manga-like style. Three volumes were published for the series, two of which were connected by a continuing story arc with multiple Marvel characters, while the third and fourth series each started a new story and focused on a single character, which were Spider-Man Mangaverse and Jean Grey of an alternate version (apparently) of X-Men Mangaverse.
By 2005, Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005 has given the numerical designation of "Marvel Mangaverse" as Earth-2301. The majority of the artwork in the first volume was shared between different artists, each of whom delivered one issue, with book-ends by Ben Dunn, whose work is best known on the comic series Ninja High School. Dunn also did the entirety of the artwork for volume 2 of Mangaverse. The artwork for the five issue miniseries New Mangaverse: The Rings of Fate was done by Tommy Ohtsuka.
The Marvel Mangaverse is a series of graphic novels that used Amerime* style art. It was published from 2000 through 2002, and a sequel entitled "New Mangaverse" was published in 2005. The series was ultimatly left open ended, during the "Rings of Fate" story line, and was met with mixed reactions.
*Amerime: distinctive faux manga style characterized by lazy face designs based on decades-old Japanese anime & heavy hybrid American comic book style influences that clash. The end result is that the art looks neither American nor Japanese & the style is generally looked down upon by both comic book & manga readers. A popular example of the style's usage would be the cartoon Avatar: The Last Air Bender.
*Amerime: distinctive faux manga style characterized by lazy face designs based on decades-old Japanese anime & heavy hybrid American comic book style influences that clash. The end result is that the art looks neither American nor Japanese & the style is generally looked down upon by both comic book & manga readers. A popular example of the style's usage would be the cartoon Avatar: The Last Air Bender.
by the centurion October 18, 2014
The Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally in 1930s pulp novels, and then in a wide variety of media. Details of the title character have varied across various media, but he is generally depicted as a crime-fighting vigilante with psychic powers posing as a "wealthy, young man about town". One of the most famous adventure heroes of the twentieth century, The Shadow has been featured on the radio, in a long running pulp magazine series, in comic books, comic strips, television, serials, video games, and at least five motion pictures. The radio drama is well-remembered for those episodes voiced by Orson Welles.
Introduced as a mysterious radio narrator by David Chrisman, William Sweets, and Harry Engman Charlot for Street and Smith Publications, The Shadow was developed fully and transformed into a pop culture icon by pulp writer Walter B. Gibson. The character would go on to become a major influence on the subsequent evolution of comic book superheroes, in particular, Batman.
The Shadow debuted on July 31, 1930, as the mysterious narrator of the Street and Smith radio program Detective Story Hour. After gaining popularity among the show's listeners, the narrator became the star of The Shadow Magazine on April 1, 1931, a pulp series created and primarily written by the prolific Gibson.
Introduced as a mysterious radio narrator by David Chrisman, William Sweets, and Harry Engman Charlot for Street and Smith Publications, The Shadow was developed fully and transformed into a pop culture icon by pulp writer Walter B. Gibson. The character would go on to become a major influence on the subsequent evolution of comic book superheroes, in particular, Batman.
The Shadow debuted on July 31, 1930, as the mysterious narrator of the Street and Smith radio program Detective Story Hour. After gaining popularity among the show's listeners, the narrator became the star of The Shadow Magazine on April 1, 1931, a pulp series created and primarily written by the prolific Gibson.
Powers/Abilities: The Shadow possesses incredible physical abilities. He possesses astonishing reflexes and is an incredible marksman with a gun. He also has incredible muscular control and can slip his body through the bars of a prison cell like a contortionist or can actually distort and alter his very facial features at will by manipulating his facial muscles. He can also survive for hours without air and was also ambidexterous (capable of using both hands). He is regarded as highly experienced in various disciplines of hand to hand combat as well.
His greatest power is his ability to “cloud men’s minds”. He can hypnotize people instantly so that he can move as an invisible shadow. He can also hypnotize people so they forget things or to command them to perform certain acts (he once forced a criminal to write a detailed account of his past crimes). The Shadow wears a fire opal ring known as a girasol on his hand which he uses to focus his hypnotic abilities. He is an expert in many different languages and is also a master ventriloquist (he can project or “throw” his voice).
He is also a master of disguise and has been known to impersonate others, even fooling their friends and family members. The Shadow is apparently an expert aircraft pilot and skilled in infiltration and information gathering techniques due to his experience as an intelligence agent.
He wields a pair of .45 pistols and employs a fleet of automobiles and aircraft in his various operations.
His greatest power is his ability to “cloud men’s minds”. He can hypnotize people instantly so that he can move as an invisible shadow. He can also hypnotize people so they forget things or to command them to perform certain acts (he once forced a criminal to write a detailed account of his past crimes). The Shadow wears a fire opal ring known as a girasol on his hand which he uses to focus his hypnotic abilities. He is an expert in many different languages and is also a master ventriloquist (he can project or “throw” his voice).
He is also a master of disguise and has been known to impersonate others, even fooling their friends and family members. The Shadow is apparently an expert aircraft pilot and skilled in infiltration and information gathering techniques due to his experience as an intelligence agent.
He wields a pair of .45 pistols and employs a fleet of automobiles and aircraft in his various operations.
by the centurion January 25, 2013