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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 Candra begins at 1:52:05. (Content Advisory: Candra's story includes child abuse, and features the general bad vibes one might expect of a centuries-old French imperialist.) You can support CEREBRO on Patreon! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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 future of the American space program. Regular CEREBRO programming will resume soon. In the meanwhile, you can support the podcast on Patreon! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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 over her powers, but sadly she's swiftly killed off when the writing team changes in 2005. But now, thanks to Krakoa, she's back! The CEREBRO character file on Wallflower begins at 49:15. (Content Advisory: Laurie's story hinges on the premise of sexual violence through mind control. This episode also discusses at length the student-teacher romance plot at the core of New Mutants vol. 2.) You can support CEREBRO on Patreon! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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 before the tragedy at the Hellfire Gala that launched Fall of X. Cain is often teamed up with Black Tom Cassidy, whom many readers — and some writers, including Nicieza — have interpreted as his romantic partner, but to date this remains subtextual. This episode is very long, very silly, a little spicy, and features a weirdly lengthy tangent about Broadway legend Julie Taymor. The CEREBRO character file on Juggernaut begins at 3:22:45. (¯\_(ツ)_/¯) (Content Advisory: Cain's story includes child abuse, including potential implications of sexual abuse.) You can support CEREBRO on Patreon! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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 Margali Szardos. Despite a lot of interest from Claremont, some time as a member of Excalibur in the 90s, and a moment in the spotlight as the second Magik following the death of Illyana Rasputina, winsome witch Amanda has never managed to stick around as a consistent starring player. Here is the longest conversation anyone has probably ever had about this character, in which Anna and Connor argue she should be a big deal. The CEREBRO character file on Daytripper begins at 2:48:53. (I know. I know.) (Content Advisory: Amanda's story includes racism and antiziganism, abusive parenting, torture, and a complex romantic relationship between foster siblings — which we get some people are just gonna find too weird!) You can support CEREBRO on Patreon! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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 feat. Anna Peppard. It's a lengthy edit, because we went for... a while... but so far I'm very happy with it. Stay tuned! In the meanwhile: you can support CEREBRO on Patreon! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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 feat. Jordan Blok! It's a fun sample of the joy awaiting you for just $5 dollars a month in the House of Z. Thanks for your patience! More soon. An odd and brief addition to the classic New Mutants, the glamorous Gosamyr spins a wanton web of chaos. She's a very sexy baby, and this is a very silly episode. (Content Advisory: Gosamyr's story includes slavery, xenophobia, sexual violence, and allegorical reference to child sex abuse.) The CEREBRO Appendix is a bonus episode series spotlighting characters who do not have a full Zaladane of 12 appearances, or who never get the personal focus that would merit a full episode of CEREBRO. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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 more interviews like this into the world of CEREBRO as the show goes on. You can support CEREBRO on Patreon! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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 on Patreon! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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 Earth-12 starred in the popular 2001 ongoing Exiles. In the years since, a few attempts have been made to bring Earth-616's Mimic to similar prominence, but none of them have really stuck.  The CEREBRO character file on Mimic begins at 1:17:42. (Content Advisory: Cal's story includes suicidal ideation, ableism, and substance abuse.) You can support CEREBRO on Patreon! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In Episode 102 of CEREBRO, Connor and fan favorite guest Jordan Blok pay homage to Nekra, Priestess of Hate! Created by Steve Gerber and Ross Andru as a nemesis for jungle heroine Shanna the She-Devil, mutant radical Nekra Sinclair instead became a recurring threat to the broader Marvel Universe. After moving to the X-Men franchise during Matt Fraction's 21st century tenure, she has found new prominence (and new dignity) in the Krakoa Era as one of the protagonists of Victor LaValle and Leonard Kirk's Sabretooth and its sequel Sabretooth and the Exiles. The CEREBRO character file on Nekra begins at 1:53:10. (Content Advisory: This episode discusses some very racist stories. Nekra's story also includes sexual violence, brainwashing, and slavery.) You can support CEREBRO on Patreon! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In Episode 101 of CEREBRO, the SEASON 4 PREMIERE, Connor and Head of X emeritus Jonathan Hickman extend a cautious hand to En Sabah Nur, the atrocious Apocalypse! Created by Louise Simonson, Walt Simonson, and Butch Guice as the central antagonist of 1986's X-Factor, the ancient immortal Apocalypse spent millennia worshiped by many names, secretly cultivating the mutant race. After decades of publication in which the heroes fought his seemingly inevitable ascent to power — particularly when he took on the role of franchise big bad in the 90s — the Krakoan Age changed everything, with the character revolutionized by Hickman and his collaborator Tini Howard. The CEREBRO character file on Apocalypse begins at 54:56. (Content Advisory: Apocalypse's story includes slavery, genocide, suicide, torture, brainwashing, and involuntary body modification.) You can support CEREBRO on Patreon! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands