Podcast
Unpacking the Power of Power Pack
Hosted by Jeff and Rick Present · EN
We journey through each issue of the most underrated Marvel series of the 80’s while drinking beer. Please join us in rediscovering the joy of the Power Pack comic.
21episodes
Episodes
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Episode 217 Fantastic Four (2014) V5 #644: "Back in Blue: Part 4"
3d ago01:00:00Tap to summarizeWe are in the thick of it. The penultimate issue of this run. Fights occurring, punches throwing, dreams invading, words writing, etcetera ectering. This is a book with both pictures and words. There is plot, there is development. There is a podcaster who is struggling to write on a Monday morning. There is a problem. And when there is a problem, you need a team to deal with it. Assembling your team is important and vital. You should be careful in choosing, or else you will get stuck with a throwaway 90's character. And nobody wants that to happen. When putting your team together, first impressions are everything. You should think about how you present and introduce yourself. Hugging your interviewer during the meeting process is not a good start. Fighting with your team is good. Fighting against your team is bad. Know the difference. You should know how to pose for team photos. Some say teamwork, some say power compatibility, I say it is all about how you all strut. You need balance or an understanding of lead and support. You need to show power, to be power. After your team has successfully mastered posing in front of a camera, and testing your super-powers at least once, you should be ready to face an evil super villain. Go big or go home. Either way, you will probably go home in a box, but you will look good doing it. Alternatively, you can just do it all yourself and smack fools. Gather your team, and listen to our podcast. Bravo, you have made it to the end of this rant. Here is to the next one. Check out some of the pictures we talk about on our website: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2026/06/29/fantastic-four-2014-v5-644-back-in-blue-part-4/ We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Raving Energy" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Transcribe →Episode 216 Fantastic Four (2014) V5 #643: "Back in Blue: Part 3"
2w ago01:00:00Tap to summarizeSome would say that this comic represents the real life, not just fantasy. We are going to open your eyes to see that Franklin is just powerful boy, whose entire family loves. The wind is blowing and it is bothering everyone. Are you confused? Did you just kill a man? Did pull the trigger and now he is dead? These are all fine questions, and the answers are easy come, and easy go. What does Namor think? Just that it is too late, his time has come. Shivers rune down his spine, body's aching all the time. He wants to say goodbye everybody, he's got to go. He has to leave them all behind and face the truth. Rick Sheridan really does not care any way the wind blows. The Thing is very straight forward. He just sees a little silhouetto of a man. Ben wants to do the Fandango. He wants thunderbolt and lightning. The Thing wants to be very, very frightening. And dear Dragonman and Alex. Beelzebub has made you a devil for this fight. You can't stone or spin in their eyes. You definitely can't love and leave them to die. Oh, baby, don't do this to me. I just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here. If you want to see our website, go here: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2026/06/11/fantastic-four-2014-v5-643-back-in-blue-part-3/ I may be reading a bit too much into the cover on this one. But, you were entertained, right? Bravo, you have made it to the end of this rant. Here is to the next one. We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "New Hero in Town" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Transcribe →Episode 215 Fantastic Four (2014) V5 #14: "Back in Blue"
Jun 2801:00:00Tap to summarizeVroom Vroom. Rev up your engines and be ready to be a creep. That's right, we need to dive into the fact and truth of the Quiet Man. And we get to see Reed being suave. It can happen. Trust us. We are professionals. Let us check in on this loser dude who is the antagonist of the story. The Quiet Man. He is so creepy and disturbed. And yet....he also has no redeeming qualities. So, yeah. I am not sure what else to say about him. Instead, I want to talk about flying cars. Flying cars are cool. And flying cars made from cool cars are uber cool. If you have a sweet ride, and then you amp it up by giving it altitude, well, welcome to the jungle. Back to creepy face boy, he is someone that would not desire a cool look to a flying car. No, this guy wants a flying car that would fly into the Baxter Building or that would explode in such a way to implicate the Fantastic Four. You know....that guy. A flying car would be wasted on this egomaniac. The Quiet Man thinks only in terms of revenge, not in enjoyment. What a tool. Man, I hate people that don't appreciate flying cars. If I ever met someone who could fly and they told me that they did not need a flying car, I would probably hit them with a hammer. Or throw a shield at their stupid face. I would just fight everyone that did not like or appreciate a good flying car. I mean, really. Put up your dukes and defend. I have to show you my true love for a true awesome flying car. You will respect. Man, I want a flying car. Maybe I need to take a vacation. Check out our webpage at: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2026/06/09/fantastic-four-2014-v5-14-back-in-blue/ We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Hard Boiled" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Transcribe →Episode 214 Fantastic Four (2014) V5 #13: "East of Eden: Part Five"
