deerstalker

I love pro wrestling. The moves, the wrestlers, the spectacle of it all coming together to tell a story. Stories are endless. They have a beginning and ending, but there’s always a new chapter. Much like a comic book. Which to me means, wrestling is comic books. You got people playing a larger-than-life hero (baby face) or villain (heel). There’s just something about watching folks get in that ring and put on a show. They’ve all got different reasons for doing it: money, fame, thrills. Then, there’s those with something to prove. Those that wrestling just calls to. That calling makes them wanna be the best at it. Invincible Fight Girl takes on the calling of a young, Black girl named Andy (Sydney Mikayla) that’s got dreams of becoming the best machine, the greatest of all time, the best wrestler alive.

“Suplex the K like Shane Douglas, brain busters, you can’t muster”

Invincible Fight Girl is set in a world where wrestling is everything. It’s literally the way of life. I knew I was hooked when they showed the globe, and the continents formed a flexing bicep. Andy’s story starts off 10 years ago earlier at a wrestling event with her parents. Now, her parents aren’t into it at all but this match changes Andy’s life, especially seeing the goat wrestler Quesa Poblana (Rolonda Watts). This is where Andy decides that she is going to be a professional wrestler.

However, the problem with Andy’s dream is that her parents don’t know about it and haven’t accounted for it because they’re counting on their daughter being an accountant like them. See, though wrestling is worldwide, Andy is from Accountant Isle. She’s in a land of no wrasslin’ or graps. We watch Andy struggle through Accountant Academy where everybody else is flourishing because they eat, sleep, and dream about crunching numbers. The problem for Andy is she’s more concerned with hitting brain busters. You already know how this goin’ go. Andy’s gotta find a way to follow her dream before accounting adds them up into a pile of shattered dreams.

“Owen Hart with the Pan. It’s all in the wrist, fork in the hand”

Invincible Fight Girl creator Juston Gordon-Montgomery clearly made the series as not only a love letter to fans of pro wrestling but as a gateway into wrestling that anyone can go through. “Wrestling is for everyone” is not only a line in the show but a line that’s been said in recent years to show how progressive wrestling has become. Every so often, fellow staff member Jordan Calhoun and I get into a back and forth about the popularity of wrestling. While Jordan sees wrestlers not being household names as they once were during the Attitude Era. I, on the other hand, believe that we’re currently in a renaissance of wrestling.

They’re playing wrestler’s theme songs at NBA games, current wrestlers are being cosplayed, and now that there’s alternatives to WWE, wrestling is way more accessible. The current landscape of pro wrestling makes this the perfect time for Invincible Fight Girl to drop as we’ve seen leaps and bounds in the treatment and packaging of Black wrestlers. Especially, Black women wrestlers.

I’m talking Willow Nightingale, Your Forever ROH Champ Athena, Naomi, Sasha Banks/Mercedes Mone, Bianca Bel Air, Mia Yim, Queen Aminata, Kiera Hogan, Jade Cargill. The 90s-2000s pioneers, Jacqueline Moore, Jazz, Awesome Kong, and Aja Kong, to Black women wrestlers that literally paved the way like Kathleen Wimbley, Ethel Johnson, and Ramona Isbel.

It’s impossible not to see the influence of all these women breaking down doors so that we now live in a time where Invincible Fight Girl stars a young, Black girl that loves wrestling. Not only that, Juston Gordon Montgomery’s show is bringing wrestling back to Toonami. Ultimate Muscle is the last wrestling show (that I can name) that Toonami aired. Dawg, Ultimate Muscle came out in 2002. That’s a 22-year gap in graps until now.

“I’m like Ted DiBiase – I win no matter what it cost me”

What I appreciate the most about the presentation of Invincible Fight Girl is that Andy isn’t trying to be the best female wrestler; she wants to be the best wrestler alive. Period. We see Andy fighting men, and there is no holding back whatsoever. Andy is taking hits, accumulating damage, and out her scrapping for real. There’s a flow to each fight but what stays consistent is that every hit taken has weight to it. I always appreciate how a show can have the animation be fun, goofy, and over the top then at the drop of a dime switch to up and convey a how dire the situation is. Invincible Fight girl does an amazing job of reeling in the audience to pull for Andy as a believable underdog.

