Hello Marvelites, get pumped because we’ve got a brand new episode of This Week in Marvel!

Get ready for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2“ as the official Marvel podcast takes a look back at the comics that inspired the film! Ben talks with Bill Rosemann for a special #TWIMURC where they talk GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (1:28:19). Ryan and Ben review some of this week’s comic releases including MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR and HULK. Ben talks to editors Wil Moss, Tom Brevoort, and Alanna Smith to bring you some fresh comics news (59:54). Over on the West Coast, Christine talks to Tim Hernandez and Danny Koo to get you the scoop on ‘Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite‘ and the latest Guardians of the Galaxy event across five Marvel games (1:15:01). And tons more!

Download episode #287 of This Week in Marvel from Marvel.com, check out Marvel Podcast Central, grab the TWiM RSS feed and subscribe to This Week in Marvel on iTunes, so you never miss an episode! We are now also on Soundcloud! Head over now to our new hub to listen to the full run of This Week in Marvel!

This Week in Marvel will focus on delivering all the Marvel info on news and new releases–from comics to video games to toys to TV to film and beyond! New episodes will be released every Thursday (or so) and TWiM is co-hosted by Marvel VP & Executive Editor of Digital Media Ryan “Agent M” Penagos and Marvel Editorial Director of Digital Media Ben Morse, along with Marvel.com Editor Marc Strom, Marvel.com Assistant Editor Christine Dinh, and Manager of Video & Content Production Blake Garris. We also want your feedback, as well as questions for us to answer on future episodes!  Tweet your questions, comments and thoughts about TWiM to @AgentM, @BenJMorse, @chrissypedia or @Marvel with the hashtag #ThisWeekinMarvel!

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine marines have killed an Abu Sayyaf extremist commander and a notorious kidnapper who had sailed across the sea border into Malaysia to snatch tourists and sailors for ransom, the military chief said Saturday.

If there’s one perk to the job of being The Black Panther that T’Challa, king of Wakanda may value most, it’s not the wealth, its not the technology, and it’s not the special panther abilities—it’s access to all those who held the post before him.

That’s right: centuries worth of Black Panthers stand ready to advise and inspire T’Challa, Shuri, or whoever wears the mantle from the Great Beyond, and they’ll really need them in May 24’s BLACK PANTHER #14 when Wakanda’s stirred up again and danger’s on the wind. Who might answer the call this time? Let’s look at a few of the former heroes to mull over the possibilities.

T’Chaka

T’Challa’s father and the Black Panther immediately before him, T’Chaka rose to prominence when he lent his aid to none other than Captain America and Nick Fury in a battle with The Red Skull. T’Chaka continued his fight after the war and up until his murder at the hands of Klaw, when the criminal attempted to seize precious vibranium metal from Wakanda.

Check Out: FANTASTIC FOUR #53, CAPTAIN AMERICA/BLACK PANTHER: FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS #1-4

Azzari

Known as “The Wise,” T’Chaka’s father wore the mantle of the Black Panther during World War II and kept the small country neutral during the global conflict, despite helping Captain America against Nazis. Azzari’s renown also included the ability to fight with many weapons.

Check Out: BLACK PANTHER #1, CAPTAIN AMERICA/BLACK PANTHER: FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS #1-4

Chanda

King of Wakanda during World War II, Chanda welcomed Ulysses Klaue to Wakanda, unaware of the man’s Nazi ties and the evil eye he set upon the nation’s stores of vibranium. When Klaue dealt his hand, he lost it to Chanda in a fight, an event that set him upon the path to becoming the super villain Klaw. Chanda’s also known for his attempt to elevate the Panther Spirit as a god, a situation that didn’t go well for him.

Check Out: FANTASTIC FOUR UNLIMITED #1

Bashenga

The grand-daddy of all Black Panthers and an ancestor of T’Challa, Bashenga’s wisdom and fearless nature set in motion the legacy of the chieftains of Wakanda and their eternal guardianship of the nation’s vibranium mound. In the centuries that followed his life and rule, a special spear named in his honor became an invaluable weapon to all Wakandan kings.

Check Out: BLACK PANTHER #7, FANTASTIC FOUR #609

T’Challa seeks the aid of his ancestors in BLACK PANTHER #14 by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Wilfredo Torre on May 24!

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago's mayor said the city's public schools will remain open until the end of the school year, despite a judge's decision Friday to toss a district lawsuit over education funding by the state of Illinois.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas' governor said Friday that he sees no reason for anything beyond a routine review of the state's execution procedures after a condemned inmate lurched and convulsed 20 times during a lethal injection that involved a controversial sedative.

