#Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis

[dat2ndaccount97]

So I've recently started to understand why we only Get Batman Games, Batman Adjacent Games, or DC Superhero games that have everyone (Like a lego or an Injustice). It's because of shit like this (and maybe that Green Lantern Movie game IDK for sure tho).

I've beaten Superman and am halfway through Aquaman. They're both horribly monotonous and feel kinda cheap. Aquaman looks ok in game but has Web Comic Cutscenes made with in game assets that look ROUGH). They're also kinda short too, like two 3-4 hour sessions and the games are done.

I feel like now we could get some amazing big budget games based off of Non Batman DC heroes like Superman or Aquaman, but it's already too late, Warner bros. has no interest in doing such a thing (even before their into doing only Live service games). I know Wonder Woman is still in the works but you can chalk that up to synergy with the somewhat popular movie version of the character. Same thing with Suicide Squad.

[g4zdtechtv]

THE PILE PRESENTS: G4 Vault #10 - Golden Mullet-Worthy Games

And the one that started it all.

(4GTV - THE 24/7 HOME FOR ALL THINGS G4 & A LOT MORE! CLICK HERE!)

[demonic0angel]

Can we see Atlantean Death Cult again - but from the JL’s POV?

(Sure! I will preface this by saying that idk what Aquaman is like and I’m just casually taking information from the wiki)

Aquaman urged the other Justice League members. “We must hurry! Before the ritual is finished!”

Batman asked, as he slipped on an oxygen mask, “What is the problem? What is happening?”

“The Coven of Thule is attempting to summon a Death God to do their bidding! They hope to use him to take over Atlantis to destroy the surface world and increase their power!”

Batman asked quickly, “What else do we need to know?!”

“This Death God is capable of destroying anything,” Aquaman said worriedly, “and it’s said that he can swallow stars and kill anyone with a single look. He is cruel and formidable, but he resides in a different dimension, so that’s why we’ve been safe from him until now. It’s also said that when he is summoned, he’ll be in the form of a Mer, but different from what we expect.”

Superman nodded. “Alright, let’s go! Hurry!”

Equipped with technology that allowed them to swim and breathe faster underwater, they all moved. Batman piled into his underwater jet with some other Justice League members while Aquaman and the others jumped onto a whale and sped to the abandoned palace where the ritual was taking place.

They quickly attacked the place and brought down a wall in hopes of distracting the sorcerers, but it was useless.

There was a sacrificed dolphin in the middle of the room, with a raised altar nearby. And on the altar was the Death God. Bare skinned, with white hair and glowing green eyes, he was a Mer with an orca tail, a never before seen combination. His sleek looking black and white tail swished and he watched them all with a cool gaze.

Aquaman and the Justice League rushed to defeat the coven so they could quickly take care of this mad God and hopefully bring him back to his world.

But even then, they were still too late.

The powerful looking containment ritual was broken with a smudge of the God’s tail, wiped away carelessly as if the magic inside was nothing. Aquaman’s heart sank and he tensed. He could hear the Justice League tie up the coven, and he almost wanted to stop them from moving, as if it would’ve helped as the God watched them silently.

The Death God tilted his head at them, his eyes narrowing. His predatory gaze looked as though he was contemplating whether or not to kill them all now or to let them go so he could play later. There were scars on his chest that must’ve been some sort of battle scars from where someone had struck him twice through his hearts, and power radiated from him like heat from the sun, infinite and bottomless.

Aquaman was sure that he was about to die alongside his comrades and he readied himself so he could move as quickly as possible, to do something before they could perish uselessly.

Instead, the Death God just smiled, his sharp teeth baring into large fangs. He waved his webbed fingers mockingly as he smirked.

“Thanks for taking care of them! See you never! Bye!”

And with a twist of his tail, he created a vortex and disappeared.

Silence reigned within the underwater temple.

They were screwed.

[oldgamemags]

EGM #157, August 2002 - Preview of 'Aquaman: Battle Of Atlantis'.

[justsomerandomfanfic]

Whale Song - Orm Marius X Female Reader

Title: Whale Song

Orm Marius X Female Reader

Additional Characters: Clark (Mentioned), Bruce (Mentioned), Arthur, Damian (Mentioned), Orm's father (Mentioned), and the Justice League (Mentioned)

Requested by: Anon!

WC: 5,189

Warnings: Somewhat enemies to lovers, mild cursing, movie canon violence briefly mentioned, post-Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, during post-credits, italics used, book reference, banter, flirting, teasing, mentioned prejudice, slight angst, and fluff

You were upset. No, more than upset, pissed off. Annoyed. Furious. Normally you would get calls from Clark or Bruce, but never Arthur Curry - Aquaman. As his hologram figure shot out of your watch, you immediately frowned. Only having recently joined the Justice League, Arthur was known for causing a bit of trouble. You were both very different from each other. You were one for talking to people, and he liked using his fists.

But when Arthur called you, it normally meant that he wanted something, needed you to do something for him while he was stuck down in the ocean doing his Kingly duties. All high and mighty. Well, you were fed up. The last time he asked you for something, you were pulled into a small battle, and you owed him twenty bucks - you weren't one to bet, but against Arthur, it was hard to not take part. You loved to see his face when he lost. And he lost most of the time.

But you knew that you were a pretty sensible person to go to when anyone needed anything. You were bright and always mindful. You were brilliant, having gone to Harvard before moving to the big city - Metropolis.

It wasn't long after you found yourself in the company of the world's strongest heroes. With your intellect and specific set of skills, both Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne thought you could be an invaluable member of the Justice League. Though, instead of fighting on the front lines, you would offer advice and wisdom when needed - along with helping the team with the tech that you created. 

So, it didn't come as a surprise when Arthur called you on your 'Super Watch' as you called it, when you made it for you and the team. He came to you when he needed advice, which was a lot. If it had been anyone else, you would've been more than willing to help. But it was Arthur. However, you were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"I need to cash in that favor." He said. There was no greeting - no pleasantries. Just straight to business. Like he usually did when he needed something. 

You rolled your eyes. If only you hadn't asked him to take you to see a Humpback Whale - him with his Kingly Atlantis powers. It had always been a dream of yours, and why wouldn't you take a chance to experience something new and amazing like that? During the time, in awe of the giant Humpback before you, asking for that favor was totally worth it. 

However, at the moment, you didn't want to know what he wanted. There were so many things that he could possibly want. But, it was the weekend. Saturday. Not the day for you to play babysitter for some superpowered superhero. You already had to watch over Damian Wayne. You loved the kid, but you didn’t really think babysitting was your thing. "What do you want?" You asked, not bothering to mask the impatience in your voice. "I have a book I need to get to..."

