#source - suicide squad 2021

[green-lantern-corpse]

Ambush Bug in 1986 vs 2021

[angstandhappiness]

LMAO ACCURATE

*Team JNPRM are attempting to save Emerald from a hostage situation. Jaune and Marrow are pressed up against a wall and Marrow is about to start climbing the wall*

Jaune, on comms: Alright with any luck Emerald is still alive. Breach the building in 3…2…

Emerald walking up behind them: What are you guys doing?

Jaune, doing a double take: You? We’re… We’re here to save you!

Emerald: …You were gonna save me?

Jaune: Yeah, and it was a really good plan too.

Emerald, getting emotional: Well I can go back inside and you can still do it?

Marrow: That’s patronizing.

[androxys]

Task Force What? An Incomplete (Yet Still Very Long) Guide to Some of the DCU’s Government Groups [Part 3]

If you’re a glutton for punishment like me, or if something in the first two parts seemed exciting and you want to dive in more, here are a variety of suggestions for further reading. While obviously incomplete, hopefully you find something in here you like! This section also doubles as (some of) my sources cited, if you’re into that.

If you just want a TL;DR recommendation, personally, I would say read Suicide Squad (1987) and Checkmate (2006) for a great sampling of DC’s world of spies and politics.

I say it every time, but really, thank you to my editors and beta readers who helped make this happen. I owe y'all one.

Part 1: Organization Descriptions and Histories

Part 2: Timeline

Part 3: Reading Suggestions

Suicide Squad

For the Suicide Squad, you’re in luck, because there are three titles just about them! Suicide Squad (1987) is the first and, in my opinion, the best. It ran for 66 issues and was revived in 2010 for a 67th issue to tie in with the Blackest Night event. This establishes Amanda Waller’s character and details how she put the Suicide Squad together. The entire series would be published in a series of eight books, published 2011-2019.

If you want to read the Janus Directive crossover, mentioned several times here, you’re in luck! It was collected in 2016 as Book 4 of the series reprinting all of SS ‘87. However, if you want to read it in singles, you can do that as such:

Checkmate (1988) #15

Suicide Squad (1987) #27

Checkmate (1988) #16

Suicide Squad (1987) #28

Checkmate (1988) # 17

Manhunter (1988) #14

Firestorm (1982) #86

Suicide Squad (1987) #29

Checkmate (1988) #18

Suicide Squad (1987) #30

Captain Atom (1987) #30

After SS ‘87 ended, their next main book would be Suicide Squad (2001). This series would spin out of the Our Worlds At War crossover, and is set during the time period when Lex Luthor is the U.S. President and Amanda Waller is the Director of Metahuman Affairs. It is collected as Suicide Squad: Casualties of War, published in 2021. This one has much less Waller in it, and is only loosely connected in the final issues to anything that came before it.

The Squad’s last titular series would be Suicide Squad (2007). This book is set during Amanda Waller’s time in Checkmate, and details the Squad’s involvement in Operation: Salvation Run. It was collected in 2008 as Suicide Squad: From the Ashes. Lots of past Squad members return for this one. If this run really grabs you, you can also read Salvation Run (2008). It was collected under the same name in 2008.

Checkmate

Checkmate has had two primary runs in the post-Crisis, New Earth continuity. The first is Checkmate (1988), which covers the Harry Stein era of Checkmate. It ran for 33 issues, with the Janus Directive crossover happening roughly halfway through. This run follows from Checkmate’s first appearance in Action Comics (1938) #598, also in 1988.

Checkmate pops up a few times during the Bruce Wayne: Murderer? and Bruce Wayne: Fugitive comic arcs. These arcs are too long for me to detail them all out here, but they were both collected in 2014 as self-titular books. For Checkmate specific issues, check out Detective Comics (1937) #768-777. This arc deals with David Said working as a Knight for Checkmate, and the organization’s recruitment of Sasha Bordeaux. If you want to see Said working as King, that’s in Gotham Knights (1999) #37-40.

Checkmate would receive its major revamp in 2005, with Maxwell Lord as King. This saga is chronicled in Countdown to Infinite Crisis (2005) #1, The OMAC Project (2005) #1-6, and Infinite Crisis Special: The OMAC Project (2005) #1.

After the events of The OMAC Project and Infinite Crisis, Checkmate would be rechartered as a U.N. organization and receive a new self-titled ongoing series. Checkmate (2006) would run for 31 issues. This series would crossover with Outsiders (2003) with the story CheckOut, which would run 

Checkmate (2006) #13

Outsiders (2003) #47

Checkmate (2006) #14

Outsiders (2003) #48

Checkmate (2006) #15

Outsiders (2003) #49

Checkmate (2005) #1-25 is collected, including the CheckOut crossover, in Checkmate by Greg Rucka Books 1 and 2, published in 2017 and 2018, respectively. #26-31 is collected in Checkmate: Chimera published 2009.

Cadmus

Okay, I’m going to cheat a bit here. Before Crisis happened, Jack Kirby created the DNA Project in Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen (1937) #135. You can read that in Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen by Jack Kirby published 2019. A lot of this stayed on after Crisis, and it’s Kirby, so that’s fun.

In New Earth, if you want to read about Cadmus, I sort of have to recommend The Death and Return of Superman story arc. The thing is, that story is giant, and I can’t list all the Cadmus stuff individually. If you’re interested, DC reprinted the entire arc over four books in 2016. These are The Death of Superman, Funeral for a Friend, Reign of the Supermen, and The Return of Superman. This chronicles Cadmus’ response to Superman’s death and the subsequent debut of Superboy. If you’re interested specifically in Superboy’s first appearance escaping Cadmus, that’s in Adventures of Superman (1987) #500. 

The Battle for Metropolis and Fall of Metropolis feature Cadmus’ clone virus and its subsequent fallout:

Action Comics (1938) #699

Superman: The Man of Steel (1991) #34

Superman (1987) #90

Adventures of Superman (1987) #513

Action Comics (1938) #700

Superman: The Man of Steel (1991) #35

Superman (1987) #91

Adventures of Superman (1987) #514

Action Comics (1938) #701

Cadmus continues to pop up through Superboy (1994), which is unfortunately generally uncollected. The first ten issues, as well as the Zero Hour #0 special, were collected in 2018 as Superboy: Trouble in Paradise. You can see Superboy suffering from the clone plague a bit in there, which is a nice bit of continuity, though the series doe not officially crossover.

