Casting Call - Elektra

There’s been talk in forums about Jennifer Garner’s performance in the movie, and reviews/opinions about the movie itself. This isn’t about that.

This is about who we, as readers and fans, imagine in our heads to be the best Elektra as we read the books.

Here’s what I mean:
I am a huge fan of the character when Frank Miller created her, and have every appearance she was in until she came back from the dead (the first time). Because of this, I’m not influenced by Greg Horn’s covers. So when I read those issues of Daredevil, Bizarre Adventures and even What If?, I picture Melina Kanakaredes. She’s Greek, statuesque, and looks like she could pull off the moves and be the character.

In reality, I don’t think she’d ever play the role, and I don’t think casting agents would ever offer the role to her, but she’s Elektra to me.

The Bad...and The Good

THE BAD:
I found out recently that the Wizard New England Con has been rescheduled to later in October - which means I have to change my vacation week.

THE GOOD:
My boss doesn't have a problem with the change.

Malcolm Reynolds Part 4: “Shindig” – Firefly, Episode 1:4 (November 1, 2002)

Some definition between social classes is made while exploring Mal’s relationship with Inara.

I have this episode in the Firefly 4-Disc DVD set.


Mal starts out at a bar – and no it isn’t Unification Day again – as he plays pool with Jayne against a couple of slave traders. Inara is there, and after warning her to start back to Serenity, Mal reveals that he picked one of the traders’ pockets and a bar fight ensues. Mal leaves with the others having made his feelings towards slave trading practices known.

Serenity heads back to Persephone for supplies and work. Mal lets Inara know they’ll be landing shortly, and she tells him that her client, a man named Atherton Wing, will be taking her to a ball. They touch down, and Mal’s among those supply shopping when Kaylee notices some fancy dresses. She and Zoe start talking about the types of clothes Inara wears and the presents she gets from wealthy clients. Mal is obviously uncomfortable with this, and makes an off-hand remark that unintentionally hurts Kaylee’s feelings. Mal’s left in the street when he gets a gun at his back. A messenger tells him Badger wants to see him. Mal initially declines the invitation, but he’s made to go anyway.

At Badger’s, Mal learns that a high-society local named Warrick Harrow has some valuable property needed taken off-planet quickly. Warrick won’t deal with Badger directly (because of his lowly reputation) and is not allowed to sell off-planet, so he needs a smuggler, and Badger figures Malcolm has a chance to make the deal. Mal reminds him of their last dealing (in “Serenity”) when Mal was left high and dry with marked Alliance goods because Badger thought Mal saw himself as a better class of villain. Badger admits that Mal’s the “better class of villain” Harrow is looking for, and tells him that Warrick will be attending a local party that evening. Badger has access to a pair of invitations, and Mal agrees to attend.

Mal returns to the ship and heads to the engine room where he finds Kaylee still not speaking to him. Regardless, Mal tells her he needs her for a job and she reluctantly goes. It turns out that the “job” is the same high-society party Inara is attending. Kaylee enters wearing the dress she saw in the window earlier…with Mal as her escort. He meets Harrow and offers his services, but Harrow plays ignorant, calling Badger and everyone associated with him petty thieves. Mal attempts to convince him otherwise when they are interrupted by Inara and Atherton – whom Mal notices holds her a little too tightly. Mal asks her to dance and she accepts. They banter about the legality of their respective professions while on the dance floor and Mal is told that she has been offered permanent residence on Persephone as Atherton’s personal companion. Mal doesn’t like the news, but admits he has no call to stop her from taking the offer and that she has the right to a decent life.

Mal missteps during the dance and they both laugh about it, which is enough for Atherton to step in and grab her away. Mal stops him, saying there’s no need to be grabby, and Wing replies that Inara is his. Mal responds by saying Inara belongs to no one. Wing explains that since money changed hands, she does belong to him for the night. Mal reacts by hitting him, which is seen by Atherton as a challenge. Mal has no idea what he’s talking about but Warrick tells him that he’s now set to face Atherton in a duel to the death then next morning. Inara tells Mal he’ll need a second for the duel – to fight in Mal’s place if he refuses – and Warrick volunteers, admitting that Mal earned his respect by hitting Atherton. However, Warrick doesn’t believe Mal will live long enough to do business. Mal’s fine with the whole idea of the duel…until he learns it’s a sword fight.

During the night, Mal practices using a sword when Inara visits him with a plan of escape. He refuses to leave, believing he was defending her honor. Mal, thinking she would know something about dueling since she’s so educated, asks her for help, and she does.

The next morning, Mal meets Atherton for the duel and Warrick is there as his second. Mal draws first blood, but is quickly wounded and easily defeated. Before Atherton can kill him, Inara agrees to stay on Persephone as Atherton’s personal companion. Mal uses the distraction to get the upper hand and decides to leave Atherton alive but disgraced. Warrick is impressed by how hard Mal fights, and agrees to have his property loaded onto Serenity before midnight.

Mal returns to Serenity badly wounded with Inara helping him. Badger is there, along with some of his men, and asks him if he got the job. Mal tells Badger he does, and to get off his ship.

Mal ends up sitting over the cargo hold with Inara after Simon tended to his wounds. She thanks him for defending her honor, and he admits that looking back it might have been better if he stayed out of her world.

Notes of Interest:
1) Mal’s bantering with Inara throughout the entire episode reminds me of Tracy/Hepburn movies. The chemistry between them is that good.

2) This episode also shows Mal’s personal feelings towards slavery, reflected in the scene at the bar and Inara’s situation.

3) I like Mal’s comment about a high-society party being something to only attend when getting paid to. Kind of rings true, doesn’t it?

4) Mal and Inara talk about Kaylee and her dress. Inara says she looks adorable, and Mal agrees – but makes a point to say that she can’t tell Kaylee that. This seems to strengthen the idea that he sees himself as Kaylee’s older brother, but has to maintain the distance required as her captain.

5) At the ball, the first thing Mal mentions – after his tight pants – is why the chandelier would be hovering. Not how it’s done, but why, which shows that while he has a working knowledge of the technology in the ‘verse, he lacks an understanding behind possible applications of that tech.

6) Mal shows his true feelings towards Inara as she helps him prepare the night before the duel, explaining that while he may not respect what she does, Atherton doesn’t respect her, and that’s why Mal hit him. Then he tells her not to take the offer. What makes this all the more important is the way he does it, all shy and boyish-like, which is a very different Mal than we’ve seen up to this point.

