#R.J. Brande

[radioactive-earthshine]

Dumb Post Zero-Hour Reboot LOSH Memes to Waste Your Time

don't take these too seriously istg

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: fairies

Fey, fae, fairies, faeries - pick your spelling, the fair folk are an undeniably popular trope in fantasy, and can be portrayed in wildly different ways, from cute pixies, to terrifying creatures of lore, to handsome and romantic beings of fairy tales. This list is a wild mix, all of them featuring fae or fae-like beings as central characters.

For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. And as always, feel free to share your own recs in the notes!

If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!

Borderline (The Arcadia Project trilogy) by Mishell Baker*

Urban fantasy mystery. A year after a failed suicide attempt that cost her both her legs and her film-making career, Millie is recruited by a secretive organisation that works to control traffic to and from Arcadia, the land of faries, and given the assignment of tracking down a missing nobleman of the Seelie Court in Hollywood. Bisexual main character, excellent if you like me enjoy reading about deeply messy women.

Phaeton by Rachel Sharp*

Jack and Rosie, couple and hackers, just got their hands on a brand new device: the phaeton, a phone which, despite its crappy parts, is seemingly capable of doing the impossible. Utilizing their skills, they quickly realize it works not through technology, but by being remotely controlled by a living creature - a fae. This revelation throws them into a war between the fae of old and a new type of fae, able to withstand iron and looking to exploit their fellows through this advantage.

Rosemary and Rue (October Daye series) by Seanan Mcguire

Urban fantasy mystery. October "Toby" Daye is a changeling, half human and half fae, who, after having been burned by both sides of her heritage, has retreated to a "normal" life, away from the faerie world. But the murder of Countess Evening Winterrose pulls Toby back in, a curse forcing her to take on the mystery and find the murderer. While I found the first book a bit weak, the series does get better from there on, with engaging characters and interesting mysteries.

Knife (Faerie Rebels trilogy) by R.J. Anderson

Young adult. Young Knife is a Hunter, providing for a group of faeries living inside an oak, their population slowly dying. Long ago, their people lost almost all their magic, and without it they are doomed. But Knife isn't one to give up; recruiting the help of Paul, a human boy living nearby the faery oak, she is set on discovering the secret of - and solution to - her people's missing magic.

Among Others by Jo Walton

Magical realism. Growing up with a half-crazed mother, Morwenna found solace in two places: reading science fiction novels, and playing with the spirits of Wales alongside her twin sister. But after their mother tried to twist the spirits to her own whims with deadly consequences, Mori is sent off alone to private school, where she attempts to come to terms with what happened. This is less "teen girl on big adventure" and more "what happens after the trauma of adventure", with it being partly left up to the reader whether the fantastical elements are read as real or not.

Gossamer Axe by Gael Baudino

Centuries ago in Ireland, Chairiste Ní Cummen was trained in the secrets of music and magic. But her pride was her downfall, trapping her and her lover in the land of the Sidh. Only Chairiste escaped, hoping to one day win her lover's freedom in musical battle with the fairy that holds her captive. Now she is Christa Cruitare, harp teacher in the modern world and all but resigned to her loss. Until she comes across a great new music: heavy metal. Taking one last chance to win her lover's freedom, Christa sets out to gather other skilled musicians and bring them with her in her final battle.

In the Jaded Grove by Anela Deen

After years of war, pixie soldier Simith is tired of bloodshed and secretly sets up a meeting to discuss peace. But he’s betrayed and forced on the run - right through a door to another world. Meanwhile, Jessa is on her way home when she encounters a man about to be killed, and intervenes to save his life. With that simple act, the fate of the two - and that of the war - become interlinked. While I found the general execution of this one a bit weak, the concept and characters are interesting, and it’s a fun take on the portal fantasy genre.

Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng

Catherine Helstone's brother Laon has traveled to Arcadia, the dangerous land of the Fae, and has since lost contact with her. Worried sick and desperate for news, Catherine embarks on the perilous journey herself, but on arrival she fins herself isolated and in danger of the Queen of the Fae, who is hard on her brother's heel.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett*

Historical fantasy. Emily Wilde is a professor who prefers the company of faeries, dangerous but bound to rules she can understand, to that of humans, who she finds inexplicable. Working on her faerie encyclopedia, she travels on a research expedition to the faraway Hrafnsvik, hoping for some solitary months of study. Her hopes are dashed when Wendell Bambleby, rival scholar and possible faerie in hiding, arrives on her doorstep. But Wendell's aggravating presence is far from Emily's only problem, as the Hidden Folk of Hrafnsvik turns out to be far more dangerous than expected.

The Watchers by A.M. Shine

Horror. When her car breaks down, Mina tries crossing a forest by foot. As the sun goes down she finds herself lost with something dangerous closing in; at the last second, a woman appears and urges her into a bunker. Inside is a room with a mirrored wall, in which a group of strangers, stranded just like Mina, huddles through the night. Outside in the dark, something malevolent watches them through the glass. Will the group ever be able to escape the forest? While I found the characters somewhat unconvincing, this is a spooky story with fascinating lore.

The Call (Grey Land duology) by Peadar Ó'Guilín

Young adult horror. After having scorned the fae, Nessa's nation has been cursed: every teenager will, at some point, be called into the Grey Land for 3 minutes and 4 seconds before being returned. 9 out of 10 are returned dead. Trying to keep their country alive, children are sent off to training schools to prepare them and better their chances of survival. Her legs having been twisted by polio at a young age, Nessa's chances are worse than most, but she is determined to make it through her call alive.

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher*

Horror. When her grandmother dies, Mouse takes on the task of clearing out the old woman's home. But as she arrives at her grandmother's home she realizes her mistake: her grandmother was a hoarder, and Mouse has her work cut out for her. As if this wasn't bad enough, among the things left behind Mouse finds her step-grandfather's journal, describing various horrifying encounters. All nonsense, Mouse, assumes - until she starts making her own encounters in the dark forest surrounding the house.

Faebound (Faebound series) by Saara El-Arifi

Elven sisters Yeeren and Lettle have grown up in the shadow of a forever war, one as a soldier and the other as a diviner and teller of prophecy. But when Yeeren makes a fatal mistake and is exiled, the two leave their familiar world for the first time - and end up with the mythical, and believed extinct, fae. Here they must juggle their own loyalties and hearts with political intrigue as they try to find a way to survive and return to their home. While I didn’t personally dig the romantasy vibes of this and found the elves and fae could’ve been more interesting, if you like epic fantasy with heavy romance, both f/f and f/m, you will probably enjoy it.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik*

Historical fantasy with strong fairytale vibes. Miryem's father is a moneylender, but his inability to collect on debts has left his family on the brink of ruin. Desperate and ruthless, Miryem steps in to take his place, and suddenly the family's luck has turned. But Miryem's reputation of being able to turned silver to gold catches the attention of the Staryk King - dangerous creatures who seem made of ice body, mind and heart. In her schemes to survive the King's demands, Miryem's actions ensnare a local farmer's daughter as well as the new wife of the tsar. As their fates are bound together, the three girls may change their land forever, for better or for worse.

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Young adult romance. Isobel is an artist with a particular and dangerous set of clients in the fair folk. The fairies cannot create art on their own, and her portraits are highly coveted. But as she paints a portrait for the autumn prince, Rook, Isobel makes a mistake: she paints human emotion into his eyes. This weakens Rook before the fairy court, and in his fury he spirits Isobel away to stand trial for her crime.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

In a desperate attempt to win the heart of the beautiful Victoria, Tristran Thorn makes her a promise to fetch the falling star they both saw crash one night. But to do so, he must enter the land of Faerie, where nothing is as it seems, least of all the fallen star, who isn't very keen on being given away as a gift.

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey*

Young adult. Ellie cares mostly about hanging out with her friend Kevin and pining after her crush Mark, but when a string of grisly murders - all the victims missing their eyes - starts taking place in her town, it’s the start of something ancient and dangerous, as vengeful fairies battle for immortality. Set in New Zeeland and based on Māori mythology.

Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower by Tamsyn Muir

Novella. When Floralinda was first locked in a tower by a witch, princes kept coming to try and save her. But none of them made it past the dragon on the first floor, let alone the monsters after it, and now the supply of willing princes seems to have dried up. Starting to grow desperate, Floralinda captures and makes a deal with a small fairy for it to assist her in escaping the tower.

A note: all these Holly Black books are set in the same universe and do on occasion cross over, but can be read independently.

Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales trilogy) by Holly Black

Young adult. Sixteen-year-old Kade, used to traveling around with her mother's rock band, has just found herself back in her childhood home town. Here she meets up with old acquaintances - not all of them human. For Kade has always been able to see the faeries invisible to most humans. Among them is a handsome faerie knight she finds injured in the woods and chooses to help. In doing this, she becomes embroiled in a struggle between two rivaling and highly dangerous faerie courts.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Young adult. Siblings Hazel and Ben live in Fairfold, a strange town where people leave out milk for the fairies and tourists come to look at a fairy prince locked in an enchanted sleep in a glass coffin in the woods. But things have been getting even stranger in Fairfold; the fair folk are getting more agressive, and the glass coffin in the woods gets shattered. As unrest spreads throughout the town, Hazel keeps a secret that may unravel it all.

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of The Air trilogy) by Holly Black

Young adult. When Jude was seven, her parent's were murdered by a spurned faerie lover of her mother's, while she and her sisters were stolen away to be raised at the High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong in this dangerous land. Her struggle is made all the harder by Cardan, handsome faerie prince with a knack for pestering her. As she strives for some semblance of power in this dangerous realm, Jude gets involved with a conspiracy that may change Faerie forever.

Bonus AKA I haven't read these yet but they seem really cool

Sinners (The Fae Feast series) by Eka Waterfield

Niavin isn't just a sidh Lord, he's also a drug lord, providing the fae's drug of choice: toxic human pollution.

Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana

Romantasy. Lore Alemeyu's village is under ruthless Fae rule, trapped within a forested prison. To protect her village, Lore makes a deal with a Fae lord to organize an enchanted library which only a human can enter.

Black Sun Rising (The Coldfire trilogy) by C.S. Friedman

On a planet far away, a priest, an adept, a sorcerer, and an apprentice are drawn together to fight against the evil fae which preys upon humanity.

That Self-Same Metal (Forge & Fracture Saga) by Brittany N. Williams

Young adult historical fantasy. Joan Sands works as a stagehand for William Shakespeare's acting company. Secretly, she’s also blessed by the Orisha with magical powers, and the ability to see Fae. And lately, the Fae are up to something...

Euphoria Kids by Alison Evans

Three teens - one cursed to sometimes be invisible, one who grew from a seed in the ground, and one who has yet to find his real name - find themselves sharing magic and the ability to speak with dryads and fae.

The Wind City by Simmer Wigmore

Old forces are gathering in Wellington, as the displaced iwi atua of legend reappear and decide to make the city their home, and not all of them mean well.

Honorary mentions AKA these didn't really work for me but maybe you guys will like them: Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Feist, Malice by Heather Walter, Poison Kiss by Ana Mardoll, Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

[wildissylupus]

I'ma throw something outta left field 4 this one, this is a big yap so it's ok if you don't respond.

This is more of a question and a guess.

Don't bust my balls please I'm posting this publicly so you know this account is going to post R.J fanart.

I am making R.J fanart and I know you probably don't want so spoil the short story your writing or give out your character dynamics since you may still be working on them.

Ok, could R.J's and Illari's dynamics be close to chat noir and lady bug(w out the romance lol)

Hear me out R.J green color scheme, Illari red color scheme, both of them are 18 and are each other's foils as you said in a previous post. Now I wanted to confer about there interactions like maybe Illari is sulky serious, she doesn't like the fact R.J is "messing around" by being light hearted and positive all the time, always seeing the light at the end of the tunnel( I am not sure wether you intend on R.J to be funny and use humor as his muse to spread positivity or a serious and passionate seeing things from a more emotional perspective similar to Deku(MHA reference don't kill me I'm not 12 I swear)

If R.J is the first kind of positive then I could imagine a very funny dynamic between them with the added angst of Illari(potentially) working for talon and R.J in overwatch; also how Reaper being R.Js estranged dad and Illari's coworker/mentor maybe (guessing based of voice lines)

Here is an example:

(note I am not confident in my writing for Illari's dialogue I feel don't want to want to stray to far from her canon character but want to give her a more human vibe with R.J someone I think she would be comfortable with, sorry if dialogue is dry AF)

Illari stares intentlly at the mission area scouting for points of infiltration. Suddenly, she hears a guard go down she turns and quickly draws her weapon but there is no one there; she assumes the work of Widowmaker and continues to scout entry points. A wispy "Psst" pinches on Illari's left, so faint she could barely hear. Illari is filled with a sort of disappointed and defeated fuzz in her body as the turns her head to see R.J hanging upside down a foot above her from the rafters. "So, what's the plan" R.J touts as he turns his head ever enthusiastic towards Illari. R.J's smile creeps ever wider as Illari's eyebrows smolder lower with audacity. A bewildered Illari contemplates for a moment; torn on wether to beat the crap out of R.J for bothering her at work or reluctantly reveling in his company, playing his game. "What do you want?" A the small inquiry of Illari's eyes becomes stiff as she shifts her weight to her solar rifle. " I just wanted to talk talk fav-" "go home R.J" Illari's cuts him of on an effort to discourage R.Js little clawing at Illari's seams. -

His is all I have written so far I have plans to finish this but I'm lazy and busy lol. Please critique, i am a baby writer so I have No fucking clue what I am doing! If you actually respond to this insanity and give you input on this I will die! Do Tell me what you think about this. Thank you so much for the inspo!🖤

In all honesty the comparison to Chat Noir is pretty spot on considering my main inspirations for him are Dick Grayson (very specifically late Nightwing), and Spiderman (only really personality wise with that), which are likely inspirations for Chat Noir. I'm going to specify Spiderman here when it comes to RJ's brand of optimism and positivity, he does quip a lot especially since it throws a majority of Talon off since the main character they usually fight don't actually try to talk or joke with them. Basically think of the stuff that (a well written) Spiderman would say in a fight and you got RJ's banter.

My biggest thing when writing him though is don't make him naïve, yes he's a force of positivity and is meant to be extremely optimistic, but he isn't naïve. He can't be with Gabriel and Martina as his parents, along with Cassidy being his older brother. He knows what he's signing up for, he knows how dangerous what he's doing is, and yes he does take a lot of risks, more then he should, but he signed up for this completely aware of what could happen.

With RJ and Illari's dynamic specifically, basically think of how someone who symbolizes the long focused energy of the sun would interact with someone who represents a bolt of lightning. A long simmering of energy vs. an instant release of energy, both still having the common factor of being energy. While Illari would get annoyed at RJ, I think she'd also envy the way he was able to move past the tragedy in his life, despite all the loss he's gone through he has no regrets. Meanwhile RJ would be able to see Illari's pain and trauma in a way that others don't, less because he himself has been through it and more so because he's grown up around it. He grew up seeing the bitterness his mother had towards what happened at Zurich and what lead up to it, he grew up seeing the exhaustion and guilt in Cassidy's eyes when he thought he was alone. Honestly I think a big part of RJ and Illari's dynamic would be getting Illari to act her age, to smile and joke around.

I could honestly see there be an interaction where Illari smiles or laughs and RJ says something along the lines of "you have a nice laugh", not pointing out that she doesn't do it a lot, not saying she should do it more, just a small acknowledgment that she can be happy. Honestly going with you MHA analogy I think Deku and Todoroki's early (like, first half of the sports festival early) dynamic would fit them.

As for critiques on the writing itself, I honestly don't know if this was just Tumblr formatting but try and space out your wording. If a character speaks at the end of a sentence then start on a new line, for example;

R.J touts as he turns his head ever enthusiastic towards Illari, "So, what's the plan?" R.J's smile creeps ever wider as Illari's eyebrows smolder lower with audacity. A bewildered Illari contemplates for a moment; torn on wether to beat the crap out of R.J for bothering her at work or reluctantly reveling in his company, playing his game. "What do you want?" A the small inquiry of Illari's eyes becomes stiff as she shifts her weight to her solar rifle. " I just wanted to talk talk fav-" "go home R.J," Illari's cuts him of on an effort to discourage R.Js little clawing at Illari's seams. -

In creative writing the way it's stuctured is important, new topic, new character speaking, new perspective, all signify the starting point of a new paragraph. Otherwise your writing will not be appealing to a reading eye and fell cluttered.

Another critique is that it feel a bit rushed while also having descriptors in the wrong places. With the guard at the beginning you should specify that it's nearby but not right next to her, just saying "Suddenly, she hears a guard go down...." is too open and will often lead to people assuming that the guard is closer then what you intend them to be, especially since the scenario Illari is in is a stealth mission. I would also like to suggest drawing out the dialogue more, it adds to the tension that the current circumstance provides;

....she assumes the work of Widowmaker and continues to scout entry points. "Psst," a voice whispers from her left, so faint that she almost missed it.

I would suggest doing more then this example, specifically drawing out the tension more with extending how long RJ presence remain unknown.

Honestly this is a really good first draft even if it is unfinished, and your comments on what you think Illari and RJ's dynamics would be are very interesting and pretty accurate to what I have planned.

[sebeth]

Legion of Super-Heroes #5 (Bendis)

Warning, Spoilers Ahead…

The issue picks up where the previous issue ended: the confrontation with the Science Police. Brainiac 5 convinces the Science Police to stand down. Superboy (Jon) is told to finish the orientation packet.

The Legion speculates on why the President of the United Planets sicced the police on the Legion. Is it because of Mordru? Aquaman’s Trident? Imprisoning the ruler of Rimbor in their basement? A combination of all three?

Shadow Lass talks trash about the Invisible Kid. Jacques Foccart, the “Invisible Gentleman” is sick of the disrespect and quits the Legion. Bendis included an actual canon person of color only to have them appear and quit in one panel? Was there a point to this?

Jacques was never a favorite of mine mostly because he was relegated to the back to mutter a random French phrase. I did enjoy Jacques’ role in the “5 Years Later” era. He became a respected leader of the resistance and had an adorable relationship with Infectious Lass. I would love to see more of that Jacques.

Brainy sends Ultra Boy, Dawnstar, and Shadow Lass to find the Trident. Jo isn’t happy because he wants to remain and deal with his father. Brainy tells the group that if they see Timber Wolf, Monster Boy, or Wildfire to grab them. I’m pretty sure we saw either Timber Wolf or Monster Boy a few pages ago. The Legionnaire had the colors of Timber Wolf and the chest symbol vaguely looked like Brin’s. The person’s build was too bulky for Brin and his head had a Frankenstein-type appearance so I’m assuming it was Monster Boy.

Brainy confronts Chameleon Boy on his secret: Reep’s mother is the president of the United Planets. This has roots in previous continuities as Reep was revealed to be the son of RJ Brande’s son (the Legion’s founder and financial backer) in the original version. RJ Brande also served as the President of the United Planets (the reboot if I remember correctly). Bendis may have also taken inspiration form Lyle Norg’s story in the threeboot – he was revealed to be the son of a high-ranking Science Police officer during a SP-Legion confrontation.

Reep says he has a complicated relationship with his mother, but they are on speaking terms. He just wanted to get out from under her reputation.

We turn to Bouncing Boy and Superboy. Chuck reveals his father was trash. Did we know much of Chuck’s parents in the previous continuities.

Jon resumes Computo’s orientation program. We witness the UP President announcing the formation of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Oh, and we discover the President’s name is R.J. Brande. RJ is female instead of male as in the previous continuities, but does gender mean much to a race of shape-shifters?

RJ references previous heroic teams like the Justice League and the Teen Titans. Crav the General Nah and President Omacc of Rimbor aren’t fans of the idea. Is Ommac a reference to OMAC? OMAC, or One Man Army Corps, started out as a Jack Kirby creation. It was not part of the Fourth World/New Gods line but one of his sci-fi flavored ideas like Ben Boxer and Kamandi.

OMAC was radically altered when it was part of the “Infinite Crisis” tie-ins. They were multiple OMAC machine-like beings. Sasha Bordeaux (Bruce Wayne’s former bodyguard) was partially changed into an OMAC. The New 52 had a version of OMAC but I never read it so I don’t know the details.

Does President Omacc or Braal now have connections to OMAC? Do we need another connection to the 20th/21st century?

RJ pitches the idea to Imra, Garth, and Rokk. Garth has no idea who the Justice League is as “They don’t teach any Earth on my planet”.  Rokk fanboys out: “The original Superman and the Batman from Planet Gotham. And there was a Thangarian classic with those awesome wings.” Rokk’s knowledge makes sense as he was a big-time 20th/21st century historian in previous continuities.

Garth also notes his planet “barely teach us to read our first language”. I don’t recall illiteracy being a problem on Winath in previous era. Mostly I recall a twins-majority population and a focus on agriculture.

RJ notes Jon Kent invented the United Planets. Do you know how old Jon would have to be to have formed the United Planets? I understand the lifespan of a Kryptonian varies from the different eras but Jon would be ancient. And why are the Legion allowing Jon to view this? Wouldn’t that be an outside source influencing the course of his life? I seem to recall the Legion not telling Clark of his life in the past so they wouldn’t impact the course of his 20th century life.

Rokk, Imra, and Garth agree to form the Legion. Sgt Blokk of the Science Police walks by and Rokk offers him membership. Blokk agrees. I’m not positive he is aware of what he agrees to.

I love Blok, he’s so sweet, gentle, and endlessly curious about those weirdo organic beings he hangs with.

The trio then travels to Colu to recruit Brainiac 5 (Querl Dox).

 Brainy agrees and reveals his knowledge of the past heroic era impacts the future. I’m not typing out the whole page of dialogue but I will this quote: “When earth broke into pieces so did its already rebooted and revised history and timeline. Earth could not be more important to us and our survival and yet…it’s all broken. To be translated, interpreted, misinterpreted.”

I could rant on the hot mess that is DC’s continuity but I’ll save that for another post.

Brainy announces Jon Kent is the one to teach them how to hero. Seriously? I understand Bendis was writing the Superman titles at the time but Jon is not at the point in his career where he could be a mentor to other heroes. He’s still a rookie himself

Brainy reveals Jon will be “the one true Superman”  Yeah, that Clark guy? He’s nothing!

Jon is overwhelmed after this info dump. Imra attempts to reassure Jon but is interrupted by Brainy announcing: “All legionnaires! They found the Trident! It’s here. Evacuate immediately!”

Legion Roster Formation Order:

Cosmic Boy (founder)

Saturn Girl (founder)

Lightning Lad (founder)

Blok

Brainiac 5

The big change is Blok joining the group immediately after its formation. In the original continuity, he was a late Silver Age/early Bronze Age addition.

Pros:

Rokk the 20th/21st Century historian-fanboy!

Blokk! More child-like than normal but still a sweet, gentle soul.

Cons:

The heavy focus on “Jon the savior”. Bendis is telling, not showing, why Jon is necessary. The only thing Jon has done so far is knock out Crav – which Mon-El accomplished in a previous issue.

Rokk as uncertain leader. He was useless in the Legion-Science Police showdown. Bendis should read the Threeboot to see how Cosmic Boy handles the Science Police.

The story moves at a snail pace. I know Bendis loves the decompression style but this would have been accomplished in less than two issues in the 1980s.

Paul Levitz’s retro-boot run wasn’t great but all future Legion creators should refer to his classic runs on the Legion to see how he seamlessly interwove a large cast with multiple plots and kept the plots moving at a fast pace. He also had great character interactions and defined personalities for the members of the team.

[clochanam]

she makes a point of conversing with the customers. nothing too intense. sometimes it's the weather, or complimenting their jacket, or reminding them about upcoming events in the area. but tonight, for reasons that evade her, she stands at the counter, fingernail trailing absently across the etched grooves of the initials engraved on the underside of the counter. S.J. + R.J. brand the oak proudly. she can't blame them. anyone would be lucky to recognize the initials. so entranced by the letters, she barely registers the question slipping free, aimed to the lone customer present tonight: @dryadologist . " do you believe in ghosts? " / S.C.

[spandexinspace]

Dreams Unwind

Verv Dox, Commander of L.E.G.I.O.N. and technically but in no way that counts Brainiac 4, comes face to face with the consequences of her actions in a reality where she at least doesn't have to pay most of her grandfather's debts too. Or, AU where Brainiac 4's soul wasn't sold to Neron. Part 1 of maybe 3?

“Commander Dox?” Verv stops and turns, her white coat swirling around her knees. The antechamber of the UP’s innermost meeting rooms dwarfs even her, its walls lined by towering stone columns inspired by long-dead Terran civilisations and the faraway glass ceiling adorned by artwork that must have cost the entire union more money than anyone dared consider. But if it makes her feel small it must make R.J Brande feel minuscule, craning his neck as he does just to look up at her.

“How can I be of service?” Verv says, pushing her flaxen bangs out of her face, the sudden turn having loosened them from her not particularly elaborate styling. One does not need to style one's hair while wearing a helmet, she still occasionally vehemently claims, even as her duties have taken her further and further away from a helm.

“I have some information you might find, let’s say, important,” the old man says, closing the distance between them and leaning in, as if he’s about to share some lurid secret. For all she knows he might very well be. R.J. Brande is a lot of things, but he’s not the fool others seem to take him for, and she is not one to believe his carefully crafted facade. Most people lie in politics, but Brande is something much more dangerous than a politician, or even a mercenary. He’s an industrialist.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, though I think it’s best we speak in a more private setting. These halls have so many eyes and ears,” Brande says, his words echoing throughout the room as he gives it a stern once over, which no doubt only serves to make said eyes and ears lean in even closer.

“In private, you say? On your property, perhaps unarmed and unaccompanied?” Verv clicks her tongue. 

“By damn, commander,” he slaps his hand against his leg. “Bring as many weapons and companions as you’d like, I am far too old to even try to take control of an organisation like yours.” Brande’s eyes glimmer beneath his bushy, white brows. They speak of something even she can’t grasp. Most short-lived species already consider her ancient, but what she sees in Brande goes beyond that, stretching out in ways she can't help but feel too young and inexperienced to grasp. She’s not convinced even another thousand years would make her feel old and wise enough.

Brande has been there almost as long as she has. He appeared out of nowhere while her dad was still alive, already as grey and weighed down by time as he is now. He hasn’t aged a day since.

“I see. And may I inquire about the nature of this matter?”

“Personal, I would say.” Verv raises an eyebrow. She considers herself a private person, someone who cuts off problems at the root and cauterises them for good measure. Whatever an old businessman could have learned about her is either entirely useless or an urgent oversight. And with Brande, it’s presumably the latter.

“Discussing the matter in private does indeed seem like the best course of action, then. When should we schedule this meeting?”

“Why don’t you come by my office around ten tomorrow morning? I’ll tell our security to expect you, to avoid any unfortunate accidents, of course”

“That is acceptable. We will be there.”

“Good, good. Thank you for humouring an old man’s whims.”

“Right.” Verv gives him a curt nod, then turns on her heel and continues down the hall, her boots clacking rhythmically against the pale stone floor, polished so well she can almost meet her own worried eyes in it.

———————————

Verv isn’t surprised to find Ael in her quarters, a half dozen holos splayed out on the table in front of her and her jacket draped haphazardly over the back of the lone desk chair she’s sitting in. As Verv enters the room she looks up, her dark blue hair a spiky mess from what seems like a good hour of two of pulling at and combing through it with her fingers.

“Hi, boss, have you considered taking legible notes? Like, ever?” she says, chewing on the end of her stylus.

“No, I wouldn’t want to deprive my best employee of work.” Verv slides off her heavy uniform coat and boots, hanging the first on a hook by the door and disposing of the latter beneath it. She stretches her arms above her head as she strides across the room, feeling the day’s worth of meetings and the stiffness in her shoulder slide off with just slightly less ease. 

“Because there’s not enough to do around here without your endless bird scratches… You know, I could always go back to Sklaria and let you deal with all of this on your own,” Ael says, scrunching up her face. It’s a familiar song and dance at this point, trading blows that have been telegraphed for so long they should be sold on asta-holo by now. 

“And tell them what, exactly? That you ran off to chase tail and came back empty handed after — how many years has it been now?” Verv replies, leaning over Ael’s shoulder. Ael shakes her head.

“To think my mom thought I’d marry into money,” she says, sighing.

“I pay you very handsomely for your services. Now, let me tell you about the most curious thing that happened today.”

“Finally capped the Dominion guy?”

“No, those notes would have been far more interesting. R.J. Brande, the industrialist or philanthropist or whatever he pretends to be these days, approached me after the meeting and told me he wanted to discuss a personal matter in his office tomorrow.”

“That old guy? Ew.” Ael grimaces.

“I was not under the impression that that was his goal. I will be attending a meeting at his office at 10 tomorrow, I need you to keep an eye on the situation.”

“Sure thing, boss.” Ael gives her a particularly sloppy mock salute, one that would have gotten any other employee stuck on cleaning duty for well over a week.

“Thank you. Now, we need to take another look at the Tharrian contract, I believe there is an error in their transport documentation.”

———————————

Brande Industries’ building stands tall even in the Terran city of Metropolis, its bright shape fluid and nearly organic, a testament to the company’s outstanding wealth and Terra’s infatuation with extravagance. Few other planets would consider it anything but an uncouth display of affluence, though many of the same planets would gaze at it in envy when they thought no one else was looking. The UP speaks so fondly of post-scarcity, equality and unity, but have yet to vanquish the greed that seems so inherent to most sentients. To the benefit of some.

Verve doesn’t take her eyes off the tall structure until she walks through its entrance. The lobby is mostly empty at this time of day, though those few who still mill around it seem to turn towards her as one. A lot of humans do. Despite their supposed millennia of off-world contact they still seem to gawk at the slightest unfamiliarity, and she is by no means of slight unfamiliarity. Between her appearance, the emblem on her chest and her ancestry she’s almost as unfamiliar as bipeds come to these people.

Verv looks beyond them, they are of no importance. A slim glass elevator dominates the centre of the room, disappearing through the tall ceiling up into the rest of the building. Next to it is an oddly out of proportion reception desk manned by a short, red-headed human. She approaches him.

 “I am here to see R.J. Brande,” she says. The man, to his credit, seems to compose himself quickly once there’s a task at hand.

“Of course, he’s expecting you,” he says, motioning to the elevator. Then adds, almost as an afterthought: “It’s the top floor.”

Brande’s office is as simple, yet as intentional as the outside of his building. Large, rounded shapes dominate the space, adorned with plants and lit up by large windows that look out in four directions. The air feels heavy with heat.

“Commander Dox,” he greets her, standing up from behind his long, wooden desk. He’s wearing a blue suit, as proper as any he’s ever worn to a meeting and as antiquated as the desk. “I’m glad you could come, please come sit down.” He gestures to the chair in front of his desk, a white, round piece that takes up far too much space. It’s flanked by two identical chairs.

“Thank you.” She crosses the room and sits down, which prompts her host to follow suit.

“I know you’re a busy woman and that what I’m about to tell you may sound absurd, so let’s cut right to the meat of the issue; I have received a quite reliable report that alleges that there’s a child on Colu who was created from your genetic material”

“Have you now?” Verv smiles a smile she’s practised so many times over, small and meaningless, a pleasantry more so than an actual expression. It hides the sudden weight that settles over her chest, heavy enough to choke her if she lets it. This cannot be true.

“I’m afraid so. I must apologise for my lack of concrete proof and the unofficial nature of our meeting, but I can assure you that my contact is trustworthy and that I wish for nothing but the safety of the child. A safety I suspect they’re sorely lacking on Colu.” She meets his eyes for a second, another whisper of that unknown ocean beneath his surface, then goes back to staring at the bridge of his nose instead. It’s safer that way. 

“You do understand that this sounds truly irrational, do you not?” She would laugh politely if she wasn’t afraid her voice would waver. Sweat starts to bead on her forehead.

“I do. But I know a thing or two about Colu, young lady, and I wouldn’t put it past them, especially not when it comes to your family.” Brande stands back up and turns his back to her, staring out the window down at the glistening city below. “I thought it fair to offer you the chance to deal with the situation, but I must warn you, I might interfere if you chose not to.”

“And why would you do that?” Her pulse pounds frantically in her ears. She tugs at the collar of her jacket, suddenly too tight and restrictive.

“Let's just say that an old man has many old debts to repay.” Brande falls quiet, seemingly lost in thought. Verv feels sick to her stomach. She watches him, clammy hands and a face arranged to reveal nothing.

“Was that all?” she eventually asks, thanking the Lords of Luck that her voice holds as steady as it does.

“Ah, yes,” he says, once again turning around. “I hope you take this to heart and do what you feel is right with it.”

“I will consider your… information.” 

He nods.

“I suppose that is all I can ask for.”

She’s barely outside of the building before her com explodes into a sea of chatter.

“Holy nass! How did he find out about that? I thought you didn’t tell anyone? Is he sprocking with you? Did someone tell him how to sprock with you? What could he even want from you, it’s not like he made any demands?” Ael rambles, questions pouring out of her like a leaking coupling. Verv takes a deep breath. The another.

“I don’t know,” she says, interrupting Ael’s barrage. “Can you try to pull some threads? Find out if any of this is true or, if not, what he’s trying to accomplish.” She hates how small her voice sounds. How she suddenly feels like every stray gaze from a passing stranger is a pointed attack, keeping an eye on her every move for want of an opening. Letting her guard down was a mistake.

“Will do, boss.”

“Thank you, Dox out.”

[earth-ai]

Rokk Krin was a space explorer from a distant galaxy whose one-man vessel was snared by a black hole. For eons he was held on event horizon, although to him it felt like a few hours. He witnessed the birth and death of stars. He lost consciousness as he fell into the black hole he lost, and when he woke he found himself in our galaxy in the Earth AI time period of the 31st Century, his body aged backwards to late adolescence.

Rokk soon discovered that as a result of his incredible journey through the black hole, he had gained the ability to create and control magnetic force. His fantastic adventure inspired him to call himself "Cosmic Boy".

Shortly after, on a shuttlecraft in the Sol system, Rokk helped to save quadrillionaire R.J. Brande from terrorists. A gratified Brande invited Rokk and the two others who teamed with him, Irma Ardeen and Garth Ranzz, to form a special ops team, the Legion of Super-Heroes which was later chartered by the UP as its membership mushroomed.

[travsd]

On the "Camel Caravan" and Related Expeditions

The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company was incorporated on this day in 1890. I’m not here to celebrate or endorse their product, but RJR did leave a camel print in the shifting sands of show business and that’s where we cast our field glasses this morning. Perhaps even more diabolical than the addictive pull of nicotine are the mirage-like mind tricks wrought by branding. One day it hit me that…

[beardedmrbean]

Dec. 13 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an emergency appeal by the cigarette industry that would have ended a ban on flavored tobacco products in California.

On Monday, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan denied the emergency request by several major tobacco giants, including R.J. Reynolds, Sante Fe Natural Tobacco Co., and Modoral Brands Inc., who filed the injunction last month asking the high court to intervene and stop the ban after 9th Circuit Court of Appeals allowed it.

Kagan upheld the ban without explanation and no dissents were issued by the other Justices.

Following the ruling, the ban -- known as Proposition 31 -- is scheduled to take effect on Dec. 21 after more than 60% of state voters approved the referendum during last month's midterm election.

Attorneys for the tobacco industry argued that California lacked the constitutional authority to enact such a law at the state level. And R.J. Reynolds, which makes Newport menthol cigarettes, also cited the 2009 Tobacco Control Act, which prohibits states from blocking tobacco sales.

"They can raise the minimum purchase age, restrict sales to particular times and locations, and enforce licensing regimes," the plaintiffs argued in the request for an injunction. "But one thing they cannot do is completely prohibit the sale of those products for failing to meet the state's or locality's preferred tobacco product standards."

Previously, the 9th Circuit court rejected another similar appeal by the companies, ruling that states maintained the right to regulate tobacco products even as the industry was already governed by the Food and Drug Administration.

The question on the ballot asked voters -- yes or no -- if they supported a state ban on non-tobacco flavors like cotton candy, vanilla, menthol, and various fruits.

The state legislature passed the ban in 2020 but voters had to first approve the measure before it could become law. That will happen next Wednesday when the November results are finally certified.

In court, attorneys said the law would result in "substantial financial losses" for the tobacco industry.

California will now join Massachusetts as the only states to currently ban flavored tobacco products.

