SUPERGIRL Casts Dichen Lachman as Roulette

Supergirl, remember the first rule about Fight Club.

ComicBook.com has confirmed that the CW series Supergirl has cast Dichen Lachman as Veronica Sinclair, better known to DC Comics as the supervillain Roulette.  Lachman had been spotted in some recent set photos, and fans had started to speculate about what role she might be playing, with Roulette being a popular theory.

According to the article, Roulette is officially described as "Based on the classic DC Comics character, Roulette runs an underground alien fight club in National City and she is eager to get Supergirl in the ring."

Lachman, 34, is best known as Sierra on the Fox series Dollhouse and as Quake's mother Jiaying on ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  In addition, Lachman has appeared on episodes of The Last Ship, The 100, Shameless, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The League, Husbands, Being Human, The Guild, Torchwood: Miracle Day, Hawaii Five-O, and Neighbours.

Created in 2001 by Geoff Johns and Derec Aucoin, Roulette first appeared in JSA Secret Files #2 as Veronica Sinclair, a woman whose grandfather was a Golden Age villain who was also called Roulette, ran a conventional casino and fought Terry Sloane, the original Mister Terrific.  The current Roulette believed Terry Sloane to be her grandfather, but it was indicated that her grandfather was actually Terry’s brother Ned.  Having encountered Michael Holt, the second Mister Terrific, during one of her schemes, she came to view him as an unworthy successor to Sloane.

Her casino ("The House") is a superhuman gladiatorial arena, capturing heroes with teleporter technology similar to Holt's T-Spheres, and pitting them against each other, while various supervillains bet on the outcome.  In her debut, she captured most of the current Justice Society of America and forced them to fight each other; Mr. Terrific and Dr. Mid-Nite were forced to play a chess game where the loser would be electrocuted, Sand and Hawkman had to reach Hawkgirl while infected with a fast-acting lethal virus (for which Kendra had a single dose of the cure), and Black Adam clashed with Atom Smasher.  All managed to escape their traps, but Roulette teleported them away before they could capture her.

Dr. Mid-Nite later infiltrated her current fight club location in search of information regarding purported organ-napping.  She agreed to give him information only if he beat her bodyguard in a game of arm wrestling.  He did so, using his knowledge of nerves and their debilitation, and though she felt he had "cheated" she gave him the name of a model who had surgically implanted wings.  After Dr. Mid-Nite left, she called the owner of the surgical clinic, who later proved to be Delores Winters, and told her of the hero's investigation into the implants and operations.

Lachman will be the second actress to portray the character in live-action, after Steph Song on the CW series Smallville.  The character has also appeared in the animated series Justice League Unlimited, voiced by Virginia Madsen.

Supergirl returns for Season 2 on The CW, October 10th at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Margot Robbie Signs Deal to Co-Produce HARLEY QUINN Spinoff Movie

Warner Bros. is going all in on Harley Quinn.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed yesterday that Australian actress Margot Robbie has signed a first-look deal with Warner Bros. that includes a Suicide Squad spinoff for her character Harley Quinn (and other DC Comics heroines).

The project was originally reported in May, with claims that Robbie was the driving force for the project.  Apparently, when she landed the part for Suicide Squad, she heavily researched the comics to learn as much as possible about the character.  In the process, she reportedly became a fan of DC’s female characters.  Robbie brought on the female writer to help develop the project and brought it to Warner Bros.

Robbie will develop and produce feature films through her LuckyChap Entertainment banner.  Producing and developing with Robbie will be her LuckyChap partners Tom Ackerley, Josey McNamara and Sophia Kerr.

According to the article, Robbie and LuckyChap are in postproduction on their first movie as producers, a neo noir thriller called Terminal.  In addition, LuckyChap is developing and producing a Tonya Harding biopic, I, Tonya, where Robbie will play the disgraced figure skater, and is developing an adaptation of Bad Monkeys, a novel by Matt Ruff, along with Bluegrass Films’ Scott Stuber and Dylan Clark for Universal Pictures.

