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theglamorousferal · 10 months

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The Cryptid of Smallville Ch. 2

I’m impaitent and the second chap of the fic is already up on AO3 so here we go! I’m almost done with chapter 3 so we’ll see if I manage to finish it before the month is out. I’m going to start posting wips and prompt ideas and rambles in the next week.

Here’s chapter 2! Danny makes some new friends (:

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One thing about living in a town where the primary source of income is farming is that you hear a lot of superstitions about what happens in the fields at night. Farmer’s from every generation will tell you not to look into the fields at night. Don’t go runnin’ through the fields at dusk and definitely not after dark. There are things out there that don’t like it when folks poke around.

This, of course, led to Danny poking around.

He figured he’s probably scarier than any of the “things” out there and maybe he can find someone spooky to commiserate about death with.

He’s been here around three months now, and the Kent’s finally started taking him out in public more often and so while Martha or Jon or Clark are doing errands, Danny hears things and can’t help but feel fascinated. Are most of these stories just feral dogs or foxes or something out in the fields hunting for the night? Probably. Does that mean he’s not going to bother to go out there? No.

This leads to Danny’s current predicament. The problem with having someone else with powers in the house is that they usually can tell when someone else is getting up to mischief. This is especially irritating when said other superpowered individual has super hearing and is a stickler for rules. Clark is holding Danny by the ankle right outside of Danny’s second story window, because of course, he also can fly.

“Oh come on Clark! I just want to see if there’s any other people like me out there, and they only come out at night. I swear I won’t complain about homework or going to school again for a week if you let me go!”

Clark just raised an eyebrow, somehow giving the effect of crossing his arms without doing so. Clark may only be twelve, but he also knows to not go out into the fields at night.

Danny goes limp when he realizes his offer isn’t getting him anywhere. He sighs really big and then gets an idea. “If you let me go, I’ll help you with that astronomy assignment for your science class and I’ll teach you all of the constellations?” he offers. Clark seems to debate this for a moment. Danny gives him puppy dog eyes. Clark’s expression softens.

“Fine, but I’m keeping an ear out and if I hear anything like you being in trouble, I’ll come out there and grab you, got it?” He tried to put on his most serious face. Clark was used to having to be the strict one among his friend group, but he also had a soft spot for Danny. The kid seemed pretty chill all the time and didn’t have an issue with using his powers at all, but also seemed a bit melancholy, staring off into space or turning to say something to someone who wasn’t there. There are names he would mutter in his sleep, Jazz, Sam, Tucker, Ellie and of course Mom and Dad. If he thought there might be people from his dimension, why not let him go talk to them.

Danny frantically nodded his head and swiftly righted himself and took off towards the fields.

Clark sighed, crossed his arms and sat on the roof facing the fields. He may let him go talk to the things, but he’s gonna keep an ear out for the kid that’s getting to be a bit like a younger brother to him.

*****

Danny prowled through the fields invisible and intangible until he heard rustling. Making his way towards the sound, he caught sight of a rabbit with it’s foot caught in twine. He sighed, letting his ghostliness drop as he went to help the poor creature.

As he knelt down, he gasped out some light blue fog and heard chuckling from right behind him.

“Don’t you know not to come out at night little boy?” a voice that sounded like the earth rumbling sneered out behind him.

Danny smirked. “Eh, I don’t think I’m your average meal though.” He stood and turned around, looking up at the creature. It appeared to be an emaciated werewolf with glowing red eyes, moss green fur and the exposed skin was deep red and stretched across the bones. “Weird, you reek of death, but also don’t seem to be made entirely of ectoplasm. Maybe you’re existing on something besides just ectoplasm? Let’s see, what’s your normal meal? Is it flesh or just fear?” Danny let his eyes glow as he floated up to be eye level with the creature. “What are you called by the way? Do you even have a name, or are you just called ‘Thing’? I think I’ll call you Jeff, you look like a Jeff.”

The creature froze when his eyes started glowing green and tilted it’s head to the side like a confused dog. “You smell dead child. Are you a new Thing? You obviously aren’t like the meat bags who live around here.”

“Oh, Hi, I’m Danny! I’m half ghost, so I’m half dead. What other Things are out here? Are they all like you, or are there different kinds? I’m assuming different kinds because you implied that I’d just be another one. Do you know any others? Can you take me to them?” Danny got excited and floated up close to the creature’s face.

“Hello Danny, I suppose I could tell you. I have no name, but there are others who have chosen names for themselves. There are banshees, shriekers, the Corn Children, more like me that are various animals, we have no name, but are the combined fear of animals in their dying moments. I survive from flesh and fear, though it can sustain me for ages. I eat when opportunity presents itself. Come child, I shall introduce you to those within the bounds of this place.”

Danny cheered and jumped onto Jeff’s back as they made their way through the fields.

*****

Later, Clark found Danny sitting around the hole he landed in talking to things that are from nightmares. He hovered closer and cleared his throat. The creatures froze and started to fade into the corn.

“Oh hi Clark! See my new friends?” Danny smiled from where he was curled under a creature that looked like a huge zombie dog with horrifically elongated limbs. Next to them was what appeared to be humanoid wrapped in rags with long black hair and a pair of identical pale toddlers holding each other’s hands in matching overalls. Some scaly thing that looked like a lizard turtle with tusks and a mane had vanished into the dirt.

“Child, I believe it is time for us to go. We will meet you when you wish, just appear here and one of us will find you. Thank you for making your presence known, it was nice to meet an Other. Now you must do as the meat bag children do and rest for you also must stay among them. Farewell child.” With that Jeff stood, nodded to Clark, and disappeared into the corn, the banshee and the children following.

Clark flew down to Danny and picked him up. “So, that was more terrifying than I expected. I thought you were just going to come across some foxes or a stray dog or something. I’m not sure how I feel knowing that the stories are true and there really are Things out here.” Clark moved to hold Danny bridal style as the kid curled into his shoulder and yawned. He flew them back to the house, it was well after midnight by now.

“I like Jeff, and Tony, and Bess, and Tim and Tom. They’re nice and they said they’d keep the fields safe for me.” Danny yawned huge as Clark set him down in his bed. “Don’t worry, they won’t let anyone else bother the Kent farm or your family. They like me.” Danny rolled over and almost immediately started snoring. Clark sighed and tucked Danny in, then made his way to his room, wondering if he could get to sleep after seeing those creatures.

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I know the creatures here are not exactly real cryptids, but I wasn’t sure which ones are okay to use without accidentally hurting people so I kinda made my own! What hijinks do you think Danny will get up no next? Will he drag Clark into it? Who knows! I’m writing this as it comes to me!

Part 1 Part 3

#Danny Phantom #danny is a cryptid #danny fenton #dpxdc #dp x dc #cryptids #superman #clark kent #my writing #good god I'm actually posting stuff and people are reading it oh my god

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thevindicativevordan · 2 years

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Thoughts on Gods and Monsters Superman ?

Other than Kenan, he's probably my favorite non-Clark Kent take on the concept of "Superman". Took Timm completely revamping Superman from the ground up to finally get a Superman he could like, but against all odds it's a Superman I like too!

Hernan Guerra is similar to Calvin Ellis in that while there's no mistaking this guy for the "traditional" Superman... he's still recognizably Superman. He still saves people with his powers, he was raised by a kindly couple that took him in, he's the Last Son of Krypton, he cares about Earth, he and Batman are close, and he dislikes Lex Luthor. Having had a different upbringing than Clark did, he doesn't see the world or his role in it the same way. Probably the best illustration of Hernan's attitude can be seen in his costume, a dark black longcoat over a jumpsuit with the traditional red and blue color scheme of Superman. Like his costume Hernan has a darker surface than Clark, but underneath he's a principled guy trying to do the right thing, same as his mainstream counterpart.

Where they do differ drastically is interesting all the same, which the movie shows a little of but the comics tie-ins explore in-depth. Unlike Val-Zod - who is boring because ultimately none of his background results in him differing from Clark the way he logically should - Lor-Zod's differences DO affect how he acts. His kindly couple were Mexican migrant workers, who had to work out in the fields for little pay. Hernan didn't grow up with an idealistic view on what America was - how could he? - given he grew up watching his fellow workers toil in poverty and die of cancer. All because the bosses sprayed carcinogenic chemicals from crop dusters on the fields while the workers were still there, since after all the crops were "worth" more. Valentina, who was Hernan's Lana, ended up in a wheelchair because Hernan shook the tree she was climbing in as a prank and she fell. The guilt from this consumed him for years, resulting in him suppressing his powers, until one day he couldn't repress himself any longer from all the racist insults thrown his way. Burning a man's face after being called a slur resulted in a bunch of racists attempting to attack his family, and pushed Hernan to unleash himself. Only Valentina's intervention halted him from slaughtering the lot, and his adopted father exiled him for how he acted. Clark got sent off from Smallville with expressions of love and support from his adopted family, Hernan got fear and hate.

Both of the two travelled the world after leaving their hometowns, but Clark sought knowledge whereas Hernan wanted the luxuries he had been denied in his upbringing: good food, women, and comfortable lodgings. Chance or fate would push Hernan towards a similar path as Clark despite their differences, with Hernan also becoming Superman after he rescues a group of schoolchildren from a cartel. Again the difference in character manifests because Hernan does not hold back: he slaughters the cartel guards and admits to enjoying it. Killing the cartel leader in his bed is his first official action as Superman and sets the tone for what kind of Superman he'll be.

More egotistical, darker, lacking the unimpeachable moral purity or inherent optimism of Kal-El, this is a Superman that does feel more reflective of the reality of America rather than the ideal. The Authority was apparently a big influence on the DCAU, and Lor-Zod seems to be an answer to the question of "what does a post-Authority/post-9/11 Superman look like"? Answer isn't very kind, nor should it be, but Hernan isn't totally without principles or ideals. He tries to work with the American government, even if he refuses to take orders from them. While it's not his go-to, he's not incapable of attempting to talk threats down rather than immediately cutting loose, demonstrating an ability to recognize that not all of his foes merit the same fate.

His animated short does the best job of showing his deal. He's called in to kill a child because the authorities want him to do their dirty work. Before using lethal force he attempts to talk the child - this universe's version of Brainiac which was created to kill him - down by empathizing with Brainiac, and sharing that he had trouble controlling his powers in his youth too. Only once that fails, and the child begs Hernan to kill him before he totally loses control, does Hernan oblige and gives him a quick, painless death. After he does so he sighs deeply and looks crushed, showing that he's not callous or cruel. Killing a child weighs on him and he does not enjoy it, even when it's necessary. Makes for a marked difference from how he reveled in killing the cartel guards before, establishing that it's not the slaughter itself that he enjoys, but eliminating "evildoers". Clarifying this keeps Lor sympathetic despite how he "breaks" with our preconceptions on how Superman should be.

Honestly the biggest irony is that Hernan is able to conquer his demons more easily than DCAU Clark does. By the end of the Gods and Monsters movie he's decided he wants to reign in the killing, and stop doing the American government's dirty work. Being a hero is more important to him over grabbing power, an internal conflict that takes DCAU Clark a lot longer to resolve. Ironic that despite this version of Superman toying with the idea of seizing control - something attributed to his Zod parentage - he really doesn't act all that differently from Clark as depicted by Timm. DCAU Clark had fascist impulses too, he wanted to kill people, and his arc over the course of the CADMUS storyline revolved around whether he'd rise above those temptations or not. Hernan is able to decide where he stands in a shorter period of time comparatively, and he actually recognizes these inclinations as wrong, unlike how DCAU Clark lacked self-awareness about his own authoritarian impulses.

Main difference is simply that Timm likes this guy and let's him stand up for himself and be cool in a way Clark never gets to do. Arrogance radiates out of Lor-Zod, yet he never gets humbled and embarrassed the way Clark does. Wish we had gotten more movies starring this incarnation of Superman, frankly it's the only Superman I'd trust Timm with at this point. If he ever does get a chance to revisit this guy, I'd be there because against all odds he's a better demonstration of what Superman "should be" than any of Timm's efforts with the default model.

