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pixeljade · 10 months

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Of course if Bethesda hired ME, i could write them the greatest Fallout game of all time, set in the midwest (around Ohio/Detroit area), an area known as the Cornwastes, about 40 years after FO4. The region has been, since the Great War, basically unliveable due to deadly radioactive tornadoes, but those have begun to die down, and settlers from the East have begun to reclaim the region. Your only character story is that youve come along on a caravan, and you get to choose if thats because you're seeking a fortune on the new frontier, running away from a past, etc. The main story would actually change based on what you choose at the start, with a secondary villain based on that choice.

There would be a faction of ghouls who survived the deadly weather in the region, who claim it as their own land that smoothskins are taking from them. Many of them have taken to violence to control it, calling themselves the Ghoul Liberation Fronf. There's also a group of sapient mirelurks to the north, by the great lakes, who live in a tribal, agrarian society, which seems almost idyllic...but not very fond of outsiders. Of course the settlers have their factions as well; a group of Synths who would like not only to settle down in a place thats bigger than their previous hiding holdouts, but also hope to find a new technology to shape their future. There's a merchant guild from around D.C. wastes which has plots to establish a trading path with the west coast, but who seem to be exploiting their workers. Then there's the raiders, who have finally begun updating their playbook after success at Nuka-world and The Pitt. Now they have something close to organized crime, and they're working directly with the laborers moving into the area.

There's also of course a burgeoning government...a confederation of different regions across the east coast, who have allied with the leaders from the Cornwastes, with little more than power plays keeping it intact. Each region has their own laws, and their own military, but must allow free travel and commerce amongst the citizenry. This results in a lot of friction between the sectors, with military from each sector often exploiting other sectors citizens near the borders. The actual confederated government does nothing to stop these scuffles, being led currently by the same man who founded the Merchants Guild, whose only goal is his own enrichment. Overall, the three factions you see out of this government in the Cornwastes are the militarized Commonwealth Army, which is formed of remnants of both the Minutemen and the Brotherhood, and claim to fight for the good of all citizens (an idea which locals find questionable); the secretive and threatening Capital Coalition (Think like G-men, except with power suits backing them); and the Appalachian Militia, who are made up of some of the biggest misfits in their entire region (including several friendly Super Mutants, who have calmed down since FO4 due to new advances in biomedical engineering.)

Each of the three C's of Ohio and Detroit would be accessible. (hey, if FO4 can have most of Massachusetts we can have a bigger map this time!) There's gouges across the landscape caused by the erosion of the extreme weather, though, making transportation largely happen over bridges, which factions control as chokepoints. There will be a dynamic "sector control" system where you can aid factions in taking new bridges and acheiving their goals bit by bit. Once a sector has been taken by a friendly faction, you can build over the entire sector like you do with FO4 settlements. Of course, each of those sectors have various resources worth acquiring as well. There are, of course, some limitations; sometimes a faction wont want to expand into a sector, because they are allied with the faction controlling it, and there are some points which are considered shared ground. Also, sectors arent just gained through combat...you can take sneakier routes, sometimes even just talking a faction out of their claim of a sector.

As for the main storyline, once you get into the region and finish setting up your character, you get caught up in a tense altercation between the government and a group of armed labor workers blocking the path. Just before the Commonwealth Army threaten to "put the workers back in line", the Ghoul Liberation Front attacks both of them. You as the main character are swept away by a mysterious woman from your caravan who hides you with a stealth boy, and hands you a letter and a key, before dying from a wound. The slaughter ends with the leaders of the three factions falling back to regroup, and the letter leads you to a nearby town. Its there that you end up swept into a larger plot: the key has been passed down for generations, kept safe in one of the vaults, and evidently unlocks a deadly pre-war weapon that was being developed in Detroit. You then go on a story which involves the fate of the entire region, weighing the implications of history as well as simple citizen lives. Will the locals remain in power, or will the settlers take control? Will the government stabilize, and if so, who will be in control?

As for gameplay, much of it will be similar to FO4 with the added sector system, but also, you can actually get synth limbs and implants which are moddable as you progress. This adds one more layer to FO4's already robust modding system, as well as playing into the ever-present Fallout theme of 'what is a human anyways?'.

Anyways Bethesda if you wanna hire me i graduated cum laude with a degree in narrative arts back in may, and have a handful of accolades under my belt. I can give ya a resume and a portfolio if you want!

#fallout #bethesda #fnv #fallout 4 #genuinely would love to make this real

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rickyreeves1980 · 9 months

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Jungle Strike (subtitled The Sequel to Desert Strike, or Desert Strike part II in Japan) is a video game developed and published by Electronic Arts in 1993 for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. The game was later released on several other consoles such as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), and an upgraded version was made for DOS computers. The Amiga conversion was the responsibility of Ocean Software while the SNES and PC DOS versions were that of Gremlin Interactive, and the portable console versions were of Black Pearl Software. It is the direct sequel to Desert Strike (a best-seller released the previous year) and is the second installment in the Strike series. The game is a helicopter-based shoot 'em up, mixing action and strategy. The plot concerns two villains intent on destroying Washington, D.C. The player must use the helicopter and occasionally other vehicles to thwart their plans.

Its game engine was carried over from a failed attempt at a flight simulator and was inspired by Matchbox toys and Choplifter. Jungle Strike retained its predecessor's core mechanics and expanded on the model with additional vehicles and settings. The game was well received by most critics upon release. Publications praised its gameplay, strategy, design, controls and graphics.

Jungle Strike features two antagonists: Ibn Kilbaba, the son of Desert Strike's antagonist, and Carlos Ortega, a notorious South American drug lord. The opening sequence depicts the two men observing a nuclear explosion on a deserted island, while discussing the delivery of "nuclear resources" and an attack on Washington D.C.; Kilbaba seeks revenge for his father's death at the hands of the US, while Ortega wishes to "teach the Yankees to stay out of my drug trade".

The player takes control of a "lone special forces" pilot. The game's first level depicts the protagonist repelling terrorist attacks on Washington, D.C., including the President's limousine. Subsequent levels depict counter-attacks on the drug lord's forces, progressing towards his "jungle fortress". In the game's penultimate level, the player pursues Kilbaba and Ortega to their respective hideouts before capturing them.

The final level takes place in Washington, D.C. again, where the two antagonists attempt to flee after escaping from prison. The player must destroy both Kilbaba and Ortega and stop four trucks carrying nuclear bombs from blowing up the White House. The PC version also extends the storyline with an extra level set in Alaska, in which the player must wipe out the remainder of Ortega's forces under the command of a Russian defector named Ptofski, who has taken control of oil tankers and is threatening to destroy the ecosystem with crude oil if his demands are not met. Once all levels are complete, the ending sequence begins and depicts the protagonist and his co-pilot in an open-topped car in front of cheering crowds.

Jungle Strike is a helicopter-based shoot 'em up, mixing action and strategy. The player's main weapon is a fictionalised Comanche attack helicopter. Additional vehicles can be commandeered: a motorbike, hovercraft and F-117. The latter in particular features variable height and unlimited ammunition, but is more vulnerable to crashes. The game features an "overhead" perspective "with a slight 3D twist". The graphics uses a 2.5D perspective which simulates the appearance of being 3D.

Levels consist of several missions, which are based around the destruction of enemy weapons and installations, as well as rescuing hostages or prisoners of war, or capturing enemy personnel. The helicopter is armed with machine guns, more powerful Hydra rockets and yet more deadly Hellfire missiles. The more powerful the weapon, the fewer can be carried: the player must choose an appropriate weapon for each situation. Enemy weapons range from armoured cars to artillery and tanks.

The player's craft has a limited amount of armour, which is depleted as the helicopter is hit by enemy fire. Should armour reach zero, the craft will be destroyed, costing the player a life. The player must outmanoeuvre enemies to avoid damage, but can replenish armour by means of power-ups or by airlifting rescued friendlies or captives to a landing zone.

Vehicles have a finite amount of fuel which is steadily depleted as the level progresses. Should the fuel run out, the vehicle will crash, again costing the player a life. The craft can refuel by collecting fuel barrels. Vehicles also carry limited ammunition, which must be replenished by means of ammo crates.

#ea games #video games #retro gaming #sega genesis #16 bit games #90's games #jungle strike

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crowdvscritic · 3 months

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round up // NOVEMBER 23 + DECEMBER 23 + JANUARY 24: CROWD vs. CRITIC vs. CHRISTMAS!

November and December push me to the limit—how many movies can I fit in before the end of the calendar year? In 2023 (plus a few bonus days), the answer was more than 130 new releases. And who wants to skip all of their favorite Christmas movies? Because I extend my holiday viewing into January, I fit in almost 90 this year, adding a few more to my all-time must-watch list. Once the Oscar noms were announced, I was already back to my usual shenanigans and had watched my 400th unique movie on Turner Classic Movies. Whether these statistics are cool or pathetic (erm, don’t tell me), I’m grateful for the slowness of Dump-uary and the depth that comes with thinking about the same Oscar-nominated films for several weeks. (Too bad we need to revisit Melissa Villaseñor’s Oscars snub song from SNL.)

To help sum up these three packed months, I’m resurrecting Crowd vs. Critic vs. Christmas: five crowd-pleasers, five critic picks, and five Christmas treats. Who says you can’t make these holiday recommendations part of your February entertainment?

Holiday Crowd-Pleasers

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1. SNL Round Up

Studio 8H is making up for lost time after those strikes:

“Question Quest” (4906 with Emma Stone)

“Beep Beep” (4907 with Adam Driver) - #SoMidwest

“Weekend Update: Chloe Fineman’s Save the Last Dance Holiday Gift” (4907)

“Tiny A** Bag” (4907)

“Christmas Awards Cold Open” (4908 with Kate McKinnon)

"North Pole News: Killer Whale Attack” (4908)

“ABBA Christmas” (4908)

“Yankee Swap” (4908)

“Please Don't Destroy - Roast” (4910 with Dakota Johnson) - As one who still has yet to understand the appeal of the PDD guys, this resonated with me

“The Barry Gibb Talk Show: 2024 Election” (4910)

“Weekend Update: A Guy Named Ethan on the 2024 Oscars Snubs” (4910) - I am...probably only a few years away from turning into Ethan?

