THE FLASH Casts Troy James as Rag Doll

Yeah, getting a contortionist to play a contortionist supervillain sounds like a good idea.

TV Insider has revealed that The CW series The Flash has cast Troy James as Peter Merkel, better known to DC Comics fans as the creepy supervillain Rag Doll.  James will appear in the fifth episode of the show's upcoming fifth season.

Rag Doll was previously described for the series as "an incredibly emotional damaged criminal who has the power to bend out of shape and fit his whole body into small spaces. As he is enjoying his criminal activities, Team Flash will be challenged by the Rag Doll in shocking ways as his sick plan is revealed."

James is a contortionist and best known as a contestant on NBC's talent competition series America's Got Talent.  In addition, he's appeared in episodes of The Strain, Channel Zero, and Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments.

Created in 1942 by Gardner Fox and Lou Ferstadt, Rag Doll first appeared in Flash Comics #36 as Peter Merkel, a native of the Midwestern United States, who was born with a unique condition called "Triple-jointedness".  Like the more common "double-jointedness", Merkel's condition was characterized by extremely extensible ligaments and tendons, though to a significantly extended degree.  The son of a side-show barker, Merkel found work in a small local carnival as a contortionist and eccentric dancer.  In the early 1940s, the carnival fell on hard times and Merkel found himself out of work.  Wandering the streets, Merkel despaired of having money.  Seeing large boxes of toys being loaded into a department store, Merkel hit on the idea of hiding himself in one of the large rag dolls and then robbing the store after closing. Going unnoticed among the toys, Merkel carried his idea one step further and decided he would rob while still hidden in the Rag Doll suit.  In these earliest days of costumed villains, the idea seemed novel and Merkel decided that no one would believe that a Rag Doll could commit crime.

In 1943, the Rag Doll moved his operation to Keystone City and had his thugs deliver him as a gift to a young heiress named Geralda Cummins.  The young girl was holding a much-touted party for her circle of socialites and the Rag Doll aimed to take advantage of the situation.  To coordinate the event, Cummins had selected Joan Williams, who had recently begun a party and festival business.  It was decided that each of the wealthy guests would donate $10,000 in defense bonds to serve as a prize in a treasure hunt.  Whoever solved the hunt first, won the prize.  As the guests departed, the Rag Doll signaled his thugs to follow them to the museum while he stayed to interrogate Joan Williams.  His ploy was delayed however, by the untimely arrival of Williams' beau Jay Garrick, the superhero known as The Flash.  While the Rag Doll remained in hiding, Williams and the Flash departed for the museum to provide the next clue.  On their arrival, they were attacked by the Rag Doll's thugs.  While the Flash made short work of the henchmen, the Rag Doll himself drugged Joan with chloroform and stole the remaining clue, allowing him find the treasure himself.  With the henchmen wrapped up, The Flash returned to find Joan amnesiac from the chloroform and with no recollection as to the location of the bonds.  Taking the first clue, the Flash then began to solve the puzzle at super-speed and intercepted the Rag Doll on the fourth clue, at a local aquarium.  The Rag Doll got the jump on Garrick with a swift blow to the skull and dumped the hero into an aquarium containing a giant octopus.  He then raced quickly back to the Cummins estate to solve the treasure hunt with the fifth clue.  The Flash came to and after a tussle with the octopus, hotly pursued Rag Doll.  He arrived just in time to see the Rag Doll pull the defense bonds out of their hiding place in the Cummins' grand piano.  Quickly, and literally, tying the villain in knots, the Flash returned the gift and carted the outlandish criminal off to the Keystone City Jail.

By the late 1980s, the Rag Doll was well into his sixties and hyper-elastic ligaments had begun to collapse and over-extend, causing the villain great pain.  He was no longer able to even affect the lifestyle of the minor criminal and soon became senile and raving.  As he did, the lost, the homeless and the disenfranchised gravitated toward him, soaking up his words and in time, became a cult of followers blind to his every indulgence and desire.  And, after a life of defeat and despair, what the Rag Doll desired was revenge.  He rallied around him a cult that took over the streets of Opal City, which ran red with blood.  The original Starman, Ted Knight, was unable to stop the madman, so Justice Society of America members Green Lantern, Flash, Hourman, and Dr. Mid-Nite joined the hunt.  Eventually, the heroes thwarted Rag Doll's plans and captured the villain.  Restrained, Rag Doll taunted the heroes, telling him that he would command his horde from prison.  He threatened the lives of the JSA's families.  While the JSA listened to the Rag Doll's discourse, the villain strained his limbs to slip free of his bonds and made a quick break for the door.  The aftermath was never officially recorded, but in an explosion of cosmic energy, the Rag Doll was found blasted to a painful death.  It has since been largely concluded that Starman, fearing for the safety of his sons, had slain the villain, a fact disputed by witnesses Flash and Green Lantern.  The next afternoon, Rag Doll's body disappeared from the morgue.

Exactly how the Rag Doll survived is unknown, but his body was retrieved by his followers. Some years later, Rag Doll was approached by Neron and in exchange for Rag Doll's soul, Neron restored the villain's youth.  He also instructed Rag Doll to remain hidden until approached by a man named Simon Culp.  Years later, Culp came looking for Rag Doll's help. Ted confronted Doctor Phosphorus in the streets of Opal and defeated his radioactive foe, but was soon ambushed by the Rag Doll.  Ted turned to face Rag Doll, challenging the villain to kill him, sparing him a suffering death from Phosphorus' radiation poisoning.  Rag Doll then turned and left.  He later rejoined a reformed version of the Secret Society.  During an assault against the Secret Six, he battled his son Peter Merkel, Jr., who had taken over the Rag Doll name and identity. Their battle was cut short by other attacking villains.