Robbie, 26, best known as Naomi Lapaglia in the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street and as Laura Cameron on the short-lived ABC television series Pan Am.  Her other films include The Big Short, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, and The Legend of Tarzan.

Created in 1992 by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, Harley Quinn first appeared in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Joker's Favor," voiced by Arleen Sorkin.  Initially intended as a female sidekick for The Joker, Harley quickly became popular with fans and the character was developed further.  In the 1994 DC Comics graphic novel The Batman Adventures: Mad Love, Quinn received her origin story, revealing her as Dr. Harleen Quinzel, a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum who fell in love with the Joker and turned to a life of crime in order to be with him.

The character's first comic book appearance was in 1993's The Batman Adventures #12, but Harley's growing popularity encouraged DC Comics to bring her into official Batman canon starting with Batman (vol.1) #570 in 1999.  She soon received her first ongoing series in 2001 that ran for 38 issues and was made a member of the Suicide Squad starting with 2011's Suicide Squad (vol.4) #1.  Harley received her second ongoing series in 2013 and her third in 2016 as part of DC Comics' relaunch known as Rebirth.

Fox Buys Rights to Stan Lee's Life for 1970s Action Movie

The big question, of course -- Will Stan Lee make a cameo in his own movie?

The Hollywood Reporter revealed today that Twentieth Century Fox has acquired the movie rights to the life of Stan Lee, co-creator of some of Marvel Comics' greatest superheroes. Oh, and it's not a standard biopic, as you might expect, but a period action adventure movie.

That's right, Stan "The Man" Lee as a '70s action hero.

According to the article, Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey, the producers for the movies Twilight, The Maze Runner and the upcoming Power Rangers, are attached to produce "what is being described as being in the tone of Kingsman: The Secret Service, or as one insider put it, 'Roger Moore’s 007,' with Lee as the hero with an alter ego."  No writer has been hired yet, but executive producer Matt Reilly will oversee the project for Fox.

Born on December 28, 1922 in New York City, Stanley Martin Lieber started his comics career in 1939 as an assistant at the new Timely Comics division of pulp magazine and comic book publisher Martin Goodman's company.  Timely eventually evolved into Marvel Comics in the 1960s.

In the late 1950s, DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz revived the concept of superheroes and achieved considerable success with an updated version of the The Flash, and later with the superhero team the Justice League of America.  In response, Goodman assigned Lee to create a new superhero team, which he did, giving his characters a flawed humanity not seen in DC's superheroes.  The first superhero group Lee and artist Jack Kirby created was the Fantastic Four.  

The team's immediate popularity encouraged Lee and Marvel artists to create a series of new titles.  With Kirby primarily, Lee created the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, and the X-Men; with Bill Everett, Lee created Daredevil; and with Steve Ditko, Lee created Doctor Strange and Marvel's most successful character, Spider-Man, placing all of them in a shared universe. Lee and Kirby put several of their new characters together into the team title The Avengers and revived previous Timely superheroes from the 1940s, including the Sub-Mariner and Captain America.

Lee used comic books to provide some measure of social commentary about the real world, often dealing with racism and bigotry.  His "Stan's Soapbox" column, in addition to promoting an upcoming comic book project, also addressed issues of discrimination, intolerance, or prejudice.  In 1972, Lee stopped writing monthly comic books to assume the role of publisher. His final issue of The Amazing Spider-Man (vol.1) was #110 in and his last Fantastic Four (vol.1) was #125.  In later years, Lee became a figurehead and public face for Marvel Comics.

Currently, as Marvel broadens its scope into television and film adaptations, Lee has made a number of cameo appearances in the various projects.  A few of these appearances are self-aware and sometimes reference Lee's involvement in the creation of certain characters. His next cameo is set for this year's adaptation of Doctor Strange.

THE FLASH Movie Casts Billy Crudup as Henry Allen

The Flash's dad is about to feel fear...for the last time.

