1.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (film)
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Batman, The Dark Knight Returns is a two-part direct-to-video animated superhero film, an adaptation of the 1986 comic book The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. It was directed by Jay Oliva, who worked as a storyboard artist on Man of Steel, Under the Red Hood, Year One and Batman v Superman, several other Batman veterans were also involved in the film. Part 1 was released September 25,2012, and Part 2 was released January 29,2013, a deluxe edition combining both films was released on October 8,2013. It is the 15th film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series, after the death of his protégé Jason Todd, billionaire industrialist Bruce Wayne was forced to retire from his Batman persona. Ten years later, Gotham City is overrun with crime and terrorized by a known as the Mutants. The 55-year-old Wayne maintains a friendship with 70-year-old retiring Police Commissioner James Gordon, Arkham inmate and former district attorney Harvey Dent undergoes plastic surgery to repair his disfigured face. Although he is declared sane, he goes into hiding following his release. Dents disappearance, news stories of the crime epidemic throughout the city and he combats serious crimes, rescuing 13-year-old Carrie Kelley, but now struggles with the physical limitations of age. Public reaction to his return is divided, Dents psychologist Bartholomew Wolper blames Batman for creating his own rogues gallery. Dent resurfaces, threatening to blow up a building unless he is paid a ransom, Batman defeats Dents henchmen, learning that the bombs will explode even if the ransom is paid, he realizes that Dent intends to kill himself. Batman disables one bomb, and the other detonates harmlessly and he defeats Dent, who reveals that although his face was repaired he still thinks of himself as Two-Face. Kelley dresses as Robin and looks for Batman, who attacks a gathering of the Mutants with a tank-like Batmobile, the Mutant leader challenges Batman to a duel. He accepts to prove to himself that he can win, the Mutant leader nearly kills Batman, but Kelley distracts him long enough for Batman to subdue him. The leader and many members are arrested. Injured, Batman returns to the Batcave with Kelley, he allows her to become his protégée in spite of protests from his butler, Batman has Kelley disguise herself as a Mutant, and she lures the gang to a sewer outlet at the West River. At the Gotham City Police Department, the Mutant leader murders the mayor during negotiations, Commissioner Gordon deliberately releases the leader, providing an escape from the building, which leads to the sewer outlet. Before the amassed Mutants, Batman fights the leader in a mud pit, the mud slows the leader, removing his physical advantage, seeing their leaders defeat, the Mutants divide into smaller gangs, one becomes the Sons of Batman, a violent vigilante group. Batmans victory becomes public and the inhabitants are inspired to stand up against crime
2.
Frank Miller (comics)
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He also directed the film version of The Spirit, shared directing duties with Robert Rodriguez on Sin City and Sin City, A Dame to Kill For, and produced the film 300. His film Sin City earned a Palme dOr nomination, and he has received every major comic book industry award, in 2015, Miller was inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame. He created the book characters Elektra for Marvel Comics Daredevil series. Miller is noted for combining film noir and manga influences in his art creations. I realized when I started Sin City that I found American and English comics be too wordy, too constipated, so I was attempting to do a hybrid. Miller was born in Olney, Maryland, on January 27,1957, and raised in Montpelier, Vermont, the fifth of seven children of a nurse mother, Miller grew up a comics fan, a letter he wrote to Marvel Comics was published in The Cat #3. By the time of the latter, Miller had his first confirmed credit in writer Wyatt Gwyons six-page Deliver Me From D-Day, inked by Danny Bulanadi, in Weird War Tales #64. Former Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter recalled Miller going to DC Comics after having broken in with. a small job from Western Publishing, I think. Thus emboldened, he went to DC, and after getting savaged by Joe Orlando, got in to see art director Vinnie Colletta, who recognized talent and arranged for him to get a one-page war-comic job. His first work for Marvel Comics was penciling the 17-page story The Master Assassin of Mars, Part 3 in John Carter, at Marvel, Miller would settle in as a regular fill-in and cover artist, working on a variety of titles. One of these jobs was drawing Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #27–28, at the time, sales of the Daredevil title were poor but Miller saw potential in a blind protagonist in a purely visual medium, he recalled in 2000. Miller went to writer and staffer Jo Duffy and she passed on his interest to editor-in-chief Jim Shooter to get Miller work on Daredevils regular title, Shooter agreed and made Miller the new penciller on the title. As Miller recalled in 2008, When I first showed up in New York, I showed up with a bunch of comics, and said, Where are the guys in tights. And I had to learn how to do it, but as soon as a title came along, when Gene Colan left Daredevil, I realized it was my secret in to do crime comics with a superhero in them. And so I lobbied for the title and got it, Daredevil #158, Millers debut on that title, was the finale of an ongoing story written by Roger McKenzie and inked by Klaus Janson. After this issue, Miller became one of Marvels rising stars, however, sales on Daredevil did not improve, Marvels management continued to discuss cancellation, and Miller himself almost quit the series, as he disliked McKenzies scripts. Millers fortunes changed with the arrival of Denny ONeil as editor, realizing Millers unhappiness with the series, and impressed by a backup story he had written, ONeil fired McKenzie so that Miller could try writing the series himself. Miller and ONeil would maintain a working relationship throughout his run on the series
3.
DC Comics
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DC Comics, Inc. is an American comic book publisher. It is the unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. a division of Time Warner, the company has also published non-DC Universe-related material, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta and many titles under their alternative imprint Vertigo. The initials DC came from the popular series Detective Comics. Random House distributes DC Comics books to the market, while Diamond Comic Distributors supplies the comics shop specialty market. DC Comics and its major, longtime competitor Marvel Comics together shared 70% of the American comic book market in 2016, entrepreneur Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson founded National Allied Publications in autumn 1934. The company debuted with the tabloid-sized New Fun, The Big Comic Magazine #1 with a date of February 1935. That title evolved into Adventure Comics, which continued through issue #503 in 1983, in 2009 DC revived Adventure Comics with its original numbering. In 1935, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman, created Doctor Occult. Wheeler-Nicholsons third and final title, Detective Comics, advertised with a cover illustration dated December 1936, the themed anthology series would become a sensation with the introduction of Batman in issue #27. By then, however, Wheeler-Nicholson had gone, Detective Comics, Inc. was formed, with Wheeler-Nicholson and Jack S. Liebowitz, Donenfelds accountant, listed as owners. Major Wheeler-Nicholson remained for a year, but cash-flow problems continued, shortly afterward, Detective Comics, Inc. purchased the remains of National Allied, also known as Nicholson Publishing, at a bankruptcy auction. Detective Comics, Inc. soon launched a fourth title, Action Comics, Action Comics #1, the first comic book to feature the new character archetype—soon known as superheroes—proved a sales hit. The company quickly introduced such popular characters as the Sandman and Batman. That year, Gaines let Liebowitz buy him out, and kept only Picture Stories from the Bible as the foundation of his own new company, at that point, Liebowitz promptly orchestrated the merger of All-American and Detective Comics into National Comics. Next he took charge of organizing National Comics, Independent News, National Periodical Publications became publicly traded on the stock market in 1961. The company began to move aggressively against what it saw as copyright-violating imitations from other companies, such as Fox Comics Wonder Man and this extended to DC suing Fawcett Comics over Captain Marvel, at the time comics top-selling character. Despite the fact that parallels between Captain Marvel and Superman seemed more tenuous, the courts ruled that substantial and deliberate copying of copyrighted material had occurred, faced with declining sales and the prospect of bankruptcy if it lost, Fawcett capitulated in 1955 and ceased comics publication
4.
Limited series (comics)
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In the field of comic books, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from a series in that the number of issues is finite and determined before production. The term is used interchangeably with miniseries and maxiseries, usually depending on the length. In Dark Horse Comics definition of a series, This term primarily applies to a connected series of individual comic books. A limited series refers to a book series with a clear beginning, middle. Dark Horse Comics and DC Comics refer to limited series of two to eleven issues as miniseries and series of issues or more as maxiseries. The limited series has a story to tell. It follows the standard plot set-up of beginning, middle, usually, all plot points are covered by the end of the series. There have been limited series done in a format. Limited series are often done by a creative team, but in cases where there are changes. The number of issues is determined by some combination of the writers plotting. In 1979, in the process of recovering from the DC Implosion, publisher DC Comics experimented with a new format in the World of Krypton miniseries, as DC termed such short-run works. The new format allowed the company to tell stories that may not have fit into a series and to showcase characters into a short story without the risk. With the success of the format, DC followed by experimenting with longer stories. Debuting in 1982, Camelot 3000 was the first limited series to run to twelve issues, DC coined the term maxiseries as a promotional description for this. It did not take long for other publishers to begin using the limited-series format, Marvel Comics used it to feature popular characters from team titles and put them in solo adventures. Wolverines earliest solo adventures were told in limited series, crossovers were introduced in limited series form before the concept of multi-title crossovers was conceived. Contest of Champions brought forth the idea of an event affecting the Marvel Universe
5.
Batman
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Batman is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, originally named the Bat-Man, the character is also referred to by such epithets as the Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight, and the Worlds Greatest Detective. Batmans secret identity is Bruce Wayne, a wealthy American playboy, philanthropist, after witnessing the murder of his parents Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne as a child, he swore vengeance against criminals, an oath tempered by a sense of justice. Wayne trains himself physically and intellectually and crafts a bat-inspired persona to fight crime, Batman operates in the fictional Gotham City, with assistance from various supporting characters, including his butler Alfred, police commissioner Gordon, and vigilante allies such as Robin. A large assortment of villains make up Batmans rogues gallery, including his archenemy, Batman became popular soon after his introduction in 1939 and gained his own comic book title, Batman, the following year. As the decades went on, differing interpretations of the character emerged, the late 1960s Batman television series used a camp aesthetic, which continued to be associated with the character for years after the show ended. Various creators worked to return the character to his dark roots, the success of Warner Bros. live-action Batman feature films have helped maintain the publics interest in the character. The character has also intrigued psychiatrists, with trying to understand the characters psyche. In 2015, FanSided ranked Batman as number one on their list of 50 Greatest Super Heroes In Comic Book History. Kevin Conroy, Bruce Greenwood, Peter Weller, Anthony Ruivivar, Jason OMara, Batman has been portrayed in both film and television by Lewis Wilson, Robert Lowery, Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck. In early 1939, the success of Superman in Action Comics prompted editors at National Comics Publications to request more superheroes for its titles, in response, Bob Kane created the Bat-Man. Collaborator Bill Finger recalled that Kane had an idea for a character called Batman, I went over to Kanes, and he had drawn a character who looked very much like Superman with kind of. Reddish tights, I believe, with boots, with a small domino mask, swinging on a rope. He had two wings that were sticking out, looking like bat wings. And under it was a big sign, the bat-wing-like cape was suggested by Bob Kane, inspired by Leonardo Da Vincis sketch of an ornithopter flying device as a child. Finger suggested giving the character a cowl instead of a domino mask, a cape instead of wings. Finger said he devised the name Bruce Wayne for the secret identity, Bruce Waynes first name came from Robert Bruce. Wayne, being a playboy, was a man of gentry, I searched for a name that would suggest colonialism
6.
James Gordon (comics)
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Commissioner James W. Jim Gordon is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with Batman. The character debuted in the first panel of Detective Comics #27, the character was created by Bill Finger, but credited to Bob Kane. Commissioner Gordon made his debut as an ally of Batman, making him the first Batman supporting character ever to be introduced, in most incarnations of the Batman mythos, Jim Gordon is the police commissioner of Gotham City. He shares Batmans deep commitment to ridding the city of crime, in Golden and Silver Age Comics and on the 1960s Batman television show, he fully trusts, and is even somewhat dependent on Batman. In most modern stories, he is skeptical of Batmans vigilante methods. The two have a respect and tacit friendship. Gordon is the father or adoptive father of Barbara Gordon, the first modern Batgirl, James also has a son James Gordon Jr. who first appeared in Batman, Year One. Jim Gordon is an important part of the Batman mythos and has appeared in most other adaptations of the character. This has included games, animation, and the live-action films. K. Simmons in Zack Snyders Justice League, in 2011, Jim Gordon placed 19th on IGNs Top 100 Comic Book Heroes. Gordon had served in the United States Marine Corps prior to becoming a police officer and this gave him a set of skills that would serve useful in the future. In most versions of the Batman mythos, Jim Gordon is at one point or another depicted as commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, Gordon frequently contacts Batman for help in solving various crimes, particularly those committed by supervillains. Gordon is usually depicted with silver or red hair, eyeglasses, in most incarnations, he is seen wearing a trenchcoat, necktie, and on occasion, a fedora hat. He is also pictured with a cane, although it is not revealed why he uses it. He has been married twice, first to Barbara Eileen Gordon, in the original pre-Crisis version of his history, Gordon is a police detective who initially resents the mysterious vigilantes interference in police business. He first appears in Detective Comics #27, in the very first Batman story, although Batman fights on the side of justice, his methods and phenomenal track record for stopping crimes and capturing criminals embarrasses the police by comparison. Eventually, Batman meets up with Gordon and persuades the detective that they need each others help, Batman is deputized and works with Gordon as an agent of the law. In Batman Special #1, it is revealed that Gordon, as a cop, shot
7.
