knightni

QUOTE (G&T @ Dec 2, 2011 -> 02:10 PM) They hired a psychologist for the team last year. How'd that go? Losing is a disease...

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 5, 2011 -> 07:32 PM) Some said that 2 or 3 years ago. He's a better hitter now than he was in his 20s. He's slow as can be, but he's always been slow, and he's only owed money for 2 years. If I had to guess, I'd say that he would get type B free agent return. One top 5 or two top 12-15 guys from a good system.

Voldemort is as valid as any Disney villain.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 5, 2011 -> 07:25 PM) .300 average 30 homers .900 ops, stand up guy, 2 years $24 million left on the contract, I would imagine pretty much. He seems older than he is and isn't the quickest or nimblest guy out there. I'd be surprised if they got much for him.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Dec 5, 2011 -> 07:07 PM) That system is ugly. Their top prospects are guys they drafted last June. How much trade value does Konerko really have?

I'd think that Stanford/Oklahoma St might be a better game than LSU/Alabama.

Do the Mets have a replacement for Reyes? How good is their farm?

21. Lord Voldemort (Harry Potter) (3 of 16 lists - 63 points - highest ranking #2 kyyle23, kjshoe04) Lord Voldemort (play /ˈvoʊldəmɔr/; born Tom Marvolo Riddle) is the main antagonist of the Harry Potter series written by British author J. K. Rowling. Voldemort first appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which was released in 1997. Voldemort appeared either in person or in flashbacks in each book and film adaptation in the series, except the third, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, where he is mentioned. In the series, Voldemort is the archenemy of Harry Potter, who according to a prophecy has "the power to vanquish the Dark Lord". Almost no witch or wizard dares to speak his name, instead referring to him by epithets such as "You-Know-Who", "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" or "the Dark Lord". Voldemort's obsession with blood purity signifies his aim to rid the wizarding world of Muggle (non-magical) heritage and to conquer both worlds, Muggle and wizarding, to achieve pure-blood dominance. Through his mother's family, he is the last descendant of wizard Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. According to an interview with Rowling, "Voldemort" is pronounced with a silent 't' at the end, as is common in French. This was the pronunciation used by Jim Dale in the first four U.S. audiobooks; however, after the release of the film version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, in which the characters who dared refer to him by name pronounced it with the "t", Dale altered his pronunciation to that in the films. Character development In a 2001 interview, Rowling said Voldemort was invented as a nemesis for Harry Potter, the main protagonist of the series, and she intentionally did not flesh out Voldemort's backstory at first. "The basic idea [was that Harry] didn't know he was a wizard [...] And so then I kind of worked backwards from that position to find out how that could be, that he wouldn't know what he was. [...] When he was one year old, the most evil wizard for hundreds and hundreds of years attempted to kill him. He killed Harry's parents, and then he tried to kill Harry — he tried to curse him. [...] Harry has to find out, before we find out. And – so – but for some mysterious reason the curse didn't work on Harry. So he's left with this lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead and the curse rebounded upon the evil wizard, who has been in hiding ever since." In the second book, Rowling established that Voldemort hated non-pure-blood wizards, despite being a half-blood himself. In a 2000 interview with the BBC, Rowling described Voldemort as a self-hating bully: "Well I think it is often the case that the biggest bullies take what they know to be their own defects, as they see it, and they put them right on someone else and then they try and destroy the other and that's what Voldemort does." In the same year, Rowling became more precise about Voldemort. She began to link him to real-life tyrants, describing him as "a raging psychopath, devoid of the normal human responses to other people's suffering". In 2004, though, Rowling said that she did not base Voldemort on any real person. In 2006, Rowling told an interviewer that Voldemort at his core has a human fear: the fear of death. She said: "Voldemort's fear is death, ignominious death. I mean, he regards death itself as ignominious. He thinks that it's a shameful human weakness, as you know. His worst fear is death." Throughout the series, Rowling establishes that Voldemort is so feared in the wizarding world that it is considered dangerous even to speak his name. Most characters in the novels refer to him as "You-Know-Who" or "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" rather than say his name aloud. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, a Taboo is placed upon the name, such that Voldemort or his followers may trace anyone who utters it. By this means his followers eventually find and capture Harry, Ron and Hermione. In the second book, Rowling reveals that I am Lord Voldemort is an anagram of the character's birth name, Tom Marvolo Riddle. According to the author, Voldemort's name is an invented word. Some literary analysts have considered possible meanings in the name: Philip Nel states that Voldemort is derived from the French for "flight of death," and in a 2002 paper, Nilsen and Nilsen suggest that readers get a "creepy feeling" from the name Voldemort, because of the French word "mort" ("death") within it and that word's association with cognate English words derived from the Latin mors. Appearances First three books Lord Voldemort on the back of Professor Quirrell's head in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Lord Voldemort makes his debut in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. In this story, Rowling introduces him as the Dark Lord who murdered Harry's parents, James and Lily, but as a result of his mother's love and willingness to sacrifice herself for him, baby Harry survives when Voldemort tries to murder him with a Killing Curse. Voldemort is disembodied, and Harry carries a mysterious scar on his forehead as a result. In the book, Voldemort unsuccessfully tries to regain his dissolved body by stealing the titular Philosopher's Stone. To achieve his objective, Voldemort uses Professor Quirrell's aid by latching onto the back of Quirrell's head. However, at the climax of the book, Harry manages to prevent Voldemort from stealing the stone. In the second instalment, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Rowling introduces Tom Marvolo Riddle, a manifestation of a teenage Voldemort that resides inside a magical diary found by Ginny Weasley. In this book, Ginny is written as a shy girl with a crush on Harry. Feeling anxious and lonely, she begins to write into the diary and shares her deepest fears with the sympathetic Tom. However, at the climax of the story, when Tom Marvolo Riddle rearranges the letters in his name to create the anagram of "I am Lord Voldemort", Tom as a magical manifestation of the boy who would later grow up to become the Dark Lord is revealed. Riddle states he has grown strong on her fears and eventually possesses Ginny. He then uses her as a pawn to unlock the Chamber of Secrets, whence a basilisk is set free and petrifies several Hogwarts students. Harry defeats the Riddle from the diary and the basilisk. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Albus Dumbledore reveals to Harry that the diary was one of Voldemort's Horcruxes (an external vessel which contains a part of his torn soul). In the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Voldemort does not appear, either in person or as a magical manifestation. He is, however, heard when Harry passes out from the harsh effects of a Dementor. Towards the end of the story Sybill Trelawney, the Divination professor, makes a rare genuine prophecy: The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight, the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever before. Tonight... before midnight... the servant... will set out... to rejoin... his master... Though it is initially implied that the prophecy refers to Sirius Black, the book's ostensible antagonist, the servant is eventually revealed to be Peter Pettigrew, who, for the twelve years since the fall of Voldemort, has been disguised as Ron Weasley's pet rat, Scabbers. Fourth through sixth books In the fourth instalment of the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Voldemort appears at the start and the climax of the book. Rowling lets many seemingly unrelated plot elements fall into order. It is revealed that Voldemort's minion Barty Crouch Jr, disguised as Hogwarts professor Mad-Eye Moody, has manipulated the events of the Triwizard Tournament in Harry's favour. Voldemort's goal is to teleport Harry under Dumbledore's watch as a reluctant participant to the Little Hangleton graveyard, where the Riddle family is buried. Harry is captured and, after Pettigrew uses Harry's blood to fulfil a gruesome magical ritual, Voldemort regains his body and is restored to his full power. For the first time in the series, Rowling describes his appearance: "tall and skeletally thin", with a face "whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was as flat as a snake’s with slits for nostrils". Rowling writes that his "hands were like large, pale spiders; his long white fingers caressed his own chest, his arms, his face; the red eyes, whose pupils were slits, like a cat's, gleamed still more brightly through the darkness". It was revealed that, while in Albania, Pettigrew had captured the Ministry of Magic official Bertha Jorkins, who was tortured for information about the Ministry. After they learned that Barty Crouch Jr, a faithful Death Eater, had been smuggled out of Azkaban and was privately confined at his father's house, they killed her. With Pettigrew's help, Voldemort creates a small, rudimentary body, corporeal enough to travel and perform magic, and formulated a plan to restore his own body by capturing Harry. A portion of the plan had been overheard by Frank Bryce, a gardener, whom Voldemort then killed. Voldemort then completes his plan and returns to life in his full body as a result of the ritual with Harry's blood. He then summons his Death Eaters to the graveyard to witness the death of Harry as he challenges Harry to a duel. However, when Voldemort duels Harry, their wands become magically locked together due to the twin Phoenix feather cores of the wands. Because of a phenomenon later revealed as Priori Incantatem, ghost-like manifestations of Voldemort's most recent victims (including Harry's parents) then appear and distract Voldemort, allowing Harry just enough time to escape via Portkey with the body of fellow-student, Cedric Diggory, who was murdered by Pettigrew on Voldemort's orders. In the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Voldemort appears at the climax, having again plotted against Harry. In this book, Harry goes through extreme emotional stress, and according to Rowling, it was necessary to prove that Harry is emotionally vulnerable and thus human, in contrast to his nemesis Voldemort, who is emotionally invulnerable and thus inhuman: "[Harry is] a very human hero, and this is, obviously, there’s a contrast, between him, as a very human hero, and Voldemort, who has deliberately dehumanised himself. […] and Harry, therefore, did have to reach a point where he did almost break down." In this book, Voldemort makes liberal use of the Ministry of Magic's refusal to believe that he has returned. Voldemort engineers a plot to free Bellatrix Lestrange and some other Death Eaters from Azkaban and then embarks on a scheme to retrieve the full record of a prophecy stored in the Department of Mysteries regarding Harry and himself. He sends a group of Death Eaters to retrieve the prophecy, where the Order of the Phoenix meets them. All but Bellatrix are captured, and Voldemort engages in a ferocious duel with Dumbledore. Voldemort attempts to possess Harry but finds that he cannot; Harry is too full of that which Voldemort finds incomprehensible, and which he detests as weakness: love. Sensing that Dumbledore could win, Voldemort disapparates, but not before the Minister for Magic sees him in person, making his return to life public knowledge in the next book. Voldemort does not appear in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, although his presence and actions are felt: he once again declares war, and begins to rise to power once more. He murders Amelia Bones of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and begins to target members of the Order of the Phoenix, including Emmeline Vance. Rowling uses several chapters as exposition to establish Voldemort's backstory. In a series of flashbacks, using the pensieve as a plot device, she reveals that Voldemort is the son of the witch Merope Gaunt and a muggle called Tom Riddle. Riddle abandons Merope before their child's birth, soon after which Merope dies, just hours after giving birth. After living in an orphanage, young Tom meets Albus Dumbledore, who tells him he is a wizard and arranges for him to attend Hogwarts. Riddle is outwardly a model student, but is in reality a sociopath who takes sadistic pleasure in using his powers to harm and control people. He eventually murders his father and grandparents as revenge for abandoning him. The book also discusses Riddle's hatred of "Muggles" (non-magical humans), his obsession with Horcruxes, and his desire to split his soul to achieve immortality. Rowling stated Voldemort's conception under the influence of a love potion symbolises the prejudicial circumstances under which he was brought into the world. In the main plot of the book, Voldemort's next step is to engineer an assault on Hogwarts, and to attack Dumbledore. This is accomplished by Draco Malfoy, who arranges transportation of Death Eaters into Hogwarts by a pair of Vanishing Cabinets, which bypass the extensive protective enchantments placed around the school. The cabinets allow Voldemort's Death Eaters to enter Hogwarts, where battle commences and Dumbledore is cornered. Hogwarts professor (and re-doubled agent) Severus Snape uses the Killing Curse against Dumbledore when Draco could not force himself to do so. Final book In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Voldemort furthers his quest for ultimate power. He disposes of the Minister for Magic and replaces him with Pius Thicknesse, who is under the Imperius Curse. Establishing a totalitarian police state, he has Muggle-borns persecuted and arrested for "stealing magic" from the "pure blood" wizards. After failing to kill Harry with Lucius Malfoy's borrowed wand (to avoid the effect of Priori Incantatem), he goes on a murderous search for the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand ever created, seeing it as the weapon he needs to overcome Harry's wand and make him truly invincible. He goes on a quest that takes him out of the country to Gregorovitch's wand shop, where he kills the old wandmaker. His journey also takes him to Nurmengard, the prison where Gellert Grindelwald is kept, and he kills Grindelwald as well. He finally locates the Elder Wand and steals it from Dumbledore's tomb. Later, he finds out that Harry and his friends are destroying his Horcruxes. After offering the occupants of Hogwarts mercy if they give up Harry, he assembles a large army and launches an invasion of the castle, where Harry is searching for Ravenclaw's Lost Diadem, one of the Horcruxes. Voldemort orders his pet snake Nagini to execute Snape, believing it would make him the true master of the Elder Wand, since Snape killed Dumbledore. He then calls an hour's armistice, in exchange for Harry. When Harry willingly walks into Voldemort's camp in the Forbidden Forest, Voldemort strikes him down with the Elder Wand. However, the use of Harry's blood to resurrect Voldemort's body proves to be a major setback: while Harry's blood runs in Voldemort's veins, Harry cannot be killed as his mother's protection lives on now in Voldemort too. Instead, Voldemort destroys the part of his own soul that resides in Harry’s body. Voldemort forces Rubeus Hagrid to carry Harry's apparently lifeless body back to the castle as a trophy, sparking another battle during which Nagini, his last Horcrux, is destroyed by Neville Longbottom. The battle then moves into the Great Hall, where Voldemort fights Minerva McGonagall, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Horace Slughorn simultaneously. Harry then reveals himself and explains to Voldemort that Draco became the true master of the Elder Wand when he disarmed Dumbledore; Harry, in turn, won the wand's allegiance when he took Draco's wand. Voldemort nonetheless casts the Killing Curse with the Elder Wand while Harry uses a Disarming Charm with Draco's, but the Elder Wand refuses to kill its master and the spell rebounds on Voldemort who, with all of his Horcruxes destroyed, finally dies. His body is laid in a different chamber from all the others who died battling him. Rowling stated that after his death, Voldemort is forced to exist in the stunted infant-like form that Harry sees in the King's Cross-like Limbo after his confrontation with Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest. Rowling also mentioned that, despite his extreme fear of death, he cannot become a ghost. Portrayals within films Voldemort appears in seven Harry Potter films, namely Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. Five actors have portrayed him, in his varying incarnations and ages. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Voldemort's manifestation is as a face on the back of Quirrell's head, an effect achieved by computer generated imagery. Ian Hart, the actor who played Quirrell in the same film, provided the voice and the facial source for this character. Voldemort also appears in a scene in the Forbidden Forest where he is seen drinking the blood of a unicorn. As Voldemort's face was altered enough by CG work, and Hart's voice was affected enough, there was no confusion by Hart's playing of the two roles. In that film, he was also shown in a flashback sequence when he arrived at the home of James and Lily Potter to kill them. In this scene Voldemort is played by Richard Bremmer, though his face is never seen. His next appearance would be in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as the 16-year-old Tom Marvolo Riddle (portrayed by Christian Coulson). In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Voldemort is initially only heard, possessing the scratchy, weak voice heard in the first film. By the film's climax, however, he appears in his physical form for the first time, played by Ralph Fiennes. As in the book, Voldemort is shown clad in dark black robes, being tall and emaciated, with no hair and yellowish teeth; his wand has a white tone and the handle appears to be made of bone; his finger nails are long and pale blue while his toe nails appear to be infected. Unlike in the book, his pupils are not snake-like and his eyes are blue, because producer David Heyman felt that his evil would not be able to be seen and would not fill the audience with fear (his eyes do briefly take on a snake-like appearance when he opens them after turning human, but quickly turn normal). As in the book, the film version of Voldemort has snake-like slit nostrils with the flesh of his nose significantly pressed back. Ralph Fiennes' nose was not covered in makeup on the set, but was digitally removed in post-production. In this first appearance, Voldemort also has a forked tongue, but this element was removed for the subsequent films. Fiennes stated that he had two weeks to shoot the climactic showdown scene where he is gloating over a terrified Harry, played by Daniel Radcliffe. Fiennes said with a chuckle: "I have no doubt children will be afraid of me now if they weren't before." In preparation, he read the novel Goblet of Fire, but jokingly conceded: "I was only interested in my scene, and I had to go through thousands and thousands of other scenes which I did, dutifully, until I got to my scene and I read it many, many, many, many, many times and that was my research." Fiennes reprised his role as Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2. Fiennes's nephew, Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, portrayed Tom Riddle as a child in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. By the time filming arrived, Christian Coulson had aged and was therefore not eligible to return as the adolescent Riddle. Thomas James Longley was originally scheduled to take over the role, but last minute renegotiation's saw Frank Dillane cast instead. Characterisation Personality Rowling described Voldemort as "the most evil wizard for hundreds and hundreds of years". She elaborated that he is a "raging psychopath, devoid of the normal human responses to other people's suffering", and whose only ambition in life is to become all-powerful and immortal. He is also a sadist who derives amusement from inflicting pain on others without any remorse and murders people just for fun, especially Muggles, and does not recognise the worth and humanity of anybody except himself.[38] He feels no desire or need for human companionship or friendship, and cannot comprehend love or affection for another. He believes he is superior to everyone around him, to the point that he frequently refers to himself in the third-person as "Lord Voldemort." Rowling also stated that Voldemort is "incredibly power hungry. Racist, really", and that if Voldemort were to look into the Mirror of Erised, he would see "Himself, all-powerful and eternal. That's what he wants." Rowling also stated that Voldemort's conception by influence of Amortentia — a love potion administered by the witch Merope Gaunt to the Muggle Tom Riddle — is related to his inability to understand love; it is "a symbolic way of showing that he came from a loveless union – but of course, everything would have changed if Merope had survived and raised him herself and loved him. The enchantment under which Tom Riddle fathered Voldemort is important because it shows coercion, and there can’t be many more prejudicial ways to enter the world than as the result of such a union". Like most archetypical villains, Voldemort's arrogance leads to his downfall. He also suffers from a pathological fear of death, which he regards as a shameful and ignominious human weakness. According to Rowling, his Boggart would be his own corpse. Rowling also said that the difference between Harry and Voldemort is that Harry accepts mortality, and thus Harry is in the end stronger than his nemesis. Magical abilities and skills Throughout the series, Rowling establishes Voldemort as an extremely powerful, intelligent, and ruthless Dark Wizard. He is known as one of the greatest Legilimens in the world and a highly accomplished Occlumens; he can read minds and shield his own from penetration. Besides Dumbledore he is also the only wizard ever known to be able to apparate silently. Voldemort was also said to fear one wizard alone, Albus Dumbledore. In the final book, Voldemort flies unsupported, something that amazes those who see it. Voldemort, like his ancestral family, the Gaunts, is a Parselmouth, meaning he can converse with serpents. This skill was inherited from his ancestor, Salazar Slytherin. The Gaunt family speak Parseltongue among themselves. This highly unusual trait may be preserved through inbreeding, a practice employed by the Gaunt Family to maintain their blood's purity. When Voldemort attempts to kill Harry his ability to speak Parseltongue is passed to Harry through the small bit of the former's soul. After that bit of soul is destroyed, Harry loses this ability. In a flashback in the sixth novel, Voldemort boasts to Dumbledore during a job interview that he has "pushed the boundaries of magic farther than they had ever before". Dumbledore states that Voldemort's knowledge of magic is more extensive than any wizard alive and that even Dumbledore's most powerful protective spells and charms would not likely be sufficient if Voldemort returned to full power. Dumbledore also said that Voldemort was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen. Although Voldemort remains highly accomplished and prodigious in skill, he is enormously lacking and highly inept in the most powerful magic, love. This inability to love and trust others proves to be Voldemort's greatest weakness in the series. Voldemort initially voices scepticism that his own magic might not be the most powerful, but upon returning to power, he admits to his Death Eaters that he had overlooked the ancient and powerful magic which Lily Potter invoked and that would protect Harry from harm. On her website, Rowling wrote that Voldemort's wand is made of yew, whose sap is poisonous and which symbolises death. It forms a deliberate contrast to Harry's wand, which is made of holly, which she chose because holly is alleged to repel evil. Rowling establishes in the books that Voldemort is magically connected to Harry via Harry's forehead scar. He disembodies himself when his Killing Curse targeting Harry rebounds on him, leaving the scar on Harry's forehead. In the books, and to a lesser extent in the films, Harry's scar serves as an indicator of Voldemort's presence: it burns when the Dark Lord is near or when Voldemort is feeling murderous or exultant. According to Rowling, by attacking Harry when he was a baby Voldemort gave him "tools [that] no other wizard possessed – the scar and the ability it conferred, a magical window into Voldemort's mind." Outward appearance After he regained his body in the fourth book, Rowling described Voldemort as having pale skin, a chalk-white, skull-like face, snake-like slits for nostrils, red eyes and cat-like slits for pupils, a skeletally thin body and long, thin hands with unnaturally long fingers. As mentioned in the first chapter of the seventh book, he also has no hair or lips. Earlier in life, as seen through flashbacks contained in the second and sixth books, Tom Marvolo Riddle is described as handsome. As Tom Riddle, he was tall and had pale skin, jet black hair, and dark eyes. He could charm many people with his looks. The transformation into his monstrous state is believed to have been the result of creating his Horcruxes, becoming less human as he continued to divide his soul. Dumbledore also speculates that Voldemort may have gained his hideous appearance by undergoing dangerous magical transformations. In the movies (with the exception of the first), however, Voldemort's eyes are blue with round pupils. Riddle family The Riddle family consisted of old Mr. and Mrs. Riddle and their son, Voldemort's father, Tom Riddle. They owned over half of the valley that the town of Little Hangleton lay in, and Thomas was the most prominent inhabitant of that town. They lived in a large house with fine gardens, and were unpopular locally, due to their snobbish attitudes. Tom, apparently the only child of Thomas and Mary, indulged in the typical pursuits of the upper class in the first half of the twentieth century, socialising with attractive women of his class, riding horses, and enjoying his status in the town. Rowling revealed in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that young Merope Gaunt made efforts to get as close to Tom as she could, peering at him through the windows and bushes at every opportunity. Morfin noticed his sister's affection for Tom Riddle, and hexed Tom as he rode by, covering him in hives. This breach of wizarding law, and the ensuing violent struggle with Ministry of Magic officials, led to Marvolo and Morfin being imprisoned in Azkaban. As surmised by Dumbledore, once Merope was alone and no longer dominated by her father, she could make her move for Tom Riddle. She offered Tom a drink laced with a love potion as he rode by one day without his attractive companion, Cecilia. He became infatuated with Merope and they eloped. Within three months of the marriage, Merope became pregnant. Merope decided to stop giving Tom the love potion; she believed either that he had fallen in love with her on his own or he would at least stay for their unborn child. She was wrong, and Tom quickly left his pregnant wife and went home to his parents, claiming to have been "hoodwinked" and tricked into marrying Merope. Tom Marvolo Riddle, their son, was born on 31 December and was left to grow up in an orphanage, as Merope had died soon after giving birth. Readers first learn about the doom of the Riddles in the beginning of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Tom Riddle Sr and his parents were murdered by Tom Marvolo Riddle. The Riddles' gardener Frank Bryce was blamed for the murders in the Muggle world, though he was never charged or tried, while in the wizarding world Morfin Gaunt was framed for them and died in Azkaban prison. In the film adaptation of The Goblet of Fire, Voldemort's grandparents were given the names Thomas and Mary Riddle. Gaunt family Most of the House of Gaunt background is exposed in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince through Dumbledore's Pensieve. The Gaunts were once a powerful and influential family, and the last known descendants of Salazar Slytherin. However, an infamous streak of instability and violence that was reinforced by cousin marriages to preserve the pureblood line had reduced them to poverty and squalor, as shown in the Pensieve's memory that Harry and Dumbledore witnessed. Like Salazar Slytherin, the Gaunts spoke Parseltongue. Marvolo Gaunt was the last Gaunt family patriarch. He was sentenced to a short term in Azkaban for his and his son's assault upon a Ministry of Magic official. His stint in Azkaban affected Marvolo's health and he died soon after returning home. His signet ring passed to his son, Morfin Gaunt, who was convicted of assaulting a Muggle, and later died in Azkaban after being convicted again, this time for the murder of Tom Riddle Sr and Riddle's parents, a crime committed by his nephew. The truth was discovered much later by Dumbledore, who visited Morfin at Azkaban to gather information about Voldemort. After Dumbledore successfully extracted Morfin's memory of his encounter with his nephew, he tried to use the evidence to have Morfin released, but Morfin died before the decision could be made. As he was the last male Gaunt, the House of Gaunt ended with Morfin's death. Merope Gaunt (/mɛˈroʊpiː/) was the daughter of Marvolo, sister of Morfin. Harry's first impression of her was that she looked "like the most defeated person he had ever seen", probably because she lived in raggedness, squalor and abuse. She married Tom Riddle Sr and became pregnant within three months of the wedding. It is suggested that she tricked her husband by using a love potion, but when she became pregnant, she decided to stop administering the potion. It is implied that Merope had grown tired of living the lie and thought that her husband might have grown to love her, or that he might have stayed for the sake of their unborn child; however, he left her. Desperate, Merope wandered through the streets of London. The only thing she had left was the heavy gold locket that had once belonged to Salazar Slytherin, one of her family's most treasured items, which she sold for a small amount. When she was due to give birth, she stumbled into a Muggle orphanage; within the hour, she gave birth to her only son, Tom Marvolo Riddle, and died within the next hour. The Gaunts, and thereby Voldemort, are distantly related to Harry Potter because they are descendants of the Peverell brothers. Reception Several people have drawn a parallel between Lord Voldemort and some politicians. Rowling has admitted that Voldemort was "a sort of" Adolf Hitler, and that there is some parallel with Nazism in her books. Rowling also compared Voldemort with Joseph Stalin. Alfonso Cuarón, director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban compared Voldemort with George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein, as the two of them "...have selfish interests and are very much in love with power. Also, a disregard for the environment. A love for manipulating people." Andrew Slack and the Harry Potter Alliance compare media consolidation in the U.S. to Voldemort's regime in Deathly Hallows and its control over the Daily Prophet and other media saying that "Once Voldemort took over every form of media in the wizarding world, Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix formed an independent media movement called 'Potterwatch'. Now the HP Alliance and Wizard Rock have come together to fight for a Potterwatch movement in the real world to fight back against Big VoldeMedia from further pushing out local and foreign news, minority representation, and the right to a Free Press." Julia Turner from Slate Magazine also noted similarities between the events of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and the current War on Terror. She said that Voldemort takes up terrorism by destroying bridges, murdering innocents, and forcing children to kill their elders. Voldemort has also been compared with other characters within fiction, for example Sauron from The Lord of the Rings; they are, during the time when the main plot takes place, seeking to recover their lost power after having been considered dead or at least no longer a threat, and are also so feared that they are sometimes unnamed. Author Christopher Hitchens wrote in 12 August 2007 edition of The New York Times that, in the final book, Voldemort "becomes more tiresome than an Ian Fleming villain." IGN listed Voldemort as their seventh favourite Harry Potter character, calling him "truly frightening". In popular culture Several campaigns have used Lord Voldemort to compare his evilness to the influence of politicians, large media and corporations. "Lord Voldemort" is a nickname sometimes used for Peter Mandelson. Voldemort has been parodied in various venues. In The Simpsons 13th season's premiere, "Treehouse of Horror XII", Montgomery Burns appears as Lord Montymort. A parody of Voldemort appears in The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy as Lord Moldybutt, an enemy of Nigel Planter (a parody of Harry). In these episodes, when someone says Lord Moldybutt's name, something unfortunate happens, usually to Moldybutt. Voldemort also appears in the Potter Puppet Pals sketches by Neil Cicierega. One of the episodes titled "Trouble at Hogwarts" features Voldemort being killed with machine guns. Another episode, "The Mysterious Ticking Noise", shows Snape, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Dumbledore being killed by a pipe bomb placed by Voldemort inside a turducken; the episode being the seventeenth most viewed video of all time as of 2008 and the winner for "Best Comedy" of the year 2007 at YouTube. In 2011 Lord Voldemort was voted one of the Best Screen Villains On Earth, coming only marginally behind The Joker and Darth Vader. In Time, Lon Tweeten shows with Continuing the Magic possible future book covers laced with pop culture references. One of them, the "Dark Lord of the Dance", shows Voldemort teaming up with Harry on Broadway. In the MAD Magazine parodies of the films, the character is called Lord Druckermort, a backwards reference to the magazine's longtime caricaturist Mort Drucker. In Alistair McGowan's Big Impression show, during the sketch called "Louis Potter and the Philosopher's Scone", Gary Lineker appears as the Voldemort figure.[64] In one of the Harry Bladder sketches in All That, Headmaster Pimpell's grotesque pimple turns out to be the head of Lord Moldyshorts. In Harry Podder: Dude Where's My Wand?, a play by Desert Star Theater in Utah, written by sisters Laura J., Amy K. and Anna M. Lewis, Voldemort appears as evil wizard Voldie. In Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: 1969, a young Tom Marvolo Riddle (introduced as "Tom", whose middle name is a "marvel" and last name is a "conundrum") appears, and becomes the new avatar of Oliver Haddo at the story's conclusion. In A Very Potter Musical, Voldemort is played by actor Joe Walker. In the TV show Weeds, Isabelle Hodes compares her mother Celia whom she despises to Voldemort. After Celia is kicked out of the Hodes house, Isabelle informs her father Dean that Celia will return. Indeed, the Hodes family is reunited a few episodes later.

