#I will never have enough doom & namor in my life

[imperiuswrecked]

It's a gift Namor, don't be rude.

Namor Week 2024 - Day 5 - Friends/Enemies Frenemies featuring Doom & Namor @namorweek Thank you to the wonderful @rikebe for creating this fun comic for me! I love it!!! Commission the artist here!

[loloalin]

Wakanda Forever Spoilers//

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While I don’t ship Namor and Shuri, I find their dynamic very rich. I particularly find their bond in grief fascinating: both in the way they inherit it and the way they process it. 

When Shuri loses her brother, she experiences grief manifested as rage, a destructive fiery force that could threaten the entire world. While she doesn’t fully face her grief, she understands that she must temper it, and she does so by delving into her lab work, coming up with scientific, technological solutions to Wakanda’s issues. Similarly, when Namor loses his mother and goes to bury her, he channels his grief into fire, burning his immediate surroundings and feeling rage towards the surface world: and yet, he too must temper this rage. His role as the god-king-protector of his people coupled with the fact that his nation’s vibranium hadn’t been discovered meant that he could prevent himself from being consumed by his grief-driven rage so long as his people were safe. Shuri and Namor cope with their losses by turning to work, all the while distracting themselves from fully confronting and dealing with their grief.

Funnily enough, the way they both use work to cope signals to how they experience grief not only as rage but failure. Why couldn’t I heal my brother’s body, Shuri wonders. Why couldn’t I heal my mother’s broken heart, Namor wonders. Why do I have these gifts, talents, skills if I can’t save the ones I hold dearest to me, they both wonder. Working is a means of numbing the pain they feel over the guilt they carry in not being good enough when it mattered most. Shuri never wants to fail anyone the way she THINKS she failed her ill brother, so of course she works around the clock coming up with new technologies. Namor never wants to fail anyone the way he THINKS he failed his broken-hearted mother, so of course he transforms Talokan into a civilization that recreates the best of the surface world. They are motivated by their losses to push their boundaries and become greater than they once were. It is no wonder then, that when Shuri tells Namor about her pain over T’Challa’s death, he tells her “only the most broken people can be great leaders”, a piece of wisdom inherited from his ancestors but also embedded in his life experiences. 

And STILL, the pursuit of such ‘greatness’ does not heal their wounds. When Namor holds a dying Talokanil in his hands, he feels failure in not being able to save his ‘child’, his grief manifests as rage, and he resolves to break the one person who was his kindred spirit, killing Shuri’s mother. Tragically, this binds them together even more than they already were. When she buries her mother, she buries her heart: she IS him, the child without love. His emotional wound inflames her wound, pushing her to the point of no return and, seemingly, sealing their doom. 

But that doesn’t happen. Their bond in grief is more than just that. It’s more than the doom and destruction that follows when grief remains unintegrated. The very act of Namor binding Shuri to him propels their journey out of the grief that consumed them. Shuri is freed from the constraints of tempering-but-not-dealing with her rage. Namor is the 'world' she can release her fire upon and burn without feeling as if she's failed anyone. And when she commits this act, there is nothing left to burn. No more destructive fire. The dust settles, and what is seen are the best parts of their bond. Their love for their people. Their love for their families. Their love for their mothers.  

Their dynamic will always be fraught with pain, their grief will always be a part of them, but they will always remember that in bonding together, they saw their mothers again, different, yes, but still PRESENT, signaling that the healing process they've evaded for so long has finally begun. 

[theserpentunderneathh]

Since Marvel Acquired 21st Century Fox, I have some ideas for Black Panther 2...

Here’s what I think BP2 should be like since Disney Acquired Fox.

First off, I’m totally on the Namor (Atlantis) vs Black Panther (Wakanda) bandwagon.

I think initially the movie should start with the two Kings and nations working to be allies. But after an attack of some kind (maybe a tsunami), that is believed to have been done by Atlantis, the two nations erupt in an all out war.

Instead of portraying Namor as a big bad evil villain, he is shown to be a King just as honorable as T’challa who wanted to avoid war but is just doing what he has to in order to protect his people.

T’challa recognizes this, as well as his some of his own less reputable decisions, and soon begins regretting retaliating so quickly. But right as he and Namor are both on the verge of peace talks, an attack takes place that kills his one true love, Nakia (I’ll explain my reasoning to this later). Simultaneously another attack takes place in Atlantis (maybe an explosion) and someone close to Namor (maybe one of his children or his wife. Or both.) is killed as well, making both kings become angry and vengeful (think T’challa in Civil War x10). This results in the two kings personally going head to head in what needs to be one of the best one on one fights in the entire history of the MCU.

This fight scene needs to be fucking EPIC! Black Panther needs to redeem itself in action sequences after that CGI shit show from the first one. It needs to be mostly practical stunts with Namor and T’challa going hard as fuck on one another. I mean just seriously wailing the shit out of each other. Beating each other to bloody fucking pulps. T’challa comes out on top, because this is his movie, and right before he’s about to kill Namor he realizes that Namor has basically given up and wants to be killed. Namor tells him that the recent attack in Atlantis killed someone close to him. T’challa, tells him he never ordered an attack in Atlantis and Namor tells him he never ordered one in Wakanda and that the initial attack that started the war wasn’t Atlantis’ doing. The two finally begin to realize that they’re being played by an outside force.

Who is this outside force?

None other than Victor Von Doom.

This is where the Disney/Fox deal comes into play. And since a Fantastic 4 reboot is inevitable this would be the perfect way to introduce them into the MCU.

Anyway, it turns out that Victor already has his powers and is already the monarch of Latveria. This way when they do a Fantastic Four reboot its of an already established team instead of another origin story.

Doom is beginning his conquest to take over the world and sees his two biggest obstacles as Wakanda and Atlantis. Instead of attempting to take them out one by one on his own, he concocts a plan to pit the two nations against each other. He plans on making one wipe out the other and then taking on the winner while they’re still weak from the war.

Realizing that the war was completely orchestrated by someone else, T’challa and Namor, Wakanda and Atlantis, ban together to take down Doctor Doom. In the end, Doom is defeated and the two Kings agree to work together to rebuild both their kingdoms.

Before I go into why Nakia needs to die, let me first say I love both Nakia and Lupita deeply. But it needs to happen in the story for a number of reasons.

First because someone close to T’challa has to die to push him to the edge and it has to be someone that makes him completely irrational. Shuri can’t die. She just can’t. When it comes to Queen Mother or Okoye, the support of both Shuri and Nakia would be enough to keep him grounded. But if Nakia dies, he would be alone in his grief. Yes, Shuri, Okoye, and Queen Mother all cared for Nakia but T’challa is in love with her. No one else would understand losing Nakia in the way T’challa has. It’d be the thing that pushes him to his breaking point.

Another reason is with the Fox Merger there are going to be a huge group of fans that want Storm with T’challa and because of that it’d create an amount of unwarranted resentment and animosity against Lupita and Nakia that neither deserves. This way Storm and T’challa could possibly get together. The third reason is going to be explained as I talk about the end credit scenes so stay tuned.

I have an idea for two end credit scenes which is usually the norm.

The first end credit scene would be Doom in a cell in Wakanda’s prison. He would give this long monologue about how he can’t be contained and how he’ll break out and take over the world. T’challa just laughs and tells him, “you’re not staying here”. When Doom asks where he’s going T’challa answers he’ll being staying with one of his [Doom’s] old friends. Then out of the shadows steps a man who‘s face isn’t shown to us. Victor rolls his eyes and groans out the name of the man, “Reed”. They turn the camera and show us the face of Mr.Fantastic (who better be played by John Krasinski). Credits roll.

The second end credit scene shows someone in the tombs of Wakanda (I imagine them mummifying their dead Egyptian style). In a barely noticeable quick shot you see that N’jadaka (Erik Killmonger) tomb has been opened before they get to the tomb of Nakia. A mysterious and unknown person (most likely Threnody but could be anyone) is singing a creepy song while stroking Nakia’s face. The women suddenly says something like “Awaken” and Nakia opens her eyes and gasps. Credits roll.

Then in part three you not only have a revived Killmonger as the big bad but Nakia as Malice along with whoever is responsible for bringing them back to life. But that’s an entirely different post.

[valdomarx]

Early 616 Steve/Tony recs

Retro comics are truly the most delightful source of silliness and lovely fics. There’s Tony angsting about his imminent death, Steve sulking far more than you might imagine, and of course copious amounts of identity porn.

This month’s Steve/Tony recs are stories set early in canon in the 616, meaning around the 1960s -1990s. Let’s get nostalgic, and remember to give kudos and comments to our lovely authors!

Think of This as Solving Problems (That Should Never Have Occurred) by Sineala

No one knows Tony is Iron Man. Then Tony gets amnesia, and literally no one knows Tony is Iron Man.

If Only, If Only by coaster  

Iron Man liked to cuddle when he's tired and drowsy. More specifically, Iron Man cuddled Steve when he was tired and drowsy. Steve thought he was too late to do something about it.

I'll Be Home For Doom's Day (The You Can Count on Doom Remix) by teaberryblue

When Tony invites Steve on a last-minute jaunt to Latveria, Doom is lurking on the horizon. Literally.

Fortunately for them both, what happens in Latveria stays in Latveria.

In Every Way That Matters by Sineala

There are bright things about the future, and Steve's friendship with Iron Man is one of the brightest. So what if he doesn't know who the man under the mask is? That's not going to stop Steve from wanting his friendship, or even from wanting something more.

Your Hand in Mine by navaan 

Steve tries to find his place in this world. But it's hard if you're in love with someone who you don't really know outside of their secret identity.

Get Some Now by Sineala 

Avengers Mansion has a mysterious feline infestation. Meanwhile, Steve just can't figure out how to ask Tony out on a date. And the thirteen teleporting cats sure aren't helping matters any.

The Collection by Sineala 

In the early days of the Avengers, Steve finds out about Tony's Captain America memorabilia collection -- and much, much later, Tony tries to give a piece of it back to him.

Intrepid Hearts by Neverever 

Tony hangs around the mansion more after Steve is seriously hurt in an explosion caused by Iron Man. Steve likes Tony but doesn't know why Tony is upset all the time. Maybe Iron Man is the problem.

You and Me and Him by navaan

If you live in the same house, it’s really hard to keep your secrets. Especially if you are good friends. He doesn’t mean to watch as closely as he does, but it’s obvious to Steve that Tony and Iron Man are in a relationship. Right?

Detours in Getting to Yes by MsErmestH

Tony is trying hard to stay sober by throwing himself into his work and leading the Avengers. At the same time, Steve moves to Brooklyn Heights in an attempt to find himself after Sharon’s death.

Which means it’s a great time for the two of them to get in an argument about Stark International’s new Brooklyn facility and for Steve to realize he’s in love with Iron Man.

in the one garden you may call your own by Woad

It was probably the height of arrogance, helping Steve woo himself. But what could Tony do? Steve was right, there was no one else who knew the Golden Avenger better.

Steve enlists Tony to help him tell Iron Man how he feels.

Evocation by captainshellhead, vibraniumstark

Steve decides that he should get to know the Avengers's benefactor better. Tony can't imagine why, but he's not complaining.

That Time Back Then by navaan 

An accident sends Steve and Carol back in time and watching Steve and Iron Man interact gives Steve a new perspective on how blind both of them were all those years ago.

Gravitational Pull by antigrav_vector

A strange temple floating in space is discovered, and Steve and Tony are the logical choices to go investigate. What they find is going to make or break their relationship...

Take It Like You Mean It by Amuly

Steve Rogers is new to the Avengers and fitting in just fine. At least, he seems to be, though Tony notices that after battles he has a certain itch that needs scratching... in his ass. Soon enough, Tony finds himself watching as Steve fucks his way steadily through various teammates: Namor, Thor, Sam, Clint (or, more accurately, is fucked by them).

To Tony's great frustration, Steve never seems to ask Iron Man, or Tony Stark (because for all Steve Rogers knows, they're two different people) for a helping hand. It's enough to make a guy feel unwanted!

Bizarre Love Triangle by panickyintheuk                

Once the idea was in his head, he’d started picking up on all kinds of things, like the way Stark talked about Iron Man with such affection, and seemed to share so many of his mannerisms, and was constantly working on ways of improving the suit. It was obvious.

To Make Much of Time by Sineala 

When Iron Man rejects Steve's romantic advances, Steve is disappointed, but of course he understands -- Iron Man's secret identity is important. But when a portal opens and Tony Stark crashes into their midst from twelve years in the future, Steve starts to suspect that there are more secrets here than he can even begin to comprehend, and neither Iron Man nor Tony are providing any answers.

I'll Give You Gifts Until You Know My Name by Amuly

Mr. Stark is an extravagant gift-giver: he has the money for it, after all. As Iron Man, Tony has the opportunity to gift Steve even more presents that, while less expensive, are more heartfelt. Having a secret identity means Tony gets to have his cake and eat it too when it comes to showering Steve with presents.

Until Steve starts developing feelings for his armored companion, and all the benefits of living a double life are turned on their head for Tony Stark.

Comedy of Illusions by ladyshadowdrake

Thinking that he's been caught out, Tony confesses that he's Iron Man - at least that's what he thinks he's doing. Steve hears something very different. Date night, sexy-fun times, and a jumble of errors as Tony tries to fix his mistake results, all compounded by a mysterious enemy who's been hacking into SI servers.

As you can probably tell, I friggin love this era. So I’ve written a few fics on this theme too:

He Don't Love You (Like I Love You) by cptxrogers

Misunderstandings! Heartache! Heroic escapades! The beguiling tale of a LOVE TRIANGLE between handsome industrialist Tony Stark, his valiant alter ego Iron Man, and their intrepid teammate Steve Rogers. In this issue, our favorite Avengers face their toughest foils yet: THEIR OWN HEARTS! A drama not to be missed!

Comfort, Truth, Joy (the Mountains of Madness remix) by cptxrogers

A mysterious signal is emanating from deep within Antarctica, and Steve and Tony set out to investigate. If they can make it through the freezing temperatures and the deadly ice fields, something even stranger awaits them deep in the antarctic mountains.

Many Faces, All of them Yours by cptxrogers

Steve is head over heels for the team's benefactor Tony, but he feels terrible for his best friend, Iron Man, who seems to have developed a bit of a crush on him. And now there's a mysterious new hero, Nomad, stalking the streets of New York.

An identity porn soap opera.

[brevoorthistoryofcomics]

This is another older comic book that I had forgotten about, but which I still have. It was bought for my brother Ken initially, and only found its way into my possession over time. So I definitely read it back in the day. And while I can today testify that it is indeed a very fine comic book, back in 1975 it was yet another example of why Marvel comics just weren’t for me. 

This was during Steve Gerber’s excellent tenure as author of DEFENDERS. He was an individualistic and iconoclastic writer, but he’d squarely hit true emotional notes that made his work fascinating. The lead story was illustrated by Don Heck, seldom a huge favorite of mine. But here he turned in a very nice job--and even the often-maligned Vinnie Colletta did nice work on the inks.

The story is super-cool, although as a young kid I couldn’t quite click into who to root for, nor could I connect with any of the very strange leads. The issue opens with Kyle Richmond, secretly the Defender known as Nighthawk. Kyle is out on the town--he’s in the midst of a whirlwind romance with Trish Starr, another old character who had previously appeared in some Ant-Man stories. Kyle and Trish get to their car and start the engine--and then WHOOSH, the whole thing blows up around them. They’re rushed to the ER, both still clinging to life

Hearing about the incident, Dr. Strange and Valkyrie make their way to the hospital, where Strange lends his medical skills as a consultant to try to save Kyle. Under the strain of the operation, he accidentally psychically summons the Hulk, who bursts through a wall of the hospital, concerned about his friend “bird-nose.” Elsewhere, the momentarily-retired Hank Pym sees a news report about the explosion. Trish Starr had helped him out when he was Ant-Man and in battle with her uncle, Egghead. He suspects that Egghead must have planted the explosive, and suits up as Yellowjacket  to search him out.

For his part, we find Egghead down and out, getting into fights at the flop houses where he’s forced to dwell. He’s hit bottom, this once-brilliant villain. Yellowjacket--who has never been cooler than he is in this story, it’s a shame that Gerber didn’t get to do more with him--confabs with Trish to find out what she knows about Egghead’s whereabouts. Meanwhile, the three Defenders speak with Kyle about who might want him dead, landing on his former partners in the Squadron Sinister as the most likely culprit. So they head out to track those villains down.

Yellowjacket finds Egghead in the gutter, a pathetic figure. Accosting him, Egghead admits that he was the one who booby-trapped the car, wanting Trish to feel his revenge. Yellowjacket decks the creepy criminal--but returning to the hospital, he is stunned to learn that Trish has had to have her arm amputated thanks to the damage sustained in the explosion. This bit really creeped me out as a kid. Going next door to let Kyle Richmond know that the man behind the attack has been apprehended, Yellowjacket is prevailed upon by Richmond to find and stop the Defenders. Thanks to his information, they’re going after the Sinisters, who had noting to do with the bomb. The tired Yellowjacket agrees to intercede if he can.

