It's almost October!

That means that it's almost time for yet another series of posts about Halloween costumes. Last year it was the Top 12 Stupid Sexy Costumes and the year before that it was the Top 12 Lame Scary Costumes. How can you resist finding out what is going to happen this year?

The first post will go up on the 1st.

#7 of Top 12 Picard Episodes of Star Trek TNG

Disaster

Picard hates kids. That is one of the first character traits we learned about him. Think about his reaction when Wesley came on the bridge in the first episode. this is one of the few traits that isn't supposed to be messed with. So as a good writer, the writer for this episode decided to put Picard in a position where he had to deal with kids in an emergency without being able to pass them off.

Let's step back to the beginning, and I'll do my best to avoid talking about the rest of the episode since I want to talk about it when I do my list for the rest of the crew.

As a reward for winning the science fair, three young children are given the opportunity to tour the Enterprise with Captain Picard. No one seems excited about that idea, except maybe Counselor Troy.

 So the three kids are Marissa, Jay Gordon, and Patterson. The tour starts off awkwardly with Picard explaining where they will go on the tour and telling one of the boys that they will not go to the battle bridge. Instead he informs them that they will be visiting the hydroponics and the astrophysics labs.

(I will talk about the rest of the episode when I do my Top 12 for the rest of the crew, but for now I just want to focus on Picard and the kids.)

Patterson planted radishes in special dirt and they came up weird. Jay Gordon studied a bug with a very short life cycle. Marissa doesn't get a chance to tell about her project because something happens to the ship and sends the turbo lift crashing down the tubes.  (We find out in the next scene that it is a quantum filament, but that isn't what we are talking about right now.)

So here we are in a moment Picard couldn't have even dreamed about dreading-stuck in a broken turbo lift with a broken leg with three kids.

He has to figure out a way to get the kids out of the turbo lift and to safety, so he promotes all of them. He takes off his command pips and distributes them to the children. Marrisa becomes the first officer, Jay Gordon is dubs science officer, and Patterson is made executive officer in charge of radishes. The trio work together to open up the hatch of the make their way up the shaft to a safe location. Initially, Picard insists that the children can climb on their own, but after hearing the complaints of the crew, Marissa insists that they stay together. Picard works with the kids to climb out of the shaft, and when they start to feel afraid, he gets them to sing "Frere Jaques" as they climb.

After the Enterprise pulls itself together, Picard sees his child crew again and they give him a plaque that they made to thank him for getting out of trouble. Picard informs the children that they will restart the tour on another date, and the tour will include the battle bridge. As the children are leaving the bridge, Picard gives an order to Riker, addressing him as "Number 1" and he and Marissa both say "Yes sir."

Important elements of this story (or at least parts that I like):

• Marissa starts off as a shy little girl, but develops confidence in herself when she become first officer. She even starts giving orders.
• Jay Gordon insists on being referred to as Jay Gordon rather than just Jay.
• Patterson takes pride in his accomplishments with radishes.

#8 for Top 12 Picard Episodes of star Trek TNG

Tapestry

The crew of the Enterprise is a cohesive unit that works and lives well together. they have managed to form a tapestry of their own, but what happens when a member of that crew is given a chance to change something from their past? How will that impact the present?

As the starting element of the story, Captain Picard discovers that he has died as a result of the malfunction of an artificial heart that was implanted during his days at Starfleet Acadamy. He had been in a fight with some Nausicaans and gotten stabbed through the heart.

Well, we assume that he dies because the next thing we know Picard is standing in a large, empty white space with Q. Picard rejects the notion that Q is God or that Q has any benevolent reasons for bring Picard to this space.

Q makes an offer to prevent this accident from happening. All Picard has to do is go back in time and stop himself from being in the fight with the Nausicaans. Picard agrees since the man he was isn't someone that he is complete proud of.

This episode is great because we get to experience Picard as a young cadet and get to know some of the people that shaped his career in Star Fleet. Picard does change his past, and avoids getting stabbed, and annoys his friends. Picard then finds himself in the present, but a very different present.

