#no megalomaniac signs yet | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gofancyninjaworld · 29 days

Note

Started watching Mob Psycho 100. About 5 episodes in and yeah, I get why this show is so popular. It's good, even real good, so far. Mob is a good protagonist and the animation has been really impressive.

I also recently started reading One Punch Man and it's fine. I like the art and every now and again it gives me a chuckle. But ultimately I think OPM has a fairly conservative world view that makes me hard to enjoy it as anything more than easy fluff. It's all about the power of the individual and has some really questionable class politics in places. I know it's not intended for a deep read, but I can't help it. I'm glad I'm reading it through the library instead of buying individual volumes. I think I'm like 21 volumes into it.

Back to MP100, I'm still early so I can't say for sure yet, but I feel like it is the better written and realized of the two. I'm a sucker for the monster-of-the-week style format and so far it has been nailing while also developing the characters pretty well.

I gotta say, I'm impressed. I'm usually pretty cautious around checking out popular things since I tend to not enjoy them. So far that's not the case here.

First, I'm glad that your library has a lot of the OPM volumes: it's great for the series and a very wise way to read. If I didn't have my library cards, I'd be perma-broke and out of space in my home. :D

Second, I hope by now that you've finished reading Mob Psycho 100. I think it's a fantastic work and while there's a part of me that hankers for ONE to find something more he wants to say in that world and tell another story, a bigger part of me really respects that he's known how to tell 'a big story of a small step' and end there. It is one of the best coming-of-age stories I've read or watched. If you haven't checked out the anime, DO! It is incredibly well-realised, imaginative, and every season builds better on the previous.

Yes, now that you mention it, One-Punch Man does feel more conservative than Mob Psycho 100 in *some* ways. Whereas the latter is about middle schoolers exploring how to shape themselves, OPM is about the challenge of having a sense of purpose as an adult and balancing act of being an individual and being part of society. And no one quite knows what they're doing...

The various kids in MP100 may have challenges as small as getting someone to sign up for a school club or as big as stopping a would-be megalomaniac from taking over Japan, but they're free to focus on those problems. Their parents keep a roof over their heads, cook dinner, draw up budgets, pay bills, and prompt them to do homework. Their schools give them a ready-made social context in which to interact repeatedly and shape their goals. They're free to be children and it's precious.

OPM, almost everyone is an adult, and adult life is both less and more structured than that of childhood. There's a lot more to balance, you don't have infinite energy, time, or resources, and if you get it wrong, life gets super hard. We get Saitama: he's become the strongest man in the world thanks to his singular focus on being so strong that he can send any enemy flying with a single punch -- and he's also homeless (he's squatting in an abandoned apartment), with no post-secondary qualifications, no steady job (he's held lots of menial jobs, keeping them only long enough to quit and live off them so he can be a hero). The idealism of being a hero may get you thanked, but thanks don't pay the rent: that's why the Hero Association came to exist, in order to enable people motivated to be heroes to actually focus on it. It'd be a short story if Genos hadn't introduced Saitama to the HA.

Those checks and compromises necessary to survive and thrive in society do give OPM a more conservative feel. However, on the other side, there's no one telling you how far you can go. Difficult as it is, there's more scope for self-actualisation for the characters in OPM than there is for those in MP100. And there's no one way to do it. Swings and roundabouts.

Not sure how OPM will end yet, but so far, I'm still finding it compelling.

Given how long this has been in my inbox, I have no idea if you will read this. If you do (and I hope you do), thank you. Thank you for an awesome ask.

#One Punch Man #Mob Psycho 100 #asks #two great works looking at challenges of different life stages #a vital part of being a teenager is exploring who you want to become #part of being an adult is making peace with the world around you #also part of being one is working out how to be true to yourself and push to do things that actualise you #there's no perfect state: only a balancing act #better late than never

17 notes · View notes

skippyv20 · 5 months

Text

Scandal Suggestion for saintmeghanmarkle!

Hi Skippy & Friends-Pilgrim here with my vote regarding JH, the IGLBW and the question, “What is the worst scandal that could pop up?” Welllll….how about…there are NO kids? We have not been presented with authentic, verifiable, real-time photos by a credited press corps of them ever! The royal family has never been seen with them at a public event. There is the very photo edited one with PP, ERII and Dorito looking MM holding a doll. Since then, there are years of out of focus, photoshopped images of different looking children, not even the correct age, claimed to be the “no show” kids.

I am sticking with there are no kids, including surrogates. I think they begged people to borrow their children for some crazy reason. It has been said that neither of the ex-royals were capable of reproducing. Yet, they went on record describing outrageous birthing events with MD’s that were not there or who closed up their clinics after she said they were her medical group. She trotted and squatted for months and months with fake moon-bumps. It was all a big joke for her. That is what the Firm, KCIII and lawyers are probably working on. Yes, the royal ship has sailed it seems, leaving the dock rats to scramble, but they are still complicit by not stating the truth from the get-go, while adding extensions on their blinders. Now, they need hip boots and gas masks to clean up this mess.

This megalomaniac grifter, coached by her mother IMHO, ran circle$ around the royal family, not caring what they did and continue to do, tarnishing the House of Windsor. The heart breaker was using the super personal nickname that ERII expressly asked no one else use. Her entire royal family understood and happily respected this request except JH. But there it was in bright sunshine, on top of PP’s flower covered casket, signed in HMTQ’s own handwriting. That was just too much temptation for one so consumed in rage. The gaslighting games will continue until she is shut down but who has the gumption or the legal power to do so?

Thank you dear Pilgrim! Great post🙂❤️

40 notes · View notes

soapskneebrace · 1 month

Text

Finally finished the damn thing. I kept some notes but they all boil down to one point: the turnaround for this game must have been no more than six months. Nine maximum. And it shows.

I don't even know where to start. The scripting, the pacing, and the entire plot were slapshod. And it's almost as if the game refuses to make sense for the sake of contrarianism; it feels like it would accuse me of being stupid for not getting why everyone likes Rick and Morty. I could evaluate it plot beat for plot beat but I'm on four hours of sleep and frankly? I'd like to move on with my life. This is a demon I've meant to exorcise for months and the damn thing is nearly out of me. So here are my main points.

The script is heavy handed. It's like every line the actors spit out around a mouthful of gravel were written first to be trailer soundbytes and second to be dialogue. No one talks the way these characters talk, not in real life and certainly not in the games they've starred in previously. It's all workable enough, if you're thirteen and playing this game with one hand on the controller and the other around your penis, but for the rest of the population it's pure schlock.

Makarov is a nothing burger of a villain. We are constantly—CONSTANTLY—told how dangerous he is, how competent he, is how brilliant he is, and yet every scene he's in I fail to be compelled. He is the most generic of megalomaniacal idealogues; every villain speech he gives sounds like tumblr dom dirty talk, or maybe reddit whining. I can't help but compare him to Valeria of Modern Warfare 2. In very few scenes, Valeria compels us with the force of her personality; she owns every interaction she inhabits, shows us that she is every bit the bloodthirsty narco we've been told she is. It's easy to believe the she could have accomplished everything she did. Makarov, meanwhile? The most he does is tell everyone how stupid they are and how he's going to win in the end.

Nothing new happens. Makarov is engaging in chemical warfare like MW2019's Barkov. Every gameplay map is lifted from MW2's multiplayer. The ULF is being scapegoated again for terrorism committed by Russian forces. Even Graves and his fucking missiles are in this game. I have the strongest feeling that this game was developed entirely in crunch, with so little time to write it that treading old ground was the only way the writing team could meet their deadlines. The only exception to this is Soap's death, which honestly gave the impression that the writers needed to make SOMETHING dramatic happen, if only to defibrillate an audience that had not been marketed to enough to even be all that interested in this game.

In all I shouted "FUCK OFF" at this game multiple times. I can count on one hand the number of things I liked about this campaign and I really, truly could not tell you what those things are right now because my brain is fried. The result of less than a year of development is an amateurish second draft of a game that I've thought of more than once as a lost orgasm. Briefly, before I spent these five hours watching and reacting (and pausing to take ibuprofen), I considered trying my hand at doing a basic plot rewrite, but it is not. Worth. It.

I stand by what I suggested earlier this year/late last year—the game should have ended with Price's death—but now on the other end of this experience I don't care enough about MW3 to give it that kind of dignity. I'll sign off this review with what I've been saying since the start:

DON'T BUY THESE FUCKING GAMES.

