Summer is almost officially upon us, and you know what that means: summer blockbusters! But we're not talking about the movies; we're talking about City of Heroes' Summer Blockbuster Event, which will put players in scenarios straight out of huge summer films, but with a special Paragon Studios twist.

The double-feature begins with Time Gladiator, which puts players in the coliseum's spotlight as they go head-to-head with opponents pulled from across the annals of time, such as "deadly assassins, outlaw gunslingers, cybernetic soldiers... and the mighty God-Champion." Of course, if suave subterfuge is more your style, perhaps The Casino Heist will tickle your fancy. Ocean's Eleven's got nothin' on this scenario, which puts players in charge of busting up the Tyrant's Palace Casino. Of course, they'll have to do something about the Tyrant's "armed guards and state-of-the-art security" first. The Summer Blockbuster Event goes live on July 10th, so grab some popcorn and get ready for action.

[Source: Paragon Studios press release]

After months and months of teasing us, Gazillion Entertainment has finally officially released new details about its upcoming new title, the free-to-play Marvel Heroes. The press release claims that the game will take "the MMO category to a completely new level of excitement and engagement" by combining "the energy of action role-playing games with the breadth and immersion of the MMO genre."

Players can now get their first look at Marvel Heroes with the title's first teaser trailer, which features gameplay footage interwoven with some rather menacing shots of a certain Victor Von Doom, who seems to have gotten his titanium-plated hands on what appears to be the Cosmic Cube, an artifact that gives its bearer the power to bend reality to his will. We're not sure what Doc Doom plans to do with the Cube, but we know that it can't possibly be anything good. Presumably it will be up to the players to put a stop to Doom's nefarious plans and return the Cube to its rightful place, but until we find out more, head on past the cut and enjoy the trailer in all of its super-goodness.

[Source: Gazillion Entertainment press release]

[Update: IGN has a preview of the game that discusses in detail its Diablo roots.]

Cyclops and the other revealed playable characters will soon have a another compatriot to add to their ranks in the upcoming super-hero game Marvel Heroes. Who will it be? For now, Gazillion is teasing fans with a silhouette of the mystery woman, but guesses are already being tossed around. Is it Ms. Marvel? Could it be Phoenix? Some are even hedging a guess that it's possibly even Elektra. Mum is the official word for now, so it is up to fans to puzzle it out.

All right, Marvel aficianoados: Who do you think it is?

[Commenters have rightly pointed out that it can't be Wonder Woman, as she's a DC character.]

Everyone loves free things, and the folks at Paragon Studios know it. That's why the studio has announced a new treat for City of Heroes players: Paragon Market Freebie Fridays. The program is exactly as it sounds: Every week, the studio will choose a new item to be that week's freebie. Players then simply have to log on during the specified time frame, claim their free items, and enjoy! That's all there is to it, folks.

The premiere Freebie Friday will be taking place this week, beginning on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. EDT and ending at the same time Friday, giving players 24 hours to claim their free stuff. The announcement states that the freebies "could be almost anything currently available in the Paragon Market," so be sure to log in each week and get your goodies!

DC Universe Online players, prepare yourselves: The Joker's back, and he wants to put a smile on your face. The Clown Prince of Crime is making his grand return to DCUO in the game's upcoming DLC pack, The Last Laugh. Not to be confused with the renowned crossover comic story arc, DCUO's The Last Laugh "will pit players against each other in high-intensity multiplayer brawls, feature an all-new weapon, and introduce new Light-Powered Legends PvP characters." The new weapon in question isn't much of a weapon at all, but if Captain America has taught us anything, it's that even a shield can be lethal in the right hands. Now players will be able to slam, bash, and wank to their hearts' content with the new shield weapon type.

And players will need every trick they can get to succeed in the new Safe House Battles, which are 4v4 PvP brawls that involve players invading one anothers' safe houses in order to complete a number of objectives. So much for safe houses being... well, safe. Players thirsting for larger-scale combat will be at home in the new Headquarter Battles, which see eight heroes squaring off against eight villains as they try to take control of the Hall of Doom and the Watchtower, respectively. And finally, the game's first light-powered Legend characters will be making an appearance in The Last Laugh, allowing players to take control of the Green Lanterns' Kilowog and Sinestro Corps' Amon Sur.

The Last Laugh will be available in June for free to Legendary members and for purchase on the market for Free and Premium players. For the full details, check out the official announcement at the DCUO site.