All posts by Jason Nichols

Jason enjoys blogging, conservation, hiking, fundraising, reading comics, watching anime, gaming and of course creating terrific content. On a side note, hobbies he loves but just plain terrible at include building Gunpla.

Anime

Animes Most Ferocious Fire Users

November 20, 2020 Jason Nichols Leave a comment

Fire burns, it’s hot, it ate a bad report card of mine once but most importantly it’s the element of interest when it comes to daydreaming of your preferred superpower. If you don’t share that enthusiasm you’re likely at least one third ice narwhal but still welcome to read on. There is arguably no better place to find some of the hottest fire flinging fictional examples (I did it again) than the murky world of anime.

With so many different anime universes it is a monumental task to try and rank them in terms of who carries the torch above all but you can confidently say here is seven of the biggest and hottest fire users that let their flames do the talking.

Itachi Uchiha (Naruto)

Coming from a sad albeit complicated background, a shinobi of Konohagakure‘s Uchiha clan gained infamy after murdering his entire family, saving only his younger brother Sasuke. It was only years later Sasuke would learn the decision made by Itachi rested solely with his motivation to save his life and the entire village .

Capable of releasing the highest level of fire technique, the Amaterasu. Unmistakable by the dark black flames the caster uses the Mangekyo Sharingan to summon a fire so hot it burns other fires. Amaterasu cannot be extinguished by conventional methods and Only Itachi and Sasuke can use Amaterasu. This impressive power can burn for 7 days and has been labeled as forbidden in the ninja world.

Enji Todoroki or Endeavor (My hero Academia)

Hailed as the current number one hero of Japan Endeavor is about as hot headed as his flames are, starting out as kind of a jerk and well abusive dad. Endeavors attitude stemmed from his drive to become the number one hero and usurp the former All Might. Succumbing to his obsession he has pushed himself and children to the utmost limits of their quirks, later realizing the error in this and cooling his attitude.

Using the quirk Hellflame Endeavor is able to generate and manipulate intense flames from his body surrounding himself in a shroud of fiery armor and even enhancing his strength and speed. By concentrating his flames into his fingertips the number one hero can mimic a plasma ray, his signature move Flash Fire vaporizes everything it touches slicing through steel and victims like butter.

Roy Mustang (Full Metal Alchemist (Brotherhood)

Known well as the Flame Alchemist Roy Mustang is a Lieutenant Colonel in the State Alchemist military government. Gaining status as a hero during the Ishvalan Civil War , Mustang utilized his unique flame alchemy to devastate the Ishvalan ranks. Initially he carries an attitude that is overly laxed and even lay about concerning his duties, beneath the surface a calculating and precise person Mustang is a born leader with a tactical intuitiveness that is surpassed only by his concern for the people he is sworn to protect.

Flame Alchemy allows the wielder to manipulate the density of oxygen around themselves by raising its levels in the air. Mustang uses this technique combined with a spark generated from his gloves to create varying degrees of fire based attacks and explosions. Capable of precision strikes like igniting the fluid in an enemies eye or incinerating a room of enemies while avoiding allies.

Shigekuni Yamamoto (Bleach)

Arguably the strongest Soul Reaper in soul society until of course being surpassed by Ichigo, as Captain Commander and the eldest shinigami his strength is surpassed only by his conviction. Toting the appearance of a frail old man Yamamoto is actually in incredible shape and will stop at nothing to ensure the Soul Society’s rule and laws are followed. He is known to show respect and almost admiration for powerful opponents.

Utilizing a powerful weapon known as the Zanpakuto Yamamoto possesses the strongest fire Zanpakuto ever in the soul society “Ryuujin Jakha”. A Shnigami has two obtainable levels (upgrades) to their power, a Shikai and Bankai. Ryujins Shikai release ability engulfs the sword and surrounding landscape into flames incinerating even clouds in the area, this Shikai command is, “reduce all creation to ash”. Releasing his Bankai Yamamoto has claimed that his body and sword are engulfed by flames hotter than the sun, vaporizing any matter touched.

