#they don't have an agenda like most villain team ups | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

charlietheepicwriter7 · 6 months

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Despite Danny's best efforts, no matter how much time past, Amity Park refused to see Phantom as a hero.

Sure, there were pockets of support, particularly among teens, but most of the town blames Phantom for the property damage, saying if he didn't fight the ghosts then it wouldn't be so bad, to that time he got mind controlled by Freakshow and "attacked" the mayor. It wears him down. It wears Tucker and Sam down. Jazz can only try to support them all.

Then one day, a member of the Justice League visits. Someone minor, and kinda a jerk... maybe a Wonder Twin? Zan? Whatever. They don't investigate; they don't look deeper. They listen to the town folks and declare the ghost hunters, Red Huntress and the Fentons, to be the official heroes of the town.

Worse? Danny Phantom is officially considered a villain to the Justice League. Tuck hacks into the Watchtower and confirms that they have a file (a heavily inaccurate file) about how to defeat Phantom.

Danny doesn't think he can do this anymore.

A few weeks later, a young villain escapes into Amity and demands (begs) that Danny help them escape from the hero after them. No idea who, I can't find a lot of info on teen villains in DC, so let's fudge some ages and make it Kyd Wyckyd from the Teen Titans cartoon. Danny agrees, because to hell with the Justice Losers, and they defeat the hero, becoming friends in the process. Kyd confesses that they became a villain after being ostracized bc of how they look, and they've been trying to avoid villain organizations because HIVE was abusive, but it's really hard to be a villain alone bc of all the heroes.

Sam gets an idea. Tucker agrees with the idea. Jazz is just happy they'll end up making friends.

The next day, the Teen Villain Alliance is formed, ready to assist with any teenage illegal shenanigans their allies might get into.

Some notes:

It's created to be a healthier option for teen "villains" to connect with others and support each other.

It's more important that this is for Teens rather than Villains. They're tired of adult villains taking advantage of them. The TVA would rather ally with a teen vigilante than with an adult villain.

Again, no idea who the teen villains are, but Klarion is definitely here. He leaves the Light for the chaos of the TVA. Maybe Ember is there too?

Timeline wise, this is around when Tim is still Robin, but Damien has arrived at Wayne Manor.

This is because, when it comes time to try to infiltrate the TVA, they'll have a convenient child-assassin who has none of the monitors of a teen hero that Phantom immediately picks up on.

Damien, who at this point has been abandoned by his mother, dismissed and scolded by his father, and has had no success at carving his own place in the family, jumps at the chance. He is then surrounded by peers who don't insult him or try to change his behavior (too much; jazz is trying to help him find healthier methods of expressing himself). He... might not want to continue being a spy.

Danny, Sam, Tuck, and Jazz are the founding members.

Danny reinvents himself as the High Prince of the Infinite, Prince Phantom Dark. He got kingship from fighting Pariah Dark, but since he's still alive, he's only a prince. He steals the last name Dark as an intimidation tatic against those in the know; only Danny would have the balls to claim family with Pariah.

Sam works as a powerless villain, but she might no be powerless? Either way, Danny gives her a bunch of repurposed Fenton tech, and she buys the rest with her parents credit card. She does NOT care if that's traced back to the Mansons. She would choose something goth, maybe something spider related or even bat?

I love Pharaoh Tucker, so I think he should get magic powers? Since pharaohs of old were considered the balance between the real and the divine. He's still a tech guy, now he's a tech and magic guy.

Jazz isn't really a villain, more of a team mom who's planning on using everyone's psyche's as her thesis paper. You know what, that's her callsign, she's Psyche. Sometimes she flirts with Nightwing.

#dc x dp #villain!everlasting trio #dcxdp #villain danny phantom #teen villain alliance #c: danny fenton #c: sam manson #c: tucker foley #c: jazz fenton #c: kyd wyckyd #c: klarion the witch boy #c: batfamily #c: damien wayne #they don't have an agenda like most villain team ups #they're there to support each other commit crimes and play pranks on the justice losers #dp x dc #dp crossover #dc crossover

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trexiejan · 4 months

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Why I don't like Barbara being shoehorned on the Titans.

Reasons why:

1. The main reason why she's on the team is because of Dick. Her relationship with the Titans has always been reliant on Dick. She never had any history with the Titans before retcons pushed her and dick together. She has become a character who hates being away from Dick and always wants to follow him in every mission he takes. When she's with the Titans, it only feels like it's because writers don't know what else to do with her other than making her follow Dick around like a dog.

2. It's part of the whole dickbabs agenda and dickkory erasure. Editorial loves to include dickbabs in everything and They hate the idea of Dick being paired or shipped with anyone other than Barbara. They know Starfire is Dick's other huge love interest and their relationship was a huge part of the Titans franchise. They don't like that so they want to erase that by shoehorning Barbara in the Titans and making Dick/Babs the focus on Titans stuff.

3. Barbara dumbs down the Titans so she can shine on their team.

Barbara especially as Oracle tends to be hyped up but the truth is she's not the only hacker or tech user in the entire dc universe. Titans has plenty of tech users. So in reality she's not needed by the Titans. She fills in niches that are already occupied by the Titans.

Dick - leader, martial artist, tactician, detective, tech user, hacker.

Cyborg - tech user, hacker and information broker.

Starfire - team mom

and all of the Titans are active communicators and they all know how to use a computer, and please starfire is an expert pilot, i remember she even owns a spaceship and hacked other alien ships. she knows how to operate a spaceship how much more using a computer 🙄

They don't need Barbara or Oracle's help for them to accomplish something using a computer or for them to be able to communicate to each other and reach out to other heroes.

The Titans can directly talk to each other through their communicators and earpieces and they have a huge computer at titans tower, and cyborg has all the high-tech stuff but when Barbara shows up, the Titans suddenly don't know how to call each other or use a computer, they make them rely on Oracle for communication and tech stuff.

The Titans are dumbed down to make Barbara shine as a tech user and to make her look smarter and useful to their team.

For example look at how Tom Taylor made Dick look dumb here. He had to call Barbara first and ask her to help him reach out to his own teammates when he can just call them right away on his own, it's funny because he wrote that Dick can't call his teammates directly because he lost signal yet he has the signal to call Barbara. Tom Taylor and his dumb excuses indeed 🙂

and look at Cyborg needing to be watched by Barbara as if his high-tech sensors are unable to detect the villains approaching his back, and lol Nightwing just stands there doing nothing while Barbara monitors his own teammates when that is supposed to be his job since he's their leader. He was nerfed into a lazy irresponsible leader too much that he didn't even know his own teammate is in australia. He's not even allowed to use the titans computer when Barbara is around him.

and look at Kory, she never calls Barbara while on missions before and suddenly she has no clue what to do without Barbara guiding her move???

The Titans never needed Barbara to accomplish anything on their own. They've fully functioned and communicated with each other for decades without her. They never needed to be babysat by some girl from Gotham. Barbara has never even been mentioned once in the original New Teen Titans comics but they become the most dumbest useless versions of themselves when Barbara is suddenly around, she's written in a way that makes the Titans redundant, stealing their jobs and spotlight to make herself look like a badass hero. Nightwing can't act like a real leader, Cyborg can't be the tech user of the group, Raven can't be the voice of reason, Titans can't use a computer and other tech stuff etc. because she can't shine if they do that. The only way for her to stand out on a team she has nothing to do with her is by dumbing everyone around her.

Barbara should be with her own team Birds of Prey not on a team she has nothing to do with.

4. The Titans become another Batman-related group.

We all know the story of Dick when he joined the Titans. He left Gotham and quit being Batman's sidekick because he doesn't wanna be under Batman's shadow anymore. The Titans helped him be independent from the Bats.

I don't like that Barbara keeps invading his privacy and space. The Titans is supposed to be a place where Dick can be away from the Batfamily and do his own thing.

and the Titans is Dick's own team, I don't like the idea of Barbara overriding his own agency.

She needs to do something on her own without associating herself with Dick 24/7

Plus the Bats are pretty oversaturated in DC, we don't need them overtaking Titans as well.

If another Bat related character has to show up then it has to be just one of the robins since Robin is a titan character.

Batgirl or Barbara has never been a Titan. She only ever wants to show up because of her romance with Dick. I do think Dick/Babs relationship is a mistake and that It shoudn't have happened. It's not a good relationship if you have to shoehorn it in places it doesn't belong in and dumbing down other characters along the way just for it to make sense or make Barbara's presence in Dick's life stronger than it should be.

I wish editorial didn't retcon them into lovers. Their relationship did more damage to their characters and the people around them than when they were not together.

The "His older crush that he outgrew and learned to move on from" trope was already fine. I hate that they changed that story by aging down Barbara to be the same age as Dick so they can be together instead of just letting them move on from each other.

Dick wouldn't have to stay stuck with Barbara 24/7 and Barbara wouldn't have to keep following Dick around like a dog wherever he goes if they just kept it in the past.

#dickbabs #anti dickbabs #antidickbabs #batgirl #barbara gordon #dick grayson #nightwing #starfire #koriand'r #dickkory #cyborg #titans

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veryace-ficrecs · 10 months

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Ted Lasso fic recs

This list will include all ratings and tags, so read at your own discretion! :)

Wings Wouldn't Help You Down by ViolentlyRed - Rated G

He thought the most awkward thing he'd have to endure was a rigid Roy Kent embrace in the Man City locker room months ago. He was wrong. And he’s getting better at admitting when he’s wrong, so. Turning up on Coach's doorstep at two thirty in the morning was infinitely, infinitely more awkward. Or, Jamie's hurt and not about to say much about it, and Ted's a good coach.

Reset With the Sunset by fandomfrolics - Rated G

Sam tries to figure out how to navigate his first Ramadan in the English Premier League. Set in S1.

Mull River Shuffle by bibliothekara - Rated G

Ted falls in the Thames; Beard, Rebecca, and Sam to the rescue.

The First Rule of Fight Club is No Fight Club by Lolapola - Rated T

A few days after relegation, an angry investor pays a visit to the Richmond AFC locker room, and he has his sights set on Ted Lasso. Fortunately, Roy Kent has been well and truly won over by now, and - yeah. He's not about to stand for this.