A.P.E.S.

This group exclusively shows up in the pages of Young Justice (1998), which ran for 56 issues. The entire run is collected in five books, published 2017-2020.

Department of Extranormal Operations

The DEO first shows up in Batman (1940) #550, which is also Cameron Chase’s first appearance. This issue serves as a sort of “backdoor pilot” to Chase (1998), which ran for 9 regular issues and a DC One Million tie-in. This series dealt with Chase’s adventures as an agent of the DEO. Cameron Chase and Director Bones would later become major supporting characters in Manhunter (2004).

Evidence of the DEO’s research camps, orphanages, and training groups can be found in various titles. Notably, Young Justice (1998), Relative Heroes (2000), and Titans (1999).

Wonder Woman’s adventures as Diana Prince, agent of the Department of Metahuman Affairs are chronicled in Wonder Woman (2006). The DMA is heavily involved in the “Amazons Attack” storyline that runs #6-13, but be forewarned, that arc is not exactly… loved… by Wonder Woman fans. The story “Who Is Wonder Woman,” which runs #1-5 is good, and Gail Simone’s acclaimed run starts at #14. Make of that information what you will.

Spyral

As mentioned above, Spyral has a bit of a funny publication history, debuting in the New Earth continuity, but then being largely fleshed out in the post-Flashpoint continuity that directly follows from the pre-Flashpoint timeline.

Spyral first appears in Batman Incorporated (2011) #4. The group would continue to appear through Batman Incorporated (2012). Spyral features prominently in Grayson (2014), in which Dick Grayson is forced to give up the Nightwing identity and becomes an agent of Spyral throughout the comic’s twenty issue run, concluding in Nightwing: Rebirth (2016) #1.

[saysike-skedoodles]

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ALL NEW TO CARTOON NETWORK, 'TOO MANY MISADVENTURES'. Join Bex, Silly and Stacy as they travel through different realms and get into many (mis)adventures along the way. From meeting spooky characters like Smiler to evil rulers like Queen Creampuff. There's so much to see for what these 3 get up to! Catch 'Too Many Misadventures' everyday on Cartoon Network from 7pm EST.

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This is out of nowhere for TMM stuff, but here is the trio done up in a sorta "90s Cartoon Network" style! I put that in quotations since there wasn't an exact style present on Cartoon Network during this time. So I kind of went with a mix and match of some present traits and applied it to how the trio would look. My main 2 sources of inspiration/style references came from Dexter's Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls. I wanted to look for styles that would fit with TMM if made as a show in the 90s. I think The Powerpuff Girls played a bigger role in influencing the trio's 90s look. Which I'm not complaining, I've been watching that show recently and it's TOO GOOD. I don't watch as much superhero like shows/movies (I've only seen The Suicide Squad (2021) ). They're just not up my alley and that's fine with me. But I've been LOVING The Powerpuff Girls. Am I using this post as an excuse to gush on about The Powerpuff Girls? Yes and I don't care HA. This show is great man, the animation, the action, the VOICE ACTING. THE VOICE ACTING OH MY DAYS IT'S TOO GOOD. The highlights to me are definitely Bubbles, Mojo Jojo, Him and the Narrator. But everyone does a fantastic job. ALSO TOM KENNY IS IN THIS SHOW???? He's one of my favourite voice actors so I was surprised to hear his voice in episodes. ANYWAYS YEAH, I also couldn't stop getting Bex, Silly and Stacy vibes from Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles, I think it's obvious who I saw as who. ANYWAYS. Yeah The Powerpuff Girls is a great show. I'm on about the 90s one- not the reboot. We don't talk about... that.

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Also I wanna quickly thank @/TheNexusOnDA for the background and CN logo! He made a Cartoon Network Powerhouse package which included backgrounds, fonts and CN's logo. I don't usually like to use backgrounds since I'm trying my hand at getting better at drawing them anyways. But I just couldn't resist using this package to my advantage (hey, that kinda rhymed). Just to make things seem more authentic if ya get me.

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Deviantart Tumblr Art Tumblr Youtube TMM Official Tumblr Newgrounds --- [all content I post is automatically 13+ if not stated in the title or the content itself]

[lowensohn]

by clicking the source link you’ll be redirected to 14 gifs of pete davidson as blackguard in the suicide squad (2021). you can edit these however you want but credit me if you post them for public use or else i will show up outside your house.

[tomoleary]

Jim Lee - Suicide Squad Empire cover (2021) Source (Lee’s X)

[amphtaminedreams]

June 2021->June 2023: Photo Dump No.22

DATE SAVED, L-R BY ROW:

1. 15th March 2023, 18th March 2023 [graphic source: instagram account @howtobehumanpod, background: Barbican, City of London, 17th November 2022], 9th February 2023, 2nd March 2023, 26th September 2022, 9th March 2023, 16th March 2023 [Fair Game, Canary Wharf], 21st September 2023, 18th October 2021 [Bella Hadid in Paris, September 2018, source: instagram account @crystalmethangel2]

2. 27th January 2023, 17th January 2023 [Vinegar Yard, London Bridge], 31st January 2023 [Russell Cotes Museum & Art Gallery, Bournemouth], 9th June 2021 [Lana Del Rey performing live @ Coachella, April 2014, source: instagram account @tulsa_lana_freak], 13th July 2022, 25th January 2022, 27th September 2021 [DSquared2 RTW F/W21], 14th November 2022 [Soulland RTW F/W22], 21st October 2022 [source: instagram accounts @fleurrrrrrrrr & @natalieenamaste]

3. 30th December 2021 [source: instagram account @posterjournal], 3rd April 2023 [Exhibition Road, South Kensington], 4th July 2022 [details @ Iris Van Herpen Haute Couture FW22], 11th January 2023, 22nd March 2023, 13th August 2021 [Lana Del Rey for Numero Tokyo magazine, March 2013 issue], 22nd March 2023, 20th March 2023 [St.Martin's Theatre, Seven Dials]

