(FORTUNE Magazine) – Most people face one or two make-or-break moments in a lifetime. But in the press, some folks are perennially pegged as on the verge of triumph or collapse. Here's the latest on four always-rans.

Carly Fiorina Ms. HP won her hard-fought merger battle last year. So how does she unwind? By spending months speaking to hundreds of skeptical analysts and employees. Ah, the spoils of victory.

Jeff Bezos Will Bezos pull off another banner year? In 2002, Amazon turned a profit and was the best-performing stock on the Nasdaq. Then again, these days that's a little like owning a top-of-the-line mimeograph machine.

Scott McNealy In the latest installment of The Adventures of Javaman, our hero battles the continued tech slump while attempting to fend off lower-cost competitors. This show needs a new writer.

Sumner Redstone/Mel Karmazin Karmazin's Viacom contract expires at the end of the year, and people are wondering which doomed superstar duo will split first: Sumner and Mel, or J.Lo and Ben. --Jason Tanz