#superman #justice league gods and monsters #hernan guerra #lor zod #bruce timm

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frostysfrenzy · 6 months

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20 questions for writers! Thanks @sga-owns-my-soul 💙💙

1. How many works do you have on ao3? 42!

2. What's your total ao3 word count? 158, 544

3. What fandoms do you write for? Lately it's mostly stargate (sg1 and Atlantis) but I've written for a bunch in the past (notably smallville, spn, csi)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Thing about a Fantasy (CSI, C/W)

Keep me safe (sg1, S/D)

So much for normal (svnatural)

take me back into your arms (sg1, S/D)

And in a tie for 5th hear it from me (svnatural) and beautiful disaster (sga with Daniel, in progress)

(If any of those links arent matched up right my apologies I tried)

5. Do you respond to comments? I try to!

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Uhhh I don't write a ton of angsty endings but probably So much for normal

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I'd have to say Take me back into your arms, Daniel and Sam reuniting officially

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not to this point!

9. Do you write smut? Uh not really, at least nothing that's labelled explicit

10. Do you wrote crossovers? What's the craziest one you've ever written? Hell yeah! My first fic was a crossover. I've written a whole series of svnatural (spn and smallville) I also did a fun little sg1/smallville a while back too. Smallville crossovers are very fun

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not to my knowledge

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Also not to my knowledge

13. Have you ever co written a fic? No, but I'd be open to it

14. What's your all time favourite ship? Oh man, I shall say clois (sv clois my extra beloveds. Though my favourite to write is Sam & Daniel in any sense. Mcshep was tons of fun too)

15. What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I haven't even written a word it's a blank titled doc that could be a saving hope fic that basically switches who is lost in the car accident (because I wanted to make the end worse apparently. That doc title is "I've completely lost the plot")

16. What are your writing strengths? Oddly enough dialogue and characterization. I feel like I almost do too much dialogue sometimes (or at least don't add much in between) but it is what it is. And I think I'm pretty great at keeping them in character

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I already addressed it but the scene setting, anything action

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I mean, I havent been able to do it sny of mine, the only one I know is French and I'm not even close to fluent

19. First fandom you wrote for? I first started writing for csi, but the first fic I posted was one of the svnaturals

20. Favourite fic you've ever written? That is too many to choose from. I had a ton of fun with So much for normal, I love the silliness

Tagging some lovely writers @panchostokes @jencsi @ellie--eille @malcolm-reeds-pineapple @space-helen @svgurl410 @hearteyesmcgarrett

#tag games

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watchtowerindistress · 1 year

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we are not our demons - (24/24) - bruce wayne x batmom

Author’s note: Just as promised, the last chapter. Hope you’ll have a wonderful year.

This is the end. I can't believe we're at the end. Would you excuse me, please? *cries in a corner* Okay, I'm back. Would you guys please let me sleep in my hibernation?

As I was, again, looking for a list of reporters, I found out that Carrie Fisher was in Smallville. Guess who I just incorporated to be the news anchor at Gotham City News? [See you at the end.]

Beta-read by Heidi.

Words: 3.6k

Warning: fluff, past animal abuse, mentioned death

Please reblog/leave a comment.

Series Masterlist | Read on AO3

When he stares at me, you see he cares for me

You see how he is so deep in love

I know that he loves me ‘cause it’s obvious

I know that he loves me ‘cause it’s me he trusts

- Brown Eyes by Destiny’s Child -

Ellie was already waiting for Bruce standing behind the banister while the Batmobile ceased to a halt on the platform. Her fingers were clinging to the metal as Bruce found himself staring at her through the windshield in anticipation as soon as he stopped the ignition.

Bruce’s gaze roamed over to the dog sitting on the passenger seat. He was panting with an open snout and curiously looking at him with wide brown eyes. During their drive to the asylum, one clown had the privilege to sit in the backseat while the other was forced to rest in the trunk which was reserved for criminals. Not that he had much choice in the matter of being his comatose self.

“Wait here,” Bruce spoke under his breath, hoping he would understand him and heed his request. If he wanted this to remain a surprise for Damian, he would do this right at least. Jumping outside, he slammed the door shut behind him.

“Was Ace Chemicals as eventful as I imagine it to be?” Ellie inquired with an open curiosity and followed the railing to inch closer to him.

Hesitation lingered on his features after he ripped off the cowl from his head. “You could say that.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Morrow was already gone. Left that place abandoned. But I found some of his samples he left behind. Sending the chemical compounds to Fox later. Let’s see if he can make sense of the research he was working on.”

Understanding lit up in Ellie’s brown eyes when she nodded. Bruce could feel her appraising him with an assessing gaze before she tilted her head.

“Why do I get the feeling that there’s more you’re not telling?”

Bruce was rubbing his fingers together. “Because you know me better than anyone else?”

Damian used the opportunity to stand up from his chair by the screens. Looking at his father with a scrutinizing eye, he walked closer to Ellie’s side.

Bruce chose to reciprocate his stare and sighed. “Listen, I found something at Ace Chemicals, and I thought it’d be a nice gift for you, Damian. If you want it, that is.”

Damian was about to cross his arms over his chest, but then he thought better of it. “Depends on the gift.”

Accepting that as sufficient, Bruce strode over to the passenger door before opening it.

The animal jumped out with elegant effort.

Ellie gasped with a squealing sound. “Oh my God.” Her hands were covering her mouth in stunned delight, probably to mute any other adorable sounds from leaving her lips.

Tim’s curious and honest eyes saw through the grid that shielded his small body.

Ellie’s hands were sitting now on her waist. “Is this now a typical family, with a dog included? I didn’t know we could bring pets into this joint.”

Bruce sent her a tired look. “Please don’t call it a joint either.”

Ellie rolled her eyes and advanced towards the platform with the dark vehicle. She waved her hand behind her in invitation before she looked over her shoulder. “Come on, Tim.” Ellie nudged her head at the new family member while staring at the younger boy. “What about you, Damian?”

A cautious but eager Tim took Ellie up on that offer by clasping his hand in hers. The youngest Wayne remained quiet yet followed behind his brother at a safe distance. Uneasiness spread over his face which was usually a blank expression of ‘I couldn’t care less’, haughty arrogance or one of pure annoyance.

Ellie knelt down about five feet away from the cautious creature. With a friendly look meant to put him at ease. “Oh, someone’s just a huge ball of fluff, aren’t you?” Her hand was lifted over his snout before her eyes met Bruce, no longer speaking with that higher voice usually reserved for children or animals. “What’s a dog doing at Ace Chemicals?”

Never before did a heavy sigh enunciate what a heavy heart was resting in his chest. Just imagining the kind of doom which was inflicted upon this animal tore at him.

“Do you really want to know?”

The scar on the canine’s nose and the quick bandage around his ribs was giving her a pretty good guess. There seemed to be some contusions on his forehead. She was gazing up at Bruce with heartbroken sympathy.

The Great Dane was licking her hand after cautiously sniffing the unfamiliar scent.

Before Ellie could even voice her thoughts, Damian beat her to it. “Tell us.”

His son’s visceral reaction made Bruce’s eyes widen in dazed silence.

Ellie’s eyes caught Tim’s again who had been hiding behind her and waved him over with a quiet, comforting voice. “Do you want to stroke him? Let him get close to you.”

Following her example, Tim carefully brushed the patch of his head that wasn’t scarred.

Bruce was visibly fighting for words. “They wanted to hurt him. Dog fighting, stuff like that. They intended to give him the Joker treatment, like they did to all the other dogs who died over the course of time.”

Damian clenched his jaw at Bruce’s explanation before he glanced back at the dog in question.

“So, if you want him, he’s yours. There’ll be rules of course. But I need to have your word that you’ll take care of him. He needs a family after all. Or I’m forced to send him to the shelter. But I think you’re smart enough to know which kind of fate he’ll face there.”

Damian was studying Tim’s reaction to being so close to him and watched in fascination how his giggling shook his body when his face was licked. Tim was gingerly caressing his neck while Damian stepped closer.

Ellie chuckled with a fond expression on her face. “Don’t rush him.” Concern extended over her face when her eyes wandered back to Tim before she glanced at Damian. “He needs a name if you want to keep him,” she spoke lowly.

“A name is permanent.” Damian whispered with furrowing eyebrows.

Ellie smiled fondly and gazed at him teary-eyed. “It is. That’s the beauty of it.”

“And I can’t keep calling him ‘Ace’ in my head,” Bruce offered helpfully.

Damian patiently offered the inside of his palm after assessing him for injuries. Inquisitive brown eyes were staring at him. They were almost at the same height.

Something warm and wet was brushing over his injured hand. And not the one he had offered to him.

What a strange creature.

If Damian was apprehensive before, plain confusion took over his eyes. His uninjured hand, like it had a mind of its own, carefully stroked his back as he joined Tim in his ministrations, mindful of the injuries littered over his body.

Leaning forward, the raven-haired boy framed his snout and stared into those soulful eyes. “I’ll take care of you now.” He breathed in calmly before a realization hit him. “His name is Titus,” Damian stated in pure wonder.

“What’s it from?” Bruce murmured softly with a slanted head.

“Titus Andronicus,” Damian clarified monotonously.

That explanation was a clear indicator to how he was as a person.

Bruce shook his head. “Jesus Christ.”

Ellie’s gaze switched between Bruce and Damian in uncertainty. “Is that a play?”

“It’s Shakespeare. It’s one of his most violent plays actually,” Tim conveyed to her.

Ellie’s eyes were focusing on nothing when she sighed in acceptance, “Great. Titus it is.”

~ Ellie POV ~

Damian’s gift from Bruce had certainly come as a surprise, especially how the kid took to the new addition to the family. Ellie would have expected him to pretend not to care, like he always would, but it filled her with relief that Damian was instead looking at Titus with compassion at what he had to endure under the tyranny of Joker.

Ellie was now sitting on the couch in the living room, with her arm slung over the back and looked over her shoulder into the kitchen. The boys had been sent to their beds and hopefully a quiet night would remain.

“How is Alfred going to like the idea of a dog added to the mix now?”

Two empty glasses were in one hand while the other arm cradled the bottle of red wine. Half of it was filled graciously as Bruce stood next to her. The intoxicating noise of him pouring the drink filled her senses before the glass was placed into her hand.

“A dog is a good idea for Damian,” Bruce reminded her after pouring himself a glass of wine. He sat down next to her.

Ellie watched in rapt fascination how his throat bobbed with every gulp. “Oh, I see that. A dog is a lot of work. We need to do check-ups, see if he’s got the shots, if he’s maybe chipped—”

“He’s not. No owner. And money’s not an issue here,” Bruce interrupted her with certainty and a twinkle in his eyes.

“Said the rich person,” Ellie mumbled under her breath. His asserting words made her remember something else when she exclaimed, “Jesus, do you have an x-ray machine on your belt? Oh God, why am I even asking?”

Another huge gulp of the fruity taste would do her some good.

“Just check with Alfred first if he’s maybe not a cat person.”

Bruce smiled, like he knew a secret she didn’t before he answered, “He is, but he never mentioned that he hates dogs.” Bruce held up his chin with the support of his hand.

Ellie snorted quietly, shaking her head, and letting her wavy hair dance around her. “You just thought of everything, haven’t you?”

“Most of it. I’ll take care of the rest tomorrow.” His warm and molten gaze lingered on Ellie’s face and set her body on fire with a slow burn. It felt even hard to breathe. “But we still need to have that talk,” Bruce murmured in such a gravelly voice that something deep in her belly thrummed deliciously.

Gazing in exasperation at the glass she was carrying in her hand, like a newly discovered recognition, Ellie groaned, “Is that why you pumped wine into me? So I’d let my guard down?”

Okay, this sounded way more horrible than she wanted it to.

Bruce’s teasing voice instantly put her at ease again. “Well, I heard it helped in most situations. You don’t have to hide from me. I just want to talk to you.”

Ellie grunted. “Gah, fine.” She emptied her glass by knocking it back. “You first,” she blurted like a yawning sound as she tried to get the liquor down her throat.

In a challenging way, Bruce sent her a lazy smirk. “Why did you kiss me?” he spoke slowly.

“I don’t know. It’s like I said, the routine was hitting me hard and suddenly I was right there with you, a few months ago, when things were just easy.”

Bruce’s gaze remained patient. “Things haven’t changed.”

“Yes, they have.”

“No. You’ve only seen behind the curtain and discovered the true baggage of everything.”

Bruce’s simple way of seeing things deflated the air in her lungs.

