#i want him to do me in that ringmaster getup

[ilovemesomevincentprice]

Vincent Price as ringmaster Hans Hagenfeld - The Big Circus (1959)

[iwoszareba]

Knight Commander as Companion

for the longest time I thought I can't do this template for Knave because he doesn't properly exist outside of the context of being the knight commander but then I had the obvious realisation that he is a walking joke and full trickster

template by @dragonologist-phd​ and you can find blank version here

Name: Knave

Race: Kitsune (is what his character sheet says, he is actually fey)

Class: Crossblooded Sorcerer (Arcane/Abyssal)

Background: none

Appearance:

his full trickster appearance but the ringmaster getup was too out of place and had too much of a "the man in charge" energy for his role as a companion so I designed a jester outfit for him so you know you are getting yourself into some clownery the moment you see him

Favored Weapon/Equipment:

he starts with a fairly standard equipment for a sorcerer but with some goofy item descriptions like "I left my best stuff in the other save file to not destroy the party balance." or " My favourite colour is red. If you put a blue robe on me I will be upset."

Top Skills: knowledge arcana, mobility, stealth, perception

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

General Personality:

He has two modes which I call: cartoon character and horror monster. As a companion you mostly get his cartoon side bc he doesn't want to be kicked out of the party (and because he is well fed so he is feeling pretty chill). He is fairly friendly if a bit weird. Some other words I could describe him with: nonchalant, playful, capricious. He turns into a little pissbaby when he is bored. If you play an evil commander you get to see more of his monster side

What traits/values do they admire?

chaotic

independent

ruthless

jovial

What traits/values do they disapprove of?

predictable

mundane

mortal

serious

Are they affiliated with any deities?

Nope! Atheist. Will always decline if you offer him ascension. Gods fascinate him sometimes but he treats it like watching a puppet show.

What do they think of their role in the Crusades, and of sharing the Commander’s Mythic powers? What are their reasons for joining the commander’s party?

He doesn't think he has any particular role, he is just here for the ride, baby! He is an observer and maybe even a fan. He doesn't care all that much about receiving mythic powers but he is thrilled for the commander and is curious to see how their powers develop.

Who are their friends among the other party members?

Ember - weirdly enough. he would wear a flower crown if Ember made it

Woljif - kinda sad he doesn't get to mentor him here, but still very thumbs up about whatever Woljif is up to

Nenio - she is extra funny because she doesn't realise how funny she is

What about rivals?

Regill - Knave thinks he is exceptionally boring and stuck up which makes him fun to annoy. Regill despises him big time 

Ulbrig - Sarkoris and its practices are a bit of a sour subject for Knave so he sometimes boils when Ulbrig start to talk about it

Seelah - she can smell the evil on him and she is not a fan. Knave thinks she is thiiiis close to being entertaining but she is still a goody two shoes paladin, shame

Are they on any councils? If so, what sort of advice do they give?

He is on every council and it is said openly that he was not invited there but he refuses to leave. He gives nonsensical joke advice that somehow still works because that's what the game mechanics demand.

Where do they hang out in Drezen? In the Abyss?

He just randomly appears in different places. Sometimes he doesn't appear at all. One time you got jumpscared when he popped up in your commander's bedroom.

What are their idle animations?

He can juggle!! He can do a little dance!!

If you stay in one spot for too long he will lie down on the ground.

He is so bored he is ready to die.

(ofc he gets up with that roll back a bit and do a little jump move bc he is extra)

If they’re taken to Areelu’s lab, what is their dream?

You find him sitting at a table with two people: one is a teenage boy and the other is a young Osirian man. All three of them are chatting excitedly about magic. As you are about to speak to shake him out of the illusion Knave looks directly at you and puts a finger to his mouth to shush you. He lets the whole thing play out for a while longer but eventually gets up from the table.

"It was a real pleasure but regrettably I am needed elsewhere."

As he moves towards you the illusion disappears.

"We going?"

KC: So you knew it was an illusion?

"Sure. Why wouldn't I?"

KC: Who were these people?

"Mmmm. Just some guys I got to know quite well but can never meet or speak to. And before you ask - yes they are dead. I killed them. There is nothing more to explain, let's go."

Do they advise the commander to abandon or keep their mythic powers?

He is very pro mythic powers. Why would you want to be a regular, snotty mortal? The only exception is aeon and his reasoning is that he would like to see the story finale.

If you confirm aeon he will peace out: "Hey, soooo I guess you will grow even more powerful and I don't want my powers and your powers to clash and go on the fritz. We could get me erased by accident! What a shame that would be. So this is my cue to leave."

How/when do they join the Commander’s party?

You can stumble upon him in a couple different places in act 1. Always surrounded by disarray and in contrast he acts like a jolly tourist having a great time.

When he notices your group approaching he points at you with a big smile "You! I've been looking for you!" you can ask what he means by that "Do you know that feeling when you finish a really good story and you instantly want to re-experience it? But then you realise it's kinda pointless, you already know exactly what happens. Why would you do the same thing again? That's me. And you are my key to some variety." ask him what he wants "Nothing in particular. Just want to see how all of this will go for you. I could do it from the sidelines but things are always more exciting first hand. I will assist you of course! I'm great in combat and I'm helpful in general. Helpful is my middle name actually. Knave Helpful Commander."

Describe their companion quest:

He doesn't have a companion quest proper bc it's not his story, he doesn't really have any specific wants or problems. But you get a special scene with him in act 5 after the whole situation with Areelu's child's soul is in the open.

LEGEND

You can encounter Knave looking more sullen than you've ever seen him before.

"You really want to get rid of that kid's soul, huh? I guess there is something to just wanting to be yourself. What a luxury that must be."

He produces two glasses filled with suspect looking liquid that shimmers with many colours. He offers you one of them.

"I never toast to the dead, I'm more of a spit on their graves kind of guy, but today is a weird day."

If you drink the strange brew, you receive a permanent +2 to strength, constitution and dexterity plus some minor fey themed power.

OTHER MYTHIC PATHS

Knave comes to you and seems more frantic than normally.

