#Spoilers for Wrath of Dracula??

[georgiacooked]

Tonight @fiotrethewey and I are participating in our new favourite pastime of Low Budget Dracula Adaptations. We’ve just discovered Wrath of Dracula, which was released this year. And DEAR LORD.

MINA HARKER LEARNS KUNG FU.

MINA HARKER DOES NOT KNOW WHERE ROMANIA IS.

MINA HARKER IS IN A BUDDY-COP COMEDY WITH VAN HELSING AND WE’RE HERE FOR IT.

[barghesthowls]

Jonathan had his eyes closed when the blonde girl started ''kissing'' him, but his eyes shot open once he felt the Count. Not heard or saw, he felt his wrath in his trance!

[appendingfic]

Also people call Dracula a master manipulator, but I think you run best comparing him to the character Camellia from Wrath of the Righteous. For a (spoiler) serial killer she is an AWFUL liar; you keep finding her standing over mutilated corpses and when asked she goes "...I found them like that?"

But she benefits from being high enough class that most people don't seriously have the authority to question her, so she gets away with a lot.

Dracula owns the whole country around his castle. Everyone KNOWS he's a vampire. Even a dude who thinks vampires are fake takes less than three days to realize there is something incredibly off about this dude.

He had just ensnared people in social obligation and the powers of nobility to prevent them from DOING anything about it

[flickering-nightfall]

So, your Infinity Train crossover got me to watch the show, and... woah. Woah. I would love to know if you had any more ideas, blurbs, thoughts, anything about that crossover, because now I can't get enough of imagining the viciously murderous cat and accidentally-fratricidal robot on the train.

I'm glad you liked Infinity Train too! (and thank you!) More on the crossover... I gotta admit I haven't thought of much other than the initial "haha what if" idea. Maybe I can speculate though:

Spoilers ahead!

There were many hilarious and thoughtful takes on how Pebbles could possibly end up on the train, in the notes of the initial post. I joked that it'd just tear a hole through his structure, but there are more (and less) sane options than that.

Since we only see human passengers on the train, a lot of people would probably mistake Pebbles and Arti as denizens. Simon and Grace would probably not take to them having numbers well. I feel like they'd most likely think it was a trick, but it could shake up their perspective too.

Man humans look kind of similar to ancients maybe. That doesn't mean much to Arti - and I think humans look dissimilar enough from scavs to be spared by her wrath. But to Pebbles...

Also, iterators haven't communicated with another civilization-era sapient species in a quite a while probably. Some interesting stuff can come out of that.

How many migraines do you think Pebbles gets from trying to figure out what the hell is up with denizens? Or the train itself? I feel like he'd have an aneurysm if he had to interact with Alan Dracula. If he goes home and tries to tell the others what happened without any proof, they'd think he'd had a rot-induced fever dream.

Numbers are dependent on how close a passenger is to solving their problem. Arti, having already killed the scav chieftain, according to Rain World has hit the point of no return. So her body is completely wrapped up in numbers. But like Amelia, with enough time and determination it might be possible. The main problem is... Arti has to want to fix her problem first. The setup for her to do that is there. She's with Pebbles, so she has less of a reason to go off on a rampage unless she's being threatened. The lack of scavs wouldn't stop her from resorting to violence at this point, but the pure strangeness and unfamiliarity of her surroundings should at least baffle her into a different mental state.

I think in order to get an exit, Arti needs to make peace with herself. She must acknowledge what she has become, and to truly believe that she needs to change. It has little to do with the death of her children at that point. She needs to escape the self-perpetuating circle of violence.

Pebbles' number is much smaller (but still huge) because he's entrenched in rage and isolation and frustration on a massive timescale, but we see him eventually come to a resolution in Rivulet's campaign. How would the train define his problem though? It could be his anger at Moon and Suns, blaming them for his current state (even if Suns is partially at fault). It could be his tendency to close himself off, his refusal to talk to others or accept help. It could be his denial, believing he can handle and fix everything by himself. It could be his overall arrogance or ego. There's a lot of options there. Ultimately I think whatever brings him to think similarly to how he does in Rivulet's campaign would do the trick.

The sad thing is that Pebbles would probably be better off staying on the train too. I'm not sure if he'd be affected by the rot there, but he'd at least he could (literally) get out of his own head. And he has no choice but to touch grass interact with new people and situations. But to deny his exit would be to deny responsibility for what he's done. If he's really gotten better, that means he knows he can't run away anymore.

If Pebbles went to the train without Arti there's a chance he'd get killed or ghom'd two days into the trip. We are assuming his puppet is capable of walking for this AU, but also I do not think he knows how to walk. Good luck pink guy!

On the flipside. Pebbles could... probably take over the train even more than Amelia ever did, especially as a (bio)mechanical being himself. The only thing that could limit him are taboos maybe. Any iterator could do this, really. Lots of potential paths with that one.

Something something, One-One and iterators both solving people's big problems with varying amounts of success, and both engineering weird organisms...

...does a RW character that gets ghom'd return to the great cycle? Their soul gets devoured, or their life essence, it's not clear. I guess which one could determine what happens. But also they are in another universe where there is probably no cycle. Are ghoms a triple affirmative? Is crossdimensional travel? The latter wouldn't fit the "portable and generally applicable" part but still. This is a whole rabbit hole and a half, isn't it!

The train is dangerous and all, but that just makes Rain World characters a hilarious fit for it. Like this is just their daily life. Honestly I think their home world is more dangerous than the train, just in less wacky ways.

Lastly: I haven't even touched upon what introducing other characters could do for this narrative, or how they would react. So many possibilities!

If anyone wants to do more with this, please feel free!

[athanasius-symposium-of-writings]

Okay this might be a strange request but please bear with me, so I'm not sure if you've watched or listened to this song from One Piece but basically when sung it summons the king of demons (It's called Tot Musica by Ado) so my request is what would Astarion do if Tav had the same ability? Like their in the middle of a battle or something happens that makes Tav feel hopeless or just done with everything, so they sing the song summoning darkness and etc. But as they sing its clear and obvious that it's affecting/hurting them mentally, physically, and emotionally, but they can't seem to stop, like their hypnotized.

How would Astarion react, and how would he snap them out of it and stop the song?

I never watched nor listened to One Piece but I know something similar to want you're talking with Drakenguard 3. So I can write this.

Warning: act 2 spoilers, loss of autonomy (reader), vampirism, tears of blood cuz vampires can shed tears of water (see castlevania Dracula cry), mention of trauma (Astarion and reader)

The wails of a banshee echo and bounce against the stone walls of this epic battle. The Absolute— Myrkul, Lord of the Dead, is fought by a rag-tag team of adventurers bound by fate in the shape of the worms inside their skulls. At the start of the battle they had at first gained an advantage by freeing Dame Aylin. The skeletons proved easy to dispatch but the real challenge is the Lord of the Dead.

Wave after wave of his power, his mighty form striking none directly but the ground and underground lair shook. The battle quickly began to turn for the worst… Gale readied the Netherese Orb only to be sent into the soul cage by the Dead God.

"You will suffer for your folly."

You are not going to die. You swore to outlive your master! The wail of a banshee, an old bard spell, is not one to be used lightly as it can damage the singer's voice for a time. You caused most of the undead to become frightened or charmed by your song to turn against their master.

More.

The more you sing, the more you feel the bitter sting in your eyes, your throat aches as the pain is setting. The distraction is enough to allow the others to gather themselves until…

Higher.

Soon your song is no longer a song but a screening scream piercing the very souls and God who dares challenge one chosen by the dark father!

