#2016 was a double edged sword

[samasmith23]

I’m currently reading the "Love is a Battlefield" arc of G. Willow Wilson’s Wonder Woman run, wherein Diana discovers that a small suburban town has been taken over by Aphrodite’s demigod child, Atlantiades (formerly known as Hermaphodite in Greek Mythology…), who is using their power to allow the local populace to live out their innermost hedonistic desires.

This creates an interesting conflict since in addition to Aphrodite being forced to come to terms with how she previously neglected her child’s needs (viewing Atlantiades as a symbol of her own pride as the Goddess of Love instead of considering what her child wanted), as well as Diana accurately pointing out to Atlantiades that love & desire can sometimes be double-edged swords since what makes one person happy might cause other people pain.

And yes, Atlantiades is both intersex & non-binary, with the other characters referring to them by they/them pronouns, including their mother, Aphrodite!

From Wonder Woman (2016) #69 & #70 by G. Willow Wilson & Xermanico.

[fire-fira]

I am not sure how much you are into analysis but I want to ask. Do you think raph isn’t as good of a fighter compared to his brothers? because I have a feeling either he’s holding back when sparring with them over fear of harming them or he’s not as good as them.

Anon, you just made my day because this gives me an excuse to nerd out at length. (Though apologies that it took me so long to get this fully written out and posted.)

Disclaimer before I launch into it in full: to fairly compare Raph to his brothers I'm going to do a brief run-down of the three of them before breaking into the full details on him. A lot of this is built on extrapolation from details in various canons and at times might edge toward headcanon territory, though I'll be trying to stick with what's actually present.

With that out of the way--

Comparing Raph to His Brothers

So to start with, I can only fairly do this deep-dive by briefly touching on each of his brothers before getting to Raph himself. I'll say upfront that I think it's less a question of which one is the "best fighter" and more that they're each different types of fighters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses and which might land any of them in the position of "the best" depending on the circumstances.

Leo

Strengths: This is an extrapolation based on various iterations (2003, 2007, 2012, 2014/2016, ROTTMNT, 2023, Batman vs. TMNT, and a little bit of the IDW comics), but Leo strikes me as a tactician-- as the guy who can extrapolate to fifteen different possibilities for the outcome of a fight and fifteen steps ahead of everyone else on each of those possibilities. At his best he knows how to play to his brothers' strengths, put them where needed, and let them go to do their own thing. He's also persistent and willing to put himself through his paces over and over again until he 'perfects' what he wants to learn how to do. As a "traditional" (romanticized) example of a warrior, he is the golden boy of the family. Rise Leo might be a little less likely to get every step 'just so,' but most iterations of him aim to be as flawless as possible in terms of his combat skills. In his ideal world, he will never have a misplaced swing of a sword or inflict any damage he doesn't intend to. That depth of knowledge and highly-trained skill can be damned terrifying for his enemies if it's taken to its fullest extreme.

Weaknesses: His perfectionism and desire to get things 'just right' is a double-edged sword. In the 2003 series it got wrapped up in his PTSD and the need to never make a critical mistake again (which... didn't work out well for him-- hi, shades of Raph at his worst); in the 2007 movie it led him to think his efforts to learn how to be a better leader weren't "good enough" and kept him away from home for two years; in the 2012 series it led him to ignore critical injuries and try to bully himself into being 'better' (when realistically what he did during the farmhouse arc probably would have permanently destroyed one of his knees); in the 2014/2016 movies it led him to temporarily damage his relationship with his brothers by spilling over the worst of his internal perfectionistic vitriol onto them; and in Rise it at times has turned him into a showoff who'll act without letting the others in on his plan (which can backfire horrendously in a worst-case scenario) because if he does it without telling others what he's going to do, then he gets bragging rights if it works out like he planned. Underlying all this is what could turn into an unmanageable case of anxiety depending on the version of Leo and how personally stable he is, as well as how susceptible he is to ruminating over where he feels he went wrong. To say nothing of how many versions of Leo have a GIANT self-sacrificing streak when it comes to their families. Under the right circumstances-- and if someone really intended to make it hurt-- they could easily play all that against Leo and get him to freeze due to overthinking. (Though getting him to that level would take an extreme case and some severe emotional damage to weaponize his guilt.)

Speed: OKAY. Here's where things get a little more cut-and-dried in my opinion-- if a fight is down to just speed anyway. Leo might be pretty neck-in-neck with Raph in terms of speed, maybe just a touch faster due to (generally) being more lean-built than Raph. Leo's not a tank; yes he can fight in close quarters or mid-range and hold his own, but if he can then he tends to be 'slippery' about it. He's not going to batter away at an enemy if he can spin out of range before darting back in and dodging whatever hits he can. If it's just a matter of speed without any other factors involved, then there's a good chance Leo will win in a fight against Raph. If it's a question of strength and endurance though... Well, I'll expand further on that when I get to Raph.

Adaptability: This is something that is absolutely dependent on which version of Leo we're talking about and how hung up that version is on his plans without taking the general chaos of life into account. 2012 and 2014/2016 Leo both are guilty of getting so hung up on the idea that their approach to a combat situation is the right way that they fail to plan for the fact that their brothers' ways of doing things isn't their way of doing things. Which blows up in their faces spectacularly sometimes. IF it's a version of Leo who's more likely to fail to take into account his brothers' differing styles, then Raph might easily play that against him and deliberately do things Leo would find unpredictable (though probably not as much as Mikey, lbr). For versions of him that are better about knowing that his own approach isn't the only/'best' approach, then Leo would be better able to roll with whatever Raph throws his way, within reason.

Combat Style/Approach: Mid-to-close-range, tactician, and definitely NOT a grappler. Yes, his skills and training have him moving with muscle memory when he needs to, but even so, there's a split-second awareness of what his opponent(s) could do and instinctively reacting based on what he's met with. A lot of that means he has to be free to move and avoid getting held in place, or things might go bad quickly.