WTF? Moment: This may be nit-picking, but I think it would have made more sense for the bar fight at the beginning of the episode to take place later, after they reached Persephone. All we’ve seen of the planet up to this point is from the first episode: the city skyline and one of the space docks. This episode focuses on Inara’s world and Mal’s interaction with that. The parts of Persephone she’s accustomed to seeing, beautiful countryside and fancy parties, clashes with Mal’s world of bar fights and lowlifes. Showing Persephone to have both lifestyles on one planet would have strengthened the subtle point that they could coexist (relatively) peacefully, something Mal and Inara are obviously trying to figure out.

Character Spotlight: Nite Owl (I)

Every character deserves a Spotlight. A moment of appreciation, reflection, discussion…and in some cases rejection.

NITE OWL (I)

The first Nite Owl is a fantastic character, both within the grand Watchmen story and in his own right.

Alan Moore was given newly bought Charlton Comics character Blue Beetle to introduce into the DC Universe, but his rough draft was deemed too intense for DC to use outright, so DC gave him essentially a pocket universe to tell his story. As a result, Moore had to change everything about Blue Beetle and come up with a new character with a different name and appearance. When Moore was faced with this challenge, Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons told him of a character Gibbons created when he was fourteen named “Night Owl”, along with his drawing of the character. Moore loved it, and came up with the name Hollis Mason.

Moore’s use of Mason in Watchmen was to introduce superheroes in this world to readers in a relatable and realistic manner. Sure, Moore’s story took place in 1985, but costumed heroics began almost fifty years earlier – during Mason’s time. We learned why Mason got dressed up in the first place, where the name “Nite Owl” came from, and how the passage of time affected public opinion regarding his actions and those of his comrades.

And Moore did this through the use of excerpts from Mason’s autobiographical novel, which was never revealed in full.

The first time I read Mason’s words, I kept hearing Adam West’s voice in my head, and I’m sure I wasn’t alone. Hollis had that sense of nostalgic appreciation to heroics of the past that come up every time I saw a Batman re-run. Keep in mind Watchmen came out in 1986, and I first read it in 1988 - when there was talk of a new Batman movie being made - and West’s name kept popping up. He was first considered for the lead, then for a cameo as Thomas Wayne, and for the longest time fans and West himself felt that he should be somewhere in the movie because of his long-standing association with the character. It never happened, but there was a definite similarity between West and Mason – two older men retiring in obscurity, being replaced by the next generation of ‘hero’.

I read the first seven issues and thought it was a great story, but when I reached the last few pages of #8 I was furious. Mason’s death, in that manner, really drove home Moore’s intended message of expanding the potential of comic book storytelling to me. I was crushed. I was heart-broken. I almost gave up reading the rest of the story. My eyes were opened…and I hated it. Looking back, I realized it had to be done.

It just sucked balls.

Malcolm Reynolds Part 3: “Bushwhacked” – Firefly, Episode 1:3 (September 27, 2002)

Mal has a run-in with The Alliance and Reavers (well, sort of).

I have this episode in the Firefly 4-Disc DVD set.

Serenity comes upon a ship (and a dead body) adrift in space and Mal decides to investigate. The ship was a converted cargo vessel, and according to the logs was transporting 16 families of settlers to a new world, but when Mal and the others board it, there’s no one there.

The crew split up looking for various things they could salvage, and Mal takes Zoe to the cargo hold where they find settlers supplies, which are worth a fortune. As he prepares the goods for transport to Serenity, he finds River standing in the doorway…looking up. He follows her eyes and finds the people, suspended from the ceiling, dead. He calls for everyone to meet back on Serenity but Jayne (who was sent to the derelict’s mess hall for food) doesn’t answer, and all Mal hears is a gunshot. Mal rushes there to find a spooked Jayne as well as a scared survivor. Mal knocks the stranger out and drags him back to Serenity.

Mal’s in sickbay with Simon as he treats the survivor, who goes on about how the “others were weak”. Clearly spooked, Mal has Simon dope his patient, gets the crew together and tells them the ship was hit by Reavers. He’s convinced it would have been better to kill their guest than bring him aboard, but locks the sickbay door and tells everyone to stay out.

Mal left the cargo behind at first but plans to return to the ship to get it, and against his better judgement decides to let Simon and Book go there in order to take care of the dead and hold a service. Mal confesses he doesn’t personally believe it would do any good, but accepts that it might mean something to the settlers. Jayne, meanwhile, will go over to get the goods. As they get ready to head over, Mal admits to Zoe that this is to keep them distracted while he looks into something else – a booby trap hooked into Serenity that Mal felt was there, knowing Reavers sometimes leave them for rescue ships.

Mal shares this info with Wash, Kaylee and Zoe (of course).Kaylee surprises him with her knowledge of how it probably works and how it may be disabled. Mal asks her directly if she thinks she can do it, and to his (pleasant) surprise, she says yes. Mal helps prep Kaylee to do her thing, and decides to keep Jayne and the others in the dark even after Kaylee succeeds in disabling the trap. With the cargo aboard, Serenity leaves and the proximity alarm goes off again. Mal orders Jayne, Simon and Book to hide the goods while he heads to the bridge to see what’s up, and it turns out to be an Alliance ship sitting right in their path telling them to prepare to be boarded.

Because of the incoming Alliance troops, Mal orders for the goods to be taken out again because he doesn’t want to look like he’s keeping secrets. He then tells Simon to get River. Simon refuses, believing Mal will turn them over, and Book intervenes before it gets physical. Mal’s front and center when the Alliance troops arrive, with the goods they’ve just salvaged in plain sight. He’s told that the goods appear to be illegally gotten Alliance goods, and Mal shrugs it off. Then he’s asked about two known fugitives last seen leaving Persephone in a Firefly-class ship and Mal calmly replies he has no passengers aboard. Mal then lets him know about the survivor they have in the infirmary. Everyone is taken into custody for questioning while the Alliance checks every nook and cranny of Serenity for the fugitives. Mal knows the Alliance well enough to expect that, so he has Simon and River hide outside the ship.

During his interrogation, Mal warns the officer not to tow the wreckage but is ignored. The officer brings up the war, Mal’s war record, and mentions that for some the war will never be over. Mal tries to convince him that Reavers attacked the ship, and things are going to get worse before it’s over. The officer doesn’t believe him and is convinced that Mal attacked the ship in revenge for losing to the Alliance. He tells Mal that he’s under arrest and that Serenity will be auctioned off when news comes in that the survivor has escaped from the Alliance sickbay. Mal knows where he’s going and convinces the officer to take him back to Serenity.

