All Good Things...

As promised, here's my Trek cast list.

Captain: Picard is the most cerebral, Sisko is the most passionate, Janeway is the most determined, and Archer is...well, I haven't really figured out what Archer is yet. But for pure adventure and fun, I'll go with the original: James T. Kirk. What can I say, I love heroes drawn in bright primary colors.

First Officer: With a nod to Curtis, I have to go with Babylon 5's Susan Ivanova as well. In addition to her strength, her sense of humor, and her spirituality, she has perhaps the most important attribute of any First Officer: the ability to get things done. That's a talent that would come in quite handy while Kirk is off punching out bad guys and/or chasing skirts.

Doctor: I think I'll take Phlox, for two reasons. First, I think his bedside manner is better than that of any of the other doctors, and second, I enjoy seeing his unusual habits and perspectives.

Chief Engineer: Agreed, Geordi, Miles, B'Elanna, and Trip are all outstanding engineers. But if my ship is surrounded by Romulans, the warp drive is shot, and we have two minutes to live, I have to go with Scotty.

Head of Security: Odo is extremely competent and thorough, and Worf is just not to be screwed with. I even considered using my Crossover to bring in Obi-wan Kenobi from SWE2:AotC. But in matters of security and investigation, it's always nice to know you have a security chief who is relentless, impartial, and obsessed with finding the truth in the way that only a Vulcan can be. So with Derek, I give the nod to Tuvok.

Wild Card: My Wild Card is something of a cross between Curtis' and Derek's choices. He's the Swiss Army Knife of Starfleet, whose outside perspective on humanity helps keep us all a little more human. Gentlemen, I present Commander Data.

I know, this leaves a crew with nobody from Deep Space 9. While this is lamentable, I hasten to point out that DS9 probably had the most coherent, most integrated crew by the end of its run. It's hard to break up a good ensemble.

So, that's my list. Thanks for playing, everyone. (Speaking of which, Tiffany, have you a contribution to make? We'll post it if you do....)

Making it So

Captain's log 0423.05: Finding myself swept into a temporal maelstrom that threatens the very existence of the Federation, I've opted for the rather risky course of assembling Starfleet's best and brightest from the days of yesteryear. With any luck, this group will counteract the diabolical scheme of M.

Captain--Hikaru Sulu. Performing his duties as a Captain for over 57 years, Sulu is one of the most experienced leaders available. Given his superb abilities as a fencer, it's no surprise Captain Sulu knows exactly when to retreat, parry, riposte, or attack.

First Officer--Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax. The eighth joining of Dax with a humanoid symbiot, Jadzia Dax offers eight lifetimes of knowledge and ability. Jadzia's scientic knowledge of exobiology, zoology, astrophysics and exo-archaeology, coupled with life-experience of the Dax symbiot, adds a wealth of knowledge to the crew. Jadzia Dax's command ability came into its own under the close tutelage of Benjamin Sisko.

Chief Engineer--Commander Geordi La Forge. Geordi's the best at what does. He keeps warp engines running at maximum efficiency, solves technological puzzles with ease, talks technobabble more fluently than anyone else in Starfleet, and gives Cyclops a run for his money in the "Coolest Shades" category. Given Geordi's non-existent love life, he's the least likely of all crew members to be distracted by romantic pleasures. The ship is his only love.

Doctor--Admiral Leonard McCoy. His passion for his patients is legendary. As proven by the longevity of his practice, Dr. Leonard McCoy stays on top of cutting-edge medical procedure. If pure emotion were capable of curing all ills, Leonard McCoy would never lose a patient.

Chief of Security--Tuvok. His ship and crew lost in the Delta Quadrant, Tuvok's cool-headed approach to tactical/security proved invaluable. Providing excellent defense against such varied enemies as the Kazon and the Borg, Tuvok proved capable of adapting security measures on the fly. Tuvok also has extensive training and experience as a covert operative. It also never hurts to have a telepath on board.

Wild Card. R2D2. This little guy is the swiss army knife of Science Fiction. He can make repairs, fly a ship, and crack any computer database. Never leave home without him!

Engage!

Okay, fellow geeks, I'd like to introduce a new thread, sci-fi style. Your continuing mission: to assemble your dream Starfleet crew. You will choose a Captain, First Officer, Doctor, Chief Engineer, Head of Security, and one other 'Wild Card' crew member. Here are the rules.

1. You may choose from any 'regular' crew members from the five Star Trek series: TOS, TNG, DS9, Voyager, and Enterprise. By 'regular', I mean someone who appeared for more than five or six episodes in a significant role. For example, Reg Barkley would be considered a regular, but Edward Jellico would not.

