Vactor-Verse

About Vactor-Verse

This Comic Cooks is the podcast that helps you fall in love with comic books—without wasting your time or money. Whether you’re a lifelong reader or just comic-curious, host Trent Vactor brings you passionate reviews, personal stories, and honest conversations that highlight the emotional power and storytelling magic of comics. No gatekeeping. No fluff. Just one mission: to show you why comics might be the greatest storytelling medium ever invented. If you’ve ever wondered what to read next—or why a single panel can hit harder than an entire movie—this is the show for you.

Publisher

Vactor

Category

tv & film

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

13 Apr 2021

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

213 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Oct 2026

   X2 Is More Important to Avengers: Doomsday Than You Think

   X2 might be more important to Avengers: Doomsday than you think. For our second episode of Before Doomsday, Vactor and Tim Costello revisit X2: X-Men United — one of the most beloved superhero sequels ever made — and look at why this movie still matters more than 20 years later. X2 took everything the first X-Men established and made it bigger. The world expanded, the action became more ambitious, and characters like Nightcrawler, Magneto, Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean Grey and Mystique all got major moments. We also talk about: • Why Nightcrawler's opening sequence still holds up • Ian McKellen's incredible performance as Magneto • The legendary Magneto prison-break scene • Why X2 and X-Men (2000) feel like one big story • The Weapon X storyline and Wolverine's growing popularity • How X2 helped prove superhero team movies could become massive events • The way superhero movies were becoming mainstream in the early 2000s • Why X2 feels like a natural predecessor to the massive team-ups we're getting today • Alan Cumming returning as Nightcrawler for Avengers: Doomsday after 23 years • The return of the original Fox X-Men cast • Why Avengers: Doomsday could be a love letter to the original X-Men universe • And the surprising connection between X2's team-up and the massive crossover coming in Doomsday In X2, the X-Men join forces with former enemies Magneto and Mystique to stop a threat bigger than all of them. In Avengers: Doomsday, it looks like the Avengers, Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts and X-Men will have to do the same thing against Doctor Doom. That's one hell of an escalation. Next up: Captain America: The First Avenger. Welcome to Before Doomsday, a This Comic Cooks series where we watch Marvel's essential movies (and a TV show) leading into Avengers: Doomsday, one film at a time. #X2 #XMen #AvengersDoomsday #Marvel #BeforeDoomsday

2. 

   5 Oct 2026

   X-Men (2000) Set Up Avengers: Doomsday

   Before the MCU, there was X-Men. Released in 2000, X-Men helped prove that comic book movies could be taken seriously—and its impact can still be felt 26 years later. In this episode of Before Doomsday, Vactor and DoomsTim revisit the movie that introduced audiences to Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, Patrick Stewart's Professor X, Ian McKellen's Magneto, and an entire generation of X-Men characters. We talk about why Marvel chose X-Men as the starting point for its Essential Viewing list before Avengers: Doomsday, how the movie helped launch the modern superhero movie era, why Wolverine became the center of the franchise, and why Cyclops deserved more to do. We also look at what makes the movie's grounded approach work, its practical effects, the importance of the X-Men's mutant allegory, the first modern Stan Lee cameo tradition, and how much comic book filmmaking has changed since 2000. And there's one huge reason to revisit X-Men now: Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, and Rebecca Romijn are all returning for Avengers: Doomsday. So 26 years after X-Men changed superhero movies, its stars are heading back to the big screen. This is Before Doomsday, where we're watching Marvel's Essential Viewing movies one film at a time as we count down to Avengers: Doomsday. Next up: X2: X-Men United. X-Men, X-Men 2000, X-Men movie, X-Men 2000 review, X-Men review, X-Men explained, Avengers Doomsday, Avengers Doomsday X-Men, X-Men Avengers Doomsday, Hugh Jackman Wolverine, Patrick Stewart Professor X, Ian McKellen Magneto, James Marsden Cyclops, Rebecca Romijn Mystique, X-Men Fox, Fox X-Men, Marvel, Marvel Studios, MCU, X-Men MCU, mutant Marvel, Marvel mutants, superhero movies, comic book movies, Stan Lee cameo, X-Men legacy, Bryan Singer, Wolverine, Cyclops, Magneto, Professor X

3. 

   30 Sept 2026

   The Inverse Science Bros

   Is the MCU finally recapturing that 2019 Avengers: Endgame magic? In this episode of This Comic Cooks, Vactor is joined by Tim Costello to break down the latest buzz, footage clues, and rising anticipation for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. We dissect what the TVA’s involvement means after the collapse of the multiverse, Doctor Doom’s strategy of neutralizing Earth’s greatest threats, and why a Doctor Doom and Bruce Banner dynamic creates the ultimate "Inverse Science Bros." Plus, we discuss the comic parallels between Doom and Tony Stark, fresh cast confirmations, and tease an upcoming special project: 12 Weeks to Doomsday. The Multiverse Collapses: What the TVA’s updated role reveals about the massive stakes in Doomsday. Inverse Science Bros: Comparing Tony Stark & Bruce Banner to Doctor Doom & Bruce Banner. Doom vs. Iron Man: Comic book inspirations and how the MCU connects the two icons. Loki & TVA Connections: Alternate endings and multiversal fallout. Is MCU Hype Back to 2019 Levels? Shaking off the post-Endgame slump with Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Doomsday. Announcement: A sneak peek at the upcoming 12 Weeks to Doomsday countdown! 📌 What We Cover in This Episode: The Multiverse Collapses: What the TVA’s updated role reveals about the massive stakes in Doomsday. Inverse Science Bros: Comparing Tony Stark & Bruce Banner to Doctor Doom & Bruce Banner. Doom vs. Iron Man: Comic book inspirations and how the MCU connects the two icons. Loki & TVA Connections: Alternate endings and multiversal fallout. Is MCU Hype Back to 2019 Levels? Shaking off the post-Endgame slump with Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Doomsday. Announcement: A sneak peek at the upcoming 12 Weeks to Doomsday countdown!

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

396,849

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

14 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 73 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

83

Social presence

0

YouTube

82

Engagement

77

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Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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