Donnie

Strengths: No matter which iteration of Donnie you're talking about, you're generally talking about an engineer who's able and willing to casually heft up and carry around a car engine with his bare hands. And considering (with a quick google search) it looks like the average car engine weighs anywhere between 300 to 700 pounds, that alone is proof enough that no one in their right mind would ever want to be punched by Donnie. And considering there are instances where he's able to temporarily support the weight of himself and his brothers (a couple of scenes in the 2003 series are what immediately come to my mind, but that's just my favorite iteration showing itself) it's proof that he has that strength not just in his arms. To give you an idea of just how much weight that implies he can lift, here's a size and weight comparison of some of the largest turtle species currently living.*

Notice anything? Like how... Oh... I dunno... a 4-foot-long Loggerhead sea turtle can weigh up to 400 pounds? Or a 3-foot-long Leatherback sea turtle can weigh 550 pounds on the light end? (Note: this is not meant to be snarky or condescending, just a simple statement of fact that all signs point to these boys are fucking HEAVY.) And that huge amount of weight relative to their body size seems to be pretty consistent among turtle species from what I've seen with my digging around. Which logically implies that the same holds true for these boys, and if we play fast-and-loose with the idea that we can roughly translate length to height... well... For general weight of the boys, I tend to assume at least 200 pounds, at least for those under and up to about 5-foot-tall. For the 2014/2016 set I might even suggest somewhere between 400-500 pounds-- but roughly comparing weight to size with that table of large turtle species, I'm probably severely underestimating their weight all across the board. Being generous, hypothetically saying all four of the 2003 turtles are about 240, that then means there are moments in the 2003 series where Donnie is temporarily lifting around 960 pounds, including himself. AND THAT MIGHT BE A SEVERE UNDERESTIMATION. Terrifying, right? So yes, Donnie is unquestionably strong as hell and maintains that strength by working on his various projects, and a full-force hit from him would land someone in a hospital-- if they're lucky. The other main thing working for him is that he's a tech genius. No, he's typically not as rigid or disciplined in his training as Leo is, but if he has access to tech and distance then he has a whole host of weapons and traps he can bring to the party (something which Rise Donnie excels at in spades). Raph's a much more physical direct-confrontation fighter, but Donnie has the capacity to turn entire environments against his enemies, depending on the means he has at his disposal.

Weaknesses: For better or worse, Donnie's primary personal strength-- the one he leans on above all else-- is his intellect and being able to puzzle things out. And again, he's an engineer: yes he can lift and move that terrifying amount of weight, but he's usually not doing it at speed. (Because let's be real, moving heavy and potentially very breakable machinery is not something you want to do quickly when you want to be able to use or repurpose said machinery.) He's not a slouch when it comes to his ninjutsu training, but there's a reason why the concept of Donnie pulling the 'I'm too busy to train right now' is a widespread fandom concept. It doesn't necessarily mean that he's not 'as good of a ninja', but more that he's not a 'traditional' ninja and has had to adapt things to his preferred methods. Yes he has a lot of physical strength, but he prefers to keep a distance from his opponent(s) if possible. Doing so, having that distance, gives him more time to plan and respond-- because unlike Leo, a lot of iterations of Donnie don't have that ingrained ability to read the possible actions their opponent(s) might take and respond on a dime (or at least not to the same level). Raph's tendency to brute force things-- something which Donnie technically could do but clearly does not like to-- might be somewhat unpredictable for him, especially because that puts Raph in close and doesn't give Donnie as much time to respond as he would like. All that said, Donnie could technically win a fight against Raph without his tech if he pretty much said to hell with fighting and decided to do an imitation of an octopus. At the very least he could probably hold him in one place if he was quick enough and managed to get Raph's arms pinned. And somehow kept him from walking. (It wouldn't be a dignified win, but it might still technically be a win.)

Speed: I'm gonna be honest, I do not think speed is on Donnie's side in comparison to his brothers. If he really makes an effort (rather than just going his own route and pursuing his interests) he'd probably be able to keep up with the others going at full tilt for a little while, but he'd probably tire out first. A lot of the work he does due to his areas of expertise is fairly sedentary, and frequently he needs to move with slow and deliberate precision. There's a lot of fine muscle control involved in that kind of work (especially if it involves maneuvering something heavy), but being able to consistently do that doesn't automatically translate to being able to do something similar at high speed. But that's okay, because if he has the distance and varied means of attack he needs, then he doesn't have to worry about keeping up with his brothers for an extended period of time-- it just has to be long enough.

Adaptability: If it involves tech or computer systems, Donnie's ability to adapt to a situation is unparalleled. Give him unrestrained access to an unfamiliar and shiny (and incredibly pervasive) system and he'll be able to make it seem like a tech apocalypse is targeting one specific person if he wants to. If it's a head-to-head physical fight though, it really depends on how desperate he is or how much breathing room he has (or both). If he's frazzled and panicky then there's the possibility he'll miss several opportunities or potential tools and, in a worst-case scenario, he might freeze. (An extreme example of this is how Rise Donnie gave up fighting the crab men when his tech failed, after all his brothers had already failed in that fight.) If he has time and space to think then he's practically unstoppable, but if he doesn't have that breathing room then chances are things won't end well for him.

Combat Style/Approach: Distance fighter, brain-over-brawn, could be a grappler if necessary but uncomfortable enough with it that it might work against him, might as well dub him a 'trap master' for the little surprises he might leave in his wake if he's feeling spiteful. He's a schemer, but not a chess master.

Mikey

Strengths: If there's one thing that can be said for Mikey it's the fact that most versions of him are innately gifted at picking up kinesthetic knowledge, to say nothing of the fact that he tends to be the most spiritually gifted of the brothers. In fact in several series (2003 and 2012 off the top of my head, though I'm certain it may have popped up in others) it's briefly mentioned that if Mikey really buttoned down and was completely serious about his ninja skills he would outclass Leo-- which means that he can naturally slide into the level of skill Leo has worked for years to achieve without even really thinking about it. If he wants to. And most of the time he doesn't want to. (Too much responsibility being that serious, so who can blame him?) However, his not constantly going at the equivalent of Level 99 in a videogame in fights isn't necessarily a detriment to him, because he has other ways to stay true to himself while giving himself an edge. Like being annoying on purpose. And knowing how to aggravate the hell out of his opponents until he tricks them into getting sloppy. Until he tricks them into giving him easy openings they should REALLY know better than to give him-- and would if he hadn't deliberately torn their nerves to shreds. If it's not obvious, I'm saying versions of Mikey like to play mind-games, and if they really want to they can be vicious about it and make it HURT. (Though again, most versions of Mikey are more invested in goofing off and playing around than being outright vicious or serious.) The point is, if he finds a mental opening that sticks, then how invested he is in winning the fight will dictate how serious he is about exploiting that weakness. To say nothing about how creative he can get when he really wants to be.

