Liam Neeson as Darkman

terça-feira, 18 de dezembro de 2012

Wolverine - Arma X (Weapon X)











































































Related Info to the Books Content from http://marvel.wikia.com/ :

http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_72
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_73
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_74
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_75
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_76
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_77
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_78
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_79
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_80
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_81
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_82
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_83
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_84
http://marvel.wikia.com/Wolverine_Vol_2_166
http://marvel.wikia.com/Uncanny_X-Men_Vol_1_205

More Info: http://loja.publico.pt/products.php?product=Herois-Marvel-Serie-II-N9-%252d-Wolverine%3A-Arma-X


Info About Weapon X (story arc):

"Weapon X" is a comic book story arc written and illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith and published by Marvel Comics. The story arc appears in Marvel Comics Presents #72-84 and tells the story of Wolverine during his time in Weapon X.[1]

Plot

Set a number of years before Logan adopted the Wolverine moniker, the series lacks many of the characteristics that the character is best known for: he never appears in costume, almost all of his trademark personality traits are absent, and none of his super-powered acquaintances are shown or even mentioned.
The series begins with Logan being captured and prepared for the adamantium bonding process. There are several mentions of his being tough, and the Professor, the director of the Weapon X program, along with his assistants Dr. Cornelius and Miss Hines, wipe his mind and bond him to adamantium, the hardest known substance on Earth, to prepare him to be a mindless, soulless killing machine. Prior to Wolverine volume 2, #75, the plot had too much adamantium bonded to his forearms, resulting in his claws, leading to the development of tubes in his flesh to keep the skin apart for claw extraction.
Throughout the program, Logan is constantly referred to not as a person but as a subject, and his humanity is almost completely disregarded in the course of the experiments. Logan frequently comes to odds with his mental programming, and eventually escapes into the wilderness after killing all of the soldiers there (except for one, future Weapon X Director Malcom Colcord) while the Professor, Cornelius, and Hines lock themselves in a secured room that Logan cannot break into.

Sequel

A sort of sequel to Weapon X, written by Larry Hama, appeared in Wolverine's first ongoing series starting with issue 48, entitled The Shiva Scenario. The 3 part storyline referenced much of what happened in the Weapon X story. It is collected in Wolverine Visionaries: Marc Silvestri, among other Wolverine stories from the era.

Collected editions

The story has been collected numerous times, first in a 1993 hardcover (ISBN 0871359464) then a 2007 hardcover (ISBN 0-7851-2667-8) which was reprinted in 2009 as a paperback (ISBN 0-7851-3726-2).
Additionally, the story is one of several others in the Best of Wolverine, Volume 1 hardcover, published in 2004 (ISBN 0-7851-1370-3).


Extracts Taken From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weapon_X_(story_arc)

More Info: http://marvel.com/characters/bio/1009718/wolverine







terça-feira, 11 de dezembro de 2012

Wolverine - Velho Logan (Wolverine: Old Man Logan)











































































Related Info to the Books Content from http://marvel.wikia.com/ :

http://marvel.wikia.com/Wolverine_Vol_3_66
http://marvel.wikia.com/Wolverine_Vol_3_67
http://marvel.wikia.com/Wolverine_Vol_3_68
http://marvel.wikia.com/Wolverine_Vol_3_69
http://marvel.wikia.com/Wolverine_Vol_3_70
http://marvel.wikia.com/Wolverine_Vol_3_71
http://marvel.wikia.com/Wolverine_Vol_3_72
http://marvel.wikia.com/Wolverine:_Old_Man_Logan_Giant-Size_Vol_1_1

More Info: http://loja.publico.pt/products.php?product=Herois-Marvel-Serie-II-N5-%252d-Wolverine%3A-Velho-Logan


Info About Old Man Logan:

Wolverine: Old Man Logan is an eight-issue storyline from the Wolverine ongoing series by writer Mark Millar and artist Steve McNiven, published by Marvel Comics. It began in June 2008, ran through Wolverine #66-72 and ended in Wolverine Giant-Size Old Man Logan in September 2009.
Set over fifty years in the future, it uses a similar premise to another Millar book, Wanted, in which the world's supervillains band together to finally destroy all superheroes. The hardcover collected edition was published January 1, 2010.