2. You may have two crew members from any one of the five series. After that, the limit is one crew member from any other series. (So if you take two from TNG, for example, you may have only one each from the other four shows.)

3. Please limit your selections to 'crew members' only. 'Crew members' refers to anyone who plays an important role in the day-to-day operations of the ship or station. For example, Guinan and Garek could both be considered 'crew members', but Lwaxana Troi would not.

4. No villains, please. And for the love of all that is good and holy, no Q.

5. You may also have one crossover: a crew member taken from somewhere other than Star Trek. It could be from a movie, a sci-fi novel, another TV series, whatever.

6. Naturally, when you list your selections, you should explain why you chose each character over the other available candidates. Be detailed. Be specific. Be verbose.

I already pretty much have my crew together. However, since I'm starting this thread, I am going to invoke the privilege of posting mine last. I want to see what you two come up with first. It should be interesting.

You have your orders. Make it so.

Bridge Jumping

Okay, since Curtis and Derek have both shared their favorite comic book moments, let me do the same. I'll warn you, though, most of these are quite old. I've not read comics regularly for some time.

So, in no particular order:

» The X-Men's battle against the Shi'ar Imperial Guard with Phoenix's life on the line, especially the Colossus vs. Gladiator battle.

» "'Do it?' Dan, I'm not a republic serial villain. Do you seriously think I'd explain my master stroke if there remained the slightest chance of you affecting its outcome? I did it thirty-five minutes ago." -Ozymandias, "Watchmen"

» From the Secret Wars: "I'm glad they never heard of rasslin' on planet Remulac. If this guy knew the counter for this hold, I'd be in the soup." -Ben Grimm

» Also from the Secret Wars: Spider-Man is in the process of trashing an extremely strong but inexperienced supervillainess using his typical hit-and-run tactics. At one point she screams, "No fair!" To which Spidey replies, "And if we were fighting in a broom closet, that'd be fair?"

» An acquaintance asks Ollie (Green Arrow), "Have you ever killed a man - not in combat, not self-defense, but because the son of a _____ just needed it?" Kind of sums up the whole Iron Age in one panel.

» Kitty Pryde talking down Reverend Stryker on the subject of humanity - on national television (from "God Loves, Man Kills").

» The occasional freaky weather things that happened when Storm didn't have her powers (My opinion: she still had them, but with that pesky "No Conscious Control (-2)" limitation).

» Nightcrawler taking out several of Dr. Doom's guards by teleporting as fast as he can punch. (Sort of a Multiple Move-by based on Teleportation. Too bad FREd specifically forbids that maneuver.)

» The Samaritan and Winged Victory on a date in their Secret IDs.

» The New Mutants issue where they get fed up with their rivals' biggest jerk, Empath, so they kidnap him and give him a taste of his own medicine.

» From the Outsiders: Halo has just met the new team member, Looker, a 'well-endowed' telepath. Halo thinks, "Looker? No false modesty here." Looker 'overhears' the thought and responds with, "I don't believe in false modesty. I don't have to."

» Hawkeye, in a desperate attempt to save the universe from destruction at the hands of the Grandmaster, challenges him to a simple game of chance. And cheats.

» Cyclops turns off the danger room by bouncing an optic blast off several different surfaces and ultimately hitting the control switch. Wolverine remarks, "Remind me never to face you over a pool table."

» The battle between the X-Men & the Hellfire and Nimrod in Central Park. Especially impressive was the way Kitty hid inside Colossus, then emerged to short out Nimrod's systems momentarily - during which time Colossus beat him like the proverbial rented mule.

» Loki has offered the X-Men and Alpha Flight the solutions to all the world's problems and can't understand why they're reluctant to accept. Cyclops shouts, "Because throughout time, Loki is known as the god of lies!" and blasts him backwards into a mountain. What chutzpah.

The Well-discovered Country

Okay, here's my two cents' worth on the whole Phoenix thing. While I think the original story is one of the best I've read in the medium, I strongly dislike what has been done with it (and her) since then. Not only has Jean made (apparently) numerous trips to and from the realm beyond, but the original story was retrofitted so that it wasn't really Jean who died at all. And in the interim, a clone of Jean managed to get Scott to marry her, then dump him and seduce Alex (Remember Madeline Pryor? I thought so.) Meanwhile, we as readers had to wade through Jean's whole "I can't believe he married someone else just because he thought I was dead" phase. What tripe. I did like the 'Rachel Summers as Phoenix' storyline, though - at least up to the point when Wolverine tried to kill her. But I digress.

I guess what really bothers me about the on-again off-again Phoenix thing is how it spread to comicdom in general. I dislike how casually the writers (and bean counters, I suspect) have come to treat death.

