Latest news with #TheAuthority
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Upper Deck introduces new authentication and security features with Rookie Patch Autographs series
Upper Deck is taking authentication and security to another level when its premier hockey release hits the shelves next week. When 2023-24 The Cup Hockey arrives on June 4, collectors will find the highly coveted Rookie Patch Autographs encapsulated with security features that will allow fans to verify the cards and its patches have not been altered. 'The trading card industry has experienced a massive patch-swapping challenge for years now, where counterfeiters will cut out and swap patches to increase a card's after-market value based on the player or colors of the patch,' Upper Deck president Jason Masherah said. 'Until now, there has been no trusted mechanism to self-verify if a card has been tampered with, and this Rookie Auto Patch Authentication is the first step in tackling this massive industry-wide issue.' Each Rookie Patch Auto in The Cup will be slabbed and photographed. The label on the holder will include a QR code that will lead collectors to a gallery of images of the card from multiple angles. The photos will be housed on The Authority, which was established under Upper Deck's Collect Forever. Upper Deck has been known for adding security features to its products and cards throughout the decades. It was the first company to include a hologram on the backs of cards to reduce counterfeits and also introduced foil wrappers to prevent the resealing of packs. 'Upper Deck was founded on a couple of principles and one was making the best trading card possible. I think the one that gets overlooked a lot was solving the issue of counterfeiting and tampering,' Masherah said. 'We have a long history of trying to fight some of the scammers in the industry, as well as trying to continually innovate.' While slabbing cards is a step to prevent patch altering, it does leave collectors with the question if they want to grade the cards. Collectors would have to remove the cards from The Authority holders to get them into one of their chosen grading company's. However, Masherah hopes the grading companies will incorporate the serial number so that collectors will be able to retain information even if slabbed by a different company. 'I think we're hoping to engage with the grading companies so that they can continue the information, whether they can add it to their labels, whether they can add it to their database, the serial number that we're providing will be able to reference that permanently,' Masherah said. Masherah feels one of the biggest reasons collectors will keep the cards in the original holders will be the big 'U' on the labels, which stands for Uncirculated, meaning no one outside of Upper Deck or the manufacturing team has handled that specific card. Essentially, it's not about the grade, but the authentication. The authentication piece has been a challenge for grading companies. Without a definitive database, there are ways that grading companies have found to determine if a card's patch has been altered. But there is no surefire way to track every single card. That's where Upper Deck's database will come into play. 'We want to put the power into their hands,' Masherah said. 'We really want to be able to catalog it, image it, protect it as it's going through all these processes, and then deliver it to the consumer in a way that is organized and easy to use." While it may seem a little late to have a 2023-24 set out in 2025, Upper Deck held the product back to ensure it gets it right. It wanted fewer redemptions, security features and a product that hockey fans will remember with some of the impressive rookies in that class like Connor Bedard, Luke Hughes, Matthew Knies and more. 'We all know that the Rookie Patch Auto is the biggest rookie card in the hockey industry every year,' Masherah said. 'Especially with '23-24, we knew the importance of the Connor Bedard Rookie Patch Auto. There's a whole crop of really important rookies, whether it's Logan Cooley, whether it's Adam Fantilli, we knew this crop was special and we wanted to do something to protect the integrity of these going forward. I wish we could have implemented this back in 2005 with [Sidney Crosby] and [Alexander] Ovechkin, but I'm happy we're at least here now."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Upper Deck introduces new authentication and security features with Rookie Patch Autographs series
