Posted by
Wago
- Thursday, April 24, 2014
Pokémon has stood the test of time.
I remember watching Ash Ketchum travel the Kanto region: I'd be playing my Game Boy Color and not have a care in the world whilst doing so.
Now, a little under 20 years later, I'm playing Pokémon on my 3DS.
However, when the anime became a little to childish for me, I began to invest my time in reading the Pokémon Adventures manga series; so, I thought, why not go ahead and compare the two?
The Plotline
The Anime
The story follows a young trainer named Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. Arriving late to the ceremony of young trainers leaving Pallet to start their journey, he is unable to receive one of the three starter Pokémon. Because of this, he receives a wild and disobedient Pikachu. After overcoming trial and error during an attack from a flock of Spearow, the two become friends and travel the Kanto region as Ash tries to become a Pokémon master. Upon traveling, they become friends with the Pewter City gym leader, Brock, and the Cerulean City gym leader, Misty. This trio is constantly met with annoying challenges from the goofy villains of Team Rocket, but never fail to send them "blasting off again!" Eventually, Ash would go on to defeat all of the gym leaders in Kanto but fail to win the Pokémon League tournament. Ash would go on to challenge many other regions following the same formula for years to come.
The Manga
The story also follows a young trainer from the town of Pallet. However, much like his video game counterpart, he is known simply as Red. With Red already being a pretty decent trainer, he knows how to catch Pokémon. In addition, he has a pretty powerful Poliwhirl to start off with. Much like the games, Red battles the evil terrorist group, Team Rocket, who will stop at nothing to capture legendary Pokémon. Throughout the manga, he finds himself in confrontations or defending Pokémon like Mew, Mewtwo, and the legendary bird trio. In the end, Red and his rivals defeat Team Rocket on their path to the league. Red also bests his rival, Blue, and is recognized as the league champion. Red's role throughout the later arcs would change, but he always remains a constant in the Pokémon Adventures series, even if he wasn't the focus of the story.
Winner: The Manga. It seems as if the anime series would always save the huge confrontations with legendary Pokémon for the movies, which would be fine if they made an effort to acknowledge the movies in the regular series. The Manga just did such a good job of keeping the action fresh and giving us awesome moments against Team Rocket, making them feel like a legitimate threat as a opposed to comedic relief bit. All of those confrontations with legendary Pokémon would play into the plot line for arcs to come, too. In addition with Red taking a back seat later on in particular arcs, he never overstayed his welcome, keeping the manga fresh.
The Characters
The Anime
Ash Ketchum is a young, naïve character who is headstrong. For a series about creatures kicking the crap out of each other with weird powers, this seems appropriate and can make for some memorable moments. However, he is still just that years later: young and naïve. While he does show some glimpses of maturity, you never truly feel the character grow; and while you can appreciate that they're trying to keep him accessible to the same demographic each series, it does make it difficult for the viewer to connect with him at the beginning of a new series. To make it even more difficult, not only does he not age, but his Pikachu becomes incredibly weak at the beginning of each season…URGH!!!
Rivals: if there is one thing the anime got right, it was this. Let's start off with the most famous: Gary Oak. That guy was an absolute douche bag. He's 10 years old and has a Corvette and cheerleading squad. Oh, in addition to that, he bests Ash throughout almost the entire anime up until their one epic battle much later on. Ash would go on to make a variety of different rivals—some for a longer duration of time, some for a much shorter duration. In the end, no one could top Gary Oak, but Paul sure as hell did a good job. He was cold and arrogant, but fleshed out with a back story that merited his attitude. During Ash's trek through the Sinnoh region, Paul's addition seemed to fill a missing void.
The enemies suck—at least Team Rocket does. Don't get me wrong; I have a special place for Jesse and James in my heart, but with their inclusion as the main enemy in the series, their act gets old and redundant. You know they're never going to one-up the heroes, and you know they pose no real threat. Now while some of the enemy groups were taken more seriously and kept your attention longer—outside of Team Galactica and N—none of them seemed to have any damn personality.
