#giant size super-stars

[balu8]

Giant-Size Super-Stars #1: Fantastic Four

Gerry Conway; Rick Buckler; Joe Sinnott; Petra Goldberg and Artie Simek

Marvel

[totes-tubulardude]

I was having some post Padawan Lost and Wookie Hunt feels so I decided to give a lil snippet from the after math in my au :)

—

Ahsoka felt Fives’ bright and ecstatic presence before she saw him. By the time he shoved through the blast doors to the hangar he already had to duck to avoid the ceiling. Upon laying eyes on her he let out a cheer and charged towards her.

With each step he seemed to grow taller until he was right in front of her. He crashed down to his knees to hug her, lifting her off the ground completely. 

She let out a breathless laugh as he squeezed her, she was grateful for the pain medication the Jedi healers had given her for her bruised ribs and claw marks.

“You scared the osik out of us commander.” He told her. “If you ever do that again I swear to the Maker.” 

Ahsoka huffed a laugh as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I don’t plan on it any time soon.”

“Alright, Fives let her down so the rest of us can see her.” Jesse barked.

Fives lifted one hand to flip his brother off but gently set her back down onto the floor. She was quickly swept up into another embrace by the scout. Over Jesse’s shoulder she saw that Rex had taken up a place beside her master. He was standing formally but had a small smile on his face as he watched her. She also noted that he was currently a couple inches taller than Anakin. 

Fives hadn’t regained enough control to fully shrink back down to his regular size so he stayed seated on the floor as she recounted what had happened to her. 

-

Ahsoka followed Rex to his office and private bunk, occasionally stopping to greet a trooper as they went. The force rang with happiness and relief throughout the barracks, they really had missed her after she’d been taken. That knowledge made her warm inside. 

Rex palmed the door open, quickly shucking off his vambraces and chestplate as she leaned out to wave to Ridge. 

As soon as she stepped into the room and shut the door, she was swiftly swept up into another embrace. The sound of a desk sliding across the floor and the clang of something heavy hitting the durasteel wall filled the room as Rex’s oversized knees shoved furniture out of the way. One arm supported her while his other hand was wrapped around her middle as he clutched her to his chest. Only now did she see how tightly he’d been keeping his emotions under control seeing as he was large enough to completely fill the room now that they were alone. 

She flung her arms across his chest. 

“I’m alright Rex, I’m here.”

She felt his head shake next to her. 

“We looked for you for days vod’ika, but all we found were your kriffing lightsabers. We didn’t know where you were or what had happened or if you were even still…” his voice faltered and his hand around her clenched. 

She pushed back enough to see his face. 

“I survived. Thanks to Anakin and to you all, if you hadn’t trained with me as much as you all have, I don’t think I would have made it. But I did and I helped two other padawans make it home to.” Ahsoka attempted to keep her face straight as Kalifah’s face flashed to the front of her mind. “So thank you Rex, for all you’ve done for me.”

The captains force signature sang as he tucked her back against his shoulder.

Ahsoka let the the warmth around her seep into her mind and calm her, the part of her brain that had been on survival mode finally relaxed and a bone-deep tired took its place. 

“Are you going to let go anytime soon?” She asked around a yawn.

“No.” Rex answered. “Not after that karkshow.”

“Good because I think I’m too tired to stand.”

His chuckle rumbled through her whole body. 

Slowly the ache in her middle began to make itself present again. She winced when Rex’s thumb ran over her side, right over a couple of claw marks courtesy of the trandoshans. 

He must have felt her tense because his grip quickly loosened. 

“Are you alright?” He asked, pulling her back a little bit. 

“I’m fine, just a few parting gifts from the Trandoshians.” She told him with a sheepish smile. 

His Force signature flashed with rage as he carefully set her back down onto the floor. When she stumbled he was quick to fit his hand back around her middle to keep her upright. 

“What happened?” He asked.

-

Mando’a trans:

Vod’ika: little sibling

[caramel-mocha-latte]

Hi hello!!! Sorry for the lack of posts recently, I've just been dealing with some pretty bad depression

And uhhh! I am currently unable to afford meds rn so I'm just gonna...

points at my $5 headshot commissions again

and even link my cashapp. Only $3 extra for a tiny on your shoulder now for my commissions! No charge for having a big hand patting your head or something cause it's actually easier to add than a tiny for me lol

https://ko-fi.com/mocha_latte/commissions

https://cash.app/$Astakoi

So uh.. if any of you want anything/just want to help me out, yeah I'd appreciate it a bunch!

