CBR - Feed

We've seen Beerus destroy a variety of things in Dragon Ball Super, from Kai like Zamasu to ghosts like Dr. Slump's Dr. Mashirito. He's even destroyed entire halves of planets with just a drop of energy. It's not an exaggeration to say that he's one of the strongest characters we've ever seen in the franchise, but for the most part, he still remains a mystery. We're not even sure how he became a God of Destruction in the first place!

There's so much about Beerus that just doesn't make sense, no matter what angle you look at it from, although being an actual deity might make Beerus immune to the standards of logic we lowly mortals are forced to abide by.

10 Beerus Is So Skinny But Also Immensely Powerful

Since the days of Dragon Ball, we've learned that size and muscle concentration don't mean a thing in this franchise. Even as petite children, Goku and Krillin defeated men twice their size during the World Tournament, and even in Dragon Ball Z, muscleheads like Nappa and Recome couldn't hold a candle to their often slimmer superiors like Vegeta and Captain Ginyu.

Beerus takes this a step further, always appearing in a state of malnutrition despite being one of the strongest fighters in the Dragon Ball multiverse. One look at his arms and you'd think he never trained a day in his life. As we said before, we know muscles don't matter in this series, but even Gotenks has bigger biceps.

9 Beerus Eats So Much Junk Food But Doesn't Gain Weight

Although Beerus and Champa are twin brothers, their body types differ so drastically. While Beerus looks like he's never eaten a day in his life, it's evident that Champa eats every hour! This not only indicates what they do in their spare time, since Beerus is sleeping most of the day and Champa's more of a foodie than a Destroyer, but it also shows that Gods of Destruction aren't condemned to a single body type.

Over the course of Dragon Ball Super, we've seen Beerus down some calorie-dense foods, from huge ice cream sundaes to pizza slices dripping with cheese, and even instant ramen - one of the most sodium-packed meals a person could consume. And yet somehow he still manages to maintain that slim physique despite going straight to sleep after eating.

What are his secrets?!

8 Beerus Can Sleep For Decades Without Having To Eat Or Use The Bathroom

As we mentioned above, Beerus is known for his century-long naps. Before Dragon Ball Super, he was asleep for the entirety of Goku's life. After authorizing the destruction of Planet Vegeta, he went back to sleep for nearly four decades straight.

We know for a fact that we can't get through a good night's sleep without skipping to the bathroom every four hours, and many of us know how it feels to get hunger pangs in the middle of the night. For a guy with such a huge appetite, we can't believe Beerus is such a heavy sleeper!

7 Beerus (Somehow) Fell Asleep During Zeno's All Universe Hide & Seek Tournament

When the Gods of Destruction were first introduced, fans wondered what the divine hierarchy was. They knew that Gods of Destruction somewhat outranked the Kais, and even though the Angels were considered attendants, they somewhat outweighed their Gods of Destruction. But who ruled all of the universes? That answer came to us in the form of the Omni-King, Zeno.

The Dragon Ball Super manga revealed that at some point, Zeno held an All Universe Hide and Seek Tournament, but the game was canceled after Beerus fell asleep for half a century during the event. We know how meticulous Beerus is when dealing with Zeno, even threatening to destroy Goku at one point when the Saiyan considered dropping by Zeno's house.

If even hearing his name causes Beerus to start sweating, then how could he get relaxed enough to fall asleep during the Omni-King's event in the first place knowing what he's capable of?

6 Beerus Wiped Out The Dinosaurs Without Destroying The Earth

In Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Beerus mentioned that he visited Earth once before and destroyed the dinosaurs that inhabited the planet because of how rude they were.

We've always seen Beerus destroy entire planets, and he usually gets the job done. He's not one to selectively kill the species that angered him. Forget the fact that there are still dinosaurs on Earth. Why didn't he just destroy the entire planet as he's done hundreds of times before?

5 Beerus Can Still Get Food Poisoning

After the Reality Machine #2 created what was supposedly the most delicious food of all time, Beerus rushed to the scene to try it out. What he didn't know was that that same machine had created a piece of poop earlier. When you can survive in the middle of space and destroy planets with the tap of a finger, we figured Beerus was somewhat immune to food poisoning, but we were dead wrong here.

In the Dragon Ball Super manga, he was shown to down a poison put in his food by an alien race after indulging in a meal on their planet. If his digestive system had no problem filtering so much of that stuff that was specifically made to kill a person, what's a tiny bit of fecal matter?

4 Beerus Was "Asleep" Through The Entirety of the Buu Saga

In order to preserve the universal balance, Gods of Destruction and Supreme Kais of each universe share a life. If one dies, so does the other. Going off of this fact, it doesn't make sense that Beerus stayed asleep for the entirety of the Buu Saga when Shin's very life was in danger after Majin Buu's resurrection.

We know he wasn't even thought of all those years ago, but there wasn't a convincing enough reason to explain why Whis didn't wake him up so that he could save Shin when Majin Buu nearly killed him... twice!

3 Beerus & Shin Share A Life

Going off of the last point, we're lost as to how it's possible for Beerus and Shin to share a life. While both do live on for millions of years, we know that Kais are born, with all of them belonging to the same race, while Gods of Destruction are made.

With the right training, any mortal can become a God of Destruction, no matter their species! So how is it that these two share a life link when chances are, they weren't even born the same year? What kind of magic is used to establish this life link in the first place?

2 Beerus Is Strong Enough To Hold Off All The Other Gods of Destruction

In the manga's Zen Exhibition Match, Beerus managed to hold his own against the other Gods of Destruction, dodging their attacks with ease as they targeted him in unison. If it wasn't for Sidra's barrier, several of them would've been destroyed by one of his attacks at one point, proving that he's up there when it comes to the strongest Gods of Destruction.

Yet the reason why he was forced to participate in this tournament in the first place was because his universe lacked a high enough mortal level due to the fact that he slept more than he actually did his job. Given this, why would he be stronger than the Gods of Destruction who actually did their jobs instead of napping for centuries on end?

1 Beerus Hasn't Mastered Ultra Instinct Yet

Even Beerus hasn't mastered Ultra Instinct to the extent that Goku had during his battle against Jiren. Although this probably is due to the fact that he spends less time training than he does sleeping, at his level, Beerus should've mastered this technique eons ago.

If Goku managed to do it in under an hour, Beerus should already have the technique down. We get that he's lazy and sleeps all his time away, but come on - he's had all the time in the universe! What's his excuse?

NEXT: Dragon Ball: 10 Things About The Flying Nimbus That Make No Sense

In American culture that comic book has been going in and out of fashion for decades now. While comic fans are currently living in an amazing time to be a comics fan, it wasn’t so long ago that the comics industry was having some real trouble.

On the flipside of this, however, manga in Japan has become so ingrained in the culture that manga fans can find a manga of their choosing covering any number of topics. While some western newcomers may find this fact a bit daunting, there’s certainly a few manga that every newcomer should check out as they venture in towards to comics of the east.

10 Naruto

It’s probably best to start newcomers off with something that might be considered a little bit of an easier read than some of the other manga featured in the article, so with that in mind, Naruto. Most fans have likely already seen or at the very least heard of the orange-suited, yellow-haired ninja of the hidden leaf village.

That, among other reasons, is what makes Naruto a perfect entry point for anyone looking to pick up something new and experience the epic ninja battles, crazy betrayals and all-around massive story of the young ninja from the hidden leaf. It’s also quite long, so it’ll keep new fans preoccupied for quite some time.

9 Goodnight Punpun

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Goodnight Punpun by mangaka Inio Asano. The series follows Onodera Punpun as he makes his way from elementary school all the way through to his twenties.

There are no epic ninja battles, no giant fox demons, or any of that fantastical sort here. Instead, the manga simply follows the life of a young little bird. Said bird is actually a human, but illustrated as a cartoonish bird... it makes sense in context. Seemingly cute art aside, the series is utterly devastating and definitely a read for mature readers who aren’t faint of heart.

8 Death Note

Another series that has likely already made its way into the heads of any newcomers is Death Note. Having already been adapted into an anime series, a couple of movies, and a Netflix original, Death Note will likely be familiar territory for even the most inexperienced of newbies.

However, while they may be working their way through familiar territory, that’s no reason to skip out on the truly amazing artwork that is found within the pages of each and every volume of the series. The story may be something readers remember, but the artwork alone is more than enough reason to pick this series up immediately.

7 Full Metal Alchemist

Full Metal Alchemist is perhaps one of the most widely recognized anime in the world. With two different adaptions of the original manga, Full Metal Alchemist and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, fans will likely be treading familiar grounds.

However, like several of the previously mentioned works, that’s no excuse not to pick up the original manga and experience the full story as it was originally intended. The anime may have made the work more easily digestible, but it just can’t compare to Hiromu Arakawa’s original work on the manga.

6 Bakuman

Bakuman is perhaps one of the most important works featured on this list solely because it gives manga readers a peek behind the scenes of what it takes to get a manga created.

It’s so important for readers to understand how much work goes into these books both on the side of the artist creating them and the editors that are helping them out along the way. There is so much care and precision taken in Bakuman to illustrate the entire process that some of our favorite stories go through just to get to the page.

5 Vagabond

Vagabond is, perhaps, the quintessential samurai story that any fan of manga. This is especially true for those new to the medium, as it is a title that needs to be on dedicated readers' bookshelves. Created by mangaka Takehiko Inoue, the series follows Shinmen Takezō, a young boy shunned by his village due to his violent and erratic behavior.

After Takezō and another young boy from his village runaway at the age of seventeen, they decide to join the Toyotomi army and fight off the Tokugawa clan. After they are devastated on the battlefield, however, the pair separates in order to avoid suspicion and danger. This is where the story really begins.

4 My Hero Academia

It is incredibly unlikely that anyone even remotely interested in anime, manga or comics has yet to see or hear about My Hero Academia. The series absolutely exploded onto the scene when it was first released, and since then it has only gotten bigger and better.