The Manga
Red starts the series as quite the cocky and enthusiastic trainer. He is 11 when the series starts off, and is 16 as of right now. You truly feel you go on a journey with Red as he starts off as a rookie and makes his way to becoming a champion, by which time he has matured and tackles situations with more understanding in addition to not being so cocky. During the series, we even see Red lose his confidence after coming up short against Deoxys. It's always a roller coaster with him and he never really overstays his welcome when the focus shifts to a new cast of main characters.
The manga takes a bit of a different approach to the rivals: besides Blue, they're toned down quite a bit. More often than naught, rivals either take more of a back seat to the story or find themselves working with one another during the series. It benefits the plot in the long run, but they're not the most memorable characters.
The enemies in Pokémon Adventures are goddamn amazing! In fact, it's where the bulk of the plot line is driven from and it never disappoints. Team Rocket are such a legitimate threat with several of the gym leaders actually being members of Team Rocket. In addition, Lance and other members of the Elite Four want to destroy humanity for the sake of the Pokémon's well being. The main antagonist of the series is the Mask of Ice: Pryce of Mahogany town, often thought as nothing special in the games, in fact plays this role. He became cold and distant after the death of his Lapras and kidnaps Green and Silver as children along with various other people. He later becomes the leader of the second coming of Team Rocket and is the reason for all of their horrible deeds, including creating an army of Gyarados at the Lake of Rage. I could give the Mask of Ice his own article if I continued on, but he truly is a fantastic villain with a more fantastic back story than is game counterpart. He truly benefits from a variety of characters and their personalities. Having a true antagonist is awesome!
Winner: The Manga. I'm not exactly biased or anything, but—and it's hard to argue beyond the cast of rivals—the manga just does a much better job of not only building the enemies up as something special, but it gives you a refreshing supply of them throughout the duration of the story. Plus, the main character is so much easier to connect to.
I'll wrap things up here saying that I'm a big fan of both, and maybe I'll tackle this subject again later on down the road, but for me, I just enjoy the manga so much more. Until then, if you want to hear my and other Fanboys Anonymous members' thoughts about Pokémon, go and check out Addicted to Anime this Sunday, April 27th, at 8pm EST on Mega Powers Radio as we discuss Pokémon.
I'm also interested in your thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with my review? Let me know in the comments section below!
Posted by
Anonymous
- Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Ladies and gentlemen, I've spent a lot of time working on nonsense manuscripts. In fact, I like comedy pieces that rely heavily on it. I enjoyed Dream Catcher and, no matter how many people tell me it was supposed to be a serious story, I'm not about it. Being John Malkovich, How to be a Serial Killer, Wristcutters: A Love Story... Some of the best fantasy novels and reads are strictly based in nonsense. I mean they literally have little basis in reality, which makes them, literally, nonsense. Imagine then what it feels like to read nonsense that has an absolutely nonsensical dialogue, inner dialogue, and narrations to boot. Think The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe.
You Can't Kill the Multiverse (But You Can Mess with Its Head) is ridiculous. I was recently sent an excerpt from the author, a fellow purveyor of nonsense like myself, and I was blown away by the writing style. It reads like intelligent gibberish, which I loved. I was stoked to find that it's part of a series for those of us who take life a little lighter than others and expect our reads to do the same.
This sequel to Welcome to the Multiverse (Sorry for the Inconvenience) is almost an invention of style itself. Very few authors would dare it and far fewer publishers would relish in the idea of publishing it. The story goes something like this: A young man, a nearly failed but still "accomplished" (in that he made it through school) wizard is working into the night. His plan is the same as every dark wizard's, to punish humanity through magic. What better way is there to accomplish such a feat than to turn every vehicle on Earth into frogs. Wait, huh? That's right, he turns every vehicle on Earth into frogs, accidentally.
