The fighters of Injustice 2 are some of DC Comics' greatest heroes and villains all doing battle with eachother thanks to their conflicts set forth in the Injustice universe. The majority of fighters in Injustice are returning to Injustice 2, but some new fighters will leave their mark on the field of battle.
The starting roster features over 25 fighters with more to come via DLC. Here is a list of all known fighters.
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Recently, the world was gifted with the first teaser for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and we all learned for the first time about Luke Skywalker’s newfound antipathy toward the Jedi Order with his line, “I only know one truth: It’s time for the Jedi to end.”
The internet has been abuzz ever since the trailer dropped, piling on theories about Luke’s statement, philosophical thinkpieces, speculation about the Gray Jedi and the Order of the Whills, and so much more. And we at IGN of course have our own take on Luke’s new outlook, so let’s delve a little deeper into some of the failures of the Jedi Order and the Old Republic which might be informing Luke’s philosophy -- the times those ancient organizations took a swing and missed. We’ll also take a look at the trajectory of these failings, leading up to Luke’s current status as a refugee from the battle between the Dark side of the Force, and the Light.
The remains of a long, Jedi-protected galactic peace begin draining away right around The Phantom Menace, when Palpatine is fomenting a coup under the noses of the Jedi Council, the highest governing body of the Jedi Knights. While the Council members certainly suspect something is afoot, or at the very least sense a disturbance in the Force, by the time they leap into combat in Attack of the Clones it’s too little, too late. Certainly, we know centuries of peace in the Republic can be accredited to the Jedi, but it’s worth remembering that the stories about war are the more interesting ones to tell.
It’s also likely that the resurgence of bad guys in the new trilogy starting with The Force Awakens -- a double-whammy of militant fascists and the seemingly Sith-like Knights of Ren -- was inevitable. By contending that the Jedi’s time is over, Luke may have come to the conclusion that as long as there are those adhering strictly to the Light -- like his new Jedi recruits -- there will be an opposing Dark force to meet them. If this continuous binary has been the cause of unrest in the galaxy, it might be time to dissolve the binary altogether; without light, there is no dark, and it doesn’t take K-2SO’s probability calculations to tell us how good the Dark side is at driving an arms race. If the rebels blow up their Death Star, they build another one.
Adding fuel to Luke’s ambivalent fire must be the way some facets of Jedi life have contributed to the growing power of the Dark Side. Where the Jedi are dispassionate, the Sith are invigorated; the Jedi don’t encourage strong attachments to any one person or place, whereas the Sith are fueled by these very attachments. Anakin Skywalker’s secret marriage to Padme Amidala and the death of his mother are easily manipulated by Palpatine to turn him, but had those attachments been accepted into the Jedi way of life, he might not have been so easily swayed to the Dark Side. What some would see as the Jedi’s unwavering obedience to the Light side and peace in the galaxy, others could see as fatally relativistic. This was clearly alienating for Anakin Skywalker, and potentially also for Ben Solo.
One thing that stands out about figures like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, and even (against all odds, considering the actor playing him) Mace Windu was their cold, clipped, aristocratic demeanor. Alec Guinness’ Obi-Wan sticks out like a sore thumb amidst the rabble of the Mos Eisley cantina, and Qui-Gon’s attempts to pass himself off as a regular trader to the Skywalker family are easily brushed aside. The simple folk on the outer reaches of the galaxy aren’t impressed by Jedi mind tricks, have no use for the Republic currency, and perhaps couldn’t care less whether they’re governed by a military Imperial regime or a democratic republic, as long as they’re left in relative peace (and this of course is the major caveat under Imperial rule). It could also be argued that the Jedi, in their quest to maintain peace in the galaxy, are relatively unconcerned with the fate of these Outer Rim dwellers; the Jedi Council certainly could have done more to help the slaves on Tatooine, if not Shmi, but instead they grabbed Anakin for his midi-chlorian count and called it a day in the name of the greater good. It raises the question of whether or not the Jedi were truly on the side of regular folk, and if they had become so separated from the masses as to not fully grasp the lives they led. This is presumably the exact kind of thing Luke wants to avoid from here on out.