The Guardians of the Galaxy roster expands in “Marvel Future Fight!” To celebrate the game’s second anniversary, two new heroes—Agent Venom and Mantis—join the battle while the game’s original Guardians don new uniforms inspired by the films, and finally, Whiplash adds his weapons to your arsenal. And just in time, because you’ll need new gear and fresh teammates to tackle the game’s World Boss Ultimate and Alliance Conquest modes.

We sat down with Minkyun Kim, Development Director at Netmarble Games, to see just what we could learn about the anniversary update.

Marvel.com: This update marks the second anniversary of “Marvel Future Fight;” what are you bringing to the game to celebrate this milestone?

Minkyun Kim: As a huge thank you to all the users who have shown us love, we’ve prepared a variety of events. First, players will have an opportunity to get new Guardians of the Galaxy characters and an exclusive, limited edition Comic Card. Players will also get additional opportunities for various rewards in events such as the seven day check-in.

Marvel.com: The biggest character addition has got to be Mantis; what does she bring to the table?

Minkyun Kim: Mantis, one of the new heroes appearing in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” will also be joining us this update. She mainly attacks with her hands through the use of martial arts. With her unique energy wavelength, she can attack from short or medium-range distances. You’ll be able to feel the thrilling action as you watch her acrobatic martial arts style and energy wavelength attacks.

Also, her ability to find enemy weak points and use of psychic empathy ensures that her teammates get buffs that will help in battle, the idea being that she uses her telepathic powers to communicate enemy weak points to her allies.

Her powerful mind energy and healing powers allow for resistance to debuffs. Her healing touch will be able to give teams an advantage in both team and solo battles.

Marvel.com: Alongside the new team members, players will be able to grab a few new uniforms. Who’s suiting up in new gear?

Minkyun Kim: With the opening of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” we’re introducing brand new uniforms: the [movie-versions] of Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, and the new Groot everybody’s been waiting for! Also, to celebrate the second anniversary of “Marvel Future Fight,” we’ll be introducing a new uniform for our original character, Sharon Rogers.

Mavel.com: A new World Boss mode is coming to “Marvel Future Fight” with this update. What can you tell us about World Boss Ultimate?

Minkyun Kim: There is a difficulty system in Ultimate Mode. As the difficulty goes up, bosses will become stronger, and a player’s characters will be placed in disadvantageous situations. In the higher difficulties, players will be placed in extreme situations never seen before on Original Bosses.

The key to winning will be determined by how detailed and effectively a player upgrades their character. Players will be challenged to constantly reduce their clear times and become the best.

Marvel.com: Outside of increasing their rank, will there be rewards in this mode that differ from the standard World Boss mode?

Minkyun Kim: As you challenge higher difficulties, the rewards will be more gratifying as well.

Rewards will now be proportional to the difficulty level that was challenged. Also, the first time a difficulty level is cleared against a boss, you’ll get a special reward. You can only get a limited amount of rewards per day, but you can always strive for better records and try out new strategies.

Marvel.com: A new PVP feature, Conquest, is coming to Alliances. What new ways can Alliances compete, and what kinds of rewards will they unlock?

Minkyun Kim: In the past, Alliance related content was based around an individual’s fight within the Alliance; Alliance Conquests will now truly be a battle of Alliances. Alliance Conquests will require communication between Alliance members to properly coordinate characters over the map to lead your Alliance to victory. Alliances with the best characters will have an advantage. Through Alliance Conquest, players will unlock Alliance Tokens which can be used to trade for items in the Alliance Shop and to upgrade your characters. Also, depending on your score, your Alliance will also get a cool frame.

Marvel.com: The third year of “Marvel Future Fight” is just beginning. Can you give us a taste of what’s to come?

Minkyun Kim: Looking back on the last two years, we’re grateful to all the players who have supported and loved our game and we know that we’ve had our faults. We’ll work our butts off to make sure that we become a game that is loved by all. Personally, as a fan of Marvel, I’m looking forward to the lineup of Marvel content coming up. We’ll take our own excitement and hopes and endeavor to create more varied content. Through the updates this year, we hope that our players will feel at home and join us to fight the villains of the Marvel Universe.

Arbor Day. A day to appreciate the beauty in nature and to plant as many trees as possible so that we can continue breathing.

Mark Marvel as no stranger to the wonder of trees; in fact we have a whole loveable hero dedicated to this wonderment! We all know and love Groot, and in celebration of Arbor Day, we want to share with you some amazing moments from his comic book history that will have you planting trees all day long, hoping for your own little Flora Colossus.

Tales to Astonish (1959) #13

• Published: November 01, 1960
• Added to Marvel Unlimited: June 08, 2010
• Writer: Larry Lieber
• Penciller: Don Heck
• Cover Artist: Jack Kirby

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What is Marvel Unlimited?