So, he's a bumbling, fumbling idiot. Perhaps not the best trait for a
dark wizard. That isn't even the most funny part. The narration of the
entire story seems to come out almost like a thought—with pauses,
doubling back to slightly change a statement, and modesty overridden by
small inlets of truth. I loved it. The only thing more enjoyable are the
comments from other characters that hilariously make smart remarks
about their own situations or actions. Definitely a book worth checking
out, or set of books as it were. Check 'em out and let me know what you
think downstairs. Indie?
Posted by
Fellonius Munch
Possibly the best-known Biblical story tells how our fashionably late lord and savior, Jesus H. Christ, turned water into wine!
Yes, we're a very selective bunch when it comes to paying attention. It's not that we don't enjoy looking for extra sins to add to the other seven. It's not that we don't take the Ten Commandments seriously, even though what happens in church tends to stay in church. It's just that after everything the human race has been through over the last two millennia, everything we've screwed up by trying to be clever—like creating the atomic bomb, poison VX gas, and world-killing viruses—if there ever was a Second Coming, we'd probably ask JC to turn the seas and oceans into vodka and then take a long swim. Every single one of us.
Earlier this week, it seemed that the prayers of millions had been answered, in that respect, when the previously unknown Mr. Mark Phillips introduced something seemingly less destructive. Well, probably less deliberately destructive than smartypants physics boffins making craters out of foreign countries.
"Move over Buddy Christ and make way for Palcohol," the headlines might as well have said. You may have read about that, the powdered alcohol that you add to water, to make your favorite beverage to get shitfaced with? Only just introduced to the United States this week, this happy hour in a packet was soon to be the savior of every boy and girl who couldn't get served at pubs, bars, and booze stores across the States, or those who simply couldn't afford high liquor prices.
Well, Fanboys Anonymous now reports that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has just very hastily reversed their approval of the product, thanks to a flurry of negative publicity. So long, Palcohol, we hardly knew ya! Gutted!
 |
| One for ma homies... |
Palcohol, which came in different types of spirits (mainly vodka and rum, followed by cocktail flavors such as mojito, margarita, etc), was designed as a handy means to a refreshing beverage in difficult circumstances. It could have been very convenient to those of us who don't have the luxury of weekends, or evenings away from work; it could have saved a lot of money
at weekend music festivals and the like; it would also have saved luggage space on hikes and camping trips (thus making the perfect addition to your
Zombie Survival Kit).
You may also have used it, at the website's suggestion, for cooking purposes or smuggled
it into large event venues (which was a big reason the TTB pulled it), and I imagine the straight
vodka mix would have made a handy first aid kit if you needed an instant
disinfectant or astringent..
However, beyond the TTB's own reasons for their reverse decision, introducing this miracle beverage posed great challenges that society hadn't yet taken into account. Firstly, it presented minors with the opportunity to sneak alcohol around unnoticed. Kids have been covertly bringing vodka into their schools for decades by mixing it with coke and energy drinks. The difference with Palcohol? You wouldn't have had to conceal its appearance with soft drinks to get it into the building. You could go right ahead and slip it into your bottled water, allowing you to ruin your future at will.
 |
| Terrible waste of cigarettes. |
Secondly, in the UK—where Palcohol may have a much harder time becoming legal—we have issues with drink. Northern England has some of the worst binge drinking rates in all of Europe, leading to especially high mortality rates and reported alcoholism in cities such as as Blackpool and Newcastle. But would we have needed Palcohol, as fun and convenient as it sounded? Well…
I don't have a drinking problem, except when I can't get a drink! - Tom Waits, Bad Liver and a Broken Heart
NEVERRR!!! - Marv, Home Alone 2
No, Palcohol wasn't entirely aimed at responsible drinkers, despite the product's disclaimer to "Drink Responsibly!" Even a half-witted marketing team knows that in order to maximize profits for something that's meant to be a breakthrough product, they must make that product appeal to those between the ages of 15 and 35, even if it can't legally be sold to those younger than 18 or 21.