He is just a junior officer working in Astrophysics. Riker and Troy inform him that there isn't much chance that his career will ever advance beyond that point. Q explains that the fight with the Nausicaans was an important point in Picard's life that taught him about his mortality, forced him to be proactive in his life.

Q gives Picard the chance to go back a second time and put history back on the correct path. Picard accepts and gets in that deadly fight. This solves the mystery at the end of the fight because young Picard laughed as he saw he'd been stabbed, and the reason was because it was the older Picard relishing making things right.

Picard then wakes up have been saved by Dr. Crusher. He then wonders as he recovers if he actually went back in time or if it were all a dream. Probably only Q has the answer to that question, and I'm sure he wouldn't give a straight answer.

#10 for Top 12 Picard Episodes of Star Trek TNG

Unification (1+2)

There are four episodes where characters for TOS (the original series) make an appearance in the "present." In Unification, we get to see Spock and his father, Sarek. Spock has been disappeared and been spotted on Romulus. Picard has been given responsibility for locating and returning Spock.

Picard visits and ailing Sarek, and the two of them resume the connection they established in Sarek where his Bendii syndrome has caused his strong emotional control is fading. (More about that later.) After finding the connection person to contact, Picard finds a Klingon ship to take him into Romulan space.

This two-part story has three amazing Picard moments. First, we have the scene with Sarek where Picard tries to draw information for the aging Vulcan, while still supporting him. I talked more about it in the last paragraph, so I'll leave it at that.

The second moment happens when Picard is trying to get in touch with Gowron, the recently appointed Chancellor of the Klingon High Council. Gowron is trying to cover up Picard's involvement in appointment to that position. So when Picard manages to talk to someone in the Klingon government, it ends up being an underling. Picard's reaction is amazing. Don't miss out on this scene. His righteous indignation is a must-see moment.

Third you get to see Picard as the Captain of the current Enterprise interact with Spock. This happens quite a bit, and it makes for some phenomenal drama. It cannot be missed.

Since I probably won't bring this up in the second list, since this episode has less to do with the crew, I don't want to miss the chance to talk about Spock working with Data and the two of them discussing what it means to be human-Spock uncertain why Data want to be human when Vulcans spend their entire lives striving for what he has, while Data wonders about the opposite dynamic.

There will be other great episodes on the way, so keep your eyes open.

200th Post!

For the 200th post, I decided I would put up links to my favorite posts so far. They are in no particular order, but they are all a lot of fun. Enjoy!

12 of my Favorite Opinion Pieces (in no particular order)

Bedwetter:Stories of Courage and Redemption
I love Sarah Silverman, and her autobiography is inspiring and hilarious. Worth the read.

Review of the Silver Chair movie
What happens when you take a book and completely rework it to make a move?

My Plans for the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who
This won't happen, but it should.

Christmas Songs I'm already sick of hearing
One year I just got sick of these Christmas songs.

Signs of the Apocalypse
What happens when you put Justin Bieber and Willow Smith together? The end of the world.

My Top Weird Al Song
I love Weird Al and here is my favorite song.

Fake rules for being Irish
What do you have to do when it's St. Patrick's Day and you want to be Irish

Top Firefly Episode
I love Firefly, and so I did a Top 12 list of the 14 episodes.

Shadowcat is my favorite X-man (that is all)
Top 12 X-men based on my preference and their roles in the Marvel Universe, but Kitty is my favorite over all.

Stupid Sexy Costumes
I did lame scary costumes the year before, so I chose stupid sexy costumes for 2012

Picard Primer
I decided to do a Top 12 storylines in Star Trek TNG and then realized I need to do an entire list for Captain Picard. This is the primer on the Captain to get the list started.
Top 12 Christmas hymns
This is the entire list with videos of performances of each song.

#11 for Top 12 Picard Episodes of Star Trek TNG

Gambit (parts 1+2)

Picard dies from time to time, and that is how this 2-part story begins. Riker becomes obsessed with finding the people responsible and making them pay. Star Fleet command puts the Enterprise on detached duty, so Riker and company can investigate.