Mereoleona Vermillion (Black Clover)

An imposing noblewoman of the house Vermillion, Mereoleona is a Royal Knight and stand-in Captain of the Flame Salamanders squad. Commanding respect, her sheer indomitable will is surpassed only by her fire magic abilities. Stated In the magnato possess an almost unobtainable level of power she is possibly the strongest human magic user alive.

Mereoleona draws her magic abilities from one of the highest tier Grimoires in the Clover Kingdom, a three leaf clover. She is capable of fully manipulating the fire element, even grabbing allies with her flame avatars causing no harm. Preferring to use spells complimenting her insane level of strength, Calidos Brachium surrounds the wielder’s fist in a fiery aura for strikes, engulfing them in flames. Merleonas equivalent of a power up she utilizes the surrounding mana outside her body for higher tier attacks, for finishing the toughest opponents implementing Calidos Brachium Purgatory; pouring all of her strength into a stream of punches that engulfs the entire area with flames.

Hiei (YuYu Hakusho)

Known as Jaganshi Hiei or “Master of the Evil Eye” Hiei is the coupling of a Fire Demon and an Ice Maiden, the Jagan later surgically implanted in his forehead. Ostracized from the demon race at a young age, Hiei considers himself a bit of a loaner and villain until switching sides to fight with his closest human comrade Yusuke. Towards the series end Hiei made the astronomical leap from low D class demony to the Deadly tier elite S class.

Coupling his demon and Jagan powers he alone can harness the power of his Dragon of the Darkness Flame technique. An overwhelming attack that summons black flames from the depths of the Spirit World and shapes it in the form of a black dragon that incinerates anything in its path. Capable of emitting the Dragon Wave in Jaganshi Form, this attack summons multiple Darkness Flame Dragons destroying everything around the user.

Benimaru Shinmon (Fire Force)

A member of the elite Special Fire Force since he was a boy Benimaru is an extremely gifted pyrokinetic user orphaned as a boy and later made heir to his adopted father Hibachi Shinmon. Short tempered but respected as a leader and capable fighter Benimaru has a lifetime of training laying fire demons or infernals to rest. He is openly regarded as the strongest Fire Officer in the Special Fire Force and is known as “Asakusa’s King of Destruction”.

Benefiting from being both a 2nd and 3rd generation pyrokinetic this means he is capable of both summoning intense flames and attacks but also control the flames of an external source. This combination allows for powerful explosive blasts, flight and the manipulation of combustion and heat proof barriers. A signature attack of Benimaru is the Crimson Moon’s Sun Wheel in which a ring of fire is placed behind the already large fire mass (moon) adding to the destructive power. This attack can easily overpower and obliterate an infernal.

Some honorable mentions that didn’t make this list but might make a top 10 in the future are; Portgas D Ace (One Piece), Sailor Mars (Sailor Moon), Charizard (Pokemon), Natsu Dragneel (Fairy Tale), Feitan (Hunter x Hunter) and Escanor the Lion Sin of Pride (Seven Deadly Sins.

Did this list have what you expected to see, was there a gaping hole in the anime knowledge that needs to be addressed? Leave your comments and suggestions below detailing a fire user that roasts with the best of them.

Comics, News

Marvel and DC Comics: Imitation or the Highest Form of Flattery

September 11, 2020 Jason Nichols Leave a comment

Marvel and DC are without a doubt the top dogs in the comic game and have been for sometime. Both were quick to dismantle any competitors following the golden age of comics. While Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige has stated in regards to a modern DC Marvel rivalry, “There’s not really a rivalry…”the resulting similarities of some of the two’s biggest icons says otherwise

Character rip offs are nothing comic fans haven’t already dissected and quantified countless times, reflecting on some of the more similar Marvel and DC characters let’s strive to determine who did it better. Leave all deliberation regarding who beats who in a fight to the diligent comic battle vines.

Solomon Grundy is Technically the Original

Created by Alfred Bester, Grundy first appeared in All-American Comics #61 (October 1944). You could argue that at the time of his creation he was a far cry from the monster he is now but sometimes character evolution is unhurried.

