#Larry has to work out his own issues

[mozzaicynth]

one thought everyday and its just the amazing world of gumball especially these three freaks (doodles + some headcanons below :3)

mr small -

my interpretation of small becoming more mellowed out in the future seasons as opposed to season 1 is him managing his anger in a more healthier way (meditation, etc) (plus i think all those herbal infusions are incredibly effective on the nerves) . that being said i think he still has underlying anger issues and lashes out if prompted too much . another reason hes nicer and more of a pushover in the later seasons is because i like to think hes guilty of his plethora of outbursts earlier on, especially towards students (unwarranted shouting which as a school counsellor he should know is pretty harmful on younger kids) . the fact that he tries to offer his help when its absolutely not needed so many times later on in the show further makes me like to think he’s making up for it all

hes also so autistic to me hes on the spectrum you cant tell me otherwise and i think hes pretty awkward and considered strange by the whole town (which is saying a lot for elmore standards) . still super friendly and approachable but he also cant take hints and he definitely stims (and has special interests, alternative medicine are you kidding)

his music taste i love to think is all over the place … i get the general consensus is he listens to mystic chants and sitar music but he definitely listens to more, ranging from pop to indie to rock to metal (this may or may not have become an idea when i was listening to ‘darts by soad and associated it with him,) . also what with his stupid little self funded album that is such a jarring listen ‘cause of all the ridiculous genre changes

i think he crochets/macrames as a hobby along with other diy stuff (most of the decorative items in his home crafted by him) making him, surprisingly considering how incompetent he is sometimes, super crafty/handy .

larry -

larry is a great person: incredibly intelligent, he’s very knowledgable on a plethora of subjects and he has a big heart, holding little to no virtriol against the people of elmore (except the wattersons but that is SO warranted) . thus i like to imagine he did great in school, moved on to do so wonderfully in uni whilst juggling jobs and his studies but after graduation was left stuck (alike so many people nowadays) . neither small or larry came from well off families but i think for larry he didn’t have much of a support system anyway so currently he overworks and works and works just to catch up on the student debt whilst simultaneously paying his taxes (i still think about that episode all the time fuck the police . big pink son of a bitch), loans and not to mention the bare minimum to keep himself alive

he’s a very sweet and kind person but anyone under the immense stress that he’s under would be irritable and temperate (he deserves to be more angry imo) and i whilst he has so many jobs he always aims to excel at all of them, having an incredibly particular way that tasks must be done and having them organised . because of this, he can be a lot more temperate when interacting with coworkers, especially those who don’t do their job as well, having to take matters into his own hands . as he and karen (his girlfriend throughout the series) share some jobs it puts a strain on their relationship (which was built off of the mutual ‘having several jobs’) and they break up .

even so, though larry consistently tries to propose to her in the show, in “the laziest” he doesn’t seem to be happy nor comfortable at all with the prospects of marrying her . in fact, even when he’s achieved the ‘american dream’ (properties like a house and car and a family (his girlfriend soon to be wife)) he’s unhappy . personally i don’t think he knows what he wants to do with himself ; he works all day and night and has little to no time for himself to even think in peace that the only purpose he knows is work .

i like to think he used to be an artist; self taught, it was a hobby and an enjoyment but his studies and his work took over so his one form of self expression was squeezed out of his life .. (i like making their lives as bleak as possible soz ! 🙏) he still admires the arts and i think that’s another reason he likes steve so much; his handcrafts and mini projects .

steve and larry are two opposites that are similar in ways .. but i love their dynamic so much . my interpretation of them is that steve will help larry balance out his life slightly better to leave room for himself instead of working 24/7 . steve has his head in the clouds and larry grounds him, and larry is so stuck in his ways with work that steve pulls him out of it slightly, lifting him up a little higher (AUGHHHGHH I HATE THEM I HATE THEM

as for their relationship with rob, im very much a stevelmeyer adoption truther !! both larry and steve coming from dysfunctional families, they aim to help rob and take care of him to the best of their abilities . further, larry taking on taking care of rob gives him direction in his life again . 😁😁😁😁😁😁

this isnt gonna be the last post headcanon/idea wise i still think of them 24/7 but heres jus SOME things .. (im such a yapper sprry not sorry !) :3c

[solarwynd]

https://www.tumblr.com/solarwynd/770214269030678528/that-man-can-keep-up-with-the-new-jeans-drama-and?source=share

You know i have always wanted either of the Taekook to address their shippers given the immense hate jimin gets from their vile nasty fans but then i always thinks that if not these two then why does jimin himself not address these things? then i know for a fact that jimin never gives his antis the time of his day, he doens't give them the satisfaction of thinking their hate reaches him (even tho we know it does) So if jimin himself whos getting this constant hate isn't addressing the issue why should we expect it from the other two? Taehyung didn't address the hate jennnie was getting BUT at the same time she herself hasn't addressed it a tiny bit. She didn't say anything about getting hate or anything.

Armys has been harassing ppl in the close vicinity of BTS from all celebrities but when has BTS addressed any of that? does that mean they don't give shit about their frnds armys shit on?? Celebraties literally goes around saying they're afraid to mention BTS because they'll receive hate from armys Yet when has BTS addressed their toxic Fandom?

Jungkook might have seen his fans tagging Ministry because he was enlisting with jimin but the next day he was going to Japan with jimin so is that not a slap to his solos??

Idk man i do want any od these two to adress their shippers but i also think id they don't then why not jimin? Isn't he the one receiving the hate?

We’re not talking about random celebrities though, we’re talking about his bandmate that he’s known and has been friends with for over a decade.

I genuinely do not think showing a little initiative or concern in Jimin getting harassed by his fans in his name is too much to ask. I know there is absolutely nothing in this world that would pull jjks or tkkrs off of Jimin so it’s not even like I’m requesting JK to parent those people. Why is it that a fifth gen idol just starting out can write a detailed post about his bandmate getting harassed and telling people (their fans included) to back off, but he can’t?

Also I think it’s shitty for the victims of the situation to further put a target on their back by calling out the perpetrators. The way tkkrs still talk about Jennie even with them believing that she isn’t dating Taehyung is still nasty. I can’t imagine what would’ve happen had she basically confirmed the relationship and told them to leave her alone in one fell swoop. Jimin as well. I hope he does continue to ignore tkkrs and tk solos. But those two? If you see your girlfriend and friend getting harassed why stay quiet? Like that shit is just real scary behavior to me. When it came to 1D who were at the same level of fame as BTS, they drew clear boundaries and yes Larries carried on but no one could say they fed into it out of their own selfish gain. That’s my point.

I don’t care about displays of continued friendship like hanging out cause that doesn’t address the actual issue at hand. And even with JK and Jimin going to Japan, tkkrs and his solos still tried to spin it like Jimin was forcing him to go on that trip. You don’t think a clear “Jimin is my friend we respect each other etc.” would work better? Instead of him (and Taehyung) reaping the benefit of shipping and acting clueless to it like the things they do aren’t intentional?

They could at least try to show that they aren’t so self concerned because they have called out people before for various instances including hate. All BTS have because they do see what happens online. I would think he would care more but honestly knowing him he’s oblivious to anything that doesn’t center around himself personally so it probably is pointless, but it shouldn’t be.

[statementlou]

https://www.tumblr.com/louisupdates/754934426217152513/goodbye-faith-in-the-future-world-tour-272024?source=share

did he or did he not lose fans then?

I will answer this because this anon actually brings a concrete question to the table rather than just "hurhur but you're a larrie??" (tell me you can't actually refute any of our points…). Anyway this post shows the decrease in Louis instagram followers between the screenshots taken directly after the release of Faith in the Future in Nov '22, when he changed his bio to promote that album and the tour tickets, and now, when he changed it again to mention the current release. But I'm putting that response under a cut because I'm tired of the actual POINT of all this nonsense getting lost in a sea of made up things people insist are important:

There is no rational argument you can make to say that Louis has less fans now than he did 2, 4, or 6 years ago. You don't need a spreadsheet of details you need to USE YOUR EYES! He has gone from filling theaters to filling arenas and stadiums. His second album made a higher chart position than his first album. His festival has doubled in size EVERY year of its existence. And for that matter: his insta post engagement numbers remain about the same (despite the fact that older posts should have way MORE likes due to having been there longer, even aside from follower counts.) SO WHO FUCKING CARES ABOUT HIS INSTA FOLLOWER NUMBER???? Serious question: what does the word "fans" mean if these things aren't what matters? ALL of this quibbling about what he should do to make things better and people can't even see that THINGS AREN'T BAD.

Anyway to address the specific question- (con't......)