"I need you to watch over somebody for me." He answered, seemingly aware of your impatience as he continued with a small grin on his face, "I believe that you heard that my brother has joined the surface world. He'll be needing some help adjusting and I think you-"

"Oh, no, no, no," You interrupted, shaking your head as you glared daggers at the hologram before you, "I am not babysitting your murderous brother." You ran a hand through your hair, "Do you know how much damage control I had to do when he tried to kill us surface-dwellers? It took me weeks to fix all that he did - with little help by the way!" You pointed an accusatory finger at him, "I already have a tough time babysitting the supers, I am not babysitting him too."

He sighed heavily. "Look, I know that this is a bit of a big favor-"

You scoffed, "A bit?"

"And I understand that being around new people is not exactly fun for you-"

You couldn't help but roll your eyes again, "Not just that, Art, I am not like you and the other supers. If your brother tries anything, I won't be able to stop him."

"He won't try anything," Arthur grinned, "He's changed, dude. He's not the same as he was over a year ago." 

You nodded, taking another glance at the sky outside your window. "That's good if what you say is true." You agreed hesitantly. "If I am going to do this, and if," You emphasized, letting out a deep breath, "How am I going to find him in the first place? I don't know what he looks like or even where he is. On top of that, I don't even know what his name is."

Arthur gave a small nod. "His name is Orm. I believe he is residing in Metropolis at the moment. For the past couple of weeks, he's been going from city to city, with what little Atlantean money he has left on him. I'll send you a description of his appearance. That'll help, but I think you'll know it's him when you see him."

"Really?" You asked, resting your hand on your hip, "I'll know?" But, Arthur said nothing, only giving you that 'know-it-all' look before hanging up the hologram call. 

Huffing, you dropped your hands, only to raise them to your face and rub your cheeks; overall pretty annoyed. Freezing, you cursed at yourself, forgetting to ask how long you'll be watching over this Orm. 

~~~

Sitting on a small bench, you adjusted your open book, glancing down at the pages. But, instead of reading about a boy and his little sister who fell down a laundry chute and into a strange underground world, you let your eyes wander across the sheet of printer paper that you placed in between the pages. Hiding the fact that you were looking for someone by pretending to read. Your eyes scanned around the page slowly, trying to memorize what Arthur gave you. How could you possibly find this man? Especially with what Arthur had given you to help you find him? Metropolis was huge!

Looking up, your eyes quickly settled on someone in front of you at an outside restaurant, there was a man; tall - seemingly - and blonde; eating a burger. Immediately as your eyes landed on him, you knew. Arthur was right. This was definitely him. 

You suddenly stood, shutting your hardcover book with a snap before walking across the street. Your eyes again locked onto his frame, watching as he continued to chow down on the large burger in his hands. It confused and unnerved you, but the closer you were getting to the man, the more your heart began to race. And it may or may not have been because you thought this Orm was rather attractive. Arthur's family had some good ass genes. 

Before you could even figure out what you were supposed to say, you took a seat across from him; the metal of the chair's legs scraping against the concrete ground sharply. The younger Atlantean prince paused his chewing, his crystal blue eyes staring at you with confusion and obvious caution. You understood that if anyone sat before you while you were trying to enjoy your lunch, you probably would've reacted the same way.

"Hello," You began, immediately inwardly cringing at how awkward your own voice sounded, "Um, I'm Y/N." You watched as he continued chewing, though slowly, his eyes continuing to look over you; still wary. "I'm friends with your brother. He asked me to help you, uh, get used to the surface."

At that, Orm huffed, setting down his burger; annoyed. "I do not need any help." He spoke, his voice firm, but smooth; a shiver ran down your spine. “How did you find me?” Without another word, you pulled the paper from Arthur out of the book, showing it to him. Orm’s eyes widened before narrowing, “Is that supposed to portray me?” He asked, gesturing to the crude drawing of himself - drawn by none other than Arthur himself - you could tell that Orm was not fond of the portrayal at all.

You gave him a deadpanned look, mentally finding this whole interaction very funny - funnily enough. But, you still had work to do. "Listen, I don't really want to do this either. I'd rather be at home reading. But, I owe him a favor and I'm a woman of my word. I understand that you are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, but you are technically a fish out of water in this situation. There are going to be things here on the surface that you won't be able to navigate." You let out a breath, rubbing your temple with two fingers, "So please, let me at least help you with a few things that are mandatory for those that live on land."

After a few moments of silence, Orm squared his jaw as he rubbed his hands clean of the burger's grease with a napkin. The silence between the both of you was unnerving and tense, but you fought through it, not wanting to back down. Even though you were rather annoyed by this whole fiasco, you were a good person, and you weren't about to let a guy with an attitude ruin things for himself just because of his pride or whatever.

"Fine." He grumbled finally, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. "What must I do then?

"Well," You began, gesturing to the side of his burger where you saw a pair of bug legs sticking out, "We have a lot to cover."

~~~

For the next couple of weeks, you began teaching Orm about the surface world, though he was rather hesitant to follow your instructions. In the beginning, he complained and made small comments here or there, but Orm seemed to have noticed your no-nonsense nature. He didn't complain anymore after another firm talking-to, and you found out afterwards that he was a rather fast learner. He had no consistent place to live, moving from hotel to hotel, you knew he could only do that for so long; plus you knew from experience that some hotels were less than ideal to stay in, especially ones that were located near the center of the city. 

Therefore, you decided that Orm staying in one of your homes, near the shore in California, was a more ideal option for him. And if you were being honest with yourself, you were beginning to enjoy the youngest Atlantean prince's company; far more than Arthur's, that was for sure.

During the time that Orm has been staying in your humble abode, you made sure to keep him up with the latest tech, which was far different than in Atlantis, you were sure. From the toaster, blender, microwave, and even computer, you made sure that Orm had at least some, if not all, basic knowledge on the appliances around the house. As said before, Orm was an incredibly quick learner, having mastered most of everything within a matter of days.

