Tag: Marvel

  • Nick Fury: The New Initiative

    Nick Fury: The New Initiative

    Faced with a dark future, Nick Fury rallies his allies to confront this new threat, and fight in a Secret War!

    Nick Fury: The New Initiative was pitched all the way back in 2019 as a prequel to the Infinity Showdown. While Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Loki were all supposed to deal with the fallout of Falcon’s snap, Nick Fury was supposed to set the stage for how it all happened. Though some changes have been made since then, the base story is still the same at its core as it was all those years ago.

    The New Initiative sees Fury in the aftermath of the Infinity War, which in the Face Front Universe played out a bit differently. Falcon never blipped, and as a result Thanos was killed in Wakanda and Thor was able to reverse his snap in 5 minutes instead of 5 years. Determined to make sure an extinction-level event like that never happens again, Fury tasks Captain Marvel with finding someone that can guard the Infinity Gauntlet full time, which as we saw led her to Adam Warlock.

    Unfortunately, a simple mistake was made just after the Infinity War, with grave consequences. The Infinity Gauntlet was of course taken into S.H.I.E.L.D.’s possession, and Captain America was tasked with locking it away. Brining along Black Widow and Falcon, Commander Maria Hill led them to a top secret vault that only he and Widow had access to, per Fury’s orders. But Steve felt that Sam should be able to get into the vault as well, convincing Hill to give the Falcon full unfettered access. The simple mistake I mentioned earlier.

    As we all know, that decision backfired in a major way when Sam abused his privileges to gain access to the Infinity Gauntlet in order to get Episode 3 of his Face Front show, Sam Says, which had been cancelled due to lack of funds. We still don’t know exactly why Sam went straight to the Infinity Gauntlet, but that may be revealed in time…

    With the Gauntlet missing, and being thrust into the throes of a Secret War for the Cosmic Cube against the long believed to be dead Red Skull, Nick Fury decides that a new initiative is necessary. He creates a new team: The Secret Avengers. To fight the battles that only they can.

    I would like to welcome Face Front first-timer Leslie Schwan to the team! She brought her A-game to voice the most powerful hero in the Marvel Universe: Captain Marvel! Leslie is an experienced D&D player, so I knew she could do characters and voices. On top of that, she sounds just a little like Brie Larson herself! Leslie was so excited to be a part of the project, and I’m glad she came aboard.

    I would also like to welcome back Rhema Thom as the voice of Commander Maria Hill! Rhema previously did a spectacular job as Mary Jane Watson-Parker in Spider-Man: Return to the Spider-Verse Episode 11: For the Love of MJ. Now Rhema’s back, and in almost a complete 180 to the character she was before, is playing the no-nonsense Commander of S.H.I.E.L.D. And I must say, she CRUSHED the role!

    Face Front veteran Eileen Nestman pulls double duty in this video as Black Widow and Minerva! Known mostly for her role as Ghost-Spider in the Spider-Verse videos, Eileen has done countless voices for the channel and I’m glad she’s always down to do more for me. And let’s not forget the beautiful sets and props she’s built for the channel, several of which I use in this very video! Thank you Eileen! And make sure to Click Here to check out her YouTube channel!

    Xavier Hernandez comes back as Nova, a character he previously did in Spider-Man: Web-Warriors Episode 7: Ultimate Spider-Man Part 1! Xavier is a big fan of Sam Alexander, and he captures the role so well. He’s also not afraid to improvise a line or two, which is where Nova’s vow to get the Infinity Gauntlet somehow came from!

    And lastly, my sister Jaelen, who whenever I’m in a pinch and need a quick female voice, or just flat out forgot about one, she always comes through for me! She picked up additional voices for Gamora and the one female HYDRA agent in the bunch this time around. Thank you Jaelen!

    Secret Wars Prequel Comic

    Now, to longtime Face Front fans, the S.H.I.E.L.D. vs. HYDRA sequence may have looked familiar. Maybe a tickle in the back of your mind, some images unlocking core memories you didn’t know you had? Well, that’s because literal years ago, I told that story in a prequel comic detailing the beginning of the Secret War!

    So why did I retell it in video form? Well, it’s because the Secret War is a big part of the Face Front canon, and I’m not sure how many people read that comic from years ago. So I decided to make it a part of Nick Fury: The New Initiative, and bring it to life nearly panel for panel! Check it out below if you feel so inclined, and see the source material that part of the video was based on.

    With all that covered, you know what time it is now. All of the hints, homages, and little surprises I’ve sprinkled throughout the video! It’s time for Easter Eggs!

    The Blip

    That’s right! I recreated the post credits scene for Avengers: Infinity War shot for shot (ish)! If you didn’t realize, the video opens with what is probably the most traumatic experience of Nick Fury’s life. But just before all hope was lost, he was sure to page his most trusted Avenger, Captain Marvel!

