The Slug

Defuser Wins "Who Wants to Be a Superhero?"

(AP Photo/HO/NBC)

Despite recommending it to fill the absence of "Heroes" in your heart and on your DVR this summer, The Slug didn't really get into Sci-Fi Channel's "Who Wants to Be a Superhero?" However, we did check out last night's season finale, which saw Stan Lee selecting The Defuser (real name: Jarrett Crippen) as the winner. We know The Defuser is a police detective in real life, but we never really understood his superpower, other than looking completely redonkulous in purple-and-black spandex. Mr. Mitzvah was robbed.

We're Good to Go ... Play Video Games

(AP Photo/HO/Red Mile Entertainment)

A few weeks ago, we told you about our time with "Jackass: The Game." Well, we've had a preview copy of the PSP version for over a month now and have completely mastered such stunts as launching our bodies over suburban terrain, stopping a shopping cart before it rolls off the edge of a skyscraper and vomiting up eggs — all without any trips to the hospital. Does this make us a professional now? Can we try these stunts at home?

Check out this week's "Up Down Left Right," asap's weekly gaming video co-starring moi, as we preview "Jackass" and two other upcoming PSP games that harness the full power of the handheld gaming device. Don't have a PSP? Well, lucky you because Amazon started accepting pre-orders today for the new light-as-a-feather-or-at-least-an-iPhone PSP that was announced at E3. No, they didn't pay us to say that. We'll be sticking with our clunky fat PSP 'cause we appreciate its curves, baby.

Comic-Con Jealousy

(AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

As you could probably tell, we weren't at Comic-Con this year. Boo. However, we don't want to leave you out in the cold if you weren't able to get down to San Diego for all the hot geekiness. So let us point you in the direction of our colleague (and "Up Down Left Right" co-host) Ryan Pearson's asap dispatches from the convention floor. We're so jealous! He was hanging by Jessica Alba's side, found five really cool things, watched awesome teaser trailers and interacted with fans.

Silver? More Like Bronze

(AP Photo/WETA/20th Century Fox)

We'd like to say the gaming industry is 3-0 when it comes to this summer's blockbuster sequel adaptations, but they're gonna have to settle for 3-0-1, at this point. That's because while The Slug thinks the "Spider-Man 3" and "Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End" games were better than the movie, the "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" game isn't better — but it's not worse, either. It's just as bad.

So, um, congratulations to The Thing, Invisible Woman, Mr. Fantastic and Johnny Storm. Some people we know actually liked the movie, but we thought it was tolerable, not horrible. Same goes for the game. Go see this week's "Up Down Left Right" weekly gaming video for our attempt to track down the Silver Surfer, but stay for our interview with funnyman Fred Willard.

"Incredible Hulk" Has Back

(AP Photo/Stephanie Hoo)

Is this our first glimpse at the behind of the new new Hulk? He doesn't look anything like Edward Norton! At the Marvel booth at this year's Licensing International show, we were graced with the two-dimensional presence of "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk." In his poster, this shadowy green not-quite-full-size version of the Hulk is walking away from us, toward a one-way street. Hmmm. Color us intrigued.

A Peek at the New Batpod

(AP Photo/Stephanie Hoo)

While at the Licensing International show in New York today, The Slug took a close-up look at the new Batcycle from the upcoming "The Dark Knight," which hasn't even wrapped production yet. Actually, Warner Bros. is referring to this two-wheeler as the Batpod. To ride this bad boy, Batman has to sorta straddle it and put his arms underneath that metal armor in the center, where there's some controls for the two big guns on the front. Despite the yoga position required for transport, this beast is awesome, but we don't think it would handle sharp turns very well.

Supergirl Flying to "Smallville"

     (AP Photo/HO/USPS)

Oh, brother — or should we say "oh, cousin." The CW has announced that a yet-to-be-cast Supergirl will be joining the cast of "Smallville" this fall. The seventh season premiere will revolve around rebellious 19-year-old Supergirl — aka Kara — awakening on Earth and taking an interest in Jimmy Olsen. She'll have all the powers of Clark except she'll actually be able to fly. You know what this reminds The Slug of? Cousin Oliver's arrival at the end of "The Brady Bunch."

Food Network Loses a Head

(AP Photo/HO/Disney)

So summer TV is sorta sucking thus far, but we'd like to suggest one thang you definitely should be on the lookout for on your DVR this week: Food Network's "Challenge" featuring Villain Cakes. Don't worry if you didn't catch it this weekend. They're rerunin' it like a gazillion times. In this installment of the quickie competitive cooking series, pastry chefs are tasked with making cakes based on animated Disney villains. Yes, the concept is lame, but the reason we're enticing you to watch is because the head of one of the cakes falls off right at the judges' feet at the end of the episode. It's totally hilarious, embarrassing and delicious!

Tick, Tick, "Heroes"

(AP Photo/HO/NBC)

We're not sure what our favoritest part of the "Heroes" season finale was last night. Maybe the threeway catfight between good Niki, bad Jessica and annoying shapeshifter Candice, who was posing as Jessica? Or perhaps Claire's dramatic leap from Nathan's office window? Or was it the final smackdown, which involved just about everyone? Oh, The Slug liked the whole thing. And just as we did for "Lost," here's three thangs we think the producers can do to make Chapter 2 better.

1. What's their motivation? Please don't forget the storytelling element that "Spider-Man 3" went overboard with: explaining exactly what characters do what they do. We're still confused why Sylar felt motivated to blow up New York City or why exactly Peter started going nuclear the last time around. Don't let this happen next season.

2. Make the special effects more special. We know. We know. This is definitely a slippery slope, especially for a series that's been so good at balancing emotional drama and superpowered action. However, we'd love to see better (yet still subtle) computer-generated effects.  Maybe you can pay Masi Oka some overtime?

3. Spread the love. "Heroes" was at its best this season when multiple plots and characters were tangled together. Try not to focus too much on one or two characters — especially Niki Sanders and Matt Parkman. We're already sorta cringing at the thought of  an Ando-less Hiro alone in feudal Japan.

What's in This Envelope?

(AP Photo/Derrik J. Lang)

Thanks to everyone who solicited their favorite pirate-themed video games a few weeks ago. Check out this week's installment of Up Down Left Right, asap's weekly gamer video, to see if your booty made the cut. Speaking of treasure hunting, let's take a looksie inside The Slug's mailbox again. Well, what do we have here? A mysterious black envelope with the "Pirates of the Caribbean Online" logo from the game's press kit. But what, praytell, could be inside?