Cyrus Gold or better known as Solomon Grundy is the DC’s lumbering gray un dead “hulk” or vice versa, just keep reading. After refusing a blackmail from the pimp of a prostitute he had become romantically involved with, Cyrus was met with an unexpected shovel to the back of the head. Without remorse his body was tossed into the infamous Slaughter Swamp and left to stew in some primordial juices for the next five decades. Through yet unexplained means he emerged a zombie horror that would come to be known as Solomon Grundy. Depending on who is doing the writing Grundy is a nearly unstoppable un dead force that has contested power houses like Superman. Unlike the not so cheery associated nursery rhyme Grundy seems to have no plans on being buried Sunday or on any day of the week for that matter. Grundy can take an insane amount of damage, he has had Superman fly through the middle of his chest and been pretty much unaffected. Not just a punching bag by any means Grundy’s peak incarnations have shown him beating the likes of Wonder Woman in Injustice: Gods Among Us and even the Man of Steel himself in Superman 15 (1976).

Unique in his own right Grundy started off as a villain for the hero known as the Green Lantern Alan Scott but has since squared off with every member of the Justice League and countless others. At least at this point it would seem DC is content with using Grundy as a villainous brick that doesn’t quite go down. Be that as it may he has landed himself in over a dozen separate comic series, animated cartoons and even parts in some notable video games. You might be thinking Grundy takes the cake but when it comes down to selling comics but he is after all a villain and villains usually finish last in terms of popularity. Winning popular contests or not, nothing in the DC universe has put this lumbering monstrosity to rest yet.

“Solomon Grundy, Born on a Monday, Christened on a Tuesday, Wedded on a Wednesday, Took ill on a Thursday, Grew Worse on a Friday Died on a Saturday, Buried on Sunday, that was the end of Solomon Grundy…“

Hulk Came Second but Don’t Count Him Out

Created by the legend himself Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of The Incredible Hulk (May 1962)showing up to the big angry monster game a little he’s just in time to become one of the biggest reluctant heroes at Marvel Comics.

Hulk is everyone’s lovable green ball of infinite childhood induced rage, one of Stan Lee’s greats, joining the ranks of immortal characters thanks to Al Ewings awesome series Immortal Hulk. Hulks duality is what makes him stand out, think Dr Jekyll and Mr Hide; the Hulk is after all a manifestation from the scientist Bruce Banner. Banner meets his lifelong angry contemporary when exposed to an experimental gamma bomb saving the life of fellow scientist Rick Jones. Now whenever Banner is put under physical or emotional stress he is able to transform into the hulk with near limitless strength depending on his level of anger, super speed, durability and regeneration to name a few. Taking it with just a pinch of salt this is of course the classic take on the Hulk and just like Grundy it can vary from writer to writer. Now when it comes to tough, tough ain’t enough for the Hulk. Surviving some of the most awesome attacks in the Marvel universes:he reluctantly tanks some of the hardest blows the Skyfather Zeus had to offer, in one alternate timeline The Incredible Hulk: The End (Vol 11) Hulk lives in a post apocalyptic world where his flesh is devoured everyday by mutant cockroaches.

Apparently everyone really likes to see the Hulk just going mental and just leveling things. There have been a few versions of the hulk that were not all about smashing like Joe Fix It but what sells is an angry Hulk. Permeating through nearly every nook and cranny of western culture you can hardly go to the store or turn on a TV without seeing some reference to the Hulk be it movies, toys, clothing, food, video games or comics the hulk is almost as synonymous with America as Captain America himself. If your thinking this sounds a lot like how popular Grundy is among the fans, sadly that thought might be stretching it at best. While Solomon Grundy has become a staple villain in the DC universe the hulk has since grown out of the comic and media scene and has become somewhat of an icon. Be honest you’ve put on a pair of Hulk hands and tried to smash a wall, but you haven’t done that with Grundy hands. Do they even make those?