Weaknesses: The downfall of a lot of Mikeys is how distractable a lot of them can be. (I won't say this is a universal fact because I'm a big fan of there being variation among different realities, but a lot of Mikeys definitely being ADHD doesn't help. How well said version is able to compensate probably also varies.) So depending on the circumstances and the environment, Raph might be able to play that distractibility against him. (Buuuut that would require Raph to play mind-games, and most Raphs aren't the 'mind-game' type.) Plus, for better or worse, it takes a LOT to get most versions of Mikey to the point where he's ready to say 'Fuck everything' and throw everything he can into ending a fight right that second.

Speed: Mikey is, in my honest opinion (and based off most of the series and movies I've seen), the fastest of the brothers-- bar none. Which means if he tore off at full speed with the intention of skipping a fight entirely and just making Raph chase him, Raph probably would never catch him. Until after he wears down anyway. But if he zipped off and found a good enough hiding spot, then he could probably avoid Raph for a while. In a fight, because of his speed, there's a good chance that Mikey might be able to get in more hits than Raph, but that comes with the risk of getting in close to Raph-- and that can easily work against him in very short order.

Adaptability: Mikey's adaptability is through the roof. Most versions of Mikey, you can throw damn near anything their way and they'll roll with it in such a way that they land on their feet while their brothers are still scrambling for stable footing. There's also the fact that he's a very lateral thinker and able to apply concepts from seemingly unrelated sources to scenarios many others wouldn't even think to combine-- and he does so to his advantage. So yeeeeeeaaaaahhhhh, given enough room and space to work with (and not panicking), then there's a good chance Mikey's going to catch Raph off guard with something he'd never expect.

Combat Style/Approach: Close range, flighty, dart in-range to hit and then dart back out of range, mind-games and making his opponents angry to the point of getting sloppy seems to be his preferred tactic. He could be the most terrifying to go up against in a fight if he went absolutely stone serious, but 99.9999% of the time he does not want to and would much rather slip in some fun where he can. (If you don't believe me on that last point, consider that in the 2003 series I'm reasonably sure he has the highest body count of all the brothers, in the 2012 series he killed a kraang and wore the dude's skin on his head multiple times, and in Rise ALL of Dr. Delicate Touch and the frothing maniacal rage he has when angry. 'Nuff said.)

Raph

And here we come to the turtle in question himself, Raph. Hamato Raphael, Raphael Splinterson, Raphie-boy, take your pick.

Strengths: Raph is a TANK. Barring '87, this boy in most iterations pretty much makes it his mission in life to be the strongest of him and his brothers. He's also stubborn as hell and WILL NOT give in if he thinks it's important to stand his ground. Which means he can and will hold his ground and dig in long past when his brothers each have to retreat or fold; he can take the hits they can't and come out the other side still kicking. And what's more, if he feels the need to and is able to get up and be mobile, then he WILL hunt you down for as long as it takes and damned near nothing will stop him-- he is that. damned. STUBBORN. Let's be real, that combination is terrifying. Of course, naturally, this brings up questions of just how physically strong he is. I pointed out up in Donnie's section that Donnie is ridiculously strong, but just how strong is Raph? To answer that question, the infamous scene from 2007:

Just how much psi does it take to snap a katana? WELL, it turns out that finding out that information is really difficult (at least when I was nosing around and trying to find out). When I was doing my initial searching I found a video on facebook examining an anime scene (at the time-- back in September-- it was literally the only thing that remotely came close to answering my question that popped up) that claimed it would take at least 20,000 psi. Being that the person who posted that video didn't include any sources for reference, I'd take it with a grain of salt (especially since despite my best efforts I'm having a hard time finding that video again), but still. If-- for the sake of argument-- we assume that the 20,000 psi measurement is accurate for what it would take to snap a katana, that would mean that our boy Raph is capable of exerting that much force with each hand. And not just a brief spike of getting there either. No, for him to be capable of the force in that 2007 scene (again, assuming the number is accurate) then he has to maintain that force for longer than a second or two.

I don't know about you, but that makes this scene just that much more dangerous and intense in my eyes. It's not just that Raph could have killed Leo by stabbing him; it's also the implication that he could have easily torn Leo apart with his bare hands if he wanted to. So yeeeeeaaaahhhh, if Raph is able to get his hands on any of his brothers and is able to hold on, they're probably toast.

Weaknesses: Whoo boy. In most iterations, point blank, his biggest weakness is his temper. If he gets set off too thoroughly or if someone knows how to play it against him, his temper can make him get sloppy and lead to his defeat-- regardless of how ridiculously strong he is. It also means that, unless it's a version of him who has worked his ass off to keep himself in check, there's a good possibility that he might wind up doing things he'll regret when he's angry (and if someone really wants to twist the knife they can play that guilt and self-blame against him). If you go by 2003 and 2012 there's also his bug-phobia which can be played against him. (Even though 2003 Raph covers it with 'KILL IT WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE'.) If you go by Rise, then you DO NOT. EVER. WANT THAT BOY TO BE ALONE. And on a much more brutal note, going back to his stubbornness which is also one of his strengths

...there's a good chance that this boy might try to push himself past the breaking point if he feels it's necessary.

Speed: I've said before that I think Raph is pretty neck-in-neck with Leo when it comes to how fast he is, Mikey has them both beat in the speed department hands down, and Donnie is most likely to be the slowest moving of the four of them. If Leo has to deal with heavy weights while trying to move at speed however, Raph will have him outclassed due to having more practice in that department. For Raph to have a hope of keeping up with Mikey going full tilt in running away, Mikey would have to be carrying enough to weigh him down considerably. And while Donnie might stand a chance in trying to grapple with Raph, Raph having more experience in moving heavy weights at speed would probably mean Donnie would be better off trying to glom onto Raph like an octopus rather than outright grappling. So Raph's not the fastest, but he's not a slouch either.

