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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on May 25, 2008 18:37:47 GMT -5
Is George Lucas in this list After what he did to Star Wars & Indiana Jones he should be. No. It's only fictional characters. But, with Lucas, I can understand why you would ask.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on May 26, 2008 12:48:56 GMT -5
It's countdown time! Here's 64: 64. Big Brother Who is he: The enigmatic dictator of Oceania. What is he from: 1984 (novel and movie) What has he done: Oppressed freedom and keep people under surveillance. Intelligence: Most likely incredibly smart in order to rule an oppressive government. Power: He is the leader of Oceania. Vileness: Will suppress even love to keep things running smoothly. Sway: Can make anyone “disappear.” Purity: Cares only for keeping the Oceanic government running. Physical Prowess: Well, it’s not really clear if Big Bother actually exists. Name Coolness: “Big Brother” is pretty cool. Created by: George Orwell. Portrayed by: John Vernon played Big Brother in the 1956 movie “1984,” though he was uncredited. In the 1954 BBC version of “1984,” the face of Big Brother was in fact that of Roy Oxley, a member of the BBC design department whose inclusion was something of an in-joke on the part of the production team. David Graham played Big Brother in the Apple Computer commercial 1984. Bob Flag was Big Brother in the 1984 version, “1984.” The intellectual Winston Smith is a member of the Outer Party, lives in the ruins of London (the "chief city of Airstrip One", a province of Oceania), who grew up in the post-World War II United Kingdom, during the revolution and the civil war. As his parents disappeared in the civil war, the English Socialism Movement ("Ingsoc" in Newspeak), put him in an orphanage for training and employment in the Outer Party. His squalid existence consists of living in a one-room apartment, eating a subsistence diet of black bread and synthetic meals washed down with Victory-brand gin. He is discontented, and keeps an illegal journal of dissenting, negative thoughts and opinions about The Party. If detected, it, and his eccentric behaviour, would result in torture and death by the Thought Police. In his journal he explains thoughtcrime: Thoughtcrime does not entail death. Thoughtcrime IS death. The Thought Police have two-way telescreens (in the living quarters of every Party member and in every public area), hidden microphones, and anonymous informers to spy potential thought-criminals who might endanger The Party. Children are indoctrinated to informing; to spy and report suspected thought-criminals, especially their parents. Winston Smith is a bureaucrat in the Records Department of the Ministry of Truth, revising historical records to match The Party's contemporaneous, official version of the past. The revisionism is required so that the past reflect the shifts of the day in the Party's orthodoxy. Smith's job is perpetual; he re-writes the official record, re-touches official photographs, deleting people officially rendered as unpersons. The original or older document is dropped into a "memory hole" chute leading to an incinerator. Although he likes his work, especially the intellectual challenge of revising a complete historical record, he also is fascinated by the true past, and eagerly tries to learn more about that forbidden truth. One day, in the office, a woman surreptitiously hands him a note. She is "Julia", a dark-haired mechanic who repairs the Ministry of Truth's novel-writing machines. Before that day, he had felt deep loathing for her, based on his assumptions that she was a brainwashed, fanatically devoted member of the Party; particularly annoying to him is her red sash of renouncement of and scorn for sexual intercourse. His preconceptions vanish on reading her hand-printed note: "I love you". After that, they begin a clandestine romantic relationship, first meeting in the countryside and at a ruined belfry, then regularly in a rented room atop an antiques shop in the city's proletarian neighborhood. The shop owner chats him up with facts about the pre-revolutionary past, sells him period artifacts, and rents him the room to meet Julia. The lovers believe their hiding place paradaisical (the shop keeper having told them it has no telescreen) and think themselves alone and safe. As their romance deepens, Winston's views change, and questions Ingsoc. Unknown to him, the Thought Police have been spying on him and Julia. Later, when approached by Inner Party member O'Brien, Winston believes that he's come into contact with The Brotherhood, opponents of the Party. O'Brien gives him a copy of "the book", The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism, a searing criticism of Ingsoc said to be written by the dissident Emmanuel Goldstein, the leader of the Brotherhood; it explains the perpetual war and exposes the truth behind the Party's slogan, "War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength." The Thought Police capture Winston and Julia in their sanctuary bedroom and they are separately interrogated at the Ministry of Love, where the regime's opponents are tortured and killed, but sometimes released (to be executed at a later date); Charrington, the shop keeper who rented them the room reveals himself an officer of the Thought Police. In the Ministry of Love torture chamber, O'Brien tells Smith that he will be cured of his hatred for the Party. During a session, he explains to Winston that torture's purpose is to alter his way of thinking, not to extract a fake confession, adding that once cured, accepting reality as the Party describes, he then will be executed; electroshock torture will achieve that, continuing until O'Brien decides Winston is cured. One night, a dreaming Winston suddenly wakes, yelling: "Julia! Julia! Julia, my love! Julia!" O'Brien rushes in and questions him, and then sends him to Room 101, the most feared room in the Ministry of Love. This is where a person's greatest fear is forced upon him or her for the final re-education step: acceptance. Winston, who has a primal fear of rats, is shown a wire cage filled with starving rats and told that it will be fitted over his head like a mask, so that when the cage door is opened, the rats will bore into his face until it is stripped to the bone. Just as the cage brushes his cheek, he shouts frantically: "Do it to Julia!" The torture ends, Winston is returned to society, brainwashed to accept Party doctrine. After his release, Winston and Julia fortuitously meet in a park. With distaste, they remember the "bad" feelings they once shared; they acknowledge having betrayed each other; they are apathetic. Torture and re-education were successful; Winston happily reconciled to his impending execution, and accepting the Party line about the past and the present. In his mind, he celebrates the false fact of a news bulletin reporting Oceania's recent, decisive victory over Eurasia. Winston imagines himself back at the Ministry of Love and finally accepts that he loves Big Brother. Free thought. Self expression. Freedom of speech. Freedom of the press. Love. Hope. In Oceania, they’re all gone thanks to Big Brother. He is an oppressive leader who will have people tortured, killed, or even worse to make sure that the Oceanic government keeps running smoothly. Though, the interesting thing about Big Brother is that there is doubt that he even exists in the book. In the novel, it is not clear if Big Brother actually exists as a person or is an image crafted by the Party. In a book supposedly written by the rebel Emmanuel Goldstein (but later revealed to have a more complex origin) it is stated that "nobody has ever seen Big Brother. His function is to act as a focusing point for love, fear, and reverence; emotions which are more easily felt towards an individual than towards an organization." Goldstein's book also comments: "We may be reasonably sure that he will never die, and there is already considerable uncertainty as to when he was born." In Party propaganda, however, Big Brother is presented as a real person; one of the founders of the Party along with Goldstein. At one point in the year 1984, the protagonist of Orwell's novel tries "to remember in what year he had first heard mention of Big Brother. He thought it must have been at some time in the sixties, but it was impossible to be certain. In the Party histories, of course, Big Brother figured as the leader and guardian of the Revolution since its very earliest days. His exploits had been gradually pushed backwards in time until already they extended into the fabulous world of the forties and the thirties, when the capitalists in their strange cylindrical hats still rode through the streets of London in great gleaming motor-cars or horse carriages with glass sides. There was no knowing how much of this legend was true and how much invented." In many media representations, Big Brother's face usually looms on giant telescreens. He is a mysterious man operating from behind the scenes, who only comes out to promote his propaganda. Whether Big Brother really exist doesn’t matter, evil is done in his name. People are tortured and killed to appease him. Or, they are simply “made” to love him, like Winston in the novel. And, Big Brother has become a cultural icon, used today as a symbol of oppression and tyranny. Hell, many political pundits bring up Big Brother in debates over censorship and surveillance of people in private. And, you could make the argument that we are living in a Big Brother culture, with reality TV, YouTube, the internet, and what not. That’s pretty impressive how a character can become such symbol despite the fact that his existence in the novel isn’t really clear. That just shows how truly powerful Big Brother really is.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on May 26, 2008 13:25:47 GMT -5
63. Johnny Lawrence Who is he: A top student at the Cobra Kai dojo. What is he from: “The Karate Kid.” What has he done: Beat up and tormented Daniel. Intelligence: He’s a high school student and doesn’t look too interested in learning. Power: He is only a student at the Cobra Kai dojo, but he can get a group of guys to follow him. Vileness: He swept the leg, though reluctantly. Sway: Like a said, can get some guys to do what he says. Purity: Would have liked to win the tournament fairly, but obeys his master and does an unethical move, the aforementioned sweeping of the leg; though he does present Daniel with the trophy at the end. Physical Prowess: Strong and well adept at karate. Name Coolness: “Johnny Lawrence” is your typical average name. Created by: Robert Mark Kamen. Portrayed by: Billy Zabka, who was so good in the role that he got typecast as a bully in “Just One Of The Guys” and “Back To School.” Teenager Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) moves with his mother (Randee Heller) from Newark, New Jersey to Reseda, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. The family has traveled in search of a new beginning, after the death of Daniel's father. Their new apartment's handyman is a kindly and humble Okinawan immigrant named Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita). The last night of summer, Daniel and his new friends from school travel to the beach; a girl named Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue) catches Danny's attention. Her ex-boyfriend, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), and his friends accost Ali. Daniel attempts to intervene and ultimately fights with Johnny. Although he knows some karate, learned from books and at the YMCA in New Jersey, Daniel is easily defeated by Johnny, who is better trained. Unwittingly, Daniel has made an enemy of the Cobra Kai karate dojo's best student. The Cobra Kai dojo teaches an unethical, vicious form of martial arts. Johnny and his cronies thereafter torment Daniel at every opportunity. When Daniel retaliates with a prank at a Halloween