#except the chaos goblin was never doomed

[cupcakewebkinz]

Blackout Freakout

✮ Sprout and Cosmo have a sleepover! However, a thunderstorm may ruin it... Or will it make the Moderns understand the berry boy just a little more? Who knows! (It's fluffy af I swear) ✮

❀ @soupiestzilla / @soupiestfics own the modern shellvision au ✿ Caretaker Shanon au is mine! ❀

✾ I have severe writers block guys... Sorry if this sucks I just... I needed to do a write wrote or I was going to go insane but my brain wouldn't let me. So feast!!! Rah!!! ✾

────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────

The day was winding down quite peacefully that night, with Toon Shelly and Toon Vee being tight in each other's arms, pop tab rings set beside them on a special red throw pillow they set up beside them just to hold their rings, fast asleep in their pillow pile. Sprout had just settled back down in his usual spot, tail curled over his feet, an empty cup that used to contain tea in hand. Cosmo sat beside him, reading through a cookbook casually, leaving sticky note bookmarks on pages with recipes he wanted to try. The Moderns sat in the pillow pile with the toons, Shanon nearby, the three watching a much more recent dinosaur documentary. A thunderstorm raged on outside, but inside, a different storm was brewing. A dinosaur nerd storm. Sprout just watched as the dinosaur nerds started ranting about spinosaurouses, then he looked over at Cosmo, who had just yawned.

"Getting sleepy, Sugar Cookie?" Sprout softly asked, and the sweetroll just nodded in reply, bookmarking a recipe for double chocolate fudge.

"I'm also really cozy too, I'm okay." The other replied softly, though the two immediately looked up when Gi ran through the room. The chaos entity just went right to the kitchen, then came back out with a large bowl of chips, going right over to the dinosaur fans and sitting near them. The two just giggled in unison when the dinosaur fans started to tell Gi all about dinosaurs- who just listened intensely, curious and happy to learn. So the two just went back to their own thing, Cosmo looking over a key lime pie recipe as Sprout looked outside again. He winced when the lights flickered, getting a tight grip on his arm from Cosmo- a reminder that he's right there.

"I hope the power doesn't go out..." Sprout whispered, and Cosmo nodded in agreement, making the pie recipe before turning to another one in the book.

"It'll be okay, we're all here for you."

"Thank-"

Sprout was cut off when the lights flickered again, now shivering and gripping onto Cosmo's oversized t-shirt tight. Cosmo stayed close, gently shushing his partner to help soothe him. The Moderns were silent, Gi was now holding an emotional support chocolate bar. Shanon also was quiet, sitting up fully now, ready to get up quickly and grab the candles.

The power soon completely turned off, and Shanon immediately sprang into action without a second thought, running right off to grab the flashlights, battery powered fairy lights and candles. Both scented and unscented, depends on the mood. Sprout was silent, breathing heavy, shaking as tears started to form in his eyes. Modern Vee just sat up fully herself, having no idea that turning her screen brightness up all the way to help everyone see was a terrible idea.

"Bad storm, huh?" She commented casually, Modern Shelly now looking defeated.

"That was an actually good ooooooonnnneeeee..." She whined, obviously just sad that the power cut off the documentary. Gi just sat there, looking at the two, soon nudging Modern Shelly really gently.

"Can you tell me more instead? I wanna know all about dinosaurs!" They asked, making Modern Shelly gasp excitedly and nod, and soon she was right back to telling the curious Gachapon all about dinosaurs, just like she did with her toon version a few nights ago. Gi just listened with great interest, which made Modern Vee chuckle at their adorable shenanigans before stealing some of Gi's chips. The gachapon just blinked at it, having no care at all, just invested in the dinosaur chat they were deep in now. The Moderns, and Gi, seemed to just be thriving, while Sprout was falling apart at the seams. Gasping for air, shaking horribly, tears streaming down his face, begging silently for any light source to show up and save him. Cosmo was doing his best, whispering soft words of encouragement and giving him lots of gentle affection, though it wasn't enough to soothe the poor thing. Sprout soon let out a stressed whimper-like noise and got up, scuttling off to find any source of light- of comfort, of an escape from the nightmare he was in. Modern Vee made yet another grave mistake just then- she turned to look at him, to laugh at the display of fear and panic because she thought he was overly exaggerating his fear of the dark.

He was not.

He bolted over to the light source like a moth drawn to a flame, and soon was trembling and latched onto her like she was going to save him, sobbing as he stayed huddled against her. He was terrified out of his mind, wanting to scream- to cry out for Sam and beg them to save him- but he couldn't manage even a slight sound through his uncontrollable sobs and gasps for air. Modern Vee stared at the guy, who usually was the tallest and largest Toon - now curled up so tight he was smaller than Toon Shelly - before just laughing out of pure disbelief.

"Seedly- dude- I'm not your mom, don't act like you're dying just because you want attention, dork." She teased, though when Cosmo came over with a look of genuine concern- when Sprout whimpered like a genuinely terrified puppy- she went silent. He wasn't messing with her... He was genuinely that scared. She knew what to do immediately, gently scooping up the ball and standing up with him, walking off to the kitchen. She heard that she was being followed, but she didn't really care, she just went right to the counter beside the fridge and set the scared boy down for now. Sprout didn't move- he couldn't move- he wanted to move so bad and lie and say he was fine but his body wasn't working with him. Cosmo soon was sitting beside him, rubbing his arm, gently reassuring him without a word. Modern Vee just went right to work, getting the scared man some feelings milk and some of the cookies he had made with Cosmo earlier before going right back over to him. After silently assessing if he could even drink anything for himself, and finding he probably couldn't even hold a hand right now, she grabbed one of the hundreds of silly straws from Shanon's special straw drawer (nobody knows why she has it, not even Shanon herself) and put it in the milk. She then somehow managed to get him to get the straw in his mouth, and he soon was slowly calming down from the green glow around them and sipping on the milk. Modern Vee couldn't help but smile a little at it, at how pathetically adorable he was, at how even the most mature one of the group could go sobbing baby mode on them. Cosmo just wiped his tears with a handkerchief now, smiling at the fact that his beloved was starting to calm down again.

"Thank you, for not judging him too much, I know he appreciates it a lot. I don't know why it's gotten so bad, but I don't really mind, I'm just happy he's okay." Cosmo softly spoke, gently taking a cookie and feeding it to Sprout, who just quietly munched on it after he was done sipping on his milk. He was still trembling and crying, but the gentle care and actual source of light were helping him calm down a bit. Modern Vee just nodded silently, putting the plate of cookies down so Cosmo could take over feeding the berry man, while she put the half empty glass of feelings milk on the other side of him.

"Don't sweat it, while I may not fully understand everything you've been through, I get having fears related to it. Even if it makes you act like a big baby, we're friends here, I don't actually judge. Too much." Modern Vee replied, getting a playful shove from the now grinning berry man.

"You do judge..." He mumbled, getting a laugh out of her.

"I said 'too much' for a reason, Seedly." She teased right back, flicking one of his leaf bangs. He just flicked her antennae, starting to finally laugh after his meltdown. Cosmo just rolled his eyes with a snort, shaking his head afterwards. He soon was giggling as the other two started laughing, while a very quiet and slightly tired Shanon walked in and started setting up battery powered lights around the kitchen so people could get drinks without worrying about running into anything from the power outage.

"The living room has lights in it, if you guys want to go back there. I'm just setting some tea lights in here... Battery powered. Cool, huh?" Shanon said, showing the trio the color changing battery powered candles. The three just nodded, making Shanon smile one of her sleepy but happy smiles before she went back to setting everything up. Sprout sighed, now fully calmed down- for the most part. He looked between the two, then yawned.

"I'm gonna go lay down then... Goodnight you two..." Sprout softly said, though he was stopped and had his ponytail fluffed and laughed at by the modern robot before he could even leave.

"Goodnight, dork." She stated once she was done messing with him, only getting a raspberry blown at her in reply before the berry quietly left. Cosmo looked at her, then stole the feelings milk and sipped it, then blinked a few times.

"This tastes exactly like my favorite icing flavor we'd make at Gardenview, the cotton candy one we'd use on the Astro cookies. That's really good!" He complimented, making Modern Vee's eyes widen. That's what must've made it work so well on him... A reminder of his sweet, shy little boyfriend. It all made sense now.

"Well, I'm glad you like it, kid."

"I'm an adult too..."

"Nah, you Toons are kids. Anywho I gotta take the whiteboard away from my girlfriend before she spirals into 3 am dinosaur yelling, cya dude." She simply said before walking off, though she didn't actually do that. Instead, she went and got Sprout something that was going to be a gift for the toons later- but figured he'd appreciate now. It was a stuffed seal with lights inside of it, supposed to be for keeping the nightmares away, but now it's for keeping the darkness away. She just placed it gently on the now sleeping berry's chest, watched him as he immediately latched onto it, then patted his head gently.

"Sleep well, Sprout. Hope the evil stays away tonight." She whispered, then turned away and went right back to her spot beside Modern Shelly and Gi, pretending she didn't just go soft for her 'arch nemesis'. But she did, and Sprout knew it, because after all the teasing, water wars, fake arguments and endless sarcasm-

They were still great friends that genuinely did care for each other.

And while he couldn't thank her for it now, he was eternally grateful for the gentle love and care he got that night. The dinosaur nerds just pretended they had seen nothing, Cosmo just kinda chilled quietly like he usually did, back to going through recipes in the book he had - just by a lemon cake scented candle now. The rest of the night was a quiet, chaotic but fun time... Without the 3 am whiteboard yelling, as it had become 3 am whiteboard whisper yelling because Shanon wouldn't let them actually yell - even if Shanon herself wanted to scream at the internet with them. The Toons had to sleep, and they respected that, even if the internet was wrong about their beloved dinosaurs.

[maxwell-grant]

Having seen your thoughts on his deeply-unpleasant daddy, might I please ask if you have any thoughts on The Gladiator himself, Hugo Danner? (THE SUPERMAN WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN, if you will).

What would you do if you were the strongest man in the world, the strongest thing in the world, mightier than the machine? He made himself guess answers for that rhetorical query. "I would—I would have won the war. But I did not. I would run the universe single-handed. Literally single-handed. I would scorn the universe and turn it to my own ends. I would be a criminal. I would rip open banks and gut them. I would kill and destroy. I would be a secret, invisible blight. I would set out to stamp crime off the earth; I would be a super-detective, following and summarily punishing every criminal until no one dared to commit a felony. What would I do? What will I do?"

The thing that strikes me about Gladiator is that it almost feels like the book is unfinished. The quality and pace of the book is all over the place, but you can boil it's general story down to "unlucky bastard is born Superman before it's time for Superman to exist, without the necessary support, mindset and structure to become Superman, in a world that neither supports nor accepts the existence Superman, and just as he's about to have the life-changing epiphany that could make him something, he gets struck by lightning and dies in the 2nd-to-last paragraph".

The whole book is like if in the first Spider-Man story Peter Parker just gave up after Uncle Ben died and we never saw him again. It's a superhero/supervillain origin story that gets cut short right as it's about to lead to the birth of the character proper. It's frustrating, yes, but to my scavenger goblin brain that likes to dig through pop culture's trash to find nice forgotten trinkets to polish and make into something new, it also invites a lot of promise, if we get into the question of what could have happened to Hugo Danner if he didn't die on the cusp of his origin story. It's an idea I plan to use for my own pulp writings.

It's not so much whether or not Hugo MIGHT have been Superman, so much as: COULD he be Superman? Maybe, maybe not. I'd argue not, because even with all his power, and even with his parents trying to raise him as best they could, even with Hugo genuinely trying his best to be good and heroic and turn his gifts to mankind, it wasn't gonna pan out. The right pieces weren't there, the family structure wasn't there, the necessary aspects of the origin story weren't there, and ultimately, Hugo Danner wasn't cut for it. He is a failure at everything he tries to be super at.

At college on the football field, he kills a man. As a soldier on the Great War, he slaughters thousands for years, but fails to end the war, despite having been able to do so from the moment he enlisted. He is fired from a steel mill for working too far beyond the abilities of his fellows, and then fired from a bank for freeing a man from a locked safe, because the bank president suspected that Danner planned to use his powers to rob the vault. He tries using his powers to enact social change and fails again and again. He can't even enjoy daily life, because he cannot compete fairly with ordinary people, and because of that he must constantly hold himself in check, never able to fully express himself. And when he's presented with the idea of creating a race of people like him to dominate the world and to “conquer and stamp out all these things to which men of intelligence object,” he finds it ultimately distasteful, because he knows better than to expect good things to come out of his life. And then he curses God and dies. The whole book is one long argument as to why Being Superman Sucks.

He's not the break from tradition that Superman represented, he's a sci-fi superman who met the same tragic ending his predecessors did. In that paragraph above, the very first thing he thinks about, after remarking over his failure to end the war, is thinking about becoming some galactic dictator murdering everyone who steps out of line, before he considers becoming a fascist super-detective. Kind of a damning perspective to present your hero, isn't it? If Gladiator was released today, exactly as is, people would be quick to assume it's an origin story for a Homelander/Plutonian/Omni-Man kind of character. Hugo Danner was a Superman deconstruction before that became a pop culture cliche.

My favorite sections of the book are those that describe Hugo in the war. By far the best-written and most evocative, almost bordering on horror story. And they may be the most damning sections of them all. He never forgives himself for not ending the war when he could, because he's spent all those years killing and toiling away when he was just about the one person who could conceivably leap all the way to Germany and force the war to end. I imagine a lot of pulp heroes who suffered in the war, or any war, and walked out of it with a resolve to protect and do good by others, would be pretty pissed when discovering that, all along, there was this living god among them who actually could have ended the war single-handedly, but was just too damn busy slaughtering his way through fields of people who couldn't possibly fight back, to think about it.

And for all that Hugo says that he hates war and murder and bloodshed, he sure seems like a total natural for it:

Hugo, out of his scarlet fury, had one glimpse of his antagonist's face and person. The glimpse was but a flash. He was a little man—a foot shorter than Hugo. His eyes looked out from under his helmet with a sort of pathetic earnestness. And he was worried, horribly worried, standing there with his rifle lifted and trying to remember the precise technique of what would follow even while he fought back the realization that it was hopeless.

In that split second Hugo felt a human, amazing urge to tell him that it was all right, and that he ought to hold his bayonet a little higher and come forward a bit faster. The image faded back to an enemy. Hugo acted mechanically from the rituals of drill. His own knife flashed. He saw the man's clothes part smoothly from his bowels, where the point had been inserted, up to the gray-green collar. The seam reddened, gushed blood, and a length of intestine slipped out of it.

Hugo stepped over him. He was trembling and nauseated. The bellow of battle returned to Hugo's ears. He pushed back the threatening rifle easily and caught the neck in one hand, crushing it to a wet, sticky handful. So he walked through the trench, a machine that killed quickly and remorselessly

Hugo was learning about war. He thought then that the task which he had set for himself was not altogether to his liking. There should be other and more important things for him to do. He did not like to slaughter individuals. The day passed like a cycle in hell. No change in the personnel except that made by an occasional death. No food. No water. They seemed to be exiled by their countrymen in a pool of fire and famine and destruction.

And then later, after they kill a friend of his

He leaped to the parapet, shaking his fists. "God damn you dirty sons of bitches. I'll make you pay for this. You got him, got him, you bastards! I'll shove your filthy hides down the devil's throat and through his guts". He did not feel the frantic tugging of his fellows. He ran into that bubbling, doom-ridden chaos, waving his arms and shouting maniacal profanities. A dozen times he was knocked down. He bled slowly where fragments had battered him. He crossed over and paused on the German parapet. He was like a being of steel. Barbed wire trailed behind him.