#mw3 live reaction #my only consolation is that soap truly looks amazing in some scenes

16 notes · View notes

loving-n0t-heyting · 1 year

Text

Plato’s apology is a record of one of history’s greatest miscarriages of justice: the conviction and death-sentencing of Socrates on charges of impiety and corrupting the youth. It is difficult, from a contemporary perspective, to imagine a legal system so inhumane as to permit such a naked abrogation of human autonomy, and it is illuminating to reflect on it as a sort of anti-model, a negative inspiration

The charges seem to have arisen from Socrates’ well-known penchant for public philosophical debate—principally in the Athenian agora—with figures both public and private, on matters ranging from knowledge to friendship to justice to sex to the merits of writing. So integral was this habit to his persona, in fact, that at points in the text he is shown (against standard procedure) entering into informal “philosophical” dialogue with his accusers. By his own admission in the course of the defence, he drew inspiration in this unpaid career from two divine authorities: the Oracle at Delphi (whom he interpreted as calling on him to discover a man wiser than himself) and his personal dæmon (whom, he insists against his jurors’ incredulity, was ever present at his side to warn him against any wrongdoing). While executing this alleged divine mandate, he attracted a small following of (often very well socially positioned) young men, some of whom regrettably were to ally themselves with the tyranny of the thirty imposed upon Athens after its defeat in the Peloponnesian war. This guilt by association seems to have incited his trial itself, conducted in the span of a day, as a political enemy of the Athenian polis. And yet, speaking in his own defence, he refused to admit any guilt, insisting to the contrary that he was a gadfly to the city and a model of virtue to its citizens. In light of his irreverent defence, he was condemned to death at his own hand by swallowing hemlock

This context allows us to understand and explain, if not excuse, the Athenians’ actions during the trial. On the one hand, it is hard to impugn their motives in trying and convicting, even executing, him. As we have seen, after all, he was a regular peddler of misinformation, used in radicalising “disaffected” young privileged men into a virulent anti-democratic movement known to collude with human rights abusers and enemies of the rules based Delian order. Indeed, he was plausibly guilty of incitement to violence, and was certainly motivated in his actions by ideals of religious extremism and a disrespect for established democratic norms

But despite the justice of the charges, the procedure of the trial itself is one we would today rightly recognise as grossly abusive. Throughout his speech, he endorses straightforwardly disordered claims about himself and his place in the world, ranging from the fantastical and megalomaniacal (being accompanied by a supernatural dæmon) to the outright bizarre (being a fly or spur), interspersed with confusing and nonsensical chains of reasoning, articulated during seemingly uncontrollable outbursts against court procedure. A case of psychosis this pronounced, in a contemporary setting, would at the very least elicit an assessment of the defendant’s competence to stand trial, and certainly of his competence to represent himself. And yet, rather than taking the time necessary to conduct such an assessment, the trial took the span of a single day… a far cry from the cautious timeframes we have come to expect in the present!

Nor, of course, can we approve of his sentence to suicide, or probably even his conviction. As repugnant as his incitement to democratic backsliding might strike us, he seems to have been, in the end, a sick man. And while in those dark days that might have spelled death, we live today in more humanitarian times. In such a case, it is a sign of scientific dispassion to regard the relevant infractions less as crimes than as symptoms, and to offer less punishment than treatment. Barbaric methods, like requiring him to drink hemlock, would be out of the question. We should take pride in our current level of civilisational advancement, instead, to know that we would demand he give himself haldol up through his dying days, as he would cry out in vain against the crippling torment and helplessly witness his power for abstract thought—the one thing he insisted he could never live without—leaking out of his brain. Wouldn’t he have been grateful? Aren’t we so fucking decent??

#the court chaplains of democracy indeed

71 notes · View notes

kamenstranger · 19 days

Text

X-men '97 (mostly) spoiler free Review.

I'll be honest, when X-men '97 was announced I didn't think much of it. I've held a long stance of (at best) indifference towards reboots, remakes, or continuations of legacy properties. At worst, I hold a deep cynicism towards the often mishandling and cheap regurgitation to cash in on nostalgia.

The thing that most often goes wrong with such things is either it becomes so different one questions why it has X name attached instead of being a whole new thing, or it's so similar it does nothing new and only serves to callback fond memories and memes spawned from the original. It's a delicate balance to be familiar yet fresh. More often than not, it goes terribly wrong.

X-men '97 does not suffer that fate.

The most shocking thing about '97 isn't how much it feels like a proper continuation in every sense one could possibly achieve, but how better it is top to bottom. Sure, it has surface level nostalgia like the intro, callbacks, and the occasional campy tone (although never quite as much as the OG series, which lets be real, is for the better.) But it also understands how paramount it is to elevate and evolve the narrative with what the show explores, rather than relying on the familiar. The kids who grew up with the original are in their 30s if not their early 40s, and the ones that didn't remain children want more nuance and complexity. Not to mention the original, for all the good, is extremely flawed.

There's a story I read about Genndy Tartakovsky having a sign outside his office in the heyday of Cartoon Network that said something along the lines of "Make the Cartoons the way you think you remember." The idea being that a lot of people don't recognize the flaws in the shows they enjoyed at kids and have false idealized versions of those memories. '97 feels like that philosophy in some ways. It feels like all the legitimately good aspects cranked up to 11, and a lot of the lesser parts filtered out; an idealized version of what the original could be. In fact, Tartakovsky might be an apt comparison in another way, in that it feels as natural a progression as Samurai Jack with how it matured upon a revival, but without losing the parts that made the original so endearing.

Where X-men '97 hooked me was as early as ep. 2. Magneto gives a speech to the UN stating "As a boy, my people's homes were burned to ash because we dared to call God by another name. Then, my people hunted me with those who had once hunted them." The balls to go there hit like a truck and made me realize where this series was going. It might be trite to say "This isn't your childhood X-men" as if to imply some dark bend to the series. But no, this is simply an X-men that doesn't play coy with the analogies or side skirt death because of broadcast standards. It's an X-men allowed explore topics and stories in a manner much closer to the comics. The greatest example of that here is with Magnus, who for the first time is treated with a level of complexity I've not seen in any adaptive work.

The thing I love about Magneto is his versatility as a villain. He's full of himself, and goes too far in areas, but often still makes a good point. And even if he has those two flaws, is that much different than Xavier? Is his way ultimately more correct even if not 100% so? Conversely, you can easily turn him into a megalomaniac, unquestionably in the wrong-- yet still somewhat sympathetic because much of Humanity has reinforced time after time that it's oppress or be oppressed, with no alternative or in-between. That also makes him very interesting as someone who struggles to change their ways, to avoid falling down that slippery slope of becoming that very thing he so hates.

It should come as no surprise that this added focus on Magneto results in some killer lines throughout the run. The trailer made it clear that he would become leader of the X-men after Charles' apparent death at the end of the original series (as an aside, pay close attention to the language used when referring to Charles, it's very clever.) About half this season deals with Magnus building towards something beyond the school and beyond the X-men with the Island Nation of Genosha, creating a proper haven for Mutants to exist freely and in the open. He's honestly one of if not my favorite part of the show, both as a character and how that characterization helps drive the plot. Of course it's just one of many. Another big focus is Scott and Jean's relationship, the pregnancy, the fear of and eventual birthing of a child into a world that hates and fears them. That added dimension makes Scott a lot more nuanced this go around. Ideally, Cyclops should make difficult and perhaps unpopular decisions that are ultimately for the better, justifying his position as someone capable of making choices others would not. In practice, a lot of instances have Scott making boneheaded decisions and being a punching bag for Wolverine. People like to hate on the dude, and I don't blame them. It's very easy to make someone like that unlikable, and most of time, writers do.

But '97 gives a lot more personal scenes with him, showing how he's scared of his position, how Xavier's absence added a great weight upon his shoulders. Not to mention one of their greatest enemies-- the one ideologically opposite of Charles-- is entrusted with carrying on Xavier's dream, not him, not even another X-men. Then there's the baby on the way, everything that happens afterwards which is just the cherry on the shit sundae. I felt bad for Scott, the poor guy is sent thought the ringer this season. But that also makes him and his relationship with Jean legitimately interesting.

Meanwhile, the latter half of a show blows up into a much bigger cataclysmic event that actually manages to pull off some of the best suspense, trepidation, and "Oh shit, what next?" moments that few series achieve with such a level of success or frequency.

All that said, as much praise as I have for the story and characters… the stuff with Rogue is a bit weird and will probably be the most off putting aspect during the first half.

This is one of those parts I can't really skim over in a mostly spoiler free fashion, so get ready. For half the show Rogue spends a lot of time with Magneto after he takes over the X-men, and it's a source of friction for Gambit. And you think you know how this is going; Rogue obviously has some sorta past with Magnus no one else knows about, which makes sense given her checkered history, and Gambit is horribly misinterpreting that prior relationship as something more out of jealousy.

But no, Gambit was right. It was a lot more than just partners in crime. See, Magnus' whole electromagnet field can protect him from Rogue while the two still feel a touch, as it where, and they took full advantage of that way back when. So yeah, that's a thing that happened.

I get what they're going for; giving Rogue a complicated relationship with a major antagonist, how fair is keeping that information from Gambit, what does that even say about Magnus etc. The comics have done or tried similar things, often to a worse extent. (In fact this is based on a bit from Age of X) Still, it feels a tad weird here, and the age gap certainly plays a role. Which again, I realize is the point. I think part of the hang up on my end is Animated Rogue and Gambit always felt just a tad younger than say Jean, Scott, and Storm-- and the thought of the much older Magnus hooking up with an at the time technically legal Rogue bothers me. Not in an ageist way, but in a Jerry Seinfeld sorta way.