While looking at a location known for Romulan artifacts, Riker and company encounter a band of robbers. Riker is captured and taken aboard the enemy ship. There he discovers several things. First, he has been implanted with a pain device to ensure his cooperation. Second, the group is looking for artifacts in order to collect some kind of reward, paid when they have found three of a certain design. Third, Captain Picard is actually alive and posing as an archeologist named Galen.

We might talk about other parts of this episode when we do the list for the rest of the crew, but for now we will just mention that Data has to command the Enterprise, and that he has to give Worf a dressing down for not fulfilling the role of First Officer. We want to focus on Captain Jean Luc Picard.

Picard does a great job of thinking on his feet and creating a believable cover story when he is captured. He also puts together a plan once Riker is added to the equation. Picard creates a false role of Riker as a brash and impulsive officer who has been in trouble with Star Fleet many times. Picard also uses Riker to alienate himself from the ship's captain.

Life gets more complicated when Riker returns to the Enterprise through a little manipulation and has to stage a mutiny. He is able to convince the crew to stand with him, and formulates a plan to not only deal with the problem he is facing with the smugglers, but also with the bigger problem of the episode.

THIS LAST BIT IS ALL SPOILERS! DON'T READ UNTIL YOU'VE SEEN THE EPISODE!

So all of this smuggling has been to collect an ancient Vulcan artifact that was created right at the time when the Vulcans turned to logic and away from emotion. The device turns violent emotions against anyone attacking the bearer of the device-killing them. Picard using his understanding of the Vulcan artifacts to realize that purging himself of violent emotions will protect him from the device. This moment shows just how amazing of a man Jean Luc Picard is.

#12 for Top 12 Picard Episodes for Star Trek TNG

 

Lower Decks

This episode is great because it takes the focus off of the main cast and gives us a look into some of the other members of the crew of the Enterprise. It's crew evaluation time, and we get to follow the adventure in front of the crew through the eyes of a group of ensigns, all hoping for a promotion.

The ensigns are connected to a member of the senior staff. Sam is interested in becoming an officer and impressing Riker, Sito Jaxa is a Bajoran who has Worf as a mentor and a history with Picard, Nurse Ogawa works with Dr Crusher, and Taurik is a Vulcan engineer that works with Geordi.

Each of them is worried about the reviews and wondering what it will mean for the future of their careers. During the course of the story, each of them except for Sam is asked to help with part of a covert mission to help a Cardassian sympathizer get back to Cardassia.

Let's get to Picard's part of this story. Ensign Sito Jaxa may look familiar from an episode where the crew of the Enterprise is trying to absolve Wesley of charges for flagrant disregard for protocol and the death of a fellow cadet. She was a part of that group and struggled to continue her career after that mistake.

When we first see Picard interacting with the ensign, he is very cold, and since this is the first time we've seen Ensign Sito since the trial episode, it is feasible that he isn't happy with her being a part of his crew. Under the pressure of his stern reprimands, she tells about her time after the trial and how no one besides her instructor would fly with her for her pilot qualification exam.

After that encounter, Worf gives Sito some encoursgement through a harsh lesson. He gives her a fake test for a Klingon martial arts test where she is blind folded while he pushes her around and berates her. Sito finally has enough and stands up to Work who reveals that she needs to stand up for herself when she feels she is being unfairly treated.

When Picard and Sito meet next, Picard is still gruff and rude to Sito, and she suggests that if he doesn't want her on the Enterprise then she should be given a transfer. That is when Picard changes his attitude. He is the one that requested that she be stationed on the Enterprise to ensure that she would get a fair chance to prove herself as an officer.

Sito is asked if she will volunteer to pose as a prisoner for a Cardassian who has provided intel for the Federation. This will allow him to return home and possibly bring back more information in the future. This is made extra complicated because a s a Bajoran, Sito and her people have suffered under Cardassian rule for generations.

Sito agrees, and travels into Cardassian space, but she doesn't make it back alive. Picard's announcement in touching and shows just how much he cared about this Ensign that had only been a part of his crew for seven months. "She was the finest example of Star Fleet officer, and a young woman of remarkable courage and strength of character."

