#This is a duke thomas fan club

[irl-batsignal]

Duke Thomas Fan Club

[blu3fiish]

A duke thomas fan club for those duke thomas fans!!

[numberonedukethomasapologist]

Yk how there's a dick grayson fanclub on here?

@irl-batsignal you should def make a fanclub surrounding you🙏🏾🙏🏾

[latteodyssey]

Stay-at-home Dates | Batboys x Reader ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

masterlist

Bruce Wayne One thing about Bruce: He is a tired man, he’s days are exhausting, to say the least. With managing Wayne Enterprises to being Gotham’s dark knight — he rarely has time to relax, so when he gets the rare opportunity to be home with you, his first instinct is to rest. He’s a fan of old-school romance, and a candlelit dinner or a cozy fondue night is his idea of the perfect evening.

Dick Grayson Dick loves the intimacy of cooking together and enjoys indoor picnics. The quiet moments shared over food make for some of his best memories. He’s also all about living room karaoke, turning a simple night in into an impromptu concert.

Jason Todd You and Jason started a mini book club, just for the two of you. With you in his life, he also discovered a love for pampering himself—something he never allowed himself to do before, hiding behind tough exteriors and emotional walls. Now, you’ve dedicated entire days to treating him with the love he deserves: think robes, scented candles, face masks, foot massages, and bubble baths.

Tim Drake Tim is also a fan of naps, especially when he can curl up next to you. When he’s awake, he enjoys when the both of you watch random documentaries together. He’s also into building complex Lego sets with you, he created a collection of all the ones you finish together, and it’s become one of your favorite bonding activities.

Damian Wayne Pottery nights have become a staple in you and Damian’s date nights, and he’s (not surprisingly) skilled at it. He keeps the pieces you both create, even using them in his daily life. You often catch him sipping from a mug you made him, even if it’s a little lopsided. Painting nights have also found a soft spot in his heart—they’re a quiet way for him to enjoy his day with you.

Duke Thomas Duke is all about board and card games for a cozy night in. He also secretly loves your reality and drama TV marathons, accompanied by lots of snacks. At first, he pretended to be uninterested in it due to it being drama-filled, but now it’s your shared guilty pleasure, and he’ll get genuinely upset if you watch an episode without him.

[diamond-rozie]

*standing menacingly at the door* i made u something

anyways lol. i had a lot of school work and was really busy freaking out and stress studying for a singular test that was 4 questions and would be over in like an hour and then i proceeded to cry about it in my car for various reasons.

but yk what that means!

time for our irregular and unscheduled update of

Gotham Academy's Mentorship Program

this episode featuring a fan favorite: Duke Thomas (aka The Signal - but thats kind of irrelevant for this)

you were supposed to read that like it was from a '90s sitcom and the off screen crowd cheers rly loudly.

some house keeping updates: this scene happens in the beginning of the school year (going by the american system should be september) danny meets damian (and upsurges tim on the same day) around midterm which is around october and then the stuff with jason and damian's drawing happens around december. i kinda accidentally burned the irl timeline for anything dc first scene so now im just gonna do whatever i want.

anyways with out further ado:

table of contents

scene 04: after school activities for normal kids

Duke stood around the corner of the classroom awkwardly, wondering if he had made the right call. Sure the bats and the birds had a plethora of hands on deck any time, but most of them specialized as night time heros. Not to say that they were incompetent or anything, they were some of the most skilled and innovative people Duke had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Sure if anything happened, they could handle it, at least until Duke could slip away and show up as the Signal- Alfred and Bruce had assured him so much. But Duke couldn’t slip the guilt of busying away more of his time to after school activities when he could be patrolling or studying instead, 

But Duke had wanted to do something outside of those things, which was specifically why he had made the difficult decision to join a few clubs and after school activities. He could use a break from being surrounded by people who worked the vigilante life-style just to remember how to be a normal civilian. Let himself take a break from constantly be consumed by one case or another, one disaster or another, not being able to do enough no matter how much he tried or how much time he spent patrolling. 

Duke needed to feel grounded, like his feet were on the ground and he could press the brakes and smell the fragrance of life. Even if the fragrance was a forgotten pile of dog s-

“Alright,” The instructor for their culinary club started with a weird German accent that sounded really fake. “I am Herman. You can call me Chef or Chef Herman or just Chef. I will not bore you all with the boring introductions, and let's head right into the cooking, yes. On this paper here I made the partners for all of you to cook with for the rest of the year. If you have problem with it then quit.” 

This Herman guy seemed like quite the character, and was definitely not helping any of Duke’s previous anxieties. Many of Duke’s clubmates seem to think so too, sending their friends various looks. But no one spoke out, and instead shuffled to the front to look at the singular sheet of paper that would assign them their partners. Duke finally made it to the front and saw that he was paired with a Daniel Fenton at Station 7. 

Crossing his fingers that Daniel had at least only a half-rotten personality, Duke made his way over to station 7. The station was already prepped with an assortment of ingredients and cooking equipment. Duke had already set his stuff down claiming the seat closer to the exit (in case) when a lanky kid comes over, “Uh, your Duke Thomas?” He asks hesitantly looking back at the front counter the partner assignment sheet was. 

It took Duke an awkward second longer to realize that this kid was probably his partner. “Oh yeah I am.” He laughed apologetically, “You must be Daniel.” 

“Danny’s fine.” The boy smiled, absentmindedly brushing his messy black hair out of his face, his glacier blue looking at the equipment. Duke couldn’t help but feel like there was something off about Danny. Not in Gotham’s usual psycho-maniac-out-to-terrorizer-the-city-and-kill-innocent-people kind of off, more in a he’s not in sync with the rest of the world off. While Chef Herman explained the general structure of various types of kitchen and kitchen hierarchy that Duke was already familiar with, Duke tried to get a read on him. 

Weird did not mean threat, after all many of the Justice League- heck even the local Wayne/Batclan were pretty weird- and they (usually) didn’t mean any harm. It wouldn’t be fair of Duke to jump the horse like that. 

Deciding he should try to be friendly with him, Duke leaned over, “Is it just me or is Chef Herman’s accent totally fake?” he whispered. 

“Oh, Ancients,” Anciets? “I thought I was just going insane.” Danny sighed in relief with a small chuckle. There was a moment of silence between the two of them where no one said anything for longer than socially acceptable and Duke debated using his powers to see if he could find a clue or something. That seemed kinda invasive, though. 

When the Chef had started instructions on making today's recipe, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Danny helped Duke measure out the ingredients. “So,” Danny tried again, “What are you in for?” 

“What am I…” Duke repeated confused, 

Danny chuckled awkwardly, “Like why you joined the club.” 

Duke seriously needed to get his head in the present; this was getting embarrassing. “Oh.” He nodded in understanding, “I’ve always liked cooking,” Duke shrugged, “When I was little my parents and I would always cook together, and it was always one of my favorite things to do. And I’ve kinda always liked it, but I fell off of it for a while with school and stuff,” emphasis on the stuff “I thought joining a club could help me get back into it and get away from… everything.” That was a little more candid than Duke had planned on being with someone he had met quite literally a few minutes ago, but it felt good to have that out of his chest. The pleasant memories of his parents swimming in his mind. Mixing the dry ingredients, “Sorry that was kind of a lot.” Duke laughed genuinely this time. 

“Dude, no it’s actually so cool that you like to cook.” Danny said admiration was easy on his face, and Duke couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. 

“What about you, then?” 

“Ugh,” He groaned jokingly, “You can’t seriously be asking for my lame ass reason after you pulled out the flashbacks.” Danny whined, letting the oven preheat like Chef told them to. 

“C’mon, it’s only fair.” Duke played along, already ahead of the other groups. 

Danny sighed, “Promise you won’t laugh.” 

“Okay, it can’t be that bad.” Duke could already feel the smile cracking on his face. 

“It is.” Danny drawlled, “So I live in the dorms right, and I got to pull some strings and room with one of my friends from back home this year. And well, let’s just say my family has a bit of a reputation for causing problems, and the kitchen definitely wasn’t an exception. One time my dad tried to make some soup for my mom because she got sick.” Duke nodded approvingly, that was a sweet gesture, “It was all fun and games until the bomb squad had to show up and long story short we had to move.” 

“You’re joking.” Duke gaped at the bizarre story, but at Danny’s solemn expression, Duke couldn’t help but be appalled, “A bomb squad over soup.”

“My parents were never really heavy on lab safety,” Danny added, as if that explained everything, “But I burn one pot of water and maybe make a few extra-crispy eggs, and suddenly its all ‘Danny you’re not allowed in the kitchen unless you start taking actual classes’ and ‘Danny that's a biohazard’.” 

