Final part of the Protective Services arc. This is the issue where we are finally brought the big old fight that we have been promised. That's right, the biggest slobber knocker, big show, extravaganza that will shake the trees and roll the stones. Yee Haw Cowboy. Speaking of which, do you remember back on June 23, 1996, there was a King of the Ring tournament. Before the match, Jake "The Snake" Roberts was proselytizing in the locker room. But, at the end of the match, Stone Cold Steve Austin beat the veteran to win the match. That was the moment that Austin cut a promo where he talked about Jake reading from the bible and John 3:16...and how Austin 3:16 just said that he whipped your.......I do not know why I thought about that. Did you know that there once was an exploding barbed wire deathmatch on AEW? Yeah. Apparently, the danger level was high enough that the referee had to wear a hazmat suit. I mean, that is a whole new level of gimmick, but whatever. Going back to Jake "The Snake", he really did routines with live snakes, much to the annoyance of his fellow wrestlers. One of them even bit Macho Man Randy Savage in 1991. I once bit Jeff on a dare. I still have hair stuck in my teeth. According to the internet, the greatest Royal Rumble ever was the 1992 Royal Rumble. Ric Flair won the match by lasting in the ring for over an hour, outlasting all other competitors. This included many of the big names at the time including Hulk Hogan, the British Bulldog and Randy Savage. My money is on Mettle. Without getting into his definite problematic issues, the greatest villain in the wrestling world could be Vince McMahon. The fact that the owner of this corporation painted himself as the consistent villain in story lines, helping to sell story lines and mocking himself is admirable. Maybe he played the villain to easily. The WCW Bash at the Beach 1996 was very memorable because it was when Hulk Hogan came out as a bad guy and the New World Order was formed. it was unexpected that the most stable good guy would turn on his friends and fans was shocking. At the moment, my cohost has informed me that we are a comic book podcast and not a wrestling podcast. He feels that I should just move on. I have informed him that ...."It doesn't matter what you think!!!" Go see the website where we show some images: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2024/03/21/avengers-academy-31-protective-services-part-3/ We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Lazy Cat Groove by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/12194-lazy-cat-groove License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

It is part two of this little three parter, and that can mean a number of things. It could be Empire Strikes Back or Godfather Part 2. Or it could be Temple of Doom.....or even Showgirls 2. Or it could be worse. This is not any of those. This is s solid book with a series of fights and the possibility of manslaughter. So, enjoy.   Let's start off by talking about the big guy....the god on the team. Hercules...the lion of Olympus. He is the puncher of the team. He is the bruiser. He should be able to handle this, especially with his toys. right? Or not. Ok, not really making a great show on this second issue of his introduction to the team. Dude gets owned. I mean...this is just sad. Just sad!!! Ok. I really do not know where to go from here. I could talk about the rest of the book, but why bother. My faith in heroes and gods has failed. Nobody can save us, not even a good editor. More fighting happened...more story....but wow.....Hercules beaten to the ground by an amnesiac. That is just lazy....poor showing....poor showing. Look....there is a reprogrammed sentinel here that has more action than Hercules. What is up with that? Sure, it did not go up against Shaw, but it still had a better showing. Ok, I guess I am done complaining....well, I am not...but I am for now. We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can see the art from the book here: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2024/03/10/avengers-academy-30-protective-services-part-2/ You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Night by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/71-night License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

It is time for a three part storyline, part of the AvX crossover. Are you ready for this? No really...Are you ready? Because if you are looking at us to provide you with some context or guidance, you have forgotten that we are a Power Pack podcast. We have a few points that we want to hit here, and first we should emphasize that this series is awesome. I mean, if for no other reason than a guy with metal skin states so as he is surfing on land. But that is neither here nor there. Actually, I take that back....there is a guy surfing on land in this book. Focus on that! What we should not focus on is the absolute theft of an iconic scene. No, we will not dwell on this sacrilegious effort to somehow equate Sebastion Shaw with Wolverine. that would be a mistake and we should not spotlight it at all. What would be the point? We all know it is a cheap and unnecessary shot. Dang it! I focused on the picture when I said I was not going to. Bad Rick, you know better. I now need to punish myself severely with physical injury. It is the only way I will learn. Well, at least I have not embarrassed myself or you fine readers by introducing anything over salacious or gratuitous. Mistakes have been made, but nothing that could not be covered up with the correct amount of....clothes. We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u Please check out some interesting pictures from this book at our website: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2024/02/24/avengers-academy-29-protective-services-part-1/ You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Carneval by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/221-carneval License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Part two of the Avengers Academy and the Runaways. We left on a cliffhanger where betrayal was afoot, and they were in a dinosaur dimension. What will happen? What will occur? Will Rick decide that he should somehow talk about something completely different. So last night I was in a local poker tournament. This was the final game between our club and one from across town. We had the top nine winners from both clubs playing for a little bit of money, and a whole lot of bragging rights. Guess who came in second place. Now what does that have to do with somebody getting their arm bitten off? Nothing. Not a thing. Ok, maybe we could say that I was biting off more than I could chew, but I made it farther than a lot of people....last night, that was 14 people. But I digress. Yes, I am flying high after the evening. I do not feel upset that I did not get first. That other player was much better than me. But they were cool, and we were having a great time. Actually, the entire evening was pleasant. You would think that two rival clubs would start unleashing their powers at each other, but no, we all got along well. It is nice when a group of people get together and realize that they have more in common then they realize. At first, I thought that this was going to be a very tortured metaphor. Like I was trying to pry open a dinosaurs mouth, but now that I am in the thick of it, I feel that this is a better comparison than I originally thought. Last night was about two groups of people coming together. All and all, a good night. Everyone had fun, and much mirth was had. The only shrinking that occurred was to some players chip stacks. Luckily, Dr Hank Pym was on my side and was helping enlarge my money. OK..Now I am torturing the metaphor. I should give a shout out to our host for the evening. While they did not make it to the final tournament roster (because I took them out in the league finals....sorry), they still offered the use of their garage, and cooked the dinner for the evening. His own take on a Philly cheese steak sandwich. Dang, they were very tasty. An amazing chef, a good friend, and a nice guy. And during the tournament, nobodies mother was killed by a robot, but I am sure there was one or two "Yo momma" jokes. Please visit our website to see some images from this episode: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2024/02/25/avengers-academy-28-homecoming-part-2/ We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ The Big Show Opener: Zeus by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4642-the-big-show-opener-zeus License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Hey, guess what. The Runaways are back! And it is Super Bowl Sunday! Let's see what happens when I try to explain this comic book and what we talk about with just references to Super Bowls Greatest moments. First, let's talk about the Apple in the room. That's right, the giant sentinel helping to guard the Avengers compound from riff-raff like that Runaways. Not unlike a sledgehammer wielding woman, breaking down the barriers....or wait...Are the Runaways the ones with the hammer? Not unlike Harry Carson drenching Bill Parcells with a bucket of Gatorade has there been another time when a Giant has poured cold water on a fellow Giant. Yet, Hank stops the Sentinel from killing kids....what is this world coming to. How about the kitten bowl. No not the halftime entertainment to elicit adorations from your children, I am talking about a kitten in a bowl...like Tigra's son. She uses this child to distract the defense. Flag on the play. The hate that Hazmat and Nico have upon their first meeting is not unlike that of the Cowboys and Steelers from Super Bowl X. Sure there is respect, but there is hate....a lot of hate. Super Bowl 56 was the Bengals vs the Rams....and they hyped this by playing Welcome to the Jungle. And during this comic, the kids went to a jungle. What do you want from me. It is the best I could do.  Never has a tackle like the one Old Lace gave Chase been so powerful. Well maybe when Kevin Dyson was Tackled by Mike Jones on a yard away from the goal line to cause the Titans to lose. That one hurt more. And speaking of dinosaurs, do you remember that time when a big red dinosaur crashed the Super Bowl. Neither did I, because it did not happen yet. But it will. I just need to get this magic amulet to open, and then you will all rue the day. Boy that was sure fun, and not at all a last minute scramble as I tried to get this done. GO SPORTS! We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u Check out the fantastic art at: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2024/02/11/avengers-academy-27-homecoming-part-1/ You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Total Happy Up And Sunny by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/555-total-happy-up-and-sunny License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Let's take a tiny backtrack to a backup story in Avengers: Solo and see how Finesse and Striker handle a little test created by Giant Man and Tygra. How is Power Pack involved...? Good question. Listen to the episode to find out.  