Bayonets rose. Hugo wrenched three knives from their wielders in one wild clutch. His hands went out, snatching and squeezing. That was all. No weapons, no defence. Just—hands. Whatever they caught they crushed flat, and heads fell into those dreadful fingers, sides, legs, arms, bellies. Bayonets slid from his tawny skin, taking his clothes. By and by, except for his shoes, he was naked. His fingers had made a hundred bunches of clotted pulp and then a thousand as he walked swiftly forward in that trench. Ahead of him was a file of green; behind, a clogged row of writhing men. Scarcely did the occupants of each new traverse see him before they were smitten. The wounds he inflicted were monstrous. On he walked, his voice now stilled, his breath sucking and whistling through his teeth, his hands flailing and pinching and spurting red with every contact. No more formidable engine of desolation had been seen by man, no more titanic fury, no swifter and surer death. For thirty minutes he raged through that line. The men thinned. He had crossed the attacking front.

A man dipped in scarlet, nude, dripping, panting. Slowly in that hiatus he wheeled. His lungs thundered to the French. "Come on, you black bastards. I've killed them all. Come on. We'll send them down to hell."

And years later, when he's thinking back to the misery that had been his life:

His deeds frightened men or made them jealous. When he conceived a fine thing, the masses, individually or collectively, transformed it into something cheap. His fort in the forest had been branded a hoax. His effort to send himself through college and to rescue Charlotte from an unpleasant life had ended in vulgar comedy. Even that had been her triumph, her hour, and an incongruous strain of greatness had filtered through her personality rather than his. Now his years in the war were reduced to no grandeur, to a mere outlet for his savage instinct to destroy. After such a life, he reflected, he could no longer visualize himself engaged in any search for a comprehension of real values.

If he could but have ended the war single-handed, it might have been different. But he was not great enough for that. He had been a thousand men, perhaps ten thousand, but he could not be millions. He could not wrap his arms around a continent and squeeze it into submission. There were too many people, and they were too stupid to do more than fear him and hate him. Sitting there, he realized that his naïve faith in himself and the universe had foundered. The war was only another war that future generations would find romantic to contemplate and dull to study. He was only a species of genius who had missed his mark by a cosmic margin.

Even when he's thinking about the places where he went wrong, that he blames himself for, even when's engaged in introspection, his thoughts still gravitate towards violence and hatred, of squeezing continents into submission and of how much the masses are stupid to not appreciate him (because really, all Hugo wants is to be loved and appreciated for what he is), and how unlucky he was to miss his mark.

There's just no place for Hugo Danner. Maybe it was actually rather merciful that he got to have his misery ended briefly by lightning strikes, before he could either turn into something worse, or have his life ruined more throughly.

[dailybuglenow]

SUNDAY, 24 MAY 2024. EDITED BY J. JONAH JAMESON.

THIS IS AMERICA: OR, OUR NEW ‘AVENGER’ IN CHIEF –

It’s a new age for the people of America. As a world we’ve found ourselves embroiled in an  excess of trouble, chaos and confusion for the last six years and the United States have not been the exception. Today, we write about another day of sorrow and how we can maintain hope for the future. The White House made an order to fly all flags at half-staff in early April following the unexpected passing of President Matthew Ellis. The successor to former one-term President Barack Obama, Ellis had just started his second term when the Cleanse occurred in May of 2018. President Ellis was a victim of Thanos and the controversial Senator Robert Kelly acted as Commander in Chief in the interim. Upon his return he reassumed office for the last year before suffering a pulmonary embolism at the beginning of April.

Public opinion was divide during Ellis’ respective terms. Although Ellis was seen receiving aid from heroes such as Iron Man and Captain America, his stance on superhumans varied. It was Ellis who first introduced the world to be Advanced Threat Containment Union, a group established to deal with the rising numbers of Inhumans but ended up being tangled with Nazi organization H.Y.D.R.A. “The laws of nature have changed.” Ellis said when issuing his executive order. “And until the laws of man change to reflect that, we must do what we feel is right.“ On May 3rd. 2016 President Ellis became one of many leaders internationally to sign the Sokovian Accords that demanded more collaboration and responsibility from the Avengers. The Accords came as a response to events in countries such as Sokovia and Lagos where Avenger efforts led to deaths and needed to be addressed on a global level. "It is crucial that we unite and stand together to ensure that peace and security prevail over chaos and fear,” Ellis stated as he both commended the heroes for their work and chastised their carelessness. Over his political career Ellis worked with the now deceased Glen Talbot and General Thaddeus Ross, who sung his praises during a recent press conference.

Upon the passing of Ellis, it was expected that Vice President Lee would take over but the White House instead issued a statement that took many by surprise. Instead of Lee or any of the other Cabinet members in line for the office taking over, they were appointing former C.E.O. and businessman Norman Osborn into office effectively immediately. This came as a surprise to many as Osborn was believed to be deceased ever since he succumbed to a incredibly rare disease in 2021 during Thanos’ Cleanse. Osborn’s company, OSBORN, fell into the hands of his former partner Mendel Stromm due to Osborn’s teenaged son, Harry Osborn, being a victim of the Cleanse. When Thanos’ work was reversed Stromm agreed to remain in control of the company until Harry turned 18 and could legally take over. While that has yet to happen, Norman Osborn recently reappeared spinning a tale about being kidnapped and held hostage for three years. The Bugle is currently fact checking the story and looking into the supposed terrorist organization, but in the meantime the world not only celebrated the return of Osborn but also capitalized on his story of fighting for freedom against all odds.

The sudden ascent from deceased businessman to President of the United  States is the kind of comeback story that our country eats up, even if this humble reporter isn’t entirely sold on the story. To keep up with the whirlwind pace, Osborn’s Inauguration Gala was held on April 29th, 2020 in Manhattan to celebrate his victory, a date that is situated only a few days after the one year memorial of the Cleanse. Politicians, businessmen, America’s shiniest, world leaders and heroes were all invited to brush elbows and show their support for their new President. Shi’ar Empress Xandra Neramani was photographed along with Inhuman Royalty and Krakoan leaders. While all seemed to be smooth sailing, guests were caught off guard by the surprise unveiling of Osborn’s New Avengers, which saw him front and center as the Iron Patriot. The Patriot armor was briefly used in the past by the current War Machine, Lt. Colonel James Rhodes. The following speech followed his announcement:

“Thank you again to everyone who has taken the time to attend my ceremony today. As I mentioned before, I have a surprise in store for you tonight. As we all know, the backbone of my campaign has been the safety of our people, to ensure we’ll never face a threat like Thanos again. To defend every American from crimes of a less than ordinary nature and keep up with the growing threats. While we have relied on people such as the Avengers, the X-Men, and other groups in the past it is time for a change of pace. I’m grateful for all that they have done to keep our home safe. It is time for us to stop relying on a group of independent crime fighters. They’ve squabbled amongst themselves and each other with innocent civilian casualties too many times now. Which is why I present you with a force to defend our nation from any threat, capable of fighting aliens, robots or other superhumans, the Avengers of America!”

Osborn’s announcement was entirely unexpected as the Avengers had been in good standing ever since their work reversing Thanos’ Cleanse and the sacrifices of founding members Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) and Tony Stark (Iron Man). Some saw this as a direct affront to the existing Avengers while others believe a change of pace will be beneficial for a country that’s struggled  to regain its footing. At the time of the Gala, the official rostered Avengers included: Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel), Spider-Man (Unknown), Scott Lang (Ant-Man), Thor Odinson, Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch), Stephen Strange (Doctor Strange), Sam Wilson (Captain America), James Rhodes (War Machine), Hope Van Dyne (Wasp), Bruce Banner (the Hulk), Clint Barton (Hawkeye) and the Vision. Ms. Maximoff was barely eighteen when first recruited, and it has long been known that masked web head Spider-man is a minor even if we have not matched a face to the mask.