Carrie Kelley
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Caroline Keene Carrie Kelley is a fictional character from Frank Millers graphic novels Batman, The Dark Knight Returns and its sequel Batman, The Dark Knight Strikes Again. She becomes the new Robin in The Dark Knight Returns when she saves Batmans life, later in The Dark Knight Strikes Again, she adopts the identity Catgirl. Carrie Kelley is a 13-year-old schoolgirl and scout whom Batman saves from a group of Mutant gang members on the night of his return from retirement. Idolizing the Dark Knight, she spends her lunch money on a Robin outfit, sets out to attack petty con-men. Kelley uses a slingshot and firecrackers as weapons and she also wears green-tinted sunglasses in lieu of a black harlequin mask. Unlike most versions of Robin, Kelley is not an orphan, while their daughter is witnessing the fierce battle between Batman and the street gangs known as the Mutants. It is hinted through their dialogue that they were activists and possibly hippies during the 1960s. She half drags him back to the Batmobile and makes a sling for his arm out of part of her cape and a piece of pipe. He often threatens to fire her but she shows considerable ability, the police, now led by newly appointed Commissioner Ellen Yindel, takes a very poor attitude to Batman and his methods and issues a warrant for his arrest. When she sees Batman with Kelley leaping in mid-air and barely catching a passing hang-glider, as Robin, Carrie plays a crucial part in tracking down and confronting the Joker who has poisoned several children and planted a bomb on a roller coaster. While Batman goes after his nemesis, Carrie manages to dispose of the bomb but gets into a tangle with Fat Abner. Unnerved by Batmans activities, the United States government sends Superman to bring the Dark Knight down. As the big battle is about to start, Carrie delays Supermans arrival using the tank-like Batmobile, using a variety of powerful weapons, including self-made kryptonite, Batman manages to defeat Superman but dies in the process. It later emerges that he had faked his own death and Carrie unearthed Batman from his grave soon after he revived. They then go underground to the Batcave where, with Green Arrow, they set about training various teenage street gangs into an army that is to deal with worse than thieves, three years later, Kelley has begun calling herself Catgirl. She still remains Batmans able second-in-command and she wears a skin-tight cat costume with a leopard pattern, and is now trained extensively in combat. Her equipment includes motorised rollerskates and an arm cannon that fired batarangs, catgirls main duty is to oversee an army of Batboys to help save the world from a police-state dictatorship, led by Lex Luthor and Brainiac. She leads them into battle, liberating imprisoned heroes such as the Atom, but she also causes serious injury to a Batboy who exceeded her orders by maiming and killing a couple of police officers
8.
Joker (character)
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The Joker is a fictional supervillain created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson who first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book Batman published by DC Comics. Credit for the Jokers creation is disputed, Kane and Robinson claimed responsibility for the Jokers design, although the Joker was planned to be killed off during his initial appearance, he was spared by editorial intervention, allowing the character to endure as the archenemy of the superhero Batman. In his comic appearances, the Joker is portrayed as a criminal mastermind. The Joker has had various possible origin stories during his decades of appearances, the most common story involves him falling into a tank of chemical waste which bleaches his skin white, turns his hair green, and his lips bright red, the resulting disfigurement drives him insane. The antithesis of Batman in personality and appearance, the Joker is considered by critics to be his perfect adversary, the 1990s introduced a romantic interest for the Joker in his former psychiatrist, Harley Quinn, who becomes his villainous sidekick. Although his primary obsession is Batman, the Joker has also fought other heroes including Superman, one of the most iconic characters in popular culture, the Joker has been listed among the greatest comic book villains and fictional characters ever created. The characters popularity has seen him appear on a variety of merchandise, such as clothing and collectable items, inspire real-world structures, Mark Hamill, Troy Baker, and others have provided the characters voice. Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson are credited with creating the Joker, Robinson claimed that it was his 1940 card sketch that served as the characters concept, and which Finger associated with Veidts portrayal. Kane hired the 17-year-old Robinson as an assistant in 1939, after he saw Robinson in a white jacket decorated with his own illustrations, beginning as a letterer and background inker, Robinson quickly became primary artist for the newly created Batman comic book series. In a 1975 interview in The Amazing World of DC Comics, Robinson said he wanted a supreme arch-villain who could test Batman and he wanted an exotic, enduring character as an ongoing source of conflict for Batman, designing a diabolically sinister-but-clownish villain. Robinson was intrigued by villains, his studies at Columbia University taught him that some characters are made up of contradictions, leading to the Jokers sense of humor. He said that the name came first, followed by an image of a card from a deck he often had at hand. I wanted somebody that would make an impression, would be bizarre. He told Finger about his concept by telephone, later providing sketches of the character, Finger thought the concept was incomplete, providing the image of Veidt with a ghastly, permanent rictus grin. In a 1994 interview with journalist Frank Lovece, Kane stated his position, Bill Finger, Jerry Robinson came to me with a playing card of the Joker. Thats the way I sum it up, looks like Conrad Veidt – you know, the actor in The Man Who Laughs, by Victor Hugo. Bill Finger had a book with a photograph of Conrad Veidt and showed it to me and said, Jerry Robinson had absolutely nothing to do with it, but hell always say he created it till he dies. He brought in a card, which we used for a couple of issues for him to use as his playing card
9.
Superman
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Superman is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, high school living in Cleveland, Ohio. They sold Superman to Detective Comics, the future DC Comics, Superman debuted in Action Comics #1 and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, newspaper strips, television programs, films, and video games. With this success, Superman helped to create the superhero archetype, the character is also referred to by such epithets as the Man of Steel, the Man of Tomorrow, and The Last Son of Krypton. Discovered and adopted by a Kansas farm couple, the child is raised as Clark Kent, very early on he started to display various superhuman abilities, which, upon reaching maturity, he resolved to use for the benefit of humanity through a secret Superman identity. Superman resides and operates in the fictional American city of Metropolis, as Clark Kent, he is a journalist for the Daily Planet, a Metropolis newspaper. Supermans love interest is generally Lois Lane, and his archenemy is supervillain Lex Luthor and he is typically a member of the Justice League and close ally of Batman and Wonder Woman. Like other characters in the DC Universe, several versions of Superman have been depicted over the years. Supermans appearance is distinctive and iconic, he wears a blue costume with a red-and-yellow emblem on the chest, consisting of the letter S in a shield shape. This shield is used in media to symbolize the character. Superman is widely considered an American cultural icon and he has fascinated scholars, with cultural theorists, commentators, and critics alike exploring the characters impact and role in the United States and worldwide. The characters ownership has often been the subject of dispute, with Siegel, the character has been adapted extensively and portrayed in other forms of media as well, including films, television series, and video games. Several actors have portrayed Superman in motion pictures and TV series including Kirk Alyn, George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, Dean Cain, Tom Welling, Brandon Routh, Henry Cavill, Siegels fanzine did not sell well. Siegel and Shuster shifted to making comic strips, which they self-published in a book they called Popular Comics, the pair dreamed of becoming professional authors and believed that syndicated newspaper strips offered more lucrative and stable work than pulp magazines. The art quality standards were lower, making them more accessible to the inexperienced Shuster. In early 1933 or in 1934, Siegel developed a new character, also named Superman, but now a heroic character and this first prototype of Superman had no fantastic abilities and wore casual clothing. Siegel and Shuster often compared this version to Slam Bradley, a character they created in 1936. Siegel shared his idea with Shuster and they decided to turn it into a comic strip, the first publisher they solicited was Humor Publishing in Chicago, after having read one of their comic books, Detective Dan
10.
Penciller
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A penciller is a collaboration artist who works in creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with focus on primary pencil illustrations, hence the term penciller. In the American comic book industry, the penciller is the first step in rendering the story in visual form and these artists are concerned with layout to showcase steps in the plot. Beyond this basic description, however, different artists choose to use a variety of different tools. While many artists use traditional wood pencils, others prefer mechanical pencils or drafting leads, still other artists do their initial layouts using a light-blue colored pencil because that color tends to disappear during photocopying. Most US comic book pages are drawn oversized on large sheets of paper, the customary size of comic book pages in the mainstream American comics industry is 11 by 17 inches. The inker usually works directly over the pencil marks, though occasionally pages are inked on translucent paper, such as drafting vellum. The artwork is later reduced in size during the printing process. With the advent of digital illustration programs such as Photoshop, more and more artwork is produced digitally, Jack Kirby From 1949 until his retirement, Jack Kirby worked out of a ten-foot-wide basement studio dubbed The Dungeon by his family. When starting with clean piece of Bristol board, would first draw his lines with a T-square. Arthur Adams Arthur Adams begins drawing thumbnail layouts from the script hes given, the thumbnails range in size from 2 inches x 3 inches to half the size of the printed comic book. When working on the illustration board, he does so on a large drawing board when in his basement studio. After tracing the thumbnails, he will then clarify details with another light-blue pencil, for a large poster image with a multitude of characters, he will go over the figure outlines with a marker in order to emphasize them. He will use photographic reference when appropriate, as when he draws things that he is not accustomed to, because a significant portion of his income is derived from selling his original artwork, he is reluctant to learn how to produce his work digitally. Jim Lee Artist Jim Lee is known to use F lead for his pencil work and he uses this lead because it strikes a balance between too hard, and therefore not dark enough on the page, and too soft, and therefore prone to smearing and crumbling. Campbell avoids its closest competitor because he finds it too waxy, campbell has also used HB lead and F lead. He maintains sharpness of the lead with a Berol Turquoise sharpener, changing them every four to six months, campbell uses a combination of Magic Rub erasers, eraser sticks, and since he began to ink his work digitally, a Sakura electric eraser. He often sharpens the eraser to an edge in order to render fine detailed work. Travis Charest Artist Travis Charest uses mainly 2H lead to avoid smearing and he previously illustrated on regular illustration board provided by publishers, though he disliked the non-photo blue lines printed on them
11.
Klaus Janson
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Klaus Janson is a German-born American comic book artist, working regularly for Marvel Comics and DC Comics and sporadically for independent companies. While he is best known as an inker, Janson has frequently worked as a penciller, klaus Janson was born in Coburg, Germany, He emigrated to the United States in 1957, settling with his family in Connecticut, where he lived in Bridgeport from 1957 to 1972. After a short stint as assistant to Dick Giordano in the early 1970s, Janson came to prominence as the inker over Sal Buscemas pencils on The Defenders. Since then he has freelanced on most of the titles at Marvel. In 1975 he began a run as inker on Daredevil. By issue #185, Miller had virtually relinquished his role as Daredevils artist, and was providing only rough layouts for Janson to pencil, ink, after Millers departure, Janson drew the series by himself for four issues. Janson began working for DC Comics in the early 1980s and inked Gene Colans pencils on Detective Comics and Jemm, Janson was one of the artists on Superman #400. His collaboration with Miller on Daredevil would soon be eclipsed by a collaboration between them, on Batman, The Dark Knight Returns in 1986. Janson has frequently pencilled and inked for various Batman titles, including the first Detective Comics Annual with writer Dennis ONeil, Gothic with Grant Morrison, in 1994, Janson drew the Batman-Spawn, War Devil intercompany crossover which was written by Moench, Chuck Dixon, and Alan Grant. Janson wrote a story in the anthology miniseries Batman, Black. Janson drew part of the Cataclysm crossover as well, Janson and writer Mike Baron introduced the character Microchip as an ally of the Punisher in The Punisher #4. In 1993, Janson drew a story featuring Electro for Spider-Man #38-40. Janson inked the early issues of The Sensational Spider-Man which had been written, Jansons work as an inker and occasional penciler at Marvel Comics includes collaborations with John Romita Jr. on Wolverine, The Amazing Spider-Man and Black Panther. His other work includes Batman, Death and the Maidens, World War Hulk, Battlestar Galactica, Logans Run, in 2010, he inked Romita Jr. s pencils on The Avengers. and in 2014 the two artists collaborated on Superman. Janson is one of the artists on the The Dark Knight III, The Master Race which is co-written by Frank Miller, in 2015, Janson was the Guest of Honor at the 2015 Inkwell Awards live Awards Ceremony at HeroesCon
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Letterer
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A letterer is a member of a team of comic book creators responsible for drawing the comic books text. The letterers use of typefaces, calligraphy, letter size, the letterer crafts the comics display lettering, the story title lettering and other special captions and credits that usually appear on a storys first page. The letterer also writes the letters in the balloons and draws in sound effects. Many letterers also design logos for the comic book companys various titles, by the late 1940s, it became possible to make a living just lettering comic strips and comic books for artists, studios, and companies that didnt have the time or desire to do it in-house. Letterer and logo designer Ira Schnapp defined the DC Comics look for nearly thirty years, starting in around 1966, Schnapps classic, art deco-inspired look was replaced by the pulsing, organic style of Gaspar Saladino, who redesigned DCs house style for the counterculture era. Gaspar became the cover letterer for all of DCs books throughout the 1970s, from the 1930 through the 1990s, the letterer plied his craft on the same page drawn by the penciler. At DC Comics during the Silver Age of the 1960s, pencilers were required to rough in balloons, an accomplished letterer was able to adapt his or her style to the style of the art for that particular book. The evolution of desktop publishing powered by computers, especially made by Apple, began in the 1980s. One of the first users of computer-generated lettering was writer/artist John Byrne, other early users of computer lettering were David Cody Weiss and Roxanne Starr, who experimented in computer lettering with Bob Burdens Flaming Carrot Comics. Computer lettering really started making an impact with the availability of the first commercial comic book font, in the early 1990s letterer Richard Starkings and his partner John Roshell began creating comic book fonts and started Comicraft, which has since become the major source of comics fonts. Wildstorm Comics was ahead of the curve, Marvel came around a few later, and DC held to traditional production methods the longest. In the early years of the 21st Century, the mainstream American comics companies moved almost exclusively to in-house computer lettering, Chris Eliopoulos designed the fonts for Marvels in-house lettering unit, and Ken Lopez did the same at DC. Since then the trend has swung the other way, with most comics publishers once again using freelance letterers rather than in-house staff, nearly all use computer and digital comic book fonts. The traditional comic book letterer needs little more than a guide, a pen or brush, India ink. Some situations required the letterer to use vellum overlays on top of the original art, the lettering in the comics of the sensationalist horror comics publisher EC Comics c. 1955 was different from other publishers — its mechanical appearance gave it a sterile aspect, eCs letterers achieved their particular look by using a Leroy lettering set, a device popular amongst draftsmen and architects. The Leroy lettering set consisted of a stylus and a pantographic lettering form, most Marvel and DC books are now lettered using a graphics program such as Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop, and a font that resembles hand lettering. Computer lettering provides a lot of technical shortcuts, especially by combining the work directly with digital art files
13.