4. 19th September 2021 [Van Gagh Alive @ Kensington Gardens, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea], 1st February 2023 [source: instagram account @themayfairgroup], 17th May 2023 [Courtfield, Chelsea], 7th December 2022 [Liberty's of London, Soho], 19th December 2022, 23rd September 2021 [Miley Cyrus performing at the Midtown Music Festival, September 2021], 26th May 2023 [Bournemouth, Dorset], 1st December 2021 [Alexander McQueen RTW S/S19], 8th May 2023

5. 15th November 2022, 9th February 2022, 10th October 2022 [source: instagram account @kiracyan.design], 1st October 2021 [Zuhair Murad, Haute Couture S/S17], 6th July 2021 [Britney Spears photographed by David LaChapelle, 2000], 15th February 2022 [Frameless @ Marble Arch, Marylebone], 16th February 2022, 28th November 2022, 17th February 2022

6. 7th June 2023 [Queenhithe, City of London], 14th January 2022 [Versace RTW F/W19], 8th December 2022 [Twisted Museum, Oxford Street], 11th July 2021 [Britney Spears photographed in L.A, August 2009], ]5th December 2022 [CND for the Blonds S/S15], 22nd March 2023, 28th November 2021 [Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea], 5th June 2023, 29th December 2021 [Giant gallery, Bournemouth]

7. 7th December 2022 [Holborn, West End], 1st December 2021 [Versace RTW F/W19], 4th October 2022 [Bermondsey Street, Southwark], 1st June 2023 [Earl's Court, Kensington], 14th July 2021 [Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn in The Suicide Squad, released July 2021, dir. James Gunn], 21st August 2021 [source unknown], 2nd May 2023, 21st March 2023 [Beyond the Streets Exhibition @ the Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea], 30th March 2023 [Christchurch, Dorset]

8. 18th June 2023 [Southbourne, Bournemouth], 21st June 2023, 19th June 2023 [Christchurch, Dorset], 11th November 2021 [Miley Cyrus via Instagram, wearing Gucci x Balenciaga for the November 2021 LACMA gala], 14th May 2023, 21st July 2021 [Marina Diamandis BTS on the set of the "Primadonna" music video, released March 2012], 8th April 2022 [graphic: @oshthoughts on lnstagram], 14th July 2021 [Bimini Bon Boulash via Instagram, July 2021], 21st March 2023

9. 13th June 2023 [Belem, Lisbon], 16th September 2022 [Et Ochs RTW S/S23], 12th June 2023 [Villa Berta, Lisbon], 15th November 2022], 9th April 2023, 10th July 2021 [source unknown], 30th September 2022 [source: Etsy store ConceptsDigital], 15th February 2023 [Frameless, Marylebone], 11th June 2023 [Jardim das Amoreiras, Lisbon]

10. 17th April 2023 [Bournemouth Town Centre, Dorset], 2nd May 2023, 4th May 2022 [Earl's Court, Kensington], 9th April 2023, 15th September 2021 [Miu Miu Resort 2021], 8th September 2021 [Dilara Fındıkoğlu, Resort 2022], 12th November 2022, 6th May 2023 [source: instagram account @howtobehumanpod], 17th October 2021 [Monse Resort 2022]

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

fortune favors the bold

by geek_chic_glamosaurus

A female Bruce Wayne is born, not as Bruce Wayne, but as Clark Kent's Kryptonian sister.

This goes about as eventfully as you might expect.

Words: 2510, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types, DCU, Batman (Movies - Nolan), Suicide Squad (Movies 2016 2021), Gotham (TV), Smallville

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Characters: Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Martha Kent, Jonathan Kent

Relationships: Joker (DCU)/Bruce Wayne, Jonathan Crane/Bruce Wayne, Oswald Cobblepot/Bruce Wayne, Jim Gordon/Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent & Bruce Wayne, Martha Kent & Bruce Wayne, Jonathan Kent & Bruce Wayne

Additional Tags: Female Bruce Wayne, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/44054553

[phantom-le6]

Ramble of the month June 2024: Phase 6/Re-Boot phase 1 of the Batman Begins-Led DCEU

At last, my monthly rambles have brought us to the last instalment for my alternate DCEU, based on the idea that Batman Begins could hypothetically have been the start of a better DCEU than the one we had via Man of Steel.  It’s the last instalment simply because the film slate projects a bit into the future, so it’s hard to fan-cast too far ahead of real-world Hollywood.  With my hypothetical MCU starting in the 1990’s, and me having a little more knowledge on Marvel lore than on DC, that one will carry on for a while longer, but for now, let’s focus on this hypothetical DCEU.

Now I ended the last phase, which was shorter than most, on a Flashpoint film for the express purpose of rebooting my alternate DCEU.  This is because DC has been rebooting its comics periodically ever since 1985 when the company created the Crisis on Infinite Earths epic.  The whole point of this was to take an incredibly long run of “canon” that went all the way back to 1939 when Superman began the whole DC Universe, and which had since expanded into a complex multiversal web.  After Infinite Earths, DC has periodically rebooted its comics to prevent fans having to wrestle with massive volumes of backstory, not to mention avoiding the need to retire key heroes despite the fact that they created the concept of the side-kick and over time developed it into a way of addressing the need for heroes to ultimately pass mantles along.

