#villain enthusiasts unite!!

[sapphire-heart-tippy]

nothing pisses me off more than when selfshippers ship with villain characters and rude people are like "uh AchTUALLY in canon he is a remorseless evil who is incapable of love and he will never love your OC/insert"

maybe in *your* universe, mr killjoy. in my universe he loves my OC dearly and will beat up anyone who talks shit about her and they are happily married with two kids 😚😊

I'm sorry, my mind is kindof fuzz right now. I'm not sure if you're mad at me or somebody else and and are just venting about it...

(I came back to this after half an hour and I think I understand now!! Sorry, I get bad brain fog every now and then because migraines x_x I apologize, I thought you were accusing me of something then said something at the end that kind of made me feel anxious, but in reality you didn't say what I thought you said!) Yeah, people do that to me sometimes too x_x why can't others just mind their own business

Villain f/os are awesome, and they'd protect you no matter what!

Hey, I'm also married to my villain f/o (Vanilla/Cool Ice) and we have a boyfriend (Bel) and a son! Vans is definitely very protective

Whoever your villain f/o is, he seems very protective of you and your kiddos too!

[nightghoul381]

Dark If ~ Ellis Twilight

This a fan translation so it is definitely not 100% accurate. I do not own anything related to Ikemen Villains. Support Cybird by buying their amazing stories!

Prologue | Part 1 | Part 2 | Bitter End | Premium End | Epilogue

In this country, time, which had been stopped by Jude’s magic, started moving as soon as I woke up…

My father said that he would begin looking for a husband for me to marry to ensure the prosperity of the country.

Jude the Wizard: “’The Thorn Princess of a country where time has stopped for 100 years is looking for a husband.’”

Jude the Wizard: “’The Princess is the most beautiful woman in all the land’…Who?”

Jude frowned as he read the ad and compared the picture of the beautiful woman with me.

Ellis of Thorns: “It’s talking about Kate. This picture doesn’t look like her though.”

Kate: “I-I see. Father was so enthusiastic that he had an artist draw it, so it’s been a bit beautified…”

Ellis of Thorns: “…? No. The real Kate is far cuter and more beautiful.”

Kate: “Ellis…”

Jude the Wizard: “Are your eyes rotten?”

Ellis of Thorns: “Thank you for giving me eyes that see how beautiful Kate is, Jude.”

Jude the Wizard: “Tch… Whatever. So, what are you going to do now?”

Ellis of Thorns: “I’ll try for her hand too. I’m the only one who’ll make Kate happy.”

And then, a few days later, the selection of my husband began at the royal castle.

Host: “After overcoming various challenges, the winner is—”

Host: “Of unknown origin! The mysterious wizard’s assistant ‘Ellis of Thorns’!!”

During the competition, an opponent who tried to win by any means necessary, tried to poison him, but since Ellis was a plant, the poison didn’t work on him…

It seemed like he had studied everything about me and humans for the last 100 years, and his knowledge was outstanding.

(All that’s left is to have my father approve it…!)

King: “…Ellis of Thorns, I do not recognize you as Kate’s husband.”

Kate: “Wh-Why not…?”

King: “Because…”

Ellis of Thorns: “I once read in a book that fathers get lonely when their daughters get married.”

Kate: “But it was my father who wanted me to get married?”

King: “Well… seeing a potential husband in front of me, I feel a sense of loneliness…”

Kate: “Father…”

I was shocked at the reason, but I was aware that I was raised with care from a young age…

I couldn’t ignore my father’s feelings because I’d already caused him so much worry.

Ellis of Thorns: “Should we stop the selection of a husband? It seems that the King still needs some time with his daughter.”

Ellis of Thorns: “No matter how many years, how many centuries… I’ll always be waiting for the day I can be united with Kate.”

Kate: “Ellis…”

King: “…You’ve found a good match, Kate.”

King: “Please wait a little while longer before getting married. However, I will allow Ellis to become Kate’s fiancé.”

--

Ellis of Thorns: “You look gloomy… would it have been better to get married instead of being engaged?”

After returning to his room in the castle, Ellis asked his question.

Ellis of Thorns: “If you want to get married right now, I’ll kidnap you…Just tell me anytime.”

I thought it was a joke, but Ellis’ eyes were serious…

(I’m sure Ellis would grant any wish I ask of him.)

Kate: “I don’t care about marriage.”

I was more interested in the story of the Thorn Princess.

(The story should have ended happily with the prince waking the sleeping princess with a kiss.)

(But this world has strayed far from the original story…)

In the story of the Thorn Princess, it would be impossible for a thorn to become engaged to a Princess.

(I had to put it off because of my illness and the search for a marriage partner…)

(I wonder if it’s okay to deviate from the story of the Thorn Princess like this.)

Ellis of Thorns: “I’ve heard that human lovers and family members share both good times and bad.”

Ellis of Thorns: “So… I want you to share your troubles with me.”

I hesitated a little about whether it would be okay for me to tell Ellis about the other world and the story, but…

Kate: “…Got it.”

It was painful to keep secrets from Ellis, so I decided to tell him everything.

Ellis of Thorns: “That’s it…”

Kate: “Sorry, I know it’s hard to believe when you suddenly hear about another world.”

Ellis of Thorns: “There are so many strange things in this world, so I don’t think it’s strange.”

Ellis of Thorns: “If you say it’s true, Kate, I’ll believe you… even if no one else in the world does.”

Kate: “…, thank you.”

I felt relieved and at the same time, tears began to fall.

I had memories of living in both England and this fairy tale land.

But I wanted to live in a world where Ellis, my beloved, was from now on…

I was also attached to my life in England, so I was happy that he believed my story.

Ellis wiped away the tears that had fallen silently.

Ellis of Thorns: “If you’re worried about straying from the original story…I think it’s time to get back on track.”

Kate: “Back on track…?”

Ellis of Thorns: “Yeah. For example… every morning when you wake up, I’ll wake you up with a kiss.”

Kate: “Huh?”

Ellis of Thorns: “I thought that if I did that, it would be like the story of the girl who was woken with a kiss… Do you hate it?”

Kate: “I don’t mind, but… my heart feels like it’s going haywire.”

Ellis of Thorns: “Fufu… Should we practice?”

His eyes, the color of twilight, swayed mysteriously and before I knew it, our lips were touching.

A soft kiss, barely touching, was given several times before I was gently released.

Kate: “I’m not going to get used to it at all…”

Every time I felt the warmth and softness of Ellis’ lips, my heart rate just went up and I couldn’t calm down.

Ellis of Thorns: “…Let’s get used to it slowly.”

Saying that, Ellis lay down on the bed with me in his arms.

Kate: “Huh, Ellis…?”

Ellis of Thorns: “I want you to get used to me hugging you, not just kissing.”

Ellis of Thorns: “I want to hold you like this forever.”

Ellis of Thorns: “…I want to keep you locked in my arms.”

Even though he had a human form, when he held me in his arms like this, I felt like I was trapped in thorns.

Kate: “I like being held by you too, Ellis.”

Kate: “No matter what… Don’t let me go.”

Ellis of Thorns: “Okay…”

I couldn’t hear his heartbeat, and there were probably many things about him that were different from other people that I didn’t know about.

--But for me, being held captive by him was the best happy ending.

Prologue | Part 1 | Part 2 | Bitter End | Premium End | Epilogue

[yuurei20]

Rook Info Compilation part 19: Book 6 and Music

Rook invites himself to the Island of Woe in Book 6 in pursuit of Vil (and in one of Idia’s seiyuu Uchiyama Kouki’s greatest moments, which Tumblr’s egophiliac has animated brilliantly, here!).

Rook reminds Epel and the Prefect that their goal is not to win the inevitable battle against the Charon but to lose and be taken inside STYX headquarters, and then freezes an island of ice on the ocean to serve as a battlefield.

Rook says that he had been fully prepared to take drastic measures if STYX had been doing something terrible to the kidnapped students, but he feels better knowing that they are receiving special exams and blot treatments.

When Ortho asks why it is that he came Rook explains, “So that I could tell myself, ‘I did what I could,’ which resonates with Ortho, who later says, “Thanks to you and your friends coming here, I think I finally understand my purpose. I must do my best so I can say, ‘I did what I could.’"

(Ortho then proceeds to shut down Cerebus and unite with the soul of the dead child he was created to replace.)

According to Trey, Rook will sometimes sing randomly during Science Club meetings.

Deuce says that Rook started singing during while weeding the fire lotuses during Glorious Masquerade despite looking pained (“It was like watching a musical”) and Rook also bursts into song during Spectral Soiree, singing part of an obscure opera “known only to true enthusiasts.”

Vil says that Rook, Epel and the Film Research club (of which neither of them are members) got together and performed a “tolerable” opera for Vil’s birthday.

Rook is also a fan of classical musical and shares a conversation with a ghost about a Coral Sea court musician from three hundred years earlier, impressing the ghost with his familiarity with music history.

In addition to classical music and operas Rook also enjoys musicals, with historical musical “King’s Road” having a particular influence on him when he was a child. Rook explains, “I had trouble expressing myself as a child. But one day, I went with my family to the Shaftlands Royal Theater, and my whole life changed.”

He had seen “King’s Road” for the first time, and says that the performance of the lead actor—Neige LeBlanche—was the first time he’d been moved to tears.

Rook says it wasn’t Neige himself who moved him but the elements of the show combined—music, costumes, design—that made Neige shine. He says that the other cast members were spectacular, especially the villains, but he does not specify that child-Vil was one of them.

In his third birthday vignette Rook says that he often watches movies and TV dramas, and there is one series in particular that he has seen over 100 times.

Rook says he got two tickets to an opera from his parents for his birthday. (Other presents Rook received for his birthday have been compiled here.)

[techtow]

Unveiling the Legendary World of Bruce Wayne and the Batfamily.

Hey there, superhero enthusiasts! Today, we're diving into the action-packed universe of #BruceWayne, better known as the caped crusader, Batman. From gripping #BatmanComics to dynamic duos like Batman and Robin, let's explore the fantastic realm of #DCComics and the beloved characters like Alfred Pennyworth that make up the iconic #Batfamily.

Bruce Wayne: More Than a Billionaire

At first glance, #BruceWayne might seem like your average billionaire playboy, but there's more to him than meets the eye. Beneath the sleek suits and charming demeanor lies the alter ego of Batman, Gotham City's silent guardian. The journey of Bruce Wayne is a tale of resilience, justice, and a commitment to making the world a safer place, one dark alley at a time.

Batman Comics: Where the Adventure Begins

The heart of the Batman legacy lies in the pages of #BatmanComics. These graphic wonders take us on thrilling escapades through the gritty streets of Gotham, where Batman faces off against notorious villains, solves mysteries, and showcases his unparalleled detective skills. Whether you're a longtime fan or a newcomer to the comic world, Batman comics offer a riveting adventure for everyone.

Batman and Robin: Dynamic Duo Extraordinaire

What's Batman without his trusty sidekick? The tag team of #BatmanAndRobin has been a staple in the DC Comics universe, with different Robins joining forces with the Dark Knight over the years. The dynamic duo brings a perfect blend of brooding intensity and youthful exuberance to the crime-fighting scene, creating a formidable partnership that fans adore.

DC Comics: Home to Heroes

The magic of #DCComics extends far beyond Batman. It's a vast universe that houses iconic heroes and villains, each with their unique stories and powers. From Superman to Wonder Woman, DC Comics has been a playground for imaginations for decades, offering a plethora of characters and narratives that captivate readers of all ages.

Alfred Pennyworth: More Than a Butler

Behind every great hero is a reliable ally, and for Batman, that's Alfred Pennyworth. More than just a butler, Alfred is a mentor, confidant, and a key player in the #Batfamily. His unwavering support and sharp wit add depth to the Batman narrative, showcasing the importance of the relationships that go beyond the costume and mask.

Batfamily: United in Justice

The concept of the #Batfamily extends beyond Batman and Robin. It encompasses a network of allies, proteges, and fellow crime-fighters who share the common goal of justice. Together, they form a close-knit family that stands united against the challenges of Gotham City and beyond.

