Strolling Through The (Theme) Park One Day: Knott’s 100th Anniversary!

Knott’s Berry Farm is celebrating its 100th Anniversary and this is ending soon on Labor Day!  The anniversary started on May 21st and celebrating Walter and Cordelia Knott founding the theme park.  Mrs. Knott’s famous fried chicken dinner had such a long wait, they built the Ghost Town to keep diners interested before they would eat.  No reservations needed now!  There are several meet and greets, Boysen Bear-y and Whittles, didn’t see them, and the Knott’s Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair attraction.  It may have been that I was too early for character apperances.  I already covered Bear-y Tales: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2021/05/strolling-through-theme-park-knotts_13.html.  The first attraction I went for was riding “The Galloping Goose”, the sign read it is one of seven made in the 1930’s.  The lead engine looks like an old-time automobile with cars on the railroad track.  The other train is the Grand Sierra Railroad which was resting on the other side of the tracks.  The best part, also something you won’t encounter at other train rides, is a robbery!  This is a fun experience. 

                                                                                 Knott’s 100th Anniversary, Knott’s Berry Farm, photo by the author.

Next was another ride on Knott’s Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair.  Knott’s Scary Farm is returning so there was also the Into the Fog: A Scary Farm Tribute.  We also covered that store display at Knott’s Fall-O-Ween: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2020/10/strolling-through-theme-park-knotts.html.  This is a nice tribute store with the 100th Anniversary.  There was some grey pumpkins and the atmosphere is spooky with the music.  There was some standout artwork; “Until Death” by Shay Larby and an illustration by Lilli Goldschmidt, “The Marriage Massacre” both featuring ghostly brides.  You can buy prints for $10 and there are also mini-prints and items at the front of the display.  There was also a series of what looks like comic book covers, “PI Comics” by Michael "Thrash" Ornelas, love them!  There are skeletons around the park that are set up for Scary Farm.  I was able to take in the stage show, “Happiness Is…” with the Peanuts gang.  It’s a very fun show, but I only stopped by for one number, I hope this show returns!    

                                                                                                Happiness is… stage show, photo by the author. 

My objective for this trip was to see the photo ops for the 100th Anniversary!  The first was the Haunted Shack, I had to ask a worker where they are located, it had opened in Ghost Town in 1954 and closed in 2000.  It was the go-to whenever I stopped by at Knott’s, it was free at one time, you just walked in and had fun with attractions like the shack.  It had some optical illusions that looked supernatural.  The facade is there, right in front of the Boothill Cemetary at Ghost Town.  A bucket pours water into a barrel outside.  The photo op is a window outside that you can set your camera and take the pic inside with people at different places in the Haunted Shack to be taller or smaller!  The next one was Kingdom of the Dinosaurs which replaced Knott’s Bear-y Tales in 1987, but closed in 2004.  I was so upset at the Bear-y Tales closure that I never went on the new ride. The photo op is on the other side of the Bear-y Tales entrance by Johnny Rockets.  There is an interesting T-Rex, a returned part of the ride?, so it is a nice photo-op.    

                                                                                                    Haunted Shack photo-op, photo by the author.

The next photo op ride was by the Sky Cabin which is still there, but it also had an attraction, the Parachute Sky Jump!  The photo op is next to Coast Rider.  It opened in 1974 with the Sky Cabin and made its last jump in 1999.  You went up 20 stories in a metal cage, people in the Sky Cabin would look at you through the window, and then you drop!  I remember going up and then at the drop my knees were uncontrollably knocking together!  The last one is still one of my favorite rides, Wacky Soap Box Racers!  This was at the site where Xcelerator is located.  The photo op is right at the exit of Supreme Scream.  Wacky Soap Box Racers replaced Motorcycle Chase in 1980 and was an improvement since it has Saturday Morning-type characters.  The ride closed in 1996.  It is basically the old steeplechase coasters with four tracks that you would compete against other racers.  I just remember at the end was an explosion in a warehouse before you return.  These were all great nostalgic rides and photo ops.  I ended the day at Pan for Gold, because you don't want all of that gold lying around do you?  There is so much fun to have at Knott’s 100th Anniversary, remembering all of the rides, going on one that returned, and of course eating that delicious chicken!    

#KnottsBerryFarm, #Knotts100, #HauntedShack, #KingdomOfTheDinosaurs, #SkyJump, #WackySoapBoxRacers.  

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Review!