Diary by TwoAces - Rated G

It’s not a diary, really. At least, not in the traditional sense. It’s supposed to be an appointment book—a gift from Keeley, so she’s not having to text him reminders all the time. He’s promised to use it, and is surprised that it’s actually mad convenient to help remember events, so he starts using it for other things, too.

that mask will never look the same by tensecond_memory - Rated T

“Right. Okay. Is that… it?” “No, actually,” she says after a beat in which she fights back another wave of that mysterious Guilty Face, “there’s one more discussion on the agenda courtesy of one Coach Ted Lasso,” her voice is quieter now, and suddenly something shifts in the air and it feels like she’s the one who’s turned back into a scolded child. Jamie stares at her. “There are some… specifics regarding the… premature termination of your loan last season that Ted, rightfully, believes you deserve to be informed of, now that we’re all more aware of how the decision impacted your well-being,” OR Jamie isn't the only one who owes some apologies.

Little Kitmen Have Big Ears by andrealyn - Rated T

Most people don't really notice when Will's in the room, which leads to him hearing some very unique conversations. Every now and again, though, he's seen and it makes all the difference.

we're not in kansas anymore (we're now in missouri) by ceterum - Rated G

Shortly after the devastating loss on final matchday, the West London’s Finest are back in action. After a compilation of their… innovative plays goes viral, they are invited to play a friendly against Ted Lasso’s home state’s MLS club. AFC Richmond’s pre-season one(-and-a-half)-stop American tour, as observed by Trent Crimm, The Independent.

Adding Steel To The Team by BrittaTheBest - Rated T

“I feel… really weird, Roy.” “Yeah, I’m not surprised. Listen, I think you should lie down, yeah?” - Quick little fic. Ted is stabbed outside Richmond the night before a match. Mostly Roy-centric, but also feat. the rest of the club

Journalism Continues To Be The Villain That Moves The Plot Forward For This Show by MagpieWords - Rated T

When the press finds out Ted uses an unknown intramuscular substance, speculation runs wild while our favorite coach avoids dealing with his feelings. alternate titles lovingly include : "lost in the sauce" and "a saucy misunderstanding"

The Official AFC Richmond TikTok by mariip - Rated T

Keeley isn't there to manage their socials anymore, so when Jamie and Sam ask to make a TikTok for the club, everyone decides it will be a good idea. (Or, completely self-indulgent AFC Richmond silliness)

Make them Gold by mariip - Rated T

Roy realizes he has no idea when Jamie's birthday is, and when he realizes it's only a week away, the only solution is obviously cake in the dressing room after training. Or, the himbos manage to pull off a surprise party.

every boy wants to be like his father by themightyduck - Rated G

"It turned out all right in the end, though," Jamie says quietly, ears burning red. "Oh yeah?" Ted asks. "How's that?" Jamie gestures at the pizza and the beer and the TV. "Watching a game with me old man, ain't I?"

did i really say that? by believeinbelieve - Rated G

For the first time in history - AFC Richmond have won the premier league trophy. It was a tie game until Colin scored a historic goal in injury time. Everything was going perfect for him — until the press conference. The game went to his head and next thing he knew everyone was telling him about how brave and inspiring he was — but he had no clue why. or ~~~ Colin accidentally comes out after a major victory.

stand a little stronger as I walk a little taller all the time by inlovewithnight - Not Rated

Post season 2, Jamie does a PSA for the National Council on Domestic Violence. He does not expect anyone to notice this. He is not aware that he's surrounded by people who notice everything.

The Art of Seduction by jumpfall - Rated G

"Is Coach cheating on us with another football team?" Sam asks. "Worse," Roy says. "An American football team."

#veryace recs #ted lasso #ted lasso fic rec #greyhound #jaime tartt #roy kent #colin hughes #sam obisanya #afc richmond #ao3 fic recs #fanfic recs #ao3 #trent crimm #rebbeca welton #keeley jones

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mach-speed-spin · 2 years

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Evil Beyblade organizations rated based on their ability to work as a cohesive unit

Dark Bladers: 10/10. They may not be the strongest team, but they show immaculate teamwork and work together exceptionally well

Biovolt/ Demolition Boys: 8/10. Their top bladers work well together and even their regular bladers are pretty strong. The reason it's not a 10/10 is because Kai doesn't have much loyalty to them. As a whole, they're a well oiled machine with one defective piece

Team Psykick: 6/10. They start off as a 10/10 but between their elite team having to be mind controlled, 2 of their top bladers planning to betray them, and Doctor B trying to kill everyone in the building, I have to deduct some points

Saint Shields: 9/10. Mariam and Dunga don't always get along but overall they still cooperate on the battlefield

Zagart Industries: 5/10. Doctor K accounts for 4 of the 5 lost points. The other one is Zeo

Parts Hunters: 8/10. King and Queen work well together. Doctor K holds them back

Barthez Battalion: 2/10. Barthez struggles to keep his bladers in line and they revolt against him

BEGA: 6/10. The Training Squad works well together. The Justice 5 does not. Brooklyn and Mystel are often just doing their own thing. Crusher's loyalty wavers. Garland and Ming-Ming are the only ones keeping the team together

Face Hunters: 10/10. They're just a Kyoya fanclub

Dark Nebula: 1/10. I get Doji's reason for letting almost anyone join, since the worst case scenario is that they get fed to L-Drago directly. But the complete lack of loyalty, presence of a spy, lack of communication (Tetsuya didn't know he accidentally set them back by months), and the entirety of Battle Bladers make this one of the worst groups when it comes to teamwork

Hades Inc.: 6/10. Ziggurat, Damian, and the Garcias are on the same page. Zeo has to be blackmailed and Jack is too unstable. Faust should be the most functional part of this group, but like a machine with no off button, he keeps Tempo spinning even when Ziggurat needs him to stop

Nemesis Bladers: 8/10. While the Legendary Bladers they had on their side eventually turned on them, they were prepared for it. I can't give them a 10 because betrayal still happened, but I can't go below an 8 because it was expected

DNA: 2/10. The Garcias are the only ones who work together besides Kira and Yoshio, who have their own agenda that goes against the Garcias. It's just too disconnected of a group. Also there's a mutiny

Dominators: 0/10. Absolutely no one is on the same page here. Only their leaders know what their end goal even is. Jake and Sting are there for the fun of it. David and Gigante end up on opposite sides. Odin betrays them. The whole system where they torture and kick you out for losing in Judgement Bey doesn't exactly foster team spirit

Snake Pit: 0/10. No one has any loyalty to Ashtem. At most, the masked bladers (except Red Eye) do, but they all get kicked out pretty early on except for Yellow Eye. And Yellow Eye doesn't last that long either. Red Eye, Boa, and Gold Eye all used Ashtem and the Snake Pit to further their own goals, and were ready to throw Ashtem under the bus

Dread Tower: 7/10. Hyde, Kyle, Evel, and Damon work well together. Count Nightfell does not. And Evel betrays Hyde

Inferno: 1/10. Arthur wants world domination via streaming. Gwyn joins because he seeks to understand human emotions and doesn't care for Arthur. Joe is planning to overthrow Arthur. Blindt is there because he wants Delta to notice him, and ditches Inferno once he gets what he wants. The single point is because Another is actually loyal to Arthur

Nexus: 7/10. I'm counting Nexus as a villain group because Burst lacks those, and Nexus fits the bill for villains better than Rideout or the Raging Bulls. It's a 7/10 because Bashara leaves them, but Rashad and Ilya work well together

#beyblade #beyburst #mfb #beyblade burst

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yvtro · 1 year

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I actually really like the idea of Jason getting a civilian life and then getting roped back into the business. I would have loved if Jason had also gotten a chance to try being Batman. Like I know it feels like a big push away from Cassandra but I really would have like to see what would had happened because I find that storytelling aspect really fascinating. I think the Batman identity is also something that is closely or should be closely tied to Oracle. I fell like that team up is really under appreciated and it actually really works really well when you have someone who is the eyes and kind of like hidden angel of Gotham when Batman is like its knight. I can see him being roped back into the business by someone like Oracle. Just an idea.

(finally replying to asks from december... i'm so sorry, i appreciate you anon. i just have a brain like swiss cheese)

i'm soo delighted to get someone on my batman jay agenda. i will repeat what i said before about it almost 1:1 (sorry if you already saw my musings on it, but i gained lots of followers since then and i don't have the energy to find my previous posts!)

i get asked "what about cass then?" a lot actually. and i always say that cass would make a great batman! the best even! but would it make an interesting story? cass already has all the makings of a great batman (maybe minus the uttermost devotion to gotham, which i don't see her acquiring, and it's not a bad thing!). there's little space for character development in here. very low stakes conflict. she already found what she needs in the symbol, i'd say. (if any cass stans disagree and think that there's more potential in that progression, let me know, maybe i lack understanding of her general storyline?)

but jason? jason is gotham born and bred (only his love for the city can rival bruce's, i believe). and jason doesn't really believe in batman. he lost hope in that symbol, because it's also what he used to ascribe to, and what made him exposed and vulnerable. so he even actively went against almost everything it stood for. hence, taking the mantle and trying to follow bruce's ways would be a way of confronting his grievances with it. it would be angsty, ugly, and gut wrenching! there's so much that could go wrong. and so much that could go exactly right. jason remembering what it truly represents, what it means to people, what it once meant to himself. (the circular narrative!!)

of course, i wouldn't expect jason to get out of it as a carbon copy of bruce. but it would give him better understanding of his work and let him empathise with him more. & i also genuinely believe that he could become better than bruce. (for example because of his distrust toward the cops and the institutionalised justice system!)

i love how you bring oracle into it, it's such a brilliant idea! i've had plenty of convos about barbara & jason's dynamics recently, and it's a shame that there's so little that canon (and fanon to) does about it. arguably, they're both the people that have been victimised by gotham villains the most. their tragedies were both used as plot devices for other characters... so for them to work together... to be the centre of gotham storylines, even just for a while– wouldn't that be the ultimate story of hope and reclamation?