However, what you did not expect was for you to begin to like him.

~~~

It had been a long night. You were sending email after email to some of your closest contacts and employees, making sure that they were keeping your empire afloat all the while you were on your "vacation" away from Metropolis. Some of your employees tried to get you to enjoy your so-called vacation, but it was hard to just not check up on how things were doing. 

It was well past midnight, reading and re-reading past emails, and checking your phone every now and then, waiting for the familiar notification sound to go off signaling a new text message to come through. You frowned as you set your phone down on the desk beside your computer, letting out a sigh. You leaned your elbows on the table, rubbing your eyes with the palms of your hands, tired and absolutely exhausted. 

Standing up, you shut your laptop and headed to the kitchen, quickly making yourself a small cup of tea; praying that it would hopefully help you go to sleep. You silently wandered around your seaside home, faintly hearing the ocean waves crash upon the shore. Taking a small sip of your tea, you hummed as it warmed your throat before pushing the back door open and stepping outside. 

The warm breeze made you smile, as did the smell of the salty ocean a couple hundred feet away from you. It was hard to see it, but you could see the moon reflecting off the waves. Resting your forearms against the wooden railing of the porch, you occasionally sipped your tea while enjoying the quiet.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" The smooth, yet low voice asked, startling you slightly.

Raising a hand to your chest, you let out a deep breath as you swiftly turned to see Orm standing a foot or so behind you; arms clasped behind him. His eyes never met yours, the deep blues staring right back at the raging waves. 

"Of course." You replied softly, as he did, turning to look back at the ocean in question, "It always is."

Orm wandered over, taking the spot next to you before speaking, "Do you enjoy the ocean?" He asked, his question surprising you slightly, but you didn't hesitate to answer.

"Yes." You replied, "Ever since I was a kid." Taking a sip of your tea, you swallowed before continuing, "I always lived in the city. I hardly got to see the ocean, we- my family rarely went to the beach. But that never stopped me from loving it." You shuffled one of your feet, the soul of your slipper slipping against the white wood. Looking up, you finally made eye contact with him, "What about you? I mean, you lived in the ocean most of your life, what's it like?" You asked, your curiosity clear in your tone.

He looked at you, his sharp eyes almost glowing from the moon's rays in the darkness of the night. "It is wonderful." He replied simply, looking back out towards the sea once more. "But, I cannot really describe it; it is not something one can explain simply." You gave a nod, as he shifted uncomfortably in his stance. "You had spoken that helping me acclimate to the surface was a favor owed to Arthur, correct?"

You nodded once more, "Yes, it was," You began, glancing over at him only to see that Orm was already looking at you, "Though, to be perfectly honest, his favor was much bigger than mine was." You chuckled lightly, scratching the back of your neck as you stared into his blue eyes.

He tilted his head curiously, "Is that so?" He questioned, 

"Well, yes-" You bit your lip, shifting in your position as you glanced back at the horizon, "I just asked to see a whale." 

At that, Orm raised an eyebrow, "A whale?"

You hummed in confirmation, "Yep, I just wanted to see a whale. I really like whales. And sharks. But I like whales the most. They sleep upright which is super cool. They are just so fascinating." You gushed, a bright smile slowly spreading onto your face before you cleared your throat, "I mean, you must’ve noticed. I have like ten paintings of whales in there." You finished, gesturing back at the house with a nod of your head, feeling a bit embarrassed by your small rant. Meeting Orm’s gaze once again, you swore that you saw a small smile on his face, but before you could fully confirm it with yourself, he hummed before looking back at the ocean.

"Was it all that you hoped?" He then asked.

"Yeah, definitely. When I was available, he took me to Maine and used his ocean magic to summon a Humpback Whale." The memory of seeing that whale made your chest swell with pride. You smiled as you watched the waves ripple gently across the sand. "When it breached the water, I felt as if I took my first breath. It was the nicest thing Arthur has done for me."

Orm felt a pang in his chest, a wave of jealousy washing over him, making him shift in his stance, his grip on his hand behind his back tightening. For the past month or so, Orm had grown accustomed to being around you, and he had found himself liking you quite a bit despite how much he disliked humans. It wasn't something he'd admit to anyone else aside from himself, but you managed to make him feel a little better, more relaxed, even. And, he actually enjoyed spending time with you. "Does Arthur do nice things for you usually?" Orm inquired, attempting to push down his jealousy.

You shook your head, "Nope, never." You laughed lightly, before placing both hands on the railing, leaning forward slightly, "He usually likes to tease me, you know, joke around. I find him annoying most of the time." You admitted, "But, I should thank him next time I see him in person." You yawned, grabbing your empty cup from the wooden railing with one hand as Orm turned to look at you properly.

"Thank him?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing together ever so slightly as you paused at the back door, your back facing him.

"Yeah." You responded softly, shrugging one shoulder, "If he didn't ask me to help you, I never would've met you." There was silence between the two of you for a few moments until you turned your head to look back over at him, meeting those same deep blue eyes that seemed to stare right into your very soul. You took the moment to let your eyes travel over his handsome features: the light stubble along his jawline, his blonde hair combed perfectly, the softness of his skin, and his lips. You could have stayed longer looking at him, staring at the man who unknowingly caused so much pain in your heart, but you could not allow yourself to continue. Instead, you quickly averted your eyes, clearing your throat awkwardly, "I'm going to head to bed. Goodnight, Orm." You said before ducking back inside.

"Goodnight, Y/N." Orm muttered, his voice low as he stared at the back door, where your figure had disappeared into, his blue eyes lingering on the door for a moment before he sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. It wasn't long until he looked back at the crashing ocean, his eyebrows furrowed. 

When Orm found himself living with you at your beach house, he did his best to keep his distance, avoiding you as much as he could when you weren't trying to teach him the ways of the surface-dwellers. His stubbornness was also partly due to the fact that he was brought up in such a way to hate surface-dwellers; to despise them as a whole, and everything they stood for. But, even still, he couldn't bring himself to truly dislike you. Despite the nagging of his father's words echoing in his mind whenever he was close to you. He felt... something towards you. Something different; something new.

~~~

The next morning, you were up bright and early, heading downstairs to grab yourself a cup of coffee. Humming a soft, upbeat tune, you shimmied around the kitchen as you poured yourself some coffee; adding cream and sugar.

Glancing around the kitchen, and tilting your body to the side to peer into the dining room, your humming came to a stop. Usually, at the time that you came down for coffee, Orm had already figured out how to make his breakfast. Which usually consisted of eggs, bacon, and tea. 

Frowning, you furrowed your eyebrows, glancing at the clock on the wall before finishing up stirring your tea. Grabbing the warm mug into your dominant hand, you pulled the edges of your cardigan closer around you; the mornings were always so chilly, being so close to the ocean and all. 

Stepping out onto the back porch, you paused. There was Orm, leaning against the wooden beam of your railing - just as he did the night before. He was dressed for the day, in the Surface-Dweller attire you helped him buy. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that he wasn't from the surface world, he fit in so perfectly. His forearms were resting against the railing, slightly bent at the hip, his stormy blue eyes staring off into the crashing waves of the ocean only a couple of mere hundred feet in front of him. You leaned against the doorframe, worrying on your bottom lip. He must have missed his home - Atlantis - you knew that he did. You couldn’t imagine leaving your home, being forced to never return, in fear of imprisonment or even death. Even though you and Orm had a pretty rough beginning, your heart broke for him. 

Your mind raced with possible ideas of how to try and cheer him up, your eyes flickering down at the wooden porch floorboard, spotting bits of sand sprinkled around here and there from your many adventures from the shore. You allowed your gaze to flicker back to the Atlantean man, studying the contours of the side of his face closely, taking in every detail. His brows furrowed tightly together, his lips slightly pursed in deep thought. He was so... Beautiful. Especially as the morning sun filtered into his hair, shining upon the blonde strands, causing them to appear almost white. 

