As per tradition, both Muskateer and myself voted as well. We made our picks before anyone else and our choices were originally presented on the 'Thank You for Voting' page. Now we'll present our reasons for making those choices. Spectrum's comments are in orange, while Muskateer's are in green text. Comments by individual characters will be in a box. Shall we get on with it?

Muskateer's Pick: Muskateer. Well, I pretty much have to vote for myself also. There really is no other choice for me though. While I like a lot of the other characters quite a bit, Muskateer is me, as I've mentioned before. So he will always be my favorite, as long as I like myself I guess.

Spectrum came in second, with Terra Fire 3rd. Blizzard, Captain Lightning, Captain Valor, and Sabre also received votes.

Voter's Comments:

• Blizzard - "A good hearted, blue collar working man with a glamour hog inconsistent girlfriend. Can't wait to see how this turns out."
• Captain Valor - "He gets to kick some squid arse and gets the hot chick in the end. Now that is a hero with priorities!"
• Terra Fire - "Young and different and - hey! - he a Young Champion. Blizzard is also fun."
• Sabre - "Sabre's got style!"

Muskateer's Comments: This was much closer and I was actually surprised that Musky won again since there were so many other new choices this year. I am glad to see that so many people got votes, since that means we're doing something right across the site! Thanks guys for your continued support.

Spectrum's Pick: Now this is always the hardest pick for me. This year I'm going to go with the Scarlet Sabre as my pick for Favorite Heroine. Scarlet's had a wide range of appearances this year, from the mysteries and romances in her own title to her guest shots in Muskateer & the Avengers. Not to mention her Captain Jess alter ego on Terra Nova! This year, Scarlet was the best.

Muskateer's Pick: Tigress. I agree with Specs that this is indeed the most difficult category, along with Best Supporting Heroine. I picked Tigress this year since I think she had a great year and yet she is just starting to scratch the surface of her potential and personality (pun intended). The Enchantress and Morning Star are also favorites of mine.

Tigress came in 3rd place, with Huntress, Enchantress, Black Diamond, & Firestar also getting votes.

Voter's Comments:

• Enchantress - "Initially I felt this character to be distant but I think she's starting to grow on me. (Or maybe she fares better in comparison to Empress!)"
• Scarlet Sabre - "Her twists and turns this year along with a active private life earn her this nomination."
• Tigress - "You guessed it - a Young Champion! (Am I starting to repeat myself here?) Almost voted for Huntress as I loved the Were-Huntress, but that was short-lived. Morning Star has cool powers, too."
• Scarlet Sabre - "Loved the evolution into a corporate from a super ... funny and well written."
• Morning Star - "Cool and confidant, and pining for my second favorite hero Spectrum!"

Muskateer's Comments: I agree that Morning Star indeed deserves to have some recognition. She has always been one of my favorites. Created her way back in the beginning of all this and she has survived through all the changes and variations our Champions campaigns have taken basically intact. Scarlet Sabre is a good character, but I personally feel she is appearing in way too many things of late. People do say the same thing about Muskateer, so I guess it is perception.

Spectrum's Pick: My pick this year is Impact. Its been quite a year for our still 'wet behind the ears' hero. He got his chance to work for Heroes for Hire and even started a relationship with the Empress. Of course, he wasn't too happy to find out that he wasn't the only one involved with Angie! It'll be interesting to see how Bryan works his way through this moral dilemma.

Muskateer's Pick: Jack O'Lantern. He's so kooky and crazy and is still an untapped enigma. I really like how different he is which helps make him my pick. I also like the Thing and Sabre is a very good character in this iteration of the site.

Impact, Jack O' Lantern, & the Texas Ranger all tied for second place. Peter Ramsey & Supreme also received votes.

Voter's Comments:

• Peter Ramsey - "Although possessing no extra-normal abilities, Peter is essential to the Purple Phlox's life as a partner and good friend, and just possibly more. (And what happened to Jeeves this year? Personal protest lodged here!)"
• Jack O'Lantern - "No one stood out and he won last year."
• Jack O'Lantern - "Gobs o' fun! Very different from the others, though StarGuard would have been a contender if he were listed."
• Impact - "He's just funny, I like how he's just learning his powers and constantly crashes into things."

Muskateer's Comments: I agree that Sabre is very deserving. He is making a place for himself in X-Factor, which was odd as he was a last minute fill-in to get more males into the group! I personally don't see him going anywhere, so Sabre may end up being the stabilizing force that X-Factor was always looking for in our original writings.