NO- HE DID NOT LOSE FANS. HE LOST SOME INSTA FOLLOWERS. THESE ARE NOT THE SAME THING. As I said above, literally what does it mean to lose fans if that number change coincides with him having higher sales, more audience members, and higher engagement than ever before? Whatever he lost ISN'T FANS. I wouldn't be surprised if a significant factor was something like a bot purge, but also yes: I'm sure a lot of casuals followed him around the time of his big album release and later unfollowed him. That's extremely normal because that's how casual engagement works, and why the definition of fan really matters. Louis and his team understand this and have referenced it repeatedly, talking about how lucky he is to have *us* specifically, to have the kind of dedicated fanbase he has, to have the KIND of fans he does who will allow him to do what HE wants. @dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram named the issue of depth vs breadth with regard to fans a long time ago, and pointed out why having DEPTH is so much more important. It's like this- artists who are on top 40 radio have more numbers on things like insta follows, and for a time on sales and tickets. But those aren't FANS- they're people with a casual interest. And as soon as that person isn't being forced in their ears 10x a day, those people lose interest and stop supporting them, stop buying stuff and unfollow, and those artists end up doing the 'opener on the jingle ball' circuit rather than their own tours. One Direction as a whole, and Louis maybe most of all or near to at this point, have something MUCH MORE VALUABLE than that- DEPTH FANS. Louis has fans who will support him even if he takes years to release music, or stops parading around with a pretend girlfriend to stay in the headlines at least once a month, or completely changes his image and genre, and that is UNHEARD OF. It's ASTONISHING and worth SO MUCH MORE. And they get that! THAT is why he always bragging about us, why industry people he works with are always so agog about us, why he will do anything for US- not for randos. He is also growing his breadth- and it's OBVIOUSLY WORKING whatever his follower counts are, but that is always going to be secondary to doing things for THE FANDOM because that is his sustainable business model. That is what keeps him onstage and reaching number one. And not coincidentally, the things they do are also working to grow that- much more valuable- commodity. So the fact that that's exactly what these chuckleheads complain about- that he does things that are just fandom facing or serving rather than everything being aimed at recruiting casual fans- does nothing but betray how completely they, unlike Louis and his team, misunderstand the actual drivers of his (actual, existing, happening) success. Luckily for Louis, he and his team rely on their own data harvesting (they do a LOT of it) and growth metrics (they're off the charts) rather than the smug assumptions of random (mostly quite new to this) fans and the few bitter people leading the complaining about everything Louis does.

[rei-ismyname]

SENTINELS #3 From The Ashes Review

For those of you who haven't been reading the series, the basic premise is that Chuck resurrected Larry Trask (son of Bolivar, inventor of the first sentinels) on Krakoa. His mutant gift is limited but very accurate precognition, he only sees days at most into the future but he doesn't know how to control his powers properly. After Krakoa fell, he returned to running Trask Industries and won a contract with Graymalkin prison. Alex Paknadel is writing the series after an excellent run on Infinity Comics.

There's Larry and his four 'sentinels.' Also Magneto, somehow.

Having ostensibly learnt his lesson from most of his family dying from the robots they created, he's running a paramilitary outfit with traumatized veterans and nanotechnology grafts, power armor, and augments. These are the Sentinels, and the tech requires all kinds of mood stabilisers, surgery, and psychiatric care - these people are hallucinating and having psychotic breaks all the time. His stated motivation is to prevent wars between mutants and humans, using his precognition to identify the most dangerous ones. So far they've captured Omega Red and Sebastian Shaw, but everyone involved is a mess - personally, mentally, professionally, financially. Sentinels is set in Post-Krakoa America (mostly) but it is not an X-Men book. It's not even a hero book. It's paramilitary horror with transhumanist themes. Larry believes he's protecting mutants and humans but he has constant flopsweat and is clearly out of his depth.

The Krakoa continuity is excellent

Issue #3 begins in media res, with Warden Ellis interviewing Drumfire about their most recent mission - capturing Fabian Cortez. Drumfire clearly has about as much respect for Ellis as I do, which is a nice touch. We're meant to try to sympathise with these sentinels, and showing tension with someone we know to be awful helps. The fuckhead doesn't even get her name right. The chain of command is a little confusing, but I don't remember the first two issues that well. The important takeaway is that while these people work together, there's tension and dehumanisation there. Ellis doesn't treat anyone with respect, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

The fireteam boots down the door Cortez is behind only to find that he's healing a child. Cortez sucks, but he did experience some growth on Krakoa. That he's doing this altruistically isn't completely out of the question. So immediately their mission becomes complicated. A civilian's present, and Cortez isn't doing anything wrong.

This throws the team off so they run it up the line to Trask. He makes the (probably correct) assumption that Cortez' healing abilities were amped up through resurrection. He certainly died enough. Larry tells them to bring him in but Lockstep, the field leader, insists it's his call. Before he can make that decision a civilian grabs him, affording Cortez the opportunity to flee. He did want to abort, but the point is moot.

Ellis pressed Drumfire on her mood stabiliser usage and she lies that they'd been helping with her hallucinations. She refuses to discuss them, though Onslaught (who she's been hallucinating) is obviously not receptive to being stabilised. Lockstep/Hansen's tech/mind fizzes out and comms stop working so the team is on their own. They finally catch up to Cortez but he's face down in the dirt. Possibly dead. They didn't do it, though that they have to ask says a lot.

What's left of the fireteam runs into the last person a mutant hunter wants to see - Magneto. This clearly takes place after X-Men #3, as Ellis has intelligence on Magneto's medical woes, but for all we know it takes place after Raid on Graymalkin. It doesn't seem like how Magneto would act these days, or is able to act, but there he is. He's blocking bullets and throwing metal around, though he's less dramatic than I'd expect. I'm not going to speculate on whether it's actually him - the characters don't reach consensus and that's by design.

One of the difficulties with this book is telling the identically-dressed soldiers with similar names apart, not helped by personnel turnover. It's not Drumfire, so I just have to accept what I'm shown. It's most likely Voivod hulking out and attacking Mags - he's the most heavily augmented and as we'll see has some other secrets in that body. There are clearly mysteries afoot, so I assume it'll be revealed in time. However, these are our protagonists. There's something to be said for the interchangeability of their personhood, which just adds to the feeling of confusion and terror.

Mags, the scamp, drops a classic EMP blast - not a good time to be a cyborg. He not only gets away but takes Cortez with him. The team are in shambles, with Voivod speaking in binary and others unable to move. Ellis expresses surprise that they survived, but not concern.

The team is suspended with pay while they're being investigated, and Ellis still calls Drumfire the wrong name. She's surely taking notes or recording the interview, plus she'd have their records, so it's probably on purpose. We already know she sucks, but this scene does a lot for Drumfire. She's clearly miserable in a wretched work environment and nobody cares. I have no respect for the US military or sentinels, but I have sympathy for this broken person who's suffering with no support system. The hiring practices are clearly predatory, seeking traumatized people out and withholding medication unless they do as they're told.

Drumfire isn't cartoonishly evil like most mutant hunters have been portrayed, and considering the mutants they're hunting she probably thinks it's ethical. Everyone has been made to feel like they don't matter before though, and being dehumanised and dismissed by those who should be looking out for you is relatable (at least it is to me.) I'm invested.

Looks a lil bit like Scurvy?

We don't have full context for what Voivod and Trask are discussing, but Larry is clearly in over his head. He confesses his problems to someone he's supposed to be in a position of power over, but Voivod spits bile at him. He's clearly not happy as a guinea pig for whatever medical horror Trask is up to, and Larry feebly tries to regain the power by beating someone who can't fight back. His anxiety is palpable but his declaration of righteousness and good intent feels hollow. This is a man on the edge and he's taking these poor fucks down with him. They do seem to know each other well enough, I wonder if it's someone we know.

Yeah Trask has no power here. He's cracking up and hiding it poorly with pressure coming from every direction. Maybe he can take solace from Havok still wearing the weird gimp suit he designed in 1967. Sawtooth catches the end of the conversation plus Larry's appearance and makes that face up there - 'we're so fucked!'

The C plot involves Lockstep's son confiding in him that his mother has unmanageable Mafia Maggia debt. He resolves to do something about it and perhaps to snatch what little control and self respect he can from his trainwreck of a life. He gives the gangsters everything he has on his (ex?) wife's behalf, but they try to squeeze him further and push him around. It only takes up 3 pages but it's an effective development in line with what we've seen of him so far.

The issue ends with him using his augmentation/nanotechnology fuckery to kill them all. It's not presented as heroic or a good decision, rather the act of a desperate man at the end of his tether with only bad decisions available. He definitely enjoys it, though. It's easy to see how someone fluent in violence with abilities beyond regular humans might respond when pushed into a corner - after all, the military industrial complex is built on devaluing certain lives. Enemies, acceptable targets, guinea pig soldiers, mutants. It'd be dishonest to tell a story about it without going there, so it's both a grim character beat and a further exploration of the book's themes. Can you really do state violence 9-5 and be a good person? Can you even keep the violence to work hours? Nope, and the honesty is refreshing.

Marvel has been very pro-military and police for its entire publication history - less so in the X-books, but it's still absolutely there. It's a bold direction to take and a new kind of X-story. Sentinels is definitely focused on these things, but ultimately it's about people - as all good stories must be. I recommend it and feel confident in saying it's in the top tier of From The Ashes books right next to Exceptional X-Men.

[simon-roy]

The idea of logging on a colonized alien planet brings my mind back to the planet Lalonde from Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn books - a world that had very hard wood as its only meaningful export, and was also stuck developing its economy from agriculturalism (due to investment shortages, though).

All this is to say - Hey! What are some foundational inspirations for your sci fi verse? You gotta have some like recommendations of classic or older sci-fi for us, right? What are some of your suggestions of books and authors to read?

OK SO - My sci-fi tastes have sort of ended up in some very specific niches. Growing up, I was a Larry Niven +Jerry Pournelle man, in part because my dad amassed a huge collection of their books - then gave 90% of them away before i was old enough to read them. So one of my teenage missions was rebuilding that library, trash and all!

Stuff like Footfall, Ringworld, Gil "The Arm" Hamilton, Protector (yes i attempted to name a comic series similarly, and paid for it) "The Mote in God's Eye"... you name it, I read fuckloads of these books. And while they tend to land on a sort of human chauvinist "mankind will win based on his inherent adaptive human-ness, and the aliens will fail because of their rigid alien-ness", this shit was very foundational to me.

Their more collaborative series, The Man-Kzin Wars and War World, also loom large in my teenage mind. The Man-Kzin wars are super fun - humans meet a race of tiger-men, and go from being NWO peaceniks to roughneck cat-skinners in a generation! PEACE AND LOVE WONT DEFEAT TIGER MEN!