You blinked for a moment, shaking your head slightly as you focused back on trying to come up with an idea to cheer the man up. And then, it hit you. A surge of excitement rushed through you, making your skin buzz slightly at just the idea. Making yourself known, you walked over, taking your place beside him as he had done last night for you. 

"Hey," You spoke up softly, setting your mug down on the railing, your fingers curling around the ceramic; warming them. "Good morning."

Orm turned his head, his gaze landing on yours before he returned his attention to the ocean, "Good morning."

You sighed, turning your gaze to stare at the ocean yourself, shuffling one of your socked feet against the wooden floorboards. "Have you eaten?" You breathed out, raising your cup to take a sip.

"Yes," Orm muttered, glancing at you briefly, "And you?"

You shook your head slightly, taking another sip, "No," You spoke against the rim of your mug, "I have not yet." You suddenly felt nervous, as the words that you had wished to say slithered on the tip of your tongue. "I was wondering if you'd like to go on an adventure with me?" You asked, turning your head to look back up at him, his eyes meeting yours. 

"An adventure?" He repeated, raising a single eyebrow.

You nodded, unable to stop a smile from spreading on your face, "Yeah, well, I was thinking, you've been cooped up in this house for far too long." You placed your mug aside, turning your body to face him, your eyes bright. "So..." You trailed off, tilting your head to the side a bit - trying to read him, he seemed curious. "What'd ya say?"

"Where is it that you would like to take me?" He asked then, sounding curious and yet, hesitant. 