Jun 1401:00:00Tap to summarizeAre you blue? Do you know someone who is blue? Does blue describe the color of your world? If you answer yes to any of these questions, you probably should seek some professional help. But, you also should listen to this podcast, because we are cool. In reading this issue, I think we all came to the conclusion that stretching is the term we should use. Stretching the truth, stretching taffy, stretching reality, stretching the metaphor. You get what I am saying, right? If you have any idea what we are talking about, then you are ahead of us. Remember, we are not that smart, or bright, or sober. Some people question what we are doing and why. I am questioning what I am writing. In this book, there is chaos and fighting. There is confusion. There is also plot and development. And that is something that I could be talking about. What I can say is that Alex Power is fighting in one shattered panel, and that is why we are here. Is this upsetting you? Is this making you sad? Don't be sad. Don't get upset about us being obscure. Don't get down and depressed and sit in the dark. Don't be like Sharon You should be happy like Ben and Sue. You should be free, not being taken over by your evil psychotic alter ego. You should be sitting in the light. You should be smiley and shiny. Also, you should change your clothes if you are smelly and dirty. Are you confused? So are we. So there we are. We have written something, and it has been read. Thanks for your support. If you want to see some pictures, check this out: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2026/06/08/fantastic-four-2014-v5-13-east-of-eden-part-five/ We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Transcribe →Episode 213 Axis: Hobgoblin #1: "Got A Problem? Call Hobgoblin!"
May 3101:00:00Tap to summarizeLadies and gentlemen, children of all ages!!! Gather around, gather around. Hear me as I speak of the new fad, the new thing, the new image. Do you have the drive to excel? Are you looking for the motivation to be more than you are? Have you been told that you are nothing but a loser wall flower? It does not matter if you have considered or answered those questions, just listen to us as we talk about this book. Raise the flag and gather around. Listen to us talk about this criminal slash entrepreneur slash oil salesmen. He has ideas, he has catchphrases, he has an idea for a new kind of pyramid scheme. He has pants. He also has the pulse of the gullible masses. As we all know now, there is nothing more impressive or magical than a charlatan with a microphone. If you have that charm factor, and you can speak with authority, you can hold up the phone book and entrance millions. And if you can target that in on people with money...look out. Some people sit around and wait for their opportunity to show up. Maybe they are lazy, or maybe that is their strength. Oooh. I want that super-power. Sitting. The ability to sit and stair. For hours. Yes.....gooood. Speaking of grabbing easy money. How about stealing other peoples ideas? I mean, they have already used them, why not clean them off and do your own twist on them. Slap your name and a price tag on it, and you have yourself an opportunity. Now that you have your thing, go out there and bake the bread, make the money, get your cheddar, spike your football....etc, etc, etc. Thank you for coming to our TedTalk. We hope you enjoyed the experience. We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Sauropod Spotting " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Transcribe →Episode 212 Nightcrawler V4 #7: "Death of Wolverine"
May 1700:52:37Tap to summarizeThis is a fixed version that should not cut off. Oh no, it looks like Jeff and Rick have been locked in a closet and now have to talk about a selection of scenes from other comic books. They must have run out of money for their show, or lost a bet. One of the two. It does not matter. They are middle aged and can use the time to sleep or talk or do whatever it is that you do during a clip show. To start off, I love Kurt Wagner. Nightcrawler is easily one of my favorite Marvel Comic characters. His design is fantastic. The color scheme of his OG costume, the tail, his overall look. Chief's kiss. And his characterization is wonderful. A German Errol Flynn, with charm, wit and pathos. Being a fan of the Chris Claremont run of the X-Men, and beginning my collection