What’s the first thing you think of when you think of Groot? Fun? Cuddly? Best friend? Well, boy do we have a surprise for you. The first appearance of Groot from the Atlas days of Marvel Comics proves the exact opposite. This self-proclaimed “Monarch” of Planet X, comes to take a village back to his planet to perform experiments on. A heroic villager challenges this menacing, talking Groot. In response, the extraterrestrial shows his true power and creates an army of nightmarish walking trees!

Groot (2015) #5

• Published: October 07, 2015
• Added to Marvel Unlimited: April 04, 2016
• Rating: Rated T
• Writer: Jeff Loveness
• Cover Artist: Declan Shalvey

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What is Marvel Unlimited?

Just like the Incredible Hulk, it’s probably not a good idea to cross Groot. During an adventure with his best pal Rocket, baby Groot gets “handed” a solar grenade, blasting him with a hyper dose of concentrated solar energy, transforming the cute creature into a monstrous, oversized mega beast. This Groot goes on a rampage taking out a ton of baddies. Eventually Rocket calms him down, brings him back to normal size, and they share a great moment in their victory.

Yggdroot (SECRET WARS #8)

During the Battle in Doomstadt, Black Swan confronts Peter Quill in Doctor Doom’s throne room, which just happens to be below the tree of life “Yggdrasil.” Backed into a corner, Star-Lord drops just a splinter into Yggrasil, which engulfs it entirely, transforming it into a colossal Groot that destroys the castle from the inside out.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2015) #16

• Published: January 11, 2017
• Rating: Rated T
• Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
• Penciller: Valerio Schiti
• Cover Artist: Arthur Adams

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In this recent issue, we see the lighter side of our cosmic woodland friend when he and his partner in crime, Rocket, have a nice day in Central Park. Unfortunately, things turn quickly when The Armadillo springs from the ground and launches Groot’s best bud through the air. Our hero springs into action—literally—and fights him off. Things take a turn for the worse when the NYPD surround Groot thinking him the monster. A little boy comes to his rescue, joined by the entire crowd at the park, who defend Groot and showing their gratitude for him rescuing them. The comic ends the way it started, with Groot and his best bud—now joined by the little boy—hanging out in the park. By the way, did we mention the entire story rhymes?

Symbi-groot (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #21–22)

You thought Venom seemed scary with the fury of a trained U.S Army man underneath it? Well how would you feel if a talking tree that can thrash Thanos took on the symbiote? When Flash Thompson as Venom joins the Guardians as a representative of the Avengers, prolonged time in space seems to do some strange things to the symbiote making it too difficult to control. The alien suit goes rouge and attacks Gamora out of nowhere. The team subdues it and get Flash to safety, for the time being. Back at the base, Rocket tries to make a more stable holding cell for the monstrous menace, but the ravaging symbiote breaks out of its tiny cell and attaches to Groot causing the loveable space tree to morph into a powerfully savage hybrid.  This turns a friendly catchphrase sour when he belts out “I am Venom” while giving his team a serious beating.

Rocket Raccoon & Groot (2016) #5

• Published: May 04, 2016
• Added to Marvel Unlimited: November 07, 2016
• Rating: Rated T
• Writer: Skottie Young
• Penciller: Skottie Young
• Cover Artist: Skottie Young

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What is Marvel Unlimited?

Rocket and Groot take a tropical day off at the beach relaxing and sipping some cocktails until its rudely interrupted by Gunhild of the Elmhold clan. She takes the pair back to her majesty only to discover that the king believes Groot to be a God. More specifically the very god that the clan gets its namesake from. Groot is then whisked away to be cleaned and pampered so that he can be sacrificed in an active volcano! Learning of this horrible fate, Rocket teams up with his capturer to free Groot.  During their escape, Groot sprouts a wing suit, of sorts, made of branches and leaves, and propels away with Rocket accidentally drops an atomic bomb in the volcano. The last we see of our heroes: Rocket and Groot back in the ocean with a cocktail.

Groot’s Sacrifice (ANNIHILATION CONQUEST: STAR-LORD #2)

Before the Guardians of the Galaxy, they were a rag-tag team put together to do some damage against the nasty Phalanx. When they storm a production facility creating a techno-virus, they run into some fearsome machines that cause them to retreat. However, the bad guys start to overrun the team, until the mighty monarch of Planet X steps in with his enormous stature to give the crew some time to escape. He sacrifices himself by staying behind to take out as many machines as possible in a death befitting a King.

