#WRESTLING ALL STARS: Heroes and Villains

[blowflyfag]

WRESTLING ALL STARS: Heroes and Villains : January 2000

[fallloverfic]

I'm not gonna lie, if your entire experience of superhero stories, and in particular stories that take a deeper look at hero as celebrity and the realities of certain types of power, is My Hero Academia, or you assume everyone else's is, you really need to explore more media. Folks have been examining celebrity via the lens of superheroes and power versus responsibility and heroes as corporate mascot since at least the 1960s, if not more closely in the 80s, with the release of comics like Watchmen. MHA's popularity is obviously formative for a lot of people at this point, and is going to entice people trying to make money to try to get at least some of the success MHA has had, but even MHA relied on familiar shounen tropes. That's not even getting into all the manga and anime inspired by superhero tokusatsu (e.g., Mr. Villain's Day Off, Samurai Flamenco).

It's just really weird to say that people are going into To Be Hero X expecting My Hero Academia. I'm sure those people exist, but it's not everyone, or even most people. If anything, given there is Japanese influence in it, as it's a joint Chinese-Japanese production, I expect something more like Tiger & Bunny, which I can actually see, to a degree, in the series. And there are other influences. Firm Man's story - principally the downsides of certain powers - reminds me a bit of some of the struggles Metamorpho (a DC Comics character from the 60s) faced. Enlighter reminds me a bit of The Question (another DC Comics character from the 60s). Heck, there's literally a game series about a woman with a portal gun. Steven Universe also dealt with identity crisis and mental health issues that come with a hero complex/superpowers/great responsibility (so did Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Revolutionary Girl Utena). I've been making references to the Sentry, a Marvel comics character from 2000 who has major issues with being viewed as a perfect hero and dealing with his mental health problems (which include anxiety and a form of disassociative identity disorder). Folks have also frequently brought up parallels with the French Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir (not just in the use of 3D, but primarily in how the characters act). There's also a whole ocean of idol-based series, and there are parallels with the pro wrestling scene, especially with Nice and Wreck's dynamic. In terms of belief defining power, the director of TBHX, Li Haolin, also directed the season 1 donghua adaptation for Heaven Official's Blessing, a story where gods have their power defined in large part by how many and how ardent their followers are, and losing followers can literally lead to power loss (and even death), and competition for more followers (and worship) is fierce. X himself reminds me a bit of cocky wuxia characters like Yan Wushi (both also have finger-based attack moves). Or even the more obviously comparable and better-known cocky character who snaps for attacks/to make things happen, Q, from Star Trek. Visually, it often gives me The Matrix vibes (Wreck's power in particular kind of looks glitchy to me), particularly from The Animatrix (particularly in that it's a shared universe with stories for different characters in different art styles) and even Summer Wars (another story about # of supporters making the difference in power). That's not to say TBHX is unoriginal, it is very much its own thing (and obviously China has been doing amazingly in terms of 2D and 3D donghua), and even though I can see elements of other things in it (most of which were inspired by still older stories), it is not just a collection of other stories. I'm just saying that MHA is not all superhero or power fantasy stories, or even what I think is most comparable overall.

[lovemyths]

hear me out: zosan pro wrestling au

i'm a huge wrestling fangirl and i've been thinking about how zosan really fits into this. let me lay out my argument:

pro wrestling is a mix of sports + theater/entertainment right? so while there is a sports element, pro wrestling has storylines, characters, and wrestlers engage in more dialogue-based scenes (promos) outside of the ring. HOWEVER pro wrestling as an art form has the blurriest fourth wall EVER. they often blend reality and fiction. things in storyline are represented as Real. but more often or not, Reality is brought into storyline. a big example of this is that when 2 wrestlers dislike each other irl, good business practice is to turn it into a storyline. so a feud can be a mix of fictional elements mixed with real animosity. MESSY!!

also because it's scripted, everyone in the match/storyline has to agree. which means you have to be willing to lose, or "put someone over" (make them look good). obvs if there's real beef between 2 wrestlers the politics of that can get testy

similar to acting wrestling has CHEMISTRY. it's very clear when 2 wrestlers just click in the ring. in fact there is a term called wrestling soulmates, which people use to describe a pair of wrestlers who simply bring out the best in each other naturally.

so. zosan.

often rivalries have a babyface (hero) and a villain (heel). i have so many one piece pro wrestling au Opinions and scenarios, but my ideal one for zosan is:

it takes place in the indies. babyface!sanji (nicknamed black leg) and heel!zoro come up in the business around the same time. they wrestle for different promotions (companies; side note: indie wrestlers are not contracted like in wwe so they can wrestle wherever whenever) for several years before they so happen to be booked for the same show. because they're both rising stars, they are scheduled for a match together. they're already familiar with each other's work, but there's an immediate tension there bc they are both trying to be The Indie Wrestler of their era. and their personalities clash. they clash a LOT while planning the layout of their match together.

but when they get in the ring, it's magic. inexplicably it's as smooth as butter when they wrestle each other.

which is good for both their careers, but also bad, because they hate each other and now companies all over the country want to book them together. so they're stuck in a storyline together, and unfortunately, it's the best work they've done in their careers so far. the wrestling is great, and their promos against each other are heated and leave crowds coming back for more beause they can't tell what's real or not. backstage though they get along like cats and dogs, especially when it comes to deciding who wins each match + how they can still look strong in defeat. the bookers don't mind they're both such divas because they put on a damn good match whenever the bell rings

but obvs working so closely together leads to bonding anyways, not to mention the intimacy of wrestling as a sport. some wrestling rivalries last multiple years, or decades, and rivals often are forced to team up for storyline purposes to.

what i'm saying is that maybe their storyline ends up leading to them being a tag team and going on the run of the century. maybe sanji turns heel and they're just an evil wrestling duo wreaking havoc around the country (they're both nice people irl).

i have a gajillion thoughts on this but i will stop here.

[raccoonfallsharder]

this question just came to my mind and has been lingering around in my noggin so

if rocket raccoon were to get his own solo movie, what kind of plot would you want to see???

CLOVER BLOSSOM! i missed you ♡ i hope life is treating you to a hundred gentle kindnesses and tasty snacks. this is a great question — thank you so much for asking it!! — and i really wrestled with it. because i think it’s actually so important for our guy to be part of an ensemble cast? he’s been solo for far too long? the map of rocket’s entire life and so many pieces of his identity (especially in the mcu) are based on this aching, painful tension between loneliness & connection: the forced alienation at the hands of his abuser and an uncaring universe; the self-inflicted isolation of his survival strategies and fears and guilty conscience — versus love, empathy, support, communication. joy-sharing. trust. friendship.and not only finding these things, not only offering them — but letting himself accept them, too. letting himself embrace them for himself.

so i think any movie i’d like to see with mcu-rocket would have to have some sort of relational component. (not me, writing way too much raccoon-smut.)

i’ll be honest. i think we got robbed in not seeing gunn’s short film about rocket meeting groot & tibius lark. i would love a rocket & groot film so much, and i'd love to use this as the (really long) cold open for the start of "my" movie. we would zip through the star-systems and asterisms, zooming in on whatever rancid incarceration-space-station gunn had in mind [feature coordinates here], and sink straight from the stardust right down into the pit-prison. rocket, groot, & lark would already be there — rocket trying to figure out his own escape.

i broke outta eleven prisons. this one ain’t no different.

lark will start storytelling, explaining his history with groot — then extracting rocket’s promise to take care of the flora colossus. perhaps, in the course of this conversation — a word i use loosely — lark would express a certainty that rocket would benefit from groot’s company as much as groot would benefit from his.

it’s good to have friends, lark might remind him.

once he’s secured rocket’s promise and groot’s safety, lark dies — which is when rocket uses lark’s leftover (robot) bodyparts to build a means of escape. then, as gunn described, rocket and groot burst upward from the pit, escaping their prison.