dance party, he is pursued by Johnny and four of his Cobra Kai associates (dressed in skeleton costumes), who proceed to beat him severely. Johnny is about to finish him off, despite protest from fellow Cobra Kai student Bobby. As they're arguing, Mr. Miyagi appears to be scaling the fence behind them. Just as Johnny is about to give Daniel the finishing blow, Mr. Miyagi jumps off the fence and shoves Daniel out of the way. In a surprising display of karate skill, Mr. Miyagi defeats all 5 Cobra Kai students with surprising ease. Awed, Daniel asks Mr. Miyagi to be his teacher. Mr. Miyagi initially refuses, but then realizes that his intervention will inevitably result in Johnny and his friends taking further revenge on Daniel. He agrees to go with Daniel to the Cobra Kai dojo to see if they can resolve the conflict. Mr. Miyagi and Daniel confront the sensei of the Cobra Kai dojo, John Kreese (Martin Kove), to stop the harassment. However, Kreese, an ex-Special Forces Vietnam Veteran, sneers at the concepts of mercy and restraint, and has indoctrinated his philosophy into his students. Kreese, who fought in Vietnam, appears somewhat bigoted against people with East Asian features (in The Karate Kid, Part II, Kreese refers to Mr. Miyagi as a "Slope"). Mr. Miyagi announces that Daniel will enter the “All Valley Karate Tournament”, where Cobra Kai students can fight Daniel on equal terms. Mr. Miyagi also requests a "truce," that the bullying stops while the boy trains. Kreese orders his students to leave Daniel alone, but he threatens that if Daniel does not show up for the tournament, the harassment will resume and Miyagi will also become a target. Mr. Miyagi becomes Daniel's teacher and, slowly, a surrogate father figure. He begins Daniel's training by having him perform laborious chores such as waxing many cars, sanding a wooden floor, painting a fence, and painting the house encircled by the fence. (The chores are Daniel's "payment" to Miyagi for the training.) Eventually, Daniel becomes frustrated, believing that he has learned nothing of karate, whereupon Mr. Miyagi reveals that Daniel has unknowingly been learning defensive blocks, through muscle memory learned by doing the chores. Daniel then learns that Mr. Miyagi lost his wife and son in childbirth at Manzanar internment camp while he was serving overseas with the U.S. Army during World War II. The loss of his family and Daniel's loss of his father further strengthens the father-son surrogacy. Daniel also discovers that the outwardly peaceful and serene Mr. Miyagi was a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroism against German forces in Europe. A brief flashback by Mr. Miyagi implies that the decoration was for killing many Germans, and details are not otherwise specified. Through the teaching, Daniel learns not only karate, but also important life lessons, such as the importance of balance, reflected by the belief that martial arts training is as much about training the spirit as the body. Daniel applies the life lessons that Mr. Miyagi has taught him to strengthen his relationship with Ali. At the tournament, Daniel surprises everyone by reaching the semifinals. Kreese instructs Daniel's semifinal opponent, Cobra Kai student Bobby, to disable Daniel with an illegal attack to the knee. One of the more compassionate Cobra Kai students, Bobby initially resists, but Kreese insists that Bobby put Daniel "out of commission." Bobby reluctantly complies. With Daniel injured and unable to continue, Mr. Miyagi assures him he has already proven himself. Despondent, Daniel believes that if he does not continue, his tormentors will have gotten the best of him. He therefore persuades Mr. Miyagi to use his special pain suppression technique to allow him to finish the tournament. As Johnny is about to be declared the winner by default, Daniel hobbles into the ring. He manages to earn two quick points at the beginning, but a minor nose injury to Johnny forces Kreese to take a timeout. As Kreese examines Johnny's nose during the timeout, he orders his student to fight without mercy, telling Johnny to "sweep the leg," targeting Daniel's previous injury. Johnny blanches at the order, knowing that he can win with such an unethical move, but wants to do so fairly in the ring. He reluctantly obeys Kreese and does what is ordered, knocking Daniel to the floor. Though in great pain, Daniel refuses to stay down. In the final scene, Daniel and Johnny are tied, both one point away from victory. Daniel, barely able to stand, assumes the "Crane Kick" stance, and delivers a blow squarely to Johnny's chin, winning the tournament. Johnny acquires respect for Daniel as a result of Daniel's win. With respect and without malice, Johnny takes the trophy from the emcee and presents it himself to Daniel. Meanwhile, for the entire adoring crowd and the trophy, the greatest reward for Daniel is the sight of Mr. Miyagi's face beaming with pride at his student's triumph. If there is one thing most people would like to forget from their childhood, it is most likely the bully who picked on them. The bully is the type of person who gets his or her kicks from picking on and beating up people smaller and weaker than them. The bully seemingly chooses his or her target at random and commences on the torment day after day after day. The bully is the type that deserves a place on this list, and Johnny Lawrence is the perfect representation of the bully. He had the perfect look of a bully: blonde hair and a fit body, allusions to Hitler’s ideal of the perfect Aryan male; a sweet smile that can quickly turn into rage; gloves with no fingers; acid wash jeans, it was the 1980s; and the black of the Kobra Kai. He just looks like a jerk. And, his torment was directed at Daniel, beating him up with his goons in skeleton costumes and even running him off the road. He also got a little too frisky with sweet little Ali Mills. Johnny also follows the orders of the master of the Kobra Kai dojo John Kreese. This man was in Vietnam, and it made him into a hard and almost psychotic man who teaches and grooms Johnny into the jerk he has become. However, the bully is a coward. He or she picks people weaker because he or she knows that the tormentee cannot fight back. The bully craves control, and having physical or psychological control over a person satisfies this craving. However, if the tormentee stands up to the bully, then the bully will back down, knowing that he or she will not get that craving from that tormentee. This is what happens when Daniel beats Johnny in the tournament. Johnny even shows some respect to Daniel, presenting him with the trophy and saying "You're alright, Larusso - great match!" So, while the bully may be evil, he or she is a necessary evil, who can teach us to fight back or can insure that we will not allow ourselves to be picked on ever again.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on May 26, 2008 13:28:13 GMT -5
Tomorrow, numbers 62 and 61, plus a recap. Here are the hints:
He has been a villain to wrestling fans for the past decade, and he pities da fool.
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Vengeance Of War
Bubba Ho-Tep
You say you want everyone happy? Well...we're not laughing.
Posts: 619
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Post by Vengeance Of War on May 26, 2008 14:58:05 GMT -5
L. Brent Bozell and Clubber Lang.
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Sajoa Moe
Patti Mayonnaise
Did you get that thing I sent ya?
A man without gimmick.
Posts: 39,683
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Post by Sajoa Moe on May 26, 2008 15:48:15 GMT -5
Vince McMahon and Clubber Lang.
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MolotovMocktail
Grimlock
Home of the 5-time, 5-time, 5-time, 5-time 5-time Super Bowl Champion 49ers-and Wrestlemania 31
Posts: 13,978
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Post by MolotovMocktail on May 26, 2008 18:43:21 GMT -5
Phil Mushnick and Clubber Lang.
Why Johnny Lawrence? John Kreese was the real villain.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on May 26, 2008 18:56:37 GMT -5
Phil Mushnick and Clubber Lang. Why Johnny Lawrence? John Kreese was the real villain. Sometimes, the henchmen is a little more memorable than the boss.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on May 27, 2008 16:56:23 GMT -5
Countdown time, bitches. Here's number 62: 62. Vince McMahon Who is he: Owner of WWE. What is he from: WWF/E. What has he done: Abused his position as WWE Owner to punish and fire anyway he didn’t like, even his own family. Intelligence: Quite smart at wrestling promoting. Power: Like I said, he owns WWE. Vileness: The man has beat up his own children. Sway: Can hire or fire anyway, but mostly fires people. Purity: He cares about his company and it succeeding. Physical Prowess: Is very physically fit for his age, but usually cheats and uses weapons in a fight. Name Coolness: “Vince McMahon” sounds like an average name. Edit: it has been pointed out to me that the name becomes a lot cooler when said like this: VINCENT KENNEDY MCMAHON!....DAMMIT! Created by: Vince McMahon. Portrayed by: Vince McMahon. I should note this entry is the on-screen gimmick “Mr. McMahon” and not the actual person. This list is for fictional character, and since kayfabe is technically a fictional realm, a wrestling gimmick or character would be considered a fictional character. And, while the Mr. McMahon character is base a lot on real qualities of Vince, I doubt he would really make a woman bark like a dog and dump filth on her or beat up Shane and Stephanie. Though, I will mention the Montreal Screwjob, which, while it may have been real, still created the character. At Survivor Series 1997, Bret Hart defended his WWF Championship against long-time rival Shawn Michaels in the main event. McMahon, who was the owner of the WWF, opted to be a play-by-play announcer instead of the owner. In the weeks heading into Survivor Series, McMahon had entered into a rivalry with the heel Hart. During the match, Michaels applied Hart's own signature submission maneuver The Sharpshooter on Hart. Hart refused to submit. However, McMahon got up and ordered the referee to ring the bell thus screwing Hart out of the title and made Shawn the champion. This became known as the "Montreal Screwjob", and it led to McMahon thus turned "heel" and since then, he was known as "Mr. McMahon," the heel owner and chairman of the WWF. Sometime after the Montreal Screwjob, Vince began feuding with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. It was teased at first with McMahon stripping Austin of the Intercontinental Title and giving it to The Rock and the confrontation between Austin and Mike Tyson on the episode of RAW in which Tyson was announced as the special enforcer for the WWF Title Match at WrestleMania XIV between Shawn Michaels and Austin. Austin won that match and became the WWF Champion. On March 30, 1998 edition of RAW is WAR, Mr. McMahon presented Stone Cold Steve Austin with a new "Attitude Era" custom belt and warned Austin that he did not approve of his rebellious nature and that things could be done "the easy way or the hard way". McMahon received a Stone Cold Stunner which began their rivalry which would become a historic and one of the most popular rivalries in the history of sports entertainment. On April 6 edition of RAW is WAR, McMahon was confronted by Austin again who punched McMahon in the "corporate grapefruits". The next week, Austin and McMahon faced each other in a match to settle their differences. It was McMahon's first wrestling match but it was declared a no contest when Dude Love interfered and tried to end the fight but accidentally knocked out Austin with a Mandible claw. He did everything possible to ruin Austin. Austin faced Dude Love at Unforgiven for the WWF Title. During the match, McMahon came down ringside, and announcers Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler made implications that another Screwjob might take place. Near the end, Love got knocked out on the outside. As McMahon picked him up, Austin nailed them both with a chair. Austin won the match, but because of the chair shot Austin had to defend his WWF Championship at Over the Edge: In Your House against Dude Love with McMahon as the Special Guest Referee and his "Corporative Stooges" Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson as timekeeper and ring announcer, respectively. Despite that, Dude Love was unable to defeat Austin. However, McMahon got a big victory over Austin by his side at King of the Ring 1998 when Kane defeated Austin in a First Blood match to win the WWF Championship. Austin would win the title, the next night on RAW. After Austin defeated The Undertaker at SummerSlam 1998, McMahon responded by setting Austin in a triple threat match for the title at Breakdown: In Your House against both Kane and Undertaker. During the match, both Undertaker and Kane pinned Austin at the same time. McMahon took advantage and immediately stripped Austin of the title.