#"Superman" persona

[unkstaarwysbr]

Dwight Howard: Unfair Criticism and the Complexity of Perception

Within a captivating TSDS 278, the hosts engage in a thought-provoking discussion about the unfair criticism that has plagued the career of NBA player Dwight Howard. This article, inspired by their insightful conversation, delves into the negative perception surrounding Howard and sheds light on the complexities of his public image. El Uno and TraB bring attention to the unfair criticism aimed…

[kitkat-the-muffin]

My brother and I made a ton of bracelets today with the kit I bought yesterday

Just for fun

[frownyalfred]

i feel like fan works include a lot of clark and bruce meeting or interacting at a gala. is this something that actually happens a lot in comics? i can't think of any time this has actually happened in canon other than that one time in batman v superman

I don't think they meet for the first time at a ton of galas other than in BVS. There are several interactions that happen at galas in comics.

I think galas provide a very convenient and compelling vehicle for fic writers to create first/subsequent meetings. In no specific order:

they have to stick to their secret identities because they're being observed, which creates an interesting, if forced, scenario.

lots of room for OCs or in-universe characters to be mixed and matched depending on the situation at hand. oh you want Clark to be jealous of Bruce? let's have some models hanging off his arm. oh, this is about Bruce hiding injuries? let's have some random "friend" from polo come and whack him on the arm.

it's a somewhat plausible situation in which the press and the elite would, technically, be rubbing elbows. (as someone who attends galas occasionally I have some notes about how this is sometimes written, but it's usually plausible!) So Clark Kent might never see Bruce Wayne up close and in person if not in this capacity, at this event.

they allow for comparisons to be drawn. both Bruce and Clark can be shown acting in different capacities, identities, personas, etc than normal. they are both masters of their own respective games, and a gala is a great playing field to demonstrate this.

breaking the "rules" in this setting feels particularly egregious, and therefore desperate. does one of them truly feel a certain way they can't hide anymore? do they have some sort of intel that can't wait? when they meet up at a gala and pierce that invisible barrier between them, readers realize it's a big deal.

identity porn is 10x as compelling with an audience. "I know something no one else knows" is a powerful thought.

They have to get dressed up :)

Galas are temporary, isolated events with clearly defined beginnings, ends, etc.

Gotham galas are known breeding grounds for chaos and random attacks.

Any accidental media exposure at a gala has the potential to make the tabloids/gossip rags and create greater interest in a certain pairing, occurrence, etc. If you're setting up a media push (cough cough, ASOH) that's a great place to do it.

As I noted above, I have some thoughts on how galas/reporters interact irl. I actually think the BVS gala scene was a really good example of that being a little more grounded -- Clark was invited on a press pass specifically to cover the literary (?) foundation. He was there mingling with guests specifically assigned questions (that were probably pre-approved by the foundation/hosts) and approached Bruce Wayne, who expected to give a canned quote to the random reporter, only for Clark to go off the rails and ask about Batman.

[fayoftheforest]

human kite & antisemitism

In the notes of my recent meta on Vampire Kyle AUs, a user reflected on how similar antisemitic stereotypes might overlap with his TFBW character as well. Since I also have some thoughts on this and enjoyed putting together the last lil post I thought I’d do another on this subject too :) 

South Park Fandom Wiki states that Human Kite is heavily inspired by Superman, “being a faraway alien with the ability to fly and to shoot lasers out of his eyes, even wearing a costume with the color red, yellow, and blue and a symbol in his chest to match.”  I think this is pretty cool! Superman was created by Jewish immigrants and is very Jewish-coded in his origin story, being “a refugee with the Hebrew-inspired name ‘Kal-El’ who escaped a dying world and fought Nazis during World War II” (JewishUnpacked). I don’t know if Tratt were aware of these roots, but either way, I think it’s pretty neat :)

South Park Fandom Wiki also claims that Kyle playing an alien character “may be a reference to how Adolf Hitler did not consider Jews ‘human.’" This is. Uh. Less neat.

Similarly upsetting is the name itself, Human Kite, which is a play on words with the horrific ethnic slur “kike.” American Jewish Committee posits that the term “is derived from the Yiddish word for circle, ‘kikel,’ a reference to how Jewish immigrants at Ellis Island signed their entry forms: a circle as opposed to an X, which Jews associated with the cross of Christianity. Immigration officers described those who signed forms with a circle as ‘kikel,’ eventually being shortened to ‘kike.’”

Did Matt and Trey really create his entire character just so that Cartman could call him Human Kike that one time? I can’t say for certain, just in the same way I don’t have a direct quote from them confirming the reasoning behind their selections of names for Kyle and Ike. But I can tell you that if you put ‘em together and you get… yeah. Yep. “Kike” again. Thank you, Tratt, very cool 👍Get a new joke maybe :/

Now, let’s talk specifically about his laser powers. Up until researching for this meta, I had presumed that Kyle’s ability to shoot lasers from his eyes was a direct reference to the Jewish Space Laser conspiracy popularised to the public by terrifyingly influential political figure Marjorie Taylor Greene. In 2018, Greene wrote a Facebook rant speculating that the California wildfires were caused by a giant laser floating in space, owned by the Jews. Very normal thing to believe :|

However, during my research, I realised that these timelines did not match up. As mentioned, Greene’s rant was shared in 2018, but didn’t go viral until 2021. Meanwhile, South Park’s The Fractured But Whole was released way back in 2017! What I had initially assumed was another antisemitic reference is in fact just a dreadful and ridiculous coincidence. Nonetheless, It’s still a commonality that’s worth pointing out, I think.

Just as an aside, I’d like to take this opportunity to give a shoutout to cousin Kyle’s version of Human Kite. Everything about him is an egregious Jewish caricature, from his irritating, snivelling voice to his long list of health issues. It’s not my fault that the limited Jewish gene pool has fucked me over, Tratt! Leave me alone! A meta about antisemitism within Cousin’s Kyle characterisation would be a mile long, so I’ll spare you that for now.

Anyway, what does this all mean when we’re creating fan content around TFBW? Must we just chuck the Human Kite persona into a blender and never speak of it again? Not necessarily. Speaking as a Jewish fandom member, I quite enjoy reading and writing Human Kite. It’s a fun character to play around with! Despite his unfortunate roots, I don’t believe including him is innately antisemitic. It just depends on how you go about doing it! If he’s not secretly running the world, controlling the banks and Hollywood, or consuming the blood of innocent Christians, you’re on the right track. 

You could even go for a little meta-commentary and acknowledge the antisemitic coding within the text! Here’s an example of how I did that in my upcoming TFBW reality swap fic (don’t question why there’s two of everyone, it makes sense within the text lmao)

“Wait, you’re telling me in an alternate reality we’re all aliens?” Kyle gawks at this funhouse-mirror version of himself, who’s busy gawking right back. “No, Kyle, just—just you,” Kenny says. “Oh.” Kyle narrows his eyes. “You know, it’s difficult not to interpret this with antisemitic undertones.” “What, like the Jewish Space Laser conspiracy?” Cartman asks. Mysterion frowns. “Jewish people have space lasers in your universe?” “No,” Cartman sighs and shakes his head forlornly, before muttering, “it’s a made-up rumour to perpetuate mistrust and hatred towards the Jewish community.” “Alright, don’t sound so disappointed,” Kyle huffs. “Guys!” Stan says. “Can we not start this argument again?” “I never said it was a cool rumour, Kyle!” Cartman snaps defensively. “Obviously it’s super harmful and whatever. All I meant was that it would have been cool if it were real. Because, like, space lasers are awesome! Right?” He looks to Kite, apparently presuming that they’re an authority on the matter. “Um.” Kite blinks, then says hesitantly, “I can shoot lasers… from my eyes. And once I did sort of fly up into space and magnify the lasers to destroy Chaos’s tin foil factory. So, uh. Does that help?” Cartman’s face lights up and is split in half by an enthusiastic grin. “It helps a lot, actually.” Kyle groans and pinches his nose. “You have no idea how much education you’ve just undone, dude.” He opens his eyes to glower at Kite. Kenny glances at Chaos. “Tin foil factory?” Chaos waves a hand dismissively. “Outsourcing proved more efficient.”