Speaking of Anakin’s status as The Chosen One (which has been up for debate in the past, but was confirmed by George Lucas), how does Luke’s desire for the Jedi to end affect the precarious balance in the Force? Let’s recap: As Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker helped Emperor Palpatine eliminate almost all of the Jedi, leaving Luke Skywalker as the last Jedi Knight. After the Battle of Endor, Vader and Palpatine were both dead, and the former had redeemed himself, joining Obi-Wan and Yoda as a Force spirit. But clearly, the remains of the Empire outnumbered the remains of the Jedi, and so, presumably, did their resources. Though it’s still unclear how Supreme Leader Snoke and the Knights of Ren came into the picture, we can see that a single Jedi (two, if you count Rey) against the newly-revitalized Dark side is indicative of an imbalanced Force.
There has been speculation that Kylo Ren is being set up for a similar redemption arc as his grandfather (maybe his obsession with Vader will play into an updated reading of the Prophecy when all is said and done), and we know our scrappy Resistance heroes are going to take the First Order to task in the upcoming films, so the maintaining of the balance first brought about by Vader is all but guaranteed. However, as mentioned above, the mere existence of the Jedi may, in Luke’s mind, be all that it takes to inspire these cycles of resurgence and retreat from the Dark Side. For the prophecy to become fully realized, perhaps there must be neither Sith nor Jedi.
Clearly, Luke’s family has suffered because of this binary between the Dark and Light sides of the Force. His father was space-Hitler, his mother died, the aunt and uncle who raised him were murdered by Stormtroopers, Han Solo is dead, and his nephew Ben Solo is on his way to becoming space-Hitler 2.0 (more on that below). It only makes sense for Luke to be feeling ambiguous at best about maintaining this divide. The only family he has left to defend is Leia, and perhaps Kylo Ren, if he’s capable of following a similar path to redemption as Vader was. But is Luke really expected to do that all over again? It seems only natural that after the events of these wars he’s been involved in, after his youthful yearning to be a hero and save the galaxy has proven unrealistic and led to nothing but personal misery, he’d seek a radical alternative in ending the Jedi.
In the midst of the New Republic’s brief moments of victory and peace, Luke opens a new Jedi training academy. After this fails miserably when Ben Solo/Kylo Ren slaughtered his fellow students, Luke disappears so hard and fast that he’s already thought of as a myth on remote planets like Jakku by the events of The Force Awakens. With his new Jedi academy destroyed -- essentially mirroring how the previous generation of Jedi had also failed -- and his search for the first Jedi Temple on Ahch-To, he could be looking to return the Jedi Order/Code to the basics of its origins, or at the very least understand the origins better while avoiding the mistakes the Jedi have made since then. He may come to the conclusion that the temptation of the Dark side is, in fact, too great a threat to the purity of the Light, and that the best defense against this is to dissolve that binary along with the Jedi Order, allowing something more like the concept of the Gray Jedi (although this is pure conjecture) to take its place -- Force users who utilize some of the practices of the Sith and eschew the strict rules of the Jedi without falling to the Dark Side.
Throughout the series there are examples of folks tapping into the Force without Jedi training; the Force-sensitive General Leia Organa comes to mind, as do Maz Kanata and (perhaps) Chirrut Imwe. Luke, having fought alongside individuals like these and having seen firsthand the resilience of the nearly Jedi-less Rebellion, might have finally decided to leave the Jedi in the history books and let someone else take charge of restoring peace to the galaxy -- for a while, at least.
Why do you think Luke might want to leave the Jedi behind? Let’s discuss in the comments!
Lauren is a freelance writer and artist who can be followed at @YasBruja.
On January 12th, Nintendo revealed that a new version of Mario Kart - Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, would be coming to the Nintendo Switch Console in April 28th, 2017.