“I know I kept things from you. But nothing has changed for me. I still want you in my life. All I want to know is if you want to share this life with me too.” Bruce paused in thought, giving Ellie just enough time to process. “I still am crazy about you, and I know I’ve been getting these signals from you too.”

Ellie’s voice turned soft at the reminder he was uttering. “I know. Because I’ve been getting yours. I’ve seen these looks you’ve been sending me. And these lingering touches.”

Those molten pools from before turned into an earnest expression. “I want to share my life with you. All of it. And I want every part of you. The woman who absolutely adores my kids. My partner who supports me out in the field. And my friend who just obliterates me with her knives as words.”

Ellie was getting misty-eyed just from the vehemence of his words and the way they hit her. She felt at a loss for words as she stuttered, “That’s not—I’m trying not to be that person. I don’t want that piece of me who hurts people in a warped attempt to protect someone else.”

Bruce leaned towards her. “I’m saying I see every puzzle piece of you, and I worship everything about you that makes you you.”

Ellie shook her head to clear it. Her mind was getting fuzzy from all the affirming words. “God, why are you trying to make me so emotional?” She didn’t hide her tears from Bruce when she chuckled with a thick voice.

Bruce smirked, patiently waiting for her reaction. “Are you in or out?”

“Geez, if you’re going to be so demanding about it.” Ellie snuggled her fingers around his neck. Framing his face, she let her breath ghost over his cheeks before she whispered, “I’m crazy about you too.”

Bruce’s eyes were twinkling with mischief. “Yes, or no?”

Ellie licked her lips before she finally sealed her fate and gazed into his eyes. “Hell yes,” she whispered fervently.

If she thought she could breathe easily as soon as Barbara was set free from her aching pain, saying yes to him was a whole different level of breathing.

It felt like Bruce was giving her the air to breathe.

A relieved smile extended on Bruce’s lips when he gazed into her eyes. Bruce tilted his head—the only warning he gave before he leaned forward and pressed his lips on hers with a quick swoop.

Ellie hummed quietly at the familiar and lingering feeling slowly warming her inside out. Ellie hummed quietly at the familiar and lingering feeling slowly warming her inside out. His lips softly brushed against hers, like he was trying to get to know her again.

She tightened her hold on the back of his neck and welcomed his probing tongue seeking entrance. Bruce exhaled a heavy grunt from deep within his chest at their final touch. Ellie tilted her head back, needing to feel him closer. Needing a second to breathe, she let her forehead touch his.

“I’m not letting go now.” His warm breath caressing her face didn’t help matters in her racing heart.

“Bruce Wayne, such a romantic.”

Bruce and Ellie were lying intertwined on his couch, with her resting on top of his chest and her hand lingering on the thick pullover shielding his beating heart.

“I guess you know what that means, right?”

Underneath her, Bruce was stroking her arm. “Hmm?”

“Gotham’s most eligible bachelor has been finally snatched off the market.”

Instantly, his hand let go of her shoulder and his body tensed. “I didn’t say you were my girlfriend, Rhodes.”

Ellie groaned at Bruce’s idea of a joke. “You’re such a—” She punched his chest at the audacity, “—jerk, Bruce. It’s really scary when you’re making jokes like that.”

Bruce chuckled deeply, letting his upper body shake with the movement. “Do you remember what we talked about when you moved in?”

Ellie tilted her head back to gaze into Bruce’s face. “Be more specific?”

“Remember when we wanted to see how things would go regarding your living condition?”

“I remember a certain someone who offered to just buy the whole apartment complex in Midtown,” Ellie taunted him mercilessly.

Bruce sighed deeply. “Sue me. Would you at least consider letting your lease expire?”

Ellie blinked slowly as she chewed it over. “Maybe. I meant it then. You think you can suffer through our routines? Have me 24/7 at your side?”

Brushing away the hair from her forehead, Bruce grunted, “If you’re sleeping in my bed again, I think I can manage.”

When he said saucy stuff like that, it was hard not to jump him instantly.

Her playful whisper nuzzled against his chest. “Still all heart.” She tapped his sternum at the tempo of his heartbeat. “I deem Wayne Manor my home now, so no worries about that, Bruce. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

Bruce let his lips brush over her temple. “Good to know.”

With a heavy heart, Ellie finally admitted to him, “I don’t know if Babs is ever coming back. She’s on her own path now. You think you can settle with me instead of the Oracle?”

Bruce exhaled a sigh. “I think you two are very different people. There’s no comparison. With different strategies in missions. But it won’t change how your insight is most invaluable.”

“That sounds good. Since it still hasn’t changed how I want to remain your eyes and ears.”

Warm breath blew over her scalp. “You do know that I have a satellite just for that, right?”

Ellie chuckled. “Please, we both know you need me.”

Bruce whispered into the dark, “With all our cards now on the table, is there something you’re not telling me?” His assessing gaze met the side of her face when those fingers kept stroking over her scalp.

“What makes you say that?” Ellie inquired carefully.

“I know you by now. All your quirks and micro expressions included.”

Swallowing thickly, Ellie revealed, “I need to be certain of my suspicions before I can include you in this.”

Bruce had always been a touchy-feely person. Ellie had gotten used to it over time and just thought he wanted to reaffirm himself that she was truly his.

Bruce was softly caressing her cheek. “Then let’s find that out together. No more secrets.”

Contemplating that for a few seconds, Ellie finally nodded her head. There weren’t any disadvantages to having someone support her in her quest. Not to mention, keeping everything out in the open could feel liberating in a way.

“Ready to go to bed now?”

“Alright, fine, but no hanky-panky. Only cuddling.”

Bruce groaned underneath her at the restrictions. “Fine.”

A week later

~ Nameless POV~

A masked figure stood on top of a roof while he was overseeing the city of Gotham. He breathed calmly through the mask, knowing how everything was slowly unfolding. Yanking his phone out of his back pocket around his waist, he watched the live feed of Gotham City News.

Liz Tremayne, a journalist reporting for the news network, spoke into a microphone, with the closed gates of Arkham Asylum behind her. “—with Joker back at Arkham.”

His skin-tight cowl revealed two white-covered eyes. Those eyes studied the olive-skinned woman’s mannerisms as twisted poison streamed through his veins.

“After three years of inflicting terror on this city, the clown prince of crime was sent to the psychiatric ward.” The reporter pulled out her small notepad and looked down to verify her intel. Her chin-long black hair swept in the wind with the hectic motion. “The Joker’s patient file, which has been disclosed, revealed an erratic amount of time at Arkham Asylum and constant escapes out of the mental institution.”

The news anchor of GCN, a 40-year-old woman with reddish hair and scarlet-colored glasses on the bridge of her nose, pursed her lips in contemplation. “Has there been any statement coming from a spokesperson at Arkham Asylum?”

“Truth be told, Pauline, everything has been kept under wraps. We only just managed to get a brief statement from Amadeus Arkham who stated that the Joker was currently indeed in their care, but other than that everything has been classified. Backgrounds to his admission have not been disclosed yet—”

He pocketed his phone again before a grunt exhaled through the red cowl. “Hmm, is that so?”

His blood-red hood slung over his cowl while his eyes strained observing something at a distance. The sound of police sirens echoed like a constant into the night of Gotham.

Two content young boys stepped out of a coffee shop before a female voice stopped them in their tracks.

“Timmy, wait!”

The masked man’s head jolted in suspense. He observed a young woman with wavy chestnut hair follow behind them. The familiar face strongly resembled the photo in her file.

“There she is,” he thought to himself with strong suspicion.

The woman jogged after the older boy and adjusted the collar of his jacket before brushing her hand through his windswept hair.

His jaw clenched when he saw the young boy from behind. The brunette’s hand remained on his shoulder before her gaze met the other child and tilted her head at him in a dry manner.

The younger boy left his hands in his front pockets and stomped towards her with a groan. The closer he got to the car parked at the curb, more tension took over his body until he stopped in his tracks. He twisted his head for a few seconds, leaving the masked man on high alert. Ever since he identified the youngest boy, the tension only rose in him.

Before long, he finally disappeared into the backseat of her car while she was holding the door open.

People were predictable. They had their own little rituals and routines which made them easy to understand and to locate. It also made them stupid. But this one didn’t always stick to the plan.

He had been watching her for a few days and had her file memorized by now.

Elizabeth Rhodes Teague

Took her mother’s middle name after the death of her parents.

The masked man frowned to himself. No one changed their last name unless they wanted to run away from something. This one would prove to be the perfect leverage. With just the right amount of connections he needed. And this time he would do whatever it takes to extinguish anyone standing in his way.

A/N: Welp, looks like we got ourselves a Bat-Hound called Titus! Batfam's complete in my eyes. I didn't think Bat-Cow was fitting, so I just grant you Damian's support dog, and like in the comics was a gift by his father. Initially, Damian was supposed to discover Titus by himself and the adoption was supposed to be his own idea. Unfortunately, Joker broke his arm, so no patrol for him. You can thank that green-dyed bastard.

The dog was only supposed to make an appearance in the next part of the series, but I wanted the family to get used to their new family member.

Before I leave, I left the end kinda like a teaser for a possible last part but also kinda closed-ended because I didn't want people barge down my doors again. So please, you want to tell me you want to read the last part, go ahead, compliments are always welcome, but please don't ask me the question of WHEN since I just squeezed this part out of my soul.

Stay safe everybody!

Tagging: @mellowstatesmanhandsempath @ravenmoore14 @alwayshave-faith @ikranfuad @daydreaming-gemini @bluegalaxyprime @liadamerondjarin @steph21369 @andrewswifes-blog @yanna-banana @blackmagicwoman

#steph writes #watchtowerindistress #we are not our demons #batfleck #batfleck x oc #bruce wayne x oc #bruce wayne fic #bruce wayne imagine #bruce wayne imagines #batman x oc #bruce wayne #bruce wayne fanfiction #batman imagines #batman imagine #bruce wayne x batmom #batmom x batfam

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nileqt87 · 3 years

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Ramblings about Lucifer referencing Bones, “Close your eyes.” and shows influencing each other

That was never just a Bones reference being made and the season finale admitted it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv_1dJk5yEM

David Boreanaz played the ironically-named Angel on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel: the Series. His character has *so many* parallels with Lucifer (far more than Booth outside of the law enforcement/crime procedural connection).

Angel's spinoff also has noir crime drama aspects mixed with the supernatural starring an immortal protagonist with a dark past and infamously villainous reputation fighting evil as a supernatural private detective in the City of Angels (a city known for its dark underbelly juxtaposed with fame and glamor, broken dreams and chasing eternal youth) and navigating human law (including the LAPD and evil lawyers) while not legally existing.

Angel also fell in love with a blonde human heroine (Buffy Summers) after lifetimes of self-destructive, not-so-heroic behaviors (getting his soul back did *not* make Angel a hero and human Liam was a lecherous drunk with unfulfilled ambitions and father issues) who inspired him to become a better man and make human connections.

AtS made heavy use of sprawling nighttime Downtown L.A. cityscape shots, which Lucifer also shared an abundance of.

During both of their first cases, they failed to save the troubled blonde girl they were trying to help (Tina and Delilah, respectively). They also have a connection inside the LAPD through a blonde cop who also takes their identity secrets pretty badly (Kate Lockley in Angel's case).

Note that Buffy not only screamed (twice, given it repeated during her memory loss in Halloween), but also came after Angel with a crossbow when she thought he'd attacked her mother (it was Darla), so Chloe taking the Devil face reveal (Monster Reveals are iconic old horror imagery) poorly to the point of considering poisoning is par for the course. However, it only took Buffy seven episodes instead of three seasons to get the identity reveal via seeing the horrific second face (arguably also an accident on Angel's part).

They are metaphorically or literally Hell's angels. They also had long stays in Hell or a hell dimension.

Lucifer and Angel are also both Prodigal Sons with long-held grudges against their long-absent fathers (patricide in Liam/Angel(us)'s case) and they're later faced with a situation where they have unexpected, thought-impossible offspring who show up as adults (neither got to raise their miracle child) wanting revenge. Yup, major Connor/Rory parallel there.

Angel is also in a constant struggle with the Powers that Be manipulating his fate and free will (like Lucifer, he's a champion of free will no matter the cost) and making him prophecy's bitch.