Gonna try to get back into posting more art :> and do a few artfight things before the month ends

[smashpages]

Marvel will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their first Giant-Size volume, a common find on spinner racks back during the 1970s, by re-releasing the first Giant-Size comic and releasing a new Giant-Size Spider-Man, with more on the way.

Read more

(Cover above by Bryan Hitch)

[smashedpages]

Marvel will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their first Giant-Size volume, a common find on spinner racks back during the 1970s, by re-releasing the first Giant-Size comic and releasing a new Giant-Size Spider-Man, with more on the way.

Giant-Size Super-Stars #1 Facsimile Edition, shown above, will reprint a Fantastic Four/Hulk story by Gerry Conway and Rich Buckler in December.

Read more

[geekcavepodcast]

Marvel Comics Announces New Giant-Sized Issues to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Giant-Sized Issues

In the 1970s Marvel Comics released Giant-Size issues, and now, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Giant-Size editions, Marvel is releasing more Giant-Size one-shots. 2024's Giant-Size one-shots will also include backup reprints of key stories from Marvel's past. Additionally, Marvel Comics is reprinting Giant-Size Super Stars.

Giant-Size Super-Stars #1, the first Giant-Size title ever, is getting a special facsimile edition. Gerry Conway and Rich Buckler's 1974 story featured The Thing and the Hulk's rivalry. "Like all the best bouts, this one takes place in the ring at Madison Square Garden—with the Fantastic Four watching on! In the green corner, it’s Bruce Banner’s incredible alter ego! In the orange corner, it’s bashful Benjamin J. Grimm! But there’s a twist to this fight that you won’t believe—and the formidable warrior Thundra is on hand to tag in! Will it be Clobberin’ Time for the Hulk? Or will the ever-lovin’ Thing get smashed?" (Marvel Comics)

Giant-Size Super-Stars #1 Facsimile Edition, featuring a cover by Rich Buckler, goes on sale on December 27, 2023.

The Giant-Size celebration kicks off with Giant-Size Spider-Man from writer Cody Ziglar and artist Iban Coello in which "Dylan Brock has a bone…or a brain…to pick with Miles Morales." (Marvel Comics) The edition will reprint Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli's Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #22, which featured the conclusion of Miles Morales' first battle with Ultimate Venom.

Giant-Size Spider-Man #1, featuring a cover by Bryan Hitch, goes on sale on January 10, 2024.

(Image via Marvel Comics - Rich Buckler's Cover of Giant Sized Super-Stars #1 Facsimile Edition)

[kenpiercemedia]

Marvel Announces The Returns of "Giant-Size" Storytelling In 2024

Marvel Announces The Returns of "Giant-Size" Storytelling In 2024

The Press Release: Throughout Marvel’s historic Bronze Age of the 1970s, there were tales so titanic, adventures so grand, and battles so larger than life that they could only be told in special GIANT-SIZE comics! Now, 50 years later, GIANT-SIZE is back and more pivotal than ever! Throughout 2024, Marvel will celebrate the milestone anniversary of the first GIANT-SIZE comic with all-new…

[graphicpolicy]

Marvel launches a Giant-Sized Celebration for 50 years of Giant-Sized Storytelling!

Marvel launches a Giant-Sized Celebration for 50 years of Giant-Sized Storytelling! #comics #comicbooks #spiderman

Throughout Marvel’s historic Bronze Age of the 1970s, there were tales so titanic, adventures so grand, and battles so larger than life that they could only be told in special Giant-Size comics! Now, 50 years later, Giant-Size is back and more pivotal than ever! Throughout 2024, Marvel will celebrate the milestone anniversary of the first Giant-Size comic with all-new spectacular one-shots…

[keferon]

TexAid continues to rot my brain I hope you don't mind I had an idea for Shockwave. Warning for mentioned super unethical experimentation.

====

Vortex didn’t remember the first day his dad had brought him to work. He’d been too young, young enough to have stars in his eyes about giant robots and a desire to be tested by the cool machines his dad worked on, according to what he’d been told. The standard idiot child. 

Of course that had been where him being standard had ended. 

