Though Moon Knight may be a bit of a loner with a more brutal approach to justice than most, he’s still always been a hero. That appears to be changing with April’s Avengers #33, which writer Jason Aaron teased with a blog post titled “Moon Knight vs. the Avengers this April.” That issue marks the start of the “Age of Khonshu” arc pitting Marc Spector against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Why is Moon Knight facing off against his former allies? Aaron doesn’t reveal that detail, but he does promise that this story will showcase why Moon Knight is a force to be reckoned with.
“If you’ve ever wanted to see Moon Knight at his most badass, taking on the most powerful, primordial forces of the Marvel Universe, with all his moon-powered fury, then this is the world-shaking, face-breaking arc for you,” Aaron wrote.
Avengers #33 art by Matteo Scalera. Interior art will be drawn by Javier Garrón. (Image courtesy of Marvel Comics)
The story starts when a series of supernatural disturbances start to pop up across the Marvel Universe.
“Mummies are rising from their graves. Secret armies march by moonlight, from K’un-Lun to Wakanda to Greenwich Village. A dark god invades Asgard. And the Moon Knight has been unleashed as never before. So begins the Age of Khonshu. So fall the Avengers,” the blog post teases.
“This arc has been the main focus of my 2020 so far,” Aaron added. “I’m looking for it to set the tone for everything I wanna do in the Marvel U going forward. In case you can’t tell, I’m pretty damn excited about this one.”
Since Marvel Studios revealed that a Moon Knight show will debut on Disney+, interest in the character has been on the rise, so it’s either lucky happenstance or a well-planned act of corporate synergy that Moon Knight is now the force of antagonism in the next big Avengers comic arc. The subtitle “Age of Khonshu” (named for the Egyptian moon god who empowers Moon Knight) is of course reminiscent of “Age of Apocalypse” and “Age of Ultron,” so Aaron is clearly aiming to evoke the same kind of menace that those iconic villain stories bring with them.
Will this inform how Moon Knight is introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? It’s hard to say at this point, but Aaron’s comics work has influenced previous MCU movies — for example, elements of his Thor villain Gorr the God Butcher (co-created with Esad Ribic) was used for Cate Blanchett’s Hela — so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more of his ideas show up on screen.
Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.
Amazon’s Deal of the Day today is on Tile, the device to help you keep track of your things. We’re talking things you lose often, like your keys, phone, wallet, TV remote, or anything else you want to be able to find with the press of a button. The sale, which ends tonight, drops prices around 40% off.
Tile works in a few ways, all built around finding your stuff. You can use the Tile smartphone app to make your Tile ring (the models with longer Bluetooth range ring louder). If you double-press the button on a Tile, it will make your phone ring, even if it’s set to silent mode. You can also use Community Find to locate items outside of your Tile’s Bluetooth range; this works by anonymously having other Tile users’ apps send you the location of your Tile. Here’s what’s on sale.
The Tile Pro is the king of the Tile lineup. It’s the company’s most powerful Bluetooth tracker, offering 400 feet of range and the sturdiest, most durable build quality. It also features a replaceable battery that lasts an entire year.
The Tile Mate is basically like the Tile Pro, but with a shorter range (200 feet) and a less rugged design. It’s also a little more compact in size, which is always nice.
Tile Sticker is a newer addition the lineup. It’s a small, waterproof Tile that has an adhesive back that sticks to nearly anything. It sports a range of 150 feet and a fully waterproof design. Perhaps best of all, the built-in battery lasts three years.
The tweet thread from @CarolineDirectr tells the story of how she invited her mother Pam to join in on her weekend Pokemon tournament at Core TCG in Pasadena, CA — a pre-release for the new Sword and Shield set. Pam sheepishly asked her daughter if it was okay for her to watch the Pokemon tournament, but Caroline went one further and taught her how to play so she could be a part of the competition.
What Caroline likely didn’t expect was for her mother to not only beat her when they were pitted against each other in the third round of the tournament but to continue doing well enough to finish in the Top 8. The tournament had upwards of 40 competitors. The final photo shows Pam alongside the other top finishers gleefully holding up her prizes.
The story is incredibly sweet in how it shows Pam as just a mom who wants to have fun joining in on her daughter’s game but isn’t too familiar with Pokemon — “She was calling Raichu ‘Rikkuhchu’ and Salandit ‘Sizzle’ all while owning her opponents,” Caroline tweeted — yet that didn’t stop her from stomping the competition and coming away from the tournament with a handful of booster packs. Clearly, Pam is a natural.
