Asgardian Squad

I don't like Thor. (By Thor, I mean Marvel's Thor not the Norse god he was based on.)  He's a classic example of a white privileged man. I doubt he would be worthy of Mjölnir, the hammer, if he wasn't the son of Odin. Gods! I know right?

In the Avengers, Thor takes the role of a dumb blonde. I heard that in the upcoming Thor movie, they will showcase Thor's dumbness more making the story more comic than the 1st two. I just hope that something tragic, like Odinson's death, will cap off all the dumbness. I think it's just as natural as any twist or irony. Plus, I can't wait for a female Thor to grace the silver screen.

If there's something I like about Thor, it's his squad. Thor has an Asian ally! Hogun is probably the first Asian action doll from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I know I had to get him. Thor also has a Black ally, Heimdall, but I still have to get me a Heimdall doll. The Lady Sif doll was harder to get because of not many were created to propagate the idea that female action dolls don't sell. (It is important to note that I started collecting these doll when I was able to buy Thor, Iron-man and Captain America dolls at heavily reduced prices because they didn't got sold.) Now, if only they make Fandral bisexual, that would be great. I only got Fandral and Volstagg because I don't want to break up the Warriors Three.

Heimdall is stationed at the Bifrost so he doesn't join much in Thor's battles, so I think I've completed Thor's squad. I wouldn't have been able to do so if the 4-inch figures are still popular. Many collectors are quitting their collection making it easier for me to complete my Asgardian squad.

A Road Bot and the Avengers

Road Bot 1:18 Toyota Land Cruiser

I grew up enjoying the Transformers but I outgrew them. Even the live action movies seemed alien to me. The main reason I bought this Road Bot is that it can transform to a 1:18 scale vehicle, something I could use with my 4-inch action dolls. 

The packaging, with photos of the doors that can be opened, really intrigued me. I wondered if a 4-inch doll could fit inside. Although it would still work as a prop, it would be a lot better if someone can drive it. I tried to look for more info online before I decided to buy it.

Superhero problem

Although fighting and violence are main ingredients in the lives of superheroes, not all of them intends to harm or kill their opponent. The Silver Surfer in the 90's animated TV series is an example. (I am not aware if the comic book version of the Silver Surfer is the same.) 

Starting off as the herald of Galactus, the Silver Surfer hunted for planets to feed his master. Galactus changed the Surfer's personality including his values towards life the moment he was given special powers. This made him forget about the teachings of his peaceful planet of origin, Zenn La. The moment he was reminded of his peace-loving origins, he rebelled against his master and vowed to protect life.

There were many moments where the Silver Surfer could just kill his opponents and get on with his life but he didn't take that path. The TV show ended abruptly with the hero seemingly failing in his mission. Season two never got produced so we have no way of knowing if the Surfer's non-violent ways was effective in saving the universe. But that's beside the point.

What I appreciate the most about the story of this superhero is the concern for life whether it's human, alien or villainous. I wish I could say the same for our local superheroes. I wonder why Darna doesn't try to capture her opponents and make them answer to the justice system. Why does Darna play judge and executioner? And why do a lot of Filipinos think that it's the right thing to do?

I heard that there will be an upcoming Darna movie. I hope that the people involved in that project will be more sensitive to the hero problem of extra-judicial killings. I want to see how Darna will value lives. I want to see a change in her after her first kill. I want to know how she will tackle the moral conflict of killing. I want her to have a conscience that haunts her. I want her to submit to a judicial system and not implement her vigilante type of justice. Do we want Darna to reflect the EJK culture of the Philippines?

I want the supporting characters to question her power and authority. I want them to think about a check and balance system. I don't want the towns folks to be hero-worshipping simpletons. I want them to be critical about Darna. If they are going to present characters similar to the older movies, they might as well just restore and re-release the old movies.

The 90's called

Would you believe that I learned about the Silver Surfer animated series (from 1998) just in this decade? Thanks to Youtube, I was able to watch the series last weekend. Too bad the series had to be cut short with that ending.