Bones famously got jokes about how Booth is Angel getting his Shanshu (made human), since the character is given constant Angel-isms like references to a dark past having killed people (Booth is also named after a historical murderer, in addition to having been a sniper), both being Catholics full of Catholic guilt (note that the Buffyverse is most accurately polytheistic, though Angel does face off against a take on the antichrist--Angel has constant biblical imagery/themes and not just because of vampire iconography), kicking down doors (just not off their entire frames--LOL), turning on a dime and threatening people up against walls, constant wink-wink references to the Buffyverse (familiar casting, references to the Hyperion Hotel, etc...), etc...

The Lucifer finale used the words "Close your eyes." right before Lucifer is sent to Hell. This is literally the BtVS season 2 finale where Buffy kisses Angel and sends him to hell for a century with a stab to the gut (see the season 5 finale, not to mention Lucifer giving up his life for Chloe's à la I Will Remember You).

Note that D.B. Woodside was on BtVS (playing Robin Wood, whose Slayer mother Nikki Wood was killed by Spike). Aimee Garcia was in both episodes of AtS (Birthday--she's older than she looks!) and Bones. See her also playing a cross-wearing religious girl on Supernatural who was slaughtered in a police precinct by Lilith. Kevin Alejandro was also in an episode of Bones.

Tricia Helfer was in an episode of Supernatural playing a ghost who reenacts the night of her death every year. BtVS also had an episode along those lines, but with Buffy and Angelus possessed (not to mention Phantom Dennis!). Lucifer having Dan as a ghost is yet another thing they all have in common (ditto referencing Ghost, Patrick Swayze and/or Unchained Melody--Vincent Schiavelli a.k.a. Ghost's subway ghost was Jenny's uncle Enyos, whom Angelus killed).

Lucifer name-checked Castiel and Supernatural referenced Lucifer using their Lucifer (crime-fighting angel in L.A. made it a double-reference whammy). Supernatural returned the favor again by having Castiel forced to sing in Enochian. Lucifer's reference to his singing voice was already a zing about Misha Collins having to put on that monotone gravel voice and Enochian being far from melodious.

Russell T Davies was quite heavily inspired by the Buffyverse when he revived Doctor Who and spun off Torchwood, so there are absolute tons of Buffy, Angel and Spike respectively in Rose Tyler, the 9th/10th Doctors, Captain Jack Harkness and Captain John Hart (right down to the actor). School Reunion is the episode where the Buffyverse inspiration is most on the nose, complete with Anthony Stewart Head saying "shooty dog thing" in a school setting and a Mayor/Angel-esque speech about the curse of immortality. The Time War gave the Doctor a huge genocide-level guilt complex. Note that the creator of DC comics' version of Lucifer, Neil Gaiman, has also written for Doctor Who and is also the co-creator of Good Omens (the show is brimming with Doctor Who Easter eggs thanks to David Tennant). A barely-recognizable Tom Ellis played Martha Jones' ex-fiancé Tom Milligan during the Year that Never Was, as well.

A lot of shows take inspiration from the Buffyverse and you've probably seen some of them. It isn't just the copycat vampire romance stories either.

Angel's forerunners in turn were a mix of guilt-stricken, rat-eating Louis de Pointe du Lac (his Jekyll/Hyde-esque alter-ego Angelus is closer to the pre-retcon, fully-evil Lestat de Lioncourt, who got woobified into an antihero rocker not unlike Spike--the entire Fanged Four mirror Anne Rice's character lineup), sword-wielding, immortality trope-influencers Connor/Duncan MacLeod of Highlander fighting for the Prize of humanity (akin to Pinocchio becoming a "real boy"--see also Barnabas Collins of Dark Shadows, though he was before vampires became antihero superheroes, not just sympathetic antivillains) and Nick Knight of Forever Knight (vampire detective).

Additionally, Tom Welling was famously the longest-serving Clark Kent of them all (Smallville) on the old WB (there's that DC comics connection, too), so it's not just a Fox shows thing (though Fox, not just Warner Brothers, did indeed own the Buffyverse). One of the least-known things about Clark is that he also has an immortality problem where he wouldn't age parallel to Lois (they wouldn't be able to have kids either) without a workaround. The Kryptonite line directed at Cain/Pierce by Lucifer was quite on the nose! Lucifer and Smallville sort of crossed over even further in Crisis on Infinite Earths, so Tom is canonically the face of both Clark and Cain in parallel universes of the DC multiverse.

Supernatural had quite recently had their own takes on Cain (played by Timothy Omundson, who also played God Johnson) and the Mark of Cain when Lucifer did it. Dan's killer Le Mec was, of course, Rob Benedict, who was God a.k.a. Chuck Shurley, the ultimate villain of Supernatural. Richard Speight, Jr., who was archangel Gabriel/Loki the Trickster, directed a lot of Lucifer's later episodes in addition to being a prolific Supernatural director.

Supernatural and Lucifer use the exact same font for their titles (Supernatural Knight).

The X-Files (which Supernatural referenced constantly) and Supernatural also had stories about nephilim (see the apocryphal Book of Enoch). Lucifer ultimately had two nephilim (forbidden interspecies offspring of angels and humans), even if not saying so as a known concept. Connor can also be compared to the vampire equivalent of being something like a dhampir, though he's not quite that (mostly-but-not-quite-human offspring of two vampires instead of a human/vampire hybrid--see Blade for an actual dhampir). Supernatural has also covered the even rarer cambion species (human/demon hybrid).

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ahoforaveryho · 3 years

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Okay, so now that I've collected my thoughts about the DCEU reboot I'm hearing about, and the fact that they're planning to make Superman black, so here's what I have to say. Give us Calvin Ellis campaigning to be president and battling Lex Luthor, both as presidential candidates and as hero and villain. Give us Val-Zod stepping up as Superman after Clark dies, just so the world can continue living without fear of Superman being gone, despite his own doubts and fears. Do not give us "Farmboy from Smallville who's from another planet wants to do good and becomes a superhero, except this time he's black."

#dc comics #dc #dceu #dc extended universe #superman #clark kent #calvin ellis #val zod #im not against a black superman #but i am against a black clark kent #give us movies about the already existing black supermen we have #dont racebend clark

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afaimsarrowverse · 4 years

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Crisis on Infinite Earths

youtube

So given what I have been reading and watching lately, I just can’t anymore. What some self-promclaimed experts and people who should know better are claiming ist just so wrong, it hurts

So here is a short list of the most common misunderstandings concerning the future of the Arrowverse and “Crisis on Infinite Earths”.

(By the way, only ever believe stuff that comes from offical sources, take even the stuff Pagey and Ben say with a grain of salt, there sources may be reliable or may not be reliable, and in the time between production and transmission a lot can change (they same goes for canadagraphs). And please listen to their whole videos, they are going to tell you were they got something from and how believable they think it is most of the time. If they don’t name sources, they are probably just speculating, please keep that in mind).

* “Crisis on Infinite Earths” will be a five night event.

No, while there are five episodes, the last two parts will air on the same night. So it’s four nights: Three in december and one in january.

* It will be the crossover-event that imbebds “Black Lightning” into the Arrowverse.

Kind of true. Black Lightning played by Cress Williams is in the crossover-event. However there will be no tie-in episode in “Black Lightning” and it’s unconfirmed if any other BL-characters will show up in the crossover. Furthermore “Smallville” and “Birds of Prey” will also crossover in the Arrowverse with this event. Does this make them part of the Arrowverse? I guess, that’s up to debate.

* Tom Welling will be the third Superman in “Crisis”.

Kind of true. There are two important versions of Superman in the crossover: The Arrowverse-One played by Tyler Hochelin and an aged up version played by Brandon Routh. However Tom Welling is reprising his Smallville-Character in the crossover as well. And he will be in a scene with Tyler and Brandon. But he is not heavily involved in the crossover, and it’s unknown if he actually is going to be in suit or not.

* Erica Durance and Tom Welling will reprise their “Smallville”-Characters, but Michael Rosenberg will not.

Probably true. Michael Rosenbaum did post a rather long explanation for him not being in the crossover. This explanation is most likley true, but it could have been a calculated lie an/or a ploy to get more money for a cameo, or he could have changed his mind after all and now be in the crossover anyway. However, none of this is very likely.

*Justin Hartley is the Smallville Green Arrow in “Crisis.”

Unconfirmed and probably not happening due to “This is Us”. If he is in it, it would be a very small cameo.

* Helena Wayne is the only “Birds of Prey”-Character in “Crisis.”

She is the only confirmed character in “Crisis” as of now. It would be kind of strange to not use the Black Canary, whose actress is a regular on one of the Arrowverseshows, but somehow no one ever confirmed her for that part, so maybe it’s just Huntress.

* “Crisis on Infinite Earths” confirms that “Birds of Prey” takes place in the same timeline as Tim Burtons Batman-Movies.

I really don’t think so. There will be a nod to the Tim Burton/Michael Keaton-Batman-Movies, but I don’t think that there will be a connection to “Birds of Prey”. The newspaper of the Keaton-Verse shows an article about Bruce Waynes relationship with Selena Kyle, yes, but this takes place in the present and the picture they used shows a young Michael Keaton, so where should the grown-up daughter come in? As nice as this would be, explaining it would distract from the actual storyline.

* Michael Keaton will be in “Crisis”.

You wish. I wish. We wish. I really doubt it.

* Kevin Conroy is Old Man Bats.

Yes, he is. That’s literally all we know about his role though. He spoke about a Bat-suit, so at least it looks like we finally get a proper look at a version of Batman during Crisis.

*The Titans in the crossover are not the Titans from “Titans”.

Okay, so about that. There was a scene involving the Titans which was marked as filmed. We don’t know who was in that scene, but it was a cameo-moment. So, the only version of the Titans that was ever shown in a non-animated adaption of DC Comics was the version from the DC-App. Now, there is the rumor/claim that the actors refused to shoot said scene for various reasons and that the scene was scrapped. Of course one could do a scene involving alternate versions of Wally West und Roy Harper posing as the “Titans” from any odd Arroverse-Universe. But why should anyone bother to do this? Also, it’s very likely that those two are not even showing up in Crisis at all, so why bother doing this scene at all? So unless it turns out to be an unexpected animated scene, the only Titans making sense appearing in Crisis would be the current Titans from the DC-Show with the same name.

* Tom Ellis is playing Lucifer in Crisis.

Oh, boy, that one. We have photos. And denials. So, the mostly likely scenario is, that Tom Ellis is going to play an unnamed angel or demon who is going to be summoned by John Constantine in order to do something (probably bring back Oliver from the dead). While the character is dressed like Lucifer Morningstar in “Lucifer”, my guess it that he won’t be named that onscreen. So this is going to be an indirect crossover, where everyone knows it’s Lucifer, but no one says it. Unless the sequence gets scrapped, because it leaked. However given that it is a scene of plot-importance that probably won’t happen.

* Given that Brandon Routh is leaving “Legends” Ray Palmer will die in Crisis and stay dead.

Okay, this is what prompted me to right this article. Yes, Brandon is leaving “Legends of Tomorrow” alongside his wife. He filmed his last scenes a short while ago (Probably). BUT THE LEGENDS TIE-IN EPISODE IS THE FIRST ONE OF SEASON 5 AND TAKES PLACE BEFORE THE REST OF THE SEASON. A SEASON THAT RAY PALMER IS VERY MUCH IN FOR THE FIRST HALF SO UNLESS HE IS UNDEAD FOR THE REST OF SEASON 5 HE CAN’T DIE FOR GOOD IN CRISIS! Rays last episode is most likely to either be 5.7 or 5.8 because “Crisis” is not even the official first episode of the season, but more like episode 5.0 or a special between seasons. Yes, they filmed it between the episodes 5.7. und 5.8 along the other shows for technical reasons, but it takes place before the events of season 5.

* Mick might die in Crisis.

Like I said, Dominic is very much in season 5. The Legends Tie-In of Crisis takes place before the events of season 5, even though it was filmed as episode 8.

* Zari Tomaz is in Crisis.

Again: Crisis takes place before the events of season 5. During the season finale of season 4 Zari was erased from the Legends-Timeline and her brother Behard took her place. The Legends can’t remember Zari, they think Behrad has been their teammate all along. There will be a new version of Zari in Season 5. But this version will under no circumstances debut during Crisis. However another version of Zari Tomaz from another universe could be in the crossover for a brief cameo.