Plot

At the onset of the story, the entire United States has been overtaken and divided amongst supervillains, with territories belonging to The Abomination (later conquered by the Hulk), Magneto (later conquered by a new Kingpin), Dr. Doom and the Red Skull, who has named himself President. Heroes have been wiped out of existence, with the few survivors in hiding and scattered throughout the country. Logan lives with his wife Maureen and young children Scotty and Jade on a barren plot of land in Sacramento, California, now part of the territory known as "Hulkland." Logan needs money to pay rent to the landlords of this territory: the hillbilly grandchildren of the Hulk, who are products of years of incestuous procreation originating with Banner and his first cousin She-Hulk. In order to pay the rent, Logan accepts a job from a now-blind Hawkeye: help him navigate east across the country, to the capital of New Babylon, and deliver a secret, illegal package which Logan initially assumes to be drugs.[1]
Logan and Hawkeye encounter several diversions on their journey east. They rescue Hawkeye's daughter (who is the granddaughter of Peter Parker and appears to be an aspiring hero herself), from the clutches of the new Kingpin, before she murders Kingpin and reveals her intention to seize his territory.[2] They escape a cluster of Moloids, who have gone about sinking entire cities from beneath the surface.[3] And they are chased by a Venom symbiote-infused dinosaur (imported from the Savage Land) before being rescued and teleported by the White Queen and Black Bolt, who live in hiding.[4]
Throughout the story it is reiterated that the "Wolverine" personality died the day the villains attacked, and Logan has steadfastly refused to use his claws ever since, even when in danger. Via flashbacks it is revealed that on the night the world's heroes came under attack by an organized coalition of villains, a group consisting of forty supervillains including Mr. Sinister, Sabretooth, Dr. Octopus, Omega Red, Bullseye apparently attacked the X-Mansion. Unable to locate his teammates, Wolverine was forced to slaughter the attackers to ensure the safety of the mutant children. As the last "attacker" was killed, Logan realized that the entire assault was an illusion created by Mysterio, and his perceived enemies were actually his fellow X-Men. This destroyed him emotionally and mentally, and he wandered from the Mansion in shock. Logan notes that while he made a subsequent suicide attempt, he could not actually destroy himself, though in effect "Wolverine" was destroyed for good.[5]
When they finally reach the capital, Hawkeye delivers his package to an underground resistance group hoping to begin a new Avengers-esque team to fight the villains' oppression. The package is revealed to be a case of Super Soldier Serum, enough to form an army. But Hawkeye's clients reveal themselves to be undercover S.H.I.E.L.D agents. They then shoot Logan and Hawkeye multiple times, killing them.[4] However, Logan's body heals from the gunshots and he awakens in Red Skull's trophy room amongst the armaments and costumes of the world's fallen superheroes. Without using his claws, he kills Red Skull's men and engages Red Skull himself, eventually decapitating him with Captain America's shield. He grabs a briefcase of money (their intended reward for the delivery) and uses pieces of Iron Man's armor to fly back home.
Upon arriving, Logan discovers that in his absence the Hulk's grandchildren murdered his family. Doing so, they leave the bodies unburied, seemingly as a gruesome message.[6] This causes Logan to finally unleash his claws once again. He seeks out and slaughters the entire, massive Banner clan before encountering old Banner himself, who displays monstrous strength even in his human form. Banner reveals that while the murder of Logan's family was intended as a message to others, he really just wanted to get Logan angry so that he could fight him. In his Hulk form, Banner defeats and consumes Logan, but Logan recuperates within Banner's stomach and bursts from within him, killing him. Afterward, he discovers a baby hulk, Bruce Banner Junior.
A month later, Logan and his neighbors hold a small memorial for Logan's family. Logan then says he plans to defeat all the new world villains and thereby bring peace to the land—with he, and Bruce Banner Junior, being the first members of a new group of superheroes. Together they ride into the sunset on horseback.[7]

Reception

The individual issues of the series were highly rated by various IGN critics. The final issue received the highest score, an "Amazing" 9.0 out of 10.[8]

Sequel

On June 29, 2010, Mark Millar posted on his message board that he was working on a sequel to Old Man Logan. "It opens with this insane Spidey flashback which pretty much sets the tone. My God, it’s going to be fun to write.” At the time of the posting, he had yet to pitch the idea to Marvel.[citation needed]


Extracts Taken From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Man_Logan

More Info: http://marvel.com/characters/bio/1009718/wolverine







Wolverine - Madripoor











































































Related Info to the Books Content from http://marvel.wikia.com/ :

http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_1
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_2
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_3
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_4
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_5
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_6
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_7
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_8
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_9
http://marvel.wikia.com/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_1_10
http://marvel.wikia.com/Wolverine_Vol_2_1
http://marvel.wikia.com/Wolverine_Vol_2_2
http://marvel.wikia.com/Wolverine_Vol_2_3
http://marvel.wikia.com/Wolverine_Vol_2_4
http://marvel.wikia.com/Wolverine_Vol_2_5

More Info: http://loja.publico.pt/products.php?product=Colec%C3%A7%C3%A3o-HER%C3%93IS-MARVEL%252dWolverine%3A-Madripoor-vol.9


Info About Madripoor:

The Principality of Madripoor is a fictional island located in Southeast Asia in the Marvel Comics universe. Based on illustrations, it is in the southern portion of the Strait of Malacca, southwest of Singapore.

Publication history

Madripoor first appeared in New Mutants #32 (October 1985). It was created by Chris Claremont and Steve Leialoha.
Madripoor received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 #4.

Description

Madripoor is a fictional island apparently modeled on Singapore; they are both Southeast Asian island port nations with a single major city. Its capital and single large city is Madripoor, which is divided between Hightown and Lowtown. This serves to represent the extreme social inequality in Madripoor, described as "a place for the very rich and the very poor".
Madripoor was once a haven for pirates, and that tradition is somewhat continued today with its lawless quality; the principality does not allow other nations to extradite criminals. However, it is one of the business capitals of the Pacific Rim, with its own Trade Center.[citation needed]
Other locations of note in the Central Business District are the Bank of Hong Kong and the Bank of Malaysia, luxurious Sovereign Hotel, and the Prince's Palace, said to rival Versailles.[1]
The nation was taken over by HYDRA with Madame Hydra as de facto ruler, using the nation to finance terrorist plots against the world. Side-effects of this are seen in Spider-Woman: Agent Of S.W.O.R.D.[2] With HYDRA's terrorist operations causing deaths in the thousands, Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D. took it upon themselves to overthrow the HYDRA regime and place the nation in the hands of Tyger Tiger, as she was the only person - apart from the long-absent Patch - who the natives would follow in the event of a revolt, Stark wanting someone who would run Madripoor the right way without needing someone else to monitor them and ensure that the situation did not repeat itself. [3]
Madripoor is now controlled by Wolverine's son Daken, after he managed to wrestle and manipulate power away from Tyger Tiger by acquiring control of various financial resources, maintaining Tyger Tiger only as a figurehead due to her pre-existing connections.