22. Gus Fring (Breaking Bad) (3 of 16 lists - 61 points - highest ranking #1 pittshoganerkoff) Gustavo "Gus" Fring is a Chilean national and respected Albuquerque restauranteur/philanthropist who owns a successful chain of chicken restaurants, Los Pollos Hermanos, and uses it as a cover for an extremely successful methamphetamine distribution network in the southwestern United States. Character History Little is known about Gus's past, except that he came from Chile and was connected to Madrigal Electromotive GmbH. Mike is the only person other than Don Eladio who might know something more about Fring's background. Mike reassures Gus that if he can't find out anything about him from before 1989 (the year Fring emigrated to Mexico, and subsequently the United States), then it is unlikely that the DEA will either. In the late 80's, Gus and his partner, Max Arciniega, started a chain of Los Pollos Hermanos restaurants in Mexico. This, however, was a cover for their true intentions: to manufacture methamphetamine. They more than got the attention of the Juarez drug cartel by giving out "samples" to various low-level cartel players. At this time, the cartel was only interested in distributing cocaine, and Don Eladio punished Gus for his impertinence by murdering Max in front of him. To Gus's apparent surprise and displeasure, Eladio seemed to have some insight into his former identity; Don Eladio told him that "...he knows who he really is..." and that is the only reason he is not dead next to Max, who was just murdered in front of him by the younger, more expressive Hector Salamanca. Gus later immigrated to the United States and set up his network there with more Los Pollos Hermanos locations. He eventually formed an uneasy alliance with the cartel once they decided to enter the meth business after all. Despite having been in business in New Mexico for nearly twenty years, it was only shortly before his death that anyone suspected his involvement in criminal activities. He conducted his business with extreme caution, never dealing with drug addicts or those he saw as irrational or having poor judgment. This was due in large part to his established role as a legitimate businessman in Albuquerque. Gus lived in a typical suburban neighborhood, playing the role of a socially conscious philanthropist. His loved ones did not know about his real business activities; it would be easy to assume he simply spent his days managing his restaurants and attending functions and banquets. He offered a cash reward for the info on Hank Schrader's attempted assassination. He also sat on the board of at least one ABQ hospital. Season 2 Gus is introduced to Walter and Jesse after the two's failed efforts to sell their meth leads to their street dealers either being killed (Combo), arrested (Badger), or quitting (Skinny Pete). Saul Goodman makes the blunt observation "You two suck at peddling meth," but as the two still have 38 pounds remaining, Saul offers to connect them with a distributor through "a guy who knows a guy who knows another guy." Saul manages to arrange a meeting between Walt, Jesse and the distributor at a Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant, but when Jesse turns up for the meeting late, presumably high and agitated, the distributor does not make contact. Saul says later they likely blew their chance, but Walt, after some consideration, returns to the restaurant on his own. Asking to see the manager - Gus, who had stopped by their table during the earlier visit to the restaurant to see if they were enjoying their meal - Walt deduces that Gus is their contact after all. He praises Gus for his discipline and caution, saying that he sees the two as alike in that regard. Gus then drops his facade, saying that Walter is not cautious at all and exhibits poor judgment by bringing the obviously high Jesse to a meeting. Walt counters that the quality of his product should outweigh any of these concerns and that Gus will never have to see or deal with Jesse. Gus demurs on whether or not the two will deal, but then on a later visit by Walt he is approached by Gus's henchman, Victor, with a final deal: $1.2 million for the remaining 38 pounds, delivered in one hour or not at all ("Mandala"). After the deal goes down, we see Gus with two other local businessmen meeting Hank at the DEA Albuquerque office regarding a fun run they are sponsoring. Gus notices Walt's photo on a donation jar and asks if Walt is an agent. Hank explains that Walt is his brother-in-law and that he is fighting lung cancer. While it is implied that Gus already looked into Walt's background before making the deal, this confirms Gus is aware of Walt's health issues and family connection to the DEA ("ABQ"). Season 3 Following the success of the previous deal, Gus invites Walt back to Los Pollos Hermanos and makes a new offer: $3 million for three months of his time. Walt, seriously jarred by the plane collision over Albuquerque and his separation from Skyler, refuses the offer by claiming he is not a criminal and wants to be done with the business ("No Mas"). Gus seems to accept this, but later, when Gus's right hand man Mike calls Gus's henchman Victor to inform him that the Cousins are ready to kill Walt, he uses his influence with the cartel to call off the hit ("Caballo Sin Nombre"). Meeting with Juan Bolsa, the Cousins and Tio Salamanca, Gus is told that the cartel holds Walt responsible for the death of Tuco - an important man in their organization - and that his execution has been sanctioned. Gus says that while he has no issues with their right to vengeance, he is presently in business with Walt and does not want him killed until that business has concluded. Bolsa agrees to advise the Salamanca family to be patient, but warns Gus that delaying could cost him his high standing with the cartel ("I.F.T."). Successfully baiting Walt with half the money from a drug deal Jesse made through Saul, Gus invites him to his industrial laundromat where he reveals the details of his offer: he has constructed a massive "superlab" underneath the laundromat for mass producing methamphetamine. Receiving legitimate chemical deliveries every week and able to filter the byproducts of cooking meth via the laundry's filtration systems, the facility is capable of producing at least 200 pounds of methamphetamine per week. Swaying Walt with the high-tech apparatus of the lab, he closes the deal by appealing to Walt's pride in providing for his family ("Mas"). With Walt's services engaged alongside Gale Boetticher in the lab, Gus's attention turns to the Cousins, who have taken to sitting in his Los Pollos restaurant all day, ordering nothing and saying nothing. He reiterates that Walt will not die until their business is finished, and offers the Cousins permission to take their vengeance on Hank, who was Tuco's actual killer ("Sunset"). However, when the Cousins make their move to kill Hank while he is unarmed in a store parking lot, an anonymous person calls Hank and, using a voice modifier, warns him of the impending attack. It is this warning that allows Hank to get the jump on the Cousins and take them down ("One Minute"). After the attack on Hank, Bolsa contacts Gus demanding an explanation, as the Cousins would never have shot Hank without approval. He concedes that meth shipments will be delayed indefinitely, then vows to learn the truth about the assassination plot from the surviving cousin, Leonel. Shortly afterwards, Gus goes to the hospital with a large buffet of fried chicken for the police officers keeping vigil over Hank, also revealing that he is offering a $10,000 reward for information on the assailants. In a room with Walt, Skyler, Marie, Walt Jr. and ASAC Merkert, he mentions that he knew Hank from the fun run sponsorship and that Hank was raising money for Walt's cancer treatments at the time. Walt, speaking to Gus afterwards, expresses that Hank is not a danger to their arrangement but he continues to fear for his family's safety. Gus simply says that he investigates everyone he does business with and doesn't feel there is anything to worry about, as the surviving assassin's survival is doubtful. Shortly afterwards, Leonel goes into cardiac arrest and dies - murdered by a lethal injection from Mike. Following this death, Bolsa calls Gus, angrily stating that he thinks Gus was behind both the authorization of the shooting and the death of the second Cousin, possibly as a move to break away from the cartel. Promising that he will weather the federal attentions and find proof of Gus's treason, he is interrupted by glass breaking and gunfire as unseen assailants gun down his bodyguards and then him. Hearing Bolsa die on the other end, Gus quietly smiles, then disables and discards the cell phone ("I See You"). As the methamphetamine production accelerates, Gus's method of distribution is revealed: he has the meth broken up into pound bags, concealed in buckets of batter for fried chicken marked with a star only visible under ultraviolet light, and taken to other states in Los Pollos Hermanos trucks. Walt, after calculating how much Gus stands to make off the deal - $96 million at wholesale price - meets with him to voice his theory that the establishment of the superlab was part of his overall strategy to cut the cartel out and establish himself as the chief distributor of the Southwest. He also says that he sees the shooting of Hank as part of this play, both to increase federal attention on the cartel and ensure Walt's safety. While not acknowledging the truth of this statement, Gus does agree to a raise and an open-ended extension of Walt's contract - $15 million a year - as well as continued protection of his family ("Kafkaesque"). Season 4 Mike calls Gus on his cell phone shortly after he hears from Victor about Gale's death at the hands of Jesse. A significant amount of time after this, he arrives at the superlab, gets undressed, changes into a hazmat suit, and viciously slits Victor's throat, holding him firmly and directing the aim of the blood in Walt and Jesse's direction. He remains eerily calm during the murder, and after he feels Victor die, gazes at the two of them with anger and disappointment and leaves his dead henchman on the floor while he washes up and changes back into his original clothes. The only words he speaks to them are "Well...get back to work" before he exits, leaving them to clean up the mess he made and dispose of the corpse. Gus later tells Mike that he does not want to lay his eyes on Walt ever again, and Mike communicates this to Walt. He also brings in a new henchman, Tyrus, whom he instructs to station himself in the lab and help Walt and Jesse with their cooking. Walt, desperate and fearing for his life, drives to Gus's house at night and plans to kill him. As he walks to the driveway, he gets a phone call from Tyrus, who is watching him nearby and tells Walt to leave. Gus gives Mike the go-ahead when Mike reports him of Jesse's current behavior. The Mexican Cartel victimize Gus's men one by one, until a talk is conducted between them. A man named Gaff threatens Gus that the Cartel is furious with Gus, and asks " Is it a yes, or a no?" Gus's intentions to negotiate are nullified. Gus is called in by the DEA for questioning after having a grim discussion with Tio Salamanca. In the previous episode, agent Hank Schrader was eventually convinced that Gus Fring was related to the murder of meth cook Gale Boetticher after a napkin was found with a serial number written on it in pen. If Gale was an alleged vegetarian, what was he doing with property that had belonged to a fried chicken joint? After a meeting with Merkert and Gomez, they decide to hold an office for questioning. After a seemingly harmless phone call at one of his restaurants, Gus arrives to the DEA office willingly. While waitng outside an office for the friendly interrogation, Gus spots a missing person's report posted on a billboard across the corridor from him with a sketch clearly depicting Victor. Gus is called in by agents Hank, Gomez, Merkert, and APD detective Tim Roberts, who briefly ask questions pertaining to why his fingerprints were found at Gale's crime scene. Gus answers their questions with daunting accuracy. He answers as to how he knew Gale, when he'd last seen him, and his grief over Gale's death. Before Gus could be excused, Hank butts in, asking him, "Is Gustavo Fring your real name?" Gus assures him that it is, and with another extraordinary explanation, he is free to go. Hank is still uncertain, but his colleagues agree that he is innocent, his alibi is unquestionable, and that nothing legal can get him into trouble with the case. Outside, Gus can be seen twitching his index finger and his thumb, nonchalant. ("Hermanos"). After Hank's suspicion of Gus, he convinces a denying Walt to bug Gus's car with a tracking device. Walt makes ammends to Gus, telling him that it isn't his idea. Gus tells him politely to do it anyway. After a day of work at one of his resturaunts, Gus unclamps the bug, and places it on a newspaper stand outside a Pollos Hermanos. Walt implores with him through a security camera he uses to monitor Walt that it isn't his fault, and that no action should be taken against Walt's brother-in-law. With that being said, the two enemies resume to their seperate routines. When an eccentric, bumbling Hank, and Walter return to a Pollos Hermanos to confiscate their tracking device, it turns out to be still attached to his Volvo station wagon. Hank boots up their tracker to his PC, but he is disappointed. From the data Hank's bug had to offer, Gus drove his car to work, then back home, all week. He does find however, that all of Gus's resturaunt establishments have a base of operations. Knowing this, Walt alarms Gus. That day, Jesse is helping Mike clean up any potentially incriminating evidence at the facility. One of Jesse's co-workers is sniped from an unknown location. He watches in terror as the one of Gus's men has their brains splattered about before his very eyes. The sniper's crosshairs center on Jesse, who is saved at the last second by Mike. Gus steps onto the hallowed ground. Mike presumes that Gus does not know they are in the middle of an ambush. He orders Gus to get down, but the boss walks straight at the sniper fire his body language says 'bring it on'. The gunman continues fire into Gus's path, intentionaly missing him. Knowing that Gus sees what he is trying to do, Gaff is satified his message is delivered and ceases fire. Gus is not at all intimidated but in his office after the incident, he tells a voice over the phone that he is willing to accept the Cartel's demands. Jesse makes noise to Mike about the shooting death of his co-worker and walking into bullets superman routine from Gus prompting Mike to set up a meeting, "you got questions?. Ask him yourself." Gus greets him at his door later on for a dinner meeting. " I hope you brought an appetite," he teases. Panic-stricken, Jesse wants to know what is to become of he and Walt. Gus replies by asking Jesse if he can cook Walt's formula without help. Disgusted, Jesse persists that he will not allow Gus to execute Walt and still cook for him. Gus describes that conditions with the Mexican Cartel have become untenable and he wishes to avert all out war. He pursues the question. " Can you cook solo?" Gus eventually takes Jesse to Mexico, to the land where his former hermano passed away. His plan is slowly coming to fruition: Jesse is his answer to the cartel's demand. He will offer Pinkman as his olive branch, to teach them how to cook blue meth themselves. He watches in pride as Jesse cooks a 96% pure meth in the cartel lab, proving he is indeed the cook for the job. In celebration, they take Jesse, Gus and Mike to a familiar location: Don Eladio's estate. Gus stares at the pool and swallows a hidden gel capsule as Eladio emerges with his captains. Gus offers Eladio his favorite brand of tequila as a peace offering, and the ever-cautious Don makes sure Gus takes a shot before drinking any himself, along with his captains. As the party begins to rage, Gus excuses himself to go to the bathroom. Once inside, he lays a towel down and discreetly vomits into the toilet. As Gus emerges from the bathroom several cartel members begin to fall to the ground. The tequila was poisoned with a fast acting, lethal toxin. The capsule consumed by Gus delays the effect of the poison allowing him time to purge narrowly avoiding death. As a weakened Gus walks into his view, Eladio's face contorts with rage and he falls into the pool, dead. Gustavo Fring's twenty year revenge finally comes to fruition ("Salud"). Tyrus, who was keeping an eye on Hank, sees Hector Salamanca being loaded into the van at the police headquarters and calls Gus. Despite Tyrus offer to the contrary, Gus is adamant that he will kill Salamanca himself. After Hector is returned to the nursing home, Tyrus enters and sweeps the place for bugs and cameras. When Gus arrives, he insults Hector for calling the DEA. Tyrus prepares a syringe and hands it to Gus. As Gus brings the needle closer to Hector's arm, Hector begins to look remorseful, then looks at Gus at last with an expression of pure wrath. He begins furiously ringing his bell and Gus notices it is rigged to a bomb. Gus stands up and yells as the bomb goes off. Despite the explosion, Gus manages to walk out of the room and straighten his tie maintaining his dignity before collapsing to the floor, dead.