Shang-Chi has the crowd pleasing action and humor, but needs more heart and a consistent story to deliver a powerful MCU film!  It is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and he last directed and co-wrote the legal drama, Just Mercy (2019).  The story is from Cretton and David Callaham who also wrote the screenplay for Wonder Woman 1984 (2020).  The screenplay is by Cretton, Callaham, and Andrew Lanham and he was one of the co-writers for Just Mercy.  It begins with a flashback showing a warlord (Tony Lueng) taking his army and he fights alone against an army protecting its castle.  Leung is a master actor in Chinese cinema and starred as Ip Man in The Grandmaster (2013), which you should see if you want to see some impressive martial arts action and drama.  We later find that his name is Xu Wenwu.  He uses the power of his Ten Rings to defeat them with his troops engaging the rest.  So he would be Lord of the Ten Rings?  Is Shang-Chi Frodo?  The original rings from comics' Mandarin were rings for his fingers, these are similar to the iron rings used in martial arts that fit on the arms. 

He searches for a village, Ta Lo, that is protected by a woman Ying Li (Fala Chen) who bests him.  Chen appeared in the thriller mini-series, The Undoing (2020).  The location appeared in Thor #301 (1980).  Then, Ying falls for him even though she knows his ambition and power.  She changes him from being a conqueror.  This goes on to the present day when they have a child.   We start off with the perspective of the villain, but we know it concerns Shang-Chi.  The character of Shang-Chi, known as the Master of Kung Fu, was created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin in Special Marvel Edition #15 (1973).  He started as a son of Fu Manchu, but this had touchy racial overtones, and was changed in the comics to Zheng Zu, but this is again changed by this film.  Another story problem, he runs a mercenary operation, but S.H.I.E.L.D. has no record of him, historical or otherwise, and doesn’t investigate in Asia.  Their happiness is disturbed by an attack by Iron Gang members, rivals to the Ten Rings, and Ying sends her children to safety.  She is killed before Wenwu returns so she can defeat Wenwu who has taken on an entire army with his rings and is overwhelmed by a gang who doesn't have rings?    

He has his son (Jayden Zhang) train with a Kabuki masked Death Dealer (Andy Le) leaving his daughter, Sialing, (Elodie Fong) just to watch.  Le also appeared in the martial arts comedy The Paper Tigers (2020).  The character originated in the comics with Master of Kung Fu #115 (1982).  Is the Death Dealer also immortal, a mysterious line of assassins, or also have magical powers?  Never answered.  The Death Dealer is brutal in training the warlord’s son.  The name of this villain is actually the title of a character in a Frank Frazetta painting and also used in the Underworld film series.  Wenwu sends his now teenage son, 14 years old (Arnold Sun), to kill his rivals who murdered his wife.  He tells his sister that he will return in three days, but he leaves after the mission to escape his father.  Now, in San Francisco, the man (Simu Liu) wakes up, some of the female audience were excited seeing this and he is known as Shaun getting ready for work.  It is apparent that this is Shang-Chi as an adult.  Liu had starred as Jung in the comedy series Kim’s Convenience.  He does as much as he can with the character including fight scenes, but I think Liu needs more feature films in his CV to bring out more of his screen presence.  

“Shaun” sees a postcard with a dragon drawing.  He has a job with his friend, Katy (Awkwafina).  She was also in the action movie, Jumanji: The Next Level (2019).  Katy is of course the comic relief pointing out some absurdities and trying to be as much of a hero as she can, but most of her jokes are standard Marvel asides.  Katy takes off in the sports car dropped off by a customer and they go racing.  Later, they meet with some friends and then go singing karaoke.  They go over to see Katy’s family to get some breakfast, there is her mother, Mrs. Chen (Jodi Long), Ruihua (Dallas Liu), her brother, and also her grandmother, Waipo (Tsai Chin).  There are a number of roles for Chin, but I think I remember her the most in The Joy Luck Club (1993).  Shaun and Katy take the connected bus (it is two vehicles connected together) to work as car valets at a hotel.  Their connected bus ride is interrupted by Ten Ring assassins who are looking for his jade pendant that was given by his mother.  They are led by Razor Fist (Florian Munteanu) whose comic character was introduced in Master of Kung Fu #29 (1975).  Munteanu played Viktor Drago in Creed II (2018).  