Dick Giordano
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Dick Giordano, an only child, was born in New York City on July 20,1932, in the borough of Manhattan to Josephine and Graziano Jack Giordano. He attended the School of Industrial Art, Giordanos artwork from Charltons Strange Suspense Stories was used as inspiration for artist Roy Lichtensteins 1965/1966 Brushstroke series, including Brushstroke, Big Painting No. 6, Little Big Painting and Yellow and Green Brushstrokes, by the mid-1960s a Charlton veteran, Giordano rose to executive editor, succeeding Pat Masulli, by 1965. Many of these included new talent Giordano brought on board, including Jim Aparo, Dennis ONeil. Giordano was given several title such as Teen Titans, Aquaman and Young Love and he launched the horror comics series The Witching Hour in March 1969. and the Western series All-Star Western vol.2 in September 1970. He continued to freelance for DC as a penciler and inker, as an artist, Giordano was best known as an inker. His inking was particularly associated with the pencils of Neal Adams, for their run in the early 1970s on the titles Batman, several comics artists began their careers at Continuity and many were mentored by Giordano during their time there. He had a run as penciler of the Wonder Woman series which included a two-issue story in issues #202–203 written by science-fiction author Samuel R. Delany. Giordano inked the large-format, first DC/Marvel intercompany crossover, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man, Giordano inked Adams on the one-shot Superman vs. Muhammad Ali in 1978. In 1980, DC publisher Jenette Kahn brought Giordano back to DC, initially the editor of the Batman titles, Giordano was named the companys new managing editor in 1981, and promoted to vice president/executive editor in 1983, a position he held until 1993. DC Comics writer and executive Paul Levitz observed in 2010 that Giordano held the respect of talent as one of their own, Giordano provided art for several anniversary issues of key DC titles. He and television writer Alan Brennert crafted the story To Kill a Legend in Detective Comics #500 and this was followed by Frank Millers Batman, The Dark Knight Returns and Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons Watchmen in 1986. From 1983 to 1987, Giordano wrote a column published in DC titles called Meanwhile. Which much like Marvels Bullpen Bulletins featured news and information about the company, unlike Bullpen Bulletins, which was characterized by an ironic, over-hyped tone, Giordanos columns. Were written in a sober, absolutely friendly voice, like a friend of your fathers you particularly liked. Column with the words, Thank you and good afternoon. Giordano inked six issues of The Sandman in 1991-1993, beginning in 1987, Giordano was in the middle of an industry-wide debate about the comics industry, ratings systems, and creators rights. Veteran writers Mike Friedrich, Steven Grant, and Roger Slifer all cited Giordano in particular for his stance on behalf of DC
14.
Dennis O'Neil
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As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles. As of 2013, he sits on the board of directors of the charity The Hero Initiative, ONeil was born into a Catholic household in St. Louis, Missouri. On Sunday afternoons he would accompany his father or his grandfather to the store for some light groceries, ONeil graduated from St. Louis University around the turn of the 1960s with a degree centered on English literature, creative writing, and philosophy. From there he joined the U. S. Navy just in time to participate in the blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, after leaving the Navy, ONeil moved on to a job with a newspaper in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. ONeil wrote bi-weekly columns for the page, and during the slow summer months he filled the space with a series on the revival of the comics industry. This attracted the attention of Roy Thomas, who would himself become one of the great names in the history of the medium. ONeil had never considered writing for comics before, and later said hed done the test kind of as a joke, I had a couple of hours on a Tuesday afternoon, so instead of doing crossword puzzles, I did the writers test. He also wrote dialog for such titles as Rawhide Kid and Millie the Model, as well as scripting the final 13 pages of Daredevil #18 over a plot by Lee, when Lee went on vacation. ONeil and artist Neal Adams revived the Professor X character in X-Men #65 in one of the creative teams earliest collaborations, the available jobs writing for Marvel petered out fairly quickly, and ONeil took a job with Charlton Comics under the pseudonym of Sergius O’Shaugnessy. There he received work for a year and a half from Charltons editor Dick Giordano. In 1968 Dick Giordano was offered a position at DC Comics and took a number of Charlton freelancers with him. Charlton talent arrived at DC from a different culture of comics, at DC, the office seemed like a snapshot from 1950, with a crowd of short-haired men in white shirts and ties. The jeans-wearing, hippy trended Charlton crowd visibly represented a different generation, ONeils first assignments involved two strategies for bolstering DCs sales. One approach centered on the creation of new characters, and ONeil scripted several issues of Beware the Creeper, from there, DC moved ONeil to Wonder Woman and Justice League of America. With artist Mike Sekowsky, he took away Wonder Womans powers, exiled her from the Amazon community and these changes did not sit well with Wonder Womans older fans, particularly feminists, and ONeil acknowledged that de-powering DCs most well-known superheroine had unintentionally alienated readers. In Justice League, he had success, introducing into that title the first socially and politically themed stories. He and artist Dick Dillin made several changes to the membership of the JLA by removing founding members the Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman. It was during this period that the most famous Green Arrow story appeared, in Green Lantern #85–86, when it was revealed that Green Arrows ward Speedy was addicted to heroin
15.
International Standard Book Number
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The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, the method of assigning an ISBN is nation-based and varies from country to country, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country. The initial ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering created in 1966, the 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108. Occasionally, a book may appear without a printed ISBN if it is printed privately or the author does not follow the usual ISBN procedure, however, this can be rectified later. Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number, identifies periodical publications such as magazines, the ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker and in 1968 in the US by Emery Koltay. The 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108, the United Kingdom continued to use the 9-digit SBN code until 1974. The ISO on-line facility only refers back to 1978, an SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit 0. For example, the edition of Mr. J. G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has SBN340013818 -340 indicating the publisher,01381 their serial number. This can be converted to ISBN 0-340-01381-8, the check digit does not need to be re-calculated, since 1 January 2007, ISBNs have contained 13 digits, a format that is compatible with Bookland European Article Number EAN-13s. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, a 13-digit ISBN can be separated into its parts, and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts of a 10-digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces, figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN number is complicated, because most of the parts do not use a fixed number of digits. ISBN issuance is country-specific, in that ISBNs are issued by the ISBN registration agency that is responsible for country or territory regardless of the publication language. Some ISBN registration agencies are based in national libraries or within ministries of culture, in other cases, the ISBN registration service is provided by organisations such as bibliographic data providers that are not government funded. In Canada, ISBNs are issued at no cost with the purpose of encouraging Canadian culture. In the United Kingdom, United States, and some countries, where the service is provided by non-government-funded organisations. Australia, ISBNs are issued by the library services agency Thorpe-Bowker
16.
DC Comics Absolute Edition
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DC Comics Absolute Edition is a series of archival quality printings of graphic novels published by DC Comics and its imprints WildStorm Productions and Vertigo. Also included are supplemental materials regarding the creation of the work, including sketches, comic scripts, the following titles in the series have been released or announced. Absolute Authority Volume 1 - Collects The Authority # 1-12, Absolute Authority Volume 2 - Collects The Authority # 13-20,22, & 27-29. Absolute Batman, Hush - Reprinting Batman, Hush storyline from Batman #608-619 and this absolute volume includes additional sketches and character designs by Jim Lee. Absolute Dark Knight - Collects Batman, The Dark Knight Returns and Batman, Absolute Batman, Dark Victory - Reprints Batman, Dark Victory #0-13. Absolute Batman and Robin, Batman Reborn - Reprints Batman and Robin #1-16 and Batman, also some Earths that were described in those volumes were not included. Contains 2 volumes in a hardcover set. A 262-page collection of Danger Girl # 1-7 and a separate 64-page Sketchbook, limited to 3012 copies, each including a signed and numbered tipped-in plate. Contains 13 all-new pages, and one modified, which were trimmed from the original printings, annotations, cover gallery, sketchbook and notes. New Printing re-release August 28,2009, to be released July 24,2012. Collects Final Crisis 1-7, Final Crisis, Submit #1, Final Crisis Superman Beyond 1-2 as well as additional JG Jones design pages with commentary by Grant Morrison, Reprints Green Arrow Vol 3 #1-15 by Kevin Smith and Phil Hester. Absolute Green Lantern, Rebirth - Reprints Green Lantern, Rebirth #1-6, Absolute Green Lantern, Sinestro Corps War - Reprints GREEN LANTERN 21-25, GREEN LANTERN CORPS 14-19 and GREEN LANTERN, SINESTRO CORPS SPECIAL1. Collects Identity Crisis #1-7 by Brad Meltzer and Rags Morales, contains 2 volumes in a slipcase hardcover set by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo. ISBN 978-1401245047 Released on November 11,2009, the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Black Dossier - Besides the slipcase, no bonus material whatsoever except for two new endpapers by series artist Kevin ONeill. DC solicited the title with an LP that was intended by the authors for inclusion in the hardcover release. Absolute Planetary 1 - Collects Planetary #1-12, Absolute Planetary 1 New Printing - Collects Planetary #1-12. Absolute Planetary 2 - Collects Planetary #13-27, Absolute Preacher 1 -Collects Preacher 1-26. ISBN 978-1401264413 Absolute Promethea 1 - Collects Promethea #1-12, Absolute Promethea 2 - Collects Promethea #13-23
17.
