title: Divergent (novel)

text: Summit Entertainment bought the rights to film an adaptation of the novel in 2011. Summit recruited Neil Burger to direct. Initially, Summit gave the film a budget of $40 million, but Lionsgate later increased it to $80 million, which was finally changed to $85 million because of the success of "The Hunger Games".


title: Divergent (novel)

text: Shailene Woodley was chosen to star as Beatrice "Tris" Prior. The role of Tobias "Four" Eaton eventually went to Theo James after an extensive search. Kate Winslet was signed as Jeanine Matthews. Also recruited into the cast were Maggie Q as Tori, Zoe Kravitz as Christina, Ansel Elgort as Caleb, Miles Teller as Peter, Ashley Judd as Natalie Prior, Tony Goldwyn as Andrew Prior, and Jai Courtney as Eric.


title: Divergent (novel)

text: Filming began in Chicago on April 16, 2013, and concluded on July 16, with nearly all filming taking place in Chicago. The film was released March 21, 2014 and earned $150,947,895 in North America and $137,228,004 in other areas, for a worldwide total of $288,175,899. The critic aggregating sites Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic both gave the films mixed reviews. However, the audience surveyor CinemaScore showed that audiences were very receptive to the film.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: Louis DeJoy (born June 20, 1957) is an American businessman serving as the 75th U.S. postmaster general. He was appointed in May 2020 by the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service (USPS). Prior to the appointment, he was the founder and CEO of the logistics and freight company New Breed Logistics and was a major Republican Party donor and fundraiser. DeJoy is the first postmaster in two decades without prior experience in the USPS. Controversially, his companies still hold active service contracts with the USPS.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: Upon assuming office in June 2020, he instituted a 10-year plan for the USPS that eliminated overtime, banned late or additional trips to deliver mail, decommissioned hundreds of high-speed mail-sorting machines, and removed some mail collection boxes from streets. The changes caused significant delays for mail delivery and resulted in investigations by congressional committees and the USPS inspector general. The changes took place during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, raising fears that the changes would interfere with voters who used mail-in voting to cast their ballots. In August of that year, amid public pressure, DeJoy said that the changes would be suspended until after the election, and in October the USPS agreed to reverse all of them.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: DeJoy was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Islip, NY. DeJoy earned a BBA in accounting from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: After graduating, DeJoy became a certified public accountant licensed to practice in the state of Florida.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: DeJoy was CEO of High Point, North Carolina-based New Breed Logistics from 1983 to 2014, and retired after his company was acquired by the Connecticut-based freight transporter XPO Logistics for a reported $615 million. Following that acquisition, he served as CEO of XPO's supply chain business in North America until his retirement the next year and was appointed to a strategic role on XPO Logistics' board of directors where he served until 2018.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: A 2001 audit found that under President George H. W. Bush, the USPS had given New Breed Logistics a noncompetitive contract of more than $300 million starting in 1992. The audit concluded that if the bidding had been competitive, taxpayers could have saved up to $53 million. Reporting in 2020, NBC News wrote, "The audit raises questions about whether New Breed knowingly overbilled the Postal Service, and it renews scrutiny of the background and qualifications of DeJoy, a prolific Republican Party fundraiser and donor who was appointed to lead the Postal Service over objections from many officials involved in the selection process." In addition, two reports to Congress in 1999 stated that $9 million and $33 million separately paid to New Breed could have been "put to better use." The USPS inspector general of the time retired in 2003 after a federal investigation into her abuse of authority, waste of public money and promotion of questionable personnel practices.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: When he was named Postmaster General and CEO, DeJoy was president of LDJ Global Strategies, a Greensboro, North Carolina-based boutique firm with interests in real estate, private equity, consulting, and project management.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: DeJoy has served as a major donor and fundraiser for a number of high-profile Republican Party politicians. He helped fund President George W. Bush's 2004 reelection campaign, co-chaired Rudy Giuliani's North Carolina fundraising campaign in 2008, and donated a combined $27,700 to Jeb Bush's 2016 presidential campaign. He donated $1.2 million each to Donald Trump's 2020 campaign, and to the Republican Party since 2016.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: In April 2017, DeJoy was named one of three deputy finance chairmen of the Republican National Committee, along with Trump's then-lawyer Michael Cohen and the venture capitalist Elliott Broidy. In May 2019, DeJoy became local finance chairman for the 2020 Republican National Convention, then planned for Charlotte, North Carolina.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: In September 2020 "The Washington Post" and "The New York Times" reported that according to former employees at DeJoy's logistics company New Breed, he participated in a straw donor scheme, reimbursing employees for making political donations. Employees, particularly managers, were expected to contribute to fundraisers for Republican candidates and organizations; they were allegedly reimbursed in full through the company's system of bonuses. Campaign finance records show that employees at New Breed gave substantial sums to Republican candidates and negligible amounts to Democrats. Between 2000 and 2014, when New Breed was sold, 124 employees gave a combined total over $1 million. Many of these people had not donated before they worked at the company and have not done so since leaving. Pressuring employees to make campaign donations, reimbursements for such donations, and use of corporate money to support individual politicians are in violation of both North Carolina and federal election laws, although some statutes of limitations may have expired. At an August congressional hearing DeJoy emphatically denied having engaged in such practices. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform has opened an investigation into the allegations and the possibility that DeJoy lied to the committee, and has called for the Postal Service to suspend him. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said that reimbursing someone for a political contribution would be a violation of the law and that "Any allegation that’s this serious merits investigation." CNN reported in June 2021 that the FBI was investigating the matter.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: On May 6, 2020, the USPS Board of Governors, all selected by Trump and confirmed by the Senate, announced DeJoy's appointment as Postmaster General and CEO, despite concerns about conflicts of interest. That day, the National Association of Letter Carriers president Frederic Rolando congratulated him on his appointment but warned of politicization of the USPS, writing: "Keeping politics out of the Postal Service and maintaining its independence is central to its success." DeJoy did not go through the normal vetting process for Postmaster General; two separate search firms were used by the USPS board, and neither firm mentioned DeJoy in their list of candidates.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: While he divested shares in UPS and Amazon before taking on his role, DeJoy drew scrutiny for not divesting from his $30–$75 million equity stake in XPO, a subcontractor for USPS. Under his tenure as Postmaster General, USPS has increased its business with XPO. Additionally, when DeJoy sold his Amazon shares, he purchased stock options in Amazon that represent between 20 and 100% of his prior holdings. USPS prioritizes Amazon package delivery.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: DeJoy is the first postmaster in two decades without prior experience in the United States Postal Service. Upon assuming office on June 16, 2020, he began taking measures such as banning overtime and extra trips to deliver mail, purportedly to reduce costs. He did not communicate the reasons for such changes within the organization, and such measures also resulted in slowing of the mail service. Congressional Democrats called for the measures to be rolled back. More than 600 high-speed mail sorting machines were scheduled to be dismantled and removed from postal facilities, raising concerns that mailed ballots for the November 3 election might not reach election offices on time. Mail collection boxes were removed from the streets in many cities; after photos of boxes being removed were spread on social media, a postal service spokesman said they were being moved to higher traffic areas but that the removals would stop until after the election.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: On August 7, 2020, DeJoy announced he had reassigned or displaced 23 senior USPS officials, including the two top executives overseeing day-to-day operations. He said he was trying to breathe new life into a "broken business model". Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, who chairs the House committee that oversees the USPS, said the reorganization was "deliberate sabotage".


title: Louis DeJoy

text: In a letter to postal workers on August 13, 2020, DeJoy confirmed reports of delays in mail delivery, calling them “unintended consequences” of changes that eventually would improve service. At the same time that he was taking measures that postal workers and union officials said were slowing down mail delivery, President Trump told a TV interviewer that he himself was blocking funds for the postal service in order to hinder mail-in voting.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: After congressional protests, the USPS inspector general began a review of DeJoy's policy changes and whether he was complying with federal ethics rules. On August 18, 2020, DeJoy announced that the Postal Service would suspend cost-cutting and other operational changes until after the 2020 election. He said that equipment that had already been removed would not be restored. Documents obtained by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington indicated that DeJoy lied under oath when he testified to Congress on August 24 that he did not order the restrictions on overtime. At this Congressional testimony DeJoy admitted that he was unaware of the cost of mailing a postcard or a smaller greeting card, the starting rate for US Priority Mail, or how many Americans voted by mail in the 2016 elections.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: In September 2020, a court blocked the USPS from sending Colorado households a mailer with false and misleading information about vote-by-mail for Colorado. Secretaries of state had requested that DeJoy show them previews of the mailers that the USPS intended to send out, but DeJoy refused.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: The next month, USPS agreed to reverse all changes implemented in June that affected mail services to Montana, settling a lawsuit brought by the state's governor against the institution and DeJoy a day before a hearing was to take place in U.S. District Court in Great Falls. The government institution agreed to reverse removal of collection boxes and mail sorting machines, closure or consolidation of mail processing facilities, reduced retail hours, banning or restricting overtime, and restriction of late or extra trips for timely mail delivery, affecting all 50 states.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: USPS was sued in federal court in September of 2020 by American Oversight to "compel the release of directives, guidance, analyses, and key emails from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and his chief of staff related to voting by mail" after USPS failed to respond to FOIA requests for such information within the legally designated time period. When USPS released DeJoy's calendar in response to the lawsuit, it was almost entirely redacted.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: DeJoy received criticism for his decision on February 24, 2021, to award a $6.5 billion contract to modernize the USPS fleet exclusively to Oshkosh, which had previously admitted a lack of expertise in producing electric vehicles and would therefore be unable to make good on President Biden's pledge to make the USPS 100% electric. In addition, Congressman Tim Ryan has referred to the SEC a $54 million purchase of Oshkosh stock made hours before the contract was announced. Biden then nominated three people to fill the four vacancies on the USPS board of governors under Democratic pressure. He does not have the authority to remove DeJoy.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: DeJoy and his wife currently have $30-70 million invested in companies related to the USPS. He plans to further slow down first-class mail delivery, reduce post office hours, and raise postage prices--which would impact voters, families, and small businesses in several states. With the mostly Trump-appointed USPS board of governors behind him, when asked how much longer he intended to stay postmaster general, he said: "A long time, get used to me."