QUOTE (Palehosefan @ Dec 4, 2011 -> 09:54 PM) http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/p...id=olacio000jef Looks like he's a bit wild. 38 BB to 42 K and 8 WP in 11 G.

QUOTE (WilliamTell @ Dec 4, 2011 -> 09:42 PM) Tiki Barber coming too?!?!?!?!?! 2 Barbers!!!! They could use Steve Young's elusiveness!

Reyes to 2B or Ramirez to 3B?

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Dec 4, 2011 -> 09:32 PM) Time for Barber and McNabb to play like it's 2008 They signed McNabb?

ND vs Fla St. looks interesting. I wish that Jonas Gray was healthy, though.

I can't see Pittsburgh taking a player of Konerko's age and contract.

Option 6) Working.

23. Agent Smith (The Matrix) (4 of 16 lists - 58 points - highest ranking #4 littlehurt05) Agent Smith (later merely "Smith") is the main antagonist of The Matrix film series and multimedia franchise, mainly played by actor Hugo Weaving and briefly by actor Ian Bliss in the films and voiced by Christopher Corey Smith in The Matrix: Path of Neo. In 2008, Agent Smith was selected by Empire Magazine as number 84 of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time. Overview Smith began as an Agent, an AI program in the Matrix programmed to keep order within the system by terminating human simulacra which would bring instability to the simulated reality, as well as any rogue programs that no longer serve a purpose to the Machine collective. To this end, Smith possesses the ability to take control over the simulated body of any human wired into the Matrix. As an Agent, Smith is able to bend the rules of the Matrix (such as gravity and the limitations of the human body), giving him speed and strength beyond ordinary human capability. He and other Agents can dodge bullets flawlessly, punch through concrete with their bare hands, and jump impossible distances. Agents also have the ability to communicate with each other instantaneously and perceive what other humans wired into the Matrix do via a type of shared consciousness, represented via their earpieces (when Agent Smith removes his earpiece during the first film, he is left unaware of the attack on his building). Smith's weapon of choice in the first film, as is standard with all Agents within the Matrix, is the Desert Eagle, chambered for high-caliber .50 AE ammunition. At the end of the first Matrix film, Smith appeared to have been deleted by Neo; however, in the sequels, Smith is revealed to have been "freed" from the Machines' control, preventing him from being forcibly sent to the system source where he and other programs would be deleted. This process makes him into a renegade program, effectively making him a self-replicating computer virus. Along with his freedom, Smith gains the ability to copy himself onto others within the Matrix, rather than simply having the ability to switch between bodies as normal agents are able to. By copying himself into a human in the process of disconnecting from the Matrix by making use of the in-Matrix landlines, Smith is able to insert himself into the outside world. This is seen when Smith takes over Bane's body in The Matrix Reloaded. Smith's real power comes from his ability to absorb memories and power from his victims, culminating in his form that fights Neo in the final battle of the Matrix series. Smith goes so far as to copy himself into the Oracle and he even tries to control Morpheus, and Neo himself. Design All Agents are Caucasian males (with a minor exception of female Agent Pace from The Matrix Online game), which also provides a dynamic compared to the majority population of Zion, containing many diverse cultures and walks of life. Agents wear dark sunglasses with corners or smooth angles and near-identical dark green business suits. The Agents show blandness and an apathy for the human race, with the exception of Smith's obsession with destroying Neo and his general hatred of humans. Other Agents have common Anglo-Saxon names like Brown, Jones, and Thompson. It was mentioned in the Philosopher Commentary on the DVD collection that the names of Smith, Brown, and Jones may be endemic to the system itself, demonstrating a very "robotic" mindset on the part of the Machines. The name "Smith" is explicitly attributed (as "IS 5416" on the license plate of Smith's car in The Matrix Reloaded) to Isaiah 54:16 in the Old Testament: "Behold, I have created the Smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy." Neo's solitary role as the One is contrasted by Smith, who, by replicating himself, becomes "the many." When Neo asks the Oracle about Smith, the Oracle explains that Smith is Neo's opposite and his negative. Unlike the other characters in The Matrix, Smith almost always refers to Neo as "Mr. Anderson." He calls him "Neo" only once in each part of the trilogy: the first time when he is interviewing Neo about his double life, the second when he is dropping off an Agent earplug in a package for Neo, and the third when he is repeating a line of his vision to Neo. Personality Agent Smith is significantly more individualistic than the other Agents from the start. While other agents rarely act without consulting each other via their earpieces, to the point where they often finish each others' sentences, Smith is usually the one giving orders or using his earpiece to gather information for his own ends. Smith also appears to be the leader of other Agents in the first movie, as he has the authority to launch Sentinel attacks in the real world. As with other Agents, Smith generally approaches problems through a pragmatic point of view, but if necessary will also act with brute force and apparent rage, especially when provoked by Neo. The earpieces represent some form of control mechanism by the machines. It is notable that when he is interrogating Morpheus, he sends the other agents from the room, then removes his earpiece, releasing himself from the link to the machines before expressing his opinion of humanity. Early in the second film, Smith's earpiece is sent to Neo in an envelope as a message from Smith, representing Smith's newfound freedom. Agent Smith complains to Morpheus that the Matrix and its inhabitants smell disgusting, "if there is such a thing [as smell]". Smith has an open hatred of humans and their weakness of the flesh. He compares humanity to a virus, a disease organism that would replicate uncontrollably and eventually destroy their environment were it not for the machine intelligences keeping them in check. Ironically, Smith eventually becomes a computer virus, multiplying until he has overrun the entire Matrix. At the same time, Smith develops an animosity towards the Matrix itself, feeling that he is as much a prisoner of it as the humans he is tasked with controlling. He later develops an immense and increasingly open desire for the destruction of both mankind and machines. Agent Smith's vehicle of choice, as seen in The Matrix Reloaded is a black Audi A8 with black tinted windows and medium sized five-spoke aluminium wheels. Its registration plate reads IS 5416, which is a reference to the Old Testament. The Wachowski brothers have commented that Smith's gradual humanization throughout The Matrix is a process intended to mirror and balance Neo's own increasing power and understanding of the machine world. Character history The Matrix In the first film, Smith is one of the three Agents sent to deal with Morpheus. After Neo is successfully removed from the Matrix, Smith arranges Morpheus' capture by bribing Cypher, a disillusioned member of Morpheus' crew, with being reintegrated into The Matrix. When Neo manages to free Morpheus, Smith and his fellow Agents engage in a lengthy cross-town chase. He and Neo fight, with Smith dominating most of the fight. Shortly after Neo escapes the fight, Smith guns him down. Neo revives, realizes his power as the One, and enters Smith, to destroy him from within. The Matrix Reloaded As a result of his contact with Neo from the first film, Smith is "unplugged" in the second film; no longer an Agent of the system but a "free man". This is signified by the lack of an earpiece, which he sends to Neo in an envelope as a message early in the film. His appearance has changed in the second film as well; his sunglasses are of a different, more angular shape than the square ones the Agents wear. His suit color, as opposed to the greenish-tint from the first film, is now jet black. He still possesses the abilities of an Agent, but instead of being able to jump from one human to another, he is able to copy himself over any human or program in the Matrix through direct contact; this includes humans wired into the Matrix, non-Agent programs with human forms, redpills, and other Agents. Smith retains the memories and abilities, if any, of the one over which he copies himself. This ability is much like how a virus replicates, creating an ironic contrast with the first film, where Smith likens humanity to a virus. He makes the claim that Neo has set him free. However, he believes there is an unseen purpose which binds together Neo and himself. He tries to copy his programming onto Neo, but when this fails, he and hundreds of his clones attack him, forcing Neo to flee. Later, he and his clones try to stop Neo from reaching the machine mainframe, but this too fails. Smith copied himself onto Bane (Ian Bliss), a crew member of the Zion hovercraft Caduceus. While waiting to leave the Matrix with a message from The Oracle, Bane was attacked by Agent Smith, who overwrote Bane's mind. The Matrix Revolutions By the start of the third film, Smith has managed to copy himself over nearly every humanoid in the Matrix, giving him complete control over the "Core Network" (the underlying foundation of the inner workings of the Matrix), thus rendering him immutable by even the Machines themselves. The Oracle explains to Neo that he and Smith have become equal in power and that Smith is Neo's negative, a result of The Matrix equation trying to balance itself. Also, she reveals that if he is not stopped, Smith will destroy everything. Unfortunately, the Oracle herself is eventually taken over by Smith, granting him her power of foresight, or omniscience, as well as reality-bending powers equivalent to those possessed by Neo, such as the ability to fly. Meanwhile in the Real World, Smith, who had copied himself into Bane, tries to kill Trinity and Neo, he burns Neo's eyes making him blind, but is then killed by Neo. Near the climax of the film, Neo offers a deal with the Machines to get rid of Smith in exchange for Zion's safety, warning them that Smith is beyond their control and will eventually spread to the machine city, which will result in destruction of both mankind and machines. Knowing that Neo is right, the Machines agree to his terms and hold all Sentinels attacking Zion to stand down and wait for orders. They later give Neo a connection to enter the Matrix to stop Smith on their behalf. Although the Matrix is now populated exclusively by Smith and his clones, the Smith that has obtained the Oracle's powers battles Neo alone; as he explains, he has foreseen his victory, and has no need for the help of his copies. The two are almost evenly matched as the fight begins, though Neo's combat abilities seem arguably superior to that of Smith, the latter attacking more out of brute force, rather than the technical skill he displayed in the first film. As the fight continues, however, it becomes clear that Neo is no match for Smith as Smith begins to dominate Neo in the fight; by the end of the fight, he is able to brutally beat Neo into near defeat. In the midst of this battle, Smith explains to Neo his final nihilistic revelation: "It was your life that taught me the purpose of all life. The purpose of life is to end." When Neo is near defeat, Smith demands to know why Neo continues to fight, knowing he cannot win. Neo responds, "Because I choose to" and is beaten unconscious by the enraged Smith as a result. Suddenly recognizing the scene from his prophecy, Smith is compelled to deliver the line he said in it: "I say... Everything that has a beginning has an end, Neo". Confused by his own behavior, Smith suddenly becomes frightened by the effect his words have on Neo. Unable to overpower Smith, Neo understands that he cannot beat Smith physically, and knows what he must do to win. Thus Neo opens himself to assimilation, apparently submitting to defeat. What follows is open to interpretation. Smith copies himself onto Neo and believes himself to be the victor, but does not know that Neo is plugged directly into the source. As a result, Smith "returns to the source," and is thereby able to be deleted by the machines, as evidenced by all of the Smith clones exploding. With Agent Smith purged from the Matrix for good, the Matrix 'reboots' back to its normal state, the Sentinels peacefully retreat from Zion, and mankind and machines put an end to their war against each other, promising each other peace that will last "as long as it can". MegaSmith In the alternative ending of The Matrix Revolutions in The Matrix: Path of Neo the final boss is the MegaSmith. The MegaSmith was used for gameplay reasons, because though the Wachowski Brothers thought the martyr approach suitable for film, they also believed that in an interactive medium such as a video game (based upon the successful completion of goals), this would not work. So, described by the brothers as "A little Hulk versus Galactus action", this character was created to be the more appropriate "final boss" of Path of Neo. The MegaSmith is composed of destroyed buildings, cars, and parts of the road, with the "spectator Smiths" standing around the crater and in the streets acting as the MegaSmith's muscles, resulting in Smith not only becoming the city's people, but the city itself. After Neo knocks Smith into the crater in the level "Aerial Battle", Smith is sent flying through the ground and up through the street. As Neo relaxes, the surrounding Smiths walk away from the crater. Neo gets out of the crater, and dodges a car which flies through the air and lands in a pile of debris. Neo looks on as Smiths tear up chunks of the road and throw cars into this pile. A truck then speeds into a building and blows it up. Smiths can be seen holding the debris together as it takes on a thirty-story tall humanoid form which is then struck by lightning, powering it up. Neo flies up to watch as the giant humanoid lowers its head onto its shoulders. The giant Smith then pulls a pair of giant Smith Shades from a billboard and puts them on. As an interesting aside, the glasses on the billboard are the same ones Agent Smith wore in the first Matrix film, with the curved nose bar, but when the MegaSmith actually puts them on, they become the ones Agent Smith wears in The Matrix Reloaded and in Revolutions. After the fight—consisting of Neo dodging blows and building up power to launch more powerful assaults at MegaSmith, damaging one arm and creating a large hole in his chest—Neo flies straight into MegaSmith's mouth, causing the Smiths throughout the Matrix to overload and explode. The player is then shown a short scene from The Matrix: Revolutions of the streets shining with light emanating from the destroyed Smiths. [edit] The Smith Virus in The Matrix Online Despite his destruction at the end of the film series, Agent Smith (or at least the remnants of his programming) managed to return and made several appearances inside the movie's official continuation, the MMORPG The Matrix Online. The first infection was noted in Machine mission controller Agent Gray, whose background information confirms that he was overwritten by Smith at some point during the timeline of the second and third films. This infection had somehow survived the reboot at the end of the third film and rose to the surface once again during chapter 1.2, The Hunt For Morpheus. The Agent, in both a storyline related mission and live event, showed signs of uncharacteristic speech and emotion and eventually led an assault against Zionist redpills declaring 'their stench unbearable any longer'. As a result of his actions the agent was apprehended by his fellow system representatives and scheduled for a 'thorough code cleansing'. He has shown no signs of direct infection since. Machine liaison officer DifferenceEngine, following a similar scenario to that of the previous Agent Gray infection, also took on the dialect and emotional characteristics of the famous exile agent. Instead of attacking redpills, this instance insisted on finding 'Mr. Anderson'. In the end, the human/machine head relations liaison, Agent Pace, was made aware of the program's infection and subsequent crusade; she proceeded to lock down his RSI and return his program to the Source for analysis. His subsequent fate is unknown. The third victim of infection was the notorious bluepill Shane Black. This man was an unfortunate victim of the Smith Virus who, once infected, gained the ability to spread the code to others. This quickly led to a small scale outbreak, with several more bluepills becoming infected and joining forces in their hunt for power. He and the other infected were eventually cleansed and returned to their bluepill lives. Shane Black's troubles continued, as he was one of the bluepills recorded to have first witnessed Unlimited redpills practising their newfound powers at the Uriah wharf. This triggered a resurgence of the memories formed during his Smith infection and he soon became volatile and insane. He is reported to have been mercifully killed shortly afterwards. The most recent appearance of the Smith virus was during the third anniversary events. The virus manifested itself in the form of black-suited men (although they lacked the distinct likeness of Smith). As redpills began to fight back using specialist code from the Oracle, the virus vanished suddenly, stating that he had obtained a new and more dangerous form. The only person to kill the main Agent Smith virus was the Machinist Trilateral, originally of the Iterator server, on Recursion server after the server merge, being the first person in game to earn the perpetual flame virus award. The nature of this form was never revealed.