Upper Deck is taking authentication and security to another level when its premier hockey release hits the shelves next week. When 2023-24 The Cup Hockey arrives on June 4, collectors will find the highly coveted Rookie Patch Autographs encapsulated with security features that will allow fans to verify the cards and its patches have not been altered. 'The trading card industry has experienced a massive patch-swapping challenge for years now, where counterfeiters will cut out and swap patches to increase a card's after-market value based on the player or colors of the patch,' Upper Deck president Jason Masherah said. 'Until now, there has been no trusted mechanism to self-verify if a card has been tampered with, and this Rookie Auto Patch Authentication is the first step in tackling this massive industry-wide issue.' Each Rookie Patch Auto in The Cup will be slabbed and photographed. The label on the holder will include a QR code that will lead collectors to a gallery of images of the card from multiple angles. The photos will be housed on The Authority, which was established under Upper Deck's Collect Forever. Upper Deck has been known for adding security features to its products and cards throughout the decades. It was the first company to include a hologram on the backs of cards to reduce counterfeits and also introduced foil wrappers to prevent the resealing of packs. 'Upper Deck was founded on a couple of principles and one was making the best trading card possible. I think the one that gets overlooked a lot was solving the issue of counterfeiting and tampering,' Masherah said. 'We have a long history of trying to fight some of the scammers in the industry, as well as trying to continually innovate.' While slabbing cards is a step to prevent patch altering, it does leave collectors with the question if they want to grade the cards. Collectors would have to remove the cards from The Authority holders to get them into one of their chosen grading company's. However, Masherah hopes the grading companies will incorporate the serial number so that collectors will be able to retain information even if slabbed by a different company. 'I think we're hoping to engage with the grading companies so that they can continue the information, whether they can add it to their labels, whether they can add it to their database, the serial number that we're providing will be able to reference that permanently,' Masherah said. Masherah feels one of the biggest reasons collectors will keep the cards in the original holders will be the big 'U' on the labels, which stands for Uncirculated, meaning no one outside of Upper Deck or the manufacturing team has handled that specific card. Essentially, it's not about the grade, but the authentication. The authentication piece has been a challenge for grading companies. Without a definitive database, there are ways that grading companies have found to determine if a card's patch has been altered. But there is no surefire way to track every single card. That's where Upper Deck's database will come into play. 'We want to put the power into their hands,' Masherah said. 'We really want to be able to catalog it, image it, protect it as it's going through all these processes, and then deliver it to the consumer in a way that is organized and easy to use." While it may seem a little late to have a 2023-24 set out in 2025, Upper Deck held the product back to ensure it gets it right. It wanted fewer redemptions, security features and a product that hockey fans will remember with some of the impressive rookies in that class like Connor Bedard, Luke Hughes, Matthew Knies and more. 'We all know that the Rookie Patch Auto is the biggest rookie card in the hockey industry every year,' Masherah said. 'Especially with '23-24, we knew the importance of the Connor Bedard Rookie Patch Auto. There's a whole crop of really important rookies, whether it's Logan Cooley, whether it's Adam Fantilli, we knew this crop was special and we wanted to do something to protect the integrity of these going forward. I wish we could have implemented this back in 2005 with [Sidney Crosby] and [Alexander] Ovechkin, but I'm happy we're at least here now."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Upper Deck introduces new authentication and security features with Rookie Patch Autographs series
Upper Deck is taking authentication and security to another level when its premier hockey release hits the shelves next week. When 2023-24 The Cup Hockey arrives on June 4, collectors will find the highly coveted Rookie Patch Autographs encapsulated with security features that will allow fans to verify the cards and its patches have not been altered. Advertisement 'The trading card industry has experienced a massive patch-swapping challenge for years now, where counterfeiters will cut out and swap patches to increase a card's after-market value based on the player or colors of the patch,' Upper Deck president Jason Masherah said. 