[lonelywretchjervistetch]

My DCCU Interlude: The Legion of Super-Heroes (Part 4)

Chapter Four: Places and Peoples

OK, in the last essay, I finished up describing the members of the Legion, as of the first season of my theoretical TV series. Since the main characters are set up, this essay's going to address two things: setting and supporting characters. To be fair, there are a lot of possibilities in both categories, but we'll be looking at the major supporting characters for the Legion as a whole, the most prevalent settings we'll see in the first season, as well as some of the conflicts they face as a part of the setting.

As usual, I'll mostly be using my own versions of thee characters and places, rather than using the comic book versions of these things. And lemme tell you, the comic books never seem to agree on some of the things I'm talking about. Also, I'll be talking about these in order of relevance, making a story of sorts that describes the past and present of the Legion in this series, while setting up stories for the future. And so, without further ado...let's start with the only person I really can start with.

R.J. Brande: Eccentric Benefactor

Few characters are as important to the Legion's history as R.J. Brande, their friend and benefactor, as well as their original sponsor. One of the characters that's stayed the most constant throughout the incarnations of the Legion (save for JUST recently under the Bendis run), Brande is one of (if not the) richest men in the galaxy, and uses his well-earned money for both good and eccentric causes. Having gotten his money from a stargate industry, he's got a pretty impressive amount of influence and pull.

So, while we don't see this event until later on, let's talk about how R.J. Brande's relationship with the Legion began, by talking about this universe's founding of the Legion. And interestingly enough, this'll also serve to introduce some of our antagonists of the series, so that's useful. The whole thing starts during the 8th anniversary of the formation of the United Planets, a multi-system organization that seeks to bring disparate planets and cultures together. Basically, space United Nations.

Unsurprisingly, not everyone is a fan of the United Planets, for a number of regions. At the moment, only planets connected through the new Brande Stargate Network are a part of this organization, and those planets or colonies are usually rich or well-connected. Granted, the UP is hoping to expand beyond that at this point, but the memories of cultures galaxy-wide are quite long. Some planets refuse to join if their historical rivals are involved, while others aren't interested in the oversight and judgement from other planets. There is no united force to bring the planets together. And that's all that Brande wants to do.

See, Brande is a trillionaire, sure, but one who's made his fortune through surprisingly altruistic means. Additionally, he made this company with the help of his brother, Doyle Brande, who was at one point the business-savvy one with more selfish motives. Still, his efforts helped to make the company what it was, despite his own proclivities and frivolities. And now, with their deal with multiple planetary governments to connect their worlds to the Stargate Network, the United Planets movement was born from the increased closeness of these worlds.

At the moment, the First Ring of United Planets are Earth, Braal, the Moons of Saturn, the Moons of Neptune, Mars, Bgtzl, Winath, Cargg, Venegar, Rimbor, Bismoll, and Imsk. These worlds are, for the most part, connected and welcomed into the UP Alliance, although Cargg, Venegar, and the Moons of Neptune actually lobbied for their inclusion. Still, this is nowhere near enough of the galaxy, and there's a lot of work to do. And even then, the worlds of the fledgling UP aren't exactly friendly. Imsk and Braal have had building tensions for much of their recent history, while Winath is barely influential enough to be here.

Brande, in particular, has some issues with worlds wishing to be included in the United Nations, as he regularly tries to lobby for the less-affluent worlds for membership, but is regularly refused. Most prominent amongst these refusals is Durla, which Brande has proposed for aid and membership numerous times, to no avail. Durlans are trusted by essentially nobody, because of their shapeshifting ability and tribal culture. But why does Brande lobby so hard for Durla? Well, like I said in the last essay...IYKYK. Plus, I said this in the last essay when talking about Durlan Legionnaire, Chameleon.

Oh, and if you're getting some heavy-ass Star Wars vibes from this whole thing...yeah, that's not gonna change anytime soon. The United Planets isn't a multi-world government in the same way as the Republic in Star Wars, but it is a democratic overarching body that reviews and monitors intergovernmental relations in the same way. And more parallels are going to come later, believe me. Anyway, the United Planets is having trouble all over. That's not including threats and protests directed towards them by some the main antagonists of the first season of the series, the Dark Circle. More on them later.

In the lead-up to the UP meeting, three teenagers from the First Ring are incidentally travelling to Earth on the same trip as R.J. Brande and his brother, Doyle. Also here is an assassin, hired by the Dark Circle to kill R.J. Brande in order to dismantle the United Planets' most ardent herald, and ensure that chaos remains within the galaxy. This assassin is Cadis Thar-ok, an exile from the planet Zadron, which is attempting to join the United Planets. His attempts are thwarted by the three teenagers, who save the life of R.J. Brande, inspiring him to bring them together as a living symbol of interplanetary unity. With the help of his assistant, Marla Latham, the first members of the Legion are brought together.

After this, history continues forwards, as the Legion is formed with R.J. Brande's backing, and with the tentative blessing of the United Planets. By using the Legion as a diplomatic force, the UP plans to entice planets into joining with the promised protections of the Legion as a membership perk. However, what they didn't expect was the fact that the Legion would protect planets outside of the United Planets as well, again with Brande's blessing. Through this, the Legion gains interplanetary reputation, and the UP benefits in turn. And that's a problem for three separate forces. Let's start with the first of these.

Science Police: Bad Cops, Good Cops

OK, the Science Police, in the comics, have had varying degrees of influence and distribution. Sometimes they're limited to NuMetropolis, sometimes they're an Earth-based police force, and sometimes they're the paramilitary group employed by the United Planets as a whole. And I'm leaning between options two and three in this case. In this series, we'll quickly be introduced to the Science Police as a semi-corrupt agency with branches throughout Earth, and within the Sol System to a certain degree. They're on the verge of a connection with the United Planets at large, which is a huge deal for them.

And then Brande comes in with the Legion. Again, in comics and other media, the Science Police have complex relationships with the Legion, mostly bordering on the antagonistic at least. In most instances, though, the Legion's first major enemy is the Science Police, and that's also going to be the case here. The Legion is not only composed of super-powered teenagers with no law enforcement experience, but they're also on the verge of replacing the Science Police as the United Planet's main enforcement unit. And unsurprisingly, that doesn't sit well with the cops.

As I mentioned in the last essay, the leader of the NuMetropolis Science Police is Director Ryna Norg, a traditionalist cop who dislikes the Legion for what she sees as vigilante work. Her supervisor is Chief Jarik Shadder, who also disapproves of the Legion for financial and power-based reasons, rather than moral and professional ones. Therefore, both of them advocate for the inclusion of Lyle Norg, AKA Invisible Kid and Ryna's son, into the Legion to gather intelligence on them.

However, this plan somewhat backfires on them. Predictably, Lyle falls in with the Legion and turns on his mother's machinations. The Legion also gains the favor of the Deputy Chief of the Science Police, and their United Planets liaison, Gigi Cusamano. She'll be stepping in to replace Shadder after...stuff happens. And even Ryna will begin to come around, especially after another concession is made, come the second season of the series. At that point, the relations between the Science Police and Legion will have somewhat warmed up, and the Legion will even agree to have a sanctioned liaison that works alongside them in the form of Shvaughn Erin. And yes, she's trans in this universe as well, obviously. Not sure of a fancast for her, but I'm open to suggestions!