[44] At Judgment Day: In Your House, McMahon made his rival Austin the special guest referee in a match between The Undertaker and Kane for the WWF Championship. However, as Undertaker was close of getting the victory, Austin attacked both men and claimed that he was the winner. However, McMahon reacted by "firing" Austin. McMahon ordered the WWF Championship to be defended in a 14-man tournament named Deadly Games at Survivor Series 1998. McMahon made sure that Mankind reached to the finals because Mankind had visited McMahon in hospital after McMahon was sent to hospital by Undertaker and Kane. He also awarded Mankind the WWF Hardcore Championship because his status of being a hardcore wrestling legend. However, during the main event, he was at the ringside during Mankind's tournament final match with The Rock for the WWF Championship. Originally, McMahon acted as he would help out Mankind during the match. At one point, Rock turned his attention over McMahon. However, McMahon turned on Mankind after screwing him out of the match as Rock had caught Mankind in the Sharpshooter. Mankind hadn't submitted but McMahon ordered the referee to ring bell, thus giving Rock the WWF Championship. This was the homage to the "Montreal Screwjob" that occurred one year earlier. However, McMahon referred to Rock as "Corporate Champion" thus forming the Corporation with his son Shane and The Rock. At Rock Bottom: In Your House, Mankind defeated Rock to win the WWF Championship after Rock was forced submit to the Mandible claw. However, McMahon came and screwed Mankind once again by reversing the decision and returning the belt to his chosen champion, The Rock. McMahon went on to participate in a "Corporate Rumble" on January 11, 1999 edition of RAW as an unscheduled participant. He was eliminated by Chyna, another unscheduled participant. Vince restarted his feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin. He had put up $100,000 to anyone who was able to eliminate Austin in the Royal Rumble match. At Royal Rumble 1999, Austin was the #1 entrant while McMahon was #2. For most of the match, McMahon stayed outside the ring. After Austin eliminated a Corporation member Big Boss Man, The Rock interrupted and distracted Austin which allowed McMahon to eliminate Austin and surprisingly win the 1999 Royal Rumble match. This earned McMahon a title match at WrestleMania against WWF Champion The Rock. However, he turned down his spot and WWF Commissioner Shawn Michaels awarded it to Austin. However, Austin was forced to put his title shot on the line against McMahon at In Your House: St. Valentine's Day Massacre in a steel cage match. During the match, Big Show interrupted, making his WWF debut. He threw Austin through the side of the cage thus giving him the victory. However, Big Show would become a member of Corporation. Vince was later revealed as the "Higher Power" on April 12 edition of RAW continuing his feud with WWF Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin. Vince's son Shane merged Corporation with Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness into the Corporate Ministry. Vince would become a member of a short-lived stable The Union which existed in May 1999. Austin was given 50% shares of the WWF by Linda and Stephanie McMahon. However, at King of the Ring 1999, Vince and Shane defeated Austin in a handicap ladder match to regain control of the WWF. At Fully Loaded 1999, Austin defeated Undertaker in a match. As a result, McMahon was banned from coming on WWF TV. McMahon returned as a face to programming in the fall of 1999, and actually won the WWF Championship in a match against Triple H (thanks to outside interference from Austin) on the September 16th episode of SmackDown! He vacated the title on the following Monday's RAW is WAR, however. Over the next few months McMahon and Triple H feuded, with the linchpin of the feud being Triple H's kayfabe marriage to Stephanie McMahon. The feud culminated at Armageddon 1999, McMahon faced Triple H in a No Holds Barred match which McMahon would lose after Stephanie turned on him. Vince returned to WWF television on March 13, 2000 edition of RAW is WAR representing The Rock once again. Two weeks later, Vince and Rock defeated Shane and Big Show in a tag team match with help from special guest referee Mankind. At WrestleMania 2000, Triple H defended the WWF Championship in a Fatal Four Way Elimination match where each competitor had a McMahon in his corner. Triple H had his wife Stephanie who was the WWF Women's Champion in his corner, Rock had Vince in his corner, Mick Foley had Linda in his corner and Big Show had Shane in his corner. After Big Show and Foley were eliminated, it was the champion Triple H and Rock. Vince was in Rock's corner. However, he turned on Rock after whacking him with a chair which helped Triple H win the match and retain his title. This would officially begin the McMahon-Helmsley Era. Vince, Shane and WWF Champion Triple H took on Brothers of Destruction (Undertaker and Kane) and The Rock in a six-man tag team match for the WWF Championship. The stipulation of this match was that whoever man would make the scoring pinfall, he would be the WWF Champion. Vince was pinned by Rock which gave Rock the WWF Championship and his team, the victory. On December 18 edition of RAW, McMahon faced Kurt Angle in a non-title match which was fought to no contest when Mick Foley interfered and attacked both men. After the match, both men beat down Foley and Vince fired him. Vince and Stephanie aligned together against Shane. At WrestleMania XVII, Vince lost to Shane after Linda turned on Vince by low blowing him and giving Shane the victory. On the same night, however, McMahon formed an unlikely alliance with Stone Cold Steve Austin, helping him defeat The Rock to gain another WWF Championship. The two, along with Triple H, formed an alliance which saw Austin and Triple H hold all three major WWF titles (Austin's WWF Championship, the Intercontinental Championship which Triple H won, and the Tag Team Championship) at the same time. However, the alliance would be short lived, due to an injury to Triple H and a business venture by McMahon. Vince purchased long-time rival promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in March 2001 from AOL Time Warner and signed many wrestlers from the organization starting the Invasion storyline. WCW wrestlers were known as The Alliance against WWF. On July 9, 2001 edition of RAW, some extremists returned to the organization as many ECW wrestlers returned to the organization. Stone Cold Steve Austin went on to join the Alliance as well as Shane and Stephanie would do the same. Vince would be on the WWF side. At Survivor Series 2001, Team WWF defeated Team Alliance in a Survivor Series elimination match to pick up the victory for WWF and end the Invasion storyline. Following the collapse of the WCW/ECW Alliance at Survivor Series 2001, Mr. McMahon created the Vince McMahon Kiss My Ass Club, which consisted of various WWE superstars and an announcer being ordered to kiss his buttocks in the middle of the ring, usually with the threat of suspension or firing if they refuse. The club was originally proclaimed closed by The Rock after McMahon was forced to kiss Rikishi's posterior on an episode of SmackDown!; however, the club segment has resurfaced several times over the years. Many people have been forced to go through with the indignity or have been in-line to do so since the club's inception, including: William Regal, Jim Ross, Trish Stratus, Zach Gowen, Marty Jannetty, Shawn Michaels, Shane McMahon, Mick Foley, and Hornswoggle. In November 2001, Ric Flair returned to WWF after an 8-year hiatus saying that he was the co-owner of the WWF. McMahon hated this and said that he was the only owner of the WWF. The two faced each other at Royal Rumble 2002 in a Street Fight which Flair won. Due to their status as co-owners, McMahon became the owner of SmackDown! while Flair became the owner of RAW. However, on June 10, 2002 edition of RAW, McMahon defeated Flair to end the rivalry and become the sole owner of WWE. On January 13, 2003 edition of SmackDown!, Vince tried to derail the return of Hulk Hogan after a five-month hiatus but got knocked out by Hogan and received an Atomic Legdrop. At No Way Out 2003, Vince interfered in Hogan's match with The Rock. Hogan had originally won the match as he hit Rock an Atomic Legdrop but the lights went out. As the lights were on, Vince came to the ringside to distract Hogan. The referee secretly gave Rock a chair and Rock hit Hogan with a chair shot and a Rock Bottom to get the victory. This lead to Vince facing Hogan in a match. At WrestleMania XIX, Vince lost to Hogan in a Street Fight. Hulkamania died but Hogan was given a new gimmick of "Mr. America". McMahon tried to prove that Mr. America was Hogan in disguise but failed at all attempts. Hogan would later quit WWE and then McMahon would later claim that Mr. America was Hogan in reality and he had "fired" him. During his rivalry with Mr. America, Vince also feuded with the one-legged Zach Gowen. On June 12 edition of SmackDown!, Vince defeated both Mr. America and Gowen in special arm wrestling contests. On June 26 edition of SmackDown!, Vince told Gowen that if he would join his "Kiss My Ass Club", he would be getting a WWE contract. Instead of joining the club, Gowen low blowed Vince. At Vengeance 2003, he went on to defeat Gowen in a match in which McMahon was bleeding. However, McMahon came out as the winner and ended the rivalry. McMahon wanted his daughter Stephanie to resign as SmackDown! General Manager. He gave her an opportunity on October 2 edition of SmackDown! However, Stephanie refused to resign and this set up an "I Quit" match between the father and daughter. At No Mercy 2003, Vince defeated Stephanie in an "I Quit" match when Linda threw in the towel. Later that night, he helped Brock Lesnar retain the WWE Championship against The Undertaker in a Biker Chain match. This started a rivalry between McMahon and Undertaker. At Survivor Series 2003, McMahon defeated Undertaker in a Buried Alive match with help from Kane. Vince McMahon began a feud with Eric Bischoff in late 2005, when he decided that Bischoff wasn't doing a good job as General Manager of RAW. He started "The Trial of Eric Bischoff" where McMahon served as the judge. Bischoff ended up losing the trial; Vince "fired" him, and put him in a garbage truck before it drove away. Bischoff stayed gone for months. Almost a year later on RAW in late 2006, Bischoff was brought out by Vince McMahon's executive assistant Jonathan Coachman so that he could announce the completion of his book Controversy Creates Ca$h. Bischoff began blasting remarks at McMahon, saying that he was fired "unceremoniously" as the RAW General Manager, that there would be no Mr. McMahon if it wasn't for Bischoff's over-the-top rebellious ideas, and that D-Generation X was nothing