The story follows a young, powerless, superhero fanboy named Izuku Midoriya as he works to become the world’s greatest hero after inheriting the powers of the world’s number one hero, All Might. The series is filled with incredible battles, superheroes, horrifying supervillains and everything a budding western manga fan could possibly need.

3 Monster

Monster, by mangaka Naoki Urasawa, follows the story of a brain surgeon, Dr. Kenzo Tenma. After refusing to perform surgery on a dying politician that came in moments after a young boy with a gunshot wound to the brain. Though he managed to save the young man, Johan, Dr. Tenma is relieved of his position in the hospital and his status.

Years later, Dr Tenma stumbles upon Johan’s dark secret, that he is, in fact, a cold-blooded monster capable of some truly horrific crimes. This discovery will lead Dr. Tenma down a path towards correcting the mistake he had made so many years ago.

2 Berserk

Berserk, by mangaka Kentaro Miura, is probably one of the most iconic manga to have ever hit the shelves. It’s nearly impossible to imagine that anyone even remotely interested in anime or manga has not heard of this sprawling dark fantasy.

The story follows Guts, an incredibly gifted but lonely mercenary, who joins up with the mysterious Griffith and his Band of the Hawk. But as Guts warms up to his newfound family, he eventually discovers that Griffith is not who he seems to be. This could cost Guts everything he’s come to know and love while at the same time endangering the very world he lives in.

1 Akira

If there are any series more iconic than Berserk, well, Akira is definitely among them. Manga fans may be familiar with the animated feature that was released on Christmas of ‘89, a film that has infected every corner of pop culture. From the Simpsons to Kayne West, Akira has cemented itself in every aspect of pop culture.

The original manga, by mangaka Katsuhiro Otomo, is somehow even better than the film based on it. The masochistic attention to detail, the blood and love that went into the work is clear in every panel. The series is an absolute masterclass on manga art and storytelling. With the 35th anniversary out now and relatively cheap, there’s no reason for new manga fans not pick up the series yesterday.

NEXT: Hunter x Hunter: 10 Differences Between The Anime & The Manga

Less than a month ahead of the film's release, IMAX shared exclusive artwork for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

On Twitter, the artwork's release was accompanied by an announcement, which read, "Check out the IMAX exclusive artwork for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker! Don’t wait to get your IMAX tickets, experience the epic conclusion to the Skywalker saga that’s over 40 years in the making. See it in IMAX theatres Dec 20."

Shaded in blues and reds, the artwork centers around Rey, who stands on a rock ledge against a starry sky. Two major figures loom behind her: General Leia Organa and her son Kylo Ren, the Supreme Leader of the First Order. Leia and Rey look out in opposite directions, while Kylo Ren's helmet faces forward. His mask -- repaired through a style comparable to the Japanese art of Kintsugi -- is veined with a red light. His long, black hair escapes on one side. The mask blends into the nose and chin of Luke Skywalker.

Some fans believe a subtle image of Darth Vader lurks in the background, formed by the swirling stars just below Kylo Ren on the right side of the artwork. At the time of writing, it is unclear if this is true and it has not been confirmed by Lucasfilm, but it would certainly make sense. After all, The Rise of Skywalker is purported to be the end of the Skywalker Saga, which began with Anakin Skywalker, continued through his children Luke and Leia and will conclude with his grandson Kylo Ren.

Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Keri Russell, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams, and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. The film arrives on Dec. 20.

KEEP READING: Star Wars 9 Rey Sunset Scene Left Rise of Skywalker Crew Shaken

Audiences can expect to see more TV spots, posters and other teasers between now and the release of the highly-anticipated Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in less than a month. A lot of the marketing surrounding the upcoming film features subtle callbacks to previous installments in the expansive Skywalker Saga.

The newly released RealD 3D poster features the stars of the sequel trilogy and yet somehow -- in its own subtle way -- evokes promotional material for Star Wars: A New Hope, the Star Wars film that began this beloved story about space-faring knights, an evil Empire and the powerful but mysterious Force.

Fans have been quick to draw comparisons. Most notably, Rey's pose and placement atop a hill against a backdrop of a dark, masked villain can certainly be compared to Luke's depiction in the poster for A New Hope, possibly symbolizing Rey's role as Luke's successor. The two posters even make use of the same overall colors scheme.

The few descriptions provided by the filmmakers and expansive cast have indicated that The Rise of Skywalker will conclude the story of the Skywalker family and, in some ways, bring the story full circle -- something that the film seems to be doing by bringing Emperor Palpatine back.

KEEP READING: Star Wars: The Mystery of the Rise of Skywalker eBay Script Has Been Solved

When the first trailer for the upcoming Cats film adaptation was released in July, many viewers were unnerved by the character designs, which were accomplished via the mixing of humans and cats with CGI. However, according to director Tom Hooper, the response from the trailer is what helped with making adjustments to the looks.

"We’d only finished shooting in March, so all the visual effects [in the trailer] were at quite an early stage," Hooper told Empire. "Possibly there were, in the extremity in some of the responses, some clues in how to keep evolving [the production]. When you watch the finished film, you’ll see that some of the designs of the cats have moved on since then, and certainly our understanding of how to use the technology to make them work has gone up, too."

Star Rebel Wilson, however, admitted she loved the reaction the first trailer received, even calling the response "pretty massive."

Directed by Tom Hooper, Cats stars James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson and Francesca Hayward. The film opens Dec. 20.

KEEP READING: Star Wars/Cats Mashup Promises a New Day and It's Purrfect

Long before the CW show that borrowed its name, Archie's Riverdale was one of the most consistent locations in American comics, appearing for decades as the home to Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge and the rest of their gang of their Archie Comics friends.

However, much like The Simpsons' Springfield, the actual location of the town is still something of a mystery. Now, we're going to take a closer look at Archie Comics lore to try and figure out where Riverdale is actually located, both in comics and on the small screen.

Riverdale is the primary location used in most stories from Archie Comics. The classic series center around Archie Andrews and his friends. It's treated as a medium-sized town, usually held up as a suburb of a larger unnamed city. It features a mix of classic businesses (like Pop's Soda Shop) and basic structures (public high schools and a local mall) as well as more upper-crust spots like the mansions that belong to the Lodge and Blossom families on the edge of the property.

Like The Simpsons (another long-running series about living in America in a town), the various stories and spots in the town have included beaches, rivers, forests, woods, plains, farmland, mountains and deserts - all within the same area as the main town. It is typically portrayed as neighboring the other towns of Greendale (home of Sabrina the Teenage Witch) and Midvale (home to Josie and the Pussycats). It's big enough to be home to multiple high schools, including the prestigious Pembrooke Academy.

Over the better part of the last eight decades, several locations have been identified as the potential home of Riverdale. One Archie editor even suggested that Riverdale doesn't actually have a set location and that it's more of a "state of mind" than anything specific. However, various stories have suggested that the town is located everywhere from Iowa and California. It's even been suggested that all the beaches aren't actually on a seashore and instead actually just one of the beaches surrounding the Great Lakes in Illinois, but it's also been suggested that it's largely based on Archie creator Bob Montana's hometown of Haverhill, Massachusetts.

But the earliest idea for the location comes from a story published in 1942 by Archie Montana, it's suggested that the students of Riverdale High take a river trip up the Hudson River towards Bear Mountain. Hudson River and Bear Mountain are both prominent locations in New York State. They even go there on a ship called the "Peter Stuyvesant," which is named after a famous figure from the history of New York City. There's also an actual neighborhood in NYC called Riverdale near the Bronx Zoo, which has been a location in some stories. While it's been shown in many locations, New York tends to be seen as the most common location for Riverdale.

The Riverdale seen in the CW series Riverdale seems to push the town further away from New York City, but also seems to still be located in the same state. The town is set in a singular location and treated as a town more than a suburb. One section of town is shown to be a considerably worse part of town, largely full of mobile homes and the Southside Serpents gang. It's rougher around the edges than most other versions of the town that have been shown over the years.

With the Blossoms having used their Mapel Syrup empire to increase their wealth thanks in part to their participation in the drug trade, the show must take place somewhere in New England - the only natural place to find maple syrup in the United States. However, there are a number of subtle clues that the show still takes place in New York state.

Riverdale is mentioned to be a part of Rockland County, and there's only one county with that name in America, and it's located to the west of the Hudson River. Jughead can be seen boarding a bus heading for Mamaroneck in the first season, which is located in Westchester County. New York is even shown to be where Veronica made high-society friends before moving to Riverdale in this continuity.

Although there are still some logical problems - like Montreal being seemingly nearby - there are still more clues that the CW's Riverdale is a New York town than not.

KEEP READING: Riverdale To Introduce Fred Andrews' Older Brother as Recurring Character

Karen Gillan, who plays Nebula in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, has confirmed that she's read James Gunn's script for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and had nothing but great things to say.

"I can say that I’ve read it and it’s amazing," Gillan told Yahoo!

She went on to talk about how great it is to have Gunn back, as the director was famously fired then re-hired by Disney. "We’re all really excited that James is back to complete the trilogy because it wouldn’t have felt right without him. It’s a wonderful, wonderful script," she explained

Little is known about the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but many are hoping it will introduce the character of Adam Warlock, who was teased in the previous two installments. However, Gunn hasn't confirmed or denied the character will make an appearance.

Written and directed by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 does not currently have a release date. The film is reportedly scheduled to begin production in Feb. 2021.

For Finn and Poe shippers, the Rise of Skywalker promotional tour has been nothing short of a gift.

While both actors John Boyega and Oscar Isaac have been incredibly cheeky about the supposed Star Wars romance between their two characters, Boyega has taken it to the next level with a new Instagram post. In the video, captioned in part with "I need to stop watching The Crown," Boyega laments that he and Isaac are not as close as Finn and Poe seem to be. He also hilariously points out (with video evidence) moments in past press tours where he has shown his costar unrequited public affection. He does all of this, by the way, with a quill-penned letter and posh-accented narration.