The tweets caught on with Pokemon fans and earned Pam a heap of praise and admiration. Much was made of Pam’s smiling competitive game-face, the last thing her opponent’s saw before their ultimate defeat.
Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.
Today’s spotlight deals are several consoles and Apple devices on sale at Amazon Warehouse. Amazon Warehouse is Amazon’s official outlet for used items. You’ll still get the same customer service you would get buying new from Amazon. The Doom Eternal Collector’s Edition is also back in stock, and you can still grab a pair of AirPods at the lowest price ever. Check them all out here.
Amazon Warehouse: PS4 Pro Gaming Console (Used: Like New) for $247.69
The PS4 Pro bundles were a great deal at $300 on Black Friday, but if you want to pay the least amount of money for a PS4 Pro upgrade, you can’t beat this.The PS4 Pro is the console to get if you own a 4K HDR TV and you want to play your games in the best possible quality or for using the PSVR. Furthermore, this is in “Like New” conditon, essentially brand new.
Amazon Warehouse: PSVR with Camera, Move Controllers, and Games (Used: Like New) for $253.82
This bundle includes everything you need to play Beat Saber on the PSVR, which is in my opinion the best VR game of 2019. This kit normally sells for $350 new and you’re getting it “Like New” for $100 less. It’s a way more affordable option than the Oculus Quest, HTC Vive, or Valve Index, and it’s accessible to more people since all it requires is a PlayStation 4 console.
Amazon Warehouse: Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller (Used: Like New) for $131.08
Currently there are still Xbox Elite Series 2 controllers in “Like New” condition. These are essentially brand new controllers in original packaging. This professional-grade controller features adjustable tension thumbsticks, shorter hair trigger locks, wraparound textured grips, interchangeable thumbsticks and paddle shapes, and includes a USB Type C cable with charging dock. It boasts up to 40 hours of battery life and can be used for both the Xbox and PC and will supposedly work with the next gen console too.
The Doom Eternal Collector’s Edition is back in stock for bot the PS4 and Xbox One platforms. The pièce de résistance is the wearable helmet replica worn by the Doomslayer. In addition to game itself, you get a Mondo designed steelbook case, 11″x17″ lithograph, lore book, lossless digital soundtrack, and exclusive in-game content.
Amazon Warehouse: Newest Apple iPad Pro 11″ 64GB WiFi Tablet (Used: Very Good) for $514.46
This iPad Pro model currently sells for $800 at Apple. If you want the most powerful tablet out there, then look no further. The benchmarks show that the performance of the iPad Pro eclipses that of some Intel Core i7 equipped laptops. As long as you’re happy with the iOS ecosystem, this is easily the best iPad you can get.
Amazon Warehouse: Apple Watch Series 4 40mm GPS (Used: Very Good) for $256.86
These refurbished Apple Series 4 watch deals come around rarely and sell out quickly watches come around very rarely and sell out very quickly. That’s because they aren’t much different from the newest Apple Watch Series 5, except in price. The cheapest Series 5 watch right now is $400 at the Apple Store, and you can get the equivalent Series 4 model for $150 less right now at Amazon Warehouse.
Amazon Warehouse: Newest Apple TV 4K 64GB Steaming Player (Used: Very Good) for $146.46
This Apple TV currently sells for $200 at the Apple Store. Note that this is the larger capacity 64GB model, not the base 32GB model. This is considered by many to be the steamer right now. The interface is super clean and easy to use, the remote is excellent, and the Siri functionality is very convenient.
Amazon Warehouse: Xbox One S 1TB Digital Edition (Used: Like New) for $129.17
You won’t find a cheaper current generation system. The Xbox One S console has an MSRP of $250. It dropped down to as low as $150 on Black Friday (no longer available at that price), but this is even cheaper. It’s in “Like New” condition, which is essentially brand new.
Amazon Warehouse: HTC Vive Pro Complete VR System (Used: Like New) for $777.46
This is the complete kit that not only includes the Vive Pro but also the newer Gen2 lighthouses, newer Vive controllers. The Vive Pro boasts some major improvements over the first gen version, including a best-in-class 2880×1660 resolution, active noise cancelling headphones, redesigned ergonomics, and more.
The price of the AirPods Pro is back down to what we saw on Black Friday. These are truly wireless AirPods with built-in active noise cancellation and despite that that they actually have longer play time on a single charge than the vanilla AirPods. Other features include three sets of silicone tips for customized fit, a sweat and water resistant outer shell, and a wireless charging case that can provide an additional 24 hours of battery life.