First of all, let's define Solo. Solo does not mean that you have a partner or are in a smaller team from you original group. Which makes me always wonder about Han Solo. I mean, he is never really SOLO. And when he is, he get's stuck in carbonite or killed. He is more like, Han Team. But I digress. So when you are truly solo, you are going up against big odds by yourself. It is a challenge where you push your limits, and run the gauntlet on your own. Forget relying on others, charge your own trail. A great solo adventure would be one hero coming up against an army of robots that were created in the image of their teammates. That would be fantastic. And absolutely terrifying. What an absolute crushing defeat. Maybe they should have brought a team with them. But if you were able to go solo against one robot, who would you choose? I would go up against Crowww....Yes, he would make me laugh, but I think I could take him. I definitely have the reach, and also, I am not a puppet. Back to talking about what is a solo adventure. According to some sources, it is acceptable to have a solo adventure and work with people during that adventure, focusing on people that you do not work with. With that in mind, I would like to go on a secret solo adventure and team up with Einstein and Mark Twain. I think that would be a hoot. Fighting by yourself against another opponent is the traditional version of what a solo adventure is about. And, if you are truly the hero of the story, you should do your best to win. Otherwise it will be a short story. Another non-traditional solo story would be to have a partner on your adventures and then kill them with their own arm near the end of the adventure and tell everyone that it was all done just by you. It is a choice you can make. I really hope that I was not helpful today.  We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u Check out our webpage at: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2024/01/28/avengers-solo-1-5-extra-credit/ You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music: Flight Pack 1 - 6/6 (Dubby) by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/181-flight-pack-1-66-dubby Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Let's talk about a book full of talking. It is a talking book and we are talking people. So, what are we going to talk about here? I don't know. Probably something to do with the pictures we are showing which will make no sense if you are looking at this text on the episode. Why would you pull someone's hair like Quicksilver does. It is rude and annoying and he should be slapped for doing it. What an absolute punk. I do not care that he was potentially saving Avengers IP from being taken. It is still not very nice. Hank Pym has been many things in his life, but we do not talk much about him being a librarian. It is true. One time, between appearances, he became a librarian in a small New England fishing town. He just needed a break and so he got away and somehow snagged this quiet little job. Nobody talks about it. Probably because I made it up. We all know that gossip is the worst kind of talking. Well, not the worst. The worst is what Jennifer said about Randal after PE. That was horrible...and so mean. I mean, I know that Randal had broken up with Jennifer so he could go out with Tina, but that Tina was still in love with Calvin. Oh the drama. I like dino butts, and I cannot lie, some other brothers think they are fly....ok...I have nothing. What type of a bath do you like? I am more of a shower man myself. In and out after a good scrub. Some people really like to just sit in water heavy with salt and flowery smells. Apparently it is soothing. For me, it makes me thing of sitting in the ocean waiting to be attacked by a shark wearing perfume. The evil plans of one man can make the world shake. Just look at the evil wrought by Tom in accounting. He went home early for lunch and did not close the Anderson account properly, and that was the doom of the entire company. Rue...RUE the day! This man is a big unit. I hope that was confusing and pointless. That was my goal. To see the pictures, check out our website: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2024/01/14/avengers-academy-26-career-day/ We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music: Flight Pack 1 - 6/6 (Dubby) by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/181-flight-pack-1-66-dubby Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

You can listen to the episode by clicking: Episode 150 Can you believe we made it to 150 episodes! Nope...neither can I...or we....or us....Whatever. Anyway, since this issue is called Class Reunion, I thought we should revisit some of the things we have said in the past. Recently, we covered FF#1, The Club on episode 125, and we said this: And new colleges and friends and places to go. It must be pretty cool to get to go to such wonderful locations and kick booty with new peeps….especially when one of the coworkers wears size rocky gravel kickers. Going back a bit further, we covered Runaways V2 #2 for episode 100, and we made this statement: I would like to be able to create a big hand with a bunch of metal. I think that it would be a great party trick. Something like, "nothing up this sleeve, nothing under my hat, now watch this!" And then, BAM! Salsa time! Now we are getting back to our roots. Episode 75, we covered Power Pack #57: And this Underoos championing space beast can only be defeated by The Stimulator!! Just to make sure you heard me: The Stimulator has to be used on the bikini briefs beast before bedtime…boy, what a bother! Remember when we were in the heart of covering Power Pack, like back in Episode 50 with Power Pack #38: What do you mean false advertising?! How do you know that I wasn't going to follow through on this?