Mal leads them into the kitchen area when the survivor attacks, killing one trooper and pinning the officer on the floor. Mal gets behind the newly born Reaver and manages to snap his neck, saving the officer’s life. As a thank you, the officer releases Mal, his crew and Serenity, but keeps the cargo.

Notes of Interest:
1) Apparently, Mal plays basketball.

2) The Alliance must really leave a bad taste in his mouth. When Book suggests Mal contact the Alliance when they first find the derelict, he chooses not to, thinking they’re too busy doing Alliance stuff to check on some lowly ship adrift in space.

3) While Mal’s main purpose for boarding the vessel is for salvage, he obviously has enough heart to also look for survivors.

4) Mal’s not the kind of captain to stay behind while others explore new places. He’s right there getting suited up as part of the “away team”.

5) While he doesn’t believe in God or Heaven, Mal does believe in ghosts enough not to cross them.

6) Kaylee impresses the hell out of him, disengaging the Reaver trap like that.

7) Mal has no issue pushing Alliance officer’s buttons, another example of having fun at Alliance expense we first saw in “The Train Job”. And again, Mal has an opportunity to turn Simon and River over to the feds, but doesn’t do it. Is it out of concern, or is it another childish plan to keep something they want?

8) The interrogation scene reveals quite a bit: the Battle of Serenity Valley where we first see Mal took place on the planet Hara; according to his military record, Mal has a “tendency to inspire loyalty”; and while he admits to being on the losing side of the war…Mal’s still not convinced it was the wrong side.

9) Mal describes the affects of surviving a Reaver attack as if he’s seen it before.

WTF? Moment: I would have loved to have seen the conversation where the officer lets Mal go. Can you imagine the look on Mal’s face when he learns they’re keeping the cargo?

Malcolm Reynolds Part 2: “The Train Job” – Firefly, Episode 1:2 (September 20, 2002)

We see how Mal feels about the Alliance and his fellow thieves in this episode, as well as how strong his conscience can be.

I have this episode in the Firefly 4-Disc DVD set.

It’s Unification Day, and Mal celebrates it the same way he has for the last six years…picking a fight at an Alliance-friendly bar. He also manages to make contact with someone who has a job for them. A man named Adelai Niska needs two crates taken off a train. Mal knows of Niska’s dangerous reputation, and witnesses it, but takes the job because prospects are scarce. Niska ensures that Mal understands: failure isn’t an option.

The job itself goes fine but Mal and Zoe are stuck on the train until the next stop, which is Paradiso, a mining town. Since the train was robbed, the sheriff questions everyone onboard. Mal tells Zoe they should pose as a newlywed couple looking for work, and as they’re questioned, Mal learns that the townsfolk suffer from Bowden’s Malady, a degenerative affliction of bone and muscle caused when the ore in the mines mixes with air. The condition is treatable with Pescaline, which was stolen from the train.

The sheriff finds Mal’s newlywed story odd, and plans to keep them for a while, when Inara arrives and slaps Mal across the face. She tells the sheriff that Mal is an indentured servant of hers with three years left on his debt and that he stole her money and ran off with Zoe – who’s married to another man. Since Inara’s status as a Companion is impeccable, the sheriff releases Mal and Zoe.

Mal returns to Serenity with the others to find Jayne passed out on the stairs and tells the crew they’re giving back the cargo, knowing that Niska’s gonna be mad. Before they can do anything else, Niska’s men show up since Mal never reached the rendezvous point. Mal calls off the deal and offers to give the money back, but Niska’s men disagree and Mal gets a blade in the shoulder. During the ensuing fight, Mal takes on Crow, Niska’s head mercenary. The fight goes poorly for Mal, and Jayne wakes up in time to shoot Crow…saving Mal’s life.

Mal takes the medicine back to the edge of town with Zoe and are about to leave it behind when the sheriff and his men come out of the shadows. Seems the sheriff had a hunch that whoever took the medicine had a hard choice to make. Mal says there isn’t one – the goods go the where they’re needed, nowhere else.

Back at the ship, Mal offers Crow the money Niska gave upfront to be returned, calling off the deal. They’re thieves, but they’re not robbing him of his money. Mal also promises to stay clear of Niska and all his dealings in the future. Crow tells him that he will hunt Mal down and kill him, and Mal kicks him into Serenity’s intake valve. Then he gets another of Niska’s men and starts making the same deal. This one agrees to take the money back.

Mal ends up on Simon’s table getting his shoulder sewn up. Mal tells him that doping up Jayne was the right thing to do, and feels confident that Simon can handle Jayne if need be.

Notes of Interest:
1) Mal knows how to play Chinese checkers – albeit badly.

2) Early in the episode, Mal enters sickbay to wash a wound he got in the bar fight. Simon offers to help, but Mal declines needing it. This makes the ending more interesting, as it shows that Mal sometimes needs help despite what he thinks he needs. Plus, Mal is gaining some respect for Simon – especially after his dealing with Jayne – and Mal shows some genuine concern for River.

3) Mal continues to treat Kaylee like a younger sister here. She rearranges things in the engine room not to Mal’s liking and he basically tells her to clean her room. Mal would never tell anyone how to keep their own personal space, but Mal sees the engine room as part of his ship and therefore puts him in the right to have her keep it the way he likes it.

4) Book asks Mal why he decided to keep Simon and River onboard. Mal says it’s for the money and is the right thing to do, but we’re not sure he’s speaking the truth. It could be just to piss off the Alliance, having something they want.

5) Niska has heard of Mal’s reputation for “getting the job done” which is why he wants Mal for the job.

6) Mal has strong feelings against religion, but not religious folk as he tells Book he’s not looking to be converted, and God isn’t welcome on his ship.

7) There’s more info about his relationship with Inara as he teases her about her profession, and confesses that he’s distracted by her presence, but warns her not to leave Serenity while docked at Niska’s skyplex.

8) Mal loves upsetting the Alliance, even if it includes robbing a train full of Alliance troops.

9) The scene where Inara hits him shows Mal’s willingness to go with the flow, even when it pisses him off.

WTF? Moment: Mal must have quite a rolodex if he can get contact for a job through a belly dancer at an Alliance-friendly bar.