#dc comics #answered #batman jason agenda #jason todd

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dai-nana-han-agenda · 2 years

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One thing I don't like about SNS fans is that some of them feel the need to drag Sakura through the mud in every one of their posts. Calling her a gay beard, saying she is nothing more than a device to convey Naruto’s feelings, calling her catty and jealous of Naruto because Sasuke likes him more than her, etc...

Like, Sakura deserves criticism just like everyone else does, but there's a fine line between criticism and just making shit up like saying Sakura was willing to give Naruto over to the Akatsuki just because of that line where she said getting closer to the Akatsuki would get them closer to Sasuke. Yes, before you ask, I have seen every single one of these claims in SNS posts before.

Like, I'm not the biggest fan of her, but I honestly just feel bad at this point. I know you're a big fan of her so what do you think?

omg anon, I just got war flashbacks to 2014 send help HFKDHKSHSKS.

I honestly did not expect my answer to be as long as it is (that’s on me, I should’ve known that I’d be incapable of shutting up) so I’m putting the rest of the response under the cut!

I feel the need to clarify to anyone that reads this: I am also a SNS fan so please don’t come for me!! I know there are plenty of SNS fans that are also Sakura stans (or at the very least, don’t have any strong opinions abt her character, which I’ll always take over the overly-negative ones) but there is definitely no denying that there’s a small percentage of that fandom who actively hate Sakura for things that are literally out of her control.

You basically summed up how I feel about the whole thing. I think there are legitimate reasons to dislike Sakura as a character, but once people start twisting the narrative - that’s when I get defensive. It’s been proven time and time again that Sakura has nothing but love for both Naruto and Sasuke (once again, I am asking the fandom to stop holding her hostage for shit she said in the very beginning of the manga!!) so this argument that Sakura would be catty / jealous / homophobic because of SNS’s bond literally makes no sense to me.

(Like, seriously. If y’all have CANON evidence, please feel free to let me know and we can discuss it! But most of the time, it’s just people deliberately twisting canon to fit their own personal agenda.)

In terms of the jealousy aspect, I personally don’t mind the characterization that Sakura would be jealous on like, a human level. I understand that. When the people you’re close with enter romantic relationships - especially in this case, when it’s literally her teammates - I think there’s a very natural sense of loss and envy that comes with that. Even in a platonic sense, when you feel that two of your friends have a stronger bond, or that they can connect on a level you will never understand, I think it’s very natural to feel jealous or left out. However, in my opinion, that jealousy would never turn into resentment or bitterness. Sakura has always valued the happiness of team, so at the end of the day, I genuinely think she would be supportive and it pisses me off when SNS fics paint her as this jaded ex / the villain of their ship. Like, y’all are going out of your way to make her the bad guy, and for what?

It’s funny, I’ve actually read SNS fics where authors are actively aware that Sakura wouldn’t be bitchy, but write her as a bitchy character anyway because they need a villain for their story. Like... maybe you should take a step back and examine why you feel the need to make her purposefully homophobic.

As for the jokes about her being a beard for Sasuke - well. When done without any real malice, I think they can be funny. But as a casual SS fan, I do think they get old really fucking quickly. Sakura literally has no agency & it baffles my mind when people blame her for ending up with Sasuke (I’m not even pulling this out of my ass - I’ve literally seen these takes.) Like, take it up to Kishimoto!! Leave her alone!! It’s so funny to me when people come up with these wild conspiracy theories as to how Sakura “tricked” Sasuke into marrying & having a child with her as if these aren’t characters with no real agency at the mercy of a heteronormative author. I totally understand if y’all disagree with SS - I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but I also take issue with how their canon relationship played out - but people who hate Sakura for ending up with Sasuke as if she had any real control over the matter... It honestly makes me laugh. It’s genuinely funny. Like damn, a fictional character who isn’t even the villain of the show really gets your blood boiling that badly - it’s very girlboss of her!

Also, I just need to throw this in here because it’s come up on my TL a few times and I want to vent: I honestly cannot fucking stand Boruto, none of that shit is canon to me, but SNS stans who deliberately make hateful jokes about how Sasuke purposefully abandoned Sakura and Sarada because he doesn’t actually love them... Like, that’s not the slay you think it is. Y’all are making fun of Sakura for having to be a single mother, but I think there’s something super fucking tragic about the fact that Sasuke, who has so much love for his family and his clan, basically abandons Sarada in her early childhood. I know he has his reasons, but in my opinion, it does a great disservice to his character. Idk, the Sasuke I know would never, but Kishimoto simply does not understand him like I do. Idk, I don’t watch Boruto, so I can’t really give a fully formed opinion about this, but this has been sitting on my mind for the past few days and I wanted to put it out there.

All this to say, I can’t control how anyone thinks. I’m waaaaay past the point where I feel the need to fight with anyone whose opinions I disagree with - the block & mute buttons are my friends and I use them often. As long as no one comes into my space and starts talking shit, especially since y’all KNOW Sakura is my ride or die, then I’m just living my best life.

#thank u for the ask!!!#i can literally talk abt naruto all day like how the fuck did this answer get so long lmfao #anyways - i feel the need to clarify that i love the sns fandom #every fandom has that ugly negative side - that’s why you just mute certain words & block people that deserve it ♥️#i just wish antis would disappear like #it’s mf 2022. the anime has been over since 2017. how are y’all still starting shit 😭#truly baffling to me that i still see the same arguments that i saw back in 20fucking14 #like it’s been 8 years and y’all still don’t have critical thinking skills? lmao #pro sakura haruno #ask #text post

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toweringclam · 8 months

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Paramount City: Initiative Omega (WUB), History

Masterpost

Summary: Shady government organization

A whispered tip from an alley. A beloved hero turning up dead. Villains who have no relation suddenly working together. A team of heroes with matching uniforms and government ID cards that do a bunch of PR for a week and then disappear without a trace. A weapon that strips the Rift energy right out of Supers ending up in some random thug's hands. Friendly doctors who want to help you understand your powers but seem to take a few more samples than are necessary. A strange name seems to connect them all.

Initiative Omega.

Who are they? What is their agenda? No one is certain. Even those who work for Omega don't know what their endgame is. Most of them don't even know they're working for Omega. Every cell is independant, pursuing their own mission with little awareness of the others. Follow the chain of command, and it quickly turns in on itself. Who is even giving the orders here?

Anyone who digs deep enough is sure to get a visit from a shadowy figure identifying themselves as Omega. THE Omega. The one and only. Yet one can agree what they look like, even barring the unnatural shadows that reduce them to a mere silhouette. Omega will make an offer: Do one favor, or disappear. It's never something too much against your moral code. But it raises questions. Keep digging, and you'll get another visit, and another favor. Everyone who keeps digging will eventually disappear. The lucky ones turn up later missing their memories and with an immediate, overwhelmingly negative reaction to anything related to Omega.

It's believed that Sukelis Labs is one of Omega's greatest assets. It's a seemingly charitable organization dedicated to the study of Supers. The scientists, surgeons, psychologists, and others at Sukelis Labs are always there to offer aid to new Supers or those who are struggling with their powers. They offer devices and training to help control one's Rift-given powers. While everything seems to be above the board, and it's likely most people there genuinely want to help, some people have criticized it for gathering an unnecessary amount of personally identifying information and for making supers dependent on their services. The occasional military transport entering or leaving the facility by cover of night only deepens the mystery.

The truth is more astonishing than anyone could ever guess. While Omega has its origins as a conspiracy between elites in government, business, science, and the military, it has long since grown beyond their control. The founders have been quietly eliminated, their own secrecy working against them. The methods remained the same, but the leadership was gone. Now, anyone who managed to breach their inner sanctum would find The Empty Chamber, with only skeletons seated around the impressive conference table.

But this leads us to the inevitable question...who orchestrated this coup? And who is running the show now?

#mtg #magic the gathering #paramount city #custom mtg #custom plane #fan plane

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dubioushonour · 10 months

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Rapidly approaching having been playing this game for, like, a year, which is WILD to me. This the longest I've ever stuck with any phone game. So! Some miscellaneous fun facts:

My starting group was More More Jump, but I mostly main WonderlandsxShowtime now (what can I say, I love a ragtag bunch of misfits)

My favorite character is Emu, followed by Tsukasa and Mizuki. This is currently my favorite Emu card and if I don't get it when the event drops, I MIGHT just cry

My favorites from each group, in general are Emu, Saki, Mizuki, Akito, Minori

My favorite Vocaloids are the same as when I was 13 Kagamines, but a very special shout-out to the VBS ones for being very fun and stylish. I have more 4* Lens than literally any other character.

My favorite commissioned songs are Niccori Survey Team, Becoming Potatoes and Lower (because I was obsessed with them before I even knew what Project Sekai was). Shout-out to Bug, though, for also being a jam I enjoyed until the event dropped and I realized it was ALSO a commission (this going to keep happening)

My favorite covers (just off the top of my head) are As You Like, Melty Land Nightmare, Traffic Jam, Villain and Tale of the Deep Sea Lily

My least favorite for petty reasons right now is Remote Control (because it's!! boring!!!! The map is fun though)

I am a thumbs player! I have seen people play with their other fingers and I just don't know how you guys do that, tbh!

I am neutral on flick notes, but I hate!!! Sliders! The long, thin ones always mess me up. I enjoy faster paced songs with a reasonable amount of spam notes.

The highest difficulty song I've FC'd as of writing this was At Gods Mercy on Master (29)

I don't remember what my starting username was at this point, but I've been polysho agenda on there for so long I'm worried about changing it xD which is fine though, I get a lot of nice friend requests because of it and the very occasional, very funny hate message

I am a Wonderhoy spammer in the group shows and I will not apologize. I greatly enjoy stamps and I use Good Luck and Good Vibes probably the most.

I'm only on the EN server, so I'm pretty behind on most of the new events. Extremely excited for the cards though. I definitely play more for the rhythm game than the story, but I DO enjoy the story (there's just a lot of it to catch up on @_@)

The list of songs I want in this game is ever expansive and ever changing, but SPECIFICALLY I think it would be fucking hysterical to get a WxS cover of Imitation Black. They WONT, because they're COWARDS, but I think it would be great. I respect that it's a rock song though and would also accept a Leo/need cover, but it's not allowed to have any men in it. (They can have their own Alternate Vocal Cover)

#prsk #project sekai #I'm going to be in the midst of a move #when the actual Year Playing This Game hits #but still the realization struck me #and im surprised im still here tbh #im having a lot of fun and i would like to continue playing this game #for awhile #<3

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baekhvuns · 2 years

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Lmao the choreographer posted about the SMN issue on his story and even commented 👁👄👁 I wonder if we hear anything about it, any apologies hmmm.