Adaptability: As much as I love my boy, Raph is a tank, he's bruiser, he's a bulldozer who freely makes use of sharp and pointy things he can use to stab people with. Adaptability-- barring variation between sneaking in and out versus barreling in as loudly as possible to cause mayhem and destruction as a distraction-- is generally not in his wheelhouse. Given time and learning how to play mind games (and I don't doubt that an adult Raph could pick up and use the skill when he needs to) he'd probably become more flexible, but with where he's portrayed to be at in most iterations he hasn't gotten there yet.

Combat style/approach: Close-range, grappler, brawler, TANK. He WILL hold the line, he WILL dig in and hold his ground, he WILL be the wall and PROTECT with everything he has if he has to. He's also not above being outright brutally destructive when he feels it's warranted. And that "when he feels it's warranted" is key.

Details that affect the outcome:

Raph has a protective streak 500 miles wide. A lot of iterations try to be the wall for his family, the last line of defense when needed. He would sooner see himself hurt than anyone he cares about.

And it's not just his brothers, father, April, Casey, anyone-he-considers-family that he's protective of either.

Seriously, if someone pushes the protective button on this boy and his sense of right and wrong kicks in, he WILL get involved.

Raph cares and feels deeply; to him, family is everything.

You

have

NO IDEA

how much

this boy

LOVES

HIS FAMILY

or how much he'd tear himself up if he ever seriously hurt any of them. So the chances of him ever actually going all-out against any of his brothers is slim. (And the few instances in various iterations where he's come close it's seriously screwed him up emotionally every time. Like 2003 and the pipe incident, 2007 and the after effects of his fight with Leo, the implied guilt Rise had after he snapped back to his senses after reuniting with his brothers after he'd been alone, etc.) He might fight with his brothers, he might disagree with them from time to time, but overall he comes off as someone who firmly believes you don't ever deliberately hurt someone you should care about if you can help it. Which is backed up by instances of him panicking in various iterations where his decisions might result in his family's deaths, as well as the fact that he only really turns on any of them (think SAINW) if they cross the line of not being there for each other like he feels they should be. Some iterations might threaten to run off a lot, but he never will without a damned good reason because he loves his family too much to ever want to do that to them.

Final Assessments

Raph vs Leo: If it's in close and is just down to strength-- Raph wins. If Leo has the time he needs to scheme and play Raph the way he needs to-- Leo wins.

Raph vs Donnie: If it's in close-- Raph wins unless Donnie pulls off an imitation of an octopus and gets all of Raph's limbs pinned and holds on for dear life. If Donnie has the distance, time to scheme, and the means to set traps to his heart's content-- plus tranqs, no one wins against tranqs-- Donnie wins.

Raph vs Mikey: If Raph can get his hands on Mikey and keep him in one place-- Raph wins. If Mikey plays Raph like a fiddle with his mind games and stays out of reach-- Mikey wins.

Raph vs the three of them together: Well shit, that'd be a losing proposition under the best circumstances unless the goal was to try to out-stubborn them at something. 10/10 if he had to, Raph would keep dragging himself along even if all three of his brothers were hanging on to him to try to keep him from reaching his goal. (And if Raph hasn't exploited that fact during some wild-as-shit game of theirs, then Casey Jones is the queen of England.)

Raph vs his guilt if he actually seriously hurt them: Instantaneous loss that Raph would probably have a hard time ever forgiving himself for.

So do I think Raph is as good a fighter as his brothers? Yes.

Do I think he's holding back so he doesn't hurt them? Also yes.

Do I think anyone he went up against if he didn't hold back would be thoroughly screwed? Emphatically YES.

-----------------------------

*The site I got the turtle size table in Donnie's section is [here], if anyone wants further details on sea turtles.

[george-the-good]

Don’t forget that it’s a very double-edged sword, this. As people tend to forget, when she passed the longest reigning Monarch, that was only because her father died so young. It’s a record that she would much rather not have been able to pass.

Princess Anne on her mother becoming Britain’s longest-reigning Monarch (She surpassed Queen Victoria on September 9, 2015.)

‘Elizabeth at 90 - A Family Tribute’ (2016)

[gamercats-fight]

Morgana from Person 5 vs Krampy from Cattails: Wildwood Story. Vote for your fav!!

Need help picking? Check down here!

Morgana - P-Studio - 2016 - Anthropomorphic tuxedo cat:

-If we’re including his abilities in Mementos/Palaces then he has a clear advantage of being able to use his persona to cast spells as well as fight. He also uses a curved sword and a slingshot. If hurt he also has healing spells. His appearance in this form is mascot-esque, but don’t let his big head fool you—he’s quite agile. Having a persona at all grants the wielder extreme abilities. Fast enough to dodge lightning, take incredible damage and even able to fight against gods. This strength is only granted in places they can summon their persona, i.e. not the real world.

Even in his cat form while in the real world, he is extremely dexterous: able to pick locks. He’s also taken a kick from a guy and having a metal briefcase land directly on his head following a bit of a fall. Not altogether impressive but still something for a cat to endure. He’s also smarter than the average cat, giving him a nice advantage.

He does eventually become human in Persona 5 Royal, but is just a cat at the end of the original game.

-He can turn into a car and run over any competition. He’s a master thief and fought god once. Also he has a slingshot.

-1: THIS CAT IS A HEALER! He gets the best healing spell in the entire game and when I got it on him, I don't think he ever left my party

2: THIS CAT CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND WELL BEING! It's become a meme at this point, but Mona wants you to go to sleep >:(

(P5 Spoilers Beyond this Point)

3: THIS CAT IS THE COLLECTIVE HOPE OF HUMMANITY! It's explained late game, but Morgana was created through the last scraps of humanities hope against the false god that the party eventually fights

4: THIS CAT EXPOSED A MURDERER! Its not important but the scene IS funny so I feel obligated to mention it.