"I have a proposal for you. There is a… ritual that I could do to nourish that extra piece of soul stuff in you. 'Why the fuck would I agree to that?' I can hear you think. Trust me, it will be good for you. Something, something strength and weakest links. You know how that goes. And I promise no negative consequences."

If you agree to go through with the ritual, you receive a permanent +2 to intelligence, wisdom and charisma plus some minor demon themed power.

Are they romanceable? Describe their romance quest/scenes if you want!

Yea! Works both as a little friendship/romance path, you don't have to escalate it to physical and he is looking for a playmate regardless if you are into him sexually/romantically.

Available to commanders of any gender but not of any alignment. He needs to find you entertaining and I don't think that would be sufficiently conveyed with just picking the romance opener lines. So I imagine he has a counter that sums up all your chaotic and/or evil choices. You need to have enough of them in each act: 2, 3 and 4 to unlock his special scenes.

Act 2: a little spot of iconoclasm

He approaches you when you are camping out and about and says that he has something he would like to show you.

He leads you to a secluded place surrounded by big, jagged rocks, the only thing of interest you notice is a box that Knave goes to and sits on.

"So here's the deal, you had all these new responsibilities dumped on you and I know how that goes: they want you to do the most boring shit day in and day out and then expect you to thank them for the opportunity. The fucking audacity. There must be some pent up frustration there and I thought I could help you relieve it."

KC: That's suspiciously caring of you.

"Hey, I've told you I'm a helpful fellow."

KC: I actually enjoy my new duties.

"A bit of a weirdo, huh? But even things you enjoy can be frustrating at times."

KC: This already sounds like a great idea.

"Ha! It seems I was right and you really need this."

KC: Are you offering yourself?

"Mmmm, no. Or maybe I should say 'not yet'.

He jumps off the box and opens it, you look inside and see a whole batch of figurines shaped both as Iomedae's sword and visage of the goddess herself.

"There is nothing more relaxing than smashing something breakable. And we can have our symbolic 'fuck you' directed at Iomedae for making you toil to keep her crusade afloat."

KC: Did you steal these?

"Yeah, but all this stuff looks real cheap. You can say we are saving people from getting scammed."

KC: We can't just destroy the symbol of the goddess!

"Why not? What she gonna do, smite us? I don't see her doing that to all the fuck ups within her own ranks. Besides, she needs you and I'm not afraid of her."

KC: Can I also curse while I smash this stuff?

"Absolutely. Be my guest."

KC: Do you do things like this often?

"Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Depends on the mood."

If you still don't agree he will roll his eyes but he pats the box a couple times and the figurines inside transform into unholy symbols of Deskari and Baphomet.

"Hopefully this is more palatable for you. These guys deserve a personalised 'fuck you' as well."

Either way the two of you spend some time smashing fragile objects against the rocks. After you are done he pats your arm with a smile.

"Hope that helped. We could wreck something bigger next time around. A statue? Maybe even a whole temple! Something to think about."

Act 3: tavern brawl

He invites you for a drink in Half-Measure. The place is crowded tonight but when they see the knight commander they make sure there is a free table. The two of you chat for a while, you get to ask him some questions but at some point he starts to look around and a mischievous glint lights up his eyes.

"What if we started a tavern brawl?"

KC: (lawful) But I'm in charge of these people.

"What I'm hearing is that it's in your right to dispense a bit of misery to them. To build character, of course."

KC: (good) Someone could get hurt!

"What is life if not the constant possibility of getting hurt? They'll be fine."

KC: (chaotic) I like the way you think.

"I knew you would understand."

KC: (evil) I wouldn't mind getting some hits in myself.

"Mmmm. And I would never deny such a wish."

KC: You're just going to start shit no matter what I say.

"Well, yeah. But I like hearing your thoughts!"

With a clever use of mage hand, illusion magic and one raw fish turned into a projectile weapon the place soon erupts in all-out war. Knave seems to be having a great time, dodging hits left and right, but when he sees a whole ass table being thrown in your direction he grabs you, picks you up and you disappear.

You are teleported outside of the tavern, Knave looks at it with a satisfied grin as the sounds of scuffle are now muffled by the distance but still very much present. He eventually turns around and starts walking in the direction of your quarters, still carrying you in his arms.

KC: You can put me down now.

"But what if I want to carry you? Fine, have it your way."

KC: You don't look like you should be able to carry me.

"Really? But I invested everything in muscles. And by muscles I mean magic."

KC: Are you looking for an excuse to touch me?

"I don't need excuses for anything. I just do what feels right at the moment."

He carries you or walks you all the way to your bedroom doors.

KC: I had a fun evening.

"So did I. Made even better by the company."

KC: Maybe we shouldn't have done that.

"Don't overthink it. And in our defence: it was funny."

"You try to get some sleep. I'll go see the aftermath. Some of those punches looked real solid!"

optionally you can start a sexual relationship with him

KC: And what if I invited you in?

"Mmmm. Nothing like a brawl to get your blood pumping, right? Yeah, okay. I'll make this feel good."

Act 4: like the demons do

He comes to you with a little proposal and you can pick one of three options (l will not be writing out each possible scene bc please have mercy on me).

"Hey, so I know everyone expects you to be all 'boohoo, my crusade' and 'boohoo, being in the Abyss sucks' but what I think is that you should get to do something fun while you are here. And I have a few ideas!"

"I know where Socothbenoth's place is. We could sneak in there to throw eggs, break some vases, paint crude things on the walls… No, scrap that last thing. He could actually find that endearing. Anyway, we will think on our feet and cause some mischief!"

"This one may be a little controversial but what if we bought some slaves to see how hope lights up their eyes, the confusion of possible future, then turned into pained, fearful confusion as we kill them afterwards. I'm salivating just thinking about it."

"Have you sampled what Ten Thousand Delights has to offer? I don't advise rubbing elbows with demons too much, but if you would like we could find ourselves a cozy corner there. Do a little play pretend. I could be your demon whore for the evening."

Act 5: know where we stand

If you managed to go through all of his scenes, in act 5 you can have a little friendship confession and then optionally try asking for more but the latter is tricky since he doesn't show up for the jealousy scene and having any other romance active locks you out.

FRIENDSHIP

KC: I have to admit I had a lot of fun with you.

"So did I! Out of all the commanders I could have encountered, I'm happy it was you."

