title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: On 16 December, the Finnish government signed a contract to purchase 44 aircraft: a F2A-1 variant designated Model "B-239E" by Brewster. Unlike other fighters already in service, the F2A-1 and B-239E lacked self-sealing fuel tanks and cockpit armor. However, the B-239E was built with a more powerful engine than the F2A-1, in the form of the Wright R-1820-G5, producing , and the capacity to carry four machine guns (rather than the two carried by the F2A-1). The B-239E was also "de-navalized" before shipment: equipment such as tailhooks and life raft containers were removed. The upgraded engine and slightly reduced net weight (i.e. from the omitted armor and de-navalization) resulted in an improved power-to-weight ratio and better general performance.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: In four batches the B-239E was shipped initially to Bergen, in Norway, in January and February 1940 from New York City. The crated fighters were then sent by railway to Sweden and assembled by SAAB at Trollhättan, northeast of Gothenburg.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: After delivery of the B-239E, the Finnish Air Force added armored backrests, metric flight instruments, the Väisälä T.h.m.40 gunsight, and four machine guns. The top speed of the Finnish B-239s, as modified, was at , and their loaded weight was .


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: In February 1940, pilot Lieutenant Jorma "Joppe" Karhunen flight-tested the first B-239 to become operational in Finland. Unfamiliar with the aircraft, he burned out the engine while flying very low at high speed; crashing on a snow-covered field, damaging the propeller and some belly panels. Initially unimpressed, the Finns later witnessed a demonstration by a Brewster test pilot, who was able to stay on the tail of a Finnish Fiat G.50 "Freccia" fighter from Italy; although the Fiat fighter was faster in level flight, the Brewster could out-turn it.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: None of the B-239E fighters saw combat in the Winter War (1939–1940). However, five of the six delivered during the war became combat-ready before it ended.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: The B-239E was never referred to as the name Buffalo in Finland; it was known simply as the Brewster, or by the nicknames "Taivaan helmi" ("sky pearl") or "Pohjoisten taivaiden helmi" ("pearl of the northern skies"). Other nicknames were "Pylly-Valtteri" (lit. "butt-walter"), "Amerikanrauta" ("American hardware" or "American car") and "Lentävä kaljapullo" ("flying beer-bottle"). The total of 44 examples of the B-239E fighters used by the FAF received serial numbers "BW-351" to "BW-394".


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: Finnish pilots regarded the B-239E as being easy to fly, or in the words of ace Ilmari Juutilainen, a "gentlemen's travelling [or touring] plane". The Buffalo was also popular within the FAF because of its relatively long range and good maintenance record. This was in part due to the efforts of the Finnish mechanics, who solved a problem that plagued the Wright Cyclone engine by inverting one of the piston rings in each cylinder, which had a positive effect on reliability. The cooler weather of Finland also helped, because the engine was prone to overheating as noted in tropical Pacific use. The Brewster Buffalo earned a reputation in Finnish Air Force service as one of its more successful fighter aircraft, along with the Fiat G.50, which scored an unprecedented kill-loss ratio of 33-1.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: In service from 1941 to 1945, Buffalos of "Lentolaivue" 24 (Fighter Squadron 24) claimed 477 Soviet Air Force warplanes destroyed, with the combat loss of just 19 Buffalos, an outstanding victory ratio of 26:1.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: During the Continuation War, "Lentolaivue" 24 (Fighter Squadron 24) was equipped with the B-239s until May 1944, when the Buffalos were transferred to "Hävittäjälentolaivue" 26 (Fighter Squadron 26). Most of the pilots of "Lentolaivue" 24 were Winter War combat veterans. This squadron claimed a total of 459 Soviet aircraft with B-239s, while losing 15 Buffalos in combat.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: The Brewsters had their baptism by fire in Finland on 25 June 1941, when a pair of Buffalos from 2/LLv24, operating from Selänpää airfield (ICAO:EFSE) intercepted 27 Soviet Tupolev SBs from 201st SBAP near Heinola. Five SBs were claimed as downed. Subsequent attacks were repelled by LLv24 pilots who, by dusk, had flown 77 sorties.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: Many Finnish pilots racked up enormous scores by using basic tactics against Soviet aircraft. The default tactic was the four-plane ""parvi"" (swarm), with a pair flying lower as bait, and a higher pair to dive on enemy interceptors. The Soviet Air Force was never able to counteract this tactic. The top-scoring B-239 pilot was Hans Wind, with 39 kills. Lt Hans Wind, with six other Buffalos of LeLv 24, intercepted some 60 Soviet aircraft near Kronstad. Two Soviet Pe-2 bombers, one Soviet Hawker Hurricane fighter, and 12 I-16s were claimed for the loss of just one B-239 (BW-378). After evaluation of claims against actual Soviet losses, aircraft "BW-364" was found to have been used to achieve 42½ kills in total by all pilots operating it, possibly making it the highest-scoring fighter airframe in the history of air warfare. The top scoring Finnish ace, Ilmari Juutilainen, scored 34 of his 94½ kills in B-239s, including 28 in BW-364.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: During the Continuation War, a lack of replacements led the Finns to develop a copy of the Buffalo built from non-strategic materials such as plywood, however the "Humu", as they called it, was already obsolete and only a single prototype was built. By late 1943, the lack of spares, wear-and-tear, and better Soviet fighters and training greatly reduced the effectiveness of Finnish B-239s, though LeLv 26 pilots would still claim some 35 victories against Soviet aircraft in mid-1944. The last victory by a Buffalo against Soviet aircraft was claimed over the Karelian Isthmus on 17 June 1944.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: From 1943, Finland's air force received Messerschmitt Bf 109Gs from Germany, and this much-superior fighter re-equipped most Finnish Air Force fighter squadrons.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: After Finland signed an armistice with the Soviet Union in September, 1944, they had to drive Finland's former ally, Nazi Germany out of the country during the "Lapland War". The only clash with the "Luftwaffe" took place on 3 October 1944 when HLeLV 26 intercepted Junkers Ju 87s, claiming two, the last victories to be made by Brewster pilots in World War II. By the end of the war in Lapland, only eight B-239s were left.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: Five B-239s continued to fly until 1948, with last flights of Brewsters by the Finnish Air Force on 14 September 1948, when they were stored until scrapped in 1953.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: Just before the start of the war, Belgium sought more modern aircraft to expand and modernize its air force. Belgium ordered 40 Brewster B-339 aircraft, a de-navalized F2A-2, fitted with the Wright R-1820-G-105 engine approved for export use. The G-105 engine had a power output of (peak) on takeoff, some less than the engine fitted to the U.S. Navy F2A-2. The arrestor hook and liferaft container were removed, and the aircraft was modified with a slightly longer tail.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: Only one aircraft reached France by the time Germany launched its "Blitzkrieg" in the West on 10 May 1940. The Buffalo was later captured intact by the Germans, and it was partially rediscovered near Darmstadt in 1945.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: Six more Belgian Brewsters were offloaded at the French Caribbean island of Martinique and languished on a coastal hillside, never to be flown. The rest of the order went to the RAF.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: Facing a shortage of combat aircraft in January 1940, the British government established the British Purchasing Commission to acquire U.S. aircraft that would help supplement domestic production. Among the U.S. fighter aircraft that caught the Commission's attention was the Brewster. The remaining 32 B-339 aircraft ordered by the Belgians, suspended at the fall of France, were passed on to the United Kingdom. Appraisal by Royal Air Force acceptance personnel criticized it on numerous points including inadequate armament and lack of pilot armor, poor high-altitude performance, engine overheating, maintenance issues, and cockpit controls, while it was praised for its handling, roomy cockpit, and visibility. With a top speed of about at , but with fuel starvation issues over , it was considered unfit for duty in western Europe. Still desperately in need of fighter aircraft in the Pacific and Asia for British and Commonwealth air forces, the UK ordered an additional 170 aircraft under the type specification "B-339E". The aircraft were sent to Royal Australian Air Force, RAF and Royal New Zealand Air Force fighter squadrons in Singapore, Malaya and Burma, shortly before the outbreak of war with Japan.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: The B-339E, or Brewster Buffalo Mk I as it was designated in British service, was initially intended to be fitted with an export-approved Wright R-1820-G-105 Cyclone engine with a (peak takeoff) engine. The Brewster aircraft delivered to British and Commonwealth air forces were significantly altered from the B-339 type sold to the Belgium and French forces in accordance with their purchase order. The Brewster factory removed the Navy life raft container and arrestor hook, while adding many new items of equipment, including a British Mk III reflector gun sight, a gun camera, a larger fixed pneumatic tire tail wheel, fire extinguisher, engine shutters, a larger battery, and reinforced armor plating and armored glass behind the canopy windshield.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: The Brewster Model B-339E, as modified and supplied to Great Britain was distinctly inferior in performance to the F2A-2 (Model B-339) from the original order. It had a less powerful () engine compared to the F2A-2's Cyclone, yet was substantially heavier due to all of the additional modifications by some . The semi-retractable tail wheel had been exchanged for a larger fixed model, which was also less aerodynamic. Top speed was reduced from at combat altitudes.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: In its original form, the B-339 had a theoretical maximum speed of at a rather unrealistic , but fuel starvation problems and poor supercharger performance at higher altitudes meant that this figure was never achieved in combat; the B-339E was no different in this regard. Its maneuverability was severely impaired (the aircraft was unable to perform loops), and initial rate of climb was reduced to . The Wright Cyclone 1890-G-105 engine designated for use in the Brewster Mk I was in short supply; many aircraft were fitted with secondhand Wright engines sourced from Douglas DC-3 airliners and rebuilt to G105 or G102A specifications by Wright. In service, some effort was made by at least one Brewster squadron to improve the type's sluggish performance; a few aircraft were lightened by some by removing armor plate, armored windshields, radios, gun camera, and all other unnecessary equipment, and by replacing the machine guns with machine guns. The fuselage tanks were filled with a minimum of fuel, and run on high-octane aviation petrol where available. At Alor Star airfield in Malaya, the Japanese captured over of high-octane aviation petrol from British forces, which they promptly used in their own fighter aircraft.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: Many of the pilots assigned the Buffalo lacked adequate training and experience in the type. A total of 20 of the original 169 Buffalos were lost in training accidents during 1941. By December 1941, approximately 150 Buffalo B-339E aircraft made up the bulk of the British fighter defenses of Burma, Malaya and Singapore. The two RAAF, two RAF, and one RNZAF squadrons, during December 1941 – January 1942, were beset with numerous problems, including poorly built and ill-equipped aircraft. Aviation historian Dan Ford characterized it as, "The performance... was pathetic." Inadequate spare parts and support staff, airfields that were difficult to defend against air attack, lack of a clear and coherent command structure, a Japanese spy in the Army air liaison staff, antagonism between RAF and RAAF squadrons and personnel, and inexperienced pilots lacking appropriate training would lead to disaster. Although the Mk I had .50-inch guns, many aircraft were equipped with .303 Browning mounts and electric firing solenoids, which tended to fail in service.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: When the Japanese invaded northern Malaya on 8 December 1941, the B-339E initially performed adequately. Against the Nakajima Ki-27 "Nate", the overloaded Brewsters could at least hold their own if given time to get to altitude, and at first achieved a respectable number of kills. However, the appearance of ever greater numbers of Japanese fighters, including markedly superior types such as the Nakajima Ki-43 "Oscar" soon overwhelmed the Buffalo pilots, both in the air and on the ground. Another significant factor was the Brewster engine's tendency to overheat in the tropical climate, which caused oil to spray over the windscreen, usually forcing an aborted mission and greatly complicating attempts to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft. In the end, more than 60 Brewster Mk I (B-339E) aircraft were shot down in combat, 40 destroyed on the ground, and approximately 20 more destroyed in accidents. Only about 20 Buffalos survived to reach India or the Dutch East Indies. The last airworthy Buffalo in Singapore flew out on 10 February, five days before the island fell.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: It is not entirely clear how many Japanese aircraft the Buffalo squadrons shot down, although RAAF pilots alone managed to shoot down at least 20. Eighty were claimed in total, a ratio of kills to losses of just 1.3 to 1. Additionally, most of the Japanese aircraft shot down by the Buffalos were bombers. The Hawker Hurricane, which fought in Singapore alongside the Buffalo from 20 January, also suffered severe losses from ground attack; most were destroyed. The Fleet Air Arm also used the Buffalo in the Mediterranean in the Battle of Crete in early 1941.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: The Brewster Mark I produced four Commonwealth aces: Geoff Fisken, Maurice Holder, A. W. B. (Alf) Clare and R. D. (Doug) Vanderfield. New Zealander Fisken, the top-scoring pilot, later flew RNZAF P-40s and became the highest-scoring Commonwealth pilot within the Pacific theatre.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: No. 67 Squadron RAF was equipped with thirty Buffalos when the Japanese invaded Burma. They were joined by Curtiss P-40 fighters of the American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers). AVG crews were initially impressed with the Buffalo, some even urging General Claire Chennault to trade a squadron of P-40s for Buffalos. In response, Chennault arranged a mock dogfight between both fighters, with 1st Lieutenant Erik Shilling flying the P-40 and Squadron Leader Jack Brandt flying the Buffalo. Over their training base in Toungoo, the P-40 proved to be superior to the Buffalo. When Shilling and Brandt met again fifty years later, the RAF pilot said, "how I wish I could have swapped my aircraft for yours".