Identities have not been announced yet for most of the heroes, and some bear resemblance to formerly known criminals. The Bugle has requested a comment but are currently waiting for a response.  So far, confirmed members of America’s Avengers include: Star, Spider-Woman (Charlotte Witter),  Yellowjacket (Rita DeMara), the Minotaur, the Enchantress, Baron Zemo (Helmut  Zemo), the Iron Patriot (Norman Osborn), Beetle, Red-Hulk,  Bullseye and Moonstone. Due to most of the initial Avengers being unmasked, the public is unsure if they should trust a new set of heroes with secret identities. One Bugle commenter pointed out that some of the alias are tired to former criminals but no correlation has been confirmed.

The Avengers aren’t Osborn’s only endeavor either. The formerly America based X-Men separated recently to form their own island nation of Krakoa and now have sovereignty and no longer adhere to American laws. Osborn announced via a press conference his own X-Men, which is a “rejuvenating team of American mutants who remember where their true allegiance should be.” The roster currently includes Wolverine (James Hudson Jr.), the Goblin Queen (Madelyne Pryor), Miss Sinister (Claudine Renko), Belladonna (Bella Donna Boudreaux), Mimic (Calvin Rankin) and Melter (Christian Colchiss) and their leader ‘X’. This line-up definitely includes some who have ended up on the wrong side of the law, and X strongly resembles Charles Xavier, the mutant leader who goes by Professor X, right down to the unsettling helmet. All of America’s X-Men are reported to be vetted and redeemed despite their being little shown to support that.

Rounding out Osborn’s new order is his Cabal, a public version of the once rumored Illuminati that brought a group of very powerful leaders together. Osborn’s Cabal stands for “intentional and intergalactic unity on a scale never before seen,” according to Osborn spokeswoman Lily Hollister. Representatives include: Maximus Boltagon (the Inhumans), Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom (Latveria), Loki (Asgard), Ronan the Accuser (the Kree), Cal’ysee Neramani/Deathbird (Shi’ar Empire), Valerie Cooper (United States) and Emma Frost/White Queen (Krakoa). The final nail in the coffin of how the world used to be was Osborn’s decision to disband the government agency S.H.I.E.L.D. effective immediately to be replaced by the newly renewed H.A.M.M.E.R.

What Norman Osborn’s America looks like is a daunting picture to encapsulate. Our world has always grown, shifted and changed but we usually strive for it to be in a positive direction. Here at the Bugle we voice our concerns but also strive to report accurate and up to date news. As President Osborn’s term progresses we promise to be here for every twist and turn. Some say god bless America, but in this case I’ll settle with good luck, America.

— Reported by Ben Urich, senior reporter

FROM CRADLE TO C.R.A.D.L.E: THE CASE AGAINST UNDERAGED HEROES –

Tragedy struck a New Jersey high school last week. Coles Academic High School hosted activist Ailana Kabua who came from the Marshall Islands to speak as a keynote for the Concerned Scientists of America program, which brought together students from different districts. Although it was not disclosed at the time, the Avengers affiliated team the Champions were on the premise acting as bodyguards. In a strange turn of events a dragon crashed the event and the Champions made themselves known. In what appeared to be a field error, the synthezoid daughter of Avenger the Vision, Vivian Vision, phased through an energy based fist being created by Victor Alvarez (Power Man). The results was Vision losing control and pulling all the electricity from the atmosphere until the team managed to subdue her. As it stands, Vision is reported but was not the only one hurt. Student Kamala Khan protected Kabua as the two tried to escape, but Ms. Khan was unfortunately injured. Her parents provided the Bugle with an update that so far Kamala has been unresponsive in the ICU in critical condition.

In the wake of this tragedy, the public and government began to look for the root of the problem and came to one conclusion:  unsupervised teen vigilante acts. As many of you remember, the United Nations passed the Sokovian Accords in 2016 to counteract independent superheroes. Although some of the affiliates of former Captain America Steve Rogers were arrested, the Accords fell apart after Thanos’ 2018 attack in Wakanda and have not been revisited. Congress called in the following Champions - some of  who maintain secret identities - to testify in front of the Subcommittee on Superhumans and Public Safety Legislation Hearing about S.315, aka the Underage Superhuman Welfare Act: Spider-Man (the one in red and black),  Riri Williams (Ironheart), Joaquin Torres (Falcon), Nadia Van Dyne (Wasp) and Nova. Other rostered members who were not subpoenaed include Lana Baumgartner (the former criminal known as Bombshell), Qureshi Gupta (Pinpoint) and Victor Alvarez (Power Man). Avengers Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel), Sam Wilson (Captain America) and the Vision also showed up to speak in favor of the kids, but statements like Danvers “They’re just kids” didn’t hold up against some of the perceived danger of child superheroes. One committee member went as far as to point out Ms. Van Dyne’s history with Russia’s Red Room that the deceased Natasha Romanoff graduated from as proof of child soldiers being detrimental.

The Bugle has attained a transcript of the speech that Senator Patrick gave earlier this morning from the Capitol on behalf of the Committee: Thank you all for coming. As you know, our proposed Bill has taken on new significance in light or recent events. After  careful consideration of Congressional testimony, the devastation caused by the malfunction of Viv Vision, who is missing, and the near death of Ailana Kabua… the Underage Superhuman Welfare Act will be passed into law. I’m grateful to my colleagues in the Senate who voted across the aisle on this legislation. Parents and young people across America will feel a little bit safer at at night knowing that the law will no longer overlook people under the age of 21 who engage in superhero activity. We have already began to assemble the Child Hero Reconnaissance and Disruption Law Enforcement organization: C.R.A.D.L.E. This is an unprecedented collaboration between first responders and military personnel. Our capable and experienced commanders include Jake O, Carolina Washington, Timothy Dugan and former teen heroes Justice, Speedball and Timeslip. My fellow Americans: it is clear that teen superheroes have been given too many opportunities to harm themselves and others. We have denied them the guidance and structure that they deserve. That is not fair to them and that is not who we are. In naming this law, we want to honor an innocent young woman wounded in the Coles Disaster, who is fighting for her life as we speak. We’re all praying for her recovery. In her honor, we’re calling it Kamala’s Law.”

The swift announcement of C.R.A.D.L.E. was supported by President Norman Osborn, who lists Kamala’s Law in his policy change plan for America. Involving former child superheroes have left the population divided as some wonder if it is a glowing endorsement and others if it is a betrayal. C.R.A.D.L.E. operatives were spotted raiding the Champions Mobile Bunker, the home of child genius Lunella Lafayette and Riri William’s lab in Chicago. Current debate is surrounding how to force minor superheroes to comply in a safe and efficient way without harming them is ongoing, and established heroes under 21 must register and become affiliated. As it currently stands, Ms. Marvel is currently at large and wanted and most of the other Champions have yet to comply. The government has not yet issued on a statement on the status of American born mutants living on Krakoa, nor has the Fantastic Four made any comments even though Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic) and Susan Storm-Richards (Invisible Woman) have been reported to Child Protection Services before due to the danger that their underage children have been subjected to.

“Danger has never cared how old I was. Danger never cared about  any of us,” Superhero Ghost Spider was recorded saying recently by a civilian making accusations about underaged heroes. Unfortunately, this goes deeper than just danger and caring is intrinsic to the matter. The road to Kamala’s Law is expected to be rocky and filled with resistance but the government is dedicated to following through. Whether or not this turns out to be for the betterment of society has yet to be seen. The Bugle will provide continual updates on the wellbeing of Kamala Khan and Kamala’s Law.

