The Flame of Py'tar

29.12.10

Despero Cast in new "Smallville" Spin-off?

After making such a big deal about my made-up holiday Mayfairstivus, I felt bad when my Mexican girlfriend reminded me that as I type this, December 28th is "el Día de los Inocentes." The Day of the Innocents is a sober remembrance of the children massacred under order of Herod the Great, as recounted in the gospel of Matthew. My best wishes to all observant readers.

Curiously enough, this segues into a report posted today at the noted movie site Latino Review, under the heading DC & WB Horribly Hiding Their Plans, involving a series of leaks related to an upcoming Smallville spin-off. Set to run on the CW, this is not the previously announced Raven TV series from writer/executive producer Diego Gutierrez. While I personally never cared for Smallville, its fans might be pleased to learn that the series' original writer/producer team of Alfred Gough and Miles Millar will be on board for the spin-off.

Details are sketchy, but what is known is that additional filming has been scheduled in the coming months involving the Smallville cast and crew for use in the new Fall 2011 series. Cast members who will take part in this filming include Justin "Green Arrow" Hartley, Alan "Aquaman" Ritchson, Alaina "Black Canary" Huffman, and Kyle "Impulse" Gallner. Superman himself, Tom Welling, and the motherlovin' Manhunter from Mars, Phil Morris, are also confirmed. However, to throw a wet blanket on speculation, sources have stated that this will definitely not be a Justice League show, but will instead use the team in a cameo fashion to help ground the new series as an extention of Smallville continuity.

The most fascinating element in these reports is the inclusion of one all new performer in the cast sheet currently circulating, character actor Andrew Robinson in the role of Despero! Robinson's big break came in 1971 as the "Scorpio Killer" in the original Dirty Harry film. Genre fans may remember him for guest starring turns in the 1970s The Incredible Hulk and The Amazing Spider-Man TV shows, not to mention The X-Files and the first Hellraiser film. Perhaps most memorably for the geeks, Robinson played Elim Garak for six seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Whether this would see the actor return to latex in the make-up chair (he seems a bit old for that at nearly 70) or CGI hasn't come up.

If these reports prove to be more than dubious rumor mongering, I'd be very happy to see Robinson in the role. As I noted, I think these shows are pretty crappy, but the Silver/Bronze Age Despero has often reminded me of wily Andrew Robinson, so at least the casting is inspired. It's probably too much to ask, but a live action face-off with J'Onn J'Onzz would be pretty awesome, wouldn't it?

28.12.10

Thunderbolts' Customs Despero Action Figure

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All Thunderbolt's customs are based on DC 9" figures unless otherwise stated.

I don't know if it's entirely appropriate or terribly inappropriate that the '90s Mego-esque Martian Manhunter figure was obviously the base for this Despero, but the pink makes me happy. I love the third eye and the fin, as well. Martian Manhunter was also the base for a Silver Age Brainiac, but as you might imagine, the conversion was considerably less work.

27.12.10

2010 Custom Despero Frog by IcarusMach9

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How scary-weird is this thing? It only gets more so if you see it in the enormous original picture, which sort of hops at you when enlarged...

"Yes, that's right a frog version of Despero.

This was part of my very short-lived conversion of little plastic frogs into comic characters. I stopped after two because Lego was just so much more fun."

26.12.10

2008 HeroClix Arkham Asylum #054- Despero

I know two things about HeroClix's gameplay, and the first is "jack." However, I'm perfectly of cutting and pasting some stats for those who do, and offering a link to a comprehensive evaluation.

#AA054 U Despero
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 6
Points: 88
Speed - PSIONICS: Mind Control and Telekinesis
Attack - DANGEROUS GAME: Psychic Blast. Power Action, choose a target opposing figure, 6 or fewer swquares away, LOF required. Move that character to any unoccupied clear square 8 or fewer squares away, LOF required.
Damage - TYRANT: Leadership and Outwit

The short version is that the Silver/Bronze Age HeroClix is "super rare." He's much slower than Despero the Reborn, and his attacking power is obviously diminished. He's got the glass jaw one would expect of a villain once defeated by Snapper Carr, but his telekinesis can get nasty, and mind control doesn't hurt. Until recently, via time-travel, this incarnation of Despero routinely worked alone. In the game, he seems better suited as a supporting player than a point man, so I guess you might as well bring in Per Degaton and the Ultra-Humanite. Alternately, the review offered a combo of Py'tar Despero and old school flavor, which would make a pretty happening comic book story, as well.

The only thing that would make that chess board with the seven founding JLofA members as pieces cooler? The Atom lying in wait...

25.12.10

Despero: The Greatest Stories Ever Told

Tom does these all nice and pretty with the exact right fonts and everything. I pull some crap off the internet and hack something out in an hour or so in MS Paint with default fonts.

Written by GARDNER FOX, GERRY CONWAY, KEITH GIFFEN, and J.M. DEMATTEIS; Art by ADAM HUGHES, LUKE MCDONNELL, MIKE SEKOWSKY, DICK DILLON, and MIKE MCKONE; Cover by ARTHUR SUYDAM
As the Martian Manhunter's archenemy, Despero is the antithesis of the Alien Atlas. Fueled by hate, the Destroyer of Worlds must express his inner darkness, whether through lethal parlor games or grand spectacles of rampant destruction. In THE GREATEST DESPERO STORIES EVER TOLD, the tyrant takes center stage, including his 1960 debut and various stories through the '90s! Collecting tales from the last five decades, this book shows that from his earliest appearances to his most recent exploits, he has been a dynamic and deadly menace. Whether involved in classic campy stories or legendary dark tales, Despero's sadistic drive has been more than a match for even the combined might of the Justice League of America.