Variety revealed yesterday that Billy Crudup is in talks to play Henry Allen, father of Barry Allen, for Rick Famuyiwa's upcoming film adaptation of DC Comics' The Flash.  Crudup would join Ezra Miller as The Flash/Barry Allen and Kiersey Clemons as Iris West. Production is expected to start this year in London, England.

Crudup, 48, is best known as Dr. Manhattan in Zack Snyder's Watchmen and as Musgrave in Mission: Impossible III.  In addition, he'll be featured in the upcoming movie Alien: Covenant and has appeared in the films Spotlight, Eat Pray Love, Public Enemies, The Good Shepherd, Big Fish, Almost Famous, Waking the Dead, and Inventing the Abbotts.

Created in 1962 by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, Henry Allen first appeared in The Flash (vol.1) #126 as Barry Allen's father and husband of Nora Allen, who was a doctor in Fallville, Iowa for thirty years.  After years of his son acting as the superhero known as The Flash, Henry's heart stopped when he and Nora were involved in a serious car accident.  Although the motorist who was at fault, Jack Morgan, was able to revive him, Henry's astral form had left his physical body, and it was possessed by the Top.  The villain posed as Henry for several weeks, with the ultimate goal of transferring his spirit to the body of Henry's superhero son.  However, Barry feigned death, causing the Top to leave his father's body with no new host to go to, so that Henry's spirit could return to its rightful body.

In 2009, Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver revamped the character in The Flash: Rebirth (vol.1) #1.  When Barry Allen was a child, Nora was murdered and Henry was convicted of the crime.  This incident drove his son to become a policeman, in hope of finding the real killer.  Henry died in prison a year or two before his son became the Flash.

The current New 52 incarnation of the character debuted in 2012's The Flash (vol.4) Annual #1.  This time, when Barry was a child, Nora was brutally murdered, and Henry was wrongfully accused of the act.  Being sentenced to jail time in Iron Heights, Barry grew up without his father to raise him and pursued the truth to his innocence.  After Barry became the Flash, it was discovered that Nora Allen's true murderer was Eobard Thawne, the supervillain known as Professor Zoom.  Thawne was arrested for the murder and Henry Allen was released from Iron Heights.

Crudup, if he accepts the role, will be the third actor to portray Henry Allen in live-action, after M. Emmet Walsh in the original 1990-91 The Flash television series, and John Wesley Shipp in the current The Flash TV series that debuted in 2014.

The Flash is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on March 16, 2018.

Ben Affleck's BATMAN Film Casts Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke

Well, here's hoping Pee-wee Herman won't be Deathstroke's pal Wintergreen...

The Wall Street Journal has confirmed that Joe Manganiello was the actor inside the Deathstroke armor in the video that Ben Affleck shared last month revealing the character as the villain for his upcoming Batman solo film.  DC Entertainment President & Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns also confirmed Manganiello’s casting in a recent interview.

The film will be written by  Geoff Johns, with Affleck also co-writing the film, directing, and reprising his role of Batman/Bruce Wayne.

Manganiello, 39, is best known as the werewolf Alcide Hervaux on the HBO series True Blood, and as Richie in the two Magic Mike films.  He also played Flash Thompson in the films Spider-Man and Spider-Man 3, and has appeared in Pee-wee's Big Holiday, and on episodes of Mom, Talking Dead, White Collar, CSI: NY, CSI: Miami, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Medium, One Tree Hill, E.R., Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother, and White Collar.

Created in 1980 by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Deathstroke first appeared in The New Teen Titans (vol.1) #2 as Slade Wilson, a former United States Army officer who was chosen for a secret Army experiment, which gave him with enhanced physical powers in an attempt to create metahuman super soldiers for the U.S. military. Deathstroke became a mercenary soon after the experiment, when he defied orders and rescued his friend Wintergreen, who was sent on a suicide mission by a commanding officer with a grudge. However, Slade kept this career secret from his family, even though his wife was an expert military combat instructor.