The Picard Primer-Getting ready for the Top 12 Episodes Jean-Luc Picard

When I started planning for the Top 12 Episodes of Star Trek TNG, I knew it was going to be hard to bring the list down to twelve, but I wasn't expecting to have so many episodes on the prep list. I ended up with 48 episodes to consider when it was all said and done. When I finished with National Novel Writing Month at the end of November, and my Top 12 Avengers, I started thinking about how I was going to make this list work.

As I looked at the episodes, I noticed that a large number of my top choices involved stories with Captain Picard. It made me realize that if I did the list straight up, I wouldn't be able to give all of the characters their due. Then I came up with the idea of splitting the massive list into two lists.


First I will look at the Top 12 Picard episodes, and then we'll look at the Top 12 for the rest of the crew. This will let me give all of the characters some time. For now, though, let's talk about the man, Captain Picard.

Like with all of the Star Trek shows, the captain is the person that drives the show. The captain is responsible for the major decisions. The captain is the focus of the story and his (or her) story arc is paramount.

Jean Luc Picard was a marked difference from William T. Kirk from the original series. Where Kirk was a shoot-first kind of captain (which isn't really fair to the character, but it suits the idea), Picard tried to use diplomacy first. However, if diplomacy didn't work then Picard could fight with the best of them.

Sure Picard is confusing because he's supposed to be French, and although his brother has a French accent, Jean Luc has a British accent. Whatever.

Picard is a thinker and he brings out the best in everyone he has in his sphere of influence. He sees what people have the potential to accomplish and helps them to make it happen.

He is also a paradox of a man in many ways:

• A man who studies and loves the past who captain's the most advanced ship of his time.
• A man that hates kids, but can't help but draw them into his life.
• A man that strives for peace, but has to fight for it.

Let's get into the list and see how Picard stands out in the pack.

Top 12 Avengers-Number 1

Top 12 Avengers-Number 1

Captain America

Captain America was not a creation of Stan Lee, in fact, the Captain has his origins before Stan was involved with comics and when Marvel Comics was known as Timely Comics. It was 1940, and the United States was still undecided about its policy concerning World War II, but since every other comic company had someone involved in the fight with Hitler and the Axis powers.

Originally he was going to be called Super American, but the adjective had been worn out by that point, so Joe Simon decided to name his character Captain America. In his first issue, Cap got to slug Hitler in the jaw. With that single issue, Captain America was a hit.

So what's Cap's story? I'm sure you've seen or heard it before, but here you go:

Born a Yankee Doodle Dandy (on the 4th of July in case you don't get the reference), Steve Rogers grew up to be a scrawny Fine Arts Student, and when the war started, he wanted to go and fight, but he was deemed unfit for service. He jumped at the chance to be a part of the Super-Soldier project in hopes that it would help him be able to serve his country.

Since the man behind the program is killed by enemy agents as Rogers becomes a Super Soldier, and since he didn't leave complete records of the formula, Rogers is used as a patriotic super hero. He battles America's enemies both at home and around the world, but in a daring attempt to defeat Baron Zemo, both Cap and his partner Bucky are involved in an explosion over the Atlantic, and they are both presumed dead.

Years later, a frozen Captain America is discovered and thawed from the ice. He recovers thanks to the Super-Soldier Serum and joins the team. Cap has often acted as the leader for the team, and his tactical expertise and experience have always been an asset.

Let's talk for a little bit about what makes Cap so special. The Super-Soldier Serum increases his strength, agility, speed, and everything else to beyond peak performance. He has a shield that is made from a blend of adamantium and vibranium (along with some other things) that is invulnerable and can absorb almost any shock it receives. Cap's long experience as a soldier has taught him how to predict the moves his enemies will make and how to counter them.

Cap has been a part of almost every major story line in the Avengers and the Marvel Universe. Although he only has his enhanced strength and the shield, Cap is still more than a match for many of the opponents he faces, but he does so with a humility that makes him endearing.