2. Triple Feature - Big City Crime Thrillers: No Way Out (1987) + Cop Land (1997) + Widows (2018)

The stars aligned on all of these! In No Way Out (Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 8/10), Kevin Costner is assigned to investigate the murder of his secret lover (Sean Young) in Washington D.C. The twist? The person who assigned him the case was also her lover, Secretary of Defense Gene Hackman. In Cop Land (9/10 // 7.5/10), Sylvester Stallone sheriffs a New Jersey town that houses a corrupt batch of New York City cops (including Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, and Robert Patrick) that Robert De Niro is investigating. In Widows (8.5/10 // 8.5/10), Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, and Michelle Rodriguez are completing the heist that killed their husbands (including Liam Neeson) in a corrupt Chicago run by Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, and Daniel Kaluuya. All are twisty, gritty, and thrilling.

3. Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Oh no, there goes Tokyo—but at least it’s going to a spectacle as fun and well-crafted as this one. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10

4. Double Feature - ‘90s Matt Damon Dramas: School Ties (1992) + The Rainmaker (1997)

Because Matt Damon has always been good! Though he’s not always been the good guy: In School Ties (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10), Brendan Fraser must hide his Jewish identity to survive at a prep school in the ‘50s, and bullies like Damon are who he’s most afraid of. In The Rainmaker (9/10 // 8.5/10), Damon is the good guy as a baby-faced lawyer who wants to protect Claire Danes, Teresa Wright, and Mary Kay Place from villains like slick lawyer Jon Voight. Here’s hoping Damon has another coming-of-age movie (as a teacher) and legal thriller in his future.

5. The Jerk (1979)

Not every moment of this movie would fly if made today, but Steve Martin’s episodic adventures in his first journey away from home gave me some of my biggest laughs in months. Crowd: 9.5/10 // Critic: 8/10

More Holiday Crowd-Pleasers: Three Men and a Little Lady (1990) reminds us how much fun it is to let three charismatic movie stars (Ted Danson, Steve Guttenberg, and Tom Selleck) cook // The Mrs. Doubtfire National Tour is fluffy fun // Maggie Moore(s) (2023) is a true crime story that makes me wish Tina Fey and Jon Hamm could become the new Myrna Loy and William Powell // Quiz Lady (2023) lets Will Ferrell live out his Alex Trebek dreams // John Mulaney in Concert Tour is making me count down till his next special is released to get memes about his grandfather, his bus driver, and his son // Reacher Season 2 is the perfect action show to watch with my dad // I’m not sure if Man of the Year (2006) was prescient about the future of politics or if it just understood human nature well enough to anticipate the populist movement and election fraud conversations we’re having today, but this Robin-Williams-as-Jon-Stewart comedy is underrated // The real-world implications of V for Vendetta (2005) are…confusing, but this literary-inspired adventure is still thrilling // Desperado (1995) is an over-the-top, shoot-'em-up Western

Holiday Critic Picks

1. The Best of 2023

2023: a year of products, greed, put-upon employees, and artificial intelligence—and not just in the actors’ and writers’ strikes! It was also a great year for movies, which is why I couldn’t narrow down my list to just 10. Read my top 10 picks for 2023 movies, as well as 28 honorable mentions at ZekeFilm, and then check out the accompanying list on Letterboxd.

I also dug deeper into some of the films mentioned in my Best of 2023 in these reviews:

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes - ZekeFilm review

Maestro - ZekeFilm review

Priscilla - ZekeFilm review, KMOV review, Do You Like Apples discussion, updated Letterboxd Sofia Coppola rankings

2. Double Feature - New Baseball Documentaries: It Ain’t Over (2022) + The League (2023)

I am not a Yankees fan, so who would have guessed that the Yogi Berra documentary It Ain’t Over (Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 8.5/10) would make me cry? And my baseball history knowledge always has room for improvement, so The League (8/10 // 9/10) is a phenomenal fix to many of my blind spots. Both are now inducted in my Baseball Movie Hall of Fame.

3. Triple Billing - Come From Away + Tina: The Tina Turner Musical + Funny Girl National Tours

Looking for a true story turned into an excellent musical? Try Come From Away, which captures the chaos of flights rerouted on 9/11 with the pathos you expect (and the comedy you don’t). Or try Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which is one of the best—if not the best—jukebox musical I’ve seen because the songs are integrated into the story instead of just as a musical revue of a a well-known career. Or catch Funny Girl, which captures comedienne Fanny Brice’s life with the help of a powerhouse singer channeling Barbra Streisand’s powers. Better yet, I recommend not skipping any of them when they come to town if you can swing it.

4. Happiness Falls by Angie Kim (2023)

What do you do when your dad goes missing in the middle of a global pandemic and the only one who was with him when he disappeared is your non-verbal brother? That’s the central mystery of Angie Kim’s latest novel. Instead of an edge-of-your-seat-thriller, it’s a story that propels us forward with the questions that plague its characters.

5. Hollywood Victory: The Movies, Stars, and Stories of World War II by Christian Blauvelt (2021)

The Turner Classic Movies Library has yet to miss. Hollywood Victory doesn’t just provide an in-depth overview of Hollywood from 1933 to 1945. It’s an exploration of Hollywood’s inextricable relationship with American politics, its contributions that helped the Allies win the war, and a unusual but informative lens of movies and the war itself. It’s also a long set of additions to my watchlist—of the 260+ films referenced, I’ve only seen a quarter. Thank goodness for TCM and a DVR with unlimited space!

More Holiday Critic Picks: American Symphony, Chevalier, Fallen Leaves, Freud’s Last Session, and Master Gardener were all films in consideration for my Best of 2023 // Wes Anderson’s Roald Dahl short film adaptations Poison, The Rat Catcher, The Swan, and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023) are bite-sized, beautifully manicured delights // Debbie Reynolds paves the way the way for Kathy Bates’s Titanic role with her charismatic starring piece in the musical The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) // Barbara Stanwyck is wonderful as always in the melodrama All I Desire (1953) // Hail the Conquering Hero (1944) is filled with some of Preston Sturges’s most fun mixups and hijinks

Holiday Treats

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1. Ken The EP by Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson

I don’t care if these are barely Christmas songs—let’s give Ryan Gosling seasonal updates of “I’m Just Ken” for all of 2024!

2. Mixed Nuts (1994)

Hot take: Steve Martin has not been in enough rom-coms. A kookier—but nonetheless delightful—brand of Nora Ephron stars Martin and Rita Wilson as co-workers at a crisis hotline who are clearly meant for each other. If only they—and Madeline Kahn, Juliette Lewis, Adam Sandler, Liev Schreiber, and Garry Shandling— could get out of their own way. Crowd: 7.5/10 // Critic: 6.5/10

3. Fitzwilly (1967)

Christmas Ocean’s Eleven! Dick Van Dyke is as charming as ever and the vibes are as ‘60s as ever as he tries to pull off a heist at Gimbels on Christmas Eve. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8/10

4. Metropolitan (1990)

Before Chris Eigeman was Jason Stiles on Gilmore Girls, he was essentially playing the same character in Whit Stillman’s comedy riff on The Great Gatsby. A young, bougie group is attempting to survive debutante season (also the Christmas season), debating the pros and cons of wealth and falling in and out of romance. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 9/10

5. The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944)

Hollywood Victory informed me I’m not the only who can’t believe this was allowed to play for audiences in 1944! Betty Hutton marries a soldier on a whim, but the next morning she can’t remember which one. Her BFF with an unrequited crush (Eddie Bracken) is the only one who can help her figure out who her husband—and the father of her child—is before the scandal gets out and destroys her reputation. Because this is a Preston Sturges feature, it’s actually a hilarious quest. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9/10

More Christmas Treats: Klaus (2019) is a hidden gem on Netflix // Okay, the ick factor in Susan Slept Here (1954) is real, but Dick Powell and Debbie Reynolds are just so darn charming! // 8-Bit Christmas (2021) is a better-than-it-needed-to-be update of A Christmas Story featuring a Nintendo instead of a BB gun // How did I never see Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) all the way through before this year? Once I realized I’d missed some scenes in my umpteen cable watches over the years, it shot up on my John Hughes rankings // Pocketful of Miracles (1961) is a delightful Cinderella tale that proves Bette Davis always had it

Also this Holiday Season…

I reviewed even more new movies, including Next Goal Wins (ZekeFilm), The Marvels (KMOV), and the new Mean Girls musical (ZekeFilm)

The St. Louis Film Critics Association nominated and voted on our Best of 2023 films. You can see every winner and every film we nominated on Letterboxd, and you can read my summary of how I voted here on Crowd vs. Critic. Keep scrolling if you’re on the home page to my last post, or read it here.

Photo credits: Funny Girl, Happiness Falls, Hollywood Victory. All others IMDb.com.

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newshirtonlines-blog · 2 years

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Taxiarchis Fountas D.C. United Grunge signature shirt

The Arkham game Taxiarchis Fountas D.C. United Grunge signature shirt . series has been a fan favorite for over a decade now. The saga of stories following Batman did a fantastic job at bringing to life the world of the Dark Knight and adapting some of his biggest and obscure villains in the hero's rogue gallery. However, the upcoming game Gotham Knight will try and attempt the same thing—just without Bruce Wayne and his costumed alter ego in the picture. Made by WB Games Montreal, the developers who also created the offshoot installment of Batman: Arkham Origins, Gotham Knight takes place after the death of the Batman, which plunges Gotham into darkness. It'll be up to four of the Caped Crusader's protegees to protect the city. So who exactly will those four be? Well, players should expect Nightwing, Red Robin, Red Hood, and Batgirl—all of whom will be playable characters.Taxiarchis Fountas D.C. United Grunge signature shirt, hoodie, sweater, longsleeve and ladies t-shirt

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xofficio · 2 years

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Uncanny X-Men #2 (1963)

The X-Men #2 (Uncanny X-Men #2), “No One Can Stop the Vanisher” (November 1963)

Writer: Stan Lee Penciler: Jack Kirby Inker: Paul Reinman Letterer: Sam Rosen

Cover: The X-Men are still “the strangest super-heroes of all,” but now they’re also “in the sensational Fantastic Four style!” The issue blurb is a classic example of Stan Lee hyperbole: “The X-Men had to find out…how do you beat a mutant who is…unbeatable?!! A book-length Marvel classic: ‘Nothing Can Stop the Vanisher!’…”

Synopsis: The X-Men are responding to a summons from Professor X, which sparks a sort of race for them to get back to the school in their own ways:

Beast climbs up a building and jumps onto a train, riding atop it to Westchester. Angel gets beset by handsy fangirls:

He is rescued by Marvel Girl, who telekinetically lifts them atop a movie marquee, only to feel faint at overexertion; Angel carries her in his arms as he flies backto Westchester. Cyclops and Iceman encounter a construction site en route with a wall about to collapse on workmen, and Cyclops blasts it to powder, rescuing the men; Bobby then finds them transportation to the school in an ice cream truck.