*Behrad Tomaz is in Crisis.

I thought so too, because he is in the current Legends-Team. however the only Legends we know for sure to be in Crisis are Ray, Sara, Mick und John. It was pointed out to me that including Behrad could be to confusing for the general audience. So he might just sit this one out, like Evelyn did the Arrow-Tie-In of “Invasion!”.

* Batwoman ist the only Batwoman-Character in Crisis.

Possible, but unlikley.

*Batwoman will catch up to the other shows timeline-wise before Crisis

Not necessarily. Given the Waverider, Harbinger, and the Monitor and the events of Arrow 8.4 time travel is very much on the table. Batwoman could just be taken from her current late 2018/early 2019 timeline for the crossover. Or the Tie-In-Episode takes place later than the episodes after it.

* Crisis will end with all universes merging in one.

I hope not. It’s possible, but would be a very stupid move. As in any adaption this one will be very different from its source, so don’t bet on it.

* “Superman and Lois” und the Arrow Backdoor-Pilot will be the new Arrowverse Series for the next season.

At this point a pilot for “Superman and Lois” has been commissend and the Backdoor-Pilot for the Mia/Canaries-Show has been flimed and will be transmitted in January. Neither show has been picked up yet. This won’t happen before pilot-season, which means we won’t know for sure until mid 2020.

* “Supergirl” will be cancelled because of “Superman and Lois”.

While it is entirely possible that “Supergirl” will end after Season 6 (given that standart US-television-contracts run for six years), the show won’t be cancelled for a potential Superman-show, that might not even be picked up. If “Supergirl” ends, it will be because Melissa wants to move on, not because of Superman.

* Next season is going to bring a six part/ seven show crossover.

I have nightmares about this already. But we can’t know until we know the 2020/21 programm of The CW.

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dgcatanisiri · 5 years

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The key to any good adaption is understanding a certain set of things.

1. Don’t be afraid to update the source material. Yes, even if it’s “timeless.”

All media is a product of its time, so you need to recognize that what worked for the original will not necessarily translate for the new audience. If a basic conceit of your product is a certain societal mindset is the norm (just, for example, that “homosexuality is inherently bad,” or “transgender people are inherently hilarious,” or “a woman’s place is unquestionably in the home”), you’re probably best off just packing it in then and there, it’s not going to work. Society evolves, times change, and while we can let these things slide for media that is older, we do not extend this same slack to media made now.

There’s a reason that a lot of stagings of something like Taming of the Shrew, or more modern adaptations like Kiss Me Kate or 10 Things I Hate About You, will often twist what is, on the page, Kate’s “tameness” being a show for the sake of winning the wager, that she is merely performing what is expected of her, while still maintaining her own independence and attitude, and that she has learned that she could use this performance to make Petruchio do as she wanted, or even that the both of them are in on it and have found an equal in the other - in the 15th century, “taming” a “shrew” was considered how one was supposed to be, that a woman was supposed to be subservient to her husband, and that her being so brash and bold from the start was already pushing the values of Shakespeare’s original audience.

And this is the case of adapting something even as recent as ten, fifteen, twenty years ago - society has changed, and it’s recognized that what was seen as acceptable then was actually punching down at marginalized groups. That’s not funny. Comedy is the quickest genre to age, and the most likely to age poorly. Look at any given 90s romcom and you’ll notice a LOT of issues - the heteronormativity, where no one is gay (aside from MAYBE a single token character), the cast is mostly white - there may, at most, be a black best friend who may or may not be paired up with someone who literally exists for the purpose of arm candy, and you might spot an extra or two in the background, and they’ll use words that we now recognize as slurs so casually you’ll have to go back to realize yeah, they actually said that. And that’s not even scratching the surface.

When it comes to coming to an old piece of media and deciding “I want to do this again,” you absolutely MUST recognize what is no longer acceptable. And if the baseline concept of your selected media is something unacceptable, put aside the dream, this will not end well for you if you attempt to go through with it.

2. Recognize what works and what doesn’t for your medium.

This is something more for straightforward adaptations - book to movie, movie to TV show, stage to screen, etc. A change in medium is going to require a change to the material. It just is. This is why, for example, straight adaptations of video games are extremely hard to pull off - you’re changing an interactive media to a noninteractive one, and, in a lot of cases, that guts the core investment. It’s one thing to play Lara Croft as she raids the tombs, doing the platforming and puzzle challenges yourself. But as a movie, just taking any given game and making a direct 1:1 reshoot, you’re basically just watching her do the same thing with no involvement yourself, and, as a result, you end up watching a glorified cutscene.

It’s the same with stage to screen. Theatre is a medium of its own, with its own internal logic, rules, and structure. In theatre, a character can address the audience, it’s accepted. It doesn’t quite work as well on screen. (For further expansion, there’s a segment of Lindsay Ellis’s video essay on Mel Brooks and The Ethics of Satire that discusses how this works for the stage version of The Producers, but fizzled out in the 2006 film adaptation.) This is often a problem in film adaptations of stage musicals, that the directors don’t know what to focus on or how to film a large group of people, dancing and singing, so, while there’s some general competence, a lot of the film directors don’t have the same eye for them that they would in a straightforward dialogue-driven movie. Stopping the dramatic interaction between two people for what is, in effect, a symbolic struggle as they exchange heated high notes throws off the momentum of a director who knows how to stage the actors and move the camera in a direct argument, but gets confused when both parties dance across the soundstage all through the scene.

Likewise, books allow the audience to understand what is going through a character’s head during a scene, we are able to hear their thoughts and recognize what they’re doing without the character ever speaking a word. That is a luxury film’s nature doesn’t offer. Voice overs are a frequent way around this, but that too is limiting, generally forcing the film into a single viewpoint, which may not be how the narrative was structured. So this is where establishing dialogue has to be included.

This can be a problem, though, as the screenwriter may have a different style than the original writer, so, instead of transplanting dialogue, they have to come up with their own words, which can often end up just being an exposition dump. It can be done, but it is a tightrope walk.

3. Understand what can and can’t be cut.

A frequent problem of adaptations, especially to film, is that they are drawing on source material that maybe be, in a direct, 1:1 adaptation of the original, too long for a modern adaptation. This is a frequent issue with the Harry Potter adaptations, for example, where to cover all of the events of just the first book, would probably have clocked in at three and a half, even four hours, and they only got longer from there. Some things just had to go.

Which is a problem, because for the most part, if something is in the source material, it is there for a reason. Foreshadowing, character establishment, worldbuilding, whatever, there is a reason that any content is included in the first place.

So you need to find ways to either condense or work around things - going back to Harry Potter, as a character, while he’d had his uses in the books, Peeves’s contribution to the overall tapestry of the series was small enough that he could be removed. Same with a character like Professor Binns, whose largest contribution was the exposition of the Chamber of Secrets, could have that shunted over to a character like Professor McGonagall, with no need to hire another actor for one scene and account for this character later (this later came into play with characters like Professor Trelawney, who appeared in all the books after her introduction, but not every film).

The runtime makes a difference, especially given how much we see movies try to have as many showing per day as they can - the shorter the film, the more times it can be shown. So you need to know what can go and what can be condensed.

But this can backfire - cutting a scene can often remove important context and characterization, even if it’s short or small. Star Trek, the 09 film, cut a scene between young James Kirk and his older brother. Now, it’s not really that important in this adaptation that Kirk has an older brother, so on paper, yeah, this scene getting cut made sense. BUT this scene featured Kirk’s older brother walking out because of the abuse being inflicted on them by “Uncle Frank,” and how he intended to sell their father’s car, how Frank was denying James Kirk a sense of being who he was, telling him “You’re no one.” This is what leads to the reckless theft of said car that did make it into the final cut, and made that joyride less into a moment of “fuck the man, I do what I want,” and more of a moment of declaration of him trying to find himself (and makes this kid shouting to the robo-cop “My name is James Tiberius Kirk!” less of a cutesy way of getting in the character’s full name and more a way of, again, showing him declaring who he is.) It also shows James Kirk’s desire for justice and fairness for people, a VERY important element for this character, showing him standing up for his older brother, ostensibly someone who should be standing up for him instead. This is a pretty big characterization moment that got cut, presumably because the casual audience didn’t know that Kirk had an older brother.

I realize that this is using a cut scene from the film script and not a direct adaptation, but I think that’s an important thing to bring up anyway, given that Star Trek 09 was an adaptation of a three year TV series - of course they had to condense, launch arcs that successive movies could pick up, all of that. But they still needed to establish these characters. By cutting this scene, you lose that core nugget of Kirk’s character, and we’re left with reckless asshole Kirk, the character a lot of people thought didn’t deserve the center chair by the end of the movie because moments like this didn’t make the final cut.

Know your story, know your characters, and understand how to keep their core identities while still cutting the things you can’t keep, because of medium changes or runtime concerns.

4. What new elements are you bringing to the table?

If you’re making a new adaptation of something, WHY are you making it? What is the benefit of not just a new version of old material, but even what makes YOU the correct storyteller?

Let’s give another example here. Let’s say that I am given the green light to go for a new adaptation of... oh, let’s say Superman’s early years, we’re ten years out from the end of Smallville, surely someone’s gonna start kicking that around eventually, let’s go with it here and now. My requirements are to keep the baseline of Smallville for a new show - high school Clark Kent, no flights, no tights to start with, developing, growing powers, friendship with Lex Luthor, same core cast to start with (so Clark, Pete, Chloe, Lana, Whitney, Lex, Lionel, Martha, and Jonathan), basically start the series fresh from the point of the original series’s pilot. How I go from there is up to me, re: how much/how little to incorporate from later in the series, when powers develop and in what order, when to introduce other characters... I just basically have to start fresh with the same components of Smallville that the original had.

So when given these components, I feel it is my obligation to create a new picture with them, because to just retread the old material, updates to the time and cast notwithstanding, is saying I don’t see this as worth doing anything different. And if that’s the case, why bother? It is incumbent on me to do different things with these pieces - maybe in this version, Lana’s a lesbian and dating Chloe, which mostly puts to bed the Clark-Lana relationship (or maybe she briefly uses Clark as a beard to cover her attraction). Whitney can become a part of the core cast, instead of being like the only opening credits characters who never learns Clark’s secret. Pete’s known about Clark’s powers for years. The meteor freaks ...okay, no, I’m calling them ‘metahumans’ from the start here, are going to be a more persistent element to the central struggle - none of the convenient karmic killing, Clark has to deal with the consequences of these characters having enhanced abilities, not just have them conveniently fall down and break their neck or something. Lex ends up brought into the core group, and it becomes a central conflict of his character arc that he may actually have the potential to not be the ultimate villain - this is an adaptation, it’s entirely possible that Lex being the bad guy is NOT a foregone conclusion, especially if one wants to take the moral of “nothing is written in stone, there is no fate.”

...shit, now I actually WANT to do this version...

See, that’s taking the same pieces and making a new picture with them. Because if you’re just going to redo the original, just let the original air in place of your new thing, because you have made no effort to change anything other than the bare minimum. Hell, even Smallville brought something new to the table by creating Chloe Sullivan, who did not exist in Superman media before, but has since appeared sporadically in the comics.

Don’t just tell the same old story to tell the same old story. Bring something new to the table. If you’re really lucky, you may just add something that becomes so definitive to the franchise, when people talk about it later, they’ll wonder why it wasn’t there to begin with - another DC hero example, look at Batman the Animated Series, without which we would not have either Harley Quinn or Victor Fries’s tragic backstory, yet now both are considered iconic and core to the franchise and the character, respectively.

#dg rambles

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mrhowells · 1 year

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Smallville 4x16

*this episode put me through it, also the character building for Lois is perfection (also, if you see any typos just close your eyes, it was late and I was emotional)*

Clark looks so suspicious😭😭 Jonathan too, the way he's eyeing that food lmaooooo

Please😭

"I'm willing to sleep in the barn." "No that's okay, Lois can sleep in the barn." LOL Clark

sass levels through the roof today for him

Look at how proud Lois is listing all of Lucy's achievements😭 She's the best wtf I love her

"Wow, that's impressive. What happened to Lois?"