Tears of red run down your face, the walls trembling at the might of your God's power.

Those blessed by Kanchelsis would not fear his wrath, his unholy blessed night stalkers, his children of the night. Astarion had not been affected after your song changed, the panic already driving his body and spell to get to your position fast.

Long ago you met a woman on the road, a dead one. The creepy part was her similarity to you, a young bard from a small village. Her throat was ripped out, her eyes gored out, fingers broken or ripped off. Her flute was missing.

To the others, this is another sorry murder, but you know the message— Hearing it loud and clear: He knows where you are.

The desperation, the fear, the anger, the beast feeds on this as your scream summons a piece of the Abyss, only piece is enough to draw forth the large shadow of a creature with sharp glowing red eyes. The area becomes darkness, and those with darkvision can see the many shades of grey outlining the body of the large bat-like gargoyle beast coming out of the Abyssal portal under the bony monster.

"You are mine, Myrkul." It laughs with twisted glee as its winged arms pull and tear.

Your hands wrap around your throat squeezing, everything is painful as if knives are cutting into your throat. Words whispered into your mind in a language you do not understand nor truly want to understand.

You feel someone touching you, holding you yet you are blinded by bloody tears.

Astarion tries to shake you out of the snare of the enchantment, talking to you is pointless as your mind is on the edge of truly being overtaken.

Then you feel warmth, not heat but the warmth of something familiar.

It draws you in, a hum of approval as the spell is broken.

A kiss, silly as it may seem, it worked. Gods, thankfully it worked. He clings to you as your body gives out, his arms holding on as he goes onto his knees keeping you as safe as he can, his lips never leaving yours.

Kanchelsis has claimed the upstart God of the Dead, it is not about saving the world, it is about domination.

"Such… Evil." Dame Aylin speaks breaking the silence as others down below stare in horror as gods return into the portal, color and light returned to the area.

"By the Triad."

"We all saw that right?"

"It was so cold… Colder than the Shadowfell."

Each of your companions is at a loss for words.

"Where's (Name)?" Karlach sees Wyll helping Gale but no sign of you or Astarion.

"Shadowheart, come quickly!" The distressed tone is not ideal for him to let out but you aren't responding anymore once he stopped kissing you.

"Moon Maiden have mercy."

Returning to the surface to let Isobel and Shadowheart work together to heal your body. You have lost too much blood, your magic is tainted, and there are strange blood runes all over your skin.

It is hours, far too many hours, before you awaken. Your eyes empty for a moment before the light in them returns.

"Stop!" You cry out jolting upwards as you awaken from the nightmares that trapped you. "Huh… How?" The room is not empty, every one of your companions is sleeping around the inn room of Last Light, all look exhausted. Especially the one sleeping in a chair with his head on your bed. Astarion looks a mess, though you have seen it many times after rough battles, the way he looks right now is worrisome. They all look like a wreck.

Lae'zel head lifts up and her mouth, "You're a wake." The sigh of relief. You touch your head as others start to wake up.

What happened is the question in your mind yet you know the answer and fear the consequences of it.

[ink-insomnia]

I've said it before and I'm going to say it again -

A LOT OF YA WRITERS NEED TO TAKE A PAGE FROM THE "KERRI MENISCALCO BOOK OF MALE CHARACTERS" AND LEARN HOW TO WRITE DARK, MYSTERIOUS AND YET NON-TOXIC MALE LEADS.

YOU CAN BE COLD WITHOUT BEING A COMPLETE JERK AND THERE CAN BE BANTER WITHOUT MAKING REMARKS ABOUT HOW YOU WANT TO RAIL THE FEMALE PROTAGONIST.

YOUR MALE LEAD CAN HAVE SEXUAL THOUGHTS ABOUT THE FEMALE LEAD WITHOUT SOUNDING LIKE A PREDATOR.

Hell, even mephistopheles was a shit ton better than a lot of male protagonists we have and he was the manipulative one.

[see-arcane]

i feel like the novel dracula is like step by step "how to make a monster" story, t has all the beats for it.

because jonathan harker in his quest now is no knight in shining armor to slay the dragon, duty-bound and honor-driven with the others' safety in mind, solemnly risking death for his duty. he was a pure and innocent polite young man, but one who has been turning into a wrathful, cold, hopeless lovesick killer who for vengeance would sell his soul, welcome the rope, and dive into hell to inflict judgment himself

i'm glad you can see this because god. the Potential.

The thing is, Dracula was a pioneer novel for a lot of possibilities in horror. Whether Stoker was intentional in all of it or just snuck in a bunch of happy accidents for future readers to catch is up in the air, but they are there.

The combination of different genre lenses--gothic horror start in the castle, dwindling party log on the Demeter, psychological thriller in Whitby, supernatural medical mystery in Lucy's illness, fully aware-conversion/infection threat with Mina's attack, hunt/exorcise the monster after that--all of these stand alone as their own novel-in-potentia, but also all make sense together as perspectives and intel for the characters evolve. It's an amazing medley of narratives to make the Big Narrative, and I can believe that Stoker had true intention behind all of them.

But not with what I--and a ton of others!--are uncovering with the Jonathan Harker Could Be/Become a Monster vein.

The implications for Jonathan and his potential change for the worse in mental, moral, and monstrous states are obvious to us because we get to enjoy a lot of media dedicated to the "How to Make a Monster," genre of horror/thriller. The closest I think Stoker's era had was the old tragedies where the hero trips and falls on their own hubris or some cruel circumstances forcing them into an ugly ending and evil actions.

But where a tragedy is meant only to be sad, and like Lucy and Mina's harrowing and choice-free dragging into undeath is frightening without any moral qualms, something like our good friend Jonathan standing at the edge of selling his soul for love and--overlooked by everyone else in the book!--slipping into a literal physical metamorphosis wholly unaware of the change? That had never been done. That wasn't even a possibility.

Stoker shows Jonathan is willing to exist as a monster with Mina. He's willing to deny her double-death and, quite likely, defend her from the others if they make a move to keep their oath. While holding his kukri. While the rest of the crew have no idea what kind of threat is sitting among them and what might happen if they fail to save Mina. But, spoilers, it's all bluff! Because of course it is! Happy endings abound!

If not?

Well, that would mean we really were watching the cruel foundation of something so twisted it hadn't really slipped into the literary realm at the time.

Love as corruption. The Good Man made into a Horror despite doing everything as right as he could until God seemingly tore all His protection away from his assaulted and Wafer-burned beloved. The steady slip of morality and humanity off a precipice that, in the best horror movie form, only the audience is allowed to pick up on while the heroes go on clueless about the invisible danger in their midst. Worse, there's the implication that, in true cyclic tragedy fashion, Jonathan is willing to cave to Mina the Vampire; which would imply Dracula has survived and must also be bowed to.

"But I am in hopes that I shall see more of you at Castle Dracula."

Can you imagine? Risking his mortal life to avoid the Brides' embrace, to die a man rather than be kept in the Count's cage of a castle. Only to have his traitor heart drag him spiritually blasted and red-handed back over its threshold and under the thumb of the same monster who imprisoned him to begin with. For love.

Damnation complete. And why? What brought him to such a point?

Because he was doing his job. Because he did his best to help end the monster. Because he went along with the others' societally 'proper' lead in closing Mina off, chafing all the while. Because he was, he is, always will be in love with Mina, cherishing her above God and all the things that had failed her--including himself.

How depressing. How richly, horrifically depressing.

It is ripe with potential. So much of the psychological and supernatural elements Stoker sprinkles throughout the book are. As to the particular form of monstrosity Jonathan turns to in Barking Harker? I hope to realize something unique in his transformation beyond simple vampirism. Likewise for others.