The Defenders find the Squadron hiding out in Crayton Observatory, examining a weapon that was left for them by their benefactor Nebulon. The Sinisters are taken completely by surprise by the savage and unexpected attack by the Defenders, but they’re good enough to turn things around, defeating the heroes. I will admit that when I read this story originally, I didn’t get the connection between the Squadron members and my beloved Justice League of America. While there were some similarities between them, the one-to-one connection eluded me.

The Defenders are left imprisoned while the Squadron seeks out Nighthawk so they can have their revenge on him for deserting their ranks. Byt Doctor Strange is able to release his ectoplasmic astral form and guide Yellowjacket to their location--and shortly thereafter, they’re just in time to mix it up with the Squadron members again just as they’re beginning to scoop up Kyle from the hospital. And it’s a rout, with Yellowjacket again being the MVP player. My understanding is that Gerber had wanted to bring Yellowjacket into the series on a regular basis, but was blocked by AVENGERS writer Steve Englehart, who brought Hank and Jan back to the Avengers rather than lose them. But a lot of space was spent on making Yellowjacket look badass here.

And so, the adventure wraps up. Everybody is safe, two different groups of villains have been captured, the day is saved. But not for Trish Starr, who needs to learn to live with her loss. In the closing page, she breaks up with Kyle, feeling that the specter of her lost limb will change the nature of their relationship. And so, the story ends on something of a downer

The issue also included a pair of back-up stories, reprints from the past. The distant past in the case of the Sub-Mariner tale that followed--it dated back to World War II. It’s a lovely early Bill Everett episode in which Namor must deliver a vital supply of Influenza Serum to a base in the furthest reaches of Alaska, battling both the elements and enemy forces to do so. Along the way, he rescues a doomed town and helps out some stranded airmen as well. As was often the case in the Golden Age, the plotting was relatively haphazard--stuff just sorta happens--but the journey itself is fun.

The second back-up was a Doctor Strange solo adventure from his days in STRANGE TALES. This would have been my first encounter with the artwork of Steve Ditko--and sadly, I must report that it made no particular impact upon me. The plot involved Baron Mordo making off with Doc’s mortal body while Strange was off in his ectoplasmic form, hiding it out in a wax museum in the hopes of preventing Strange from rejoining with it before his 24 hours ran out. It’s a good story with some great visuals--but at this point in my life, it wasn’t what I was looking for from my comics. Doctor Strange wasn’t really a super hero per se. So this is one more failure to hook me into reading Marvel books regularly.

[sineala]

I find that for my preferences, MCU!Stucky and 616!Stony maximize chemistry, all Stony ships maximize hotness, and MCU!Stony has enough of both for me to enjoy those fics too. Despite my limited exposure to the comics, I feel the difference more often than not when I read both kinds of Stony back to back. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for all the dark plots from the comics that never made into the MCU haha

Sounds good to me, anon!

I have to admit that I too am a fan of a lot of the comics plots that didn’t and probably won’t make it to the movies. (I heard relatively recently that RDJ had wanted some Demon in a Bottle for the IM movies, actually. I would have liked that.)

Also I am excited to see what the MCU will be like now that they’ve gotten the rights to basically everything in the comics universe again, and I’m not just saying that because one of my secret dreams is an Illuminati movie. (I actually don’t think they have Namor rights, though, alas.)

I keep thinking, though, that they should do a Kang the Conqueror movie, mostly because of all the Marvel villains he’s one of the few big ones who’s never made it into a Marvel movie, MCU or not. I mean, we’ve had or are having Thanos, Dark Phoenix, Apocalypse, Sentinels, Doom, Galactus, Ultron, and now we’ve got some Skrulls coming up... I just feel like we’re missing out on Kang.

Plus, then they’d have to ACTUALLY EXPLAIN Kang to people who have never heard of him, and, man, that is worth the price of a movie ticket.

(On the other hand, Deadpool 2 put Cable in and did okay with, uh, making his entire life sound comprehensible, so there is hope.)

[marblesarelost]

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

                                        CHAPTER THREE

“Lord Protector Von Doom?”  He looked up from the customs official to see a very…plain…gentleman coming toward him, dressed in a fairly decent, yet nondescript suit and tie.  A receding hairline, worry lines around his eyes, he wore a professional smile as a mask.  “I’m Director Philip Coulson.  I spoke to your --“

“Seneschal,” Doom agreed. “Martin.  Yes, I was informed you and your associates were to act as my escort.”

“Security detail, your Grace,” Director Coulson gently corrected.  “Not that you need one, of course.”

“No.  I don’t,” Victor replied.  “But I am…loath to disrespect the hospitality and courtesy of the United States and the United Nations, and so I accept your gracious offer.”

“Thank you, your Grace. Did you bring an entourage?”

“No; I have no need of such things.  The Latverian Embassy will see to my needs and desires,” Victor said, signing the last paper with a flourish.  “I must wait for my baggage, Director, and then I will be ready to leave.”

“Of course.  May I ask if you were wishing to do anything else during the time you’re here?  I know your advisor told me you’d be in New York for a week, so…” Director Coulson let his sentence fade.

“I do not know.  I had hoped perhaps to have a word with Iron Man, and King Namor is to arrive tomorrow; we may wish to see a show.  I have heard very good things about this Hamilton play.”

“Hamilton’s amazing,” Director Coulson said, his smile becoming larger and much more genuine. “Lin-Manuel Miranda is a national treasure.”

“Your President had made some noise of wishing to meet with me, but I really rather would not; I have dealt with Mr. Trump before in business matters, and found him to be boorish and inelegant.  I rather doubt that attaining the presidency has changed matters.”  

“President Trump is currently at Mar-A-Lago, your Grace.  I’ll inform you if that changes,” the director offered, his mouth closing, lips becoming thin; ah.  Victor could read between those lines very well; there was no love lost, but the man would say nothing against his ruler.  Good.  

Several more agents joined them as the Director led the way through a private hallway, two women, one whose very essence radiated danger, much as the Black Widow; the other was younger, but she moved with an efficiency close to the first.  Probably her protégé.  “Agent May, Agent Johnson,” the director introduced them.  “Agent Mackenzie is waiting outside.”

“Excellent.   One moment, if you would?”  At the director’s nod, Victor gestured to the two diplomats waiting for him.  “Have my luggage delivered to the embassy; the Director has come to collect me himself, and I do not wish to insult him.”

“Yes, Lord Protector,” came the expected answer, and a few minutes later, he was in the bulletproof limo with Agent May and Director Coulson.  Agent Johnson was in the front passenger seat beside Agent Mckenzie. The ride passed pleasantly for some few minutes before Director Coulson cleared his throat, leaning forward from the rumble seat.

“I don’t mean to presume, Lord Protector, but I wonder if you’d be willing to talk about the incident last week?  In the bay?”

“What is it you wish to know?”  Victor answered pleasantly; the man was courteous and deferential enough, it was of no matter to speak to him about the occurrence.

“Dr. Richards’ actions,” Director Coulson began.  “Iron Man described them as being dangerous.  Would you agree with that assessment?”

“Reed is an obnoxious twit,” Victor replied.  “We have been at odds for a very long time, and unfortunately, I do not see that set of circumstances ever changing.”

“Yes, I’m well aware of your common history,” Coulson nodded.  “But Iron Man claims, and the footage bears it out, that he was willing to go through Iron Man to get to you.”

“That is Richards’ problem. Not mine.  Not unless he makes it mine,” Victor said, closing his eyes at the sound of the edge to his voice.  “Forgive me.  We do have a great deal of agitated history between us, and it is easy to slip into old thought patterns and habits when speaking of him or his possible intentions.”

“Of course.  I have the same reaction when it comes to certain people,” Coulson said easily.  “I simply want to avoid any unpleasantness between you and the FF during your stay if we can at all.”

“I give you my word, Director Coulson.  Any unpleasantness that arises will find the blame laid at their feet, not my own.  I am…I dare not say a new man.  But I am endeavoring to become a better man than I have been, and a large part of that change means that I do not begin physical altercations.  I may well finish them,” he added, chuckling, “but I refuse to allow others the satisfaction of knowing that they provoked me into swinging first, as it were.”

“Fair enough,” Coulson agreed, nodding.  “Okay.”

  His heart, the heart he hid as best he could, fell as he saw the protestors outside the Latverian Embassy. Dozens of them, holding signs that protested his reign over his country.  L.A.F.F., Latverian-Americans For Freedom.  He knew of the group.  Most of the time, they held non-violent protests, though his intelligence said that there had been a few altercations with his diplomats and the robots that guarded the embassy over the last few years.

“I hope that after tomorrow, they’ll be celebrating,” Director Coulson said softly as the gates of the embassy opened, the robot guardians keeping the protestors away.

“That is my hope as well, but I dare not count on it,” Victor sighed.  “They will instead begin a conspiracy theory that I am doing this only for good publicity, and that I must have some sort of nefarious plot, that I am drawing the wool over the U.N.’s eyes.  It is a fair assumption for them to come to.”

“You’ve never gone this far before,” Agent May spoke for the first time.  “You’ve never come to the U.N. to ask for aid before in anything, not even after the earthquake several years ago.”

“No,” he agreed; that natural disaster had been horrible, especially in some of the mountain region villages.  “No. Latveria takes care of its own.” Weeks of rescue efforts, then years of rebuilding.  He had refused all offers of aid, setting the robots to find and rescue those trapped under rubble, had rushed doctors from the hospitals of Doomstadt, including his own personal doctors, to the sites where they were needed.  

The car stopped, the door opened by one of the robots, the ambassador to the United States, Aleksander, coming to greet him, dropping to one knee deferentially as he got out of the car.  “Lord Protector.”

“Aleksander.  You may rise,” he nodded graciously.  “Have the rooms I ordered prepared for King Namor been so?”

“They have, my Lord.”

“Excellent.  The salt-water pool?”

“Is ready for him.”

“Good.  Director Coulson, I will expect you and your agents tomorrow morning at nine-thirty; my appointment with the Council is at ten-thirty.”

“Yes, your Grace.  See you then.”  An acceptable answer, as the car drove on to the circle to turn around he entered the embassy building, going directly to the throne awaiting him and taking his seat.

“Report.”

“The U.N. is curious, of course, and is already gathering the teams necessary for your request, my Lord. We have received several invitations for you from the Chernayan and Symkarian Embassies, and a request for an audience from Anthony Stark and Steven Rogers.”

“Iron Man and Captain America,” Victor said thoughtfully.  “When did that arrive?”

“Yesterday evening, sire.”

“Inform the Chernayan and Symkarian Embassies that I would be happy to visit and renew my acquaintance with Lady Finitaz and Mr. Daru at their convenience, after tomorrow. Inform them I will ask King Namor to accompany me, but he may or may not do so.  Do you have the number for Mr. Stark?”

“I do, sir.”

“Bring me a telephone.”

 Darcy put her makeup on very, very carefully the next morning, trying to keep her hands from shaking too much as she applied her eyeliner.  She was going to the U.N. to observe the meeting between Von Doom and the Elections Committee, along with Tony, Steve, Natasha and Clint, as the political liaison for the Avengers Initiative.  Her navy blue suit still fit her like a glove, accentuating her hourglass figure, her wire rimmed glasses adding a hint of sophistication, her eyes looking just a hint bigger than usual thanks to a clever trick with her makeup.

The Avengers away team, as she was thinking of them this morning, were all in mufti; Tony in a divine cream colored suit with a sky blue tie, probably Italian, Natasha in a suit not unlike hers, though she was sure that ���Tasha’s had special pockets for hidden weapons.  Clint and Steve both wore suit pants and blazers, though they had both skipped the ties. ‘Tasha smiled when she saw Darcy coming, holding up a hand and twirling a finger; dutifully, Darcy slowly turned around.  “Lovely. You are lovely and professional this morning,” Natasha began, then looked down at her feet.  “And those are good shoes.  Expensive enough to respect, cheap enough to leave behind if you have to run.”  Darcy looked down at her Sandro Mary Janes with a sad smile.

“Yeah, that was kind of my thought,” she sighed in agreement.  “But better to lose the shoes than my head, right?”

“Exactly,” Natasha nodded before turning on the men.  “We will meet you all at the car.”  Darcy took Natasha’s left arm, and the two women walked on toward the elevator, leaving the men slightly gobsmacked before they caught on and caught up with them.

 They entered the building through a private underground garage, riding up in an elevator that smelled slightly of freesia.  The floor they got off on could have been in any luxury office building, the carpet a soft muted gray, the walls fairly nondescript, a muted green wallpaper with a darker green zigzag line pattern.  The art that was hung here and there were landscapes, for the most part, though they passed by more than one photograph study as well, again, landscapes.  The Sahara.  The Congo.  Madripoor. The Alps.

They weren’t the first arrivals in the conference room they were led to; a few diplomats were already seated at the long oak table.  They looked up as the group entered, but turned their attention back to the laptops and tablets in front of them when it was obvious they were observers rather than participants.  Tony took a seat in one of the chairs lining the inner wall, and the rest followed suit, Darcy at the end farthest from the door and away from the windows at Clint’s insistence.  

While they waited, Darcy took a selfie for her Instagram and Twitter, #U.N. #she blinded me with political science, then switched to her audio recorder app; she wanted to record what was said so she could go over it later.  It was only about another five minutes before the room started filling up, other diplomats arriving both as more observers and the committee itself. And then they walked in.

Darcy had never met Namor or Doom, but the moment they entered, the room fell silent.  Both men carried themselves with a regal presence, aware of their importance, aware of their stature, they both had a confidence in their body language that could easily be mistaken for cockiness.  Doom was, of course, in his armor, but instead of the normal green cloak that he seemed to be so fond of, he wore a deep royal purple tunic and cape over it, the tunic belted at the waist, his metal boots and gloves trimmed in ermine.  A heavy looking, thick linked golden chain hung around his neck, a medallion falling from it square in the midst of his chest; the crown jewel of Latveria, his chain of office.

Namor, on the other hand, was sin on two legs.  His black hair was slicked back, and he smirked as he looked around the room, wearing a dark gray suit, Hugo Boss, if she wasn’t mistaken, though his feet were bare, as was his custom due to the wings that sprouted from his ankles.  He took a chair just to Von Doom’s left, and Darcy noticed as he passed behind Doom that one hand rose, just a bit -- was he actually patting Doom on the back?  Giving the man reassurance?  Interesting. “Namor his friend?  Patted his back maybe prior 2 conf.  Consider later,” she scribbled on her notepad.

“I wish to thank the council for granting me an audience on such short notice,” Doom began, still standing at the head of the table, his voice rumbling and deep, and oh God maybe Namor was sex on LEGS, but Doom’s VOICE was sex for her ears.  “I understand that this was very much an inconvenience, and I wish you to know that I personally, and the Latverian people, appreciate your time.”  He took a seat beside Namor, and the committee began questioning him directly.  What did he want to see happen?  How long a time frame did he project from beginning to end? Would he allow investigational and educational teams into Latveria?  Those questions and more in the same vein went on for about an hour, Doom answering them all patiently, sometimes taking a few seconds to consider his words before he responded, but never once becoming short or irritable so far as Darcy could tell.

When the meeting was officially over, some members of the committee lingered for a few minutes, speaking to Doom or Namor quietly before leaving the room with the other observers. Darcy gathered her things, but Clint brushed against her arm, flattened his palm and pushed out; wait, that motion meant, so she didn’t get up.  Finally, the only people left in the room were Doom, Namor, and the Avengers group. Tony got up first, extending his hand. “Ruler Protector Von Doom.”

“Mr. Stark.”  The two shook hands, and then Tony shook with Namor as well before Doom spoke again.  “I was very glad to see you and your colleagues here.  But I do not think I recognize the young lady beside Mr. Barton? Have the Avengers grown again?” Darcy’s mouth grew dry as Tony turned, jerking his head.  Slowly, she rose and went to stand beside him, barely remembering to drop a discreet curtsy before the two kings; well, Doom was practically a king, wasn’t he?

“Our political analyst, Darcy Lewis,” Tony introduced her.  “She’s a firecracker.”

“Indeed,” Namor murmured, his sea green eyes deep, but just a little cold, if she didn’t miss her guess. Aww, sexy, no.  “You have a way of surrounding yourself with beautiful women, Anthony.”

“It’s a gift,” Tony smirked.

“An honor to meet you both, your Majesty, your Grace,” Darcy managed to say as Namor took the hand she extended, raising it gently as if to kiss the back, though he never actually did so. “I’m so glad to have the opportunity.” She offered her hand to Doom next; he didn’t affect the same flirtatiously courtly manner as Namor, however, only shaking firmly.  He had brown eyes behind the mask, she noted, and they looked very tired.

“A pleasure, Miss Lewis.”

“So,” Tony clapped his hands and rubbed them together, “did you both get the invitations?”

“We did,” Namor replied, inclining his head.  “I do not speak for Victor, but I for one would be happy to attend your soiree, Anthony. You always throw the best parties.”

“Awesome, show up anytime between eight and ten.  How about you, Doom?”

