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As a little girl, Anna Zatara loved to watch her father Giovanni perform his magic act. The Zatara family had secretly been practicing witchcraft for centuries, but Giovanni felt the best way to use his skills was to bring joy and laughter to those around him. As she got older, Anna began to agree with her extended family that this was a waste of talent, and a dangerous risk to their secrecy besides. Heck, what with CGI, no one even went to magic shows anymore! She resolved to use her own skills for much more important things.

One day, Anna investigated an allegedly haunted house, hoping to prove her power by communicating with the ghosts within. In her recklessness, however, she wound up freeing what turned out to be a powerful demon. She nearly died that day, but for the timely intervention of her father. In a final act of sacrifice, Giovanni sealed both the demon and himself away in a burst of fire and brimstone. From that day forth, The Great Zatanna vowed to honor her father’s legacy by using her witchcraft to do good as a superhero, as well as performing onstage to bring a love of magic back to a world that had forgotten it.

#How come Zatara has a normal-ass first name but his daughter has a made-up name that is ALSO nearly identical to her last name? #Silly. #Zatanna #dc comics #dc universe #superh #superhero redesign #character design #character redesign #DCZ

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This is like the Footprints in the Sand version of "man car door hook hand"

Can Tim wear this shirt in your hadestown au

What does this Mean

#incomprehensible sentences

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Your mom finding her friend at a store is like unskippable cutscenes

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There’s a really interesting and creative idea at the core of Metamorpho’s appearance, undermined by how overly simplified and cartoony it is. I kept the general colors and their placements, but made them asymmetrical to make them feel random and organic. I tried to make him out of materials that felt like they could be found in the human body to further reduce the cartooniness (his right leg is basically softened flesh, like Clayface, and his top-left is caused by his blood crystallizing) with only his left leg needing a major change. It’s variously been drawn as either glass or pale wood, neither of which was I crazy about. I ultimately modeled it after charcoal, which is an organic form of carbon (the second-most common element in the human body) and can at times look sort of like a mineral or sort of like wood. I kept his silhouette completely human, as a painful reminder of how ruggedly handsome he once was.

His "Orb of Ra" origin... doesn’t really work. His powers are so science-themed it seems silly to have them come from ancient magic, and what do they have anything to do with Egypt, anyway? The Justice League cartoon has him given a metamorphic formula by Stagg, but that raises the question of why they never make more. Anyway, his appearance and extreme chemical versatility make me feel like his powers could have come from a confluence of many sources at once, so I made it be multiple incomplete formulas competing. I borrowed the spy aspect from his female counterpart, Element Girl.

Intelligence reports claimed that military manufacturer Simon Stagg was developing a formula to grant superpowers to whoever took it. If completed, whoever had the formula could make their own personal superhuman army. Going undercover, top spy Rex Mason was able to get a job working at Stagg’s company. But suspicious of the new hire, and disapproving of his growing closeness with his daughter Sapphire, Stagg sent his bodyguard Java to do away with him. Java tailed Rex as he discovered the pit where Stagg dumped his chemical wastes. Unseen, Java knocked Rex in, leaving him for dead.

Bathed in a cocktail of incomplete metamorphic formulas, Rex’s body began to destabilize. One formula was for turning hard as stone, another for turning soft as putty. One caused his cells to freeze, another caused them to burn. Some bit like acid, and some were dangerously radioactive. Subjected to all these effects at once, a lesser man would have dropped dead on the spot. But Rex used all his training to drag himself out of the pit and call for an ambulance before he lost consciousness.

Awakening in the hospital, Rex found that the doctors had been able to stabilize him. But the damage was severe. The warring chemicals within him had altered Rex’s body chemistry completely. His skin had degenerated into a hideous mosaic of ever-shifting organic compounds. He would never be the same again.

Fortunately, it turned out that he had some control over his fluctuating chemistry. Rex could now turn any part of himself into any chemical element or simple compound he could think of. With practice, he also learned to stretch, form simple shapes (nothing too detailed or complicated), or even turn into liquids or gasses. He could even use his powers to heal his own wounds, though this leaves him feeling weakened and presumably has its limits.

With his new powers, Rex is able to fight crime better than ever. He often mourns the life he lost, but he soldiers on with the help of his wry, sardonic wit, and his determination to bring Stagg to justice.

#design notes

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Intelligence reports claimed that military manufacturer Simon Stagg was developing a formula to grant superpowers to whoever took it. If completed, whoever had the formula could make their own personal superhuman army. Going undercover, top spy Rex Mason was able to get a job working at Stagg’s company. But suspicious of the new hire, and disapproving of his growing closeness with his daughter Sapphire, Stagg sent his bodyguard Java to do away with him. Java tailed Rex as he discovered the pit where Stagg dumped his chemical wastes. Unseen, Java knocked Rex in, leaving him for dead.

Bathed in a cocktail of incomplete metamorphic formulas, Rex’s body began to destabilize. One formula was for turning hard as stone, another for turning soft as putty. One caused his cells to freeze, another caused them to burn. Some bit like acid, and some were dangerously radioactive. Subjected to all these effects at once, a lesser man would have dropped dead on the spot. But Rex used all his training to drag himself out of the pit and call for an ambulance before he lost consciousness.