Malcolm Reynolds Part 1: "Serenity" – Firefly, Episode 1:1 (December 20, 2002)

Malcolm Reynolds is one of many fantastic characters Joss Whedon's created over the years. Played extremely well by Nathan Fillion, Serenity’s captain leads his crew throughout the ‘verse looking for jobs that keep him flying.

I have this episode in the Firefly 4-Disc DVD set.

We meet Mal as a Sergeant fighting for independence against the Alliance. He and his second-in-command Zoe are in the middle of a battle in Serenity Valley, and Mal is clearly in charge. He’s giving orders on his feet while dodging bullets on his way to shoot down a skiff that’s picking off his men like flies. Mal reaches the gun and successfully brings the skiff down. But when he returns to camp anticipating air support, orders come over the radio to lay down arms. Mal looks out to see Alliance ships – lots of them – landing nearby. The battle is lost, and Mal is speechless.

We next see him six years later as Captain Reynolds of the ship Serenity, a Firefly-class vessel. He’s with Zoe and Jayne on a job – breaking into a derelict ship to steal its cargo. During the raid, an Alliance ship gets too close for comfort and Mal orders crew members Wash and Kaylee to shut down power. Mal and the others get the three crates of goods onboard Serenity and leave…but not without being noticed.

Mal checks the cargo and notices that it’s marked, but decides to continue on to Persephone where he can turn it over to Badger (who hired Mal to get the goods), take on some passengers and head to Boros for some much needed R & R. Once on Persephone, he brings Zoe and Jayne with him to Badger’s to finalize the deal and hits another snag; Badger mentions that an Alliance bulletin went out saying a Firefly-class vessel was seen pulling illegal salvage off a derelict transport. Mal explains that Serenity wasn’t mentioned by name, but Badger tells him that marked cargo is worthless and calls off the deal.

On the way back to the ship, Mal decides to take the goods to Patience, an old acquaintance currently living on Whitefall. Zoe reminds him that Patience once shot him, but Mal doesn’t hold any grudges and believes that Patience was in the right to shoot him at the time. Mal returns to Serenity and meets Dr. Simon Tam, one of his paying passengers. After take off, Mal lays down the ground rules while aboard his ship, and greets the other two new faces: Mr. Dobson and Book, a shepherd.

En route to Whitefall, Mal is told that a signal went out from his ship telling the Alliance their location. Convinced Simon is the mole, and catching him unescorted in the cargo hold, Mal hits him, and then draws his gun on the young doctor when Book tells Mal he’s got the wrong man. It turns out Mr. Dobson sent the signal and has the drop on Mal while he arrests Simon. Mal is relieved that this has nothing to do with the cargo he’s carrying, but Dobson tells him that since he was transporting a wanted man, the Alliance will be holding the whole crew for questioning. Mal tries to cooperate, but there’s confusion, and Kaylee is shot by accident as the Alliance cruiser approaches. Simon forces Mal to decide - run from the Alliance and let Simon operate, or dump him for the feds…and Kaylee die. They run, and Mal assists Simon with the operation.

Once Kaylee is stable, Mal opens the crate Simon was sneaking into the cargo area to check on and finds it contains a young woman, Simon’s sister River. After learning how the two of them wound up on Persephone, Mal explains that with the Alliance on their tail, a fed tied up and everyone onboard most likely I.D.’d, the best thing to do is finish the job – get to Whitefall, make the deal with Patience, and keep flying. As for Simon and River, he’s ready to leave them on Whitefall if Kaylee survives. If not, he’ll throw them out before then. He also leaves it to Jayne to interrogate Dobson to find out exactly what was sent in the message.

Mal’s problems get worse when a Reaver ship crosses their path. The good news is that the ship passes by, and things start looking better when Kaylee wakes up. Mal tells her that she’ll be fine and the ship can’t run without her. She tells him not to blame the doctor for what happened, and then passes out. Mal tells Simon that Kaylee’s dead, a consequence of his actions, but it turns out to be a lie, and Mal gets a good laugh out of it.

Patience calls to set up the deal, and Mal confesses that the goods are stamped with Alliance markings. She agrees anyway, and Mal thinks she plans to shoot him again. Left with little choice, he has the ship reach Whitefall ahead of schedule in order to bury the cargo and plan a strategy to walk away from the exchange. His plan is for Jayne to keep radio contact while he knocks out any of Patience’s snipers in order to cover Mal and Zoe as the drop is made.

Patience arrives as planned, with several armed guards, and Mal gives the location of the buried goods. As proof of the cargo’s existence, he hands over one of the pieces, which turns out to be food, and gets 200 platinum pieces for it. Things go wrong again when Patience asks for the money back. Considering the number of men Patience brought with her, Mal reluctantly agrees, and just before she can get the upper hand, has Jayne open fire. Mal’s hit during the firefight, but only slightly as the bullet grazes his left arm, and he manages to pin Patience under her own horse…by shooting it. He then takes the money he and his crew so richly deserve, but his happiness is short-lived. Wash calls over the comm that the Reaver ship they passed earlier has found them, and is coming…

Mal, Zoe and Jayne reach Serenity in time, but as Mal walks onto the deck, he sees Dobson holding a gun on River. Not wasting any time, Mal shoots Dobson, and together with Jayne throw him off the ship. They take off, and Mal tells Inara to take the civilians (Book, Simon, River and herself) into her shuttle and get away if they’re boarded. After some fancy flying to stay just out of Reaver range, Mal orders Wash to pull a Crazy Ivan. The plan works and they’re free.
Mal takes over flying the ship, and Jayne tells him that Dobson said the Alliance will keep coming after them for River. Mal asks if Dobson offered a deal, and when Jayne doesn’t answer, he asks why Jayne didn’t turn on him. Jayne replies that the money wasn’t good enough. Smiling, Mal then asks what would happen when Jayne finally is offered enough, and both men agree that that would be an interesting day.

As Jayne leaves, Simon enters, and first asks about tending to Mal’s injury, then about Mal’s plans for him and his sister. Mal tells him that it might be best for them to stay on board for the time being, especially since he’d need a medic from time to time. Simon doesn’t trust him, and wonders how he’d know Mal doesn’t kill him in his sleep. Mal replies that if he were to kill Simon, the doctor would be awake, facing Mal…and armed.

Simon leaves, and Mal calls this a good day, because as long as he’s still flying, it's a good day.

