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The Penny Men are back to rank the 1990s Marvel Animated Universe animated series! X-Men takes the crown, Spider-Man swings into second, and the Fantastic Four get a surprisingly enthusiastic defense! Meanwhile: The Hulk is sentenced to punching tanks in the desertIron Man won't stop having feelingsAnd Spider-Man Unlimited is either an underrated masterpiece or a product of its aggressively radical drum-and-bass soundtrack!Along the way, we discuss: Voice actors who have finally realized people care about their workWolverine accidentally doing Jean Grey impressionsThe tragic erasure of Kitty PrydeAnd the lost art of voice directing!We also get sidetracked into: Captain PowerToby TerrierTeddy RuxpinSky DancersDragon FlyzAnd a frankly unreasonable number of other cartoons that Ben may now be legally obligated to watch!Can the boys finish ranking Marvel cartoons before Ben moves on to every DC cartoon, the entire Street Fighter multiverse, and the complete works of Looney Tunes in reverse chronological order? Probably not! But at least we know where X-Men stands! Featuring: BenGregoryTomOne interfering catAnd enough 1990s cartoon homework to destroy a man's free time!

The Penny Men return for Hour Two of their journey through the Marvel ’90s animated universe! This time we finally get around to Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer and the Avengers, while somehow getting sidetracked by: Graggle SimpsonBeverly Hillbillies continuityMen in BlackRen & StimpyCadillacs and DinosaursAnd pretty much anything else that can be tenuously connected to Marvel Comics!We talk about: Why Spider-Man never seems to actually punch anybodyWhy Wolverine spends so much time waving his claws around without cutting anyoneThe ever-changing quality of ’90s animationAnd how Fantastic Four manages to turn 30 years of comic-book history into a surprisingly effective crash course on Dr. Doom, Galactus, the Inhumans and Johnny Storm’s ongoing romantic misfortunes!Then things get cosmic with Silver Surfer, including: CGI GalactusThanos being reduced to a cosmic whiny babyAnd whether the show actually belongs in the same universe at all!We also tackle the Avengers, where Vision, Wonder Man, Ultron, Jocasta and Ant-Man combine to create what may be the most complicated family tree ever assembled by people who absolutely should have known better! Plus: The Great Marvel Cartoon Technicality Debate65-episode seasonsCanadian voice actorsLaser gunsCrossover chartsAnd the shocking revelation that Graggle Simpson may or may not have been real!The Marvel ’90s universe keeps getting bigger! Unfortunately, so does our definition of what counts!

The Penny Men dive into the interconnected world of Marvel’s 1990s animated universe! We’re talking X-Men, Spider-Man, Hulk, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Spider-Man Unlimited, and apparently enough Captain America appearances to make you wonder why there was never a Captain America cartoon! We discuss how all these shows connect, where the continuity gets weird, and why sometimes the best way to adapt 30 years of comics is to just take a bunch of different stories, shake them up, and hope nobody notices that Colossus is showing up about 20 years too late! We also get into: The surprisingly complicated history of the X-Men cartoonSpider-Man’s various attempts to get around killing peopleHydro-powered clonesAlternate Venoms and CarnagesAnd whether Spider-Man Unlimited even belongs in this universe anymore!Plus: The Incredible HulkShe-Hulk stealing the showRick Jones being everybody’s sidekickDoc Samson’s extremely questionable hairEvil HulksCanadian voice actorsAnd the important question of why Matt Frewer keeps getting hired to play guys with enormous heads!And if you were wondering whether we somehow found a way to bring Star Trek into a discussion about ’90s Marvel cartoons: obviously we did! It’s Marvel! It’s the ’90s! It’s all connected! Sort of!