— Reported by Christine Everheart, senior reporter

IN OTHER NEWS:

Shi’ar royalty made their first pubic appearance in the first time in nearly a decade back in March at the Stark Unity Gala. The appearance of their current Empress - Xandra Neramani - raised a few eyebrows and not just because of her young age. Reportedly, Neramani is the daughter of the late Empress Lilandra Neramani and mutant leader turned diplomat Charles Xavier. A representative for Xavier confirmed the connection and issued a brief statement that: We are thrilled to have Xandra as a guest of Krakoa on Earth to promote good will between the Shi’ar, mutants and Earth as a whole. As saddened as we are to hear the confirmation of former Majestrix Lilandra we look forward to building new bonds for the future.” Empress Neramani is accompanied by her aunt, former disgraced Shi’ar Cal’syee Neramani (Deathbird) and former Emperor Kallark (Gladiator) as well as a select council. As it stands no timeline has been set for the Shi’ar visit and they are not considered hostile.

#NotmyThor and #NotmyCaptainAmerica continue to trend on social media despite protests from Avengers and fans alike. “It’s just so sexist,” high school student Nakia Bahadir blogged last week about the continued outcry against the yet to be unmasked female Thor who took over within the last six months. “People can have secret identities and she’s kicking ass and getting the job done. People can chill out.” There’s been similar anger and disappointment expressed in the last year since the deceased  Steve Rogers passed his shield onto his former partner Sam Wilson. Wilson has come under fire for being what some consider ‘too bipartisan’ on political issues. “The shield has always stood for the good of the American people,” he said when stopped recently. “It still does. Being Cap means fighting for the American people and that’s what I’m going to continue to do.” The Bugle will continue to poll public opinion as time goes on.

— Reported by Melita Garner, junior reporter

KRAKOA CORRESPONDENCE:

We are currently looking into an international cult that could pose a significant threat to us. Sects of humans have risen up who are worshipping mutants like gods but have taken to attempt to drink mutant blood to achieve this. These humans consume the blackmarket  drug Pollen, which is made from Krakoan flowers and allows the consumer to attain vampiric qualities. Humans have been trying to steal Krakoan petals since we first made them known to the world and the Hellfire Trading Company vessel, the Marauder, has been working to provide safe transports for the drugs while we grow the flowers on the  Island. The X-Force team will continue to look into the matter.

An official source for Krakoa announced that mutants Jean Grey and Scott Summers welcomed son Charles Christopher Summers into the world on May 1st, 2024. Both mother and son are reported to be healthy and thankful for the two weeks of privacy. Hopefully this child is one of many to come as we embrace our decree: make more mutants.

The Quiet Council of Krakoa will be sitting down to discuss their current stance on President Norman Osborn at an undisclosed date and will report their agreement shortly after. As with all major issues, they thank you for your patience and encourage any comments or concerns to be brought to a representative. Until otherwise specified, the Hellfire Trading Company will continue to work in accordance with the already established laws with the United States.

As we enter into this new season, Krakoa is officially rolling out a new line of teams. Rosters will be posted shortly, but the Hellion and X-Factor groups will be joining preexisting ones such as the Marauders, X-Force, X-Men, Excalibur and New Mutants.

Be wary of potential conflict from the Fantastic Four. We have long been aware that Franklin Richards is an Omega level mutant and needs to be surrounded by his own kind on Krakoa but there has been resistance from Reed Richards and Susan Storm-Richards so far. Even though Franklin Richards can claim sanctuary on the Island we are trying to mitigate the situation as peacefully as possible. Should you encounter any of the Fantastic Four please attempt to avoid a violent confrontation.

[marieschunne]

SGE AU: Chapter One

Author’s Note

This story is based on the fiction world created by the very talented Soman Chainani, an alternative universe/fan fiction written by a reader and is not at all affiliated with the original series. This story will not include the series’s main characters (notably Agatha, Sophie, or Tedros) and is focused solely on telling the story of a fictional main character that I made.

Note that I have made changes to some parts/story concepts, as well as including darker themes to better suit on describing the tale of the Evil Queen’s daughter.

Summary

Maeve of Avalon is the princess of the most famous evil kingdom in all the woods. Growing up, she has been groomed by the Evil Queen to become her successor, to continue the legacy of evil.

But it was soon proved to be in vain when the invitation for the School for Good came instead. Her fate was not at all as as she thought; for Maeve found herself trapped in the worst of nightmares and the thin line between good and evil, forcing her to choose between her wicked destiny… or accepting her mother’s wrath.

The room tilted under me as my head spun with disbelief, my fingers clutching the Flowerground ticket—the pressure of my grip on the shining, glossy surface creating a crease on the edges. My name gleamed under the casted dim light from the chandelier above, dripping of oil and cobwebs in which the spiders have long since crawled away to avoid the wrath of my broom. There was no mistaking it, I thought, as my eyes widened and once again ran over the glittering words: Princess Maeve of Avalon; 1 Passage Ticket; the School for Good.

Sucking in a sharp breath, I placed the ticket on the edge of the windowsill where I’d found it earlier. My shoulders suddenly felt heavy… too heavy, as though invisible boulders have been dropped against it. I fell to the ground, feeling the rough surface of the carpet tucked between me and the cold stone floor. Pressing my hand against the bridge of my nose, I struggled to keep the emotions from rising, though it was clear a raging thought appeared in my mind, in bold black letters atop the small words screaming in my head: Mother is going to kill me.

I shouldn’t have opened the windows this morning, though I always do it every day. Even if the letter hadn’t fallen straight to the windowsill for me to find, it would have somehow ended up in my hands anyway, although I doubt it wouldn’t cause a sort of chaos in the castle, not to mention my mother’s bubbling wrath. Ever since I turned fourteen and the date of acceptance came near, Mother would not stop talking about the School for Evil, where my place as a student must have been guaranteed already after the success of Mother’s story. She was the Evil Queen in Snow White’s fairytale who didn’t even bother with burying her stepdaughter or her foolish prince; instead, she had them both cremated and frozen in the dungeon so that whenever she brews a potion of mischief, she could do so while staring at their dead souls.

For years I have been training for this moment—hours spent in the dungeon following Mother’s potion and spell books, creating explosives and capturing doves, putting them in a cage just for the fun of it. When I was seven, I remembered catching a mouse hiding in a small corner near the throne room before presenting it to Mother, always eager to earn her approval. That was when she told me to kill it.

I cried then, refusing blatantly. In return, Mother lashed my palms and killed the poor animal right in front of me. A pitiful soul is unbecoming of a villain. Since then, I never cried; nor did I blink when I saw other creatures getting murdered before me.

What would she do when she finds out about my ticket? Lash me again? Torture me in her dungeon? Kill me before another villain could and cremate me beside my stepsister?

Though ashamed, I don’t want to die yet. Mother used to tell me that to die is a weakness—of course, except for the years catching up on you—and to live is to win in the universe’s game. If she ever discovered the existence of this wretched Flowerground ticket, if she ever found out that her blood daughter is a student of Good—

My hands shot out to the metal ball at the end of the bed, one I used for practice torture, before flinging it at the gilded mirror. The echo of glass shattering pierced my ears, but I could barely hear it over the sound of my pumping heart banging against my eardrums, adrenaline coursing through my blood. If there was anyone I fear most in this world it would be Mother, and should she ever find out that a stymph bird never came to whisk me away to that school, I might as well be doomed.

Suddenly, a hard knock came from the door, snapping me out of my dark thoughts and back into reality. Quickly, I grabbed for the ticket and stuffed it inside my drawer. I barely had time to push the thing shut before the door opens, revealing an ugly goblin that is the castle’s Chief Steward standing in the doorway, her rock grey skin murkier than usual. She sneered at me with her crusted lips, her eyes a muddled green, “the Queen is awaiting your presence at the gates.”