….They don't know! What do you mean I just told them? Just look at this shiny thing, OK! Why would we cover X-Men on our podcast, check out Episode 25 to listen to our coverage of issue #205 of Uncanny X-Men: There are many lessons to take from this book. Lessons like don't sell your soul, keep your fluids inside your body, always bring a sparkler to a knife fight, and always bring a buddy when you head out into the snow! And of course, our first episode, number one, where we met this family of kids and their crazy adventers in Power Pack #1: Our inaugural episode! Jeff and Rick begin their podcasting journey by playing around with some recording gear, drinking some beer, and talking about the first issue of Power Pack. And that brings us to this issue....where a bunch of people fight each other. ENJOY! We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can check out the artwork at this link: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2023/12/31/avengers-academy-25-class-reunion/ You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music: Mighty Like Us by Kevin MacLeod Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4050-mighty-like-us Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Sometimes, you have to turn on your friends. After years of friendship and partnership and other kinds of ships, you just have to tell your friend, enough is enough. Sometimes you may be paid to do it, sometimes you have just grown tired of them, and sometimes it is because you have a new knife and you want to see how well it fits in that guys back. With that said....let me tell you about Jeff. We need to talk about his breath first. You may not know this, but today's high-tech microphones are all include multi-layered, immersive technology. A lot of the changes are due to more people working in the office. There is a call for additional ways to promote in person interactions, and so we now can smell people in online meetings. This is a problem. I have even bought the guy breath mints. The dude is a show off. Like every time we go somewhere he is all like, "Look at me and my wonderful beard" and " Have you ever seen such an amazing toupee", and also "You all need to eat my broccoli and hot dog casserole!" He is so annoying. You win one county fair casserole bake-off, you think you are a god. Give me a break. Then there is his wardrobe and fashion. It must be nice to get to wear all those fantastic clothes and costumes. Sometime I would like to be sent the finest t-shirts made. Not everyone has a secret benefactor who keeps you afloat in the latest middle-aged, stay-at-home dad fashion. I do not care that he has a new generic shirt for each hour of the day. UGH. Here is another thing that annoys me about Jeff...his stupid athletic skill. Just because he mastered lacrosse, water polo, and fencing in high school, does not make him interesting. Do you know how annoying it is to arrive a party with someone who likes to do somersaults across the lawn. You will always pale next to that, trust me. Being around someone like Jeff is just annoying. He sucks the light from the room and absorbs it onto himself. And then...he struts. He knows what he is doing and he STRUTS. The man cannot even walk like a human. He has to "Tony Manero" his way into every room. Needless to say, I am done being a little puppet for Jeff to play with. I will not dance on his string any longer. He will not control me, or make me his ....puppet. It is time for me to stand on my own, and to tell him exactly what I think of him. This is Jeff writing now. I would like to apologize for the mean spirited remarks made by my friend and partner. He has been under a lot of stress from work and running my podcast. Sometime, he just lets himself do too much. Trust me, we are still friends. Our relationship has never been better. If you want to see the art from this book, check out our website at: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2023/12/17/avengers-academy-24-family/ We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music: Figures In The Fog by Lilo Sound Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5551-figures-in-the-fog Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Warning, this podcast includes words and phrases presented by a New Zealander. Please be aware that the use of an accent will be heard throughout the episode, viewer discretion is advised. Beyond that, we are overjoyed and excited to welcome back our favorite Kiwi in the whole world, Waffles! Waffles may be one of our biggest fans, but that does not mean we know a lot about their homeland. Well Jeff might, he did visit their when he was much younger and had 100% less children than he does now. So, in honor of our guest, I am going to make up facts about New Zealand based on basic internet research and comedy. First off, did you know that New Zealand is known for it's biodiversity? Sure, may have heard about the Haast's eagle and moa, as well as the strange little flightless bird whose name I cannot remember...but there are a whole bunch of other animals that you can only find on or around these islands. I have also heard that you can find Hobbits and Elves there too. Science and technology in New Zealand is apparently a thing. According to my history books I thought it all happened in Greece or the United States, but apparently there are other places where people are smart. Ernest Rutherford split the atom, Beatrice Tinsley is known for studying galaxy formations, and the Māori people have been recognized for early indigenous contributions to science. Makes me feel really inadequate for getting an F when I brought a 9 Volt battery and steel wool to the science fair. In the area of monster creation, New Zealand is a pioneer. What with WETA workshops, Black Sheep, and Peter Jackson. I mean....were-sheep, need we say more. Between that and some of the wildlife we mentioned above, this place is just a nightmare waiting to attack you. I even heard that they have gigantic killer cats that roam houses at night, stealing waffles. Or, that could be a rumor I just started. The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed Black Caps, is world famous. They do amazing things whenever they show up to do sport. Many fans come to watch them play live, or sometimes on TV. They really are very good