Gotham City
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Gotham City or Gotham is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batmans place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4, the city is depicted as being within close proximity to Metropolis, and the vast majority of DC Comics references place Gotham City specifically in New Jersey. Cities such as New York City and Chicago have also influenced the look, within the DC Extended Universe, the 2016 film Suicide Squad reveals Gotham City to be located in New Jersey. Writer Bill Finger, on the naming of the city and the reason for changing Batmans locale from New York City to a city, said. Then I tried Capital City, then Coast City, then I flipped through the New York City phone book and spotted the name Gotham Jewelers and said, Thats it, Gotham City. We didnt call it New York because we wanted anybody in any city to identify with it, irving took the name from the village of Gotham, Nottinghamshire, England, a place inhabited, according to folklore, by fools. The villages name derives from Old English gāt goat and hām home, literally homestead where goats are kept, the Joker references this etymology in Detective Comics #880, in which he tells Batman that the word means a safe place for goats. In contrast, Gotham as used for New York has a different pronunciation by analogy to other words spelled with th and is pronounced as /ˈɡɒθəm/ GOTH-əm, like the word Goth. In Amazing World of DC Comics #14, publisher Mark Gruenwald discusses the history of the Justice League, Worlds Finest Comics #259 also confirms that Gotham is in New Jersey. In the World’s Greatest Super Heroes comic strip, a map is shown placing Gotham City in New Jersey, New Adventures of Superboy #22 and the 1990 Atlas of the DC Universe both show maps of Gotham City in New Jersey and Metropolis in Delaware. Detective Comics #503 includes several references suggesting Gotham City is in New Jersey, a location on the Jersey Shore is described as twenty miles north of Gotham, and Robin and Batgirl drive from a secret New Jersey airfield to Gotham City and then drive on the Hudson County Highway. Hudson County is the name of a county in New Jersey. Batman, Shadow of the Bat, Annual #1 further establishes that Gotham City is in New Jersey, sal E. Jordans drivers license in the comic reveals his address is 72 Faxcol Dr Gotham City, NJ12345. Gotham City is the home of Batman, just as Metropolis is the home of Superman, given the close proximity of the two cities, Batman and Superman often work together and frequent each others cities. Gotham City is usually depicted to be within driving distance of Metropolis, the Atlas of the DC Universe from the 1990s places Metropolis in Delaware and Gotham City in New Jersey. During the Bronze Age of Comic Books, the Metro-Narrows Bridge was depicted as the route connecting the twin cities of Metropolis. It has been described as being the longest suspension bridge in the world, a map appeared in The New Adventures of Superboy #22, that showed Smallville within driving distance of both Metropolis and Gotham City. However, the location of the two cities has varied
18.
Robin (character)
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Robin is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger. The team of Batman and Robin is commonly referred to as the Dynamic Duo or the Caped Crusaders, the characters first incarnation, Dick Grayson, debuted in Detective Comics #38. Conceived as a vehicle to attract young readership, Robin garnered overwhelmingly positive critical reception, the early adventures of Robin included Star Spangled Comics #65–130, which was the characters first solo feature. The characters second incarnation Jason Todd debuted in Batman #357 and this Robin made regular appearances in Batman related comic books until 1988, when the character was murdered by the Joker in the storyline A Death in the Family. Jason would later find himself alive after a reality changing incident, the premiere Robin limited series was published in 1991 which featured the characters third incarnation Tim Drake training to earn the role of Batmans vigilante partner. Following two successful sequels, the monthly Robin ongoing series began in 1993 and ended in early 2009, in 2004 storylines, established DC Comics character Stephanie Brown became the fourth Robin for a short duration before the role reverted to Tim Drake. Damian Wayne succeeds Drake as Robin in the 2009 story arc Battle for the Cowl, Dick Grayson resumed his role as Nightwing and Stephanie Brown was introduced anew as Spoiler once again in the pages of Batman Eternal. The 2016 DC Rebirth continuity relaunch starts off with Damian Wayne as Robin, Tim Drake as Red Robin, Jason Todd as Red Hood, Robins have also been featured throughout stories set in parallel worlds, owing to DC Comics longstanding Multiverse concept. For example, in the original Earth-Two, Dick Grayson never adopted the name Nightwing, in the New 52s Earth-2 continuity, Robin is Helena Wayne, daughter of Batman and Catwoman, who was stranded on the Earth of the main continuity and takes the name Huntress. About a year after Batmans debut, Batman creators Bob Kane, the name Robin the Boy Wonder and the medieval look of the original costume were inspired by The Adventures of Robin Hood. Robinson noted he came up with Robin Hood because The Adventures of Robin Hood were boyhood favorites of mine, I had been given a Robin Hood book illustrated by N. C. Wyeth. and thats what I quickly sketched out when I suggested the name Robin Hood, which seemed to like. And if you look at it, its Wyeths costume, from my memory, because I didnt have the book to look at. In Batman stories the character of Robin was intended to be the Batmans Watson, Bill Finger, writer for many early Batman adventures, wrote, as I said, Batman was a combination of Douglas Fairbanks and Sherlock Holmes. The thing that bothered me was that Batman didnt have anyone to talk to, I found that as I went along Batman needed a Watson to talk to. Thats how Robin came to be, Bob called me over and said he was going to put a boy in the strip to identify with Batman. I thought it was a great idea, Batman investigated the crime and, as his alter ego billionaire Bruce Wayne, had Dick put under his custody as a legal ward
19.
Multiverse (DC Comics)
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The Multiverse, within DC Comics publications, is a cosmic construct collecting many of the fictional universes in which the published stories take place. The worlds in this multiverse share a space and fate in common, the concept of a universe and a multiverse in which the fictional stories take place was loosely established during the Golden Age. This established the first shared universe, as all these heroes now lived in the same world, prior to this publication, characters from the different comic books seemingly existed in different worlds. Later, Wonder Woman #59 presented DC Comics first story depicting a parallel mirror world, Wonder Woman is transported to a twin Earth where she meets Tara Terruna who is exactly like her. Tara Terruna means Wonder Woman in the language of that world. Wonder Woman describes this world as being a world existing alongside Earth with duplicates of everyone. The concept of different versions of the world and its heroes was revisited in the pages of Wonder Woman a few times later. The success of this new Flash led the creation of new incarnations of the Golden Age characters who shared the names and powers but had different secret identities, origins. Later, new versions of heroes, namely, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, were also restarted by retelling their origins. To Allen, Jay Garricks world was a work of fiction as it was in the real world. The success of this led to the first team crossover between the new Justice League of America and the Golden Age JSA, in the stories Crisis on Earth-One. This concept of parallel Earths with differences in locations, persons and it helped to explain continuity errors, retell and retcon stories and incorporate foreign elements that could actively interact with everything else and allowing them to have an existence. Continuity flaws between the established Earth-Two and several stories from the Golden Age, were given separate earths, imaginary stories and some time divergences of Earth-One were given also separate realities. By the 1970s, everything that was published or related officially to DC Comics titles could become part of the Multiverse, the names of the worlds were usually in the format Earth, hyphen, spelled numeral/letter/name. In the case of worlds with numerals, the rule of spelling the number was not always followed, even within the pages of the same issue. As the 50th anniversary of DC Comics was close, major events were proposed for the celebration, an encyclopedia and a crossover of the ages, characters, and worlds appearing in DC comics. As told in the section of Crisis On Infinite Earths #1, as the research started in the late 1970s. In addition, many universes had multiple alternate timelines, such as Kamandi, writer Marv Wolfman took this crossover event as an opportunity to reform all the fictional universe of DC Comics to avoid further continuity errors and update the DC characters to modern times
20.
Jason Todd
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Jason Todd is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman. The character first appeared in Batman #357 and became the character to take the role of Batmans vigilante partner Robin. Though initially popular, the character as written by Jim Starlin was not well received by fans following a revamping of his origin by Max Allan Collins. For 1988s Batman, A Death in the Family storyline, DC Comics held a poll to determine whether or not the character would die at the hands of the Joker. He was killed off by a margin of 72 votes, subsequent Batman stories dealt with Batmans guilt over not having been able to prevent Jasons death. In 2005s Under the Hood story arc, the character was resurrected, assuming the role as a vigilante antihero with a willingness to use lethal force and weapons, Jason Todd operates as the Red Hood in current DC Comics continuity. In 2013, ComicsAlliance ranked Jason Todd as #23 on their list of the 50 Sexiest Male Characters in Comics. However, with the no longer featured in Batman comics. Jason Todd was created as Dick Graysons replacement as Robin but was almost a clone of the first Robin until Crisis on Infinite Earths. Following the 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC took the opportunity to many of its properties. The character was revamped and the new version of the character was not well received by fans. Dennis ONeil, who took over as Batman editor in 1986, said, I dont know if it was fan craziness—maybe they saw him as usurping Dick Graysons position. Some of the mail response indicated that this was at least on some peoples minds, in 1988, Dennis ONeil suggested that an audience might be attracted to the comics by being offered the opportunity to influence the creative process. Settling on the idea of telephone poll via a 1-900 number, ONeil settled on using the poll to determine the fate of the second Robin. ONeil said, The logical candidate was Jason because we had reason to believe that he wasnt that popular anyway and it was a big enough stunt that we couldnt do it with a minor character. Even though Jason Todd was unpopular with readers, ONeil could not decide what to do with the character, the vote was set up in the four-part story A Death in the Family that was published in Batman #426–429 in 1988. At the end of Batman #427, Jason was beaten by the Joker, the inside back cover of the issue listed two 1-900 numbers that readers could call to vote for the characters death or survival. Within the 36-hour period allotted for voting, the poll received 10,614 votes, the verdict in favor of the characters death won by a slim 72-vote margin of 5,343 votes to 5,271
21.
Two-Face
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Two-Face is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane and first appeared in Detective Comics #66, as one of Batmans most enduring enemies, Two-Face belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery. Once an upstanding Gotham City district attorney, Harvey Dent was hideously scarred on the side of his face after a mob boss threw acidic chemicals at him during a court trial. He was subsequently driven insane and adopted the Two-Face persona, becoming a criminal obsessed with duality, in later years, writers have portrayed Two-Faces obsession with chance and fate as the result of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and dissociative identity disorder. He obsessively makes all important decisions by flipping his former lucky charm, the modern version is established as having once been a personal friend and ally of James Gordon and Batman. Two-Face was ranked #12 on IGNs list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time, in the Batman film series, Billy Dee Williams portrayed Harvey Dent in Batman, and Tommy Lee Jones portrayed Two-Face in Batman Forever. Nicholas DAgosto currently portrays Harvey Dent on the live-action TV series Gotham, Two-Face first appears in Detective Comics #66 with the name Harvey Apollo Kent, later stories changed his name to Harvey Dent to avoid an association with Superman. The character only made three appearances in the 1940s, and appeared twice in the 1950s. By this time, he was dropped in favor of more kid friendly villains, though he did appear in a 1968 issue, in 1971, writer Dennis ONeil brought Two-Face back, and it was then that he became one of Batmans arch-enemies. In his autobiography, Batman creator Bob Kane claims to have inspired by Robert Louis Stevensons Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Some inspiration was derived from the Pulp magazine character the Black Bat whose origin story included having acid splashed on his face. In the wake of Frank Millers 1986 revision of Batmans origin and it was also established, in Batman, Year One, that pre-accident Harvey Dent was one of Batmans earliest allies. He had clear ties to both Batman and Commissioner Gordon, making him an unsettling and personal foe for both men, Harvey Dents origin relates that he went through much hardship during his childhood. Growing up under the parentage of an abusive and mentally-ill father, Harvey Dent started developing repressed mental illnesses of his own, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. His hard work ethic, however, later allowed him to rise as the youngest district attorney to serve Gotham City, nicknamed Apollo for his looks and clean-cut image. He is elected about six months before Batman takes his role as a masked vigilante, Dent forges an alliance with police captain James Gordon and Batman to rid Gotham of crime boss Sal Maroni, and Carmine Falcone, with the former murdered by the latters son. Gordon also speculated that Dent might have been Batman, but dismissed this theory on grounds that Dent lacked Batmans financial resources, Falcone hires the corrupt Assistant District Attorney Vernon Fields to provide Sal Maroni with sulfuric acid to disfigure Dent with. Two-Face gets his trademark coin from his father that would employ the coin in a nightly game that always ended with a beating
22.
Batcave
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The Batcave is a fictional subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Originally, there was only a secret tunnel that ran underground between Wayne Manor and a dusty old barn where the Batmobile and Batmicrolite were kept, later, in Batman #12, Bill Finger mentioned secret underground hangars. In 1943, the writers of the first Batman movie serial, titled Batman, gave Batman a complete underground crime lab, the entrance was via a secret passage through a grandfather clock and included bats flying around. Bob Kane, who was on the set, mentioned this to Bill Finger who was going to be the initial scripter on the Batman daily newspaper strip. Finger included with his script a clipping from Popular Mechanics that featured a cross section of underground hangars. Kane used this clipping as a guide, adding a study, crime lab, workshop, hangar and this illustration appeared in the Batman dailies on October 29,1943 in a strip entitled The Bat Cave. In this early version the cave itself was described as Batmans underground study and, like the rooms, was just a small alcove with a desk. Like in the serial, the Batmans symbol was carved into the rock behind the desk and had a candle in the middle of it. The entrance was via a bookcase which led to a secret elevator, the Batcave made its comic book debut in Detective Comics #83 in January 1944. Over the decades, the cave has expanded along with its owners popularity to include a vast trophy room, supercomputer, there has been little consistency as to the floor plan of the Batcave or its contents. The design has varied from artist to artist and it is not unusual for the same artist to draw the cave layout differently in various issues. The cave was discovered and used long before by Bruce Waynes ancestors as a storehouse as well as a means of transporting escaped slaves during the Civil War era, the 18th century frontier hero Tomahawk once discovered a gargantuan bat inside what can be assumed will become the Batcave. In addition to a base, the Batcave serves as a place of privacy and tranquility, in earlier versions of the storyline, Bruce Wayne discovered the cave as an adult. In The Origin of the Batcave in Detective Comics #205, Batman tells Robin he had no idea the cave existed when he purchased the house live in. He discovered the cave by accident when testing the floor of an old barn on the rear of the property, and this story also established that a frontiersman named Jeremy Coe used the cave as a headquarters 300 years earlier. Bruce Wayne discovering the cave as an adult remained the case at least through Whos Who #2 in 1985, upon his initial foray into crime-fighting, Wayne used the caves as a sanctum and to store his then-minimal equipment. As time went on, Wayne found the ideal to create a stronghold for his war against crime. The cave is accessible in several ways, another secret entrance, covered by a hologram, waterfall or a camouflaged door, allows access to a service road for the Batmobile
23.