title: Louis DeJoy

text: In 2022, DeJoy flouted instructions by the Joe Biden administration to electrify the USPS fleet. Instead, DeJoy put in a $11.3 billion order to renew the existing USPS fleet with mostly gasoline-powered vehicles. The EPA criticized the USPS for the order, pointing to the environmental costs of the fleet ($900 million of damage over 20 years), the low fuel efficiency, and the short-sightedness of making a long-term investment in gasoline-powered vehicles. In response to the backlash, DeJoy signaled that the USPS may add more electric trucks to the order.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: DeJoy donated $747,000 to Duke University in 2014, funding Blue Devil Tower and the DeJoy Family Club at the football stadium. That year, his son was accepted to the school and joined the school's tennis team as a walk-on. His daughter also attended Duke, majoring in music.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: DeJoy is married to Aldona Wos, a Polish-American former physician and former Ambassador to Estonia during the George W. Bush Administration. From 2017 to 2021 she served as the vice chair of the 45th President's Commission on White House Fellowships. President Trump announced his intent to nominate her as Ambassador to Canada on February 11, 2020. Her nomination stalled before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, expired when the new Congress was sworn in on January 3, 2021, and returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the U.S. Senate.


title: Louis DeJoy

text: The couple have twin children and maintain at least two homes: one in the Kalorama neighborhood in Washington, D.C., and the other, from prior to DeJoy's government appointment and bought with Wos in 2005, a mansion in the Irving Park Historic District next to the Greensboro Country Club Golf Course in Greensboro, North Carolina. The latter has been the location of several political fundraising events.


title: Nina Hoss

text: Hoss was born in Stuttgart, West Germany. Her father, , was a German trade unionist and politician (member of the Bundestag with The Greens). Her mother, , was an actress at Stuttgart National Theatre and later director of the Esslingen-based Württemberg State Playhouse (Württembergische Landesbühne Esslingen).


title: Nina Hoss

text: Hoss acted in radio plays at the age of seven and appeared on stage for the first time at the age of 14.


title: Nina Hoss

text: In 1997, Hoss graduated from the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin. Her first major success was the title role Rosemarie Nitribitt of Bernd Eichinger's "A Girl Called Rosemary" in 1996, a period drama (based on an actual scandal) set in the 1950s that looks back at the days of West Germany's postwar "Wirtschaftswunder" with, what a "New York Times" review calls a "curdling cynicism".


title: Nina Hoss

text: In 2000, Hoss was one of the Shooting Stars at the Berlinale. Her close collaboration with director Christian Petzold has been extremely successful: she won the 2003 Adolf Grimme Award for her role in his film "Something to Remind Me" and two years later the Adolf Grimme Award in Gold for "Wolfsburg". Her performance of "Yella", earned her the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2007 and the German Film Award in 2008. Another collaboration with Petzold, "Barbara", in which Hoss plays a doctor exiled to an East German provincial backwater in 1980, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2011 and the Toronto International Film Festival in 2012. In a review of her 2009 film "A Woman in Berlin", "The New York Times" remarked that Hoss, "whose strong frame and graceful bearing suggest both old-style movie-star glamour and Aryan ideals of feminine beauty, is an actress of haunting subtlety, and the film, episodic, ambitious and a few beats too long, is held together by the force of her performance." "The Washington Post," reviewing "Phoenix" (2015), again directed by Petzold, wrote "Hoss’s breathtaking portrayal, especially in the film’s final minutes, makes it clear why director Christian Petzold has made a habit of working with her". She later made her name in Hollywood playing a German agent in three seasons of the series "Homeland" (2014–17). Hoss starred in the 2020 miniseries "The Defeated", and will be a series regular in season three of "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan" in 2022.


title: Nina Hoss

text: As a stage actress, Hoss was an ensemble member at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin from 1998 to 2013, where she appeared as Medea and as Franziska in "Minna von Barnhelm" (2005). In 2013, she joined the ensemble of the Schaubühne theatre in Berlin. There, she starred in three productions by director Thomas Ostermeier, including Lillian Hellman's 'Little Foxes' (2014) and the world premiere of Yasmina Reza's "Bella Figura" (2015). In his stage production (2017) of Didier Eribon's book "Returning to Reims," her starring role drew autobiographically from her relationship with her father and his activist politics.


title: Nina Hoss

text: Hoss recorded a duet with the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers called "Europa geht durch mich" ("Europe goes through me") for the album "Futurology" which was released on 7 July 2014. Hoss features on the 2021 album "Bright Magic" by Public Service Broadcasting.


title: Nina Hoss

text: She stars in Tár alongside Cate Blanchett as Sharon Goodnow, a violin player who is the partner of conductor Lydia Tár. In the film, Hoss plays the first violin of an orchestra, a rare position for a woman.


title: Nina Hoss

text: Hoss has been a member of the juries of the Locarno International Film Festival in 2009, the Berlin International Film Festival in 2011 and the 73rd Venice International Film Festival in 2016.


title: Nina Hoss

text: In addition, Hoss was a jury member of the German Film Academy's First Steps awards for young filmmakers in 2000. She served as the sole judge of the 2012 Alfred Kerr Acting Prize at the Berliner Theatertreffen. In 2018, she was part of the jury that awarded the first-ever "Wortmeldungen" Prize for Literature of the Crespo Foundation.


title: Nina Hoss

text: Hoss supports the Make Poverty History campaign and fights female genital mutilation. She is quoted as saying, "For me, genital mutilation, torture, is one of the worst crimes in the name of so-called honour on earth. I dream that it will be possible for this form of domination over women to be abandoned." In continuation of the work of her father she is committed as a Goodwill Ambassador of the State of Pará in Brazil against the destruction of the rain forest and to improve the living conditions of the indigenous people living there. In 2017, she joined Cate Blanchett, Lars von Trier and others in signing a petition in support of Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov and a crack down on artistic expression.


title: Nina Hoss

text: Hoss served as an Alliance 90/The Greens delegate to the Federal Convention for the purpose of electing the President of Germany in 2004 and 2010.


title: Nina Hoss

text: Hoss married British music producer Alex Silva in 2015 after having been in a relationship with him for 12 years. They have no children.


title: Nina Hoss

text: Hoss has received numerous state honors, including the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2013) and was appointed a "Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" in France (2015).


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: The Enchantress is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Haney and Howard Purcell, the character made her first appearance in "Strange Adventures" #187 (April 1966).


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: In the DC Universe, the Enchantress, whose real name is June Moone, is a freelance artist and powerful sorceress typically depicted as an antihero and hero on account of the Enchantress persona, coming into fruition from the possession between June the magical being that once called herself The Succubus. One of the world's most dangerous magic users, she struggles to contain the dark personality and intentions of her Enchantress persona. She is a member of several groups such as the Suicide Squad and, as a hero, a member of Shadowpact and the Sentinels of Magic. In more recent continuities, the Enchantress is instead an interdimensional witch possessing the human June Moone and is considered a separate entity from June although the two share the same body. This version of the character is cast as a member of Justice League Dark as June Moone while both June and Enchantress would serve as a re-occurring member of the Suicide Squad, appearing in a new incarnation of the team in the fifth volume of the comic series as well as appearing as a member of its paranormal counterpart.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: The Enchantress would make an appearance in mainstream media, portrayed by Cara Delevingne in the 2016 film "Suicide Squad" as both June Moone and the Enchantress, the latter portrayed as a separate entity possessing her body. The Enchantress entity would also be portrayed by Samantha Liana Cole on the show "Legends of Tomorrow", which is part of the Arrowverse. Enchantress and June Moone also make an appearance in the video game titled "Injustice 2".


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: The Enchantress ("The Switcheroo-Witcheroo" as she was bannered on the cover) first appeared in the nine-page lead story of "Strange Adventures" #187 (April 1966), the National Comics (now DC Comics) flagship science fiction anthology title. She then appeared in two eight-page appearances in the same title: "Strange Adventures" #191 (August 1966) and 200 (May 1967), written by Bob Haney and drawn by co-creator Howard Purcell. The first two stories were reprinted in "Adventure Comics" #417 (March 1972) and 419 (May 1972), her only appearances in the 1970s.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: Following this, the Enchantress appeared in two linked Supergirl tales in "The Superman Family" #204–205 (November/December 1980–January/February 1981). Writer Jack C. Harris and artist Trevor Von Eeden proposed to DC an all-female super-team named the "Power Squad" which would have included the Enchantress, but were turned down. The character appeared in a two-part story featuring the Forgotten Villains in the Superman team-up title "DC Comics Presents" #77–78 (January–February 1985). She was one of the super-characters in "Legends" #3 (January 1987) and 6 (April 1987), followed by the origin of the Suicide Squad in "Secret Origins" (vol. 2) #14 (May 1987) and the immediately following "Suicide Squad" series issues #1–8 (May 1987–December 1987) and 12–16 (April 1988–August 1988), written by John Ostrander; and "The Spectre" (vol. 2) #11 (February 1988).


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: Eleven years later, she returned in "Green Lantern" (vol. 3) #118 (November 1999) and "Day of Judgment" #1–5 (all November 1999), written by Geoff Johns with art by Matt Smith and Steve Mitchell. She next guest-starred in another DC Comics miniseries "JLA: Black Baptism" #1–4 (May–August 2001) by Ruben Diaz and Sean Smith (writers) and Jesus Saiz (artist) after which the Enchantress disappeared again until the "Day of Vengeance" miniseries #1–5 (June 2005–November 2005) by Bill Willingham, who also used her character through the first 16 issues (July 2006–October 2007) of the "Shadowpact" series that followed directly from "Day of Vengeance". Matthew Sturges wrote the title from issue #17–25 (November 2007–July 2008). During that time she also made appearances in the major DC Comics crossover series "Countdown", in issues #29 (October 17, 2007) and 28 (October 24, 2007), the associated "Countdown to Mystery" #1 (November 2007), and one issue of "The Trials of Shazam!", #11 (March 2008).