just before the Fall of the Mutants, I was there for the creation of Excalibur, and seeing Kurt as a leader, and the soul of a team. Reading back through his development was a treat. I alway loved any spotlight he received. I hunted down his original mini-series, and I looked for other appearances with him. I always appreciated the deep friendship they had, even though they were opposites. I like to read their history as Kurt being a center for Logan. Of course, reading back into the history of the X-Men, you get the Mutant Massacre and one of the first times your see some serious consequences placed on the team. Kurt and Kitty's injuries pull them out of the X-Men and into Excalibur. This is a center piece story for all hardcore X-Men fans. I guess I can wax Nightcrawlers car all day long. He is a great character, a great design, a great history, and just overall great. I like that he is usually not overused either. Some of his stories have been really bad, but I blame the writer, not the character for those errors. Oh, Wolverine died and Kurt is sad. OK, let's see what new madness next issue brings us. Check out our clip show at our website: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2026/05/11/nightcrawler-v4-7-death-of-wolverine/ We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Road to Hell" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Transcribe →Episode 211 Fantastic Four V5 #9: "East of Eden: Part One"
May 301:00:00Tap to summarizeWe are getting into the real meat of this Fantastic Four run. The team is torn apart, unhappy, and Reed may or may not be turning into a meth cooker. What is happening to our favorite family? And can Alex Power and Power Pack save them? Probably not the direction that the writers would take, but you never know. So, what is this issue about? It is about a family that is putting up a fight against a variety of forces. It is them against the world. A towering inferno of force against a wonderful family. Or something. OK, let's turn this thing upside down and talk about the rock in the room. The uncomfortable truth is that this is really bad. Everybody is not in a good way. One in prison, one with no powers, one with no children, and one doing science. Just bad, bad, bad. Sometimes we just need to watch what is going to happen. You need to guard against the inevitable onslaught of time. You need to protect against the truth. You need to secure the facts. Do you know what I am saying? You should fight and seize the day. You should gather your friends and become a mob for justice. That's right. Gather your powers and unleash them against the forces of the world. I dare you. And then, when the world starts to beat you down, take heed of this advice. Cover up and protect your privates. It is the best thing to do in these situations. And then, at the end of the day, you can celebrate with your friends. You can be pleased to know that you are alive and not beaten to a pulp. Or, if you are beaten up, you can shake it off and be happy with the fact that your nose is not bleeding anymore. Bravo, you have made it to the end of this rant. Here is to the next one. If you want to see some pictures, go to: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2026/04/17/fantastic-four-v5-9-east-of-eden-part-one/ We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Mischief Maker" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Transcribe →Episode 210 Fantastic Four V5 #8: "Original Sin: The Faithful Four Part 3"
Apr 1901:00:00Tap to summarizeThe Thing in prison!!!?? What dastardly devilry is this? Why would this happen? What is going to become of our ever-loving blue-eyed thing? Will he have to wear black and white stripes? is he going to shank someone? What will happen? Ok, we are not getting to the deep in prison stuff yet...but that is what is on the cover. I guess we do not need to wade into this yet. See what I did there...with the picture of Reed and his short pants. Well, it amuses me. It may not amuse you. In fact, it may anger you. I may make you so angry that you want to punch my head off. See, I did it again. I just cannot help making a dad joke now and then. Sometimes they come so naturally. Sometimes they do not. And sometimes they walk over and arrest me with a big, giant gun because the joke was so bad. Just like that. But I am not a big rock monster. I am not even a rock man. I am a rock dude. OK, I am not a rock dude. I am just a man, not a monster, so do not put me in the monster jail. See, I am a funny, funny man. Hey, what are you doing? Why are you coming over here? Don't push me to the ground! Don't take away my right to be not funny! Man, this is not funny. This is just like getting gassed by my own gas producing arrow. Why would you do that to me? Now I am going to cry. Sometimes I am just out of ideas, and you get these weird ramblings. We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Rocket Power" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Transcribe →Episode 209 Fantastic Four V5 #6: "Original Sin: The Fateful Four Part 1"