But I think that they're a bit more up there then previously thought. So if this goes back 5 maybe 10 years, that makes it feel less like Magnus was taking advantage of a very lonely and still naive girl, but having a fling with (at minimum) mid 20 something, which has it's own baggage, but is far less creepy and but in-line with Magnus' ego. His crimes against humanity I can forgive, but not acting like a libertarian. As for Rogue…I mean I wouldn't judge her anyway. Especially from her POV. I mean… look at Magnus.

If I couldn't have physical contact with 99% of people, I'd jump at exploring that magnetic pole, too.

That's probably the biggest "issue" I have with the story, and honestly I'm sorta coming around to it because it's told so damn well and leads to some pretty great bits. Rogue's argument with Gambit in particular is heart-wrenching.

And we also get some lovely scenes later in the series with Nightcrawler being a supporting brother to Rogue, which I just adore. I'll admit I'm slightly bias here because Kurt was one of my favorite X-men characters along with Remy, Rogue, and Magneto. So I'm eating good this season.

What I don't care for however is the romance between Forge and Storm. In fact, Storm probably gets the worst arc this season simply due to constraints and timing. It's not bad, but you can really tell hers was meant to be a larger and more intimate tale that was condensed down to what is effectively a single episode hacked to pieces. The passage of time is very poorly conveyed, so it feels like Forge proclaims his love after a week and one romantic dinner. Storm's more internal demons and struggles with her powers, while interesting conceptually, suffers from structural and pacing issues as it's split over two episodes shared with other stories. This is compounded with the fact one episode in-between those two is on the much more grandiose story of Genosha-- which is itself is grounded by that love triangle between Mags, Gambit, and Rogue-- not to mention a number of character deaths as the mid season "Oh shit" moment. The result is a vast cloud being cast over Ororo's narrative. We don't even get to properly delve into the Adversary.

There's some more minor things I can think of; the first episode is a little rough because of the dialogue being very hamfisted. It's made to be friendly to newcomers that didn't watch the original series, which I respect, but the consequence is some very weird statements of facts from characters to others that already know them. I think they knew this, which is why the much better ep. 2 dropped the same day. Smart. Outside ep. 1 it's handled much better. Slight spoiler, but if you know the comics you know about Madelyne Pryor, a clone of Jean with all her memories. OG Jean pops back in, but has a fragmented memory which allows for a much more natural flow of information as she slowly remembers events like the Phoenix and such.

Another use of conveying information to new comers is the newest member to the team, Roberto da Costa AKA Sunspot. Early on Roberto doesn't really have much going on, he's used similar to Jubilee as the audience POV saved by the X-men and that's kinda it. There's sparks between him and Jubilee, but for the most part his story takes a back seat to the much larger going ons. In fact I don't really think he ever comes into his own this season, although he is getting there by the end. However, I do think his character is used well thematically. Roberto's mother is a very wealthy business woman and philanthropist, and she's basically the stereotype of every rich minority liberal. She doesn't mind her son being a mutant, but she wants to keep it secret for social and financial reasons. She holds big charities for mutant causes, but will sell her own son out to authority figures if pressed. I never got invested in Roberto as there simply isn't enough time to focus on how that affects him on a deeper level beyond "Maybe Magneto is right." But I am impressed at showcasing that type of performative ally-ship, and with a parent no less.

I guess the last thing to address the new villain this season. I won't get into the story stuff, but if you know who Bastion is, then you sorta know where this goes anyway. And if you don't, then I won't really be getting too deep into that stuff. To be honest, I don't have a ton to say about him. He is quite different from his comics version to better fit within TAS universe, and he's sympathetic as a result of those changes. Pretty typical with this iteration of X-men to mix, change, and mash storylines across multiple decades. So nothing new there. I think he's a good threat, I like the portrayal of the prime sentinels, he's built up very well as a mysterious puppet master and power house; possibly too good given a "get out of jail free" moment with Jean in the finale. Theo James also does a good job making him sound calm, collected, almost emotionless-- but not bored, which a lot of people struggle with. I just don't really find him all that captivating or fun as a villain compared to say Magneto or Mr. Sinister. What he is, is a good catalyst. And I'm fine with that. X-men thrives on its melodramatic interpersonal relationships to carry damn near any story. Take characters you like, build'em up, have complex emotions, then throw them into scenarios to exacerbate all of that. If you can pull it off, you've got a fine formula for entertaining stories-- so long as you keep evolving those characters and scenarios. So, sure, I don't think Bastion is an all time great, but I'm more interested in the team having to deal with his shit and each other than him specifically, and I'm still getting other villains I do find interesting, so I can't really complain. But that's enough but the story, let's get into the other bits. Animation On the Animation side X-men '97 looks damn good. Comparing it to the original isn't even fair. The original studio, AKOM, was constantly threatened with firing because their output was routinely bad. Be that from a massive workload, poor management, crunch, Saban being a fuck stick, etc. Whatever the cause, the end result was not good. The first episode of X-men aired in an incomplete state, and that sort of trouble plagued the entire production. Heck, fellow Fox Kids series Batman The Animated Series terminated their contract with them for similar errors.

The first episode on '97 meanwhile takes every opportunity to showcase dynamic action. It probably has the most clever combination and uses of the X-men's powers; Scott using his optic blasts for movement, Gambit charging Wolverine's claws, Jean creating a containment field for Storm's tornadoes to increase pressure. That standard of quality is mostly maintained throughout. The biggest critique I can make is that some of the more subtle movements; raised eyebrow; slight head tilt; gritting teeth, tend to have an…off look. It reminds me a lot of the adoption of Flash in the 2010s and other digital animation, where every now and then certain objects just sorta float and slide in an overly smooth fashion, as if someone is simply moving a png around.

Another quirk is that there are A LOT of close ups of eyes. Sometimes that's an artistic choice, but very often it feels like a work around to avoid animating mouth movements for dialogue, showing backgrounds, other characters, and so on. And it's a trick used a wee-bit too much, one I'm hoping is ironed out by next season because it did become distracting by the end. But ya know, this is also better than Castlevania's first two seasons.

Voice Acting.

The voice Acting is great, no surprise there. Hell, the cast was the best thing out of the original series. While the dialogue and the delivery varied wildly, the voices themselves were generally on point, weird takes or direction notwithstanding. Those to me will always be the voices for those characters. I still hear Alison Sealy-Smith when I read Storm's dialogue in comic form, or Lenore Zann's Rogue, or George Buza's Beast. Most of the surviving original cast is back, either as their respective characters, or in other roles if they didn't want/fit the role anymore, as was the case with Catherine Disher and Alyson Court. Hilariously, Morph's original actor, Ron Rubin, now plays President Kelly.

youtube

Oddly enough Gambit's original VA, Chris Potter, returns but in the role of Cable. Credit where it's due, this Cable sounds similar to a much gruffer Cyclops, but in such a way that's clearly a different voice. So I think that was a good change.

Speaking of Scott, Ray Chase is the new voice and he knocks it out of the park, absolutely perfect voice for the character that captures the smarmy routine Norm Spencer had. I'm frankly impressed how perfect he fills those shoes, while also adding a world weariness. Likewise, Jennifer Hales is a fantastic choice for Jean. She's played Jean before but this is much more influenced by Disher's performance. Ironically Hale's performance made me realize how perfect she would've been as Jill Valentine, and I'm sorta surprised she was never picked for any of the remakes. Additionally, Hale is clearly having so much fun in a villainous role as the Goblin Queen. In fact, her tone is slightly different for Pryor in general, but my god is the Goblin Queen stuff a joy. It's only like an episode, but Hale is just REVELING in being a baddy.

Nice to see X-men awakening things in people even years later.

Other new cast members include A. J. LoCascio, who does a great job as Gambit. Of course we have new addition Roberto, voiced by Gui Agustini, who fits lovely and speaks Portuguese to boot. Holly Chou takes over Jubilee and is so damn on point I had to double check it wasn't a time-displaced Court. You actually get to hear Chou and Court opposite one another and it is WILD how subtle the differences are. Ross Marquand is also pretty damn close to Cedric Smith's Xavier, albeit a tad younger sounding. One returning member I do want to give special mention to is Cal Dodd's Wolverine. Dodd was always a favorite, and like the others "the voice" of that character to me, and it's great to hear him again. Although I will note it doesn't really sound like 90s Wolverine, with exception to the penultimate episode where it sorta comes back. I'm not sure if they told him to do a rougher voice, if it's just the result of age, or if he's just getting back into it (Logan doesn't have many lines this season) but it's certainly different for most of the run. Every so often you'll also get a very slight inflection of an accent. Now Dodd is Irish born, but he doesn't have an Irish accent, yet I swear I hear one coming from Wolverine. Honestly? It weirdly works simply due to Logan's age and coming from Alberta, which was pretty heavy on immigrants from all the British Empire's isles. So…I kinda dig it, even if I'll always default to the OG performance in my head.