The young and carefree, the old enough to know better but still too young to give a shit, and those who don't understand the concept of moderation, these are the intended markets for any alcoholic product that isn't a reputable brand. It's competition, it's market saturation. Lipsmark (the company behind Palcohol) may not have directly advertised to minors, but they wouldn't have been the only ones selling this stuff in the near future, had it proved popular.
There are other concerns you would have to consider before playing around with your powder of choice. If dumbasses will take a shot of vodka to the eyeball, they would have done the same with Palcohol. As vodka generally ranges from 36 percent to 40 percent ABV (alcohol by volume) at least, this behavior has already proven dangerous. It might only have been a matter of time before somebody handed you a double dose. Then what? Sue the company? What does it matter when the damage is already done?
The same goes for snorting the stuff. You might not have been warned. You'd be an idiot to shove anything up your nose, but that doesn't stop people from doing it. An outrageously fun night of drunkenness and high spirits makes some people act idiotic. The rest of us tend to stand back and laugh, because who in their drunkenly right mind would listen to the voice of reason?
 |
| "I lurrr da smell of Palcohol in the morning... reminds me of Cuba!" |
Otherwise, butt-chugging? LOL
Although Palcohol was a very clever invention, it wouldn't have been likely to reinvent the alcoholic beverage industry. It doesn't improve on what we already have access to. It just would have given drinkers another convenient option. Yet I think it's safe to say that the novelty would have made Mark Phillips a profitable man. Palcohol may even have become a familiar sight on store shelves, but I doubt it would have dented sales statistics of well-known brands. This would have been a little Internet shopping phenomenon at best, the one place where anybody can get their hands on stuff they shouldn't.
An afterthought: When I read about this last night, I'd previously skimmed an article on disgusting convenience foods. As a result, I immediately thought that Palcohol belonged to Yum! Brands. You know, those guys that make monstrous fast food items because they think people have no standards?!
Was this just another irresponsibly marketed Frankenfood, or was it more clever than we're letting on? I'm sure astronauts everywhere were pissing themselves with excitement, as were prisoners looking for new and exciting things to hide up their bum. Yet after way over a decade of destroying my guts with beer, wine, and spirits, I was seeing past the novelty the moment I laid eyes upon it. This could easily have been another irresponsible product that encouraged young people to destroy their health just for shits and giggles.
Sound off, Fanboys and Fangirls! What do you make of this sudden change of heart? Would you have liked to try Palcohol and do you think the decision was unfair? Comments below and thanks for reading.
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Monday, April 21, 2014
Fanboys Anonymous is always looking to showcase the talents of people who are fond of the same things that we are, and artist Zahir Batin is a perfect example. Through proper framing, lighting, and the right ideas, Zahir has brought a massive amount of life to otherwise immobile Star Wars toys and figurines. Depicting scenes from everyday life and getting down to the level of the figures in such a skillful way has allowed Zahir to create amazing pieces of art that look as though they are legitimate shots from the real world. Awesome job, Zahir!
Follow Zahir Batin on DeviantArt
Are you a Fanboy artist? Send us your work and we might just feature it on the website!
Posted by
Unknown
- Sunday, April 20, 2014
Episode 72 of the I Got Gameplay radio show is now live. Michael Burhan, Zack Latour, Travis Goss, and Craig Kellerman talk Pax East. From cosplaying to gaming, the gang talk their favorite moments from this year's biggest gaming expo!
You can check out the episode by clicking on the following links:
Libsyn: http://smarkoutmoment.libsyn.com/rss
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/igotgameplay/id570120518
Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nerdgenious/igotgameplay?amp;refid=stpr
You can subscribe to the podcast's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/IGotGameplay
You can join the discussion by going to our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/igotgameplay.