Muskateer's Pick: Shockwave. I would have picked Tigress here If I hadn't voted for her as Best Heroine. I like Shockwave a lot and I think she is starting to show her true value. There's a lot more to her, but she is one of my favorites. I also like Mockingbird and Spinnerette a lot.

Shockwave and Spinnerette tied for second place, with Felina, Friza, Mockingbird, Nightingale, & Whitney Parks also receiving votes.

Voter's Comments:

• Friza - "Conflicted character and a driving personality in the Terra Nova storyline. Much gold to be mined here."
• Mockingbird - "Cause I know who she really is..or was to be precise, heh."
• Spinnerette - "Very cool, and I already voted for Tigress, above. Sorceress and Friza were in the running as well."
• Felina - "Great motivations, played out regardless of others' wants ... bit sad too ... but it's nice to see a character written with that kind of realism."
• Tigress - "She kicked Daigon's butt!!! Rrrrow!!"

Muskateer's Comments: I also have no complaints since I voted for her as Best Heroine, so glad she won here. Some surprising votes here for others, but always glad at the range that people like and support. My other top choices in the category finished in the top 3, so glad to see that too.

Spectrum's Pick: My guess is that Black Paladin is going to take this award once more. He's a fine choice, but not mine. I'm going to go with Fuergeson the Great! Have you ever seen a villain who was so smart, be so stupid? (Actually, Muskateer once remarked that he reminded him of a former friend of his!) The man has no class with the sole exception of lusting after Jessica Flynn. He could do worse after all! That makes Fuergy (and all those cute remarks Jess came up with -- chubby cheeks indeed!-- ) my pick for Fav Villain.

Muskateer's Pick: Black Paladin. He's simply the best villain that we have developed so far. Dr. Destroyer has the opportunity, but he didn't do much on screen this year. Fuergy made a real nuisance of himself this year, but comedic villains were never one of my favorites.

Fuergeson the (not so) Great came in third place, with Lord Evil, Professor Muerte, & Binder rounding out the bad guys.

Voter's Comments:

• Lord Evil. - "I like his resourcefulness and the human side of missing his Ashley."
• Professor Muerte - "Can I vote for Ravager again? No?? O.K. Then I say..Meurte. Meglomania and cowardice mixed. Plus I've used him in my own game and he's not having a good time there!"
• Black Paladin - "Gotta go with the best and he is the one."
• Foxbat - "Wackiness unleashed, though Fuergeson isn't far behind in that vein. White Dragon still rules, though, and Lord Evil is interesting as well."
• Foxbat - "I'm sitting down with my cat Foxbat curled up on my lap ... need I say more?"
• Foxbat - "He's funny."
• Binder - "I'm requesting the appearance of the Ultimates, so I'll go with Binder."

Muskateer's Comments: Quite the Odd Couple indeed. Foxbat has always been a fan favorite it seems and Black Paladin is a respected evil. Muerte had a eventful year and more is on the way for him and his misfits. Lord Evil made his presence felt and there should be a great confrontation coming with him and Muskateer in the future.

Muskateer's Pick: Scorpia. I just don't like Lady Darkness and probably because it's personal between them because of Gwen. So no way I can vote for her. That may be a backhanded compliment. Scorpia is also very evil and she deserves to get hers. The question is who is going to give it to her...

Lady Darkness took second place, with Scorpia coming in third. Blaise Morgan and Daigon also received votes.

Voter's Comments:

• Lady Darkness - "Hands down the most evil emissary of darkness! (No, I didn't guess the costume was the dark.)"
• Scorpia - "All were weak compared to Scorpia. Beauty, brains and a wicked set of claws."
• Howler - "Got to love her redemption, if it can be called that. Lady Darkness is pretty intriguing, as well."
• Daigon - "She's just mean!"

Muskateer's Comments: Bit of a surprise to me, since I never really considered this version of Howler as a villain. She is misguided and such, but not really a villainess, especially now. I was also expecting one of our past winners.

Spectrum's Pick: This year I'm going with Young Champions. I thought the end of Howler's Quest played out very well and everyone had something to do. I liked the interaction between Howler and Tempest, and the Daigon vs. Tigress clash was one for the ages. Simply put, this year this series was the best.

Muskateer's Pick: Muskateer. I like Young Champions and X-Factor quite a bit as well. Avengers was a little slow this year. This may be a personal vote, but it is about our favorites and this was my favorite series by far this year. Lost Heroes was pretty good, but I think there are better stories coming this year, so I didn't go with that one, which is usually my choice.