There we go! A lighthearted little nod, which acknowledges potential antisemitic readings of Human Kite, without justifying or excusing it. It’s not at all necessary when creating fan content around Human Kite, but just know that that’s an option to you, if you so choose. Just make sure antisemites are the butt of your joke, and not Jewish people, lmao.

I’ll finish up by returning to my general sentiment that I held in my Vamp!Kyle post. If you conduct your creations with a basic level of awareness and self-reflection, you’ll probably be alright. Just stay in the know, and you’re all good to go 😎

[twistedtummies2]

Gathering of the Greatest Gumshoes - Number 3

Welcome to A Gathering of the Greatest Gumshoes! During this month-long event, I’ve been counting down my Top 31 Favorite Fictional Detectives, from movies, television, literature, video games, and more!

We’ve reached the Top 3 of the countdown!

SLEUTH-OF-THE-DAY’S QUOTE: “It is the brain, the little grey cells, on which one must rely.”

Number 3 is…Hercule Poirot.

Earlier in the countdown, I spoke of Agatha Christie – a woman many consider the greatest mystery writer of all time – and one of her two most popular creations, Miss Marple. I mentioned then that another of her characters would appear later in the list. Well, ladies and gentlemen, now is the time: this is Christie’s other most popular character, if not her most popular PERIOD, Hercule Poirot. Poirot is arguably the definitive example of the “Gentleman Detective.” Inspired by Sherlock Holmes and Poe’s C. Auguste Dupin, the character initially started off very much in the Holmesian vein, in terms of personality and methods. Very quickly, however, he began to evolve into something else entirely, and ultimately became a figure who easily rivaled Conan Doyle’s famous creation, stepping out of the shadow of past inspirations to stand on his own.

Hercule Poirot is also an example of the classic “unlikely detective,” much as Miss Marple would be. (Poirot predated her by at least ten years.) However, he is drastically different in many ways. For one thing, there is their core philosophy: Miss Marple is essentially a very cynical character. Underneath her kindly and humble demeanor, she’s a jaded lady who is no longer surprised by horror and death, having seen so much of it. Poirot, however, is sort of a romantic idealist at heart; he believes that good is something to be rewarded, evil something to be punished, and feels that crime is something out of the ordinary. Of all things, it reminds me of the difference between two famous superheroes: Batman and Superman. Batman is someone who feels crime is commonplace and tries to fight against it, while Superman feels people are inherently good and tries to uphold it. Poirot is a small, rather foppish fellow; obsessively neat and tidy, with a fastidiously-tended moustache, who dresses in the finest of fashions and makes a point of keeping good hygiene prime in his mind. Poirot is indicated to have something like OCD (something later adaptations would latch onto with a passion), being highly meticulous, at times even to a fault, and obsessing over making sure everything in his life is neatly arranged and organized. While Sherlock Holmes typically relies on deductive reasoning and physical evidence to solve capers, Poirot is arguably the first proper criminal profiler in literary history: he looks at a scene and determines what doesn’t fit the picture, his obsessive persona quickly finding incongruities, and then tries to figure out the kind of person who would commit these crimes, and why they would do it. He often uses bluff and deception to outwit his opponents; much like Columbo would do many years later, his demeanor is sometimes his greatest weapon, as folks rarely feel threatened by this rather stuffy Belgian with an egg-shaped head, and thus underestimate him entirely.

The behind-the-scenes relationship Christie had with Poirot was stormy, to say the least. Even as the character evolved, and his popularity swelled, Christie grew increasingly dissatisfied with her own creation. She was once quoted as saying she had come to see Poirot as an “egocentric little creep,” and that she only continued writing for him because he was popular with the readers. Much like Conan Doyle had tried to do in the past with Holmes, Christie eventually decided to kill off her character…but unlike Conan Doyle, she actually succeeded in keeping him dead! The final novel, “Curtains,” was highly received, and Poirot’s literary death so rocked the world, the New York Times even published an obituary: to date the first and only time the prestigious news agency did so for a fictional character.

Of course, this was not the end for Hercule Poirot. By the time Christie killed him off, he was already a well-known and adapted character, appearing on radio played by Orson Welles, and on film in what many argue is one of the greatest mystery movies ever made: the 1974 adaptation of “Murder on the Orient Express.” There he was played by Albert Finney. Later actors to portray the character have included Peter Ustinov, Ian Holm, Alfred Molina, Jason Alexander, John Malkovich (who was AWFUL in the role, for the record), and, most recently, Kenneth Branagh. The character was also one of the titular co-stars of the anime “Agatha Christie’s Great Detectives Poirot & Marple,” which I spoke of earlier in the countdown.

By far the most successful onscreen portrayal of the character, and the one most people (myself included) consider the definitive take on the Belgian gentleman detective, is David Suchet (pictured here). His was the star of a very long-running TV series simply titled “Poirot.” The series initially started out as a straightforward adaptation of all of Christie’s Poirot stories, but – as time went on – it began to take more liberties with the source material, and added a few new dimensions to the detective by emphasizing elements of his personality that Christie had only briefly brushed the surface of in her work. Whether you love Suchet, the books, or any of the other great interpretations of Poirot most, it’s clear that “the little grey cells” continue to serve this fellow well.

Tomorrow, we’ll feature our penultimate gumshoe, with Number 2!

CLUE: “I Am Vengeance.”

[georgiapeach30513]

Mrs pasta here checking in on you peach 🍑

Glad to see you doing well and as always, keeping positive and away from the drama.

I also see operation manufacturing an internet bf has some people in a tiff. 😂

I myself don’t mind the carbon copy, I think he’s cute and somewhat charming, but what I don’t love is seeing the sudden bandwagon jump as always.

I have always side eyed fair weathered fans. Jumping to whoever is “hot” at the moment and then piling on someone else when they are “down.” I have no issues with carbon copy having his own fans - I just resent a comparison being used to put one down over the other. There’s no need for that. Especially when some are doing it on purpose to get a rise out of others.

I also have a feeling some people will be crawling back in the near future. I’ve always thought Ramen wasn’t meant to go the commercial route of big blockbuster movies and beefcake persona. I think his innate nature (at least publicly) has shown he tends to thrive when he follows his guns and picks a risky or unique project with a director that has a specific vision. I think this is where he will continue to find inspiration and return on investment.

If money isn’t an issue for him anymore, I think these smaller but more original/different projects may carve him a future in character acting that I think he still has a chance to succeed in.

He doesn’t need to be a top shelf A lister or even awards darling to do it. He is talented and he will find an audience somehow, I am sure of this.

