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sassylittlecanary · 1 year ago

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Cynicism and God Complexes: Thoughts on Batman v Superman

There’s good stuff about this movie. Clark and Bruce are especially well cast, some of the costumes are pretty, Wonder Woman is there, etc. But as for the rest? I just rewatched this film, and here’s my two cents.

Bruce's Characterization

I appreciate how the beginning shows Bruce’s compassion for people (especially kids), but then it’s … not really relevant ever again? What Batman does to the sex traffickers is certainly satisfying, but it's also more in line with Huntress or Red Hood’s tactics (which comics!Bruce hates). So, by making him more like Frank Miller’s Batman (aka the Punisher in a cape -- seriously, The Dark Knight Returns had horrendous characterization and we should not be basing movies on it), it erases everything about his character that defines him as Batman, which is VERY relevant in comics batfam dynamics. Furthermore, there's the moment when the media is criticizing the bat brand, and Bruce says, "They’re criminals, Alfred — they’ve always been criminals. Nothing’s changed.” This is not who Bruce is! This is not his mindset! Where is the Bruce Wayne who gets a former villain a job at Wayne Enterprises and works toward reform and doesn't see anyone as a lost cause?

There's also the question of the dead Robin (not that you can really tell it’s a Robin costume because it's freaking BROWN) who is probably Jason Todd, which makes Bruce's characterization here even more implausible. Bruce didn’t kill his arch nemesis (who’s still alive and played by Jared Leto) who tortured and murdered his teenage son, but sure, he’ll kill Superman happily!! I call BS.

Clark's Characterization

This film is all about fear of Superman, and this is best personified by Bruce and Alfred's perspective — that Kal-El is a god coming down from the sky who could reign terror on the earth and answers to no one. Sure, they’re unreliable narrators, but this narrative still ruined many people’s perceptions of Superman. Despite scenes showing Clark’s kindness, fear of Superman (plus the idea that we SHOULD be afraid of him) is woven throughout the entire film. The entire point of the Knightmare sequences is fear of Superman. Even if they’re simply meant to demonstrate Bruce’s paranoia, they still serve to instill fear of Superman in the audience as well. (Also the Knightmare sequences are literally just Injustice ripoffs and I HATE IT. Literally the worst thing to take inspiration from for a Superman movie.) It's noteworthy that Superman's first appearance shows him looking scary and imposing. That's the image many people remembered.

Also, the core of Clark's character is that he cares about people. He does literally everything in his power to protect them. The idea of him allowing (or causing) destruction to befall innocents just so he can save Lois is ludicrous. Actually, the (heavily Injustice inspired) idea throughout the DCEU that Clark prioritizes Lois over other innocent people is awful. Clark cares about all of humanity — whom he lives among and is not isolated from — not just Lois. (Also, while I love the tenderness in their relationship, it's just not a Lois & Clark relationship. Where is the banter? The flirtation? These two are cute together, but they were also made into a very generic couple.)

Additionally, I hate Superman as a Christ figure, and I hate the "he's a god among mortals!!" narrative. Y'all. This is post-Crisis. John Byrne got rid of that. We've moved past this.

The Villain

I hate Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. I get that he’s Luthor Jr, but still. He’s kinda just playing the Joker without makeup. He’s just pathetic and annoying and I cringe when he’s on screen. It's honestly embarrassing that every other actor who has played Lex Luthor was both more menacing and more compelling.

The Tone

Beyond a doubt, this movie's fatal flaw is how bleak and cynical it is. The tone, the characterization, the very premise, and even the color scheme are so cynical. It takes all the fun and meaning out of the genre. Thanks for turning these inspiring and beloved characters into another sad soulless action movie!! Love you Zack 😘

Also, the beginning bothers me. Bruce doesn't like Clark because of all the violence he causes -- except comics!Clark cares about protecting civilians. It's just that Zack Snyder followed the 2010s action flick trend of adding tons of gratuitous, gritty violence, and now BvS is reckoning not with the characters' actions, but with Snyder's directorial choices from Man of Steel. Which is lame and I hate it.

Snyder's choices in general just bother me. He literally took one of the brightest, most colorful, most fun genres ever and was like “Actually, what if everything was DARK and BROWN and SAD.” And you know what? I do not vibe with that. Not everything has to be Game of Thrones.

Honestly, all this cynicism and moralizing would've been more suited to an Authority film than one about the DC Trinity. I don’t WANT a dark and realistic take on Superman and how people might view him. I don’t want a movie where Superman is put on trial or burned in effigy! I want a movie where Superman saves people and brings joy and hope to the world. I want my kind and inspirational beacon of hope. I want the hero whom children adore and adults admire. Give me a real superhero movie, not a hopeless grimdark action movie with superhero characters.

#so anyway I loathe bvs #dceu #batman v superman dawn of justice #bvs dawn of justice #dc #dcu #batman #superman #bruce wayne #clark kent #lex luthor #zack snyder #snyderverse #superheroes #media analysis #meta #canary’s thoughts

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fancoloredglasses · 2 years ago

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Lois & Clark: the New Adventures of Superman (a super-powered rom-com)

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(Thanks to Omar David)

[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros Discovery. Please don’t sue me]

I would like to start by saying it must be extremely difficult to write for any media where Superman is involves, whether comics, TV, movies, books, radio, etc. I mean, the guy is stupid-strong, stupid-invulnerable, stupid-fast, and has a metric shit-ton of powers that put him leagues ahead of anyone he might square off against.

Therefore, you have a few options:

Create adversaries on his power level (like DC did with Doomsday in The Death of Superman), but then you have an opponent that’s on Superman’s level that the rest of the lineup will have to deal with.

Give him an opponent who works behind the scenes who undermines his image and confidence (and might be able to tweak his nose a few times as well), which is why Lex Luthor exists. However, without giving Superman someone to punch, the readers will get bored after a while.

Give him some very specific weaknesses (such as a certain green rock), but you can’t have Kryptonite constantly showing up to Save The Day for the bad guys.

Make it more about the human side than the super side. However, much like my second option, people are eventually want to see the hero just punch things.

Make it campy (see Superman III and IV), and you can watch those films to see how horribly wrong that can go.

...which bring us to Lois & Clark. The show (thankfully) didn’t make a powerful adversary (or at least they gave themselves a way to remove the threat from the series the few times they did), but ticked the other four boxes (though to be fair, there’s no way they could NOT use Kryptonite in some way)

This was the first time we saw a post-Crisis on Infinite Earths version of Superman (as originally depicted by legendary writer/artist John Byrne in 1986) on screen, and there were a ton of changes...

His core powers were somewhat diminished from the Silver Age

A lot of his more absurd powers (such as destroying planets with a sneeze, rebuilding the Great Wall of Chine with his vision, and his “amnesia kiss”) were gone

He knew nothing about Krypton save that he was originally born there (the Silver Age Superman was constantly referencing Krypton)

He was the sole survivor (no Supergirl, General Zod, or Krypto the Super Dog)

His costume wasn’t made of Kryptonian fabric (meaning it was also invulnerable, but just normal fabric (which, thanks to an “aura” around Superman, meant it stayed intact through most of his battles, though Byrne loved to draw the cape getting torn in every fight!)

In the comics, the S-symbol was made after the Daily Planet coined the phrase “Superman” following his first public appearance, as opposed to being a Kryptonian relic.

And, most importantly, Martha and Jonathan Kent were alive and well in Smallville (in the Golden and Silver Ages, Pa Kent died when Clark was a teenager)

Most of these elements remained for Lois & Clark, though the writers reverted the S-Symbol to being from Kal-El’s rocket.

But enough of the exposition, on to the meat of the series!

The show follows Clark Kent (played by Dean Cain, who would return into Kryptonian orbit a number of years later as Supergirl’s adopted father), intrepid reporter for the Daily Planet (in a time where newspapers were a hell of a lot more relevant than they are now) and his alter ego...

...Superman. I should note that when we first see Clark (before he even has the iconic costume of his alter ego designed for him by his mother) he’s already wearing glasses. Exactly why is he doing that if he has no alter identity to conceal?

And what is Clark Kent/Superman without Lois Lane (played by Teri Hatcher)? Cain and Hatcher had awesome chemistry as friends/rivals as well as able to play the “will they/won’t they” tension very well (at least until they actually did)

The pair’s first meeting with Clark “in costume” was...kind of explosive.

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(Thanks to DJDoena)

But the Daily Planet is more than just Lane and Kent (as much as they seem to hog the front page), so rounding out the Planet’s staff (at least the ones in the opening credits) are...

...Daily Planet Editor in Chief Perry White, who is Metropolis’s biggest Elvis fan...

...and Perry’s gopher (and later staff photographer) Jimmy Olson. However, the producers thought the actor looked a bit too much like Cain...

...so he was replaced in season 2.

Also a casualty in season 2 was Society Pages columnist Cat Grant. The producers felt the character was a bit too “risque” for their target audience (often rumored to be sleeping with fellow staff members) and she didn’t return after season 1.

As I mentioned earlier in this review, Martha and Jonathan Kent are alive and well (and apparently Smallville is close enough to Metropolis that they occasionally make trips there) Jonathan is a down-to-earth kinda guy while Martha is constantly trying to expand her horizons (usually with a new hobby every week...

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(Thanks to Guardian Images)

...including sewing)

But what is Superman without a great villain...

...and he got a hell of one with Lex Luthor (played by John Shea). One other HUGE change in the Superman mythos was to Luthor. After Crisis he drastically changed from a “FOOLS! I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL MUHAHAHAHAHA!”-type mad scientist to a brilliant (and thoroughly corrupt) industrialist who would bend the legal system to keep his hands clean despite some blatantly obvious criminal activities (and managed to thumb his nose at Superman every time), and he was written to perfection in season 1. However, due to scheduling conflicts, he was written out with panache...

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(thanks to ScreenBlaster13)

However, this being super-heroes, he came back from the dead for a couple of guest appearances.

The tone of the show was kept light, bordering on silly at times (such as casting Sonny Bono as mayor (and having him constantly dropping Sonny & Cher lyrics in his speeches) or having an episode where prohibition-era gangsters are cloned and allowed to run rampant in Metropolis) While Superman was a big part of the series, the fact that he was almost an afterthought in the show’s title should show where the real focus of the show was.

For two seasons, the show centered on the rivalry and budding relationship between Lois and Clark, then in season 3 the romance really kicked into gear, culminating in their marriage. Unfortunately, by then the series was starting to unravel, completely coming apart by the time the series was cancelled at the end of season 4.

As always, if you would like to say a particular episode reviewed, please let me know!

#DC comics #superman #lois lane #lois and clark #dean cain #teri hatcher #john shea #Fan Colored Glasses

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redantsunderneath · 4 years ago

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DC COMICS: Incoherence as Not-a-Bug-but-a-Feature (Spoilers for Batman 89-100)

Due to the emergence of the new Batman villain character Punchline, I wound up buying the last 12 issues of Batman and reading them in a single sitting. I’ve had trouble following DC comics for a while, constantly feeling that they were in trouble since back in the mid 2000s (with a glimmer of hope here and there). The act of reading DC comics has been a frustrating experience, where individual good stories and runs were laying around in the context of a lot of things that didn’t make sense while the company’s thrust felt chaotic and ideas not well blended. Every status quo change seemed hard to figure out the rules of enough to parse the context. We’ll get into the background of this, but my reading today of this extended stretch of comics that keeps losing the plot in favor of a fever dream of what’s happening at the moment with specific characters that refuse to cohere, it became obvious that what I had been looking at as subtext or critique was actually the text. I could see the messed up trees but was missing the the forest the universe was trying to describe.

What happens in these issues (Batman current series 89-100, I missed the beginning of the first of 2 arcs) is rolling war between the major Batman villains and the heroes (plus Harley Quinn and Catwoman), which shifts into a Joker and Joker adjacent vs. all as the Joker double crosses everyone then manages to steal Bruce Wayne’s fortune. We meet 3 new baddies – Underbroker, whose schtick is putting ill-gotten gains beyond the reach of the legal system (with an explicit line to rich globalists drawn), the Designer, who back in the day offered the four A list Batman villains plans to achieve what they most wanted, and Punchline, who is your toxic ex’s new millennial GF who really has it in for you (there is also a new good guy Clownhunter, which is a whole different thing, and a new costumed detective that predates Batman). This doesn’t convey the chaotic nature of what is happening issue to issue, but there’s more than one Batman hallucinogenic spirit quest, dead characters ostensibly walking around, a plan revolving around the Bat’s origin story that tells some version of it several times, and a no-nonsense declaration that the Joker, as the Devil of the Batman spiritual system, cannot die. The whole thing has the effect of convincing you there is no definitive sequence of events, only versions.

Alan Moore’s Killing Joke is not a favorite of mine, for a number of reasons. But the ending holds up. The Joker has done terrible things there is no antecedent for, and Batman wonders aloud if this never-ending dance they do ends in anything but both of their deaths; can they uncouple from the unhealthy duality the cycle of which simply repeats. The Joker responds, well, with a joke about two lunatics trying to escape an asylum. One jumps the roof to the next building, while the other is too scared to try. The escapee offers to hold a light while the other crosses on a beam but he says no, no you’ll just cut the light while I’m half way across. This not very funny joke nonetheless has a bunch of resonances – BM and Joker as conspiring co inmates, BM wanting to break out, a commentary about their natures (almost a reversal of the frog and scorpion story where the scorpion won’t go because he knows how this ends), but mostly it implicates BM as the one who is enabling the cycle, the reason why it won’t end. They both laugh uproariously, and the ambiguous final panels can be read as the fundamental realization of his complicity causing BM to kill J. A lethal joke indeed… except, next month, we see the both of them again. In broader context, the ceaseless cycle of the diad is reaffirmed. This has been hellaciously sticky as an idea in the Batmen universe.