By the same token, no film or TV run can go forever due to actors aging, as well as the fact that many TV and film audiences are not always willing to keep up with too long a run of continuity in these mediums.  Luckily, because DC has precedent to reboot in its source material, rebooting an inter-connected film universe off the back of something like Flashpoint can work very well.  Before we get into what I’ve put into my own reboot idea, let’s consider what I put together for my alternate DCEU up to this point;

Phase 1:

2005: Batman Begins

2006: Man of Steel

2007: Wonder Woman

2008: The Dark Knight, Green Lantern

2009: The Flash, Man of Steel 2

2010: Aquaman, Justice League

Phase 2:

2011: Wonder Woman 2, Green Lantern 2, Green Arrow

2012: Hawkman, Batman/Superman, Aquaman 2

2013: John Constantine, The Flash 2, Suicide Squad

2014: Justice League 2, Green Arrow 2, Batman: The Long Crusade

Phase 3:

2015: Shazam, Man of Steel 3, The Atom

2016: Wonder Woman 3, Batgirl, Teen Titans

2017: Green Lantern/Green Arrow, Shazam vs Black Adam, Suicide Squad 2

2018: Justice League: Darkseid Rising, Aquaman 3, Doom Patrol

Phase 4:

2019: Superman: Doomsday, New Gods, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract

2020: Suicide Squad: Arkham, Knightfall, Green Arrow 3

2021: Reign of the Supermen, Green Lantern: Twilight, Knightsend

2022: Justice League: Armageddon, Teen Titans 3, Justice Society

Phase 5:

2023: Justice League: World’s Finest, Nightwing, The Killing Joke

2024: Supergirl, Birds of Prey, Flashpoint

These phases each had a given purpose of sorts.  Phase 1 established the DCEU and the Justice League, phase 2 provided expansion and then destabilised the Justice League by adapting the JLA: Tower of Babel story arc.  Phase 3 dealt with some of the fallout from that while also paving the way to phase 4, which was largely an homage to the death and rebirth incidents of 90’s DC lore, not to mention the betrayal of Hal Jordan.  Phase 5 then began with the redemption of Hal in a final sacrifice, followed by a series of one-off films in the run-up to Flashpoint.  In the wake of Flashpoint, we get to jump in on a new continuity, but one that can take new and different approaches because the previous universe already covered a lot of origin arcs.  As such, here is phase 6, or reboot phase 1 in summary, followed by the details on each film.

Phase 6/Reboot Phase 1:

2025: Superman: Man of Tomorrow, Green Lantern/Flash: The Brave and The Bold, The Batman

2026: Black Adam, Martian Manhunter, Zatanna

2027: Supergirl/Power Girl: Multiversal Roadtrip, Justice League: Year One, The Many Lives of Wonder Woman

2028: Outsiders, Superman vs The Elite, Justice League Dark

Superman: Man of Tomorrow (2025) Directed by The Russo Brothers

Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent = Henry Cavill

Lois Lane = Amy Adams

Martha Kent = Julianne Moore

Jonathan Kent = Tim Robbins

Dr Emil Hamilton = Mark Ruffalo

Perry White = Forest Whittaker

Jimmy Olsen = Caleb McLaughlin

Cat Grant = Katie Cassidy

Steve Lombard = Evan Peters

Capt. Maggie Sawyer = Mena Suvari

Insp. Turpin = Dylan Moran

Lex Luthor = Mark Strong

Mercy Graves = Katie Leung

Jor-El = Hugh Jackman

Lara Lor-Van = Alyssa Milano

Kara Zor-El/Supergirl = Angourie Rice

Brainiac = Andrew Garfield

Lobo = Jason Mamoa

Following the Flashpoint reboot, Superman provides our initial voyage into the new DC continuity, and having used Brandon Routh as Superman for the duration of the last five phases, I’m putting in Henry Cavill as a Superman who has been active for at least a few years, but is only just starting to run across other heroes.  Moreover, while this Superman knows he is an alien, his ship takes such damage on his arrival to Earth that it’s not until the arrival of his cousin Supergirl that he learns anything about Krypton.  In turn, the alien bounty hunter Lobo arrives on Earth to try and capture the Kryptonians ahead of the arrival of the alien cyborg Brainiac.

For direction, I’m using the Russo brothers again, having previously picked them to handle the last two Justice League films.  In terms of other casting, this is a combination of a little real DCEU and rumoured DCU casting mixed in with my own ideas.  I’ve also taken the liberty of picking up the odd Arrowverse alumni across some of these fan-casts, such as taking Katie Cassidy from the role of Laurel Lance to one as Cat Grant for this film.

Green Lantern/Flash: The Brave and the Bold (2025) Directed by Rian Johnson

Flash/Barry Allen = Lucas Till

Green Lantern/Hal Jordan = Zac Efron

Jessica Cruz = Maia Reficco

Sinestro = Zachary Quinto

Kilowog = Winston Duke

Tomar Re = Paul Bettany

Salaak = Benedict Cumberbatch

Ganthet = Colin Firth

Sayd = Olivia Coleman

Manhunter Leader = John Cena

Iris West = Keke Palmer

Captain Cold/Leonard Snart = Sebastian Stan

Heatwave/Mick Rory = Dan Stevens

Captain Boomerang/Digger Harkness = Liam Hemsworth

Mirror Master/Evan McCulloch = Richard Madden

Vath Sarn = Tom Hopper

Isamot Kol = George Young

This film, directed by Rian Johnson (of Star Wars and Knives Out fame), focuses on Sinestro betraying the Green Lantern Corps, but doing so in a different way to what we’ve seen before.  In this case, to deflect investigation of his experiments in harnessing fear energy, Sinestro sets up trainee GL Jessica Cruz for the murder of two fellow rookies.  Suspecting the truth, Hal Jordan defies the Corps and retreats to Earth with Jessica to enlist the aid of the Flash, AKA forensic scientist Barry Allen, in proving Jessica’s innocence.  Matters are complicated by the Flash having to deal with the Rogues, not to mention the Guardians being tricked by Sinestro into unleashing the Manhunters.

For this film, a lot of the cast involves MCU alumni mixed in with a few others, but ultimately the core of the film is the friendship between Hal and Barry, played by Zac Efron and Lucas Till respectively, while also digging into the character of Jessica Cruz, who in this film run is Hal’s sector partner (bearing in mind the pre-Flashpoint continuity already included Guy Gardner, John Stewart and Kyle Rayner, so including Jessica next instead of going back to these characters would be a logical progression).

The Batman (2025) Directed by Andy Serkis

Bruce Wayne/Batman = Brett Dalton

Alfred Pennyworth = Ken Branagh

Lucius Fox = Denzel Washington

James "Jim" Gordon = Robert Downey Jr.