Omg do you remember that one fan call from DV era when Hwa said someone hated his long hair??? He talked about it again and wtf, but he likes long hairstyles, so let's cheer! I'm so happy that Atiny reassured him. Whenever he says he's anxious to reveal his new hair because "Atiny like his black hair the most" I'm like "BABY BOY I'M TEAM ITCHY SCALP I SUPPORT ALL YOR DYEING ENDEAVOURS!"

Seonghwa content spam: Please I- ... I'M GONNA EAT HIM FIRST STOPPPP. DON'T MAKE ME CRI and this? Harvard business major/class clown Park Seonghwa

We also got fox Woo today, so I win, I love my Foxyoung agenda

Right so Hwa is a Want enthusiast, we need more of them, taste taste 💕

Ksidisusiagsjahayhaa right, I don't think we're escaping that house, we're gonna become ghosts together I think lmaooo

I watched all Twilight films for shits and giggles, but sometimes didn't even shit nor giggle cause??? Those TVD edits would make me feral if I was 17 again aisuaidgjahashgagaga. TB is an older show... bestie making me feel old once again, okaaaay

PLL started pretty well it was a different type of a teen show, but then went batshit crazy and I kinda admire them for being so unhinged, but also wanna murder them for wasting my time lol

Look at this!

THAT SPOILER WHAT AM I READING?!?!?!? Are you crazyyyyyyyyy Baek 😭😭😭😭 There's only O N E (1) TRUE PAIRING IN MY HEART AND YOU'RE NOT TAKING THEM AWAY FROM ME 🔫🔫🔫🔫. No but I really liked that lil snippet, angst and witchiness alright 💔

I like darker Sunmi a loooot, though I actually enjoyed all of her recent comebacks, she suits all concepts. I think some Dreamcatcher songs may fit miss villain Y/N, but I would have to dig. And how about Monster by Irene & Seulgi? Does Y/N consider herself a little monster? Alsooooo, I hope THIS villain never dies <333

Korean shows continue with their wacky ass camera angles and shitty sound, like HOW HARD IT IS TO DO THINGS PROPERLY. The way they ushered some groups off the stage and played pre-recorded version yet gave BTS so much time... I see. Like no hate to BTS, but it surely felt like a show for them and Armys...

Aaannnnnd my friend's friend might have fallen for Kai actually, whoops I'm so sorry girl 🤭

Lmaooooo the jealous is sick for real 😭

Confession: I have purchased some Mingi photocards so there's that... - DV 💖

hi hello!!!!

Lmao the choreographer posted about the SMN issue on his story and even commented 👁👄👁 I wonder if we hear anything about it, any apologies hmmm.

the choreographer posted more 👁👁 the way all the threads are being deleted after the choreographer spoke up <3 love to see it,,, wooyoung really said be humbled 😭😭 VATA LOOKED AT IT SO HE BETTER BE APOLOGIZING FHDHFB and bbt

screams wooyoung etl era but in a culinary school <3

I DO!!!! MF HOW CAN U HATE BLACK HAIR AND LONG???? UNGRATEFUL COMEON 😭😭😭 so glad that atiny said other wise <3 besties deserved a another fan call for that <33 NO LITERALLY I GET THAT BLACK HAIR IS SUPERIOR BUT LIKE WHAT HE WANTED TO DYE IT A DIFFERENT COLOUR 😭😭😭🤚🏼 #TEAMITCHYSCALP

Seonghwa content spam: Please I- ... I'M GONNA EAT HIM FIRST STOPPPP. DON'T MAKE ME CRI and this? Harvard business major/class clown Park Seonghwa //// We also got fox Woo today, so I win, I love my Foxyoung agenda

oh that harvard one makes me want to write a uni au for him so bad 😩 he goes to harvard and so does the yn but his reputation is like why’s he at this big of a school but his grades say otherwise 🔫🔫 WOOYOUNG’S RED HAIR IS SUCH A GOOD DECISION WHOEVER DID THAT THEIR BANK 📈📈📈 foxyoung ayo, furry?

Right so Hwa is a Want enthusiast, we need more of them, taste taste 💕

PARK SEONGHWA IN A RED SUIT PERFORMING WANT BEST FRIEND WE WILL PASS AWAY FHQNDHWKHDQKDHKQ

Ksidisusiagsjahayhaa right, I don't think we're escaping that house, we're gonna become ghosts together I think lmaooo

LMFAOOOO 😭😭😭 if he’s a ghost with u, stuck with u i think u won at life

DHDNDBDBDN TWILIGHT IS A GUILTY PLEASURE but some concepts?????? MAN WHEN IN THE FIRST MOVIE HE KEPT COVERING HIS NOSE BC SHE SMELT I WOULDVE MOVED SCHOOLS CHANGED NAMES BC THATS SO EMBARRASSING I WOILD NOT COME TO SCHOOL THE NEXT DAY 😭😭😭 jBDWNDBSN THE TB EP’S QUALITY REALLY GOT ME 📈📉📈📉📈

PLL started pretty well it was a different type of a teen show, but then went batshit crazy and I kinda admire them for being so unhinged, but also wanna murder them for wasting my time lol

i feel like it started well but they kept milking the plot and it turned out unhinged fbfbf LMFAOOOO DBANBDKW it was hard to find unhinged shows, but miss alex russo from wizards was my definition of unhinged <3 i have to tell u this but i wqs just listening to a podcast while answering this and they mentioned TB in it AND THERES A MIND READING IN IT???

Look at this!

STOPPPP I WAS HOPIMG SOMEONE WOULD PUT THEM TOGETHER I WAS GONMA MAKE AN RDIT WITH TAEMIN KAI KEY TAEYEON AND SEULGI BC THEYD FIT SO WELL THE EVIL 🤌🏼🤌🏼😮‍💨 GODBLESS THIS PERSON FOR CREATING ART

HELLO FBWNDHVDKC <3 idk if u kNow bUT SEONGHWA DOES NOT LIKE Y/N 😭😭😭 ONE TRUE PAIRING WHO???? HONGJOONG FINALLY GETTING A CHANCE??? OR SAN CONFESSING <33 GUESS WE’LL NEVER KNOW BUT WE ARE CLOSE TOO,,, unfortunately if the ending is unhappy, some (main characters) might die <3 mIGHT,,, misss yn so witchy, bestie does magic and fights but is always somehow the bad guy <3 y/n’s what if taemin’s lore was a person was,,,

ive only heard a snip of her recent cb but it sounded really good! honourable mention but chungha’s dark concepts 🤌🏼🤌🏼😮‍💨 DREAMCATCHERS WONDERLAND FITS AND SIYEON’S VOICE ESP ENTRANCING AND PARADISE (this ones insane good omg) y/n is not exactly a monster but evil in a sense theres so much sadness and situations yn’s dealt as a young person that it grew it into y/n being separated from the rest of the civilians,,, hence the darker, secretive, magic-ey and harshness to the personality <3 kind of like lana del ray’s young snsd beautiful STOP THATS SUCH A GOOD SONG????? WHAAAT BESTIE IM DBDBBD OBSESSED HOLDON ONN DBDBD also i think instrumentals work really well to describe y/n’s feelings! like those hobbit background musics

i do think, flame of love would be the title track of this fic + sayonara hotori + monologue + shadow + heaven + identity!!

id like to share this bc this is vv much like the hwa in the fic!! or mayhaps even duke

NO LITERALLY DBDHDH BRO THEY PAY U TO DO UR JOB WELL WHATS GOING ON 😭😭😭 HOW HARD IS IT WHY U SO LAZY 😭🤚🏼 omg literally!!! it was such a mess,, i mean tbh hasn’t it been like that since 2018, esp after mama, ever since sm and yg stopped attending it’s literally a concert for them a whole reason why i never watch them BUT ATEEZ

Aaannnnnd my friend's friend might have fallen for Kai actually, whoops I'm so sorry girl 🤭

MISS GIRLIE NEVER ESCAPING THE DEVIL ONCE UR INTRIGUED HE AINT EVER LEAVING U ALONE 😭😭😭

Lmaooooo the jealous is sick for real 😭

possessive men <<<< ateez being possessive men <3

Confession: I have purchased some Mingi photocards so there's that... - DV 💖

IS THIS A MINGI ERA I HEAR COMING???? HELLOOOO ?????

and uh???

BOBA A WHOLE BOBA

sorry what the fuck is this bestie

if u want a choi san bodyguard, breathe

ANON ANON ANONEBQNHDJWHDWK

BETSIE SOOHYUK SOONYUK FJWKDJWKDLW THIS IS SEONGHWAS FATHER

#✉️ : ask #dv 💖 anon

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gpsoftun · 3 years

Text

Cranking out this special request for my Baby Gorge @sinceritysstuff

Unlike the rest of the cinematic hellfire club, January Jones as Emma Frost physically embodied the comic character. In addition, she exuded the ice queen persona to the letter. So, imagine my incredulity at the negative reaction most of First Class fandom had towards the actress. Granted, these are the same people with the tendency to think Famke Jennson did more for Jean Grey than cement her as the most boring, unfaithful murderess in cinema. Seriously, Lifetime's casting agents do better on $2 TV budgets.

As with all the actors, I never previously knew of January Jones, including her all too fitting role on Mad Men. While I admit to not having the comics etched into my memory, I do know that Emma is a cold master manipulator. Stylish, classy, confident, and always working towards her own agenda. Her femininity is not a hindrance but a valuable asset. The 90s animated version of her illustrated this well. Yet, comic Emma also has this underlining nurturing side and resentment of homo sapiens for what they did to her young mutant hellions. Another 90s gem, the Generation X tv movie, showed that part of her flawlessly. FC focused on her darker side, but January Jones displayed great range and potential. She was introduced at the same time as Rose Byrne's Moira Mactaggert and with less screen time, January stood out. Rose Byrne is a capable actress and I still kept forgetting Moira was even there.