Similarly, war world (like lots of that 70s/80s military sci fi) was a sort of catch-all for western military nerds to play with their favorite factions - it was a planet where all the un-ruleable ethnic groups and nationalities had been deported by the authoritarian earth government, and left to rot... until a race of genetically engineered fascist super men land on the world, and start trying to rule the place. Pretty fun shit.

As I got older, I turned hard into William Gibson, and read the absolute shit out of both the Neuromancer trilogy and the Bridge trilogy, as well as his short stories. Bruce Sterling was part of that wave for me, too, and I religiously sought his old paperbacks out too. In terms of novels, "Distraction" is my favorite coherent Sterling Novel - though the short stories in the "Schismatrix" novel/collection of his remain my absolute favorite space opera pieces.

At this age, too, I found my top-top fave Sterling Stories - "Taklaman" and "Bicycle Repairman", both gritty pseudo-cyberpunk stories of the highest degree, in this collection:

This thousand-plus page collection of short stories and novellas was basically my bible for a few years - i put sticky notes on each story i loved and meant to return to, until the book was so festooned with sticky note bookmarks i abandoned the practice altogether. If you have the chance, just buy this book and chew on it for a few years.

As i got into my 20s, Charles Stross became my lode star - his books like Accelerando and Glasshouse were total game changers for me. They come with their own peculiarities, but I loved his transhuman/posthuman musings (or at least i was obsessed with his stuff for a good few years - the venn diagram of his obvious interests and my own overlapped enough that his books were great fodder for a growing sci-fi loving brain).

But since then, my main literary squeeze has been the great man, JACK VANCE. Working on Prophet, my friend @cmkosemen made a remark about how much the early issues of the series reminded him of a book series called "Planet of Adventure" or "the Tschai Cycle", by Jack Vance. The book has a beautifully simple setup - a man from an entirely undescribed spacefaring human civilization crash-lands onto a weird planet. But on that planet, he finds four separate civilizations, each who possess a population of enslaved humans, culturally and physically molded to the needs of their masters. And each book of this series covers our generic hero's interactions with each bizarre expoitative culture. I was extremely intrigued.

Soon thereafter, I found my current absolute favorite book - "THE DRAGON MASTERS". A book about an isolated medieval world... which gets visited, once every few generations, by a black pyramid starship, flown by a reptilian race known as the Greph. The greph capture humans to (surprise surprise) breed them into hyper specific slaves... who in turn become Greph-like in their thinking and demeanours. But the last time the BLACK PYRAMID landed, a bunch of angry medieval dudes stormed the thing, blew it up, and captured a bunch of greph... who became the breeding stock for a whole new human world of slave labour. By the time we meet this planet, the two rival lords of the human-populated regions have been breeding greph slave warriors, or "dragons", for generations, for combat against one another. But soon, the black pyramid will return...

I love this book I even spent a good few months during covid talking with the Vance Estate and several publishers about developing it into a graphic novel, but nobody could quite agree on how it could get made with old Simon getting a paycheque... so sadly it fell apart. There are concept drawings floating around my patreon and other corners of the internet. But one day I'll use 'em...

My other favorite books of his, to name a couple of the MANY books of his I love:

THE BLUE WORLD: A caste system of humans, descended from a crashed prison ship, live on floating settlements on an ocean planet, paying protection to a giant long-lived intelligent crustacean. But one man is tired of giving up all his crops to this tyrannical megafauna...

THE MIRACLE WORKERS: Rival lords on a planet descended to medieval tech (surprise surprise) fight using armies... and rival SORCERORS who employ the powers of suggestion to voodoo each others' warriors... but when facing non-human intelligences, these sorceror's skills fall short.

But there are heaps more, and I love most (thought not all) of the ones i've read. They're generally short, concise, and full of all sorts of bizarre bullshit.

THere are more books i've read and enjoyed in my life, of course, but these are the core ones that I think of when I think of my career as a sci-fi reader... let me know what your top recs are!

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #329: STARTING LINE-UP

February, 1991

Captain America: "Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come to announce -- A NEW TEAM OF AVENGERS!"

I see Monica in the bottom right. The Avengers should definitely re-hire her. The way she left the team was bullshit.

I also see Black Knight. Did he ever get out of that time warp that Thor dumped him into?

Perhaps I will find out in this issue.

Last times in Avengers: Larry Hama took over writing duties and that has been a shift.

The Avengers met new hero Rage who demanded to join the team and then they picked a fight with him. But later he accidentally joined the team on an interdimensional adventure and helped out.

Rage also angered a drug dealer subordinate of Kingpin by tearing down his entire house.

Meanwhile, in the middle of dealing with a Russian man with cancer and energy powers for the US government, the Avengers were fired by the US government in order to appease the Russian government.

And apparently, the Avengers have decided to deal with that with a roster shakeup?

Everyone copes in their own way, I guess.

The Avengers have apparently coped by calling in the extended membership for a two day long meeting to quibble over revisions to the bylaws.

Not to try to get back in the good graces of the US government, what with its Henry Peter Gyriches and such. Oh, no. But Cap thinks they can get another charter.

With the United Nations.

I was vaguely aware that the Avengers got a UN charter at one point. Mostly because I was vaguely aware that the Bloodlines crossover between Avengers and X-Men kinda shat the bed for that charter, since the Avengers went into Genosha against orders.

As described by UN rep Ms Bannerjee: "If the Avengers will agree to amend their charter to allow for a truly international membership, I am empowered to offer the Avengers a new charter -- as a special unit of our peace-keeping force, assignable only to cosmic, extraterrestrial, extradimensional, occult, subterranean, sub-oceanic menaces, invasions, limited incursions, infestations and enchantments not instigated, abetted or sanctioned by a current member nation."

So. I mean. That's all comic book bullshit, which is what the Avengers mostly focused on. It's not like the Avengers ever wanted to get involved in the Falklands War.

Still, something feels wrong about the very specific laying out of jurisdiction here, where the Avengers can stop any threat to Earth, unless a UN member is behind it and then they just have to sit by.

I'd love to know if Larry Hama ever spoke at length about his plans for Avengers because this is a very fast pivot. Clearly, Hama felt a way about the way the Avengers were beholden to the US government and wanted to try a different angle for who the Avengers worked for.

Anyway, everyone in the meeting cheers their new charter.

Whether that's out of genuine enthusiasm or just wanting the meeting to be over, it is unclear.

Meanwhile, the escapees from the exile dimension are chilling on the roof of the Chapel of St. Jude the Lesser, being confused as gargoyles by tourists.

Ngh the Unspeakable is playing this interdimensional invasion thing carefully. Instead of jumping right into causing chaos, he has decided to study this new world, seek out allies, avoid the Avengers until they can destroy them.

Meanwhile, the Avengers.

God only knows if they followed up on Xa disappearing from the hospital. They're really busy with deciding a new line-up.

Which is almost the old line-up!

Captain America as the chair-being (new bylaws changed the title because of not-humans), Thor, Sersi, Vision, Quasar, Black Widow, and She-Hulk.

Also, I think is the first time Black Widow has been an Avenger. It's been awfully close a few times but something always got in the way.

This is an okay roster but when the UN rep talked about an international membership I expected more than... Black Widow. Who can't be said to be a truly international member, since she defected from Russia to the United States.

This isn't exactly the New X-Men, where Professor X scouted people from around the world. Or Justice League International, which had embassies around the world and an international membership.

But there's at least a team of reservists being set up at the same time. Back-up Avengers who fill-in for a specified member if they're unable to attend to their Avengers duties.

There's a lot going into deciding who the reservists will be. It's a very long, involved, and boring process.

Namor: "Enough of this pettifoggery! Let us vote!"

Thank you for the vocabulary word of the day, Namor.

I'm surprised that you made it through two days of bylaws quibbling without breaking something.

Meanwhile, Jarvis distributes coffee and donuts to the Avengers Support Crew, who really want to know how the meeting is going. It's a closed meeting, though, so Jarvis has as much an idea as they do, which he conveys very dryly.

John Jameson: "Are they still voting in there?" Jarvis: "If I could tell you that, they wouldn't need to have a closed meeting, now, would they, Mr. Jameson?"

Also hanging around are Rage and a mysterious man who is completely covered up in a jacket and blue mask.

Rage: "I don't know who you are, but apparently the Avengers invited the both of us to this affair and so far, all we got to do is hang out in the hall for close to two days! What do they want from us?" Mysterious guy: "Could be, Rage... that what they want from us, is something we might be lucky enough to provide."

Well, the main roster has already been chosen. So probably to be reserve Avengers?

Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, L.D. 50 is raging about Rage. Where does that guy get off interfering with a perfectly legitimate business like drug dealing?

L.D. 50: "Superheroes are supposed to battle super-villains! Now this Rage is fomenting change! As the social order disintegrates, more of these super-Pollyannas will start meddling in our business on the street level! We dealers have to act, for our survival!"

Wait until this guy hears about street-level heroes.

Anyway, Ngh the Unspeakable is eavesdropping right outside the window and decides this is a flawlessly evil guy he can work with. So he busts into L.D. 50's hideout to meet him. He even deigns to speak in the human vernacular!

Ngh the Unspeakable: "What's popping, home? Hey, you and me, we have to talk mega-deal here, comprende? I got the powers and you know the turf. I'm new in town and you got the moves. Together we can make boogie. Are we down? Can we get bad with each other, or what?" L.D. 50: "Uhh... I know my Goethe... You aren't Lucifer or any of the thousand names of ultimate evil, are you? My soul isn't in jeopardy?" Ngh the Unspeakable: "If you had one, why would I want the funky ol' thing? This is bidness! Used souls are a drug on the market!"

I love that this is what Ngh has learned by spying on humanity for a while.

The fact that he decides to speak the vernacular to put L.D. 50 at ease when L.D. 50 himself speaks in as many five dollar words as he can, is also incredibly funny.