Selina Kyle/Catwoman = Emma Stone

Det. Harvey Bullock = Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Det. Renee Montoya = Selena Gomez

Dr Victor Fries/Mr Freeze = Tom Hiddleston

Nora Freeze = Scarlett Johansson

Ferris Boyle = Leonardo DiCaprio

I have avoided the recent film entitled “The Batman” due to the fact I cannot stand Robert Pattinson, or Robert Prat-inson as I call him, and for reasons beyond just the mere involvement in the vampire-ruining Twilight franchise.  As such, while I’m happy to swipe the title of the film into my own DCU, the cast had to undergo some change, along with plot, characters, etc.  Long story short, this film takes the basic plot of the Batman animated series episode “Heart of Ice” and expands it into a feature-length film, in part by adding in members of the GCPD and Catwoman.  Direction-wise, I opted to take Andy Serkis from the role of Alfred and make him the director, leaving Ken Branagh to play Alfred opposite Brett Dalton, who MCU fans will best know as Agent Grant Ward from the Agents of SHIELD TV series.

For other roles, I’ve gone for a mix of actors, including the likes of Robert Downey Jr, Denzel Washington, Emma Stone, Tom Hiddleston and Scarlett Johansson.  Now as a rule, I am not a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio and would not include him in most fancasts.  However, having caught bits of The Wolf of Wall Street while channel flicking, I can’t help thinking that he would do well playing the uncaring CEO that is targeted by Hiddleston’s version of Victor Fries for vengeance.

Black Adam (2026) Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Black Adam/Teth-Adam = Sammy Sheik

Jay Garrick/Flash = Jake Gyllenhaal

Diana/Wonder Woman = Jessica Szohr

Steve Trevor = Chris Evans

Carter Hall/Hawkman = Stephen Amell

Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl = Serinda Swan

Wildcat/Ted Grant = David Harbour

Doctor Mid-Nite/Charles McNider = Ioan Gruffudd

Black Canary/Dinah Drake = Sara Paxton

Vandal Savage = Gerard Butler

Per Degaton = Mads Mikkelsen

Baroness Paula Von Gunther = Emma Bading

Dr Psycho/Edgar Cizko = August Diehl

Captain Nazi/Albrech Kreiger = Til Schweiger

How to improve Black Adam as a solo film is simple; less Dwayne Johnson, a bit more Justice Society and better villains, albeit with the same director and a better script.  To this end, our Black Adam film shows the title character being released in World War 2-era Khandaq to repel the Nazis, and in so doing he becomes an ally of the Justice Society against a group of Nazi super-villains.  The idea is do an homage to the golden age of comics and to Indiana Jones films using the JSA and Black Adam.  For casting, Vandal Savage remains the one role not re-cast from the pre-Flashpoint continuity, and I opted to seek an Egyptian actor for the lead role.  If Black Adam is meant to come from a middle eastern/north-east African nation, it would make sense to pick someone from that region to play the role and not an American who can only ever play himself.

Martian Manhunter (2026) Directed by Sam Raimi

J'onn J'onzz/John Jones/Martian Manhunter = David Oyelowo

Dr Saul Erdel = John Billingsley

Melissa Erdel = Emily Osment

Amanda Waller = Aisha Tyler

Deadshot/Floyd Lawton = Luke Evans

Captain Boomerang/Digger Harkness = Liam Hemsworth

Harley Quinn = Lily-Rose Depp

Bronze Tiger/Ben Turner = Daniel Kaluuya

Killer Croc/Waylon Jones = Aldis Hodge

Aubrey Sparks/Scorch = Debby Ryan

Bette San Souce/Plastique = Melissa Roxburgh

Green Arrow/Oliver Queen = Boyd Holbrook

Dinah Lance/Black Canary = Emily Wickersham

Arthur Curry/Aquaman = William Moseley

Despite Martian Manhunter being a mainstay member of the Justice League, he doesn’t get much if any attention on a solo basis, so I thought it would be cool to do a version of his origin story in this rebooted DCEU.  For director, I chose to go with Sam Raimi of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange MoM fame, while selecting David Oyelowo as J’onn J’onzz.  In this film, the scientist who accidentally teleports J’onn across time and space from ancient Mars to present-day Earth is working for Project Cadmus.  When he sneaks the confused and traumatised J’onn away to save him, they become the targets of a major manhunt conducted by Amanda Waller and the Suicide Squad.  Luckily, aid is to be found as J’onn quickly learns about Earth and humanity while on the run.  Along with the GL/Flash film, this is a major set-up moment for the later Justice League film.

Zatanna (2026) Directed by Peyton Reed

Zatanna Zatara = Laura Marano

Giovanni "John" Zatara = Pierfrancesco Favino

John Constantine = Will Poulter

Carter Hall II/Hawkman = Robbie Amell

Shiera Hall/Hawkgirl = Italia Ricci

Felix Faust = David Tennant

Neron = Jude Law

Ra's Al Ghul = T.J. Ramini

In the pre-Flashpoint continuity of this DCEU, I gave Constantine a solo film with Zatanna featured as his love interest and equal in magic heroism.  This film gives Zatanna the spotlight, effectively reversing the roles.  In this case, a few years after the death of her father Zatara at the hands of Felix Faust, Zatanna is roped into mystic heroism again when reincarnated superheroes Hawkman and Hawkgirl are also targeted by Faust.  This leads Zatanna on a quest to find out why and stop Faust, along the way reuniting with Constantine and also having to deal with the long-lived Ra’s Al Ghul and the demon Neron.  Direction comes from Peyton Reed of Ant-Man fame, and former Disney Channel actress Laura Marano is my pick to play the lead role opposite Will Poulter as Constantine.  We also get different actors for the present-day Hawkman and Hawkgirl to fully exploit the reincarnation concept, plus David Tennant and Jude Law in the most major villain roles to really do them justice.