and everybody....OK, look...I do not understand cricket as a game of concept and do not understand any of the words on this Wikipedia page. I try to fake it when I can, but sometimes this is what you get. Human cloning also occurs in New Zealand. Actually, it occurs all over the world and nobody talks about it because of "the man", but we all know. The leading facility for cloning is located in a secret bunker in Christchurch, just below the Botanic Gardens. The facility produces two thousand clones a year, quietly shipping them out as bearded American tourists. This facility has brought much needed income to the area.....Wait a minute, the Wikipedia page I was citing this information from was just changed to talk about New Zealand's climate. Well, it was still probably true. Giantism is a condition that can occur in people born in New Zealand. Many have said that it is has occurred as a result of the Māori tradition of cooking food over heated rocks that have been irradiated by gamma radiation, but the science is inconclusive and mostly confined to a comic book that I have just started to draw with crayons. Needless to say, the food is very tasty and everyone should eat a pavolva a day. Now, I have been informed that my "facts" are "wrong" and that I may have "offended" some people with my "dumb" "and" "innovative" material "or" use of "the" "internet". "Some" people are "also" complaining that "I" may not "be" using or "over"using ""quotes" (or as "I" like to call "them" hanging coupled comas) incorrectly. "Whatever"! In closing, please consider adopting a New Zealander, they are just looking for a little bit of love in this crazy world. And listen to Waffles on his podcast: Waffles and Mates Talk About Things. Check out the art we highlighted at our website: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2023/12/03/avengers-academy-23-second-chances/ We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music: Cityscape Dreams by Arti The A.I. & Sascha Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11992-cityscape-dreams Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

It is that time of the year again, but it is not, cause it is Thanksgiving...cause SOMEONE got us lost on the way to the Rutland Vermont Halloween Party. Still, we know why we are all here this year....again. It is all because of Mephisto and his evil ways. So, what madness are we subjected to this year? According to Wikipedia: Rutland is the only city in and the seat of the county of the same name in Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 15,807. It is located approximately 65 miles (105 km) north of the Massachusetts state line, 35 miles (56 km) west of New Hampshire state line, and 20 miles (32 km) east of the New York state line. Rutland is the third largest city in the state of Vermont after Burlington and South Burlington. They also suffer from the largest deposits of melted man in the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.67 square miles (19.9 km2), of which 7.6 square miles (20 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2), or 0.52%, is water. Rutland is drained by Otter Creek, Moon Brook, Tenney Brook, East Creek and Mussey Brook. There is also a large number of unexplained dimensional portals. The downtown section contains the Rutland Free Library, the Paramount Theaterand Merchant's Row, a restored street dating back to the mid-19th century. 108 buildings in downtown Rutland are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. But when the Juggernaut comes to town, statistics change. At the local level, Rutland is governed by a Mayor and Board of Aldermen. For representation in the Vermont House of Representatives, Rutland is split into four districts. In the Vermont Senate, Rutland is represented by three state senators who serve most of Rutland County. The rest of the town is ruled by fear of rampaging monsters. And of course their is the Rutland Halloween Parade has taken place annually since 1960. In the early 1970s, the Rutland Halloween Parade was used as the setting of a number of superhero comic books, including Batman #237, Justice League of America #103, Freedom Fighters #6, Amazing Adventures #16, Avengers #83, and The Mighty Thor #207. The parade celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009. It brought friends together through fights. So be sure to visit this lovely town, and keep your eyes out for the Beast...he may still be looking for his skin suit. Here are the other shows participating this year: Married with Comics - Avengers #83 Ninjas 'n' Bots - Batman #237 Unpacking the Power of Power Pack - Amazing Adventures #16 The Outcasters - Justice League of America #103 Resurrections An Adam Warlock and Thanos Podcast - Thor #207 Coffee & Comics - Generation X #22 We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music: Plucky Daisy by Kevin MacLeod Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4226-plucky-daisy Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Do you want to meet your idols? Do you want to meet your terrorist idols? Do you want to meet your terrorist idol while they show up at their son's workplace, a son who also happens to be training you? Well, then do we have a book for you to read! So why should you read this book? Well first, it is a book, so it exists for you to read. That is its purpose, its function. If you do not read it, then it has failed. But I have digressed into a philosophical tangent that nobody got time for on a Sunday morning. The second reason to read this book is because then our rambling about it will make more sense. The third reason to read this book is explosions. You want them, this has got them. Or at least one. It is a good one too. People go flying everywhere and there is fire. It is pretty neat. Would recommend. Fourth, broken robots. You