It’s been one week since the January Marvel Snap Most Wanted poll launched, so I’m here with a quick update and character spotlight for everyone!
First things first - I have to print my first ever Most Wanted retraction! In last week’s update I included Dragon Man as one of our graduates. His card had been datamined, with artwork and text, and I assumed he would appear this season as a Series 4 card. Lo and behold, he’s not here this season, and so I must recall his diploma. Will Dragon Man join the club of Dum Dum Dugan, Tombstone and Firestar? I suppose we’ll have a better idea in the next few months…but as of now, it looks like he’ll be back on the list in February!
Most Wanted Update
In regards to the standings on the current list, I have to talk about the very top, and the very bottom.
Let’s start with the bad news… Last month you voted Dogpool back onto the list, with a sweeping win over all of the characters who have been removed. Now that he's back, though, Dogpool finds himself on the very bottom of the list. (And it’s not even close!) Will Dogpool’s return be short-lived? As of now, it sure seems that way. Regardless, this solidifies Dogpool has perhaps the most controversial character to ever grace the Most Wanted list.
The good news though - we have a new champion currently sitting atop the list! In early January, a commenter that goes by MightyMaxT suggested that I clarify the character Gargantos on the list. For those who are unaware, Gargantos is the name Marvel has been using recently for the character most people know as Shuma-Gorath. The naming rights of Shuma-Gorath belong to Heroic Signatures (along with the rights to Conan the Barbarian) as those characters first appeared in works by author Robert E. Howard.
To make things a little bit more clear, I added (Shuma-Gorath) next to Gargantos in this most recent poll, and all of a sudden Gargantos has shot up from 171 all the way to number 1! Talk about a glow-up. Whether or not this will hold, we’ll have to wait and see, but it’s nice to see Gargantos with some more visibility. Thank you MightyMaxT for this great suggestion!
The January poll is still open, so make sure you take a moment to vote in the January Most Wanted poll!
Character Prediction League Update
A ton of prediction slates are in for the Character Prediction League. I plan on keeping score, and providing periodic updates throughout the year.
In terms of the competition amongst Snap.Fan writers, it looks like HarryPerry may have the first points, with his prediction of Archangel, who looks to be coming in April. No official points will be given until characters appear in official material, but I have a feeling this one’s a lock.
If you missed the last update, I’m hosting a contest to give everyone the opportunity to try and predict FIVE characters you think will enter Marvel Snap this year. (No datamined characters allowed!) For more information, you can read my post from last week here.
Votes will close at the end of the month, but in the meantime, you can enter the contest here!
Character Spotlight: Orrgo
In continuing the trend of highlighting monstrous characters for this Dragon season, today I’m going to look at everyone’s favorite monstrous alien, Orrgo!
Orrgo actually debuted in Strange Tales in August of 1961, as part of a one-off story about an alien race that wants to take over Earth. To begin the takeover, Orrgo is sent to the planet, and very quickly uses his mental prowess to hypnotize the entire population into obeying his whims. Planetary takeover can be exhausting, though, and Orrgo decides to take a quick nap.
Unfortunately for him, Orrgo decides to nap at the zoo, right around feeding time for Jo-Jo the gorilla. While he sleeps, Jo-Jo realizes Orrgo is the reason no one has fed her. She attacks him, freeing everyone from his hypnotism, and Orrgo leaves the planet, now afraid of more violence on Earth.
Orrgo doesn’t appear again for nearly forty years, popping up again in The Defenders, summoned to Earth by the Headmen (with Ruby Thursday!) Orrgo pops up again here and there, but it isn’t until a few years later we start to see his heroic side.
In 2008 Orrgo has a brief run-in with the Fantastic Four, first fighting The Thing, and later serving as a guest judge alongside them on a reality show Talent Search. A few years after that Orrgo becomes an official member of the Howling Commandos, alongside Hit-Monkey, Manphibian, Man-Thing, Warwolf, Dum Dum Dugan, and more. Although Orrgo is a little bit too large for field work, he uses his immense mental ability to handle communications and intel.
In the Assault on Pleasant Hill storyline, Orrgo is sent to Pleasant Hill, and convinced by Kobik to be her dog. More recently, Orrgo has appeared in quick background cameos, and may have even returned to some of his villainous ways, taking on America Chavez in an Infinity Comic.
Orrgo in Marvel Snap
What does a giant telekinetic alien invader look like in Marvel Snap?
Orrgo - 6/18 - At the end of each turn, -2 Power if this card is in your hand
Obviously Orrgo has to be a big six-drop. Orrgo’s problem is that he’s overconfident, and a little bit eager to join the battle. 6/18 seems like a big play, but Orrgo is in your starting hand and you don’t play him until turn 6, he’s only a 6/8.
The trick with Orrgo will be to find a way to either play him early, negate his negative power, or hide him in your discard pile. The answers to these problems lie in Wave, Luke Cage, Ghost Rider or Hela. I also think Orrgo makes for a great target in a Black Knight deck, potentially replacing Infinaut.
Conclusion
Thanks to everyone for making it all the way to the bottom! Your reward? Information about how to win a season pass!
I have two season passes to give out, and winning them is easy!
First, I’ll pick a winner from the Discord handles that enter the January Most Wanted poll (if you entered last week, I’ll count that, because I didn’t have passes to give away yet.)
Second, I’ll pick a winner for entering the Character Prediction League, AND sharing a little bit about your prediction in a comment down below! Make sure to include your discord in either the Prediction League entry, or in your comment!