Supergirl/Power Girl: Multiversal Roadtrip (2027) Directed by Reese Witherspoon & Elizabeth Banks

Kara Zor-El/Supergirl = Angourie Rice

Kara Zor-L/Power Girl = Melissa Benoist

Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent = Henry Cavill

Kent Nelson/Doctor Fate = Hugh Laurie

Michael Holt/Mr Terrific = Donald Glover

Owlman/Thomas Wayne Jr. = Dave Franco

Ultraman/Clark Kent = Jamie Dornan

Superwoman/Lois Lane = Gina Carrano

Power Ring/Jordan Harrolds = Alexander Draymon

Johnny Quick = Tom Felton

Manhawk = Ed Skrein

Earth-2 Flash/Jay Garrick = Hayden Christensen

Earth-2 GL/Alan Scott = Chris Pine

Earth-2 Wildcat/Ted Grant = Karl Urban

Earth-2 Black Canary/Dinah Drake = Amanda Seyfreid

Earth-2 Hourman/Rex Tyler = Scott Eastwood

Earth-2 Dr Fate/Khalid Nassour = Rami Malek

Earth-30 Superman = Dmitry Chepovetsky

Earth-30 Lex Luthor = Stanley Tucci

Earth-30 Lois Lane = Courtney Cox

Earth-30 Wonder Woman = Gal Gadot

Earth-30 Batman = Sergei Polunin

Earth-11 Superwoman/Clara Kent = Liv Tyler

Earth-11 Batwoman/Becky Wayne = Mandy Moore

Earth-11 Wonder Man/Dion = Daniel Bruhl

Earth-11 Green Lantern/Jane Stewart = Lupita Nyong'o

Earth-11 Flash/Betty Allen = Kirsten Dunst

Earth-11 Aquawoman/Anna Curry = Laura Haddock

Earth-11 Green Arrow/Olivia Queen = Brooklyn Decker

One of the more interesting ideas that seems to have done the rounds in DC lore is the notion that within a multiversal model, Supergirl and Power Girl are the same person, each from a different universe and with Power Girl as an older iteration of the character.  In turn, we also have things like Elseworlds titles that also get folded into the multiversal concept, as well as the whole “evil heroes” alternate reality represented by the Crime Syndicate of Amerika.  Now imagine combining all those concepts into one film, and you get the essence of this film.  In it, Supergirl runs into Power Girl, who hails from Earth-2 within the new DCEU multiverse, and who is trying to keep ahead of Earth-3 rulers the Crime Syndicate, who are trying to steal something from Power Girl in order to unleash a campaign of multiversal conquest.

While Superman, Doctor Fate and Mr Terrific try to delay the CSA, the two super-women begin a trip across the multiverse to try and figure out how to stop their pursuers.  The three universes visited, in no particular order, consist of Earth-2 (Power Girl’s native reality and home to a present-day Justice Society and 1950’s future aesthetic), Earth-30 (based on Superman: Red Son) and Earth-11 (where women are the dominant gender on Earth, resulting in a gender-flipped Justice League).  For direction, I picked Reese Witherspoon and Elizabeth Banks as I think if you’re going to do films with strong female leads, you should begin with the directors.  Having cast Angourie Rice as Supergirl, I thought it would also be interesting to take Melissa Benoist, AKA Supergirl of the Arrowverse, and put her in the Power Girl role.  Gal Gadot also makes an appearance as Earth-30 Wonder Woman in an homage to the real DCEU, bearing in mind that my pre-Flashpoint Wonder Woman was Kate Beckinsale and the post-Flashpoint WW is Jessica Szohr.

Justice League: Year One (2027) Directed by The Russo Brothers

Flash/Barry Allen = Lucas Till

Green Lantern/Hal Jordan = Zac Efron

J'onn J'onzz/John Jones/Martian Manhunter = David Oyelowo

Arthur Curry/Aquaman = William Moseley

Dinah Lance/Black Canary = Emily Wickersham

Snapper Carr = Zachary Gordon

Green Arrow/Oliver Queen = Boyd Holbrook

Mari McCabe/Vixen = Zazie Beetz

Maxwell Lord = Ryan Gosling

Vandal Savage = Gerard Butler

Solomon Grundy = Kevin Nash

Bruce Gordon/Eclipso = Willem Dafoe

Rose Canton/Thorn = Bella Thorne

Matt Hagen/Clayface = Ben Affleck

Vicki Vale = Kristen Stewart

Jack Ryder = Brenton Thwaites

The Brain = Lambert Wilson

Monsieur Mallah = Omar Sy

Laura De Mille/Madame Rouge = Marion Cotilard

Dr Niles Caulder/The Chief = Matt Damon

Clifford Steele/Robot Man = Taylor Kitsch

Larry Trainor/Negative Man = Miles Teller

Rita Farr/Elasti-Girl = Katrina Law

Xotar = Jim Parsons

Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent = Henry Cavill

Lois Lane = Amy Adams

Bruce Wayne/Batman = Brett Dalton

Buddy Baker/Animal Man = Ben Hardy

Capt. Nathanial Adams/Captain Atom = Jake McDorman

Dr Ray Palmer/Atom = Johnny Galecki

Prof. Martin Stein = Jerry O'Connell

Jason Rusch/Firestorm = Isaac Ryan Brown

Booster Gold/Michael Jon Carter = Ross Lynch

Fire/Beatriz Bonilla da Costa = Barbie Ferreira

Ice/Tora Olafsdotter = Thea Sofie Loch Naess

Black Adam/Teth-Adam = Sammy Sheik

Diana/Wonder Woman = Jessica Szohr

Carter Hall II/Hawkman = Robbie Amell

Shiera Hall/Hawkgirl = Italia Ricci

Much like reboots, DC also has a history of putting out mini-series under the Year One sub-title, each of which serves as a definitive origin arc for the hero or team being show-cased for the new continuity.  Case-in-point, following the Zero Hero limited series in 1995, which together with Green Lantern: Emerald Twilight and Justice League: The Final Night covered the whole fall and final sacrifice of Hal Jordan, a number of Year One titles came out, including JLA: Year One in 1998.  I bought the run in its graphic novel form a while back, and it’s very much the basis for this film.  Much like the Year One run, the film focuses on a founding membership that is composed of Green Lantern, Flash, Martian Manhunter, Black Canary and Aquaman, but that also encounters a variety of other heroes as they deal with establishing themselves as a team.