Geography

Madripoor is estimated to be 100 miles (160 km) in diameter. Its coastline is pockmarked with deep water bays and inlets. The center of the island is a large plateau with steep cliffs.

Points of Interest

The following are locations found in Madripoor:
  • Buccaneer Bay - This is where Madripoor corsairs ranged far and wide for their prey.
  • Hightown - A district of Madripoor for the wealthy.
  • Lowtown - The crime-impoverished district of Madripoor.
    • Princess Bar - A drinking establishment in Lowtown. It was run by a man named O'Donnell and Wolverine (under the alias of patch).
  • Stinger - A S.H.I.E.L.D. safehouse and second generation secret base whose location is only known to Nick Fury.

Associated residents

Notable current and former residents of Madripoor include:
  • Archie Corrigan (deceased) - Owner of South Seas Skyways
  • Harriers - A team of mercenaries.[4]
  • Tyger Tiger (alias of Jessan Hoan) - Former revolutionary and current head of state
  • Prince Baran, former ruler (murdered by General Coy)[5]
  • Scorpion - She was born in Madripoor
  • Patch (alias of Wolverine) - Co-owner of the Princess Bar
  • Jessica Drew - Private investigator
  • Karma - Member of the New Mutants and niece to General Nguyen Ngoc Coy
  • Roughouse - Enforcer to General Coy and Viper
  • Bloodscream - Enforcer to General Coy and Viper
  • Viper - Terrorist and recently deposed ruler of Madripoor
  • Dragoness - Former MLF member and current resident of Utopia
  • Seraph (deceased) - Former lover and trainer of Wolverine
  • Tran Coy Manh (deceased) - Twin brother of Karma
  • Nguyen Ngoc Coy (deceased) - A crime lord. Slain by Tyger Tiger.[6]
  • Lindsay McCabe - Actress
  • Chang (deceased) - Agent of Landau, Luckman & Lake
  • Mr. X - Champion of Madripoor
  • Sapphire Styx - A psychic vampire
  • Roche (deceased) - A crime lord
  • O'Donnell (deceased) - The co-owner of the Princess Bar
  • Rose Wu (deceased) - A friend of Patch
  • Tai (deceased) - The chief of police. He was also murdered by Hoan[7]
  • Sabretooth - He once lived in Madripoor in 1959.[8]










terça-feira, 4 de dezembro de 2012

Eu, Wolverine (Wolverine - Volume 1)











































































Info About Chris Claremont:

Christopher S. Claremont[1][2] (born November 25, 1950, in London, England) is an American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year (1975–1991) stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer,[3] during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero narratives, turning the once underachieving comic into one of Marvel’s most popular series.[4][5]
During his tenure at Marvel, Claremont co-created numerous important X-Men characters, such as Rogue, Psylocke, Shadowcat, Phoenix, Mystique, Lady Mastermind, Emma Frost, Siryn, Jubilee, Rachel Summers, Madelyne Pryor, Sabretooth, Strong Guy, Captain Britain, Mister Sinister, and Gambit, scripted many classic stories, including "The Dark Phoenix Saga" and "Days of Future Past",[6] and along with collaborators such as John Byrne, developed the character of Wolverine into a popular fan favorite. X-Men #1, the 1991 spinoff series premiere that Claremont co-wrote with Jim Lee, remains the best-selling comic book of all time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Contents


Extract & Contents Taken From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Claremont


Info About Frank Miller:

Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957)[2] is an American writer, artist, and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300. He also directed the film version of The Spirit, shared directing duties with Robert Rodriguez on Sin City and produced the film 300.





terça-feira, 27 de novembro de 2012

Wizard Special Edition: Wolverine















































































































General Info About Wolverine:

Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born James Howlett[1] and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant who possesses animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing factor that allows him to recover from virtually any wound, disease or toxin, at an accelerated rate. The healing factor also slows down his aging process, enabling him to live beyond a normal human lifespan. His powerful healing factor enabled the supersoldier program Weapon X to bond the near-indestructible metal alloy adamantium to his skeleton and claws without killing him. He is most often depicted as a member of the X-Men, Alpha Flight, or later the Avengers.
The character first appeared in the last panel of The Incredible Hulk #180 (his first full appearance is in issue #181, November 1974) and was created by writer Len Wein and Marvel art director John Romita, Sr., who designed the character, and was first drawn for publication by Herb Trimpe. Wolverine later joined the X-Men's "All New, All Different" roster in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975). X-Men writer Chris Claremont played a significant role in the character's subsequent development,[2] along with artist/writer John Byrne, who insisted on making the character older than the other X-Men. Artist Frank Miller collaborated with Claremont and helped to revise the character with a four-part eponymous limited series from September to December 1982 in which Wolverine's catchphrase, "I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do best isn't very nice," debuted.
Wolverine was typical of the many tough, anti-authority, antiheroes that emerged in American popular culture after the Vietnam War;[3] his willingness to use deadly force and his brooding nature became standard characteristics for comic book anti-heroes by the end of the 1980s.[4] As a result, the character became the clear favorite for fans of the increasingly popular X-Men franchise.[5] Wolverine has been featured in his own solo comic since 1988 and has been a central character in most X-Men adaptations, including animated television series, video games, and the live-action 20th Century Fox X-Men film series, in which he is portrayed by Hugh Jackman.[6] In May 2008, Wolverine was ranked #1 out of Wizard magazine's Top 200 Comic Book Characters of All Time[7] and was ranked as the 4th Greatest Comic Book Character by Empire magazine in July 2008.[8] On their list of the 100 Greatest Fictional Characters, Fandomania.com ranked Wolverine at #21.[9] In May 2011, Wolverine was ranked 4th on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes.[10]


Contents


Extract & Contents Taken From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolverine_(comics)





Wizard Special Edition: X-Men















































































































General Info About The (now defunct) Mag:

Wizard or Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture (previously titled Wizard: The Guide to Comics and Wizard: The Comics Magazine) was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment from July 1991 to January 2011.[1] It included a price guide, as well as comic book, movie, anime, and collector news, interviews, and previews.