L.D. 50 asks if Ngh can really deal with Rage and Ngh says the key is to find what he loves and attack that.

Later, the Avengers hold a press conference to announce their new roster and charter to a big crowd of journalists and anti-Avengers protestors.

Not sure what the Avengers did this time but there's people holding signs with a no symbol over the Avengers A and other signs that say "Elitist Fascists Must Disband."

Captain America: "I'm sure I speak for the others when I pledge to you that the Avengers shall continue to serve as we have always served and that we shall never forget what the words 'Avengers Assemble' stand for!" Some guy in the crowd: "It stands for fascist vigilantes!! When do we, the people, get a chance to see this new charter? What kind of deal did you make with the politicians and the plutocrats?"

Hm, I wonder if this is holdover from Acts of Vengeance. Part of Loki's big plan was to tank the reputation of superheroes in the public eye.

Anyway.

The Avengers Support Crew distributes copies of the new charter throughout the crowd and the new roster is announced as Captain America, Thor, Sersi, Quasar, She-Hulk, Vision, and Black Widow.

We already knew all that. But! Captain America also announces nearly a whole second roster of reservists!

Spider-Man, Black Knight, Falcon, Hercules, and Captain Marvel!

Nearly a whole. Because there's two additional reservists who have to do their time first as probationary Avengers.

Just as Rage is complaining that the Avengers had him hang around for two days and then invited him to a press conference and not really demonstrating any pattern recognition, Rage is announced as a probationary Avenger, if he wants it!

(They really should not have sprung this on him in front of a press conference. I know he said he wanted to be an Avenger but there's things that should be discussed privately first.)

Rage even accuses Cap of springing this on him and calls it an ambush. Although he's not super upset and he even seems happy when Cap says his Granny Staples would be proud of him.

Although, Cap assumes she's dead, which she isn't, because she was old during Rage's origin story. Which took place when he was twelve.

AND ALSO THE OTHER PROBATIONARY MEMBER IS MYSTERIOUS GUY WHO TAKES OFF HIS MASK AND REVEALS HIMSELF AS SANDMAN!

I've heard about Sandman being a reservist!

Sure, Sandman was a supervillain but he's got a presidential pardon. He can be an Avenger, on probation.

Before more things happen, I want to talk reservists.

They're not just randos. They were picked for having powers similar to the people they'd be called into replace.

So with a team of Captain America, Thor, Sersi, Quasar, She-Hulk, Vision, and Black Widow and a reserve team of Spider-Man, Black Knight, Falcon, Hercules, Captain Marvel, Rage, and Sandman who matches up to who?

Thor and Hercules seems like the obvious one. So I'm guessing that She-Hulk's understudy is Rage. Similar enough powers of punching really hard and they also vibed pretty well in that exile dimension. I'm guessing Quasar and Captain Marvel? They have similar versatility and have light-based powers. Captain America and Falcon also seems likely. They were partners for a good, long while. And hell, even if this comic doesn't know it yet, Falcon will become Captain America later.

I'm just confused with the rest. Neither Spider-Man nor Black Knight is a real replacement for Sersi and her do-anything powers. Nor for Vision. Sandman isn't either but he can at least do a lot with sand. Is he Quasar's back-up? His do-anything sand is like Quasar's energy constructs but Captain Marvel is more in Quasar's weight class. So, I dunno.

Anyway, just when Rage seems maybe happy with getting in the Avengers after all, one of the angry anti-Avengers protestors nails him with an egg and calls him an Uncle Tom.

The Avengers assume he's going to blow his top and assault the crowd, so hold him back, but he seems to just mutter "Granny Staples" to calm himself down.

Unfortunately, L.D. 50 and Ngh the Unspeakable are watching the press conference and Ngh is really good at reading lips. So he figures out what Rage is saying and that it must be the name of a loved one. And L.D. is going to use his contacts to hunt down a granny named Staples.

Just when Rage has calmed himself down, the lady calls him a stooge of the slavemongers and that's a bit more than Rage is willing to take. He marches down into the crowd and snatches away her protest sign.

Some white lady: "That's right! Come on down and beat me up! That's all you superhero types know about, ignorance and violence! Are you happy to be among your elitist pig friends, so you can be bullies together?" Rage: "Who's the bully here? Who thew the egg? Who is the arrested development adolescent who thinks her own narrow views are the center of the universe?" Some white lady: "See? He's attacking me! He's a brutal fascist just like his friends!" Rage: "These aren't my friends! I don't particularly like them and for the most part, they aren't really crazy about me, either! It has to do with cultural differences and generations of hate and misunderstanding! Understanding doesn't come from outside agitation. Change has to come from within. If the Avengers want to give me the chance to change them, then I don't care what their motivations are." Captain America: "Your methods scare the geewilikers out of me, Rage... But I can't disagree with what's in your heart."

What methods? Yeah, he snatched away and broke a protest sign. But he called out a jerk, much like how many other Avengers would. His rhetoric wasn't even extreme.

Anyway.

A giant glowing snake, a glowing one-eyed pyramid (Bill?), and a glowing person with two giant heads peeking over their shoulders show up looking for the Avengers.

Identifying themselves as the Tetrarchs of Entropy: Hafga of the Coils of Infinity, Yod of the All-Seeing Eye, Vug the Burning, and Heml of the Myriad Visages.

The Tetrarchs of Entropy declare the Avengers guilty of helping Ngh escape from the dimension of exile. The punishment: the pyramid stare-a-ports them to a forever sentence in the dimension of exile.

Well, that's not fair. Some of the people getting punished weren't even involved. Like Quasar and Vision! And Black Widow just became an Avenger five minutes ago!

The reservists assemble with the West Coast team and charge at the Tetrarchs... and bounce off a force field.

Then the big, glowy doofuses fuck off, presumably to go fail to track down Ngh.

Elsewhere, the Dimension of Exile! The Avengers are trapped! No, really!

They could come and go previously because Thor had Mjolnir. But the Tetrarchs have trapped not only Mjolnir but also Sersi in crystal so the Avengers can't break themselves out of jail.

Also, meanwhile, Ngh the Unspeakable and also Xa and a third guy have tracked down Granny Staples.

She confuses him for the devil and threatens to kick his ass if he doesn't fuck off.

Bad things are probably about to happen but you gotta admire the gusto.

Next week, back over to Avengers West Coast for Ultron and Grim Reaper plots. And next next week, back to this to see if this devil man is going to fight an old lady.

Follow @essential-avengers because you might as well. And if you're doing that, why not like, reblog, and comment on this post?

[nyaagolor]

Paldean Elite Four (+ Geeta) Headcanons

They've been on my mind recently bc of all the asks I got

Rika:

Rika is the office gossip QUEEN. She knows everything about everyone, so if you need or want to know something you ask her. She knows a guy. She also desperately wants to figure out what Larry and Geeta's Deal (tm) is. They bicker constantly, are insanely passive aggressive, but despite their opposing attitudes agree on most fundamental issues. They look like they hate each other, but Larry constantly takes on new responsibilities for the League and Geeta constantly showers him with raises and promotions. Rika has taken to snooping thru their emails and prodding Hassel for info, but he doesn't know anything either. It’s driving her nuts

Paldea had a Region’s Sexiest Man contest. Rika won. Women Want her. Despite this however she can only pick up women accidentally. If she actively tries to flirt she will fuck it up spectacularly. Just the in-universe version of this

Rika is actually on the payroll as the league receptionist and does that Elite Four thing as a side hustle for extra cash. She gets kind of embarrassed when you call her a receptionist during her Elite Four duties though because other regions often use her as an example of why the Paldean league is garbage (i.e. they're so understaffed even a receptionist can be on the E4. They must have grabbed the nearest person, etc etc). She puts on the vibe of someone chill but this in particular is a bit of a sore point for her

She hates dresses / skirts with a burning passion and refuses to wear them. If you give her a REALLY good reason it's a solid maybe, but good luck with that. She needs to stretch

Her Clodsire's name is Pancake :) I like to think all her pokemon are named after breakfast foods (which, btw, is her favorite meal of the day. She is easily bribed with good waffles)

She and Larry are drinking buddies. She does most of the drinking

Poppy:

Everyone in the league is very careful to alter their habits around Poppy. She’s small and cute and sweet and a little baby so the usual informal cursing (like Rika shouting that HR needs to “cut the bullshit”) or the smoke breaks on the roof (yes I think they all smoke) can’t happen when Poppy is around

The league spoils her rotten. Candy? Toys? Help with her kindergarten homework?? Anything for Poppy. Even Larry, who seems too strict or apathetic to care, has her drawings in his desk drawer and lets her decorate his ties. The toys in the lobby are also hers

Her parents are accountants who brought her to take your kid to work day and let her play with their Pokémon outside. Rika challenged her to a match as a joke because they had a cancellation and Geeta watched— but both were shocked that Poppy’s skill with her parents’ steel types and her own Tinkaton were unparalleled by anyone in the building. When another E4 member retired, the league decided to let Poppy battle under her parents’ names just to blow off some steam. Poppy gets to let out energy, her parents make extra money, and the elite 4 has a strong battler. Win win!