Van Helsing and the Suitors Three are due a little fresh perspective, I think. A drastic one.

[danwhobrowses]

The Sandman - Quickfire Thoughts

So after a series of sporadic binges between Netflix tussles I've finished The Sandman. Having gone into the adaptation of Gaiman's comic fairly blind I had barely any expectations, but here's what I thought of it

Spoilers for the show of course, you were warned

As much as I don't want to invoke the wrath of Gaiman - who also frequents the tumblr - negative points for not fitting Enter Sandman in the entire show.

A strange observation but, is it me but ever since Game of Thrones Charles Dance seems to only do small or low-screentime roles now; Godzilla King of the Monsters, Dracula Untold and now Sandman, he's great but because he's great it's curious that he doesn't do many long-term roles

Dream's casting was great, and props to Tom Sturridge for carrying an aura of menace and power in the first episode while butt naked

One of the very few things I knew of The Sandman comics was ol' toothy eyes, The Corinthian, and boy howdy was Boyd Holbrook fantastic, he's one of the five characters, including Sturridge as Dream, I feel dominates every scene they're in, he's a great charismatic but manipulative villain

The Gregory stuff made me sad, the show did have a fair amount of moments where it's meant to be sad and uncomfortable, but at the same time I don't want to be that sad or that uncomfortable

Liked the river scene, it's super artsy and dark. I wish we had more of that from this series, stuff like in this gif where Dream is as chilling as any nightmare he created, would've liked to see more of the Fates too

I do love some Jenna Coleman, been a fan all the way back since she debuted on Emmerdale, but, it didn't feel like her role in her episode was enough to necessitate the Constantine nod. Jenna could've been a regular sorcerer, or even an immortal Johanna. I dunno I think I just kinda hoped to see Matt Ryan reprise as John, especially since DC is killing the Arrowverse. Maybe DC didn't wanna play ball or Neil has S2 plans for her, but we needed more of Jenna to establish Johanna.

Speaking of potential Season 2, Hell. The Hell Episode was great, mainly because of standout no.3: Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer. Tom Ellis' Lucifer series wasn't something I quite got into, I heard rumblings of it ending dumbly, but Christie's Lucifer is amazingly sinister but in a quiet way, they know who they are so they don't need to threaten, but there is that twinge of sadness and longing that Dream exploits in their Oldest Game

Though 'anti-life' felt like a cheat, I did like the Oldest Game. The wink nudge of Lucifer picking a direwolf but then, by my interpretation, Morpheus choosing hope to corner Lucifer into submitting rather than become something that would diminish their own hope. Matthew the raven gets props as well for giving Morpheus the inspirational pep talk

24/7 was one of those cases where it was a great episode but one I was greatly uncomfortable with, sometimes my own fault like forgetting that Bette's son is in college. But this does explore why John Dee's views on a perfect world is twisted and the Ruby is not safe in his hands, I did feel especially bad for Bette

Oh, John Dee is no.4, David Thewlis man. As much as Dee was unnerving, apathetic, and calculating, Thewlis did a great job in showing the childlike innocence that had been contorted by his sheltered life and manipulation, there is poetic irony that he wants a world of honesty but consistently deceives himself.

Episode 6 was perhaps my favourite, among my comic knowledge was the presentation of Death in Gaiman's story as a joyful punk rock girl who is full of life, Kirby Howell-Baptiste did a great job. I did of course feel extra sad when she approached the cradle, instant thoughts of 'no, not the baby!' in my mind, I don't know enough of her character to wonder if she still feels burdened by the abruptness of some people dying but there can be time for that later

What made it my favourite though was the Hob storyline, it was just nice and wholesome really and it explored more of Morpheus' ever-shrinking distance from humanity

The Vortex storyline I wasn't as sold on as the 'Morpheus reclaims his powers' storyline, it was still good but it did sit in the real world more than the fantasy

I enjoyed the whole house of people and Lyta, and how they all supported Rose in her search for her brother, plus the connection with Unity to merge the storylines together

Probably what made me not so connected to the Vortex storyline in spite of it having the Corinthian be the main villain is the nature of the Vortex, we're told very little about its nature and the 'I don't know' answer does feel weak, she is powerful just because

Morpheus also seems to take two steps back on his character development too, to go from Death telling him that they are not better than humans, should learn to take people's help and him accepting that he and Hob are friends to 'I will use this Vortex, a threat to the dreaming and waking world entirely just to bait some rogue nightmares' and also dismiss Gault's suggestion that even nightmares can change and want did feel like he was undoing his own work

Didn't quite like the Rumpelstiltskin vibe he was giving out with saying he'd come for Lyta's baby too, there could've been at least a bit more compassion or explanation, instead it served as a 'misunderstanding' trope to distance Rose from Morpheus

The ending was solid, albeit one which could've used a bit more explanation. Desire was a character we saw so little of - much like Cain and Abel, whose dynamic reminded me of Hilda and Zelda in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - and even though we have them outright tell Despair that they are the mastermind of Morpheus' imprisonment and the Vortex arc, we don't actually see any of their actions, just an off-comment by Unity that clocks Morpheus in on the deception.

I feel like, while Gaiman may've intended to keep the audience out of loop, it may've served better to see Desire perform at least one action that guided the plot around, even if it was just to twirl a fake mustache, and explain how they intended to use the Vortex to be Morpheus' undoing, since there seems to be rules for not killing an endless' kin not established in the series (that I recall anyway) was the plan, but since I don't understand what that would lead to it's hard to understand the threat.

Overall I liked it, going in mainly blind I do have my questions but we had a great cast all doing really well, and I want to see more of it, so it laid some strong groundwork we can hopefully build towards.

[walkawayinsin]

Opinion: Why Season 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was much darker than you thought.

*BIG SPOILERS* (also tw; depression, mental health struggles)

There are people who recall season 6 as being the darkest season of the whole TV-series. And in context to the development; it confuses me why some fan thinks that the series should've ended with Season 5's final episode "The Gift". It even triggers me in a way which I will talk about later. While season 6 stands for the darkest character arcs for like EVERYONE, season 5 is foreshadowing a lot of the upcoming, personal struggles within the Scooby gang. It also made me understand why Buffy struggled the way she did in season 6.

Buffy Summers, the main character of the series, has always gone through more or less struggles through the whole series. It's not surprising since the series does revolve around her double-life as a youth with normal struggles and as a slayer. But not even the dark half of season 2 and whole season 3 can reach up to the level of struggling she goes through in season 5. In season 5 she isn't just dealing with one or a few hardships; she's dealing with a shit tons of them. To explain this further I will, down below, list every main struggle Buffy has been facing through season 5 and analyze them deeper.

