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yumeka36 · 3 years ago

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Analysis on the absence of Elsa and the Northuldra in post-Frozen 2 stories

If you've been following post-Frozen 2 storybooks and comics as closely as I have over the past year and a half, you've probably noticed that the majority of stories take place in Arendelle and focus on Anna partaking in adventures with Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven. While Elsa has appeared alongside them in a few stories, as well as a couple of her own stories taking place in the forest with Olaf and Bruni, the ratio of "Anna stories" vs "Elsa stories" is pretty one-sided. And, while new characters introduced in Frozen 2 like Mattias, Halima, Bruni, and Nokk, have had some appearances in post-F2 stories, the Northuldra have had zero…not even mentions or cameos. I’ve been pondering on this topic quite a bit and finally got around to writing all my thoughts. This is a long and thorough analysis so sit back, enjoy, and put your thinking cap on...

The lack of Elsa in post-F2 stories is puzzling since both Anna and Elsa are fairly even when it comes to post-F2 content in general; all the post-F2 merch I've seen has both of them in equal amounts, and pictures of Elsa are always all over the magazine covers and paper craft pages that the comics come from. So it's not like she's being excluded from post-F2 merch overall, she's just noticeably absent from most of the comics and storybooks. Again, this is puzzling because post-F2 marketing gives the impression of "Anna's doing her thing in Arendelle" and "Elsa's doing her thing in the forest," so an equal number of stories for each sister, as well as a few where they do things together, seems like the most logical way to go. Yet the ratio of post-F2 stories currently looks something like this:

Stories featuring Anna in Arendelle with other characters (no Elsa) - 56%

Book & Comic: Anna getting a gift for the queen of Chatho

Book & Comic: Anna getting an official portrait as queen

Book: Mattias getting accustomed to Arendelle again

Comic: Anna and Mattias visit Halima

Comic: Anna and Kristoff make a bicycle for Olaf

Comic: The gang helps Olaf find a new nose

Comic: The gang celebrates the spring festival

Comic: Olaf minds the kingdom when Anna is sick

Book: The origin of Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven's epilogue outfits (this one is technically not post-F2, but I'm counting it since it's so close to the end of the movie. Also it’s an upcoming book, so no link yet)

Book: Arendelle celebrates the cloudberry festival

(out of these, Mattias has featured in about 17%)

Stories featuring Elsa with Anna and the rest of Frohana - 27%

Book: Anna awaits Elsa's visit after their initial parting

Book: Explore the North (this isn't a storybook but a collection of isolated scenes during and after F2; since some scenes are post-F2, I'm counting it)

Comic: Elsa visits Arendelle for charades

Comic: Anna and co. visit Elsa in the forest to help Bruni

Comic: Elsa visits Arendelle for the snowman competition

Stories featuring Elsa in the forest with the spirits (and Olaf, no Anna) - 17%

Book: Bruni's Big Adventure

Book: Elsa, Sven, and the spirits help Olaf find a unicorn

Book: Elsa helps restore balance in the forest that resulted from the misguided actions of some travelers

(out of these, Yelena, Honeymaren, Ryder, and/or other Northuldra have featured in 0%)

*Major shoutout to @chileanon and @bigfrozenfan for translating many of these stories that aren’t available in English*

(my percentages are based on the number of post-F2 stories released thus far, to my knowledge, in the form of comics or books. Some stories have both a comic and book version, as well as two different book iterations with only slight differences. In these cases, I'm counting them as one. Since comics are released sporadically and only in a few European countries, my number may be slightly off if there were any not brought to my attention on social media. I'm very active with finding information about post-F2 content, so I feel my numbers are fairly accurate. And again, I'm only counting stories that take place post-F2, or at least within the timeframe of the epilogue, not stories that take place during or before)

(I'd also like to point out that Olaf is the only character who has appeared in every single post-F2 story so far. It makes sense since he's a very marketable character for the kids and simple to write for. Though this probably wasn't the intention, I'm seeing him as a connection symbol between Anna and Elsa as they go about their new roles).

So what is the deal with these ratios? As I said, both Anna and Elsa have been evenly highlighted throughout all of Frozen 2's marketing, and continue to be to this day (and Elsa is arguably the more financially successful of the two and Disney knows it), so why is Anna so much more prevalent when it comes to post-F2 stories? And why are the Northuldra so left out? Obviously they wouldn't feature in a lot of stories since they're not main (and marketable) characters, but if Mattias can appear in a story or two, why can't the Northuldra at least get a mention? If someone hadn't seen Frozen 2 and read these post-movie stories, they would think the only residents of the forest are Elsa, the spirits, and some animals. Is there a reason for this? These are the kinds of questions I will examine and attempt to answer in this post.

But before I get to the meat of this analysis, please take note of the following disclaimers (I apologize for the length of the disclaimers, but they're important things to keep in mind):

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Disclaimers

- All of this is my own speculation based on the facts made public; namely, the content of the post-movie stories themselves. Since I have no insight into the coordination, publishing process, or other planning/logistics behind the creation of these stories, theorizing is all I can do. I don't know to what extent executives at Disney dictate what authors can and can't write in these stories, whether the authors actually have a lot of creative freedom yet choose to write the stories this way, or whether these outcomes vary depending on factors like country and story format. So I'm purely going off the limited knowledge I have and what I feel is most logical.

- Continuing from my previous point, unless you have some insider knowledge about the inner workings of Disney Publishing Worldwide, Disney Press, or whatever branch of Disney creates these post-movie stories, exactly who is responsible for the way they are is unknown. I could be wrong of course, but I doubt that Head of WDAS Jen Lee has the need to personally green light 6-12 page comic stories that get printed in a foreign language magazine read by, like, 1% of Frozen's worldwide audience. Even though Jen Lee and Chris Buck created the story and characters of Frozen, the franchise is owned by Disney firstly, and it's very likely other people at Disney provide approval for things like this in lieu of the filmmakers. It’s doubtful that the Frozen 2 filmmakers had any input into the creation of these post-movie stories, or even know that they exist. While the Frozen 2 filmmaking team is responsible for how Frozen 2 ended, they ended it in a way for post-stories to easily expand on the Frozen-verse like how I previously described; some stories featuring Anna as queen and interacting with the people of Arendelle, some stories featuring Elsa in the forest interacting with the spirits and the Northuldra, and some stories with them doing things together. And technically this is exactly what post-F2 stories have been doing–we have stories featuring Anna as queen, stories with Elsa in the forest, and stories of them doing things together…it's just that the proportion of "Anna stories" vs "Elsa stories" is surprisingly off, plus the complete absence of the Northuldra. And again, whether it was someone's decision that the stories should be this way, or whether it's just a weird coincidence, is unclear. Is there a particular person or persons from Disney's publishing branches pushing for the stories to be the way they are? Or is it the individual authors' decision? Or some combination of both…or some other factor entirely? Yes, higher ups at Disney have to provide approval for every official piece of media that gets released for their IPs, but who is "Disney" in this case? A manager/supervisor at Disney Press? Is it the same person who approves every new story or just some? Is it just one person who approves or is there some long chain of approval? And if so, how far up does it go...all the way up to someone who actually worked on Frozen 2, or does it stop before then? Does it vary by country? Does it vary whether the story is in comic or book format? There are a lot of unknowns in terms of how these stories come about, so please be mindful of that fact before assigning blame to any one person or group of people.

- And lastly, again, I'm only focusing on post-F2 stories–stories that take place after the events of Frozen 2. I know that comics and books have come out after Frozen 2's release that take place during or before the events of the movie, such as a comic about Ryder helping Kristoff with the proposal and a book showing Frohana having a family game night prior to the movie. For this analysis, I'm only focusing on how the characters and franchise are presented post-movie, in brand new ways not yet explored in the actual canon of the movie. I'm more interested in seeing how these stories are shaping the franchise going forward in anticipation of new official canon content whenever it comes.

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So with all this in mind, let's keep analyzing…

Lack of Elsa

First I'm going to examine the main reasons I have for why we don't see Elsa as often in post-F2 stories:

Arendelle stories are easy and familiar: Personally, I think this is the most likely reason, especially for the comics. The comics are made as part of magazines released in a few European countries. They're simply extra selling points for the magazines, which contain other items that appeal to kids, like arts & crafts activities, and Elsa is always all over those even if she's not part of the comic. I would also venture to guess that the authors and artists who create the comics don't have a ton of time, or incentive, to weave together interesting stories. After years of releasing Frozen 1-based comics that almost always involve adventures in Arendelle, I'd imagine it's very easy for current Frozen comic writers to simply follow that formula, since it worked in the past and is easy and familiar. Sure, they could include Elsa in more of those stories, but if you look at it from the perspective of a comic writer with deadlines, if I could get away with writing an acceptable story without including an extra character to draw/write for, I would do that as much as I could. If Elsa is still in, like, 80% of the magazine, I think little kids would still be enticed to buy them even if she's absent from the comic stories. Obviously with Frozen 1, all the characters lived in Arendelle, so it wouldn't make sense to have a lot of stories without Elsa (though there were some). But now that Elsa is living elsewhere, her absence in these stories isn't as questionable, especially when she's still part of the magazine in general. While this logic applies more to the magazine comics than storybooks, I would still argue that the storybooks are also niche and are simply made to bring in a little extra revenue to small markets rather than a serious attempt to expand the canon.

So then the question becomes, why not show more stories of Elsa in the forest with the spirits and/or Northuldra? Those stories could be simple too, like a story about Elsa and the spirits helping Honeymaren find a lost baby reindeer or something like that. The reason for this could again boil down to Arendelle simply being an easier and more familiar setting to work with. If excluding Elsa from the comics has no affect on magazine sales, since she's already present in the rest of the magazine, why not just stick with a formula that works and takes less effort to write? Even if coming up with simple stories for Elsa in the forest isn't too difficult, Arendelle is a more recognizable and "glamorous" setting, especially for the magazine's target audience of little girls. Another key point is that Elsa's exact role in the forest was left much more open to interpretation at the end of the movie than Anna's role as queen. Being the queen of a kingdom is something easily identifiable, and again, easier to write for. Why risk depicting Elsa's activities in the forest in a way that could conflict with Disney's expectations (assuming someone with clout at Disney green lights these stories) when you can just stick with safe adventures in Arendelle?

Disconnect between stories and canon: This is more of a general statement about fandom interpretation of the comics and storybooks as serious depictions of post-movie canon: it's best to keep in mind that these stories are, again, simply made to bring in a little extra revenue for the franchise, as most of Frozen's earning are either from box office sales or toys/dolls and other merch. Most of the books and comics aren't made with a large, worldwide market in mind, so I'd hesitate to think that a lot of effort is put into creating stories that are true depictions of post-canon content that would perfectly align with a potential Frozen 3 or other future official releases. Many of the post-Frozen 1 stories released in books and comics contradict each other in minor ways, as well as the actual canon movies and shorts as well. This is unfortunately what happens when you have a franchise like Frozen that's owed by a company (Disney) and not an individual director, author, etc. Unlike, say, Harry Potter or Naruto, where the work is owned firstly by the original author who has say into practically every new media piece that's created for their franchise, lots of different people at Disney contribute to various pieces of Frozen media and bring their own interpretations into it…interpretations that could end up not aligning with each other or future canon content from the filmmakers. A few different authors write the post-F2 storybooks, and still different authors write the comics, and I doubt they collaborate to make sure everything in their respective mediums match up exactly, nor do they check in with the Frozen 2 filmmakers to make sure every story released is a clear representation of whatever vision the filmmakers have for not-yet-conceived post-F2 content. This might not be the case for a bigger production, like the Frozen novels such as Dangerous Secrets, and shorts like Olaf's Frozen Adventure, but it is for these little kiddy books and comics that a very small portion of the market even knows about. Even if someone at Disney has to approve them, as I mentioned in the disclaimer, we have no idea if it's the same person always approving, different people depending on country/format, or if there's some chain of people who provide approval. This spreading out of the Frozen-verse across different media formats and Disney branches unfortunately spells frustration for fans who are constantly trying to build one, coherent view of the franchise's world through the alignment of the comics, books, shorts, and movies. This is unavoidably the nature of the kind of franchise Frozen is–something that's owned by a multi-faceted behemoth like Disney rather than a single author, so there's going to be a disconnect between its media formats that are conceived by a variety of different minds at the company. In the end, everyone is free to decide what they do and don't consider canon, but don't be surprised when the image the storybook writing team has for Frozen ends up being different than what the filmmakers create years later.

The pandemic: While I don’t think the covid pandemic is the sole reason here, it could be a possible contributor. Manufacturing was compromised across various industries in 2020, and magazine/book publishing could have been one of them. Maybe Disney did have plans to create more post-F2 books in early 2020, but had to change those plans (among many other things) when the pandemic hit. Some possible evidence for this is that, for some of the storybooks at least, the European translations are based on the English versions, which means the English versions came first, and yet the English versions weren’t released until several months later, most not even in hardcover form. This could indicate a slowdown in this branch at Disney in the US, or at least a portion of it. The US did get some hardcover Frozen 2 books in 2020, like Explore the North, Bruni’s Big Adventure, and the Frozen 2 manga, but not as many as Europe, which is strange if these books started off in English first. Again, without any insight into the industry, I can only theorize, but I do believe the pandemic should at least be considered.

Disney restrictions for future canon: This is an optimistic reason, but one that I think is important to mention. A possible reason that Elsa is noticeably absent from post-F2 stories, but not F2 marketing in general, could be because Disney has future plans for exactly what her role as the fifth spirit is and they don't want to risk anything that portrays that role in a contradictory way. They might not know exactly what that role is yet, but they'd rather not risk retconning anything that's shown in official content, like the comics and storybooks. Since Elsa's role was left open to interpretation at the end of the movie, focusing too much on what she's doing everyday could inadvertently reveal things about her role that could be portrayed as expanding the canon, something that these stories aren't allowed to do. So perhaps the authors are told to downplay Elsa's activities in the forest as much as possible, so often they'd rather just exclude her altogether to make things easier. Of course, this is complete speculation, but I'd like to hope it's true if it means Disney has future plans for Frozen!

On that note, the only story released thus far that has a direct depiction of what Elsa does in the forest is Tales of Courage & Kindness, a digital book that was recently released as part of Disney's Ultimate Princess Celebration campaign. I feel like this book is slightly closer to canon than the other books and comics because it was promoted on various official Disney social media outlets (and was released in English, while many of the books and comics aren't). It depicts Elsa's role (one role she has at least) of helping the spirits protect the forest from outside influences that could throw off its balance. Again, this book is still pretty niche and we don't know if there was any collaboration between the filmmakers and the author of this story, so this depiction of Elsa's role could be downplayed in favor of something else in future canon content. But what I found most puzzling about it is that this book, which seemed to be written for slightly older children than most of the post-F2 storybooks, had a perfect opportunity to feature the Northuldra, since it takes place exclusively in the forest. And yet, there wasn't even a mention of them at all. Which leads to the next portion of this analysis…

Lack of Northuldra

Even though Elsa doesn't appear in as many post-movie storybooks and comics as Anna (for possible reasons I just discussed), she still features in some of them. The Northuldra, however, have not appeared in any post-F2 stories, even the few that take place in the forest. This is strange since the epilogue of Frozen 2 very clearly shows Elsa with the Northuldra at their camp, as well as with the spirits. But as far as post-movie stories, the most we've gotten is one line from Elsa in one of the comics (English version from the official UK magazine):

(thanks to Snow on Discord for sharing this with me)

We can assume the "anyone" she's referring to are the Northuldra who live in the forest (unless she's referring to the animals of the forest, lol. Also, why the heck are they calling Bruni an "it"? This is a prime example of what I mentioned before about the disconnect between the various branches at Disney. In the Bruni's Big Adventure book and other official content, Bruni is referred to as "he/him")

As a matter of fact, Olaf, who lives with Anna and the others in Arendelle, is more prevalent in the forest stories than the Northuldra! I feel like he's been added to these stories to give Elsa someone to talk to, since Bruni and the other spirits don't talk. But why not have her talk to Honeymaren, Ryder, or Yelena? I know all the kids love Olaf, but you'd think they could get away with having one story where Elsa interacts with the Northuldra, just like Anna has a couple of stories where most of her interactions were with Mattias. And like Elsa, the Northuldra aren't excluded from post-F2 overall as they're still seen occasionally in other merch. They're just not in any stories that are set post-F2. This exclusion of the Northuldra is very bizarre, so let's see what we can analyze for why it's like this…

The Northuldra aren't marketable characters: This would be a likely reason if it weren't for the fact that Mattias, who is also arguably not a marketable character, has appeared in a few post-F2 stories. In fact, many minor Arendellian characters often appear in the comics and storybooks…Halima has gotten more attention in these stories than the actual movie! So I think it's more than that, which leads to my next point…

The spirits are more marketable: This is probably why stories that feature Elsa in the forest aren't focused on the Northuldra. Again, assuming the stories in the books and comics are created just to bring in a little extra money and not as serious depictions of canon content in collaboration with the filmmakers, it makes a lot of sense to keep the focus on what sells the best. We know that (in terms of merch at least) Bruni and Nokk were the most popular new characters from Frozen 2, so why not have stories with Elsa in the forest focused on them? This doesn't contradict the ending of Frozen 2 after all. However, this doesn't explain why there's literally no mention of the Northuldra. Even if the stories focus on the spirits, they can at least show the Northuldra in the background or mention them here and there. Which then leads to my next point…

Few stories in the forest, so few chances: In conjunction with my previous two points, I think this is the main reason for the lack of Northuldra in post-F2 stories…there just hasn't been enough opportunities. First off, most post-F2 stories take place in Arendelle, so no reason for the Northuldra to be seen there (unless they wanted to depict Arendelle and Northuldra mingling with each other, but that concept is probably beyond the scope of the kiddy books and comics!) And as of now, there have only been four post-F2 stories that take place in the forest…

-Bruni's Big Adventure: this one gets a free pass because it's aimed at very little kids and literally just shows Bruni and Olaf goofing off, with Elsa making brief appearances at the beginning and end. The more descriptive European version does mention about Elsa living in the forest with the spirits and no mention of the Northuldra. But again, this book seems aimed at an even younger audience than the others, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the author needed to keep things very simple and only mention what’s important for the story at hand.

-A Day With Bruni comic: this one could have definitely shown some Northuldra in the background, or even mentioned them in Elsa's dialogue. I guess the idea was for the group to meet Elsa in a secluded area, since the story was about helping Bruni get his fire going again, which could be dangerous at a camp site. I still don't know why they weren't at least acknowledged in Elsa's dialogue, but that could have just been a conservative choice by the comic writer.

-A Unicorn for Olaf: while this book could have shown the Northuldra, since it features Elsa, Olaf, Sven, and the spirits travelling all around the forest, I kind of see why they didn't; the theme was that each spirit Olaf encountered helped him get closer to finding the unicorn–it's a simple and easy narrative for a little kid to follow, no need to complicate it by including extra characters (I know it's hard sometimes, but we have to keep the target audience for these stories in mind...it’s much more narrow than the movies!)

-Elsa's story in Tales of Courage & Kindness: out of all these stories, this was definitely the one where the Northuldra should have at least been acknowledged. The story features the forest getting disturbed/thrown off balance, so you would think Elsa would mention the Northuldra, the people living there, perhaps to ask if they know what's happening or if anything was wrong. Really strange that this wasn't the case…only reason I could think of is, again, insistence on simplifying Elsa's role in the forest as much as possible, which includes downplaying anything going on in the forest besides just her and the spirits. Maybe the book author wanted to include mention of the Northuldra, but then was told to edit that part out for simplicity's sake. In Anna's equivalent story in this book, Mattias is absent, which I found strange too. Maybe the author was instructed to keep things simple and not include extra characters if it's not necessary for the story (again, the target audience for this story is the general audience of little kids, not hardcore adult Frozen fanatics). But still more possible reasons for the Northuldra's exclusion from this story, and perhaps the others, could be as follows…

Disney restrictions on depictions of indigenous people: I'm not sure how valid this reason is, but we do know that the filmmaking team consulted with the Sami people about how the Northuldra were depicted in Frozen 2. So when it comes to depicting them in anything post-F2, perhaps Disney's being super sensitive. Maybe the image they want to avoid is "we got your approval to depict the Northuldra in Frozen 2, but as far as anything after that, we can do whatever we want." It wouldn't pay to consult with the Sami on all these little niche storybooks and comics, so why go through that hassle when it's very easy to just exclude the Northuldra from them? There are some flaws with this idea though, like where does Dangerous Secrets fit into this (it's not post-F2, but it's still content featuring the Northuldra in ways not shown in the movie). Then there's the fact that Disney doesn't have this restriction with their other movies that feature indigenous cultures, like Moana for example. But the argument there could be that Moana is a main character, so they literally couldn't have any post-movie stories if they had this restriction, so maybe different coordinating/negotiations took place in that case compared to Frozen 2.

The Northuldra are nomadic: This is a reasonable argument for why Elsa seems to often be alone with the spirits in the forest. But I feel like the movie tried to convey that the Northuldra live in the forest. They might travel around the forest to forage for food and set up camp at different locations, but they don't stray too far. In the movie's prologue, Agnarr does say that the forest was "home" to the Northuldra, and I don’t recall Dangerous Secrets giving any indication that they leave the forest for extended periods of time. But this is something that could definitely be addressed in future canon, I just don’t think there's enough evidence for it as of now.

Coincidence/author's choice: This applies not just to the absence of the Northuldra, but lack of Elsa in the post-movie stories as well…it could all just be a coincidence. Maybe the authors of these stories have freedom in terms of how they portray Elsa and whether or not they include the Northuldra, yet they simply are choosing not to. Their reasons for doing so could be what I've already discussed–stories in Arendelle are easier and more familiar, so why not stick with that when there's no consequences for it? And likewise, why continually include Elsa, an extra character to draw and write dialogue for, in the Arendelle stories when there's no need to anymore? Maybe tomorrow a new story will be announced that features Elsa in the forest interacting with the Northuldra and what I've said here becomes way less relevant? But I feel like it's not a total coincidence…like, maybe some countries are more restrictive than others, or some Disney branches are more restrictive, like the comics vs the storybooks. It's hard to say, but some of this could be coincidence for sure.

Conclusion

To summarize, there could be several reasons for why Elsa and the Northuldra aren't as prevalent in post-F2 stories, or it could just be a weird coincidence. I'm of the opinion that the authors of these stories keep the focus on adventures in Arendelle out of convenience and familiarity, since the books and comics are made just to bring in a little extra revenue from small markets. Elsa is still all over other Frozen 2 merch like dolls and toys, and that's where the bulk of the franchise's sales come from. The authors could be restricted by Disney in some way with how they depict Elsa's role in the forest, or whether or not they can include the Northuldra, so they often opt to just not have them in the stories, or just stick to the more marketable characters like Olaf and Bruni. Without any inside information about how Disney's publishing branch makes these stories, we can only speculate. But what I do know is that viewing these stories as an accurate image of what all future content for the franchise will be like is very premature. It's only been a year and a half since Frozen 2 (and only seven months since new animated content with Once Upon a Snowman). Even though that seems like a long time for fans, it's an extremely short time in terms of how long Disney takes to create new content for their animated films. Just look at how many years it took to announce new series’ for Princess and the Frog, Zootopia, and Moana? Monsters Inc. just got a new series ten years after its last movie, and Lion King, one of Disney's biggest hits, didn't get a series (The Lion Guard) until nearly twenty years after its sequel movie. Even if Disney seemingly abandons a franchise, they often come back to it in time, especially one as popular as Frozen. Unlike a franchise such as Star Wars that has a whole studio just for it, Frozen has to share resources with other Disney movies, which is why new content for their animated movies is spread out across so many years. And if we do get a Frozen 3 or a series on Disney+ however many years from now, there's a good chance it could portray the current status quo differently from these storybooks and comics, just like how the post-F1 stories feature a different status quo than now. Whether another change like this is good or bad has yet to be decided, but until it happens, I'd like to imagine it's something like this page from the Explore the North book (one of my favorite post-F2 images)

We see Anna and Elsa having fun together while Arendellains, Northuldra, and the spirits are learning to get along again...and honestly, nothing in these post-F2 stories I’ve discussed contradicts this scenario. Even if we don’t see the Northuldra in the stories that take place in the forest, that doesn’t mean they’re not there. Even if there’s fewer stories featuring Anna and Elsa together, that’s no indication of how often they get together in canon. As I discussed, there could be a number of reasons for why the post-F2 stories are as simplified and one-sided as they are...they’re only meant to extend the ending of the movie in minor ways, so that if Frozen 3 or other official canon content is released down the line, nothing will have to be seriously retconned. As I mentioned, a lot of hands at Disney touch these stories without paying mind to the fact that the filmmakers could conceive something different in the future, which is why I don’t take the post-F2 books and comics too seriously. I simply enjoy them for what they do offer and don’t get hung up about what they don’t offer.