All arrive and meet up with Professor X, who mentally projects a presentation about a villain called the Vanisher. He announces his intention to commit bank robbery in front of the police. As there’s no law against dressing up in a supervillain costume or in announcing the intention to commit a crime, there’s not much they can do at this point. The bank manager hands over the money at gunpoint, and the security guards pull their guns on the Vanisher after he puts his gun away to count the cash:

He then vanishes into thin air, with the money.

The X-Men wonder if he’s a mutant, which leads to an impromptu training session when Iceman’s youthful enthusiasm gets out of hand. Professor X soon moves things to the Danger Room, where Angel is assigned to evade missiles until Xavier suddenly tells him to catch one, as if it’s the Vanisher. He attempts and fails, straining himself to the point he can’t stay aloft. Beast’s test involves mechanical hands trying to grab him, which he dodges with a backflip…into a hatch that’s opened in the floor:

He catches himself on the sides of the chute, straining himself, and then propels himself back out.

Meanwhile, the Vanisher appears inside the Pentagon, confirming to the onlooking soldiers that he is indeed a mutant. He vanishes and reappears inside a heavily locked and guarded room nearby, where a general is reviewing “continental defense plans.” The Vanisher appears long enough to tell them that he will be stealing the plans within a few days, then vanishes again.

The criminal underworld starts flocking to the Vanisher after reading about him and his exploits in the newspapers; he announces that it is only fitting that Homo superior be served by Homo sapiens, and so he will allow them to become his lackeys:

The X-Men continue their training, with Marvel Girl practicing holding up an enormous weighted ball telekinetically. She tires and begins struggling, to the point that she can no longer hold it up, and Cyclops comes to the rescue by blasting it into the wall. She thanks Cyclops profusely, and Iceman, claiming that there’s no need for such effusive thanks when any one of them could have saved her, sends a horse made of ice sliding under the “gallant Prince Charming.”

Professor Xavier contacts FBI Special Agent Fred Duncan telepathically to get an update on the Vanisher. On hearing of the Vanisher’s threats, Xavier mentions that he suspected that might be the next move, and calls the X-Men to depart for Washington D.C. within the hour. The X-Men fly to Washington in a “convertiplane” on loan from the Department of Special Affairs.

At the Pentagon, the plans are being guarded by four heavily-armed men. The Vanisher appears and vanishes with the plans before they can get to him, and reappears in the hallway outside, vanishing again as the guards there are holding him. He ends up on the steps outside, where he is confronted with the X-Men:

Marvel Girl confirms that the Vanisher is a mutant. The Angel grabs the Vanisher and brings him into the air, but he disappears, dropping the suitcase with the plans in the process. The Beast catches the plans, only for the Vanisher to reappear and swipe them. Cyclops blasts the suitcase out of Vanisher’s hand, while Marvel Girl telekinetically plays keep-away with the suitcase until Vanisher sprays her with sleeping gas:

Iceman covers the case with ice, but the Vanisher teleports away with the ice-covered suitcase, escaping entirely with the plans.

The X-Men are downcast at their failure, recognizing that they still need more training. The next day, newspaper headlines are talking about the X-Men’s failure to apprehend the Vanisher, with the public’s attitudes towards the X-Men correspondingly low and fear of the Vanisher rising.

The television news reports that the Vanisher has demanded ten million dollars, tax-free, from the government as a price for not turning the continental defense plans over to “the communists.” The X-Men are alternately outraged at the Vanisher’s blackmail attempt and decrying their own shortcomings the previous day. The Angel and Iceman begin bickering, and Cyclops and the Beast are drawn in as well. Professor X demands their attention, and acknowledges that though the X-Men failed, they didn’t do badly, considering their youth and lack of experience. He believes it is time for him to enter the picture, to show that brute strength is not enough. The next time they go to Washington, he will accompany them. He shows them a strobe projection of the Vanisher photographed at 20,000 frames per second:

Even at that high rate, he’s barely visible for a single frame as he vanishes; it’s almost impossible to analyze his power due to the speed of his disappearance.

The next day, where people in Washington are studying the same photos, Professor Xavier is in contact with the White House and gives them details of his proposed plan of action. On the lawn of the White House itself, the X-Men face down again with the Vanisher and his new army of accompanying goons:

The X-Men stand aside to reveal Professor X, who gives the Vanisher one chance to surrender; otherwise, he says, he will counter with a force far greater and more terrible than the Vanisher’s power.

The Vanisher laughs at the “helpless human.” Professor X informs Vanisher that he is a mutant, and that he is already using his power. The Vanisher feels dread, and attempts to use his power to escape, but he can’t control his power. His fear increases, and soon he doesn’t realize what he’s doing there, who the man in front of him is, or even who he himself is:

The Vanisher, whom Iceman compares to a helpless child, now claims weariness and wishes to rest, to learn who and what he is. His army of criminals, recognizing that their meal ticket is gone, go after the X-Men, but are soundly defeated. Iceman deflects bullets with an ice shield, the Beast grabs opponents’ guns as he hops around and kicks them into Iceman, who bends down so that they trip over him and fall into a pit dug by Cyclops’ eyebeams, which Iceman then covers with an ice lattice. Marvel Girl is impressed by the Professor’s power, which she dubs “uncanny,” and uses her telekinesis to threaten criminals with their own guns, while the Angel flies into criminals to bowl them over.

After the fight, a group of soldiers comes in, who warn Professor Xavier that he might be hurt, and request someone take him out of there. The X-Men volunteer, and talk about imagining if the soldiers knew that the Professor was the leader of the X-Men, or that it was he who defeated the Vanisher using what Professor X calls “the most magnificent power all of us possess…the power of the human brain!”

Next Issue: “The X-Men face the greatest danger of all, when…but see for yourself in X-Men #3…you’ll be glad you did!”

First Appearances: This is the first appearance of the Vanisher, a recurring X-Men villain and occasional ally. The character would be expanded considerably over the years, but at this point he’s still (understandably) mostly a cipher.

It’s also the first appearance of Special Agent Fred Duncan, an FBI agent with the Department of Special Affairs who serves as the agency’s liaison with the X-Men:

He will reappear semi-frequently through this first part of the initial run, at least until the X-Men’s formal affiliation with the FBI goes away when the decision is made to emphasize mutants’ status as societal outcasts (something a close affiliation with an organization as “establishment” as the FBI doesn’t quite work with). He has a psionic headband device given to him by Xavier to aid in telepathic communication, and the department loans the X-Men a McDonnell XV-1 convertiplane:

This issue also is the first official appearance of the Danger Room (though we saw training machines in the previous episode that may have been part of it, here is where it gets formally named and introduced). It also calls Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters by name for the first time, though we obviously saw the school in the last issue.

X-Powers: The Beast has the agility and strength to run up a wall as long as the ridges are deep enough to sink his toes into. When he falls into a deep pit unexpectedly, he’s able to hold himself up by pressing his arms against the sides, and propel himself out of the pit with no leverage but his muscles. His agility allows him to evade armed men and steal their guns.

The Angel isn’t quite fast enough a flyer to catch a missile, and the strain of trying to do so exhausts him to the point where he can’t stay aloft. When this happens, Xavier checks his heart and blood pressure to ensure he’s fine.

At this point we begin to see the utter inconsistency of Marvel Girl’s powers during the Silver Age, with varying assessments of her telekinetic power that frequently don't agree with what we see in the actual use of those powers. She is able to lift a mob of six girls who are accosting the Angel, but he reminds her not to strain herself by picking up more than she can physically carry, and she is exhausted as a result. She has no problems with mental control of many small objects at once, redirecting Iceman’s ice pellets back toward him. She catches Beast when he catapults himself out of the floor hatch to set him down gently, with no problems whatsoever (even though presumably he’s larger than she can physically carry). She is also able to lift a massive ball, though she does tire enough that she needs Cyclops to save her using his power. She is skilled enough in her control that she can play keep-away with the Vanisher using the suitcase, but being hit with sleeping gas disrupts her control (which makes sense).

Cyclops’ eyebeams, at full intensity, can turn the bricks and mortar of a wall to a fine powder.

When Iceman shakes one of the construction workers’ hands, his glove freezes solid; another’s glove turns into ice cubes. It’s not stated, but it seems to be a conscious prank on Iceman’s part rather than an accident. He can also shoot rapid-fire “machine-gun ice pellets” and create a surprisingly flexible emergency grappling hook out of ice. He can cover an object in ice, making it too cold to handle, and he can send a fist made of ice (what Warren refers to a “corny snowball fist”) flying through the air. The ice shields he can create can be bulletproof.

Professor X can use his ability to “project” images on a blank wall (presumably he’s making them think they’re seeing these images). He can also use his powers to erase the Vanisher’s memories, to the point that he no longer remembers his own identity.

The Vanisher can disappear by teleporting himself to any place he can think of, “at unimaginable speed,” even when being held by someone.

X-Lore: The school’s name is given early on, as “Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.” Also on the school front, Iceman receives a demerit for talking during Professor X’s presentation.

We also see that the top half of the original X-Men uniform (the “vest”) is unattached to the trunks and can be pushed up to the neck, when Warren does so to let the Professor check him over. (Not sure whether this matters, but it seemed worth noting.)

(Interestingly, the original has Warren with bare skin here instead, which makes less sense; presumably Marvel Unlimited recolored this in recognition that it's clearly a yellow vest worn over a blue undersuit, and so he should be wearing that underneath.)

We see Beast has similar problems with overconfidence as the Angel. He seems a little less short-tempered than in the previous issue, but he still seems far closer to Ben Grimm in personality than to who he’ll eventually be; his vocabulary is still fairly colloquial and he's definitely still got "lovable dumb muscle" elements to him.

Iceman is less immature than he was in the first issue but even more hotheaded (something else that will change some), and he spends as much time bickering with the Angel as he does with the Beast in this story.