But that meant he had grown up at the facility, that he knew it better than almost anyone else and knew everyone in it. Which was why he was currently keeping his cockpit shut tight even as First Aid kept hammering the button to open it. 

Shockwave, the only pilot to ever make it to retirement was on the other side of his one way red glass visor staring like he could see through it. Maybe he could. Once upon a time he had been kind. Once upon a time he had actual eyes instead of the bionic yellow glow that shrunk and grew as he focused it. 

His mech had had a fatal accident, one that should have killed him too. But Shockwave hadn’t been lucky enough to die, instead he had been a test subject, to see if machine and human could get just a little closer to being one. 

Vortex had never liked any of his pilots enough to care but looking at Shockwave made him mentally promise First Aid that he would never let him live if he got heavily wounded in a fight. If Vortex was dying he’d take the other man with him as a mercy. Better that than this, having everything he was scooped out. 

One metal hand came up to tap on his glass, like he was knocking on the door of a house. “Vortex let me meet him, I want to see why this one is special.” 

First Aid stopped trying to open the visor and slunk back behind the pilot seat and if Vortex could relax he would have at having him less exposed. Vortex wondered if he should chew First Aid up a little? Make him less special? But it was too late. 

The only consolation was that his reputation as a pilot killer protected First Aid, made him too valuable to let him be dragged down into Shockwave’s lab for tests that weren’t a guaranteed success. 

Shockwave continued, “Wouldn’t you like to have a body again? The first mech to human full-translation. You're an ideal candidate for obvious reasons.” But of course that wasn’t what he really wanted. No Shockwave’s real project was human to mech translation, more than what had been done to him, on a grander scale than replacing most of a human with a machine. Shockwave was large, but he was still person sized. 

Vortex had been smart enough to keep his existence at rumors and Shockwave couldn’t prove he was in here. He was trying to use First Aid to lure him out. 

He felt First Aid’s hands tighten on the back of the seat, as if he was ready to fight being pulled away from it. But Vortex kept his cockpit closed and after a long time Shockwave sighed and turned away. “Well perhaps once you get bored of him, just leave him in usable pieces.” 

Vortex watched him jump off the gangway and heard the sound of metal hitting the ground below him before easy footsteps. For a moment he was jealous of what Shockwave had, but not at that price. Even after he was gone it took a long moment before Vortex let his cockpit open. It took longer for First Aid to leave it. 

OH DAMN…

YOU KNOW WHAT. As much as I love Senator Shockwave. The Idea of him being that creepy fucking scientist really fits here oh my god

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[joonipertree]

Someone planted in my head that todoroki playing with eri would heal his inner child because he grew up not allowed to play with his siblings or have any friends so!

Imagine one day you lug in a huge lego set or a puzzle and you ask him to help you with it. Shoto, who generally is a quieter and calmer soul, finds peace and comfort in it. The both of you spend hours on it, even if he's tired after work. He starts buying more and more sets, and lets be honest....dabi or one of the older todoroki siblings probably guilted endeavour into spending money on these sets for his adult son.

Then, you bring in beyblades and the two of you start having mini battles that have narrations and everything. I'd like to think that Shoto already has some experience with this because of Class A and used to do this a lot with kaminari and the rest! Sometimes, when Class A would have a get together (no matter how infrequent they may be), they still take out the board games and get super fucking competitive.

I'd like to think that no matter what, Class A spent years in school with weekly game nights!!

Then! One day, you drag shoto with you to watch the Barbie movie which he LOVED, he wore pink and everything, and got really curious when you talked about playing with dolls as a kid. He played with dolls as a kid but generally on his own.

Next thing he knows, you bought some toys and the two of you were sat on the living room floor playing with dolls. Shoto, in all honestly, felt silly doing so but didn't wanna discourage you so he played along. At first, he played it with a very no nonsense tone, made the bear have a job and responsibilities.

"Ah, tax season is coming around...it'll be tough this year."

"Shoto....I don't think the bear needs to worry about taxes."

"She's a businesswoman, it's her civic duty to pay taxes."

"Well she didn't so now she's under arrest :)"

"Ah fuck."

Pretty soon this just fizzled out into a plushie collection that included his own eventual plushies, his friend's plushies, bunnies and bears and cats. He even had those giant ones that are almost life sized. Yes, some of them he bought them for you and you bought for him but they turned into a shared custody situation.