but a rip off of the nWo. Bischoff returned again in March 2007 to tell Vince his thoughts on Vince's WrestleMania 23 match: he couldn't wait to see him get his head shaved bald. On December 26, 2005 edition of RAW, Vince personally reviewed Bret Hart DVD but Michaels came out and he also started talking about Hart. McMahon ended up saying "I've screwed Bret Hart. Shawn, don't make me screw you". At Royal Rumble 2006, after Michaels received his spot into the final six remaining participants by eliminating Shelton Benjamin, McMahon's entrance theme music hit as he distracted his new rival Michaels. Got distracted by Vince, Michaels was eliminated by Shane from behind. On February 27, 2006 edition of RAW, Michaels was knocked unconscious by Shane McMahon. Michaels' former Rockers tag team partner Marty Jannetty came to the rescue of Michaels and was forced to join Vince's "Kiss My Ass Club". On March 18 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, Michaels faced Vince's son Shane in a Street Fight. Vince screwed out Michaels as Shane had Michaels in the Sharpshooter. Michaels hadn't submitted but Vince ordered the referee to ring the bell, giving Shane the victory (this was the homage to Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels at 1997 Survivor Series). At WrestleMania 22, Vince faced Michaels in a No Holds Barred match. Despite interference from Spirit Squad and Shane, Vince was unable to get the victory. At Backlash 2006, Vince and Shane defeated Shawn Michaels and "God" in a No Holds Barred match. On May 15, 2006 edition of RAW, Triple H was supposed to hit Michaels with the sledgehammer but he accidentally hit Shane with the sledgehammer. The next week on RAW, Triple H had another chance to hit Michaels with the object but he instead whacked Spirit Squad. For a few weeks, Vince ignored Michaels and began a rivalry with Triple H by forcing him to join "Kiss My Ass Club" (Triple H hit Vince a Pedigree instead of joining the club) and pitting him in a gauntlet handicap match against Spirit Squad. However, Michaels saved Triple H and then the two reformed D-Generation X as the McMahons began feuding with DX. McMahons and DX continued to feud with each other throughout the months of June and July. At SummerSlam 2006, the McMahons lost to DX in a tag team match despite interference by Umaga, Big Show, Finlay, Mr. Kennedy and William Regal. The McMahons allied themselves with the ECW World Champion Big Show who destroyed DX at many points. At Unforgiven 2006, the McMahons teamed up with Big Show in a Hell in a Cell match to take on DX. Despite their 3-on-2 advantage, McMahons lost again to DX thus ending the rivalry. In January 2007, McMahon started a feud with Donald J. Trump, which was featured on major media outlets. Originally Trump wanted to fight McMahon himself but they came to a deal: both men would pick a representative who would fight at WrestleMania 23 in a Hair vs. Hair match. The man whose representative lost the match would have his head shaved bald. After the contract signing on RAW, Donald Trump pushed McMahon over the table in the ring onto his head after McMahon provoked Trump with several finger pokes to the shoulders. Later at a press conference, McMahon, during a photo opportunity, offered a shake of hands with Trump but retracted his hand as Trump put out his. McMahon went on to fiddle with Trump's tie and flick Trump's nose. This angered Trump as he then slapped McMahon across the face. McMahon was then restrained from retaliating by Trump's bodyguards and Bobby Lashley, Trump's representative. At WrestleMania 23, McMahon's representative (Umaga) lost the match. As a result, McMahon's hair was shaved bald by Trump and Lashley with the help of Stone Cold Steve Austin, who was the special guest referee of the "Battle of the Billionaires" match. After the match, McMahon began a feud with Lashley. McMahon booked himself, his son Shane McMahon and Umaga in a 3-on-1 handicap match against Lashley at Backlash for the ECW World Championship. After two high impact top rope splashes from Umaga, Mr. McMahon tagged himself into the match and pinned Lashley to win the title. Lashley legitimately injured his shoulder during the match and after an examination days later, it was revealed he had a damaged rotator cuff but would not need surgery at the time. At Judgment Day, Lashley defeated Vince, Shane, and Umaga in a 3-on-1 handicap rematch after the Dominator on Shane McMahon. However, Lashley did not win the ECW World Championship because he did not pin Mr. McMahon. As a result, Mr. McMahon retained the title. On June 3 at One Night Stand 2007, Lashley defeated Vince McMahon in a street fight to win the ECW World Championship for a second reign, despite the use of Shane McMahon and Umaga in the match. After losing the ECW Title, McMahon appeared to have a mental breakdown, yelling “Git!” at wrestlers, acting emotionless and despondent, and even watching a match on ECW while sitting in a rocking chair. The June 11, 2007, RAW was declared Vince McMahon Appreciation Night. Throughout the night, many wrestlers from WWE’s past came out or were shown on pre-taped segments in which they blasted McMahon. At the end, McMahon went into the ring to address the crowd but didn’t say anything as the crowd booed him. He then left the ring, walked up the ramp and backstage past all the WWE employees, and entered a limousine. Moments later, it exploded. The show went off-air shortly after, and WWE.com reported the angle within minutes as though it were a legitimate occurrence, proclaiming that McMahon was "presumed dead." Although this was the fate of the fictional "Mr. McMahon" character, no harm came to the actual person (the "presumed death" of Mr. McMahon was part of a storyline). WWE later acknowledged to CNBC that he was not truly dead. However, the angle was dropped due to the Benoit murders. The "Mr. McMahon" character officially returned on the August 6 episode of Monday Night Raw. He talked about many subjects, including the investigation by the United States Congress and owing money to the IRS. Mr. McMahon also named a new Raw General Manager in a Battle Royal, which was won by William Regal. At the end of Raw, Jonathan Coachman informed him of a (storyline) paternity suit regarding an illegitimate long-lost child, who was revealed in the following weeks as being a male member of WWE roster. On the September 3 episode of Raw, Mr. McMahon appeared and was confronted by his family. They were interrupted by Mr. Kennedy who claimed to be McMahon's "illegitimate son", but he was also interrupted by a lawyer claiming Kennedy is not McMahon's son and that the real son would be revealed the following week on Raw. The lawyer gave the cryptic message "things are looking up." His illegitimate son was finally revealed on September 10 on Raw to be Hornswoggle. After the next months, WWE aired segments on its programming in which McMahon treated Hornswoggle as his son and put him through “tough love,” i.e. matches against The Great Khali. During Monday Night Raw's 15th Anniversary Show on December 10th, 2007, Mr. McMahon was embarrassed mentally and physically. During the opening segment he tried to get a family portrait with Stephanie and Shane, and his illegitimate son Hornswoggle. However, Triple H came out and made a reference that he too should be considered Vince's family, alluding to his marriage to Stephanie (something normally not acknowledged onscreen). He then proceeded to embarrass McMahon by bringing out a number of Divas who Vince had onscreen sexual antics with, including Melina, former WWE Diva Sunny and Mae Young, causing Shane to leave in disgust. He also brought out a group of men who he claimed Vince had mistaken for women, such as Pat Patterson and Bastion Booger. Stephanie then embarrassed him by kissing Triple H, who brought out the Godfather and several Ho's for Hornswoggle's benefit. At the end of the night, Vince proclaimed himself the greatest Raw superstar ever. Mick Foley, dressed as Mankind, came down and gave Vince the Mandible Claw with Mr. Socko. After the lights went out, The Undertaker (who had been selected as the Greatest Superstar in Raw History as per a poll conducted on WWE.com) appeared and gave Vince a chokeslam. After Undertaker disappeared, Stone Cold Steve Austin came to the ring wanting to share a drink with the unconscious Vince; after helping Vince to his feet he gave him a beer followed by a Stunner. Austin then celebrated with the entire locker room in and around the ring, and kicked Vince out, pouring beer on the angry McMahon. In February 2008, after months of "tough love" antics towards Hornswoggle, JBL revealed that Hornswoggle was not Mr. McMahon's son and that he was actually Finlay's son. It turned out that the whole thing was a scam set up by Mr. McMahon's own family. Shane, Stephanie and Linda McMahon along with Finlay were in on it. However, nothing really came of this as the angle ended quickly. Ah, Vince McMahon. Some consider him a villain in real-life because of his expansion of the WWF into other territories, putting other wrestling companies out of business, buying WCW and ECW and ruining their legacies with the crappy Invasion storyline and the resurrection of ECW as a WWE entity, and the Montreal Screwjob. Well, he has pissed off a lot of people. But, this is about the character Mr. McMahon, who is one of the best heels in the wrestling business. It happened by accident, sort of. After the Montreal Screwjob, McMahon became very hated. However, instead staying off of character, Vince decided to become an onscreen character and instantly became the biggest heel in his own company. Many fans respect Mr. McMahon for his feud with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. It was quite a revolutionary feud. Before then, owners or wrestling authority figures weren’t usually featured on screen and when they were, they were usually faces and only showed up to make tough decisions, like settling disputed matches for titles and what not. Here you had an authority figure who was on TV every week and his sole purpose was to make the life of one man a living hell. McMahon did everything in his power to try and take the WWF Title off of Austin. Though he did get some victories, Austin usually came out on top. It was something that had never really been seen before and now is duplicated quite a lot these days. McMahon has been responsible for other dastardly deeds, like the Kiss My Ass club (not many villains would actually make people kiss their ass), feuding with his son Shane and Stephanie (even going as far to book himself in wrestling matches with his own children), cheating on his wife Linda with many hot women (and right in front of her), winning the ECW Title (which inspired real-life hate as well as kayfabe heat), and many more. As for the McMahon character itself, he makes a great villain. He’s egotistical, power hungry, greed, and driven to make other people’s life a living hell. Though some of these may be real life traits of Vince McMahon, the best characters are based on some reality. Plus, he has been so good at getting heat for the past decade, which is hard to do in the wrestling business. And, you really care when he gets his come-upends. I mean, people really popped when he got sprayed with beer by Austin, got his leg broken by Kane and the Undertaker, got beat up in his hospital room by Austin, got concrete poured into the Corvette by Austin, got tortured by Austin (in which he peed his pants after being scared by a gag gun), got pissed thrown on him by Shawn Michaels, got crap dumped on him by D-X, and way too many more to mention. Vince McMahon is just a damn good villain that people love to hate, even if they really do hate him.
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Post by Spankymac is sick of the swiss on May 27, 2008 17:19:50 GMT -5
For the record, on name coolness: Vince McMahon becomes a LOT cooler when he becomes VINCENT KENNEDY MCMAHON!....DAMMIT!