    Links to the Tesseract

    When Coulson informs Fury of the Cosmic Cube construction, he mentions several things you should note:

    -It is being created by A.I.M., who were the original creators of the Cosmic Cube in the comics.

    -Project Pegasus in the MCU was the department dedicated to studying the Tesseract, spearheaded by Mar-Vell and her light-speed engine, and continued by Dr. Selvig in The Avengers movie.

    -Stuttgart, Germany is the location in the first Avengers movie where Loki arrives and makes his big “You will always kneel” speech.

    Return of the Red Skull

    Red Skull returns in The New Initiative, but I didn’t take bringing back one of the biggest Marvel villains lightly! I recreated the final battle between him and Captain America from Captain America: The First Avenger. He also addressed his stay on the “desolate void in space known as Vormir”. This, you’ll recall, is the planet where Red Skull was exiled after that fated battle to become the keeper of the Soul Stone.

    If you do recall these scenes from Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, you’ll also know he greeted Soul Stone hopefuls with their full names and the name of their father. That is why in my video, I kept it consistent, with him addressing Fury as Nicholas Joseph Fury, Son of Jack.

    We’re the Line

    I had a few Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. references in here. From mentioning Agent May, to Quake joining the Secret Avengers. One you may have missed was pretty subtle, but when Fury is giving his speech, he says: “We’re the line between the world, and the battles they could never fight. We are S.H.I.E.L.D.”

    This was actually inspired by a line from Grant Ward (yeah, the HYDRA scum!) during his interview with Maria Hill in the first episode of the show. During this, Hill asks Ward what S.H.I.E.L.D. means to him, and after a snide remark about the acronym, he says “It means we’re the line. Between the world and the much weirder world.” That line stuck with me, and so I used it here!

    Even When I’m Out, I’m In

    Aside from that quote (which, by the way, I believe is Nick Fury’s hardest line in the MCU) Nick Fury references that Skrulls have been involved in US politics since the 90’s. Both of these references are from the Secret Invasion TV show, where it was revealed that since the Captain Marvel movie, Fury had Skrulls in key positions in government, which also helped him rise through the ranks. This also is an example of how the Face Front Universe diverges from the MCU. We know that Fury went up to S.A.B.E.R. in the MCU, which is why Tales had to take his place, but in my universe, it’s the Secret War that draws Fury’s attention away from S.H.I.E.L.D.

    Destroyer Rifle

    We all know the big weapon Coulson used on Loki when he famously told him he lacked conviction. The weapon was used again against John Garret in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. But did you know it was officially called the Destroyer Rifle? Since it was built off the remains of the Destroyer from Odin’s treasure vault. It’s also been known as the ‘Coulson’s Revenge’!

    Go Take a Lunch Break

    You’ll notice Talos told Coulson and Hill to go take a lunch break when they took down Grim Reaper and Crossbones respectively. This is a nod to the post credits scene in Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six, where Coulson reports that they found Peter Parker, and Face Front viewers are first introduced to Talos as Fury when he responds with a very out-of-character “Good job Coulson, go take a lunch break!”

    His Callsign is Taskmaster

    You all may remember that Taskmaster was revealed to be Antonia Dreykov in the Black Widow movie. But when I was first doing the Black Widow themed Secret Wars chapter back in 2020 to tie in with the movie, well, unfortunate world events postponed the movie by like, a year. So I moved forward with no knowledge, using Taskmaster’s comic persona to base his Face Front appearance. Making him, canonically, a talkative man. Whoops.

    So! Since Black Widow took place in 2016 and Antonia’s version of Taskmaster was stopped, I worked some classic Marvel retcon magic. I made the official Face Front Taskmaster a new one, since it was stated that the Taskmaster was part of a program. And this one is more akin to the comic Taskmaster, that way, the MCU canon before 2018 (when Face Front diverged) is still in tact, and Antonia’s Taskmaster is free to join the Thunderbolts! When that movie rolls around. I promise, I’ll wait this time!

    Age of Miracles

    Eagle-eyed Marvel fans will recognize the conversation between Zola and Red Skull as a direct reference to the one between Baron Strucker and Dr. List in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. When they were referring to Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch with the “Nothing more frightening than a miracle” line. Even more eagle-eyed fans will recognize Zola’s line about the land of opportunity coming from Zola himself in the season 1 post credits scene of Agent Carter!

    Captain Marvel and the Kree

    Okay, so a few things here. Yes, Ronan the Accuser is alive. If you’ll remember The End of the Marvel Universe Part 1: The Unknown, Thor wished to bring back not only all snapped away by the Infinity Gauntlet, but everyone lost to Thanos’ quest as well. This carries some implications, as most Phase 1-3 MCU deaths tied back to Thanos or an Infinity Stone in one way or another. Ronan’s was very clearly because he was pursuing the Power Stone for Thanos, so he definitely got revived.