Publication history

Wizard launched in July 1991. With issue #7, the magazine switched to glossy paper and color printing. Wizard strongly supported new publishers Valiant Comics and Image Comics, heavily promoting their new releases.
The magazine has also spawned several ongoing magazines dedicated to similar interests such as ToyFare for toys and action figures, Inquest Gamer for collectible game cards, Anime Insider for anime and manga, and Toy Wishes for mainstream toy enthusiasts, though all have subsequently been cancelled.
In 2006, the magazine was revamped with a bigger look and more pages, switching from the "perfect bound" or staple free look, to that of a more traditional magazine. After issue 200, Wizard made several changes to the magazine, shifting focus from reviews and humor to information about upcoming comics and the industry as a whole. The 3-page "Magic Words" section, which consisted of reader questions, was dropped and replaced by "Fan Mail", a half-page section allowing 3 short (and often humorous) letters.
In November 2006, Wizard editor-in-chief and co-founder Pat McCallum was fired, after more than a decade with the company. Wizard declined to say why he was removed.[2] On February 21, 2007, Scott Gramling was announced as the new Editor-in-Chief.[3] Soon after, longtime Wizard Editor Brian Cunningham was removed in August 2008.[4] The current editor is former staff writer and managing editor Mike Cotton. On February 27, 2009, Wizard laid off ten percent of its work force, including its three staff writers, in order to make room for freelance writers.[5]
Wizard was relaunched with issue #228 (August 2010 issue), which featured Mark Millar as a guest editor. The magazine went back to its strictly comic book roots. The issue featured a Green Hornet film cover and round table discussion with creators in the comic book film industry.
On January 24, 2011, Rich Johnston of the website Bleeding Cool confirmed that the magazine would cease print publication, that almost all of its magazine staff had been laid off, and all freelance engagements canceled.[6] This was confirmed later that day by Wizard, who also revealed that its sister magazine, Toyfare, was also canceled. According to the publication's representatives, Wizard would be relaunched in February 2011 as an online magazine called Wizard World.[7] The first issue of "Wizard World" was made available online and through major digital distribution channels on March 2, 2011.[8]

Regular features

The magazine went through an ever-changing line-up of regular and semi-regular features, including
  • Book Shelf - Brief descriptions of the monthly trade paperback and hardcover collection releases.
  • Top 10 Writers and Artists Lists charting the most popular creators of the month in each category.
Retired features include
  • Casting Call - A feature proposing the "dream" cast for potential film adaptations of various comic books. It later appeared sporadically.
  • Last Man Standing - A dream "faceoff" between two different characters or teams, always of different companies and/or universes. The feature would detail a brief showdown between the two, including the victor and would be accompanied by an exclusive illustration (usually by a high profile artist) depicting the battle.
Exclusive offers

In addition, both Wizard and ToyFare often featured mail-away offers for exclusive merchandise. Wizard began a practice of producing specially offered Wizard #1/2 issues. These were special issues of ongoing major comic book series which featured in-continuity stories that supplemented the regular series published issues. The issues were numbered #1/2 so as not to disrupt the series ongoing numbering system. Often Wizard would also include free pack-in issues with their magazines, usually numbered as Wizard #0's.

Controversy

Comics creator Frank Miller had a well-publicized feud with Wizard, initiated by his keynote speech at the 2001 Harvey Awards, during which he ripped a copy of the magazine apart and threw it in a trash can, calling it a "bible written by Satan," a "monthly vulgarity," and a "tree killer (which) regularly cheapens and poisons our field."[9]

Awards

The magazine presented the Wizard Fan Awards annually for works of distinction within the comics industry from 1993 to 2006. From 1993 to 1995, the awards were presented during Dragon Con; in 1996 the awards moved their home to the Chicago Comicon (later renamed Wizard World Chicago).[10]

Black Bull Comics

Wizard published a line of comics under the banner Black Bull Comics by several well-known creators, including Mark Waid, Chris Eliopoulos, Nelson DeCastro, and Garth Ennis, including:







quarta-feira, 21 de novembro de 2012

X-Men 2 (BD+DVD)













































































Info About The Comics:

Related Info to the Books Content from http://marvel.wikia.com/ :

http://marvel.wikia.com/X-Men_Vol_1_109
http://marvel.wikia.com/X-Men_Vol_1_125
http://marvel.wikia.com/X-Men_Vol_1_126
http://marvel.wikia.com/X-Men_Vol_1_127
http://marvel.wikia.com/X-Men_Vol_1_128

More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-Men,_vol._1


Info About The Movie:

X2 (often promoted as X2: X-Men United or internationally as X-Men 2[2][3]) is a 2003 superhero film based on the fictional characters the X-Men. Directed by Bryan Singer, it is the second film in the X-Men film series. It stars an ensemble cast including Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Brian Cox, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, James Marsden, Halle Berry and Kelly Hu. The plot, inspired by the graphic novel God Loves, Man Kills, pits the X-Men and their enemies, the Brotherhood, against the genocidal Colonel William Stryker (Brian Cox). He leads an assault on Professor Xavier's school to build his own version of Xavier's mutant-tracking computer Cerebro, in order to destroy every mutant on Earth.
Development phase for X2 began shortly after X-Men. David Hayter and Zak Penn wrote separate scripts, combining what they felt to be the best elements of both scripts into one screenplay. Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris were eventually hired for rewrite work, changing characterizations of Beast, Angel and Lady Deathstrike. Sentinels and the Danger Room were set to appear before being deleted because of budget concerns. Filming began in June 2002 and ended that November. Most of the filming took place at Vancouver Film Studios, the largest production facility outside of Los Angeles in North America. Production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas adapted similar designs of John Myhre from the previous film. X2 was released in the United States on May 2, 2003 and became both a critical and financial success, earning eight nominations at the Saturn Awards and grossing approximately $407 million worldwide.

Plot

Nightcrawler, a teleporting mutant, attempts to assassinate the President of the United States in the White House, but he fails and escapes after being shot by a Secret Service agent. Wolverine heads to Alkali Lake but finds nothing left of the base. Logan returns to the school, reunited with Rogue, her boyfriend Iceman, Cyclops, Storm, and Jean Grey. He is requested by Professor Xavier to watch over the children at the school, while Storm and Jean find Nightcrawler with the help of the professor and Cerebro.
Cyclops and the Professor visit Magneto in his plastic prison to see if he had any part in the attack on the President. Reading Magneto's mind, the Professor discovers that a covert government operative, William Stryker, has been extracting information from Magneto. A trap is sprung and Cyclops and the Professor are captured by Stryker and his assistant Yuriko Oyama. A military raid of the X-Mansion begins, with the soldiers sedating every student they find. However, the plan backfires when Wolverine strikes back and kills a large number of Stryker's men, while Colossus, Rogue, Iceman, Pyro, and most of the students escape through a series of hidden tunnels in the school. Wolverine confronts Stryker, who fails to shed any light to his past. Iceman returns, saves Wolverine by creating a wall of ice between him and Stryker, and they both escape through one of the tunnels. Stryker's soldiers had already succeeded in sedating six students and managed to break inside Cerebro.
Impersonating Senator Robert Kelly and Yuriko, Mystique gains information about Magneto's prison and provides a means for him to escape. Wolverine, along with Rogue, Iceman and Pyro head to Iceman's (Bobby Drake's) parents' home in Boston. After a 9-1-1 call from Bobby's brother Ronny, the police arrive just as the group is about to leave. Pyro uses his fire manipulation powers to fend off the police, but gets carried away and is prevented from causing further damage by Rogue. The X-Jet arrives to pick them up, and they are quickly targeted by two Air Force fighter jets. They manage to force the pilots to eject with the help of Storm and Jean Grey; however, they are hit by a missile which threatens to crash them. Only due to the sudden interference of Magneto do they survive. The X-Men then team up with Magneto and Mystique. Magneto has learned Stryker orchestrated the attack on the President and has been experimenting on mutants, using a drug injected directly into the back of the neck to control them. Jean reads Nightcrawler's mind and determines that Stryker's base is located at Alkali Lake, inside the dam where he plans to kill the world's mutants by building a second Cerebro.
Through his son, Jason, Stryker gains control over the Professor. His son is able to project powerful visions in the mind, blinding a person to reality, and through this the Professor is brainwashed to use Cerebro to find and kill all mutants. Mystique is able to infiltrate Stryker's base by impersonating Wolverine as the X-Men followed. Storm and Nightcrawler search for the kidnapped students. Jean, Magneto, and Mystique are attacked by a brainwashed Cyclops while trying to rescue the Professor and in the process caused damage to the generators that keep the dam from collapsing. The force of Jean's telekinetic blast awakens Cyclops from his brainwashing, and Wolverine simultaneously finds Stryker in an adamantium smelting room along with Yuriko, who is revealed to be Lady Deathstrike. Wolverine manages to defeat Deathstrike and then finds Stryker on a landing pad, where Stryker attempts to bargain Wolverine for his life with stories of his past.
Storm and Nightcrawler find the children and break them out of their cell. Magneto and Mystique managed to kill the rest of Stryker's men by setting off their grenades, which causes a leak in the dam, and Magneto stops Jason and the Professor before the mutants are killed. While disguised as Stryker, Mystique uses Jason to convince the Professor to kill all humans; she and Magneto, along with their new initiate, Pyro, then use Stryker's helicopter to escape Alkali Lake, chaining Stryker to concrete rubble. Meanwhile, Nightcrawler teleports Storm inside of Cerebro where she creates a snowstorm to free the Professor from his telepathic illusion.
They all then flee the base as water engulfs it, only to discover that Magneto, Mystique, and Pyro - who had earlier been convinced by Magneto to join them - had escaped on the helicopter. Fortunately, Iceman and Rogue arrive with the X-Jet and everyone gets on board. The dam bursts completely, flooding the landscape and killing Stryker. A malfunction aboard the X-Jet prevents it from taking off; Jean sacrifices herself by leaving the jet and creating a telekinetic wall as a shield against the flood. She activates the X-Jet's primary engines before releasing the torrent of water down on herself, presumably killing her.
The X-Men are able to supply the President with files from Stryker's private offices, and the Professor warns him that humans and mutants must work together to build peace or they will destroy each other through war. The next scene returns to the school, with Professor Xavier, Cyclops, and Wolverine talking about Jean's past. They are then interrupted by Colossus and a large number of the students who are supposed to be in their next class. While they leave, Wolverine tells Cyclops that Jean made a choice and that it was him, which relieves Cyclops a good deal. The film ends with a voice-over by Jean Grey on the process of evolution (a speech originally made by the Professor in the introduction of the first film). The camera floats over Alkali Lake, showing a vague shape of a 'Phoenix' flying above it, hinting at her survival.