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on May 27, 2008 17:36:23 GMT -5
61. Clubber Lang Who is he: A boxer. What is he from: “Rocky III.” What has he done: Threw down Rocky’s trainer Mickey and caused him to have a heart attack and die. Intelligence: He’s a boxer and probably not that smart, but I wouldn’t say it to his face. Power: Looks like his own man. Vileness: Looks like he would punch an old lady. Sway: I wouldn’t say “no” to him. Purity: Cares about being World Heavyweight Champion. Physical Prowess: Looks like he could beat the crap out of anyone. Name Coolness: “Clubber Lang” is very cool. Created by: Sylvester Stallone. Portrayed by: Mr. T. The part made Mr. T an icon, leading to him being one of the first elements outlined for The A-Team television series. Little is known about Clubber Lang. Before Rocky's fight against him, he is introduced as being from Chicago, (his nickname is "The Southside Slugger"). According to his bio in Rocky: The Ultimate Guide, James Lang was orphaned at an early age and spent most of his childhood in the streets of Chicago, orphanages and juvenile facilities. Later as an adult, Clubber was sent to prison for five years, for one possible count of a felony and/or assault charge. But during his time being served he discovered boxing as a way to let out his frustrations and talent, which leads to the events of “Rocky III.” The movie begins with the ending of the 15th round of the rematch between Rocky and Apollo Creed, with Rocky Balboa becoming the new heavyweight champion of the world. This is followed by an opening montage of scenes that explain what happened in the time between Rocky II and Rocky III. In the four years since winning the heavyweight title from Apollo (1977-1981), Rocky starts a string of 10 successful title defenses, including venues at New York's Radio City Music Hall, Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, and an overseas bout in Germany. As his winning streak grows, so does his fame, wealth and celebrity, and soon Rocky is seen everywhere, from magazine covers to TV show guest star appearances. Rocky is also heavily merchandised, including T-shirts and his own "Crunch Punch" chocolate bars, and appears as a spokesman for Tony Lama boots and American Express, to name a few. At the same time, a ferocious new boxer named James "Clubber" Lang (Mr. T) (A fighter based on George Foreman and Larry Holmes) is climbing the ranks, rapidly becoming the number one contender for Rocky's title. The year is 1981 and Rocky’s brother-in-law Paulie (Burt Young) has grown jealous of Rocky’s accomplishments. After a night of heavy drinking, Paulie stumbles into a video arcade, destroys a ROCKY pinball machine in a rage and is arrested. Rocky goes to bail him out of jail and, on the way to Rocky's car to ride home, Paulie begins berating Rocky for apparently forgetting him on his climb to the top. Rocky calls Paulie a "jealous, lazy bum" and Paulie starts lunging at him. Although he throws them like a pro, none of the punches land on Rocky, Paulie swallows his pride and asks Rocky for a job working his corner and helping him train. Rocky, frustrated but still loyal to his brother-in-law, replies, "All you had to do was ask!" Rocky agrees to a charity boxer vs. wrestler match with Wrestling champion, Thunderlips (Hulk Hogan). Rocky treats the whole affair as light-hearted fun, flicking gentle punches at Thunderlips, who attacks Rocky with a variety of wrestling moves, most notably Hulk Hogan's own signature move, The Atomic Leg Drop. After being thrown out of the ring, Rocky decides to remove his gloves and fights back, even managing to throw Thunderlips out of the ring himself. Just as the match degenerates into a shoot fight, the bell rings and the match is declared a draw. Thunderlips calms down, even agreeing to have his picture taken with Rocky's family. When Rocky asks Thunderlips how he got so crazy, he merely replies "That's the name of the game." Rocky has a statue unveiled in Philadelphia and reveals his plans to retire from boxing. The crowd of Rocky fans disapproves of his decision. Clubber Lang, who is in attendance at the ceremony, challenges Rocky, this time criticizing Rocky’s title defenses as being fixed. Rocky agrees to the fight, but Mickey, his trainer, wants no part of it. He admits to Rocky that the fighters he defended his title against were hand-picked (or in Mickey's own words, "they were good fighters but they weren't killers"), but it was only because Rocky received such a bad beating that should have killed him in his win over Creed, that Mickey took it upon himself to make sure Rocky remained successful and healthy. He also tells Rocky that Lang is a young and hungry "wrecking machine" and that Rocky has no chance beating him. Rocky manages to convince Mickey to train him, but his Las Vegas-style training camp is filled with distractions. Clubber's training regimen of working out by himself in a rundown building with whatever he has clearly shows that he means business when it comes down to the bout. Lang and Rocky meet at Philadelphia's Spectrum on August 15, 1981. During a melee before the fight, Mickey is shoved out of the way by Lang, and suffers a heart attack. Rocky wishes to call the fight off, but Mickey urges him on while he stays in the dressing room. By the time of the fight, Rocky is both enraged and severely distracted by his mentor's condition. The fight begins, and Rocky starts well, pounding Lang with huge blows, but Lang soon goes to work and shows he is a lethal, brutal fighter by slamming the champ around and decking him at the bell. Round two has Rocky in serious trouble as Lang brutally attacks him unmercifully, and Rocky is savagely knocked down with a hook that nearly separates his head from his shoulders. This time he is counted out, losing the title. Beaten, Rocky makes his way back to the dressing room and the fallen Mickey who is failing fast. Kneeling at his side, Rocky speaks to his friend in his dying moments, telling him that the fight ended in the second by a knockout, sparing Mickey the truth as his old mentor passes away. In a funk of depression, Rocky is confronted by Apollo Creed, who offers to help train him. Previously, Creed's offer to shake hands with both fighters was sharply rebuffed by Lang, who called Creed a "has-been" and even challenged the former champion. Apollo makes a pitch to snap Rocky out of his funk and get him back on the winning track. He vows to train Rocky to fight Lang again, the way Apollo thinks he should be fought. He slowly convinces him that he can regain the fire Rocky thrived on in his earlier days, and tells him he must again have the "eye of the tiger", mainly by starting from scratch. Apollo takes Rocky to the slums of Los Angeles so that Rocky can get back to the basics. At first, Rocky is too demoralized to put forth his best efforts. However, after admitting to Adrian that he's afraid and after Adrian tells Rocky to do the fight for himself, and no one else, he pulls himself together to train as hard as he can, adding Apollo's speed and skill to his own style of fighting. The rematch is held on January 12, 1982 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. With the odds of Rocky recovering his title strongly against him, Rocky is ready for anything. Meanwhile, in a pre-fight interview, Lang says, "No, I don't hate Balboa, but I pity the fool." When asked for a prediction for their rematch, he replied, "Pain ..." As the two fighters get their instructions from the referee, they stand nose to nose in center ring. Rocky is now wearing the stars and stripes trunks, with Clubber this time in black. In the first fight, the same pose brought averted eyes from Rocky, but now he stands up to Clubber's challenging stare. At the start of the fight, Rocky sprints from his corner and goes right after Lang from the off, fighting with a level of skill and spirit that no one, including Lang, expected. As a result Rocky completely dominates the first round, scoring punch after punch and demonstrating his newfound speed, modeled somewhat after Apollo's fighting style. In the second round, Lang gains the upper hand, and Rocky adopts an entirely different strategy that bewilders Apollo; he intentionally takes a beating from Lang, whilst taunting him for being unable to knock him out. In Round 3, Lang, who is used to winning fights quickly with knockouts in the early rounds of a fight, quickly expends his energy trying to finish Rocky off, to no avail. Rocky retaliates and knocks out a confused and befuddled Lang with a devastating counter-attack of his own, regaining his world heavyweight championship and recovering his self-respect. Soon afterwards, Rocky and Apollo return to Mickey's gym, with Apollo revealing the price of his training: a third fight with Rocky. However, this time it would only be a sparring match between two new friends, which Rocky accepts. I pity da fool who would be stupid enough to mess with Clubber Lang. This is one bad man. He is direct, aggressive and brutal, in the ring and out of it. His fighting style and record show a similarity to a young George Foreman, who was very mean and dominant in his early career. He also has some similarities to a young Mike Tyson. His quest for respect from the press is much like Larry Holmes, wanting respect for his skills and not his bankability. Clubber is shown to seemingly enjoy fighting and inflicting pain on whoever he fights. And, he is shown to be willing to fight both inside and outside the ring, even attempting to taunt the newly retired Apollo Creed into hitting him just before his match with Balboa. He just looks mean and ferocious, like he would punch a senior citizen. And, he sounds mean with his growl. It’s not a voice; it’s a growl. He is much different from Apollo Creed. Where Apollo has some good qualities, Lang seemingly has none. He has no showmanship or sportsmanship. And, while Creed may have been first introduced as cocky, brash, and egotistical, he later mellowed out in a good guy. I seriously doubt that Clubber Lang would ever mellow out. He has a lot in common with Ivan Drago: mean, cold, and determined to win. However, he is louder and more boisterous than Drago. He does have some emotion, and it is mostly anger. And, that anger is directed at Rocky. He sees Rocky as a sell-out. He follows him around and is angry at the easy competitors Rocky gets and all the TV appearances he makes. When Rocky announces that he is considering retirement, Lang loses it and calls Rocky out. He doesn’t want Rocky to retire until he gets his hands on him and goads him into a match, even making some lewd remarks towards his wife Adrian. And, of course, he ends up taking Rocky’s World Title because Rocky has gone soft; and Lang has more will and determination to win the title. However, the worst thing Lang does isn’t taking Rocky’s title. That would be what he did to Mickey: during a melee backstage before the first title fight, Lang throws Mickey to the ground. Mickey suffers a heart attack and dies later that night. The man killed Mickey! Though it wasn’t intentional, it was still a horrible thing to do. However, Rocky manages to make a comeback and reclaims his title from Lang. Nevertheless, Clubber Lang will forever be remember as the first true villain of the Rocky series.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on May 27, 2008 17:37:41 GMT -5
Okay, here's a recap of 100 to 61:
100. Walter Peck 99. Sideshow Bob 98. Dean Vernon Wormer 97. Bill Lumbergh 96. The French Taunter 95. Col. Kurtz 94. Baby Jane Hudson 93. Auric Goldfinger 92. The Nosferatu 91. M. Bison 90. Luther 89. The Wicked Witch of the West 88. Frank Booth 87. Bullseye 86. R.J. Fletcher 85. Alonzo Harris 84. Sephiroth 83. Norman Bates 82. Black Adam 81. Herr Starr 80. Annie Wilkes 79. Mr. Blonde 78. Principal Ed Rooney 77. Ivan Drago 76. Cigarette Smoking Man 75. Leatherface 74. Angel Eyes 73. Bob 72. Tony Montana 71. Thanos 70. Daniel Plainview 69. General Zod 68. J.J. Hunsecker 67. Megatron 66. Two-Face 65. Kevin 64. Big Brother 63. Johnny Lawrence 62. Vince McMahon 61. Clubber Lang
And, tomorrow, numbers 60 and 59. Here are the hints:
Excellent, and Make like a tree, and get out of here.