Let me tell you about some of my favorite Cap moments.

Captain America defeats Iron Man one-on-one. This has happened more than once actually, and every time it happens It makes me happy. Somehow Cap manages to overcome huge obstacles to defeat the man in the super armor.

Captain America defears the Super Adaptoid in possesion of the Cosmic Cube. The Super Adaptoid is a sentient robot that was designed to defeat any and all chalenges by duplicating the powers of anyone it encountered. At some point, this device gained the powers of the Cosmic Cube. (This is not to be confused with the cube in the Marvel movies.) The Cosmic Cube can basically grant any wish its holder might make. Using the power it had copied from the cube, the Super Adaptoid capture the Avengers, who were led by Captain Marvel (aka Photon) and held them in cubes that their powers could not affect. Captain America (then using the identity the Captain since he had been stripped of the title Captain America by the US government) was teleported to the scene. Cap was able to show the Adaptoid that it wasn't as perfect as it thought even though it had immense power. It wasn't able to create something original or even beat the Captain in combat. This proved, the Super Adaptoid shut down.

Awesome shield tricks I don't remember where this happened, but in a storyline Cap needed to get to the bottom of a deep pit. Without taking time to think about it, he jumped and fell

Cap jumps off the SHIELD helicarrier and hijacks a jet while it is in the air.
At the start of the Civil War storyline, Captain America is on the SHIELD helicarrier talking to the woman that is responsible for reigning in all of the heroes that are against registering. Rather than trying to explain the situation and the reasons that the government is taking these actions, she tries to detain the Captain. Cap doesn't take this approach very well and does something no one is expecting-he uses his shield to smash through the glass of one of the windows, and falls.

This is unexpected enough, but then Cap guides his decent so he lands on a jet plane patrolling around the helicarrier and ejects the pilot so he can fly it to safety.

Let's talk about the movies

I didn't do this with the others,but I just appreciated Chris Evans' performance in this role so much. Along with that, the film makers really got the character right. (Certainly better than Cap's first film.) Steve Rogers is all about being that guy that takes one for the team. He will jump on the grenade and think about everyone else first in a combat situation.

I loved watching Cap stand up to Thor's hammer and arguing with Iron Man. (Movie Iron Man gets a pass compared to the comic books.) I wasn't expecting Captain America: the First Avenger to be a period piece, but that ended up being the perfect way to introduce the character.

Steve Rogers is a symbol for America, but more than that, he fights for everyone that needs a hand, and that makes him my favorite Avenger. You may or may not agree, but that's what the comment section is for.

Top 12 Avengers-Number 2

She Hulk

Jennifer Walters was one of the last creations of Stan Lee during his original run as Marvel's idea man. She was an attempt to stop the Incredible Hulk television show from creating a cousin for David Banner that they wouldn't have the rights to.

She Hulk is a result of Bruce Banner trying to save his cousin's life. While he was visiting Jen, henchmen of crime boss, Nicholas Trask, shot her while trying to kill her sheriff/father,  and Bruce gave Jen a blood transfusion that also gave her powers similar to the Hulk.

Over the years, it was explained that her appearance was shaped by her subconscious desire to be the ideal woman as opposed to her small and shy original self. She Hulk became a member of the Avengers and had some solo activity before joining with the Fantastic Four to replace the Thing who had left the team during a period of frustration with Reed Richards not being able to return him to his human form.

After her time with the Fantastic Four, Jennifer Walters , who had become a lawyer, took a job as assistant District Attorney, and was given her own solo book, the Sensational She Hulk in which she knew she was actually a character in a comic book.

She Hulk has been a part of many of the legal proceedings of the Marvel Universe when she was counsel for Speedball after the events that led to the Civil War, and tied up legal proceeding for Peter Parker after it was revealed that he was Spider-man.

I know I can't list a lot of contributions from She Hulk as an Avenger, but she's always there lending a helping, green hand. I love her personality and resolve. Whether she's with the Fantastic Four or the Avengers, or just lending a helping hand, she is a great character that deserves to be at a top spot on this list. I just hope that someone decides she deserves a movie, and does it right. Joss Whedon could write and direct it, just make sure he doesn't kill her, OK?