"It's a surprise." You answered quickly - your excitement obvious - before grabbing your mug and speeding back inside. Pausing at the door, you braced your hand against the doorframe, looking back over at him. "You'll love it. I swear."

~~~

"May I open my eyes now?" Orm asked as you helped him out of your car, his hand covering his eyes, as you had asked him to do. From stepping out of the car, Orm could feel the difference in the air; it was warmer out, and he could still smell the salt of the ocean. And yet, he had no idea where you were taking him. 

"No yet," Orm felt you take his other unoccupied arm, your two hands intertwining as you led him away from your parked car towards what he assumed was the entrance of something.

Orm hummed, the hand over his eyes twitching slightly from the urge to just look, "You are not leading me to my death, are you?" He asked, his tone laced with amusement.

"Hmm, no." You played along as you pulled open one of the double doors, leading him inside, "I wouldn't have you stay with me, for almost four months, just to take you to some secondary location to kill you." Your words made Orm chuckle as you began to drag him further into whatever mysterious place you had taken him to.

As Orm followed blindly beside you, he tried to tighten his hearing, seeing if he could pick up anything around him. For the most part, he didn't hear any signs that anyone else might be around. As far as he could tell, it was only the two of you. He couldn't help but wonder, why the sudden trip? With a gentle tug, he felt you come to a stop, one of your hands dropping from his arm. 

"Okay," You breathed out, "You can look now." Dropping his hand, Orm blinked his eyes rapidly, before they widened. So... This was where you were taking him. An aquarium. The water from the aquarium tunnel reflected on the walls in a kaleidoscope effect, tinting in stunning blues and greens. Fish, some sharks, and even a few stingrays of all species swam about everywhere. The underwater tunnel gave off a soothing atmosphere, as if the water itself was saying; 'Welcome.' His eyes followed the graceful movements of the sea creatures above, his ocean-blue eyes flickering from fish to fish, his lips parted slightly. You broke your gaze from the tunnel, turning to look up at Orm, your smile slowly dropping as you took notice of the expression on his face. It was hard to decipher it, your mind beginning to overwhelm you with 'what ifs' and terrible doubts. "Do you not like it?" You asked softly, your voice filled with uncertainty. Orm swallowed hard, but you continued, "I mean, of course, you might hate it." You began to ramble, running a hand through your hair, looking anywhere else but at him, "I mean, this is technically like a prison for fish. But, I assure you, I practically built this aquarium - all the fish have all the food they could possibly want, all the space-" Orm looked down at you, watching as you continued to stumble over your words, “I know you must have been feeling homesick, and I know you can't really go into the ocean, so I thought that you might like it here-”

“Y/N.” He finally spoke, interrupting your rant, “Thank you.” The words seemed to have easily slid off his tongue, his eyes softening as you stared up at him with those eyes of yours. 

“So, I haven't upset you?” You asked, pulling your bottom lip under your teeth once more. 

Orm shook his head, reaching up with his hand, his thumb gently brushed against your bottom lip, pulling it from between your teeth, freeing it; you felt your cheeks heat at the touch, your eyes fluttering momentarily as the warmth of his finger pressed against your bottom lip. “You have not upset me.” Orm tried to reassure you, giving you that smile of his that made your heart flutter. “In fact, this must be the best surprise I have ever received.” 

“Really?” Your eyes lit up, your smile growing, and at Orm's nod, you sighed, “Wow…” Turning back to look at the fish swimming in the large aquarium glass around you, you spoke once more. “Beautiful, isn't it?” You mimicked his own words from two days prior.

"Yes," Orm muttered, "Very beautiful…” 

Looking up at him, you were surprised to find Orm already looking down at you. You felt your breath hitch, again, unable to look away as his eyes bore down into yours with such intensity. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, a faint crease appearing on his forehead. The air around you grew thick, and it wasn't until Orm reached out, cupping your cheek with one hand, that you finally realized just how much closer your faces were than usual. And yet, you did nothing to pull back. Instead, you simply held your breath, your gaze locked onto his, as his thumb ran along your cheek, his fingers tangling themselves in your hair slightly, drawing you closer to him.

His brows furrowed deeper, his eyes darkening slightly as he gazed down at you. His lips parted slightly, a breath leaving him, before he leaned forward; his lips barely brushing against yours. Slowly, hesitantly, he closed the distance between the two of you. Your eyes fluttered shut as his hand slid down from your cheek to cradle your neck, keeping you close. Your arms wrapped around his middle, your fingers gripping tightly at the fabric of his sweater - you never wanted this moment to end.

The kiss lasted mere moments before you both pulled apart, unable to stop yourselves from smiling at each other. Orm felt an immense sense of happiness overtake him as his blue eyes met yours, his cheeks tinted a soft pink. "Arthur was right," He said - mentally hating the words that seemed to slip so easily from his lips - his hand moved to tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear, his thumb grazing across the shell of your ear.

You couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, raising one hand to press his palm into your cheek, "Arthur was right about what?" You narrowed your eyes playfully, "He's hardly right about anything."

Orm let out a deep sigh, silently agreeing with you, "The surface world is not as terrible as I always believed and was told." He smiled down at you, his hand falling from your cheek to take your hand in his, "You have proven that. As well as Arthur.” You tilted your head to the side lightly, letting out another laugh before shaking your head; Orm's smile quickly turned into a small, anxious frown, "Don't tell Arthur I said that."

"I won't." You promised, your eyes crinkling as you laughed out your words, "He wouldn't shut up about it if I did." Orm chuckled as he nodded his head as you interlaced your fingers with his, "So..." You trailed off, "Do you want to see the rest of the aquarium? I rented it out for the next two hours. So, we got the whole place to ourselves." You waved your free hand in the air, gesturing to the long empty tunnel that led the way to the rest of the aquarium.

"Lead the way." Orm smiled, squeezing your hand in his own gently as he allowed himself to be guided by you; he would follow you wherever you went.

---

Main Masterlist | DC Masterlist

[aquamonstra]

So I'm on my second Veilguard run and went to pick up Lucanis last night, and something occurred to me...

WHY THE HELL IS THERE LITERALLY NO INFORMATION ON THE OSSUARY???

There's this HUGE MAGICAL UNDERWATER COMPLEX CLOSE ENOUGH TO ACCESS BY MAGE-WITH-A-ROW BOAT FROM TREVISO, and we've just not only never heard of it before, but THERE IS LITERALLY ZERO INFORMATION GIVEN ABOUT IT IN THE GAME???

There's no location info, no history, and any of the codex entries or texts you find there only person to the current Venatori activity???

I feel like I recall someone mentioning it was of ancient Elven build, but if so it was just quick passing banter.

WHY ! DID ! THIS ! PLACE ! GET ! NO ! EXPLANATION ????

Like I'm not even talking as a Dragon Age fan here. I am talking as an Aquaman/Atlantis obsessed, the Gungans were my favorite SW alien, amphibious peoples/species are my #1 thing, ALL THINGS UNDERWATER DEVOTEE here.

Thesas lore and history aside, the Ossuary is HUGE and COMPLETELY ENCASED IN A MAGICAL BARRIER TO HOLD BACK THE WATER. Who the fuck built this and why?? Was it originally a prison? Or did whatever Crow that rediscovered it decide to make it that and fuckin WHY??

Why the hell would you make SUCH AN INCREDIBLY COOL LOCATION and then just handwave it away as "underwater prison, whatever" AND NEVER REVISIT OR MENTION IT AGAIN??? That's not just lazy writing, that's a HUGE disservice to the artists/devs who designed it! WHAT THE FUCK BIOWARE???

Like I know so many people are mad about so many things in this game but fuck it this is going to be my banner I carry in to battle. I WANT ANSWERS ON THE OSSUARY YOU COWARDS. GIVE ME MY MAGICAL UNDERWATER PALACE.

[imdeadinsidesiriuslydead]

Hello ! Hope you're doing good <33

Can I request platonic headcanons of YJ! Dick,Kaldur,M'gann (and any other characters that you think will suit this idea). Them meeting alien!reader(any gender you like) who's around the same age as them and that recently joined the YJ? Like for example,reader has 4 arms and has a cool space ship and being able to control elements (water or smth) ?

Please ignore this if you want I suck at making requests. Hope you have a good day/night !

From Another World | yj! Characters x platonic Alien! reader

a/n: I am doing good thanks for asking! I love this! It’s so creative and I never really get to do platonic things so I’m so happy I got this request!