There are problems with Emma, but that falls on the writers, not January. Yes, Emma is traditionally the sexy femme fatale of the hellfire club, but what was up with her playing pet wench to Sebastian Shaw? Waiting around in an easily escapable government cell until the next mutant man makes her an offer. Even in the 90s *animated* show, she wouldn't let herself get reduced to some replaceable sex toy. She's a queen, for crying out loud!

Obviously, this direction with Emma was part of the production team's very shallow attempt to address 1960s sexism. So, a regular homo sapien like Moira can climb the ladder of the CIA but the powerful mental mutant basically serves as a live-in hooker? Keep in mind that Emma has two advantages over Charles. She doesn't have a moral code as a telepath and she packs a secondary mutation. In addition to being durable, sparkly prettiness, her diamond form boosts her combat skills and gives her shielding from other telepaths. What in the world is she doing on minion duty with wind boy and the demon of stinky brimstone poofing? Don't even get me started on the ancient nazi whose sage wisdom concocts a plot to take over the world in a fashion that even actual 1960s comic strip villains would call unforgivably stupid! Slapping on some last-minute insult to injury, Emma ends up joining Shaw's protege. The dude who just found out mutants existed 5 minutes ago and who strapped her to a bed and strangled her barely 2 minutes ago!...

This is the good X-movie, right? *Sigh* yes....

I swear, sexism abounds in pretty much everybody but Charles. No, enjoying the company of women and having a protective nature towards them does not a chauvinist make. As seen with his respect for Moira and inclusion of young girl mutants, Charles does not see women as inferior. If anything, he sees them as the more cherished sex. But look at Shaw, Erik, and these writers. Shaw and Erik are classic predators. They groom with fake charm and flattery to cover their obvious abusive tendencies then recruit women into a harem at best or end them when they become inconvenient at worst.

Regardless, January's portrayal of Emma left such an impression with me that I included her in my on-going series FC inspired. She became the first female mentor of the fledging X-Men, third in rank after Erik and Charles.

That brief moment on the boat in FC when the telepaths crossed minds? Despite Emma being the enemy, Charles' reaction to her was notably different than with the other mutant abilities. When he met Raven, he was gleeful and protective. When he met Angel, he offered her a job with a no-nudity policy. When he sensed Emma, he came off as not only taken aback with captivation but aroused by the female telepath. He was also surprisingly and unashamedly quick to declare he would be of no help to the CIA with her. Maybe it's just me, but it seemed like Charles needed to 'calm himself down' a bit. Hm, I wonder if saving Erik was actually his second reason for plunging into freezing cold water....

Unfortunately, January's potential as Emma would never be realized. Because unfit parents Bryan Singer and Simon Kinberg regained full custody of the franchise and killed her. The potent, diamond encased telepath and favorite daughter of one of the wealthiest families in America was murdered completely off-screen. Decide for yourselves if that was more or less dignified than the metal-bending, nazi-hunting son of Abraham-Isaak-and-Jakob being held captive like an incompetent little Hebrew National weenie.

Although, it is reasonable to deduce that homo sapiens stepped up their game after losing an entire CIA department to mutant terrorism. Seriously, Pearl Harbor, 9/11- do you *know* what happens to outside threats that force Americans to cast aside our polarizing politics in the name of patriotism? The same thing that's happened to every one of them. Do not eff with us.

As for Emma, despite FC offering so little, I still walked away with a solid understanding of her character and potential backstory. Why the heck would she go along with Shaw's idiotic endeavour? Between Frost Family fallout and the gruesome loss of her hellions, Emma was plain done with humanity altogether and opted for a lifestyle of apathetic hedonism. It would explain why she seems so content to sit back and watch the world burn in-between chaos-causing career opportunities. Or you can believe- as Matthew Vaughn undoubtedly does- that she's just an unambitious, man-dependent, patriarchy-persecuted rent-a-hoe. Whichever narrative suits your personal agenda.

Wait, I just realized they tried to give Emma's rightful storyline to flippin Raven. Yeah, if Emma spent dofp using her powers and endless financial resources in an earth-scorching vendetta to liberate mutants it would've made actual sense. As someone who worked on mutant teams long before them, she would honestly be a believable foil to Charles and Erik. Maybe even include a chance for Emma to be humanized and redeemed without it costing her life. I know X-movies have a fetish for pointlessly killing off characters, but dare to step out of the box. Emma possibly could've joined Charles to help re-build the X-Men. Even convince Erik to further the mutant cause without destroying national landmarks or whimpering off to Poland. Take some responsibility for her poor choices and attempt to rectify things. But no, don't use the more experienced female mutant known to take part in the X-Men in certain versions. No, utilize Charles Xavier's spoiled, easily influenced kid sister known to be a self-serving villainess and deadbeat mom as the vehicle for your superficial empowerment message. Too bad January didn't land a once-in-a-lifetime leading role in a YA novel series turned film franchise like Jenni Law did.

Before I venture forth to cease feeding my writing addiction over my mortal flesh, I'm just going to leave this shameless plug for my own work right here: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/7512743/1/Rise-or-Fall

Content Warning

Contains unambiguous depictions of heterosexual monogamy.

Platonic relationships between the same as well as opposite sexes (not exclusive to the physically attractive).

Lack of hive-minded political bias.

Racial diversity and inclusion among protagonists and antagonists.

Gentile-passing Jews being Jews.

Acknowledgement of human life and loss with gravity and reverence.

Attempts at maintaining in-story continuity.

Use of mental gymnastics to correct egregious inconsistencies and plot holes cluttered throughout the X-Men cinematic universe produced by 20th Century Fox based on characters created by Stan Lee and recently sold into franchise internment camp Walt Disney Studios.

Disclaimer

No deliberate offense or detestation intended. All allegations to the contrary should be addressed to the Charles Xavier Institute of Individuality. Response times vary based on weather conditions and tedium levels. You may also message the writer directly for clarification, civilized discussion, and/or comedic mockery.

Reader discretion is advised.

Recommended to binge with the accompaniment of a parent/guardian, dom/domme of your local orgy organization, and/or most stereotypical progressive cancellation consultant.

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loopy777 · 2 years

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so when confronting his father, Zuko makes the choice to redirect the lightning at his feet, rather than into the wall. How do you think thing's would have gone different for the rest of the series if he'd accidentally killed his old man here?

Well, it hinges on two things:

Does Zuko stick around to try to claim the throne, or does he run away because he figures he can't get away with murder in this case?

How does Azula react to Ozai's death?

The first will determine how the plot goes, either about antics and politics in the Fire Nation capital or with a focus on the gAang trying to evade a more concerted hunt. Since this series is named "Avatar: The Last Airbender," I would find a way to go with the latter, so I'd come up with a way to have Zuko flee as a fugitive just like in the cartoon. The time has come, by that point, to get him on the side of the protagonists and consolidate the cast.

The second is going to determine the nature and the tone of the finale. With Azula as the sole antagonist left (with Mai and Ty Lee, but I think their defection is still mandatory for Azula's arc), the entire rest of the cast needs to confront her. Since DoBS already had fights in the capital, I'd find a way to still have her attempt the destruction of the Earth Kingdom and be confronted in the process. However, all the main characters (Aang, Zuko, and Katara) teaming up on Azula is a bit much, considering that Zuko alone is supposed to be her equal by that point.

And I've never been sure how Azula should respond to having Ozai taken away from her. He's the center of her world, the measure by which she judges everything- herself most of all. I've only ever played with it in fanfic in much more complicated circumstances, so I'm genuinely not sure what she would think of learning that Zuko simply beat him in a straight attack. Would she lash out? Become self-destructive? Lose her grip on reality? All of the above?

I'd also want to conform to the themes of the show, so Aang needs to defeat imperialism with the ideals of his people and also show the Fire Nation's nature literally lead to its own defeat and destruction. (There's a reason the capital was wrecked in the duel between Zuko and Azula. Symbolism, ho!) This is quite a checklist. The cartoon had two villains to work with, so we need to create some more.

So I think we need to bring in some help for Azula. Instead of having her try to burn the whole Earth Kingdom (however that was supposed to work), I think she should create some kind of a spirit threat. Perhaps an evil dragon ghost kaiju of some kind. That can rampage across the EK for Aang to fight and transform into a nice peaceful happy-dragon spirit, and Zuko can confront Azula in a similar manner to the cartoon's finale.

Whatever happens with Azula's psyche, I don't think her final defeat should be a simple defeat and breakdown. I feel like the loss of Ozai is already enough of a loss for her, however she reacts, that losing a fight to Zuko kind of pales in comparison. I'd actually have him somehow save her in the end, with a hint of a little hope that it might be the beginning of her seeing things differently. I still like the idea of Katara helping Zuko in the fight, and Zuko somehow taking a hit for her, since that so neatly reverses his actions under Ba Sing Se.

It probably seems cheap that I'm looking for ways to so closely replicate what we got in the cartoon, but honestly I think that's because Ozai himself is only important to the story as a symbol of Fire Nation Imperialism and for his effect on Zuko and Azula. Even in-universe, his death just means one of his kids gets a promotion. There's no real political complications, no change in the Fire Nation's agenda. The big thing is going to be the effect on Azula, I think, and so the main change is going to be how her character arc goes.

As far as the effect on Zuko, I actually think it can be neatly incorporated into the story. Have the reason he loses his Firebending be his sense of guilt over killing his father, and then he has to wrestle with why he feels guilty at all. It can be part of the plot of 'The Firebending Masters,' and Aang can simultaneously get over his guilt over burning Katara.

Book Fire's resilience is proven, I think, by the fact that it spends most of itself on character-building stories, and the plot is rather minimalist. And Ozai just ain't critical to much.

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talkingtea · 3 years

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The show lost viewers this season because it was insanely dreadfully bad. If they want any chance of a successful season 8, they're going to have to make some serious changes.