Join the IGG army in style by purchasing an I Got Gameplay t-shirt from our store. To order yours, just click on the appropriate link below! (UK and EU) http://nerdgenious.spreadshirt.co.uk/i-got-gameplay-retro-t-A25715613/customize/color/348 (US) http://nerdgenioususa.spreadshirt.com/
The t-shirt comes in eight different colors and six different sizes, including Small, Medium, Large, XL, XXL, and 3XL. Shirts are £16.50 UK and $19.90 US. Grab yours today!
Posted by
Sarrah October Young
Resurrection is a tricky thing to pull off. Although there are countless stories about it ranging from who's done it, how to achieve it, and why you shouldn't do it, Death remains a natural part of life and should garner the same amount of respect that life does. When there is a lack of respect for natural order, terrible things usually happen. Look at Jurassic Park: great example of how meddling with powerful forces can cause a heap of trouble. Sometimes it’s better to leave things alone rather than try and "fix" them, as illustrated by the following examples.
Aunt May
 |
| Art by Joe Quesada |
Let's start with Peter Parker and Aunt May. Although technically not a resurrection, the argument still stands that he should have left well enough alone. In the "One More Day" storyline, Aunt May, a woman who has pretty much had a target on her head since the day Peter got his powers, is shot and her life is hanging by a thread. Grief-stricken, Peter makes a deal with Mephisto, who just happens to be passing through this plane of existence. Mephisto offers to save Aunt May, but only if Peter sacrifices his marriage to Mary Jane and all accompanying memories. He agrees, saving Aunt May from what could have been a very nice peaceful rest and bringing her back into a world of being a perpetual target.
Question: What's the worst that would have happened if he'd let Aunt May die? Sure, he'd miss her and he'd grieve but he'd get over it. Maybe there'd be an inheritance. Maybe he'd hit the town all fancied up, hang up the suit for a night, and actually enjoy himself. Who knows? We won't because heroes aren't supposed to be happy. But it's nice to fantasize about, especially for Peter. He's had some rough days.
 |
| BTVS - Season 6 Episode 1 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Knowing that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a television series, I'm still including it due to Buffy's second death and subsequent return to the land of the living. Also, people who use magic shouldn't be trusted. Just putting that out there.
During Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy Summers died twice; first by drowning (resuscitated through CPR) and second when she sacrificed herself to close a portal that would have destroyed the world. Fearing that Buffy was being tormented in a hellish afterlife (but not thinking to check and see if they could contact her, which to be honest should have been the first step; if you're powerful enough to bring someone back from the dead, you should at least be able to spirit-Skype or whatever), her friends bring her back to life using magic. Because they didn't check, they had no idea that Buffy was doing just fine and at peace. Instead, they shove her back into an ugly world that she has to defend all over again. Also: no one was there to maybe give her a hand getting out of her grave and possibly give her a hug.
The depression and self-loathing she experiences as a result of being brought back to life could have been avoided if her friends had just left her alone. Ten Slayers agree: upon Buffy's death (for realsies) another Slayer had already been activated, so bringing her back was neither needed nor deserved. Especially without there being some sort of welcome committee waiting for her. That just sucks.
 |
| Daredevil #190 - Frank Miller |
Elektra
Elektra's death at the hand of Bullseye and Daredevil's actions afterward completely make sense. Why she still ends up resurrected does not make sense and, just so you know, the Skrull fiasco will not be addressed.
Here's the scenario: after being stabbed by Bullseye, Elektra shows up on Matt Murdock's front doorstep and dies in his arms. Murdock is heartbroken and buries her but does the right thing when he finds out The Hand is going to attempt a resurrection. Daredevil intervenes and stops the ceremony, ensuring she stays dead. In a momentary lapse brought about by his many feels, he thinks that The Hand may have actually brought her back and tries to revive her. Why? Who knows, maybe the huge cold stone slab she was lying on moved because it was settling, and he thought she had moved her eyes. In any event, he fails to bring her back but succeeds in purifying her soul, which is a pretty great parting gift for your troubled girlfriend but also kind of invasive.