#frozen #frozen 2 #frozen2 #disney frozen #frozen analysis #frozen comic #frozen books

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pla-teau · 4 years ago

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WANDAVISION SERIES FINALE THOUGHTS

WHOEVER’S CUTTING ONIONS NEEDS TO S T O P.

hayward | i was one of the many few who really wished death on the man cause he’s just the worst. this man emptied his clip at two children. i’m glad jimmy was able to pull a fast one on this dick and that darcy hit him with the ice cream truck and very happy to see the man being taken away in cuffs.

vision vs. vision | while i would’ve enjoyed seeing them fight it out until one completely lost, it wouldn’t be vision without some philosophic conversation. it’s true vision fashion. he doesn’t fight unless it’s a last resort. he’s logical and can assess other means in which to deter a foe. truly enjoyed the scene and now i’m just curious as to where tf white vision yeeted off to after regaining the memories from hex!vision? some have speculated possibly wakanda since that is the place where he died. twice. i would love to see him possibly interact with shuri since she would’ve appeared in the memory montage that hex!vision provided him with alongside other events from infinity war.

agatha (aka not mephisto) | overall, i loved agatha as a character and i’m glad she wasn’t killed off by the end of the series. i know she was more villainous in the show but i’m glad they somewhat neutralized her even if it was by cruel punishment brought upon by wanda to keep her trapped in westview as a nosy neighbor. it keeps the door open for us to see more interactions between her and wanda. i’m also glad that she was the foe wanda had to go against. i know many (like myself) speculated mephisto would appear and be revealed but i’m happy i was wrong about that. this is the first entry into phase four and to spill out a big bad right away? probably not the best move. i know ant-man 3 is planning on introducing kang the conqueror so i wouldn’t be shocked if mephisto is used as a red herring to distract us from the actual big bad of the phase, kang the conqueror (while still keeping mephisto around obviously for future battles and possibly use him as a big bad down the road).

family is forever | i was sobbing when seeing the hex start shrinking down in the distance outside the boys’ window. i love that wanda and vision made the move to put them to bed as a way of saying goodbye so they wouldn’t have to see them disappear. i hope to see these same boys come back cause i think no matter what your theory was on them, viewers fell in love with them. if planning for young avengers, i cannot wait to see them be a part of it. given that these boys weren’t real and not actually wanda’s children, i think they’ll go the route that they’ll find each other even if not as a blood related family but reincarnations that know that wanda was their mother in one instance and see her as a mother figure (alongside their actual mothers, of course). i just love them and i really wish they stuck around but i know this won’t be the last time we see them!

wanda’s outfit | i love it and i think pays homage to her comic book costume while still fitting the aesthetic of wanda and the mcu. love the attention to detail and the pattern on her headpiece. someone on here also pointed out in a post how it resembles magneto’s suit and it makes me love it more because of that. in conclusion, this is the scarlet witch and she’s hot.

wanda and vision’s farewell | if i was sobbing at billy and tommy’s fate, i was wailing by the time these two started saying goodbye. we learn that the main reason vision was able to be created the way he was by wanda was because of the mind stone. while she is the scarlet witch, she was exposed to and enhanced by the mind stone that ended up becoming vision. like she said, it’s a part of her. he lives on in her and overall, this scene just cemented that these two are meant to be together. they are going to be that power couple in the mcu moving forward, together or apart. we know these two are meant for each other and have so much love for each other and will find their way back always. while they may change, the one thing you can bet your ass on is that they fucking love each other.

ralph bohner | the twist that no one saw coming - peter is ralph. it’s clear that he was being controlled by agatha because the moment monica took off the necklace, he woke up from her spell. a lot of people are swirling around to say that he’s probably woo’s missing person. we don’t know that and it’s something that’s left unconfirmed. while i would’ve enjoyed the reveal to be peter actually being peter from the x-men universe, i’m also happy he isn’t. yes there was a lot of fanfare and hope for this series to introduce the multiverse but in retrospect, it would’ve been too much to throw at us at the beginning of phase four. throwing in the multiverse right away would’ve taken away from the series being about wanda (separate point i’ll get to at the end). do hope to see evan peters in a future mcu project, though!

wanda’s story moving forward | i hope wanda becomes a sort of anti-hero for the future. this does set up her appearance in doctor strange 2 and i can’t wait to see what she does. while agatha said she’s destined to destroy the world and her power exceeds the sorcerer supreme’s, i hope the writers don’t make wanda into this villain that loses her logic because of extreme power. wanda has proven agatha wrong already by acknowledging the error in her ways. when she realized she was hurting the people of westview, she let them go and stopped hurting them. she learned that yes, she is hurting them without knowing so what she has to do is let them go. wanda has learned throughout her years with the avengers the consequences her powers can have on people. we know she’s never been trained by a witch and yes, that makes her dangerous with her chaos magic. the second post credit scene shows us that she’s determined to teach herself even if it’s through the darkhold. in seeing what she’s done and the power she holds, i think wanda will be this gray moral character. she holds a great deal of power, the most powerful being on the planet at the moment, and that can cloud her judgement at times. despite being an avenger, this show has really shown us that wanda is alone. while she was with the avengers, what have they really done? they kept her in check and helped her utilize her powers for good but then when civil war happened, she was detained and treated like a weapon of mass destruction. the avengers are clearly nonexistent and those that are around, haven’t bothered with her. i also hope that this new phase of marvel kinda tears down the original avengers and their actions because while intentions were good, not everything or everyone was perfect and there’s consequences. and i hope those consequences are shown through the main characters of this phase like wanda.

the complaints | while i loved this show so so much, i did have some issues. while i enjoyed that this show fleshed out more of wanda’s past, i’m sad that they didn’t confirm or at least try to make wanda jewish since they completely erased her romani roots from the comics. this goes back to my whole thing with representation which i’ve mentioned before in response to an article. while i love elizabeth olsen’s portrayal and care she has for wanda, a romani actress still should’ve been cast from the beginning. the least they could’ve done was at least make her jewish even if ever so subtly because that is the other half of wanda’s identity, even if it’s been retconned often. if they are never going to confirm her as magneto’s daughter in the mcu, at least honor that aspect of her identity if you’ve erased one major one already. representation matters and i wish they tried to do right by the character since they clearly paid close attention to other aspects of her comic book history and took a deep dive into her mental health. come at me for these thoughts but i’ll stand by them. another is just directed at the press for the show (i’m looking at you paul bettany). while fans went ham on the theories and marvel will do anything to misdirect you, i think there should’ve been a clear up from marvel about bettany’s claims of a big cameo coming in the series when it was about himself. i get you don’t want to spoil the show and the big surprises it may hold for the audience but still. i think there should’ve been someone behind the scenes or bettany’s publicist could’ve kinda told him to stop hinting at a super duper big cameo. yes, fans got carried away but i think when you’re doing press for marvel, it should be somewhat common knowledge that fans are going to analyze and try to figure out wtf is gonna happen. it’s fun theorizing, don’t get me wrong but when it’s gone the way it has for this show, i think it leaves a lot of people unsatisfied. i’ll admit i was being a clown thinking i’d see patrick stewart as professor x again since he’s an actor paul’s never worked with before and would be a huge fan service for the audience like in the mandalorian season finale. tldr; crazy fan theories comes with the territory. my final grievance actually has to do with the set up for monica’s engineer. i was also hoping we’d someone big or someone that could be big in the future, possibly it was a skrull at the end but the tone and way monica talked about it, i think it was underwhelming to see a character that we came not to care too much about.

final thoughts | overall, i loved this show and it was refreshing to see marvel embrace the magical side of their universe as it continues to expand. the cast was amazing. everyone in the cast and crew deserve awards because this really gave us a show about wanda. i think a lot of people lost that (including myself) with all the theorizing; goes back to my complaint about press for the show. it gave us a show that dealt with trauma and grief in a way we haven’t seen before in marvel’s cinematic universe. i’ll admit i didn’t care much for wanda as i did with the others but this show made me care for her a lot more and made me a bigger fan of her and vision’s story. it grounded itself in dealing with wanda’s grief and trauma in a new way while also exploring her character more. so i’m happy that we didn’t get a super big cameo or that the multiverse wasn’t confirmed because then the tone and attention would’ve shifted away from this story being about her. i hope marvel can give us shows like this that make us care about a character’s emotions and feelings rather than just how cool and badass they look in a suit. it was clear that the cast and crew made this with such love and care that had good storytelling and kept us on edge every week. i hope that marvel can show us these types of stories and ranges from characters in future movies as well.

#scar’s thoughts and rants #scar’s theories #wandavision #wandavision spoilers #marvel #mcu #peter maximoff #monica rambeau #darcy lewis #jimmy woo #agatha harkness #vision #billy kaplan #tommy shepard

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muffindaddystyles · 4 years ago

Text

𝓛𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓢𝓾𝓷𝓰𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻 ❤︎

A/n: My moot from twitter made a whole thread that what if Harry wrote sunflower vol6. for some fan, she wanted the idea in words so here ya go!

Crowd just to admire Harry, cheering, loving, showering him in their evermost affection.

Harry performs like he was born for this; a punk rockstar with a flower crown on his head, bout to dominate the world just from his kindness.

After performing three songs he was engulfing in conversation with his fans and he points towards you but your friends gestures if he wants to talk to her.

You're wearing a pastel dress with hues of yellow accessories. You're so red in your own way, popping out from the crowd in the bloody bold way but you're shy and skittish around people.

You're just dancing along with your bestie, swaying your hips to only angel and then doing your own sexy moves to show your friend making fun of it afterwards.

Harry couldn't snatch his focus from you and the band noticed it so they teased him, tsking at him and mouthing him his pet name 'wep' under the loud shrivels of their guitars.

You wouldn't deny that you wanted to catch his attention too but you don't know how to.

Everyone's complementing him in their fondest way and whenever you parted your plump glossy lips to shout something nothing came out.

While playing guitar, Harry gazes at you intensely his brows furrowing when he sees that your bestfriend cupped your face to say something in your ear.

He's so fuckin' jealous. He wants to be there to cup your face, stroke you and maybe kiss you.

You looks so damn kissable. He thinks you're so golden beaming around the pink sky.

Now, when he's asking your friend's name out glancing at you from the corner of his eyes your heart drops. English isn't your first language, and this made your hands shake at the side.

You don't wanna fuck this up.

"What's your pretty name darlin'?" He smiles at you feeling a bit shy from your peer that's nothing but anxiousness, Sara and Mitch exchange looks with eachother while Harry waited patiently to get your calm voice to reach to him because at this point he can do everything.

"Y/n-y/n!" You're far from him so you shouted and it stuttered making you even more blush like a coral stone.

Fuckin' beautiful name, just like her Harry's heart gave a beat.

He doesn't want to dissapoint you by taking your name wrong, you're too precious to pronounce you differently that's why he reminisced your name many times under his breath before taking it.

"Y/n, right?" You bobbed your head a bit loosening up and smiling coyly fuck Harry wants to flop at ground just at this, "soo where are you from ba- y/n?"

"Not from here!" You told him now properly locking your eyes and Harry noticed your eyes colour's so common but looks so rare on you.

Harry mimicked you doing his comic accent, "No- Not from here, that's why asked ye' from where!?!" The crowd cheered and you laughed clutching your sides telling your country name.

"I hope you're havin' a good time, y/n." He grins combing his loose curls back and sipping his water, then throwing the water on the crowd intentionally so it would reach you and he could dive in another cute moment of you.

The whole show went like this but he wants you more than singing his melodies to you and he notices that you're getting exhausted and tired but utterly overloaded with cuteness forgetting lyrics to every other song now and then, your shoes aching you so you sat down but he jolts in panic thinking you just fell and is afraid you'll come under everyone's feet.

But when you again stood up he practically heaved shaking his to scold him that he shouldn't do this, he'll end up hurting himself from missing you and thinking about you everytime.

Getting attached too soon is Harry's weak point.

The show ended and he wanted to call you backstage but you were long gone leaving your sunflower-ey coral sunshine behind.

Harry went through his breakup going to Japan to give him his own solace, he went through his journal where he has written all his songs and his eyes fell over the cursive words he lovingly wrote on this specific side of his journal.

He wrote a song about you right after running backstage. Kid Harpoon wanted to make some changes in the lyrics but Harry criticised that no changes will be made in this particular song, he doesn't care if it's a hit or not, this came straight out of his heart and it matters alot to him.

One day he was wandering in london when you marched from a bookshop bumping square into one person you couldn't possibly imagine, Harry.

Your canvases, books, brushes everything flew to ground and Harry's on cloud nine a feeling of when he did shrooms spreads in his chest.

"Sorry. Shit yeah." You both said in unison squatting down to collect your things.

Your heads hitting and you giggled making Harry giggle too.

"Kay there's this saying in my culture that if your forehead gets hit by another person you should hit it twice else horns grows on your head." Your eyes glinting and he shakes his head gently pressing his head against yours.

He saw your fingers shaking so he again muttered a 'sorry' feeling bad for no-reason.

"Is it your painting?" He asked and you nodded taking the canvas from him, his touch's so soft you've only imagined it or heard from the people who met him that he has the softest warmest touch. "It's beautiful."

You're in awe of him. Ofcourse you love him but you don't know how much Harry's in love with you.

He's in awe of your talent too, he knew you'd love to paint from how vivid you're. It's one of the things he imagined bout you before going to bed.

Harry was taken aback by your respect for his consent when you asked him if you could hug him and he opened his arms wide for you.

"C'mere darlin'." Million sparks shooted inside his body when you coiled your arms around his neck because of your height, he's so happy he wants to cry.

Fuck this he wants you to be his and he's gonna drag his arse for it.

He sniffed in your shampoo and scent which's vanilla, strawberries and galaxies.

"Umm..y/n would you like to grab a coffee with me?" You are appalled. you never thought he'd remember you but who's gonna tell you that you were his only thought and the dream of his heart.

"Sure! Thank you." You beamed walking alongside of him to the nearest café.

Harry thinks you're so kind that maybe you felt rude to reject his offer but this's just his anxiety.

Anyways you talked to him about things he didn't know, you asked him how life's going even though his life's all where on the headlines.

You've never drank black coffee in your life but ordered it from the embarrassment of judgment from him and when you sipped it you practically gagged.

"Wanna swap, I just took a sip?"

"Thank you never drank black coffee in my life." He didn't asked you why but you yourself told him sipping from his and it's mocha sweet as him, "not very much common where I used to live."

Harry wants to get to know you more. About your culture, your interests and specifically just you.

"There's this get-together at my home this Saturday, would you like to come it's okay if you don't want to." He rubbed the back of his neck a little nervous.

"I'd love too!" You smiled even though you're all jittery from inside. You don't know what's happening but you're just going along with it.

"Kay. See ya there." He took your hand writing his number inside your palm and he swear that he felt like he dipped his hand into a sweet pudding when he held you.

You got ready with feathery makeup and simple outfit, you haven't told anyone that you met Harry. You've baked cupcakes for him because your mother has always taught you to never go empty hand to someone's house.

All the expensive cars parked at his driveway wanted to make you cry, you're so nervous.

Harry's nervy too he lectured everyone not to suffocate you and give her some space knowing how lovey-dovey his friends could be.

"And don't call me pet names infront her." He seriously told Jeff who offered him tequila but he pushed it away, there's no way he's getting drunk today. "Okay foof." Jeff patted him hardly.

"Hmm. Plannin' to become someone else's baby." Sara laughed sitting comfortably between mitch's legs and Harry shakes his head shyly snapping when the door bell rang.

He was out of breath when you were infront of him. He hugged you kissing your cheek and you took in his smell trying to calm yourself.

"Y'okay?" He frowned caringly placing his hands on your shoulders, your eyes are glassy that's why he asked.

Clearing your throat you handed him the cupcakes nodding and smiling, "yes umm here."

"Hi love!" Everyone greeted you and hugged you.

Harry was acting quite selfish taking the cupcakes inside his kitchen to eat them all to himself and when he came back you were chatting with his friends quite enjoying their company.

His mind crawls to the thought of you in between his embrace while his friends becomes your friends and you spending festives together, you hanging out with him at the places you love to be at.

You were praising their talents and then Harry's and he didn't miss the glimmer of admiration in your eyes for him.

"You're quite such a fan of Harry." One of his friends says and you just nodded not knowing what else to say. To everyone else you're just a fan that Harry invited to his home.

Harry glared him. The last thing he wanted to make you feel was invadilate your caring, humble and nice feelings towards not just Harry but to everyone.

"Can I steal y/n for a second?" Harry asked smiling down at you and Sarah spat playfully, "she's all yours."

"Uhh..thank you for these." He pointed at the delights you baked for him swelling his heart at your care and you shook your head.

"I love these on you." He indicated to the pearls around your neck. Hooking your finger to unclasp it you mumbled, "do you want it?"

But didn't waited for his answer and secured it around his neck. Shivers running down Harry's spine when the pads of your fingers brushed the baby curls over the nape of his neck.

"Thank you so much." Harry thinks he can't thank you enough. You just keep on giving him reasons to owe you, this's the perfect opportunity to love you and let you know.

He took you to his bedroom quickly going to his wardrobe and you looked around, he has frames of his family and his recently ex-girlfriend.

You don't know about her that deep but you know he was deeply in love with her, if ever you know how much he loves you.

In his recent interview he talked about how he met this person and the new album's all about exploring relationship. You think so the new songs will be about her, she really's so ravishing.

He came back sitting close to you and before you even properly look at him he locked a necklace around you.

A sunflower necklace falling between the valley of your cleavages. Harry has bought this for you in the hope that you'll meet him sometimes in this world again and wore it around his neck during the whole writing process of his album.

You opened the brass golden sunflower and it had 'you're my sunflower' encarved on it.

"You're the only cloud in my mind, the only dream of my heart. Can't stop thinkin' bout you it's been two years." You rubbed soothing circles at his knee closing distance between you two while he confessed his feelings for you.

"Please let me love you.." There was a crease on his forehead and you massaged it away smiling weakly at him because you don't think so if your heart's beating.

"I'm all yours to love." He whined at your words grasping you in his arms and shoving his face inside the crook of your neck.

"Can I kiss ye'?" He asked you and you intervined you fingers in his shaky ones.

Lips brushing his and his eyes fluttered close just at the approximty.

He placed your legs on both side of his torso flushing your chests together and peppering kisses all over your face carefully.

Pressing your temples against eachother when his lips were mere away from yours, and when you molded your hand around his face he leaned into kiss you.

Giving a hot swipe to the cupid bow of your lip, tasting every inch of you. Hands everywhere, kissed you and kissed you and kissed you until you weren't breathing his name.

"Fuck. Tastes just as I imagined." Your head fell against his toned pecs and he placed his lips over your hair hugging you tight for you could become one. His.

"M'little sunflower."

#imagines #harry styles blurb #harry styles #fluff #sunflower vol. 6 #cute harry

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propfortytwo · 5 years ago

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heres the entire plot of homestuck explained mostly

the story takes place over 4 (technically 5 counting the end) alternate universes, and starts in the 3rd one, but it makes more sense if we start from the beginning chronologically.

a race of humanoids called trolls who are basically just humans with grey skin, orange horns, multicolored blood, and varying degrees of psychic powers exist on a planet called beforus. things are relatively uneventful, until the abdicated heiress to an empire, meenah, discovers The Game(tm) on the moon.

the game, otherwise known as sburb (or sgrub to the trolls) exists to propagate the universe; a successful session of it creates a new universe entirely. it involves a server player manipulating the real environment of a client player to bring them into a type of pocket dimension called the medium aka the session aka the incipisphere whatever, point is, you get there. the client can then, from that dimension, host the server of another client and bring them into the same session, and so on; the trolls sessions have 12 players, and human sessions have 4. each player has their own ‘land’, a small planet vaguely themed around them with a unique poorly defined quest, but that doesnt come up too much so dont worry about it immediately. each player also has a unique mythological role consisting of a class and an aspect; there are 12 of each for a total of 144 possible combinations, for instance john egbert is the heir of breath. this not only defines their abilities, but also their personality and role in the story.

each session has a few constants: a ‘planet’ in the center called skaia, which is a bright ball of just sky, with clouds that show you visions of the future; at the center of it is the battlefield, a chessboard which gets bigger and more complicated as things go on. a session will also always contain prospit, a yellow planet that orbits close to skaia, and a purple planet called derse that orbits far away from it. in a game session, prospit and derse are at war, with derse seeking to destroy skaia and the battlefield by sending an asteroid belt into it; coincidentally, this also destroys the home planet of the players, as many asteroids are teleported into reality. in the sessions weve seen so far these asteroids also are used to paradoxically send baby versions of the players and their ancestors back in time but that isnt too important right now. each player has an alternate self called a dream self, which exists on one of the two planets (but doesnt have any bearing on their morality or allegiance, just personality). dream selves, along with the session itself, always exist alongside the normal universe before the game even begins, and under certain conditions your normal self will, when asleep, awake as your dream self and vice versa. in addition, a player who dies can be revived, but only as their dream self.

back to the plot; the beforus trolls aren’t very good at the game; in fact, they fail and spend a few years not being able to do anything until they discover a way to reset both their game and the universe itself, which will retroactively swap them with their ancestors as players and do some other things as well. they should logically not even exist anymore, but due to some shenanigans that happen in the 2nd universe, they exist as ghosts in a sort of afterlife formed by dreaming players whose dream selves are dead or missing. overall, only two of these 12 trolls are actually important to the plot, meenah and aranea.

this brings us to the second universe; beforus is now called alternia, and it is a considerably more violent and horrific place, with troll society being murderous as pretty much a standard. as you can imagine literally everyone is traumatized by this. the first 12 trolls to get introduced in the comic come from this timeline, and include funny lawyer girl terezi. there’s also a considerable amount of infighting, most of which is vriskas fault. she comes up later.

the 2nd troll session is considerably more successful than the 1st, and finishes the game creating a universe, though this new universe contains a “small” defect due to negligence on the part of the players. before the trolls can enter their new universe, however, they are unexpectedly attacked by an angry teleporting chess dog with wings and a katana, who murders all their dream selves and blows up prospit and derse. the trolls go into hiding on a meteor, where they learn that this strange murderous furry came from a session inside their new universe. they elect to constantly harass the players of this session. also around the time of furrymans rampage, a girl named feferi convinces some eldritch creatures to create the aforementioned afterlife, while another girl named aradia who was briefly a robot comes back to life as a god tier and freezes furrydude in place. a god tier player is someone who has died in a particular way and as a result been revived with conditional immortality (if they die they are immediately revived UNLESS their death was either heroic, or just ie they were a piece of shit), powers based on their class and aspect, and a new outfit also based on their class and aspect. meenah in the first universe did this, as did vriska in the 2nd, though only because aradia beat the shit out of her for being awful. speaking of which she murders her childhood friend who she has abused and tormented for years because thats just how vriska is.

this brings us to the start of homestuck, the comic. there are four kids at the moment: john egbert, an overall lovable dumbass who is the first to enter, rose lalonde, a goth lesbian obsessed with wizards and psychology, dave strider, funny sunglasses memelord and horrifically abused swordsman, and jade harley, the prophetic scientist heiress of an old colonialist who was raised by a magic dog. through some difficulties they enter their session, and things IMMEDIATELY start going wrong. they just barely get everyone into the session before earth is ruined, and before that can even happen, the aforementioned murder furry is created when a bureaucrat named jack noir kills the black queen and steals her magic ring. a different jack noir was also present in the troll session, this one became a mobster named spades slick. (yes, that stupid fucking intermission was actually important). this happened because like the players, several ingame npcs also are brought to the dying planet, after it gets fucked by rocks. these include, on earth, WV aka the mayor, PM who will be important later, and two other jackasses who arent important. PM is cool because shes a mailman who fights through the fucking legions of hell to deliver a package to john and then later receives a copy of jack noirs magic ring and proceeds to chase him across the void for 3 years and finally beats the shit out of him. love her. anyway;

like the 1st universe, the kids are informed by a creepy man who talks in white text on a white background like a fucking tool that they cant succeed and will have to reset their session, though with coordination from the trolls, they have a plan to survive it. they also plan to use a very large bomb created as part of that defect i mentioned before to blow up something called the green sun, which is where jack noirs magic furry powers come from. this will also coincidentally kill spooky white man who has a cueball for a head and release an eldritch horror known as lord english into the timeline. meanwhile in the troll session, a clown troll named gamzee is driven into a rage by a video of the insane clown posse sent to him by dave and murders several of the less relevant characters because hes a piece of shit. also meanwhile a troll named eridan ALSO kills some people including someone named kanaya who is a lesbian vampire with a chainsaw who eventually marries rose. kanaya then cuts eridan in half because she Is Too Fucking Angry To Die. love her. ALSO ALSO meanwhile vriska is about to fly off and expose their hiding place to jack noir, but is killed by her childhood friend terezi. she dies for good because its considered a just death. anyway back in the kid session, things go awry and its revealed that white bread tricked them, as the bomb actually CREATES the green sun retroactively. also, because of the properties of the green sun and where the bomb was set off, the two kids who set off the bomb, dave and rose, meet up with the remaining trolls outside of the kid session. meanwhile jade fucking dies to a bomb made of shaving cream but is revived as a god tier and for unrelated reasons also fused with her magical dog. dave and rose also ascend to god tier as they died when a massive fucking sun spawned on top of them. john was already god tier due to some shenanigans by vriska earlier. basically everyone has their signature look now.

jade uses her new god tier abilities to shrink down every planet in their session including the battlefield, before bringing herself, john, and an alternate timeline dave onto a battleship and literally fucking launching it through the fourth wall into Poorly Defined Author Space which is technically on the moon of alternia. andrew hussie is here. as they leave the session before its reset, they stay alive, same with rose and dave. also meanwhile with rose and dave, one of the surviving trolls, sollux, uses his psychic powers to launch the meteor towards the newly reset session at relativistic speeds (all sessions TECHNICALLY exist in the same dimension? its weird), while jade does the same with her battleship.

thus begins the 4th timeline/universe. shit only gets stupider from here, consider taking a short break.

ok, ready?

the new universe is shown off, with the new kids; jane crocker, an average young woman who stands to inherit the betty crocker company which in this timeline is like amazon (shes an alternate version of johns grandmother); roxy lalonde, who is literally the best character in homestuck (alt. rose’s mom); jake english, a dumbass who lives on a deserted island, speaks in horribly inaccurate british slang and dual wields pistols (alt. jade’s grandfather); and dirk strider, a canonically gay nerd with pointy anime sunglasses and a sword who builds robots and canonically watches mlp so like fucking make of that what you will (alt. dave’s abusive brother). their entry into their session is different; their session is called a void session, and is inherently unwinnable because of retroactive time bullshit, and for related reasons, the meteors that would destroy earth are never sent. you may ask “well how did the kids get there then?” to which the answer is when the reset happened the destination of the kids guardians was switched to be this new session. doesn’t that mean the guardians never existed, you say? stop thinking.

anyway janes entry into the session coincedes with betty crocker revealing herself to be a hostile alien empress who slowly takes over the earth with the help of the insane clown posse and guy fieri. she’s also the alternate version of meenah, who in the alternia timeline was the empress and also kind of a horrible person. shes here because of nonsense involving lord english, who she works for but hates. in fact, theres an interesting side effect to this; dirk and roxy actually live 400 years in the future from jane and jake, from after betty crocker aka the condesce killed everyone and flooded the planet. they still enter the same session, through dirk doing some stupid shit and controlling both his dream self and his actual self at the same time and moving everyone around.

there’s a long period of absolutely nothing happening in the 4th session while the trolls and kids travel to it, and during this were introduced to two characters; calliope and caliborn. theyre brother and sister, and are part of another race called cherubs who look like green skeletons and which share a body with each other and fight for control of it. caliborn is the fucking worst and actually becomes lord english eventually, while calliope is a nice down to earth person who makes fan characters and cosplays a troll. they also technically exist in a... 5th, separate universe, on a dead earth?? which is probably the future earth from the ending? i dunno it makes no fucking sense.

anyway calliope dies due to some plotting but death means fucking nothing in this story so shes off hidden in the afterlife. the meteor group and the battleship group pass through this afterlife like physically several times during their journey through the void and meet many of the dead trolls, including dead vriska, meenah, and aranea, who come up with a plan to lure lord english, who is currently destroying reality and murdering ghosts, to a place where they can hit him with a magic ghost weapon. they find it, and john touches it out of curiosity, whereupon he gains weird powers that let him travel ANYWHERE in canon at any time, though he cant really control it. during his random zaps around he beats the shit out of caliborn which is cool and good. partway through, aranea leaves and uses a magic ring to come back to life JUST as the two groups arrive at the new session and the 4 new kids ascend to god tier, at which point everything goes wrong all at once.

through a contrived series of events, jade and jane are mind controlled by the condesce, and a long fight scene ensues where jake unleashes his true power and then dies, aranea tries to usurp the condesce but fails miserably, and basically fucking everyone but john and roxy die horribly, planets are smashed into each other, the session is falling apart due to interference from caliborn who has limited control over the narrative for some reason; its not good.

fortunately, john in theory has the ability to fix this by retconning events in a particular way. he has no idea how to though, until a dying terezi headbutts him, writes instructions on a blindfold in her own blood, and then dies, falling into a chalk outline of her own corpse she drew immediately beforehand because shes fucking metal. john also, during this time, uses his new powers to move his planet out of the session into a white void apparently outside everything. as a consequence of this, in an alternate timeline his planet explodes and roxy dies, though in THIS weird space, he and roxy are still alive.

following terezis instructions, john changes some subtle things in the past, before ultimately preventing her from killing vriska by knocking vriska out. this, surprisingly, actually has a positive effect; vriska has powerful mind control abilities that allow her to put jane and jade to sleep upon arrival and prevent the bad timeline from happening, but she also mellows out a bit and keeps everyone from losing their minds during the journey, while also forming a plan to fight the condesce that works out pretty well. the person she murdered gets revived as well, though she still treats him like shit so im not giving her points for that.

john and roxy arrive from the bad timeline with johns planet, and roxy uses the magic ring to bring the dead calliope back to life. also around this time calliope meets an alternate version of herself who killed caliborn in her timeline and is spooky and mysterious and super fucking powerful and will be able to help kill lord english, so thats cool.

some nice, genuine heart to hearts happen between the characters as they get set up for the final battle, at which point it happens, in a 20 minute flash. the condesce gets defeated, lord english's influence is cut out from the session, and the new universe is created; its actually a pretty happy ending.

and THAT is the end of homestuck.

