#the first batch of designs were more like a pilot

[the-bi-space-ace]

A Quick Cuddle - Part 2 - Tech

Ao3 Link

Part 1 - Wrecker - Tumblr Link & Ao3 Link

Part 3 - Hunter - Tumblr Link & Ao3 Link

Part 4 - Crosshair - Tumblr Link & Ao3 Link

Summary: Echo hugs Tech for the first time.

Words: 1186

Part of leaving the 501st to join with Clone Force 99 was always going to involve a sense of longing. Walking away from Rex that day had been one of the hardest decisions of his life. Regret wasn’t the word he’d use. He didn’t regret choosing to leave with the batch. It was one of the things that allowed him to move forward with newness and embrace what had changed without expectation of who he used to be. Regardless, he couldn’t help the way he missed people at times. Rex, Kix, Jesse, even Cody - who he saw more often than anyone else - all held space in his heart and their absence left him melancholic. 

The downness had been worse that day. His new squad was good company most days but part of him truthfully wanted a good night surrounded by the broadness of the 501st, people he knew and trusted already. People that already knew him. It would shrink as time passed, that he knew, but that didn’t stop the ache as he entered the cockpit. 

The only one sitting up, as he expected, was Tech. Tech was a constant. A variable that refused to change. He liked what he liked, said what he meant, and not a single moment went by when Echo didn’t feel completely and utterly accepted by him. Like another part of himself he found through sheer will and chance. Tech made his thoughts quiet so he thought it best to steal away in the cockpit until the urge to cry passed. 

Tech was sitting in the pilot’s seat, a box of trinkets on the floor by his feet, and a screw driver held in his hand as he drilled away into a machine Echo didn’t recognize. A new scanner, perhaps, or a new invention altogether. Often Echo didn’t know what it was that Tech was working on, simple that he was. He took a seat in the empty chair, leaning back into it and staring at the blue of hyperspace as it sped past them. He’d always liked the way it moved, the way he could stare at it for hours and get lost in its glow. Beside him Tech rummaged through the box, pulling out an object with wires hanging out of its metallic body. He had to smile as Tech talked to himself, yanking out a wire before digging his tool into the empty socket. One day he’d hurt himself doing that then go right back to it again. 

“What’re you up to?” Echo seemed to interrupt his squadmate’s thoughts as Tech jerked his head up towards the voice. He blinked then shook his head, finally opening his mouth.

“I am attempting to repair a power cell meant for one of the Marauder’s engines.” He pushed his goggles back up onto his nose. “My ship needs an upgrade and I have been far too busy to finish it.” He screwed something into the socket then cranked it to the side, several metal pieces falling out that were then scooped into his palm. 

“Our ship, Tech.” Echo reminded, although he knew Tech wouldn’t hear him, not entirely. The entire reason he came to the cockpit was for distraction and now he’d set off a bomb. The man next to him rambled, falling into full detail of the upgrades needed and how he was accomplishing them. Several claims of ‘unseasoned mechanics’ and ‘superior design’ were made that Echo just shook his head at. Something about Tech’s voice always soothed him. This early on he wasn’t expecting to latch quite so fast but there was something about him that calmed the racing thoughts, quieted the anxiety that rested in his chest. The noise was appreciated. After Skako Echo found himself craving company, attention, more than he ever had before. The change hadn’t exactly been welcome, he’d always prided himself on a certain level of independence, but that had shifted along with many other things he was still growing comfortable with. If Fives were here he’d say Echo was always a ‘clinger’ but that was more about teasing him than anything else. 

“Oh,” Tech held up his finger and  stood, drawing Echo’s attention.. He fished through the box then pulled out a gray square pad. A cord hung from it with a box at one end, a finished edge creating a plush box with little divots evenly spaced throughout. “Battery powered heating pad. I know your back hurts often and I thought, since we can’t continue having the heavier pain medication on hand, this would assist with your sleep cycle.” Echo looked from the little pad to Tech. He remembered him complaining about his back? He remembered the aches and the pains that plagued Echo each time he laid in one spot for too long. Not only that but he’d gone out of his way to create something that he could use wherever they were. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so surprised but he couldn’t help it. The idea that he’d taken up some sort of space in Tech’s mind was… well… nice. It made a warm spot glow in his chest, bright and airy. A grin split his face before he could hide it. He stood to take it, turning it around in his hands to feel the fibers. The plush fabric felt nice against his skin, no scratchiness detected. 

“Thanks, Tech.” Echo shook his head, almost too overwhelmed to hide it. Words didn’t roll easily off of his tongue as his eyes started to sting. In an attempt to release the joy he felt he threw his arms around Tech’s neck, hugging him tightly. It felt like the right thing to do. The man seemed startled for a moment, rocking backwards then readjusting to account for Echo’s weight against him. 

“Oh, physical contact. I see. You’re one of those.” Tech’s statement didn’t sound judgey but Echo could see how he may have crossed a line. He’d jumped in a little too quickly, didn’t warn Tech, so he pulled away to put an arm’s length of space between them. And Tech was a words guy. He spoke, he listened, but he didn’t initiate anything physical with Echo yet. 

“I can let go if you want.” Echo started to drop his arms but Tech’s wound around his waist before he could step away, stepping forward to allow shared space again. 

“No, this is acceptable. Proceed.” Tech said as he burrowed his face into Echo’s neck. It was much snugglier than he anticipated, a prickling on his skin where Tech’s warm breath hit his neck. Regardless, a sigh of relief left Echo in a contented huff, hugging back just as tightly as he did the first time. 

Tech’s hugs were great. Perfectly snug enough to chase away whatever sadness he’d been feeling. It reminded him of the hugs Hevy used to give - very sweet and kind - but with a certain exactness that had him thinking Tech had somehow perfected hugs. Studied them, researched them. Something. Whatever it was, Echo wasn’t complaining. 

That warm spot in his chest grew as his previous melancholy drifted away. 

[local-omen]

bad batch finale thoughts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

first of all damn. like damn. they really did it. those crazy sons of bitches did it. they ended this beloved show in a way that was cathartic, happy, full of tension, and did all the characters justice. my faith in star wars has been restored. i am so happy

—— the tension was unmatched this whole episode. like narratively, killing off tech told us as the audience that no one is safe, there’s no plot armor. so the whole time i was like omg they’re all gonna die but they dIDNT BECAUSE THEYRE THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS AND BECAUSE THEY HAVE LOYALTY AND LOVE FOR EACH OTHER AND THATS WHAT THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT. LOYALTY AND LOVE. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

—— CROSSHAIRS HAND IM SOBBING there is something so heart wrenching but amazing about his 'shooting hand' being taken away from him. it's like the physical embodiment of why he was created but now that he's free of that embodiment, he can choose to be whatever he wants. such a good choice narratively imo

—— that elite task force was badass i'm obsessed with their designs and their fighting styles i kinda wish we got more of them but they were also terrifying

—— crosshair finally made the shot that mattered the MOST. i love him so much. like he seriously means so much to me idec

—— still bummed that tech is actually dead (no he’s not haha loser i’m happy in my delusions). while i do think it’s technically more realistic for clone soldiers bred to die and raised with the expectation that they’ll be killed in battle to lack emotion, i think the lack of emotion this season was to its detriment. however i will say that the “clone force 99 died with tech” line was so good it pretty much made up for it lol

—— THE ENDING WAAA A A AAA A. A A A A. A AAA. A A A A A. A A AAA AAA AAA AAAA A A AAAAAA A A. omega and hera best friends confirmed. they were rebellion pilots together. omega is in the rebellion. like that is just the perfect ending to her character i can’t even. because of course she would. and i love her. i’m so proud of her. she is the heart and soul of this show and anyone who hated her is prolly feelin realllll silly right now

—— damn we’re really just not gonna know who the cx 2 operative was huh. like. he really was just a guy

—— that last shot of tech’s glasses almost got me i fr almost cried. he would be so so so proud of omega. he would be proud of all of them

—— omegas and hunters older designs mean everything to me. just. storytelling through clothes will never not be my favorite thing. her little skull patch 😭🫠 the bandana 🫠🥲

this show means so much to me, truly. it has inspired me artistically, comforted me, and connected me to some amazing people. i don’t even feel stupid for writing all these thoughts about a ‘silly little star wars show’ because damn it this is what art and stories means to people!! this is how powerful they can be! i do not need to hide behind jokes and irony to communicate how much this artistic work means to me!

<3

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Space Vampires

(A continuation from Humans are weird: Space Werewolf) ( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)    

The drop ship slowly crested its way down through the cloud banks and shook as it hit yet another pocket of turbulence.

“Would you like me to pilot?” Markus joked as he tightened his crash harness again. “I might not be as experienced as you, but I think I can avoid at least one batch of bad weather during our trip.”

Flint chuckled beside himself before quickly stifling it as Hooper grunted from the cockpit.

The craft was an older class V model of shuttle. Enough room for the cockpit and a small storage area in the back where Markus and Flint sat in modified seats. Much of the craft had been modified beyond what the original designers had envisioned, but in their line of work it was a hunter’s job to adapt to any situation with whatever they had on hand.

“You? Pilot?” Hooper laughed as he flipped a series of switches in rapid succession. “You’d be more likely to crash us into a bloody mountain and call it a detour.”

The shuttle shook again suddenly and it felt like it dropped ten feet before stabilizing out. Markus was opening his mouth to make another remark of Hooper’s piloting skills when the now unamused Hooper held up a finger for silence.

Several more shudders pierced swarmed the craft before finally the shuttle cleared the cloud banks and saw the world below. A desolate world of stone and sand with a sky constantly drowned in the depths of clouds so dense that barely any light at all ever reached the surface of the blighted world.

A perfect world indeed for their contact to meet them on.

“Are we sure we should be doing this?”

Hooper took pause from scanning the horizon for their landing to tilt his head back and see Flint looking between the pair. The signs of doubt already beginning to creep over his features as his right foot slowly tapped a rhythm to some new age song. It was a trick Hooper had taught the young hunter to calm his mind when the darkness began to creep ever closer.

“We’ve not got a choice I’m afraid.” Markus spoke before Hooper could. “We’re in uncharted waters and they’ve more a grasp than any of us.”

“But what if they double cross us?” Flint pressed. “When have we ever known them to honor a parlay of truce, let alone not lie to our faces?”

“I understand your reluctance,” Hooper began as he flicked on autopilot and turned the pilot’s chair around to face Flint, “and if times were different I’d be the first one in line to kill these bastard.”

“But Markus is right,” Hooper admitted with a heavy heart, “right now we need to put aside our old grudges and work together.”

“If it makes you feel better, at the first sign of a double cross we can kill them all!” Markus announced boldly and slapped his knee. Flint said nothing at this but smiled; though he could not help still tapping his feet a little softer. Hooper watched this quietly and kept his own council confined within the depths of his thoughts.

He had been hesitant to bring Flint along for this task. Normally a novice hunter would not be exposed to these sorts of dealings until they had become folly ordained within the order; but Markus had lobbied hard for the lad and their previous dealings with the werewolf pack on Sectus II had shown he could hold his own. Markus was also right that there was little time to follow traditional procedures and they needed every hunter in the field they had.

“Is that it?” Flint asked sheepishly as Hooper was dragged from the council of his mind and turned back to look out the cockpit window.

Just nestled in the valley between two long and tall mountain ranges was a red light glowing so bright it was even registering on the shuttles scanners.

“Strap in you two,” Hooper said as he flipped off autopilot and began the descent, “we’re about to find out.”

With that said the shuttle began a rapid descent towards the surface of the planet until coming to a stop just beside the strange red glow. The area around the light was completely deserted save for a lone figure. Their features were hidden beneath their cloak but they seemed untroubled by the storm of dust and flying stones as the shuttle came down next to the flame.

“Gear up.” Hooper said as soon as the shuttle finally came to a rest and the engines started spinning down. He watched the figure for a moment to see if they would move to greet them at the boarding ramp, but they just stood stoic by the light.

“I thought you said we should trust them?” Flint spoke as he untangled himself from the webbing. Hooper shook his head as he unbuckled himself from the flight chair and picked up his plasma caster that was nestled beside him. He popped in a fresh power pack and the weapon began to hum to life as the lethal energies coursed through its elegant frame.

“I said we need them, not that we should trust them.”

The trip of hunters loaded themselves with the weapons and tools of their trade before Markus hammered the boarding ramp switch and the back of the shuttle popped open with a grinding screech. It took a minute to fully open before the hunters set foot on the desolate world and walked around the shuttle to meet with the figure.

None of them spoke as they approached the stranger as they finally moved; walking towards the flame and casually extinguishing it with a casual kick of dirt. Hooper switched between keeping his eyes on the figure and scanning the horizon, but for the most part the figure was the only one out in the open for miles around.

“I thought we had agreed to meet alone.” The figure spoke as the trio of hunters stopped several paces between the two parties.

Hooper smirked. “That we did,” he said as he swept his plasma caster around the surrounding area, “so would you care to tell your friends to leave and I’ll do the same.”

The figure cocked his head in confusion, but Hooper just pointed his weapon at the ground he now stood over.

“You think we didn’t see your friend buried in the stones?” Hooper asked mockingly. “Tell them to get out here now or this one below me is about to find out what a face full of holy plasma feels like; and trust me when I say it makes holy water feel like a pin prick.”

Standing silent, the figure made no move to acknowledge Hooper’s claim. It wasn’t until the whine of the plasma caster finally reached its highest pitch indicating that it was ready to fire that they finally gave up and made a gesture with their right hand.

All around them more figures suddenly began bursting from the ground in showers of rock and stone, causing Flint to reach for his weapon before a calming hand from Markus forestalled him. These new figures wore elaborate sets of armor, now decorated with a thin layer of dust from their hiding places. Each held a sharpened blade in their hands while burning red eyes tracked the hunters every movements. The one beneath Hooper’s feet making an awkward assention as he crawled up from the stone beneath his legs.

“It is good to see your order has not lost its touch.” The figure said as they removed their hood to show a youthful looking face. “Existence can become so dull without a good sparring partner.”

“Morgan.” Hooper said with a tilt of his head. He powered down his plasma caster as the other figures shuffled over and stood behind their master.

Morgan, voice of the conclave of vampires, nodded in return and looked passed Hooper to Markus and Flint.

“And you’re friends are?” Morgan asked, but Hooper shook his head.

“Cut the formalities and let’s get this done.” He said.

The right eyebrow of Morgan twitched for the briefest of moments in anger but otherwise he retained his composure. The vampiric assassins jittered around him as if sensing their master’s anger but knew well enough to remain silent.

Holding out his hand towards one of the assassins, the vampire stepped forward to Hooper and presented him with a datapad before returning to his position behind his master. Hooper powered on the pad and began reading the information as it scrolled by.

“The names and last known whereabouts of the vampires responsible for the most recent…..” the voice paused for a moment to consider his words, “breaches; as you requested.”

“Breaches!?”

Morgan looked towards the speaker to find that it was young Flint who now spoke brazenly; his outrage at the dismissiveness of the vampire beyond constraint.

“Your kind slaughtered three colony worlds and left a damn near hundred young bloods to ravage the rest of the planet it a blood fueled ram-

“FLINT!!!”

Flint stopped himself as Hooper shouted at him and fixed him with the hardest stare he had.

“Shut. Up. Now.” he spoke through gritted teeth.

Not expecting this from his mentor, Flint looked confused and upset before relenting and resuming his silence. Hooper turned back to Morgan who had remained silent during the outburst.

“My…..apologies, for my protégés outburst;” Hooper said much to the surprise of Markus and Flint, “he still needs to learn how these matters are conducted.”

Morgan grinned, an expression that made Flint’s hand twitch towards his own gun, and waved away Hooper’s apology.

“Think nothing of it.” He replied to Hooper, before tilting and looking directly at Flint. “And I would go so far as to state that I agree with their assessment entirely.”

Whatever the trio had been expecting the vampire to say during these dealings, a formal apology was not amongst them. It was rare for a vampire to admit they were wrong, let alone agree with a mere mortal.

“Since the discovery of space travel the vampire conclave has found it increasingly difficult to keep its members in line.” Morgan began as he paced around the meeting area. He would stop every now and then to look at the ground before bending down to pick up a stone of unremarkable appearance before casually tossing it aside.

“On Earth such acts of carnage were contained and swiftly dealt with to maintain the balance, but now; as the universe opens up around us some of our kind see worlds as their own private feasting grounds.”