This video is just another in the long-storied bromance of Boyega and Isaac, which punctuates the fan-speculated romance of Finn and Poe. Since their debut in 2015's The Force Awakens, fans have theorized the two may harbor feelings for each other. This was potentially derailed in The Last Jedi, when it appeared that Finn and Rose Tico were being set up as an item, but a recent excerpt from the Rise of Skywalker prequel novel Resistance Reborn confirms that Finn and Rose are "just friends."

While it's unlikely that The Rise of Skywalker will make it official (Keri Russell's new character Zorii Bliss is said to be an "old friend" of Poe's), a gay couple would be an unprecedented move for the Star Wars universe. Either way, the actors are clearly having fun with the idea.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #5 by Matt Fraction, Steve Lieber, Nathan Fairbairn and Clayton Cowles, on sale now.

Tom King's run on Batman has been both controversial and championed, leaving a major mark on the current landscape of Gotham City. On the way out, however, it looks like another DC series took the opportunity to have some fun at the expense of the title.

The newest issue of Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen features a sequence between Jimmy Olsen and an unnamed Gotham citizen that serves as a pretty spot-on parody of Tom King's Batman.

While undercover in Gotham City as Renegade Blogger Timmy Olsen, Jimmy has steadily poked fun at Batman. While most of these moments have been overtly public and goofy, the newest issue of the series features a surprisingly heavy sequence. Timmy meets with a man for a short documentary-style interview. The unnamed man speaks with Olsen about how he first moved to Gotham City, treating the conversation completely seriously. He reveals his admittedly specific and bizarre job: building giant replicas of normally tiny items. The items he mentions working on include a penny, bringing to mind the giant penny trophy inside the Batcave.

The man lived his life, built a family and made a decent living (thanks to the common absurdity of Gotham City). One day, however, he was approached by the "Calendar Man," who asked him to build a giant version of a 365-day calendar with a cute-dog-of-the-day theme. The man turned the commission down, and this led Calendar Man to beat the him, kill his family, and burn down his home, which had also been serving as his workspace. Neither the police nor Batman helped him, given the rest of Gotham City was endangered by any number of other threats. It's a genuinely tragic tale that shows the kind of destruction Batman villains can bring to the citizens of Gotham City.

It's also a pretty solid riff on the intricacies writer Tom King brought to his run on Batman. The sequence features a nine-panel grid, which is common in much of King's work. It also makes a decidedly silly element of the Batman mythos like Calendar Man, a villain obsessed with the days of the year, much more serious. This is similar to how King retconned Kite-Man into a more tragic character during "The War of Jokes and Riddles." It even uses the line of dialogue "I believe in Gotham," which is a recurring phrase throughout King's work on the title.

While this is an accurate dig at King's Batman, Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen has also been making fun of everything else within the DC Universe. As a result, it's fitting that now that the story has shifted to Gotham City -- the place where King left his mark on the character -- it would mock the most recent take on the Caped Crusader.

Jimmy follows up the Calendar Man moment by trying to annoy Batman into a confrontation by moving a large group of actors dressed as the Joker inside a frozen yogurt shop. In all, these moments serve as the perfect cheeky love letter to King before he leaves Batman in the coming months.

KEEP READING: Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen Reveals Clark’s Secret Superpowers

A Crisis is coming. At this point, most Arrowverse fans are probably tired of hearing those words, but it’s true. We’re barely two weeks away from CW’s version of the legendary maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths, a story where worlds lived, worlds died, and nothing was ever the same. Though we hear phrases like this all the time and they never live up to the hype now, Crisis at the time was literally world-shattering and changed DC Comics forever.

Though we have no idea what’s in store for Crisis this time around, we do know that with so much potential reality-altering going on over the five-episode crossover, there’s an opportunity to see some of our favorite characters who’ve been killed over the course of the last eight years of storytelling. Here’s a list of the ten most interesting characters that could make a comeback.

10 RONNIE RAYMOND

Ronnie’s death doesn’t even make much sense. Caitlin had just gotten used to having him back (even going so far as to marry him) before Eobard’s schemes resulted in a singularity that only Firestorm could close, which Martin Stein survived but Ronnie did not.

Everyone involved here deserved better, and Ronnie should get to come back briefly through the Firestorm Matrix, which should probably be passed on to someone else at this point so the character can revive.

9 XS

XS isn’t technically dead, though it could be argued what happened to her was actually worse. Eobard’s machinations literally erased her from existence, resulting in yet another case where Thawne managed to dunk on Barry Allen.

At what point does Thawne accept that he’s done far more harm to Barry than the other way around? This was a bit of a bummer, but unlike the others, it shouldn’t even be that hard to bring her back. The new timeline should have an XS, and that XS should probably help her father during Crisis so that newspaper tease can finally go away.

8 MALCOLM MERLYN

Not only the first major villain of the CW DC universe but Malcolm Merlyn was also the first to hand out a one-sided beatdown to a series’ lead hero to let viewers everywhere know that stuff just got real. Though he was quite unlikeable at first, over time they developed Malcolm into a fully formed character who died rather unceremoniously, saving his daughter Thea.

While that’s a heroic death, there’s probably no better time to bring him back than Crisis—and not the Earth-2 version which got erased anyway. With Green Arrow and the Canaries up soon, a return for this character and a brief arc with Malcolm might be in order for that series when it launches.

7 RIP HUNTER

Though a rather endearing cast of misfits, the Legends find themselves botching things more often than not, only saving everyone in the eleventh hour. That’s what happened with Mallus, a being they eventually used a giant plush animal to beat in what’s one of the series’ crowning moments.

But before that could happen, Rip was forced to sacrifice himself to give the team an opportunity to escape from Mallus. This was a way of allowing the Legends to work without the training wheels, as the most experienced voice was gone. But considering how many timey-wimey things they get involved in, there’s no way Rip couldn’t pop up here to help protect the multiverse.

6 MARTIN STEIN

It seems like Martin Stein died because of a lack of a CGI budget. Stein and Jax always found some reason to remain split up on missions, and it finally backfired during the Crisis on Earth-X storyline.

While attacking a Nazi stronghold, the two of them split up to help in the battle effort but this wound up in Stein taking fire from some Nazi soldiers. Because Firestorm couldn’t have just handled both things with flight and his powers. However frustrating Stein’s death was, it would be nice to get one last glimpse of him. Perhaps before finding a way to pass the Firestorm Matrix on?

5 EDDIE THAWNE

It’s safe to say everyone who knew about Flash’s comics when the first season aired looked at Eddie suspiciously. From the moment we discovered his last name was identical to Barry’s greatest villain in the comics, it felt like a matter of time until the betrayal. But it never came.

On the contrary, rather than allow Eobard to have his way, once Eddie learned how important he was, he took his own life to save all of his friends. While it’s a heroic way to go out, he still deserves a better ending than that...especially since Eobard has been bugging Barry anyway.

4 GYPSY

Why was Gypsy killed in the first place? The episode where it happened, Kiss Kiss Breach Breach, is one of the finer episodes of Flash and certainly one of the better in season six...but why was it necessary at all?

It’s not as if Jessica Camacho had a series regular role, and she could simply have not shown up anymore since she and Cisco had already broken up. She shouldn’t just make an appearance, they should find a way to bring her back and put her on another team’s Justice League.

3 HENRY AND NORA ALLEN

The latest season of the Flash has been all about the sacrifices Barry has already made, and the ultimate sacrifice he’s being asked to make in the future. But his entire history traces back to one single moment that changed his life irrevocably: Eobard traveling back in time and taking the life of his mother while framing his father.

If we’re letting Barry survive Crisis, then it should be with him having taken off all the chains of loss holding him back. Maybe Henry and Nora can’t “come back”, but he should certainly get to have one last conversation with both of them.

2 MANCHESTER BLACK

Let’s not mince words here: Manchester Black was the single coolest villain the Supergirl series had. Taking the original character who was a commentary on the edgy 90’s hero and making him into a crusader against alien hating humans, it was easy to understand his motivation.

The character was taken out by J’onn, but there’s still so much potential left on the table for him. Especially since we know they’re now making a Superman and Lois series. Having him survive being absorbed by the Staff of H’Ronmeer and gain superpowers on top of it would make him a perfect adversary for the Man of Steel.

1 CAPTAIN COLD

The Arrowverse’s Captain Cold had a pretty interesting character arc. Though he was initially only supposed to be the usual leader of the Rogues he is in the Flash, necessity (and Rip Hunter) pulled him into becoming a member of the Legends.

There, he would travel across time to keep the framework of reality safe, before eventually meeting his end. Though we’ve seen versions of him from other worlds before, having Leonard get to meet up with Rory one last time seems like a better farewell.

NEXT: 10 Superheroes That Would Be Perfect For TV (But Are Too Expensive)

Your move!

No matter how many series Konami makes about Yu-Gi-Oh, there’ll never be a more popular series than the very first. It’s the one nearest to everyone’s hearts and the one that found it’s way onto the most channels in syndication.

But Duel Monsters was also a time where the rules of Yu-Gi-Oh weren’t nearly as codified, and more often than not, they were made up by Kazuki Takahashi, the guy writing the manga at the time. This meant rules changed frequently, and sometimes even worse than that. Yugi changed the way cards worked so many times, it’s a wonder any of us ever learned how to play the game! Here’s some of the King of Games’ worst offenders.

10 I ATTACK THE MOON

Pegasus probably should’ve been sued for even staging the Duelist Kingdom. He completely changed the rules of how the game worked, and then when you dueled him, he had the ability to read your mind. But speaking of those rule changes, there was some pretty weird stuff going on with terrains.