As a result, the plot is focused less on a single adversary bringing the team together and more on how this group of heroes develops into a team, going from a collection of solo acts into a team that can inspire other heroes during a final climax.  In order to get in all or most of what was in the mini-series, the film will be quite long, and again it’s the Russo Brothers bringing it to life.  We also get a fair share of supporting characters and showcasing of new heroes that other films could later call back to, though some are relatively minor in appearance and as such could be easy recasts if needed.

The Many Lives of Wonder Woman (2027) Directed by Patty Jenkins

Diana/Wonder Woman = Jessica Szohr

Steve Trevor = Chris Evans

Jay Garrick/Flash = Jake Gyllenhaal

Carter Hall/Hawkman = Stephen Amell

Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl = Serinda Swan

Wildcat/Ted Grant = David Harbour

Doctor Mid-Nite/Charles McNider = Ioan Gruffudd

Black Canary/Dinah Drake = Sara Paxton

Kung = John Cho

Dr Isabel Maru/Dr Poison = Laura Berlin

Etta Candy = Anna Popplewell

Colonel Phillip Darnell = Tobey Maguire

Rick Tyler/Hourman = Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Jessie Chambers/Liberty Belle = Samara Weaving

Jade Nguyen/Cheshire = Jamie Chung

Richard Dragon = Simu Liu

Nyssa Al Ghul = Brenda Song

Lady Shiva = Kelly Hu

Hellhound = Steven Yeun

King Faraday = Chris Pratt

Rama Khan = Alexander Siddig

Francisco "Cisco" Ramone/Vibe = Carlos Valdes

Red Tornado/John Smith = Teddy Sears

Jeanne-Mari Jiwe/Vixen II = Lashana Lynch

Blue Beetle/Ted Kord = Eddie Redmayne

Dr Julia Kapatelis = Maria Menounos

Vanessa Kapatelis = Mika Abdalla

Barbara Ann Minerva/Cheetah = Daisy Ridley

Black Adam/Teth-Adam = Sammy Sheik

Where Justice League: Year One covers the first year of the Justice League working together, this film shows how Wonder Woman goes from the Justice Society member we saw in the Black Adam film to her cameo in JL:YO.  The film basically consists of a series of shorter stories, giving us vignettes of Wonder Woman’s life during different periods of time.  More specifically;

-1950’s – The JSA aids US forces in Korea, but becomes increasingly disillusioned about why they’re fighting, especially after government liaison Steve Trevor is killed in action by Kung and Dr Poison, and McCarthyism tries to force the Society into becoming their pawns.  Wonder Woman quits the Society and abandons living in the US over this, and the rest of the Society disbands soon after.

-Late 1960’s – Diana is living in London, England and is pursuing a secret same-sex relationship with Etta Candy when she is approached by Colonel Darnell about a mission in Vietnam.  Diana and Etta join the mission along with US Government superhero couple Hourman and Liberty Belle against agents of the League of Assassins.  During the mission, Diana and Etta find contentment in a local village, and in the aftermath settle there to defend it.

-Early 1990’s – Diana is now living with a dying Etta in Japan when she is approached by Agent King Faraday to lead a group of superheroes to the Middle East as part of the Gulf War.  The mission is against Jarhanpur, an ally of Iraq in the war and led by the mystic Rama Khan.  While the mission ultimately succeeds, the death of a team-mate and being unable to return to Japan before Etta passes angers Diana, and she warns Faraday that she will no longer answer the calls of the supposed “good guys”, as they have lost sight of what “good” is.

-Late 2020’s – Diana now lives in Washington DC and works with Dr Julia Kapatelis, who together with Julia’s daughter Vanessa keeps the secret of Diana once being Wonder Woman.  However, when Diana sees her one-time ally Black Adam helping the superhero response to the alien invasion, she re-dons her Wonder Woman guise and tackles Cheetah, a super-criminal who has escaped prison as a result of the invasion.

The focus of the film is to show the hope in humanity that is the essence of Wonder Woman, as although she keeps trying to withdraw from the world she came to during the 1940’s, Diana believes enough in humanity to come back and fight for that world.  Again, Patty Jenkins who directed the real DCEU Wonder Woman films is directing, and we add quite a few characters in on top of the roles reprised from the Black Adam film.

Outsiders (2028) Directed by Ryan Coogler

Bruce Wayne/Batman = Brett Dalton

Brion Markov/Geo-Force = David Kross

Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning = Tosin Cole

Rex Mason/Metamorpho = Alden Ehrenreich

Tatsu Yamashiro/Katana = Sophie Oda

Emily Briggs/Looker = Madeline Brewer

Baron Bedlam = Matthias Schweighöfer

Dr Helga Jace = Marika Domińczyk

General Karnz = Thomas Kretschmann

Count Vertigo/Werner Zytle = Max Riemelt

Anatoli Knyazev/KGBeast = Ilia Volok

James "Jim" Gordon = Robert Downey Jr.

While the Outsiders aren’t a group that I’m hugely familiar with, having used them as just supporting/guest characters in the Batman/Superman film of our pre-Flashpoint films, I thought they should get another of the post-Flashpoint spotlight films.  In this film, Batman works with Geo-Force to form the Outsiders when rogue elements of the latter’s country threaten a coup that could cause a major international crisis.  In this case, I’ve picked Ryan Coogler of Black Panther fame to direct because of how well he seems to do getting people to build up fictionalised nations, and for a lot of the castings, I’m looking more at getting people of the right regional origins to play key roles to aid in that world-building.  As a result, the film is less star-studded than most by mainstream Hollywood definitions, but better the right names than big names in some cases.