THIS CAT IS YOUR BUDDY AND I LOVE HIM AND WILL DEFEND HIM WITH MY DYING BREATH!!!!

-Everyone hates him for the stupid “go to sleep” mechanic + some of his issues with another character but he’s such a good boy i love him so much. he’s always with you, helping you out and supporting you! plus he’s so little brother coded oh my god. baby. baby boy. spoilers for p5: also he’s literally the manifestation of hope like guys. hope is a cat. hope is stored in the cat.

Krampy - Falcon Development - 2023 - Gray tabby medicine cat

-He's so autism

-Cattails is like Stardew Valley for warrior cat fans, and Krampy is a fan favorite for several good reasons. He's a kind of eccentric medieval doctor who also has trouble relating to other cats because of his weird experiments and love of leeches, but that passion also makes him very charming as a character. He's got a tendency to ramble and tell long stories and is just really wholesome all around. Also he wears a plague doctor mask which is just a really cool design choice.

-The iconic doctor of the Mystic Colony. Who doesn't want a medicine cat with a plague mask?? And they are a real character too. Some of their best quotes:

"“Actually, I don't believe we've been introduced. I am Krampy the doctor, and don't worry! I am not a bird. Although when I had that concussion, I did think I was... ... What was I saying again?"

“Greetings young kitten. Do you mind if I put leeches on your tail? It's for science. And, I think it would be funny. Or I could do it to myself... But then what will I do tomorrow?"

“I think you should wear a beaky mask, it will protect you in this world. I wish not to see my friends hurt. Although that is bad for business... bit of a double-edged sword. Don’t get hurt too often!”

“You have the worst-smelling miasma I have ever smelled! I can smell you from miles away! Why don't you roll in some garbage? - It can only improve your odor, and you end up where you belong!"

[theweeklydiscourse]

I’m generally wary of any YouTube videos that discuss published reylo fanfiction (and the ship in general) because of how often people use mockery of it to get clicks and attention on any platform. Deriding the reylo shipping base is a pretty straightforward way to get clicks, which makes it very pleasant to see videos that thoughtfully engage with the fandom and don’t reach for low hanging fruit.

However, it’s always double edged sword because even if the creator is respectful and willing to engage, you can be assured that the commenters will do the opposite of that. They’ll use the typical talking points from 2016, misremember what happened in the films, spread misinformation etc. But I can at least be satisfied that there are some YouTubers out there who can examine the fandom without defaulting to cheap jokes.

[dailyanarchistposts]

Down with Radical Rituals, Postures, and the Cult of Images

Another concerning issue is that since its first appearance in 2016, the head of the leading procession—the “black bloc”—is becoming more and more ritualized, at the risk of becoming a caricature of itself. When at first, groups of students, anarchists, autonomists, and other radicals decided to take the head of the demonstration at the expense of trade unions, it was to open up new horizons for activism in France. This strategy worked: new forms of action and solidarity emerged as people decided to secede from the trade union processions. The leading procession became an uncontrollable body for which diversity, mobility, and spontaneity were the watchwords.

Two years later, the situation has changed. Of course, we are happy to see that the leading procession still exists and keeps attracting more and more people. Nevertheless, when we decide to take part in an action, everything follows a familiar pattern: we join the demonstration, we reach the front of the procession, we change our clothes for anonymity, we create a bloc at the head of the leading procession, we pose with our banners and smoke bombs for photographers, we march, we shout the same slogans, we attack some targets, we confront police forces, we escape and disband. Once again, we have reached a plateau, and we find ourselves fulfilling a role in an orchestrated spectacle. What used to be an unpredictable spark, a way of outflanking specific demonstrations, is now becoming an expected form of action. In ritualizing our strategies, we end up integrating them into others’ expectations and facilitating the task of the police at the same time. We have to create a new momentum in our actions. Only our creativity and originality can add new subversive, spontaneous, and chaotic elements to the “black bloc” strategy.

As a starting point, we could start by refusing the cult of images, an integral part of the “society of spectacle.” It seems that there is a lot of work to be done in this regard among the monochrome bloc of the leading procession. For us, it is clear that images of all kinds are nothing more than invisible chains that tie us to the narcissistic and materialistic aspects of the prevailing order. We should not be imitating popular images of struggle; we should seek to interrupt a way of living based on emulating images. While the autonomous bloc was waiting on the Austerlitz bridge, we witnessed a strange scene in which dozens of photographers captured footage of the autonomous procession, while some of us proudly posed with banners and smoke bombs. It took the crowd a long time to show the first signs of irritation against journalists, even though they repeatedly blocked our path.

Regardless of the intentions of journalists, their profession endangers us. They record us before, during, and after actions; often, they are positioned between us and our targets, or our comrades, or the police. Their presence can distract us from other important objectives, obstruct our movements, and incriminate us afterwards if police utilize their footage for investigations. After May Day, discussing this subject with comrades, we all agreed that some of the newer generations in the leading procession probably decided to join us only because they saw images online of the confrontations during the movement against the Loi Travail. Unfortunately, the power of images is a double-edged sword: on one side, it can make people choose to join us, but on the other side, they might remain fascinated by this warrior posture and the production of spectacular images.

As the government tries to intensify control and repression, we have to be especially careful regarding the presence of cameras during actions. Once, the only cameras we had to be worried about were police or city cameras. Today, they are everywhere. But this should not make us accept them as inevitable: we need to keep journalists and cameras out of our procession, without any exceptions. What is more important, the dissemination of images flattering our egos, or making it possible to act freely during demonstrations?

For more information about the issue of cameras in our radical processions, you can read the zine “Dialogue imaginaire avec un-e défenseur-euse de l’image photographique d’individus.”

[allamericansbitch]

bridges burn i never learn

my words shoot to kill when I'm mad, I have a lot of regrets about that

cold was the steel of my axe to grind for the boys who broke my heart

.

“I respond to extreme pain with defiance." I know she said this as a positive and it is because not many could have the absolute resilience required to come back from the 2016 situation or getting their work stolen. It's just that it can also be a bad thing sometimes, sometimes if your first instinct is defiance and defensiveness you don't process and hear what you need to hear.