[roll marvel opening logo, with all the superimposed images in the letters being frames from rocket & groot comics]

we’d reopen in space, in some ship rocket had stolen from the prison. our two heroes have gotten far away already, and are about as safe as two fugitives with bounties on their heads can be. rocket would be trying to come up with a plan to get rid of groot while still honoring his promise to lark (more or less). he hates what he’s gotten himself saddled with, but he’s not going to break his word, either. lark had mentioned that groot had come from planet x/taluhnia, so rocket decides he’ll take the flora colossus back to his home planet and drop him off — wash the dust from his hands, and go back to hunting bounties and blowing up moons. good deed complete.

groot tries to protest, but rocket doesn’t understand him yet. still, groot’s distress is obvious. rocket only rolls his eyes and pushes onward, more and more irritated by his new ward.

unfortunately, when they arrive on taluhnia, rocket discovers that groot's people are long gone, and his planet is being systematically destroyed: flora colossi slaughtered, forests leveled in the name of planetary harvest. enter our villain: something more-or-less (depending on how cartoonishly-comicky you want to go) inspired by beavertron incorporated, under the advisement of shareholder castor gnawbarque (from blue river score, 2017). a little hacking on rocket’s part informs the duo that taluhnia is not the only planet beavertron has its hands all over. the company's a real piece of work, colonizing and destroying dozens — maybe hundreds — of cultures and planets in order to seize their natural resources.

groot is horrified by this additional information, of course: so many planets, at risk of being destroyed like his own. rocket is starting to understand groot a little better — he can at least read his body language and expressions — and though our little ringtailed guy is disgusted by beavertron, he still tells the flora colossus not to overreact.

don’t you know anything? this is just how people are.

rocket does, however, get super-frustrated when he realizes that his plan to dump groot on taluhnia can no longer — under any stretch of the imagination — be considered sufficient in keeping his promise to tibius lark. it gets him incredibly pissed, i'm sure — pulling his whiskers, probably kicking some grass — before finally sighing with his whole fucken chest and admitting that he guesses he's gotta blow up a frickin' coorporation now, 'cause how else is he gonna get rid of his adopted idiot?

oh rocket. i love it when you try to justify why you're doing something good.

anyway, highjinks ensue. rocket and groot probably manage to incapacitate gnawbarque — maybe there’s a collective somewhere that will pay good money to put this monster on trial. maybe beavertron collapses without gnawbarque, or maybe it hovers in the background to return for a future movie (perhaps volume two or three involves a heist at beavertron headquarters — trying to get some information down the corporation for good).

when the chaos settles and justice has been (more or less) administered, groot stands in the midst of a flattened taluhnisan old growth forest — bereft. rocket stands beside him, grappling with the increasingly-clear knowledge that groot really is the last flora colossus, and maybe this is the moment that our guy begins to realize how much he has in common with his new friend. i imagine rocket tries to offer some comfort — like he did for nebula in infinity war. a gentle, awkward pat on the hand, which groot tenderly and gratefully accepts. i imagine groot seeds as much of the forest as he can with his glowing spores, helping the leftover plantlife grow into something lovely and alive — but not sentient. the planet of taluhnia becomes a bittersweetly-beautiful living memorial.

and i imagine they both cry together. and perhaps that's when rocket begins understanding groot’s speech — fully, for the first time.

and then — standing side-by-side, silhouetted under the taluhnisan sky — rocket says, you know, i could probably bring in some bigger bounties if i hired some muscle. make more money that way.

oh rocket. i still love it when you try to justify why you're doing something good.

and then my babies fly off into the stars together.

[roll credits]

our post-credits scene will just be a montage of groot and rocket in various prison cells, with rocket nonchalantly saying i broke outta ## prisons. this one ain’t no different. on repeat. ad nauseam.

[britt-kageryuu]

A New Vod on the VTurtles! Channel. Titled 'VTurtles! Concert (and kinda verity show)'

--------------------

It starts with a short of the 3 Purple Dragons Models with their drones rushing around trying to finish setting up for the concert.

Wyvern yelling out that the show starts soon. Then yells at Wyrm(Jason) for tripping on a wire, and almost pulling something down. She just stands with her face in her hands.

"Drake (Jeremy), take the hatchlings, and get to the controls. Wyrm, if you weren't my step brother I swear! The show starts in 10. Get this fixed or you have to deep clean the Garage with a toothbrush!"

--------------------

The concert opens with Four Figures on a roof top overlooking New York City. Then music starts playing. Starting with a guitar riff, and "Rise~"

"Rise of the

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles~x2

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Heroes in a Half Shell Turtle Power!"

The lights turn on to reveal the Turtles Models in color coded ninja pants with their ninja gear over top, along their weapons on them. They start singing the song alternating lines as it goes on.

"Rising up against evil, paint the city Green,

Red is looking for a fight!

Blue is Making a Scene~

Mandarin's got mad skills!

Dee Rocks Machines!

With each other, they discover their destiny

And Rise! Cowabunga!!"

The song goes on swapping between scenes of the brothers fighting crime, and various villains.

----------------

Leo is doing a Solo Performance dressed in Glam Rock Fashion, singing some Queen.

Though mid song his voice cracked badly, leaving him feeling a bit embarrassed. A mumbled "I'm not a teenager anymore why?!" Could be heard as he tries to remember the lyrics.

----------------

A break in between music where Shelldon and River are teaching the 'Hatchlings' how to adjust their optics and which noises to make for max cuteness potential.

"And with this, you can get almost anyone to do whatever you want!" Shelldon says while River nods sagely.

From of stage there comes a yell of "Stop trying to corrupt your cousins!"

--------------

There's a rap battle and a dance battle going on at the same time. It's very hard to tell who is supposed to be winning.

Up until Raph accidentally sent Donnie flying across the stage with his tail. Then it was called a draw with a cut to the next segment.

--------------

Donnie, Mikey and Leo are singing Zero to Hero from Hercules, just changing some words to relate to Raph, while said Turtle is sitting on a throne with a Wrestling Belt.

Stars Model is sitting on the armrest, dressed in light blue workout gear that showed off many of her star shaped 'spots'. She looks very amused with everything, because Raph is slightly embarrassed by his brothers.

--------------

There's a break from the songs, this time Donnie is playing an AR Whack-a-Mole game. Thought the 'Moles' are foot ninja, and they're wielding a giant purple hammer.

Donnie is laughing and shouting Bonk every time they hit one of the ninja.

The game ends with showing that Donnie got a new high score.

--------------

Splinter has taken the stage singing and dancing to some classic songs. Draxum is shoved on stage to sing a duet with Splinter too both of their embarrassments.

-------------

Every one is on stage for the finale singing 'We Are (Family)'.

As they sing and dance around, there's pictures of them with their friends and family popping up on the wall. Including some pictures from when they were kids. All edited to look like 3D models overlaying the original picture.

