It's been almost ten years and boy, let me tell you, the face of Marvel 2000 has never looked any different and yet so similar at the same time! The year 2008 boasted some innovative and exciting new titles and writers all across the imprints, as well as the return of several fan favorite titles from new comers and fan favorite writers alike. Unfortunately, some of our new friends haven't yet had the opportunity to win over the readers and voters this year, but if past reviews and the voting turnout this year are any indication, 2009 is definitely going to be their year!

This year, as Marvel 2000 marches on to its decade long anniversary, we celebrate the new and the old, the fresh and the familiar, and the future, present, and past. There's a sense of nostalgia in the air for some of us who have been apart the site for a long time now, a few of us since its very inception, and I hope the same excitement and fun that many of us are reflecting on is felt by our newest readers and writers as we celebrate The Ninth Annual Tookies!

2008
(THE NINTH ANNUAL TOOKIES)

Best Title

Amazing Spider-Man

Runners-Up: X-Men and Avengers West Coast (Tie)

Amazing Spider-Man has had its ups and downs at Marvel 2000 over the site’s run. There was me – Cory Wiegel – and my introduction to fanfic and the series, Mike Exner III’s clean-up of the inevitable mess that ensued, and then a period of sincere promise but major inconsistency as several writers tried their hands at the series but couldn’t make it beyond a few issues at most. Adnan Khan seemed like the most successful of those writers, but even he had difficulty when real life reared its ugly head.

A bleak period followed where it really seemed like the title would never be able to find a stable writer and direction that could cohesively tie every plot and run together, and there were even talks of rebooting the series. That is until one day, on a horse in a green tunic with a sword on his back and a fairy floating at his side, came the one and only Bryan Locke!  

Unlike no other writer at the site, Bryan has tackled the site’s most complicated continuity and flagship solo-hero to bring readers all over the fanfic community the greatest take on Spider-Man that we’ve seen in a very long time. Not only has Bryan untangled the continuity and utilized it masterfully as a foundation for his run on the series, but he has crafted a direction on the title that is truly worthy of the true Spider-Man mythos. From Bryan’s use of supporting characters to his incredible take on B-List villains, Amazing Spider-Man has gone from a stagnant and convoluted mess to Marvel 2000’s Best Title for 2008 and the flagship solo title of the site, and rightfully so! Congratulations, Bryan! Keep up the stellar and incredible work!!!

Best Hero

Doc Samson

Runner-Up: Captain America

He is one of the most under-appreciated heroes in comics, although he has been a part of the Hulk mythos since the early 1970s. Although he looks like a green-haired hippy, he’s actually a brilliant psychologist. And not just any psychologist—but also a hero! What are the odds?! I mean, you certainly don’t get the chance to see many shrinks on the positive side of the law in comics (thanks to Fred Wertham lo these many years ago!).

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m talking about Doc Samson. Doc’s always been one of those characters that I’ve liked, but he’s had little opportunity in the spotlight. He’s been knocked around by the Hulk and duped by Karla Sofen, but Anthony Crute (affectionately called Crutey by his fans) has been doing a bang-up job writing Doc Samson in his very own series. Crafting multi-layered stories that shift between murder mysteries and psycholanalysis, Anthony has made fandom stand up and take notice of the good doctor once again! And that’s a good thing!

And an honorable mention goes to the one and only Captain America. Certainly one of my favorites, he’s being written currently by our very own Steve Crosby. He’s been writing the living legend well and certainly deserves a shout-out. Both of you deserve the kudos! 

Signed,

Jeff Melton
(somewhere in Asgard)

Best Heroine

Black Widow

Runner-Up: Jubilee

Meriades Rai here to present Marvel 2000’s Best Heroine, 2008! Even as Real Marvel persists in treating so many of its female characters like dirt (alas, poor Wasp; Janet, you will be missed), we can always rely on fanfiction to pick up the slack. For Marvel 2000 last year heralded a high profile return for Natasha Romanova as she starred in five issues of her own Black Widow title (for the Heroes branch), five issues of 70s Champions and two issues of Marvel Team-Up (both for the Alternate branch), and has now been voted the first lady to waltz off with the group’s Best Heroine accolade twice!