A criminal named the Jackal took his younger son Joseph Wilson hostage to force Slade to divulge the name of a client who had hired him as an assassin.  Slade refused, claiming it was against his personal honor code.  He attacked and killed the kidnappers at the rendezvous.  Unfortunately, Joseph's throat was slashed by one of the criminals before Slade could prevent it, destroying Joseph's vocal cords and rendering him mute.  After taking Joseph to the hospital, his wife Adeline Wilson was enraged at his endangerment of her son and tried to kill Slade by shooting him, but only managed to destroy his right eye. Afterward, his confidence in his physical abilities was such that he made no secret of his impaired vision, marked by his mask which has a black, featureless half covering his lost eye. Without his mask, Slade wears an eye-patch.

Deathstroke has a long history as an enemy of the Teen Titans, beginning when his other son Grant received superhuman enhancements from the H.I.V.E., dubbed himself Ravager, and accepted a contract from them to kill or capture the Teen Titans.  However, Grant's enhancements proved fatal, and Slade agreed to complete the contract.  His first mission involved stealing the element Promethium from S.T.A.R. Labs and selling it as the ultimate weapon.  He then kidnapped the Titans and placed them in the path of a Promethium bomb to test his device for the buyers.  The Titans escaped and pursued Deathstroke, but he severely wounded Beast Boy in his escape.  This would be the start to a lasting animosity between the two.

Deathstroke next appeared in New York, holding officials hostage in order to lure the Titans into confronting him. Terra, a new ally of the Titans, and Beast Boy were the only ones available to answer the call.  Terra knocked Beast Boy out and fought Deathstroke single-handedly in an effort to prove herself worthy of being a Titan.  Deathstroke escaped as the other Titans arrived, but by then, Terra had proven herself and the team offered her membership.  Later that night, it was revealed that Terra and Deathstroke had conspired to fake the fight in a plot to infiltrate the team.  Since then, Deathstroke has had a number of encounters with other heroes and villains in the DC Universe.

CONSTANTINE Season 1 Coming to Blu-Ray, Season 2 Possible?

Is John Constantine about to perform his biggest feat of magic?

The back cover of this week's titles from DC Comics contained a welcome surprise for Hellblazers, revealing that the short-lived but fondly remembered NBC series Constantine is finally coming to Blu-Ray and DVD from Warner Archive.  Here's the ad teasing the release...

The ad states Constantine is "now on Blu-Ray & DVD," but it's currently nowhere to be found on the site, so hopefully it will be listed shortly.  Warner Archive recently released Manufacture On Demand (MOD) Blu-Ray season sets for Lucifer Season 1 and iZombie Seasons 1 & 2, neither of which are available for purchase in stores.

According to ComicBook.com, former Constantine showrunner Daniel Cerone gave credit to the fans for making the release happen.  "I give them all the credit because they've made their voices known and never gave up," said Cerone.  "I'm continually overwhelmed by the passion out there for this character."

Despite running only 13 episodes on NBC from 2014-15, the show simply refuses to be forgotten.  Star Matt Ryan reprised his role of John Constantine for the CW series Arrow, in the Season 4 episode "Haunted," and will voice the character again for the upcoming home video DC Comics animated film Justice League Dark.  The show also aired on the El Rey Network for a brief time before returning to digital stores and the free-streaming service CW Seed.

In addition, with Doug Liman being announced last month as the director of the Justice League Dark movie Dark Universe, which is reported to feature John Constantine, it seems Warner Bros. sees potential in the character.  Will Matt Ryan reprise Constantine for the big screen?  Or for another appearance on a CW DC Comics series?  Or perhaps, Constantine Season 2 on Netflix or Hulu?

As Constantine himself would say while flicking open his cigarette lighter...On with the show.

BBC Officially Confirms DOCTOR WHO: "The Power of the Daleks" Animation

Oh, my giddy aunt!  The Daleks are coming!