“Can’t keep your house in order?” Hooper mocked.

In a blink of an eye Morgan vanished from his position opposite Hooper and appeared with his hand inches from the hunter’s throat. The hunter could smell the sulfur radiating off the vampire and knew he had struck a nerve. He could see the crimson color of Morgan’s eyes and felt the vampire was using every ounce of his strength to resist feeding on Hooper.

Markus, Flint, and the vampire assassins all readied themselves as if battle would ensue but Hooper held up a hand to stall his companions.

“You would be wise to remember your place.” Morgan spoke through gritted teeth. His sharpened fangs protruding from his mouth with each syllable ready to dig deep into Hooper’s neck and drink of his blood. A notion Hooper was well aware of and had his right hand firmly priming a garlic grenade in his pocket to dissuade the vampire should he press further.

“The vampire conclave is handling the dealings of our kind on a hundred worlds across a dozen star systems. Your continued existence is merely a byproduct of our generosity for allowing you to live long enough to spread humans to more worlds to feast on.”

“There’s plenty of alien’s out there too,” Hooper said calmly, “why the special interest in us “lowly” humans?”

“They are..” Morgan spoke as he slowly pulled away from Hooper and the hunter eased off the garlic grenade, “incompatible.”

“That didn’t seem to bother the werewolves.” Hooper pointed out. “Nor zombies for that matter; those buggers will eat just about anything.”

Morgan sighed deeply and run his hands over his face as if he was about to speak slowly to a small child.

“I do not have the time nor patience to explain why human blood is the desired choice for my kind; just know that it is the will of the conclave to see your species continued existence to serve us in the coming millennia.”

He tapped the datapad Hooper still held in his other hand with a long finger ending with a sharpened fingernail that looked like it could cut steel as if it was cardboard.

“A decree that some of my kind are now putting at risk by their rampant blood feasts. If we do not pool our resources now they will exterminate the entirety of the human population leaving us without a crucial food source.”

“And here I thought you just enjoyed our company.” Hooper said begrudgingly. “So your only wish to keep using humans is for vampire food?”

Morgan paused to collect his thoughts, debating internally if he should share the new information with his hunter adversaries.

“There is another reason,” Morgan spoke slowly having made up his mind, “and it is with regards to alien blood.”

This peeked Hooper’s interest and he motioned for the vampire to continue.

“During your encounter with the werewolves from your previous…adventures, did you not see aliens infected by their mark?”

“We did.” Hooper replied, unsure were Morgan was going with this.

“We have discovered similarly, that when the blood curse is applied to nonhuman species the results can be……detrimental.”

“Meaning?” Hooper asked impatiently.

“The curse changes aliens in ways we have not seen before, and at times these new abominations have abilities far beyond even our elder’s capabilities to contain.”

This was grave news that Hooper could hardly believe. A vampire elder, or leader of the conclave, was easily thousands of years old and possessed enough strength and skill that centuries ago it had taken the entire order of hunters to destroy just one of their number. To hear that these beings of unimaginable destruction were being hard pressed by newly turned alien vampires was something that filled Hooper with a sense of dread he had not known in decades.

“You see our problem now.” Morgan spoke, seeing that the hunter finally realized what is at stake. “If we do not correct these divergences now, we may see a galactic scale level of devastation.”

“And to show you we are not joking,” Morgan continued as one by one the vampire assassins began vanishing into smoke leaving the area until only Morgan remained, “we brought you one to see firsthand.”

A loud roar thundered through the valley and the trio of hunters all reached for their weapons. In the distance they could see an ever growing mound of flesh thrashing towards them. Rows of teeth catching the light as it stampeded towards the gathering and Hooper caught sight of a pair of bright crimson eyes that he had seen just now in Morgan’s visage.

“Au revoir, Mr. Hooper.”

Hooper turned back to see Morgan vanishing into smoke, laughing as the tyrant alien vampire continued thundering towards the hunters.

[archivistofnerddom]

Hilarious Rebels/Bad Batch crossover idea:

Everyone is chilling on Yavin 4 in a rare moment of peace. They’re enjoying this little respite to rest and recover. The Spectres is enjoying their time together, especially since they were able to get Rex and Kallus outside to enjoy some fresh air around the Ghost.

And then a heavily-modified Omicron class shuttle from the late Republic and early Empire era comes in for a hasty landing. It’s an . . . unusual approach to say the least, complete with a specific turn and a touch-down that few pilots would dare to attempt.

Everyone, especially the Spectres, are interested in what this means.

Hera remembers this ship and what its occupants did to help Ryloth during the early Imperial period. Kanan gets leery, by contrast, since he remembers Kaller.

And Rex just laughs, gets up, and casually strolls over to the shuttle.

When the shuttle opens, a blonde woman emerges from inside like a bat out of hell, rushing over to hug Rex. He is equally as excited to see her, retuning that big hug with equal enthusiasm. The spectators can hear the gonking of a GNK droid echoing from inside.

The woman is wearing an amalgamation of several different clone trooper armor pieces with some unique adaptations. Zeb is the first to comment on the massive knife attached to her thigh and the smaller one sheathed on her forearm. Kallus responds with an observation about the Zygerrian bow she’s carrying. (Using that weapon takes practice and skill.) Ezra is intrigued by the unique design of the helmet she’s carrying, especially with the skull motif on it.

Before anyone can ask who this woman is or how she found the Rebellion, Rex asks, “So, why do you need a cover story when your brothers call me in a huff?”

The woman grins and pulls out a ratty old red bandana from a pouch on her hip. (She’s got more pouches than seem necessary on her person, but she seems to know what is where.) That makes Rex howl with laughter.

“It was either this or Echo’s legs . . . and I already stole those as a prank three times,” the woman replies. “This was harder to steal honestly, but it was completely worth it!”

“This is why you’re my favorite sister, ‘Megs. I haven’t seen Hunter without that thing on in . . . maybe since Bracca actually. You know he’s going to call me to see if I know where you are, right?” Rex tells her.

Neither seem to notice the audience growing around them. With that landing and the age of the shuttle, how could there not be an audience? If they do notice their audience, they clearly don’t care. Their reunion is more important to them to worry about that.

The woman gives Rex a sly smirk. “Of course, he will. And you get to witness first hand the annoyance of Hunter with a terrible haircut. Cross pulled out the clippers again while Hunter was napping.”

That seems to make Rex’s day.

“Don’t tell me what new haircut he got. I want to be surprised.” Rex finally deigns to notice the group watching him. The Ghost crew especially seem fascinated by who this woman is. He slings an around her shoulder and asks, “Why is everyone so interested in my sister all of a sudden? You haven’t seem siblings reunite before?”

“We didn’t know you have a sister,” Sabine asks carefully. (She’s fascinated by the modifications to the shuttle. There’s no way it should be in as good condition as it is at its age.)

The woman shakes her head. “Hera did. She’s met our brothers and my squad before.”

Hera grins and laughs. “I have. It’s great to see you again, Omega. How are your brothers, by the way.”

“Oh fantastic. I’ll tell you about what they’re up to over dinner, if that’s okay with you. Rex should be getting a very annoyed call any time now from Pabu. Hunter will have looked in the mirror by now. I promised Tech and Wrecker I’d record Rex’s reaction,” the newly-named Omega says.

And that’s when Kanan finally finds his words.

“How the kriff are Rex and Clone Force 99 your brothers? They’re clones - male clones,” he asks, a myriad of emotions in his voice.

Omega sighs. This isn’t the first time that she’s had this conversation.

“Well, let’s just say some of us are little . . . deviant from the standard mold,” she replies. “Though, we prefer to be called the Bad Batch.”

[yukipri]

The Bad Batch Season 2 Wrap Up Thoughts

I never ended up sharing my thoughts on the Bad Batch S2 finale. Since we're hopefully getting news of S3 tomorrow, this seemed like a good time?

First, to be clear, I love so much about the show. This is not meant to be a complaint thread. But I'm also critical of certain aspects. You're warned.

This is also a compiled Twitter thread!

Spoilers through the end of Season 2!

First off, I can't understate how beautiful the show was, just as an experience. The cinematography, the visual designs, the music. The unique worlds and unique characters. There were so many shots that were breathtaking, haunting. When a scene hits, it HITS.

I love both TCW & Rebels dearly, but cumulative skills + experience as well as new technology clearly shows. TBB, TotJ (and of course TCW S7) are just so captivating to watch as works of art. These shows are, frankly, worth it for that alone. But of course that's not all.

One of TBB's strengths is the depth it gives the worlds the characters visit, as well as the side/guest characters. Perhaps due to the nature of many of the episodes being more of an exploration than straight up war like TCW, but we can see more of these places. TCW also had so many neat planets/aliens/cultures, but due to the constantly pressing war, we were only ever allowed a glimpse and I constantly wished there was more. TBB really scratched that itch. I'm thinking specifically of Kashyyyk, with its fauna and wookiee traditions.

The same with side/guest characters. They all had such great flavor, with fun designs and motives. Phee was a standout among the non-clones. I also loved how it gave us such a personal exploration of characters we knew and loved before, like Riyo.

The thing about TBB is that it's set in such a fascinating time period that we don't have too much media of, at least in new canon. The formation of the Empire is a time where we know all these other characters must be alive and working hard, but we haven't seen it before.

This leads me to the writing. Oh, the writing...

How do I say this. The writing in this show gave me whiplash. Some of the episodes were beyond brilliant, giving us deeply personal character moments, layered metaphors, and context in how it affects the greater SW universe.

Others...not so much.

I understand this is not the case for everyone, but for me personally to enjoy a story, when there are any stakes involved, I need the characters to show some awareness of them, and for these to affect their actions. There are a limited number of episodes and that time must be spent wisely. I don't mean this at all to say that I didn't enjoy the lighter fun adventure missions with the Batch, nor do I think these episodes can't be used productively.

But TBB S1 started off with Crosshair siding with the Empire.

I kept waiting for them to *show* that the others cared. It could be they were troubled, it could be they missed him, it could have been shown in so many ways. I kept expecting these brief moments in the Fun Times episodes, which would have given me some emotional continuity.

The writers are absolutely capable of it! After Plan 99, when Echo glances at the co-pilot seat—stuff like that, I was personally expecting it through all of S1 and S2. I get that the Batch feel they have to do other things and Crosshair made his own choice, but I thought the point was they care about their brother regardless.

Mind you, I'm not the biggest fan of Crosshair, but I do find him interesting. And I felt that in the two episodes most centered around him, he had such tangible growth that was depicted so well. He went from stating that the Batch are superior to regs in S1 finale, to having clear doubts after working with Cody, to shooting a natborn officer because he didn't help a "reg" he'd just met. We see Crosshair being included by the clones he disdains, we see how it compares to the Empire he thought he wanted to be a part of. The writing in Crosshair's episodes were tight, and he went far within them, few as they were.

In comparison, the rest of the Batch...with their far greater number of episodes...what were they doing??

I love character-centric eps, but even on a personal level, I wasn't sure what the charas gained. Tech is the sole exception; he was given many introspective moments, from Sorenno, to Phee, to the cave talk with Omega. Not sure how much he changed, but he expressed himself.

To also be clear, I'm also not including Echo in any of this. He has been the voice of trying to get the Batch to do things, to *change*, since S1. I felt his frustration keenly. Which is why I felt that when he left to go with Rex...I sort of left the Batch with him.

I mean this in the sense that Echo didn't *want* to leave the Batch, not necessarily. He wanted, and he *did* try to get Hunter to care about what their brothers are suffering, and he has been since S1. Echo can't stand to leave them chipped when he could do something.

He wanted the Batch to feel the same. *I* wanted the Batch to feel the same. But they didn't. I see Echo breaking with them less as him leaving, and more as they (or at least Hunter) firmly telling him that that's not their fight, and they're not going to do it.

This isn't the Batch going out of their way to help, or not knowing how. Echo and Rex have given them an open invitation. The Batch know how to help, who needs it, and why. They know their "reg" brothers don't have many if any others fighting for them. The Batch (Hunter) have these opportunities to help and know they are among the few positioned to offer it...and they still walk away.

The Batch (Hunter) sees the other clones fates as none of their business. On one hand, I get that they never fit in, were called names and weren't allowed to sit with the cool kids at lunch. On the other, "they were mean" and "therefore they should be mind-controlled slaves" is grossly disproportional. Likewise it's not as though this fight doesn't concern them. Even if they can't find it in themselves to care about "regs," it's Rex who told them to remove their chips and went out of his way to make sure they did based on info that Fives gathered, without which Wrecker would have killed Omega. Perhaps I wouldn't go as far as to say they *owe* other clones, but my opinion of them certainly continued to drop as they made explicitly clear that they're fine with this being the fate of other clones.

So okay, fine. TBB isn't a story about the Batch discovering they have more alike with other clones than they first thought (other than Crosshair, who actually does get that story). That's what I wanted, alright, I know I'm not getting that at this point.

But then, where does that leave them? What do they care about, what do they fight for?

Their brother...right?

Except...they don't really do that either??? (points at earlier in this rant) At least, until the very last episodes, where an opportunity presents itself, and most of the Batch jumps on it...except Hunter.

The way he's written just *baffles* me. I can't say anything about his personality other than "he cares about Omega," but even that, when at the expense of his other brothers, is tiring. Immediately after Tech gives his life on a mission he wanted to go on to try to save Crosshair, he suggests they all hide away on Pabu (even with the knowledge that Omega is wanted and they're being hunted). I get that he wanted to hide from the pain, but in that context?? Even then, he can't care about Cross??

And then when Omega is kidnapped, the difference in his reaction between that and what happened with Crosshair...it was, frankly, painful.

I feel like by the end of the series, Tech would have been more open to joining Echo/the clones' fight. Wrecker will just go along. Echo has already plunged headfirst into helping others, Crosshair got character growth and defected from the Empire. And Omega has always wanted to help even strangers, but only doesn't when Hunter tells her no.

I feel that Hunter's the one dragging his heels for the Batch to progress, and he's supposed to be the leader.

All of this to say, I've been trying so hard to like the Batch since S1, and they didn't really click for me (other than Echo, who I don't count since I loved him from long before, and still consistently have). But by the end of S2, I think I've concluded that I'd like the others perfectly fine if they were under different leadership that encouraged them to care, to act.

I don't want to say I *dislike* him, but man...I'm super disappointed in Hunter, and I'm not sure if/how that might change.

This leads me to my final thought, which is: I would strongly prefer if "the Clone Story" be told from a different lens than Hunter-centric TBB.

What I mean is, throughout the show, there have been multiple pivotal events that affect all clones, not just the Batch.

The fall of Kamino, the failure of the clones' rights bill are the big ones. But even without those, through the glimpses of the "regs" like Howzer, Gregor, Wilco, Cody, Slip, Cade, and Mayday, we see how the Empire is treating the rest of them as a group.

I'm deeply invested in these boys and their stories, and frankly, all of these boys instantly became my faves in their few moments of screen time. I want more of these, and it feels deeply unfair that they've done so much to tell compelling stories but have so little time.

They are an extension of the clones I love from TCW in a way that the Batch just aren't, and don't seem to be interested in becoming.

Not even that, but we know from Hunter's rejection of Echo that the Batch (Hunter) don't *care.*

Fine, they don't care. But I'm admittedly deeply concerned about how S3 will go, because even if the Batch doesn't care about the Clone Story, they (Hunter) don't seem to be doing a great job progressing their internal story either (Crosshair).

I understand Omega has some crucial background we're *finally* getting to. I want to know why she's special, why she's unaltered. I want to know what she has that Boba doesn't, or if she's just Nala Se's favorite. Maybe that's relevant to the Clone Story.

But frankly, personally, I would prefer if TBB S3 goes full in focussing on building Hunter and Wrecker up emotionally, and just going full in on what it means for them as a Batch to be there for each other. They need that, desperately, without distractions.

I would prefer if the Clone Story (frankly, the story I'm far more invested in) is told through Rex and other clones, who passionately care and are in the fight. If Echo jumps between the 2 groups and links them, great! I think the Batch would make excellent guest characters. But NOT protagonists of a story where they don't care while everyone else does.

I guess all of this to say, it's sad that I think I liked the Batch the most in TCW S7, and my impression of them as a group (which I recognize is largely due to Hunter) has only gone downhill since.

Again, to be clear, I did enjoy the show.