Don't forget about the Lady Liberators too.

Top 12 Avengers-Number 3

Captain Marvel

This name gets tossed around a lot in the comic book world. The first Captain Marvel, and arguably the best is the DC version, but that doesn't have anything to do with the list right now.

We already talked a little bit about Photon and her time as Captain Marvel, but we haven't really talked much about the woman who has bounced almost everywhere in the Marvel Universe.

Carol Danvers started her story as a Security Chief with the US Air Force. At some point, she meets the alien-Kree hero, Captain Marvel. During an investigation, she almost dies in an explosion of the Psyche-Magnetron which melds her DNA with the DNA of Captain Marvel. Ms. Marvel (as she is known at that time) was a strong presence in the Marvel Universe, bouncing between titles on a regular basis.

Later in her story, Rogue decided to kill her. Actually, the precog, Destiny, had seen that Ms. Marvel would cause Rogue to leave Mystique and suggested that they kill Ms. Marvel. Unfortunately for Rogue, she overheard that conversation and took it upon herself to do the job. While absorbing Ms. Marvel's powers, something went wrong, and Rogue ended up absorbing everything from Carol leaving Ms. Marvel a blank slate.

After this event, Carol spends some time with the X-men. While battling the Brood in space, Carol is experimented upon by the Brood, and becomes Binary, who has access to the powers of a white hole. After dealing with the Brood, Carol stays in space with the Star Jammers.

An interesting manifestation of Carol happens inside the mind of Rogue. Since Rogue absorbed all that was Carol Danvers, that personality still lingers as a strong presence. Eventually, Carol is even able to take control of Rogue's body from time to time, especially when Rogue has been knocked unconscious or severely hurt.

Recently, Carol has taken on the title and role of Captain Marvel, left by the Kree hero that left it quite a while ago. It still remains to be seen what will happen with the character, but things are looking pretty good at this point.

Top 12 Stupid 'Sexy' Costumes-Number 2

In a world that is becoming more and more obsessed with 'sexy,' we are bombarded each Halloween with new 'sexy' costumes. Unfortunately, some of them are really stupid. This list will examine the Top 12 stupidest 'sexy' costumes.

Number 3- The Lorax

Let's think about this for a moment. Who is the Lorax? The Lorax is a small animal-like creature from a beloved Dr. Seuss character that championed the trees. The story isn't very long since it is a children's book. The movies gives a little more story, but I don't see that justifying this.

Think about any reason why you might find the Lorax sexy. His environmental message might score a point or two. His love of animals and the trufula trees might add a couple more, but let's be honest here, the Lorax was never designed to be sexy. Do you see the other gender of a Lorax? Maybe they don't reproduce, or they do mitosis or something. You might as well have a sexy amoeba or something like that.

If you really want a perfect reason to not think about a sexy Lorax, think about this guy:

This is Danny DeVito, the man that voiced the Lorax in the latest movie version. I got over the choice after seeing how he did with the part, but maybe I can plant in your head the idea of Danny DeVito when you see a sexy Lorax costume.

Top 12 Stupid 'Sexy' Costumes-Number 3

In a world that is becoming more and more obsessed with 'sexy,' we are bombarded each Halloween with new 'sexy' costumes. Unfortunately, some of them are really stupid. This list will examine the Top 12 stupidest 'sexy' costumes.

Number 3- Sexy Darth Vader

Originally, I was going to make this my #1 pick, but then I thought about it some more. When I talk about a costume being stupid, I'm mostly talking about it being pointless and uninspired. This costume does have a point, although it is not your typical kind of attraction.

This costume has to have been put together for the fetish crowd. You've got a mask/helmet, skin tight latex(?), all you need is higher heels.

I'm not against that if that is what floats your boat, but it's definitely not a costume for everyone. Besides, when I think of Darth Vader, I'm not looking to be aroused. Think about what he looks like under the mask. Definitely not sexy.