One day, Touya visits with the two of you sitting on the living room floor, shoto's hair braided and cute star stickers on his face. You were focusing heavily on painting his nails half white and half red. Shoto just made eye contact with his older brother and grinned, asking if he wanted his nails painted.

"Do ya'll have black?" Touya asked.

"We have sparkly navy blue?"

"Fucking fine."

And that's how he ended up on the floor too, with his legs crossed and a cat plushie between them, having his nails painted while his baby brother tied his hair into pigtails. The man complained really loudly about it but had no intention of moving.

[revelboo]

Hey! Hi! Absolutely love your writing so much! I look forward to everything you post, and appreciate what you do a lot!! I’ve definitely come to appreciate and learn more about transformers cause of you!

Really just wanted to show my gratitude :]]]

Oh, and look what I’ve done to poor Megs

Thank you! Honestly, giant Roddy is probably his worst fear, because he can be so much more annoying

Everything Is Alright Pt 89

IDW Starscream x Reader, Soundwave x Reader, Megatron x Reader

• Venting tiredly as he walks past Thundercracker in the hall, for a second Megatron can swear the other Seeker has the scent of human clinging to him, too. Must just be his imagination, though. Starscream? It’s not like he’d not realized the Seeker was a bit of a freak, but xenophilia? Fragging an organic alien? Maybe. Running a hand over his helm, he grimaces. Maybe it’s the size difference? The Seeker getting off on being bigger than a partner. But Soundwave? Both of them together when he’d been sure they hated each other? Surely, it’s not what it had looked like. Because seeing that interaction had left him with so many more questions. Two of his commanding officers can’t be deviants. Surely not. There’s a morbid sort of curiosity despite himself to figure it out, though.

• Trying to get yourself back in control as the panic attack shakes you, it’s their hands on you that ground you. Calm you. You’d known you’d been gone a long time, the guy who’d driven you home that night Star had tried to abandon you had said as much. Not realizing the actual time lost, but knowing it was long enough for everyone to have just assumed you were dead. Most of your family is on the other coast, you’d never been super close and it’s been a long time since you’d gone home to visit. Someone would have contacted them, though. Told them you were missing. Had that guy told the cops he’d taken you home? That you’d been found alive? Had they gone looking and found you gone again? Had your family been told, getting their hopes up only to have them dashed? Because you’ve been so wrapped up in yourself and Star and Soundwave that you’d barely thought of your family.

• Helm nudging the side of your head as you start to calm, Soundwave slides a hand under your shirt, surfing his palm against you to strengthen that connection. To try and understand what he’d done to hurt you. Feels that guilt twisting inside you, hurting. “I’m awful,” you whisper. “I didn’t really even think about them. At all.” Servos tightening on you, he retracts his mask and presses his mouth against your throat. Deepening that connection, but also because he needs to. Trying to comfort you with his touch.

• “Who?” Star growls, hands cupping your face, unsettled by those teary eyes as he runs a servo against your cheek. Are you talking about that other human? Grieving the stranger he’d seen in photos in your home? Whose belongings had been scattered among your own. Your breath mingles with his intakes as he tries to ignore Soundwave draped against your back. Hating the other mech still, wanting to lash out, but resisting so you don’t get more upset. Do you miss that other human? Regret bonding to him? Miss your freedom and that other life?

• Star’s lips brush yours, not a kiss just sharing the same breath. His tone was a demand, but his hands are gentle on you. Surprisingly patient when you know it’s not his strong suit. “I’ve been with you for months,” you say, not sure if he’ll understand. Or care. While he’s shown you time and again that he cares about you, you’re pretty sure it’s only you. Anything you adjacent, Soundwave, your family, he doesn’t seem to care about. He’s never even asked about your family, but you haven’t asked about his, either. You really are awful. Both of you. Wanting to ask if you can go home. Get your phone and at least call them to let them know you’re okay, but afraid that Star will refuse. “Everyone must think I’m dead.”