“You burned a pot of water.” Duke echoed, Danny nodded innocently, “Water doesn’t burn.”

“Well, maybe you’re just not trying hard enough.” Danny sneered, trying to crack an egg on the corner of the bowl only for all the shell to fall in the bowl and the yolk on the counter. 

“Somehow, I don’t think that’s true.” Duke said, taking the bowl from him and expertly cracking an egg single handedly. Danny looked on in awe. “You said you live in the dorms?” Duke asked easily. 

“Oh yeah, all of the non-local scholarship kids have to.” 

Before Duke could respond, a girl from the station in front of them whips her head around, “You said you’re here on a scholarship?” She asked almost oppressively. 

Danny just as taken aback as Duke felt, “Uh, yeah.” 

“Me, too. Have you heard anything about the Mentorship Program here? Apparently we all have to join.” The girl’s partner was looking between Duke and Danny confused, but returned to their cooking uninterested. 

“Oh, yeah. They make us all join.” Danny nodded. 

“I heard from some of the older kids, that no one actually gets picked for that. It’s just like a weird formality thing.” The girl spoke animatedly, “What department are you in?” 

“Applied physics and engineering design.” The oven beeps that it was ready but no one moved. 

The girl seemed to deflate that answer, “Oh, I’m doing culinary science.” And with that solid conclusionary statement, she turned around and got back to her work station. 

Danny blinked, processing what just happened and slowly turning to look at Duke for proof that just happened. But the second the both of them met each other’s eyes, they burst into a fit of silent laughter. 

Bent vunuralably over the table, trying to catch their breath, they were accosted by Chef Hermon. “The two of you are having a comedy club, not a cooking club.” Chef crossed his arms at the edge of the table. Duke was pretty sure he was trying to sold them, but the fake accent was making it hard to tell. 

Danny cleared his throat and striated up, “Sorry, Sir.” He apologized quickly. 

“Chef.” Hermon peered at them, his hat looking comically large and lopsided on his head now that Duke was getting a closer look. 

“Sorry, Chef.” Duke amended, trying to keep his cool. 

“Yes, finish cooking your cookies.” He nodded satisfied, leaving their station. 

“Okay so,” Duke tried to recount what the last thing they did was, but one look at Danny trying desperately to hold in his laugh had ruined all of Duke’s efforts as well. Barely managing to get their cookies in the oven, over Chef’s fake german accent and floppy oversized chef’s hat. 

“So scholarship for applied physics and engineering design, huh.” Duke recounted from earlier, impressed. 

“Yeah…” Danny trailed off embarrassed, “It sounds kinda snotty.” 

“Dude. That’s literally one of the hardest departments to get into, and the scholarship is no sneeze either. There’s no doubt you worked your butt off to get that.” Duke assured Danny as they sat in their stools waiting for the cookies to finish. 

“Thanks,” Danny smiled sheepishly. They sat in a much more comfortable silence now before Danny spoke again, “What grade are you in by the way?” 

“I’m in 10th. General studies for now, but I was thinking of doing medicine. You?” 

“I could totally see you as a hot-shot doctor.” Danny nodded approvingly, “11th. Technically, I’m your upperclassman then.” 

“Technically?” Duke asked.

“I mean, how old are you?” 

“15.” Duke supplied confused. 

“Me too. I skipped a grade in elementary school, so we’re actually the same age.” Danny explained, sheepishly. 

“Dude, you're actually way smart.” Duke gaped in awe. 

“Hey medicine isn’t a day walk either.” Danny nudged his arm playfully, “I’m glad the mentorship thing is just for show, though. Now that we’re upperclassmen, y’know. I would not want my hands full with some random rich kid.” 

Duke laughed, “Yeah, that definitely sounds like a lot of work.” 

Easily unfolding the conversation into various topics and interests Duke found that he didn’t mind that the cookies were burnt. Or that Danny was definitely weird. But in a good way. Duke was glad they met and would get to hang out and cook with their weird not-German Chef every week. And if Danny and Duke exchanged numbers and planned to hangout outside of club activities, then well who was going to stop them.

[yandereforme]

Part 2: Damian’s cooking adventures

TW: light violence(a single slap), mentions of harassment

Damian doesn’t understand Thomas’s obsession with you. You were uncouth and disrespectful. You were nothing special, yet Thomas insisted on eating with you during lunch, and taking assignments with you.

Still, Damian continued to go with Thomas, trying to figure out Thomas’s interest in you. It was not romantic, that much was obvious. (He had seen how Thomas was with potential romantic partners, and it was much less intense.)

So, when he was informed that, as part of a program to foster relationships between older and younger students, he had to learn a skill from and teach a skill to an older student whom he wasn’t close with (The teacher was trembling when he said that, obviously expecting Damian to be upset. Honestly, they think he would lose it over something so trivial.) he immediately decided on you.

You raise your eye brows a bit, but figure it’s easier to go along with it, and at least you were fairly certain Damian wouldn’t ask about your family.(neither of you are aware of how Duke set this assignment up, bribing a few teachers to make it happen. He knew that he needed to make sure the two of you were close before he started introducing you to the rest of the family. )

Eventually, you agree that he will teach you about the basics of fencing, and you will teach him how to cook a few different dishes.(luckily the assignment is only supposed to be two months.)

However, as time passes, Damian begins to notice just how different you are. You do not bristle at his comments, but don’t allow him to blatantly insult you. You treat him as an equal, something he has not experienced before. Even with his siblings, he is the younger and often is infantilized by them, or demonized. You, however, treat him as an equal, neither attempting to order him around nor mindlessly following his orders.

You even become knowledgeable about his topics, and there is a strange warmth in his chest as you start to get better at fencing. The excitement you get when he does meals perfectly doesn’t feel like you are looking down on him, but just feels like you are proud. (He feels himself struggling with himself over why he basks in your pride. He doesn’t even notice when you stop just talking about the project, and start just talking to each other.)

It comes to a head almost a week before the presentation, when you are late to a meet up in the library. Damian is fuming when he has to look for you, but the rage changes and grows when he notices the idiots crowding you.(He recognizes some of them as the harlots who throw themselves at him and Thomas during galas.)

On the other hand, you are being accosted by the Wayne family Fan club, a.k.a. A group that wants to marry one of the Waynes. They are pissed and keep talking about how you are stealing Duke and Damian’s attention and blah blah blah. You are barely paying attention. You had barely slept the last two nights, having back to back shifts at the diner and you just wanted to take a nap before classes started up again.

The slap catches everyone off guard. One of the girls, the one pinning you who you vaguely recognized as an heiress to a smaller fortune, slapped you across the face. Even the other girls go stock still, as you slowly raise your hand to your face.

Damian is furious, more so than he has ever been outside of patrol. He storms up to those pathetic harlots, and verbally starts ripping them to shreds. He only gets distracted when one of the girls, the one who slapped you, starts clinging to his arm. He’s about to backhand her himself, chivalry be damned, when you punch her across the face.

“He doesn’t like people touching him. You say you love him, but you do not know anything about him.” The tone sounds bored, but you are very angry. You definitely broke that girls nose and normally you would be panicked about the potential call to your family, but right now you are so angry you couldn’t care less.

Teachers soon come across the group. Luckily, the security footage shows that you weren’t at fault. They almost try to get you in trouble regardless, the girl’s mother shrieking about pressing charges, but Damian stands up for you, making the principal back down and the mother quiet. You are a bit surprised by that, but you aren’t going to complain.

Damian uses the Wayne name to not only get you both out Scott free, but also excused from classes. He takes you back to your apartment, with minimal directions from you.(all of your lessons were on school grounds, so this is the first time he goes to your apartment.)

He is completely unimpressed by the apartment, sneering a little at the cracks in the walls and the worn furniture. Still, he places you in your bed, as you are already half asleep at this point.

“Thanks Dami.” You murmur into your pillow, and he stops. You have never called him that. With Grayson, it is an unfortunately fond nickname, but with you it almost feels softer, as if you can’t fully say his name.

This is the final mail in the coffin for him becoming Yandere. He takes note of everything in your apartment, and put a few bugs in there so that he can listen in later. He quietly cooks one of your favorite meals that you taught him to cook and leaves it in your fridge.(he would have bought you groceries, but did not have access to the credit cards at the moment and knew that you despised that you saw as charity.)

Your presentation goes perfectly, with him serving a meal you taught him and the two of you engaging in a fencing match.(and if he went easier on you than he would on anyone else, tempted to let you win, but not wanting to look weak in front of the school, well that’s his business.)