I LOVED eps 3, 7, 8, 12, 14, to the point I'd say they're possibly my favorite eps of any SW show. These eps are conspicuously non Batch-centric. I loved many *parts* of other episodes.

The *show* has given me so much to love. Unfortunately, none of those things are Hunter.

[usafphantom2]

Rendering of F-16 in Ukrainian camouflage and markings (Image credit: Ukrainian Air Force)

Breaking: Ukraine Receives First Batch Of F-16 Fighter Jets

July 31, 2024 Military Aviation

Ukraine F-16

Sources familiar with the matter reported that a small number of aircraft has been delivered, with a U.S. official providing further confirmation.

After a long wait, it appears that Ukraine has just received the first batch of F-16s provided by the international fighter jet coalition. The news, first disclosed by Bloomberg on Jul. 31, 2024, has also been confirmed by a U.S. official to the Associated Press.

According to people familiar with the matter, who spoke under condition of anonymity with Bloomberg, the deadline for the transfer of the first F-16s was the end of this July and it has been respected, although the number of jets is small. The sources also added that it is currently unknown if the fighters will be put immediately to use or if their entry into service will require more time.

While the news immediately started making the rounds, the Associated Press was able to obtain confirmation by an unnamed U.S. official, possibly speaking under condition of anonymity, but no additional details were provided. The Ukrainian government also has not confirmed the arrival of the first Vipers in country.

Earlier this month, the United States, the Netherlands and Denmark released a joint statement mentioning that the transfer of the F-16s was underway and that they would be operational by this summer. No additional details were provided due to operational security concerns, and things are possibly going to stay that way for a while, unless photos or videos start circulating.

The preparation for the arrival

Ukraine has been preparing for months for the arrival of the U.S.-made fighter jet, which reinforce the Ukrainian Air Force and supplement the Soviet-era MiG-29s and Su-27s. Among the preparations are measures to protect the new aircraft from Russian attacks while on the ground.

The strategy being developed by the Ukrainian Air Force involves the use of underground bunkers and dispersal of the aircraft across various airstrips, making it challenging for Russian forces to target the F-16s. No information is available about the existence of underground airbase facilities in Ukraine (and their creation is not quick), hence the most likely option appears that F-16s will be recovered inside concrete shelters at existing Ukrainian air bases.

The Ukrainian Air Force has long been conducting operations from austere airfields from highway strips and improvised airfields as part of its strategy to enhance operational flexibility and resilience amid ongoing conflict. Highway strips and improvised airfields offer alternative operating locations that are less vulnerable to detection and destruction by adversary forces.

Ukrainian pilots are being trained to use these unconventional airstrips effectively for some years now to build up the skills required to take off and land on shorter runways and navigate the challenges posed by non-standard facilities. So far, highway operations have involved Ukrainian aircraft that were designed to operate from austere airfields or have a small logistical footprint, like the Su-25 or the Su-27.

While F-16s can theoretically operate from improvised airfields, including highway strips or other unprepared surfaces, there are certain things consider, like the surface condition. In fact, the F-16 requires a solid surface to prevent damage to its landing gear and other components and, moreover, the surface needs to be clean, as the F-16 is prone to Foreign Object Damage (FOD) because of the large ventral air intake.

At the moment, training of Ukrainian pilots is underway in the UK, in the U.S., in Denmark and in Romania, depending on their flying experience. A European F-16 Training Centre (EFTC) at Baza 86 Aeriana Fetesti was established to train Romanian and Ukrainian pilots, as well as other regional F-16 operators with more 18 RNLAF (Royal Netherlands Air Force) F-16s, which remain property of the Dutch government, available for this purpose.

What the F-16 can do for Ukraine

Ukrainian Air Force Command’s chief of aviation, Brigadier General Serhiy Golubtsov, explained in June what to expect by the Western fighter jet. While mentioning that the F-16 is intricately linked to the optimum performance of the Western weapons already delivered to Ukraine, he also highlighted that these aircraft are not a “panacea” for air superiority.

In fact, the General said they should not expect anything unrealistic, as it will be difficult to gain air superiority with the aircraft alone. Instead, the effort is expected to be a much larger, complex undertaking with Electronic Warfare platforms and long-range radar detection aircraft, referring to the Swedish ASC 890 Airborne Early Warning aircraft.

The versatile, multirole jet will augment and replace the Soviet-era fighters tweaked to fire the weapons donated by the West, which however encountered some difficulties. These include the JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition), AGM-88 HARM (High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile), ADM-160 MALD (Miniature Air-Launched Decoy) and the Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG ALCM (Air-Launched Cruise Missile).

About Stefano D'Urso

Stefano D'Urso is a freelance journalist and contributor to TheAviationist based in Lecce, Italy. A graduate in Industral Engineering he's also studying to achieve a Master Degree in Aerospace Engineering. Electronic Warfare, Loitering Munitions and OSINT techniques applied to the world of military operations and current conflicts are among his areas of expertise.

@TheAviationist.com

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 4/11/2023

more concise than usual. don't get used to it.

listening

the trombone is an underutilized instrument in indie rock. this is a delightful music video, the vocals bother me a lot less now that i know they're deliberately going for a robotic effect.

if you liked the Killing Eve soundtrack (largely brought to you by Unloved and Junoire), that sort of very smooth lightly psych-rock flavored thinking woman's music to smoke clove cigarettes to while slouching around used bookstores, you may like this song! reading this back it sounds kind of snotty but sometimes you need a french woman main character song to make doing errands feel like being on a secret mission

i found one of their previous albums, Psycho Tropical Berlin, sort of a one-hit wonder with Hypsoline (the credits song for As Above So Below) but it really is a fucking banger

i want the album art as a shirt So Bad but not enough to pay $25 shipping from france about it.

i think this was off the spotify weekly discover playlist? can't imagine where else i would have run across it

-

reading

remember the vampire-adjacent private detective novels i was reading? not the ones from last week, the earlier ones. the author alexis hall chucks you a free short story Sand and Ruin and Gold if u sign up for his mailing list.

i think the orca comparisons are a touch heavy-handed at times, but the imagery in this thing...i really am a sucker for the rot of a coastal tourist trap. i bear no fondness, but i do give them a weary nod of acknowledgement. this town is a construct for other people to enjoy. i typed out a very long thing about how the economics of tourism shaped the town and everything about the civic calendar down to the school year, but--it was not really meant to have real residents or be a real place. there was absolutely nothing to do and nowhere to hang out without paying for anything in the off season.

It was just after closing on Reunification Day, the last of the stragglers gathered up and banished back to their world. A spiral of faded, plastic bunting from the celebrations had blown into one of the pools. I went to get a pole to hook it out but heard a splash and turned in time to see Nerites leap from the water in a gleam of skin and scales. The wind whisked the ribbon from between his fingers, and he reached after it, his body twisting sinuously in the air before he crashed into the pool again.

I’d never seen him—or any of them—move like that before. The jumps and slides we taught them were supposed to mimic their natural behaviours, but they rarely performed them spontaneously. And this was something else again: a wild leap and an ungainly splash, more beautiful to me than the most perfect bow or spin because it seemed so absolutely heedless.

He surfaced again, almost vertical, spinning in the pale-grey spray, one hand catching for the bunting’s tail. A tug, and it tumbled from the sky, nothing but a lifeless piece of string.

i am beginning to remember that all the shit that really sticks in my brain is in short stories and novellas you (general, including me) have never heard of.

-

watching

star wars resistance. i am finding this far more enjoyable than the bad batch or the mandalorian bc it has something of a storyline that it sticks to, even though most of the runtime is a teen... he's not really a teen, he was a new republic pilot so he's probably like twenty but in my heart he's like fifteen. part of the appeal of ds9 for me was a very consolidated set of recurring background characters and getting to see that there are other things/factions/people all working for their own ends. baby's first practice spy mission.

the ship design is really killer: it asks and answers the question "what if a pirate spaceship was also a galleon?"

i find myself excited to watch the next episode, which is not a familiar feeling when i watch star wars stuff. i really hope s2 holds my interest as much as s1 did.

why am i doing this? i have seen all the star wars except for: most of the LEGO stuff, most of the addendum and errata for tcw (including the crystal crisis arc), the holiday special, and most of the droids and ewoks animated shows. like i am Really scraping the bottom of the barrel here, even though i'm not really sure why this show fell into such obscurity.

-

playing

a bit cranky with weird west, bc i think to get past this stealth level i will have to dismiss my companion (can't seem to knock out guards unless i'm standing up, the companion AI has a very loose definition of "staying close" and is only "invisible" if you're also crouching, and you can't direct your companion to stay put in one place OR to stay close/stay crouched permanently. i may have exhausted most of the appeal of the world on my first fifteen-hour run through the first story. i am more than a little disappointed bc i did have a fuckton of fun in those fifteen hours and was expecting the good times to continue.

-

making

still halfheartedly poking away at the baby blanket, less than half a repeat this week and i don't feel like getting up, digging the blanket out of the catproof bag, and putting enough lights on for a real photo. this is repeat 7/10 tho so we are slowly approaching the end

[gremoria411]

I’m currently at Episode 22 of Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans: Urdr Hunt, I’ve got about two episodes left and since it seems to be a two-episode finale kind of deal, I figured I’d take a break and note down some thoughts up till now, then maybe do another post after the finale. Though I haven’t really arranged these, so I’m probably just gonna ramble.

*The following contains spoilers for episodes 1-22 of Gundam Urdr Hunt*

I’m liking a lot of the Mobile Suit Designs, Gundam and Grunt. Plus, it’s nice to see old favourites again, like the Grimgerde and Hyakuren. However, I do feel like some could be better utilised - The Asmodeus is a cool design, and it works as a lancer to the Hajiroboshi, I just feel like it could have been used more.

Similarly, is is odd how a lot of the major threats are lead-from-the-front characters, since obviously they have to function as bosses. I dunno, it’s just strange compared to all the non-action opponents from the original series.

I really enjoyed Range and Katya’s inclusion as characters, since they’re just sitting there providing a good general basis of what the average citizen of Post Disaster knows - Katya knows a lot of insider knowledge of Gjallarhorn for example, which the others remark on regularly. While Range is sceptical of the existence of mobile armours and views the Asmoday as just a particularly strong mobile suit. So they provide different ends of the same spectrum, I suppose.

I like how each of the maids/guides has their own personality, and I like seeing how they interact with each of their charges. But I do wish we saw more of them. Part of its because they feel like they have that potential to shine very well, and it’s also quite a large cast, so not everyone gets an equal share. I also found it interesting that they were all stated to have been “bought”, so they’re all former Human Debris. Unfortunately, Parstai (blue, with Foundling) is the only one it really comes up with, but presumably the others had full and interesting lives beforehand. You get hints of it with Batch and Tagging (the two that go with Cyclase), with Tagging being an excellent mobile suit pilot, and Batch having experience in ship command and a cautious bearing, but we know very little of the others prior lives.

I didn’t expect to vibe with the Zan Brothers as much as I did, that was weird.

Kouzou Mendou’s pretty rad. A genuine Archeologist, hoping to reveal the causes behind the Calamity War, and just generally seems to be a decent fellow. He does admittedly score points because he very clearly understands how dangerous Mobile Armours were/are, and is the first character to really articulate that. I kinda wish he’d told us, the audience, some new information about the Calamity War, but that’s not really a criticism at all.

Cameos from other Ibo Characters - mostly I can take or leave them, but I’d be lying if I didn’t get pumped when Mcgillis (as Montag) showed up in the Grimgerde to fight Londo Bron. I also loved seeing Isurugi going around, being generally competent.

Actually yeah, Londo Bron. For my talk about Cyclase Mayer at the start of this, I found myself really enjoying Londo Bron, surprisingly so even. He’s a good pilot, he has noble intentions, and he feels like a really good example of an Antagonist, but not a villain. He’s only really opposing Wistario because he wants to restore the Issue Family, and Katya is the best way to do that (I might do a proper post on him some other time).

Another character I really like, despite their short screentime would be Major Bradley. He’s essentially the perfect picture of a colonial administration officer - he’s corrupt, he’s unreasonable, he’s pretty solidly classist, and it all just works. He’s not even cartoonishly evil, he’s just the sort of corrupt Gjallarhorn Official that illustrates the failings of the organisation. Obviously he shares a lot of DNA with Coral Conrad, from the original series, but the boredom, the arrogance with which he carries himself just makes him memorable. Plus he just looks obscenely British, furthering the colonial parallels.

I am absolutely loving the fight scenes in this. Yeah, a lot of the fighting is supposed to be for the in-engine graphics, so they could have totally phoned it in. But they didn’t. If only other shows that cut out background, story, plot and characterisation to ostensibly focus on the fights *cough* *cough* Build Divers *cough* could do that.

I do love how absolutely shameless Cyclase is. Just like “Oh boy, how do I get out of this one? I know, Betrayal!” It works into his character and it’s really fun to watch, but it’s just kind of hilarious how he makes at least like five betrayals in the space of the show. Very efficient.

Character Designs’ still top-notch. I don’t really have any specific examples that I haven’t already mentioned but yeah. It’s good.

Ah, I mentioned that I was considering getting the Hajiroboshi kit? The thing is, a lot of the time I can really like a character, and that can end up selling me more on their mobile suit’s model kit. This is the first time that’s ever happened with a mechanic. In brief; I don’t want the Hajiroboshi because it’s the mobile suit Wistario Pilots, I want the Hajiroboshi because it’s the mobile suit Denmer maintained all these years.

I do have two more points - one positive, one negative, but I’m gonna pull those out as separate posts, simply because I want to consider them separate from everything else, and I feel like I’ll want to follow them up separately after the finale.

In a nutshell, I’ve generally liked Iron Blooded Orphans: Urdr Hunt - it gives a good showing of the world of Post Disaster besides what we’ve seen with Tekkadan and Tanto Tempo, and a lot of the side characters are interesting. The only issue is that some characters and mechanics feel somewhat under-utilised.

(Though maybe that’s my own fault for hyping myself up for the Asmodeus).

[itsupermanti]

My Hero Superman AU; Reign of the Multiversal Supermen by @itsupermanti, Part 4 Shazam; Earth’s Mightiest Mortal

(Artwork by Asbwood on Pinterest)

Shazam(voiceover as he is shown flying over the ocean): My name is Denki “Kon-El” Kaminari-Midoriya, the second son of Superman and Wonder Woman. I am Shazam, Earth’s Mightiest Mortal!

Shazam(voiceover as we see that he is flying behind his father and brother along with): The man in a blue costume and red cape with an “s” on his chest is my father, Hisashi, Superman and the guy in a blue jacket and black pants with his own red cape and the same symbol is my genetic template, my brother Izuku.

Shazam(voiceover as we see Supreme and Hyperion flying alongside them): The guys with white and brown hair are Supreme and Hyperion respectively. They came from other Earths through portals created by a malfunctioning Motherbox.

We then see four aircraft following behind them. A glowing green spacecraft, a construct made and piloted by the Green Lantern Haruto and his daughter Momo, who are transporting Martian Manhunter, the an amazed Invincible and an astonished Utopian.

A jet black supersonic aircraft, the Batwing piloted by Batman, Enji Todoroki, co-piloted by the new Batman, Shouto Todoroki, with the second Robin, Kota Izumi Yaoyozoru-Todoroki, in one of the two passenger seats.

The final aircrafts are sleek, silver prototype aircrafts known as a Javelins, designed and commissioned by Principal Nezu to assist the Justice League as means of transportation. The first Javelin is Piloted by Wonder Woman, with Troy acting her mother’s Co-Pilot, transporting the remaining members of the Justice League, including their latest member All Might, as well as pro heroes Best Jeanist, Hawks, Kamui Woods, a starstruck Mount Lady, an annoyed Sir Nighteye, the Sentry, and the restrained Evil Supermen, Homelander and Paragon, and the cooperative Brandon Breyer(Brightburn) and Omniman.

The second Javelin is Piloted by former 1-A student, Mineta Minoru, and is being Co-Piloted by Green Arrow(Shinso), transporting Classes 1-A and 1-B, the young protege sidekicks Supergirl, Shazam Jr. and Teen Lantern, the UA Big Three, Mei Hatsume, a large majority of UA’s staff with Principal Nezu riding in Eraserhead’s scarf, and the Powerpuff Sisters.

