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It’s an uncanny truism of the Marvel Universe that no character exists in isolation. Instead, each is eternally bound by a cosmic interplay of relationships, rivalries, and revelations. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has done a fantastic job of adapting these connections to the silver screen, there’s a particular thread that has yet to be pulled. Once tugged, this thread could unravel a whole new narrative of how the X-Men’s Rogue got her powers and what that power has do with Ms. Marvel.

For the uninitiated, Rogue is an integral part of the X-Men team. Most of us remember her as the invulnerable, energy-draining, Gambit-smitten heroine from 1992’s X-Men: The Animated Series. However, before she became a hero whose legacy is basically set in stone now, Rogue actually made her debut in the X-Men comics as a villainous character in 1981’s Avengers Annual #10, where she fought Carol Danvers — also known as Ms. Marvel at the time — and stole her powers. So, basically, all of Rogue’s powers we came to know and love in The Animated Series weren’t as in-born as one would initially think. 

For those who aren’t that familiar with comic book history, Rogue’s innate power is to absorb the memories, abilities, and life force of anyone she touches. Though it sounds cool, given the potential to become the ultimate, omni-versal mutant, these powers led Rogue down a tragic path of fear and isolation that has become central to her character. It’s actually this very ability that set the stage for a dramatic encounter with Carol Danvers that would forever change the course of both their lives.

1981’s Avengers Annual #10 opens up with a scene in which Carol Danvers, acting as Ms. Marvel at the time — instead of her usual Captain Marvel moniker — falls off the Golden Gate Bridge. This is of course odd for an overpowered superhero with superhuman strength, speed, and the power of flight, who could easily take and dish out a headbutt to Thanos himself in the films. Headbutt narratives aside, the altercation between Rouge and Danvers led to the birth of one of the coolest X-Men ever.

With help from Professor X, it was revealed that Carol was completely stripped of her powers. Her memories, at least most of them, were also gone. Later in that issue, we see Rogue overpowering the entire Avengers team singlehandedly thanks to the superhuman durability, power, speed, and complete tactical knowledge of the entire team’s fighting capabilities — courtesy of the powers and know-how she absorbed from her battle with Ms. Marvel in the opening of the comic book issue.

But Rogue’s actual attack and confrontation with Ms. Marvel wasn’t actually seen in this issue. The actual event was revealed more than a decade later in 1992’s Marvel Superheroes #11, an issue in which, after a series of events, Rogue confronts Ms. Marvel outside the latter’s apartment in San Francisco. Needless to say, Ms. Marvel overpowered Rogue by taking the battle to the sky over the Golden Gate Bridge. In a desperate situation, and on the verge of a very far plummet, Rogue was forced to touch Danvers, ungloved, which activated her mutant draining abilities.

However, being inexperienced with the use of her power, her draining touch lingered too long on Ms. Marvel, resulting in a permanent transfer of her superhuman strength, endurance, and flight. Unfortunately, she also absorbed Carol’s memories. This admittedly gave her a massive tactical advantage but also a massive amount of guilt and personhood trauma for robbing Carol of her life’s essence, leaving Ms. Marvel with nothing else but a devious after-image of Rogue stamped inside her mind.

It’s precisely this story line that presents a narrative goldmine the MCU has yet to plunder. 2019’s introduction of Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel, along with the imminent arrival of the X-Men to the MCU, provide a perfect narrative crash trajectory to dive deeper into the shared trauma, guilt, and redemption that defines the relationship between Rogue and Ms. Marvel. There’s truly limitless potential here. The MCU is quite good at making complex and tragic origin stories, with superheroes coping with their destructive powers and learning how to overcome their barriers and become forces for good.

This could very well tie into a cinematic trilogy, with the first movie being Rogue’s origin story, her struggles with her destructive powers, her eventual run-in with Ms. Marvel, and the fateful altercation which changed their lives and intertwined their fates forever. A follow-up could explore Carol’s struggle, memory loss, journey of acceptance, and her eventual rise as Binary and then her rise again as Captain Marvel, whom we already met in her own movie.

The last movie could be a shared storyline in which the two super-heroines battle with guilt, resentment, acceptance, and forgiveness before teaming up to address a common threat. It would really be a miss for the MCU not to explore this relationship, especially when we consider just how deeply rooted it is in Marvel’s history. The potential for powerful storytelling is there, and fans would be clamoring to theater seats if Kevin Feige and other creatives behind the MCU were to harness that potential.

In the end, the Rogue/Ms. Marvel relationship is one of those interconnections that is born from an intimate narratives that makes the Marvel Universe so very human, green rage monsters and techno dem-gods aside. It would be a shame for the MCU to miss out on the opportunity to give the true backstory on how Rogue becomes, well, Rogue.

The Proud Boys are receiving consequences for their egregious actions, being forced to pay a hefty $1 million fine for vandalizing a ‘Black Lives Matter’ sign in front of a historically Black church in Washington, D.C.

In December 2020, the far-right, neo-fascist group held a rally that escalated into racially-motivated violence, targeting Metropolitan AME church by setting their sign on fire and removing another from Asbury United Methodist Church.

The Hill detailed how DC Superior Court Judge Kravitz presided over the case, determining that the incident at Metropolitan AME was an “attack” prompted by Former President Trump’s re-election loss. Four members were directly named and charged in the conviction against the group in general, including leader Enrique Tarrio, Joseph R. Biggs, Jeremy Bertino and John Turano.