1) un bloat the damn cast. We do not need DP playing 2 shittily written mediocre characters with no plot taking up screentime when they can't even write 1 well. If they're not going to get rid of them both, I'll take Caitlin's blank face looking ass over white privilege Frost. Get rid of that dumbass Chillbean. Get rid of all and any Caitlin love interests forever bc DP has no chemistry with any of them. Cecile needs to be guest or recurring - she has no more use for the plot, esp now that Jenna is nonexistent and Joe is sharing scenes with Kramer. Unless they have a continued significant plot for Joe next season, he needs to be bumped down to supporting cast too and ACTUALLY support his pregnant daughter. Allegra doesnt need to be in episodes not focused on Citizen plots. Even if I dont mind her character, we don't need Sue back. She serves no purpose in the overall narrative. Why tf did they feel the need to bring her back and write for her when they can't even write their existing longterm characters properly?? Too many plates at the table. This focus on side characters has got to go. They didn't develop them well when they first joined the show which they should have done to make us invested. Trying to force in filler for that now after the fact is too late and disrupts the trajectory of the show. The only one they've done right is Chester.

2) go back to the roots of the show, with the Wests and Westallen family at its core and the characters and character dynamics driving the narrative, not the terrible and inconsistent plots. The show needs to stop being so invested in the spectacle and focus on the heart.

3) cool down the corny goofiness and gearing this towards kids bc I doubt the younger audience make up the majority of viewers at this point. This may not be a late time slot show but it is starting to resemble Disney shows with how "kiddy" and silly it has become. If s8 is indeed the last season, I hope they say fuck it and stop giving a damn about those (probably made up) constraints. Is it really that much to ask for the main couple to have some intimacy in bed? Even just cuddling under the covers? Steamier kisses?

4) let the writers who have experience writing the show and characters have more episodes because inconsistent characterisation and writing is ruining pivotal moments. And conversely, stop letting longtime writers with a clear anti agenda have pivotal WA/Iris episodes to write because again, inconsistent characterisation and writing is ruining it

5) they need to do right by Iris. Proper journalism story arc, proper pregnancy arc with her husband, proper investment in her vulnerability emotions and fears. Enough with the misogynoir.

6) a strong overarching villain with good, steady buildup and good motive who has stakes in the personal lives of every character, otherwise ppl are not going to get invested in the fight.

7) utilise their stronger actors more. They have significantly better actors with less screen time playing support like roles and keep pushing the actors who can't fucking act or carry episodes at the forefront and it is resulting in pretty bad episodes. A good actor can make bad writing tolerable. A bad actor just highlights all the flaws in the show. The focus on side characters exposed the show, bad writing, and how crappy some characters are this season, which we've been able to disregard in the past for the most part because at least there was fantastic acting and moments we could focus on instead.

8) they refuse to dismantle Team Flash at this point, so they need to make Barry a CLEAR leader. No more looking to others for decisions or having them in his ear all the fucking time. He's spent all seasons needing everyone's help for everything. How is he supposed to build his legacy as legendary if he needs everyone else to tell him what to do? He's about to be a father. They better have him shape up quick and learn to be a protector and leader in his own right. He's a muppet I can't take seriously at this point. If the titular character is written shoddily, the rest of the show won't hold up.

And 9) STOP PANDERING TO THE RACISTS AND DUMBASS WHINY BITCH FANBOYS. How hard is it to understand that whenever they do, the show suffers for it and has worse episodes, and when they don't, it thrives?? It's morons running this show I swear. How are fans of the show understanding the show more than the actual ppl who made the show??

It's not too late for the show; they can turn it around and end on a higher note but they seriously need to reevaluate the wrong turn they took after s4/s5ish.

🗣🗣🗣

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catsintei · 3 years

Note

I'm terrified that they'll make Mercury the new Adam for Emerald in Volume 9. I don't want Mercury to be villainized if he feels like Emerald's abandoned him but I don't want him to be JUST fine with her leaving and joining the good guys.

I feel you 100% anon; but I think that in order to answer your ask properly and to put into context my words and feelings regarding it, I first need to talk about Emerald’s “redemption arc”.

This is a long post so...

Basically, it was not good to put it lightly. The buildup towards Emerald leaving Salem was certainly there, if only just barely. I’m not going to deny that the writing was on the wall from the beginning, but it was very, very, sparse in regards to an actual full fledged redemption arc. A few sad and scared looks here and there, an “it's almost sad” said in the face of a brutal massacre of innocents, and an “I don’t know if what we're doing is right because Cinder isn’t here”, do not a solid foundation for a redemption arc make.

This barebones buildup would have sufficed had CRWBY decided to make v8 the very beginning of Emerald’s path to redemption, instead of ending it as soon as it started. This totally could have happened, as I said previously, the buildup to Emerald leaving Salem was there, and hell, they had it down initially; Emerald didn’t leave Salem because she saw the error of her ways and decided to change for the better. She only escaped because her life was in immediate danger, not because of some sense of morality, and I think that’s a good thing, it's completely in character for her! Emerald through her actions is neither a nice nor good person. This could have been built upon further if the writers chose to go for the “strained alliance the enemy of my enemy is my friend” angle, in which Emerald, after working closely with the protagonists to survive; building a bond with them in the process, realizes the true error of her ways and puts in the work to better herself.

Unfortunately, nothing of the sort happened. Emerald instantly seemed to become besties with Team RWBY & Co. smiles and giggles all around even after she uh, tried to murder Penny mere hours before. I hate to constantly compare each and every redemption arc to Zuko’s, but in this case I think it’s a good example of the general structure of a redemption arc. Emerald at the end of v8, does not feel like a Book 2 Zuko, just starting to realize the error of his ways. Emerald decidedly feels like a late stage Book 3 Zuko, minus the character development. It doesn't feel like the beginning of a redemption arc, it very much feels like the end.

Now that I have that off of my chest, let's get to the main point.

I don’t see Mercury being made into Emerald’s Adam, that honour goes to Cinder (which is why I would really like for there to be a Mercury and Emerald vs. Cinder confrontation/fight sometime in the future). Mercury has been shown to care about Emerald A Lot, making him out to be her Adam would be the biggest pile of bullshit in any form of media known to mankind. Mercury’s and Emerald’s relationship with each other bears absolutely no resemblance to what Blake’s and Adam’s relationship was. Decimating the great relationship that Emerald and Mercury have would be an insanely stupid move.

However, I can certainly see Mercury being villainized, both in show and chiefly by the fandom, if he has a negative reaction towards Emerald leaving, especially if he feels as if she left him. Mercury has already been blatantly villainized by the fandom post v8, I have seen many posts detailing how Mercury is “the villainous counterpart to the hero, Emerald”, how he cannot leave Salem because he is “in too deep” and has gone too far. Most of these posts ignoring the fact that it has been pointed out directly and indirectly through his body language and dialogue, that Mercury is actually deeply uncomfortable with working for Salem but is too afraid to leave her and the only life he’s ever known, and frankly I can’t blame him for that.

In general, a negative reaction from Mercury in regards to Emerald’s “departure” from Salem’s cabal is to be expected, especially because Tyrian literally threatened to hunt down and kill both of them if they dared to betray Salem, which Emerald has now done, and also Tyrian is like… right there… with Mercury… whoops. Nevertheless, in my opinion, Mercury would understand why Emerald escaped Salem and where she is coming from but he wouldn't be just fine with Emerald leaving for the aforementioned reasons; because he cares about her and everything she has done so far went against the self preservation agenda Mercury carries, and could get her very swiftly killed.

I don't think we will see much of Mercury and Emerald in v9, but when they do eventually show up and reunite, I could see there being some (hopefully swiftly resolved) conflict between them concerning their respective decisions, with them coming to a mutual understanding. However I doubt that Mercury will double down on staying with Salem, if the entire “Salem is gonna destroy the world :)” thing from Tyrian didn't change his mind then the hours-long plane ride with him probably has.

So yeah, I really hope that Mercury is treated well going forward, I think he deserves positive character development, I think he deserves to leave Salem, I think he deserves the opportunity to live his own free life, and I want his character to be done well and for his story to end on a positive note.

I had a lot more on my mind that I wanted to say here, but decided to keep it on the shorter side. Thanks for the ask and the opportunity to ramble, feel free to send more ^-^

#rwby #mercury black #emerald sustrai #cinder fall #my posts #asks #this might be a bit rwde also? but i don't think so

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the-melting-world · 2 years

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Been working on some notes for Ozy’s album (The Sun) regarding Lucio and his “redemption” arc. Consider it a mix of how the devs might have handled his route differently plus some potential untapped lore.

*Let it be known that I have not played Lucio’s route in full, but I’m still working off the assumption taken from the other routes that the Devil is his patron arcana + the evidence of the Fool as his patron in his own route. (Emphasis on the fact that I’ve only picked up bits and pieces from discussions I’ve seen around Lucio’s route. I don’t actually know if the Fool twist was sincerely confirmed. These theories only exist to serve my own storytelling agenda.🤟🏽)

I’m very much Team Let-Lucio-be-a-real-bad-guy. Which is to say, his route would have been more consistent with his character if the devs explored his journey as a legitimate antagonist (or villain, whatever). A redemption of sorts could still be a part of his story, but his wrongs would not be swept under the rug or forgiven/forgotten by the rest of the cast. (specifically asra and muriel, but I’m not going there today.)

Same initial set up. The mc finds him stuck in ghost hell. He’s still reliving his regrets. He hates it.

The difference would lie in how he wants to confront those regrets.

I imagine a Lucio that would be too embarrassed (rather than shameful) to attempt at making amends. He’d also recognize the pointlessness of seeking forgiveness from those whom his choices affected so atrociously. Let's be honest, he wouldn't forgive himself if he were them, so why would he expect them to do the same?

He would also be too proud to acknowledge his failure and overall shittiness as a Count. (If his relationship with Morga is any indication, Lucio would rather die than to ever openly admit that he royally fucked up. Could never get over his mother doing that to him. Therefore would never put himself in a position to do that to himself, no matter how much damage he caused.)

Rather Lucio (most likely with the encouragement of the mc) would be motivated by the opportunity of a clean slate. A total reset. He knows he’s incapable of leading without ruining people’s lives, so he vows to never try to assume that sort of power again.

