#JAIME AND BARRY AND WALLY TOO

[oh-theatre]

I think it’s time for a Bart Allen show

[incorrectbatfam]

Bruce goes to meet the other fathers? Have a barbecue with Clark, Oliver, Berry and talk about their kids?

"Damian told me that I was cool, it's been a while since one of my kids told me that" or "Mia is doing so well at school these days"

those moments when they are all (old men) father proud of the mess the kids are?

The dads: *lounging on beach chairs*

Clark: It's nice to finally get a day off. I think Jon needed it more than me. He's still reeling from growing up and suddenly turning back into a kid again.

Ollie: How'd that happen, anyway?

Duke, walking by: That's just this blog.

Clark: What?

Duke: Nothing. Hey, B, can we use the jacuzzi?

Bruce: Sure, go ahead.

Duke: *gives Emiko a thumbs up*

Emiko: *drains the jacuzzi*

Harper and Cullen: *start cleaning the pipes*

Ollie: I know how you feel, Clark. Roy's the happiest I've seen him with Lian back but it's still a big change. We're working on getting her enrolled in school this fall so she can catch up on what she's missed.

Roy: *sprays the tub with disinfectant*

Jason: *dries it with a leaf blower*

Hal: Speaking of changes, Jaime graduated with honors. I know he's not my kid but I can't help but feel like a proud uncle. Kyle got a new concept artist job, by the way, and I think he really likes it.

Jaime: *turns the jacuzzi back on*

Kyle: *sets up folding tables*

Barry, chuckling: Bart tried to enter a marathon the other day.

Clark: Kon wanted to pay money to go skydiving. I don't get it.

Aquaman: I remember when Kaldur joined an amateur scuba class at that age. Perhaps it's an attempt to feel more human.

Bruce: It's easy for us to forget sometimes too.

Kon, carrying a giant pot: Boiling hot soup, coming through!

Kon: *pours it into the jacuzzi*

Cass: *adds spices*

Tim, with a clipboard: One down, eleven more to go. Bart, stop eating the ingredients.

Bart: It's just tofu.

Tim: That's for Damian. What's he gonna do now, starve?

Bruce: Dick's been coming home more often lately. I can tell Alfred's really happy when he sees us all together.

Dick: *drapes tablecloths over the tables*

Wally: *sets up plates*

Steve, walking in: Mind if I join? Diana's running a little late so she sent me and the girls ahead.

Clark: Of course, feel free.

Donna, holding a basket: Where do these vegetables go?

Barbara: I'll take them. Could one of you get some spoons from the kitchen?

Cassie: On it.

Steve: So where are all the ladies?

Bruce: They're in the living room. Selina's showing off her latest... um... collection. Alfred has tea in the kitchen if you want some.

Steve: Don't mind if I do.

Yara: Should I put the meat in now?

Jon: One sec.

Jon: *scoops some soup aside*

Jon: You're good now. I just needed a vegetarian portion for Dami.

Kon: MORE SOUP COMING!

Ollie: Honestly, I'm surprised everyone's doing fairly well given the industry we're in.

Steph, leading a crowd into the yard: And here's where our main event will be.

Bette: *checking names off a guest list*

Bette: That's almost everyone. Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter are gonna be a little late. Avery's on a mission in Shanghai so she can't make it. Beast Boy and Raven stopped to buy desserts. And the We Are Robin kids just got stuck on a stalled subway train but they should be here pretty soon.

Clark: I think it's a matter of good mentorship and giving them plenty of time and space to get acclimated to the superhero lifestyle.

Jesse: *making lemonade*

Ace: *fills the coolers with ice*

Garth and Kaldur: *handing out drinks*

Barry: And giving them plenty of room to grow at their own pace.

Hal: Very true.

Bruce, sighing contently: You can't help but be proud of them.

The kids, chanting: HOT POT! HOT POT!

[fastestmanalive333]

Rundown on my AU Earth-1987

Heavily based around New Earth.. a continuation in a sense accept for a few changes

-Bart Allen is the big resurrection instead of Barry, Conners resurrection in Legion of 3 Worlds stays intact Bart continues as the flash and gets the title but keeps his impulse and old personality unlike fastest man alive, Wally gives him a made up oath and goes goes to retire to be a dad and raise the twins, Bart is unsure of his New position.. he reconnects with Carol Bucklen..

-Roy Harper continues as Red Arrow Cry of Justice simply does not happen and Lian is still alive, he will even go on to join the Justice League

-The Justice League will be very much led by Dick Grayson the line up will consist of

-Nightwing, Superman, Martian Manhunter, Troia, Red Arrow, Jade, Obsidian, The Atom (Ryan Choi), The Flash (Bart Allen), and a New Green Lantern (Terry Berg) more on him later, Firestorm (Ronnie/Jason), Kendra Saunders(Hawkgirl) and Cyborg(Victor Stone)

-Titans will mostly consist of the YJ characters except Bart the line up will consist of Red Robin, Sentinel (Kon-El) he will now move on from the superboy moniker and become his own hero, Fury(Cassie Sandsmark) will be trained by Lyta Trevor the Fury of the newly reformed Earth Two and the daughter of Wonder Woman and Steve trevor her and Conner will be dating once again, Ravager (Rose Wilson), Red Devil(Eddie Bloomberg), Blue Beetle(Jaime Reyes), Static (Virgil Hawkins), Aquawoman(Lorena Marquez)

-Gar and Raven will join JL Dark along with Zatanna and others

-Batman: Batman will run batman incorporated Duke Thomas will be in this canon and will have met batman during no man's land as opposed to Zero Year, he will be Cass' best friend and will become The Signal, Gothams day protector unlike main continuity he will not be in the Batfamily, he will be his own unique hero, Jason Todd will have his pre crisis origin and hair color.. controversial ik.. but for the sake of preference that will be so, he will be an anti-villain crime boss controlling the drug trade, him and Bruce won't be at odds with each other, he simply does not approve of the path Jay has taken and it saddens him, Jay cares about Bruce too.. but he has chosen this life he will still be with Scarlet, Stephanie Brown will still be Batgirl, Barbara will still act as Oracle, Joker will have the doll maker remove his face and the court of owls will be introduced as Justice League villains instead of batman villains, they will very much be a worldwide illuminati type organization Damian will still act as Robin the bat fam will just be smaller and have Bruce, Dick, Damian, and Steph

-Green Lantern: Hal Jordan will marry Carol and Kyle Rayner will lead the corps, the mythos will be explored more, Terry Berg will be given kyles ring after kyle becomes a white lantern, Terry is Kyle Rayners assistant in Winicks run he will become The fifth earth lantern, kyle and Terry will get more bonding moments.. Kyle and Jade will get back together and marry for real this time, Terry's character will be explored more

