Well this freaked me out.

If they know the Gamera song, even better.

[Via Destructoid]

Apparently smartphones with cameras have made it impossible to shoot a movie outdoors without everyone and their brother posting photos from the set. Here we see Henry Cavill’s Superman from the forthcoming Man Of Steel, directed by Zack Snyder.

Is that Jimmy Olsen in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

What’s with dressing superheroes for a night at the latex fetish club (I’m looking at you, Wonder Woman)? Superhero Hype has more photos from the set.

The Man Of Steel is scheduled to open in 2013. Just don’t sit in the front row or he might knock you out with that thing.

The Superficial later posted several shots of (we assume) a stunt double in costume on the Pittsburgh film set. Most of the outfit is obscured by that ridiculous, manatee-sized motorcycle, but the bits we can see offer more hints. DC Women Kicking Ass asked illustrator Alejandro Melchor to create a sketch of the outfit based on the limited information, which he did. Combine that with comparisons to images of Catwoman as she appears in Batman: Arkham City (supposedly the basis for Anne’s version), and a more complete vision of the real costume comes together. Here’s an exploration of what we might see when The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters.

The Goggles

What’s up with the goggles? Doesn’t Catwoman wear an alluring, cheek-bone hugging mask? Actually, it looks like Anne is wearing both. Check out the image below (sorry for the crappy resolution; I’ve only got the one official image to work with):

Look just above her left eye. The goggles seem to be over a rubber mask. Also, the nose piece seems to be separate from the plastic lenses. It could be that she only wears the goggles while riding the bike. Also, consider that Catwoman wears removable goggles in Arkham City (below).

The Hair

Anne’s Catwoman has long, brown hair. That’s not unusual in and of itself, as Catwoman has been depicted with long hair before. What’s unusual is that her head is completely uncovered. No “ears,” hood or anything. That’s quite a diversion of the character’s history. In this way, she’s reminiscent of Julie Numar’s Catwoman (far right).

Material, Boots and Gloves

The material is textured, unlike Michelle Pfeiffer’s glistening getup or Halle Berry’s smooth, matte “costume” (if you call a leather bra a costume). She’s also wearing large combat-style boots which is good (heels would have been ridiculous). You can get a good look at the boots below. They’re thigh-length and unadorned. She’s also got a utility belt and elbow-length, flat-fingered gloves. Again, function is emphasized.

So What Have We Got?

This costume seems more utilitarian than previous Catwoman incarnations, which often emphasized sex appeal over usefulness. How anyone is supposed to run and fight — let alone walk — in this is beyond me. What we’ve assembled in our assessment here is a textured, black leather outfit that will allow Hathaway to move, fight, ride a silly motorcycle and look great at the same time. Please give our regards to the wardrobe team.

Speaking of the motorcycle, doesn’t it look kind of familiar? Pay special attention to the gun turrets on the front wheel. Hmmm.

Here’s a closer look. They’re practically identical. Is it the same bike? Are Catwoman and Batman collaborators in this movie, or did she pull off  a clever theft?

Last week we got fleeting glimpses of Anne Hathaway as the new Catwoman from The Dark Knight Rises. Now comes the official character portrait. Keeping true to form for the re-boot Selina’s costume isn’t so much about her feline qualities as they are about being functional. Looks like night-vision goggles and repelling gear are the order of the day for this Catwoman. The comic-fan jury may still be out, so we’ll reserve judgement until we see TDKR for ourselves. What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Update: Looks like it’s a fake. A mashup of Anne Hathaway and Laura Croft. Guess you just can never trust the old tubes. Thanks to our good friend Krystyn Heide for the tip.

What do you think, readers?

Update: There are better shots of the bike after the break, being ridden by (we assume) a stunt person and Hathaway.

[Via The Superficial]

• • •

Number Six
Battlestar Galactica

From the moment Ron Moore’s re-imagined Battlestar Galactica premiered on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2004, the irresistible cylon Number Six was a fan favorite. Played to the nines by Tricia Helfer, a Canadian born actress and model, Six began the series as the catalyst for the destruction of the Twelve Colonies, seductively coaxing secrets out of chief scientist Gaius Baltar. Throughout season one, Six reveled in her role as Gaius’ evil muse and used her sexuality to affect events in the Colonial fleet.