This would mean no apologies, but he would finally leave the people of Vesuvia alone. His journey would be one to end his debts and, with the help of the mc, overcome the temptation to make those sorts of deals again. sorta like rehab

I know that getting rid of Lucio’s influence over Vesuvia is how all the routes end, but what's different is that this time it would be his choice. (obviously the devs would need to raise the stakes and provide Lucio with a chance to take power away from Nadia or something similar so the audience could actually see him behaving differently than he would in the past).

Another goal on Lucio’s route would be to find a way to separate him from the Devil. (which probably happened to some extent, but once again, I didn't complete his route. so anyway...)

This is well within Lucio’s power since his magic is slippery in nature (made that part up btw). It allows him to consciously choose which of the Arcana are linked to his fate.

This is where the revelation of the Fool comes in. Lucio and the MC realize that all this time Lucio has been unintentionally selecting which Arcana's power he can piggyback off of. (And if he and the mc are smart, they'll realize that this means he can do it again.)

This slippery quality of his magic has also aided him in sidestepping his deals with demons. But there is another twist: The explanation behind Lucio’s magic is at the core of his true patron – the Wheel of Fortune. sorry natiqa pls don't hate me

Under the Wheel of Fortune, Lucio has the ability to temporarily "adopt" different patrons and shed them / their influence at will.

Ultimately, Lucio and the mc would find a way to use this to their advantage against the Devil.

Luck would obviously play a role in how this selection process works. Still haven’t worked out how yet.

That’s all I really have for now. Don’t know if I’ll use all of this, but it needed to go somewhere. Plan to work through them in Ozy’s album. Feel free to borrow or build on them.

#this is mostly so i don't have to explain all this shit when i get to writing the album #the arcana #count lucio #lucio the arcana #ozy the grey mage #ozy lore #arcana albums lore #lucio

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maxwell-grant · 3 years

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Downfall of a Dark Avenger Part 2: Shadows of Manhattan

Having finished reading Al Ewing’s El Sombra trilogy and having had enough time to digest it, I’d like to talk about the trajectory of it’s titular protagonist, the character and series’s relationship with it’s influences. Relating to The Shadow and Zorro and general pulp archetypes, and also the way it incorporates Astro Boy’s Pluto into the mix.

This part is focused on Gods of Manhattan and El Sombra’s first appearences in Pax Omega and the ways in which the urban vigilante manifests itself in the books.

In Gods of Manhattan, El Sombra takes a backseat to it’s central players, Doc Thunder and The Blood-Spider. I’ve mentioned how Thunder, while ostensibly a Doc Savage/Superman amalgam, also combines aspects that allow the character to condense the entire history of the superman into a single being, but to a character very much centered on the future and in progressive ideals, described in the book as someone considered both the city’s ultimate savior as well as viewed as "a faggot, a liberal and a miscegenationist”. In that regard, the Blood-Spider becomes his opposite. Perhaps the most comprehensive savaging of the dark detective/The Shadow ever put on paper, that has a larger point behind the questions and criticisms it brings up to what this kind of figure can be.

"You can hardly have a war on crime unless you are the one defining what a crime is. First rule of the war on crime: everyone is guilty or something"

Us am vigilantes! Am us not men? Us use violence to effect social change! Am us not men? Us bring terror to underclass, make streets safer for overclass! Am us not men? Am us not men?

Making them loved rather than feared. Having them fight crime, or the right kind of crime, at least. Created a persona designed to appeal to the worst in people, to bring the citizens of New York around to his cause, his war on crime, which would, of course, then become a war against ‘urban crime’. Or some other little euphemism. ‘Inhuman’, for example. Sounds a lot more relatable than subhuman, doesn’t it? Comes to the same thing, though.

Although The Blood-Spider is an evil take on The Shadow, most of his character traits are taken from characters that followed him. He’s got the moniker, savagery, fright tactics and branded murders of The Spider, he climbs buildings and has a civilian identity akin to Spider-Man’s, with constant name references to characters like Stacey, Jonah and a redhead named Mary Watson, with him sharing a name with Peter Parker as well as Batman villain Jonathan Crane, he’s got Rorschach monologues that are echoed by his associates past his demise in white supremacist organizations dedicated to carrying off Spider’s legacy, predating HBO Watchmen’s take on Rorschach legacy. If Doc Thunder is all about taking the superhero’s past to create a better future with it, Blood-Spider takes the future of the urban vigilante and uses it as a conduit to enact a barbaric and reactionary agenda in service of undoing everything Thunder stands for, even before he’s revealed to be a Nazi agent.

Blood-Spider is what happens when the absolute worst aspects of said characters are brought to the forefront and twisted by a dose of reality. He’s to The Shadow what Plutonian is to Superman, the most sour way said character and legend can be twisted into something horrendous. He’s the Doutrinador in a fedora, everything I vehemently argue that The Shadow wasn’t, and yet seems sadly ever closer to as more and more comics dehumanize the character. He’s Howard Chaykin’s Shadow, naked and raw and exposed for what it ultimately is. An insult and a wake-up call, if a necessary one.

In fact, said poisoning of a legend is explicitly a plot point in the book, because the book establishes that, before The Blood-Spider, the city’s main vigilante used to be a man by the name of Blue Ghost, friend of Doc Thunder and, although a mysterious public figure, still firmly on the side of good. Unfortunately, moral victories aside, “good” alone doesn’t cut it in the world of El Sombra.

You took a look at the Blue Ghost - mysterious masked avenger, operatives all over the place, big fan-following with the working classes, and you figured...we need one of those. Just take away the Japanese orphan kid and replace him with a foxy Aryan chick.

Blue Ghost is almost a textbook Spirit analogue, even defined as being beat up a lot as his main asset, except here, he’s placed as Doc’s counterpart that died before the story began and is now replaced by a darker and more horrendous counterpart, and because The Spirit was influenced by The Shadow, it opens a roundabout connection. You can read this as a comparison between the shift from Adam West’s Batman to Frank Miller’s Batman, or a comparison between The Shadow and earlier more straightforward pulp vigilantes like Jimmie Dale, or a comparison between the pulp/radio Shadow and later iterations of him or analogues to his archetype that upped the nastier aspects. Again, nothing in El Sombra is ever quite just one thing.

And at last we come to El Sombra, who spends much of the book caught in between the duels of Doc, Untergang and players in between. And it’s interesting that here, while El Sombra’s final victories over the story’s major conflict lie in his willingness to team up with Doc, despite knowing of his origins as a Nazi weapon, his victories over Blood-Spider instead come from turning tricks of The Shadow against him. First, when he discovers Spider’s true nature, spying on him by pulling a Fritz the Janitor. And then in the finale, when he schools Spider on what a real shadowy avenger looks like.

"Amigo...that's my sword"

The voice came from the darkness above them, where the gaslight did not reach. The Spider's blood ran cold for a long moment, and then he grabbed hold of his other gun, tearing it from its holster and raising it to fire a volley of bullets into the darkness. "Where are you? Show yourself!" he hissed, turning in place, the gun raised to fire at the slightest sound or movement.

"You're not the only one who can hide in the shadows, my friend. I've got very good at it, over the years."

"Show yourself!" Another volley of shots, with no result. Was he throwing his voice? Was he everywhere at once? Was he a shadow himself? A ghost?

The voice echoed from another place now, continuing his speech exactly where he had left off. And still that mocking voice echoed from the shadows above.

"See, I didn't know if you were a good guy or a bad guy. I mean, sure, you killed people, and you were kind of a dick about it, you know? But I didn't know if you were one of the bastards. I didn't know if you needed to die or not, amigo."

The gun clicked empty. He was out of bullets. He turned again, and there was the man in the red mask. Just standing there, in the middle of the concourse. His smile didn't look human. And his eyes. Oh, his terrible eyes...

"Stay back." The Spider whispered, and his voice sounded in his ears like a frightened, animal thing, waiting to curl up and die in its hole.

The man in the red mask only laughed. A rich, deep, joyous laugh, a laugh that echoed and filled the whole station, bouncing from pillar to pillar, careening through the great vaulted arches. Such a laugh!

Then the laughter stopped, and he fixed the Blood-Spider with a look that would freeze the fires of Hell.

And suddenly - quite suddenly - there was no Blood-Spider. There was only Parker Crane, the Nazi. Parker Crane, the traitor. Who thought he could destroy America, and only managed to destroy himself. Parker Crane. Just a man wearing a mask. He ran, and left the sword behind him.

"Nice trick," Doc murmured, turning to the masked man. "Throwing your sword from up on the balcony - good aim, by the way - then throwing your voice and a little mental suggestion to make him think you were up in the arches where he'd been. Where did you learn that?"

The masked man shrugged, lifting up his weapon. "In the desert. You can learn a lot in the desert, if you put your mind to it."

By the story’s end, once Lars Lomax, Thunder’s arch-enemy and Lex Luthor, takes center stage as it’s ultimate threat, Parker Crane is left a traumatized, broken shell unable to even move, utterly stripped of any mystique or power that his mask and guns may have brought him. And in the end, El Sombra finds him, neutralized and no longer a threat to anyone. And he makes his choice.

El Sombra knew what it was to hate, to hate so hard and so long that you knew nothing else, to hate so strongly that it crossed that line into something beyond reason.

He lifted his sword, resting the blade in his palm for a moment, considering. Crane only stared, weeping and making his soft, mad noises. El Sombra sighed, shaking his head. "You know, I don't know if I can kill a guy who's already dead. Even if he is one of the bastards."

"Don't let him in here." Murmured Crane, his eyes wide.

"Shhh, I won't let him in," smiled El Sombra in response, trying to be reassuring. "You'll never have to face him again. I promise. It's okay, amigo. It's okay."

It was strange. He knew he should feel hate for Parker Crane. It was Djego's job to bear things like pity and doubt, to feel sorrow and shame. That was Djego's role in their team of one. El Sombra was there to take never-ending revenge and to laugh and to never look back. But to know that his murder of Heinrich Donner - his righteous kill - had resulted in so much harm coming to so many... and now to see the leader of Undergang, the man he'd come to New York to kill, just an empty, broken madman, a shell of a person... El Sombra wondered if he was changing.

"Don't," whispered Crane, a tear rolling down his cheek. "Don't let him back in."