*****

Role as the slayer As I've previously stated; the role as slayer has always been a main struggle in Buffy's life. What separates if from the other earlier seasons begins with as early as in the first episode when Buffy faces Dracula. And this is mainly because it looked like she had it all figured out in season 4 regarding her role as the slayer (except for the foreshadowing dream in the finale episode which told her otherwise). It also makes her realize that she still needs Rupert Giles in her life as her Watcher. Just like previous times, it affects her confidence and her questioning her role. But on top of that she's now facing the wrath of an enemy by the name Glorificus (also known as "Glory"). Since you've probably watched Buffy you know who I am talking about. It's Buffy's toughest enemy - even tougher than the mayor. Glory is an almost unbeatable Hell Goddess who stops at nothing to be able to go back to her dimension. And Buffy doesn't just take one beating from Glory; she takes several of them and even have to face the fact that she has to run away from this enemy. This affects her confidence even further. Glory is after Buffy's little sister who, until season 5, never existed which leads us to Buffy's next main struggle

The arrival of Dawn Summers Buffy's struggles with her little sister Dawn Summers (and other family problems) are another theme for season 5. And if you have siblings; you already know it isn't all sunshine and rainbows. On top of that Joyce Summers, Buffy's mother, is also a single parent and has her own issues which leads to Buffy taking the role of a caretaker. In episode 2 we already see how Buffy's life becomes even more complicated with her having a little sister around her. As if that wasn't hard enough; Buffy faces the harsh truth when she realizes, in episode 5, that hers, and everyone else's, past memories of Dawn  are made up by a couple of monks. Dawn is in fact an energy source called "The Key" which, the previously mentioned, Glory is after. And the girl has no idea about her previous identity and has no powers other than the ability to open dimensions with her blood. And it's a task Buffy has been given without consent. It's also a task she can't escape and not least because she still feels like the bond to her little sister is very real. She feels protective over Dawn and it grows even more after finding out about Dawn's role. This isn't even half of the trouble. Buffy now has to deal with the truth regarding her sister. Like I've previously mentioned the one being after Dawn is a powerful Hell Goddess. This leads to Buffy having to struggle with keeping Dawn a secret for everyone, except Giles, to stop Glory from figuring out who the Key is. So while everybody else behaves as if nothing has changed; Buffy (and Giles) has to go on pretending that everything is normal. Not the least do they also have to hide it from Dawn because that girl is a fragile hormone monster. Episode 13 proves my point further and who can blame the poor girl? Finding out that everyone's memories of you were altered and that you were nothing but a destructive energy source before isn't something a struggling teenager wants to hear. Dawn doesn't the least affects the relationship between Buffy and Riley which will be the next main struggle I want to talk about.

Buffy's love life struggles Buffy's love life being a messy roller coaster isn't anything new. Her first boyfriend Angel was a vampire. Sure he was a vampire with a soul but it had it's catch; he would loose his soul if he experienced a moment of happiness. So that was doomed from the start. Then Riley arrived and Buffy faced a new form of struggle: while Riley was otherwise normal he was being involved in a military project called The Initiative. This project was a big part of Riley's life but it was toxic and his involvement with Buffy lead to the project's downfall and him living a normal life. It seemed as if their struggles were done by the end of season 4 ... but it's Buffy we're talking about. So already by the first episode, in season 5, the seeds for Buffy and Riley's relationship struggles are planted when Riley is facing doubts about his importance to Buffy. When Buffy gets bitten by Dracula (which she also fangirled about early in the episode) it affects Riley's insecurities regarding Buffy's ex-boyfriend Angel. And it's only episode 1. Following each episode leading to their breakup, with Riley leaving in episode 10, there are subtle hints that Buffy and Riley has some serious issues and power struggles within their relationship. Not the least is their relationship affected by Buffy's family issues and her new struggles with her slayer identity. It's becomes even more heartbreaking when Buffy finally catches a break from her family issues but then suddenly have to face her love life being more rocky than she previously thought. On top of that she hasn't even any time to process it before he leaves her without saying goodbye. But Riley isn't the only one she faces struggles with. Spike has been Buffy's enemy since season two and since season 4 he became a reluctant ally of The Scoobies because he has a chip in head which makes him harmless to humans. Kicking demons helps him deals with his new life as a "neutered vampire" as Buffy calls him in season 6. But in season 5 Spike has realized that he has developed a crush on Buffy. And as much as I love Spike and Spuffy; it was just creepy by this stage - not the least the whole thing with the Buffy Bot in episode 18. Spike also triggers the breakup between Buffy and Riley. He also helped Dawn find out about her identity in episode 13. Buffy doesn't just have to deal with someone having an unrequited love almost directly after her breakup with Riley. She has to deal with it coming from a soulless vampire who wanted to previously kill her and her friends and with Buffy's past experience she won't even consider Spike at this point. By the end of season 5 Buffy has developed a bond with Spike based on him helping her protecting Dawn from Glory. This after he protected Dawn's secret identity even if it almost cost him his life back in episode 18. Not only has Buffy another powerful ally but she can also feel some kind of kinship with Spike, who understands her struggles far better than anyone in the Scooby gang. This was hinted already back in episode 7 when Spike chooses to comfort Buffy when she finds out about her mother. This leads us to Buffy's fourth struggle.

The death of Joyce While I could've talked about Buffy's family issues in one category I felt it was worth separating her struggles with Dawn from her struggles with her mother. Buffy has already had problems with her mother in previous seasons - not the least when her mom finds out about her identity by the end of season 2. While the season begins with Buffy bickering with her mother about sister responsibilities, it takes a 180 degree turn when Buffy's mother becomes sick in episode 5 and later discovers she has a tumor in episode 7. Now Buffy has to face the fact that her mother might die since the operation she faces isn't without any risks. Buffy, who has overcome death before and seen how life continues after death, struggles with the fact that nothing supernatural is the cause for her mother's illness. And while Joyce's operation succeeds in episode 10 Buffy can't enjoy this moment for a very long time because, as previously told, she faces a sudden breakup in the same episode. And Joyce's recovery is short-lived when episode 15 ends with Buffy, who finally seems to have recovered from Riley, finds her mother dead on the sofa. The next episode "The Body" is about Buffy having to deal with her mother's death and it is an amazing episode which has been well-deserved for all the praising it got. This is the darkest moment in the whole Buffy series - yes even darker than the Dark Willow arc. Because it's not caused by anything supernatural - it's a "natural cause" of death. Something had gone wrong with the operation and therefore Buffy couldn't save her mother this time. Also when Buffy is facing this, as you can see from what I've mentioned earlier, Buffy has already gone through shit tons of hardships without catching a break from it. Instead she's faced with one of the worst moments of her life. And no breaks are taken after that either. Because she's now has a single responsibility for Dawn while only being 20 years old. Episode 17 shows how Buffy finally has enough and breaks down in front of her sister while bursting out "Who's going to take care of us?!". No matter what role Buffy was given she's still a young human who faces the beginning of adulthood. The death of Joyce marks Buffy's down spiral towards depression and emotional/mental exhaustion from the intense struggling she has been facing the whole season.

Her loved ones being in lethal danger Joyce and Dawn was not the only of Buffy's loved ones facing lethal danger in season 5. Like many other struggles; Buffy's friends and family facing danger isn't new but it's on a new level. When the Watcher's Council returns in episode 12, they threatens to take away Giles if Buffy fails their trials. Tara, girlfriend to Buffy's best friend Willow, is tortured by Glory who breaks her hand and then takes away her sanity in the search for The Key. And as Buffy's sister is revealed as the Key by the end of episode 19 Buffy can't protect her loved ones in any other way than to run away with all of them. But their runaway trip is followed by being hunted down by knights who also wants to kill Buffy's sister to protect the world from her. This leads to Giles getting lethally wounded and in need for medical care. In the end the running away was for nothing since Glory ends up kidnapping Dawn anyway in episode 20. This leads to Buffy's final breakdown over all of her struggles which leaves her completely blank. She is trapped in her guilt and the fact that she may loose the only family member present in her life. While she is brought back to sanity by Willow she must almost immediately face that she may have to kill Dawn if the portal opens. Which of course it does. *******

As a final discussion, after this long analyze, I want to bring back my statement about how season 5 made me understand why Buffy struggled as much as she did in season 6. Because by the end of season 5 she was already depressed. By the end of season 5 Buffy solely lived to protect the world and her loved ones. Otherwise her love life was in shackles, her mother was dead, she dropped out of college and she'd come to realize that the struggles with being The Slayer would never end.  She wasn't just facing troubles with the supernatural but also with the real life. I don't think she would've mildly accept her fate as she did in the final episode if she hadn't gone through all those hardships and trials in season 5.  So ending her life to protect the others wasn't as hard as it was for her in season 1. When she realized she could've taken her sister's place, in closing the portal, she also found her own release. And O'boy do I know that feeling. As someone who is struggling with periods of depression: facing a lot of struggles at once is what triggers me to question if life is worth living. I felt Buffy's relief as she saw the sun rise and Heaven waiting for her self-sacrifice. And this is why I needed season 6. Because in that season Buffy came to realize she couldn't escape her life struggles. And also the Scooby gang realized the cost of not accepting someone being dead. Spike singing "Life's not a song; Life isn't bliss. Life is just this. It's living" is one of the most encouraging lines I've listened to. It also summarizes Buffy's struggle to live with her hardships and eventually succeed in dealing with it. It's encouraging to us who deals with life struggles just as season 5 reminds us that even the supernatural hero can experience extreme life struggles that leads to them questioning the point of living.

