#The Stars are the Limit [verse: merc]

[trcvelers-chcsen]

And there they were. Standing amidst the rubble, freshly rezzed, injuried allies around them. After several years, trying everything to avoid talking, thinking, about the other, and what had happened between them during the Endless Night, here they were.

If this was some sort of pre-ordained bullshit, Apollo would have definitely preferred a different venue. Judging from their old flame's expression, and the machine gun aimed straight at their newly mended head, they doubted fae were stable enough to at least allow them to mend their friend.

"...Listen. We've all clearly been through a lot today," they attempt to reason. Set's dead stare doesn't soften in the slightest. "Bibi and this sore loser you hired nearly died. We did die..."

A warning shot was fired, inches from the exo's head. Tears were streaming from Set's eyes as they burned a hole through their dumb, striped chrome dome.

"Shut up," fae spat, taking a step closer, prompting the hunter to take another step back. "Do you have any idea the fucking hell I've been through since you left Dead Orbit?!"

Apollo glanced around at Bibi and Kallex both. One still had SIVA nanites embedded in her wings. The other was clearly wounded, both in body, and in pride.

They took a hard swallow, their fingers twitching in anticipation.

This was not the time or place for a vengeance-fueled heart-to-heart.

"If you want to do this, I'm sure you have plenty of time to do this when our buddies aren't fucking bleeding out," they fired back, prompting a snarl from the other. "So I'd advise we put a pin in this gods damned soap opera, and you can attack me again whenever we aren't surrounded by the fucking wounded."

Set's finger twitched over the trigger. Fae wanted to do this. Fae wanted so badly to take out every single indignity, punishment, lecture, and impossible task put on faer shoulders after "driving away" the Arachs' prized show horse on Apollo. Right here. Right now.

But fae couldn't.

Darkness take them, they were right.

Why were they always fucking right?!

"Fine," fae ejected, tossing faer Thunderlord aside. The weapon clattered as it rolled to a halt in the rubble. Fae wiped faer eyes on gloved fingers, and make faer way over to Kallex. Traveler knew the Warlock had dragged him into enough trouble today.

Boots humming with electricity, fae stood over the chimera, raised faer hand into the air, and upon flourishing downward, unleashed their Healing Rift in a swirling mass of Light. Kallex would find his wounds closing, and stamina replenishing in mere seconds.

"But I am coming back for you," Set threatened, staring at the exo over faer shoulder. "One way or another, you will answer for what you've put me through."

Apollo didn't meet faer gaze or even dignify the threat with a response. They merely stepped over the rubble toward their friend, summoned up the Light for a Healing Grenade, and tossed it to the arachnid who would find the nanites would fall out of any place they were embedded, wounds healing as he was probably familiar with by now.

"Bibi, I am so, so sorry," the Guardian redressed, eyes flickering in that familiar way they had the night they decided to havoc their troubles away. "I never in a million years would I have expected to run into Dead Orbit again, nor that you would get caught in the crossfire of my past coming to call."

Never mind the fact that this may well have happened with, or without their presence, and who knows what kind of havoc Kallex alone could have caused with Outbreak Perfected without someone not only resistant to, but experienced in combating SIVA to take him on.

"Come on. I'll find a way to repay you for the shit these two destroyed."

Lets just say there is a reason why despite his vast array of connections seeing the chimera actually doing a job with someone was more than rare.

This kind of thing is exactly why.

Things like this are also one of the many reasons he predictably doesn't have any friends.

Who would have thought.

Despite knowing full well the likelihood anyone would be able to get out of the building in enough time let alone survive it coming down himself an his client included that doesn't seem to stop his stubborn onslaught of gunfire in the slightest even as Apollo attempt to stop the madness by using themselves and their sword as a shield.

"Get fucked."

He growls, smirking with self satisfaction at the telltale whine of something getting ignited.

Even then his pride won't allow for relenting in the attack at all even as the exo rushes towards the chimera with the intention to save his ungrateful life.

Up the stairs..

Bibi's expression softens slightly as the otherworlder begins to explain things..

Normally, admittedly, they probably wouldn't budge and would even probably say it's their organization's own fault for not thinking that far ahead.

Their own problem to deal with. It wasn't like they're the only ones who needs those parts.

But, fuck. It's probably the tears. Bibi isn't good with crying..

And then a warning rings out from below. It only takes them a second to realize what had to have happened, eyes wide in horror.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me."

Voice practically a whisper as panic takes over, what were they supposed to do?! Their instincts scream fly to safety but there's no way that's happening, there was no good cover on this floor. Their mind raced uselessly.

Suddenly their shockingly warm and lightweight frame is plucked off the ground and the moth lets out a grunt as the pair slam into the wall, only for the floor to give way mere seconds later.

Pain aches through their whole exoskeleton as they hit the ground, before they can even begin to get their bearings the stranger rolls on top of them, narrowly preventing them from being impaled.

As the dust settles..

The chimera shoves Apollo's body off him with a glare muttering something inaudible under his breath.

Whatever it was sure wasn't thanks judging by the look on his face.

Bibi meanwhile is frozen in shock staring at the figure on top of them. Struggling greatly with the idea someone just gave faer own life to save theirs, let alone a stranger whom had been thoroughly kicking their ass just minutes ago.

After all, for most people you can expect death to last..

But.

...

Can those two..?

Just not fucking DIE?!

As if that in itself isn't a lot to unpack..

Well. This sure doesn't look like a friendly reunion.

Pretty obvious neither of these two wanted to see each other, whatever history they had.

Kallex scoots back, away from the pair, while Bibi on the other hand manages to pull themselves out from under the bent and broken remains of the stairs, staggering to their feet, eyes traveling between the two, speechless for the moment if only from the thickness of the tension in the air.

[antolcgias]

side verses

A list of the side verses that I create and are more concrete.Feel free to ask any questions for clarity!

HOW DOES THIS WORK?

All listed universes are OPEN to interaction with mutuals.

Default ages for the muses are set for each universe.

I write iconless for muses whose main fc is not the correct age for their sideverse (unless I find a suitable alt-fc at the right age!). 

We can plot on variations of these side-universes! Bring me your ideas

Our interactions and plots are not limited to these universes.