In addition to all of the characters, modes, and tracks of Mario Kart 8, Mario Kart 8 will include new content not present in the Wii U Version of the game. All courses and CCs (including Mirror Mode) will automatically be unlocked at the start of the game.
It appears that in the Nintendo Switch version of Mario Kart 8, you will be able to play as the characters from Splatoon. The new characters include:
You can also unlock the secret Gold Mario by completing all cups in 200cc Mode.
In addition to this, both Inkling characters have three different costumes, much like the Yoshi and Shy Guy alternate outfits. Also, all characters are now unlocked from the start of the game.
Like characters, there are also new kart and parts to coincide with the new characters. So far, these include:
Like the Wii U version, Karts and and parts must be unlocked by playing the game.
There are several new additions to the Mario Kart 8 formula that change the game up in some really big ways:
There are several new BattleModes present in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Unlike the Wii U version of MK8, BattleModes now take place on specific arena tracks, which include the following:
| Battle Stadium |
Sweet Sweet Kingdom |
Dragon Palace |
Lunar Colony |
| 3DS Wuhu Town |
GCN Luigi's Mansion |
SNES Battle Course 1 |
Urchin Underpass |
There are also the additional new types of Battle Modes:
This mode has undergone various changes from the Wii U mode - most notably that there are now specific arena maps to chose from instead of regular race tracks.
Each driver will start off with five balloons, and players must drive around and score more points than other drivers using items around the arena. Additionally, these matches have a time limit. Drivers score points for popping other drivers' balloons, which is accomplished by hitting them with projectile/offensive items (Shells, Bananas, Bob-ombs, etc.) or stealing them with a well-timed Mushroom- or Feather-infused collision (however, if a driver has only one balloon left, then their last balloon cannot be stolen via this second method).
If all of a driver's balloons are popped their score is halved and they respawn at their starting position with three balloons. At the end of the time limit, the driver(s) currently with the most points is/(are) the winner(s). Up to four players can play with the addition of other CPU controlled opponents.
This Battle Mode follows the same overall rules as Balloon Battle, except that the only items drivers can find and use are Bob-ombs. Additionally, in this mode, drivers may stack and carry up to nine (9) Bob-ombs at once, and drivers' own Bob-ombs' explosions will not harm them or pop their own balloons.
This battle mode is very different from other modes - One team will have permanent Piranha Plants attatched to the front of their vehicles, while the other team will have to evade them at all costs. If nabbed by the Piranha Plants, the renegade team member will be sent to a jail - located in different areas depending on the map. Other players on the team can try and hit the button under the jail to free the players who have been trapped.
After the game begins, players will be unable to see the enemy team on the map unless they are in line of sight
The game ends either when the timer runs out, or all players on the renegade team have all been captured. Players will also earn points for every capture, or every time they free their friends.
In this Battle Mode, players battle indirectly by trying to claim the most coins in an arena before time runs out. Coins are placed randomly around the map, and more will appear over time - shown on the map. Players can either claim unguarded coins and evade other players, or attack them to cause them to spill several coins and steal them.
The driver with the most coins when time is up wins.
In this mode, players battle over control of a Shine Sprite - ala Capture the Flag. Once in control of the flag, a timer will count down as long as that player or team holds control - until they loose control and someone else gains the Shine Sprite.
Those who hold the Shine Sprite, are visible on the map - as is its location - and will move at a slower pace. The person to have the most points ticked off - or the team who gets to 0 will win.
For over 30 years, Stephen King’s It has remained one of the most frightening novels that King has ever written. And it’s not just because we’re all afraid of clowns, although Pennywise definitely isn’t doing any favors for people with coulrophobia. Pennywise is more than just a clown or even a man. He, or It, is something far beyond human comprehension, and Pennywise has many different ways to strike at his victims. No matter how far away they run, Pennywise can always reach them. And he always comes back.