Newest Apple AirPods 2 Wireless Earphones for $129
It’s a bitter fight to the end to get Apple to drop prices on their very popular Apple Airpods. Today, the AirPods have dropped 20% off down to $129, which is the lowest price that we saw on Black Friday. These are truly wireless earphones with no cord connecting the two ear pieces. It also includes a charging case.
Get Verizon Fios Gigabit Internet $79.99/mo + $100 Visa Prepaid Card + 3 Years of Free Router Rental + Free Disney Plus Subscription
This sponsored deal is brought to you by Verizon FIOS.If you’re eligible for FIOS, Verizon’s fiber optic internet service, then you have access to one of the fastest internet services available at a price that traditional cable and DSL companies simply can’t compete with. Once you’ve had a taste of fiber, there’s no turning back. This internet only deal gives you blazing fast near-gigabit 940/880Mbps internet speeds.
Atari, the video game brand currently amid a comeback, has announced its latest venture: hotels. The video game company announced that it will begin development on a line of Atari-themed hotels, with the first one to start construction later this year.
Atari announced that it is partnering with the strategy agency GSD Group and Phoenix, Arizona-based real estate developer True North Studio to begin development on a hotel themed after the video game brand.
The plan is to combine a hotel with video game experiences. Atari is promising a “unique lodging experience combining the iconic brand with a one-of-a-kind video game-themed destination.”
Plans include “the latest VR and AR” games as well as “state-of-the-art venues and studios to accommodate esports events,” at select venues. The first hotel location will be in Phoenix, Arizona while additional hotels are being planned in Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, and San Jose.
Since 2017, Atari has been pursuing an aggressive branding operation. The company announced a new console called the Atari VCS which is not a retro console, but a new hardware system that the company says can play games in 4K resolution, HDR, and 60 fps. It has been described as a “less ambitious Steam Machine.”
Another product Atari released is the Speaker Hat, a baseball cap with built-in Bluetooth speakers. This hat was released as part of its lifestyle line. So it seems that next to a new console and speaker hat, a hotel is the next logical step for the company.
[poilib element=”accentDivider”]
Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. He owns an Atari Speaker Hat and you can reach him on Twitter.
The CinemaScore is one of the major factors studios use to determine how well a movie will perform at the box office. Unlike Rotten Tomatoes, which calculates ratings based on the official reviews of critics, CinemaScore ratings are determined by polling ordinary moviegoers. The ratings can fall anywhere from A+ to F, and it’s pretty rare for a movie to be so universally disliked that it earns the dreaded “F” rating.
Unfortunately, that rare phenomenon has already happened twice in 2020. Two new horror movies – The Grudge and The Turning – have both earned F scores from unhappy audiences. But they’re not alone. Several big-name directors like Stephen Soderbergh and Darren Aronofsky have seen their worked slammed with an “F” CinemaScore. From Solaris to mother! to Wolf Creek, here are some other films that placed at the very bottom of CinemaScore’s rankings (whether they deserved it or not).
We can’t say we’re surprised The Grudge and The Turning have joined the handful of horror movies to earn an F score. In IGN’s review of The Grudge, we said this spinoff is “a trudge through muck, meandering plot, half-baked performances, and tired tropes that should’ve been retired by the end of the 2000s.” Meanwhile, in our review of The Turning, we said the movie “damns itself with good ideas turned bad and a flat-out ugly execution.”
In psychological terms, it’s the most selfish part of you, the part that cares only for your own comfort and survival. The reptilian brain-stem. The flavor-blasted crunchwrap supreme of human consciousness. Excess, hunger…the need to rip and tear. Those primal instincts we so often try to subsume.
No wonder, then, that id Software is the team responsible for one of the most brutal, nightmarish testaments to bloody vengeance ever programmed. Here’s 9 fun facts about the DOOM franchise plus one infernal lie. See if you can exorcise the demon of falsehood before the end of the article…or GO TO HELL.
A BLAZE IN THE NORTHERN SKY
Hey, you know Doomguy, the guy from DOOM? You know, Doom Marine, the DOOM Slayer.
This dude.
A being of many names — all similar — the Doomguy lacked an official designation until the release of the first DOOM novel, Knee-Deep in the Dead, in 1995, which revealed his much-feared monicker to be Flynn “Fly” Taggart.
Although since then, a much more interesting canon has also been built between various id games, including Commander Keen, the Wolfenstein Nazi-verse, and the relatively obscure DOOM and Wolfenstein RPG mobile games. Various easter eggs across the games strongly imply that B.J. Blazkowicz of Wolfenstein fame once severed the arm and leg of a demon, who returned (all patched up) in the DOOM storyline as Cyberdemon, after promising B.J. to torment all of his descendents as payback. Those descendents included Billy Blaze, Commander Keen himself, who apparently took a stage name when he donned the football helmet, because his real name is Billy Blazkowicz II.