-Superman: Kal will lead the Supermen of America a new team, Chris will be living with Clark and Lois again, he will be attending college classes with Thara and will be best friends with Duke Thomas, their dynamic will be like a swapped version of batman and superman.. Chris being the more serious super and Duke being the lighthearted bat, Chris will be able to control shadows and darkness, Duke controls light, him and Thara will be members of the JL Dark, Thara will assume the civillian identity, Claire Connor Lang acting as Karas sister, Kara Zor El/Linda Lang will still be living with lana and be on her last year of high school she will meet and team up with Linda Danvers her predecessor and they will quickly become friends, Conner will still be in Smallville now going to school at Kansas State.. the same college Chris goes too Kon will see him as a brother/Cousin, and they will be a duo in themselves they will all deal with the repercussions of zods war on earth

-The JSA: It will very much feature mostly the children and grandchildren of the jsa.. the remaining founding members will pass on.. except Jay and Carter Jay will act as mayor of NYC quitting the team giving guidance when needed, the JSA Hawkman will continue on with the JSA

Flash: Bart Allen will now be the main flash.. he will not be so sure he can do it again.. he failed.. he died.. and failed.. he will reconnect with his old friends in Manchester now all adults, him and Carol's relationship will spark, now working for Star Labs, Bart will get a job as a reporter at Picture News with Iris and we will see their relationship more Rival will return still possessing Max's body he will be the first big bad and it will give Bart and Max the closure they deserve, him and Bart will speak in the speed force where he will call him son before passing on, we will establish his rogues, the old rogues will still be on, barts old villains will hoin in too including White Lightning, Irey will become Barts Kid Flash

Wonder Woman: Diana will be working for the government and working to rebuild themysciras connection to earth, the amazons tactics have changed no visitors are welcome, Cassie will unleash her Olympian abilities more, she will cross over to earth two and meet Hippolyta Trevor the Daughter of Earth Two Wonder Woman, she will take on the name Fury, while Donna has uncovered a prophecy.. depicting the rise of an old God long defeated known as Typhon the Enemy of the Gods

Green Arrow: Ollie will still be married to Dinah, Robert Queen II will join the arrow family, Roy will gain a bigger role, Olivia Queen will be born

Aquaman: Arthur will retire with Mera, Garth will now be the king of atlantis, but he will not be the Aquaman.. Koryak will be the new Aquaman, a more brutal aquaman, although meaning well, it will feel like a tale of two brothers, Garth and Koryak will constantly butt heads.. Dolphin and Cerdian will be revealed to have not died but survived the destruction of atlantis in infinite crisis having been taken by atlan, Cerdian will have aged to 10 having been in the pocket dimension with atlan so long... the family will be reunited at last.. Cerdian will become Aqualad

Captain Marvel: Billy and Mary go on a quest to get their powers back which they do successfully, Freddy and Kit Freeman reunite the long lost freeman Brothers together at last they go on a journey through hell together

[zahri-melitor]

My comments on the Extended Generational Sorting Algorithm:

Gosh there are some murky in-betweens here.

G-1 – JSA and teams like the All-Star Squadron and the Blackhawks. The WWII edition. This is occasionally merged with G0 as timelines shift, but includes Hippolyta, Ted Knight, Sandra Knight (as Phantom Lady), Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, etc. A lot of this cohort have aging issues and several have grandkids in G1 or G1.5. Zinda simultaneously belongs to this group and G1.5.

G0 – JSA, the gap between WWII and the first JLA. This is the younger JSA cohort who aren’t so tied to WWII and the gap after. Dinah Drake. Ted Grant. Johnny Quick. Giovanni Zatara. Walter Chase (the Acro-Bat). Bruce’s parents. The Kents. Jim Gordon. Etc.

G1 – JLA land! Bruce, Clark, Diana, Ollie, Barry, Hal, Arthur, etc. You know them. Your idea of a headlining JLA includes these folk.

G1.5 – Birds of Prey and JLI zone. Characters too old to be Titans cohort but younger/clearly different than the G1 headliners. Barbara Gordon and Dinah Lance are the stalwarts of this group, plus I’ll add Helena Bertinelli, Cameron Chase, Kate Spencer, Kendra, etc. I guess I’d probably put Harley Quinn, agewise, here too. Also would add Beatriz, Tora, Booster, Ted Kord, etc. Guy and Zatanna sort of bounce between here and G1 depending on storyline.

G2 – it’s the Titans! Dick, Donna, Wally, Roy, Garth, Victor, Gar, Kory, Raven etc. Their agebounds are probably Roy as the oldest and Gar as the youngest, though Gar’s given to them as a courtesy – he’s realistically a member of G2.5, he just hangs with G2. We also add Kyle and Connor and Jesse Quick etc to this cohort despite them not being core Titans given their strong connections to particularly Donna and Wally.

G2.5 – The JL Taskforce kids and Jason’s non-existent team. Ray Palmer’s Teen Titans. This is a group of individuals that has never properly coalesced. Overlaps in age with both the bottom of G2 and the top of G3 but distinctly don’t belong to either. Jason, Ray, Grant, Argent, Cynthia, Eddie, Snapper Carr, plus Danny Chase and arguably Gar all fall into this group. Rose Wilson overlaps with G3 but vibeswise probably also belongs to this group. I am tossing up whether Anissa and Jennifer Pierce belong here or in G2.

G3 – Young Justice. Tim, Kon, Cassie, Bart, Cissie, Greta, Anita. Cass Cain belongs here despite being the same age as several G2.5s. Steph, Charlie, Black Alice, Jaime, Zachary Zatara, even a handful of the newer folk like Jinny Hex slot in here. Several Supergirls including current Kara, Courtney Whitmore IS a member of this group and the three oldest Marvel kids (Billy, Mary and Freddy) are currently aged into this.

G4 – Damian’s Teen Titans. Damian, Jon Kent (yes even still with the age up), Emiko Queen, Ace West etc. If they are still a teen right now in DC storytelling or SHOULD be a teen, they belong here (if they’re a teen and SHOULDN’T be they’re probably a G3/G5). The Gotham Academy kids. Arguably the Titan Academy kids too? Agewise the DEO Titans kids but spiritually probably not (also the chances of us ever seeing them again is…low) The younger Marvel kids (Eugene, Pedro and Darla especially) are with this group.

G5 – so this group are either alternate G3 or G3.5s. Too new and too un-networked with G3 to be absorbed. Jace Fox, Yara Flor, Jackson Hyde, Duke Thomas and the We Are Robin cohort all belong here. Kong Kenan, Avery Ho, etc also are members.

G6 – Titans Offspring Gen. Almost everyone in this group has been artificially aged, which is a thing, hey. Lian, Irey, Jai, Cerdian, Robbie. Maxine, obviously. Otho and Osul-Ra.

G7 – Help I’m From Earth-One: Power Girl and Helena Wayne.

G8 – The Lost Children – also Help I’m From Earth-One in a lot of respects but they’re in their teens, not adults. May get folded into other groups if they get more use.

[timilehinthewritinglion]

So I was watching a video that said if you call Miles Morales 'Miles Morales' instead of 'Spider-Man' you are racist. Then I saw someone defend this rake by bringing up the Flash, Robin and the Green Lantern.

That made me stop and go "Nope. Nuh huh. You're wrong there."

