#the text pages of the miniseries waste some time

[cantsayidont]

May–August 1985. Conceived before the Crisis on Infinite Earths but published concurrently, THE SHADOW WAR OF HAWKMAN was an ambitious attempt by writer Tony Isabella and editor Alan Gold to forge a new direction for Hawkman and Hawkwoman, who'd been stumbling along since the late 1960s in a series of backup features and guest spots. The story borrows a page or three from the lexicon of paranoid '70s conspiracy thrillers, revealing that agents of the Hawks' homeworld of Thanagar are now on Earth, working in secret to lay the groundwork for a military invasion by using the Absorbacon, a Gardner Fox gimmick capable of gathering all the knowledge of a particular world, to gather exploitable secrets from the minds of Earth people. Thanagarians are immune to the Absorbacon's mind-reading powers, but the Hawks are cut off from most of their friends and allies, fearing that any information they share with their JLA comrades might immediately fall into enemy hands. The infiltrators, meanwhile, target the Hawks in hopes of seizing their now rare and valuable Thanagarian technology.

In the Silver Age Hawkman stories, Thanagar had been presented as a typical scientifically advanced post-scarcity society, where crime is mostly limited to a handful of thrillseekers and alien invaders. However, it had suffered a series of major crises in the '70s, which the miniseries helpfully summarizes while filling in a few blanks:

(Inevitably, a few key points of the original stories have gotten lost in translation: In the original Equalizing Plague storyline in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #117–119, Katar and Shayera are both infected, but Katar is able to cure himself and later Shayera, albeit not anyone else on Thanagar. The cure provided by Hyathis, an old JLA villain, is not part of that story, but is revealed in the 1978 Adam Strange/Hawkman crossover in SHOWCASE #101–103.)

The original Equalizing Plague storyline is a weirdly reactionary effort for the usually humanistic Elliot S! Maggin, about a silly-looking space villain (the dude with the red helmet and the mustache in the first page above) whose desire for universal equality destroys whole societies by transforming everyone into nebbishes. Even Gene Roddenberry might have balked at that one, and a central problem with Isabella's "Shadow War" storyline is that it requires readers to not only take that story seriously, but even empathize with how it has left Thanagarians susceptible to fascism. (The villains are never very sympathetic, but you're supposed to see where they're coming from, which would be a lot to ask even in less ridiculous circumstances.)

Despite that, the SHADOW WAR miniseries is a decent effort, with higher-than-usual stakes and an effective sense of menace. The scripts are a bit florid — albeit fairly restrained for Isabella — but the art suits them very well, with Rich Howell's Murphy Anderson-like pencils given moody atmosphere by Alfredo Alcala's inking. It sold well, leading to a 1986 HAWKMAN SPECIAL by Isabella and Howell with new inker Ron Randall. This has Katar agonizing over the Thanagarian agents he's killed, which is most interesting for Isabella's novel take on the Gentleman Ghost, an old Hawkman villain who unexpectedly becomes the Hawks' new ally.

Unfortunately, what Isabella and Gold had intended as a five-year saga quickly ran into trouble in the new post-Crisis HAWKMAN series that followed the SPECIAL. According to Isabella, the principal problem was that new editor Denny O'Neil, who took over soon after the launch of the new series, was annoyed that Isabella would attempt something so grandiose and demanded that the "Shadow War" be wrapped up quickly. Isabella soon bowed out, leaving Dan Mishkin and co-editor Barbara Randall to tie things up.

The dismaying resolution, in HAWKMAN #12, ends (temporarily) Thanagar's adventurism on Earth, but culminates in Katar deliberately choosing to leave the planet's new military government in power, with his father's old friend Rul Pintar taking the place of the previous ruling junta. Conceding that the Thanagarian people will be "helpless" without a dictatorship, Katar announces, "You lead them, Rul Pintar! Then at least their next dictator will be a benevolent one who remembers Thanagar's greatness--and can perhaps give a little bit of it back to them!" Thus, what had begun as a paranoid thriller about a secret alien invasion concludes with Hawkman's explicit endorsement of fascist dictatorship, after which he and Shayera fly back to Earth so it won't be their problem. Yikes!