King’s story was adapted as a TV miniseries back in 1990, with Tim Curry in the leading role as Pennywise. Next fall, Bill Skarsgård will step into Pennywise’s creepy clown shoes in a new adaptation of Stephen King’s It. The upcoming movie will take place in the past, as a group of children calling themselves “the Losers” become aware of Pennywise and attempt to stop his reign of terror. The first trailer for the film looks like it may have captured the tone and menace of the original work.
So to prepare you for a return visit to the small town of Derry, IGN is looking back at nine of the scariest things in It. Just remember, “We all float down here.” Spoilers obviously follow.
Throughout the novel, Pennywise commits several murders. But perhaps the most memorable death belonged to poor Georgie Denbrough, a six-year old boy who came across Pennywise while looking for his paper boat in a drain. Georgie was smart enough to be wary of strangers, but not lucky enough to keep his distance from Pennywise. It cost Georgie his arm and his life, while ultimately leading his older brother, Bill, into a confrontation with It.
It seems that Pennywise’s influence can be felt even when he isn’t directly present. Early in the story, Bill witnesses pictures in Georgie’s photo album that appear to move. Later, Bill and Richard see another picture begin to move, and Bill actually manages to cut himself when he touches it. This was simply another way for Pennywise to terrorize them, even when they thought they were safe.
Compare the 2017 film to the 1990 version in the slideshow above.
Pennywise didn’t just target the boys in the Losers. He also found ways to strike at Beverly as well. As she prepared for bed, Beverly heard a voice coming from the sink in her bathroom, which led to blood rushing from the drain. Unfortunately for Beverly, her parents appear to be unable to see the bloody evidence before their own eyes. It was hard enough to deal with Pennywise’s antics, but the kids couldn’t even turn to their parents for help.
After being drawn back to Derry by Pennywise’s renewed murder streak, Bill, Richard, Beverly, Ben, Eddie, and Mike have a reunion lunch. It’s largely a pleasant experience... until dessert. When the waitress serves them with fortune cookies, each of the Losers faces a personalized torment prize inside each one. And once again, only the Losers could see Pennywise’s handiwork.
Part of Eddie Corcoran’s backstory is that his father brutally murdered his younger brother, Dorsey, in a fit of rage. Pennywise appears to Eddie as Dorsey’s reanimated body, and he scares him so badly that the kid wets himself. That’s just the beginning, as “Dorsey” grabs at Eddie before eventually transforming into a famous movie monster and chasing him through the town. It’s an extended sequence that successfully left the reader wondering whether Eddie would make it out alive.
After the Losers return to town as adults, Beverly finds herself at the home that she grew up in. Her father was long gone, but a kindly old woman was now living there... or that’s what Beverly was meant to think. Instead, Beverly slowly discovers that Pennywise was once again toying with her, and he delights in making her feel helpless and afraid. It’s an unnerving sequence, to say the least.
As part of his attempt to strike at the Losers, Pennywise manipulates Beverly’s crazy husband, Tom, into kidnapping Bill’s wife, Audra. And once Tom brings Audra to him, Pennywise shows them both his true face... or should we say his true form. The experience can’t fully be captured with words, but Tom dies instantly and it drives Audra into a catatonic state. Whatever Pennywise is, it’s not of this Earth.
Not all of the threats in It are supernatural. The bully, Henry Bowers, is one of the most disturbing characters in the story thanks to his cruel and sadistic streak. In one of the more unsettling scenes, Henry attempts to make good on his threat to carve his name into Ben’s chest. Although he only gets as far as the “H,” Henry’s actions serve as a reminder that there is more to evil than just a sinister clown. And Henry’s brand of malevolence is all too real.
From experience, the Losers know that they could find Pennywise at the abandoned house on Neibolt Street. But when they attempt to take the battle to Pennywise on their own terms, they’re lucky to escape with their lives. The emergence of It from the pipes is horrifically memorable… and the subsequent events very nearly lead to the death of Ben.
What’s your favorite scary moment in Stephen King’s It? Let’s discuss in the comments!
Life lessons of a companion.
Spoilers follow for this episode of Doctor Who.