“I…appreciate the invitation, though I must reluctantly decline; let us be frank, Mr. Stark, my presence might cause your other guests some discomfort.”  Doom’s mask tilted downward just a fraction as he spoke, and Darcy could read between those lines.  She could read between those lines all too well.  He didn’t expect to be welcomed, and rightfully so; he had done horrible things.  More, he knew he had done horrible things.  And, she realized, he was ashamed.

“Lord Protector, perhaps just a token appearance?”  She heard herself say before she thought.  “At least amongst the main party.  Tony’s penthouse is huge, surely we could find a quiet space for you to people watch, at least.  And I would love to hear more about the changes you’re planning in Latveria.” His mask shot towards her, those tired brown eyes flaring, seeking, searching through her long enough that her lips parted, intending to apologize for the intrusion.

“Perhaps, Miss Lewis. I will at least consider it.  And I do indeed appreciate the invitation, Mr. Stark.”

“Call me Tony, Mr. Stark was my dad,” Tony said, a little flippantly.  “You’ve got my number; if you plan on flying, call first so I can have the security measures turned off on the jetpad.  See you tomorrow night.”  He flipped his glasses back down, giving both men a grin, before taking Darcy’s arm and heading for the door, the rest of the group following them out of the conference room and toward the elevator.  “Good job, Sparky,” he said lowly.  “Did you see what I saw?”

“I think so,” Darcy breathed.  “He’s tired, Tony.  And he’s lonely.”

“Everybody’s lonely, honey. In their heart of hearts.”

“Yeah.  Yeah, but…but you’ve got Pepper now, and you’ve got us,” she said, glancing over her shoulder to see how close the others were.  Still about five feet back.  “And you’re loved, Tony.  You really are.”  She couldn’t see his eyes through his sunglasses, but his lips and nose twitched, just a little, and his grip on her arm tightened.

“Thanks, Artoo.”

“No problem, Threepio.”

“Dammit, I’m Han,” Tony sighed as the others caught up.  “Or maybe Lando.”

“You are so wrong about that.  You’re a suave-ass con, all right, but you can’t pull off a cape.”  Clint snickered, Natasha smirked, as they all boarded the elevator.

[f4liveblogarchives]

Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #9

Session Start (Wackd:#Wack’d): Fri Oct 21 08:31:33 2016 -0400 [22:42:50] <Wackd> Iiiiiii am going to read more Fantastic Four [22:43:01] <maxwellelvis> Where did you leave off? [22:43:24] <Wackd> Issue 8 [22:43:27] <maxwellelvis> Ah. [22:43:32] <maxwellelvis> Go forth then [22:43:39] <Wackd> Alicia Masters and her father, Puppet [22:44:07] <Bocaj> eeesh [22:44:08] <Bocaj> thats [22:44:12] <Bocaj> that was not a great time [22:44:19] <MousaThe14> Ah, yes, the Puppet Master [22:44:36] <Wackd> Puppet J. Masters [22:44:45] <Wackd> I too would turn to villainy with a name like that, probably [22:45:01] <maxwellelvis> At least your name isn't Telford Porter. [22:45:10] <MousaThe14> Also, apparantly Alicia didn't have a surname at this time [22:45:22] <MousaThe14> And wouldn't until a fan wrote one in many many issues later [22:45:47] <MousaThe14> @Max, You joke but I have a character with a similarly cruddy name [22:45:58] <Wackd> Okay so I get why the Four is selling shit to cover their debts [22:46:09] <Wackd> But, uh, why are they splitting up [22:46:16] <Wackd> That seems unnecessary [22:46:55] <Wackd> Also, I love that they lost all this money because Reed bought stocks [22:47:07] <Wackd> Even the smartest man alive is no match for Wall Street [22:47:24] <maxwellelvis> I told you, Reed Richards is a master of many arts and sciences; finance is not one of them. [22:48:53] <Wackd> CAB DRIVER: "Hey you really shouldn't take a cab being broke and all" [22:49:03] <Wackd> THING: *puts the cab through a streetlight* [22:49:23] <MousaThe14> I wonder if Wack'd should read Strange Tales to get the full experience by going through the awful saga of The Human Torch's brief solo series [22:49:35] <Bocaj> noooo [22:50:05] <MousaThe14> But quite a few iconic FF villains get their start there, strangely enough [22:50:23] <maxwellelvis> The only thing noteworthy about that run was the issue that did the test run to see if people wanted Captain America back, [22:50:25] <Wackd> "If only we could be like the superheroes in some of these comic magazines, Sue! They never seem to worry about money! Life is a breeze for them!" [22:50:29] <Wackd> Wonk wonk [22:50:32] <maxwellelvis> and the first appearance of Paste Pot Pete. [22:50:47] <MousaThe14> I mean, who'da thunk freaking The Wizard and Paste Pot Pete were introduced as Strange Tales baddies [22:50:49] <Bocaj> I'd laugh at Paste Pot Pete but he is canonically better than Baron Zemo [22:51:11] <MousaThe14> @Wack'd, yeah, Stan is not subtle. [22:51:26] <MousaThe14> Really trying to sell his heroes on the "They have REAL problems" front. A little too hard [22:51:43] <maxwellelvis> It's a new concept, gotta get it over for Summerslam [22:51:54] <Bocaj> I think he did it better with Spider-man [22:52:05] <Wackd> "We can make money if we go to Hollywood and make a movie! But we're broke, how do we get there?" *two pages earlier establishes they've not sold the Fantasticar yet* [22:52:46] <maxwellelvis> Well, he had Steve Ditko for that. [22:53:00] <maxwellelvis> And the good sense to give Ditko free reign in terms of plotting. [22:53:22] <maxwellelvis> Well, not to the extent of free reign Ditko got with The Question [22:53:22] <Wackd> They've taken a film deal from SM Studios. I...er...hrm [22:53:34] <maxwellelvis> Keep going. [22:53:48] <Wackd> ...oh goddammit SM stands for Sub-Mariner, doesn't it [22:53:59] <MousaThe14> Oh right, ths was a Namor story [22:54:35] <Wackd> I was gonna say I'm surprised they got away with that in 1961 but [22:54:36] <MousaThe14> .... That's exactly who he'd sound like [22:55:04] <MousaThe14> While the Fantastic Four would have powers appropriate to be in some BDSM material.... this is still the 60s [22:55:08] <Bocaj> Listening to the first couple episodes of the Fantasticast it struck me how heavily the early Avengers borrowed from Fantastic Four. [22:55:12] <maxwellelvis> because when I think of a haughty prince from another world whose strength is eclipsed only by the chip on his shoulder, I think of that guy. [22:55:26] <Wackd> The presence of Alfred Hitchcock makes me suspect there are a lot of celeb cameos I'm not catching [22:55:36] <MousaThe14> @Wack'd, there are. [22:55:38] <Bocaj> They fought a shape changing alien in their second issue. They fought Namor. They fought Dr Doom. They fought Kang who was actually Rama-Tut [22:55:59] <MousaThe14> I think Bing Crosby is supposed to be in there. But of course it's all dated so we won't truly know unless we research [22:56:04] <maxwellelvis> To be fair, the Four WERE the faces of Marvel at the time. [22:56:19] <MousaThe14> And apparantly sold well [22:56:46] <MousaThe14> And apparantly the connective tissue of the beginning of the whole danged universe as it was being born as a universe as we know it today [22:57:06] <MousaThe14> Spider-man may have been the crossover bicycle, but the FF got all the first rides [22:57:23] <Wackd> I love that the Sub-Mariner is doing this because hes BORED [22:57:39] <Wackd> "Eh, I've got all this money, figured why not buy a film studio. Why not" [22:57:41] <MousaThe14> I mean, after searching for your people for a while you gotta acquire a few hobbies [22:58:22] <maxwellelvis> He's waiting for Giganto to recuperate and then he's coming back to lay waste to the surface once more. [22:58:55] <Wackd> Oh hey no his ACTUAL plan is to...get the Fantastic Four killed doing stunt work [22:59:05] <Bocaj> Namor is such a petty little shit [23:00:02] <Wackd> Including...making the Human Torch fight magical "savages" [23:00:06] <Wackd> Uuuugh [23:00:15] <maxwellelvis> Then he can capitalize on the infamy his movie will garner for years [23:00:36] <Mukora> Cooooooooooooooooooool [23:02:45] <Wackd> Namor decides to fight the Thing himself, and only wins because--I shit you not--the Thing randomly gets struck by lightning and turned human again [23:02:47] <MousaThe14> Oh cool, my Ben and Johnny picture is actually spreading relatively quickly [23:03:00] <MousaThe14> @Wack'd, that's gonna happen a lot [23:03:02] <Wackd> The only thing pettier than Namor is fate, it seems [23:03:21] <MousaThe14> Convenient becoming Ben Grimm again is a well they return to early and often [23:04:22] <Wackd> "HEY SUE I KICKED ALL YOUR FRIENDS ASSES, MARRY ME" "I would've said yes if you hadn't KICKED ALL MY FRIEND'S ASSES" [23:05:33] <Wackd> And so the 4 return from their traps and they don't even bother to explain why Ben's the Thing again [23:06:43] <Wackd> Sue, stopping the guys from whaling on Namor: "It's 3-on-1! You've never teamed up against anyone before! Except, y'know, Doom. And Mole Man. And Puppet Master. And...uh...basically everyone, thinking about it" [23:07:16] <Wackd> Of course the more compelling argument turns out to be "he still hasn't paid us" [23:08:31] <Wackd> WELP THAT'S OVER [23:08:42] <MousaThe14> @Wack'd, It's different this time, she has will-she-won't-she feelings for the man in the tight shorts and swimmer's build [23:08:52] <MousaThe14> Which will persist for.... quite a bit of time [23:09:18] <maxwellelvis> You know it's funny how in this universe, a movie HELPS the Fantastic Four deal with their financial woes. [23:09:20] <Wackd> Yeah, I know [23:09:24] <Wackd> I joked about it further up

[brw]

ahhh tell us about ur writing ideas 👀👀👀👀

*rubs hands together evilly* I WILL

basically after,,, reading thru MULTIPLE soulmate aus they were so??? romantic based??? like beyond that string one they all had romantic love as the centre and it’s almost always solely monogamous and honestly as a poly person on the ace spectrum fuck that??????? so uh made my own soulmate au where some people have multiple soulmates sometimes family members are soulmates sometimes it’s ur Bro™™™ sometimes it’s a elderly fisherman living in switzerland and that’s that!!! life is weird bro!!!! and a lot of the time u don’t even realise bc the whole thing is. U Feel Their Emotions™ so like. sometimes you know instantly but a lot of the time you could be standing right next to them and Not Realise because again. idk i like the ‘oh’ moment you get in soulmate aus but also like. love at first sight things are also kinda weird especially if they happen all the time so. made a balance. i’m just. i enjoy soulmate aus for what they are but they NEVER are in my taste so i’m gonna be the change i want to see in the world.

now i’m,,, gonna talk about who i paired with Whom because i am getting overexcited shddsdsd. cut to hide my shame 🙈

Pietro and Wanda thot they were soulmates for a long time and were like “what are the chances!!!” however 😔 when namor comes back n Remembers things after his brief amnesia pietro Feels That and so. f in the chat for wanda shh tho vision has yet to be Made so when that happens she gets some rights

because i like angst sometimes ofc doom’s soulmate is reed. reed has multiple soulmates w/ sue and ben and ofc doom but doom’s only one is reed. they both know this and dated in college when obviously. That Happened™. n for This Purpose i decided that the more aware u are of ur soulmate the more you are in tune with each others emotions and 🙂🙂🙂 you can even feel their pain!!! so! yeah. i just,,, for someone as closed off as victor to have someone be that aware of his emotions All The Time,,, added insult to injury because reed is Not Very Good With Emotions,,, hmm. Food.

ofc hank m and wonder man are soulmates i have a one track mind and they will be the Centre no doubt because i,,, need content to desperately and it is My Burden to make it myself jsdhjsdhjkdh. they won’t know it’s each other tho for a long time bc i like my slow burn also think it would be funny and on brand for hank to b like “fascinating that my soulmate dies and comes back to life fairly often 🤔🤔🤔 at the same time my bestest and closest friend who i may be in Gay Love With who is creepily in tune with me is also dead and also returns to life 🤔🤔🤔 whatever could it mean” sdhjdsd

jean  also has multiple because she just has that vibe. ofc scott’s is her, that’s a given dbhshdhd. logan Had One but because he is Old As Fuck they are no longer there can we get an f 😔 but he doesn’t let that stop him or does he so. all good skdhhds

Magnet Man and Ch*rles X*vier are also soulmates because again. angst. also means that even with his stupid bastard helmet erik still can’t get that bitch out of his mind sjdjdj tho it does make the gesture more upsetting.

this may be bc of the mind stone (yes i keep that concept from the mcu in my fics what about it???? it was a good idea!!!!!!) but vision forms bonds with almost Everyone They Come Into Contact With and its a Time™ for everyone involved lmao

my mans Herc originally had Just The One however all gods generally have multiple bc u know Old As Fuck so that got changed when he died the first time and joined Olympus which was Mildly Traumatising, as if setting urself on fire wasn’t enough lmaooooo

inhuman society unlike western society in this one has always been open to people w/ multiple soulmates this is why blackagar has so many Gotdamned wives maximus is also a soulmate bc i said so which makes their interactions more painful for the both of them 😬 

hfhjbdddehnb and um 👉👈 yeah!!! i have more Planned Out but this is what i am starting with i Look Forward to writing and 😔 hopefully publishing dsbhdsbdsbhj

[gronjon44]

Update on my thoughts on the whole Keanu Reeves/MCU situation.

At this point, I don't think he's going to be playing a hero anytime soon. I think hes going to be playing a Major villain in either an upcoming or Future movie.

They've announced the recent Moonknight TV show I know, there could be a chance he may be Moonknight and I'd love for it, but I've been thinking otherwise

Look at alot of the villains of the MCU. Vulture? Played by Michael Keaton, the iconic Batman; Hela? Cate Blanchet, a woman iconic as the mother of Hiccup Haddock, acon artist in Oceans 8, and Gadriel the Lady of Light of LOTR; Thanos? Josh Brolin aka Jonah Hex, young Agent K, and Brand of yhe Goonies. Hell even Jeff Bridges, aka The Big Lebowski and Marshall of True Grit, he's the villain who started them all, Obadias Stane.

Older Actors who were known to play lead protagonists on the side of good or neutral, and never really the bad guy all the time. They all were cast as Villains in the MCU. And that's the route I see happening with Keanu.

Yeah I know theres a chance of even Older Heroes like Mr Fantastic or otherwise (dont @ me I still want them to recast the actor from the 2005 film who played Reed Richard's he was the best part of those films)

So now I'm gonna make a list of potential characters that I think he is likely to he cast for.

NAMOR

Yeah this is a bit hit or miss but I think it's possible. I know Namor is an Anti Hero with villain tendencies, but I think Keanu would work with this character.

MEPHISTO AND GHOST RIDER

This ones a mixed bag and cheating but idgaf. As much as I still think Nick Cage did fine as the Ghist Rider I think Keanu Reeves could bring the character to life, give him a new spark and bring him to the spotlight again. And as for Mephisto he has played the Devils Son in Devils Advocate and he had that Devilsh form to him, and I think he could make a good Mephisto

DRUIG/NIGHTMARE

I'm lumping these two together because there basically in tandom with one another. Ever since Eternals was confirmed and Keanu was then announced to potentially enter the MCU, the rumors of him ad Druig haven't stopped. Now I will day that, as a self proclaimed Marvel fan, I dont know Jack shit about Druig or the Eternals. Same goes for Nightmare but I know enough about Nightmare to understand how he would fit as the villain. But hey who knows.

Now for the ones I think are most likely and make the most sense.

DOCTOR DOOM

Look, I have this strong feeling that if anyone were to play a proper Victor Von Doom, I'd want it to be Keanu Reeves. He has the build, he has the voice, he has the acting chops and capability to actually become the character. And he'd do so much better than the last two Dooms that for sure. Only downside is we wouldn't really see his face too much.

And finally,

TASKMASTER

We all know it, this has the highest chance of happening. Keanu is a hell of actor, and all of his experience and skill fits so perfectly with Taskmaster. His gun training from the John Wick Trilogy, his stunt work from the Matrix, his actual just acting skill from everything he's done. It all fits so perfectly.

So yeah that's what I got.

@probsjosh @flushings-here

Place your bets Place your bets.

My money is on Moonknight what’s the overall thought?

@flushings-here

[sebeth]

Fantastic Four #6

Warning, Spoilers Ahead…

Fantastic Four #6 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

“Have the Fantastic Four at last met their match when Mighty Sub-Mariner and Evil Doctor Doom team up?? Don’t miss the Diabolical Duo join forces!”

“The Fantastic Four in ‘Captives of the Deadly Duo’!”

Johnny blazes across the sky.  An onlooker gasps “The Torch!! A living legend!  And I thought I’d never see him with my own eyes!”