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: Since the cancellation of "Shadowpact", the Enchantress has continued to make minor appearances in the DC Universe, including "DC Universe Holiday Special" (2008), and the miniseries "Reign in Hell" #2–8 (September 2008–April 2009). She appeared in "Action Comics" #885 (March 2010), part of a new cycle of stories by James Robinson which led up to the DC Comics 2010 limited series "War of the Supermen".


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: When DC relaunched their entire line in September 2011, it included a new team comic book titled "Justice League Dark" which featured the magical characters of the DCU: Shade, the Changing Man; Madame Xanadu; Deadman; Zatanna; John Constantine and Mindwarp. Their first enemy was the Enchantress gone mad.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: June Moone was a freelance artist who was invited to a costume party at an old castle, and stumbled upon a secret chamber where an unknown magical being (later named as Dzamor) empowered her to fight an evil presence in the castle. Saying the words "The Enchantress", her appearance changes from the blonde-haired June to the black-haired and costumed Enchantress and defeats a minotaur creature from a tapestry. Soon after, she defeats a monster at Cape Kennedy and a mirage of a demonic creature manipulated by a crook.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: In her next appearance, however, the Enchantress is a misguided character fighting Supergirl, who prevents her gaining omnipotent magical power and cancelling all other superpowers on Earth, twice. Her villainous side takes over after this, and the Enchantress then continues her career as a member of the Forgotten Villains and part of the army of supervillains during the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover event.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: She is next recruited into the newly formed 'Task Force X', soon to be known as the 'Suicide Squad', on the chance that she could keep her villainous side in check. In her first mission, she uses massive magical energy to defeat Brimstone, which sends her over the edge and she becomes temporarily truly villainous. During her tenure with the Suicide Squad, June Moone's control over her Enchantress side becomes weaker, and she destroys at least one mission because of this; teammate Deadshot is tasked with taking her out should she get beyond control. Eventually, Madame Xanadu diagnoses that June's loss of control is because she began using her powers before she could control them, and the only way to counteract this is not to use them until her aura, which protects her from the evil influences in magic, regains its power.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: Madame Xanadu gives June a necklace that she cannot remove which, together with a ring to be held by someone else, creates a feedback loop preventing the Enchantress from using magic for evil as a temporary measure. She also raises an army to destroy the town and perform terror attacks as stated in the first mission. June then discovers that her Enchantress persona is, in fact, a separate evil entity from another dimension fused with her, not simply a manifestation of magic. She learned this when she and other Squad members joined Nightshade on a mission to free her homeland, the Nightshade Dimension. There, she found out that the Incubus, who took over that dimension, is the brother of the Dzamor, who merges with her to give her the power of the Enchantress. The Incubus rips his sister out of June, leaving her powerless. Shortly afterwards, June disappears from the Suicide Squad for unknown reasons.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: Eleven years later, after a storm caused by war in Hell, June breaks free from the Ostrander Mental Institute in New Jersey, where she has been for an indeterminate period of time. Refusing to join with the superheroes fighting a demon invasion on Earth and in Hell, the newly freed Enchantress is possessed by Deadman to manipulate her into helping the fight in Hell. Once there, June's Enchantress persona is murdered by Sebastian Faust as a purely evil act, the only way to reignite the fires of Hell.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: June Moone is left in a semi-catatonic state after the removal of her Enchantress persona and is committed to 'Elysium Fields Sanitarium' outside Detroit. Faust removes her from the sanitarium and reunites her with her Enchantress persona – who had not been killed by him and has been masquerading as 'Anita Souleata', a succubus working with a group of Mafia-styled demons to create a gateway to Hell and resurrect Hermes Trismegestus, a mad sorcerer who wanted to destroy life on Earth. When June and the Enchantress are re-combined, a new entity called the Soulsinger is temporarily created, which fades away shortly after, leaving the Enchantress behind – once again a separate entity, but cut off from her powers. June Moone is taken to be looked after by Doctor Occult.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: The Ragman digs the Enchantress out from under a destroyed forest after the Spectre, bent on killing all magical beings and places on Earth, kills nearly 700 sorcerers, only breaking off when attacked. The Enchantress divines the seduction of the Spectre by Eclipso/Jean Loring, mentally from the safety of the pocket-dimensional 'Oblivion Bar', where many magical entities have gone to escape him. She then leaves to challenge the Spectre on Earth, having first created a gun that can kill her should she turn evil again and offering it to the Ragman. When she overloads again while channeling power from nearly everyone on Earth with magic capabilities to Captain Marvel so that he can defeat the Spectre, she is put out of action by a punch from Blue Devil instead. Recovering quickly enough to devise a plan to lure the Spectre into a trap, the Enchantress helps with the reconstruction of the Rock of Eternity in Gotham City, after facing Doctor Occult, who has been possessed by the spirit of Envy. During the "Day of Vengeance" series, the Enchantress, the Ragman, Blue Devil and a number of other magical entities form the "Shadowpact" super-team.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: The Shadowpact are summoned by the Phantom Stranger when the town of Riverrock, Wyoming is entrapped in a giant bubble of blood and endangered by "the Pentacle", a team of supervillains, whose goal is to sacrifice the townspeople in order to summon the Sun King, an ancient rogue god from another dimension. Thirty-seven people perish before the Shadowpact manage to defeat them; the Enchantress is able to tap into the magical powers of Strega, one of the Pentacle and destroy the bubble from within. She also kills one of the Pentacle, the White Bunny, on the spur of the moment after he leaves them and frees the Shadowpact. Due to unexpected side effects of the magic spells needed to defeat the villains, the outside world believe that the Shadowpact has been dead for a year and they are honored with a team statue set inside a park in Metropolis.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: The Enchantress then helps the Ragman defeat an assassin sent to kill him, in the course of which they are attacked by the Wild Hunt of legend and temporarily transformed into mystical hellhounds. Shortly after, her spells are all that save Jim Rook, the Nightmaster, after he is stabbed by his own sword fighting Etrigan the Demon; staying at his side for days without sleep and keeping him alive by trading a day of her life for a day of his until he heals himself by the power of his sword. After the Shadowpact are seconded to Checkmate to infiltrate Kobra's organization, she then helps foil Doctor Gotham's plan to destroy Chicago by entering his inter-dimensional cloak and destroying most of the thousands of magical artifacts contained within. She takes an apprentice, Laura Fell, the Warlock's Daughter before they both unwittingly almost allow a race of mindless creatures called "the Unbound" to reach Earth while creating a portal to the Land of Nightshades, where the Nightmaster, Nightshade and the Ragman are trapped. She frees her colleagues and the inhabitants of the Nightshades Dimension by creating a magical virus to combat the mage-created virus that created the Unbound – mixing a possessed creatures' soul with the essence of the Nightmaster's virtues. When the Nightmaster decides to stay in the Nightshade Dimension, the Enchantress kisses him. On returning to Earth, she participates in the final battle against the Sun King.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: The Shadowpact, including the Enchantress, helped Captain Atom return to Mirabai's dimension – where General Sam Lane (Lois Lane's father) has moved the main base of his secret anti-Kryptonian 'Project 7734'.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: In 2011, DC Comics cancelled all their titles and relaunched 52 new comics as part of "The New 52". One of these was "Justice League Dark", which features a number of supernatural-themed heroes including Shade, the Changing Man, Zatanna, John Constantine, and Madame Xanadu coming together to fight an insane Enchantress who has become separated from June Moone. During the crisis, the Enchantress' powers begin randomly appearing across the world, causing chaos: the Sphinx of Gizah comes to life and attacks tourists and hundreds of duplicates of June Moone appear to search for the original. While the Justice League tries to intervene, the Enchantress manifests as a colossal monster made up of the bodies of hundreds of June Moones and defeats Superman, Wonder Woman and Cyborg with ease. John Constantine deduces that Madame Xanadu said an incantation that separated June Moone from the Enchantress and reads an incantation that reverses the spell, reuniting the Enchantress and June Moone again.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: During "DC Rebirth", the Enchantress serves as a member of the Suicide Squad again and during the "Black Vault" story arc, they retrieve an alien item that serves as a portal to the Phantom Zone. However, once they bring it back to Belle Reve Penitentiary, it causes all the inmates to go into a killing frenzy except Harley Quinn, Amanda Waller, Killer Croc and Rick Flag. June Moone lets the Enchantress out, who also remains unaffected due to being a magical entity. She manages to get Harley Quinn to the Vault but is incapacitated by Zod when he sucks the air out of her lungs.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: In one of the later issues, June Moone was called upon by Amanda Waller to help a military general whose house had been possessed by a demon. She turns into the Enchantress, but she ends up scheming with the demon to escape Amanda Waller and destroy the world. She turns back to June to have the demon remove the bomb device and set the Enchantress free, but the demon attacks her and frightens her. June, in retaliation, unleashes magic and banishes the demon without turning into the Enchantress.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: During the "Justice League vs. Suicide Squad" storyline, the Enchantress is sent with the Suicide Squad to stop a cult from sinking an island as a sacrifice to their god. The Justice League arrives and clashes with the Suicide Squad and she defeats Superman with ease once she realizes he's sensitive to magic. When Maxwell Lord breaks into Belle Reve Penitentiary along with Rustam, Lobo, Doctor Polaris, the Emerald Empress and Johnny Sorrow, the original Suicide Squad, she threatens Maxwell Lord only to be quickly overwhelmed by his telepathic powers.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: Despite having been characterized as having some disdain for men, June has formulated romances with characters throughout her history:


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: In comics, June's first love interest in publication was Alan Dell, whom was attracted to the Enchantress persona not knowing that the Enchantress was also June herself. Sebastian Faust was also featured as one of her love interests; Faust and June/Enchantress first met during "Day of Judgement", where the two's brief friendship is interrupted when Faust sacrifices Enchantress in order to reignite the flames of Hell in a bid to eventually stop Asmodeus from completely gaining the power of the Spectre. Attracted to June, Sebastian is guilt ridden by his actions and stays his distance as she returns to Alan. Sometime later, he returns to help June as the separation of the Enchantress and June slowly kills her and voiced continual hope that the two would be in a romantic relationship should he find a way to restore her Enchantress personality in order to save her from death. Eventually, Faust succeeds in doing so while seemingly sacrificing himself in a battle with a powerful sorcerer. Ragman was revealed to also have been attracted to Enchantress although when he kissed her, she vehemently rejected his advances. In recent continuities, Killer Croc also has dated Enchantress, the two of them subtly pushed together by Amanda Waller as a mean of controlling the both of them later while the two established a genuine connection. This would come to fruition when Killer Croc's life is leverage against June in her membership of Suicide Squad Black, a mythical counterpart to Suicide Squad, as Waller pits her against a re-invented version of Sebastian Faust (whom she doesn't share a romance with in the new continuity) and his eco-terrorist cohorts alongside the rest of the team, facing similarly manipulations.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: In media, June's most prominent love interest is Rick Flag in the DC Extended Universe, the former chosen by Amanda Waller deliberately so the two of them would form a close bond and become lovers, allowing her to have leverage over the two. Their relationship would come to an end in the sequel of Suicide Squad due to the death of Rick Flag.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: The Enchantress is a powerful sorceress, considered being among the most dangerous of mystical villains to the superhuman community and one of the most dangerous magic practitioners on Earth in the DC Universe alongside peers such as the Wizard and Sebastian Faust. She possesses an array of magical powers including flight, the ability to phase through solid walls, the transformation of objects, and the power to transform her own appearance. She also could transform into her magical state by calling "Enchantress". A unique aspect of her power is her sensitivity to magic; She was able to link to the essence of Eclipso in the "Day of Vengeance" story line, using the connection to speak Eclipso's thoughts to the rest of the group, and has also mystically tracked the Spectre by divining his magical trail. She has also been seen to remotely access another magic-user's power, as she did when she channeled the power of almost all magical beings on Earth through her to Captain Marvel to aid him in his battle with the Spectre, and again with Strega of the Pentacle, though all of the magicians she came into contact with allowed her to tap into them. Later portrayals of the character in the New 52 also grants her enough power to warp reality at will and is powerful enough to defeat Superman in battle.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: While preferring to use magic, June is considered both an average athlete and hand-to-hand combatant. She is also a skilled artist and recent incarnations of June is able to call upon magical powers without invoking the Enchantress entity. As a sorceress, Enchantress has access to several arcane items: she has possession of the Nightwitch's "Herne-Ramsgate Cauldron", which allows her to find almost every magical creature in the DC Universe. Her magical hat is also said to conceal various magical tricks within it.


title: Enchantress (DC Comics)

text: In the alternate timeline of the 2011 "Flashpoint" storyline, the Enchantress is a member of the Secret Seven. It is revealed she is a traitor when she turns Captain Thunder back to his mortal form after which Billy Batson is killed, though by this stage she had already murdered most of the Secret Seven; she states she does not care which side she is on as long as she can cause pain and havoc. The Enchantress is killed by Kal-El landing on her.


title: Peni Parker

text: Peni Parker is a superhero appearing in publications by Marvel Comics. She is an alternative version of Spider-Man. The character is depicted as a 14-year-old high school student who was adopted by Aunt May and Uncle Ben following the death of her father/caretaker. She pilots a psychically-powered mech suit built by her father known as the SP//dr, which is partially controlled by a radioactive spider that also shares a psychic link with her.


title: Peni Parker

text: Both Peni Parker and SP//dr have made scant appearances in media, with their most prominent being the animated film "", in which the former is voiced by Kimiko Glenn.


title: Peni Parker

text: Peni Parker and SP//dr were created by writer Gerard Way and artist Jake Wyatt, and first appeared in the "Spider-Verse" comic book "Edge of Spider-Verse" #5 in October 2014. According to Way, SP//dr "is three vital components: a pilot, a machine, and a radioactive sentient spider acting as one half of the brain that makes it all work." SP//dr’s story was continued in the "Spider-Geddon" comic book, "Edge of Spider-Geddon" #2 by Alberto Albuquerque.


title: Peni Parker

text: Peni's father acted as the original pilot of the SP//dr mecha, in which he protected New York from crime and other dangers. After his mysterious death, Peni is approached by her Aunt May and Uncle Ben to become the new pilot of the SP//dr. In order to do so however, she has to be bitten by the sentient radioactive spider which controls part of the suit. Soon after being bitten, Peni becomes the new protector of the city. Five years later, she battles her universe’s version of Mysterio - an obsessed fanboy of hers. Peni eventually teams up with her universe's version of Daredevil – who had known her father – to battle a group of criminals before being approached by Spider-Ham and Old Man Spider to join the Spider-Army to fight the Inheritors.


title: Peni Parker

text: After the events of "Spider-Verse", Peni is approached by a girl named Addy Brock, who wonders if she was really the SP//dr pilot. Peni ignores her, but Addy retorts by saying she is not as special as she thinks. At home, Peni tries to talk to Ben and May about being special, but she gets ignored. While improving the SP//dr's web shooters, she notices Addy walking in the base and follows her; only to find another mech-suit similar to the SP//dr, only in black and powered by a sym-engine called VEN#m, with Addy as its pilot. Peni becomes furious at her aunt and uncle for not telling her about this. When a kaiju-like creature named M.O.R.B.I.U.S. starts to drain the city's electrical energy, SP//dr goes after it, but is quickly defeated. In order to defeat M.O.R.B.I.U.S., Peni's aunt and uncle send VEN#m to defeat the creature. It is successful, but the creature causes VEN#m to malfunction; causing the mech suit to attain sentience and consume Addy. When May flies in to fix the problem manually, it consumes her as well. SP//dr confronts VEN#m, but the black mech suit overpowers her until she uses her improved web shooters to defeat it. However, she is too late to save her Aunt May and Addy, who have vanished from inside the suit. Following the battle, Peni and Ben have a heart to heart, but Spider-Ham re-appears to recruit Peni to help defeat the Inheritors once more during the events of "Spider-Geddon".


title: Peni Parker

text: SP//dr makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the "Ultimate Spider-Man" episode "Return to the Spider-Verse" Pt. 4, as one of several alternate reality Spider-Men that the villainous Wolf Spider took hostage to siphon their powers before the "prime" Spider-Man, Kid Arachnid, and Spider-Gwen arrive to save them.


title: Peni Parker

text: Peni Parker and SP//dr appear in "", with the former voiced by Kimiko Glenn. This version of Peni takes on an anime aesthetic, is incredibly perky, and is shown eating numerous candies and snacks in her robot. SP//dr itself is a one-piece capsule cockpit topped with a dome-shaped one-way visor with the inside providing Peni with a HUD-style view to the world around her and the outside displaying various electronic faces, uses magnetically manipulated appendages for versatility, and holds various tools in its fingers. They arrive in Miles Morales's universe along with Spider-Ham and Spider-Man Noir due to the Kingpin's machinations and join forces with them, among other "Spider-People", to return to their respective home universes. While fighting the Kingpin's henchmen, SP//dr is severely damaged by the Scorpion, but Peni manages to rescue the radioactive spider within it before returning to her universe to rebuild SP//dr.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The Chevrolet Bel Air is a full-size car produced by Chevrolet for the 1950–1975 model years. Initially, only the two-door hardtops in the Chevrolet model range were designated with the Bel Air name from 1950 to 1952. With the 1953 model year, the Bel Air name was changed from a designation for a unique body shape to a premium level of trim applied across a number of body styles. The Bel Air continued with various other trim level designations, and it went from a mid-level trim car to a budget fleet sedan when U.S. production ceased in 1975. Production continued in Canada, for its home market only, through the 1981 model year.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The Chevrolet Bel Air, especially its third generation design, has been considered an icon of the 1950s. Well-maintained and preserved examples are highly sought after by car collectors and enthusiasts.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: From 1950 to 1952, the Bel Air Sport Coupe name was used only for the two-door hardtops in the Chevrolet model range, to distinguish the car from the Styleline and Fleetline models. It is named after the wealthy Bel Air neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: First-year production reached only 76,662 models built. The car cost $1,741 and weighed . Front suspension was independent, named "knee-action".