My realization of what DC has been doing is pretty banal in its pieces. Marvel has “ground level” heroes while DC has a mythos, a pantheon. Their archetypal makeup is strong, the seven JLA members lining up with the pantheon of Greek gods and the Chakras weirdly closely. DC has big characters that are somewhat flat which they can use tell big bold individual stories that are cool the way legends and fables are cool. But these stories require bold strokes that a bit incompatible with each other. People get attached to these iterations. Meanwhile, Marvel trucks in soap operas where the characters give you an empathetic stand in and are narratively flexible. Marvel events are usually about the writer vs. the company, asking you to sympathize or deconstruct the creative impulse amid efforts to impose control or order. DC’s events are about editorial vs. the audience, the shapers vs. the forces of the world. It may seem obvious, given this description, that DC’s focus is on an archetypal tableau though it may be less obvious that this tableau is under extreme pressure from expectations when trying to tell ongoing tales month in, month out (or semi-monthly in some cases). The stories are constantly compared against the big stories that have gone before, and the audience’s ideas of the characters exert pressure to push them in directions that capture “the” version they believe in. This circle is not possible to square.

DC and Marvel both have a multiverse of sorts. DC used to tell “Elseworlds” stories which were later tucked into pocket universes. DC invented crossing over between “realities.” DC’s continuity is heavy baggage and they began to have “Crises” to resolve the narrative incompatibilities. These only made things worse as you can’t get rid of the past people have a relationship with – it will come back. Now you have to explain that away too. Marvel just lets it lay – forget about the iffy stories, they count, sure, just no one is ever going to talk about them unless they have an angle. Marvel continuity is all angles and amnesia. This is just easier to do with dating and rent and your ancient aunt’s medical bills than with Gods. Marvel’s multiverse is about sandboxes that you can always dump into the mainframe if they work (and never really mention the sandbox again).

There is a shift that occurred in the industry in the 2004 to 2005 era that is less remarked upon than many upheavals in comic’s history. Marvel had gone through a period of incredible new idea generation in the early 2000s after a late 90s creative cratering but had just fired the pro wrestling inflected soul of that moment (Bill Jemas). DC was coming off of a period of trying to do moderately updated versions of what they basically been doing all along. The attitude was “yeah we’re under stress from the combined history of these characters, but we got to keep telling the stories.” Geoff Johns was one voice of DC over the 99-04 period that showed potential - he seemed to get how to find the core of characters and push them into a new in sync directions if they over the years have lost a clear identity. But mostly he had internalized a basic schism between something mean that the audience wanted, and something good and wholesome about the characters themselves, and figured out how to mess around with this in a equilibrating fashion.

Interestingly, the ignition point of the main forces that were going to blow DC over the next decade and a half was a comic that had virtually nothing to do with any of those main forces. Brad Meltzer, a novelist, was hired to do a comic called Infinity Crisis, which sold extremely well and was, justifiably or not, recognized as an event. At the same time, everyone also kind of hated it because the dark desires of some DC fans were pushed forward just a bit too much for comfort and for a comic with Crisis in the name it didn’t do a whole lot other than “darken” things. Nonetheless, this lit an “event” fire at both companies. Marvel chose a shake up the status quo for a year, then do it again, pattern and was off to the races (I have written about this, and more, here) while continuing its Randian framing of beleaguered do-gooders opposed by rule making freedom haters.

As this was playing out, Dan Didio quietly took power in DC Editorial. His outlook was more Bloomian – he seemed to spark off of writers who exhibited anxiety of influence. He recognized Johns was the one person they had could be promoted into something of a universe architect, starting work on two key projects from which the rest would evolve. The first, was bringing back Hal Jordan as Green Lantern and diffracting the GL universe into its own symbolic system, with parts frisson-ing other parts, and almost a Magic the Gathering color scheme of ideas. The other was to build up to Infinite Crisis, which would become the model for most of their universe changing events until the present day.

The basic frame is this: DC heroes want to be good (in a sense of their inherent nature) but forces outside form a context that makes them fall. It’s a very gnostic universe, DC. They examine reflections of the concepts, invent scapegoats for certain tendencies (see Superboy Prime as entitled fanboy, Dr. Manhattan as editors that try and fail to mend things, etc), make characters violate principles, rehabilitate them, then show that the world if anything is more broken than before. This is kind of Johns’ thing and it fits Didio’s narrative as historicval tension fetish. But then came Scott Snyder (not to be confused with Zack) who began to work on Batman in 2011. Since then, as much as Justice League is pushed as the central title and Lex Luthor has been pimped, Batman has been the core of the universe and the Joker the core villain.

Snyder had the same continuity conflict wavelength but was significantly more meta and able to contain multitudes than Johns. He was the first to make an explicit mystery of how there could be several Jokers around at one time (who are the same but not, he posited 3 – man, Christians!) that seems prescient given the near future coexistence of filmic Jokers that are not able to be resolved. I believe he was the first to begin to tease out an idea – that different versions of things in comics are not a diffraction or filter effect, a using the set of things that work best for that story and leaving the rest, but are a matter of the archetypal system of the audience coming apart. From an in story perspective what appears to happen is that multiple versions of incompatible things exist in the collective unconscious of the continuing narrative, and this is something that the characters may become conscious of.

The run I just read is written by James Tynion IV building on the above trends. The trick seems to be going all in on the Jungian aspect (at Jung’s most religiously epiphanic). The Designer was a progenitor and adversary to Batman’s predecessor and his intellectual approach eventually defeated the detective… broke him. At some point in early Batman history, the Designer brought the top four Bat-baddies together and offered each, in turn, a plan to achieve what they most desired: the Riddler, a way to achieve an empire of the mind; the Penguin, power; and Catwoman, money. They are all elated as they await the Joker to come out. The Joker emerges with a furious Designer on his heals and promptly shoots him dead. He explains that he didn’t like his joke in the form of a fable – the devil offered four people the path to their greatest desire: the three chose earthly things, but the Joker’s wish was to be him, to become the devil. The story proceeds to suggest that the Joker just exists, he is present as a necessary component in the system. You can kill him, yet he is alive.

DC has been using physics metaphors for the nature of their reality since Flash of Two Worlds in 1963. The multiverse as a continuity concept was their idea and the holographic universe of the hypertime was a thing. It seems like since Dan Didio took over, they’ve been heading towards a concept of broad superimposition, of measurement effect being weak, of the universe being like a quantum computer with all possibilities coexisting and the story instantiating not one reality but a path through all the possible ones. By making Batman trip balls through quite a few issues and relive his origin from different angles, the story is one of its own instability and the heroic task that confronts our hero is attempting to actualize the world. The Joker is the Devil in the sense of lack of fixed meaning, of relativistic chaos, of the world not making sense because it’s unmoored nature with ultimately no knowability. Batman, in this story, functions as a postmodern knight crusading against the impossibility of epistemological grounding.

There’s more going on, sure. One plot is, literally, defund Batman. There is rioting, people brainwashed by being exposed to toxic ether, people paid to go to theaters even though they will die as a result, and questions about neoliberalism similar to that one Joker movie. Punchline has no personality yet (Tynion’s not the best at that) but she serves well as a generational foil for Harley – a rudderless ideological vacuum susceptible to Joker-as-idea-virus rather than an unfulfilled MD who felt alienated due to the structures of her life and was seeking escape into structureless possibility. The Designer stuff is both continuity play (See why they changed from goofy villains to more “realistic” ones! Look how pulp heroes informed superheroes!), a comment on the nature of a longstanding narrative (strong intentions die out as Brownian motion overwhelms momentum), and a lawful evil/chaotic evil setup of the dualism of apocalypses (overdetermined authoritarian vs. center does not hold barbarism). But the thing that ties this to the past decade and a half of DC is the sense that the reality is fluid and susceptible to change or outright s’cool incompatibility.

This is different than other flavors of meta in superhero comics. Grant Morrison believes the archetypes are stronger than the forces that seek to bend them. Alan Moore wants you to deconstruct your sacred cows and probably hates you personally. Marvel might play with self-awareness, but effortlessly resolves inconsistencies after it’s finished playing. DC, at this point, allows you to watch the waves solidfy into symbols and dissolve, and the constant confusion and lack of grounding is more of a choice then I thought this time yesterday. The conflict theory of DC reality has been in full swing but this looks to be turning towards a kind of Zen historicism, holding contradictory things in your mind at once. Warren Ellis’ JLA/Authority book is the nearest comparable text I can think of. I need to call this, but I didn’t even talk about Death Metal, DC character multiplicity as meta-psychosis event extraordinaire. Comics just keep getting weirder.

#DC comics #batman #joker #punchline

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thevindicativevordan · 4 years ago

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Mongul

Wanted to chat about another Superman Rogue who has been around a while: Mongul.

Background

Now this guy enjoys something of a mixed reputation. On one hand he, unlike many other Superman classic Rogues, has actually been in some good stories. There’s the iconic For The Man Who Has Everything by Alan Moore which is the perfect encapsulation of his core character traits. There he’s a hulking brute, with enough raw power to go toe to toe with Superman and actually hurt him with physical force alone. He’s crude, making misogynistic comments to Wonder Woman, and gleefully reveling in the conquest he plans. Yet he’s also clever, using the Black Mercy to incapacitate his foe, and has an air of faux affability to him that only adds to his menace.

It should come as no surprise that an Alan Moore story is still Mongul’s best showing, but there are other stories worth mentioning as well. There’s Superman: Exile, the first meeting between the Post-Crisis Superman and Mongul and personally one of my favorite Post-Crisis Superman stories. There’s Mongul’s debut Pre-Crisis issue where he and Warworld first appear. There’s his attempt to hijack the Sinestro Corps during the Johns era of Green Lantern. Finally there’s his usage in Bendis Superman, which has been the first time in ages he’s been treated as a serious threat, and given an interesting way to serve as a contrast as Superman.

So why does he suffer from a mixed reputation? Well...

He sure does look familiar doesn’t he? He was created by Len Wein and Jim Starlin, and Starlin you might recall was the creator of Thanos, who was a ripoff of Darkseid. So Mongul is a copy of a copy, lacking the grandeur of Darkseid and the ambition of Thanos. He and Apocalypse are both cast in Darkseid’s mold, and have both gotten one really great and iconic storyline that guarantees they’ll stick around, but have also not traditionally fared well outside that one story. Also like Apocalypse:

He has a really bad habit of jobbing and being used by writers to prop up their characters. Jurgens used him to prop up Hank Henshaw in Reign of the Supermen and Henshaw again along with Zod in the Rebirth arc Revenge!, giving him a reputation as a joke. He also got killed by Sinestro pretty easily during his coup attempt.

Besides that he’s also unfortunately been treated as a generic tyrant for Superman to beat up, lacking much in the way of characterization, or in being a meaningful contrast to Superman beyond “Superman uses his strength to serve others, Mongul uses his to oppress them”. For a while I kind of wrote him off as a lost cause, someone that really didn’t offer anything as a Superman opponent beyond that one Alan Moore story. But recently I’ve changed my opinion; I’ve come to believe Mongul does in fact serve an important purpose and should be treated as an essential part of the Superman Rogues Gallery. Part of this turnabout was caused by really enjoying his usage in Bendis’ Superman run, which caused me to do a reread of Mongul stories, and got me thinking about who Mongul is, what he’s about, and what role he plays.

What Role Mongul Plays

A crucial realization hit me while I was rereading Mongul stories: Mongul is The Bully of the Supermythos.

He’s the guy who doesn’t delude himself into thinking he’s the hero like Lex does. He doesn’t consider himself above petty emotions or notions of right and wrong like Brainiac. He doesn’t have a sympathetic background like General Zod does. He’s the guy who enjoys pounding people into the dirt, who doesn’t mask his desire to lord over the populace behind pretenses of noble intentions. He’s gleeful as he crushes his enemies beneath his heel, he’s petty in that he enjoys forcing people to fight for his amusement, he’s dangerous in that while Darkseid can be bargained with, Mongul is always going to prefer to take what he wants via force and is powerful enough to do just that. In other words, he’s the exact kind of guy Superman started out wanting to take down, just living in the cosmic space where Superman can actually kick his ass without it feeling like punching down.

That core ethos, beautifully summed up in All-Star Superman, is in direct opposition to Mongul’s entire lifestyle. When the United Planets starts to form in Bendis’ Superman, Mongul is outraged, not just because it may pose a threat to him, but because the very idea of the “weak” uniting into a stronger whole downright offends him. He runs Warworld to cull the “weak and unfit” of the universe for his own amusement and entertainment, the petty schoolyard bully who has turned a planet-sized Death Star into his own playground, and he climbed to the top via crushing anyone that stood against him with his own two hands or outwitting them with his brain. He’s got no time for others who think they can rise above their station in life without the physical/mental power to back that desire up. If Superman believes that everyone is capable of greatness, Mongul is a firm believer that greatness is the sole purview of the very few (and really only himself).

This core conflict allows writers to bring back the bully hunter of the Golden Age and early New 52 t-shirt and jeans Supermen. Here’s a guy, a foreign ruler no less, who is actively oppressing people. We get to enjoy seeing Superman taking on a foreign dictator because he’s off in space instead of doing so here on Earth where thorny parallels to American interventionism abroad would be raised. Superman can be the Champion of the Oppressed again, and that’s always something I enjoy seeing.