In conclusion, the world of Bruce Wayne, Batman comics, and the Batfamily is a captivating journey filled with action, suspense, and a sense of camaraderie. So, whether you're a die-hard fan or just dipping your toes into the superhero pool, there's something for everyone in the rich tapestry of DC Comics and the iconic characters that define it. Happy reading, and may the Bat-signal light up your adventures! 🦇✨

[usagirotten]

Marvel Comics Celebrates Godzilla’s 70th Anniversary with “Godzilla: The Original Marvel Years

In a monumental celebration of Godzilla’s 70th anniversary, Marvel Comics has announced the release of “Godzilla: The Original Marvel Years,” a hardcover omnibus that brings together the classic 1977-1979 series. This special edition, created in collaboration with Toho International, marks the first time these iconic comics are available in full color. The omnibus features all 24 issues of the original series, penned by Doug Moench and illustrated by Herb Trimpe and Tom Sutton. Fans can look forward to seeing Godzilla clash with some of Marvel’s most beloved superheroes, including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers12. A Legendary Collaboration Marvel’s partnership with Toho International has allowed for a unique blend of American comic book storytelling and Japanese kaiju culture. The series originally ran from 1977 to 1979, during which Godzilla became a significant figure in the Marvel Universe, battling both heroes and villains alike3. Exclusive Content and Artwork The hardcover edition is adorned with a stunning cover by Junggeun Yoon, capturing the essence of Godzilla’s might and the vibrant energy of the Marvel Universe4. This collection not only revisits the past but also includes new variant covers featuring Godzilla in epic scenes with Marvel characters like the X-Men, Deadpool, and Venom2. A Must-Have for Fans “Godzilla: The Original Marvel Years” is a must-have for both Godzilla enthusiasts and Marvel fans. It offers a nostalgic journey through the golden age of comics while celebrating the enduring legacy of the King of Monsters. The omnibus is set to hit shelves in October 2024, just in time for Godzilla’s milestone anniversary5. Marvel’s tribute to Godzilla’s 70th anniversary is a testament to the kaiju’s lasting impact on pop culture and its ability to transcend genres and generations. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the world of Godzilla, this collection promises to be an exciting addition to your library.  

Godzilla rises from the depths in the United States—and the Marvel Universe! See the towering scourge of Tokyo march across America and battle some of the best and brightest the House of Ideas had to offer, including the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, the Champions, Nick Fury and the mechanized monster fighter, Red Ronin!”   Read the full article

[ariel-seagull-wings]

THREE EPISODES OF THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE INSPIRED GHOSTBUSTERS II

@janeb984 @bixiebeet @spengnitzed @theselfshippingwitch @inevitablemoment @slimerspengler @professorlehnsherr-almashy @amalthea9

@bixiebeet @spengnitzed @professorlehnsherr-almashy @theselfshippingwitch @slimerspengler @janeb984 @inevitablemoment @amalthea9

Within a few years, Columbia Pictures decided there was money in an Animated Series based on the supernatural comedy Ghostbusters (1984) and the further adventures of its four paranormal investigators. Columbia partnered with DIC Entertainment to make it happen.

The problem was that there was already a Filmation cartoon in development called Ghostbusters, a sequel to the 1975 live-action series The Ghost Busters about a pair of noir-style detectives (and their gorilla) who battle supernatural forces. Filmation's Ghostbusters was a flop, the victim of mistiming: kids were upset that these guys weren't the 'real' Ghostbusters. In response, DiC launched The Real Ghostbusters, to distinguish it from the Filmation property (and to imply that the Filmation Ghostbusters were phonies). 

The cartoon focuses on the day-to-day busting that the movie relegated to a montage in the manner of a Police Procedural; there is no over-arching villain or hint of larger forces at work, although some of the ghosts come back for a second try. Not all the ghosts and other supernatural entities are evil: On occasion, the heroes "bust" the ghosts simply by helping them complete their Unfinished Business, while others enlist the Ghostbusters' help or actually want to be busted, as the Ghostbusters' containment unit approximates 'resting in peace' enough to satisfy them.

While the different character designs made to avoid paying the rights for the actor's likenesses extablished that this was an alternate universse, there were some elements that still made it feel like a direct cohesive continuation to the movie (in episodes like Citizen Ghost which follows the team rebuilding the Firehouse right after the battle against Gozer, and Take Two, wich follows the team watching the premiere of the 1984 live action movie like they watch a biopic about the opening of their business), and the success of the show helped boost the selling of a lot of merchandise, which extablishes a franchise, which in turn made Columbia and Sony interested in making the sequel to the 1984 live action movie.

Three episodes of The Real Ghostbusters in particular have plot beats that may or may not have served as inspiration for 1989's Ghostbusters II.

And these are:

GHOST BUSTED

In Ghost Busted, when the number of ghosts across the city drops considerably, the Ghostbusters realize that they will soon be broke! But after they prevent a robbery from taking place, they reinvent themselves as... the Crime Busters!

The theme of what the Ghostbusters do when their business drops off is coincidentally dealt with in the beginning of Ghostbusters II as well: in the Ghost Busted, the team forms a new business to catch criminals in the streets, reinventing their equipment in the proccess, while in Ghostbusters II, they spent five years in separate career paths before returning to hunting ghosts.

BENEATH THESE STREETS

In Beneath These Streets, after New York appears to suffer an earthquake, the ever-enthusiastic Ray heads off into the sewers by himself to find out more. There, he learns that ghosts are gathering for a massive attack on the city, starting by taking away the ooze that lubricates the pillar keeping Manhattan afloat!

The episodes has some parallels to Ghostbusters II in a brightly colored goo bubbling up from the sewer and a Ghostbuster (Ray Stantz) hanging from a rope over a pit. 

HARD KNIGHT'S DAY

In Hard Knight's Day, when Peter takes his date to the Cloisters in New York, warrior spirits spew forth from the tapestries with only one thing on their mind: taking Peter's date back into the tapestries with them, where she will remain forever. Although entirely a coincidence, this episode shares several plot elements with Ghostbusters II:

A date gone wrong

A recently unveiled painting

The main villain comes from a painting

Magic anchors the villain to a painting

Peter's love interest is taken captive

The Ghostbusters rappel into a museum

The Proton Streams initially fail against the villain

A victim is placed before a painting

[thealmightyemprex]

April Foolishness :UHF

On this installment of April Foolishness,we will look at the first cinematic outing by comedy music legend Weird Al Yankovic

In this 1989 film George Newman (Weird Al Yankovic ) is a daydreamer who is put in charge of a dinky little UHF station ,who with the help of his friends and neighbors ,makes it a serious compettor with the local network affiliate Channel 8,with Channel 8's owner RJ Fletcher (Kevin McCarthy) seeking to bring down Newman and his friends

So I am a fan of Weird Al ,his songs and appearences in various projects tend to bring a smile to my face.....And I am happy to say I am a fan of this movie .This film was clearly made to be a cash in on Weird Als popularity ,who everyone thought would be a flash in the pan star (35 years later and hes still going strong,aint that funny ) so seeing the film.....I can see where it zags rather then zigs .Like the film couldve been just a showcase for Al ,have a few songs ,and have all the comedy come from this weird guy ....But thats not the movie AT ALL ,its a very solid comedy that happens to have Weird Al as the lead .Yeah George is the focus but its not a weird guy in a normal world...Its a kind of odd guy in alreaddy kind of odd world. Al nicely walks the line of being the goofball when necesarry and being a good straightman .Cause the film is peopled with oddballs .Like this is a movie where one of the characters is revealed to be an ALIEN and Im like "That makes sense ",this is just that kind of world .The fantasy sequences are fun and allow Al to do some film parodies ,the programs on TV Are WONDEFULLY bizarre ,and its just a gag a minute movie .The cast is good ,like I said Al is a good lead ,but the supporting cast really shines .Michael Richards gets the most screen time of Georges friends as an enthusiastic janitor who becomes a childrens TV host is pretty funny ,Fran Dresher is great as the secretary turned reporter,Anthony Geary is wonderfully odd as the engineer whose kind of a mad scientist ,Gedde Watnabe has rightfully become a meme legend as karate teacher turned game show host ,and the late Trinidad Silva who sadly only filmed two scenes before tragically dying in a car accident is a scene stealer as aweird guy with a whole lot of animals (The flying poodle scene is so dark it is funny ).I also really love the films villain,Kevin Mccarthy wasnt really known for comedy,but he UNDERSTOOD the assignment ,realishing playing such a wonderful scene chewing villain(REportedly hed laugh after every take ).Also Billy Barty is in the movie....I dunno,I just love Billy Barty ,hes always a plus for me .I also just love the films vibe of a bunch of weirdo united to make people happy and stick it to big guys .Also there is a music video poortion and an end credits song by Al so dont worry,if you want some Al music there is some

My problems are nitpicks.One is I just wanted more scenes of the group uniting .I dont care for the characters of Bob or Georges girlfriend Teri ,in fact couldve done without the romantic subplot ,and yeah,its an 80's comedy so there are a few "poorly aged"jokes

.....But honestly I LOVE this movie,highly reccomended

@ariel-seagull-wings @the-blue-fairie @piterelizabethdevries @barbossas-wench

@themousefromfantasyland @countesspetofi @princesssarisa @theancientvaleofsoulmaking @filmcityworld1 @amalthea9

[galaxythedragonshifter]

Ok, I don't think anyone's done this yet, but imagine: Spiderverse!Herobrine feat.Rookie!Y/N

He's basically like my usual Herobrine is, but a Spider-man

Also again, spoilers for those who have not watched Across the Spiderverse

His Spidey suit would of course have the Iconic Spidey eyes, but glowy, and the main colors would be blue (same as his shirt), Indigo, and white (ofc with black accents). (Also angy Spidey eyes mood)

He's in the usual same style of animation that Miles, Peter B parker, and Gwen are. (Same with Y/N's) His framerate also changes. (24 fps for the default, 12 for fight scenes)

He'd be the mentor that ends up a tired exasperated father figure for teenage Y/N. (Think of a Tony Stark and Peter Parker dynamic)

He will deny the claim that he thinks of Y/N as his child, but he does, 100%. (Denial is a river in Egypt Hero).

Especially because Y/Ns bio father figure isn't really there. (He's kinda there, but he's not really that good. Idk)

Crossed arms and annoyed, Spidey, squinty eyes are pretty common.

His powers would consist of the same things Miles Morales can do (including invisibility), with added teleportation with a "cool down". (He leaves a blue trail behind when he teleports in 12fps, but it fades almost instantly)

He's been a spiderman for a long while. So naturally, he's the mentor and Y/N needs to do what he says. (Does Y/N do this? No. No, they don't.)

Him and Miguel Spiderman were at odds. Brine was always a lone wolf, "I wanna do my thing", kinda guy, and we all know that Miguel hates when people don't conform to the "canon".

Herobrine doesn't believe all the "canon" nonsense. He knows it's illogical, and multiple universes should have collapsed in that case. He tried explaining this to Miguel, with no luck.

Hero barely holds in a snort when he finds out a literal kid (Miles) has tricked Miguel. It's hilarious to him akjdhd.

"A STUPID ASS KID BEAT ME. HES GONNA RUIN EVERYTHING!" "A kid?" *Barely keeping in a laugh* "Are you LAUGHING AT ME?!"

I can imagine Y/N would be (enthusiastically) introducing new slang and phrases to Hero that Herobrine never bothered learning.

Y/N casually rambling while trying to catch a villain with Herobrine.

"Can you not do this right now?"

Should I make Hero the "Uncle Ben" or no? (Probably nahhh. It's better to make him lose someone, and that impacts his overprotectivness with Y/N)

Man is again, bilingual (English and Swedish). He comes from Sweden, but has a northern United States accent, considering it's where he spent most of his formative years.

His age is 34 in this AU.

*rolls eyes with a sigh* "Miguel, your logic is not making any sense."