We see the first example of Angel's and Cyclops' (and eventually several others’) nickname for Jean Grey, “Jeanie.” We also see the first of many examples of Iceman’s love for frozen sweets:

Professor X is a Jerk: Wow, it took a whole two issues before some serious Professor X sociopathy comes out. The ending of the story involves Xavier wiping the Vanisher’s memory, including his memory of who he is. This is some serious mind-rape levels of telepathy going on here, and it seems like a particularly unethical use of his powers. (It seems especially unnecessary as before that, Xavier demonstrated that he could use his abilities to just prevent Vanisher from using his powers. If he can do that, was the total mindwipe really needed?) Marvel Girl is the only one who seems to show any discomfort or surprise at Professor X’s course of action:

The Swinging Sixties: This is clearly set during the height of the Cold War, with the threats to deliver the “continental defense plans” to vaguely mentioned “communists.” The former presumably has some relation to CONAD, or the Continental Air Defense Command, which was tasked with air defense from Soviet missiles for the continental U.S. The latter is presumably some flavor of Soviets.

Real (and Real Fictional) People: Marvel Girl tells the mob of “chickadees” that it “isn’t Sadie Hawkins Day!!”

While Sadie Hawkins is fictional, presumably the comic strip she appeared in, Li’l Abner, and its creator, Al Capp, exist in Marvel-616.

Jean also telekinetically lifts said mob onto a marquee for the film A Teen-Ager’s Tears:

The film appears to be fictional, but it is listed as starring the very real 1960s actress Tuesday Weld (well, “Tues[…] Wel[…]” but that’s clearly who it is meant to be).

When the Beast grabs the suitcase of the plans, he says he’s a hero, and he’ll probably be invited on the Ed Sullivan Show:

The Fairer Sex: Jean seems at least a little smug at the fact that Warren needs her help to repel his fangirls. Warren calls her “beautiful” and “gorgeous,” Cyclops calls her “gorgeous” and “little lady.” She calls them “boys.”

Horny Teens: That crowd of girls at the beginning is really into the Angel, to a disturbing level. He complains when Jean removes them, saying he was beginning to enjoy it.

Jean seems to already be into Cyclops, giving him copious thanks for saving her in a way she doesn’t for Warren. Bobby seems to be at least a little jealous of the two:

Well, It’s An (Artistic) Choice: The Vanisher’s costume is interesting and distinctive, but it’s also a little ridiculous:

The neckpiece, which looks like a Spider-Man-patterned ruff from the front and a massive cobra hood with scales from the side, is especially odd. Combine that with the tunic top and pants (also scaled) and the purple cape and gloves and boots, and you end up with an outfit that’s memorable but not entirely in a good way. Interestingly, Marvel Unlimited has recolored the costume to be primary red and purple, much like Magneto; the original has both in shades closer to magenta (compare to the MU version of the same frame above):

Jack Kirby came up with some bangers when it comes to costume design (even one just last issue using a similar color scheme!), but this ain’t it, I’m afraid.

There are several points in the issue where Xavier is drawn with an almost comically oversized noggin, to the point he verges on looking like a stereotypical grey alien:

He’s not quite in M.O.D.O.K. or the Leader territory, but he’s definitely in the same ballpark as the Watcher and Hector Hammond.

Head-Scratchers: It’s very important to keep the location of the school, and that the X-Men are based out of it, secret. Iceman is quite happy to direct the ice cream truck to bring him and Cyclops, in their X-Men identities, to the very school itself.

Similarly, Professor Xavier’s identity as the leader of the X-Men doesn’t seem particularly secret, as the various governmental entities seem to know who he is, and he appears on the White House lawn to confront the Vanisher with no mask or other identity concealment.

When redirecting Bobby’s ice pellets, Jean once again refers to her ability as “the mental power of teleportation”:

It seems more egregious in this issue since we have an example of someone with the actual ability of teleportation in the Vanisher. (This one has not been corrected on Marvel Unlimited.)

Finally, what happened to the continental defense plans? Do they ever even recover them? They have no clue who else the Vanisher might have shown them to during the time he was in possession of them, so any idea of them remaining top-secret seems like it’s probably out the window, and the only person whom we know knew their location—the Vanisher—now doesn’t know much of anything. I guess we do assume that the “communists” didn’t get them, though.

Other Comments: It’s interesting that the second X-Men story is also their first failure, with Professor X himself having to step in and salvage the mission. It’s also interesting that Professor X’s ethical dubiousness, which will become a huge part of his later character, is present so early, even if it’s not recognized as such by the narrative. The Vanisher is another long-time, off-and-on X-Men villain, though he makes less good use of the red-and-purple color scheme than Magneto did. We also see the X-Men as much more popular and establishment figures, with Warren's fangirls and their direct link with the FBI, than they would later be; it makes sense that these would go when they decided to play up the “mutants as minority outsiders” theme, which they’re definitely not going for here (at this point it’s more of a “mutants are secret supermen” theme, with even the X-Men talking patronizingly about Homo sapiens in the last issue). While it’s not nearly as precedent-setting or iconic as the first issue, this is definitely expanding on that world and starting to shape the characters into something closer to who they’ll eventually be.

#x-men #cyclops #iceman #beast #marvel girl #angel #professor x #review #comics #x-officio #vanisher

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crossdreamers · 3 years

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What science really says about transgender athletes

Michel Martin has made an interview with Dr. Eric Vilain about transgender athletes in sport over at Boise State Public Radio. The short version: It is complicated, but in general trans people do not have any real advantage over cis people in sports.

Anti-trans activists are trying to ban trans kids and adults from public sports. They say that their laws and regulations are put in place to eliminate any competitive advantage that transgender athletes may have.

But do they have any advantage?

Eric Villain holds an MD and a PhD. He is a pediatrician and geneticist at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and an expert on intersex conditions. He's been an adviser both to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the International Olympic Committee.

I will present a few quotes from the interview here to give you an insight into the most important points made by Dr. Villain.

Villain points out that men have on average an advantage in performance in athletics of about 10 to 12% over women. The fact is, however, that trans athletes, on average, are not winning any more than their cis counterparts. So how can that be?

Villain explains:

"...higher levels of the male hormone testosterone are associated with better performance only in a very small number of athletic disciplines - 400 meters, 800 meters, hammer throw, pole vault. And it certainly does not explain the whole 10% difference...

“...I would say that every sport requires different talents and anatomies for success. So I think we should focus on celebrating this diversity rather than focusing on relative notions of fairness. For example, the body of a marathon runner is extremely different than the body of a shotput champion. And a trans woman athlete may have some advantage on the basketball field because of her height but would be at a disadvantage in gymnastics.

“So it's complicated. And more and more, many trans women athletes, for example, will take gender-affirming hormones, which will reduce their muscle mass and red blood cells, which carry the oxygen necessary for better performance. And that will also reduce the speed, the strength and the endurance.

“...at a high school level, many trans youth do delay their puberty, which means that even if they are not taking these gender-affirming hormones, their natural puberty in their biological sex is not happening, therefore resulting in a delay and an absence of an effect on muscle mass, at least for the male-to-female situation. So the supposed advantage of muscle mass and red blood cells because of testosterone becomes moot in middle and often high school competitions when there have been puberty blockers involved.

Read (or listen to) the whole interview here!

Illustration: sv_sunny Photo of Villain from Wikipedia.

#trans #transgender #lgbt #lgbt+#sports #transgender athletes #nonbinary #hrt #mtf #enby #transphobia #science

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stillebesat · 3 years

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Code: Blanket (part 2)

Sanders Sides: Logan, Remus, Virgil, Janus, Patton Fic Type: Hurt/Comfort Prompt: “If you don’t know where to go, you can always come here.” with Anxceit? (platonic is 100% good for me) Blurb: A friendship doesn’t stop just because one person decides to act like a dick. Especially when said dick is obviously in trouble. Overall Fic Warnings: Homophobia talk, Neglectful/Abusive Parents implication, Capitol Riot references, Injuries Taglist in Reblog

Part 1

“Your son is sneaking out.”

If the weight of his husband settling on top of him in the bed hadn’t been enough to fully wake Logan from sleep, the gleeful tone of Remus’s voice in his ear and the words he spoke were certainly enough to do so.

He tilted his head to the side, squinting up at his husband’s shadowy figure looming over him, ignoring how his heart had jumped into his throat, leaving an aching cavity in his chest. “If our son is sneaking out after dark, Sir Night Owl.” He said, working to sound calmer than he actually felt. “Then that’s obviously your influence at work and your problem.”

Remus gave a low chuckle, kissing his cheek. “Lion Kinging me, Messire Early Bird? Fair enough. I accept.” He shifted to roll off the bed, only to pause as Logan grabbed his hand.

“Virgil’s never snuck out before.” He whispered, flinching as he heard the front door close. Why would his son feel the need to do--sure teenagers were known to be rebellious, but he’d been clear that Virgil could talk to him about anything, anytime. To have him just suddenly leave without a word to them, without any indication that anything was wrong--

Remus squeezed his hand. “I heard him say ‘The offer still stands, D.’ as he walked by our door, sooo~ secret relationship?”

Logan pushed up onto one elbow, breath catching. “You heard him say Dee?” He demanded. “You’re certain?” He hadn’t known the two were still in communication. The end of their lifelong friendship last year had been...volatile. Virgil had been miserable for months afterwards.

“Yes?” His husband tilted his head. “You know them?”

Logan nodded, rolling over so he could grab his glasses from the night stand. “So do you. It’s Janus. Son of the Daemons.”

Remus stiffened, hissing like a broken teapot. “What offer could Virgiepoo possibly make to that horrible family of--”

“They were childhood friends.” Logan interrupted his husband before he went off on yet another long winded swearing spree about the Daemons. “Janus didn’t always approve of his parents...antics.”

Remus snorted, pulling Logan to his feet. “Antics? Those Ultra Christian Karens on Manbaby Cheeto Horse Steroids nearly cost both of us our jobs because they couldn’t stand the thought of their son knowing two gay men.”

Logan smirked, shrugging on a robe, placing his phone in the pocket just in case Virgil called. “And how did that turn out? With them facing the best lawyer in the country?”

Remus leaned in for a kiss. “Not good.” He breathed against his lips.

“Exactly.”

“Soo…” Still clad in only his boxers, Remus entwined his fingers in Logan’s, pulling him out of their bedroom towards the front door. “Son of our Enemy. Virgil sneaking out in the middle of the night to see him. What exactly is this offer that he’s offering to the Villains who aimed to destroy our happily ever after?”

An offer that Logan had believed had been firmly taken off the table over a year ago. “Simply put. Sanctuary.”

Which begged the question. What had happened in the Daemon household to convince Virgil to offer their home, after everything the two families had gone through, to their son once more?

“Sanctuary.” Remus repeated like it was a foreign word. “To one of their spawn? Are you serious?”

Knowing how much of a giving and forgiving heart his son had? Logan pulled open the front door, unsurprised to see the two teens standing frozen on the porch.

He had good timing like that.