The onlooker seems to be mixing Johnny up with the World War II era Human Torch (Jim Hammond).  Johnny hasn’t been the Torch for long. Definitely not enough time to be considered a “living legend”.  Would the general public even realize there was a difference between Johnny and Jim?  Issue 6 was published in the early 1960s.  The original Human Torch operated in the 1940s – the older citizens of the Marvel Universe would assume it was the original making a comeback after a long sabbatical.  After all, how many blonde men can set themselves on fire, fly, and call themselves the “Human Torch”?

The same citizens gawking at Johnny are pushed aside by an invisible Sue.  Sue turns visible to apologize and enter the Baxter Building. We’ve seen Sue use her powers multiple times to scare or push through people.  She’s either a big fan of the “jump-scare” or using her powers to let out her frustrations by shoving people.  Seriously, it would be easier – and polite – to stay visible and skirt around people as opposed to moving around unseen and shoving people out of the way.

Sue notes that “The Torch has been scouting for signs of Doctor Doom.”  Isn’t Sue better suited for the task?  She is the “Invisible Girl”!  Johnny’s a human-sized ball of fire – Doom will see him coming from a mile away!

We receive our first detailed glimpse of the Baxter Building.  The Fantastic Four’s headquarters are located on the 34th to the 37th stories of the building.  The members of the Four take the express elevator to the 34th floor.  The elevator operates via a signal that is sent from the belt buckle of the members’ uniforms.  The 34th floor clearly belongs to Reed – it consists of labs and computers. The 35th floor are living quarters, the recreation room, and the gymnasium.  The 36th floor are conference rooms.  The 37th floor holds the team’s vehicles.

Reed catches up on the team’s mail.  He discovers a letter sent from a child at Harmon General Hospital.  The hospital is located across the street so Reed stretches across to have a long chat with the child.  A sweet moment for Reed who is too often characterized as obsessed with science and oblivious to social mores.

Johnny and Ben continue reading the mail.  We receive the first mention of the Yancy Street Gang: “…and if the Thing will meet us on the corner of Ashby and Main Street, we’ll knock that chip off his shoulder and make him like it!  Signed, the Yancy Street Gang!”

Ben is not amused: “I’ve heard from those mealy-mouthed braggarts before!  They get their kicks out of tryin’ to rile me!”

Ben decides to answer the challenge: “This block is titanium steel – six inches thick and the strongest metal known to man!  I’ll just roll it by hand into a from acceptable for mailing – I wouldn’t want the Yancy Gang to think I wasn’t neat – Here!  Send this to them!  And on the day they manage to unroll it, I’ll personally congratulate ‘em!”

Clearly, adamantium wasn’t known to the Marvel Universe at this point.

The Fantastic Four – secret identities or publicly known?  The writers in the Fantastic Four and Strange Tales titles go back and forth on this point in the early issues.

A few issues ago, the identities were stated to be a “secret”?  If so, how does the Yancy Gang recognize Ben?  He looks significantly different post-transformation!  If the identities are still a secret at this point and the Yancy Gang still realize the Thing is Ben Grimm…well, Batman will have to forfeit the “World’s Greatest Detective” title!

Ben’s itching to fight someone worthy of him, “a foe like Doctor Doom…or a Submariner!”

Sue defends her crush: “Submariner is hostile because he’s hurt and bitter!”

Yeah, Namor has man-pain! The fact that he looks damn good in a speedo has nothing to do with Sue’s defense of him!

We switch to the ocean where the “hurt and bitter” Namor instructs porpoises in swimming maneuvers.

Doctor Doom approaches the Submariner.

“Well!  Well!  So a surface mortal dares invade the privacy of Prince Namor!”

“I come in peace, Submariner!  Our meeting has been inevitable and long delayed!”

“Is that so?  Come out where I can get a good look at you!”

“So you shall!  Behold the face of your new ally!  The one who shares your ambition – the punishment and total defeat of the Fantastic Four…and then, of all mankind!”

“That is strong talk – whoever you are!”

“Never fear!  I am strong – strong enough to join the powers of science to those of darkness!  Show me the puny mortal who does not tremble at the name of Doctor Doom!”

Let’s recap Sue’s reaction upon hearing the name of Doctor Doom: “Who?”

Namor and Doom travel to the ruins of Atlantis.

Doom notes “It would appear that you’ve taken a holiday from your campaign against the surface world! Men no longer speak your name in fear!”

Well, playing with dolphins doesn’t exactly reinforce an angry and vengeance-driven persona.

Doctor Doom notes a framed photo of Susan Storm.

Namor warns “Take care! That female is no concern of yours!”

How did Namor get the photo? Did Sue give it to him?  Did he take the picture while he held her hostage a few issues ago?  Clip it out of a newspaper?

Doom taunts Namor into assisting him: “What happened to your thirst for revenge?  Have you forgot the glistening towers of your once great civilization?  The culture and comfort enjoyed by your happy subjects…imagine your great and proud people struggling for thousands of years, defeating all the terrors of the deep to build a civilization, superb and beautiful…yes, beautiful and glowing with life until that last terrifying moment when that monster of a bomb lodged in the midst of that beauty…gone! All that glorious history gone in one brief instant! Replaced by an ugly crater in the ocean floor…littered with fused masonry and bitter memories that cry out…revenge! Revenge! Revenge upon the surface world which did this in its ignorance! Revenge upon humanity’s defenders! Death to the Fantastic Four!”

Namor agrees: “I cannot harm the girl! But I will aid you in defeating the others!”

1)      Dr. Doom is a large ham.

2)      Namor is easily manipulated.

3)      I want to see a “What If?” where Namor’s all “Nah, I’m gonna keep playing with the dolphins”.

4)      Wouldn’t it be easier for Namor to simply ask Reed for assistance in locating the lost Atlanteans instead of trusting some random dude in armor?

Doom launches his master plan involving “magnetic brainchildren grabbers”.

Namor leaves to pursue his part of the plan and plays “chicken” with an airplane along the way:

“No time to dodge! It’s going to hit us head on!”

“Bah! That’s enough horseplay!  I mustn’t forget the mission!”

Namor arrives in New York City and creates a stir among the citizens.

Back to the Baxter Building where Johnny snoops around Sue’s possessions.

Why is Johnny snooping in Sue’s room? Typical younger sibling nosiness? Johnny’s around 16-17 years old at this time.  Sue raised Johnny – I’ve always felt that she was 10 – 12 years older than him.  The dual mother-sister role makes it even odder that Johnny is nosing around her room.

Johnny finds a photo of Namor and isn’t happy about it: “So! You’ve gone soft on Submariner – our arch-enemy!”

The Four have only fought Namor once. I don’t think that’s enough to qualify him as an “arch-enemy”. Of course, the other options are:  a short man who lives underground, aliens who were outsmarted by “B” horror movies, a maybe-maybe not hypnotist, and an egotistical man in armor whose master plan was throwing a net over a skyscraper.  I can see why Johnny chose Namor for the arch-enemy role.

Sue is not amused: “Give me that photo, you insolent brat!”

When did this photo exchange between Namor and Sue take place?  Were they taking pictures of each other during issue #4?

Johnny burns the photo. Sue rips into him: “You’ve got no right to do that! It was my property, do you hear?”

The duo’s shouting match brings Reed and Ben into the room.

Reed: “What’s going on here, you two?”

Johnny: “Nothing much! I’m just burning a photo of the Submariner!

Reed demands an explanation and Sue responds: “Oh, how can I explain something I don’t understand myself! I know Submariner is hostile to us…but…but there is something about him! Something gentle, and…”

Namor arrives and interrupts Sue’s explanation.

Ben: “Submariner! How…how’d you get here?”

Namor: “Flying in thru a window is no problem to Prince Namor.”

Seriously, Reed?  Your security is so sub-standard that is doesn’t even include locked windows?

Chaos erupts as Ben and Johnny charge at Namor while Reed and Sue attempt to calm the situation.

Ben: “I’ll pulverize that human fish into dry dust! Let me at him!”

Namor advises Sue to get out of the way: “He’s too angry to listen to reason! You’d best stay out of the way! I do not fear the Torch!”

Yeah, Namor has had plenty of experience battling Human Torches.

Namor insists he’s come in peace: “I’ve come to seek your trust! You see, mine is a lonely kingdom…and a lasting friendship may prove of more value than any fleeting taste of revenge!”

Reed favors the “trust but verify” method and decides to search the building for any signs of sabotage before accepting Namor’s offer of friendship.

“CRACK”: The Baxter Building launches itself into the air.

Reed demands Namor stop the rising building.

Namor: “I can’t, you fools! I planted this trap but it’s been triggered by Doctor Doom!”

Namor continues: “The double-crossing dog is in a rocket plane above pulling this building into space!”

Namor’s not in much danger – he can simply jump out and fly away.  Johnny would normally be able to escape but he “exhausted his flame” during his fight with Namor.  Johnny didn’t have much stamina in the early issues. The Four’s planes were damaged in the launching of the building.

Reed insists “our only hope of ever getting down is to seize control of that plane!”

Does Doom ever recall his earliest attacks on the four and face-palm?  They were so ridiculous and over-the-top?

Reed stretches after Doom’s plane: “Somehow, conditions in space tend to weaken my powers!”  Was this ever mentioned again? The Four spend a lot of time in space.

Doom blasts Reed back to the ship.  Ben decides the only thing left to do is brawl with Namor.  Doom interrupts the fight for some premature gloating.

Namor decides enough is enough: “That jackal Doctor Doom still has Prince Namor to reckon with!”

Namor dives into a water storage, amps up to full strength, launches himself to Doom’s ship, evicts Doom from the ship, assumes control of the ship, and returns the Baxter Building to earth.  Doom hitches a ride to earth on a meteor.

Ben: “How do you thank an enemy? Submariner’s above us in that confounded ship.  And if I could reach him I still don’t know if I’d shake his hand or try to smash him!”

Sue: “Oh, he isn’t our enemy! I just know it! He’s so full of pain and bitterness that it blinds his better instincts! Submariner needs time…time to heal!”

Sue, dear, I think the boys are over your continued defense of Namor.

Namor retrieves the magnetic grabber from the Baxter Building and hurls it into the ocean.

Namor: “So shall I return to the sea! Perhaps someday when I am no longer haunted by bitter memories of my lost people I may return…but, until then, this is where I belong! In the sea which is my home!”

So ends the first super-villain team-up in the Marvel Universe and the beginning of one of Marvel’s longest running love-hate relationships.

[imperiuswrecked]

OK, here are two pairings and I'm deliberately leaving it open because you I don't want to stifle you, especially if you don't like the pairings or the idea. All I'd like to please see is each gentleman knowing that they can't pull shit with her because she WILL get in that ass!! AND that's one of the many reasons they love and respect her. Pairings: Namor and Ororo AND Dr Doom and Ororo (1)

Sorry this took so long, but I am clearing my inbox and finishing prompts. Thanks for sending one in! Part 2 will be up soon!

Short fic below the cut~

Storm at Sea - Namor/Ororo

The night is darkening round me,The wild winds coldly blow;But a tyrant spell has bound meAnd I cannot, cannot go. - Emily Bronte

Ororo takes a deep breath of the salty sea air as the small ship skimmed over the surface of the black water. Her view ahead was lit only by the moon that peeked out from behind darkening grey clouds. There was a storm coming, she could feel it in the air, could taste the energy on her tongue, could feel the air grow heavy on her skin, the wind hugs her as it moves her unbound pale hair in ripples. Standing on the deck in her nightgown, she should be asleep, but the calling of the storm woke her and she took over watch as Kitty went down for some rest. Kate. She should get used to calling her that but she couldn’t, in her heart she would always be her little Kitty Pryde. Ororo wraps her shawl around her tighter as she moves to stand at the bow of the ship. Waiting for that first crack of lightening against the black sky. She could call the up to start faster but she chooses not to, wanting to see Nature’s glory without manipulation.

“A fine evening for a Storm wouldn’t you say my Lady?”

She whips around to face the voice she hadn’t heard in ages. Namor sits on the railing of the ship with one leg dangling over the edge as the ship moves across a night sea. Water glistens on his exposed skin in the moonlight. He wears black armor and a dark unfathomable expression, she shivers slightly. There were times when Ororo would come across others who held such an otherworldly quality that she wondered if they were human. Many would feel the same about her but she never felt above others, only more connected to the world. Namor was different, there were times when he acted like any other man, arrogant and self assured in his own greatness. Yet there were moments, small fleeting glimpses of something much more other. It spoke of deep water and hands that clutched you as it drags you down into the dark. She crosses her arms and turns her back on him.

“A very fine evening Lord Namor. What brings you up from your domain?”

“All of this is my domain,” He spreads a hand at the ocean, “and as for why… is a chance to spend time in your company not enough?”

Oh he was well spoken, as kings often were, she knew what it was like to be wooed by royalty, and she knew what it was like to be threatened by them too. The waves grew choppy as the wind picked up so she puts her hands on the railing of ship to steady herself and her emotions lest she unleash a tempest.

“So it is my company you desire? Why do I get the feeling that there’s something else too?”

She could feel his presence and the sound of water dripping along the deck as he moved from his position to stand behind her, he was tall, not many men were taller than her. He moves to stand next to her, and she can finally see him again out of the corner of her eye. He had a very handsome profile. His eyes search the sea as if held the answer she asked for.

“How fairs things on Utopia?”

Her face tightens, “Your must be suffering another lapse in memory my Lord, we mutants have settled on Krakoa. Utopia is dead.”

“Different name, same situation.”

“It is not, this time we have far more resources than before. We are united once more.” She counters as her knuckles turn white from clenching the railing too hard. She doesn’t want those thoughts, the ones that came to her in quiet moments; when would the calamity that seemed to plague her life since she was small once again rear it’s head? She saw the look in Polaris’s eyes once when she first came to Krakoa and recognized it because it was the same one Ororo saw in her mirror and it spoke the same fear; When? When would the hammer fall? When would the mutants die on another island while she was unable to stop it?”

“You once spoke to me about how you thought an island could be the salvation of our kind and I foolishly let your words enter my heart and paid the price.”

“I had no hand in fate, no matter what men whisper about me. I control the weather, not the future.”

“Then you should at least plan for any possibility.” Sharp words that could cut a person lesser than her but she will not be cowed.

“I don’t like your tone Namor,” her eyes flash white as she turns to face him and he to her, both looking into each other eyes, “You come here for what? To tell me that we are all doomed? Are you a harbinger of Doom? Whatever it is you may be thinking of planning, I will have you know-” The air crackles with her power, “The mutants on Krakoa are under my protection.”

He watches her and she sees the unease in his eyes. She lets the power dissipate harmlessly into the air in a show of bright light just to drive home the point that she could have shot it straight through his heart if she so wished it, and he could have done nothing to stop her. Lightening illuminates his face and she can see that the sclera of his eyes are as black as his hair, a sharp contrast to her white eyes and hair. Thunder rumbles in the distance as the boat rocks harder.

Namor raised one of his perfectly arched brows at her power display and lowers his head to face her once more, there is a moment of heavy anticipation before that old Namor came forth, the one that was a bit more human and whom she had shared conversations with in the past, “I came to say; should you ever find yourself in deep waters then rest easy knowing you have a friend who can breath beneath the waves.”

Shocked at his sudden change and pledge of friendship, she blurts the first thing that pops into her head, “I can swim just fine on my own.”

He chuckles, “I pray you accept my apology for doubting your capabilities.” He reaches out and moves a piece of her hair behind her ear, fingers lingering for an instant before drawing back. She nods, and her gaze lingers on lips a moment before she shakes herself of the strange feeling that overcame her, and the warm blush to her cheeks.

“You would be welcome in Krakoa.”

“Is that you inviting me Ms. Munroe? Or Xavier?”

“Maybe you’ll have to come to the island to find out.”

“Maybe I will.” He easily moves, small wings flutter, to land on the railing above her as the rain begins to fall. He holds out his hand, “Or maybe you will leave the world behind and find safety in the sea my Lady.”

Suddenly it was so clear why he came, the same loneliness and need to be near people who might understand that was a feeling she was well acquainted with. Still she shakes her head as the water from the sky plasters her hair to her head, and gives him a sad smile.

“I fear no storms my Lord.”

He gives her a nod of respect and silently flips his body backward off the ship and back into the sea, as if he had never been there and the only indication of his presence was the rapid beating of her heart. Ororo turns her eyes to the storm ahead.

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #126: All the Sounds and Sights of Death!

August, 1974

The shit is that on Iron Man’s face.

Is that a nose?

Is that a blush on his metal cheeks?

Oh. Er. Also: cover is misleading as hell but its still cool. I like Klaw asking where Black Panther is when T’Challa is close enough to give him a noogie.

Of course the actual events would make a better cover because it is ridiculous.

At least there’s a ridiculous splash page as a consolation prize. And its only half made up instead of entirely bullshit.

So we start on a gorgeous day that Swordsman is spending beating up robots trying to prove to Mantis that he’s a cool badass kind of guy. Because he worries her attention is drifting towards the Vision.

And he may be right? She stares right at Vision while she’s kissing Swordsman.

These two need couple counseling but this is the Avengers so that probably doesn’t exist.