I.E. Raph and Star posing together. Leo chatting with Usagi while Spot nuzzling Leo's cheek. April, Cass, CJ, Mikey, and Donnie baking together. Splinter reading a picture book to the turtle tots.

There is surprisingly also a couple pictures with the Purple Dragons with their drones.

-------------

Masterpost

I had some plans for this, but kept running into the 'which songs' dilemma, and kept getting stuck on what they would be singing.

[mlp410nightcore]

Hi Everyone!! Here is my main 7 cast for my Blossom Love AU. The Main 7 cast are Andrea (the one with the mask cutie mark), Zelda (the one with the lighting bolt cutie mark), Alexander (the one with the paw print in the heart cutie mark), Marcellus (the one with the cookie cutie mark), Big Sugar (the one with the apple slice on a muffin cutie mark), Phoebe (the one with the heart and four pointed star with wings cutie mark) and Cinnamon Sugar (the earth pony with the purple bow as I couldn't give her a cutie mark due to Phoebe's hair being in the way LOL). (Parents of these next gens will be mentioned in a comment below this post). Andrea is somewhat sweet and kind when she wants to be, but if you mess with her friends and family, she will not hesitate to beat your ass. Andrea's love for wrestling and having a job as a pro wrestler is how she got her cutie mark. Zelda is super nice and friendly as well as a world renowned hero in Equestria but Zelda never let's the fame and praise get to his head and keeps a low and not egotistical image about himself both on and off camera. Zelda was born with super fast flight and his wings glow bright when he's reached top speeds. Although, he sometimes goes too fast at times and tries his hardest to find safe and soft places to crash into to slow himself down. He got his cutie mark after discovering that he can fly at really fast speeds that were never achieved by any other pegasus and started using his flight powers to help others. Alexander is super sweet and loves taking care of animals just like his mother and he's also dating Phoebe. Alexander got his cutie mark after he discovered his love for animals. Marcellus is quite the gentleman and loves to treat others with the respect that they deserve. He's also quite soft spoken and doesn't like being the center of attention much but he is very social and does like to hangout with his friends quite often. He got his cutie mark after discovering that he's an amazing baker and loves to bake treats for everyone. Big Sugar is very kind and super honest. He's also very hard working and takes pride working with his family at Sweet Apple Acres. Big Sugar got his cutie mark after finding out that he loves to make apple themed treats and started selling them to help out the apple family. Phoebe is sweet, polite and soft-spoken. She's also the princess of Ithersia since her parents, (Samurai Jack and Itward), were given the throne after saving Ithersia from Remor and King Sombra. Phoebe got her cutie mark after saving some citizens from evil kamalas. She became an alicorn after discovering her true potential and being an amazing role model to others. Cinnamon Sugar is very hyper almost all the time. She's also super good at baking, telling jokes and all around party planning. She got her cutie mark after finding out that she loves party planning and wants to follow in her father's hoofsteps and become the next big party planner in all of Equestria. Credit goes to chaostrical for the base I used and to Juicy Beast, COMIXGUM, Genndy Tartakovsky, Cartoon Network, Killmonday Games, ConcernedApe, Sad Panda Studios, Lauren Faust and Hasbro for creating Burrito Bison:Launcha Libre, The Heroic AU (Villainous AU), Samurai Jack, Fran Bow, Stardew Valley, Crush Crush and My Little Pony:Friendship Is Magic as well as creating the parents of my main 7 next gens and the next gen character Big Sugar too as well as the locations, Equestria and Sweet Apple Acres as well. I only take credit for my next gens, art, ships, stories and the Blossom Love AU. I hope you guys like this!!!

[freshie44]

Disventure Camp All Stars Episode 17

Looking writing a complicated process. I know this but ... like come on. Like I'm not trying to be dismissive, toxic, or giving into the heated feelings. But man this episode is bring out those feelings of hate. So please give me a moment to just let it all out and VENT.

Elimination: Grett

WHAT THE FUCKING POINT OF HER OUT MANEUVERING ALEC AND ELIMINATING ONE OF THE STRONGEST COMPETITORS IN THE GAME. IF WE ARE JUST GOING TO ELIMINATE HER NEXT EPISODE. To translate this into wrestling comparison. Grett was Miz cashing in on Drew McIntyre to become the WWE Champion only to get fed to Bobby Lashley. IT DOES NOTHING FOR THE TRANSITIONAL CHAMPION BESIDES MAKING THEM LOOKING LIKE A LOSER!!! IT ALSO MAKES THE WRITERS LOOK BAD FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SWAP CONTROL OF THE GAME FROM THE CURRENT "CHAMP" TO THE REAL "CHAMP" YOU'RE PUSHING. SO YOU HAVE TO SAC A CHARACTER TO DO THIS. For what may I ask?! The relationship that NONE OF US GIVE A SHIT ABOUT! Jake: Fuck it, EARLY GAME MEANS NOTHING

Conner: Character Progression, NO, regressing back to pre breakup because fuck it, we got to continue the FEUD, RANDY ORTON GOT TO BE CHAMPION DANIEL BRYAN SORRY! Ally: I'm sorry Grett, nah FUCK YOU. You are a flipper and just embrace it. YOU ARE NOT HERO, ACT LIKE A VILLAIN!

Riya: Fuck it, RIYA IS THE JOHN CENA v. RANDY ORTON ENDLESS FEUD THAT WOULD NEVER END! Oh now she feels bad about it, fuck you, how about you go fuck yourself. She didn't feel bad about try to kill someone but since it Conner she feels bad, SCREW YOU! Sorry I had to get the heat out, I not saying the writers are bad. But man this episode did not work for me.

Last Episode | Next Episode

[partheniad]

Hey, I wanna talk Taskmaster

I see a lot of people upset about Taskmaster fans reception of the MCU character. The biggest issue is that any real critique/complaints are being overshadowed by bigots upset that they put a woman in a movie. It honestly DOES NOT MATTER what gender Taskmaster is, but they also completely messed up the character. And this is something I get because when the Black Widow film came out, I didn't get it. I had read Taskmaster in some comics and was like, alright yeah, skull mask, physical mimic superpowers. So long as you get that you are pretty much golden. He's not that important of a character. He's not a big bad or possess any real pathos. Except that's the point.

To use wrestling terms, Taskmaster is a jobber, aka enhancement talent. He is somebody who comes in to do the job and make someone else look good. This is 90% of supervillains. Now, you can get a jobber a story arc that works and provide some pathos, etc. But it's not why people love them- and there are people who love jobbers. It's because they are the heart and soul of the industry. Like, do you have any idea how hard it is to go out there and get wrecked safely? To sell for someone else and let go of your own ego? More than that they are regularly needing to perform better than their opponent by creating more flash and spectacle that their star-studded counterpart hasn't needed to train up. But the lack of big storylines/connections to the hero is why they regularly don't work as movie villains. They are no one's nemesis. Raimi wanted to just use Sandman for Spider-Man 3 but got forced into using Venom because the latter is a NAME. And while the Lizard may have a good gimmick, he isn't going to get over as a sole villain cause he isn't compelling. Taskmaster doesn't work as an overarching villain, he's someone's dragon. A hired gun our heroes need to get through. And this brings us to why Taskmaster has fans. Because he is a mercenary, but he isn't driven by money. He loves this shit. Taskmaster is driven by the love of the game. Someone who, when he gets his ass kicked, just got those moves stored in his mind to use on others later. Also being a mercenary, he's a complete bastard. He is a FUN character. Also, he doesn't really belong to anyone. He's probably fought Captain America more than anyone else, but Taskmaster is hero-agnostic. You can slot him in anywhere and he can hold his own and give the audience an entertaining fight. He's the king of jobbers. This means that better than being genre-savvy in the way a meta-character like Deadpool, he is just savvy. My guy has fought most heroes, he's worked for most big villains, he knows his way around the block.

