The Express Tribune hi five - March 8

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Your Proofness: Dilaira Dubash Master Storyteller: Hurmat Majid Creativity Analysts: Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Talha Ahmed Khan, Omer Asim, Mohsin Alam, Aamir Khan, Eesha Azam, Mariam Rashid, Hira Fareed and Umar Waqas

Marvel vs DC PAGE 2-3

Tropical rainforests PAGE 4

Book review: Stardust PAGE 6

Monster pencil-topper PAGE 8

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 8, 2015

Hi light

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DC comics started as a part of National Allied Publications in 1935, which evolved into Adventure Comics and the firm adopted the name DC Comics, Inc. in 1939. The initials for the DC comic books were from taken from the Detective Comic series. The DC Universe (DCU) is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. DC superheroes such as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are from this universe, while supervillains such as Lex Luthor, the Joker and Darkseid also live in it.

Marvel started creating comics as Timely Publications, which became Atlas Comics in the 1950s. They took up the name Marvel Comics Group 1996. Within Marvel Comics, most tales take place in the fictional Marvel Universe, which, in turn, is part of a larger multiverse. The dimension in which most Marvel storylines take place was labeled Earth-616. Each universe in the multiverse has a separate protector, these protectors are collectively known as Captain Britain Corps.

The two studios have been rivals since the very beginning and they openly acknowledge this.

There have been quite a few crossovers between the two studios, the greatest of which was the DC vs Marvel crossover in 1996 where the ultimate battle between the superheroes from both the universes was fought.

The only successful product of America’s super-soldier programme and a man thrust out of his own time, Cap is America’s finest soldier and a living symbol to all.

He wields an unbreakable shield and once socked Hitler in the jaw.

DC’s characters are more prominent individuals. Batman is a billionaire/ ninja, Superman is extraterrestrial and Wonder Woman is an Amazon princess. In contrast, Marvel characters usually come from relatively ordinary backgrounds. Spider-Man, Captain America and most of the X-Men had largely unremarkable lives before developing superpowers.

Most Marvel characters have powers that are easier to explain. On one hand Storm controls the weather and can fly, on the other Superman is super-tough, fast, has eye-rays, ice breath and incredible senses. He can fly and at times goes back in time and erases memories.

Many prominent Marvel characters were designed for teams like the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and most of the Avengers. In contrast, many prominent DC characters were introduced as loners or partners rather than teammates. In a team, specific characters have designated tasks, like in the Fantastic Four, Reed Richards handles science, Ben Grimm is a pilot and the Invisible Woman does most of the team’s stealth work. Batman, on the other hand, usually does all of this himself. Marvel usually uses real locations, notably New York. DC, on the other hand, mostly uses fictional cities. Even so, we see DC’s cities influenced by the studio’s location in New York. Places like Gotham and Metropolis aren’t really fooling anyone.

Billionaire Tony Stark found a higher calling when a brutal injury forced him to develop an advanced suit of armour to keep himself alive.

He now uses his greatest creation to build a better legacy for the Stark name.

A bite from a radioactive spider morphed puny Peter Parker into the Spectacular SpiderMan. He uses his enhanced strength, webs and sarcastic wit as weapons against his foes.

A vengeful billionaire devotes his entire life to dressing as a bat and pummeling the criminals of Gotham City. He doesn’t need superpowers, he’s Batman and that’s enough!

The last son of Krypton became Earth’s defender and champion. Superman possesses incredible powers, including strength and flight. His greatest ability, however, is to disguise himself with a slouch and a pair of glasses.

What would you like to see in Hi Five? Send an email to hifive@tribune.com.pk and let us know!

A connection to the Speed Force makes Flash the fastest man alive. The Flash mantle has been passed down over the generations, and now an entire family of speedsters defends the citizens of DCU.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 8, 2015

Red Skull

Red Skull: A Nazi scientist who became obsessed with Captain America.

Red Skull survived to the present day as he continues to plague his nemesis.

Doctor Octopus: A brilliant but unethical scientist who created a set of mechanical appendages he controls with his mind. Now at death’s door, Octopus is planning one last, grand strike against Spider-Man and the world at large.

Green Goblin: An ambitious businessman who gained power through the Oz formula but went insane in the process. Likes to dress in a colorful Halloween costume and throw Spider-Man’s girlfriends off bridges.