    Then there’s the differences in the plot for The Marvels. Captain Marvel is still the Annihilator, since she took down the Supreme Intelligence between movies. But since Ronan returned, he stopped the Kree civil war that started because of Carol’s actions. He mentioned ‘self-appointed’ Supremer Dar-Benn, the villain of The Marvels, speaking of myths such as Quantum Bands. Recall in The Marvels, Dar-Benn’s plan was to use the Bands, the one she found and the one possessed by Ms. Marvel, to restore Hala. But in this world, because of Ronan’s return, she never got a chance to carry her plan to fruition.

    Genis-Vell, as mentioned in the video, is the son of Mar-Vell. He’s actually an aged up clone in the comics, but I took some liberties in the Face Front Universe, especially since the MCU version of Mar-Vell is quite different from her comic counterpart. Also, fun fact, Kree Sentry 459 is the most popular Kree Sentry. Why 459 in particular? I have no idea, but he’s always the one they use whenever a Kree Sentry shows up!

    The Ravagers

    As mentioned earlier, a lot of folks came back due to Thor’s wish while he had the Gauntlet. This includes the Ravager, Yondu Udonta! Having taken control back over his old group, he’s teamed up with Minerva, who despite Korath the Pursuer’s disgust of Ravagers, has joined up as a side hustle, and his former right hand Kraglin, who still wields a version of Yondu’s Yakka Arrow-controlling fin! But alas Brigadiers, there’s a new member of the Ravagers that joins the fray…

    Adam Warlock

    As mentioned, I planned this video back in 2019, when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 had yet to come out. I made some changes here and there, but the majority of the video’s premise remained the same, and one part that was alway there was Adam Warlock. I was going to simply use the comic version of the figure, but since I took so dang long that Adam eventually made his MCU debut, I used that version, and slightly adjusted his personality, to keep it inline with the rest of my universe.

    One big liberty I took was the gem in his head. In the MCU, I don’t believe it had any specific purpose, while Vision’s was made to be the Mind Stone. In the comics, Vision’s gem is the one with no significance, and Adam Warlock’s is actually the Soul Stone! I wanted to have that aspect to connect him to the Infinity Gauntlet so that he could sense Sam was taking it, but the Stone itself was supposed to be locked away with the Gauntlet! So instead, I made it so that his gem has access to Soulworld, which is actually where the Soul Stone takes you in the comics, and the place in the MCU where Thanos spoke to Gamora (What did it cost?) as mentioned in the video. I liked using the movie Warlock while keeping true to some of his comic roots!

    Also, I couldn’t resist the “Wait, you guys are getting paid?” meme, since Will Poulter is also the actor that portrays Warlock in the movie!

    Mitchell Carson

    After he’s busted by Woo and Fury, Ant-Man spills that he was stealing back Pym Particles from the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Head of Defense Mitchell Carson. For those of you who don’t remember, that’s the man in the beginning of the Ant-Man movie that got his head slammed into the desk by Hank for bringing up Janet, and later tried to buy the Yellowjacket off of Darren Cross. In the confusion of the final battle, he nabbed a vial of Pym Particles and slipped away. The MCU is usually good about circling back and paying off small moments like this, but this one seems to have slipped through the cracks. So I decided to tie up that loose end myself!

    The New Initiative

    In an homage to Fury coming up with the original Avengers Initiative in the end of the Captain Marvel movie, he sits alone at a desk pens a new initiative. One that seeks to fight the battles only they can. This leads to the Secret Avengers Initiative.

    A new team has been introduced into the Face Front Universe! They’re called, The Secret Avengers. So let’s go over each member one by one, and see exactly where they are and how they fit in to this new version of the Marvel Universe!

    Ant-Man (Scott Lang)

    After the Infinity War, having completed the terms of his house arrest, Ant-Man was recruited by the Avengers to help clean up the mess left after Thanos snapped. This included fighting the dragon Fin Fang Foom, where his assistance was personally requested by Captain America, much to Sam Wilson’s dismay (Sam Says Episode 1: That Blue Feeling).

    Ant-Man now finds himself recruited to Nick Fury’s Secret Avengers. Having not been in contact with the Avengers proper since his last mission with them puts Scott in a perfect position to fight the battles that only they can.

    Quake (Daisy Johnson)

    Quake has been through a lot. From her hacker days in the Rising Tide as Skye, to finding her mother in the Inhuman city of Afterlife, and her deranged father Mr. Hyde. Becoming an Inhuman with earthquake powers, fighting against foes such as Lash, LMDs, Ghost Rider, Madame Hydra, and Graviton. Her last mission saw her traveling through space with her time displaced sister Kora and sweetheart SSR Agent Daniel Sousa.