I’d also like to bring up why Mongul was originally created. Len Wein wanted a foe for Superman who could match him physically. In other words, Mongul is like Doomsday if Doomsday actually had a personality. Mongul offers the opportunity for deeper exploration of Superman that Doomsday can’t. We know this literally because Mongul’s best story isn’t just a slugfest between the two the way Doomsday’s is. For The Man Who Has Everything is one of the best explorations of just how damn lonely being the Last Son of Krypton is for Kal. Exile explores the ethics of Superman’s no kill rule, his belief in the sanctity of life, his struggles to hold onto that belief in the face of the cruelty of others. His usage in Bendis’ run is to illustrate just how fragile the United Planets is, how easily it can break apart, and how hard Superman is going to have to strive to make it work. PKJ used Mongul in his Future State Superman: Worlds of War stories to show the lengths Superman will go to liberate others, his defiance in the face of Mongul’s attempts to break him. There’s an opportunity for psychological evaluation of Superman when Mongul shows up that just isn’t there with Doomsday. That alone is reason to keep him around, but he also brings a bunch of cool shit in addition.

Cool Aspects Mongul Brings to the Supermythos

He’s got a Death Star that doubles as a gladiator coliseum, where we get to see Superman compete with other gladiators from across the cosmos. Mongul lets Superman channel that Conan brutality in a very entertaining way, putting Superman in a setting where he’s facing lots of foes who can go up against him with raw strength and numbers alone.

It’s a place that channels that pulp science fiction that Superman was borne from in a very entertaining way in my opinion. Also they should set a Superman video game there (but that’s another blog post). The gladiators are also useful, either as oppressed prisoners for Superman to liberate, and showcase directly how he makes life better, or as bloodthirsty mooks that can actually challenge Superman without dimishing him.

The Black Mercy is an awesome science fiction concept. While it’s been overused in relation to Mongul, it’s also the embodiment of the unknown wonders and threats of DC Cosmic. In the right hands it’s a great tool for exploring characters’ psychology.

Bendis and Fraction reestablished that the name “Mongul” is a legacy one. The current Mongul is from a long line of Monguls, the sons killing their fathers when their fathers show weakness. Given how Rebirth has established the importance of legacy to Superman with Jon, something continued by Bendis, this may be a very crucial aspect to play off of. The way “Mongul” as a mantle is assumed is a dark contrast to the way the “Superman” mantle is taken up by others after Clark. Exploring the Mongul father-son relationship in contrast to the Clark-Jon relationship may be in the cards for the PKJ run given Mongul will be the first classic Superman Rogue appearing in PKJ Action. If not I hope some other writer will take a chance to explore the way the two contrast and compare with one another because it could be very interesting.

What I Would Change About Mongul

I think there’s already a pretty damn solid base to build off of with Mongul, but some aspects that I would play up to better establish him as separate from both Clark and Darkseid:

Making him more of a hedonist. This is a guy who eat, drinks, and fucks, and enjoys himself while doing so. He loves being a bad guy and isn’t “weighed down by his sins” or any such nonsense

Showcase his knowledge more. Mongul is smart, he’s been all over the cosmos, he learned about Warworld and the Black Mercy, show that he knows other dangerous secrets as well. Weapons, planets, florua, fauna, Mongul knows stuff not even the Guardians do

Establish some underlings. Instead of having Mongul job, use some of his gladiators, elite ones raised above the riffraff who can pose a threat and hold off Superman while Mongul accomplishes his goals

Appearance wise I’d like to make him look more different from Darkseid. I’d want to draw on dinosaurs for his look. If you need to justify it, just have another son replace the current Mongul and become the new Mongul, or have Mongul modify himself with enhancements in order to beat Superman

Mongul is cool and brings a lot to the table, DC just needs to stop treating him as a jobber and more as a legitimate threat. I was happy with how Bendis used him, and I am hopeful that PKJ will continue to treat him well. He’s a villain who actually has stories that showcase why he rocks, and not just cool ideas that have never come together like other Superman Rogues. Hopefully he’ll get more opportunities to showcase that.

#superman #mongul #dc comics #alan moore #brian bendis #phillip kennedy johnson #len wein #jim starlin #warworld #future state

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hotdadslade · 4 years ago

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DC’s Failed Shared Continuity

This is a subject that I see touched on a lot but not really addressed, so I wanted to break it down.

DC’s core comics (That is, Batman, Superman, Justice League, etc, and not the elseworld style books like DCeased or White Knight) are generally understood to be happening in a shared continuity. That is, what happens in one book reflects in the other. The series cross over, because they take place in the same universe.

Only that isn’t true anymore.

There are a lot of plot holes that don’t really make sense, but that isn’t what I want to talk about. Instead, I want to talk about the fact that DC has absolutely no timeline, the absolute glut of events happening in and out of main books, and the fact that each DC comic is effectively its own universe, rather than shared between it.

I’m going to address the following examples, just to give people an idea of what’s going on and exactly what I mean when I talk about a shared continuity:

The fact that Alfred Pennyworth’s funeral happened before he died.

The fact that Bruce Wayne was in at least three places at once at the start of Perpetua’s invasion.

DC’s insane event schedule through 2019.

The lack of impact events are having with the readers, such as the fact that fact that the entire of South America went to war, China engaged in mass orgies, and the entire of Britain stared at the sky for days on end and almost no reader has heard about it.

City of Bane’s complete lack of impact in the larger DC universe

And last but not least: Why does this matter, and where does DC go from here?

Alfred’s Funeral is before his Death:

Alfred Pennyworth dies during City of Bane. We see his funeral in Pennyworth: R.I.P., where we see the family come together and share stories before immediately getting into a slap fight over it.

This unquestionably happens after City of Bane, because City of Bane is when Alfred died. Despite this, Ric is still around:

That little note in the bottom left makes it clear that this happens before Nightwing Annual #2.

The majority of Annual #2 is a flashback, but it specifically ends with the Court of Owls telling Cobb (that is, Talon) that Dick will soon be his, and telling him to move in. This happens in Nightwing 63, when Cobb shows up (aided by Apex Lex’s gift), and starts screwing with Dick’s life. I’ll skip over the most of it: what matters is that Talon brainwashing Dick Grayson appears the same night Perpetua’s symbol appears over the city (in Nightwing 66 and a number of other issues), Dick attacks the Nightwings, fights Condor Red, and then is freed from the mind control all in one night.

Which is great. Except this can’t happen after Alfred’s death, because the symbol of Perpetua (which appears everywhere at once) appears over Gotham during City of Bane (in Batman 81):

So we have one event happening simultaneously in Nightwing and Batman, only one happens before/during Alfred’s death, and the other supposedly happens well after.

Which leads us into...

Batman apparently can be everywhere at once

So up above we have Batman 81. Bruce is, at this point, in the city rushing to beat Bane when the symbol pops up.

Here’s the symbol popping up in Detective Comics (1014) while fighting the Freezes (the city, I’ll note, is normal Gotham at this point, not controlled by Bane):

Bruce is in Paris (in theory, after his coma) in Outsiders #6, and then arrives back in Gotham just in time for the symbol to appear in the sky in issue 7:

Even just while researching this, I realized that it happened in other issues too. The symbol appears in the sky in Batman/Superman issue 3 while Bruce is being attacked by the infected:

It also happens in Justice League, but I can’t be bothered to get pages.

This is all taking place in a shared universe, so the fact that there’s three or four different Bruce’s in three or four different books who are all doing completely different things in different areas is... baffling. DC has always played a bit fast and lose with Detective Comics and Batman, rarely defining which is happening first or what their exact order of events is, but this takes it a step beyond that.

It also leads into...

DC has how many events? and What happened to the infected?

2019 was a year. Specifically, it was the year of the Villain, but it really should have been year of the event, because DC had so many events happening almost concurrently that it was impossible to figure out what was going on when.

You had Heroes in Crisis running from late September 2018 to May 2019 (acknowledged in Batman, Flash, Green Arrow, Red Hood, and Titans, but largely inconsequential and rarely referenced again).

Year of the Villain itself spanned the whole year, with two dedicated series (YoTV and YoTV: Hell Arisen), a huge Justice League arc (14 issues!), literally dozens of tie in issues in main books, and 8 oneshots focusing on specific villains and their upgrades.

This also tied into The Infected storline, where the Batman who Laughs infected six heroes and sent them out into the universe to torment people. This, too, got a number of oneshots and tie-in issues.

You had Event Leviathan, a six issue series which then got a spinoff and soon a sequel through the second half of 2019, which promised to ‘stretch across the DC universe and touch every character’, which has been, outside of Action Comics (which spun it off), a complete non-entity.

You also had Doomsday Clock, which launched all the way back in 2017 and only finished in late 2019. This was intended to ‘impact the entire DC universe’, with the idea that when the series ended, the rest of the continuity would catch up to it and you’d see the repercussions. It’s effectively been rendered non-canon, taking place outside the universe in a single line in Justice League.

So many things were happening, and they were all stressed as extremely important, but when the chips were down...

Most of them weren’t.

Half the Villain upgrades went away with the blink of an eye (Black Mask hasn’t shown up since his oneshot, and Riddler threw his retirement out in favor of being cRaZy in Batman). Heroes in Crisis had almost no affect. Event Leviathan is waiting on its sequel, having meant almost nothing despite the fact that an entire country was taken over. Doomsday Clock is now effectively out of canon.

Many of these (mostly YOTV itself) lead into the Death Metal event happening now, but that’s the thing: they only lead into that. There’s minimal acknowledgement of those events happening in other books. Even when huge things that should be impossible to ignore happen, they have minimal to no effect on the wider continuity. When is Death Metal happening, in continuity? No idea. What about the infected arc? What about Justice League?

Who knows? DC doesn’t seem to.

Which leads into the finale, the great big ‘are you kidding me’ moment:

Remember that time hundreds of thousands of people died, the whole of South America went to war, and China descended into mass orgies?

No?

Neither does anyone else.

In Wonder Woman issue 50 (and some issues around it), a series of dark gods emerge from (you guessed it) the dark multiverse. Each takes control over a single country, enacting their dark bidding.

(Brief Suicide CW in the description below)

The goddess of war causes the entire of South America to literally go to war, invading and murdering each other. The mob god causes the whole of Britain to walk outside and stare up at the sky, not eating or drinking until they started to drop dead. A god of indulgence causes the entire of China to engage in bacchanalia, which is effectively a frenzied orgy of celebration and dancing. The nameless god has taken over Saint Petersburg, causing those within to commit mass-suicide impulsively.

And of course this has been happening world wide. Tens, if not hundreds of thousands are dead. We see shots of other places - mass murder in the streets of Hong Kong, for example.

We actually see other heroes in this. The whole arc actually starts with Supergirl fighting Diana, and then while she's briefly out of commission, the Justice League (Bruce, Arthur, Barry, J’onn, Victor, and Kendra) show up to help only to get absorbed by the big bad. That’s when the above panel happens, and then even more heroes get thrown at the problem.

In the end, Diana ‘wins’ - by sacrificing her brother Jason to the Dark Gods. The gods return the Justice League, and undo the damage they’ve caused on Earth. Those dead aren’t actually dead, for example. Time gets rewound... partially. We see the Justice League who only partially remember what happened, but the damage around the area is still there.

This should be, by any metric, a huge fucking deal. Literal gods appeared from the multiverse and fucked over huge chunks of the planet. Hundreds of thousands died and then were, in theory, un-killed. The heroes are aware of this, and have at least partial memories.

And yet it’s never acknowledged.

This is supposed to be a huge event. The stakes literally could not be higher, and yet I’ve never seen this arc even acknowledged in any other book. This isn’t even a unique thing, either: all of New York (and most of the world) flooded in Doctor Fate and no one noticed outside that book.

So what about City of Bane?

But by far the most significant example of this is City of Bane itself. City of Bane was a huge event. Some of the top selling issues of 2019 were the City of Bane issues. It received numerous ads in other books, as well as major attention. It was the culmination of Tom King’s entire run, and lasted for more than half a year. It involved Gotham taken over by the titular Bane, ruling it with an iron fist and using mind-controlled villains as his own personal police force. It was a huge, game-changing event.

And outside of the pages of Batman (and Gotham City Monsters), it might as well not have happened. Any time it is acknowledged, it’s in the most awkward and confusing manner possible.

Batman and the Outsiders, Issue 6, Bruce is in Paris, Alfred gets a callout from Ra’s, and calls Bruce home:

Bruce immediately gets on a plane and flies home, landing at the end of issue 7 when the Perpetua symbol goes up.

In issue eight, taking place immediately after, we are lead to believe that the entire City of Bane arc happened in between Bruce flying home from Paris and arriving in time to help:

This is far from the only example. City of Bane tends to be acknowledged exclusively in terms of ‘this issue takes place before City of Bane’ editor notes. The only real thing that gets acknowledged is Alfred’s absence: Detective Comics skips over City of Bane entirely (The YOTV issues taking place before, and then going straight to ‘after), Red Hood and the Outlaws ignores it, and Batgirls acknowledgement is effectively skipping City of Bane itself to go right back to talking about ‘cleaning up the city’ with a one line mention of ‘what Bane did to Gotham’. Plenty of other books either don’t mention it at all, or the mention is so minor I completely missed it.

So why does this matter?