may be asking yourself how that is an argument for reading a book. Well, a broken robot tells you that there is at least one robot in this story. This means that there may be another robot, one that is not broken. And robots are cool. And of course, the fifth reason to read the book is that there is, in fact, a second robot. The sixth reason to read this book is that there is sports in it. I mean, it is not the traditional sports like fencing, and climbing, and horse back riding. This is more like a violent, full contact game where you are trying to toss a spherical object in a receptacle while avoiding obstacles. Totally fun and safe. The seventh reason is action. So many people are hit or hit others. One person is hit a lot. Other people do a lot of hitting. Movement occurs in a dramatic way. It is all terribly exciting. And the final reason why you should read this book is because someone gets kicked in the head. Do not forget to check out our artwork over at this website: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2023/11/18/avengers-academy-22-disappointments/ We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music: Racers Gonna Race - Sport Rock Music by Dave Deville Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10772-racers-gonna-race-sport-rock-music Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

If you are going to open a new educational institution, and you want it to compete, especially against those insane California schools, you have to make some choices. You also have to show you are willing to do it all to get the best of the best. First, let's talk about your campus. Do you have all of the amenities that your students want and or need. Do you have nice buildings and cool sporting spaces? Do you have a view of the ocean? If you cannot provide your students with a killer vista, you might as well take your diplomas and go home. And what about the special programs? Are you going to be one of those colleges that talks the talk but does not actually have the resources to provide the best to the best. If you say you are going to revolutionize paleontology, you better get more than bones. And if you want to promote high tech, you need to actually have some high tech. We are not talking about the most recent phone or computer, we are talking about robotics that are one good sneeze from sentience and world domination. You need to be willing to fight to be on top. And not just in getting the best students, but fighting other schools to take the best students away from them. We want the best and we deserve the best, and the rest are just .....not best. At the end of the day, you need to think about the future, and what kind of students you want to create. If you want them to be super villains, than reach for the stars baby. Make it happen and do not hold back. That is what I call a success! If you want to see our artwork, check out: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2023/11/04/avengers-academy-21-welcome-students/ We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music: Greko (Sketch) by Kevin MacLeod Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3826-greko-sketch Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Oh my goodness, we are covering something exciting and new. Wowzers, I hope you come aboard, because we have been expecting you! That's right, it is the LOVE BOAT...I mean, the Avenger Academy. I guess we should introduce you to this crew that will be on our ship as we cruise through these West Coast waves, so let me check the roster of....holy phone books Batman, that is a lot of people. You know what, Al Gore did not invent the internet so you could twiddle your thumbs, look them up yourself. Many people ask how big the Pacific Princess is, and I do know why they ask me that. I am not a captain, I just happen to think that a dress white uniform with shorts is comfortable and delightful. It also means that I cannot eat anything, so it helps me lose weight. Oh, and the ship is big....like Giant Man. No, I do not have dreams about celebrity guest stars on the deck of my ship. And if I did, I would not talk about them here. It is private. While there are snakes that are found in the water, that is not relevant to boats in the Pacific. Plus, we need to talk about the Avengers Acadamy. Or not, since I have run out of time. Oh well....next months. You can find pretty pictures of this issue at: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2023/10/21/avengers-academy-20-endings/(opens in a new tab) We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music: Badass by Phat Sounds Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11820-badass Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

The clean-up phase. After any project, there is usually a mess. This is true from everything, be it home remodeling or battling giant space gods. People have done something in the place where you live any you have to clean it up. The first step in cleaning thing up is to make sure everyone is done messing things up. No sense starting to clean while the Thing is still breaking bar stools. But after that, you need to make sure you keep everyone focused on their jobs. You do not need their heads in the clouds or jumping into space. A project manager is good to have. You need to have someone in charge. You need to have someone to direct the work and make sure things are done. You need to have a dictator. Committees can be a bit much during the cleaning phase. Too many opinions, egos, and temperaments. Plus, the blaming and the scapegoatization. I do not know if that is a word, but my computer suggested it to me and so I am keeping it in. The cool thing that no on tells you is that you get to find really cool stuff while cleaning up. Sure, there is a bunch of junk and debris, but at the very