He also consistently has these expressions all the time: (I.e: "Bish, imma strangle you.")

Man is the only one more intimidating than Miguel.

He has a "tired dad mode". This only ever happens when he's been awake for more than two days and has no more energy and is running off of coffee and regret.

*tired dad mode* "Y/N, what trouble did you get into now?" "I can explain-"

Overprotective fr

Messy hair all the time, gets worse in tired dad mode.

Aroace (reason No. 1 he doesn't follow the canon, and is probably the first anomaly in actuality)

Identity is kinda a secret. Like, he's Herobrine ofc, but he doesn't like citizens seeing him in everyday attire. Cause his glowy eyes. (Kinda would reveal his identity instantly anyways if we're gonna be honest.)

No Spider name. People just call him "Herobrine".

I might do a second part if I can think of more, or if it's requested enough skhdydh

[denimbex1986]

'The acclaimed BBC show Sherlock has found a new streaming home close to three years after leaving Netflix. Beginning in 2010, the show was a modernized take on the Sherlock Holmes character, with Benedict Cumberbatch playing the titular sleuth and The Hobbit star Martin Freeman taking the role of Dr. Watson. Created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, the show won a total of nine Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as a Peabody Award, and ran for four seasons and 13 episodes before concluding in January 2017.

Sherlock enjoyed prolonged success on Netflix before leaving the streaming service in 2021. Now, Sherlock will be coming to Hulu later this month, with Collider reporting that all 13 episodes will drop on the platform on March 26. This will include the divisive Christmas special The Abominable Bride.

Sherlock became a huge hit when it debuted on the BBC in the UK and PBS in the United States, and was praised for the quality of its writing, performances, and villains. However, many believed that the quality dropped following the death of Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott), often regarded as one of the best Sherlock villains, and reception to the latter two seasons was less enthusiastic...'

[baambastic]

My WIP List

(Last updated: January 2, 2024)

Most of these are still very much in the notes phase.

DC Comics

Jonathan Samuel Kent & Damian Wayne - Don't Try This at Home, Kids!

Jon has recently gained his Kryptonian invulnerability. Damian, being Damian, decides to test the limits of Jon's new superpower. Jon's enthusiastic at first, but he eventually decides he's done testing. Damian disagrees, and so Looney Tunes-esque shenanigans ensue. Pure crack, maybe a pinch of angst. Takes place in the continuity established by "Battle of the Super Sons".

Jason Todd & Clark Kent - 101 Ways to Get Revenge on Superman

When Jason discovers that Superman stopped Bruce from killing the Joker after his death, the Red Hood decides he has a new target for his vendetta.

Damian Wayne, Mar’i Grayson, & Jake Grayson - A Little Ways Along the Family Tree

Whilst fighting a villain, Damian is catapulted into the future, where he teams up with Dick’s kids.

Tim Drake - A Lonely Place of Living

In this version of events, Tim made a mystical deal, that Batman would never lose another Robin.

Tim Drake & BatKids - A Very Common Sibling Game

Tim wages psychological warfare on his siblings. For fun, of course.

Tim Drake & Dick Grayson - The Cola Caper

The United States government has placed an embargo on the island of Santa Prisca, along with a recall of all recent Santa Priscan commercial imports. Tim and Dick are more concerned that the embargo means no more Zesti Cola for them. They decide they have no choice but to infiltrate Santa Prisca and the headquarters of the Zesti Cola Company to acquire the Zesti Cola secret recipe.

Tim Drake / Kon-El - Corporate With a Side of Catcalling

Conner Luthor has a chance encounter with the dashing Robin Hood-esque criminal known as Stray. Then it turns into a regular thing.

Miguel Montez, Harper Row, Tim Drake, & Cullen Row - Dial R

Harper invites Miguel to Gotham, where the H Dial is stolen. They enlist Robin’s aid to track it down.

Tim Drake / Kon-El - Fake it For the Win

TIm and Kon pretend to be newlyweds to compete on a game show during their cruise. When they win, they have to deal with the consequences.

Tim Drake / Cullen Row - He’s a Bombshell, I’m Your Wingwoman

TimCullen get-together set in the DC Bombshells continuity.

Khaji Da, Jaime Reyes, Paco, & Brenda - Khaji Da Goes to School

After Jaime pulls an all-nighter, Khaji Da agrees to pilot his body around for the day while his mind rests.

Tim Drake & Kon-El - Messing With the “S”

Fed up with Kon’s refusal to be a team player as part of Young Justice, Tim decides to mess with Superboy in his civilian persona.

Mia Dearden - Mia Dearden, Missing In Action

During a fight with a supervillain, Mia gets teleported to the middle of nowhere and has to make her way back to civilization.

Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne, & Dick Grayson - Recipe for Guardianship

Still in the hospital, Alfred walks Battinson through how to feed the small child he’s somehow acquired.

Damian Wayne, Bat-Cow, & Others - So You’re Cow’s Been Turned Into a Vampire

Bat-Cow gets turned into a vampire.

Tim Drake, Cassie Sandsmark, Aiden Kent, Oscar Allen, & N.O.W.H.E.R.E. - Two for the Price of Them

Tim’s 100th cloning attempt succeeds, but his efforts are interrupted by a supervillain attack. Now he’s on the run with two baby metahumans.

Tim Drake / Kon-El - Waltzing In the Rain

Tim and Kon go on a date above the clouds.

Billy Batson & Others - A Word in the Rain

Billy keeps pranking people by making them think he’s been vaporized by lightning.

Original Male Character, Original Characters, Garfield Lynns, Victor Fries, Stephanie Brown, & Tim Drake - Fly High, Little Firefly

Fusing The Batman (2004) with the main continuity. Back during Dick’s days as Robin, Garfield Lynns, AKA Firefly, worked with Dr. Jane Blazedale, a partnership that ended with Lynns becoming Phosphorus and being remanded to Arkham Asylum. To the knowledge of neither Lynns nor the Bat, however, the partnership between Lynns and Dr. Blazedale also resulted in an unexpected pregnancy. Dr. Blazedale named the boy Benjamin, Benji for short. She raised Benji in the East End, near Park Row, up until she was arrested and sent to Blackgate a year ago. Now Benji is living with his friend Blake’s family. Eventually, Benji decides to sneak into one of Lynns’s old hideouts and steals the Firefly equipment. Benji initially wanted to use the Firefly suit to gather enough wealth to afford a trade school or college. When Benji realized that he couldn’t follow through on an attempted robbery, he decided instead to become a vigilante a la Violet, stopping crime while taking some of the haul for himself. It isn’t glamorous or honorable, but honor won’t get Benji a better life.

Cassandra Cain, Mamaragan, & Others - A Single Word Spoken

A girl in the shape of a weapon is brought to Fawcett City, where she fulfills her purpose for the first and last time.

The girl who can no longer be a weapon hides from her wielder in an old subway and finds herself transported to a place of great magic.

There, the girl who wishes to be more than she was made to be finds a Wizard, who sees the girl for her heart and not for the blood staining her skin. The Wizard teaches the girl a name.

The girl speaks her first word.

And so she speaks power.

Tim Drake/Bernard Dowd - Pull My Heart Across the Ice

Tim and Bernard go on an ice skating date, for real this time. Tim enjoys acting like he doesn’t know how to ice skate. Fluff and humor.

Tim Drake/Bernard Dowd & Batfamily Members- The Tale of the Bedazzled Turtle

Bernard gets Tim a turtle figurine while they’re on a date to the Gotham Aquarium. When it goes missing at Wayne Manor, the hunt is on.

Tim Drake/Bernard Dowd - A High-Speed Romantic Tryst on an Open-Water Murder Shack

Tim and Bernard being cute on Tim's houseboat, they hear a commotion and find that a neighboring houseboat has been stolen and is speeding away. Cue chase, featuring bad puns.

Tim Drake, Young Just Us, Caitlin Snow, & Batfamily Members - Snowfall

Tim is investigating a case involving Mr. Freeze and a dangerous ice machine powered by a Self-Sustaining Thermodynamic Ultraconductor Engine. During the fight, however, Tim gets knocked into the STU engine, taking out the coolant system and causing the whole thing to explode. In the aftermath, Tim discovers that he has become a heat vampire, much like Caitlin Snow, AKA Frost.

Krypto the Superdog, Tim Drake/Kon-El Kent - Puppy Love

TimKon get-together from Krypto’s perspective.

Kon-El Kent & Others - Left Behind

When Kon died during the events of Infinite Crisis, he became a ghost. The worst part is, his future resurrection doesn’t change that.

Tim Drake & Dex-Starr - A Duck and a Cat Walk Into a Bar

What does one do after managing to befriend a cat with a red Power Ring?

Batfamily Members & Alfred Pennyworth - Alfred Calls Shotgun

Many claim that Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s valet/butler and the apparent true head of the household, is the most sane and responsible member of the family. They are very, very wrong. When Alfred Pennyworth sees a problem, Alfred Pennyworth will not hesitate to solve it with a shotgun, even when a shotgun is a terrible solution. Pure crack.

Duke Thomas & Tatsu Toro - Cracks Filled With Gold

Angst/comfort with Tatsu helping by teaching Duke to make kintsugi pottery.

Cullen Row, Harper Row, & Others - LGF: Little Green Friend

Cullen Row comes across a small, injured alien and takes it home. The alien isn’t quite sapient, but the two become fast friends. Hiding the alien from Harper is a challenge, though, especially when the alien starts growing.

Cullen Row - Rows and Rows of Worlds

Cullen Row comes across a strange object on the shore of Gotham Bay. Upon touching it, though, the thing sinks into Cullen’s hand. He passes out from the pain. When he wakes up, he finds himself on another Earth.

Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne - Green Tights

During his first encounter with Two-Face, Robin gets chosen by a green Power Ring. Silver-Age versions of the characters.

Damian Wayne & Batfamily Members - Surnames and Succession

A character study of Damian Wayne’s early years at the manor, his habit of referring to people with their surnames, and the paradigm shift therein.

Damian Wayne & Batfamily Members - Out of Sight, Out of Reach

While on a mission, Damian gets caught in an explosion from a villain’s machine, which renders him invisible, inaudible, and mostly intangible.

Damian Wayne, Jonathan Samuel Kent, Kathy Branden, & Maya Ducard - Young Titans: Beginnings

Damian Wayne, AKA Robin, was well aware that each of his older brothers has had a super hero team to call their own. Richard led the Teen Titans and later the Titans. Todd led the Outlaws. Even Drake led Young Justice, as laughably immature as that team was. Damian, though, has yet to lead a team of his own. He decides to change that. Enlisting the aid of his friend Jon Kent, AKA Superboy, Damian sets out to form his own team of superheroes: the Young Titans! [The current roster is set to include Robin, Superboy, Nobody, and Beacon at first, then Suren Darga, Ma’alefa’ak, Abuse, and others. Additions beyond the core four would be gradual.]

Damian Wayne, Jon Kent, Kathy Branden, Maya Ducard, Ma’alefa’ak, & Others - Young Titans: Old Wounds

Damian’s new team, the Young Titans, have established themselves in the hero community and the wider public eye. They’ve gained some admirers and even a few Rogues. Unfortunately, they’ve also caught the attention of Lex Luthor. Superman’s greatest foe has given up on trying to clone or brainwash Kryptonians. That would be great, except that he’s decided to shift his focus to Martians instead. Lex has successfully cloned a Green Martian, and he has the perfect target in mind for a field test. In this sequel to “Forming the Young Titans,” the Young Titans will face a Justice League-level villain from long ago, born anew: Malefic.

Additional note: @jesncin has given me permission to use their depiction of Ma’alefa’ak as a basis for the character in this fic.

Young Titans, Tai Pham, & Others - Young Titans: Distant Heritage

A strange shockwave transports Tai Pham, first Green Lantern of his generation, to an unfamiliar city in the middle of a battle between a team of young heroes and a villain. Tai joins the team, these Young Titans, to figure out what brought him here and how to send him back home. At the same time, Ma’alefa’ak, now going mostly by Malek, is trying to reconnect with his brother and the history that seems determined to leave him behind.