“Boys.” Logan greeted, attention drawn immediately to Janus as he tried to hide behind his son only to be stopped by Virgil’s tight grip on his arm.

Janus swallowed, a tremor visibly going through him as met Logan’s eyes. “Mr. L.” He whispered, the porchlight throwing his face, and therefore, the stark purple bruise and cuts by his eye into sharp relief.

Sanctuary. He could now totally understand why Virgil had chosen to reach out.

The crumpled state of the boy’s clothes, the mask -an unusual accessory for the known anti-masker, anti-vaxxer family- the greasy hair, all of the obvious signs of neglect, Logan mentally catalogued as he immediately reached out, drawing the boy closer to him. “Janus.” He breathed, hating how the boy flinched at his movement, how he trembled under his touch even as he leaned into Logan’s hand as he cupped the boy’s uninjured cheek. “What happened?”

“Well, I hope what’s happening is that we’re kidnapping the demon spawn for ranso--” Remus cut off, inhaling sharply as he too caught sight of the facial disfigurement. “Lo, lemme see that.” He demanded, gently pushing him to the side so he could take the boy’s chin into his hands, tilting his head this way and that in the porch light.

Virgil relaxed, even as Janus visibly tensed, trembling under Remus’s scrutiny.

For good reason. The young Daemon had to feel like he was stepping into the Lion’s den by coming here.

“It’s okay, Dee. Remus is a surgeon. The best. You’re in safe hands.” Virgil said softly, keeping a firm grip on his friend’s arm as the boy shifted his feet like he was debating about turning tail and running.

Something he’d never thought Janus would do. The boy took after his parents in being willing to face confrontation head on, no matter the odds.

Something definitely was wrong here.

“What happened?” Logan repeated, unable to hide the concern in his voice.

Janus’s eyes flickered between him and Remus, breath hitching as he opened his mouth. “I--I--”

Remus growled, eyes flashing as he turned to Logan, gesturing wildly with his free hand. “What happened?! He’s lucky the wound isn’t infected, Lo! It’s obvious it’s been untreated. Obvious that he’s been neglected, mistreated, abused!”

Janus flinched at every word. “Yes.” The word ghosted over his lips, barely heard.

Virgil shook his head, eyes burning with quiet fury. “It’s worse.” He slipped his phone out of his pocket, tapping on the screen and flipping it so Logan could see the tweet there. “His parents locked him in their unfinished attic for FOUR months, Dad. And then they left him to go harring off to D.C. to storm the Capitol!”

They…WHAT?!

Logan saw red as Remus swore, his husband pulling Janus into a tight hug, the boy letting out a startled squeak at the action. “I changed my mind, Lo. We’re not kidnapping him, we’re adopting. Surprise, my little rebel. You’re mine now.”

Janus’s eyes went wide, shimmering with unshed tears as he stood stiffly in Remus’s grip, fingers twitching. “Y-yours?” He whispered, in such a small voice that had Logan wrapping an arm around the boy’s shoulders as well. “I--I--but I’m---I’m--”

There’d been a time he’d considered Janus almost like a second son with how often he and Virgil had hung out at their house as kids. Logan wasn’t at all opposed to rediscovering that sentimeint.

“It doesn’t matter.” He whispered in the boy’s ear. “You have a home here, Janus, for as long as you need one.”

The boy shuddered in their hold, breath hitching as he bowed his head, not quite resting it against Remus’s bare chest. “I--I tried to---I couldn’t get out! I tried everything to bre--to break free and then they just….left me. Their SON. They--” He broke off as Remus pulled him closer, a soft sob escaping as his husband carded his fingers through the boy’s hair.

“It’s okay, Janny-boy.” Remus whispered. “You did what you could with what you had.”

Janus shook his head. “I--i should have---sooner. I couldn’t--I didn’t think they’d actually!! My own parents.”

Virgil pressed in on the group hug, gently freeing the face mask from the boy’s ear. “Dee. You couldn’t have known.”

“I SHOULD have though!” He growled, twisting his head to stare at Virgil, cheeks streaked with tears. “We’ve been friends for years, Annie! I KNOW you and Mr. L. and...and…but when things,” His eyes flickered to Remus and back. “Changed. The pandemic and everything---I didn’t...I sided with them and thought they had to be RIGHT this time, but then things...stuff happened and THEY LOCKED ME UP and treated me like I was A NUT CASE when I--I--” His voice dropped to a near whisper. “They wouldn’t listen to me.”

Logan exhaled, squeezing the boy’s shoulder as he met his husband’s furious eyes. “I’m sorry, Janus.” He said, keeping his tone soft. “Your parents have had their...good...qualities at times,”

Remus snorted, but kept silent as Logan shot him another look.

“And I know...they’ve only tried to protect you from their perceived evils in the world, but Janus.” He shifted his position so he could cradle the boy’s injured cheek. “What they did to you was wrong. So very wrong.” And bound to be worse when the whole story was told. “It’s monstrous that they chose to treat their own flesh and blood in such an abhorrent and inhumane manner just because you disagreed with them and I will not stand for it. You deserve better and you will be treated much better here than you have been there. I promise you that.”

Janus abruptly twisted in Remus’s arms to cling to Logan, resting his head against Logan’s chest, fingers digging into the folds of his robe, his thin body shaking with sobs. “Don’t make me go back.” He whispered.

Logan shook his head, pressing a firm kiss against the boy’s greasy hair. “Never.”

“I won’t let him.” Remus added, a growl in his voice. “I’ve adopted you, Jan. My word is law. No take backsies.”

Janus looked between the three of them, before focusing on Remus, licking his lips. “But. You...don’t know me--”

“You don’t know me either, kiddo. But no worries. We’ll fix all that.” His husband winked as he gathered both Virgil and Janus under each arm, letting Logan take a careful step back. “But FIRST.” He pointed a finger at the boy’s eye. “I’m getting you clean and stitched up while Logie here makes a little call to his Work Wife to figure things out. With luck, and I am rather lucky, there’ll barely be a scar when I’m done.”

Janus stiffened, glancing over his shoulder to Logan. “Work Wife?!”

Virgil chuckled, twisting Janus’s mask in his fingers. “Not an actual wife, Dee. Dad has a fellow lawyer friend.”

“Rival.” Logan corrected.

Virgil rolled his eyes. “Rival that he constantly works with, so Rem calls him his work wife since he’s usually either with him or us.”

That wasn’t exactly true. He did go to other places and work with other people that weren’t Patton or his family. It just so happened that Patton ended up involved in a lot of the same sort of cases as him and so collaboration made more sense than going it alone.

Logan pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts. “Needless to say. I’ll take care of it, Janus. You can trust me on that.” He smiled to the teen before turning his attention to his son. “Virgil, send me a copy of that tweet as soon as you can. And Remus,” He grimaced as his husband paused, raising an eyebrow. He could see him practically vibrating with the need to stitch the kid up now. “I know you want to treat Janus ASAP, but I need photographic evidence of every single injury and sign of neglect before you do anything.” An unfortunate delay, but he needed the evidence recorded before it vanished. He hit call, placing his phone by his ear. “As soon as you’re done--”

“It’s straight to the shower, JanJan. Or a long hot bubble bath. Either way.” Remus said, ushering the teens towards the door. “We need you to get squeaky clean while Lo here does his thing, and then I can treat those wounds of yours without them getting infected. Okay?”

“I--I---uh...Okay?” Janus asked, sounding half strangled as they vanished inside.

The phone clicked. “Hello?” A sleepy voice asked over the line.

Hopefully Virgil could smooth over any further confusion for Janus until Logan could come back and reign Remus back from going full Mama Bear on the boy. “Hello, Patton.” He said, leaning against the wall, listening as the crickets began chirping again. “It’s Logan.”

“Lo?” He could hear his fellow lawyer and work rival stifling a yawn. “Wassup?”

“My apologies for calling so late, but I need your help with a case. Right now. If you’re able.”

The silence on the other hand wasn’t at all encouraging. But then again. It was late.

“...My help? With a case? Now?”

“Yes.” He’d already said that. Hopefully Patton’s brain would kick into a higher gear sooner rather than later or else this conversation would be lasting ten times longer than necessary. “You remember the Daemons?”

“Mmm….yah? Your fight with them had you fired up for ages with all their nonsense.”

“Exactly.” Logan exhaled. “Their son, Janus, just showed up at my house in an obvious state of neglect. Injured. Possibly abused. More than implied that it was his parents who put him in his current state. And I am, unfortunately, too visibly involved with the Daemons in a negative light to be considered an adequate impartial representative for him, especially if I house him in my home for the duration.”

Patton made a noise of surprise. “House him?”

“Virgil was--is a friend of his and he offered him sanctuary here when he discovered that Janus was in trouble. I’m not refusing him a safe place.”

“Safe? You just said--”

Logan closed his eyes, resting his head against the side of his house. “I know. I’m not on good terms with his parents.” They could go rot in a tar pit for all he cared about them. “But I’ve known the boy since he was six, Patton. He’s been to my house multiple times before. Been friends with my son. I won’t hold a grudge against the child for the actions of his parents.”

“Ha. I doubt his parents would appr--”

“His so-called parents Locked. Him. In. Their. Attic. For. FOUR. Months.” Logan interrupted, unable to hide the fury in his voice.

Patton sharply inhaled. “They WHAT?”

Exactly. It was good to hear his work rival taking the same tone. Patton had a soft spot for kids. “They locked him up and then abandoned him, Pat. I don’t know the exact circumstances just yet on why they felt that this was justifiable behavior, but no child should be treated like a prisoner by their family and no so-called parent’s opinion on where or who their son stays with should hold any weight if they’ve failed to provide decent care for their child in the first place!” Logan took a breath, forcing himself to relax his fingers on his phone before he cracked the screen. “Regardless, if the boy wishes to go elsewhere I won’t fight it. But he needed a safe place to go to and he chose to come here. That has to mean something considering the history between our two families.”

“It--I’d have to look into it.” Patton whispered. “This isn’t--the circumstances--”

“Are abnormal. I understand.” Logan nodded, staring off into the night. “Will you come?”

Patton huffed a laugh. “It’s not every day--ah night--you say you need me, Lo.”

That was true. They were more often rivals in the courtroom than collaborators these days. But still, he wouldn’t want any other lawyer to represent the boy if he couldn’t do it himself. “I need you, Pat.”

The sound of keys jangled in his ear. “Be right there.” Patton promised as the line went dead.