KC: Do you consider us friends?

"Mmmm, everyone seems to understand that word differently. But if 'someone who would drop everything to support your stupid ideas' is a definition that works for you, then yeah, I think we are friends."

ROMANCE

KC: Do you think we could be more?

Legend

"We can't. You are so nauseously mortal now, it's sad seeing you like this. Really breaks my heart."

Another romance active

"Mmmm. Tempting, but it seems things are getting serious between you and your main squeeze. Not that I particularly care about their feelings but I'm not really looking for that kind of drama."

Otherwise

"You have me burning with curiosity: why would you want that?"

KC: You are my kind of weird.

"I see, it's a highly curated kind of weird so no wonder you can't find it elsewhere."

KC: I always wanted a pet monster.

"Ha! You know the thing about leashes: they can be pulled from both sides."

KC: I think I love you.

"A horrible decision, really. But I get it, we don't always choose these things."

KC: I don't know, it just feels right.

"Ah, this I understand very well, following your instincts where they lead you, even when you don't fully comprehend them."

"You may be the most fun person I've ever met. You make me feel… things. I wouldn't be opposed to spending more time with you, even after all of this is over. Take that as you will."

(Shout out to Mother Mother 'Wrecking Ball' for finally putting me on the right track for writing this section.)

What would their ending slides be like?

General:

He stays for the post game celebrations and you get news about him causing mischief for a while longer but after that he is never heard from again and you are unsure what happened to him.

You agreed to drink the fey brew:

You haven't noticed it at first but some time after the crusade was over and everything calmed down it became apparent that every time you are about to have a drink you feel a subtle pang of sadness. Melancholy of missing something that is no longer there.

You agreed to the ritual:

When the crusade is long over and you begin to feel like that part of your life is behind you, you start to recall memories of Areelu's child as vivid as if they were your own. There doesn't seem to be any other effect. At least for now.

Friendship:

One day he shows up out of the blue to tell you he recently remembered how much fun the two of you had and asks if you would be interested in another adventure.

Romance:

He sometimes teases that he can't be truly tamed and one day he will have his freedom back but he is still here. With you. And it's been a good while already.

Any other fun facts?

he has a white rabbit familiar from arcane bloodline

—

if you use his kitsune change shape ability he turns into a literal fox and becomes useless in a fight but he gains a big boost to stealth

—

from act 3 you can make an observation that he seems to be really enjoying all the chaos and violence of the crusade (if you want you can be disapproving about it)

"Why wouldn't I enjoy it? Not only is it plenty fun, I also get a real good meal out of it."

KC: A… meal?

"Mmmmm… I may have said too much. Now you will think I am another cannibal. Would that even phase you at this point? Hah. But what I consume is not of the flesh and blood. It's fear that sustains me and we are in the middle of a war with demons. It's like the finest buffet here."

AZATA

"I could do without that colourful sprinkle of hope you keep adding to the mix but I doubt my opinion is going to stop you."

LICH

"My only concern is that most undead don't feel fear, so maybe don't turn all our troops into zombies? I would appreciate that."

DEMON

"And to have a leader who can be as frightening as the demons we fight? That is a doozy, let me tell you."

DEVIL

"And you commander, you may not be as aggressive as demons but you still make quite an impression on people."

SWARM

"And when you have your chow time I get my fair share too. We have a good thing going here."

ANGEL

"And you are an interesting puzzle. Your light can soothe but your zeal unnerves. Personally I would love to see more of the latter."

AEON

"And you. I don't know which is better: fear of your judgement or fear of what you are becoming... The mix of both probably."

TRICKSTER

"And it's said people fear what they don't understand, so from one trickster to another: people don't understand you."

GOLD DRAGON

"Do you think people are never afraid of you because you preach forgiveness? You are still a massive beast and some feelings are stronger than reason."

LEGEND

"They fear you will not be enough without your powers. You will prove them wrong, I'm sure, but I will savour this moment anyway."

KC: That's… not very normal.

"Well, it's normal for me! And as you know I'm a perfectly regular person."

KC: How does eating fear even work?

*shrugs* "It just does. It's kinda like when clerics channel positive energy and people get healed or rejuvenated simply by being in proximity. But fear is better, believe it or not it has flavours. So many nuanced flavours."

KC: Can you tell what people are afraid of?

"You worried I will use that against you? Don't be. Your secrets are safe with me. Your tasty, tasty secrets."

KC: (good) You can't feed off of people's fears like that!

"What do you want me to do? Starve myself? Tsk, tsk. Didn't expect you to be this cruel. Mmmm. Actually that's a good look on you."

KC: (chaotic) Oh, I hope to never see you when you get the munchies.

"Ha! Would you say… you are afraid of that possibility?" *winks*

KC: (evil) That seems like it could be useful.

"Sure thing! Use some fear spells during combat and I promise I will fight extra hard for you."

"And as I said I am fed and happy simply being here so this is a non issue for you."

Provide some dialogue/bark examples!

On select: 

“Yeeeeees?”

“Imagine I'm saluting.”

(clicked too many times):

“Oh I see, you want me to tell a joke? Be your little jester? Sorry, I don't perform on demand.”

Perception Check Passed:

“Look-see!”

“Something interesting?”

Succeeding a skill check:

“Easy-breezy.”

“The dice are in my favour.”

Failing a skill check:

“Aw beans.”

“I am very powerful, I swear.”

Low Health:

“A solid hit hahahah- ouch.”

“Heal me, maybe?”

Attacking:

“Strike fear into their hearts!”

“Yes! Let's have some fun!”

On critical hit:

*maniacal laughter*

“This is what it's all about!”

Provide some examples of companion banters!

I know I previously would make these for all the companions but this time around I was not feeling it so there are just a couple

there exists a set of banters from his own early game if you are interested in that

—

Knave: Hey, psst. If you ever want to like… *cough*Killyourdad.*cough* I could be a better company than the commander.

Camellia: I will… consider your words.

—

Ember: Will you show me that trick again, the one with hat and the rabbit!

Knave: For a real magic aficionado like you, I will do it as many times as you want.

—

Woljif: I don't understand how you move all stealth like with those bells attached to you. There is some magic to it, I just know it.