Cast

  • Hugh Jackman as Logan / Wolverine
    A mutant who has no memory of his life before he was grafted with an indestructible adamantium skeleton. Wolverine is a gruff loner, he is also a father figure to Rogue and has a love connection with Jean. He wields three blades that come out of each of his fists, has keen animal-like senses, the ability to heal rapidly, and is a ruthless and aggressive fighter.
  • Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier
    A powerful telepathic mutant who uses a wheelchair. He founded a School for "gifted youngsters"; Xavier is a pacifist who believes humans and mutants can live together in harmony. He uses the Cerebro device, built by Magneto and himself, to track and locate mutants across the world. Xavier is regarded as an expert on genetic mutation.
  • Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto
    Once Xavier's ally, Magneto now believes mutants are superior to humans. Magneto wields the ability to manipulate metal magnetically, as well as the power to create magnetic fields. He wears a helmet that renders him immune to Xavier's and all related telepathic powers. Imprisoned after his scheme in the first film, he is drugged by William Stryker for information on Cerebro, before making his escape and forming an alliance with the X-Men to stop Stryker. He has demonstrated sophisticated knowledge in matters of genetic manipulation and engineering. The character's helmet was slightly redesigned as McKellen found wearing it uncomfortable in the previous film.[citation needed]
  • Halle Berry as Ororo Munroe / Storm
    A mutant and teacher at Xavier's School who can control the weather with her mind. Storm befriends Nightcrawler. Berry dropped out of Jennifer Lopez's role in Gigli to reprise the role.[4]
  • Famke Janssen as Dr. Jean Grey
    A teacher at Xavier's school and the X-Mansion's doctor, Jean has begun to experience vast and at times uncontrollable growth in both her telepathy and telekinetic powers since Magneto's machine exploded and thus unlocked or mutated her abilities in the first film. She is Cyclops' fiancé.
  • James Marsden as Scott Summers / Cyclops
    The field leader of the X-Men, and a teacher at Xavier's Institute, he shoots uncontrollable beams of concussive force from his eyes and wears a visor to control them. He is in a relationship with Jean. Cyclops is taken prisoner by Stryker.
  • Anna Paquin as Marie / Rogue
    A girl who can absorb any person's memories and abilities by touching them. As she cannot control this power, Rogue can easily kill anyone and thus is unable to be close to people. Her love interest is Bobby Drake/Iceman.
  • Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as Mystique
    Magneto's henchwoman, she is a shapeshifter. Mystique is blue, naked and covered in scales, and she acts as a spy. She injects a prison guard with metal, with which Magneto makes his escape, and also sexually tempts Wolverine. Romijn's makeup previously took nine hours to apply, however, the make-up department was able to bring it down to six hours for X2.[5]
  • Brian Cox as Colonel William Stryker
    A human military scientist who plans a worldwide genocide of mutants using Xavier and Cerebro. Stryker has experimented on mutants in the past, including Wolverine, and uses a serum to control them. Singer opted to cast Cox in the role as he was a fan of his performance as Hannibal Lecktor in Manhunter.[6]
  • Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler
    A kindly German mutant with a strong Catholic faith, yet ironically he has the appearance of a blue demon. Nightcrawler was used by Stryker in an assassination attempt on the President of the United States and gives help to the X-Men. He is capable of teleporting himself (and others) instantly from one location to another. On his body are many scarification marks, one for every sin. Cumming had always been Singer's choice for the role, but Cumming could not accept the part due to scheduling conflicts.[7] Ethan Embry had been reported to be in contention for the role,[8] but the film labored in development long enough for Cumming to accept the part.[7] Singer also felt comfortable in casting Cumming since he is fluent in the German language.[9] The drawings of Adam Kubert were used as inspiration for Nightcrawler's makeup design,[10] which took four hours to apply.[11] For the scene where Nightcrawler has his shirt off, Cumming went through nine hours.[7] To best pose as Nightcrawler, Cumming studied comic books and illustrations of the character.[11]
  • Aaron Stanford as John Allerdyce / Pyro
    A friend of Bobby and Rogue, Pyro has anti-social tendencies because is very angry at humans for how they treat the mutant community. He has the ability to control (although not create) fire. Magneto tells him that "You are a god amongst insects; never let anyone tell you different." The filmmakers cast Stanford in the role after they were impressed with his performance in Tadpole.[12]
  • Shawn Ashmore as Bobby Drake / Iceman
    Rogue's boyfriend, he can freeze objects and create ice. His family is unaware that he is a mutant and simply believes he is at a boarding school. After returning home, Bobby reveals to them what he actually is, much to his brother's derision.
  • Kelly Hu as Yuriko Oyama / Deathstrike
    A mutant that has a healing ability like Wolverine's, and is controlled by Stryker. She wields long adamantium fingernails. Only her first name is mentioned in dialogue.
  • Michael Reid McKay as Jason Stryker / Mutant 143
    William Stryker's son. He was sent to Xavier's school in an attempt to "cure" his ability to create illusions. Returning home, Jason tortured his parents until his mother committed suicide. His father lobotomized him and uses a fluid from his brain to control mutants. Xavier's mind is too strong for the fluid, however, and Jason is instead used in order to manipulate him in Stryker's genocidal scheme.
Although the character of Senator Robert Kelly was killed in the first film, Bruce Davison reprised the role for scenes where Mystique uses his persona to infiltrate the government. Also, Katie Stuart appeared as Kitty Pryde, a girl who can walk through walls, Bryce Hodgson as Artie, Kea Wong as Jubilee and Shauna Kain as Siryn, who is able to emit loud screams that alert the students to Stryker's attack. Also in the final scene with Xavier, a girl is seen dressed in a Native American style jacket, as well as a blond haired boy dressed in blue, played by Layke Anderson. These were confirmed to be Danielle Moonstar and Douglas Ramsey.[12] Daniel Cudmore appeared as Peter Rasputin / Colossus. Cudmore was set to use a Russian accent, but Singer dropped the idea for unknown reasons, and onset rewrites minimized the character's importance to a cameo.[13]
Jubilee, Psylocke and Multiple Man were to have cameos for the scene when Stryker and his troops storm the X-Mansion. Beast, Gambit and Marrow were to have appearances during the Dark Cerebro sequence. Gambit's cameo was actually shot, but the footage was not used in the final cut. Beast's scene was to show Dr. Hank McCoy transforming into his notable blue fur while Marrow was to be seen lying on a ground in New York City.[12] Hank McCoy appears on a television during the scene where Mystique drugs Magneto's prison guard. Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris, the film's writers, cameo in scenes of Wolverine's Weapon X flashbacks as surgeons.[14] Shaquille O'Neal wanted a role in the film but was ignored by the filmmakers.[15]