24. Scar (The Lion King) (4 of 16 lists - 54 points - highest ranking #5 Buehrle>Wood) Scar was the main antagonist in The Lion King. He is the younger brother of Mufasa and the uncle of Simba. Appearance Scar is a sleek, elegant lion who is severely lacking in physical prowess, something he comments on himself and according to the synopsis. Scar's lead animator, Andreas Deja, intentionally designed him with a slick, combed back black silky mane that when in the sun apears a very dark brown, and animated him to slither and glide rather than move about in the way the stockier, stronger lions in the movie do such as Mufasa or Simba. Scar's fur is reddish-brown, his mane is coal black,and his eyes are bright yellow-green, two traits he shares with Ahadi. He boast many features that resemble an Outsider. A scar, his namesake, runs across his left eye. He closely resembles Jafar and his design inspired the Outlander Pride's. Personality Scar is highly intelligent and charismatic as he is able to rally the hyenas to his cause and gain fanatical loyalty from Zira and her pride of lionesses. Scar is a psychopathic individual who is mainly concerned with gaining power and will kill anyone he sees as competition. Despite his ruthless nature, he is a somewhat cowardly individual, more likely to run away from violence than confront it. When pressed though, he is portrayed as a fierce fighter who holds his own against, and almost defeats Simba at the movie's climax, despite the fact that he (Scar) is far older by decades yet is able to fight as if he was as young as Simba. Due to him being able to plot the murder of his own brother and nephew, and execute this plot without little remorse, it could be said that he doesn't care much for family relations. Scar's lyrics in the song "Be Prepared" ("meticulous planning, tenacity spanning, decades of denial, is simply why I'll be King undisputed, respected, saluted and seen for the wonder I am") and his inability to take criticism either from Shenzi or Sarabi establish him as being a narcissist. He is also an expert manipulator, having tricked both Mufasa and Simba into situations with the intent of getting them killed (successfully, in the case of Mufasa). His deceptive and opportunistic nature would prove to be his undoing, however, when his hyena allies overheard his attempt to sell them out. Information Backstory According to the novel series, The Lion King: Six New Adventures, Scar's real name is Taka, which is Swahili for "dirt", "trash", or "want". In A Tale of Two Brothers, one of the books in the set, young adult Taka is angry that Mufasa is chosen to be the heir to the throne. He gets even angrier when his father, King Ahadi, breaks his promise to go hunting with him, choosing to solve the drought problems in the Pride Lands instead. Taka wanders off to talk to Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed the hyenas, who tell him that if Mufasa were to be made to look like a failure to their father, Ahadi, and the rest of their pride, then he, Taka, will look good in comparison and take the throne. Taka then tricks his brother into going down to the waterhole, where a cape buffalo named Boma is refusing to share the water. The Pridelands are in a terrible drought and any water there is precious. Mufasa begins reasoning with Boma, when Taka roars and says that Boma must move by order of the Lion King, or Mufasa will face Boma in combat. Boma charges out of the water at Mufasa. Mufasa escapes to safety with Rafiki, but Boma says that his herd will get Taka. Mufasa runs back to find Taka being attacked by Boma's herd. The largest of the buffaloes slashes Taka with his horns, knocking him unconscious. Mufasa leaps in to save his brother and the buffaloes ready themselves to attack again. Before they can do so, however, Ahadi appears with a large herd of animals. The herd surrounds the buffaloes and ends the fight. Later on, Rafiki examines Taka and finds a deep cut on his left eye, which will never fully heal. Taka then requests that he be called "Scar" from now on, as a reminder of how he foolishly allowed his anger to rule him.. The Lion King Scar makes his first appearance directly after Simba's presentation, where he traps an unsuspecting field mouse under his paw, lifting it slowly and eyeing it thoughtfully. He points out to the mouse thoughtfully, more to himself, that life isn't fair, before beginning to lament on his own life and about how he'll never be the King. To make himself feel better however, he also tells the mouse he'll never see the light of another day, bidding it adieu, and lowering into his jaws to eat. Zazu interupts him however, asking rhetorically and mocking if his mother ever taught him not to play with his food. Scar responds with annoyance, trying to eat the bird when he points out mufasa won't be pleased with his absence. Just as he traps Zazu within his jaws, the King arrives, commanding Scar to release Zazu. Scar does, leaving the hornbill drenched in saliva, choosing to deal with his brother instead. He approaches Mufasa, carelessly invading his personal space in mock-surprise about being visited by his brother, but Mufasa moves onto more pressing matters. Scar says, again in a mock-surprised voice, he didn't know the Presentation was today and that he fell 'simply awful' for missing. Zazu points out, even as slippery as his mind is, he should've been first in line and Scar snaps his teeth at the bird, pointing out before Simba (referring to him as "hairball") was born he was first in line. Mufasa meets his brother's eyes, clearly stating that "hairball" is his son, the future king, and making it clear Scar was never gets the position. Scar says he'll practice his courtsey, turning his back and walking away from his brother. He veils a threat when Mufasa addresses him again, something that riles up the bigger lion. Scar reassures that he wouldn't challenge Mufasa, as he doesn't have the brawn to do it. He navigates around the two and strides off into the savannah. Later, after Simba is denied permission to accompany Mufasa and go take care of some hyenas, Scar is visited by his nephew. He reacts in seething anger and annoyance when Simba gleefully points out he'll be king, asking what that makes Scar. Scar replies "a monkey's uncle", but Simba simply laughs and calls his uncle weird. Scar takes interest in the cub's previous statement of being showed the whole kingdom, guessing Mufasa didn't show him what's beyond the northern border. He reaffirms that the King was right and 'lets it slip' that the Elephant Graveyard is no place for a prince. Scar shruggingly says Simba would've eventually found out and only requests Simba not go to the place or tell anyone where he heard about the Graveyard from. He pushes Simba off with a paw, knowing the cub's curiousity would eventually draw him there. His plan to kill Simba, via Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, is foiled by Mufasa when the lion comes to their rescue and fights the hyenas off. From attop a knoll, he watches in dismay as the cubs are led out of danger and his plan fails. For this, he scolds the hyenas, debating whether to feed them or not as he "practically gift wrapped the cubs for them" but for whatever reason, they still couldn't dispose of the two. He drops the zebra meat however, and though their noisy eating, Banzai points out something that gives Scar another idea: they'd kill the King and the prince in one full swoop. With a sinister "Precisely", Scar leads his hyenas army into the musical "Be Prepared" The next day, Scar lures Simba into the gorge and instructs him to wait on a rock for the "marvelous surprise" Mufasa has planned for him. Simba is extremely curious, opting to go with Scar, but the lion abruptly refuses his request. He brings up the incident with the hyenas, making Simba a little more compliant about staying on the rock, and suggest while he's there he work on his "roar". Scar begins to move off, when Simba addresses him again, asking if he'd like the surprise. The dark lion smirks, telling Simba that it is "to die for..." From atop the gorge's walls, he gives the signal to the hyenas and they start up a thunderous stampede, comprised of hundreds of startled wildebeests. Scar finds Mufasa and in a staged panic, tells Mufasa about Simba's being trapped in the Wildebeest stampede. Both lions run off to The Gorge, spotting Simba clinging desperately to a weak branch. Mufasa jumps into the sea of hooves and Scar drops his act of panic, swatting the majordomo into the wall of the gorge rendering him unconscious. The dark lion slithers across the ridges of the gorge, never taking his eyes off of Mufasa's position. The King leaps into the gorge's walls, clinging there, but Scar meets him at the top. After taking time to drink in Mufasa's helpless form, he slams his claws into his brother's paws, sinisterly whispering "Long live the King", and then throwing Mufasa back into the gorge to his doom. The newly labeled murderer meets Simba at the bottom of the gorge, seeing the cub curled up under Mufasa's broken body, and manipulates Simba, telling him that Mufasa's death was all his fault. He instructs Simba to run away and never return, siccing the hyenas on him as the cub disappears. To the pride he returns, telling them all the news of Mufasa and Simba's deaths, unknown to him that the prince was anything, but dead. After this, he introduces the hyenas and ascends Pride Rock to truly assume the throne. During Scar's reign, the kingdom becomes a drought which causes the lionesses refuse to hunt, knowing there is no food left. Even the hyenas, who are probably used to going hungry for days, start complaining to Scar about the larder being bare. Scar, however, picking his teeth with the bones of an animal from a previous meal presumably, tells them to get out when Banzai angers him by mentioning Mufasa, a name that has been banned by law to be spoken. Finally, Scar calls Sarabi to him, asking her why the hunting party refuses to do its job, not accepting Sarabi's excuse of their not being any food, merely passing their unsuccess off as the lionesses not looking hard enough. When Sarabi suggest they leave Pride Rock, Scar makes it clear he isn't moving the pride anywhere, the former Queen angrily pointing out his decision would end up in the deaths of them all. Scar turns his back on her, telling her that he's fine with this result and that he is the King and can do whatever he wants. He angrily strikes Sarabi when she insinuates he isn't half the King Mufasa was, and this causes Simba, who was observing the entire scene, to spring from hiding in his mother's defense. Scar first mistakens him for Mufasa, but when it's made clear it the thought-dead Simba, he glares at the hyenas and cowers away as his nephew begins to back him into a corner. Scar makes it clear he isn't resigning, pointing to the many hyenas above him and telling him they think he is the King. However, Nala and the lionesses reject him, and Simba threatens he'll fight if his uncle doesn't step down. Scar slinks around Simba, hinting at Mufasa's death. The prince tells Scar his trick won't work, but the lionesses are curious as to what Scar is talking about. Pleasantly surprised, the King forces Simba to admit his responsiblity for Mufasa's death and proceeds to back Simba over the edge of Pride Rock's peak. As Simba slips off the peak, using his fore-paws to desperately cling for his life, Scar suddenly remembers Mufasa in similar situation years ago. Slamming his claws into Simba's paws just like he has previously done to Mufasa and assuming the youthful lion was as helpless as his brother was, Scar leans in and whisper to Simba that he, Scar, was really responsible for Mufasa's death. Enraged, Simba pins Scar, a paw pressing down on his throat. Scar tries to weasel his way out of the situation, but his nephew's choking him forces him to admit what really happened all those years ago. The hyenas ambush Simba, prompting the lionesses to rush in to fight off the hyenas, during which Scar slink away. Simba spots him however, and gives chase. Trapped at Pride Rock's summit, Scar begs Simba for mercy as he places the blame on the hyenas, unaware they are listening, but Simba will have none of it. He asks Simba of his intentions, relieved when his nephew decides not to kill him, but he is horrified when Simba gives him his own advice to run away and never return. Scar begins to cooperate, but throws amber into Simba's eyes and tackles him while he is blinded. The two lions engage in a brutal fight, a hard smack from Scar sending Simba on his back. Scar leaps to deliver the final blow, but Simba uses his hind legs to flip Scar over the edge and send him tumbling down the cliff. Scar survives the fall, and as he struggles to his feet, he greets his hyena friends in a pleasing manner, but they hyenas make it clear they are no longer friends and begin to surround Scar, backing against the stone. Scar pleads with the hyenas to listen to him, but the hyenas have had enough with his treachery and broken promise, and they subsequently leap on him and tear him apart as the flame engulfs them all. The Lion King II: Simba's Pride Scar does not return as the villain in the direct-to-video sequel, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, but it is revealed that Scar had a pride of lionesses loyal to him whom Simba exiled to the Outlands after he became king. They are led by Zira who is still fiercely loyal to him, who has three offspring: Nuka, Vitani, and Kovu. In the film, Zira attempts to use Kovu, who was briefly raised by Scar as well as his hand-chosen heir, to kill Simba and become king. Kovu, however, is not Scar's son but because of being chosen and raised by the lion still feels Scar is "a part of him", as he later explains to Kiara, Simba and Nala's daughter, and Kovu's presumed mate. Scar only appears twice, the first time in Simba's nightmare. In the nightmare, Mufasa clings to the cliff above the stampede as in the first film, and Simba tries to reach down to help his father. However, Scar appears on the ledge and grabs Simba's paw, preventing him from reaching Mufasa. Scar laughs, suggesting Simba trust him and let Mufasa fall. Mufasa falls into the stampede and the cackling Scar morphs into Kovu. Kovu flashes an evil grin and throws Simba into the stampede, as Scar had done to Mufasa in the first film. He appears again when Simba banishes Kovu from the Pridelands. As Kovu looks into a stream as he is exiled, he sees Scar's reflection rather than his own. Given that Kovu had rejected defending his legacy, the young lion flees the vision in panic. The Lion King 1½ In the direct-to-video "parallel film" The Lion King 1½ (2004), Scar makes a few brief, non-speaking appearances in the scenes for which he was present in the original Lion King film. He is shown making Simba fall over Pride Rock's peak and fleeing from Simba after admiting he murdered Mufasa. Finally, after Timon, Ma, Pumbaa, and Uncle Max defeat the hyenas, Simba kicks him over the side of Pride Rock's summit, into the hole the hyenas fell into, and to his death. Other Roles The Lion King (musical) "Ah...Nala....you know how I loathe Violence...." —scar to Nala in The Madness of King Scar In the Broadway musical based on the original film, Scar is portrayed by a human actor in an African-style costume with a lion-face headpiece mask that comes down over the actor's face using a hidden remote control along with the use of acane. Scar was originally portrayed in the Broadway production by John Vickery, and is currently played by Patrick Page. Dan Donohue portrays this character on the Broadway tour. Scar's role is expanded upon with the song "The Madness of King Scar". In it, Scar begins doubting his reign, fearing that he might be losing the respect of the lionesses and that he needs a queen. He attempts to seduce Nala, who rebukes him by scratching his face. Kingdom Hearts II Besides appearing in various The Lion King video games, Scar (スカル, Sukāru?) also appears in the Disney and Square Enix game Kingdom Hearts II as the primary villain of the Pride Lands world, voiced by James Horan. Much like in the film, Scar murders Mufasa to become king, and under his reign, the Pridelands suffers a drought and food becomes scarce. Prior to the game's main protagonists' (Sora, Donald Duck and Goofy) arrival at the Pridelands, Pete (in the form of a lion) offers Scar use of the Heartless to maintain his hold on the throne. Sora (in the form of a lion cub, a change brought on by his magical clothes) attempts to confront Scar in order to save the world, but is turned down by Rafiki due to the latter's prophecy. Soon afterwards, they are confronted by Scar. Scar attempts to persuade the lionesses to hunt and kill Sora, Donald, and Goofy and nearly attacks them, but is pinned down by Nala in order to allow Sora and friends some time to escape. Later, Sora locates Simba and brings him back to the Pridelands so he can challenge his uncle for the throne. The confrontation between Scar and Simba that follows is almost identical to that in the original film, starting with Scar's overconfident confession that he killed Mufasa, the only noteworthy exceptions being no hyenas for most of it and Sora and his group replacing the lionesses. Sora's group saves Timon and Pumbaa from Shenzi, Banzai, Ed and heynas, while Scar and Simba fight. As in the film, Simba eventually triumphs over his uncle; though Donald initially wants to help him, Sora prevents him from doing so, believing that it is Simba's fight, and they should not interfere. Thinking Scar to be defeated, the protagonists are surprised when, as Pete explains, Scar returns to battle once again as a Heartless. Scar's anger and jealousy were so strong they lingered after death and consumed him. During the battle Scar uses a series of swift and strong physical attacks and powerful magic against Sora and company. Sora and his friends defeat Scar again. Scar is the only character in the Kingdom Hearts universe - excluding Xehanort - to keep his original form as a Heartless. Whether or not a Nobody will be fleshed out in Kingdom Hearts continuity is debated. By the time Sora returns to the Pridelands to see how Simba is faring, rumors of Scar's ghost haunting the Pridelands have driven Simba into doubt. But once he overcomes this problem, the "ghost" is revealed to be the interaction of Simba's lack of confidence and Scar's spirit. Multiple copies of Scar's "ghost" then combine to form a gigantic Heartless that is eventually killed by Simba and Sora. Scar in Relation to Adolf Hitler and King Claudius Scar is most likely an archetype of King Claudius, the villain from Shakespeare's Hamlet, and inspired by the real-life German dictator, Adolf Hitler. In the song "Be Prepared", in which Scar sings to the hyenas about how he will kill Mufasa and become King, there is a scene where Scar sits on a high up rock, watching the hyenas march along. This is very similar to the Nazi film, Triumph of Will. In the play, Hamlet, Claudius poisoned the old King Hamlet, his own brother, in his sleep in order to usurp both the throne and the queen, and attempts to do the same by poisoning his nephew, Prince Hamlet. Whereas, Scar pushes Mufasa off a cliff to his death in order to become king and uses the same tactic on Simba. However, Scar didn't necessarily have Sarabi or any of the other lionesses to be his queen. Although, in the Broadway version, Scar attempts to seduce Nala to become his queen. Then, the filmmakers decided that the story would be more emotional and scary if the bad guy was someone in the family. So, they made him as King Mufasa's younger brother -- a creepy uncle for Simba, and a threat from the "inside" only to know that this story material originates from Hamlet. Before the animators heard Jeremy Irons' performance and decided to work his features into Scar, he actually did have more obvious similarities to some of the other lions in the pride, noticeably to his brother Mufasa.