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The first Bel Airs of this era shared only their front sheet metal ahead of the A pillar with the rest of the range. The windshield, doors, glass, and trunk were common with the Styleline Deluxe Convertible Coupe, however, the roof, rear quarters and rear windows (3) were unique. The chassis and mechanicals were common with the rest of the passenger car range, and the overall appearance was the same as the rest of the range, except that the roofline was lower and the unique three piece rear window gave it a longer and more balanced look. The first Bel Airs were available with only the "Deluxe" premium trim level and specification.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: Apart from the usual annual grille and trim changes, the 1951–1952 Bel Air differed from the earlier 1950 model with the introduction of the higher and squarer rear guards that were across the whole range.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: In 1953 Chevrolet renamed its series, and the Bel Air name was applied to the premium model range. Two lower series, the 150 and 210, also emerged (as successors to the Special and Deluxe series, respectively). The 1953 Chevrolet was advertised as "Entirely new through and through" due to the restyled body panels, front and rear ends. However, essentially these Chevrolets had similar frames and mechanicals to the 1949–1952 cars.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The Bel Air was given a facelift in 1953. The pre-war technology, such as torque tube drive, six-cylinder splash feed engines, knee-action suspension, and split windshields of the early models, was phased out, and the foundations for the first post-war modern Chevrolet passenger car were finalized. The Bel Air series featured a wide chrome strip of molding from the rear fender bulge to the rear bumper. The inside of this stripe was painted a coordinating color with the outside body color, and "Bel Air" scripts were added inside the strip. Lesser models had no model designation anywhere on the car, having only a Chevrolet crest on the hood and trunk. 1953 was the first year for a curved, one-piece windshield.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: In the July 1953 issue of "Popular Mechanics", a tested 1953 Bel Air went from 0-60 mph in 19.6 seconds.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: Bel Air interiors had an optional massive expanse of chrome across the lower part of the dashboard (most were painted), along with a deluxe Bel Air steering wheel with a full chrome horn ring. Carpeting and full wheel covers rounded out Bel Air standard equipment. For 1954, the Bel Air stayed essentially the same, except for a revised grille and taillights and a revised engine that had insert bearings and higher oil pressure, needed for the full-flow oil filtration system that was not available prior to 1954. Prior to 1954, the 235 and 216 cubic inch six-cylinder engines had Babbitt bearings and scoops to create oil pressure at the bottom of each rod, and the oil pressure was standard at 15-30 PSI. During these years, there were three engine choices, depending on the transmission ordered. Both 235 cubic inch engines were "Blue Flame" inline six-cylinder OHV engines, featuring hydraulic valve lifters (in 1953 with automatic transmissions) and aluminum pistons. The 106 hp (79 kW) 235 cubic inch displacement engine was standard on stick shift models, with solid lifters and splash plus pressure lubrication, including Babbitt bearings. Powerglide cars got a 115 hp (86 kW) version which had hydraulic lifters and full pressure lubrication.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: In 1953 and 1954, Bel Airs could be ordered as a convertible, hardtop coupe, two- and four-door variant sedan, and, for 1954, the Beauville station wagon, which featured woodgrain trim around the side windows. Many new options, once only seen in more expensive luxury cars, were offered, starting in 1953. This included power steering and the Guidematic headlight dimmer in 1953, as well as power brakes, power 2-way front seat and power front windows in 1954. All 1954 models equipped with the standard transmission used the 1953 Powerglide engine.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The Bel Air received new, revamped styling for the 1955 model year. The Bel Air was and long. It was called the "Hot One" in GM's advertising campaign. Bel Airs came with features found on cars in the lower models ranges plus interior carpet, chrome headliner bands on hardtops, chrome spears on front fenders, stainless steel window moldings, full wheel covers, and a Ferrari-inspired front grille. Models were further distinguished by the Bel Air name script in gold lettering later in the year. For 1955 Chevrolets gained a V8 engine option and the option of the 2 speed Powerglide automatic, or a standard three speed Synchro-Mesh manual transmission with optional overdrive. The new V8 featured a modern, overhead valve high compression ratio, short stroke design that was so good that it remained in production in various displacements for many decades. The base V8 had a two-barrel carburetor and was rated at and the "Power Pack" option featured a four-barrel carburetor and other upgrades yielding . Later in the year, a "Super Power Pack" option added high-compression and a further . Warning lights replaced gauges for the generator and oil pressure. This was not the first Chevrolet with a V8 engine; the first Chevrolet with a V8 engine was introduced in 1917 and called the Series D, which was built for two years, and was manufactured before Chevrolet joined General Motors.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The 1955 Bel Air was very well received. "Motor Trend" magazine gave the Bel Air top marks for handling. "Popular Mechanics" reported acceleration for a V8 Bel Air with Powerglide as being 0- in 12.9 seconds, plus a comfortable ride and good visibility. On the other hand, the horn ring blocked some of the speedometer, regular gasoline made the engine knock and the first V8 engines off the line burned too much oil. Front legroom was 43.1". Brakes were 11" drums. A new option for V8-equipped 1955 models was air conditioning, with outlets on each side of the dashboard; a heavy-duty generator was included on cars equipped with this option; in 1955 and 1956, air conditioning could be installed on cars ordered with the standard three-speed manual transmission, overdrive or Powerglide, but from 1957 onward, an automatic transmission (or minus that, 4-speed manual transmission) was a pre-requisite option.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The 1956 Bel Air received a face-lift with a more conventional full-width grille, pleasing those customers who didn't favor the Ferrari-inspired '55 front end. Two-tone bodyside treatments and front and rear wheel openings completed the "speedline" restyling. Single housings incorporated the taillight, stoplight, and backup light, and the left one held the gas filler – an idea popularized on Cadillacs. Among the seven Bel Air models was a new Sport Sedan, a pillarless four-door hardtop that looked handsome with all the windows rolled down and allowed easy entry into the back seat. Production exceeded 103,000, compared to 128,000 two-door hardtops. Shapely two-door Nomad wagons topped the price chart at US$2,608 ($ in dollars ), but now carried the same interior and rear-wheel sheet metal as other Bel Airs, lacking the original's unique trim. Only 7,886 were built. The least costly Bel Air, at US$2,025 ($ in dollars ), was the two-door sedan. Seatbelts, shoulder harnesses, and a padded dashboard were available, and full-size cars could even get the hot Corvette 225-horsepower engine. In 1956 sales material there was an optional rain-sensing automatic top, which was first seen on the 1951 LaSabre concept car. However, it is believed that it was never installed on a car. "Popular Mechanics" reported only 7.4% of owners in their survey ordered seat belts. A '56 Bel Air 4-door hardtop, prepared by Chevrolet engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov, set a new endurance/speed record for an automobile ascending Pikes Peak.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: In 1957 engine displacement grew to with the "Super Turbo Fire V8" option (shared with the Corvette), producing @ 6200 rpm and @ 4400 rpm of torque with the help of Rochester Ramjet continuous mechanical fuel injection (closed-loop). These so-called "fuelie" cars are quite rare, since most Bel Airs were fitted with carburetion.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The 1957 Bel Air is considered by many to be "an icon of its age. . .right alongside Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and Leave it to Beaver," and is among the most recognizable American cars of all time; well-maintained examples, especially sport coupes and convertibles are highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts. They are roomy, with tastefully restrained, period use tail fins and chrome. A second automatic transmission, Turboglide was optional. While the original two-speed Powerglide continued unchanged, Turboglide provided a continuously variable gear-ratio which made "shifting" imperceptible. The shift quadrant on Turboglide cars followed a "P R N D Gr" pattern.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: From 1955 to 1957, production of the two-door Nomad station wagon was assigned to the Bel Air series, although its body and trim were unique to that model. Prior to becoming a regular production model, the Nomad first appeared as a Corvette-based concept vehicle in 1954. Chevrolet has since unveiled two concept cars bearing the Nomad name, most recently in 1999. The 1955–1957 Chevrolets are commonly referred to as Tri Fives.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The 1955–1957s were made in right-hand drive and shipped from Oshawa Car Assembly in Oshawa, Ontario, for local assembly in Australia (CKD), New Zealand (SKD) and South Africa. All three model years had a reversed version of the '55 LHD dashboard and did not get the LHD models' 1957 redesign.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: A black 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air was featured in the 1973 movie "American Graffiti." This '55 features a big hood scoop, and a signature cowboy hat in the rear window. In the movie, it races against a yellow 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe and crashes into a ditch. The Bel Air had a 454 cubic inch Chevrolet motor, with aluminum heads, tunnel ram intake and dual Holley carburetors.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: For 1958, Chevrolet models were redesigned longer, lower, and heavier than their 1957 predecessors, and the was now an option. The Bel Air gained a halo vehicle in 1958, the Impala, available only as a hardtop coupe and convertible in its introductory year. Impala styling followed the basic lines of the other Chevrolet models but received special styling cues including a different roof line, a vent above the rear window, unique side trim, and triple tail lights housed in slightly broader alcoves. Two significantly cheaper models, the Biscayne (formerly the 210) and the Delray (formerly the 150) were also available during this model year.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: Chevrolet's design for the year fared better than its other GM offerings, and lacked the overabundance of chrome found on other sedans at the time. Complementing Chevrolet's front design was a broad grille and quad headlights; the tail received a fan-shaped alcove on both side panels, which housed dual tail lights. Despite being a recession year, consumers made Chevrolet the No. 1 make of automobile, and the Bel Air was at the core of Chevrolet's popularity. With its wide variety of body styles and models, Bel Airs could be optioned with almost every conceivable luxury within the Chevrolet line. The Nomad station wagon name also reappeared in 1958 when the vehicle bowed as the premium four-door Chevrolet station wagon, lacking the unique styling of the 1955-57 Nomads. Most Chevrolet station wagon models had two tail lights (one on each side of the body) housed in abbreviated alcoves, which were made smaller to accommodate the rear gate. A new dash was used.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The 1958 Bel Air featured Chevrolet's new "Safety-Girder" cruciform frame. Similar in layout to the frame adopted for the 1957 Cadillac, it featured box-section side rails and a boxed front cross member that bowed under the engine. These "x-frames" were used on other 1958 to 1964 Chevrolet cars, as well as Cadillac. The rear was tied together by a channel-section cross member. This design was later criticized as providing less protection in the event of a side impact collision, but would persevere until 1965.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: For the first time, Powerglide models featured the "PRNDL" transmission selector arrangement, replacing the oft-criticized "PNDLR" quadrant that many considered confusing at best, dangerous at worst.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The Bel Air received a major redesign for the 1959 model year. The most visual new change was the flat, wing shaped tailfins. The car was built on a wheelbase and was long-which was longer than the 1957 model. This made Chevrolet the longest car in the low-priced range, whereas two years before it had been the shortest. In addition, the car was wider outside and had more width inside than it did in 1958, through the reduction of door thickness. The "X" frame from 1958 was continued, but enlarged and strengthened to support the new body.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The Bel Air, which had been the top line series since 1953, was now the middle range. Wagons were still classed by themselves, but had model numbers matching the car series. Parkwood 6-passenger and Kingswood 9-passenger wagons had Bel Air's model number, and as such were the middle range wagons. Under the hood, little change took place. A variety of speed options, such as fuel injection, special cams and lowered compression, gave horsepower ratings up to 315. Bel Air production was 447,100. The new Impala "line" surpassed Bel Air production by 20,000 units. A parking brake warning light was optional.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: Little change was made for 1960. The new models were refinements of the 1959 style with a much more restrained front end, the return of the double cone tail lights of 1958 rather than the startling "cat's eyes" of 1959. Under the hood, things remained constant. Fuel injection was no longer available, but with the 348 cubic inch engine, a horsepower rating of 335 at 5800 rpm was now achieved. This involved the use of three double-barrel carburetors, a special cam and an 11.25:1 compression ratio, all sold as a package. Body style offerings followed 1959, with hardtops and sedans available. The convertible was reserved for the Impala series. The Bel Air Sport Sedan continued to use a rear window overhang and a huge wraparound rear window. Bel Airs (and Biscaynes) had two tail lights per side; the Impalas had three tail lights per side—a situation that would persist for most years through 1975. Many of the same options and accessories that were available on the Impala were also available on the Bel Air. The Bel Airs had more interior and exterior brightwork than the Biscayne.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: For 1961, the Bel Air received a new body. Its wheelbase remained , but its length was now reduced slightly to .