Let's break it down. Are there racists who refuse to acknowledge Miles as Spider-Man? Yes. Is everyone calling him Miles instead of Spider-Man racists? No.

Heroes like Spider-Man aren't going to be mantles.

He is like Superman and Batman like that.

When you mention these people only one name comes to mind .

Bruce Wayne is Batman not Jean-Paul Valley, not Terry Mcginnis or Dick Grayson. They are all great characters who have worn the bat-matle, but they have their own names as there is only on Batman. Even Terry is called Batman Beyond fir that reason.

It is worse with Superman everyone that isn't Clark is given a different mantle. John Henry Iron became Steel, Connor is perpetually Superboy and who Jon Kent got aged up be became Superman: Son of Kal-El. They all have a different name or called 'Superman, but' like Cyborg-Superman or Bizzaro-Superman.

Miles was different before he was Mikes Morales he was the Ultimate Spider-Man...and then the Ultimate universe was killed, then he became Miles Morales.

As for the comparison of the Flash, Robin and Green Lantern, those aren't the defences people think they are.

When people talk about Robin specifically they do one of 2 things. They use their names like people do with Miles or they use their other mantle. I once saw a video where the person said "Nightwing when he was Robin" at the start and another who said "Red Hood then Robin".

People make differentiation with the Robin and with the Flash and Green Lantern it is more pronounced.

They either say "Barry Allen" or "Jay Garrik" or they say "Wally West Flash" and the Green Lantern is built on that difference. The majority wither use their names (Hal Jordan, Jon Stewart etc) or they say Jessica Cruz Green Lantern.

The only time they don't differentiate is when there is only one version in the show/movie/medium they are taking about is the one that exists and even then it's not certain.

Look at JL/JLU John Stewart is the only Green Lantern and yet some still say John Stewart's Green Lantern when referring to him.

The issue is that in every version of Miles Morales Spider-Man, Peter Parker Spider-Man is there. Every single version.

The main issue is time. There have been decades of Peter Parker being Spider-Man. In all 3 live-action movie series it is Peter Parker we were given. Miles only got his movie series and game and past 5 years and even then Peter was there and people had to differentiate between them.since Miles is either 'Miles' or 'Spider-Man' and Peter is there so he is automatically Spider-Man.

The main issue is the prefix. Even in Spider-Man we have people separated by prefixes or suffixes. The Scarlet Spider-Man, the Superior Spider-Man, Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Gwen and Spider-Man 2099. They all have something that separates then from Peter's mantle. And most of then are white so people aren't being racist not calling them Spider-Man.

All except Miles. Even the Ultimate Spider-Man is Jo longer Miles, there is a new Ultimate universe and the Spider-Man for that universe is Peter.

The issue summarised is that Peter has been too popular as Spider-Man for Miles to have that name. Look at Blue Beetle. Jaime Rayes is the most popular Blue Bettle and despite there being more than one he is referred to as Blue Beetle and his predecessor is call by his name, Ted Kord.

Until Miles surpasses Peter in popularity he will be Miles while Peter will be Spider-Man. Which isn't happening any time soon unfortunately.

[yjwhatif]

I wonder what all the younger heroes plan to do career-wise once they're older. What do you think? I can't really see Bart becoming a scientist like Barry or Wally, or a reporter like Iris, so he's a mystery. Maybe a counselor like Ed? Helping kids with traumatic backgrounds? Does Jaime want to be a dentist like in the comics? What about Cassie? She doesn't wear a mask or anything, so is she a public hero now? And Virgil? Even Tim and the other Batkids? Sorry for the overload, just curious!

Sooo... for reasons I cannot explain, I am terrible at thinking these sorts of things up (seriously I can even do it for my own life) hence why it has taken me SO LONG to come up with any of this (very sorry about that)... anyway, here goes...

Careers…

(there is absolutely no logic or reasoning behind most of these - I just wrote down the first thing I thought of… and I have no wider DC canon knowledge either...)

Ed - (who is probably the easiest one) would be some kind of counsellor… maybe if we ever see the sanctuary thing Dinah mentioned in the last episode we could see Ed actually working there as a counsellor (I presume there’d be councillors there) - the MHYC certainly doesn’t seem to have much happening there anymore - so maybe that’s his next step?

Bart - definitely something with kids - I imagine he loves babysitting and being around kids who are bursting with energy all the time - he’s good at keeping up with them - so something that involves taking care of them.

Jaime - an engineer… i can see him studying in something technical but I definitely cannot see YJs jaime being a dentist… but who knows maybe he is - Greg and Brandon do like keeping in obscure comic details - like Dinah being a florist.

Traci - something with animals… I can imagine her working/volunteering in an animal shelter and having a strong connection with all the animals  

Cassie - a writer...

And Virgil - something artistic... illustrator or photographer maybe...

Again, there’s no actual reasoning behind these two, I’ve just got this image of Cassie shadowing Clark at work and cassie not shying away from going straight into a difficult story and Clark being impressed and a really great mentor - those two bonding would be so fun to see (honestly, after s4, I just want more Clark interacting with the youngsters - it'd be cool)… Then maybe Virgil could be like the jimmy Olsen to Cassie's Clark Kent - they have such a strong friendship, and I like the idea of them teaming up outside of the hero game - it doesn't have to be in journalism, but whatever it is, she writes and he illustrates to create something truly epic!

Raquel - I have no clue and can't even think of something random...

same goes for kaldur - though i feel like for him, up until the end of his arc in s4, his life was being Aquaman or serving the king/council in some way and nothing else... so yeah, no other clues on him.

then, Dick - a detective, but in his off time he goes back to his acrobatics...

and Zatanna is a stage magician.

And that’s all I got for potential professions. In terms of secret id’s, I will say i have always been confused on what the situation is with those who don't where masks who are public heroes - Ed, Virgil, Cassie - i presume they're just out and, given nothing has ever been said otherwise, I guess they don’t get too much trouble from it. I don’t know but I would really like to see what everyday life is like for those who don’t wear masks - I imagine there’s the odd selfie request… and now I have the image of Ed and Bart walking down the street when they’re stopped by someone asking if they can have a picture with Ed the Outsiders, the kid gives Bart the camera and he and Ed just share a knowing look at each other before taking the picture, the kid thanks them both and goes merrily on his way while bart and Ed playfully tease each other for the rest of the day.

Thanks for the messages anons - I hope this answered at least some of your questions…

LB

[lycheeluv]

Remember this Batfantasy I started back in 2018 !? Where it just started as human Bruce adopting some mythical kids and then- suddently. he was the only human on earth apparently.

For those who are not aware, (*) are genetically modified :

Damian (*) : half human, half incubi, his wings and tails are covered of a steel like material. it’s very. Sharp. Cass (*) : Tengu, her feathers, while very fluff, were modifier to be as hard as steal when dripped in water Jason (*) : used to be just human with lots of strenght. Then he took a dip in Lazarus and awaken his vampire gene fully Kon (*) : well. he is. part Kal and part Luthor so- Bart (*) : you know…. the… due to the…. Reach experiment………… he can either turn deer with hooves or like Wally and Barry, kinda were rabbit. His ears are a mix and don’t change. Most of the information can be find if you go through the batfantasy tag, tho I didn’t tagged every post, so feel free to search by name tag.

