In Episode 116 of CEREBRO, Connor and returning guest comedian Jay Jurden refuse to blend in with Victor Borkowski, the aggravating Anole! Created by Nunzio DeFillipis, Christina Weir, and Keron Grant, Victor is one of the more enduring characters from the Academy X generation. Devised for an 'issue story' about gay teen suicide that was ultimately nixed by Marvel editorial, in the decades since — like many in his age cohort — he has struggled to find a consistent role in the franchise....

Hey there, Zalagang! Today I'm joined by beloved friend of the pod Spencer Ackerman for a very special bonus episode: a discussion of his new ongoing title Iron Man! The first arc of this new run picks up from Gerry Duggan's finale, following Tony Stark as he struggles to recover from a catastrophic injury — while also fending off a hostile takeover by the nefarious board of directors Feilong appointed in his absence. It features stunning art by Julius Ohta and a cavalcade of glamorous...

Hey there, Zalagang! Today I'm joined by Marvel writer Murewa Ayodele (I Am Iron Man) to discuss his new title Storm, which debuts today as part of the From the Ashes relaunch! This new solo series follows Ororo Munroe as she attempts to establish herself as a local superheroine in Atlanta, Georgia, while juggling her obligations to both mutantkind and the Avengers. At the same time, she must assert herself responsibly as a global political figure after her time as Regent of Arakko. This...

In Episode 115 of CEREBRO, Connor and returning fan favorite guest Sara Century double their fun(?) with Jeanne-Marie Beaubier, the audacious Aurora! Created by John Byrne and Chris Claremont, but primarily developed by Byrne, Aurora is the twin sister of her Alpha Flight teammate Northstar, from whom she was separated at birth. Unfortunately, her abusive upbringing in a cruel orphanage left her with a very soap opera-style split personality — and the endless struggle to integrate cold,...

In Episode 114 of CEREBRO, Connor and returning fan favorite guest Spencer Ackerman live the life aquatic with Namor McKenzie, the studly Sub-Mariner! Created by Bill Everett in 1939, Namor is among Marvel's earliest characters, one of only a handful to be carried over from predecessor imprint Timely Comics. Arguably the first antihero in the superhero genre, the Sub-Mariner was reimagined in the Silver Age as a sometime foe of the Fantastic Four, a romantic complication for leading lady Sue...

Surprise! After some technical difficulties last year, last weekend for the third annual CEREBRO live show at FlameCon we did manage to pull the audio from the sound board. There are a few little hiccups, but overall I am really happy with the sound quality. Here is a quick six-minute teaser of the full live episode, which has a runtime of 1:16:26 and is now available on the CEREBRO Patreon at the House of Zaladane tier ($5/month). This year I was joined by friend of the pod Anthony...

Hey there, Zalagang! Today I'm joined by Marvel writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing to discuss their new title NYX, which debuts today as part of the From the Ashes relaunch! This new volume of NYX follows a cast of young mutants, including Kamala Khan, Sophie of the Stepford Cuckoos, David Alleyne, Victor Borkowski, and Laura Kinney, as they come to terms with the traumatic loss of Krakoa and try to find a new way forward in New York City. It's a lot of fun despite the heavy themes,...

In Episode 113 of CEREBRO, Connor and returning guest Kieron Gillen meet their maker with the mutant messiah, Hope Summers! Created as an infant by Mike Carey and Chris Bachalo, then developed extensively by writer Duane Swierczynski, baby Hope was the first mutant somehow born after the Decimation eradicated the future potential of the x-gene, and her prophesied birth made her a target from her first breaths. Quickly orphaned in a massacre and spirited away to the future by her adoptive...

In Episode 112 of CEREBRO, Connor and returning guest Alex Segura get down to business with Gloria Dolores Muñoz, the ravishing Risque! Created by Jeph Loeb and Luciano Lima in X-Force, Gloria is a half-Cuban half-Seminole mutant mercenary and thief from Miami, Florida, with the power to condense and implode inorganic matter. When she's assigned to target James "Jimmy" Proudstar, the X-Force member Warpath, Gloria finds herself falling in love with him despite her best efforts. After an...

In Episode 111 of CEREBRO, Connor and returning guest Karen Charm (a.k.a Karen Czap) jump through the timestream with Eva Bell, the tragic Tempus! Created by Brian Michael Bendis, Stuart Immonen, and Chris Bachalo, Eva is one of the signature characters of the Bendis era of X-Men. After some time away from the spotlight, the character found new purpose on Krakoa as part of The Five, the mutant circuit responsible for enabling resurrection. The CEREBRO character file on Tempus begins at...

In Episode 110 of CEREBRO, Connor and returning guest Patrick Sullivan get the scoop with the tenacious Trish Tilby! Created by Louise Simonson and Butch Guice, hard-nosed news anchor Trish debuted in the 80s run of X-Factor as Hank McCoy's love interest. While that relationship didn't survive the turn of the millennium, Trish and her broadcasts have remained a fixture of the broader Marvel universe. In an unplanned and unexpected coup for this episode's timing, she recently had a memorable...

In Episode 109 of CEREBRO, Connor and Marvel editor Annalise Bissa hunt the most dangerous game with the arrogant Arcade! Created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, spoiled brat Arcade never really grew up, instead becoming a whimsical assassin and creating Murderworld, a grisly amusement park of death. The CEREBRO character file on Arcade begins at 58:02, after some hopefully soothing conversation about the new From the Ashes X-Men relaunch taking place this summer. This episode is dedicated...