The Fantasy Draft Lineup Podcast returns as Ben, Greg, and Tom tackle one of their most ambitious fantasy drafts yet: building the ultimate Magnificent Seven... using only video game characters! Inspired by The Magnificent Seven, Seven Samurai, A Bug's Life, and every great "assemble the team" story ever told, the guys break down the classic character archetypes before drafting seven heroes from across gaming history! There's only one catch: each team can only use one character from each video game franchise! Will Mario lead the charge? Does Pac-Man make the perfect second-in-command? Is Bubsy actually useful for once? Can Tingle be redeemed? And just how many Sonic clones from the 1990s can fit onto one team? Along the way, the conversation spirals into exactly the places you'd expect Fantasy drafting the Magnificent Seven using only video game charactersBreaking down the seven classic team archetypesMario vs. Pac-Man vs. Sonic as team leadersBomberman appreciation hourStreet Fighter, Tekken, Dead or Alive, and fighting game representationThe golden age of 90s mascot platformersAero the Acrobat, Rocky Rodent, Mr. Nutz, Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel, and forgotten gaming mascotsMario side characters finally getting their chance to shineSly Cooper, Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, Crash Bandicoot, Zelda, Kirby, Donkey Kong, Mega Man, and dozens moreVillains, old mentors, villagers, love interests, and bonus character picksPredicting each other's fantasy draft choicesConstant detours into movie trivia, TV sitcoms, Pixar, Captain N, Shaw Brothers kung fu films, Bugs Life, Cheers, Batman, and absolutely everything else!Featured games & franchises include: Super Mario Bros.Pac-ManSonic the HedgehogThe Legend of ZeldaStreet FighterTekkenDead or AliveBombermanKirbyDonkey Kong CountryMega ManRatchet & ClankSly CooperJak & DaxterCrash BandicootStar FoxTingle's Rosy Rupeeland (well... Tingle, anyway)BubsyAero the AcrobatRocky RodentMr. NutzZero the Kamikaze SquirrelEarthworm JimVectormanJames PondSpy FoxCrocClayFighterAnd many, many more!If you love: Video game historyRetro gamingFantasy draftsTeam-building discussionsCharacter archetypesDeep-cut gaming referencesConsole mascot warsSNES and Genesis nostalgiaNintendo, Sega, PlayStation, and arcade classicsLong-form geek conversationsAnd completely unnecessary over-analysis......then this episode is for you! Who would make your Magnificent Seven? Which video game heroes would defend the village? Let us know your lineup!

This week, the Penny Men saddle up for a special Fantasy Draft Lineup episode inspired by one of the greatest ensemble stories ever told! Starting with Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and its legendary Western remake, The Magnificent Seven, the guys break down what makes the perfect seven-person team! Greg walks through each member of the Magnificent Seven, exploring the unique role every hero fills—from the calm strategist and loyal second-in-command to the muscle, the sharpshooter, the reluctant veteran, and the eager rookie! Along the way, the conversation branches into: Star WarsThe Lord of the RingsDigimonDungeons & DragonsJohn Ford westernsTV Tropes, and the surprising influence these classic films have had on pop culture for decades!If you've ever wondered why so many great teams feel strangely familiar, this episode uncovers the timeless formula behind the "seven-man band" and challenges the hosts to build a Magnificent Seven of their own!

The Penny Men continue their Fantastic Four Rogues Gallery Roll Call and things immediately spiral out of control! The boys discuss the Wizard and the Frightful Four, debate whether Paste-Pot Pete is the greatest supervillain name of all time, and somehow end up comparing Medusa to Godiva! Along the way: Rama-Tut, Kang, Immortus, and Doctor Doom all become the same guy somehowGalactus arrives to eat the planetSilver Surfer discovers feelingsAnd Alicia Masters accidentally saves humanity!Elsewhere: The Red Ghost unleashes his communist super-apesThe Watcher refuses to interfere while constantly interferingPsycho-Man weaponizes emotionsDiablo throws evil chemistry capsules like a Hanna-Barbera villainAnd Dragon Man earns sympathy points as the world’s saddest artificial dragon!The conversation then explodes into: SkrullsKreeRonan the AccuserCaptain Marvel loreSpace cancerRoy Thomas continuity madnessAnd the revelation that the Hate-Monger is literally Adolf Hitler!Also: Zordon vs. MODOKSauron vs. Dragon ManAnimorphs connections nobody asked forGalactus herald rankingsAnd the important scientific question of whether planets need nutrients to be delicious!

