Mike’s Blog Round-Up

"It's not about how much we lost, it's about how much we have left. We're the Avengers. We gotta finish this." — Avengers: Endgame
By driftglass — May 2, 2026

Having gone through bankruptcy in the 1990s and sold off its major characters for enough cash to survive, a financially shaky comic book company decided to stake much of its future on a $140 million movie about the origin of one of its second-tier characters -- a smug, generally obnoxious arms dealer -- with a script that had already been rewritten several times.

The movie: Iron Man, released on this day in 2008. It saved the company, grossed over $585 million worldwide, launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe, turned the once-uncommon post-credit scene into a strategic storytelling tool, and redefined how blockbusters are built.

But what would have happened if Iron Man had failed? That’s your video for today.

driftglass: 32.2 Feet Per Second Squared.

The Brad Blog: ‘86 47’ or ‘Weekend at Donnie’s’: ‘BradCast’ 4/30/2026.

The Status Kuo: Bursting Hegseth’s Bubble.

Attention space nerds! NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers capture sweeping Mars panoramas.

Round Up by driftglass of the Professional Left Podcast and Science Fiction University

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