Meanwhile, Scarlet Witch is also paranoid about losing her love. She feels outclassed by Mantis. That Vision may prefer her. And also that all the arguments they’ve had have been her fault?

Also I guess this is officially the death of my hope that Mantis and Wanda would be bffsies. They started so well!

Anyway, instead of crying like a romance heroine apparently would, she’s going to fight for her love. Because she’s an Avenger, dangit!

Also check out this picture Vision gave Wanda. That’s the Spockiest glare I’ve ever seen. I know you’re not photogenic, Vision, but you could have tried. That’s a bedside love photo. She’s going to look over and see your smouldering glare.

Meanwhile, its not just the weird love rectangle of Vision, Mantis, Scarlet Witch, and Swordsman that are feeling drama.

Downstairs, Captain America has just told Thor and nosy Iron Man that he’s quitting being Captain America. Thor tries to talk (or yell, really) him out of it but Cap insists on being left alone to think.

Iron Man tells him to give Cap some space. See, all of America is disillusioned by the Watergate scandal Secret Empire thing but Cap more than most.

Also meanwhile, even Black Panther is feeling the drama. He’s been receiving telegrams from Wakanda passive aggressively inquiring how long he’ll be gone this time.

One gets the impression that Black Panther doesn’t leave anyone in charge when he leaves anymore. Since they end up being supervillains or dead. So they really want him to come back and actually rule them.

But Black Panther feels himself torn between the Avengers and his responsibility to Wakanda. The Lion God taught him that evil may strike anywhere and the Avengers would have been screwed if they hadn’t had his help during the Troglodyte Caper.

And then Ronald Sherling, ambassador of Rudyarda shows up. Rudyarda is basically South Africa. Apartheid and the whole deal. Named after Rudyard Kipling for some reason. Rudyarda also borders Wakanda, at least at this time and threw Black Panther in jail once for being black without a license.

The Fantastic Two helped bust him out. This was in Fantastic Four #119, which appears relevant to this issue.

Anyway, Ambassador Sherling refuses to shake a black man’s hand and demands the Avengers help him. Black Panther finds the man exceptionally distasteful but summons the Avengers with a Blue Summons.

Iron Man and Thor are still busy watching Cap brood so they ignore the summons. That still gets you Swordsman, Mantis, Scarlet Witch, and Vision. In addition to Black Panther its a good group.

With some Avengers available, Sherling reveals that the Rudyarda Embassy staff have been receiving death threats and that the gardener was found burned to a cinder. So clearly, they need Avenger protection.

Vision promises that the Avengers will investigate but when they go outside they are captured with a loud ZZAAPP that attracts the Cap watch to come outside and see this ridiculousness:

Ambassador Sherling and the Avengers trapped in a bubble of pure sound (???) with another bubble on top containing Solarr, MAN OF SUN POWERS, while a giant laughing Klaw, MASTER OF SOUND, stands by.

Oh and apparently artist Dave Cockrum drew himself in a cameo as Shocked Bystander.

Also also: a narrative box points out the absurdity of Klaw teaming up with Solarr when they’ve never met before but invites readers to submit plausible ways they got together. The best answer could receive a coveted no-prize.

Since Marvel Unlimited doesn’t reproduce the letters page, I’ll never know why Solarr and Klaw were teamed up. Alas.

Anyway, Thor immediately tries to hammer giant Klaw but its just a sound hologram (???) with the real Klaw hiding somewhere else. The bubbled Avengers are his hostages to see that his demands be met.

What are his demands? Some context: the Rudyardans beat the shit out of Klaw and threw him in jail after he was taken down by the Thing in Fantastic Four #119.

And, get this:

Klaw: “If you think they treat black people badly -- consider the plight of the man who is red!”

I have no doubt that the assholes of Rudyarda would treat an aboriginal person poorly. But you, Ulysses ‘Wore Muttonchops and a pith helmet and was the son of a Nazi war criminal’ Klaw really do not get to talk.

Anyway, now he wants revenge on Rudyarda. But before that, he wants diplomatic immunity like the cool kids (Dr. Doom, Namor) and to get diplomatic immunity he wants to become the dictator of Wakanda.

So here’s his demands: T’Challa to abdicate the throne of Wakanda in favor of Klaw or else Solarr will start killing hostages.

And to prove he’s super serious he blasts the ambassadors with his heat rays. T'Challa has an hour to meet Klaw’s demands or one of the women will be next.

Vision immediately rushes over to check on the ambassador. He still has a faint but steady heartbeat so he’s alive. But without medical attention...

But Wanda has something she wants to try. Her hex power alters probability so what if she used it to make the ambassador not dead?

And hey, it works! The ambassador regains consciousness.

But no time to dwell on Wanda getting better with her powers. They have to burst Klaw’s bubble, in multiple senses of the word.

But it remains sturdy no matter what the Avengers throw at it. Its apparently been specially designed so that only Solarr’s sunbursts can pass through. Also light, since you can see through it. But not Vision’s Solar Beam. Somehow...

Iron Man and Thor try to dig under the bubble but nope. The bubble goes all the way underneath too.

Wanda decides, hey, she disrupted that alien force field in space that one time. Maybe she can do that again here.

Mantis’ empathy with nature senses detect that it will be useless.

Wanda tries but it was useless.

Vision suggests that maybe Wanda should have rested longer after literally saving a life but she blows up at him.

Scarlet Witch: “That’s right! Stand up for Mantis! Only talk to me when I’m wrong!”

Ambassador Sherling tells T’Challa that he should surrender his throne to save them all but specifically him.

T’Challa refuses.

Now based on his experience, Klaw should be in a twenty-block radius to control his solidified sound so well. And it just so happens that Iron Man has audio-analects at his Long Island plant that should be just what they need.

Also, it seems a large crowd has gathered to watch this bubble drama. The Marvel public...

Iron Man, Thor, and Cap all scan using the audio-analects within the twenty-block radius to try to find a sound signature that matches the one from the bubble. With twelve minutes left in the countdown they get a matched reading off First Avenue. But all they find is a trap! SOUND PANTHERS!

Turns out that sound panthers are no match for a guy in a flying tank with a nose, a god, and a super-soldier. They beat up the sound panthers.

But now there are nine minutes and there’s no further leads.

Back at the bubble, Ambassador Sherling is again yelling at Black Panther and at the Avengers.

Ambassador Sherling: “You surely can’t let us die on the whim of a black man!”

Vision tells him to chillax and mentions to Wanda that maybe he should talk with Black Panther, see how he’s holding up.

But Wanda thinks that maybe Vision should talk to her. She might die in eight minutes and she doesn’t want to die without knowing the truth about what’s between Vision and Mantis.

Vision insists that there’s nothing to know and that he was just as amazed at Swordsman’s outburst during the Thanos War as she was. And frankly he’s amazed at her outburst now.

But Wanda isn’t done. Isn’t Mantis his type? If he felt love once for one woman, why not twice for another?

Vision doesn’t have a type, he says. (He later develops one and goes on a date with Carol Danvers) But now Wanda is saying maybe he would like to have a type because that’s what human males do and he wishes he were human!

Vision is going to have to cut her off there. They do need to have a discussion later but right now, Wanda is apparently not in the mood to listen, only to talk. His words. Paraphrased.

Here’s how desperate Vision is to get out of this conversation.

Thor returns saying “Alas, Avengers, we bring bad tidings!” and the caption box says “Just then, fortunately--.”

Relationship drama. Apparently imminent death is preferable to it??

Anyway, Thor reports that they couldn’t find Klaw anywhere within the twenty block radius.

And then Black Panther epiphanies. 

He also disarms Ambassador Sherling.

Surprise, Sherling was really Klaw in disguise! His briefcase clutching hand was really a false hand concealing Klaw’s sonic device. That’s why Sherling never dropped the briefcase, not even while injured.

Klaw is flummoxed. He has never expected the Avengers to unmask him what with faking an assault on himself.

Which means you have to wonder how much he panicked when Wanda ‘healed’ him. I get the impression that he intended to play gravely injured the whole time so he didn’t have to stay in character but then Wanda messed up that plan accidentally.

Anyway, while all the Avengers just watch from off-panel without helping, Black Panther and Klaw have a little scrum which ends when T’Challa SOCKO!s Klaw and then smashes his briefcase, reasoning that it was secretly a hidden power source for the sound bubbles.

He guessed right.

Which leaves Solarr standing in midair. And then falling to konk himself out on the pavement. Gravity is a harsh mistress.

T’Challa explains to the other Avengers that his big clue was that Klaw in disguise as Sherling made too much of a big deal of not shaking his hand. That made him start thinking about Sherling never letting go of his briefcase. That plus if Klaw wasn’t anywhere else in the twenty-block radius that left one place they didn’t search. Plus, right when T’Challa was thinking about returning home, this douche shows up and starts insulting him. T’Challa took it for an omen. And it kinda was!

So with the dangers Wakanda is facing, T’Challa requests a leave of absence to actually go and do some kinging.

And because its not an Avengers issue unless it ends with someone brooding, the issue ends with Cap musing on the kinship he feels with T’Challa and how just as he is leaving the Avengers, so must Cap.

Which presumably leads into Cap becoming Nomad. With that scandalously dipping neckline and the cape.

Except that’s in Cap’s book. In Avengers, we need to take a detour into Giant-Size Avengers #1 before we attend a wedding.

Oh, and regarding the nose thing. Around this time in Marvel, Stan Lee was barely involved with the comics anymore. He’d stop by every now and again to look at some upcoming issues. He saw an Iron Man cover and asked either “Where’s the nose?” or “Shouldn’t there be a nose?” What he meant was that Iron Man’s helmeted head was drawn so small it didn’t look like a nose would fit under the faceplate.

What everyone took it as was Stan Lee saying that the helmet should have a nose.

So for a while, Iron Man’s helmet had a nose. A year later, Stan Lee happened to see another Iron Man cover and wondered why Iron Man’s helmet had a nose. And thus it was written out.

The moral of the story is either ‘ask clarifying questions’ or ‘look at your dang product more often, Stan.’

Or so the legend goes.

Hey, you should follow @essential-avengers. I’ve been cleaning up and reposting older posts from this liveblog. More pictures. Too many pictures. Plus, a new old post every weekday until I get caught up. And then I’ll start primarily posting these liveblog posts from there.

[dorkforty]

So I got a little carried away this time.

I had planned for this sixth installment of the Fantastic Four Re-Mix (previous chapters may be found at the link) to zip through several storylines in short form, to get my remaining ideas out of the way so I could go into the big finale in the next chapter. But then I started writing, and my quick synopsis for Arc Thirteen started sprouting ideas and details. One thing lead to another thing, and that thing lead to yet another, and another, and that fourth thing circled back around to make me see the first thing in a new light, so I re-wrote and added more details that lead to yet still more details, and… The next thing I knew, I had eight single-spaced pages (close to 5000 words), just for that one storyline.

I could go back and edit, I suppose, but… I don’t wanna. I like it as-is. It’s a tightly plotted thing, with dialogue, back-story, and scene descriptions that sometimes launch off into flights of super-heroic purple prose that I’d be embarrassed to have written in a less ridiculous setting. But this is a story about monsters and mutants, populated with Mole Kings, Sorcerers Supreme, lost Atlantean royalty, and a metric ton of obscure Asian super heroes that I pulled out from the dark recesses of the internet in a single feverish burst of research. It is sprawling and self-indulgent, and epic in a way that I don’t think previous installments of the FF Re-Mix have been. So I’m afraid you’re stuck with it.

First, though…

Hi! Hello! And welcome to the Fantastic Four Re-Mix! If this is your first time reading these posts… Well, hell. Hit that link above (or this one right here) to go back and see what this mess is all about. Briefly, it’s just me getting some fictional baggage out of my head, and rebooting the Fantastic Four from the ground-up. The FF is my favorite super-team of all time, and I evidently have a massive number of stories I’d like to tell about them. So these are those. Got it? Good.

Also before we get started, there’s a small mess to clean up from our last installment. After I posted that one to the site, I discovered an editing error that had omitted an entire section on the sub-plots that were supposed to be running through the Inhumans storyline. So before we continue on, I’m going to include that section here…

ARC TWELVE ADDENDUM: SUB-PLOTS

(Note: In the spirit of excess that this installment has embraced so fully, I’m expanding on these scenes from what I had written last time out. When you’re on a roll, you might as well go with it…)

Sexy Thing

Frankie Ray and her best frenemy Tura meet Alicia for drinks, and we learn a bit about Tura and Alicia’s past relationship. Tura gives her crap for “playing for the other team,” but Alicia says she’s always been a switch-hitter, and sees no reason to stop now. Frankie, meanwhile, wants deets on Alicia’s sex life with Ben. “He’s just so big, and the rocks… I mean, how does it work?”

Alicia pauses before speaking. But she’s a little drunk, and no shrinking violet even when dead sober. So she dishes.

“Well… The rocks… don’t go all the way down.” (Pause to let that sink in.) “So we’ve got that going for us. But, yeah. It can be a challenge, y’know? There’s things we just can’t do, and…” (shrug) “I’ll be honest. The chafing gets pretty bad sometimes. But overall… it’s good, you know? It’s really good. And I’m…” (lop-sided smile) “…equipped to deal…? With the size difference?”

Frankie’s eyes get big. “Whoosh. More power to ya, girl.”

(Note: This isn’t just salacious detail – though I did think it was high time we got back to salacious detail on the sex life of the Thing. Still, the information that the rocks don’t cover his entire body will actually become a plot point in the next story arc (it may also, if you’re reading between the lines a bit, say something about how much control Ben actually has over his appearance as the Thing – even if it is subconscious). Of course, Alicia’s confession that she has the capacity to have sex with a giant – especially after establishing that Sue very much didn’t – also plays into the on-going sub-plot about the possibility that Alicia’s a shape-shifting Skrull. Which brings us to…)

Puppets and Masters

Alicia’s father Phillip Masters (The Puppet Master, who has already been revealed as a Skrull agent) uses his fame as a puppeteer to arrange a meeting with the anti-Skrull demagogue Gabriel. Though Masters is a B- or C-list celebrity at best, that’s the only kind of celebrity endorsement Gabriel can get. But we also learn that he really agreed to the meeting because he’d like Masters to convince Alicia to float the idea of the FF appearing with Gabriel on television to discuss the Skrull threat. Masters tells him that his daughter is strong-willed, but he’ll see what he can do. But mostly, he just keeps Gabriel talking, so that his psycho-active clay (which he uses to make his puppets) has time to bond with Gabriel from its hiding place inside Masters’ briefcase.

The Temptation of Frankie Ray

After their night out with Alicia, Tura puts the moves on Frankie in the car on their way back to the racetrack. Frankie rebuffs her… but only after a couple of passionate panels. And honestly… Who could resist this?

(Note: The above scene should fall somewhere after Johnny’s attraction to Crystal becomes obvious. But more on that below…)

Love and Beauty

Alicia gets a visit from one of the Men in Black (two mysterious agents who’ve been interviewing people who know the FF for several issues now). It’s the white-haired Man in Black this time, and he asks some pointed questions about Ben’s erratic public behavior, and about why she’s attracted to a man most people would say was a monster. The conversation gives Alicia a chance to expound on her sense of aesthetics, how her curiosity about the way things look – she’s blind, remember – translates into desire. She’s attracted to beauty in whatever form she finds it, and what she “sees” when she touches Ben is beautiful to her. Moreover, what she sees inside him is beautiful, as well. He’s troubled and imperfect, but his flaws only put his kindness and heroism into sharper relief.

The Man in Black nods and smiles, seeming pleased. For the readers, however, her attraction to non-standard (even non-human) beauty could once again play into the suspicions that she’s a Skrull. But her feelings for Ben also seem genuine, which may muddy the field a bit. If she is a Skrull, is she one that’s going to betray her own kind for love?

(Note: At this point, the differences between the two Men in Black are becoming apparent. The dark-haired one seems to not like the FF, and tends to take everything he hears in the worst possible light. The white-haired one, while still asking hard questions, is pleased to hear about the good in Our Heroes.)

Political Doom

This covers a few different scenes, to be spread out over several issues. The Latverian rebels, using weapons given to them by Doom, take control of the southern province of Rotruvia, and declare themselves a sovereign state. Afterward, Doom meets with Namor about the possibility of Atlantis sponsoring their call for aid from the UN.

Meanwhile, with Our Heroes…

The Inhumans arc (as well as this week’s follow-up) will be narrated with excerpts from Lands of Confusion: Exploration Under Duress, by Susan Storm.

One of the big issues, starting with the Microverse arc and continuing on through this week’s storyline, is the question of how much the rest of the team can trust Reed. Or, more precisely, how much Sue can trust him. She still feels lingering resentment over Veronica, the ex-wife Reed never told her about. So when he overcomes Maximus’ charisma in the Inhumans arc and breaks from Sue and Johnny (who were still taken in by him), she takes it personally. Even after they escape Atillan, Sue and Johnny aren’t entirely convinced that they were on the wrong side of the fight.