ALLISON ARGENT [Primer]

Legacies (Series) | THE FREELANCER

AGE: Twenty-Seven (27)

Not all potential students are reached in time — not all can be saved — and when Saltzman can’t handle a cross-country trip, and his staff are spread thin, then the occasional freelancer is called in to help. Allison doesn’t consider herself much of a teacher. She’s likelier to work with gifted student’s family to prepare them for the worst: how to protect their children from themselves. So she answers the call, as is the deal between her father and the school, to come when she’s needed — or to go where someone awaits. To be found, to be aided, to be protected and led to a new home — or to have their would-be devastation curtailed.

SCREAM (TV SERIES) | BEACON HILL’S FINAL GIRL

AGE: Seventeen (17)

It starts on a Monday and ends on a Sunday with the flaming carcass of an old bus along the roads into the preserve. The body of Peter Hale smoking in that metal coffin by dwan. All under a full-moon. Jackson, Danny, Stiles, Lydia, Scott. Gone — but their killer is too. Mad-swept Hale had been brought low by his object of vengeance. The death that would right all the wrongs against his own at the edge of his wicked grasp — a justice stolen away by Allison’s sheer will to live. When Allison’s parents relocate their family to Lakewood, under the guise of restoring an old estate, she can’t help but wonder if there’s any moving on for her at all. Wonders if she’s branded instead.

REYNOLD ARGENT [Primer]

Percy Jackson & the Olympians (Novels) | SON OF NEMESIS

AGE: Sixteen (16)

There is no equivocating with his nature. There’s push and pull — a balance of right and wrong. A bet for a trade. An archer trades his family’s legacy by revealing their corruption and earns a goddess’s respect in exchange — receives a son. Prepares him well to face a life where the world may operate with black and white in mind but keeps him mindful that it is mired in gray. Which is how Reynold finds himself, at the tender age of twelve, accompanied to the wild woods and sun-kissed shores of Camp Halfblood. All the while eager to begin a new legacy — a new story for the world to behold.

TEMPERANCE ELAINE CONCORD [Primer]

Dark Matter (Series) | MERC FOR HIRE 

AGE: Twenty-Nine (29)

Ferrous Corp, Traugott Corp, and the Mikkei Combine. Corporate entities out to pursue their own interests — wealth, power, immortality. Each equipped with wells of wealth that grants them access to the back-channels and sources necessary to accomplish their goals: mercenaries to guard and secure assets, assassins to curb enemies and scientists to run prohibited experiments. The Legion is this but with a price. Their leadership as unknown as their agents. Their actions the calling card visible for those with the means to see their hands igniting the sparks of rebellion, conditioning planets for disaster, or working at the gears of political machinations. EL. CONCORD, survivor of the white-hole incident which engulfed Perseus II, is one such mercenary with the Legion. Taking on the galaxy one scrubby job at a time.

ESPERANZA DEL ALMA  [Primer]

Dark Matter (Series) | THE GILDED EYE

AGE: Twenty-Four (24)

She does what she’s learned — backseat dealing, blackmail, and trading all that glitters into credits. Until a deal goes wrong. Not even hers, but rather her father’s pride dooming Esperanza to a fierce and desperate escape into the first ship she can find. Figures she can at least she can trade her contacts — traders, backstabbers, mercenaries and salesmen — if not her name for a quick lift.

Legacies (Series) | THE PACK HEIR

AGE: Seventeen (17)

Far more hierarchical and traditionalist than most western packs, the Del Almas and their associated families consider the Salvatore School for the Young & the Gifted a sound investment until their heirs are ready to return. The funding offered year by year is never lacking so long as there is space made for their children (should their own parents see it fit). Esperanza was spared splitting from her family, and maintained a hold on her glitzy life, until a territorial dispute led to the death of a would-be invader—and the full inheritance of her powers. As tensions rose, waned and rose again, the school was considered a safe haven to shuttle her off to. It was safer than their lands — at least until other creatures began to slip into the warded walls of the school from a malevolent pit out to free itself from slumber.

Supergirl (Series- S4 Onward ) | THE IDEALISTIC ENTREPRENEUR

AGE: Twenty-Five (25)

In a world of Lena Luthors, Esperanza aims to be ... herself. No heiress to her father’s anti-alien sentiment, and his patriarchal mindset — no future wife to whoever he deemed adequate to fold under his thumb. All it takes is a single day, at eighteen, of staring at her insta and realizing the potential it has. That she has That’s how it starts: with one post — and then all the glitzy bar-hopping, star-studded brunching and paparazzi-ed shopping is turned to quick pics with tremendous tagging capabilities. She cultivated a loyal following over the years,  and then curried for sponsors .... and won investors.  Of course, she’s born to privilege so why not turn that familial investment into the full platform it can be — leveraging ruinous secrets for what her father sees as a smidgen of a trade: a set of copyrights, some retail space and properties, and she’s out of his hair, and inheritance, for good. To use for good, which is a steep learning curve but she’ll get there — catching glimpses of Supergirl and her pals in CatCo media spaces all the while. 

KEYLETH WARNER [Primer]

Dark Matter (Series) | THE UNSEATED HEIR

AGE: Thirty-Three (33)

Vyvyana Warner, heir to the kingdoms held on the planet Vya and its child moons, Daphnaie and Meliae, is cast out into the vast and expanding universe when a usurper takes control of her world. Sought out for death or marriage to the new sovereign, she turns to other means to seek out a proper end to the coup — one where she rises onto her throne and continues to protect her people.

ISAIAS ACOSTA [Primer]

Supergirl & The Flash (Series)* | THE CRAFTER

AGE: Thirty (30)

There’s no name for him, not in a vigilante sense (doesn’t want one either). He doesn’t need to don a mask to sit by the stoop in his neighborhood and knock looters on their asses every few nights. Life to him is simple; it’s about living in the moment aHandling the debt his school years earned him, shuffling through the more mundane aspects of life, through side deals — auto-body shops, maintenance gigs and even construction jobs. These days? Isaias has had more than one vigilante come at him with requests — suits, gloves, weapons even — and governments hounding for equipment to control metas and aliens — cages, shackles, and restraints ... but he won’t make anything for just anyone. He has the eye for the design and the hands made to craft the impossible. If someone has the materials then he can make it — but not for the right price, rather the right purpose. 