Warnings: None. Gender of reader is never mentioned.

Contains: Robin, Aqua Lad, Miss Martian. Season 1 timeline.

ROBIN:

Robin would have immediately welcomed you to the team.

he keeps his distance though, his training with Batman taught him to find weaknesses and strengths of anyone he’s around. It’s like a switch in his brain he can’t switch off.

He would like to train you to use your water manipulation powers but knows he probably no help with that.

he would do research on your world to get some background information. He’s a sneaky little thing

He probably try to crack a few water jokes around you.

“Hey Y/N! H2O is water but what is H2O4?”

”Robin that’s not a eleme-“

”For swimming and drinking!”

”Get out of my room.”

He would probably try to find any possible weaknesses or kill spots on your spaceship.

He would ask you to teach him to fly it, and of course you do.

He would be interested in teaching you hand to hand combat with multiple arms, but again might not be the best at doing that since he only has two.

He would teach you how to hack a basic computer, standard knowledge amongst the team

Aqua lad:

Aqua lad welcomed you with loving arms onto the team, being the leader.

He starts training you how to use your Water powers in battle, and is constantly looking for new tactics and weapons to teach you to form with water.

He would take you to Atlantis and show you around, being the one of the only other member of the team who can breath underwater is lonely so he’s glad he can take you back and show you his home, he’s really proud to be an Atlantian

He would be very interested in learning your native language and the power of your people

He would totally introduce you to Aquaman

He would tell you about his struggles with dealing with his emotions and feelings about Tula. He feels like you two are connected through your abilities and is willing to let down his wall and not be a tough leader around you.

you two become pretty close friends quickly after joining. He’s very glad of the new addition on the team.

Miss Martian:

M’gann is so freaking happy to meet another alien

She s felt so isolated with her ability set and her not being from earth made her feel like she didn’t truly belong

But since you came along that is out the window!

She starts sharing about her home life on Mars and opens up about what her true form looks like before she told the others.

M’gann would form two extra arms to teach you how to properly fight against your enemy

She would be very interested in learning your planet’s costumes and culture and she would share hers as well.

She would teach you all about human culture as well and would help you pick a secret identity

She would definitely make you cook with her.

She’d show you food from mars and how to cook it along with human food. She would love to see and try some of your planets food too.

M’gann would teach you to fly the Bioship and would love to show off her organic clothes

When you show her your spaceship she would freak.

She would love to learn how to fly it and would love to visit your home world with you.

She’d open up about feeling like an outsider in the team and how you being there just makes her feel more at home and at ease.

———

sorry if this is really short!

request are open!

[itoshiexx]

I just watched Aquaman 2 and OH MY GOD JUST IMAGINE MAKING IT ABOUT THE ITOSHI BROS (spoilers ahead)

Aquaman!Sae who is so fed up with throne duties, just wanting to spend time with you, his pretty wife, and his son on the surface, maybe fighting some pirates along the way.

Aquaman!Sae who thinks Council members are his biggest problem, but then his old enemy Black Manta!Sendou comes back seeking revenge, injuring you and civilians in the process.

Aquaman!Sae who begrudgingly accepts that his only chance at finding Black Manta is to free his brother from prison on the ruins of the Deserter Kingdom and ask for help.

Aquaman!Sae who can’t help but feel bad for Dethroned King!Rin severely weakened from malnourishment, spending all this time with little water to survive.

Aquaman!Sae who is surprised to see his little brother agree to help him and later voluntarily go back to his cell, so that Atlantis doesn’t go to war with the Fisherman Kingdom.

Aquaman!Sae who’s already regretting trusting his brother when they’re captured by pirates at the Sunken Citadel, having to talk to the Kingfish in exchange for Black Manta!Sendou’s location. They fight their way out and head to the Devil’s Deep.

Aquaman!Sae that tries to convince Rin that the surface has a lot to offer, though the younger is skeptical about that.

Aquaman!Sae who sees his brother touching the Black Trident in the middle of battle and pales when, later, Rin tells the story of the Lost Kingdom and what Sendou is looking for: the blood of royal lineage.

His son.

[docgold13]

Heroes & Villains The DC Animated Universe - Paper Cut-Out Portraits and Profiles

Aquaman

Arthur was the ruler of Atlantis, an undersea kingdom composed of an off-breed of humanity who had gained the ability to live under the sea through magic.  This society lived in happy seclusion for centuries, wanting nothing to do with their air breathing cousins of the surface world.  Arthur was not only their king but the mightiest of the Atlanteans. He possessed greatly enhanced strength, speed and durability, the capacity to swim at incredible speeds and a telepathic power that enabled him to speak to and, if necessary, control fish, crustaceans and sea-faring mammals.  Furthermore, as king he wielded the 'Trident of Poseidon,' a powerful weapon handed down by the gods.  All this power not withstanding, Arthur was a benevolent king who cared only for the wellbeing of his people and the sea.  

Following a brief skirmish with Lex Luthor, Arthur became even more dedicated to guarding Atlantis’ seclusion from the surface world.  Yet this became increasingly difficult as mankind's advancing technology and polluting ways continued to descend into his realm.  Arthur disabled a nuclear submarine that had traversed into the depths of Atlantis.  When the Justice League came to investigate, Arthur allowed the heroes to rescue the crew but demanded the sub and its weapons remain behind.  Arthur agreed to appear at the United Nations to stipulate the need to respect Atlantis’ sovereign borders. 

Arthur’s ambitious and conniving brother, Orm, had eyes to steal his brother’s throne and utilized this opportunity to usurp him.  First he hired the assassin Deadshot to kill Arthur at his appearance at the United Nations.  When this plot was thwarted by the Justice League, Orm devised a new, much more dangerous plot.  He planned on using the nuclear weapons procured from the downed submarine to orchestrate an attack that would destroy his brother and cause Atlantis to rally behind him as their new king in a war against the surface world.  

This scheme was also foiled thanks to the Justice League.  Arthur battled his brother and Orm perished in the conflict.  Feeling a debt of gratitude toward the League, Arthur agreed to act as a provisional member of the team who would aid them when needed.  

Actors Miguel Ferrer and Scott Rummell each provided the voice for Aquaman, with the undersea hero first appearing in the ninth episode of the third season of Superman: The Animated Series, ‘A Fish Story.’  

[silveragelovechild]

CONTRARY TO PUBLISHED REVIEWS…

“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” (aka Aquaman2) is getting bashed by movie critics. I’ve always thought critics were far too easy on the Marvel movies, and excessively negative with DC movies. That’s the case here. I’ve been suffering from Comic book Movie Fatigue (both Marvel and DC) but I can honestly say, I enjoyed Aquaman 2.

I think if you liked the first one, you’ll like the sequel. If you didn’t, you won’t.

I wasn’t too excited when I heard Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was returning as the villain Black Manta. The character was lame the first time but there was a little improvement this time around. (But he ultimately comes across stupid).

But the core of the movie was about Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and his half brother Orm (Patrick Wilson). In the first film, Orm was a villain but showed signs of redemption at the end. This movie continues his story arc, as Orm is forced to buddy-up with Aquaman to try and save the world. The bro-bonding is frequently played for laughs but I thought it worked. And the humor worked within the context of the larger story (unlike Thor Love and Thunder which was tonally a mess).

Fan of that actor accused of beating his wife had campaigned to get Amber Heard fired from the sequel. I liked Heard as Mera (although her hair color is a little strange). Mera played an important role in the story. Good for her.

In an early trailer some of the effects looked bad but I didn’t see any problem in the actual film. Atlantis looks great as in the first movie.

I especially liked Aquaman’s two undersea friends who were added to the cast: Storm, the giant seahorse that Aquaman rides into battle; and Topo the octopus but in this case, not just a name but also a designation: "He's a Tactical Observation and Pursuit Operative”.

While the DCEU had problems under director/producer Zack Snyder dark vision, I think both Wonder Woman films and both Aquaman films are worthy additions to the genre. (And for what it’s worth, I also liked Ezra Miller’s Flash movie.)

