The MCU has a lot of mysteries in it. Some have been revealed and become major plot points for the whole universe, like the ultimate fate of Tony Stark’s parents. Others have been hinted at and probably won’t get full explanations. Two of these minor mysteries have become questions for the fan community and revolve around the non-powered Avengers, the Black Widow and Hawkeye. 

The first is “What happened in Budapest?” Stemming from a seemingly throwaway line, this question has made the Avengers community speculate as to whether this was a battle the two took part in during their S.H.I.E.L.D. days or if it was something more personal.

The other question is how the two met. In The Avengers, Black Widow recalls, “I got on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me, he made a different call.” And that was it. Needless to say, it leaves a lot to the imagination as to what could make a top agent like Hawkeye defy orders from the top brass.

This year’s LeakyCon is shaping up to be the most geeky and exciting yet with special guests including Harry Potter film actors, New York Times bestselling authors, and plenty of web video stars. Quickly become a catch all of fans’ favorite things, like Harry Potter, Doctor Who, the Whedonverse, The Hunger Games, and more, the four-day convention will run from June 27 – 30 in the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, OR.

The 4,000 expected attendees will enjoy both formal and informal programming such as live rock shows, panels, workshops, guest signings, talent and costume competitions and the Esther Earl Rocking Charity Ball. This event will be held on the final night of the convention in honor of Esther, an avid Harry Potter fan who lost her battle with cancer in August 2010. Performers for LeakyRock include Hank Green, Alex Carpenter, The Whomping Willows, and Harry and the Potters.

Among the Harry Potter celebrity guests are Devon Murray (Seamus Finnigan), Scarlett Byrne (Pansy Parkinson), and Ellie Darcy-Alden (Young Lily). Of course theatre troupe Team Starkid will be bringing their unique musical productions to the stage again at LeakyCon. This year they will be performing their entire catalogue of music from all three of their wildly popular Harry Potter spoofs. Confirmed performers include Brian Holden, Joe Walker, Joey Richter, and many more.

While we didn’t get a chance to make it to Dragon Con this year, we did hear the stories. We heard about some pretty epic cosplay and even saw tons of pics, but nothing would have prepared us for this. Shot by the team of Micah Moore, Black Faucette, Justin Reich and edited together by Micah, this is the definitive Dragon Con video.

For those who have never been to Dragon Con, it is a multigenre meeting of the geeks that draws over 50,000 in attendance to Atlanta, GA each year. Every year, Dragon Con earns a reputation for some of the top cosplay in the nation, even sometimes surpassing that of San Diego Comic Con in high quality costumes. In its 26th year, Dragon Con keeps getting bigger and bigger.

In the video after the jump, Micah and the rest of his team from BeatDownBoogie.com use a remix of “Real Hero” from the film Drive to show off the unparalleled level of dedication and fandom of the attendees for this year’s Dragon Con. It’s videos like this that make us proud to be geeks.

And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth’s mightiest heroes and heroines found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, the Avengers were born—to fight the foes no single super hero could withstand! 

Yesterday in select cities nationwide, thousands of people were treated to a back-to-back marathon screening of all six Marvel Studios films. From Iron Man all the way to the midnight premiere of The Avengers, this epic, butt-busting extravaganza was sold as THE best way to celebrate the arrival of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

The roster of films was impressive, but the time commitment was daunting. For true Marvel movie fans was this celebration a good thing? Is the act of subjecting yourself to hours upon hours watching these films worthwhile? Does it diminish the quality or enhance the context when you watch them all back-to-back?

These were all questions I had to ask myself before settling in on my seventeen hour quest through the Marvel Movie-verse, and they were all questions that were answered quite emphatically by about the fifth hour.

There are times in my life when I look at myself in the mirror and ask why? Why don’t I let go of the childish things from my past? Why do I choose to allow myself to be swept away in the adventures of superheroes, dashing knights and evil wizards?

Why do I dream of miracles increasingly fantastic and take for granted the miracles all around me? I never have an answer. I’m nowhere near wise enough to truly understand the machinations of my mind.

That doesn’t stop the asking though, and I would wager that I am not the only one in the geek community who feels the same way. So, if I can’t answer the question why, perhaps I can answer a different question and start the long road to personal understanding? What do I get out of a life as a geek?

It’s a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no telling where you might be swept off to. – Bilbo Baggins