Early on in my time in this fandom, I noted that the more a fan is into DC comics (not the fandom, but specifically the comics), the more they’d hate the comics themselves. This extends beyond what most people on tumblr would consider the ‘fandom space’ - I’m talking reddit, league of comic geeks, comic review sites, etc. The fact is that DC has created a scenario where the more you read their work, the worse it gets. Any individual comic from the examples above reads just fine on its own, but when you read multiple comics you start getting confused about why nothing makes sense. There’s no order to things, no continuity. Things are said in one issue and ignored in the next. Major events are trumpeted as changing the status quo but don’t change a thing. DC is actively pushing away their most dedicated readers, the ones who are going out and buying 5+ issues a week.

So what comes next?

The original reason this all came up was the news that DC’s upper editorial staff had been hit with major layoffs. While nothing yet has been confirmed (this happened only three days ago), the general rumors is that DC is going to be majorly cutting back the number of titles. With Death Metal almost certainly heralding a continuity reboot ala Flashpoint, now is the perfect time for DC to figure out what it’s doing with its continuity, and realistically, they have two options.

Option One: Forsake Shared Continuity.

I’m sure a lot of people would hate this idea, because shared continuity is such an intrinsic part of DC’s history, but looking realistically at sales numbers, there’s some major appeal. There’s far less work to it (important with the loss of their editors), and this isn’t to say all the books will be separate, just that they won’t all be inherently linked. Maybe they keep TEC and JL in the same canon. Maybe Nightwing, Batman, and Batgirl share too. The point is, though, that the fact that Gotham is burning to the ground will no longer reflect on Clark, who is apparently just out of earshot with his thumb up his ass doing nothing.

There’s precedent for this as well. Injustice, DCeased, Criminal Sanity, and White Knight are all stories in their own world that are selling (or have sold) extremely well. DC’s top fifteen issues sold for January to March of this year include seven issues of Batman, one issue of Wonder Woman, one issue of Flash, and then two issues of Unkillables, the Robin 80th oneshot, Strange Adventures (its own continuity), and an issue of Batman: Curse of the White Knight. If you go farther down, it’s more of the same - you have to go through every issue of Curse of the White Knight released, as well as Criminal Sanity, to get to Batman/Superman, Detective Comics, Justice League, and Superman.

I’m not sure this is the best choice, but I can’t imagine it’s not an appealing choice just the same.

Option Two: Fix Shared Continuity.

Without question, DC’s going to be (at least temporarily) paring down the number of books they have, and there’s never been a better time for figuring out what’s going on with their continuity. Less books means less to organize. A reboot and one very determined editor could help establish a baseline to work from, but that would require DC to focus on it as a priority.

I’m sure this is the choice most people will lean for, but it’s definitely the more intensive option, and we can only hope DC decides it’s worth it.

#analysis #dc critical

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buddha-in-disguise · 5 years ago

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Weariness and cynicism is deadly.

When we were growing up, I remember my paternal grandfather once said to me: Weariness and cynicism is deadly.

At the time I didn't really understand the comment, but as I got older, it was something that I've kept in the back of my mind, in part because I would hate for me to become weary & cynical in life.

The last few episodes of Supergirl have had this line come roaring to the forefront with me.

Right now, weariness and cynicism within the Supergirl fandom (and not just a ship), has now shown in ratings.

You could argue as to why the ratings have dropped, and there are certainly going to be a few reasons for it. After all, in any season of a show you get peaks and troughs on the figures.

With Supergirl though, it has been a steep hit, then a steady decline afterwards.

I've been writing this over a few days, and yesterday the synopsis for 5.19 dropped.

Now you can tell this was written before they planned on merging some of 5.20 into 5.19 and it became the finale, and this is given away by the 'penultimate episode,' wording. That is true, so knowing elements of 5.20 will be merged into it, means there is likely a divergence to this synopsis on some level. If there is, once again the marketing has failed to adapt with these changes.

However, the synopsis also has people absolutely at the end of their tether over Kara and Lena. Why? The 1st segment:

'Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) realizes that in order to stop Lex (guest star Jon Cryer) and Leviathan she must work with the one person she never thought she’d trust again – Lena (Katie McGrath).'

I have issue with this for more than one reason, but the biggest for me is simply this.

Honestly the situation should be sorted by now in far better ways. If this goes on through to S6 unresolved, then it is beyond a joke.

19 episodes of this is utterly unacceptable. Even if they'd carried on resolution into the 20th episode, that's still far too long.

I can't speak for other fans, but personally I was hoping (& expecting) that once Crisis was over, Kara and Lena would actually begin to talk. If not Lena and Kara, Lena and Alex. Because remember how Lena spoke to Alex when Alex asked for her help during Crisis? Here are the lines most relevant (I'm including the clip for the whole interaction).

"I am sorry that I lied to you. And not just me. Not just Kara. J'onn, and Brainy, and Nia."

"You know, you actually had me believe that you hated Supergirl."

"I wasn't pretending about that, but that is a long story."

This was 10 episodes ago once 5.19 hits, & has never been broached again, nor looks likely to be. Why even bring it up if you're going to ignore it? Lena & Alex were friends by S4 end. If Kara couldn't talk to Lena, why hasn't Alex tried? Or Brainy? Nia. Even Kelly, who genuinely hadn't lied to Lena - although that could've been awkward if Lena said it was about Kara lying being Supergirl and Kelly didn't know. But you know, I would've loved to have seen it play out that way, because Kelly's surprise wouldn't be faked, and Lena, despite it all, would probably recognise that.

Have Lena working with Lex, but also using Kelly to help her with the lenses, to placate Lex, but to be actively working with the Superfriends (Kelly as the intermediary) to bring Lex down. That way, Kelly gets screen time she deserves, Lena slowly works through her issues, even if it isn't directly with Kara yet. Alex really uses the Tower to investigate and help Kelly and Lena. But we have had nothing of note.

Out of the two Winn episodes, we had one episode of Winn's own psychopathic father getting his redemption, (which sorry, was too far fetched for me). What was the purpose of this? It apparently serves none. This episode should've been a redemption arc starting for Lena in my opinion, even if Kara wasn't involved (so the 100th still could've gone ahead as planned). It could've been Brainy for example tentatively reaching out to Lena. Or as I say, Lena seeing how Lex was working, and reaching out to Kelly. It wouldn't have to be a noticable or big thing, but the beginnings of some reconciliation with someone.

Yet Lena, who time and time again has tried to do the right thing, has been lied to, has been abused by her family since she was 4, has been left to her own devices for 19 episodes! By people who say they are her friends. This is more than about Kara. This is about a whole group of people who seemingly have washed their hands of Lena. That sure as hell isn't any kind of friendship I know, or agree with.

This is why as a general audience people are now weary and cynical. When the hard core fans, not ship fans, but the ones who tune in religiously, are screaming enough, then a more general audience will simply drift away. Sadly the viewing figures suggest this is exactly what has happened.

If they're suddenly best friends again from 5.19, then it will be as bad because nothing is talked about! Even if they carry on the redemption arc into S6, will the general audience - or even the main hard core group of fans - wait potentially 9 to 12 months before it starts again, not knowing if they plan to maintain the push and pull between Lena, Kara and the Superfriends, or actually are going to rebuild the friendships?

We also have the question of why did Kara find the tape that Mxyzptlk left? I'm including a screen capture for this.

There were a couple of things at the time that I wondered about.

Why make it so obvious that was the video tape left? It then immediately led off to Kara confronting Lena, which while harsh wasn't really too OOC until that last line. No, she didn't call Lena a villain (ugh also continuity in 5.17, hello Kara, you didn't call her a villain). But Kara knows that Lena has always wanted to be seen as being different to her family, but especially Lex. Instead of going to Lena as Supergirl, go to her as Kara! Make her see the person not the cape. Of course being Supergirl is important to Kara, but knowing that Lena has always had a more volatile relationship with Supergirl, it seems utterly inconceivable to me that at some stage Kara wouldn't go to try and talk to her simply as Kara. Or was it Mxy as Supergirl, who hesitated moving from the balcony because he needed to be invited inside by Lena? Supergirl took a step forward, but doesn't appear to actually enter Lena's apartment.

So yes. That whole scene has always bugged me.

I also always questioned why did Mxy hang around watching through Kara's loft window? What was it he needed to see? By all accounts his mission there was accomplished. Why hang around?

So it begs the question, are we seeing how the tape plays out? Is this the 'nothing is as it seems' and the 'Black mirror season,' they touted before the season began. If this refers to how Lex has played his part, then that is nowhere near good enough.

If it is because of Mxy, it is just an awful way to go about it. It has left most fans weary, jaded and honestly not trusting of how they will carry on writing for the show.

Let's not forget, Kara told the whole world her identity to save Lena.

Lena tried to save Kara from the Kryptonite in the air, but failed because she was too far away in Metropolis.

Lena took to heart the pleas from Kara not to use Kryptonite, and so devised another way to subdue Reign, only to die in Kara's arms (and remember Kara literally crumpled as Lena fell into her arms. This is a Kryptonian with Super human strength, but her knees gave way).

The only time Lena did turn evil was when Supergirl didn't save her. But even then, watch her face carefully as she hits with Kara with the Kryptonite. That stotic mask falls just fractionally.

However this plays out in the last two episodes, quite honestly I can't see how it is going to be enough to pacify the distrust and anger over vast aspects of the season. How a lot of what has gone on can only be called queerbaiting, and if (& it's a big if) they even lent into Supercorp (I highly doubt it), then it needed to come far quicker. When you lose the trust of a big part of your audience, it is extremely difficult to get that trust back. When you have to try and achieve that with only 2 episodes left? Pretty much impossible.

When that weariness and cynicism has months to fester in a fandom, it is deadly.

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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Zack Snyder’s Justice League – What is the Anti-Life Equation?

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This article contains Zack Snyder’s Justice League spoilers.

DARKSEID IS…finally in the DC movie universe with the long-awaited release of The Snyder Cut of Justice League. And with Darkseid comes a whole host of plots, tools, and general bad dudes to help him destroy the universe. The most core to his being? The Anti-Life Equation.

In Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Steppenwolf is still very much the main baddie of the film, exiled to Earth for failing to deliver enough worlds to his master, Darkseid. But Steppenwolf discovers a way to redeem himself when he learns that Earth contains a secret that Darkseid has been searching for for millennia: the Anti-Life Equation is somehow carved into the surface of our world.

Needless to say, this catches Darkseid’s attention (and helps set up a Justice League 2 that will never arrive). But the movie doesn’t really explain what the Anti-Life Equation is, or why Darkseid is so intent on locking it up for himself.

That’s why we’re here to help…

What is the Anti-Life Equation?

One hears “Anti-Life Equation” and the first instinct is to imagine some highly technical bit of calculus that forces you to sit in an endless college lecture room where you’re just not going to get it and why do you even need to sit there wasting your time when your major is polisci which sure it’s a pyramid scheme but it’s still what you’re interested in, and to be completely honest, it’s kind of like that. Anti-Life is a mathematical formula that obliterates free will, allowing the mathematician calculating the result to completely dominate the beings hearing it.

Written longhand, the Anti-Life Equation is loneliness + alienation + fear + despair + self-worth ÷ mockery ÷ condemnation ÷ misunderstanding x guilt x shame x failure x judgment n=y where y=hope and n=folly, love=lies, life=death, self=dark side, but that is a fairly recent development. The Anti-Life Equation was first introduced at the dawn of Jack Kirby’s big Fourth World Saga in Forever People #5. Beautiful Dreamer describes the equation as giving the wielder “absolute control over you,” which, she says, makes you not really alive.

Why Does Darkseid Want the Anti-Life Equation?

Anti-Life has been owned by just about everyone in the Fourth World at some point or another. It was first found and contained within Billion Dollar Bates, an obscenely rich pig of a man who held secret, dark rituals in his basement. Sonny Sumo, one of the Forever People, also had knowledge of the Equation early in The Forever People.

Orion, Darkseid’s son raised by Highfather as part of the New Genesis/Apokalips truce, later got his hands on it after defeating Darkseid (who himself came to possess it by creating hundreds of clones of Bates). When Orion tried to use it to give people happiness and peace, he was horrified at how it hollowed them out, and vowed to never use it again. It later passed to Mister Miracle, and portions of it were found all over humanity.

It was eventually embedded in a spam email that Mokkari and Simyan sent to the entire world, giving Darkseid control of Earth in the outstanding Final Crisis. His hold on Earth was only broken by an extremely pissed off Superman; a recently liberated Wonder Woman and her Lasso of Truth binding Darkseid and forcing him to free everyone; and Barry Allen and Wally West outracing a radion bullet, Darkseid’s own Omega Beams, and the Black Racer to divert all 3 through time into the dark god of Apokalips.

DC ZOMBIES

Anti-Life has been fairly prominent both in DC’s comics omniverse and in TV and movie form.

The Anti-Life Equation was kind of the inciting incident behind DC’s hit zombie book, DCeased. Darkseid and Desaad, discovering the equation was contained in Cyborg’s programming, captured the hero and began experimenting on him. Unfortunately, they corrupted it in his body, causing it to be released into Earth’s media streams, making anyone who looks at a screen (assuming they’re not using their x-ray vision at the time) a bloodthirsty zombie.

It was also Darkseid’s prime macguffin in the DC Animated Universe, leading to arguably the best moment in the best episode of the entire run, when Lex Luthor traded it to Darkseid to get him off Earth at the end of Justice League Unlimited.