    However, she’s been summoned back to Earth with the emergence of the Red Skull and the Secret War. Daisy’s no stranger to covert teams, having been part of the Secret Warriors herself. But Nick Fury now calls upon her to become something more: A Secret Avenger.

    Monica Rambeau

    Monica is the daughter of trailblazer, and friend of Captain Marvel, Maria Rambeau. In the Face Front Universe, being that the Blip only lasted 5 minutes as opposed to 5 years, Monica was able to be there for her mother when she passed away of cancer. This led to her becoming the director of S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Division) instead of the crooked Tyler Hayward.

    Monica’s experience makes her a prime candidate for Nick Fury’s Secret Avengers. But the events of WandaVision never happened in this world, so how she obtained her powers, remains to be seen…

    White Vision

    During the Infinity War, the Vision fought valiantly against the forces of Thanos, but was unfortunately destroyed, once by his beloved Wanda attempting to keep the Mind Stone away from Thanos, and then again when Thanos revived him and ripped it from his head. Luckily, Thor stopped Thanos and reversed his snap, but without the Mind Stone, Vision could not be revived in Thor’s wish.

    Tony Stark, along with Peter Parker and a restored JARVIS AI, worked around the clock to restore the Vision, stripping him down to brass tacks, meaning no color, to initiate repairs (The End of the Marvel Universe Part 2: True Believers). White Vision has not necessarily completed his repairs, but he functions well enough for Nick Fury and his Secret Avengers.

    Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff)

    Quicksilver sacrificed his life to save Hawkeye during the Age of Ultron, leaving his sister Wanda with immense grief and pain. But, being that he was killed by Ultron, a product of the Mind Stone as he himself was, Pietro was brought back to life after Thor’s wish.

    He wants nothing more than to reunite with his sister, but having been returned to his home nation of Sokovia, he finds that it has now been taken over by the tyrannical Victor Von Doom, and renamed Latveria (The End of the Marvel Universe Part 2: True Believers). Before he and Wanda can return to their home, Quicksilver must free it from the shadow of Doom. But that doesn’t stop Nick Fury from bringing him into the Secret Avengers.

    Namor (K’uk’ulkan)

    Born as the first Mutant of Talokan, Ch’ah Toh Almehen quickly became the K’uk’ulkan of his people, their Feather Serpent God. However, after being branded El Niño sin Amor (the child without love) by Conquistadors, he took on a new name to his enemies on the surface world: Namor.

    Namor’s solitary goal is to keep the underwater nation of Talokan hidden and protected from the violent natives of the surface, going as far as to kill anyone that discovers their existence. So one would imagine that could be problematic for Nick Fury, who boldly approaches Namor in the arctic. Whatever Fury’s sales pitch for the Secret Avengers was seems to have been enough to get Namor to join the team. But Fury feels this alliance will be tentative at best.

    And there you have it! This video was so much fun, and now I’m finally done with the 4 tie-ins for the Avengers: Infinity Showdown video! It only took 5 years! But I’m glad it’s here, and I truly hope you all enjoyed it. Next project is Spider-Man: Return to the Spider-Verse Episode 12, which I know you’re all looking forward to after the shocking ending of Episode 11! But until then, that’s it for me. Face Front True Believers, and I’ll see you in the Multiverse!

  • Spider-Man: Web-Warriors Episode 6: Amazing Fantasy Spider-Man | 60 Years of Spider-Man

    Spider-Man: Web-Warriors Episode 6: Amazing Fantasy Spider-Man | 60 Years of Spider-Man

    End Spider-Man’s 60th Anniversary with a special episode of Web-Warriors! Starring the very first Spidey to ever sling a web: The Amazing Fantasy Spider-Man! Relive the origin story that created a hero 60 years strong!

    2022 marks the 60-Year Anniversary for everyone’s Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man! Being as such, I thought it would be the ultimate tribute to close the year with a Web-Warriors that harkens back to where it all began for Spider-Man.

    Just like last year with Miles, this special Web-Warriors is a love letter to all things Peter Parker! And not only is this his 60th Anniversary, but as of Christmas, this is my 20th year of being a Spider-Man fan.

    Spider-Man has meant so much to me over these past 2 decades, and to the world for the past 6. The minute Hasbro announced the Amazing Fantasy figure, I’ve had this video in mind. To not only retell the timeless origin in my image, but to encapsulate the many iterations of Spider-Man over the past 60 years.

    I’m so happy I had enough episodes of Return to the Spider-Verse to do a montage that featured everyone. From big screen iterations to alternate comic universes, TV shows to video games, Spider-Man has touched every corner of entertainment, and this video is a reminder and celebration of that.