'Until now, there has been no trusted mechanism to self-verify if a card has been tampered with, and this Rookie Auto Patch Authentication is the first step in tackling this massive industry-wide issue.' Each Rookie Patch Auto in The Cup will be slabbed and photographed. The label on the holder will include a QR code that will lead collectors to a gallery of images of the card from multiple angles. The photos will be housed on The Authority, which was established under Upper Deck's Collect Forever. Upper Deck has been known for adding security features to its products and cards throughout the decades. It was the first company to include a hologram on the backs of cards to reduce counterfeits and also introduced foil wrappers to prevent the resealing of packs. 'Upper Deck was founded on a couple of principles and one was making the best trading card possible. I think the one that gets overlooked a lot was solving the issue of counterfeiting and tampering,' Masherah said. 'We have a long history of trying to fight some of the scammers in the industry, as well as trying to continually innovate.' (Upper Deck) While slabbing cards is a step to prevent patch altering, it does leave collectors with the question if they want to grade the cards. Advertisement Collectors would have to remove the cards from The Authority holders to get them into one of their chosen grading company's. However, Masherah hopes the grading companies will incorporate the serial number so that collectors will be able to retain information even if slabbed by a different company. 'I think we're hoping to engage with the grading companies so that they can continue the information, whether they can add it to their labels, whether they can add it to their database, the serial number that we're providing will be able to reference that permanently,' Masherah said. Masherah feels one of the biggest reasons collectors will keep the cards in the original holders will be the big 'U' on the labels, which stands for Uncirculated, meaning no one outside of Upper Deck or the manufacturing team has handled that specific card. Essentially, it's not about the grade, but the authentication. Advertisement The authentication piece has been a challenge for grading companies. Without a definitive database, there are ways that grading companies have found to determine if a card's patch has been altered. But there is no surefire way to track every single card. That's where Upper Deck's database will come into play. 'We want to put the power into their hands,' Masherah said. 'We really want to be able to catalog it, image it, protect it as it's going through all these processes, and then deliver it to the consumer in a way that is organized and easy to use." While it may seem a little late to have a 2023-24 set out in 2025, Upper Deck held the product back to ensure it gets it right. Advertisement It wanted fewer redemptions, security features and a product that hockey fans will remember with some of the impressive rookies in that class like Connor Bedard, Luke Hughes, Matthew Knies and more. 'We all know that the Rookie Patch Auto is the biggest rookie card in the hockey industry every year,' Masherah said. 'Especially with '23-24, we knew the importance of the Connor Bedard Rookie Patch Auto. There's a whole crop of really important rookies, whether it's Logan Cooley, whether it's Adam Fantilli, we knew this crop was special and we wanted to do something to protect the integrity of these going forward. I wish we could have implemented this back in 2005 with [Sidney Crosby] and [Alexander] Ovechkin, but I'm happy we're at least here now."
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Superman Trailer Breakdown: All the DC Easter Eggs, Cameos, and Hidden Details You Missed
DC Studios has released the first full-length trailer for James Gunn's 'Superman', packed with Easter eggs and comic nods. The trailer confirms Clark Kent and Lois Lane's relationship, while Lex Luthor vows to destroy Superman. It teases connections to upcoming DCU projects, featuring characters like Rick Flag Sr. and hints at villains like Ultraman. DC just dropped the first full trailer for James Gunn's Superman — and it's bursting with hidden details, deep-cut comic references, and a surprise Justice League cameo. As the DCU prepares for its big reboot on July 11, the trailer gives fans a sneak peek at what's ahead, from Creature Commandos to The Authority — and even a new take on Superman and Lois's relationship. Here's a closer look at everything you might've missed. LordTech and the Justice Gang LordTech, led by Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn), is a key Metropolis tech firm featured in Superman. Lord sponsors the 'Justice Gang,' with heroes like Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, and Green Lantern Guy Gardner sporting LordTech-branded suits. Lois Lane uses a LordTech recorder, and the company's skyscraper appears in a key action scene. In the comics, Lord helped turn the Justice League into a UN-backed force, with Guy Gardner as a founding member. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Para onde você quer ir? Azul Leia mais Undo Stagg Industries Stagg Industries, owned by tycoon Simon Stagg, is a major company in the DC Universe. Stagg is the archvillain of Rex Mason, also known as Metamorpho, and the father of Mason's love interest, Sapphire Stagg. In the comics, Stagg causes the accident that exposes Rex to a radioactive meteor, transforming him into Metamorpho—a metahuman who can rearrange his molecules into any chemical element or shape. Kryptonite Ultraman and the Engineer appear to hand over the captured Superman to Lex Luthor, who then imprisons him alongside other metahumans like Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan). Metamorpho uses his power to transform his right hand into green Kryptonite, making Superman vulnerable to attacks from Lex's armored guards, identified by the 'LC' (LuthorCorp) logos on their uniforms. Black Orchid Beside Superman's cell stands a woman in a striking black and pink dress, likely Susan Linden—a lesser-known comic character connected to Lex Luthor. First introduced in 1973's Adventure Comics #428, Linden, also known as Black Orchid, grew up near Metropolis and married Carl Thorne, a criminal and arms dealer working for Luthor. After Thorne betrayed Luthor by stealing a shipment of terrorist weapons, he killed Susan for informing the police. Later, botanist Philip Sylvian used Susan's genetic material in experiments to create hybrid human-plant beings, leading to her rebirth as Black Orchid—a costumed hero who often fought against Luthor. Rick Flag Sr. The trailer hints that Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) has been promoted to Secretary of Defense. Flag Sr. first appeared in James Gunn's animated series Creature Commandos as the leader of A.R.G.U.S., replacing Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) as head of Task Force X—a team of monsters from Belle Reve's Non-Human Internment Division. His son, Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), was killed on a mission in Suicide Squad (2016) and The Suicide Squad (2021), which Gunn has said is semi-canon to the new DCU. Flag Sr. will return in Peacemaker season 2, likely confronting Peacemaker (John Cena), who was involved in his son's death. In the Superman trailer, Flag Sr. appears tasked with arresting Superman. The Engineer and Ultraman Captured by the Army, Superman is shown flanked by Rick Flag Sr. and two super-powered figures dressed in black. One is Angela Spica (María Gabriela de Faría), aka the Engineer from the super-team The Authority. Thanks to nanomachines in her body, she can shapeshift into liquid metal and create any object she imagines—like the spinning hand blades seen in Superman's Fortress of Solitude. The other masked figure is likely Ultraman, hinted by the 'U'-shaped emblem similar to his comic counterpart. An evil version of Superman from Earth-3 and member of the Crime Syndicate, Ultraman gains strength from Kryptonite (which weakens Superman) and is vulnerable to sunlight—possibly why he wears a full-body suit. Superman Creators Metropolis is filled with tributes to DC Comics legends. Superman is arrested on Waid Street, honoring Mark Waid, the writer behind The Flash's Wally West era, the 1993 Metamorpho run, and the iconic 1996 Kingdom Come storyline that inspired the new movie's Superman symbol, as well as Superman: Birthright. Nearby, a sign for Swan's Books pays homage to Curt Swan, the celebrated artist of Action Comics, Adventure Comics, and other Superman titles. When Superman rescues a little girl outside Swan's Books, it happens on Ross Street— a nod to Alex Ross, the artist of Kingdom Come. Big Belly Burger Superman's showdown with a massive Kaiju takes place beneath a Big Belly Burger billboard—a fictional fast-food chain introduced in Adventures of Superman #441 (1988) by John Byrne and Jerry Ordway. In the comics' 'The Tiny Terror of Tinseltown' story, Superman fought a giant Big Belly mascot brought to life by the mischievous imp Mr. Mxyzptlk from the Fifth Dimension. Big Belly Burger is depicted as a LexCorp-owned brand located in Metropolis's New Troy district. It has appeared frequently in The CW's Arrowverse shows like Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl, and has also made cameo appearances in the 2023 Blue Beetle film (part of the DCEU) and the video game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Metropolis Meteors Superman and Mister Terrific are shown battling Ultraman and the Engineer in a baseball stadium home to the Metropolis Meteors—a team that debuted in the 1973 issue of Strange Sports Stories, co-penciled by Curt Swan and Dick Giordano. Originally introduced as the Eastern League playoff champions in Strange Sports Stories #1—with no mention of Metropolis—the Metropolis Meteors later became established as the city's team. They have appeared in various media, including an episode of Superman: The Animated Series and the tie-in comic Superman Adventures. Issue #13 of that series paid