Curt Fernlund (perhaps one of the most under-appreciated writers in the community; seriously, this guy is frighteningly talented) picked up the reins on the Widow’s solo title exactly a year ago, finishing up Jason Eberly’s Vegas storyline and then crafting a four-part thriller pitting Natasha against her would-be successor in the Widow’s webs, the delightfully disturbed Yelena Belova. Guest-starring secret agent Jimmy Woo, I’d recommend this sensational story arc to anyone with taste for stylish, Bourne Identity / Modesty Blaise action. Jeff Melton’s 70s Champions is also superb, evoking the four-colour fabulousness of one of comics’ heyday decades as the 1970s Black Widow shines against an insane array of veteran villainy from Graviton to the Red Guardian, with sub-plots aplenty (Ares! The Winter Soldier! Satana!) bubbling away in the background.

Natasha’s been around for 50 years (real time) but she’s still as fresh as ever. Hats off to M2K voters for honouring a character with such massive potential still to be tapped and here’s to an equally impressive 2009 for the one and only Black Widow! 

Best Villain

Foolkiller

Runner-Up: Ultron

Dave Golightly here, presenting the award for Best Badass. Any comic story is only as good as its villains. Sure, Spidey is great for a multitude of reasons, and Thor knows how to swing a hammer with the best of them, but it's the opposition these great heroes face that take the story to a higher level. M2K has a ton of fantastic villains running around causing havoc on a daily basis, but only one was chosen by the readers to bear the mantle of this particular award.

Bryan Locke has turned the dormant Spider-Man title at M2K around to be a fan-loved series. Part of that, I firmly believe, is his choice of villains. None have gotten the spotlight better than Bryan's rendition of Foolkiller. Not only did Bryan write the character into the main story for Spidey, but he has also been featured in several one-shots in the Max 2000 title.

Not only is the character getting the attention he deserves, but Bryan has written some great scenes to bolster Foolkiller's intimidation level. J. Jonah Jameson probably needs to change his pants after one specific scene shared with Foolkiller.

Congrats, Bryan! And congrat, Foolkiller! As Mr. T would say, "I pity the fool!"

Best Supporting Character

Moon Knight

Runner-Up: Betty Brant

Daniel Ingram here, esteemed writer of Excalibur and when I remember, Force Works, here to present best supporting character.

People really under estimate the importance of a supporting cast. Without a good supporting cast, the main guys just look like stiff, wooden guys you would like to smack if you ever met them on the street. Plus, they’re good for getting the main guys in trouble.

So with that in mind, it’s no wonder Moon Knight won best supporting character. He’s a street vigilante! He’s undead! And he picks fights with the Serpent Society! The caped crusader is a perfect fit for the Wacko’s quirky cast and it definitely shows.

So congrats Josh and Moon Knight, you win best supporting member!

Best Original Character

Kamau

Runner-Up: Ash Kennedy

So, seeing as how I - Josh Reynolds - have never had an original thought in my life, it's quite funny that I get to present the award for best original character. We don't get many of those in fanfic circles, so it's nice when one comes along. Especially one with a bit of staying power. I mean, the winner has been around for a whole FIVE issues, people! Think of it like dog years. I mean, so what if he hasn't even fought the Wrecking Crew-jobbers to the stars-yet? That makes him no less of an important character in the pantheon of four color gods that is M2K's block of Avengers titles-

What? He's not?

So what title is he-Excalibur?

Really? We have an Excalibur title?

Written by WHO?

Why was I not informed? Am I not an Editor? Am I-what? I'm not? Since when?

Well it's not like I meant to shoot you in the foot, Cory. I don't see why I should be blamed for-

I did WHAT to Dave?

Hunh. Well shut my mouth and call me Larry Hagman. So who's the runner up?

Ash Kennedy? What the hell is a-

Spider-Man? Spider-Man's not a-

I what? What do you mean I presented the award to him last year? Stop talking nonsense, Cory.

Who really won?

...

So that wasn't a medication induced hallucination? Not that I mix medications or anything like that because that would be wrong and I don't even take medications stop staring at me you stupid reptile people with your swollen purple eyes-

...

I'm fine. Just needed to even out with some new recipe nyquil. I'm cool.

Anyway, the winner is Kamau, the Kenyan badass brought to you fine readers courtesy of Dan Ingram and-I guess-Excalibur! And the runner-up is last year's winner, Ash Kennedy, who is apparently Spider-Man. I suppose.