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: All engines options of the previous year remained in effect with the standard engines being the 235.5 CID Six of or the 283 CID V8 of . The V8 cost $110 more than the Six and weighed less.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The Bel Air 2-door sedan used squared-off roof styling and large wrap-around rear window as opposed to the hardtop's swept-back design. The Bel Air 4-door Sport Hardtop still used a different roof line than did the 4-door sedan.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: For 1962, all sheet metal except the door panels was changed. Overall length was stretched slightly to . The 4-door Sport Hardtop was no longer offered in the Bel Air series. Standard engines remained the same as the previous year. A new V8 of 250 or was offered in addition to the giant (for the time) V8 of or with the dual four-barrel carburetor setup. The Turboglide was also discontinued, leaving the Powerglide as the only automatic transmission available. All wagons this year were 4-door models and separate distinctions for wagons were dropped. Now all models were either Biscayne, Bel Air or Impala series. Full carpeting returned as standard equipment on all 1962 Bel Air models for the first time in several years. The Bel Air Sport Coupe was in its last year of U.S. production, and its roofline was a carryover from the 1961 hardtop coupe.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The Bel Air was given a facelift in 1963. Its overall length increased to . Replacing the older 235 cubic-inch six-cylinder engine as standard equipment was a new 230 cubic-inch six-cylinder of more modern design with a 140-horsepower rating that was based on the 194 cubic-inch six introduced on the compact Chevy II Nova the previous year. The base V8 remained the 283 CID, which was upgraded to produce . The 409 CID V8 was now offered in 340, 400 and versions, while the small block 327 V8 continued with options of 250 and 300 horsepower. The Bel Air continued to be Chevrolet's middle range, but it now consisted of only two car models- the 2-door sedan and the 4-door sedan. 6 and 9-passenger Bel Air station wagons were again offered.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: For 1964, very few changes were made except the expected sheet metal and trim renovations. Cars were in length while the wagons were long. In addition to the un-changed standard engines, there were two different 327 CID engines were offered, developing from to and three 409 CID engines ranging from to . Except for a chrome belt line and $100 difference in price there was little exterior difference between the Bel Air and Biscayne version.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: RHD Bel Airs continued to be imported into Australia. Some of these cars featured a reversed 1961 Pontiac instrument panel, but others had a mirror image of the more attractive current North American panel. Even more curious was the fact that some of these Bel Airs featured Impala-style triple taillights; the center lens was amber in keeping with Australian legal standards.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: For 1965, the full size Chevrolet was totally restyled, and the cars were stretched to overall, even though the wheelbase remained the same. The new stamped grille had a lower extension below the bumper which was slightly veed. Curved window glass and round taillights mounted high characterized the new styling. The interiors were also redesigned and a very attractive dash resulted. The standard V8 remained the 283 CID model of , but options included two new CID engines of and and two 409 CID blocks of and .


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The Bel Air used a stainless-steel belt and rocker molding, identifying signature on the rear fenders, a glove compartment light and power tailgate on 9-passenger wagons to distinguish itself from the lower-priced Biscayne series.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: For 1966, Chevrolet was in its second season of a totally new body change, so mild facelifting sufficed including forward thrusting, blunted front fenders and a revised grille. At the rear, a break with the traditional round taillamps took place. Bel Air and Biscayne featured dual rectangular lamps with back-up lamps built in. Overall length was . The standard six-cylinder engine this year was the larger 250 CID version of . New for the speed set was a V8 of or . Bel Air was readily distinguishable from Biscayne by its full length body side molding and rear fender Bel Air signatures. All-vinyl interiors were now standard on station wagons while cloth and vinyl trims continued on sedans.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: For 1967, full-sized Chevrolets featured a new body with bulging rear fenders, one of this year's styling trends, not necessarily appreciated by everyone. Bel Air 2 and 4-door Sedans continued in addition to 6 and 9-passenger wagons. This year Bel Air featured triple taillights unlike Biscayne's dual units. Standard engines remained the same as the previous year. Optional engines were a 327 CID V8 of , the 396 CID V8 of ; or the 427 CID V8 of , plus various speed packages.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: For 1968, the Full-sized Chevrolets received some changes but were quite similar to the 1967 models, though they had grown one inch to . Chevrolet's new grille design bore a strong resemblance to Cadillac's, but Bel Air's dual round taillight design was strictly Chevrolet. In an unusual move, the taillights were mounted in the bumper. In 1968 the U.S. additional safety features were required in all motor vehicles, bringing about a new standard in car safety. These features included shoulder belts for outboard front-seat occupants and side marker lights. Chevrolets with optional V8s got the engine size, in cubic inches, displayed as part of the front side maker lights.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: In addition to the 250 CID Six of , standard engines included the new V8 of . The Bel Air with the standard 250 Six was capable of a top speed of and at cruising speeds. When powered by the new 307 CID V8, the Bel Air series cars had a top speed of and at cruising speeds.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: For the 1969 model year, the Bel Air was redesigned, with a new length, new fender and body lines, and a new front and back end, but continued using the basic 1965 chassis, innerbody structure and even the rooflines of pillared two- and four-door sedans. The cars also remained on the wheelbase, but grew to a new length of , while the wagons grew to a new length of 217.7 Engine offerings included a standard 250 cubic-inch six-cylinder and 327 V-8, and optional V-8 engines included two 350s of and , a 396 rated at and three 427 V8s of , , and . This was the final year for the Bel Air 2-door sedan and the Bel Air-based station wagon was renamed Townsman, as part of a Chevrolet move to revert to the pre-1962 practice of using different nameplates on station wagons than other models. Three- and four-speed manual transmissions were again offered along with the two-speed Powerglide automatic with the six-cylinder, and 327 and 350 V-8s; and the three-speed Turbo Hydramatic, offered only with the big-block V-8s since its 1965 introduction, was now available with all engines.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: For 1970, the Chevrolet line was very little changed and regulated primarily to a redesigned front end. The standard Six was still the 250 of . The standard V8 in full-size Chevrolets was now the of . Optional V-8 engines included a 350 and 400, with the top offering a of . The Bel Air series was now a one model 4-door sedan while the station wagon was again sold under the Townsman nameplate.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The 1965-70 GM B platform is the fourth best selling automobile platform in history after the Volkswagen Beetle, Ford Model T and the Lada Riva.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: By the late 1960s (with the introduction of the Caprice), the Bel Air and its Biscayne stablemate were primarily marketed to automotive fleet customers. However, the Bel Air remained available to retail customers who sought a basic full-sized car that was better trimmed than the low-line Biscayne. When the Biscayne was discontinued after 1972, the Bel Air was demoted to the low-level model. Bel Airs again used two-segmented taillights as opposed to the triple-segmented lights of higher-level Impala and Caprice models, except in 1972 when all models shared the same triple-segmented lights mounted in the bumper.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: A 250-cubic-inch six-cylinder engine and three-speed manual transmission with column shift remained standard equipment through the 1973 model year on sedans with the 350 V8 and automatic standard on wagons—the Turbo Hydramatic automatic had been the sole transmission choice on V-8-powered Bel Airs since the spring of 1971 though the old two-speed Powerglide was still offered with the six-cylinder engine through the 1972 model year. Only about 1,400 cars were built with the inline six in 1973. The engine and manual transmission were shelved by the end of the model year—marking the last full-size body-on-frame American car to offer a manual gearbox.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: All Bel Air sedans built in 1974–1975 listed a 350 two-barrel V8 engine and Turbo-Hydramatic transmission as standard, with station wagons getting the four-barrel V8, again with Turbo-Hydramatic standard. The 400 V8 was optional on sedans and the 454 was available on both models.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: With the discontinuation of the Bel Air two-door sedan after the 1969 model year, all U.S.-market Bel Airs sold between 1970 and 1975 were four-door sedans or station wagons—the latter carrying the Townsman nameplate from 1969 to 1972 and Bel Air from 1973 to 1975. However, a Bel Air hardtop coupe—based on the Impala Sport Coupe body—was sold in Canada from 1970 to 1975. This body even had a roofline similar to the original '66-67 Caprice coupe style for 1974–1975.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: Most other changes to the Bel Air during its final years were identical to the more expensive Caprice and Impala lines, some of which were mandated by government safety regulations in the U.S. that included front bumpers in 1973 and similar-designed rear bumpers in 1974. The 1975 models had a new roofline and (along with the Impala) grille that was a direct copy of the 1974 Caprice front end. Inside, there were new instrument cluster markings, radio and climate control graphics (the speedometer read up to , and had smaller numbers for kilometers per hour). Customers could buy their 1975 Bel Air with two new options: an Econominder gauge package (which included a gauge that monitored fuel economy, due in part to growing demands for fuel economy as well as a temperature gauge) and intermittent wipers.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: In 1975, "Consumer Reports" tested a Bel Air four-door sedan with the 350 V8 engine and Turbo Hydramatic against other U.S.-built full-sized cars of that period including the Pontiac Catalina, Ford LTD and Plymouth Gran Fury. Although the car performed well in its tests and placed second to the Pontiac, "Consumer Reports" pointed out the Bel-Air had less noise insulation and a less-comfortable rear seat than its higher-priced siblings, and that a comparably equipped Chevrolet Impala (with additional sound insulation, and upgraded upholstery and seat padding, a $203 premium over the Bel-Air) "would be even closer to the Pontiac in overall quality." Even so, the magazine stated that—for instance—the Bel-Air was "only slightly noisier than the Pontiac". "Consumer Reports" concluded in its report that prospective buyers should pay the extra $200 or so to upgrade to the costlier Impala, noting advantages such as greater resale value and interior-exterior appointments more comparable to the other tested full-sized vehicles.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The last Bel Airs for the U.S. were manufactured for 1975. For 1976, a lower-trimmed Impala "S" four-door sedan was a one-year offering which had less standard equipment than regular Impalas and functioned as a replacement for the Bel Air.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: From 1954 through 1969, GM Canada produced a unique Bel Air-based Pontiac marketed as the Laurentian. While body panels resembled contemporary U.S. Pontiacs, the Canadian Pontiac Laurentian had the chassis, power train, wheelbase, even the interior (except for the instrument panel), of the Chevrolet Bel Air. These models were exported in SKD kit form in factory right hand drive to right hand drive markets, such as Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, and locally assembled under the Pontiac marque. All RHD export ceased after 1968 at the behest of GM in the United States.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: While the last Bel Air 2-door sedan was available in the United States in 1969, Chevrolet introduced a Canadian market-only two door hardtop, the Bel Air Sport Coupe, from 1970 to 1975. Based on the Impala Sport Coupe, this new model featured Bel Air trim at a lower price than the Impala. Each year through 1975, this model's body followed the design of the contemporary Impala Sport Coupe. The 4-door sedan and station wagon continued in production, identical to the U.S. models. For 1976, the Canadian Bel Air Coupe featured the same body as the Impala Custom Coupe, with the large fixed rear quarter window and frameless front door glass.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: Unlike the United States, all 1976 Canadian full size Chevys (including the Bel Air) came with steel belted radial tires and an electric rear window defroster as standard equipment.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: Although the last Bel Air was produced in 1975 in the U.S., the Canadian big Chevy lineup continued to include the Bel Air for 1976 and beyond in two door, four door and station wagon body styles. The U.S. 1976 Impala line included an "S" model line, consisting of a 4-door sedan, to function as the Bel Air's replacement.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: In Canada, Chevrolet retained the Bel Air as its lowest-priced full-size car through the 1981 model year. For 1977, Canadian Bel Airs received the same downsizing as their Impala/Caprice counterparts in the U.S. Body styles offered during this period were a four-door sedan, two-door coupe and station wagon. Reflecting the smaller size of these downsized big cars was a lineup of generally smaller engines for improved fuel economy with Chevy's 250 cubic-inch six-cylinder reinstated as standard power in sedans for the first time since 1973, with the 305 V8 available as an option in sedans and standard on wagons. The 350 V8, available in both models, was now the top option as the larger 400 small block and 454 big block V8s were no longer available. Standard equipment on Bel Airs during this period included small hubcaps, cloth-and-vinyl upholstery in sedans or all-vinyl in wagons, cigarette lighter, ashtray, automatic dome light for front doors, full carpeting, Astro Ventilation, Delco Freedom battery, variable-ratio power steering, power front disc brakes and Turbo Hydramatic automatic transmission. Unlike most previous model years and body styles where only two taillights were used per side, the Bel Air shared the Impala's rear end triple-taillight setup.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: The 1980 Bel Air along with other full-size Chevrolets, was revised with all-new exterior sheet metal, which helped improve aerodynamics and thus fuel economy; the car was also fitted with a new grille, identical to that of the higher-priced Impala; the rear-end triple-taillight setup also continued to be shared with the Impala. Also that year, the engine lineup was revised with the inline six replaced by a new 3.8-liter or 229 cubic-inch V6 based on the small-block V8 as the base engine in sedans. The new base V8 (standard on wagons, optional on sedans) was a smaller 267 cubic-inch small-block with two-barrel carburetor, while the 305 small-block (optional on all models) got a increase to thanks to the change from a two-barrel to four-barrel carburetor. The 350 V8 was now restricted to police-option vehicles. Another new option for 1980-81 was the Oldsmobile-built 350 Diesel.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: With a dramatic downturn in full-size car sales, the Bel Air was dropped after the 1981 model year, as were a number of other low-trim full size cars in the Canadian market including the Pontiac Laurentian, Mercury Marquis Meteor, and the Ford LTD Custom 500.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: In 2002, a concept Bel Air convertible was shown at the North American International Auto Show. It features a few styling and design cues from the best remembered tri-five (1955–57) models, such as the chrome windshield frame, traffic light viewfinder, and a gas filler cap behind the tail light, similar to 1956–1957 Chevy's gas cap behind the chrome trim on the back of the tail fin, but more reminiscent of the 1948–1958 Cadillac gas cap tail light. It also features the same body on frame hydroforming technology (used in the frame rails of the Corvette and GM's midsize sport-utility vehicles) and a sheet metal body, on a wheelbase, and a track. Suspension is short long arm up front and Hotchkiss drive in the rear. It rides on five-spoke aluminum wheels with red line tires and anti lock discs all-round. The elegant, yet simple interior features a twin-element instrument panel, column-mounted gearshift and bench seats covered in soft high-tech fabrics colored red to match the exterior that are cleverly designed to slide forward for easier backseat entry. It also served as a showcase for their new turbocharged inline five-cylinder concept engine based on the L52 (Vortec 3500), straight-5 truck engine. According to a September 2002 GM press release, the all-aluminum 3.5 L (211 cu in) 20-valve DOHC engine, with a bore of , and a stroke of , that delivers up to and of torque, mated to a Hydra-Matic 4L60-E electronically controlled four-speed automatic. A virtual "turbo boost" button on the steering wheel activates the powertrain control module to trigger a more aggressive spark and fueling calibration for maximum horsepower. It also led the 13th Annual Stater Brothers Route 66 Rendezvous as the official vehicle in September 2002. General Motors has shown no interest in producing the car. In 2006, it was spotted stripped down in a GM parking lot.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: Of noteworthy importance is the 1962 Bel Air Sport Coupe, the last year a Bel Air pillarless hardtop was available in the US. This model featured the "bubbletop" roof from 1961 rather than the 1962 Impala Sport Coupe's more upright roof, and was popular with drag racers who ordered the car with the new-for-'61 409 cubic inch "W-block" V8 with up to ; a special package including aluminum body panels, heater delete, and four-speed manual transmission. A car with this configuration is a valuable collector vehicle that commands a big premium over other 1962 models including the Super Sport.