Remember - art is subjective. And what makes a good movie isn’t necessarily how many awards it gets or how big the box office numbers are. If you are someone’s favorite actor in a movie they watch religiously and they can quote every line, or you are an actor whose opened a person up to a new genre or franchise simply because they enjoyed you on screen - then in my books, you’ve succeeded. I think Ramen has done that for many people in this world and I don’t think he needs to prove anything to anyone. I myself have seen multiple men wearing cap America tshirts this month alone (it’s 2024!) - white, Asian, Black, Latinx, older, middle aged, teenaged, child. Both Ramen and his friend Buldak (three guesses who I’m referring to 😉 AM) have created a legacy that won’t be going away anytime soon. Ten years ago, I used to mainly see batman and superman t shirts. I don't think all these new fans are just people who like comic books.

Be well, peach. Until next time!

Mrs. Pasta!! I welcome you back, it’s been awhile, but glad to see you around these neck of the woods again.

I actually think Chris’ career was heading out of the internet boyfriend for a while, and now here we are. I’ve tried to remain out of this discourse because I never want to yuck on someone else’s yum, but of course people want to push him and his projects on me, or want to talk about him, and eventually I do, and they don’t like it. When I’ve stated multiple times that the man does absolutely nothing for me in looks and I don’t enjoy his movies, and that’s being generous given his list of projects. Everyone has their time to come up, but his has been quick, since working on Top Gun. Almost like he has someone who wanted to invest in his career. Good for him. Now go away and create a new identity 😂

As you talk about the fair weathered fans, it just proves it was more about the looks and persona than about the talent. Which is fine, but we don’t have to kick him when he’s down to lift another up. I have been a fan of his since 2001. I became a fan for his looks, yes, and stayed because I enjoyed him. I enjoyed his body of work, meaning projects. I enjoyed his public persona, etc. You don’t stay a fan for over 20 years on looks alone. Although his looks to me are a bonus.

Chris’ career is fine, despite what some people believe. It is not of the height as it was when he was in Marvel, but neither is RDJ’s, Scarlett’s, or anyone’s. Marvel is a wheelhouse, and is in a league all of its own, so it’s silly to compare the two. However, Chris has had movies since Not Another Teen movie where he was the lead, and had a character name. It was a slow, but steady climb to his peak in 2018/2019. But he has officially announced three projects for this year alone. People don’t even know what he could be planning for 2025. He is an attractive white man that has a reputation for an excellent work ethic. He’ll be okay.

And you’re right. I would wager most actors aren’t A-List anymore. I seriously get tired of this conversation because it goes around in circles. But this age of celebrities are not the ones from the past. And that’s okay. Things change. As long as he is happy with his career and the way it’s going, and he’s being fulfilled it shouldn’t matter if he’s in huge box office successes.

Buldak! I love this!! I think the spicy ramen suits Mackie 😉 And you’re right. Superman was the superhero of the past. Now, it’s Captain America. Nobody can ever take Steve Rogers from Chris, or the fact that he was the face of Marvel for years. But I don’t even consider Steve to be one of my favorite characters. However, he was perfect for it, and nobody could have done it better.

As always, Mrs. Pasta, thanks for dropping in!

[tiredofsatansbullshit]

Superman and Batman are friends (associates?). Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne however are a whole other story

Masterlist of fics

Summary: Bruce Wayne knows that Clark Kent is Superman. Clark Kent knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Neither has said anything about knowing and so they are waiting for either the other to say something or for one of them to slip up.

Batman and Superman have been working together occasionally. It’s not that they’ve been actively trying to but there’s been some overlap in cases and they might as well have just done it together.

This doesn’t mean that Bruce trusts Superman, he’d just rather keep the alien close to be able to observe him. When Superman first started operating in Metropolis, Bruce started a file on him. At first it was slow going in gathering information but after working a couple cases together and some slip ups from the Man of Steel, Bruce was able to figure out Superman’s civilian identity. Clark Kent. A journalist for the Daily Planet.

Clark was pretty weary of Batman when he first encountered the man on a case. He originally thought the rumours of the Bat in Gotham was just that, rumours. After their first case together, Batman had added lead lining to the batsuit cowl, but Clark had already seen his face. Bruce Wayne is Batman. Out of respect to Bruce, Clark said nothing and continued to refer to Bruce as Batman when it was just the two of them. He hoped to reach a point where they both trusted each other enough to disclose their civilian identities over time.

The problem came when, after almost two years of working together neither said anything about their civilian identities. They worked well together and got along even better. Clark considered them friends (Bruce considered them work associates) but they sometimes found themselves in awkward-ish situations that could so easily be avoided if they just were honest with each other.

The latest of these above mentioned situations was perhaps one of the worst (or best, depending on your perspective), Clark was attending a charity gala on assignment, he was supposed to report on the speech and attempt for an interview with the host of the event and get comments from others attending. Bruce Wayne attended the same gala for a couple reasons, firstly to keep up appearances and further establish his Brucie Wayne persona as billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and secondly some weapons traffickers that he’s been following made their way to Metropolis and he needed more information on them before he made his move. He could have asked Superman for help seeing as Metropolis is Superman’s city but Bruce was not feeling like sharing his case.

Lois hadn’t really been in the mood to be at this charity gala, she had so much work she wanted to finish off and couldn’t wait to get home but when Clark asked her to attend the gala with him she couldn’t say no. To her surprise the night wasn’t going as bad as she thought it would. Sure the speeches were boring and the food wasn’t good but the situation she found herself in was pretty enjoyable. Clark sat on her right, looking either nervous of annoyed, Lois couldn’t tell which exactly. Across the table from them was Bruce Wayne, the Prince of Gotham. She’d seen him a few times before at various events she’d reported on but never had the chance to have an actual conversation with him. There was some tension between the two men, Lois doesn’t know why but there’s definitely something there as the two kept sneaking glances at the other. Turning her attention back to the other women at the table who have been talking animatedly for most of the night, she smiled and nodded along with their conversation and when they excused themselves to go to the bathroom Lois felt somewhat relieved, tired of their constant chattering.

Turning her attention back to the men, expecting Clark to ask Bruce Wayne about his thoughts on the gala or at least try and get a quote from the man she found them having what she wants to describe as a staring contest, until Bruce Wayne cleared his throat and broke the eye contact to glance around the room before he shrugged his suit jacket off and speaking up, “It’s been such a hot day and these fans don’t seem to be doing much, i don’t know how you can still sit wearing a jacket and shirt, Mr Kent.”

Clark smiled somewhat sarcastically at Bruce Wayne before responding, “I’m doing alright, thank you Mr Wayne. If you’d like to unbutton your shirt though we’d understand”

“Oh, you don’t feel the heat do you? How strange. With how hot it is you’d have to be used to extreme conditions to be able to sit with a jacket on right now, maybe even a whole other type of climate.”

“Actually, I’m from Kansas so I don’t get easily bothered by this kind of mild heat”

“You don’t have much of an accent to be from Kansas, were you not born there?”

Letting out a soft, unamused chuckle, Clark leaned forward, “Sounding a bit like a detective right now Mr Wayne, I feel like i’m under investigation right now.”

Glancing between the two, Lois decided to change the subject, “Mr Wayne, what are your thoughts on the speech from earlier?”

Turning to smile at her, Bruce responded, “It is a noble cause and I am glad to do my part to help. I know to some the course of action being taken might be seen as foreign, or even alien,” he added some emphasis at the word, shooting a glance at Clark before continuing, “but I will be supporting the cause as I’m not one to jump to judgement based off a surface level look at circumstances. It was a pleasure to meet you Ms Lane but if you’ll excuse me please.” With that Bruce got up from the table and made his way across the room, disappearing from her line of sight.

Turning to Clark she slapped his arm, “Why didn’t you tell me there’s something going on between you and Bruce Wayne?”