Young Titans, Colin Wilkes, Original Characters, & Others - Young Titans: Ambrosia

Someone’s giving superpowers away and creating supervillains, and some of those powers are killing their users. The Young Titans need to find out who’s behind it and shut them down. That’s made more difficult by a new hero team, the Olympians, some of whose members are foes the Young Titans have faced before. This new team is sponsored by Lindworth Industries, which is premiering a revolutionary method of treating metagenes and working to rehabilitate Point City’s superpowered criminals.

Damian Wayne & Superheroes’ Pets - Damian Wayne, the Super Petsitter

Damian Wayne goes about his daily routine of caring for all of his animals. Dick takes and posts pictures of Damian doing so (he barely escapes with his life). Over the next few weeks, various members of the hero community (and a few outside of it) get in touch with Dick to ask if Damian would mind petsitting for them. Damian agrees to consider the requests, under the condition that he petsit their pets at Wayne Manor. Each chapter has Damian trying to petsit a different hero’s pet, from Wonder Woman’s kangaroo Jumpa, to Harley Quinn’s hyenas Bud and Lou, to Klarion’s familiar Teekl. Shenanigans will abound as Damian is having both the best and most annoying time of his life and his family slowly loses their sanity.

Damian Wayne - Animals Are Better Than People

Damian shapeshifter AU.

Damian Wayne & Egyptian Mythology - Heavy As A Feather

Damian Wayne takes in a stray cat one day. As the Bat luck would have it, the cat is actually Ammit the Devourer. Maybe Jason should stay away until it all gets sorted out. Just in case.

Damian Wayne & Original Honorspren Character - The Light In The Knight

Stormlight Archive fusion crossover. The Knights Radiant have been completely forgotten. Covers Damian's history in this world, where an honorspren finds him when he's in the League of Assassins.

Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, & Others - Small-Time Vehicular Mayhem

Damian goes on a class field trip to TinyTowne, where the class gets to simulate taking a driver’s license exam and drive around a miniature town. Damian finds the whole thing insulting, so he decides to cause chaos.

Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Alfred Pennyworth, & Others - A Severe Lack of Ducks

AU where Tim never made the quadruple somersault connection and so he never joined the BatFamily.

Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne - The Words I Want to Say Get Stuck Behind My Lips

Jason Todd ends up transported to another universe. This Earth appears to be almost identical to his own, but the difference that sticks out the most is Bruce. In this universe, Bruce eventually started seeing a therapist within the hero community. He’s still Batman, but he’s not the emotionally incompetent lummox that Jason’s used to dealing with (read: pissing off). The two of them end up talking, and while Jason leaves more frustrated than ever with his universe’s Bruce, at least now he knows the words his Bruce could never get himself to say. [This is largely an excuse to write an actual emotionally productive conversation between Jason and Bruce where Bruce doesn’t just stare at Jason like a goldfish.]

Jason Todd & Original Characters - Jason Todd the Teaching Assistant

Jason takes a job as a TA at Gotham U for a case. He gets attached.

Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, & Others - The Hero’s Return to the Normal World

A “Jason Lives” AU. After the events in Ethiopia, Jason is left permanently impaired to where he can no longer be Robin. Where he’ll go from there is up to him.

Jason Todd, Boston Brand, & Others - Hallowed Walls

After Jason Todd dies, his soul finds its way to Nanda Parbat.

Justice League Members - When the Hell Did Our Lives Get so Weird?

The Justice League discusses the weirdest, grossest, and downright strangest villains each of them has fought, a conversation brought on by someone mentioning Starro. Humor, mostly dialogue.

Justice League Members - The SSN Justice

Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, John Stewart, Barry Allen, and others serve on the crew of a submarine on a mission to find the lost city of Atlantis.

Edward Nygma - A Recursive Riddle

The Riddler gets trapped in a time loop wherein the only way out is to solve a seemingly impossible riddle.

Edward Nigma, Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd, & Others - What Lies Six Underground But Cannot Be Found?

Based on the whole “Riddler checks Jason’s grave and finds it empty” post.

Kon-El Kent, Tim Drake, Bart Allen, & Cassie Sandsmark - Red, Blue, Look at You

A piece of red Kryptonite splits Kon into blue and red versions of himself during a Young Justice mission. The blue version has the personality of Conner from the cartoon, while the red version has Kon’s personality from the start of YJ98.

Kon-El Kent, Bart Allen, Max Mercury, & Others - That Alabama Clone Life

AU where Max Mercury adopts Kon.

Jason Todd & Damian Wayne - Gotham's New Dynamic Duo!

Talia al Ghul sends Jason Todd away from the League of Assassins with a Damian Wayne in tow. When they get to Gotham, however, Damian stays with Jason instead of meeting Bruce. Damian eventually starts fighting at Jason's side as a vigilante.

Talia al Ghul, Bruce Wayne, Damian al Ghul, Alfred Pennyworth, Ravi, Ra's al Ghul, and Ace the Bat-Hound - Flight of the Demon's Daughter

Jason Todd stays dead, and Tim Drake doesn't become Robin, so Talia al Ghul is forced to take matters into her own hands.

Jonathan Samuel Kent & Jonathan Samuel Kent & Others - A Tale of Two Jon Kents

It sucked that Bendis aged up Jon. I want Sunshine Jon back as much as anyone. But I can acknowledge that there are some things about the aged-up Jon that I’d like to keep around (namely his relationship with Jay). So I thought, ¿por qué no los dos? We had two versions of Clark Kent running around for years back in the day, and Jon’s entire origin is based in multiverse shenanigans, so who’s to say that Sunshine Jon couldn’t be written back into the comics without erasing the aged-up Jon? Certainly not me.

One day, Sman!Jon encounters Mxyzptlk. Mxy, being who he is, isn’t a fan of Jon’s recent growth spurt. He intends to simply rewrite Jon’s history so that he never left with Jor-El, but Jon appeals to Mxy’s love of drama by explaining how Jon’s current existence as Superman has caused a lot of controversy in the nation. Mxy thinks about it, then decides to just have it both ways. He creates a duplicate timeline, from the beginning of Jon’s existence on Prime Earth to the moments before he decides to leave with Jor-El. Mxy then manipulates the alternate Jon to decide not to leave with Jor-El. Mxy then merges the alternate timeline with the main timeline, resulting in both Sman!Jon and Sunshine Jon existing simultaneously. Mxy then leaves them with a cryptic warning, hinting that only one of them will be able to remain in the main timeline. This story will alternate between the two Jons, exploring their perception of each other and the bond they end up forming, but other characters, especially Damian and Lois, will receive POV chapters as well. Kon will also get involved.

Chris Kent, Kathy Branden, Maya Ducard, & SuperFamily Members - The World Didn’t Stand Still

Kathy Branden decides to use her shop’s teleporter to peer in on the Phantom Zone. She comes back with Chris Kent in tow.

Chris Kent, Jon Kent, Lex Luthor, Task Force X, & Others - Nightwing Rising

It’s been four years since Chris was pulled out of the Phantom Zone, since he renounced Zod and Ursa for good. Four years since he reunited with his family, albeit with some new additions. He’s settled in, found his place in families both Kent and Super. Chris has everything he could have ever hoped for. He’s safe, and loved, and content.

If only that could last.

The Flamebird, ancient Kryptonian goddess of destruction, is coming. Nobody knows why. President Luthor is happy to give them a target while he sets his sights elsewhere.

And something is stirring inside Chris himself. He dreams the same dream, over and over, of shattered glass and shackled ghosts. Shadows and secrets call out to him, begging him to answer. Something else, just out of sight, coils around him with whispers of something more.

He’s just a boy. He’s not ready.

It doesn’t matter.

The Phantom Zone is trembling.

Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, & Space Cabby - Space Scoop Switcharooo

Space Cabby and Jimmy Olsen mistaken identity fic from Perry White's perspective.

Luke Fox, Harper Row, Cullen Row, Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe, & Others - Bats on the Periphery

A series of mostly unconnected oneshots centering on the Batfamily members outside the inner circle.

Batfamily Members - A Snowball Fight of Batty Proportions

The Batfamily have a snowball fight at Wayne Manor. At least it’s not the most mayhem they’ve ever caused. Pure crack.

Selina Kyle, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, & Tim Drake - The Cattail Lounge

Prohibition-Era speakeasy AU. Selina Kyle runs the Cattail Lounge, one of the last surviving speakeasies in Gotham City alongside the Iceberg Lounge, owned by the vicious Oswald Cobblepot. The Cattail's on increasingly harder times as the Iceberg encroaches further and further. Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake are in Ms. Kyle's employ.

Jason Todd & Jason Todd & Batfamily Members - Two Robins Means Twice the Magic!

Through multiversal and magic shenanigans, Jason Todd has his body and mind regressed to his early years as Robin, and a second Robin-aged Jason Todd gets dragged into their universe. The alternate-universe Jason is inexplicably much more violent, reckless, and irresponsible than their Robin-aged Jason. This fic explores everyone’s relationship with their Jason, especially Dick and Bruce, and their attempts to navigate and bond with the alternate-universe Jason.

Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Billy Batson, Anita Fite, & Others - The Echoes of Our Unjust Deaths

In which characters have dreams about alternate-universe versions of themselves. Unfortunately, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, and Billy Batson have recently been suffering constant nightmares about alternate-universe versions of themselves dying. Billy is able to figure out that something magical is going on that’s causing these nightmares for them, and so the three, along with Anita Fite, band together to get to the bottom of it. While doing so, they’ll try to navigate the complications their nightmares have created in their relationships with others. [Starring such stories as DC vs. Vampires, A World Without Young Justice, Injustice, Flashpoint, and more.]

Bernard Dowd / Tim Drake, Bernard Dowd & Bruce Wayne - Playing Darts With a Conspiracy Theorist

Tim introduces Bruce to Bernard. Bruce and Bernard get talking and eventually land on conspiracy theories about heroes, namely Gotham’s vigilantes. Bruce has spent many hours spreading false theories about the Bats online, so he’s read some weird ideas. But somehow Bernard’s theories are far more utterly off-the-wall than Bruce would have thought possible. Pure crack, heavy on dialogue.

“Big Hero Six AU” - The Titans of San Fransokyo

Bruce is not Batman. Dick is in the role of Tadashi and dies. Tim is in the role of Hiro and teams up with Dick’s university classmates, who are the Titans, though without powers. Baymax’s armor resembles Batman’s, but he still just goes by Baymax. Victor Fries instead of Callaghan.

Tim Drake & Batkids - Hell Hath No Fury Like a Robin Scorned

Tim’s siblings get on his nerves individually to the point that he gets revenge on each of them. Done in a 5+1 format.

Batfamily Members - The Gotham Grand Prix

The Batkids have a race through Gotham City.

Vicki Vale & Red Robin - Thinly Vale'd Animosity

Vicki Vale is dead certain that Wayne heir Tim Drake is secretly the vigilante Red Robin, but her every attempt to prove the connection blows up in her face.

Tim Drake / Bernard Dowd - They Keep Falling for Each Other All Over Again

An exploration of Tim and Bernard’s relationship through the years.

Damian Wayne - The Brown-Haired Demon

Damian dyes his hair brown for a mission, but he unintentionally uses dye that refuses to wash out, so he has to let it grow out naturally. Everyone around him is far more disturbed by Damian's new hair color than they have any right to be. Pure crack.

Young Justice Core Four - Mantle Semantics

The Young Justice Core Four discuss their codenames and what names they might consider using in the future.

Young Just Us - Merry Apokolips!

Young Justice gets trapped on Apokolips on Christmas Eve. Santa Claus comes to the rescue on his annual trip to give Darkseid a lump of coal. There may or may not be words had about that time Santa got hit by a meteorite.

