While I lack the title that is usually bestowed upon someone for completing a long, arduous term of study on a subject (Dr. of Psychology, Professor of Literature, King of the Lollipop Guild, etc.) I, nonetheless, consider myself a specialist in certain fields. Primarily those fields consist of dangerous chemicals, and the legwork done to become a ‘specialist’ mostly consists of abusing them to dull the bitter edge of my own empty, shallow, perverse existence…
From 1985-1992 the coolest hero without super powers was MacGyver, bare none. Armed with his swiss army knife and a couple of rubber bands, Richard Dean Anderson played super spy, Angus MacGyver. Often trekking off to the most dangerous parts of the world, MacGyver was always getting in and somehow out of impossible missions every week. As a kid I thought this was the coolest show and was saddened to see it leave my television schedule in 1992. However, the series has been available on Netflix for some time now so I have no excuse not to watch it again.
Over the holiday I read the 400 page hardback compilation of the Dark Avengers series written by Brian Bendis. If you are not familiar with the series, the storyline places the Avengers underground after the Skrull invasion. Harry Osborne, aka the Green Goblin, had the good fortune of being a key figure in repelling the Skrull threat. Because of this Osborne has been assigned to be the head of S.H.E.I.L.D. which he renames H.A.M.M.E.R. He takes the organization from a defensive to offensive position. He creates his own version of the Avengers placing himself as Iron Patriot the leader of the team. The rest of the team includes a team of villains posing as heroes: “Spider-man”, “Hawkeye”, “Ms. Marvel”, “Wolverine”, Captain Marvel, Ares, and Sentry. The quotes are used because these are not the original key players of these heroes’ identities as Avengers.