least you will find some pocket change or some lost trinket, at the most you will find an artifact that will let you shape the galaxy. Keep your eyes peeled. Do not forget to get someone to handle the big things. You need muscle to really remove the bigger chunks of stuff and to handle cosmic sized messes. And please remember to lift with the knees. When you are all done with the cleaning, you are going to be left with something beautiful, something new, and something clean. You can admire it and enjoy it...right up until you decide to destroy it all and start over. Isn't that special. Oh, do not forget to punish those who did not do enough to clean. Look at the art work from this issue at our webpage: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2023/10/08/ff-16-one-step-beyond/ We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music: Bounce by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/490-bounce Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Culmination: the highest or climactic point of something, especially as attained after a long time. That is what we are talking about today. And because I waited till the last minute to type up this page, and it is comic con weekend, the other definition we will use her is procrastination: the action of delaying or postponing something. Creepy: causing an unpleasant feeling of fear or unease. Weird: suggesting something supernatural; uncanny. Demanding: making others work hard or meet high standards. Command: give an authoritative order. Awesome: extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear. Massive: large and heavy or solid. Mistake: an action or judgment that is misguided or wrong. Useless: not fulfilling or not expected to achieve the intended purpose or desired outcome. Glowing: give out steady light without flame. Power: the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. Those are definitions for words I thought about when looking at the pictures we chose for this book. I now have to go to the Rose City Comic Con. We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u Check out the artwork from this book at our website: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2023/09/23/fantastic-four-604-forever-part-5/ You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Spider Eyes by Kevin MacLeod Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4405-spider-eyes Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Good afternoon children, are we all ready for today's lesson? I hope so, because we have some special guests showing up. That's right, it is all of Power Pack...on a Power Pack show!!! Who would ever have guessed that! Today we are going to talk about self-defense, and we are going to have the Power Pack kids help with the demonstrations. Won't that be nice. It is always good to have someone demonstrate how to hurt someone else. First rule of our fight club is to fight anyone who messes with you. We are not here for looking good or chewing bubble gum, we are here to put down anyone who gives us that evil eye or sideways glance. We are here to put people in their places. So let's meet your opponents today. They may be young, scrappy, and rough, but they also got some moves like Jagger, if you get my drift. You know who I am talking about, the Pack o' Power. Now we are ready to tussle. You may be asking what the rules are, well listen up, buttercup. There are no rules. Well, maybe one rule, don't wrap your thumb inside your fist. Other than that. The world is your oyster. And by the way, you should probably aim for your opponent's oysters. While we are talking about low blows, let's remember why we aim for those chestnuts. First, they are connected to the hip area which is connected to the base area, which is connected to the why am I bent over area. You start to break down that point, you start to really change the game. And this ain't no game. And when the fighting and chaos is getting to be too much, and when you have doubts, and when you just do not know what to do. Remember what we said, go for the family jewels. And when you really are in doubt, punch Bentley. Thus endeth the lesson. We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u If you would like to see some cool pictures from this comic, check out our website: jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2023/09/05/ff-15-the-one-where-power-pack-shows-up/ You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music: SpiderJam by Keith Wolk Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9668-spiderjam Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

I like to do a variety of gimmicks on these pages, especially since I run out of ideas on what to talk about. So, for this one, I am going to give myself 27 minutes to write content for this page. After 27 minutes, I am going to stop....cold. This is actually a good idea since I waited till the night before to put this together. So here it goes. Ok...all of the pictures are loaded and it is 9:41PM. I am going to write until exactly 10:07PM. Hopefully I did my math right. It was a long day and I did volunteer at an information booth to talk about the program I work at, so my brain is a little fried. But that is not helping inform you, the dear reader about anything. Onward. Look at these kids, sitting around, looking at a space gate. Man, when I was there age, I had a stick. I was told that that would be my toy and the firewood for the night so don't get too attached. But these spoiled kids get bored by looking at space and different realities. Bad parenting. A little tip for all of you people. If you are ever faced with a galactic entity or a giant robot, never discount the effect of running away and hiding. Sure, when they destroy your world, the game is over, but still. Maybe you can go out with dignity. Ok, you probably