Duke takes the both of you out for dinner as a celebration. You take a group photo, smiling broadly. Damian has it printed and puts it in a special hidden part of his room.

Duke is extremely pleased at how easily Damian got attached. Now, he just had to figure out which family member to introduce next, as he slowly eased you into the family.

Edit; sorry I haven’t posted in a while. School started and the world hit me like a bus. Plan to update all of my stories with the next two weeks, but please be patient because life is hell. I hope you all have a lovely day, and a few of you who remember, this is what the old poll was for. 🩷

P.S. Who are you all interested in seeing next?

Yan!Mafia Batfamily x reader

Part 1:Introduction and Duke

TW: Mentions of murder, mention of harassment

After Bruce’s parents died, Bruce began having the same mindset Red Hood/Jason had in canon; You can’t eradicate crime, but you can control it.

He soon built a persona of the bat, a mafia boss that everyone knew and feared/loved. This is a less moral Batman, who doesn’t personally kill, but has nothing against murder if it’s just.(Justice remains a part of his mission.)

This leads to a slightly more complicated bat family, with each of them playing a vital role as their counterparts, and Robin being the term used for shadowing the big bat, and learning the ropes. (If you want me to expand on that part, let me know$

No one knows the Wayne’s are the Batfam, but they all know they are vaguely connected, with many suspecting a relationship between Bruce and The Bat or The Bat being an illegitimate child of Thomas Wayne(though neither theory is voiced in earshot of the Wayne’s. Connected to the Bat or not, the Wayne family is still terrifying.)

Most people are pretty scared of the Waynes and the Bats like, fearing them and avoiding them 

You, on the other hand, could give less of a shit about them.

You are an orphan with good grades and even better computer skills. So while everyone believed you lived with your parents who traveled, and that you were 17 to your actual age of 13, you got away with living on your own and working a part time job. Working as a waitress wasn’t terrible, though you occasionally had to deal with Karens and harassment.

However, after a terrible night at work where a Karen poured her drink over you and a drunk idiot slapped your ass, you had run out of willingness to deal with bullshit. So, when a trust fund brat tried to make you move from your seat in the library, you refused, glaring at the blurry person standing next to you, ignoring the gasps from the students around you.

You expected him to yell at you, or let his companion, who was glaring hard at you, deal with you. Instead, he spoke briefly with his friend in a language you didn’t recognize. After a minute or so, they both sat down and quietly studied with you

Duke was charmed by your behavior. It has been a long time since anyone outside of the family had said no to him. The look of anger in your eyes was belied by pure exhaustion. He knew you had no clue who he was, and you were too tired to care.

You were interesting. So Duke didn’t let Damian yell at you or (attempt to) intimidate you.(while Damien was very intimidating when he had to be, Duke had a feeling you would not care in the slightest.)

So Duke convinced Damian to sit with him while he observed you studying, instead of discussing Bat business like they had planned. He had known of you, and Duke remembered you being in a few of his classes, but this stunt caught his interest too much to let you go.

You weren’t sure why, but apparently the Wayne kid (or Duke as he insisted you call him) seemed charmed by you basically telling him to fuck off. He started partnering with you in classes when he would normally work alone. He started eating his lunches with you in the library or in the auditorium, even having his brother join you on occasion.

You slowly got used to his presence, and even became begrudgingly fond of him and his little brother, even though his brother tended to stare at you more often than not. You hadn’t had very many friends for a long time, so maybe this was gonna be a good thing.

A big thing with Duke Thomas was that while he may seem calm, he is one of the most calculating of the Yanderes. He will always appear to be on your side, but unable to help you. He will become one of your closest confidence trusted friend , all without you realizing how much of a manipulative and possessive Yandere he is. He just knows that letting you have more of an illusion of power will help in the long run of making you like him.

So for now he’ll be content, letting you slowly come to him, similar to a feral cat. You’ll adore him soon enough. Come to think of it, you might make an excellent addition to the family.~

Edit: Life has been hitting me like a semi truck. I won’t go into too much detail, but I just ended a long-term relationship, had one of my grandparents die, and the other have a stroke. There’s a bunch of other stuff I also could mention, but I don’t wanna talk about it. Updates will be very sporadic for a long time I think. I’m sorry and I really hope you guys understand. Got enough motivation today to finally finish the first part of the Mafia au. Don’t know when I’ll be updating any of the other ones. I really hope you like this.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Ricochet (Or The Side Effects of Being a Bibliophile)

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/5c7Sg3q by waterunderthebridge12 It started out as a club of ten, composed of five old ladies, two middle-aged women, one mid-20s married couple, and one Jason Peter Todd. The married couple had a fight during the first meeting, didn't talk during the second, and then never came again. One of the old ladies broke her hip and didn't return, either. That left the old lady quartet, the possible lesbian couple, and Jason to meet every Friday night, discussing the book of the month. He loved it.   Jason joins a book club. This leads to more drama than expected. Words: 1885, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Series: Part 2 of Rebound Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Multi Characters: Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Damian Wayne, Roy Harper, Duke Thomas Relationships: Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Barbara Gordon & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Everyone, Cassandra Cain & Jason Todd, Cassandra Cain & Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Duke Thomas & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne Additional Tags: Jason Todd Loves Classic Literature, Jason Todd Loves Dick Grayson, Unfortunately Not An Austen Fan So There Won't Be As Many Austen References As There Should Be, Jason Todd Joins A Book Club, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, SPOILERS For Beloved by Toni Morrison, Jason Todd's Attack on Titans Tower, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Jason Joins A Book Club But Turns It Into A Drama Club read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/5c7Sg3q

[cappellasports]

Origin of Badminton – The Journey of a Legendary Sport

Badminton, an elegant and exhilarating sport enjoyed by millions around the world, has a rich history that traces back centuries. From its humble beginnings in ancient civilizations to its transformation into a competitive sport, badminton has evolved into a game of skill, strategy, and finesse. In this article, we will embark on a journey of badminton through time to explore the origins of and delve into the remarkable story of how it became the legendary sport we know today.

Ancient Roots :

The origin of badminton can be traced back to ancient civilizations across different continents. In ancient Greece, a game called "battledore and shuttlecock" involved hitting a feathered shuttlecock with a small racket without shoes. A similar game was also played in ancient China, where players used a shuttlecock made of a feather attached to a cork and played with wooden paddles. These early forms of badminton laid the groundwork for the sport's future development.

Birth of the Modern Game :

The modern version of badminton, as we know it today, originated in colonial India during the 19th century. British officers stationed in India played a game called "Poona" that resembled battledore and shuttlecock. The game gained popularity among the British expatriates, and they brought it back to England.

In 1873, the Duke of Beaufort organized a garden party at his country estate in Gloucestershire, England, where the sport was introduced to the British elite. The guests were captivated by the game, and it was soon dubbed "The Badminton Game" after the estate where it was played. Hence, badminton was invented. The Duke formalized the rules, and the first official set of regulations was published in 1877, marking the birth of modern badminton.

Evolution and Global Expansion :

Badminton quickly spread throughout England and gained popularity across Europe during the late 19th century. The Badminton Association of England was formed in 1893, and the first All England Badminton Championships were held in 1899. The sport continued to evolve; badminton was played with changes in equipment, court dimensions, and game play rules.

In the early 20th century, badminton made its way to other parts of the world, particularly Asia. India, Malaysia, and Indonesia became hotbeds for badminton talent, producing some of the world's greatest players. The first international badminton competition, the Thomas Cup, was held in 1948, and the Uber Cup for women was introduced in 1956, solidifying badminton's status as a global sport.

The sport continued to grow in popularity, and in 1992, badminton made its debut as an Olympic sport in Barcelona, Spain with badminton shoes. Since then, it has captivated audiences worldwide with its fast-paced rallies, incredible athleticism, and strategic gameplay.

Modern Badminton: A Legendary Sport :

Today, badminton is played at both recreational and professional levels. It has gained a massive following, with numerous international tournaments and a dedicated fan base. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) governs the sport globally and oversees prestigious events such as the World Championships and the BWF World Tour.

Badminton's appeal lies in its accessibility and inclusivity. It can be played by people of all ages and skill levels, making it a popular choice for casual play, fitness, and competitive sports. The sport demands agility, speed, precision, and mental acuity, creating a unique and thrilling experience for both players and spectators.

From ancient legends to colonial courts and the modern world, badminton has transcended borders and time, transforming into a legendary sport. Today, it is played with passion and vigour on courts worldwide, from local clubs to grand international arenas. The Badminton World Federation governs the sport, ensuring its growth and development for future generations.