Billy Batson & Dick Grayson - Batson and the Bat’s Son

Dick Grayson has tracked a human trafficking ring from Blüdhaven to Fawcett City. When Nightwing spots some thugs from the ring kidnapping a kid off the street at night, he follows them back to their base of operations. He busts the ring and rescues all of the kidnapped persons, including that night’s unconscious victim, Billy Batson. Nightwing makes sure Billy’s alright turns him over to Social Services. Dick spends the next few days in Fawcett looking into Billy. After learning about Billy’s history with foster homes, he impulsively decides to help the kid by fostering him. Billy knows Batman’s and Nightwing’s identities, though they don’t know his, so he agrees for the time being. Now Dick’s trying to take care of this kid who reminds Dick painfully of his younger self while balancing work and keeping his vigilante life secret.

Billy Batson & Sivana Family - Fostered by the Sivanas

AU where pre-powers Billy gets fostered by the Sivanas.

Dick Grayson & Billy Batson - To Hell And Back

Dick loses another brother. He refuses to accept that… Captain Marvel’s been to the Underworld before, right?

Billy Batson & Shazamily - Cats Can’t Say “SHAZAM!”

Doctor Sivana turns Billy into a ginger tabby cat, with the idea being that he won’t be able to say the magic word as an animal. With the Justice League unaware of the situation and Billy unable to reach out to them or any other allies, Billy tries to survive on the streets as a cat. Eventually, though, he's found by Darla Dudley and Mary Bromfield, who take him to live with the Vasquezes.

Billy Batson, Freddy Freeman, Tawky Tawny, Doctor Sivana, & Others - Lethe the Past Behind

"The boy woke in an alley." Preboot continuity, Billy Batson has mysteriously lost all of his memories. As such, Captain Marvel has also gone missing, and the Justice League are starting to get very concerned.

Selina Kyle, Billy Batson, & Tim Drake - Stray Tiger Cub

When Selina Kyle finds a kid passed out in an alley, skin and throat laced with Lichtenberg scars… well, she’s always had a fondness for strays. Told from Selina’s perspective. Something has gone wrong with the Rock, turning the magic lightning against Billy’s body. It leaves him powerless and without a voice.

Billy Batson, Kent Nelson, & Khalid Nassour - Crossroads

Billy Batson gets taken in by Kent Nelson as a kind-of apprentice, kind-of ward. Khalid is also there.

Tim Drake & Renee Montoya - Bat-Shaped Question Mark

Canon-divergent Red Robin AU where Renee didn't retire from the Question after Final Crisis. What if Renee took Tim under her wing during Red Robin?

Tim Drake & BatFamily Members - Late to the Party

Instead of becoming Robin following Jason Todd's death, Tim Drake joins the BatFamily after Damian Wayne is killed by the Heretic.

Billy Batson & Amon Tomaz - Through the Fields of Asphodel

Billy Batson (Captain Marvel) and Amon Tomaz (Osiris) journey into the Underworld, which has, for unknown reasons, been struggling between its Greek and Egyptian forms.

Billy Batson & Poseidon - Get In the Water

Captain Marvel picks a fight with Poseidon to save a passenger ship.

Tim Drake, Jack Drake, Dana Winters, & Others - A Key Change of Scenery

What if the Drake family didn't return to Gotham after moving to Keystone City following the events of Cataclysm?

Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd, & Others - Home to Roost Regardless

An AU exploring a timeline where Jason never died, so Tim never got involved with the Waynes, so both of his parents were killed by the Obeah Man.

Tim Drake, Jack Drake, Janet Drake, Barbara Gordon, & Jason Todd - The Scale of a Legacy

The Drake family has a long history of powerful shifters, from wyrms to wyverns to hydras and everything in between, but most notably drakes. Members of the Drake family have influenced history for as long as there have been records to tell of them.

From the moment he was born, Timothy Jackson Drake was expected to continue his family’s proud legacy. There’s one small problem, though: Tim’s shift is the wrong kind of drake.

Tim Drake & Batfamily - Honey, I Shrunk the Tim

Tim gets hit by a shrinking spell.

Tim Drake & Others - Healing Factor

AU where Tim has a powerful healing factor. Anthology-style.

Tim Drake, Jaime Reyes, Kon-El, Bart Allen, & Cassie Sandsmark - Khepri of the Rising Sun

After a Teen Titans mission to help Doiby Dickles and the planet Myrg, the team's ship passes through an undetected electromagnetic storm that causes them to crash in the jungles of the planet Odym, home of the Blue Lantern Corps. As they are traveling to the Central Power Battery to get a new ride home, Tim comes across a near-defunct Reach scarab, likely left over from the Reach's attempted invasion of Odym. Tim takes the scarab to research it back in Gotham.

Tim Drake and Cassie Sandsmark - Archaeology Brats

Pre-canon canon-divergent AU where Tim and Cassie become friends as kids on their parents’ archaeological digs.

Tim Drake, Bernard Dowd, Darla Aquista, Teen Titans, and the Omnitrix - Tim Ten

Teen Titans-Era Tim Drake finds the Omnitrix during the time when he’s forced to stop being Robin.

Tim Drake/Bart Allen - Tim & Bart: Private Investigators

TimBart Sam&Max fusion.

Tim Drake/Kon-El Kent - World’s Finest Halloween

TimKon Halloween fic. Kon dresses up as Kryptonian Nightwing while Tim dresses up as Flamebird.

Tim Drake/Conner Kent & Others - Woo Be Upon Ye

Medieval TimKon AU. Conner is a prince, Tim is a commoner, Conner personally appoints Tim to the Royal Guard on a whim.

Tim Drake/Conner Kent, Bart Allen, Jaime Reyes, & Others - Conquest is Their Business

Continuation of medieval TimKon AU. Jaime is apprentice to the court mage of the Reach Empire. When he discovers that the Empire has developed a new type of magical weapon that enslaves its user, he steals one and flees the Empire. He ends up in the Kingdom of Metropolis and shares news of both the weapon and the Reach’s new alliance with the Kingdom of Krypton, and after much debate, a diplomatic envoy is sent to the Empire. Tim, Conner, Bart, and Jaime sneak aboard the envoy.

Tim Drake/Conner Kent, Bart Allen, Jaime Reyes, Lor-Zod, & Others - All’s Fair in Love and War

Further continuation of medieval TimKon AU. The Kingdom of Krypton declares war on the Kingdom of Metropolis.

Tim Drake & Batfamily Members - Birdsong

Wherein the bullet Tim took through the neck in Batman (2016) #125 takes out his vocal cords.

Harper Row, Cullen Row, Leslie Thompkins, & Duke Thomas - Caterwaul

Pre-Endgame, Harper gets transformed into a cat.

Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Inspector Gadget, Penny, & Brain - M.A.D. Skulls

Inspector Gadget crossover. Black Mask is working with Dr. Claw and M.A.D.

Marvel Comics

Sam Alexander & Samus Aran - Adventure on Tallon IV

Metroid crossover.

Camp Camp

Space Kid, Dolph, & Others - War for the Lamp

Space Kid and Dolph find a magic lamp with a genie inside who will grant three wishes. When the rest of the camp finds out, the war for the last wish begins.

Max & Others - Flat Max

Max gets Flat Stanley-ed.

"Hilda" AU - Nikki's Adventures in Trolberg!

Details can be found in this post.

Max, Neil, Nikki, & Others - Drawing On the Walls

Max discovers how to do runic magic. Chaos ensues.

"Assassination Classroom" AU - The Cheery Teaching Octopus of Campbell High

David takes the place of Korosensei. Gwen takes the place of Kurasama. Camp Campbell's campers are E-Class. Campbell was ousted from the position of principal by Pikeman's father. The campers-turned-students have until the end of the school year to kill David before he destroys the Earth.

"The Sea Beast" AU - Ghost Coral and Buried Stories

For hundreds of years, sea beasts have wreaked havoc against mankind. In response, sailors called "hunters" venture out and hunt these sea beasts across the sea, returning to the capital with the beasts' horns. The most famous of these hunters were the crew of the Inevitable, led by the legendary Captain Campbell, his first mate Gwen Eddy, and his adopted son David Luna. One day, the Inevitable goes after the Red Bluster, the sea beast that took Campbell's [REDACTED] decades ago. Unknown to the crew, however, a young orphan girl named Nikki Maxwell has stowed away on the Inevitable.

"Astro Boy" Dadvid AU - Rebuilding Our Family Through Metal and Love

David is the head scientist. Max takes the place of Tobio. Max is killed in a lab accident. Overwhelmed by grief, David builds an android identical to Max and downloads Max's memories and personality into it.

“FNAF Security Breach AU” - Cameron Campbell’s Mega Pizzaplex

The Mega Pizzaplex is one of the most popular places in the city. And the stars of the show are the band, led by David Fazbear. One evening, though, something goes wrong with David’s battery, and the concert is cancelled. During that night, David reboots earlier than expected and discovers a boy named Max hiding in his torso compartment. Max says the security guard, Jen, is after him, so David decides to help Max leave the Mega Pizzaplex through the front entrance. Complications soon arise.

Max, Neil, Nikki, David, & Others - Camp Camp Koppai Koppai

Pikmin fusion.

Max, Neil, Nikki, & Others - The Chaos Trio Goes On a Pokémon Adventure!

Pokémon fusion.

Max, Neil, Nikki, & Others - The Campbell Zoo

Zoo AU.

Max & Others - Save and Load

Max discovers how to use save points.

Max & Kirby - Camp Poyo

Kirby crossover into Camp Camp.

Riordanverse

The Seven & Dionysus - For Hades’ Sake, Why’d He Have to Get Hot?!?

The gods are shaped by the mortal world’s perception of them. Supergiant Games’s Hades has recently taken the world by storm with its popularity, and so the Greek gods have found themselves influenced by the game’s depictions of them, especially Mr. D.

Percy Jackson & Others - Thick-Skinned Camper

AU where Heroes of Olympus never happened and Percy kept the Curse of Achilles.

Annabeth Chase, Leo Valdez, & Others - The Lengths One Will Go to For Their Laptop

Annabeth has a dream that the Kerkopes have Daedalus’ laptop. She’s determined to get it back.

[petervintonjr]

Happy Free Comic Book Day 2023, everyone. A somewhat more lighthearted subject for today: meet actor, writer, and director Melanie Henderson. A New York native, Henderson is herself second-generation showbiz: her father Luther Henderson was a Broadway composer and conductor, and her mother Steffi Henderson was also an actress. Melanie has appeared in various supporting roles in 1980's Times Square and 1994's Disclosure, and also appeared in the popular TV series Glee. More recently Henderson wrote and directed 2016's short but compelling series Postcards From Planet Earth, and has appeared in Dinner With Friends.

But here's where the comic book connection comes in: after a great deal of double-checking on IMDB and elsewhere, I am 99.9% sure that Henderson is in fact the very first Black woman to portray the President Of The United States on television. Between 1971 and 1975, Henderson was a child cast member of the PBS show The Electric Company. Aimed at a slightly older audience --children who had "graduated" from shows such as Sesame Street-- The Electric Company emphasized literacy and reading but kept it fast and entertaining, with lots of humour and pop-culture references to hold kids' attention.

One popular recurring feature was a series of short Spider-Man segments, produced in enthusiastic collaboration with Marvel Comics. One such segment featured a highly-nuanced and multilayered plot, coincidentally narrated by another Black actor who would one day portray a U.S. President, Morgan Freeman. SPOILERS AHEAD:

A costumed bunny villain inexplicably turns up at the White House to wreak havoc on the annual Easter Egg Roll, hosted by the President. Spider-Man appears, webs up the troublemaker, and saves the day. The President thanks Spidey for his service. Credits roll.

As far as I have been able to determine from the date on this particular 1974 skit, Henderson would appear to have beat Alfre Woodard to this milestone by a good 40 years or more! #withgreatpowercomesgreatresponsibility

Melanie Henderson's IMDB page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0376545/

[anthonybialy]

Power Switch

Everyone cheers for the underdog.  Who doesn’t loves an unexpected victory from a BCS school over a powerhouse?  Amateur viewers figure the team bookies give points must be downtrodden.