Shazam(voiceover): We’re heading to I-Island to rendezvous with David and Melissa Shield, two of the brightest minds on Earth, before heading to Dad’s Fortress of Solitude. If any group of people are able to figure out what we’ll need to send these “supermen” back to their Earths, it’ll be them and Hatsume.

Meanwhile, in the hidden lab that once held Bizarro;

We see the scarred clone with a face full of annoyance as Dr Garaki is conducting tests on the clone in an attempt to understand why his powers were the opposite of Superman’s own.

Dr. Gariki(using his quirk to scan Bizarro): I don’t understand why BZ-AR0 ended up like this!

Bizarro(annoyed): Bizarro told you, ME NAME IS BIZARRO!!!

Chikara(while seated in a chair, letting his cybernetics fix the damage he sustained from Supergirl): Pardon him my friend, it appears that good doctor doesn’t like it when he doesn’t get the results he wants.

Dr. Garaki(turning to the cyborg): But the sample of blood used to create him came from the same batch the Meta Liberation Front used to grant you your new powers, so why aren’t yours reversed?

Chikara(raising his robotic right arm): Because of my cybernetics, and the fact that the blood and my ashes simply overwrote the host body’s own DNA.

Chikara(gesturing to Bizarro): Our friend here was grown from a pure sample of the alien’s blood, with the limited technology at your disposal, the cloning process was imperfect compared to when you created the Superboy’s siblings.

Dr. Garaki(heading towards another pod, containing a figure of a young teenager with no visible eyes and burned scars all over his face): Luckily, I have figured out how to properly clone “human” DNA.

Dr. Garaki(as the lump assumes a more human appearance of a teenage boy with long black hair and a scar running down his face from between his eyes and his left cheek): As well as preserving their quirks.

Dr. Garaki(grinning as the figure opens its eyes): Welcome back, Rokuro Nomura.

We then cut the members of the Justice League in their Javelin, with an amazed amount Lady smiling widely, drawing a curious look from fellow pro, Kamui Wood.

Kamui(with a raised brow): You’ve been beefing ever since we left UA, I’ve never seen this excited before, what’s up with you?

Mt Lady(turning to him): Because we’re running a co-op with the Justice League!

Mt Lady(turning to Wonder Woman): I idolized Superman and Wonder Woman when they first appeared, they were the ones who inspired me to become a hero!

Mt Lady(rubbing the back of her head sheepishly): I even met Superman up close when I was a kid, but I doubt he remembers it.

Inko hears the young pro’s last sentence, and sits up with a smirk.

Wonder Woman(addressing her daughter): Take over for a bit Mina, I just need to have a talk with one of our passengers.

Troy(nervously looking at her mother): Are you sure? We’ve only started my pilot training a few weeks ago.

Aquaman(sliding into Inko’s seat): Don’t worry, thanks to operating Atlantean vehicles I can help pilot.

Wonder Woman makes her way towards the pros, specifically Mount Lady.

Kamui(addressing Mount Lady): You really looked up to him, despite him being a vigilante?

Mt Lady(unaware of one of her ideals approaching her): Yeah, he was bigger than life, he didn’t just stop villains, he actually took the time to talk to people, inspire them.

Mt Lady(smiling fondly): He even inspired me, he told me that I could make a difference.

Wonder Woman(smiling fondly as she speaks up): And you did.

Wonder Woman(as Mt Lady turns to her in surprise): Yu Takeyama, right?

Yu(stunned that her idol knows her name): How?

Wonder Woman(amused): We DO remember you, we knew you very well.

Inko(removing her tiara and letting her hair and eyes turn green): And you knew us better then you realize.

Yu(shocked as she realizes who her idol was): Ms. Inko! You’re Wonder Woman?!

Kamui(confused): You recognize her?

Inko(explaining): My husband and I used to be her mentors when she worked at as a cub reporter for Musutafu news.

Inko(smiling with pride): She left when she got accepted into UA.

Yu(realization): Then that means…

Yu(eyes wide): Mr. Hisashi!

Inko(hand on Yu’s shoulder): He NEVER forgot those words you told him…

Flashback, 21 years ago;

Yu(young girl, conflicted as she addresses Superman after he had saved her life): You saved my life…

Superman(smiling at her as knees in front of her): Of course I did, everyone matters.

Yu(finding courage to confront her idol): But you held back, didn’t you?

Superman(shocked that she noticed): How?

Yu(pressing on): When that villain took me hostage and threw me off a roof, you rushed past him, knocked him out, and jumped after me.

Superman(confused): Of course I did.

Yu(continuing): But you caught up to me, and STOPPED before we hit the ground too hard.

Yu(as Superman’s eyes widen): You can fly, can’t you?

Superman(nodding nervously): Yes, I can.

Yu(confused): Then why don’t you?

Superman(sadly): Because quirks only ever give humans ONE power.

Yu(realizing): You’re afraid…

Superman(nodding): Yes…

Yu(continuing): You don’t want people to see you as not human.

Yu: Humans can punch, you punch harder. People can run, you run faster. People can jump, but you jump higher.

Yu(looking into her idol’s eyes): But you can do more, you can help people in ways no other pro can. You shouldn’t be afraid to show people who you are!

Yu(looking down): Not like me…

Yu(looking back up at a concerned Superman): I guess what I’m trying to say is…

End Flashback;

Yu(remembering the words she told Hisashi so long ago, with wide eyes): “I wish it was okay for you to fly”.

Inko(smiling fondly): He took those words to heart, and a week later when that plane suffered a blown engine…

Inko(as a younger Hisashi is shown running down the highway outside the city with his super-speed, before jumping into the air and flying like a bullet towards a falling plane): He flew.

Inko(voiceover as the young Hisashi uses his ice-breath to put out the burning engine, before guiding the plane down, and cutting the door open with his heat vision): He showed the world just what he was capable of.

Superman(flashback, smiling as he addresses the shocked passengers): I hope this doesn’t discourage any of you off flying. Statistically, it’s still one of the safest ways to travel.

Inko(as the young Superman is shown hovering in the air before the stunned civilians and pros who had arrived to help): He was afraid that people would be scared of him once they realized his powers made him stronger than everyone else.

Inko(as her younger self is shown in the crowd, smiling at Hisashi): But you gave him the push he needed to be himself.

Inko(as her younger self is seen stopping a robbery as Wonder Woman in her first costume, Tensei is shown evacuating people out of a burning building as the Flash, and Haruto is shown fighting off henchmen of the Meta Liberation Front as Green Lantern): And as a result, you inspired the rest of us.

Inko(as she smiles fondly at Yu): You HAVE made a difference, just by telling Hisashi your wish for the world to be more accepting.

Yu(confused): But Mr. Hisashi said that his quirk was Fire-Breath?

Inko(smirking): Oh that? You know how if you breath out hot air into an ice cube it melts? He just did that but with super-breath.

Yu(still stunned): So he hid his identity…

Yu(deadpan): With a pair of glasses?

Inko(grinning and keeping herself from laughing): The glasses helped keep people from realizing that his eyes were the same color as Superman’s, and his baggy clothes hid his muscles, and he also acted timid and clumsy while being hunched over.

Kamui(eyes wide): That actually worked?!

Nighteye(overhearing): Oh please, that can’t really be all he did.

Inko(grinning): He was just as shocked that no one ever noticed his resemblance, he figured that people just refused to believe that Superman even HAD a secret identity.

Nighteye(annoyed): He has all this power and he wastes time by pretending to be an ordinary man instead of always using it to help others?

Yu(realizing): People didn’t realize that he WANTED to feel human, so they never saw Superman whenever they looked at Mr. Hisashi from Musutafu News!

Inko(nodding her head as she holds up her tiara): Exactly, like how I kept people from realizing my mother was the hero Paragon by wearing my tiara.

Wonder Woman(as she puts her tiara back on, letting her hair turn black and her eyes blue): People never even realized that she was the Wonder Woman who worked with the Justice Society!

Wonder Woman(heading back to the pilot’s seat): Anyways, it’s great to see you again Yu. We’ll be arriving at I-Island soon. Maybe you can catch up with Hisashi while we prepare to head to the Fortress?

As Wonder Woman retakes the controls for the Javelin from Aquaman, we suddenly go back to Dr. Garaki’s lab.

The lab is shown to have been knocked into complete disarray as Cyborg Superman and Re-Destro walk back into the lab with an annoyed looks on their faces. Dr. Garaki is shown helping Parasite tend to a scowling Metallo who has several dents in his new armor, with Bizarro nowhere to be seen.

Cyborg Superman(turning from the broken pod towards Dr. Garaki in annoyance): What.Happened?

Dr. Garaki(straightening his coat as he stands up): Number Six regained his sense of consciousness, and ten minutes after you left he started banging on his pod, until he managed to break himself out.

Dr. Garaki(turning around to address the former Destro as Rikiya starts scanning the broken pod): We tried to assist him, but he started muttering about hearing a “tick”, and we would suddenly speed up and slow down.

Dr. Garaki(gesturing to the wrecked lab): Then he went mad and started trashing the place, demanding to know where a “Kazuho” was and stating that the “ticking” was getting louder.

Dr. Garaki: Bizarro tried to restrain him, but he took off out of the lab using “Overclock” and Bizarro raced off after him.

Dr. Garaki(voiceover as Bizarro is shown flying after a black and yellow blur that is leaving trails of lightning in its wake): Who knows where they might be now?

Cyborg Superman(turning towards his descendant): It would appear that we’ll have to clean up the good doctor’s mess.

Re-Destro(completing his scan of the pod): It would appear that with The Flash having regained his powers via what he calls “the Speedforce”, Number 6 unknowingly established an improper connection to it through “Overclock”.

Re-Destro(pressing a few more buttons on his gauntlet before turning to his ancestor): I’ve sent you the readings I took of the pod, you should be able to use them to track him down.

Re-Destro(as Chikara’s cybernetic eye flashes with the information): Your Kryptonian speed should allow you to keep pace with our young friend.

We then see an alley located with Tokyo’s Naruhata district, as a black and yellow blur with lightning darts into it and stops, letting the flying Bizarro zip past it.

Bizarro stops and looks around in annoyance, before flying off to look for his target elsewhere.

The blur is revealed to be the young man that was seen within the pod in the lab, wearing a black customs with silver lines throughout, with a yellow “v” shaped section running across his chest. This is Number 6, also known by the fake alias, Rokuro Nomura.

Rokuro(shaking as his voice is constantly speeding up and slowing down): Whowas thaaaaattttguy? Whathappened tttttttoooooo me?

Rokuro clutches the sides of his head as he tries to recall the last thing he can remember before he woke up in the pod. He remembers that he had tried to kill someone, he RIVAL*tick*. He remembered HER. He was trying to KILL the boy*tock*who had caught his master’s eye*tick*. He remembered the sweet song he heard her sing. He was going to die*tock*. He thought of Kazuho. HE WAS GOING TO TAKE *TICK* WITH HIM!!! He thought of the happy memories he made with her. HE WAS GOING TO PAY*TOCK*!!!

Rokuro(falling to his knees in pain as the lightning stops flowing around him): Who the hell is “he”?! Why can’t I remember him?!

Rokuro(screaming into the sky): WHERE THE HELL IS THAT TICKING COMING FROM?!?!?!

Rokuro(standing up as the imagine of the one person he CAN remember appears in his mind): KAZUHO!!! She has to know what’s going on!

Rokuro uses “Overclock” to take off running out of the alleyway, startling some civilians and pros who were walking past.

Civilian(confused by the blur of lightning): Was that the Flash?

Pro Hero(just as confused): I though he operated in Musutafu, what’s he doing here?

As the gathered civilians and pros wonder just exactly what the blur they saw was, the clouds in the sky gather and it starts raining. A lightning bolt strikes a random rooftop and leaves behind a young man in a simple white shirt, jeans and shoes, with a makeshift red cape and a metal arm.

Meanwhile, we see our heroes arriving on I-Island as they are greeted by a young woman with blonde hair wearing glasses, and a man with brown hair and a beard also wearing glasses standing beside her. These people are Melissa Shield and her father, David Shield.

Superman(addressing the father/daughter duo as he lands softly, as if he was simply taking a step): Thanks for agreeing to help with this David.

Superman(walking to them as the others land as well): You to Melissa.

David(shaking Hisashi’s hand): It’s the least I can do to make up for my foolish mistake.

Melissa(running up to Izuku and hugging him, before pulling away): Is it true that Uncle Might is healed?

Shazam(landing besides them): You can ask him yourself.

Melissa(turning to Denki): Kaminari, is that you?

Shazam(nodding his head): Yeah, long story short, me and Mina are actually clones of Izuku, but we have more of our mom’s DNA, making our powers different from his.

Before Melissa can begin asking her next question, a small blue blur races from one of the Javelin’s and stops in front of her, before embracing her in a hug.

Supergirl(hugging Melissa): AUNTIE MEL!!!

Melissa(laughing as she hugs Eri back): Hey there sweetie, I see that the news was right about there being a Supergirl.

Melissa(as she sees Ochaco walking towards them with Jirou and Mina in her Amazonian form): Ashido, what happened to your pink skin? You look like Izuku.

Shazam(as Mina bags her bracelets together): SHAZAM!!!

Melissa(stunned after seeing two lightning bolts strike Denki and Mina, reverting them into their normal depowered selves): Wha?

Mina(rubbing that back of her neck with her normal pink skin and hair with her horns): That’s magic for ya…

Denki(sheepishly with his normal blond hair): It’s a long story.

Jirou(chuckling as she crosses her arms): Ain’t that right.

Denki(voiceover as he agrees with his girlfriend while looking at the stunned look on Melissa’s face): She’s right. What a life you have now Denki…

The scene goes back to Tokyo, as we spot a young woman with pink hair and an eyepatch walking down the street. This is Kazuho Haneyama, formerly the vigilante known as Pop Step, and colleague of Knuckleduster.

She is simply going about her business, and decides to cut across an alley to get to her home. As she walks along the alley, she is suddenly surrounded by thugs.

Thug 1: Hand over your purse, and things don’t get ugly, understand?

Thug 2(nervous): Are sure about this? I heard that the Flash was seen running around Tokyo.

Thug 3(annoyed): Relax, last I heard he was that League of his on special business.

Thug 1: Hand it over lady.

Kazuho(getting into a defensive stance): Like I’d just do what you tell me to.

However, before either party can make the first move, a blur of red lightning races into the alleyway, subduing the thugs in an instant!

Rokuro(as he appears to be vibrating in place with lightning radiating off of him): STAYAWAYFRRRROOOOOOMMMMMHER!!!

Kazuho(stunned by the appearance of her dead “friend”): Rokuro?

Rokuro(turning to her as Overclock’s effects start dying down): Kazuho! Thank goodness I found you!

Rokuro(walking towards her with a panicked look in his eyes): I woke in a lab I didn’t recognize I can’t remember how I got there! YOU HAVE YO HELP M-

The young man is caught off by the sound of a gun going off as he suddenly clutches his shoulder, revealing that one of the thugs had regained consciousness and had used their quirk to fire a bullet from his hand, striking his shoulder from behind.

Rokuro(turning around as his eyes start glowing red): YOU!!! YOUJUSTTRIEDTOKILLME!!!

Rokuro(as he rushes the thug and punches him at hypersonic speeds): NOONECCCCCCAAAAAAANNNNNNTOUCHMEEEE!!!

Rokuro then starts hearing the ticking he heard before getting louder, forcing him to stop and fall to his knees.

Thug 2(getting up and seeing what happened to the group leader): You’re not the Flash, who are you?

Rokuro(clutching his head): WHERE IS THAT SOUND COMING FROM?!?!?!

Kazuho(confused): What sound?

Rokuro(screaming to the sky): CAN’T YOU HEAR THE TICKING?!?!?!

Thug 2(taking this time to run out of the alley): Forget this, I’m out of here!

Kazuho(approaching Rokuro as he starts calming down): What happened to you? You left behind lightning like the Flash.

Rokuro(turning to her confused): Who?

Kazuho(explaining): The Flash, the Fastest Man Alive.

Rokuro(getting angry): O’CLOCK’S THE FASTEST HERO!!!

Kazuho(frightened): Flash’s just as fast as he was.

Kazuho(pulling up a video on her phone): See?

Rokuro looks at the video he is shown. The video is of Tensei chasing after a group of thugs split up into two cars. Flash bursts forward and dismantles the first car, leaving the thugs in it tied up among the remains. He vibrates his hand into the engine of the second car and disconnects the battery, causing the car to turn off and cruise to a halt before a police blockade.