Knave: My bells know what I need! They would never betray me.

—

Knave: I never tire of watching you think up more and more insane things to do.

Nenio: Don't just sit and watch, strange boy! Come over here and help me set up this experiment.

—

Knave: Hey, want one honest advice? Stay away from Camellia. Make her work for her meal.

Trever: I- don't understand what you mean.

—

Regill: You have been staring. If you have something to say, spit it out and be done with it. 

Knave: I was just wondering if it's more reassuring or infuriating that every time I meet you, you are still a sourpuss.

—

Lann: So let me get this straight, you chose to look like this?

Knave: I know how to take pride in being a freak show! You should try it sometime.

[hautsreadsmarvel]

Spider-Man and the debut of the Sinister Six (issues 14-16, plus annual)

“The Grotesque Adventure of the Green Goblin” (1963)

Who tf are the “evil enforcers”. An asterisk from editorial says to read Amazing Spider-Man #10… ok, I don’t recall these yahoos. Whatever.

Our new menace, the Green Goblin, greets Spider-Man and sets him up to star in a Spider-Man Hollywood movie. Spider-Man needs money, and Peter gets ordered by J Jonah Jameson to tail Spider-Man, so that’s all the pecuniary motivation Peter needs to go. Once there, the Goblin and three evil enforcers (specializing in lasso, judo, and punches) try to beat him. Their fight takes them to the cave the Hulk is hiding out in, and Spidey has to save the enforcers from the Hulk. The Goblin escapes, the movie is called off, altogether kind of a middle-of-the-pack Spidey issue.

The Green Goblin looks cool, but so far that's all he's got going for him. Looking forward to whenever he gains whatever qualities have made him one of the most popular Spider-Man villains.

“Kraven the Hunter!” (1963)

Spider-Man busts a bank robbery planning sesh, but unbeknownst to him one of the would-be robbers gets away.

Said robber is the Chameleon. As with most super-gizmos, I really want to play around with the Chameleon’s tech.

Anyways the Chameleon gets ahold of Kraven and points him at Spider-Man. We get a solid intro to Kraven, although as usual I remain lightly peeved at the idea that any and every animal becomes a human-fighting menace once outside of an enclosure. He’s got super-strength, super-reflexes+speed, hunter poisons, and even a paralyzing nerve strike attack. He’s also got a really memorable getup; the pec-level stare from his lion pelt is a really neat reminder of his power and a good way to amplify a menacing aura.

He stalks Spider-Man, nabs him with a poisonous scratch, and then correctly anticipates that by “the law of the jungle”, Spider-Man will seek to preserve himself by seeking out Kraven and fighting him. The Chameleon baits Spider-Man into a park decked out in Kraven's traps, and the final showdown begins.

NOTE: the sequence you have just witnessed took place within anime monologue time.

Kraven has a plethora of dirty tricks, as befits a dangerous game hunter, but he does himself in with one of them - by attaching a pair of magnetic bells to Spider-Man, he assumes that he should always be able to hear him moving around. Thus, when the bells stop sounding, he thinks Spider-Man is staying still and begins to canvas the area, but Peter merely webbed up the bells and thus gets the drop on Kraven. As impressive as the Hunter is, without the element of surprise he’s no match for Spider-Man.

Peter has a real bite when he wants to use it. I would be livid hearing that if I were in Kraven’s shoes (well, he's already plenty mad, so livid squared).

Mmm…. milk chocolate… good for a snack, not so much as a bonus, J. Give the boy real money.

As for the fan mail, it’s weirdly fascinating to consider that at the time, people considered these sorts of stories innovative and twisty. To me, the myopic focus on uber-American, hyper-carceral, ”law and order”, CCA-compliant single- or dual-issue storylines comes off as generally repetitive and predictable, so I wonder if this really was new ground at the time or if these readers were already so acclimatized to the narrow narrative stratum these stories are in that they’re just picking up on minor fluctuations in the formula.

“Duel with Daredevil” (1963)

Even if I wasn’t acquainted with the Ringmaster via one of the early Hulk stories, it’d be easy to guess from his name and the cover that this is a “villain hypnotizes hero to battle other hero” story. I’m gonna mostly be a complainer about this one - sorry folks - but I’m doing it because I really like both of these characters and wanted this story to be good so badly.

Spider-Man rescues Matt Murdock from some robbers, but now Matt has enough of a sensory profile of Spider-Man he should be able to identify Peter should they ever cross paths out of costume.

The Ringmaster puts on a circus show in NYC, drawing in a large crowd by using adverts that claim Spider-Man will perform for charity. Peter Parker sees this and decides to actually show up, so when the Ringmaster enacts his mass hypnosis he also gets a superheroic servant. Matt Murdock, being blind, is immune to hypnosis, and thus begins the titular duel…

…which is skippable. I mean, it’s not the worst, but it’s not a duel, either. Daredevil just evades Spider-Man, because he doesn’t want to harm him and because getting hit by Spider-Man would instantly end the battle; meanwhile, Spider-Man can’t demonstrate any of his own smarts because he’s in a hypnotic trance. This would make for a cool boss battle in a Daredevil video game (go nab the Ringmaster’s hypnosis tophat while the Spider-Man tries to stop you!!) but just lacks oomph in what we have. Even when the two join forces to beat up the Ringmaster’s henches, they just take turns instead of working together.

WHY DOES HE HAVE A SPIN ATTACK!?

Anyways, the good part of this story is Spider-Man beating up circus performers by outdoing them at their own jobs.

Well, I gushed about how Daredevil’s super-senses are portrayed in his first issue, but as the issues have worn on I tire of continual fucking thought bubble narration explaining how he knows things. It’s there in every issue for presumably much the same reason as recaps of origin stories or prior issues are - you could only read these stories in print, after all, and you might very well pick up or buy an issue without having ANY way to access the prior ones - but at the masochistic pace I’ve been going thru these it drags. And, in Matt Murdock’s case, we get a patronizing, somewhat ableist attitude about “those poor blind people”, much as has been constantly done re: poor Dr. Don Blake and his lame leg in Thor stories. It’s one thing for Peter Parker to dismiss his spider-sense warning him about Matt because he doesn’t think blind men can be a threat, or for him to speculate that Daredevil could only have avoided the Ringmaster’s hypnosis due to being blind and then ditch that theory for much the same reason; it’s another thing for literally everybody, even sometimes Matt himself, being like “oh… the blind man… how sad and unfortunate : (” (and it’s especially baffling when Matt does it because his senses are repeatedly claimed and shown to be better than eyesight and able to do everything eyesight CAN do, while ignoring the downsides of eyesight entirely!)