Of course, we may never get to see how Zack Snyder intended the Anti-Life Equation to play out in a DCEU film. It’s clear that Darkseid would have been the villain of Snyder’s Justice League 2 had that come to pass, but that seems as unlikely a prospect today as it did just a few years ago. Ava DuVernay is currently directing and co-writing a New Gods movie, which will reinvent Darkseid and the rest of the New Gods for the screen, so presumably the Anti-Life Equation will be at the center of that, too. Time will tell.

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

Zack Snyder’s Justice League is now streaming on HBO Max.

The post Zack Snyder’s Justice League – What is the Anti-Life Equation? appeared first on Den of Geek.

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

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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shownkindness · 4 years ago

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I just realized something very sad about the creation of Earth-Prime.

For Lena:

Ever since we met Lena she has been striving to break away from the Luthor name. One of her first lines of dialogue is "I'm just a woman trying to make a name for herself outside her family." Taking over Luthorcorp hadn't been something that she had wanted to dedicate her life to. Lena at the core is an innovator, an inventor. Though she is successful as a CEO, it wasn't what she wanted to be. Lex was groomed to be the next CEO, he was always going to be the one to take over the family business.

Lena didn't back down though. She took over Luthorcorp and created a force for good with L-corp. She was determined to redeem her name, a name left tainted by actions she wasn't responsible for. Even in her greatest moments like saving the world from the Daxam invasion (though she was the catalyst for it) the Luthor taint followed her. She fully believed that she was the cause of all those kids getting sick from lead poisoning. She was so willing to accept that oh of course she is a Luthor so this destruction is her fault. So willing to accept it's her fault in the fact that her life was worth giving up if it meant more people wouldn't get hurt.

It isn't until the later seasons with Lena that she is seen lifted from the shadows of the Luthor name. The name Lena Luthor was breaking away from the whispers of "the Luthors''. She was starting to be seen as a force of good. L-corp is rising to the point she can buy out CatCo from under neither Edge's nose. Her company and innovations help accelerate the healing of the world after so many attempts to end Earth-38. It takes years but she is able to escape from the title Lex Luthor's little sister if only slightly.

The tragedy of Earth-Prime? All this hard work that has now become her life mission of sorts has been wiped clean out from under her. Though the Luthor name is no longer synonymous with xenophobic it still carries weight. That weight is thrown back on her shoulders as she is shoved back into Lex's shadow. Lena once said she never stood behind a man, but I'm not sure that's completely true. She is once again forced to try to get out from behind Lex's shadow. A shadow that has her trapped with self-doubt, manipulation, and abuse.

For Kara:

When most people talk about Kara Zor-El they relate her to Hope. Because of course, even the universe has deemed her as the Paragon of Hope. This is not what I think has Kara's most defining feature. Her most defining feature is Loss. The story is well known. Kara was sent away from Krypton in its last moments to protect Kal-El. Everyone she has ever known lost. This is Kara's first major loss When she finally does make it to Earth-38 she must once again live with the loss of completing the last task her parents ever gave her. She is left with the Danvers and meets Jeremiah Danvers who will continue to be a source of loss and pain.

As Kara becomes Supergirl she must fight Astra. Once again the story of Kara Zor-El is struck with another loss of family. The end of the first season is her fighting against those that she would have once called her people. She is still Kryptonian, but also from Earth. Her place in the world forever turns into a grey area that is a balance from what could have been and where she is now. In the second season, Kara loses Mon-El. What was at the time the longest relationship in her adult life? This wound is reopened when he comes back in a later season. Then came Reign. Kara is seen as the changing of Earth in many instances. The fight with Reign was the largest battle she had lost at the time. Beaten down to the point of almost dying the weight of protecting the world crashes down on her again. Though she wins in the end that fight is something that has to have some kind of last effects.

As for season four #RedDaughterDeservedBetter.

The fifth season is just loss after loss. During season 5 Kara is dealing with losing Lena. This loss was crafting from years of mistakes and fear. Even if you are not a Supercorp shipper you can see the pain that losing Lena causes Kara. Then Crisis happens. The city of Argo was a small band-aid on the hole that Krypton is deleted from existence. From there Earth-38 is quick to follow in its path. Let me just highlight that again. The last piece of her homeworld and the home she has come to love are both completely destroyed from existence. The devastation is set aside though in hopes to protect Earth 1 where the other Heroes come from. Once again she has failed though and loses again another home.

The creation of Earth-Prime is beautiful and devastating at the same time. All her hard work as a hero is cleaned from history. This Earth will never remember Astra trying to take over the world. Yes, Argo is recreated, but it is no longer HER Argo, but a mirror reflection. This world doesn't remember the Daxam invasion. This Earth doesn't remember all the times that Kara has put her life on the line, has almost died trying to protect it.

Kara has lost so much and the creation of Earth-Prime throws it in her face that it was almost for nothing. There is a clear distinction between those that remember Crisis and those that don't. I wonder how that will play out in a relationship for those that remember. To have to explain what they have been through, only for it to be cased off as a bad dream from another time.

These are some of the greatest tragedies not spoken about due to the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

#kara zor el #lena luthor #COIE #crisis on infinite earths #abuse #growth #thinking a bit too much #all the work done for nothing #earth 38 heroes got screwed over #excuse this I have had a glass of wine or two #was left alone to think for too long #do I even tag Mon-el?#I think tagging supercorp is off to #im a shipper but this is more of a character reflection things

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xxjustoneyesterdayxx · 5 years ago

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Just imagine at the Crisis, Lex would try and seize the opportunity to kill Lena so he finally gets his revenge for killing him but Kara gets in the middle of it and gets shot in the chest and everything plays out in slow motion and Lena is shook at the core while Kara collapses on the floor while bleeding out to death and Lena is freaking out and starts yelling at her why would she do that? and Kara says "The world wouldn't mean anything if I didn't save YOU" before her eyes go blant.

That would be the best "I love you" and "you mean the world to me" we could ever get. Poetic Cinema I'd like to see it. bitch I broke my own heart wtf

#supercorp #supergirl

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dark-elf-writes · 1 year ago

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Hi im only crying a lot at the thought of Zack cleaning up Cloud and helping him change when he’s out of it with Mako poisoning. Like im always a sucker for gentle care but wnncnsnsmmsnsbsb

#the elf talks #lex plays crisis core #he’s so gentle with cloud and is talking to him like he’s going to answer a #hello #im screaming

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tcmpcral · 4 years ago

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1. FIRST NAME: masha.

2. STRANGE FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: my father’s birthday is the day before mine :v

3. TOP THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU FIND ATTRACTIVE ON A PERSON: i mean, i’m asexual and aromantic but aesthetically i guess i could say the quintessential. roman?? nose for some reason fjfeka; i just like the look of them lies down also certain kinds of genuine smiles get me right in the heart. dark eyes are also very nice. or perhaps i should say like. when someone has dark eyelashes?? i think that’s it. also i’m always reminded of a girl i went to ireland with who had a seriously endearing case of doe eyes, and i’m still not sure if her eyes were just naturally that shape or if she used makeup to get that Look but either way i thought she was extremely pretty the whole time lmao the fact that she was also very sweet and thoughtful didn’t hurt either

4. A FOOD YOU COULD EAT FOREVER AND NOT GET BORED OF: rice and eggs fjjfiea; eggs in general, tbh. possibly also noodles. and dumplings. cheesecake. lotus paste. smoked cheeses hhhh sALMON. sweet potatoes. maybe pears and apples listen i’m sorry i love food, there can’t be Only One

5. A FOOD YOU HATE: hominy fjfkda; cauliflower. uhhhh also tuna casserole blegh. asparagus jfjkf;da oh YEAH I HATE BOLOGNA TOO i can’t. i can’t do it hhhhghg. and yet i love vienna sausages and deviled ham...

6. GUILTY PLEASURE: whispers taking the long way home so i can spend more time listening to the radio and singing along with it probably lmao

7. WHAT DO YOU SLEEP IN: whatever i wore the previous day fjfjiea; I’M SLOPPY

8. SERIOUS RELATIONSHIPS OR FLINGS: technically neither, but i guess i’d take flings over the other

9. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN THE PAST AND CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WOULD YOU AND WHAT WOULD IT BE: lies down i do kinda wish i hadn’t dropped out of high school. on that front, it’s worked out in the end, but. still. it would have been nice to have kept up with my friends orz on a different front, i’m conflicted about it, but. sometimes i wonder how much better my life might be today if i’d gone straight for nursing instead of getting an art degree ._.

10. ARE YOU AN AFFECTIONATE PERSON: i. think i can be

11. A MOVIE YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN: yeah it’s still the kung fu panda trilogy lmao. but also tokyo godfathers, shutter island aaand. idk jurassic park? tremors? a good chunk of the x-men movies bc i’m not very picky with them and there’s things i like about most of them?? thinking emoji oH there’s also that movie push from 2009. the one with chris evans :v

12. FAVORITE BOOK: a little princess, war of the worlds, uhhh on the beach, house of stairs, the secret garden. i was once weirdly attached to this book i read in jr. high called where the lilies bloom. i also loved heidi uhhh. see, there were all these obscure books i read in late elementary school and jr. high that i loved that i often have trouble recalling rip. like there was one called eva, and another called home before dark. one named belle prater’s boy. the crystal garden. sweet sassy tree hhhh almost anything written by robert cormier ahaaa

13. YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP ANY ANIMAL AS A PET, WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE: i’m honestly very happy keeping dogs as pets, but i’ve always wanted to. like. idk, maybe pet a wolf or a fox or other wild canid. i’d also like to maybe have a cat someday. and parrots and other birds are adorable and i love them, but. oof. they just seem. Intimidating pets. maybe someday i can have ducks or geese again, tho. oh, and. i’ll admit i’ve always been amused at the thought of having a pet goat, bc my grandmother apparently did as a child lmao

14. TOP FIVE FICTIONAL SHIPS [IF YOU ARE AN RP BLOG, YOU CAN USE YOUR OWN SHIPS AS WELL]: oh boy there’s. a Bunch. let me think... i. still have a very big soft spot for germany/italy hhh. uh. i hope the rest of them don’t have to be canon bc..... yeah. anyway still attached to beerus and whis... wheezes and both euroshipping (kaiba/bakura) and what’s apparently called stormshipping now (fubuki/manjoume). and ok i have to go with another hetalia one bc i’m such a sucker for france/russia lies down i was also once a big lex/zex shipper, and i still have a soft spot for. what it once was. not entirely too comfortable actually shipping it now since i haven’t Kept Up with kh and i’m not 100% on zexion/ienzo’s age anymore squints

15. PIE OR CAKE: ....whichever one cheesecake falls under :v

16. FAVORITE SCENT: ohghfjfkda there’s A BUNCH. aloe vera, bleach, lysol, sweet pea, tea, tires, sawdust, cucumbers and melons, ginger, beer

17. CELEBRITY CRUSH: yeahh, i still don’t really have one but. i do have a lot of affection for weird al lmao

18. IF YOU COULD TRAVEL ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU GO: whispers i would love to go to russia some day, but i think everyone knows that lmao. i’d also love to revisit ireland, especially killarney and blarney castle. and i’d love to revisit sorrento. and possibly italy in general tbh aaaa. i’ve also always kinda wanted to visit china 6_6

19. INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT: pretty sure i’m an introvert, but i also happen to be one who really loves crowds

20. DO YOU SCARE EASILY: i’m a. very jumpy person kffja; also certain topics Disturb me way more than others, and ngl i have something close to an Actual phobia of the dark rip

21. IPHONE OR ANDROID: i’ve never had an iphone, so probably android

22. DO YOU PLAY ANY VIDEO GAMES: animal crossing. also tetris when i’m bored. i love puzzle games like poppit and bejeweled lmao i used to play kingdom hearts and super smash brothers, and i miss them both tbh. i also played crisis core, two star fox games, and the world ends with you at some point. and uh. a handful of legend of zelda games when i was a kid. my favorite game is probably majora’s mask :v

23. DREAM JOB: comic book creator orz or some kind of concept artist for animated movies. but. i’ve come to terms with the fact that i’m not really. Good(TM) enough for that, so nowadays i’m much more interested in something more mundane like nursing. as long as it’s night shift, i want it

24. WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH A MILLION DOLLARS: SO MUCH. get my car back in shape, pay off my grandparents’ house probably, go back to school fINALLY, move out lies down there’s so much i could do with that money lmao

25. FICTIONAL CHARACTER YOU HATE: there. aren’t any tbh lies down the most i usually get to is feeling neutral toward a character lmao except i just remembered umbridge exists so she might count

26. FANDOM THAT YOU WERE ONCE A PART OF BUT AREN’T ANY LONGER: not counting the ones i keep coming back to, there’s uhhh. gundam wing, star wars (waaaay back when the phantom menace was first released lmao), digimon, x-men evolution. i was in the MCU fandom for like a month before i lost interest XD;; i might count yugioh and yugioh gx as part of this, but. i’m still kind of invested in those tbh

all of these i’ve just kinda fallen away from thinking emoji i’ve never really had a bad fandom experience, so. you know

#;dash games #long post #i'm #such a windbag #lies down

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kiiiiiim · 5 years ago

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“Every dream is different. Sometimes she's screaming. Sometimes she dies without a sound.”

Category: Angst Fandom: Supergirl (TV 2015) Relationship: Kara Danvers & Lena Luthor

AO3 link if you feel so inclined

________________________________________________

The world doesn't mourn her. It's too soon for that - they don't even know she's gone yet. No one realizes how close their universe was to being wiped from existence, no one except for the handful of people responsible for saving it. When the dust settled, the inhabitants of their Earth experienced a lingering feeling of something akin to that of a close call, not understanding why they should feel this way, but that’s the extent of the effects of the Crisis. Crime has been down worldwide these last two weeks, as if humanity has collectively decided that trouble is not worth stirring up for the time being. It won't last, but for now Supergirl's absence is not noted by the public.