Poppy loves to braid and play with hair, so the other elite four members will often let her play with their hair and add clips while they work. Larry is Poppy’s favorite because he sits Very Very Still

If Poppy really likes the battle she had with you, she’ll give you a sticker. Geeta once walked into a meeting with a gold star directly on her forehead because Poppy stuck it there and she didn’t want to take it off where Poppy could see it, forgetting about it by the time she walked in. She later moved it to her jacket

She has nicknames for everyone except Rika, which drives Rika insane. Grandpa Hassel, Mister Larry, Miss Geeta (or Auntie sometimes) but Rika? It’s just Rika. It’s always Rika. When Hassel was babysitting her at his and Brassius’ home in Artazón, Poppy’s eyes went really wide and she asked if she had two grandpas now or if Brassius was just SUPER old. He found that insanely funny

Larry:

I saw a fic that had Larry naming his pokemon after Excel commands and I cannot stop thinking about it. It's canon in my heart. Btw if anyone knows this fic / the name pls lmk I can’t find it again but I remember his Flamigo was named COUNTIF

Larry is actually pretty wealthy, partially because he's raking in cash from his three jobs and partially because he doesn't spend money on anything but food and pokemon products. Considering that the Treasure Eatery feeds him for free and the pokemon products are provided or subsidized by the League, that leaves him with a LOT of extra income, which he uses to help out his friends or gym challengers with financial issues or simply buying them dinner

Someone added this on another post of mine but every single one of Larry’s passwords is some variation on “password”. He’s many things but creative is none of them. Also these tags are canon to me

In contrast to his outward grumpiness and seeming apathy, Larry is incredibly gentle with and good with kids. He is confident the future will be better because of them, and does what he can to encourage them. It's a big part of the reason Geeta picked him for the positions-- they have a pretty similar philosophy regarding children and the future

Geeta has been doing everything in her power to get him to quit his third job (which is not League-affiliated) because he does the best work of anyone around and his other boss is a complete and utter asshole. She's tried promoting him, telling him how valuable he is to the team, using raises, praise, and passive aggression, but nothing is working. At one point she even tried overloading him with hours so he'd be forced to quit something but that didn't work either. She's stumped. The man won't quit

That third job? I'm not actually sure what it is but I do have an AU where he's a hitman. Call that a business casuality ;)

Hassel:

He always keeps candy in his desk (and his coat pockets) because he's a teacher and wants to be prepared. It's the strawberry kind, yall know the ones. This came in handy when Poppy joined the league, so all the other members started doing it too

His family gets traditional tattoos all over, which Hassel likewise has. He'd never remove them, but still keeps them covered most of the time for modesty reasons. Brassius has filled in the gaps in the traditional dragon shapes with various flowers to show how Hassel has grown from but not forgotten his past. They look very cool and Rika is insanely jealous of that

This old man is way more fit than he appears. He's a sensitive sweetheart and prefers the arts to sports or battling, but he's still a dragon tamer and keeps up his workout regime quite meticulously. Peepaw’s fucking shredded

His favorite art medium is paint, and he loves it when the little kids have class so he can finger paint alongside them. His office in the League building is covered in art. Geeta thinks it's sweet how he remembers every piece and how emotional he gets talking about it

Hassel has a hard time turning off teacher mode, which makes his training sessions at the league insanely funny to watch. “Haxorus, we do not Guillotine our friends!”

He can, and frequently does, play classical Paldea guitar. Once his rock career fell flat, he started experimenting with the style of his new home region and fell in love. You can often find him giving impromptu concerts from his balcony in Artazon

Geeta:

As much as she micromanages others, she's more than willing to take any responsibilities herself if she can't find someone else to do them. Plumber cancelled and they need the sink fixed asap? Get her a hammer. Rika is out sick? She'll cover those emails. Part of the reason the league struggles to complain about her is that they know for all the work they're doing, she's doing double. This doesn’t necessarily mean she’s GOOD at it but she’s doing it

I’m not sure how I want to explain it backstory wise but a lot of her skin is crystalline just like the AI professors. She’s got a LOT of connections to Area Zero and her top priority is making sure nothing goes in and nothing gets out. The professor hates her. The feeling is mutual

No one has ever seen her blink

She’s incredible at traditional Paldean dances. When Hassel plays classical guitar, she’ll dance along, and it’s magical to watch

That whole thing about not being able to hold back during battles? It’s a PR thing to make kids feel better. She’s not very good at battling. Geeta is just like (gestures at her Avalugg) I just think they're neat

A huge point of contention between her and her employees is that she takes everything literally and is terrible at reading tone. Her gym leaders are scared of her and try to drop hints about things because they think they’ll be punished if they’re too forward, but all those hints go right over Geeta’s head. The gym leaders then think Geeta is ignoring them on purpose but she’s none the wiser. Everyone is losing.

[vamos-chilli]

My god people are so miserable in your tags, trying to find a problem everywhere . And btw haven’t you guys wondered that the vibe was maybe just a bit “off” because Carlos was just probably disappointed that he didn’t win that’s it, no need to insult or blame Charles when he did nothing. He won his race beautifully, so no need to be bitter. Some Carlos fans are being really annoying lately sorry

im ngl i dont even think the vibe was weird charles went to celebrate w whoever was collecting the constructors trophy i can’t remember and both of them gave carlos a spray before carlos went to spray max and they chatted before they left the podium like it wasn’t weird to me

but the main thing is people are always going to be like this in fandom . it’s a form of parasocialism in believing that we as viewers can understand the inner workings of our idols from ‘knowing them’ through the screen and coming to ‘recognise’ what we see as behavioural markers . happens all the time that’s why we end up with prominent shipping and rpf cultures in a lot of fanbases bc of our interpretation of how people interact with one another .

it can become obsessive for people, the majority of fandoms i’ve been in have been centred around real people and the subject of ‘truthing’ comes up a lot- the strict determination of a trait or personality of a person based on a second hand perspective of them, where the f in rpf is made redundant and people start to genuinely believe their headcanons of a person are applicable to their real life person . larry stylinson is knocking at the door .

because of parasocial and truthing behaviours peoples perception of drivers becomes tilted on what will best fit the subconscious narrative they are building- lando for instance i believe doesn’t deserve the mass hatred of mischaracterising as an awful person he’s been getting this season. nothing has changed between this season and the last except for the number of wins under his belt .

last year people felt the same hostility towards max . a few years ago it was lewis . its the relationship to our drivers as a competitor that’s changed . and those that pose a bigger threat receive the harsher penalties to their character .

it’s not an issue with carlos fans . it’s not an issue with lando fans or max fans or charles fans or anyone . it’s an issue of parasocialism that’s prevalent in every fandom for every character ever . we see it more for these drivers because they are top 5 drivers and they have larger fan bases . none of us are the big bad .

sometimes it feels like us vs them and i’ll tell you first i felt that way at the start of the season because genuinely i was being flooded with carlos hate in my asks and people posting the most insane negatively parasocial conspiracy theories about carlos having paid out the media to talk about him as if he didn’t just win a grand prix 2 weeks after surgery and be one of the most valuable drivers on the market for 2025 (i still get heated about that bc it was just plain disrespectful) . and yeah it did feel like it was carlos fans vs the lecfosi . because sometimes we let it be .

we build these insanely negative parasocial relationships with drivers and it consumes us. i’ve had to block ferrari fans for constantly posting carlos negativity and no doubt charles fans have had to block some carlos fans for constant driver negativity. lando fans will have gotten death threats over a race result even though that’s an insane thing to do and so have oscar fans .

everyone is annoying all the time we all annoy each other with our parasocial truthing of drivers personalities and the only way it’s actually going to change is if

1) we all take a step back to analyse our own behaviours and how we engage with negative parasocial behaviour

2) we stop making call out posts of ‘x drivers fans are so annoying’ because all it’s doing is reinforcing the narrative we want to build

[goatcheesecak3]

Lawrence Gordon red flags? 🥺

Red flag headcanons

Lawrence Gordon x gn!reader

Fic type: headcanons, whatever the opposite of fluff is

Warnings: anger issues, emotional manipulation

Context: this is post trap, but in an au where Lawrence doesn't become an apprentice, because I'm not too sure apprentice Lawrence would even be in a relationship lmao

A/n: thank you for your request!! I'm glad this red flag series has been so well recieved so far hehe <33

He almost never clears his schedule, so while the date nights you have are lavish and thoughtful, they almost never happen. He always seems to have time to go to fancy wine bars with his colleagues after work though...

Even before the trap Lawrence had occasional angry outbursts, but after the trap, the divorce and his lack of going therapy for any of it, he's got a much shorter temper. He rarely gets angry directly at you, but he's easily frustrated by minor inconveniences. He craves complete control and stability, so little things set him off, like the time the microwave broke and you found him yelling and smashing a plate on the floor in a fit of rage. It's not directed at you, but you still find it scary.

After his angry outbursts, he becomes overwhelmed with guilt and begins to sob and plead for your forgiveness. You understand why he acts like this, but it's frustrating that it seems he cares more about clearing his own conscience than comforting you.

You notice certain things about his relationship with his daughter that rub you the wrong way. He doesn't really show affection by being an active parent in her life, but by showing up out of the blue once in a while with exorbitant gifts and trips to disneyland. She's too young to be upset with him buying her love at the minute, right now she just sees her dad as this superhero who swoops down to rescue her from her strict mother and shower her with gifts, but you get the feeling that she'll end up resenting him in the long run. You've tried to talk to Larry about this before, feeling especially worried that someday she may think that you were the one keeping her dad away from her, but Larry brushes it off every time.

He works long hours, so you're apart for most of the day. Occasionally he comes home, sceptical that you might have had another man over while he was gone. You can't help but think, maybe he suspects you'd do that because that's exactly what he would do in your situation.

When you get invited to dinner parties with his rich friends, he often coaches you on what to wear, how to talk do as not to come off as abrasive, and general etiquette. It feels somewhat like he's looking down his nose at you for not having the same upper class upbringing as him.

Sometimes complains that he's "too tired" for cuddles after sex, which really hurts your feelings. Credit where it's due though, once he realised why that makes you feel so unloved, he very rarely does it.