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Post by Bob Schlapowitz on May 27, 2008 17:42:38 GMT -5
Not sure on 60. But 59 has to be Biff Tannen.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on May 27, 2008 17:44:41 GMT -5
For the record, on name coolness: Vince McMahon becomes a LOT cooler when he becomes VINCENT KENNEDY MCMAHON!....DAMMIT! You bring up a good point.
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on May 27, 2008 17:59:01 GMT -5
Excellent might be Mr. Burns.....
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on May 28, 2008 16:36:40 GMT -5
Time for some more villains. Here's number 60: 60. Mr. Burns Who is he: Owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. What is he from: The Simpsons. What has he done: Illegally dump toxic waste wherever he chose, stole Christmas from 1981 to 1985, and has done anything and everything to make himself rich and powerful. Intelligence: Yale-educated businessman. Power: The most powerful man in Springfield. Vileness: Will steal candy from a baby just because he can. Sway: You don’t want him to unleash his hounds or Richard Simmons robot. Purity: He may look like he has no remorse for anything other than money, but there have been times when he showed some humanity and compassion over the years, most notably for his teddy bear Bobo. Physical Prowess: He’s an old man that gets tired writing his own name. Name Coolness: “Charles Montgomery Burns” has a suave and elegant quality to it. Created by: Matt Groening. Portrayed by: Christopher Collins was the original voice of Mr. Burns, in the episode "Homer's Odyssey". He was soon replaced by Harry Shearer, who has voiced the character ever since. He modeled the voice on Lionel Barrymore and Ronald Reagan. Shearer says that Burns is the most difficult character for him to voice because it is rough on his vocal cords and often needs to drink tea and honey to soothe his voice. The Burns family has deep roots in the United States. Mr. Burns' adoptive great-grandfather Franklin Jefferson Burns participated in the Boston Tea Party. Mr. Burns had a strained relationship with his own mother, who had an affair with President Taft and lives in her 120s. As a child, Burns lived happily in a northern state of the U.S. with his natural parents, Clifford and Daphne (Charles) Burns, one of 12 children, including their younger brother, future comedian George Burns, and teddy bear Bobo. In "The Mansion Family", he was asked the cause of his parents' deaths and he replied: "Got in my way". His mother was seen in the season 7 episode "Homer the Smithers". At a young age he left his family to live with a twisted and heartless billionaire (who was actually his grandfather), who owned an "atom mill" in Springfield, where laborers split atoms by hitting anvils with sledgehammers. Burns lived a life of privilege and would amuse himself by injuring hapless immigrant laborers. Mr. Burns later attended Yale University, where he studied science and business, played on the varsity football team, and was inducted into the Skull and Bones secret society. Burns graduated from Yale in 1914. In 1939, at Burns' 25-year college reunion, he became romantically involved with the daughter of an old flame. She would later bear his child, Larry, who was given up for adoption and would later enter Mr. Burns' life briefly. Burns served in the United States Army during World War II. A member of Springfield's Flying Hellfish squad battalion, he saw action in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge, serving under Sergeant Abraham Simpson. During the closing years of the war, when his platoon was clearing out a German-occupied castle, Mr. Burns came across several valuable portraits. Since they couldn't decide to whom said portraits should go, the members of the platoon decided to enter into a tontine, which Mr. Burns was removed from after being dishonorably discharged. He possibly also served in the South Pacific with Abraham Simpson. At the end of World War II he was personally hired by President Harry S. Truman to transport a specially-printed trillion-dollar bill to Europe as the United States' contribution to the reconstruction of Europe. As the United States' richest citizen, Burns was thought to be the most trustworthy, even though almost everyone hates him for one reason or another. Burns absconded with the bill and kept it in his possession for many years until it was lost to Fidel Castro in the episode The Trouble with Trillions. During the 1960s, Burns operated a biological weapons laboratory until it was destroyed by peace activists, including Homer's mother Mona Simpson. In the 1970s, Burns built the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Burns currently owns the plant, although he has parted with it several times, including when he sold it to German investors, when the bank foreclosed on it and put Lenny in charge, when he lost all of his money in a bet with Rich Texan, and when Homer and Bart staged a hostile takeover of it. In each of these instances, Burns regained ownership of the nuclear plant. At the nuclear plant, Burns spends most of time in his office, monitoring his workers via closed circuit cameras. In his office he keeps a team of ten high-priced lawyers, a scale model of Springfield, a special microbe-resistant chamber, a two-seat escape pod, and the "League of Evil" - a sinister cabal whose members are long deceased but whose skeletons remain. The boobytraps in Burns' office include cricket poison, a secret trapdoor, a catapult that fires 1000 gram weights (2.2 pounds), and a ceiling-mounted suction tube which he can use to transport dissident workers to Morocco. He is also a loan officer at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Employee's Credit Union. Burns has also owned or co-owned a number of business ventures in Springfield, including the Monty Burns Casino, "Li'l Lisa" recycling, an ocean slurry manufacturing plant, Burns Slant Drilling Co., Burns Media, the electric company, the water works, and a hotel on Baltic Avenue. Burns resides in a vast, ornate mansion on an immense estate called Burns Manor, located at 1000 Mammon Street, on the corner of Croesus and Mammon streets in the 'Springfield Heights' district. It is protected by a high wall, an electrified fence, and a pack of vicious attack dogs known as "The Hounds," one of whom is named "Winston." In addition he has at least one 30+ -year-old-dog named "Crippler." Crippler is known for bagging hippies -- something they don't find too groovy at all. At times he has employed for protection a force of Wizard of Oz-style guards, a personal paramilitary force, a riot police squad, and a robotic Richard Simmons. The inside of the mansion includes a room containing a thousand monkeys at a thousand typewriters, a bottomless pit, a human chess board, the largest television in the free world, a 'Hall of Patriots' commemorating his ancestors, a laboratory, a botanical garden of vultures bearing his likeness, a safe containing a Beefeater guard, and a theater showing round-the-clock plays regardless of whether there is an audience. The mansion is also home to many rare historical artifacts including the only existing nude photo of Mark Twain, the suit Charlie Chaplin was buried in, King Arthur's mythical sword Excalibur, and a rare first draft of the Constitution with the word "suckers" in it. Burns has been engaged at least three times: a woman named Gertrude who died of loneliness and rabies, to Jacqueline Bouvier, and to a policewoman named Gloria. He once had an affair with Countess von Zeppelin. Burns has used his power and wealth to blackmail and bribe various members of Springfield, including Mayor Quimby, as well as safety inspectors. The town routinely is subject to Burns' abuse, such as Burns' stealing of Christmas from 1981 to 1985 and there is a general dislike of him throughout the town. However, the most notably example of abuse on the town comes in the first part of Who Shot Mr. Burns?: when oil is discovered underneath Springfield Elementary, Burns builds an oil drill and drills into the school’s well. This costs the school all the improvements they were planning on implementing, such as hiring Tito Puente as music teacher, and forces Principal Skinner to fire Groundskeeper Willie. An oil burst from the drilling destroys Bart’s treehouse and injures his dog Santa’s Little Helper. This also leads to the closing of Moe’s Tavern, as Burn’s oil drill creates noxious fumes that surround the bar, the collapse of the Springfield Retirement Castle. Also, Burns’s continual forgetfulness of Homer Simpson’s name, which had been a running joke throughout the series before that episode, causes Homer to snap. And, Mr. Burns’s evil becomes too much for his assistant, Waylon Smithers; and he tries to reason with Mr. Burns, but Burns just fires him. The citizens of Springfield become enraged and vow revenge. However, Burns retaliates by blocking out the sun to force Springfield residents to increase their use of electricity produced by the Nuclear Plant. Unfortunately for Mr. Burns, soon after he implements his plan, he is subsequently shot, later revealed to be by Maggie. Though, Homer Simpson has claimed to have been the one who shot Burns and framed Maggie for the crime in "Revenge is a Dish Best Served Three Times." Other evil deeds Burns has done are hitting Bart with his car, ran for governor in order to keep from cleaning up his power plant, tried to steal Marge away from Homer, tried to get rid of the Power Plant’s dental plan by offering free beer instead, tried to steal his beloved teddy bear Bobo from Maggie after she had become attached to it, tried to mold Bart into an heir and to convince Bart that his family didn’t love him, stole Jacqueline Bouvier from Grampa Simpson, bribed judges in the Springfield Film Festival so that his egotistical propaganda film “A Burns For All Seasons” would win, steals the puppies of Santa’s Little Helper and a female greyhound so that he could kill them and use their hides for a vest, blackmailed Homer into keeping secret that he cheats at golf, tried to kill Grampa and Bart in order to become the last member of his and Grampa’s unit (The Flying Hellfish) and obtain the priceless art the unit stole from the Nazis, built a “recycling plant” that caught aquatic animals from the ocean with millions of six-pack holders and chopped them up into "L'il Lisa Slurry", a sort of all-purpose industrial chemical, and stole a trillion-dollar bill from the U.S. government that was suppose to go postwar Europe (this was in 1945, after World War II). Charles Montgomery Burns is not a nice guy. Just look at him. He looks like he should be slithering around on the ground with venomous fangs ready to strike with glee. He also sounds evil, with his low and smooth voice. It is just so sinister, especially when he says “Excellent.” Mr. Burns has pretty much been the main antagonist on The Simpsons for years. He is the richest and most powerful man in Springfield, and he always trying to acquire more. He is a very greed man with an insatiable hunger for money and power that can never be satisfied. However, Mr. Burns has shown some capability of love and compassion. But, he usually tried to acquire that love through underhanded tactics to acquire the beloved person or object of his desire. And, he has been a constant thorn in the side of all of Springfield. The man has done everything to the town, from dumping nuclear waste in almost all of its lakes and wooden areas to blocking out the sun just to up the citizen’s electrical bill. He is also a horrible boss who forgets employees’ names, most notably Homer Simpson, and is unconcerned for their safety. And, he has a long track record of animal cruelty. It seems like no one is safe from Mr. Burns’s evil.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on May 28, 2008 17:18:58 GMT -5