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: The Buffalos and P-40s carried out air defenses over Rangoon and Mingaladon as well as strafing missions on Japanese airfields. Like Malaya and Singapore, lack of effective early warning systems greatly hampered British and AVG efforts to defend Burma from air raids. Reports of Japanese aircraft performance from the Malayan Campaign prompted Buffalo pilots in Burma to employ different tactics; according to Flight Sergeant Vic Bargh, "come in from above, or at the same level at the very least, then dive away before they got onto you, because if they did get onto you, well, you were shot down". One of the Buffalo's final victories of the Burma Campaign was claimed by Bargh; he found the wreckage of the bomber and had his picture taken with it as proof.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: The IJAAF secured air superiority over Rangoon by early February 1942, and with the situation on the ground rapidly deteriorating, No. 67 Squadron withdrew north to Toungoo. On 13 February, the squadron moved further north to Magwe with only eight Buffalos, where they continued to carry out reconnaissance flights as well as escorting Westland Lysanders on ground attack missions. The Buffalo flew its last combat sortie with the RAF on 5 March, escorting Hawker Hurricanes and Bristol Blenheims for an attack on a Japanese airbase in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Only six Buffalos remained when the squadron withdrew to Calcutta, India on 11 March to re-equip with Hurricanes. They were swiftly relegated to training duties, though two were briefly acquired by No. 146 Squadron RAF in early April, one of which was regularly flown by Squadron Leader Count Manfred Czernin. No. 67 Squadron claimed 27 Japanese aircraft destroyed; eight Buffalos were shot down and eight pilots were killed. For their actions, Squadron Leader Jack Brandt and Flight Lieutenant Colin Pinckney were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (the latter posthumously), while Sergeant Gordon Williams received the Distinguished Flying Medal.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: The "Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger" ("Military Air Service of the Royal Netherlands East Indian Army", ML-KNIL) had ordered 144 Brewster B-339C and 339D models, the former with rebuilt Wright G-105 engines supplied by the Dutch and the latter with new Wright R-1820-40 engines Brewster purchased from Wright. At the outbreak of war, only 71 had arrived in the Dutch East Indies, and not all were in service. A small number served briefly at Singapore before being withdrawn for the defense of Borneo and Java.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: As the Brewster B-339 aircraft used by the ML-KNIL were lighter than the modified B-339E Brewster Mark Is used by British, Australian, and New Zealand air forces, they were able to successfully engage the Japanese Army Nakajima Ki-43 "Oscar", although both the "Oscar" and the Japanese Navy's A6M Zero still out-climbed the B-339 at combat altitudes (the Zero was faster as well). After the first few engagements, the Dutch halved the fuel and ammo load in the wing, which allowed their Buffalos (and their Hurricanes) to stay with the Oscars in turns. In February 1942 they received new model gunsights. Around the same time the Dutch started to use tracer ammunition as well. These two improved their hit ratio. Still, their lack of heavy machine guns (.50") meant their success rate wasn't as high as it could have been.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: Apart from their role as fighters, the Brewster fighters were also used as dive bombers against Japanese troopships. Although reinforced by British Commonwealth Buffalo Mk I (B-339E) aircraft retreating from Malaya, the Dutch squadrons faced superior numbers in the air, usually odds of one against two or three. Timely early warning from British radar would have countered this deficit, especially in avoiding unnecessary losses from raids on airfields, but the British government had decided too late to send these: the first British radar stations became operational only towards the end of February. Had they been ready two weeks earlier, the outcome of the Japanese invasion here might well have been different (read Boer's book).


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: In a major engagement above Semplak on 19 February 1942, eight Dutch Brewster fighters intercepted a formation of about 35 Japanese bombers with an escort of about 20 Zeros. The Brewster pilots destroyed 11 Japanese aircraft and lost four Brewsters; two Dutch pilots died.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: Only four airworthy Buffalos remained on 7 March. Capt. Jacob van Helsdingen led this flight on its final sortie that day, and was credited with a Zero before he was killed. This made him and Lt. August Deibel the most successful Dutch pilots on the Buffalo with three victories each. Altogether, 17 ML-KNIL pilots were killed, and 30 aircraft shot down; 15 were destroyed on the ground, and several were lost to misadventure. Dutch pilots claimed 55 enemy aircraft destroyed.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: Following the surrender of the Netherlands East Indies on 8 March 1942, 17 B339-23 belonging to the ML-KNIL (diverted to Australia because of late delivery) were transferred to the U.S. Fifth Air Force in Australia.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: All of these USAAF aircraft were lent to the RAAF, with which they were used mainly for air defence duties outside frontline areas, photo-reconnaissance and gunnery training. Buffalos served with 1 PRU, 24 Sqn, 25 Sqn, 85 Sqn and the RAAF Gunnery Training School.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: Between August 1942 and November 1943, 10 of these Brewsters constituted the air defense force for Perth, Western Australia, while assigned to 25 and 85 Sqns at RAAF Pearce and RAAF Guildford.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: At Midway Island, United States Marine Corps fighter squadron VMF-221 operated a mixed group of 20 Brewster F2A-3 Buffalos and seven Grumman F4F-3 Wildcats. They were originally assigned to as part of a relief force bound for Wake Island, but were diverted to Midway instead after the force was controversially recalled on 22 December 1941. Wake Island fell on the following day. The squadron first saw action on 10 March 1942 when a Kawanishi H8K "Emily" flying boat was shot down by Captain James L. Neefus near Midway, the Buffalo's first kill in U.S. service.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: During the Battle of Midway in 1942, VMF-221 was destined to participate in one of the few aerial combats involving the Buffalo in U.S. military service. The initial Buffalo interception of the first Japanese air raid was led by Major Floyd B. Parks, whose 13-aircraft division did not fly in paired flights of mutually supporting aircraft. After attacking a formation of 30–40 Aichi D3A1 "Val" dive bombers escorted by 36 Zeros, the Marines, flying in two divisions of aircraft, downed several Japanese bombers before the escorting Zeros reacted; a furious dogfight developed. Thirteen out of 20 Buffalos were lost; of the six Wildcats, only two remained flyable at the end of the mission. The losses included the Marine air commander, Major Parks, who bailed out of his burning Buffalo, only to be strafed by Zeros after parachuting into the sea.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: The Marine pilots who managed to shake off the Zeros used high speed split-s turns or very steep dives. These maneuvers were later found to be the best means to evade pursuit by the highly maneuverable Japanese fighters. One F2A-3 pilot, Marine Captain William Humberd, dove away from his pursuers, then attacked a Zero in a head-on pass, shooting his opponent down. In the battle, some F2A-3s suffered from inoperative guns. The nose-mounted guns' occasional failure to fire was noticed by other users as well; the phenomenon may have been caused by frayed electrical wires in the mechanism that synchronized the nose guns with the propeller. Other Buffalos had not been fitted with plate armor behind the pilot, making them vulnerable to even a single bullet or shell. Losses were aggravated due to the Japanese practice of strafing pilots who had bailed out. Second Lt. Charles S. Hughes, whose Buffalo was forced to retire at the start of the raid due to engine trouble, had a ringside view of the aerial combat:


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: The Zeros came in strafing immediately afterward. I saw two Brewsters trying to fight the Zeros. One was shot down and the other was saved by ground fires covering his tail. Both looked like they were tied to a string while the Zeros made passes at them.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: Second Lt. Charles M. Kunz reported that after successfully downing two Val bombers, he was attacked by Japanese fighters:


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: I was at an altitude of about 9,000 ft, and shoved over in a dive trying to shake the plane on my tail until I was about 20 feet from the water. I was making radical turns hoping the pilot couldn't get steadied on me. I glanced out of the rear and saw that it was a Zero fighter. I continued flying on a rapid turning course at full throttle when I was hit in the head by a glancing bullet. After he fired a few short bursts he left as I had been in a general direction of 205 degrees heading away from the island. My plane was badly shot up... In my opinion, the Zero fighter has been far underestimated. I think it is probably one of the finest fighters in the present war. As for the F2A-3, (or Brewster trainer), it should be in Miami as a training plane, rather than used as a first-line fighter.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: Claire Chennault's report on the Zero and air combat reached Washington in 1941, where it was disseminated to aviation forces of the U.S. Army and Navy. This information, along with the development of two-plane mutual defensive formations and tactics, were incorporated into U.S. and Marine Corps air combat training doctrine by some prescient U.S. commanders, including Lieutenant Commander "Jimmy" Thach. The Thach Weave was developed for use by Wildcat pilots against the Zero and was later adopted by other Wildcat squadrons in the Pacific.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: With the emergence of new tactics for the F4F-3 and F4F-4 Wildcat, the Battle of Midway marked the end of the Buffalo in both U.S. Navy and Marine Corps fighting squadrons. Surviving F2A-3 aircraft were transported to the U.S. mainland, where they were used as advanced trainers. The introduction in late 1943 of vastly superior American carrier-borne fighters such as the F6F Hellcat and Vought F4U Corsair soon relegated the Brewster F2A-3 to a distant memory.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: The Finnish Air Force produced 36 Buffalo aces. The top three were Capt. Hans Wind, with 39 Buffalo air victories (out of 75), WO Eino Ilmari Juutilainen, with 34 (out of 94) and Capt. Jorma Karhunen, with 25.5 (out of 31.5). First Lt Lauri Nissinen also had victories in the type (22.5 out of 32.5).


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: The non-Finnish Buffalo aces were: Geoff Fisken (RNZAF), with six air victories, and Doug Vanderfield (RAAF) with five individual kills, plus one shared. Alf Clare (RAAF) and Maurice Holder (RAF) had five victories each.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: Only export models of the Buffalo are preserved. There is currently a complete Finnish B-239 (BW-372), a VL Humu variant (HM-671 at the Central Finland Aviation museum), and two replicas – one in ML-KNIL markings and the other in U.S. Navy markings.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: Finnish B-239 (serial no. BW-372) flown by Lt. Lauri Pekuri was damaged by a Soviet Hawker Hurricane and crashed in 1942 on Lake Big Kolejärvi, about from Segezha, Russia and was rediscovered in 1998 and is now on display at the Keski-Suomen Ilmailumuseo (Aviation Museum of Central Finland). The Finnish museum also has components from FAF BW-393.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: In June 2012, divers discovered the partial wreckage of a Buffalo in shallow water just off Midway Atoll. The aircraft had been ditched during February 1942, after an aborted landing attempt in bad weather by 1st Lt Charles W. Somers Jr., USMC (later Colonel, USMC Ret). Officials at the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, where the wreckage was found, have not decided whether to recover any of the parts or leave them in place.


title: Brewster F2A Buffalo

text: In July 2008, a static full-scale replica B-339C was completed by the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Long Island, New York. The aircraft carries the markings of an ML-KNIL fighter flown by Lt. Gerard Bruggink (two kills). It was built for the "Militaire-Luchtvaartmuseum" (Military Aviation Museum) at Soesterberg, the Netherlands. The Cradle of Aviation Museum houses a static full-scale replica/model F2A-2, carrying the markings of unit "201-S-13" from VS-201, aboard USS "Long Island".


title: Stan Rogers

text: Stanley Allison Rogers (November 29, 1949 – June 2, 1983) was a Canadian folk musician and songwriter.


title: Stan Rogers

text: Rogers was noted for his rich, baritone voice and his traditional-sounding songs which were frequently inspired by Canadian history and the daily lives of working people, especially those from the fishing villages of the Maritime provinces and, later, the farms of the Canadian prairies and Great Lakes. Rogers died in a fire aboard Air Canada Flight 797 on the ground at the Greater Cincinnati Airport at the age of 33.


title: Stan Rogers

text: Rogers was born in Hamilton, Ontario, the eldest son of Nathan Allison Rogers and Valerie (née Bushell) Rogers, two Maritimers who had relocated to Ontario in search of work shortly after their marriage in July 1948. Although Rogers was raised in Binbrook, Ontario, he often spent summers visiting family in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia.


title: Stan Rogers

text: It was there that he became familiar with the way of life in the Maritimes, an influence which was to have a profound impact on his subsequent musical development. He was interested in music from an early age, reportedly beginning to sing shortly after learning to speak. He received his first guitar, a miniature hand-built by his uncle Lee Bushell, when he was five years of age. He was exposed to a variety of music influences, but among the most lasting were the country and western tunes his uncles would sing during family get-togethers. Throughout his childhood, he would practice his singing and playing along with his brother Garnet, six years his junior.


title: Stan Rogers

text: While Rogers was attending Saltfleet High School, Stoney Creek, Ontario, he started to meet other young people interested in folk music, although at this time he was dabbling in rock and roll, singing and playing bass guitar in garage bands such as "Stanley and the Living Stones" and "The Hobbits". After high school, Rogers briefly attended both McMaster University and Trent University, where he performed in small venues with other student musicians, including Ian Tamblyn, Chris Ward and fellow Hobbit Nigel Russell. Russell wrote the song "White Collar Holler", which Rogers sang frequently on stage.


title: Stan Rogers

text: Rogers signed with RCA Records in 1970 and recorded two singles: "Here's to You Santa Claus" in 1970, and "The Fat Girl Rag" in 1971. In 1973, Rogers recorded three singles for Polygram: "Three Pennies", "Guysborough Train", and "Past Fifty."


title: Stan Rogers

text: In 1976, Rogers recorded his debut album, "Fogarty's Cove", released in 1977 on Barnswallow Records. The album's subject matter dealt almost entirely with life in maritime Canada, and was an immediate success. Rogers then formed Fogarty's Cove Music, and bought Barnswallow during the production of "Turnaround", allowing him to release his own albums. Posthumously, additional albums were released.


title: Stan Rogers

text: Rogers' songs often had a Celtic feel which was due, in part, to his frequent use of DADGAD guitar tuning. He regularly used his William 'Grit' Laskin built 12-string guitar in his performances. His best-known pieces include "Northwest Passage", "Barrett's Privateers", "The Mary Ellen Carter", "Make and Break Harbour", "The Idiot", "Fogarty's Cove", and "White Squall".


title: Stan Rogers

text: Rogers died alongside 22 other passengers most likely of smoke inhalation on June 2, 1983, while traveling on Air Canada Flight 797 (a McDonnell Douglas DC-9) after performing at the Kerrville Folk Festival. The airliner was flying from Dallas, Texas, to Toronto and Montreal when a fire of unknown ignition source within the vanity or toilet shroud of the aft washroom forced it to make an emergency landing at the Greater Cincinnati Airport in northern Kentucky. There were initially no visible flames, and after attempts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful, smoke filled the cabin. Upon landing, the plane's doors were opened, allowing the five crew and 18 of the 41 passengers to escape, but approximately 90 seconds into the evacuation the oxygen rushing in from outside caused a flash fire.


title: Stan Rogers

text: Rogers' legacy includes his recordings, songbook, and plays for which he was commissioned to write music. His songs are still frequently covered by other musicians, and are perennial favourites at Canadian campfires and song circles. Members of Rogers' band, including his brother Garnet Rogers, continue to be active performers and form a significant part of the fabric of contemporary Canadian folk music. Following his death, he was nominated for the 1984 Juno Awards in the category for Best Male Vocalist. That same year, he was posthumously awarded the Diplôme d’Honneur of the Canadian Conference of the Arts. In 1994, his posthumous live album "Home in Halifax" was likewise nominated for Best Roots and Traditional Album.


title: Stan Rogers

text: His widow, Ariel, continues to oversee his estate and legacy. His music and lyrics have been featured in numerous written publications and films. For instance, his lyrics have appeared in school poetry books, taking their place alongside acknowledged classics. His song "Northwest Passage" was featured in the last episode of the TV show "Due South", his songs "Barrett's Privateers" and "Watching the Apples Grow" having been previously featured. "Barrett's Privateers" has also been used extensively in promotion ads for Alexander Keith's ale. In the 2005 CTV made-for-TV movie on the life of Terry Fox, Rogers' "Turnaround" is the music over the closing shot. As the movie ends, Fox is depicted, alone, striding up a hill, while the lyric "And yours was the open road. The bitter song / The heavy load that I'll never share, tho' the offer's still there / Every time you turn around," forges a link between these Canadian icons. Many of his songs on the albums "Northwest Passage" and "From Fresh Water" refer to events in Canadian history.


title: Stan Rogers

text: Adrienne Clarkson, who, prior to serving as the Governor General of Canada from 1999 to 2005, had worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, highlighted Rogers' career in a 1989 television documentary called "One Warm Line" on CBC Television; she also quoted Rogers in her investitural address.


title: Stan Rogers

text: When CBC's Peter Gzowski asked Canadians to pick an alternate national anthem, "Northwest Passage" was the overwhelming choice.


title: Stan Rogers

text: The Stan Rogers Folk Festival is held every year in Canso, Nova Scotia. In 1995, several artists performed two nights of concerts at Halifax's Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, which were released on album that year as "Remembering Stan Rogers".


title: Stan Rogers

text: Rogers is also a lasting fixture of the Canadian folk festival Summerfolk, held annually in Owen Sound, Ontario, where the main stage and amphitheater are dedicated as the "Stan Rogers Memorial Canopy". The festival is firmly fixed in tradition, with Rogers' song "The Mary Ellen Carter" being sung by all involved, including the audience and a medley of acts at the festival.


title: Stan Rogers

text: At The Canmore Folk Festival, Alberta's longest running folk music festival, performers take to the Stan Rogers Memorial Stage, which is the festival's main stage.


title: Stan Rogers

text: Stan's son, Nathan Rogers, is also an established Canadian folk artist with a voice and lyrical acumen similar to his father's. He has released two critically acclaimed solo discs and tours internationally as a solo act and in the trio, Dry Bones.


title: Stan Rogers

text: In 2007, Rogers was recognized posthumously with a National Achievement Award at the annual SOCAN Awards held in Toronto.


title: Stan Rogers

text: Canadian Celtic rock band Enter the Haggis regularly performs a cover of “White Squall” to end their shows, and included it on their 2011 album "Whitelake".


title: Stan Rogers

text: In 2011, the pirate metal band Alestorm released a cover of Rogers' song "Barrett's Privateers" (Label Napalm Records).