Notes of Interest:
1) I find it interesting that despite all the areas Mal won’t let his passengers near while aboard Serenity, the kitchen is open 24/7, and that the crew has proper sit-down meals regularly. Guess Serenity will run out of fuel before running out of food.

2) Mal has some resentment to the methods used for terra-forming planets.

3) During the scene in infirmary, Mal shows no problem being around medical equipment - having seen plenty of blood during the war no doubt - and knows how to sedate a patient.

4) Mal has a special spot for Kaylee, staying with her during the surgery, and protecting her honor at the dinner table.

5) There’s some obvious tension between Mal and Inara.

6) Mal suffers from a crisis of faith. At Serenity Valley, he says a silent prayer and kisses the gold cross around his neck before storming the gun. Six years later he goes out of his way to make Book uncomfortable once Mal learns he’s a shepherd.

7) Kaylee mentions that they could use a compression coil, but Mal dismisses it as not important enough.

8) Mal respects other peoples’ beliefs, shown here when he lets Book pray at the table.

9) Mal’s used to having the odds against him – another byproduct of the war – and seems quite comfortable when it happens.

10) Mal, like many others in this series, speaks Mandarin.

11) While he hired Wash as his ship’s pilot, Mal is capable of flying when necessary.

WTF? Moment: The one problem I have with this character in this episode is in the scene where he, Zoe and Jayne are on their way back to Serenity after being dissed by Badger. Jayne talks about not getting paid lately and Mal says the last few jobs they had were “weak tea”. Mal doesn’t strike me as someone who would say that. He would have said something in Chinese - like “sewer water” or “scrotum sweat”.

Casting Call: Ava Lord – A Dame to Kill For

I recently finished my first reading of Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, and knew going in that Rodriguez and Miller were planning to put it in the second Sin City movie. There’s been a lot of speculation about who would play the title character - Ava. Angelina Jolie’s name was kicked around for a while, but as far as I know casting hasn’t been made official yet. So here at Adorkification, I give you another name to throw into the hat:

I know what some people might say, but let’s look at this character for a minute. Ava’s a beautiful, manipulative beyotch who uses her looks to drive men to commit adultery, murder and suicide. This isn’t a dig about Megan’s personality; all I’m saying is that Ava Lord is definitely within Megan’s acting range based on what she’s been in so far.

Ava’s not the brightest crayon in the box, and uses what she has to great effect. Whomever they do cast for this role wouldn’t have to quote Shakespeare, and based on the way Rodriguez works would have to stare in awe of things that weren’t there.


In fact, since Rodriguez uses Miller’s visual style for storyboarding, she wouldn’t need to imagine anything. She could just look at the story and go from there.

The main obstacle this role has is nudity. Jessica Alba was able to get away with not exposing herself as Nancy Callahan – a very popular stripper by the way - but Ava’s character is built on her body…which is seen…a lot. The actress that plays her would have to go the same route as Carla Gugino and Jaime King, which admittedly would draw a lot of people to theaters.

So we’ll see. This is a great story, and she is a great character, and I can’t wait to see it on the screen.

My Thoughts On Captain America...The Movie

Okay. So a while back I explained my opinions on the Thor movie and how it would connect to the Marvel Movie Universe. I’ve thought it through, and figured how to do the same thing with Captain America:

First the plot – the first act would be about Steve Rogers, growing up in New York in the thirties, enlisting in the army, getting selected for the ‘Super-Soldier’ program (that is mentioned in Incredible Hulk) and ends with Steve completing the process and getting the new body. Act 2 would be about his army days, sneaking around, being an inspirational leader on the battlefield, meeting Bucky and having him learn Steve’s secret identity, and would end with Cap being defeated and/or captured by the Red Skull. The final act would be Steve’s victory against the Red Skull, defeating whatever Nazi plans he had, and the movie would end with Cap (and Bucky) continuing the never-ending battle for victory in WWII.

So basically, it’s the plot of the 4-part The Adventures of Captain America mini by Fabian Nicieza and Kevin Maguire from 1991/1992.


But the major difference is in the post credits…

There’s a shot of a newspaper headline dated at least a year after the movie takes place, but still during World War II, that reads: CAPTAIN AMERICA MISSING!!! Then we see darkness, but obviously underwater. Lights are shining from around and behind the camera into the water in front of us. Then we see an iceberg, with a familiar shield encased in it, and an arm, and the rest of Cap’s body. Coming into frame, on either side, we see the sources of the lights – Iron Man’s glove, and Thor’s hammer…

That’s it. That’s all you need. The movie itself connects to The Incredible Hulk, and the post credits connect to Iron Man, Iron Man 2 and Thor.

Done deal.

Nite Owl (I) Part 6: Watchmen #8 (April, 1987)

Hollis faces his end...

I have this issue in the Watchmen trade.

Hollis gets back in touch with Sally. They talk about the events of the night before and how Nite Owl and Silk Spectre have returned to the spotlight. Later, as Hollis prepares for Halloween trick-or-treaters, local gang-bangers learn about the second Nite Owl’s involvement in Rorschach’s escape from prison. They mistakenly blame Hollis for Dan’s actions, and decide to teach him a lesson…by killing him.

Notes of Interest:
1) Based on his conversation with Sally, this is the first they’ve spoken to each other since the reunion at Sally’s in 1962.

2) I must have missed something. There’s obviously a moment when Sally mentions making a decision between extra analysis or aerobics that affects Hollis in some way, but I don’t understand how. A dig about his book maybe?

3) Another part I don’t get is where Hollis is carving the pumpkin. I assume when he says “Like Rodin, huh?” he’s referring to the sculptor, and the jack-o-lantern is the masterpiece, but beyond that I have no idea.

4) Talk about classic Moore storytelling…First, Moore had the gang confuse Nite Owl with Nite Owl II, even though their costumes were completely different and Hollis was significantly older - a depiction of mobs distorting facts in order to justify their actions. There’s the panel where the gang’s knocking at the door, and we see Hollis getting up from a chair facing a fireplace. Above the fireplace are the various pictures of himself with the Minutemen and other framed moments from his past - a testament to all the good deeds done over a lifetime. There’s the panel showing Nite Owl in his prime, fighting what looks like a gang of thugs, and smiling. Immediately on the next page is the panel showing Hollis in the present, bloody and battered fighting a gang of thugs, with the silhouette of his statue forming a mask over his face – a death mask. There’s the statue itself (given to him at his retirement party in gratitude of his career) being used as the murder weapon – showing how perceptions of heroism change. Finally, there’s the last panel, with the three children finding the body – innocence lost.