So yeah, I don't have any issues with Antonia Dreykov as a character, I think she works as an idea. But she's a complete blank slate in Black Widow, possessing zero personality. And everything we've seen in Thunderbolts has shown her being... completely quiet. Also- she's completely gone from the promotions lately and is likely gonna die. And it sucks because it feels like they've failed two characters here- Antonia, unfortunately never felt like a character, just a source of trauma. What's the grief-stricken version of a sexy lamp? Meanwhile, the character never felt like Taskmaster because... they never seem to be enjoying what they are doing?

Like... Black Widow is someone who kept going because she wanted redemption. Yelena is still going because it's all she knows and she wants to make her sister proud... Antonia could have been a really interesting foil by being the person who came out of it and kept going because it's what they actively want. But also they removed all of her agency in the Black Widow movie that, it's kind of hard to imagine that they are going to keep going through it when it's so tied to their trauma? But even now, I feel like I've given more thought to it than anyone writing the character at Disney. Anyway, if you want a taste of Taskmaster in the comics, I'd highly recommend Jed Mackay's run.

[whump-a-la-mode]

A Proper Education - Part One

Summary: When Villain is injured, they don't wake up where they expect

Includes: Villain whumpee, living weapon whump, dehumanization, shock collar

The rumble and lights of a lone car drove by, a single movement in an otherwise empty world. The lights of the city had all gone dark, neon signs turned off, with only the distant music of dance clubs serving to accent the breeze.

Hero crossed their arms, leaning back against the front of the building. Cold concrete pressed against their back. Next to them, Teammate had one foot pressed up against the wall, their head tipped back, gaze turned up towards the stars.

Guard duty was never the most entertaining, but tonight seemed to be dragging on. Their shift lasted all night, and only a few hours had passed so far. Would it ever end.

Hero sighed.

Teammate stretched their arms above their head.

“What’s this thing we’re supposed to be guarding, anyways?” Teammate question. “Some kind of medicine?”

“Something like that.” Hero replied. “It’s supposed to be able to make Enhanced people stronger. Something about strengthening your powers.”

“Alright, so, what’s the big deal?”

“The first batch was stolen by Supervillain, remember? Well, most of it. What we’re guarding, it’s what was left over.”

“Again… What’s the big whoop?”

“Teammate. When Supervillain got their hands on this, they tore down three city blocks. There were thousands of casualties. Remember? We were there.”

“Oh, right right right. So, we don’t want that to happen again.”

“Yes.”

“So we’re guarding the special super-soldier serum.”

“It’s not called that, but yes.”

“Okay.” They nodded. “But why us?”

“Because the others are guarding the transport truck that takes it away tomorrow morning. It’s our turn.”

“Bleh.” Teammate stuck out their tongue. “I hate night shifts.”

“Who doesn’t?” Hero commiserated. “At least nothing is going to happen. Supervillain won’t be coming back anytime soon, we beat them pretty bad. I’m sure they’re still licking their wounds.”

“What if someone else comes after it, though?”

“That won’t happen.”

There were a few more silent moments between them. Almost silent-- Neither of them noticed the soft padding of wolf’s paws, turning the corner of the building. Black fur blended in with the color of the night as a wet tongue licked sharp teeth.

Another step closer. Hero perked up.

“Do you hear something?”

“Huh? No, did you?”

“Yeah, I thought I-”

Hero had no time to finish their sentence as a flurry of black fur burst from the left. The wolf was a blur as it dashed as Hero, toppling them to the ground.

Meanwhile, from their back, Teammate took their bow, nocking an arrow from their quiver. As they drew back, Hero and the wolf wrestled on the ground.

Teammate released, sending an arrow in the direction of the tussle. On impact, the arrowhead exploded, a concussive blast that sent the two spinning. It was enough to get the wolf off of Hero.

They had a new target, now.

“Hey, doggy, nice doggy!” Teammate tried, nocking another arrow all the while.

“Teammate!” Hero shouted as they climbed to their feet. “It’s not a real wolf, that’s Villain!”

The wolf let out a growl, crouching down and preparing to pounce. Teammate launched another arrow, right at the wolf’s front feet. Yet, by the time it landed, the wolf was gone, a goshawk in its place. The bird flew over Teammate’s head, barely escaping another fired arrow.

Hero scrambled to their feet, having recovered from being knocked down. They extended a hand, electricity crackling between gloved fingers, as they struggled to aim at the fluttering bird.

A bolt of electricity snapped through the air, something which the goshawk narrowly avoided. It allowed itself to fall to the ground. An instant before touching the ground, the goshawk had turned into a nimble mouse.

“Dammit, Villain!” Hero snapped, clenching their fists. “We don’t have to do this y’know.”

The mouse let out a series of squeaks that sounded awfully like the words Hero had just spoken. Were they being mocked by a mouse?

There was no time to consider that possibility. Villain was on the move again, scrambling up the concrete wall and dashing onto the door handle.

Another arrow was loosed. A tiny hummingbird deftly ducked out of the way.

There was a creak as the door fell open.

Teammate’s arrow had shattered the lock.

“Oh.” Teammate spoke. “Oh shit.”

Before they had much time to react, Villain’s form had changed back to that of a wolf. They shouldered open the door, paws clattering against the tile beyond.

Hero and Teammate shared a panicked glance before giving chase.

Villain’s paws clattered against the ground as they leapt up a flight of stairs, taking three steps at a time. Their black fur sharply contrasted with the white walls around them. How stupid to keep the Serum in some random laboratory. There was hardly any security to speak of! This would be easy, more than easy!

Raising their nose to their air, they scented out the strong, pungent chemical smell of the Serum. It was close by, it had been taken this way, not that long ago.

They continued down the rest of the hallway, up until they came to a door. They stood on their hind legs, scrabbling at the handle with their front paws. Behind them, they could hear running footsteps growing closer. 

“Villain! You’re not going to get away with this!” Teammate shouted. 

Yeah, right. Why did heroes always feel the need to say ridiculous things while they lost?

With some effort, the door opened beneath Villain’s paws, which they kicked open with their hind legs. 

The heroes were getting closer. They’d wasted too much time.

Paws turned to hooves as wolf turned to gazelle. The more nimble animal leapt down the hall in a series of jumps. Behind them, the heroes made it to the top of the set of stairs that VIllain had just climbed.

The Serum was on this floor, they could smell it. 

“Villain!”

“Villain, stop!”

Their hooves clipped against the floor as they leapt over carts and printers. At last, they found it, the source of the scent.

They were going to be akin to a god.

Villain shed their animal form, allowing themself to again stand on two legs. They pushed open the door to the lab, picking through tables and chairs before finding the fridge they were looking for. It was low, unassuming. One would never expect that it held behind its door an unlimited power.

Taking a deep breath, Villain opened the door. Then, everything went black.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

With a click, the video on the screen stopped. The person in front of it pushed back from the desk.

“What do you think?”

“I think it has potential. But it needs training.”

“Training, yes, certainly training. With training?”