title: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: During the 1960s, Bel Air sedans were available in export markets such as Australia, where they featured right-hand drive. Due to Australian regulations requiring amber rear turn signal lamps, these Bel Air sedans featured Impala-style triple taillights during the 1960s. The center lamp was the amber turn signal lamp and the innermost lights were backup lamps. Most of these RHD Bel Airs used a 1961 Pontiac instrument panel.


title: Iowa (album)

text: Iowa is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Released by Roadrunner Records on August 28, 2001, it was produced by Ross Robinson and Slipknot. The title derives from the band's home state, Iowa, which members have stated is one of their greatest sources of inspiration. With much anticipation for the album following the success of their 1999 self-titled debut, pressures on the band were high. Their relationships with each other suffered and this was later described as the darkest time of their career. It was also the first full album to feature guitarist Jim Root after only appearing on two songs from their previous album. Despite troubles within the band and with "Iowa"s development, Slipknot promoted it for almost a year.


title: Iowa (album)

text: "Iowa" was a major success, premiering in the top tens of nine countries. Generally positively received, it includes some of their notable songs, such as "Disasterpiece", "The Heretic Anthem", "People = Shit" and the Grammy-nominated "Left Behind" and "My Plague". More technical than their debut, "Iowa" is considered the band's heaviest and darkest album. It has been certified Platinum in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.


title: Iowa (album)

text: A special edition of "Iowa" was reissued on November 1, 2011, to celebrate its tenth anniversary. It was accompanied by full live audio of the hit DVD "Disasterpieces" and a film entitled "Goat" directed by Shawn Crahan, with the four music videos, never-seen-before interviews and footage from the "Iowa" period.


title: Iowa (album)

text: "Iowa" was recorded and produced at Sound City and Sound Image Studios in Los Angeles, California with producer Ross Robinson, who had also produced their debut album. Drummer Joey Jordison and bassist Paul Gray began working on new music together in October 2000, and wrote material for most of the album. During this time, other members took a break after the extensive touring that had followed their debut. However, on January 17, 2001, Slipknot entered the studio to begin recording new material. This period in the band's career became known as one of their worst. Jordison recalled, "That's where we got into a war," citing the lack of a break for himself and Gray. Other factors, including vocalist Corey Taylor's alcohol addiction, other members' drug addictions, and management issues affected relations in the band.


title: Iowa (album)

text: "Recording "Iowa" was fucking hell," recalled Shawn Crahan. "I wanted to kill myself. There was drugs, bitches, rock 'n' roll, all that shit. People expected so much of us then. 'People = Shit' was our way of saying, 'Fuck off and leave us alone.'" "There was nothing happy about "Iowa"," confirmed Taylor. "All of a sudden we were these metal stars and we weren't really planning for it… We'd all got caught up in the lifestyle and the problems that come with that. A darkness set in at the beginning of "Iowa" that none of us quite recognised." Jordison, however, noted, ""Iowa", even more than the first record, was the album we really wanted to make."


title: Iowa (album)

text: It was the first album where guitarist Jim Root had been significantly involved, after joining during the later recording stages of "Slipknot". During an interview with "Guitar" magazine in November 2001, Root explained, "It was so exciting as well as scary to be part of this whole huge process," adding that there was a lot of pressure from fellow guitarist Mick Thomson to perform well.


title: Iowa (album)

text: To "FHM", Taylor revealed that he put himself in specific situations to achieve his performance on the album. While recording vocals for the final song "Iowa", he was completely naked, vomiting all over himself, and cutting himself with broken glass. "That's where the best stuff comes from," he explained. "You've got to break yourself down before you can build something great." While producing the album, Ross Robinson was injured in a dirt bike accident, suffering a fractured back in the process. He returned to the studio after a day of hospital treatment, reportedly "putting all of his pain into the album", much to the admiration of the band.