Best Team

Avengers West Coast

Runner-Up: Excalibur

Yay! Pops champagne. Avengers are number one! Avengers are number one!

Nervous, an assistant approaches.

I would like to thank my mom, dad, god of course.

Assistant taps on the shoulder. "Um, sir. I'm sorry but...you didn't win."

Turns to assistant. What do you mean I didn't win? It says right at top: Avengers!

"Pardon, but it's Avengers West Coast."

Same team. It's all Avengers.

"Not to the voters, sir. Sorry, but they liked the characters Josh writes better than yours."

What? This is an outrage! What makes Josh's characters so much better than mine? His biggest character is Iron Man, for crying out loud! Iron Man leading the team of Hawkeye, Darkhawk, Wasp, Moon Knight, Spider-Woman, Doctor Druid and the new character Halifax. Are you telling me that an evolved tiger formerly of the Knights of Wundagore got Josh over top?

"There are other characters, sir. Hank Pym and the new Ultron...."

But they aren't on the team! Points to the category. See? Best Team, not Best Title. In all Hank's scenes he was alone tinkering on a new robot that obviously won't turn out better than the last. Now, as to the team, I'll admit there was a great dynamic, with Iron Man not even seeming in charge most of the time. Guy was an outright jerk in fact, arguing with most of the other members, particularly newcomers Spider-Woman and Moon Knight. There is a great mix of old and new, traditional and non-traditional members. And yet Josh made this team mesh, partly helped by the move to San Francisco and the new direction of cleaning up that city after what happened. Given a team that's largely considered an offshoot a clear purpose goes a long way to setting up an identity apart from the "main" team. I use quotes because its all really one team and I deserve this as much as-

"Sir, aren't you forgetting something?"

What?

"Well, the book is split between the team in modern San Francisco and the team Hawkeye built in the Hyborian Age."

Oh come on! Do you mean I have to count the team of Hawkeye, Princess Python, Red Sonja and Conan of Cimmeria?! Throws hands up into air. That's it, I'm done, if Conan counts, there's nothing else to say. If Josh writing two teams in one book counts as one team, it's over, because either team alone is spectacular. That the Hyborean Age stories were written in a voice so similar to Robert Howard's tales its scary only adds insult to the injury dealt to the competition. Avengers West Coast, Avengers Hyboria, call them whatever you want, these Avengers are the best team at M2K.

'Nuff said.

Best Imprint

Heroes

Runner-Up: Alternate

I was gonna start this out with a quote, or a joke, or at least a snarky comment aimed in Josh's general direction. But I got nothing. So instead I'm going to ask you: Why do we love our super-hero's so much? Is it because they symbolize the best in us? Is it because they validate our post-pubescent power fantasies in a way the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles never could? Or is it something more? Perhaps its the beard Chris Munn has been trying to grow since 1998. Perhaps...

Still, I gotta say, it all feels so mutable. Iron man can be a jerk and everyone wants to be the Punisher (despite his socially debilitating psychological problems) and... No, I was right on the money about Chris. That boy has HAIR POWER!

But really, when you think about it long and hard, the reason we love our heroes, the reason we keep going back to their stories again and again and again, is because in no way can they be construed to be the ever lovin' freaky mutated body bickerin' allegory-for-politics X-Men. We don't want whiny social activists. We want supers who kick faces first and say 'behave' later. We want people the public can look up to and say 'Holla, Iron dude!' or 'Avengers Assemble!' or even 'Look up in the sky! Its a bird, its a plane, its... no it really is a plane!' We want...

(So it is with much pride [all of it unfounded] that I announce the winners of the Marvel 2000 2009 Tookies Best Branch award.)

...Heroes. Branch.

Runner-up: Alternate Branch

P.S. Oh, and we like the alternate branch almost as much, but not quite as much, because they can in no way be construed to be heroes. Fanboys are neurotic.
 

Best Writer

Steve Crosby

Runner-Up: Meriades Rai

Bryan Locke, friendly neighborhood Spider-Writer, here to ask you a question:  How did you judge "Best Writer" this year?

We can fumble with the words to describe what went through our minds, but really I think it all comes down to one thing:  Satisfaction.  One needs only to look over the last year's worth of issues by Steve Crosby to know what I'm talking about--we're not satisfied.  If we were, then we'd be content to wait around for Wednesdays, using our computers only to surf porn.