[witching-by-the-willow]

O-M-GOSH NIKI.

First of all, HUNTING PRINCE DRACULA SPOILERS

BUT MR. THOMAS CRESSWELL FREAKING CLIMBED UP TO HER CHAMBERS!? LIKE, HE COULD HAVE DIED?! BUT HE STILL DID?!

THAT IS WHAT WE CALL A REAL MAN. I NEED A THOAMS CRESSWELL.

THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING, WE DESERVE A THOMAS CRESSWELL. COME ON, GOD.

Honestly, Kerri just KNOWS how to write men in her books, and she SERVES. The fact that Thomas and Wrath aren't real is a disgrace. Shame on us as a society. 🤌

But I am glad to see you're enjoying this series and have joined our Thomas Cresswell Simp Squad!

[antihero-writings]

Undead Memory (Ch1)

Fandom: Castlevania (Netflix) (Season 2)

Character Focus: Alucard

Summary: What happened during that month in which Alucard was alone in the castle?

Alucard dealing with the aftermath of S2, and trying to cope with the death—or, more accurately, the ghosts—of his parents.

Notes: First of all, spoilers for season 2!

Another Alucard-centric fic, but actually about the show this time!! Whoo!! I'm excited to finally start posting this one. 

Believe it or not, I started this idea a while before S3 started, wanting to write something for the time after S2 of Alucard being alone in the castle. Then after S3 I wanted to write it both more and less XD The idea of Alucard seeing ghosts brought up at the end of S2 is an interesting one, and one I thought deserved more exploration. As well as just that month where he's alone being something interesting to write about. 

This is one of those fics I wanted to post as a long one-shot, but ultimately got stuck and decided it would be better to break it up into chapters to make it more manageable for both reading and writing. I said it'd be 4 chapters above, but I'm not quite sure exactly how many it'll be. It just helps me to jot down a manageable ballpark number.

That being said, one of the reasons I hesitate to break things up into chapters, is because if people don't seem interested it severely inhibits my desire to keep writing that fic. So, it really does help my motivation a LOT when you comment and say you want to read more!! So just know that when you comment, you're helping more of this fic get written!!

Shoutout to @it-burns-when-i-pee for giving me the clock idea!

Chapter 1: Reminders

There were no graves. Dracula and Lisa didn’t get graves. The rest of the world would have said they didn’t deserve to rest in peace.

Antigone would say Polynices deserved to sing in Olympus all the same.

The only grave they got was a castle. And many would say it was better than most—that they’d take a castle over a headstone, a mausoleum, or the ground any day. They’d say a castle was a hell of a lot better than being dumped down the sewage grate.

And all that’s fair, but perhaps the bigger problem was this: there were no remains.

They both burned. One in holy fire, one in hell. (And who could say where they truly ended up, if there was a heaven and hell after all?)

All that was left of Lisa Tepes was a pile of charcoal on an altar to a priests own pride.

And all that was left of Vlad Tepes was a ring, and a soot stain on the carpet.

Most would say they got what they deserved; to die without chance at Olympus.

Adrian doesn’t know where to put his flowers.

Most children bury their parents eventually, but usually this is when they have children of their own to keep them company, and their parents have been bouncing grandchildren on their knees for at least a year or two, with white hair and crinkled smiles, barely able to walk, or see: sick and ready to greet the gods.

Adrian may look old enough to settle down, but he’s younger than most would surmise. And while he can certainly handle himself, he was not prepared for his parents to die within a year of each other…especially considering that the parent who was meant to be immortal died by his own hand.

He would have liked to have some respite in his own home.

But perhaps, more important than where to put flowers, there was most unfortunate side effect of the lack of remains, and the castle grave:

Ghosts.

And this isn’t the pearly white wraiths wandering around saying ‘boo’, or skulls that float about the head gnashing their teeth. Not even a chained apparition to remind one of their sins.

This is something much worse. Worse because they belong to the house’s owner. Worse because their true grave is his head.

—(And that place never rested)—

Their ghosts wander the castle, not just a graveyard. This castle seems to have an affinity for the undead.

Maybe not everyone could see them. He tries not to indulge the thought that maybe there’s nothing there at all, and they’re nothing more than undead memory.

Alucard has been seeing ghosts since the moment he was left alone in this place.

He’d rather have a grave to mourn them at, and converse with the memories, than watch their ghosts keep him up at night, unable to touch, or to talk to them.

He should remind himself to look up the definition of ‘torment’ later.

At first it was his father’s steps when he walked up the stairs. His mother’s smiles, his own young laughter when he sat in the study. When he sat at the table to eat, he watched the vampire king tossing a young boy into the air, both laughing like fairy wing beats, as Lisa watched on from the table. Alucard tried not to lose his appetite.

Then they were given voice: it was Father’s lessons when he looked for a book in the library. Mother’s stories as he sat reading, making him incapable of concentrating to his own book all the while. Baking cookies together in the kitchen. Father allowing him his first drink—(of wine or blood? Take a guess. He only needed one of them, after all)—as he walked through the cellar. Mother decorating the castle, making it look a little nicer, a little more alive. Not all of them were positive. Their arguing voices down the hallway. His own tears.

Father’s claws against his chest.

And he wouldn’t dare get close to that room. Because whenever he walks past the door, he can still hear his father speak to him like he did when he was still a child dressed in sunlight, and there was nothing but love.

Mother, father and…himself. As if he died long ago with them. As if the happy child he was within them is gone. As if he’s no longer the Adrian who sat with his parents, read with them, baked cookies, and laughed with them…but the Alucard who killed them.

And, well, maybe he didn’t kill his mother, but sometimes he didn’t know what else to think but to blame himself for the thought that he could have saved her.

And he did kill his father.

He still feels that stake in his hand when he walks by that room—(But it wasn’t a stake was it? It was the bedpost of his childhood bed, as if ripping his childhood at the seams and denying everything he was born as). He still feels its splinters in his fingers, the smell of pine, the feeling of it piercing his father’s chest, the way his heartbeat refused to stop—(he rested his head on his chest once, the constancy of the rhythm was comforting then). The warmth of his father’s blood draining over his fingers. The sound of his father’s ripping voice. The unearthly, ungodly howling of the souls trapped inside him—(was he really so bad?). He could still smell his flesh burning.

He still wakes up in the middle of the night with the image of his fathers face melting off its bones as it came closer to him, reaching out as if to to caress his son’s cheek, seared onto his eyes—(is this how Victor Frankenstein felt when the creature smiled at his window?)