He gets you expensive and fancy gifts, but none of them are really things that you like, moreso things that he'd want you to like, to seem more classy. Diamond earrings and silver bracelets are pretty, but you'd much prefer a box set from your favourite TV show, or a cool tshirt with a funny design. He has a hard time distinguishing displays of wealth from acts of love.

He can be quite patronising about your interests, you tried showing him your favourite series, thinking it would fun for the two of you to watch out together, but he burst into laughter and asked "do you honestly watch stuff like that?"

Early on in your relationship, he joked that it's a relief that you've never met his ex wife, since she wouldn't exactly give him a glowing review. The only problem is, it felt more like him telling on himself that a joke, and the thoughts of what he might have done wrong in his past relationship - and what he may yet do to you - eat away at you.

Bonus: Comes home smelling like axe body spray and cheap beer (his friend Adam's signature scent) suspiciously often 🤨🤨

[bookoftheironfist]

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Marvel Premiere #19, featuring the first appearance of Colleen Wing! On this day in 1974, nineteen-year-old Danny Rand emerged from the Meachum office building, shaken and directionless. He has just spared the life of the man he has dreamed of killing for ten years, only to watch him die at the hands of someone else. And he has watched Joy Meachum, believing that Danny murdered her father, embark down the dark path of her own revenge quest (this issue also marks the first appearance of Joy's conniving uncle, Ward). Danny is stranded away from his beloved K'un-Lun, with nowhere to go and no idea what to do next. It's at this point, as he walks alone onto the rainy nighttime street, that a mysterious figure approaches him.

Marvel Premiere #19 by Doug Moench, Larry Hama, Jan Brunner, Dick Giordano, and Ray Holloway

With a screech of brakes that you can almost hear, the story shifts direction as the woman we will come to know as Colleen Wing grabs the wheel. She isn't interested in his revenge quest or the fact that he's just been framed for murder, and she does not take the time to explain anything-- she just tells Danny his outfit is ridiculous and then stops just short of physically dragging him into a cab. She's a woman on a mission, and it works: while Danny has no reason at all to trust her or follow her, he does, obviously stunned into silent compliance by the whole experience. It's a memorable introduction for a character who has made her own powerful sword-slash of a mark on the Marvel Universe in the half-century since this scene first hit stands.

This issue also introduces Colleen's father, and once in the taxi, Colleen takes a bit of a backseat as he becomes the focus of the story. Professor Lee Wing is an Indiana Jones-style archeologist with an interest in Asian folklore and the mystic city of K'un-Lun, and he has sent his daughter to fetch Danny because he knows who Danny is, knew where he would appear, and needs his help. Colleen herself remains a bit more of a mystery, and fades out of the narrative as Danny talks with Professor Wing and then goes off to try (unsuccessfully) to clear things up with Joy Meachum. Colleen shares very little about herself; she tells Danny that her profession is "irrelevant"-- the revelation of her combat prowess and heroes for hire business with Misty Knight, Nightwing Restorations, is saved for a future issue, and her samurai lineage will not be established for a little while yet. But this first issue marks only the start of her journey toward cementing her presence as an important character within the martial arts side of Marvel, and beyond.

[wanderingmind867]

Paul Kupperberg did, what, 17 issues of the Doom Patrol before killing off most of his own characters? I raise him one better. I can at least plot out 20 issues, and I can have none of the Doom Patrol members die. So while i'm at school waiting for class to start, i'm gonna start planning this out:

Issues #1-2: I'd have this be a two parter, and I'd have it keep the same general concept as Paul Kupperberg's Doom Patrol storyline. In issue one, we watch as Arani goes to the remains of the caribbean island where the original Doom Patrol died, and she discovers proof that the original members of the Doom Patrol might still be alive. Larry's bandages, Rita's headband and Niles' Wheelchair were all floating in the waters. This makes her deeply suspicious, so she decides to investigate the bottom of the island for a closer look. Then she falls into a trap, and part one ends with her having to call the other members of the Doom Patrol for help.

Cliff, Josh and Valentina receive her signal, and they rush to the caribbean to rescue Arani. It turns out she fell into a trap laid by Niles. Back when Niles first set up his secondary headquarters on this island, he built a series of deathtraps to protect himself and his allies from enemies. Turns out the traps still work, and they're now being used against the Doom Patrol (the group they were initially designed to protect). So the Doom Patrol have to break free of The Chief's old traps.

But once they have, they see the floating debris Arani found floating in the water earlier. And that's when they all realize: the original members of the Doom Patrol might still be alive, somewhere. But where? And how to find them? Those are the questions at hand…

Issues #3-4: Following up on the only lead they still have, the Doom Patrol realizes that they have to find Madame Rouge and General Zahl; to interrogate them on the events of many years past. But in order to find them, they're gonna need some help. Which means the re-entrance of Mento (Steve Dayton), who's absolutely ecstatic that his wife might still be alive somewhere. After she died, he lost all the humility she helped him to gain. Now he's a washed up, deeply bitter man. And only the news of her possible survival is enough to pull him out of his slump.

Anyways, he uses his wealth and connections to help the New Doom Patrol locate Madame Rouge and General Zahl. From there, it's all a simple matter of infiltrating their new hideout and getting them to tell them everything they know. But of course, nothing ever goes according to plan. They manage to find and fight their way to Madame Rouge and the General, and they do manage to learn that they barely recall the events of that night. It's all a blur to them, almost as though someone was dictating their actions…

But before either of them can say any more on the subject, General Zahl drops dead from a heart attack, and Madame Rouge turns into mist and fades away in front of their very eyes. Nobody knows what's going on, but they realize they have to flee before anyone gets suspicious of them and thinks they killed these people. So they flee in a helicopter and begin heading back to the US.

In case anyone was wondering what did happen to Zahl and Rouge, by the way: it's Mister Nobody. He used these two as pawns to strike back at the Doom Patrol years ago, and he can't have them leaking his secrets. So he used his powers to kill Zahl and abduct Rouge. And now he realizes the Doom Patrol is slowly figuring out the truth, too. They're so close to finding his trail. So now he has to deal with them…

Issue #5: Mister Nobody needs to get rid of the Doom Patrol fast, and he's found a very weak willed pawn, capable of doing exactly what he needs. Specifically, he manages to use his sanity draining powers to short circuit Mento's helmet, and make him think the New Doom Patrol are the ones who actually killed Rita, Larry and The Chief. Now that the insane but powerful delusion has been placed into his brain, Mento turns on them and starts using his strength and his telekinetic helmet to try and force the others out of the helicopter.

A struggle ensues, a violent struggle on the very thin battleground that is the helicopter. And as can be expected from a battle in the skies over the atlantic ocean, it goes very poorly for our heroes. Mento successfully manages to push them off the helicopter, and then he flies back to his estate on the mainland, all alone. In the meantime, Cliff, Valentina, Josh and Arani all fall into the ocean; hitting the water hard enough to knock all of them unconscious (besides cliff, who was powered down by mento's helmet). And then they drift out to sea, all in different directions…

[jlf23tumble]

First off YES the full clips of the early years are even more “proofy” which is actually fucking crazy - no romantic music needed!

But larries continue to cut off their nose to spite their face with the MaRRiED shit - why can no one be cool not all uncool. Not only do they sound detached from reality and how people/relationships work they also trivialize imo very real issues like forced closeting which did seem to happen in early 1D.

Ofc Harry is not out here (lol) simulating gay sex on stage like Troye but is he chained up by Sony or just living his life and not sharing every sexual encounter he has with People? He could easily have 15 boy toys in Italy (along with his deuxmoi approved gf) but because he HAS to be with Louis he is a poor man with evil harpies around him using him for their personal gain (hard eye roll because if you think those gfs were some version of not 100% real HE was using them). Larries would be happier if they accept HL are no longer together (or are occasional fuck buddies with a past) and/or they don’t want to tell you anything about their sex life because it’s none of your business. There is no coding or secret messages that only other queer people can see. Harry wearing that pink Top shirt is just Harry wearing a shirt he likes (he’s such a troll).

Obvs this came in before #recentevents, and I haven't had energy to process jack shit, but I feel you! And I have so many thoughts about it because on one hand, I get the comfort of it--a cozy ao3 hallmark movie of a story "come to life"/"trapped in amber," our friends are all vibing, we're just out here living/laffing/loving/hating on women/supporting--but on the other, yeah, that's not totally realistic, and that's literally fine, they don't know you! It's wilde to me how many people take the 24/7 for 5 years more than 10 years ago as a) categoric proof then but also b) categoric proof NOW, because even though there was a constant barrage of "content" back in the day, it wasn't 100% the truthTM, shit was messy then (see 2015, eleanor b/u #1), and it's messy now! Even today, pinterest loves to show me unedited/uncropped pictures that take my breath away, fandom whomst! Anyway, I'm yelling into various voids that really don't matter in the grand scheme of things, enjoy what you wanna enjoy, revel in it being fictional even though these are real people, but also, let me just take this moment to say I'm pouring one out for the real ones, the ones feeling isolated in groupchats, the ones who fear they can't post even the tiniest bit of doubt because they'll lose people they've come to rely on for their own personal comfort online via these two (or eep, followers, come on, liveeeee in the cringe), the ones who follow goldstars because they're the loudest and most terminally online, so there's a constant stream of "content," yet they have to face the ever-present barrage that comes with it, cropped pictures, shitting on women, the lack of any kind of nuance all. I see you!

[dynared]

New York Comic Con 2023 and the Energon Universe panel is in the books

And while the room wasn't COMPLETELY full, there was a big crowd for said Energon Universe panel. Daniel Warren Johnson, Robert Kirkman, Joshua Williamson, and others came to the panel to announce that their plan involved making all these disparate parts work together as a series, including Void Rivals, which Kirkman specifically said was aiming to feel like it could have been a sister line with the Joes and Transformers (and considering Hasbro owns the property, probably means if it is successful they'll get toys of their own).