#homestuck

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sparklingskz · 5 years ago

Text

duty calls | kim seungmin

▸ genre: idol au, MC au?, fluff, a small angsty part

▸ description: five times working as an MC with Seungmin was proven to be... difficult for your heart.

▸ word count: 3k

▸ warnings: swearing

▸ a/n: I had to watch so many music show mc cuts to get ideas for this and I suffered so pls enjoy (also the rose part is taken from jungkook JKJDKSJD)

one

When you first got assigned to be one of the new MCs on MCountdown, it was expected that you would feel a little nervous, same as with any schedule that involved having plenty of attention on you. However, you felt confident in your skills acquired through MCing on other instances, so it wouldn’t be that nerve-wracking.

What you felt when you heard who was going to be your partner in the show was a different story, though.

"Kim Seungmin?! As in, Stray Kids' Kim Seungmin?" you asked your manager, your eyes wide open.

"Yes, and you should start practicing because you start in a few weeks." That was all the response you got before being left alone with your thoughts.

You were a little intimidated to say the least, as you knew that Stray Kids were an incredibly talented group and facing one of its members wasn't what you expected to come out of this job. Additionally, have you seen Kim Seungmin? You were supposed to MC alongside that face? And not mess up?

That sounded a little hard, in all honesty.

The weeks went by way too quickly between schedules with your group and rehearsing your lines, and suddenly it was already time for you to start your MCing job. You arrived to the studio pretty early to practice on set, heading over to the backstage area to meet up with everyone.

You being nervous was an understatement. While you were sure that the delivery of your lines should be good with the amount of time you practiced, you forgot to take a crucial factor into consideration... Seungmin's presence.

The first thing you had to do when arriving to the studio was to meet him, seeing as he would be your partner for a (hopefully) long time.

As you came face to face with each other, you greeted him with a bow that he quickly returned, and directed you a cute smile as he introduced himself. The air filled with something close to awkwardness, the both of you having never interacted with the other, but you didn't really have a chance to do anything about it before the staff was rushing you two to get ready for rehearsals.

While sitting in the stylist's chair, rather than taking advantage of the free time to get some sleep like you usually did, you decided to take the chance to get a good look at Seungmin, who was sitting on the chair situated right next to yours. The mirror allowed you to see that he was concentrated with something on his phone, which gave you the opportunity to shamelessly stare with less chances of getting caught.

His brown hair matched his deep brown eyes, and it was being styled to be more fluffy than usual, which looked like something that would suit him well. His overall appearance was very boyish-like, and was accentuated by the outfit he was put in (it was color coordinated with yours, which you thought was pretty cute).

Okay, enough staring.

Soon enough it was time to head over to the space reserved for the MCs and to start practicing your lines for that day together. Seungmin shot you a reassuring smile before starting the dialogue, and you tried your best to follow along without getting too lost in the way his lips moved or how his eyes met yours.

For some fortunate reason of the universe you managed to get through all your lines without greatly messing up, which earned you a small break before recordings started for the real thing.

“Hey, y/n,” Seungmin called after you before you had a chance to head backstage. “Nice job, you’ll do great for the cameras,”

You managed to let out a small “Thank you, you too,” before hurrying out of his sight so he wouldn’t be able to take notice of the flushing of your cheeks.

two

After a few times of successfully MCing with Seungmin, all of your initial nervousness had faded and you started feeling way more comfortable while being in the presence of the young boy.

Actually, being partners with Seungmin was fun. Outside of recording, you often found yourself looking forward to the times you would get to engage in conversation with him, using up your small breaks to speak about whatever was brought up that day. He also helped you a lot with any doubts you had about your lines or acting, and you tried to do the same in return.

On screen you had great chemistry; even though you had to stick to a script, everything flowed very naturally between you two. There were some instances where you’d have to exchange painfully cheesy lines as per request of the production team, that, while being delivered with a straight face in front of the camera, had the both of you bursting out in laughter whenever the cameras were off.

One of those instances went as it follows:

“Y/n! Seungmin! You’re up!” You heard the director shout in your overall direction, and the both of you were quick to stand in front of the cameras. You noticed that in addition to his script, Seungmin was holding a single rose on his other hand, and put it behind his back.

Right, it was time for that part.

The director shouted “Action!” and you immediately shifted into “idol mode”, a wide smile plastered on your face as you started to recite the first lines.

“That last stage was incredibly powerful! Right, Seungmin?”

“Totally!” he exclaimed with excitement, before his expression turned gloomier.

“Is there something wrong?” You asked with a tone that denoted much more curiosity than a normal person would probably show.

“It’s just that I’ve been meaning to say something for a long time, but I’m a bit nervous.” He turned towards you.

“Oh? And what’s is it?”

That’s when he pulled out the rose from his back, offering it to you in a gracious manner. “Will you stay by my side forever?” He said with a flirty smile, eyes opening up in… expectation?

You allowed yourself to get lost on his gaze for a few moments, forgetting that the whole crew was right there, recording your every action.

Until you had to mentally remind yourself that this was all pretend, that those were lyrics from a new song a group was promoting and that Seungmin wasn’t actually asking you something of that scale.

You stood there, frozen, maybe for a second too long before you remembered that you actually had to continue with the dialogue, and thankfully your brain decided to be useful and allowed you take the rose from Seungmin’s hand, offering a “lovesick smile” at the camera (the script’s words, not yours) and thanked the universe for the fact that the producers didn’t think of making you actually reply to his question.

While Seungmin proceeded to introduce the next group coming up on the show, you just stood there, mindlessly nodding along to his words but not fully registering them, rose in your hand.

It isn’t real, you repeated like a mantra in your head.

three

You were not having your best day.

“What can we expect for the next performances, y/n?” Seungmin asked you, before turning to stare at the cameras with a curious look on his face.

Wait, what were you supposed to say again? Oh, right, introduce the groups coming up. Yes.

“Well, we will watch an explosive performance from The Boyz with their new song ‘RPM’, and then our hearts will be exploding because of SF9’s ‘Bloom Bloom’, so stay tuned!”

Wait.

You barely managed to catch the look of confusion that flashed through Seungmin’s face before he quickly spoke. “Guess the excitement for these stages can make anyone’s head spin! Here’s ‘RPM’ by SF9 followed by ‘Bloom Bloom’ by The Boyz,” he exclaimed before the cameras showed that they stopped recording live.

Shit, you had mixed up the group names with their songs.

And of course, Seungmin, being the angel he is, had tried to make it go unnoticed, but the way your eyes comically opened right after the sentence came out of your mouth probably hinted that something was not right.

Feeling a mixture of anger and embarrassment, you quickly flew past the staff into your dressing room, closing the door with more force than necessary and just stood there, in front of the mirrors.

You knew that something was going on with your head that day, but you should’ve been cautious enough to not let it affect your work. Any second now you would be getting a scolding from your manager, which wasn’t very ideal for your current state.

While all kinds of bad thoughts ran through your head, you heard the door of your dressing room click open and you quickly blinked away the tears that threatened to fall from your eyes.

“Y/n?”

Oh, great. Seungmin.

The last thing you wanted was for him to see you in the distressed state you currently were in, but you reluctantly turned around and plastered on the most serene expression you could muster.

“Yeah?”

Seungmin stepped forward a little, cutting some of the distance that separated you two. “What’s going on?” he asked, a worried expression taking over his features.

You sighed while trying to avoid his eyes by focusing your gaze on the floor, while you internally debated about whether to avoid the subject completely or just tell him the truth.

It was Seungmin, though, and you knew that he would be the last person to laugh at anything that was bothering you.

“It’s just that my stupid self messed up the lines even though I had them all memorized, and I don’t even know what happened? I can’t believe I mixed those groups up, their fans will probably be very mad at me and that’s the last thing that I wanted to happen, and for worse you were the one that had to step up and fix my stupid mixtape as if you weren’t a good enough person already and-“

“Woah, okay, breathe.” Seungmin held on to the sides of your arms, grounding you.

You closed your eyes and inhaled a deep breath, getting back all the air you used while rambling.

“I’m sorry,” you muttered after opening your eyes, meeting Seungmin’s soft ones.

“Hey, there’s no need to apologize. The only people who could’ve noticed your mistake were the ones that knew the script, but otherwise it went unnoticed by everyone. Don’t bring yourself down because of one little slip up.” He tilted his head, as if to make sure you were listening to him. “Besides, it was cute.”

His last words made you break out into a chuckle, and you hit his arm playfully. “Shut up, it wasn’t.”

“Good thing you can’t tell me what to think, because it was.” You were about to retaliate again, but Seungmin was faster. “Now stop sulking and get ready, because we go out again in a few minutes.”

He directed a last smile at you before heading out the room, leaving behind a warm feeling inside your chest that made any bad thoughts that remained inside your head a bit duller, being replaced by just Seungmin, Seungmin and Seungmin.

four

Falling for Seungmin was something that came gradually, and, in all honestly, didn’t surprise you.

Who could blame you? When he was the sweetest, funniest and most caring human being you happened to stumble upon?

As time passed, the both of you seemed to be getting closer and closer, which earned a few pointed looks from your managers. It all escalated when you found yourself wanting to hang out with him outside of your MCing schedules, which, considering the nature of the industry you were a part of, was difficult. You had to resign to the second-best thing, which was taking advantage of any little instance you could find to be with him before, during and after filming.

You weren’t about to jump to conclusions and say that your feelings (feelings?) were reciprocated, but you had found yourself quickly spiraling down a Seungmin-shaped rabbit hole and your only option was to hope. Hard.

Though…. Hope for what, exactly? For you guys to be in a loving relationship and turn everything into sparkles and rainbows? It wouldn’t be that easy. For starters, one of you would have to confess (and you wouldn’t be the one to do it first), and then came all the challenges surrounding the fact that you two were idols and doing normal, everyday stuff was one hundred times harder.

It didn’t hurt anyone to be greedy and want a little bit more than you already had, though. The small conversations in the hallways, the fleeting gazes, the skits you had to do that maybe sped up your heart more than they should… Yeah. You hoped for more.

And, surprisingly, more is what you got.

You were heading over to your dressing room, hoping to eat a little something before you had to continue recording for your segments. You reached for your bag, as you always carried a snack with you to your schedules, but instead found a folded piece of paper resting on top of your stuff.

Huh, weird.

You took the paper and carefully unfolded it, revealing a note that was written in black pen, and neat handwriting.

meet me at the back of the building after the broadcast ends

seungmin <3

Oh. Oh.

The door suddenly opened to reveal one the hair stylists, and you quickly tucked away the note deep into your bag before it could be noticed.

A few minutes later you were called to your position in front of the cameras, and headed over to stand next to Seungmin so you could start the segment. You tried catching his gaze to see if you could get anything out of him, but to no avail, as the only times he directed his eyes at you was when it was required for the script. All in all, he seemed shyer than other days, which had you expecting the moment the director called the final “cut” so you could head over to the place Seungmin expected you to be.

If your heartbeat was a tad too fast during the rest of filming, no one had to know.

When the crew wrapped up, you resisted the wish to just drop everything and zoom over to the back of the building, but that would probably be suspicious. Instead, you calmly headed over to your dressing room, helped pack up some stuff, and told your manager that you would be having a conversation with one of the producers, and to just wait for you on the van.

A few moments later, you found yourself taking small quick steps through the corridors towards the back door, hoping that no one saw you and wondered why you looked so wary of your surroundings. You internally cheered when you managed to turn the handle and step outside with no one figuring out what you were doing, and quickly closed the door behind you before taking a look around.

And there was Seungmin, standing with a single rose in his hand.

five

“Can’t you guys go and be gross somewhere else?” You looked up as you heard Minho’s voice, and proceeded to roll your eyes at him.

“We aren’t even being gross.”

Analyzing your current position, that was definitely true. You were sitting on the couch right next to Seungmin, one of his arms draped over your shoulders, and his other hand holding a phone that was displaying the performance Stray Kids had just recorded. Okay, you were in their dressing room, but that had become such a normal thing that it shouldn’t even surprise the others anymore.

You had to take full advantage of the fact that the boys were promoting, as seeing Seungmin only during your MC duties was hard. You missed him way too often. That’s why you found yourself heading over to his dressing room right after they finished prerecording their performance, trying to enjoy some time with him before the actual show started.

“You guys did well,” you told the room in general, earning a few thank you’s and smiles.

After the video showed their finishing poses and came to an end, Seungmin put the phone down and nuzzled his head into the crook of your neck. “I’m too tired to go out and MC,” he muttered, the sound becoming muffled due to his current position.

His actions made you chuckle before answering. “Think about the fact that you’re going to be MCing with me and you’ll feel better,” you said jokingly.

He lifted his head from your neck and looked at you with an amused smile, one of his eyebrows raised. You stared at each other for a few seconds before promptly bursting out in laughter, earning a few pointed glances from the rest of the boys.

“Shouldn’t you lovebirds be getting ready by now?” Chan asked, making you catch a glimpse at the clock before abruptly standing up, leaving a shocked Seungmin sprawled on the couch.

“Shit, yes.” You quickly headed to the door, but right before leaving you turned towards Seungmin and directed a small smile at him. “See you in a few!”

You were about to close the door behind you when you heard a shout from your boyfriend. “Remember not to mix up the groups!”

“That was one time!” you huffed before shutting the door.

You headed towards your dressing room with a smile on your face, probably weirding out the staff standing in the hallways. You didn’t pay any attention to them, and just kept walking with thoughts of Seungmin dancing through your mind.

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imagines-dreams · 5 years ago

Text

A Good Name - Tim Drake Imagine

Rating: PG

Warnings: fluff and future, and a flustered Robin

Summary: As a part of Young Justice, you have seen a lot of weird things. But being called (Y/n) Drake was by far the weirdest thing. (Aka I read a fic that I can’t remember the name of where Impulse called reader Mrs. Grayson and I took inspo from that idea to make one for Tim! Someone, aka @despitealldoubts-blog found the fic so here it is! Future Mrs. G by @cait-writes-stuff inspired this!)

Word Count: 2785

“Stand ready,” Nightwing commanded.

The four of you readied yourselves as the unknown source or ball of electricity formed and dropped a transportation device of some kind. It dropped right onto the floor, smoking and whirring, and when smoke billowed out of it, someone jumped out.

“Ta da!” A boy, bright red hair, white and red outfit with a yellow visor. You didn’t recognize him from any database you’ve seen. Not a notable hero or villain. Maybe a hacker or inventor, from the looks of the machine. Could be a thief, an aspiring supervillain, or just a big fan of superheroes.

The alarm went off. “Intruder Alert. Intruder Alert.”

“Computer, lock down cave,” Nightwing said.

Gar tilted his head. “Well, I think we found our unknown energy impulse.”

“Impulse,” the stranger mulled it over. “That’s so crash! Catchy, dramatic, one word.” He appeared by Nightwing’s side. “Like Nightwing.”

A speedster!

“And Robin.”

To you, “And Knockout.”

To Gar, “And Beast Boy.” He blinked.”‘Well, that’s two words.” He talked even faster, and soon, he was trying to explore the cave to find things. With a laugh and a mock salute, he was gone.

“You three, take him down.”

“On it, Nightwing!” you responded. You cracked your knuckles and ran alongside Robin and Beast Boy. You caught him in a hallway and with a smirk, you punched the ground. It splintered under your strength. He wouldn’t be able to run.

And you were wrong. Impulse, whatever his name was, ran up the wall and over your head, back to safer and sturdier ground. You groaned. Nightwing was not going to be happy.

Robin sped out from the kitchen, just to trip on some dispelled tile.

You giggled. It was worth it.

Robin stared at you. “Nightwing’s gonna kill you.”

You shrugged. “Nah, I’m good. It’s nice to see you fall on your ass, Robin. Shouldn’t you have wings or something?”

“Guys, come back,” Nightwing said. “I’ve got him.”

Your jaw dropped. “How…” You shook your head.

Robin laughed and patted your shoulder. “Come on.”

As Impulse explained himself, you grew more and more confused. Time travel was theoretica, and no one could agree on what would happen if it was achieved. Does time travel work so that what you do in the past is actually what happened in the past, like time travel was meant to happen and was accounted for in a neat timeline. Or, was there different timelines, and if so, does the previous timeline disappear or does it become an alternate universe all on its own.

You pressed your fingers against your temples. This was just a tad too much.

“So,” Robin concluded, “you’re a tourist from the future.”

“Why look so surprised. Half the meat at Comic Con are from my era.”

Robin rubbed his chin, and you knew that face. He was doubting the information he got. Trying to find the tells of a lie.

You crossed your arms. “If you’re from the future, you should be able to prove it.”

“Ah, well, my identity is kinda a tell, if you know what I mean. Superspeed, the red and gold.” He smiled up at all of you. “I’m Bart Allen, grandson of Barry Allen. You know, the Flash, Barry Allen.”

“Noted.” Garfield smirked. “Not believed, but noted.”

“What’s not to believe? I’ve got it all! The speed, the amazing good looks.” Impulse’s eyes lit up. “Frankly, I can’t wait to meet him. You know, back when he was still in his prime and all.”

Nightwing sighed. “Well, Bart, coming all the way from the future, you must have worked up a thirst.” He brought a cup of water to the intruder. Tracker, no doubt.

“Thanks!”He sipped the water. “Oh! Ah, you’re trying to get my DNA!” he spat into the water. “That’s such a Dick Grayson move.”

Robin’s eyes widened. “How did…” He looked at his mentor, and Nightwing, or well Dick, just stared at him, trying to figure it out himself.

“Aha! See, I know things that only someone from the future with an amazing Flash legacy to carry would know.” He looked at each of you, and without pause, said, “Dick Grayson, (Y/n) and Tim Drake, Garfield Logan.”

You bit your tongue. That was not your name. Your name was (Y/n) (Y/l/n), not (Y/n) Drake. And Tim? As in Robin’s name was Tim. Tim Drake? Your eyes caught his, Tim’s, and thank god for Garfield, because he spoke before the two of you could stutter about what just happened.

“Your name’s Tim? And your is, uh, Dick?” Garfield cringed.

You smiled as much as you can, and with heat still blooming in your cheeks, you laughed. “Gar, your name is Garfield, like that cat who hates Mondays.”

“Hey!” Garfield poked your chest. “I don’t like Mondays. So, I take that as a compliment.”

“You really shouldn’t,” Tim agreed.

“See, thank you.”

Garfield groaned and covered his face. “No wonder you two got married.”

Just like that, Tim and you looked anywhere else but each other.

“Oops. Spoilers.” He shrugged. “The secret identity is so retro. You can call me anything. Impulse, Bart, Bart Impulse Allen. All’s crash.”

“He can’t actually be telling the truth,” Robin, Tim, insisted. “He can’t be from the future.”

Garfield leaned in close. “Tell us something we don’t know! Yet.” The boy smiled, so proud of himself. “So, when do I become leader? Or part of the Justice League! Or, hear me out, my reality show? Good answers only.”

“Sorry, BB. Never was the best at history. Plus, I shouldn’t say any more spoilers as to alter the timeline. I mean, now, Tim and (Y/n) might not get married and have Jack and Anna. Oh, god, we will all be feeling the mode.”

Jack and Anna. “Kids?” You gulped and looked to Tim. Sure enough, he was staring at you, too. There was something in his eyes, behind the mask, that screamed surprise and awe, and you weren’t sure how to take that. Tim was your best friend on the team. Maybe not your best friend ever, since he didn’t know your name and you didn’t know his until after Impulse, but still.

He was so amazing, really. Intelligent, strategic, hard-working. You still got surprised every time he actually wanted to spend time with you.

And then, this kid from the future is telling you that that guy, your best super friend and the smartest person on the team, falls in love with you? Has kids with you?

Then, Impulse escaped. Beast Boy went after him, and Tim was back to clearing his throat and forgetting all the information he had just received.

You sighed. “I’m gonna go train. And, uh, Nightwing?”

“What did you do?”

“Nothing!” You pursed your lips. “Just, you know, some slightly chipped, broken, maybe possibly shattered tile in hallway B6.”

“Knockout-”

“Ok, bye!” You ran off to the gym. Nightwing had too much on his mind. He wouldn’t go after you just yet.

So, you took deep breaths. When you entered your small, personal gym, it came to life. The light turned on, and your playlist filled the air. You sighed. “Computer, I need you to search for Tim Drake.”

“On it, Knockout.”

As you worked out, you kept asking your room questions and pieced together bits of information.

“I need a list of billionaires who operate business at least once a month in Gotham,” you said, as you stared at the wall of holograms during your cooldown. “Cross reference the list with the list of people associated with Tim Drake.”

“The list consists of seven people.”

“Read them out, please.” You gulped down water and listened.

“Anthony Edwards, Roberta Stark, Bruce Wayne, Lex Luthor-”

“Wait.” You stared at the profiles of these people. Seven people that were both associated with Gotham and Tim. Only one of them fit the bill of eccentric billionaire who takes in kids and fights crime with only a tight suit and fancy gadgets.

“Bruce Wayne,” you whispered. “Computer, pull up a picture of Batman next to Mr. Wayne.” Oh my god, how did no one figure it out sooner. They even had a similar physique. “Who are children that are associated with Mr. Wayne?”

“Dick Grayson-”

“Aka Nightwing.”

“-Barbara Gordon-”

You’d recognize that bright red hair anywhere. “Batgirl.”

“-Jason Todd-”

The old Robin.”

“-and Tim Drake.”

You gulped. Four kids, just like how there were four kids under Batman. Two of which were named by the kid from the future.

“Pull all of their pictures up, along with Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin three years ago and Robin now.” All of their physical profiles were similar. Even Jason’s and Robin’s. And Robin’s disappearance was near Jason Todd’s reported death. Robin’s reappearance matched the year Bruce and Tim’s dad, Jack Drake, were acquainted.

You stood back and laughed. “Wow.” You were sitting one of the biggest secrets in history. You knew who Batman was! The Batman! You knew who Robin was, who Nightwing was, who Batgirl was. You knew all of their secret identities.

“I knew you’d figure it out.”

“Robin!” Your computer hid all the files. “Find what out? Nothing to see here.”

“Mhm. Computer?”

“Yes, Robin?”

“Bring up the previous files.”

“Of course.”

You gasped. “Wait! No-” And all your files of the Batman and his associates appeared on the wall behind you. You shook your head. “Thanks, Computer.”

“You’re welcome, Knockout.”

You stared at your feet and joked, “I really should program Computer to detect sarcasm.” you turned to your data. “I still can’t believe no one knows. I mean, it’s obvious.” You pointed at Mr. Wayne. “This guy is one of the only billionaires who operates in Gotham weekly, and Batman is known to have multiple, custom made gadgets. Even if he made them himself, he’d need a lot of money to maintain that, so billionaire is in the description.

“Then, there’s the fact that Batman has many sidekicks or associates or what have you. So that means the the billionaire must be associated with kids, maybe even adopt them. And Mr. Wayne adopted two kids as his wards. The first one of the two being an orphaned trapeze artist who was adopted around the time that Robin showed up for the first time. And it helps that Robin was known to do amazing tricks and stunts when locking up criminals.”

With all the pictures and articles around you, you couldn’t help but wonder. “I mean, it’s obvious.”

Robin laughed. “To us, it is.”

You tilted your head. “Us?”

He nodded. “Computer, can search for a video with the keywords, ‘Grayson,’ and ‘quadruple somersault’?”

Two videos popped up, one of which was a small boy performing the very difficult trick.

“The second one. Now, Computer, bring up footage of Penguin and Robin about six years ago next to it, please.”

The two videos played at the same time, and you saw why Tim brought it up. The kid in the first video was a young trapeze artist, Dick Grayson. The second video had Robin perform the same difficult trick when he defeated Penguin.

You laughed. “That’s how you found out?”

“I saw Dick perform when I was a kid. I recognized it in this video, and when I thought I needed to, I approached Bruce.”

You blinked. “When you needed to?”

His shoulders dropped, and suddenly, you knew what Tim meant. Batman needed a Robin, and the only time he was without one was when Jason, the second Robin, died at the hands of the Joker. Tim sought out Mr. Wayne after that. “You don’t have to,” you said.

Tim smiled, but it was forced. “Thanks.”

You rubbed his shoulder. “You’e really smart for figuring that out at the age of what?” You looked at the Penguin’s video date. “Age of nine? Damn, Robin.”

“Yeah, I am smart,” he admitted. “I’m also smart enough to know you’re avoiding the topic we should really be talking about.”

Blood pooled into your cheeks. You took your hand off his shoulder and laughed. “What do you mean avoiding? I’m not avoiding anything.” You pointed out, “Plus, it could just mean I’m adopted or that we happen to have the same last name later on in the future or something.”

Tim raised his eyebrow. “Impulse said, ‘Have Jack and Anna’.”

“So?”

“So, use that smart brain of yours.”

You grimaced. “Are we really going to talk about it?”

“Yes, we are. We’re a team, (Y/n), and whatever happens, this” - he pointed at the two of you- “needs to stay in tact.” The superhero gulped. “I want it to stay in tact.”

You sighed. “Jack is your dad’s name, obviously, so the future he was talking about, well,” you laughed and pulled at your hair, “it means that we name a kid after your dad.”

“What do you think of Anna? Where’d that come from?”

You shrugged. “Could be anything.” You laughed. “All I thought was, ‘Wow, Anna Drake sounds like a good name.’” You shook your head. “Kinda ridiculous, huh?”