Sydney Mikayla who voices Andy brings the finishing touch to the animation. Sydney’s voice acting portrays Andy as an eager young lion but also, we see who she is as a person and why she fights. There’s such a stark difference in Andy’s demeanor between her first and second fight. Even in her reasons for each fight, however, Sydney shows the growth of the character from each episode. Juston Gordon-Montgomery stressed how Andy’s style of wrestling will switch up for every fight based upon the opponent. What he didn’t mention, is that Sydney’s performance follows suit. Each fight brings out a different animal in Andy. Sydney conveys that notion flawlessly to make each fight stand out and on its own. My wrestler, I saw Andy throw a headbutt to block a punch… then smile. That’s what I’m talking about!

Sydney Mikayla’s voice acting blends so well into the animation seamlessly. When Andy’s down, we feel it. We get a great sense of her frustration, joy, and determination. Invincible Fight Girl at its heart is a story about being able to do what you love while striving to be the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. Andy’s journey will show her what it takes to have the wrestling game on Scorpion Deathlock. So, now yall got tickets to see Andy’s pro wrestling debut Nov 2 at midnight on Adult Swim (streaming next day on Max).

“Looky here – it’s just the way the cookie tear,
prepare to get hurt and mangled like Kurt Angle rookie year.”

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The post ‘Invincible Fight Girl’ Brings the Wrestling Tsunami Back to Toonami appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images By Kizzy Cox ·Updated October 31, 2024

Lisa Blunt Rochester is no stranger to making history. Eight years ago, she became the first Black person and first woman elected to Congress from Delaware, as reported by the 19th. Now, she’s poised to do it again with her campaign to become the first Black woman to represent Delaware in the Senate.

The wind is at Blunt Rochester’s back, with current polls showing her leading her Republican opponent by 20 points in a state that has consistently elected Democrats to the Senate since 2000. Blunt Rochester has also scored key endorsements from President Joe Biden and the current incumbent, Sen. Tom Carper, whom she worked for as a constituent relations caseworker and is retiring.

But as a Black woman with the weight of history on her shoulders, she’s taking nothing for granted. In an interview with the 19th, she said, “I still, as a Black woman, can look at how much a donor gives me and how much they give my white counterpart and see a disparity. I still deal with the issues of people’s expectations, and that’s good expectations and bad expectations,” she continued “I also think that there’s a level for me of responsibility. I care about this pipeline. Maybe other folks don’t have to think that way, but I do.”

Only three Black women have served in the U.S. Senate in its 235-year history. The first was Carol Moseley Braun, elected in 1992 to represent Illinois. The second was Vice President Kamala Harris, who was elected to represent California in 2016. The third is Laphonza Butler, who currently represents California and was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to finish the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s term. Butler isn’t running to keep her seat.   

If elected, Blunt Rochester and fellow Senate hopeful Prince George County, Maryland, Executive Angela Alsobrooks would become the first Black women senators to serve together. But while Blunt Rochester is aware of the historical significance of her campaign, that’s not her focus. In an ABC interview, she said, “I don’t really think about the history so much because, you know, my intention is to make a difference and to have an impact on people’s lives,” she added, “and should there be a history making moment, that’s great.”

Before deciding to run for Congress in 2016, Blunt Rochester was a recently-widowed 54 year old with no experience running for office. She said she was only able to afford to run because of the money she received from her late husband’s life insurance policy, but she overcame those odds to win her House seat. In an interview with ABC, she explained how her unique biography could serve both as an inspiration to others and as a roadmap of issues she wants to address: 

“I think about the little girls, I think about those women who have been widowed or who are over 50,” she said. “For me to be able to represent and bring those lived experiences, the professional experiences, the policy issues. I mean, we know that Black women die from childbirth more than their white counterparts [and] have 43% more student loan debt than our white counterparts.”

Blunt Rochester also wants to tackle the concerns of all Delaware residents, including protecting healthcare access and the economy. In fact, she cites both of those issues as her motivation for wanting to run for Congress. Despite the country’s deep political polarization, Blunt Rochester believes in working across the aisle to get things done.

On November 5th, she could very well become Delaware’s first Black woman senator—but she doesn’t want to be the last. “I feel a deep responsibility to bridge the gap and build a pipeline to other women and underrepresented groups of people,” Blunt Rochester told the 19th. “For me, it’s about providing tangible, meaningful support to the next generation of leaders because it’s not enough to be a ‘first,’ it’s about giving back.”

The post Black Women In Politics: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester Poised To Make History In Delaware’s Senate Race appeared first on Essence.