Monsters in the Sky couldn’t be attacked by those who couldn’t fly, monsters in the sea couldn’t be attacked by ones on land. With Yugi trapped by this rule against legendary ocean duelist Mako Tsunami, he instead chose to attack the moon. This weakened the sea around Mako’s monsters, leaving them stranded. This win was so over-the-top, they actually made “Attack the Moon” into a spell.

9 BURNING LAND

After Yugi managed to strand all of Mako’s monsters on land thanks to destroying the moon and altering the effect of the tides on the duel stage, he played the spell card, Burning Land. Burning Land destroyed all of Mako’s monsters, permitting Yugi to attack and win the game.

Trouble is, in the anime, Burning Land says it burns the enemy’s land, making them all Defenseless. Unless Curse of Dragon was a piercer, none of those monsters should’ve been destroyed and Yugi couldn’t have won that turn.

8 CATAPULT TURTLE

Catapult Turtle is a monster that works entirely differently on the show than it does in the game. On the show, it’s an effect monster that can ‘‘launch a monster into a wall or fortress,’’ which is an effect so specific Yugi only used it twice in the entire series. To make it even more specific, the launched monster gains attack if the wall is part of a monster.

It destroys the wall and the launched monster, and the owner of the launched monster takes damage equal to half its attack. In real life, this is a vanilla card, because this effect doesn’t even make sense and couldn’t apply to the actual game.

7 DARK MAGIC CURTAIN

Sometimes Yugi just decided how a card worked. During the three-parter “The Master of Magicians,” Yugi faced off against Arkana, a Rare Hunter who had his own version of the Dark Magician. Late game, Arkana activated Dark Magic Curtain to pay half his life points and summon a Dark Magician, but then Yugi used that same Dark Magic Curtain to special summon Dark Magician Girl to swing the duel back in his favor.

But Dark Magic Curtain is a one-time normal spell (meaning only the person who played it can use it) and it only special summons Dark Magician.

6 MONSTER HACKS

This isn’t really Yugi cheating per se, but this was some cheating that happened during a duel Yugi participated in. While Yugi was in the Duelist Kingdom, he ran into a fake version of Kaiba in the episode “Everything’s Relative.”

To prove he was Kaiba, he used Blue-Eyes White Dragon, a card only Kaiba had access to. Though Yugi’s deck was able to get rid of one Blue-Eyes, the second was weakened when Kaiba hacked into the system and lowered the monster’s attack. Some might ask, is it really cheating if his opponent was cheating too? Yes, yes it is.

5 INFINITE BRAIN CONTROL

One of the coolest duels in Battle City was Yugi vs. Strings, a mind-controlled Rare Hunter. This battle with Yugi saw Marik come up with a combo that was rock solid, though incredibly specific. It was a five-card combo which involved the Egyptian god card Slifer the Sky Dragon and a mix of other monsters, spells, and traps to make Slifer invincible and Yugi unable to attack Strings’ life points.

Yugi gets out of it by using Brain Control to take control of one of Strings’ infinitely reviving monsters, forcing an infinite loop that causes Strings to lose by deck out. It’s a creative win...but how’d Brain Control take control of Strings’ monster right after it came back to life? It’s a Normal Spell, not a Continuous Spell.

4 SUMMONED SKULL

Summoned Skull was the MVP of Yugi’s deck many times when he couldn’t get to Dark Magician. During the Duelist Kingdom arc, he was capable of Normal Summoning a Level Six (which usually requires a tribute) that had 2500 ATK out the gate.

That’s difficult to deal with for most decks, especially when combined with Yugi’s special version of Makiu, the Magical Mist. When Yugi goes up against Weevil once, he uses Makiu, but instead of it boosting Summoned Skull’s attack by just 30 percent (which is 750 ATK), it boosts it to a full 1000 so it can get over Weevil’s boss.

That is not even counting the time Summoned Skull was able to do long-range attacks against the Paradox Brothers.

3 MAKIU, THE MAGICAL MIST

There was a time when Yu-Gi-Oh was a much more mathematically oriented game, with certain cards boosting monsters stats by a certain percentage rather than a specific number. Take Makiu, the Magical Mist, a card that boosts an electric-based ATK by 30 percent.

Yugi’s used it multiple times to increase the attack of Summoned Skull to get over larger monsters. But then when Yugi was facing off against Joey, Makiu again came into play...but this time it was able to negate attacks, which saved Yugi and allowed him to get the win versus Joey. None of these effects sound right.

2 MULTIPLY

The first time the quick play spell Multiply appeared in Yu-Gi-Oh was in the three-part episode called “Face Off.” This happened during the tail end of the first half of the Duelist Kingdom saga before everyone went to fight Pegasus.

Kaiba successfully summons Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, one of the strongest monsters we’d seen up to that point, with 4500 ATK. With the Duelist Kingdom rules leaving players with only 2000, that should have been more than enough to finish things.

However, Yugi activated Multiply, which not only gave him a bunch of other Kuriboh monsters, but they were somehow able to regenerate after each time Kaiba attacked. How would a player ever lose if they had this combination?

1 MAKING UP FUSIONS

“Face Off” is the one time Kaiba earns a win over Yugi, although he had to cheat to win. However, looking back at some of Yugi’s moves in that duel, he probably deserved to lose. To get over Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, he used Polymerization and the spell card Living Arrow to fuse his Mammoth Graveyard with Blue-Eyes.

Living Arrow supposedly gives the effect of a spell to an opponent’s monster, while Mammoth Graveyard weakened Kaiba’s Blue-Eyes because it was an undead monster. Okay, for starters? Living Arrow isn’t a real card. But also? Fusing an undead monster with a living monster doesn’t weaken them, it would just change their attribute. Also, you can't create a fusion that doesn't exist.

NEXT: Yu-Gi-Oh!: 10 Most OP Cards Ever Used In The Anime

Anime has become wildly popular over the years thanks to reputable franchises like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto. Curious viewers will tune in to some of the more prominent titles before branching out and exploring other series that pique their interest.

One aspect that most people are never prepared for involves the bizarre or awkward moments that can occur when you least expect them. You'll be watching an episode that qualifies as entirely normal, but the second your dad strolls into the room, everything gets wildly inappropriate. Let's check out 10 of those hilarious out of context scenes that you definitely wouldn't want your parents to walk in on.

10 Voltorb and Weepinbell's Sticky Situation (Pokémon)

Pokémon is one of the most successful franchises ever and it was a staple for millions of people around the globe during their adolescent years. We hate to take a stab at your childhood with this one, but the scene depicted above featuring Voltorb and Weepinbell seems rather questionable without any context.

This strange scenario came about during episode 47, titled "A Chansey Operation". It's obviously not intended to exhibit anything vulgar, but have fun explaining that to your mother as she rapidly reaches for the TV remote. Misty's face says it all.

9 Mad Max: Granny Road (Sabagebu!)

This bizarre Sabagebu! clip is basically the anime version of Mad Max minus Mel Gibson/Tom Hardy. A handful of old people are savagely trying to gun down much younger characters while riding on motorcycles or large trucks.

The granny pictured above is utterly crazed, but other elderly characters are shown yelling things like, "They always b*tch about the candy you try to give them!", "They get mad when you mend the holes in their pants!", and "Punish the young!" How does one explain this scenario to their parents without sounding like an absolute weirdo?

8 A Mighty Fine Meal (Cromartie High School)

Cromartie High School is a Japanese comedy/parody series — you shouldn't look too deep into its scenes since they're mostly played for laughs. Nonetheless, why oh why did Masa have to shove an abnormal amount of pencils into his mouth and grant us the frame shown above?

For the sake of clarification, he's definitely eating the pencils. The delinquent had previously been shown consuming a singular pencil, but then it escalated to this. If your parents throw out every writing utensil you have at home, it's likely because they caught you laughing at this scene.

7 Jimi Hendrix (Black Lagoon)

Black Lagoon's Leigharch is a compulsive drug user (marijuana in the anime, but the manga depicts his cocaine habit) who hallucinates at the absolute worst moments. The majority of his hallucinations involve Western pop culture celebrities and characters, hence the interesting mix of words in the sentences above.

If your parents happened to stumble upon this exact frame, they might do one of two things: Complain that cartoons are spreading lies about music history or secretly Google if Jimi Hendrix was known for yelling about Klingons.

6 Puri-Puri Prisoner (One-Punch Man)

One-Punch Man's Puri-Puri Prisoner is known for losing all of his clothes whenever he activates his "Angel Style", so perhaps it's best to let mom and dad sit those episodes out. The flamboyant and openly homosexual superhero often makes questionable remarks about other men and perplexes nearly everyone he shares the screen with.

One-Punch Man is a great series that garners many laughs between — and sometimes during — action sequences. Yet, every time Puri-Puri Prisoner opens his mouth, we can't help but worry about the well-being of every male character in the immediate area.

5 Fumio Daimido's Flashback (Food Wars)

Food Wars might as well be called Fan Service and Recipes because that's pretty much what the entire series is. Whenever someone — male or female — consumes any type of meal, they go on a provocative acid trip of emotions that usually involves various states of undress. This is essentially how they express their approval/disapproval of whatever they eat.

In all honesty, you wouldn't want your parents around for any Food Wars episode, but Fumio Daimido's flashback to her younger days is quite the ride. She remembers far too many inappropriate things before subjecting protagonist Soma Yukihira to the uncomfortable scenario seen above.

4 Rocket Launcher (Mitsuboshi Colors)

No, this isn't an anime impression of what goes down on the streets of America every day. Mitsuboshi Colors follows three elementary school girls (Kotoha, Yui, and Sat-chan) who create their own little group called "Colors". Their objective is to preserve the peace within their town... which is the exact opposite of what's happening in the image above.

There isn't enough context in the world to justify a policeman aiming a rocket launcher at three young girls. If your parents walk in on this one, let them decipher it on their own.