I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the incredible music by the Newton Brothers.

But I also don't really know what to say about it beyond "That's some damn fine music and remixing of the Main Theme." Part of the problem is the Soundtrack isn't released at the time of this writing, there's only a single for the opening. But the harrowing vocal version of the theme, the BGM, all that's not released in a format I can point to and tell you to check it out, or even give a name to the ones I like. So... I just have to throw my hands up and say I love their work and am glad they're returning next season.

I hope they remix the second X-men theme from the later seasons. Final Thoughts

X-men '97 has been by far the most pleasant surprise this year. I loved the feeling of looking forward to each episode, wanting to know what events will transpire, waiting until next Wednesday for the follow up. Few series manage to capture my attention to the extent '97 did. In the wrong hands this could've been exhausting, but it's a masterclass in pacing and escalation without feeling tiresome. X-men '97 pulls off a perfect balance of new and familiar, maintaining and building upon a strong foundation of character drama to reach new heights that results in, above all else, an extremely rare example of a revival surpassing the original in every regard.

Now, I just hope the firing of the director wasn't a sign that Disney is going to sabotage this because the suits are rock stupid. Or that the series will become bogged down with cameos and references to other stuff. I gotta tell you, one of the best things was '97 not dealing with MCU and just having relatively subdued cameos and name drops. It was quaint compared to what it's like now. But that finale made me wince in spots. You can justify it all you want, but I'm tired, and I hope it's not a sign of things to come.

I couldn't figure out where to put this in the review, but I did want to mention a moment in ep 2 that I loved. Jean goes into labor and while Logan is driving her to the hospital, her powers go a little out of control and rips the roof off his vehicle. She made him a convertible.

They do not draw attention to it, no smarmy comment, just something that happens. But I have to imagine it was an intentional reference, and that's my favorite kind of callback. All that said, thanks for reading this. It's not often I do spoiler free reviews, but sometimes the format is just right for what I have to say without delving into a big plot synopsis. Hopefully, if you were cautious like me, maybe you'll check out '97 and find something you really love.

#review #x men 97 #marvel #Youtube

5 notes · View notes

zrtranscripts · 10 months

Text

Season 10, Mission 5: Go West

A clone and a super soldier walk into a bar...

ERNIE VAN ARK: Well, Ranger Five, that should be it, on the horizon. The base holding your namesake, Runner Five. A top secret Valmont facility in the Spanish desert. An entire prison dedicated to a single high-priority captive. That’s what it said in the intelligence we stole from Casablanca, but all I see is an Old West town. A single strip of wooden buildings. A saloon, a sheriff’s office. No signs of life.

I don’t know much about the American West, Five. They only had so many history texts on Red Scorpion Base. Sam once said they used to make cowboy movies in the Spanish desert. There must be old sets in this area. Sam knew a lot about movies. I hoped... one day I might get to watch some with him.

[Ranger Five’s implants whir]

Weeks of searching, Ranger. Weeks since we escaped Red Scorpion. All those Valmont decoys. The fake prison in Gibraltar. The false Fives in Tangier. This can’t be another dead end, it can’t be! What would the old me say, I wonder? Something megalomaniacal, I expect. I hear him sometimes in the night, Five, scolding foolish little Ernie for letting Valmont get ahead.

Valmont’s weakness is his flair for drama. That’s what the old Van Ark would say. His tendency for fancy. Just because he built a prison doesn’t mean it looks like one! See? Most of these buildings are wooden backdrops, but not the saloon. Its windows are all barred and sealed. Hiding a prison in plain sight surrounded by tumbleweed, that’s the sort of thing Brent Valmont would do!

You’d better get your implants ready for a fight. Runner Five’s imprisoned on that film set, I’d bet on it. It’s getting dark. We can use those wooden carts to cover our approach. Watch out for guards. There’s a hero waiting on our rescue. Run!

ERNIE VAN ARK: Here we are, Ranger Five. The saloon. It’s even got swinging doors. Sam’d love this, wouldn’t he? We’d best be careful. We don’t know what we’ll find inside, although... it’s strange we haven’t encountered a single guard yet.

[footsteps on creaking wood, piano plays]

I don’t understand. This place is deserted, but it’s certainly not a real saloon. Look at that thick metal door behind the self-playing piano. And the bar’s a computer terminal in disguise. [sighs] Hold on, I’ll hack the door. [computer zaps] Inside, Five. Quick!

[door opens, devices whir and hiss, chemicals bubble]

So much for the Old West. This is a laboratory! Centrifuges, robot arms, dissection tables, all fully automated. There! A cell door, in the corner. That must be where Runner Five is kept. Can you wrench it open? [implants whir, metal creaks, monitor beeps] A padded cell. One poor soul strapped to a gurney... Don’t worry, Runner Five, we’re here to - ! Oh. That’s... Not Runner Five.

PETER LYNN: Time for another robot checkup, eh, Brent? Got to top me up? Oh God! Oh, that’s Van Ark himself! That’s all I... [laughs] That’s all I need.

ERNIE VAN ARK: Peter Lynn! He’s unconscious. So many tubes connected to him. The immortal! He’s the priority prisoner, not Runner Five! [discordant piano chord, alarm blares] Damn! Can you carry Peter, Five? [implants whir] Please try not to hurt him when you unhook the tubes. There’s a back exit past the fume cupboards. Must lead up into the hills. We’ve got to get him out of here. Come on, Five!

[alarms blare in the distance]

ERNIE VAN ARK: Alright, Five. We’re out of the immediate danger zone. These hills and gullies will give us cover, but security can’t be far away. There must be guards somewhere. We need to keep moving. How’s our patient faring? Can you hear me, Peter?

PETER LYNNE: [gasps] Cold... So cold. Oh... no, no, no! Take me back!

[cloth rustles, metal clanks]

ERNIE VAN ARK: Don’t struggle, Peter, you’ll hurt yourself. Here, take my coat. [rocks clatter, zombies growl] What was that? A hand reaching out of the ground right where my foot was a moment ago. Zombies! Another one. Careful, Five. That one almost got your leg. We need to get Peter out of here before they surface fully. Quickly, run!

[footsteps in gravel]

PETER LYNN: What’s going on? Van... Van Ark? No, you can’t have me.

ERNIE VAN ARK: Keep a good hold on him, Five.

PETER LYNN: Get your metal monstrosity off me. I can’t be here! Jenny needs me.

[cloth rustles, metal clanks]

ERNIE VAN ARK: You won’t be doing anything for anyone if those zombies get you. Now, where have they gone? [rocks clatter, zombies growl] Up ahead, Five, clawing their way out of the ground. They must have burrowed under us. No time to evade them, Ranger. We’ll have to take them out. Put Peter down and fire.

[implants whir, zombies splatter]

Thank you, Five. These must be a variant of our Tunisian zombies. [footsteps] Oh no, Peter’s running away! I didn’t think he was well enough. He’s in no state to fend for himself out here. We need to get after him. Come on, Five!

ERNIE VAN ARK: Another Old West film set, and nothing but scrubby desert all around. Peter must be hiding in there. Keep your sensors hot, Five. [devices whir] There, slumped against that stagecoach. The adrenaline must have worn off finally. Peter, please do listen to me. We’re here to rescue you. Well... maybe that wasn’t the initial intention, but it’s certainly what we intend to do now. You have to stop running away! Let Ranger Five help you.

PETER LYNNE: [laughs] Your oversize Roomba can just keep its distance! I have had enough robotic hands inserting things in me for a lifetime! There are only so many curative substances one man can take, even me!

ERNIE VAN ARK: Curative substances?

PETER LYNNE: Which one was your favorite, Ernie? The one that blistered every inch of skin on my body? Or what about the projectile vomiting? Or – or that one where all my blood vessels ruptured at once, leaving me clinically dead for a week?

ERNIE VAN ARK: Peter, these experiments, these horrible experiments, they weren’t mine! I-I know what my other self did to you. Janine told me. I think it was the thing she was angriest about. But I’m not with Valmont. I was his prisoner, too! He destroyed the only homes I’ve ever known. Red Scorpion Base, my friends from Abel. He even killed Guillemette. And she was... kind to me, in her way. I saw him bragging about it in a Ranger’s files.

PETER LYNNE: I... don’t know what your game is. Maybe you are telling the truth, [laughs] I can’t tell! I think I lost touch with reality several experiments ago. You need to stop your walking Tonka truck stomping around like that. If you are who you say you are, I would get going while I still can.

ERNIE VAN ARK: Not without you.

PETER LYNNE: I have to say, [laughs] I’m surprised this latest batch is so mild. Uh, you know, I’ve had worse comedowns in abandoned warehouses in Manchester. Credit where it’s due, though, it certainly is... moreish.

ERNIE VAN ARK: Moreish? Has Valmont been injecting you with opiates? To make you dependent, I suppose.