Kravitz saw no possible justification for their actions, stating it “resulted from a highly orchestrated set of events focused on the Proud Boys’s guiding principles: white supremacy and violence.“

The extensive punishment went beyond the fine, as Kravitz detailed the full parameters in a 34-page ruling. Not only are all of the members forbidden to be   near the property, but also are banned from making any threats or hateful comments publicly towards Metropolitan AME for the next five years.

This victory for the church stems from their determined effort of justice, suing the Proud Boys for the attack while also seeking damages to fix the sign, as well as additional security to ensure the safety of members and future activities.

In a statement on the verdict, Metropolitan AME Pastor Rev. William H. Lamar IV spoke to The Hill on how their church remained steadfast in proving to hate groups that they cannot be bullied.

”We have an ancestral responsibility to fight legally, intellectually, politically, theologically any movement such as the Proud Boys that would not only deface our property but challenge our right to exist as citizens in this space.”

In his eyes, the case and winning verdict was important in stopping acts of “political violence” on this scale from occurring again.

Although Candace Owens is making her take on the recent overruling of Affirmative Action very clear, she is using some questionable comparisons to do so.

In a recent twitter rant, the conservative political commentator used Lebron James and Black athletes success in the professional sports as a metric to how Asian Americans have been slighted in elite academia.

Imagine if the NBA declined Lebron James because there were “too many black people in the NBA” and they wanted racial diversity—so they instead allowed Ed Sheeran onto the Lakers in his place.

That is exactly what Asian-Americans have been enduring for decades at Harvard.

— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) June 30, 2023

“Imagine if the NBA declined Lebron James because there were ‘too many black people in the NBA’ and they wanted racial diversity –so they instead allowed Ed Sheeran onto the Lakers in his place,” argued the ‘Blexit’ organization founder.

Owens continued further in this comparison, stating that Asian-Americans being slighted on the account of their race is unfair. However, this widespread assumption  is not actually the case.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the myth that Asian Americans have to work harder to get accepted due to a racial quota that prioritizes other nonwhite groups is statistically untrue. The false notion has been perpetuated nationwide due to unreliable study results, a dependence on unfair standardized tests, and, simply, racism.

Owens, however, is still anti-Affirmative Action, finishing her case with “if black people would like to have a greater presence at Harvard, then we are going to have to work at our academics.”

The talk show host’s commentary has not, historically and presently, been well received and debunked multiple times.

Multiple quoters of the tweet argued that Owen’s comparison lacks nuance and is not a fair analogy, as she ignores the systemic racial barriers at play for applicants of different backgrounds in regards to school admissions.

“When 43% of a leading NBA team is made up of players who got the job primarily because they filled a non-playing role for the team, or their parents played/worked for, or donated to the team, this will be something other than a laughably stupid false equivalence,” shared a Twitter user Dan McClellan.

When 43% of a leading NBA team is made up of players who got the job primarily because they filled a non-playing role for the team, or their parents played/worked for, or donated to the team, this will be something other than a laughably stupid false equivalence. https://t.co/Lh66eOTqWS

— Dan McClellan (@maklelan) June 30, 2023

Candace Owens has been known to cherry-pick facts to support her claims, but those who champion affirmative action, and are disappointed by the Supreme court’s decision, refuse to play into her game.

Apple TV+ today unveiled the premiere date and a gripping first look at season two of its ambitious series “Invasion,” which will return globally on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. From Academy Award-nominated and two-time Emmy Award-nominated producer Simon Kinberg (X-Men films, Deadpool films, The Martian) and David Weil (Citadel), and executive produced by Boat Rocker, Invasion is a sweeping, character-driven science fiction drama series that follows an alien invasion through different perspectives around the world. “Invasion” will debut with the first episode of its ten-episode second season, followed by one new episode weekly, every Wednesday through October 25, 2023, on Apple TV+. 

The action-packed second season of Invasion picks up just months later with the aliens escalating their attacks in an all-out war against the humans. The series stars Golshifteh Farahani, Shioli Kutsuna, Shamier Anderson, India Brown, Billy Barratt, Azhy Robertson, Paddy Holland and Tara Moayedi. New series regulars joining season two include Enver Gjokaj, Nedra Marie Taylor and Naian González Norvind.

“I couldn’t be more excited about the return of Invasion on Apple TV+,” said series co-creator and executive producer Simon Kinberg. “It’s a bigger, more intense season that drops our viewers into a wide-scale, global battle from the start. At its core, the show is about the power of the human spirit and the emotional connections that hold us together especially when facing incredible obstacles.”

The first season of Invasion is now streaming globally on Apple TV+. Since its premiere, the series has been praised as a “must-watch,” an “expertly crafted sci-fi series,” and a “gorgeously filmed global thriller.” “Invasion” has also been hailed for its “fantastical, action-packed plot,” its “grand scale,” and for its ability to be both “gripping and refreshingly patient.” Star Golshifteh Farahani was also lauded as a “standout star” and a “force on screen.”

In addition to series creators Simon Kinberg & David Weil, Audrey Chon, David Witz, Alik Sakharov, Andrew Baldwin and Katie O’Connell Marsh serve as executive producers.