title: Stan Rogers

text: In 2013, Groundwood Books turned Rogers' song "Northwest Passage" into a children's book illustrated by award-winning artist Matt James.


title: Stan Rogers

text: In 2017, Canadian Celtic punk band, The Real McKenzies, released a cover of Rogers' "Northwest Passage" on their album "Two Devils Will Talk."


title: Stan Rogers

text: In 2019, Canadian metal band Unleash the Archers released a cover of Rogers' "Northwest Passage" on Napalm Records.


title: Stan Rogers

text: In 2019, Canadian folk punk band The Dreadnoughts released a cover of Rogers' "Northwest Passage", as well as a commemorative song named "Dear Old Stan", on Stomp Records.


title: Stan Rogers

text: In 2020, The Longest Johns released a cover of Rogers' "The Mary Ellen Carter" on their album "Smoke and Oakum".


title: Stan Rogers

text: In 2020, Canadian Premier League soccer club HFX Wanderers FC's home kit featured a soundwave image taken from Rogers' "Barrett's Privateers", inspired in part by the song's adoption by Privateers 1882, a supporters group of the Wanderers.


title: Marcionism

text: Marcionism was an early Christian dualistic belief system that originated with the teachings of Marcion of Sinope in Rome around the year 144. Marcion was an early Christian theologian, evangelist, and an important figure in early Christianity. He was the son of a bishop of Sinope in Pontus. About the middle of the 2nd century (140–155) he traveled to Rome, where he joined the Syrian Gnostic Cerdo.


title: Marcionism

text: Marcion preached that the benevolent God of the Gospel who sent Jesus Christ into the world as the savior was the true Supreme Being, different and opposed to the malevolent Demiurge or creator god, identified with the Hebrew God of the Old Testament. He considered himself a follower of Paul the Apostle, whom he believed to have been the only true apostle of Jesus Christ.


title: Marcionism

text: Marcion's canon, possibly the first Christian canon ever compiled, consisted of eleven books: a gospel, which was a shorter version of the Gospel of Luke, and ten Pauline epistles. Marcion's canon rejected the entire Old Testament, along with all other epistles and gospels of what would become the 27-book New Testament canon, which during his life had yet to be compiled. Pauline epistles enjoy a prominent position in the Marcionite canon, since Paul was considered by Marcion to be Christ's only true apostle.


title: Marcionism

text: Marcionism was denounced by its opponents as heresy and written against by the early Church Fathers – notably by Tertullian in his five-book treatise "Adversus Marcionem" ("Against Marcion"), in about 208. Marcion's writings are lost, though they were widely read and numerous manuscripts must have existed. Even so, many scholars claim it is possible to reconstruct and deduce a large part of ancient Marcionism through what later critics, especially Tertullian, said concerning Marcion.


title: Marcionism

text: According to Tertullian and other writers of early proto-orthodox Christianity, the movement known as Marcionism began with the teachings and excommunication of Marcion around 144. Marcion was reportedly a wealthy shipowner, the son of a bishop of Sinope of Pontus, Asia Minor. He arrived in Rome c. 140, soon after Bar Kokhba's revolt. The organization continued in the East for some centuries later, particularly outside the Byzantine Empire in areas which later would be dominated by Manichaeism.


title: Marcionism

text: By the reign of emperor Commodus (180–192), Marcionism was divided into various opinions with various leaders; among whom was Apelles, whom Rhodo describes as: "... priding himself on his manner of life and his age, acknowledges one principle, but says that the prophecies are from an opposing principle, being led to this view by the responses of a maiden by name Philumene, who was possessed by a demon.


title: Marcionism

text: However, others, among whom were Potitus and Basilicus, held to two principles, as did Marcion himself. Others consider that there are not only two, but three natures. Of these, Syneros was the leader and chief.”


title: Marcionism

text: The premise of Marcionism is that many of the teachings of Christ are incompatible with the actions of the God of the Old Testament. Focusing on the Pauline traditions of the Gospel, Marcion felt that all other conceptions of the Gospel, and especially any association with the Old Testament religion, was opposed to, and a backsliding from, the truth. He further regarded the arguments of Paul regarding law and gospel, wrath and grace, works and faith, flesh and spirit, sin and righteousness, death and life, as the essence of religious truth. He ascribed these aspects and characteristics as two principles, the righteous and wrathful God of the Old Testament, who is at the same time identical with the creator of the world, and a second God of the Gospel who is only love and mercy.


title: Marcionism

text: Marcionites held that the God of the Hebrew Bible was inconsistent, jealous, wrathful and genocidal, and that the material world he created was defective, a place of suffering; the God who made such a world is a bungling or malicious demiurge.


title: Marcionism

text: In Marcionite belief, Christ was not a Jewish Messiah, but a spiritual entity that was sent by the Monad to reveal the truth about existence, thus allowing humanity to escape the earthly trap of the demiurge. Marcion called God, the Stranger God, or the Alien God, in some translations, as this deity had not had any previous interactions with the world, and was wholly unknown. See also the Unknown God of Hellenism and the Areopagus sermon.


title: Marcionism

text: In various popular sources, Marcion is often reckoned among the Gnostics, but as the "Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (3rd ed.)" puts it, "it is clear that he would have had little sympathy with their mythological speculations" (p. 1034). In 1911 Henry Wace stated:


title: Marcionism

text: A primary difference between Marcionites and Gnostics was that the Gnostics based their theology on "secret wisdom" (as, for example, Valentinius who claimed to receive the "secret wisdom" from Theudas who received it direct from Paul) of which they claimed to be in possession, whereas Marcion based his theology on the contents of the Letters of Paul and the recorded sayings of Jesus — in other words, an argument from scripture, with Marcion defining what was and was not scripture. Also, the Christology of the Marcionites is thought to have been primarily Docetic, denying the human nature of Christ. This may have been due to the unwillingness of Marcionites to believe that Jesus was the son of both God the Father and the demiurge. Scholars of Early Christianity disagree on whether to classify Marcion as a Gnostic: Adolf von Harnack does not classify Marcion as a Gnostic, whereas G. R. S. Mead does. Harnack argued that Marcion was not a Gnostic in the strict sense because Marcion rejected elaborate creation myths, and did not claim to have special revelation or secret knowledge. Mead claimed Marcionism makes certain points of contact with Gnosticism in its view that the creator of the material world is not the true deity, rejection of materialism and affirmation of a transcendent, purely good spiritual realm in opposition to the evil physical realm, the belief Jesus was sent by the "True" God to save humanity, the central role of Jesus in revealing the requirements of salvation, the belief Paul had a special place in the transmission of this "wisdom", and its docetism. According to the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article on Marcion:


title: Marcionism

text: Marcionism shows the influence of Hellenistic philosophy on Christianity, and presents a moral critique of the Old Testament from the standpoint of Platonism. According to Harnack, the sect may have led other Christians to introduce a formal statement of beliefs into their liturgy (see Creed) and to formulate a canon of authoritative Scripture of their own, thus eventually producing the current canon of the New Testament.


title: Marcionism

text: Marcion is believed to have imposed a severe morality on his followers, some of whom suffered in the persecutions. In particular, he refused to re-admit those who recanted their faith under Roman persecution; see also Lapsi (Christian).


title: Marcionism

text: Tertullian claimed Marcion was the first to separate the "New Testament" from the "Old Testament". Marcion is said to have gathered scriptures from Jewish tradition, and juxtaposed these against the sayings and teachings of Jesus in a work entitled the "Antithesis". Besides the "Antithesis", the Testament of the Marcionites was also composed of a "Gospel of Christ" which was Marcion's version of Luke, and that the Marcionites attributed to Paul, that was different in a number of ways from the version that is now regarded as canonical. It seems to have lacked all prophecies of Christ's coming, as well as the Infancy account, the baptism, and the verses were more terse in general. It also included ten of the Pauline epistles, in the following order: Galatians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Romans, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, Laodiceans, Colossians, Philemon, Philippians.


title: Marcionism

text: Marcion's Apostolikon did not include the Pastoral epistles or the Epistle to the Hebrews. According to the Muratorian canon, it included a Marcionite pseudo-Paul's epistle to the Alexandrians and an epistle to the Laodiceans. The contents of this Marcionite Epistle to the Laodiceans are unknown. Some scholars equate it with the Epistle to the Ephesians, because the latter originally did not contain the words 'in Ephesus', and because it is the only non-pastoral Pauline epistle missing from the Marcionite canon, suggesting Laodiceans was simply Ephesians under another name. The Epistle to the Alexandrians is not known from any other source; Marcion himself appears to have never mentioned it.


title: Marcionism

text: In bringing together these texts, Marcion redacted what is perhaps the first New Testament canon on record, which he called the Gospel and the Apostolikon, which reflects his belief in the writings of Jesus and the apostle Paul respectively. An English language reconstruction of the content of the Evangelion and Apostolikon attested in Patristic sources was published by Jason David BeDuhn in 2013.


title: Marcionism

text: The Prologues to the Pauline Epistles (which are not a part of the text, but short introductory sentences as one might find in modern study Bibles), found in several older Latin codices, are now widely believed to have been written by Marcion or one of his followers. Harnack makes the following claim:


title: Marcionism

text: According to a remark by Origen ("Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew" 15.3), Marcion "prohibited allegorical interpretations of the scripture". Tertullian disputed this in his treatise against Marcion.


title: Marcionism

text: Tertullian, along with Epiphanius of Salamis, also charged that Marcion set aside the gospels of Matthew, Mark and John, and used Luke alone. Tertullian cited Luke 6:43-45 (a good tree does not produce bad fruit) and Luke 5:36-38 (nobody tears a piece from a new garment to patch an old garment or puts new wine in old wineskins), in theorizing that Marcion set about to recover the authentic teachings of Jesus. Irenaeus claimed,


title: Marcionism

text: Hippolytus reported that Marcion's phantasmal (and Docetist) Christ was "revealed as a man, though not a man", and did not really die on the cross. However, Ernest Evans, in editing this work, observes:


title: Marcionism

text: The Arabic name for Marcionism, "marḳiyūniyya", is attested to by several historical sources of the Islamic Golden Age which appear to reveal that a meager Marcionite community continued to exist in the Near East into the tenth century. For example, the Christian writer Thomas of Margā states that, at the end of the eighth century, the metropolitan of Gēlān and Daylam, Shuwḥālīshōʿ, travelled into the remote parts of his see, preaching "among the pagans, Marcionites and Manichaeans." In a similar way, the tenth-century Muslim bibliographer Ibn al-Nadīm goes so far as to claim that the Marcionites are "numerous in Khurāsān" and that there "they practice openly, like the Manichaeans." Although information about the Khorasanite Marcionites is not related in any other historical source, Ibn al-Nadīm nevertheless also quotes a "reliable informant" ("thiḳa"), "whom he says had seen Marcionite books and who reported that their script resembled that of the Manichaeans."