will not, but at least you tried. Speaking of dignity, our Alt Reed buddy had zero of it left when he snuffed it after using the ultimate nullifier. Way to represent your cult my dude. You effected zero change. The only thing you contributed was a momentary light source when your body turned itself into a flame. Now Doom, he is class. Absolute style. He went out like a boss. It does not matter how many times the Fantastic Four take him down. or how much they make him look like a fool. He is Doom. Again, giant robots are not your friends. Never were, and never will be. I think we all know that artificial intelligence will one day destroy us all...either that or a really bad fish taco. I cannot remember what the prophecy said. But Doom...DOOOM....DOOOOOM......he will give us hope....if that hope is that we will all be ruled by someone who wants to rule us like a dictator. Huh...we probably will deserve that. Ok. So that is it. I set myself a time limit and let's see what we have. Well, I have 14 minutes remaining, and I have produced a bunch of hot garbage. Good game coach, good game. We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u If you would like to see some cool pictures from this comic, check out our website: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2023/08/26/ff-14-27-minutes/(opens in a new tab) You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music: SpiderJam by Keith Wolk Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9668-spiderjam Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Let's talk about bridges. Being based in Portland, Jeff and Rick see them a lot. To give you an idea, there is a bridge pedal that occurs in the city and you can travel over nine different bridges over the Willamette river...and that is not all of them. We are talking 23 miles of biking awesomeness. Rick has a special love for three types of bridges. The Ribbon Flotation Bridge, the Bailey Bridge, and the MGB Bridge. He learned to construct these bridges when he was in the Army. It was neat and he had fun learning how to do this hard work. He also got to drive really awesome vehicles. Jeff really loves to build bridges out of Lego. He and his daughter spend hours upon hours building cute little bridges with red and blue bricks. But never yellow. Yellow is for the devil. The longest bridge in the world is called the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge. It stretches out for 102 miles and is in China. I mention this only because Rick has never been China. So he has never been on that bridge, and is therefore very sad. Rick's favorite bridge may be the bridge that he jumped off of the first time he bungee jumped. It was a beautiful sunny day, and it was a nice solid bridge. But, money was paid and his youth was not going to be wasted, so off he jumped. he had fun. Jeff has stated that his favorite bridges are those on star-ships. While those are neat with all of their flashing lights and alarms and inexplicable steam pipes, it is not really the answer we were looking for. I do not think he studied properly. Todd Bridges was an actor on Diff'rent Strokes. But that is also not the answer we were looking for. Needless to say, we are phoning this page in. It may be midnight when I am doing this, so you get what you get. If you would like to see some pretty pictures, check out this website: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2023/07/29/ff-13-the-bridge/(opens in a new tab) We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Go Cart by Kevin MacLeod Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3813-go-cart License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

So you decided to take a flight on Cheapskate Travel. You do not know the destination, you do not know the transportation, and you do not know if you will ever see your luggage again. Well, good luck, roll the dice. The world is your oyster, only you hate seafood. that is OK, because as your budget travel agent, we allow you to put your money into the things you care about, like world domination. Those oysters are not going to kill themselves. You are the man for the job. As you pack for your trip, we suggest you be broad in your choices of clothing and gear. True, you have no idea if your luggage will arrive, but if it does, a bikini in the alps is not going to help you. Sometimes a suitcase full of blankets and some scissors is a better option. As you prepare to enter our debarkation lounge, be sure to look at all the fancy pieces of technology we have. Sure, some are broken, and some we do not know how to use, and some we know we should not use...but that is what is making this fun. Also, do you really NEED two legs? No, we do not cater our travel. That is just wasted money and this is cheap. You may want to pack your own food, or just scavenge whatever looks fresh or unattended. Your choice, we really do not care. Traveling in large groups is not the best idea. You may not all end up at the same location or you may all appear at the exact same location. Either way, it gets awkward and embarrassing. We suggest that you go solo on this one. If you arrive at your destination in one piece, congratulations, you have beat the odds. Now is the time to enjoy your luck and good fortune. Hopefully you have some money to get home. *Cheapskate Travel is not responsible for any of the unfortunate accidents that will probably happen over the course of your travel. Check out the art from this issue at our website: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2023/07/09/ff-12-all-hope-lies-in-doom-part-1-too-many-kids/ We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ OzMosis by Keith Wolk Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9718-ozmosis License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license (opens in a new tab)