“What”

“Come on Clark, after sitting through all of that you can’t tell me that was the first time you’ve met him, I won’t judge you if you’re in some sort of relationship with him but maybe it’s not the best idea for you to be getting quotes or any sort of interview from him as it won’t be unbiased.” Clark stared at her in shock, opening and closing his mouth a couple times, being unsure as to what to say.

This is the first fic I ever posted on AO3 so it is definitely not my best. I enjoy the storyline though and one day I'll probably retype it but for now this is what you get.

[revolutionaryjackelving]

In which article did you analyze Alan Moore's "Superman and Swamp Thing" and noted that this could be the "modern Superman" DC kept chasing for decades?

It was actually an old tumblr post here (https://revolutionaryjackelving.tumblr.com/post/674627890432901120/whats-your-stance-on-the-is-clark-kent-or).

Quoting the essential part:

Superman in this comic essentially argues that he’s neither Superman nor is he Clark Kent. Both of them are suits he wears and the real guy is someone outside both navigating different personas which makes way more sense.

If Alan Moore (back in the honeymoon period of his engagement with superhero stories ever got a full run, I’m sure this kind of stuff would have been driven home even further and who knows we might have gotten the modernized Superman personality that the comics have been chasing forever now.

[pinepickled]

1, 2 and 17 for DC? ^^

Thank you so much for the ask! I love doing these :3

What originally drew me to it?

Well as a kid I watched the Batman animated series from 2004 religiously, and my mom was also a huge Batman fan in her day so it felt only natural that i'd be exposed to and love a bunch of Batman media! That was my backbone for it, but then after my intense weeb phase I was redrawn into the Batman fandom by I think a Jason Todd fan edit? I'm not quite sure but Jason's story was what drew me back in.

2. What I like most and least about it?

oh, haha.... so much

I like DC over Marvel in particular because I feel that Marvel doesn't have that human connection that DC can foster so easily. DC characters feel warmer, and more human (even though Marvel has more actual humans in it). I like how certain authors can tell such compelling stories in these universes, the endless possibilities, the loving interactions between iconic characters, the lorebuilding, all of it is amazing!

But as for dislikes... too many cooks in the kitchen. WAY too many. Anyone who wants to start reading the comics is going to have to fight demons for any sort of coherent storyline. Manga is currently wildly overtaking comic books in the graphic novel market and for good reason! You want to read Naruto? Start at chapter 1! You want to read Superman? Well there's the 1976 line and the Superman Returns line after world 3 which is- you get what I mean? It's very hard to get into. Also, at this point, DC authors need to just write fanfiction. It's so annoying to rehash the basic same storyline over and over again in different fonts and colors. Earth 3, 4, 5, 6 and fucking 1,000,000 with their slightly different worlds with slightly different Batmans. Everything is too cluttered and there is too much of everything. Not to mention they're still letting the same ol bigoted authors (including a literal former FBI agent??) write comics. Enough is enough bro!!

And then my pet peeve for Batman in particular is the recent 'dark' path he's taken. No Batman author knows why or what Batman is or does. They make him brutally, horrifically violent. They make him cold and uncaring. They make him hate his kids. They make him a real womanizer instead of a pretend one. Batman isn't a hero who took to the streets of Gotham to protect little kids from the trauma he went through as a kid, now he's just an over glorified abusive cop. Batman is supposed to be a father. A good friend. A comforting hand in the darkness of life. Balancing his persona, his stony face, and his loving nature is the entire appeal of Batman.

17. The line of dialogue I quote most often

haha, i'm sure this is obvious considering I rant and rave about it every other day but

"You somehow found a way to win... where everyone still loses!" - The Joker, Batman: Under the Red Hood (right after Batman kills Jason)

It's just such a good quote that encapsulates the entirety of the past 30 years of Batman and the whole Jason Todd morality thing, fuck! Judd Winick knows how to kill 'em. Literally.

[getsemantic]

- Superman, quoted by Clark Kent in the latest persona article by the Daily Planet

being bisexual gives you superpowers but they don’t want you to know that

[janaawrites2024]

Week 3 Writeup #1: Personal Writing

Write about your hero.

Written by: Nike

I've read many heroic stories in my short life, and my all time favorite will always be Spider-Man.

There’s much to like about Spider-Man. What’s not to like? He’s witty, he’s cool, he’s smart, he pulls the hottest people, his suit is cool---I could go on. But the most common reason people admire the webbed wonder is because of the sheer strength of his perseverance. You see, Peter Parker has been through a lot. Actually, it’s more the fact that he’s always going through a lot, whether it be his Aunt May having cancer in the comics or his villains acting up or just bad luck in general (kicked out of his apartment). It always seems as if life (or the writer for his comics and movies) was out to get him specifically.

And well, when the writers keep finding new ways to beat you down, giving up was always a temptation one could not resist. Many a time, Peter was in this boat. And many a time too, he found the courage to stand back up. Scared, bruised, and bloodied to hell and back—he stood up and went back out there to fight for people who would never know who he was outside of his spider moniker.

That’s another thing that I admire him for. His deliberate kindness. A gift passed to him from his Uncle Ben and Aunt May along with the famous quote, “With great power comes great responsibility.” I say deliberate here because Peter wasn’t always a very kind person. In fact, in the beginning stories of his comics, he was bitter and angry at the world (which he had all the right to be). When he gained his powers, the first thing he did was join an underground fighting ring to make money off of it to buy himself a car and impress his love interest, Mary Jane Watson. When his Uncle Ben died after a robber shot him (a robber that he didn’t care to stop), he was so consumed with his need for vengeance that he nearly killed the man responsible. But reminded of his dearly-loved Uncle’s words, he spared the man’s life. He then went on to shape his entire life to upholding his Aunt and Uncle’s teachings, and to make sure that no one would ever feel the same type of grief and loss that he felt on that day for as long as he was able.

Of course, as I’ve previously mentioned, life would always treat Peter as if he was its personal cat toy, and his morals would always be tested with his heart. Still, he makes an effort to reign in his anger, and be so consistently good and kind that it would inspire others that watch him to act with a similar goodness.

There are many iterations of Spider-Man (Spider-Noir, Robot Spider, Spider-Woman, Spider-Pig), but here’s the thing: no matter what shape or form they come in to take the mantle, they almost always show the same traits of stubbornness and kindness as the first one.

And here’s the third reason as to why Spider-Man is my favorite. The thing about ‘Spider-Man’ is that anyone can wear the mask. Anyone can be Spider-Man.

For others like Batman, Superman, Iron Man, Captain America, or Captain Marvel, to name a few, there’s something specific about their personas that you have to carry in order to be them. You can’t be Batman or Iron Man if you aren’t rich or a genius. You can’t be Cap either if you don’t have a sense of duty or love for your countrymen that requires you to stand up to dictators without flinching.

For me, it’s a tall order to look up to them because, well. They’re legends. They’re too ‘big picture’ for me and all for the greater good. Distant titans with cheesy posters, saving world after world; shining, powerful, buff, and so far from everything I could ever hope to be. Point is, I’ll always be looking up at them. For Spidey, I could be him and all it would ever require of me is heart (and maybe Spider powers, it’d be cool to have them). For me, this character says to me that, no matter how small, I could still make a difference. And for all that I know that small difference will have a greater impact than I could ever imagine.

[1986hell]

Steve makes a perfect Superman

I’ve seen two posts talking about how Steve would make a good Batman (and Eddie as Superman) and as much as I agree, I’m invested in the reverse.