Alfred Pennyworth
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Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with Batman. Pennyworth is depicted as Bruce Waynes loyal and tireless butler, legal guardian, best friend, aide-de-camp, as an ex-Special Air Service operative of honor and ethics with connections within the intelligence community, he has been called Batmans batman. He also provides comic relief, as his sarcastic and cynical attitude often adds humor to dialogue between himself and Batman, a vital part of the Batman mythos, Alfred was nominated for the Wizard Fan Award for Favorite Supporting Male Character in 1994. The character first appeared in Batman #16, and was created by writers Bob Kane and Bill Finger, and artist Jerry Robinson. DC editors wanted the comic Alfred to resemble his cinematic counterpart, so in Detective Comics #83, Alfred vacationed at a health resort and this look has remained with the character ever since, even surviving his apparent death and resurrection. Alfred was originally conceived as a foil for Batman and Robin. In most early tales, he made bungling attempts to be a detective on a par with the young masters and he was given a four-page feature of his own, and the feature lasted thirteen issues, skipping Batman #35, with the last story in Batman #36. The stories followed a formula, with Alfred solving a crime. In later years, the aspects of the character were downplayed. To that end, Alfred introduced himself to Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson at Wayne Manor and insisted on becoming their valet. Although the pair did not want one, especially since they did not want to jeopardize their secret identities with a servant in the house, they did not have the heart to reject Alfred. Initially, Alfred discovered their identities by accident, while fighting a burglar in Batman #16, he hit a switch. As it turned out, the wounds were insignificant. Since then, Alfred included the support staff duties of the Dynamic Duo on top of his regular tasks, ironically, Alfreds loyalty would lead him to become a member of Batmans rogues gallery. While pushing Batman and Robin out of the way of a falling boulder and it was revealed in Detective #356 that he had been revived by a scientist named Brandon Crawford. His time as the Outsider is collected in Showcase Presents, Batman Volumes 1 and 2, Alfred was later reunited with his long-lost daughter, Julia Remarque, though this element was not included in Post-Crisis comics. Her mother was the DC war heroine Mademoiselle Marie, whom Alfred had met while working as an agent in occupied France during World War II. In the Post-Crisis comics continuity, Alfred has been the Wayne family valet all of Bruces life and had helped his master establish his career from the beginning
24.
White House
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The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D. C. It has been the residence of every U. S. president since John Adams in 1800, the term White House is often used to refer to actions of the president and his advisers, as in The White House announced that. The residence was designed by Irish-born architect James Hoban in the Neoclassical style, construction took place between 1792 and 1800 using Aquia Creek sandstone painted white. When Thomas Jefferson moved into the house in 1801, he added low colonnades on each wing that concealed stables and storage. In 1814, during the War of 1812, the mansion was set ablaze by the British Army in the Burning of Washington, destroying the interior, reconstruction began almost immediately, and President James Monroe moved into the partially reconstructed Executive Residence in October 1817. Exterior construction continued with the addition of the semi-circular South portico in 1824, because of crowding within the executive mansion itself, President Theodore Roosevelt had all work offices relocated to the newly constructed West Wing in 1901. Eight years later in 1909, President William Howard Taft expanded the West Wing and created the first Oval Office, in the main mansion, the third-floor attic was converted to living quarters in 1927 by augmenting the existing hip roof with long shed dormers. A newly constructed East Wing was used as an area for social events. East Wing alterations were completed in 1946, creating additional office space, by 1948, the houses load-bearing exterior walls and internal wood beams were found to be close to failure. Under Harry S. Truman, the rooms were completely dismantled. Once this work was completed, the rooms were rebuilt. The Executive Residence is made up of six stories—the Ground Floor, State Floor, Second Floor, the property is a National Heritage Site owned by the National Park Service and is part of the Presidents Park. In 2007, it was ranked second on the American Institute of Architects list of Americas Favorite Architecture, in May 1790, New York began construction of Government House for his official residence, but he never occupied it. The national capital moved to Philadelphia in December 1790, the July 1790 Residence Act named Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the temporary national capital for a 10-year period while the Federal City was under construction. The City of Philadelphia rented Robert Morriss city house at 190 High Street for Washingtons presidential residence, the first president occupied the Market Street mansion from November 1790 to March 1797, and altered it in ways that may have influenced the design of the White House. As part of an effort to have Philadelphia named the permanent national capital, Pennsylvania built a much grander presidential mansion several blocks away. President John Adams also occupied the Market Street mansion from March 1797 to May 1800, on Saturday, November 1,1800, he became the first president to occupy the White House. The Presidents House in Philadelphia became a hotel and was demolished in 1832, the Presidents House was a major feature of Pierre Charles LEnfants plan for the newly established federal city, Washington, D. C
25.
Ronald Reagan
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Ronald Wilson Reagan was an American politician and actor who was the 40th President of the United States, from 1981 to 1989. Before his presidency, he was the 33rd Governor of California, from 1967 to 1975, after a career as a Hollywood actor and union leader. Raised in a family in small towns of northern Illinois, Reagan graduated from Eureka College in 1932. After moving to Hollywood in 1937, he became an actor, Reagan was twice elected President of the Screen Actors Guild, the labor union for actors, where he worked to root out Communist influence. In the 1950s, he moved into television and was a speaker at General Electric factories. Having been a lifelong Democrat, his views changed and he became a conservative and in 1962 switched to the Republican Party. In 1964, Reagans speech, A Time for Choosing, in support of Barry Goldwaters foundering presidential campaign, Building a network of supporters, he was elected Governor of California in 1966. Entering the presidency in 1981, Reagan implemented sweeping new political, in his first term he survived an assassination attempt, spurred the War on Drugs, and fought public sector labor. During his re-election bid, Reagan campaigned on the notion that it was Morning in America, foreign affairs dominated his second term, including ending of the Cold War, the bombing of Libya, and the Iran–Contra affair. Publicly describing the Soviet Union as an empire, and during his famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate. Jack, a salesman and storyteller, was the grandson of Irish Catholic immigrants from County Tipperary, Reagan had one older brother, John Neil Reagan, who became an advertising executive. As a boy, Reagans father nicknamed his son Dutch, due to his fat little Dutchman-like appearance and Dutchboy haircut, Reagans family briefly lived in several towns and cities in Illinois, including Monmouth, Galesburg, and Chicago. In 1919, they returned to Tampico and lived above the H. C, Pitney Variety Store until finally settling in Dixon. After his election as president, residing in the upstairs White House private quarters, for the time, Reagan was unusual in his opposition to racial discrimination, and recalled a time in Dixon when the local inn would not allow black people to stay there. Reagan brought them back to his house, where his mother invited them to stay the night and have breakfast the next morning, after the closure of the Pitney Store in late 1920 and the familys move to Dixon, the midwestern small universe had a lasting impression on Reagan. Reagan attended Dixon High School, where he developed interests in acting, sports and his first job was as a lifeguard at the Rock River in Lowell Park in 1927. Over a six-year period, Reagan reportedly performed 77 rescues as a lifeguard and he attended Eureka College, a Disciples-oriented liberal arts school, where he became a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, a cheerleader, and studied economics and sociology. While involved, the Miller Center of Public Affairs described him as an indifferent student and he majored in economics and sociology, and graduated with a C grade
26.
Federal government of the United States
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The Federal Government of the United States is the national government of the United States, a republic in North America, composed of 50 states, one district, Washington, D. C. and several territories. The federal government is composed of three branches, legislative, executive, and judicial, whose powers are vested by the U. S. Constitution in the Congress, the President, and the courts, including the Supreme Court. The powers and duties of these branches are defined by acts of Congress. The full name of the republic is United States of America, no other name appears in the Constitution, and this is the name that appears on money, in treaties, and in legal cases to which it is a party. The terms Government of the United States of America or United States Government are often used in documents to represent the federal government as distinct from the states collectively. In casual conversation or writing, the term Federal Government is often used, the terms Federal and National in government agency or program names generally indicate affiliation with the federal government. Because the seat of government is in Washington, D. C, Washington is commonly used as a metonym for the federal government. The outline of the government of the United States is laid out in the Constitution, the government was formed in 1789, making the United States one of the worlds first, if not the first, modern national constitutional republics. The United States government is based on the principles of federalism and republicanism, some make the case for expansive federal powers while others argue for a more limited role for the central government in relation to individuals, the states or other recognized entities. For example, while the legislative has the power to create law, the President nominates judges to the nations highest judiciary authority, but those nominees must be approved by Congress. The Supreme Court, in its turn, has the power to invalidate as unconstitutional any law passed by the Congress and these and other examples are examined in more detail in the text below. The United States Congress is the branch of the federal government. It is bicameral, comprising the House of Representatives and the Senate, the House currently consists of 435 voting members, each of whom represents a congressional district. The number of each state has in the House is based on each states population as determined in the most recent United States Census. All 435 representatives serve a two-year term, each state receives a minimum of one representative in the House. There is no limit on the number of terms a representative may serve, in addition to the 435 voting members, there are six non-voting members, consisting of five delegates and one resident commissioner. In contrast, the Senate is made up of two senators from each state, regardless of population, there are currently 100 senators, who each serve six-year terms
27.
Latin America
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Latin America is a group of countries and dependencies in the Americas where Romance languages are predominant. It is therefore broader than the terms Ibero-America or Hispanic America—though it usually excludes French Canada and it has an area of approximately 19,197,000 km2, almost 13% of the Earths land surface area. As of 2015, its population was estimated at more than 626 million and in 2014, Latin America had a combined nominal GDP of 5,573,397 million USD and a GDP PPP of 7,531,585 million USD. The term Latin America was first used in 1861 in La revue des races Latines, a further investigation of the concept of Latin America is by Michel Gobat in the American Historical Review. The term was first used in Paris in an 1856 conference by the Chilean politician Francisco Bilbao and this term was also used in 1861 by French scholars in La revue des races Latines, a magazine dedicated to the Pan-Latinism movement. Latin America is, therefore, defined as all parts of the Americas that were once part of the Spanish. By this definition, Latin America is coterminous with Ibero-America and this definition emphasizes a similar socioeconomic history of the region, which was characterized by formal or informal colonialism, rather than cultural aspects. As such, some sources avoid this oversimplification by using the phrase Latin America, the distinction between Latin America and Anglo-America is a convention based on the predominant languages in the Americas by which Romance-language and English-speaking cultures are distinguished. Latin America can be subdivided into several subregions based on geography, politics, demographics and it may be subdivided on linguistic grounds into Hispanic America, Portuguese America and French America. *, Not a sovereign state The concept of Latin America has been criticized by a number of intellectuals, the earliest known settlement was identified at Monte Verde, near Puerto Montt in Southern Chile. Its occupation dates to some 14,000 years ago and there is disputed evidence of even earlier occupation. Over the course of millennia, people spread to all parts of the continents, by the first millennium CE, South Americas vast rainforests, mountains, plains and coasts were the home of tens of millions of people. Some groups formed more permanent settlements such as the Chibcha and the Tairona groups and these groups are in the circum Caribbean region. The Chibchas of Colombia, the Quechuas and Aymaras of Bolivia, the region was home to many indigenous peoples and advanced civilizations, including the Aztecs, Toltecs, Maya, and Inca. The Aztec empire was ultimately the most powerful civilization known throughout the Americas, with the arrival of the Europeans following Christopher Columbus voyages, the indigenous elites, such as the Incas and Aztecs, lost power to the heavy European invasion. Hernándo Cortés seized the Aztec elites power with the help of local groups who had favored the Aztec elite, epidemics of diseases brought by the Europeans, such as smallpox and measles, wiped out a large portion of the indigenous population. Historians cannot determine the number of natives who died due to European diseases, due to the lack of written records, specific numbers are hard to verify. Many of the survivors were forced to work in European plantations, intermixing between the indigenous peoples and the European colonists was very common, and, by the end of the colonial period, people of mixed ancestry formed majorities in several colonies
28.