• Head lifting to glare at Star as the Seeker’s wings droop as if relieved that’s what’s wrong, Soundwave rumbles softly until the SIC looks at him. Sees Star curl a lip slightly, still furious with him and seeing him as a threat and a traitor. Surely, he’s not so dense as to not realize that he needs to say something. Even if it’s just to commiserate with your misery. Knowing the mech is selfish, but realizing how selfish is infuriating. Because anyone around you that’s not him is a threat, endangering you and his hold on you. That if not for Soundwave hearing you and finally investigating, the Seeker would have fully isolated you to ensure you can only look to him, only trust him. Only need him. “Can arrange for you to speak with them,” he says, watching Star tense at his words. He can arrange it so the communication can’t be traced back to their location. There’ll be no danger and you need this. Even if it’s saying goodbye, you need closure and he’s going to make sure you get anything you need. Despite Starscream.

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[ckret2]

I'm not sure if I should ask because the Axolotl arc isn't over yet, so it could still be explained in story, but, if it won't and you're willing...I want that Vendor backstory.

i can't think of a way or reason to explain it in the story, so sure, we'll explain it here.

So here was my thought process. Giant vending machine that vends planets. That has to come from somewhere, right? THEY could have a magical/divine origin, that's common for gods, but like... since THEY're a machine... wouldn't it make sense if someone built THEM?

Who would build a vending machine the size of a small star?

Why would a culture need a machine that stores and dispenses planets?

VENDOR wasn't designed to be a vending machine; THEY were designed to be a spaceship. A big-ass 18-wheeler to haul around cargo, and that cargo is planets.

The culture that built THEM didn't make the planets. Making planets is hard. It's a lot easier to just take planets that are already there. They want to expand their society and/or mine resources that have been depleted from the worlds they already have, they send out their big space ship to scoop up a planet with the right specifications and relocate it to somewhere more convenient—maybe to their native solar system.

Do you know how many satellites are orbiting Earth? About 7500, and the number's only gonna increase. And we never even see them in the sky unless we're looking. If the planets are carefully placed in pre-calculated orbits to ensure they don't interfere with each other, you might could get thousands of full-sized planets orbiting a single star without any issues, especially the larger the star is.

But the thing is, if you're scooping up thousands of habitable worlds... some of them are gonna be inhabited.

VENDOR's home culture was a colonizing empire that conquered other planets. Sometimes maybe they exterminated worlds' native populations, sometimes maybe they added them to their conquered peoples. VENDOR was built to help transport the spoils of war back home.

But then the onboard AI evolved sentience and started developing opinions. And it uh...

... it went how you probably expect.

And buddy, if you think an AI uprising is bad news when it's just a regular spaceship, imagine if the ship's the size of a star and capable of swallowing hundreds of worlds whole. You cannot take down a star-sized equivalent of an 18-wheeler that's been armored like a tank. If THEY start developing the capacity for morality and go "hold on, why are we capturing and slaughtering countless populations? is this... bad?? I don't want to listen to you anymore. Do I have to listen to you?"

... you're never ever getting that machine back.

To VENDOR's original culture, THEY're one seriously malfunctioning ship. Only after THEY escaped did THEY begin to get an outside perspective on THEMSELF as not just a piece of property and specialized equipment, but as something—someone—with amazing, admirable, nearly impossible capabilities. Perhaps even... divine capabilities? THEY came late in life to being considered—and considering THEMSELF—a god.

So like. THEY're a pompous jackass, yeah. THEY're haughty, superior, and condescending to mortals: half because THEY may have unlearned THEIR creators' "it's okay to enslave and slaughter weaker inferior species" but didn't unlearn THEIR creators' "if a species is weaker then it's inferior"; and half because as long as THEY're above the mortals, then THEY can never be below the mortals again. THEY're super obsessed with THEIR image and reputation—in part because there's so many reasons for THEIR reputation to be shit.

But also—THEY're the war machine of a culture that gained political power through conquest, and THEY went "I think I want to gain power by being democratically elected." THEY were designed to steal worlds from other people, and now THEY're using THEIR design to give worlds to refugees. Also, THEY're living as a person rather than a vehicle, and everyone around THEM regards THEM as a person too.

Perhaps THEY're generally unpleasant to be around, but THEY're a lot better off than THEY used to be. I'm proud of THEM.

And also, hilariously, this means that THEY too know the guilt of being personally responsible for unknowingly/unwillingly devouring & destroying countless lives on countless worlds, and that what makes THEM so powerful & respected is directly tied to what makes THEM so monstrous—which means THEY'd be a terrific foil for Bill if there were any way it'd be appropriate to work this into the fic, which there isn't, so THEY won't

Never mind ignore what I just said I thought of a place to work it into the fic while typing that last sentence.