Now we all know the First Rule of Comic Books: "If you don't see a body, he's not dead. He's in Acapulco, and he'll be back in six months." That's a comic book staple.^a

This was not the same situation, though. Phoenix died, and it was not a trick, not a gimmick, not a dream sequence, not an alternate universe version, and not a 'she's only mostly dead' scenario. She really died - bravely, heroically, and for a reason. We all saw it. We watched her weigh the options and make the decision to give up her own life. She knew what she had to do to save the universe, and she made the sacrifice willingly. She chose the journey to 'the undiscovered country', knowing that she, like any other traveler, would never return. That's what makes the story so powerful.

Now, however, it seems that practically anyone in the superheroic (and supervillainous) world can get into and out of the Plutonian realm at pretty much any time they please. Hades, it seems, has called off Cerberus and installed a revolving door.

Granted, people die in the comics, always have. Normals die all the time, especially 'trained normals' (also known as agents, minions, mooks, popcorn, or redshirts). Important supporting characters (i.e., Gwen Stacy) sometimes die, too, though not nearly as often as the mooks. When a villain dies, it's usually a pretty dramatic moment, mostly because the hero has to deal with the repercussions, and that can lead to a lot of great character development.

But when a hero dies, it should be a big deal. The loss of a hero should cause other heroes to stop and examine their own lives, face their own mortality, rededicate themselves to the cause, whatever. It should mean something. Something more than an means of generating revenue, anyway.

But even when I was reading comics regularly - in the late 80's and early 90's, the dawn of the Iron Age - I could see the trend developing. There were many meaningless deaths: Doug Ramsey (Cypher), Guardian, Marrina (and they didn't even have the decency to kill her off in her own book!), the entire Morlock nation, ad nauseam. And that's a lot of why I stopped reading.

Death in the comics is no longer dramatic; it no longer really means anything. And it's sad to think that it all started with the otherwise noble and memorable death of Jean Grey.

--
^a It works pretty well for soap operas, too. Don't ask how I know that.

Comic Moments

A couple posts back, Curtis listed several of his favorite quotes/scenes/plots from various comics. While I don't have the memory to remember quotes, I'll leave that to Mike and Curtis, I do have some favorite moments.

*During the Avengers journey to Olympus, Black Knight manages to reflect a lightning bolt hurled by Zeus. Gadzooks!

*The 1st Hobgoblin storyline in Amazing Spider-man. This is how you revamp an old villain.

*Wolverine battles the Silver Samurai in Uncanny X-men 172-173.

*Tony Stark dons the Silver Centurion armor.

*The entire Star Wars: Clone Wars run produced by Dark Horse.

*Kyle Rayner becomes the new Green Lantern!

*Kyle Rayner and Hal Jordon team-up in Green Lantern 100. Although I love this GL storyline, I'm NOT thrilled with Hal Joran's present return and Kyle's reassignment to second-string status.

*The Kitty Pryde/Piotr Rasputin love story from the Chris Claremont days.

*The David Michelinie/John Romita Jr./Bob Layton era of the Invincible Iron Man.

I'm sure there a zillion more moments I could recall, but these are the first that popped into my head.

She Just Won't Die!

It seems the Phoenix/Jean Grey topic is, not unlike the character, unwilling to fade away. There's been some fun discussion about character who return from the dead (see the Phoenix Effect thread). Curtis, however, added a couple links to some VERY funny flash animations about this very topic. I thought I'd repost them here for more visibility. Enjoy!

X-men - Death Becomes Them
Dark Phoeonix Rising

The winded Wolverine cracks me up.

The Phoenix Effect

Confirming what most of us deduced from the closing moments of X-men 2, the plot of X-men 3 will focus on the Dark Phoenix Saga. I really have mixed feelings about trying to capture the emotion of what is one of my favorite moments in comic book history. I'm very skeptical regarding anyone's ability to capture the emotion present in X-men 137, the issue of Jean Grey's death. If I'm completely honest with myself, there's another reason I'm less than thrilled about the Dark Phoenix saga coming to a theater near you--I'm absolutely sick of Jean Grey and the Phoenix.

As most comic fans know, the beauty of the Dark Phoenix Saga was eventually tainted by Jean Grey's resurrection in the 1990s. Jean Grey should have remained dead. While I haven't read any of the 1,000,001 X-titles with any regularity over the last 15 years, I do know that Phoenix/Jean Grey has experienced several deaths and several rebirths (I think there's another rebirth occuring presently). Jean's dead! She's alive! Jean's dead. She's alive! Jean's dead. She's alive! How many times is Marvel going to pull this lame stunt? I realize the story of the mythical phoenix revolves around themes of life, death, and rebirth--the fact that Jean Grey's heroic identity experiences this same cycle isn't lost on me. Still, the continual resurrection of Jean Grey points to a larger problem within comicdom as a whole: the non-finality of death.