Corto Maltese (DC Comics)
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Corto Maltese is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Corto Maltese is an island off the coast of South America. It has been referenced in two non-canonical DC sources, Corto Maltese appears in Frank Millers graphic novel Batman, The Dark Knight Returns as an island off the coast of South America. The island is in a state of rebellion, and an uprising against the government occurs. The war escalates when the United States supports the government and the Soviet Union supports the rebels, with tension increasing between the United States and the Soviet Union, the U. S. President dispatches Superman to subdue the uprising. The Soviets respond to Supermans presence by launching a nuclear warhead called Coldbringer, Corto Maltese is referenced in the Smallville television show. You guys know the drill, wheels up in thirty-five minutes, in the TV series Arrow, in the episode Lone Gunmen, Oliver Queen mentions that the mercenary Deadshot operated in Corto Maltese. Corto Maltese is featured in episodes 2 and 3 of season 3 as the location where Thea Queen trains with her father, the filming location for the overview of Corto Maltese is, however, not in South America, but in Monaco. Episode 3x03 bears the title Corto Maltese, in the TV series Supergirl, in the first episode of the second season, Alex Danvers mentions that the international assassin for hire John Corben was linked to genocide in Corto Maltese. Corto Maltese was referenced in the 1989 Batman film, photojournalist Vicki Vale traveled to Corto Maltese to take photographs of its revolutions aftermath. Her photos were selected for an article in Time magazine, in the movie, Vicki Vale spent time in Corto Maltese, where she shot a series of gruesome photographs during the violent rebel uprising. Upon seeing Vales pictures on the cover and throughout the magazine showing a desert war zone strewn with dead bodies, Corto Maltese appears in the animated adaptation of the comic Batman, The Dark Knight Returns
29.
Soviet Armed Forces
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The OGPU was later made independent and amalgamated with the NKVD in 1934, and thus its Internal Troops were under the joint management of the Defense and Interior Commisariats. The Council of Peoples Commissars set up the Red Army by decree on January 15,1918, credit as the founder of the Red Army generally goes to Leon Trotsky, the Peoples Commissar for War from 1918 to 1924. At the beginning of its existence, the Red Army functioned as a voluntary formation, however, a decree of May 29,1918 imposed obligatory military service for men of ages 18 to 40. To service the massive draft, the Bolsheviks formed regional military commissariats, Democratic election of officers was also abolished by decree, while separate quarters for officers, special forms of address, saluting, and higher pay were all reinstated. After General Aleksei Brusilov offered the Bolsheviks his professional services in 1920, the Bolshevik authorities set up a special commission under the chair of Lev Glezarov, and by August 1920 had drafted about 315,000 ex-officers. Most often they held the position of military advisor, a number of prominent Soviet Army commanders had previously served as Imperial Russian generals. In fact, a number of former Imperial military men, notably a member of the Supreme Military Council, Mikhail Bonch-Bruevich, had joined the Bolsheviks earlier, the Polish-Soviet War represented the first foreign campaign of the Red Army. The Soviet counter-offensive following the 1920 Polish invasion of Ukraine at first met with success, in 1934, Mongolia and the USSR, recognising the threat from the mounting Japanese military presence in Manchuria and Inner Mongolia, agreed to co-operate in the field of defence. On March 12,1936, the co-operation increased with the ten-year Mongolian-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, in May 1939, a Mongolian cavalry unit clashed with Manchukuoan cavalry in the disputed territory east of the Halha River. There followed a clash with a Japanese detachment, which drove the Mongolians over the river, the Soviet troops quartered there in accordance with the mutual defence protocol intervened and obliterated the detachment. Escalation of the conflict appeared imminent, and both sides spent June amassing forces, on July 1 the Japanese force numbered 38,000 troops. The combined Soviet-Mongol force had 12,500 troops, the Japanese crossed the river, but after a three-day battle their opponents threw them back over the river. The Japanese kept probing the Soviet defences throughout July, without success, on August 23 the entire Japanese force found itself encircled, and on August 31 largely destroyed. Artillery and air attacks wiped out those Japanese who refused to surrender, Japan requested a cease-fire, and the conflict concluded with an agreement between the USSR, Mongolia and Japan signed on September 15 in Moscow. In the conflict, the Red Army losses were 9,703 killed in action, the Japanese lost 25,000 KIA, the grand total was 61,000 killed, missing, wounded and taken prisoner. Shortly after the cease-fire, the Japanese negotiated access to the battlefields to collect their dead, finding thousands upon thousands of dead bodies came as a further shock to the already shaken morale of the Japanese soldiers. The Soviet invasion opened a front for the Poles and forced them to abandon plans for defence in the Romanian bridgehead area. The Soviet and German advance halted roughly at the Curzon Line, the defined Soviet sphere of interest matched the territory subsequently captured in the campaign
30.
World War III
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World War III and Third World War are names given to a hypothetical third worldwide military conflict subsequent to World War I and World War II. The term has been in use since the end of World War II, during the inter-war period between the two World Wars, WW I was typically referred to simply as The Great War and was almost never referred to as the First World War. Unfortunately, in 1939 the outbreak of World War II disproved the hope that mankind might have outgrown the need for such widespread global wars. With the advent of the Cold War in 1947 and with the spread of nuclear technology to the Soviet Union. During the Cold War years the possibility of a Third World War was anticipated and planned for by military, scenarios ranged from conventional warfare to limited or total nuclear warfare. At the height of the Cold War, in a referred to as MAD. The spectre of the potential of the destruction of the human race may have contributed to the ability of both American and Soviet leaders to avoid such a scenario. The Cold War ended in 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed, with the end of the Cold War, it was believed that the likelihood of a fully unrestricted nuclear confrontation between two superpowers was significantly diminished. Military planners have been war gaming various scenarios, preparing for the worst, some of those plans are now out of date and have been partially or fully declassified. In April–May 1945, British Armed Forces developed Operation Unthinkable, thought to be the first scenario of the Third World War and its primary goal was to impose upon Russia the will of the United States and the British Empire. The plan was rejected by the British Chiefs of Staff Committee as militarily unfeasible, Operation Dropshot was the 1950s United States contingency plan for a possible nuclear and conventional war with the Soviet Union in the Western European and Asian theaters. At the time the US nuclear arsenal was limited in size, based mostly in the United States, between 75 and 100 of the 300 nuclear weapons were targeted to destroy Soviet combat aircraft on the ground. The scenario was devised prior to the development of ballistic missiles. It was also devised before Robert McNamara and President Kennedy changed the US Nuclear War plan from the city killing countervalue strike plan to counterforce, in January 1950, the North Atlantic Council approved NATOs military strategy of containment. Allied Command Europe was established under General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, US Army, the Western Union Defence Organization had previously carried out Exercise Verity, a 1949 multilateral exercise involving naval air strikes and submarine attacks. Exercise Mainbrace brought together 200 ships and over 50,000 personnel to practice the defence of Denmark and it was the first major NATO exercise. The exercise was jointly commanded by Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic Admiral Lynde D. McCormick, USN, ridgeway, US Army, during the Fall of 1952. The US, UK, Canada, France, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Netherlands, exercises Grand Slam and Longstep were naval exercises held in the Mediterranean Sea during 1952 to practice dislodging an enemy occupying force and amphibious assault
31.
Arkham Asylum
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Arkham Asylum first appeared in Batman #258, written by Dennis ONeil and drawn by Irv Novick. Arkham Asylum serves as a hospital for the Gotham City area. Arkham Asylum is located in the greater Gotham City area, sometimes depicted as being on the outskirts of the city, Arkham is where Batmans foes who are considered to be mentally ill are brought as patients. Although it has had numerous administrators, recent comic books have featured Jeremiah Arkham, in addition, prisoners with unusual medical conditions that prevent them from staying in a regular prison are housed in Arkham. Arkham Asylum, on the outskirts of Gotham City, has a long and brutal history, beginning when its own architect became mentally unwell and he was convicted and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in the same asylum he had been building. The one-shot graphic novel Arkham Asylum, A Serious House on Serious Earth establishes that the asylum was named after Elizabeth Arkham, the original name of the asylum was Arkham Hospital. Its dark history began in the early 1900s when Arkhams mother, having suffered from mental illness most of her life, however, it was later revealed that her son had actually euthanized her, and repressed the memory. Amadeus then decided, as the heir to the Arkham estate, to remodel his family home in order to properly treat the mentally ill. Upon telling his family of his plans, they moved back to his home to oversee the remodeling. Shortly afterward, Amadeus Arkham returned to his home to find his front door wide open, inside, he discovered the corpses of his wife and daughter in an upstairs room, with Mad Dogs alias carved on Harriets body. Despite this family tragedy, the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane officially opened that November, with his sanity in tatters, Dr. Arkham designed a floor plan that evoked occult runes, he believed that the pattern would drive away the mysterious bat that haunted his dreams. One of its first patients was Mad Dog, whom Amadeus Arkham insisted on treating personally, after treating Mad Dog for six months, Amadeus Arkham strapped him to an electroshock couch then deliberately and purposefully electrocuted him. The staff treated the death as an accident, but it contributed to Amadeus Arkhams gradual descent into mental illness, eventually, Amadeus Arkham was a patient in his own asylum, where he died. Arkham Asylum first appeared in October 1974 in Batman #258, written by Dennis ONeil, in this story, it is named as Arkham Hospital, although it is not clear what kind of hospital it is. Also in 1979, the move to have the closer to Gotham had begun, that was completed in 1980. It is perhaps for this reason that Batman #326 is listed in some histories as the first appearance of Arkham Asylum and it was also Wein who, in 1985s Whos Who #1, created its current backstory. Arkham Asylum has been demolished or destroyed several times in its history, notably during the events of Batman and it is also seriously damaged at the beginning of the Knightfall storyline, when Bane uses stolen munitions to blow up the facility and release all the patients. After these events, the asylum is relocated to a mansion known as Mercey Mansion
32.
Catwoman
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Catwoman is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, and she made her debut in Batman #1, depicted as a jewel thief in Gotham City, Catwoman has typically been characterized as a supervillain and adversary of Batman. However, since the 1990s, Catwoman has been featured in a series that portrays her as an antiheroine rather than a traditional villain. She is known for her complex relationship with Batman and has been his most enduring love interest. The original and most widely known Catwoman is Selina Kyle, the character was partially inspired by Kanes cousin, Ruth Steel, as well as actress Jean Harlow. For many years the character thrived, but from September 1954 to November 1966 Catwoman took a hiatus due to the newly developing Comics Code Authority in 1954. These issues involved the rules regarding the development and portrayal of characters that were in violation of the Comics Code. In the comics, Holly Robinson and Eiko Hasigawa both have adopted the Catwoman identity, apart from Selina, a popular figure, Catwoman has been featured in many media adaptations related to Batman. Actresses Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, and Eartha Kitt introduced her to an audience on the 1960s Batman television series. Michelle Pfeiffer portrayed the character in 1992s Batman Returns, halle Berry starred in a stand-alone Catwoman film, 2004s Catwoman, which was a critical and commercial flop, and bears little to no resemblance to the Batman character. Anne Hathaway portrayed Selina Kyle in the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises and, most recently, Catwoman was ranked 11th on IGNs Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time list, and 51st on Wizard magazines 100 Greatest Villains of All Time list. Conversely, she was ranked 20th on IGNs Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time list, Batmans creator, Bob Kane, was a great movie fan and his love for film provided the impetus for several Batman characters, among them, Catwoman. She was partially inspired by 1930s film star Jean Harlow who at Kanes then-early and, seemed to personify feminine pulchritude at its most sensuous. Catwoman was meant to be a love interest and to engage Batman in a chess game, at the same time, this character was meant to be different from other Batman villains like the Joker in that she was never a killer or evil. As for using cat imagery with their Catwoman, Kane states he, although she does not wear her iconic cat-suit, the story establishes her core personality as a femme fatale who both antagonizes and attracts Batman. It is implied Batman may have let her get away by blocking Robin as he tried to leap after her. She next appears in Batman #2 in a story involving the Joker. In Batman #3 she wears a fur mask and again succeeds in escaping Batman, Batman #62 reveals that Catwoman is an amnesiac flight attendant who had turned to crime after suffering a prior blow to the head during a plane crash she survived
33.