Tim was silent. Then, his cheeks turned red, and he turned away from you. You knew that look. He thought of something. He thought of something, and it was embarrassing enough that even the thought of of it made him blush.

“Nuh-uh.” It took two strides for you to be right in front of him. “No, you’re spitting it out. What is it?”

“Nothing!”

“Not according to those rosy red cheeks, Tim.” You pinched his cheek. “Come on, you can tell me.”

Tim shook his head and hit his own forehead. “It’s stupid.”

“Who cares?”

He sighed. “I thought, I was just gonna say, like, I don’t know.” He cleared his throat and glanced at you before looking at his boots. “I just, I think that (Y/n) Drake, it sounds like a good name, too.”

The smile you had so gleefully earned disappeared just like that. Not because you were embarrassed, although that was true. It wasn’t because you might marry Robin, aka Tim Drake, aka your best friend, or because you had been thinking of that name, your first name and his last name, for the past hour or two.

No, it was because he was right. (Y/n) Drake doesn’t sound bad.

“See!”

“Shut up.” You laughed and covered your face. “I don’t need this from you.”

“You asked for it!”

“I didn’t think you’d say that.” You exhaled a long and deep exhale and shook your head. You couldn’t let him do this to you. It didn’t matter that the two of you might be married later on. No, you had to get him back. You bit your lip and sauntered to him.

Tim’s eyes widened, and he froze. He stared at you, almost in awe of your newly found confidence, and even though your fingers shook, you couldn’t help but love the way he looked at you.

Your fingers brushed against his mask, and your eyes met his blue ones. When he didn’t do anything to stop you, you lifted the mask away from his face, and finally, his face was revealed to you.

You bit your lip and brushed his hair back. “You know, I don’t think Tim (Y/l/n) sounds too bad either.” You smiled up at him and played with one lock of hair that was out of place. “Goes well with this handsome face of yours.”

Tim gulped, and you could feel his heartbeat under his skin. It was frantic, but still, he didn’t move. Even when he sheeks got redder than yours, he didn’t move. He just smiled. “I, uh, I mean.” He cleared his throat. “Uh, you know, you being this close and playing with my, you know, hair and everything.” He gulped and looked down at his feet.

You giggled. “Run out of smoothness there, Robin?”

“Maybe,” he admitted.

Your cheeks hurt from smiling too much. You leaned your head on his chest. “It’s ok, that was all the smoothness I had.”

“All of it?”

“Yep.” You wrapped your arms around his waist and rested your chin on his chest. “No more smoothness from me. That was it. That was all of it.”

Tim smiled so softly and genuinely as he brushed your hair out of your face before resting them on your waist. “So no more smoothness from you?”

“Nope.”

“Not even on our first date?”

“Well, you got ask me that first?”

He laughed. “Ok then, Drake, what about a date?”

You hummed, as if in thought.

“Come on,” he pouted.

You laughed. “Yes, (Y/l/n), I’ll go on a date with you.”

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twistedtummies2 · 3 years ago

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Top 15 Portrayals of Catwoman

Among Batman’s Villains, Catwoman is the character who has been adapted more than any other member of Batman’s Rogues Gallery aside from the Joker. In fact, it is perhaps telling that Joker AND Catwoman each made their first appearance in the same comic, and since then have popped up all over the place.

Out of all the criminals who frequent Gotham City, Selina Kyle is perhaps the most difficult to figure out. Literally since her debut, she’s always been a morally gray character. Some incarnations of her are more overtly villainous, and others more overtly heroic; in the comics, I believe that nowadays she tends to be more of a hero or at least an anti-hero than true villainess, but even then, there are lines that Catwoman will cross that someone like Batman cannot usually condone. And while Batman has had many love interests in his long career, Catwoman was arguably the first to make a real impression, and just as arguably remains the most popular, for various reasons. Because Catwoman has appeared so often, and is such a tough kitty to nail down in terms of her moral components, this list was actually the hardest for me to figure out and rank. There’s just SO MANY Catwomen, and nearly all of them are good! With that said, these are my CURRENT rankings for My Top 15 Favorite Portrayals of Catwoman.

15. Rosario Dawson.

I’ve mentioned “Batman: The Audio Adventures” before, and it appears I must mention it again. This series of interconnected audio plays are done in the style of an old-fashioned radio show, and are sort of meant to be an homage to the 60s series with Adam West. However, while the 60s series was fairly innocently campy (for the most part), the Audio Adventures have a somewhat darker sense of humor and more modern tone overall. When I found out Rosario Dawson was playing the character of Catwoman in the series, my immediate thought was, “Oh, yes. That’s PERFECT casting.” And I was right! Having already proven her chops in the DC universe by lending her voice to both Wonder Woman AND Batgirl at different times, she brings a vicious playfulness to Catwoman that is, of course, perfectly appropriate to the character. I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing her play Catwoman in live-action, in the near future.

14. Eliza Dushku.

Dushku played Catwoma in the animated movie adaptation of “Batman: Year One,” and also handled the character in a short film for the “DC Showcase” series, which was released alongside the picture. Her Catwoman is more overtly sensual than perhaps any other, given the character’s background in Year One, and the methods she uses in the Showcase short. I used to call Dushku one of my Top 10 favorite Catwomen, but obviously she’s dipped a bit since then; this is mostly because, while I think she does a good job in Year One, the character’s role is actually relatively peripheral there, and while she has a starring role in “Showcase,” the short is only about 15 minutes long. Other takes on the character just have more time or focus than she does, and therefore I’ve come to like others more.

13. Nika Futterman.

After “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” introduced Joker, the show began featuring more and more popular characters and villains than it had up to that point. Catwoman was one such example, and she actually had some pretty good stories to her name. Alternating between two costumes - one her “classic” look, garbed in purple with a green cape, and another a lesser-known outfit she wore during the 1970s - this Catwoman was a more villainous sort, but once again, not totally inimical to Batman and his allies. In a couple of episodes, she was actually a heroic figure, such as in “Knights of Tomorrow!” where a possible future showed her being married to Bruce Wayne and helping him for a time before they both retired from crimefighting, or in “The Mask of Matches Malone!” where she teamed up with a group of female heroines in an attempt to save Batman. In the latter, there was even a musical number, where Futterman got to show off her singing chops! Singing Catwoman? That’s gotta be great!

12. Zoe Kravitz.

Kravitz first played Catwoman in “The LEGO Batman Movie,” but that was really just a cameo appearance. (Aside from meowing a few times, I don’t think Selina ever really even SAID much.) However, I guess somebody figured she still could make a truly grand take on the character, because it wasn’t too long till she got a real chance to strut her stuff in 2022��s “The Batman.” Taking inspiration from the portrayal in “The Long Halloween,” this take on Selina Kyle depicts her as a morally (and sexually) ambiguous figure whose daliances with Batman are matched by her vengeful rage against the nefarious crime boss, Carmine Falcone. It’s her vendetta against Falcone that drives most of Selina’s actions in the story, as her reasons to go after him become just another mystery Batman has to solve. She flip-flops constantly between being a dependable ally and a seemingly unstoppable threat throughout the movie. Kravitz does an amazing job in the role, and she’s fitted into the plot very nicely (which is honestly more than I can say about another live-action Catwoman further up the list), but the reason she’s low in the ranks is simply that...well...I just like other Catwomen more. Not much else to say there; she’s still an awesome portrayal.

11. Jennifer Carpenter.

Another Catwoman who gets a musical number (Carpenter doesn’t sing it, though; pity, that), although that perhaps pales in comparison to the fact this version gets entangled not only with Batman, but with none other than Jack the Ripper! In “Gotham By Gaslight,” Carpenter’s Selina Kyle is a music hall performer and philanthropist who catches the attention of Bruce Wayne, and ends up helping him (sometimes inadvertently) in tracking down the Ripper and cracking the case. While her methods are at times unorthodox, and her personality frequently argumentative, Carpenter’s sly and slippery Selina Kyle is ultimately one of the most overtly heroic depictions to date, and does a great job reinterpreting the character’s traits and tropes for a different time period.

10. Anne Hathaway.

Honestly, I feel kind of bad for placing Hathaway so low in the ranks. I know several people who REALLY like her Catwoman; to this date, it’s arguably the single most comic-accurate portrayal to date, in terms of her personality and methodology, and even her overall appearance. But there are little issues with “The Dark Knight Rises” I cannot overlook, and a couple of them do involve her take on Selina. Hathaway’s Catwoman is both modern and old-school; her costume is deliberately inspired by the look of the character from the 1960s series, popularized by Julie Newmar, but I also see elements of Newmar’s Catwoman in her performance as well. Certain gestures, facial expressions, and even the way she emphasizes certain words at times all call back to the silly 60s for me. However, this Catwoman is a thoroughly modern character, in terms of her backstory and personality, and set up in a thoroughly modern setting, as well, which allows Hathaway a chance to stand out and be more her own. Of course, anyone who’s seen “The Cat Returns” knows our dear White Queen here ALREADY proved herself capable of playing a kitty LONG before Chris Nolan came a-callin’...but that’s another story for another day.

9. Naya Rivera.

This Catwoman is one of the most recent so far, and she’s already jumped high into my ranks. Appearing in the two-part animated film adaptation of one of my favorite Batman comics, “The Long Halloween,” Selina Kyle sadly became this fine actress’ final performance, as she passed away not long after recording her lines for the part. Thankfully, it was an extremely good performance to go out on, as Rivera’s Catwoman is truly one to stand up among the greats: due to what she’s seeking in the story, this Selina ends up being a bit more vulnerable than others, but she’s still got the necessary toughness, wit, and sly secrecy the character requires in full force. I also have to say I LOVE the design. While I feel they should have stuck to a design closer to Tim Sale’s, simply for the sake of adaptation (seriously, they managed a look like this in “Year One,” they couldn’t do it here?) I actually prefer this look to the comic original. It might well be my new favorite Catwoman design of all time, mixing elements of a couple of animated Catwomen from the past to create something both classic and unique.

8. Laura Bailey.

Bailey first played Catwoman in a couple of the LEGO renditions, but she really hit her stride with the part in the Telltale games. Telltale, of course, specialized in games that were all about choice: it was a player’s decisions that would ultimately steer their path through the story, and help to form relationships with other characters in their world. Something that has always run through the relationship between Batman and Catwoman is the question of trust: while the two do care about each other, Selina is a more freewheeling and morally ambiguous character than Bruce, in some ways, and this leads to a constant friction. How often can Batman trust Catwoman NOT to stab him in the back at some point? These games toyed with that idea a LOT, perhaps especially in the second installment, as the player - in the role of Bruce - constantly had to be on their guard around Selina, but would also find places where they would be forced to depend on her, making it an interesting challenge to determine when to trust or NOT to trust Catwoman on a case. Bailey brought a sort of spicy sophistication to the part, while still handling the character’s rougher edges brilliantly, and alongside the Joker, I would argue Catwoman is the single best-handled member of the Rogues Gallery in these games.

7. Eartha Kitt.

There were three takes on Catwoman during the 1960s series with Adam West, and all three of them were AWESOME. Eartha Kitt was the third and final portrayer of the part, and the first African American actress to handle the character. She remains one of Kitt’s most lauded characters, and brought the same amount of spunk and slithering, slinky, sinister edge to the character earlier takes had while having her own unique style. There was a lot of authority to Kitt’s Catwoman, compared to others; she just RULED the room whenever she was onscreen, somehow managing to even lord over the Joker himself! This is especially impressive, as she wasn’t by any means a tall lady, but you never doubted the power and threat this Catwoman could pose. She was a much more straightforward villain than others, but that’s hardly a bad thing. Besides, you can make all sorts of Yzma jokes when watching her! That’s always fun.

6. Julie Newmar.

I actually used to prefer Kitt over Newmar, but after some deliberation I’ve changed my views, for several reasons. One is that Newmar’s Catwoman just has more time to play, as she was the primary Catwoman for this franchise, appearing throughout the first two seasons, and even reprising her role more recently in the animated films “Return of the Caped Crusaders” and “Batman vs. Two-Face.” The other is that Newmar’s Catwoman is a more complex character, especially for the 60s: this version played around a lot with Batman and Catwoman’s romantic relationship. Even though he was always out to capture her, and she had few compunctions when it came to hurting him, there was always this sense that she could never really KILL him, or, at least, if she did, she’d regret it soon after. A fun running gag was that, even though she loved Batman, she absolutely HATED Robin, seemingly finding him annoying, and would constantly plot to murder the Boy Wonder above all else. There was a sweetness and a wonderful humor to Newmar’s Catwoman that the other two in the show lacked, and it’s not surprising that when people think of Catwoman, or at least the 60s Catwoman, it’s usually Newmar’s name that pops up first.

5. Michelle Pfeiffer.

For many people, Michelle Pfeiffer’s portrayal in “Batman Returns” is, was, and always will be the definitive live-action Catwoman. In this version, Selina Kyle is depicted as having something close to a split-personality: she starts off as a “mousey” young woman who can’t really stand up for herself and harbors a lot of inner frustrations…but when her boss, Max Schreck, attempts to kill her, she seemingly snaps and becomes the more assertive, enthusiastic, and somewhat unhinged Catwoman. The movie plays with the idea of Selina having something of an identity crisis, as her desire for revenge and her budding relationship with both Bruce AND Batman creates a deep conflict in her soul. She doesn’t really know why she’s doing what she’s doing, or even what she REALLY wants, and Batman sees a lot of himself in this lost, broken, but powerful person. It’s no wonder the two fall in love, and while the ending of the film is rather bittersweet, to say the least, their relationship is one of the most powerful takes on that between the two characters ever put to the screen.

4. Lee Meriwether.

I said that many people see Michelle Pfeiffer as the definitive live-action Catwoman. I, however, am not “many people.” Lee Meriwether was the second person to play Catwoman in the 1960s series; she played the role in the movie spin-off that took place somewhere between the first two seasons. On the one hand, it probably seems odd to place Meriwether higher up than Julie Newmar: Newmar had more time onscreen, and a more layered character, after all. However, for some weird reason, I’ve always preferred Meriwether’s take. The way they play with her relationship with Batman and Bruce Wayne is different, but I still find it interesting, and in many ways, Meriwether - much like Eartha Kitt - often felt so much more authoritative and dangerous than Newmar did. This Catwoman was undoubtedly a villain, but she was a very fun villain, and to this day, she’s the first person I think of when I think of the 60s version. I think this may largely be due to personal nostalgia: I actually saw the movie version LONG before I ever got to look at the actual TV series, and I watched it pretty darn frequently - more frequently than even Batman Returns. As a result, Meriwether, I think, just became the Catwoman I grew up with, in a way, and that’s something that will always stick with me.

3. Adrienne Barbeau.

While Catwoman in the DCAU didn’t always have the best episodes, the actual character was still very well done, and generally well-accepted. Voiced by Adrienne Barbeau, this version of Selina Kyle was an animal activist who robbed both for the sake of charitable purposes, and for the thrill of the hunt. Once again, she was a somewhat ambiguous character, as she would go to extremes that Batman could not condone when it came to her enemies, and had no trouble backstabbing people to get what she wanted…but at the same time, she saved Batman’s life and helped him and his allies on numerous occasions. I honestly fell in love with Barbeau most not because of the show itself, but because of her appearances in the webtoon series “Gotham Girls,” where she was one of the major cast members. The series allowed her to play to her more comedic potential, as well as having more dramatic moments for the character, and as one of the more focal characters, she had a lot of room to work, despite the short runtimes and occasionally crude animation of the toons. She also got to appear in a short called “Chase Me,” which I can only describe as Batman’s equivalent to Fantasia. Between all of this, she earns her place in my Top 3.

2. Grey Griffin.

Grey Griffin - nee DeLisle - is probably the most prolific voice actress Catwoman has ever had. She was actually the singing voice for Jennifer Carpenter’s Selina Kyle in “Gotham By Gaslight” (she also played a totally different character in the film, but that’s another matter). Long before that, however, Griffin got her start playing Selina in the Arkham video games. In “Arkham City,” Selina is actually a playable character, as - throughout the main story of the game - we cut away from Batman’s exploits to a subplot, wherein Catwoman deals with the likes of Two-Face and Poison Ivy. The two plots converge near the end of the game’s primary storyline, with the player - as Catwoman - being given a choice to either help Batman or go off on their own merry way. Since then, Catwoman has appeared in other games of the series, such as “Arkham Origins: Blackgate,” where she served as the main antagonist and final boss, and “Arkham Knight,” where she once again acts as part of a subplot in the story, specifically one in which she and the Dark Knight must match wits with the Riddler. Griffin reprised the role in the “Injustice” games, where her loyalty to Batman is perhaps put to the ultimate test, and has also played the character in the direct-to-video picture “Batman: Ninja,” as well as a couple of installments of the LEGO franchise. Every time she shows up, she brings the perfect amount of sass and spirit Selina needs, and nearly every appearance she has plays with the dynamics between her character and Batman in intriguing ways.

1. Gina Gershon.

Gershon is an actress with a prolific career…most of which I’ve somehow managed to miss. The main thing I know her best for, beyond Catwoman, is her performance as Sally Bowles in the musical “Cabaret.” So I guess that makes her another Catwoman to add to the ranks with a musical caliber. (She also apparently played characters in “Elementary” and “Spider-Man: The New Animated Series,” but I think I must have missed those stories, because I don’t remember her in either for the life of me. :P) Anyway, Gershon’s Catwoman had only a few appearances in the series “The Batman,” and her Siamese-Cat-based design is a bit unusual (then again, “The Batman” and its designs were nearly always unusual), but for me, she is the definitive voice and personification of the character. A thrillseeking master thief with feline eccentricities, who wasn’t necessarily evil so much as a neutral force. She has many of my favorite Catwoman lines, and I liked how they once again played with her relationship with both Batman and Bruce Wayne. She may not have been around often, but every time she DID show up, it was a fun ride, and in a way, seeing her so rarely actually made her more special. She felt more elusive and mysterious, since we didn’t know as much about her behind the scenes (although we did know enough to like her), and we weren’t always sure what was going on when she and Batman weren’t tousling with each other. She’s likely a minority choice, but for me, she’s undeniably My Favorite Catwoman.

#top 15 #portrayals #actors #acting #batman #batman villains #dc #catwoman #catwomen #selina kyle #favorites #best #list #countdown #movies #films #tv #animation #video games

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hellyeahheroes · 7 years ago

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36 Pages

I did a thing. In order to hone my own scriptwriting skills, I made an attempt at rewriting two comics I hated, Marvel: Legacy and Secret Empire: Omega, and found redundant into one. One of these comics had 48 pages and another 30. I managed to convey all the same, while conveying the same stuff through just 36 pages and hell I even managed to give some fixes on things I hated (mind you, these fixes are still compromises - I’d rather these things didn’t happen, but I tried to make them happen in a slightly less jarring way).

If anyone’s interested, check it out below the cut. My ultimate argument why these books were just Marvel desperately trying to grab our money.

- Admin

Secret Empire: Legacy

A rewrite of Secret Empire: Omega by Nick Spencer and Marvel: Legacy by Jason Aaron done by me for exercise purposes. I will attempt to rewrite the following two books into the script for one book. In case I would be leaving a page intact, I will be posting a scan of it instead.The goal is to try to tell both of those stories in a lesser number of pages total and in a way that allows conveying all the same information without wasting two issues.

The rules I set up to myself are that I need to keep up all important information from the two titles and that includes things I didn’t like. Here is the list of things that must be included:

Confrontation between Steve Rogers and HydraCap

Funeral of Black Widow and Winter Soldier’s investigation of possibility she’s still alive

Punisher’s quest for redemption

Fall of New Tian

Avengers 1 000 000 B.C.

Fight between Ghost Rider and Star Brand in Cape Town, ending in the latter’s death (even though I hate said death)

Loki sending Black Ice Berserkers to steal a crate from SHIELD facilities and said Berserkers being intercepted by Falcon, Thor, and Ironheart

One of the Berserkers escaping with the crate only to be intercepted by Wolverine, who takes the Infinity Gem from the crate

Tease of Mangog’s attack on Asgard

Tease of Search for Tony Stark

Tease of Return to Planet Hulk

Deadpool’s return to villainy.

Tease of Voyager stuff in Avengers

Ben and Johnny stuff

Cosmic Wakanda

Norman Osborn’s quest for magic

Franklin and Valeria Richards

I will ignore Steve Rogers stuff from Marvel Legacy because it’s redundant but I will add to this list to acknowledge the death of Quasar, which both of those books failed to address.

It will be written how I write scripts, I give myself right to take from original dialogues as much as I need and cut what I don’t.

So, let us begin

Secret Empire: Legacy

Note 1: Names of the characters will be always written in ALL CAPS

Note 2: There will be two narration boxes used in this issue, symbolizing words spoken by two characters. Those by HydraCap should have dark green borders, those by Steve Rogers - blue ones. Other narration boxes may occur but they will be only occasional or to finish their sentences, no need to make them distinct from each other. Captions will be used to inform of the time and location.

Page 1:

Panel 1:

An inside of a dark cell. HYDRA CAP is standing straight, his back turned to the readers, with hands behind his back, fingers intertwined. He is shirtless from the waist up (don’t worry if his scenes come off as fanservice - despite being a horrible bastard this guy still has a body of Steve Rogers, who is a fine man after all). Despite being in prison he looks like he is still in full control of the situation.

CAPTION: Shadow Pillar. A black site prison many miles off the American soil.

HYDRA CAP: You did not come here to gloat.

Panel 2:

A camera zooms a bit closer, now showing us most of HYDRA CAP above his ankles. He slightly turns his head, giving a slight glimpse of the fact he is growing a beard.

HYDRA CAP:: You could, of course. The war is over, the country is...regaining what it lost, that’s how you probably see it.

Panel 3:

The camera zooms even more on HYDRA CAP, now focusing on his head and bit of shoulders. He turned his head enough that we can see his full profile and yes, he does have a beard.

HYDRA CAP: But that’s out of character for you. I should know.

Page 2:

Panel 1:

A big panel that switches point of view so that now we see HYDRA CAP on the left, with a good view of Hydra symbol tattooed on his chest, while right side of the page shows us who is he looking at - STEVE ROGERS standing in his cell, wearing civilian clothes - including a blue hoodie with a white star symbol. Singular lightning bulb in the ceiling shines dim light on STEVE ROGERS

HYDRA CAP: It comes with the territory.

Page 3:

Six-Panel Grid. Panels on the left, odd panels, are colored in noticeably bleaker colors to give it the look of a distant past or a memory. Odd and respective even panels form pairs as if you saw the scene from one continuing on the other, with different scenery and actors.

Panel 1

A group we will call Avengers 1 000 000 B.C. stands on the frozen field. Prehistoric incarnations of STARBRAND, IRON FIST, PHOENIX, BLACK PANTHER and GHOST RIDER on a WOOLY MAMMOTH, alongside AGAMOTTO, although on this panel we don’t see all of them or see them in much of detail. You can see some mountains behind them. And something else, darker, not possible to identify, obscured by shadows. A snowstorm rages around them.

CAPTION: Earth. One Million Years Ago.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: I know you better than anyone.

Panel 2:

A different frozen field, in a different realm and different scenery - different mountains but nothing else - stands a group of BLACK ICE BERSERKERS. It’s a sunny day.

CAPTION: Now. Jotunheim, Realm of Frost Giants

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: But even I was expecting you sooner.

Panel 3:

A close up on part of the Avengers 1 000 000 B.C. roster, allowing us to see a bit more of them - PHOENIX looking towards something with confidence on her face, while troglodyte STAR BRAND stands behind her, looking worried. AGAMOTTO, in his human form, and BLACK PANTHER stare at that dark thing behind them all.

PHOENIX: You lost it again.

PHOENIX: Every time you throw this thing, it seems to be trying to escape.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: What took you so long?

Panel 4:

A close-up on the BLACK ICE BERSERKERS, as they stare towards something. Serves to provide contrast with the panel next to it and juxtapose heroes with those horrifying, blue barbarians.

A voice outside the panel: I know what you’re thinking.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: Was it fear?

Panel 5:

A small silhouette is seen approaching through the snowstorm, it’s hard to tell much of it now, but it appears to be large and carry something heavy in its hands/

Silhouette: Mind your own business.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: Were you afraid to look me in the eye?

Panel 6:

In Jotunheim a small silhouette is emerging from behind a nearby hill. While it’s too far away to tell much of the detail, it appears to have large, slick horns and carrying a scepter-shaped object in their hand.

Silhouette: This isn’t the life I expected. The glorious adventure I was destined to lead. That was promised to me since birth.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: Afraid of me? Of what I am?

Page 4:

Two large panels, each taking half of the page, juxtaposed next to each other, one on the left, the other on the right side.

Panel 1:

ODIN stands on top of the prehistoric-field. He is visibly younger, his beard still only greying, not white like in present, his outfit simple and far from armors he is known for, a helmet not unlike Thor’s on his head and Mjolnir in his hand.

ODIN: Everyone assembled?

ODIN: Good.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: Were you afraid to look at the man who stands for everything you hate?

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: Or of the fact that whenever they will look at you, they will always think of him?

Panel 2:

In the present figure behind the hill is revealed to be LOKI, wearing a horned helmet and holding magical scepter. Since Loki can change gender, I will be using he/she pronouns depending on the form in each specific panel. Right now it’s the male form with a confident smirk on his face.

LOKI: Well, welcome to the club.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: That he is and always will be your legacy?

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: Or maybe that however much you despise his methods, deep inside you know he is right?

PAGE 5:

Recap page

Pages 6-7

This time we divide two pages in the middle, where the Top Row focuses on Avengers 1 000 000 B.C. and the Bottom Row on LOKI and BLACK ICE BERSERKERS.

Top Row:

Panel 1:

Close-up on PHOENIX and STAR BRAND still standing behind her. He is getting angry, while she looks concerned.

STAR BRAND: Rrrrr...

PHOENIX: The beast is stirring. I and Star-Brand hit it with enough power to destroy the Sun each and it’s still moving.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: I did not seek the power.

Panel 2:

Now a close-up on worried IRON FIST, as she snaps angrily at the last comment.

IRON FIST: It’s Chi burns brighter than the Sun. Brighter than even Shou-Lao the Undying.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: It was given to me. By the law I didn’t ask for.

Panel 3:

IRON FIST turns towards AGAMOTTO, whose expression remains shrouded in shadows.

IRON FIST: Agamotto, you claim to be All-Seeing. Have you ever seen a being such as this?

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: You turned to me to guide you.

Panel 4:

AGAMOTTO strokes his chin, thinking intensively.

AGAMOTTO: Yes. But this one is different. More wanton, more...deranged. It seems almost rabid. Infected or….

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: I didn’t cut you off from rest of the Universe either. You did it yourselves.

Panel 5:

BLACK PANTHER is turned towards dark shape on the horizon, showing his back to the readers. He maintains a stoic posture, arms crossed on his chest

BLACK PANTHER: Infected or not, it raises. The way it’s tearing the ground as if searching for something…

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: You gave me all power to rule as I see fit.