Awakening in the hospital, Rex found that the doctors had been able to stabilize him. But the damage was severe. The warring chemicals within him had altered Rex’s body chemistry completely. His skin had degenerated into a hideous mosaic of ever-shifting organic compounds. He would never be the same again.

Fortunately, it turned out that he had some control over his fluctuating chemistry. Rex could now turn any part of himself into any chemical element or simple compound he could think of. With practice, he also learned to stretch, form simple shapes (nothing too detailed or complicated), or even turn into liquids or gasses. He could even use his powers to heal his own wounds, though this leaves him feeling weakened and presumably has its limits.

With his new powers, Rex is able to fight crime better than ever. He often mourns the life he lost, but he soldiers on with the help of his wry, sardonic wit, and his determination to bring Stagg to justice.

#metamorpho #dcu #dc comics #dc universe #superheroes #superhero redesign #character redesign #DCZ

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Aw, man, I should have done an Eclipso redesign for Monday! Oh well, I'll do it in the next eclipse in 20 years.

#i mean the next eclipse in the US of course #i'm not going overseas to see an eclipse #actually there's one in Alaska in a few years #but I don't really wanna go all the way to Alaska either

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I drove nine hours by myself and spent hundreds of dollars for a hotel room to see the eclipse in Niagara. Then when it turned out Niagara was going to be too cloudy, I drove nine hours AGAIN and spent a few hundred MORE dollars to get to see it in Vermont. But by god, see it I did!

(Photo credit to my sister-in-law, and my crappy phone camera)

#between this and the earthquake #it was a very productive week for crossing natural phenomena off my bucket list #I'm normally pretty tight with my wallet #This was the second most reckless financial decision I ever made #Worth it.

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i feel like the boeing whistleblower case should radicalize more people. a major airline company is producing planes with less and less regard for safety and it's starting to get noticeable. man takes them to court, which would reduce profit at the cost of public safety. he fucking dies the night that boeings legal team asks him to stay an extra day. if nothing happens about this, i hope it gets through to people that america would literally kill you for a few extra cents

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I realize it’s kind of funny to describe Zod as “unlike any other foe Superman has faced” when I’ve only posted one other, but inspiration strikes when it strikes okay?

One thing I don’t think I’ve been able to get across very well is how completely alien the Kryptonians are. I originally envisioned them less like glowing humanoids and more like the balls of pure light you might see on early Star Trek; almost beyond human comprehension as they observe the universe with scientific detachment. I found it hard to imagine a member of this species being part of a traditional military structure, fighting for land or political power. Instead I remembered that many of Trek’s pettier energy beings enjoyed toying with those puny mortals, despite the disapproval of their more enlightened brethren. I knew that this would be a perfect reinterpretation of Zod’s rebellion, and possibly hint at an explanation for that age-old question of why there were no Kryptonians anywhere outside of Krypton.

I don’t know how much sense the lightning crackling off of Zod’s main form really makes, but the Kryptonians seem vaguely electromagnetic. Probably this happens when they get really mad, or charge up for a powerful attack or something.

Zod is a red Kryptonian because red is the color of scary.

Before their destruction, the energy beings of Krypton were rigidly isolationist. They left the primitives in the rest of the universe to their own devices while they pursued scientific enlightenment from their homeworld. A minority, however, believed their superiority granted them the right to rule over such lesser beings. This faction united under the guidance of Dru-Zod, who became something like a commander or general to them. Their attempted rebellion against the isolationist establishment was devastating in its destruction, but Zod and their faction were eventually subdued. To prevent further destruction, their essences were uploaded to the Phantom Zone, a virtual space for those Kryptonians too dangerous to remain in the material world.

Years later, Superman would discover the Phantom Zone when studying lost Kryptonian technology. Elated at the prospect of surviving Kryptonians, he would eagerly make the decision to release them. It was a decision he would live to regret. Their planet’s destruction drove Zod more mad than they already were. They are more dedicated than ever to conquest, now aiming to establish a New Krypton. And of course, they will destroy whoever stands in their way.

Zod is unlike any other foe Superman has faced: a fully matured, pure Kryptonian energy being. They have all of Superman’s powers, but need only sunlight to survive. Scariest of all, their mind is as utterly alien as their form. A human being can scarcely begin to comprehend an energy being’s actions, let alone their thoughts. All that can be understood is this: Zod’s utter disregard for all organic creatures, and their contempt for the Kryptonian who dared become one of them.

#design notes #I briefly considered that maybe Supes had to force him into a human body to fight him #but I feel like that should be a much more involved process #not like a beam you can shoot at someone or something #and i can't have every kryptonian wind up in a human body

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Before their destruction, the energy beings of Krypton were rigidly isolationist. They left the primitives in the rest of the universe to their own devices while they pursued scientific enlightenment from their homeworld. A minority, however, believed their superiority granted them the right to rule over such lesser beings. This faction united under the guidance of Dru-Zod, who became something like a commander or general to them. Their attempted rebellion against the isolationist establishment was devastating in its destruction, but Zod and their faction were eventually subdued. To prevent further destruction, their essences were uploaded to the Phantom Zone, a virtual space for those Kryptonians too dangerous to remain in the material world.

