In case you missed it, take a look at what we offer in True Believer. This editorial by Charly Shelton is from the May 8 issue, just after the Ultimate Marvel Movie Marathon.

Greetings, True Believers! It is I, your magnanimous leader, back once again to lay some knowledge on you from beyond the screen.

I am a major Marvel fan. I grew up reading Spider-Man and Fantastic Four, and got into the other heroes more recently in life. I go to cons, midnight screenings, signings at comic shops- I am down for anything nerdy. But the Ultimate Marvel Marathon that AMC and Regal Cinemas held for the 25 hours leading up to the premiere of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” pushed the limits of even what I would sit through.

I have seen all these movies before. Many, many times. So the draw to see them all again is not as strong as it once was. But still, I went because it sounded like a true test of the fandom. Surprisingly, all the theaters in California sold out, but I got my tickets early on, so I was one of 360 attendees in the theater in Ontario, CA.

With my reluctant non-nerd friend Matt (who was a real trooper for sticking it out for the whole time for something he really didn’t care about), we entered the theater at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday night to watch all the Marvel movies to date in chronological order. We watched Iron Man, then went to grab a bite during The Incredible Hulk (because the first half is a snooze anyway) and got back in time to see the creation of Abomination. Then it was time for Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America, and The Avengers.

Around 8 am, about halfway through ‘The Avengers, we had to take a nap. We had both seen Iron Man 3, so we slept through that one. With an hour and 45 minutes of sleep, we made a coffee and pancake run, then jumped back into the fray for Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy. At the 25 hour mark, 7 p.m., it was time for the one movie we had all been waiting for- Age of Ultron.

It was nuts. At a certain point, you are just waiting for the movie to end so you can try and grab 20 minutes of sleep between shows. I love the Marvel movies, but this was a bit much. If it was done over two days, it would be perfect. Nevertheless, we didn’t give up and we got our Avengers Marathon medals to wear proudly at the next con.

Until next time, True Believers, Fight On!