#Code: Blanket #stillbesat #Sanders Sides #Logan Sanders #Remus Sanders #Virgil Sanders #Janus Sanders #Patton Sanders #Neglectful/Abusive Parents implication tw #Capitol Riot references tw #Injuries tw #Homophobia talk tw

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sagessoftwings · 2 years

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Hi my name is rex, i’m queer and use they/them pronouns

i have like a caramel colored skin-tone and im 5’3 (short king). Rn i have a purple-pink short mullet and i have pretty curly hair(the ethnic popped off hehe), im pretty chubby but i have an hourglass shape, im pretty busty(im a fuckin k-cup bro😭) and thicc thighs(thicc thighs save lives, sorry i’ll stop). I dress pretty alternative but i cant just choose one subculture tho, i wear a lot of heavy eye makeup. I could say i dress kinda “showy” but thats kinda what only fits me, but also who gives a fuck.

Im a libra sun, scropio moon, and gemini rising. This means that im a pretty social person and always wanna hang out with friends and just have fun, but moon in scropio makes my emotions rlly haywire and kinda boosts any sorta negative emotion. I really like making people laugh, it makes me feel helpful, but im also good at being to mother figure for people.

I guess i could say my type is mamas boys lol, there always super sweet and respectful, orr the golden retriever type. The troupe i want in a partner is big titty goth person and the golden retriever. But its hard when your head is always like 😫WOMEN😫 and then also have the 4 types of men you got.

My hobbies include painting, drawing, and a bit of singing (im pretty insecure about it because i have a kinda deep voice). I just love creative stuff, plus it is a good outlit for me and my emotions. I also love sleeping (because i stay up mad late😭✌🏽), reading comics, Marvel and D.C superheroes, and super villains, cartoons, and anime/manga.

My favorite music genre’s are rock, alternative, emo, rap, and a little bit if indie music.

this is a power point lmao

YOU SOUND LIKE SUCH A GENUINELY AWESOME PERSON AHHH, much love honey <33 (also If I got your sexual preference wrong PLEASE let me know so I can redo it)

For MHA I ship you with: Mirio Togata!!

Our golden retriever himself

He ADORES YOU

He genuinely thinks your so neat because how freely you express yourself, like man is dumb founded marry him now pls

This man will raid your closet though and have fashion shows for you and in between you’re like “Wait a fkn sec, are those mine?”

He gets really excited and feels so loved when you ask him to help dye your hair and is obsessed with your curls

Mirio has the wash day routine down and will help him if you’ll let him

Mirio makes sure you know he adores you and loves you no matter your weight, he personally likes you just the way you are

Mans will ask you on the daily if he can lay on your thighs, maybe if he’s sweet in between them??

DO HIS MAKEUP PLS, he will stare at you till you look his direction and would sigh “I would hate if someone did my makeup totally awesome like yours…” and he’d just STARE INTO YOUR SOUL until you offer

He’s pretty moderately protective of you, especially if someone is rude regarding how you dress or anything about you really, mans will pop off

Mirio rlly likes it when you sing, he’ll be laying on top of you and just hum along, he is so in love

Mirio can't draw or paint, like you would be on a cute balcony painting date and he would be covered in paint as he just smears colors on the canvas with his hands and then look up rlly proudly and be like “I call this one, enigmaaaa”

He tries for you though

Mans loves you boobas, like he’d walk up behind you while your cleaning and be like “Those look mighty heavy, mind if I help” but means it really in a loving way because he knows they hurt your back

Mirio has such a sweet singing voice and likes to sing to you when you nap, but when you actually fall asleep he starts singing fucking Megan Thee Stallion

He’d also sing the Encanto songs I JUST KNOW IT mans loves that movie sm( like literally he watched it with you and this mans runs around yelling the lyrics)

(I literally watched the movie 15 times and can’t get it out of my mind)

For haikyuu I ship you with: Hinata Shoyo!!

LOVES YOUR HAIR

He’s obsessed with everything about you

He really likes the fact that you two are the same height because he’s really sensitive about it

Loves to hold onto you, Hinata loves everything about you and never fails to tell you

If you let him he’ll probably sit in your lap too jahsjha

He treats you so well man oh man I’m jealous

HINATA LOVES TO HEAR YOU SING LIKE BESTIE PLS NEVER SHUT UP

Pls give this man fashion advice he has no taste art all

He likes to make poorly colored pictures for you and will go berserk if you put it on your fridge

I can't get the scene of hinata rap battling Aone in the stage play, man can spit some lines though no doubt

Hinata can and will steal your clothes, he thinks their cool but mans will pair them with like gym shorts and get laughed at

Please love on him the needs it

#mirio togata x reader #mirio x reader #mha mirio #mha requests #mha matchup #mirio headcanons #hinata shoyuo #hinata x reader #hq shoyo #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu x reader #shoyo hinata x reader

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you-see-something-strange-here · 3 years

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PART 2:

Time goes on, and eventually people forget about Peter and the impact he had on the mansion. Charles and Erik fight over mutant rights and it’s Erik’s refusal to acknowledge his son’s death that’s the last straw. He forms the Brotherhood and becomes Magneto again, to the dismay of Charles. Kurt goes back to Germany, never really quite the same after the death of his friend. Raven and Hank leave to start a new life out in the world. Years later, the silver-haired speedster known as Peter Maximoff lived only in the memories of Jean Grey, Scott Summers, Ororo Monroe, Kurt Wagner, Charles Xavier, and his father Erik Lehnsherr.

Meanwhile, Peter has only been gone for about a year, stuck in 2023 with his multiverse twin Wanda, trying to find a way home. One day the spell finally clicks, and Wanda sends Peter home back to the X-Men universe. But it’s not the same as when he left it.

Peter doesn’t recognize any of the students; in fact, the whole mansion looks different. He walks inside and everybody mills around him, the occasional person stare at his peculiar hair. He hears books slam on the ground in front of him, and he is greeted by the sight of an aged Jean Grey (think the first X-Men movie). She stands in place for a second, but rushes forwards to give him a hug. She yells for Scott and Ororo and they come running to hug their friend, who’s barely aged a day since he left. Peter catches up with Charles revealing where he’s been and Charles tells him that Erik is now a “villain” and he’s planning to demonstrate the mutants power in D.C tonight by killing the President.

Peter suits up with the X-Men and jokes around like old times. They call Kurt and get the old team back together, everyone overjoyed to see Peter return safe and sound. They go to D.C. and it parallels Raven talking to Erik in Apocalypse when Peter reveals he’s still alive. Erik stands down and the Brotherhood follows his lead. He’s happy to see his son return and hugs him. Everyone returns to the mansion, happy to be together again.

#peter maximoff #charles xavier #erik lehnsherr #x men #jean grey #ororo monroe #hank mccoy #raven darkholme #scott summers #wandavision

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solaroptile · 2 years

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Hi im here for the encanto match up!!

Hi my name is rex, i’m queer and use they/them pronouns and i’m 15. And i would prefer someone not over the age of 18 plz.

i have like a caramel colored skin-tone and im 5’3 (short king). Rn i have a purple-pink short mullet and i have pretty curly hair(the ethnic popped off hehe), im pretty chubby but i have an hourglass shape, im pretty busty(im a fuckin k bro😭) and thicc thighs(thicc thighs save lives, sorry i’ll stop). I dress pretty alternative but i cant just choose one subculture tho, i wear a lot of heavy eye makeup. I could say i dress kinda “showy” but thats kinda what only fits me, but also who gives a fuck.

My favorite music genre’s are rock, alternative, emo, rap, and a little bit if indie music.

My hobbies include art (painting, drawing), sleeping (because i stay up mad late😭✌🏽), reading comics, Marvel and D.C superheroes, and super villains, cartoons, and anime/manga

this is a power point lmao

i love that you included your big three this helps a bunch

i match you with... camilo madrigal!

he's actually infatuated with how you do your eye makeup and tries to subtly ask you to teach him how to do it

also really likes your hair style and color

will watch anime/cartoons with you if you ask him to but be prepared for an endless amount of comments or questions about the characters and plot

you make each other laugh constantly and are absolute menaces together at family gatherings

you mention your type once in front of him and he instantly scrambles to work on his manners when you're both in front of his parents

trying to impress you, perhaps? he won't admit it

he's actually a bit intimidated by you at first because your style and vibe makes you feel unattainable but as you both bond and learn more about each other he realizes just how similar the two of you are and feels much more at ease poking fun at you

#encanto matchups #encanto #camilo madrigal #encanto incorrect quotes

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elaineiswithyou-blog · 2 years

Note

Hi im here for the matchups, the fandoms i would like are haikyuu, and mha

My name is Rex, im 15, i am also non binary and use they/them pronouns

i have like a caramel colored skin-tone and im 5’3 (short king). Rn i have a purple-pink short mullet and i have pretty curly hair(the ethnic popped off hehe), im pretty chubby but i have an hourglass shape, im pretty busty(im a fuckin k bro😭) and thicc thighs(thicc thighs save lives, sorry i’ll stop). I dress pretty alternative but i cant just choose one subculture tho, i wear a lot of heavy eye makeup. I could say i dress kinda “showy” but thats kinda what only fits me, but also who gives a fuck.

My hobbies include art (painting, drawing), sleeping (because i stay up mad late😭✌🏽), reading comics, Marvel and D.C superheroes, and super villains, cartoons, and anime/manga.

Likes: Drawing, Painting, Sleeping, going to party’s (only when i’m up for it), food

Dislikes: People who try to control me, mayo, most cishet men, racists, homophobes, ect

Favorite color: Purple and Black

Favorite sport: Don’t really watch sports but if i had to choose one i’d say basketball cause i know the most about it

Favorite animal: any very chunky animal

Favorite food*: Oreo Ice Cream

Do you have a pet*: Yes a Bullmastiff

Do you have any mental illnesses*: Chronic Anxiety and Major Depressive Disorder

Do you have any physical disabilities*: Kind of no, like a big fucking tittys that make my back hurt

Do you have any siblings*: Yes a younger sister

If so, what are they like*: annoying as hell, plus touches my stuff when i say no, so thats fun.

Do you speak any foreign languages*: Nope not that cool lol

Reading, writing, watching movies or playing videogames*: Watching movies and playing video games

What’s your job: Babysitting

What’s your dream job: Anything involving fashion or art

For MHA, I’d match you up with Kirishima. You both probably met at a party. You both are very old and social. You and Kirishima like comics and superheroes, so you both read and talk about the topic quite a bit. Most of your dates are pretty chill at home dates, but you guys got to parties and social gatherings a lot together, whenever you are up for it, that is. Get ready to know a ton about all kinds of sports. Seriously, Kirishima will talk your ear completely off about sports if you let him. He really likes your dog, and they get along well. Kirishima takes him for a walk if you don’t feel up for it.