Discussing money can be a hot-button topic in marriage and family relationships.

Difficulty handling cash is often cited as a top reason why married couples squabble and divorces happen. And financial stress can fuel more problems by inciting family clashes, possibly harming interactions between parents and children.

Magic has long been a power held by some of Marvel’s mightiest heroes. At the center of heightened conversation at the moment is Agatha Harkness as she is the main subject of Disney+’s Agatha All Along. She was first introduced to us in WandaVision alongside Wanda Maximoff, also known as Scarlet Witch. With the two being the focus of fun and successful series, it’s important to note that Wanda and Agatha aren’t alone in the world of witches. They belong to an elite group of strong women that each have their unique qualities. Let’s take a look at some of the fierce witches of the Marvel Universe.

SATANA HELLSTROM

Considered to be the Devil’s daughter, Satana Hellstorm is a succubus who drains souls to survive with a preference for men. She eventually learns that the more souls she consumes, the more powerful she becomes, and she can enslave men by feeding on them. Satana was once a part of a trio known as the Witches that included Topaz and Jennifer Kale after Doctor Strange sent her back to Earth. She also has ties to Deadpool as she tapped him to assist her with locating her immortal soul (he later proposed to her and the two got married, only for her to leave him when her soul was found). Given her connection to Wade Wilson, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise if Satana makes an appearance in a future MCU project. Although it was long overdue, Deadpool & Wolverine was Wilson’s introduction into the larger cinematic universe, so we can definitely expect to see more of him.

MAGIK

Illyana Rasputin, also known as Magik, grew up in Russia but was kidnapped and brought to America. She’s the little sister to Colossus, and her mutant powers allow her to travel through time and teleport to anywhere in the world. Illyana has been part of the X-Men as a highly skilled mystic as well as Professor Xavier’s group of young protégés, the New Mutants (she was portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy in a film adaptation that was poorly received). If her opponents are any indication of her power, she once defeated Doctor Strange in a battle of Sorcerers Supreme, a feat many have not achieved in their lifetime. Leaving readers shocked at how this was possible, New Mutants #25 explains how the loss occurred, detailing the laundry list of magical tomes Rasputin has collected from Belasco, the demon who once ruled the realm.

MORGAN LE FAY

Created by Stan Lee and Joe Maneely, Morgan le Fay is a magical enchantress with ties to King Arthur. She sought to merge the Dark Dimension with Earth and was once in love with Doctor Doom (could we see her as Robert Downey Jr.’s love interest in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday?). Noted as one of Marvel’s most powerful female villains, she can manipulate the environment and wreak havoc due to her training and faerie heritage. Elizabeth Hurley played the enchantress in Runaways, which ran from 2017 to 2019 on Hulu. The abilities she was born with are endless, from removing spirits from their bodies to being a master of the mystic arts to virtual immortality. 

LORE

Lore is a variant of Wanda Maximoff who is incredibly sinister as she blocks the path back to the land of the living. She has the power to rise from the dead and did so herself to face the Scarlet Witch. Hailing from Earth-TRN 955, Lore feeds off of the energy from other worlds through her sorcery and absorbs the mystical power she comes across. Lore is the darkest version of Maximoff and quite the entertaining storyline to follow. This summer, we got a new solo series for Scarlet Witch written by Steve Orlando featuring art from Jacopo Camagni, in which Lore makes an appearance in the #3 issue. While there are a bunch of Marvel heroes who have said their goodbyes and most likely won’t reprise their roles, Elizabeth Olsen is not one of those. This leaves the opportunity for a Lore vs. Scarlet Witch face off to be on the table. The only question is who would make a solid casting choice for the dark counterpart?

NICO MINORU

Also known as Sister Grimm, Nico Minoru is part of the Runaways and wields the ability to fly as well as telekinesis. While powerful in her own right, she has little training and relies heavily on Staff of One, a weapon based on Gibborim technology that Minoru inherited. As one of the few American superheroes of Japanese descent, she was featured in Avengers Arena and Avengers Undercover and later joined Marvel’s first all-female Avengers team, A-Force (some other members include She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, and Medusa). One of the cooler powers she possesses is her ability to bend magic when she bleeds through the staff that emerges from her chest. While we haven’t gotten a feature film that features Nico, there was a series on Hulu appropriately titled The Runaways that featured Lyrica Okano in the role.

The post Agatha Isn’t All Alone: Witches of the Marvel Universe appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.