I know she said therapy isn't for her but I think she could benefit from having profesional help to process all that she continues to describe as a trauma.

Yeah it’s definitely a double edged sword because she also did it when she was getting called out for dating mr slur himself Matty and she was like ‘I know he’s racist I don’t care I’m a grown women’

[destinyc1020]

I'm not that confession anon, but I also wish they could have reached the levels of fame they have more gradually. When they try something professionally, or don't do xyz, everyone is watching them so closely. Like, everyone. Other actors don't have that. Others can have 2-3 movies that don't work or aren't perfect and no one notices. They can take a break and no one notices. Like, I remember someone saying that Amanda Seyfreid had "never missed" on a project. LOL look again. You just weren't paying attention, not that missing isn't completely normal.

The flipside is that the fame helps get eyeballs on what they do. But even Tom talked about not being able to take dance classes because of the cellphones. If they wanted to do a small play, it wouldn't be small.

And that's before you even get to their personal lives. Z can't even post a selfie without people harassing her mom about her relationship. I would hate to have thousands of comments saying my relationship is the only reason people still believe in love. Even as a joke, it may not be funny all the time.

They're obviously not the only ones in this situation. But it's a small club.

Whew! You all are getting DEEEEP up in here for Confession Sunday! I love it! 😁

I know exactly what you mean Anon. 💯

To me, TZ's fame level is really a double-edged sword tbh. It definitely has some perks for sure, but like you said, the flipside is that you get less and less room to make mistakes, have film flops, or even have a stable private life.

Btw... A film bombing is something EVERY single actor in Hollywood has experienced. Not all films being released are going to be blockbusters or even do well at the box office. I guarantee you that in Hollywood, EVERY single actor out there has had a film that didn't do as well as they had hoped, or pull in as much numbers or enjoyers of the film as they had originally expected or wished for. It happens! It's the nature of the game. Guess what? These actors are STILL acting.

I do think it's a shame that Spider-man catapulted Tom and Zendaya into a level of fame that was ginormous at such a young age. I think Z was already pretty well-known and famous, but let's be honest, the Spidey films, the Dune films, and also Euphoria have made her way more famous than what she was back in 2016.

I do kinda wish that they could have had more of a gradual leap to superstardom.... like, maybe struck it "hot" at THIS age, instead of 7 years ago.... But, you know what?? Life is full of taking chances. You don't want to miss out on great chances just because of a fear of fame.

Honestly? It's not even the fame level that's the problem. It's PEOPLE. It's haters...and even fans who are a little too invested who don't know how to have boundaries. It's never the celebrity's fault, or even the level of fame. It's the fact that PEOPLE don't have boundaries, and don't know how to keep negativity to themselves.

[greetings-humans]

DC: the very basics

@athenov trust me there are a lot of dc comics and a lot of reading lists but the list i tagged you on seems to be pretty basic and decent afaik! i trust @lornahs's lists a lot!

now, originally this was just for athenov but tbh it ended up so long that it might as well be a generic intro to dc post! it's very basic and slightly oriented to damian wayne (the character that I'm trying to get athenov into)

so, I usually crossreference multiple reading lists to get somewhere, so try crossreferencing that damian wayne one with this. as a general rule of thumb, tumblr usually knows better, but sites like the one linked aren't too bad.

another thing: dc works in phases. every few decades they have an event they call "crisis" (i. e. crisis on infinite earths, infinite crisis, flashpoint, etc, etc) and after that, they essentially reboot most or all of dc.

they might recreate character's back stories, they might change them depending on the author's preferences, they also tend to disregard events from before the crisis. this is a double edged sword. yes they can disregard stupid plotlines. but they have also historically ignored character development, character relationships, etc.

they have literally transplanted one character (Roy Harper) from X dude's close friend to Y dude's best friend, with no reason whatsoever other than not wanting to debute someone new. and mind you in the process of that, Roy lost so much character development!!! and naturally this happened during the new 52 ugh

anyways-- these reboots have specific names that we use to know what period of DC comics we're talking about. a pretty detailed explanation is here.

for brevity, I'll give you the very basics here and a more in-depth explanation below the cut.

Golden Age (1938-1956)

Silver Age & Bronze Age (1956-1985)

Modern Age (1986-2011) (very good, imo) (damian intro was here!)

New 52 (2011-2016) (bad!!! this fucked over more than just roy!)

Rebirth (2016-2018) (better but only sometimes)

DC Infinite Frontier (2021-2023)

Dawn of DC (2023-today)

essentially, you just run away from n52 (or at least be mindful that it rll fucked up a lot of characters) and you'll be good. also dc wiki is your friend. feel free to ask me if you have any questions tho!! (and this stands not just for athenov! i consider myself relatively new to dc comics cause I've only been into comics for two or three years, after all, and some people are much more obsessed than I am. but I'll def try to help any of the new fans out as much as i can! even if that just means pointing you to another person that can answer your question)

so about the more detailed version of those periods!

we've got golden age, silver age, bronze age. these are old. golden age started during the 1940s. bronze age ended in 1985. I tend to not read anything before 1985 because they're all over the place usually. the themes are also weird cause the comics are old.

then crisis on infinite earths happened and rebooted everything to make things less ambiguous. (until this crisis, if you didn't like the way, say, superman handled things in this issue, you'd just ignore that and go against it and it'd be passed on like a superman from another earth than the other superman. the multiverse was very useful for dc of golden-silver-bronze era. continuity was a hit or miss, at best)

then we have modern age until 2011. this era is the one I usually operate on! many of my favorite characters got some very good runs during this time. damian wayne also debuted in this era with batman #655, which was issued in 2006, according to google.

anyways stan the modern age!

and now things get weird again. the problem with crisis on infinite earths is that it solved some problems but also created new ones. some other crisis events happened to try to fix them but it didn't exactly work out and then we got flashpoint to reboot dc again.

the next reboot is called "new 52" because dc canceled everything and started 52 new titles that could theoretically easily introduce people to these characters. unfortunately, they butchered a lot of characters during this arc, narratively and aesthetically. my own favs have suffered from the new 52. generally, it's not a good era for dc. it was only around for like 5ish years (2011-2016) before DC had to do another crisis and reboot so that tells you how bad things were. (considering the fact that modern age lasted 25 years, this is just sad yknow)

the new era is called rebirth (2016-2018). they basically picked up the stories from modern age and ignored new 52 for the most part, which is iconic. there was another brief era after this to clear up some confusions and restore some memories from modern age that the new 52 had disregarded but all in all things are decent, especially compared to the new 52. admittedly, I haven't read a lot of stuff from after modern age, so take this with a grain of salt.

a few other things happened, like infinite frontier. I don't know anything about it tbh. something weird happened with time and space. this era is a big crisis event essentially, from what i can tell? do we even count it as an era? idfk. I'd say no but the site I linked waayyy above considered it an era so I'll do the same so as to not confuse anyone.

and then there's the dawn of dc, which started like last year or sth, so I got nothing for you about it.