If you ignore the rich versus poor comparisons, it actually makes a lot of sense.

Superman is the idealistic, pretty-boy hero that everyone loves despite his flaws. He smiles for the cameras, kisses babies, and whatever else Superman does.

Batman (depending on the canon you’re quoting) is mysterious dark figure that parents tell stories about to their naughty children. He avoids publicity even if it’s positive, sticks to the shadows, and purposefully scares the crap out of criminals.

While in canon they both have equal custody of their children, I feel like Eddie had more of a choice to seek out the new kids and take them under his wing. Hence, most of them are robins/bats.

Wayne is obviously Alfred but not a butler. He was a handyman/gardener that Eddie stubbornly made friends with before his parents died.

Steve gets his upbeat and excitable cousin Chrissy (aka Supergirl), the cut-throat reporter friend and her photographer (Nancy and Johnathan), and his hometown bff (Robin).

The first time the two meet, they throw down b/c Eddie doesn’t believe the golden-boy persona and Steve, faced with a weakness he didn’t know he had (kryptonite), is immediately on the defensive.

It takes both Nancy and Wayne to knock some sense into them.

[maxwell-grant]

You have done an (excelent) post on how to reinvent Batman as a Pulp Hero. Do you think you could do one to Superman as well? Or do you think it is impossible to do this with the progenitor of the Super Hero genre without transforming him in a totaly diferent character?

Well, you saying it as impossible only makes it seem ever more tempting of a challenge, but yes, it is a bit harder. I'm gonna link my Batman post here as a reference point.

Partially because Batman's a franchise I've thought extensively about for a long time in regards to what I like about it or how I'd like to approach if given the opportunity, which is not something I can really say for Superman until more recently the Big Blue to start orbiting my brain. I don't have years worth of redesigns or fan concepts saved on my galleries and files to comb through to pick and choose here, and my experience with Superman as a character is considerably different, in some aspects more deeply personal, and not really something I'd like to go into in this blog, at least not now.

Part of the reason why it's harder is also because Batman and Superman have very different relationships with their pulp inspirations. Batman was, ostensibly, a pulp character adapted to comics, a dime-a-dozen Shadow knock-off who picked up and played up diverging traits from other characters and gradually ran with them to gradually forge a unique identity. Superman right from the start was rooted in a much stronger conceptual underpinning: the Sci-Fi Superman and Alien Menace who, instead of being a tragic monster or a tyrannical villain, becomes a costumed adventurer and social crusader. Even the name Super-Man was taken from an early story of Siegel and Shuster about a telepathic villain who ends the story lamenting that he should have used his powers for the good of mankind instead of selfishness. I hesitate to call what Siegel and Shuster were doing ��subversive” because that term's picked up a real negative connotation, and it's not like Siegel and Shuster were out to upend their influences (they were pulp aficionados themselves), but rather putting a more positive, new spin on them.

Which is why it also becomes a bit harder to do what I did with Batman and align Superman with some of his pulp-esque inspirations, like John Carter, Flash Gordon or Hugo Danner, without just making it "Superman but he's John Carter", "Superman but it's Flash Gordon", and "Iron Munro / Superman but everything sucks" respectively. It's harder to create a character that wouldn't feel reduntant and derivative at best, and actively contradictory to Superman at worst.

I guess if I had to come up with a "Pulp Hero Superman" take I liked, well first of all I'd have to take steps to distance it from the likes of Tom Strong or Al Ewing's Doc Thunder, those two are as good as it gets in regards to Pulp Supermen. I stipulated for Batman a "No Guns, No Murder, No Service" policy partially to distance my takes on Batman from all the "Pulp Batmen" that just add guns and murder and take Batman back to the barest of basics. Likewise, I'm adding a "No Depowered Science Hero" rule here, which means it's a take that's likely going to veer off a lot more into fantasy and probably enough tampering with Clark's character that it does risk becoming a different character.

Frankly I don't think I'm gonna succeed at doing these without just making it a new character entirely, because with Batman you can get away with just upending the character's aesthetic and setting and even origin and still keep it recognizably Bruce Wayne (in fact Batman does that all the time), which isn't really the case with Superman, who needs those to remain recognizably Superman as he goes through internal changes and character shifts. I guess what I'm gonna do here is more taking the building blocks of Superman/Clark Kent and see a couple new ways I can rearrange them to create a Pulp Superman

Perhaps something we can do is to scale back or recontextualize the "superhero" parts without diminishing Superman's role as a superpowered fantasy character.

One way we can start is by picking on that connection between Superman and the sci-fi supermen/alien monsters of pulps I mentioned earlier and play it up further, to create a Superman who's deeply, deeply alien in a way that no mild-mannered disguise or colorful outfit can really disguise, something so dramatically powerful and alien, that instead you could get tales about the kinds of ensuing changes and ripple effects this has on the world upon the The Super-Man's arrival. And for that I'm gonna have to quote @davidmann95's concept for Joshua Viers' absolutely stunning Superman redesign on the left side of the image above

The red, the goldish-orange and white, the alienness, the angelic, sculpted feeling, the halo, that innocently curious expression: it’s genuinely beautiful. Superman as a redeeming science-angel from beyond our understanding, as much past the uncanny valley of limited human comprehension as a Lovecraftian monster but tuned to the opposite key - you could spend an endless procession of human lifetimes trying and failing to understand this being, but all you’ll ever know for sure is that it is beyond you, and it knows you, and it loves you.

Superdoomsday from Earth 45, healed and transformed into the savior it was originally envisioned as? Some descendant of his, or a future of the man himself? An alien who picked up on a broadcast of Superman from Earth, and so inspired reshaped itself in his image to spread his ‘gospel’ to the stars?

Alternatively, to come back to Earth a little, many, many pulp characters and series were built off the antics and personalities of real people, celebrities getting their own magazines or serials or fictionalized takes on them, so perhaps one way to make a "pulp" take on Superman would be to emphasize a bit more of Superman's real-world roots, trends that inspired his creation directly or indirectly at the time. The Jewish strongman Sigmund Breibart and Shuster's interest in fitness culture, Harold Lloyd's comic persona, the rising "strongman" film genre in the early 20th century, actors Clark Gable and Kent Taylor that supposedly named his secret identity, Clark Kent being a socially-awkward journalist based of Siegel's own school experiences.

Maybe one start to an authentic Pulp Superman, who would still be Superman, would be to just ask the question "What if Superman was a real person and/or a celebrity, and they started making pulp magazines and serials dedicated to him? What would those look like?". You wouldn't even have to restrict it to just a story set in the 1930s, in fact you could even play around with the rise of new mediums over the decades.

This third one is a little closer to some plans I have for my own take on a Superman character, not necessarily what I would do with Superman proper but one of my ideas for a Superman analogue. Superman's a character I'll always associate strongly with childhood and childhood fantasy, and to tap into that I would emphasize the other end of the fiction that influenced Siegel and Shuster: comic strips, in their case specifically Little Nemo and Popeye.

In my case I would bring additional influences from some of the comic strips I personally grew up reading like Monica's Gang and Calvin and Hobbes, and I already talked a bit about Captain Fray in terms of how he’s a Superman character despite being a villain. I guess you could call this one "What if Superman was a public domain comic strip character, stripped of the importance of being the founding figure of a super popular genre or extended universe, and also was kind of ugly?".