[dat2ndaccount97]

2 days ago this game gave me the ick and i'm only now feeling better. This game was so awful it actually sucked the life from me, and sucked the fun out of live streaming a "bad Game" because it controls like shit, has awful combat, and is a prime example of a "Where the fuck do I go Kinda game". Did this game actually make me sick? Probably not but I felt real bad and got worse as the first night progressed and still felt bad last night when I beat it.

For context I decided to stream 3 coincidentally similar DC Games I've dubbed the "Unholy DC Trinity., consisting of Batman: Dark Tomorrow, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Aquaman: Battle For Atlantis.

All 3 games are based off the then current comic versions of the characters (rather than a show or movie or being an original take on the characters), all released around a similar time frame (2002-2003), are all apparently Terrible (I can attest to Batman being bad), and none released on the PS2. Batman and Aquaman are Gamecube and Xbox and Superman was an Xbox Exclusive.

I beat Batman on stream last night, probably could've knocked it out in one stream if I didn't feel sick, and will be moving on to Superman this Wednesday and then Aquaman when I beat Superman.

All of this is going down over on my twitch

[g4zdtechtv]

X-Play Classic - X-Plentions

They're more than inventions!

(GIVE TO FORMER G4 2.0 STAFF IN NEED)

(HELP SAVE THE GIANT G4 NES CONTROLLER)

[we-cross-universe-king-relate]

my adventures with the justice league part 2

as I've gone over yesterday this is a headcanon going over what I think members of the justice league would be like if they show up and who. And like I also said these members of the justice league will be young adults and have youthful appearances. And their maximum age limit will either be 22 or 23.

So the next person from the justice league is Arthur Curry aka Aquaman.

Here's how I think it would go down Arthur would go to metropolis with his dad Thomas Curry on a sort of short vacation. They'd both enjoy themselves and Thomas mainly brings Arthur because he hears about Superman because Arthur being half Atlantian is a source of felling different from others he brings him to metropolis hoping to get of Arthur to see he's not so different. Clark is battling a bad guy and it's hard for him and he's on the ropes seeing this Arthur decides to help by (I honestly think this incarnation of him would have it because other incarnations of him do) using his waterbending in secret and hiding to give Clark an opening.

After the fight Clark see Arthur but don't go after him instead he just takes the bad guy to jail. After a while Clark along with Lois, Jimmy and Kara meet Arthur and his dad again by chance Arthur actually knows how they are because of flamebird and so he asks questions. Thomas decides to leave Arthur be because he's looking into a place to stay in metropolis for the night leaving Arthur to asks his questions. As the group spends time with Arthur they find out he's a loud, boisterous and somewhat flirty person as he tries to hit on Lois and Kara only to back off when he realizes Clark and Jimmy are together. If I had to describe this version of Arthur in a group of friends he's the "loud mouth who you just love to hear."

He bonds really well with the group and even helps Clark, Lois and Jimmy with their jobs as reporters. However another bad guy attacks causing Clark and Kara to spring into action. The bad guy is actually about to deal with Clark and Kara and seeing that they need help Arthur, despite doing it in front of people waterbends and help Clark and Kara fight. After the fight and the bad guy is sent to jail Clark and Kara thank Arthur but accidentally call him by his name and Arthur after the shock of being called by his name wears off he realizes it Clark and Kara and he even finds out that Jimmy and Lois knew how Superman and Supergirl were.

After everything Arthur and Clark talk and Arthur tells Clark about how different he feels something Clark can relate to. During the course of the short vacation Arthur is basically the fifth member of their group and hangs out with them a lot.

Clark's mild-mannerness makes him a little awkward around the more loud and cheerful Arthur but they get along all the same.

Jimmy and Arthur get along extremely well Jimmy even asks Arthur if he wants to be on flamebird which Arthur agress to.

Lois is a little weary of Arthur given his initial flirting towards her but after seeing the good person he is they get along well.

Kara find Arthur a little annoying because of his loud personality and initial flirting towards her but the two get along.

When the vacation is over and Arthur and Thomas have to say goodbye Arthur, Clark, Jimmy, Lois and Kara exchange numbers so they can stay in touch. Afterwards because of Arthur's super swim speed in the water Arthur visits metropolis often just to hang out with the group.

In case it wasn't obvious this version of Arthur is a version of him That isn't the king of Atlantis or knows about his Atlantic heritage, at least not completely, So for the most part he stays on the surface with his dad and only learns little-by-little about what he can do. Since the series focuses on younger adults this version of Arthur has the young adult insecurity of not fitting in But finding his place in the crowd. This version of him also doesn't have his superhero identity outright but gets it later on.

Now appearance wise I won't go into too much detail but because this is a young adult version of him He doesn't have any sort of facial hair and has the standard blue eyes and blonde hair.

Also unlike Batman from my last post Arthur will come back to metropolis often making him a fifth member of the group.

[geekcavepodcast]

DC Comics' First "Absolute Power" Titles

DC Comics' "Absolute Power" event will pit the Trinity of Evil - the Brainiac Queen, Failsafe, and Amanda Waller - against the heroes of the DCU in a battle for the fate of all metahumans.

Fans can get a prelude into the events of "Absolute Power" in Absolute Power 2024 FCBD Special Edition. The free comic book day release will contain an original story from Mark Waid and Mikel Janín, a recap of the lead-up to "Absolute Power," and a sneak peek of Absolute Power #1.

Absolute Power 2024 FCBD Special Edition releases on May 4, 2024.

Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1 is a oversized prelude to the saga. The "key to capturing all metahuman powers on planet Earth will finally be unlocked" bringing "Amanda Waller’s total dominance to the doorsteps of DC’s Super Heroes, using the combined might of Failsafe, the Brainiac Queen, and the Suicide Squad." Creatives for the one-shot include Mark Waid, Nicole Maines, Joshua Williamson, Chip Zdarsky, Gleb Malnikov, V Ken Marion, and Skylar Patridge.

Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1, featuring a main cover by Dan Mora, goes on sale on June 25, 2024.

Absolute Power #1 (of 4), from Mark Waid and Dan Mora, sees the Brainiac Queen and Failsafe giving Amanda Waller the ability to capture metahumans' powers. The Super Heroes and their allies will face chaos on the streets, the Suicide Squad commander's methodical attacks, and a massive disinformation campaign.

Absolute Power #1, featuring a main cover by Dan Mora and variant covers by Mora, Jim Lee, Stephen Bliss, Puppeteer Lee, Chris Samnee, Chrissie Zullo, Wes Craig, and John Timms, goes on sale on July 3, 2024.

Absolute Power: Task Force VII is a biweekly companion series to Absolute Power that will be from the Super-Villain's perspective "as the Trinity of Evil co-opts the combined powers of Amazo and the technology of Failsafe in their quest to eliminate all metahumans."

Leah Williams and Caitlyn Yarsky's Absolute Power: Task Force VII #1, on sale July 10, 2024, will introduce the Last Son, who has attacked Superman and his Metropolis allies and is now heading for the Shazam family.

John Layman and Max Raynors' Absolute Power: Task Force VII #2, on sale July 24, 2024, will introduce Depth Charge, who has stolen Aquaman's powers and taken over Atlantis. But Mera and the rest of the Aqua-family are ready to launch a secret revolution.

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #3, on sale July 31, 2024, follows the Amazo robot Jadestone, who has gone after the powers of the Justice Society of America. However, Jadestone has been compromised by Green Lantern Alan Scott's willpower and may now be able to execute his own free will as opposed to obeying Waller's orders. Meanwhile, the remaining JSA members are mounting a rescue and an attempt to flee to the Tower of Fate.

Absolute Power: Origins, from John Ridley and Alitha Martinez, is the history of Amanda Waller. "Find out what has led her to this place in a tale of how Waller suffered a catastrophic loss, and how she forged her powerlessness into a path to vengeance, fueled by two words that changed her life, and the lives of everyone in the DC Universe: NEVER AGAIN."

Absolute Power: Origins #1 (of 3) goes on sale on July 24, 2024.

July 2024's tie-in comics for Absolute Power are Batman #150, on sale July 2, Wonder Woman #11, on sale July 17, and Superman #16, on sale July 17,

(Images via DC Comics - Covers of 2024 Absolute Power Free Comic Book Day Special Edition, Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1, Absolute Power #1, Absolute Power: Task Force VII #1, and Absolute Power: Origins #1)