“With training, we’ll have quite the weapon on our hands. All it needs is a proper education.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

When Villain awoke, it felt as though their head had been rung like a gong.

The world below them was cold, yet their body was overheating all the same. What had happened? Their eyes ached as they struggled to blink them open. 

The world around them was bright, shining. They struggled to remember where they had been last. There had been fighting, and… Oh, yes, the lab. That was right, they’d been in the lab. They must’ve still been there.

White tiles came into focus overhead as the staccato thrumming of their skull began to quiet. Villain lifted a hand, rubbing their eyes as they sat up.

They let out a small, panicked sound, scrambling as they realized two things:

For one, they were not alone.

For two, they were not in the lab anymore.

The hospital room around them shimmered with white, as though it had been just polished. They lay on a bed with white linens, surrounded by carts and cupboards, all done up in stainless steel and baby blue.

Across the room, a figure sat in a chair. They wore a lab coat, holding a clipboard. Some sort of doctor, then. 

Had the heroes brought them here? Had they gotten hurt, somehow? Every possibility made Villain’s heart thump faster.

The doctor did not take long to notice that Villain was awake. As soon as they sat up, the doctor raised their head. A pair of glasses framed their eyes.

“Good morning.” They spoke as they stood. “It’s good to see you awake.”

“What…” Villain rubbed their head, still out of it. “What’s…”

“Don’t fret.” The doctor spoke as though it were a warning. “You were hurt. We saved you.”

“I was hurt?”

“Don’t you remember? Hero Team.”

They did remember. Being chased down the hall, all the way to that room, then black.

“They caught up to me.” Villain echoed. “Are you-” At once, they tensed. “Are you one of them?!”

The doctor gave a small chuckle.

“No, I’m far from one of them. Trust me, I’m on your side. I can only hope you’re on mine.”

With that, they turned, leaving the room. Villain heard the lock on the door click.

Whatever that doctor said, they didn’t trust them. They glanced to one side-- There was a window. Well, this would be easy enough.

They closed their eyes, imagining their arms turning to wings-

A shock lurched through their body. Villain’s hand shot to their neck.

Was that a collar?

Where were they?

[kcloveswrestling]

Tony Khan x reader

AN: Typically I wouldn’t write for TK…but here’s one anyways…

@unoficialy-married-to-ace-austin i was left unattended… may have a Part 2 in the drafts…

——————————————————————————

In the bustling offices of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) headquarters, Tony Khan, the founder and president of the company, was hard at work. He had a reputation for being a passionate and dedicated leader, always striving to make AEW the best wrestling promotion in the world. Today was no different, as he meticulously went through the details of upcoming events, reviewing matches, and discussing potential storylines with the creative team.

As he sat at his desk, a knock on the door interrupted his concentration. Startled, Tony looked up to see a familiar face entering his office. It was one of AEW's top female wrestlers, [Your Name], a rising star in the wrestling world.

"Hey, Tony," [Your Name] greeted him with a warm smile.

Tony Khan returned the smile and motioned for her to take a seat. "What can I do for you, [Your Name]?"

She hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I just wanted to say thank you for the opportunity you've given me in AEW. It's been an incredible journey, and I appreciate your support."

Tony Khan leaned back in his chair, his eyes filled with pride. "You've worked hard and earned every opportunity, [Your Name]. You're a vital part of our roster, and I believe in your potential."

As they continued to chat, [Your Name] couldn't help but admire Tony's passion for the wrestling business and his dedication to the AEW brand. She felt a connection to him that went beyond just a professional one.

Over time, [Your Name] and Tony Khan began to spend more time together, discussing not only wrestling but their personal lives as well. They shared stories, dreams, and their love for the industry. Tony was not just her boss; he was becoming a trusted friend.

As their friendship deepened, it wasn't long before their feelings for each other evolved into something more. They shared a secret romance, meeting in hidden corners of AEW events, stolen moments that they cherished.

Their love story was one filled with passion, ambition, and the shared love for professional wrestling. It was a story that thrived in the midst of chaos and drama, just like the wrestling matches they presented to the world.

In the world of AEW, where heroes and villains clashed in the ring, [Your Name] and Tony Khan found their own love story, proving that sometimes, the most unexpected connections can be the most genuine and enduring.

[heckyeahponyscans]

Thoughts on MLP Make Your Mark Chapter 4, Ep 2: Top Remodel

This was a busy episode with many threads: Sunny learning that being a leader means you can't please everyone, Pipp and Hitch clearing rats out of the old Canterlogic factory, Zipp examining Twilight Sparkle's message, and Misty wrestling with her reluctance to follow Opaline's orders and kidnap Sparky.

The last two plotlines were definitely the most interesting, but I get the sense there's a playset coming up so they dutifully advertised Canterlogic, which got turned into "Canterlove Studios."

Interestingly, Sprout returned and (kind of) helped Pipp and Hitch with the rat infestation. I think this was to inform the viewers that he isn't going to be a background villain; he ends up giving his stamp of approval to the studio and seems to be on okay terms with the main cast. Also his family doesn't seem to own the factory anymore, since Sunny is doing whatever with it. My fanon theory is that his family had to pay restitution to Sunny for destroying her home and almost killing her with a giant robot so she now owns the place.

Oh, we also see Phyllis in the background so she's still around.

I think she's congratulating him on a good school report. I also think he plagiarized from some other pony.

Anyway, as Zipp replays Twilight Sparkle's message, she notes that Twilight said she put the magic of Equestria in "the crystals and the [static]".

My theory is they're in a tree (or maybe in nature itself?) because there's that tree in Maretime Bay that Zipp said "seemed familiar" (and there's even a picture of its blossoms on the wall), plus we get a shot of the book (from the winter holiday special) with unicorns gathered around a tree. If it's not in a tree then I don't know, maybe the Elements of Harmony are still kicking around.

Speaking of the book, I went back to the Winter Wish Day special to get a better look at it and noticed that the gilded figure on the right--which I had assumed to be a unicorn--has feathers. So she's an alicorn. The figure on the left has bone-like structures behind her head, not sure if those are meant to be wings or not. Also there's a star in the middle that looks a lot like Twilight Sparkle's symbol. So maybe the other two figures are Celestia and Luna? However the book is post-dystopia, as it also shows Zephyr Heights on the cover.

When Misty overhears the message Zipp is replaying and reports it to Opaline, Opaline describes the Unity Crystals as "conduits . . . elements . . . a very complex spell containing unity magic."

She also says that Twilight was the one who put all the magic of Equestria into the crystals. So, yeah, magicless Equestria was Twilight Sparkle's fault. On the one hand I'm not a fan of this; I don't like it when a sequel is like "Actually your heroes sucked, and they got everything wrong." (Looking at you, Star Wars sequel trilogy.) IMO they should have had Twilight live out her life as a successful monarch and then two or three rulers later everything got screwed up.

On the other hand, this dumb plan does seem exactly like something Twilight Sparkle would do, because she always had a certain naivety. I can picture how she would think it out: "There's strife between different kinds of ponies. How can I stop it? I know! Every pony loves having magic, so if magic only works when everyone is friends then the ponies will be motivated to get along! :D"

Anyway, Zipp deduces that the pony who wants the crystals must be extremely powerful--like an alicorn! I'm extremely curious to learn how much modern Equestrian ponies know about alicorns. Equestria has lost so much historical knowledge, does the general populace even remember Celestia and Luna? The townsfolk of Maretime Bay (except Sunny and her dad) didn't think it was possible that earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns had EVER gotten along, so a pony who had elements of all three breeds would probably seem outlandish. (Or a creature of nightmare.)