59. Biff Tannen Who is he: High school bully turned workplace bully, but became an owner of a car maintenance business after Marty McFly changed history. What is he from: The Back To The Future trilogy, amusement park ride, and animated series. What has he done: Bullied George McFly, changed history by giving his younger self an almanac that had the winners of every sports event from 1950 to 2000. Intelligence: As smart as a screen door on a battleship, or something like that. Power: He's the Big Man on Campus with the muscle to match at the beginning of the first film but later has to answer to other people. Vileness: Has a serious vile streak, even as a high school senior, but especially as a greedy, when he becomes a power-hungry casino owner. Sway: Uses intimidation to get his way, which works on most of the high school population, but not all. Purity: Shows unique drive to accomplish certain goals, like trying to kill Marty or promising to marry Lorraine. Physical Prowess: He’s a big man who’s quite frightening, especially from a fashion standpoint in the 80's and beyond. Name Coolness: “Biff Tannen” is pretty cool. Created by: Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale. Portrayed by: Tom Wilson, but J.J. Cohen, who later played one of Biff's gang, was considered to play Biff but did not appear physically imposing next to Eric Stoltz, who was originally cast as Marty. He did appear more imposing next to the shorter Michael J. Fox, who had been the first choice to play Marty and who would later replace Stoltz in the role. On the DVD commentary for the first film, producer Bob Gale noted that Cohen may very well have won the role had Fox been cast from the beginning. “Back To The Future”: Although there have some vague details of Biff's life before 1955, exact details are not known. According to the film, he has been living with his grandma, Gertrude Tannen, at 1809 Mason Street for some time by November 1955. The whereabouts of his parents are not disclosed in the film, although some theories suggest that one or both of them might be dead or imprisoned. It is presumed that Gertrude Tannen is Biff's paternal grandmother, being the daughter-in-law of Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen. Gertrude Tannen is presumably widowed from her husband by 1955, and like most widows she has retained the last name of her husband. Biff's grandmother is not shown on screen, but her shrill voice can be heard yelling at him, which suggests she is abusive, somewhat explaining his mean and bullying nature. The absence of his parents may also attribute to his bitter attitude and hostile demeanor. He also had to repeat a year of school (explaining why, despite being a year older than George and Lorraine, he is in the same grade as them), although it is not known exactly when he was "kept behind" – this was probably some years prior to 1955, as Biff appears to have been bullying George for some time before this date. In several draft scripts of the films, he was born on Elm Street, and he was a fantastic asset to the high school football team, which is given as the reason why he was kept to do his senior year twice. In the film, it is shown that he is a lazy student who is unwilling to apply himself, as he forces George to do his homework. In the original timeline, Biff started bullying George McFly when they were kids and never stopped. Over the next 30 years, Biff would continue to bully and intimidate George, as they both ended up working for the same company where Biff became George's supervisor (due to George doing all Biff's work for him to get promoted and being too scared to report Biff to the upper management, who would probably fire Biff if they knew he was dumping all the work on George). Biff's crush on Lorraine never died either, although Lorraine had married George and presumably Biff had married as well, or fathered children out of wedlock. Another possibility is that Biff's wife had died, and this reignited Biff's crush on Lorraine now that he was a widower. However, things changed when the events of the first movie begin to unfold. The McFlys' youngest son, Marty McFly, accidentally traveled back through time to 1955, interfering with his parents' first meeting. Marty, using the anachronistic name "Calvin Klein," also managed to get on the wrong side of Biff by standing up to him, something which Biff was not used to. Marty was also indirectly responsible for causing Biff to crash his car into a manure truck, and this led to Biff finding Marty and Lorraine on the night of the school dance (November 12, 1955). Biff's gang trapped Marty in the trunk of another car, and Biff tried to get his way with Lorraine. George came along, as part of the plan he and Marty had made where George would find Marty "parking" with Lorraine, but soon realized that the pretend rescue was now a real one. For the first time, George stood up to Biff to stop him from raping Lorraine. He responded by attempting to break George's arm. Lorraine, trying to pull Biff away from George, was knocked to the ground. This enraged George, who subsequently knocked out Biff with one punch. This punch led to a much more confident George, and Biff no longer had a victim to pick on. He may have found someone else to bully, but some theories suggest that as the supposed weakest kid in school had successfully stood up to and punched Biff, nobody else would let him bully them anymore. The fallout over the incident may have affected Match, Skinhead, and 3-D's relations with Biff to the point that they stayed away from him. Since Biff no longer had George to do his work for him, he now had to do things for himself. He started up his auto-detailing business, which he owns and runs himself, and by 1985 it seems to be quite popular. The McFlys are among his most loyal customers, and Biff's subservient attitude is demonstrated by addressing George as "Mr. McFly". George seems amused at Biff's efforts to get away with as little work as possible (but now confronts Biff to complete the work he was hired for), though he and Lorraine privately credit him with unwittingly helping them get together, and they appear to have put the past behind them and become friends, or are at least on amicable terms. Biff is nice to his customers to their faces, but can still be mean if he has to be. “Back To The Future II”: At the start of the second film, Marty, Doc, and Marty's girlfriend Jennifer Parker traveled forward in time from 1985 to 2015 – unaware that their departure had been witnessed by Biff. Over the next 30 years, he remembers seeing the flying De Lorean taking off, and that in the future of flying cars he has never seen a flying De Lorean. Biff, seemingly bitter and resentful at this point in his life, is still waxing cars by 2015, at the age of 78, and is pushed around by his grandson Griff. Despite being over the age of retirement, Biff does not appear to have retired; he may just be doing his grandson a favor by waxing his car, or he may have hit on hard times and been forced to continue working. Biff still seems to like bullying people, including Marty (who he thinks is Marty's future son, Marty, Jr.), and the handle on his walking cane is in the shape of a closed fist – although he remains cautious and apprehensive around George McFly. Biff's crush on Lorraine still lingers as indicated with his line, "Hey kid. Say hello to your grandma for me". On October 21, 2015, Biff saw the time machine from 1985 in the street and realized that Doc Brown had invented a time machine. He picked up a sports almanac that Doc had thrown in the trash and stole the De Lorean while Doc and Marty were rescuing Jennifer from her future home. Biff headed back to November 12, 1955, with the almanac to give to his younger self. However, upon returning to 2015, Biff became the victim of a time paradox: his giving the almanac to his younger self had changed the timeline, resulting in his nonexistence. A deleted scene shows him slumped behind a garbage bin fading into nothingness as the De Lorean flies away. The finished film still shows him writhing in pain, which has been explained by various sources by saying that he had a heart attack, or noting that he appears to accidentally jab himself in the chest with his broken-off cane as he steps out of the De Lorean. The top part of Biff's cane remained in the De Lorean after he accidentally broke it when returning, and Doc showed it to Marty as an indication that old Biff was there. Young Biff used the sports almanac to bet on the results of sporting events, since he now knew the results. In 1958, age 21, Biff soon became very rich and powerful, spending his money on women and cars. He also started up his toxic waste company, Biffco, soon becoming one of the richest and most powerful men in America. Biff built a casino hotel in Hill Valley (at least 27 stories high), named "Biff's Pleasure Paradise", on the site of the former Courthouse, upon legalized gambling in 1979. He also owns a real-estate firm (as shown by the red 'For Sale' signs at various houses in the Lyon Estates subdivision), which has apparently intimidated several residents into selling their property. Biff has also presumably spearheaded an effort to repeal the 22nd Amendment and get rid of presidential term limits. He also helped Richard Nixon remain President of the United States (presumably by using his money and influence to cover up the Watergate investigations) until at least 1985 (while seeking a fifth consecutive term, which would mean that Nixon had at least until January 1985 before he had to turn over to a successor). Biff's effects on history affected the whole world – in this version of history, the Vietnam War was also still ongoing by May 1983. Though he was blindly recognized as one of America's heroes, his enormous casino hotel, complete authority over the local law enforcement, and money-driven power drove Hill Valley into a breeding ground for crime, corruption, and gang warfare. Despite all this, Biff did not have the girl he wanted. In this version of history, he was married at least three times; presumably, the first wife was the woman he would have married in the normal timeline and the mother of his children. One of the women he reportedly married was Marilyn Monroe, according to one of the pictures on the Biff Tannen Museum. It is presumed in this alternate timeline Biff has been widowed from Marilyn Monroe (still died in 1962), and possibly his first wife as well. In the alternate 1985, Doctor Brown is committed to an insane asylum, presumably due to Biff's interference. Biff was warned by his older self that "a crazy wild-eyed scientist or a teenager may ask about the almanac" and that he was to get rid of them immediately. Being that Brown was the only scientist in the film's plot, Biff possibly wanted him locked away. On March 15, 1973, Biff shot and murdered George McFly, though Lorraine is unaware of this, and with the authorities in his pocket, was able to bribe the police to cover the story up. It is also presumed that Biff's great fortune reignited his hatred for George McFly, and gave him the boldness to commit murder in order to end George's marriage to Lorraine. He married Lorraine not long afterwards, possibly by offering financial support to the young widow and her 3 children, but the money and power had gone to his head, and he treated her horribly, and among other things, forced her to get breast implants. It is also implied that Biff had a habit of hitting Marty over the head violently and abusing him along with his mother (as implied when Lorrain tells Marty "They must have hit you really hard this time.") This went on until 1996 when Lorraine finally shot Biff—this was never implied in the finished film, but Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale have suggested the "Lorraine shot Biff" theory as an explanation for Biff's fading away in the afore-mentioned deleted scene. However, old Biff fading away might have been the foreshadowing of the alternate Biff coming into existence, effectively erasing the original Biff out of time. However, if that is true, then Marty, Jennifer, and Doc Brown should have done the same. This version of reality was erased when Marty and Doc went back to 1955 and got the almanac from Biff before he could use it or had time to memorize some of the statistics for future use, causing Biff to crash into the very same manure truck a second time. Marty destroyed the almanac (ironically with a matchbook from Biff's casino). The timeline went back to how it was at the end of the first