Last week it was to the future for the Doctor and Bill, but with this week’s episode the new friends have wound up more than 200 years in the past. For Bill, who’s still finding her TARDIS legs as a companion, a mere couple of centuries is more than enough time to drive home how much London, and society, will change by the time she’s born. But even more alarmingly for her, she’s also getting a better sense of who the Doctor is… and what he’s capable of.
“Thin Ice” takes the opportunity to visit an actual historical event, specifically the “Frost Fairs” that would pop up on the Thames during the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries when the river would occasionally freeze. The TARDIS, “bad girl” that she is, arrives at the last of these fairs in 1814, when, yes, an elephant walked across the river. But that’s not the only giant creature doing the bidding of man during this particular moment of London’s past…
This third episode of Season 10 follows the pattern established by the previous two installments with a one-off adventure that feels in some ways like old-school Who, with a monster and a (relatively) easy problem to solve therein, while also adding a bit of complex thematic shading to the proceedings. Here, as Bill wades deeper into the exciting insanity of the Doctor’s lifestyle, she also realizes that it’s not all fun and games and stealing pies. Ah yes, the life lessons of a companion.
See, the Doctor may like to act like one of the kids (see last week’s episode), but he also is well experienced in dealing with death and despair. So when that street urchin gets sucked into the ice and all the Doctor can manage to do is save his sonic screwdriver, grabbing it from the boy’s hand at the last instant, it’s no wonder that Bill would be so rattled. The viewer would be forgiven for being somewhat rattled as well, because the sequence is shot in such a way that seems to imply that the Doctor is more interested in his screwdriver than in the kid. Of course, that’s not the case, and it’s actually a sort of strange moment that I can’t quite parse. Was director Bill Anderson purposely playing the scene out in this way to highlight Bill’s new uncertainty about the Doctor?
Either way, for the Doctor to shortly thereafter ask Bill “What’s wrong?” is certainly one of Twelve’s more tone-deaf interactions. His time with Clara, and her empathy index cards, definitely proved to soften his rough edges, but this scene with Bill is a fair reminder that this Doctor has always been a different sort from a Matt Smith or a David Tennant.
So Bill’s having her companion coming of age moment here, and that’s the strongest aspect of the episode too. Now she knows that the Doctor does what needs to be done, and when she asks him outright if that includes killing, he finally and simply just says yes. Of course, his reasoning -- 2,000-years-plus of experience has taught him this -- that more people will die if he doesn’t just “move on” after a death like the urchin’s is completely valid, but that’s a tough concept to grasp for someone like Bill, who’s never even seen someone die before.
By the end of the episode, the Doctor has started to get Bill to see things his way, essentially forcing her to make the decision whether or not to free the Nessie-type sea creature “Tiny” that has been enslaved beneath the Thames. Do you save the thing from its suffering, but in the process put potentially hundreds or thousands of people at risk? She chooses yes, and fortunately for Bill and the Doctor the creature does not lash out in a destructive rage and devour the street urchins and others who they sought to save.
But Tiny just as well could’ve turned on everyone, which seems to be a problematic aspect of this episode -- as does the Doctor’s essentially forcing Bill to make that call. Obviously the idea is that she needs to learn to make the tough decisions if she’s gonna roll in the TARDIS, but unfortunately “Thin Ice” doesn’t quite sell Bill’s decision, or the Doctor’s taking a step back so she can make it.
Some notes:
The Verdict
Another appealing episode, “Thin Ice” rides largely on the Doctor/Bill relationship again. The recreation of 1814 London is, like last week’s futuristic Earth colony, another nice bit of production design, and the underwater creature is a cool touch. But regrettably, the final decisions made by the lead characters don’t entirely ring true.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is adding several new characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but none bigger than Star-Lord's estranged father, Ego. Literally. There's a reason they call him "The Living Planet."
But who is the Marvel character Kurt Russell is playing, and how can a planet have a human son? Scroll down to learn more about Ego the Living Planet, how his powers operate and what role he might be playing in the next MCU epic.