    No real Easter eggs other than the fact that I used the number 60 as many times as possible (LOL). So I’ll leave you with this: With great power, there must also come great responsibility. Words to live by, and ever since I saw that first movie with Tobey Maguire in 2002, I’ve tried to do just that.

    With that, Spider-Man’s Beyond Amazing 60th year comes to close. Face Front, True Believers, and I’ll see you in the Multiverse!

  • Spider-Man vs. Lizard | Marvel Vs.

    Spider-Man vs. Lizard | Marvel Vs.

    Spider-Man heads to the sewers to stop the Lizard’s master plan! Who will come out on top? Find out now!

    Who should fight next? Let me know below! Face Front True Believers, and I’ll see you in the Multiverse!

  • Introducing Marvel Vs.

    Introducing Marvel Vs.

    Hey there True Believers! I know you guys love the Spider-Verse vids, and I thank you for watching them so much! As Face Front grows I want to start trying different forms of content. This led me to Marvel Vs.

    Marvel Vs. is a comedy sketch series pitting Marvel heroes and villains from across the universe against each other in a more hilarious rather than epic battle.

    Of course the Face Front Originals, including Spider-Verse, will still have that rich story and pulse pounding action you’ve come to expect from Face Front, but those take a while to make, so I hope that while you wait for those you can get a laugh out of this new series!

    The first episode, Spider-Man vs. The Lizard, is available now! Click Here to watch it. Let me know who you wanna see fight in the next one!

    Thank you guys, Face Front, and I’ll see you in the Multiverse!

  • Face of the Fan

    Face of the Fan

    ↓ Scroll Down to see the Gallery! ↓

    The Story

    Way back in 2007 when Spider-Man 3 was coming out, there was a contest called “Face of the Fan”. Spider-Man fans across the world had to submit a video explaining why they were Spidey fans, and the two winners would go on to become the official spokespeople for promotional videos before the movie’s release. I remembering entering, not winning, then being envious of the guy and girl that did win. Yes, the marketing campaign for Spider-Man 3 was a fun one.

    Now, I’m not just going on a trip down memory lane here. I, Joshua Westbrook, am bringing Face of the Fan back! Face Front style! (And yes, I considered calling it Face Front of the Fan. You can see how that’s a syntax nightmare.) The thing is, I’m doing it a little differently. In Face Front’s Face of the Fan, EVERYONE wins! I don’t want anyone to feel the crushing disappointment I did 15 years ago, so I’m creating a fan experience that you all can participate in! It’s time for you to Face Front True Believers!

    Instructions

    It’s very simple. Watch this video or read below. Three steps:

    1: Take a picture of the most prized item in your Marvel collection (comic book, action figure, plushie, pillow, whatever! It’s your most prized item!)

    2: Email the picture with your name (First and last, or first, or last, or your Face Front username if you want, even a social media handle*, just something I can call you), the name of the item, and a brief description of why the item is the centerpiece of your collection to mail@FaceFrontBlog.com.

    3: I will post the picture, your name, the item name, and the description below! Then you can browse the gallery of everyone’s most prized Marvel possessions! You can even leave comments below to let someone know if theirs is your favorite!

    That’s it! It’s super easy. It’s actually only 2 steps since I do step 3! So what are you waiting for? Take a picture, send an email, and you will be Face Front’s next Face of the Fan!

    *Please specify which social media platform your handle is for so that I can properly link it.

    Face Front’s Face of the Fan Gallery

    Amazing Fantasy #15 is Spider-Man’s first appearance in comic book history, releasing in August of 1962. I pulled this copy of the comic out of a ToyBiz Marvel Legends action figure, and my friend Kyle got it signed by none other than the man who wrote it, Stan Lee!

    This is my favourite item in my collection because it’s an action figure of one of my favourite Tom Holland Spider-Man suits from Spider-Man: No Way Home, my favourite movie.

    These are my most prized Spider-Man items.

    This young fan sure has a cute face! And though he grew out of his marvel onesies he still enjoys his books, toys, shirt, and socks…but his hulk socks seem to be missing.

    In an unforgiving world that wants you to pick between two equally bad options I stand with Peggy and create my own path because I know my value.

    I’ve been painting some action figures to post to social media for Halloween & movie premieres like Cap: Brave New World. I bought a Spawn figure & painted him to look like a Hulk Buster/ Hulk variant. For now, I call him ‘Iron Banner.’

  • Happy New Year True Believers!

    Happy New Year True Believers!

    Written by Joshua Westbrook

    Face Front! It’s 2022 and I’m sitting here at dang near 3:00 am just thinking about how much my little blog has grown! Well, mostly my YouTube channel, heck, 90% of my fanbase will probably never see this, but you know what, that’s okay! I haven’t put much emphasis on the ‘blog’ part of ‘Face Front Blog’. Hopefully I can change that!