““There ain’t many around who can describe what it feels like to get hit by the Hulk… Simple fact bein’ there ain’t many around who can survive to tell the tale. There ain’t no pain at first. It’s like he hits ya so damn hard ya actually leave yer own body. It’s when ya come back that ya feel the pain. An’ ya realize yer goin’ toe-to-toe with a walkin’ earthquake.” – Wolverine

The Outcome

If you stuck around from start to finish to see the results you’re amazing, if you just scrolled to the bottom to see the outcome you are my people and I don’t blame you. Crunching the numbers Grundy came first and the award for originality has to go to DC (Grundy), both characters are eerily similar but have some glaring difference making each unique. Switching gears and comparing the monster level of power they both possess this was a little bit harder to determine, both had astounding feats but the Hulk simply had more and has proven his strength is all but set. Hulk takes the round for Marvel toting a nearly limitless level of physical strength. Lastly who was more popular this is indeed a popularity contest, Hulk wins this one for marvel as well hands down. Both characters sell comics and have had significant character development but apples and oranges. Hulk has had several stand alone movies, animated series etc. proving he doesn’t need a team to garner loyal fans.

Final Results

Winner is the Hulk for his dominating level of power and a fan base that continues to grow, cementing a status as one of the most popular Marvel heroes of all time. Did you see it going differently, are you a DC hard fan that knows for a fact Grundy takes the cake and the Hulk is generic knock off let us know. If your a die hard DC fan or a hard core Marvel reader or if you just enjoyed the piece, post your comments below and shoot a suggestion of what characters are a mirror image of each other.

Gaming, News

RDR2 Is Planning a Huge in Game Virus Update Right Under Your Nose

September 1, 2020 Jason Nichols Leave a comment

Content starved fans of the hit western adventure game Read Dead Redemption 2 are no strangers to waiting months on end for game updates. As recently as June 2020 online players rallied together adorning clown outfits and make up to mock RockStar developers for the lack of attention to the community. No one can be sure if that was the catalyst for what came after but Rockstar rolled out a massive update for the new Naturalist role to sated the masses. While it has been a breath of fresh “content”, taking into account Rockstars update timeline so far it could be months before the community see’s anything new. That is unless Rockstar is working on something, maybe a pandemic outbreak just in time for Halloween?

Mosey around the fantastic and breathtaking open world that is RDR2 long enough and you simply run out of things to do. So you usually find yourself in some quaint town somewhere hog tying the locals, photographing wildlife or causing trouble for law enforcement.This exact behavior led me to stumble on what could be Read Dead’s biggest update yet.

Fans of the original RDR can recall the nostalgic maps setting close to the Mexican border,the successor map being much larger actually encompasses the entire original area featuring some of the old favorites. Tumbleweed and Armadillo being two of the most prominent markers for the area. In the tiny desolate town of Armadillo players can probably recall the bleak absence of NPC’s or really anything in the area. Striving to complete a distance daily challenge I stopped in the town notating its usual Tim Burton cheer but what caught my eye was most of the towns people appeared gravely ill (sicker than usual for Armadillos residents). Some coughing as they seemed to struggle breathing, just getting up and walking around seemed painful, it’s important to mention that not all of the town exhibited these changes in behavior and appearance. You can see the dark depressions on the characters face and the absence of any color when compared to a regular NPC. The theory is that Armadillo is ground zero for a future update that will resemble the popular Undead Nightmare add for the first RDR. Not convinced, did I mention that as you follow these poor souls around they respond with unique dialogue like, “ I wouldn’t get too close to me if I were you” the foreshadowing if essentially overflowing.

You can argue that the whole area of Armadillo is surrounded in legend and cursed by a prominent character from the first title, the “Strange Man”. What you can’t argue with is residents lying on benches wearing face masks, the detailed in-game weather effects are well known but to this date I’ve never come across an NPC using a banana in rain or snow. Again it could simply be a symptom of an upcoming dust storm but plague seems logical if not more exciting. What is most interesting is the graves around Armadillo seem to now be littered with diseased and deformed bodies. One of the take away pieces of evidence is featured below, deformed corpses that seem actually give an option to pick up and de spawn after being shot in the head.Before taking the screenshot I did get a little trigger happy and decided to shoot most of the corpses in the head this confirmed they are not just deco.