Magneto: The X-Men’s greatest foe and a self-styled champion for mutant survival. This Holocaust survivor boasts a control over electromagnetism and believes that mutants must forcibly resist against their human oppressors.

Loki: The Norse god of mischief and Thor’s adoptive brother. Loki constantly schemes and plots against his fellow Asgardians, with Midgard often paying the price for his trickery.

3 SINESTRO

Hi light

Brainiac

Lex Luthor Dr Octopus

Magneto

Green Goblin

Loki

REVERSE-FLASH

Sinestro: Once the greatest Green Lantern, Thaal Sinestro fell victim to the power of fear. He now leads the Sinestro Corps in an ongoing war against his old comrades, though his intent is merely to make them stronger.

Brainiac: One of the smartest beings in the universe. Brainiac not only craves knowledge, he seeks to prevent other beings from attaining it. Until Superman came along, there was never anyone to stop him in this goal.

Lex Luthor: An incredibly intelligent business tycoon who has the power, resources, and smarts necessary to change the world. Instead, he has devoted his entire adult life to destroying Superman.

Reverse-Flash: Granted with powers and abilities similar to that of the Flash, Reverse-Flash is unwavering in his determination to oppose and destroy all that’s important to the Flash. His ability to travel through time allows him to attack the Flash at almost any point throughout history.

The Joker: The most feared villain in Gotham City, if not the entire world. This insane clown finds humor in killing and destroying. All he really wants is to make Batman ‘smile’.

JOKER

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 8, 2015

4 Q: When should you buy a bird?

A: When it’s going cheep!

Fun Facts about Chess The game of chess originated in the Gupta Empire of India. It later spread to Persia after the Muslims’ conquest. The game eventually spread to Europe and Russia.

There are 318,979,564,000 ways in which the first four moves of the game can be played by both sides.

Q: What do you get when you cross a tiger and a blizzard?

A: Frostbite!

Q: What do you call a chicken in the 1960’s?

A: A funky chicken.

Q: What do you get if you cross a kangaroo and a snake?

A: A jump rope!

Q: What do you get when you cross a potato with an elephant?

A: Mashed potatoes!

Pawns weren’t always allowed to move two squares in the first move. This change was introduced in Spain in 1280.

The word ‘checkmate’ in chess comes from the Persian phrase Shah Mat, which is often translated to ‘the king is dead’, although a more accurate translation may be ‘the king is trapped’.

The folding chessboard was invented by a priest who was forbidden to play chess. The priest found a way around it by making a folding chessboard. When folded together and put on a bookshelf, it simply looks like two books.

Garry Kasparov, at 22, became the youngest ever world chess champion. Maia Chiburdanidze was 17 when she won the women’s title for the first time.

A chess player by the name of Macleod has the record for worst performance in a tournament. He lost 31 games in New York in 1889.

Did you know?

Tropical Rainforests Did you know tropical rainforests used to cover 14 per cent of the Earth’s surface but due to deforestation they now only cover around six per cent? About 2,000 trees are cut down in rainforests per minute. Tropical rainforests lie around 28 degrees north or south of the equator. They are found in many areas near the equator such as Asia, Africa, Central America and the Pacific Islands. They are described as tall, hot and dense forests near the equator and are believed to be the oldest living ecosystem on Earth. There are four layers in tropical rainforests, each of which is characterised by the plants that grow there and the animals that live there. These layers are called the forest floor, understory, canopy, and emergent layer. The average temperature of the tropical rainforest remains between 70° F and 85° F. Because of the large number of trees in tropical rainforests, they are responsible for 28 per cent of the oxygen produced in the world. A fifth of the world’s fresh water is found in tropical rainforests, a large chunk of which forms the Amazon Basin.

Trees in a tropical rainforest are so densely packed that rain falling on the canopy can take as long as ten minutes to reach the ground. The rainfall in these forests can reach up to 400 inches per year. The Amazon rainforest in South America is the largest tropical rainforest in the world, covering over 5,500,000 square kilometres. Over half of the Amazon rainforest is located in Brazil but it is also located in other South American countries including Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Guyana, Bolivia, Suriname and French Guiana. It is home to around two and a half million different insect species as well as over 40,000 plant species.

Tropical rainforests have hundreds of different types of trees growing there. Many of the plants found in tropical rainforest are used to make natural medicines. For example over 2,000 plants have been discovered to have anti-cancer properties.