He's not "Sloth from the Goonies" ugly, I swear I didn't actually have Sloth in mind when typing out this idea, I've never watched that film nor did I know until now that he actually spends the film in a Superman shirt. That's not really what I'm going for. Visually I was thinking of modeling my take on Superman heavily after Hugo from Street Fighter and his inspiration Andre the Giant, to really emphasize the “circus strongman / freak wrestler” aspect of Superman’s inspiration, particularly in regards to how Hugo’s SFIII version strikes a really great balance in making Hugo ugly and both comedic and fearsome in battle, as well as lovable and even a little dopey (without being outright stupid, like his IV self) in his victory animations and endings.

He's still Superman, he still goes on fantastical adventures to help people, he's still a deeply loving and compassionate soul whose face beams with joy and affection and who's got wonderful eyes and a great smile. It's just that this smile has a couple of mismatched stick-out teeth or some missing ones, and he's got a crooked smile some people take as smug or malicious, he’s got a strongman’s gut instead of a bodybuilder’s abs, his nose is a little busted (maybe he’s had too many crash landings), and his hair is a little wild or greasy, and he doesn't exactly have very good people skills because of how others usually react to him and, y'know, he doesn't get the kind of publicity Superman would get despite doing ostensibly the same things. He’s not deformed, he’s incredibly intelligent and capable, but in comparison to how superheroes are usually allowed to look, he might as well be Bizarro in the public eye.

It becomes a running gag that people tend to assume some nearby fireman or cop was the one who rescued the hundred orphans out of a burning building single-handedly, meanwhile he's getting accosted off-panel by police officers who think he set the building on fire, or think they can bully this weird man dressed funny. He goes to rescue old people in peril and occasionally they yell at him that they don't have any money. He doesn't get asked to lead superhero meetings or teams even though many in the community advocate for just how much he does for the world, he gets censored out of tv broadcasts or group shots (even his face is sometimes pixelated when they do show him), people invite him on talk shows and don't really let him talk or assume they got the wrong guy. He goes to rescue a woman dangling off a building, and then he gets attacked by like three different superhero teams who assume he must have kidnapped the poor damsel. He was the first superhero, he is the strongest of them all still, but he never really gets credit for it, it nor does he even want to. None of this at all stops him or deters him, except for some occasionally funny reactions.

This never really changes for him, he doesn't really earn people's approval nor does he have to, instead the stories, outside of the gags and adventures you’d expect from a comic strip, veer more towards others learning to be less judgmental and him learning ways to better approach people. He isn't any lesser than Superman just because he doesn't look like most people would want him to look and he doesn't have to look like Superman. Really I think we could use more superheroes that don’t look all so uniformly pretty.

Again, probably not a take that would work for Clark proper, but it’s one way I would take a shot at doing Superman with my own

I have other stuff in the works for this character but I'd like to keep them to better work on them for now, but yeah, these are three of my shots at developing a Pulp Superman.

Alternatively here's a fourth idea that's more pulp than all of these: Join up Nicholas Cage with Panos Cosmatos again, or whatever weird indie director he decides to pair up with next, and let them do whatever the hell they want with Superman. Give us Mandy Superman. Superman vs The Color Out of Space. Superman vs Five Nights at Freddy's. Superman’s quest to find THE LAST PIG OF KRYPTON. Anything goes.

[outoftheframework]

characterization cheat sheet: the batfamily boys

Hey everyone! I had the idea to compile a comprehensive list of different traits and attributes for each member of the batfamily based off of both canon and fanon interpretations. I think this could be useful for new members to the fandom, or those looking to write and/or draw for these characters. Remember that these will have a slight bias considering I, a fanon creator, am creating the lists. But I’ll try to make them as accurate as possible.

Appearances vary from artist to artist, so I’ll try to stray away from general details and add more little things you can consider in your art.

Bruce Wayne:

Age: 35-45

Appearance: Extremely physically fit, but signs of aging and prolonged exertion can slip through. Has a collection of scattered scars varying from fresh to fully healed. Strong, dark features. Conventionally attractive, but can easily switch to be foreboding/intimidating. Well kept in public appearances, but can look like death incarnate when in private.

Personality: Dual personas: “Bruce” (at home, but not as batman) and “Brucie” (public appearances like galas, news interviews). Bruce is stoic, well-read and educated, well-mannered, and occasionally can be witty and laid-back. Smirks rather than smiles. Brucie is loud, spontaneous, charming, and sometimes oblivious. He is the womanizer and scandal-maker. Often the actions of Brucie are motivated by Batman’s interests.

Speech: Bruce was mainly raised by as English butler, so his speech patterns are proper and smooth. Rarely uses speech fillers such as “uh” and “um,” except when interrupted while concentrating. Despite living in Gotham his entire life, he has not picked up the accent. His voice is newscaster American, almost impossible to pinpoint to a certain region. His speech as Brucie changes to relate more to the audience he is addressing. Speeches to Gotham high society will sound different than those aimed to the general public.

Additional Attributes: Bruce Wayne in all of his personalities is fiercely protective, and can easily slip into a deeper voice to intimidate. Bruce can be extremely empathetic and slightly impulsive when it comes to children who have lost their parents. As learned through his training to become Batman, Bruce is disciplined and can work for hours straight.

Dick Grayson:

Age: 23-29

Appearance: Dick Grayson mirrors a young Bruce Wayne despite their not being blood related. This could be a subconscious action by Dick to absorb traits of his father figure. His lean acrobatic body starts to set him apart from Bruce’s image. Dick manages to be well-built but still limber and flexible. His feet and hands are rough and calloused. His hair can get long but usually stays at a length in between Bruce’s and Tim’s. His eyes are bright blue without even a hint of green or brown. 

Personality: In one comic I believe it was Superman who said that Dick Grayson is a universal constant, meaning that on every alternate earth or timeline, you can always rely on him to be good and pure. I think this really sums up who Dick should be. He is kind to a fault, and can sometimes be naive and not think things through. He loves to love, be that in his family, in his romantic relationships, in his friendships, and even in strangers. He is a chronic hero who only wants to see the world as a better place. But it’s important to note that Dick can get angry when pushed, and holds grudges.

Speech: Dick is an extremely interesting study in speech patterns. As a child he traveled with the circus, until he lived with clear-spoken Bruce Wayne and a proper English butler. So influences to his speech and accent come both internationally and locally to Gotham and Bludhaven. As a child living at Wayne Manor, Dick picks up a slight Gotham tinge to his accent with some British flourish in his vowel sounds. He regularly speaks in slang. As Nightwing he is able to suppress his unique speech to sound more evenly American.

Additional Attributes: Dick acts differently around each of his family members as to be what they need in a big brother. For example, he is more fatherly to Damian while to Tim he is more an equal. Dick can fidget and has less of an attention span than Bruce. He can use jokes as a coping mechanism.

Jason Todd: 

Age: 22-26

Appearance: Hair is often long on top and shorter on the sides, sometimes with a white streak as a side effect from the Lazarus Pit. Tallest and heaviest of all the kids, very physically intimidating. Has a lot of scars and burns, and in some fan works he has a “Y” shaped scar the length of his chest from his autopsy. Never skips leg day. Green/blue eyes.

Personality: Jason goes through a lot of character development, but for this list I’m going off a timeline of post-Under the Red Hood, where Jason is on okay, yet still a little shaky, terms with the rest of the family. Jason has a hard time separating vigilante life and civilian life; his death as Robin ended his life as Jason Todd, blurring the lines between the two. Jason is legally dead, so he is basically building an identity back up. He holds some attributes from childhood: brave, impulsive, loud-mouthed, and street-smart. But his experiences post-Robin have made him a hardened loner. He lives modestly and with some semblance of order. He’s hard to foster a relationship with, but can be a passionate friend/family member when he opens up.