Doctor Who News has word that BBC Worldwide has officially announced that Patrick Troughton's first televised adventure as the Second Doctor, "The Power of the Daleks," is going to be released as a new animated recreation for the 50th anniversary of its original broadcast.  Here's the official press release they posted...

It's one of the Doctor’s most celebrated adventures and yet no complete film recordings of The Power of the Daleks are known to have survived. The master negatives were destroyed in an archive purge in 1974. 

BBC Worldwide has announced that a brand new black and white animation based on audio recordings of the programme using the original cast, surviving photographs and film clips will be released 50 years to the minute after its only UK broadcast on BBC One.

The six half-hour episodes feature the regeneration, or as it was then called ‘renewal’, of First Doctor William Hartnell into Second Doctor Patrick Troughton, as the Time Lord and his companions Polly (Anneke Wills) and Ben (Michael Craze) do battle with the Daleks on the planet Vulcan.

Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks is being produced by the team behind the highly successful animation of lost Dad’s Army episode A Stripe For Frazer, first released on BBC Store in February this year. The producer and director is Charles Norton, with character designs from acclaimed comic book artists Martin Geraghty and Adrian Salmon.

Charles Norton says:  "The Power of the Daleks animation is the most ambitious Doctor Who archive restoration ever attempted and we’re all very honoured to be a part of such a an exciting project. Intelligent, suspenseful and magnificently staged, Power of the Daleks is one of the great lost classics of 1960s television and a superb example of the black and white era at its finest."

Paul Hembury, Executive Producer, BBC Worldwide says:  "Charles and his team are remarkably talented and passionate about Doctor Who and we are thrilled that fans will soon be able to enjoy this rather sinister but wonderful, classic story."

According to the article, Doctor Who: The Power Of The Daleks will initially be exclusively released on BBC Store, with episode one available on November 5th at 5:50 p.m. GMT, and the others released on consecutive days thereafter.  The story will become available online more widely on November 14th (No mention of where online), and will also be released on DVD in the United Kingdom on November 21st (No other regions have been announced yet).

For those of us in the States, BBC America has confirmed that Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks will be broadcast on the channel shortly after its U.K. release.  The animated story premieres Saturday, November 12th, and will be available the following day to stream on BBCAmerica.com and on the BBC America app.

Oh, and look...Here's the official teaser video from the equally official Doctor Who YouTube account...



"The Evil of the Daleks" next, anyone?

KRYPTON Casts Georgina Campbell as Female Lead, Lyta Zod

At last, Krypton is finally getting populated.

Deadline reported that the pilot for Syfy's Superman prequel Krypton has cast Georgina Campbell as the proposed show's female lead, Lyta Zod.  After two years of development, the pilot was officially ordered by Syfy in May and production is now expected to begin in Serbia.

According to the article, Lyta Zod is described as "a member of Krypton’s military caste and the daughter of a general, Alura Zod.  Lyta Zod serves as a cadet — and has also been having a clandestine, forbidden romance with Seg-El (Superman's grandfather, not cast yet)."

Campbell is a British actress known for the TV movie Murdered by My Boyfriend (winning the BAFTA Award for Best Actress) and as Jasmine on the TV series After Hours.  She will be appearing in the third season of Broadchurch and has appeared on episodes of Freak, Casualty, Doctors, Sadie J, and Flowers.

Krypton is set two generations before the destruction of the legendary Man of Steel's home planet and will follow Superman's grandfather — whose House of El was ostracized and shamed — as he fights to redeem his family's honor and save his beloved world from chaos.

David S. Goyer and showrunner Damian Kindler will serve as executive producers on Krypton for Warner Bros. TV and Goyer’s Phantom Four.  Colm McCarthy serves as co-executive producer and will direct the pilot from a story and teleplay by Goyer and Ian Goldberg.

Greg Berlanti Developing BLACK LIGHTNING as TV Series

This news is positively electrifying.