[rainyfestivalsweets]

8/12/23

Today is a day of complicated feelings.

Went to my daughter's bridal shower.

I am so happy for her. It was mostly her new family in law.

My former partner was there and I got some helpings of "Oh my God, you look great! So great! Like really fabulous, really! What are you doing?" Followed awhile later with.... "did you have the surgery?"

Seeing my ex is a double edged sword. I was young, and I loved at 180%, all the time. I was all in.

And still, I can tell you I probably never would have left this woman. But here we are, 13 years later....

And it made me a little sad for old me.

It's complicated. So complicated.

I cried on the way home.

I am about 10-15 pounds under the weight I was when she was cheating on me.

I deserved better than that. I know she loved me as much as she could, but when things got tough....and boring ... she went looking for someone with the spark.

I deserved someone who was going to love me as much as I loved them.

I deserved someone who was going to do for me all the things that I was doing for her. I bought us a house. I spent my life trying to make out life more enjoyable.

And to complicate matters even further, today was my wedding anniversary to a different person in 2016. Who was cheating 2 years later.

I should have ran as far away as I could.

[pscottm]

America Did This to Itself

This time, the nation was on notice. Back in 2016, those of us who supported Donald Trump at least had the excuse of not knowing how sociopathy can present itself, and we at least had the conceit of believing that the presidency was not just a man, but an institution greater than the man, with legal and traditional mechanisms to make sure he’d never go off the rails.

By 2020, after the chaos, the derangement, and the incompetence, we knew a lot better. And most other Americans did too, voting him out of office that fall. And when his criminal attempt to steal the election culminated in the violence of January 6, their judgment was vindicated.

So there was no excuse this year. We knew all we needed to know, even without the mendacious raging about Ohioans eating pets, the fantasizing about shooting journalists and arresting political opponents as “enemies of the people,” even apart from the evidence presented in courts and the convictions in one that demonstrated his abject criminality.

We knew, and have known, for years. Every American knew, or should have known. The man elected president last night is a depraved and brazen pathological liar, a shameless con man, a sociopathic criminal, a man who has no moral or social conscience, empathy, or remorse. He has no respect for the Constitution and laws he will swear to uphold, and on top of all that, he exhibits emotional and cognitive deficiencies that seem to be intensifying, and that will only make his turpitude worse. He represents everything we should aspire not to be, and everything we should teach our children not to emulate. The only hope is that he’s utterly incompetent, and even that is a double-edged sword, because his incompetence often can do as much as harm as his malevolence. His government will be filled with corrupt grifters, spiteful maniacs, and morally bankrupt sycophants, who will follow in his example and carry his directives out, because that’s who they are and want to be.

I say all of this not in anger, but in deep and profound sorrow. For centuries, the United States has been a beacon of democracy and reasoned self-government, in part because the Framers understood the dangers of demagogues and saw fit to construct a system with safeguards to keep such men from undermining it, and because our people and their leaders, out of respect for the common good and the people of this country, adhered to its rules and norms. The system was never perfect, but it inched toward its own betterment, albeit in fits and starts. But in the end, the system the Framers set up���and indeed, all constitutional regimes, however well designed—cannot protect a free people from themselves.

My own hope and belief about what would transpire last night was sadly and profoundly wrong—like many, I have the emotional and intellectual flaw, if that’s what it is, of assuming that people are wiser and more decent than they actually turn out to be. I feel chastened—distraught—about my apparently naive view of human nature.

I dare not predict the future again, particularly as it comes to elections and other forms of mass behavior. But I daresay I fear we shall see a profound degradation in the ability of this nation to govern itself rationally and fairly, with freedom and political equality under the rule of law. Because that is not actually a prediction. It’s a logical deduction based on the words and deeds of the president-elect, his enablers, and his supporters—and a long and often sorry record of human history. Let us brace ourselves.

[drinkthemlock]

álvares’ early death is a double edged sword because if he hadn’t died he probably would not have followed a literary career (which was essentially infeasible in Brazil at the time, especially for a man of his social class and education) and his works besides lira dos vinte anos would’ve probably end up unpublished or destroyed. but at the same time the tragedy of his death is so heartbreaking not only because a very young person lost their life but also because he was such a visionary!! he was doing something like pre-modernism in the 1840s!! I think he should’ve been alive in 1922 for the modern art week. for the coup in 1964. for the 2016 rio olympics idc. for everything

[thorniest-rose]

Just briefly stopping by to let you know that you are one of my favorite steddie writers and hands down my favorite Steve fan! You get it, he just has the eyes and ass of a man who needs to be bent over

I’ve been watching since the show first debuted and until season 4 there weren’t nearly the amount of fics there are now, let alone ones I’d consume like cheesecake. It was double edged sword when the fandom (in terms of fics and such) blew up as big and as quickly as it did but your ideas and originality in this fandom have kept me hooked. So thanks for existing and writing the things you do! Inner 2016 me is thrilled anytime you post :)

You are incredibly sweet thank you!!! I've also been watching ST since 2016 and have loved Steve long before Eddie came around which is why I always say I'm a Steve girl first and a Steddie girl second. I'm so glad that comes across and that you enjoy my fics!! Really hoping I can post a new piece soon 🥰

[lionfanged]

❥ and is it me

SALT FEST. / / accepting!