Speech: Jason probably has the least influence from Bruce and Alfred’s speech patterns, seeing as though he spent a lot more time with his biological family/on the streets than he did as a preteen in the manor. He is the definition of Gotham vernacular, with a rough edge. So much so that as a child, the high society gala attenders sometimes had a hard time understanding him. Often talks in curt, short sentences.

Additional Attributes: He has trouble expressing his emotions, more specifically anger and/or grief. Can both love or hate furiously. Inherently good, but sometimes does “bad” things. Protective over children, especially those living on the street. Very much a believer in “the ends justify the means.”

Tim Drake:

Age: 17-20

Appearance: Pale skin, dark hair. Sharp cheek bones and jawline, mostly from how skinny he is. His body isn’t technically “built” to be extremely athletic, but he’s forced a nice lean build from stringently working out. Easily loses and gains weight as a direct result of his work, causing fluctuations in his build. Five foot something, will eventually be out-grown by Damian. Long hair that can still be styled to look professional.

Personality: Tim Drake is very passionate in pretty much everything he sets his mind to. He feels as though he imposed himself onto Batman to become Robin, so he works twice as hard to prove his worth. He can be self conscious and deprecating. Tim as Robin or Red Robin is very different than civilian Tim; his hero personas can be bolder and more confident. Despite dropping out of high school, he values education.

Speech: Tim grew up rich, and his speech reflects an intelligence gained from private tutors. Despite this, he knows how to interact with those his age in using less formal language and slang. Often quotes books and movies. Can be awkward and stumble over his words when teased by his friends/family. He can manipulate people easily in business settings by talking fast and confidently while explaining complex topics.

Additional Attributes: Tim’s demeanor is directly tied to his varying levels of confidence and anxiety. Tim is has above-average intelligence and is diligent in detective work, but can still act like a teenager. He can be stubborn to extremes and will patiently play the long con. He does not cope well with loss.

Duke Thomas:

Age: 17-19

Appearance: Short dark hair, shaved on the sides and/or the back. Often wears the colors yellow and black. Around the same height as Tim, but a little taller. Stronger and heavier build more alike to Jason than Dick, but he’s still light on his feet. Expressive face that can give away his feelings easily. Still a bit of a baby face, but he’s still well-proportioned and conventionally handsome.

Personality: In my works, I’ve often described Duke as having a “sun-shiny” personality. He is one to not even think twice about putting others before himself. Duke uses his own personal experiences to guide him as a hero rather than suppress his emotions. Duke went from being an only child to having a large family, so he can sometimes feel overwhelmed. He is on friendly terms with every member of the batfamily, as well as many other heroes. Duke is self-sacrificial and is still learning how to effectively work as a detective.

Speech: Duke grew up in a middle class Gotham family, so his speech is influenced by his parents as well as his city environment. Duke has a mild Gotham accent and speaks a lot in modern slang. He hasn’t had much influence from Bruce and Alfred, considering he hasn’t lived with them for long. It’s possible that as he grows he will pick up some influences from Bruce and Tim’s way of speaking, but will most likely hold onto the accent of his childhood.

Additional Attributes: Duke is a metahuman vigilante in a city where Batman typically bans them, which causes a bit of an insecurity and a perfectionist drive. These are exasperated by the long line of history preceding him, as well as the fact that he involved himself in the Robin movement rather than being handpicked by Batman. He and Tim can relate in that way. Duke is an ardent student of Batman and is dedicated to the cause.

Damian Wayne:

Age: 10-14

Appearance: Looks similar to Bruce when he was the same age, yet stronger and with tanner skin. His hair is expertly cut and styled, but still age-appropriate. He is the shortest of the batkids, but still has a lot of time and potential to grow. He pretty much won the genetics lottery with Bruce and Talia as his biological parents, and is made for athletics. He has some scars that stand out with their pale coloring against his tan skin. 

Personality: Damian is slowly becoming less of a brat, to put it bluntly. He admires his family and tries to mimic them, but will never confess it. Damian is quick to judge and will voice his opinion no matter how scathing it may be, both as civilian and hero. Damian is slowly realizing he may not want the Batman mantle as quickly as he planned. Jon is a perfect foil to Damian, and often makes him a better person when they’re together. 

Speech: His speech is proper and formal. Prefers formal titles: ex. “father” over “dad” and last names over first. Damian is at least bilingual (Arabic and English), and can switch between languages easily. Most of his speech patterns developed from his tutors in the League, and more recently, Alfred. Influences like Jon and Dick have introduced him to a more modern, laid-back way of speaking, which he sometimes utilizes when relaxed.

Additional Attributes: Damian has problems with authority, especially those that he doesn’t respect like his teachers at school. He can be arrogant and childish ever though he often acts like he knows everything. Damian is still a child and has much to learn from batman and family as well as unlearn from his time at the League. Dami was forged to be a ruthless warrior, but now has to find a balance between the hero Robin and the child Damian Wayne.

Hope this helps someone! Feel free to add on if you think I missed anything. Just please remember to be civil and respect different interpretations of these characters. Let me know if you want another one of these posts outlining the girls or other characters.

[shit-talk-turner]

Interesting thoughts though! I can see what you mean... Anyone else have any thoughts on "She Looks Like Fun"?// I took it as him rolling his eyes on influencers or people in the like, individuals who like to look good online. The constant repetition of "she looks like fun" (almost mocking, but not quite, you know how it is, scrolling through a friends profile then see pictures of them travelling, showing off branded clothing, parties. Your immediate thought is,"wow, their life must be great, their life must be fun) and then him listing down what could be posts you'd see while scrolling through their profiles, criticizing pretension (basic, fake "my life is perfect" posts, then making it seem like they're "deep" by quoting people like Bukowski), the liberty people seem to have over what they type and not thinking of their consequences or the negative impact they might have on people, "dance as if somebody's watching cause they are"- putting on a face/act because you know people are looking at you. It's definitely about superficiality and people thinking they're superman while using social media. Towards the end (ignoring the whole March line), "I'm so full of shite", it's almost like him saying that he might think of people like these negatively, but he's no better. Whether he likes it or not he also has an image to upkeep, constantly putting on a persona, and he spends many nights out in bars forming superficial relationships with strangers. It's both critical, and self aware. The ending of the song might be him reaching an epiphany of sorts, the awareness of the plasticity of people, realizing his own flaws of also falling into what he's criticizing these people for, and wanting a change to break from that. This song could be about Taylor and his waning feelings, but it could also just be applied to anybody who uses the internet. But now you mention it (she looks like fun anon), I remember an interview where somebody asked him if he thinks he's finally settled down in a happy relationship or if he finally found the one -or something similar, -and he replied that it's not black and white or that what's on the outside could be deceiving, very much reminiscent to the vein of the song. (sorry for this long ass ask)

We love a long ass ask! Thank you!

[katyobsesses]

Chameleon

written for @gleeadvent Day 6: Faceless

Superhero AU 1729 words AO3 Link

Faceless, that was one thing a Superhero had to be. Faceless and completely unrecognizable out of the suit. They needed anonymity to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

Chameleon had learnt that lesson years ago, albeit secondhand, reading through their stacks of comic books from a young age. As soon as a Superhero was no longer anonymous the Supervillians would always attack their family, their friends, use civilians the Superhero knew to lure them into traps and make them do stupid things. Just look at Superman and Lois Lane!

So Chameleon, once their powers had emerged, had remained faceless in the heat of battle, faceless in interviews after the fact.

