Marvel is releasing Avengers: Infinity War on April 27, 2018. I can't tell you how excited I am to see this film, even if my bladder will be begging for mercy before the end credits. Seriously, these movies just keep getting longer and longer and longer...and they make us wait for more clips! It's sadistic. And I'm masochistic because I will sit there bargaining with my bladder while I wait to see the deeply buried teasers.
In this movie the Avengers, mainly comprised of Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Thor, Hawkeye, and Vision, are going to be joined by Dr. Strange, Spiderman, the Black Panther, and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Be still my heart.
That so many iconic superheroes are required to fight Thanos and his allies speaks to the epic battle about to be engaged. Each hero(ine) brings a unique skill set to the fight. Thor has his lightning, superhuman strength, and flight. Spiderman, his webs. Dr. Strange employs powerful magic and the power of the Time stone. Hulk has his brute strength and unending rage. The Scarlet Witch is a scary powerful sorceress. Peter may seem like a gun-toting human with little more to offer than his snark, but anyone who watched Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 knows he's not fully human and has accessed his godlike powers once before and it's likely that he will again. I could go on, but I think you get the point.
Combining the unique gifts each superhero possesses should create a formidable force capable of repelling Thanos and his troops. At least, that is the hope. We'll see how broken things are after the movie ends.
As a fan of these separate Marvel universes where each hero or team has their own set of challenges, I'm thrilled by this cross-over event. I like that the Marvel universes are connecting and uniting these otherwise separate groups into one massive fighting force, which made me wish I had thought up the question someone in my Fantasy Faction Facebook group posed this morning.
Jochem asked:
If you could assemble an avengers-like team-up of fantasy characters for a battle, who would you chose? I would go for: Kaladin Stormblessed (Stormlight Archive), Jaime Lannister with two hands (A Song of Ice and Fire) , Gandalf (LOTR), Vasher/Zahel (Stormlight Archive) and Kelsier (Mistborn). Unfortunately im a newby in fantasy and haven't read that much different series so my choices were pretty limited. Who would you pick?
Good question!
I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction. Yet, as I read his picks for his Avenger-style Fantasy Character League, I realized I don't know what skills Kaladin Stormblessed, Vasher/Zahel, or Kelsier bring to this dream team. I've not read those books, so I don't know what magics or unique abilities these characters possess.
So, in answering his question, I thought I'd spend a little time explaining why I picked the characters I did. For this little exercise, I resisted the urge to include science fiction characters like Princess Leia, who would totally be my Team Leader if I did include her.
So, without further ado, here are the members of my Avenger-style Fantasy Character League:
Team Leader Jaenelle Angelline:
A true triple threat, Jaenelle is a witch, a queen, and a Black Widow. She is capable of great destruction or great healing.
In the Black Jewels Trilogy, Jaenelle starts out as a young girl incapable of performing basic witchcraft. Mistaking her inability to perform simple magical tasks to mean she is altogether without magic, her blood family dismisses her and sends her to an institution that takes advantage of the family's neglect. In an effort to avoid the abuse at Briarwood, Jaenelle uses her immense powers to travel between realms, befriend the Kindred, leave shadows of herself, create a tangled web that allows her to see visions of what may be, create illusions, and is bestowed with a poisonous snake tooth under the nail of her ring finger. Too late does her Blood relatives discover the true extant of her powers.
Luckily, her innate power encircles her with warlord princes who are driven to protect her at all costs. These men give her love and respect. They help her develop into a kind and compassionate woman. By the end of the trilogy, she is the singularly most powerful being. She can even control the sun setting or rising if she so desires.
I'd pick her to lead the team because she's dangerous but capable of great mercy, too. She has demonstrated that she is capable of leading men, women, and beasts with a firm but fair hand.
Team Member Nightfall/Sudian:
Every team needs someone who can be a master of disguise and move unseen through enemy territory. Just make sure you have his loyalty before making him a full-fledged member of the team. His moral code is a little skewed.
Team Member Hermoine Granger:
Every team needs someone who can remind the fighters that not every battle can be won with brawn. Hermoine's determination, intelligence, and resourcefulness are clear assests. Moreover, the girl can brew a potion and perform various types of magic, so when the battle is brought into her sphere, she is perfectly able to defend herself and, if necessary, go on the offensive.