Now, real quick, the Science Police are not horrendously incompetent. I realize that a trope of superhero media is that the cops pale in comparison to the heroes. But it's the 31st century, and Earth has experienced a lot of superpowered nonsense over the centuries. So, as a police force, they're pretty good at everyday stuff. However, interplanetary threats are still a bit too much for your average Science Police Officer, and the powered individuals of the Legion stand a better chance against these threats than the Science Police do, on many occasions. Still, some of the situations where the two groups clash in this series will be the Legion's fault.

Some members of the Science Police, by the way, do have powers like the Legion. But, because of the nature of the organization, they're discouraged from using their abilities except in emergencies. After all, superpowers can be less-than-controllable, and the Science Police is all about control in the end. And teenagers with superpowers aren't exactly controllable, so some conflict is inevitable. Still, these guys are a first season threat, at best. Let's get into another first season threat, while we're at it.

The Dark Circle: Agents of Chaos

Now for some overt antagonists. The Dark Circle is a terrorist organization, firmly opposed to the United Planets, and with an unknown history or motive. And honestly, in the comics, that's all you get. Despite being a major antagonist for the Legion there is so little about these guys, that they're essentially a blank canvas to paint upon. I'll be giving them a bit of motive and context, but these guys are some of the main villains for the first season.

As I mentioned above, the Legion's first interaction with the Dark Circle is through the attempted assassination of R.J. Brande, which kicks off the formation of the Legion. This action is performed in association with Brande's partner and brother, Doyle Brande, who was manipulated by members of the Circle through his gambling debts to give them information on Brande's activities. The assassination was meant to cause the downfall of the Untied Planets, of which Brande was a noted advocate and backer. But why is the Circle against the United Planets? Because they're opposed to order.

OK, OK, I realize that bringing Doctor Fate into this universe through this series would be insane...and I'm not planning to, don't worry. No, he'll be introduced through Wonder Woman's side of the Trinity, at some point down the line. However, his role as a Lord of Order is important here, because the roots of this version of the Dark Circle can be traced back to worship of the Lords of Chaos, and therefore to the Lords of Order. Without going too far into this, let's just say that the mystical forces of the DC Universe are constantly in balance between chaos and order. On Earth, the person who maintains order is Doctor Fate, who bears the Helmet of Nabu to enforce the laws of the universe.

But it's a big universe out there, so it stands to reason that there are more Lords of Order, governing over different corners of the universe. This has barely been touched upon in DC Comics, and it really needs to be, because having ONE DUDE in charge of the entire mystical universe makes no sense, no matter how powerful Fate and Nabu are. So, let's assume there are multiple Agents of Order out there. This means that, for there to be balance, there should also be Agents of Chaos, seeking to tip the balance into eternal chaos, or the kali yuga. Some of these Lords of Chaos eventually gathered followers across the universe, eventually forming into what we call the Dark Circle.

So again, why the United Planets? Easy: what's more ordered than an interplanetary organization seeking to bring the universe into a more unified and controlled entity? Additionally, the United Planets are in some ways directly responsible for the Legion, and once the Legion forms, they become new targets of the Dark Circle. Again, though, to what end? What does the Dark Circle accomplish by sowing chaos across the universe? What's their end goal? Well, they're actually acting in service of a Lord of Chaos, one of the only ones still alive in the 31st century. And this Lord is a pretty major threat.

And it's at this point you might be asking..."wait, wasn't the Dark Circle the antagonist of the recent Legion of Super-Heroes animated film, and didn't they also serve a mysterious lord?" And to that, I say, yes, and fuck that movie. Not only does it ruin a great Legionnaire (spoilers), but it makes the Dark Circle boring by tying them in with Brainiac, making him their secret leader for some reason. And yes, I'm aware that Brainiac 4 in the comics was a leader of the Dark Circle, but this was original Brainiac. And it feels...uninspired. Especially because that action didn't really give the Dark Circle a good reason to exist, and also created some MASSIVE fucking plotholes in the process.

No, no, no, there's a much better answer here. A character who can be (and in some comics is) a Lord of Chaos, wants to take over the United Planets, and a major Legion villain. So, in my universe and theoretical series, the Lord of Chaos that the Dark Circle serves is...

Mordru the Merciless is one of the most important villains in the Legion's history. And mostly, this is because he's near-impossible to defeat when at full power. A wielder of magic, and one of the most powerful figures in the DC Universe, Mordru's only real goal is to obtain power over the universe. As a Lord of Chaos, he only lives to put an end to order. And on multiple occasions, it's taken the entire Legion to help take him down. But with that said, how in the hell is the first Legion roster supposed to stop an all-powerful wizard? And the answer is...they absolutely can't.

The Dark Circle's purpose is to generate enough chaos to weaken the forces of order, allowing Mordru to emerge from his ancient crystal prison. The Circle will be prevented from doing this throughout the first season...for the most part. Because their ultimate goal, to destroy the United Planets permanently, won't move forward thanks to the Legion. But not only does the first season's actions guarantee his eventual arrival, it allows the Legion to win the battles, but possibly lose the war to come in a few seasons. We need the Legion at their best before they fight Mordru.

So who exactly is heading up the Dark Circle? In truth, it doesn't really matter. After all, they're only acting in service of Mordru, so their individual identities matters little. Still, we should see them as background and bit characters throughout the series, appearing in places where the Dark Circle has struck or will strike, like looming and lingering shadows. Even though the characters themselves don't matter so much, I will highlight one whose name we should know: Ontiir.

Ontiir is a Science Police officer from the planet of Tsauron, and he'll be acting undercover for the Circle. It's through Ontiir that the Dark Circle will gather a lot of information and connections, and he'll go completely undetected throughout the entire season, more likely than not. He'll definitely appear in the series, of course, maybe even interact with the Legion here and there, but his tie to the Dark Circle should come as a surprise. When the end of the season rolls around, we'll discover Ontiir's allegiance, and the goal of the Dark Circle to create enough chaos to free Mordru.

With that, though, that leaves one more threat against the Legion associated with the United Planets. And for that one, I think her own essay will do. Well, her and four of her friends. And yeah, I realize I've teased her through three separate essays at this point, so let's end a little of the mystique.

Emerald Empress is, almost certainly, one of the most prominent enemies of the Legion. Through a portion of her history, she played second fiddle to Tharok as leader, but when she has the chance to shine, she is truly terrifying. And in this series, I'm putting Sarya in position as the head of the United Planets. Because firstly, it's an interesting place to see her exist and eventually fall from. And secondly, those who know that Sarya is the Emerald Empress know her eventual fate. Understand when I say that Emerald Empress is very much meant to echo Palpatine in theme, backed by a power unfathomable to most.

But she's here...so what about the rest of the Fatal Five? And what actually is Sarya's role in this series? Well, that is going to be the next essay, I think. And honestly, it's a long time coming.

See you in Part Five!