Soon afterward, Merkel died while in mission with the reformed Injustice Society. The team was attempting to retrieve the Cosmic Key, which would return Johnny Sorrow, but they were betrayed by The Society.  In the midst of the battle, it appeared as if that Rag Doll and the Gentleman Ghost betrayed their comrades and ran away with the Key.  However, Tigress witnessed the return of Johnny Sorrow, whose sudden emergence killed Rag Doll. Sorrow and the rest of the Injustice Society escaped to safety in the Crooked House, the former abode of Prometheus.  It was then revealed that Gentleman Ghost, Wizard and Icicle were expecting Rag Doll to turn on them, so they set him up to die.

This will be the first time Rag Doll will appear in live-action, although the character has appeared in the animated series The Batman, voiced by Jeff Bennett.

The Flash returns to The CW for Season 5 on October 9, 2018.

DOOM PATROL Casts Brendan Fraser as Robotman

The World's Strangest Heroes have a new robot, man.

Deadline has revealed that the upcoming DC Universe series Doom Patrol has cast Brendan Fraser as Cliff Steele, better known to DC Comics fans as the superhero android with a human brain, Robotman.

According to the article, Fraser will provide the voice for Robotman and will appear in flashback scenes as Cliff Steele.  Riley Shanahan will provide the physical performance of the character in full body costume.

Robotman is described as "A former race car driver, Cliff Steele was in a horrific accident that left his body uninhabitable.  Cliff’s brain was saved by the mysterious Dr. Niles Caulder and he lives on in a powerful robotic body."

Doom Patrol is a spinoff from the DC Universe series Titans and is a reimagining of one of DC’s strangest group of outcasts: Robotman (Fraser), Negative Man, Elasti-Woman (April Bowlby) and Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero).  Led by the mysterious Dr. Niles Caulder, they’re called into action by the ultimate hero for the digital age, Cyborg (Joivan Wade).  Banding together, these rejects find themselves on a mission that will take them to the weirdest and most unexpected corners of the DC universe.

Fraser, 49, is best known as Rick O'Connell in The Mummy trilogy, and has appeared in the movies Encino Man, School Ties, George of the Jungle, Dudley Do-Right, Gods and Monsters, Monkeybone, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Crash, Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and The Nut Job.  In addition, he's appeared in episodes of such TV series as The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Scrubs, Texas Rising, The Affair, Trust, and Condor.

Created in 1963 by Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani, Robotman first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80 as Clifford "Cliff" Steele, a race car driver who had an accident that destroyed his body (a later retcon had the accident intentionally caused by Niles Caulder).  Caulder subsequently placed Cliff's intact brain into a robotic body which had superhuman strength, speed and endurance. After the operation, Cliff suffered from frequent depression because he viewed himself as less than human.

Cliff was approached by Caulder, who offered him a place among fellow "freaks" attempting to use their powers for good.  As Robotman, he joined Caulder's team, the Doom Patrol.  Eventually, tragedy struck when the Doom Patrol's enemies, the Brotherhood of Evil, threatened a small New England fishing village.  The Patrol members opted to sacrifice themselves to save the innocents, and were killed in an explosion.

Although initially believed to have been killed by Madame Rouge, Cliff's brain had survived. Will Magnus, the robotics expert who created the Metal Men, recovered Cliff's brain and built him a new body.  Cliff then joined a new Doom Patrol headed by a woman claiming to be Caulder's wife, Arani.  Refusing to believe that Niles was dead, she formed this new team to search for him and took his place as leader, calling herself Celsius, due to her heat-and-cold-based powers.  This new Doom Patrol was eventually almost all killed in action, with the exceptions of Cliff, Tempest, Negative Woman, and Rhea Jones (who remained comatose).  Caulder had turned up alive by this time, and denied having been married to Arani, although he admitted having known her.

Cliff voluntarily committed himself to an asylum, having fallen into a state of depression due to his condition and the loss of his teammates.  In particular, he was angry about being in a metal body and unable to enjoy the feeling and senses that humans take for granted. Caulder sent Magnus to try to help Cliff, and he introduced Cliff to a person with "worse problems than [his]", a woman called Crazy Jane.  Forming a new incarnation of the Doom Patrol, Cliff became Jane's guardian, and eventually fell in love with her.  Later, his human brain was revealed to have been replaced with a Central Processing Unit (CPU), making him a robot in reality.

In the current DC Comics continuity known as "The New 52", Cliff Steele is an adventurer and daredevil who agrees to be injected with experimental nanomachines designed to improve and repair his body.  After he's involved in a fatal car crash during a high-speed race, the nanomachines respond by creating a robotic body in order to encase and protect his still living brain.  Though initially distraught over his condition, the nanomachines prevent Cliff from being able to kill himself.  After coming to terms with his new body, he becomes a freelance hero, later joining the latest incarnation of the Doom Patrol.

Fraser will be the second actor to portray the character in live-action, after Jake Michaels in the upcoming DC Universe series Titans.  In addition, Robotman has appeared in various animation projects, including Teen Titans (voiced by Peter Onorati), Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by Henry Rollins), and in the DC Nation Doom Patrol shorts (voiced by David Kaye).

Doom Patrol is expected to debut on DC Universe sometime in 2019.