It was easy enough to do, with their powers, because they could morph into anything, into anyone. The best way to remain ‘faceless’, Chameleon had found, was to use the faces of others. Usually they used well known figures, celebrities and the like, though occasionally they would have to use the face of a random person on the street instead - it was easier to evade a villain by being faceless in a crowd of people.

Their powers weren’t just the ability to shapeshift though.

Chameleon could also shift their voice, being able to speak using any voice they’d heard in their life. Again, they usually stuck to the voice of celebrities - especially since they enjoyed using quotes in the form of quips as they fought their opponents, and those always sounded better in the voice of the actor who had made the words part of popular culture. The public also found this quirk of Chameleon enjoyable, and Chameleon, in their civilian form, had seen multiple gif sets, blog posts, and tweets referencing the pop culture references they used. Some ambitious people would also analyse their chosen quotes, trying to figure out aspects of their personality and background. Because of this Chameleon consumed an awful lot of media to throw these people off of their scent, anything from Blockbuster action movies to Nickelodeon TV shows, Musicals from the 40s and 50s to speeches by historical figures, and everything in between. So they had amassed a large amount of quotes to use in various situations, from fights with villains to after fight interviews with journalists.

Chameleon also had enhanced agility and strength when their powers had emerged - being able to scale buildings with ease, hang from street lamps, and pack one hell of a punch.

It had taken a while for Chameleon to pick their name, because it had to be perfect, while also not giving away anything about them outside of their Superhero persona. But with their abilities it seemed like only one name could be chosen, and, after checking the Superhero database and finding that the name was available, Chameleon had started work on designing a costume.

They hadn’t exactly been looking to go into the Superhero business - especially since it wasn’t a business, so much as a volunteer position that paid nothing and cost everything - but Chameleon had always been the type of person to take similar volunteer positions even before they’d gained their powers - well, maybe without the risk of death hanging over their head.

But they had powers, and they knew themself. If there were people in need of helping, and they were there able to help them? They would without a single thought about themself.

But they would think about the loved ones in their life, hence the need to become faceless, hence the need of a costume.

They went full in with the Chameleon theme, picking a green fabric from the Super Supply Store that would stretch with their shapeshifting without distorting out of shape and that was somehow bulletproof - Chameleon had no idea how it was made, but they were certainly grateful for it. They had it sent to a P.O Box that was rented under a different name, they picked it up with a face that wasn’t theirs, and they made several detours, changing several times, on the way back to where they lived.

Chameleon, thankfully, knew how to sew from their years of cosplaying, so they made their costume themself. A simple but stylised bodysuit that encompassed their head, with extra armour at the most vulnerable parts of their body for safety. They’d seen the ridiculous suits artists had drawn for various Superheroes in the comics they had used to admire, and especially wanted to steer away from the ‘sexy’ ones usually reserved for female superheros that often left nothing to the imagination and every vulnerable part of their body uncovered and ready to be attacked.

No one knew what gender Chameleon was, as they equally used male and female faces and transformed their body to be completely androdgenous. And Chameleon liked it that way, because when they were Chameleon, and not their civilian form, they were genderless in the same way they were faceless. Of course, that didn’t stop the gif sets, blog posts, tweets, and analysis essays that plagued the internet. They were sure there was at least a couple of people who had figured out everything about them, because some of the things they had seen had been rather close on some fronts, but at the same time they weren’t worried, because the majority of the theories on their identity were completely wrong, laughably wrong at times, and Chameleon enjoyed reading them and playing with the internet. They’d often talk about the theories in interviews, laughing about them or playing along with them.

They especially enjoyed the week when the internet was convinced they were Taylor Swift based off of something she had tweeted. They’d milked that one for a good while, and it seemed like Taylor Swift herself had found it equally as comical - Chameleon still had a standing invitation to any and all of her tours.

Chameleon wasn’t the only Superhero, of course, and definitely wasn’t the only one in New York. Real life seemed to mirror comics in that way, with most of the Superhero population in America centering around New York City.

The most famous of the New York Superheroes were the New Directions, a team made up of six heroes with a variety of powers.

There was Nightbird, The Nocturnal Avenger, who had the ability to fly and a plethora of gadgets on his utility belt - Chameleon always compared him to Batman, but with actual superpowers.

Gigantor, a super with the ability to grow and shrink - like Ant-Man from the Avengers Comics, or rather more like his daughter, Stature, from the Young Avengers, as it seemed like his abilities were Super in origin and not powered by tech.

Gaslight was a Superhero with the ability of persuasion. She’d recently rebranded, as previously her Superhero name had been Asian Persuasion. Chameleon wasn’t sure if Gaslight was any better.

Brittany just went by her real name, though no surname was known for her. She had the ability to warp reality - not as strongly as, say, The Scarlet Witch from Marvel comics but nonetheless Chameleon was still glad she was one of the good guys, because that sort of power in the hands of a villain? Would be catastrophic.

Highness was able to create corporeal illusions, copies of herself so that she could fight multiple enemies at once. Chameleon wasn’t sure how many she could make at once, but she’d once managed to make 20 of them.

And Finally there was Artie Abrams, a genius inventor much like Batman and Iron Man who funded the New Direction’s world saving adventures and flew in a special suit when fighting himself.

But the New Directions, as previously mentioned, were famous. They weren’t faceless like Chameleon, none of them even wore masks and their names were public knowledge. They were like the characters in Chameleon’s comics, and, like those characters, their loved ones were often used to lure them into traps.

Nightbird, real name: Blaine Anderson, was often lured by his husband, a fashion designer named Kurt Hummel who had designed all of the New Direction’s outfits. He was also often used as a lure for Gigantor, real name: Finn Hudson, because they were step brothers.

Gigantor’s other lure was his fiance Rachel Berry, a Broadway actress who’s shows were often interrupted by evil villains.

Gaslight’s lure was her boyfriend Mike Chang, a doctor who worked with the team.

Brittany didn’t really have a lure, or at least not one that Chameleon remembered. They were sure that Brittany had somehow collectively wiped the memories of everyone, warped reality in some way, because whenever Chameleon wondered about who could possibly be Brittany’s lure their mind went fuzzy, like the static of an old TV set.

Highness’s lure was probably the most saddening one of the lot, her daughter. She’d been kidnapped so many times that, rumor had it, she had been adopted, or possibly moved in with her father, or something. That was another thing that went all staticy when Chameleon thought about it, and they wondered, absently, why Brittany didn’t just coat all of the New Direction’s loved ones in this static.

It didn’t seem like Artie had a loved one to be lured with, not any more at least, not after his mother had been killed by a Supervillan a few years back.

This was exactly why Chameleon remained faceless, they didn’t want their loved ones in trouble. Ever. They’d already gone through enough.

So to the world Chameleon was whoever they wanted to be. Taylor Swift or Beyonce. Matthew McConaughey or Jack Black. A nameless face in a crowd or a household name.

It was also exactly why Chameleon didn’t become too attached to any one civilian while in costume. They didn’t want a Lois Lane situation to happen.

But there was one reporter - because it just had to be a reporter - that would constantly catch Chameleon’s eye. That would push to the front of the press to be the first to get a quote for whatever newspaper it was she worked with. That had a smile that seemed to draw Chameleon closer to her, an aura that, if Chameleon didn’t know better, almost seemed Super in origin.

So of course this reporter, Mercedes Jones, was currently being held hostage at the top of the Statue of Liberty and, of course, now Chameleon had to choose between her and the lives of countless others.