Xtremes Trivia Quiz

Answer: Rapper

Xzibit, born Alvin Joiner, is an American rapper who came to notice in 1996 with the release of his single "Paparazzi", lifted from his debut album "At the Speed of Life". He would go on to release a further seven albums by 2019, with many critics citing his third album, "Restless" (2000) as his magnum opus. On the back of the hit singles "Front 2 Back" and "Get Your Walk On" the album sold enough to be certified platinum in the United States.

Answer: Cyclecar

The P.E. Hawkins designed Xenia was manufactured in (of all places) Xenia, Ohio in 1914 at Fred Baldner's machine shop. As a cyclecar it endeavoured to fill a market that slotted somewhere in between a motorcycle and a motor car. The Xenia boasted a 1164cc vee-twin engine and seated two passengers in tandem (one behind the other). It failed to be a success and only twenty-five were produced before it was shut down.

(Note) Diahatsu produces a Xenia motor car (as distinct from a cyclecar), with the first model released in 2003.

Answer: Persian King

Also known as Xerxes the Great, he was the fifth King of Kings of the Achaemenid dynasty, ruling from 486 BC until he was killed (assassinated) by the leader of his bodyguards in 465 BC. In 480 BC he led a failed invasion of Greece, which included the historic battles at Thermopylae, Salamis and Plataea.

He returned home to oversee the completion of some major construction projects, some of which were started by his father. These included the Gate of All Nations, the Hall of a Hundred Columns, the Apadana and the Palace of Darius.

Answer: Marvel Comics' character

Ajax, born in Texas, is a member of the group known as the Pantheon. He is huge. Re-phrase that, he is a massive man who, because of his size, is unable to move quickly. To overcome this, he needs to wear a specialized exo-skeleton battle-suit. The problem for the Pantheon is that, with his extraordinary size, his short temper and the fact that he has the mentality of a young child, he is extremely difficult to control. He made his first appearance for Marvel in "The Incredible Hulk" #379 (1991) where his mission was to recruit the Hulk to the Pantheon, but he decided to attack the Hulk instead.

(Notes) Ajax is the pen name of Sidney William Jackson (1873-1946), an Australian nature writer. He is the only author that I could track down with a link to the name Ajax.
There are also a number of automobiles called Ajax, but none of them are cyclecars.

Answer: Runner's Guru

In 1977 Jim Fixx wrote and published the book "The Complete Book of Running". It became a best seller and has been called the "Runner's Bible". The effect that it had on lifting the profile and promoting the health benefits of jogging was astounding. It became one of the factors that helped kick-start the fitness boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

When Jim first started running, at the age of thirty-five, he weighed in at 214 pounds (97 kgs) and was a two-packet a day smoker. By the time that he'd released his book, ten years later, he given away the cigarettes and had shed 60 pounds (27 kgs).

A heart attack would take his life at age fifty-two.

Answer: Warrior Princess

A fictional character, Xena sprouted from the imaginations of Robert Tapert and John Schulian. She first appeared as a character in the television series "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" (1995 - 1999), where she was the villain of the piece for two episodes.

She would graduate to her own series (1995 - 2001), where the role was played by New Zealand actress Lucy Lawless. Then came the comic books and the range of toys.

Answer: Journalist

Born Elizabeth Gilmer in 1861, she began a syndicated newspaper column that dispensed advice on marriage. Such was the eventual power of her column that it was estimated she was able to reach an audience of approximately sixty million readers. At the time of her passing in 1951 she was America's highest paid female journalist.

Answer: Author

Jinx is the non-de-plume of Indiana (USA) born author Gigi McClure. She is best known for her "Get Spooky" series of books. Jinx is also a Watty award recipient, winning the award in 2016 for her work "Vicious Vile Venom". The Watty is presented to authors who "defy genres, break rules and experiment with form" in creating one-off stories on Wattpad.

(Note) Jinx, as a character, does appear in a number of comics but, to date, has not been identified in the Marvel Comics' universe.

Answer: Brazilian Television Host

Born Maria da Graca Meneghel, Xuxa is more than just a TV hos;, in Brazil, she is a national superstar. She is also an actress, a singer, a model and an extremely successful business-woman. She shot to superstardom as the host of the children's series "Xou da Xuxa" (1986 - 1992), where she became known as the "Queen of the Children". Xuxa has sold in excess of fifty million records, has won two Latin Grammy Awards for Best Children's Album and, in 1991, she became the first Brazilian to appear on Forbes Magazine's list of Richest Artists.

Answer: A Cat

The anthropomorphic black and white cat appeared for the first time in 1919 in a silent picture short called "Feline Follies" and it proved to be a big hit with viewers. His creation is credited to both Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer (who worked for Sullivan), though, during their lifetimes both laid claims to being the cat's sole creator. With his popularity growing rapidly, Felix soon had a range of toy lines, appeared in comic books and television and spawned a host of imitators.