♦ Has someone ever ruined an FC or character for you?

yes i will NEVER look at my favorite character octavo the same ever again. absolutely sabotaged. game ruined. i CANNOT believe u have done this to me.

ANYWAYS yeah actually yes! there was this olympia rper who is a rly popular twit artist now who was just super mean to me and my friends like... almost ten years ago jesus, lol. i even found out later when i was exploring the twit rpc like two years ago that they badmouthed me there too (i made myself a twitter in 2016 but i didnt rly use it until four years ago when i looked for artists to commission lol.)

olympia is not a v popular pkmn character so i don't see her often, but that is a kind of double-edged sword bcuz i still have unpleasant feelings i havent been able to associate w/ something new/positive whenever olympia pop up.

and plumeria, i rly feel weird abt plumeria from pkmn. i had a bad falling out with an rper when asking to end our friendship, resulting in mutual friends attacking me either publicly on the dash or privately in my inbox, and was constantly being vagued/spoken poorly about. i think there was even a confession sent to one of those confession blogs abt me. literally all i did was be like 'i'm not comfortable staying friends for my mental health' and it began a literally year-long hate campaign lol.

otherwise, i can't rly think of anyone else. there were always characters in the pkmn rpc that ppl ALWAYS would be weird about when writing them, and every time a new one would pop up i'd have to squint and be like... are u gonna be a freak like the other ppl, or,

[etes-secrecy-post]

Hi, before I explain my post, I want to say something important.

• What you see my blog has become a major overhaul. And despite the changes, I decided that my 2nd account will be now my artwork blog with a secret twist.

⚠️NEW RULE! (W/ BIGGER TEXT!)⚠️

⚠️ SO PLEASE DO NOT SHARE MY 2nd ACCOUNT TO EVERYONE! THIS SECRECY BLOG OF MINE IS FOR CLOSES FRIENDS ONLY!⚠️

• AND FOR MY CLOSES FRIENDS, DON’T REBLOG IT. INSTEAD, JUST COPY MY LINK AND PASTE IT ON YOUR TUMBLR POST! JUST BE SURE THE IMAGE WILL BE REMOVED AND THE ONLY LEFT WAS THE TEXT.

⚠️ SHARING LINKS, LIKE POSTS, REBLOG POSTS, STEALING MY SNAPSHOT PHOTOS/RECORDED VIDEOS/ARTWORKS (a.k.a. ART THIEVES) OR PLAGIARIZING FROM UNKNOWN TUMBLR STRANGERS WILL IMMEDIATELY BE BLOCKED, RIGHT AWAY!⚠️

😡 WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT EVER LIKED & REBLOG MY SECRET POST! THIS IS FOR MY SECRET FRIENDS ONLY, NOT YOU! 😡

Okay? Capiche? Make sense? Good, now back to the post…↓

#OnThisDay: Apr 26th, 2018

Title: Claire's dual wielding sword

Claire's 🦊 back for yet another action! 🤖😁 Her combined partner the custom G-Bomber was send to the hangar for repair and rest, so it's time for her in solo mode. In fact, I made a reference sword pose from the Anime counterpart (MSG SEED Destiny) → [CLICK ME!]. This is one of my favorite awesome poses in the Gundam universe series because of the two swords combined to make a freaking long length double-edge sword wielder, no doubt about it. ⚔️😉

Previous: • Cuteness Girl Member - Claire (Dec 14th, 2016) • G-Amethyst Claire Bomber (Dec 15th, 2023)

Claire - Harvey Beaks © Nickelodeon Armor (Gundam Build Fighters Try) - Gundam series © Bandai Namco Filmworks, Inc. (SUNRISE), Sotsu

[the-intellectual-journal]

The Impact of Film Critics on Women in Film and Television

In film and television, the influence of film critics is instrumental in shaping the narratives that permeate our cultural landscape. The portrayal of women and their roles has been a focal point that reflects societal norms and progressive perspectives. Film critics as discerning evaluators of media play a significant role in either reinforcing traditional gender stereotypes or escaping them — contributing to the ongoing evolution of gender representations on our screens. 

Film, in a broader historical context, has been a mirror reflecting the prevailing gender norms and expectations of society. In early cinema, women were often relegated to one-dimensional archetypes such as the seductress or the damsel in distress. As British film historian Laura Mulvey points out in her groundbreaking essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,” these portrayals of women in film served to reinforce patriarchal power structures and objectify female characters for the male gaze. Mulvey argues that the construction of films oftentimes, from the camera angle to the narrative structure was inherently designed for the pleasure of a male-centric perspective. 

However, as cinema continued to evolve, so did the critical discourse and reception surrounding women’s roles. Film critics emerged as tastemakers, contributing to the discourse surrounding societal expectations and the representation of women. In turn, the critiques of film critics have been a double-edged sword, both perpetuating misogynistic principles and challenging them.

For instance, the critiques of the historical drama “Hidden Figures” (2016) directed by Theodore Melfi contributed to a positive cultural impact. Film critics praised “Hidden Figures” for its ability to shed light on the untold stories of African-American female mathematicians at NASA during the space race. The positive reception from critics not only resonated with audiences but also emphasized the importance of diverse and empowering portrayals of women in historical contexts. 

However, the 2016 reboot of “Ghostbusters” directed by Paul Feig featuring an all-female lead cast was not met with that same positive cultural impact. Unfortunately, the film faced a wave of negative reviews from critics rooted in misogyny. Several critics focused more on the gender of the protagonists, insinuating that an all-female cast could not successfully execute a comedic action film. This type of criticism perpetuates harmful stereotypes and undermines the capabilities of the actress involved in the film, showcasing film criticism’s ability to negatively impact the cultural perception of women. 

Additionally, film criticism continues to be a male-dominated industry to this day. According to a 2022 report titled ��Thumbs Down: Film Critics and Gender, and Why It Matters,’ “Across print, radio, television and online outlets, men account for 69% of critics, women account for 31%...” These statistics demonstrate the necessity of film criticism to align with the representation of women on the screens. The statistics highlight the importance of a more inclusive critical cultural landscape beyond predominantly male perspectives.