Robbie vs the Blüe Krüe
The Roast Rider got his ass kicked by a bunch of teenagers on PCP^2, at least until Johnny Blaze came in to assist him and told him to tap into the fire of Vengeance Within (or, the overclocked prey drive of the Asshole Within). Was this a case of a wise master assisting a young hero who had already proved himself against a similar threat? Or is something different going on?
Robbie has already fought Guero Valdez. He’s tackled him (then gotten his ass kicked because Guero had two friends and a gun with him) and he’s broken his leg as the Rider (...about as fair as that gun?). Robbie was willing to fight Guero back in issues 1 and 5, while Guero was flaunting Gabe’s stolen wheelchair, but now, when Robbie has a much clearer idea of how dangerous his own powers are, and no ongoing quarrel with Guero, Robbie doesn’t want to fight.
Being outed as a superpowered vigilante is the kind of thing that attracts Social Services, and Robbie is petrified of a visit from Social Services. But he refuses to fight Guero here. He snuffs out his own indignation at being assaulted on the school grounds and waits for rescue. (Or, he loses control again and Eli hijacks his anger and steals his body. But it was a solid effort.)
Robbie can fight three-on-one. He’s picked a fight with two men at the same time who both outweighed him in Issue 7. He could probably hold back his anger at the same time; maybe Eli would get control or maybe he wouldn’t. But Robbie doesn’t want to take the risk of Eli stealing his body and doing something...
...yeah that.
Robbie doesn’t want Guero to get seriously hurt, now that his feud over Gabe’s wheelchair is over. He doesn’t want to kill him. Since Eli went on his rampage, Robbie now has a much more visceral understanding of how sincere Eli’s previous rants about “punishing some degenerates” really were, and how easily his powers can kill.
Moving on to the Blüe Krüe.
“REYES YOU PUNK BITCH! I’M GONNA TEAR YOU TO SHREDS!”
This Liefeldian monster is still Guero.
At this point, Robbie and Eli are fighting for control of Robbie’s right hand, the one holding the steak knife, and they are paralyzed by their stalemate. All Robbie has to do is let go, and Eli will fight Guero for him. He knows Eli would do it; Eli will fight anybody, and he’s already tried to kill Guero. But Robbie holds on, long enough that Guero can get in close and knock them out. (This has the opposite of the intended effect, but it’s the effort that we’re interested in.)
Finally, Robbie has a mental breakthrough and figures out how to wrestle control of the Rider away from Eli, galvanized by the sight of Guero falling off the bridge into the concrete-lined Los Angeles River.
Robbie doesn’t-want-to-kill Guero so badly that he overcomes Eli’s possession through the power of...what the hell is their relationship again? Spite? The power of spite. Robbie really doesn’t want to kill Guero.
But Robbie doesn’t know his own strength. In saving Guero’s life, he cripples him. And I think Robbie has hung around enough occupational therapists to know exactly what he just did.
Now, we’ve established Robbie’s main concern here: don’t hurt anybody else. Because these are his classmates. These are his neighbors. They have unnatural strength and they’re carrying rocket launchers and they’re under the command of a supervillain and they’ve been terrorizing LA for the past month or two, they’re not innocents, but they’re not the hardened mercenaries that Robbie dispatched so easily in Issue 5. And ANGR isn’t about 🔥INNOCENT BLOOD,🔥 it’s about caring for your neighborhood.
Robbie gets his ass kicked because he’s afraid he will maim or kill a child by accident. He holds back.
Johnny Blaze turns up and reminds Robbie that he needs to “coexist with the demon” and “harness his rage,” in other words, let Eli help him get a little rough with the troubled teens. And it works; they rout the Blüe Krüe. They meet violence with violence and beat the shit out of a bunch of high schoolers on uppers.
But while Johnny Blaze is a stronger Ghost Rider than Robbie in some ways, and definitely more experienced, it’s worth questioning whether Johnny actually knows what he’s talking about. Because he doesn’t. “I don’t know what this kid is,” he’s said. He talks about Eli like he’s an actual Spirit of Vengeance because that’s the only type of Spirit Johnny knows how to work with, even though he and Robbie know that Eli is a human ghost with an agenda. Johnny is flying by the seat of his pants and Robbie is hanging on his every word.
ANGR is not a pro-establishment comic. Well-meaning people fail Robbie all the time. Mr. Wakeford scared the shit out of Robbie mentioning Social Services. Dr. DaCosta missed Gabe asking her about hearing voices, assuming that Gabe was being metaphorical. Mr. Canelo tried to short Robbie’s pay. ANGR isn’t even a pro-superhero comic. Eli uses Gabe’s love of superheroes to twist him toward violence, and he tried to do something similar to Robbie.
Johnny’s advice didn’t work in the longterm. Robbie ends this issue regretting how Guero got hurt. Robbie looks pathetic and comical here...
...but he’s holding to his principles in the only way he knows how.