WATCHMEN TV Drama Gets Series Order from HBO

Who watches the Watchmen?  HBO says you will.

Deadline has word that HBO has given a series order to Watchmen, showrunner Damon Lindelof's drama series based on the classic DC Comics maxi-series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

According to the article, Watchmen is "set in an alternate history where “superheroes” are treated as outlaws", and "embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel while attempting to break new ground of its own."  In a letter to fans, Lindelof revealed the series isn't an adaptation of the comic series, but an original story set in its fictional world.

The cast will include Regina King, Jeremy Irons, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Louis Gossett Jr., Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Adelaide Clemens, Andrew Howard, Tom Mison, Frances Fisher, Jacob Ming-Trent, Sara Vickers, Dylan Schombing, Lily Rose Smith and Adelynn Spoon.  It's not yet known which characters they will be playing.

Lindelof will serve as executive producer with Nicole Kassell, who directed the pilot episode, and Tom Spezialy.  Stephen Williams will serve as director and executive producer.  Watchmen is produced for HBO by White Rabbit in association with Warner Bros Television.

HBO also released the below teaser graphic for the series, using a quote from the comic series where Doctor Manhattan tells Ozymandias, "In the end?  Nothing ends, Adrian.  Nothing ever ends."

Created in 1986 by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Watchmen was a 12-issue maxi-series set in an alternate reality that closely mirrors the contemporary world of the 1980s, but with the presence of superheroes that has altered the outcome of real-world events.  In keeping with the realism of the series, the costumed crimefighters of Watchmen are commonly called "superheroes", but only one, Doctor Manhattan, possesses superhuman powers. The war in Vietnam ends with a U.S. victory in 1971 and Richard Nixon is still president as of October 1985.  When the story begins, the existence of Doctor Manhattan has given the U.S. a strategic advantage over the Soviet Union, which has increased tensions between the two nations. Eventually, superheroes grow unpopular among the police and the public, leading to the passage of legislation, the Keene Act, in 1977 to outlaw them.  While many of the heroes retired, Doctor Manhattan and a veteran superhero known as The Comedian operate as government-sanctioned agents.  Another, Rorschach, continues to operate outside the law as a vigilante.

In October 1985, New York City police investigate the murder of a man named Edward Blake.  With the police having no leads, Rorschach decides to probe further.  Discovering Blake to be the face behind The Comedian, Rorschach believes he has discovered a plot to terminate costumed adventurers and sets about warning four of his retired comrades -- Dan Dreiberg (formerly the second Nite Owl), the emotionally detached Doctor Manhattan and his lover Laurie Juspeczyk (the second Silk Spectre), and Adrian Veidt (once the hero Ozymandias), a successful businessman.

After Blake's funeral, Manhattan is accused on national television of being the cause of cancer in friends and former colleagues.  When the U.S. government takes the accusations seriously, Manhattan exiles himself to Mars.  As Manhattan is one of the United States' greatest military powers, his departure throws humanity into political turmoil, with the Soviet Union invading Afghanistan to capitalize on the perceived American weakness. Rorschach's concerns appear vindicated when Adrian Veidt narrowly survives an assassination attempt, and Rorschach himself is framed for murdering Moloch, a former supervillain, and imprisoned.  Nite Owl and Rorschach work to uncover the conspiracy surrounding the death of The Comedian and the accusations that drove Manhattan into exile.

Watchmen is expected to debut on HBO sometime in 2019.

IRON FIST Season 2 Trailer Teases Danny's Mask & The Steel Serpent

The Living Weapon vs. The Steel Serpent, Round Two.

Netflix has released the first full trailer for the second season of Iron Fist, based on the Marvel Comics character.  The two minute, fifteen second trailer teases the long-awaited arrival of Iron Fist's traditional yellow mask and the return of Davos, the villainous Steel Serpent.

The trailer opens in New York City, with Iron Fist/Danny Rand (Finn Jones) taking over as the city's guardian following the presumed death of Daredevil in the final episode of The Defenders crossover miniseries.  "You have not been home for days," says Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) in a voiceover as we see Danny in a hoodie and a mask covering his lower face taking on several armed criminals.  "You barely sleep when you are home.  How many times a night you light that fist up?"

In a separate scene, we see Colleen and Danny talking.  "I see how much you're pushing yourself," she tells him.

"Just trying to keep the peace," replies Danny.

In another exchange, Danny tells someone, possibly Colleen, "What am I supposed to do?  I didn't ask for the Iron Fist."

"I'm fighting for what I believe in, whatever the cost," Colleen remarks to Danny before we see her fighting an unknown woman.  "What are you fighting for?"

"I'm trying to do what's right," replies Danny.

We cut to another scene, where Danny meets Davos (Sacha Dhawan) at night.  "I didn't expect to see you here, brother," says Davos.  "We have family matters to discuss."

A different scene has Colleen telling Danny, "You and Davos, you will train together."  We see a sequence in a temple, where Danny and Davos are facing off against one another and wearing yellow Iron Fist masks.

"I fought my brother," Danny says in a voiceover.  "There is no changing what happened."

Davos tells Danny, "You feel that you can just walk through this world as if it belongs to you.  The Iron Fist...It's not a weapon to be held, it's a weapon to be used."  We see Davos training several disciples as Joy Meachum (Jessica Stroup) watches, followed by Danny and a hooded woman finding the decayed corpse of another Iron Fist.  We then see the hooded woman attacking Danny in the subway.

"Now you'll give me what's mine, brother," Davos tells Danny.  "You...will suffer."