Random thoughts:

As in Tell Your Tale, Pipp has a love of spookiness. Did Zephyr Heights have an equivalent doll line to Monster High? (Monster Hay?) At any rate she's a fan of the Spooky Stable series.

"I ain't afraid of no ghosts!" Hee hee!

The oldest pony in Bridlewood is Elderflower.

Misty makes a junk-pony so she has someone to talk to. Oh Misty . . . She reluctantly concludes that she should kidnap Sparky even if it will make the other ponies sad. "After all, they already have each other." Man, that really tugged my heartstrings.

aw no, now I'm sadder

[blowflyfag]

WRESTLING ALL STARS: Heroes and Villains : January 2000

[crayonwarrior1]

My rankings of Wrestlemania 40 matches (from somebody who knows very little about wrestling)

DAY 1

Rhea Ripley vs Becky Lynch - 4.5/5 stars

I'm going to be honest, I really didn't know what this match would hold because I wasn't a big fan of woman's wrestling, but I would like to publicly say that I was wrong. It was too standard to go any higher than I rated it, but for what it was, it was brilliant.

Six-Pack Tag Team Ladder Match - 4/5 stars

I love a good match gimmick, and ladder matches are pretty much always great. Now, I can acknowledge that, from an objective standpoint, the match could've been handled significantly better in a few regards. First, it felt like not all 12 participants really played a role in the match, and so I feel like less people were necessary in the match. Second, the Smackdown titles were grabbed really quickly. I get that A-Town Down Under are supposed to be douche heels, but still, the match could've benefited from a few more minutes without a title being claimed. Third, it felt like New Catch Republic were doing work and got nothing, which was sad. So, why is it so high? One reason: I love The Awesome Truth. R-Truth got so many fun spots in the match, and I was cheering him on all the way. Also, although I knocked on the match, it was a fun match regardless and still was full of cool spots.

Rey Mysterio and Andrade vs Santos Escobar and Dominik Mysterio - 2.5/5 stars

Look, I like the Mysterios. But we already watched this match last Wrestlemania, and making it a tag match didn't nearly change enough to justify seeing it again. Yes, it was enjoyable. Yes, I didn't hate it. Yes, the interference from the Eagles players was enjoyable. But we really didn't need this match.

Jey Uso vs Jimmy Uso - 3/5 stars

When we get a Bloodline story match, a certain expectation of quality is held by the crowd. This match was short, mostly just kicks, and didn't really hit that Bloodline mark. Frankly, I was disappointed. But, the Usos always deliver a fun performance, and I was entertained for the (albeit short) duration of the match. Honestly, when I read that the two of them were facing off, I envisioned a spot in my head where they both superkick each other at the same time (I have literally no clue if it's been done before, but I think that would be dope). Also, Lil Wayne didn't really add much to Jey's intro, and, despite a certain commentator's remarks, he is not "the greatest rapper of all time".

Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair, and Naomi vs Damage CTRL - 3.5/5 stars

When I say that I know little about wrestling, this is a match where that fact is wholeheartedly applicable. What I will say is that this match, along with pretty much every other match so far (minus the first one) suffer from their short length. Because of the longer main event, the matches leading up to it don't really have time to fully develop. Also, I feel like this match would be better if I knew Jade considering that the match was essentially a squash match for her. It was a fun viewing experience, if not a little confusing at times.

Sami Zayn vs Gunther - 4.75/5 stars

This was a classic underdog match. One commentator (I forget which) compared the match to Rocky IV, and I think that was a big inspiration for the match. Sami Zayn's comeback was brilliant and awe-inspiring. The match was great, but it lacked that big surprise to promote it to five stars.

The Rock and Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins - 5/5 stars

If nothing else, this Wrestlemania had some of the best main events in history. The Rock's commands to the ref ("You count, you're fired.") really helped bring the long tag team match together, making it more like a no disqualification match than a standard tag team match. Cody and Seth both played great heroes, and Roman and Rock both played great villains. Unfortunately, the outcome was predictable in order to get Sunday's main event to be the match stipulation it was meant to be. But, it's a great match, and it really sets an excellent stage for the next main event.

DAY 2

Drew McIntyre vs Seth Rollins (plus Damian Priest vs Drew McIntyre) - 4/5 stars

Seth Rollins had an admirable showing after his beating the previous night, and although he lost, it was much closer than a lot of us (and Drew McIntyre) expected. Damian Priest's cash in was a favorite moment, especially considering McIntyre and CM Punk's feud and fight crescendoing into a cash in. Ultimately, you have to love a cash in.

The Street Profits and Bobby Lashley vs The Final Testament - 3.5/5 stars

The match was very standard in structure for a match, with heel domination, a flip, and the heroes defeating the villains in the end. It was fine, but it really felt like a match that solely existed for Bubba Ray Dudley to referee and ultimately assist in defeating The Final Testament. I like the Dudleys, but I wish that a bigger focus would be placed on the actual talent. Also, I'm not really sure why Snoop Dogg was involved with the commentary other than the advertisement. It just felt random. And all the marijuana jokes really took away from the match and weren't funny. Sorry, Snoop.

LA Knight vs AJ Styles - 4.25/5 stars

LA Knight's rise to popularity is meteoric, and his first Wrestlemania match didn't disappoint. I do wish that the match was fleshed out more, but LA Knight beat AJ Styles. Who can argue with results? Both wrestlers had a good showing, and the crowd was invested throughout. It's not going to be a classic, but it was very enjoyable for what it was. Also, why was LA Knight a sellout to Slim Jim at the beginning? It just seemed odd for the egotistical narcissistic personality of LA Knight to bow down to the corporate masters of beef jerky.

Logan Paul vs Kevin Owens vs Randy Orton - 4/5 stars

I'm about to say something that may be seen as controversial. I like Logan Paul. I think that the man plays a great heel, and that he's been playing a great heel since he made his YouTube channel all those years ago. Frankly, though, I'm not really a Kevin Owens fan. He's just not really original in any aspect. Pretty much all of his moves are just moves from other wrestlers. And, although I like Randy Orton, he's getting older, and I'm sorry, but I don't think he should really have a US Championship run at this point in his career. Speed's role in the match was entertaining, and Logan Paul really sold his character well, but I just wasn't fully invested in the participants, so it fell on deaf ears.

Bayley vs Iyo Sky - 3/5 stars

This match probably deserved more stars than what I've given it. But, by this point in the show, I was just falling asleep. I don't know if it was the match's fault or my own poor sleep schedule coming back to haunt me, but it just failed to engage me fully. I'm giving it 3 stars because the crowd seemed engaged and what little wrestling I could stomach was good.

Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns - 10/5 stars

I'm not joking with that review. This is genuinely, in my uninformed opinion, the greatest match ever wrestled. The pacing, the story, the interference from other wrestlers, and everything else was perfect or nearly perfect. If you didn't watch Wrestlemania and somehow stumbled upon my 0 follower Tumblr account, go watch this match now. Don't search anything else. Don't even finish this review. You'll lose it, I promise. Now, for those of us that have seen it, my only real note was that I wished Dean Ambrose would've joined Seth Rollins in his Shield entrance, but he's a AEW guy, so I get why that wouldn't happen. Other than that, though, the match is perfect.