Development

Writing

The financial and critical success of X-Men persuaded 20th Century Fox to commission a sequel instantly. Starting in November 2000,[16] Bryan Singer researched various storylines (one of them being the Legacy Virus) of the X-Men comic book series, choosing God Loves, Man Kills as the premise.[17] Singer wanted to study, "the human perspective, the kind of blind rage that feeds into warmongering and terrorism,"[18] citing a need for a "human villain".[16] Bryan and producer Tom DeSanto envisioned X2: X-Men United as the film series' Empire Strikes Back, in that the characters are "all split apart, and then dissected, and revelations occur that are significant... the romance comes to fruition and a lot of things happen."[19] Producer Avi Arad announced a planned November 2002 theatrical release date,[20] while David Hayter and Zak Penn were hired to write separate scripts.[21] Hayter and Penn combined what they felt to be the best elements of both scripts into one screenplay.[22] Singer and Hayter worked on another script, finishing in October 2001.[23]

Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris were hired to rewrite Hayter and Penn's script in February 2002,[24] turning down the opportunity to write Urban Legends: Bloody Mary.[25] Angel and Beast appeared in early drafts, but were deleted because there were too many characters. Dr. Hank McCoy, however, can be seen on a television interview in one scene. Beast's appearance was to resemble Jim Lee's 1991 artwork of the character in the series X-Men: Legacy.[10] Angel was to have been a mutant experiment by William Stryker, transforming into Archangel.[12] A reference to Dougherty's and Harris' efforts of Angel remains in the form of an X-ray on display in one of Stryker's labs.[17] Tyler Mane was to reprise as Sabretooth before the character was deleted.[26] In Hayter's script, the role eventually filled by Lady Deathstrike was Anne Reynolds, a character who appeared in God Loves, Man Kills as Stryker's personal assistant/assassin. Singer changed her to Deathstrike, citing a need for "another kick-ass mutant".[16] There was to be more development on Cyclops and Professor X being brainwashed by Stryker. The scenes were shot, but Fox cut them out because of time length and story complications. Hayter was disappointed, feeling that James Marsden deserved more screentime.[12]
Rewrites were commissioned once more, specifically to give Halle Berry more screentime. This was because of her recent popularity in Monster's Ball, earning her the Academy Award for Best Actress.[27] A budget cut meant that the Sentinels[17] and the Danger Room were dropped. Guy Hendrix Dyas and a production crew had already constructed the Danger Room set. In the words of Dyas, "The control room [of the danger room] was a large propeller that actually rotated around the room so that you can sit up [in that control room] and travel around the subject who is in the middle of the control room. The idea for the traveling is that if it's a mutant has some kind of mind control powers they can't connect."[11]

Production

Producer Lauren Shuler Donner had hoped to start filming in March 2002,[21] but production did not begin until June 17, 2002 in Vancouver and ended by November.[28] Over sixty-four sets were used in thirty-eight different locations.[11] The film crew encountered problems when not enough snow was produced in Kananaskis, Alberta. An excessive amount of fake snow was then applied.[29] The idea to have Jean Grey sacrifice herself at the end and to be resurrected in a third installment was highly secretive. Singer did not tell Famke Janssen until midway through filming.[30] Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel and two stunt drivers nearly died when filming the scene in which Pyro has a dispute with police officers.[6]
John Ottman composed the score.[31] Ottman established a new title theme, as well as themes specifically for Magneto, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Mystique and Pyro.