As we Davos and Danny fighting in a separate scene, Colleen remarks to Danny, "The Iron Fist...that was one of them."

Davos is shown having a glowing red Iron Fist of his own, which he uses to punch through a brick wall.

"We can stop him," Danny responds to Colleen, "but I need help."

Enter Misty Knight (Simone Missick), now rocking a bionic arm after the events in Luke Cage Season 2.  "You're not alone," Misty tells Colleen as we see Misty and Danny sparring, "but you can't save everyone."

"I can't just sit here and do nothing," Danny says in a voiceover as we see him and Davos fighting once again.

"I have become the thing you never had the strength to be," a bloodied Davos tells Danny, who lies on the ground before him.

"History doesn't decide what happens next," Colleen remarks in a voiceover as we see the masked Danny use his Iron Fist on an armored car, totaling it.  "We do."

In the trailer's final scene, we see Danny and Colleen having dinner at a Chinese restaurant.  "We should do this more often," Danny remarks as we see fleeting images of both of them fighting bad guys.  "Dinner out, a movie.  Date night."

"Mm-hmm," replies Colleen as she sips her coffee.

If you'd like to check out the trailer, you can view it below thanks to the official Netflix account on YouTube...




Iron Fist returns to Netflix for Season 2 on September 7th.

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Casts Ethan Peck as Spock

May he live long and prosper.

Deadline is reporting that the CBS All Access series Star Trek: Discovery has cast Ethan Peck as legendary character Spock.  Peck will be the third actor to portray the character as an adult, after Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto.

Spock's appearance on the series was teased last month in the first trailer for the show's second season.  In the trailer, Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) talks with Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green).  "We have someone in common," he tells her.

"My foster brother," replies Burnham as we see a blue Science uniform similar to Pike's.  "Mr. Spock."

"He took leave," says Pike.  "It's as if he'd run into a question he couldn't answer."

Later, Burnham tells Commander Saru, "Spock is linked to these signals...and he needs help."

Peck, 32, is the grandson of legendary actor Gregory Peck and has appeared in the films The Curse of Sleeping Beauty, Eden, Nothing to Fear, In Time, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Passport to Paris.  He's also appeared in episodes of the TV series Madam Secretary, Gossip Girl, 10 Things I Hate About You, That '70s Show, and The Drew Carey Show.

Discovery executive producer Alex Kurtzman said, "Through 52 years of television and film, a parallel universe and a mirror universe, Mr. Spock remains the only member of the original bridge crew to span every era of Star Trek.  The great Leonard Nimoy, then the brilliant Zachary Quinto, brought incomparable humanity to a character forever torn between logic and emotion.  We searched for months for an actor who would, like them, bring his own interpretation to the role.  An actor who would, like them, effortlessly embody Spock’s greatest qualities, beyond obvious logic: empathy, intuition, compassion, confusion, and yearning."

Kurtzman added, "Ethan Peck walked into the room inhabiting all of these qualities, aware of his daunting responsibility to Leonard, Zack, and the fans, and ready to confront the challenge in the service of protecting and expanding on Spock’s legacy.  In that spirit, we’re thrilled to welcome him to the family."

Created in 1966 by Gene Roddenberry, Spock first appeared in the original Star Trek pilot episode "The Cage."  Born to the Vulcan Sarek and the human Amanda Grayson, Spock had a troubled childhood due to his mixed heritage.  On his homeworld, he was repeatedly bullied and tormented by full-blooded Vulcan children, who wished to incite the emotions of his human nature.  For a time, he grew up alongside his older half-brother Sybok, until the older brother was cast out for rejecting logic.  After Sarek and Amanda fostered a human child, Michael Burnham, Spock was betrothed to T'Pring, in accordance with traditional Vulcan marriage procedure.

After Burnham's graduation from the Vulcan Science Academy, Sarek was forced to choose between Burnham and Spock on who should join a Vulcan Expeditionary Group.  Sarek chose Spock over Burnham, but he came to regret this decision, because Spock joined Starfleet instead.  Sarek had given Spock his first lessons in computers and had set him on a path of science, so Spock's preference to pursue a scientific career in Starfleet caused a rift between him and his father that kept them from speaking to each other for eighteen years.

Spock was commissioned as a Starfleet officer in 2250 assigned to the USS Enterprise four years later.  As a science officer under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, Spock was wounded in the leg when Pike's landing party was attacked on Rigel VII in 2254.  As the ship proceeded to the Vega colony for medical care, a radio wave distress call forced Pike to divert the ship to Talos IV.  Still limping, Spock joined a landing party that transported to the barren surface of the planet, where Talosians captured Pike.  He was the first of the ship's crew to realize that the Talosians had powerful illusory abilities.  Spock's final report, along with Pike's, recommended a ban on visitation to the planet.  After Pike's promotion to fleet captain, James T. Kirk assumed command of the Enterprise in 2265, with Spock as his First Officer until the completion of the Enterprise's five-year mission of exploration.

Star Trek: Discovery returns to CBS All Access for Season 2 in Early 2019.

THE FANDOM ZONE 149: "Colony Collapse" is Up!

"You are Tyrone freakin' Johnson!  Baller, lady killer, master of space…if not time.  You don’t need a cloak for all that."