But when the morning came, he took that ring and he wore it on a chain around his neck all the same, to remind him of a few things:

One: that love is one of those things that is free, but comes at a high price. If you take it lightly, it will leave you heavily.

Two, an addendum to one: that love is not soft. Love is not flowery words, or even the insatiable desires the romance novels say it is. Love is an insidious fire, when you have it, it rages, and you know what warmth is. When the fireplace is empty it aches, and when your heart breaks your chest gets cut on all the pieces. And underestimating it, calling it weakness, will always be your undoing.

Three—(one that was beginning to weigh heaviest): that living and immortality are not the same thing. Vlad may have been immortal, but he was only ever alive with Lisa.

Four: to always know where he came from…and where he didn’t want to end up.

Five, and final: that though he had saved lives, though it was noble, and the stories and songs would say he was brave, and though Trevor and Sypha would say it was for the greater good…he would always be the son who loved his father…and the son who drove the stake into his father’s heart.

All for love.

He can find respite from the memories sometimes. He finds himself spending too much time down in the Belmont hold, reading, organizing, putting away ancestors—(ancestors not of his, ones that didn’t come back). Learning, pursing his lip in disapproval, or laughing to himself at the thought of some of the things Trevor’s relatives did (making a mental note to use the story against Trevor when he next saw him). Thinking of his friends…and trying not to think of them, lest they become ghosts too.

He likes going out into the woods to get food, and water, and fresh air. He wavers there at times, wondering if maybe he could just… leave. He spends more time out there than is strictly necessary.

Sometimes he runs out into the woods—well, more precisely padding, cantering on paws—and other times flies—trying to make sure his tongue can taste freedom, and his wings can snare sunlight, before he turns back.

But he always has to return. Return to the stuffy, putrefied remains of the castle. The air where he hears his parents whisper sweet words that are gone, where memory reconstructed from fairy castles sweet worlds he’s ripped away.

Would it be so hard to just leave?

Surely we can let the poor wandering souls in the woods find refuge. It was a grave after all. Just let the lost rest against the headstones, though they know not whose skeletons lie beneath them.

He leans against Trevor’s tree, and sees a young boy playing on the branches—laughing, free—and smiles…before it becomes gasp and grimace, and he shakes his head, returning to the castle.

Not them too.

He thought he could take it. The grief. The ghosts. The wrath of the gods

But he can’t stay.

Not forever. That is to say, he can’t leave for long. Just to visit town, to see another person or two, to get out of his head, and pray the specters won’t follow him.

He slings his bag over his shoulder, along with the coat he always wore—the one that smells like the campfires he sat at with Trevor and Sypha—and sighs as he walks out the door.

He has another grave to visit.

[incorrectsmashbrosquotes]

Ganondorf vs Dracula DEATH BATTLE: Alternate Ending(s)

(Spoilers for the latest Death Battle)

-

Part I: The Winner is Ganondorf

(Dracula, in his demon bat form, plucks Ganondorf from the rubble)

Dracula: You’re right. You’re no man. You’re a pig. Let me hear you squeal!

(Ganondorf, though his power wanes without the Triforce, looks the vampire lord into his eyes and makes his last resort)

Dracula: DORIYAH!!! 

(Ganondorf thrusts his hand forward, and powerful waves of darkness flow from him and into Dracula)

Dracula: GAAAHHHHH!!!

(Dracula drops Ganondorf as he reels back, falling to one knee)

Dracula: (winded, darkness surging in and around him) What…what did you do?

Ganondorf: (struggles to stand, blood dripping from his lip) The Gerudo Death Curse. The very same I used on that accursed tree.

Dracula: You really think… (though the curse is clearly affecting him, he powers through it) …your puny magic is enough to defeat me!?

Ganondorf: No. (he smirks, glancing toward the east horizon) Not on it’s own, anyway.

(Before Dracula can react, he feels a scorching sensation on the side of his face)

Dracula: Aggh! (covering one side of his face, he looks toward the east and his black heart sinks to his stomach as he sees the morning sun rise over the mountains) No… (turns toward the recovering Ganondorf, unbridled rage burning in Dracula’s eyes) NO! You tricked me, you miserable- (suddenly Dracula’s demon bat form erupts into raging blue flame as the sun rises, bathing the dark lord in its’ light as he wails in agony) -AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Ganondorf: Arrogant old fool… (Ganondorf says as he powers through his injuries, pulling the Sword of the Seven Sages from the rubble and approaching Dracula’s burning, writhing form) I don’t deny your power…but you are no god.

(The combined power of Ganondorf’s curse and the light of the sun has reduced Dracula to a withered, nearly skeletal version of his former self, moaning and whimpering in pain as he fruitlessly crawls away, the sun still burning his body)

Dracula: Aaahhghh….

Ganondorf: You’re nothing but another wretched creature of the night. A foul monster… (he approaches Dracula from the side and kicks him over onto his back) …you don’t belong on this world.

Dracula: (pants, severely weakened to the point where he can only watch as Ganondorf raises his sword and aims for Dracula’s chest)

Ganondorf: DIE!

(Ganondorf plunges the holy Sword of the Seven Sages straight through Dracula’s heart, burying the sword to its’ hilt into the vampire’s flesh)

Dracula: AAAAAAGGGHHHHH!!!!

(beams of both light and darkness begin to shoot from all over Dracula’s body, his eyes aflame as blood pours from his mouth, nose, and ears. Finally, his entire explodes in a burst of pure energy, bits and pieces of the former vampire lord raining from the sky. Ganondorf stands, giving his iconic laugh)

K.O.!

Part II: A New Foe Approaches…

Ganondorf: Your castle has fallen, vampire. No man can challenge my power.

Dracula: But what is a man? A miserable pile of sec-

(Suddenly a dark, eerie portal appears below Dracula, pulling him and his throne in with the force of a black hole. Ganondorf struggles briefly, but he too is pulled in. Soon they both find themselves in the center of a massive stone arena, the sky dark and the sun barely giving any light at all. Despite this, the arena is packed to the brim with spectators, all cheering and hollering as the two evil kings compose themselves)

Dracula: Is this your idea of a joke, wizard?

Ganondorf: (clearly irritated) Do I look amused, bloodsucker?

(Before Dracula can counter, a big, booming voice comes from the other side of the ring, from a hulking figure shrouded by smoke)

???: Ganondorf Dragmire! Dracula Vlad Țepeș! 

(Ganondorf and Dracula look toward the figure)

Ganondorf: And who are you?

???: I, like you, am a great king. A king that rules over his people through power…and darkness.

Dracula: You think flattery will spare you from my wrath? You’ll pay for your insolence with blood!

Ganondorf: (draws the Sword of the Seven Sages) Show yourself, coward!

(The hulking figure begins to step forward)

???: Then I shall waste no time on ceremony. Let the true King of Darkness be decided…

(The smoke subsides and the crowd roars as the figure is revealed to be…)

Shao Kahn: Through MORTAL KOMBAT!!!

ROUND ONE…FIGHT!

[eskel-and-goat]

Okay but, am I the only one who like the idea of The Witcher (Netflix) being like the Netflix show “Castlevania” ?

Just a small warning for people who either haven’t seen The Witcher or Castlevania, there will be spoilers and such, and I heavily suggest giving both a good watch, trust me it’ll be worth your time.