It is, however, noted by those who know the truth: Supergirl is dead, and she died saving them all from a fate the world will never know about.

Lena sits on the floor, running her thumb across the face of her Super-watch, turning it over and over in her hand as she stares blankly out the window of her balcony. Her apartment, normally neat as a pin, is in ruins: shattered glass covers the floor, furniture is upended and slashed, expensive decor tattered and broken in a fit of rage. Her normally porcelain skin is practically white and drawn, sorrow painfully accenting her sharp features. Her eyes are red and swollen from countless tears and lack of sleep, empty and lifeless. She can't stand to close them for even a moment; the lids of her eyes are a canvas, vividly painting the picture of Kara's final moments every time she blinks. She is haunted both day and night by the sounds of war and the eerie silence that followed when it was all over, a hollow victory that felt more like defeat. More than anything else, Lena is afraid to sleep because of the dreams.

"Don't you see, "Supergirl?" Or are you just as blind as my dear little sister?”

Sound travels differently in the Anti-Matter Universe. Each word has a slight echo, tinged with an undertone of distortion like radio static. Lex’s voice has an edge that feels like razors on her skin, cutting her deeper and deeper.

“Lena played you like a harp, plucking the right strings, playing to your guilt until she had you practically begging to do her dirty work for her. Did you really believe all had been forgiven? Or were you just so desperate for redemption that your naive little brain couldn't imagine a scenario where you didn't end up on top?”

It’s so much colder here. Her Luthor-Suit is the only thing protecting her from hypothermia. Lex is unfazed, but Supergirl is shaking. It’s not from the cold.

“She's been plotting your downfall for months, and it's time you saw what was in front of your face this whole time - Lena is a Luthor, right down to her very marrow, and no amount of love or friendship can change our nature."

Lena wants to scream but her voice is gone. Kara lifts her head and meets her gaze and Lena knows she has done what she set out to do so many months ago - she’s broken the Girl of Steel. Kara blinks and her tears float up into the air rather than fall to the ground, but her eyes hold no malice as they look at Lena - there is only pain, and a grim look of understanding that guts Lena to her core. It is at that moment that Lena realizes just how much of a mistake she’s made, how clouded her vision has been. She wants to scream out, “I didn’t want this, I never wanted this, I see that now - please, believe me just one more time,” but she can’t, and Kara will never know how sorry she is.

There is a change of scenery and Lex is gone, but a battle is raging around her. The sky burns, blood-red bolts of lightning cover the expanse, and there is a horrible whining that fills the air. A bright flash of light, an explosion of sound, and Kara is shoving Lena out of the path of the Anti-Monitor, her Luthor-Suit protecting her as she hits the ground. When she looks up, Lena sees a ball of fire engulfs Kara’s body, a sound like bloody murder pierces her ears, and then the world goes dark.

The dream is supposed to end there, but it doesn’t.

Lena stumbles in the shadowy void, disoriented and terrified. She cups her hands over her ears, blocking sound before it has a chance to reach her. She can’t bear the screaming again - she just can’t. It’s too much. But she knows it’s coming, it always does.

She turns around and Kara lies there on the ground, her body broken and battered. Her limbs and face are a bloody pulp. Lena kneels down and takes her hand, ice cold and lifeless, but Kara isn’t gone. She stares at Lena, her face expressionless and empty despite her wounds. Lena squeezes her hand and her mouth moves with words that neither of them can hear in this desolate place, and then Kara turns her head away and disintegrates before Lena’s eyes.

Lena wakes up with a jolt, her throat raw from screaming. She is soaked with sweat and her clothes stick to her skin. She can smell the sickly scent of fear and she shivers as the moisture cools on her body. She scrambles for the watch, the familiar weight of it a small comfort in her hands. She flips the face up, revealing the button concealed beneath. She presses it over and over again until the tears flow anew, her heart breaking all over again. Every dream is different. Sometimes Kara is screaming, sometimes she dies without a sound.

Lena doesn’t know which is worse.

#supergirl #supercorp #lena luthor #kara danvers #fanfiction #my ficlets #I only know how to write angst that is my one strength

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femslashhistorian · 5 years ago

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Supercorp AU Fic Recs Part 4 - Different Realities

In the fourth part of my SuperCorp (Supergirl) AU Femslash Fanfiction Recommendation, I have collected 13 excellent Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor Alternate Universe (AU) stories which Kara and Lena live very different lives and meet under very different circumstances from the show: Stories in which they are actresses, models, singers, figure skaters, baristas or professional cuddlers - and one in which Kara is French. This collection includes many of my favorite SuperCorp fics and is maybe the ultimate testament how many talented authors have poured their creative energy into different ways for Kara and Lena to fall in love.

Nearly all of the included stories are No powers AUs, in which Kara is human. All of the stories have a happy ending.

Overview of the 13 Kara / Lena stories

Detailed recs and links after the cut. My favorites are marked with *

A) Actor and Model AUs

No one mourns the wicked * by kellsbells: The wickedly angsty musical AU

We're playing to a full house, darling (but this show can't go on) * by The_Ominous_Owl: The actors AU in which Kara is an actress that used to play Supergirl

Blockbuster (it's the movie au ok) by unnecessary_databass: The nonlinear actors rom-com

Maybe we were made to dance around each other, babe by goon: The Kara/Lena and Alex/Lucy model/singer AU

B) Coffee Shop/Barista AUs

Dripping Onto You by spymaster: The Barista & Public Pool AU

The Name Game - A SuperCorp Coffee Shop AU by DKGwrites: The Coffee Shop AU

C) Other Job AUs

These feelings I can't fight * by Jazzfordshire: The Ice Skating AU

Hold me, my dear (and don't let go) * by potstickermaster: The Cuddler Fic

D) Fluffy/Happy No Powers AUs

As luck would have it by spacemanearthgirl: The fake dating AU in which Lena rescues Kara from Mike

Jar of Happiness by Cloud_Lightning: The sweet AU in which the Luthors are not evil

Of Charcoal Lines and Accents by IHaveTheWrongGlass: The College AU in which Kara is a French exchange student

I'll be your muse? by heryellowcup: The College AU in which Lena models for Kara’s art class

What if I asked you to stay? * by heryellowcup: The one in which Kara and Lena are neighbors

This series includes

Supercorp AU Fic Recs Part 1 - Distorted Realities: of Time Travel, Amnesia and Black Mercies [tumblr] [WordP]

Supercorp AU Fic Recs Part 2 - Hope and Despair: of Lighter and Darker Worlds [tumblr] [WordP]

Supercorp AU Fic Recs Part 3 - Complicated Realities: Weddings, One Night Stands and Friends with Benefits [tumblr] [WordP]

Supercorp AU Fic Recs Part 4 - Different Realities: Actors, Baristas and Other No Powers AUs [this post] [tumblr] [WordP]

Notes:

Originally this was planned to be the last AU recs part, but there might by one more. This collection took me a while to compile and I concluded it in July 2019 (between the end of the shows 4th and before the 5th season), but most stories were written and finished long before that.

This post might be a bit long for tumblr and with the links above you can also the complete series on my blog.

A) Actor and Model AUs

The actor AUs of course share a few similarities (and I loved them all) but they all are quite distinct and different enough to include all of them here.

One aspect in which they are clearly different is in the amount of angst: Most of them are not to not particular angsty, but No one mourns the wicked has a substantial amount of angst. It also carries over the strongest Lena tries to redeem for the sins of her family vibes from the show, although this is also present in we're playing to a full house, darling.

1) The wickedly angsty musical AU

No one mourns the wicked by kellsbells

Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor (Supercorp) (f/f)

Completed, 16 chapter, 69k words, 2017-2018

Mature

Lena Luthor has just reluctantly returned to her role as Elphaba after a messy break up with her co-star. Her new co-star is a young, enthusiastic and incredibly talented performer who initially drives Lena crazy in the worst way. In time it becomes clear that they have a less-than-ideal history, along with a chemistry that neither can fight. Can they make it together despite the history between them?

This actors AU that takes place behind the scenes of a Wicked musical production. You don't need to know anything about musicals or the particular musical that is featured in this fic (I did neither) to enjoy the story, the story explains everything you need to know (and not more). This is a no powers AU, but the author manages to construct a background that creates a very similar tension between Kara’s and Lena’s families (and where Kara is coming from) as the Super vs Luthor dynamic in canon.

While this is clearly a Kara / Lena story, this is not the only relationship we come across in the story. There is background Sanvers (pretty usual in SuperCorp fics) and there are more past and present ships that are discussed and/or shown: we have Kara / James and a hint of SuperCat (actually Kara crushing on Cat) and several reverences to one of Lena's previous relationship. I loved that Cat was Kara’s mentor and how the story dealt with Kara’s crush on her.

This is a novel length story with a long story arc with ups and downs: while most fanfics have a relatively linear romance progression towards a happy ending, this one has a more complex plot that features a pretty substantial crisis in their relationship (that I don't want to spoil).

This is a brilliant, very well written story. A long story that was very well paced and never felt too long. Absolutely loved it. One of my favorites.

Favorite Quote

You need your pills, am I right?”

Lena looked startled, but nodded. ...

“How did you know?”

Kara touched Lena’s forehead gently, right between her eyes.

“You get a tiny line here when you’re especially tired or in pain,” she said, stroking Lena’s forehead slightly with her thumb automatically. She swore internally when she realised what she’d done.

Lena took a breath, one that hitched just a little, and Kara took her hand back.

“You always knew me best,” Lena said, turning away.

I thought I did.

2) The actors AU in which Kara is an actress that used to play Supergirl

we're playing to a full house, darling (but this show can't go on) by The_Ominous_Owl ; @the-ominous-owl

Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor (Supercorp) (f/f)

Completed, 9 chapter, 37k words, 2017

AU, actors, fandom, consAU, actors, fandom, cons

Kara’s struggling to find work. Lena’s struggling to find herself. When fate (with some help from Cat Grant) casts them into the same orbit they find themselves completely off-script, because while everyone knows about the sins of the father, they're somewhat less clear about the sins of one’s siblings. Throw into that an audience hungry for stories at the expense of fact, a showrunner with a plan nobody saw coming, and a co-star who steadfastly refuses to keep it in his pants, and you’ve got a tale so dramatic even the protagonists have noticed. or the one where they’re both actresses with a surprising amount of baggage for two people who haven’t met yet.

Kara Danvers is an actress who played Supergirl in a series of movies until her boss Lex Luthor ruined the movie series, the whole studio and it seems Kara's whole career with it. Set behind the scenes of a successful crime mystery show, at the core of this story is a love triangle. While Mon-El/Mike, Kara and Lena love triangles are not that unusual in Supergirl fic, this story turns it on its head as Lena and Mike are a coupe at the start of the story (or are they?).

Usually I don't like love triangle all that much, but I enjoyed it in this story - I guess because it was written well, was less of a traditional triangle, and ultimately nobody I cared about got hurt. (emphasis on nobody I cared).

While there is drama and angst, it is pretty benign compare to No one mourns the wicked. I really enjoyed the look at fandom, especially when the cast of the crew went to a con. This is a wonderful and well written story that I loved.

Favorite Quote

“What?” Alex looked up at her, distracted, then waved a hand. “Your thing’s easy. Lena’s in love with you but she’s convinced herself that she doesn’t deserve you because her family looks like a Bond Villains Anonymous meeting and she thinks you’ll never reciprocate,” she explained, glaring back down at her phone and oblivious to the way Kara was staring at her with wide eyes, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly. “My thing is that Lucy is being a stubborn, infuriating pain in the—what?” she asked, finally looking up to notice her sister’s poleaxed expression.

It took several seconds for Kara to force words up through her throat. “Lena doesn’t…She’s not…”

Alex smiled sadly at her, leaning over to rescue her ice-cream before it slipped from her slackened grip. “Kara, I love you, but there is a reason I am a cop and you are an actress. Trust me, Captain Oblivious, Lena’s been completely gone on you for months, ...

3) The nonlinear actors rom-com

blockbuster (it's the movie au ok) by unnecessary_databass ; @unnecessary-database

Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor (Supercorp) (f/f)

Completed, 30 chapter, 90k words, 2018-2019

Kara Danvers and Lena Luthor are the stars of a groundbreaking new lesbian blockbuster. It's the film that makes you cry, wins all the awards, and defeats all the stereotypes. And the chemistry between the stars in real life is insane. Everyone says so. Except for them. Mhm.

it's the freaking movie au all in one place wouldya look at that

This is an oblivious idiots in love rom-com. Unusual for fanfic it is a non-linear fic, in fact it jumps around quite a bit in the timeline and it is done very well.

This well written fic started out as a serial fic on tumble.

Favorite Quote

“I still don’t understand what’s so funny about my abs,” Kara said petulantly, jerking her hips so Lena rolled off her.

“Because you eat like a starving five year old at a birthday party whose parents never let them have sugar,” Lena said, waving aside the information like it wasn’t important.

4) The Kara/Lena and Alex/Lucy model/singer AU

maybe we were made to dance around each other, babe by goon

Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor (Supercorp), Alex Danvers/Lucy Lane (Director Danvers) (f/f)

Completed, 4 chapter, 21k words, 2017

The next day, Kara's phone almost overheats from the sheer number of text messages she receives. Most of them are from her publicist, insisting she call them. Some are from Eliza and Alex and the other angels, others from people she hasn't spoken to in three years and one from Lucy just reads, hahahahahahahahahahahaha with a thumbs up emoji.