OVERALL - 4.75/5 stars

This Wrestlemania felt like it suffered from success with its main events in the sense that, because they were so long with so much star power, every other match was overshadowed heavily and many matches felt far too short. But, for being the first Wrestlemania of the "Paul Levesque era" (Stephanie McMahon said that), it was exceptional, and it really started the show and sent the viewer home every night with a bang. It gets so many kudos for those main events, even if other matches weren't quite up to snuff. Overall, I think I speak for WWE fans everywhere when I say that I'm excited for more Triple H writing.

[limpfisted]

WYLL’S FLAWED PERSPECTIVE. or, how to “read” my replies!

i personally believe wyll is a flawed character and its important to give him the full spectrum of emotions beyond “good” “kind” or “bad” “evil.”

i am personally working on trying to stay “ic” and true to my characters, without pushing the character into saying something that will like, be good for a ship, or like, be an “rp people pleaser” if that makes senses!

i don’t JUST want to have interactions where wyll is perfect. to me, wyll has flaws in the way he communicates and sees the world. this does not mean he is not heroic, or a kind, decent man—it just means i love him as a character for his layers. these things make him more REAL and complex than i think wyll as a PERSON wants to be, in a kind of “hide my truth, hide my feelings, elsa frozen kinnie” way

so without further ado, here are some things wyll might do or want to do or say incorrectly or percieve your character in the wrong way even tho i personally would not behave in the same ways irl On Purpose For Some Of These Things

CONDESCENDING. wyll believes he knows best. wyll believes he can say all the right words and “fix things.” he can make EVERYTHING better. he has a SAVIOR COMPLEX. while never being a perfect martyr, he really does think he can “ahaaha dont have depression ur so sexy” ur ass by being gentle and kind and roleplaying a fairy tale with you. additionally, if you seem “soft” in some way, or “meek” in some way, wyll want to “help you” more.

AVOIDANT. wyll does not want to talk about what he wants, what he notices, what he feels, except in poetryor tall tales or threats of violence. his pretty words sometimes hide an emptiness, a dreaminess. he speaks of things he cannot have and will not ask for. he is embarrassed to want, embarrassed to need, attention, desire, anything but charm and protecting the innocent and meek.

OVERLY ROMANTIC. this ties in with above. he idealizes people, he puts them on pedestals, he treats them like they are made of glass. he does not humanize others or himself enough, and prefers to live in a world of fantasies and pretend.

BOASTFUL. wyll tries to be humble—but this is to match a persona. if you dive even slightly deeper into things, he’s all too happy to tell you how strong and heroic he is, to the point of condescion and vanity. on the other hand, he will not take you seriously if you threaten him! he’ll threaten you back! he doesnt give a single fuck!

BLACK AND WHITE THINKING AND SNAP JUDGEMENTS. to wyll, you are either “hunter” “prey” “hero/villain” the person he needs to protect people from. he will bide his time—but it is difficult for him to trear villains kindly, and he will NEVER truly respect them as people, unless they prove they have changed or are not trying to hurt anyone currently.

WILL WORK WITH VILLAINS. WILL MAKE DEALS WITH DEVILS. WILL ALSO HUNT THEM FOR SPORT. easy to understand, wyll believes he can “control” devils, if they are useful to him. wyll can ally with evil—even if he is just biding his time to kill them later.

VIOLENT. ROLEPLAYER. if you are evil, he will just want to kill you and that’s that! he wanted to kill every goblin at that camp! he relishes in violence as long as it’s for justice. he gets off on the power and pomp of it n his heroism—even when its not actually heroic

WORDS GET AWAY FROM HIM. he will speak with intention, but has a tendency to ramble poetically. when angry, and threatening someone, sometimes he makes no sense at all bc he just wants murder myrder death death justice

A SILLY BILLY!! he can take himself very seriously, but also he is brainweird and skin hungry n loves to touch n be weird and wrestle n write funny poems and get drunk n dance under the stars. he’s a silly ex-(would have been a theatre kid but his dad wanted him to join jrotc instead) kid! he likes big bold gestures. he is EXTREMELY REPRESSED, but the closer he gets to u, the more ull see his joy n not just his “good hero”

DEEPLY LONELY AND APPROVAL SEEKING. wyll really likes it when people pay attention to him. nore than he likes actually doing good things, sometimes. note: there is nothing wrong with doing good things for recognition, everyone deserves recognition of hard work n pain. but it still makes him more interesting to me than generic hero!:

EASILY CORRUPTABLE / MOLDABLE / MANIPULATED. he approves of killing for auntie ethel n them immediatley goes. oh. fuck. oh no…. i fucked up. im trash…. he got i. cahoots with mizora and thinks he CHOSE that bc hes so so good!

NOT IN TOUCH WITH HIS FEELINGS. wyll doesn’t always know wgat’s going on his beain/heart, n honestly he doesn’t want to think abt it too hard! but i will! i always will, wyll.

SMART, BUT DOESN’T CARE ENOUGH TO QUESTION. i dont feel like writing anymore god free me. free me from the sin of my hubris. free me. no more writing

THERE ARE MORE THINGS PROBABLY BUT I DONT FERL LIKE WRITING THEM. LOOK AT MY PRETTY HC BANNER ITS SO PRETTY. GOODBYE FOREVER

something so,ething hes traumatized and pushes people away n puts them on a pedestal so they can never know how scarred and scared and unworthy he feels bc of the deep loneliness inside him from his family’s emotional instability coupled with being homeless as a teenager with only an abuser to guide him thru his late teens, etc

[coochiequeens]

Tuft has made it clear she’s willing to lace her boots back up and re-debut — not as the “monster of a male” she says she once was, but as a trans athlete who loves her body." If he really wants to show he's not a "monster of a male" he would only go against oppents who went through male puberty. Or switch to the other wrestling company that does have TIM performers.

BY SAMANTHA RIEDEL December 8, 2023

Former pro wrestler Gabbi Tuft says she wants to return to a WWE ring “very shortly” and face one of the company’s biggest stars, two years after publicly coming out as transgender.

Tuft, who underwent open-heart surgery in 2019, revealed to TV Insider she recently stepped between the ropes for the first time in over a decade while visiting a training school owned by industry veteran Dustin Rhodes (formerly known as Goldust). “Since I did that there has been a huge resurgence and feeling for what I love,” Tuft said, adding that she was actively seeking medical clearance to compete once more.

“I said to my doctor, ‘Hey, review my scans. Am I clear to go wrestle if I want?’” Tuft said. “I’m hoping to hear back from [them] this week to see if I’m a hundred percent clear. If that’s the case, very shortly I may resume training.”

In her original run with WWE from 2008 to 2012, Tuft wrestled under the moniker “Tyler Reks,” a troublemaking villain or “heel” who played a reliable foil to the company’s heroes. As Reks, Tuft faced off against numerous high-profile male stars of the era, some of whom are still active in WWE, like Kofi Kingston, The Usos, and (somehow) CM Punk. In her comments to TV Insider, Tuft praised one potential future opponent who’s rocketed to wrestling fame and Sapphic adoration over the past few years: Rhea Ripley.