He has the time of his life dragging her PLS

"You're gonna find that Clark's charm is an acquired taste, much like his sense of fashion." he had that coming

Lois said TRY ME BISH

pls even Lucy is noticing the tension😭

she wasn't playing with that shoulder punch💀

Yeah, Jason is not letting those stones go💀

I really feel for Lana, I feel like she just lives in constant fear bc there's always some weird shit happening around her

Lucy flirting with Clark, just pls no💀

"Lois I don't want you to get the wrong idea, but ever since Lucy came to town you've been grumpier than normal."

I love this whole conversation between them🥹

Also Clark making it so obvious he's an only child from a loving family, bless him

"You might be a little rough around the edges but as far as sisters go, Lucy could do a lot worse." EXACTLY

anyone who has Lois in their life won the lottery, not even an exaggeration she's the absolute best🤷🏻‍♀️

"I guess there was just a part of me that was always jealous she got out and I didn't."

LOIS BBY LET ME HUG YOU LET ME LOVE YOU

the way she's like 'oh fuck I was vulnerable, gotta blast🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️', same Lois, same

Clark looks so worried too😭

this is so wholesome🥹

I think those electric shocks left him with some permanent damage because Jason seems obsessed now👀

Okay let me rephrase, he doesn't just seem obsessed, he's completely unhinged. They fried his brain🤡

Clark is in disappointed dad mode again, he's so natural at it too😭

"You're not mom alright, so stop trying to be." That hurt me personally, goddamn

LMAOOOOO

also, is this the first episode where we see Lex and Lois in the same frame?👀

Lucy you snake

LOIS DON'T YOU EVER SAY OR THINK THAT

To everyone who contributed to her feeling this way, I just want to have a talk

This is breaking my heart, the world doesn't deserve her😭😭

Their dad really failed at parenting HARD

no because this hurts fr, I want to hug her so bad

she deserves to know that she's wanted and loved, SOMEBODY TELL HER

I can't get over the fact that she thinks that her life is less important than that of her sister

Clark defending Lois is something that can be so personal😭 (She deserves a good support system and friends who have her back idc)

I'm getting very emotional about this excuse me

You know I love a character when I need everyone else to love them too. Like I need every other character on this show to appreciate how amazing Lois is.

"I'm a product of my father's breeding. He needed an heir. But your parents chose you out of love."

No because that's so important and I think it explains why both Lex and Lois are so (for the lack of a better word) fascinated with the Kents.

(ok I paused the episode and wrote like 4 paragraphs of character analysis prompted by that quote but idk what to do with them and if they make any sense, maybe I'll make a separate post🤡)

I need you guys to understand how much it means to me that he really cares about Lois😭

Not even in any sort of romantic context, just that someone genuinely cares if she's okay or not because she's obviously never really had someone take care of her😭😭😭

I mean listen, good for Lionel that he's not an absolute monster anymore but he really needs to stay out of Lex's business💀💀

WAIT A MINUTE HOLD ON.

HOLD ONNNNNN

Did Lana vandalize her own apartment? Or did she just hide the stone and whoever searched for it didn't find it? In any case she's learning how to play the game, good for her😌😌

Okay, first of all: More reasons to love Lois, she's self-aware and she can admit when she's wrong about something. Seriously I love her.

Second: Again, they way she's ready to be kicked out of the farm for something that wasn't even her fault??? MR. SAM LANE, SAMMY, GENERAL LANE, I'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME WORDS WITH YOU. Seriously though, this speaks volumes about how she grew up and it breaks my heart.

Third: The way she tries to be so casual and 'Lois' when she says it, I have very similar defense mechanisms and again, it hurts my heart.

"Yeah... actually I came here to tell you we have food in the oven if you're hungry."

Lois learning what unconditional love looks like through the Kent family is the only thing that matters to me, actually

"You know, all these years I thought I had my sister pegged but... in reality? She's a complete stranger to me." "Even if that were true, I think that if she called you tomorrow you'd be there in a second to help her."

I CAN'T DO THIS RIGHT NOW, HE DOES KNOW HER😭

SHE KNOWS HIM TOO😭😭

"I guess that explains why we're friends." "Oh, we're friends now?" "Well, I mean, I won't tell anyone if you don't."

Yes you are and I'm so glad bc you're the most amazing people to ever exist😭

Clark deserves someone like Lois in his life and Lois deserves someone like Clark in her life, yes I'm on the verge of tears AND WHAT ABOUT IT

CHEMISTRYYYYY

shoulder punch my beloved🥹

CHEMISTRYYYYYY

do you think these people knew they just created perfection?😭

🎶now it all begins🎶

written in the stars and all that, I love my OTP

More importantly though, I love Lois Lane she's everything and she deserves all the love in the world.

#ellie's smallville thoughts #smallville #4x16 #lois lane #clark kent #clois #lex luthor #lana lang #lucy lane

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stephtastrophe · 5 years

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I watched the season 2 finale of Lucifer the other week and it was really awesome!

Lucifer found out after finding Charlotte with Linda that Charlotte was about to burst because her human body couldn’t contain her Goddess powers for much longer, so that was the real reason she wanted to go back.

Charlotte also threatened to kill Chloe if they didn’t give her the last piece of the blade, which weirdly Dan was given lol. Maybe he was the last person anyone would think would have it which kinda makes sense.

Amenadial stopped time so that Maze could help Linda because she was dying thanks to Charlotte’s blinding light piercing her, awww. Maze and Linda were and are still such good friends! Maze, a demon who hated humanity found one she liked and she had grown to like Chloe a bit too. It was sweet.

The real killer of the episode Chet’s brother came to the beach to kill Lucifer and Charlotte but when time stopped Lucifer jumped over the railing with Charlotte to save them both.

Only for him to finally assemble the blade and activate it! The flaming sword opened up a rift which lead to outside the universe! Where she could create her own universe without his dear old dad.

She went in to save herself and do just that and he tossed the blade in behind her so they’re now just a memory, and he’ll probably never see either of them ever again.

But the real Charlotte lived and woke up and didn’t remember anything, of course Lucifer said mother and she had no idea what he was on about which would be rather confusing when a guy the same age as you calls you mother lol. A bit disconcerting. Also, a bit weird considering she was actually dead until Lucifer's mother took over her body. I kinda thought she’d go back to you know, being dead and just fump down dead and be dead on the beach. I do find that odd tbh. Also disconcerting lol.

Linda did get the hospital safely and when Lucifer went to see her, which made them both happy I must add, she told him that he should show Chloe what he really is because she deserves to know the truth because the two of them are so close! It is true, he should show her his true self too but it could scare her off like it scared Linda as it is kinda terrifying. She does deserve to know, not that he hasn’t tried to tell her a million times though, she just thinks it’s all a joke just like Linda did at first too which I guess you would as it sounds a little far fetched or like a crazy person story.

Suddenly though he gets knocked out by some unknown person or possibly entity, who knows in this show. Then he suddenly wakes up in the desert, very sunburnt I may add but not too surprising but it does mean he was there a while before waking up, quite some time indeed. He also seems to have his wings restored! What is that about? Who would want to do that or do it? Maybe dear old dad? It seems likely. Maybe he’s angry about how he let his mother go. It would be interesting to see his dear old dad though and I would like that as a plot line.

I will have to wait until season 3 to find out though! I can’t wait to see what happens next season <3

This season was so great <3

I wonder when Fox UK will show it!!! Hopefully soon and I hope they show season 4 even though it’s being made by Netflix but they’ve showed other shows by Hulu and stuff so I hope so.

OMG I forgot Tom Welling is in it next season <3 I need to watch all of Smallville sometime, I saw season 1 & 2 on DVD and season 5-6 on TV when they aired, well 6 when aired as trailers looked good and 5 on repeat at same time but then didn’t watch rest for some reason. I dunno why. Tom Welling is hot though <3

Tom Ellis; DB Woodside and Kevin Alejandro <3

#lucifer #lucifer morningstar #tom ellis #db woodside #amenadial #Lesley-Ann Brandt #maze #Mazikeen #Lauren German #chloe decker #Kevin Alejandro #dan espinoza #Linda Martin #Rachael Harris #tom welling #smallville

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davidmann95 · 6 years

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Thoughts on Calvin Ellis?

Calvin Ellis is fascinating, because while I’ve said before that Superman having “the American Way” tacked on after the fact to his list of virtues doesn’t really work when creators are on a number of fronts hard-pressed to center his stories around that in the same way as Captain America, this Superman is built explicitly to reckon with that. He’s built in the idealized image of an incoming President at a moment of transformative change, only to stick around for that President in question to become more visible as a human with massive successes and horrible flaws, and then not be President at all. He’s Superman Plus, Superman ascendant and triumphant, the guy whose civilian identity works to make things better across the world while also President of an organization that defends the multiverse when wearing the cape. At the same time, he’s a Superman who lies to the American people on a scale Clark Kent never remotely approaches, a Superman who literally automates the business of representing and making decisions on behalf of the American people via Brainiac when he’s busy, a Superman who has to make decisions that will determine who lives and who dies. He’s a figure with different priorities and principles than Clark Kent even as his triumph over Superdoomsday clearly marks him as a ‘true’ Superman, and there’s diamond in that coal just waiting to be squeezed out. I’ve never been able to track down the quote, but I’m certain I once read Morrison mention that if he ever did any long-form Superman work again after Action Comics it was going to be with this guy, and that’s something I’d be fascinated by.

With all that said, something special under the cut!

So when Multiversity was still coming out…wow, four years ago, a few friends and I were really into Morrison’s proposition that these books could continue as ongoings, so we thought we’d come up with solicits for the individual titles, that I imagined would themselves ultimately come back together into another big event. We never finished them, but I did complete solicits for a year of President Superman adventures. Reproduced entirely unchanged from when I wrote them at 19 below, I also left in the commentary I tacked on to them.

PRESIDENT SUPERMAN #1

· In thisoversized opening issue, 3 fantastic features!

· First, TheOrigin of Superman! See how an orphan of the stars became Earth’s greatest hero,as both Superman, and United States President Calvin Ellis!

· Bearwitness to the secrets of Fort Superman! From the Gates to the Underworld,where dwell the specters of Krypton’s greatest criminals, to First Dog Vathlo’sDen, to the varieties of Kryptonite–ranging from mind-bending Sapphire todeadly Emerald–all the secrets are revealed!

· And in thedepths of the distant future, locked in battle with the Time Trapper, the 31stcenturies’ Super-Hero Squad look back on the formation of the mighty JusticeLeague International, and its greatest conflicts, crises and triumphs, for theclue to how to save their own history!

PRESIDENT SUPERMAN #2

· America’sgreatest threat is at hand, and with a heavy heart President Ellis must rallythe nation against…Superman?!

· How has itcome to this? It’s the Son of Krypton versus the military might of the USA!

· Could theWhite House Science Fair hold the key to it all?

PRESIDENT SUPERMAN #3

· CalvinEllis returns to his old hometown of Smallville to personally congratulate oldfriend of the family Professor Phineas Potter on his newly developed energysource, in order to raise national awareness of its possibilities.

· But whenthe Professor is missing and his assistant lies dead, it’s up to the Man ofDiamond to solve the crime, the roots of which may stretch into Superman’s ownyouth!

PRESIDENT SUPERMAN #4

· Beforetaking his oath of office, Calvin Ellis first made his name defending theinnocent and the helpless as a lawyer in Metropolis.

· He’ll haveto put his legal expertise to the test when the Har-ZǶl abduct him to try anddefend their own commander-in-chief at his trial, when not a single individualon their planet is willing to do so!

· If hedoesn’t find a way to exonerate their leader in spite of the mass of evidence,then by the laws of the Har-ZǶl the defender of the guilty must share theirfate! As time and hope run out, will Superman compromise his principles, evento save his own life?

PRESIDENT SUPERMAN #5

· A bountyhas been placed on President Ellis’ head, and the supervillains of the worldare eager to claim the prize!

· Even if hesurvives the attacks, how will Superman keep his other identity concealed inthe face of increasingly impossible escapes from doom?

· He may havebigger things to worry about when Metallo enters the Kill-Race!

PRESIDENT SUPERMAN #6

· After yearsof the U.N. attempting outreach, the Anti-World Htrea sends out an ambassadorto Earth—their greatest champion, Bizarro.