Badminton's charm lies in its grace, agility, and the unique thrill of the shuttlecock's flight. It is a testament to the power of human creativity and ingenuity, weaving a tale of perseverance and passion. As we celebrate the origins and journey of this legendary sport, let us join hands, pick up our rackets,

[kicksomeacid]

Robins (inspo Breakfast Club)

[millylotus]

you have most of the basics, just gonna drop like the general age differences cause those kinda help with interpreting relationships & all that jazz. Also fandom tends to scrunch the ages up [DC isn't better Tim is still fucking 17], so this is like vague canon stuff that makes things make sense.

Alfred & Bruce: Alfred was in the secret service right before he started working for the Waynes, like right before his dad [the previous butler] died & told him to go to Gotham, then like a year later Martha & Thomas died. So he's like Late 20s Early 30s when Bruce is like 8. They have a sort of father son relationship but Alfred's also kinda where the suppress your trauma thing" started [what with him having been in one of the WWs] & he kept an emotional distance from Bruce, calling him Master Bruce for the the most part.

Bruce & Dick: The age gap is just small enough between these two that it could be feasible for Bruce to have been a teen/college dad, but sometimes it's just big enough where Bruce could have been like thirteen. Mostly though it's the first option & Bruce takes in Dick when he's like 26-28 & Dick's like 8-10.

Dick & Babs: Now this ones a bit more varied because writers like to put these two together [and Babs with like all the other batguys but Dick is the most common & consistent & honestly not many like the other situations]. But at most I've seen a 4 year age gap between these two, at least like a 1, Babs is usually older than Dick.

Dick & Jason: Biggest back to back age gap between siblings I think & most noticeable cause it's written like that when Jason first started. At most like 8 years apart, with Dick being like 19 & Jay 11, at least like 6 with Dick being 18 & Jay 12. Also the first proper sibling dynamic in the family really, even the Dick was being very obtuse & distant at times.

Jason & Tim: Not that big of a gap actually, like at most 4 years, at least like 2. Makes all the shit Jason pulls a little bit funny but I digress.

Dick & Tim: Sidenote, Dick kinda tries to be a better brother to Tim after losing Jason & feeling like this is how he can make up for not being a so stellar brother.

Tim & Steph: Literally the same age, like in the same school year, dated for awhile before breaking up, Steph also kinda died for a second there, it was whole thing really. She was Robin while Tim was on house arrest by his dad Jack, but she got sucked up in some big mafia shit & was tortured to death by Black Mask. She's fine now, but still there's a "Dead Robin's Club" joke for a reason.

Cass: Okay so technically she's a little bit older than Jason, like 3-6 months or so. But her age is fucked with alot & she mostly acts & is written like she's Steph & Tim's age. Fans joke alot about her & Tim being twins. She joined around the same time Tim was Robin, & was basically co-parented by Babs & Bruce [those two where not getting along in that comic let me tell you that].

TSC & Damian: So Damian shows up when he's 8 & Tim is 17, that's smth I'm like 90% sure about, so they have a 9 year gap. But this is comic logic to that gap if fucked with & Damian is reaching that point where one day he might be older than Tim if DC doesn't get their act together. Damian's actually a sweet kid, if really guarded & prideful, don't let anyone lie to you & say he didn't get his love for animals from his mother's side of the family. Check out Ra's Al Ghul, One Bad Day, it's pretty good.

Duke [cause he's not talked about enough]: So Duke technically shows up when he's 8, during No Man's Land, he & his dad Doug fish Bruce out of the sewers [flooding dw bout that]. So he's known who Bruce is for awhile. Time skip he's like 10-12, & the Joker tries to recreate what happend to Bruce & his parents to Duke & his [mom's name is Elaine]. Bruce ends up saving Duke, but his parents get jokerized. Duke get put in foster care, major time skip, he's at most 15 at least 14, joins We Are Robin [look for the comic under that name], shit happens he wakes Bruce up from his amnesia by putting them in front of an on coming train. BOOM he becomes Signal.

Duke & Damian: There's like a 2 year gap between these two & Imma stick by that cause that's what an eighth grader & sophomore interacting lowkey feels like [same gap bw me & my sibs].

Also more characters you haven't mentioned so I assume you just missed them:

Kate Kane/Batwoman: Bruce's cousin on his mom's side, his age, maybe a lil younger

Bette Kane/Flamebird/Batgirl: Bruce's other maternal cousin, not to be confused with Beth Kane, Kate's twin & only sibling, like Dick's age

Luke Fox/Batwing: Generally cool guy don't know much about him now that I think about it, like 5 or so older than Babs

Lucius Fox: Luke's dad & often one of the main share holders of Wayne Inc., good guy knew Thomas Wayne sometimes

Jace Fox/Batman: Luke's younger brother who sometimes acts as NYC Batman for some reason

Tamara Fox: Jace's twin sister & both Tim's old secretary & gf, same age dw

Tiffany Fox/Batgirl: Youngest Fox kid don't remember where she is on the rest of the scale

Carrie Kelly/Robin: Kinda out of the timeline but she is often an alternate Robin & does show up in a bunch of 20+ time skips

Gotham Girl: I think her last name is Clover, don't know shit on her but she's blonde

Helena Bertinelli/Huntress: Bird of Prey, Babs' age, not to be confused with Helena Kyle/Wayne who is often depicted as Bruce & Selina's future possible child

Terry/Batman & Matt/Robin McGinnis: Batman Beyond TV show does them best honestly go watch it it's good, basically Batman & Robin after Bruce is Alfred's age

Jarro/Robin: Alien mind controlling starfish, I don't... I don't even know man

That's about it, there's like a bunch more info about them all but honestly for more focused stuff just straight up look up the character's names on here & go to the blogs named after them. Best curated shit ever.

Okay, I'm trying to familiarize myself with Batfam stuff, because I lowkey think they'd be fun to write for. (Never seen any of the animated series or read any Batman comic with Robin in it.)

What I have so far:

Bruce Wayne. Obviously. That's a Batman. Parents killed in an alley outside a theater, he maybe trained with some assassins (and Talia al Ghul is a character who's related to that somehow I think; she might be an assassin), and he's Batman. I know who Batman is. He doesn't kill; that's his rule.

Alfred. Butler. Secretly really good at weapons? Just generally hypercompetent and would probably be killing people if not for Bruce.

There's a bunch of Robins, which I will list. It seems like a lot of them have straight black hair and blue eyes; if true, it's wild that they didn't vary that more. I hope the fandom does something else, lol.

Dick Grayson first. He's the circus one who got adopted when his parents died. He's good at flips and stuff because circus. Not sure the specifics of his parents' death, but I suppose it triggered Bruce? And so Bruce was like, "I gotta adopt this kid." And he later became Robin. And then he did Teen Titans (which I haven't seen, but one of my college roommates watched Teen Titans Go a lot) and dated Starfire. I think he's the one whose costume is sometimes blue? But I'm not sure. Personality-wise, I think maybe he's generally positive and responsible. This is the first Robin, so he's probably got standard Robin characteristics and grew up with the standard amount of superhero angst. Not too much, not too little. I feel like I'd like Dick Grayson if I knew the character well. Oh! He's also called Nightwing, right?

Jason Todd next. He's, like...a street orphan? And I think he's the one with the white in his hair. He got killed by Joker with a crowbar and then came back angry because Batman didn't kill Joker. And I feel like things remained tense with him after that in canon but fan works have them resolve things, but like I said, I have not consumed any of his canon. I'm just going on vibes. Personality-wise, I'm thinking rougher-edged than Dick. Um, Red Hood, right?

Tim Drake is next. I genuinely don't know if and when he was adopted, because I'm pretty sure everything I've consumed about him was just like, "No, he has parents. But he figured out that Bruce Wayne is Batman, so he gets to be Robin." But I also think he lives with them? I think he's more upbeat than Jason; he fully opted into all of this.

Wait, Barbara Gordon is somewhere in there, right? Probably before Tim. I don't know what she's really doing, but she's Jim Gordon's daughter and I think she becomes Batgirl. Does she get killed by Joker? Jim Gordon is like, Batman's favorite police guy. He's the one who's always lighting the bat signal.

Full disclosure, I know Stephanie Brown is someone, but I have no idea who she is or what she's doing or when she comes into play, and iirc I think I saw a Tiktok that implied she straight up lives somewhere else. I guess Barbara probably does, too. And I guess Dick probably moved out to do Teen Titans, although it would be very funny if he didn't. I'm sure a lot of fan works just have them all live together; if the Marvel fandom could put everyone in Stark Tower, the DC fandom can move everyone into Wayne Manor.