Exactly how many comic book characters have died, only to be brought back in a few years? Superman died at the hands of Doomsday only to return. Colossus died a heroic death that resulted in a cure for the mutant ravaging Legacy virus. He recently returned. Thor is presently dead, but does anyone really believe he'll remain in Valhalla? Donna Troy is making her return in the near future. I know I'm missing a ton of additional deaths/rebirths, but you get my point. Death in comic books has become irrelevant and inconsequential. Writers kill someone in order to sell additional issues knowing damn well the hero/heroine will return. And that's the whole part of death in comics, I suppose, that really sticks in my craw. It means absolutely nothing. These characters go out with a big flourish, usually saving the world in the process. Their respective deaths take on a noble meaning, the enactment of self-sacrifice that saves others--the lives of the many outweigh the lives of the few or the one. The return of these characters diminishes the nobility of the act. I no longer see the ultimate sacrifice as a sacrifice--heck, they'll be back by the end of the year!

Give me the heroine/hero going out in a blaze of glory, never to return. Have someone take their name, pick up where they left off (see Impulse/Kid Flash of Young Justice/Teen Titans), but don't bring the originals back. The resurrection of comic characters is a stale, over-played plot device.

I sure hope the upcoming X-men 3 is the only big-screen resurrection of Jean Grey. I'd hate to see her movie incarnation diminished as it's been in the comics. Don't save Jean Grey!

Lord Mhoram throwing in an edit here - because rather than have a quick entry I'm adding these... Some funny flash Animations about this very subject:
X-men - Death Becomes Them
Dark Phoeonix Rising

Wanted: Xena Tapes and Hot Pockets

Okay, among people who talk about such things (i.e., geeks), The Core is often accorded the 'honor' of being recognized as the sci-fi movie with the worst science ever. And rightfully so, in my humble opinion.

Yes, as I stated in a previous article on my own blog, science fiction requires the willing suspension of disbelief where actual science is concerned. But The Core goes above and beyond the call of duty where this is concerned. I mean, it's just not possible for anything man-made to get down beyond the thick crust of the Earth, or to survive the rigors of heat and pressure found within the molten core of our planet - or even the comparatively cool and hospitable mantle that lies just under the crust.

Or is it?

Scientists working along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge recently completed drilling a hole 4,644 feet deep. This hole was almost deep enough to reach the Mohorovicic discontinuity ('Moho'), the boundary between the solid crust of our planet and the molten, fluid mantle upon which the crust floats, at that location. It's likely to be more than a year before drilling continues, but plans are already in the works for another attempt.

But this is only a scratch on the surface, so to speak. David Stevenson, a planetary scientist from Caltech, has an even more ambitious plan. He proposes using a nuclear^* device to open a huge crack in the Earth's crust. Immediately after the crack is formed, a probe about the size of a grapefruit would be put in, along with about 100,000 tons of molten iron. The huge mass of iron would serve two purposes. First, it would serve to protect the small, relatively delicate probe from the heat and pressure of the mantle and the outer core. Second, the iron's weight - or more properly, its density - would serve to keep the probe moving ever downward.

The probe would measure various physical and chemical properties of the mantle, which should give scientists a better understanding about exactly what's going on down there. Stevenson compares the mysteries of the inner workings of our world to the mysteries of the deepest parts of the universe. "We've spent more than $10 billion in unmanned missions to the planets," Stevenson said. "But we've only been down about 10 kilometers [6.2 miles] into our own planet."

He also addresses the question of how to get the collected data back to the surface. Traditional data transfer methods are unlikely to be effective, because electromagnetic energy doesn't travel well through stone.^** Instead, he proposes using a compression wave generated by the probe's motion as a means of sending the data back. Compression waves - like sound, for example - are very effective in a dense media like molten rock.

It is interesting to note that Stevenson has been thinking about such a project for years. I find this comment more interesting, though: "But the movie [The Core] prompted me to write my ideas down."

Can really bad science fiction lead to legitimate scientific exploration? It would appear that it can.

Somebody get that man some Unobtanium!

--
^*Or is that 'nucyaler'? Whatever.
^**Try using you cell phone in a cave if you don't believe me.

Star Trek: Enterprise Renewed!