Elektra's mentor Stone is a troubling man: he disappears and takes her body, somehow managing to resurrect her. After the usual round of "What the hell am I doing here?" followed closely by the much angrier "Why didn't you leave me alone? I was happy dammit!" he tells her to go do some stuff like help Wolverine regain his humanity (another story in itself). In a "totally-saw-it-coming" twist of fate, Elektra discovers that the evil purged from her soul didn't actually dissipate: it created an evil double named Erynys. So of course Elektra has to fight her, and when Elektra defeats her, the evil that had been cleansed from her soul is regained and Elektra is as tainted as she was when she died. Hindsight is always 20/20, even for the blind.
The usual suspects such as Barry Allen, Jean Grey, Superman, Bucky, and all the rest who pop up whenever "resurrection" is mentioned were not included for one very good reason: they bore me. Personally, I don't think their stories are quite as frustrating as those mentioned (and believe me, I could have gone on ad nauseum) and I just wish that dead people would stay that way unless they are either Deadman or Resurrection Man. Those guys are cool.
What do you think? What's your least favorite comic/television series resurrection?
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Friday, April 18, 2014
The comic book industry can be quite confusing to follow. With dozens upon dozens of titles for each character, decades' worth of continuity that is always being changed and manipulated from one writer to the next, and so many in-universe ways to completely change canon in the interest of keeping things fresh, it's virtually impossible to keep track of what's going on. Even when DC and Marvel make company-wide mandates that the continuity will reboot and start anew, things always get muddied up and confusing sooner than later.
It has been a mission of many fans that are supremely dedicated to this form of entertainment to try to fill in the gaps and answer the questions that have no answers. As a result, Hypercrisis was born.
This is the attempt on behalf of the Fanboys out there to weave a thread of interconnectivity between virtually all aspects of the DC Universe, primarily using the works of Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns as the basis. For the most part, these two writers were chosen not just because they are two of the most prominent creators in DC today, crafting some of the most influential stories that affect the continuity, but they are also two of the best historians that DC has. They are always bringing up old things and incorporating them in new ways and trying their best to make sense of the haphazard nature of comics, very much in the spirit of what the fans themselves do.
One fan on 4chan took it upon himself to give his Hypercrisis theory, and it makes so much sense that DC Comics themselves may just consider adopting it as an actual part of their plan. Below is the anonymous member's post (unedited):
So get this in DC Cosmology, the boundaries of the Universe are this massive impenetrable barrier called the Source Wall right? And on the other side is The Source, the cosmic originator of all things?
Well, it's pretty apparent that Sourcewall= Fourthwall.
Because check this, when we see the multiverse, it's set up like a massive cell structure, with the walls acting as membranes while being held together within the bleed, or to make it more literally, comic book panels within the gutter. From there we can see that the Sourcewall isn't only metaphorical comics "Fourthwall" but the literal Fourthwall as well. In the same way that the stages Fourthwall is the invisible barrier between the audience and the front stage. Thus, what is the Source other than US. OUR reality? We are in fact the Source of everything in the DCU. Readers Writer editors etc., we all feed into the massive microverse that is those comics. Why do you think communication with The Source takes the form of writing?
What makes this even better is how this gels with the Anti-Life Equation. What is the Anti-Life Equation? It's an objective proof of nihilism, effectively proving to any lifeform that its life is meaningless and pointless and worthless. Now, how else could one do that outside of SHOWING THEM that there life has no real value, that it isn't real? This is why we see the Antilife equation beyond the Source Wall, and why it is described as the negative aspect of the Source. Can you imagine what would happen to your psych if you found that you and everything you've ever known were mere fiction cooked up by the brains of a thousand different people? The Anti-Life equation would just be a Crimson Chin-esque existential blast.
Now let's talk about The Flash. You ever notice how one is always involved in these various cosmic muckamucks? Flash of Two Worlds? Crisis on Infinite Earths? Final Crisis? Flashpoint?