*Continuity (Supergirl S4 Onward) or (The Flash S1 Onward)

ZORAIDA MONTEMOINO [Primer]

In development!

STEPFORD CUCKOOS [Primer]

PHOEBE STEPFORD 

In development!

IRMA STEPFORD 

In development!

CELESTE STEPFORD

In development!

[cloakedsparrow]

It was recently announced that a Deadpool animated series will be making its way to FXX lead by Atlanta creator and Community star Donald Glover. This will be the second co-production between Marvel and FXX, the first being the psychedelic X-Men-adjeascent series, Legion. This is exciting news indeed, since we’ve seen before in cartoons like Hulk vs. Wolverine and Ultimate Spider-Man that Deadpool lends himself rather well to animation— the character’s zaniness and borderline insanity are reminiscent of old cartoons like Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry.

While we are beyond elated at this news, we are just as cautious. Superhero animation has had a great track record from both major publishers — shows like Batman the Animated Series and Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are loved by fans and critics alike — but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been a few flops. An animated series of the merc with a mouth could be a whole lot of fun, but it would have to be done right — though we definitely trust Glover’s track record. With that in mind, we here at CBR decided to come up with a few things we need to see in the Deadpool cartoon, and a few we don’t.

15. NEED: GREAT VOICE ACTING

The two main voice actors that have portrayed Deadpool are veteran video game actor Nolan North, and voice of Terry McGinnis on Batman Beyond, Will Friedle. North voiced Deadpool in Hulk vs. Wolverine and in the character’s solo video game (as well as in Marvel vs. Capcom 3). It’s pretty up in the air who plays the character better, and even more unclear who might play him in the upcoming series.

On top of the titular character himself, the show definitely needs to feature some great cameo voice acting from comedians. Why comedians you ask? Well, Deadpool is a comedic character by nature and also had a long comic run written by comedian Brian Posehn, a prominent voice actor himself. Posehn is just one of the many comedians who should make cameo appearances as various members of Deadpool’s posse and/or rogues gallery.

14. DON’T NEED: MEME-MACHINE

Deadpool’s humor has gone through different interpretations with each decade and each writer who has taken him on. Along the line, Deadpool’s humor became derivative of the very culture that came to love him so much. As the merc began to get used in memes of all variety, his humor started to reflect that. Deadpool became a meme and reference-spouting machine, and still sort of is to this day.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; some of these jokes are genuinely funny, but it does get tired after a while. Further, with how long the animation process takes, references and memes that are current at the time of writing an episode will become out of date and fail to hit as hard by the time the episode actually comes out. A reference here and there would be fine (Deadpool is a nerdy character after all), but let’s not go overboard.

13. NEED: COLORFUL ANTAGONISTS

Though the Deadpool film is, without a doubt, fan-freaking-tastic, it did suffer from one thing, lack of color. We’re not talking about the look of the film or the costumes, though. No, we’re talking about the bad guys. Besides Ajax’s costume at the end of the film, there are no colorful villains to be seen, most of Wade’s enemies being nameless thugs in typical tactical and/or gangster outfits.

Half the fun of Deadpool’s character comes from the fact that he shows up almost exclusively for the purpose of messing with other Marvel characters, usually getting paid to steal something from a supervillain and getting caught up in a wacky adventure in the process. Under that notion, it a no-brainer that the Deadpool cartoon should definitely feature a wide variety of supervillains for him to annoy, perhaps even voiced by the aforementioned comedian cameos.

12. DON’T NEED: TOO MANY CHARACTERS

While this may contradict the above entry, there should definitely be a limit to just how many other characters show up Deadpool’s animated adventures. Villains are one thing; they can work, but allies are another story. Deadpool has had team-ups with the likes of Cable, alternate reality versions of himself, and a plethora of other popular Marvel heroes, but maybe those should be pulled back, at least for season one.

If characters do show up to help Deadpool, they should be for one episode maximum, and the series shouldn’t include more than three out of the 10 episodes that were ordered by FXX. Otherwise, it would take too much away from Deadpool himself. This isn’t to say that Deadpool doesn’t need a supporting cast, but we think the focus should be on Deadpool, perhaps saving the team-ups for a second season.

11. NEED: CABLE

Yes, yes, we know we said that there shouldn’t be too many characters taking up Deadpool’s screen time, but we also said there could be, like, three team-ups. One of those team-ups definitely has to be with the time-traveling cyborg mutant, Cable. The character, also created by Rob Leifeld, has had a long comics history interacting with Deadpool, the two forming a surpassingly strong bond considering how much Cable seems to hate Wade.

If there is to be a Deadpool animated series, then Cable is an absolute must. Who knows how they would work him in, maybe he recruits Deadpool to save the future (though he has to pay him) or maybe one of the comics’ storylines will get adapted into an episode. Either way, we need Nathan Summers to show up in the Deadpool cartoon.

10. DON’T NEED: COPYING THE MOVIE

Marvel has made multiple attempts to unify every one of their outlets. In other words, they have started to make the comics, cartoons and video games closely resemble the movies. It’s a move that makes sense for the most part because the movies are more popular than the comics by a long shot, and therefore new readers will most likely be MCU fans. This hasn’t always worked out for the better though, since it sometimes results in alienating fans who enjoyed prior iterations of the characters and stories before the MCU gained a massive following.

Who’s to say if this trend will also effect the Deadpool movies, but we say avoid it. The Deadpool movie was great, don’t get us wrong, but the whole Fox/Marvel legal confusion doesn’t seem to affect their animation department, giving the animated series some freedom with storyline and character access, thus allowing it to do it’s own thing.

9. NEED: INNER VOICES

Speaking of veering from the film, something that the Deadpool movie lacked was the character’s inner voices. Depicted as white and yellow dialogue boxes, the voices were also featured in the Deadpool video game and were a staple of most of Deadpool’s comic career. It was eventually revealed that one of the voices in Wade’s head was villain Madcap, a character with a healing factor that got his vaporized particles mixed with Deadpool’s after both were zapped by Thor. The animated show might avoid this explanation in order to give the character his signature inner voices.

Other than the video game, Deadpool’s inner voices have not been featured outside the comics, and a cartoon is the perfect place for them. Not only would it be a lot of fun in the voice acting department, it could also help play up the humor of the series.

