Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2’s Images Bring Back Starkiller — In Bondage

The first ever images from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 are out, with that smoking hot secret apprentice, played by Sam Witwer. Are these chains representing Starkiller’s new struggles? And how the heck is this plot choice even possible? Seriously I need to know, how is this guy still around? The first video game…

The Secret Connection Between Iron Man 2 And Samurai Jack

Ben Snow of Industrial Light and Magic recently spoke about the CGI sleight of hand that went into Iron Man 2. He discussed the various armor designs and the movie’s ties to Cartoon Network’s classic cartoon Samurai Jack. Spoilers on! When asked about the much ballyhooed battle sequence between Iron Man, War Machine, and Justin…

Daniel Dae Kim: Sun And Jin’s Love Will Be Tested More Than Ever

Lost’s Sun and Jin have been through so much. Sun thought Jin was dead, and then they were separated for years. Now, at last, are their struggles over? Not so much, judging from our exclusive interview with Daniel Dae Kim. We spoke with Kim on the phone the other day, and we talked about Sun…

Secret Project Underway To Halt Global Warming With Geoengineering

A whistleblower has just reported on a secret organization in Australia called Bluebird, which is a heavily-funded geoengineering project to stop global warming. Now you can join the fracas by participating in the cool eco-thriller game called Bluebird. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is sponsoring the Bluebird alternate reality (AR) game, which is about a secretive…

Watch It: The Iron Man 2 Briefcase Suit Scene

Remember the briefcase-transforming Iron Man suit from the last 2 seconds of the recent trailer? Here’s a full minute of that scene. Spoiler alert: It’s totally awesome. https://gizmodo.com/new-iron-man-2-trailer-soooo-worth-it-just-for-the-la-5487928

The Phoenix: Why Isn’t There More Hippie-Buddhist-Disco Scifi on TV?

Starring Judson Scott — better known as the dude who stood next to Khan in Star Trek II — this gem from 1982 feels ahead of its time, out of its mind, and disco fabulous. It’s hard to imagine an opening-credits sequence that makes the hero of the show — an alien who got stuck…

Thomas M. Disch Predicted The Rise Of Sarah Palin

Philip K. Dick predicted virtual reality. But his close contemporary, Thomas M. Disch, predicted Sarah Palin. Writer David Auerbach explores Disch’s fascination with the apocalyptic heart of America. I. Disch, His Time, Our Time Thomas M. Disch (1940-2008) was a brilliant, ornery, and greatly American writer. He was best known for science-fiction, and three of…

Study Shows that Listening to Prayer Halts Brain Activity

A team of Danish researchers have found that when listening to a well-spoken person who claims to have divine healing powers, the regions of the brain responsible for skepticism and vigilance become less active. Using an MRI machine, Uffe Schjødt of Aarhus University in Denmark scanned the brains of 20 Pentecostal Christians and 20 non-believers…

What Inspired Brad Meltzer’s Superpowered Sex In Buffy Season 8?

During bestselling writer Brad Meltzer’s run on the Buffy The Vampire Slayer comic, Buffy discovered the shocking identity of supervillain Twilight — and had an even more shocking hook-up. We talked to Meltzer about his contributions to the Buffyverse. Spoilers… Novelist Brad Meltzer is no stranger to comics – indeed, he’s penned DC’s Identity Crisis…

Child’s Final Superheroic Wish Is The Greatest Thing You’ll Read Today

The Make-A-Wish Foundation made 13-year-old Erik Martin’s superhero dream a reality with a giant city-wide role playing scenario that incorporated all of Seattle. With the help of the Seattle Sounders, Spider-Man and a DeLorean, Electron Boy saved the day. Martin, who is living with liver cancer, always wanted to be a superhero, and the people…

Are These Leaked Lost Script Pages For Real?

An Italian site has uploaded six precious pages from the final episode of Lost, and it seems like a lot’s changed between now and then. Are they for real? Inside sources say yes. So what’s going to happen? Spoilers ahead… To be fair, we’re not 100 percent sure these script pages are for real. For…

Tell Us What These Post-Rapture Humans Are Saying And Win A Free Book

At long last, author Jim Munroe and illustrator Shannon Gerard are releasing Sword of My Mouth, the sequel to post-rapture graphic novel Therefore Repent! Now you can win a free copy by telling us what these guys are saying. Give us some dialogue for Gerard’s illustration in comments, and the top ten (as chosen by…

Scientists Discover Giant Asteroid Covered In Ice

24 Themis is one of the largest asteroids in the asteroid belt, and researchers recently discovered that it’s entirely coated in a thin layer of ice. It may be a remnant of the frozen space rocks that created Earth’s oceans. Last week, two articles in Nature described the discovery of water ice on 24 Themis.…

Full Piranha 3D Trailer Is A Bloody Beach Blanket Massacre

We can’t wait for Piranha 3-D’s ancient carnivores to start ripping the faces off unsuspecting Spring Breakers. Bring on the wet t-shirt contest, Eli Roth — you’re doomed. The full-length trailer also explains how 2-million-year-old piranhas resurfaced in Lake Victoria. Piranha 3-D will be released into the waters on August 27, 2010. [via Yahoo]

Why Literary Mavens Love Science-Fictional Ideas

What sort of speculative fiction content appeals to literary writers and editors? Clarkesworld’s Ryan Britt talked to editors at lit-mags Conjunctions and Opium, and a few literary authors. The key? Taking the speculative elements seriously, without too much earnestness. [Clarkesworld]

Superhero Gallery

Spring Season Wraps Up With Submarines, Pestilence, And Transdimensional Tourism

Iron Man 2 promotion hits a Wagnerian pitch this week, as its stars hit late night with a vengeance! Also, it’s the last week before your favorite shows begin summer vacation, and there are nature documentaries out the wazoo! MONDAY 5/3/10 On Chuck (8 PM, NBC, “Chuck Versus the Role Models”), the Turners, a married…

Mammoth Blood Brought Back to Life

Using ancient DNA from Siberian specimens, a team of Australian researchers have managed to resurrect the proteins of mammoth blood and figure out precisely how they survived such a hostile environment. Professor Alan Cooper, director of the Australian Center for Ancient DNA at the University of Adelaide, was the co-author of a study published in…

Tron Legacy Rolls Out The Light-Car

Move over light-cycles — this brand new Tron Legacy billboard shows the next evolution in virtual transportation: the light-car. [Yahoo]

Black Lois Lane and Other Comic-Book Offenders of Common Sense

Sometimes they’re just good ideas gone awry, other times they’re — apparently — willful screeds against an entire race. So, here are the Five Most Unintentionally Offensive Comic Book Characters. [Cracked]