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lord-squiggletits · 5 months ago

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Answering that ask is a good reminder for me to remind everyone else that Pharma actually did nothing wrong in the way that he handled Tarn/the DJD and the t-cog blackmail, and the only reason he's villainized and seen as irredeemable scum is because the narrative wanted to have Pharma as a villain.

Literally every other time the DJD are shown attacking people on the page (or the aftermath of their attacks) it's constantly hammered in how brutal and unstoppable they are and how traumatizing it is to suffer even as a survivor who merely witnessed their methods so like LITERALLY THE ONLY REASON Pharma got singled out as selfish and cowardly is because JRO wanted him to be a villain.

And it sucks too because it's not like making the DJD terrifying was some retcon that happened 30 issues down the line. The DJD made their first on-page appearance in MTMTE #7, during which there's a whole page dedicated to the Scavengers describing every reason why it's impossible to stop the DJD-- including one person outright describing fighting the DJD as "suicide with delusions of survival."

There's no way JRO didn't know what he was going to write for #7 while he was writing the Delphi arc (#4-5, so only two issues beforehand more or less) so like. I'm sorry but there's no actual in-universe reason why Pharma should be considered evil for how he handled the DJD when every other person got to be seen as a victim/underdog hero defending themselves from horrible death. JRO just wanted there to be a mad doctor evil Autobot villain and that was that lmao

#squiggposting #pharma apologism #he even downgraded pharma's motivations from the outline to the final version!#in the outline per the mtmte diaries pharma explains his reasoning as more or less #'because you can't fight the djd and if you run they kill you and that's that'#and then in canon he wrote in pharma just saying that he didn't want to be implicated in killing patients #EVEN THOUGH THE ELEMENT OF THE DJD BEING UNFIGHTABLE AND UNFLEEABLE WAS STILL THERE #bro literally switched the narrative scope from 'pharma did it bc he had no choice'#to 'pharma did it bc he's egotistical/selfish/cowardly'#even to the point that ratchet (the protagonist and the more well established mainline hero character)#never even gave pharma a single chance and even while pharma was explaining the djd thing #ratchet was threatening him and saying he wanted to punch the smile off his traitorous face and all this other shit #like i get that pharma lied and then tried to deflect blame but that was literally the only thing he did wrong in that scenario #trying to blame ambulon and then shooting life support and running away? bad #but the whole killing patients to fend off the DJD and making a plague to get away? 100000% justified and tragic #pharma was just doomed by the narrative to be condemned as some like stereotypical mentally ill villain #who's crazy and psychopathic or whatever and when he does bad things it's bc he's crazy and evil or something

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itsgirlcraft · 1 month ago

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Yall are getting spoilers for my One Disaster After Another Steve Saga AU~

Sooo this is a modern au where the Steves are all humans that are transformed into Steves. And Sabre is a social worker trying to find the root cause of all this, and keep tensions down. All of the transformations are connected to the Macguffin™ and Sabre's backstory, and let's just say most of them would've died if it weren't for that.

((Okay yall this is 2,235 words so FAIR WARNING. This is LONG 💀))

Dark Steve was betrayed by a close friend in a volcano-cavern hike, thrown off a bridge into the flowing lava far below. He came back confused and angry, but was quick to get vengeance. He haunted his former "friend", burning messages into their walls and flesh, covering windows in volcanic ash, and, eventually, consuming them in lava. No one ever found out what happened, just that they were seemingly haunted by a demon.

Nightmare Steve was originally transformed into a Yellow Steve, his friend becoming a Red Steve. He was overcome with bloodlust and desire for power, taking his friend's life and becoming the beast he is now. He is wanted for murder, and was hiding in alleyways at first. Dark found him, and was the one to guide Night towards his villainous legacy. Nightmare eventually gained confidence and became the King you all know.

Light was on a snow trip and was consumed by an avalanche, transforming into something furred, icy, and yet warm. The only reason they found him is because he figured out how to turn his fingers into long icicles, long enough to reach the surface. The rescue dogs couldn't tell the difference between him and the snow, the two were indistinguishable. The local rangers escorted him back home, including on the train.

Rainbow, ironically, is one of the few people I don't have a solid concept for. He was transformed after the first 5 colors, and shares a house with Light.