As Helfer’s character evolved, we were introduced to new, more compassionate models of Number Six including Gina and Natalie. By the end of the series Six was firmly settled into the protagonist camp, helping the colonials fight against Brother Cavil’s crusade to wipe out Galactica once and for all. None-the-less, when we think of the character of Six, the images that come to mind often include her signature red dress that often turned Gaius Baltar (and us) to silly putty. So say we all!

• • •

Khan Noonien Singh
Star Trek: The Original Series

Bred to be the ultimate genetic superman, Khan Noonien Singh proved to be the perfect foil to the heroic Captain Kirk. Penned by Gene L. Coon and Carey Wilber in the original Star Trek episode, Space Seed, Khan, played by the charismatic latino actor Ricardo Montalbán stands out as one of the series’ most magnetic villains. On stardate 2267.9 the Enterprise rescues the lost ship Botany Bay and awakens over 70 people from suspended animation only to find they are actually a group of genetically engineered criminals banished from earth in the early 1990′s. Possessing the intelligence of da Vinci and the physique of Adonis, Khan and his followers quickly overcome the Enterprise crew with the help of historian Lt. Marla McGivers. Although Khan is eventually defeated, Montalbán’s enigmatic and sultry performance provided the series with perhaps its most alluring villain of all time.

• • •

Callisto
Xena: Warrior Princess

Every great hero needs a nemesis and in the fictional universe of Xena: Warrior Princess, Xena’s arch enemy came in the form of the deranged Callisto. As is often the case with such characters, Callisto’s life of revenge began as a child when Xena and her army slaughtered Callisto’s entire village, including her beloved parents. She spent her formative years training and becoming consumed by the rage that propelled her in her pursuit to see Xena suffer and die.

Played deliciously by the beautiful Hudson Leick, Callisto appeared in numerous episodes of Xena and reveled in making Xena’s life a living hell. What fan’s often admire most about Leick’s performance was her way of portraying Callisto’s psychopathy, switching back and forth between derangement and sympathy. Surely a deadly and seductive combination.

• • •

Ursa
Superman II

The sadistic compatriot to General Zod, Ursa first appeared in Superman II, the sequel to the box office hit Superman: The Movie in 1978. At the beginning of the first film, Ursa, Zod, and Non are imprisoned by Superman’s father, Jor-el, in the Phantom Zone, seemingly for all eternity. During their sentencing we learn of Ursa’s deep-seated hatred for all mankind and males in particular. The reason for this is never explained but once freed in Superman II, she immediately demonstrates her sociopathic ways.

Ursa spends the film taunting and killing men left and right. From each she collects decorations of military authority such as an astronaut’s patch, a sheriff’s badge and others as symbols of those she has conquered. One deleted scene from Superman II goes so far as to show her taking fiendish pleasure as Non kills a small boy with the siren he has ripped off the roof of a police car. Ursa’s cruel and sexy portrayal by Sarah Douglas stands out as one of the most memorable in the film, as she cooly eyes men with contempt wherever she goes.

• • •

Darth Vader
Star Wars

Every woman loves a man in uniform, and The Dark Lord of the Sith is the ultimate in that regard. At nearly seven feet tall, the second most powerful man in the Lucas’s Empire exudes confidence. What’s sexier than that?

You say you’ve got a thing for bad boys? This guy lopped his own son’s hand off and forced his daughter to observe the near murder of her boyfriend. But don’t let the Kabuki mask and short fuse fool you. Underneath all that machinery is a troubled Anakin Skywalker, saved from damnation at the last possible moment by an overwhelming compassion for his son.

Tough and sensitive? Commence swooning, ladies.

• • •

Catwoman
Batman

Call me creepy, but I still have a “thing” for women who don cat ears on Halloween. The genesis of my fascination boils down to two words: Julie Newmar.