I know that Cassandra Cain is deaf, and I think she's a street orphan, too? And I feel like there was some connection between her and the kid from the Birds of Prey movie. Maybe same character; I feel like I remember reading criticism about her not being deaf in the movie. I also don't know when she comes into play, but I'm pretty sure she's one of the straightforwardly adopted ones. But I'm just guessing that because I'm not aware of any reason for her not to be.

Duke Thomas is the black one, and I think he was kind of on the Tim Drake track of figuring out the Batman stuff. I don't know how he came into play either. I think he's called Signal? Does he have an electricity thing, or am I mistaking him for a different character? There are a lot of black superheroes with electricity powers. Personality-wise, I think he's just generally cool and good-natured, but I'm not sure whether that's an actual canon thing, or if I've just consumed content that misrepresents his whole deal. Whatever the case, I'd probably love him if I knew more about him. I feel like I'll like all of these characters.

Damian Wayne, biological son of Bruce and Talia. (Though, if I'm mistaken about that, then that's really funny.) He's, like, an analyst type, which means we've got a lot of characters who are specifically characterized as analytical. (I hope knowing more about them will make it easier to vary the kind of intelligence. I want them to have different specific strengths and weaknesses. They probably do.) And I think he might have also been trained by the assassins, but I'm not sure. Personality-wise, I'm pretty sure he's distinctly creepy. Like, I think he's the creepy genius child trope, and all serious and formal. I like that trope.

[numberonedukethomasapologist]

Your Duke Thomas Fan Club:

https://www.tumblr.com/join/wmPEPuCJ

HELL YEAAHHH

[kittyilana046]

THE DC UNIVERSE MASTERLIST - BATFAMILY EDITION

TTHE BATFAMILY MASTERLIST

Started: 12/18/2020

Last Updated: 12/29/2022

This master list is a collection of analysis essays, headcanons, and comic book panels posted by my favorite bloggers. I did not write any of the posts linked below, and I do not own any pictures used. All credit goes to the original artists and bloggers who created this content. 

I created this master list intending to archive my favorite posts. I am sharing it because I believe this list is a perfect jumping-off point for new fans who want a comprehensive guide to understanding these characters.

I encourage you to interact with original bloggers and also comic canon. 

Please send me an ask or DM if you want to talk about comic books.

Thank you 

~ Haleigh 

Links

DC UNIVERSE MASTERLIST

META / ESSAYS

Batman (Bruce Wayne)

Bruce Wayne outside of Batman

Bruce firing Dick vs. Dick firing Tim

Bruce Wayne’s childhood + a short analysis his relationship with Alfred Pennyworth

Do Bruce and Selina truly love each other?

Does Bruce love Damian?

Did Bruce love Jason?

Is Bruce a good dad?

Is Bruce nice?

Jason was Bruce’s beloved son and DC’s writers are doing shit.

Tips for writing Bruce Wayne

Batgirl (Barbra Gordon)

Thoughts on Barbra’s independence and how it affects her relationship with Dick

Batgirl/Black Bat/Orphan (Casandra Cain)

Does Casandra know ASL?

How does Casandra process anger?

Huntress (Helena Bertinelli)

Helena’s relationship with Tim Drake

Nightwing (Dick Grayson)

Dick Grayson’s moral compass + how Bruce’s expectations shaped him

Dick Grayson’s strengths and weaknesses  

Dick Grayson’s guilt complex

Dick Grayson and Temper

Dick Grayson and fashion trends

Dick, you’re so spoiled (Discussing and his relationship with money)

Do Dick and Jason get along in comics?

DICK I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU GRAYSON

DICK GRAYSON AND ALFRED PENNYWORTH’S RELATIONSHIP META

Do Dick Grayson and Roy Harper have commitment issues?

Does Dick Grayson wear a metaphorical mask like Bruce Wayne does? 

Objectification or Empowerment: how writers express Dick Grayson’s sexuality

Superman and Dick Grayson’s first meeting

What is Dick Grayson’s ethnicity?

Robin (Damian Wayne)

Do you guys ever think about how much of a crappy life Damian has been having since Rebirth? Because I do.

Is Damian sexist?

Proof Damian has a heart p1

Things I Wish Writers Would Explore More with Damian

Red Hood (Jason Todd)

Jason’s time as Robin

Jason Todd’s less known skills appreciation

Jay and Dick are musicians? What do they play?

Jason Todd and the Ladies: Post-Resurrection

Recontextualizing the death of Filipe Garzonas

The Jason Todd Book Club (books that Jason has mentioned in canon)

What kind of father was Willis Todd?

Where did Jason get his Respect Women Juice?

Red Robin (Tim Drake)

Does Tim Drake conically suffer from depression?  

How did Tim Drake’s trauma affect him?

Is Tim Drake insecure?

Is Tim Drake sexist?

I wanna talk about Janet Drake

Tim Drake’s childhood

The beginning of Tim Drake’s career as Robin

Was Tim Drake born a genius?

Was Tim Drake the CEO of Wayne Enterprises? What was his job at W.E.? Did he like it?

Your Tim Drake coffee headcanon is whack

Spoiler (Stephanie Brown)

How did the batfam react to Stephanie’s death?

What is the canon surrounding Stephanie’s economic status?

The Signal (Duke Thomas)

Duke is not a boring character – Here are some of his achievements

Duke thomas isn’t the sane one! A guide by pepper

Who is Duke Thomas?

MORE INFO HERE!

CANON VS. FANON

Batfamily canon things that we should not let fall into obscurity

Characterization cheat sheet: the batfamily boys

The Batkids views on money

What are in your opinion the biggest difference between the comic and the fanon versions of the other Batfamily members?

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

The history of the “Robin” title

The ages of the Batfamily kids according to Secret Files timelines

What are the Batkids legal names/adoption status?

HEADCANON

How would the Batfamily comfort someone who's sad? 

Is Dick Grayson demisexual?

Is Dick Grayson a romantic?

Dick Grayson and Kids

Would Bruce Wayne be a good boyfriend?

What would Bruce be like if his parents never died?

What should happen after the Ric Grayson arc ends?

What hogwarts house would jason todd be in?

Where would you sort the Batfamily?

THE ROBIN'S RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER

All Robins are great and they all bring something to the table

Advice on how to write Damian and Tim brother dynamic

Damian & Dick: analyzing their relationship

Another analysis of Dick and Damian’s relationship

Do you think Dick and Damian have a brotherly relationship?

The Batboys calling each other brother

Where does the “little wing” nickname come from?

COMIC PANELS

Batman (Bruce Wayne) 

Batman #42 by Tom King and Mikel Janin (Bruce and Selina get captured)

Batman being a Batdad to his Batprincess

Banana Muffin is Superman and Batman’s safeword

Batman & Robin Eternal #22 (Bruce being kind to Damian)

Detective Comics (2016-) #1017

Gotham Knights #11 (“I am a model of mental health”)

How Bruce deals with trauma

Injustice 2 #51 -”Have you tried turning it on an off again?”

“My favorite superhero is Superman” “…He’s my favorite, too”

Robin (Damian Wayne)

Deathstroke #5 - “Mirrors” (2016) (Damian taunting Deathstroke)

Damian talks a lot in front of his favorite people

Injustice 2 #8 (Proof Damian has a heart p2)

Robin Son of Batman 011 (Damian being done with Bruce and Talia)

The Shadow/Batman #3 (Ra's al Ghul threatening Damian)

Super-Sons My Best Friend

Nightwing (Dick Grayson)

Everyone loves Dick Grayson

Dick beating up Bruce compilation

Dick is that type of brother…

Dick you whore

Dick imitating a crowbar

Unpublished pages of Nightwing #30

Red Hood (Jason Todd)

Batman: Urban Legends - “Cheer II” (2021)

Detective Comics (2016) #976 (Jason standing up to the Batfamily)

Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 - “More Time” (2020)

Red Hood and The Outlaws (2016) #52

Red Robin (Tim Drake)

Tim and Dick talking: A Compilation

[1-800-iluvhockey]

ig edit with luke hughes? maybe spending the summer on the lake with him & his family?

of course nommie!! here ya go :-)

(all pictures and storyline are works of fiction! <3)

liked by @elblue06 , jackhughes86 , dylanduke & others

yourusername - you always will be my summer love - one direction (& me lol)

tagged @/ lhughes_06

view top comments

lhughes_06 - loved you for almost three summers :)

