Is the pixelated and physic defying world of video games a perfect playground for the over-the-top characters found in comic books? There is only one way to find out:

What is Print-N-Pixel?

Print-N-Pixel is an in depth Group look at Comic Books In Video Games. Print-N-Pixel is more than just playing comic book related video games, its also a “book club,” a month long comic book club.

Even if you don’t play video games and you only read comic, or vise versa, stick around and participate in the discussion of either the game or the comics. And if you missed the introduction to Print-N-Pixel you can find it here.

Recommended Reading

The Print-N-Pixel: The Infinity Saga  has been introduced. The first set of Recommended Reading and Marvel Super Heroes the game has been reviewed. This week will focus on looking at the Recommended Reading stories for our second featured game.

For more about the history and how to play the featured game(s) check out the first installment of “Print-N-Pixel: The Infinity Saga.”

Recommended Reading:
The Infinity War Review

The Infinity War

After the events in the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos retreated to a farm on a nameless planet. Even though he pretty much exiled himself from everything that he tried to destroy in the universe while wielding the the Infinity Gauntlet, the Titan still keeps tabs on the cosmic beings and powers of the universe. Noticing “exotic patterns” of energy originating from an inter dimensional portal, Thanos leaves his new residence to investigate the strange energy. Unknown to Thanos, the same energy source he detected was also responsible for putting the powerful cosmic entity Eternity into a coma or catatonic state. The first being to notice that the entity Eternity comatose is Galactus. Fearful of any being who is powerful enough to put one of the most powerful beings in the universe into a catatonic state, Galactus seeks out Doctor Strange to help revive or awaken Eternity.

While Galactus contacts Doctor Strange other alien beings also arrives on Earth. Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine, and Mr. Fantastic are all attacked by twisted looking doppelgangers, or evil twins, that seem to have come from another planet or dimension. Also on Earth, Dr. Doom notices the same energy patterns deep within the universe that Thanos considered “exotic,” but to him the patterns are similar to that of the Cosmic Cube. The Cosmic Cube is a powerful containment device that holds energy that is equally as powerful to the energy within an Infinity Gem. Dr. Doom, power hungry as always, wants to possess the Cosmic Cube and it’s power so he enlists the technologically advanced Kang the Conqueror to assist him in attaining the powerful containment device.

Traveling to the origin of the “exotic” energy patterns he detected earlier, Thanos travels to a construct similar to the shrine he created fro Lady Death while wielding the power of the Infinity Gauntlet. Thanos is both impressed and curious. Once inside the construct, or stronghold, Thanos finds a newly resurrected foe that he and Adam Warlock defeated years ago – The Magus. The Magus is not alone, beside him is another Thanos. Thanos confronts the Magus and his doppelganger, instead of fighting Thanos is offered to participate in the Magus’ evil plan. Thanos states that his has changed and instead of destroying his own reality he would rather protect it, vowing not to join the Magus but defeat him instead. After being easily removed from the Magus’ stronghold, Thanos realizes that he is not powerful enough to take on the villain by himself.

Thanos travels to Earth to ask Adam Warlock, the man who defeated the titan while he possessed the Infinity Gauntlet, and his group known as the “Infinity Watch” help him defend the universe and defeat the Magus. Thanos’ presence was not well respected by Warlock’s partners, but after some discussion the group realizes the peril the universe is in and decides to help. The Infinity Watch are not the only people on Earth that realize that the universe is in great danger, so does Mr. Fantastic. Mr. Fantastic sends out an S.O.S. to every hero on Earth asking them to meet at the Fantastic Four’s headquarters to discuss this universe threatening event.

Not understanding how the Magus returned from the dead, Thanos and his new allies sneak into Deaths realm to visit the all knowing “Infinity Well.” The “Infinity Well” tells the cosmic heroes that the Magus is equivalent to Adam Warlock’s evil twin and was created while Warlock possesed the Infinity Gauntlet. After defeating Thanos in the original “Infinity Gauntlet” storyline, Adam Warlock feared that he could not handle the godlike power of the gauntlet. To prevent him from misusing his omnipotent power, Warlock expelled all good and evil from his body so neither could could his judgement. After expelling both the good and evil from his body to better control the power of the Infinity Gauntlet, the Living Tribunal (maker of all cosmic law) declared that the Infinity Gems could never be used in unison making Warlock’s sacrifice unnecessary. Not only was the expulsion of good and evil unnecessary, according to the Infinity Well the evil in which Adam Warlock expelled is what recreated his evil doppelganger – the Magus.