For Haikyuu, I’d match you with Asahi for Haikyuu. You both meet in art class. He is much shyer than you are; he can’t not attract extroverts. You bring out a more social Asahi. You two paint with each other a lot, trying different styles or painting in various locations. He likes taking you on picnics to new areas like parks and painting. Your dog kind of scares him.

#bnha #mha #haikyuu matchups #haikyuu matchup #bnha matchup #mha matchup #matchup request #matchups #asahi haikyuu #mha kirishima #kirishima eijirou

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inknopewetrust · 4 years

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adieu, remember me. (1)

The Old Guard Booker x Female! Original Character

Summary: After a few years away, one member of the immortal team must return to protect their immortality and secrets as enemies begin to uncover their past.

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: nothing yet!

Parts: ... | 2 | part 2 coming soon!

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Feel free to let me know what you think about the work and it will def be more than 2 or 3 parts and longer than this one. Requests are CLOSED at the moment and I apologize in advance for any mis-wording or spelling in different languages because I don’t know french/italian but I feel in some cases it was necessary to use for character interactions. Published on 8/9/2020.

if you want to be tagged for the next part please let me know!

All original content is owned by me. Anything from the film/comic is property of the writers, studio, and director. Gif not by me.

Versailles evolves every so often but over 172 odd years, more visitors pack its halls and recall its history. Tourists from around the world flock to the once functional palace and the home of infamous, complicated monarchs. Passed the sweeping halls and the paintings of untouchable status, a special exhibit was placed at the end of the hall with cases full of crowned jewels of French royalty.

Tourists flashed photos of crowns and rings and pearls that adorned the exhibit cases. In the center of the room laid perhaps the most famous of jewels, as well as the crowns that found themselves on the heads of women who suffered terrible fates. The Hope Diamond sat in a case between crowns that once adorned it and worn by Marie Antoinette and Louis Philippe I’s controversial daughter, Vivienne, Duchess of Auvergne. On loan from its final resting place at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the diamond once found itself imbedded in each of the crowns on momentous occasions.

Crown worn by Vivienne, Duchess of Auvergne and third daughter of King Louis Philippe, killed by French revolutionaries in February 1848. Crown was commissioned by the King for his daughter’s twenty-eighth birthday. Was worn on the night of her death on 24th of February, 1848.

Twenty-eight. 172 years later she still remember the party, the food, the smell of the candles that burned from the chandelier and the man who caught her heart. Pretentious was the only word that came to mind when she thought of the party and the woman. At the time she felt deception too but the world has a funny way of making villains look like heroes depending on the perspective.

Clara felt the surge of memories remind her of the life she knew before the one she was in now. She didn’t know how long she had stood in front of that particular case with that particular diamond and crown but by the time her feet began to ache she knew it had been long enough. Clara also wasn’t sure how long a small English girl had been standing next to her, also staring at the silver diamond encrusted crown and the plaque underneath it.

“You know, she’s kind of a rebel and I dig it. It reminds me of Princess Margaret in a way. She was Queen Elizabeth’s sister and she partied a lot too.”

“Excuse me?”

“Vivienne. She was a rebel in her own right and I admire her for it.” The woman turned, her face meeting the girl taking notes on a piece of paper. The girl couldn’t have been more than thirteen and certainly had a bold personality if she was talking to someone she didn’t know.

“The revolutionaries didn’t see it that way, so why would you?”

“She was independent. I think it was progressive and cool for her not to follow the rules of her family. Not to mention the glamour in her style. She had the best dresses and crowns since well, Marie Antoinette probably.”

“That’s a little naïve, no?” The woman raised her brow at the student but the girl simply shrugged. The young one looked at the older woman and analyzed her face and features as she spoke.

“She spent the people’s money like water and saw no problem with the poverty in the streets. Vivienne was oblivious to the world around her because she lived in a world of riches with everyone at her disposal.”

“Perhaps.” The girl paused before continuing. “There’s a tv show about her on... um-I don’t remember- HBO maybe and they say she took a commoner for a lover and he sold her secrets to the revolutionaries which led to her death. Her body disappeared after the broke into the castle and people think they threw her body in the Seine.”

“I would advise you to stop watching whatever movies are giving you that perspective on the issue because it’s not true.” Clara scoffed and turned away from the girl.

The girl listened but was too entranced by the figure in front of her eyes. Brown hair, medium length, waved. She looked nice to say the least. She had on pretty clothes and may have been an employee because she knew so much but the girl wasn’t sure. All the student was certain of was that the woman standing in front of her looked very much like the Duchess in the paintings that lined the modern wing.

“You look like her.” The girl told her and she put her pencil down holding the pad of paper at her side. Before she had a chance to answer the girl, a teacher called out to the students as a signal to leave and the girl picked up her bag.

“Have a nice day.”

The girl left with the class and the woman stayed in front of the case watching them leave the room before turning back to the crown that once adorned her own head. A soft rumble came from her pocket and she pulled out the burner phone with a number she didn’t recognize but an area code she did, Goussainville.

France, safe house #4

“Hello?”

“Clara.” The Italian on the other line sounded relieved that she simply picked up the phone. Clara’s face contorted into one of worry than one of happiness she had been called.

“Nicolo, s’il tu plaît dites-moi que tout va bien?” Clara moved over to a window, away from the crowds to answer the call she had been anticipating for the last day. She dreamt of a black girl and her throat being sliced open. Waking up gasping for breath that wasn’t her own and cautious of who it might be.

“No-no. Il y en a un nouveau ... mais ce n'est pas le problème. les gens essaient de nous trouver et Dieu sait quoi.” Nicky told her and Clara felt helpless, disappointed in herself that she wasn’t there to help them. Not only was there someone new who needed guidance but the others needed her too if they were going to protect their own skin.

“Andy went to get her. We are at the safe house in Goussainville and they should be here later today. If you can make it... we really need you, Clara.” Clara sighed and looked out the window that faced the vast gardens the palace was surrounded by. Serenity before the inevitable storm.

“He’d kill me if he knew I’m telling you this but Booker needs you. It’s getting worse since the last time he saw you and I am not sure what to do.”

“That was three weeks ago, Nicky.”

“I can’t explain it... it’s just gotten worse. I know he has to help himself but he’s always a bit brighter when you’re around.”

“I can be there later tonight. What time are they getting in?”

“7.”

“I can be there at 8. I’m in France so I’ll take a train as soon as I can.”

“We will be waiting.” Nicky told her and she hung up the phone. Clara looked back at that glimmering crown and what the young girl said about the Duchess. Naïvety at its finest.

At the safe house in Gousssainville, the three immortal men unpacked the bag they brought and washed up after the ambush in Afghanistan. Nicky stood alongside the small counter space prepping dinner when Booker came to fill a cup with wine.

“Who was on the phone?” Booker asked in a low grumble and Nicky set down the knife he was using to slice tomatoes.

“It was Clara. I called her and told her we needed her here. She dreamt of the girl too.”

“And?” Booker pushed further and downed his glass in an instant upon the news.

“She could catch a train to be here at 8.”

“How did she sound?”

“Worried.”

Booker nodded and filled his glass again before going to sit in front of the tv in a chair he had designated as his own many years ago. Nicky watched as he sat, drank more and tried to remove himself from his thoughts but was too lost to do so. He was observant and cared deeply for the others in his life but there was only so much he could do for a man as stubborn as Booker.

“Hai bisogno di aiuto?” Joe called out to Nicky from everyone’s shared bedroom before also joining the two in the common space. Nicky shook his head and glanced at Booker who wasn’t looking but certainly listening.

“I called Clara. She is on her way to us now. She knows we are in trouble.” Joe smiled at Nicky and gave him a quick peck. While they were all very close, Joe and Nicky had taken Clara under their wings and helped her acclimate to the world as an immortal, especially after they found her and the two french immortals clashed.

“It’s been too long. I miss that woman.”

“We all do.” Nicky said before returning to his meal. Without much time having gone by, the door to the cemetery sounded and Andy walked through the door with a nervous woman behind them. The girl was young, no more than 25 and had blood stained on her forehead. One hand was clutching her arm but out of nervousness not injury. Her eyes looked at the three men. Two sat staring at her in chairs and the other by the refrigerator and the only sound that played was the cheering of fans from a football match that played on the widescreen. Andy looked over her shoulder and then back again, breaking the silence to introduce the newest member of The Old Guard.

“Everyone, this is Nile.”

--------------------------------------------

Tag List: (Let me know if you’d like to be tagged for the next part!)

@holychocopie

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considerourknowledge · 2 years

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Penguin, Clayface Subpoenaed

The Democratic-led committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued five new subpoenas to several Trump sycophants including Roger Stone and conspiracy screaming supplement salesman Alex Jones. The committee said the subpoenas are focused on the planning and financing of Jan. 5 and Jan. 6 rallies in Washington, D.C., and also because Stone and Jones are massive pieces of shit who deserve whatever they get at this point. Both men are doing whatever they can to avoid the probe and make moves to revise history because they were clearly the types of wanna-be Batman villains who would do whatever Trump needed to subvert democracy.

#donald trump #roger stone #alex jones

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racefortheironthrone · 3 years

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Is there any discernible difference between the Avengers and the JLA, other than being their respective distributors big team-up books? By differences I mean in terms of how they function as a team, how they react to threats, how they came together and how they’re generally viewed by the superhero community and wider populace within their own respective universes?

It’s really only in the last ten years, since the Marvel Cinematic Universe radically reshaped the public awareness of various Marvel characters, that that comparison would make any sense whatsoever. The Justice League of America has always been where D.C put all of its biggest characters - Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, to a lesser extent the Green Lantern and the Flash, and then a coterie of lesser lights orbiting the central trinity - but for the longest time the Avengers was where you stuck characters who weren’t selling well on their own (or at least who were viewed as needing a boost), much like other grab bag group books like the Champions, the Defenders, the Midnight Sons, etc.

Back in the day, the biggest sellers in Marvel were the Fantatic Four and Spider-Man. Come the 70s, the All-New X-Men ruled the roost. If you look at what happened during the bankruptcy in the 90s, when Marvel sold off the film rights to a lot of its characters, they sold the Hulk (because he’d had a TV show), Spider-Man (cartoon show), the X-Men (cartoon show), and a few bits and bobs, but they didn’t sell the Avengers because no one wanted to buy them because they weren’t notable enough.