He can extend an energy blade from the metal housing on his forearm.  The bus battle has good fighting with CG backgrounds.  Recording the battle and making Shang-Chi social media famous as Bus Boy is Klev (Zach Cherry) who was in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017).  Katy takes the wheel of the bus going all Sandra Bullock and Razor Fist severs the two halves of the bus.  They are able to defeat the Ten Rings, save the civilians, and also the jade necklace.  Shang-Chi decides to head to Macau, the address on the postcard, to find his sister.  Katy of course joins him.  At a seedier side of Macau, west of Hong Kong, they get to an underground fight club, The Golden Daggers Club.  They see fighters are smashed against the walls of cells.  The promoter is Jon Jon played by Ronny Chieng, three actors from Crazy Rich Asians (2018)!  Chieng was also in Godzilla vs. Kong this year.  Jon Jon takes them to the main ring which features the Abomination from Incredible Hulk (2008) who has a redesign with aquatic flaps on his head.  His opponent is Wong (Benedict Wong) who is also in the fourth episode of What If…?  The next fight is Shang-Chi and his opponent whom he fights so Jon Jon will take him to see Xu Xialing.  

He eventually does get to see Xu Xialing (Meng’er Zhang) who is still angry at her brother for leaving her behind.  Zhang is a theatrical actress and this is her first film.  In the comics, Shang-Chi did have a sister, Zheng Shi-Hua, who was raised with him, but then sent away.  She became Sister Hammer and first appeared in Shang-Chi #1 (2020).  The Ten Rings and Death Dealer take the jade necklace and bring them to Xu Wenwu.  He plans to return to Ta Lo to avenge Ying Li’s death.  At the village is also Ying Nan played by Michelle Yeoh.  The actress, one of the finest martial arts perfomers, is also in this year’s Gunpowder Milkshake.  There are mystical creatures around the Ta Lo area, one creature that first appeared in Thor #229 (1974).  One strange beastie, a dìjiāng, is a companion to the mystery MCU character.  They are rumored before the characters reach Ta Lo, but this really opens up the MCU to magic, which was a pseudo-science in Thor and just dimensional in Doctor Strange.  Now it is full blown Lord of the Rings.  The ending is a full CG fest.  The film has the usual mid and post credit scenes that may place Shang-Chi in with the rest of the MCU.  Shang-Chi has a mostly Asian cast with main character heroes and villain, but holds mostly to the Marvel Studios formula which most fans will like!   

Three Rings out of Five (this would be one arm of Rings)! 

#ShangChi, #DestinDanielCretton, #SamuiLiu, #Awkwafina, #TonyLeung, #FalaChen, #MengerZhang, #MichelleYeoh, #FlorianMunteanu, #AndyLe

The Outpost, “The Pleasing Voice of the Masters”, Review!

The Outpost, last episode, had Talon, Luna, and Naya find the skevicor key, leaving the Reliquary,  and then facing all of the Masters riding up on horseback!  Again, another new Outpost character, Luna (Maeve Coutier-Lilley) has enough moments thinking back to when she lost her sister, that makes her an excellent addition to the cast.  Talon tells Naya to run once the battle has begun, she was good with a bow last episode.  Luna takes her sword.  The newly awakened Kultor throws a fireball at Luna.  Tobin appears and slashes Vorta.  Naya appears on horseback and takes away the wounded Luna.  A fireball is thrown at Tobin by Kultor.  Talon is struck by the staves of two of the Masters.   At the lab, Wren and Janzo check on 313’s naviaspore wounds.  Tobin suddenly appears at the lab.  He looks at 313 and draws his sword.  Tobin uses his zinj to teleport back.  Janzo tells Wren that 313 could be helpful with the skelikor key.  Tobin returns to the Reliquary and sees the sword with Blackblood.  Zed runs into Nedra waring a dress.  She admits to wanting to try on the dress and notices that Zed is staring at her and smiles.  Yup, she’s a woman, but Nedra says he always saw her only as a fighter. 

THE OUTPOST -- “The Pleasing Voice of the Masters” -- AARON FONTAINE  --  Photo: Aleksandar Letic/NBCU International -- 2021 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment.