3 ... What? (Charlotte)

This image is so baffling that it's best left unexplained. As a matter of fact, rationalizing any of it would ruin the experience. Why is the girl in the foreground giddily glancing down her school uniform? Why did that guy with the suit face-plant on the floor? Why is that dog so eager to reach the face-planter?

All we'll say is that this scene comes courtesy of the Charlotte anime and that it's still ridiculous even with some context. As a matter of fact, your parents won't even be able to process what's happening. Maybe it's better that way.

2 Crime Scene (Yuru Yuri)

The image above could be interpreted in several ways by those that have never seen Yuru Yuri, but we guarantee that not a single person would be able to guess the correct reason behind this mess. This isn't a crime scene, no one was massacred, and nobody detonated a can of tomato juice. This awkward moment hails from... wait for it... a nosebleed.

Chitose Ikeda is the culprit behind the insane nosebleeds and they're sometimes considered near-fatal. It's worth noting that Chitose also makes out with anyone in sight after eating chocolate, so good luck convincing your parents that any of this makes sense.

1 Almost Anything Involving Hisoka (Hunter x Hunter)

Hunter x Hunter is an excellent series and Hisoka is one of the most intriguing characters within its universe. However, his bloodlust is a little... concerning, to say the least. The magician gets so worked up over fighting the strongest opponents in the series that he becomes visibly aroused in an exaggerated manner. He will also sporadically appear naked when you least expect it.

On top of that, Hisoka has a disturbing infatuation with protagonist Gon Freecss and oftentimes mentions that he won't kill the young boy because he's not "ripe enough". Long story short, nearly every Hisoka appearance is bound to be awkward and you simply wouldn't want your parents anywhere near the screen if the jester is in the episode.

NEXT: 10 Hunter x Hunter Characters We Wanted To See More Of In The Anime

Recently, Jaime Reyes has been growing in popularity thanks to his presence in media. As a young hero, many have felt as though he is one of the more relatable characters to be introduced in recent years. Though the character has always had an on and off presence in the comics, he still remains a fan favorite today.

Granted, as a character with a constantly changing backstory that is also built off a pre-established mythos, Jaime’s character can be a bit confusing for newer readers to grasp. To help clear up some of that confusion, here is our list of 10 things to know about Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle.

10 Created By...

Before DC officially kicked off their Infinite Crisis event, Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle was tragically killed off by the villain, Maxwell Lord. Because of this, the mantle of Blue Beetle was left vacant, leaving room for an entirely new type of hero to take it. Hence, a few months later, Jaime Reyes was officially introduced into the DC Universe.

Created by John Rogers, Keith Giffen, and Cully Hamner, Jaime reinvented the Blue Beetle character. Not only was the character a younger, modernized version of the classic Charlton Comics hero, but he also did a lot to reinvent the backstory behind the version before him.

9 His Secret Identity

Jaime himself is a young, Mexican-American highschooler who feels very similar to Peter Parker at times. Because of his heritage, Jaime’s name is actually pronounced “Hi-May,” though many people confuse it for “Jay-me.” Part of the appeal of Jaime’s character though is that he is much like any other awkward highschool kid, simply trying his hardest to fit in.

Originally, the scarab that had belonged to Dan Garrett found its way to El Paso, where it was discovered by Jaime and thus bonded with him. Since then, his origin has been changed again, with Dr. Fate revealing that the scarab isn’t as scientific as once believed, but rather magical in origin instead. Since then, Jaime has done his best as the crime-fighting superhero, Blue Beetle.

8 He is the Third Blue Beetle

As mentioned previously, Jaime Reyes was the successor to Ted Kord. However, he also expanded on some of Dan Garrett’s backstory as well. This officially makes Jaime the third Blue Beetle. Furthermore, Jaime is also the most distinct of the three, using the alien scarab to accomplish many different scientific achievements. While Ted Kord relied far more on his own brain to develop tech, Jaime relies on the advanced tech to help him accomplish his goals.

Dan Garrett also utilized the scarab, mostly for adventuring, while Jaime uses it more for protection. Because Jaime did a lot to expand on the character’s mythos in general, each Blue Beetle has been very distinct in his own right. However, since Jaime’s character relies so much on the scarab and it’s backstory, he is more different from the other two than the others are similar to him.

7 How His Powers Work

Similarly to Iron Man, Jaime’s scarab functions as a weaponized suit of armor with incredible capabilities in both offense and defense. The armor that the scarab is able to produce is incredibly durable, and has shielded Jaime from all sorts of damage over the years. Likewise, the amount of power that it can use on the offensive has varied, performing things like sonic attacks, firing energy blasts, and much more.

However, Jaime’s armor is unique in that the scarab itself is an alien life form. Since it has been damaged, the scarab is unable to take complete control over its host, giving Jaime access to certain capabilities. Despite the damage to the scarab though, it is still capable of communicating with Jaime, and even taking control of his body if it tries hard enough.

6 He has Been Trained by Ted Kord

As part of DC Rebirth event, Jaime and Ted Kord actually found themselves working together. Following the New 52 relaunch, Ted Kord’s life was restored, though he was never as major a role as he was shortly before his death. As of Rebirth though, Ted had begun training Jaime and studying the characteristics of the scarab.

Seeing the two versions of Blue Beetle together was a welcome experience, though the overall story was relatively lackluster. With that in mind, the relationship between the two heroes brought a lot of heart and humor to the book, easily making for one of the series' strongest aspects. Though the Rebirth Blue Beetle series may not be the best the character has ever had, there is still a lot of charm in it that would appeal to any fan of both Jaime and Ted.

5 He Has a Movie Coming

Just before the release of Aquaman (2018), Warner Brothers announced that a Blue Beetle film centered on Jaime was in development. Though the character is an odd choice to bring to the big screen due to his smaller status as a character, fans were still excited to hear the news. Likewise, with the success of films such as Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), it would make sense that Warner Bros. would want to cash in on a character with a similar background.

At the moment, however, no further details have been released about the film, though Warner hasn’t confirmed that it has been cancelled. What has likely happened is that the project has been put on the back burner as the studio reevaluates their DC strategy. Hopefully, the film will come to see the light of day, somewhere down the line.

4 In Other Media

Despite being such a new character, Jaime has been popular enough to make the jump from the comics to the small screen. Since making his debut, Jaime has been a part of shows like Smallville, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and most popularly in season 2 of Young Justice.

Likewise, the character has also held a very strong presence in some DC themed video games, including Injustice 2 and Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. While some people still may not be familiar with Jaime as a character, his popularity is growing thanks to his smaller roles in big name shows and games.

3 Enemies

Almost every iteration of Blue Beetle has had some similar foes on top of some specific to the characters themselves. In regards to Jaime, Black Beetle and La Dama are easily his biggest and deadliest foes that have been specific to him. With Black Beetle being so close to Jaime on a personal level, it could easily be argued that he is Jaime’s arch-nemesis.

However, La Dama has shown that she is fully aware of Jaime’s secret identity, and has proven just how manipulative she can be as well. Furthermore, with her own mystical abilities at play, she could also be considered Jaime’s arch enemy. Though Blue Beetle has faced off against many other powerful foes, these two tend to be the most personal, powerful, and recurring for him.

2 He’s Been a Teen Titan

For a while, Jaime was even a member of the Teen Titans. During the character’s first solo series, he also came to make friends with many members of the young super-team. Though Jaime didn’t have a long tenure as a member, he still proved to be very valuable. There was also an entire story line dedicated to his character involving Black Beetle as the villain.

While his time as a Teen Titan was short, Blue Beetle has still been very active in the hero community. Batman himself has even praised the young hero for his efforts, though he’s noted that Jaime still has a long way to go.

1 Currently…

As of current, Jaime has seldom made an appearance since his solo series was cancelled. However, with The Batman Who Laughs having such a strong presence in the DC universe right now, Jaime has actually been revealed to be one of the villain’s “Infected” team. Alongside Shazam, Supergirl, and other heroes, Jaime has been changed into a much darker, villainous version of himself, thanks to The Batman Who Laughs.

At the moment, it is unclear as to how Jaime and the others will be saved, but it is certainly an interesting arc for his character. Now going by “The Scarab,” Jaime’s new attitude and appearance seem to be pulled from a nightmare. Hopefully, the character will once again come to have a strong presence in the DC Universe following the conclusion of this story.

NEXT: 10 Facts About Booster Gold That DC Fans Should Know

Connor Hawke never quite gets the respect he deserves. Everyone loves Wally West, the third Flash, so much there’s literally an entire one-shot surrounding his return. As for Kyle Rayner, he’s one of the few 90’s era heroes who survived Flashpoint. But Connor? He’s made more appearances in the CW’s Arrow than he has in the comics, thanks to the reality rejiggering that happened in 2011.

Hopefully, with the end of Doomsday Clock, we could see the character make a comeback. But for those who don’t know much about him and are curious, this list delves into the character’s background and some of the most crucial facts about him and his history.

10 HIS MOTHER WAS A HIPPIE

It’s common knowledge that Connor’s dad is the original Green Arrow, Oliver Queen. But what few people know is that his mom is Sandra “Moonday” Hawke, a woman Oliver met long before even his Green Arrow days, while he was still in college.

This is where the sliding timescale nature of things comes into play. Connor was introduced in the mid-’90s, meaning Oliver and Moonday would have met likely sometime in the ’70s. Moonday’s mindset would inform much of the decisions which went into making Connor into the hero he becomes.

9 HIS STEPFATHER TRIED TO KILL HIM

One of the more unfortunate character traits of Connor’s mother was her absolutely terrible taste in men. First, it was Oliver who abandoned her shortly after finding out she was pregnant because he was terrified of the responsibility.