Gotham City Police Department
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The Gotham City Police Department is a fictional police department servicing Gotham City, as depicted in comic books published by DC Comics, in particular those tied into the Batman books. The strongest blow against police corruption came when an increasing amount of charges against Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb forced him to resign his position. The Falcone crime family, which has had a stranglehold on Gothams underground for generations, after the death of Carmine Falcone, the mob lashed out in sloppy, retaliatory crimes which, in combination with rising gang violence, severely crippled organized crime in Gotham City. Simultaneously, the presence of corrupt police officers allowed James Gordon to become the new commissioner. The GCPD has had a long relationship with the citys vigilante known as Batman. Commissioner Gordon went along with him because Batman got the job done and his successor, Commissioner Michael Akins ordered the arrest of Batman and had the Bat-signal removed from the roof of Gotham Central. Corruption and rot within the department also rose during Akins tenure as Commissioner. As of DCs One Year Later, James Gordon has been reinstated as Commissioner, Harvey came back on disciplinary probation after helping expose a criminal drug ring. Relations with Batman, including the Bat-Signal, have been established once more, other characters from Gotham Central have appeared in the recent Tales of the Unexpected miniseries, featuring Crispus Allen as the Spectre. Thus far, Detective Driver has appeared in a speaking role, kate Kane referred to Akins as police commissioner in the weekly 52 series, which reveals the events of the missing year. A later issue, however, showed a brief snapshot of Commissioner Gordons welcome back party, the circumstances of Akinss departure and Gordons reinstatement have yet to be explained. Maggie Sawyer is still the commander of the MCU department, and has ended her relationship with former lover Toby Raines, homicide Division, The division that handles murders and some of the more serious non-metahuman crimes in Gotham. This is the division Gordon was a part of becoming commissioner. Former private investigator Jason Bard is now working on homicide cases for this division, Major Crimes Unit, Led by Capt. This division is the focus of the book series Gotham Central. Quick Response Team, Led by Lt. Gerard Jerry Hennelly, note, The following are either deceased or have been dismissed from the Gotham City Police Department. Michael Akins - Succeeded Gordon as commissioner, left GCPD during the gap under unknown circumstances. Crispus Allen - Detective, Major Crimes Unit, killed by Jim Corrigan, now the Spectre
34.
Nuclear electromagnetic pulse
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A nuclear electromagnetic pulse is a characteristic burst of electromagnetic radiation created by nuclear explosions. The resulting rapidly changing electric and magnetic fields may couple with electrical and electronic systems to produce damaging current, the specific characteristics of any particular nuclear EMP event vary according to a number of factors, the most important of which is the altitude of the detonation. The term electromagnetic pulse generally excludes optical and ionizing ranges, in military terminology, a nuclear warhead detonated hundreds of kilometers above the Earths surface is known as a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse device. The fact that a pulse is produced by a nuclear explosion was known in the earliest days of nuclear weapons testing. The magnitude of the EMP and the significance of its effects, during the first United States nuclear test on 16 July 1945, electronic equipment was shielded because Enrico Fermi expected the electromagnetic pulse. The official technical history for that first nuclear test states, All signal lines were completely shielded, in spite of this many records were lost because of spurious pickup at the time of the explosion that paralyzed the recording equipment. During British nuclear testing in 1952–1953 instrumentation failures were attributed to radioflash, the first openly reported observation of the unique aspects of high-altitude nuclear EMP occurred during the helium balloon lofted Yucca nuclear test of the Hardtack I series on 28 April 1958. In that test, the field measurements from the 1.7 kiloton weapon went off the scale of the test instruments and was estimated to be about 5 times the oscilloscope limits. The Yucca EMP was initially positive-going whereas low-altitude bursts were negative pulses, also, the polarization of the Yucca EMP signal was horizontal, whereas low-altitude nuclear EMP was vertically polarized. In spite of many differences, the unique EMP results were dismissed as a possible wave propagation anomaly. The larger scientific community aware of the significance of the EMP problem after a three-article series on nuclear EMP was published in 1981 by William J. Broad in Science. In July 1962, the US carried out the Starfish Prime test and this demonstrated that the effects of a high-altitude nuclear explosion were much larger than had been previously calculated. Starfish Prime was the first success in the series of United States high-altitude nuclear tests in 1962 known as Operation Fishbowl, subsequent tests gathered more data on the high-altitude EMP phenomenon. The EMP damage of the Starfish Prime test was quickly repaired because of the ruggedness of Hawaiis electrical and these calculations, combined with the accelerating reliance on EMP-sensitive microelectronics, heightened awareness that EMP could be a significant problem. In 1962, the Soviet Union also performed three EMP-producing nuclear tests in space over Kazakhstan, the last in the Soviet Project K nuclear tests. The geomagnetic storm–like E3 pulse from Test 184 induced a current surge in an underground power line that caused a fire in the power plant in the city of Karaganda. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the level of damage was communicated informally to U. S. scientists. After the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, there was a period of a few years of cooperation between United States and Russian scientists on the HEMP phenomenon
35.
Power outage
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A power outage is a short-term or a long-term loss of the electric power to a particular area. There are many causes of failures in an electricity network. Power failures are particularly critical at sites where the environment and public safety are at risk, other critical systems, such as telecommunication, are also required to have emergency power. The battery room of a telephone exchange usually has arrays of lead–acid batteries for backup, Power is automatically restored once the fault is cleared. A brownout is a drop in voltage in a power supply. The term brownout comes from the experienced by lighting when the voltage sags. Brownouts can cause poor performance of equipment or even incorrect operation, a blackout is the total loss of power to an area and is the most severe form of power outage that can occur. Blackouts which result from or result in power stations tripping are particularly difficult to recover from quickly, outages may last from a few minutes to a few weeks depending on the nature of the blackout and the configuration of the electrical network. In power supply networks, the generation and the electrical load must be very close to equal every second to avoid overloading of network components. Protective relays and fuses are used to automatically detect overloads and to disconnect circuits at risk of damage, under certain conditions, a network component shutting down can cause current fluctuations in neighboring segments of the network leading to a cascading failure of a larger section of the network. This may range from a building, to a block, to an entire city, modern power systems are designed to be resistant to this sort of cascading failure, but it may be unavoidable. In a 2003 publication, Carreras and co-authors claimed that reducing the likelihood of small outages only increases the likelihood of larger ones, in that case, the short-term economic benefit of keeping the individual customer happy increases the likelihood of large-scale blackouts. Computer systems and other devices containing logic circuitry are susceptible to data loss or hardware damage that can be caused by the sudden loss of power. These can include data networking equipment, video projectors, alarm systems as well as computers, to protect against surges, which can damage hardware when power is restored, a special device called a surge protector that absorbs the excess voltage can be used. Restoring power after a wide-area outage can be difficult, as power stations need to be brought back on-line, normally, this is done with the help of power from the rest of the grid. In the total absence of power, a so-called black start needs to be performed to bootstrap the power grid into operation. It has been argued on the basis of data and computer modeling that power grids are self-organized critical systems. These systems exhibit unavoidable disturbances of all sizes, up to the size of the entire system and this phenomenon has been attributed to steadily increasing demand/load, the economics of running a power company, and the limits of modern engineering
36.
Green Arrow
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Green Arrow is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mortimer Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941 and his real name is Oliver Ollie Queen, a billionaire businessman and owner of Queen Industries, also a well-known celebrity in his locale of Star City. Green Arrow enjoyed moderate success in his years, becoming the cover feature of More Fun. Throughout his first twenty-five years, however, the character never enjoyed greater popularity, in 1970, he was paired with a more law and order-oriented hero, Green Lantern, in a ground-breaking, socially conscious comic book series. Since then, he has been popular among comic book fans and most writers have taken an urban, the character was killed off in the 1990s and replaced by a new character, Olivers son Connor Hawke. Connor, however, proved a popular character, and the original Oliver Queen character was resurrected in the 2001 Quiver storyline. Green Arrow was not initially a well-known character outside of comic book fandom, in live action, he appeared in the series Smallville, played by actor Justin Hartley, and became a core cast member. Green Arrow and Speedy first appeared in More Fun Comics #73, when Mort Weisinger was creating the character, aside from the obvious allusions to Robin Hood, took inspiration from a movie serial, The Green Archer, based on the novel by Edgar Wallace. He retooled the concept into an archer with obvious Batman influences. His and Speedys first origin stories were told in More Fun Comics #89, another Weisinger-created character, Aquaman, also appeared for the first time in that issue. These two back-up features continued to run concurrently in More Fun Comics until the mid-1940s, as well as then in Adventure Comics between 1946 and 1960, Green Arrow and Speedy also appeared in various issues of Worlds Finest Comics until issue #140. The Green Arrow and Speedy feature was one of five back-up features to be promoted in one of the earliest team-up books, Green Arrow was one of the few DC characters to keep going after the Golden Age of Comic Books. Aside from sharing Adventure Comics with him, issue featured an encounter between a younger Oliver Queen and Superboy. The Green Arrow and Speedy feature during this period included a run in 1958 written by Dick and Dave Wood. For much of period, Green Arrows adventures were written by France Herron. In 1969, artist Neal Adams updated the visual appearance by giving him a Van Dyke beard and costume of his own design in The Brave. The story also turned teammate Black Canary into a love interest for Queen, in the early 1970s, Green Arrow became a co-feature with Green Lantern in an acclaimed series of stories by ONeil and Adams that dealt with various social and political issues. Queen convinces Jordan to see beyond his strict obedience to the Green Lantern Corps, ONeil explained, He would be a hot-tempered anarchist to contrast with the cerebral, sedate model citizen who was Green Lantern
37.
Powered exoskeleton
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The earliest exoskeleton-like device was a set of walking, jumping and running assisted apparatus developed in 1890 by a Russian named Nicholas Yagin. As a unit, the apparatus used compressed gas bags to store energy that would assist with movements, although it was passive in operation and required human power. In 1917, United States inventor Leslie C. Kelley developed what he called a pedomotor, with the pedomotor, energy could be generated apart from the user. The first true exoskeleton in the sense of being a mobile machine integrated with human movements was co-developed by General Electric, the suit was named Hardiman, and made lifting 110 kilograms feel like lifting 4.5 kilograms. Powered by hydraulics and electricity, the suit allowed the wearer to amplify their strength by a factor of 25, a feature dubbed force feedback enabled the wearer to feel the forces and objects being manipulated. While the general idea sounded somewhat promising, the actual Hardiman had major limitations and it was impractical, due to its 680-kilogram weight. Another issue was that it is a system, where the operator is in a master suit. This multiple physical layer type of operation may work fine, when the goal is physical enhancement, response time matters. Its slow walking speed of 0.76 metres per second further limited practical uses, any attempt to use the full exoskeleton resulted in a violent uncontrolled motion, and as a result it was never tested with a human inside. Further research concentrated on one arm, although it could lift its specified load of 340 kg, it weighed three quarters of a ton, just over twice the liftable load. Without getting all the components to work together, the uses for the Hardiman project were limited. Legged locomotion systems were developed first, also, the first theory of these systems was developed in the same institute, in the frame of active exoskeletons. Hence, it can be said that active exoskeletons were the predecessors of the modern high-performance humanoid robots, the present-day active exoskeletons are developed as the systems for enhancing capabilities of the natural human skeletal system. One specimen was delivered to the Central Institute for Traumatology and Orthopedy, from 1991 the exoskeleton belongs to the basic fund of Polytechnic Museum and State Museum Fund of Russian Federation. It is displayed in the frame of the Museums exposition dedicated to the development of automation, los Alamos Laboratories worked on an exoskeleton project in the 1960s called Project Pitman. In 1986, a prototype called the LIFESUIT was created by Monty Reed. In 2001 LIFESUIT One was built, in 2003 LS6 was able to record and play back a human gait. In 2005 LS12 was worn in a race known as the Saint Patricks Day Dash in Seattle
38.
Kryptonite
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Kryptonite is a material from the Superman fictional universe, specifically the ore form of a radioactive element or compound from Supermans home planet of Krypton. A mineral actually named kryptonite was introduced in the story arc The Meteor from Krypton in June 1943 on The Adventures of Superman radio series, in 1949, kryptonite was incorporated into the comic mythos with issue #61 of Superman. In an effort to reduce the use of kryptonite in storylines, columbia Pictures produced two 15-part motion picture serials that used kryptonite as a plot device, Superman and Atom Man vs. Superman. Superman, The Movie, Lex Luthor deduces that a found in Addis Ababa is actually a radioactive piece of the exploded planet Krypton. Luthor uses the mineral to weaken Superman, who is saved by Luthors lover Eve Teschmacher, Superman III, billionaire Ross Webster orders the creation of synthetic kryptonite. Computer programmer Gus Gorman uses tar to compensate for a component of kryptonite, causing the newly created mineral to eventually turn Superman evil. Gormans super computer later fights Superman and uses a kryptonite ray, Superman Returns, Lex Luthor steals the Addis Ababa L9 Pallasite Meteorite and uses it to create a new kryptonite landmass and a dagger for use against Superman. Justice League, Crisis on Two Earths, an alternate version of Lex Luthor uses blue kryptonite against the villain Ultraman. Justice League, Doom, the villain Metallo wounds Superman with a kryptonite bullet, Kryptonite is stolen from Luthor by Batman, who uses it to create kryptonite gas pellets and a kryptonite-tipped spear, both of which he later uses in a battle with Superman. Doomsday is also shown to be weakened by kryptonite, allowing Superman to use the spear to him in the films climax. Adventures of Superman, episodes Panic in the Sky, The Defeat of Superman, Superman Week, The Deadly Rock, The Magic Secret, The Gentle Monster and All That Glitters all feature kryptonite. The mineral is colloquially referred to by Smallville residents as meteor rock, aside from being harmful to Clark Kent, the mineral produces bizarre changes in flora and fauna, including occasionally bestowing metahuman abilities on humans. These people are known by the inhabitants of Smallville as Meteor Freaks. In Stronger Together, a room with low level kryptonite radiation is used to train Supergirl in fighting without her power, later, Hank Henshaw uses a kryptonite knife on Astra Zor-El. By the episode Hostile Takeover, the Kryptonians have managed to develop a wearable device blocking the radiation, DEO was shown to use kryptonite radiation guns in addition to the darts. In the episode Bizarro, the DEO attempts to use bullets on the titular character. However, the DEO manages to synthesize a substance with reversed ionic charge, in the episode For the Girl Who Has Everything, the DEO once again use green kryptonite to battle the evil Kryptonians, with Alex using a kryptonite sword to kill Astra. The Red variety appears in the episode Falling, as an attempt to recreate green kryptonite by Maxwell Lord
39.