Back on Earth, all of the world’s greatest heroes gather at Four Freedom Plaza to discuss the evil power that threatens the universe. As all the heroes gather around Mr. Fantastic, Wolverine who already defeated an interdenominational doppelganger notices that Mr. Fantastic has the same scent as the evil aliens. Before Wolverine can convince everyone that they are being duped, Mr. Fantastic’s evil twin detonates a gama bomb destroying the Fantastic Four’s headquarters. Luckily the Invisible Woman was able to contain the blast so that none of the heroes were injured. As the heroes turn their attention to the doppelganger, the Magus and Thanos’ doppelganger appear from a portal and rescue their lackeys. Thinking that the real Thanos played a role in the attack and the fact that Magus looks similar to Adam Warlock, Earth’s heroes believe that both Thanos and Warlock are their attackers and the threats to the universe.

Magus, who’s powered with cosmic awareness which allows him to be highly intelligent and a gifted strategist, reveals that both the attack on the Heroes and the odd alliance of Thanos and Adam Warlock are all part of his master plan. Unknowing that they are just pawns in the Magus’ game, both teams led by Adam Warlock and a team consisting of Earth’s heroes along with Galactus and his crew all travel to the source of the threatening energy patterns.

Warlock and Thanos’ group arrives to the source of the energy disturbance first. The second group to arrive is the one consisting of Earth’s heroes. Upon their arrival the heroes immediately attack Thanos, Warlock, and the Infinity Watch. Galactus arrives last and is annoyed by the fighting, knowing that neither group is powerful enough to be behind the universal chaos, so he beams both bickering groups aboard his ship.

Realizing that he created the Magus, Adam Warlock knows that there is only one way to take the entity created from his expelled evil down – he needs to become the all powerful wielder of the Infinity Gauntlet again. Warlock believes that if he can become powerful enough he will be able to absorb the evil he once expelled from himself to contain and therefore defeat the Magus and save the universe. Gathering all of the Infinity Gems from his team, Adam Warlock recreates the Infinity Gauntlet. Unfortunately the gauntlet is powerless. Understanding that Warlock needs to be able to become the wearer of the Infinity Gauntlet again, Galactus leaves the heroes to appeal to the Living Tribunal to overturn his prior ruling of using the Infinity Gems in unison. Almost immediately after his most powerful foe leaves, the Magus appears and snatches Adam Warlock.

Without Warlock and the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos comes up with one last idea. Hidden on Galactus’ ship is the only device, or weapon, that the devourer of planets fears – the Ultimate Nullifier. Thanos searches the ship and locates this ultimate weapon and assigns Quasar to use the weapon to destroy the Magus.

Back at the Magus’ stronghold, the Infinity Gauntlet changes hands from the prisoner Adam Warlock to his evil shade. Just as Warlock is telling the Magus that the gauntlet is powerless because of the law instituted by the Living Tribunal, Galactus successfully convinces the cosmic law creator to overturn his previous ruling. With the Infinity Gauntlet powered up, the Magus’ plan was almost complete. As he prepared to destroy all of the heroes he used as pawns, the Magus forgot about the villains. Dr. Doom and Kang the Conqueror never stopped following the energy released from the Cosmic Cube and were variables that the Magus never included into his plan. The surprise attack by Doom and Kang was nothing more than an annoyance to one who is as powerful as a god, but the attack did slow the villain down giving Quasar more time to attack with the Ultimate Nullifier. Even with the extra time Quasar was not quicker than the snap of Magus’ fingers. With his new power as a god the Magus captures and imprisons all those who opposed him with a snap of his all powerful gloved fingers… except for one who was hidden.

