Fastball special
Encyclopedia
Tag-Team
"Tag-Team" is the fifth episode of the first season of the 1974 American television series Land of the Lost. Written by Norman Spinrad and directed by Dennis Steinmetz, it first aired in the United States on October 5, 1974 on NBC.-Plot:...
move in superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
fiction. In a Fastball Special, a hero with superhuman strength
Superhuman strength
Superhuman strength, also called superstrength, super-strength, or super strength, is an ability commonly employed in fiction. It is the ability for a character to be stronger than humanly possible...
literally throws a (usually) willing partner toward a target. The maneuver first appeared in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
series Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
#100, when Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
had Colossus
Colossus (comics)
Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
hurl him in a battle. It quickly became a favorite tactic of the two heroes. It has also since been used by many superheroes, some from companies other than Marvel.
History
When executing the fastball special, ColossusColossus (comics)
Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
, a large and very strong mutant, takes the much smaller Wolverine into his hands and hurls him forward, like a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
would throw a fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
. As Colossus is one of the strongest mortal characters in Marvel Comics, this throw can be superhumanly far, on one occasion even having Wolverine reaching an aircraft in-flight. As a result, Wolverine can reach the target of an attack he may not be able to reach otherwise and do it much faster than he would if he ran there by himself. Furthermore, Wolverine's metal-laced skeleton and his healing factor
Healing factor
A healing factor is a term used to describe the ability of some characters in fiction to recover from bodily injuries or disease at a superhuman rate...
means that he is usually not in any danger of being severely injured in the move, and quickly heals in the rare instances that he is injured. The fastball special was also used in Here Comes Tomorrow
Here Comes Tomorrow
"Here Comes Tomorrow" is the eighth and final story arc in Grant Morrison's run on the Marvel Comics series New X-Men, which ran from issues #151-154...
, with Beak using it to drop Wolverine from great height at great speed as opposed to throwing him.
The fastball move was revisited in a scene from the comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series Astonishing X-Men
Astonishing X-Men
Astonishing X-Men is the name of three X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were limited series. The ongoing series began in 2004, with its first run written by Joss Whedon and art by John Cassaday. It was then written by Warren Ellis with art by Phil Jimenez. Daniel...
written by Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
and drawn by John Cassaday
John Cassaday
John Cassaday is an American comic book artist and writer, born in Fort Worth, Texas and currently residing in New York City. He is known for having a high level of precision and realism in his work....
. In the story, Colossus, who was believed to be deceased at the time, had just been discovered and released from imprisonment, and one of those responsible was escaping in an aircraft. Wolverine asked Colossus if he was capable of physical effort after his long imprisonment, and when Colossus replied that he was, Wolverine said, "I have two words for you". The next frame, a full two-page spread
Two-page spread
In page layout and typography, a spread is the unit formed by two adjacent, facing pages in a magazine or other publication, featuring a single image or a themed group of images...
(seen in the picture), showed Wolverine in mid-air and Colossus far below in a "follow-through" position, obviously having just launched his teammate; no dialogue was used in this frame, the picture speaking for itself to readers familiar with the maneuver. The move was most recently used in Uncanny X-Men #500, when Emma Frost
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
, who is running from a Sentinel
Sentinel (comics)
Sentinels are a fictional variety of mutant-hunting robots, appearing in the Marvel Comics Universe. They are usually portrayed as antagonists to the X-Men. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, they first appeared in The X-Men #14 .According to Marvel canon, Sentinels are programmed to locate...
, telepathically asks, "Logan--Piotr--Where the hell are you?!" with Wolverine replying telepathically: "Right here babe, Flyin' to yer rescue" with Colossus throwing Wolverine into a Sentinel in the format of a fastball special.
In the Free Comic Book Day 2009 comic The Avengers Wolverine used the Fastball Special with Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
to defeat the frost god Ymir.
In Uncanny X-Men #137, during the battle with Dark Phoenix on Earth's moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, Wolverine grasped Colossus by his chest and hurled him at Phoenix due the moon's lower gravity.
Another scene involving Wolverine throwing Colossus occurred in Wolverine #176, in which Wolverine is (temporarily) killed and meets up with Colossus in the afterlife, where the duo are attacked by slain villains. Wolverine then promptly picks Colossus up; the confused Colossus asks, "Didn't this used to go the other way around?", to which Wolverine replies "Haven't you learned to improvise since you died?" before hurling Colossus at the angry mob.
In other media
- In Super Mario RPG, Bowser gets a weapon that lets him use Mario in a similar way.
- In Final Fantasy VII: Advent ChildrenFinal Fantasy VII: Advent Childrenis a 2005 Japanese computer-animated science fiction film directed by Tetsuya Nomura, co-directed by Takeshi Nozue, and produced by Yoshinori Kitase and Shinji Hashimoto. It was written by Kazushige Nojima and the music was composed by Nobuo Uematsu...
, Cloud StrifeCloud Strifeis a fictional character and the main protagonist in Square's role-playing game Final Fantasy VII and several of its sequels and spin-offs. His original design was created by Final Fantasy VII character designer Tetsuya Nomura...
is thrown from one friend to the next upward into the sky towards Bahamut SIN. With each toss he gains speed, eventually flying fast enough to cut all the way through Bahamut SIN in one swing.
- In the 1992 animated television series X-MenX-Men (TV series)X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
during the episode "The Unstoppable Juggernaut", Wolverine first attacks Colossus and is thrown around during the fight. Wolverine mentions that "He (Colossus) has one heck of an arm" in reference to the fastball special.
- In X-Men: The Last StandX-Men: The Last StandX-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,...
, Wolverine created this move with Colossus at the beginning of the film in the Danger RoomDanger RoomThe Danger Room is a fictional training facility built for the X-Men of Marvel Comics as part of the various incarnations of the X-Mansion.-Early designs:...
fighting against a Sentinel. This move was later used to distract Magneto so Beast could inject him with the Cure. In both cases, instead of having Wolverine resting on his hand, Colossus picks him up by his uniform shirt.
- In "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an American animated television series by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. The show debuted on Disney XD in Fall 2010 starting with a 20 part micro-series. A second season has been...
" episode "A Day Unlike Any Other," the Avengers battle LokiLokiIn Norse mythology, Loki or Loke is a god or jötunn . Loki is the son of Fárbauti and Laufey, and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. By the jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr. By his wife Sigyn, Loki is the father of Nari or Narfi...
's forces on the Bifrost Bridge. During the course of the battle, ]]Giant Man]] picked up The HulkHulk (comics)The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
and hurls him towards the frost giants.
- In the Disney film "Sky HighSky HighSky High may refer to:*Sky High , a 1975 song by the band Jigsaw*Sky High , a famous Australian racehorse*Sky High , a novel*Sky High Lee , Canadian professional wrestler*Sky High Stuntman, an Amiga game...
", Will Stronghold throws Warren Peace in gym class in order to "Save the Citizen".
- In 2007, the RunawaysRunaways (comics)Runaways is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are part of an evil crime group called the Pride. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the series debuted in April of 2003 as part of Marvel Comics'...
made the list at number five of ten for best teams, citing the best Runaway's moment was when Molly HayesMolly HayesMolly Hayes , is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. She was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways #1 with most of the other main characters...
and Victor ManchaVictor ManchaVictor Mancha is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. He was created by author Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways vol. 2 #1 . Like the original runaways, Victor has a supervillain for a parent; his father is the robot Ultron...
made their version of the X-Men's "Fastball Special".
- In X2: Wolverine's RevengeX2: Wolverine's RevengeX2: Wolverine's Revenge is a video game released in 2003 to coincide with the release date of the film X2: X-Men United. Revenge was the first home console title to feature Wolverine in a starring role since 1994; he had appeared two years earlier in X-Men: Wolverine's Rage for Game Boy Color...
, the only way for Wolverine to defeat Juggernaut is by weakening him and then getting Colossus to deliver the Fastball Special.
- In X-Men LegendsX-Men LegendsX-Men Legends is an action role-playing video game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. It was released on the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles in the fall of . Barking Lizards Technologies developed the N-Gage port of the game, which was released in early...
, Rogue, Beast or Colossus can pick Wolverine up and execute the fast ball special. In the sequel, only Rogue, Colossus, and Juggernaut can execute the move, as Beast is no longer playable.
- In Marvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...
, Colossus, Thing, Luke Cage or Hulk can pick up Wolverine to perform the fastball special. Also, any character can pick up Mister Fantastic to perform the move, however he can only be picked up when in his "Pinball" form. To perform the move the player must be controlling the character who will perform the throw (any of the big, strong ones) and press the action key (normally used to grab objects and enemies, aside from opening doors) when next to the character to be hurled.
- In Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, HulkHulk (comics)The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
, The Thing, JuggernautJuggernaut (comics)The Juggernaut is a fictional character that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #12 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
, VenomVenom (comics)Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
, Jean Grey and Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
has a Fusion move with WolverineWolverine (comics)Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
, DaredevilDaredevil (Marvel Comics)Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
, Iron Fist and Mr Fantastic where they execute a Fastball Special if two of the characters are both on the player's team.