8. DON’T NEED: NERFED WADE

Hopefully the Deadpool animated series will get a properly mature rating, or else the depiction of the character might run into a problem. Aside from the obvious language and blood censorship, a “nerfed” Deadpool would mean the character’s fighting skills and healing factor might be reeled back quite a bit, since he would be dealing out and receiving less injuries and violence. Now, we don’t want that do we?

Deadpool is a violent character yes, but he is also highly skilled, he’s just sort of a buffoon about it. The character might say “bang! bang! bang!” when he shoots his gun, but he’s still hitting his targets. If Deadpool get’s nerfed for the sake of a rating for his own show, then that just wouldn’t be Deadpool, would it?

7. NEED: THE DEADPOOL-VERSE

One of the strongest points of the four-season run of Disney XD’s Ultimate Spider-Man was the adaptation of the Spider-Verse comic storyline. The event featured Spider-Man teaming up alternate universe spider-men and women to stop a force that threatened each of their realities.

Though it might not come in the first season of the upcoming Deadpool cartoon, we would love to see the series go in a similar, albeit much stranger, direction. A “Deadpool-verse” event would be a hell of a lot of fun, since it could include all the media versions of Deadpool: The original Liefeld version, the movie version (to be voiced by Ryan Reynolds of course), the video game version and even the now-obscure ultimate comics version.

6. DON’T NEED: CONVOLUTED STORIES

As it goes with comic characters that have been around for a long time, there tends to be a lot of confusing, convoluted storylines hanging from their histories. Deadpool is no different. He’s had his fair share of confusing stories that were either the result of big-event tie-ins or even editor interventions.

Animation provides a great solution to this issue, since, much like the MCU, it provides a canvas on which to paint a much clearer picture of the events and characters of the comics. We’ve seen these kind of adaptation choices go incredibly well in the DC animated universe (otherwise known as the Timmverse) as well as the streamlined world of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. For the sake of making the Deadpool cartoon more enjoyable, it should probably keep things simple.

5. NEED: FOURTH WALL BUSTING

Now this one is a given since Deadpool has always been aware of the fact that he is a fictional character in a comic book. We get plenty of this in the comics and we’re sure that the FXX animated series won’t forget it any time soon, but as it was with the film, it needs to have it’s own unique spin.

With the Deadpool film, Deadpool talked to the audience like the comics, but took it further by having his narration play around with how the film was cut and edited. In an animated format, Deadpool’s fourth-wall breaking would be best suited in the form of saying things like “Hey you like my show? Well buy my toys or else it get’s cancelled!” or even talking about how the animation progress works, finding his way into the studio as animators are drawing him.

4. DON’T NEED: JOKE-A-MINUTE

While comedy is a HUGE part of Deadpool’s character, it shouldn’t be the whole series. The show was reported to be a comedy/action, which is good since a joke-a-minute writing style is not the way to go. Of course, having moments where it’s laugh after laugh isn’t a bad thing, but we don’t want the show to become something like Family Guy. Even in the movie, the jokes were prominent, but there was a plot tying everything together, one that wasn’t just a loose thread to get us from one joke to the next.

The Deadpool cartoon would definitely need to find a balance between humor, action, and dramatic timing/plot. It’s unclear if the show will follow a villain-of-the-week format or if it’ll be one long story arc, but let’s hope there’s at least some connecting thread, lest it suffers from “joke fatigue.”

3. NEED: ZANY CARTOONISHNESS

Deadpool’s fourth-wall busting is a great way to poke fun at the animation industry, in more ways than one. On top of talking about the process and even stepping into the animation studio, the series could have a lot of fun switching between animation styles for different types of moments. The more cartoonish antics of Deadpool could evoke a Looney Tunes style of animation while more action-intense fight sequences could mimic anime studios like Trigger. Hell, there could even be moments of CG animation that Deadpool could say happened “because the animator’s hands got tired.”

Animation provides a great playground for which Deadpool to mess around in, not only because there are so many different styles, but also because the character himself is basically a cartoon. While the Deadpool cartoon might not incorporate multiple styles, animation is still a great medium for the character.

2. DON’T NEED: CHEAP ANIMATION

Speaking of the animation, quality is a big issue with a show like this. Other action/comedy cartoons like The Venture Bros.  and Black Dynamite have beautiful high-quality animation (which is why there is so much time between seasons), but on the other end of the spectrum are shows like The Awesomes or Major Lazer feature somewhat lower-quality animation (though the latter is somewhat on purpose to evoke an ’80s feel). What we’re trying to say is that the Deadpool animated series shouldn’t spare any costs on animation.

This isn’t to say that it can’t be flash animated (there have been some beautiful shows animated in flash, like Disney XD’s Motorcity), but whatever studio is hired for the show should definitely have a good track record. We don’t want the glory of a Deadpool cartoon to be weighed down by bad animation, do we?

1. NEED: A MATURE RATING

At last we come to the most important thing we need in the Deadpool animated series: a mature rating. The Deadpool movie worked hard to get a rating that would allow the character to receive the adaptation he deserved, and as the first R-Rated superhero movie, it helped lead to the similarly-rated and critically-acclaimed Logan. Like the movie, the animated series deserves the right rating, and it shouldn’t be for children.

Of course it’s not exactly an option for the show to be for kids, what with the blood and such, but let’s not skimp on the violence and curse words, shall we? The Deadpool cartoon both deserves and needs the most mature rating you can give a TV show, if only for the chance to see how freaking nuts it can get.

[wbwest]

New Post has been published on WilliamBruceWest.com

New Post has been published on http://www.williambrucewest.com/2017/04/12/comical-thoughts-one-our-hero-read-30-marvel-comics-one-night/

Comical Thoughts - The One Where Our Hero Read 30 Marvel Comics In One Night

So, a lot of people have thoughts on the recent remarks that Marvel Editor in Chief Axel Alonso made regarding diversity. Ultimately, he said that retailers and consumers didn’t seem to flock to the diversity push that Marvel was doing in their books. Fans came out in droves to dispute this, saying that there are other reasons that Marvel’s losing sales. Well, I’m not gonna contribute to that conversation – at least, not directly. You see, I’m about 6 months behind on Marvel books, so I’ve missed a lot of this diversity push. I mean, I go to the shop every Wednesday, and I’m buying a TON of books, but there are only so many hours in the week, so I just haven’t had the chance to read all of them. Oddly enough, I’m fairly current with a lot of the DC books I buy, mainly because they seemed to serve as better jumping-on points. I know everything happening in the Superman books and Teen Titans, but I only just read Civil War II, like, two weeks ago. Usually my Friday nights are consumed with me going on toy runs or napping, but the other day I said to myself, “Will, it’s time to read some Marvel.” I had a few thoughts on what I read, so I thought I’d share them here for anyone who’s curious.