title: Iowa (album)

text: Prior to its release, members promised a much darker and heavier album than "Slipknot", and many sources praised the band for fulfilling their promises. In 2008, percussionist Shawn Crahan recalled: "When we did "Iowa", we hated each other. We hated the world; the world hated us."


title: Iowa (album)

text: "Iowa", unlike its predecessor, saw Robinson capturing the band's technicality as opposed to the raw energy which "Slipknot" became known for. The band was also praised again for its use of an extended line-up consisting of additional percussionists, turntables, and programmed samples. "NME" stated that "every possible space is covered in scrawl and cymbals: guitars, percussion, electronic squall, subhuman screaming." "Iowa" has also been critically acclaimed as one of the only mainstream musical albums to feature blast beat percussion, and was said to heighten its popularity after release.


title: Iowa (album)

text: Although "Iowa" became widely regarded as the band's heaviest album to date, some tracks incorporate melody, most apparent in the record’s singles such as "My Plague" and "Left Behind". During the album's thirteenth anniversary, "Revolver" recalled that the record is "their most extreme album yet". They compared several songs, namely "Disasterpiece," "People = Shit" and "The Heretic Anthem" as more death metal-influenced than most of the that the album contained. While the album does have elements of hip hop music, "Iowa" has less hip hop elements than Slipknot's self-titled album, and instead draws its influences moreso on heavy genres like death metal and hardcore punk. The title track is also known for being the band’s longest continuous song released, clocking in at just over 15 minutes.


title: Iowa (album)

text: "Iowa" follows the lyrical style that vocalist Corey Taylor established on Slipknot's debut; it includes strong use of metaphors to describe dark themes including misanthropy, solipsism, disgust, anger, disaffection, psychosis, and rejection. The album also includes many expletives; David Fricke of the "Rolling Stone" magazine said "there isn't much shock value left in the words fuck and shit, which Taylor uses in some variation more than forty times in "Iowa"s sixty-six minutes." Fricke went on to praise Taylor's performance on the track "Iowa", comparing it to a "vivid evocation of a makeshift-cornfield grave at midnight."


title: Iowa (album)

text: "Disasterpiece", said Taylor, "is my favorite Slipknot song. We started doing pre-production for the album in a warehouse in Iowa itself. I had laryngitis and couldn't sing a note, so I was writing a lot of ideas down. When I heard them play 'Disasterpiece', I just wrote 'No one is safe' in huge letters. I knew from then that we were going to rip the throat out of the world with 'Disasterpiece'. That was the lynchpin for the whole album."


title: Iowa (album)

text: There was speculation over the title before its announcement with "Nine Men, One Mission" as the expected title in some sources. "Iowa" was later announced as its title and was named after the band's home state of Iowa. Members have claimed that Iowa was the source of their energy, and they consciously made the decision to stay in the area, partially due to the fear of losing their creative direction. The opening track "(515)" is also a reference to their home state, named after the telephone area code for central Iowa. Initially the album was scheduled for release on June 19, 2001, and was to be preceded by a five-date warm-up tour. However, the mixing of the album took longer than anticipated, causing the album's release to be delayed, as well as the cancellation of the tour. The album was officially released on August 28, 2001. In support of the album, Slipknot began a new tour called the Iowa World Tour. This included: a spot on Ozzfest in 2001, an American co-headlining tour with System of a Down, as well as tours in Japan, Europe and elsewhere.


title: Iowa (album)

text: Prior to the album's release, Slipknot gave away copies of "Heretic Song", titled "The Heretic Anthem" on the album, free on their website. It was limited to 666 copies, to match the chorus; "If you're 555, then I'm 666." The giveaway began on May 15, 2001, and lasted until copies sold out. The first official single released from the album was "Left Behind". In 2002, the band made a special appearance in the film "Rollerball", in which they performed "I Am Hated". Following this, a second single from the album was released, "My Plague", which appeared on the soundtrack for the film "Resident Evil".


title: Iowa (album)

text: Following the success of the band's self-titled album, author Dick Porter wrote that the anticipation for a follow up was intense. Prior to its release, Jordison proclaimed: "Wait till you hear our fuckin' next record. It smokes our first album. The shit's twice as technical, three times as heavy." Iowa generally received favorable reviews from music critics. The "College Music Journal" reviewed it as "brutal, unrelenting, scorching..." Many reviews noted its heavy themes; "Alternative Press" stated, "<nowiki>[it is]</nowiki> like having a plastic bag taped over your head for an hour while Satan uses your scrotum as a speedbag...<nowiki>[It]</nowiki> is over the top...you're going to be left in stitches." "NME" said that it is "Exhilarating, brutal and good." "Rolling Stone" credited the album for its originality, stating that "nearly everything else in modern doom rock sounds banal." Producer Robinson was also praised for his work on the album; "Uncut" noted, "The barely relenting, tumbling noise attack marshalled by nu metal uber-producer Ross Robinson is expert." Reviewing for Yahoo!, John Mulvey said, "They're an evolutionary dead end, the final, absolute triumph of nu metal."


title: Iowa (album)

text: The first single, "Left Behind", was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance at the 44th Grammy Awards. The second single, "My Plague", was nominated in 2003 for the same award at the 45th Grammy Awards. The single "Left Behind" peaked in the top thirty for single sales the United States and the UK. In addition, "My Plague" reached the 43rd position on the UK charts. "Iowa" was ranked sixth in the "50 Albums of the year" by "NME" in 2001. The album reached the top position on the UK Albums Chart, and the second spot on the ARIA Charts in Australia. The album reached the third spot on the "Billboard" 200 and the Finnish Albums Chart. On October 10, 2001, the album was certified Platinum in the United States. In Canada, the Canadian Recording Industry Association certified the album as Platinum, on September 5, 2001. The British Phonographic Industry has certified the album as Gold in the UK.


title: Iowa (album)

text: In 2009, "Iowa" was rated third in UK magazine "Kerrang!"s "The 50 Best Albums of the 21st century" reader poll. "Loudwire" listed "Iowa" at number two in their "Top 11 albums of the 2000s" and number six in their "Top 100 albums of the 21st century". In 2017, "Rolling Stone" ranked "Iowa" as 50th on their list of 'The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time.'


title: Iowa (album)

text: All music written by Shawn Crahan, Paul Gray, Joey Jordison, Chris Fehn, Mick Thomson, Sid Wilson, Craig Jones and Jim Root. All lyrics by Corey Taylor except where noted.


title: Monticello

text: Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, in the Piedmont region, the plantation was originally , with Jefferson using the labor of enslaved Africans for extensive cultivation of tobacco and mixed crops, later shifting from tobacco cultivation to wheat in response to changing markets. Due to its architectural and historic significance, the property has been designated a National Historic Landmark. In 1987, Monticello and the nearby University of Virginia, also designed by Jefferson, were together designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The current nickel, a United States coin, features a depiction of Monticello on its reverse side.


title: Monticello

text: Jefferson designed the main house using neoclassical design principles described by Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio and reworking the design through much of his presidency to include design elements popular in late 18th-century Europe and integrating numerous ideas of his own. Situated on the summit of an -high peak in the Southwest Mountains south of the Rivanna Gap, the name Monticello derives from Italian meaning "little mountain". Along a prominent lane adjacent to the house, Mulberry Row, the plantation came to include numerous outbuildings for specialized functions, e.g., a nailery; quarters for enslaved Africans who worked in the home; gardens for flowers, produce, and Jefferson's experiments in plant breeding—along with tobacco fields and mixed crops. Cabins for enslaved Africans who worked in the fields were farther from the mansion.


title: Monticello

text: At Jefferson's direction, he was buried on the grounds, in an area now designated as the Monticello Cemetery. The cemetery is owned by the Monticello Association, a society of his descendants through Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson. After Jefferson's death, his daughter Martha Jefferson Randolph, apart from the small cemetery, sold Monticello. In 1834, it was bought by Uriah P. Levy, a commodore in the U.S. Navy, who admired Jefferson and spent his own money to preserve the property. His nephew Jefferson Monroe Levy took over the property in 1879; he also invested considerable money to restore and preserve it. In 1923, Monroe Levy sold it to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation (TJF), which operates it as a house museum and educational institution.


title: Monticello

text: Jefferson's home was built to serve as a plantation house, which ultimately took on the architectural form of a villa. It has many architectural antecedents, but Jefferson went beyond them to create something very much his own. He consciously sought to create a new architecture for a new nation.


title: Monticello

text: Work began on what historians would subsequently refer to as "the first Monticello" in 1768, on a plantation of . Jefferson moved into the South Pavilion (an outbuilding) in 1770, where his new wife Martha Wayles Skelton joined him in 1772. Jefferson continued work on his original design, but how much was completed is of some dispute. In constructing and later reconstructing his home, Jefferson used a combination of free workers, indentured servants and enslaved laborers.


title: Monticello

text: After his wife's death in 1782, Jefferson left Monticello in 1784 to serve as Minister of the United States to France. During his several years in Europe, he had an opportunity to see some of the classical buildings with which he had become acquainted from his reading, as well as to discover the "modern" trends in French architecture that were then fashionable in Paris. His decision to remodel his own home may date from this period. In 1794, following his tenure as the first U.S. Secretary of State (1790–1793), Jefferson began rebuilding his house based on the ideas he had acquired in Europe. The remodeling continued throughout most of his presidency (1801–1809). Although generally completed by 1809, Jefferson continued work on the present structure until his death in 1826.


title: Monticello

text: Jefferson added a center hallway and a parallel set of rooms to the structure, more than doubling its area. He removed the second full-height story from the original house and replaced it with a mezzanine bedroom floor. The interior is centered on two large rooms, which served as an entrance-hall-museum, where Jefferson displayed his scientific interests, and a music-sitting room. The most dramatic element of the new design was an octagonal dome, which he placed above the west front of the building in place of a second-story portico. The room inside the dome was described by a visitor as "a noble and beautiful apartment," but it was rarely used—perhaps because it was hot in summer and cold in winter, or because it could be reached only by climbing a steep and very narrow flight of stairs. The dome room has now been restored to its appearance during Jefferson's lifetime, with "Mars yellow" walls and a painted green and black checkered floor.