Flash is then shown running around a tornado in the opposite direction, causing it to unravel. He is also shown racing up the side of a building and across water.

Rokuro is gazes at the Flash’s costume and notes how it similar to O’Clock’s own, but with more armor. He especially pays close attention to the yellow lightning bolt emblem on his chest, almost as if it was mocking him, taunting him that Flash could outrun lightning itself.

Rokuro turns gets an idea and sees a broken mirror laying in the alleyway. He walks towards it, leaving Kazuho to look at him in confusion. He then jabs his right fingers into the wound on his left shoulder with a hiss and removes it. He then uses his own blood and the mirror to draw the same lightning bolt emblem as Flash’s on his own chest. Once he is down, he uses his bomber cells to heal his wound, and turns to face Kazuho, making her gasp at the reversed lightning bolt on his chest.

Rokuro(grinning darkly): There can only be ONE Fastest Man Alive, and that’s me!

We then see Cyborg Superman meet up with Bizarro and they begin tracking Rokuro’s Speedforce energy, until they are stopped by a young voice calling out to them.

???(arrogantly): HEY, METALHEAD, CHALKFACE!!!

The two turn around and spot the young man that had appeared on a rooftop early, glaring at them with a sneer.

Cyborg Superman(confused): And who are YOU suppose to be?

???(annoyed): I’m Tetsuo, head of the Akira Gang. Now what is this place?

Bizarro(confused): This place Tokyo.

Tetsuo(shocked): That’s impossible! This place looks nothing like Tokyo.

Cyborg Superman(annoyed): We have no time argue with you child.

Cyborg Superman(turning around): We have much better things to do.

Tetsuo(enraged): Don’t you dare turn your back on me!

Tetsuo charges towards the Cyborg, throwing out his arm for a punch, only for his punch to be caught by the Pseudo Kryptonian.

Cyborg SM(eyes narrowed): Begone child.

He then throws Tetsuo towards the ground like a missile.

Tetsuo(within the smoke from his impact): I’ll kill you…

Tetsuo(racing towards Cyborg Superman in anger): I’LL KILL YOU!!!

This time however he is intercepted by Bizarro.

Bizarro(eyes narrowed): We no have time for child!

Tetsuo(getting madder): I’m not a child! I MAKE THE RULES HERE!!!

Just as Tetsuo starts trying to rip buildings out of the ground, Bizarro shoots his ice-vision right at Tetsuo’s face, breaking his concentration, and causing him to fall back to the ground.

Just as Tetsuo breaks the ice encasing his head, he is bombarded by a high speed barrage of punches all across his body. The barrage ends to show that Rokuro was the one to have delivered them, now wearing a makeshift black cowl that is yellow down the middle and with lightning bolt ear pieces on the sides.

Rokuro(vibrating in place, with a grin and glowing red eyes): Nnnnnooooooottttttfastenough!

Tetsuo(glaring at him annoyed): WHO ARE YOU?!?!?!

Rokuro: I’m Zoom, The Fastest Man Alive, and I’m taking you down!

Tetsuo(gritting his teeth): Like you could even hurt me!

However before Tetsuo can charge at the speedster, he senses what to him appears to be another Esper, just as powerful as him!

Tetsuo(turning towards the ocean): Another Esper? Here?!

Tetsuo(taking off towards the presence he felt as a bolt of lightning): I’LL PROVE I’M THE TOP DOG!!!

Zoom(seeing his opponent turns into a lightning bolt): HEY, I’M NOT THROUGH WITH YOU YET!!!

Zoom takes off after the young Esper, and just as Bizarro prepares to fly after them, he is stopped by Cyborg Superman.

Cyborg Superman(ordering Bizarro): Wait, let us see just what they are both capable of my friend.

They then fly after the two young men. We then cut to I-Island, with Melissa being told of everything that had happened recently to the young heroes-in-training.

Melissa(stunned): So magic really does exist?!

Denki(voiceover): That reaction might starting getting old pretty soon.

Melissa(looking towards the restrained Supermen): And those guys came from other universes due to a malfunctioning piece of alien technology?

Izuku(nodding his head with Eri on his shoulders): Yeah, we’re heading to the fortress to find a way to send them back.

Ochaco: Superman figured that you and David could help figure out how to do so.

Denki(voiceover as he suddenly feels a jolt of energy and turns around): What the hell is that?! It feels like pure unrestrained power!

Izuku(looking around as he senses it to): Does anyone feel that?

Denki: Something’s coming!

Denki(shouting with heroic intent): SHAZAM!!!

Seeing her brother transform, Mina does the same and clashes her bracelets together, and in two bolts of lightning, they become Shazam and Troy.

Manhunter(addressing everyone present): I sense a malicious presence heading this way!

Shazam suddenly turns towards the sky and sees a lightning bolt come out of the sky and turn into a young man with a cape.

Tetsuo(angrily looking around): WHERE IS HE?!?!?! WHERE IS THAT ESPER HIDING?!?!?!

Superboy(stunned as he realizes what this young man is): Another one?!

Suddenly a blur races past them and up a nearby building before jumping off and towards the figure in the sky.

Zoom(with an insane glint in his cowled eyes): THEREYOUARE!!!

Zoom tackles the boy out of the air and to the ground, but before I can proceed to pummel him, Flash and Kid Flash race up, grabbing his arms and pulling him away.

Flash(looking at Zoom in confusion): Who are you and why are you dressed like O’Clock?

Zoom(glaring at the brothers): I’m Zoom, andI’mtheFastestManAlive!!!

Tetsuo gets up and turns towards Superboy and Supergirl, realizing that they were the Espers he was sensing.

Tetsuo(pointing at them with his metal arm): You two!

Tetsuo(sneering at them): You have the same symbol as that chromedome!

Superboy(trying to reason with him): We don’t want any trouble.

Superboy(raising his arms in an attempt to pacify Tetsuo): Just relax and we can help you get back to your world.

Tetsuo(seeing those gestures as signs of being looked down upon): DON’T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON ME!!!

Tetsuo starts racing towards Izuku, only to be grabbed by Sentry, Supreme and Hyperion.

Sentry(holding Tetsuo’s metal arm): Trust me kid, you don’t want this.

Tetsuo(pushing them away with his psychokinesis): GET OFF OF ME!!!

Bakugo(eyes wide with realization): Oh my god, is that what I REALLY sound like that?!

Tetsuo(grabbing Sentry by the face and reading his mind): I can feel that you hold yourself back.

Tetsuo(pulling on Sentry’s mind): LET THAT POWER OUT!!!

Sentry(screaming as he loses control of himself): AAAAHHHH!!!

Tetsuo doesn’t realize what he’s done, until he is pushed back by the Sentry’s power as he assumes a monstrous form that appears as if it is made up of darkness. This is the Void.

Void(looking around): I’M FREE!!!

Void(looking at Tetsuo): You foolish boy, allow me to show you my gratitude!

Before Void is able to advance towards Tetsuo, he is tackled by Superman and Wonder Woman.

Shazam(turning towards Jirou): Get everyone to safety!

Hyperion(glaring at Tetsuo): Look at what you did!

Invincible(with the pro heroes, stunned): WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!?!?!

Uravity(running up): That’s the Void.

Uravity(looking up to see Superman and Wonder Woman combating the monster): Apparently it’s Sentry’s darker thoughts manifested as an evil personality, with the power of a black hole.

Earphone Jack(addressing the pros): We have to get everyone to safety!

Just as everyone is about to start evacuating the civilians, three blurs race past them. The blurs stop to reveal themselves as Tensei, Tenya and Rokuro. Tensei takes a closer look at Rokuro’s costume and his eyes widen in realization.

Flash(as he and Tenya pin Zoom against a wall): I recognize that costume. You were the second O’Clock!

Zoom(sneering at Flash): Iam,thatmakesmetheeeffffaaaaassssssttteeessstmaaaaaaaanalive!

Kid Flash(feeling something off about Zoom’s vibrations): Something’s wrong!

Zoom then suddenly and without warning phases through their holds, startling even himself.

Zoom(staring at his blurred vibrating hands before turning to the brothers with a feral grin): Icandothesametrick!

Zoom suddenly runs and grabs the brothers before they can even react, his movements resulting in a powerful sonic boom that shatters nearby windows and created craters with every step he took.

Just as Zoom pushed them both against the wall of a building, the ground shook beneath them, causing Zoom to lose his hold, as Tetsuo had forced Superboy into the ground with enough force to crater the reinforced concrete.

Tetsuo(trying to penetrate Izuku’s field): I’LL SHOW WHO’S TOP DOG AROUND HERE!!!

Superboy(reinforcing his field): You don’t understand, this isn’t your earth!

Tetsuo is then pushed off of Superboy by Supergirl and the Powerpuff girls who then proceed to bombard them with their heat vision, only managing to damage Tetsuo’s makeshift metal arm before he retaliates with his own psionic blast, damaging the buildings around them as he repairs his arm.

Red Riot(seeing a building about to tip over as he runs towards it): There are people in there!

Kirishima runs until he is underneath one damaged load bearing support and braces his hardening as strong as he can and catches the building, acting as a brace to keep it from falling the rest of the way.

Red Riot(straining under the weight): HELP THEM!!! ACK!!!

As the heroes help evacuate the building, Superboy lands a high speed blow on Tetsuo, who proceeds to knock Izuku towards a building. Izuku catches himself before he could damage the building, but Tetsuo then grabs him by the throat and forces him through.

Hyperion and Supreme are sent crashing into two separate buildings by the Void, causing those buildings to start falling as well. Mt Lady grabs one of them, keeping it from collapsing on top Hyperion, while Invincible flies over and grabs the building Supreme crashed into.

Invincible(addressing Supreme and Hyperion): GO!!! WE GOT THIS!!!

The speedsters recover and Zoom starts racing right for Flash, only to be intercepted by Shazam Jr.

Shazam Jr(knocking Zoom away): I’m fast to!

Blossom recovers from Tetsuo’s psionic blast and sees all the rubble falling from the buildings due to Void’s battle with Superman and Wonder Woman. She then rushes off and starts getting struggling civilians to safety along with her sisters, just as the Zoom enters a high speed battle with the Iida brothers and Katsuma, eventually leading onto the surface of the ocean around them, surprising Tenya.

Kid Flash(as he sees Zoom take off onto the surface of the ocean): HE CAN RUN ON WATER?!?!?!

Flash(rushing past his brother): SO CAN WE!!!

Shazam Jr(landing besides Tenya as Tensei runs atop the surface of the ocean as soon he touched the water’s surface): You just need to stay above 70 mph.

Kid Flash(looking at him in confusion): How do you know that?!

Shazam Jr(flying after Tensei and Rokuro): Wisdom of Solomon!

As Tenya joins his brother and Katsuma in fighting the rogue speedster, we see Denki join his parents in fighting the Void, managing to land a lightning enhanced blow on the monster that causes it to stagger.

Shazam(voiceover as he continues landing blows): This is unbelievable! This thing was able to take mom and dad’s blow like they were nothing!

Shazam(voiceover as he prepares to deliver a blast of magic lightning from his eyes): But let’s see if it can take magic!

However before Denki is able to deliver his blast, the Void is knocked out of his hold by the Utopian, who grabbed the Void from behind.

Utopian(struggling to hold Void): We have to get him out of here, before he does anymore damage!

Shazam(voiceover as he charges lightning into his fists): He’s right, the island can’t take much more!

Shazam(rushing towards them with his parents behind him): LET’S SEE HOW YOU LIKE THIS!!!

The Void manages to break free from the Utopian’s hold, and sends the elderly hero flying into the ground, only to get hit a punch that strikes with the might of the gods, sending him flying upwards into space.

As Shazam, Superman, Wonder Woman, Supreme and Hyperion fly into Earth’s outer atmosphere after the Void, we see the Utopian crash into the island with enough force to breach the multiple reinforced layers of hull until he breaks through into the ocean beneath the island.

Brandon(feeling the ground beneath his feet shift): What’s happening?!

David(checking an alert on his tablet): THE HULL’S BEEN BREACHED!!!

Brandon(Paragon, cuffed along with Homelander): What do you mean, “the hull”?

All Might(catching some rubble from falling on top of some civilians): IT MEANS THE ISLAND IS SINKING!!!

Aquaman(running towards the hole Sheldon made): I got this!

Homelander(frightened as Orin plummets into the water): AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO, “OCEANMAN”?!?!?!

Homelander(turning to an eerily calm Nezu): LET ME GO RIGHT NOW!!! THERE’S NO WAY I’M DYING WITH YOU PATHETIC-

Sheldon’s unconscious body is tossed up from the hole in the ground, and the island rumbles as it starts righting itself.

Homelander(stunned as the island starts rising up): -people…WHAT WAS THAT?!?!?!

Ground Zero(running up with a group of kids, with a panicked look on his face): WHAT THE HELL’S GOING ON NOW?!?!?!

Nezu(smirking from his place on Midnight’s shoulder): THAT would be King Orin holding up the island.

Everyone who heard what he just said: WHAT?!?!?!

Homelander(shocked): HOW?!?!?!

Nezu(turning to the evil “superman”): Atlanteans’ bodies are able to withstand the pressure of the deep sea, as a result they are incredibly strong.

Omniman(while carrying a recovering Utopian towards them): There’s more to this, isn’t there?

Nezu(grinning): As a member of the royal bloodline, King Orin was trained to peak Atlantean condition, he once stopped a blow capable of decimating a continent with his bare hands!

Earphone Jack(looking upwards as Denki and the others fly into space after the Void with a worried look on her face): Be careful up there you idiot, you still owe me a date.

Troy is seen assisting her brother and niece in fighting Tetsuo, landing a backhand with her shield and a slash across his chest with her sword.

Tetsuo(grabbing his chest in pain): AAAARGH!

This attack leaves the arrogant Esper wide open to an uppercut from Superboy, sending him into orbit.

Izuku flies up after him, but before Eri and Mina can fly after them, Ochaco flies up to them.

Uravity(as she reaches them): THE HULL’S BEEN BREACHED!!!

Troy+Supergirl(shocked): WHAT?!?!?!

Uravity: Aquaman’s keeping the island from sinking, but he can’t hold it for long.

Supergirl(flying downwards): WE HAVE TO HELP HIM!!!

Uravity(gazing up after Izuku, knowing that he can hear her): Take him down Izu…

Uravity(flying after her daughter): I know you can!

Troy(as she flies after Ochaco and her niece): You better come back big bro. I still enjoy having you as a brother, and Eri and Ochaco need you!

As the three fly into the water to assist the king, we see Cyborg Superman and Bizarro hovering at a distance, observing the chaos that is unfolding.

Cyborg Superman(turning towards Zoom’s high speed battle): It would appear that the Doctor’s little experiment has ended up much stronger than he was before.

Bizarro(gazing towards the island): Aquaman holding island up.

Cyborg Superman(turning to his fellow doppelgänger in amusement): I expected you to call him, “blond fish man”.

Bizarro(turning to face him with his glowing blue eyes): “I” am learning…

Cyborg Superman(grinning): Splendid! It appears your Kryptonian physiology is adapting and compensating for the gaps in your development! Good…

Cyborg Superman(gazing upwards): Keep an eye on things down here, if the boy ends up needing help, grab him and take him back to the lab.

Bizarro(raising a brow): Where you going?

Cyborg Superman(voiceover as Tetsuo is shown leaving Earth’s atmosphere): Why, the Final Frontier of course.

Tetsuo recovers from the uppercut and looks around, seeing that he stopped within range of the moon.

Tetsuo then grins madly as he prepares to punch a crater in the moon, having first hand experiences of what such an action would do to Earth’s environment.

However, just as he prepares to deliver a punch, Superboy flies up from behind him, and punches Tetsuo unto the moon. Before the Esper can begin to understand what happened, the young Kryptonian hybrid then delivers a punch with enough force to make Tetsuo’s body dig a hole THROUGH the moon coming out the other side, with Izuku following him through, using his telekinesis to force the hole closed behind him, lest the Earth’s gravitational field suffer from the damage.

Shazam(voiceover as he sees his brother’s feat while he helps battle the Void): You know, I honestly keep forgetting that we can do stuff like THAT!

Cyborg Superman(silently watching Izuku’s feat while looking at his own hands): Fascinating…

Meanwhile, on I-Island;

Kirishima can feel his muscles ache from having to hold up the building, with his classmates from 1-A and 1-B rushing to get everyone out. Tetsutetsu even joined him in holding up the building, and Omniman helps hold up another building, and Blossom holds up another as her sisters rush everyone out.