Garret examines the key with a table of Janzo, Wren, and Zed, an Outpost Council?  Wren and Janzo question that Garret calls 313’s people, an army.  Zed admits that he is on the side of Janzo and Wren.  Garret gives them three days to figure out the key before it is destroyed!  Talon wakes up in chains at the Masters’ chamber.  She hears about the other Masters; Golu, Aster, and Levare.  Vorta wants to wait to awaken the Betrayer.  Talon pulls at her chains and Tera says that the Masters want to take her world!  Tobin ports back and sees Garret throwing down her sword.  He has lost Talon and tells Garret that she said the Masters wouldn’t kill her.  Of course, her zinj would be free, leading me to thinking that she could open a portal and somehow trap them in the Plane of Ashes!   Garret tries to run after Talon, but Tobin tells him about the Zinj of the Masters.  Night in the woods, Naya checks on Luna still wounded and vows to save Luna.  The stakes are so high for this episode.  Munt checks on the contemplative Tobin staring at the fireplace.  Munt admits that he saw no life without his mother, the Mistress, but she told him to take care of Janzo.  

At the tomb, Janzo checks the key at the coffin, Tobin wants to destroy it.  The coffin contains the Betrayer?  Did he use Talon’s kinj to trap the other Masters from the Plane of Ashes?   Tobin orders Janzo to destroy it, but Janzo defies him!  He leaves and puts Garret in charge of watching over Wren and Janzo.  Morning, Janzo asks 313 about his time in the cocoon, where he was sleeping, and continues eating his soup. He asks if his people lived with the Blackbloods.  313 says he only lived in a world with his people and the Masters.  313 goes to look at a jar of what Janzo says is a night beetle.  Janzo asks him about the naviaspore and realizes they are kinjes!  A revolt of 313’s people may overwhelm Vorta if they are connected.  At the coffin’s chamber, 313 calls it the Chamber of the Masters and calls his people the Kahvi, Janzo thinks the key can be used to waken the Kahvi.  313 says they were put to sleep when their world died and would wake in paradise, the world of The Outpost is not exactly paradise, but there are some fun people there.  He says the Plane of Ashes was a green world, so the Masters may have destroyed it?, and may do the same with this world!  Garret takes Janzo aside to say that the Kahvi are dangerous.  He reminds Janzo that he has to destroy the key.  Janzo sends 313 with Garret.   

THE OUTPOST -- “The Pleasing Voice Masters” -- ANAND DESAI-BAROCHIA, IZUKA HOYLE, MAEVE COURTIER-LILLEY, ADAM JOHNSON   -- Photo: Aleksandar Letic/NBCU International -- 2021 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment.

Janzo goes to the town square with Wren and then sees Luna, deathly ill, and Naya!  Wren is surprised by Naya.  Janzo sets Luna on a table and sees she has an infection.   He has Wren get concentrate that he says “taste like Munt’s sweat”, ack!  Janzo introduces Naya, his former lover and sister, to Wren.  Naya tries to explain the situation and is happy that she is going to be an aunt.  Uncomfortable situations all the way through, but Janzo seems to be taking it well, no fainting here.  Janzo says they only have to worry about Luna’s fever.  He has Wren take Naya to be “cleaned up” especially her wounds.  Night at The Outpost, Luna wakes up and hears voices, she talks and also wakes up Janzo.  Wren joins them and Luna continues to hear the voices from the key.  Wren says to Janzo that Luna is a Dragman!  They have Luna write down what she has heard from the voices.  Wren brings up Janzo hiding his sister.  Luna touches the key and says the sequence of Master names starts with Janya.  Janzo heads to the prison to see 313 and brings up if the Kahvi would all waken without the naviaspore, no connection to Vorta, 313 doesn’t say it, but they would have to adjust, and would be like him.  Janya and Kultor call Talon the “carrier of the Betrayer” and the “child of the Betrayer”, because she holds his kinj?  Janya strikes Talon with her staff.  

Garret and Tobin enter to find the key, Luna hears the voices screaming, and runs to hear the blacksmith trying to hammer the key.  Tobin gets a vision of Talon screaming and also Zed, she is set on fire by Kultor!  Vorta says she wants them to return or Talon will die.  Zed starts to run and Tobin tells Garret and Luna about Talon.  Tobin meets with everyone that tells them that Talon is at the Capitol.  He wants to use his zinj to free Talon.  Munt hugs Naya who says her goodbye to Wren.  Luna, her outfit looks nice with the addition of yellow to her tunic, all brown is too drab, hugs Naya to also thank her.  Then, Naya hugs her brother.  A nice moment as Naya is taken away in a cart.  They outfit Tobin in armor.  He gives Garret his ring and authority.  Tobin zinjs away while Talon’s back is crisped by Kultor.  She sees the glowing yellow crystals on Vorta’s hand.  Tobin appears, cuts Talon free, and stays behind to delay the Masters.  Couldn’t he zinj them away?  Talon fights with Janya, Tobin ports behind Kultor and slashes him!, and then Vorta brings down a rock trapping Tobin.  He zinj ports and slashes Janya, double Master slayer!  Tera runs his staff through Tobin and then uses his zinj!  A brave act and another cast member, farewell Tobin Aegisford, Aaron Fontaine!  I hope there is some magic or memory that can bring the fallen back, I would like to see the Mistress, Elinor (Robyn Malcolm), Marshall Wythers (Andrew Howard), Gwynn (Imogen Waterhouse), Queen Falista (Georgia May Foote), and King Tobin, one last time.  