title: Marcionism

text: Those medieval Muslim writers who specialized in the study of foreign religions often presented Marcionite theology accurately. For example, al-Masʿūdī (d. 956) states that the Marcionites taught "two principles, good and evil, and justice is a third (principle) between the two," which, according to de Blois, are clear references to the Marcionite belief in "the good god, evil matter, and the just god." In the majority of cases, the Islamic references to Marcionism are really references to what has been termed "Neo-Marcionism," a sub-branch of the sect that seems to have lived in Khorasan in the tenth century. The classical Muslim thinkers rejected all types of Marcionite theology as deviations from the truth, and some thinkers, such as Ibn al-Malāḥimī (d. c. 1050) wrote polemics against them as others did against Nicene Christianity. This did not, however, prevent many of the same thinkers from studying the Marcionites from an anthropological or sociological point of view, as is evident from Ibn al-Malāḥimī's extended reference to the customs of the Marcionites.


title: Marcionism

text: In "Lost Christianities", Bart Ehrman contrasts the Marcionites with the Ebionites as polar ends of a spectrum with regard to the Old Testament. Ehrman acknowledges that many of Marcion's ideas are very close to what is currently known as "Gnosticism," especially his rejection of the Jewish God, his rejection of the Old Testament, and his rejection of the material world, and his elevation of Paul as the primary apostle. There were early Christian groups, such as the Ebionites, which did not accept Paul's writings as a part of their canon.


title: Marcionism

text: Robert M. Price considers the Pauline canon a single collection of epistles despite the problem which is caused by a lack of knowledge as to how they were collected, when they were collected, who collected them and sent copies of them to the various churches. Price has investigated several historical scenarios and reached the conclusion that Marcion was the first person in recorded history who is known to have collected Paul's writings and sent copies of them to various churches together as a canon. He summarizes,


title: Marcionism

text: David Trobisch argues that the evidence which is revealed by comparison of the oldest manuscripts of Paul’s letters proves that several epistles had previously been assembled as an anthology which was published separate from the New Testament, and as a whole, this anthology was then incorporated into the New Testament. Trobisch also argues that Paul was the assembler of his own letters for publication.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: Daisy Johnson, also known as Quake, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Gabriele Dell'Otto, the character first appeared in "Secret War" #2 (July 2004). The daughter of the supervillain Mister Hyde, she is a secret agent of the intelligence organization S.H.I.E.L.D. with the power to manipulate vibrations.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: Daisy Johnson appeared as a main character in "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.", the first television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She was played by actress Chloe Bennet. She was reimagined as an Inhuman originally known as Skye. Aspects of this interpretation were later integrated into the comics.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: Daisy Johnson was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Gabriele Dell'Otto, and first appeared in "Secret War" #2 (July 2004), as a member of the international espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. During the 2008 "Secret Invasion" storyline, she joins Nick Fury's Secret Warriors under the codename Quake.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: Daisy Johnson appeared as a supporting character in the "Avengers" (vol. 4) series, from issue #19 (January 2012) through its final issue #34 (January 2013).


title: Daisy Johnson

text: Marvel Comics announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2014 a new S.H.I.E.L.D. comic integrating the characters and elements of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." written by Mark Waid. Daisy Johnson joins them in issue #7, which mentions that she is Inhuman for the first time. The comic got relaunched in 2016 as "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.", it was written by Marc Guggenheim, the first issue was released on January 13, 2016, and includes the main cast members of the show including their likeness.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: In 2017, she led a new team of Inhumans in a new volume of "Secret Warriors". The team consists of Daisy, Kamala Khan, Luna Lafayette, Devil Dinosaur, Inferno, and Karnak. It was written by Matthew Rosenberg and was drawn by Javier Garron. It was cancelled after twelve issues.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: Daisy Johnson is a superhuman with seismic (earthquake-producing) powers and is the illegitimate daughter of Calvin Zabo, the supervillain known as Mister Hyde. Taken in by S.H.I.E.L.D., she is under the careful eye of its longtime executive director, Nick Fury, even after the latter's defection from the agency during the events of the "Secret War" series. Daisy herself is a participant in this incident, where Fury uses trickery, lies and outright brainwashing in order to secure a superhero team to overthrow the legitimate government of Latveria. This later results in a terror attack on American soil; Daisy destroys the cyborg leader. She possesses a "Level 10" security clearance, the only known agent aside from Fury and Black Widow (Natasha Romanova) to do so.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: In her most visible action, Johnson helps to defeat the powerful mutant leader Magneto by inducing a vibration in his brain that makes him lose consciousness. This is during a three-way confrontation with the X-Men, Avengers and the "Collective"—a powered being carrying thousands of mutant energy signatures. Daisy states in this appearance that if she were to join the superhero team the Avengers, she would adopt the moniker "Quake".


title: Daisy Johnson

text: The Avengers splinter due to the events of the 2006–2007 "Civil War" storyline and she is later seen reunited with Nick Fury, in disguise, who gives her new orders to recruit the descendants of various villains and heroes in order to assist him with the threat against the Skrulls in their Secret Invasion. Taking on the name Quake, she and her teammates attack the Skrulls during their invasion of Manhattan. The team becomes a part of Fury's Secret Warriors, with Daisy acting as field leader of the Caterpillars.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: While investigating Norman Osborn's escape from the Raft, Johnson is drafted by Captain America into the Avengers under her superhero name Quake. She is tasked with tracking down how Osborn appeared via hologram in the middle of a supposedly secure press conference. After finding out that the Avengers had been captured by Hydra, she proceeds to rescue them single-handedly. Daisy takes over as director of S.H.I.E.L.D. when Nick Fury fully retires and his son joins as an agent. Maria Hill is the acting director of S.H.I.E.L.D., while Johnson is still considered Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Johnson is indefinitely suspended after launching an unsanctioned operation to assassinate Andrew Forson, the Scientist Supreme, leader of the supposedly legitimate A.I.M. Island. Hill is promoted to Director in her place.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: In the "S.H.I.E.L.D." series, Daisy later reveals to her father that she has uncovered the origin of her abilities: she is an Inhuman whose genetic abilities were activated by her father's unstable DNA, rather than through Terrigenesis. The nickname "Skye", Daisy's original name from the show, is also introduced to comics as Coulson's affectionate name for her, and she is redesigned with the likeness of Chloe Bennet.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: During the "Iron Man 2020" event, Quake appears as a member of Force Works. Their mission takes them to the island of Lingares where they deal with some Deathloks and Ultimo.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: Due to her Inhuman metabolism, Daisy Johnson possesses physical skills greater than the maximum potential attainable by humans, including superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: Daisy Johnson generates powerful waves of vibrations which can produce effects resembling those of earthquakes. She is immune to any harmful effects of the vibrations. She also has or has been given a form of psychic shielding.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: She is also a superb hand-to-hand combatant, skilled all-around athlete, and excellent marksman. She was a leading espionage agent, adept at undercover assignments.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: Her training under Fury enables her to target her seismic waves with pinpoint accuracy, causing targeted objects to vibrate themselves apart, from the inside out. This is shown in her being able to prevent the detonation of an antimatter bomb implanted in the body of Lucia von Bardas by destroying its power supply, and exploding the heart of Wolverine while in his chest, to halt an enraged attack on S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: Jonathan H. Kantor of "CBR.com" referred to Quake as one of the "best S.H.I.E.L.D. agents of all time", writing, "Daisy Johnson, aka Quake, is a relatively new member of the agency, but that doesn't mean she hasn't made an impact in her short time. She first appeared in 2004's "Secret War" #2 as an agent working under Nick Fury. She started out as an excellent marksman, talented fighter, and she was remarkably good at espionage before becoming an Inhuman. Her powers were activated thanks to her father's unstable DNA instead of the typical Terrigen Mist. She gained the ability to control vibrations, which could come in the form of small shakeups to massive earthquake-like tremors. Add those powers to her already impressive array of skills and her value to the organization is clear." Mark Ginocchio of "Comicbook.com" stated, "Daisy Johnson might be the most important S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to be introduced by Marvel over the past decade. Also known as Quake, the character first appeared in 2004's Secret War series and has quickly ascended the ranks in terms of her role within the Marvel Universe. She was one of the main characters in the Secret Warriors series, acting as the leader of the Caterpillar team. She is later named director of S.H.I.E.L.D. when Nick Fury retires. Daisy is also one of only three characters in the Marvel U to possess the vaunted "Level 10" security clearance within S.H.I.E.L.D. In addition to her lofty S.H.I.E.L.D. status, Johnson possess some incredible powers, including the ability to generate vibrations that mimic that of an earthquake. She's also an excellent marksman and fighter. Given how critical the character has been to a number of Marvel events in recent years, it's a bit surprising she hasn't factored into its cinematic or television universe somehow."


title: Daisy Johnson

text: According to Diamond Comic Distributors, "Quake: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th Anniversary" #1 was the 83rd best selling comic book in September 2015.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: Doug Zawisza of "CBR.com" called "Quake: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th Anniversary" #1 "lively," asserting, "Daniel Warren Johnson's art has a gritty, indie comic vibe to it. The sketchier lines and drawn-in sounds effects like "THROW" and "POINT" boost the signal, infusing the panels with extra energy and helping underscore the storytelling in an undeniable manner. Nowhere does it all come together more than in the center spread as the Avengers wade into a sprawling slobberknocker of a battle against an A.I.M. cell. Jason Keith's unhindered colors fill the pages with reds and greens, yellows and blues and toner-draining blends of various other colors. A brilliant cerulean blue pervades the story, giving the sense of urgency through its vibrance, but providing serenity in the cool temperature it packs. The visuals are rounded out with letters from Cory Petit, who adds the occasional sound effect but truly masters the tone and timing within the word balloons, packing enough character into the dialogue to give the cross-section of readers and viewers a sense this story was written for or inspired by Bennet's portrayal. "Quake: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th Anniversary" #1 could have been an inventory story or a tryout tale; instead, it's a fun character study that digs into the rationale of adding Daisy "Quake" Johnson to the Avengers. This isn't the most definitive or memorable Quake story ever, but Rosenberg, Kindlon, Johnson, Keith and Petit make it a fun adventure with just enough heart." Tony Guerrero of "ComicVine" gave "Quake: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th Anniversary" #1 a grade of 4 out of 5 stars, writing, "As Daisy isn't quite sure why she was put on this mission and hasn't been given full intel, we get to see what her take and reaction is with the almost legendary characters. This doesn't feel like a typical Avengers story and you can feel the tension between some characters such as how Tony Stark deals with having her on the mission. Adding to the feeling is Daniel Warren Johnson's art. There's a great mix in perspective that almost makes it feel like you're in the middle of the action in the story. Jason Keith's colors also complements the art with making the moody scenes even moodier. The action scenes have a great variety to them and, again, doesn't feel like a regular Avengers story. This may be a story set in the recent past but there's a fresh take to it. The S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th Anniversary one-shots have been a welcomed treat. With the focus on different characters, it'd be great if this was a sign of things to come. With renewed interest in the Daisy Johnson character due to "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.", it'd be a great time to see more solo action stories with the character. Matthew Rosenberg and Patrick Kindlon do a very nice job handling the dialogue for a character that doesn't normally associate with the Avengers. We've been seeing some minor tweaks and changes happening with characters associated with S.H.I.E.L.D. due to the television show but aside from that, we get a really good self-contained story."