First up, I read the full run of The Unbelievable Gwenpool to date. I read #1 when it came out, and then the book just went to the bottom of a large stack. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy that first issue. I mean, it’s written by Christopher Hastings of the hilarious The Adventures of Dr. McNinja, so I already knew that I loved his style. The Gwenpool concept, on the surface, just sounds like a cash grab. Creating a Deadpool series used to be the equivalent of printing money (not so much anymore, looking at the sales for Deadpool and the Mercs for Money). Meanwhile, everyone and their mom seemed to love the idea of Spider-Gwen when she spun out of Spider-Verse. So, it was natural to put peanut butter in your chocolate by mixing the two.

Gwen Poole actually hails from our world, where all of the Marvel characters are just characters in comics books. By some mysterious means, she transports herself into the Marvel Universe, with her wealth of comic knowledge at her disposal. So, she knows everyone’s identities, all their power sets, etc. This is similar to the Deadpool thing where he thinks of himself as a character in a comic book. Once she gets to the MU, she sets herself up as a mercenary even though she’s not necessarily good at killing. She has limited hand to hand skills, and she’s not a great shot. But she’s pretty good at blowing shit up, which is what she does. The funny thing, though, is that they’ve never really explained why she’s a killer. Maybe it’s because she knows none of it is “real”, so it doesn’t matter if she kills somebody or not. After all, they’re just fictional characters to her. Anyway, after a botched mission, she finds herself working for M.O.D.O.K (Mental Organism Designed Only For Killing) and his gang of mercenaries, which includes Captain America foe Batroc The Leaper.

Anyway, I LOVE THIS BOOK! I’m quick to talk about things I don’t like, so I have to give equal credit to the things that I do like. I love the Gwenpool character, who’s really just a perky teenage girl who likes blowing stuff up. It’s kind of refreshing to meet a female character with an encyclopedic knowledge of comic book trivia, and it’s cool to see how she employs that in her series. I’ve been a big fan of Dr McNinja for years, so I knew Hastings wouldn’t disappoint and he surely didn’t! It’s a fun comic that really gives credence to the slang term “funnybook”. If you’re looking for fun in your comic reading, then definitely check this out. The sales on it aren’t so hot, making it seem like she should’ve been left to do cameos for a while before getting her own series. That said, she’s had 13 issues by now which, sadly, is an achievement in today’s comic landscape. Don’t let them cancel my Gwenpool! Buy this book today!

Next up, I finished the whatever volume it is for Invincible Iron Man. Ya know, the Bendis one, but the one before Civil War II. This series was kind of a waste, as it went nowhere. I’m not sure if plans got derailed because of CWII or what, but it’s odd that so many issues were devoted to one story that just dead ends. Madame Masque is caught stealing items from various Stark facilities, and when Tony goes after her, he finds she’s being chased by a group of cyber ninjas. That’s pretty much it. In the end, he never finds her and never solves that mystery. They do introduce a new cyberhacker Inhuman, though. Yay. Meanwhile, there’s a B-story of Stark trying to convince Mary Jane Watson to be his assistant/life coach. I’ve had my issues with Bendis, but I’ve got to say that this is him at his worst. Sure, there’s snappy dialogue, but not much else.

So, knowing that I needed to plod through my Iron Man backlog, I begrudgingly jumped into International Iron Man. This series made up for everything that was wrong with Invincible Iron Man. My only quibble is that, at 7 issues, it should have been an arc in Invincible Iron Man instead of its own standalone series. In the previous Iron Man series (the one after Superior Iron Man, but before the Bendis Invincible Iron Man), Tony discovered that Howard and Maria Stark were not his birth parents. In this series, Tony sets out to find his real parents, interspersed with flashbacks to the story of his first love, Cassandra, who was the daughter of arms dealers who were also business rivals of his father. Cassandra was in Tony’s life around the time that Howard died, so he finds it odd that she resurfaces, now an arms dealer herself, at the same time he’s searching for his birth parents. He thinks she knows something, but she’s not talking. In the end, Tony finds his mom, Amanda Armstrong, who’s basically Annie Lenox. No, I swear Maleev used Lenox as the model for Armstrong. The last two issues tell the story of Tony’s parents’ love affair, and it’s some damn good writing. This is Bendis at his best. I want an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. arc of just this story (it’s good, but it’s not summer theatrical blockbuster good), but there’s no way they’d cover Stark stuff on TV. At the end, it says that the story will be continued in the next volume of Invincible Iron Man – ya know, the one starring Riri/Ironheart. So, I’m not quite sure how that’s gonna work. Is Amanda Armstrong going to be a supporting character in the book while her son spoiler alert is in a coma in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody? I haven’t read the Riri series yet (it’s in the pile), so don’t tell me what happens. Where Invincible left me disappointed, International proved to me that Bendis understands Tony Stark.

The interesting takeaway I had from the series, however, is that Tony Stark is a result of Nurture and not Nature. I mean, it was always assumed he was a genius because his father was a genius, and it was in his blood. Now that we know his real parents were just undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, it becomes clear that Tony was a product of his environment and upbringing, rather than possessing some inherited genius. I’m curious to see if they’ll do anything with that going forward. Ya know, when he “wakes up”.