If you want to do something Star Wars related, there are plenty of options that would actually be considered sexy. (This is the part where I reassure my friend, Matt, that aside from this aside, Princess Leia won't be on this list.) Pick one of those, and stop freaking everybody out. Nah, just do what you want, but if you're going to wear this costume, expect lots of reaction

Top 12 Stupid 'Sexy' Costumes-Number 4

In a world that is becoming more and more obsessed with 'sexy,' we are bombarded each Halloween with new 'sexy' costumes. Unfortunately, some of them are really stupid. This list will examine the Top 12 stupidest 'sexy' costumes.

Number 5-Pokemon

"Gotta catch 'em all!"
"I'd like to get a Pikachu" (peek at you)

I could go on with lame pick up lines, but if you wear this costume, you will hear more than these, and much worse. Think about what Pikachu looks like. He's a small chubby mouse that is bright yellow. There just isn't enough to make me think of Pikachu, and I'd rather not think about an electric mouse like that anyway. I guess I can give the costume makers a point or two for the tail and the ears, not that that really takes any effort, just someone realizing that without them, this is just a girl in a tube top and a skirt.

If you're a fan of Pokemon, then feel free to dress up as your favorite, but do them the courtesy of trying to look like that Pokemon, OK?

Top 12 Avengers-Number 4

Thor

While trying to come up with new ideas for heroes, Stan Lee started thinking about mythology. It occurred to him that while most people were familiar with Greco-Roman figures, they weren't really familiar with other groups like the Norse. Since there would be fewer people complaining about discrepancies, Stan suggested that Marvel try using Thor as a hero.

This was great because not only did we get to have Thor, but Norse mythology had already provided a large group of allies and enemies to make writing a little bit easier. Odin and Loki have been huge features in the book, as well as Fenrir and the Midgard Serpent.

One of the most important parts played by Thor was the reason for the creation of the Avengers. Loki was trying to trick and theoretically kill his brother, Thor, by pitting him against the Hulk. Not only Thor replied to the call for help, but so did Ant Man, Wasp, and Iron Man. The four teamed up, and with the help of the Hulk, they managed to defeat Loki's evil scheme.

Since Thor has to split his attentions between Midgard (Earth) and Asgard, he hasn't always been an active part of the Avengers, but his presence is always welcomed, and appreciated.

I think what I really like about Thor is the option of the different worlds. With Asgard, you also get all of the Nine Realms with all of the insanity. Frost Giant, Dwarves, Dark Elves, Hel are all great possibilities, and you get all of the great enemies and allies like Enchantress, the Warriors Three, Sif and the rest.

I almost forgot to talk about Thor's alternate personalities. Early on, Thor had to spend a good portion of his time as Donald Blake, which was referenced in the Thor movie, but the original concept was Donald Blake as a doctor with a bad leg whose cane turned into Thor's hammer. At another point, Thor had disappeared, and a mortal named Eric Masterson was given the powers of Thor in an attempt to find the thunder god.

Thor is a big hit and he has been for a long time. With the success of Thor and the Avengers, look for more and more people to get interested as well.

Top 12 Stupid 'Sexy' Costumes-Number 5

In a world that is becoming more and more obsessed with 'sexy,' we are bombarded each Halloween with new 'sexy' costumes. Unfortunately, some of them are really stupid. This list will examine the Top 12 stupidest 'sexy' costumes.

Number 5-Nemo

Wow, so some orange and white stripes is all it takes to turn a girl into a clown fish? That doesn't seem quite right. Look around at some of the other costumes to see why this one misses the mark. While looking for an image, I saw a great one with a kid basically carrying a large stuffed fish as a suit.

I guess you can pass it off as just wanting to recreate the colors of Nemo, but you certainly can't pretend that you look like him.

Top 12 Stupid 'Sexy' Costumes-Number 6

In a world that is becoming more and more obsessed with 'sexy,' we are bombarded each Halloween with new 'sexy' costumes. Unfortunately, some of them are really stupid. This list will examine the Top 12 stupidest 'sexy' costumes.