Having lost any sense of narrative direction along with its moral compass, the book lasted only five more issues and was canceled in late 1987. Isabella says some of his original ideas were later recycled for "other company-wide crossovers," which I assume refers primarily to the 1988 INVASION! event, in which Thanagar was one of the invaders.

[thefanficmistress]

This One Night ☾

Requested by: The beautiful and sweet @thedarlingwriter : You always show me so much love and support. Thank you for the request.

“I have a request that I would like for you do. I have a title, but I want you to write the fanfic. I was going to do it but I want to see how you do it because I love how you write. It’s called This One Night. You can make it a one shot or a miniseries if you want. Reader meets Richard Armitage in a night club…”

Summary: You discover that your boyfriend cheated on you again and you dump him. Your friends decide to take you out to a new nightclub to get you back in high spirits, and you decide that this one night you will not be yourself. You will be reckless, sexy, and take chances that you would not normally take and then you spot Richard.

WARNING: Smut, angst, fluff, & more fluff & more angst, and did I mention more fluff?  No? Well there will be fluff.

Authors Notes: This fic was originally posted on another blog of mine, but I decided to post it here, and keep my other page for professional works. It has been removed from the blog. Thank you for understanding. 

Pairing: Richard X Reader

TAGLIST : @deepestfirefun​ @shikin83​ @armitageadoration​ @patanghill17​ @calaena-banrion​ @xxbyimm​ @nowiloveandwilllove​ @jesgisborne​ @raindrops-on-roses142​ @abiwim​ @maybetomorrowgirl @catthefearless​ @w1tchywrit3r​

Part 1

_______________

You had enough!

This was the second time you caught him in a lie. The second time you caught him with another woman. He begged you the first time to forgive him. That he was weak, mislaid, and made a bad call, and it wouldn’t happen again. Followed by flowers, chocolates, and more promises he didn’t intend to keep. Then it started again, the forgetting of plans, his friends covering for him, and now the late calls, and claims of working late, and now this. You knew that he wasn’t working tonight, so you wanted to pay him a little visit. You hadn’t slept with him since that first offense, and maybe it was your fault he went back. After all you never fully forgave him, and you could never be yourself again, never be the couple you were. How could you show your face again with him? How could hold onto his arm like the perfect trophy girlfriend knowing that his hear never was truly yours? You couldn’t. The couple that all your friends thought was perfect, now had a dirty little secret, and you wanted nothing more to do with it. A part of you fell out of love, but it was that love that made you try again. To try and forgive…well let’s be honest. To never forget.

You walked into his apartment and smelled the cheap cologne that he always wore, always too much. Then there was the lingering smell of perfume, not yours, however, it was still familiar, as if you smelt it before. Yours didn’t smell so watered down, or spiked with the smell of musk, and well whore. You closed the door behind you, greeted Barney the tiny black chihuahua you both shared, and placed your bag on the counter and headed down the hall. To your left the opening to the dining room, two glasses of wine, two plates with barely eaten food. Guess they couldn’t wait. The red candles that you bought were lit and that sicken sound of jazz music played throughout the flat. You hated his taste in music.

To the right further down the hall, his pictures on the wall, family, Friends, and you and him on your trips. There was one picture that you stopped at and stared at it for a second. It was the first time he said he loved you and made a romantic dinner and presented you with the silver heart shaped necklace you wore now. You looked down at the tiny little trinket which was most likely a guilt gift, removed it and hung it from the corner of the picture frame.  You rolled your eyes, turned and walked a few feet and stared straight at the door ahead of you. Closed, but you can hear the sounds on the other side. The headboard banging against the wall. The whimpering moans of pleasure, and his weird attempt of dominate dirty talk. He was god awful, but she may be that dumb and drunk to not notice. You paused for a moment with your eyes closed. Taking in a few deep breaths to calm your nerves and collect yourself. You knew that it was over, you knew that you would most likely cry later. Not because you would miss him, or loved him even, but because your wasted time. You hated giving your time to someone who didn’t appropriate you or supported you. So, this was it, the moment you knew would come again, and the moment you knew you would be single again. But you couldn’t deny that it hurt. It hurt bad. You were a woman after all and you couldn’t just turn off the feels. You knew that the last reminisce of your heart would be lost after this. How could you ever trust someone else? Let them in. Let anyone in.

