Who: Electro
What: Breaking 42 Supervillains out of the Raft.
When: January 2005
Where: The New Avengers #1
Why its a great moment: The Raft was a maximum-maximum security prison made for supervillains. The place was swarming with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, including a few super-powered ones. The inmates were kept in solitary behind steel and adamantium cells under water with their powers neutralized. Plus, they were drugged for shits and giggles.
Despite the billions of dollars in technology and the presence of sixty-seven S.H.I.E.L.D. officers, Spider-Woman, Luke Cage and Daredevil, Electro managed to bust in and release everyone. He does so looking oh so fabulous, too. I never understood why he wears that green and yellow eyesore of a costume, but now I know its because its the only outfit loose enough to comfortably fit his enormous balls.
He came for one prisoner in particular, but frees them all. He says they owe him huge but doesn't really collect, which is kind of the villain equivolent of saying "pay it forward, bitches!" The breakout is such a pain in the ass that The Avengers have no choice but to reform after disbanding six months previously. Catching the 42 escapees becomes the major plots for the next few months, in every Marvel title.
But wait, there's more.
Some of those convicts hide out in Stamford, CT next to a school. New Warriors try to catch them, and 600 people are killed in a firey explosion by Nitro in the process. This leads to superhero registration, which leads to the Civil War, which leads to the death of Captain America.
But that's not all.
The guy Electro sprung from the Raft was a Skrull. The people who hired him, were Skrulls. A number of those prisoners, Skrulls. What did all these Skrulls do when they got together on the outside? Secret Invasion of the Earth.
One more thing. The Civil War gave Norman Osborn, The Green Goblin, control of The Thunderbolts. The Secret Invasion put Osborn in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. With this power shift Osborn controls the Dark Avengers, Dark X-Men, Thunderbolts and H.A.M.M.E.R. a time known as Dark Reign.
Electro's costume may look like something Elton John turned down, but in a way he's responsible for most of the major events in the Marvel Universe over the last five years.
And for that, we salute him
Comments
Holy shit. Electro is the MAN! I had no idea of the avalanche of conflict he caused.
Posted by: ComputerKing | May 27, 2010 8:58 AM
Lately it seems like Electro might finally break out (no pun intended) from third rate Spider-Man villain into a real threat. I for one can't wait to see how Marvel ruins it, either in the comics or casting him in a new film opposite a way too pretty Spider-Man who keeps his mask on even less than the last one.
Posted by: Shadowtag | June 1, 2010 6:52 AM
MOAR FUNNY WORDS!
NEW FUNNY WORDS!
MOAR
Posted by: ANGRY MAN | June 8, 2010 7:01 PM
It seems the High Council has been quiet for some time. This has many lackeys asking "where is our king?"
There are three distinct possibilites for what has happened here. The first being of that King Oblivion Phd is deep in the talk show circuit promoting his book, HATE YOU FOREVER. This seems logical. He's in fact been going on about this for months about "destroying the Today Show once and for all" and "ridding the world of Regis" and "I can't wait to finally meet Ellen". I admit I haven't seen him on air yet, per say, but the signs are that he's there. Look at Conan O'brian the last few months.
The second is of course, the most obvious, he is dead. There is a protocol for this situation. The power vaccuum left in his absense leaves the lower ranking members of the ISS scrambling for top dog. Treachery and ambush, lots of backstabbing. So allow me to make my intentions clear, I wish to usurp everyone else and claim control. In Latin, they call that "dibs". So the king is dead, long live the king, any dissenters? Too bad, I called dibs.
The third possibility is that "Matt Wilson" has taken over. It happens from time to time with alter egos. Two distinct personalities sharing the same body, it becomes possible for them to communicate with one another. See, he was never only King Oblivion, but he was often only Matt Wilson. And now King Oblivion is gone, consumed by Wilson, working 9-5, paying a mortgage, using plastic baggies to pick up his doggie's poop, its awful. All we can do is sit and wait for the King to come boiling out from beneath the surface again. Until then we must be patient.
But no, he's dead.
All hail King The Cannibalistic Vegan
Posted by: The Cannibalistic Vegan | June 19, 2010 9:13 AM