Panel 6:

GHOST RIDER pats his WOOLLY MAMMOTH on the back, like modern human petting his dog.

GHOST RIDER; Whatever it’s doing, it also bleeds. That’s all that matters.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: And I did.

Panel 7:

ODIN nods his head with a rakish smirk.

ODIN: Aye.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: So now...

Bottom Row:

Panel 1:

Close-up on LOKI, who has a rakish smirk, not unlike young ODIN’S on his face.

LOKI: We have all the same Frost Giant blood coursing through our veins. But you lot never quite measured up.

LOKI: Just like me.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: They don’t know what to do with me.

Panel 2:

LOKI looks down, allowing the shadow to obscure his eyes, giving him a mysterious look of somebody who tries to hide his bitterness. Which is exactly the impression he wants to make.

LOKI: Runts of the Litter. Giants in the name only. Crushing disappointments our fathers would rather forget about.

LOKI: But we won’t let them, brothers. Not after tonight.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: Make no mistake. I have no delusions of justice.

Panel 3:

LOKI looks up the sky and raises his left hand, half as if he was reaching to his interlocutors and half as if he already was holding the artifact he talks about.

LOKI: It’s out there in Midgard, calling out to me across the realms. A trinket of power to change the worlds.

LOKI: I gave you all descriptions. Taught to read the numbers.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: The deck is always stacked against ones like me.

Panel 4:

LOKI spits with contempt.

LOKI: Of course, you can expect some resistance. It’s Midgard, you cannot throw a rock without five foolish humans rising to stop you.

LOKI: But what is it for my Black Ice Berserkers?

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: But we both know this prison won’t hold me.

Panel 5:

LOKI raises his finger and waves it a bit.

LOKI: Try to not be too murderous. It may attract the attention of those few actually dangerous.

LOKI: No unnecessary risk. Succeed and your glory will be enough for any ambition.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: I will return. Like each of your “villains”.

Panel 6:

LOKI half-turns to show a magical portal opening behind his back.

LOKI: The portal is open. Waste no time.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: Like Red Skull. Like Zemo. Like Kang. Like Loki.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: An endless collection of “rogues” for your pitiful super club.

Panel 7:

LOKI steps away from the Portal, allowing BLACK ICE BERSERKERS to rush towards it.

LOKI: Return victorious and children of this realm shall sing songs of your frigid greatness for as long as blizzards roar and skies rain frozen death!

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: Adventures for your “heroes”, never-ending nightmare of death and pain for normal people.

Page 8

Panel 1:

Avengers 1 000 000 B.C. all charge towards the unseen enemy. PHOENIX spreads her wings. ODIN swirls his hammer to fly by throwing it, just like his son will be known to do. STAR BRAND and WOOLLY MAMMOTH with GHOST RIDER, IRON FIST and BLACK PANTHER on it’s back, both take a leap. AGAMOTTO begins transforming into a more monstrous form, perhaps that in which he fought Galactus in the 90’s.

ODIN: WE KILL IT!

ODIN: And then we nail its corpse to the Moon as a warning to its kin!

ODIN: That this world may be hideous….

ODIN: But is protected!

Panel 2:

Loki walks away transforming into female form, her face obscured by the shadow, hiding her feelings. She seems to be slowly vanishing as well. Behind her last few of the BLACK ICE BERSERKERS jump into the portal.

LOKI: Can’t believe they bought that crap. Even despite the truth being far more ludicrous.

LOKI: I’m Loki. The littlest, more liarish giant. And believe it or not…

Page 9:

Splash page showing all of Avengers 1 000 000 B.C. flying to the sky towards giant shape in the sky. A shape that, while still obscured mostly by shadows, gives us a glimpse of its identity - a shape of a giant, robotic hand clenched in a fist, except for the thumb. While the colors are wrong, being green and purple, it looks a lot like the infamous hand of Celestial Arishem the Judge.

NARRATION - LOKI: I’m here to save the world.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: Which brings us back to the question….

Page 10:

Panel 1

ROBBIE REYES in his GHOST RIDER form and few other superheroes associated with Los Angeles - NICO MINORU, SUPERNAUT, MOON KNIGHT - standing all roughed up and exhausted but happy from a job well done, surrounded by destroyed Hydra vehicles and dead or unconscious Hydra minions, maybe one of Hydra Helicarriers crashed in a distance. It gives this whole “look, these characters have a life we don’t see and saved the world when nobody was looking” vibe.

NARRATION - ROBBIE REYES: I know I’m still new at this, but I’ve seen my share of weird, from evil spirits to mutant parrots.

NARRATION - ROBBIE REYES: I thought nothing would surprise me after having to liberate my city from Hydra.

NARRATION - ROBBIE REYES: But then I fall asleep….

Panel 2:

HELL’S CHARGER on a mountainside road next to a sing “WELCOME TO CAPE TOWN”

ROBBIE REYES: ...And wake up…..

ROBBIE REYES: IN @#$% SOUTH AFRICA!

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP:.. Why are you here?

Panel 3:

ROBBIE REYES, sitting frustrated in his car, looks like he slept in it too, his hair is a mess. He is so angry he doesn’t notice a person in a red suit (modern-day STAR BRAND, but it won’t be clear until the last panel) approaching his car from a side.

ROBBIE: And of course Eli goes silent. I swear if it’s another one of his schemes….

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: I doubt you came here to do what you should do.

Panel 4:

STAR BRAND’s hand punches through the window and grabs shocked ROBBIE by the throat.

(A note: STAR-BRAND’S dialogues should be in red letters and his speech bubbles look mechanical. When I will be referring to him by his human name, KEVIN, it’s indication of normal dialogue boxes as it’s his human side talking)

ROBBIE: And what was the deal with that dream about riding a Mammo….

STAR-BRAND: We know all about your dreams, Roberto Reyes!

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: To kill me.

Panel 5:

An obscured by shadow silhouettes of STAR-BRAND pulling ROBBIE out of his car and throwing him to the ground.

STAR-BRAND: What’s calling to you…. It has to stay buried, no matter who has to die.

ROBBIE: What the @#$%?! If you’re some sort of local super-hero….

Panel 6:

We get to see STAR-BRAND Standing intimidatingly above ROBBIE, his eyes and fist glowing red. He looks possessed, there is something robotic in the way he stands and moves, like a puppet on strings.

STAR-BRAND: We are Star-Brand, We are Earth’s defense mechanism.

STAR-BRAND: The Rider cannot be allowed to meet with the Sleeper. No matter who Star-brand has to kill. The risk is too great.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: You never could make necessary sacrifices.

Page 11:

Panel 1

STAR BRAND fires a powerful blast of energy that hits ROBBIE with a big explosion, launching a lot of dust and smoke into the air.

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS: You really loves the sound of your own voice.

Panel 2:

STAR BRAND is being hit from behind by HELL’S CHARGER, moving on it’s own.

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS: Reminds me of that one guy. Only he was more…

Panel 3:

The smoke clears, revealing ROBBIE, now transformed into his GHOST RIDER form, apparently being able to tank the blast thanks to his powers.

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS:....Skull-faced.

Panel 4:

We’re back in the cell from earlier. HYDRA CAP stares towards the reader with an outright disgusted look on his face.

HYDRA CAP: Don’t you dare. He was jsut another loose end you couldn’t take care of.

HYDRA CAP: I did. No need to thank me.

Panel 5:

STEVE ROGERS crosses his arms, looking at HYDRA CAP with contempt.

STEVE ROGERS: Should I thank you for some other names?

Panel 6:

A funeral scene in open field, a coffin is being leveled to the grave. Crowds of people much larger than a single funeral could gather.

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS: Like Rick Jones?

Page 12:

Panel 1:

A large panel showcasing a larger part of the funeral to show it’s not just one coffin being put to the grave, but four. There are huge crowds of people, many of them look genuinely not-human or wear masks or full costumes (although in that case, they wear costumes under appropriate clothes to the funeral). Throw as many superheroes as you feel like, as long as it’s nobody featured somewhere else in the issue. The funeral takes place at Avengers Mansion, next to the statue of original Avengers, although it’s not very well visible from this angle.

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS: Or Jack Flag?

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS: Avril Kincaid?

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS: Natasha Romanov?

CAPTION: Avengers Mansion.

Panel 2:

CLINT BARTON kneeling in front of Black Widow’s gave. He is crying and looks completely broken. LUKE CAGE leans over him, putting a hand on his arm.

CLINT: Nat….No….please……

LUKE: C’mon man, let’s get you home...

Panel 3:

An angry woman in black dress storming off from the funeral, leaving behind CAROL DANVERS, holding her hand to her cheek with a shocked expression on her face, as if she just has been slapped. Which is exactly what happened. Next to CAROL stands HENRY GYRICH, holding his arms behind his back, both of them look after the leaving woman.

GYRICH: I believe that was Avril’s girlfriend.

Panel 4:

HUMAN TORCH and THE THING among the crowd.

TORCH: So many heroes showed up. I wonder how many will ever be remembered.

TORCH: You think someone will remember us? Heck, do they still need us?

THING: Spoken like a true moron. Who cares what people remember? As long as we never forget.

THING: And after what happen….You can bet my sweet aunt Petunia they need us. Maybe more than ever before.

Panel 5:

In another part of the crowd, next to the founding Avengers statue are JANET VAN DYNE, NADIA VAN DYNE, and EDWIN JARVIS, the latter looking around with a confused look on his face.

NADIA: Jarvis, what’s wrong? You look distracted.

JARVIS: I know every stone and blade of grass in this mansion and yet….I cannot say what but…..It feels like something is just….wrong.

JANET: It’s this funeral. No….the entire Hydra deal. Things were so utterly wrong for so long the perspective of things being back to normal feels terrifying.

NADIA: Janet’s right. Let’s hope that from now on….

Panel 6

The camera pans back to show the full statue of the Founding Avengers and it is now clear something strange has happened to it - a statue of VOYAGER has been added to the original team.

NADIA:... Everything will be just like it was supposed to be

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS: Should I be grateful for that?

Page 13:

Panel 1:

Back to the cell. HYDRA CAP looks down, While STEVE ROGERS continues

STEVE ROGERS: Or how about everyone in Vegas? Do you want me to thank you for that too?

HYDRA CAP: I’m sorry for your losses. I truly am.

HYDRA CAP: You might not believe it, but I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.

Panel 2:

HYDRA CAP turns back from STEVE ROGERS, looks, to some extent, ashamed. STEVE ROGERS, however, has none of it and it shows in his expression.

HYDRA CAP: I came to Rick’s cell. Begged him to do the right thing. Hell, even make it look like he did.

STEVE ROGERS: And he didn’t. Like you knew he wouldn’t. So you killed him.

Panel 3:

HYDRA CAP turns back to STEVE ROGERS and starts yelling at him, while the latter keeps full composure.

HYDRA CAP: I’m not proud of everything I did! I will regret my choices for the rest of my life!

HYDRA CAP: But you know what? It had to be done.

HYDRA CAP: Look around you.

Panel 4:

Three old, white-robes clad ASGARDIAN ORACLES meditating in their private chamber.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: People no longer look forward the tomorrow.

CAPTION: Asgard. Chamber of the Oracles.

Panel 5:

Just like Panel 4 only now one of the ORACLES falls on her back, screaming and clawing at her own face, while other two rush to stop her.

ORACLE: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

NARRATION- HYDRA CAP: They’re scared of it.

Panel 6

A close-up of the ORACLE’s face, covered in fresh scars, as another forcibly pulls her hands away from her own face, while the third tries to hold her down.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: Why should they?

ORACLE: MANGOG IS COMING! MANGOG IS COMING!

Page 14

Panel 1:

EMMA FROST standing in front of a large glass window on one of higher floors of a skyscraper. She is observing something, watching.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: All around them the world is falling apart.

EMMA: I told Steve Rogers no mutant would kneel. Clearly, I meant only to Hydra.

CAPTION: New Tian. Safe Haven of Mutants.

Panel 2:

As panel 1 only now we pan back a bit to reveal HANK McCOY standing nearby and looking at EMMA.

EMMA: Everyone else celebrates overthrowing a fascist rule. Nobody seems to understand that Mutants always live under it.

HANK: Not always.

Panel 3:

The camera pans a little bit further back, showing us more of the building as well.

HANK: For however long it lasted, New Tian was a homeland Mutants dreamt of.

EMMA: Built on a lie.

HANK: But an inspiring one.

Panel 4:

Now the camera pans even further, showing us a building as a whole. It looks dark, a big, overshadowed by something place, completely solitary.

HANK: Generations of Mutants saw a glimpse of what we could have. What we should be.

HANK: I believe this is a map to something better. Something history will smile upon.

SPEAKER: Attention citizen of the New Tian.

PANEL 5:

We pan a bit further, now showing the skyscraper standing surrounded by rest of the city, a lot of which looks demolished or otherwise damaged. From many places raises smoke.

EMMA: And yet, when those history books will be written, I won’t be mentioned. Except as a villain. They will never know what I did here

SPEAKER: Please remain indoors for the planned demolition.

Panel 6:

We pan even further, for the last time, to show the same building and now more of the landscape of devastated New Tian. And SENTINELS flying around.

EMMA: The will never know who their queen was.

SPEAKER: Remember, any interference will be considered a hostile action and preparators will be deemed enemy combatants.

SPEAKER: United States Armed Forces thank you for your cooperation.

Panel 7:

Back in Cape Town, GHOST RIDER is being blasted by STAR-BRAND, this time blast sending him flying back.

STAR-BRAND: If you understood the stakes you would let Star-Brand eliminate you.

STAR-BRAND: This world was cursed because of our kind. Those who saw the First Host and the Great Fall.

STAR-BRAND: This Chaos is our legacy.

Panel 8:

STAR-BRAND flies at high-speed, with two clenched fists forward, towards GHOST RIDER, who is rising from the ground.

STAR-BRAND: There is too much upheaval on the horizon. Too many ways in which everything can come crumbling down.

STAR-BRAND: Too many of our kind already dear or warped beyond all recognition.

Panel 9:

STAR-BRAND tries to ram in GHOST RIDER but the latter grabs his fists and stops the attack mid-air. The impact at this speed sends nearby objects flying.

STAR-BRAND: Beings like us must protect this world….

Page 15:

Panel 1:

A close-up on DEADPOOL’s face, his mask rolled up to above his nose so he can drink. He is, in fact, rising hand for a toast.

NARRATION- STAR BRAND:... even from ourselves.

DEADPOOL: I want to propose a toast for our wonderful friend. A hero. An Avenger. A Five Times Dance Champion.

DEADPOOL: Wade Wilson, ladies and gentlemen!

Panel 2:

A camera pans back a bit to show DEADPOOL sitting at a bar, continuing his toast. Behind him is the window on the street. Behind it you can see multiple police cars parking on the street, including at least one police truck.

DEADPOOL: He saved the Avengers. He saved the world. Everyone loved him! Even Spider-Man!

DEADPOOL: Such a chap, that Wade!

Panel 3:

As above, only now DEADPOOL drinks, while in the back multiple human figures are either leaving police cars or rushing to the bar.

Panel 4:

DEADPOOL puts the drink down with a morbid look on his face, while SWAT TEAM rushes through the door, aiming their guns at him.

DEADPOOL: But then he had to trust a wrong guy.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: They fear even slightest mistake could destroy their lives.

Panel 5:

A bunch of scared HYDRA AGENTS is tied up to a column, surrounded by Hydra vehicles and technology and dead bodies of other agents. A MAN obscured by the shadows is pouring gasoline over them from a canister.

HYDRA AGENT 1: T-there must be a mistake!

MAN: I’ve made a lot of those lately. Trusted a wrong man. No more.

HYDRA AGENT 2: But we’re Hydra! The Immortal Hydra! Cut one limb and two more shall take its place!

Panel 6:

A perspective shift, revealing the MAN to be THE PUNISHER, lightning a match in his hands.

THE PUNISHER: Do you know how they killed your namesake?

Panel 7:

THE PUNISHER walks to his van, building behind him being now utterly set on fire.

Panel 8:

NICK FURY standing on a rooftop, putting down a pair of binoculars and holding a communicator in his ear.

NICK FURY: I’ve found Castle. He’s ready.

Panel 9:

A close-up on IRON FIST’s worried face.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: Meanwhile the real bastards always get another chance.

IRON FIST: I’ve been having those dreams. About cavemen and Phoenix…..

Page 16:

9-Panel. Panels 7-9 in the bottom row are in fact one continuous picture divided by panel borders.

Panel 1:

DOCTOR STRANGE and IRON FIST are standing in front of the door to the former’s SANCTUM SANCTORUM.

STRANGE: Could it wait? I think someone tried to break into my house.

IRON FIST: You need any help?

STRANGE: No, it seems they failed.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: And you know what’s the worst?

Panel 2:

We see NORMAN OSBORN observing SANCTUM SANCTORUM from a nearby alleyway, with a grim, angry look on his face.

STRANGE: Fools don’t know how lucky they are. A normal human wouldn't make it alive past the shrubbery.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: That none of you can see what’s right under your eyes.

Panel 3:

NORMAN OSBORN turns back and leaves.

OSBORN: *Sigh* Not the only game in the town, Norman.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: Monsters just waiting for a moment to strike.

Panel 4:

Two SHIELD AGENTS wearing suits and a bunch of SOLDIERS in full military cramped in an elevator. We will follow them for rest of a page as they do nothing but walking and talking in a very boring, awkward and mundane scene - which is exactly how they feel about the situation.

SOLDIER 1: Sorry for being late. Travis thought we’re being followed.

SOLDIER 2: It was the same green Honda for miles, man.

SHIELD AGENT: *sigh* Let’s just get over with it so I can go back to being unemployed, okay?

CAPTION: S.H.I.E.L.D. Storage Facility. Location Classified.

Panel 4:

Now SOLDIERS and SHIELD AGENTS are leaving the elevator, entering a storage hall.

SOLDIER 1: Cannot believe they’re shutting you guys down. I mean, S.H.I.E.L.D. always seemed like such a stable organization.

SHIELD AGENT: God, a cretin, and a smartass. Anyone else having any amusing quirks they wanna share with the class?

Panel 5:

SHIELD AGENTS stop in their tracks and SOLDIERS with them, one of the AGENTS spreading his hands to present the storage, with body language saying “I cannot believe I’m doing this nonsense”.

SHIELD AGENT: Here it is. A room for our darkest secrets, each one could blow you up to kingdom come. Enjoy driving them back to Area 51.

SOLDIER 2: Lovely. Hope you have some manifesto for all this laundry.

Panel 6:

AGENTS and SOLDIERS resume walking, the AGENT talking making a gesture to others to follow him.

SHIELD AGENT: Sure, come with me. Everything is on the list, except for crate 4-1939. Special orders, don’t open, don’t catalog.

SOLDIER 1: And nobody has even gotten curious...

Panel 7:

SHIELD AGENT stops next to a computer and takes the seat in front of it.

SHIELD AGENT: As opposed to you, S.H.I.E.L.D. takes...was taking orders seriously. “Don’t open” means don’t open.

SHIELD AGENT: Let me print the manifesto for you.

Panel 8:

Other SHIELD AGENT and SOLDIERS wait, standing there awkwardly.

SOLDIER 2: Guys, is it me or it suddenly gotten….

Panel 9:

Right behind the group of SOLDIERS opens a portal and first of the BLACK ICE BERSERKERS comes running out of it.

SOLDIER 2, off-panel:....cold?

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP: And the next cataclysm….

Page 17:

Panel 1:

A splash page of BLACK ICE BERSERKERS attacking SOLDIERS and SHIELD AGENTS in very brutal, bloody and barbaric fashion.

NARRATION - HYDRA CAP:... Is probably closer than you can imagine.

Page 18:

Panel 1:

Back to the cell. HYDRA CAP is now completely ranting, making hand gestures

HYDRA CAP: And I could have stopped it all. For a moment, when I held the cube, I saw it happen!

Panel 2:

HYDRA CAP clenches his fists and his teeth in anger

HYDRA CAP: And then Sam Wilson took it from me to bring you back! You condemned us to this world, so twisted and corrupt even magic got twisted to…

Panel 3:

STEVE ROGERS slaps HYDRA CAP with the back of his hand.

STEVE ROGERS: Oh shut up already!

Panel 4:

HYDRA CAP looks towards the readers. He is in shock, holding his cheek.

Panel 5:

STEVE ROGERS stares back with an utter disgust on his face, like if somebody took a dump on his beloved teddy bear.

STEVE ROGERS: You want to know why I came here?

STEVE ROGERS: To see what they changed. What Red Skull took away that turned me into a monster that brought my country to its knees and destroyed the good name I worked so hard to build.

Panel 6:

STEVE ROGERS starts talking, getting increasingly angry

STEVE ROGERS: But what I’ve found was just another misanthrope with no faith in others.

STEVE ROGERS: Let me tell you something about people.

Panel 7:

STEVE ROGERS: Yes, they are easy to sway, scared, most of them just want to go with the flow and hope for the best.

STEVE ROGERS: But we’re not weak.

Panel 8:

STEVE ROGERS: You keep focusing only on our bad, on how we are at our worst. But you know what?

Page 19:

Panel 1:

BLACK ICE BERSERKERS are doing a short work out of SOLDIERS, not realizing a source of light appears behind their back.

Panel 2:

A sudden outburst of light blinds everyone in the storehouse.

Panel 3:

In the middle of the fight, two new characters appear - Sam Wilson as FALCON and Jane Foster as THOR. She is kneeling with MJOLNIR held to the ground - she teleported them there just like her predecessor usually does

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS: You forgot all the good ones.

Page 20:

Panel 1:

FALCON flies towards one of BLACK ICE BERSERKERS and punches him, saving one of the SOLDIERS from being cut to pieces. I suggest making this panel an updated homage to 1941 Captain America Comics #1

FALCON: I was looking for a chance to try out the new suit. But maybe one with a bit less bloodbath.

FALCON: Get behind me, man.

Panel 2:

THOR sends several of the BLACK ICE BERSERKERS flying with a swing of her hammer. Similarly to the above, this panel could be a homage to Journey Into Mystery #83

THOR: We should celebrate the new beginning for you with the sweet taste of combat. And later the mead. And your lips.

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS: No matter what threat arises, there will always be someone to stand against it.

Panel 3:

One of BLACK ICE BERSERKERS grabs one of the SOLDIERS and holds a shortsword to his throat.

BERSERKER: Lay down your weapons! Or I will tear this weakling’s throat like a….

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS: And even if they find themselves in a pinch, well...

Panel 4:

And now that BLACK ICE BERSERKER gets hit from behind by a blast of energy, dropping his weapon and releasing the soldier.

BERSERKER: AAAAARGH!

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS:... That’s when they usually learn…

Page 21:

Panel 1:

IRONHEART is standing above the felled BLACK ICE BERSERKER in a pose highly reminiscent of that in which Iron Man is depicted on the cover of Tales of Suspense #39

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS:... They’re not alone in their fight.

IRONHEART: Sorry I’m late….

Panel 2:

MARY JANE WATSON and a SCIENTIST standing in a room with highly advanced technology - including the chamber in which Tony Stark has been put after his coma.

NARRATION - IRONHEART:...something came out.

SCIENTIST: There is no trace of anyone or anything entering this room. No fluctuations in his biosigns either.

MARY JANE: A man in a coma doesn’t just walk away. Where the hell is Tony Stark?!

Panel 3:

A shot of an archeologist dig site in South Africa. Two black ARCHEOLOGISTS enter their car after a checkup with two SHIELD AGENTS (let’s call them AGENT 3 and 4 to avoid confusion with previous ones).

CAPTION: The Great Karoo Region, South Africa

ARCHEOLOGIST 1: These drawings definitely date to the early Stone Age, doctor. I think we should slow down the dig and study them….

ARCHEOLOGIST 2: Don’t be ridiculous! You’ve seen the lidar scans. The real find lies deeper.

Panel 4:

In the air STAR-BRAND and GHOST RIDER continue their fight - RIDER is currently sitting on STAR-BRAND’s back, trying to strangle him with a chain, while STAR-BRAND flies downwards at incredible speed. It looks incredibly ridiculous.

Panel 5:

AGENT 3 and 4 watch as the car disappears behind a hill far in distance, implying a very large area is being isolated.

AGENT 3: Cannot imagine a more boring job for my last day on S.H.I.E.L.D.

AGENT 4: Tell me about. I cannot remember when was the last time I even shot somebody.

Panel 6:

A huge explosion occurs behind surprised AGENTS 3 and 4, as something (STAR-BRAND and GHOST RIDER, but we don’t see it here) crashed from the sky into the ground at great speed.

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS: Yes, the crises come one after another….

Page 22:

Panel 1:

STAR-BRAND or rather KEVIN wakes up in a huge crater, GHOST RIDER getting up from the ground not so far behind. KEVIN looks utterly terrified.

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS: And every other seems more overwhelming than the last.

KEVIN: Please….stop this…..

Panel 2:

KEVIN rushes towards GHOST RIDER, almost losing balance and falling on his knees.

KEVIN: I don’t know what happened to Star-Brand! It went crazy! Took over my body...k-killed people!

Panel 3:

Suddenly AGENTS 3 and 4 show up, the latter shoots KEVIN in the arm.

KEVIN: You need to help me...before I lose control again...before more people….

AGENT 3: Hands in the air!

AGENT 4: Oh to hell with this!

Panel 4:

Close-up on KEVIN’S eyes which become red, as STAR-BRAND takes over once more.

Panel 5:

STAR-BRAND fires a blast of energy and burns AGENT 3 and 4 alive.

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS: But even in the darkest moments….

Panel 6:

Close up on GHOST RIDER, whose face remains as much of an emotionless enigma as always.

Panel 7:

GHOST RIDER screams as he starts transforming, fire bursting around him.

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS:... The salvation may come….

Page 23:

Panel 1:

STAR-BRAND spreads his arms, both his palms pulsating with red energy. If you're getting any Dragon Ball vibes from this, this is exactly what I'm going for

STAR-BRAND: Be grateful, flame-child. Star-Brand shall grant you…

Panel 2:

STAR-BRAND:...a quick death!

Panel 3:

A powerful blast of energy hits GHOST RIDER and doesn’t stop there.

Panel 4:

A space shot of EARTH, we see a ray of red light leaving from it and traveling a great distance

Page 24:

Panel 1:

A shot of ray of red energy being visible in space.

Panel 2:

A black-skinned ASTRONOMER, utterly terrified, runs from his highly-advanced telescope.

Panel 3:

We see the same ASTRONOMER running through the street of the highly advanced alien world - or maybe not so alien one. It looks incredibly technologically advanced, but we see both aliens and humans, all of them black, going with their lives, many carrying flags of Wakanda. Soldiers in uniforms resembling that of Black Panther oversee the streets and in the back, we can see a huge monument of T’Challa.

CAPTION: Birnin T’Challa, Planet of the Bast, Benhazin Star System.