MASTER OF PUPPETS
DOOM didn’t just popularize and codify the FPS genre, it was a flashpoint game tied into the effort to censor violence in gaming at the time, which ultimately resulted in the founding of the ESRB and content ratings on games. Worried about their ability to distribute the game should the censors come after them, the id team actually released the first chapter of DOOM as shareware, with the other two parts available for purchase. id also offered brick-and-mortar stores free copies of the game in exchange for nothing more than shelf space. At the time, both were incredibly bold marketing ploys, and they paid off handsomely.
MACHINE HEAD
How handsomely? In the wake of DOOM’s release many companies, including id Software, had to introduce new policies prohibiting spending your whole workday tearing demon ass when you’re supposed to be writing TPS reports. At one point, DOOM was even installed on more PCs than Windows 95, the just-released operating system that basically every PC owner owned as a matter of course. The game was so popular that despite swirling controversy, Bill Gates reportedly considered buying id and even shot a video with himself as the Doom Marine to try and capitalize on DOOM’s runaway success.
Bill Gates in: DOOM
HALLOWED BE THY NAME
Where’d they get the name DOOM, anyway? Probably the Necronomicon, right? Like carved into the back? Or maybe one of the devs had a nightmare and woke up with blood shooting out of their eyes and the blood pooled all on its own on the floor and spelled out DOOM? Nope. Although the source is almost as frightening: Tom Cruise’s mouth. John Carmack, Id’s co-founder, has said the title came from the 1986 Martin Scorsese movie The Color of Money, in one scene of which Cruise refers to his custom pool cue as “DOOM.” Said Carmack, “that was how I viewed us springing the game on the industry.” You know, with the severity of Tom Cruise and Paul Newman playing billiards. VICIOUS.
IMAGES AND WORDS
In the same interview, Carmack described some of the influences that helped bring DOOM into an unready world. Some make sense, like the general ass-kicking vibe and obsession with chainsaws and shotguns stemming from the team’s love of Evil Dead II, or the sci-fi, meddling-with-alien-technology storyline being inspired by the Alien franchise. In fact, in its early planning stages, DOOM was being designed as an Aliens game, an effort that ultimately never saw the light of day. And it should be noted, much as Aliens found its patron saint of creepy concept art and character design in H.R. Giger, the art team behind 2016’s DOOM have cited noted Polish artist and creepmaster Zdzislaw Beksinski as an inspiration, especially for the sickly, stifling color palettes on display in Hell itself.
Untitled, Zdzisław Beksiński (1984)
Other influences are less obvious: the entire concept for Hell-portals flooding our dimension with demon-spawn actually sprang from the end of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign…which also explains why the Cacodemon looks like a Beholder!
A LEAN NIGHT
Did you know the sound effect of an Imp dying in the old DOOM games is just the pitched-down sound of a camel grunting because it’s horny? Specifically one available for decades in a sound effects library shared by a number of studios, which is how it came to be that the exact same sound file you’ve heard play a million times as you shot a million Imps in their stupid faces is also in David Lean’s timeless masterpiece Lawrence of Arabia. It’s like the Wilhelm Scream of how camels are sometimes horny.
OVERKILL
DOOM made a number of startling graphics advancements by developing much of the game using 3-D clay models and photography, which is impressive, because all I’ve ever made using clay models and photography are crappy, phoned-in Mother’s Day presents. One notable example is how much better the guns looked in DOOM compared to Wolfenstein 3-D, id’s previous game. In reality, most of the guns in DOOM were based on photos of toy guns purchased at the local Toys “R” Us.
Aside from leading the charge on fronts gamers now take for granted, like map-building and bloodsplosions, DOOM was also one of the very first games to offer a robust 3-D environment in which to connect with your friends’ machines and see who’s best at killing. Which was what we used to have to call that activity, until John Romero, Id co-founder, coined the word “Deathmatch” to describe DOOM’s multiplayer capabilities.
Or maybe he didn’t. There’s still some disagreement on the subject, but most gaming historians nowadays credit Romero as the source of the enduring term, although Romero himself has often noted that it was the efforts of the vibrant DOOM player and modder community that really pushed the game to evolve.
VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER
The original DOOM was even used by the United States Marine Corp as a training tool, before being later replaced by the more proprietary government-developed game America’s Army. But in the mid- to late-90’s, there were indeed rooms full of Marines playing a modded version of DOOM to prepare them for the real-life horrors of war. According to Sgt. Dan Snyder, an officer involved in early efforts to gamify Marine Corp training, “It’s about repetitive decision making. We’re trying to get these things ingrained by doing them over and over, with variations.”