WTF? Moment: When I first read this issue in 1988 (I borrowed the trade from a friend), I wanted to scream at the page. Heroes shouldn’t die this way. It made me so mad I wanted to throw it away (which would have angered my friend) and never read the rest. But of course I had to read the rest, and eventually bought my own copy. Over time, and with many re-readings, I have learned to accept how and why Hollis had to die, but MAN does it suck.

Nite Owl (I) Part 5: Watchmen #9 (May, 1987)

This is technically out of sequence in terms of the reading order of Watchmen, but I’m putting this issue here because it takes place before Hollis’ death.

I have this issue in the Watchmen trade.

We see Hollis at a Minutemen reunion party in 1962, just after Under The Hood is published, as Laurie’s origin is explained.

Notes of Interest:
1) Hollis appears here in one of Laurie’s memories from when she was thirteen.

2) It’s established that Hollis kept in touch with Sally up to this point, because he’s known Laurie for a while.

3) He gets into a small argument with Sally - who isn’t too happy about what he wrote in Under The Hood.

4) In the prose piece at the back if the issue, we learn that in his autobiography, Hollis alleged that she was sexually assaulted by The Comedian.

WTF? Moment: We often see Hollis with a drink of some kind in his hands, and this issue is no exception. There’s no indication that he gets drunk, however, and that bothers me. There could have been something there, either a liver problem or an incident resulting from being overly intoxicated. Something that explored how drinking may have been his way of dealing with the evils of the time, and how it eventually caught up with him.

Nite Owl (I) Part 4: Watchmen #4 (December, 1986)

Hollis faces his retirement, and change…

I have this issue in the Watchmen trade.

We witness both times Hollis interacts with Dr. Manhattan. The first is in June, 1960 at a benefit event for the Red Cross. They’re both at the event, but we don’t see them talking. Their second meeting is in May, 1962 at Hollis’ retirement party. Hollis reveals that since things have changed in the crime fighting business, he plans to fix cars, and Dr. Manhattan has a few choice words about that.

Notes of Interest:
1) Hollis mentioned first meeting Dr. Manhattan at the benefit in his Under The Hood comments from Watchmen #3, calling it a turning point in his career.

2) Thanks to Dr. Manhattan, Hollis felt obsolete in two ways – as a costumed hero getting too old to continue fighting crime, and as a mechanic fixing cars that will no longer be made.

3) Hollis’ entire world came crashing down when Dr. Manhattan arrived. What’s interesting is that Moore could have made Hollis turn evil and plot to destroy Jon, or go batshit insane and end up in a padded room next to Mothman or simply say ‘to hell with it’ and commit suicide. Instead, Hollis writes his novel (giving us great insight to the Watchmen universe), does his mechanic thing (as much as possible), and lives somewhat vicariously through the activities of his unintentional successor.

4) Hollis, of all the characters in this story, is the one guy I’d want to hang out with, listening to his stories over beers, and I think that was Moore’s intention: to present someone readers could identify with as the ‘average guy’ who just wanted to be a super-hero, did it, and got out just as everything got (more) crazy.

WTF? Moment: Hollis was 45 years old when he retired, and a rather intelligent man. There’s no reason (aside for the plot points mentioned above) that he couldn’t have gone back to school to upgrade his mechanic skills for the new technology. Electric cars are different, but they still break down.

Nite Owl (I) Part 3: Watchmen #3 (November, 1986)

This is the last issue of the series to feature bits from Under The Hood, and it deals with Hollis’ activities in the 1950’s after The Minutemen disbanded.

I have this issue in the Watchmen trade.

Hollis has a brief appearance this issue, where he’s at home watching Dr. Manhattan’s press conference. Dan stops by, and Hollis tells him about it. In the excerpts from Under The Hood, Hollis discusses the reasons behind his eventual retirement as the first Nite Owl.

Notes of Interest:
1) Hollis was forced to reveal his secret identity during the McCarthy era, but it didn’t affect him much due to his NYPD service record.

2) Costumed villains practically vanished in the fifties, replaced by drug runners and pimps.

3) After the arrival of Dr. Manhattan, Hollis realized that the world is changing, and his type of costumed hero was becoming obsolete.

4) Hollis met both Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias at a charity event in June, 1960. At 46 years old, he decided that it was time to start thinking about retirement – both from the police force, and as Nite Owl.

5) He formally retired in May, 1962, and kept in touch with Sally over the years.

6) Hollis was contacted by a fan asking his permission to use the name Nite Owl as a successor in crime fighting. After visiting the stranger’s house and seeing the technology that was to be used, Hollis said yes.

WTF? Moment: Having Under The Hood published in 1962 gives us a great snapshot of how Hollis saw the world up to that point, but why couldn’t there have been something like an addendum for the later part of that decade and into the seventies? I wonder if his opinion of Dr. Manhattan changed after Apollo 11 landed on the moon, or if he re-evaluated his view of The Comedian after Kennedy’s assassination.

My Thoughts On Thor...The Movie

I saw Iron Man 2 last week (which is FANTASTIC by the way), and know how Marvel managed to connect it with Thor, the next installment of the Marvel Movie Universe.

Here’s my question: How will Marvel connect Thor with the previous two movies (Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk)?

Here’s my answer…

The explosion of the Arc Reactor – which was a unique achievement that has never existed before, and therefore no one could predict the ramifications of its detonation – was somehow noticed by the gods of Asgard. Either it woke them out of some form of suspended animation, or brought them back into existence, or just made them aware of the power humans now have and they feel threatened. This would cause some of the gods, most likely Tyr and Loki, to want to attack humanity in self defense. They would enlist the Frost Giants, Dark Elves, trolls and others as their army. Other Asgardians, including Odin, Thor, Balder, Sif, Valkyrie and the Warriors Three, would try to stop them, believing that humanity should be left alone. The resulting battle, with humanity at stake, causes the tremendous storm we see in The Incredible Hulk.

But how does this explain the presence of Thor’s hammer at the end of Iron Man 2?