Five Daggers out of Five! 

#TheOutpost, #ThePleasingVoiceOfTheMasters, #AaronFontaine, #RobynMalcolm, #AndrewHoward, #ImogenWaterhouse, #GeorgiaMayFoote   

Happy Birthday Keanu Reeves!

Happy Birthday Keanu Reeves!  He started in television and appeared in the hockey drama Youngblood (1986) playing the goalie Heaver. Next, he was in th drama, River’s Edge (1986) before playing Chevalier Danceny in Dangerous Liasons (1988) based on the Choderlos de Laclos’ novel.  Then, he took the iconic part as Ted Theodore Logan, part of the time traveling duo in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989).  Reeves had another memorable part as Johnny Utah in the action movie Point Break (1991) directed by Kathryn Bigelow.  He returned to explore the afterlife in Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991).   Reeves was also in the drama My Own Private Idaho (1991) written and directed by Gus Van Sant.   Next, he was Jonathan Harker in the horror film, Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992).  He was in the Shakespearean adaptation, Much Ado About Nothing (1993) directed by Kenneth Branagh.  The Bernardo Bertulucci film, Little Buddha (1993), displayed to me Reeves acting ability playing Siddhartha.  

Then, he had another strong role as Jack Traven in the action movie Speed (1994).  Next, he had the lead in the sci fi film, Johnny Mnemonic (1995), with a script by William Gibson, the cyberpunk author.  He matched wits with Al Pacino’s John Milton in The Devil’s Advocate (1997).  Another iconic part was playing Neo in The Matrix (1999), a sci fi masterpiece that combined cyberpunk, martial arts, written and directed by the Wachowskis.  The next films of The Matrix Trilogy were filmed back to back with The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and Neo embraced his destiny in The Matrix Revolutions (2003).  He followed up the trilogy playing John Constantine taking on supernatural threats in Constantine (2005) based on the comic book.  Reeves was in the computer animated drama, A Scanner Darkly (2006) directed by Richard Linklater and based on the Philip K. Dick novel.  He was the alien Klaatu in the sci fi remake, The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008).  

Keanu Reeves directed and starred in the martial arts action film, Man of Tai Chi (2013).  Reeves played Kai in the fantasy action movie, 47 Ronin (2013). Then, he was in another iconic part in the action film, John Wick (2014).  In 2015, Reeves played a husband faced with two unexpected visitors in the thriller Knock Knock.  Key and Peele’s comedy Keanu featured the voice of Reeves.  He returned as John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017).  Reeves played Tex in the comedy detective series Swedish Dicks (2016-2018).  Reeves returned as the title character in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019).  He played himself in the comedy Always Be My Maybe (2019).  Also, Reeves voiced Canadian stunt motorcyclist, Duke Caboom, in Toy Story 4 (2019).  In 2020, Reeves also returned as Ted `Theodore’ Logan in Bill & Ted Face the Music.  Also that year, Reeves voiced Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077.  He is writing along with Matt Kindt the comic book, Brzrkr.  He will also play Neo again in The Matrix Resurrections due to hit theaters in 2022.  Reeves also has the next John Wick movie. "I'm going to show them a world without you.  A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries.  A world where anything is possible."  Happy Birthday Keanu Reeves! 

#KeanuReeves, #TheMatrix, #ManOfTaiChi, #JohnWick3Parabellum, #ToyStory4, #Bill&TedFacetheMusic, #Brzrkr

Happy Birthday Ludwig Goransson!