Wayne Manor
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Wayne Manor is a fictional American mansion appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics and is the personal residence of Bruce Wayne, who is also Batman. The residence is depicted as a large mansion on grounds outside Gotham City, maintained by the Wayne familys butler. It was without exception referred to in the 1960s TV series as stately Wayne Manor, the manor grounds include an extensive subterranean cave system that Bruce Wayne discovered as a boy and later used as his base of operations, the Batcave. The method used to access it has varied across the different storylines in the comics, movies, Wayne came to this decision when Dick Grayson went off to college, which led him to decide that the mansion was now impractical with only one resident and one servant. Furthermore, Wayne decided he wanted to be closer to his field of operations in Gotham City than a home situated outside the main urban area would allow. During the events of Batman, Cataclysm a massive earthquake struck Gotham City, the mansion was seriously damaged, as was the cave network beneath. The ground beneath the mansion shifted significantly, and actually revealed the Batcave below, the original Manor was damaged beyond repair, forcing Bruce Wayne to redesign the Manor along with the Batcave. The new Manor is a fortress, a pastiche of Gothic architecture combined with features of castellated architecture. Solar panels are installed in the new Manor, providing environmentally-friendly electricity generation for the complex and it also includes a heliport for commercial helicopters. However, Bruce returns to the manor when he realizes who he used to be, in Kingdom Come, the Manor was mostly destroyed by Two-Face and Bane after Batmans true identity was exposed, the Batcave, however, remained relatively untouched. By the end of the novel, the Manor has been rebuilt as a hospital/hospice for Gulag battle victims. In the 1960s live action series, the exteriors were shot at 380 South San Rafael Avenue in Pasadena, the interiors were shot at various soundstages. The primary passage to the Batcave from the manor was located in Bruce Waynes study behind a bookshelf that retracted into the wall, the bookshelf was activated by a switch hidden in a bust of William Shakespeare. The bookshelf would disappear to reveal two labeled firepoles descending to the Batcave, through an undisclosed mechanism, the poles allowed for Batman and Robin to go from their civilian garb to costume. The interiors and exterior of the Wayne Manor was also used in the original Mission, Impossible TV series episodes Charity and The Visitors. It was used in 2016 for another group as the residence of Hydra leader, Gideon Malick. Webb Institutes Stevenson Taylor Hall reprises its earlier role as Wayne Manor in the pilot for the TV series Gotham. The 1943 Batman serial originated the use of a clock as a door to the bat cave
40.
Lana Lang
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Lana Lang is a fictional supporting character in DC Comics Superman comics series. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist John Sikela, the character first appears in Superboy #10, Lana is one of many Superman characters with the alliterative initials LL, the most notable other examples being Supermans primary love interest Lois Lane and nemesis, Lex Luthor. In Modern revisions of DC Comics continuity, she and Clark are shown to have remained friends since their teenage years, the stories varies across different revisions of Supermans origin story. She has been featured in most other adaptations of Superboy. These portrayals include the Adventures of Superboy television series, played by Stacy Haiduk, and the WB television series Smallville, played by Kristin Kreuk. In Smallville she was teenage Clark Kents principal romantic interest throughout the shows first seven seasons and she has also appeared in many adaptations of Superman stories, although her role is generally smaller. In Superman, The Movie Lana was played by Diane Sherry, in the 1983 film Superman III, she is played by Annette OToole, who would later portray Martha Kent on Smallville. In the original Superboy stories, Lana was the girl who lived next door to the Kent family in Smallville, and was a romantic interest of Superboy. In the Silver Age stories, Lana often behaved like a version of Lois Lane, spending much of her time trying to prove that Superboy and Clark Kent were one. At one point, Lana once rescued an insect-like alien trapped by a tree in Smallville. In gratitude, the gave her a bio-genetic ring which allowed Lana to gain insect characteristics. Lana created a yellow costume and mask, and took the name Insect Queen. Lana also had adventures with Superboy, and several with the futuristic superhero team the Legion of Super-Heroes. Also appearing in some Silver Age stories was Lanas uncle, Professor Potter, after Clark and Lana graduated from high school, Lana went to college, and eventually became a television reporter for Metropolis TV station WMET-TV. As an adult, Lana became a rival to Lois Lane for Supermans affection in various 1960s stories, often appearing in the title Supermans Girlfriend, during the 1970s and early 1980s, Lana became an anchorwoman for WGBS-TVs evening news in Metropolis, as a co-anchor to Clark Kent. Her attraction to Superman during this time had died off. Lana later became linked to the alien super-hero Vartox. Eventually, she and Clark Kent became romantically involved in prior to the Crisis on Infinite Earths
41.
Daily Planet
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The Daily Planet is a fictional broadsheet newspaper appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. The newspaper was first mentioned in Action Comics #23, the newspaper is based out of the fictional city of Metropolis, and employs Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen, with Perry White as its editor-in-chief. In the Batman, Hush storyline, it is named a subsidiary of Wayne Entertainment, the buildings original features appear to be based upon the Old Toronto Star Building, where Superman co-creator Joe Shuster was a newsboy when the Toronto Star was still called the Daily Star. Shuster has claimed that Metropolis was visually inspired by Toronto, however, over the years, Metropolis has served as a fictional analogue to New York City. The newspaper is said to be located in the heart of Metropolis, at the corner of Fifth Street, one story claims the Planet began publication in 1775 and that George Washington wrote a guest editorial for the first daily edition. The Daily Planet buildings most distinguishing and famous feature is the globe that sits on top of the building. When Superman first appeared in comics, his alter ego Clark Kent worked for an named the Daily Star. It was not until later years that the paper became the Daily Planet. While choosing a name for the newspaper, consideration was given to combining the names of the Globe and Mail. But when the strip appeared, the newspapers name was permanently made the Daily Planet to avoid a name conflict with real newspapers. In Superman #5, the publisher of the Daily Planet is shown to be Burt Mason, in Superman #6, Mason gives free printing equipment to The Gateston Gazette after its editor, Jim Tirrell, is killed and its equipment is destroyed by racketeers that Tirrell insisted on reporting. The Clark Kent of Earth-Two eventually became the editor-in-chief of the Daily Star, the story resulted in Perry earning a Pulitzer Prize. During Clark Kents years in college, Perry White was promoted to editor-in-chief upon the retirement of the Daily Planets previous editor, after graduating from Metropolis University with a degree in journalism, Clark Kent went to work at the Planet, and quickly met Lois Lane. After Clark was hired, Jimmy Olsen joined the papers staff, in 1971, the Daily Planet was purchased by Morgan Edge, president of the Galaxy Broadcasting System. Edge proceeded to integrate Metropolis television station WGBS-TVs studios into the Daily Planet building, eventually, Clarks former schoolmate from Smallville Lana Lang joined Clark as a co-anchor. After the 1985–1986 miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths, many of these elements, in the post-Crisis comics canon, years before Clark or Lois began working for the paper, Lex Luthor owned the Daily Planet. When Luthor, deciding to sell the paper, began taking bids for the Planet, Perry White convinced an international conglomerate, TransNational Enterprises and they agreed to this venture with only one stipulation, that Perry White would become editor-in-chief. White had served as the Planet editor-in-chief ever since, barring the few times he was absent, during those times people such as Sam Foswell and Clark Kent have looked after the paper
42.
David Letterman
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David Michael Letterman is an American former television host, comedian, writer, and producer. In total, Letterman hosted 6,028 episodes of Late Night and Late Show, surpassing friend, in 1996 Letterman was ranked 45th on TV Guides 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time. Letterman is also a television and film producer and his company, Worldwide Pants, produced his show and formerly produced The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Worldwide Pants has also produced several prime-time comedies, the most successful of which was Everybody Loves Raymond, several late-night hosts have cited Lettermans influence, including Conan OBrien, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers. Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and his father, Harry Joseph Letterman, was a florist. His mother, Dorothy Marie, a secretary, was an occasional figure on Lettermans show. He lived on the side of Indianapolis, not far from Speedway, Indiana, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 2000, he told an interviewer for Esquire that, while growing up, he admired his fathers ability to tell jokes, Harry Joseph Letterman survived a heart attack at age 36, when David was a young boy. The fear of losing his father was constantly with Letterman as he grew up, the elder Letterman died of a second heart attack at age 57. Letterman attended his hometowns Broad Ripple High School at the time as Marilyn Tucker. According to the Ball State Daily News, he originally had wanted to attend Indiana University and he is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, and he graduated in 1969 from what was then the Department of Radio and Television. A self-described average student, Letterman later endowed a scholarship for what he called C students at Ball State. Though he registered for the draft and passed his physical after graduating from college, Letterman began his broadcasting career as an announcer and newscaster at the colleges student-run radio station—WBST—a 10-watt campus station which now is part of Indiana Public Radio. He was fired for treating classical music with irreverence and he then became involved with the founding of another campus station—WAGO-AM570. And then all of a sudden I saw him doing it, and I thought, Thats really what I want to do. Letterman began his career as a talk show host on WNTS and on Indianapolis television station WLWI as an anchor. He received some attention for his unpredictable behavior, which included congratulating a tropical storm for being upgraded to a hurricane. In 1971 Letterman appeared as a pit reporter for ABC Sports tape-delayed coverage of the Indianapolis 500
43.
Nazism
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National Socialism, more commonly known as Nazism, is the ideology and practice associated with the 20th-century German Nazi Party and Nazi Germany, as well as other far-right groups. Nazism subscribed to theories of racial hierarchy and Social Darwinism, identifying Germans as part of what Nazis regarded as an Aryan or Nordic master race and it aimed to overcome social divisions and create a homogeneous society, unified on the basis of racial purity. The term National Socialism arose out of attempts to create a nationalist redefinition of socialism, the Nazi Partys precursor, the Pan-German nationalist and anti-Semitic German Workers Party, was founded on 5 January 1919. By the early 1920s, Adolf Hitler assumed control of the organisation, following the Holocaust and German defeat in World War II, only a few fringe racist groups, usually referred to as neo-Nazis, still describe themselves as following National Socialism. The full name of Adolf Hitlers party was Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, the shorthand Nazi was formed from the first two syllables of the German pronunciation of the word national. The term was in use before the rise of the NSDAP as a colloquial and derogatory word for a peasant, characterizing an awkward. It derived from Ignaz, being a version of Ignatius, a common name in Bavaria. Opponents seized on this and shortened the first word of the name, Nationalsozialistische. The NSDAP briefly adopted the Nazi designation, attempting to reappropriate the term, the use of Nazi Germany, Nazi regime, and so on was popularised by German exiles abroad. From them, the spread into other languages and was eventually brought back to Germany after World War II. In English, Nazism is a name for the ideology the party advocated. The majority of scholars identify Nazism in practice as a form of far-right politics, far-right themes in Nazism include the argument that superior people have a right to dominate over other people and purge society of supposed inferior elements. Adolf Hitler and other proponents officially portrayed Nazism as being neither left- nor right-wing, but the politicians of the Right deserve exactly the same reproach. It was through their miserable cowardice that those ruffians of Jews who came into power in 1918 were able to rob the nation of its arms, a major inspiration for the Nazis were the far-right nationalist Freikorps, paramilitary organisations that engaged in political violence after World War I. The Nazis stated the alliance was purely tactical and there remained substantial differences with the DNVP, the Nazis described the DNVP as a bourgeois party and called themselves an anti-bourgeois party. After the elections in 1932, the alliance broke after the DNVP lost many of its seats in the Reichstag, the Nazis denounced them as an insignificant heap of reactionaries. The DNVP responded by denouncing the Nazis for their socialism, their violence. Kaiser Wilhelm II, who was pressured to abdicate the throne and flee into exile amidst an attempted communist revolution in Germany, there were factions in the Nazi Party, both conservative and radical