Or not. On April Fool's Day, StarTrek.com apparently announced that ST: Enterprise was being renewed for a 5th year. While I find the joke chuckle worthy, I bet there were a number of fans who were not amused. Check out all the cool Star Trek related April Fool gags:

April Fool's Roundup.

Dammit, Jim! I'm a scholar not a comedian.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . .

Although Iowa probably isn't considered all that far away, I know a number of people would consider it another galaxy. And while still more individuals would consider Iowa the land of corn, soybeans, and the Bridges of Madison County, I consider the midwest state the birthplace of my fanatic fascination with all things science fiction and fantasy. My childhood was filled with the literary works of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, the big screen adventures of Star Wars and classic monster movies, and the small screen exploits of the Six Million Dollar Man, the Bionic Woman, the crew of the starship Enterprise.

When my family moved to Colorado, I met Mike and a new chapter in my geekdom began. I started playing D&D, reading fantasy novels, and became more than a little interested in comic books. By my high school years, my journey toward science fiction/fantasy geekdom was complete. I was a full-fledged Star Wars fanatic, considered myself a Trekkie, and possessed a better fantasy library than most city libraries.

Today, my love of science fiction, fantasy, and comic books continues. The desk in my home office is covered with an eclectic assortment of action figures including Iron Man (5 versions), Green Lantern, the Power Puff girls, Darth Vader, Count Dooku, Darth Maul, Obi-wan Kenobi, Yoda, Mace Windu, Shak-ti, the Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Galadriel, and several Ringwraiths. Boxes of comic books fill my closet and my bookshelf is packed with fantasy & science fiction, some read and some waiting to be read.

As an adult and an academic, I've always been interested in why some people are attracted to certain entertainment genres and not others. To some extent, I guess that's part of the reason I approached Mike and Curtis about contributing to Army of Dorkness. I've been reading both their blogs for some time and we all share a deep love of science fiction/fantasy/comic books/gaming and the like. Each of our lives have been deeply influenced by the cultural products we've consumed. I'm looking forward to reading and contributing some great "rumblings, imprints, and musings on science fiction, fantasy, comic books, gaming, and other things common to the unconventional mind."

To Mike, Curtis, and new readers, strap yourselves in and prepare for the jump to hyperspace! May our new blogging exploits prove as exciting and inspiring as our source material. May the Force be with us.

Here at the Beginning

When Derek suggested a few days ago the he, Curtis, and myself collaborate on a Blog dedicated to all things geeky, I was thrilled to accept. What could be better than an ongoing discussion about the things I find most entertaining with my two oldest, closest friends?

If you've read my blog in any detail, you know that Derek and I go way back. Way back. We went to elementary, middle, and high school together. He was present at my wedding, and I've been to two of his. Derek introduced me to comic books and Progressive Rockⁱ. We had our first RPG experiences together in the early 80's with Dungeons and Dragons.ⁱⁱ I introduced him to Champions after our respective first years away at college. And if memory serves, we saw all the Star Wars movies together back in the day.

Curtis and I go back at least a decade as well. We met through a mutual friend and quickly became the core of a long-running gaming group. Curtis introduced me to Rush, Rocket Scientists, and the intricacies of Variable Power Pools. He started collecting and watching Babylon 5 based largely on my recommendation; now I'm borrowing the boxed sets from him to see the episodes I missed the first time around.

For many years, Curtis and Derek knew one another mostly based on my descriptions of each to the other. They finally met in person at my wedding reception. Derek was one of our ushers, and Curtis was handling the music. They have told me independently that when they finally did meet, they recognized each other at once. Kindred spirits, I suppose.

The three of us have diverse - sometimes radically diverse - opinions and tastes in music, sports, politics, spirituality, and a hundred other areas. But one thing we share is our love of speculative fiction in its various forms. You've read the header above. Fantasy literature, science fiction, comic books, role-playing games, and other such diversions lead us to think about all the wonderful or dreadful things that might be. They beckon us to look at the world around us and ask, "What if?"

This is one of the reasons I like these literary forms so much. But much more importantly, these common interests have made me closer friends with each of these two fine men. And in the end, I think that's why speculative fiction is so appealing to me: it has the power to bring together people of divergent backgrounds and opinions and give them a way to connect and communicate. We may not agree what the future or the ideal world should look like, but we are thinking about it.

So, my esteemed colleagues Derek and Curtis, thank you for the roles you have played in my life. I am so much the better for having known the two of you. It's a pleasure to collaborate with both of you here.

And to our loyal readers (if any), welcome. You have friends here. After all, we geeks have to stick together.

--
ⁱPerhaps Prog is not 'geek stuff' per se, but it is often something that appeals to unconventional minds.

ⁱⁱAdmit it. We all started this way, didn't we?