But football doesn’t always reflect the rest of life even aside from how most humans can determine what a catch is.  Take how a war team some cheer on wouldn’t quite inspire with an unexpected win.  Sometimes, the plucky long shot faces such a vast spread because it spends its hours practicing mass homicide instead of how to leave the Stone Age.  Terror movements don’t enjoy the simplest amenities.  The Miracle on Ice has been replaced by treating ice as a miracle.

Hamas is the latest adopted pet for leftists far removed from the butchering.  There’s no chance their personal blood will stain sidewalks, which makes backing human annihilators easy.  Making atrocious idiots siding with villains intellectually uncomfortable is the closest they’ve ever come to facing consequences.

Iran’s unit for making the respectable world as miserable as their primitive theocracy is nothing but an imitation of a ’70s-style people’s army.  You’ll never guess who’s joined the booster club.  Cheering against America comes naturally for citizens who love everything about it but all the stuff.

The horrid fad epitomized by fondness for the Viet Cong has reemerged in an alternate form rampaging through the area’s only nice neighborhood.  Jane Fonda desperately wants to launch a Hamas rocket.

Worshiping Che embodies awfulness perceived as cute by commies who never had to suffer under it.  A goon who lost every fair fight he ever waged was as clumsy a mass murderer as Hamas.  And he hated gay people about as much.  Trying to tear down the successful in a more literal way than taxing them to oblivion won’t stop rich leftists from finding their saint stirring.

Columbia University serving as a hive of Jew hatred even by disgraceful Ivy League standards is a particularly appalling throwback from the more august parts of Manhattan.  Tom Wolfe’s spirit strolls through the borough’s fancier enclaves as radical chic flourishes despite his dismantling of it.  The dedication to wretched causes by those in the cushiest positions is reminiscent of the most stylish grossly embracing Black Panther cop-murderers.  Supporters of the wrong directional Germany never grasp that history is nothing more than noticing patterns.  It’s also why they get biology wrong.

A fondness for any of the ‘70s terror gangs is making the worst sort of retro throwback comeback.  Hamas is badder than Baader-Meinhof not just in bloodlust but because of precedent.  Anyone who’s paid attention knows just how diabolical the destructors are, which counts out their cult.  Pursuing ghastly leftist nonsense in the most horribly homicidal manner possible is how wealthy hypocrites apologize for unearned wealth.

Consistency is not to be praised for the dreadful.  Make no mistake that Hamas enthusiasts were 100 percent the same ones claiming America deserved it as rubble smoldered on September 11.  The only thing more disgusting than siding with those opposed to life itself is who their terror pals attacked.  Massacred Israelis are as disrespected by apologists for monstrosities as World Trade Center office workers.  Standing against everything decent is unfortunately timeless.

Embracing criminals only happens figuratively, as connoisseurs of leftist insurgent violence would never appear anywhere rendered unsafe by their beliefs.  You’d think they might want selfies with their beloved team’s favorite players.

It’s so romantic to think revolutionary struggles are adorable in nobility aside from the corpse piles.  Rallying for the allegedly disenfranchised should begin by determining whether they’re oblivious to how many innocents minding their own business have been slaughtered by their potential heroes. 

Aside from not being able identify who actually struggles, their moral compass points accurately.  It takes a few moments of observation to determine who’s really oppressed, namely Israel.  Sick cheerleaders for subversion think the actual religion of peace with a sliver of global population on a sliver of land surrounded by medieval barbarian fanatics who want to obliterate it for the crime of existing are the ones with power.

Cheering for terrorism from afar surely pairs a lack of empathy with selfish delusion.  It’s not like someone’s going to fly into any concert they attend and remove their heads from the rest of their bodies.  That’s unless terrorists could walk right over an open American border or there’s some way of attacking via flying.

Rich liberals are insulated from the worst of their pet domestic policies, as well, which makes the way they inflict the opposite of helping even more aggravating.  Proles they profess to help end up suffering from inflation and inflated minimum wage.  And wealthy virtue signalers can afford tuition despite government making it unobtainable for many as part of its drive to make it obtainable.

Admiring the Third World while enjoying the benefits of the First is one way to cope with guilt.  Trappings are wholly unearned, of course.  Mooching is their way of life.  It’s no wonder they sympathize with people’s republics no matter the style.  The society is so prosperous that even the uselessly ungrateful can enjoy opulent living.  Even Joe Biden can’t tear down affluence despite destruction being his sole skill.

Chaos enablers will be glad to learn their debate foe.  Seeing life as nothing more than a matter of who has power is also how Donald Trump approaches life.  The self-professed strongman reflexively cheers for whichever side he thinks has the most, which is on the same terms as vacuum-dwellers who cheer for whichever side they think has the least.  Plant a thought they deserve.

There’s a rather simple test for who is good.  Check to see if your side behead babies for the crime of being Jewish.  If so, you may want to shred your membership card.  Progressives cheered because they thought Planned Parenthood’s Gaza branch pioneered concierge service.

Maintaining ignorance offers common ground between terrorists and their aloof proponents.  Israel’s attackers seem afflicted only because they choose to attempt demolishing those who spent their time building buildings.  The group fashioning rockets out of pipes literally tears apart civilization to attack one.  Lack of clout stems from their adherence to heinous crudeness.

The best way to make fewer humans appear persecuted is to stop implementing Democratic policy goals.  Class warfare is nothing more than aggressive jealousy.  Israel’s fiendish foes are powerless because they refuse to live in a republic with members of a religion blamed by losers for every ill for as long as it’s existed.  Depressed Blue States are the equivalent of a two-state solution.  Choosing to live in multiple types of poverty leads to support from those who condemn being rich while giving up no riches.  Life gets worse for the worst allies.

[wirewitchviolet]

The Entire Plot of Final Fantasy 14, with all the expansions, and some serious analysis of how good it actually is. (Part 6 - Post-Stormblood)

Last time, we got through Stormblood, the second expansion, where we gave the boot to the Empire out of two big ol’ regions they’d occupied for two decades, and got a couple real good villain death scenes. So clearly what we’re in for now is all these villains staying dead, a big victory party, and keeping this momentum going to take down this whole evil empire, right? Right?

Post-Stormblood

Well I mean the actual literal first thing we do is open up a fun little dungeon somewhere in the cool giant salt lake, and do some kind of general bookkeeping and reorganizing of all our NPC friends, with a lot of scenes that hurt the likeability of a whole bunch of people.

The worst of these is the Sultana being kind of at a loss on how to get all these Ala Mhigan refugees her country has been kinda mistreating and exploiting the hell out of back to their homeland in one piece and give them some real material aid to get them back on their feet without upsetting the corrupt merchant council she’s just accepted get to keep really running the show while she’s a figurehead, and for some reason she decides to get advice from, of all people, Godbert Manderville- wrestling enthusiast, clothing unenthusiast and Hildy’s dad. Hey, Nanamo, you realize we haven’t gotten into the wacky comedy questline right? We aren’t supposed to see Godbert in main story progression stuff. He’s not allowed to just ask you to rub him down with oil and then suplex the whole merchant council into space. That terrible restriction aside he gives the reasonably pragmatic advice to keep the council chill by letting them wet their beak a little. We’re not escorting refugees home and giving them a ton of humanitarian aid, we’re taking over an abandoned salt mine and making sure to get workers and supplies out to it. Yikes. Stick to wacky comedy quests Godbert.

There’s also this whole really drawn out bit about Rauban being all conflicted since here he is in his homeland which could really benefit from a pretty cool general but also he’s really down bad for the Sultana. This resolves with her relieving him of his duties and pushing him that way, and promoting his son to take over his old duties. Well the more formal ones. We don’t suddenly have Pippin carrying her around in his arms like she’s a toddler, thankfully. Yeah I’ve never really liked the Rauban/Nanamo dynamic. It feels a bit creepy and like, hey you two, you’re in public.

Mostly though, we’re here to follow up a tale of a war on two fronts with a tale of redemption arcs on two fronts. We’ll start in Ala Mhigo with Fordola, the Ala Mhigan leader of the Imperial military unit whose whole mission was just brutally oppressing her people, before she also got that whole unit killed, and was put through psychic power unlocking experiments. She was actually captured and thrown in a cell rather than killed, and people are kind of really upset over that because most people think she deserves to die. Fordola herself is pretty darn on board with that, because the catch about getting a supercharged version of the whole supercharged Echo thing is she now involuntarily gets flashbacks from the POV of basically everyone she even walks past, usually to her and her unit killing their loved ones and suffering as a direct result of her actions. This on top of the regular guilt of having done all these awful things, and the realization that her blind faith that the Empire was absolutely unstoppable and frankly she’s just been a huge idiot. So... yeah her life is just this constant living hell of being constantly, supernaturally, reminded just how much she sucks, while rotting in jail.

As you’re having a big meeting later though, inviting basically everyone to discuss how you’re going to move forward with this loose alliance of half the world and keep the Empire from counterattacking, everyone figures there isn’t really any harm in letting the Sri Lakshmi worshiping snake women attend if they really want, and promise not to bring any weapons or summon their godess. And yeah they totally summon their goddess. Had some mind controlled sleeper agents hide enough aether crystals for it in these big reflecting pools in the palace. Whoops. She’s kind of just barely not in range to do that instantly mindwarp everyone in the room bit, and the room contains like 50 important NPCs. So, you have to kinda do a reverse bullet hell of catching all her little love bubbles before they hit anyone you care about thing while also dealing with attackers, and meanwhile Lyse sneaks out to let Fordola out of her cell because being immune to gods messing with your brain is a decidedly rare trait. So she helps save the day for everyone. And the reaction from the people is... hey thanks for saving our lives but that totally doesn’t make up for being a nazi lapdog who killed half our families. And yeah, it doesn’t, so she just voluntarily heads back to her cell. We revisit this a few times, not even just in this interim, going forward through future expansions too, with Fordola volunteering to do various things that would normally require your protagonist and not being embraced as the hero of the people because she seriously has a LOT to atone for.

I seem to be kind of a minority in this, but I really like Fordola’s unending suffering. Maybe it’s because I keep watching people repeatedly fall for the same real world nazis “turning over a new leaf to become leftist pundits,” keep up the act for maybe a month, and then recruit whatever suckers fell for it to mob the same marginalized targets as usual (and it’s not even different nazis, this one woman has run this grift like 20 consecutive times), but I really like the... factual take that actually making up for doing truly horrible things requires both genuine contrition, the acceptance that the people you’ve directly harmed absolutely do not owe you forgiveness, and from there you’re just doing as much good as you can for the rest of your life with no expectation of a reward. Now for contrast, we also have this TERRIBLE redemption arc!

So we got a quick preview before the credits but after taking a sword to the chest, bringing a building down on Gosetsu and shooting him with what felt like her dying breath, abject horrific murder monster Yotsuyu got swept down the river and somehow lived. Gosetsu also lived but that was never in doubt. However, Yotsuyu apparently got hit on the head with a coconut while being swept down the river, and now has TV amnesia and a childlike demeanor. So, rather than finish her off, Gosetsu figures, “she must have survived by the will of the kami” and he’s going to keep her alive. Something that isn’t really going to fly with basically anyone anywhere who remembers who she is and how she literally just walked around murdering people for fun and all. He ends up referring to her as Tsuyu, since she doesn’t remember her whole name, and figures that’s a working alias. Everyone else figures it’s an affectionate pet name... which it kind of is if we’re honest. Anyway Gosetsu eventually spends all his pocket money buying her dango, runs into other characters, and everyone begrudgingly has to stash the two somewhere while Gosetsu recovers from... being shot through the lung and having the weight of a collapsing ceiling he was holding push him clear through the floor and all, and everyone else tries to work out if this 30-something child-woman deal is just a big act or she really does have sitcom coconut amnesia, along with having a phiolosophical debate on whether that means she’s off the hook for her many horrific crimes.