↳ yourusername - you can have them all …. <33

↳ lhughes_06 - I want them all with you… <3

quinnhughes_ - cannot believe that you tricked me into taking this picture 🤢

jackhughes86 - I can hear my laugh in this picture 😂

thombordeleau - y/n/n & lukey are so cute !! 😍🥰

↳ brendanbrisson - in a “throw me off the nearest cliff” way, thomas🤨🤨….. @thombordeleau

dylanduke - aweeee lukey lu is being a simp & THATS MY HAT !!! 🤠

↳ lhughes_06 - I’ll apologize for the hat but not for being a simp @dylanduke

elblue06 - so wholesome, you two!! ❤️

liked by @trevorzegras , @yourusername , @colecaufield & others

lhughes_06 - alexa, play toes by zac brown band ☀️

tagged @/ yourusername , trevorzegras , jackhughes86 , colecaufield , patrickmoynihan, _alexturcotte , domfensore_ , dannyweight_ & 2 more

view top comments

quinnhughes_ - matt & I behind the camera while y/n/n took the picture “arnie palmies!” @mattboldy

mattboldy - y/n/n was trying so hard not to laugh as tz made a joke about lukey’s hair

yourusername- I can’t unsee the fact that he looks like a hippie in this photo😭 @trevorzegras @mattboldy

↳ lhughes_06 - you’d still love me even if I was a hippie…. don’t lie 😋 @yourusername

_alexturcotte - great times at the lake (except that one time where I walked in on y/n & luke making out)

↳ trevorzegras - OH MY GOD

jackhughes86 - YOU TWO ARE GROUNDED @lhughes_06 & @yourusername

↳ yourusername - I have no shame in what we were doing!! we’ve dated for almost 2.5 years and you expect us not to kiss LMAO

↳ lhughes_06 - 😏😎

↳ colecaufield - LUKE—-

patrickmoynihan - oh my god I can’t even

liked by @lhughes_06 , @colecaufield , @elblue06 & others

yourusername - tried to eat a s’more on the shoreline and lukey lu tackled me to the ground (he wanted a kiss and then proceeded to eat my half eaten s’more) thank you jack jack for this gem of a picture! #summawiththehughesfam

tagged @/ lhughes_06 & jackhughes86

view top comments

jackhughes86 - all I heard dukes say was “follow me with your camera!” and then I snapped a shot lol

elblue06 - my favorite couple 💖

↳ yourusername - I love you queen ellen!!! I’m your biggest fan!! 🐐🐐

quinnhughes_ - and this will be used in your wedding, I’m calling it !!

trevorzegras - can I be a bridesmaid y/n?! (or can you set me up with a bridesmaid 😋)

↳_alexturcotte - oh zegs you’re so funny !! (but like me too set me up y/n/n)

↳ yourusername - sorry boys but no 😂

lhughes_06 - give it a few years boys! I’m waiting for the right time to ask her lol

↳ colecaufield - damn straight

yourusername - oh my gosh— I can’t even with you boys!!

↳ lhughes_06 - wait on it angel, wait on it

liked by @elblue06 , yourusername , ethanedwards73 & others

lhughes_06 - my yellow 💛 took her on a date into town and got this gem out of it #summawiththehughesfam #myyellowgirl

tagged @/ yourusername

view top comments

ethanedwards73 - YOU TWO !!!!

dylanduke - I CANT EVEN

thombordeleau - keep her locked down tight

brendanbrisson - cuzzo got a keeper 4L 😎

jackhughes86 - y/n/n & luke fan club

yourusername - oh luke— I love you 💖

↳ lhughes_06 - and I love you more ❤️

quinnhughes_ - as cute as it is, it still makes me sick lol 🤢

————-

abbster’s taglist : @owenpwr @hockeyboysarehot @oskarlidblom @studsccsnackavoybambi @pulpfixion @pierrelucduboiis @yorkshirespirlo @juliasahoshughes @dylandukerr @the-stars-shine-above-us @hockey-lover86

[jasontoddsguns]

Jason and Duke thomas being cool with each other in canon is so fun to me, they may not be alike in most ways but they'd both be the heads of the I hate Joker fanclub together and I love that - Space anon.

A fan club? Do they even need to establish that? I assume everyone in Gotham hates the dude.

[omniversalobservations]

Spider-Man: The Gathering of the Sinister Six (1999)

The Machiavelli Club, mentioned on pages 34-35 of Gathering of the Sinister Six, as well as pages 162-163 of Revenge of the Sinister Six, was founded by Professor James Moriarty, from the Sherlock Holmes stories "The Final Problem," "The Adventure of the Empty House," and the novel The Valley of Fear.  Its members include various rogues from comic books, movies, prose fiction, and so forth:

* The waiter at the Macchiavelli Club is Henry from Asimov's BLACK WIDOWER stories. * Wilson Fisk (The Kingpin) * Obadiah Stane (The Iron Monger) from Iron Man. * Gruber brothers: Anton Gruber first appeared in the prose novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp (a sequel to his homosexual murder mystery The Detective).  Anton Gruber was basically a Baader-Meinof/Red Army Faction-style terrorist.  He was renamed Franz Gruber for the film Die Hard, while his brother Simon appeared in Die Hard With a Vengeance. * Doctor Fu Manchu is obviously "the long-lived oriental gentleman" that the Gentleman refers to.  (Although later on it is said that the Gentleman harbors prejudice against the Chinese, he makes no snide remarks about Doctor Fu Manchu.)  The Gentleman believes that Doctor Fu Manchu is dead due to the events of Master of Kung Fu #118, though he showed up alive and well in Marvel Knights I #4.  Marvel currently refers to him as the Ghost, due to licensing issues. * Auric is Auric Goldfinger, from the Ian Fleming novel.  Auric is derived from the Latin word for gold, from which its elemental symbol, Au, is derived. * Lex is Lex Luthor. * Justin Hammer is an Iron Man villain. * "The German Herr Taubman."  An alias used by a recurring villain called "The Deaf Man" in "The 87th Precinct" novels by Ed McBain.  Great novels BTW.  (Taubman is German for deaf man as I recall.)  Here's a clip from a fan site. * The Wrightsville Diedrich Van Horn is from the Ellery Queen novel Ten Day's Wonder, written by Ellery Queen.  (Ellery Queen was a sleuth created by two cousins who adopted his name as their pen name.  He went to a town called Wrightsville for vacations.  In the movies, Ralph Bellamy played Ellery Queen-Bellamy also appeared in two Eddie Murphy movies as one of the Duke brothers.) * Ras is Ra's Al Ghul, from the Distinguished Competition. * Soze is from the film The Usual Suspects. * Hannibal is Hannibal Lecter, from the novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, and later Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. * Carmen is Carmen San Diego from the computer game and cartoon show. * Mr. Glass is from the film Unbreakable, as played by Samuel Jackson. * Napier refers to the Jack Napier, the Joker, from the 1989 Batman film. * Ernst is Ernst Blofeld from the Ian Fleming novel Thunderball. * Randolph and Mortimer Duke are from two Eddie Murphy films, Trading Places and Coming to America.  While in both these films Randolph and Mortimer Duke, insider traders, were played by the same actors (Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy), Eddie Murphy was not playing the same person in these films, which were otherwise unrelated.

Although not mentioned as a member of the Machiavelli Club, Caspar Gutman worked with the Gentleman in the past, per page 166 of Secret of the Sinister Six. Casper Gutman comes from the Dashiell Hammett novel The Maltese Falcon, published in 1929.

Source: Marvel Universe Appendix

Carmen Sandiego is part of the Machiavelli Club, along with Jack Napier, Hannibal Lecter and Mr. Glass. Among others. Moriarty was a founding member, and the Gruber Brothers and a villain from an Ellery Queen novel have been members. The Gentleman briefly converses with two brothers, Randolph and Mortimer, who made their money on the futures exchange, and wonders how they earned a place at the club as they are no more 'evil' than standard stockbrokers.

Though not mentioned by name, Clint Eastwood, Robert Downey Jr. and Sylvester Stallone are all heavily implied to be attending Brick Johnson's funeral.

The cast from Scooby-Doo shows up at the end of the final book.

The 27th Precinct's Detective Briscoe takes statements.

Dr. Christian Szell is an old associate of The Gentleman.

Quentin Beck passes Cassady and Jesse.

In the third book, the Gentleman credits the inspiration for his overall Evil Plan to be a late associate of his named Auric.

One of the police officers in the third book is implied to be the son of Marge Gunderson.