Ya can’t love everything, though, and that’s where America comes in. I HATED that comic. I hate the character. I don’t really know where she came from, as I wasn’t reading Young Avengers at that point, but I find her obnoxious to no end. If you’re not familiar, Miss America, AKA America Chavez, is from another dimension where she had two moms who sacrificed themselves to save creation. She has the power to punch star-shaped portals between dimensions, and she’s strong, and fast, and can fly. Basically, she can do everything but project energy. Oh, and she’s a bad ass motherfucker. She can do ALL the things, and that’s kinda why I hate her. This is about to get dicey, so strap in. Ya see, a lot of people are going to say that I don’t like her just because she’s queer. There aren’t a lot of prominent queer characters in comics, so I understand her importance to representation. That said, she’s guilty of what I call the “Queer Eye-ification of Pop Culture”.

Let’s take a trip back to 2003, shall we? Bravo introduced the reality show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, where 5 queer men (don’t say “gay”, because a couple of them were bi) gave schlubs makeovers. Carson changed their clothes, Kyan changed their hair, Ted changed their food, Tom changed their furnishings, and Jay…well, Jay taught them how to open CDs. No, that really happed. The principal underlying theme, however, was basically “Look, queer people are better than you in every single way! They dress better, they cook better, they have better hair, and better décor. What’s wrong with you, straight people? Why do you suck so much?“ For a while, that approach kinda worked. The show was a hit. Then I think folks got tired of the formula. We got it. They were all great at shit, but they stopped being relatable. After all, they were experts, and not just regular guys.

That’s my problem with America. She’s too good. She does it all. What are her weaknesses, her faults, her fears? I didn’t get that from her. Instead, she seems to have this false bravado of being the baddest bitch on the block, and that just doesn’t appeal to me. Is that what queer readers want? Do they want a character who seems to suffer from doing-too-much-itis? Or do they want a relatable character, like a queer Peter Parker who’s an amazing hero, but still has everyday problems? As a cis, straight male, I can’t answer that. I know what I think I would want, and this ain’t it. The market will dictate whether or not I’m wrong. Instead of the whole “Queer people are the awesomest”, maybe the more realistic approach is “Queer people are just like everyone.” I know I’m veering dangerously close to the camp of folks who say things like “Well, why isn’t there a White History Month?” I’m not trying to take anything from queer identity, but the way it’s expressed here contributes to why I don’t like that character. I fear this overcompensation is a trope commonly used as a “foot in the door” technique to get some folks to accept uncomfortable ideas, but I feel it does the queer community a disservice by reinforcing stereotypes/setting up unreal expectations.

Following this thinking leads me to the new Champions comic, which is downright irresponsible in its storytelling. Back during Civil War II, the young members of the Avengers became disenchanted with the elder members because they didn’t feel the team was doing enough to really change the world, instead spending more time in-fighting in the hero community. So, they quit the team before that story even wrapped up. As Champions picks up, Ms. Marvel reaches out to Nova (Sam Alexander – gotta specify, since there are two now) and Spider-Man (Miles Morales – gotta specify since there are two now) to convince them that they should be out doing the stuff that the Avengers refuse to do. They go on a mini recruitment drive, which results in the Hulk (Amadeus Cho – gotta specify since…you get it by now), and Viv Vision joining the team.

Champions is the wrong name for this book. Honestly, it should be the New Warriors, because they are TOTAL social justice warriors. I normally don’t even dip my toe into those labeled waters, but that’s exactly what this book is about. Ms. Marvel has created a team of other teens who do nothing but seek social justice. When older Marvel fans say that they’re tired of the diversity push, I have to believe that this is the book they’re talking about.

I say they’re irresponsible because they tackle concepts that can’t be solved by punching, yet that’s exactly how they try to solve them. They went to the Middle East to stop an extremist Muslim group from killing women who were just trying to learn. They went to a small town to face off against a racist sheriff who bombed the local mosque. Instead of facing villains, all of their “foes” are systemic issues that aren’t easy fixes. Somehow, though, they manage to “fix” things in 22 pages. To use old slang, these kids are cruising for a bruising. There’s a reason the Avengers don’t handle these sorts of things, mainly because they’re old and wise enough to know there are no easy fixes. Racism ain’t Galactus. There’s nothing to punch. The only reason I would stick with the book is that there’s GOT to be a reckoning coming to teach them a lesson. The last time a team of teens was this irresponsible resulted in the destruction of the town of Stamford, Connecticut. I HAVE to believe the Champions exist only to set up some post-Secret Empire event.

The sad thing about all of this is that I like these characters. I’ve been a Miles Morales booster since day one, and I loved Sam Alexander’s Nova from the outset. I was late to the Kamala Khan party, but she’s cool, too. I don’t like how Amadeus Cho’s Hulk is painted as a green Bro in the book, but I’m really behind on his title, so maybe that’s who he is now. And I haven’t read The Visions yet, so I don’t know anything about Viv. All that said, I’d hate to see anything bad happen to any of these guys, but that seems to be the path they’re on. It just seems like such mishandling of some great concepts. From when I was reading Captain America: Sam Wilson, the big takeaway was that there are some things you can’t fight head-on, but it seems like the Champions are gonna have to learn that the hard way.

So, I guess I did have thoughts about Marvel’s diversity after all. Is it killing books? Not necessarily. It’s just not being done well. Feels tokeny. There are a lot of great female-led books right now, like the afore-mentioned Gwenpool and Jessica Jones (which I’ll talk about another time since this has already gotten way longer than I initially expected). But the minority portrayals aren’t that strong. I’ve still got a LOT more to read, though, so maybe it gets better? We’ll just have to see.

[trcvelers-chcsen]

"No, I didn't hear anything else, Apollo...! You know I wouldn't lie to you...!"

The Guardian paused for a moment. He was right... Seraph had literally never lied to them. Why would he start now...? Especially when he was the one to alert them of the Dead Orbit transmission...?

The Gunslinger slumped, rubbing their hands over their metal face in exasperation and looked away from their closest friend in shame.

"...You're right... I'm sorry. I'm just... on edge," they admit, turning their gaze back to their ghost. "Let's look at what we do know."

"Dead Orbit seems to be on this world, and looks like they've sent someone after after Bibi for some reason. Any clue why?"

"Well, it probably isn't for their exorbitant bounty. I doubt they have a use for another civilization's currency when they're trying to establish a human civilization somewhere else in the cosmos..."

"Then if not that..."

"The mats you two stole!"

"...Which means I'm a target too."