So I already hate that, but then the whole thing gets extra creepy when she starts like stripping off Gosetsu’s clothes while you’re talking to give him a sponge bath and such, because OK Gosetsu, you’re sitting here with this child-brained version of a woman who before being an evil overlord had a real famous stint as a particularly doll-like disassociating prostitute at the local brothel and you’re calling her cutesy names and she’s giving you sponge baths and like... you realize this looks really bad, right? Anyway, everyone decides yeah her memories and personality are straight up gone so like executing her for mass murder would be like murdering a human-shaped puppy or something. And like right then, everyone turns their backs long enough for her to remember she used to pick persimmons at a nearby village as a little girl and Gosetsu likes them, so she slips out to get one and... sorry boss.

See I come from a corner of the internet where people have this weird running joke/reference about Percy the Persimmon from Princess Tomato and the Salad Kingdom, the little sidekick who from chapter to chapter clumsily drops your whole inventory to get a clean slate, and how he is basically the greatest force of evil in the world. So when she drops this persimmon on being spotted by a random villager who rightfully freaks out, I have a real good private laugh and am convinced this story is immediately bound for disaster.

And it is. First off, yeah, secret’s out, the newly established government is hiding the Imperial appointee who made everyone’s life a living hell for the past however many years, and want everyone to just accept her and be nice to her, screw that. And around the same time, her brother (who also just happily joined up with the evil empire and has just the most punchable face in the world) arrives for “peace talks,” in particular being willing to release some Doman hostages and relics in exchange for her, and peace treaty on the conditions that absolutely nobody does any more god summoning no exceptions. We don’t really even make a pretense of him being possibly above board with any of this, particularly when the “hostages” he releases as a show of good faith are their parents, who are of course also complete imperial boot-licking monsters and also, abusive. Seeing she’s in amnesiac mode, their first vocalized thought is hey, her brain’s mush but she’s still hot, maybe if we sell her to the brothel again we can get closer to living the life of luxury we had in the empire.

Her awful brother, Asahi, also gives her a real fancy mirror to help jog her memory, and hey, eventually it works. So OK, now she’s evil again, this whole ���will of the kami” thing is just a big nope, we’ve completely ruined Gosetsu’s entire character for this shaggy dog story, and made all our major NPCs look like idiots for going along. She does shiv her parents to death though, that’s fun to see. Anyway this all comes to a head with Asahi going “ha! All these ‘treasures’ and hostages are just here for a summoning ritual and this mirror is an artifact to channel it so now my horrible sister is gonna pull a Shiva and kill you all AND you’re not preventing it so you broke the peace treaty! Again, just a real piece of garbage. Real cool boss music though.

Anyway after the fight her brother shoots her and she stabs him, so these two are off the table now but yeah I liked her original death scene way better. So, that was all pointless and terrible and upsetting. Well OK, not entirely pointless. The second in command on this Imperial diplomacy mission actually did get into diplomacy for the peace and is a pretty stand up guy. While we’re in the area though, there’s a fun side quest in the middle of the sea there I’d rather talk about.

You know the whole deal in Chinese mythology with the Four Symbols/Guardians/Auspicious Beasts? We’ve got a whole quest chain with them. Short version is there’s a hidden cave full of animals that have lived long enough to become wise mystical immortals who can talk, and also they are adorable.

Four of them in particular are really getting up there in years and you remind them of this guy they had cool legendary adventures with way back when, so they need your help, along with one of those tokusatsu turtle guys (who is shocked to see a talking turtle of course) and Tataru who isn’t really doing much else at the moment, eventually to re-up the wards on some ancient terrible evil but first just to kinda smack all of them around a little because when you really get up their in years you get prone to being overcome with rage and just kinda need a bucket of cold water tossed on you every thousand years or so. There’s also some wacky shennanigans training your more humanoid turtle pal in ancient magics and he ends up joining up with the others by the end. This is also a showcase for how interesting some of the boss gimmicks are getting this deep in the game. The bird of the south here features both a quick break where everyone has to stop and play DDR, and a but where a lesser fire bird is circling the arena lighting panels like it’s Wheel of Fortune that turn matching floor segments deadly.

Speaking of side stuff, remember back at the end of the post-Heavensward stuff where everyone just gave in to Nero wanting to sic a cool robot he found on the god of the day and we got that gratuitous cutscene? Well rather than shutting off at the end of that it uh... kinda burrowed into a big awful hole in the ground for nefarious purposes and birthed kind of a scout into the world in the form of basically the Chocobo’s Mysterious Dungeon protagonist, who we call Alpha, and who Cid and friends end up making an adorable little uniform for while checking things out.

There’s a lot of fun bits with various NPCs not being able to deal with how cute and marketable he is and how this really isn’t what non-mascot-y chocobos look like at all, but basically he leads you, Cid, and Nero into uh... let’s just call it Cyberspace. See Omega there wasn’t some ancient Allagan thing, but instead comes from way out in space, being kind of this ultimate doom weapon from the civilization that destroyed the original dragon homeworld, and now that Nero had to go and turn it on, it’s sitting here running simulations on how to become the ultimate doomsday device by... simulating other super hard boss fights from history, legend, and alternate dimensions and kind of doing a whole “who would win in a fight?” thing. And you’re invited to participate, which you do because there’s some chance of it manifesting the eventual winner into the real world and killing everybody, and also because it considers Alpha a complete failure who’s slated for destruction and you’re kinda participating as his agent. Mostly though the whole thing is an exercise in paying tribute to a bunch of really memorable boss fights from past Final Fantasy games the writers gave up on working out in world excuses for. We’ve got a few endgame bosses from FF5, including Exdeath himself, a slew of greatest hits from FF6, starting with the doom train and ending with Kefka (who Nero claims to be a big fan of on reading his provided bio), Chaos from FF1, and Midgardsormr in his prime, after your personal ghost dragon pal gets fed up with Omega trying to kill your friends to test whether desperation and revenge actually power you up, and has to enter a state of being somewhat more dead afterwards. And then finally you fight a humanoid avatar of Omega itself. Then partway through the fight you get some quote like “male form insufficient. Reconfiguring gender.”

Oh no! After a bunch of false leads, Omega finally worked out our secret! The inherent superiority in videogames possessed by all trans people! Side note this is the actually image constantly shown in the launcher and on the store page for FF14 advertising the potions you can buy with real money that let you return to the character creation screen and re-do your race/gender/various appearance options. They know who their audience is!

Of course you still win because you’re here with a party that’s most likely you plus 4 trans catgirls and 3 bunny boys in fishnets and bustiers. A superior force of blatant queerness. Anyway we get a big long sappy cutscene about the vast cold emptiness of space and its supernatural ability to just drain all joy and hope from those traveling the vast distances and Alpha gets to rescue everyone with the power of love and friendship, and before powering down Omega downloads into this little toy replica Cid and friends made of the outer robot turtle sort of hull to go on adventures with Alpha and continuing to try and work out if this whole power of love and friendship thing is actually real or you’re just dramatically describing adrenaline or something.

Our other raid series this time around involves a traveling theater troupe inviting you along to that section of the world map you may have noticed was pasted in from a higher detail source, because the playwright is working on a new production he’s going to call The Zodiac Brave Story, starring his children Ramza and Alma. If you don’t speak turbo-nerd that’s him saying “hey, want to help me research my new play, I’m gonna call it Final Fantasy Tactics!”

So, yeah. You just take an airship out to Ivalice, which we’re just plugging right into FF14 because hey it’s just one country in a big ol’ world that was never fully explored in any of the 5 or so previous games that share the setting, and while we’re mainly focused on the original FFT, we have references flying all over the place. A moogle comments on history books not getting the appearance of moogles right at all, we have some bangaa pirates.

We just have Fran from FF12 show up for a cameo and try not to think about when those games are supposed to be set relative to each other.

But mostly it’s just a big ol’ love letter to Final Fantasy Tactics, guest directed by the original creator, and kind of serving partially as an epilogue for some decades after the fact closure on your party heading off to fight the final boss and never being heard from again. I’d personally be pretty thrilled by the whole thing, but it’s vaguely upsetting seeing representations of all these characters having noses suddenly, and a little more seriously, while the dialog is filled with really memorable FFT quotes, they ruined the experience by re-localizing all of it and losing that terse, mildly incoherent tone. Gimme my “blame yourself or god!” Gimme my “life is short...Bury! Steady Sword!” Maybe it lands better if you play a more recent port first. The other thing that bugs me is the modern-day Ramza, as opposed to the ghost of the original from FFT, is just kind of a horrible racist. Like when he eventually stops just describing everyone around him in the most awful ways imaginable I genuinely thought it was meant to convey that he was being possessed, as people are all through this raid series. Apparently it’s just character growth. Baffling choice. Oh and apparently the fate of all your pals from FFT is they haunted these old ruins for a while and become big giant ghost monster idealized self-images to fight the FF14 protagonist and test your mettle before fighting the final boss from that game. Which means for instance that Mustadio gets to be a big robot sniper. Like I guess he always wanted?

And of course we have our regular check-in with Hildy and company... largely retreading ground we covered earlier. We have a big convoluted plot involving a stolen sword, a local detective helping hunt for it, and a really outlandish bodyguard called Yojimbo who looks super out of place, as does his weird looking dog.

Everyone’s on the lookout for this notorious “Wolf Burglar” and I just realized I got through that whole Stormblood summary without mentioning that a significant percentage of the population of Doma are members of the Lupin race did I? You meet a few, they’re cool. There’s some in an elite military unit towards the end, but they defect when you convince them you managed to liberate Doma.

Anyway the wolf burglar is one of them, but ultimately proves to have noble motivations, and the real villain is the lord making a big stink about a sword. Still you’re all trying to play by the book here, so when you catch up with him he does agree to come along quietly to jail, where he’d remain if not for the fact that the first person you met in this whole Hildy outing is one of his zombie diciples from out in the desert by Ul’dah. He’s out this way because he heard there was an island full of undead and hey, always nice to make friends with more undead, but those ones were jerks. So he’s hanging out in Kugane, and wearing a costume to make people less worried.

So... yes at some point in this business you pull the ol’ switcheroo between a cool wolf guy and a zombie in a fur suit. Generally things work out in the end, but of course that suspiciously weird looking samurai turns out to just be Gilgamesh in disguise, which was probably true back in FF10 too for that matter, and after a boss fight for old time’s sake squabbling over this fancy sword he... kinda gets pulled into another dimension along with Hildy, who’s wearing geisha makeup for absurd reasons. These things happen. Gotta set up that next encounter somehow.

Getting back on the main plot train, we have another villain who had a really great death scene people say is walking around again and coming up with evil plots involving the worst family in Doma. Zenos. Who is... very very clearly dead. He cut his head off right in front of you. He was buried. This can’t be him. Apparently though in addition to possessing whoever’s handy, like Thancred way back when, Ascians can also possess corpses, and since I’m pretty sure Lahabrea’s dead now but who knows or cares, there’s only two real noteworthy ones left around. Elidibus, possessing Zenos’ corpse, and your party pretty much pieces that together after checking that his body isn’t there. Well OK. Having Zenos’ reanimated corpse being used to sew chaos in confusion is fine I guess. Him actually be back from the dead would just be absurd.

Cut to a random soldier who is presently possessed by Zenos getting out a fancy katana and setting off to try and find you. This doesn’t really go anywhere for another expansion but like... this isn’t a restless spirit with unfinished business thing. This is a guy who spontaneously decided to kill himself because nothing in life was ever going to top fighting you. It’s weird for him to be possessing people. Not weird for him to want a rematch with you while he’s here though.