title: Daisy Johnson

text: During the 2013 "Age of Ultron" storyline (which takes place in an alternate reality where Ultron nearly annihilated the human race), Daisy Johnson is among the superheroes in the resistance against Ultron.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: Quake appears alongside Tigra, Wonder Man, and the Vision in the Ultimate line of comics. In this iteration, Daisy Johnson is a S.H.I.E.L.D. cadet who is discharged from the organization after fighting back against an attempted sexual assault from a superior. She is then approached by Nick Fury, who offers her superpowers in exchange for joining his West Coast version of the Ultimates. The project is shut down and later reactivated by a corrupt California governor who sends them after the Ultimates. Quake decides to surrender for the greater good and tells President Steve Rogers the whole plan. He manages to put an end to it along with the rest of the Ultimates.


title: Daisy Johnson

text: Daisy Johnson / Quake appears in "", voiced by Chloe Bennet. This version is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, founding member of the titular Secret Warriors, and an Inhuman who claims her powers come from her gauntlets.


title: Craig Melvin

text: Craig Delano Melvin (born May 20, 1979) is an American broadcast journalist and anchor at NBC News and MSNBC. In August 2018, he became a news anchor on NBC's "Today" and, in October 2018, a co-host of "Today Third Hour" before being made permanent in January 2019.


title: Craig Melvin

text: Craig Delano Melvin was born on May 20, 1979, in Columbia, South Carolina, to Lawrence and Betty Melvin. He has a younger brother, Ryan Melvin, and an older half-brother, Rev. Lawrence Meadows, who died from colon cancer on December 9, 2020 at the age of 43.


title: Craig Melvin

text: In 1996, he was elected as the first African-American president of Key Club International. In 2001, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from Wofford College. He is a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity and also served as a senior counselor for South Carolina's Palmetto Boys State program.


title: Craig Melvin

text: Melvin first joined NBC-affiliate WIS-TV in Columbia, South Carolina as a high school student, working as an "Our Generation Reporter" from 1995 to 1997.


title: Craig Melvin

text: After college, he returned to WIS in July 2001 as a news photographer and producer, before becoming a reporter for the station's morning news team, producing his "Craig Cam" live segments. He was later promoted to news anchor for the weekend morning newscast and the weekend evening newscasts before heading the weekday newscasts. At WIS-TV, Melvin also created several series that covered issues affecting education and the homeless in Columbia, among others.


title: Craig Melvin

text: In July 2008, Melvin left WIS-TV to join NBC's owned-and-operated station in Washington, D.C., WRC-TV, where he anchored the weekend evening newscasts.


title: Craig Melvin

text: Three years later, in July 2011, Melvin departed WRC-TV for MSNBC to become a daytime anchor, while also contributing to NBC News as a reporter. In 2012, Melvin anchored MSNBC's coverage of the national conventions for the Republican and Democratic parties, as well as TV One's Election Night coverage, in partnership with NBC News. He also covered the Sandy Hook shootings in December 2012. In 2013, he covered the Moore tornado in May, as well as the crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 and the George Zimmerman trial in July. In 2014, Melvin covered the shooting of Michael Brown in August and the murder of Hannah Graham in September. In 2015, he covered the Charleston church shooting as well as the death of Freddie Gray in June. In 2016, Melvin covered the mass shooting of Dallas police officers in July and was also among the NBC reporters covering the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August. That same year, he also succeeded José Díaz-Balart as an anchor of "MSNBC Live", which would become "MSNBC Reports".


title: Craig Melvin

text: In 2018, Melvin reported from Pyeongchang County for NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics in February. He was also promoted to weekday news anchor on "Today" in September and formed the cast of hosts heading "Today Third Hour" in October.


title: Craig Melvin

text: In December 2020, Melvin co-hosted NBC's annual broadcast of the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree


title: Craig Melvin

text: Melvin married then-ESPN sports anchor and former WRC-TV sports reporter Lindsay Czarniak on October 15, 2011. They reside in Connecticut and have a son, Delano (“Del”), who was born in March 2014, and a daughter, Sybil (“Sibby”), who was born in November 2016.


title: Craig Melvin

text: In 1996, Melvin received an Associated Press award for his story on innovative teaching, making him one of the youngest recipients to ever receive such an award.


title: Michael Cerveris

text: Michael Cerveris (born November 6, 1960) is an American actor, singer, and guitarist. He has performed in many stage musicals and plays, including several Stephen Sondheim musicals: "Assassins", "", "Road Show", and "Passion". In 2004, Cerveris won the Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for "Assassins" as John Wilkes Booth. In 2015, he won his second Tony Award as Best Actor in a Musical for "Fun Home" as Bruce Bechdel.


title: Michael Cerveris

text: He was called, by "Playbill.com", "arguably the most versatile leading man on Broadway", playing roles from "Shakespeare's Romeo to "The Who's Tommy", from the German transsexual rock diva Hedwig in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" to the homicidal title character of Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd"."


title: Michael Cerveris

text: Cerveris' most visible television role to date has been as the Observer code-named September in the FOX science fiction television series "Fringe". His character, a mysterious man seen attending many unusual events, appeared regularly during the series and became one of the main characters to bring the story to its end.


title: Michael Cerveris

text: Cerveris was born in Bethesda, Maryland, and raised in Huntington, West Virginia. His mother, Marsha (née Laycock), was a dancer, and his father, Michael Cerveris, was an Italian American professor of music; the two met while students at the Juilliard School. He is a 1979 graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy and a 1983 cum laude graduate of Yale University, where he was a member of Skull and Bones. He majored in theater studies, and also studied voice.


title: Michael Cerveris

text: Cerveris had roles in several Off-Broadway productions, starting with "Macbeth" in 1983 as Malcolm and including "Total Eclipse" in 1985 as Rimbaud at the Westside Theatre, "Abingdon Square" in 1987 as Frank at the Women's Project, and "Blood Sports" in 1987 as Nick at the New York Theatre Workshop.


title: Michael Cerveris

text: In 2000 Cerveris played the lead role of Hedwig in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" in the West End. He had previously played the role Off-Broadway from July 8, 1998, to August 4, 1998 and again from February 1999. He was a Garland Award winner, and Ovation Award nominee. During 2002, the Kennedy Center presented a "Sondheim Celebration"; Cerveris appeared in "Passion" as Giorgio. Cerveris has appeared several times at the Ravinia Festival Concerts (Chicago), including: "Passion" (2003), "Sunday In The Park With George" (2004), and "Anyone Can Whistle" in 2005. He performed in the New York City Center Encores! staged concert of "The Apple Tree" in 2005, with Kristin Chenoweth.


title: Michael Cerveris

text: Cerveris has appeared in films such as "Lulu on the Bridge" (1998), "The Mexican" (2001), "Brief Interviews With Hideous Men" (2009), "" (2009), "Stake Land" (2010), "Detours" (2016), and "Ant-Man and the Wasp" (2018). His television roles include Ian Ware on "Fame", Marvin Frey on "Treme", State's Attorney James Castro on "The Good Wife", Ramses IV on "The Tick", Lazlo Valentin/Professor Pyg on "Gotham", and September/The Observer on "Fringe". Cerveris also appeared as The Observer at several real-life events covered by FOX as part of a viral marketing campaign for the series. These include appearing in the audience at a taping of "American Idol", being shown in the stands at various football and NASCAR events, and a cameo in a commercial for "Glee".


title: Michael Cerveris

text: Cerveris appeared as Ted Gunn, head of the Behavioral Science Unit in the second season of "Mindhunter".


title: Michael Cerveris

text: Cerveris played guitar as a member of Bob Mould's touring band supporting the album "The Last Dog And Pony Show". A performance at The Forum in London was recorded and released as "BobMouldBand: LiveDog98" (Granary Music 2002). His debut solo album, "Dog Eared" (Low Heat Records 2004), was co-produced with Adam Lasus and includes guest appearances from Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub), Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney), Ken Stringfellow (The Posies, R.E.M.), Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth), Kevin March (Guided by Voices), Anders Parker (Varnaline), and Laura Cantrell. In 2011, Cerveris founded the Americana-Country band Loose Cattle with longtime collaborator Kimberly Kaye. Cerveris and Kaye share vocals in the style of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. Known for tongue-in-cheek mashups, country covers, and Cerveris' original songs, the group has gone on to appear at Lincoln Center, Joe's Pub, NPR's Mountain Stage, 54 Below, Chickie Wah Wah's, Siberia, Kajun's Pub, The Blue Note Cafe, Louisiana Music Factory, Rock'n'bowl, Rockwoof Music Hall, Webster Hall, and many others.


title: Michael Cerveris

text: He has also contributed vocals to "My Other Phone Is a Boom Car" as part of a ringtone project by They Might Be Giants for Wired Magazine in March 2007. In They Might Be Giants' 2011 release, "Join Us", Cerveris also provided vocals for the track, "Three Might Be Duende."


title: Michael Cerveris

text: Cerveris has performed at many events, to honor or celebrate notable performers and creatives. He performed at The Drama League gala, "A Musical Celebration of Broadway" on February 7, 2011, which also honored Patti LuPone. In November 2010 he appeared at the Sonnet Repertory Theatre benefit, which honored director Jack O'Brien. On April 27, 2009, he performed at the Signature Theatre gala, a benefit and to celebrate the first annual Sondheim Award.