Also in the Inhumans arc, we saw Johnny getting close to the Inhuman princess Crystal, which only makes sense. She’s a beautiful, intelligent young woman with a heart of gold, and her inherent nobility appeals to Johnny’s more heroic side in a way that the vivacious but (let’s face it) slightly amoral Frankie Raye never will. After Johnny’s moral crisis in the Microverse war, Crystal is exactly the kind of woman he thinks he needs. And Johnny seems handsome and exciting to her, just the sort of thrillingly unpredictable man she’d like to run to while escaping her arranged marriage to Triton.

But there’s something else to remember about her: while Crystal may just be entering adult life by Inhuman standards, that means she’s 70-year-old royalty from an alien culture who was, before she met the FF, slated to become the queen of Inhuman Hell. And as we go forward into the new storyline, that will begin to become apparent…

ARC THIRTEEN: HOT PURSUIT

After the intrigues of the last few arcs, this one’s going to be centered a lot more on action, as the Inhumans Karnak and Gorgon…

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…pursue the team out of Attilan to bring Ben back to stand trial for (the Inhumans believe) killing a ship full of Inhuman scouts during the Thingbeard Incident.

(Because, again… I can’t post this picture often enough.)

One other important thing about this arc: I decided to take inspiration for the current run of stories from another of my favorite Silver Age series: Doctor Strange. At that strip’s height, Steve Ditko plotted out an incredible series of cliffhanger adventures that linked together into an epic that ran for over a year, building on established characters and situations while still expanding the character’s universe, building to ever-greater heights that culminate in a battle between the Dread Dormammu and the living embodiment of everything(!). It’s exciting, bravura storytelling, and I wanted to emulate it here. This really started with the introduction of Medusa in the Frightful Four arc, straight on into the Inhumans arc, and running into this one. Will it go even longer? Read on, and find out…

ONE: THE CHASE BEGINS

An initial encounter with Karnak and Gorgon establishes the chase, and the danger: while the FF could most likely defeat their pursuers in open combat, Karnak’s ability to find the flaws in things enables him to plan devastating surprise attacks. So uncanny is their ability to find and attack the team, no matter how many miles separate them, that it makes them seem more threatening than they really are, and sets Reed to wondering how they’re pulling it off.

He’s got other distractions, though, thanks to Karnak’s psychological warfare. He and Gorgon very much play “bad cop” here, implacable minions of evil king Black Bolt, driving a wedge between the Storms (who were taken in by Maximus’ manipulations) and Reed (who saw through those manipulations). It also makes Sue suspicious of Crystal (a member of Black Bolt’s court), which further splinters the team because of Johnny’s growing affection for the Inhuman girl.

Karnak’s most dramatic psychological warfare tactic, however, is against Ben. In their initial encounter, Karnak punches the Thing square in the chest, putting a large crack in Ben’s rocky hide. While it was just a test-blow for Karnak, something to help him determine the limits of his foe’s toughness, he plays it as if he thought the attack would have split Ben open like a gutted fish. It doesn’t help matters that the crack slowly grows larger as the arc goes on, audibly cracking every time Ben exerts himself. This makes him hesitant in general, and over-protective in future encounters with Karnak.

And not without reason. Because we see Karnak, in several sequences over the arc, figuring out how to actually crack Ben open with a single punch. (Note: good opportunity for some trippy visuals here.) The real key, of course, is Alicia’s earlier confession that the rocks “don’t go all way down.” So while Ben’s protecting his chest, Karnak will eventually figure out that the place to strike is actually the groin.

At any rate. This initial encounter happens while the team is still in Triton’s realm (the Under-Sea), just after Triton leaves them, but before they enter the cave system he’s lead them to. So after a few pages of action, Triton returns to order Karnak and Gorgon off. They refuse, in defiance of Triton’s sovereignty, and the team escapes into the underground while their pursuers battle Triton behind them.

TWO: MOLES

Next, still traversing the caves, the team runs afoul of the MOLE KING, who has moved to his Asian home beneath Bangkok since his initial encounter with the team. There’s some monster-fighting…

…and we get to see the somewhat disturbing “do what thou wilt” society Elder’s outcast Mole People have built for themselves underground. We also meet the Moloids, a native subterranean race that serve as slaves. The Moloids subsist on a diet of pale fungus that the Mole King hordes to further control his underground slave-race. Not that he needs it; they worship him like a god due to his ability to control the monsters. He just limits their food supply because it pleases him to do so. (Scene: the FF break open the fungus vault, hoping to free the Moloids from Elder’s control. Instead, they attack the team for daring to interfere with their god’s plan for them.)

This whole situation breaks down when Karnak and Gorgon attack again. How did they get past Triton? Karnak hints that they won the fight, and have claimed the Under-Sea for Black Bolt. Crystal’s not buying it for a second, and neither is Reed (and they’re right). But things swiftly become too chaotic to give it much thought. Reed pits Elder and the Inhumans against each other, and the team escapes again as Karnak and Gorgon are tied up fighting the mole-monsters.

THREE: THE TOMB

Emerging from the underground miles off the coast, the team finds itself at the source of the Mole King’s strange menagerie of creatures: MONSTER ISLAND! They run afoul of bunches of bizarre Kirby creatures, and discover the source of the island’s strange mutations: a volcanic core composed of an unknown radioactive element. In trying to collapse the cave mouth behind them (thus thwarting Karnak and Gorgon’s pursuit), they unwittingly free the greatest monster of all:

FIN FANG FOOM! He Whose Limbs Shatter Mountains, and Whose Back Scrapes the Sun! Though he’d been trapped in peaceful slumber for centuries, something recently changed. He awoke one day in frozen agony, paralyzed as his flesh began to bubble and boil. And when the boils burst, they birthed monsters. These are the creatures, these SPAWN OF FOOM, that roam Monster Island and serve the Mole King underground, and they’ve continued to be born to this day.

(Scene: as FOOM tells them the story, he pops a boil on his shoulder in demonstration, and a massive, half-formed fetal monster falls, wet and dying, to the ground.)

FOOM thanks the team for freeing him, and in repayment, he deigns to let them live. The rest of humanity, it seems, will not be so lucky. His revenge for his years of torment will be genocide. The FF try to stop him, of course, but they’re badly outmatched, and he slips into the ocean, headed for the Chinese mainland.

FOUR: Pacifica

Giving chase, the team encounters a group of Atlantean soldiers under the command of NAMORA…

…Namor’s long-lost cousin, another human/Atlantean half-breed and a hero of the Pacific campaign in World War II. Namora rules Pacifica, a splinter kingdom that separated from their Atlantean cousins when Atlantis chose to hide from the world. The Pacificans moved halfway around the globe, with the intent of helping the Japanese rebuild after Hiroshima. An unexpected problem arose once they’d settled in, however: Monster Island. Post-war atomic tests caused strange mutations, Namora tells Our Heroes, and the monsters haunt the Pacific to this day, searching for prey. Devoting themselves to protecting the world from these creatures, the Pacificans live on a constant war footing, and (Reed surmises) suffer from more than a little PTSD.

Geographical Note: Back in the Atlantis arc, I said that Attuma’s people came from the Mariana Trench. Which I, mistakenly, thought was in the Atlantic Ocean at the time. Now I know better.

Just goes to show that research matters…

Reed explains (Reedsplains?) the truth of Monster Island: the atomic tests didn’t cause mutations. They affected that strange molten core above the TOMB OF FIN FANG FOOM, and caused the monsters to be birthed from his flesh. The SPAWN OF FOOM have plagued the Pacificans for decades (a span of time that seems “recent” to the immortal FOOM), and now the real cause of all their woes is headed for China.

Namora and her men join the hunt for FOOM, and they all fight him briefly in Taiwan, where he’s stopped for sustenance (they find him eating people like candy). But then Karnak and Gorgon attack once again, and FOOM decides that his little snack has fortified him enough to get him to the mainland. He wouldn’t want to spoil his appetite for the feast, after all…

FIVE: SPLITTING THE PARTY

Kind of a complicated issue here, with numerous small scenes moving the story forward. But we pick up where the last issue left off, with…

The Settling of Petty Concerns:

The team faces off against Karnak and Gorgon on the beach in Taiwan, filled with fear and resentment, and uncertain of the outcome. Gorgon blusters and Karnak taunts, still playing the villain, still working the psychological edge. They care not for human matters and human death. If FOOM wants to eat humans, let him! He’ll find Attilan no easy prey! This sets off Namora, who joins the face-off on the side of the FF. She doesn’t care what issue all these surface-dwellers have against each other, but if these two new interlopers are going to interfere in the chase for FOOM, she wants them dead. It looks like it’s about to go down when, suddenly, Crystal intervenes.

She tells (no, ORDERS) Karnak to drop the act. This is not the kind man she knows, the patient teacher who reveals his students’ shortcomings only to help them grow past their faults. And Gorgon is no lumbering monster! He’s a poet and a lover of animals, enemy only to the cruel. And cruelty is what they’re showing these fine people, these heroes, devoted to learning and the protection of the weak. A far greater threat than some centuries-old crime looms over them all now, a threat to all life on Earth, and as members of the Family Royale, the best Inhuman society has to offer, they had damn well better lend a hand to ending it.

Shamed, Karnak and Gorgon bow to Crystal’s superior morality. Their issue with Benjamin Grimm is not settled, he says. But if this FOOM is as great a threat as Crystal says, they can do no less than to follow her example.

Namora, exasperated, rolls her eyes. “If you’re done with all this idiotic posturing, can we please get back to saving the world?”

The Plan:

Karnak, though he caught only the briefest glimpse of FIN FANG FOOM, believes that fighting the monster is futile. His weaknesses are few, and inconsequential. The forces they have arrayed against him now could do little more than slow the beast down. They need more power to defeat him.

Reed agrees, but thinks that, more crucially, they need better intelligence. Someone put FOOM to sleep before, and they must discover how to do it again.

Namora says that she can help with both those things. She’s been working in the Pacific for 70 years, and has allies all across Asia. Allies she can gather quickly to fight the beast and, perhaps, to give them more information.

So they split up. With Ben piloting the Fantasticar, Reed and Karnak go to gather information. To aid them in this, Namora pulls forth a medallion in the shape of an eye, and calls on THE ANCIENT ONE, Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme!

Yeah, but… Never mind Ditko’s usual Ayn Rand crap. Once he hears their problem, the Ancient One tells them to meet him on Monster Island.

Meanwhile, Namora leads everyone else in the fight against FIN FANG FOOM, gathering allies along the way. To aid in this, Karnak reveals how he and Gorgon had been tracking the FF so easily: he produces a whistle to summon LOCKJAW, the Inhumans’ teleporting dog, who will happily follow the commands of Crystal and Gorgon.

Raising the Alarm:

Namora’s team heads out across across Asia, gathering a mismatched collection of heroes, villains, and everything in-between (Namora doesn’t care much about such fine moral distinctions). These characters won’t get much more than cameo appearances in the big fight scenes, but since I fell down the rabbit hole that is researching funnybook characters on-line, and did it for a full three hours, I figure I should at least give you a list of names and descriptions:

The Red Ghost (Considering that Russian communism is long-dead, I figure that a modern-day Red Ghost would probably be Chinese. And as long as we’re making changes, let’s make him female, too. Get a little gender parity up in this Asian Sausage Party. Like the original, she’s a government spy with the power of intangibility. Unlike the original, she has another, secret power to be revealed later.) Sunfire (Japanese pop star super hero, with flame powers!) The Silver Samurai (Troubled warrior with a laser-powered sword!) The Mandarin (Chinese megalomaniac, with ten rings of power!)

The Yellow Claw (Chinese crime lord!) The Jade Claw (Daughter of the Yellow Claw – and his greatest rival!) Jimmy Woo, Agent of SHIELD (Head of SHIELD’s Asian office!) Xorn (Mutant holy man with a sun for a head!) Colonel Fang (Lycanthropic Chinese military hero!) Chen Lu the Radioactive Man (Scientist hero of Red China!) The Iron Monk (Invulnerable Tibetan Holy Man!) The Monkey King (Trickster hero of legend!) Darkstrider (An eight-limbed Korean Spider-Man!) Khrag Thung the Enlightened Vengeance (Tibetan Ghost Rider!) Go of the Radiant Light (aka Go-Devil, a Japanese schizophrenic torn between good and evil!) Mystical Lao-Tse (Chinese sorcerer!) Fat Cobra (The Super-Sumo!) Brother Power and Sister Sun (Solar-powered leaders of a Vietnamese religious cult!) Red Ronin (Giant robot piloted by Japanese boy hero Rob Takaguchi!) The Head (The severed head of a genius, with a weaponized flying life support system!)

(Yes, all those guys are existing Marvel characters, albeit with a tweak here and there to make them fit the tone a bit better. But I figured you had to see The Head to believe it. He was a World War II villain who fought the Young Allies.)

At the Tomb of Fin Fang Foom:

Meanwhile, the fact-gathering team meets on Monster Island, at the TOMB OF FIN FANG FOOM. Reed takes some readings of the strange radioactive element, and Karnak recognizes it immediately: it’s irradiated Terrigen. Karnak speculates that the Terrigen may have lain dormant until the atomic tests. The Inhumans themselves have to activate the stuff after they mine it, and they use mild doses of radiation to do so. This gross over-exposure, however, may have caused it to birth monsters. He doesn’t understand how this batch could have been here, though. His grandparents’ generation mined out all the local Terrigen deposits more than 400 years ago, and now have to travel the globe to find it.

Before they can explore the implications of that, however, the Ancient One arrives, mystically teleporting in from afar. He apologizes for the delay, explaining that he thought it best to collect a friend:

AGED GENGHIS, a man older even than the Ancient One himself! Genghis seems distracted. Lost in thought. “A very wise man,” the Ancient One says. “In his day. He taught me everything I know. But he had the misfortune to discover the secret of immortality.” When asked why that’s a misfortune, the Ancient One seems startled. “Ah! Yes. I forget sometimes. You are men of miracles, men of science. But you see… Immortality has its limits. Aged Genghis endures, but the human mind can only hold so much time, so many memories. And he’s lived so very long. Longer than any other human being in history, I suspect. So now he’s senile. And quite mad. But if anyone knows the story of FIN FANG FOOM, it is him.”

(Note on Aged Genghis: He swings unpredictably from comedic to scary, cheerful to grumpy, addlepated to deadly serious. And though he’s supposedly a senile old hermit who has no contact with the world outside his cave, his speech is peppered with modern phrasings and slang, much moreso than the Ancient One. He’s in the background of every panel, usually levitating, hovering in mid-air with his legs in the lotus position, not seeming to really pay attention to his surroundings. But before every new revelation or turning point (even in panels that cut to other locations), he makes a small mystical hand gesture that goes unnoticed by everyone else (and maybe by the reader as well). It may be something he does in his madness, or he may be shaping events with magic on a deeper, more subtle level than even the Ancient One can perceive. He takes a particular liking to Ben.)

“I know this place!” Aged Genghis suddenly exclaims. “This is where Tensu buried the dragon!”

Pressed for details, he can’t remember much. Only that they fed the dragon something to make it docile. “Something Tensu made. Clever, clever, that Tensu. Mostly, it was those mushrooms. The ones I had to go underground to find. Deep down where the mole-men live. They weren’t happy to give up their food, oh no indeed.” (Close in on his face, which suddenly looks hardened and dark.) “But I can be very persuasive.”

Reed knows immediately what he’s talking about: the Mole King’s fungus-horde. And something else clicks into place: if the mushrooms could be used to make FIN FANG FOOM docile, surely they could be used to command his Spawn. Another good reason to control the Moloid food supply.

And luckily, the Ancient One knows who Tensu is: an ancient being now known as Dragon Tensu, a dragon trapped in human form. Truly immortal, and with a dragon’s gift for memory. The Ancient One has only met him once or twice, but he thinks Tensu will help them… if they can find him.

So they split the teams again. Karnak whistles for Lockjaw, and travels to where Namora is gathering her forces to meet FIN FANG FOOM at the coast. There, he recruits Sue and the Red Ghost for a stealth mission back to the Mole Kingdom.

Meanwhile, Ben, Reed, the Ancient One, and Aged Genghis search for Dragon Tensu.And at the coast, the fighting begins. FIN FANG FOOM ravages the mainland, even with the full might of the the Asian super-powered community arrayed against him. It’s clearly a hopeless battle, one that can only buy time for the others…

SIX and SEVEN: THE LONGEST DAY

These two issues will jump back and forth between the three missions, but I’ll handle each separately here, for matters of simplicity.

The Mole King’s Larders: The Mole Kingdom is still in disarray after the fight with Karnak and Gorgon. Three of the mole-monsters lay dead in the central square, Moloid slaves out butchering the corpses. Whether for food or easier disposal, it’s hard to say. But the chaos means that things aren’t very well-guarded. So, as Sue makes them all invisible, they head directly for the larders. The Red Ghost passes through the walls and starts handing mushrooms out to the others. Unknown to them, for every one she collects for the mission, she’s collecting another two for the Chinese government, passing them along via her secret power: the ability to open up holes in space, ala the Spot.