Design and effects

Singer and Sigel credited Road to Perdition as a visual influence. Though Sigel shot the first X-Men in the anamorphic format, he opted to shoot X2 in Super 35. Sigel felt the recent improvements in film stocks and optics increased the advantages of using spherical lenses, even if the blowup to anamorphic must be accomplished optically instead of digitally. Sigel noted, "If you think about it, every anamorphic lens is simply a spherical lens with an anamorphizer on it. They'll never be as good as the spherical lenses that they emulate."[32] Cameras that were used during filming included two Panaflex Millenniums and a Millennium XL, as well as an Aaton 35mm. Singer also used zoom lenses more often than he did in his previous films, while Sigel used a Frazier lens specifically for dramatic moments.[32]
The Blackbird was redesigned and increased in virtual size from 60 feet to 85 feet.[11] John Myhre served as the production designer on the first film, but Singer hired Guy Hendrix Dyas for X2, which was his first film as a production designer.[33] For scenes involving Stryker's Alkali Base, Vancouver Film Studios, the largest sound stage in North America, was reserved.[10]
Visual effects supervisor Mike Fink was not satisfied with his work on the previous film, despite the fact it nearly received an Academy Award nomination. Up to 520 shots were created for X-Men, while X2 commissioned roughly 800. A new computer program was created by Rhythm and Hues for the dogfight tornado scene. Cinesite was in charge of scenes concerning Cerebro, enlisting a 20-man crew. The Alkali Lake Dam miniature was 25 ft (7.6 m) high and 28 ft (8.5 m) wide.[34] Cinesite created 300 visual effects shots, focusing on character animation, while Rhythm and Hues created over 100.[35]

Comic book references

One scene depicts Mystique going through files on William Stryker's computer. Bryan Singer purposely included various names of characters and hints of storylines from X-Men lore on several computer screens. Singer "finds great difficulty in adapting all this stuff into a two and a half hour long movie".[6]
Among the files are dossiers on Gambit, Pyro, Cannonball, Husk, Silver Samurai, Garrison Kane, Magneto, Artie Maddicks, Magma, Multiple Man, Karma, Skids, Dazzler, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Proteus, Danielle Moonstar, Storm, Beast, Feral, Fenris, Banshee, Black Tom Cassidy, Lila Cheney, Sabretooth, Sunspot, Polaris, Psylocke, Iceman, Blob, Skin and Wild Child. There are also files seen on another screen, including Omega Red, Project Wideawake, Muir Island, Franklin Richards and Cerebro.
Closer inspection reveals that Stryker is also keeping files on Sabra, Dr. Cecilia Reyes, Synch, Penance, M-Twins, Nightcrawler, Mystique, Lady Deathstrike, Copycat, Deadpool, Cyclops, Fenris, Cypher, Jamie Braddock, Magik, David North, Sunfire, Tabitha Smith, Mimic, Dr. Nathaniel Essex, Toad, Wolfsbane, Strong Guy, Siryn, Kitty Pryde, Sauron and Forge. There are also files on Alpha, Beta and Gamma Flights, Weapon X, Department H, Brotherhood, Operation: Zero Tolerance, Trask, Graymalkin, the Legacy Virus, Morlocks, Danger Room, the Blackbird, Xavier's School, Massachusetts Academy and the Salem Center.

Reception

Release

The first cut of X2 was rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America, due to more violent scenes concerning Wolverine when Stryker's army stormed the X-Mansion. A few seconds were cut to secure a PG-13 rating.[36]
X2 opened in America on May 2, 2003, accumulating $85,558,731 in its opening weekend in 3,749 theaters. The film grossed $214,949,694 in North America, while earning $192,761,855 worldwide, coming at a total of $407,711,549. X2 was a financial success since it recouped its production budget three times.[1] X2 debuted simultaneously in ninety-three countries, the largest North American and international opening ever at the time.[37] In addition, the film is the sixth highest grossing film based on a Marvel Comic book,[38] and was the sixth highest of 2003,[39] also earning $107 million in its first five days of DVD release.[30]
X2 had a video game tie-in on X2: Wolverine's Revenge, which is unrelated to the events of the film, although Patrick Stewart voiced Professor X. X-Men: The Official Game bridges the storyline between X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand. Specifically, it explains Nightcrawler's absence from The Last Stand. Chris Claremont wrote a novelization of the film, which left out its secretive cliffhanger.[40]

Critical response

The film received very positive reviews. Based on 222 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, X2 received a "Certified Fresh" 88% overall approval rating;[41] the film was more balanced with Rotten Tomatoes' 40 "Top Critics", receiving an 83% approval rating.[42] By comparison, Metacritic calculated an average score of 68/100 from 38 reviews.[43]
Roger Ebert wrote "the storyline did not live up to its potential" and was critical of plot holes. He was impressed, however, by how Singer was able to handle so many characters in one film. In addition, Ebert wrote that the film's closing was perfect for a future installment, giving X2 three out of four stars.[44] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was rare for a sequel to be better than its predecessor. Turan observed that the film carried emotional themes that are present in the world today and commented that "the acting was better than usual [for a superhero film]".[45] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote that Hugh Jackman heavily improved his performance, concluding "X2 is a summer firecracker. It's also a tribute to outcasts, teens, gays, minorities, even Dixie Chicks."[46]
Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle was critical of the storyline, special effects and action scenes.[47] Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal specifically referred to the film as "fast-paced, slow-witted".[48] Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post wrote "Of the many comic book superhero movies, this is by far the lamest, the loudest, the longest".[49] Richard Corliss of Time argued that Singer depended too much on seriousness and that he did not have enough sensibilities to communicate to an audience.[50] Empire called X2 the best comic book movie of all time in 2006,[51] while Wizard named the film's ending as the twenty-second greatest cliffhanger of all time.[52] In May 2007, Rotten Tomatoes listed X2 as the fifth greatest comic book film of all time.[53]
X2 won the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film. In addition, Bryan Singer (Direction), Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty (Writing), and John Ottman (Music) all received nominations. It also received nominations with its costumes, makeup, special effects and DVD release, coming to a total of eight nominations.[54] The Political Film Society honored X2 in categories of Human Rights and Peace,[55] while the film was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form).[56]


Extracts Taken From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X2_(film)

More Info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0290334/