Later, it was a man named Milo Armitage, an abusive jerk who married Sandra/Moonday. As if that wasn’t bad enough, we would later discover Milo was an arms dealer, and one who was a minor antagonist to Connor during his time as the main Green Arrow. He even sent an assassin to kill Connor, after his stepson got in his way one too many times.

8 WAS TRAINED BY HIS FATHER

When Connor was much younger, he had difficulty in school, and his mother had trouble raising him as a single mother. Giving in to her bohemian background, she decided to send Connor to the same monastery that Oliver trained in at one point.

He stayed there for five years, training with the monks there and gaining an understanding of Zen Buddhism. But while he was there, Oliver happened to revisit the monastery. During that time, he became Connor’s roommate and taught him both life lessons and some additional archery skills. They spent six months together Oliver was forced to leave after an assassin came after him, with Connor following along.

7 OLLIE LIED ABOUT KNOWING WHO HE WAS

When Connor was first introduced, he was simply a huge fan of Green Arrow, having learned as much about the Emerald Archer as he could. When the character finally met Ollie, the two of them wound up briefly working together on a mission.

Though Connor was afraid to tell Ollie who he was, Hal Jordan, in his Parallax persona, showed up and explained everything first. Though Ollie blew up in Connor’s face about this, it was later revealed that Oliver had known who Connor was all along, meaning he was simply finding another way to run from his responsibility.

6 IS A VEGETARIAN

This wasn’t really brought up frequently in Connor’s time as Green Arrow, but it isn’t as if it doesn’t make sense. The character was raised in a Buddhist ashram and studied Zen Buddhist teachings.

It’s not necessarily required to be a vegetarian there, as some schools of thought suggest monks can consume meat so long as the animal wasn’t killed on their behalf. And for what it’s worth, one of the most noteworthy times this fact is brought up about Connor is after he lost his memory while he’s scarfing down a bowl of chili.

5 SAVED THE JLA

Connor is unfortunately part of a forgotten era of the DC Universe, as he was one of the multiple 90s heroes to show up before superheroes became the craze they are today. However, that doesn't mean the character never accomplished anything. On the contrary, his first introduction to the JLA saw him save both the League and pretty much the entire universe.

The League had been knocked out by their old villain the Key, who decided to use their mental energy to help him access a power which would've transformed him into a god. Fortunately, Connor happened to be teleported there for an interview, and he was able to check out what was happening and fight the Key off on his first day on the job.

4 USES NORMAL ARROWS

This might sound a little nuts given what happens on the CW now, but for the longest time, what Ollie was known for his penchant for trick arrows. There are small nods to this on the show, like when he used an arrow to hack a computer and steal a corrupt business's funds from his account.

Comic Ollie was always best remembered for his absurd "boxing glove arrow." This wasn't really Connor's bag, though, as he stuck to traditional arrows for nearly all of his career. The only time he strayed, ironically, was to take down the Key.

3 EXCELLENT MARTIAL ARTIST

With Connor having trained under his father, it's no surprise that he was an excellent archer. But what he's best known for is his ability to throw down in hand to hand combat. Spending several years training at an ashram did him a world of good, as he's one of the best martial artists in the DC Universe.

In one particular storyline that was meant to decide the best martial artist in the world, the only person Connor was unable to defeat was Lady Shiva. The same Lady Shiva, who trained Batman and helped him regain his instincts after losing to Bane. It's safe to say Connor is in rarefied air.

2 LOST HIS MEMORY ONCE

In the late 2000s, Connor was shot in the chest by League of Assassins members. This incident leaves Connor in a coma, but he eventually awakens. Though he's improved in some ways, he lost in quite a few others.

He forgets much of his history, including that he was once a vegetarian. He also loses his archery skills, though he retains his martial arts. His memory doesn't return until his battle with his father while he was transformed into a Black Lantern.

1 GAINED A HEALING FACTOR

After Connor was put in a coma, his family finds he's kidnapped by Doc Sivana. Sivana splices Connor's DNA with Plastic Man's, resulting in a number of benefits. He becomes almost entirely immune to pain, but even more important is that he suddenly gains a healing factor.

He attacks a group of drug dealers with nothing more than his bare hands and not only wins but shrugs off bullet wounds. Maybe not being able to shoot arrows was a good trade-off.

NEXT: 10 Best Green Arrow Storylines In DC Comics

The League of Villains is a criminal organization in My Hero Academia that aims to disrupt the peace created by All Might and destroy the Hero Association in the process. They're led by a notorious and quite possibly the strongest Villain of all time, All For One.

The League of Villains has become the main antagonistic group in the series right from the beginning, and over time, they're only becoming stronger and more prominent. This organization has become home to some of the strongest of Villains in My Hero Academia. Here are 10 things you didn't know about the League of Villains.

10 Its Leaders

While the League of Villains was originally created and run by the infamous Villain All For One, it has been led by other people besides him as well. After All For One's defeat to All Might at Kamino and his consequent capture, Shigaraki Tomura, his disciple, became the second leader of the League of Villains in the series.

Along with Shigaraki Tomura, Kurogiri serves as the second-in-command of this organization, although he's under arrest as well. It's possible that there may be more leaders of this organization in the future.

9 Its Members

The League of Villains has been home to a lot of Villains over the years. Among them are 15 named members who have been properly fleshed out and include the likes of Dabi, Toga, and Twice among others. Other than the named members, it was shown that there used to be 72 more Villains who were associated with the League of Villains.

According to reports, they were all eventually captured and arrested. It remains to be seen how their capture went about, but it certainly means that the Heroes aren't taking this organization lightly at all.

8 The Arrested Members

Along with the 72 unknown Villains who are said to belong to the League of Villains, several other of its members have been arrested as well. Out of the 15 main members, 5 are known to be in prison right now. All For One was arrested after his defeat to All Might at Kamino, while Kurogiri was caught by Gran Torino during the Shie Hassaikai arc.

Other members, such as Moonfish, Mustard, and Muscular were all members of the Vanguard Action Squad of the League of Villains and were captured during their attempt to capture Bakugo Katsuki.

7 The Deceased

The League of Villains hasn't tasted defeat many times, and as such, never lost a lot of its members completely. While many have been arrested, only one is known to have died. During the Shie Hassaikai arc, Kai Chisaki became the first person to kill a League of Villains member when he deconstructed the body of Magne.

Being one of the active members of the League of Villains, Magne was very powerful, and her Quirk abilities were outstanding as well. Magne's death was avenged by Shigaraki Tomura, who made sure that Chisaki paid the price for what he'd done to her.

6 The Associates

Like every other major organization, the League of Villains had multiple associates as well, although few of them are known for now. Giran remains to be one of their most important associates as he is responsible for bringing new recruits to the League of Villains.

When it comes to skill, Giran is just a C-Rank Villain himself, which explains why he doesn't join the League of Villains himself. Other than him, Hawks, the current Number 2 Hero, also serves as one of the associates of the League of Villains, however, he has ulterior motives in doing so.

5 Their Enemies

The primary goal of the League of Villains is to destroy everything that All Might has created, and in the process, erase the Hero Association as well. Consequently, the Heroes are the biggest enemies of this organization. However, they're definitely not the only threat this organization faces.

The League of Villains has also crossed paths with the Shie Hassaikai who were led by the enigmatic Villain, Overhaul, and the Meta Liberation Army, led by Rikiya Yotsubashi. In fact, they've fought against both these organizations at one point or another.

4 Their Allies

Often walking down their own path, the League of Villains usually don't feel the need to join hands with anyone. However, that's not to say they've never done it. At a certain point, the League of Villains, under Shigaraki Tomura, joined forces with the Shie Hassaikai, only to turn on them at the very end.

Furthermore, after completely winning over the Meta Liberation Army, the League of Villains has now joined forces with them as well. Their leader, Rikiya Yotsubashi now serves under the man who humbled him, Shigaraki Tomura.

3 The Paranormal Liberation Front

After fighting against the Meta Liberation Army, their leader, Rikiya Yotsubashi, better known as Re-Destro, asked all his underlings to submit to Shigaraki Tomura. Believing he's the man to lead them towards their goal of unregulated Quirk usage for everyone, Rikiya joined forces with the League of Villains, creating a massive Villain organization known as the Paranormal Liberation Front in the process.

The leader of this organization is none other than Shigaraki Tomura and along with him, there are several Lieutenants of this organization as well, most of which belong to the League of Villains.

2 The Nomu

Thanks to Daruma Ujiko, one of their most influential members, the League of Villains has been able to deploy the Nomu in battle. The Nomu are extremely powerful creatures who possess multiple Quirks, although their strength often varies. The Hosu Nomu were rather weaker in comparison to the one that appeared at U.S.J and fought against All Might.

The strongest Nomu to have appeared in My Hero Academia to date is the High-End Nomu who fought against Endeavor recently. According to the recent revelation, there are several such Nomu in development right now, and they likely possess tremendous powers as well.

1 Their Power

Following the events at Deika City, the League of Villains, now known as the Paranormal Liberation Front, is quite possibly the strongest organization in the world of My Hero Academia. Their strength likely surpasses that of the Hero Association. With 100,000+ members led by 9 Lieutenants, this organization is certainly a threat to the peace that All Might worked extremely hard to create.

Their leader, Shigaraki Tomura, is one of the strongest characters in the entire series right now and his powers are only going to grow once his 'special' surgery is completed. Undoubtedly, the League of Villains is more than likely to see their goals come true.

NEXT: My Hero Academia: 10 Weakest Quirks (So Far)

The DC multiverse is built up of a vast array of multiple Earths. There's an Earth for literally everything and many DC stories have benefited from visiting a completely different reality in order to have a different take on these famous characters.

Sometimes, massive crossover events allow for the multiverse to combine a little, with characters from each reality meeting one another. Out there are some pretty wacky universes that we'd love to see more of, so here are ten of the funniest alternate realities in DC comics.