[datcloudboi]

List of video games turning 20 years old in 2023:

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising

Alien Versus Predator: Extinction

Amplitude (an early rhythm game from Harmonix, the creators of Rock Band)

Ape Escape 2

Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis (the Superman 64 for Aquaman)

Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits

Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge

Batman: Dark Tomorrow (the Superman 64 for Batman)

Beyond Good and Evil

Bloody Roar 4 (the last game in the series to release)

Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand (a very unique action RPG from Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima)

Brute Force

Call of Duty (the very first one)

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge

Dark Cloud 2

Deus Ex: Invisible War

Devil May Cry 2

Dino Crisis 3 (C'mon, Capcom, do another one)

Disaster Report

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness

Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II

Drake of the 99 Dragons

Dynasty Warriors 4

Enter the Matrix

Eve Online

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (my personal favorite TRPG)

Final Fantasy X-2

Final Fantasy XI Online (in the States. Also the first MMO in the series)

Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade (the first Fire Emblem game to release in the States)

Freedom Fighters

Freelancer

F-Zero GX

The Getaway

Golden Sun: The Lost Age

Grabbed by the Ghoulies (the first game developed by Rare after being acquired by Xbox)

.hack//Infection

.hack//Mutation

.hack//Outbreak (yep, three .hack games were released in a single year)

Homeworld 2

Ikaruga (the most video game-ass video game that ever video game'd)

Jak II

Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis

Kirby: Air Ride

Legacy of Kain: Defiance (the last game in the series to release)

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Lost Kingdoms II

Manhunt

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Mario Party 5

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne

Medal of Honor: Rising Sun

Mega Man & Bass (was originally a Sega Saturn exclusive that only released in Japan. It released over in the States on the GBA.)

Mega Man Battle Network 3

Mega Man X7

Mega Man Zero 2

Metal Arms: Glitch in the System

Midnight Club II

Need for Speed: Underground

Otogi: Myth of Demons (an early SoulsBorne-like game from From Software)

Panzer Dragoon Orta

P.N.03

Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire (in the States)

Postal 2

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando

Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc

Rise of Nations

Robocop (the Superman 64 for Robocop)

Silent Hill 3

The Simpsons: Hit & Run

Sonic Advance 2

SoulCalibur II (the console versions)

Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy

Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom

Star Wars: Galaxies

Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Jedi Academy

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 (a remake of Super Mario Bros. 3 for the GBA)

Tak and the Power of Juju

1080° Avalanche

Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven

Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness

Tony Hawk’s Underground

Toontown Online

True Crime: Streets of LA (Activision's attempt at a GTA clone)

Unlimited SaGa

Unreal II: The Awakening

Viewtiful Joe

Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution

Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (the last Warcraft game before WoW)

Wario World

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega MicroGame$!

Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (The Will to Power)

XIII

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner

[doctorstrangereview]

0011: Mini-sode bonus! Fantastic Four #27

Cover Date: June 1964 On-Sale Date: March 10, 1964

As promised in the final caption of the previous Doctor Strange story, our magician guest stars in this issue of Marvel's flagship series, Fantastic Four. This is Doc's first appearance outside his own series establishing him as a presence in the larger Marvel shared universe. Make no mistake, this is a Fantastic Four story in which the good Doctor has a small, but significant role. We get to see Jack Kirby's interpretation of the character. I don't particularly like it.

The story begins as a typical FF yarn. Reed has invented and is testing some new gadget. Ben tries it out and hilarity ensues. Reed's mental projector has shown an image of Sue. Ben and Johnny chide Reed for not having popped Sue the question yet to which Reed responds he's going ring shopping that very afternoon.

Coincidently, Namor is brooding about Sue in Atlantis. If he had Sue as his queen, he could deal with the fact that his terrible personality has driven away nearly all of his subjects. Damn, Namor! That's some serious shit!

While Reed is out ring shopping, Namor invades the Baxter Building. Apparently Reed hasn't upgraded the security yet. After easily overcoming Ben and Johnny, he kidnaps Sue. Reed returns shortly after and wonders why his buddies are moping at the table. You see, Ben and Johnny prefer to sulk in their depression rather than immediately tell their best friend that Namor broke in and took Sue. You'd think that Johnny, an incredibly powerful hero, would immediately go after her, but sitting at a table with his head in his hands is a better use of his time.

Reed does jump into action immediately (both literally and figuratively) attempting to locate Namor. He tells Johnny and Ben all the things he should have been telling Sue over the last two years. "Uh Oh! Namor's gonna pulverize Reed if he goes alone!" says Johnny. "We gotta get there first! How we gonna do that?" replies Ben. "I got an idea!" says Johnny who flies out the window and leaves a giant flaming message in the sky for Doc. At this point, the FF aren't even sure Doc actually exists. Johnny thinks it's a good idea that this ultra-important mission be left to someone who is possibly a legend.

Fortunately for everyone, Doc does exist. He's gets Johnny's message. By looking out his window? No! He's looking into a crystal ball on a table. He immediately sits in a funky chair (Kirby and Ditko appear to agree on this point, even if Kirby's Sanctum Santorum looks nothing like Ditko's. The chair is mostly obscured by captions and dialogue so I don't know if this is a new chair or one of Ditko's previous designs.) and emits his ectoplasmic self. Kirby breaks with Ditko's convention of not having an astral version of the cloak and ghost Doc flies away, giant ghostly collar and all!

Doc sees Reed leave in a helicopter. As Reed isn't who summoned him, he walks through the walls of the Baxter Building. Fortunately, he's chosen to enter the building in the same room that Johnny and Ben are in. What Luck!

After some long-winded exchanges, Doc is aware he must locate Reed and Atlantis. He does this by reading the minds of fish. You go Doc! Give Aquaman a run for his money! He finds Atlantis and locates Namor and Sue. Being a ghost there's nothing more he can do except see Reed arrive and go "Oh, damn! I need to hurry or it'll be too late!" As Doc speeds to the surface, Reed and Namor have a funky battle.

Doc returns to the Baxter Building. He tells Johnny and Ben, "Wait an minute! I need my body to do what I need to do!" and returns a few minutes later, All-Purpose Amulet, flowing cloak, orange gloves and all! (Ditko is much better at drawing the cloak. In fact, Doc's whole look is simplified by Kirby. I guess he wasn't a big fan of the character.) "Well, you need to get there quickly! I know, I'll zap you there!" Johnny and Ben vanish in a puff of smoke and pop up in Atlantis a moment later to see Reed doing his imitation of The Legion of Superheroes Bouncing Boy evading Namor's soldiers. Ben and Johnny join the fray.

As Reed and Namor continue their battle/frottage, Johnny frees Sue. Namor attempts to drown them by flooding their chamber, but Johnny and Sue combine their wits and powers to stop it. Sue has to give a backhanded compliment to her brother. The battle becomes really protracted at this point and Namor seems to have the upper hand, but Sue is protecting her teammates with her newly discovered invisible force-field.

Doc has been watching all this time. As Sue declares that she loves Reed, not Namor, Doc zaps them away from the situation and then whisks Namor's palace to an unknown area of the sea. On their way back to the surface, Sue says cagey things about her feelings for Reed and Reed is not entirely confident about them. In a thought bubble she admits she loves Reed, but where's the drama in admitting that out loud?

It's kind of a mess, but we're here for the Doctor Strange. I think Kirby's portrayal is more or less faithful to Ditko's. I suppose it helps that Lee is involved in both to a degree. He seems to have an even larger rod up his rear than usual here. Visually, Kirby should do his best to avoid portraying Doc. I don't know if it was the colorist's choice or Kirby's, but coloring Doc green on the color was a bad idea. The issue is mainly a historical artifact that brings Doc into sync with his fellow costumed New Yorkers. It's an amusing curiosity where Doc is more of plot device amidst the ridiculous melodrama that was the earliest Fantastic Four.