Instead of Odin sending Thor to Earth to learn humility (as it was in the comics), Thor winds up on Earth during the battle, and forgets everything about his Asgardian self. It could be from an injury, or it could be from a spell cast on him by Loki. While the rest of the movie deals with Thor recovering from the injury/spell and rediscovering himself, the battle ends with Loki’s forces victorious, and preparing to invade Earth…

Now I have to figure out how to connect this with the Captain America movie.

Nite Owl (I) Part 2: Watchmen #2 (October, 1986)

Here, we learn more about Hollis’ time with The Minutemen, with the real 'meat and potatoes' of the character explained in the Under the Hood excerpts.

I have this issue in the Watchmen trade.

While this issue focuses on The Comedian, Hollis makes an appearance in a flashback sequence. In October of 1940, we see Hollis (as Nite Owl) paying a photographer for eight copies of the first (?) official photo of The Minutemen. In the excerpts, Hollis explains how he came up with the name and look for Nite Owl, his methods of fighting crime and his perspective on the creation of The Minutemen.

Notes of Interest:
1) I’ve spent time in my youth fantasizing putting on a costume and fighting bad guys. Moore’s use of the excerpts in this issue brought reality to that. One of the many things Moore was trying to express with Watchmen was that the superhero genre in comics can be grounded in reality and make for great storytelling. Marvel and DC didn’t get that for over ten years, but The Ultimates, Astro City, The Authority and Identity Crisis are direct descendents of Watchmen, and proof that Moore was right.

2) Within the flashback to 1940, Hollis had no idea what happened after the photoshoot. In his autobiography, it’s clear that he found out later.

3) We learn that The Minutemen lasted roughly ten years - from the fall of 1939 to sometime in 1949 – and Hollis stayed with the group until they disbanded.

4) Hollis comes across as a regular guy, the most ‘normal’ of The Minutemen, with the least amount of personal issues regarding society, race, gender or sexual orientation.

5) While never the official leader of the team, Hollis was the spirit of the group, and got along with most of the others despite being all too aware of their shortcomings.

WTF? Moment: My one gripe with the series in general is that there’s no moment where The Minutemen worked together as a team. Not even a simple fight with just Hollis and Sally Jupiter going against a group of thugs – a nod to the fight later on with Dan and Laurie, or a battle where Eddie shows his darker tendencies and Hollis’ reaction to that. Heck – I’d love to have seen Hollis’ reaction to what Eddie did after the photoshoot. I haven’t read Absolute Watchmen, so I have no idea if Moore ever planned to include something like that, but I would have liked it, and it would have worked in this issue.

Nite Owl (I) Part 1: Watchmen #1 (September, 1986)

When Alan Moore began working on Watchmen, he used Charlton Comics characters recently purchased by DC in order to incorporate them into mainstream DC continuity. The powers that be nixed that idea, so Moore, along with artist Dave Gibbons, created new characters for the story which ended up in its own separate universe. The first Nite Owl, Hollis Mason, was based on Dan Garret – the original Blue Beetle. The year is 1985, and Hollis has been retired from fighting crime for 23 years. He started out as Nite Owl in 1939, following Superman’s first appearance in Action Comics and Hooded Justice’s first sightings. Prior to that, Mason was a graduate of the New York Police Academy, and as a boy he worked at a local auto repair shop with his father. In 1962, Hollis wrote his autobiography Under the Hood, in which he describes his motivations behind becoming a masked adventurer, his relationships with other heroes and his time as a member of the Minutemen.

I have this issue in the Watchmen trade.

The first time we meet Hollis Mason, he’s shooting the shit with his Nite Owl successor Dan Dreiberg. Mason tells a story about confronting old nemesis Screaming Skull…in a grocery store.

Notes of Interest:
1) To my knowledge, this is the first time Moore incorporated prose in his comic book storytelling, a staple in his later League of Extraordinary Gentlemen work. In this issue, he includes the first two chapters of Hollis’ autobiography.

2) A lot has happened to this timeline before the story begins, including the passing of a law in 1977 that made costumed crime fighting a crime.

3) Through Hollis’ book excerpts, we learn that (by 1938 at least) DC Comics existed, and Superman, The Shadow and Doc Savage were fictional characters. We also see what motivated Hollis into becoming a costumed crime fighter.

4) I find it funny that Hollis’ dog is named Phantom, that it is mentioned by name in the same panel we first see Hollis’s face in costume, and that Hollis - as Nite Owl - kinda looks like Lee Falk’s Phantom.

5) Hollis was born in 1917, which makes him 68 years old in 1985, and he’s in pretty good shape considering he drinks and smokes.

WTF? Moment: I have a hard enough time keeping in touch with friends I had in high school let alone people I didn’t like. So why would Hollis trade phone numbers with someone he repeatedly put in jail? Sure, Screaming Skull may have reformed and found Jesus, but still…

Firefly – The Series (2002)

Synopsis: Sometime in the future, humans colonize other galaxies. Space travel is commonplace. The ruling (Empire) government is The Alliance, and (Rebels) Browncoats fight for independence…and lose. Former Browncoat Sergeant (Han Solo) Malcom Reynolds thumbs his nose at The Alliance by captaining Serenity, a Firefly-class vessel known for salvaging and looting Alliance property. Along for the ride are his First Officer Zoe, pilot Wash, engineer Kaylee, hired gun Jayne and companion Inara. New to the crew are Shepherd Book, Doctor Simon Tam and his sister River. All three have secrets in their past that involve The Alliance. Come to think of it – everyone on Serenity has a skeleton or two in their closets…except maybe Kaylee. The series revolves around Reynolds and his crew dealing with The Alliance and other unsavory types of scoundrel that exist throughout the ‘verse.

Comments: I’m not a huge Joss Whedon fan. I never liked Dollhouse, thought Dr. Horrible was okay, couldn’t get into Angel and thought the Buffy movie was better than the series.

Needless to say, I’m in the minority.

My wife discovered it first. She grew up watching John Wayne westerns with her dad, and she fell in love with it. She described it to me as a “Space Western”, and my mind went to some lame-ass 80’s cartoon I remember seeing that had sheriffs riding space horses. I gave it a try, and am now squarely on the Whedon bandwagon.

This show had nine characters, ten if you count the ship – which Whedon did – and they all worked. Every one of them was fully developed, with rich backstory, despite having clichéd stereotypes: The Captain, The First Officer, The Hired Gun, The Engineer, The Pilot, The Doctor, The Counselor, The Priest and The Patient.