[dcficit]

tags pt 2

[cruisinforarubberman]

A File A Day Keeps the Batman At Bay

I...I honestly don’t know why with the...the title...just roll with it.

The Power Swap AU is definitely something I’ve thought of before, but I’m glad I had the prompt because it made me flesh out a lot of my ideas. So as you read you’ll notice it’s written in a “file” format. I kept imagining one of the Bat Kids writing these, possibly Batgirl? In any case I hope you enjoy my take on this prompt.

Btw if any of you artistic Bluepulse fans feel inspired and would like to draw up Blue Bolt and Pulse Beetle you have my total permission, just be sure to tag it with #blue bolt and #pulse beetle so I can find your work and/or message me =3

Day 4: Power Switch AU

---

Name: Jaime Reyes

Alias: Blue Bolt

Age: Sixteen

From: El Paso, Texas

Current Residence: El Paso, Texas

INFO

The end of the second Blue Blot was the result of Ted Kord losing his life. The Light had come to his lab in order to steal the unused technology that had belonged to Dan Garrett, and as a result was killed while attempting to defend it. Jaime Reyes, a teenager passing by on his way home, was caught in the blast from the Kord Industries Building exploding and discovered the aforementioned tech. It had then done what Garrett had been unable to avoid and Kord had prevented happening to himself; it fused to Reyes' spine, most likely impossible to remove, barring death.

The technology in question was a circular, blue object bearing a symbol many have said to resemble a lightning bolt, hence the bearers of it taking on the name Blue Bolt. It was christened by Garrett with the moniker “Disk”. Said tech was a supposedly ancient Egyptian relic that allowed the one that it chose to bind itself to, in this case Garrett, to be granted a suit that would form onto his body and grant him the ability of incredible speed. That is what Garrett had assumed, in any case. Research done by Kord, who had been Garrett's protege and was given the Disk after his passing, revealed that it was unmistakably of some kind of alien origin. Being cautious of the tech's capabilities, Kord stored it away and created a suit of his own that would simulate super speed by activating natural human nerve endings and allow it's wearer to run at levels that never quite matched the original Disk's power. Using this he became the second Blue Bolt.

Reyes has shown great strides toward becoming a competent and skilled hero in his own right. He is eager, but also very willing to listen to advice from older and more experienced heroes. Given enough time it is safe to assume that he may just surpass his predecessors.

ADDITION

Due to recent events regarding the Reach and Blue Bolt being “taken off-mode” as Pulse Beetle refers to it, it has been deemed necessary to include some additional information regarding the functions and capabilities of the “Disk”.

The Reach were the original creators of the Disk. They sent it to Earth over four thousand years ago where it landed in ancient Egypt and was then cleansed through a magic based ritual. As such, it remained “off-mode” until Green Bolt's interference, and was able to ignore its original programming to use it's host to enslave the planet.

As already observed, the Disk has attached itself to its host, Jaime Reyes, at the spine. It is embedded between the shoulder blades and, despite efforts from Atom and Bumblebee, cannot be removed from its living host. It can creates anti-bodies to remove foreign threats as well as repair any damage done to the parts attaching the two together.

On that note, it has come to attention that the Disk also carries within it a form of Artificial Intelligence, named Khaji Da. Khaji Da seems to have the ability to translate any language into one his host can understand, and is considerate enough to allow the suit to filter air should the need arise. This clears up any concerns that may have arisen from Blue Bolt supposedly talking to thin air, as all this time he had been having heated discussions with the A.I. that only he can hear. It was through this A.I. as well the interference of Green and Black Bolt, that the Blue Bolt Disk as well as Jaime were brought “on-mode” and controlled by the Reach.

The suit created by the Disk is primarily blue and black in color. Lightning bolt designs are present throughout, as well as a mouthless cowl that covers the entire head and yellow or orange lenses that cover the eyes. The design of the suit is not the same as the one worn by Dan Garrett, which suggests it can change it's basic aesthetic design without sacrificing any of its functions. While form fitting, it allows for a wide range of movement, and the synthetic fabric is friction-resistant to assist in it's primary function; speed. The fastest speed that Blue Bolt had been recorded running is over seven hundred miles per hour. He can even move at such a speed that his molecules can vibrate through solid objects.

Addition

It should be noted that both Disk and host seem to get along much better than they did prior to the ritual that freed them from the Reach's control. It seems Khaji Da prefers the partnership he has with Reyes over being a puppet of the Reach. This is a pleasing development.

---

Name: Bart Allen

Alias: Pulse Beetle

Age: Thirteen

From: Unknown

Current Residence: Central City, Missouri

Unfortunately there isn't much information about Bart Allen's past. The response given when someone dares to ask is akin to “You don't want spoilers, trust me”. What is known is that he is Barry Allen's grandson, who is also known as Flash Beetle. Bart is the son of Barry's son, Don, and a woman named Meloni. For the sake of spoilers, Bart will not reveal her last name. Pulse came from some point in the future using a time machine that broke upon an attempted second use. As he is now stranded in the past, or more accurately the present, he has become a member of the team.

We can trace his hero name back to Beast Boy who, after seeing Allen for the first time, asked, “What are you, some kind of pulse beetle?” Allen had become attached to the name, and continues to go by it to this day.

As for his capabilities, it seems he is also in possession of a version of the Beetle Watch that his grandfather invented. Flash Beetle created an adaptable armor that can construct various objects, tools, and weapons based on what the wearer requires, as well as grant them the ability of flight through the usage of jet-pack technology. In case of the need for emergency space travel, a helmet can materialize to protect the wearer of the watch. It also carries a personal computer which all of the Beetle family can use for hacking and other tech needs. All of which was inspired by the pet scarab that Barry had kept while in college. Wally West, the nephew of Barry's wife, Iris, had managed to make a crude version of his own watch after discovering his uncle's hero identity. With Barry's help to fine-tune it, West became his sidekick and took on the name Kid Beetle until he retired.

The armor's appearance resembles the insect it was named after a minimal amount, but enough that it can be seen. The armor, while plated, is exceptionally lightweight and flexible despite being impervious to a multitude of projectiles and forces of strength. Pulse Beetle's armor is colored white and red which is notably different from his two mentors whose armor red with yellow and yellow with red, respectively. The watch Pulse's armor appears from transforms into gauntlets, and he gains a pair of tall boots. Last and most strangely, he covers his face in a half-cowl similar to West's; every part of his face below the eyes is exposed, the only exceptions being his eyes which have a large, single lens set of goggles covering them, and his ears which have caps over them to protect them, with little faux beetle wings that are a trademark of the family.

Bart Allen seems to be rather impulsive, but he isn't outright reckless. He seems to respect his team leader and each member of his team quite a bit. He's also very personable as it seems he's become fast friends with several members of the team. Most notably, Blue Bolt. Allen seems particularly drawn to him. Further observation of the two's interactions will be needed.

ADDITION

In light of recent events, Bart Allen has taken on the alias of Kid Beetle. He is currently in the process of modifying his watch in order to change its armor's color scheme, to honor his fallen mentor.

---

FILE UPDATE

UPDATE DESTINATION(S): Blue Bolt, Kid Beetle

ADDITION

It would seem that Blue Bolt and Kid Beetle are now involved in a romantic relationship with one another. Their strong bond as friends seems to have evolved into something more intimate over time. This makes logical sense, as the two work very well as a team and have always been close.

While this news comes as little to no surprise, the information is still noteworthy.

[thevindicativevordan]

How do you think DC can resurrect its sales?Books like Action Comics, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Harley Quinn are outside the top 100. Franchises like Green Lantern, Suicide Squad, Titans or Green Arrow don't even have books right now due to low sales. Batman (Bruce Wayne really) seems to be keeping the company afloat.

DC's lineup is truly terrible right now. Over half of all DC books feature Batman or one of his family members in some manner? All the while former A-Listers like Green Lantern and Aquaman can't even hold books? And a bunch of books can't even make the top 100? They're either planning a linewide relaunch after Dark Crisis in January or they're pulling out of the direct market because this status quo can't last. People were comparing Infinite Frontier to All-New All-Different when IF launched, and saleswise they seem to have been correct. DC needs something big to catch people's attention because outside of the Batbooks they've fallen hard.

Look Marie Javins is well-regarded creatively by the talent from what I've seen. She also got dealt a bad hand by having to salvage the wreckage of 5G, AND deal with a number of DC editors getting laid off simultaneously, leaving her with a smaller staff charged with maintaining sales. Then there was the pandemic further adding to the strain. Taking all of that into account, she was able to keep DC running unlike Marvel which went "pencils down", and deserves accolades for that. But her era as editor-in-chief has seen the DCU shrink to just Gotham, and she's failed to revitalize interest in the wider DCU. Javins needs to either shake things up or step aside because this is the worst DC has looked since DC You.

After Dark Crisis, at minimum, we should get new launches for

Justice League relaunch (with Jon, Jace, Yara, Jackson, and Jo in the lineup and maybe some other legacies like Wally, Jaime, and Mary too)

Green Arrow (I personally think Ollie will die and Connor will take up the role again), a Barry Allen Flash book, JSA, Green Lantern to go alongside the John Stewart Emerald Knights book I think is coming, Aquaman, Doom Patrol (Waid wrote them well in Batman/Superman, why not ask him?), and Titans should all be launching in Jan.

Relaunch Superman with PKJ on the book, that will attract more attention to his work and he deserves the "main" book. Move Waid on to Action and set that in the past around the Batman/Superman era since Waid prefers Clark to be unmarried and have the secret identity. Now you've got a "Superdad" ongoing where his identity is publicly outed and he's married with a kid, besides a classic take Superman book. Two Superman ongoings for two different audiences.

Relaunch the Wonder Woman book too after issue 800 as part of a second wave. Alongside her should be a Supergirl book and a new Shazam book starring either Mary or Billy. Black Adam S2 should launch around this time and put Priest on a new Suicide Squad book launching concurrently

Failing all that, cut the line down to the bare minimum (Batman, Detective Comics, Justice League, Superman, Action Comics, and Wonder Woman) and focus on making more Webtoons. That initiative seems to be going well, continue it. Make sure the other major Leaguers get webtoons showcasing their corners too, don't repeat the same mistakes with the Webtoons that you've done with the mainline. DC Universe Infinite should get some exclusive comics that can only be read there, no print runs to keep costs low. Put JSA, Legion of Superheroes, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and any other former A-List book that you've completely screwed up here where they can hopefully quietly rebuild themselves.

[wajjs]

Lmao that Hal story was hilarious. Pissed Barry is a terrifying Barry. Theory that the former sidekicks have a standing bet on who can seduce JL members with bonus points for founders lol One day Hal opens his door to find the three demons chillin on his bed and all he can think is 'I'm in danger'

(ref to this story)

As soon as he opens the door, he wishes he hadn't. The world doesn't work on wishes, though, and the fact is that he has. So he closes it behind his back, walks all the way to the kitchen to deposit his meager groceries on the small table before walking back to the scene on the couch.

The three look up at him and they have the fucking balls to smile.

"Listen," and Hal just has to sigh because the other option involves screaming, "not that this isn't flattering, but I'm getting the feeling that the lot of you think I'm easy."

Garth raises one eyebrow at him. "Aren't you?" okay wow, way to stab him, take out the knife and then stab him again, "Is that not why you've been accepting the previous advances?"

"Previous advan—it was only Wally!"

"And Roy," Jaime even lifts up a hand to start counting the names with his fingers, "and Jason. Kyle, too."

"Kyle doesn't count," Garth says and Donna nods her head in agreement, "he's a separate case."

There's a headache coming faster than Barry can run through time. That is, it's already present and pounding away inside Hal's skull.

"First of all," it might be a lost cause, but he wants to defend his honor, "can't believe you are all slutshaming me. Second—," and the whole situation is so surreal, "I never slept with Kyle."

Donna laughs at him. Hal considers forgiving her on the grounds that she's Donna. "Sleeping with implies staying the night."

"Okay, you know what," marching to the door, he yanks it open with far more strength than needed, "all of you, out. I already have Barry and Bruce after me. Don't need to add Arthur to that, too. God damn it."

Jaime's the first to stand up. "Why not Diana?"

"Because she knows I'm old and smart enough to make my own decisions," while saying this, Donna does not make a single move to vacate the couch. "And that does scream so much about the rest of you."

[bluboothalassophile]

1,2, & 21 (for whatever your current fandom obsession is)

Hello,

I don't have as many fandom obsessions as people think. But we'll give it a go. I won't go into ACOTAR because I'm not done reading it, no spoilers, but I will cover the current obsessions I have.

1. What are OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?

You can blame @shewhowillnotbenamed1 for this list as I watched all of both series because of her; Vampire Diaries and Originals, and I will not be watching Legacies. Bonnie/Elena, Caroline/Elena, Rebekah/Elena, Damon/Elena, Anyone really/Elena; anyone deserves better than Elena in my opinion, and I will die on that fucking hill. Stefan/Caroline didn't make sense to me, because he still fucking dies for Elena. Klaus/Elijah, but I don't ship incest so none of the Mikaelson/Mikaelson ships make sense to me. Freya/Keelin, just why, why would anyone think that ship is appropriate and on screen too; no it has nothing to do with bi women falling in love, but rather the fact Keelin was Freya's prisoner and slave; why would anyone think that an appropriate on screen romance?