Batman’s sleek and sultry foil never hesitated to use her feminine wiles to manipulate the caped crusader. Wrapped in a skin-tight outfit (and we mean wrapped in), Catwoman rode the line between villain and heroine. At times she seemed to have Batman’s heart. She also appeared in the Batcave and the Batmobie; two locations no other villain would be invited to see.

Of course, her treacherous intentions were ultimately revealed, but as fans we wondered if Batman could rescue her from a life of crime or worse: if Catwoman would seduce Batman into walking her own dark, padded path. We wouldn’t have blamed him if he did.

• • •

Mystique
X-Men

If you’re looking for a sexier and more sinister femme fatale, you have no further to look than Mystique. Originally appearing in Marvel Comics, the character is best known to movie audiences as the seductive and deadly assassin bent on destroying Charles Xavier and his band of boy scout X-Men.

Portrayed in the films by supermodel turned actress Rebecca Romijn, There’s no denying Mystique’s sex appeal. Mystique’s iconic blue skin and her shape-shifting abilities have made her a fan favorite, ranking as IGN’s 18th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time. Seeing Mystique’s fiery eyes and costume-less appearance it’s easy to understand why fans find her one of the most titillating bad guys ever.

• • •

Captain Hammer
Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog

We know what you’re thinking: Captain Hammer is the hero not the villain of Doctor Horrible’s Sing Along Blog. No, the protagonist (main character) of Joss Weadon’s 2008 online musical mini-series is Doctor Horrible himself making Captain Hammer the super-sexy antagonist. Consumed by his own ego and good looks, Captain Hammer spends his days saving Los Angeles from the clutches of Neil Patrick Harris’ Doctor Horrible, while trying to bed his latest conquest girlfriend, Penny.

Nathan Fillion’s hilarious portrayal of the smug and sexy Captain Hammer helped earn Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog a cult-like following. The character naturally exudes a wonderful aroma, has muscles on top of muscles and impresses all the ladies with his “hammer” in bed (we’re not talking about his fists). All in all Captain Hammer is the villain we love to hate but who still somehow manages to get the girl. A typical (albeit sexy) jerk.

• • •

Diana
V

Jane Badler’s Diana was second in command among the Visitors who invaded our living rooms in 1989. Diana excelled at the process that converted humans in to allies, but we fell for her without the benefit of her conversion process.

Diana’s poofy hair  was an homage to late-80′s style and she rocked the Yoko Ono sunglasses like no other Visitor.

Plus, she can unhinge her jaw.

Diana is not the kind of alien, lizard villain you bring home for holiday dinner, but she was irresistible in her own way.

• • •

Lestat de Lioncourt
Interview with the Vampire

Before there was Team Jacob or Team Edward there was Team Lestat. Created by author Anne Rice, Lestat was made famous by Tom Cruise’s portrayal of the character in Neil Jordan’s 1994 film adaptation of Interview with the Vampire. Born in France in 1760, Lestat grows up a spoiled brat who squanders his family’s money and is eventually abducted by an ancient vampire named Magnus. Once he turns Lestat, Magnus commits suicide leaving the fledgling creature of the night to fend for himself.

Ever since their earliest appearances in novels such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula, vampires have always been portrayed as both deadly and erotic. The sexual nature of vampires no doubt contributed to the success of Rice’s Vampire Chronicles as well as Stephenie Meyer’s recent Twilight series. The Hammer films of the 60′s and 70′s even pushed the on-screen vampire sex quotient to their theoretical limits for their day. But ask the ladies who comes to mind when they think of a sexy vamp and we’re willing to bet Tom Cruise’s aristocratic and seductive portrayal of Lestat de Lioncourt is near the top.

Hold on to your ears, true believers. Marvel shareholders approved the Disney takeover earlier this week. The deal, which was valued at about $4.3 billion, went into effect on Thursday. Now, many fans are wondering what will happen to their beloved characters.

As we noted in August, things will stay the same, at least initially. Universal Studios will continue their relationship with the Marvel characters and Hasbro expects to continue to produce toys through 2017. As for movies, there’s a lot going on. Thor starts filming this month, Captain America is scheduled to begin production and July and Iron Man 2 should be released this May.