Red Steve was the first, transformed after his house caught fire. Everyone thought he did it on purpose, and thought he was a demonic entity haunting the town. In reality, he'd scraped together what little he had left, and tried to run away into the forest. But he was caught stealing food, and that's when the police surrounded him. They would've killed him if it weren't for Sabre stepping in (ironic compared to the og series...). Sabre took him to his car and they finally cleared up what happened, and he lives with Sabre now.

Green Steve was the second, and was caught by a grove of trees changed by the Macguffin Magic™. Their vines and branches swallowed him up, transforming him into something wooden and leafy. He was a teenager at the time, and had taken many walks through that forest. His parents called Sabre to help find him. Green met one of the talking trees, who does not take people. The tree explained there was a burst of magic that changed this forest, and some chose to use their power selfishly.

Blue Steve was the third, and, naturally, drowned. His leg was caught in coral and rock, and he wasn't strong enough to pull himself out. The body recovered was slimy and nearly unrecognizable as a person, until he woke up. Sabre once again was on the front lines, and helped Blue recover. Blue is a college student, and let's just say the second Blue Steve has a...sibling that caused a lot of harm. Her sibling caused the second Blue transformation.

Yellow and Purple were both transformed during a Macguffin Magic Storm™. Both are kids. Yellow Steve was riding his bike home from school when he was struck with lightning. He was lucky that the mom in the car next to him called Sabre immediately. He was found glowing and muddy, but his backpack and such were fine somehow. Sabre put his bike in his trunk and tried his best to dry him off, and was driving him home when he got a call for Purple.

Purple Steve is one of the youngest, under 10 years old, and is directly related to the Macguffin™. Something her currently-missing father built was activated by the storm, bringing an enderman from an alternate reality into their home. They weren't scared up until when it attacked them. The remnants of her father appeared to them, defeating the creature, but Purple was forever changed. This is not abnormal to her. Their father has appeared to them before, giving her information on the creatures he has encountered. She has an enderman plush from him, one of the few physical objects he has brought them. Purple was struggling to control their teleportation, as they kept getting frightened by Lucas, who called Sabre. Yellow decided to come with, and was able to calm her down.

Sabre, as a teenager, helped Purple's father build the Macguffin™, and wears a bandanna due to a...scar, of sorts, from the thing malfunctioning. He originally wanted to be a cop as a kid, but discovered all the corruption and politics surrounding that. He figured a social worker is better for everything he really wanted to be and to do. Compared to the og series, it's ironic how good he is at conflict resolution. It doesn't work every time, of course. Eventually, he founds an organization to assist Steves in both law/safety and daily life, and that's where the Rainbow Town comes from. It's not so much a place, as an idea, though it does have a physical space at one point.

Plague Steve had died from disease when he was transformed, and was poked and prodded for months by doctors. Those very "doctors" refused to tell him what he'd died from, or let him leave. He suffered a lot of medical trauma in that time frame. There were holes rotted away in his skin. He had to wear a gas mask when he finally left, as per the contract he was forced to sign. Despite the fact that it was understood that he was not inherently contagious. He despises the alienation the whole thing brought upon him, and just wants to be close to someone for once. He turned against Sabre and Rainbow violently the moment they believed he was dangerous/evil.

Positive Steve and Negative Steve were Yellow/Red twins experimented on by Nightmare, who was trying to replicate his backstory. It didn't work as he'd expected, but brought promising results after they were able to fuse together. They weren't even teens yet when he took them. A mix of Frankenstein-style experimenting and a bit of psychological torture brought them to their hybrid-like appearance. If they didn't distrust everyone who wasn't Night and Dark, they could've found a safe haven in the Rainbow Town.

Hypno Steve was meant to replicate the Infinity experiments, but led Dark to create something else entirely. Hypno is one of the few Steves that utterly despises what he has become, and never truly embraces it. Of course, plenty spend a few months being Angsty about it, but that is a defining part of Hypno. He's not sad - he's angry. If it were up to him, he'd end every Steve, every source of magic, from this world. He'd purge it all. But Rainbow is the one thing holding him back, that reminds him that his existence has a place in this world. Unlike Pos and Neg, he distrusts the place he comes from the most.

The Galaxy Family is one of my favorites. Illusion ran away from home as a child, and lives alone in an abandoned house, stealing from local chain stores. Galaxy and Void are feuding brothers, which begins to hurt everyone around them, including those most important - their sons. Galaxy is at fault for Void and Memory's transformations, and this is the final straw that brings Void to villainy.