5 notes
·
View notes
CONFIRMED ATTENDEES TO THE CORONATION OF
♚♛ KING CHARLES III & QUEEN CAMILLA ♛♚
───────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────────────
♔ ┆ Foreign Royalty
King Felipe & Queen Letizia 🇪🇸
King Philippe & Queen Mathilde and Princess Elisabeth, The Duchess of Brabant 🇧🇪
King Jigme Khesar & Queen Jetsun Pema 🇧🇹
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah & Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku 🇲🇾
Kīngi Tūheitia & Makau Ariki Te Atawhai of the Māori
Grand Duke Henri & Grand Duchess Maria Teresa 🇱🇺
King Carl Gustaf and Crown Princess Victoria 🇸🇪
King Willem-Alexander & Queen Maxima, Princess Beatrix and Crown Princess Catharina-Amalia, The Princess of Orange 🇳🇱
Crown Prince Haakon & Crown Princess Mette-Marit 🇳🇴
Crown Prince Fumihito & Crown Princess Kiko 🇯🇵
Crown Prince Frederick & Crown Princess Mary 🇩🇰
Prince Albert & Princess Charlene 🇲🇨
King Vajiralongkorn & Queen Suthida 🇹🇭
King Abdullah II & Queen Rania 🇯🇴
King Tupou & Queen Nanasipau’u 🇹🇴
Hereditary Prince Alois & Hereditary Princess Sophie 🇱🇮
King Mswati III & Queen Sibonelo LaMbikiza 🇸🇿
Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah 🇰🇼
Crown Prince Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said 🇴🇲
Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani 🇶🇦
Princess Lalla Meryem 🇲🇦
Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd Minister of State 🇸🇦
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed 🇦🇪
King Letsie III & Queen Masenate 🇱🇸
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah 🇧🇳
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa 🇧🇭
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II & Lady Julia of the Ashanti
♔ ┆ Deposed Royalty & Distant Family Relations
Queen Anne-Marie, Crown Prince Pavlos & Crown Princess Mary Chantal 🇬🇷
Margrave Bernhard & Margravine Stephanie of Baden
Landgrave Donatus of Hesse
Prince Philipp & Princess Saskia of Hohenlohe - Langenburg
Margareta (Custodian of the Crown) and Prince Radu 🇷🇴
Crown Prince Alexander & Crown Princess Katherine 🇷🇸
Tsar Simeon & Tsaritsa Margarita 🇧🇬
Annoying Ginger from Montecito
♔ ┆ Governor-Generals of Commonwealth Realms
Governor-General David Hurley & Linda Hurley 🇦🇺
Governor-General Sir Rodney Williams & Lady Williams 🇦🇬
Governor-General Sir Cornelius A. Smith & Lady Smith 🇧🇸
Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro & Richard Davies 🇳🇿
Governor-General Mary Simon & Whit Fraser 🇨🇦
Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen & Lady Allen 🇯🇲
Governor-General Dame Froyla Tzalam 🇧🇿
Governor-General Dame Cécile La Grenade 🇬🇩
King's Representative Sir Tom Marsters & Lady Tuaine Marsters 🇨🇰
Governor-General Sir David Vunagi & Lady Vunagi 🇸🇧
Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae 🇵🇬
Governor-General Dame Marcella Liburd 🇰🇳
Deputy Governor-General Hyleta Liburd of Nevis
Acting Governor-General Errol Charles 🇱🇨
Governor-General Dame Susan Dougan 🇻🇨
Governor-General Sir Tofiga Vaevalu Falani 🇹🇻
♔ ┆ Heads of Governments of Commonwealth Realms
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese & Jodie Haydon 🇦🇺
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau & Sophie Grégoire Trudeau 🇨🇦
Prime Minister Philip Davis 🇧🇸
Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell 🇬🇩
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins 🇳🇿
Prime Minister Terrance Drew 🇰🇳
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves 🇻🇨
♔ ┆ Governmental Representatives of Commonwealth Realms
Margaret Beazley, Governor of New South Wales 🇦🇺
Linda Dessau, Governor of Victoria 🇦🇺
Jeannette Young, Governor of Queensland 🇦🇺
Chris Dawson, Governor of Western Australia 🇦🇺
Frances Adamson, Governor of South Australia 🇦🇺
Barbara Baker, Governor of Tasmania 🇦🇺
Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham 🇧🇸
Former Prime Minister Perry Christie 🇧🇸
Michael Pintard, Leader of the Opposition 🇧🇸
Janice Charette, Clerk to the Privy Council of Canada and Secretary to the Cabinet 🇨🇦
High Commissioner Kisha Abba Grant 🇬🇩
High Commissioner Phil Goff 🇳🇿
Christopher Luxon, Leader of the Opposition 🇳🇿
Koni Iguan, Deputy Speaker of the National Parliament 🇵🇬
Justin Tkatchenko, Minister for Foreign Affairs 🇵🇬
Rainbo Paita, Minister for Finance and National Planning 🇵🇬
Taies Sansan, Secretary for the Department of Personnel Management 🇵🇬