I love the idea of Geralt being a Witcher and Jaskier being the oh so attractive bard, but I also can’t help myself placing them in the world and setting of Castlevania. Hear me out, hear me out—

Geralt being a Belmont? Not the last, having Lambert, Eskel and Vesemir (along with other Witchers if I’m forgetting some) being the only Belmont’s left alive after the purging of them. Geralt just, y’know, likes to be alone is all. Well, that was until coming upon a small village for coin so he can settle. Upon being there, hunting for jobs and asking around, I do full on expect him to come across Speakers.

Now, in Castlevania, The Speakers are a group of nomad scholars who maintain oral stories and traditions. They are persecuted by the Church, who see them as sorcerers and responsible for Dracula's wrath (this small paragraph is from the Castlevania wiki explaining Speakers). I would like to think that, yes, in this mixed world, Dracula is indeed taking over the world from it killing his wife, and I will explain more of that later. But for now, the speakers I’m thinking about are more.... of singers? Not all of them, but young ones. Geralt does stumble upon them, hearing about a speaker who sings gets his attention and then he meets Jaskier.

Julian (who goes by Jaskier) is the youngest of the Speakers, and he is very bright in this dark little world. Going with Geralt after a long fight with creatures, Geralt learns that not only does this Bard like Speaker only carry information from village to village, he can cast spells and is excellent in helping Geralt heal. At first, Geralt doesn’t like the non-stop talking of the speaker, but by the next village, he does learn how smart the Speaker is. He puts in good word for the Belmont’s, sings of them, and Geralt is secretly thankful.

Now, back to Dracula. We can’t keep Ciri out of the mix, being a Child surprise and all, so I would like to think that instead of Alucard, there is Ciri. I know of the games and have heard of the books of The Witcher, but I don’t know a lot about either of them enough to know what Ciri is like in each, so I’ll stick with the nextflic version. Instead of grown up Ciri, I’ll stick with tiny Ciri, escaping the war broken out with Dracula and the world, and searching for the ‘hero’ Belmont who hunts vampires (and more). When she does come across him, she’s also happy to see a speaker who is more than happy to calm her with a song or two.

[cy-ella]

Castlegate: Atlantis

So next utterly ridiculous story idea to be shared is a Castlevania/Stargate Atlantis cross... don’t ask me how I came up with it, I no longer remember ;)

Be warned - sorta spoilers for netflix series of Castlevania as the plot is based off that but playing pretty loose with both series. 

So idea where Castlevania is set in Atlantis universe and the Vamps are actually Wraiths. And where Dracula, a Wraith of certain prestige and power, falls in love with Lisa, the human doctor/scientist who wants to study Wraith technology in order to help humans, and ideally to find a way for the Wraith to survive without killing humans.

Lisa’s research eventually discovers that if the Wraith fed from the lifeforce in the blood directly rather than as a whole, then humans could be spared from any harm other than bloodloss.

This technique is taught to her now husband and young half-Wraith son Alucard in the hopes it can be shared and encouraged with other Wraiths.

However soon afterwards Lisa is murdered after being declared a traitor in conspiracy with the Wraith by the human community she has been treating, leaving behind a grief-stricken son and now murderous husband.

Alucard, who arrives in time to hear Lisa’s last message of her love and hope for forgiveness, attempts to defend the humans from his father’s wrath only to be severely injured and placed into hibernation until he is later woken by the arrival of Sypha and Trevor.

Being half-wraith Alucard is considerably stronger than most humans, has increased senses, and limited telepathic abilities. While still requiring a small amount of lifeforce to survive, Alucard chooses to follow Lisa’s teaching as so to prevent further unnecessary death. 

 As part of the Speakers, a nomadic community responsible for learning and recording the history of each world they visit, Sypha is one of few who are still able to translate both Ancient and its Wraith derivatives. Following rumors of information on the Wraith, Sypha travels to Lisa’s home world where she encounters both the Belmont Runner, Trevor, and the hibernating half-wraith Alucard.

Using the knowledge gathered by the Speakers, Sypha was able to create an energy weapon that allows her to both disrupt the Wraiths telepathic abilities and attack from a distance. She believes that by gathering Ancient stories and knowledge they will be able to find a way to fight properly against the Wraith.

Last survivor of the Belmonts, an infamous family know for successfully fighting back against the Wraith, Trevor was left alive as entertainment for and a message from the Wraith after the rest of his family were slaughtered. After the betrayal of his family and living so long as a Runner, Trevor is extremely distrustful of people and prefers to aim for abandoned worlds to avoid both humans and wraiths.

Where possible Trevor tries to use the tracker against the Wraith by preparing an area to create ambushes. He is in the midst of preparing one such ambush when he encounters Sypha on what should have been an empty world.

Trevor is extremely against helping either Sypha or Alucard, who he immediately attacks, and only agrees reluctantly after they assist him in taking down the latest group of hunters.

________

After many fights, side-steps, arguments, and Wraith attacks (which I haven’t plotted out yet) the three manage to determine Dracula’s location, track him down, and proceed to fight. A fight that is very clearly not going in their favour and is getting increasingly worse until Dracula realises exactly who it is he is fighting.

That it is his son, his own child, Lisa’s child, that he is trying to kill - and as he realises this he falters, allowing Alucard to strike a fatal blow...

The End.

(But not really!)

Because of course Dracula is only one Wraith and there are plenty more out there... including those following Trevor’s tracker.

Which is where I run out of plot other than more Wraith fights, potentially taking Dracula’s Castle (ship), and eventually removing Trevor’s tracker... possibly by meeting an Atlantis crew and heading back with them!

The Proper End!

[aion-rsa]

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: The Comics That Inspired the Movie

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This article contains Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness spoilers.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the latest MCU entry and a lot of people have been checking it out, starting its first weekend off with $450 million internationally. While much of it feels inspired from Sam Raimi’s other work, it is a comic book movie featuring a lot of different elements. When you leave the theater, you or one of your friends might be interested in checking out the comics that inspired this movie.

Even when a Marvel Cinematic Universe project is based on an existing story, it’s only loosely so. Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Hawkeye are probably the most faithful to the source material (Civil War, Infinity Gauntlet, and Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye run respectively), but they only connect in the broadest of strokes.

Doctor Strange’s newest adventure has a lot of moving parts that are taken from the comics: the Scarlet Witch’s mental imbalance, the wrath of the Darkhold, the follies of the Illuminati, the journey of America Chavez, and so on. It’s a comic book cocktail.

So here are some comics you can look at to keep riding that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness wave. And that’s without even factoring in the strong influence of the most famous X-Men story of all, The Dark Phoenix Saga, in to the equation, which definitely has echoes of Wanda’s fall from grace in this film.

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Rise of the Darkhold

Like Moon Knight, the Darkhold was introduced in a story about Werewolf by Night. While a powerful maguffin, the Darkhold has rarely been interesting enough to carry its own story. Instead, it has been instrumental in various minor Marvel stories involving the likes of Strange, the Avengers, and Thor.

Instead of getting the Infinity Gauntlet treatment where there’s a huge event surrounding its threat, the Darkhold instead has a single volume that collects various classic stories that tie into its existence. From the wizard Mordred using it to corrupt the Scarlet Witch to Doctor Strange fighting Dracula, these tales go all over the place.

Darker Than Scarlet

While not the first time Wanda let the darker elements of her personality take hold, this West Coast Avengers story is perhaps the most infamous. As we’ve seen elsewhere, this was the first instance where Wanda was faced with the reality that her children weren’t real, and thus proceeded to make life a living hell for everyone around her. This is a particularly icky version of the story, though, so feel free to skip this one.

Avengers Disassembled

The 2004 story Avengers Disassembled by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch kicked off the lengthy string of major events overtaking the Marvel Universe when Bendis was writing various Avengers comics as the backbone of the company. This story told the tale of how the classic iteration of the Avengers came to an end, due to a shattered team and wounded reputation.