Team Member Kahlan Amnell:
Kahlan is a Confessor. This is a rather unique gift/curse. When a Confessor uses her gift to ascertain the truth of a matter, the person she releases her power into becomes her devoted and happy slave. Their will is completely destroyed and replaced with an eagerness to please the Confessor whose approval they covet. The confessed believe they are in love but the Confessor knows it is anything but genuine.
Kahlan would be a powerful tool to use on captured enemies, especially if they are in a position to know key information in the battle ahead. Additionally, spies could be made as long as they could tolerate a distance from their beloved mistress, which some cannot.
Team Members Relkin and Bazil Broketail:
I have to pair these two together as they work as one unit. This battle dragon - yes, he's carrying a sword! - is paired up with young Relkin. They fight together, complementing each other and protecting each other's weaknesses. The bring different perspectives to the same problem, producing a more complete picture of what the team really faces.
They go on the list because you need some warriors who aren't afraid to engage the enemy with tooth, nail, and sword!
Also, they fly and breath flame.
Team Members Ramoth and Lessa:
Brave and bold, Lessa and Ramoth make a fearsome duo. When most people believe Pern's dragons who can only teleport between locations, Ramoth and Lessa learn how to go between times, too. Yes, this duo can time travel. That could be useful, right?
One important note: Queen dragons, always and only gold in color, cannot produce flame. Instead, their riders carry flame-throwers.
Wait...another note: All the other colors of dragons follow the queen, sometimes against their rider's orders. These ladies rule. So if she calls them to fight, they fight.
Team Member Calwyn, The Singer of All Songs:
Calwyn may be young, but that doesn't make her weak. Having mastered the magic of song, Calwyn can control the elements as well as create illusions. She can use the environment against her opponents, creating obstacles where none existed before.
In this movie the Avengers, mainly comprised of Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Thor, Hawkeye, and Vision, are going to be joined by Dr. Strange, Spiderman, the Black Panther, and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Be still my heart.
That so many iconic superheroes are required to fight Thanos and his allies speaks to the epic battle about to be engaged. Each hero(ine) brings a unique skill set to the fight. Thor has his lightning, superhuman strength, and flight. Spiderman, his webs. Dr. Strange employs powerful magic and the power of the Time stone. Hulk has his brute strength and unending rage. The Scarlet Witch is a scary powerful sorceress. Peter may seem like a gun-toting human with little more to offer than his snark, but anyone who watched Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 knows he's not fully human and has accessed his godlike powers once before and it's likely that he will again. I could go on, but I think you get the point.
Combining the unique gifts each superhero possesses should create a formidable force capable of repelling Thanos and his troops. At least, that is the hope. We'll see how broken things are after the movie ends.
As a fan of these separate Marvel universes where each hero or team has their own set of challenges, I'm thrilled by this cross-over event. I like that the Marvel universes are connecting and uniting these otherwise separate groups into one massive fighting force, which made me wish I had thought up the question someone in my Fantasy Faction Facebook group posed this morning.
Jochem asked:
If you could assemble an avengers-like team-up of fantasy characters for a battle, who would you chose? I would go for: Kaladin Stormblessed (Stormlight Archive), Jaime Lannister with two hands (A Song of Ice and Fire) , Gandalf (LOTR), Vasher/Zahel (Stormlight Archive) and Kelsier (Mistborn). Unfortunately im a newby in fantasy and haven't read that much different series so my choices were pretty limited. Who would you pick?
Good question!
I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction. Yet, as I read his picks for his Avenger-style Fantasy Character League, I realized I don't know what skills Kaladin Stormblessed, Vasher/Zahel, or Kelsier bring to this dream team. I've not read those books, so I don't know what magics or unique abilities these characters possess.
So, in answering his question, I thought I'd spend a little time explaining why I picked the characters I did. For this little exercise, I resisted the urge to include science fiction characters like Princess Leia, who would totally be my Team Leader if I did include her.
So, without further ado, here are the members of my Avenger-style Fantasy Character League:
Krista's Avenger-Style Fantasy Character League
A true triple threat, Jaenelle is a witch, a queen, and a Black Widow. She is capable of great destruction or great healing.