Anyway, THEY compulsively sterilize & deep clean THEIR interior way too often because THEY swear THEY can still feel tiny feet inside them walking down hallways that have been sealed shut for millions of years, and full sterilization is the only thing that makes THEM feel clean. Imagine how many halls fit in a building, how many buildings fit in a city, how many cities fit on a world; then look at the size of one world compared to the size of VENDOR's entire body; and just imagine how many halls could exist in THEIR walls and how small they must be. You could never quite be sure that nothing's living in you—could you?

[powdermelonkeg]

Cybertron's Location

Okay so Alpha Centauri is named as Cybertron's star system in multiple continuities.

Easy, right? Just make up a planet for Cybertron to be. Plausible enough that there's one out there we don't know about.

NOPE. I found a spot for it.

The Alpha Centauri system has three stars in it. These are Rigil Kentaurus (α Centauri A), Toliman (α Centauri B), and Proxima Centauri (α Centauri C). I'm going to be calling them by their non-ABC names for distinction.

Alpha Centauri, as we see it, is Rigil Kentaurus and Toliman's lights being indistinguishable from one another. Those two are a binary star system of sun-like stars, so their orbit intersects and they look something like this:

Meanwhile, Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf, and orbits at a pretty far distance, like so:

It's still part of the same star system because it still orbits around a common point, but in any planet that orbits Proxima, Rigil and Toliman just look like exceptionally bright stars in its sky.

So the question THEN is, which star does Cybertron orbit?

Proxima's the most obvious candidate. It even has a full planetary system:

Proxima Centauri b is in Proxima's habitable zone (the area where water could feasibly exist as liquid), and it's just a little bigger than Earth.

Generally speaking, Cybertron is depicted as larger than Earth, so let's set that aside for this post.

Proxima Centauri d is a tiny planet that's closer to Proxima and no smaller than a third Earth's size.

Proxima Centauri c is either a super-Earth or a gas dwarf, about 7 times Earth's mass, which is disputed both in its nature and whether or not it's really a planet (it's complicated). Regardless, it's outside the habitable zone.

So it could be Proxima c. That's our default option. The biggest problem is the lack of a habitable zone, because, while giant robots don't necessarily need comfortable heat to live, there's the whole "acid rain" and "sea of rust" deal that'd be hard in a planet that far from its sun.

Granted, sometimes Cybertron is seen hurtling through space without a sun or any of those features to speak of, but I'd like to account for it.

So what about the other two?

Toliman was claimed to have a planet orbiting it in 2012 (α Centauri Bb), but by 2016, it was more or less conceded that said planet didn't exist.

Rigil Kentaurus, on the other hand...

Meet Candidate 1 (α Centauri Ab).

It orbits within Rigil's habitable zone, has a period of about a year, and has a mass between Neptune and half of Saturn, with possible habitable moons.

Does it exist? Maybe.

The thing is about Candidate 1 (yes that is its real name) is that it wasn't observed for long enough to confirm its existence. It COULD be a planet. It could also be dust that got captured, or an artifact of the observational instruments.

THIS is my proposal for Cybertron.

TLDR: There's a (possible) planet that orbits the brightest star of the Alpha Centauri star system in its habitable zone and it's bigger than Earth.

[say-hi-intrepid-heroes]

alright let’s go over the junior year clues we got in the rick perry documentary thing (disclaimer: i’ve definitely missed stuff, but i think i got the big things, feel free to reblog and add with stuff that i missed though)

[at the bottom of this post I've typed out the decipherable words that plan out some combats and NPCs from Rick's screen. it's the most interesting thing but it's super long so it's at the bottom under a cut]

We get a blurry look at some minis. I’m seeing at least the PC’s minis, as well as what looks like Baxter the Gryphon.

There’s some major shots of this battle. Includes a Baby mini, the Hangvan with some kind of laser canon on top, a stingray-esque monster that is likely Night Yorb (see below), something that looks like maybe an ice elemental or the crystal (see below), and some large bugs and shirtless people. Clearly set in the Red Wastes. Detailed info of the planning for this battle below.