The close to crack AU where Kara and Lucy are models, Lena is a popstar and Alex is like wtf (basically the Karlie Kloss and Taylor Swift AU)

Unusual for fan fic there is not a main and a background pair, but two equal main relationships: Kara/Lena (SuperCorp) and Alex/Lucy (Director Danvers).

Each of the four chapters in told from one of the four protagonists point of view. One from Kara, one from Lucy, one from Lena and one from Alex. And this works amazingly well.

This is a pretty angst free story especially for Kara and Lena. There is a bit of angst for Lucy as without wanting to, she is falling in love with Alex, while doubting that Alex really does want a relationship.

Pretty lighthearted. An excellent and well written fic, that I enjoyed.

Favorite Quote

"I'm on a massive billboard in front of your apartment!"

Lena gives her a puzzled look, eyebrows drawn together. "My band is on the massive billboard next to your massive billboard in front of my apartment, and we're also on the cover of Rolling Stone this month."

Kara winces. "Cool, so I'm just blind and deaf then." Lena grins at her knowingly, probably because she's too nice just to say yeah, you are, or maybe because this method is extra smug. She opens her mouth to say something else, but Lucy stumbles back into the fold, cheeks flushed and glowing.

B) Coffee Shop AUs

1) The Barista & Public Pool AU

Dripping Onto You by spymaster ; @spymasters-blog

Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor (Supercorp) (f/f)

Completed, 4 chapter, 23k words, 2017

Meaningless sex to lovers

Kara went to relax at the pool where she met with Lena and they fucked in the shower room

In this no powers AU Kara is a barista. The story, however, does mostly takes place outside a coffeeshop. Lena and Kara meet at a pool. They have sex. Lena never intended for this to mean anything, but things turn out differently.

This medium length story has a satisfying story arc but ends long before a full novel plot. I enjoyed it.

2) Coffee Shop/Barista AUs

The Name Game - A SuperCorp Coffee Shop AU by DKGwrites

Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor (Supercorp) (f/f)

Completed, 1 chapter, 11k words, 2017

Kara Danvers, an art student in National City, works part-time at her local coffee shop. Every morning while she works there a mysterious woman shows up and orders a cup of coffee but always with a different alias. At her sisters coaxing, will Kara finally get up the nerve to ask this mystery woman her real name? When she does what will happen next, and will fate rear its ugly head?

This is a wonderful, sweet and funny no powers rom-com. I loved the Sanvers & Kara interaction. Alex and Maggie tease her mercilessly but they support Kara lovingly.

Favorite Quote

“Maybe you should ask her,” Alex suggested.

Kara sighed. “That would require talking to her, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s generally part of the whole dating process,” Alex replied.

“Argh.” Turning and falling onto the couch, Kara flopped back. “Not my strong point. Can’t I just be pathetic and long for her?”

C) Other Job AUs

1) The Ice Skating AU

these feelings i can't fight by Jazzfordshire ; @jazzfordshire

Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor (Supercorp) (f/f)

Completed, 3 chapter, 28k words, 2018

Mature

Kara only gets better with each practice session, and slowly Lena comes to accept two things. One, Kara is an infinitely better fit as a partner than James ever was; and two, she’s hopelessly attracted to her. OR

When James gets injured, Lena needs a new ice dancing partner if she wants a chance to qualify for the Olympics. Kara Danvers offers her services, and Lena is thrown headfirst into a gay panic.

I watched a little bit of figure skating when I was younger, but I don’t have a clue about it - and this does not matter at all to enjoy this story.

Why is this such so brilliant, perfect AU?

Everything is different, but the core dynamic and characters are intact. In fact, Kara and Lena are spot on. And so are all supporting characters: Alex, Sam, James, J'onn, even Winn have roles that are true to their characters and fit nicely into this world.

The love story is powerful and beautiful. There is a perfect setup and just the right backstory to create a brilliant but troubled and lonely Lena. The right amount of tension with her mother. The perfectly balanced obstacles to create the Romeo and Juliet dynamic that is in the heart of so many Supercorp love stories in a universe without Supergirl/superpowers.

And finally, there is a perfect balance of romance and angst that makes the conclusion even sweeter.

This is a brilliant and very well written fic that I adore. Jazzfordshire is a fantastic author and I think this story is a masterpiece.

Favorite Quote

There are a hundred little things she misses about Lena. She misses her scrunchy smile and the high, surprisingly girly sound of her laugh, which she always tries to hide with a hand over her face. The prominent beauty mark in the middle of her throat, the one that practically calls out for Kara to kiss it. She misses the way she runs her teeth gently over the edges of her fingertips when she’s nervous without biting down, as if she’s trained herself to stop chewing her nails but finds the memory of it comforting. How she somehow manages to always smell good, even after four straight hours of exercise.

2) The Cuddler Fic

hold me, my dear (and don't let go) by potstickermaster

Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor (Supercorp) (f/f)

Completed, 17 chapters, 119k words, 2017-2019

Service provider/client to friends to lovers

“So… How is this done?” She asks seriously, to which she replies, quite simply, “We get on the bed and we cuddle." Lena Luthor is the last person to admit she's touch-starved, but after one hour of service from Kara Danvers, professional cuddler, she finds herself craving it.

Apart from no powers this AU is relatively close to canon: Lena is the CEO of L-Corp and Kara is a professional cuddler (and in her day job she is a junior reporter at CatCo).

This is Lena centric fic, told purely from her POV. It covers a range of popular and important SuperCorp themes:

Kara has a cute pet (her puppy Krypto). Lena's difficult relationship with her mother Lilian (who is not evil in this fic) and their work to salvaging their relationship. Glimpses of a past Lena/Jack relationship. Lena as CEO and scientist. Her loneliness.

Lena has exactly one (1) sassy friend, and in this story it is Veronica. While she only has a small part and is crass and a bit of an asshole, I loved Veronica and her friendship with Lena. And especially her comment in the quite intense sparring scene: “Please don’t fuck on my ring …”

We see Lena slowly falling in Love with Kara, at first without realizing it. And her uncertainties and fears.

This wonderful and beautifully written fic is one of my favorite stories.

Favorite Quote

Lena chuckles again. “... but I didn't expect you , is all.” She gestures for Kara to sit down. The blonde doesn't take the offer though, only continues to speak.

“Ah, right. Ta-dah,” the blonde makes jazz hands. “My day job—junior reporter at CatCo. Can I just say that it’s really nice to see you outside the bedroom?”

She laughs, then halts completely and she frowns. “Okay, that- that sounds wrong. I just mean it’s good to—” She flails her hands and laughs again, the sound strained this time. “It’s good to see you, is all." Lena is unable to hold back an amused smirk as she replies.

It isn’t odd why meeting someone new makes her nervous. It’s not the first time she felt such trepidation either. She has grown hesitant meeting anyone that isn’t with the facade of business; she hasn’t done so for a long time. Kara had been different—she had been introduced to Lena’s life at the pretense of some service, and the offer of friendship had been after the fact. The idea of meeting someone, Kara’s sister no less, is something that she thinks she can handle, hypothetically, but it doesn’t mean she wanted to do it.

D) Fluffy/Happy No Powers AUs

1) The fake dating AU in which Lena rescues Kara from Mike

As luck would have it by spacemanearthgirl ; @spaceman-earthgirl

Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor (Supercorp) (f/f)

Completed, 7 chapter, 30k words, 2017

Who knew that bumping into a stranger in a bar could turn into this? Or Kara meets Lena at a bar then Lena pretends to be her girlfriend to get rid of Mike.

This no powers AU is pretty close to canon: Lena is the CEO of L-Corp, Kara is a reporter. Technically this is a fake dating AU, but only the first chapter: although they just met in the bar for the first time, Lena helps Kara to get rid of Mike/Mon-el by pretending to be Kara's girlfriend.

No drama, no action, no angst. Just romance and fluff. I really loved their first date. A wonderful and very well written story.

2) The sweet AU in which the Luthors are not evil

Jar of Happiness by Cloud_Lightning

Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor (Supercorp) (f/f)

Completed, 1 chapter, 6k words, 2016

No powers, Luthers are not evil AU

It was just a joke from Lex when he told his sister that maybe she really should start to put a dollar in a jar every time people told or ask her whether she and Kara were in a relationship. Plus Lillian really wanted to win the betting pool. Lionel promised to not make another bet. And Lena just wanted to fill the jar with a piece of paper containing the details of her happiness.

Kara and Lena become best friends and Lena is afraid to ask Kara if she too feels more than friendship for her. The jar of happiness is a nice idea and done well.

This is a cute and sweet story that I enjoyed.

3) The College AU in which Kara is a French exchange student

Of Charcoal Lines and Accents by IHaveTheWrongGlass

Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor (Supercorp) (f/f)

Completed, 1 chapter, 32k words, 2018

Explicit

Introvert animation student Lena is left to take care of the the new French exchange student. Abandoned by her family who've decided to go on holiday, how will Lena survive trying to take care of a flirty, bubbily blonde?

It's only 6 months, what could go wrong?

In most SuperCorp AUs in this collection some core aspects of Kara's and Lena's life stay unchanged or are only slightly changed: Kara being a reporter, having lost her parents as a teenager or suffered a big tragedy in her childhood; Lana being rich / a CEO, has a problematic relationship with her family, her brother committed crimes. This story, however, has more differences different, it actually reminds me a bit of Korrasami (modern day) AUs that I have read.

Lena's family is not evil but absent for most of the fic. As a college student without a tragic upbringing, Lena feels very close to her character in the show. Kara is enthusiastic, likable and a bit strange, her backstory however is very far away from Canon and she is much flirtier than on the show. As the story is told exclusively from Lena's POV we don't get to know French!Kara that well.

I liked this light and angst free story.

Favorite Quote

Kara, in all her smug Frenchness, looked Lena right in the eyes as she paid for not only a bullet vibrator but also a small dildo. It only got worse because Lena was under the impression that both were for Kara, but oh how wrong she was. Nup. Because as soon as Kara paid for it, she linked their arms and pulled Lena out of the shop. It was only once they were walking down the path that Kara, in her fucking beautiful accent, bent to whisper in a bright red ear.

“I bought the phallus for you, mon chéri. It’ll help with the stress.”

4) The College AU in which Lena models for Kara’s art class

I'll be your muse by heryellowcup

Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor (Supercorp) (f/f)

Completed, 1 chapter, 13k words, 2018

She’s sitting on a simple chair, stark naked, and Kara forgets how to breathe, just for a second. Maybe more than that, perhaps a few too many. She vaguely remembers their prof telling them about a model, but he has clearly left out some very important details. Like the fact that she’s an act model, or the fact that she’s incredibly stunning in a way that makes Kara’s heart stop momentarily, then speed up immensely right after.

Or, Kara is an art student in College/University and Lena is the stunning act model she immediately falls for

There is not that much story above what is stated in the author's blurb. Told exclusively from Kara's point of view, this story very much focuses on the here and now: Kara is completely fascinated by Lena and starts crushing on her as soon as she sees her for the first time.

I loved how Kara is flustered constantly and gets teased mercilessly by her sister Alex and her best friend Sam.

Funny, fluffy, sweet, no angst: this is a beautifully and well written story that I enjoyed a lot.

Favorite Quote

If there’s one thing Kara can’t deal with, it’s compliments. Another one being pretty women, meaning that she’s literally turned into a puddle of incomprehensible stuttering at this point, unable to find the words she’s looking for, unable to act like a normal human being around Lena. She’s almost surprised Lena’s still there with her, still talking to her.

5) The one in which Kara and Lena are neighbors

What if I asked you to stay? by heryellowcup

Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor (Supercorp) (f/f)

Completed, 1 chapter, 17k words, 2019

Mature

Neighbors to friends to lovers

She forces the words out of her mouth before she can think of the certain humiliation that will come with her question. They don’t know each other, the encounters they’ve assembled together are countable on two hands, the times they’ve actually talked to each other on one. It’s foolish to even entertain the thought, foolish to think of Mike’s priceless face when he hears about this, hears about Kara saying yes - because she most certainly won’t.

“You could stay with me, if you wanted to.”

Or, Lena invites her charming neighbour (that she totally does not have a crush on), Kara, to live with her while her apartment's being fixed. Lots of mutual pining and some smut ensues, but it's mostly just them being adorable.

This novella length no powers AU is told from Lena's POV (nice character study).

There is no substantial amount of angst. The story is funny, romantic and very well written. I loved it.

Favorite Quote

Leaning back against the wall, Mike looks at Lena and embarrasses her further. “The infamous U-Haul, huh?”

Lena feels her cheeks turn red and her heart speed up while Kara reduces her own reaction to nothing but furrowed eyebrows. She notes how flustered Lena is, she has to, but in the end all she does is tilt her head and regard Mike with a curious look. “What?”

The way Lena’s stomach sinks is more humiliating than the situation itself. The joke is lost on Kara, which can only mean that clearly she is not gay.

This rec was cross posted to Pillowfort, tumblr and my WordPress blog.

#supercorp #supercorp fic #supercorp fanfiction #supergirl femslash #femslash fanfic rec #dcu femslash #fanfiction recommendation #fanfic rec

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dukereviewsmovies · 5 years ago

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Duke Reviews: Guardians Of The Galaxy, Vol.2

Hello, I'm Andrew Leduc And Welcome To Duke Reviews And Before We Begin I Would Like To Apologize For The Lack Of Clips In My Doctor Strange Review...