Galaxy Steve was walking home with groceries in the rain when he fell into a wormhole. He witnessed the stars, supernovae, and far-away planets, eventually landing in the purple/galaxy dimension completely changed. He's fluffy, with four arms and a sort of alien-wolf look. He gets distracted by all the sights before remembering the groceries and his kids, going back to find all his paper bags soaked and ripped. He carries everything in his arms, and finds his sons changed too.

Time Steve loves clockwork and gears, and was fixing a clock in the basement when he got caught on something and...he blacked out. There was blood. He fused with the clock. No-one is quite sure how or why, but it happened. Elemental found him after his own transformation, and was devastated, thinking his irresponsibility had killed his dear brother. El took his brother up to the living room, finding he was still alive. Time woke up not long after Galaxy got home, and was surprised by what had happened. But he wasn't afraid, for he had his family by his side.

Elemental Steve was enjoying the storm outside when he was struck by lightning, falling into a pond. He woke up underwater, barely having time to adjust before he remembered his brother. He worried he'd burn/soak things with strange liquid-solid hands, but they seemed to work normally. Time snuggled up to his lava-arm after waking up. He can change how solid his arms are, shifting them in size and, eventually, making them float. He grew his vines around his brother to keep Time close after finding him unconscious.

Illusion Steve was transformed after a severe panic attack while he was stealing late at night. He'd lived with panic attacks and anxiety for a long time, but this one was so overwhelming he fell unconscious. His new body did give him a pocket dimension to put goods in, though, so he used that to his advantage. He took some clothes to hide himself, but the whole experience led him to almost getting caught. He revealed himself as a last-ditch effort, discovering his powers. He's even more distrustful of people than everyone else.

Void Steve and Memory Steve were both transformed as a result of Galaxy and co. visiting. Galaxy was trying to explain what had happened to a very tired Void when his powers tweaked out and he summoned a darker version of the wormhole beneath his brother. He jumped in after him, even though Galaxy wasn't sure he'd make it back. He bore witness to Void's transformation, just out of reach as they fell down, down, down, past black holes and asteroids. Until they landed in the Void Dimension, where Void blew up in Galaxy's face about everything. Everything that has hurt him, every stupid decision. By the time they came back, Galaxy could barely stammer out an apology.

Memory Steve witnessed the wormhole, and ran, but Galaxy asked Time and Elemental to make sure he's safe. He'd run to the basement, and in the dark fell into his own dimension. The two went after him, bearing witness to his transformation, too. In the lava-swamp of the dimension, Memory couldn't speak, running nowhere. He was naturally selectively mute, but here, his thoughts were written on signs trailing behind him. His human face became something of a distant memory by the time he stopped. His nephews comfort him and take him back home. Void discovers what happened and is even more furious with his brother, banning them all from stepping anywhere near him and his son. Void's protectiveness of his son takes him down a dark path that hurts the very one he loves the most. Memory kept in contact with them in secret, until he just...didn't. Void started getting in his head.

So..who did I skip...Shadow, Reverse...oooohh!! Ghost and Faceless, yesss!!!

Ghost Steve was the first prey of the Catacombs, getting lost and, eventually, losing himself. The catacombs are alive, and hungry for an identity. Ghost was a young adult, tired of the life he was living. He decided to leave the touring group, wandering the musty halls alone. But soon he found himself in a shifting maze of bleak, mossy brick, where only his own voice echoed. The longer he stayed, the more it hurt, until it didn't. Ghost doesn't know if he truly died down there, or if he simply changed. But by the time he'd found the touring area again, he wasn't human. He was see-through, a ghost of what he once was. And, slowly, that's all he ever was. There was nothing before this. He was just...Ghost.

Faceless was once a failed businessman, frustrated with his life, and went into the catacombs to get away from it all. But it wasn't long before the dust of the dead called to him, too. He slipped between the cracks, finding an old mask with not a single facial feature, just gray... He put it on, and was choked by the smell of death. But it wouldn't come off. He could feel his face practically melting away. It wasn't long before the color faded from his skin, and the only facial feature left...was a single, sideways eye in the center of his face. It wasn't long before Ghost found him, and asked who he was. ...Everything that provided identity for Faceless was fading, too. His license was unreadable, and anything else with his name was falling apart. Ghost etched what little he could figure out on the stone bricks around them. And that is all that remains.

...

Godamn you read it all? Good work! Have a cookie! 🍪

...

Wanna know a secret?

...

Purple's father is Origin Steve.

He's the Macguffin.

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