Badass: The Birth of a Legend : Spine-Crushing Tales of the Most Merciless Gods, Monsters, Heroes, Villains, and Mythical Creatures Ever Envisioned Paperback / softback

Since the beginning of human history people have created myths, tall tales, and super- and anti-heroes.

They've told stories of men and women who embarked on intrepid adventures, performed extraordinary feats of unparalleled awesomeness, and overcame all odds to violently smite their foes.

In "Badass: The Birth of a Legend", Ben Thompson compiles all of these fantastical tales from the beginning of time to today and tells them in the completely over-the-top manner in which they were intended.

Whether it's Michael, the Archangel who defeated Satan, or the super-punching villain, Ivan Drago, whose epic battle with Rocky Balboa was immortalized on the silver screen, these timeless legends are so totally insane they'll blow your hair to the back of the auditorium and leave you wondering what the heck just happened. This title includes profiles such as: Rama (half-god warrior who rescued his wife by killing a giant monster); Samson (Biblical strongman); Beowulf (hero who slaughtered Grendel and his mother); Bradamante (medieval Italian warrior princess); Dirty Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood's iconic tough-guy cop); The Joker (crazy evil psychotic clown who torments Gotham City); Moby Dick (carnivorous white whale who kills all who attempt to hunt him down); Frankenstein's Monster (heartless serial killer who dedicates his life to annihilating his creator); and, the Predator (badass movie monster equipped with awesome sci-fi hardware).