In other words, it doesn’t look like Mickey has Spidey in his clutches.

Yet.

Earlier today, geeks everywhere were shocked to learn of Disney’s acquisition of Marvel. According the the press release, “[The] acquisition highlights Disney’s strategic focus on quality branded content, technological innovation and international expansion to build long-term shareholder value.” In other words, HOLY CRAP MICKEY MOUSE PWNS SPIDER MAN.

So what does this mean for both companies, and for the fans? We took a look around, and here’s what we found.

Theme Parks

For years, Universal Studio’s parks have featured many of the Marvel characters. Specifically, there’s an Incredible Hulk roller coaster, a Spider Man immersive experience and walk-around characters like Wolverine and Captain America. There’s also a Universal Studios park right next to Disney World in Orlando. Will this deal change things? According to The LA Times, the answer is “No.”

‘“Our agreement with Marvel stands for as long as we follow the terms of our existing contract and for as long as we want there to be a Marvel Super Hero Island,’ said Universal Studios Florida spokesman Tom Schroder.”

Additionally, Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger said his company will honor the current relationship between Marvel and Universal, though Disney will “…use Marvel where we can on Disney platforms and in Disney places.”

In short: Marvel stays at Universal, will probably crop up at Disney, too.

Toys & Merchandise

Hasbro has been making the Marvel toys and, according to Reuters, they could be in trouble. Even though they’re contracted with Marvel through 2017, what happens then is up for grabs. After all, Disney has a longer-standing relationship with Mattel. From Reuters:

“…But the biggest lost opportunity may be on TV — analysts had expected Marvel’s relationship with Hasbro to extend onto screens.

In April, Hasbro signed a deal with Discovery to develop a kids’ TV network. Analysts say the Spidey-Mickey deal leaves the No. 2 U.S. toymaker in a spot.

‘We view this as a lost opportunity for 3rd party content as we had thought it was probable that Marvel-related TV content over time would gravitate toward the Hasbro/Discovery joint venture given Hasbro’s long-term licensing agreement with Marvel,’ Wells Fargo Securities analyst Tim Conder said in a research note.”

In short: Expect things to remain the same until 2017, and huge changes after that.

What does Stan Lee think?

Lest we forget Spidey’s father? What does Stan think of the whole thing? Here’s the answer, true believers, according to The New York Times:

“I couldn’t be happier with this agreement. It’s great move for Disney, for Marvel and for my company Pow! Entertainment since Pow! has a first look deal with Disney. From every possible point of view, the merger of Disney and Marvel is a match made in heaven. Just imagine, with this deal Marvel gives Disney a library of literally hundreds of unique and colorful characters that have the potential to make great, high-concept movies and long-lasting franchises — and nobody knows how to play in that ball park better than Disney. This is a great day for the two companies and for the entertainment community as a whole. To sum it up as simply as possible, when you combine the best with the best, everyone wins!”

In short: Stan’s happy. And that’s a good thing.

Earlier this week, Dark Horse released Star Wars comics for the iPhone, which is a first. In fact, they’ve released seven issues across three titles. I checked out one title this afternoon and I’ve got to say, I’m disappointed.

The first title, Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Shipyards of Doom [App Store link] is based upon Cartoon Network’s The Clone Wars. Upon launch, you’ve got a few options. Choose between a curl, fade or slide transition or have each page auto-advance after a designated amount of time. Additionally, you may jump to any page you like.

As for the comic itself, the artwork is rather dull. Not all of it, mind you, but several panels are quite plain. I understand that not every scene can be full of whiz-bang action, but there were enough boring panels for me to notice. The story is on par with an episode of The Clone Wars, so if you like the show you’ll like this issue.

As for the others, there are three issues under Star Wars: Empire, [App Store link] which are set just weeks before the events of episode IV, A New Hope. Finally, two issues of Star Wars: Legacy [App Store link] are set 100 years after the events of Return of the Jedi. Each issue costs $0.99US.

Ultimately, they’re OK. A fun bit of Star Wars and definitely worth a buck. But not stellar Star Wars at all. Check out the gallery below for screen shots.

[Via The Flickcast]

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