Hiding my shaking fingers, I forced my expression to remain calm. “What for? Is she going somewhere?” I truthfully doubt my ability to remain neutral and not give away the yawning chaos of fear inside me if I were to face her at this time… but do I have a choice?

“It is the weekly trial, girl,” the goblin said, narrowing her eyes as though she could smell my skepticism.

“Right,” I said, straightening the creases of my black sheer skirt. “And it is Your Highness to you, Gill. Or simply princess should suffice.”

Ignoring her dark expression after being scolded, I rushed out of the door without another glance, blood still roaring in my ears.

✧ ༄ ♥ ༄ ✧

“At last!” Mother announced, tapping her long, slender fingers against the carriage door, her red nails the color of her enemy’s blood. Her lips were turned upside down in a frown—an expression between upset and irritated as she sighed, “where have you been, Maeve? The people are anxious for this trial! They demand justice!”

They always do. Under Mother’s rule, the people have grown to be either cruel or cowardice, with no one daring to lift a finger for rebellion. How can they, when Mother was a product of a successful Evil story, read by every single child in the Reader world? Besides, Mother would of crush them into pieces in a blink of an eye.

“I lost track of time,” I mumbled, carefully tiptoeing the apology at the edge of my tongue. Was this why the School Master appointed me as a Good student, instead of Evil? Because he knew that somewhere deep inside, a small part of me cared enough to say sorry?

“Villains don’t just forget about time!” She scolded sharply. “If I were a tad bit late in killing Snow White, she would have been a queen in my stead!”

“Yes, Mother,” I said, forcing my voice to be firm.

She climbed into the carriage first and I followed, feeling the dark velvet of the chair cold as any stone under my skin, keeping the whole aura always in gloom and doom, just as Mother liked. If I were her, I would have added something red, or perhaps a lighter color…

I cringed in disgust. Pink is a color for good princesses. It is a color that should never enter my eyesight.

Not letting my thoughts run any deeper, Mother quickly engaged me in a conversation that always included bits of advice on torture, death, and more misery. Her lips widened to form her trademark storybook sneer, her dark brows arched elegantly. “Only a day more until you must leave for the School, Maeve. Now, remember to make sure that your windows are always open to easier access for the stymph birds. No nonsense of pretending to be asleep in bed; absolutely ridiculous! I was more awake than I had ever been when they took me.”

“What were you doing when they took you?” I wondered, the invisible weight of the Flowerground ticket still pressing against my palm.

“I was carving open my old Gran’s heart—I didn’t need her to pester me while I was at school,” she told me, her eyes far away as her face contorted with satisfaction. My stomach dropped. If Mother was cruel enough to kill her own blood, then what was there to stop her from killing me?

It felt much like pushing myself off a cliff when I dared myself to ask, “Mother, what do you think of the School for Good? What—What if, in some extraordinary case, one of our people was taken to Good?”

She frowned, taking her time to think about it. Probably imagining all sorts of torture for this imaginary Good person—who also happens to be real, and that person is me. “I wouldn’t be able to reach the School for Good to kill that child myself… there are violations set by the School Master. But the family… oh, yes. The family should suffer enough that the child would be too afraid to ever set foot upon this kingdom again.”

I pursed my lips. Now I’ve heard enough. After acknowledging her reply with a curt nod, I inclined my head to look out the window, at the sight of our kingdom. Like the castle, the richer part of the kingdom is dark, built from the smooth ground with precious obsidian and silver. The trial has always been held at the Square, in the middle of the village. Soon, our carriage rumbled down the jagged streets over dirty pebbles down the less fortunate neighborhood. Here, the houses are in ruins, some of the stones crumbling down over roofs and causing a leak to trickle all over the already damp curtains. Iron buckets were placed on the doors after being emptied from the rain that poured heavy last night. I’ve noticed that some of them had enough gall to try and plant flowers, only to have it wither and die on the small boxes placed on their broken, dirty windowsills.

“Such a hurtful sight to my eyes,” muttered Mother, tone tainted with disgust. Her eyes ran critically over the neighborhood that we passed by every week, though I know beforehand that she thought it unnecessary to mend the slum. They must work their way for money; that’s the only way they’ll repair their hideous homes.

Finally, the carriage rumbled to a stop and the door was opened by our coachman: another goblin, this one grim looking. He bowed at us as we descended the small flight of stairs to the Square, where a crowd has already gathered to witness the trial. Every villager must be present for the trial in respect for the Queen and to see by their own eyes just how cruel the punishment if they dared to cross the line.

We approached the dais in which two thrones—one made of great obsidian, and the smaller one of iron—have been placed atop. Mother took a seat first and the people bowed in her presence, no one daring to meet our eyes. Even when I ascended they feared me too, though whereas Mother was full of glee to have her part of the cruelty of the week, my face remained blank; an expression I’ve long mastered to not give away my true feelings.

Perhaps I used to feel sorry for them when I was young. Remorse on their behalf, even. But now I felt nothing; just a cold abyss robbed of emotions. Perhaps if I were taking a more gleeful perspective, the School Master would consider kicking me out of the School for Good?

With that in thought, I plastered on a smile. Mother looked at me suspiciously but didn’t say anything. She lets the people stay like that for a whole minute, relishing in their tired shoulders, before her voice, cold and loud–like a mallet hitting glass–echoed in the Square: “Rise, my people.”

The people rose. While some of the lords and ladies wealthy enough to live in the richer neighborhood stood at the front lines, smiles on their faces in respect for the Queen are displayed, the peasants standing behind them looked as miserable as ever, their faces powdered with dirt and ash. An awful odor hung in the air—the scent of previous corpses whose lives had been taken here before.

At the center of the Square was a stage, which I think used to be a place to house performances instead of a large, hulking guillotine made of wood with a blade at the top, sharper than any knives. Mother made the blade herself—it never failed to perform a kill filled with blood instead of a clean one, since she loves the idea of the townspeople rubbing off the trickles from the Square’s pavement. The executioner stood ready by the guillotine, his eyes that could barely be seen over the piece of fabric covering half of his face examined a large bucket placed under the killing machine, as though contemplating whether it would hold the heads about to be chopped off today.

There was no law in the kingdom; not really. Mother, true to her Evil, lets the streets roam with beggars and thieves, even murderers. They go unpunished if it was not associated with the nobles or the royal family. Trying to escape, however, holds the same level of crime as both, because it meant abandoning the kingdom and its queen.

A senior goblin stepped forward, wearing a ridiculous cap that Mother insisted they wear for the trial as if the whole setting wasn’t horrific enough. “Your Majesties the Queen Grimhilde and Princess Maeve; may I present to you Hal, a slave who was caught trying to escape from the House of Waldorf in which he was employed,” the goblin announced.

A bulky man with thick muscles up his arms dragged a rope behind him in which a man was tied around the neck and made his way through the crowd for the stage by crawling on his knees. Like an arrow, a strange emotion rose inside me, and I battled it back down, disgusted by myself. Why did I feel that way? My hands twitched against the armrest of my throne, as though it was about to spring forward and save the slave from the dark fate that awaited him.

Beside me, Mother roared, “what do you have to say for yourself, slave?”

Does he not have a name? Even in his last living seconds, he would be known as the disobeying slave—never the man that he was inside. I caught myself with such thoughts and held back a wince. Fingers digging into my palm, I watched as one of the lords stepped forward with a look of hidden pride—perhaps to acknowledge the fact that the slave was his—over a mask of disappointment. He announced, “I shall speak for him, my Queen, for he was a property of mine.”

The Queen gave a curt nod. The Lord continued, “this man was found trying to flee to the woods last night. I say there shall not be mercy for this one!”

In reply, Mother raised a hand, shutting him up. The lord dropped his head under the Queen’s hard gaze. “Let the people decide,” she clipped, her eyes roaming over the audience. “What do you say, my people? Do we spare him?” A glint of mirth danced in her emerald green eyes. “Or do we punish him?”