Source: TV Tropes

(image via Amazon)

[astrognossienne]

scandalous beauty: hazel scott - an analysis

“I've always known I was gifted, which is not the easiest thing in the world for a person to know, because you're not responsible for your gift, only for what you do with it.” - Hazel Scott

The fact that this woman is forgotten is pathetic. She is the classy black lady from the ‘50s simultaneously playing two pianos that you now see on the internet. Alicia Keys would pay tribute to her as she hosted 2019 Grammys, and also performed on two pianos simultaneously while the crowd sat there in indifference. However, 60 years ago, this lady inspired anything but indifference. That lady, Hazel Scott, may have been Adam Clayton Powell’s wife but she was a bonafide star in her own right. Scott was a born improviser, driven to break the rules. A child prodigy, she was playing the piano by the age of 2 and by age 8, she was enrolled in Julliard, (where the admission age was officially 16). At 15, she performed with Count Basie and toured with her mother’s all-female orchestra. There was something thrilling and subversive in Scott’s hybrid art, and to the audiences and critics of the time, it seemed clearly rooted in her race and gender. Duke Ellington was a fan. Sinatra was too. In 1950, she became the first black woman to host her own television show. She played Carnegie Hall, was an outspoken civil rights advocate, and her hands were insured by Lloyds of London. With her poise, beauty and curvaceous physique, Hollywood came calling. Scott had it written in her Columbia Pictures contract that she would not play traditional subservient roles, and also demanded full control of her wardrobe. She also called out the virulent racism that went on in America. For that type of spunk and self-respect, she got blacklisted. She went to Europe and enjoyed a little of the fame she had, but changing times meant that her salad days were coming to an end. The erasure of Hazel Scott’s name from the jazz catalogue is appalling, and a damning indictment of how black artists were treated in ’50s America. Hopefully, in some small way with this analysis, I’ll be able to do justice to the great injustice done to her and make sure her name and accomplishments are remembered.

Hazel Scott, according to astrotheme, was a Gemini sun and Aries moon (the moon is speculative). She was born Hazel Dorothy Scott, in Port of Spain, Trinidad. She was the only child of R. Thomas Scott, a West African scholar from Liverpool, England, and Alma Long Scott, a classically trained pianist, and music teacher. In 1924, the family moved from Trinidad to the United States and settled in Harlem, New York City. Her father soon left the family and her mother raised Hazel as a single parent. Her mother dreamed of musical stardom, but she recognized her daughter’s natural gift for playing the piano and moved her attentions from developing her own career to nurturing Hazel’s talent. Alma set her daughter up for an audition at the Juilliard School. Minimum entry age was 16, but Alma insisted they let Hazel audition. The young pianist marched in, and a virtuosic Rachmaninov Prelude flowed from her fingertips. One of the judges labelled her a ‘genius’, and she was granted a scholarship on the spot. Professor Paul Wagner accepted her as his own student. By the age of 16, Hazel Scott regularly performed for radio programs for the Mutual Broadcasting System, gaining a reputation as the "hot classicist", who mixed jazz and classical music. She became known for her skills in improvisation and ‘jazzing up the classics’ – playing Bach, Mozart and Liszt sped-up and syncopated. Soon, she started playing nightclubs, and she headlined at New York’s Café Society, the first proper nightclub in America. Café Society was one of first integrated clubs, and it featured the best talent of the day – from Miles Davis to Nat King Cole. Scott soloed at Carnegie Hall, and in 1940 – at just 20 years old – she released her debut album, Swinging the Classics, to rave reviews. She bcame a superstar overnight, and she she soon had a chauffeur and had her hands insured by Lloyds of London. By 1945, Scott was earning $75,000 (over $1m in today’s money) a year.

Aged 22, Hazel Scott made her debut in a New York musical. And Hollywood came calling. Until then, Afro-Caribbean actresses in Hollywood had nearly always been cast as prostitutes, slaves and maids. But Hazel had it written into her film contracts that she would not play any demeaning, subservient roles. In fact, she had it written that she would only play herself, Hazel Scott. Hollywood said yes. Hazel featured in five Hollywood films, notably I Dood It (1943), Broadway Rhythm (1944) and Rhapsody in Blue (1945) and would become one of the highest paid African American entertainers in the country. She was also the first person of African descent to have their own television show in America, The Hazel Scott Show, which premiered on the DuMont Television Network on July 3, 1950. Soon her personal life would heat up as well. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. was a Baptist minister, and New York City’s first black councilman – and he was already married. But he and Scott hit it off like a shot, and they began a secret affair. Powell divorced his wife, and married Hazel five days later. Their marriage was controversial; their fame astronomical. Everyone was fascinated with the couple, and photographers followed them everywhere. In the late ‘40s and 50s, Powell and Scott were one of the most famous black couples in America. The couple became parents to their only son, Adam Clayton Powell III. In Powell’s eyes, Scott was now a mother, and he requested she stop performing in nightclubs. While he was away in Washington on business, she performed concert dates across the US. In, 1950 right-wing journal Red Channels put out a list of actors, musicians and others in entertainment industry suspected of being Communist sympathizers. Fearful, Hazel volunteered to testify before the House Un-American Activities. She denied being a communist, but strongly criticized the blacklisting process in a blistering speech. Hazel’s speech made the headlines. Her television variety program, The Hazel Scott Show, was cancelled a week after Scott appeared before HUAC. Her concert bookings took a nosedive. Around the same time, Scott’s marriage to Powell was falling apart. Scott suffered a nervous breakdown in 1951.

In 1957, Hazel fled America and moved to Paris with her son, and she and her husband divorced. He later married his secretary. She had a second wind in Europe, where Hazel’s music was popular again.In 1963 she marched with other African American expatriates – including James Baldwin – to the US Embassy in Paris to protest racial injustice and support Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington (where he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech). In 1967, Hazel decided to return to America and settle. By this time, the Civil Rights Movement had led to new legislation ending racial segregation and protecting black citizens. Scott went back to playing in New York nightclubs. But by then, rock n’ roll was the new jazz, and jazz artists in the US were struggling. In 1981, Hazel Scott died of cancer. She was 61 years old.

Next, I’ll focus on another classical actor you never head of. He was arguably the first major black star of the stage: Leo Ira Aldridge.

Stats

birthdate: June 11, 1920*

*note*: due to the absence of a birth time, this analysis will be even more speculative

major planets:

Sun: Gemini

Moon: Aries

Rising: unknown

Mercury: Cancer

Venus: Gemini

Mars: Libra

Midheaven: unknown

Jupiter: Leo

Saturn: Virgo

Uranus: Pisces

Neptune: Leo

Pluto: Cancer

Overall personality snapshot: There was something of the racing champion in her. She had speed, flair and a self-assertive pugnacity which is constantly jockeying for position. In her, nerves and adrenaline combined or conflicted. When she combined her intense willpower and convictions with her strong communicative ability and intelligent curiosity, she could become a great persuader and salesperson with a touch of poetry and a clear, inspired vision. Indeed she was a purposeful, ambitious intellectual. She expected to have her own way and was a natural leader and spokesperson in her chosen field. Her quick, intuitive mind leaped to conclusions and always had a plausible reason for her every impulsive utterance and action. Indeed she was a whiz with words, wit, satire and pointed jokes, and could be a veritable escape-artist and rationalizer when it came to talking her way out of situations and arguing that black is white. She liked to travel, to be up-to-the-minute, on the move and on her toes. Twenty-four-hour rolling news and current-affairs programs were dreamed up for and by the likes of her. With her quick intelligence and enthusiasm she made a vivid speaker and inspiring teacher, though she got impatient with those less nimble-witted than herself. She had the gifts of a formidable lawyer, a natural writer, broadcaster, politician or debater. In short, this is an ideal combination for any job where you have to think on your feet.

Nonetheless she was probably at her best when she developed an area of expertise in which was an authority, for she needed to be her own person, to be able to say what she thought and not pull her punches. Her eternal youth, explosive energy and exuberance was the envy of many. When it came to putting over her ideas on something in which she believed, her power-assisted words hit the world like sustained gunfire. Yet for all her quickness, curiosity and with-it, streetwise dexterity, she had about her a certain naive, bright freshness and spontaneity, which no amount of negative experience could dull. She said what you saw, heard and thought, though seldom what she felt, for feelings were not your strong suit. Although she ‘felt strongly’, even passionately, about things, she did not empathize well with other people. She considered their problems and pains to be something they needed to sort out themselves, unless she happened to share their problems, in which case she soon mounted a one-woman crusade with the assistance of her clear, incisive wit, passionate rhetoric and scathing indignation. Her forthright, pugnacious approach and strongly held views made her a formidable adversary but can also make her, to her indignant surprise, some bitter enemies. Yet at the end of the day she could shrug this off with a witticism, for often humour and a good belly laugh were her best medicine.