 Ludwig Goransson’s birthday is today! He scored Ryan Coogler’s movies; Fruitvale Station (2013), Creed (2015), and of course Black Panther (2018) winning the Best Original Score Academy Award. Also, the Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for the film! He had scored Community, Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj, and of course, TheMandalorian getting an Emmy Award for the series, Outstanding Music Composition for a Series!  

                                                        Ludwig Goransson at the El Capitan Theater for Black Panther, 2018, photo by the author. 

He worked with Childish Gambino producing the albums; Camp (2011), Because the Internet (2013), and 3.14.20 (2020). The single “This is America” won Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap/Sung Performance, and Best Music Video at the Grammys. He is a well recognized composer for film and television and producer for Childish Gambino! Happy Birthday Ludwig Goransson!

What If…?, “Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?”, Review!

The Watcher notes that one choice can open up countless possibilties, we see a street with a sports car.  Out of it comes Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in his tux, he waits for a woman in a blue dress, Christine (Rachel McAdams).  She convinces Strange to go over his speech, but it is too dry.  Christine wants him to celebrate his new surgical operation.  Strange gets impatient waiting behind a truck and then swerves to overtake it, but of course in a lane of traffic!  He races past the other cars, but is rear-ended by a car that sends Strange’s car over a railing!  The car goes slamming down, Strange sees that Christine has died!, this fades.  The Watcher notes that the accident didn’t take away Strange’s use of hands and says instead he lost his heart.  Strange wanders the world and starts training as Master of Mystic Arts.  He reads about the Eye of Agamotto.  

Strange uses the Eye to reform an eaten apple, but he is discovered by Wong (Benedict Wong). They also see the Ancient One.  Strange stands over the covered body of the Ancient One.  Then, he meet with Dormamu.  Strange flashes back to a moment with Christine.  Wong warns Strange about the consequences.  He opens the Eye of Agamotto and transports himself back to his date with Christine.  Strange jokes about Christine’s game show walk to the podium and waits behind the truck.  Still, they are struck from behind by another car.  She has died a second time, Groundhog Day-style, and Strange again opens the eye to repeat the night again.  Again, they drive, shouldn’t he not drive with Christine?  He decides to bypass the bridge, and they get crushed by a truck at the side of the car. Another try.  Strange tries to get them to stay in, but Christine wants to go the dance.  Still, she collapses during the dance.  

Another Agamotto Shift, they are eating at a pizza restaurant.  A thug takes out a gun.  Strange tries again and again.  The factor is Christine, he can’t be there with her, Strange tries more times.  He leaves Christine at the hotel.  Then, Christine offers to drive, magain the reckless driver.  Strange could surround the car with the Crimson Bands of Cytorrak.  He is flung from the car and Strange yells in rage and pain. A light portal appears and out of it is the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton).  She says that the death of Dr. Christine is the catalyst that sends him searching of a mystic answer.  The Ancient One says that Christine’s death is an “Absolute Point” in time. He can’t change it. She insists that Strange not try to change and unchangeable time fixture.  Strange opens the Eye of Agamotto and the Ancient One wields two energy fans.  She sends a blast.  Strange revives and sees his white shirt with burn marks.  He encounters a man wearing a Chinese straw hat and a staff who just watches him. Strange says to him that he is looking for the Lost Library of Cagliostro. 

They reach a large temple structure and Strange notices that there is no door.  He teleports himself to the upper level.  A small, magical sign appears.  Strange continues on until finding a signs surround him and he falls, call on the Winds of Watoomb!  He meets the stranger who calls himself O’Bengh (Ike Amadi), the book librarian of Cagliostro.  Amadi is a voice actor who played M’Baku on the Avengers Assemble (2018-2019) animated series. Strange levitates all of the books until he finds the title Time Manipulation.  He reads that to break an Absolute Point requires power.  Strange will need to absorb power from others!  He summons a tentacled creature!  This seems to be the being, Shuma-Gorath, fully appearing in Marvel Premiere #10 (1973).  He is thrashed around by a tentacle from the Chuthlu-like being.  O’Bengh tends to Strange and warns him about what he is attempting.  He has blue and brown eyes.  There is a small, gnome-like creature that he absorbs and then a mystic raven creature.  More mystic beasts and Strange quickly loses his humanity.  Even magic has consequences.  

Four out of Five Eyes of Agamotto!   

#WhatIf, #Doctor StrangeLostHisHeartInsteadofHisHands?, #BenedictCumberbatch, #RachelMcAdams, #BenedictWong, #TildaSwinton, #OBengh, #IkeAmadi