There's also DC ships: Garfield Logan/Raven, sorry but it's on the list because it doesn't make sense to me. Bart Allen/Eduardo Dorado Jr, I'm sorry but wtf, Jaime/Bart all the way, not... that. Wally West/Linda Parker, it makes sense, but it doesn't. Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, I don't get it, at all, I wish I did, but I don't. Dick Grayson/Shawn, just why, why was that a thing, ever, why? Constantine/Zatanna Zatara, I wish it made sense to me, but it doesn't. Kara Zor-El/Jimmy Olson, they continuously try this in comics and on screen and I don't know why but it just doesn't work, as sweet as it could be it just doesn't work. Any Joker ship makes no sense, in any way, just no.

2. Are there any popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?

Kol/Bonnie, if they could get along for five minutes without trying to kill each other, their friendship could've been epic.

Ron/Hermione, I think they're best friends, not a romance.

Bruce/Clark is a BroTP for me, as much as everyone ships it, I just love their friendship. Diana Prince/Clark Kent, again, I think they're great friends, but no chemistry as lovers. Barry Allen/Oliver Queen, Barry Allen/Caitlin Snow, and Barry Allen/Felicity Smoak. Raven/Dick Grayson, I love RobRae, I do, but I do love Dick and Rae's friendship throughout the TT 03 series, and while I ship RobRae hard, I do love their friendship.

21. What are your thoughts on crack ships?

None of my ships, minus Percabeth and a few other oddballs, are ever the popular ship, but I fucking love crack ships. Crack ships are some of the most entertaining, amazing, thought out ships ever. Crack Ships, and minor ships, are always amazing, and thought out, they're also the devil may care of shipping and it's a delight!

[river-bottom-nightmare]

BLUEPULSE HEADCANONS GO GOGOGOOG

OKAY OKAY I LOVE BLUEPULSE SO THIS SHOULD BE FUN

because of being super malnourished all his life, bart always stayed skinny, just a slip of a thing. and he never really grew out of it. so instead of holding hands, jaime likes to loop his hand around bart’s wrist, encircling it all the way with room to spare.

once he had time to relax after coming to the past, bart got really really into music. the melodies seemed to form tangible lines, loops, and swirls through the air, winding their way through people, coiling around jaime, before spiraling around bart’s head into his heart. he had headphones on constantly, either on his head or looped around his neck to use at moment’s notice. to get his attention, jaime would tap a little rhythm on the headphone covers with his fingertips. when they’re alone, bart likes to play songs from his phone at full blast and dance with jaime, and even though he’s a flailing, thrashing mess spazzing his way around jaime’s hesitant, refined dancing he learned from his tio, they’re both laughing and laughing and laughing

milagro teaches bart how to make friendship bracelets, and once he masters them, there’s no going back. bart can spend hours threading his fingers through the strands, swift and sure, like fish darting in and out of anemone. he gifts almost all of his bracelets to jaime, who wears every single one of them on a rotating basis

jaime tutored at the local middle school when he was in high school, and when he went to college, he kept the habit up. watching jaime’s kind smile and reassuring voice teach the other kids never failed to make bart smile with how sweet jaime was. of course, jaime also tutored bart in a couple things, because while he was a genius in most subjects, languages had never been his forte. it’s a trade off: bart’s got the motivation for finishing certain assignments or memorizing lists because he knows jaime will reward him handsomely when he’s done. but also, it makes it really really hard to focus when jaime’s whispering spanish into his ear. and no, bart can’t understand him, but with that grin on his face? there’s only so many things he can be saying

jaime gets an undercut. bart spends two weeks proclaiming loudly to anyone who will listen that he hates it. then jaime offhandedly remarks that if it’s so bad, he’ll either grow it out or shave it all off. bart shrieks, with enough force to rival black canary, and jaime watches on with fond amusement as bart makes him swear to never get rid of that haircut ever again

bart’s hair is one big floofball. he doesn’t even use a special shampoo or conditioner or anything, it’s just got more volume than the moon. it’s also so soft, jaime loves running his hands through it. and it gets in the way all the time, but no one understands how it doesn’t really bother bart, and why he isn’t fighting the need to pull it up with a hairtie every three seconds

bart likes taking a sharpie and drawing designs all over his shoes. once he asked jaime if he wanted to do it too, and jaime shrugged and went why not? so now they’ve got matching marker-scribbled shoes. the laces are splattered in paint because bart decided he liked the paint splattered look, too

jaime can not cook to save his life. bart mock-offendedly gasps and says your abuela would be so disappointed in you! jaime raises an eyebrow and says “my abuela is sexist and really only teaches milagro how to cook, since she thinks i don’t really need to. milagro hates it. me and mami are working on changing her social views. it’s a work in progress.” bart blinks for a minute, before announcing “alright what i got out of that is that between the two of us, i need to learn how to cook.”

bart does, indeed, learn how to cook. joan garrick teaches him oldies but goodies. iris hates cooking for anyone but barry and close family because she doesn’t like seeming like a stereotypical “wife” but she makes some absolutely killer recipes and she knows it, so she teaches bart a few. and after a while, when wally and bart start getting along shut up wally isn’t dead shUT UP wally teaches him a couple food hacks that he loves. 

[secondgenerationnerd]

Will you please do a drabble with all the baby speedsters but w/ Barry and Wally being adults still? this whole situation is so funny lol🤍

yes! I saw this the other day, but had to work!

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

When Wally got the call from a bewildered Lian, telling him to get to Omega tower, he didn’t know what to expect. Linda insists on coming with him. On the run there, all their minds can do is prepare for the worst. Prepare for broken bones, bloody uniforms, their children fighting for their lives.

They aren’t prepared as the living area opens and two tiny, familiar figures zoom around a few bewildered Omega members. 

“Momee!”

“Hi, Dadee!” 

The tiny figures stop. Irey and Jai, their normally 17 year old twins, can’t be more than 3 years old. Blinking, their parents take in the over sized t-shirts the two are wearing.

“Woke up this morning and they were both like that.” Lian finally says. “Er, not in  the shirts. Mil’s doing a clothes run.”

“Li-naan!” Jai pulls on the archer’s hand, “We pay pi’ates!”

“Momee!” Irey tugs on Linda’s pants, “Piggies, piggies!”

“She’s been saying that for the last hour.” Jon says, rubbing the back of his neck. “No idea what she means.”

“Pigtails.” Linda picks Irey up, confused as the toddler grabs onto her shirt collar like she used to. “Babe--”

“Already calling Barry.”

Barry doesn’t believe him at first. Then, not even two hours later, the Omega living area has 6 toddlers in it, most of them running at inhuman speeds. Jaime sits on the kitchen counter with his sister, head in his hands as his fiancé runs around like a looney toon. 

“¿Por qué yo? ¿Por qué?”

“¿Porque Dios tiene sentido del humor?“ Mil suggests, patting his shoulder.

Cursing the speedforce (because really, what else could be the explanation?) Barry, Iris, Wally, and Linda at least have some experience with the speedster toddlers...they’re just really out of practice.

“Donny! Get off Bart’s head!”

“Dawn! Put your clothes back--”

“WAAAAHH!!”