CAPTION: Throneworld of the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda.

Page 25:

Panels 1-3:

Each of them is showing STAR-BRAND as he keeps firing his blast, each in a closer shot and each more and more showing of a human-shaped shadow growing inside the stream of energy, suggesting something is moving in opposite direction and getting closer.

STAR-BRAND (Panel 1): You still learn controlling the demon. You do not understand the stakes. All more reasons for you to fall.

STAR-BRAND (Panel 2): These are times that will test us. Reshape everything we know.

STAR-BRAND (Panel 3): If Star-Brand allows you to find the Fallen, to bring the Host, there shall be no easy death for….

Panel 4:

A hand in black reaches from behind the panel and grabs STAR-BRAND by the throat, shutting him up.

Page 26:

Panel 1:

GHOST RIDER in a new, transformed form, that from the cover of the never-published 6th issue of his 2016 series, casually stands there, completely unscratched by that powerful attack, and holds STAR-BRAND above the ground by the throat.

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS:..... In the most unlikely forms.

Panel 2:

A very simple close-up, but one that will be telling a lot to the fans of Ghost Rider franchise - a close up on GHOST RIDER’s eyes.

Page 27:

Panel 1:

GHOST RIDER drops STAR-BRAND, who grabs his own head, screaming in pain.

STAR-BRAND: AAAAARGH!

Panel 2:

STAR-BRAND is in agony, having just been hit by Penance Stare. His hands on his head, he is screaming in pain.

STAR-BRAND: The interference! The pain!

STAR-BRAND: So many dead! It was necessary! To save the world!

STAR-BRAND: Star-Brand must….Star-Brand…..

Panel 3:

STAR-BRAND stops as we get a shot showing us his human-looking eyes again, showing KEVIN has taken control back again.

KEVIN:... won’t hurt anyone ever again.

Panel 4:

KEVIN flies off upwards with huge speed.

Panel 5: GHOST RIDER looks up at a huge explosion of red energy in the sky above him.

Panel 6:

GHOST RIDER turns back into ROBBIE REYES, who is really confused about what just happened.

ROBBIE: What the hell was that all about?

ROBBIE: And was that Penance Stare? Since when can I do that?

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS: You might say you put something or someone down and I didn’t but trust me….

Page 28:

Panel 1:

A place filled with computers and machinery and computer screens. One of them shows words “Incoming Message From Tayo Star System”. The message is being played by the machine

THE MESSAGE: Zzzzzzt! Found your energy signature… zzzzt!...know you’re alive….zzzzt!

THE MESSAGE: Back to Sakaar! We need you, Green Scar! Please,...zzzzt!

THE MESSAGE: We need you, Hulk!

NARRATION -STEVE ROGERS:...Past is a funny thing.

Panel 2:

A hand putting a photo showing six original RUNAWAYS on the shelf.

NARRATION - THE MESSAGE: It’s time to come home.

Panel 3:

The photo on the shelf is on the left, while on the right we see a person looking like CHASE STEIN walking away from the readers and towards something that looks like an H.G.Wells style time machine.

NARRATION - WINTER SOLDIER: When did that happen?

Panel 4:

A deep night, some unspecified city in some 3rd World Country, middle of the street. WINTER SOLDIER is crouching and checking something on the ground, while a GUIDE is standing nearby with hands in his pockets.

GUIDE: Yesterday. The guy was about to give his speech when the bullet hit.

WINTER SOLDIER: This is exactly where the body fell?

GUIDE: Yes.

Panel 5:

WINTER SOLDIER points at the nearby tall building.

WINTER SOLDIER: He was another wannabe dictator who saw an opportunity in striking a deal with Hydra, yes?

GUIDE: Precisely.

WINTER SOLDIER: Makes sense why she terminated him.

GUIDE: She? How do you know it was a woman?

WINTER SOLDIER: Because the shot was from that building.

Panel 6:

WINTER SOLDIER looks upwards, unsure what does it all really means himself.

WINTER SOLDIER: The angle, the way it happened, the chosen caliber, that’s all her signature style.

WINTER SOLDIER: Natasha….

NARRATION - STEVE ROGERS: It doesn’t like to stay down.

Page 29:

Panel 1:

OLD MAN LOGAN entering the room in an unspecified place covered in darkness, holding a can of beer in hand. He’s smiling, amused by something.

OLD MAN LOGAN: Well, won’t you look at that?

Panel 2:

IRONHEART, THOR, and FALCON utterly wreck some more of the BLACK ICE BERSERKERS.

Panel 3:

Two of the BLACK ICE BERSERKERS are running between the shelves, one of them, named SNARR carrying the box labeled 4-1939. OTHER BERSERKER is showing him the exit door.

SNARR: These are not the Avengers we heard of! Mere pretenders! I Snarr, son of….

OTHER BERSERKER: Silence! You will take the bounty back to Loki and finish the bargain!

Panel 4:

SNARR runs towards the exit, while OTHER BERSERKER runs in the opposite way, towards the fight. Both of them have morbid looks on their faces.

OTHER BERSERKER: And see we are remembered.

Panel 5:

SNARR runs out of the military complex, he is now running towards the nearby forest.

Panel 6:

SNARR is standing between the threes with the crate and a crystal, yelling to it like to a phone

SNARR: I have it, Loki! Open the portal! Loki?!

Panel 7:

SNARR turns back when a pair of reflectors flashes behind his back.

SNARR: About time you….Loki?

Panel 8:

It’s revealed what the reflectors belong to - a green Honda. A person, obscured by the shadows, is getting out of it.

Page 30:

Panel 1:

OLD MAN LOGAN opens a can of beer.

OLD MAN LOGAN: Everyone missed you, you know?

Panel 2:

SNARR seen from some distance, he is cocky and amused

SNARR: Begone, worm.

SNARR: I am Snarr, son of Scarrcicle, Son of Coldbone, warrior of the Jotunheim.

Panel 3:

SNARR, now seen a bit closer, pulls out a dagger, smiling sadistically.

SNARR: And you should start screaming now before this dagger carves you into a puddle of bloody slush.

Panel 4:

SNARR, now seen even closer, a bit surprised but still rather amused, getting himself excited.

SNARR: No running away? Aren’t you brave one, little worm? Dead, little worm?

Panel 5:

A closer shot on SNARR, who gets completely agitated and excited at the prospect of killing this human.

SNARR: You are dead! You hear me human? Dead!

Page 31:

Panel 1:

The entire page is just one big black panel with huge red word SNIKT! written in a font that looks like if someone has scratched it on the wood with a sharp object.

Page 32:

Panel 1:

On the first plane a cut open corpse of SNARR. On the second a person, still obscured by the shadows, drinking from a can next to the crate carried by ice giant.

Panel 2:

As before, but that person has finished drinking and throws crushed can into the hole in SNARR’s chest and with other hand reaches to the crate.

Panel 3:

Somewhere else, on a spaceship, GAMORA stares shocked at a computer screen.

GAMORA: The readings just all fired up! Another Infinity Stone has been found!

Panel 4:

OLD MAN LOGAN standing with a can of beer next to what was once the adamantium form in which his past self was trapped and which now look like it’s been torn open from the inside.

OLD MAN LOGAN: Welcome back…

Page 33:

Panel 1:

A full-page picture of WOLVERINE holding a shinning, Blue Infinity stone in hand, SNARR”s corpse and a green Honda in the background.

NARRATION - OLD MAN LOGAN:...Bub.

Page 34:

Panel 1:

We’re back to the cell, one last time. STEVE ROGERS is pointing fingers accusingly at HYDRA CAP and yelling angrily.

STEVE ROGERS: You kept saying how you didn’t break any laws to gain power. How it was given to you by the people.

STEVE ROGERS: But those people trusted you to not abuse that power. And you did exactly that.

Panel 2:

STEVE ROGERS starts walking towards HYDRA CAP, his entire body language saying how angry he is.

STEVE ROGERS: You keep saying how strong you were, but all I see is another selfish politician. More concerned with his own image and connection, than doing the right thing.

STEVE ROGERS: People with power, of any kind, make their every decision based on how it might affect others and them as well.

Panel 3:

HYDRA CAP tries to chime in, but STEVE ROGERS shoves a hand in front of his face, without touching it, with this gesture preemptively ordering him to shut up.

STEVE ROGERS: If you really were strong, you would be able to make decisions that might not be best for you. You would be able to say no to the council no matter their reaction.

STEVE ROGERS: You would be able to take actions potentially undermining your power and keep going.

STEVE ROGERS: Conservation of power should be of no importance to you.

Panel 4:

STEVE ROGERS stands now right in front of HYDRA CAP, tapping the latter’s chest with his finger and looking at him with pure disgust.

STEVE ROGERS: Most of the times in a moral dilemma, the right decision is the one hardest for you.

STEVE ROGERS: If you really were a man who makes hard decisions, you would not bomb Vegas. You would keep Rick Jones alive. Consequences be damned.

Panel 5:

STEVE ROGERS turns his back to HYDRA CAP and starts walking away.

STEVE ROGERS: But you didn’t. Because for all your talk, you’re not me. You’re no different from a Skrull, an LMD or William Burnside. Or any other knockoffs of me Hydra made over the years.

STEVE ROGERS: It doesn’t matter how you look. I know exactly what you are.

Panel 6:

STEVE ROGERS leaves the cell, leaving HYDRA CAP alone.

Steve Rogers: And I’ve been fighting you my whole life.

Page 35:

Panel 1:

Two ARCHEOLOGISTS from earlier are now exploring an underground cave, their flashlights the only source of light. They stop in front of a wall covered in caveman drawings that look like symbols of Star-Brand and Iron Fist, an open eye, a burning bird and burning skull, a panther and a hammer.

ARCHEOLOGIST 1: These drawings are unlike anything I’ve ever seen in a cave dating back to the stone age.

ARCHEOLOGIST 2: That’s what I was talking about. There is truth here, about where we came from. One science and religion both missed.

Panel 2:

As above but now both ARCHEOLOGISTS are distracted by LOKI walking pass them with hands in her pockets.

ARCHEOLOGIST 2: What if there is something unnatural about our origin? What if everything we know and love is some grand cosmic mis….

LOKI: A stone would be nice, but hey, not the only game in town.

Panel 3:

ARCHEOLOGISTS chase after LOKI, who disappears behind the corner.

ARCHEOLOGIST 1: You shouldn’t be here!

LOKI: Speaking of which, hello, new friend. Guess they really should have nailed you to the Moon like father wanted.

LOKI: What was that thing you wanted to do?

Panel 4:

Two ARCHEOLOGISTS take a turn, only to end in front of a giant hand of a CELESTIAL trapped in the cave, that reaches to crush them. LOKI leans on the wall casually.

CELESTIAL: SUMMON THE FINAL HOST!

CELESTIAL: CLEANSE THEM ALL!

LOKI: Sounds good to me.

Panel 5:

A shot of a nebula in space, looking like a giant hand forming across a single, shinning star and a child’s hand in white bodysuit reaching to it.

A VOICE, off-panel: What are you doing?

Page 36:

Exactly like the final Page of Marvel: Legacy #1:

#Secret EMpire: Omega #Marvel: Legacy #Loki #Ghost Rider #Robbie Reyes #Star-Band #Ironheart #iron Man #Riri Williams #Valeria Richards #Franklin Richards #Wasp #Nadia pym #Nadia Van Dyne #Runaways #Nico Minoru #Chase Stein #Marvel

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lynchgirl90 · 8 years ago

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@TVGuideMagazine @Kyle_MacLachlan & @DAVID_LYNCH on the long-awaited return of #TwinPeaks.

When David Lynch and Mark Frost’s surreal Twin Peaks debuted on ABC in April 1990, the nascent World Wide Web was not yet a delivery service for instant feedback—or spoilers. Audiences found themselves frustrated yet intrigued with having to wait, week after week, to learn clues about the trippy show’s central mystery: Who bumped off small-town bad girl Laura Palmer (played by Sheryl Lee)? But even in today’s era of information overload, Showtime has unveiled only the most cryptic of teasers about the much-anticipated 18-episode revival, leaving fans waiting yet again.

Returning star Kyle MacLachlan, who revisits his lead role as unorthodox FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, also has remained mum on what Coop’s beat will be. Is there a new murder? Is java-loving Agent Cooper still seeing apparitions? Will anyone’s deceased soul find its way into a drawer’s knob? (Yes, that actually happened—along with jazzy dance breaks, soul-stealing supernatural entities in jean jackets and lots of ebullient appreciation of doughnuts and sandwiches.) “I wish I could tell you more,” the actor says with a laugh. “I’m just incredibly excited about what people’s response is going to be.”

Here’s what’s known: It’s now 25 years after the Northwest community of Twin Peaks parsed out the demise of homecoming queen Palmer, with her last seven days rumored to provide a crucial clue to the new narrative. Lynch is directing and cowriting—with producing partner Frost—all 18 installments of the limited series. So how was it to be back in the director’s chair? “Close to heaven on Earth,” says Lynch (below, with the late Miguel Ferrer). “It’s like a feature film divided into parts, so in order for it to hold together, it should be [made] by the same bunch.”

In fact, fan faves such as Mädchen Amick (Shelley), Sherilyn Fenn (Audrey), Kimmy Robertson (Lucy), Harry Goaz (Deputy Andy), Dana Ashbrook (Bobby) and James Marshall (James) are all back. “We’d see each other, and within seconds it’d be like no time had passed at all,” says Lynch, who also reprises his role as comically hard-of-hearing FBI Chief Gordon Cole. Plus, a bevy of new faces in secret roles adds star power to the 217-person cast, including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Naomi Watts, Richard Chamberlain, Ashley Judd and Laura Dern.

This incarnation also marks a TV milestone: The first two parts are making their debut this month at the Cannes Film Festival, the first time in the fest’s 70 years that series television will be shown alongside glitzy gala movie premieres.

“I love revisiting the world and the characters of Twin Peaks,” Lynch says, noting the reboot might not all be set in the town we once knew. Given the various celebrations and fan sites in the show’s honor, so do many viewers. How good is your recall on Twin Peaks?

Here’s your ultimate A-to-Z guide to the seminal drama—including some cool trivia. Cherry pie and cup of joe optional. (Additional reporting by Jeff Pfeiffer)

Angelo Badalamenti The American composer nabbed a Best Pop Instrumental Grammy in 1991 for Twin Peaks’ haunting main theme. Another fun fact: He’s scored six of Lynch’s films and even has a small role in one of them: 2001’s Mulholland Drive.

BOB, aka Killer BOB This evil ghoul from the supernatural realm (Frank Silva, left) possessed Laura’s tortured dad, Leland Palmer (Ray Wise), and eventually, per the final moments of the ABC series, Agent Cooper. Lynch cast Peaks’ set decorator Silva in the pivotal role after spotting him in a mirror’s reflection, which would later—prophetically—become BOB’s creepy visual signature.

Carlton Cuse The Bates Motel cocreator admitted, “We pretty much ripped off Twin Peaks” to capture the tone of the Psycho prequel. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

Diane Keaton The Oscar-winning actress directed the not-very-well-received Season 2 episode “Slaves and Masters,” which wrapped up shady businessman Ben Horne’s (Richard Beymer) bizarre delusion that he was a Civil War hero.

Emmys Peaks won a pair of trophies (for costuming and editing) but was nominated for a whopping 18 total, including drama series, leading actor (MacLachlan), leading actress (Piper Laurie as Catherine Martell, the town’s sullen saw mill proprietor) and supporting actress (Fenn, as teenage seductress Audrey Horne).

Fire Walk With Me The maligned 1992 big-screen prequel film—which has since developed nearly as much of a cult following as the series—starred Lynch, Kiefer Sutherland and singer Chris Isaak as agents investigating the murder of Teresa Banks (the show’s other initial murder case) and tied into the last week of Laura Palmer’s short life.

Great Northern Now known as the Salish Lodge and often flocked to by superfans, the rustic inn seen in the lush opening credits has been renovated into a chic resort and spa that overlooks the Snoqualmie Falls near Seattle.

Horne’s Department Store Audrey’s job at her dad’s retail outlet in Season 1 led from her becoming a swoony Lolita-type into a full-fledged spy, infiltrating his secret brothel after discovering that salesgirls were being lured into prostitution. Scandalous!

Invitation to Love The faux soap opera watched by several Peaks characters often mimicked the series’ own storylines, including one involving a twin cousin. (Lee also played Laura Palmer’s more demure, brunette cousin, Maddy Ferguson.)

Johnson, Shelley After auditioning for the role of winsome high schooler Donna (played by Lara Flynn Boyle, who is not returning for the revival), newcomer Amick (now starring on Riverdale) so wowed the producers that they created the role of put-upon Double R Diner waitress Shelley just for her. She quickly became adored by fans.

Kiana Lodge The Poulsbo, Washington, locale was used for the Great Northern’s interior shots and as the Blue Pine Lodge, which was a residence shared by Catherine, her goofy fisherman husband, Pete (Jack Nance), and the sultry Josie (Joan Chen), a Chinese émigré with a dodgy past who famously kept a low profile in the industrial township.

Log Lady The recently departed Catherine E. Coulson’s memorably deadpan mystic—who shared a very special connection to her beloved wood—helped Cooper by giving him clues throughout Laura’s murder investigation. The Log Lady (seen right) was famously spoofed in an episode of the Rob Morrow series Northern Exposure.

Man from Another Place, The As the key resident of Cooper’s dream-induced Red Room, Michael J. Anderson’s scary-cool “dancing dwarf” spoke in backward riddles and proclamations. (Our favorite: “That gum you like is going to come back in style.”) He later inspired a memorable bit on The Simpsons.

Northwest Passage This was the original name of the pilot script written by Lynch and co-creator Frost. Not as catchy!

One-Eyed Jacks Owned by Ben Horne and run by madam Blackie O’Reilly (Victoria Catlin), this casino was best known for peddling drugs and hookers and, most importantly, for being one of the last places its young employee Laura Palmer was seen alive.

Project Blue Book Agent Cooper was briefed on this real-life 1950s–1960s secret probe into UFOs conducted by the U.S. government, which he was told included activity around the perimeter of Twin Peaks—hence all the ghostly goings-on.

Queen of Diamonds The famous playing-card royal served as inspiration for Audrey’s outfit at One-Eyed Jacks on her first night as a new hostess…which almost ends with Audrey’s being “broken in” by the owner, who is (gasp) her father!

Roadhouse The show’s biker bar hosted several clandestine rendezvous, as well as Cooper’s meeting with the Giant (the main figure in Cooper’s many dream states), the ill-fated Miss Twin Peaks pageant and musical performances by Julee Cruise’s ethereal house chanteuse (who also sings Peaks’ main theme, “Falling”).

Silent curtain runners High-strung town weirdo Nadine (Wendy Robie) served as its resident inventor too, including this unusual solution for the screech heard when opening draperies.

TV Guide Magazine Twin Peaks placed No. 20 in our 2004 countdown of TV’s Top 25 Cult Shows. (Yes, we know it should have been higher!)

Uproar What happened when fans didn’t find out who killed Laura in the Season 1 finale or even the Season 2 premiere. BOB’s deadly deed was finally revealed in the November 10, 1990, episode, but by then, the low ratings proved more lethal than he was.

Violence Despite the fact the primetime show was on a broadcast network shackled with standards-and-practices regulations, eyebrows were routinely raised for its unflinching portrayals of domestic abuse, electroshock torture and, indelibly, the signature image of Laura Palmer nestled in a body bag.

Wrapped in Plastic This same image in the show inspired the title of rocker/devoted fan Marilyn Manson’s 1994 song about dysfunction, which also samples Laura’s screams from the series finale. A meta treat for fans.

X-Files Before the truth was out there, David Duchovny (left)—then dating actress Robertson, who plays baby-voiced police secretary Lucy—made his television debut portraying trans FBI agent Denise Bryson.

Yamaguchi, Fumio The actor credited with playing Season 2’s mysterious Japanese real estate investor “Mr. Tojamura” turned out to be a fake! All along, it was series regular Piper Laurie’s believed-to-be-dead Catherine in full-on Mission: Impossible–level disguise. Had us fooled!

Zen It proved to be the preferred mental state of dogged crime fighter Agent Cooper, whether he was calmly dictating into his prized tape recorder or hanging upside down to meditate. Will he still be as cool 25 years later?

Twin Peaks, Series Return, Sunday, May 21, 9/8c, Showtime

link (TP)

#Twin Peaks #Kyle MacLachlan #Agent Cooper #David Lynch #Showtime

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techdomes · 6 years ago

Text

At its core, Insomniac Games’ new adventure strives to make you feel like Spider-Man. And, thankfully, Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS4 succeeds at nearly every swing across Manhattan’s rooftops. I was left delighted at nearly every step of its 15-hour adventure thanks to a surprisingly deep tale that mines the plights of both Spider-Man and Peter Parker to great emotional success. Underpinning that engrossing narrative is an excellent set of webswinging mechanics, which — combined with fun gadgets and plenty of puns — makes for thrilling action in both the massive setpieces and in the quiet, confined corridors of tense sequences. Insomniac’s first foray into the realm of Marvel superheroes is a continually exciting adventure whose open world and combat are only occasionally caught up in a web of overly familiar trappings. Swinging around feels, quite simply, spectacular. There’s a small learning curve, but after getting comfortable with the basics, it’s nearly effortless to make Spider-Man look graceful in every swing, leap, and lunge. And man does it feel good to find the right mix of jumping, crawling, web zipping, and wall running.

I’ve spent hours just soaring around the skyscrapers of New York City, testing the momentum of my swings to find just the right point to gain an extra boost of speed, or leaping off the Avengers Tower to test how close to the ground I could fall, just to swing out in the nick of time. Similar to how God of War’s Leviathan Axe felt so good to throw around, Insomniac has found web-spun gold with Spider-Man’s swinging mechanic, enhancing it with additional moves like a focal point webzip that allowed me to turn any ledge, beam, or satellite tower into a jumping off point to continue my non-stop movement. Open-world traversal hasn’t been this smooth since Sunset Overdrive (which, not coincidentally, Insomniac also developed).

Doing What a Spider Can

And, happily, no aspect of New York’s architecture can really stop Spider-Man. Discovering how a powerful, but nimble, Spider-Man tackles fire escapes, both vertically and horizontally, or watching him slip through the metal grating of a water tower is endlessly entertaining. His animations are so detailed that no matter the obstacle, I got the sense that I could truly do whatever a Spider-Man could.

That was surprisingly true of indoor locations, too. The main story missions often took me into large-scale interiors, sometimes for light puzzle solving, and occasionally for stealthy takedown scenarios. For anyone who’s played the Batman: Arkham franchise, the framework is largely the same: enter a room, avoid being detected, and use a mix of gadgets and (relatively) quiet web takedowns to take down the crowd.

Insomniac has found web-spun gold with Spider-Man’s wonderful webswinging.

These stealth scenarios perfectly highlight Spider-Man’s talents — especially his love for designing gadgets. There’s a methodical thrill to plotting out the order I wanted to web up enemies, whether luring an enemy out toward me for a stealth takedown or by firing off a web trap that would stick them to a wall. There’s enough enemy variety (some react differently to your webbing than others, like big brutes that can’t be taken down as easily) that I always enjoyed the light bit of strategy these sections demanded, and would happily work my way through a dozen more.

Of course, Spidey gets up close and personal with foes a lot of the time, too, making for combat that’s equally fun, if a little slow to show its true depth. At first, I found myself pretty much just punching and dodging, occasionally webbing up a foe so I could focus on a more powerful baddie. But as I unlocked more skills from Spider-Man’s skill trees and gadgets, combat became an improvisational delight. After some leveling, I could pull an enemy’s gun away and smack him in the head with it, while a previously planted web trip mine strung two other enemies together. I’d then web-zip my way to a floor above me to smack an enemy off a railing while simultaneously sending a spider drone after two more foes. That balancing act consistently delivered on the powerful and fun fantasy of being Spider-Man. To be fair, Spider-Man’s combat owes a lot to the aforementioned Arkham franchise, right down to the slow-motion crunch when you take out the last baddie in a bunch, but that template is sped up dramatically in order to take advantage of Spidey’s nimble nature.

That feeling of fluid movement only falters during boss battles. Insomniac throws in some big and exciting boss fights full of tense action. They’re sparingly involved, as many of the more fascinating setpieces of the story don’t involve one-on-one fights. But because the adventure is both front and back-loaded with boss fights, there’s an odd lull devoid of huge bouts right in the middle of the story. That’s not inherently bad, especially as a lot of great character work is done in the second act alongside those blockbuster action sequences. But because the first couple of bosses boil down to round-based pattern recognition, they felt a bit simple and rote. Unfortunately, that becomes pretty noticeable with the huge gap in major villain encounters. Still, there are some smart and fun twists in boss battles toward the end of the campaign to look forward to.

The combat and gadgets fulfill the fun and powerful fantasy of being Spider-Man.

The variation in Spider-Man’s fighting style and inventive gadget arsenal — which is hardly a surprise given Insomniac’s knack for wacky weapon wheels in series like Ratchet & Clank — is also extended to Spider-Man’s wardrobe. His portable closet of unlockable Spidey suits all come with their own powers. Each power can be used independently of the outfit once unlocked, which is a godsend. It’s a joy to swap among some of the unexpected late-game duds, though I’ve become quite fond of this Spider-Man’s new main suit. That said, I largely relied on the first couple of powers for almost the entire campaign. The singular power to fill out your focus meter for special finishers or to restore health from Peter’s white-spider costume was so consistently useful that I didn’t want to give it up, and I never felt like the world encouraged me to use the others. Swapping between mods to adapt to specific side challenges — like one that could prevent my combo counter from immediately resetting with each hit — was always more useful than swapping between different abilities.

Concrete Jungle

Spider-Man’s New York is an absolute blast to swing around, in part thanks to how gorgeous the shiny skyscrapers of the city look. Spider-Man does have its graphical hiccups — for example, the faces of Peter and other key characters are spectacularly animated while less notable characters are flat and often out of sync with dialogue. But its New York City is undeniably gorgeous, particularly on a PS4 Pro. Swinging around at dusk as the calm oranges of the setting sun hit the reflective glass of New York’s skyscrapers at just the right angle evoked some of the most calming, zen-like gameplay sessions I’ve experienced in awhile.

Marvel’s Spider-Man doesn’t offer a a 1:1 recreation of New York City, but most of the key landmarks — including my old apartment — are recreated faithfully. Neighborhoods have distinct enough character to be discernible as I swung from one to the next. Yes, certain aspects of the city, like water towers or certain building fronts, can start to feel repetitive. But Insomniac has done a pretty great job of capturing the city’s look with the sheen I’d expect for a world full of superheroes and super science.