Avengers, Lost Heroes, & Young Champions all tied for second place, with Muskateer, Troubleshooters, & Scarlet Sabre also receiving votes.

Voter's Comments:

• Troubleshooters - "Terra Nova and the Wild Cards. Avengers running a close 2nd."
• Lost Heroes - "I like to see Muskateer go Black Champion on people who deserve to get squashed."
• Young Champions - "Winner by a nose, though Huntress was good this year. Also, the Superior 6 arc and Scarlet Sabre have been interesting. The story running through Avengers and Musky is engaging, but running over-long."
• X-Factor - "X-Factor has just grown on me. They just have the most interesting characters to me. The love triangle with Blizzard, Empress, and Impact (along with his learning to be a hero). Morning Star's crush on Spectrum. Spectrum's altruistic nature helping the rehab of Icicle. Shockwave's crush on Blizzard. Sabre's overall coolness. This has far surpassed Avengers for me."
• X-Factor - "I believe XF has the best character development occurring lately. But the team is starting get a bit girl-heavy! Need more guys!"
• X-Factor & Young Champions - "TIE (it only let me mark one!) between X-Factor and YC for me. X-Factor has my favorite characters but YC had the Tigress/Daigon fight! Rroww!"

Spectrum's Comments: This race really wasn't close. It was X-Factor in a landslide! XF is a lot of fun and we do concentrate a bit more on the personal side of the heroes in the group. Credit for that has to go to Muskateer who created the majority of those folks and has charted their destinies. They are a very entertaining group to write. I'm also very pleased to have so many series receive votes. Only Spectrum & Huntress were left out of the mix. That says to me that all our of series are high in quality. (Or that they are all equally sucky, but I'd rather be optimistic in this instance!) I didn't know you could have too many women on a team!

Muskateer's Comments: A bit of a surprise, but also glad that so many titles got votes. I think the quality level is very high across the board. This is very pleasing on a personal level. I am happy to see that so many like the characters that I created and that Specs and I have breathed life into in XF. It's definitely a much better version at this stage than the first writing.

Spectrum's Pick: Based on my pick for best series, it should be no surprise that Young Champions #25 is my choice for best issue. It was the novel length conclusion to Howler's Quest and there was a whole lot going on in it! The situation with Howler was wrapped up and Tigress had one heck of a scrap with Daigon. There were a lot of good issues to pick this year, but for me this one was the best.

Muskateer's Pick: Muskateer #24. This is another personal vote. I just liked it the best. My second choice would have to be Young Champs #25. Tigress was great throughout the end of that storyline.

X-Factor #22 came in 2nd place. Bringing up the rear were Muskateer #24, Muskateer #25, Troubleshooters #30, Huntress #27, X-Factor #18, & Avengers #35.

Voter's Comments:

• X-Factor #22 - "The huge battle at was one of the best written and deserved to win this coveted award."
• Huntress #27 - "Tough choice here, but it was so different that I had to choose it. YC 25 was close behind, with SS 13 not too far behind that."
• Young Champions #25 - "A good conclusion to a gripping series."
• X-Factor #18 - "This is where many of the great personal developments going on for the group seemed to start."
• Young Champions #25 - "The Tigress/Daigon fight!"

Spectrum's Comments: This was another race that wasn't even close. There was a comfortable 4 vote cushion between first and second place. There were some interesting choices made among the runner-ups. There was action, there was character development and in some cases just plain weirdness!

Muskateer's Comments: A very fitting winner and seeing as how clearly this issue won, a lot of people seem to agree. Specs was right, this story had everything in it and one of the best files on the site.

Spectrum's Pick: My choice for Best Storyline was the Were-Huntress story in Huntress #26-28. This one was what the entire Huntress series had been leading to since the very beginning. By this point Helena's concerns about her seemingly water downed powers and her blind quest to rectify that problem led her to a change she wasn't suspecting! This situation played out very differently in the old stuff and I'll cover all that in the forum when the time comes. For me this was a storyline that I've been waiting nearly six years to retell. So it should be no surprise that it's my favorite.

Muskateer's Pick: Muskateer's Quest. To me, the Were-huntress storyline ended too abruptly and was a little too connived. It was a great story, don't get me wrong, but I think it could have been better and more things could have been developed a bit more. Musky's Quest is still ongoing, so hard to vote for a storyline in progress, but I like the ideas behind it and the emotional connection developing between two great characters.