title: Michael Cerveris

text: On December 8, 2010, he took part in the Symphony Space "Selected Shorts and Thalia Book Club" series of readings.


title: Michael Cerveris

text: His concert appearances include the Broadway Cabaret Festival, held in October 2010 at The Town Hall (New York).


title: Michael Cerveris

text: Cerveris was once in a relationship with Beth Ostrosky, an actress who is now married to Howard Stern.


title: Simon Amstell

text: Simon Marc Amstell (born 29 November 1979) is a British comedian, writer and director. He wrote and directed the films "Carnage" (2017) and "Benjamin" (2018). His work on television has included presenting "Popworld" and "Never Mind the Buzzcocks".


title: Simon Amstell

text: Amstell was born in east London in 1979, to David and Tina (née Leventhal) Amstell. He was brought up in a Jewish family, and he is the eldest of four children. He was educated at Beal High School, a state comprehensive school in Ilford.


title: Simon Amstell

text: Amstell's first television appearance was in 1993 when he appeared as a contestant on the Channel 4 game show "GamesMaster". In 1994, he appeared on "Good Morning with Anne and Nick" performing an impression of Dame Edna Everage. Also that year, he appeared in an episode of "Family Catchphrase", describing himself as a budding magician and showing one of his tricks to the show's presenter Andrew O'Connor, himself a magician. Amstell and his family won a television and a video recorder.


title: Simon Amstell

text: Amstell started performing on the comedy circuit when he was in his early teens and later became the youngest finalist to appear in the BBC New Comedy Awards. His first professional television appearance was in 1998 as a presenter on the UK children's channel Nickelodeon. He claims he was sacked for being "sarcastic and mean to children," although the posted biography on his website also, in jest, claims:


title: Simon Amstell

text: "He started his TV career at Nickelodeon where he was fired for making pop stars uncomfortable. He then began presenting the Channel 4 show, "Popworld" – where he gained a huge following for his groundbreaking work in making pop stars uncomfortable."


title: Simon Amstell

text: From 2000 to 2006, Amstell presented "Popworld" on Channel 4 with Miquita Oliver. He voiced the characters "Timothy the Popworld melon" and "Richard the Popworld horse" and developed a highly ironic, surreal and left-field style which gained the show a cult following but angered many of its guests. One example was a mock interview with singer Lemar called "Lemar From Afar" in which Amstell shouted questions into a megaphone from one end of the world's largest car park while Lemar stood at the other end. Another was a "Si-chiatrist" interview with Luke Pritchard and Hugh Harris of The Kooks in which Amstell played the role of psychiatrist with Pritchard and Harris as his patients.


title: Simon Amstell

text: Amstell first appeared on the comedy show "Never Mind the Buzzcocks" as a guest during Mark Lamarr's tenure as host, in 2003 and 2006. Following Lamarr's departure, he was one of the series' guest hosts before becoming permanent host from 2006 to 2009. He said at the time that he hoped to beat "the universal, exceptionless rule that when a new host takes over an old show it is a horrible, embarrassing disaster".


title: Simon Amstell

text: In June 2007, Amstell and long-term collaborator Dan Swimer wrote "Imagine... A Mildly Amusing Panel Show", a spoof version of Alan Yentob's arts programme "Imagine". Yentob and Amstell play themselves in a mock interview between what a number of commentators described as "overtly sexual" clips taken from Amstell's "Never Mind the Buzzcocks" episodes. It was followed in February 2008 by "Never Mind the Buzzcocks: A Moving Tribute", which jokingly implied that Amstell had either died or retired from the show.


title: Simon Amstell

text: On 25 April 2009, Amstell announced via his internet mailing list that he would not be hosting another series of "Never Mind the Buzzcocks" because of his desire to concentrate on his live tours and stand-up performances.


title: Simon Amstell

text: Amstell received several accolades for his work on "Never Mind the Buzzcocks". In 2007, he won the Royal Television Society Award for Best Entertainment Performance and the British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Entertainment Personality. And in 2008, he received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Entertainment Performance; Harry Hill won the award. Moreover, Amstell's era was the reason why "Never Mind the Buzzcocks" was chosen as the 36th-best TV show of the decade by "The Times".


title: Simon Amstell

text: In 2009, BBC2 commissioned a six-part series titled "Grandma's House" from Tiger Aspect Productions, written by and starring Amstell, co-written by Dan Swimer. The show was commissioned after the airing of a pilot earlier the same year. Filming started in February 2010 and broadcasting began in August 2010.


title: Simon Amstell

text: Grandma's House received a generally positive reaction from critics and audiences alike and Samantha Spiro, who played 'Liz' won a British Comedy Award.


title: Simon Amstell

text: In April 2012, the second series of "Grandma's House" began airing. Amstell announced this would be the last series.


title: Simon Amstell

text: On 19 March 2017, Amstell's mockumentary "Carnage" premiered on BBC iPlayer. It is set in the year 2067, when the UK is vegan, and older generations are suffering the guilt of their omnivorous past.


title: Simon Amstell

text: In 2018, Amstell wrote and directed the feature film "Benjamin", which premiered on 19 October 2018 at the BFI London Film Festival.


title: Simon Amstell

text: On 21 September 2017, Amstell published his first book, "Help", a collection of annotated stand-up scripts and linked stories.


title: Simon Amstell

text: Amstell also performs as a stand-up comedian. He has performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009. In 2008, Amstell completed his first UK tour. He appeared at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal in July 2009. His entire run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2009 at the Bongo Club sold out. He took part in his second national tour in the autumn of 2009.


title: Simon Amstell

text: Amstell performed "Do Nothing" in 2009 at the Royal Court Theatre, raising money for their young writers programme.


title: Simon Amstell

text: In May 2010, Amstell recorded "Do Nothing" in Dublin's Vicar Street venue for a November DVD release. In December 2011 and April 2012, it was shown on BBC3 and the BBC iPlayer.


title: Simon Amstell

text: From 10 July to 9 August 2012, Amstell performed 'Numb' in New York City at Theatre 80 in the East Village.


title: Simon Amstell

text: On New Year's Eve 2012, a one-off stand-up special performance of Simon Amstell's stand-up show, 'Numb', which he toured to sell-out audiences in 2012, was recorded for the BBC at TV Centre.


title: Simon Amstell

text: In 2017, Amstell announced his third stand-up UK tour, titled 'What Is This?'. It began in London on 22 September 2017.


title: Simon Amstell

text: In 2019, Amstell announced the release of an hour-long Netflix stand-up special, 'Set Free', which premiered on 20 August.


title: Simon Amstell

text: In 1995, Amstell created Radio XL at his secondary school, Beal High School, which is still a big part of Beal tradition today.


title: Simon Amstell

text: Amstell lives in London. He is Jewish, gay, vegan, and teetotal. He has been in a relationship since 2012.


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: Disco is the fifteenth studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Kylie Minogue. It was released on 6 November 2020 by BMG Rights Management and through Minogue’s company, Darenote. Following the completion of her promotional activities with the Golden Tour in 2019, Minogue began working on a new album, enlisting producers such as Sky Adams, Teemu Brunila, and Biff Stannard, among others. Minogue continued work on the record from her home in London due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and received engineering credits for vocals and synths.


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: The album was stylistically influenced by various sounds of the disco genre, which was initially influenced through segments of her Golden Tour. Musically, "Disco" combines elements of nu-disco, funk, dance-pop, and pop music, and explores themes of love and intimacy, fun, unity, and celebration. She also received songwriting credits for each track on the album. Music critics praised "Disco" for its catchiness and upbeat nature, as well as her return to disco music. As a result of its critical success, it was included on various end-of-year lists published by various publications, and was nominated in categories at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards and 2021 ARIA Music Awards.


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: "Disco" was a commercial success, debuting at number one on record charts in her native Australia, the United Kingdom, Scotland, and Ireland. It was also in the top ten in Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, and New Zealand. It was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments of 100,000 units. "Disco" spawned three major singles to promote the album: "Say Something, "Magic", and "Real Groove, and three promotional singles: "I Love It", "Dance Floor Darling", and "Miss a Thing".


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: To promote the album, Minogue performed certain songs on a variety of televised and live shows. She hosted a live-streamed concert titled Infinite Disco, which resulted in the release of a live album. To wrap promotion, "Disco" was issued into two sub-releases: a re-issue with the subtitle "Guest List Edition," which spawned three additional singles, and a remix album titled "Disco: Extended Mixes".


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: In April 2018, Kylie Minogue released her fourteenth studio album, "Golden". It was her first record with BMG Rights Management and was inspired by country pop music. Despite its commercial success, it received lukewarm critical reception, owing primarily to Minogue's decision to experiment with country music. Minogue went on to promote the album with the Golden Tour in Europe and Australia in 2019. Minogue began early work on the album while on tour, but didn't have a concept to work from. She became inspired by a segment on the tour that was loosely based on Studio 54, and disco aesthetic. Following her first few sessions, Minogue felt her creative direction was "heading straight back to the dance floor" with a disco-influenced album. Whilst promoting her greatest hits album "", she confirmed her intention to release a "pop-disco" album following her performance at the Glastonbury Festival that same year.


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: Production began in the fall of 2019. She enlisted the help of long-time collaborators Sky Adams and Richard "Biff" Stannard, as well as new collaborators Duck Blackwell, Teemu Brunila, Linslee Campbell, Jon Green, Kiris Houston, Troy Miller, Nico Stadi, and PhD, to work on the album. Early sessions took place in her hometown of London, United Kingdom; she co-wrote every track on the album, making it her third effort to do so after "Impossible Princess" (1997) and "Golden" (2018). Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that occurred earlier that year, Minogue continued to record the album at her home studio in London for most of 2020. Because of this, Alistair Norbury, president of Minogue's record label BMG announced to industry title "Music Week" that the singer was learning to record and engineer her own vocals using Logic Pro to complete "Disco". As a result, she was credited as engineer of each track apart from "Magic". Ninety per cent of the album was created via her home studio, with Minogue honing the album's theme of escapism during lockdown restrictions.


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: "Disco" stylistically references the aforementioned genre of the same name. During promotional activity for the album, Minogue told New Zealand radio host Zane Lowe that some of her influences for the album included Studio 54, as well as other musicians such as American disco musician Donna Summer and English singer and performer Elton John. "Disco", according to Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic, is a "welcome return to the club-friendly dance-pop that defined Australian diva Kylie Minogue's early 21st century rebirth." Yeung also likened the album to the works of Gloria Gaynor, Chic, and Summer. Robbin Murray of "Clash" felt it was "the sound of Kylie Minogue re-connecting with her roots." Sal Cinquemani of "Slant Magazine" noted the disco genre's influence on the year 2020, with other disco releases by musicians Róisín Murphy and Jessie Ware; Cinquemani stated that while the latter two take a "deep dive into the admittedly diverse genre", he felt Minogue's take on disco took more "superficial virtues."