Because you really have to look at the nature of movement, time and the multiverse itself.
The Speed Force is defined as the cosmological "force" that is the very act of movement within reality. It is in effect the abstract embodiment of agency. Now looking at the idea of the Multiverse, what is it other than a series of possibilities? Many Worlds theory literalizes this by presenting it as the result of an infinite chain of Boolean actions, but that mechanic need not objectively apply. But the neutral tenant is that what differs one world from the other is choice; movement. One particle is here instead of there, one earth is there instead of here. In effect the various configurations that Space can take up over Time form a Multiverse.
So therefore, what more is the Speed Force that the cosmic engine that runs the Multiverse? This extends to the time travel powers they all have as well. (As seen in the very first issue of Barry comics) time itself is merely the summation of various actions taken on each other in scale. When you extend these many points, or actions in series with each other you get a line. The timeline, but in a multiversal model you account for all the OTHER possible actions not accounted for and thus you achieve a massive branching cube time.
This is what we call "Hypertime."
You can see this then that the various Flashes act as its champions called upon the Speed Force to serve it in times of multiversal crisis.
And, for bonuses, as we stated above the Multiverse is made from the Red of the Bleed and the Yellow of the Source Wall. And what colors are The Flashes? And the Speed Force? Red and Yellow. These are also the colors of the Waverider, seer of Hypertime. (Whose Skin was made to create the time traveler Skeets). And , most importantly, the Kryptonian Symbol of"Hope." For what is Hope but the recognition of Possibility. (Thus the sea of Blue in the background)
This is why Barry Allen was given a Blue Lantern Ring. By that same onus That's why Barry was able to overwhelm Darkseid's Anti-Life Equation in Final Crisis. The Speed Force ("3X2(9YZ)4A") is the "Life Equation."
Speaking of the Lanterns this acts a good Segway here. Now what is a Lantern? They are, regardless of the color, devices that translate the energy of a pure emotive "drive" into physical aspects. A construct. They are in effect the end point of the very IDEA of technology (or magic, from which out word "Machine" share its roots.)
And what does the energy take the form of? A Flame.
Going off the Promethean and symbolic aspects of Flame as the embodiment of Human Progression and achievement. (See: The Flame of Olympus) we can take this to the realm of the New Gods.
Remember, when the forge god Himon created them, he needed to give them a "mysterious rapport with nature" they were powered by Element X, the ultimate power source.
This Power Source of Course, when seen, was a burning white flame.
The Same white flame that we see the Entity embody; the sum total of all the emotive drive of the universe.(In the same way White Light is the sum total of the Spectrum)
Thus we can see continuity. From the basic fire uses by the first men to the Super Science Lantern Rings to The Anything-inator: the Miracle Machine to the God Box, the Mother Box.
Devices at their core that are the same as any device, something that translates living desire, living will (thus it being at the center of the spectrum) into an action.
That's why it is the most powerful force in the universe. It's Imagination.
For after all what are comic, stories, cultures, nations, or ideals but imagination? What makes us human, are sentience is that we can take our feelings and manifest them in ways utterly new to the world. Our Language are technology our fiction, all began as ideas within us. Making something up doesnt mean it's not real, making something up makes it REALER.
The Comisc Flame, Emotional Engine, whatever you want to call it, it's the same thing at the core of all of us. And in the dramatized Hyper-Energy real of Superheroics. it's the most powerful force there, because it's the most powerful force here.
If you want to read more reactions to the original post, it is archived here: http://archive.foolz.us/co/thread/58260677/
So what do you think of this theory? Does it hold up, or can you find some holes? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
The manga takes a bit of a different approach to the rivals: besides Blue, they're toned down quite a bit. More often than naught, rivals either take more of a back seat to the story or find themselves working with one another during the series. It benefits the plot in the long run, but they're not the most memorable characters.