You took the down handle, took one more deep breath and walked into the bedroom to see him pounding away between your sister’s legs in the sheets you bought. The betrayal was so earth shattering that all could do was stand there and stare. The sight of what he was doing to your sister broke your heart, she broke your heart. How could your own flesh and blood do this to you. How could he?  They both realized that the door was opened when Barney jumped on the bed and started barking. Your clearly obvious ex-boyfriend Drew turned to push him off and saw you out of the corner of his eye and shot up. Your sister saw you and her face looked horrified or was it embarrassed? You had convinced yourself that she didn’t care about what she did to you, only upset because she got caught. You were sure she enjoyed it. Neither the less, the cord was struck and you were done. Trying not to let them see you cry, you shook your head, rolled your eyes and walked out. They both screamed for you to wait as the door closed behind you.

…

“Wait! He was in bed with Nicole?” The voice on the other side of the receiver yelled.

“Yes. “You confirmed.

“Nicole, Nicole?” The voice questioned again, the disbelief seething through the speakers of the phone.

“Yes.” You said again holding your head up and shaking it with a smile on your face. y leaned closer to the mirror. You were in your bathroom applying your favorite lipstick that made your lips plump and irresistible. It tasted like strawberries, and you would find yourself licking it off yourself.

“Your older sister Nicole. The child that your mother gave birth to first Nicole?!” the shocked female voice asked again. Her tone was suggesting that she was mistaken by who Nicole was, and that it couldn’t be your sister.

“Yes! The same sister that always had to have everything I did. The same sister that left her fiancé at the alter just a few months prior, after mom and dad spent all that money on her. Yes, my sister Nicole.” You confirmed, while checking yourself in the mirror. Turning left and then right, letting your hands move downward over your body. You wore a short black party dress, that was backless. The haltered top went over your neck and was embroidered with floral bead work that ended in a matching beading sash that went around you and ended a little under your breast and the sheer layered short skirt flared out. You were pleased with your hour glass shape that you spent 3 years of diet and exercise to get. Those hips of yours curved nicely into thick thighs and shapely legs. And your ass, well that was your most favorite feature, round, plump and in looked good in everything you wore. Yes, you were pleased. You weren’t perfect, far from it, but you finally got to a point where you felt good enough to be satisfied with yourself.

“Well good riddance! More time for me” Your friend exclaimed. You could tell she was beaming through the speakers. “Now meet us outside in ten minutes, I’m dying to get into this new club and Sofie here has an in with the bouncer. So we’re golden.” She explained. “See you in a few.” She ended the call with a kiss and then hung up.

You gave yourself another look over, fluffed your dark hair, placed that delicious lip gloss in your purse and spray yourself with a new bottle of Clinque happy that you bought yourself after the break up, kissed Barney goodbye, and left.

You spent the next 30 minutes in the Uber with your friends explaining more about what happened with Drew. How he was texting and calling or randomly showing up at your apartment wanting to talk. Stating that you left him no choice when you didn’t answer or reply to him. It was 3 week ago and he didn’t want to let it go, but you did. You couldn’t forgive him this time. Not when it was your sister. Your fucking sister! Not some random girl you wouldn’t see again or at least someone that didn’t share your DNA. If there were to get married, and got into a fight, he could literally say to her “That’s not how your sister did it.”  That thought would freak you out more than anything. You didn’t want to see him, and you sure as hell didn’t want to see her.

This was the first time you went out since the breakup and you didn’t want to be you. You were always safe, always concerned with others, and always the responsible adult that your parents raised you to be. Even as the youngest, you were more responsible than your sister. Where she failed as the first child you succeed as the youngest. She gave up learning the piano, but you play the Violin as if the strings were made from your very soul. She dropped out of high, where you graduated and went to college. She crashed every car your parents bought for her, while you worked to save up for your first car. She was a problem, and you were not. You didn’t really have anything major go wrong in life. Until Drew that is. All you knew was that you didn’t want this night to be like others. You wanted to order a stronger drink and drink many of them. You wanted to dance like no one was watching or stand on the bar and let everyone watch. Maybe even make out with a stranger, man or woman, you didn’t care. Anything that was far from who you were. Far from what he did to you. Far from this heart break, and the emptiness he left. Just this one time, just this one night.

End of Part I