The Curse of the Black Widow Stars is a popular belief or superstition that suggests a pattern of misfortune befalls the main actors who play the love interest of the titular villainous character in the Spider-Man film franchise. This concept gained traction after the deaths of several actors and the occurrence of other unfortunate incidents. The curse supposedly began with actress Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, and also portrayed Aunt May in a television adaptation of Spider-Man. Hamilton's alleged connection to the curse was due to her own experiences with setbacks and tragedies in her personal life. The first actor to allegedly fall victim to the Curse of the Black Widow Stars was Nicholas Hammond, who played Peter Parker in the 1970s television series Spider-Man. After his role, he faced numerous career struggles and failed to achieve the same level of success as some of his co-stars.
After his role, he faced numerous career struggles and failed to achieve the same level of success as some of his co-stars. Since then, actors such as Topher Grace, who portrayed Venom in Spider-Man 3, and Andrew Garfield, who played Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man films, have faced a variety of challenges following their Spider-Man roles. One notable incident that is often cited as evidence of the curse is the death of Heath Ledger, who played the Joker in The Dark Knight.
Netherul empire of mzgic
"Finally, without warning or preamble, Larloch, the Shadow King, revealed the secret past of Netheril." Netheril: The Empire of Magic
So begins the first book in the Netheril boxed set, so begins the Netheril story. The Netheril Empire was located where the Anauroch -- that strange desert in the other wise green and frequently frosty north -- is now located in the modern period of the Forgotten Realms setting. In many ways, the desert is the scorch mark they left when their empire fell. The boxed set was published several years ago and was the first of the Arcane Age supplements. All told it is interesting and despite a few errors worth the money.
"The year 326 marked one of the most important dates in Netheril's history � the discovery of the nether scrolls." Netheril: The Empire of Magic
The boxed set contains two books and two maps, with the two books totaling about 158 pages. Each map is printed on both sides. The first shows Netheril at its height on one side and its frontier on the other � the frontier is Savage North in the current setting. The second map shows Netheril shortly before its collapse, illustrating a stark change as much of its lands have turned to desert. The reverse of the second maps illustrates the Karsus enclave. The first book is "The Winds of Netheril," which details the history of Netheril, offering campaign suggestion and parameters as well as a list of when spells where created. It also describes equipment available, the gods of the period and a list of important cities and locations in the Netheril Empire. Finally, it includes a detailed look at the Karsus enclave and a list and description of important people through the history of Netheril. The second book, the "Encyclopedia Arcana," details magic items unique to Netheril and a list of Netheres spells, such as "Karsus' Avatar": a spell that allowed a mage to become a god.
"This spell allowed the caster to become a god of his choosing, replacing a current with himself the moment the spell was completed." Netheril: The Empire of Magic
However it was not a good idea for Karsus to cast the spell because he choose Mystryl -- the goddess of magic at the time. In so doing he pretty much turned off all of magic for about and hour and a half. This caused all the floating Netheril cities -- the enclaves created and run by 20+ level mages -- to pile drive into the ground, old mages to turn to dust and all sort of trouble all over the place. Mystra � the next goddess of magic � came to power and rewrote all the rules so that could not happen again, basically setting up 1st edition until the Time of Trouble, when 2nd edition came about. Thematically the boxed set is very interesting. It portrays a human society that lasted more than 3,000 years and had its own flavor and so forth. The magic is interesting and the notion of a culture with many floating cities is truly fantastic. After reading the set it does feel like it is something of a sadness to have lost such a nation and people.