With the Infinity Gauntlet now in his possession, the Magus has no need for his prisoner and arch enemy – Adam Warlock. Just as the evil entity is about to kill Warlock, Thanos barges in and challenges the new wearer of the Infinity Gauntlet. Thanos may not have the power of a god, but he also knows that the Magus doesn’t either giving the titan a fighting chance. Before the Infinity Gauntlet was recreated Thanos, who was secretly assigned to be the protector of the Reality Gem, installed a fake gem on the gauntlet. While Thanos and the Magus are trading punches, Adam Warlock frees himself and grabs a hold of the Infinity Gauntlet allowing both he and the Magus to access the power of the Infinity Gems.

During the struggle between Warlock and the Magus a cosmic entity is released and merges with the entity Eternity who the Magus tried to control. Seeking vengeance the new cosmic entity, a composite being composed of both Eternity and Infinity, aid Warlock in defeating the Magus.

After the Magus is defeated the heroes of Earth are immediately returned home and everything returns to normal, except for Adam Warlock. After absorbing his “evil” and trapping the Magus inside of the Soul Gem attached to his body, Warlock is left in a catatonic state. Thanos warns the rest of the protectors of the Infinity Gems that since Adam Warlock has regained his “evil” but not the “good” expelled from his body that if/when he awakens from his coma he could be for powerful and evil of an adversary than even Thanos the Titan ever was. As for the “good” that was expelled from Warlock, the final page shows this being surrounded by the powerful Cosmic Cubes.

Recommended Reading: Conclusion

Unlike The Infinity Gauntlet, this story was not a reread for me.  When The Infinity Gauntlet was first released I didn’t really enjoy it so I never bothered reading th sequel. After rereading The Infinity Gauntlet for the last set of Recommended Reading, I was looking forward to reading the sequel - The Infinity War. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy the sequel as much as the first.

I don’t know if it was the fact that that I never really felt any urgency that you would expect from a story where the whole universe is at risk of being destroyed. Or maybe because the incorporation of Earth’s heroes and all of their doppelgangers felt forced and unnecessary to the story that turned me off. No matter what the reason is, I didn’t really dig the story that much but I am looking forward to playing more of and reviewing Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems on the SNES.

Upon reading The Infinity War, I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading it’s sequel The Infinity War for the next set of Recommended Reading.

Did you read The Infinity Gauntlet, and if so what did you think of it?  Or more importantly do you know why Adam Warlock did not just become “one with the Infinity Gems” in the beginning? Share it in the forums.

This week’s SpaceBooger Achievements

SpaceBooger Achievements are earned by playing the featured game, and also for comic book related tasks such as reading and obtaining recommended comics. SpaceBooger Achievements can be earned for any game or comic at any time, but I encourage all participants to attempt to earn the achievements when they are posted.

This week’s SpaceBooger Achievements are:

“Recommendation”

Suggest other comics that may be relevant to enjoying this feature. (Medium)

“Another Castle”
Short for “I’m sorry, the Princess is in another castle.”

Beat the Game using cheats, continues, or extra credits. (Medium)

“1-1″

Defeat One Level with One Quarter or No Continues. (Easy)

“1-2″

Defeat Two Levels with One Quarter or No Continues. (Medium)

Past Achievements:
“Member” – Become a member of the SpaceBooger.com forums. (Easy)
“Input” – Suggest a game and/or comics for upcoming Print In Pixel features. (Easy)
“Press Start” – Play the featured game at least once during the time it is featured. (Easy)
“Hard Copy” – Obtain and play an Original Hard Copy of the game. (Hard)
“Comic Book” – Read one or more of the “Recommended Reading” books. (Medium)
“Comic Collector” – Obtain a Hard Copy of one or more of the “Recommended Reading” books. (Hard)

Remember to leave a comment letting me know what achievements you earned along with posting them here in the forums.

Next on Print-N-Pixel:

• Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems (SNES) – Game Review
  Featuring: A in-depth look and review of the game.
• The Infinity Saga Around The Internet
  Featuring: A conclusion to the Print-N-Pixel: Marvel Super-Heroes – The Infinity Saga with quotes and other’s opinions of the game.

References:

• The comic covers are from Wikipedia
• The original image of Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet used in the Print-N-Pixel logo was found at comicvine.com

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