Little Seed, Big Deed (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: TOMORROW’S AVENGERS)

On a far away, un-named planet, a young woman named D’Vorak minds her own business, working her family farm. Preoccupied with thoughts of wars in the stars, she almost steps on a tiny Groot. Not knowing what she just plucked from the ground, she quickly plants him in soil and gives him water until interrupted by a gang of thugs called the Tribbitites. They start roughing up her family and threaten to kill her brother until a gigantic Groot steps in from out of nowhere and hammers down on the jerks. D’Vorak, ever grateful, reminisces about her previous thoughts on the galaxy, this time giving a hopeful look up into the stars.

Howling Groot (NICK FURY’S HOWLING COMMANDOS #6)

Shifting back to the “original” monstrous Groot from 1963, this intellectual monarch grows to a colossal size to carry a team of the Howling Commandos to battle including Clone of Frankenstein, Gorilla-Man, Zombie, Living Mummy, and more, while majestic unicorns gallop past them. The group leads with an all-out attack against Merlin and his minions causing the sorcerer to retreat.

Two sides to every Groot (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY ANNUAL #1)

They say there are two sides to every coin, well what about Groot. In this tale, we get to see just that.  Captain Marvel starts it off by sending a video to folks at home on Earth. We get some hilarious moments as some of the Guardians interrupt including a nosey Groot. This gets disrupted further when a portal opens up revealing the Helicarrier and Nick Fury. Eventually, all hell breaks loose as members of S.H.I.E.L.D team up with Guardians of the Galaxy to fight a Skrull invasion. Groot and the rest of the team fight in outer space and crush their enemies with terrifying power. After the end of the battle, Captain Marvel goes back to give her tear-jerking video message to her family, where we get to see that other side of Groot in a sweet moment comforting her.

A little over three weeks ago, Samsung felt it needed to explain the design of its gorgeous Galaxy S8 to everyone with yet another annoying design story. If you ask me, the Galaxy S8’s design doesn’t need any explanations, at least as long as they sound as bad as the design posts Samsung used to write when it had to defend its plastic phones. But Samsung did it anyway. For some reason, Samsung is now back with a second Galaxy S8 design story, and it’s just as equally disturbing as the first one.

This time around, the blog post is structured as an interview between Samsung and Samsung. I’m not even going to get into the fact that a Samsung employee is interviewing a different Samsung employee for the time being. Let’s just check out some of the “best” parts of it.

The oneness is back

“It’s often said that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and this certainly rings true for smartphones,” Samsung designer Hyoungshin Park said. “So, in line with our philosophy of neutrality, we aimed to create a seamless design that highlights the visual unity of the device under the concept of ‘oneness.’”

“The Galaxy S8 in particular is differentiated by the oneness of its materials,” designer Hyejin Bang answered when asked how the concept of oneness applies to glass and metal.

Later in the interview the reporter asked this question: “Considering so many different people worked on various aspects of the design, how were you able to apply the concept of ‘oneness’ to create a coherent design?” It really is something every Galaxy S8 user should know.

The response itself would not be important, but Park gave us this tidbit: “Designing the Galaxy S8 was a lengthy, systematic process – one that lasted much longer than a year! – and required a great deal of teamwork.” Later in the interview, Samsung designers explained how they interacted with the development team and the hardware team to come up with the final version of the Galaxy S8. “In the end, however, we were able to collectively, as one, achieve our goals.”

All that teamwork talk only made me wonder how long the design, development, and hardware teams spent on creating the Galaxy Note 7 last year and whether they had enough time to do a good job given Samsung’s pressure to release the phone as early as possible. But the Samsung reporter did not ask any hard questions, so we’ll never know.

One thing that also sticks out is that the word "safety" doesn’t appear anywhere in the interview, which is strange considering Samsung has been under a lot of pressure to deliver a product that won’t explode or show any other massive manufacturing fault.

That elusive true essence

Oneness isn’t the only buzzword Samsung is throwing out there. We also have the true essence of the Galaxy S8. To create a device under the concept of oneness, Samsung “focused on creating a design that is harmonious, natural and centered on the true essence of the Galaxy S8.”

It’s really unclear what that true essence of the phone is, but as you keep reading you find out it’s the display. Apparently, at some point during the development of the phone, the design team recognized the smartphone’s true essence is the display, more than anything else. Better late than ever, I suppose. It’s only been 10 years since everyone realized the display is all that matters in a smartphone.

To maintain that essence, Samsung placed the home button under the display and moved the fingerprint sensor to the back, “a location users can easily reach when holding the device in their hand.” Yes, Samsung said that.

Furthermore, it gave the phone black top and bottom bezels to make it appear like it stretches seamlessly from the top to the bottom. The Bixby button is also a solution Samsung created to avoid compromising the design of the phone. Too bad the button doesn't really work right now.

The full interview is available at this link, but you'd be better off just looking at this pretty picture of the Galaxy S8 than reading the second party of its design story.