Some highlights and spoilers -

Daniel Warren Johnson knows people are upset at Bumblebee dying and frankly, does not care. "I feed on your tears", was his quote, which got a big laugh. Specifically, he didn't want to draw Bumblebee, hence his death in Issue 1, a death that he and Kirkman have confirmed will stick and Hasbro was totally cool with. With Bee dead, the panel concluded that there's more freedom to work with other characters and a lot more tension about who will live and who will die, since plot armor due to Hasbro demands is not a thing in the Energon Universe.

There was a big focus on GI Joe and how it will connect with the Transformers since the idea is that the Transformers' appearance causes the world to shift in a major way. The Duke miniseries will focus on how a traumatized Duke deals with the fallout of his fight with Starscream in the upcoming Transformers #2, and how Joe is founded specifically to combat them. Rebranding the Joes as an anti-alien strike force/international crisis team also seems to be a way to deal with getting away from the "jingoistic army toys" stigma that hasn't played as well since the Reagan years (even if most Joe fiction like Larry Hama's comics condemn blind jingoism). Interestingly, the initial lineup includes the Baroness, who's traditionally a high-ranking Cobra member and romantically entangled with Destro.

3. Cobra meanwhile is shown to be what is specifically described as a horror comic about Cobra Commander using the discovery of the Cybertronians to fuel his plans for world domination, and how Cobra Commander brings together a lot of disparate elements that otherwise would never have worked together to join his quest for world domination. More fuel is thrown on the "Cobra Commander's Luger is actually Megatron" fire, but of course, nothing is confirmed.

Another surprise for the initial lineup is the big guy in the back is Mercer, a character introduced in the GI Joe movie as an ex-Cobra officer who had "seen the light". Whether he does this time is another matter.

4. Back to the Transformers. The running idea (besides a minor but notable undercurrent of "Screw IDW") was that this is using the cartoons as gospel rather than the comics, but it will eventually expand beyond that initial concept using other characters. Specifically, during a quick Q&A at the end, someone asked about the Japanese characters, and Kirkman said while he had no immediate plans for them, he was actually a big fan of Star Saber, while Johnson mentioned liking the Japanese openings. A far cry from IDW making them all villains and losers.

5. Johnson is a big fan of wrestling. Kirkman, not so much. This led to some funny banter on stage about Johnson's tendency to fill fight scenes from the initial script (which will often just say "Character A and Character B fight") with wrestling moves like Optimus Prime introducing himself to Starscream with a Rainmaker Lariat before giving him a German Suplex. Despite Kirkman not being a fan, everyone on stage and the crowd seemed to agree that it gave the fight scenes a dynamic look that is new to the Transformers.

6. Void Rivals has not been forgotten in all this. While after Issue #6 it will be taking a five-month break, the series will continue to serve as the backbone of what's going out outside of Earth.

Including the teased appearance of the Quintesson Judge. Kirkman also promised more backstory, like possibly getting to see the Skuxxoid's family and other species that are part of the cartoon lore as part of his efforts to build out the universe while still making Void Rivals its own thing that is engaging without the other series.

7 The main goal of everyone is that while all the various series are part of a big story that is the Energon Universe, the reader can read just one and get a full experience. That being said, it's clear that the ultimate goal is for them all to work together.

And those are the highlights of the panel. Fun times are ahead if you're a Transformers fan, and after years of mismanagement and neglect, it sounds like the GI Joe-related stuff will be very interesting to see. Still, the focus right now is the comics, so my pie-in-the-sky theory about this being a dry run for a big animated show in the vein of Invincible will have to wait for another year.

[blowflyfag]

Wrestling World presents Wrestling Maniacs: JUNE 1999

UNDERSTANDING RAVEN

In his journey to find his inner peace, Raven must be allowed to expand. He must be as outrageous as he has to be. He must be extreme. And above all he must be accepted for who he is–a man plagued by personal demons who takes it out on his opponents!

By P.S. LaRue

RAVEN is extreme in thought and action. If allowed to, Raven could make the NWO look tame. But Raven is sinking into a depression so deep that he may not be able to come back. 

“WCW doesn’t understand Raven,” said one ECW insider. “He doesn’t respond to rules and he hates any type of authority. He won’t fulfill his true potential anywhere but ECW where Raven can be as complex as he needs to be.”

Complexity is what Raven is all about. He has sides and angles that contradict; and this inner dispute governs him in a way that no organization (wrestling or otherwise) ever could. 

Fans can remember Raven (Scotty Levy) from his other wrestling personalities: Scotty The Body, Scotty Flamingo, and Scott Anthony. As Raven, Scott has integrated his own life with a magnetism that has grown over years of adversity. Raven is Scotty’s most extreme personality. 

Scotty Levy began his career in 1988 in the Pacific Northwest as Scotty THe Body. With his good looks and growing skill in the ring, Scotty hoped to be a headliner. He had worked hard to build a body that would get him noticed. Scotty was a hit. In only three years, Scotty had held all the major titles and he thought it was time to move on. 

The career had given him the love and acceptance which he had not yet experienced in life, and Scotty wanted more. 

Scotty Flamingo was born in the WCW. Scott Anthony, in the USWA. With his devotion to duty, his inner strength and his desire to learn, Scotty did his best to keep it all together. But he wasn’t feeling the warmth that he had in the beginning. Scotty needed more than he was getting and he had to move again. 

Then came Johnny Polo. During the WWF days, Scotty tried his hand as a manager and (with exception to his choice of accessories) tried to imitate Jim Cornette. It didn’t work as well as planned but Scotty won some time in the production room. His education continued, but behind the scenes Scotty felt only coldness. It was time to reach out once more for what he needed. 

[Raven’s sad, if not morbid, poetic messages are a mixture of his struggles and his delight in taking the unpopular side of an issue.]

But as Raven, Scott has pulled together a combination of fantasy and fact that could rival any of the great personalities of the past. His sad, if not morbid, poetic messages are a mixture of his struggles and his delight in taking the unpopular side of an issue. Not unlike a young Kevin Sullivan, those messages draw the fans into a world totally different from their own. Kevin apple of the devil. Raven speaks of personal demons. He speaks of an unhappy childhood and the pain of betrayal. Although many of us cannot relate to Raven’s words; we can relate to his pain. Larry Zbyszko claims Raven just blames everyone else for what has happened to him, that Raven points his finger in shame. But Raven is to all the neglected and abused children a type of anti-hero. He may not be a face (Good-guy in the ring) but he is still someone to look up to, someone who will speak out about the horrors of the past. That will make Raven the man of the masses. But we, the fans, have to understand where Raven has been and where he hopes to go. In his journey to find his inner peace, Raven must be allowed to expand. He must be as outrageous as he has to be. He must be extreme. And above all he must be accepted for who he is. 

At his best, Raven has abundant physical vitality and he doesn’t hesitate to use it. He is forceful. He is hard-hitting. He can wear out his opponents with his tireless endurance. Raven simply overwhelms. His erratic and explosive independence can drive some people away; but when Raven has a vision of how things should be, he goes after that vision. Sometimes that vision is a tidal wave and goes over his head so Raven needs someone to keep him focused in reality. But not to clip his wings. 

Having a sensitive side to him, Scotty can feel imposed on emotionally. Maybe this is why he tends to select underdogs as his friends. The Flock is a good example. 

When Raven and Stevie Richards first showed up in WCW, Raven saw several young athletes who were being sacrificed as glorified jobbers. He sat ringside for weeks as he studied these men. As Raven constructed his plans to help others; the Flock took shape. 

[Raven tends to select underdogs as his friends and The Flock was a perfect example.]

It was hard work to make WCW notice. The company had replaced Raven’s neglectful parents and he was determined to open WCW’s eyes before they created more disenchanted men like himself. 

[Raven simply overwhelms and his erratic and explosive independence can drive some people away.]

Raven spoke his mind during his interview time. He poured out his tortured soul. But instead of listening and learning from his past, Zbyszko and other announcers accused him of whining. Raven then had to get brutal in defense of his idea. 

Raven became an unforgiving father to the happy-go-lucky Richards. If Stevie doesn’t do his best in a match (through Raven’s eyes) then Stevie has to be punished. Raven would cross over the guard rail. He seemed intense and purposeful as he comes eye to eye with Stevie’s opponent. The crowd expected him to aid his fallen friend. Or at least they thought he would the first time it happened. 

But Raven couldn’t handle Stevie’s loss. And the fans were horrified to see Raven Pull Stevie to his feet and dump him on his head in a painful DDT. Few People understood why Raven did this to someone who was supposed to be his closest friend in the organization; but Raven did it because Stevie is his friend. In psychology  they call it “tough love.” Raven knows tough love better than any other type. 

Raven feels that most people are unsympathetic. So love has become a sacrifice and Raven thinks that pain and suffering go hand in hand with love. Suspicion is the order of the day. But Raven needs love and he can be a very loyal and thoughtful man. The key to this complicated man in understanding. Whether you’re a fan or hoping to become a friend, you must take the time to really know Raven. This is also the advice I give to WCW. 

First Stevie left. Raven understood, It didn’t hurt him too deeply since the Flock was frowning and Raven had other followers to watch over. But last fall when Saturn left the nest and started encouraging the others to strike out on their own, it hurt Raven profoundly. 

Billy Kidman left and shortly afterward he became the Cruiserweight champion. Did he go back and thank Raven for opening the eyes of ECW? No. But would he have been given a shot at the title without being part of the Flock? It’s doubtful. Even his Shooting Star Press couldn’t get Kidman the recognition that he got when he joined the Flock. 

[“What about me?” has been Raven’s motto since he has been abandoned by The Flock.]