Thaaaat’s right. Respect, bitches!

She lets the others know when the Larder is empty, and Sue seems confused. There were a lot more mushrooms in there than this when the FF opened it earlier. Assuming that the Mole King moved the rest, and hoping they have enough, they prepare to leave. And that, of course, is when the Mole King confronts them. Karnak explains what’s happening on the surface, but Elder doesn’t believe him. It looks like they’re going to have to fight their way out, but Karnak, ordering the other two back into the Larder, delivers a kick to the entrance, bringing down tons of rock to block passage. They’re sealed in, but it gives Karnak time to summon Lockjaw, and they’re gone. The Mole King rages behind them, gathering an army of Moloids, and calling for a mole-monster known only as The Mountain…

The Search for Dragon Tensu: Reed and his team retreat to the Ancient One’s Sanctum Sanctorum high in the Himilayas, where he works a complex spell of location. “If a dragon does not wish to be found, it is not an easy thing to pry him out of hiding.” (Note: good opportunity for some crazy Ditkoesque imagery as he works his magic.) The spell succeeds, and they find Tensu in Hong Kong, where he lives a life of opulent seclusion among that city’s sea of humanity, admitting only the occasional petitioners of favors, people who seek the miracles of Dragon Tensu.

(Tensu is such an insanely obscure character – appearing in, as far as I know, only one eight-pager from the Timely era – and being a very different character than the one I’m writing, besides – that I don’t have a picture of him. So I’m gonna suggest you just picture Lo Pan from Big Trouble in Little China, and have done with it.)

Tensu greets the Ancient One with a sort of distant respect, but obviously sees Our Heroes as little more than another set of humans coming to him with their petty concerns. He either doesn’t recognize Aged Genghis, or pretends not to.

The Ancient One explains the issue to him, and Tensu flies into an arrogant rage, angered that some foolish mortals have undone his hard work (See? Now the Lo Pan thing is easier, isn’t it?). Ben cracks a joke about his attitude, and Tensu declares their audience with him over. And that’s when Aged Genghis walks up and slaps him. “Get over yourself! All you did was mix the damn potion! I’m the one who gathered the ingredients! The one who tricked the dragon into drinking it! I even picked the location of his tomb! And WHY?” He starts poking Tensu in the chest, and the Dragon suddenly seems cowed in the face of the old man’s assault. “Because YOU. WERE. LONELY!”

And so the truth comes out. Tensu, trapped in human form and outcast from other dragons, conjured up FIN FANG FOOM for companionship. FOOM was tiny at first, no bigger than a finger. He rode in Tensu’s pocket, and learned from Tensu’s wisdom. But over time, he grew. As Tensu’s arrogance and power increased, so did FOOM. Eventually, he was a giant. Seven stories tall. All of Tensu’s power and pride, given physical form. He ripped it all away from his creator, and set off to conquer the world. That’s when Tensu, diminished, sought the aid of Genghis, then Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme. Together, they laid their plans against FOOM. Tensu had made him indestructible, to protect his tiny, weak companion from harm. But now that he was a giant, that invulnerability made him unstoppable. So Tensu concocted a potion to control him, Genghis tricked him into drinking it, and Tensu ordered him to sleep, far away from people, where they thought he would never be disturbed.

Appropriately shamed, Tensu agrees to help.

Front Line Combat:

As all this quieter action’s going on, Namora leads the assault on FIN FANG FOOM. We’ll see this in short scenes of escalating desperation, FOOM laying waste to the Chinese coast, and advancing toward Hong Kong in spite of the heroes’ attempts to stop him. He’s constantly eating people, as well, scooping up soldiers and civilians alike in great handfuls, whenever he gets the chance. Namora takes notice, and comes to believes that he needs to eat to replenish his power. And she’s right. FOOM has radiation sickness from his time under the Terrigen Core, and is eating prodigious amounts to fight off its effects. It won’t kill him, but he needs food to keep his power levels up. So Namora calls for an evacuation in advance of his assault, getting as many people out of his way as possible, and her team falls back. In response, FOOM simply goes back out to sea to eat a few whales, and resurfaces in Hong Kong harbor, replenished. Issue seven ends with a desperate last stand in an abandoned Hong Kong, as FIN FANG FOOM rises from the depths.

(Like this, but less… Turtle-y…)

EIGHT: FOOMWAR!

The Double-Sized Conclusion!

It all comes together in Hong Kong. Karnak’s team delivers the mushrooms to Tensu’s sanctum. The potion is mixed, but Tensu warns that they may not have gathered enough mushrooms to make it effective. Karnak and Sue turn to confront the Red Ghost about the shortage at the Mole King’s Larder. But she’s gone.

Meanwhile, the Battle of Hong Kong has begun. Namora and her allies, desperate and exhausted, fight a losing battle, and are on the verge of defeat when Ben pilots the Fantasticar on a suicide dive directly into FOOM’s face. There’s an explosion and a scream from FOOM. The Fantasticar, wrecked, goes bouncing off to crash in the street below. The demoralized super-army looks on in horror. But when the smoke clears, they see Ben standing in FOOM’s screaming mouth, holding it open by the teeth. Reed, wrapped around Ben’s waist, tosses the potion bottle down FOOM’s throat and Ben leaps away to land safely on the street below.

FOOM staggers in disbelief, choking and clutching at his throat. The Ancient One, Aged Genghis, and Dragon Tensu materialize in mid-air, before his blinking eyes. Tensu speaks. “Hello, old friend. I believe you’ve caused enough trouble for one day. Time to rest.” He smiles and waves his hand…

And FIN FANG FOOM laughs.

The potion didn’t work! FOOM shouts in triumph, and swats the three sorcerers from the air. The fighting starts over again, the exhausted heroes having lost hope. All seems lost.

But then there’s a rumbling from below, and up, through the streets of Hong Kong, toppling buildings in its path, THE MOUNTAIN emerges from the depths! The Mole King and an army of Moloids ride its mighty back as it rises. Up, up… Taller than the city! Taller than FOOM! It towers over the great beast, its every movement a creaking, crumbling roar!

Then the Moloids, in numbers too vast to count, go running up its back, off the cliff of its brow, onto FOOM’s head… and into his waiting maw. FOOM laughs in triumph again, these tiny creatures like lemmings, feeding his strength! Feeding his power! Feeding his… Then his rant trails off, and his eyes grow cloudy. Something’s wrong. The Mole King steps to the edge of the Mountain’s brow, smiling. “Hello, my friend. My name is Rupert. But you can call me…” (the smile twists) “Master.”

Down below, Reed puts it together. The mushrooms allow control of FOOM, and the Moloids eat nothing but the mushrooms. So Elder fed him Moloids until he choked on them. And now… The Mole King controls FOOM!

Thinking quickly, Ben gets Red Ronin (the giant robot) to throw him to the top of the Mountain. Flying through the air, fist-first, shouting…

…he damn near takes Elder’s head off. The Mountain, not much of a thinker left to its own devices, withdraws below. Ben leaps off before it goes, but the Mole King goes down with it.

Back on the streets, FOOM still stands, dazed, waiting for instructions. Dragon Tensu, bloody but unbowed, appears at his feet. “As I was saying, old friend. It’s time for you to rest, now.” FIN FANG FOOM sits, obedient, and gazes upon Tensu like a loving hound.

The crisis over, we end with a series of epilogues:

The Pacificans aid the people of Taiwan and Hong Kong in rebuilding after FOOM’s assault.

The Red Ghost reports to her superiors on the mind-control potential of the subterranean mushrooms, and tells them where they can find more. In the background, we see three caged apes…

Dragon Tensu and his allies return FIN FANG FOOM to his tomb on Monster Island, and order him to sleep. The Ancient One sets wards on the volcano to ensure that he’s not disturbed again.

The Inhumans remove the Terrigen core from Monster Island, taking it back to Attilan for study, ensuring that no more monsters will be birthed from his flesh.

Jimmy Woo directs a SHIELD operation to cordon off Monster Island, keeping the curious out, and the monsters in.

Namora, suddenly freed from the responsibility of protecting the world from Monster Island, ponders what Pacifica will do next. Perhaps it’s time, Reed suggests, to contact Atlantis.

Johnny works to repair the Fantasticar, which is already starting to pull itself back together.

The Inhumans prepare to leave with the Terrigen Core, but Crystal elects not to go with them. Karnak acquiesces to her desires. Her wisdom, he says, has proven itself superior to his own.

Then Karnak turns to thank the FF for their role in the crisis, apologizing for his earlier manipulation of them. He takes special care to thank Ben, offering him a handshake. Ben hesitates, nervous, then accepts.

Karnak: “You are a mighty warrior, Benjamin Grimm. A worthy adversary, and a great ally. It has been my pleasure to work with you through the recent crisis.”

Ben (smiling): “Y’know, I had you all wrong, Karnak. Yer a soldier. Ya had a job ta do, and you were doin’ it. No shame in that.”

Karnak (smiling): No shame, indeed. There is, however–”

Ben’s smile becomes frozen. He coughs blood. Then his face splits in two.

Karnak (face now impassive, and splattered with Ben’s blood): “…much shame in this.”

We pull back to see that, while shaking Ben’s hand, Karnak has issued a ONE-INCH PUNCH just below the belt, and Ben’s rocky hide has split down the middle. He falls to the ground, unconscious, his outer shell of rocks falling away on both sides. Beneath is a bloody mess.

Before the rest of the team can react, Lockjaw teleports Karnak and Ben away. As they fade out, Karnak’s voice informs the team that they have earned the right to attend Ben’s trial in three days’ time, and offer whatever defense they can…

TO BE CONTINUED!!!

NEXT: Time Travel! Treachery! Doom Triumphant! And… THE TRIAL OF THE THING!

Fantastic Four Re-Mix, Part Six: Hot Pursuit! So I got a little carried away this time. I had planned for this sixth installment of the…

[imperiuswrecked]

pssst.. please spill the doomor hcs

I have a ton of them that I mainly keep thinking up for future writing but hoo boy where do I start? I think the thing about Doomor is that it can be very cracky/fun or very deeply intense depending on the way you want to see it.

Doomor Headcanons:

- Victor takes over a neighboring country so that he has access to the shore line and is able to get to the sea whenever he wants to.

- Both men do not like others touching them without permission. (This is stated alot in Namor’s comics too, he doesn’t like people to touch him) They like to be in control of who has that kind of familiarity.

- Namor and Doom are both social outcasts, something Victor mentions when they teamed up once, and so they both know the struggle of trying to fit into a world that rejects them for who they are. This creates a kinship between them and they have this mentality of: we can’t trust the world or each other but we can trust each other just a little bit more than the world.

- Victor is fascinated by Namor’s perfect form, he is a connoisseur of all beautiful things and so he really enjoys that Namor leaves next to nothing for the imagination.

- Namor is the only person Doom regularly takes off his mask around, or feels comfortable enough to do so (canon since he was unmasked a couple of times they spoke) Namor thinks Victor’s scars are a symbol of his survival and he loves them, in time he convinces Victor they are not ugly.

- Victor likes to have control of the relationship, but Namor is a wild card and never likes to give in, so they butt heads a lot over lots of things until they compromise.

- Victor calls Namor: my dear a lot (canon) and i like to think he calls him other pet names and Namor scoffs at them but he secretly likes it.

- Namor brings back things from the ocean for Victor, something that is rare and hard to get.

- My Namor/Doom headcanon about how giving someone a shell means you love/are fond of them in Atlantean customs. which came from a beautiful fan art here and was followed up by another art here

- Namor likes to talk about the oceans, sea life, and other marine biology, and since Doom likes to study things alot its one of the few places where their interests over lap.

- Both are terrible to each other when they play video games (art here)

- Victor changes all the pools in his castle to salt water ones since he knows that chlorine hurts Namor’s gills.

- Both are just utter drama queens and do fight a lot and raise all kinds of hell whenever they want too and mainly annoy the FF

- Doom rarely visits Atlantis, but when he does Namor keeps him as long as he can and the same for Victor when Namor comes to visit Latveria. Both are often busy with their kingdoms.

- Namor likes to be the big spoon but Victor doesn’t like to cuddle, so they usually start off sleeping with space between them until later in the middle of the night Victor wakes up when Namor cuddles him and he has to decide if he like sit or not and usually doesn’t push him away.

Ok so crack/fun headcanons!

- My Namor and Doom sitcom that marvel should make asap.

- Namor and Doom are the unofficial eccentric uncles to the FF kids and even though they hate it, somehow they get roped into dinner and also babysitting, they send gifts for birthdays that aren’t normal gifts like a giant sea squid, or a giant doom bot, etc.

- Namor and Doom are both too stubborn to do anything about the feelings they have for each other OR Namor is too freaking obtuse to notice that Victor is literally trying to propose every time they team up to give the FF a headache so it’s up to Susan/FF to finally whaps Namor upside the head and inform him that Doom is is his not so secret admirer. Namor and Doom get together and honeymoon off in Latveria or Atlantis and the FF finally get a break from their shenanigans but when they return they then proceed to raise even more hell and the FF regrets matching making.

- Them both being disasters in any situation basically.

NSFW headcanons under the cut~

- Victor tops, no question, Namor is a power bottom.

- Victor has a choking kink.

- Namor has a bondage kink.

- Dom/Sub is a big part of their relationship

- Victor often gets jealous of the people who throw themselves at Namor and does what he can to keep him close, often times trying to lock him away but Namor rebels at that.

- The have fucked on the Cabal meeting table, as well as almost every room in Victor’s castle, and in Namor’s too, and also on one memorable occasion in the Baxter Building.

- They have really intense and hot sex, often breaking property and many walls in the process. When they fight and have make up sex its time to evacuate the premises because they are very vocal.

- Gentle sex is very rare and cherished between them. This doesn’t happen often.

[marblesarelost]

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

                                               Chapter 7

She wasn’t surprised to see Natasha leaning against the wall outside her office at five o’clock that afternoon, half-smirking with worried eyes.  “Kotyonok.”

“Tante.”  That drew the smirk into a small smile as Natasha walked with her to the private elevator, both staying silent until the doors closed before them.  Then ‘Tash slid her hand into Darcy’s, interlocking their fingers.  “He called,” Darcy said quietly.  “At like, five this morning.  To tell me what was going on.  That he had to leave.”

“That was good of him.”

“Yeah.”  Darcy bit her lip.  “It sucks.”

“Yes.”  The elevator stopped, and Natasha stepped out first, her grip firm, leading Darcy to the apartment she shared with Clint rather than going to Darcy’s.  Clint met them at the door with Natasha’s vodka and iced glasses, taking Darcy’s bag and shoving her gently toward the couch.  

“So,” Natasha began after all the glasses had emptied once.  “The date went well?”

“Yeah,” Darcy sighed, holding her glass out for ‘Tasha to refill.  “Really well.  We…shit, I’ve got the party at --“

“Nope.  Secretary of State canceled it, due to the new developments,” Clint interrupted.  “Keep going.”

“We talked about getting together again later this week,” Darcy said after a second.  “We had fun, it was a good time, I mean…I think he likes me. I think he really likes me.”

“Who could not?” Natasha purred.  “You were lovely.”

“He held my hand,” Darcy added, blushing.  “Took his glove off for the second --“ Clint choked, vodka dribbling out over his lower lip, and both Darcy and Natasha looked at him, waiting for him to breathe.

“Wait,” he said between coughs.  “Wait, what?”

“He took his glove off and held my hand?”

“You’ve touched --“ Clint coughed again.  “-- Victor Von Doom?  You’ve touched his skin?  He has skin?”

“Oh for God’s sake, Clint, he’s not Darth Vader,” Darcy sighed, but when she looked at Natasha, she saw how carefully blank her expression was.  “What?”

“Doom doesn’t do that,” Natasha said quietly.  “Doom never takes off his armor in public.  Any part of it.  I have known of him, I have watched him, I have studied him, at various times, for various employers, looking for weaknesses, for slips.  Darcy.  He never, never, removes any piece of the armor at any time.  Not even in his castle.  Perhaps in his bedroom, he is human, he must sleep, but…no.”

“Well, we held hands during the first act, and it was okay.  Kind of weird, because his glove is…it’s metal, but it’s really super flexible. Not uncomfortable, it didn’t bother me or anything.  Then I went to the bathroom at intermission with Jennifer, we came back, we all had some wine, we settled in for the second act…yeah.  Yeah, he had his glove off through the whole second act.  But it was dark, and pretty private.”  Both the spies were looking at her now as if she’d grown another head.

“Well,” Clint recovered first.  “So you guys went out last night and then…”

“Yeah.”  Darcy nodded, slumping backwards against the couch. “Then I got a call at five this morning saying he had to go, that the New Soviet were pushing their luck.”

“And you didn’t come tell us,” Natasha said.  “You just got up and went to work.”

“I asked if he wanted me to get Tony or Steve, he said no.  That the Avengers showing up could make the situation even worse,” she sighed. “My hands were, they are, tied. There’s nothing the Avengers can do. There’s nothing I can do.  It’s up to the Kremlin now.”

Natasha filled her glass again, raised an eyebrow at Clint when he pushed his glass closer.  “You choked.”