Whedon turned those clichés on their ears. The Captain had a fire in his eyes that went out after losing the war, and was slowly getting it back. The First Officer – a woman by the way – was married to The Pilot, who ran away from a fight when he had a choice. The Hired Gun couldn’t be trusted. The Engineer was a naive young woman who had never been in space before. The Counselor was a highly respected prostitute. The Priest used to be high ranking Alliance officer, and The Doctor was wanted by The Alliance for breaking his sister, The Patient, out of a mental hospital.

What amazed me most is how well the cast got along. They felt like a family…the way the cast of ST:TNG did after seven years together…only these people were together seven months.

And the cinematography!

The constant zooming in and out of focus, the ‘realistic’ look, and the total lack of sound in space!

Did you see the latest Star Trek movie? Did you love the shaky cam work? The flares made by all the lights and the realistic grit under The Federation’s fingernails? How Kirk, Spock and the rest were not nicey-nice all the time?

That all worked because Joss did them first…on this show.

It’s a tragedy that the series lasted 14 episodes, and only 11 even aired!

Adorkable Moment: Joss Whedon is, hands down, the best writer of women characters. He should have been allowed to make his Wonder Woman movie by D.C./Warner Brothers, but was denied. Marvel smartened up and signed him on to do the Avengers movie - an ensemble cast of fully-developed male and female characters. I can’t wait.

Elektra Part 14: Daredevil #190 (Jan, 1983)

Elektra is wanted by more than just Matt in this, her final appearance in my collection…

Believe it or not I actually have this issue, but I also have it in the Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Vol. 3 trade.

The issue begins in the past, sometime after Elektra left Matt and Columbia University behind her. She’s in the middle of nowhere, during a snowstorm, looking for The Chaste – a secret group of ninjas led by Stick, who taught Matt how to use is radar-sense. She attempts to climb the mountain where The Chaste resides and falls. They find her, and Elektra stays with them for a year until Stick realizes that her hatred makes her unworthy of completing her training. He kicks her out, and Elektra returns to her old sensei. He tells her that there are other goals in life to strive for, but she is adamant in proving herself to Stick, and decides to join the enemy – The Hand – in order to fight them from within. The Hand captures her, and they have her fight and kill another to prove herself worthy of joining them. Elektra wins, but she learns that her opponent was her old sensei, and Elektra doubts she’ll ever earn her place with The Chaste again. Back in the present, Elektra’s body is dug up (again) by The Hand as part of a plan to bring her back to life so she can kill Stone, the last surviving member of The Chaste. Daredevil, Black Widow and Stone follow The Hand to an abandoned church, where they try to stop the ceremony. Matt, however, hears a heartbeat, and compelled by his love for Elektra, he uses his own life energy to complete the resurrection. He fails to revive her, but Stone discovers that Matt’s efforts purified her soul. The church caught fire during the battle, and Stone is left inside with Elektra’s body. Daredevil and Black Widow re-enter the church looking for Stone, but he’s gone…and so is Elektra’s body. The issue ends with Elektra, alive and pure of spirit, reaching the top of The Chaste’s mountain wearing a white version of her red costume.

Notes of Interest:
1) Miller uses third person narrative (again) to explain what Elektra’s thinking, the idea being that Elektra and Daredevil are forever apart, free to live separate lives.

2) Although it’s never stated, it was Stone who finally revived Elektra, at the cost of his own life.

3) It would have been cool to see her revive The Chaste and train new recruits but…oh well.

WTF? Moment: I know this is nit-picking, but how did Elektra’s winter parka change color once she reached the mountaintop?

Elektra Part 13: Daredevil #182 (May, 1982)

Elektra doesn’t make an appearance here, her corpse does. And no, the ‘z’-word doesn’t apply…

I have this story in the Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Vol. 2 trade.

Elektra’s body is dug up on the last page in a superb effort by Miller to prove to all that she is in fact dead after teasing readers, and Matt, all issue long.

Notes of Interest:
1) In the “Born Again” storyline (another masterpiece by Miller), Kingpin mentions that Daredevil’s psyche has been disturbed for some time. This issue explains the cause.

2) I’ve never read Elektra: Assassin but Elektra uses some sort of mental powers in that story she never had before. I guess you could argue that this issue establishes those powers. But I don’t count Assassin as canon, so Matt’s just losing it.

3) Since this takes place after What If? #35, it could be said that Uatu’s to blame for Matt’s behavior.

WTF? Moment: I know Matt loved Elektra but…touching her dead face with his bare hands? Ewww.

WTF? Moment #2: Foggy is a true friend. He finds Matt in a graveyard in the middle of the night, kneeling next to Elektra’s open casket, and doesn’t even question how his blind partner got there or did that – all by himself.

Worst. Comic. Book. Movie. Ever.

I submitted this to The Rotten Tomato Show when they asked for opinions for the worst comic book movie.

It never went anywhere, but here it is. Enjoy.

Elektra Part 12: What If? #35 (October, 1982)

I love this series. Always have. It’s a great concept even though I admit not every story’s a winner. I’m including this issue as Elektra’s twelfth appearance because it shows how her life would have ended had she lived…

I have this story in the Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Vol. 3 trade.

Bullseye is killed during his prison break (from Daredevil #181), which prevents him from killing Elektra after letting Foggy Nelson go. Aware that Kingpin won’t be too happy about Nelson being alive, Elektra prepares to leave the country. She’s attacked outside her apartment, and kills at least three men before she’s shot and surrounded. Matt finds her, alive but bleeding, in his brownstone. He threatens to take her in, and she explains that in prison, Kingpin would see to her death. Elektra winds up spending the rest of her life on a beach somewhere, with Matt, half a world away.

Notes of Interest:
1) I like how this takes place immediately after Daredevil #181, with Uatu approaching Matt as he’s standing over Elektra’s grave. This is why I’m counting this as her twelfth appearance, even though it came out six months later.

2) Allowing any creative team access to any pivotal moment in Earth- 616 history can be dicey, because different people steer storylines in different directions. Frank Miller wrote this story, which gives it credibility, and shows us where Miller could have gone with the character.

3) I wish we saw more of this timeline, because you know Kingpin wouldn’t stop looking for her…

WTF? Moment: Why would Foggy go to Matt instead of the police? Because he’s all freaked out from almost being killed? Because Matt’s the first person he thought of after recognizing Elektra? I always assumed he hid under a rock or something until he got hungry again. But that asks the question – did Foggy go to Matt’s place in the original timeline?