Apr 501:00:00Tap to summarizeAngry friends make broken hearts. And broken hearts usually result in death. Nobody is going to die...yet...but I think the poetry of the moment may move us as we travel through these broken dreams and broken promises. So, let's break this open, shall we? Broken bones, or bone fractures, are a very common injury and can affect anyone at any age. Anyone can break a bone. But only Reed can stretch a broken bone. That is a horrible mental image, but that is what I am here for. To bring you horrible mental images to keep you up all night. A broken heart is a metaphor. It represents the feeling one has when great loss or deep longing creates intense emotional stress or pain. In brief, it sucks. All in all, I would not choose this service. But it happens. And how we deal with a broken heart says a lot about a person. I punch things. Don't judge. I love using broken rock in my landscaping projects. I just like the look aesthetic of pebbles, gravel, and stone around the yard. There is a satisfying feeling when you step on the rocky path and feel the crunch. It is clean, and pretty. And the more rock you lay down, the less mowing you need to do. A broken, or perforated eardrum, is a hole or tear in the thin tissue between the ear canal and the middle ear. This is caused by children yelling loudly in your ear. There is no other way that this happens. That is it. It must stop. "Broken Ground" is the name of a 2018 crime thriller written by Val McDermid. Apparently, it is the fifth in her Karen Pirie series. I know nothing about any of that. But I am sure that it does not feature a scene with Fantastic Four or the Avengers. But I could be wrong. I looked up what a broken MacGuffin was and tripped over a dismantled MacGuffin. That is where you break up the thing that runs the plot and make it a fetch quest. Interesting, but not relevant. But that is par for the course. Broken skin, including cuts, scratches, or chronic fissures, occurs when the epidermis is damaged, leaving it vulnerable to infection and moisture loss. Or it is when you get an ouchie. Sometimes a band aid works. Other times you need to cauterize the wound. Either way, you are probably gonna be crying. Suck it up!!! And there we go. I hope that this did not break you too much with our wacky random thoughts and off topic musings. If we did, let us know. Or don't. You just have to be you buddy. To see the pictures we talked about, see our website: https://jeffandrickpresent.wordpress.com/2026/03/18/fantastic-four-v5-6-original-sin-the-fateful-four-part-1/ We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Boogie Party" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Transcribe →Episode 208 Fantastic Four V5 #5: "Fall of the Fantastic Four - Part 5"
Mar 2201:00:00Tap to summarizeOreder in the court, order in the court, there will be ORDER IN THIS COURT!!!! Do I have your attention now? I believe I do. It is time that we get down to the brass tacks and rusty nails. We need to know what these crazy kids did, why they did it, where they did it, and how they did it. Or something like that. It does not matter, there will be order! Let's start with the lawyer. Of course, it will be their friend and fellow fighter. She is the best of the best. She is the jolly green giant of law. She is the emerald fighter of justice. She is the pugilist of papers. And she is very cool. Some people would rather have Daredevil, or the blind Matt Murdock as he is sometimes called, as their lawyer. He is good and all, but I think that he is more of a red herring. Or he is a red devil. Or a crime fighter. Or something. I don't know, but it looks like he is an accomplice in all of this. We have the defendants, but why are they up here, why are they on trial. It may have something to do with the friends they keep. I mean, first off all, they like to hang around with Inhumans. Not even humans....IN-humans. What are these humans IN. Are they IN TROUBLE. I am guessing so. And this is the royal court. And they also let their daughter hang out with a guy who dresses in a green cape. Who does that? Who makes that fashion choice? Who wakes up in the morning and says, I want to dress like Robin Hood? A guy who gets shot by a guy with laser eyes, that's who. And the rest of the kids? What about them? They are the products of their parent figures. They are probably as unlawful as the rest. And they probably will want the same lawyers as the rest of them. Let's just object to this entire line of words. Let's put our fist through the table and find out who to really blame. Is it the heroes or the villains? Is it the table? Is it JUSTICE? Nope, we are going to blame the lawyers. Why not? That makes about as much sense as anything else in this crazy mixed-up world. It is all She Hulks fault. Does any of that make sense? I hope so. Cause I have nothing else to say. We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube! Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need. http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Morgana Rides " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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