So the goal wasn’t necessarily to create an ultra-realistic simulator to prep soldiers for missions, but rather to desensitize them to the sheer act of making a split-second decision to inflict violence or death. Okay!
THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST
The id team have always been into fan-service and, as such, most DOOM stuff is stacked to the flaming rafters with easter eggs. Just a few true examples: Doom’s dedicated Network Port is Number 666, a sprite of John Romero’s severed head on a pole can be found hidden behind DOOM II’s final boss the Icon of Sin, who can also be spotted in 2016’s DOOM hanging out in the Necropolis.
Here’s lookin’ at you, cryptid.
Speaking of the new DOOMs, 2016’s also included a package of Dopefish Noodles, a Vault Tec sign, the Soul Cube from DOOM 3, a dead Skyrim guard with an arrow in his knee, and a Xenomorph skull. So they’re easter eggs, but, like, easter eggs filled with blood and black stuff and heavy metal music plays when you open them.
[poilib element=”accentDivider”]
So which of the facts was whack? Which truth lacks proof? Which assertion deserved nothing but desertion?
If you guessed it was just the very last bit of the last section, you improbably win! There is in fact no xenomorph skull in 2016’s DOOM, although all the other easter eggs I shouted out in that segment were real.
What’s that? That’s not how YOU play 9 facts and a lie? When you play at home, the lie has to be fully a lie? Splitting the segments into partial lies is a bullshit way to trick you and make you lose the game? Oh my…sounds like I didn’t play fair. I wonder what force could have compelled me to fill this video with 99% true interesting facts about DOOM when you, the audience, were promised at least 10% lies. Could it be….SATAN?!
Probably.
Hey, let’s talk about DOOM in the comments and how excited we are for Eternal and not at all the minutiae of how your particular family plays this party game, huh? And for all your gaming trivia, history, and rigged-guessing-game needs, stay tuned to IGN.
Metro Exodus developers have announced that the Sam’s Story expansion will release on February 11, 2020, for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Stadia.
After discovering Moscow wasn’t the only city left standing after the war, Sam has dreams of finding his family alive. The new Metro Exodus expansion will continue Sam’s journey as he attempts to find his way back to the United States.
Sam must journey through the, “remains of Vladivostok’s tsunami ravaged harbors, ruined industrial buildings, and crumbling residential districts” and will be required to use, “every tactic he has learned so far to survive.”
The Metro Exodus Sam’s Story will be free to those who own the Expansion Pass, which costs $25 and gives players access to The Two Colonel expansion as well. Additionally, Sam’s Story will be the final Metro Exodus expansion.
For those who just want to purchase the Sam’s Story expansion, it is available for $8.
The iPad: it’s a convenient, powerful device that can replace a laptop or desktop computer for many people. In my opinion, even at its list price it’s one of the best deals in all of technology. Right now on Amazon, you can save a bunch of money on the latest models, including all-time low prices on Wi-Fi + Cellular iPads. The rest match the Black Friday sale prices. Let’s dig in and take a look at the deals on these terrific Apple tablets.
If you don’t need the cellular connection to do your work (and play), you can save up to $99 on the Wi-Fi model. The silver version of the 32GB one is on sale for $79 off. If you prefer gold or space gray, you can still save $50. But if you ask me, if you’re going to put a case on it anyway, you might as well save a few extra bucks and get it in silver.
This is the lowest price we’ve ever seen for the Wi-Fi + cellular version of the newest iPad. Some of the colors are backordered, but if you order now you’ll lock in this all-time low price and it’ll ship when it’s back in stock in a week or two.
All of these iPads are the latest model, released just a few months ago. They run on the powerful A10 Fusion chip and sport a blisteringly gorgeous (and larger than previous generations) 10.2-inch Retina display. They have a Touch ID fingerprint sensor to help you say goodbye to entering passwords, an 8MP back camera, 1.2MP front camera, and stereo speakers. They also support Apple’s Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil (see below).
The Apple Pencil is a surprisingly high-tech device that lets you do things like draw pictures and take hand-written notes on your iPad. The Smart Keyboard is a gorgeous piece of tech that doubles as an iPad cover and comes in handy for anyone who plans to type a lot on their device.
All models of AirPods (Apple’s wireless earbuds) are also on sale for their lowest-ever price right now. After a simple setup process, they’ll quickly pair with your iPad and iPhone, and switch between the devices automatically.
[poilib element=”accentDivider”]
Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.