And since I’m already being such a nag on this issue, I’ll just leave a note here that the fan letters at the end of this one were mostly abysmal. It didn’t bring down the comic itself, but a bunch of people wrote in to just complain about Peter Parker’s love life - who he should date, who he shouldn’t, Iceman should have a girlfriend too, get girls out of muh comics. Vapid, tryingly heterosexist dreck, basically.

“The Sinister Six” (1964)

The Sinister Six - the best-hits of Spidey supervillains - come together with a plan to vanquish Spider-Man: they’ll fight him one at a time! In boss arenas!

Beyond just having six really fun supervillains, this annual issue is also filled with cameos from pretty much every other hero. The cameos are mostly contextless snips, like Thor just speeding past and nearly colliding with a swinging Spider-Man, or Doc Strange’s ethereal form casually strolling down a sidewalk (doesn’t he use it to fly at spacetime-defying speeds? Why is he going for a ghost stroll?). We also see the Fantastic Four, Giant-Man and the Wasp, the Fantastic Four again, Captain America, and the X-Men (complete with the crotchety, curmudgeonly version of Professor X from this era). It really gives weight to the idea that they’re all in the same world.

Peter inexplicably loses his powers while swinging over the city and nearly falls to his death from a skyscraper flagpole. He mopes around, basically like this (except also out-of-costume). Despite his internal narration saying that he’s “relieved” he won’t have to keep the secret of Spider-Man or make Aunt May worry for his health anymore, he’s clearly sad he can’t be Spider-Man anymore. When he learns that Betty Brant and Aunt May have both been kidnapped by the Sinister Six, he decides to go fight them even without his powers.

Of course, when Electro fights him in an electric power plant, he suddenly discovers his powers are back - and the raw exuberance he exudes on realizing it is a fantastic payoff for the pages spent being all depressed. Like, compare this:

To this:

And then it crescendos to the full-page money shot:

We’re so back. He’s so back. And you’re promising 5 more boss battles in this gauntlet? Gods, this is peak.

The next boss is Kraven, but the Hunter is such a pathetic, underhanded, honorless sore loser that Spider-Man doesn’t even bother to knock him out, he just steals the card he’s carrying that will provide directions to the next boss fight. Spider-Man can do some hard disrespect when he feels like it, hot damn.

The Torch shows up and offers to team-up because J Jonah Jameson has been getting in contact with every hero trying to find Spider-Man, and the superhero community consensus is that Spidey might be in over his head. It’s sweet that the Torch really seems to be warming up to Spider-Man, if still expressed in the same acerbic bantery tone he uses with the Thing, but Peter needs to do it alone because kidnapping his Aunt and girlfriend makes it really personal.

Speaking of Peter’s aunt, she rules. Spider-Man comics are just inexplicably well-paced compared to contemporary Marvel publications - these blips of humor scattered between the action sequences hit all the harder for their positioning. (We also get some quick cuts back to J Jonah Jameson having a terrible, no-good day, yelling at spiders and generally being made to look like a fool. I wonder what prior experiences the Marvel group had with chief publishers, given how frequently he gets humiliated.)

Peter defeats il Mysterio and the Sandman as well (although the Sandman fight is won due to a poorly implemented trap knocking out Sandman, instead of anything Spider-Man himself did). Despite the Vulture’s ultimatum to fight without the use of webbing devices, Spider-Man defeats him too, and then goes off to handle Doc Ock.

Doctor Octopus is yoked. Also, he can detach and control his arms remotely, which looks so comically unthreatening I refrained from snapping a pic of it. Nevertheless, the fight is riveting, and Spider-Man makes a little Aesop-y quip about the Sinister Six needing to develop the power of teamwork to win.

And as with the Fantastic Four annual, we get some interesting explanations about Spider-Man here, including this somewhat exasperated Captain Obvious note:

I do have to end this one here, even though I’ve read further ahead on Spider-Man, on account of image budgeting. If you're getting tired of my effusive gushing over early Spider-Man mags, I got bad news for ya: they continue being gush-worthy!

[leverage-ot3]

what I want to see in the reboot:

the crew at a comicon. I head that one of the leverage books was about this, but I’d love to see that in an actual episode. 

speaking of nerdy fun, how cool would it be to see them at a ren faire??? just think about it: parker would have to be an elf, sorry. her with elven ears and a cute (but capable of a wide range of motion) getup? im soft.

summer camp au? I saw a tumblr fic about it and I think it could be cute. it could kinda be like the fairy godparents job- eliot in charge of some type of sports (archery, fencing, etc), hardison would be in charge of arts and crafts (this boy might be a genius with tech and in general tbh, but the show did such a good job of showing that he’s also very talented with the arts- sculpting the statue for The Miracle Job, forging the old diary in The King George Job, etc), parker would LOVE to be in charge of a high ropes course.

I saw another headcanon about the crew stealing a college and honestly? fucking B E T. they would and would make it so much better!!! it’d have to be a private college, of course (there would be too many issues with a state school and honestly private colleges tend to be more problematic/more corrupt). 

please, please, please, please, please make an episode where they take down a cult, im begging. that would be such a good episode. definitely a mindfuck episode like The Experimental Job (4x11). as a psych major that episode in specific terrified me for a number of reasons, but it brought up a lot of good talking points about veterans and vulnerability (also see The Homecoming Job- 1x02). I’ve seen a few posts about a job dealing with a cult (here’s one) and I think it would be really interesting 

I heard that the next season might take place in louisiana (maybe new orleans ???), which I kinda hope isn’t true for a number of reasons, but mostly because eliot deserves that damn brewpub and it makes him so happy and I’d hate to see that he had to leave it. also, I kind of wanted an episode with amy (the waitress from The Broken Wing Job- 5x08), possibly dealing with her and her passion for art. maybe she’s enrolled in an art school- or better, she runs one for disadvantaged kids ??? and runs into some trouble in which she’d work WITH the leverage team to do a con

MORE STERLING being DONE with leverage shenanigans!!! give me feral!sterling like in The Frame-Up Job (5x10)!!! give me sterling that protests every step of the way but conveniently looks away and “whoops, the team just disappeared, I have no idea how that happened!!! diddly dang darn it, they got away again!!! sorry guys!!!”