PETER LYNNE: You know, a normal person’s first thought would have been to numb the pain.

ERNIE VAN ARK: Oh. Yes, I suppose it would.

PETER LYNNE: It doesn’t. Just FYI. Numb the pain, I mean. Oh, and as-as for the dependency, bit redundant if you ask me. Not like I have much choice but to stay here. [rock rumbles and clatters] Oh, [laughs] there’s my ride now.

ERNIE VAN ARK: Burrowing zombies, more this time! We need to move before the whole street gives way! [ground collapses] Peter, Ranger? Is everyone alright?

PETER LYNNE: Oh, yep, never better!

ERNIE VAN ARK: Fascinating! We’ve fallen into some kind of underground tunnel system.

[zombies growl]

PETER LYNNE: And we’re not the only ones.

ERNIE VAN ARK: There’s zombies breaking through the walls. I thought they had human hands, but they’re actually more like huge blunt claws.

PETER LYNN: This is no time to admire monster design, Van Ark. Listen, I don’t much care if you live, but assuming you do, I suggest you follow me. I’ve been here before... and I know a way out, but we need to go now.

ERNIE VAN ARK: You heard him, Five. Run!

PETER LYNNE: Looks like we’ve lost them for now.

ERNIE VAN ARK: A chamber in the tunnels filled with Old West memorabilia. A sheriff’s hat, a gun holster, a giant cow’s skull. Wait. Not all of these are animal bones. That’s a human tibia with some flesh still hanging off it. It looks like it’s been... gnawed! Peter, what is this place?

PETER LYNNE: Ah, it’s just a cavern.

ERNIE VAN ARK: A cavern with claw marks on the walls that are a perfect match for those mole-like zombies and pits in the ground filled with more half-eaten corpses. I think that one’s moving! This isn’t a cavern, it’s a larder!

PETER LYNNE: I suppose you could call it that.

ERNIE VAN ARK: You brought us here deliberately! You wanted to be caught!

PETER LYNNE: Well, what was I supposed to do, trust you? Ernie Van Ark, action hero? Oh, forgive me if I don’t buy that from the man who ended the world!

ERNIE VAN ARK: And you allied with him from what I’ve heard! Why am I irredeemable, but not you?

PETER LYNNE: I don’t know! Uh, maybe both of us are, uh... But I can’t leave. The way out’s over there. I’m going this way, into the belly of the beast. Follow me or don’t follow me. I don’t care.

ERNIE VAN ARK: There he is, Ranger. Just standing in the center of a huge chamber surrounded by decaying, half-eaten corpses. He looks utterly without hope. Peter, please -

[intercom squeals]

BRENT VALMONT: Petey, Petey, Petey. If you’re hearing this, it means you’ve tried to escape again.

ERNIE VAN ARK: Oh no.

PETER LYNNE: Don’t worry, it’s a recording. I don’t even rate live surveillance, apparently.

BRENT VALMONT: You remember the rules of La Prisión de la DeLuca, don’t you? You stay put and let me try out my samples on you and I don’t cut off Janine’s fingers one by one and make you listen to her screams. Got it? Good! Now you enjoy the zombies hospitality and I’ll have someone out to pick you up ASAP. ASAPish, anyway. Only fair to let my undead security team have a nibble after the trouble you’ve given them. Oh, and uh, don’t try this again! Third strike, and Janine really will be out. Ta-ra.

PETER LYNNE: Oh, I escaped once before, but the zombies caught me. They’ve got a slow-acting strain of the virus, so they don’t need to feed as ravenously as your normal zom. They just bury you in a pit and pull bits off whenever they fancy a snack. It was... Days before the extraction team arrived.

ERNIE VAN ARK: So Valmont says he has Janine, and you just... believe him?

PETER LYNNE: [laughs] What choice do I have? If there’s any chance I can keep her safe -

ERNIE VAN ARK: No.

PETER LYNNE: What do you mean, no?

ERNIE VAN ARK: I won’t allow it. We came here to rescue a friend and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. We can find Janine together. Runner Five, too.

PETER LYNNE: And if I don’t want to come, you’ll just kidnap me again, I presume.

ERNIE VAN ARK: No. If you stay, we stay, too.

PETER LYNNE: Oh great, very productive. We can all enjoy Brent’s lovely acid trips together!

ERNIE VAN ARK: Yes, except he won’t need you then, will he, if he has me? I can be his scientist and lab rat rolled into one. What do you think happens to you then? To Janine?

PETER LYNNE: You... [laughs] you wouldn’t.

ERNIE VAN ARK: Don’t presume to know what I would or wouldn’t do, Peter Lynne! You refuse to believe I’m on your side, so do you really want to risk Valmont getting his hands on me again? [zombies growl, rock clatters] Hundreds of burrowing zombies bursting out of every square foot of wall and ceiling. Decision time, Peter. Them or me.

PETER LYNNE: Alright, fine! That tunnel to the left, that’s the route Valmont’s men took the last time they hauled me out of here. It’s a safe passage to the surface. Follow me. Go, go!

[footsteps]

PETER LYNNE: [gasps] The surface. We’ve made it.

ERNIE VAN ARK: Keep running. These zombies tunnel at incredible speed. We’re not out of the woods yet. [zombie growls, rock clatters] To your left, Five! Claws bursting out of the ground.

PETER LYNNE: Up ahead, a whole line of them like an undead barbed wire fence!

ERNIE VAN ARK: We’ll have to jump them, then head for the river beyond. Ready, Ranger? 1, 2, 3, jump! [implants whir, footsteps, water flows] We’re over the river. Keep going!

PETER LYNNE: Wait! [laughs] Wait! [laughs] They’ve stopped following us.

ERNIE VAN ARK: The river must act as a natural boundary to their territory.

PETER LYNNE: Oh God... Oh God, what was I thinking? I can’t go on the lam with Van Ark! Janine...

ERNIE VAN ARK: Peter, you being locked up in that lab helps no one but Valmont. What do you think he’ll do to Janine once you’ve outlived your purpose, hmm?

PETER LYNNE: But when he finds out I’ve escaped -

ERNIE VAN ARK: Who’s going to tell him, the zombies? That message was prerecorded. He doesn’t know you’ve escaped yet. And he doesn’t expect you to actually try, not with Janine at stake. He won’t know you’re not in the zombies’ larder until he can get a recovery team out here. That will be two weeks at the earliest based on the map I’ve constructed of Valmont’s facilities. Find her before then, and Janine’s safe.

PETER LYNNE: All right... Say I trust you on that. What’s next? Do you even have a plan?

ERNIE VAN ARK: That recording, do you remember hearing anything in the background?

PETER LYNNE: I don’t know. Bird calls, maybe?

ERNIE VAN ARK: Several different species, if I’m not much mistaken. And more than that. There were waves, too, crashing against rock.

PETER LYNNE: So we’re looking for a seaside location that’s... popular with birdwatchers, or-or used to be?

ERNIE VAN ARK: There’s only one Valmont facility that matches those criteria. I’ve got the map here. Look, this island.

PETER LYNNE: Tabarca. That’s... really close. All right. Okay. I don’t know what Valmont’s drugs have done to me, or... how I’ll cope without them. But I can last until we get to Janine. I can free Jenny. And then nothing else matters.

#zombies run #zrs10 #s10m5 #go west #zr transcript #zrs10 spoilers

7 notes · View notes

eighthmelody · 1 year

Note

It's super interesting that Orochimaru describes it as " a joy and sense of accomplishment", and yet that's completely turned on its head when Sasuke pulls one over on him. Do you think it's because he's cocky and proud that he can get under the skin of his ex-pupil and old teacher? Like he felt untouchable to everyone until he finally met someone stronger than him?

Ego, for sure, but Orochimaru also has a past with Hiruzen and Anko, so he finds it especially easy to torment them. They’re both exploitable. His sensei’s known him since childhood, and in spite of all the signs that were there, Hiruzen still couldn’t completely reconcile the boy that he guided and trained with the monster that he became. You could say something of the same of Anko, who’d aspired to be like Orochimaru. He was everything that she wanted to be as a shinobi, until he shed his skin right in front of her. Yet she still considers him the greatest teacher she’s ever had. . .

Orochimaru lost that fight to Sarutobi because he was too busy torturing the old man emotionally to take the fight seriously.

With Sasuke, it speaks volumes that Orochimaru could watch the young man take out hundreds of opponents without killing any of them nor getting a single drop of blood on him, compliment him for it, and still not consider him a viable threat. Such a megalomaniac!

To be fair, though, he earned that ego. He was the wunderkind of his generation! Problem is, he’s still sort of stuck in the past, or maybe it’s better to say that he’s so stuck on his own self-improvement that he simply cannot see anyone else around him improving as well.

What do you think?

#Naruto #Orochimaru #Naruto musings

8 notes · View notes

hrokkall · 1 year

Note

rebecha please?

Absolutely!