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: The album begins with "Magic". It's been described as a "cheery" dance-oriented disco song with elements of pop music that could easily be compared to 1970s pop music. Its instrumentation includes horns, "funky" strings, "celebratory" handclaps, and staccato keys. Lyrically, it provides a hopeful message of a brighter future. Long-time collaborator Richard "Biff" Stannard co-wrote and co-produced the secord song "Miss a Thing", which is described as an uptempo disco number. Cinquemani compared the track's sound to Kylie Minogue's work on her albums "Light Years" (2000) and "Fever" (2001). Murray referred to it as "retro-futurism", and compared it to the work of French duo Daft Punk. "Real Groove" is a 1980s-influenced disco-pop song with house and R&B elements. Instrumentally, the song features additional keyboard instrumentation and Auto-Tune effects that has been compared to Dua Lipa's work on "Future Nostalgia" (2020). Critics cited the fourth track, "Monday Blues", as a notable departure from disco music and energy in favour of a fast-paced summery Tropicana pop sound with partying ambient background noises; because of this, reactions by publications for its inclusion on the record were ambivalent.


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: "Supernova", an energetic number with various "luscious" string arrangements, has been musically compared to the works of musicians the Bee Gees, RuPaul, Giorgio Moroder, and Boney M. "Say Something", the album's lead single and sixth track, was praised for being one of the best tracks on the album and in Minogue's discography. It is produced with various electronic and disco sounds that use "thick" synths, drum crashes, a funk guitar, and a choir. Minogue sings lines such as "Love is love / It never ends / Can we all be as one again?" Lyrically, it uses themes of unity and a quest for love. Katherine St. Asaph of "Pitchfork" described "Last Chance" as an homage to Summer's "Last Dance" and ABBA's "Voulez-Vous". It infuses pop music musically. The album's first promotional single, "I Love It", was described by "DIY" editor Lisa Wright as "perfectly-produced, shimmering Minogue 101."


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: "Where Does the DJ Go?" is the ninth track on "Disco", and has been compared to Daft Punk's work on "Random Access Memories" (2013). In contrast to the other tracks on the album, it is noted for its "frantic" and "quick" pacing, record scratch sounds, and handclaps, while lyrically references Gloria Gaynor's song "I Will Survive". The tenth track, "Dance Floor Darling", is inspired by 1980s pop music. It begins with a mid-tempo beat with finger snaps, vocoders, and synths, and later transitions into a spoken word section before concluding with an uptempo beat near the end of the song. "Unstoppable", the eleventh track on the record, was co-written by Minogue, alongside Fiona Bevan and Troy Miller. The standard version of the album closes with "Celebrate You", a piano-led track that focuses mainly of Minogue's vocal deliveries and songwriting. Lyrically, it features theme of self-empowerment and the expression of sadness.


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: "Disco" was released on 6 November 2020 by BMG Rights Management and through Minogue’s company, Darenote. Minogue and BMG publicised "Disco" with an extensive marketing campaign ahead of and during the album's launch. Minogue released a variety of formats on her website's store to promote the release of the album. The standard edition includes all twelve original tracks, while the deluxe edition includes four additional bonus tracks: "Till You Love Somebody", "Fine Wine", "Hey Lonely", and "Spotlight". Both editions were available in gatefold and jewelcase packaging. The deluxe edition content is included in a limited-edition media book version of the album, featuring a 20-page booklet with photographs and song lyrics and notes. On the same day, a digital version of the standard and deluxe editions were released.


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: She distributed a number of vinyl releases of "Disco", which came in two different colours (blue and turquoise), a clear transparent vinyl, and a double gatefold blue vinyl with the deluxe content. The standard black vinyl featured a bonus autograph photo of her. She also issued a limited number of white label vinyl editions of the album, each with a signed white cover sleeve by her. She also issued five cassette tapes with different artworks and cassette colours, one of which included an additional cassette tape with the deluxe content.


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: Simon Emmett, a long-time collaborator, shot the artwork and promotional photography for "Disco". The cover artwork depicts Minogue with curly blonde hair, a blue sequin dress, and an lens flare in the middle of her hands, as well as her name and the album title in each top corner. Kate Moross provided creative direction, and Moross Studios created the designs. Moross Studios was also in charge of curating designs for all of Minogue's promotional merchandise, booklets, and packaging, as well as scenes and design work for her Infinite Disco tour.


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: On 9 August 2020, Minogue made a promotional appearance on "The Sound". On 16 September, she performed "Say Something" remotely on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon". On 16 October, she was interviewed on UOL, then on "Papel Pop" the next day.


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: On 29 October, Minogue was interviewed on "7.30". On 1 November, the "Say Something" performance from the then-upcoming concert special 'Infinite Disco' was aired on "The Sound". On 2 November, she was interviewed by Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1. To mark the release of the album, Minogue appeared on "Sunrise", "The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show", "Good Morning America" and "The Graham Norton Show" to discuss the album and perform songs on 6 November. She livestreamed a special concert, 'Infinite Disco', featuring songs from the album as well as previous songs from her discography, the latter reworked by Minogue's longtime collaborators Richard Stannard and Steve Anderson. The performance took place on 7 November 2020 and was co-directed by Rob Sinclair and Kate Moross, with the numbers choreographed by Ashley Wallen. A special also aired on "Rage" that same day.


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: On 10 November she gave an interview to Magic Radio's "Breakfast Show", Reuters and made an appearance on "The One Show". On 11 November, Minogue was interviewed on "The Morning Show" and "ET Canada", and performed "Magic" on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert". The next day, she appeared on "BBC Breakfast" and "This Morning". She was interviewed on "Sunday Brunch" on 15 November and on "Lorraine" on 17 November. On 19 November she appeared on "El Hormiguero" and on "Skavlan" the next day. On 27 November Minogue performed "Real Groove" and "Electricity" with Dua Lipa on her livestream concert Studio 2054. On 1 December, she was interviewed on "Quotidien". On 5 December Minogue was interviewed on Graham Norton's "Saturday Morning Show" on BBC Radio 2 and performed "Real Groove" on "The Jonathan Ross Show". She gave an interview to "Les Enfants de la télé" on 13 December. On 25 December, Minogue appeared on "Lorraine" and smoothfm. She gave an interview to "Today" on 29 December.


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: On 31 December, she livestreamed 'Infinite Disco' again and performed "Magic" on "New Year's Eve Live" and "NBC's New Year's Eve". The latter appearance was a re-airing of the 'Infinite Disco' performance. Several months later on 4 June 2021, the 'Infinite Disco' performance of "Dance Floor Darling" was re-aired as part of iHeartRadio and P&G's 'Can't Cancel Pride' livestream event. On 25 September, "Dance Floor Darling" and "Can't Get You Out of My Head" were performed as part of Global Citizen Live. On 8 October, Minogue and Olly Alexander performed "A Second to Midnight" on "The One Show". On 6 November, Minogue gave an interview to "Later... with Jools Holland". On 13 November, Minogue and Ware performed "Kiss of Life" together for the first time on "The Jonathan Ross Show".


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: "Say Something" was released as the lead single from the album. It premiered on 23 July at 08:30 BST on BBC Radio 2 during "The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show". The song was acclaimed by music critics and peaked at number 56 on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached number nine on the UK Singles Downloads and Sales charts. In the United States, it debuted at number three on "Billboard"s Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales. The music video for the song was directed by Sophie Muller and filmed at the Black Island Studios in London, England, while adhering to social distancing measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It depicts the singer travelling through the universe mounted upon a golden horse sculpture, shooting lasers from her hands and flying on a hovercraft.


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: "Magic" debuted on "The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show" on 24 September and was released onto music services at 8am BST the same day, receiving positive reactions from music critics. The song was released as a single edit, while the album cut alongside "Say Something" appeared with the track on streaming services. It peaked at number 53 on the UK Singles Chart and number two on the Scottish Singles Chart. Also directed by Muller, the music video for "Magic" was filmed at Fabric, a nightclub in Farringdon, London. It features Minogue dressed as a druid with a magic staff dancing in the club alongside several dancers and then sitting on a throne wearing a gold medallion dress reminiscent of Cleopatra. According to Minogue, although Fabric was closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, she wanted "to give fans a moment of escapism to celebrate on a fantasy dance floor."


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: "Real Groove" was confirmed by Minogue on BBC Radio 2 as the third single on 5 December 2020. The full performance of "Real Groove" from 'Infinite Disco' was already uploaded to Minogue's YouTube channel prior to this on 6 November 2020. The "Studio 2054 Remix" of the song featuring Dua Lipa was released to digital platforms on 31 December 2020. The remix featured updated production, handled by Lipa's musical director William Bowerman, as well as an extended instrumental section in the middle of the song.


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: Three promotional tracks were released from "Disco". "I Love It" was released as a promotional single on 23 October 2020. On digital music platforms the track was released as an EP that also featured "Magic" and "Say Something". Two remixes of "Magic" were also included. "Dance Floor Darling" was added to BBC Radio 2's B-List from 24 April 2021. On Twitter, Minogue thanked BBC Radio 2 for adding the song to their playlist and interacted with fans. On TikTok, she re-posted multiple videos of fans using the song in their creations. Furthermore, video clips showing Minogue dancing along to the song in various outfits were posted on several platforms. Additionally, a remix subtitled "Linslee's Electric Slide remix" was included on the "Guest List Edition" of the album. The 'Infinite Disco' performance of the song was later made available on YouTube on 6 May 2022. On 22 July 2022, a music video for "Miss a Thing", directed by Sophie Muller, was uploaded to Minogue's YouTube channel, celebrating two years since the "Disco" era began and as a thank you to fans.


title: Disco (Kylie Minogue album)

text: In 2021, Minogue revealed that she was planning a re-release of "Disco" for later that year. On 5 October 2021, she announced the reissue, entitled "Disco: Guest List Edition", which was released on 12 November 2021. The re-release included three additional tracks that served as singles: "A Second to Midnight" featuring Years & Years was released on 6 October 2021, "Kiss of Life" featuring Jessie Ware included an accompanying music video that premiered on YouTube on 4 November, and "Can't Stop Writing Songs About You" with Gloria Gaynor was serviced to BBC Radio 2 on 19 March 2022. The official video featuring Minogue and Gaynor premiered on YouTube on 31 March.