· But inspite of Superman’s best efforts, the communication gap is left unbridged, andwar is at hand.

· CanSuperman save two worlds when both regard him as a traitor? Even if he does,there may be no way to salvage the situation.

PRESIDENT SUPERMAN #7

· Operatingin secret from the bowels of Fort Superman, Brainiac intends to utilize itsplanet-wide neural network to seize control of the entirety of human society!

· Supermanmust battle against his own security systems in order to reprogram hisonce-faithful ally!

· But whenBrainiac states it is merely acting to better the world as its master has, doesCal truly have a defense?

· As Brainiacis offline, it’s up to Courtney to cover for the President in his absence!

PRESIDENT SUPERMAN #8

· Seekingadvice in the wake of Brainiac’s attack, Superman journeys into the Multiverse!

· OnEarth-30, Kalel meets that worlds own President Superman, ruler of aplanet-wide U.S.S.R.!

· Looking outonto an Earth perfected by Kal-L, what conclusions might Superman come toregarding his own role?

PRESIDENT SUPERMAN #9

· Underorders from the Guardians of Oa, Green Lantern John Stewart seizes control ofQurac!

· Theirsuperhuman weapons program declared an unconscionable risk to Earth’sburgeoning meta population, Stewart is tasked with dismantling the nation andestablishing a new government to the Guardian’s specifications, even if itbrings him into conflict with his fellow J.L.I. members!

· As the restof the team prepares for battle, Superman must wonder: is this wrong? And evenif so, can he challenge the authority of the Guardians of the Universe?

PRESIDENT SUPERMAN #10

· In the wakeof GL’s occupation, Qurac’s former state-sponsored super team Onslaughtterrorizes the nation in the name of its absentee leaders, while theprovisional government accuses the U.S. as culpable for the actions of itscitizen.

· With afull-fledged war a possibility, President Ellis wonders if Superman can weighin in the public eye.

· He may haveto, if he’s to counter the pernicious influence of lobbyist and arms industrydarling Steven Flashman!

PRESIDENT SUPERMAN #11

· Warbeckons.

· Long ago,Superman swore never to take a life.

· Must CalvinEllis break that vow in the face of his oath to serve as Commander-In-Chief,for what may be an unjust conflict?

PRESIDENT SUPERMAN #12

· “Mybeautiful children…I’m sorry. Sorry for the compromises, the mistakes, the arrogance. So sorry for this world you have inheritedfrom me. You deserved better. All I have left to give is the truth.”

· Somewhereamidst the ruined landscape of lost America, tarnished forever when the truthof its last President was revealed, the last hope for the future is dying.

· Even if thefinal commanders of the Super-Society somehow manage to repeal time itself, canCal remain in his station, knowing what his mere presence may bring down on hisbeloved adopted world? Must Superman die to save the Earth? Or Calvin Ellis?

· From thedepths of time…might the Super-Hero Squad offer another option?

Commentary

1: I figured if this was real, anorigin issue would be necessary, as Cal’s only shown up before a very smallhandful of times. Aside from the most obvious references (the only really evenslightly ‘off’ thing is the changes for the classification of Kryptonite), theSuper-Hero Squad are indeed E-23’s Legion. I figured by the 31stcentury the full extent of Superman’s role in the 21st is publicknowledge, and that the team that assembled in honor of him might be a touchmore regimented and formalized, hence the slightly more militaristic title. TheJLI has no connection to the bwa-ha-ha team, the title’s simply a reflection ofthe more multicultural makeup of the group here.

2: The culprit here is RubyKryptonite (Kalel’s equivalent to Red). I initially thought of having a newnecklace from Courtney be the source, but reconsidered having her one majorrole be as a source for jewelry and causer of problems—I think I gave her abetter role in issue 7, though if this were to continue on I’d try and give hermore to work with. So I recalibrated for the Science Fair, recalling an oldstory where some child amateur geologist shows Superman his mineral collection,including a Red K sample that causes problems. Really, this all just springsfrom the whole “Crazy Superman versus his sane, human other identity” conflicthaving much higher stakes here.

3: Based off the base of an ideafor Superman I’ve had for awhile of “Clark solves a murder in Smallville overthe course of several phases of his career”, tinkered with to fit here.

4: He didn’t just materialize inthe Oval Office one day. It’s certainly far from uncommon for politicians tocome from a career in law, something I could see Superman pursuing. I figuredthis would be a decent way of fitting that background into a story as a fittingcentral element. For the record, Superman doesn’t compromise his ethics, butthe punishments the Har-ZǶl turn out to be ridiculously lenient by ourstandards.

5: Like issue #2, a classic setup(Superman has to protect Clark), inherently ramped up.

6: The intermediary between theclassically influenced first half, and things getting quite dark indeed in thesecond.

7: As will be shown after I dofurther solicits, I’ve intended 7 and 8 to be significant issues in eachseries. 7 is both the ‘middle’ post-Multiversity issue for everything exceptPresident Superman, and a recurring digit of significance in Morrison’s work,so I’m trying to structure things to have the 7th issue be one ofsignificance in each series. Here, we see the start of Superman’s questioningof his role that defines the second half of my ‘run’.

8: Issue #8, meanwhile, is thecentral number of the Multiverse in Morrison’s conception of it, so each #8 inthese will be a Multiverse tale. I wanted to use Earths we’ve seen beforepresented in different contexts, and here we’ve got the universe of Red Son,with a Superman who has embraced his status as a ruler to the arguable publicgood, to contrast with the pushing-it but still mostly noninterventionistEllis.

9: Plunging into the big final arc,one I wanted to question some of the basic assumptions of Superman’s role inthe world, and of how Cal would have to work in particular. Here the big thingis that even though Superman has always refrained from using his powers on theworld stage, it’s always been an implicit concession that if he doesn’t, no oneelse will either. GL, working under the conniving and pragmatic Guardians andbeing on a cosmic level that they declare to be above any given planetsauthority, seemed a prime candidate for breaking that rule who couldn’t just bebrought down immediately.

10: Again, classic setup—willSuperman try to tell the public what he thinks they should do—shaken up by hisdirect role in the proceedings on both sides of the issue here. And yes, thatis “Funky”. He’ll be popping up again.

11: One of my first thoughts aboutSuperman as President is that, in that role, he is inevitably going to orderthe implementations of decisions that will end human lives, directlycontradicting the moral code it’s made clear he has in Action Comics #9. Hencehim working overtime to try and ensure peace. Here’s him faced with maybehaving no other option. Perhaps he intervenes covertly as Superman to preventcasualties, one interference that normally wouldn’t be abided on the part ofone identity to counteract the necessary actions of another? Even that’s adegree of deception in theory unbecoming of the Superman role. No matter what,there’s going to be a degree of moral compromise not present on the part of theclassic Superman. I figure it’s here Cal’s established as the utilitarian toClark’s socialist (relatively speaking).

12: Maybe my first thought of aPresident Superman book was of Calvin leaving a letter for his children in anation wrecked by the revelation of his double life. 50 to a hundred or soyears in the future, America’s place on the world stage has been decimated, theone meaningful seat of power being the collective of the Super-Society, agrouping of Calvin’s descendants, those of his worlds own Supergirl, and thoseof one or two Phantom Zone Prisoners having filled their sentences andgenuinely trying to repent such as Quex-Ul and Dev-Em. Eventually they manageto alter the timeline, with the Super-Hero Squad emerging from deep history totry and convince Cal to carry on. Obviously he does, as in theory this comiccontinues onwards (presumably at least on E-36 and E-41, since we know Cal’sadventures are published there), but the end of this issue itself leaves thingsup in the air regarding his final decision.

#Superman #Calvin Ellis #President #Barack Obama #Grant Morrison #Multiversity #fanfic #Opinion

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that-shamrock-vibe · 6 years

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Superhero Spotlight: #SaveLucifer (Spoilers)

One of the biggest shocks of 2018 so far is the announcement made at the end of last week that Fox have cancelled Lucifer after 3 seasons. Not only was this a shock for fans but also to the cast including star Tom Ellis who started the #SaveLucifer campaign. So I thought I would offer my reasons as to why the cancellation is a mistake and also offer my suggestions to Fox for where they can take the show going forward.

Also as a disclaimer, this post will have spoilers for the entirety of the show so if you haven’t see the series finale of Lucifer, don’t read on.

Reasons to #SaveLucifer:

#1. Tom Ellis is Fantastic in the Role

Like many Brits who have watched this show, I knew of Tom Ellis in British TV roles prior to this such as EastEnders, Merlin and most notably Miranda. So prior to becoming the devil, he was diverse in both comedy and drama, however nothing to this level.

Lucifer as a character is charismatic, charming, hilarious and relatable as someone who is a genuinely honest person and essentially a fish out of water as of course he is used to either Heaven or Hell. All of that is obviously partly down to the writers but mostly down to Tom Ellis’ acting as he is almost unrecognizable in this role compared to those previously mentioned roles.

I think the difference is with roles like EastEnders and Miranda, he is playing the typical “nice guy” and with Merlin he was a stereotypical “arc villain”, but as Lucifer Morningstar, he is a fully-rounded, complex character and that, I feel, is why the show works at its core, because of Tom Ellis’ acting.

#2. A Different Type of Comic-Book TV Show

Believe it or not, Lucifer is based on DC Comics! Officially the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics but Lucifer Morningstar is a supporting character of The Sandman, who is a creation of Neil Gaiman. Now yes, Lucifer in the comics is blonde, Gothic and has different adventures to what he has in the show, but the very fact Lucifer is officially based on a comic-book property makes it a very different type of comic-book show compared to the likes of the Arrowverse shows or even the Marvel Netflix shows.

Because of this it is in a unique space of being a relief to both fans and non-fans of comic-book shows that may be finding the genre saturated at this point with the same type of show.

The only powers featured in Lucifer are divine powers which are either the effects of heavenly weapons or flight. Also the show is in that unique position of not needing special effects or powers because that isn’t what the primary focus of the series is.

#3. A Lovable Cast

Aside from Tom Ellis, this show has one of the best supporting cast in any show currently out there. I would list my MVPs but I do really like them all; I didn’t care much for Kevin Ranklin as Malcolm Graham in the first season but other than that I have loved watching all of these characters and obviously the acting is a huge part of that.

My two favourites aside from Tom Ellis are Lesley-Ann Brandt and Rachel Harris as both were just so compelling to watch whether with Mazikeen’s bad-ass nature or the journey of Linda discovering Lucifer’s true identity.

Also Scarlett Estevez who portrayed Dan and Chloe’s daughter Trix was fantastic, for a child actor (she was seven at the start of the series so by now she must be 9/10) to steal a fair few amount of scenes without diminishing the roles of the other actors is a gift, this girl I see a great future for if she pursues this as a career.

#4. Equality for Both Genders

There is a slight imbalance in genders as there has been one more female main cast member than male, but that’s not to say they push a feminist agenda or even make it about girl power like Supergirl. In fact the cast is very well-balanced both in terms of gender roles and ethnic diversity.

Also the victims and culprits every week or story have an equal mixture in both male and female showing that anyone can be a murder victim and anyone can be a murderer if given the right motive.

#5. Inventive and Creative Plots

So yes it is essentially a police drama with a divine twist but that is not to say that every episode has that formulaic “murderer of the week” angle, in fact while a lot of the cases are a simple murder investigation plot, the story around said plot is what becomes inventive and creative.

For example, in Season 2 there is one episode where Azrael’s blade is the murder weapon, Azrael’s blade is a divine weapon originally owned by the Angel of Death which forms the Flaming Sword when combined with a medallion and a key that Amenadiel always wears around his neck. In its debut episode, “The Sword of Death” is wielded by mere mortals which brings their inner anger to the surface and causes a mass stabathon.

This was inventive because it was the first and really only time that a weapon of the divine had been used by mortals without anyone aside from the divine realizing what the weapon was.

Which brings me on nicely to the series-long plot of Lucifer’s true identity, this was a very creative plot because...he was completely honest about who he was from the very first episode. Every opportunity Lucifer had to refer to himself as “the devil” he took it, even some random prostitute calling him “the devil” and him going “you have no idea”. The greatest part of this entire plot was that it took 3 seasons and 55 episodes for Chloe Dekker, who was the secondary protagonist and Lucifer’s main love interest, to finally realise that Lucifer was in fact the devil. How was this revealed? His devil face finally returned after a season-long arc of losing said face and Chloe finally saw it.