Favorite thing about them: She’s somehow the most charismatic character in the game and she’s not even trying. She just wins automatically by calling bullshit on everyone’s shenanigans and hating her job. What more could you want amidst a cast of rejected video game protagonists and/or megalomaniac tabletop game hosts. Thank you for being normal.

Least favorite thing about them: I don’t think there’s anything I dislike about Rebecha. Is there anything to dislike about Rebecha?

Favorite line:

“How are you holding up, Faceless Joe? Dull? I figured.”

brOTP: I like to think she ends up (accidentally) hanging out with the Wizard Pupils a lot just because they keep breaking shit and desperately need her to “please fix it immediately we’ll pay you extra” before Magnificus gets back to the tower. She takes care to stay a little longer after jobs—not because she’s particularly interested in whatever they have to say, just because it’s so blatantly clear that these guys really don’t have anyone else to talk to (and hey, she knows the feeling of being locked in one place in a game, unable to really interact outside of that. She’ll spend a little extra time with some bored university students—why not).

Moving to the Hex here but I also love the concept of Rebecha being buddies with Rust and Rocky—even though their conversations are pretty short Rocky sees Rebecha as a cool aunt-type figure (partially because there’s no one else in the wasteland that isn’t actively trying to kill them, but hey). She’s pretty pissed that she’s in another game, of course, but she still always asks Rust how Rocky’s doing in an attempt to return the favor—it’s pretty rare that she sees someone so enveloped in their game without the ulterior goal of sucking up to her boss, after all. Also she’s not going to be an asshole to a kid on purpose.

Additionally from the Hex, I like to think Rebecha and FPP actually get along pretty well. Partially because they’re the only one in all of their jobs that won’t talk her ear off (partially because they can’t, partially because they’re just generally pretty quiet even after they learn sign language) and also because they’re the only one who actually listens. Rebecha doesn’t see herself as much of a complainer—she’ll be blunt about whatever job she’s doing at surface level, but ultimately she’s going to get it done regardless, it just depends on whether she gives in first to boredom or spite—but it’s still nice to have that option knowing the other person will listen instead of just faking sympathy. But most of the time it’s nice to not have to talk at all, or just talk about nothing. She’d take conversations with FPP about today’s weather over having to ignore someone else’s heavy baggage they randomly decided to spring on her any day. Talking with each other instead of someone talking at her, if that makes any sense. I don’t know if this reads, I just think they should be buddies.

…Can you tell I like writing about Rebecha with other miscellaneous characters? She fits well just about anywhere. I like her.

OTP: As absolutely hilarious as Rebecha x Sado is in concept (again with the completely normal person & Absolutely Off The Walls dynamic) I don’t actually ship Rebecha with anyone. But I had to give an honorable mention to something because I feel like I keep leaving this section blank.

nOTP: I’ve seen a bit of Rebecha x Pike Mage content—I don’t have anything against it, it’s just not my thing personally. (Can I use “not my thing” ships here? Or is nOTP exclusively for vehement hatred. I’m pretty sure it isn’t but I’ll put this as an asterisk here anyway)

Random headcanon: I’ve already said this a bunch so I’ll keep it short; it’s an endlessly hilarious running gag to me that everyone knows Rebecha. Everyone knows her and yet somehow no one has any real issue with her—against her will she’s become the capybara of the video game world. Everyone tells her secrets/gossip/just about their day completely unprompted and she does not give a single shit.

Unpopular opinion: I don’t think this is an unpopular opinion but she should be really buff. She was a fighter. She was (and still arguably is) a mechanic. She fought in the wastes. She fought an eldritch monster. Now she has to build a bridge entirely by herself. No way is she doing all of that with stick-thin arms. (This one is on me too I need to draw her with more muscle)

Song I associate with them: Hm. My immediate thought would be The World at Large by Modest Mouse but I’d have to think on it a little more to give more proper recs.

Favorite picture of them: I don’t have a better quality picture but I’m a HUGE fan of Becabot :]

#Ask meme #Re: Inbox #Re: Anon #Long post #I’m horrible at song recs that’s what’s taking these so long. Half joke #That and I’ve had a busy day but

12 notes · View notes

nikoldragonne12 · 1 year

Text

(Old post)

Despicable Me AU - info (part 2)

In my AU Gru wasn't 11¾ years old during the "Minions: The Rise of Gru" movie - I moved his birthday to June;

Birth dates, zodiac signs and sexualities of canon/existing characters (note: some info is from wiki and some of it is by me - info from wiki is even a little changed, so it fits the timeline which I slightly changed):

Gru - 19th June 1964; Gemini = the Twins; heteroromantic gray-asexual

Dru - 19th June 1964; Gemini = the Twins; homosexual

Lucy - 8th March 1978; Pisces = the Fish; heterosexual

Margo - 27th August 2002; Virgo = the Maiden; bisexual

Edith - 13th January 2004; Capricorn = the Sea-Goat; aromantic asexual

Agnes - 29th April 2007; Taurus = the Bull; heterosexual

Marlena - 6th February 1931; Aquarius = the Water-Bearer; heterosexual

Dr. Nefario - 28th July 1931; Leo = the Lion; heterosexual

Victor "Vector" - 15th February 1975; Aquarius = the Water-Bearer; heteroromantic asexual

Mr. Perkins - 23rd December 1943; Capricorn = the Sea-Goat; heterosexual

Eduardo - 29th July 1973; Leo = the Lion; demiromantic demisexual

Antonio - 3rd November 2001; Scorpio = the Scorpion; heterosexual

Balthazar - 19th July 1973; Cancer = the Crab; pansexual

Silas - 16th February 1946; Aquarius = the Water-Bearer; heterosexual

Valerie - 26th March 1969; Aries = the Ram; aromantic asexual

Scarlet - 1st August 1928; Leo = the Lion; heterosexual

Herb - 2nd October 1927; Libra = the Scales; heterosexual

Henry "Wild Knuckles" - 29th May 1902; Gemini = the Twins; heterosexual

Heights of canon/existing characters were added and/or changed (sorry, we're not using feet and inches in our country):

Gru - 186 cm

Dru - 188 cm

Lucy - 196 cm (190 cm without shoes)

Margo - 170 cm (currently; formerly 152 cm)

Edith - 165 cm (currently; formerly 127 cm)

Agnes - 160 cm (currently; formerly 108 cm)

Marlena - 158 cm

Dr. Nefario - 180 cm

Victor "Vector" - 178 cm

Mr. Perkins - 200 cm

Eduardo - 170 cm (formerly 187 cm)

Antonio - 155 cm

Balthazar - 195 cm

Silas - 193 cm

Valerie - 193 cm (187 cm without shoes)

Scarlet - 187 cm

Herb - 205 cm

Henry "Wild Knuckles" - 206 cm

Bob - 50 cm

Stuart - 59 cm

Chubby minions - 61 cm

Middle-height minions - 62 to 64 cm

Otto - 120 cm

Tall minions - 125 cm

Minions are actually very intelligent creatures but the male tribe has a tendency to hide it with their language and with playful, childish and frolic behavior;

The female tribe doesn't hide intelligence, most of the minion girls is still playful and frolic, though - sometimes even more than the boys;

Some minions (in both tribes) are serious and less frolic, of course;

Balthazar has a daughter he never met - despite his megalomaniac personality, he had a girlfriend who he eventually left behind on his villainous way;

Her name was Roselle Moreau and she didn't tell Balthazar she's pregnant when he was leaving because she felt he wouldn't stay anyway;

Balthazar's daughter is named Colette Moreau, she's 21 years old (b. 5th October 2002; Libra = the Scales) and she's a shy and reserved yet very talented hobby dancer and a university student of Philosophy (Toronto university);

Colette doesn't know exactly who her father is/was because Roselle doesn't want to talk about him - she only told her daughter her father was a jerk and a criminal, so Collete isn't looking for him;

Fact: Balthazar is Canadian, was born there and was living there until the age of 11 - I made this headcanon because of how he spoke French in Despicable Me 3 without any problems. My first thoughts of why his French is so good were that he's either somebody who's good at learning languages or somebody whose native language is French (which appealed to me more) - however, I would expect him to have at least a slight French accent if he was meant to be from France (which is characteristic for one of my OCs of this AU). That's why I decided to put Balthazar in a country that has two official languages and one of them is French (so the accent doesn't have to be there) - I eventually chose Canada;

After 'Despicable Me 3", the male minion tribe divided - a bigger part of them ran away with Dru while the rest of the tribe, those who weren't willing to become villains again, stayed with Gru;

Mel (full name "Melvin" in my AU) is the actual alpha of the male minion tribe and the one who's in charge of Dru's group of minions;

Kevin, the second in charge, stayed with Gru and became an alpha of the smaller group of the minions at Gru's house - his reasons for it were simple: he developed slight PTSD after being in prison, he didn't feel any anger towards Gru anymore and was able to renew his loyalty and the most important, he himself wasn't interested in crime anymore and just wanted to have a nice and calm life;

A small chicken minion from "Minions: The Rise of Gru" is still alive - he lost almost all his feathers (except some feathers on his head and arms), his beak reformed into normal minion mouth, his teeth grew and even his arms and legs became more minion-like;

He also talks normally;

My headcanon: Stuart named his "child" Chico - it means "kid/boy" in Spanish and it also sounds like "chicken", a little. Chico is a complete opposite of his father: silent, shy, gentle, polite yet filled with energy. He stayed with Dave after Despicable Me 3 while Stuart ran away with Dru - Chico misses his dad but doesn't feel any anger towards him.