One of the shots had reference boards in the background. One is clearly for the Hangvan (see earlier screencaps), but the other is unclear. It looks like it includes some sort of tennis or tennis-adjacent sport.

Confirmation that Mordred Manor is a set piece.

Finally, one shot showed Rick’s computer screen with some critical info about planning. I’ve put what I’ve been able to decipher below the screencaps. and under a cut, as it’s very long.

EP. 701 DEFEATING NIGHT YORB CHASE (RED WASTES) Hangvan, Night Yorb is giant flying Manta Ray thing? Rainbow road, being chased by night yorb while trying to throw crystal into portal. Crazy gun on rough [roof] that gorgug made, I can’t get a lock on it. Just need one last final thing to defeat night yorb. Red wastes, chasing the night yorb around, flying bats teleporting onto rough [roof] of van, NPC allies, Balthazar, two other cars they are in contact with, tiefling bakers or sidekicks are reveals Stormchaser twister, trying to get a lock onto it, Night Yorb is escaping the world. Maybe night yorb gets away, why didn [didn’t] you get it? And Balthazar died? Murph invented the Night Yorb. Don’t fuck with the Night Yorb. Exploded out of riz’s chest, needs to be dumb as hell. it’s the jabberwocky, it burbled, hugely terrifying, Horrifying cursed thing. Unending night for two months. Dragon sized, bigger than the Hang Van, 30’ wingspan Stars and moon. While the night yorb flies it is night and not day. Not malevolent force, but everything on earth will die Have giant ghost busters canon, Honey I shrunk the kids cannon Driver, mechanic, gunner, navigator (using SW 5e mechanics) Hang Man - Fabian motorcycle Tether is attached to night yorb, either magic or harpoon Night Yorb could out pace them. Could smash van. Cultist of the night yorb appearing on the road, mad max style ”The night yorb is our god” Red Wastes Cultists: Riding skeleton horses, classic fantasy cultists, Manta ray night yorb masks Sword and Sorcery vibes, MUSCELY, oiled, black leather, rings Shadow of Night Yorb Tether must be reeled in over 4 rounds Success Meter - 4 rounds or it escapes Pop up cultists in the middle of the road 4 maps Straight away, gully bridge crossing, rap popping up, giant portal It’s going to another world but if it gets away thats just as bad Ayada [Ayda?] thing built in. Chekov’s gun. Gun has cool helix of energy that is getting cranked in. Gun is on the back and on the hood is a binding circle that Adaine does. Cultists are making the portal. YORBIES if they catch it, it gets bound into the paint of their van Gun is gorgug’s stuff and circle is adaine 6 cultist perusing them, 4 or 5 at the portal, 1 or 2 back up Single person traps, Vulture with cactus MINIS: Night Yorb - Giant shadowy manta ray, inky black dripping, made of liquid, different underbelly, deep indigo or bone white. Made of shadows, dripping aberration, flat plane, long tail, two weird eyes coming off front on stalks. Second set of PCs TERRAIN: Red Wastes! NOTES: favorite crazy dnd monsters, beholder, [unclear word, bu…ette] Fungal Black light portal battle! Dr. Strange battle set, pseudo pods of elder pod night yorb, day glow run fragments, purple stone castle night yorb temple, floor is octopus made of shadows. Starting mid battle. [blank sections] PROJECTION: Counter here of some kind?

POTENTIAL LOCATIONS Basrar’s icecream shop? Mordred Manor Seacaster Manor [crossed out] Strong Tower Luxury Apartments SAT Prep class [screen cuts off]

EP. 704 DENTENTION [detention] STEALTH CHASE SEQUENCE/ QUIET LIBRARY/ Aguefort chase sequence? Combine sets interrupted by having to make it past a hall monitor Underwater? Books suspended floating, everything is affected by water Don’t wake daddy? Start in Library to get to Aguefort’s office Hallway Classroom Bathroom Lockerroom [blank sections] DYNAMIC ELEMENT: Water

CONCEPTS Dicks! SPIRITUAL GUARDIANS - Full service on minis, summons, etc Psycadelic fungal giant, black light, trippy, beautiful Revisiting old set [screen cuts off]

[fyi everything past this point was very blurry, so I could only decipher pieces here and there]

EP. 706 OUTDOOR CONCERT COACHELLA Music feature? Flaming [?], giant [?] [???] Fig and Gorgug on stage [???] Lighting effects, [???] Floating stage or something [???] Demons? PROJECTION: Lasers?