film, where Biff was running his auto-detailing business. Back To The Future: The Ride: Biff has a major role in the Back to the Future ride film. The ride reveals that in 1991, Doc established the Institute of Future Technology (IFT). On May 2, 1991, (also the day the ride opened), time travel volunteers from the IFT went back to 1955 to make sure that the timeline was back to normal following the events of the films. In 1955, 18 year-old Biff stowed away in the time machine, and, once in 1991, caused havoc in the institute before stealing the time machine and blasting through time. Doc, with the help of the audience, followed Biff through time in the new 8-seater De Lorean. Biff visited October 25, 2015 (almost the 30th anniversary of the first time travel experiment), the Ice Age, and the Late Cretaceous period, where he nearly perishes in what he dubs a "lava-fall" before being bumped in the back by the eight-passenger De Lorean at 88 MPH and heading back to 1991. Biff was then taken back to 1955, where he belonged, by Doc. The ride is not taken as canon by many fans, so Biff's adventures above are often ignored. Back To The Future: The Animated Series: Biff was the present day villain of the series, although most episodes featured one of his numerous ancestors or descendants instead, always as some villainous cretin, so frequently that Marty once rhetorically questioned if there was a "Biff" in every time and place they visited. Biff's ancestors also have the same tendency to use the phrase butt-head or some variant. It was his great-great-grandfather General Beuregard Tannen, a Confederate cavalry officer and presumably Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen's father, who was the first to use butt-head as it is today. He would call his Union foes and his enemies in general "buttocks brains" until one of Doctor Brown's time traveling sons corrected him and said the proper phrase was "butt-head". The Confederate approved the term. The series established that Biff has a son, Biff, Jr., who is about 8 years old by 1991. No mention of a wife is made, and it appears that Biff is a single father or a widower. (It should be noted that in an early drafted script for Part II, Biff, Jr. was to be the owner of the 80's café in 2015.) In the episode, The Money Tree, he is shown driving a tow truck, which means in the 6 years between the movies and the series, he still has his automotive detailing business. (He drove a "Biff's"-branded tow truck in 1985 in the movies). The series has a few episodes centered around Biff. It revealed that in 1967 he saw the Comet Kablooey and thought it was an alien ship, and that in 1992 he tried claiming Jennifer Parker's grandparents' ranch after finding a deed saying the Tannen family owned it. However, Marty, Jules, and Verne went back to 1875 to make sure that the Tannens never got the deed. One episode in the second season which took place in 1944 introduced a military character named Frank Tannen who lived in Hill Valley and was in the United States Army. The first season of the cartoon featured a segment after the end credits in which Biff would break the fourth wall and tell the audience a joke which related to the theme of the episode. Biff Tannen is a classic bully, much like Johnny Lawrence, who has previously appeared on this countdown. He is a tormentor who threatens and scared George McFly into doing his homework in high school and later his paper work when they are older and working at the same business. He is also quite the creepy, with a deep crush on Lorraine that almost borders on stalking. However, Biff gets his in the movie, as George finally stands up to him thanks to Marty’s influence. This changes history, and Biff is put in his rightful place, working at a car maintenance business and being subservient to George. However, Biff may have been a mere bully in the first movie, but things change in the sequel. Most good villains are not contempt with their lot in life and strife for bigger and better. Biff is no exception. When he finds out that Doc Brown has built a time machine, he hatches a brilliant scheme to make himself rich: he goes back in time to 1955, gives himself a sports almanac with the results of practically every sporting event form 1950 to 2000, and tells him that if he bets on the teams that are listed as winners in the book, then he will never lose. It works, and Biff Tannen becomes the most powerful man in Hill Valley and one of the most powerful men in America. The man moved up from mere bully to practically supervillain. I mean, he changed history as it is said that he helped to keep Richard Nixon as president (hmmm, I wonder if the Back To The Future trilogy and Watchmen take place in the same fictional realm). Though his plan is foiled, Biff Tannen still managed to change time itself. That’s pretty big for a man who started out as just a high school bully.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on May 28, 2008 17:20:35 GMT -5
Tomorrow, numbers 58 and 57. Here are the hints:
He's a sidekick turned evil, and he REALLY hates immigrants.
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jobberjoe
Trap-Jaw
enhancing talent since the Nixon administration
Posts: 457
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Post by jobberjoe on May 28, 2008 19:31:21 GMT -5
Richard Widmark as Tommy Udo in 1947's Kiss of Death- just awesome and he sneers and throws a granny down the stairs in a wheelchair
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on May 29, 2008 20:26:15 GMT -5
Gather round people. Countdown time. Here's number 58: 58. Kid Miracleman, or Kid Marvelman. Who is he: One of Miracleman’s sidekicks. What is he from: (Marvelman/Miracleman) What has he done: Tried to kill Miracleman, dropped bodies and decapitated heads onto London. Intelligence: Became the head of his own corporation, so that shows some intelligence; but he is quite psychotic. Power: He’s a superhuman who owns a company; that’s pretty powerful. Vileness: He killed his own secretary in front to Miracleman and threatened to do the same thing to Miracleman’s wife. Sway: Looks pretty damn scary, so fear and intimidation could be used. Purity: Obsessed with killing Miracleman. Physical Prowess: Superhuman strength, speed, and stamina; invulnerability; capable of surviving in space without ill effects; exceptionally intelligent beyond the human norm; able to cause thunderclaps by clapping his hands; energy blasts; flight; telepathy; and laser-vision. Name Coolness: “Kid Marvelman” is pretty cool, and “Kid Miracleman” is pretty cool as well. Created by: Mick Anglo. Portrayed by: No one. “Kid Miracleman” has yet to appear in a medium outside of comic books, and it seems unlikely he will in the near future since the rights to Miracleman are currently trapped in a complex and expensive legal battle between Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane, with several other people also claiming at least partial ownership of the character and the works containing him. The character first appeared in Marvelman #102 published in July 1955 as one of the sidekicks of the title character. He is the alter-ego of Johnny Bates and transformed into superhuman form by saying the word "Marvelman" (later, for legal reasons, "Miracleman"). The character was later adapted by Alan Moore for his update of Marvelman in Warrior in 1982. Originally, Kid Marvelman wore a yellow version of Marvelman's uniform with a KM emblem. The later, evil version of the character wore a black version (but originally street clothes, namely a business suit). In Alan Moore's new series, the previously published adventures of the Marvelman Family are treated as the virtual reality created to program three experimental superhumans created by the British government using captured alien technology. Following the attempted assassination of Kid Marvelman, Young Marvelman and Marvelman by their creator, Dr. Gargunza via an atomic explosion, the program is cancelled and all knowledge of it buried. Kid Marvelman survives, and believing the others dead, is left alone in the real world (versus Gargunza's virtual reality, in which he had lived the last few years of his life). Rather than return to human form, he decides to remain in his invulnerable superhuman form, which continues to mature, leaving the Johnny Bates persona in limbo. By the early 1980s, Kid Marvelman has become a violent, sadistic sociopath and the head of a corporation known as Sunburst Cybernetics. Keeping his true nature a secret, he nurses a deep, unreasoning hatred toward Marvelman, who suddenly re-appears. He locates Marvelman's human identity, and invites him to his corporate headquarters. Kid Marvelman reveals the depths to which he has sunk, murdering his own secretary in front of his former mentor and threatening to do the same to Marvelman's wife. The two battle, the former sidekick easily dominating the hero with vastly increased abilities and new powers (developed through decades of remaining exclusively in superhuman form). Saying "Marvelman" by mistake while gloating over his beaten form, Kid Marvelman reverts to the traumatized, innocent form of young Johnny Bates. He is found at the scene of the battle by the authorities, who place him in a government mental facility. Kid Marvelman lurks within Johnny's mind, trying to tempt him into once more saying the word and allowing the mad superhuman to re-emerge. Johnny gives in at last while being raped by a group of older boys at a group home. Free again, Kid Marvelman butchers not only Johnny's rapists, but everyone in the facility, including a young nurse, the only person there who has shown Johnny kindness. He briefly considers sparing her, before muttering "No... they'll say I'm going soft, won't they?" and punching through her skull. A battle between Kid Marvelman and Marvelman, Marvelwoman, Firedrake, and the Warpsmiths results in Kid Marvelman ravaging London and horrifically murdering much of the city's population. Throughout the battle, Kid Marvelman shrugs off the others' attacks while inflicting terrible damage on his foes. Marvelman's critically injured ally, the Warpsmith Aza Chorn, teleports a chunk of debris halfway into Kid Marvelman's head and a girder through his chest, crippling him and forcing him to resume human form to escape the unbelievable pain. A wounded Marvelman cradles Johnny in his arms, assures him everything will be fine, then swiftly kills him, both to end the long suffering he has endured from Kid Marvelman's mind games and to prevent Kid Marvelman from ever escaping again. Marvelman and his allies use the destruction of London as a pretext for taking over Earth's governments. Following Marvelman's establishment of a global utopia, the dark allure of Kid Marvelman as an anti-hero figure makes him the object of admiration and veneration for the rebellious subculture known as "Bateses". For some reason, I am reminded of the WWF PPV In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies. The main event for the pay-per-view was Shawn Michaels VS Diesel for the WWF Championship. The feud between them revolved around the fact that they were such good friends but had now become huge enemies, and the name of the PPV came from an old proverb that I believe goes “Good friends make better enemies.” When you think about, it’s quite true. A person knows lot about his or her friend, and if he or she were to become an enemy, then he or she would know just where to strike, physically and emotionally. And, it can be very emotionally damaging for a hero have to fight a trusted friend. That is why Kid Miracleman is such a perfect villain for Miracleman. He knows Miracleman and becomes obsessed with his death, and he wants to be the one responsible for it. And, he is much more powerful than Miracleman as he has been in his superhero form longer than Miracleman. Kid Miracleman He is also quite the psychopath, viciously killing anyone and everyone in his path, including much of London’s population by picking them up and dropping them from big heights. Eventually, Kid Miracleman is defeated, but his legacy lives on in a rebellious subculture, Bateses, of the utopia Miracleman creates.
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