-- Tandy "Dagger" Bowen to Tyrone "Cloak" Johnson, Cloak & Dagger: "Colony Collapse" 

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:

Preacher 3x06: "Les Enfants du Sang"

Cloak & Dagger 1x10: "Colony Collapse"  (Season Finale)

Luke Cage 2x07: "On and On"

Wynonna Earp 3x03: "Colder Weather"

In this episode, Karen and I talk about things like Karen's Wonder Woman Pez dispenser, my copy of Hellblazer (vol.2) #24, why it's okay to be optimistic for the new Supergirl movie, Terry Jones' really fat guy in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, ranking the Monty Python films, Eccarius and the Children of Blood, Cassidy being freaked out by Eccarius' vampire powers, Jesse and Tulip's soul heist, gross saliva security devices, T.C.'s petting zoo distraction, Karen being surprised by Herr Starr's head looking like a penis, Herr Starr's awkward dinner with Allfather D'Aronique, Brigid O'Reilly becoming Mayhem, the history of the Divine Pairings, Cloak & Dagger's shoutout to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, finally getting a taste of Tyrone & Tandy as Cloak & Dagger, Chocolate Frosted Shredded Cloaks, getting a piranha tank for a guy nicknamed Piranha, Shades taking his best friend Comanche off the board, Luke and Misty both thinking the other is their sidekick, Phil Hartman's drawn-on mustache, Waverly being upset that Officer Haught wants to be eaten by vultures after she dies, what happens to us after we die, Dolls' mini-casket, new feedback from Justina, my special shoutout to Justina, my jumbo nasal polyps, Karen's WarCraft role-playing blog post, Patrick Stewart returning to Star Trek, our upcoming 150th episode, and more!

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Be sure to come back next week for our big 150th episode, as Karen and I are joined by my Next Stop Everywhere and TitanTalk co-host Jesse Jackson!  We'll review new episodes of Syfy's Wynonna Earp, AMC's Preacher, and Netflix's Luke Cage, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FLASH Casts Kiana Madeira as Spin

The Flash is about to enter the Spin zone.

Deadline has word that the CW series The Flash has cast Kiana Madeira as Spencer Young, a new version of DC Comics supervillain Spin.  The character was originally male in the comics, but producers reportedly decided to change it to a recurring female role for the TV series.

According to the article, Spin will be introduced in the fourth episode of the show's upcoming Season 5, and is described as "a young aspiring social media influencer who seizes the opportunity to make herself famous when she discovers there is a new hero in Central City."

Madeira is a Canadian actress probably best known as Poppy on the Syfy series Wynonna Earp and as Lyra on the Syfy series Dark Matter.  In addition, she's appeared on episodes of Taken, Sacred Lies, Barbelle, The Other Kingdom, Really Me, and My Babysitter's a Vampire.

Created in 2008 by Tom Peyer and Freddie E. Williams II, Spin first appeared in The Flash (vol.2) #238 as a man known only as Mr. Auerbach, the son of a media mogul whose holdings included the cable news network KN News.  He pursued a career in journalism, hoping to work his way up in his father's company. While working on a story, he met Edwar Martinez, who was capable of sensing the fears in others and making them a reality.  Auerbach eventually was put in charge of KN News, where he had a hand in determining much of the content that the network covered.

He also led a double life as the villain Spin.  He kept Edwar captive in the basement of the news building, hooking him up to machines and forcing him to watch news coverage.  In this setting, Spin was able to channel and direct Edwar's amazing ability.  His first caper was a robbery of a Fabergé egg from a local auction.  He created a distraction by summoning earthquakes, which had been in the public's mind due to a recent quake in Hub City.  He took advantage of a comment made on television by the third Flash, Wally West, expressing his financial woes.  After the citizens of Keystone City started to feel some doubt about their local hero, Spin lured him to the Keystone City Salamanders stadium and forced him to steal many valuables from the fans there.  This caused a massive public outcry against the Flash, which Spin enhanced with his powers, even turning the original Flash, Jay Garrick, against his successor.

When Spin and Edwar realized that the third Flash had identified the source of the disturbances as emanating from KN News, he used his abilities to summon Gorilla Grodd, the Rogue which Edwar sensed would make the speedster most anxious, to Keystone.  Grodd, however, was not pleased with his sudden teleportation, and a massive battle ensued.  In the chaos, Edwar was released from his machinery and his powers went completely out of control, causing citizens to act out nearly every situation being mentioned in the media.  Spin was no match for Grodd’s more powerful mind and was quickly defeated.  Afterwards, Edwar died from the physical shock of the battle.  His last moments were surrounded by the Flash’s compassion, which he used to calm Keystone’s population.

The Flash returns to The CW for Season 5 on October 9, 2018.  Spin's first appearance should be on November 6th.

DOOM PATROL Casts Joivan Wade as Cyborg

Booyah!  We have a new Cyborg!

Deadline has word that the upcoming DC Universe series Doom Patrol has cast Joivan Wade as Victor Stone, better known to DC Comics fans as the superhero Cyborg.  

According to the article, Vic is described as "the charming and sarcastic half-human, half-machine superhero known as Cyborg.  Vic may be connected to every computer on the world, but he struggles to maintain the connections that make him human.  Desperate to gain acceptance from the outside world, Vic harnesses the curse of his cybernetic body and uses his powers as the ultimate hero for the digital age."

Doom Patrol is a spinoff from the DC Universe series Titans and is a reimagining of one of DC’s strangest group of outcasts: Robotman, Negative Man, Elasti-Woman (April Bowlby) and Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero).  Led by the mysterious Dr. Niles Caulder, they’re called into action by the ultimate hero for the digital age, Cyborg.  Banding together, these rejects find themselves on a mission that will take them to the weirdest and most unexpected corners of the DC universe.