However the potential is much higher. Only one per cent of the plant species have been analysed for their possible medicinal properties. Scientists believe that there may be millions of plant and insect species in rainforests that have yet to be discovered.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 8, 2015

Get your weekly dose of unusual and funny news from across the globe!

An odd friendship Eight-year-old Gabi Mann from Seattle has a remarkable relationship with the crows that hang out in her garden. Every day she feeds them some peanuts or dog food and in return, they regularly bring her presents. Gabi’s relationship with the neighbourhood crows began accidentally in 2011. She was four year old and prone to dropping food. She’d get out of the car, and a chicken nugget would tumble off her lap. A crow would rush in to recover it. Soon, the crows were watching for her, hoping for another bite. In 2013, Gabi and her mother started offering food to them as a daily ritual, rather than dropping scraps from time to time. Each morning, they fill the backyard birdbath with fresh water and cover bird-feeder platforms with peanuts. As they work, crows assemble on the telephone lines, calling loudly to them. In Gabi’s vast collection of gifts, there are various tidbits including a miniature silver ball, a black button, a blue paper clip, a yellow bead, a faded black piece of foam, a blue Lego piece and the list goes on. Many of them are scuffed and dirty. It is an odd assortment of objects for a little girl to treasure, but to Gabi these things are more valuable than gold. BBC.COM

Cat Island An army of feral cats rules Aoshima, a remote island in southern Japan, curling up in abandoned houses or strutting about in a fishing village that is overrun with felines outnumbering humans six to one. Originally the cats were introduced to the island to deal with mice that plagued fishermen’s boats, but they stayed on and multiplied.

Today more than 120 cats swarm the island, with only a handful of humans for company. Many of these people are pensioners who didn’t join the waves of migrants seeking work in the cities after World War II. Aoshima is a 30-minute ferry ride away from the coast of Ehime prefecture. It was once home to 900 people in 1945. The only sign of human activity now is the boatload of day-trippers from the mainland, visiting what is locally known as Cat Island. With no restaurants, cars, shops or kiosks selling snacks, Aoshima is still an attraction for cat-lovers. NBCNEWS.COM

World wide weird

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Fairy-doors in the woods

The first ‘fairy-door’ appeared in the year 2000, in Wayford Woods, Crewkerne, Somerset. It was traditionally-crafted with a working handle, hinges and a little bed behind it. With little tokens, fairy toys and notes placed behind some of the doors, the area has rapidly become known as Fairy Woods.

By last year, more than 200 little doors had been screwed, nailed and installed on trees — forcing the Woods’ trustees to act. The trustees say that they have seen as many as 10 doors put up on a single tree, completely surrounding the tree. One theory is that the doors have been installed by local people so children can leave messages for the fairies. But with more and more plywood doors appearing, covered in tinsel and glitter, the trust would have to remove the doors. The Wayford Woods Charitable Trust has been trying to keep people to the paths but they say the fairy doors are making the woods free-for-all. MIRROR.CO.UK

Human Fossils in Ethiopia A piece of jawbone with teeth attached, uncovered in Ethiopia, is the earliest-known fossil of the genus Homo, the class to which humans belong.

The discovery suggests that humankind’s ancestors were living in what is now the Ledi-Geraru research area of Afar Regional State, Ethiopia, in open grassland environments, near lakes, rivers and active volcanoes, about 2.8 million years ago or 400,000 years earlier than previously thought.

“It is the first fossil we have on the branch that leads toward us,” said Brian Villmoare, assistant professor and fossil expert at the University of Nevada.

The jawbone, known as LD 350-1, is the lower left side of a mandible with five teeth, and was found in fine sediment near the surface of the research site in 2013.

The fossil has not yet been assigned to a particular species, but its slim molars and dental arch proportions indicate an advancement that is not seen in the Australopithecus afarensis species, which dates just a few hundred thousand years earlier. TELEGRAPH.CO.UK

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 8, 2015

Reading corner

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A valuable lesson As I walked back home, I thought about the events of the evening with a sense of satisfaction. I had been at my friend Atif’s place, playing video games all day with a bunch of other friends. It was Saturday and his mom and dad had gone out and we had the place to ourselves except for Haleema aunty, the housekeeper..

All day we played, munching on junk food and making a big mess in the lounge. It was finally five O’clockk in the evening and everyone else left. Atif insisted that I stay a little while longer and finish the game we were playing.