The crowd roared at the last sentence. It was expected as any, especially with the careful watch of the guards surrounding every corner. Mother gave another nod, and the bulky man marched the slave up the stage, where the executioner was waiting, almost eager. We all waited with bated breath as the man was strapped down to the guillotine hole. I could almost see the executioner’s wicked grin behind his mask when he pulled the blade higher.

My face was blank as stone when the blade fell and the man’s screams filled my ears. The music of pure evil.

[aion-rsa]

When Spider-Man Becomes Venom

https://ift.tt/39Uw3LD

If being Venom was like being in the Beatles, then Peter Parker would be Pete Best. His stretch of time in the late-80s wearing his living, black costume is a staple of his history. Before it turned Eddie Brock into a box office giant, the symbiote made for a badass variant look for Spider-Man that still holds up to this day. It’s the ultimate story of how we can lose ourselves to power, even if a loved one beat you over the head with lessons about responsibility.

Over the years, Spider-Man did rejoin with the symbiote a few times, usually in the name of heroism. In Venomized, a Venom symbiote from another reality bonded to him for a little while. At the end of Dan Slott’s lengthy Amazing Spider-Man run, Eddie Brock let Spidey borrow the symbiote so he could fight the Red Goblin (Norman Osborn as Carnage). These days, Parker and his former tights at least have an understanding.

This April, the team of Chip Zdarsky and Pasqual Ferry will be doing a four-issue take on Marvel’s What If? by giving us Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow. The idea? Spider-Man not only never gets rid of his hungry ooze pants, but he embraces his hungry ooze pants!

Yes, we see Peter Parker intentionally bond with what would have been known as the Venom symbiote and keep on keeping on with the crime-fighting. What happens when such a pure-hearted hero goes all-in on wearing clothes that constantly tell him to bite people’s faces off? Guess we’ll find out soon enough.

Then again, Peter holding onto the symbiote is an idea that’s been visited time and time again. Not only has it popped up in issues of What If?, but also in other forms of Marvel media.

WHAT IF THE ALIEN COSTUME HAD POSSESSED SPIDER-MAN?

In the fourth issue of What If?’s second volume, Danny Fingeroth and Mark Bagley jumped onto the then-recent introduction of Venom by doing an issue about what would have happened had Peter Parker taken too long to figure out what the deal was with his black costume. He couldn’t get in touch with the Fantastic Four, so he instead met up with Dr. Connors, which was a fruitless venture. By the time Reed Richards was able to investigate, the symbiote was already bonded to Spider-Man and wouldn’t be removed so easily.

Puppeting Parker’s body, the symbiote escaped captivity and hid in the city for several days. Spider-Man eventually came across a rampaging Hulk, which convinced the symbiote to leave Spider-Man for this upgrade of a host. Abandoned, Peter Parker appeared as an old man due to how much the creature sucked him dry. Using his final hours to design a sonic gun that could destroy the symbiote, Peter’s body finally gave out.

The symbiote eventually left Hulk for Thor. Interestingly enough, Banner was left cured of being the Hulk while the symbiote claimed what happened to Parker was a mistake. Whether it was telling the truth or not, it still took over Thor’s body and tried to hide out in Mount Rushmore. Luckily, Reed Richards had Black Bolt’s epic voice on speed dial and that took care of that.

Well, except for Black Cat getting the kill shot thanks to that aforementioned sonic gun.

SECRET WARS: 25 YEARS LATER

The final issue of the second volume of What If? took a look back at the original Secret Wars event and wondered what would happen had the heroes and villains been stuck on Battleworld for a generation. This Jay Faerber/Gregg Schigiel collaboration had Galactus and the Beyonder kill each other, meaning that all the survivors were stranded. Much had happened in those 25 years, but for the most part, the heroes and villains put their differences aside. Sure, there was something in there about Dr. Doom shacking up with the Enchantress, only for her to leave him for Thor and Doom killing her because of it, but otherwise you had the Wrecking Crew chilling out with Hawkeye and She-Hulk like old friends.

The stars of the one-shot were the offsprings, like the daughter of Captain America and Rogue or the son of Human Torch and Wasp. Spider-Man only had a couple moments, but they were incredibly interesting. He seemed colder to everyone and there was a curious debate over whether anyone had seen him eat anything.

During the climactic battle, Klaw blasted Spider-Man with some sonics. The symbiote pulled away to reveal nothing underneath but Peter Parker’s skeleton. This turned out to be far from a surprise to the heroes as Human Torch saved him and moved on without a second thought.

THE ANIMATED SERIES FINALE

Straying away from the Venom symbiote, there was a time in the comics where Ben Reilly – back when he took over being Spider-Man – was the host to the Carnage symbiote for a few hours. Nothing really happened with it, but he looked rad as hell and it made for a cool cover image.

The 90s Spider-Man cartoon ended the series by doing its own prototype version of Into the Spider-Verse. The final two-parter took place in “I Really, Really Hate Clones” and “Farewell, Spider-Man.”

In an alternate reality, a version of the Clone Saga storyline happened, only in this one, Peter was more of an asshole to Ben Reilly instead of treating him like a brother. When Peter found out that he was possibly the clone, he got extra pissed about it right around the time when the Carnage symbiote was nearby. He became Spider-Carnage and created a plan to destroy the multiverse.

A team of Spider-Men from different realities came together to stop him. After visiting a world where Spider-Man wore armor and was successful and happy in every way, the cartoon’s main Spider-Man realized that Uncle Ben was probably alive in that universe. That Uncle Ben confronted Spider-Carnage and got through to him. Although the man within wasn’t strong enough to expel the symbiote, he was able to sabotage his own multiverse-destroying plans via sacrificing his own life, all the while begging for forgiveness for all the horrors he committed.

WHAT IF? THE OTHER

Peter David and Khoi Pham did a one-shot where the Venom symbiote returned to Peter at the absolute worst time. The Other was as storyline where Spider-Man seemingly died, but survived in a cocooned form. After getting in touch with his inner spider, he was reborn with more primal abilities that unfortunately didn’t last too long. This alternate version had Spider-Man refuse the rebirth. Everyone already mourned him and he didn’t want to have that happen all over again. He remained in his cocoon, choosing to let nature take its course over time.

Read more

Comics

We Are Venom: The Many Characters Who Wore the Symbiote

By Gavin Jasper

Comics

Venom: Riot and the Life Foundation Symbiotes Explained

By Gavin Jasper

At that time, Mac Gargan was Venom’s host and the symbiote could sense Spider-Man’s situation. Knowing Peter was ripe for the picking, the symbiote left Gargan and consumed the husk of Peter Parker. With the symbiote in full control, he was neither Spider-Man nor Venom. He was Poison.

Poison confronted Mary Jane and Aunt May, but realized they wanted nothing to do with him. Poison instead left and spawned a new symbiote child in order to bond with and reanimate the corpse of Gwen Stacy.

Yeah, lot of laughs going on in that story. Sheesh.

WHAT IF? AGE OF APOCALYPSE

Age of Apocalypse was already a bizarre alternate universe. Rick Remender and Dave Wilkins made it even more batshit insane by having Legion accidentally kill both Xavier and Magneto. In this reality, Nate Summers joined with a superhero resistance team to take out Apocalypse and there’s all sorts of crazy stuff going on.

At one point, the team came across a nest of Peter Parker clones engulfed in a giant black web of symbiote. A horrified Captain America (wielding Mjolnir) had them destroy all the brainless Spider-Man clones before moving on to the next big challenge.

WEB OF SHADOWS

Back in 2008, Activision decided to go all in on the whole symbiote thing by making a Spider-Man video game based entirely around a symbiote invasion and symbiote-possessed versions of different heroes and villains. A fight with Venom led to Spider-Man getting some of the goop onto himself, allowing him the option to become Symbiote Spider-Man. Venom’s symbiote started expanding and latching onto hundreds of other New Yorkers, overwhelming the city with chaos.