Number 6-Cookie Monster

Let's start with a simple statement that I think that most of us can agree upon-Cookie Monster is not sexy. He is a big blue monster that overindulges in cookies. (I won't deny my enjoyment of cookies, but that is a different subject.)

For this post I have a few pics of different attempts at a 'sexy' costume. This first one is just lazy. Couldn't we at least give her a blue dress to add to the illusion? If anything, it looks like the Cookie Moster has become a zombie and traded his love of cookies into love of brains.

Next up we have Team Sesame in some dresses that don't really do anything for the project. Also, can we just say no to pedophilia 'sexy' Elmo dress? (Yes, I know that Kevin Clash is a mature African-American man, but you don't think of him when you think of Elmo. You usually miss Keven even when Elmo is right there.)

I thought I should be fair and throw in a costume I think is halfway decent. Not only is most of the costume blue, giving an attempt at pretending to be a big blue monster, but she also has a cookie in her hand. Sure Cookie Monster still looks like he's gone full zombie, but at least this costume is trying.

Top 12 Stupid 'Sexy' Costumes-Number 7

In a world that is becoming more and more obsessed with 'sexy,' we are bombarded each Halloween with new 'sexy' costumes. Unfortunately, some of them are really stupid. This list will examine the Top 12 stupidest 'sexy' costumes.

Number 7- R2D2

So we have two options here: one is a awesome small robot, the other one is a person deluded into thinking they look like an awesome small robot. R2D2 is probably the best thing about the Star Wars movies. He's funny even though he doesn't talk in a language we understand, he is always getting people out of trouble, and he's just so adorable.

This costume just doesn't capture any of those characteristics. It completely misses the character and doesn't do him justice. She could at least where some kind of helmet, right?

If you're going to wear this costume, do me a favor and at least figure out a way to make R2 noise, OK? That will make all the nerds of the world feel a little bit better.

Top 12 Stupid 'Sexy' Costumes-Number 8

In a world that is becoming more and more obsessed with 'sexy,' we are bombarded each Halloween with new 'sexy' costumes. Unfortunately, some of them are really stupid. This list will examine the Top 12 stupidest 'sexy' costumes.

Number 8-M&M

I get the appeal of this one, and it should probably be lower on the list. I mean, think about the classic tag line for M&Ms- "melts in your mouth, not in your hand." It's the perfect line to get the attention of that cute person at the party-perfect ice breaker.

That being said, there isn't much to sell this costume. Sure you get to see a lot of skin, but it certainly doesn't look anything like an M&M. At best it looks like an M&M is trying to tear its way out of your stomach. (This usually isn't considered sexy.)

I don't want to be picky about this, but isn't green supposed to be the sexy one? I'm pretty sure that the girl  in the picture above doesn't really want people thinking about a 'boy' M&M when they look at her.

Top 12 Avengers- Number 5

Photon

Monica Rambeau started her comic book story as a member of the New Orleans harbor patrol and gained her powers while trying to stop the creation of a weapon. Bathed in extra-dimensional energy, she gained the ability to transform her body into any form of energy. This gives her the ability to fly, and project energy either in energy and human forms.

After gaining her powers, Monica decides to become a super hero and takes the name Captain Marvel which while being one of the more popular names in the Marvel Universe, isn't currently in use. After Carol Danvers loses her powers as Binary, Monica gives up the name and becomes Photon.

I don't really know Monica as Photon, but I'll use the name to keep things simpler.

My main connection to Photon is during her time leading the Avengers. I really appreciated her in this role. It wasn't an easy time to be an Avenger, let alone leading the team. The ranks were a bit thin, and the original Avengers all had their own problems that kept them away from the team. Photon still did a great job in my opinion.

She did have some trouble with the Super Adaptoid after it had gained access to the Cosmic Cube, but that is to be expected. Other than that moment, I can't think of a problem she wasn't able to lead the team through.

I especially appreciated her upbeat attitude even in the worst conditions. She hasn't been a regular part of the Avengers for a while, but hopefully she'll be back sometime soon.