Sidekick

A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is actually, or generally regarded as, subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato, Shrek's Donkey and Batman's Robin.

Origins

The term originated in pickpocket slang of the late 19th and early 20th century. The "kick" was the front side pocket of a pair of trousers, and was found to be the pocket safest from theft. Thus the pickpocket's "side-kick" became an inseparable companion.

A humorous folk etymology refers to the sidekick's accomplishments being "kicked to the side" or otherwise ignored in favor of the more charismatic lead hero.

One of the earliest recorded sidekicks may be Enkidu, who adopted a sidekick role to Gilgamesh after they became allies in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Other early examples are Achilles and Patroclus in the Iliad, and Moses and Aaron in the Old Testament.

Sidekick (TV series)

Sidekick is a Canadian animated television comedy series created by Todd Kauffman (former co-director of Total Drama) and Joey So. The series first aired in Canada on September 3, 2010 on YTV. In the United States, the series premiered on Cartoon Network on June 13, 2011 and also premiered in the UK and Ireland on CBBC in 2015. The series is based on the original shorts of the same name aired as part of the 2005 TV series, Funpak. The series ended on September 14, 2013.

Plot

The series is about an orphan boy named Eric, with his best friend Trevor and his two female friends, Vana and Kitty, who are training to become sidekicks at the Academy for Aspiring Sidekicks in the city of Splittsboro. While dealing with intense sidekick training, Eric must also contend with his strict guardian Maxum Brain, his grumpy teacher Professor Pamplemoose, the evil Master Xox and keeping secret the disappearance of his superhero mentor Maxum Man from the city..

Characters

Main characters

Sidekick (film)

Sidekick is a 2005 Canadian independent film in the comic-book/fantasy genre. Tech support nerd and comic-book fan Norman Neale discovers that suave co-worker Victor Ventura has telekinetic powers. Neale trains Ventura with the intention of creating a super-hero, but Ventura has other uses for his powers in mind.

Character histories

Norman Neale: Norman lives a dull life in a small apartment. He works as a computer technician in a large corporation to pay the bills and on the side he works at his favorite comic book store in exchange for free comic books. He also refuses to let Chuck pay him in cash. When he discovers that Victor has superpowers, his first reaction is that Victor could become a superhero. However, Norman discovers too late that Victor becomes the opposite and that it's up to him to stop Victor. Norman seems attracted to Andrea, but is too shy to talk to her.

Victor Ventura: Victor works for Richmond Financial, the same corporation as Norman, handling the company's accounts along with Carson. He is a favorite of the boss and has his eyes on an executive position. Victor has had telekinetic powers since he was twelve, though very limited in range. It appears Victor starts his training with sincere purposes. However, it is revealed that he is just a money-hungry businessman who, in the end, turns evil, using his powers to steal money.

Ernst

Ernst is both a surname and a given name, the German, Dutch, and Scandinavian form of Ernest. Notable people with the name include:

Surname

Prince Ernst of Hohenberg

Prince Ernst Alfons Franz Ignaz Joseph Maria Anton von Hohenberg (17 May 1904 – 5 March 1954) was the younger son of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his morganatic wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, who were assassinated at Sarajevo in 1914.

Early life

Ernst was born at his parents' estate at Konopiště in Bohemia. Following his parents' assassination, which precipitated World War I, Ernst and his siblings, Sophie and Maximilian were taken in by their uncle, Prince Jaroslav von Thun und Hohenstein.

In late 1918, their properties in Czechoslovakia, including Konopiště and Chlumec nad Cidlinou, were confiscated. The children moved to Vienna and Schloß Artstetten. In 1938, following the Anschluss the family were arrested, Ernst previously having spoken at pro-monarchist meetings and having publicly opposed Anschluss, was sent to Dachau concentration camp with his brother. They were freed in 1945 when World War II ended. Their Austrian properties were confiscated in 1939 but were returned in 1945.

List of Marvel Comics characters: E

Ea the Wise

Ea the Wise is a Celestial in the Marvel Universe. The character, created by Ivan Brandon and Niko Henrichon, first appeared in Marvel Comics Presents Vol 2 #9 (July, 2008).

Within the context of the stories, Ea is an action figure sized Celestial Machine Man carries and treats as an "imaginary friend". The story featuring Ea is unclear if he is actually a Celestial or a figment of Machine Man's mind as Ea disappears when the android resolves his mental issues.

Earth Sentry

Earth Sentry (John Foster) was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, and first appeared in A-Next #2 (1999).

When John and his father Bill were investigating a UFO crash site, they discovered a Kree space probe. Upon nearing the ship, the automated defenses activated, and a robotic sentry was released. Bill activated a distress signal which was picked up by Mainframe and the rest of A-Next.

When the heroes arrived, the sentry robot attacked them. Thunderstrike's sonic blasts and J2's superstrength were not slowing the attacker. Stinger was able to blind the robot's optic sensors with sting darts, providing an opening for John to enter the ship and try to turn off the robotic sentry. When John made contact with the ship's console, a strange energy surge ripped through the ship's computers and struck John. The energy wave reconfigured John's DNA, making him genetically similar to a Kree warrior.