Deadline revealed recently that a drama series based on DC Comics superhero Black Lightning is being developed by Greg Berlanti (famous for the four DC Comics series currently on The CW), Mara Brock Akil and her husband Salim Akil (The Game, Being Mary Jane).  

The project is from Warner Bros. Television, Berlanti Productions and Akil Productions, and is currently being pitched to networks.  Salim Akil and Mara Brock Akil will servce as executive producers with Berlanti Productions' Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter.

According to the article, Black Lightning will be written by the Akils and "centers on Jefferson Pierce.  He made his choice: he hung up the suit and his secret identity years ago, but with a daughter hell-bent on justice and a star student being recruited by a local gang, he’ll be pulled back into the fight as the wanted vigilante and DC legend Black Lightning."

The article also claims that a Black Lightning series had been in the works at WBTV for well over a year, going through different incarnations while the studio took its time to get the take right.

Created in 1977 by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden, Black Lightning first appeared in Black Lightning #1 as Jefferson Pierce, a gold medal-winning Olympic decathlete who returned to his old neighborhood in the Southside (Suicide Slum) section of the city of Metropolis, with his wife Lynn Stewart and his daughter Anissa to become the principal of Garfield High School.  Southside was where his father, renowned journalist Alvin Pierce, had been murdered.  Guilt over this event was a factor in Jefferson's decision to leave the city of Metropolis.  Suicide Slum was being torn apart by a local organized criminal gang called the 100, shady corporations, and crooked local politicians like Tobias Whale.

Peter Gambi, a family friend and tailor, had taught a much younger Jefferson how to suppress his inborn metahuman ability to generate and magnify externally-localized electro-magnetic phenomena, by manipulating intense bio-electric fields generated from his body, so that he would not accidentally hurt any of the people he cared about.  Upon his return, Gambi suggested to Jefferson that he should use his powers to help the neighborhood.  Appalled by the public murder of Earl Clifford, one of his more promising students, Pierce tried to intervene on behalf of the schoolchildren, but quickly learned that the 100 objected violently to any interference.  He soon adopted the identity of Black Lightning.

As Black Lightning, Pierce developed a strong reputation as a crimefighter and was invited to join the Justice League of America, but turned them down.  He did, however, end up joining the Outsiders and remained with them until their eventual breakup.  After moving to Brick City, Black Lightning continued fighting crime, while his daughter Anissa joined a new incarnation of the Outsiders as the superhero Thunder, and his sixteen-year-old, younger daughter, Jennifer Pierce, was recruited by the Justice Society of America under the code name Lightning.  Black Lightning eventually joined another incarnation of the Justice League of America, who needed help fighting the android Amazo.

The character has appeared in a number of animated projects, including Batman: Brave and the Bold (voiced by Bumper Robinson), a "Thunder and Lightning" DC Nation Short (voiced by Blair Underwood), Young Justice: Invasion (voiced by Khary Payton), and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (voiced by LeVar Burton).  His only live-action appearance was in a 1992 Saturday Night Live sketch that parodied "The Death of Superman" storyline in DC Comics (played by Sinbad).

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 064: "Death and the Queen" is Up!

"You must be Death.  I've always wanted to meet you -- a couple of near misses -- but finally!"

-- The Tenth Doctor to "Death", Doctor Who: "Death and the Queen"

My partner in crime and partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back with a new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  In this episode, we review "Death and the Queen," the third Tenth Doctor audio adventure from Big Finish Productions starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate!

This time, Jesse and I discuss things like trying out MP3 Skype Recorder, Jesse warming up to Donna Noble, the Borg Queen from Star Trek: First Contact, the Doctor's feelings about losing companions, Donna not wanting to prove the Doctor right, Donna actually being a good queen, The Police classic "Wrapped Around Your Finger," wanting more Tenth Doctor audio adventures from Big Finish, Donna's three TV weddings, Doctor Who not having the Prime Directive, my Reverse the Polarity segment, J.K. Rowling having some 'splaining to do, Jesse still needing to record the final episode of his Storming the Castle podcast, more of Jesse being confused with that other Jesse Jackson, the special LIVE episode #075 of The Fandom Zone Podcast for GeekinomiCon, and more!