Fact: Minions can breed in my AU;

Mel is the oldest male minion and has seven younger brothers, (including Steve and Stuart, who's actually the youngest brother), as well as a big number of cousins;

This also means Chico is Mel's nephew;

Lucy left her relatives (those who are alive) because she wanted to take revenge on that villain who murdered her parents, grandparents and great-grandmother;

Her relatives didn't agree and one of them (Lucy's aunt, specifically) even got in an argument with Lucy, which ended up by Lucy leaving;

Lucy still feels guilty for leaving them behind and would be happy to meet them again, she doesn't have enough courage to return and fix the relationship with them, however;

Fact: Gru knows only a part of Lucy's past because she doesn't like to talk about it - he respects her and doesn't ask about it but he also told her if she ever needs to tell him, he will listen and help her;

Minions are almost immortal - they can't be injured by a lot of common things, they can't die of old age, however, there are some ways they can injure themselves and even ways they can die (for example beasts created by PX-41 serum can make them injuries they can't heal completely and they can even kill the minions);

Bonus fact!: Minions Mike and Ken (from "Panic in the Mailroom") survived the attack of three mutated kittens and currently lives with the female minion tribe;

They're covered with scars, one of Ken's eyes is missing, Mike is limping on his leg and they both also have PTSD, but otherwise they're doing pretty well;

Both Mike and Ken got married to two beautiful minion girls named Coco and Caroline "Carrie" - there are also some rumors among the female tribe saying Carrie might be pregnant;

#despicable minions #despicable me #despicableme #dm #dm au #despicable me au #minions #the minions #minions the rise of gru

11 notes · View notes

themattress · 2 years

Text

One Villainous Scene - Shattered Mask

So...Ghetsis, leader of Team Plasma and easily the most evil villain in the core Pokemon video game series, has an interesting (and by “interesting” I mean “terrifying”) quirk given to him in Pokemon Adventures. He’s still a heartless, narcissistic megalomaniac....but he’s a very high-functioning one. He is always in control - not just over the events in his master plan, but also over himself: always speaking politely and wearing this benign, kindly look on his face as if the disturbing Pope parallels inherent to his character weren’t obvious enough.

In the Black 2/White 2 story arc, this face had gone kind of wonky with a lot of tell-tale signs to his true evil nature popping up even as he strains to keep it on, making it come off like a mask that didn’t quite fit anymore. But in the climactic chapter, when he is cornered aboard his airship and has nowhere left to run and all seems lost, it’s back to normal all of a sudden.

So...why is that? Why is he so calm? What is he planning to do?

Suicide alongside mass murder, that’s what!

Oh, and you gotta love the inexplicable holy light shining upon him before he detonates the bomb, really leaning in to how he views himself as a saintly martyr; a perfect human being.

And then......this happens:

N is the person Ghetsis has always looked down upon the most. He saw him as just a monstrous freak of nature only fit to be the central pawn in his scheme, and he has fiercely resented him ever since he broke free of being that pawn. And yet...here’s N, attempting to save his life, still calling him his father, telling him that he loves him and is grateful to him despite everything. This is a level of pure, good humanity that is completely beyond Ghetsis’ grasp - and him being faced with it, coming from N specifically, is like a knife stabbed through the heart of his narcissistic self-image. Ghetsis loses control, and now his true face is on display for all to see. How ironic is it that he calls N a “monster”, given the way he looks?

Oh, and N is grateful to him for saving his life? Better rectify that by brutally killing N, then!

Ghetsis’ deranged, triumphant laughter as he falls to his death is cut short when he is saved by Zekrom......who is now squeezing him, digging its claws into him, and glaring at him furiously. Scared beyond all reason, Ghetsis can only scream “LET GO!”, a command Zekrom does not follow. It’s Ghetsis’ greatest fear come true: a total lack of control; being left helpless and powerless. If Ghetsis has no control, then he has nothing at all. No control, no Ghetsis.

Which makes his ultimate fate that much more satisfying:

No control over his situation, as he’s being taken to jail to “live with the shame of a captive”. No control over Pokemon, thousands of whom are glaring at him in the exact same furious, unforgiving way that Zekrom did. And no control over his own mind, as his attempt at reasserting his mask of a composed, saintly gentleman utterly collapses and his former eloquence goes with it as he starts laughing hysterically out of sheer terror and mental anguish before lunging for the safety of the police helicopter. In a way, Ghetsis is now nothing but a shell of his former self. But also in a way, this was always what Ghetsis was at his core and wanted so badly to deny, and now he’s condemned to spend the rest of his life with it.

Truly one of the darkest Pokemon villains ever, a fact cemented by this single chapter.

#Pokemon #Pokemon Adventures #Ghetsis #Team Plasma #Evil #Analysis #One Villainous Scene

40 notes · View notes

cpacs-blog · 2 years

Text

More thoughts on Levi Squad bc i am hyperfixated and it’s a curse:

So there they are running and then this Female Titan shows up which was #notpartoftheplan for our sweet lil levi squad

And they obviously want to help all of their friends dying behind them from this obscenely deadly Titan. Most Titans kill a few ppl; Annie targeted and murdered scores

But Levi vetoed that. “Bitch look ahead”

And they were just… OKAY WITH IT???

^evidence of true loyalty right there. They watched a ton of ppl get squished like bugs (#foreshadowing ugh) and they hated it but since Levi said no they were like “ok guess we’ll just let her gain on us orders are orders”

Bro that’s clutch af. How many aot characters (ahem eren eren eren EREN) just screw over everyone bc they think they know best? It’s amazing that these elite veterans, who actually have the stats to prove they can do whatever they want, are humble/loyal enough to listen to their friends

Anyhow sometime in this chase, Levi reminds them their job is to protect Eren and Eren gets v confused. He was told that Levi squad was there to babysit him

(Which is brave and scary enough… being in charge of a future megalomaniac who can turn into a raging giant but doesnt have control of his powers yet bc it’s s1… so he can AND WILL blow you up without warning at lunch)

But they didnt actually sign up for that. It wasn’t to protect others from Eren… Levi told them when he recruited them that it was the other way around

Which is wayyyy more intense and dangerous. It’s being damage control for a freak accident vs protecting someone from an assassination while ALSO still being responsible for freak accidents

Levi said to protect eren or die trying. They were gonna die for a kid who, at this point, only turned into half a torso on accident when trying to use his powers. Yet when gunther died, Auruo (who was most distrusting of eren [he was right]) literally threw Eren forward in the air to keep him safe

Even if they didnt believe in him (which I think they had reasonable doubts), they still put his life before their own bc… well bc theyre friggin superheroes

***we will skip over the part where they all die i’m very not over it***

Before Annie escaped and did v bad things, Levi and Miche had *uninterrupted* access to cut at Annie. She was tied down and blasted with canons. They had all of the advantage and couldn’t make a dent

Not even Mikasa! She tried and remarked that her blades wouldn’t work. Two Ackermans. Miche. Half of the battalion with artillery. Nada. Levi said himself it was impossible to kill her

And our kiddos, just the three, stalled her long enough to keep Main Character safe

Point being: they had zero chance. If Levi+Mike+Mikasa+Erwin couldn’t kill her with her strapped to a tree, it was never gonna happen. So theyre not weak for dying

(Some ppl on youtube make it seem like they died for their ego which is… false…)

They knew what the Female Titan was capable of bc they saw it… yet they threw Eren ahead to safety, turned around, and 👏stepped 👏 up

They made several choices: one to sign up to protect a total stranger from shadowy danger plot… two to see that job out until the very end… three to do it together. Not one of them stepped out and bailed

Pick whatever you’ll regret the least? Idk man, sacrificing yourself for someone you barely know bc your friend/boss said so… and also sticking with your team until the end? Like that tattoo: truly #noragrets

I hate that my neurodiverse brain will not stop until I inhale every detail of something, but these guys are pretty alright to rule my thoughts

Thank you for reading my senior thesis

#levi squad #petra ral #auruo bossard #oluo bozado #gunther schultz #eld jinn

24 notes · View notes

dxrknessembr8ced · 12 days

Text

Meanwhile, Metro City...

' Hrrrrggg.. '

' Hniiff! hniff ! '

For a while now Rei along with his allies he had welcomed into forming into his pack continued their search for Rei's mother and the rest of his family. The ground had now decided to stay put catching a break from walking as one of the pack members is just searching for food through the garbage bin by the name of Chompy. Chompy is Rei's first pet and he's a B.O.W. created similarly like hunters except he was created using the T-virus combining human, Piranha, and the great white shark DNA making Chompy a proficient killing machine and those jaws and claws are made to cut through anything he sees as prey.