All you really need to know about Ego the Living Planet is right there in his name. He's basically a giant space rock that gained sentience and now travels the universe stirring up mischief. He hails from a remote corner of the Marvel Universe called the "Black Galaxy," where he started life as a virus that grew and grew until it evolved to the point where it could think and act.
Like many of the more powerful cosmic beings in the Marvel U., Ego doesn't necessarily qualify as hero or villain. As his name suggests, he's a self-interested and very emotional creature that tends to act on a whim. Sometimes he seeks to conquer other planets, which tends to put him in conflict with Earth's heroes in general and Thor in particular. But other times, Ego has been an ally to Earth's Mightiest Heroes, such as the time he agreed to make his surface the home for an alien race that was displaced by Galactus. Galactus even once tried to devour Ego himself, but luckily Thor was there to help his oversized friend.
As a living planet, Ego is capable of altering his mass and shape-shifting. That's why he's able to form a giant face on his surface and converse with other beings. His surface can be covered by lush forests or barren deserts, depending on his mood. And while he looks like a giant ball of rock on the outside, internally Ego's body isn't so different from that of a human's, with circulatory and digestive systems and even a giant brain at his core.
Ego can also use his shape-shifting powers to create massive tendrils to attack foes or release smaller offshoots of himself that basically act as extensions of Ego's will. We're assuming that's why Ego appears in humanoid form in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Kurt Russell's character is (likely) merely a small piece of a much greater being.
Thanks to a run-in with Galactus, Ego also has a spaceship wedged into his backside that allows him to travel the universe at faster-than-light speeds. Don't ask.
Ego's prodigious mind is really his greatest asset and most glaring weakness. He has massive psionic powers and can read minds or attack foes with powerful psychic blasts when needed. However, he's also a highly emotional creature, and one that's very easily riled up or manipulated when things don't go his way. Many of Ego's worst actions have come about because he was manipulated or brainwashed into causing destruction.
Like so many classic Marvel characters, Ego the Living Planet is the brainchild of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character first debuted in 1966's Thor #132 and has remained closely tied to both the Thor and Fantastic Four franchises ever since. In fact, we recently learned that the only reason Marvel Studios was even allowed to use Ego in Guardians Vol. 2 is that they arranged a character swap with Fox.
Ego wasn't neither the first nor the last "living planet" to appear in comics. DC has its own version of that trope in the form of Mogo, a sentient planet who joined the Green Lantern Corps in the 1980s. But Ego came about during a particularly fruitful period where Lee and Kirby focused on expanding Marvel's cosmic mythology a great deal. This was also the period where concepts like Galactus, the Inhumans and the Kree Empire came into play, reflecting Kirby's fascination with topics like experimental evolution and higher life forms.
Ego's background and true nature have continued to evolve over the years. Recently, it was revealed that Ego was actually created as a science experiment by a being known as The Stranger. What's more, he has a twin named Alter-Ego. The Stranger manipulated the two into battling one another. Once again, Thor came to Ego's aid, and now the battered remnants of Alter-Ego orbit Ego as his moon. So while the decision to make Ego Star-Lord's father in the movies is clearly a major departure, the idea that Ego is a lonely creature in search of a family isn't so off base.
Ego hasn't had an especially active career outside of Marvel's comics, though we suspect that'll quickly change now that he's about to make his big-screen debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. To date, most of Ego's non-comics appearances have been in various animated series.He first appeared on TV in the 1994 Fantastic Four series and again in the short-lived 1998 Silver Surfer series.
Ego's most significant animated role has been in Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. (where he's voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson). True to form, Ego appeared as a villain one episode and then as an ally in another where he helped Hulk and the gang battle the Kree Empire.
The question isn't whether we'll see more of Ego outside the comics going forward, but rather how Marvel will choose to portray the character. Will they start to downplay the "Living Planet" angle in favor of a humanoid Ego based on Kurt Russell's character? Will we actually get to see the "planet" part of Ego in Guardians? And will this new take feed into Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy comics as well? Only time will tell.
Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.