Years later, Superman would discover the Phantom Zone when studying lost Kryptonian technology. Elated at the prospect of surviving Kryptonians, he would eagerly make the decision to release them. It was a decision he would live to regret. Their planet’s destruction drove Zod more mad than they already were. They are more dedicated than ever to conquest, now aiming to establish a New Krypton. And of course, they will destroy whoever stands in their way.

Zod is unlike any other foe Superman has faced: a fully matured, pure Kryptonian energy being. They have all of Superman’s powers, but need only sunlight to survive. Scariest of all, their mind is as utterly alien as their form. A human being can scarcely begin to comprehend an energy being’s actions, let alone their thoughts. All that can be understood is this: Zod’s utter disregard for all organic creatures, and their contempt for the Kryptonian who dared become one of them.

#Managed to resist using the word “kneel” even ONCE! #general zod #superman #dc comics #dcu #superheroes #superhero redesign #character redesign #character design #DCZ

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2024 is the year we stop “consuming” and go back to “reading/watching/listening to/playing” things

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Back to superheroes, with Tier 3!

Plastic man is pretty great, no real notes. The acid backstory is pretty silly, but then he’s a pretty silly guy. Lean into it, right? The costume, though, was in desperate need of an update. Granted, it says a lot about our society that a male superhero with bare legs and laced up cleavage looks stupid to me while a female superhero wouldn’t as much. But… what can I say? I live in this society and it does look stupid to me.

I tried to change his costume as little as possible; Plas is the kind of guy who would wear a traditional superhero leotard, so no need to make it overly “realistic” or whatever. I gave him a deep v-neck instead of the absolute cleavage, with the additional black on his chest emphasizing it, as well as resembling his costume from the Terrifics. I strongly feel that two-piece goggles look better on him than the one-piece, which are too rigid for a stretchy guy. Logically I know it doesn’t matter, as none of his clothing should really be that stretchy, but don’t call attention to it! Add in some pants, boots and cuffs, et voila!

I’m not sure how much anyone would buy that he made this suit out of his clothes, but we can use our imagination.

Pat O’Brian wasn’t a bad guy, he was just unlucky. So unlucky that he got himself roped into helping rob a chemical plant. And when the job went south, one of his teammates shot him. And then he fell into a vat of acid. And when he climbed out he fell into a vat of radioactive waste. And when he climbed out of that he fell into a vending machine full of that weird soda Gingold, getting soaked in the stuff. And then the vending machine fell over and crushed him.

One or more of those accidents had an unexpected side effect. When he eventually came to, he was not only alive, but had become so stretchable he could  basically shapeshift! And I guess his clothes had become stretchy too, sure.

Pat decided to use his powers to get revenge on his old teammates. After finding and beating them up brought him no fulfillment, he decided to turn them in to the cops. Turns out some of them had cash rewards posted for their capture, so he was able to make a little money out of the deal. Inspired, Pat fashioned himself a costume out of his clothes and started fighting crime for fun and profit as the superhero Plastic Man. Happily, as is the way of things, the good he was doing soon turned out more fulfilling than the money, and he turned his life around and became a superhero and role model for real.

Maybe he’s not so unlucky after all?

#design notes

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Pat O’Brian wasn’t a bad guy, he was just unlucky. So unlucky that he got himself roped into helping rob a chemical plant. And when the job went south, one of his teammates shot him. And then he fell into a vat of acid. And when he climbed out he fell into a vat of radioactive waste. And when he climbed out of that he fell into a vending machine full of that weird soda Gingold, getting soaked in the stuff. And then the vending machine fell over and crushed him.

One or more of those accidents had an unexpected side effect. When he eventually came to, he was not only alive, but had become so stretchable he could  basically shapeshift! And I guess his clothes had become stretchy too, sure.

Pat decided to use his powers to get revenge on his old teammates. After finding and beating them up brought him no fulfillment, he decided to turn them in to the cops. Turns out some of them had cash rewards posted for their capture, so he was able to make a little money out of the deal. Inspired, Pat fashioned himself a costume out of his clothes and started fighting crime for fun and profit as the superhero Plastic Man. Happily, as is the way of things, the good he was doing soon turned out more fulfilling than the money, and he turned his life around and became a superhero and role model for real.

Maybe he’s not so unlucky after all?

#i like plastic man well enough #but i gained a special fondness for him after learning that he's my grandpa's favorite superhero #plastic man #dc comics #dcu #character design #character redesign #superheroes #superhero redesign #dcz

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Source

Source

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learning that people want you in their lives is a skill you can develop if it does not come naturally

#this is true for everyone #even you #except for me of course #i alone am uniquely unloveable #/s

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sometimes the moral of the story really is just "you cannot go back and what happened to you is going to be with you for the rest of your life. but it's still going to be okay" huh