“What about me?” has been Raven’s motto. And it’s understandable when Raven has lost all that was once his. Now he spirals downward in a bottomless pit of pain. 

To say that Raven has a death wish isn’t far from the truth these days. Since being abandoned by the Flock, Raven sits in one corner of the ring. His eyes show a sadness; otherwise his face is void of expression. He lets his mind drift out of reality much as he did when he was a child. 

Disassociating himself from the pain as his opponent kicks his legs or taunts him verbally, is his only way to survive. It seems that Raven loses himself for a while then out of nowhere comes a surprise move that floors his opponent. Then a chair is placed in the center of the ring. A drip toe hold lands Raven’s victim on the chair head first. 

[When Raven had The Flock, he had the acceptance and the love he has always craved!]

In the beginning, this move was so awesome. Now Raven sometimes becomes the victim of his own move. It couldn’t have happened when Raven had the Flock. Not just because they could have come to his rescue. When Raven had his Flock, Raven had the acceptance and the love that he craves. He was backed by a feeling of approval. He was not only the leader but a part of the group. By adopting the Flock, Raven had found a home. Now Raven feels alone.

In his mind he regresses back to that painful childhood. Raven feels unwanted and neglected once again. 

It is that the WCW, the fans, and everyone who has a heart to reach out to Raven. He is too sore from the years of abuse to pull himself up. He can’t do it alone. 

[To say that Raven has a death wish isn’t far from the truth these days!]

“What about me?” Raven is asking for help in the only way he can. He may be pouting. He may be rebellious. He may be hurting himself. But Raven is asking for love and acceptance the only way that he knows how. He hasn’t forgotten the early days in the Pacific Northwest. He just can’t remember how to get that esteem back.

Raven wants to be loved for himself. But in that quest he has sunk so deep inside his pain that he no longer shows his lovable side. As he continues to sink he is letting go of all of his other abilities. It is up to the fans to toss Raven a lifesaver. It is time that someone saves Raven from himself. It is time that someone just tries to understand. 

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Psycho Analysis: Yanni Yogi

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

Case 1-4, “Turnabout Goodbyes,” is sort of the grand finale of the original Ace Attorney, and it ends the overarching story in a very satisfying way. We have the culmination of Phoenix and Edgeworth’s character arcs as well as elaboration on their shared history, we get some interesting developments about the past, and it features some of the most iconic moments in the entire series, from pointing out that it almost being Christmas means it wasn’t actually Christmas yet to cross-examining an actual parrot on the witness stand. Throw in the debut of charming hick photographer Lotta Hart and Larry Butz proving himself to be a bumbling asset, and you have one of the best and strongest cases the game has to offer (though in contrast with a lot of the rest of the series, it feels a bit easy).

Of course, a good case would be absolutely nothing without a good mystery leading into an impressive villain, and this case manages to have two! The first of them is without a doubt one of the single most sympathetic killers in the series, if not the most sympathetic: Yanni Yogi. Formerly a courtroom bailiff, being implicated in the DL-6 incident led to his entire life being ruined even if he was able to walk free. And in 1-4, he decides that enough is enough and he wants to get even. How exactly is this sympathetic? Well, that’s what this analysis is for.

Motivation/Goals: To put things extremely simply, Yogi’s goal is revenge. But nothing about 1-4 is simple, so let’s take the opportunity to do something that will be unique to some of these Ace Attorney analyses: Discuss the victim, Robert Hammond.

Hammond would likely have been worthy of a Psycho Analysis on his own if he wasn’t already dead; the man was a defense attorney who only cared about winning his cases, a very dark reminder that it isn’t just the prosecutors who are amoral in this series. Hammond took on Yogi after DL-6 and forced the poor guy to play the part of an insane man so that he could get out of the murder charges levied against him by Gregory Edgeworth’s ghost. And it worked! Yogi went free! There was just one teeny tiny little issue:

Yogi’s life was fucking destroyed.

Socially he ended up as an outcast, and things got to the point where his fiancee Polly committed suicide after dealing with the backlash. What’s more, Yogi was forced to continue living out his life as a deranged man, unable to really go back to normal. And keep in mind: All of this was done to free him from the consequences of a crime he didn’t commit, a crime he was only accused of because the victim’s spirit couldn’t possibly have known the real murderer was lurking outside the elevator.

It’s genuinely hard to blame Yogi for capping Hammond, because the dude was an utter asshole who demonstrably ruined Yogi’s life. Hammond absolutely deserved what was coming to him. Now, framing Miles Edgeworth, on the other hand… That’s a lot less forgivable. Edgeworth certainly never meant Yogi any harm, and he had just as poor an understanding of the situation as both his dead father and Yogi himself. No one involved here was on the same page, and all of them were being manipulated by the real murderer as part of his master plan to get his ultimate revenge.

Performance: In the live action movie, Yogi is portrayed by Fumiyo Kohinata, and to say he kills it in the role is an understatement. I think a lot of it comes from the movie showing rather than simply telling when it comes to Yogi’s horribly tragic backstory, with him getting to act out his reactions to Hammond’s cruelty towards him as well as stumbling across his wife’s body post-suicide, but he definitely ends up as one of the strongest aspects of an already stellar adaptation.

Breakdown: Yogi actually has one of the more lowkey breakdowns in the series when it comes to sympathetic killers, almost to the point that he doesn’t really have a breakdown. One minute he’s the teetering, goofy old man:

And then one avian cross-examination later, he gives up the goat and reveals his true self:

I actually think the lack of an extreme reaction gives Yogi a unique level of dignity and really highlights how utterly tragic his circumstances were, even if he really didn’t go about things in the best way.

Best Scene: The movie actually shows Yogi finding his wife’s body, and if it didn’t hit home how absolutely miserable and tragic this poor man’s life was before, well, here you go.

Final Thoughts & Score: More than any other sympathetic killer in the series, Yogi is the one who my heart goes out to most.

Yes, he’s not as friendly and charming as Acro, and he’s definitely not anywhere near as sexy as Geiru Toneido, but if you look at the facts this guy genuinely just didn’t deserve anything that happened to him. He didn’t kill Gregory Edgeworth, but no one believed him, not even his own lawyer; said lawyer forced him to pretend to be insane, which even if it got him free ruined his reputation and caused his beloved fiancee to kill herself; he ended up being stuck pretending to be a lunatic for years to keep suspicion off of himself even though, again, he was innocent; and then he ends up being used as a pawn in a convoluted revenge scheme. His only real crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time on that fateful day.

All of this really helps make Yogi the most pitiable villain out there. He is just a sad old man forced to live as something he’s not, and who lost literally everything. And after all that, the sole victory he managed to achieve was rendered completely hollow by the fact he ended up caught, being exposed in court, and then having the truth of DL-6 brought into the light, something that would have acted as his complete vindication had he not decided to kill. In the end, all he did was ensure his parrot was going to have to be taken in by someone else and perhaps even get himself the death penalty.

Yogi gets a 9/10 from me. A lot of this really comes from the movie more than anything, not because it’s better than the game version but because it expands upon and shows what the game already told us to great effect. He’s a fantastic sympathetic killer and one of the best tragic villains of the series, and the one all others should be measured against.

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Saturday, 11-30-24, 7pm Pacific

'Evenin' to all, Mr. Baggins back with you, and I've got a set that's sure to soothe your achin' nerves and help ease us all into a good night. Let's start the evening off with the "Serenata Noturna" of Mozart, his Serenade for Orchestra in D Major, K239. I'm going to have to post three separate videos, one for each section of the work. The first is a "Marcia", the second is a "Minuetto", and the third a "Rondeau". These are performed by Karl Ristenpart and The Chamber Orchestra Of The Saar.

Next let's listen to a performance by another of the classical greats who was cut down in his prime, the great Dinu Lipatti. We will hear him in a performance of the Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54, with Herbert von Karajan leading the Philharmonia Orchestra. Recorded on April 9/10, 1948 in Abbey Road Studio, London.

There never will be another pianist like Vladimir Horowitz. He was a singular being, and nobody has ever been able to do what he was able to do. We have a MASSIVE library of recorded works, and live concerts to listen to and watch. One piece that he recorded only near the end of his life (three years before he died) by Schubert by way of Liszt, was the little "Standchen" or "Serenade". Lasting roughly five and a half minutes or so, the poetry that issues forth from Horowitz' hands makes it transcendant. The heartbreakingly beautiful "echo" of the melody near the end of the piece is rendered with such incredible tenderness it brings tears.

Now let's hear Harmonica soloist Larry Adler play Vaughan Williams' Romance for Harmonica and Strings, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Morton Gould.

Staying with Vaughan Williams a moment, let's hear his "Concerto Academico" in D-minor for Violin and String Orchestra, Performed by Bradley Creswick (violin) and the Northern Sinfonia of England conducted by Richard Hickox.

And here is an interesting work by Vaughan Williams, his "Flos Campi" Suite for Viola, orchestra and wordless mixed chorus. A very evocative piece, the wordless chorus creating an otherworldly air surrounding and underlying the viola. We hear it performed by Frederick Riddle (viola) with the Bournemouth Sinfonietta Choir and Orchestra conducted by Norman Del Mar.

And in the "Technology At Work For You" department, specifically ANCIENT Technology, by which magic we now hear Claude Debussy playing his own "Reverie". This is the piano roll that Debussy himself recorded in 1890, and this is a true reproduction of how he played the piece. The piano roll has been recorded using a modern concert grand, and the sound is quite good, and the overall effect is rather, to use the word again, otherworldly.

That's all the time I've got for this evening's program, I do hope you have enjoyed the selections and perhaps heard something new to your ear. This is Mr. Baggins signing off for now, I will return at 8am Pacific with Morning Coffee Music.

Until then, dream sweet dreams, babies, dream sweet dreams.

Baggins out.