    I am so thankful for all of the new Mighty Marvelites I could reach this past year with my Return to the Spider-Verse series, and I hope to reach many more. To tell more stories. Interact with more fans. Build a bigger community. Remember Face Front’s mission statement:

    “There was an idea. To bring together a group of the biggest Marvel fans. So that when the world was sick and tired of hearing them blab on and on about Marvel, they could come and talk about it with real fans in a way they never could before. On that day, Face Front was born.”

    I want Face Front to be that place for you True Believers. Believe it or not, the most fun I’ve had with this blog since its inception were my livestreams last year! Because I had finally built a big enough audience to have a conversation with! Just me, and a bunch of you guys, talking Marvel. I love it. I want more of it.

    So here’s to 2022 bringing us all closer together. Fans, from every corner of the globe, talking about the one thing we all love more than any other thing in the world: Marvel. I’m excited, I’m dedicated, and I’m ready. Are you?

    I hope to hear from you all! Sound off in the comments below, or on Face Front’s Twitter, Insta, Facebook, YouTube, heck, I’ve got TikTok now! Anywhere your voice can be heard, I wanna hear it. Loud and proud. Let’s make this year the most Marvelous one yet! Face Front True Believers, and I’ll see you in the Multiverse!

  • Face Front Ultimate

    Face Front Ultimate

    Face Front Ultimate is the final chapter of the Face Front Blog. This is the new direction, with new initiatives, and an all around better fan experience. Let’s lay out what exactly you can expect from the biggest update since Face Front’s launch:

    The Website

    As you’ll probably notice, the website looks entirely different now! I’ve remodeled it from the ground up, making the interface easier and creating a more accessible and streamlined experience.

    The HQ houses all of the unique portions of the blog, and the videos and podcast are still in the same place. Account management has all been moved under one tab, and the Token Shop tab gives you access to all things involving Face Front Tokens, including your cart. New look, new content, same Face Front.

    Marvel Multiverse

    Marvel Corner has been replaced by Marvel Multiverse. It’s essentially the same thing, giving you access to each unique category of the blog, however the title makes more sense. And, you know, sounds cooler. Click Here to access the Marvel Multiverse.

    Oscorp Conspiracy: Back to Formula

    The Oscorp Conspiracy is back! For those of you who didn’t know, the Oscorp Conspiracy was an interactive experience where Face Front users took on Norman Osborn and Oscorp to try and stop their evil schemes. Now, it’s back.

    This time around it’s structured into Quests, and you unlock them by completing the one before it and using the Oscorp Encryption Key to gain access! Whereas the Oscorp Conspiracy was a community event before, it is now individualized, allowing a more balanced reward structure, including previously inaccessible Avatars and even Face Front Tokens depending on how well you do!

    Quest 1: Word Search for Answers is available to play now! Quest 2: Target Acquired, is coming soon, so be sure to save that Encryption Key if you finish Quest 1! Click Here to access the Oscorp Conspiracy: Back to Formula.

    E.G.G.

    E.G.G. is a Face Front Fan Fiction that takes place in my own version of the Marvel Universe. I’ve been writing it since 2012 and it has well over 100 core issues, not including spin-offs, events, tie-in series, point ones, and what if’s. Don’t worry though, I’m not going to drop all of that on you at once!

    The first 10 issues of E.G.G. are available now to read, and not to mention that you get 5 Face Front Tokens every time you read an issue, so make sure you’re logged in when you read! Subsequent issues will be uploaded on a weekly basis, so keep an eye on the E.G.G. page! Click Here to read E.G.G.

    True Believers Fan Club

    After the first meeting, and the next one coming up, I’ve decided that in-person meetings, while quite fun, exclude a lot of the Face Front and Marvel fanbase. I did it so that I could finally bring the community part of blog together, but now I’ve got an even better way.

    The blog itself is dedicated to fun, Marvel content, and the True Believers Fan Club will be dedicated to the community! Once you’ve joined Patreon at the Avengers Tier or above, you’ll have access to the exclusive True Believers Fan Club webpage and Facebook group, where I will conduct livestreams for everyone involved. That way the interaction I wanted can expand worldwide. Click Here for the latest news on the Fan Club.

    Amazing Fantasy

    Amazing Fantasy is an audio adventure that will be replacing the Face Front Podcast. The Podcast never got to where I wanted it to be, so I decided to turn it into a more focused, narrative based experience that I’m positive will be enjoyable for Marvel fans everywhere.

    Amazing Fantasy is a story that asks the question: What if you woke up in the Marvel Universe? It will have action, drama, romance, adventure, and everything else you expect from a Marvel caliber story! The first episode of Amazing Fantasy will be available soon, with subsequent episodes being uploaded on a consistent basis. Click Here to access the Face Front Podcast.