That feeling is only magnified by the score. Spider-Man’s main theme recalls the triumphant horns of the MCU Avengers score, rising at just the right moments as I raced to stop a crime or to save some locale from a villain’s evil plot. Outside of the main campaign, there are dozens of other side objectives scattered throughout the city, which add another 15-20 hours of exploring, though my enjoyment of them varied greatly. I was never outright bored by any task, but some were reused so often that I found myself running through the motions of scenarios I once found exciting. The fourth or fifth time you figure out how to take on a horde of enemies committing a crime or fend off waves of enemies at an outpost is still entertaining — the fortieth is much less so. It dilutes what starts as a fun, heroic act into a repetitive, going-through-the-motions activity that often had a knack for popping up just as I was making my way to a major story mission. Outside of stopping those optional crimes, Taskmaster’s tough combat, race, and stealth challenges kept me coming back for better scores. And though finding landmarks and backpacks encouraged me to hit every corner of the city, the activity itself was pretty easy. Peter outside of his suit can also engage in a couple science minigames, one of which is essentially the pipe challenge from the original BioShock. I have a soft spot for that type of puzzle activity, but their inclusion contributes to some of the campaign’s odd pacing issues. They’re introduced just after your first real taste of being Spider-Man, and then interrupt the action anytime Spider-Man needs to do something science-related within the story.

The brilliance of what the world could have been can be seen in a handful of brilliant side missions. One tied nicely into the main story, culminating in an optional boss fight. Another suite of tasks forced me to actually have a good sense of New York’s neighborhoods. These sidequests helped bring the world of Spider-Man and its open New York City to life — I just wish a few more of them cleverly gave the world and my actions more significance.

Update: A day-one patch for Spider-Man has introduced a wonderful photo mode to the experience. It feels like the next evolution of photo modes before it, being so bespoke to Spidey himself. Being able to create comic book covers or panels is a delightful twist, and effectively allows you to create your own Spider-Man comic books should you want to.

Slow-Spinning Redemption

Thankfully, the story consistently delivers that sense of weight and impact, albeit after a somewhat slow start. Insomniac’s Spider-Man is one who has a history in this world, and it feels earned thanks to smart integration of familiar villains rather than throwing them at the screen for the sake of fan service. The script allows time for the central villains (and Peter’s relationship to them) to believably develop, making for some emotionally powerful scenes toward the end that definitely had me misty eyed on a couple of occasions.

I appreciated Insomniac’s surprising amount of restraint when it came to villains, but I loved the focus it put on Peter Parker and his relationships even more. I played Spider-Man to be Spider-Man, but I’m so happy I got to be Peter, too.

I played Spider-Man to be Spider-Man, but I’m so happy I got to be Peter, too.

Peter’s story is one of mentorship, smartly showing how he can simultaneously look up to one mentor, while becoming one, too. That dichotomy offers Spider-Man voice actor Yuri Lowenthal a chance to convey Peter’s various facets, and he does so with an emotional honesty that made this version of the Spider-Man one of my favorites on screen. Peter is someone who can succeed while he makes mistakes, and that juxtaposition offers a wealth of relatable material that carried me through much of Spider-Man’s story.

I won’t spoil Miles’ part in the adventure, but I enjoyed his inclusion and, thanks to a charming performance, I was as endeared to him as I was to Peter.

Spider-Man’s story is as captivating as anything the MCU has offered

Perhaps most of all, though, I loved Peter and Mary-Jane’s relationship. It’s well-trod territory, but Insomniac injects new life into it, in part thanks to Spidey and MJ actors Lowenthal and Laura Bailey’s performances. These are two people who have a history together, and watching them try to figure out what future they have, if any — as friends, coworkers, or more — is an absolute joy to watch.

A number of Peter and MJ’s scenes feel instantly relatable, from the two having their first dinner in months together, navigating whether they’re comfortable with one another, to Peter trying not to lose his cool over a misinterpreted text. It’s one of my favorite romances in a game ever, and contributes to a story with personal stakes as captivating — and often much more — as anything the MCU (and most superhero movies) has delivered.

The Verdict

I wanted Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS4 to make me feel like Spider-Man: To sail between the highrises of New York City, to nimbly web up hordes of enemies, and tussle with familiar, animal-themed villains. Insomniac Games’ first foray into the world of Marvel handily delivers on all of that. But what I didn’t expect from Spider-Man was to come away feeling just as fulfilled to have inhabited the life of Peter Parker. Aside from a few odd pacing issues, which momentarily took me out of the experience of being a superhero, and a world of optional missions that don’t always quite live up to the heft of the main story, Insomniac has delivered a Spider-Man story that both surprised and delighted me, coupled with gameplay that made me feel like Spider-Man nearly every step of the way. The Wall Crawler’s open world doesn’t consistently deliver the thrilling moments of its main campaign, but the foundation laid here is undoubtedly a spectacular one.

TechDomes Score: 10

#TechDomes2018

Marvel’s Spider-Man PS4 Review

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fashiontrendin-blog · 7 years ago

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The Best-Dressed Men Of The Year 2017

http://fashion-trendin.com/the-best-dressed-men-of-the-year-2017/

The Best-Dressed Men Of The Year 2017

It wasn’t that long ago that lists attempting to rank men by how they dressed were weary, predictable things. Menswear was about rules – the spoils went to whomever adhered to them best. They’d be half Hollywooders whose stylists knew how a dinner suit should fit, a couple of musicians in leather jackets and a rapper or two.

Then everything blew up. The Rules, rehashed in new ways every decade, collapsed in on themselves. The result, over the past couple of years, was a fashion supernova. Up was down, casual became smart, and hip-hop rose both in the charts and on red carpets.

The men on this list don’t share a single look. But they embody the same approach, one that is thoroughly modern: “I wear what I think looks good, whether you agree or not.” These are the guys who, in 2017, reminded us why we love style. Who showed us new ways to dress and who defined the most exciting era in menswear for more than a century.

Quick Jump: 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

50. Roger Moore

There’s been plenty of bad news in 2017, but for fans of well-dressed men of a certain age there was more – Roger Moore sadly left the building. We’ll remember him through slightly teary eyes as the man who made the white dinner jacket look the best it (probably) ever has while bringing achingly cool outfits to the wardrobe of the world’s most famous spy. This Bond’s style is still one tough act to follow: Sir Rog, you’ve undoubtedly left the world a little bit less stylish.

“It’s easy to confuse the style of the late Roger Moore with his spell as James Bond – the flares and fat knots, the safari suits… Off-screen Moore was both more classical and more elegant in his dress. He was more Bond than Bond, as self-deprecating and good-humoured in person as his on-screen personae.” – Josh Sims, author, Icons of Men’s Style

49. Matt Bomer

With the kind of jawline more commonly found in comic books, one of the latest actors off America’s leading man production line has a bit of a headstart when it comes to looking good. But he also does a fine line in everything that comes below. His style is classic, but with a (wearable) twist, often elevating simple tailoring beyond the typical nine-to-five clobber. The White Collar star has also made the wise career choice to always look at least a million dollars in a dinner suit.

“Matt Bomer knows exactly how to play with layering, adding a waistcoat or knitwear under a cropped leather jacket or a woollen winter overcoat.” – Danny Ching, senior designer, Hardy Amies

48. Jonah Hill

His transformation from token funny fat kid to Academy Award-nominated actor is impressive enough on its own. But in 2017, Jonah Hill decided to add another switch-up into the mix, this time with his appearance. Alongside a new slimmed-down physique, the War Dogs star developed his own, unique laid-back aesthetic, merging skate brands such as Dime, Palace and Richardson with high-end statement pieces from likes of Saint Laurent and Gucci. All of this adds up to one of this year’s most effortlessly cool entries – we can’t wait to see what he does in 2018.

“Hill has long known how to look good in a tux. This year, he also left the stoner vibe behind and adopted a smarter and more contemporary take on smart-casual.” – Luke Sampson, associate editor, FashionBeans

47. Tom Hiddleston

Let’s address the elephant in the room. Yes, the man who sported that infamous ‘I Love T. S.’ vest in 2016 has made our list of the best-dressed men. Everyone makes mistakes, and thankfully for Tom Hiddleston, this year has been devoid of any skin-crawling cringe statements. Instead, he’s been doing what he does best: sharp suits that go heavy on pattern and occasionally get colourful. A case for finding what works for your style and rinsing the hell out of it.

“Not many people wear a slim-fit suit better than Hiddleston. If you’re ever unsure about proportions when it comes to tailoring, just do what he does.” – Ian Taylor, editor-in-chief, FashionBeans

46. Nick Jonas

It’s not impossible to remember a time when the Jonas brothers were peak lame. But have a gander at Nick Jonas now. Gone is the mega-mopped Disney boyband-droid and in his place stands an actual human, and a well-dressed one at that. Not averse to a patterned suit and with a collection of bombers that regularly turn us green-eyed, Jonas has developed into a connoisseur of cool that we admire, sartorially speaking at least.

“The Jonas look is one of two things, usually: a never-dull mix of streetwear, or statement tailoring done without looking like he’s peacocking. Hard to fault.” – Luke Todd, deputy editor, FashionBeans

45. Rami Malek

Despite a birth certificate that confirms his 36 years on earth, Rami Malek has quite clearly struck the same Dorian Gray arrangement that’s kept Pharrell suspended in time. Which is good news for his wardrobe, as it means he can brush off concerns of age appropriateness and carry on chucking on whatever he likes the look of: statement outerwear, bold print shirts, colourful tailoring and even a moustache and vest for his upcoming turn in the Freddie Mercury biopic.

“Aside from an enviable collection of bomber jackets, what we really like about Rami Malek’s style is that he never goes boring on the red carpet, whether he’s combining a leather jacket with tailoring or picking out a suit most guys wouldn’t have the brass to try.” – Jamie Millar, men’s style writer

44. Mahershala Ali

How do you end a year that started with picking up an Oscar and a stint as a Calvin Klein model? Land yourself a place on our best-dressed list, that’s how. Masherala Ali made the cut thanks to his unrivalled ability to endlessly pull off new looks. We’ve had Masherala Ali in a dinner suit, Masherala Ali in double denim, and Masherala Ali in layered camel. It all worked.

“He was only in Moonlight for all of 10 minutes and stole the show – such is the power of Mahershala Ali, an ascendant Hollywood actor, whose style is known for lifting staple looks with flashes of statement here and there. Look up his tartan-panelled chore jacket for proof.” – Murray Clark, assistant editor, FashionBeans

43. Andrew Garfield

Andrew Garfield’s single-handedly flying the flag for lanky, proudly geeky guys in Hollywood – and we’re all for it. The sartorial struggle that comes with being tall, but not especially wide, is real, but the former Spiderman nails it by making sure the cut of his clothes follow his form rather than swamp or cling to him. At his best in a never-ending tailoring rotation, Garfield plays with pattern, colour and separates for a modern take on fifties formalwear.

“It could be easy for someone with baby-faced charm and big floppy hair like Andrew to get stuck in perennial youthful style on the skinny suit merry-go-round. But like his acting, Andrew has embraced an elegant maturity with his look.” – Sarah Ann Murray, fashion editor and stylist

42. Waris Ahluwalia

It’s hard to say exactly what Waris Ahluwalia’s full-time occupation is. So to make life easy, we’re just going to swerve his CV and move on to his wardrobe. Purportedly a massive hater of being put in a (figurative) dressing-up box, Ahluwalia’s style works so well because it takes influences from all corners of menswear and throws them together in one impeccably judged sartorial mish-mash. Respecting the wishes of the man himself, we’re not going to attempt to define his look, we’ll just simply sit back and admire.

“Waris has a great style, often mixing tailoring with unexpected twists and accessories. He wore our quilted waistcoat over a suit and under a trench coat to add a more casual layer. He has fun with his style, which comes across when you speak to him.” – Delphine Ninous, creative director, Belstaff

41. Jake Gyllenhaal

Ill-advised hipster beard phase aside, it’s fair to say that Jake Gyllenhaal has been pretty steadfast as one of Hollywood’s premier male dressers. The Nocturnal Animals actor has since ditched the aforementioned bushy chin wig for an impeccably groomed, short, boxed beard, but his wardrobe has needed no such update. Throughout 2017, you were just as likely to see Gyllenhaal at New York Fashion Week in a slouchy grey crew neck and jeans, as you were to spot him on the red carpet in a well-fitted suit. It’s this versatility that sees him cementing his place among this year’s best-dressed men.

“Gyllenhaal sticks to tailored silhouettes and safe colour palettes (as most of us do). It’s uncomplicated, but that gives his look an effortlessness that’s hard to manufacture.” Ian Taylor, editor-in-chief, FashionBeans

40. Cillian Murphy

It speaks volumes about Cillian Murphy’s on-screen style that a man can now confidently stride into any barbers and bark “Peaky Blinders, mate”, and walk out 45 minutes later with the exact haircut he had in mind. But it’s not just as Brummy tough-nut Tommy Shelby that this Irish actor deserves praise. Off screen, his wardrobe manages to be simultaneously eclectic and low-key. An everyman-type vibe, carried off with an achingly cool nonchalance that puts him among the best dressers in Hollywood. We’re not sure what’s sharper: his wardrobe, or his cheekbones.

“Outside of Peaky Blinders, his inimitably laid-back approach to formal dressing gives him a cool everyman aesthetic that’s much harder to pull off convincingly than he makes it look.” – Moss Bros, men’s design team

39. Oliver Proudlock

Oliver Proudlock may have come to public prominence through Made in Chelsea (AKA the poshest reality TV show ever created), but in a world of non-ironic shooting garb and tweed fails, Proudlock is the dissenting dresser whose get-ups are often more East London than South-West. Anything that men are typically afraid to wear, Proudlock will put on. Bold prints, layer after layer, head-to-toe streetwear? That’s a regular day for this TV personality, who is also the brains behind the brilliant Serge DeNimes brand. If you can think of it and it isn’t boring, Proudlock has probably worn it, and it probably worked.

“Always an envelope pusher in the style department, Proudlock consistently flouts what most people expect from the Made In Chelsea brigade, mashing up streetwear, hip-hop and rock ‘n’ roll for a look that is entirely his own.” – Luke Todd, deputy editor, FashionBeans

38. Anthony Joshua

For anyone out there who’s intimately familiar with the squat rack, Anthony Joshua is a consummate lesson in what to wear when you’re all muscle. On the red carpet, he leans towards a straight cut, rather than anything aggressively slim, so that he can actually sit down inside. He understands the power of wearing a slightly longer jacket to balance out his iron paradise upper half and pleated trousers to make light work of his heavyweight quads. Because even when you’re big, it’s the little details that count.

“Anthony Joshua oozes style and charisma. He looks slick in tailoring and makes a white T-shirt look the business.” – Alex Longmore, celebrity stylist

37. Alexander Skarsgård

Alexander Skarsgård is a six-foot-something Swede with a face that looks like it’s been painstakingly carved from marble, so dressing well is probably a bit of a hobby for him rather than a necessity. That said, 2017 has been another stellar year in the wardrobe of this War On Everyone actor, who casually flips between classic Hollywood tailoring and annoyingly good thrown-on airport outfits. It’s not just his choice of clobber that gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from us either, his moustachioed mug at the Emmys almost convinced us to reconsider everything we thought we knew about appropriate and inappropriate facial decoration.

“Vertically unchallenged? Alexander Skarsgård shows men how to do tall, handsome and dressy. Especially in a suit.” – Marcus Jaye, blogger, The Chic Geek

36. Jon Kortajarena

Just when you thought you couldn’t get any more green-eyed about Jon Kortajarena, a man seemingly designed to point out everyone else’s physical shortcomings, it turns out he’s also an affable guy with zero problems in wardrobe the department. Bitter, us? Kortajarena’s style works because he has a clear understanding of the situation he’s dressing for. He does velvet dinner suits IRL just as well as in those Tom Ford ads, and brings the right level of unbuttoned aloofness to what he wears on the weekend. We hope his breath smells.

“Jon Kortajarena is a prime example of man who really works his best – and most prominent – feature, even though it’s not the kind of feature every man would want to work. He’s blessed by natural good looks, but like fellow model Cara Delevigne it’s his thick, attention-seeking, slightly unruly eyebrows he’s known for.” – Lee Kynaston, grooming editor, FashionBeans

35. Mark Ronson

It’s a universally acknowledged fact that there’s no colour on the Pantone chart that isn’t hung up in Mark Ronson’s wardrobe. We’re glad of it though, a few good turns in a black dinner suit will only get you so far. Ronson’s not just a headliner in jazzy suits, mind, he’s unbeatable at knowing what works well with them. T-shirts, printed shirts, shoes lifted straight off the set of Bugsy Malone; if nothing else, he made 2017 a much less of a sartorial snoozefest.

“This guy dresses himself as well as he produces music. You can tell if someone is an original or just a charlatan. Mark has always looked good and unique. The way he mixes all styles is a bit of an insight into his own personality, I think.” – Sebastian Dollinger, creative director, Eton Shirts

34. Tinie Tempah

There are a few lucky men in the world who can pretty much chuck on whatever they want and still look maddeningly good. Case in point: Tinie Tempah. Whether clad in loud, clashing prints, streetwear or draped in gold chains, Tinie makes our wardrobes feel woefully conservative pretty much every time we clap eyes on him. Maybe don’t try this at home, just admire from a distance.

“Not one to shy away from a statement suit, Tinie Tempah gets our vote for championing brave choices. He’s willing to take risks with colour and texture, yet he manages to make the sometimes-tricky balance between bold and tasteful look easy.” – Moss Bros, men’s design team

33. Jeff Bridges

While 90 per cent of the male population go grey and immediately descend into a bootcut-jeaned, ill-fitting blazered malaise, the remaining 10 per cent (of which Jeff Bridges is most certainly a part of) age like a fine bottle of something expensive, earning themselves the later life-affirming ‘silver fox’ moniker. Bridges may be knocking on 70’s door, but geriatric clichés don’t form any part of his style lexicon. A diet of well-cut suits make up the bulk his wardrobe, each finished with a how’d-you-make-it-perfect tie and beard that almost makes us wish we could speed up time.

“Jeff Bridges has that uncanny ability not only to embrace age, but to remind us all that it can look pretty damn cool too. He seems to don a tuxedo or three-piece suit with an effortless bohemian charm, though look closely and you’ll notice his suits always fit perfectly.” – Sarah Ann Murray, fashion editor and stylist

32. Aziz Ansari

Comedian and Master of None actor Aziz Ansari doesn’t need a souped-up wardrobe to help his pulling potential: women love funny men, but that hasn’t stopped him crafting a personal style that marks him out as a master of, well, most things menswear. As a regular on the awards circuit, we’ve seen him pull off stunting suits time and again. And when it comes to pounding the mean streets of New York, he’s got a killer chino and bomber jacket rotation.

“Comedians aren’t known for their great style but Aziz Ansari has bucked the trend: think razor-sharp tailoring, the odd pop of colour and probably a one-liner to top it off.” – Murray Clark, assistant editor, FashionBeans

31. Ansel Elgort

This was the year Ansel Elgort began to earn his seat at Hollywood’s top table, swapping sickly sweet teen films for meaty, bona fide acting roles (particularly a star-making turn in the very stylish Baby Driver). Right on cue, his wardrobe also stepped into leading man territory, proving on more than one occasion that Elgort knows how to shake up a suit for the red carpet, but is equally adept and making a getaway in a preppy bomber jacket and a pair of work boots.

“Elgort is the new crown prince of Hollywood and his style fits the role perfectly: colourful Americana, laid-back varsity jackets and, when he needs to, exemplary tailoring.” – Jamie Millar, men’s style writer

30. Eric Rutherford

Eric Rutherford looks good in a suit. He also looks good in dad jeans, a woolly jumper and a nice shirt. Which is deeply unfair, because, for most men in their 40s, that’s an outfit which implies they’ve given up, rather than the kind of thing you wear to Fashion Week. But then, that’s the genius of his style; it’s unfussy, unpretentious, but nails the basics – fit, fabrications, form – so it always speaks louder than the sum of its parts. The fact he’s also got cheekbones that could cut diamonds is just a bonus.

“Eric Rutherford has that classic effortless style which fits into any era. His light tailoring during July’s menswear collections in New York was outstanding.” – Jonathan Daniel Pryce, menswear photographer

29. Conor McGregor

There are two things Irish MMA powerhouse Conor McGregor is best known for: laying the smackdown inside the octagon, and rocking knock-out ostentatious outfits outside of it. The Notorious one is all IDGAF attitude, and that comes through tenfold in his unapologetically flamboyant get-ups, which can’t be referenced without mentioning his custom ‘Fuck You’ pinstripe suit. While there are few (if any) men who could pull it off, Conor does so because of his unfaltering, balls-out self-assurance. Proof, if ever it were needed, that true style is all about confidence.

“Yes, he’s brash and not everyone could get away with what he wears, but “Fuck You” tailoring gets a thumbs up for sheer audacity.” – Marcus Jaye, blogger, The Chic Geek

28. Pharrell Williams

Unlike most other men on this list, Pharrell is not an example of how you should dress. No one else on earth can pull off primary colours, coruscating patterns, distressing and jewellery, all in one outfit. But he does epitomise how you should think about style: that clothes can be fun; they should express your personality rather than that of the brand which made them; and with enough confidence, rules aren’t so rigid after all. Okay, so that doesn’t necessarily mean you should immediately experiment with oversized headwear. But maybe, make 2018 the year you take a few more risks. If it makes you as ‘Happy’ as Pharrell, it’s worth it.

“Pharrell is always setting trends, and looks effortlessly cool no matter the occasion. He never hides from colour, takes risks and has produced some bold, crazy, iconic collaborations to date.” – James Wright, menswear designer, Nicce

27. Matt Smith

Any man can, within reason, look good. And it doesn’t take Leto-levels of eccentricity to get there. That Matt Smith wins most red carpets by sticking to what he does best is a testament to the same ineffable sense of taste that’s seen him reach the A-list by eschewing blockbusters for TV roles. That’s courtesy of an actorly self-confidence that shines through in what he wears off-screen; understated, elegant and never shouting for attention. But always getting it.

“Matt Smith is one of Britain’s best dressers thanks to his ability to seamlessly transition from heritage-inflected looks to grungier get-ups in a way that feels totally authentic and impossible to impersonate.” – Luke Sampson, associate editor, FashionBeans

26. Riz Ahmed

If there’s a red carpet rolled out and Riz Ahmed’s scheduled to walk on it, we’d put big money on him making best-dressed lists the following day. The Rogue One actor is one of those guys who has the ideal frame for wearing tailoring, which we suspect helps a lot when he’s constantly pulling off suits that aren’t painfully boring. If patterned tailoring and air ties sound a bit dodgy on paper, then have a quick Google of Ahmed during awards season. It can be done, and very well at that.

“The guy’s just impossibly cool and that shines through in his style – check any red carpet and he’ll be off to the side somewhere, in a petrol-blue suit, or micro-florals. He’ll be the best-dressed guy but he doesn’t even seem to care. And that’s what true style is all about.” – Tom Banham, men’s style writer

25. Dave Franco

We’ve given up keeping track of the latest bizarre thing James Franco has said or done this year. Instead, we’ve been keeping our beady eyes fixed firmly on his younger brother, Dave, and his definitely-not-bizarre wardrobe. A polar opposite of Jared Leto or Lewis Hamilton, Franco Jr is consistent in letting classic staples like the polo shirt do the talking, all the while adding an of-the-moment edge by championing style moves such as the shirt tuck and seasonally-appropriate mankle. James, you can keep your hand-me-downs.

“He does some winning throwbacks to fifties menswear, but Dave Franco also reminds us that monochrome outfits pretty much never let you down.” – Murray Clark, assistant editor, FashionBeans

24. Johannes Huebl

Johannes Huebl is fortunate to be adept at looking good, because anything below par is going to make him feel like average Joe next to wife Olivia Palermo. The 39-year-old model’s style won’t win any awards for shut-the-front-door originality, but that’s no bad thing. He consistently demonstrates that blazers don’t just make sense for fancy awards dos, they work just as well with a denim shirt and white chinos in summer. In truth, if more men had the ability to make tailoring feel so effortless, we doubt they’d want to switch it up either.

“The German model looks good in everything, but he’s particularly good at tailored separates. If you want to mix up your blazers and trousers, type his name into Google images for a two-second masterclass.” – Ian Taylor, editor-in-chief, FashionBeans

23. Stanley Tucci

Look at Stanley Tucci and you’ll wonder why we all don’t wear a suit all the time. He is among a handful of Hollywood players – including Savile Row-obsessed Paul Feig – who don’t just break out the tailoring when a red carpet event requires him to. It’s a simple thing, but he understands that fit doesn’t just mean fitted; Tucci switches between loose and light in Cannes to heftier British jackets, all roped shoulders and chest padding, like other guys change their shirts. He always looks like a man who slipped on a suit because he couldn’t imagine wearing anything else. Which is why even at his most trussed up, Tucci always appears to be having fun.

“No one wears a suit like Stanley Tucci. The key is in the fit and attention to detail, he is always impeccably turned out.” – Nick Tahir, head of menswear, River Island

22. Frank Ocean

While most of the internet spent 2017 (still) swooning over Frank Ocean’s 2016 album, Blonde, we were more interested in the noise his wardrobe was making. And boy, did we get noise. There was pink then blue hair (shockingly, both worked), an endless supply of I-wore-it-first slogan T-shirts, not to mention the masses of straight-leg designer denim. Naturally, all of it was greedily lapped up by Tumblr. Our new year’s resolution for 2018? Be at least a tenth as cool as Frank.

“Frank’s laid-back and effortless approach to personal style is a big thumbs up in my books. Casual yet refined with a bold statement hair colour proves that it’s not what you’re wearing but how you wear it.” – Joel Mcloughlin, blogger, @Gallucks

21. Armie Hammer

Thanks to an Oscar buzz-worthy turn in Call Me By your Name, this was the year that Armie Hammer properly hit the big time. And when it came to the rags on his back, the 31-year-old proved he’s equally worthy of praise. Perfectly-cut tailoring? He does that. Natty knitwear and pulse-quickening overcoats? He does those, too. Put-together summer style that doesn’t look at all sweaty? Well, well, well, we’ve got ourselves a style hat-trick. Better start writing that acceptance speech.

“Armie has understood what many tend to forget. By keeping it simple and classic he always looks sharp. I am pretty sure that most pictures of Mr Hammer will age well and people won’t look at them 20 years from now and think ‘what the hell was he wearing?’. Classic stuff not only makes you look good but ages even better.” – Sebastian Dollinger, creative director, Eton Shirts

20. Jared Leto

If you’re of the opinion that real style is only achievable by not giving a single, solitary shit what anyone thinks, then count Jared Leto as your spirit animal. The actor-slash-musician-slash-walking-Gucci-billboard may often look like he’s been flung by a trebuchet into Iris Apfel’s walk-in wardrobe, but do you know what? He radiates confidence, he owns it, and that, friends, is what it’s all about. You do you, Leto, because we certainly haven’t got the balls to.