The Penny Men blast off into the cosmic chaos of the Fantastic Four’s legendary rogues gallery! Tom guides Ben and Gregory through the history of Marvel’s First Family, from cosmic rays and family dysfunction to Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and the birth of the Marvel Universe itself! Along the way they break down: Reed Richards’ galaxy-brain detachmentJohnny Storm’s cartoon-level impulsivenessSue Storm holding the entire team togetherAnd why Ben Grimm is somehow more unhinged than Wolverine!Then it’s villain time: Doctor Doom’s tragic quest to rescue his mother from HellHis burned maskRobot armiesTime platformsAnd absolute belief that he should rule the world “for everyone’s own good”!The boys also dive into: Namor the Sub-MarinerAtlantis Monster whales with armsSilver Age weirdnessFantastic Four toy linesThe 90s cartoonTim Curry casting discussionsAnd why the Thing really needed a second action figure just to fit inside the Fantasticar!Featuring: Herbie the RobotBlackbeard canonically being The ThingFred Flintstone meeting a different ThingAnd the eternal question: who is Marvel’s Batman anyway?

The Penny Men complete their descent into the armored madness of Iron Man’s rogues gallery with a journey through communist unicorns, mafia counts, microwave men, giant robots in loincloths, and dragons from space wearing pants! Naturally, this somehow leads to discussions about: Bomber jacketsHawkeye’s fake movie familyGalactus’ skirt situationAnd whether Stilt-Man could defeat Kite-Man in honorable combat!Featuring: Count Nefaria stealing powers like he’s building a custom characterMadame Masque waging soap opera warfare against Tony StarkThe tragedy of the UnicornMODOK’s most disgusting abilityArmor Wars/Stark Wars confusionAnd the revelation that Fin Fang Foom may secretly be the greatest Marvel name of all time!Also: Stan Lee stops by repeatedly to remember absolutely nothingJar Jar breaks into the apartment againNorm reveals the funniest thing about Iron ManAnd the gang ranks Iron Man’s villains against Spider-Man, Batman, Flash, Hulk, and the rest of comicdom’s finest weirdos!Upper-mid-tier rogues gallery! Elite-tier nonsense!

This week's Rogues' Gallery Roll Call crashes into the armored world of Iron Man, and the Penny Men immediately derail into catchphrases, Smurf psychology, Rankin-Bass discourse, and the eternal mystery of why Tony Stark ever needed a nose! Ben, Gregory, and Tom dig through the tangled continuity of 90s Marvel cartoons, debate whether the Spider-Man Unlimited future counts as “the future,” and somehow connect MODOK to a floating science war against communism! Along the way: The tragic emotional life of Pepper PottsThe rise of War MachineWhy the Mandarin is basically “Chinese Doctor Doom”And a surprisingly detailed breakdown of how the original Smurfette comic handled bullying, gaslighting, and makeover culture!Also discussed: The SilmarillionSwamp ThingThe Clone SagaBriefcase armor toysForce WorksBlackest NightAnd the realization that every Marvel hero eventually becomes a guy introspectively brooding about his situation!A Penny Man saved is a Penny Man earned...probably!

In the second hour of Rogues Gallery Roll Call, the Penny Men descend even deeper into the X-Men villain ecosystem—where powers are less “cool super abilities” and more “how annoying would this be in a fight if you actually had to animate it properly”! We return to the Mystique-era Brotherhood of Evil Mutants: Re-evaluating Pyro’s extremely conditional fire management jobAvalanche’s controversial “I guess I cause earthquakes?” combat philosophyBlob’s unsettling status as either an immovable man or a walking physics problem depending on which comic you read lastAnd Destiny is remembered, briefly, emotionally, and then immediately dismissed again, as is tradition!From there, the episode fractures into a full mutant taxonomy seminar: Why writers love laser beams but hate earthquakesHow “absolute defense” powers like Eunice the Untouchable break storytelling mathAnd why certain villains feel less like characters and more like walking encounter design!Then things spiral—intentionally—into Mojo’s dystopian TV universe, where reality is just content, suffering is ratings-driven, and X-Men are basically unionized reality show contestants trapped in a cosmic Vince McMahon experiment! Naturally, this leads to: The Brood (space horror bugs that politely interrupt your main plot)Apocalypse (evolutionary ideology with a gym membership),And Mr. Sinister (doing science crimes because it’s Tuesday)!The conversation then folds time in on itself with Age of Apocalypse, where one teenager’s psychic breakdown accidentally deletes Professor X and reorganizes reality into competing mutant philosophies: Magneto’s rebelsSinister’s experimentsAnd Apocalypse’s “survival is a group project” curriculum!By the end, the Penny Men are no longer ranking villains so much as stress-testing the entire concept of superhero storytelling under the weight of too many teleporters, too many psychic teenagers, and at least one man who is literally just television! It’s X-Men lore, but filtered through three guys trying to decide if earthquake powers are narratively lazy or just spiritually offensive!