Haleema aunty came out of her quarters and started to clean up. I guess she wanted to finish up before the family arrived. She had spent most of the day in her quarters, coming to the lounge once in a while to see if we needed something. Atif had not even noticed these visits all day. But as soon as Haleema aunty started cleaning he yelled at her for disturbing him. I was shocked but Haleema aunty left the room without a word.

A little while later she was in the kitchen, probably making tea so that it’d be ready when Atif’s parents returned. She accidentally knocked a metal glass to the floor and it made a crashing noise. Irritated again, Atif shouted once more, he asked her to go to her quarters and stay there until everyone else returned. This time I was outraged. I had always been taught to respect my elders and never be rude to them. I was even more shocked because I had known Atif for a while and he had always been respectful towards our teachers and even my parents. I paused my game and said, “You should go apologise to Haleema aunty, you were very rude to her and she was just doing her job.” A look of surprise passed his face and then he said, “It’s no big deal, she’s just the help.” “No big deal?” I asked, “You told me she’s been with your family since you were a kid, she took care of you every time your parents had to leave town, if nothing else, don’t you see that she’s our elder? Don’t you know we should respect them regardless of their job?”

Atif was stunned into silence for a while. It was as if he had never thought of these things. Soon his expression changed from shock to remorse.

Quietly he got up and went into Haleema aunty’s quarters.

A while later they both came out and we helped Haleema aunty clean up the mess we had made all day. Before I left, Atilf took me aside and thanked me for reminding him about the valuable lesson of respect. He vowed to be very careful in how he treated elders regardless of their station in life. I was happy to see the change in my friend as I left his house.

Book Review Stardust Stardust is a clever postmodern fairytale by Neil Gaiman. It has a different tone and style compared to Gaiman’s other prose fiction novels. The book was released in 1999 and received a lot of praise from readers. Its film adaptation came out in 2007 and starred Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Charlie Cox and Claire Danes.

The story revolves around the adventures of a boy named Tristran Thorn living in the town of Wall. Like many others in the village, he too believes he’s in love with the most beautiful girl in town and wishes to marry her. He promises to bring her a falling star if she vows to be faithful to him for the rest of her life. This promise begins a magical adventure that sends Thorn on a journey of self-discovery and excitement during which he is introduced to a falling star (a beautiful woman who falls out of the sky). To stay true to the make-believe world of fairytales, the book includes witches, lords, fairies and magical glass flowers.

Stardust is written with enough understanding of what the fairytale genre entails. It’s delightful and believable in spite of its apparent absurdity and with so much action and adventure to offer, the book makes for an engaging read and is impossible to put down.

Do you have a favourite book or movie you would like us to review? Write to us at hifive@tribune.com.pk and tell us all about it.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 8, 2015

7

Artwork

Abdul Moiz Shaikh

Mahnaz Mir

Notable Entries for the Liberty Books Cards

Competition Theme: Video games Anusha Anu

Mumtaz Mir Winner

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 8, 2015

Materials: • Pencil • Liquid glue • Scissors • Green foam craft sheet

• Blue, brown, white and black craft paper • Thick black marker • White correction pen

Ingredients: Bread slices Cheese Ketchup Boneless chicken Tomato Onion Capsicum

2 to 4 2 slices 1/4 cup cut in cubes cut in cubes cut in cubes cut in cubes

Method: • • • • • • • •

Toast the bread on both sides so that it doesn’t get soggy when topped.

Ask an adult to help you sautée the chopped veggies and chicken in oil. Season them with salt and pepper.

Now place the toasted slices in a microwaveproof dish and spread the ketchup evenly on the bread. Make sure that the layer is not too thick.

Top the slice with the veggies and chicken.

Cut a cheese slice into fours and place two of the pieces onto your bread slice.

Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the cheese.

Place the slices in the microwave oven and set the timer to 2 minutes.

Take the bread pizzas out of the microwave oven and serve warm.

Remember kids, always get permission from your parents before you start.

It’s always a good idea to have a helper nearby.

Directions: •

Cut a circle out of the foam craft sheet.

•

Trace two arm shapes on the same sheet and then carefully cut them.

•

Glue the arms to the back of the circle neatly.

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Cut a cap shape from the blue craft paper. Draw the ‘M’ on the cap with the correction pen.

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Cut a white circle and then a smaller black circle to form an eye.

•

Glue the cap and the eye onto the monster’s body.

•

Draw the mouth in black marker and the teeth with the correction pen.

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Glue the topper on the back of the pencil carefully.

•

Your monster pencil-topper is now ready.