Meanwhile, hoping to actually get this diplomacy working, Alphinaud decides to take a trip up to the imperial capital with his new diplomat friend. They get shot down over this absolutely lifeless and aether-free desert by other imperials who no, did not actually want this peace talk thing happening. Fortunately they’re rescued by a guy who introduces himself as “the shadowhunter” who has a pretty cool look and a belt covered in masks he’s taken from Ascians he’s allegedly killed (like, I believe he killed them, I don’t believe he knows how to make them stay dead is all), as he has a big ol’ grudge against them from having been burned pretty bad by them in the past. He also claims to have had a lot of dealings with the Scions in the past. Alphinaud doesn’t piece this together, and I sure as hell didn’t because he looks completely different and at least in English is one of the more drastically changed characters due to basically everyone besides some of the Scions getting new voice actors while they were off camera for at least a full expansion, but eventually you meet him and... it’s freaking Gaius. The “creeping mendacity” guy. Main villain from the base game. They decided that guy, of all people, actually lived through the big boss fight and his whole stronghold collapsing after you killed the big robot he was piloting, AND that he, Mr. The Strong Must Rule The Weak, gets a big redemption arc. See this is what I’m saying about please just leave people dead. It’s actually fine here since he’s out for blood on the power behind the throne types and his right hand guy explains that he also doesn’t trust him at all and is just waiting for him to slip up and give him an excuse to kill him, but... I don’t like him being around and on team good guy. I also don’t like him no longer sounding like Batou from Ghost in the Shell. Anyway, the two of them go off on their own little adventure and find out that the empire is testing a biological weapon that just instantly kills the entire population of a city when deployed. Not so good.

Thancred’s got a news report on how these two rebellions you kicked off have other subjects of the empire inspired and leading their own revolutions, and apparently the reason you haven’t been hit back is they were busy wiping out Dalmasca, over in Ivalice, which is a bit shortsighted because it was a major refueling station, so if they want to attack Doma, they have to fly over that desert everyone lost contact with Alphinaud in. Also while looking for him, everyone found some similar structures to the forcefield generators making Azys Lla so had to get into. Some serious nerd talk later, turns out there’s basically a big reactor hidden away on the steppe that was draining all the aether from that desert to power stuff like launching Azys Lla and yeah, forcefield generators on the ground it lifted off from that it can be rerouted to. You’d think there’d be some concern with this causing the whole floating continent to come crashing down, but there’s potential side quests for you to not have gotten to there so nah it can keep itself aloft just fine. Also I misremembered, and the whole “little sun” scene happens when negotiating on whether it’s cool to poke around with the reactor that actually factors into local mythology pretty heavily.

There’s a big boardroom meeting once that front is secured, with just every major head of state or general you could name meeting with the Scions to discuss how you’re going to end this war, and it’s going pretty well until all the Scions, including your character, kinda black out and have ominous visions of doom with someone shouting about having to change history and abandon plans and throw open gates and a big wave of light killing everyone. This sort of thing keeps happening from here on out, which is pretty distracting, and also, Thancred doesn’t wake up from it. He’s in a mystery coma. The next wave takes out Urianger and Y’shtola which is pretty serious because they’re the sort of nerds you’d normally have looking into this. Alisaie freaks out about all this a bit since her brother’s missing and presumed dead, everyone else is being pulled into psychic comas, and when Krile suggests everyone go pester Matoya about it and she does a quick search, all the unconscious people have a 404 error on their souls. She also has you come check in on that kobold kid and no he’s still pretty catatonic.

Meanwhile over in the empire, Elidibus is meeting with the Empire to confirm to us in the audience that yes he totally knows this is an Ascian possessing his dead son, and is on board with all the screw peace stuff and the war crimes. Elidibus makes it weird and calls him “father” on the way out. And then his grandfather, the original founder of the whole Empire, steps out to make fun of him and remind him that his job as Emperor is to do gruntwork for the Ascians. The emperor gets annoyed at this, says Ascians talk to much, and shoots him. He comes back possessing one of quite a lot of clones he keeps handy for these moments because yeah this is Emet-Selch the last Ascian of note, AND the only one who’s at all interesting, and taunts this jerk some more.

We have a bit more war planning, a bit more horrible portent of doom headaches, a test of that screw your air fleet forcefield, and Gaius shows up to deliver some exposition and a comatose Alphinaud. We’re really starting to run low on party members with this whole thing. Anyway, biological weapons are bad. Secret cloning facilities full of the emperor’s grandfather are questionable.

Since things are going so well for team good guy, the Emperor actually agrees to an in-person peace talk with you, various heads of state, and Alisaie. Anyway he’s a jerk about it, and comes packing very real criticisms like, hey, Limsa Lominsa, you... absolutely colonized the hell out of the kobolds’ island. Hey Ishgard, you made peace with the dragons, you know, by killing their leader. hey all of you, if you actually want world peace and everyone working together, you could totally just all surrender and let me run the whole world. He also makes it clear that he totally wants to cooperate with the Ascians on their plan, which involves triggering something like 6 more apocalypses because those mash alternate dimensions into this one, and he at least is pretty sure that once they’re all mashed together, everyone will be united under the rule of the Master Race, i.e. his. He is, for what it’s worth, a bit confused on how all this actually works. Also he’s a nazi. Just like, straight up. And his... crown? is super dumb.

So yeah, war it is. It’s a pretty great setpiece dungeon honestly where you’re just barreling forward, fighting tons of nazis and robots while NPC friends alternately help you out in fights and run off into the background tackling whole fronts themselves while you just keep moving forward. This sort of thing becomes a recurring theme for climaxes from here out and I never get sick of them. Things are going real well, but then you get another headache and Alisaie doesn’t come back from this one. You need to pull back if only because you’re unconscious and need to be dragged to a bed. A bit of regrouping though and you’re back at it, pushing forward until it’s time for a big ol’ deal with Elidibus still piloting that zombie Zenos. Things go pretty well, but death doesn’t stick on him and also at the peak of things you once again get taken down by these psychic attacks. You aren’t killed, as is explained later, because Estinein is a bro and whisked you out of there.

This time you’re out long enough to have a proper conversation with the mysterious hooded weirdo whose body seems to be half weird blue crystal or something who’s doing this. He insists that if you keep this attack up on the empire, everyone in the world is going to die, you’re kinda just going to have to take his word on this, and he’d really like to talk it over with you face to face in the First, which you can get to with a trinket left outside the crystal tower.

Guess I can’t keep stalling on explaining that. We get some really good explanations of this in the next expansion, but people have tossed out a lot of this by this point. Once upon a time there was just one normal big fantasy world, but someone kinda took a metaphysical bat to it and smashed it into 14 pieces. You’d think since this is final Fantasy 14, the implication here would be that the other 13 world this yielded are the settings of the first 13 games, but we visit the First in the next expansion and the last time we came to the crystal tower we headed to the 13th, AKA the Void, hell, or the endgame of FF3. It’s just as well that we aren’t going that route though, because the Ascians whole deal is causing apocalypses as a way to mash these back into your world in the hopes of restoring it to its original state. They’ve successfully done so if I recall 7 times, and also had the one royal screwup where they just kinda destroyed the one and turned it into hell. Still 6 more apocalypses is a lot of dead people. Anyway they’re named based on relative position to yours on an arbitrary ring chart. The First is the nearest neighbor going one way, Thirteenth the other.

Anyway, about the only one left to give advice on this is Tataru, and she says go for it, if nothing else this guy might know where everyone’s souls got off to. And that’s where we leave things off. Once again if you’re enjoying these or enjoying me continuing to be alive, I’d really appreciate any donations through my patreon. And next time we will in fact be taking that extradimensional offer and heading into Shadowbringers. The honest to goodness super good expansion.

[jannianni]

A Winter In New York by Josie Silver - A 5/5 Star Review!

Iris is finding her footing in New York City, far away from the grief and trauma of her old life in London. While she is not at the culinary level she would like to be in her chef career, she finds comfort and friendship in the local noodle shop where she works. Still reeling in grief from the loss of her mother, she finds her identity through her mother's past. A chance run-in with an iconic gelateria present in her mother's scrapbook, what lies behind the front door will turn her new world upside down.

I really enjoyed this deep story of love in its many forms: intimate, parental, friendship. I loved the slow build of her found family in New York City and how often she is reminded that she is important to the group and the dependability of the member of the group when she feels very isolated. I personally enjoyed the family and friend bonding over food and wine. If you are a fan of romantic movies set in New York City, this book is for you. It mentions Moonstruck, When Harry Met Sally, Pretty Woman, and many others that have slipped my mind. My favorite character is Gio, especially with a scene in a storage unit where he demands maturity and communication with respect and basic human dignity. I literally cheered out loud as I read that part! I also enjoyed how fiercely loyal he is to his family and his willingness to compromise in order to make those he cares about happy. I would recommend this book for adult readers who enjoy a story that travels between past and present. I would also recommend it for those who love to read about found family as this story slowly builds on this to band together for a victorious defeat over a despicable villain.

On the other hand, I would not as enthusiastically recommend and more give a warning to those who may be triggered by relationship abuse, parental loss (especially maternal), and homelessness as some scenes may be difficult to read through.

Please note: at the time this review has been posted, the current release date is set for 10/03/2023. Many thanks to Dell, Ballantine Books, Penguin Random House, Goodreads Giveaways, and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[shield-maiden-of-sherwood]

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[thevindicativevordan]

In your 2022 review, who's the Superman rogue you think PKJ will tackle after wrapping up his Metallo arc?

Going down the list of likely candidates, remembering that it's a "classic fan-favorite" he's teased he'll be revamping next:

Parasite - Nah Williamson is using him for his book's first arc, I think we'll have to wait until 2024 before PKJ would use him after that.

Silver Banshee - Possible, Williamson is only using her for one or two issues if memory serve me right, that feels short enough to justify PKJ picking her up afterwards.

Livewire - She feels too low scale for PKJ.

Mxy - Strongest candidate. Especially if that second post-Metallo arc is the Multiversal Supermen team up he's teased, Mxy is one of the few Rogues powerful enough to justify bringing every Superman together. He's also named Mxy as a villain he really likes in a recent interview.

Bizarro - Other foe he named as really liking. Bizarro will totally be involved in the Supermen team up but I don't think he'll be the main bad guy.

Doomsday - Nah.

Toyman - Ruling him out too. Until recently PKJ thought he was the worst Rogue in Superman's Gallery. Said he's reconsidered that opinion recently and has some ideas on how to make Toyman into a "Riddler" type foe for Supes, but it would be really dark and he thinks it would have to be a BL book.

Prankster - Has never mentioned him to my knowledge, no chance it's him.

Satanus & Blaze - Nope, with him reconsidering his opinion of Toyman he now thinks these two are the lamest ones and says he'd rather leave those for Shazam. Never been a huge fan of them myself so I'm fine with them migrating over to Shazam's Rogues.

Maxima - Someone asked him if he was interested in using her and Almerac and he was very enthusiastic about doing so, but it sounded like she wasn't in his immediate plans. If he lasts on the book long enough then I think he will get around to her.

Brainiac - Unlike Toyman he loves Brainiac, but like Toyman he seems to be leaning towards saving Brainiac for a BL book. Wants to do another Warworld Saga long Brainiac story, and I don't think he would do another one of those so soon after the WS wrapped up.

Zod - Getting mixed signals regarding him. PKJ seems to want to save him for the endgame of his run which I'm predicting will be a big war between the United Planets and a group of enemies including Kryl-Ux. Kaminski however indicated that Zod and his family would play a big role in 2023. Maybe Williamson is using him? I don't think PKJ will be just yet.

Cyborg Superman - *sigh* I guess he counts as "fan favorite" and "classic" doesn't he? Don't think it's him.

Conduit - Here's a Jurgens OC I wouldn't mind seeing again! He was in the Action backups where he was exposed to Genesis, and made contact with the god whose power Genesis is itself a conduit for. Good chance Conduit will pop up again.

Aethyr - Runner up after Mxy because he's kind of a Superman Rogue, like Mxy he would justify a Multiversal team up, and PKJ used him in the 2021 Action Comics Annual. A big arc focused on the Phantom Zone after Metropolis would give PKJ the freedom to do worldbuilding for another underserved area of Metropolis lore. Personal opinion is that Aethyr is the power behind the Genesis Fragments, so PKJ would have been building up to him for a while.

Another tidbit of information he shared in a recent interview - I believe it was with Comic Perch on Youtube - is that he will be bringing in villains from other Rogues Galleries. Big one I expect to show up at some point is Circe because of her being the mother of his child Pyrrhos in Future State. Given The Last God it's no surprise PKJ would want to use the most popular evil sorceress/goddess in the DCU.