  • Ultimate Alliance 3! Guess I’m Buying a Switch!

    Marvel blindsided us in the best way possible with the announcement of Ultimate Alliance 3! Wow, it feels weird to say out loud (or type into a computer, you know what I mean!). This is what us fans have wanted for, as they keep pointing out, 10 years! One caveat though, you can only get it on the Nintendo Switch!

    Now when they announced Marvel’s Spider-Man two years ago and said it was a PS4 exclusive, I kicked back, relaxed, and said “Ha! I’ve already got one!” Granted, that didn’t stop me from buying the Spider-Man PS4 Pro Bundle (unboxing video here!) but I digress. Now, with this announcement, I find myself in a bit of trouble, that being I do not own a Nintendo Switch!

    So… I’ve got some options. Squeeze it in as a last minute addition to my Christmas list, earn some money and get one (they’re only what, $300?), or wait for the inevitable ‘Ultimate Marvel Switch’ edition and pre-order that. Because I would hate to buy a basic Switch only for a Marvel-themed one to be released later. And my Christmas list is a PDF, so I can’t really change that…

    Anyway, let’s move on how this game looks! Um, spectacular is the word! The cell-shaded art style is perfect and the character designs are nice and traditional. Now, I’m not entirely sure how they’re going to claim this is Ultimate Alliance 3 when Nick Fury is more, well, Sam Jackson than David Hasselhoff, but maybe it’s Nick Fury Jr. Maybe he crossed over from another dimension. Maybe this game is a reboot, but in that case it should just be called Ultimate Alliance: Black Order. The 3 implies it’s a continuation.

    The character lineup is solid so far. My boy Spidey is there, but that’s to be expected. We’ve got the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and hey, look, the X-Men! In a Marvel video game! Glad to see them quashing this petty ‘Fox has the rights’ deal. I mean, Disney had to buy them for it to happen, but sometimes you gotta break a few eggs, yada, yada. I also spy Inhumans, Crystal and Lockjaw to be exact. There’s Falcon and Scarlet Witch too! Of course this isn’t the final roster (at least I hope it’s not!), but I’m liking what I see so far!

    As far as villains, we’ve got, of course, the Black Order (including Supergiant). There’s also Kingpin, Green Goblin, Ultron, Sentinels, Ronan, Nebula, and… I want to say Ultimo? Of course, let’s not forget who the Black Order serves, the big guy himself, Thanos. Apparently, the heroes will be racing to collect the Infinity Stones before he does. Though, if the end of this trailer is any indication, I’d say they were about as successful as they were in Infinity War…

    Now, in terms of gameplay, what I read on Marvel.com actually makes it a bit more clear why they went with the Switch. They wanted to capture that ‘team up with a buddy’ feel that the first two games had. And while couch co-op is still a thing on PS4 and Xbox, there’s no doubt both of those systems have shifted heavily toward multiplayer. The Switch has more of that traditional 2-player feel to it. Also, an added bonus I hadn’t considered, you can take it with you! I can play Ultimate Alliance 3 wherever I go! That’s certainly a plus. There’s also an ‘over the shoulder’ heroic view, that’ll close the camera in on the character (we can see it with Wolverine fighting the Sentinels) that I really appreciate. Because top-down games are nice and all, but I’ll admit, I was always trying to get the screen closer to my characters in those first two games.

    In the end, I can’t wait for this! Marvel’s kicking their video game department into high gear, and Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, is the best possible idea we could ask for. Now, if only we could figure out more about that Avengers Project from Square Enix…

  • Welcome to Marvel City

    Hasbro, eat your heart out! Welcome to the future! Welcome, to Marvel City! I had time, I was bored, so why not?

    Looks like All-New, All-Different Spider-Man has a bird’s eye of the entire scene below!

    A city of heroes…

    Bound by honor…

    To protect it at all costs!

    Captain America, Sentinel of Liberty and the First Avenger, never relents in the fight against the forces of HYDRA!

    Black Bolt has something to say, and when he talks, people listen!

    Wasp patrols the skies, while Thor summons strength from Odin in Asgard above! And Star-Lord’s always ready for action! But where’d his tunes go?

    Of course, no one stands a chance when Iron Man and War Machine team up to take down the bad guys!

    Lifelong friends Spider-Woman and Captain Marvel are two women you DO NOT want to mess with! Unless you want a venom blast and a cosmic punch to the face! And is that Vision phasing through the ground behind them?

    Speaking of Venom, what rock did this Sinister Symbiote crawl from under?

    Falcon soars high, but a particularly sneaky Black Cat gets away with some pilfered goods! Oh Felicia, will you ever learn?