Superman vs The Elite (2028) Directed by Jon Watts

Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent = Henry Cavill

Lois Lane = Amy Adams

Manchester Black = Matt Smith

Nathan Jones/Coldcast = Michael B. Jordan

"Pamela"/Menagerie = Ana De Armas

Rampotatek/The Hat = Ken' ichi Matsuyama

Vera Black = Emma Watson

Perry White = Forest Whittaker

Jimmy Olsen = Caleb McLaughlin

Cat Grant = Katie Cassidy

Steve Lombard = Evan Peters

Capt. Maggie Sawyer = Mena Suvari

Insp. Turpin = Dylan Moran

Martha Kent = Julianne Moore

Jonathan Kent = Tim Robbins

Senator Baxter = Will Smith

Terrence Baxter = Jaden Smith

Joseph Martin/Atomic Skull = Joseph Baena

While Superman solo comics have never been something I’ve really delved into a DC superhero fan, one that I did enjoy as part of a Justice League graphic novel was “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice and the American Way?”  The story, which DC and WB later adapted into an animated film entitled Superman vs The Elite, involves Superman meeting a group of metahumans called The Elite who operate as anti-heroes, killing their opponents rather than focusing on saving lives, etc.  The group ultimately comes to blows with Superman in a way that establishes why Superman’s morality not only remains relevant, but is actually preferable to the kind of lethal force anti-heroes use.  The story was the ultimate retort to the rise of the anti-hero in comics during the 1980’s and 1990’s, and based on comments made by Zach Snyder, I’m guessing he never read it or saw the film version.

Given all of this, I thought my alternate DCEU should include a film adaptation of this story for live-action cinema audiences.  I picked Jon Watts to direct this one based on his work on the MCU Spider-Man films, specifically No Way Home which dealt in part with the idea of divided perspectives on key events, as well as choosing to help people versus solving the problem quickly.  Much of the cast is retained from our Man of Tomorrow film, with the Elite, Senator Baxter, his son and Atomic Skull all being the new characters, and of course influenced by the animated adaptation from DC/WB home animation.  This, in turn, is why the Smiths are in the film; it gives us a chance to see art imitate life slightly by having a real-world father and son play a fictional father and son.

Justice League Dark (2028) Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Diana/Wonder Woman = Jessica Szohr

Bruce Wayne/Batman = Brett Dalton

John Constantine = Will Poulter

Zatanna Zatara = Laura Marano

Boston Brand/Deadman = Mark Whalberg

Jason Blood/Etrigan = Aneurin Barnard/Idris Elba

Alec Holland/Swamp Thing = Adam Joseph Copeland

Circe = Hayley Atwell

Dr Psycho II/Edgar Cizko III = Patrick Schwarzenegger

Felix Faust = David Tennant

Klarion = Beau Hart

Jason Woodrue/Floronic Man = Martin Starr

Papa Midnite = John Boyega

Flash/Barry Allen = Lucas Till

Green Lantern/Hal Jordan = Zac Efron

J'onn J'onzz/John Jones/Martian Manhunter = David Oyelowo

Arthur Curry/Aquaman = William Moseley

Dinah Lance/Black Canary = Emily Wickersham

Green Arrow/Oliver Queen = Boyd Holbrook

Mari McCabe/Vixen = Zazie Beetz

Snapper Carr = Zachary Gordon

The Justice League Dark is a spin-off/sub-team of the Justice League dealing in mystical and supernatural threats that the main team lacks the powers or expertise to deal with, and this film allows us to put them into a live-action film-verse.  The idea here is that the main League is incapacitated by a group of supernatural villains, led by long-time Wonder Woman adversary Circe.  Needing a team but lacking the means to find everyone she needs due to her long time out of superhero work, Diana recruits Gotham’s dark knight detective to aid her in assembling the Justice League Dark.  Direction of this film is something I’d grant to Ken Branagh based on his work on Thor and A Haunting in Venice.

As you can see, these last few films get us as far as 2028, so basically four years from now, and that’s why this alternate DCEU goes as far as it does.  If it was to go further, though, where might I consider taking it?  That’s something I’m not entirely sure of, but I think there are some plotlines I’d want to adapt into films that haven’t yet been covered, such as Death in the Family for the Batman line of films, the Sinestro War to Blackest Night/Brightest Day arc from Green Lantern lore, and maybe a run of Hawkman/Hawkgirl films instead of just the one-shot I gave them in the pre-Flashpoint phases.  I’d probably also like to do more multiversal stuff to maybe build up to an eventual second reboot or final conclusion based on the Crisis on Infinite Earths story arc.  I know DC and WB are currently doing this for home animation in terms of real film releases, but they’re not doing well keeping the same format available for each film’s release when it comes to disc-based copies.

In any event, that’s it for this alternate film universe, but still about three phases of 90’s-based MCU to go, and I may consider fan-casting another film franchise, or even a TV one, to keep things alternated.  Anyway, until my next monthly ramble, ta-ta for now.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

A HANNA-BARBERA ANIMATION ORIGINAL -- JAMES GUNN APPROVED.

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on mashup pieces of Hanna-Barbera’s “Jabberjaw” animated character and DC’s King Shark comic-book anti-hero á la James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” (2021), artwork by pop culture maniac-junkie-mashup artist extraordinaire “Butcher Billy.”

Resolution at 1080x1436 & 1085x1355.

Sources: www.pinterest.com/pin/6139049941738866 & X (formerly known as Twitter).

[kirstenhacker]

Suicide Squad 1-2

When I continue my investigation into the DC franchise, I see more evidence that in post-2018 sequels, a software tool was used that fed writers lengthy sets of prompts from an unattributed source book used in the training data for the AI, My Adorable Apotheosis. title% plot overlapSuicide Squad 1 (2016)10%Suicide Squad 2 (2021)30%Wonder Woman (2016)10%Wonder Woman (2020)40%The Wonder Woman data…

[htsghost]

[loki, peter and strange trying to find sylvie in the multiverse]

sylvie: what are you guys doing?

loki: you, we're... here to save you

sylvie: you... are going to save me?

peter: it was a really good plan too

sylvie: well... i can go back inside and you can still do it

strange: [sighs]

[littleoddwriter]

Harley Quinn: If I run and leap at Rick, he will most certainly catch me in his arms. *goes to run and leap at Rick* Coming in!

Colonel Rick Flag: NO! I'm holding coffee! *drops the mug and catches Harley anyway*

[luna--dragon]

Anne: No one likes a show-off.

Sasha: Unless what they're showing off is dope as fuck.

Anne, muttering: Fuck. That's true.

[smh0217]

“I cherish peace with all of my heart. I don't care how many men, women and children I have kill to get it.”

- Ironwood, probably

[sondrawr]

Ben: We’re all gonna die.

Stefan: I hope so.

Ben: Oh, for fuck’s sake.