What threat is the team up against? I’m not even sure where to start! Over the course of hours, the Avengers appear to be hounded from unexplained, overwhelming, and even random situations. Sudden Kree invasions, Ultron attacks, She-Hulk losing her mind and going on a violent rampage, Tony Stark going on a drunken rant at the United Nations despite years of sobriety, and so on.

Who could be behind such a thing? Doctor Strange shows up to tell everyone and considering the basis of the article, it should not be hard to figure out who the big villain is. It’s not the most climactic Marvel event, but it definitely feels like the story that fits in with Multiverse of Madness’ narrative the best.

House of M

While she has her moments of lucidity, the Scarlet Witch is gradually losing control of her mind. Doctor Strange and Charles Xavier do their best, but it looks to be a fool’s errand. Wanda’s brother Pietro becomes afraid that one of the Avengers or X-Men will come to kill her for the sake of protecting the fabric of reality. He convinces her to transform the world completely.

In this new reality, mutants rule over humans and Magneto’s House of M is supreme. Wanda is happy, not because of being royalty, but because she can be with her sons. All the superheroes are placed in their dream situations to keep them complacent and prevent them from interfering. The problem is that Wolverine’s dream is to have all of his memories, meaning that from the beginning, he knows that everything is wrong.

New Avengers: The Illuminati

Although it was introduced in the pages of Bendis’ New Avengers, the Illuminati eventually got their own miniseries, showing the history of the secret hero team and the shockwaves created from them trying to change the world for the better. Doctor Strange, Charles Xavier, Iron Man, Namor, Reed Richards, and Black Bolt meet up throughout the years to assess threats to the planet and try to network their way towards peace.

There’s also a pair of cameos by Scarlet Witch and Clea that are…very eye-opening when it comes to Strange. I’ll leave it at that.

While it’s not part of the Illuminati trade, it’s worth tracking down the issue Road to Civil War – New Avengers: The Illuminati. This one-shot shows the origins of the team, including how and why Black Panther refused to be a part of it all. It also shows the team falling to pieces between the decision to send Hulk into space and the coming of the Civil War.

Young Avengers

The run of Young Avengers by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie is the perfect place to go if you’re jonesing for some America Chavez. Sure, she has her own comics, but this one fits with the movie’s plot while giving us an idea of what some of the younger MCU characters might be up to in the near future. America Chavez is on the run from a multiversal parasitic demon known as Mother. It’s a bit on the nose, isn’t it?

Among the Young Avengers, America gets to work alongside twin brothers Wiccan and Speed. So as an added bonus, you get to see Billy and Tommy in action instead of just singing weird songs about ice cream.

No, seriously, what the hell was that?

New Avengers

Jonathan Hickman wrote one hell of a string of epic comic runs in the mid-2010s. Starting with Fantastic Four and FF, he then did Avengers and New Avengers, which led straight into Secret Wars. As Avengers deals with a bloated version of the team fighting some major threats, New Avengers is more about what the Illuminati is up to. This time, the line-up is made up of Doctor Strange, Reed Richards, Iron Man, Black Bolt, Black Panther, Namor, Smart Hulk, and Beast.

“Everything dies,” Reed warns, as the multiverse is beginning to collapse upon itself. Every few days, “Incursions” are beginning to happen, where two alternate Earths are set to collide. Either one destroys the other or both are destroyed. The Illuminati must to do everything they can to survive and hopefully find a solution. Perhaps, even at the cost of causing genocide.

For Strange, his path includes damnation. He fully gives himself to the dark path of sorcery for the sake of saving his world. This gives us the telltale forehead eyeball that we see in the movie. While he does throw his soul away, Strange at least becomes important in saving all of reality when he meets the mysterious, worshiped being known as Rabum Alal.

Darkhold

Sometimes Marvel tries to write new stories that sort of tie into what’s going on in their movies. For instance, when Spider-Man 3 was in theaters, they made sure to release a flashback story about Spider-Man in his black costume fighting Sandman. Just before Black Widow finally came out, there was a Taskmaster miniseries where Black Widow was hunting him down. When Avengers: Infinity War came out, Marvel did a storyline called Infinity Wars, where Gamora wielded the Infinity Gauntlet and reduced the universe’s population by half in her own unique way.

For Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the big tie-in comic is Darkhold by Steve Orlando and Cian Tormey. It’s a big team-up of random Marvel characters, but it mostly focuses on Scarlet Witch as she takes on Chthon, the demon who created the Darkhold to begin with. It also has a lot of Doctor Doom, which is always welcome.

Even though Scarlet Witch is meant to be a hero in current comics, the new status quo from the ending does leave her future a little open-ended and allows Marvel some easy creative freedom.

The Unbelievable Gwenpool #3

Doctor Strange and America Chavez aren’t really close in the comics, but if you want to see some multiversal hijinks between Strange and a teenage girl superhero, you can do worse than the third issue of Gwenpool’s comic. Gwen Poole is a girl from our world who ended up in the comic universe. Due to her understanding of comic book tropes, she knows that being a main character will keep her safer than being just a random bystander.

She comes across Strange in one issue, who helps her adapt to the world and at least gets her some paperwork and a working social security number. A true highlight is Strange peering into Gwen’s world, where he notices that the events of the Marvel Universe are echoed and recorded in the form of comics, cartoons, and films. Strange then notes, while looking at a movie theater, “Benedict Cumberbatch, eh? Sure, I could see that.”

The post Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: The Comics That Inspired the Movie appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[scarfulwho]

Connor Recommends: Son of the Dragon (Spoiler Free)

Recently, stories 51 through 100 of Big Finish’s main range were announced to be going out of print, much like the first 50 did last year. As such, the prices have been reduced - and I got myself a couple of stories I was curious about.

Son of the Dragon was one of those stories. Being somewhat of a Dracula enthusiast, I was immediately drawn to the concept of this story. But make no mistake! This isn’t a gothic horror tale of a bloodsucking fiend. More... some warmongering fiends.

Yes, Son of the Dragon is a purely historical adventure, no aliens, no creatures from beyond. Just the monsters within humanity itself. As we are all aware, Bram Stoker based the eponymous count of his novel on the accounts of the cruel Prince of Wallachia himself.

The story features Peter Davison as the 5th Doctor, Nicola Bryant as Peri Brown, and Caroline Morris as Big Finish exclusive companion Erimem.

Anyway - this story is number ninety-nine in the main range, and has the Doctor encountering Vlad Tepes, more commonly known as Vlad the Impaler or Dracula, played by James Purefoy. Son of the Dragon also has Radu the Handsome, Vlad’s brother, as a major character played by Douglas Hodge.

Steve Lyons has written an intriguing story that explores the history behind the events of this time period, notably dipping into the relationship between Vlad and Radu. It also acts as somewhat of a character piece for Erimem, as she is roped into becoming Dracula’s bride during this adventure. The scenes with Erimem and Dracula playing off of each other are brilliant, and the highlight of this story.

Five and Peri feel like they don’t necessarily have as much to do, but that’s not to the detriment of the story. For me, the best historical adventures of Doctor Who focus on a specific companion, where they learn about the perils of the past.

Son of the Dragon is to Erimem is what The Aztecs is to Susan, or what The Wrath of the Iceni is to Leela. Granted, it’s less about the effects of time travel on history as it is about Erimem herself.

All in all - this is somewhat of a rambling recommendation, but it is a fantastic story that is most certainly worth a listen.

Son of the Dragon is available on the Big Finish website for £6.00 while stocks last, or £2.99 for a download.