25. Magneto (The X-Men) (4 of 16 lists - 51 points - highest ranking #2 Quinarvy) Magneto (born Max Eisenhardt, also known as Magnus and Erik Lehnsherr or Lensherr) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 (Sept. 1963), and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. A powerful mutant with the ability to generate and control magnetic fields, in his early appearances, his motive was simple megalomania, but writers have since fleshed out his character and origin, revealing him to be a Jewish Holocaust survivor whose actions are driven by the purpose of protecting the mutant race from suffering a similar fate. His role in comics have varied from supervillain to antihero to hero. His character's early history has been compared with the civil rights leader Malcolm X and Meir Kahane. Sir Ian McKellen has portrayed Magneto through the X-Men film series, while Michael Fassbender plays a younger version of the character in the film X-Men: First Class. Magneto was ranked number 1 by IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Villains list, was listed number 17 in Wizard's Top 100 Greatest Villains Ever list, and was ranked as the 9th Greatest Comic Book Character Ever in Wizard's list of the 200 Greatest Comic Book Characters of All Time, the second highest villain on that list. Magneto first appeared in the debut issue of X-Men in 1963, along with the titular team. Through the decades from the 1960s, Magneto has appeared in several issues of the original X-Men series, generally known as Uncanny X-Men, as well as in such spin-offs as X-Men, Astonishing X-Men, Alpha Flight, Cable, Excalibur, and The New Mutants; many X-Men miniseries, and several other Marvel titles. His first solo title was a one-shot special, Magneto: The Twisting of a Soul #0 (Sept. 1993), published when the character returned from a brief absence; it reprinted Magneto-based stories from Classic X-Men #12 & 19 (Aug. 1987 & March 1988), by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Bolton. In a 2008 interview, Stan Lee elaborated that he "did not think of Magneto as a bad guy. He just wanted to strike back at the people who were so bigoted and racist... he was trying to defend the mutants, and because society was not treating them fairly he was going to teach society a lesson. He was a danger of course... but I never thought of him as a villain." In the same interview, he also revealed that he originally planned for Magneto to be the brother of his archnemesis Professor X. Magneto's first original title was the four-issue miniseries Magneto (Nov. 1996 - Feb. 1997), by writers Peter Milligan & Jorge Gonzalez, and penciller Kelley Jones. The miniseries took place during a period where it was believed Magneto had been de-aged and was suffering from amnesia, calling himself Joseph; it was later revealed that Joseph was a younger clone of Magneto. Later, Magneto became ruler of the nation Genosha. During this period, he received two miniseries; Magneto Rex (written by Joe Pruett and drawn by Brandon Peterson) and Magneto: Dark Seduction (written by Fabian Nicieza and drawn by Roger Cruz). A trade paperback novel detailing Magneto's childhood, titled X-Men: Magneto Testament, was released in September 2008, and written by Greg Pak. Magneto Testament, which Pak based on accounts from Holocaust survivors, watched documentaries, and read comics such as Maus, finally confirms and clarifies into the Marvel Comics canon, Magneto's personal history and background. Before the publication of X-Men: Magneto Testament, Magneto's personal background and history was established in Uncanny X-Men vol. 1, #150 (August 1981) as him being a Jewish Holocaust survivor; while he was searching for his wife Magda, a Sinti Gypsy, Magneto maintained a cover identity as a Sinti Gypsy. This created confusion amongst some readers, as to his heritage, until it was authoritatively confirmed in Magneto: Testament that he is, in fact, Jewish. Magneto was born Max Eisenhardt sometime in the late 1920s to a middle class German Jewish family whose father, Jakob Eisenhardt was a highly decorated World War I veteran. Surviving discrimination and hardship during the Nazi rise to power, Kristallnacht, and the passing of the Nuremberg Laws, in 1939 Max and his family fled to Poland where they were captured during the German invasion of Poland and sent to the Warsaw Ghetto. Max and his family escaped the Ghetto, only to be betrayed and captured again. His mother, father, and sister were executed and buried in a mass grave, but Max survived, possibly due to the manifestation of his powers. Escaping from the mass grave, he was ultimately captured yet again and sent to Auschwitz, where he eventually became a Sonderkommando. While at Auschwitz, Eisenhardt reunited with a Roma girl named Magda, with whom he had fallen in love when he was younger, and with whom he escaped the prison camp during the October 7th 1944 revolt. Following the war, he and Magda moved to the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia, and Max adopted the name "Magnus". Magda and Magnus had a daughter named Anya, and lived uneventfully until one night when an angry mob burned down their home with Anya still inside. Enraged at the mob for preventing him from rescuing Anya, the young Magnus's powers manifested uncontrollably, killing the mob and destroying a part of the city. Magda, terrified at Magnus' power, left him and later gave birth to the mutant twins Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch before walking away to die. Wanted by the authorities for the deaths and destruction in Vinnytsia, while searching for Magda, Magnus paid a Romanian forger, George Odekirk, to create the cover identity of "Erik Lehnsherr the Sinte gypsy" for him. "Erik" relocated to Israel, where he met and befriended Charles Xavier while working at a psychiatric hospital near Haifa. There, lengthy debates were held by the two regarding the consequences humanity faces with the rise of mutants, though neither revealed to the other that they both in fact possessed mutant powers. However, they were forced to reveal their inherent abilities to one another while facing Baron Strucker and HYDRA. Following the battle, Erik (now dressed as Magneto), realizing that his and Xavier's views were incompatible, left with a cache of hidden Nazi gold, which provided him with the finances to pursue his goals. Rise of Magneto Magneto's experiences surviving Nazi Germany, Auschwitz, and Vinnytsia would shape his outlook on the situation that mutants face in the Marvel Universe. Determined to keep such atrocities from ever being committed against mutantkind, he is willing to use deadly force to protect mutants. He would believe that mutants ("Homo superior") will become the dominant life form on the planet and would set about either creating a homeland on Earth where mutants could live peacefully, or conquering and enslaving humanity in the name of mutantkind. Magneto's first villainous act was attacking a United States military base called Cape Citadel after bringing down missiles. He was defeated by Charles Xavier's mutant students, the X-Men, in their first mission. He creates Asteroid M, an orbital base of operations in a hollowed out asteroid that he wanted to be a homeland for all mutantkind. He then gathered a group of angry and disillusioned mutants including his own, albeit at the time unbeknown to him, son and daughter Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch and formed the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to further his goals. Magneto briefly conquers the fictional South American nation of San Marco in the hopes of establishing a mutant homeland there after stealing a military ship and getting Mastermind to cast an illusion of an army, but is once again foiled by the X-Men. He tried to make the Toad infiltrate the X-Men, but when that failed he captured the Angel and tried to force him to tell the secrets of the X-Men. However the other X-Men were able to rescue their member and destroy Asteroid M. Constant defeat of him and the Brotherhood by the X-Men led him to get captured by the Stranger, a powerful alien being, whom Magneto initially thought was another powerful mutant. The Stranger encased Magneto and Toad in a special cocoon and spirited him away to another planet, the Stranger's laboratory world. Back on Earth, Magneto's Brotherhood splintered, and Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch deserted him. Magneto escaped to Earth by repairing a spaceship on the Stranger's planet, but left the Toad behind. He captured nearly all the X-Men and took over the Mansion, hoping to use the parents of Warren Worthington III to create a race of mutants, but was then recaptured by the Stranger after Xavier telepathically contacted the Stranger. Magneto remained on the Stranger's world for a time, but escaped again, made his way back to Earth, and reassembled the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants with the exception of the mutant Mastermind. He then captured the X-Men, but with the help of the Avengers and a rebellious member of the Brotherhood, Toad, Magneto was defeated again. Magneto then created the Savage Land Mutates. With the Savage Land Mutates, he clashed with the X-Men and Ka-Zar. Along with Namor, Magneto later attacked New York City. He later fought the Inhumans Royal Family, and battled the Avengers once more. Magneto later reorganized the Brotherhood, and fought Professor X and the Defenders. Using ancient and advanced alien technology he found near the core of the earth, Magneto created an artificial humanoid he named "Alpha the Ultimate Mutant." Alpha rebelled against his creator and reduced Magneto to infancy. Magneto was then placed in the care of Xavier's former love interest, Professor Moira MacTaggert at Muir Island. At Muir Island, MacTaggert manipulated the infant Magneto's genetic code in an attempt to prevent him from becoming "evil" in adulthood. However, her genetic tampering lost its effect when Magneto reactivated his powers again. Magneto is eventually restored to adulthood, but to his physical prime rather than his older age, when he is found at Muir Island by the alien Shi'ar agent Erik the Red. Magneto later gathered a new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and with them battled Captain America. He then opposed Doctor Doom's conquest of Earth. Redemption Magneto later discovered that former Brotherhood members the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are actually his children, simultaneously learning about their recent marriages to the Vision and Crystal. He revealed to Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch that he is their father. He also discovered his granddaughter, Quicksilver's human child Luna Maximoff. Seeing Luna as a bond to the human race he has rejected, Magneto tried to reach out to his children. Angered by his rejection of them and their mother, they pushed him away and refused to forgive him. Magneto found himself allied with Professor Xavier and the X-Men when a group of heroes and villains were abducted by the Beyonder, a nearly omnipotent alien being. This entity took them to a planet he created called the Battleworld to participate in a personal experiment of his to observe the concept of the battle between good and evil which would later be known as the Secret Wars. The characters were sorted according to their desires; Magneto was placed with the heroes as his desires were based on a wish to help mutants rather than the more selfish drives of the others. This surprised many of the other heroes, who still believed him to be a villain, although eventually they came to accept him as an ally. Captain America even spoke in his defense on some occasions, and the Wasp developed a certain affection for him, although it was tempered by her knowledge of his past. After the Secret Wars, Magneto was transported back to his base, Asteroid M, where the alien Warlock, traveling to Earth, collided into the asteroid, breaking it to pieces. Magneto was sent falling towards Earth and into the Atlantic Ocean, sustaining serious injuries. He was rescued by Lee Forrester, the captain of a fishing trawler. Lee helped him recuperate from his injuries, and the two shared a small romance. After recuperating from his injuries, Magneto was asked to aid the X-Men in battling the returned Beyonder. Magneto stayed with the X-Men even after the Beyonder was defeated. His association with the team softened his views on humanity, and Magneto eventually surrendered himself to the law to stand trial for his crimes. A special tribunal was organized which chose to strike all charges against Magneto from prior to his "rebirth," deeming that this had constituted a figurative death of the old Magneto. However, the tribunal was interrupted by an attack from Fenris, the twin children of Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. Fenris was defeated, but Professor X was brought to near-death due to the strain of the battle and previously sustained injuries. Xavier asked Magneto to take over his school and the X-Men, and told him that doing so would make amends enough for his past crimes. Magneto agreed and chose not to return to the courtroom. Instead, he took over Xavier's school under the assumed identity of Michael Xavier, Charles Xavier's cousin. Seeing him try to reform, the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver began accepting him as their