PLEASE give me some eliot AND hardison punching some alt-right neonazis. pls. it’s for my mental health.

I’m pretty sure a quarantine episode would be Cursed™, and cause all of us to collectively have vietnam flashbacks of the quarantine era. I think combined with The Rundown Job (5x09) and The Broken Wing Job (5x08) we have enough virus-and-isolation feels so I’d personally be good with them not doing an episode related to covid

the team takes down a circus that is still using and abusing wild animals!!! because first I’d LOVE to see acrobat!parker swinging up in the air like a pro and being in her element, but also because those places are the fucking worst and need to Go Down. give me eliot having to pose as an animal trainer with deep sympathy for the animals being abused, quietly talking soothing words to them when he thinks no one is around (correction: hardison is, in fact, around, and filming his boyfriend’s softness to save for later). give me charismatic hardison playing the role of ringmaster, running and flaunting about and being passive-aggressive to the circus master. give me eliot freeing the animals from their chains when they are finally able to shut the place down and relocate the animals to sanctuaries (his hands shaking just a little as twists the key in the lock, because he too was once an abused, caged animal in his own right and he knows how liberating it is to finally be free). 

a date episode that keeps getting crashed by some sort of criminal hijinks that is decidedly not theirs. eliot: “I  just want one (1) normal date, damn it!” secretly, they all think these dates are still fun, because like them, it’s unique and interesting

this is less of an episode idea and more of something I just really want for the reboot: ot3 marriedness. give me all the blatant showings that the three of them are, in fact, a loving polyamorous relationship. give me the three of them living together at the very least. give me hardison giving both parker AND eliot cheek kisses (“damn it hardison” eliot Does Not Blush™ when this happens). give me eliot cooking dinners for them, putting in too much effort to get them to eat healthy things because “do you guys want to get scurvy or what?” give me ALL the domesticity 

[britishsass]

The New Curtain Rises (AKA, What if Hollis, Penelope, Oleander, and Boyd got Captured)

Fred looked at his notes of the performers. After he and the other psychonauts rescued the performers of the Dark Woods Circus, the agents went to take it down, only to result with them being missing. Penelope was missing, Oleander was missing, Boyd was missing. Even Hollis was missing. Fred should’ve been there to help them, but it was too late. He then heard a noise coming from his office.

“Mister Bonaparte!” Raz and Lili shouted in unison. 

“What is it? Is there a problem?” Fred asked with worry. 

“No, it’s Mister Teglee, he knows where they are!” Raz answered. 

“Yeah! They’re ok!” Lili responded. That made Fred smile.

“They’ve been found? Is that true?” Fred asked. 

“Uh huh! Mister Teglee said he needs you to find them!” Raz responded. 

“Very well, but it’s going to be late soon, you better go to bed.” Fred told the two, the twins nodded and head to Loboto’s office.

When he got there he saw Edgar, Gloria, and The Psychic Seven (Minus Lucy). “So Ed, Raz and Lili told me the news that you know where they are.” Fred spoke.

“Si, their psychic aura is a little faint, but I’m sure it’s them.” Edgar responded. 

“Well they better be, it’s been two days since they’ve been gone!” Gloria spoke. 

“I know, but it was them, they’re there. So it must be the circus.” Edgar replied. 

“I’m going with you.” Fred hastily answered. That made everyone look at him, 

“Agent Bonaparte I know that you’re worried but it’s going to be dangerous.” Ford responded. 

“Ford, I know that it’s not my best option, but they must be at the circus.” Fred counterclaimed. Ford wanted to say something, but it was Fred’s choice. Not his own. 

“Alright, fine… but do be careful.” Ford sighed. Fred nodded as he and Edgar get prepared.

~

When Fred and Edgar got to the tent, they had to make sure that they were at a safe distance. They were also in security getup. Otherwise they’d have the same fate as the agents. 

“Musket, Palette, this is Ranger, got distance in the circus?” Ford asked telepathically. 

“Yeah, how long does the show end?” Fred asked. 

“It should end in 3 hours, and I’m not willing to pay for a ticket.” Ford replied. 

“But how are we going to get in?” Edgar asked. 

“Simple, I drew a map thanks to Gisu’s explanation of the circus, there’s a secret entrance that’s only for security in the back. If we can sneak in there without getting caught, we might find them.” Fred explained. 

“Good thinking Musket, I packed clothing that will make you look like the security guards so you’ll blend in. Are you wearing them?” Ford asked. 

“Yep, we’re wearing them.” Edgar responded. 

“Good, now hurry! Before the show ends!” Ford responded. The two then made it to the back area where they saw the ringmaster.

“Ladies, and Gentlemen! For our final performance, we’re presenting the Heroic Hare! Feast your eyes on his brave eyes, his fearsome look for he is nothing but a deformed one! And if you missed the others, come and see them tomorrow!” The ringmaster shouted with a sick form of glee. 

“Sounds like Morry.” Edgar whispered. 

“Look!” Fred spoke quietly, they saw Oleander jumping in, he had white rabbit ears, and white rabbit feet, this honestly made them sick to the stomach. 

“Ranger, it’s Musket, Bullet has appeared in the cabinet.” Fred spoke using telepathy. 

Oleander looked at the two agents, “Guys, it’s me, the others are in back stage. Go check em out and find them.” Oleander whispered, the two nodded and immediately dashed backstage. They changed their clothes in the process, but they kept it safe from a distance of the audience. Inside the backstage area, they saw four tents each of them being colored differently, one beige, one blue, one red, and one purple.

“These might be where they are.” Fred told his companion. He looked at each of the tents. The beige tent had a dusty look, as the inside might’ve been covered in powder. The blue one had a stitched pattern. The red had a pattern similar to a turtle. And the purple one had spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts around it. 