“I was surprised,” he retorted.  Natasha snorted, but refilled his glass.  “Thank you.”

“It is after midnight in Latveria now,” Natasha said, picking up her glass.  “Have you heard from him since this morning?”

“No.”  Darcy tried to keep her lip from trembling, and thought she’d done a fairly good job of it.  “He’s probably way busy.”

“No news is good news,” Clint added.  “No news means he’s not out there on the front lines, no news means nobody’s infiltrated Castle Doom.  Because if the New Soviet were able to get an assassin in there, they’d be crowing about it.”

“Were you seen with him last night by anyone?”  Natasha asked suddenly.

“We were at Hamilton, ‘Tash, it was crowded as hell.”  The spies exchanged a look, and Darcy looked back and forth between them.  “What?”

“Take it that you were, then,” Clint said.  “Listen, you don’t leave the building without at least three security agents for a while, okay?”

“What?  No, we had one date, we’ve never been seen together before --“

“Crimson Dynamos,” Clint said brusquely.  “You and ‘Tasha approached him and Namor at the party.  You went inside with him.  You came back out with him.  You’re a legit target, Darce.  At least three agents, I’d feel better if you didn’t go out without an Avenger or an X-Man for a while, to be honest.”

“There were other observers besides the Dynamos,” Natasha added.  “I know there were.  And you had a nice long conversation with him outside, in clear view, while everyone else was busy.  I am not scolding you; I am pointing this out.  They know who you are.  They know he has shown interest in you, and they know that you are a member of our support staff.  You are likely a high priority target now for an extraction and kidnapping team.”

“Christ,” Darcy muttered, holding out her glass again.  “Top me up.”

“He has likely thought of this now as well,” Natasha went on.  “If things went as well as you think they did, it would not surprise me to wake up tomorrow morning to see the building flanked by Doombots.”

“Oh, surely not, he’s got to know what kind of fit Tony would throw over that,” Darcy argued. “You want to talk about a pissing contest, Christ, Doombots versus the Iron Legion, Tony’d go batshit.”  Natasha shrugged, sipping her vodka.  

“Perhaps he will not send them overtly,” she said.  “But if you do not hear from the Latverian Embassy offering you extra security within, say, the next forty-eight hours?  I will be very surprised indeed.  And what do you think that security will be made of?”

“Doombots,” Darcy sighed, collapsing against the sofa.  “God. Tony will be livid.”

“Well, if nothing else, you’ll be able to tell just how much he likes you,” Clint grinned.  “What would you say, Tash?  Three if he’s really into her?”

“I would feel better if he hired someone, but yes, at least three,” Natasha said, stone-faced. “Perhaps the best of both worlds; perhaps --“

“Not Wade.  Just not Wade,” Clint said, looking up at the ceiling and pressing his hands together as if he were praying.  “Oh please God not Wade.”

“You’re both horrible,” Darcy grinned.  “First, again, one date, hello?  Second, he’s got a little more on his mind than me right now.  Third, hiring somebody?  Like who?”

“Deadpool,” Natasha said frankly, and Clint dropped back against the couch, shaking his head violently.

“No, no, no, no, no, not Wade, just not Wade, I don’t care who else --“

“I have heard that Creed is available; who would you rather, then, Deadpool or Sabretooth?”  Natasha asked, raising one eyebrow.  “The worst thing about Wade is that he talks too much.”

“Too much?  He never stops!”  Clint exclaimed.  

“And Sabretooth is apt to lose his humanity and try to kill everyone,” Natasha snapped back.  “Wade will shut up if you are firm enough.”

“What about LeBeau? I’ll call him myself, you’d like Remy, Darce, he’s long and tall and made out of sex,” Clint offered.

“Yes, because her beau is going to hire someone who would try to charm his way into her pants,” Natasha pointed out.  Darcy sat back with her vodka, pleasantly buzzed, waiting for the two spies to stop arguing.

“Guys.  It doesn’t matter because he’s not going to do any such thing,” Darcy said quickly when both of them had paused.  “One date, you guys, I’m not a princess, I’m not anybody important.  He barely knows my name.”

“Would you care to place a wager?”  Natasha offered, and Darcy considered.  If Nat was sure enough that she was willing to bet on it…because Nat didn’t bet unless it was a sure thing.

“Okay, maybe, but at best it’ll be a single Doombot.  I actually think it might be one or two of his Latverian Embassy heavies, if anything at all.”

“We will see,” Natasha said, winking.  “Probably by morning.”

  Intelligence briefings, meetings with his allies and their generals along with his own, working out a cohesive united defensive strategy that would save as many lives and materiel as possible, calculating with his military advisors how much ordnance and how many super tanks and operations teams to drive them could be spared, as well as how quickly the reinforcements would arrive at their destinations, all these things had filled his time from the moment he had arrived home.

Now, however, all that was left was the waiting and the hope that the New Soviet would realize what a mistake they were making; the EU had already issued a condemnatory statement against the aggressive movements and escalation in Ukraine, the UN were trying to open up diplomatic relations.  Hopefully, this would all have been for naught.  For now, all that was left was to wait and see.  He gave orders that he was not to be disturbed save for an emergency, and went to his rooms.  He had been awake for over 24 hours, and though he could remain conscious and coherent for up to four days, he preferred not to if it was not necessary, even if it was only late afternoon.

He took a shower, soaked for a bit, then went to bed, closing his eyes and breathing deeply and rhythmically in order to invite sleep.  Then Darcy’s features passed behind his eyelids, and he sat up, cursing as he picked up the phone beside the bed.  It took several minutes for the international call to go through, but eventually she answered.

“Avengers Initiative, this is Darcy Lewis.”

“Darcy.”  

“Victor,” she said, and he could hear the relief in her voice.  Damn.  

“I hope this is not a bad time,” he began.

“No, no, I just sat down behind my desk.  How are you? Is everything okay?”  

“I am exhausted,” he admitted.  “And once we hang up, I intend on sleeping until either a servant wakes me, or I wake on my own.  But I am well, so far.”

“Good.  Stay that way,” she said firmly, and he had to chuckle at the cheek of the young woman giving orders, even faux-orders, to him. “Seriously, though, I’m really glad you called.”

“As am I.  How are you?”

“I’m okay.  I’ve got a little tiny bit of a headache because I drank too much of Nat’s vodka last night, fair warning, don’t drink with the Black Widow, she can drink anybody but Steve and Thor under the table.”

“I will keep that in mind. You said there was a function you had to attend last night.  Were you able to avoid it, then?”

“Nah, it got canceled. The Secretary of State was too busy with the UN because of what’s going on over there.  It’s okay, I didn’t really want to meet the president’s kids anyway.”  He snorted.

“Inform me if the sons are rude.  The daughter is much better bred; she takes after her mother, the first wife.”

“Oh, I fully expect Junior and Nimrod to be douchecanoes,” she said airily.  “I actually got a gown that covers all the assets just for them.” It took a moment for him to parse what she meant, and his free hand grasped his coverlet tightly at the thought of either of the president’s sons being ungentlemanly with her.

“As I said, inform me,” he repeated himself, carefully keeping his voice steady.  “There are certain business dealings with Chernaya that I will gladly interfere in, should they need a reminder of how well connected you are.” And that reminded him.  “You have not left Avengers Tower, have you?”

“Not since yesterday morning, no, but I’m going to have to eventually.”

“If it would not be too presumptuous, would you do me the kindness of informing the Embassy if you do? They will send a security detail for you.  I have no fear for you within Avengers Tower itself; even if they are called away, Stark’s security team and his technology should be sufficient.”  Too, he would call Stark, he decided.  A subdermal tracker somewhere discreet would not go amiss, if she did not have one already.  She was, after all, an intimate of Prince Thor, and obviously a favorite of the team.

“If it will make you feel better,” she said after a moment.  “Guess I get to tell Nat she was right.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Natasha and Clint said last night they thought you’d want security for me.  Clint doesn’t want me leaving without at least three members of security, or an Avenger.  I told them I thought that was a little…” she paused.  “I don’t know, we’ve had one date, I thought it was a little soon for something like that.”

“In any other time, I would agree.  But this is a time of hostility, and the FSB do not play by the rules.”

“You know the Avengers would come for me, right?”

“That is not the point. The point is that nothing untoward happen to you to begin with.  You are a noncombatant civilian, but that will not stop certain agencies.”

“If it’ll put your mind at ease, sure,” she said lightly.  “You’ve got enough to worry about right now without adding me into the mix.”

“Then I will make the arrangements momentarily.  Thank you for understanding.”

“Oh, I don’t have any problem with being safe,” she laughed.  “You’re welcome.  And you should probably get some sleep, and I’ve got to earn my paycheck, so --“

“Of course.  Was this a good time?  May I call again?”

“Anytime, Victor.  And especially if you have to go add a personal touch, okay?”

“I remember.  Have a good day, Darcy.”

“Good night, Victor.” He hung up, called the New York embassy and gave the requisite orders for her security detail if requested, debated…it was still fairly early…and decided not to call Stark until later. Besides, if push came to shove, there were magical means of finding her.  He was able, then, to lie back and eventually sleep.

  The intelligence that came in overnight was not promising.  The strengthening push into Ukraine, the troops now crossing Belarus, pointed toward the New Soviet’s determination to reconquer the smaller countries.  Belarus could be forgiven; their position was unenviable, and while Victor knew they were playing both sides against the middle, he also knew that they could not possibly stand before the might of the troops currently passing through their country. He gave the orders for the immediate air transport of several brigades of Doombots to help defend Poland’s eastern border, with promises of more as soon as he knew more about the Ukrainian situation.  He also gave the orders for the supertanks, already loaded onto the special express trains, and their operators to make the journey to Lublin and Bialystok for assignment. Those destined for Ukraine and Romania were already en route.

A teleconference with the generals, exhibiting the latest Doombot models and pointing out their strengths, took up a few hours, and then another teleconference with Chancellor Merkel, President Macron, and President Mattarella regarding the efforts the EU had made to convince Russia to stand down.  He did not comment on the absence of Prime Minister May and President Trump; it was only to be expected, after the Brexit, and of course President Trump likely did not even know there were currently tensions.  Nor, to be honest, did Victor think the man would care. Ukraine was far enough away that the U.S. could ignore it, though he had an idea that the First Lady was likely keeping a very close eye on the situation.  She was from the region, after all.

Now he paced in his control center, waiting.  He felt somewhat bound by his determination to change; were he the Doom of five years ago, he would have gone to the front and decimated the armies with a few spells, driven them forth from the soil of his allies and shown no mercy.  He could feel the energy, taste the triumph…but no. “I am not that man any longer,” he growled to himself between gritted teeth.  “I am better.  I am stronger, I am more than I was.”  But the words did nothing to curb his desire to see something destroyed by his hands.

He swallowed his irritation, and began reviewing the currently available freelance enhanced humans or mutants who might be acceptable to Darcy as a bodyguard.  She could not be followed by a Doombot all the time, and while the embassy’s security was top notch, they were all human. He did not like their chances against more Crimson Dynamos or perhaps Black Widows.

Sabretooth was not an option, due to his instability.  Certainly he was supposedly “cured,” but he had seen Victor Creed in his murderous frenzies, and he would not risk Darcy in that manner.  Elektra was a possibility, save for the fact that she had a price of her own on her head, one that would never be called off.  Deadpool was annoying, and too easily distracted.  

He studied videos of the last current possibility for a long few minutes, the high angular cheekbones, the saucy grin, the insolent grace, the lean, muscular body.  His upper lip lifted into a sneer, watching him attempt to charm every woman he met.  Did he dare try to hire this one?  What if Darcy found him attractive?  What if, since he was unable to court her properly right now, she allowed that charm to disarm her?  He pushed himself away from the control panel, paced the room again, glancing every so often at the loop of the man in action leaping to provide cover for a child, defending an elderly man, sweeping a handful of foes into unconsciousness with a few well placed blows.  Finally, he stopped, folding his arms over his chest.  

He was fond of Darcy. She seemed fond of him.  They were not sworn to one another in any way, they had not even begun to scratch the surface of any type of relationship. Hiring someone to guard her was not for his benefit, it was for hers.  Her association with him was what would place her in jeopardy;  he was therefore honor bound to ensure her safety.  Out of the available possibilities, this was the best option.

And besides, if she gave way to the flattering rogue’s charms, if she could not remember who had hired him and why to begin with, then it was simply not meant to be.  He sighed, then picked up the phone.  

  The welding arc flashed blue, hotly hypnotic, as the Clash screamed about knowing one’s rights, the thudding bass enough to feel it in his feet as he worked, mouthing the words along with the song.  He had just finished the line of weld when the song cut off abruptly, and he cut off the welding torch, flipping up his helmet.  “FRIDAY?”

“Sorry, sir, but you didn’t hear me the first eight times I called your name,” his AI said.  “Lord Protector Von Doom is on the line for you.”

“Oh.”  Tony wrenched the helmet off, wiped his forehead on his arm. “How long do I have before Pep wants me for the dinner thing?”

“Two and a half hours, sir.”

“Right, and my alarm is --“

“For an hour and a half from now.  Shall I put Lord Doom through, sir?”

“Yeah.  Yeah, patch him in.”  He laid his tools to the side, got a bottle of water from the mini-fridge and downed it, waiting.

“Mr. Stark.”  Doom’s voice boomed, even when he wasn’t meaning to. He’d have made a hell of a front for a metal band.  Literally, Tony thought to himself, grinning.

“Vic!  Good to hear from you.  How’s Europe?”

“Holding together for the moment.  May I have a word?”

“Sure.  You need a hand out there?  I don’t mind,” Tony offered.  “I owe them a courtesy call after the other night, to be honest.”

“I promise you, Mr. Stark, you are first on the list should reinforcements be needed.  I’m calling regarding Miss Lewis’ current security measures.”  Tony blinked.

“She lives in Avengers Tower, man, we’re not going to let anything happen to her,” Tony began, a low growl of discontent rumbling in his belly.  What, he didn’t think the Avengers could keep her safe?

“I’m well aware, but she does have to leave the tower from time to time, Mr. Stark, and while your security teams are top-notch, they are human,” Doom said.  “Humans, unenhanced humans, well trained humans, are very well and good against most of the FSB or human extraction teams.  I am more concerned for mutant and enhanced threats. I have a bodyguard candidate in mind for her.  I am calling to ask if I might rent the gentleman a suite of rooms in the Tower, so that he is always at hand.  This is only temporary,” he added.  “Until the unpleasantness here is over, and the New Soviet come to their senses.”

“Who’ve you got in mind?” Tony asked, taking another swallow of his water.

“Remy LeBeau. Gambit.”  Tony choked, coughed, had to catch his breath.

“I thought he was upstate? In Westchester?”  He said when he could speak again.

“No.  He has left Xavier’s team, and is currently working as a freelance operative in Quebec City.”  

“Not New Orleans?”

“I believe he is persona non grata in the Crescent City at the moment.  Something to do with the Assassin’s Guild.”

“Yeah.  Yeah, um.  Let me put you on hold for just a minute so I can check the availability, okay?”

“Certainly.”  Tony made a cutting gesture over his throat at one of the cameras, and Billy Joel’s “Vienna” began to play, signaling that Doom was on hold.  “FRIDAY? Do we have anything?”

“The guest floor below the Avengers’ floor is currently empty, sir,” came the lilting answer. “The current market value for one of the guest suites is approximately $15,000 per month, due to the space, the limited availability of rentals in New York, and the location.”

“Okay.  Bring him back on.”  The music cut again.  “Vic, you there?”

“Yes, Mr. Stark,” came the irritated reply, and Tony grinned to himself.  

“Yeah.  I’ve got some room, I’ll cut you a deal because it’s for Artoo.  Eight grand a month, it’s a two bedroom suite with a hell of a view, access to the Avengers’ workout area and communal areas if he wants it.  Comes furnished, top of the line electronics, utilities, cable, and delivery service included.”

“Acceptable.  I will call you back after I speak to Mr. LeBeau,” Doom said after a second.  “I deeply appreciate your courtesy in this matter.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Tony said easily.  “Let’s do doubles next time you’re in town, me and Pep, you and Darce, huh?”  A long pause.

“I have no objections. Thank you again.”

“Sure thing. Later.”  He made the motion again, and the call cut off.  “FRIDAY.  Make sure one of the suites is deep cleaned,” he ordered.  “I don’t know when he’ll show, so, let’s get on it.”

“Yes, sir.  Shall I have groceries delivered as well?”

“No; wait on that until we know when.  Work up an invoice for the Latverian Embassy at eight.”

“Yes, sir.”  Tony hefted his helmet up, slid it back on his head, tightened the belt.  

“How much longer do I have to play, FRIDAY?”

“Approximately one hour, eighteen minutes, sir.”

“Awesome.  Bring back the tunes.”  

“You have the right…to free speech…as long as you’re not dumb enough to actually TRY it!”  The music picked back up right where it had left off.  Tony grinned, flipping his hood down and re-lit the welding torch, bending back over his work.

...STAY TUNED, TRUE BELIEVERS...