[ledenews]

Holmes & Watson Return to Cloak & Dagger On the Air

This Saturday’s Show Will Take Place in Top of WV’s New Location This Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, the internationally renowned detectives Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson return to Cloak & Dagger On the Air with brand-new adaptations of “The Adventure of the Gloria Scott” and “The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Beginning at 3:30 p.m. with R.J. Gaudio, Troubadour, providing a warm-up acoustic set, Cloak & Dagger On the Air: The Early Adventures of Sherlock Holmes will start at 4 p.m. at Top of West Virginia Convention & Visitors Bureau’s brand-new location, 243 Three Springs Drive, Suite 17, in Weirton (between By the Barrel and Weirton Pet Spa). “We’re excited to present our first production in Top of West Virginia’s brand-new space,” Pete Fernbaugh, artistic director and head writer for The Ohio Valley Cloak & Dagger Company, said. “Three Springs Drive in general and specifically the plaza where Top of West Virginia is now located is a hub of activity. We hope folks who are out and about will stop by to see who we are and what we do, especially if they haven’t been able to make one of our previous performances.” Fernbaugh said the two Sherlock Holmes stories featured this month are flashbacks to earlier in Holmes’s life, before he met Watson. “We could honestly have called this show Holmes Before Watson, because both stories involve Holmes musing upon his earliest cases. It’s a lot of fun to hear these yarns alongside Watson, who is experiencing them for the first time, as Holmes assumes the role of narrator. Furthermore, it gives additional insight into Conan Doyle’s seminal character and how he became the literary vanguard he is today.” Cloak & Dagger On the Air: The Early Adventures of Sherlock Holmes stars The Wayward Saints: Rob DeSantis, David Gaudio, Robert J. Gaudio, Karissa Martin, Ralph Parissi, John E. Reilly, George Spelvin, and Dave Zanieski, with Roberta Fedoush performing the score, Joey Albus producing the livestream, Malachi McClendon managing the sound, and The Holy Foley Molies creating the sound effects. Admission to Cloak & Dagger On the Air: The Early Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is free, although donations to help cover production costs are always appreciated. Light refreshments and water will be available. As mentioned, doors open at 3:30 p.m. with live music by R.J. Gaudio, Troubadour, who will perform pop, rock, and folk music favorites. The program will also livestream from The Ohio Valley Cloak & Dagger Company Facebook page starting at 3:30 p.m. Top of WV CVB is located at 243 Three Springs Drive, Suite 17, in Weirton, between By the Barrel and Weirton Pet Spa. Extensive parking is available throughout the plaza. Members of the troupe are happy to assist any individuals who may have mobility impairments. “There are a plethora of shopping and dining options in the area,” Fernbaugh said. “This new location enables folks to really make an afternoon of it. We hope they include Cloak & Dagger in their plans.” Cloak & Dagger On the Air is a monthly theatrical series from The Ohio Valley Cloak & Dagger Company that celebrates audio drama from all eras, particularly the fabled Golden Age of Radio. By reimagining classic radio dramas and literary works, along with original stories written and produced by independent writer and actor Pete Fernbaugh, Cloak & Dagger On the Air strives to give audiences an immersive experience that engages the theatre of their imagination in creating a fully realized storytelling adventure. For more information and for updates on our live and recorded productions, please visit The Ohio Valley Cloak & Dagger Company's Facebook page. Read the full article

[radioactive-earthshine]

cw child abuse

Legion of Super-Heroes (1989) #77

Minsork, renegade telepath from Titan watches in horror as Querl's backstory is finally revealed to us where from birth he was a political bargaining chip, and a tool with no implied rights and regarded with complete contempt.

The scandal Querl's unconscious is referring to is his mother abandoning him and her own post as Brainiac 4 - left without his mother he was shuttled into a life of servitude and abuse. His own people treat him with such contempt and fear when he is only curious.

There's a lot of his backstory that rhymes with Luornu's in that his own people believed that there was something wrong with him and he was an inherent danger to the rest of society.

The lengths they go to demonize an autistic child are astounding when they decide they can no longer use him they way they want to use him.

I've shared the above before but it's worth saying again that it is truly sickening that if they were not a U.P. planet the Coluans would have considered selling him to some other party to exploit. Instead, the best thing that ever happened to him happened and he found for the first time in his life some genuine kindness from R.J. Brande.

Even though Querl's time with Brande wasn't terribly long he was never treated unwell and Brande offered him compassion and understanding - placing him with the Time Institute was a great move because there likely wasn't much for Querl to blow up.

I honestly think his comment that he can't afford him was more in jest and he felt that he would get more of a challenge with another institute pursuing other forms of research.

Brande's not quite a father to Querl but he certainly was the first person that we know of who ever showed him any sort of affection and I feel like that means something to Querl even though he keeps a lot of those emotions very close to himself.

[geekhead79]

The age of the Legion of Super-Heroes began when Garth Ranzz, Rokk Krinn and Imra Ardeen rescued R.J. Brande from assassins on a spacecraft on it's way to Earth. The first the kids saw on Earth was the Superman museum, where they were inspired to become heroes. They decided to track down the mastermind behind R.J. Brande's assassination, and it turned out that it was Roderick Doyle. This lead R.J. Brande to form the Legion of Super-Heroes.

The Legion's original members were Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, Phantom Girl, Triplicate Girl, Invisible Kid, Colossal Boy, and Chameleon Boy

[vapehk1]

The Impact of PMTA Regulations on Small Vape Companies in the US Market

The US vape market is currently facing significant challenges due to the Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) process, implemented by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This regulatory pathway is crucial for new tobacco products aiming to enter or remain on the market, demanding a high level of scientific evidence to demonstrate that these products are a fit for public health protection. The Costly Affair of Compliance The PMTA process is not only rigorous but also costly, with average expenses amounting to $466,563 per application. Depending on the depth of original research and analysis required, these costs can soar even higher. This financial burden is split across clinical studies, non-clinical (toxicology) investigations, and manufacturing costs—each demanding a significant financial commitment. A Barrier for the Small Players These steep costs pose a daunting barrier, primarily affecting smaller vape companies. The financial demands of the PMTA process have sparked concerns that only well-established tobacco giants can endure this financial hit, potentially stifling innovation and limiting choices for vape enthusiasts. Smaller entities struggle to navigate through this costly and complex regulatory maze, which could lead to a less diverse market. Success Amidst Struggle Despite these hurdles, there are success stories within the PMTA framework. To date, the FDA has green-lit the marketing of 45 tobacco-related products, including devices and tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes. Noteworthy approvals include products from big names like Philip Morris Products S.A. and NJOY LLC’s NJOY DAILY and NJOY DAILY EXTRA Rich Tobacco. Meanwhile, R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company's VUSE is making strides with its Vuse Vibe ( but awaits approval on its pods range) and the phased-out Vuse Ciro Power Units. The Double-Edged Sword of PMTA The PMTA process serves a dual role. It ensures that each new tobacco product undergoes a thorough public health impact assessment. However, it also imposes a significant financial strain on manufacturers, potentially curbing competition and innovation within the market. While larger companies can manage these rigorous requirements, smaller vape businesses are at a serious disadvantage, potentially reshaping the market landscape to favor the financially robust. Final Thoughts: Looking to the Future of Vaping The PMTA process is pivotal in ensuring that vape products adhere to strict health standards, yet the complexity and cost associated with it could favor larger corporations at the expense of smaller enterprises and consumer choice. The limited number of approved brands and products highlights the challenging nature of this pathway. As the vape industry evolves, it's crucial to keep an eye on how these regulations will affect market dynamics and public health outcomes. Stay tuned, follow our blog for more updates, and discover how you can engage in meaningful advocacy for a diverse and innovative vape market. Remember, every puff counts towards shaping the future of vaping! Read the full article

[loshappreciationweek]

What does the prompt "Fiction 500" mean?

This is a trope prompt, so if you want the full context you can check it out on TVTropes.

But the short explanation is that it's being unbelievably rich, beyond what we could ever see in the real world. It applies to R.J Brande, as well as characters like Lex Luthor and Scrooge McDuck.

[auntbee]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Sterling 925 Diamond Filigree RJ Graziano Ring Size 8.75.