Then when the big boom in superhero movies started in the early 00s and Marvel started to make the move into doing superhero movies itself, the Avengers started to be treated more like “THE” big team that the others revolved around, rather than as a collection of C-listers, a phenomenon which has only entrenched itself since the MCU took off.

However, to answer your in-universe question: “how they function as a team, how they react to threats, how they came together and how they’re generally viewed by the superhero community and wider populace within their own respective universes?”

How they came together: the original Avengers (Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, and the Wasp) came together as part of a plot by Loki to trick other superheroes into killing Thor for him. They fought each other for a while, because “would Hulk beat Thor” was enough to sell a book then as now, and then realized they’d been tricked, and decided to get vengeance against Loki (hence the name).

How they function as a team: unlike the JLA, which has a pretty consistent core cast, the membership of the Avengers changes wildly. The whole original team quit in issue #16 and got replaced by Captain America plus three ex-villains (Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver), who were the core that the book got built around in the late 60s and 70s, but some of the old core cast wandered back. As a result, team dynamics change from cast to cast.

How they react to threats: while being as New York-centric as the rest of the Marvel Universe, the Avengers do tend to do more of the global world-saving stuff, especially in the periods where they operate by virtue of a U.N charter as opposed to special license from the U.S govt. Standard M.O is that something bad happens, this catches the attention of whoever’s on monitoring duty, the signal goes out on their Avengers communicators (when I started reading comics, it was a videophone-ID card that the Avengers carried with them) to the various heroes on their solo adventures, and then they ASSEMBLE! to fight the bad guys.

How they’re viewed by the superhero community/wider populace: it ranges from them really being “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes,” with some of the big names being living legends and icons to be lived up to and it really being the Nintendo Seal of Quality to be an invite, to it being a kind of gig work place for regular superheroes looking to make ends meet (because the Avengers have a budget), to them being glorified cops to be shunned by all right-thinking lone wolf antiheroes.

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theravenclawlover · 4 years

Text

Monster

Parings: James “Bucky” Barnes x Reader.

Warnings: +18 Mentions of torture, mature language, future smut, mentions of death, slight depression, mentions of kidnapping.

Word Count: 1,741

Summary: You are one of the youngest members of the Avengers, and you love it. Out of the blue an impossible mission is assigned to you alongside Natasha Romanoff, and it was sure to change your life. Lies, and betrayal from the closest people in your life; they never told you who you really were.

Chapter Number: 7.

Chapter Tittle: What else did I miss?

A/N: You guys... it’s been a solid since I last posted some fanfiction. It’s been a crazy year and we all have been preoccupied with other stuff. I hope all of you are okay and as well as your families. This chapter is super short, and I didn’t notice until I was done. I’ll try to make the last couple of chapters longer, so I can tie anything that I missed before. I hope you guys like it. [side note: I’ve been working a bit on the twins fic and boy it’s long. I think it might be one of my favorites...maybe...I have like a love hate relationship with it. I don’t know when that’s coming up, especially that school is starting up again. Last year before I graduate college. damn.]

Fury had called you and Steve in for an important last-minute mission. Top secret, he’d said. You and Steve were to lead the other assigned Avengers through the mission while they were on the dark on some important information. For their own good, had said Fury. The gist of the mission was to destroy a new-found HYDRA base in South America, but only you and Steve knew that it was HYDRA. Being told not to say a word about HYDRA had been important to emphasize as Fury did not want anyone to go on some side-vengeful quest. For the rest of your team it was just an extraction of some important documents that would allow to locate some high ranked bad guys. It wasn't exactly a lie, there were documents that S.H.I.E.L.D needed to get their hands one. But the secrecy was needed in favor that Bucky wouldn’t get triggered by the mention of HYDRA or direct exposure to anyone who knew what was in his head. And it was the soldier’s first real mission along you and Steve. He was bound to be excited and anxious about it all.

But aside from Bucky, the mission was going to be a challenge to almost everyone in the team. Wanda was made by HYDRA and still held resentment but it was more at the thought that her brother had been next to her throughout it all and now he was gone because HYDRA had been the bad guy all along; Sam had fought HYDRA when they destroyed S.H.I.E.L.D and almost Washington D.C along with it; Vision was ultimately created by a villain that had used HYDRA facilities to try and conquer the world; and the same time the most affected were Steve, Bucky, and you. Two ex-HYDRA trained and raised assassins and one super soldier who lost his best friend during the war by the same organization. Yeah, it was going to be hard. But only Steve and you would know HYDRA’s involvement, and the only left thing to do was hope for the best.

The mission was going taking everyone to Ecuador. Small country that borders with Peru, and Colombia. Apparently, HYDRA was now trying to turn the country into their main headquarters; as far as possible from the States as they could. The country was still in development of better systematic aspects, aiding the organization to hide in a country where no one would think twice to search. But S.H.I.E.L.D did. Noticing that the Quinjet was approaching its landing, Steve turned to the assembled team to go over the mission plan before landing.

"Okay team, we are about to land in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The mission for today is simple: we are inspecting all abandoned buildings that we come across. We are in a big city, so we’re going to be divided by groups,” said Steve as he looked at you to continue.

Bringing up and 3D map of the city, you pointed as you continued on, “Wanda, and Sam; you two are going to take north of the city. Steve, Bucky and I are going to take southside. Vision, I want you to run a quick visual scan of the city range and report back to me or Steve. Take the east and west after the first rundown. If we get anywhere today, tomorrow we go in and see where that takes us.” You look around and see everyone nod in understatement. “But right now, we are going find a hotel and change from out suits. Got to look like tourists."

°°°°°

It took less than half an hour to find a hotel good enough to lay low, disguises were used and thanks to your love for idioms, the language barrier wasn’t much of a trouble as you were the one who most of the talking. It came in handy at the time of asking the receptionist where guys could eat something good too. There was a lot of seafood dishes at every restaurant or little corner you all found, and they tasted as good as they looked. Even though all of you were there on a mission, you had convinced Steve to take a minute to take the beauty of it all. But soon everyone was ready to commence their respective mission. Steve reminded everyone that a map of their area had been added to the watch Tony and Bruce had developed. Everyone went their separate ways and as you saw Sam and Wanda walk away, you wondered how Sam or Wanda were going to handle themselves if someone spoke to them. You had thought him some words as he had decided to join you when watching those damn novellas; nevertheless, he didn’t know enough to even make out a sentence. You started laughing at the thought of him getting all frustrated with himself as his veins on his forehead become visible at his obvious irritation. Steve, and Bucky stopped and looked at you, who had stopped to put your hands on your knees as you laughed a little too loud.

"Y/N? What's so funny, doll?" said Bucky, looking at you with the hint of a small smile on his face.

"You’re laughing a bit hard there," added Steve, the blond man not hiding his smile.

"Well, I was just thinking how…how…. Sam would look all frustrated not knowing what to say in Spanish!!! Bahahaha…." You erupted into bigger cackles as you couldn’t shake the imagine of a raging Sam Wilson.

The men were looking at you then Steve started laughing at your red face and streaming tears. The sound of your hyena laugh had broken the will of the blond man, and now was laughing as hard as you were. It wasn’t that funny really, but it was your attitude toward the joke that made it funny. Bucky stood there, looking at his best friend since childhood, and the girl that made his heart flutter and head hurt from memories. And just as you held to Steve for support, Bucky found himself chuckling at the ridiculousness of all. Your ears caught the sound, and almost immediately your laugh stopped as you looked ahead of you…

You were in a small room, it was hot inside, but just cold enough to send small shivers down your body. You found yourself dirty and sweaty. It looked like you had been training. You heard a door opening behind you, and turning on your heels, you see him. The Winter Soldier. In his usual uniform. He looked dirty too, and just as sweaty. Well what a view: combat boots, those black pants, and that damn white shirt so tight on him. Damn, he looks good. You were brought back to reality when he started talking

"You've improved. Good," he said in English. He normally spoke to you in Russian, as it was protocol. He sounded tired, but he still held that strong voice that had started to make your knees buckle only a couple of weeks ago during training.

"Well, I have to improve. Otherwise dad would be mad at me again, and I don’t like it when he gets all pissed because I can’t defeat you or at least give you a hard time," you said rolling your eyes and crossing your arms in annoyance.

"You know he wants to make you strong enough so he can put you out on missions," he said walking toward the only chair in the room.

"Yeah, I know. But I just turned 16 and he still thinks my powers are not strong enough to fight on missions. I can do it. I know I can, I’ve put down 50 of his lame soldiers in less than a minute. But you are too damn hard to defeat with how massive you are, " you said sighing almost in defeat. A small blush dusting your cheeks as you dared to say that about him.

"You just need to practice more with your powers if you want them to get stronger. You are good at fighting hand to hand, but you need to learn to mix them both in order to be on top." He sounded less strict with his words; he was now more than your instructor…it felt like having a talk with a friend…maybe more.

"Yeah, whatever. So, are we going to train again or what? I really would like to take a shower. I'm all dirty and I smell," you said looking down at yourself. You didn’t like it when he got to see you looking all dirty and messy like that.

"I think we both feel like that. But we must go out and train again but this time they want you to use a bit of your powers towards objects. See if you can concentrate enough to aid yourself in combat," he said as he stood from the tiny chair.

"Okay, let’s go," you said sounding sarcastically happy. Unexpecting, he chuckled at your fake cheeriness making you stop on your track. For the first time since you met him he was finally showing emotions. Towards you. You! You felt damn special, but it made you feel fear as he wasn’t allowed to show any kind of emotions. Once outside everything was quite again, as if the small sound had never happened. You were not going to mention this to papa.

…Steve grabbed you by the shoulder, shaking you a bit, starling you from your mind.

"Hey, Y/N, you okay there? You kind of froze there,” asked Steve, sounding worried about you.

"Hmm? I’m…okay. Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, I just thinking of something and I guess I spaced out too hard," you lied.

With a quick scan of your face, Bucky visibly relaxed, "okay then, let’s go. We have a ground to cover."

"Right. Let’s go," you said looking at his turned back as he walked ahead of you and Steve.

As you silently walked, your mind drifted back to your earlier episode. It was the first time you've had a memory come back like that. It was different from the others. This time was one close to when Fury got a hold of you. It felt as if it had been yesterday you had stood in that tiny room. It was weird. You didn’t like the feelings you were having right now. Past you had talked about powers, and Bucky knew about them. Was there more that you didn’t know about yourself?

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