tribute to Strange Sports Stories by featuring Superman fighting an alien in the Meteors' home stadium. Smallville Giants and The Mighty Crabjoys When Superman returns to the Kent family farm in Smallville, Kansas, reuniting with his adoptive parents Jonathan (Pruitt Taylor Vince) and Martha Kent (Neva Howell), along with Lois and Krypto the Superdog, a pennant for the Smallville Giants is visible. In John Byrne's The Man of Steel comic, Clark Kent was a star player for Smallville High School's football team—the Smallville Giants. The pennant even sports the team's signature orange and yellow colors from the 1986 The Man of Steel #1. Clark's childhood bedroom features a poster for The Mighty Crabjoys, a popular fictional band in the DC Universe. Frankenstein, voiced by David Harbour, wears a Mighty Crabjoys T-shirt in the Creature Commandos episode 'The Tourmaline Necklace,' and the band's billboard also appears in the Peacemaker season 2 trailer. Jim Lee's Superman, Man of Tomorrow At The Daily Planet, a quick shot shows a cork bulletin board covered with Superman memorabilia. Among the items is a card featuring Jim Lee's iconic cover from 2004's Superman (Vol. 2) #204, the first issue of the Superman: For Tomorrow storyline by Brian Azzarello and Lee. Jim Lee, a fan-favorite artist, is also DC Comics' current Chief Creative Officer and Publisher. Martian Manhunter In a quick 'blink and you'll miss it' moment, when Clark hangs out with Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), you can spot the Martian Manhunter, J'onn J'onzz, on Jimmy's computer screen. The shape-shifting Green Martian from Mars is a founding member of the Justice League and one of the 'Big Seven' alongside Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, and Aquaman. The Hammer of Boravia The trailer features a fight with the Hammer of Boravia, a new character whose attack is linked to Superman's recent political actions in Boravia. According to a Daily Planet article by Clark Kent, the Hammer's assault injured 22 people and is said to be an independent vigilante, not representing Boravia's government. The Hammer uses a powerful laser attack that damages the offices of Chocos, a cookie company favored by Martian Manhunter in the comics. While the Hammer of Boravia is original, it resembles past hammer-themed villains like Jackhammer from the comics and the Lexo-Suit armor piloted by John Corben (Metallo) in Superman: The Animated Series.
Mint
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Superman trailer released: David Corenswet takes flight as man of steel Clark Kent in James Gunn's revamped DC universe
The first trailer for Superman has officially dropped, introducing David Corenswet as the newest Man of Steel in James Gunn's reimagined DC Universe. Corenswet steps into the iconic role of Clark Kent, Earth's steadfast protector, bringing a fresh take to the legendary superhero. In the two minutes 59 seconds trailer, we see that Clark aka Superman is dealing with a lot, which includes his identity as a journalist and superhero. We also see that his girlfriend and fellow journalist Lois Lane (played by Rachel Brosnahan) knows about his superhero identity. In the trailer we are also introduced to Lex Luthor (played by Nicholas Hoult), Guy Gardner / Green Lantern (played by Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (played by Isabel Merced), and various others. The film takes inspiration from the comic book All-Star Superman (2005–2008) by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, among others. After James Gunn finished his work on Marvel Cinematic Universe's Guardians of the Galaxy 3, he announced that he will be shifting to DC Studios as the CEO. Under his guidance, the DCEU was changed to DCU. In January 2023, it was reported that this was a broad reset of the DCEU Writers Drew Goddard, Jeremy Slater, Christina Hodson, Christal Henry, and Tom King - alongside James Gunn - have mapped out a long-term vision for the DC Universe, planning two "chapters" over the next eight to ten years, with the possibility of more to follow. The first chapter, titled Gods and Monsters, will kick off with five films: Superman, The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and Swamp Thing. In addition to the films, five TV series are also in the works: Creature Commandos, Waller, Lanterns, Paradise Lost, and Booster Gold. Gunn has said he deliberately chose not to retell the origin stories of Batman and Superman, explaining that 'everyone already knows them.' He also pushed back on the idea that the DCU is only spotlighting niche characters, saying the new lineup is designed to appeal to both longtime fans and new audiences alike. The trailer offers a glimpse of the film's tone, blending classic heroism with a modern edge, as fans get their first look at what's to come in this bold new chapter for DC. Superman arrives in theatres on July 11.