In the Black Jewels Trilogy, Jaenelle starts out as a young girl incapable of performing basic witchcraft. Mistaking her inability to perform simple magical tasks to mean she is altogether without magic, her blood family dismisses her and sends her to an institution that takes advantage of the family's neglect. In an effort to avoid the abuse at Briarwood, Jaenelle uses her immense powers to travel between realms, befriend the Kindred, leave shadows of herself, create a tangled web that allows her to see visions of what may be, create illusions, and is bestowed with a poisonous snake tooth under the nail of her ring finger. Too late does her Blood relatives discover the true extant of her powers.
Luckily, her innate power encircles her with warlord princes who are driven to protect her at all costs. These men give her love and respect. They help her develop into a kind and compassionate woman. By the end of the trilogy, she is the singularly most powerful being. She can even control the sun setting or rising if she so desires.
I'd pick her to lead the team because she's dangerous but capable of great mercy, too. She has demonstrated that she is capable of leading men, women, and beasts with a firm but fair hand.
Team Member Joyeaux Charmand:
Joy is an experienced and skilled warrior that can summon Hounds from another dimension to assist her in her battles. Some of these Hounds can morph into any shape, some can fly, and some are simply massive in scale. Together and with other Hound-paired hunters, they fight every mythological creature imaginable, from dragons to gnomes. Her monster knowledge is vast, which should be helpful no matter what monstrosity the team faces.
Team Member Nightfall/Sudian:
Every team needs someone who can be a master of disguise and move unseen through enemy territory. Just make sure you have his loyalty before making him a full-fledged member of the team. His moral code is a little skewed.
Team Member Hermoine Granger:
Every team needs someone who can remind the fighters that not every battle can be won with brawn. Hermoine's determination, intelligence, and resourcefulness are clear assests. Moreover, the girl can brew a potion and perform various types of magic, so when the battle is brought into her sphere, she is perfectly able to defend herself and, if necessary, go on the offensive.
Team Member Kahlan Amnell:
Kahlan is a Confessor. This is a rather unique gift/curse. When a Confessor uses her gift to ascertain the truth of a matter, the person she releases her power into becomes her devoted and happy slave. Their will is completely destroyed and replaced with an eagerness to please the Confessor whose approval they covet. The confessed believe they are in love but the Confessor knows it is anything but genuine.
Kahlan would be a powerful tool to use on captured enemies, especially if they are in a position to know key information in the battle ahead. Additionally, spies could be made as long as they could tolerate a distance from their beloved mistress, which some cannot.
Team Members Relkin and Bazil Broketail:
I have to pair these two together as they work as one unit. This battle dragon - yes, he's carrying a sword! - is paired up with young Relkin. They fight together, complementing each other and protecting each other's weaknesses. The bring different perspectives to the same problem, producing a more complete picture of what the team really faces.
They go on the list because you need some warriors who aren't afraid to engage the enemy with tooth, nail, and sword!
Team Members Mnementh and F'Lar:
I realize most people think the dragons of Pern are good only for fighting Thread, but these are massive, intelligent, fire-breathing beasts that love their riders. For this reason, I'm adding Mnementh and F'Lar to my team. I know they would absolutely step up to defend their friends, family, and home, especially if Ramoth and Lessa were determined to engage the enemy. These fellas protect what's theirs.
Did I mention the dragons on Pern are psychic and can communicate telepathically with their riders? So, there's that. Their insights and observations can be readily and easily shared.
Also, they fly and breath flame.
Team Members Ramoth and Lessa:
Brave and bold, Lessa and Ramoth make a fearsome duo. When most people believe Pern's dragons who can only teleport between locations, Ramoth and Lessa learn how to go between times, too. Yes, this duo can time travel. That could be useful, right?
One important note: Queen dragons, always and only gold in color, cannot produce flame. Instead, their riders carry flame-throwers.
Wait...another note: All the other colors of dragons follow the queen, sometimes against their rider's orders. These ladies rule. So if she calls them to fight, they fight.
Team Member Calwyn, The Singer of All Songs:
Calwyn may be young, but that doesn't make her weak. Having mastered the magic of song, Calwyn can control the elements as well as create illusions. She can use the environment against her opponents, creating obstacles where none existed before.
There are few others that come to mind, but I think this is a really good start on an Avengers-like Fantasy Character Team.
What your thoughts? Are you familiar with these characters? Would you add their skill sets to your arsenal or not?
What your thoughts? Are you familiar with these characters? Would you add their skill sets to your arsenal or not?
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