Ripley, the current Women’s World Champion and resident leather-clad demoness of the “Judgement Day” team, has become a huge breakout star over the past few years, appealing especially to queer wrestling fans who dig black lipstick and shoulders. (It helps that calling her “mami” and/or “papi” is, according to WWE’s storytelling, canonically appropriate.) Ripley “is such a force in WWE. She is powerful,” Tufts told TV Insider. “To be honest, when I look at her and her athleticism and tenacity, I see a phenomenal opponent. A phenomenal match in the making.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Tuft praised fellow trans wrestlers Nyla Rose and Gisele Shaw, who perform in All Elite Wrestling and Impact Wrestling (soon to be rebranded TNA, again) respectively. “I love Nyla and Gisele [....] It’s incredible to see them part of the women’s division,” Tuft said, hinting she feels “like there is a spot there for WWE” to finally introduce an out trans wrestler.

“You haven’t seen it there yet. It’s raising questions as to why. Are they waiting for the right opportunity?” Tuft wondered. “It’s definitely a question in my mind. Maybe someday there is someone who can fill that hole very soon.”

Although WWE has yet to feature an openly trans or nonbinary wrestler on TV (and no, “Santina” and other comic-relief drag characters don’t count), the company has slowly opened its doors to queer authenticity, both in and out of the ring. WWE wrestler Steffanie “Tegan Nox” Newell came out as bisexual in 2020, followed by ring announcer Kayla Braxton the next year, while lesbian star Daria “Sonya DeVille” Berenato got engaged to her “ride or die” partner this February. (Kimberly “Piper Nevin” Benson made a coming-out post in 2019, but has since deleted it and hasn’t discussed her sexuality since.) And while WWE’s stories about gay relationships can get, uh, messy, Tuft is right to point out that the company could just hire a trans wrestler and let them wrestle, much as AEW has with Nyla Rose.

Whenever WWE is ready, Tuft has made it clear she’s willing to lace her boots back up and re-debut — not as the “monster of a male” she says she once was, but as a trans athlete who loves her body.

“[T]he day I stopped caring about what other people thought, was the day I truly became limitless,” Tuft wrote in her 2021 coming-out post. Alas, “limitless” is already taken as a wrestling catchphrase, but if Tuft does get cleared for an in-ring return, we’ll be first in line to get her merch regardless.

[paulsebert]

With that said I do believe there have been instances in which I and my friends have engaged in some rather ugly fandom. My online persona first arose in the late 90s/early 00's during the heyday of Television Without Pity, an now mostly extinct fanfiction sub-genre called MSTings, and the writings of the late Chris Hyatte For those who don't remember him I consider Hyatt one of the internet’s great cautionary tales. During the waning days of the wrestling boom fans call “The Monday Night War” Hyatte was a genuine rock star of what we called The Internet Wrestling Community. (Now we just call them wrestling fans.) His fly by the seat of his pants style was truly hilarious and paved the way for a generation of wrestling writers. Alas Hyatt proved to be his own worst enemy as the guy had no off switch. His tendency at lashing out at wrestling personalities (most notably former WCW and current AEW commentator Tony Shiavone)  and other fans like fellow Scott Keith resulted in him flaming out quickly. He was granted chance after chance burning bridges every time. At the time of his death in 2020 he had about 440 followers on Twitter which is two less than I have now. I was one of the last people to follow him in any capacity.

In that environment started writing comic reviews for Comics Nexus and Spider-Fan. I attained a great bit of a following for my reviews of Daniel Way's Venom, a book that I still consider one of the all-time hilariously bad comics of the era. Years later I met Daniel Way at a comic convention after he had largely redeemed his reputation with a successful run on Deadpool. As a young writer Way was in a position by Marvel management where almost ANY writer was doomed to fail. Basically Marvel signed him to write a new Venom comic only to be informed he couldn't use Eddie Brock. Way set out to write a horror comic inspired by The Thing only to be informed that it was going to be part of a PG-rated comics line aimed at Manga readers. When the series became the highest selling book in the fledgling Tsunami line by sheer virtue of being the first solo Venom comic released in several years Marvel asked him to shoehorn Wolverine (and subsequent guest stars) into the story at which point Way was like “sure why not.”  

Flash forward a decade later. Once again “angry reviewers” are in vogue as The Nostalgia Critic is at peak popularity as is Red Letter Media's Mr. Plinkett character. Even CinemaSins hadn't devolved into the complete clickbait that it is today. Marvel comics debuts a book called Avengers Arena which teenage heroes from several previous books: Avengers Academy, Sentinel, and Runaways were first to duel to the death by Arcade who very abruptly went from Marvel's most fun villains to least fun villains. It was a shameless Hunger Games cash-in that was one of the most thoroughly unpleasant comics I've ever read.  I started blogging on Tumblr as a way of venting and it brought me a bit of catharsis.

However with a decade of hindsight I realize that I was probably too hard on writer Dennis Hopeless. Remember Hopeless’ original pitch for the book was a new version of Excalibur consisting of teenagers mentored by Captain Britain. It simply wasn't the book he had wanted to write but the book Marvel editorial wanted. He was in a lose/lose situation. It was only a run on Spider-Woman that was generally well regarded and a WWE tie-in Comic that was much better than the actual WWE television product that I really appreciated how talented he was. Like Way before him he was just a guy doing a job in a lose-lose situation.

I stopped doing my “Worst Comics of the 2010s'' series around the time that Marvel's Secret Empire event came out. The story was largely the victim of terrible and I mean TERRIBLE timing. The people involved didn’t predict the rise of Donald Trump and just how quickly everything would go to shit. In 2015 “dude what if Captain America was like the absolute worst” villain must have seemed like a can't miss idea. In 2016 it was a heart-breaking reminder of the country's wounded psyche and in its promotion of the event Marvel basically left writer Nick Spencer to be hung out to dry. While I find Spencer's body of work to be staggeringly uneven, he was ultimately just another work for hire talent in over his head.  With the benefit of hindsight I would have handled things a lot differently. 

With years of hindsight I probably would have voiced my views differently. It's tempting to blame the current abysmal state of comics discussion on the endless cycle of corporate reboots and gimmicks or reprehensible movements like “Comics Gate” but the roots are much deeper. In fact in some ways it might have been worse. Over on his blog Mark Evanier talked about how Mark Robbins became one of the most controversial Batman artists of his day simply because he didn't draw like Neal Adams. As hard as it might be to believe there was a generation of comics fans who called Jack Kirby “Jack the Hack” because they didn't like his later works like Machine Man and The Eternals. Then you have the whole sad backlash to Ron Marz and the H.E.A.T fan movement. 

It is too tempting to write creators off without looking at their whole body of work. Steve Englehart is simultaneously one of the most important comic creators of his era AND the writer of the hilariously clueless New Guardians. I dislike many of the comics Brian Michael Bendis has written but I respect the importance of Ultimate Spider-Man and still look back fondly on his Daredevil run. Howard Mackie who became fandom's shorthand for “Hack” because of his Spider-Man runs recently made a comeback of sorts for Marvel on a Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider-Mini series and having read the first two issues it's a lot of fun! I'm rooting for him.

I want people to know that I am monitoring the situation closely. I understand the concern but I also do not want to cut anyone off unless I absolutely have to. I am content to focus on my own conduct before pointing at others.  For now I simply ask fans to treat comic creators like human beings and wish to lead by example. I'm not against a little well placed anger or even a tiny  bit mean-spirited humor but I'm just going to be more careful in how I wield it. I haven't written much about comics as of late due to my work/life schedule BUT when I get around to it I'm going to try to be a lot more respectful in my own writing. I simply ask others to do the same.