    By the Ruby Rings of the Crimson Bands of the Hoary Hosts… Whatever! Doctor Strange is here to make with the hocus pocus!

    Black Widow gives Hawkeye a lift on her sweet ride, they always worked better as a team! Let’s just hope that Ms. Marvel can stop fangirling long enough to Embiggen!

    ‘Ol J. Jonah Jameson isn’t too happy with all these superheroes tearing things up outside of Bugle offices! It doesn’t help that Giant-Man is mocking him either…

    There are tales… legends of a Spirit of Vengeance… The Ghost Rider, making the best of a deal with the devil!

    What did Deadpool get himself into this time? Maybe a certain Infinity Gauntlet-wielding Mad Titan wasn’t too fond of Lady Death’s fascination with this clown…

    Looks like the newest Spider-Man on the block, Miles Morales, snagged a classic Spidey baddy, the Shocker! Great job Miles!

    Meanwhile, the Immortal Iron Fist has engaged the terrible Taskmaster in combat! Don’t use your best moves Danny, you know he can copy them!

    Storm and Silk watch over the city, a valiant long-time member of the X-Men, and a Spider trying to find her place in the world after 10 years away…

    Bravery is not measured in size, and Rocket and Baby Groot prove that throwing down with one of the biggest Marvel villains out there, the Rhino!

    But there are always bigger Marvel villains, lurking in the distance…

    But here to protect his city is none other than Daredevil! Keeping a watchful… ear, from above! And Spider-Gwen aka Ghost Spider doesn’t look stressed, she’s listening to the latest hit from her band the Mary Janes! Wait… there’s Star-Lord’s tunes! Dang it Gwen!

    But down below, titans clash, as Hulk pins down one of his worst foes, the Abomination!

    This Marvel power couple knows no bounds, Cyclops and Phoenix are always here to save the day, and mutant-kind!

    And bow down (wait, they don’t do that there…) for the King of Wakanda, Black Panther! With Okoye by his side, nothing’s getting past him! Wakanda forever!

    So there you have it. Heroes…

    That swore to fight.

    To stand for justice.

    To Assemble. In our darkest hours.

    And to let us know, that they will always be here.

     

     

  • Ultimate End: Brian Michael Bendis No More

    This is a game changer. Brian Michael Bendis is leaving Marvel! And not only that, but he’s going to DC!!! Now, we’re all (presumably) adults here, so we’re not gonna chastise him or call him a traitor, but I just can’t help but wonder what led to this? Brian Bendis is Marvel’s dude! He’s the go-to guy. It seems like every other Marvel event has been written by Bendis. The Ultimate Universe exists (well… existed) because of Bendis! Miles Morales, Jessica Jones, the reason Samuel L. Jackson is currently Nick Fury, it’s all due to Brian Michael Bendis! So what happened?

    Granted, he’s had some missteps, Civil War II gets grilled a lot, and I have to say Disassembled was a bit of a mess. But everyone has a bad day at the office. And when you look at just the sheer contributions Bendis has made to the Marvel Universe over 17 years, it’s unprecedented. Secret Invasion, AvX, Age of Ultron, so, so many more. The movies borrow so much from the Ultimate comics, especially Spider-Man movies. Ultimate Spider-Man lasted an entire run, from 2000 to present, had a very popular video game, and a TV show! This guy literally belongs in the same conversation as Stan Lee.

    My theory as to why he left dates back to when Miles took off, then all of sudden they wanted him in everything. Miles legitimately got in, like, three big adventures before Secret Wars (2015) assimilated him into 616. Like, he’d probably be writing Miles, then Nick Lowe or someone bursts in and goes “Brian! Get this: Spider, wait for it, Men!” Then he had stop and do Spider-Men. So then he goes back to the adventures of Miles, then Lowe, or maybe Quesada, bursts in and goes “Brian! Galactus comes to the Ultimate Universe!” Then Brian has to stop and take out half the Ultimate Universe in Cataclysm. Then when he finally goes back to Miles they say “Brian! Guess what? Ultimate Universe: Gone! Secret Wars!” Then he literally has to destroy the entire universe he created and squeeze Miles into 616. I can see how that’d be jarring from a storytelling point of view, and with Marvel doing big events every 30 seconds, and recruiting Bendis to do half of them, maybe he’s overwhelmed?

    I don’t know the full story, no one but Bendis does. All I can say is, he was one of the first names I learned in comics, and he’s done a bang up job at Marvel. Whether he’s feeling oversaturated, or maybe he just wants a change of scenery after 17 years, we’ll never know. I’d personally like to know what DC put on the table for him, someone so ingrained in the Marvel Universe, to turncoat. But, for now, I guess all we can say is Face Front Brian Michael Bendis, I hope you find what you’re looking for.

    P.S. If Marvel needs someone to write Miles, I’ll gladly do it!