10 EARTH-95

The first Earth on this list is quite bizarre because of what our heroes must do to get there. It's an Earth that we've actually seen Jor-El and Lara go to in the past. These are obviously the parents of superman, making this story already a little weird.

However, the couple couldn't just travel to this dimension in a normal way. They had to enlarge their ship in order to get onto the Earth. We imagine this to be an alternate universe where everything is so much bigger than in our own reality, which is quite strange to grasp.

9 EARTH-97

Earth-97 was actually created when the Tangent Characters were designed. The Tangent comics line was a sub-brand of DC that took the iconic characters and gave them very different origins. It's a little like Marvel's Ultimate universe but full of more bizarre choices.

In this world, the Flash was actually a baby that was born in space, the Joker uses pranks to actually take down the elite and there's even a race of people called the Sea Devils which are a little like Atlanteans. The whole place is just very odd!

8 EARTH-148

We've seen how DC has used the concept of Dark Universes to turn their heroes into villains. Earth-148 takes this idea a little, but creates a bizarre cast of characters from it. This is a reality where heroes such as Batman and Superman are actually evil.

But the heroes that take their place are not the big characters you'd expect or alternate versions of the likes of the Flash and Wonder Woman. They are instead random villains such as Mirror Master and Clayface who are using their powers for good!

7 EARTH-183

Superman has had some rather odd origins over the years. Some of them have turned into really successful comic runs such as the Red Son storyline that everyone loves. Usually, though, the alternate versions of Superman will still end up being heroic.

That is the case for Superman on Earth-183. However, there's a bit of a difference in the way in which this Clark Kent was brought up. He actually landed in a jungle and is raised, quite bizarrely, by apes! He becomes Karkan Lord of the Jungle.

6 EARTH-235

Earth-235 is home to the Realworlds stories that DC started to develop. This is a world where superheroes don't exist in the traditional sense that we may expect. But it's also an Earth where there's plenty of heroic inspiration for people to fight crime.

As the real name suggests, this is supposed to be a reality very close to our own. Real-life people start dressing up as classic superheroes and fighting crime in their own way. It's kind of hilarious to see these weird cosplays although inspirational in another sense.

5 EARTH-265

Earth-265 featured in an early Flash story and has the distinction of being one of the strangest planets on this list. The reality is completely different from what you may expect, due to the inhabitants of this version of Earth.

The planet isn't home to various versions of DC heroes as you may expect. Instead, the species there have evolved from Cetaceans or creatures like dolphins. They actually tried to invade the Flash's Earth but he, of course, stopped these creatures.

4 EARTH-387

The events of Earth-387 are completely identical to those that have happened on Earth one. There are similar world events including the world wars and even a concept of superheroes. So how can this be an alternate reality?, you ask.

Well, every single person on that planet, in that reality, are actually werewolves. There is no human species as we know it, but instead a range of wolf-like creatures that live in the same way we do. We have to say, this is the kind of Arrowverse Earth we could see as part of a Waverider trip.

3 EARTH-C

Earth-C and the variations of it including C Minus and Plus are drastically different from the other realities on this list. But they are probably even funnier because of the way in which these planets hold a place in the DC universe.

Every comics company seems to have fun with creating animal versions of their characters. Well, this is exactly what this universe brings into DC comics. The creatures of Earth-C are not humans but they are instead all animals with a superhero team of Captain Carrot and the Amazing Zoo Crew.

2 EARTH-I

Earth-I has actually appeared twice in DC comics because it has changed twice over time. There are two versions of it therefore and the second one is extremely technologically advanced. But that's not the funniest version of the reality.

The universe was actually in part create by Despero. The character wanted a reality that he could preside over and conquer. However, the results of his creation was a universe populated by insect-like creatures. It's a pretty strange place to visit.

1 EARTH-M

Despero also created another Earth, due to his intense level of power. However, he clearly wasn't very good at creating humanoid life forms and indeed, he doesn't look too much like a human himself.

The lives that populate this small reality are actually all aquatic. This water-based planet is probably ideal for a character like Aquaman, but we can't imagine any other characters doing too well on the hilariously poorly planned world. Despero needs to practice a bit more.

NEXT: Top 10 Most Powerful DC Multiversity Characters

It is unknown to many fans that many One Piece characters are actually based on real-life pirates. One Piece casuals would probably have never heard about it. The fans who have gone in-depth and looked at each and everything carefully would probably have an idea.

Oda has based several characters on real-life characters and many of them are pirates. In order to find out who's based on who, a lot of research needs to be done. Oda has used his skills brilliantly to bring the legends of these characters into One Piece. In this post, we will be taking a look at ten One Piece characters who are based on real-life pirates.

10 Blackbeard

Marshall D. Teach also known as Blackbeard, is the captain of the Blackbeard Pirates. He is the newest member of the Yonko. He became a Yonko after he defeated the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates. Marshall D. Teach has been inspired from the most famous real-life pirate, who was in fact named Blackbeard.

However, the name of the real-life Blackbeard was Edward Teach. So, Oda used the last name of the real-life pirate for Blackbeard in One Piece. This gave rise to Marshall D. Teach instead of Edward Teach.

9 Roronoa Zoro

One of the members of the Worst Generation, Roronoa Zoro is one of the most popular characters in the series. Zoro was the first person to join Luffy on his adventure of becoming the Pirate King. Zoro has the dream of achieving the title of 'World's Strongest Swordsman.'

Surprisingly, Zoro is also based on a real-life pirate named François l’ Ollonais. Zoro's surname is based on the Japanese pronunciation of the pirate captain. François l’ Ollonais was a famous pirate and he was active during the 1660s.

8 Charlotte Linlin

Charlotte Linlin is the captain of the Big Mom Pirates. She is better known as Big Mom. Charlotte Linlin used to be a member of the Rocks Pirates, which is one of the strongest crews in One Piece history. Linlin possesses the Soru Soru no Mi, that allows her to take the souls of other people.

She boasts of a bounty over 4 billion beris. Linlin is also capable of using all three types of Haki. Her name has been taken from two real-life pirates. The first is Charlotte de Berry, a pirate from England and the second is Charlotte Badger.

7 Jewelry Bonney

Jewelry Bonney is one of the more mysterious characters in One Piece. She is a member of the Worst Generation and the leader of Bonney Pirates. Her devil fruit allows her to alter the age of a person she touches. Neither the name nor the true power of this devil fruit has been revealed yet. Bonney is also based on a real-life pirate. The person she is based on is Anne Bonney.

Anne Bonney was a very famous female pirate who was active during the 18th Century. She was born a noblewoman, but clearly, the comfortable life wasn't for her, so she decided to be a pirate.

6 Edward Newgate

A former Yonko, Edward Newgate was known throughout the world as Whitebeard. He was considered the 'Strongest Man in the World.' He was called the 'King of Seas,' by Monkey D. Garp. There is no doubt that Whitebeard was among the top tier characters until the very end.

One of the main reasons behind his strength was his devil fruit. He had the Gura Gura no Mi, which allowed him to create quakes. Whitebeard's first name Edward has been taken from Edward Teach (aka Blackbeard). Edward Lowe is another famous pirate that could have inspired Oda to make Whitebeard.

5 Lafitte

Lafitte is one of the most trusted people of Blackbeard. He was originally a sheriff in a town in West Blue, but he was imprisoned for being too violent. After that, Lafitte joined the Blackbeard Pirates.

Currently, he's the captain of the fifth ship of the Blackbeard Pirates. Lafitte has been based on Jean Lafitte, who used to be a protector of law at one point in his life. However, he couldn't contain his hunger for action and money, so he decided to become a pirate. Jean Lafitte was active during the 1800s.

4 Eustass Kid

Eustass Kid is among the most notorious pirates in the series. Like Bonney, he too was a part of the Worst Generation. Eustass Kid is the captain of the Kid Pirates and he is among the strongest Supernovas. Kid's feats are second only to Luffy's and maybe Urouge's.

Kid was able to injure a Sweet Commander of the Big Mom Pirates. The fight was off-screen, so there aren't any details about it. Eustass Kid's surname has been taken from Eustace the Monk, who was a French pirate that was known as a mercenary. The name Kid was inspired by a Scottish pirate known as William Kidd, who was executed for his piracy.

3 Basil Hawkins

Basil Hawkins is the captain of Hawkins Pirates. Sometime after the time skip, he formed an alliance to beat Shanks with Eustass Kid and Scratchmen Apoo. In the end, Hawkins joined Kaido and became a headliner of the Beasts Pirates. Basil Hawkins possesses the Wara Wara no Mi, which allows him to control straw. The devil fruit has a unique ability of creating dolls and storing them inside their own body.

These dolls represent other humans and if the user were to be attacked, the damage would be transferred to the dolls(that represent the people). Hawkins' surname Basil has been taken from a real-life pirate named Basil Ringrose, who is known for his buccaneering as well as his writing skills. The name Hawkins has been from another pirate named John Hawkins, who is known for his navigation skills.

2 Silvers Rayleigh

The first-mate of the Roger Pirates finds himself next on the list. Silvers Rayleigh used to be a part of one of the strongest crews to ever sail the Grand Line. Despite having no devil fruit power, Rayleigh is considered to be among the strongest characters in the series.

With age Rayleigh's abilities have deteriorated, but he is still capable of going up against a Navy Admiral. Rayleigh is very likely based on two people. The first is an Englishman named Sir Walter Rayleigh, who is known for his efforts to bring tobacco usage into the mainstream in English society, and the other one is Long John Silver, a fictional character from Treasure Island.

1 X-Drake

X-Drake is a headliner of the Beasts Pirates. He is actually one of the Flying Six, who are the six strongest headliners. X-Drake possesses an ancient mythical zoan type devil fruit known as Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Allosaurus.

He has good control over his devil fruit considering he was able to break into the top 6 headliners. Drake is also capable of using Armament Haki. He is very likely based on Sir Francis Drake, who was an English pirate and a well-known explorer of the Elizabethan era.