“Jai! Don’t pull your sister’s ha--IREY! WE DON’T HIT!” Wally runs over to pull the twins apart. Irey wiggles in Wally’s grasp as she tries to get at her brother. Jai doesn’t help by making more faces. Barry’s still trying to get Dawn back in her clothes, telling Donny to get off Bart again as Linda grabs at them, only for the two to disappear. The only toddler not running around is Mel, hiding behind Iris’s leg and soon joined by Donny. The other members of Omega watch in facsination at the chaos. 

“I feel like I need to apologize.” Lian snorts as Wally pulls Irey off Jai, the little boy zooming over to her, “Was I as much a little shit as these two?”

“You were only slightly better because you ran at normal speeds.” Wally grunts, struggling to hold onto Irey, “Lightning Bug, please, for Daddy--”

“Can I help at all?” Mar’i offers.

“Please.” 

Colin leans over to Jon, “Is your girlfriend about to use her princess voice on some toddlers?” 

Despite the name, the voice reminds them that Mar’i had been raised to rule, to lead. That voice is one of the few things that can bring a group of seasoned heroes to silence, can bring a nation to it’s knees. It’s terrifying watching her slip into that persona. Her carefree smile fading into a hardened, stoic look. Like she’d seen more horrors in 16 years than others had seen in lifetimes.

But that’s not the voice she uses. 

No, her face softens as she moves to a clear area. The six toddlers look toward her, much like the others do. It’s impossible not to.

“Little friends,” Mar’i smiles at the children, “Do you all want to play a game?”

Five little blurs run to her as fast as they can. Mel stays behind Iris, clinging to the reporter’s leg. 

“Mel? Do you want to join us or watch a while?” 

“I watch...” The toddler hides her face in Iris’s leg, shaking.

“Okay.” There’s a warmth in Mar’i’s voice none of the others have heard before. “If you want to jump in, you’re more than welcome, okay?”

The princess waits for a nod before standing, looking at the other toddlers grabbing at her legs, “Now! Little friends, let’s get in a circle--”

“Pay! Pay!” Dawn bounces, keeping her clothes on for the moment.

“We will play! Now, circle, circle.” 

The very tired parents watch gratefully as Mar’i leads the toddlers through some fun exercises, seeing who can jump highest, touch their toes, etc. Mel drifts over after a while, managing to jump high enough to hit Mar’i’s hand. The smile on her small face warms them all inside. Mar’i even gets their parents and the others in on the fun.

A few of them bite their tongues when Irey looks up at Damian and tells him he has a ‘stinky face,’ like he smelled something bad. 

By the end, the toddlers all curl up against each other on the couch.

“I forgot how cute they were.” Linda says softly, running her hand through Irey’s hair.

“I have no idea how we survived.” Iris snorts. 

“I’m just trying to forget one toddler is the kid of two other toddlers.” Barry wraps an arm around his wife’s shoulder, “Mar’i, you’re a life saver.”

“It was nothing.” The princess shrugs, “I’d be a bad dance teacher if I couldn’t handle a few energetic toddlers.”

“If they don’t change back soon, we need you on standby.”

“Dadee?” Jai yawns, stretching. Deciding to take the affection, Wally picks his son up. “Wuv Dadee...”

“Love you too, Little Man.” As Jai tucks his head under Wally’s chin, the older speedster remembers how often he’d walk around their tiny apartment, shushing one or both his kids to sleep. The sound of little feet pitter pattering to meet him at the door after work. The endless babble that became words and conversations. The sticky hands grabbing his face because he had to listen to them. When did his kids grow up?

[notajinn]

My Attempt at a DC Cinematic Universe

With DCEU trending, I thought about how I would set up a DC movie universe. Some of this won’t make the most business-sense, but I tried to balance my character preferences with what makes sense for a cinematic universe.

Excuse any spelling/grammar errors; it’s late at night when I wrote this.

PHASE 1

Batman:  Starting with an easy one because everyone will show up to a Batman movie. Stars a semi-experienced Batman and teenage Robin (Dick Grayson) against Clayface. Mostly a grounded movie where Clayface messes with people’s trust. Robin has some disagreements with Batman, but not enough to split off. Clayface’s powers are kept hidden from the public, but the stinger is Lex finding out about him.

Wonder Woman: Set in present day. Villain is Cheetah. Not too much emphasis on being an origin movie, but still a relatively novice Wonder Woman.

Flash: Starring Wally West, not Barry Allen. Origin movie, villain is Abra Kadabra. No mention of Barry Allen. The lighter-hearted movie of this phase.

Aquaman: Not an origin movie; this is an experienced Aquaman. Villain is Black Manta complete with laser-helmet and pettiness.

Superman: Not an origin movie, but still early career Superman. Unsure about main villain, but not a big hitter like Lex or Zod. However, Lex will briefly appear in the movie in a small role like Harvey Dent in 1989 Batman. I need a scene of Lex defending Clark as a good journalist.

Justice League: Green Lantern (John Stewart) introduced and basically the main character. The villains are the Manhunters; facing a team of enemies is what helps convince the heroes to work together. Batman mentions Robin set out on his own, so he’s not in the movie.

PHASE 2

Blue Beetle: Origin movie for Jaime Reyes. Villain is Black Beetle. The lighter-hearted movie of this phase.

Superman 2: Villain is Lex Luthor. Much of the movie is Lex trying to erode trust in Superman with some help from Clayface. Eventually Lex dons his mech suit to fight Superman directly. Clayface decides he will not longer be a villain.

Green Lantern: Bit of John Stewart origin, but mostly set in present day. Villain is Sinestro, happens entirely off-Earth.

Batgirl: Origin movie for Barbara Gordon. Also brings back Dick as Nightwing in a supporting role. More grounded/slightly horror movie, villain is Ventriloquist (Shauna).  

Wonder Woman 2: Brings in Ares as the villain, and introduces Cassie Sandsmark as Wonder Girl with the demigoddess backstory.

Justice League 2: Having lost 1v1 against Superman, Lex creates the Injustice League. The villains from old movies are Black Manta and Cheetah. A few other non-major villains round up the group. Blue Beetle joins the Justice League. Nightwing, Batgirl, and Wonder Girl appear briefly and help in the final battle. Since there’s multiple new villains introduced, no new hero is introduced.

PHASE 3

Cyborg and Beast Boy: Briefly covers origin of both characters, but is mostly about them learning to work together. Beast Boy is trying to be a hero, and Cyborg is mostly trying to live a normal life. Villain is Gizmo who is mostly after Cyborg, but develops a rivalry with Beast Boy throughout the movie. Light-hearted movie of the phase. Stinger is meeting Nightwing and Wonder Girl talking about a team.

Batman 2: Villains are Joker and Harley Quinn. Not an origin movie for either. By the end, Batman convinces Harley to turn on Joker but she also manages to escape.

Aquaman 2: Villain is Charybdis, who cuts off Aquaman’s hand partway through the movie, leading to the hook hand. I would make his copying powers temporary, or he may be too strong for this EU. Alternatively have him die in this movie.