Hawks(flying people out through a window): HOLD ON KID, WE’RE ALMOST THERE!!!

Real Steel(straining): Can’t…hold…it…

Red Riot(straining): Just…a little…MORE!!!

Real Steel(feeling his concentration break): I…can’t…

Tetsutetsu then reverts back to normal and falls unconscious from the strain, leaving Kirishima to hold up the building.

Red Riot(feeling his muscles ache even more): AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!

Red Riot(feeling the weight being lifted off of his shoulders): Huh?!

Kirishima them looks behind him and sees a man wearing a red, white and blue customs with a star on his chest holding up the building much easier than him. The young hardening user’s eyes widen in shock as he recognizes just who the man is.

Red Riot(stunned): Y-you’re…CITIZEN STEEL!!!

Citizen Steel(smiling at Kirishima): You were doing a great job boys!

???(green glow coming from behind Kirishima): Now let us help you son!

Kirishima turns around and his eyes widen even further as his gaze lands upon a blonde man with a purple cape and mask, a glowing green ring, and a red shirt with the image of a Green Lantern on his chest, and a brown haired man wearing blue leggings, red boots, and red shirt with a yellow lightning bolt, and a silver helmet with yellow wings. These men are the Silver Age Green Lantern and Flash, Alan Scott and Jay Garrick.

Jay(smiling as he helps Kirishima to his feet): The Justice Society is here to help!

Mt Lady continues to hold up her building, this time with assistance from Atom Smasher, with Hourman and Wildcat assisting Kamui with evacuating the building. Dr Fate uses his magic to create a new support beam for the building that Invincible was holding up. Hawkman and Hawkgirl fly down carrying civilians in their arms and on their backs. As they touch down, they catch sight of an out of breath Hawks, and when he looks up at them, the three of them look at each other in shock.

Hawkwoman(stunned by the pro’s wings): Another Thanagarion?!

Hawks(confused): A what?!

Hawkman(stepping in front of his wife): Focus, save people first, questions later.

Jay(after getting the last bit of people out the building Kirishima was lifting): That’s the last of them!

Jay(looking around as Citizen Steel lets the building drop, and he walks out of the rubble unscathed): If you need me…

Jay(assuming a three point stance with lightning coursing around him): I’ll be helping deal with the rogue speedster.

Green Lantern(touching down just as Jay takes off onto the surface of the ocean, carrying a group of civilians in a baseball mitt construct): What are you all doing here?

Alan(carrying a group in an elevator construct letting off green flames): We came here as quickly as we could, Fate told us that something big was going to happen.

Alan(looking up): We also ran into HIM on our way here.

Momo looks up in the direction her senior was facing towards and spots a familiar black suit with a lightning bolt insignia and cape. This is the same man who had highjacked Izuku’s final exam.

Black Adam(eyes glowing with power): Where are they?!

Green Lantern(pointing straight up): By my estimates, probably somewhere within the Moon’s orbit.

Black Adam takes off into space with a crack of thunder.

Manhunter(approaching Alan): Aquaman still needs assistance holding up the island!

Before any of them can move to assist the King of Atlantis, the island shifts under their feet and Supergirl and her mother land before them, carrying Aquaman with them, with the King looking as if he hadn’t just been holding up an entire island for the last few minutes.

Batman(swinging down alongside his son, confused): Orin?! If you’re here…

Batman(finishing his father’s question): Then who’s holding up the island?!

Robin(over the comms): Dad, you might not believe this…

Batman(answering his comms): Robin? Where are you?

Robin: I went with Teen Lantern in order to reinforce some of the buildings’ weak spots with my hardening gel just like you and Grandpa, and then we saw Supergirl fly into the water and come back out with Aquaman.

Robin(as he is show on a construct platform made by Mahoro): As for who’s holding up the island…

Mina is shown lifting the island out of the water and into the air.

Batman(stunned by what he just heard): …

Green Lantern(looking at her boyfriend in concern): Shouto?

Batman(turning to his girlfriend): Mina is lifting the island into the air…

Eraserhead(having heard what Shouto just said): SHE’S WHAT?!?!?!

We then cut to space as the heavy hitters continue to do battle against the Void, while Izuku battles Tetsuo.

(Cue Marvelous by Brandon Yates)

Supreme lounges in for a punch, but his fist is caught and he is thrown into an oncoming Hyperion.

Void(taunting them): You can’t stand against the might of a thousand black holes!

Shazam(charging at him alongside his mother): You sure about that?!

The mother and son duo deliver a double punch hit charged with lightning, managing to harm the monster, allowing Hisashi to deliver a punch that pushes him back.

Shazam+Wonder Woman(charging in with lightning in their eyes): GODLY IMPACT!!!

Void recovers enough to catch their punches and pushes past the pain inflicted by the surge of divine lightning.

Void(snarling at Inko): Enough of this!

Void throws Inko further into space, with Hisashi flying after her.

Void(snarling at Denki): BEGONE!!!

Void then throws Denki in the direction of the sun, only to end up being tackled by Black Adam!

Black Adam(glaring with lightning coursing in his eyes): Surrender monster, or fall before the might of Black Adam!

Void(grinning madly): Bring it!

As the two rush at each other, Denki stops himself from flying any further, and just as he is about to take off back towards the fight, he stops.

Shazam(voiceover as he looks at his hands as he starts to feel much stronger): What is this?

Shazam(clenching his fists): I FEEL STRONGER THAN EVER!!!

Shazam(turning around as he realizes that he can feel the warmth of the sun, his eyes widening): It’s the sun! I’m absorbing the solar radiation!

Shazam(rocketing off as his eyes start glowing brighter than ever): Time for round two!

Izuku is shown matching Tetsuo blow for blow almost effortlessly, with both of their power growing stronger as their battle goes on!

Superboy(grunting in annoyance): Can’t you just stop and let us help you?!

Tetsuo(ignoring all reason): I DON’T NEED ANYONE’S HELP!!!

Void tanks a punch from Adam and punches him back, only for Adam to be caught by a recover Supreme and Hyperion, just as Shazam goes flying past them all and delivers a hyper charged punch onto the creature of darkness.

Void(glowing red with power): FEEL MY POWER!!!

Shazam(glowing with solar radiation and divine magic): FEEL A POWER EQUAL TO HEAVEN!!!

As the two deliver punches that radiate great power, Adam, Supreme and Hyperion are interrupted before they can assist Denki in his clash as Cyborg Superman makes his presence known.

Cyborg Superman(grinning at them): Now now, if you all really want to fight someone…

Cyborg Superman(rushing at them as his right hand grows talons): Fight me instead!

During his clash again Void, Denki manages to outpace him and begins delivering more blows, knocking him back more and more.

Hisashi and Inko come flying back in, with Inko removing her bracelets to access her full power!

The three manage to do much more damage to the Dark Sentry, causing bits of his shadowed self to seemingly crack and reveal his noble half, the Sentry.

Void(roaring as he can feel his control slipping): NO!!! I WON’T GO BACK!!!

Meanwhile, Izuku begins to notice something wrong with Tetsuo’s metal arm.

Superboy(scanning the metal appendage with his x-ray vision): Wait, your arm! It’s-

Tetsuo(punching Izuku across the face): SHUT UP!!!

The punch merely pushes Izuku’s head to one side, and causes the metal arm to shatter and break apart, revealing the disgusting mound of deformed flesh underneath!

Tetsuo(panicked as he sees what happened to his arm): WHA?!?!

The deformed flesh then starts pulsating and begins creating tendrils of flesh that quickly overtakes Tetsuo, much to his panicked shock.

Tetsuo(screaming in fear): NOOOO!!!

Superboy(eyes widening in shock as he sees what the arrogant Esper has become): By Rao…

Izuku finds floating before him, a massive misshapen creature with throbbing veins throughout its “body”. It opens its eyes, and lets out a roar.

Superboy(clutching his head as he starts hearing Tetsuo’s thoughts in his head): ARGH!!!

Tetsuo(within Izuku’s mind): Please…Help me…It hurts…so much…

Izuku’s eyes widen as he hears those words, and begins moving and dodging the tendrils of flesh come flying after him, moving towards his family as they almost end their battles against Void.

Shazam(seeing what happened to Tetsuo): WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!

Eventually the fleshly appendages grab a hold of Izuku, as well as Hisashi, Inko, Denki and Void. The creature then begins glowing with energy and seemingly explodes with a white flash, causing Cyborg Superman and his opponents to turn towards the light.

All Might(seeing the explosion of energy from I-Island): What is happening up there?

The glowing subsides to reveal that Denki had used his magic to counter and contain the energy and fires it at the Void before he could recover, finally reverting him back into the Sentry.

Tetsuo breaks free of what remained of the fleshy abomination and charges straight at Izuku, down an arm, only for Izuku to look him in the eyes

Superboy(as his eyes glow): I’m sorry…

Izuku flashes his heat vision into Tetsuo’s eyes, reducing his brain to ash.

Tetsuo(within Izuku’s mind as he dies): Thank…you…

Superboy(sighing heavily as he grabs Tetsuo’s body): You’re welcome…

(End song)

Sentry(breathing heavily as he regains control): THAT was intense!

Cyborg Superman(turning towards Supreme, Hyperion and Black Adam): This has been fun, but it appears that my objective of observing you all has been satisfied.

Cyborg Superman(flying off back to Earth just as before Adam could start charging at him): I bid you all adieu!

We cut back to I-Island as Mina is shown to still be carrying it above her head, now being assisted by the Powerpuff Girls, Uravity, Supergirl, and Invincible.

Troy(spotting an empty beach): Just a little more!

Troy(suddenly feeling the weight of the island being lifted out of her hands): Huh?

Supergirl(looking up and seeing her grandfather effortlessly carrying the island the rest of the way): Grandpa!

Buttercup(wide eyed as she and her sisters witness just how strong Hisashi is): Woah…

Blossom(amazed): He’s lifting it in such a way that the island isn’t breaking apart!

Meanwhile, up top;

All Might(concerned as he sees Izuku float down with Tetsuo’s dead body): What happened up there?

Superboy(looking down at Tetsuo’s corpse): His power grew out of his control. He released a big blast of energy that would of decimated us, but Denki used his magic to contain it and blasted the Void with it.

Superboy(looking up at Toshinori after kneeling down and placing the body on the floor): The power was like an addiction, it hurt him the more it grew uncontrollable, to the point that he begged for help, and I put him out of his misery…And he thanked me for doing so…

Superboy(as Eri and Ochaco hug him realizing that he’s feeling guilty): I tried to warn him, but he refused to listen to me…

Superman(landing besides his son after having set the island down on the beach): It’s not your fault son.

Superman(kneeling before Izuku): You’re right, that power was like a drug, and by the looks of it, he wanted more and more, until it ended up out of his control.

Superman(as Utopian looks at him comfort his son in shock): Power just makes us more of who we are, maybe that’s what caused him to turn into the abomination, his power made his appearance match his personality, but he rather died a man than a monster…

Superman(as Izuku looks up at him): The fact you even FEEL even the least bit guilty speaks so much about how different you are from him. It shows that you care.

Superman(standing up and gesturing towards Izuku, Denki and Mina): And that’s what makes you three different from him, your powers make you all into greater heroes, because you were already great people, and you all make proud because of it.

Superman(gazing down at Tetsuo): Wherever he’s soul ended up, I hope he found the peace he couldn’t find in life.

Sheldon is left deep in thought as he thinks over Hisashi’s words, and realizes that maybe Brandon WAS right, that he did hold too high of expectations for the younger heroes of his world.

Shazam(voiceover as his father finishes his little speech): And THAT is why he’s THE Superman.

Dr Fate(hovering towards them): Kal-El.

Hisashi(turning towards Fate): Dr Nelson.

Dr Fate(landing before them): I was informed of your plan to handle the so called, “Supermen”, but we came to I-Island for a different reason…

Dr Fate waves his hand and a golden staff appears floating besides him, with a sharp, curved spear head.

Dr Fate(as the staff starts glowing with energy): The Cosmic Staff appears to have chosen a new wielder.

Jay(arriving with the Iida Siblings and Katsuma with help from Haruto): So THAT’S why you brought us here.

Tensei(addressing Enji): We manages to take down that Zoom guy, but before we could grab him out of the water, that Bizarro guy showed up and snatched him before taking off just as Haruto found us.

Enji(cowl pulled off and a hand on his chin): So now there’s a “Mirror Superman” and a “Reverse Flash”…

Tensei(hand on his own chin): That title actually sounds pretty accurate…

Alan(addressing Nelson): So the rod finally chose a new wielder, after all this time?

Nelson(removing his helmet to reveal his gray hair and beard): Yes, and as to why it took so long…

Nelson(glancing at the staff as it begins spinning): It was waiting for its new wielder to realize that their dream…

Nelson(smiling as the staff stops spinning and flies towards a stunned Melissa): Can truly come true.

Melissa(shocked): What is this?

Alan(smiling softly): THAT is the Cosmic Staff, it belonged to Starman.

Jay(lifting his hat upwards a bit): Looks like it deemed you worthy to wield it kid.

As Melissa takes a hold of the staff, a small tear escapes her eye as she realizes that she now has the power to truly help people as she always wanted to.

Denki(talking to Jirou, with his hood down revealing the blond tips in his black hair): It was incredible! The sunlight actually empowered me like it does Izuku!

Jirou(hand on her chin): And you’re already as strong as Izuku is normally…

Denki(smiling widely): Exactly, it felt like I could move the Heavens themselves!

Jirou(looking at her boyfriend in amusement): Did you really just make that comparison?

Denki(offended): What, it’s true!

Jirou(poking her boyfriend in the ear with a snort): You dork!

Denki(smiling as he rubs his ear despite not having felt any pain): But I’m your dork.

David(looking into the breach through the island’s hull): This is’ll take a good while to fix…

Toshinori(reverting to his healed normal self and placing his hand on his friend’s shoulder): You’ll have this fixed in no time, I just know it.

Hisashi(approaching the two): Actually, might I have a suggestion.

Hisashi(as David turns to him): Why not make an orbital space station instead? The League can help build it.

David(hand on his chin): Interesting idea, a space station would definitely be much harder to break into.

Hisashi(smiling): It could also act as a hub for heroes to meet up and compare notes with the world’s top scientists, as well as help monitor events occurring around the world.

Toshinori(raising a brow): Like some kind of “Watchtower”?

Hisashi(grinning): Exactly! The League can even provide some teleporters and artificial gravity generators.

David(smiling at the two heroes): That actually sounds like a great idea! The Justice Society have their own base, so maybe the Justice League can have their own in the satellite!

Mina(talking with Kirishima): YOU DID WHAT?!?!?!

Kirishima(smiling sheepishly at her): Yeah, I held up a building!

Mina(eyes wide with worry): YOU COULD’VE DIED!!!

Kirishima(smirking): As if I’d let myself die like that! You’re not losing me that easily!

Kirishima(grinning): Besides, I’m not the one who lifted the ENTIRE island!

Mina(blushing as she pouts and crosses her arms): That’s different…I’m way stronger than you.

Kirishima(grinning as he flexes his arm): But I’m just as durable!

Hawks(seeing Hawkman and Hawkwoman walk towards him): Need something?

Hawkman(removing his helmet): We need to talk…

Nelson(walking towards Eri): There is also another reason why we came here.

Eri(looking at Dr Fate in confusion as he places his helmet back on): Why are looking at me like that?

Dr Fate(holding out a glowing hand towards Eri’s head): This may tingle for a little bit.

Eri(as Dr Fate places his hand on her head): Huh?!

Dr Fate(pulling his hands away from her head as Eri’s eyes widen in shock): Got you.

Eri(looking at him in shock): What did you do?!

Ochaco(looking at Eri in concern): What’s wrong sweetie?

Eri(starting to panic): I CAN’T HEAR NANA ANYMORE!!!

Toshinori(spits out the water he was drinking into Nighteye’s face): YOU COULD HEAR WHO?!?!?!

Dr Fate(holding up the glowing orb in his hand): Give me but a moment.