Welcome to The Penny Men: Cracking open the adamantium vault and immediately getting sidetracked inside it! In this episode, Ben, Gregory, and Tom kick off a “Rogues Gallery Roll Call” focusing on the world of the X-Men—specifically the villains who define the franchise as much as the heroes do! What starts as a structured breakdown of iconic antagonists quickly turns into a free-associative mutant philosophy seminar with jokes, detours, and occasional comic book accuracy! The crew dives deep into Magneto as both ideological foil and recurring almost-hero, unpacking his shifting portrayals from world-conquering villain to Holocaust survivor shaped by trauma, mutant separatist, reluctant ally, and occasional full-on war criminal depending on the writer’s mood! Along the way, they: Debate Professor X’s moral gray zonesThe MLK/Malcolm X parallels in mutant ideologyAnd the X-Men’s infamous tendency to turn every villain into a future teammate!From there, things escalate in classic Penny Men fashion: The unstoppable force of Juggernaut enters the chat (and cannot jump, canonically)Black Tom becomes part plantAnd Sentinels loom as the towering symbol of humanity’s robotic fear response to mutants!The discussion frames them not just as enemies, but as reflections of the same core question: what happens when groups decide the only solution is control? Also featuring: X-Men lineup confusionBrotherhood of Mutants relationship mapsMarvel vs. Capcom triviaExistential toy nostalgia (yes, the Sentinel action figure with flying limbs gets its flowers)And at least one moment where the podcast threatens to become an architecture podcast again!It’s part character study, part comic book archaeology, part late-night “wait, does Juggernaut have knees?” energy—and entirely The Penny Men!

The Penny Men continue their journey through the bizarre depths of Superman’s rogues gallery, leaving behind the famous villains and diving headfirst into radioactive weirdos, magical nuisances, and whatever exactly Lobo is supposed to be! This episode covers the physical powerhouse villains like Parasite, Metallo, and Doomsday, while also somehow finding time to discuss evil Phantom Zone cats, a kryptonite-powered dog, and a cowboy outlaw with a robot horse and alien laser guns! The gang breaks down; Why Parasite is one of Superman’s most dangerous enemiesHow Metallo keeps reinventing himself every decadeAnd why the famous “Death of Superman” storyline mostly boils down to two guys punching each other until editorial says stop!Along the way they explore: Silver Age oddities like magical books from spaceSuperman revenge clubsAnd villains whose entire motivation is “your existence is medically inconvenient for me”!Meanwhile, the animated series gets a surprising amount of love with discussions of: LivewireVolcanaAnd how the 1990s cartoons quietly created some of Superman’s best modern supporting villains!Also featured: Malcolm McDowell robot body horrorThe strange appeal of MaximaAnd why James Gunn apparently dug deep enough into Superman lore to resurrect Lex Luthor’s horrifying protoplasm experiment!Additional topics include: Why every alternate dimension conveniently weakens SupermanThe tragedy of being a supervillain named “Master Jailer”Comparisons to Rogue and Multiple ManThe merits of Black AdamAnd the realization that Silver Age Superman comics may have contained every possible idea anyone could ever have!Equal parts comic book history lecture and three friends desperately trying to remember obscure alien names from 1978 comics!