In the GALAXY-SIZE Episode 108 of CEREBRO, Connor and fan favorite guest Jordan Blok arm up for bird season with the marvelous Mam'selle Hepzibah! Created by Dave Cockrum and Chris Claremont, Hepzibah is the femme fatale of the Starjammers, the Shi'ar galaxy's most notorious space pirates and freedom fighters. An escaped slave who dedicated her life to rebellion against her former oppressors in the Imperium, Hepzibah is also the paramour of Corsair, Christopher Summers — long-lost father to...

In the GALAXY-SIZE Episode 108 of CEREBRO, Connor and fan favorite guest Jordan Blok arm up for bird season with the marvelous Mam'selle Hepzibah! Created by Dave Cockrum and Chris Claremont, Hepzibah is the femme fatale of the Starjammers, the Shi'ar galaxy's most notorious space pirates and freedom fighters. An escaped slave who dedicated her life to rebellion against her former oppressors in the Imperium, Hepzibah is also the paramour of Corsair, Christopher Summers — long-lost father to...

In Episode 107 of CEREBRO, Connor and Kat Driscoll offer up their tithes to the capricious Candra! Created by Howard Mackie and Lee Weeks, Candra of the Floating Spires is one of the Externals, part of a secret coterie of immortal mutants who have shaped world politics for hundreds of years. As the Benefactress of the Thieves' and Assassins' Guilds of New Orleans, Candra has been a notable foe to Gambit and Storm in particular. She's fun! She lives in a jewel. The CEREBRO character file on...

Happy New Year, Zalagang! Today, for a special interview, Director Rand Hoppe and President Tom Kraft of the Jack Kirby Museum & Research Center join the show to talk about their new crowdfunding project at Zoop: a hardcover collection of Jack Kirby and Wally Wood's full-color Sunday strips for Sky Masters of the Space Force (with writer Dave Wood). A syndicated newspaper strip that launched in 1958, shortly after Sputnik 1 launched the space race in earnest, Sky Masters imagines the near...

In Episode 106 of CEREBRO, Connor and returning guest Alex Abad-Santos just want to be popular with Laurie Collins, the wilting Wallflower! Created by Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir, and Keron Grant as one of the new students in the 2003 relaunch of New Mutants, which evolved into New X-Men: Academy X, Laurie is a shy and reserved teenage girl terrified of social contact because her mutant pheromones make her feel like a predator. An interesting arc takes shape as she develops more control...

In Episode 105 of CEREBRO, Connor and returning guest Anthony Oliveira become huge and unstoppable with Cain Marko, the jealous Juggernaut! Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Cain is the elder stepbrother of Charles Xavier, empowered by an ancient occult artifact and bent on destruction. One of the most famous X-Men villains, over time Cain became a fairly reliable ally, particularly under the character's signature writer Fabian Nicieza. He won the fan vote for this year's X-Men roster...

In Episode 104 of CEREBRO, Connor and Oh Gosh, Oh Golly, Oh Wow! co-host Dr. Anna Peppard (Supersex: Sexuality, Fantasy, and the Superhero) walk the Winding Way with Amanda Sefton, the devil-may-care Daytripper! Created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum in 1976 as a love interest for Nightcrawler, flight attendant Amanda was later revealed in a retcon to be a disguised figure from Kurt's past: his first love Jimaine, daughter and disciple of his foster mother, the powerful Romani sorceress...

Hey there, Zalagang! Today, for a special interview, Vice President and Creative Executive at Marvel Ryan Penagos joins the show to talk about the new fitness app Marvel Move, a collaboration between Marvel and Zombies, Run! developers Six To Start. Ryan was a major creative coordinator for this immersive game, which features an X-Men scenario, "Age of Orchis", written by friend of the pod Tini Howard. Regular episodes of CEREBRO will return soon! I'm in the middle of editing Amanda Sefton...

Hey there, Zalagang! You've likely noticed, but a combo of scheduling issues and personal life stuff has led to a brief production delay. The next regular episode of CEREBRO will be Amanda Sefton feat. Dr. Anna Peppard! It should be in your ears about two weeks from now. Trish Tilby feat. Patrick Sullivan will follow later in the month. In the meantime, there will be new bonus content releasing on Patreon — and I'm publicly releasing this past April's CEREBRO Appendix bonus episode on Gosamyr...

Hey there, Zalagang! Today, returning guest Steve Foxe and I dig into his new title Dark X-Men, which debuted last week as part of the Fall of X event! This episode contains SPOILERS for Dark X-Men #1, so please read the issue before listening. This summer con season has been crazy, and I knew I wanted to have some bonus content to hold you all over between regular installments of the pod. I hope you enjoyed the episode with Gerry, and will enjoy this one with Steve — I'd love to incorporate...

Hi everyone! This morning, in a publicly-released CEREBRO Secret File, X-Men and Invincible Iron Man writer Gerry Duggan joins Connor for a postmortem on the cataclysmic events of this year's Hellfire Gala. This episode contains SPOILERS for the giant-size one-shot released today, as well as for the epilogue in Invincible Iron Man #8, so please read both issues before listening. (Content Advisory: A lot of upsetting stuff happens in this comic.) You can support CEREBRO...

In Episode 103 of CEREBRO, Connor and Graymalkin Lane host Chad Anderson get lost in the woods with Calvin Rankin, the mercurial Mimic! Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as an antagonist, arrogant power copier Cal briefly joined the X-Men in the 60s under writer Roy Thomas, but ultimately couldn't mesh with his classmates. Over the decades he's struggled to find a consistent role in the franchise, but his popularity was boosted a great deal by writer Judd Winick when the alternate Mimic of...