Honestly, and no disrespect to blondes, but Dekker is the definition of a stereotypical dumb blonde because while she was brilliant as a detective, the woman had literally every other episode with Lucifer telling her who he is and yet, a lot like Linda used to do, she compartmentalized that into Lucifer using metaphors.

It has been a fantastic long-running plot because, again, with traditional comic-book superhero shows it’s all about protecting the hero’s identity, like on Arrow this season, yet here Lucifer makes no secret as to who he is it’s just a question of no one actually believing him.

#6. Responsible for Bringing Tom Welling Back

This point was a personal bonus addition for me because I grew up in the noughties watching Smallville, which was the origins of Clark Kent becoming Superman, which starred Tom Welling in the main role of Clark Kent.

I was very happy when he was announced as a main character for the third season and hoped he would have a bigger role outside of just being Dekker and Dan’s lieutenant and fortunately he was. Not only was he the criminal known as the Sinnerman but also in a mid-season twist he was revealed to be Cain from the bible.

It has been great because to see Welling go from playing one of fiction’s greatest superheroes to supposedly the world’s first murderer shows a good range in acting from Welling despite the fact his two best-known TV roles are both with DC Comics.

Ideas for Future Seasons:

Alright so I have said why the series is so good, now I’m going to say why I think the series should come back with some suggestions for future plots.

#1. Introduce God

We’ve met Lucifer, we’ve met Amenadiel, we’ve met their mum who I am going to call Goddess and we’ve met one of their other siblings Uriel, but where the hell is God himself. i’ll admit that I am an Atheist/inactive pagan so believing in a higher power or deity for me only applies to the Greek/Roman/Egyptian mythologies but in a show that deals with angels and demons I do want to see the king of angels as I have seen the king of demons.

Introducing God I did always feel would be an endgame for the series of the build up he has had but even if they brought the series back for a final season just to give the fans a feel of closure then to bring in God for that final season would be a great idea.

#2. Crossover With Other DC Shows

Even though I know it is ending, I would really like Lucifer to crossover with the likes of Gotham because both shows have the same type of genre and both do not usually go so far into the comic-book genre that it becomes fantastical.

Failing that I would love Lucifer and Mazikeen to meet Constantine because Constantine is all about banishing demons and the next season of Legends of Tomorrow does seem to be a demon hunt so why not bring Mazikeen in for that?

#3. Crossover With Shadowhunters

This is a personal favoured choice of mine but again much like Constantine, the Shadowhunters are all about destroying demons and with that in mind I would to see a full on fight between Mazikeen and Isabelle. I also think both Lucifer and Dan’s egos vs. Jace and Alec’s egos would be a fun battle to witness within itself. Think Star-Lord and Thor in Avengers: Infinity War.

Now I know people are probably going to say “What are you talking about? Shadowhunters is on a completely different network to Fox!” Yes well because Fox has dumped Lucifer, it makes sense for it to be picked up by another network, now with Shadowhunters I think being broadcast on ABC in America (If I am wrong correct me please) but being broadcast by Netflix worldwide, it does make sense just to move Lucifer from Amazon to Netflix.

Also in regards to the different networks, the Supernatural boys just had a comic-book crossover with Scooby Doo, I think this is doable.

#4. Show Heaven

Quite simple for this one, we have seen Hell and purgatory but we have yet to actually see Heaven. Amenadiel took Charlotte to Heaven when she died in the penultimate episode but we never actually saw them go there, even just to have see them fly up towards it and see the golden gates or something would have at least maybe given us a tease for something potentially to come.

Also visiting Heaven would hopefully introduce God as I stated before but also allow for returning characters like Amenadiel and Charlotte but also, now that Chloe believes all this Heaven and Hell stuff, if Lucifer was to somehow take her there then she may be reunited with her dad which would make for a great dramatic and emotional scene.

#5. A War for the Earth

Alright so this one is kind of a follow-on from the last one but also a throwback to the very first episode. Right at the end of the first episode in a conversation between Lucifer and Amenadiel about how Lucifer defying both their father and Amenadiel would start a war, something Amenadiel was okay with.

Now while Amenadiel is currently on side with Lucifer, that doesn’t mean God will start a war either with Lucifer, Earth or Hell to get what he wants, and that could be the main story-arc of Season 4...a war either between Heaven and Hell or a War for the Earth. After all, god supposedly created the Earth so logically he can also destroy it.

This doesn’t even have to be a series-long war like Arrow has been known for, it can simply be a villain of the week or couple of weeks and then God interjected at random moments in the season until the big confrontation at the end. Wars don’t just have to be physical they can also be intellectual.

Overall I think I have made some rather good arguments as to why Lucifer is a fantastic show, why it should remain and what the potential storylines could be. There are still talks about the show trying to find a new home so hopefully we will see it back. #SaveLucifer

So that’s my Superhero Spotlight on the current state of Lucifer and the possibility of it going forward, what do you guys think? Post your comments and check out more Superhero and Supervillain Spotlights as well as other posts.

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Lucifer will have some competition this year.

When Lucifer returns for season 3, Tom Welling will make his debut as Marcus Pierce (Tom Welling), a devilishly charming police lieutenant who is also a potential love interest for Chloe (Lauren German). How will Lucifer (Tom Ellis) feel about that? Probably not great, to be honest, but Welling is loving it. Below, the Smallville alum dishes on why he chose Lucifer to make his TV return.

What was it about Lucifer that made you want to return to TV?

So this is going to sound cheesy, but it’s true. I had been in discussions with Fox on two other projects this year that didn’t work out — for one, I was too young and the other one I just wasn’t right for. On a Monday morning, I get a call from my agent and they say, “We have an offer for you for the show called Lucifer to do 10 episodes,” and I was like, “Okay, well, when does it start?” and they said, “Friday.” I was like, “Whoa, hold on a second,” and they go, “But, but, but, it shoots in L.A.,” which is good because I live in L.A. Having spent so much time in Vancouver, the idea of traveling to me isn’t a priority — in a sense, it’s luxury problems.

Anyway, shortly after I got a call from a very dear friend of mine, Greg Beeman, who was our showrunner on Smallville for many years and had directed episodes of Lucifer, and he goes, “I hear that your name’s in the mix to be on Lucifer. I know you, I’ve worked on the show, you’re going to love it, don’t overthink it.” So then I binge-watched about six episodes of the show, because I was familiar with the show, but they were like, “Take a look at these six that we recommend for you to watch, these are our favorites,” and I watched them all, and Wednesday morning the conversation was, “I don’t want to do 10 episodes,” and they said, “Well, you have to do 10, it’s 10 or nothing.” I said, “I want to do more, I want to do 15,” and so we signed on for 15 episodes, because I like it that much, and having met the cast and the crew they’re so much fun. They have a good time, they get their work done, they’re professional, but they’re enjoying themselves. I like the show, the show’s fun. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but they solve bit crimes and their issues and stuff like that. So I don’t know if that answers your question, but it at least gives you a jumping-off point about how it happened.

Tell us about Marcus as a character.

Well, Marcus, by design, you’re not going to know too much about him. The cliché is you’re going to have to watch to see who he is in the end and it’ll be worth it. At first, he’s a disrupter. At the end of last season, the characters of Lucifer started to get along maybe a little too much and they told me they wanted to bring somebody in to mix it up. He’s definitely going to mix things up between Lucifer and Lauren’s character, Decker, as far as like a love interest possibility sort of thing. But what you’ll find at the end of the season is he is much more of a character and you’re never going to guess who he is, but he’s definitely somebody that Lucifer is going to realize is maybe older than Lucifer, if that makes any sense. I’ll tease that. He’s not God. He’s not God, for sure. He’s not that, but he’s something that you’ll find is very much on par, if not greater, than what Lucifer is.

The description of your character intimated that Lucifer and Marcus had a lot in common. They’re both devilishly charming.

Well, I just did a scene this morning where Decker literally calls me a d—k, so that’s at least how I start out, and that she’s taking the brunt of my d—kish ways. I start out maybe one way, but hopefully, I can bring some charm to him later on.

How similar or different is he from Lucifer and how does that cause them to butt heads?

The way that I see it is Lucifer, in some ways, comes in like, [in a mock British accent] “Hey, I’m Lucifer, I’m crazy, and I’m more powerful, I’m the devil, tell me what your desires are.” And Marcus is like, “Yeah, okay, anyway, let’s get the work done.” It’s taking the air out of the room, I think would be the difference. Where Lucifer brings it, he brings the energy to the room, my character sucks it out.

So he’s a little more straight-laced then?

I think so. Yeah, maybe a different goal than Lucifer has, a different global objective as far as the desire from a character point of view. He’s looking for something different than what Lucifer is looking for.

Can you say whether Marcus is good or bad?

Well, every character thinks he’s good, you know what I mean? He’s not necessarily doing bad things, to answer your question. He’s not hurting people necessarily, but definitely, if somebody gets in his way, he’ll take them out.

What’s more fun for you to play, the hero or the villain?

Well, right now, the villain. A friend of mine was asking me about the character and he was like, “Oh, so he’s a d—k?” and I was like, “He’s not just a d—k.” He goes, “No, but I see why you’d want to play that character because he’s very much different than what you’ve played for so many years,” and in some ways, that is true. He’s got a different energy, he’s got a different delivery, he’s not so much like open-eyed as far as like, “Oh my gosh, what’s happening?” He’s like “All right, this is what I’m going to do, this is what I’m going to make happen.” So it’s a different energy.

Was that part of the reason that you wanted to come back to TV, doing the complete opposite of Clark Kent?

I definitely didn’t want to play Clark Kent again. The great thing about Clark is he didn’t know who he was and he didn’t know what he was supposed to do with what he had and his abilities. This character very much knows what he’s capable of and knows what he wants to do and knows how to do it. So as much fun as that is to play, it wasn’t necessarily because of Clark that I chose this character. I think it was a number of things, it was the cast, the subject matter, the show, the showrunners, the Greg Beeman recommendation, the location. It was so many more factors than just “I don’t want to play Clark again,” but I’d be lying if I was saying that I’m not enjoying playing something very different for sure.

What can you tease of the dynamic between Chloe and Marcus?

Well, hopefully, it just puts everybody on their heels a little bit. At first, it’s not so obvious that there might be an attraction between Decker and Pierce, but it’s hinted in other ways. It’s television, so of course, there’s going to be that. I mean, we all expect a little bit of that. But I think wherein most shows somebody just comes in and all of a sudden it’s like, “Oh, they meet at a bar and there’s a new love interest,” it’s almost like the reverse where hopefully you’re not going to see the beginning. It’s not that they’re gazing into each other’s eyes at the beginning. If anything, he’s a very authoritative, demanding boss that just wants results and doesn’t really care what she has to say about anything other than what the case is and what’s going on. The scene this morning was, “Decker, where are we on the case?” And she says, “Yeah, we’re doing this.” I’m like, “Oh, you don’t have any suspects in custody yet?” And she goes, “No,” and his response is, “I thought you’d be further along” and just walks past her. She’s kind of like, “What the f—k, why is he such a d—k?” Things may or may not heat up.

Is this strategic? Maybe he has it out for Lucifer so getting close to Decker is part of his game plan?

Maybe. [Laughs] You’re not sure. The big question that even I had in talking to the showrunners was who is this guy and why is he here? Their answer was awesome. I can’t tell you because it ruins everything, but he’s definitely there for a very specific reason and Lucifer is part of that, Decker is a part of that, but you’ll find out that it’s something even bigger.

Can he be trusted? And does he suspect or know what Lucifer is?

Well, we did a scene last week where my character shows up in Lucifer’s apartment and Lucifer goes, “Oh, finally somebody actually believes that I am who I say I am, I’m the devil himself,” and Pierce says, “No, actually, I’m not crazy, I have no idea why you prance around in that and call yourself the devil, but anyway,” and just sort of moves on. So you don’t know how much Pierce knows or doesn’t know, but you get a sense that he needs a little something from everybody to get what he wants.

Lucifer returns Monday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

#lucifer spoilers #lucifer season 3 #lt marcus pierce #tom welling

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