I Looked And Looked All Over YouTube For Clips But I Honestly Couldn't Find Any That I Could Use Except For The One I Used, So If You Were Slightly Bored By My Review Because Of That, I Apologize...

Anyway, Today We Are Continuing Our Look At The Marvel Cinematic Universe...

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Where Today We Catch Up With Star Lord And The Rest Of The Guardians Of The Galaxy As We Look At Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2...

After Saving Xandar From Ronan The Destroyer, The Guardians Are Recognized As Heroes. Now The Team Must Help Star Lord (Played Again By Chris Pratt) Uncover The Truth Behind His Parentage When A Being Named Ego Appears, Claiming To Be His Father...

Will The Other Guardians Discover The Truth About Ego Before It Costs Them The Whole Galaxy?...

Let's Find Out As We Watch Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2...

The Film Starts On Earth In 1980, Where We See Star Lord's Mom Driving With Star Lord's Father, Ego (Played By Kurt Russell) To A Dairy Queen Where They Go Into The Woods Where He Shows Her A Weird Plant That He Planted...

Not That Weird Plant...

Telling Star Lord's Mom That These Plants Will Soon Be All Across The Universe, They Kiss Which Is When We Cut To 34 Years Later (I.E. Now) On The Planet Sovereign Where The Guardians Are Preparing For A Fight Against A Rather Large Enemy Before The Title Credits Roll With Baby Groot...

Yeah I Know, He's Cute, We All Love Him And The Intro Just Adds To His Cuteness...

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Eventually Defeating The Monster, The Guardians Meet With The Leader Of The Sovereign, Ayesha (Played By Elizabeth Debecki) Who Gives Them Their Reward For Defeating The Monster Which Just So Happens To Be Amy Pond...

You're Welcome For The Reference, Dr. Who Fans...

No, Actually It's Nebula Who Got Caught Stealing One Of Their Batteries, Which Of Course They Cannot Allow...

So, What Happens Next? Well, Rocket (Played Again By Bradley Cooper) Steals One Of Their Batteries...

And Now The Guardians Are Wanted By The Sovereign...

Eventually Hitting The Milano, The Guardians Are Saved When An Unknown Spacecraft Destroys All Of The Sovereign's Ships They Sent After The Guardians As The Milano Crashes Down On A Nearby Planet...

Once On The Planet, Their Savior Reveals Himself To Be The Computer Who Wore Tennis Shoes...

All Right, Actually It's Ego And His Assistant, Mantis (Played By Pom I Don't Know How To Spell Your Last Name) Who Reveals That Ego Is Peter's Father...

Meanwhile On The Planet Contraxia, Yondu (Played By Michael Rooker) And His Ravager Crew Enjoy A Little Downtime Only For Yondu To Run Into His Old Mentor, Stakar (Played By John Spartan) And His Partner, Martinex (Played By The Best Lex Luthor Ever)

Seriously, Michael Why Weren't You In Crisis?!?

Anyway, These 2 Don't Like That Yondu Took Star Lord When He Was A Kid And In Turn Believe That Yondu's A Sellout And That He Betrayed The Code The Ravagers Stand For, So They Exile Him...

This In Turn Has Some Of His Crew Including Taserface (Played By Toby From This Is Us) Questioning Yondu's Leadership. But Soon Ayesha Arrives To Hire Yondu To Recapture The Guardians For Her...

Back On Planet Unknown, Ego Tells Quill That He Hired Yondu To Pick Him Up When His Mom Passed Away But Instead Yondu Kept Him And He's Been Looking For Him Since...

Inviting Quill, Gamora (Played Again By Zoe Saldana) And Drax (Played By Batista) To His Home Planet They All Accept As Rocket And Baby Groot Decide To Stay Behind To Repair The Milano And Guard Nebula...

But As They Are On Their Way To Ego's Planet (Which Is Right By Gilligan's Planet) Yondu And The Ravagers Attack Rocket, Groot, Nebula And The Milano..

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Capturing Rocket, Rocket Tells Them That He'll Give Them The Batteries As Long As He Spares Groot. Yondu Agrees To Rocket's Terms As He Doesn't Want The Nova Corp On Their Asses...

But With Taserface And His Crew Believing He's Really Saving Quill, They Question Yondu's Leadership And Taserface Leads A Mutiny Against Yondu As Nebula Gets Free And Captures Groot...

Arriving On Ego's Planet Which Is An Extension Of His Body, Ego Reveals To Them That He Is A Celestial Who Created A Humanoid Avatar To Travel The Galaxy And Interact With Other Species

Back On Yondu's Ship, Taserface Kills Everyone Loyal To Yondu While Nebula Takes A Ship To Ego's Planet So She Can Finish Off Nebula Before Attempting To Kill Her Father, Thanos...

Apologizing For Not Being There When Him And His Mother Needed Him Most, Ego Asks Peter To Give Him The Chance To Be The Father He Wanted To Be By Teaching Him About The Planet And The Light Within Him...

Asking Him To Close His Eyes And Concentrate, Peter Creates Energy Within His Hands Before Forming It Into A Ball That He Plays Catch With Ego With...

While Drax Becomes Friends With Mantis Who Tries To Reveal Something To Him Only For Gamora Interrupt Them When She Wants To Know Where They'll Be Staying...

Back On Yondu's Ship, Taserface Throws Rocket And Yondu In A Cell Until They Can Be Delivered To The Kree Tomorrow, While Imprisoned, Rocket And Yondu Discover That They're Alot Alike As Yondu Explains How He Became A Ravager...

Explaining That After Escaping From A Kree Slave Camp, Stakar Offered Yondu A Place With The Ravagers Saying That All He Had To Do Was Keep To The Code But Being Young, Greedy And Stupid They Exiled Yondu. But Knowing That They Have To Get Out Of There, Yondu Comes Up With A Plan That Involves Groot...

Luckily Groot Escapes When Most Of The Ravagers Fall Asleep After Turning Groot Into Their New Mascot, And Decides To Help Yondu And Rocket Escape By Getting Him A Prototype Fin For Him To Control His Arrow..

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(Start At 0:49)

Getting Yondu His Fin, Yondu's Second In Command Kraglin Asks For Forgiveness For His Actions Stating That He Didn't Know That Taserface Would Kill His Friends, So Telling Kraglin To Get His Escape Ship Ready, While Rocket Gets The Fin On His Head Leading To One Of The Best Scenes Of This Movie...

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Hitting The Main Reactor, Yondu Launches His Escape Ship As The Rest Of The Ship Blows Up But Before It Does, Taserface Sends The Sovereign Yondu's Ship's Coordinates As Yondu's Ship Jumps To Wacky Face Speed Which Leads To Our Stan Lee Cameo...

Stan Lee Cameo!

And Yes, Those Are Watchers Talking To Stan...

Back On Ego's Planet, Quill And Gamora Have A Moment For Romance On The Planet But It Gets Slightly Ruined When Gamora Admits To Peter That She Feels That There Is Something About Ego And This Place That Doesn't Feel Right But Believing That Gamora Is Jealous Of His New Powers, Gamora Walks Off...

Only To Be Attacked By Nebula Who Fires At Her From The Ship She Got From The Ravagers While Gamora Is Sitting In A Field. Eventually Though The 2 Sisters Reach An Uneasy Truce When They Explore The Caverns Beneath Ego's Planet Only To Find Skeletal Remains...

Talking With Ego In His Room, He Decides To Tell Peter His Plan Called The Expansion, Saying That After He Travelled The Universe, Ego Found The Lifeforms In It Disappointing, So He Planted Seedlings On Thousands Of Worlds So He Could Use Them To Terraform Them Into Versions Of Himself...

But In Order To Do It, He Needed The Power Of A Second Celestial To Activate The Seedlings, So He Conceived Children With Hundreds Of Women All Across The Galaxy And Hired Yondu And His Ravagers To Collect Them, But None Of Them Except Peter Were Able To Access The Celestial Power So He Had Them All Killed...

I Know, Right? That's Messed Up...

Asking About His Friends And His Mother, Ego Tells Peter That Gods Are Beyond Such Things As Friends And As His Mom, Ego Admits He Did Love Her To The Point That He Wanted To Stay With Her But Not Wanting To Jeopardize His Purpose In Life, He Put The Tumor In Her Head That Killed Her...

Finding That His Son Lacks Vision (As He Transforms Into David Hasslehoff For Some Reason) Ego Uses Quill As A Battery While He Starts Activating The Seeds On Thousands Of Planets Including Earth...

However, While Ego Was Telling Quill His Plan, Mantis Told Drax That He Was In Danger Which Lead To Them Reuniting With Gamora And Nebula While Rocket, Yondu And Groot Arrive In The Region Of Ego's Planet On Board Yondu's Ship...

Calling Gamora, Rocket Tells Her To Keep The Transmitter Active So He Can Find Them On The Planet As All Of Them Except Kraglin Go Down To Ego's Planet In A Pod Yondu Once Used To Rob A Bank...

Using The Element Of Surprise, Yondu's Pod Lands On Top Of Ego As Gamora, Drax And Mantis Enter To Help Peter Who Gets An "I Told You So" From Gamora...

Time And Place, Gamora, Time And Place...

Attempting To Come Up With A Plan To Stop Ego, Peter Suggests Going To Ego's Core Where A Thick Shell Protects Ego's Brain, Eventually Escaping Ego's Palace, They Use The Lasers In The Pod To Journey To The Center Of Ego But Unfortunately The Sovereign Have Sent More Drones To Ego To Deal With The Guardians...

Taking Out The Pod's Main Generator That Powers The Lasers, Rocket Creates A Bomb Out Of The Sovereign's Batteries For Groot To Place On Ego's Brain...

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Powering The Lasers Through Nebula's Robotics, Yondu Manages To Destroy All The Sovereign's Drones, Last Starfighter Style...

Overloading The Ship, It Blows Up As Nebula, Quill And Yondu Escape...

As We Get Probably The Best Line Of The Entire Movie, Everyone Say It With Me....

"I'm Mary Poppins, Y'all!"

Telling Kraglin Meet Him For Extraction, Drax Goes To The Surface With An Unconscious Mantis As Ego Finds Them Causing And Earthquake Which Leads To Nebula And Gamora Falling And Rocket And Yondu Dealing With Ego's Energy Tentacles As Peter Faces Ego In One Last Fight...

Despite Nearly Being Defeated By Ego, Groot Sets The Bomb And The Other Guardians (Except Yondu Who Is Going Back For Peter) Make It To The Surface...

Telling That If The Bomb Blows, His Powers Will Disappear Forever, And Telling Him What's Wrong With That, The Bomb Exploded And Ego Dies As Yondu Saves Quill, By Sacrificing His Life To Do So...

Ah, What The Hell...

As The Guardians Hold A Small Funeral For Yondu, As Gamora Says Goodbye To Nebula Who Is Off To Kill Her Father, Thanos Kraglin Gives Quill A Zune Device (Would Have Sprung For An Ipod But That's Me) And The Ravagers Including Judge Dredd Give Yondu A Ravager's Funeral As The Movie Ends...

Now Unlike Most Of The MCU, That Feature 1 Mid-Credits Scene And 1 End Credits Scene, This Has 3 Mid Credits Scenes And 1 End Scene..

Mid Credits Scene 1, Sees Kraglin Trying To Learn How To Use Yondu's Arrow With No Real Success...

Mid Credits Scene #2, Sees Rocky Balboa Reuniting His Old Team Which Includes The Flash From The Justice League Animated Series And 3 Others Charlie-27 (Played By Ving Rhaymes) Aleeta Orgood, (Who Is Rambo's Wife Or Sister, Played By Michelle Yeoh) Krugarr (Who Is Unvoiced) And Mainframe (Played By Hannah Montana, I Really Wish I Was Joking On That) In Honor Of Yondu's Death...

Mid Credits Scene #3 Sees Ayesha (Embarssed By Her Defeat At The Hands Of The Guardians) Decides To Send The Warrior Who Is Inside Of A New Pod After The Guardians...

Who Is in This Pod?

Well, Ayesha Gives Us A Clever Hint That His Name Is Adam As A Clue That Adam Warlock Will Be In The Next Movie...

And Finally Mid Credits Scene 4, Sees Baby Groot Evolving Into Teenage Groot As Quill Walks In On Him Playing With A Video Game...

But For Our End Credits Scene, We Have A Continuation Of The Stan Lee Cameo With The Watchers, Which Really Wasn't Needed In My Opinion....

I Really Love The Stan Lee Cameos But We Saw It There Was No Need To Continue It And Having It There Is Like Them Giving Us A Big Middle Finger For Us Staying Till The Credits Ended...

If Anything They Should Have Had The Ayesha Scene Here With Adam Warlock But Having This Here Is Like Them Saying...

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(Start At 0:06)

Anyway, That Was Guardians Of The Galaxy, Vol.2 And I Liked It...

The Story Was Interesting, The Characters Were Written Great And The Villain Was Interesting However I Feel That There Were Too Many Mid Credits Scenes During The Credits And As I Said That End Credits Scene Didn't Need To Be Added Either Way Though I Say See It...

Till Next Time, This Is Duke, Signing Off...

#guardians of the galaxy #Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 #chris pratt #zoe saldana #dave bautista #bradley cooper #vin diesel #kurt russell #pom klementieff #karen gillan #michael rooker #Slyvester Stallone #marvel #marvel cinematic universe #I'm Mary Poppins Y'all

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