Birds of Prey: Barbara has become paralyzed in between movies, and is now Oracle. I don’t want Joker to be responsible, but I’m not sure who/what should have caused it. Black Canary is the other main character, and Huntress spends most of the movie as a begrudging ally. Villains are Calculator and his cyborg Burnrate.

Teen Titans: Nightwing, Wonder Girl, Beast Boy, and Cyborg make their own team. Villain is Deathstroke.

Justice League 3: Villain is Darkseid. This is the big final movie, so the Justice League, Teen Titans, and Birds of Prey come together to fight him and some other minor Darkseid-aligned villains.The Birds of Prey handle intel. Batman and Nightwing fight together for the first time in the EU. The Teen Titans get to defeat a second-in-command to Darkseid. There are also minor appearances from Lex, Joker, Harley, and Ares.

------

And that’s it!

I think 3 phases is definitely enough. I do wish I could have fit a second Flash movie in somewhere. I’m sure corporate would want a Harley-centric film somewhere. And they’d also want a second Joker movie.

But overall nearly everyone got a solo movie except for Black Canary, Huntress, Cyborg, and Beast Boy.

I also tried to pull in less-common villains. And I even got Teen Titans in there, albeit a weird setup. But DIck/Cyborg/Beast Boy are together in the cartoon, and Cassie/Cyborg/Beast Boy are together in the early 2000s TT comics.

I only wish I could have introduced Secret so she can interact with Darkseid, but the TT movie was right before Justice League 3, so I think she’d feel like too much of a plot device.

 Let me know what you think.

[yjwhatif]

What is going on with Bart?! (Part 1)

Ok I am definitely the only one who thinks this - but there is something weird going on with Bart in the last episode - or more specifically post X-pit... let me explain.

Bart is a pretty underused character throughout S3 and doesn’t play any major part in the final episode, yet there’s one moment that grabs my attention every time I see it - and that’s the moment when Bart elbows Garfield in the middle of Jeffs really important speech.

Jeff: Like the Outsiders, we must live in each other’s spotlight

Ok yes that is kinda a very Bart thing to do - his way of complimenting Gar for his achievements leading the outsiders - but it’s the fact that he doesn’t react in a regretful/apologetic way when Gar calls out in pain - he just stands there grinning at his clear injured friend and doesn’t bat an eyelid. (Also, does anyone else think Bart has a really evil/sadistic look to him in this shot - because I do and I can’t help but find it odd.)

Another thing about this scene is that not only is Bart front and centre in the panning shot of heroes (which I’ll come back to in part 2) - but he is completely separated from the two people he is usually paired with onscreen - and that’s Ed and Jaime who are both placed together at the very back of the shot. Now when I say ‘usually paired with’ I mean ALWAYS - excluding ’Homefires’ (though that is the first ep to show Ed’s in S3 - so I say it still counts) Bart is either next to Ed or Jaime or both - l know because I checked.

That is until they all come out of the pit - then something seems to change with the trio, for Bart appears to constantly isolate himself from the other two...

Now you probably think I sound mad, that I’m just reading too much into it the layout (as usual) but it’s there - it’s subtle - but it’s definitely there. Like I’ve highlighted with the season as a whole Bart is usually stood with E/J - it highlights his connection to them and establishes their specific friendship in comparison to the rest of the characters. Composition is important - especially in seating arrangements.

At the beginning of ‘Into the Breach’ Bart takes the front most central seat which draws attention to him - being the speedster he is he is always running headfirst into any situation with confidence - so he is at the very front of the ship and closest to the action. Then he has Ed sat in the seat next to him - this allows for them to share a two shot and again reinforce their connection - which they definitely have (see my post about Ed’s powers - there’s a few). This quick shot tells a lot - the angle even gives the impression that Bart is closer to Ed than Vic, which increases their divide - he doesn’t know Vic or maybe trust him yet, unlike he does with Ed. While Vic seems closer to Blue because we know they’ve previously made a connection offscreen - “Bluebeetle taught me that one”.

Yet fast forward to the scene at the premiere building post x-pit and thinking they’ve lost big time - when you look close there is a definite dynamic change between the trio. Though they are still grouped together, they are actually divided - the chairs divide them - whilst Ed and Jaime share the same sofa, Bart is on his own and thereby isolating himself from his friends. But not only that, look at the way he’s sat compared to everyone else - he is the only one with crossed legs. Whilst the others all mimic the same body language - hunched over, hands on knees, legs apart - they are all united in their defeat - but Bart is alone.

Noticeable again after Vic and the others return, Bart is on his own, the furthest away from the group - he is now the one hiding at the back - which is a big change from the shot on the bioship. Something has changed for him - he can’t connect with the two people we know he cares for.

It continues into ‘Nevermore’, this time on the bioship the trio are to the back - the dynamic they last had on the ship has altered massively. Ed now sits on his own side completely separated from Bart and Jaime - this may account for his own feelings of guilt (see my Outsiders in turmoil posts) - he feels he needs to distance himself because of his own failures. Yet he is still in line with Jaime - like in the all the previous shots post pit, he remains on equal ground with Jaime. But for Bart, he is disconnected and hiding at the very back - he has lost the confidence to be front and centre on missions and with his friends - but why?

They all experienced the pit, yet Bart seems the most affected (in a subtle sort of way) - from confident and eager, he’s now isolated and hidden away. And yes, these are very subtle moments that you don’t notice - but because this is animation that makes the subtlety more important - because these are conscious decision being made and agreed upon - they are not random acting choices like in live action.

Now my final notice for this part 1 post - because this has become very long - is the scene just after Vic disappears to follow Granny - I’ve only just noticed this whilst gathering pics for this post and it’s actually blown my mind.

So I’ve always found this moment strange because to me it feels like Bart is almost blaming Ed for everything - and when you look at the shot it does look like everyones giving him evils. I don’t think that is what’s happening but I can imagine that’s what Ed thinks is happening. However what I realised this time round is that that is the real Bart we hear - not the one we’ve followed in S2&3 - but the cynical one of the future. For 10 seconds Bart finally breaks character and drops the mask to reveal his true self - the realist of the apocalypse. Maybe this is why he’s distancing himself - he didn’t come to the past to have fun and joke around - he was a kid with a job to do - and just because he’s done it doesn’t mean he should lose focus. Maybe the pit reawakened the ghosts of his past - the lives lost because of the apocalypse - the lives that could still be lost if that future still happens because he was too distracted to notice the signs.

Barts psyche has always been what fascinates me about his character - because the happy goofball we see isn’t even the real Bart - thats Wally and Barry he’s imitating - Bart has spent 3 or so years living in the guise of what he wants people to see - what he thinks they expect to see in the grandson of Barry Allen - which is mad. This is why I want more Bart - I wanna see what isn’t being shown to us - and I think the x-pit might just have unlocked that possibility. 🤞

- To be continued in Part 2 -

Other Posts:

- Ed’s Powers - ‘Into the Pit’

- Outsiders in Turmoil 1-6 can be found under the tag outsidersinturmoil