“Hello?” Fred shouted. He then heard a noise. 

“Fred? Fred is that you?” A voice spoke, that was Boyd. 

“Boyd! We’re here!” Edgar shouted when he arrived at the blue tent, inside was Boyd, but he was different, his eyes were sewn shut. 

“Edgar? Where are you! I’m scared?” he spoke. 

“Just follow my voice.” Edgar responded. Boyd did follow and touched Edgar’s nose. 

“Thank goodness you’re here, that man did terrible things to us. You need to find the rest.” Boyd spoke. 

“We know, we found Morry on stage.” Fred responded, 

“Good, that leaves Penelope and Hollis.” Boyd responded, “Edgar, please guide me to the CPD, I can’t see anything.”  Edgar obliged and looked at Fred. 

“Go and check on the others.” he told the tall companion. Fred nodded and saw a poster labeled ‘The Hunchback’-- Then, he heard stuttering. 

“Fred?” Penelope spoke. 

“It’s me, don’t worry, Olly and Boyd are fine. Just wait here until Morry gets here.” Fred told the smaller agent. Penelope nodded and waited patiently in the tent.

Fred went to go check on the tents, the blue one belonged to boyd and the red one belonged to Penelope. It was obvious that the beige one belonged to Oleander. That left the purple one, which meant that it was Hollis. He checked inside and inside the tent he heard… crying? Hollis never cried this boldly. That was when he saw her… Hollis’ lower half was of an octopus. She turned around and spoke one line. 

“I’m sorry… I’ve failed. I did everything I could’ve done…” she spoke through the tears. 

“Hollis… everything’s going to be ok. We’re going to get you out.” Fred comforted. Hollis smiled but still had her tears running, she and Fred then exited and saw Oleander, Boyd, Edgar and Penelope. 

“The show ended, let’s go.” Edgar spoke, the six then quickly leave and boarded the CPD.

“Ranger, this is Musket, everyone is safe, we’re heading home.” Fred spoke.

Nicely done, anon! I am seriously going to hug all of them. Everyone needs a good ol’ hug at this point.

[thisandthensome]

Between Ringmasters

AO3

WC: 2,136

Summary: Phillip never felt more in control than when he was wearing the ringmasters uniform. From the top hat all the way to the boots, he was the one in control.

And Phineas knows this. 

Notes: This is my first fic for this fandom so yeah. I tried lol Also havent written generally in a long while so I'm a bit rusty. But hope you enjoy!

Phillip could not contain the smile on his face as the crowd applauded after the grand finale. He took the top hat off his head and with a flourish of his wrist holding it, gave a bow.

Standing back up straight, he tapped the cane to the ground in three consecutive taps which signalled to the others to start heading back and clearing out the crowds. Mingling with the crowds, thanking them however, he could not stop the jitters that wracked his body. Constantly fidgeting with the hilt of the cane, tapping the toe of his boots to the ground, Phillip could not stop moving.

Soft footsteps came up behind him and a small hand resisted on his shoulder.

“That’s the last of them Phil.” Anne’s soft voice carried to his ear. He let out sigh of relief and turned to face her, smile still on his face.

“Thanks for the heads up Anne.” Phillip replied, leaning in to give her a quick kiss on her cheek before stepping around her to head to the ringmasters office. He laughed as he dodged her attempt to smack him upside the head, his hat tumbling off. He used his foot to kick it up in the air, catching it and putting it back on his and started to walk with purpose towards his destination. The closer he got to the door, the tighter his grip on the cane got, the more he caressed the hilt like a lover long forgotten.

He stopped for the briefest of seconds in front of the office door, and gave the cane a twirl before opening the door and walking in, the ringmaster guise from the show still clinging to him with an air of a dominating, captivating, personality.

Phillip’s eyes lit up as he took in the site before him. There was Phineas sitting in the chair behind the desk. Phillip walked around to the side to admire Phineas in full, his stride loud and purposeful. He stopped once he could see the older man. Phillips pupils dilated as lust coursed through his body. Phineas was sitting in the chair, sure, but he was held in place there. The man's legs still clothed in the ringmasters trousers and his boots were taking off, but both legs were fastened tightly to the legs of the chair with some stage rope. His arms were tied up in a similar fashion however no shirt was present. Then to top it all off, a simple piece of silk that was extra from the aerialists was tied securely around Phineas’s eyes effectively removing any sense of sight from the man.

Phineas, having heard the door and Phillip’s footsteps, tensed up. His breathing was coming out a bit ragged and as he flexed his muscles to test the ropes that had him tied down, he leaned his head back and let out a low guttural sound.

“Phil, please-” Phineas started to beg. Phillip changed his stance and took two strides towards the man and turned the chair so it was facing him. The movement caught Phineas off-guard and he tried to reposition himself to regain some form of comfort. Without missing a beat, Phillip brought up his foot and brought it down on the chair in the small space between the older man's thighs with a small thunk. The air hummed as the cane was twirled and the point came up under Phineas’ chin, making him hold his head up high and looking right at Phillip.

“Please what?” he said, pushing just a little bit more into the hollows of Phineas’ throat. The man gulped and repeated his words.

“Sir, please”. He begged. Phillip grinned while he let the cane trace its way down his partner's chest being careful to avoid the mans nipples. As he reached the hemline of his trousers he pulled back with the cane, tucking it under his arm and reached forward with his gloved hand to remove the silk from Phineas’ face while his foot pressed gently down on Phineas’ bulge. The silk fluttered to the ground with barely a sound and Phillip got to see the striking hazel eyes stare back at him as the pupils dilated, drinking in the visage that was Phillip Carlyle. The owners face started to flush as he saw that his lover was still his ringmasters getup.

Phillip leaned in closer to Phineas’ face to bring his lips closer to the mans but not touching. The motion caused his foot to press down harder on Phineas; who in turned groaned and pushed back up against the foot in attempt to gain some sort of friction. He balanced himself with one hand on the back of the chair while his foot rubbed gently on Phineas’ crotch.

Being this close to Phineas, their breath mingled together as one and Philip could hear the whines in the back of Phineas’ throat threaten to break out in between his panting.