After teaming up with and/or fighting lots of Marvel characters, Spider-Man took on a kaiju version of Venom and convinced Eddie Brock to fights its influence. Depending on factors, Venom would either die from heroic sacrifice or Spider-Man’s hands.

There are various endings based both on how much time you’ve used the symbiote and how much of an overall dick you’ve been. Too much of the black costume could at best cause Mary Jane to break up with you. At worst, it could cause you to conquer New York as leader of the symbiotes.

VENOMVERSE

Since Marvel did the Spider-Verse comic event, Cullen Bunn and Iban Coello did a natural knockoff of sorts called Venomverse. While it had no real connection to the Spider-Man story, the gist was similar: various Venom hosts from the multiverse had to team up to face a threat that was hunting them down.

The mainstream Venom was the only Eddie Brock host involved as the rest of the crew included the likes of Mary Jane, Captain America, Dr. Strange, Rocket Raccoon, Deadpool, Gwenpool, and so on. There was also a Spider-Man in there and while they didn’t go too far into his background, he was the only one who seemed to recognize Eddie and harbored unexplained resentment.

The threat came in the form of Poisons. These tiny, white creatures on their own didn’t seem to be much of a threat, but when one would make physical contact with a symbiote and its host, it would engulf them and completely take over. The Poison, the symbiote, and the host would turn into some kind of white, armored creature permanently.

Spider-Man was one of those to fall victim to the Poisons. This led to a rather cathartic fight to the death between Venom and Poison Spider-Man that Venom won.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Now, you might be saying, “Didn’t you JUST talk about a story where Spider-Man was a symbiote monster called Poison already? Isn’t this confusing?” Yes. Yes it is. So confusing that when they released a Marvel Legends figure for Poison Spider-Man from Venomverse, the profile information on the back of the box described the story from What If? The Other instead. Whoops!

Subscribe to Den of Geek magazine for FREE right here!

(function() { var qs,js,q,s,d=document, gi=d.getElementById, ce=d.createElement, gt=d.getElementsByTagName, id="typef_orm", b="https://embed.typeform.com/"; if(!gi.call(d,id)) { js=ce.call(d,"script"); js.id=id; js.src=b+"embed.js"; q=gt.call(d,"script")[0]; q.parentNode.insertBefore(js,q) } })()

The post When Spider-Man Becomes Venom appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3iA9UpT

[congalineofpeace]

They're awaaaaakeeee~

Oha told us to take care of our new guests, so we let them in some of our student corridors and left them to rest. Dacodix gave them something that cleaned them, and let them rest.

And then, just when we thought they were going to sleep, they woke up and began to talk!

Khai: Ouchies....Uh.... Where the absolute fuck am I?

Anosa: Huh...this isn- where am I?

Torrath: Wasn't I in a cave?

Oha puffed his chest happily.

Oha: Well guess who is up? Haha, didn't take them long!

Foh: Totally bro! Lemme at 'em-

Oha pushes me aside and shakes his head.

Foh: What gives teach!?

Oha: Don't worry. Let me first introduce them and see if they're... "stable."

He made sure to look at Hrushvictar, who just nods as I'm here listening to their conversations. No fair! I wanted to talk to 'em first - especially since I found them.

He throws the door open wide and begins shouting as if class was starting again for the first time. It's been awhile since he smiled.

Oha: Wake up everyone!

The new people seem confused. Like, really confused.

Torrath: Good morning?

Anosa: Who said that?

Torrath: I did.

Obviously they musta lost something in their head - but those two are really pretty chicks. According to Dacodix Anosa's a mermaid girl too, which sounds sooo cool!

Khai: HEY!!! Look bro, I may have lost the cash but I....uh....wait - who are you?

Oha tries to pull them out of the rooms.

Oha: Welcome to Tawn's beloved school, Tawn School!

He's smiling from ear to ear - it's almost... Creepy... But kinda nice at the same time.

Anosa: Pardon me but, who are you?

Oha: Teacher Mr.Groah. You really don't remember what happened last night...?

Anosa: No I don't.

One strike.

Torrath: I don't remember anything.

Two strikes....

Khai Ross: Why any of us remember anything except what we did the night before. I so wasn't bashing someone's face in.

Three strikes! Dacodix is just sighing.

Torrath: Not since that party...

Khai: I swear I wasn't high.

It looks like Oha's joy began to vanish and he's becoming anxious, for some reason. Maybe this is what he meant by checking if they were "stable."

Torrath: Why are we in a school? I'm an adult.

Anosa: The last thing I remember is going to bed in my hut last night. Good question.

Oha: ....HSART got to you four.... Well... Where is the fourth one?

Torrath: Sleeping?

Khai: Probably asleep still. Or dead. Either or.

Anosa: Fourth One? I haven't seen them yet.

Torrath begins walking to the room the cyclop girl is in. According to Hrushvictar, she's what people call TRASH-Fuck Ups. However, she doesn't look creepy and goopy- just...

She's kind of a frankenstien monster. Hooves for legs, no arms, and dyed hair with one eye always lookin' around.

From where we were at the table, you could hear that cyclop snore so loud.

Torrath: Hello?

She prods the cyclops.

Torrath: Wake up.

It takes awhile, but she manages waking up the big chick.

Tsyrei: What...?

Torrath: Some guy wants us all...I guess to go to class?

Tsyrei: .....Okay....?

Torrath: I'm just as confused as you are.

Oha becomes getting impatient.

Oha: Wake up everyone!

Khai: You know, if you keep screaming I'm gonna go deaf.

Oha makes sure we're all together to begin speaking to the newcomers. Only me and Maywhitter are really excited, while the others are trying to poker face seeing these people alive, breathing, y'know...Living with a mark and stuff.

Oha: Well, now that you are all here, HSART was the one that got you four, as I said before. She's evil. Never trust a goddess.

Torrath: Never have.

Khai: I don't even think there is one quite honestly.

Tsyrei: I can't believe I'm not home...

Anosa: HSART? Never heard of them.

Torrath: What is "home"?

I began to sneer at these people. They're a card alright - but they're so cool!

Oha: HSART is something.... Someone... Basically the beginning of chaos. With the TRASH organization, they have been mutating and ruining millions.

He lies at this part.

Oha: I found you at the reject section in TRASH's trash. You're lucky Dacodix spotted you all before you became mind puppets.

Hrushvictar told Oha not to tell them the truth yet, because it would be more difficult to explain. Idunno, but I kept my mouth shut!

Torrath: "Mind puppets".....

Khai: Oh boy, sounds like a parts to me.

Anosa: Mind puppets? Why would we become mind puppets?

Tsyrei: That explains my lack of arms then...

Oha: HSART is known to make many obey her command. We're one of the few safe places.

And then Torrath gets to the point!

Torrath: So, are we your "recruits"?

Oha: Yes and no.

Torrath: Or soldiers?

Oha: You're rookies at the moment in a very high society school... Or, what was a high society school.

I'm the only teacher now, and there's so few of us. But we stand strong!

Maywhitter smiles at this and nods her head shyly. We still got that school pride! Annnnd then Khai has to be edgy.

Khai: Fuck high society.

Torrath: I like the cut of your jib, rebellious one.

Oha just gives him the death glare of doom.

Anosa: Was? Did it get attacked?

Oha: Yes...

Tsyrei: I'm hungry.

Like that, it begins a cycle.

Anosa: Same here.

Khai: Actually, now that cyclops girl mentions it, me too.

Torrath: I could eat.

Oha laughs merrily, but we know he's probably wanting to die inside.

Oha: Well, breakfast is on the table if you would like anything. It's orc meat and goblin stew. Enjoy!

And before he could be asked anymore questions, he dashes out of there. From a distance, you can hear his head hitting his desk echoing though a hall.

Boyo, is this gonna be a trip.