"As his body fell, his stony eyes, still shimmering with the last glint of godly omniscience, caught a glimpse of the cities of Netheril smashing to the ground, killing all their inhabitants. His heart broke � greed for the power of the gods themselves caused the destruction of his home, his family, his friends, and his people." Netheril: The Empire of Magic
Of course, the set is backwards engineered to fit into the current Forgotten Realms setting so the empire had to fall down and go boom. That aside, slade and Butler did a good job with the set. In many ways it is reminiscent of the stories of Atlantis � an ancient empire of humanity the rose to a great height but fell when they tinkered poorly with ultimate power. Likewise there is a subtle message about a people who were used to having everything handed to them and who were not able to survive on their own without everything being handed to them. Perhaps this message is why the set has gotten bad reviews elsewhere: gamers do not like games with a message or stories with a moral. They just want to kill thing and only want DM's around to facilitate their ability to do so. Be that as it may, the set is good because it portray a setting that is truly fantastic � great floating cities, magic that provides everyday household needs, strange non-human shaped beings and so forth. In many ways, most supplements and novels just feel like a day at a Ren-Fair where they have a modest laser-lights show budget. Much of "fantasy" in the Realms is no longer so fantastic. This boxed set bring the fantastic back. The set does have its faults. First among these are editorial errors, like in one place where "fate" is misspelled as "fat." These are mostly amusing until the history and time line sections where they become confusing. In addition, the scope of the history of Netheril poses some problems as well. In 3,000+ years, it only filled a space about the size on the Anauroch, rather than a territory much larger. In this 3,000+ year period there were never any major wars to speak of and little to no description of how Netheril dealt with other major world powers like Calimshan, Unther, Mulhorandi and what have you. Granted there was space limitations, but by comparison, "Cormanthyr: Empire of Elves" did a much better job in the history department. This should not stop you from picking up a copy, however. In the end, this boxed set has been unfairly disparaged and is worth picking for the way it details a truly fanatic and interesting setting.
Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)
Help support RPGnet by purchasing this item through DriveThruRPG.
After 300 years of studying magic under the Eaerlanni, the Nether Scrolls were discovered by the Finder, within the ruins of Aryvandaar in −3533 DR. The scrolls provided a huge leap forward in Netherese spellcraft, which they favored over the magic they learned from the elves. The next two hundred years saw the power of the Netherese arcanists increase by leaps and bounds. It was during this age that the 33-year-old Congenio Ioun, in an unprecedented feat of skill, created his first magical item, the ioun stone. In the last 20 years of this age, the arcanists assaulted the Land of Alabaster Towers and stripped away arcane spells from the minds of the nation's sorcerers.
While not directly linked to the Spider-Man franchise, Ledger's role as a major villain in a superhero film has been associated with the curse due to its similarities to the character of the Black Widow. In addition to the deaths of certain actors, the Curse of the Black Widow Stars also encompasses various misfortunes that have befallen others associated with the Spider-Man films. These include accidents, legal issues, and career setbacks. While some dismiss the curse as mere coincidence, others believe it to be a genuine phenomenon that affects those involved with the Spider-Man franchise. Overall, the Curse of the Black Widow Stars is a superstition that suggests a pattern of misfortune befalls those who play the love interest of the Black Widow character in the Spider-Man films. While the validity of the curse is debated, the various incidents that have occurred over the years have led many to believe in its existence..
Reviews for "The Haunting History of the Curse of the Black Widow Stars"
1. John - 2/5 stars - I was really excited to watch "Curse of the black widow stars" based on the trailer, but unfortunately, the film didn't live up to my expectations. The storyline was convoluted and hard to follow, with many subplots that didn't seem to connect. The acting was also subpar, with wooden performances and lack of chemistry between the characters. Overall, I found it to be a disappointing film that didn't hold my interest.
2. Sarah - 1/5 stars - "Curse of the black widow stars" was a complete waste of my time. The dialogue was poorly written, filled with cliches and predictable lines. The special effects were also lacking, and it was evident that they were done on a low budget. The pacing of the film was slow and dragged on, making it hard to stay engaged. I would not recommend this film to anyone looking for a thrilling and well-executed horror movie.
3. Michael - 2/5 stars - I found "Curse of the black widow stars" to be very underwhelming. The concept had potential, but the execution fell flat. The scares were predictable, and the jump scares felt forced and ineffective. The plot twists were also predictable, and I was able to guess the ending halfway through the film. The performances were decent but failed to elevate the weak script. Overall, it was a disappointing horror film that lacked originality and failed to deliver on its promises.
4. Emily - 2/5 stars - As a fan of horror movies, I had high hopes for "Curse of the black widow stars," but unfortunately, it failed to deliver. The scares were too reliant on cheap jump scares and lacked any genuine suspense or tension. The storyline was confusing, with unnecessary subplots that dragged the film down. The characters were also poorly developed, making it hard to care about their fates. Overall, it was a forgettable horror film that didn't live up to its potential.