“Goody boy.” he whispered, carressing his cheek gently before leaning back out suddenly, pushing on the back of the chair and hooking his boot to the underside of the seat effectively tipping the chair.

Phineas’ eyes widen in fear and with the feeling of vertigo as he fell backwards, still tired to the chair. A loud thud echoed in the room but none of the other performers outside the room seemed to have heard it; Phineas let out a quieter oof as the air left his lungs.

Phillip did not give him much time to regain his breath as he strode over and bent down overtop of the man and straddled his chest.

“You’re so beautful like this, Phineas.” Phillip said softly while reaching out his his hand. He started to caress his face with a finger gently and lovingly. Phineas leaned in to the touch, licking his lips.

“Just for you Sir.” he replied unevenly. Phillip nodded and brought his hand down to Phineas’ neck and started to caress his throat, stroking it with some minor pressure like a massage. Phineas hummed in pleasure and the gesture and attempted to lean his head back to offfer more of his neck to his young partner. Phillip’s cock twitched at the sign of submission and let a chuckle.

“So eager, aren’t you? Did you believe this is what would happen once you took me on as your partner? Once you gave me the ringmasters coat? Your hat?” Phillip said while starting to apply pressure to Phineas’ neck. Phineas let out a moan and tried to buck his hips up, but between being tied to the chair and being held down from Phillip, he could only slightly budge slightly. Phillip tsked at the motion and pushed the can back till it hit the seat of the chair and pulled it down till it hit Phineas’ cock, pinning Phineas even more and squeezed the neck.

“Now now. And here you were doing do good. You know better than that Phin.” Phillip taunted and released his hold. Phineas made a strangled sound ashe moaned while trying to inhale fresh air into his lungs.

“I’m sorry Sir. It’s been so long. I just..I just want…” Phneas started to beg, face even more flushed with need and stretching his neck to expose it as far and as much as he could.  Phillip started to massage it again.

“What do you want?” Phillip asked and stopped his ministrations and instead grabbed Phineas’ chin to force him to look at Phillip. Phineas licked his lips.

“I want you, Sir.” he whispered in reply not quite trusting his voice, “Please.”

Phillip nodded and released both Phineas’ face and his hold on the cane, letting it drop to the floor. He stood up on his knees and unbuckled the front of his trousers.

“Since I know how much you love seeing me in this,” Phillip started as he struggled a little bit but succeeding in pulling his own cock out from the confines of the tight trousers, “I’m going to fuck your mouth wearing it. You’ll not be able to do anything but take it, isn’t that right?” Phillip said, his voice gaining a bit of husk to it as he started to imagine what was about to happen. With his cock finally out, Phillip started to pump it a few times while reaching back out with his other hand to pet Phineas face once more, this time focusing around his mouth before slipping his thumb into the mouth.

Phineas made a slight face at the sudden taste of leather but quickly morphed it into pleasure and started to suck on the offered digit and noddded. Phillip groaned at the sight and gave himself a few more pumps before starting to shift up closer to Phineas’ head. He pulled his thumb back out and a string of saliva followed it, Phineas leaving his mouth open at the action. Phillip smiled lovingly at this and dragged his hand, the wet thumb leaving a streak in its wake, up his face and grabbed hold of the messy hair there to help hold the man up.

Phillip leaned up a bit to push his cock to the lips of Phineas, holding himself just barely an inch away.

“Do you want this, Phin?” Phillip asked. Phineas nodded and started to bit his lower lip. Phillip frowned and gave a sharp tug on his hair. Phineas gasped loudly that turned into a low moan.

“I asked you a question, Phineas, and I don’t want to repeat myself.” Phillip growled.

“Sorry Sir. Yes, please. I want to suck your dick. I want you in me any way I can get you. Please, Sir. Please, I’m beggi-” Phineas begged, becoming more and more desperate until Phillip was happy enough and pushed forth with his cock and effectively silencing the pleas.

Both men moaned simulatinously, Phillip from the warmth of Phineas mouth and Phineas from finally having Phillip in him.

“Such a...good boy.” Phillip said as he started to gently thrust into the eager mouth. Phineas nodded the best he could, humming to give his Phillip more pleasure. Phillip, having felt the vibrations, moaned and picked up his pace while his hand in the hair alternated between tugging harshly and massaging the scalp as best he could.

“I wish I could control myself better around you Phin. But when I see you, all I want to do is rip your clothes off and fuck you, you know?” Phillip ground out, his thrusts becoming more violent, “When you’re in that ring, showing yourself off to everyone. Do they know? Do they realize just how easy you give yourself over to me? Eagerly waiting and wanting to be fucked? By me, and only me?”

Phillips hold on Phineas hair was tight now, his thrusts erractic. Phineas could only moan and accept the gift that was his lovers cock in his mouth. With a few final thrusts, Phillip pulled back both bringing his cock away from the mouth and pulling Phineas head back and he relased his load onto the mans face. Phineas let his mouth open in case any happen to land in there, his eyes watering slightly from everything just happened.

“Please…” the oldman quietly begged a final time. Phillip looked down at him, red faced and covered in semen. The hazel eyes staring at him intently, silently pleading as well. Phillip gave a single nod and reached behind him. His hand found the waistline of the tousers and slipped him, grabbing the swollen cock. Phineas le out a hiss as the leather encased his member and started to pump him. It took no time at all, four or five good pumps for Phineas to find his release as well all over the hand.

Phillip brought his hand back and took of both gloves before leaning down to give Phineas a loving kiss to the lips.

“How was that?” He asked softly, getting up off the man and untying the ropes that were hold his arms and legs. A groan of satisfaction echoed as the limbs were relased and fell to the floor with a thunk, but Phineas stil lay were he was.

“Perfect, Phil. Perfect.” he replied just as softly, wiping away the tears that threaten to fall. Phillip gave a concerned glance at the motion.

“Good tears. I promise. A lot of stimulation at once is all.” Phineas assured. Phillip nodded and opend a drawer at the desk and pulled out a small towel that he used to clean up Phineas the best he could. Once he finished he took a wrist and started to massage it.

“If there’s anything else you ever want, you let me know okay?” Phillip more demanded than asked, pressing a kiss to the slightly rope-burnt area of skin.

“I promise.”