If you'd like to check out this episode, we're now available on...

Google Play Music -- RIGHT HERE

iTunes -- RIGHT HERE

Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE

Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn --  RIGHT HERE

Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page

Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account

And hey, if you'd like to pick up the officially official Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, you can find it on TeePublic right HERE!  Help support the show and feel free to post pictures on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back soon as Jesse and I review "The Deadly Assassin," the classic Fourth Doctor era story starring Tom Baker and Peter Pratt!  Look for more of Next Stop Everywhere on iTunes, Google Play Music, YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Sticher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

THE FANDOM ZONE 074: "This Little Light" is Up!

"I promised you answers.  My kind, we find out way into your world every day.  We can't stay where we're from, so we come here."
"Where are you from?"
"Same place you are."
"What?"
"That's why we've been around you your whole life.  But you're going to stay right where you are, where I can keep an eye on you, 'til I need you."

– Sidney and Kyle Barnes, Outcast: "This Little Light"

You guessed it, Karen and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!

This week's reviews of comics on television include:

Fear the Walking Dead 2x08 -- "Grotesque" (midseason premiere)

Outcast 1x10 -- "This Little Light" (Season One finale)

Wynonna Earp 1x10 -- "She Wouldn't Be Gone"

This time, we talk about things like Lucifer Season 1 on Blu-Ray, the song "Teardrop" by Massive Attack, Nick's packed lunch, Nick being pwned by a woman with a baseball bat, Nick eating a cactus and drinking his own urine, Nick identifying more with the dead than he does the living, Nick the Millennial stereotype, why every kid in Rome, West Virginia needs therapy, pinning your accidental murder on your rapist, Law & Order: Special Outcast Unit, the creepy mannequin basement, some speculation about Kyle's father and Sheriff Giles, what flavor of Slurpee you should buy, Satan and Saddam Hussein from the South Park movie, speculating on why Agent Dolls joined the Black Badges, Waverly finally making her move on Officer Haught, Dolls just wanting to hit that, Justina checking in with Proof of Life, what to expect from Flashpoint on The Flash, Warcraft stuff on Karen's blog, our LIVE Episode #075 for Geekinomicon's podcast marathon to fundraise for multiple sclerosis, and more!

You can now check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Google Play Music -- HERE 

iTunes -- HERE

Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast

And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Sticher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on TeePublic HERE as well!  Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week, as we review a new episode of Fear the Walking Dead Season 2 and Episode 11 of Wynonna Earp, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

SUPERGIRL Casts Frederick Schmidt as Metallo

The Man with the Kryptonite Heart has been found.

Entertainment Weekly revealed yesterday that the CW series Supergirl has cast Frederick Schmidt as John Corben, better known to DC Comics fans as the supervillain Metallo. Metallo will appear in at least two episodes, starting with the Season 2 premiere.

According to the article, Metallo is described as "When international assassin John Corben is badly injured after taking on both Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) and Superman (Tyler Hoechlin), he is reborn by a shadow organization into the Kryptonite-powered supervillain Metallo."

Schmidt is a little-known actor who has appeared in the films Starred Up, Snow in Paradise, Second Coming, Alleycats, Patient Zero, Brimstone, The Marker, and Kaleidoscope.

Created in 1959 by Robert Bernstein and Al Plastino, Metallo first appeared in Action Comics (vol.1) #252 as a journalist (and secretly a thief and murderer) who had just committed what he thought was the perfect murder.  While fleeing from the scene of the crime, Corben suffered a near-fatal accident that mangled his body beyond repair.  An elderly scientist, Professor Vale, happened to come upon Corben, and used his scientific skill to transfer Corben's brain into a robotic body covered by a fleshlike artificial skin.  Corben discovered that his power source, a capsule of uranium, would only last a day, but was told by Vale that kryptonite would provide him an indefinite power supply

After obtaining a job with the Daily Planet, Corben briefly tried to romance Lois Lane, while deciding that he would use his powers to eliminate Superman, the one person who might expose his criminal deeds.  After setting a kryptonite death-trap for Superman, Corben stole what he thought was another sample of kryptonite from a museum as a new power supply, not knowing it was in reality a fake prop.  This mistake caused him to die, just as he was about to kill Lois Lane for discovering that he was not Superman (after pretending to be him, using his super-strength and invulnerability as a cyborg).  Superman eventually escaped from the kryptonite trap, and arrived just after Metallo (John Corben) died.