Not that they imagined Bibi would make it easy for them... but anyone from Dead Orbit that would recognize their name had to know by now that the last person (that they even knew of) to mess with someone they cared about ended up staring down the barrel of a hand cannon from their back.

"Why don't we go re-acquaint ourselves then, shall we?"

[trcvelers-chcsen]

MEANWHILE...

On a nearby rooftop, a certain Hunter relaxed in the light of the planet's twin suns, basking in the exorbitant amount of Solar Light. Their back against the wall of the entrance to the rooftop, Seraph would emerge in a flash of light from the Gunslinger's pack.

"Guardian. I'm... picking up a strange signal in comms."

A single green eye opened in response.

"...Strange how?"

The little ghost hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"The signal is... distinctly Dead Orbit."

Apollo-3 shot back upright, spine rigid.

"...Elaborate."

[trcvelers-chcsen]

Anonymous asked:

Sound messy. Well if you're looking for someone who knows a thing or two about what you can find where in the city you might want to check out this fellow named Kallex. Wears really obnoxious visor shades. Has a snake for a tail. He shouldn't be too difficult to find. I'm sure he's somewhere close by.

Snake for a tail...?

Well... a lead was a lead was a lead. The stranger would nod, beaded hair smacking against leather.

"I'll check it out. Thank you again," the stranger thanked the passerby.

"If you need anything while I'm on this world, I'm happy to help."

The planet hopper would break into a jog before taking to the air with a leap, and sailing off into the distance. Time to find this snake tailed weirdo and get this list sorted...

[trcvelers-chcsen]

Apollo started the engine of their ship, hearing the resonant hum of the engine before transmatting outside of it. The Guardian gave a wry smile to Seraph, who had emerged to watch what was about to happen.

"Moment of truth, little bud."

Heat rose from the exo as they took a hope, and burst into a nova of Solar Light.

"Let's see how she holds up!"

Casting their Blade Barrage, Apollo flung their blazing knives forth into the shimmering, black tetrahedron, each one dissipating into brief flashes of light before disappearing altogether.

Landing back on the ground, the Gunslinger pumped their fist in excitement.

"Finally! Got the dispersement field back online!" the Young Wolf declared.

Seraph nodded his entire everything in affirmation.

"One less thing to worry about. I'm just glad we had enough datalattice from the heist to pull it off..."

[trcvelers-chcsen]

Anonymous asked:

Maybe if you're lucky a local might be able to point you in the right directions faster. Doesn't sound like these Arachs are going to be too keen on helping you out here. Why even travel with people who seem to have beef with you over something or another, stranger?

The stranger's eyes lit up at the advice, the Warlock's mouth tilting up into a small weary smile.

"...That's true, actually..." the newcomer realized. "Do you by chance know of anyone who can cast a wide net? Some of the things on this list can be difficult to find back in my home system, let alone this many lightyears away."

The next question seemed to cause a bit of tension in this guardian's shoulders.

"The Arachs are the leaders of my faction. We... fled our system, because a massive source of paracausal power kept drawing in malevolent forces that were hostile to our race."

"...There were more of our group, but the circumstances behind our departure left... a fair number of defectors in our ranks..."

[trcvelers-chcsen]

The Hunter shivered violently. A chill had run down their spine, and they let out an audible groan of discomfort as they slid out from the innards of the ship they were working on.

Seraph appeared from the Gunslinger's pack, his one eye blinking in concern.

"You don't normally shiver, like that. Are you alright, Apollo?"

"I think so...? I just got a sort of... bad feeling."

"Well, hopefully it remains just a feeling. In the meantime, I'll keep an eye out for you."

[trcvelers-chcsen]

Anonymous asked:

To be fair it is typically easier to track down supplies in a city than hoping to get lucky elsewhere. You don't seem too thrilled about a chance to stretch your legs though, why's that?

"It's less about the 'me having to move' than it is about the fact that if the Arachs sent more than just me, we could have these pit stops done faster."

"I've always been down to explore and learn, but I'm not cut out to scour for a laundry list of items across an entire planet on my own."

The hum of the planet-hopper's Geomag Stabilizers pulsated as foot landed over foot down the pavement.

"...They used to send us out for these kinds of missions in pairs. I can't help but wonder if the Arachs blame me for..."

"...Ugh... thinking out loud again..."

[trcvelers-chcsen]

The hatch opened on the bottom of the jumpship, and out of its depths, a lithe figure in a long trenchcoat stepped forth, eyeing the space port in which the spacefarer now stood.

"'Go track down supplies' they tell me," the human bemoaned, jaw set and shoulders forward. "'It'll be easy on a city planet' they tell me."

"I swear, these people mistake me for a fucking Hunter, the way they keep putting me in charge of fetch quests..."

Ah well. At least this was an opportunity to see a new planet, and meet new peoples on this fleet's search for a new home...

In the meantime...

??? is OPEN FOR ASKS.

[trcvelers-chcsen]

Seemed they weren't the only one being poked and prodded where it hurt most.

"Fucking Space Christ, man... rub those wounds raw why don't you..."

[trcvelers-chcsen]

"..."

"...Heh..."

No matter what kind of shit day they were having, seeing some douche-looking motherfucker getting absolutely bodied by innocent cat boops would always be funny.

[trcvelers-chcsen]

Ah.

Yeah, this Warlock had seen Kallex's type before. Almost like a less rugged, more well-kempt, more insufferable version of the Drifter made manifest in a younger, inhuman form.

Best to play this carefully to avoid losing this chance entirely...

"Don't worry. I had no delusions of charity work," the planet hopper reassured the chimera. "I've got a variety of exotic, off-world items and weapons, as well as combat, infiltration and survivalist experience if you'd prefer more of a service arrangement."

Hands went into pockets. A foot bounced off the ground, the hum of Arc energy reverberating with each bounce. While the newcomer was trying very hard not to show it, the violet-haired - excuse me - the other violet-haired stranger was absolutely uneasy.

@trcvelers-chcsen:

Well. This guy certainly fit the description of the one the passerby said to find. Snake tail. Huge shades. Kinda looked like a douche, but hey. This Warlock wasn't one to turn down help, and if this chimera could help, so be it.

"Excuse me," the lithe individual began. "I'm looking for some help finding some items, and I was told you might be able to assist."

The lightbearer took a small bow before continuing.

