HOW TO BECOME A S.H.E.I.L.D AGENT: AVENGERS IN TIMES SQUARE
By Jenn Kelly
I'm a huge 'Avengers' fan. Not ridiculously huge, like, I have mementos all over my house, but I love the show and the movies. So when the boys and I found out they were having a wickedly-cool exhibit at the Discovery Times Square, we knew we had to visit. I just want to clarify that we were already in Manhattan. We didn't make a special trip.
The exhibit opened at the end of May, and Stan Lee, yes THE Stan Lee, loved it. We bought our tickets in advance (about $80 with a discount) and arrived there 10 minutes before opening. They have 'timed' visits by the way.
We were allowed to take one photo outside. Unfortunately there were no photos allowed in the actual exhibit.
Upon arrival, you were instructed to create your own 'badge'. My child calls me, 'Bad Mommy'. Don't ask.
Then you were brought into a room where you were debriefed about the situation. All employees were dressed as S.H.I.E.L.D team and they even saluted. Which of course, the kids loved. And me. I saluted right back. Because I'm awesome like that.
Testing room where you complete 4 tests. Strength test in hand-squeezing a lever; arm strength test in rotating a wheel as fast possible; reflex test in tapping on the 'bad guys' on the computer screen; and the fourth was your weight (thanks). Your results were compared to Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America. Of course, you failed. It had glass cabinets filled with Captain America trading cards, his shield, his costume and his gorgeous leather jacket.
They had a 'Hulk Room', where the computers took your thumbprint sample and showed how your DNA exposure to simulated radiation would result in you too, becoming like the Hulk. It allowed you to use the special ipad to 'control' the Hulk's movements in punching, jumping up and down and banging your hands together loudly to create a sonic boom. They had the 'Ironman' room where you could 'become' like Ironman with special eye-sensors to blow up planes attacking you; or you could watch yourself be clothed in his costume and try out the thrusters. They had Thor and Loki costumes and even Loki's staff! And when asked where Mjölnir was, we were informed that it was not on loan from Asgard. I was skeptical about the costumes, asking if they were actually used, and I was told yes. But hubby said they winked at him later, so I'm slightly doubtful. They had a write-up on each Avenger - Black Widow, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, Howard Stark, Margaret Carter..
At the end of the two hour tour, we could have stayed an extra hour, playing with the computers that searched space for life and for other planets, there was the gift shop with their $35 t-shirts, of which I'm regretting not purchasing. And of course, you can also pay anywhere between $15-$75 for your group photo with the Avengers. We chose the cheaper version. At least I look all bad-ass. For a mom wearing a skirt.
Worth it? Absolutely. Even with the four 'games' not working.
Jenn Kelly is a mom. And wife. And is currently devouring 'X-Men' novels.
Not the acronym we’ve all become accustomed to, though I do think of Kurt as a BAMF. I will admit, I do have a bit of a man-crush on ol’elf-ears, but BAMF in the Marvel world is the sound of Nightcrawler’s teleportations. See, Kurt doesn’t just appear then re-appear, as the son of Azazel, the demon lord, Kurt has the ability to “port” in and out of the demon world, which does not share the same space and time as our world. By doing so, he can appear in one place in our world, then seconds later in another, leaving a trace of the otherworldy smoke and the shocking sound of air closing behind him. BAMF: The onomatopoeia of champions. 
As a blue skinned, three fingered (and toed), German speaking, Catholic, demon-spawn acrobat, Nightcrawler doesn’t fit in even with the misfit group of X-Men. Here is a group of superheroes that do not fit in with their fellow man, and Kurt Wagner stands out even amongst this ragtag group of mutants. Growing up in an industrial city, with strongly liberal views, in a catholic school, I had found my own bunch of ragtag misfits to band together as a super friend group. However even amongst my fellows I felt different. Alas, the plight of the teenager. Thusly, Nightcrawler also embodies the outcast feelings of every pubescent who doesn’t own the high school hallways. Sidenote, it’s also just super awesome to read Marvel’s “German style” speech bubbles for Nightcrawler. Just the best. –fangirl swoon-
Thea Nikolic aka Critical Miss has been cosplaying for several years and has just recently started hosting panels at various conventions about cosplay. She is also an actor, so she loves to play and act like her various characters that she loves. You can follow her cosplay shenanigans with her costuming husband at their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/criticalmissandretrojoad. You can also follow her on Twitter @HarleyQuinnBabe as well as on Instagram harleyquinnbabe. 
Before being tossed into yet another international crisis, the audience gets a taste for Steve Rogers day to day life in the 21st century. He works out, going on missions for S.H.I.E.L.D and tries to catch up on everything he’s missed in 70 years. As a side note, I will never complain about being behind on my television watching after seeing his cultural to do list. We get one of the best meet-cutes I've seen in a long time when he runs into, or more accurately past, Sam Wilson a.k.a Falcon. Anthony Mackie gives a breakout performance. He falls into a great rhythm of being supportive without looking like he is blindly following along because the script says so. 
This movie also accomplished something that I didn't think would happen: I finally understand the appeal of Black Widow. I enjoyed Scarlett Johansson's work in Avengers but I did not get why people were pushing so hard to get Natasha her own movie. After her significantly beefed up role in The Winter Solider, I see so much potential. I really hope that Marvel doesn’t drop the ball. 