In 1987, the character was revamped by John Byrne in Superman (vol.2) #1 as a small-time con man who was fatally injured in a car crash, but to his luck, Professor Emmet Vale happened to pass by.  Professor Vale was a pioneer in robotics and erroneously believed that Superman was the first in a wave of superpowered Kryptonian invaders after recovering Superman's ship and mistranslating Jor-El's message to his son.  Vale transplanted Corben's brain into a robotic alloy body, which was powered by a two-pound chunk of kryptonite, and instructed him to kill Superman.  Metallo, now Corben's new moniker, thanked Vale by snapping his neck and killing him.  Despite ignoring Vale's commands, Metallo came into conflict with Superman on various occasions, largely due to his continued activities as a petty thug.  Metallo later lost his kryptonite heart to Lex Luthor, though back-up life support systems allowed Metallo to reactivate himself and escape.

The character was revamped again by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank in 2009's Superman: Secret Origin, as Sgt. John Corben, a soldier who served under Lois Lane's father, General Sam Lane.  General Lane attempted to push his daughter, Lois into a relationship with Corben, but after one date, she did not return his feelings for her.  Corben signed up for a military option to neutralize Superman, with the help of a powersuit built by LexCorp. However, in his first encounter with Superman, a stray bullet hit the kryptonite rock inside the suit, leading to a disastrous energy cascade within the battlesuit which almost killed Corben.  But through the efforts of Lex Luthor and a crack team of scientists, Corben survived, part-man, part-machine, with the kryptonite rock functioning as his new heart. Driven by a hatred for this alien invader, he became the villain known as Metallo.  Metallo subsequently attacked Superman again, now wearing a green, orange and red armor in a rampage which endangered not only the citizens of Metropolis, but his own fellow soldiers. He was defeated by Superman once more.

As part of the rebooted The New 52 continuity, Grant Morrison and Rags Morales revamped Metallo yet again, placing John Corben is under the command of General Lane and implied that Corben and Lois once had a relationship.  When Superman escaped from the military's custody, Corben enlisted in a military project (co-opted by Lex Luthor, General Lane, and young scientist Doctor John Henry Irons to go against Superman) called "Project Steel Soldier"  Corben donned the "Metal 0" suit with scientists, mostly Irons, trying to help him, and when robotic needles were inserted into his head, Metallo took control and Corben's heart burst.  Although the attack on Superman succeeded, Metallo was revealed to have been subverted by Brainiac as part of his own plans, and his rampage was defeated when Doctor Irons used an armored suit of his own to fight Corben and upload a computer virus that he designed in the event of such a situation.  After escaping and still under Brainiac's control, Corben continued to fight Superman until Superman was able to reason with Metallo to fight Brainiac's influence due to his feelings for Lois Lane.  He was later given a Kryptonite heart to keep him alive since it was the only energy compatible with his cybernetics.

Schmidt will be the fourth actor to portray Metallo in live-action, after Michael Callan on Superboy, Scott Valentine on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and Brian Austin Green on Smallville.  The character has also appeared in various animated projects, including Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited (voiced by Malcolm McDowell), Justice League (voiced by Corey Burton), The Batman (voiced by Lex Lang), Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (voiced by John C. McGinley), and Justice League: Doom (voiced by Paul Blackthorne).

Supergirl returns for Season 2 on The CW Monday, October 10th at 8:00 p.m. EST.