Rei watches chompy eating garbage out of a garbage bin while the boy wear both gloves in his hand and a scarf around his neck just cause it felt soft. The half breed turned to the others direction checking if they're fine.

" Tired yet? "

Koaru waves sitting besides Frank.

" Yeah we're good Rei by the way you looking pretty cute! "

His face becomes partially red.

" .... I'm not that cute but thanks. "

With a mutilated A-virus zombie in his hand the tyrant Blitzkrieger a ww1 themed tyrant created by the german scientists from the cult which went awol and killed the german scientists and met up with Rei and his rag tag team of monsters and one very noisy reporter. Blitzkrieger is by all accounts is a megalomaniac who enjoys destruction and all sorts of weapons mainly ones that burns or blow his victims to bits.

" Ja! This is going to be soo much fun, when are we killing Rei? I want to burn stuff! HAHAHAHA!! "

Koaru and Rei does not like blitzkrieger's thirst for blood since both he and Koaru like the rest follow their instinct. Unlike him.

" The hell is wrong with you blitz? "

" We're not killing anyone unless we're hungry or when they attack us first. We kill to survive, not for pleasure. Survival is our own war... "

Frank butts in still uneasy about the killing. He understands Rei but unfortunately he doesn't understand fully that Rei unlike some follows basic instincts like Koaru and the rest of the hunters. Rei and Koaru are more animal than man.

" God damn... "

The largest and most disfigured out of the hunters Gracie appeared besides Rei while she watches over the pack. An Hunter β who was created as not only as an perfect killing machine, a vast improvement of the hunters but also used for breeding they tortured her and forced her to lay eggs and take them away. Gracie had gone through a lot but now? She has now has a purpose to not only look after the boy Rei but also to look after the pack.

Gracie turned towards Rei-Rei as the two used sign language to communicate one another just like how some primates does this.

" I worry about the pack falling apart at man's hand. . . "

#{ Musing: Rei-Rei }#{ Musing: Gracie }#{ Musing: Chompy }#{ Musing: Blitzkrieger }#{ Musing: Koaru }#{ Musing: Frank West }#{ The New Blood }#{ Grandmother Hunter }#{ Gnashing Maw }#{ Destructive Wunderbar ! }#{ The Last Makai Dragon }#{ The Scoop Of A Life time! }#{ The Pack That Lays Low While In Search.. }

0 notes

icarusthelunarguard · 1 month

Text

This Week’s Horrible-Scopes

It’s time for this week’s Horrible-Scopes! So for those of you that know your Astrological Signs, cool! If not, just pick one, roll a D12, or just make it up as you go along. It really doesn’t matter. Better yet! Check out “Heart of the Game, Fredonia” and see if they can sell you those D12’s with the symbols on them. Tell them “Shujin Tribble” sentcha. And “Hail, Hail, Fredonia!” Home of the Blue Devil!

A suggestion was made for a theme this week: ALIEN DAY! Now before you get your hair into a frazzle just know that the specific event day of April 26th has passed. The date is from the “Alien” movie franchise, specifically the designation “LV-426”, one of three moons orbiting the gas giant Calpamos in the Zeta2 Reticuli system, 39 light years away from Earth. And since we never run from a challenge, let’s see what aliens you’ll each be paired with this week! And we’re using each of your star sign letters to help pick.

Aries

One Shall Stand. One Shall Fall… Aries, your alien race is the Autobots! From the Transformers Universe, they’re a machine race that can transform between a humanoid form and that of a certain machine… and, c’mon. Do we REALLY need to explain who the Autobots are? It’s been Forty Freekin’ Years! So This Week… Can we all still agree that Starscream is a little bitch? Thank You!

Taurus

Well, it’s likely safe to say you’re screwed. Coming from the SCP Foundation, you’re matched up with the Taronyu from Mo’ara. They’re Six-sexed humanoid aliens who came to Earth after their homeworld had some apocalyptic disasters. On the down side, they’re an SCP-Designated Lifeform… but on the UP side with six sexes there’s likely going to be at least one that’ll catch your eye for a night in. So This Week… You can take your chances with the Taronyu. After all, how bad could it possibly be?

Gemini

Hope you like sand, ‘cause you’re gunna see a LOT of it. Hailing from the Stargate SG-1 Universe your aliens are the Goa'uld. They’re not exactly humanoid, but they are parasites to them. They burrow into a host's neck and possess them, posing as Gods to other races around the galaxy. So This Week… If you’re not sure who the Goa'uld is in your collection of friends, just turn off the lights and see whose eyes glow. Sadly it’ll be too late to do anything about it, but hey! At least you’ll know, right?

Cancer Moon-Child

FINALLY we get to a Star Trek race, but… Your race isn’t exactly known for being conversant while being able to break up married couples. Hailing from Ceti Alpha V you get the Ceti Eel. Now, we know that some of you won’t like this choice, we understand. But it’s a native species and will kiss, lick, and hug you in places you never knew you could be. So this Week… Just do what the nice megalomaniacal voice on your wrist tells you to do.

Leo

Not Gunna Lie, Leo… we’re only throwing this species your way because you drew the short straw. Your pairing is with the Large Nostril People from the planet Boodie-Nen in the Invader Zim Universe. No one knows what they look like. No one knows how intelligent they are. All we know is that they were mentioned once and never talked about again. So This Week… If you have to wear perfume, don’t wear something like Chanel Number 5. Ask to buy whatever’s on tap and bring your own growler.

Virgo

There’s something so satisfying about your alien race, Virgo. They’re smaller than you are, incredibly efficient, and love the night life. From the Doctor Who universe you’re getting paired with the Vashta Nerada. Technically, yes, they can communicate with you, but only through a third party… usually unwillingly. But they’re great at cleaning off their plate after a meal. So This Week… Do you like reading in libraries? So Do They! You could make a date out of it: a book and a meal all in one night!

Libra

You don’t want to be matched up with your race. You want to use them as target practice. No, scratch that! You want to have already done a lot of target practice so you can off these buggers as quickly as you can squeeze off the trigger. You’re paired off with the Locust from the Gears of War universe. All they want to do is destroy anything they can on any planet they land on - in this case all of humanity, which means you too. So This Week… Invest in weapons. LOTS of ranged, high explosive, maximally accurate weapons.

Scorpio

How do you feel about being matched up with a race who are generally peaceful farmers and painters on their home planet? Hailing from the planet Hathor in the Ben10 Universe, the Splixson are small, humanoid aliens who can duplicate themselves infinitely. This would seem like a problem, but they’re just fine with this. They get to be everywhere at once! So This Week… Just imagine the possibilities.

Sagittarius

We’re pretty sure there’s a serious imbalance between you and your alien race. Native to the Planet Arrakis, your pairing is with the Sandworms. Now, yes, there is a small problem of what to eat when you want to share a meal with them: You want something that won’t get sand in it, and they want you, so… there’s some middle-ground to be worked on. So This Week… Learn to speak in Iambic Pentameter so they don’t know you’re there.

Capricorn

Your race, and this is true! …first appeared to the social consciousness of Earth in 1977. Stranded here from the planet Remulak, the Coneheads Family have been here ever since - consuming mass quantities of sustenance while teaching their daughter to not play Ring-Toss with her boyfriend in public. So This Week… Memorize the lyrics to Soft Cell’s version of “Tainted Love”. It will likely save your life.

Aquarius

You’re welcome to watch the TV Series with this Melmacian character, but just… don’t watch the TV-Movie series finale; It’s too much a bummer. The character’s name is “Gordon Shumway”, but he’s commonly known by the acronym, “ALF” - standing for “Alien Life Form”... and he’s a piece of work. From trying to eat cats to branching out into cartoons and talk shows, he’s fine enough to be around, so long as you don’t talk about his poor driving skills. So This Week… Try not to think about how there’s an entire race of aliens that can only exist if someone’s got a hand up their posterior.

Pisces

Do you like tall people with a love for crystal energy? Have we got a group for you! Don’t threaten them with a Yamato Cannon because you’re being paired with the Protoss from the StarCraft Universe! They are incredibly gifted thinkers as a race - so much so they can influence how you think, or understand what you think… or maybe just explode your brain. In any event just remember they have a one-track mind. So This Week… You Must Construct Additional Pylons.

And THOSE are your Horrible-Scopes for this week! Remember if you liked what you got, we’re obviously not working hard enough at these. BUT! If you want a better or nastier one for your own sign or someone else’s, all you need to do to bribe me is just Let Me Know - or check out the Ko-Fi page ( https://ko-fi.com/icarusthelunarguard )! These will be posted online at the end of each week via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, Discord, and BLUESKY.

#parody #horrorscope #funny #horoscope #humor #comedy

0 notes