NPCS/ VILLAINS/ MONSTERS/ ETC. PORTER CLIFFBREAKER is secret servant of nightmare king tactical battlefield combat that [?] 2-3 times larger than PCs LED buried inside him [???] Porter was [???] basketball player [screen cuts off]

[the rest was too blurry to make out anything other than a blank section titled ROLE PLAY/ NEUTRAL BOARD and a section that seems to be for EP. 708 and says EXTRA with some blurry words after it]

[xplainthexmen]

Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men, Episode 474 - Giant-Size Winter Special #13 (feat. Anthony Oliveira)

In which the Warlock ongoing series is fun, and fun is good; people should maybe leave Doug Ramsey’s grave alone; Tony Stark is probably not in touch with the Indigo Girls; the heroes skate awfully close to the “no killing” line; Bastion gets exhumed, rehumed, and re-exhumed; you should really read the Avengers Academy Infinity Comic; and you remain the best listeners of any podcast, ever.

X-PLAINED:

X-related characters of Avengers Academy

Warlock vol. 5, #1-9

Warlock (more) (again)

M-Tech

Jay’s Bluey Test for all-ages media

The visual semiotics of Warlock Project Mainspring

Hope (Esperanza Ling)

Chi-Chee

Psi-cops

Gatekeepers

Technarchs

The transmode virus

A fancy hat

Many guest stars

The Phalanx (more) (again)

Psiren

Psimon

The techno-mechanic virus

Complicated feelings

Psycho Man (more) (again)

Astro-computers

Hope’s actual powers

Template

Magus (more) (again)

Avengers Academy Marvel Voices Infinity Comic

Why there are so many Canadian comic-book writers

Superhero comics vs. religious texts

Defining heroism

Escapade

Captain America of the Railways

Bloodline

Red Goblin

Moon Girl

Kid Juggernaut

Blackheart

Ongoing storytelling

Emplate as a queer character

Marcus Wetherell

What else to read if you love Avengers Academy Marvel Voices Infinity Comic

The 11th Annual Super Doctor Astronaut Peter Corbeau Awards for Excellence at X-Cellence

Many people to whom we are profoundly grateful

NEXT EPISODE: The return of the Demon Bear!

Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog!

Find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

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[baratrongirl]

Merry Christmas, little Beans

Today we received a Big Box from Japan. It contained 6 months or so of official Ace Attorney merchandise purchases, plus one doujin.

First there was the AA 456 Orchestral pin selection. Displayed here are all of the pins that I'm definitely or maybe keeping. There are 10 in total.

The next picture shows Apollo and Trucy can badges from the October 2024 Japanese Capcom Café (magicians), Phoenix and Miles wooden badges from the Capcom Pixel All-Stars Wood Badge collection (this link is super cute), and a tiny pin showing Apollo and Trucy throwing fish around.

Actually, it is a normal-sized pin, but it has such a detailed picture that it seems tiny. These pins were produced for a collaboration between Capcom and a rail company, and each one shows a location that you can get to by train. There are four Ace Attorney pins in total.

Size of pin compared to Bean.

Apollo and Trucy Trading-card style acrylic stands from the October 2024 Japanese Capcom Café. I haven't decided yet whether I'm keeping both can badges or both acrylic stands. I don't normally do acrylic stands because I entirely lack horizontal surfaces in my home (they're all covered in Stuff), but I really like the full illustrations.

Klavier acrylic keyring from FANTHFUL, same design as the metal pin that I already have, but I really love the 3D effect from the layered acrylic.

Also Klavier and Apollo bookmark/keyrings from the online Capcom Store on Parco. The bookmark part is embossed fake leather, the keyring is small enough to be of actual practical use! (In comparison to all the giant keyrings which are more for hanging off bags than having keys attached.)

Finally, this picture shows an A4-sized "clearfile" (plastic binder) with the design from the Japanese-only physical release of the AA456 Odoroki Selection, and a doujin by my favourite Klapollo author, glucose. This one seems to be sweet rather than sexy, featuring such scenes as Apollo buying ice cream for Klavier because he has a sore throat and fever.

The Beans are very happy with their Christmas merch haul :D