father. Though Magneto made a substantial effort as the headmaster of the New Mutants and an ally to the X-Men, his tenure was disastrous. The Beyonder plagued him yet again, slaying Xavier's current students, the New Mutants, and bringing them back to life soon after. This deeply traumatized the entire group. Magneto was then manipulated by Emma Frost, headmistress of her own school, the Massachusetts Academy, and White Queen of the Hellfire Club, into battling sanctioned heroes the Avengers and the Supreme Soviets. Magneto submitted to a trial once again, but used mind-control circuitry he salvaged from the wreckage of Asteroid M to alter the opinions of the head justice in charge of the trial. As a result, Magneto was finally absolved of his past crimes but found that this had only fueled the hostility that normal humans have towards mutants. Feeling that desperate measures needed to be taken after the genocidal massacre in the Morlock tunnels, Magneto and Storm joined the Hellfire Club jointly as the White King. He was unable to prevent his students Roberto da Costa and the alien Technarch Warlock from running away from the school, or prevent the death of the young mutant student Douglas Ramsey after the students snuck away yet again to save a friend, and witnessed the apparent death of all of the senior X-Men on national television. His relationship with the New Mutants deteriorated even further when they saw him and the Hellfire Club negotiating with the demons of the Inferno incident. Magneto later ousted longtime Hellfire Club co-chair Sebastian Shaw in order to establish himself as the head of the Hellfire Club as the Grey King. During this confrontation he revealed his real purpose of raising an army for the coming war between humans and mutants. The New Mutants did not return to Magneto's tutelage. Seeing conditions for mutants grow progressively more perilous, Magneto began seeking allies to protect mutants from humanity. He participated in the Acts of Vengeance alongside such established villains as Doctor Doom, the Wizard, the Mandarin, and the Red Skull. His temporary alliance with the Red Skull — an unrepentant Nazi war criminal — was a highly uneasy one. After confirming that the Skull was the original one who had worked with Hitler, Magneto took revenge upon him by entombing him alive. He also fought a cosmically powered Spider-Man in order to examine his powers. He worked alongside Rogue, Ka-Zar, and the American intelligence agent Nick Fury as well as a number of Russian operatives in order to reestablish peace in the Savage Land. This ultimately led to an altercation with Zaladane, who had appropriated the magnetic powers of Magneto's then-unknown daughter, Polaris. The conflict ended with Magneto executing Zaladane himself. With her death, Magneto renounced his previous efforts to act as a mentor to the New Mutants and to follow Xavier's beliefs in peaceful co-existence between mutants and normal humans. Avalon and Genosha Tired of the constant state of strife, Magneto set his sights significantly lower than world conquest. Instead, Magneto built a second orbital base called Avalon where he hoped to live a life of quiet seclusion. He was, by this point, a figurehead for the cause of mutantkind and was sought out by a group of new mutants calling themselves the Acolytes who pledged their service and allegiance to him. Under the influence of one of them, Fabian Cortez, he announced that the orbital base known as Asteroid M will be a new homeland for mutantkind, obtaining nuclear missiles from a sunken Soviet submarine he had previously destroyed and placed them around the Asteroid pointed towards Earth. Magneto discovered how Moira MacTaggert had altered his genetic structure when he had been de-aged. Enraged as he felt that his redemption had been a lie, he kidnapped Moira and subjected her to torture. Though it was later revealed that the genetic tampering had lost its effect when he had first used his powers after being re-aged, and thus his actions had never been influenced by Moira's tampering, the damage was done. While the X-Men attacked Avalon to rescue Moira and stop Magneto's plans, the Soviets launched a particle beam satellite which destroyed Asteroid M. Betrayed and abandoned at the last minute by Cortez, Magneto refused Xavier's pleas to escape with the X-Men back to Earth and he and his followers seemingly perished in the subsequent explosion. It would later be revealed that Magneto survived the crash, as the Acolyte Chrome had encased him in a protective shell. However, Chrome and the other Acolytes died. The United Nations Security Council, in response to a resurgent Magneto, voted to activate the "Magneto Protocols" — a satellite network, in slightly lower orbit than Avalon, which skews the Earth's magnetic field enough to prevent Magneto from using his powers within, preventing him from returning to the planet's surface. In response, Magneto generated an electromagnetic pulse not only destroying the satellites, but deactivating every electric device on Earth within minutes. The X-Men responded by hacking into Avalon's own computer systems to teleport a small team to the station with the aid of Colossus (who had joined Magneto as one of Magneto's Acolytes). Magneto, during the battle with the X-Men, ripped the adamantium from Wolverine's bones, which enraged Xavier to the point that he wiped his former friend's mind, leaving him in a coma. This action later led to the creation of Onslaught an omnipotent being that was formed with the combination of both Xavier's and Magneto's powers. Magneto remained comatose on Avalon, worshiped by his Acolytes under the leadership of the ancient mutant Exodus, until Avalon itself was destroyed by the arrival of Holocaust from the Age of Apocalypse Earth. During the destruction, Colossus placed Magneto in an escape pod sending him back to Earth. This pod was intercepted by Astra, a former ally who now desires his death. After cloning Magneto, Astra restored Magneto's memories and powers before attempting to kill him. Instead, Magneto, now fully revived, battled both Astra and his clone. After a pitched battle, Magneto triumphed over the clone sending him crashing into a South American barn. However, too weak to continue the battle, the real Magneto went into hiding while the now-amnesiac clone became known as Joseph (christened as such by the nun who discovered him) and eventually joined the X-Men. Since the world believed Joseph to be the real Magneto, Magneto took his time to plan. He engaged in a pair of brief diversions, first posing as "Erik the Red" and revealing Gambit's past crimes to the X-Men, resulting in Gambit's expulsion from the group. Then he killed George Odekirk, the forger that created his "Erik Lehnsherr" alias to prevent his true identity from being discovered by Sabra and Gabrielle Haller. Following this, Magneto constructed a machine to amplify his powers and blackmail the world into creating a mutant nation. The X-Men and Joseph, who had fallen under Astra's control again, opposed him. Magneto's powers were severely depleted from over-straining them in battling Joseph, who sacrificed his life to restore the Earth to normal. However, the United Nations, manipulated by its mutant affairs officer Alda Huxley, ceded to Magneto the island nation of Genosha, which had no recognized government, leaving Magneto unexpectedly triumphant. He then ruled Genosha for some time with the aid of many who had previously opposed him, including Quicksilver, Polaris, and the founder of the Acolytes, Fabian Cortez, and engaged in a brutal civil war with the island's former human rulers. Despite the UN's hopes that Genosha's civil war between humans and mutants would destroy or at least occupy him, Magneto ultimately crushed all opposition to his rule and rebuilt the nation by forming an army of mutants dedicated to his cause, including mutants coming from all over the world seeking sanctuary. Eventually, Magneto was able to use the Genegineer's equipment to fully restore his power. Intending to declare war on humanity, he captured Professor X to use as a symbol with which to rally his troops. In the Eve of Destruction storyline, Jean Grey recruited a new group of X-Men to help Cyclops and Wolverine rescue Xavier; they defeated Magneto when Xavier psychically cut off his access to his powers. Taking the opportunity for revenge, Wolverine attacked the depowered Magneto, crippling him with serious injuries. The Destruction of Genosha While recovering from the stabbing he endured at the hands of Wolverine, Genosha was attacked by an army of Sentinels sent by Xavier's long lost twin sister Cassandra Nova Xavier. Over 16 million mutants and humans died in Genosha, with Magneto as one of the casualties. The attack came just after Polaris (one of the survivors) discovered the truth about her biological relationship as Magneto's daughter. Magneto's last moments were spent revealing to Genosha Polaris's status as his daughter. Kuan Yin Xorn in the guise of Magneto also apparently converted a magnetic black box (designed to disable all forms of global electronic communication) into a recorder for a final message to the masses in which he tells his people that they will live on in the form of a radio message that records their last dying moments. Alliance with Charles Xavier on Genosha Magneto was presumed to be dead until a Chinese mutant named Xorn, who had been associated with the X-Men as a teacher and follower of Charles Xavier, took on the guise of Magneto in the storyline "Planet X" in New X-Men #150, and attacked the X-Men mansion, then attacked New York City after kidnapping Charles Xavier. Xorn as Magneto was then beheaded by Wolverine in the same issue. When Charles Xavier was transporting the body of the supposed "Magneto" to Genosha for burial, a short time later, he was met on Genosha by the real Magneto, who had never left the island, in the first book of a revived Excalibur vol. 3. Magneto explained that he did not know who "Xorn" was, or why he had taken on the identity of Magneto. Magneto and Xavier teamed up to try and rebuild Genosha, and gathered a team around them of young mutants including Wicked, Freakshow, Shola Inkosi, and human-sentinel Karima Shapandar. Meanwhile, Marvel brought back Xorn in Chuck Austen's X-Men #157, which introduced Shen Xorn. Shen Xorn claimed to be the twin brother of the original Xorn (now referred to as Kuan-Yin Xorn) who, under the influence of the entity known as Sublime, had pretended to be Magneto. This claim was supported when Emma Frost conducted a thorough mind scan of Shen. The claim was confirmed by Kuan Yin Xorn himself as the leading intelligence of "The Collective." House of M Following the events in New York, Xavier met the real Magneto in Genosha, who apparently survived Cassandra Nova's attack and lived unnoticed within the ruins. Xavier brought with him the coffin supposedly containing the corpse of Xorn (but which is later shown to be filled with guns), and explains how the impostor had killed over 5,000 people including Jean Grey. Magneto is shocked and angry that people think he is capable of committing such an act. Xavier and Magneto put aside their differences to rebuild the island nation, rekindling their friendship in the process. Magneto's daughter Wanda suffered a mental breakdown over the loss of her children and started to warp reality in order to recreate them, inadvertently resulting in random attacks on the Avengers, until Doctor Strange put her into a coma to stop her. In Genosha, Magneto heard Wanda's psychic cry for help and created a wormhole, whisking her away before the Avengers were able to stop her. Back in Genosha, Magneto tended to Wanda, increasingly becoming more withdrawn and angry. He allowed only Xavier to visit, in the belief that Xavier could help Wanda. Xavier was angry to learn that Magneto had revealed to the world that he was alive by rescuing Wanda, but agreed to try and help. Months passed with no avail, and not even Doctor Strange's magic helped. The X-Men and the Avengers meet to decide what should be done, and when some of the members suggest killing Wanda, Quicksilver informed Magneto of this development, before convincing Wanda to warp reality into the House of M. In the new reality, where the New Avengers, the X-Men, and the members of Wanda's family all received their 'heart's desires', Magneto was attacked by Sentinels over Manhattan in 1979, and revealed an alleged international anti-mutant conspiracy involving Richard Nixon. This resulted in Magneto being granted sovereignty over Genosha as leader of the world's much larger and much faster growing mutant population. Magneto then turned Genosha into the most powerful, technologically advanced country on Earth, which he used as a base to dominate the world and place mutantkind above humanity. A group of heroes were brought together by Wolverine — who alone remembers the way the world is supposed to be because his 'heart's desire' was to regain all the memories stolen from him by the Weapon X Program — and have their own memories of the "real world" restored by Layla Miller. They banded together and attacked Magneto in Genosha, believing him to be the one responsible. During the battle Layla was able to restore Magneto's memories as well, and he confronted his son, enraged that Quicksilver had done all of this in his name. Quicksilver revealed that Magneto would have let Wanda die, but Magneto replied that Quicksilver was only using Wanda and himself, and he would never have allowed this to happen. Furious, Magneto kills Quicksilver. Sensing her brother's death, Wanda resurrected him and retaliated with the phrase "No more mutants," changing the world back to its original form and causing ninety-eight percent of the mutant population to lose their powers including Magneto. Magneto was left a broken man, and Wolverine spared his life simply because Magneto wasn't directly responsible for this latest tragedy and because Wolverine felt that he "deserved every second of his crap "sapien" life". Son of M When Quicksilver came to Genosha to restore the mutants' powers with the Inhumans' Terrigen Mists, Magneto condemned his actions, pointing out the disastrous effects the Mists have on non-Inhumans. An angry Quicksilver attacked Magneto with his new powers from the Mists, and savagely beat him until his own daughter Luna stopped him. The Collective Marvel's editor in chief at that time, Joe Quesada, later elaborated on the issue of Xorn and Magneto, stating that "Kuan-Yin Xorn came under the influence of as-yet-to-be-revealed entity that forced him to assume the identity of Magneto." However, the issue of Xorn and Magneto was ultimately resolved during "The Collective" arc in New Avengers. A powerless Magneto is attacked by Xorn, who has somehow evolved into a being of pure energy and merged with both an energy absorbing mutant named Michael Pointer and free floating mutant power energy that manifested itself after Scarlet Witch depowered the bulk of the mutant population. Xorn reveals that he, of his own free will, impersonated Magneto in order to rally mutantkind against humanity but failed due to the quality of his impersonation. As a result, he possesses Magneto and briefly reactivates his powers before being defeated by the New Avengers and a cadre of heroes, including Magneto's former son-in-law Vision and mutant S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Daisy Johnson. Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, and the Sentry combined their powers and send Xorn into the Sun. Michael Pointer and Magneto were freed as a result, though Magneto was promptly arrested and loaded into a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter. The helicopter, however, exploded upon take-off through unknown means as Magneto used what was left of the energy provided to him by Xorn to escape. Divided We Stand Magneto appeared at the end of X-Men: Legacy #208, apparently at the behest of Exodus and claiming to be powerless, to help restore the broken psyche of Professor Xavier. Together they managed to revive Xavier before being attacked by Frenzy. Magneto wounded Frenzy by firing a medical laser into one of her eyes, prompting Exodus to ask what punishment he would have instilled on a human who injured a mutant (as the Acolytes consider him a human, Exodus even claims that Magneto is dead and that Lehnsherr is just a shell that was left over). Magneto replied "Death" and Exodus proceeded to choke him with his telekinesis before Xavier challenged Exodus on the astral plane. After Xavier defeated Exodus, he left Magneto and Omega Sentinel to try and rebuild his lost memories. Manifest Destiny Magneto appeared, seemingly repowered, reactivating Sentinels to attack the X-Men just as they had recently relocated to San Francisco. The X-Men defeated him in combat, but it was then revealed that his powers were artificially simulated by a suit designed by the High Evolutionary, and that his attack was merely a distraction so the High Evolutionary could gain an unknown object from the Dreaming Celestial in order to further a shared goal between Magneto and the High Evolutionary. After extensively examining the Dreaming Celestial, the High Evolutionary subjected Magneto to an extremely dangerous technological procedure in a successful attempt to restore his powers. Nation X Magneto appeared on Utopia, the new mutant homeland created by the X-Men using the remnants of his old Asteroid M. Magneto stuns the X-Men by offering to work with them impressed with their recent efforts in defending and helping mutantkind. Magneto feared the end of mutantkind until Cyclops informed him that Hope Summers, the Mutant Messiah is alive and well. He puts this offer in action as he assisted the X-Men in defending Utopia Island from an attack of Predator X monsters. After helping the X-Men defeat the Predators, Magneto, now considered a member of the X-Men, assists them in stabilizing the asteroid from sinking into the Pacific. To that end, he worked with Namor and the Atlanteans by constructing a pillar supporting Utopia on the surface that would provide a home for the Atlanteans, which Magneto would later refer to as New Atlantis. However, Magneto's actions angered Cyclops who reprimanded Magneto for acting on his own authority. Despite Xavier being apologetic and appreciative for what he'd done, Magneto left Utopia for nearby Mount Tamalpais in Marin County. In a final bid to gain their trust, Magneto entered into a deep meditative catatonic state to focus his powers at an interstellar distance, reverse the path of Breakworld's "Earth-destroyer" Metal Bullet that Kitty Pryde was trapped in, and bring her home to Earth. Magneto had encountered the bullet earlier while working to regain his powers with the High Evolutionary, and had surmised that Kitty was inside. He had chosen to focus on ways to restore the powers of mutants, but he memorized the metals of the bullet allowing him to keep a trace on it. Using all of his powers, Magneto was able to bring the bullet back to Earth, drawing Kitty out of it and levitating her safely to the ground. However, the use of his power at such intensity and duration severely strained him, leaving him comatose. Second Coming Magneto comes out of his coma right after Hope was teleported into Utopia by a dying Nightcrawler. With the Nimrods laying siege to Utopia, Magneto stopped Hank McCoy from leaving his patients as he prepared to enter battle himself despite his weakened status. Magneto managed to hold off a squad of Nimrods, attacking with electrical blasts before finally dismembering the robots by pulling shards of iron from the core of Utopia through them. The Children's Crusade After that battle, Magneto learned that the Young Avengers were going to search for the still missing Scarlet Witch, and that the heroes Wiccan and Speed are the reincarnations of Wanda's children. Magneto meets them, stating that he wants Wiccan and Speed to finally know him as their grandfather, and helps them find Wanda. The Avengers attempt to stop Magneto and fight him unsuccessfully, before Wiccan teleports Magneto and the Young Avengers to Wundagore Mountain. There they encounter Quicksilver, who attempts to kill his father. They discover that this Scarlet Witch is actually a Doombot in disguise. Magneto Goes Public With his reputation around the world as a well-known mutant revolutionary/terrorist, Magneto is talked into finding a solution to the problem by Cyclops before it goes public that he is established in Utopia. Kate Kildare, a "superhuman public relations specialist", advises him on a costume color scheme containing white, along with getting the public to "love and fear" him, both of which he refuses. With an earthquake inbound for San Francisco, Magneto uses his powers to stabilize the city's buildings, structures and metal vehicles, and to smooth the earth movements themselves, thus preventing any major damage and saving many lives. As a result, some of the city favors him, while others are reminded of how potentially dangerous he can be and has been. Powers and abilities Magneto is a mutant with the power to manipulate the Earth's electromagnetic fields to achieve a wide range of effects. The primary application of his power is control over magnetism and the manipulation of metal - ferrous and nonferrous. He can affect a very large quantity of metal at one time. For example, he has levitated objects as heavy as a 30,000 ton nuclear submarine and has used his power to move large asteroids several times. The maximum amount of mass that he can manipulate at one time is unknown, but his powers extend into the subatomic fields as evidenced during the Secret Wars, when he pulled ambient molecules of metal out of the surrounding atmosphere into a metal comb for Janet Van Dyne. He can manipulate a large number of individual metal objects simultaneously and has assembled complex machinery with his powers. He can also affect non-metallic and non-magnetic objects to a lesser extent and frequently levitates himself and others. Another way in which Magneto frequently uses his power is the projection of force-fields which selectively block out matter and energy. These fields are strong enough to withstand the detonation of multiple thermonuclear weapons; hence Magneto is invulnerable to most harm when surrounded by his shield and can survive in deep space thanks to it. Magneto can also channel his powers through his own body to increase his strength and durability far beyond human limits and has a baseline reaction time 15 times shorter than that of regular humans. On occasion he has altered the behavior of gravitational fields around him, which has been suggested as evidence of the existence of a unified field which he can manipulate. He can also generate electromagnetic pulses of great strength and generate and manipulate electromagnetic energy down to photons. He can turn invisible by warping visible light around his body. Although Magneto has been shown capable of manipulating matter on a subatomic level (insofar as the electromagnetic force is responsible for chemical bonding), the use of his powers in this way seems to be difficult for him, and he has not been frequently depicted as doing so. He has demonstrated the capacity to produce a wormhole and to safely teleport himself and others via the wormhole. His powers have also demonstrated that he can condense planetary objects into subatomic size.[volume & issue needed] He is also regularly seen "flying". The most logical explanation is that he pushes himself away from the minerals in the ground in order to levitate. Magneto has been consistently and frequently depicted as able to resist all but the strongest or most unexpected of telepathic attacks. A number of explanations have been proposed for his unusually strong resistance to telepathy, among them: (a) technology wired into his helmet (the explanation given in the X-Men film series and several comic plotlines), (b) some physical aspect of his electromagnetic powers that can interfere with telepathy (he once used the Earth's magnetic field to dampen the powers of all telepaths within his reach), © latent telepathic powers of his own or (d) sheer force of will (cf. X-Men Vol. 2 #2). The theme of latent telepathic powers has been explored in a number of stories, among them the Secret Wars limited series. In some of his earliest appearances, Magneto was depicted as capable of engaging in astral projection. He has also, on rare occasions, been shown reading other's dreams, issuing telepathic commands, and probing the minds of others. He has demonstrated the ability to shield his mind, while in intense meditation, so completely that even Emma Frost was not able to read his thoughts, despite being directly in front of him and actively attempting to do so. In addition to his powers, Magneto has many other skills. He is a genius with competence in various fields of advanced science, especially in genetic manipulation, particle physics, engineering, and other fields of technology. He has engineered advanced weaponry, space stations, superpowered humanoid lifeforms, devices that generate volcanoes and earthquakes, devices that block telepathy, and devices that can nullify all mutant powers except for his own. He has reconstructed computerized devices from memory. He is fluent in many human languages and once single-handedly deciphered the unknown language of a lost civilization. He possesses extraordinary skill in "reading" the microexpressions on others' faces and sensing what they are thinking and feeling, whether they are lying, fearful, etc. a skill which he refers to as "taking your enemy's measure." He also is a master strategist and tactician with extensive combat experience, and has often been successful in single-handed combat against entire groups of superhuman adversaries. He also has some military training in hand-to-hand combat and has been shown to be effective with his fists, but he prefers to use his powers when in combat situations.

I got home late, going to bed. This weekend has sucked for doing the lists.

"Blue collar" fans are what the Sox have traditionally sided with, yet they seem to be alienating them with their pricing. How many more people would attend games if the upper deck tickets dropped by $10-15 each?

Can Rowand play all fields?

QUOTE (CanOfCorn @ Dec 2, 2011 -> 04:50 PM) R-O-U-S's? I don't believe they exist. Inconceivable!

I'll have more up tonight after work. Around 11.

QUOTE (danman31 @ Dec 3, 2011 -> 02:27 PM) I bailed on that show once the drug addict stopped halfway into setting herself up for her drug fix so she could be f***ed by her creepy dealer. No addict gets that far only to say nah, I'd rather get laid right now. She was conflicted about the drugs because she's a priest. She f***ed him so that she could save the clinic. They needed drugs and he had them.