Captain Valor on Terra Nova came in 2nd, with Howler's Quest coming in third. Also receiving votes were Muskateer's Quest, Icicle's Rehabilitation, the Personal Stuff in X-Factor, and the Clash between Terror Incorporated and Terror Unlimited.

Voter's Comments:

• Were-Huntress - "Pleeease let us see Helena's Accidental Change Disad in 2003 at least once. OK?"
• Captain Valor & the Terra Novan Avengers - "Always a sucker for the parallel world concept and the similar but not identical persons to be found there. Several strong personalities also reside in these plots."
• Captain Valor on Terra Nova - "He gets the chick!"
• Howler's Quest - "Great story that was carried off well. The Were-Huntress arc was a close second."
• Tie between the Howler/YC storyline and the rehabilitation/rescue of Icicle. - "Howler/YC storyline was very well-done and had an interesting finale as well as the ongoing battle between Tigress and Daigon and the maturation of Tempest. The ongoing rehab of Icicle into a heroine was good. Spectrum's character really shined here, as someone who generally sees the good in people."
• X-Factor members personal relationships - "My vote has to go to the whole X-Factor (my favorite series by far!, can you tell) love triangle, who's cheatin' on who, who likes who, who has a crush on you thing goin' on. I guess I'm a romantic at heart. :)"

Spectrum's Comments: I picked the Were-Huntress as well and my reasons were covered above. Like most categories this year, there were many nominees. It's also clear that everyone likes something different about the site! Variety is the spice of life, after all!

Muskateer's Comments: Always glad to see variety and lots of opinions, even if they don't always jive with mine. I do tend to go my own way at times, so no problem there. The Were-Huntress story was good and no problem with it winning. I just thought it could have been better! I really cannot stand Captain Valor. Nothing more needs to be said. Howler's Quest was a good story, although it was long, it needed to be. So I don't see that as a negative.

Spectrum's Pick: My best moment was when Helena was transformed into the Were-Huntress. Hopefully it was one of those from out of left field things that caught the readers off guard. A jaw-dropping revelation! Given what I wrote for Best Storyline, it's not surprising that this was my Best Moment.

Muskateer's Pick: Helena's Transformation. It was a great moment and could have been better. Still this was a momentous occasion for the character and moves her into the next chapter of her life.

The explanation of the connection between Muskateer & the Enchantress came in second, with Muskateer's and Sandra's journey through the Shadow Planes in LH #6, the fight between Tigress & Daigon, Foxbat's Entrance, and anything from YC#25 also getting votes.

Voter's Comments:

• The Muskateer/Enchantress connection explained in Muskateer #25. - "I like it because it filled in some blanks going all the way back to Avengers #0."
• Journey though the Shadow Plane in Lost Heroes #6 - "Oddly, for me it's the journey through the Shadow planes by Musky and Sandra, a sad reminder of fallen comrades and ,well, lost heroes."
• The Muskateer/Enchantress connection explained in Muskateer #25. - "The connection between Muskateer and Enchantress cause it just proves that those two were destined to be together."
• Helena's transformation in Huntress # 26 - "Helena's transformation into the Were-Huntress in Huntress #26. Again, a very tough choice."

Spectrum's Comments: Another one of my picks wins the prize! I'm having a pretty good year this year! This is another one of those categories where I find what gets votes interesting. It lets us know what you folks thought was the most interesting and memorial event of the year. Some of the choices I could guess as being picked, but others were a surprise. Once more, variety is the spice of life!

Muskateer's Comments: I wouldn't have guessed some of your guys choices either and glad that so many people like so many different aspects of the site. It is a real testament to the stories that so much variety has come in from the votes. Thanks everyone!

Spectrum's Pick: There's a lot of things that I want to see come to pass yet. Old Stories to be retold and new ones to be invented. My pick for who I want to see more of next year would be the Purple Phlox. I find the character interesting in the sense that she's a mystical heroine who doesn't believe in things mystic, but is rapidly learning. She's also probably the only hero we have with a regular normal sidekick in Peter. Guess who I'll be doing a mini-series for next year?

Muskateer's Pick: Tigress. I feel much the same with Tigress. Her mini-series in Troubleshooters was started and I really want to see that one done in 2003. Purple Phlox has lots of potential. I would also like to see more Jack O'Lantern and Dr. Destroyer as well. Night Owl needs more to do too.

