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The Star Section: Lifestyle Ad Value: RM 37,694 17-Aug-2021 Size : 749cm2 PR Value: RM 113,082

Dying to save the world

WORLDS OF WONDER

By ANDREW A. SMITH Dying to save the world

THE premiered in the United States nn Aug 5, written and The latest movie based on DC Comics' Suicide Squad features some new locations directed by James Gunn (Guardians Of The Galaxy), and yes, ifs a hoot. and characters to kill off... sorry, to enjoy. Let me add to the party with some (Fim Facts to Know and TeU' about And so, altuouw UURiSTOPNER SMITH “AS never to use TUE5E the film. !Mr>LEMEHTS OF- VIOLENCE, HE «ELUCTANTLY ASSUAGES THE «OLE OF TWE f>ĔAC£MAKER' ...A ROLE WE RESOLVES HE WILL CNEY TAKE Belle Reve Penitentiary WHEN THERE /5 NO OTHER RECOURSE ... VIOLENCE UAZ OW» 8E STO8E。BY VIOLENT A58 7 Z______— Just like in the comics, Amanda 一 一 --- IVE GOT TO LEARN H Waller (Viola Davis) operates out of WHAT BORK IS UP / a prison in Louisiana that is home TO RIGHT NOW! MY to a lot of . In fact, we NEW JET PACK WILL see a bunch of them in the scenes UfMQuiciay! where (Idris Elba) is recruited. They include Double Down (Jared Leland Gore), Kaleidoscope (Natalia Safran) and Calendar Man (Sean Gunn). Fun Fact: Sean Gunn is director James Gunn's brother, who also plays Weasel (through motion cap­ ture). if he looks familiar, it's because he plays Kraglin in his brother's Guardians OfThe Galaxy movies, as well as providing the motion capture for Rocket Raccoon he pulls off his arni (HPLORP!m) and (while Bradley Cooper does the bangs it on a table ("KRAK!"). Ann- voice). FaD-Off-Boy was re-imagined as Fun Fact 2: Belle Reve is French The Conqueror is a giant alien starfish who fought the original "SpEtter" in 1996, with equally futile for '*sweet dreams." . Yes, a giant starfish. From outer space. Look, just go results. with it, ok? — Photos: DC Comics The ability to move the detached Corto Maltese limbs telekineticaliy was added by Hie island 由e Squad infiltrates is the movie. That brings to mind a named for the star of a series of short-lived 1950s character named graphic novels by Italian writer/art- (believe it or not) Captain Marvel. ist Hu5o Pratt, which began in 1967. an android superhero who could do Maltese is an independent, sol- the same. Gunn said that dier-of^fortune sea captain of flexi­ Fun Fact: Arm-Fall-Off-Boy was 卄; Polka Dot Man ble morals in the early part of the based on a fan parody character. 20th century whose name means 岡 came up in "Ear-Fall-Off Floyd" was invented “quick hands" in Spanish slang. every Internet for a fan magazine in 1967 as a use- Fun Fact: DC Comics has been search he did for using "Corto Maltese" as the name 'dumbest super­ of an island off the coast of South villain of all time: America for decades, in homage to the character as "Arm-Fall-Off-Boy." Pratt's well-regarded, historically in Charlton Comics in the 1960s. He “Seriously, I would look up, like, Legion fans were thrilled when DC accurate comics. was a rich, pacifist diplomat who who are considered the dumbest The Thinker developed a 'Thinking made the character official (and publicly financed the Pax Institute supervilla ins of all time on Google Cap' that bestowed upon him vari­ officially ridiculous) in 1989. and secretly financed his life as the and at the top of every list was ous mental powers. The movie gets King Shark almost dictator-toppling, international Polka-Dot Man" Gunn told Insider, Thinker exactly right. His name really is rixhter-of-wrongs . com. regrew into a full alien starfish the Clifford DeVoe was a criminal Nanaue, and he really is the son of When he was bought by DC Fun Fact: The definition of polka size of one of the spores, which genius who first appeared in All­ the Shark God in the pantheon of Comics (along with most of the dots are dots of the same size (and keeps in a jar. Comics in 1943, a book star­ . Voiced by Sylvester other Charlton superheroes), the usually (he same color) that form a Telepathically convinced to be a ring the original Scarlet , Stallone in the movie, he was voiced new publisher introduced the idea pattern. Polka-Dot Man's costume of hero by Martian , Jarro” Jay Garrick. by David Hayter on TV that a guy who loves peace so much randomly sized and colored dots is fanatically loyal to Batman, and Called 'The Thinker," DeVoe show. he doesn't care *'how many men, isn't polka-dotted at all it's just spot­ wears a starfish-adapted cos­ developed a •'Thinking Cap” that Fun Fact King Shark was a regu­ women and children I kill to get if ted. tume in its dreams, where it is the bestowed various mental powers. lar on the R-rated ani­ mi^ht not be entirely sane. Dark Knights heroic sidekick. Numerous other crirninals have mated show, voiced by comedian Fun Fact: Peacemaker was the Starro The Conqueror For the spawn of an interstellar used the Thinking Cap technology Ron Flinches (TYolls, Powerless), basis for The Comedian in Starro was the villain in the very conqueror, it's really quite sweet. and the name Thinker, and at one Watchmen. first Justice League story published point the Cap's artificial intelligence Mongal in Brave And Bold #28 in 1960. It is, T.DK became self*aware and was itself a is a big, yellow, interstel­ Polka-Dot Man in fact, a giant alien starfish that The Detachable Kid is based on . lar despot who holds to-the-death Poor ol' Mister Polka-Dot. That releases face-sized, starfish-y spores Arm-Fall-Off-Boy, a DC Comics char­ Neil Sandilands played a version gladiator contests on Warworld, was his first nom du crime in 1962, to control sentient creatures and acter who (retroactively) became of Thinker on The CW's The Flash where he is dictator. Mongal is where he committed spot-related conquer their worlds. the first candidate rejected by the TV show. Mongol's daughter, who, like daddy, crimes in with a gim- While the original creature Earth Legion of Super-Heroes for having a The nodules poking out of the is super-strong and hard to injure. micked costume that could produce people called Starro is probably super power that was simply too skull of the movie's Tfiinker (Peter Fun Fact In the comics, she was weaponry from the dots. And yes, dead, there are numerous £*mother- dumb to be useful. Capaldi) resemble the electronic killed by her own brother, Mongul despite the best efforts of creators Dsh” like Starro in its species. All of Not that he thought so. "My doodads that protruded from the the Younger. What a lovely family. Bill ringer (writer) and Sheldon them seem to be called “Starro" and power will astound you," he says in original Thinkinx Cap, later incorpo­ Moldoff (artist), he swiftly became a all of them are a constant intersteb his debut appearance in 1989. rated into Thinkers head. Peacemaker joke character named Polka-Dot lar threat. “Observe as【detach my limb and Fun Fact: Capaldi played the 12th Christopher Smith was originally Man, who rarely appeared, except Fun Fact: In the comics, a surviv­ transform it into a deadly weapon! Doctor Who, from 2008 to 2017.- a serious superhero, who appeared as a punchline. ing segment of the original Starro Die Villain! Ha-yaaaa!,“ he says, as Tribune News Service