Dr Fate lifts up his other hand and holds it up to the orb as a series of ruins begin appearing within his hand before converging onto the orb. The orb then floats out of his hand and onto the ground before growing brighter and bigger in size. From the light, a figure starts to take shape, and the glow starts subsiding until in the orb’s place is a tall, black haired woman with blue eyes wearing a black bodysuit with yellow gloves, white boots and cape, and a red tailcoat around her waist, she also happens to look a lot like Inko’s Amazonian form, leaving many looking in shock as they recognize the woman. This is Inko’s dead mother, the former Silver Age Wonder Woman turned pro hero Paragon, Nana Shimura!

Nana(opening her eyes in confusion): What just happened?

Inko(eyes wide): M-mom?

Nana(eyes widen as she turns around and sees Inko looking at her in shock): Inko? You can see me?!

Inko(grabbing her mother in a hug): IT’S REALLY YOU!!!

Dr Fate(as Nana’s eyes widen as she realize that she has a body again): Welcome back old friend.

Denki(voiceover as he and his siblings watch their mother have a teary reunion with their revived Grandmother): You know, despite the fact that we’re currently dealing with multiversal visitors…

Denki(voiceover as his shocked face is shown): THIS still surprises me…

Denki(voiceover as we pan out to see I-Island laying upon the shores of a beach): Speaking of which…

Denki(voiceover as we see the Crime Syndicate looking over them in the distance): Isn’t there still an entire group we haven’t seen yet?

Denki(voiceover as a war hammer is picked up out of a crater amidst a thunderstorm): Hopefully, this adventure will wrap up pretty soon…

To Be Continued…

Next time; Part 5 Action Comics; Starring the House of El, Feat. the Justice League

Author’s note; Once again, thanks to @chapelseed for giving me the suggestion to make Melissa Stargirl. She is now the last eat in the newest generation of legacy heroes, succeeding Starman, she’ll be joined by her father David acting as Stripes.

I also introduced a revived Rokuro Nomura from “Vigilantes” as Zoom; The Reverse Flash, seeing as how he worshipped O’Clock, a pro with a super-speed like quirk, had yellow on their costume, was mentally unstable, and is able to slow down time like Hunter Zolomon to mimic super-speed. He’ll show up in further stories.

I also decided to bring back Nana using Dr Fate, since there is very LITTLE he can’t do. Nana will act as a bridge between the first and newer generations and as the equivalent of the pre-New 52 Wonder Woman.

Stay tuned for Part 5, where are heroes head to Fortress of Solitude and find themselves under siege by the Crime Syndicate! See ya all next time!

[amalthiaph]

top 10 favourite star wars characters?

TYSM for the Ask! <3

1. Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

I love him, like the entire journey; from the small boy in Tatooine to the evil dark lord who slays on dark hallways (both literally and figuratively). The thing about him is I can't really decide whether he's good or bad, he really is in the gray area. While I don't support genocide, I understand his choices (like Tech said, understanding doesn't mean supporting) because he was just 22, faced with fatherhood on a secret marriage, if I were on his place, I would try to go with what I think is the only option.

2. Obi-Wan Kenobi

Need I say more?

3. Luke Skywalker

Because I think it's a cardinal sin to hate him. That and the fact that he will always see the good in people do things to my little heart. And Mark Hamill is handsome.

4. Alexsandr Kallus

I started off despising this man. I think he's too arrogant for someone on mutton chops. But thanks to The Honorable Ones until Zero Hour, he immediately skipped the ranks and jumped to my number 4 spot. And for so long I've wondered why I like him so much and it was until recently that I realized that we kinda had the same story.

I, too, once supported a government that was brutal, dishonest, corrupt and overall unpleasant. I was fooled with the promise of "change" which I discovered was just a false promise to carry out aforementioned atrocities. It was until I had a talk with someone who showed me the truth, and from then on, I switched sides, because once your eyes had witnessed the truth, it'd be a sin to look away.

And I became part of the opposition party; we rallied for a better future, fueled with hope, like all rebellions are.

5. Hera Syndulla

Aside from the fact that I wanna be a Twi'lek, Hera is an excellent pilot. And the fact that she accomplished all that while NOT being force sensitive is the cherry on top.

6. Leia Organa

Somebody has to save their skins. And it was this princess, whose first response is telling someone they're too short for a Stormtrooper. I love how she slayed that gold bikini and how she slayed IN THAT bikini. I understand that it was an attempt to reduce her to an eye candy, but this is THE Princess Leia, we're not having that here.

7. Ahsoka Tano

Okay, so first of all, I really love her design. There's something about those lekku, especially the ones in Rebels, that just gets to me. I kinda see her as a counterpart to Anakin, only that she is not as intense (in THAT context). Her being 'not a Jedi' for me is helpful to her character, that she can do what she thinks is right without being bound by centuries-old lessons or rules that are not really that nice.

8. The Bad Batch and Omega

So I'm gonna cheat on this one because I see them as JUST ONE UNIT. Like teams in League of Legends, they're incomplete without the other so for this list, I'm considering them as one.

I love their dynamic and design so much, and as I had mentioned, every single member is just as important as the other. They're interactive. And their individual journeys as they parted ways is what made them (and the series) interesting. I know there had been a divide in the fandom where one part hate one character and the other part hate the other character but I don't do that. The thing is I understand the writers. So, I understand that in the sense of needing to make a story interesting, there HAD TO be differences in choices. Basically, their choices, though I don't agree but understand the other, are necessary to keep the story going.

And as characters, I like them because as much as they're correlated or dependent, they're still their own person.

9. Chopper

He's got a higher body count than Darth Vader himself.

10. Chewbacca

He's such a cinnamon roll. Because if he isn't, there'd be a long line of people with their arms ripped off and Star Wars would be Rated M and not available to a general audience. So we should thank him for being so nice.

[obsidianwolfxredux]

So I watched the new Tiny Toons reboot

Honestly it's not a bad show though the first ten episodes are a bit uneven IMO.

Most of the changes don't bother me and some like the new Plucky and Hampton directions really work. That said I am rather ambivalent about some of the others

First making Buster and Babs twin siblings doesn't really add anything because most of the time them being twins doesn't actually come in a way that impacts anything. Outside of the pilot and their job subplot it would be easy enough to just read them as childhood friends instead of formerly co-dependent twins. Maybe future installments will run with it.

Second the age lift the entire cast has gone through without their physical designs being altered. I get that it's to avoid changing them to be unrecognizable but it is really freaking weird to have them as Young Adults in College (Buster reminiscences about High school at one point) and still being barely taller than they were when they were thirteen. I get that they are taking the Looniversity moniker far more literal with it being a college.

I'm hoping that the next batch of episodes might improve on things somewhat but we'll hve to wait and see. It's not a bad reboot and it's entertaining so that's a plus but it just kind of feels just a bit under done like they were not brave enough to really change things but also trying to not retread things so things to me seem a bit just sort of there.

IF the show finds it's footing it will probably be great but as it is now I'm just sort of waiting to see if it ever will.

[xtruss]

What is the Sukhoi Su-35 Super Flanker and How Many Does Russia Have?

© Sputnik/Alexander Vilf/Go to the Mediabank

— Ilya Tsukanov

The Su-35 fighter made the news last week after a senior Iranian lawmaker confirmed that the Islamic Republic plans to take delivery of a batch of the 4++ generation Russian multirole planes as soon as March. What are the Su-35’s characteristics? When were the aircraft introduced? And why does Iran want to get its hands on them? Sputnik explains.

A US State Department spokesperson expressed concerns last month over the “unprecedented level of military and technical support” between in Russia and Iran that was “transforming their relationship into a full-fledged defense partnership.”

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby echoed these sentiments in a press briefing, citing the training of Iranian pilots to operate Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighters, which he said would “significantly strengthen Iran’s air force relative to its regional neighbors.”

What are Multirole Fighter Jets?

First things first: Let's get definitions out of the way. The Russian military defines "multirole fighters" as aircraft designed and equipped to destroy both enemy aircraft and ground forces, including using stealth technology, if applicable. Multirole fighters differ from so-called "frontline fighters" designed primarily for air superiority missions (with a secondary fire support role), and interceptors – meant to protect ground forces from enemy aircraft and cruise missile attacks at long ranges.

Russia’s experience with multirole combat aircraft goes back to the interwar period and the Soviet Union’s development of the Polikarpov R-5 reconnaissance/light bomber aircraft, and the Polikarpov Po-2 all-weather multirole aircraft - a mass-produced biplane built from the late 1920s until 1954 and used for missions including pilot training, ground attack, and reconnaissance. Nazi Germany, the United States, and Britain each experimented with their own successful multirole planes, like the Junckers Ju 88 and the de Havilland Mosquito.

A Polikarpov Po-2 on display on Red Square in 2020. © Sputnik/Evgeniy Biyatov/Go to the Mediabank

With the advent of jet engine technology and missiles, and the beginning of the Cold War, the design of multirole aircraft became more complex and significantly more costly. It wasn’t until the mid-1970s that a joint Italian, British, and West German design known as the Panavia Tornado was created as a do-it-all aircraft capable of interdictor/strike missions, reconnaissance and electronic warfare, and the interception of enemy jets. The US and the USSR followed suit with the Lockheed Martin F-16 and Mikoyan MiG-29 multirole jets in the late 1970s and early 1980s, respectively. Both of the latter have enjoyed a series of upgrades, and are expected to remain in service with dozens of militaries around the world for decades to come.

What is the Su-35, When Was It Created and When Did It Enter Service?

The Su-35 is a deep modernization of the T-10 – the platform on which the Soviet Su-27 all-weather supersonic heavy multirole fourth-generation multirole fighter was built. The Su-35’s connection with its Soviet big brother is hinted at by the early name of the modernization project – the Su-27M. The Su-27M was tinkered with between the late 1980s and the mid-1990s, and differed from the base Su-27 with the canards in front of its wings for increased maneuverability, and a rear-facing air brake. These features were deleted in the Su-35, but the canard is used by the Su-34, a fighter-bomber/strike bomber variant of the Su-27.

Full-scale development work on the Su-35 by the Sukhoi Design Bureau began in the early 2000s, with the plane envisioned as a 4++ generation aircraft (4+ generation typically means upgraded armaments, onboard avionics equipment, radar, etc. while 4++ usually means the incorporation of weapons and systems found on next-gen aircraft). The Su-35 was bestowed the NATO reporting name "Flanker-E" or "Super Flanker" – a nod to its Su-27 "Flanker" origins.

Turkey Could Consider Buying Russia's Su-35 If Deal on US F-16 Fails: Defense Agency. © Sputnik/Evgeny Odinokov/Go to the Mediabank

The Su-35 is piloted by a single airman, and features twin AL-41F1 engines with thrust-vectoring nozzles allowing for supermaneuvrability – i.e., the ability to perform maneuvers which are not possible using only traditional aerodynamics-based techniques. The aircraft has a top speed of up to 2,500 km per hour (Mach 2.3). It features a high-precision phased antenna array radar with a range of over 400 km and maximum deflection angle of up to 120 degrees, onboard electronic warfare equipment, and two optional outboard fuel tanks which increase its maximum range from 3,600 to 4,500 km. The onboard computer allows the Su-35 to detect and target up to four ground or 30 air targets, and engage between two and eight targets simultaneously, depending on the missile used. Speaking of the weapons complement, it includes a 150 round 30 mm aircraft gun, an eight-ton useful combat load, and 12 weapons hard points for short, medium, and long range air-to-air, air-to-ground, and anti-ship missiles, and two types of unguided munitions.

The first prototype of the Su-35 appeared at the 2007 MAKS air show outside Moscow. Its first flight took place in 2008, and in 2009, the Russian Air Force contracted Sukhoi to supply it with 48 Su-35s, delivered in full by late 2015.

How Many Su-35s Does Russia Have?

The Russian Air Force now operates at least 93 Su-35 aircraft across eight different air bases inside Russia, plus four which are stationed at the Khmeimim Air Base in Syria.

How Much Do Su-35s Cost?

The Russian Defense Ministry has been tight-lipped about the per unit cost of a single Su-35 for the internal market. However, Russian business media reported in 2015 that the military had contracted the United Aircraft Corporation, Sukhoi’s parent company, to build 48 Su-35s for “about 100 billion rubles” – meaning a per unit price tag of around two billion rubles (about $29.3 million US at the current exchange rate).

Have Any Su-35s Been Lost in Ukraine?

Su-35s made their combat debut in Syria in 2016, and have provided cover to other aircraft on bombing missions, and secured airspace over the country’s northwest.

The escalation of the long-running conflict in Donbass into a full-on NATO-Russia proxy war in Ukraine in 2022 has been accompanied by an intense information war online. Russian Su-35s have taken an active part in the suppression of Ukrainian air defenses, and have claimed at least a dozen victories in air-to-air combat against Ukrainian aircraft. Claims of how many Su-35s may have been lost in the fighting vary dramatically, with the Ukrainian General Staff claiming in August that Russia had lost up to “two squadrons,” i.e. 24 planes, by that point. US media offered a more modest appraisal, suggesting in the summer that up to two Su-35s had been lost. Ukrainian media published footage in March of the wreckage of a jet they claimed was an Su-35 in a field in the Kharkov region, as well as a video of its purported captured pilot. Western media reported that pieces of the wreck were sent to labs in the UK and Nevada for analysis, citing this as a major propaganda coup for NATO.

The Russian military has not confirmed the loss of any Su-35s in Ukraine, and judging by the videos alone, all that’s clear is that the wrecked plane appears to be a derivative of the Su-27 family (which Ukraine, incidentally, also has). In other words, the Su-35’s losses over 11 months of operations in Ukraine are either zero or one.

Nine Months Into Special Military Operation, Are Dogfights Over Ukraine Making Russian Aces?

What Countries Besides Russia Operate the Su-35?

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force is the only air force besides Russia’s with Su-35s in service. Russia and China inked a $2 billion contract for 24 Su-35s in 2015, with the planes fully delivered by 2018. The US slapped sanctions on Chinese entities over the purchase under Washington’s "Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act." China has not bought any additional Su-35s, instead focusing on its domestically produced Shenyang J-16 (a derivative of the Shenyang J-11 air superiority fighter – which was derived from the Su-27).

Why Does Iran Want Su-35s?

Iran’s expected delivery of up to two dozen Su-35 jets comes shortly after Egypt backed out of a contract to purchase the jets under pressure from the US, with media reports suggesting that the Su-35s slated for delivery to Egypt are being diverted to Iran instead. Russian and Iranian officials have not confirmed this information.

In any event, the Russian 4++ generation aircraft will be a welcome addition to Iran’s Air Force, which due to decades of sanctions pressure has been left with a sparse inventory of aging combat aircraft, including US-made F-4 Phantom IIs, F-5 Tiger IIs, F-14 Tomcats, French Mirage F1s, Chinese Chengdu J-7s (a license-built MiG-21), and Soviet-made MiG-29s and Su-24s. According to media reports, Iran has been on the lookout for modern Russian or Chinese-sourced multirole jets for about a decade, with the October 2020 lifting of a United Nations arms embargo untying Tehran’s hands for the purchase.

The Islamic Republic has prided itself on its defense-industrial base, which has produced a range of advanced missile systems, cutting-edge radar technology, and a fully autonomous defense electronics sector. In accordance with its self-reliance philosophy, the nation has experimented with options for homegrown aircraft, introducing the HESA Kowsar fighter/trainer in 2018, and the IAIO Qaher-313, a stealth fighter first shown in 2013 that’s thought to be in development. The Su-35 will be sure to provide Iranian airmen, commanders, and military engineers food for thought about the future development of the domestic aircraft industry, and the Iranian Air Force's tactical and strategic capabilities. More on this below.

Shock and Awe: Why Russia's Sukhoi Su-35 Fighters are Nightmare for Iran's Adversaries

How Does the Su-35 Match Up Against the F-35?

The Su-35’s 4++ generation engine, radar, and weapons package makes it a serious competitor against top US planes, including not only the F-16 and F-22, but Lockheed Martin’s monster $1.7 trillion F-35 Lightning II multirole jet as well. While it is outclassed by the F-35 on stealth and avionics, the Su-35 features superior maneuverability, a higher top speed (2,400 km vs. 1,960 km per hour), and longer range (3,600 km vs. 2,800 km).