Will this be another un dead outbreak, a pandemic that sweeps through the map crippling players stats, are these the ramblings of a conspiracy gamer who hasn’t seen the light of day in few days, that’s rhetorical don’t answer go ahead and leave your thoughts theories and comments below.

Comics, News

Thor is Herald to None: Then What Has Him so Worried

August 21, 2020 Jason Nichols Leave a comment

With the conclusion of Thor #6 there can be no debating that Thor is the mightiest Avenger, was there ever a doubt. As we painstakingly await release of issue #7 we can take a look at this run so far and marvel at the depth of the story so far.

First off why is Cates writing Venom? He is and always should be first and foremost a Thor writer, I haven’t been this engaged in a comic book since Jason Aaron’s Thor God Butcher . Donny Cates is on fire, it seems the guys keyboard or fingertips have the Midas touch. Just as quickly as Thor was brought into the conflict with the Black Winter, issue 6 keeps that pace and ends an an unbearable cliff hanger for number 7. All we know up to this point is the fight so far was just warm up round.

It’s hard to put a starting point on where the magic starts in this series, is it when King Thor butchers the devourer Galactus or does it begin in the first pages of issue #1 as Thor hurls Mljonir across all ten realms. Whatever panel gets you hooked you won’t have been waiting long to appreciate the vibrant artwork and detail Nick Klein throws at you from the gate. Even if every pannel was void of a single word the tone draw into Thors face is he’s in charge and regardless of what Galactus, his heralds, Loki or the Silver Surfer think will stop at nothing do what he thinks is right. Spurned on by the Black Winter power of revealing your death has driven the King to near desperation

WARNING POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW

Personally I feel it reminds me of a darker Unworthy Thor setting, something no one is going to complain about. Apart from aesthetic scenes worthy of a forehead tattoo Cates dialogue is phenomenal. Thor’s progression through his time as King is not an evolution but a devolution of him from God to King to Herald and by the end to hopeless. The way audiences see this is unique because never once is Thor’s ability or power called into question if anything he shows new unheard of levels of strength; instead we see these holes emerging in Thor’s Psyche as he fights to save everyone and be a moral king. Avengers Endgame may have touched on this emotional mental dilemma with the chubby Thor equaling the depressed model, even Thor can only take so much. What Donny Cates highlights is Thor has been in a state of war for a very very long time, has escaped his death countless times and it is all building to something so terrible Thor can feel

Thor facing images of past foes shown by the Black Winter

The big takeaway is the demise shown to Thor by the Black Winter. The horror so profound it led Thor to return home in silence with no mention of his deeds and exploits to save everyone. Cates tries to put a scale for the challenges ahead, having the Black Winter itself state it was never here for his universe that fate is already guaranteed.

*What Thor saw when Black Death showed him his end*

Now at first I was giddy as a schoolgirl with the imagery but the excitement soon faded as I realized Marvel Zombies has been done time and time again. If you notice though Thanos is wielding a black gauntlet, maybe this is not the Zombie virus at all. Could Thanos have trapped death itself into a weapon? I definitely have no more ideas under my tin foil hat but maybe you do, leave your theories and comments in the section below.

Overall a pleasant read and 4 solid stars.

News

Social Distancing Got you Down: Just a Reason to Get Busy

August 12, 2020 Jason Nichols Leave a comment

Is the exponentially growing pandemic getting you down? Probably not as much as being cooped up inside with the same four walls and the same people for an indeterminable amount of time. It seems everyone is experiencing some type of slow down in their hometown, life itself is reaching an algae bloom level of stagnation. Who is thriving in these turbulent times you may ask, why the shut-ins and vampires of course, gamer whose skin knows not the sting of UV rays, the excuse givers that are always “busy” when you call them for a night of debauchery. What does this mean for you little social flower that is without the sweet nectar of human interaction, it means you just need to get a little creative with that new stay at home routine.