Wade is an English actor best known as Rigsy in the Doctor Who episodes "Flatline" and "Face the Raven."  He's recently appeared in the films The First Purge and The Weekend, and has appeared in episodes of EastEnders, Youngers, and Casualty.

Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez in 1980's DC Comics Presents #26, Cyborg is Victor Stone, the son of Silas Stone and Elinore Stone, scientists who used him as a test subject for various intelligence enhancement projects.  While these treatments are ultimately successful and Victor's IQ subsequently grows to genius levels, he grew to resent his treatment.  He formed a friendship with Ron Evers, a young miscreant who led him into trouble with the law.  This was the beginning of a struggle in which Victor strove for independence, engaging in pursuits of which his parents disapproved, such as athletics and abandoning his studies.  

One day, Victor was gravely injured during an accident at S.T.A.R. Labs, where Silas worked, that also claimed the life of Elinore.  Silas did everything he could to save Victor's life by grafting robotic prosthetics to replace his missing body parts, turning him into a cybernetic organism.  He soon became as a member of the superhero group known as The New Teen Titans. 

In 2011, DC Comics rebooted its fictional universe with the relaunch known as "The New 52" and Justice League writer Geoff Johns gave Cyborg a new origin.  In this version, Victor Stone was a high school football star who was heavily sought after by a number of college scouts, but apparently had a distant relationship with his father, Silas.  After winning a big game, Victor was shown calling his father and angrily telling him that he broke his promise and missed yet another one of his son's games.  Later, Victor appeared at S.T.A.R. Labs where his father works.  The scientists appeared to be working on a Mother Box that Superman came in contact with from a Parademon.  

Victor engaged in another argument with his father and told him that the scouts were there to give him full scholarships to college.  The Mother Box suddenly exploded, killing the other scientists and destroying most of Victor's body while Victor's father looked on in horror.  Silas did everything he could for Victor's survival.  Along with Sarah Charles and T. O. Morrow, he went into "The Red Room" in S.T.A.R. Labs, which contains every piece of technology from around the world.  Silas attempted to treat Victor with something that had never been attempted before and was seen injecting Victor with some type of nanites.  Dr. Morrow placed the robotic pieces on Victor (including such devices as a Promethean skin graft, Doctor William Magnus' responsometer, Anthony Ivo's A-maze operating system, the classified and prototypical B-maze operating system, and Ryan Choi's White Dwarf Stabilizer).  Victor's life was saved and the energies from the Mother Box were incorporated into his new form as Cyborg.  This allowed Victor to access the vast New Gods data library and discover Darkseid's invasion plans.  Using this information, Cyborg soon became a member of the Justice League and assisted them with defeating Darkseid.

Wade will be the third actor to portray the character in live-action, after Ray Fisher in the movie Justice League and Lee Thompson Young appeared in several episodes of the CW television series Smallville.  Other actors, including Ernie Hudson, Khary Payton, Bumper Robinson, Michael B. Jordan and Shemar Moore, have voiced the character for various DC Universe animated projects.

Doom Patrol is expected to debut on DC Universe sometime in 2019.

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 115: "Robot" is Up!

"Doctor, you -- you're being childish!"
"Well, of course I am!  There's no point being grown-up if you can't be childish sometimes."

-- Sarah Jane Smith and The Fourth Doctor, Doctor Who: "Robot"

Celebrating the 4th Anniversary of the award-winning Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast, my partner in time Jesse Jackson and I have returned with a new episode! This time, we review "Robot", the first serial of Doctor Who Season 12 in 1974, featuring Tom Baker's first episode as the Fourth Doctor, Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, Nicholas Courtney as The Brigadier, and the debut of Ian Marter as new companion Harry Sullivan!

In this episode, Jesse and I discuss things like my recovering from nasal surgery, Jesse seeing Queen cover band Killer Queen, Tom Baker being completely different from Jon Pertwee, the two Osgoods, Tom Baker being the original Madman in a Box, typical English weather, my watching the Tom Baker run after Peter Davison's run, loving post-regeneration episodes, David Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes" video, the Brigadier finally seeing the Doctor regenerate with his own eyes, more love for Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, Sarah Jane being called out for having a chauvinist attitude, the introduction of Harry Sullivan, Sarah Jane being the Lois Lane of the Doctor Who universe, the Brigadier always being fun to watch, Think Tank's attitude that humanity should follow scientists because they're smarter, Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, the K1 Robot being a King Kong metaphor, Professor Kettlewell as a surprise bad guy, my recommendation for the new Doctor Who Season 12 Blu-Ray set, the Fourth Doctor using jelly babies to distract people, my Reverse the Reverse the Polarity segment, new listener feedback from Paul from Australia and Holly from Wisconsin, thoughts on the new Series Eleven trailer, why there's nothing wrong with feeling hopeful about the Jodie Whittaker era, teasing our upcoming show plans, and more!

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Be sure to come back in two weeks as Jesse and I go back into the TARDIS and review "The Twin Dilemma", the seventh serial of Doctor Who Season 21 in 1984, featuring Colin Baker's first episode as the Sixth Doctor and Nicola Bryant as Peri Brown!  Look for more of Next Stop Everywhere on iTunes, Google Play Music, YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

The CW Arrowverse Casts Ruby Rose as Batwoman

Gotham City has a new dark knight.

The Hollywood Reporter has word that The CW's Arrowverse has cast Ruby Rose as Kate Kane, better known to DC Comics fans as the superhero Batwoman.  The character will make her debut as part of the annual DC Arrowverse crossover.