"I'm not sure what this system uses for currency, but I hope we can come to some kind of arrangement, be it currency, goods or services."

Oh honey, no. You don't know what you're getting into.

The chimera looks the human warlock up and down beneath his conveniently covering shades. The snake seems to make a face in response to this.

"Whoever sent you my way has some sense at the very least. If whatever you're looking for is on the planet I'll know where to find it, or know someone else who'd be able to tell me where to get my hands on it."

"I don't do jack shit for free though. I help you out, and you have to help me out got it? If you don't have cash or something worthwhile on you it'll have to be a favor. Of one kind or another."

He rests a hand on his hip just.. radiating this aura of smuggy douchness. That smirk makes his face look supremely punchable. That probably won't go getting a person any sort of assistance though.

[trcvelers-chcsen]

The Young Wolf rolled their eyes at Kallex's argument. Clearly that wasn't what Apollo had meant, not that it made much difference to them. It wouldn't quite occur to them that the pair weren't on the same wavelength or knew the whole picture.

"If Bibi could take me down, there's no way they'd lose to a lightless Dead Orbit flunkie," the exo retorted, their eyes following the shifted aim of their opponent...

...Straight to the table of fucking explosives lining the wall.

"...But apparently, YOU'RE the dense one here...!" they followed up, making a mad dash for the wall, a leap and roll into a crouch, and bracing the Lament against their arm once more to interpose themselves between this sore loser and his fucking suicidal-ass plan.

The pulse rifle's shots ring true against the Lament and its barrier, SIVA nanites beginning to swarm and embed themselves into the Guardian with a stifled groan of pain. Of course this would be the one way to back them into a corner... not that it would matter.

As before, shrapnel shot off from each hit, and each piece being disturbingly closer to their volatile targets. Until they hear the sound of metal and a high-pitched whine ring out behind them.

"You fucking idiot...!" they lamented, throwing caution to the wind, and running full-bore toward the chimera, through bullets and nanites and leaping toward the man trying to kill them all, crying out a warning as they tackled them to the ground.

"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!"

Upstairs, the other-worlder had slowly begun to lower their own explosive device, giving a small sniff as Bibi attempted to de-escalate and prevent a suicidal last-stand as a sore loser might.

"A lot of what our fleet is built with involves a lot of exotic materials..." the warlock explained. A gloved hand covered a weeping face. "We... can't use our jump drive or transmatter teleporters without them. And... I don't think my organization's leaders anticipated the possibility that our equipment would wear out this quickly..."

The remainder of the explanation would have to wait however, as the lightbearer's accomplice downstairs decided to do exactly the same thing Bibi was just about to stop from happening.

Everyone is just so sportsmanlike today.

The Stormcaller's eyes dart to the stairwell upon hearing the warning from below, and back up to the wounded arachnid as the building began to shake with the thunderous clap of surprisingly high-yield prototype grenades bringing down the entire fucking wall.

Leaping into action like the fellow lightbearer downstairs, the assailant-turned-rescuer wrapped their arms around the former opponent, and carrying her, threw the pair against the opposite wall to the one coming down, as the floor crumbled beneath them.

Rushing stone, wood, metal and concrete came down around them all, pelting and impaling the pair of lightbearers as they bore the brunt of the destruction for their opponents with their own bodies.

Devotion inspires bravery. Bravery inspires sacrifice.

Apollo could feel their skull caving in from blow after blow of stone and concrete. Their jaw set, and flickering eyelights glared straight into Kallex.

Slamming into the ground, the Warlock immediately, despite being winded and struggling to breath, rolled overtop of Bibi, just in time to feel rusted steel puncture their lung, as the rickety staircase gave way above them.

Sacrifice... leads to death.

The dust settled. The human and exomind laid dead atop the pair of rivals. Whether they freed themselves or not, a familiar pair of drones fizzled into being above them, staring pitifully down at their charges and their surroundings burn with a warm, soft Light.

Just before revival, the two ghosts look up... and make eye contact.

"...Oh."

"...Oh dear."

In two flashes of light, the pair of lightbearers disappear and re-constitute, standing, and completely unscathed. Apollo looked down at the extremely punchable douche they just saved, and looked up.

To make eye contact with the Warlock that they once thought they were going to spend the rest of eternity with.

"...No. No this is not fucking happening right now..."

The warlock, who had just calmed down enough to stop faerself from doing what Kallex had just done, had, upon spotting the source of faer current woes, descended back down the mental health hell slide into losing faer actual literal shit.

Apollo took a step back as the Thunderlord was drawn back into the Warlock's hands, with bloodshot eyes glaring at them through the sights.

"...What in the Traveler's name is Set doing here...?!"

Whatever in the ever loving hell had Bibi gotten involved in here?

Why this otherworlder attacked them makes enough sense, they need shit he has and it's a no brainer if it was Kallex this stranger was working with the asshole would point right in his direction.

The fact the wizard happens to know Apollo and if he had to make a guess comes from the same place is a wild coincidence enough, but this person does not seem to be coping well with the idea they're here and he has absolutely no clue what that could be about.

"Look. They aren't in the building so I couldn't hand them over right this second anyways."

Bibi, slowly, cautiously lowers her glaive. Just trying to deescalate this before shit hit the fan harder than it already had. Deescalation has never been her strong suit so they can only hope maybe seeming less combatant and continuing to talk will help.

"What do you need them so badly for anyways..? If you want to leave so quickly, there are other planets nearby."

Below this, Kallex is simply trying to keep the fuck away from all this explosive gunfire that he most certainly is not in fact built to be able to take.

His eyes are narrowed behind his shades, breathing somewhat heavily, he isn't built for agility in the way his rival was either.

This is not what he signed up for.

"What are you, dense? Would have figured you'd put two and two together the second you didn't see you're little friend you so boldly came to the rescue of down here."

He gestures with one arm around the bottom level of the building.

"Should be taking care of business just fine. But someone needed to keep you busy."

And in what was surely not a fucking terrible idea of going for broke now that he's realizing there's no way he's going to win against Apollo as it stands, the chimera instead aims his gun towards the work tables with the various explosives sprawled across it's surface and fires.

Clearly intending to set the whole damn lot of them off in what would surely be a very manageable not at all worrisome explosion.