“Jared Leto is a Marmite dresser, but his bold choices are a welcome distraction from the sea of samey suits come awards season. He’s incorporated pretty much every style influence you can think of into his wardrobe this year.” – Luke Sampson, associate editor, FashionBeans

19. Luke Evans

It seemed like poetic justice that Luke Evans spent time in a silly wig and frilly shirt on screen for Beauty And The Beast because, according to our calculations, it was the only time he didn’t nail an outfit in 2017. Evans is a master of wearing clothes that complement rather than cut off circulation to his gym-familiar frame. A fan of straight jeans, non-skinny tailoring and with access to a collection of leather jackets worth splurging on, his style is obviously impressive but emits no sign of caring too much.

“Luke Evans has always looked stylish. Always dressed impeccably and suited to the event or occasion. Him and his stylist are obviously a great pairing.” – Oliver Spencer, menswear designer

18. Virgil Abloh

As a long time creative director to Kanye West, Virgil Abloh is unsurprisingly well versed on what’s cool and what’s not. Fortunately, the man behind insanely hip high-end streetwear brand Off-White has all the swag of his collaborator, but none of his insane ego. In fact, what’s made Abloh’s wardrobe so appealing this year is its lack of bravado, with stealth luxe sportswear, artful grunge and all-black-everything forming the backbone of his signature looks. One thing’s for sure, there’s nothing off about anything we see here.

“Our #1 is Virgil Abloh. Right at the tip of the new wave of creatives. Pulling fashion and culture together and throwing it forward. Designs everything. Wears Levi’s.” – Jonathan Cheung, head of design, Levi’s

17. Charlie Casely-Hayford

The Casely-Hayford clan fight the good fight to keep suits a wardrobe essential, even in a world of work-friendly joggers. Charlie, the father-and-son fashion house’s younger arm, wages that war on the front line, with a tailoring-heavy look that marries Savile Row with the electricity of East London. Of course, it helps that he’s a six-foot-something part-time model and that dad Joe (OBE) is a one-time British Designer of the Year. But what Charlie does unaided is make clothes look fun and easy, things to play with rather than take too seriously. Which is about the best advert for his label – and British fashion more widely – anyone could offer.

“Charlie is renowned for his commitment to excellence and quality, which is anchored by his well-tailored and modern gentleman approach to style.” – Rachel Morgans, buying director, Topman

16. Tom Ford

Even Action Man doesn’t wear a uniform as well as Tom Ford. Of course, it helps that the designer’s standard-issue involves a perfectly-cut black suit and tieless white shirt, rather than combat trousers (although they do share inch-perfect facial hair). It’s unsurprising that Tom Ford appears on these lists every year, without fail; he wears the same thing every year, after all. But the thing that always gets him over the bar is his willingness to tweak the standard black two-piece on the red carpet; a crushed, burgundy dinner suit, say – nothing more crazy than that. Less is more, after all.

“Few things are likely to link Tom Ford and Mark Zuckerberg, least of all their wardrobes. But both have discovered the power of picking a uniform that works for them and, in this case, doing it very, very well.” – Luke Todd, deputy editor, FashionBeans

15. Stormzy

Man try say he dresses better than Stormzy? Tell my man shut up. The Croydon grime superstar burst onto the scene in a red, Run DMC-reminiscent tracksuit back in 2015, but since then his wardrobe has undergone some serious refinement. It turns out Michael Omari’s lofty six-foot-four-inch frame was built to carry a suit of the tailored variety, too. The 24-year-old, platinum-selling artist looked anything but stuffy in his Burberry two-piece at this year’s Brit Awards, but his off-duty lean is still enough to leave even the most hardened of streetwear dons with a tear of joy in their eye.

“It’s hard to talk about style in 2017 without mentioning Stormzy. In addition to the Adidas tracksuits he’s sported most of his early career, his look has matured, leaning towards more clean-cut and simple pieces.” – George Nicholson, deputy editor, The Idle Man

14. David Gandy

At FashionBeans Towers, we sometimes amuse ourselves by imagining clothing combinations in which David Gandy might not look good. It is a tough game. Voluminous cargo shorts? Deep V-necks? Crocs? He could nail them all with elan. Which is why he shouldn’t necessarily be a great fashion icon – when someone looks that good all the time, how can you tell whether it’s the clothes or the man? Lucky, then, that his go-to is impeccable tailoring, which tends to make even the most dadbodded amongst us punch a class or two above our weight. More so than very white, very tight swimming trunks, at least.

“David Gandy has set the benchmark for men’s style over the last decade and to call him a modern-day fashion icon wouldn’t be an exaggeration. The man is as perfectly presented in person as his is in photographs. He is the very epitome of the modern British gentleman: stylish, charming and elegant.” – James Doidge, head of menswear design, Marks & Spencer

13. Ryan Reynolds

Things that Ryan Reynolds has not done since he turned 40: discovered a love of sensible cardigans; worn a baseball cap with the logo of a car he does not own; explored the ‘bootcut’ section of the denim aisle. Things he has done: realised that suits can be fun, come they in windowpane or camel; worn the Henley collar in ways that will make you want to cheat on your crew necks; stay in the kind of shape that makes looking good that little bit easier. That’s your big 4-0 birthday wish list sorted.

“Ryan also does the custom motorbike owner look, and does it well. His wardrobe boasts a number of quality leathers and suede jackets (that I wish I could afford), which he pairs with straight-leg jeans and some fresh sneakers so he never appears like he’s a moto try-hard.” – Chris Gove, creative director, Percival

12. Zayn Malik

Pity poor Niall Horan, the forgotten ex-Directioner – his transformation from tween heartthrob to wannabe singer-songwriter is being obscured by the megawatt fashion-off between Zayn Malik and Harry Styles. For every one of Styles’s navel-slashed silk shirts, Malik has a black velvet jacket from his collection for Versace Versus, and a new transformative hair do. He answers Harry’s red-suited Vanity Fair cover with Vogue, cuddled up with his Victoria’s Secret Angel other half, in his-and-hers Gucci. As far as their competition goes, it’s still too close to call, but we’ll continue enjoying watching it play out.

“Zayn Malik has evolved into a stylish dresser ever since going solo. He has a sharp eye for emerging trends and is never afraid to experiment. He wears some of the best brands out there, nailing the tailored fit just right.” – James Wright, menswear designer, Nicce

11. Eddie Redmayne

Much like the gentle charm of the man himself, Eddie Redmayne’s wardrobe is wholly appealing without being in-your-face in any way. Throughout 2017, he has drawn heavily on heritage design; not in a cringe-inducing Jacob Rees-Mogg kind of way, more in a “why didn’t I think of wearing it like that” way. If he’s in a herringbone blazer, it’s paired with a T-shirt; if he’s wearing a cardigan, it’ll go on underneath a suit and be finished with sneakers. One-part familiar, one-part fresh, Redmayne’s style is all-parts class.

“Eddie Redmayne encompasses smart dressing for both on- and off-duty. His suits are always the right cut, style and a perfect fit, meaning they work well whether layered with a knit, classic Oxford shirt, or dressed down with a pair of smart white leather trainers. We also admire that he isn’t afraid to take risks. Taking classic British style and injecting it with personality.” – Danny Ching, senior designer, Hardy Amies

10. Ryan Gosling

On the press tour for Blade Runner 2049, Ryan Gosling debuted a hitherto secret collection of V-neck sweaters, the kind of thing that gets boys beaten up in school. We knew the Gos was a man of many talents – not least making musicals actually bearable – but this seemed optimistic even for a living meme. And yet here we are, with V-necks undeniably a ‘thing’. This in a year that also included wearing a ruffled shirt to the Oscars, making brown suits feel exciting (even when worn with, unbelievably, V-necked knitwear) and starring in a sequel that might just be better than one of the greatest movies ever made. Well done, Ryan. Well done.

“The appeal to Ryan Gosling is that he doesn’t fear to be daring with his style. He symbolises the modern man but nods to past trends that keep him looking unique.” – Thom Whiddett & Luke Sweeney, tailors, Thom Sweeney

9. David Beckham

A best-dressed and front-row stalwart, this year Becks stepped the other side of the runway. His investment in British heritage brand Kent & Curwen – a business that invented the cricket jumper, no less – turned a long-shuttered label into one of the most exciting new names at London Fashion Week Men’s. The 42-year-old has become a walking billboard for the brand, proof that in ice cream-striped rowing blazers, military great coats and, of course, those V-neck jumpers, he can tap century-old heritage and yet feel thrillingly modern.

“David Beckham made it okay to care about our appearance again, after at least a century of increasingly drab male attire. A true British legend in style that has a rare knack for pulling off a three-piece suit or a hoody and baseball cap with equal aplomb.” – Nick Tahir, head of menswear, River Island

8. Skepta

Skepta may once have shut down fashion week in a black tracksuit, but these days he’s a front-row regular at the likes of Burberry, where he sports rather smarter garms. Along with BFF and honorary Boy Better Know member Drake, Joseph Adenuga upends expectations about what rappers should look like. He does high fashion happily – barely minutes after Christopher Bailey had taken his bow, Skepta had nabbed the show’s standout black overcoat – but also champions underground talent like Nasir Mazhar and Cottweiler. Not content with just playing dress up, this year he also launched his own line, Mains, at Selfridges. The starring piece? A black tracksuit, of course.

“Skepta brings the same energy from his music to his clothing. He’s conscious of what works for him and stays within that field, but still manages to have fun. Black seems to be his base colour, and he then builds a look around that in a completely modern way. Plus, the round frames seem to have almost become his signature, and it’s the small details that elevate his look.” – Charlie Casely-Hayford, menswear designer

7. Alexandre Mattiussi

We’re pretty sure Alexandre Mattiussi, the founder of young Parisian brand Ami, is the human embodiment of what would happen if you crossed what men actually want to wear with epic taste and an unwavering appreciation of cut and quality. A poster boy for the kind of pared-back wardrobe we’re always harping on about, Mattiussi should be a hero to any man who likes his style simple yet effective. Think navy chinos, classic sweatshirts and athleisure trainers, then chuck in a bit of denim and camel and you’ve got the Mattiussi method.

“Ami, as a label, feels like an extension of its founder. Which is why it’s one of the best menswear brands out there. Everything feels authentic, free and easy, even while it pushes boundaries. Both it and the man behind it do newness without it feeling like any effort. It’s just, well, Parisian. But the kind of Parisian style that doesn’t come accessorised with an attitude.” – Tom Banham, men’s style writer

6. John Legend

John Legend has often played second fiddle to wife Chrissy Teigen in the dream dinner party guest stakes this year, thanks to the latter’s Internet-winning brand of humour. That said, style-wise, there’s no doubt that Legend is just as his name suggests. The sartorial antithesis to Lady Gaga, everything he wears looks easy, unforced and completely natural. His line-up draws heavily on patterned shirts, bomber jackets and coloured tailoring, but his ability to keep things on the right side of discreet means that he hits the middle ground between interesting and age-appropriate every single time.

“John Legend has worn the Oliver Spencer brand a few times this year and has made my clothes look fantastic on all occasions. It’s always about what the wearer can do for the design to make it stylish. Oh and he’s a huge musical talent.” – Oliver Spencer, menswear designer

5. Oliver Cheshire

Oliver Cheshire appears in our style roundups so regularly that we’ve given up stamping his loyalty card. You’d be forgiven for thinking it’s easy to look good with those genetics, but many a male model dresses well on the runway, and like a sack of spuds off it. Cheshire, however, has an eye for an occasion and a sixth sense for how to tweak what’s expected. On red carpets, his suit is always classic, but never run-of-the-mill. As befits a man who lives in planes, his airport style turns comfort dressing into something that would work at Fashion Week. And he does Mr Ripley-influenced Riviera style better than Dickie Greenleaf himself.

“Oliver has a brilliant eye for creating a stylish but fun outfit, and that’s important. There’s always one element of his outfit that looks fresh, and stands out.” – James Doidge, head of menswear design, Marks & Spencer

4. Jeff Goldblum

His highest-grossing film may have been 1993’s Jurassic Park, but when it comes to style that’s sharper than a velociraptor’s gnashers, Jeff Goldblum is no dinosaur. The softly-spoken 65-year old is known for his award-winning performances in some of Tinseltown’s biggest blockbusters, but in menswear circles, he’s nothing short of a bona fide style god. His expert melding of slim-cut, monochrome outfits with the odd statement piece thrown in hasn’t gone unnoticed. Which is why when it comes to skirting the line between fashion and age-appropriate dressing, Jeff is an oldie but a goldie.

“The secret of Goldblum’s success in style is down to two things: consistency – he’s found his simple, dark, casual look and sticks with it; and ease – he always looks relaxed in what he wears. He’s not a flashy dresser at any level.” – Josh Sims, author of Icons of Men’s Style

3. A$AP Rocky

The A$AP Mob boss once rhymed “Oliver Peoples” with “Ann Demeulemeester”, but his dress sense bests his consonance. Last year he became the first black male to front a Dior Homme campaign; this year, he fused streetwear and couture in ways much imitated but never bettered. In the process, he pulled hip-hop even further from big chains and bigger logos into something that hungrily samples high and low fashion culture. Harry Styles embodies what proper rock stars used to look like. A$AP Rocky is a glimpse at what they could become.

“A$AP Rocky’s style has continued to improve on his signature aesthetic. He’s aware of his body shape, exploring a variety of fits and has really come on with bold patterns and colours (coinciding with the Gucci boom of 2017). He can transition and blur the lines between casual streetwear and high fashion.” – Alexander McCalla, stylist, Thread

2. Harry Styles

The one-time boybander shrugged off his old skin completely this year, with an album of Prince-referencing pop that was nothing like anything he’d made before. It was also the year he became fashion royalty. The Styles style consists of equal parts sex appeal and self-confidence; he looks like he’s just rolled out of bed (one in which he’s certainly not slept) and pulled on whatever was to hand, whether that’s Saint Laurent skinnies or a dragon-embroidered Gucci suit. Making him the closest thing we’ve got to a genuine rock star.

“Harry is one of the few celebrities who works with a stylist and looks like he actually loves what he’s wearing. There’s something very genuine about his style. I believe he’s into what he’s got on, which is rather refreshing.” – Simon Chilvers, men’s style director, MatchesFashion

1. Donald Glover

For us, the mark of truly commendable style isn’t necessarily consistency. What separates the bloody great from the fucking fantastic is an ability to not just nail a particular niche, but to jump from one menswear genre to another without breaking stride. And it’s this genre-hopping that the artist formerly known as Childish Gambino has done better than anyone else in 2017.

Perhaps it’s not surprising from the singer/rapper/actor/writer/comedian. Donald Glover has form when it comes to effortlessly switching codes. On stage, his look mixes Jimi Hendrix, the Beach Boys and old-school hip-hop. On the red carpet he flits between elegance and flamboyance. Over the past 12 months, we’ve seen him do trends without looking try-hard (he’s particularly good in corduroy, printed shirts and the rest of the seventies look), but he also suits the classics.

Perhaps at his sharpest in dressed-down tailoring, Glover doesn’t much like a tie, but he will play with pattern, texture and tonal colours. He’s a fan of the sockless look, too. And when the dress code calls for a dinner jacket, he doesn’t play by the usual penguin suit rules. At this year’s Emmys, he stepped out in Prince-worthy purple. At the Golden Globes, the dinner jacket was Gucci – brown and velvet. Fitting for a rogue who’ll step into Lando Calrissian’s shoes in 2018.

The big take-home-and-wear-it lesson from Glover is this: at a time when the rules of menswear are splintered, there’s nothing wrong with being a chameleon. Not when it looks this good.

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jimdsmith34 · 7 years ago

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Martin Landau on His Relationship With Marilyn Monroe, Playing Gay for Hitchcock, and His Oscars Triumph

For Martin Landau, the turning point came when he found himself watching the 1984 Academy Awards, “having a beer in my underwear, saying: ‘I should be there.’”

In 2012, Landau—then 84—recalled this to me in an interview for the Times of London as the moment he knew he wanted to save his career.

Starring roles as a Hitchcock villain or in the TV series of Mission: Impossible were lost to the mists of time. Agents had told Landau he was “finished.”

“It was frustrating. I knew what I was able to do, I was at the height of my powers but no one was giving me the chance,” the charming and wry Landau told me. And so his fightback began, not simply for recognition and glory, but also just to act—his true and abiding passion.

The career of the Academy Award-winning actor—who died Sunday at 89 after unexpected complications during a stay at the UCLA Medical Center—spanned many generations, many peaks and troughs, and many characters on our TV and cinema screens.

Perhaps you remember him as Rollin Hand in the original TV series of Mission: Impossible (for which Landau won a TV Golden Globe for Best Male TV Star in 1968), or—as it is for me—the tunic-wearing silver fox Commander John Koenig in the 1970s drama Space: 1999.

Yet, as that 1984 nadir showed, Landau’s career was uneven to say the least, going from playing the villain in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959)—which he later told me he deliberately played as a gay man—to a role in the 1981 TV movie The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island.

The serious movie awards came later in Landau’s life, after he had roused himself from the mid-1980s doldrums.

First came a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, and an Oscar nomination, for his performance as a financier in Francis Ford Coppola’s Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988). Landau’s second Oscar nomination came for playing a shifty and panicked adulterer in Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989).

He finally won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as horror movie star Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton’s Ed Wood (1994), and he won the corresponding Golden Globe for that too, as well as many other laurels. Landau also amassed six Emmy nominations, including one for appearing in Entourage.

“It was like an out-of-body experience,” Landau told me of winning the Oscar. There are wonderful pictures of him kissing the statuette and giving a humble salute as he holds it. That humility, and a gentleness, was evident the day we met.

“I felt I knew Lugosi,” Landau told me. “Like him I had worked for good directors and terrible directors. I went thinking I was going to have a nice dinner and probably be miserable at the end of the night.”

“When I win you can see Samuel L. Jackson [nominated for Pulp Fiction] say ‘Shit,’ probably the most honest reaction one can have.”

When I met Landau in 2012, it was connected to Burton’s Frankenweenie, the first black and white animation shot in 3-D, which had just been released.

In what was a remake of a 1984 Burton short film, Landau voiced a science teacher who, by electrocuting a dead frog into life, inspired a 10-year-old Victor Frankenstein in ’60s American suburbia to reanimate his beloved dead dog.

Naturally, chaos of the comic and fairly gruesome kind ensued, all the magnificently weird visions of Burton distilled into a unique format; the 3-D element making it particularly eye-popping for cinema audiences.

Landau was happy: Though he was a well-known name, his fame was not of the supersonic kind enjoyed by his one-time best friend James Dean or his one-time paramour Marilyn Monroe. Landau was a link to old Hollywood, and after a career that zig-zagged around film and TV, in his later years he finally gained critical lionization.

And so, of course, Landau had tales to tell in a nondescript conference room of his agent Dick Guttman’s Los Angeles office, all in his magnificently gravelly voice. He was both warm, wonderful company and a candid raconteur.

Meeting Marilyn

He had met Monroe—she a couple of years his senior—under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in New York.

“She was there because she was dissatisfied,” Landau told me. “People perceived her as a Hollywood blonde bimbo. She was very needy and would go from being on top of her game to absolutely bereft of any self-belief or confidence. She see-sawed between those two personalities.”

Landau told me that when he and Monroe would go to the theater, she would change her outfits many times. “We’d never see the first act of the play.”

I asked if he desired her. “She was terrific… I don’t talk about those things,” he replied quietly.

Did he have a relationship with her, I asked.

“I had a relationship with her. It was just before Arthur [Miller, the playwright; he and Monroe married in 1956]. It was an interesting relationship, I look at it very differently than the way I did then. She was incredibly attractive but very difficult.”

I asked how he coped with that. “You can’t. That’s why I didn’t.” It lasted “several months,” he said, he not able to negotiate the poles of her personality. “Yeah, you didn’t know which one would show up in the middle of something.” I asked if he ended the relationship. “I did, by becoming more busy.” Was she upset by that? “I don’t know, probably. I didn’t want to upset her.” Because she was fragile? “Yes. I busied myself with other things.”

After the relationship ended, Landau and Monroe saw each other “a couple of times in passing” in New York and Los Angeles, he told me.

I asked Landau if he was in love with Monroe.

“I don’t know if I was in love with her or fascinated by her or flattered by her. She was incredibly attractive and fun to be with much of the time. When she wasn’t she wasn’t. I mean, that was the problem. She could get very withdrawn.”

Did he want to marry her, I asked. “No, no. It was almost a form of purgatory. I never knew who [ie, which Marilyn] I was going to be with.”

Landau told me he had been changing planes in Rome in 1962 when he read that Monroe had died.

“I was heartbroken. As the mystery unfolded I was more and more shocked. It didn’t seem possible that she killed herself intentionally. It was possible she took more barbiturates than necessary, just losing count, or possibly it was foul play. Nobody knows.”

‘Martin, You Have a Circus Going on Inside You’

Landau grew up in Brooklyn: his father had been a machinist; his mother, he told me, took him to the movies. He was sensitive, and loved acting and drawing. When he listened to radio dramas like The Shadow with Orson Welles, it “allowed you to create a set of images and characters.”

Landau studied art at the Pratt Institute and became a cartoonist for the Daily News in New York. (“Tim and I work well together,” Landau said of Burton. “I understand him, we both started as cartoonists.”)

Landau quit that job after seeing a friend act and deciding he could do better. He attended the Actors Studio (Steve McQueen was a fellow student), and later he became its artistic director, tutoring such stars as Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston. He headed the Hollywood branch until his death.

Hitchcock saw Landau’s stage performance in Paddy Chayefsky’s Middle of the Night and cast him in North by Northwest (1959), saying: “Martin, you have a circus going on inside you. Obviously if you can do that part you can play this little trinket.”

In the movie, Landau’s character wants to get rid of Eva Marie Saint’s because, Landau decided, his character “had to be gay; she was interfering with his relationship” with James Mason’s character. “I made it subtle; I knew in big cities they’d get it. Hitch loved it. People told me: ‘Don’t play gay. It will affect your career.’ I said: ‘I’m an actor.’”

He recalled to me meeting his friend James Dean—“he was a farm boy, I was a New Yorker”—at an open casting call. Dean asked him how the process worked, and Landau, observing how different they looked, deduced they would not compete for roles.

Regarding Monroe and Dean’s early deaths, Landau told me: “It’s so hard because everyone else I’ve known who died got old—they’re both frozen in time.”

Landau was married to the actress Barbara Bain from 1957 until their divorce in 1993: a “natural end,” he told me.

They had met at an acting class, and Space: 1999 fans will remember they starred opposite each other in that show. (They had first starred alongside one another in Mission: Impossible.) Landau is survived by Bain and their two daughters Susie and Juliet.

Facing Ageism in Hollywood

Landau cherished his late-career renaissance. “Ageism is something that does exist,” he told Deadline in April. “As a young actor, I was working much more readily, and being offered more things. I don’t like to do what I call ‘the grunters’—a character who sits at a table and grunts, and young people make fun of. I turn a lot of those down. I like a character that is still alive, and is necessarily thinking, and either grows or diminishes, or whatever.”

As for never making the A-list, Landau seemed sanguine. “I think it would have held me back in a certain way,” he told me. “I played a wide variety of roles.” Others had “great careers and became major stars, but I played more things, had more fun, and I’m still doing it.”

Indeed he was. After Frankenweenie came more roles: in The Red Maple Leaf with Kris Kristofferson and James Caan; Remember, alongside Christopher Plummer; and, most recently, The Last Poker Game opposite Paul Sorvino. Three other projects are listed at various stages of production on Landau’s IMDb page: Herstory, Without Ward, and Nate & Al.

‘An Actor’s Actor’

When it came time to say farewell that day in 2012, Landau told me he had greatly enjoyed our conversation. He suggested to me and to Guttman that, should he ever come to write it, would I like to work on his memoir with him?

Nothing ever came to pass, although I was extremely heartened to read tonight, via Deadline, that Landau had been working on a memoir at the time of his death. A documentary, appropriately titled An Actor’s Actor: The Life of Martin Landau, is also apparently in development.

Landau was both quite the storyteller and also a true actor's actor, so both projects, should they reach fruition will be fascinating. Landau believed in acting, rather than stardom, passionately—as both craft and vocation. That might explain his longevity and late-in-life triumphs. It certainly illuminates why it was an honor and pleasure to meet and spend time with Martin Landau.

source http://allofbeer.com/2017/11/02/martin-landau-on-his-relationship-with-marilyn-monroe-playing-gay-for-hitchcock-and-his-oscars-triumph/ from All of Beer http://allofbeer.blogspot.com/2017/11/martin-landau-on-his-relationship-with.html

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adambstingus · 7 years ago

Text

Martin Landau on His Relationship With Marilyn Monroe, Playing Gay for Hitchcock, and His Oscars Triumph

For Martin Landau, the turning point came when he found himself watching the 1984 Academy Awards, “having a beer in my underwear, saying: ‘I should be there.’”

In 2012, Landau—then 84—recalled this to me in an interview for the Times of London as the moment he knew he wanted to save his career.

Starring roles as a Hitchcock villain or in the TV series of Mission: Impossible were lost to the mists of time. Agents had told Landau he was “finished.”

The serious movie awards came later in Landau’s life, after he had roused himself from the mid-1980s doldrums.

“When I win you can see Samuel L. Jackson [nominated for Pulp Fiction] say ‘Shit,’ probably the most honest reaction one can have.”

When I met Landau in 2012, it was connected to Burton’s Frankenweenie, the first black and white animation shot in 3-D, which had just been released.

Meeting Marilyn

He had met Monroe—she a couple of years his senior—under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in New York.

Landau told me that when he and Monroe would go to the theater, she would change her outfits many times. “We’d never see the first act of the play.”

I asked if he desired her. “She was terrific… I don’t talk about those things,” he replied quietly.

Did he have a relationship with her, I asked.

After the relationship ended, Landau and Monroe saw each other “a couple of times in passing” in New York and Los Angeles, he told me.

I asked Landau if he was in love with Monroe.

Did he want to marry her, I asked. “No, no. It was almost a form of purgatory. I never knew who [ie, which Marilyn] I was going to be with.”

Landau told me he had been changing planes in Rome in 1962 when he read that Monroe had died.

‘Martin, You Have a Circus Going on Inside You’

Regarding Monroe and Dean’s early deaths, Landau told me: “It’s so hard because everyone else I’ve known who died got old—they’re both frozen in time.”

Landau was married to the actress Barbara Bain from 1957 until their divorce in 1993: a “natural end,” he told me.

Facing Ageism in Hollywood

‘An Actor’s Actor’

Landau was both quite the storyteller and also a true actor’s actor, so both projects, should they reach fruition will be fascinating. Landau believed in acting, rather than stardom, passionately—as both craft and vocation. That might explain his longevity and late-in-life triumphs. It certainly illuminates why it was an honor and pleasure to meet and spend time with Martin Landau.

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/2017/11/02/martin-landau-on-his-relationship-with-marilyn-monroe-playing-gay-for-hitchcock-and-his-oscars-triumph/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/167043370892

0 notes