But fact is, sometimes, we can do this better than they can.  Hey, I'm not delusional; I know it's far and few between.  But when one of us gets it---I mean really gets it---you can feel it, word for word.

That's what I felt when I read Steve's Avengers this year.  With every step Steve took after taking over for Brent Lambert's issue 50 toward the incredible crossover, the Kang/Ultron War, he's echoed a sense of excitement that we just can't find in the comics.  In short, Steve provides us the satisfaction when Marvel's lacking.  You don't have to read in between the lines of Steve's issues to suspect it's been Steve's aim this entire time to do just that.

Steve delivered this past year the epitome of what we all work for here:  to bring back the satisfaction we used to get every Wednesday.

Congratulations, Steve.  You were the Best Writer of 2008.  Now, it's your turn to feel the satisfaction.

Best Fight

The Grey King vs. Cyclops and Phoenix

Runner-Up: Black Widow I vs. Black Widow II

M2K has been host to some pretty big fights.  So it is in my opinion (which I, Brent Lambert, love to tell folks quite often) that if you're winning the Best Fight at M2K then you've duly earned it.  Vision vs. The Avengers.  T-Bolts vs. Fallen Angels.  Force Works vs. WCA.  JLA vs. Avengers.  We've been home to some pretty nasty fights.  This year was no exception.  The Grey King is someone who had slowly been building a rep at M2K ever since the formation of his Brotherhood some time ago.  Cory shows why that rep was attained when he takes on the always lovely combo of Phoenix and Cyclops.  They had the kind of fight that requires hot wings and alcohol.  It was a nasty fight with nasty consequences.  Just how the folks at M2K like it. 

Best Moment

Ultron defeats Scarlet Centurion

Runner-Up: Cyclops sends Bishop to kill Cable

So congrats Steve, your throw down between the children of Kang and Dr. Pym is officially one of the best moments in Marvel 2000 history!  

Best Team-Up

Hawkeye and Conan

Runner-Up: Thor and The Imperial Guard

Hi,

Your friendly neighborhood Asgardian (Jeff Melton) here again, giving you the winner of the Favorite Team-up category. And this one is one of those routine team-ups you see every day. You know, like Howard the Duck and Dr. Strange, or Galactus and Aunt May. Oh, what do you say? Those are not common team-ups? Hmm. Glad you told me.

Well, guess what?! This one ain't either! I'm talking about Hawkeye and Conan (yeah, the barbarian from Cimmeria...yeah, that's the one!). It took place in Avengers West Coast. Josh has this knack for doing some absolutely unexpected, oddball things in his stories, and this is certainly no expection! Of course, it's not like Hawkeye doesn't occasionally have some unusual friends, like, say, western characters from 1876. That kind of thing. But Josh is really going out of his way to make his stories really cool and unusual, and he is giving us readers a lot of fun in doing it. If you're not reading his stuff, do yourself a favor and check it out.

Oh, the runner up? Something about Thor and the Imperial Guard, I forget. Just one of those crazy cosmic clashes you read about from time to time.

Signing off for now,

Jeff Melton

HALL OF FAME

Steve Crosby

The first non-editor to be inducted into Marvel 2000’s Hall of Fame is none-other than… Stephen Crosby! Writer of Avengers and Captain America, as well as a guest-stint on New Warriors and several one-shot anthologies, it’s no wonder that Steve was chosen overwhelmingly by Marvel 2000’s fans to join the short list of the site’s most valuable writers in history. He’s been instrumental in shaping the Heroes Branch into the juggernaut of an imprint that it currently is and making the Avengers not just the flagship title of the Heroes Branch, but of Marvel 2000, period. Not only that, but he’s one hell of a writer to boot.

Currently, Steve is the man responsible for bringing the long awaited Kang/Ultron War to life along with Chris Munn, and he’s even got a few endeavors with the X-Men Branch lined up to follow shortly after the event concludes. If he isn’t the model writer for the site then I don’t know who is. Steve, you truly are the people’s fanfic writer! Congratulations and welcome to Marvel 2000’s Hall of Fame!!!

That brings the Ninth Annual Tookies to a close. I honestly can't believe I'm still doing this, let getting the occasional award, but hey, you can either kick the habit or you can't. Congratulations to all of the winners and I hope to see you all again next year!!!

- Cory Wiegel
April 3rd, 2009