She had a very good memory and found it easy to learn subjects that interested her. She was very kind and thoughtful towards others. Her imagination was very keen, but if it got carried away, she may have experienced irrational fears. Even though she may have tried to maintain a scientific and objective outlook, her mind was actually dominated by her emotions. She was very perceptive, intuitive and compassionate. If she felt threatened or challenged, she tended to withdraw and say little. However, if she was further provoked, she had plenty to say. She had a boost of self-confidence and faith in herself and what she could accomplish. She used every opportunity she could to show others what she could do. Because she was eager and creative in exploiting her potential, her development and progress was reasonably fast compared to others. Luxury and pleasure attracted her, as did all forms of pomp and ceremony. She could be autocratic at times, but she possessed a genuine desire to please others. One thing that turned her off was when people lacked the strength to stand their ground when they were in the right. She expected a lot from those who are close to her, but she gave a lot too if she felt they were loyal. Emotionally, she was quite serious, and her close relationships may lack some warmth and humour. This can be partly attributed to the fact that she felt a strongly developed sense of responsibility and duty in everything she did. She found herself drawn to people who were responsible and self-sufficient, although she liked to believe that they depended on him for stability and security. She held high standards and had a tendency to be critical, which meant that she could act act quite severely towards subordinates. Her standards may have been so high that nothing ever seemed good enough, leaving her dissatisfied with both herself and life in general.

She belonged to a generation gifted with original and unusual artistic talents, highly imaginative, secretive and visionary. She personified the Piscean Uranus generation in the sense that she felt uncomfortable facing reality, finding the world a difficult place to survive in. She relied on negative escapism as a preferred way of escaping the harsh reality of the world around her. The unknown and the taboo appealed to her, because she wanted to have the freedom to explore and think for herself. She was part of a very artistically talented and creative generation that wanted to escape from the demands of the world around them into a world of excitement and glamour. Members of this generation love the theater and the cinema, in fact, any sort of creative self-expression. They also believed in the rights of any individual to express themselves. This generation was both idealistic and romantic, selfish and individualistic. Scott embodied all of these Leo Neptunian ideals. Also, as a member of the Leo Neptune generation, she experienced and fully embraced changes in sexual mores and attitudes, changing the way people approach the whole issue of romantic relationships. Changes were also experienced in the relationships between parents and children, with the ties becoming looser. Scott was part of a generation known for its devastating social upheavals concerning home and family. The whole general pattern of family life experienced enormous changes and upheavals; as a Cancer Plutonian, this aspect is highlighted with Scott’s father leaving the family.

Love/sex life: She was forever choosing between her idealism and her curiosity, between her dreams of a perfect relationship and the tantalizing prospect of a new experience. At heart she was an exceedingly loyal lover who would do anything to make her partner happy but she also had a weakness for expediency in her sex life and she had a highly developed sense of fun. So, though no one could fault her intentions, she was not likely to be known for her consistency. Of course, this lack of consistency wasn’t always a bad thing. There was a playfulness about her approach to sex and an elasticity that kept even long-standing relationships fresh and lively. She was the lover who knew how to love meaningfully and still not take it all too seriously and she had an absolute confidence in the power of love that was contagious. So what if her flirtatious nature sometimes got the better of her. The intellectual sparkle she brought to lovemaking is worth a lot of forgiveness. 

minor asteroids and points:

North Node: Capricorn

Lilith: Scorpio

Her North Node in Capricorn dictated that she needed to develop the more caring and compassionate side to his personality and try to place less emphasis on the materialistic aspects of his life. Her Lilith in Scorpio meant that she liked life intense and was judged for her sexuality and general vibe and learned early on how to deflect moral judgments. She may have been tried in the court of public opinion but no way was she going to show up for the sentencing. She seduced and conquered on a daily basis. She was fearless as a musician and otherwise.

elemental dominance:

fire

air

She was dynamic and passionate, with strong leadership ability. She generated enormous warmth and vibrancy. She was exciting to be around, because she was genuinely enthusiastic and usually friendly. However, she could either be harnessed into helpful energy or flame up and cause destruction. Ultimately, she chose the latter. Confident and opinionated, she was fond of declarative statements such as “I will do this” or “It’s this way.” When out of control—usually because she was bored, or hadn’t been acknowledged—she was bossy, demanding, and even tyrannical. But at her best, her confidence and vision inspired others to conquer new territory in the world, in society, and in themselves. She was communicative, quick and mentally agile, and she liked to stir things up. She was likely a havoc-seeker on some level. She was oriented more toward thinking than feeling. She carried information and the seeds of ideas. Out of balance, she lived in her head and could be insensitive to the feelings of others. But at her best, she helped others form connections in all spheres of their daily lives.    

modality dominance:

cardinal

She was happiest when she was doing anything new (in her case, it was beginning new partnerships), and she loved to begin new ventures. She enjoyed the challenge of claiming territory. She tended to be an initiator—and a bit territorial as well. Also, she had a tendency to start more things than she could possibly finish.

planet dominants:

Mercury

Neptune

Moon

She was intelligent, mentally quick, and had excellent verbal acuity. She dealt in terms of logic and reasoning. It was likely that she was left-brained. She was restless, craved movement, newness, and the bright hope of undiscovered terrains. She was of a contemplative nature, particularly receptive to ambiances, places, and people. She gladly cultivated the art of letting go, and allowed the natural unfolding of events to construct her world. She followed her inspirations, for better or for worse. She was defined by her inner world; by her emotional reactions to situations, how emotions flowed through her, motivating and compelling her—or limiting her and holding her back. She held great capacity to become a part of the whole rather than attempting to master the parts. She wanted to become whatever it is that she sought.

sign dominants:

Gemini

Cancer

Aries

She ventured out to see what else was there and seized upon new ideas that expanded her community. Her innate curiosity kept her on the move. She used her rational, intellectual mind to explore and understand her personal world. She needed to answer the single burning question in her mind: why? This applied to most facets of her life, from the personal to the impersonal. This need to know sent her off to foreign countries, where her need to explore other cultures and traditions ranked high. She was changeable and often moody. This meant that she was often at odds with herself—the mind demanding one thing, the heart demanding the opposite. To someone else, this internal conflict often manifested as two very different people. At first meeting, she seemed enigmatic, elusive. She needed roots, a place or even a state of mind that he could call her own. She needed a safe harbor, a refuge in which to retreat for solitude. She was generally gentle and kind, unless he was hurt. Then she could become vindictive and sharp-spoken. She was affectionate, passionate, and even possessive at times. She was intuitive and was perhaps even psychic. Experience flowed through her emotionally. She was often moody and always changeable; her interests and social circles shifted constantly. She was emotion distilled into its purest form. She was a physically oriented individual who took pride in her body. She was bold, courageous, and resourceful. She always seemed to know what she believed, what she wanted from life, and where she was going. She could be dynamic and aggressive (sometimes, to a fault) in pursuing her goals—whatever they might be. Could be argumentative, lacked tact, and had a bad temper. On the other hand, her anger rarely lasted long, and she could be warm and loving with those she cared about.

Read more about her under the cut:

Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, classical and jazz musician Hazel Scott became one of America's premier pianists of her time. Born on June 11, 1920, this child prodigy first started tickling the ivories at age 3 under the guidance of her mother. She moved with her family to the U.S. in 1924 where she started performing in New York City and receiving scholarships to study classical music at the Juilliard School of Music -- all of this by age 8. Her mentors in jazz technique were Art Tatum and Teddy Wilson. Topping her talents off with a warm singing voice to complement her glamorous presence, she was a club and radio star by the late 30s and performed with such notables as Count Basie. She gained some attention for her swinging versions of classical themes. Hazel appeared in the productions "Singing Out the News" and "Priorities of 1942" on Broadway and played twice at Carnegie Hall. As a sometime actress, Hazel became a noted specialty performer in musical motion pictures, including "Something to Shout About" (1943), "I Dood It" (1943) and "Broadway Rhythm" (1944) during the war-era while releasing dozens of albums during her prime. Her most famous hit was "Tico Tico" and her catchy boogie-woogie style proved quite popular during the 40s, while her versatility and ability to shift from jazz to classical to blues was incomparable. Hazel married the Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Jr., noted Congressman, preacher and editor in 1945. She became the first black woman to host her own television show in 1950 but, within months, the show was canceled. An outspoken personality all her life, she was subsequently accused of being a Communist sympathizer. She refused to perform in segregated theaters and became a vocal critic of both McCarthyism and racial injustice. Following her divorce from Powell, she lived in Paris where she performed and enjoyed racial freedom during the 1960s. Her return to the U.S. marked a second career on TV with guest parts on such shows as Julia (1968) and The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (1969) coming her way. Scott continued to perform in clubs until her death from cancer in 1981. (x)