Gisuwat Siniwin, former Member of the National Parliament 🇵🇬
Premier Mark Brantley of Nevis
High Commissioner Moses Kouni Mose 🇸🇧
Jeremiah Manele, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade 🇸🇧
♔ ┆ Foreign Heads of States + Governments
President Andrzej Duda & First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda 🇵🇱
President Petr Pavel and First Lady Eva Pavlová 🇨🇿
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos 🇵🇭
President Katalin Novák & First Gentleman István Attila Veres 🇭🇺
President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson and First Lady Eliza Reid 🇮🇸
President Michael D. Higgins & First Lady Sabina Higgins and Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach 🇮🇪
President Herzog & First Lady Michal Herzog 🇮🇱
President Egils Levits & First Lady Andra Levite 🇱🇻
President Ali Bongo Ondimba & First Lady Sylvia Bongo Ondimba 🇬🇦
President Mario Abdo Benítez & First Lady Silvana López Moreira 🇵🇾
O le Ao o le Malo Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II & Masiofo Faʻamausili Leinafo 🇼🇸
President Paul Kagame & First Lady Jeannette Kagame 🇷🇼
President Wavel Ramkalawan, & First Lady Linda Ramkalawan 🇸🇨
President George Vella & First Lady Miriam Vella 🇲🇹
President Julius Maada Bio & First Lady Fatima Bio 🇸🇱
Hakainde Hichilema & First Lady Mutinta Hichilema 🇿🇲
President Sergio Mattarella 🇮🇹
President Ranil Wickremesinghe 🇱🇰
President Halimah Yacob 🇸🇬
President Faure Gnassingbé 🇹🇬
President Muhammadu Buhari 🇳🇬
President Filipe Nyusi 🇲🇿
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier 🇩🇪
President Vahagn Khachaturyan 🇦🇱
President Alar Karis 🇪🇪
President Sauli Niinistö 🇫🇮
President Emmanuel Macron 🇫🇷
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva 🇧🇷
President Alexander Van der Bellen 🇦🇹
President Vahagn Khachaturyan 🇦🇲
President Salome Zourabichvili 🇬🇪
President Katerina Sakellaropoulou 🇬🇷
President Abdul Latif Rashid 🇮🇶
President Vjosa Osmani 🇽🇰
President George Weah 🇱🇷
President Gitanas Nausėda 🇱🇹
President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani 🇲🇷
President Maia Sandu 🇲🇩
President Stevo Pendarovski 🇲🇰
President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera 🇲🇼
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih 🇲🇻
President William Ruto 🇰🇪
President Irfaan Ali 🇬🇾
President Wiliame Katonivere 🇫🇯
President Paul Biya 🇨🇲
President Nikos Christodoulides 🇨🇾
President Mohamed Bazoum 🇳🇪
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa 🇵🇹
President Klaus Iohannis 🇷🇴
President Macky Sall 🇸🇳
President Zuzana Čaputová 🇸🇰
President Nataša Pirc Musar 🇸🇮
President Võ Văn Thưởng 🇻🇳
Emmerson Mnangagwa 🇿🇼
Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers Borjana Krišto 🇧🇦
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 🇧🇩
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo 🇰🇷
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif 🇵🇰
President Alain Berset of the Swiss Confederation & Muriel Zeender 🇨🇭
Prime Minister Galab Donev 🇧🇬
♔ ┆ Governmental Representatives
First Lady Jill Biden & Finnegan Biden and John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate 🇺🇸
First Lady Olena Zelenska 🇺🇦
First Lady Verónica Alcocer 🇨🇴
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar 🇮🇳
Vice President Fuat Oktay 🇹🇷
Vice President Tiémoko Meyliet Koné 🇨🇮
Vice President Han Zeng 🇨🇳
Vice President Mohammed B.S Jallow 🇬🇲
Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the National Assembly 🇦🇿
Christophe Mboso N'Kodia Pwanga, President of the National Assembly 🇨🇩
Arnoldo André, Minister of Foreign Affairs 🇨🇷
Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation 🇿🇦
Nabil Ammar, Minister of Foreign Affairs 🇹🇳
Narayan Prakash Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs 🇳🇵
Gustavo Manrique, Foreign Minister 🇪🇨
Ahmed Attaf, Foreign Minister 🇩🇿
Frederick Shava, Foreign Minister & Mthuli Ncube, Finance Minister 🇿🇼
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Secretary of State 🇻🇦
Ambassador José Alberto Briz Gutiérrez 🇬🇹
♔ ┆ Representatives from International Organizations
Amina Jane Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General 🇺🇳
Ursula von der Leyen, President of EU Commission 🇪🇺
Charles Michel, EU Council President 🇪🇺
Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament 🇪🇺
238 notes
·
View notes