El Sombra smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, amigo. I'm going to go and make sure nobody ever needs to see him again. And I couldn't have done it without you." He squeezed lightly. "You didn't mean to, but you did some good. Remember that."

Then, gently, he pushed the tip of the sword through the front of Crane's skull and into his brain.

He was not incapable of pity. But he was who he was, and he did what he did.

And broken or not, the bastards had to die.

We’ve seen El Sombra struggle and be faced with choices, choices between Djego and El Sombra, choices between kindness and violence, between peace and conflict. We’ve seen the conflict in his soul between things that he knows are right, because Djego is a good man with a good soul who wants good things for himself and others, and things he knows he must do, because he is El Sombra and El Sombra was created to kill the bastards that brought his world to ruin and therefore it’s what he must always do. And in the end, El Sombra is simply stronger. He has to be. But strength and violence and hatred can only get one so far.

Gods of Manhattan is the trilogy’s moral compass, the book that most clearly defines the morality the series operates on. And in between the spectrums of justice embodied by Doc and Crane’s approach, between the two urban avengers in The Blue Ghost and Blood-Spider, El Sombra made his choice. And it’s the first choice that dooms him.

Enter Pax Omega, and we learn that, 4 years since the previous book's events, El Sombra joined a squad of agents called Yankee Bravo Seven, who work for an organization named STEAM, who enact missions against Nazis to turn the tides of war. He is joined by several other types of characters, including The Blood Widow, Crane’s former assistant Marlene Lang now having taken up the moniker (just as Nita van Sloan did for The Spider, even with the “Widow” prefix). We see that El Sombra has joined a team of bantering heroes and even formed a friendly rivalry with a man named Savate, modeled after Batroc the Leaper.

But we see that the hunger for vengeance still burns, still burns beyond reason, restless because it’s been 4 years and the war still isn’t over and Hitler still isn’t dead by his sword. And it’s that restlessness that again dooms him, when he once again makes the wrong choice and betrays leader Jack Scorpio, Scorpio who had personally brought him on board and gave him the best shot he ever had at getting to Hitler.

El Sombra frowned. "We need to make our move now."

Scorpio shook his head. "Not yet."

"What?" El Sombra looked incredulous.

"Wait for my signal, I said! Damn it, I need you to trust me!" Jack Scorpio reached up to brush the back of his finger across his forehead, and realised he was sweating.

Through his special glasses, El Sombra's aura was glowing an angry, pulsing red, like a throbbing vein. "Just...trust me. I'm asking you to hold back for just five minutes. There's more going on here than you know."

El Sombra just stared at him, his lips pulling back from his teeth in a cold snarl.

"Trust me. That's all I ask." Jack Scorpio looked into the blazing eyes behind the bloodstained mask, and spoke softly, soothingly, almost desperately. "Can you just hold back for one minute?"

The eyes behind the mask narrowed.

"Can you?"

PERSONNEL FILE: DJEGO "EL SOMBRA". TO EYES ONLY: THIS INDIVIDUAL IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED HE NOT BE INCLUDED IN ANY OPERATIONS CLASSIFIED ABOVE TOP SECRET OR HIGHER. (I'll take the risk - J.S)

El Sombra spat in Scorpio's face.

"Chinga tu madre."

Then he drew his sword and leaped down into the fray.

After the mission is over, with the base destroyed and a major victory secured, although with Jack Scorpio having been killed, the team disbands. El Sombra continues to wander the forests near the Luftwaffe base for about two weeks, killing as many Nazis as he can, until an explosion blast hits near him, knocking away his mask and portions of his leg and arm, and rendering him unconscious for 8 months. By the time he wakes up, the war has ended, and so has El Sombra for the past 7 years.

Djego was afforded the best of medical care at the hospital in Venice. El Sombra was nowhere to be found.

His mask had been torn off in the explosion, along with some of the meat of his leg and arm. He walked stiffly, now, with a pronounced limp, and his left arm was all but useless, hanging limply at his side. The Wildcat crew had salvaged his sword, but Djego had little interest in using it.

Gradually, he regained his mobility. The back of his head itched constantly, and he suffered from horrendous mood swings, when he would rage against the Fuhrer and the bastards, or weep helplessly, like a child. But gradually, he found his personality stabilising in the gentle, antiseptic atmosphere of the hospital. He found that Djego - so long despised as a weakling, a coward and a fool - was capable of a kind of gentle, melancholic wit that made him popular.

Djego healed and grew, and the itch in the back of his skull began to subside, as El Sombra relinquished his grip.

Djego felt his heart seize in his chest. The cloth was missing a scrap at the end, and there was mud ground into the fabric along with the old bloodstains; but it had two evenly-spaced holes in it, and was unmistakably a mask. It seemed to be looking at him.

He takes up gardening and establishes himself in the city of Brandenberg, he becomes a fixture of the city and a friend of it, he enters a relationship, and El Sombra never appears again.

Until a mysterious stranger named Leonard Lorraine, walks through his door one day, saying he’s got a mission to fulfill, and hands him his mask. And, once again, El Sombra is simply stronger, and he makes the wrong choice again.

Djego shook his head and tried to step back from it, but his legs wouldn't move.

"No," he whispered. "No. Please"

"I was happy," pleaded Djego. "Doesn't that matter to you?" He picked up the cloth in trembling fingers, looking into the empty eyeholds. "Doesn't that mean anything?"

There was no answer. The patrons of the bierkeller did not even notice anything was happening.

"I was happy," Djego choked, and then, in one spasmodic motion, he pulled the mask onto his face, and secured it tightly, so that the knot once again rested in the back of his head, where it belonged: so tightly that it might never come off again.

El Sombra looked at his hands.

He prodded his belly, amused at the rounded shape of it, and took a couple of steps back from the bar. The limp was gone.

He laughed, very softly, so as not to disturb the patrons.

Djego and Lorraine walk through the desolate streets of Berlin, which in the years since has completely sealed itself from the outside world through an impossibly thick dome, and Djego discovers the city completely bereft of life, with only a few lobotomized robotic citizens aimlessly wandering and chewing on the mountains of corpses in the city, as their Nazi ideology reached it’s inevitable outcome of total annihilation of any and all that the party could find an excuse to slaughter in the name of purity, which eventually included it’s few remaining members. In this world, Hitler has been a brain inside a robotic contraption ever since 1945, and it’s amidst this scenario that El Sombra, while thinking about how his final confrontation with Hitler would play out, eventually finds what’s left of Hitler.

All around them, there were the sounds of machinery, but the Mecha-Fuhrer was completely silent, utterly motionless. In the centre of its chest rested a tank of toxic green fluid, and on the surface of the fluid, a human brain floated, like the corpse of a goldfish.

It was quite dead.

El Sombra stared at the Fuhrer for a long moment. Eventually, he spoke, and his voice was cracked and raw, and choked with rage. "Is...is this a joke?"

De Lareine smiled his terrible smile. "The Fuhrer's body needed a great deal of maintenance and repair, you know. After two years, one of the processes delivering oxygen to his brain failed...and there was nobody left to repair it. He died, slowly." There would have been some pain, at the end".

El Sombra slammed his fist into the great iron throne on which the massive body sat, shattering his knuckles and tearing the skin from them. He didn't seem to notice. "Some pain," he choked, through gritted teeth."

El Sombra was still staring into the empty, dead eyes of the Fuhrer.

El Sombra again chooses poorly. It’s this moment, above all else, that truly damns him to his fate, as we come to see what is it exactly that a persona created for the purpose of vengeance has, when said vengeance is robbed from it. Like Parker Crane, his persona crumbles completely to expose the petty, ugly little feelings that drove it to such grandstanding antics in the first place, and the allmighty El Sombra is exposed for the all-too human failings that damned him once and for all.

"This isn't right," he said, eventually, in a strangled voice. "How...how can it end like this?"

"Why shouldn't it?" De Lareine shrugged. "Here's a thought. Maybe, despite his twenty-year tantrum and all his dressing up, spoilt little Djego is not the centre of the universe -"

El Sombra turned, face red, tears streaming from his eyes, and charged at De Lareine, slashing his sword. El Sombra crashed down onto the floor, into the soot scattered about, as De Lareine walked around him.

"Did you really believe Adolf Hitler would wait around for your sword? Did you not imagine that it might be better for him to seal himself off in a hole to die, instead of murdering and enslaving continents until you finally got around to him? Did you think you were the hero of your own little story, El Sombra, with your mask and your laugh and your-"

"Shut up!" El Sombra cried out, scrambling to his feet, the sword shaking in his hand, tears and snot running down his face. "He was mine! He was mine to kill!" He lifted the sword, the tip trembling. "Bring him back," he screamed, "do you hear me? Bring him back to life!"

De Lareine had to laugh at that.

And in the end, El Sombra is crushed, spiritually and physically as his spine is shattered by Lareine, who begins to experiment on him as he lays dying, ready to fulfill fate’s greater purpose for El Sombra. Ready to become not just the perfect machine Pasito’s conquerors intended, but a superior design. Ready to abandon his former life, ready to abandon everything that defined him, ready to shed any and all traces of Zorro and Shadow and pulp hero in his system, because the age of pulp heroes and superheroes has passed.

The metal man emerged from his hole, dragging the corpse of the Fuhrer behind him.

The brain in the metal man's chest would, perhaps, live for thousands of years. He wondered how he would spend the time.

He remembered little of his former life; he had been a man named El Sombra, or perhaps Djego. He had been stupid - he realised that now - but that was something he would never be again.

Apart from that, there was only a succession of faces, the memory of laughter and of a final, awful betrayal that had destroyed him. But there was also the sense that a great and terrible mission had ended at last, and it was time for a new life to begin.

The metal man took a last look back at the great dome of Fortress Berlin. Somewhere in there, the Leopard Man was hunting, freed from his own mission. And in the Fuhrer's old office, the empty, lifeless clay of El Sombra - or was it Djego? - lay, discarded, like a butterfly's cocoon.

The metal man thought on this, as the Fuhrer rusted at his feet and the tanks began to approach from over the hills ahead.

He would need a new name.

It’s now the age of Pluto.

#replies tag #pulp heroes #al ewing #el sombra #pluto

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