The Penny Men finally tackle the impossible question: does Superman actually have a good rogues gallery, or are people just thinking of Lex Luthor and calling it a day? Ben, Gregory, and Tom spiral through decades of comic history discussing why Batman and Spider-Man villains get all the love while Superman’s enemies quietly hide giant robot skull ships in the background! Topics include: The psychology of Lex LuthorWhy baldness is the ultimate comic book evilThe Silver Age tendency to solve emotional trauma with psychic powersWhether Brainiac is secretly scarier than every movie villain combinedAnd the tragic destruction of Planet Lexor because Lex absolutely could not stop hating Superman for five minutes!Also discussed: Monkey sidekicksPlanet of the Apes crossoversRichard Pryor accidentally replacing Brainiac in Superman IIIWhy nobody in comics can recognize Clark KentAnd the continuing search for the exact number of iconic Flash villains before you hit Rainbow Raider territory!A surprisingly thoughtful discussion about ego, morality, and power occasionally interrupts the important business of yelling about bottled cities and “space cancer”! Then your Penny People hosts move beyond the household names into the strange wasteland of: Phantom Zone criminalsForgotten Silver Age weirdosAnd characters who sound intimidating mostly because they have short, easy-to-pronounce names!Tom attempts to explain why General Zod became Superman’s third most famous villain despite barely doing anything in many of the comics, while the group debates the difference between loving comic Zod and loving the movie version from Superman II! Along the way they stumble into discussions about: Evil Kryptonian cousinsIncomprehensible alien namesAnd how every Superman adaptation quietly rewrites the mythology!The episode also wanders into broader comic book territory, including why some eras of DC continuity fit together like puzzle pieces while others feel like three different people trying to explain a dream they barely remember! Expect side tangents about: Bronze Age comicsObscure supervillainsComic book power scalingAnd the eternal comic reader struggle of remembering whether a villain was genuinely important or just appeared in a cartoon once!Equal parts comic scholarship and complete derailment, this episode asks the important questions: how many Superman villains are actually iconic, and how many are just bald guys from space yelling at each other?

The Penny Men return from the wilderness to discuss comics... probably! Along the way they: Uncover the TRUE meaning of the Larry Bird RulePitch a McDonaldland battle tournamentAccidentally map the multiverse of Captain N (again!)And contemplate the psychological damage required to watch every single Looney Tunes cartoon in chronological order!Eventually, the conversation actually reaches its intended destination: a deep dive into The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics — the massive collection of Golden Age kids comics edited by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly, featuring forgotten classics from the 1940s through early 1960s by legends like Carl Barks, John Stanley, Sheldon Mayer, Walt Kelly, and Basil Wolverton! Also discussed: Smurf lorePublic domain superheroesMuppet archival projectsHerman’s HermitsDead MilkmenJimmy DeanWolfman JackThe Fox and the CrowAnd the existential horror of committing your life to cataloging obscure media!Featuring: Ronald McDonald power scalingThe Larry Bird Paradox“You can’t have these comics”Why Sugar and Spike deserve respectThe secret history of Red TornadoA thousand Looney Tunes and no escapeThe Smurf cinematic universeSeveral things that may not be true!The Penny Men: preserving pop culture continuity one derailed conversation at a time!

The Penny Men continue their Saturday morning cartoon programming war—and Ben unveils the full master plan behind his Alien Animal ‘90s Alternative Action Block! 🛸🐭🦈 Starting with a lineup of deep cuts and cult favorites like: Men in BlackRude Dog and the DweebsSpace GhostBanana SplitsWildcatsSheep in the Big CityBiker Mice from MarsAnd Wacky Races!Ben doesn’t just program a single morning—he engineers a six-season broadcast strategy! Shows rotate in and out as their runs end, bringing in replacements like: Eek the CatStreet SharksCowboys of Moo MesaTime SquadWhatever Happened to Robot Jones?And the under-the-radar gem Mad Jack the Pirate!Along the way, the guys dive into: The long legacy of Ninja Turtles-inspired animal action showsWhy Biker Mice from Mars might secretly be a comedyCartoon Network’s weirdly high-brow late Cartoon CartoonsThe strange fate of Fox Kids shows during the Pokémon eraAnd whether kids in the ‘90s had to make impossible choices between shows like Batman: The Animated Series, Tiny Toon Adventures, and Transformers!Finally, the hosts start comparing their dream TV blocks head-to-head to determine the ultimate channel lineup! Would you stick with Felix the Cat, flip to Masters of the Universe, or stay loyal to the Alien Animal ‘90s Alternative Action Block? Grab your bowl of cereal and start channel surfing!