According to the article, Kate is described as "armed with a passion for social justice and flair for speaking her mind, soars onto the streets of Gotham as Batwoman, an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city's criminal resurgence.  But don't call her a hero yet — in a city desperate for a savior, Kate must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gotham's symbol of hope."

The proposed Batwoman series is in development, with Caroline Dries of The Vampire Diaires writing the script.  Should Batwoman be picked up as a series, it will likely debut at midseason.  Reportedly, the CW isn't planning to use the Arrowverse crossover as a backdoor pilot for Batwoman, but instead film a full-length pilot as it did with The Flash.

Rose, 32, is an Australian model, DJ, recording artist, actress, television presenter, and former MTV VJ.  She came out as a lesbian at age 12, and has identified herself as genderfluid.  In 2015, she wrote, produced, and starred in the short film Break Free, a tribute to gender fluidity, which became a viral hit, garnering more than 25 million views on YouTube.  In addition, she's appeared in the films John Wick: Chapter 2 and John Wick 3: Parabellum as the assassin Ares, xXx: The Return of Xander Cage as Adele Wolff, The Meg, Pitch Perfect 3, and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.  Also, she has appeared on episodes of Orange is the New Black as Stella Carlin, Dark Matter, and Mr & Mrs Murder.

Created in 1956 by Edmond Hamilton and Sheldon Moldoff, Batwoman first appeared in Detective Comics (vol.1) #233 as Kathy Kane, a wealthy heiress who gained great acrobatic skills during her career as a circus trapeze artist and stunt cyclist.  Becoming infatuated with the Batman, she fashioned herself a costume and secret hideout and started operating as Batwoman.  She upstaged Batman and his sidekick Robin in capturing crooks, but Batman eventually learned her true identity and tracked her to her secret cave hideout.  Showing her how easily it was for him to learn her identity, Batman pointed out that criminals could probably do it just as easily and tried to convince her to drop out of crime fighting.  Disobeying Batman's advice, she tried to capture mobster Curt Briggs.  During this caper, Batman went missing and Briggs, struck with amnesia, left thinking he was Batman. Ultimately the real Batman reappeared, and Biggs was turned over to the police.

Batwoman came out of retirement to aid Batgirl against Killer Moth and the Cavalier, but her return was never intended to be permanent.  Kathy Kane was then present at a surprise party for Bruce Wayne at Wayne Manor.  When Batwoman was later disintegrated into nothingness on Barbara Gordon's doorstep, Batgirl and Robin teamed-up to find the cure and restore Batwoman to her normal form.  Shortly after this, Batwoman met the Huntress from Earth-Two and aided her and Batwoman in capturing Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Madame Zodiac.  When the Freedom Fighters of Earth-X searched for a group of criminals known as the Warmakers, their search led them to the carnival owned by Kathy Kane. Kathy, as Batwoman, aided the Freedom Fighters and Batgirl in defeating the Warmakers.  In her last recorded adventure, Kathy Kane was murdered by the League of Assassins, who were being manipulated by Ra's al Ghul.  Her death was eventually avenged by Batman.

In 2006, the character was reinvented by Greg Rucka, Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, Mark Waid, and Keith Giffen, making her debut in 52 #7 as Kate Kane.  In their early childhood, Katherine Rebecca "Kate" Kane and her sister Elizabeth "Beth" Kane were identical twins and were very close to each other.  On their twelfth birthday their military father couldn't come home so Kate and Beth were taken by their mother, Gabrielle "Gabi" Kane, to an expensive restaurant for chocolate and waffles, their favorite dish.  On the way to the restaurant, a group of gunmen attacked the family and took them hostage, killing their bodyguard in the process.  After learning of her family's kidnapping, Kate's father, Colonel Jacob "Jake" Kane, led a rescue mission to save his captured family, which ended with Kate's mother executed and Beth apparently killed after being caught in the crossfire between the kidnappers and soldiers.

Years later, Kate attended the United States Military Academy, West Point, where she received excellent grades and ranked at the top of her class.  However, when it was alleged that she was in a lesbian relationship with another student, Kate's commanding officer asked her to disavow the allegation.  Telling the officer that she refused to lie and violate the code of the Academy, Kate admitted to being lesbian and was forced to leave the school.  When she confronted her father with the news, he supported her and affirmed that she upheld her honor and integrity.  She then moved back to Gotham City, where she attended college and pursued a wild social lifestyle, consisting of parties and tattoos.  Kate was eventually pulled over for speeding by a young Renee Montoya, who was just a traffic cop at this point.  The two dated for several months but broke up following a fight where Kate berated Renee for keeping her sexuality hidden from her colleagues and family.  While attempting to call Renee and apologize for her behavior, Kate was attacked by a mugger who wanted her wallet and cell phone.  Using her military training, Kate easily defeated the criminal just as Batman arrived and helped her off the ground.  She was fixated by the Bat Signal as Batman departed the scene.

Inspired by her encounter with Batman, Kate began fighting crime using military body armor and weaponry stolen from her father's military base.  After being confronted by Jake, Kate accepted his offer for assistance and began an intense two years of training across the globe with her father's military friends.  Upon returning to Gotham, Kate discovered that her father has created a Batsuit for her, along with an arsenal of experimental weaponry based on Batman's known gadgetry and a bunker hidden in the Kane home.  She soon adopted the identity of Batwoman and was soon accepted as a member of the Batman family.

This will be the first time Batwoman will appear in live action, although the character has appeared in various animated projects including Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (voiced by Kyra Sedgwick), Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by Vanessa Marshall), and Batman: Bad Blood (voiced by Yvonne Strahovski).

Warner Bros. Developing SUPERGIRL Feature Film

If The Flash can be on TV and in movies, why can't the Girl of Steel?

Deadline has revealed that Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment are developing a feature film based on DC Comics character Supergirl.  This news follows on recent rumors that Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment are looking to create a new template for future Superman movies.

Little is known about the project, apart from that Oren Uziel is reportedly working on the script.  Uziel is a writer and producer, known for The Cloverfield Paradox, 22 Jump Street, Freaks of Nature, Shimmer Lake, and the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog.

This will be the second attempt to adapt Supergirl for the big screen, after the 1984 film Supergirl, starring Helen Slater as Supergirl/Kara Zor-El/Linda Lee, Faye Dunaway as Selena, Peter O'Toole as Zaltar, and Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen, reprising his character from the Superman films starring Christopher Reeve.  The film was widely considered to be a box office bomb, after making only $14.3 million in North America.

Currently, the Supergirl television series starring Melissa Benoist is about to begin its fourth season on The CW.  The character was also played by Laura Vandervoort on the WB/CW series Smallville, and has also appeared a number of times in animation, including Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited (voiced by Nicholle Tom), and the Super Best Friends Forever DC Nation animated shorts (voiced by Nicole Sullivan).

Created in 1959 by Otto Binder, Al Plastino and Curt Swan, Supergirl first appeared in Action Comics (vol.1) #252 as Kara Zor-El, the daughter of Jor-El's brother Zor-El and cousin to Superman. She was the last survivor of Argo City, which had survived the destruction of the planet Krypton until meteorites of Green Kryptonite penetrated Argo City's protective barrier. Sent to Earth by Zor-El to be raised by her cousin, Kara acquired powers similar to Superman and adopted the secret identity of Linda Lee, a young girl at Midvale Orphanage. 

In the current New 52 continuity, Kara's ship lands as part of a meteor shower in Smallville, Kansas, but burrows through the Earth and emerges in Siberia. Kara has no memory of the destruction of Krypton and believes herself to be dreaming. The military tracks her arrival, and a group of American soldiers in mechanized suits immediately attack her. Her powers start emerging as the fight goes on and terrify the surprised Kara. Superman arrives after she defeats the soldiers and tries to convince Kara that he is her cousin, but Kara, still believing that only three days have passed since she last saw baby Kal, accuses him of being an imposter and attacks him. Eventually, after several battles with supervillains, including the Worldkillers, superweapons of Kryptonian design, Kara accepts that Krypton has been destroyed and that Superman is indeed her grown-up cousin.

Patrick Stewart to Return as Jean-Luc Picard in New CBS All Access STAR TREK Series

Obviously, they made it so.

Deadline and Variety are reporting that Sir Patrick Stewart will reprise his Star Trek: The Next Generation character Captain Jean-Luc Picard in a new Star Trek series for the CBS All Access streaming service.  The project has been rumored since June, but was confirmed by Stewart himself in a surprise appearance at the Las Vegas Star Trek Convention.

The new series, which will not be a reboot of Star Trek: Next Generation, will reportedly tell the story of the next chapter of Picard’s life.  This will be the third Star Trek series to be officially announced for CBS All Access, joining Star Trek: Discovery, which is heading into its second season, and the upcoming Star Trek: Short Treks four-part limited series.

It will be overseen by Star Trek: Discovery co-creator/executive producer Alex Kurtzman, who was tasked with overseeing development of new Star Trek content under an overall deal with CBS TV Studios.  Kurtzman will be joined by James Duff, who recently joined Star Trek: Discovery as executive producer and signed a CBS Studios overall deal, former Discovery executive  producer Akiva Goldsman, Michael Chabon, and Discovery writer Kirsten Beyer.  Kurtzman, Duff, Goldsman, and Chabon will also serve as executive producers on the series along with Stewart, Trevor Roth, Heather Kadin, and Rod Roddenberry.

"I will always be very proud to have been a part of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but when we wrapped that final movie in the spring of 2002, I truly felt my time with Star Trek had run its natural course," said Stewart.  "It is, therefore, an unexpected but delightful surprise to find myself excited and invigorated to be returning to Jean-Luc Picard and to explore new dimensions within him.  Seeking out new life for him, when I thought that life was over."

"During these past years," continued Stewart, "it has been humbling to hear many stories about how The Next Generation brought people comfort, saw them through difficult periods in their lives, or how the example of Jean-Luc inspired so many to follow in his footsteps, pursuing science, exploration and leadership.  I feel I’m ready to return to him for the same reason – to research and experience what comforting and reforming light he might shine on these often very dark times.  I look forward to working with our brilliant creative team as we endeavor to bring a fresh, unexpected and pertinent story to life once more."

"With overwhelming joy," said Kurtzman, "it’s a privilege to welcome Sir Patrick Stewart back to the Star Trek fold.  For over twenty years, fans have hoped for the return of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and that day is finally here.  We can’t wait to forge new ground, surprise people, and honor generations both new and old."

As Captain of the USS Enterprise-D and Enterprise-E, Jean-Luc Picard first appeared in the 1987 Star Trek: Next Generation pilot episode "Encounter at Farpoint" and remained with the series for its entire seven-season run.  Stewart also portrayed Picard in the movies Star Trek Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), along with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s 1993 pilot episode, "Emissary."