Catch up on Movies/TV Now solo is the way to go however a lot of folks have at least one other person in the home with them so this is an entry that works great by yourself or with someone you only slightly dislike. Movies, movies, movies and not a thing to watch, maybe you have just been looking in the wrong places. There are almost too many movie apps and ways to stream to list but I will do some anyway: Hulu, Netflix, Crackle, Disney +, Prime, Tubi, Youtube etc. The best part is most of these companies are competitors so entry level plan subscription costs stay in the $8-$14 range. Did you know there is free streaming access for movie/T.V content through most cable providers and even apps like Roku TV and Vudu. All you need for your access to these endless libraries is internet service and a capable device like a smart TV. Unless you’re a Kevin Smith fan and trying to watch Dogma you can use a nifty site like justwatch.com type in your movie and see exactly where to watch it.

Learn to Code Before the possibility of learning to code is dismissed entirely by common misconceptions, know that learning a computer language is as easy as downloading a free app. Undoubtedly you have heard of language learning apps like Duo Lingo and Rosetta Stone, learning a language like Python and Java is just as accessible. Higher end programming can definitely require more experience but you never get good at anything if you don’t jump right in. A great starting point would be an app like Grasshopper, a free app that teaches you how to write real JavaScript. Maybe your aspirations don’t lie with building an app or programming in the future but learning to code can be great for neural plasticity, memory, brain engagement and filling the empty hours.

Pick up a Book No not the tablet, ipad, Kindle or what other digitized version of print you’ve replaced your hardcovers with but a real book. Here’s the thing: reading a book is an honest to god experience, whether it’s the crack of a worn spine as you delve into another universe or the feel of crisp pages against your fingertips, picking up a book is a drastically different experience from “reading”. So how does one read with the archaic wordy word book, find space whether it’s space in your head or space in your home the right mindset paired with a good book takes you places. Anything you have ever watched on TV was printed first and for good reason, when you read something you are physically holding your place value in that object. Finishing a book is it’s own reward, being able to place it to the side, tallying it up and saying, another one finished. Other than a nice self esteem boost reading a book has latent benefits for you like increased vocabulary and a higher verbal level of communication, plus you can post pictures of you reading it with a coffee and turtle neck to Instagram. Next time you’re peeling the paint off the walls in your mind, stop and pick up a book, assuming you are able to find one. Many cities have implemented free book programs aimed at raising literacy levels, you can find park kiosks full of books.

Video Game Time Not surprising, during this unprecedented pandemic some markets like the gaming industry are seeing a significant increase in traffic. Rightfully so, the days of pretending to plug in a controller for your younger sibling are over. Everyone is playing, whether it is Candy Crush on a mobile phone, Ghost of Tushima on Ps4 or old school Mario Kart on Nintendo 64 video games have become as much a part of western culture as professional sports. With nearly no limit to the applications people play video games to relax, connect with people, compete, challenge themselves and to just plain out have fun. Maybe you’ve avoided a game over screen because of the possible costs, what if I told you you can play triple A titles on a set up that costs less than a $100. It’s true current gen consoles like Xbox and Playstation range from $300 to $400 and PC setups can run in the thousands but options like Google Stradia let you game with no hardware straight from your Browser. You can subscribe to the Stradia game streaming service for as little as $9.99 a month with a free and available for purchase game library. As Google works to perfect this service competitors like microsoft are hot on their heels with options like Game Pass Ultimate that allows you to play Xbox titles on your mobile devices. If you would prefer to not spend a dime next time you’re in your Play or App store click on that game section and see just how many free titles are right at your fingertips. You might not become the next gaming prodigy but you would have killed some time with an engaging activity that takes more work than watching a movie but less than going for a walk.

We may all be stuck at home together but it doesn’t mean you have to lose your sanity while doing it. Step outside of your comfort triangle, you may be surprised what you are capable of. Pushing through the apocalypse with flying colors? What are you doing to stay busy, are you at home breaking bread or cutting family members hair, leave your comments and time killer in the comments section below. Don’t forget to subscribe for the latest articles, news and updates from Piff.game.blog.