Terra Fire came in second place, with Tigress, Black Paladin, Night Owl & the Wild Cards, Morning Star, Supreme, Starguard, and a good villain team for X-Factor to fight getting votes.

Voter's Comments:

• Purple Phlox - "Magic that looks like magic, a mystic duty left too long and now taken up again, and only two characters ( ok three if you count Snowball) to share it all. In spite of one encounter (Ladies of Magic) this series seems separate from the rest of the others."
• Black Paladin - "Evil, no mercy, and has a hint of twisted chivalry to him. Plus he takes no crap from anyone.."
• Wild Cards/Night Owl - "Seem like an interesting group, but we know too little of them yet. Spinnerette could also use more exposure, as could Jack O'Lantern."
• Jack O'Lantern - "Don't know enough (hardly anything) about him, but like the style!"
• Morning Star - "I'd like Morning Star and Spectrum to eventually get together. Perhaps kill off Spectrum's girlfriend in a tragic event that makes Spectrum go over the edge for awhile and have Morning Star help him get back to normal."
• Terra Fire - "I'd like to see Terra Fire graduate from the YC and join XF. While I like the thing between him and Firestar, long distance relationships are hard (ok, yes they can meet easily in Sanctuary I suppose). What if he got together with Icicle! Plus, that would give XF more guys. I'd also like to see Spectrum and 'Star get together."
• Tie between Terra Fire & Supreme - "Terra Fire is just a spiffy guy with cool powers and cool costume. I love his 'earth senses' and how you portray them. Supreme. Reminds me of Wonder Man powers and costume-wise. I'm a sucker for the straight human brick-type character. I want to see a better costume and some more stories about him.
• A good villain team vs. X-Factor - C'mon the Thug's Elite is just 2nd rate to me.
• Jack O' Lantern - "His mysterious identity."

Spectrum's Comments: Lots and lots of choices here! Lets add some comments of my own here. The Phlox should be the next Troubleshooters mini-series, so that's one wish that should come true quickly. Black Paladin will show up in X-Factor again, probably around #27 or #28. I do plan to make use of Night Owl in the next Huntress arc. The full compliment of Wild Cards will show up in a future Troubleshooters mini. Will Morning Star and Spectrum eventually get together? I do know the answer to that question, but all I can say is what and see. And, no, Whitney is not going to get killed off. No idea where Jack O'Lantern is going to pop up next, other than it will be a complete surprise. Hmmm, Terra Fire giving Firestar the cold shoulder over Icicle? That's an intriguing thought made all the more interesting as, if our future plans don't become changed, those three will all be on the same team one day! Supreme gets a chance to shine in the upcoming Avengers #36. The Thugmaster's Elite is more like a school for villains than an actual villain group. Now that I think about it, I don't believe that XF really had a regular nemesis in the Old Stuff. We'll see what we can accomplish in the year to come!

Muskateer's Comments: There was the beginning of a recurring villain in Force and his cronies for X-Factor and there is a lot more to develop in that storyline this time around. Supreme getting a new costume? I had never really thought of it. This one didn't turn out quite like I wanted, but he definitely gets noticed! I don't know what Specs plans are regarding MS and Spec, since he hasn't told me either. Whitney did get killed off in the old stuff and then came back and got killed off again. Poor Whitney didn't get much respect last time out. Hopefully Tigress will get her Troubleshooters story in as well, which means that will be a busy title this year as well.

Spectrum's Final Comments: Well, if this year has proven anything it's that you guys don't agree on much! We've had people who didn't like one character or series only to have the very next ballot love them! I am very pleased not only by how many people voted this year, but by the sheer variety of choices they made. Every category had at least five nominees who received votes and some as many as ten! 2002 was a very good year for the site. Now, somehow, we're going to have to top it in 2003! Nothing like putting pressure on myself!

Special thanks to Bruce, Joe, Gordon, Leslie, Jeff, Mike, Starlord, Derek, Jim, Green Dragon, & Robert for their comments and insights. Let's do this all over again next year!

Muskateer's Final Comments: Thanks to everyone who takes the time to read this stuff. It was an off-hand idea some years ago to do the re-write by Specs and we just jumped on it. He was surprised when I mentioned posting it all online and then really picked up the ball and ran with it. Everyone should give Specs a special thank you for all the work he did on the site. I may do a lot of important things, but the site wouldn't continue to exist without all his hard work. Let's see if we can have a better year in 2003! Stay tuned as we have lots more great stories to tell!