While they are marketed as stealth fighters, F-35s can be detected using some radar types, including, reportedly, the Su-35’s onboard Ibris-E. Given the F-35’s sleek radar cross section (RCS) of as little as .005m2, the Ibris-E could hypothetically detect it up to 90 km away, which is below the F-35’s ability to hone in on the Su-35 up to 150 km away. However, according to Hellenic Air Force Colonel (ret.) Konstantinos Zikidis, when accounting for maneuverability and countermeasures, such as chaff dispensers or jammers, and "beaming maneuvers" (i.e. flying perpendicularly to the source of a radar or oncoming missile to avoid or complicate detection), an F-35 could be outclassed by a competent Su-35 pilot.

“In real life, if an F-35 on a stealthy mission would detect a Su-35, most possibly it would turn away and return to base to fight another day,” Zikidis explained. “On a strike mission, you wouldn’t appreciate the company of a supermaneuverable enemy fighter. After all, the F-35 was designed to be a strike aircraft…not a dogfighter.”

Accounting for the existence of advanced radar technology, air defense forces could hone in on incoming F-35s well before they reach their target zones. Iran, incidentally, is a major power when it comes to advanced radars, with its Matla-ul-fajr (lit. "Rise of Dawn") VHF 3D radar featuring a range of up to 480 km, and operating in 100 different frequencies to prevent jamming. Working in coordination with its dense network of ground-based radars and missile systems, such as the Bavar 373 and the Khordad 3, Su-35s in Iran’s arsenal should help the Islamic Republic make short work of any adversaries foolish enough to attack.

Israel, the only state in the Middle East that allegedly possesses nuclear arms, considers Iran a direct threat to its national security. Under an agreement signed between Israel and the US, Washington will assist Israel with missile defense in case of war in the region.

[cross-my-heartt]

Introducing Reckie

(character bio and full helmet decal under the cut)

Decal design by the amazing @twinkofthedink 💕 Thank you for helping me bring my boys to life.

Youngest member of the squad. His name is short for ‘reckless’ and he pulled some pretty wild stunts in his time in the GAR that he mostly survived by the skin of his teeth. He’s the squad’s self-appointed mechanic even though he was never trained for it. His technical skills are admittedly still wonky but he tries his best as he does with everything.

In fact, his recklessness stems from the fact that he’s always eager to prove himself and be useful, not because of arrogance or overconfidence. He’s also the squad’s pilot and his maneuvering often ends up saving the squad’s skins.

In terms of age, he is palpably younger than the rest. By the end of the war the Kaminoans tried to churn out more soldiers by speeding up the training of the more successful cadets. Reckie was one of those cadets and it shows – he’s still a bit lean from his last growth spurt and has that boyish pluck.

While he often rushes headfirst into things, he’s far from incompetent and his recklessness is often rewarded (fortune favors the bold and all that). That said he constantly puts himself at unnecessary risk and it causes a great deal of trouble and worry for the people around him. The only reason his company put up with having to keep an eye on him and making sure he didn’t run off to perform heroics is because he was everyone’s favorite shiny. 

Eventually his antics caught the attention of his CO, a jedi master called Lan Telu, and the general took it upon himself to teach him patience and self-restraint. He became a mentor and almost father figure to Reckie and the shock of his death during Order 66 would be the reason why he begins to question orders and eventually breaks free from the chip’s control.

Later he sees Crosshair as someone who can fill the hole left behind by Telu. He’s not the best sharpshooter in the squad, not by a long shot (pun intended), but he’s still constantly looking for Crosshair’s approval in everything else, which the surly sergeant rarely gives. He’s not too cruel however and he will praise or encourage Reckie if he’s feeling unusually down. And it always means the world to Reckie when he does.

(Crosshair’s pride is secretly tickled by how much the kid admires him but he’ll die before he admits it.)

Reckie is the reason the squad blasts techno music in the ship when they’re not on a job. He’s got a lot of excess energy and having some music to bop or tap his foot to helps him concentrate. The squad doesn’t oppose it so the habit sticks.

In general, Reckie is all about loudness: he likes loud places, loud weapons and is pretty loud himself. It annoys the hell out of Crosshair at first but he starts to tolerate it once Reckie worms his way into his heart.

His honesty and energy mean that even the squad’s most aloof member, Bundler, eventually warms up to him and becomes extremely protective of the squad’s baby. As for his relationship with Stiff, they’re as close as batch twins even though they only came to know each other after they were arrested.

(And here's the decal! I love it so much!! Once again a big thanks to you Twinky, you have no idea how much these mean to me 🥺)

[lilhawkeye3]

Tea Time With Hawk ☕️🦅

The Bad Batch was... badly designed

If you like the Bad Batch & aren’t open to reading a critical look into their design, don’t read this.

So I’ve already written about The Clone Wars and the issues with Tup and Rex’s character designs. For me, these aren’t reasons enough for me to dislike their characters as a whole (although I refuse to draw Tup’s tattoo when I do draw him).

With the Bad Batch though... I really don’t like them. I don’t want to draw them. Their designs make me uncomfortable, and for two reasons other than just the designs themselves:

1. The Bad Batch was designed for the newest and latest season of TCW, meaning those involved in the creation and in the direction of the Star Wars Umiverse in general are aware of issues brought up in the last decade about POC representation and racism in Star Wars (I say this because it’s been widely talked about, especially after the sequel movies premiered).

2. These characters were introduced specifically as a backdoor pilot for their own series. If the reception to them hadn’t been as good, the Bad Batch series probably wouldn’t have been greenlighted (this is something done in Hollywood in general, not a specific Disney thing). The problem isn’t that they were created in mind to have a series about them, but that these clones have the most whitewashed appearance and were chosen to be the focus of a new series.

So, on to a closer look at exactly what I find issue with these characters.

Crosshair: why the fuck does the sharpshooter look like a white man (this is nothing against white men, but he is supposed to be the CLONE of a BROWN MAN). EVERYTHING about him is changed so drastically that it doesn’t even look like they used the base model of a clone for him.

For comparison:

Top photo is Crosshair. Bottom three are Fives, Jester, and Echo (after the Citadel, which I’ll get to).

Crosshair’s jaw structure is angular and his cheekbones more vertical and prominent. His hairline is more rigid, his hair is white, and with the painting details you can see it is mean to be straight. His nose is so much narrower it’s as if he had a nose job done. Even his lip shape is smaller, which is ridiculous seeing as the clones already have such thin lips. His eyebrows are thinner and less bold. All these are pbviously changed even when comparing to Echo, who is meant to be thin in malnourished in that picture.

Crosshair’s mutation goes further than being a great sharpshooter. They literally made him into a white man.

And then I wonder why he seems to be the most popular of the Bad Batch members in the fandom... sigh.

Tech: again, it looks as if they used a whole different base structure than the normal clones. So here we have his “desirable mutation” meaning he’s incredibly smart. He is shorter and less built than the other clones, his hair is lightened, his nose narrower, his jaw narrower and less square... the changes aren’t as drastic as with Crosshair, but he’s still changed to fit more Eurocentric features. Tech is also much shorter than all the other clones? Idk personally I found that strange and unnecessary cause it not only adds to “nerds are smaller” stereotypes, but more troubling, it subtly pushes the notion that the larger brown men are not as smart as the smaller whitewashed man.

Wrecker: I can’t even begin to describe how animalistic they make him seem in comparison to the previous two. While Crosshair and Tech’s mutations are more mental and refined and thus they are given Eurocentric features... Wrecker’s mutation focuses on brute strength and yet he retains the more typical clone features of the show. Yeah idk just look at the picture and the way he acts in the show. He’s better than the first two but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Hunter: okay enhancing his senses is... fine. Honestly he’s the least problematic in my opinion. But like... they were not subtle in trying to make him like Rambo. His hair, his facial features, even the bandana. He’s not as whitewashed as Crosshair or Tech, but he is obviously modeled after Sylvester Stalone, who y’know is a white guy.

And then they have Echo elevated to the Bad Batch. @thatfunkyopossum made an art that pointed it out best, but there isn’t really an excuse for how much paler they made his skin. Yes brown skinned people can and do get darker or lighter based on seasons but like... we don’t just lose all our melanin and become completely white if we never get sunlight. I hope they give him some color back for this sequel 😅 [Edit 4/2021: LMAO HE GOT WORSE SOMEHOW]

So yeah. The Bad Batch makes me extremely uncomfortable as a whole, and you won’t see me creating stuff for them (I drew Hunter once for a friend but that’s the extent I’ll get involved with them). It’s fine if you do like them, like I’m not going to hate you or anything, but I did want to write this up because enough people were interested.

I am of course welcome to any discussion about it (both in agreement or disagreement) :) but if you start attacking anyone in reblogs I will not hesitate to block you. *Please check the notes if you want to see the discussion!*

[thekingofwinterblog]

So, since we’re about to get what is probably Sasha’s final design change, i just thought now was a decent time to go over every design was considered before they settled on the current one.

You can tell this is EARLY amphibia, since this is a pony tail from the early pitch pilot, so sometime between pitch and actual design.

From what we see of this design, it looks okay, but MAN the bad shading just ruins this one.

The first concept that would use the actual style the show settled on, but you can tell it’s near as old as the previous one, and Sasha here has pure platinum blonde, and the placement of the beauty mark isn’t settled yet, here beying between her nose and eye.

The design itself though is pretty cool, but the actual coloring is just... all over the place. that said, i could defnitly see the design working with a bit of recoloring to make it more coherent(foreshadowing).

The final of Sasha’s earliest beta designs, and you see the beauty mark still isnt placed in the final spot, this one sets a theme that we’re gonna see going forward, in that the show was originally going to be way more blatant about the zelda references, with many of these designs looking incredibly similar to Ganondorf.

That is not a complaint though, as this design is GREAT. like, im gonna be honest, i like a lot of these designs WAY more than the one the show went with, and this is definitly one of them. It’s really cool. Also, i think i like this ponytail the best out of all of Sasha’s beta hairstyles.

also, i REALLY wish Sasha had kept the Flamberge. not only is it a really cool weapon that’s rarely seen, but it’s also german in origin, which would have been a nice way to tie in the fact that Sasha has german ancestry.

And here’s the first example of the second batch of Sasha’s designs.

And im a bit mixed. in some ways it’s my least favorite of these designs(I get what they were going for, trying to tie her more to the Toads of which she’s a part of), but it’s too out there to work as Sasha’s singular main design. That said, if they had been allowed to keep the blood and gore stains as a main feature, i definitly think this would have been an upgrade, just by how that little detail adds so much character to what Sasha’s become.

Also, while not as muhc as the flamberge, i like this claymore more than her single swords.

And here we have what seems to be the fan favorite out of the beta designs.

And i fully get why. Also, this is a design where Sasha basically went, “im gonna go all out and dress like Wind waker Ganondorf if he was still a bandit king.”. It’s awsome, cool, and really memorable. 

Sasha as a bandit queen looks fantastic, and if i had to choose one, singular design for Sasha before season 3B, it would be this one.

It’s also the best argument for Sasha’s original ponytail design, as this look actually makes the design rock.

Meh is the word to describe this one. The bird skull is a nice bit, but other than that... It’s a really boring design. Really glad they didn’t go with this one.

Probably the second most popular beta design, and the best way to describe it, is that it’s her regular attire, but way cooler. Dig that massive braid. Also it manages to take the idea of a small bird skull, and actually use it in a good way.

Definitly would have prefered this one to the actual armor.

Now im going a bit out of order with this one(the last of the second batch of designs), as this is from the third and final batch of designs, but i wanted to highlight it before the next one, in that if i was writing this story, this would absolutely be the look Sasha had for season 1.

It’s cool, sleek, and spiffy, and it works really, really well as a first set of duds, a beginners set of armor so to say, before her wardrobe change in season 2, where i would change her simply getting a recolor, to instead change into...

This is easily my favorite design of sasha’s beta looks, and again, if i had been writing this story, this is what she would have changed into in season 2.

Its regal, powerfull, and cool, while also serving as a good, and strong mirror image to Anne’s design change.

It’s Sasha taking cues from ganondorf, but just dropping the sorceror bit, and going full in on the tanky brawler part. And it’s awsome. Also, i could easily see this design being used really well with it taking damage, say Anne chopping off one or two of the spikes during their duel.

It’s also the final one of the second batch of beta designs, and all the following are from the final list, where they seem to have just thrown out designs to see if one stuck.

So for those who do not know, this kind of breastplate was a real thing.... and if it was not paired with a lower half to compliment the hartman hips look, it looks just as silly and stupid as it does here.

Probably the worst design, looking absolutely silly and being impossible to take seriously.

An okay, not particularily impressive, but not bad design. Not sure what the eye amulet is supposed to have been. maybe a plot macguffin that was dropped?

It would have servied, but it wouldn’t have been a particular good design.

And finally, they went back to what was probably the first design, cleaned up it’s colors, and all in all made it much, much better to look at. 

It’s also easy to see that this design was what was chosen as the basis for the final design they went with for season 1 and 2.

And it works, it’s a cool design... but at the same time i think the red version of the finalized armor is simply a better version of this one.

Again, i would have preffered if they went with one of the other designs, make the change a real development, and not just a pallete swap, but of all the designs to have used as a base for the final product, this one works pretty well.

[thesumlax]

Time to post some more of those kooky creatures my subconsious produces at night!

***

The first pic is dedicated to a a single dream that yielded an entire sketch page, focused on a new batch of Pokemon being reviewed by @bogleech (this is how I usually learn about new Pokemon).

1) A spiky worm that attacks by rotating its body like a drill. The review noted that it had two beta versions with much spookier faces.

2) Kind of like if Mudkip was designed by a very different artist. Also had a beta version with empty dark holes for eyes.

3) An upside down bunny head with ear-paws, a propeller made of leaves and a straw tail... yeah, that`s how I remember it. It could evolve into either 4) or 5).

6) An obligatory "sexy" one.

7) and 8) - don`t remember much about these ones, not even their colors. (Edit: just realized that 8 looks kinda ambiguous - that is indeed a mouth on its forehead.)

9) Apparently the plot of these dream Pokemon games got pretty weird too - according to the reviews, at the end of the previous game the main villain turned into this lobopodian creature and just walked away, so the fans were expecting the newest instalment to explain this shit.

10) This was seen on the same night, but I`m not sure if it`s connected to the Pokemon stuff in any way. Not even sure what this thing really looked like, all I know is that it wanted some help taking samples of its bodily fluids with these trocar-like implements.

***

The second image is simply a collection of various unrelated dreams of varying age. Unfortunately, I only remember the colors for some of them. 1) and 2) are presumably variations of the same dream mechanoid. In both cases the "mouth" is where the pilot enters. This is a very old dream that I completely forgot and then recently remembered upon stumbling on a sketch of these things.

3) This little cartoon plesiosauroid was the protagonist of a very long and strange dream plot. He lived on a tropical island, but after being absent for a while he found it taken over by a bizarre jail resembling a steampunk mechanical garden. After getting through its complicated gate mechanisms and going down a large escalator he found a seemingly normal mall, though with some areas closed off and requiring authorization. Going further underground, he ended up in a place resembling some old Russian police/government offices, or something like that. The deepest level consisted of catacombs populated by neon green zombie celebrities. I don`t really remember what the little dude and his human friend were doing there, but I think that in order to remove the jail from the island they would have to be imprisoned here first.

4) Crab chicken. That`s all.

5) This dream was set in a world populated by many tribes of strange critters. These walking fish heads were the protagonist tribe looking for a new home. Some of the other tribes they encountered were: rather generic wingless dragon-things, brightly colored Dumbo hippos (6), and these dino-birds (7) which had various beak shapes and could be both bipedal and quadrupedal.

8) Some dwarf-like mole-men, or maybe mole-like dwarves. They lived in fear of an "earth dragon" (9, not to scale - it would be at least twice as tall as the little guys) which had a terrifying ability to control them with its song. The "dragon" was actually the female of their species, and while she was unfortunately cannibalistic, she also created the caves they lived in with her acidic spit and powerful claws.

10) I think this goat is a wizard and also a ghost.

11) This dream was about a new game mode revealed for Overwatch 2, in which you play as Reinhardt in a strange, colorful, organic-looking alien environment, seraching for these glowing blue blobs in order to smash them with his hammer (made more difficult by the hammer being invisible for some reason). This alien world Reinhardt was lost in had its own sentient species (12 - yes, they literally look like pieces of cloth) willing to help him, and some fauna (13) that got in his way. I believe this is the second dream I had which offered a way to make Overwatch much more interesting!

14) And we`ll end on this hypnagogic image of some weird-ass horse. For some reason my hypnagogic flashes produce much more bizarre imagery than actual dreams.