NEXT: Top 10 Zoan Users in One Piece Ranked According to Strength

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for X-Force #2, by Benjamin Percy, Joshua Cassara, Dean White, VC’s Joe Caramagna, and Tom Muller, on sale now.

For a little while, the Dawn of X era seemed to be going pretty well for the X-Men. Under Charles Xavier’s leadership and quiet guidance from Moira MacTaggert, mutants successfully established an independent nation on the island Krakoa that was officially recognized by the rest of the world. They even developed a process to revive their fallen mutant comrades to replenish the depleted ranks of mutantkind.

However, the X-Men’s plans went severely off course in X-Force #1, when Xavier was assassinated and dozens of other mutants were killed by a squad of commandos. While that team still hasn’t even been officially named, the X-Men began to untangle the secrets of the strike force in X-Force #2.

With their hi-tech tactical gear, the commandos bear a striking resemblance to the Reavers, a group of cybernetically-enhanced villains with a serious grudge against the X-Men. As the X-Men’s genius Sage studies one of the assassins, she notes the resemblance, and the script of the digital X-Force #1 Director's Cut even identifies one member of the group as “Reaver.”

However, these assassins aren’t like any kind of Reavers the X-Men have ever faced. Where those villains had relatively simple mechanical augmentations, these superhuman assassins were designed to be the perfect covert killing machines. On top of their beyond-Olympian level physiques, these augmented humans had explosive putty in their teeth, cartilage that could be turned into razor-sharp wire and a claw-like bone hidden in their forearms.

Most importantly, they all also had skin grafts from the X-Men’s Domino. Although her mutant powers usually give her unusually good luck, she was captured while investigating the group. With her skin grafts, the assassins were able to bypass Krakoa’s automated sensors and parachute onto the island undetected in X-Force #1. The skin grafts may have even granted those assassins a portion of Domino’s probability-manipulating abilities.

While looking for Domino and some answers of their own, Wolverine and Quentin Quire discovered that these assassins were being genetically engineered in an old printing press.

After an exceptionally bloody battle with several half-finished bodies, the two X-Men discover Domino, who’s had half of her skin flayed off to be grafted onto the assassins.

While the Reavers and plenty of other X-villains have twisted themselves into superhumans with horrific results, these assassins were built with visceral augmentations that blur the line between living beings and biotech machines. In a sense, that makes them the perfect antagonists for this moment in the X-Men’s world. Mutants like X-Force’s Black Tom or New Mutants’ Mondo have used their powers to interact with Krakoa in ways that blur the line between the individual and the sentient natural world.

In the same way that Moira has been guiding mutantkind from the shadows, these assassins also have a benefactor who’s successfully stayed in the shadows.

According to a data page in the issue, the assassins’ benefactor may have used the alias Phineas Hook to lure Domino into an investigation. With shell companies that funneled money to anti-mutant causes and coded messages through innocuous actions in his daily life, Hook was a perfect target for Domino to covertly investigate.

Domino’s investigation ultimately brought her face-to-face with an unidentified peacock-themed villain. When Jean Grey tried to read one of the assassin’s minds in this issue, she merely found static that mimicked his peacock designs.

While it’s not clear who these assassins are or who their leader truly is, they’ve already proven themselves to be serious threats by successfully dealing a crippling blow to Krakoa. Even if X-Force is starting to gain ground against the villains, the X-Men’s newest enemies have already outsmarted the team once, and they could be ready to strike again.

X-Force #3 releases Dec. 11.

KEEP READING: X-Men: How Dawn of X Separated Psylocke and Kwannon for Good

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Season 15 of Supernatural.

Following Supernatural's resident witch queen, Rowena, nobly sacrificing herself to seal the rupture God caused between Hell and Earth, Sam and Dean were left bereft of not only an enemy-turned-friend but also their trump magical card. The episode "Golden Time," however, provided an unexpected solution to this problem. Supernatural's new witch supreme is none other than Sam Winchester.

Sam's ascension was predicated by the sudden reappearance of Eileen Leahy, a Deaf hunter who was ripped apart by a Hellhound in Season 12 thanks to Arthur Ketch (another of the Winchester's adversaries-turned-allies). Thanks to the rupture, Eileen -- like millions of other souls -- was unleashed from her subterranean prison. Once the damage was re-sealed, she found herself stuck between two awful choices: return to the torturous realm of demons or aimlessly wander Earth and eventually go mad; a fate that the similarly returned spirit of Kevin Tran warned would happen. Eileen sought the help of Sam and Dean, with the latter suggesting they cook up another Soul Catcher to house her spirit.

While this private jail cell wasn't ideal, Sam agreed to take Eileen to Rowena's apartment to source the materials the ritual requires. There, he stumbled on something even better: the resurrection spell that the ancient witch began working on after the Nephilim Jack "disappeared" Mary Winchester. Upon learning that Sam and Dean's mother was content in Heaven -- the best possible outcome for a hunter -- Rowena put the spell to one side but, spurred on to do some good after a spate of heavy losses, Sam excitedly got to work on completing it for use on Eileen instead, and was even more excited when a newly-revived Eileen appeared in front of him. Resurrection, as you'd expect, is no mean feat. In the world of Supernatural, only archangels and those on the level of God and Death can pull it off unaided. That's the level of magical competency Sam has just achieved.

Sure, you could argue that Rowena did most of the heavy lifting, but the fact that Sam had the know-how and skill required to finish the work of the world's most powerful witch shouldn't be underestimated. In fact, according to the mother of the trio of witches who try to ransack Rowena's apartment in the episode, the spell is so rarified it has a one-time use, as Billie (Death) would become wise to this "loophole" straight away. In "The Rupture," Rowena even claims that Sam "is the closest thing to a witch" the group has other than herself. And, as more proof of Sam's solo sorcery acumen, when he, Dean and Eileen face-off against the family coven, Sam whips up his own hex bag on the spot and uses it to deadly effect. While Sam won't be able to repeat Rowena's invented incantation, there's nothing to say he couldn't come up with one of his own should he continue to develop his burgeoning witchcraft career.

Though it's might seem like an unexpected development, Sam becoming Rowena's protégé hasn't come out of nowhere. It's revealed in "Golden Time" that Sam is the only person Rowena made immune to the anti-intruder curse that she placed on her home, which is as good as naming him the sole heir of her entire library of magical items and books. Rowena also forcibly made Sam the one to kill her -- as was divined by Billie -- which, in a kind of gruesome way, cemented the bond that had been slowly building up between them as Rowena's self-serving nature gave way to something more altruistic. (A certain section of the Supernatural fandom has even gone so far as to interpret their chemistry as having romantic potential.)

Even before Rowena came along, Sam has long had a greater affinity for lore and magic than Dean, the more action-oriented of the pair, who has labeled his younger brother a "walking encyclopedia of weirdness" in the past. As well as memorizing numerous Latin incantations for use in the field, we've seen Sam perform all kinds of high-level spells across Supernatural's 15 seasons, from summoning and banishing low-level gods; combusting witches; "curing" demons; creating special bullets for the Colt; using Sigils to downgrade Lucifer and even sealing interdimensional tears in reality. Really, resurrection magic is just the crowning achievement.

The unfortunate circumstances of Sam effectively becoming the team's Rowena stand-in shouldn't go unnoticed, though. With the exception of Castiel, none of the Winchester's allies have long life expectancies, but women are especially at risk of suffering grim fates, which we're only reminded of by Eileen's reentry. Rowena's loss isn't just a loss in-universe: next to Jody Mills and, formerly, Mary Winchester, she was the most prominent female character on the show, as well as the strongest. It's a real shame that she had to fall in order for Sam to rise, though -- as is always the case on Supernatural -- there is still some wiggle room for her to make a return.

Until that happens, Sam has little choice but to fully embrace his inherited title as Supernatural's new mightiest mage. After all, with Chuck (God) still gunning for them, the brothers really need some serious magical firepower.

Airing Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, the final season of Supernatural stars Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins and Alexander Calvert.

KEEP READING: Supernatural: God’s Biblically Evil Plan For Sam & Dean Is Revealed

At last, Supergirl's Lena Luthor has a role to play in this year's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover event -- and actor Katie McGrath couldn't be happier about it.

"It's been kind of nice because every year I'm never involved, and I've always felt a bit left out because it's always such a huge thing and a big deal and kind of very special because obviously so much of everything leads up to it," McGrath told TV Guide. "And to be involved in it this year I was like, 'Oh, I kind of feel like part of the gang.' I felt very flattered actually... It is insane what they have managed."

In fact, it appears Lena will play a critical role in the events of "Crisis on Infinite Earths." According to the episode description for "Part One," J'onn J'onzz and Alex Danvers will go to Lena for help in an effort to save the people of their Earth:

The Monitor (guest star LaMonica Garrett) sends Harbinger (guest star Audrey Marie Anderson) to gather the worlds' greatest heroes - Supergirl (Melissa Benoist), The Flash (guest star Grant Gustin), Green Arrow (guest star Stephen Amell), Batwoman (guest star Ruby Rose), White Canary (guest star Caity Lotz), The Atom (guest star Brandon Routh) and Superman (guest star Tyler Hoechlin) - in preparation for the impending Crisis. With their worlds in imminent danger, the superheroes suit up for battle while J'onn (David Harewood) and Alex (Chyler Leigh) recruit Lena (Katie McGrath) to help them find a way to save the people of Earth-38.

"Crisis on Infinite Earths" begins Sunday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Supergirl, then continues in Batwoman on Monday, Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and in The Flash on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. After the winter hiatus, the crossover will conclude on Tuesday, Jan. 14 in Arrow at 8 p.m. ET/PT and in DC's Legends of Tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

KEEP READING: Supergirl Reveals What Really Killed The Dinosaurs In The Arrowverse