Justice League of America

220pg.

Color

Softcover

$19.99 US

24.12.10

2008 Despero Custom Figure by Kern

Even as a Despero fan, I have to wonder why someone would feel the need to make a custom figure after Total Justice, DC Direct and the DC Universe build-a-figure covered this ground so well. Sheer mass? Articulation? I guess I'll let the artist explain...

One of, if not the most, powerful and deadly foes the Justice League have ever faced...

Despero is a House of M Hulk with a severly dremeled down chin(Seriously - why it it so huge?). A Savage Dragon crest is sculpted onto his head, along with his third eye and fingernails. Belt is also milliputted. I went with his older orangeypink skin rather than the newer purple version that's cropped up since his appearance in the JL cartoon. His axe weapon is a repainted thing from my kibble boxes.

Kern has a detailed biography and a picture gallery here, so check it out!

22.12.10

Justice League of America #178 (May, 1980)

The Atom, Aquaman, Zatanna, Batman, Green Arrow, Black Canary and Superman all met aboard the Justice League Satellite to consider the various attacks by anthropomorphic chess pieces they'd faced, individually or in pairs. The group was then attacked by another, more powerful chessman, which came up through the League's transporter tube system. It was defeated, but not before smashing the group's computer system, eradicating most of their records on active and inactive team members. However, careful study of the remains led the Atom to conclude that the piece was capable of beating the entire team, and only allowed itself to be destroyed.

In a spaceship hovering over Mars II, Despero chided, “Ah, how unfortunate. You’ve lost another piece… and this time, one of your most powerful! You disappoint me, my friend… Can it be that J’onn J’onzz, the famed Martian Manhunter himself, just doesn’t have his heart in the game?” The acrimonious aliens sat at a chessboard, the Alien Atlas shackled to his chair, replicas of the Justice League on the wrong side of the game. “Curse you, Despero! Making me play to the death against my friends…” The alternative was for Despero to fire his ship’s turbo-lasers at “the planet you so quaintly call Mars II,” killing his fellow Martian survivors, and “the relatively peaceful natives of this barren world.” It amused Despero to offer the choice of J’onzz killing his friends or his people, with the Manhunter likely to lose his life either way. With an uncharacteristic fury, J’onzz jerked at his bonds and stated his intention to kill a Kalanorian. “No, I don’t think you will. A Martian’s greatest enemy… fire!” Jets of flame ignited from turrents atop J’onzz’s chair, emphasizing his powerlessness. “Stop it! Stop it! I’ll play your filthy game!”

“I knew you could see reason, J’onn! That’s why I chose you for this little enterprise, after I finally managed to escape from the Krill… Now… shall we begin again? Just pick your piece, and I’ll use my third eye to teleport its larger counterpart into the Justice League’s presence… Ah! A knight! A bold choice… and I hope, for your planet’s sake, an effective one…” Billions of miles away, the knight roamed the League satellite, finding it bereft of life. “There… must be something wrong with the mind-link you’ve set up, Despero. As before, I can see everything the knight sees… but the satellite is… empty! The Justice Leaguers are-- gone!” Despero’s telepathic scans couldn’t find the seven heroes on the satellite, or even the Earth. With a grin, J’onn pronounced “Then, by the terms of our game-- if you can’t field your players… I WIN!”

Despero began swatting at his heroic chess pieces like a child. “No! I have other pieces, J’onzz-- Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern… some even more powerful than the ones I’ve already played!” Hawkman and Hawkwoman were also represented, but J’onzz asked what would happen if they all disappeared, just as they did. That is, all save the Atom. “Haven’t you guessed fish-face? In chess terms, this is what they call the endgame!” The Tiny Titan sprang from the board to knock Despero back out of his chair. “You… startled me… gained a momentary advantage! But only momentary! I still control this ship! And these animates, these chess pieces, will answer to my commands! However you came to be here-- you came here to die!”

As it turned out, the Justice League had arrived through the magic of Zatanna, who had disguised the heroes as Despero’s gameplay replicas. The Martian Manhunter explained, “I hoped you’d notice-- I had my ‘bishop’ destroy the memory bank record for every Justice League member-- active or inactive-- except my own!” The League got the message, then began fighting all of Despero’s pieces en masse, without the benefit of J’onzz’s benevolent guiding hand. The heroes began to falter, until the Atom worked out a plan to attack the pieces at the atomic level, with Superman's help. The chessmen explode, causing Despero to call out no’s while Atom recited yeses. “Face facts, Despero, you’ve just been hustled-- courtesy of the master chessman of Mars!”

Under the moons of Mars II, Despero was escorted away in chains by two Martians in heavy blue robes. “I-- and my people-- owe much to your sensitivity, Zatanna,” as well as the League’s might. Zee had caught the Martian Manhunter’s clue, which prompted Superman to scan Mars II with his telescopic vision, and the Heiress of Magic did the rest. “Simple matter or not, the deed deserves a reward, and you all shall have it… a celebration at the palace of heroes… as my ever-honored guests!”